Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 552 - 553 Gu Anxi’s Perfume, Symbolizes the Pain of Youth!
Gu Mingzhu didn’t believe Gu Anxi could pull off anything impressive.
Tomorrow was the premiere of her film, "Pain of Youth," to be held in a prestigious venue in Beicheng. Many prominent figures from the film industry and Beicheng society would be in attendance.
She had also heard that Mr. and Mrs. Min would be there. The mere thought made Gu Mingzhu’s palms sweat.
She was sweating with excitement.
She was confident in her film. Industry film critics had given it high praise, commenting on its exploration of contemporary youth anxiety—a topic that would resonate widely. The last film to garner such massive public attention was "The Wild Wolf." It was highly probable that "Pain of Youth" would continue the trend.
If the film was overwhelmingly successful, would it catch his attention?
While she was lost in these chaotic thoughts, Tang Yuan came in, carrying a bowl of nourishing soup.
Gu Mingzhu whispered, "Mom, I don’t need to drink this anymore; it’ll make me gain weight."
Tang Yuan looked somewhat haggard, largely because Gu Yuanshan was ignoring her, and even the household staff showed her little respect. But none of that mattered, as long as Mingzhu made something of herself.
Tang Yuan sat down, her voice gentle. "You’re not gaining weight. Besides, your sleep hasn’t been good lately, so you should have some food to calm your nerves... but it doesn’t seem to be having much effect."
Gu Mingzhu murmured, "If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just take half a sleeping pill."
Tang Yuan strongly disapproved. "You’re so young, why would you take sleeping pills! I’ll take you to see a doctor later..."
Gu Mingzhu seemed indifferent. "Mom, didn’t you watch that program? The host said it’s abnormal for people nowadays *not* to feel anxious. Anxiety is normal."
Tang Yuan smiled. "You’re right, you’re right. Youth is indeed painful."
Gu Mingzhu took a sip of the soup, then quietly asked, "Mom, what kind of person is Mr. Min?"
Tang Yuan’s expression turned a little unnatural. She then admonished Gu Mingzhu, "Please don’t let your thoughts run wild. Min Xin... he won’t acknowledge us."
"Is it because of his wife’s family’s power?" Gu Mingzhu asked quietly. "Mom, his power now far surpasses the Zhou family’s. I think he only stays with Zhou Yu out of pity, and they don’t have children... A marriage like that won’t last."
Tang Yuan wanted to say something more. However, she recalled Gu Yuanshan’s indifference and the fact that Zhou Yu had borne no children and was unlikely to have any in the future. Considering all this, she felt Mingzhu’s speculations might hold some possibility.
In a quiet voice, she said, "Promise me you will never initiate contact with Min Xin and Zhou Yu. If you are outstanding, people will naturally be drawn to you. Listen to your mother."
Gu Mingzhu nodded.
To her, the Min family was the ultimate goal of her ambitions.
「The next afternoon.」
At 2 p.m., "Pain of Youth" had its official premiere. The combination of a large production, a famed director, and impressive acting skills indeed garnered good reviews. As anticipated, the hot topics of discussion revolved around the anxiety experienced by the younger generation, their resort to medication, and even suicidal thoughts.
That afternoon, the film generated four or five trending topics, and Gu Mingzhu was the talk of the town.
She figured that under the powerful influence of the movie, Gu Anxi’s advertisement would probably go unnoticed.
At this moment, she was on stage, being interviewed by reporters. The questions had been agreed upon beforehand, and she answered flawlessly, earning wide acclaim from the media.
From the corner of her eye, Gu Mingzhu quietly observed Min Xin sitting alone in the audience, accompanied only by his personal secretary. Mrs. Zhou wasn’t present.
When Min Xin noticed her, he gave a slight smile before leaving.
A feeling of lightness enveloped Gu Mingzhu. That man was her father; surely, he must be proud of her now!
By 8 p.m. that day, the box office for "Pain of Youth" had exceeded 100 million. It was indeed a hit.
Tang Yuan was both surprised and thrilled. She made a special call to Gu Yuanshan, who listened and then calmly replied, "That’s great. Well done."
Tang Yuan’s heart grew cold. She wasn’t as naive as Gu Mingzhu, who thought an illegitimate daughter could simply enter the Min family. What a difficult feat that would be! First, she would have to get past Zhou Yu. If Zhou Yu didn’t approve, it wouldn’t matter how much Min Xin liked Mingzhu. Tang Yuan still hoped Gu Yuanshan would have a change of heart. Mingzhu bore the Gu surname; her rightful place was within the Gu family.
After hanging up, she also noticed that Min Xin had left. Gu Mingzhu’s gaze followed him, her eyes full of adoration.
Though Tang Yuan didn’t approve, she didn’t have the heart to interrupt her daughter’s thoughts.
The most important thing now was the tremendous success of Mingzhu’s film; she had finally managed to hold her head high.
When mother and daughter sat down again, Tang Yuan praised, "Mingzhu, you did a fantastic job this time."
Gu Mingzhu smiled slightly. "If Gu Anxi always gets her way, she’ll become too complacent."
Tang Yuan didn’t respond, but in her heart, she naturally sided with her younger daughter.
Meanwhile, in the conference room of Yunxi Group, a large screen was live-streaming the premiere of "Pain of Youth." Gu Anxi refreshed her phone again, then smiled. "Release the ad."
Manager Ma, standing beside her, was quick to flatter, "President Gu, your plan is brilliant!"
How much pain "Pain of Youth" must be causing people! Even those who were fine before were now feeling anxious. And at this very moment, their sleep-inducing perfume was bursting onto the scene. How many would consider it a godsend?
Gu Anxi glanced at him. "I’m just seizing the opportune moment."
Initially, she hadn’t planned to develop in this direction. It was mainly after researching the market that she realized going the conventional route probably wouldn’t work. At the earliest, they would have to wait until autumn.
Manager Ma laughed. "Our Young President Gu is truly formidable, riding this wave so perfectly!"
Saying this, he immediately contacted the advertising department. That very night, ads were launched on all thirty-six major channels, and also placed across other mainstream media platforms, blanketing everything.
That night, the whole world witnessed a very... unique advertisement.
A little rabbit was sick. It was supposed to be taken to the doctor by Da Hui, but Da Hui himself was the doctor!
After diagnosis, the little rabbit wasn’t sick after all, just anxious. And as fate would have it, it was Valentine’s Day. Da Hui took out a perfume, sprayed it on his beloved little rabbit, and that night, the little rabbit slept sweetly and soundly.
The next morning, beside her pillow lay a fresh rose and a bottle of Disney co-branded limited-edition summer perfume...
A perfume that was both romantic and an aid to sleep!
The ad was shot in a way that was both innocent and rather... suggestive, quite shamelessly so!
As soon as the ad was released, along with a simultaneous launch of one million units on major platforms, all one million units were snapped up within an hour. This came after a full day of anxiety fermented by "Pain of Youth."
And this was just one week before the Qixi Festival.
It was sold out everywhere; a single bottle was incredibly hard to find...
This kind of craze was another Da Hui-level phenomenon.
It exploded onto the trending lists, and discussions about this perfume were rampant everywhere...
Meanwhile, the meeting in the Yunxi Group conference room hadn’t adjourned. Manager Ma and everyone else present were utterly dumbstruck. Their Young President Gu was truly sharp; this move would surely infuriate their competitors!
