Chapter 49: Exclusive to Jinjiang 1/2

Song Fuzhi still felt a bit dizzy when he returned home.

When an ordinary person faces such sudden attention and popularity, it’s actually a bit overwhelming.

Not only were there comments and views, but Song Fuzhi also found his inbox filled to the brim—a long row of little red dots.

Most were fans coming to confess, similar to the comments, but there were also some accounts with more professional-looking avatars, expressing a desire to collaborate with Song Fuzhi. There were even MCN companies expressing interest, wanting to sign Song Fuzhi directly and asking if he had signed with any other companies.

“The people’s teacher had never really encountered this kind of content. As Song Fuzhi read through it one by one, he couldn’t help but be amazed.

Some brands politely inquired about scheduling, while others directly quoted prices to Song Fuzhi, clearly stating how much they charged for each promotion.

The content sent by the MCN company looked more like recruitment propaganda, listing one by one the exposure, resources, and profit-sharing benefits of signing with them. The wording made it seem like signing with them could instantly garner a million followers, reaching the peak of popularity.

Just a randomly popular short video made Song Fuzhi intuitively feel that in this era, attention equals money.

Many people are drawn to him, not necessarily because of his work but because he might create commercial profits.

As Song Fuzhi looked through it all, he couldn’t help but laugh.

He took a few screenshots and sent them to Luo Luli, joking, ‘Teacher Song is at a crossroads of changing careers.’

Luo Luli responded with a string of ‘hahaha’ and teased, ‘Shocking! The head teacher of a prestigious high school resigns to become an online influencer! Former students say, We firmly resist the goods the head teacher endorses.’

Song Fuzhi shook his head, smiling, and replied, ‘Too exaggerated.’

He locked his phone and set it aside, preparing his dinner.

Recently, Professor Shi has been busy with a lot of things after returning from an inspection. Dinner was usually at the university, so Song Fuzhi’s meals at home were simple, just throwing together a couple of dishes.

While eating alone in the dining room, Song Fuzhi’s mind was still pondering this matter.

First of all, signing with a company was out of the question—absolutely impossible.

Teacher Song knew what he wanted. Professions like ‘internet celebrity’ or ‘KOL’ were miles away from his life pursuits.

He wouldn’t continue cosplaying for money; that was not Song Fuzhi’s true intention.

Even if he wanted to continue being a cosplayer online, it would only be because of his passion and love for it.

A call appeared on his phone; it was from Luo Luli. Song Fuzhi answered.

Luo Luli, with a cheerful tone, said, ‘Fu teacher, can we look forward to your second work? ‘

Song Fuzhi thought for a moment and replied, ‘Let’s take a break for now.’

Luo Luli, being objective, said, ‘Don’t you want to quickly release a couple more sets while the momentum is still high? Seize the opportunity to gain more followers.’

Song Fuzhi smiled, ‘Why do I need so many fans? Besides, I’m quite busy lately.’

The school had a bunch of matters as usual, and there was a fledgling bird at home that needed care. