Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 60

Jing Ling had originally planned to quietly recover from his injuries, but now that Xu Shaohuai had exposed him and the matter of his injury was made public, he no longer tried to hide it. He directly asked Shen Ze to help take a photo and used it as that day’s Weibo post.

Jing Ling—Second Most Handsome Under the Heavens V: I’m still looking handsome today! [Photo]

The boy in the photo had nearly perfect facial features, the corners of his lips turned up in a smile, showing a beauty that transcended gender. People’s eyes were drawn to his face involuntarily, and only afterward did they notice his arm, which was simply immobilized—swollen and bruised, looking rather frightening.

Gua Gua: My Meng Er is hurting, sending a kiss to make you feel better soon!

(Note: “Meng Er” literally means “Second Cutie” or “Cute No. 2″—a fan nickname.)

Ten Miles of Green Books: Meng Er is 2.8 meters tall today—so handsome my legs can’t close!

(Note: “2.8 meters tall” is an internet slang expression to exaggerate someone’s aura or handsomeness, implying they look larger-than-life.)

Miao Miao—Third Most Handsome Under the Heavens: Overflowing with positive energy! I’ll be your fan for life, through thick and thin!

In addition to the fans’ enthusiastic well wishes, the official account of Island and various crew members reposted it with blessings. Even major accounts like National News and Peaceful Capital Government Blue also shared it.

The film Island was funded by the Jiangcheng government. What they valued wasn’t the box office revenue, but the film’s influence—though influence still required strong box office performance as a foundation. Before the film was even released, Jiangcheng’s promotional campaign hadn’t stopped. Clicking into the Weibo topic not only revealed introductions to the movie, but also detailed explanations of scenic spots. Many unsuspecting viewers clicked in and were confused at first, but after understanding, they had only one thought—”Jiangcheng, you’re awesome.”

Today, Jing Ling unexpectedly appeared on the national news broadcast. The person in charge on Jiangcheng’s side seized the opportunity for another round of bundling promotion—praising the person while also not forgetting to promote the movie, even using film footage to advertise the tourist spots.

With Gu Mengmeng as the director, the movie’s quality was already guaranteed. Paired with a good release window and good timing, the box office exploded as expected. Released on Saturday, by Tuesday at 1:00 p.m., it had already broken the 800 million yuan mark. Although there would be a slight decline after the May Day holiday, it was already set to easily surpass the industry-forecasted one billion mark, marching toward even higher goals.

Once news broke of Jing Ling’s brave act, and with so many onlookers that day, it wasn’t hard to find out he was in a hospital in the Cuihu District. Although reporters couldn’t yet get into the high-end ward area, Yunshu could no longer stay in the hospital to take care of him either, in case she was photographed.

Yunshu had gone out with someone who looked like her boyfriend on Saturday afternoon and didn’t return to campus until Sunday night. The day she came back to her dorm, her roommate Cheng Sisi didn’t hesitate to toss aside her beloved game and revolutionary teammates, quickly jumping off the bed and sitting at her desk, crossing her long legs into a lotus position.

“Tan Yunshu, goddess, as your roommate and fangirl, I have every reason to care about your love life. Confession earns leniency, resistance invites strictness—hurry up and explain your whereabouts these past two days!” Cheng Sisi declared righteously, then instantly switched her expression like flipping a page. The word gossip was practically written across her face. “So, how is your boyfriend in that department, hmm?”

“Can’t your brain think about anything else for one day?!” Yunshu had still been a little anxious, but hearing that line, she instantly felt three black lines drop from her forehead.

(Note: The “three black lines” is a manga/anime-style exaggeration representing speechlessness or frustration.)

“We’re all adults—it’s completely normal for something to happen. Besides, you’re not just a pretty face; you’ve got curves and long legs. What man could resist you? Come on, come on, let’s exchange academic insights!” Cheng Sisi winked exaggeratedly.

Yunshu placed her bag on the table and sat across from her. “Nothing happened at all. First, we watched a movie, then we went to eat. After that, we were going to walk around a bit, but an accident happened during step two—he… a relative suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized, so we went straight to the hospital.”

“Oh my God, how long have you two been dating? Already meeting the parents?!” Cheng Sisi widened her eyes. “This guy is definitely a reincarnated fox spirit sent to seduce people! Think of how many outstanding young talents at Imperial University chased after you for over three years and didn’t even get a glance—and now the benefit goes to an outsider?! I’m so mad!”

Yunshu was stunned for a moment when she heard that, then hesitated slightly. “Actually, we’re not really boyfriend and girlfriend yet… I confessed first, but before he could respond, I chickened out. Later, he did say something about how to confess in a way I wouldn’t reject, but he never officially proposed we start dating…”

Cheng Sisi looked at her like she was a strange creature. “Goddess, are you sure your brain is okay?” she asked while dramatically reaching out to feel Yunshu’s forehead. “You’re Imperial University’s undisputed goddess! You could have any kind of boyfriend—how did you get conned by someone like that?! No way, something’s definitely wrong. I’m skipping class tomorrow and taking you to the temple!”

