Chapter 36: Internet Celebrity

In Shen Siyuan’s memory, Zhang Haibo’s home was one of those red-brick houses—not exactly dilapidated, but certainly old. Built, presumably, in the seventies or eighties, many of the bricks were cracked, and the shadowed corners were covered in moss. The wind and sun had weathered the walls, pitting them with tiny holes that bees loved to burrow into come springtime. Shen Siyuan and his childhood friends would place intravenous drip bottles over these holes and prod them with blades of straw; the bees would fly out, landing right in the bottles. They could catch dozens in a single day. The reason they used IV bottles was simple: the wide body and narrow neck made it difficult for the bees to escape.

Those were fond childhood memories, but what stood before Shen Siyuan now was a Western-style villa—a genuine, European-style house. It was brand new and clearly hadn’t been built long ago.

"It seems Zhang Haibo has really struck it rich," Shen Siyuan remarked with a sigh.

"Your background isn't bad either; you’re a perfect match," Seventh Aunt said, tugging him toward the entrance without a hint of hesitation. "Is the mistress of the house in?" she called out loudly.

A short, dark-skinned middle-aged woman emerged from the house, followed by a girl. The girl was also short, perhaps five-foot-three at most, but she had a curvaceous figure—everything in the right places. Her face was delicate and seemingly flawless, though a closer look revealed a thick layer of foundation concealing any imperfections. She was pretty, certainly, but the heavy makeup made it impossible to discern her true features.

"Ah, Cuixiang, you're here!" the middle-aged woman greeted them warmly.

"Hello, Auntie," Shen Siyuan said quickly. He recognized her immediately as Zhang Haibo’s mother.

"Is this Siyuan? You’ve grown so much! Let me get a good look at you." Ignoring Seventh Aunt, she took Shen Siyuan’s hand and examined him thoroughly.

"It’s been so many years, Auntie, but you haven't changed a bit," Shen Siyuan said with a smile.

"Nonsense, I’ve aged quite a bit," she said, though her face beamed with delight. She was increasingly pleased with what she saw: tall, clean-cut, with bright, intelligent eyes, and coming from a family whose roots she knew well. But her approval wasn't enough; her daughter had to be satisfied too. She turned and gestured to the girl behind her. "What are you standing there like a statue for? Come over here and let Seventh Aunt introduce you."

"No need for introductions," Seventh Aunt laughed. "Looking at the girl, I'm sure you two are already well-acquainted."

Zhang Haibo’s mother nodded. "This boy was classmates with our Haibo. He used to play at our place all the time when they were little—such a mischievous kid. Once you mentioned it, I remembered..." She turned to introduce him to her daughter.

"Mom, no need for introductions. I know 'Big-Head' Shen perfectly well," she said, covering her mouth to giggle.

Shen Siyuan had possessed a larger-than-average head as a child, which was how he’d earned that nickname. It had been years since anyone had called him that, yet since returning, he’d heard it from his great-uncle and now from Zhang Shengnan—for that was the girl's name.

"It’s good that you already know each other," Zhang Shengnan’s mother said, clearly pleased.

"Oh, we know each other all too well, Auntie," Shen Siyuan laughed. "I remember when she was little, she chased me for over a mile with a stick covered in dung. I’ve never forgotten it—haha!"

Zhang Shengnan glared at him, furious that he was ruining her reputation.

"You girl..." Her mother looked at her daughter with annoyance. The girl had been a tomboy since she was small, so the mother didn't doubt his story for a second.

"Mom, that’s not true at all! Don't listen to his nonsense," Zhang Shengnan said, subconsciously wrinkling her nose.

Her mother knew instantly that Shen Siyuan was telling the truth; whenever Zhang Shengnan lied, she had a habit of wrinkling her nose.

"Let the kids chat amongst themselves, dear," Seventh Aunt said, pulling the mother away. They were here for a blind date, not to watch a lecture.

"Will you be staying for lunch?" Zhang Shengnan’s mother asked, more out of courtesy.

"No, we shouldn't trouble you..."

As the two women walked into the house, Shen Siyuan and Zhang Shengnan were left alone.

"Happy now?" Zhang Shengnan said crossly.

"Who told you to call me 'Big-Head'?"

"Isn't it true? I didn't make up the nickname; I was just stating a fact."

"And what I said was a fact, too."

"Tch, you’re a grown man, such a petty one," she retorted with disdain.

Shen Siyuan didn't want to get bogged down in the argument. He decided to chat for a bit just to fulfill his obligation and satisfy his mother. "Is your brother back?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No."

"I heard he’s doing well. What kind of business is he in over in Ye City?"

"Are you here on a date with me or my brother? Why do you keep asking about him?"

"Fair enough. Tell me about yourself, then. You just graduated, right?"

"Yeah..." Zhang Shengnan didn't hide anything; she told him everything. There was no point in hiding it, as it was all public knowledge anyway. Neither she nor her brother had been cut out for academics. Zhang Haibo hadn't made it into college and had gone to Ye City to make his fortune. Zhang Shengnan had fared slightly better, getting into Qionghai Normal University, a second-tier school, to study primary education—a degree that, for many, was a one-way ticket to unemployment.

"What are your plans for the future?" Shen Siyuan asked, curious if she intended to join her successful brother.

"I’ve signed with an MCN to create short-form video content. Do you have Douyin? Follow me."

Shen Siyuan did have Douyin; he spent half his time at work scrolling through it. Zhang Shengnan’s account was called "Zhang Dali," and she had 80,000 followers. He clicked on a random video and was left speechless: she was wearing a maid costume and crushing a soda can with her bare hand.

He looked at her in shock. She immediately flexed her arms, struck a bodybuilder's pose, and gave him a fierce look. "What are you looking at? Careful, or I’ll pummel you."

Watching her, Shen Siyuan couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't expected this petite girl to be both a "violent woman" and a comedian.

"Do you think I can make it big?" she asked.

"You might get a little popular, but making it really big will be hard," he said after a moment's thought.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you lack substantial content. It’s hard for people to really remember you."

"What do you know?" Obviously, his comment had annoyed her. There were people on Douyin with millions of followers just for shaking their hips—what kind of content did they have?

Fair point. Shen Siyuan was left speechless.

Actually, the conversation wasn't going too badly, given their shared childhood history. But it was clear that Zhang Shengnan had no desire to settle down and get married yet; her only goal was to become a major influencer. Shen Siyuan understood this perfectly. After they exchanged contact information, he left without staying for lunch. Seventh Aunt had long since vanished.

When he returned home, his mother, Huang Huijuan, greeted him with excitement. "How was the girl? Did she catch your eye?"

"No, we aren't a good fit," Shen Siyuan replied.

His mother’s smile vanished instantly. "You haven't even spent any time together, how would you know?"

Shen Siyuan pulled out his phone and showed her Zhang Shengnan’s Douyin profile.

"What’s wrong with this? She's strong, which means she's healthy. Your future kids will have great constitutions, and you won't have to worry about her domestic abuse!"

"Mom, what are you saying? She might not be worried, but I certainly am," Shen Siyuan said, speechless.

"Ugh, you useless thing! What’s the point of you? You’ve disappointed me again. Get back to Binhai early; just looking at you makes me annoyed."

His mother turned and stormed back into the house, looking thoroughly disgusted.

Shen Siyuan: ...