“But he’s really nice to me!” Yun Shu instinctively defended him. “He…” She wanted to say what Jing Ling had done for her, but the words stopped at her lips. Even she sometimes found those things too dreamlike and unreal—if she said them, Cheng Sisi definitely wouldn’t believe her. After a pause, she simply repeated, “Anyway, he’s really nice to me. Honestly.”

“If you read more romance novels, you’d know this is textbook behavior for a scumbag! —‘Sure, he has nothing and is a total loser, but he’s really nice to me.’ Most of the girls who get fooled in those stories are just ordinary ones—but you’re a goddess, my Yunshu! You’ve been possessed by a ghost, you hear me?!” Cheng Sisi was furious. “If the temple weren’t closed now, I’d drag you there this instant!”

In a hospital room far away in the Cuihu District, Jing Ling suddenly sneezed out of nowhere. He didn’t think much of it, but Shen Ze beside him got all flustered, worrying he might have caught a cold and rushed to shut the window.

Yuncheng was located in the western administrative region, in the southwest. The climate was unpredictable—it could be warm enough for short sleeves in January, and require thick cotton jackets in March or April. Here, the seasons weren’t clearly distinguishable.

Now that it was May, the sun blazed in the sky, and the girls on the streets had already changed into summer outfits—T-shirts, hot pants, and dresses, as pretty as could be. At night, the wind still carried a trace of the lingering summer heat.

That afternoon, Zhang Qingrong received a call from a friend and arranged to meet that night at Zero Point Bar.

Back in June last year, Zero Point had only been one of the more well-known bars in Yuncheng. Compared to First Love and Midnight Prague, it still lagged a bit. But in less than a year, it had caught up with those two and around April became the most famous bar in Yuncheng. This was partly thanks to Dong San’er’s good luck—he’d randomly hired a temp worker during summer break and ended up with a real gem. During that half month, the bar’s foot traffic doubled. Although the guy left later, and popularity declined slightly, it still saw a net increase. By August, the web drama The Song of Eternal Joy launched on the Southern State platform, starring the same young man who had worked at his bar.

Dong San’er was clever and took advantage of the opportunity to promote the bar. Since then, more girls started visiting, and where there are flowers, there will naturally be bees—popularity soared. Starting from March this year, as the film Island entered its publicity phase, Dong San’er’s bar became more and more popular by the day.

The first time they met, she had rejected him, but that only made Zhang Qingrong remember the guy more clearly. Occasionally thinking of him, she’d come to the bar to sit for a while. Her friends didn’t know the reason and thought she just liked the place, so they joined her. Over time, Zero Point became their regular hangout spot. But this time her friend didn’t ask her out just to have fun—they were welcoming someone back.

Gao Wei—a guy from their circle. Not too close, but they knew each other. In college, he’d gone to the southern administrative region. During his first year, he’d come back during winter and summer breaks to hang out, but later he became obsessed with fishing and basically entered early retirement. Four years passed in the blink of an eye, and graduation was near. Gao Wei returned in early April. That alone was normal, but word always traveled fast in this circle. In just a few days, the reason for his return was being discussed privately—

He had gone fishing in Jiudu River in search of excitement but ended up almost being killed by drug dealers in the Heduo River area. Luckily, he ran into military personnel on a mission and was saved. Shortly after, news broke that drug lords in the Heduo District were colluding with Huguer’s military to frame our country’s cargo ships for drug smuggling. With solid evidence, the story caused an international stir. As someone present at the beginning of it all, Gao Wei naturally gained a bit of mysterious, legendary aura.

His family was scared out of their minds. Being the only son of three generations, he was a precious single seedling. In anger and worry, his family locked him up for a full month to reflect. He’d only just been let out today.

So this “welcome back” party was more about curiosity over his experience.

Gao Wei understood that perfectly.

The party was on the sixth floor of Zero Point. The entire floor had been remodeled into a single room, with expensive decor meant for hosting VIP guests like them.

As the meeting time approached, luxury cars pulled into Zero Point’s underground garage one after another. The VIP elevator to the third floor ran nonstop. Soon, over a dozen people gathered in the lobby, men and women alike.

The music started, wine bottles were uncorked, and the revelry began.

Gao Wei was surrounded like the star of the show, sipping wine while telling his story.

“My old man’s in public security, right? I’ve seen plenty of guns, so having one pointed at me didn’t really faze me… When I hit that woman, man, her screaming was horrific—worse than the cries of animals on both sides of the strait. But it’s a good thing I did it. It alerted the incoming boat upstream to our situation and helped divert the dealers’ attention. That’s how they were able to board smoothly…”

The partying continued past 2 a.m., but most of the girls had left, especially after Gao Wei got to the part about hitting people. Bragging was fine, but revealing that kind of ugly side of himself made him unappealing.

After the party ended, the group staggered out. Gao Wei couldn’t hold it in and went to the bathroom. When he came out, most people had left. He took the elevator down alone.

Ding—the elevator doors opened, revealing a tall figure. But Gao Wei, drunk and dazed, couldn’t see clearly.

“Mr. Gao?”

“Mm…”

“I’m your designated driver.”

“I… I didn’t call a… a driver…”

“Your friend called me for you.”

“Oh… then… let’s go.” Gao Wei, head muddled, didn’t think much of it and tossed the car keys to the person.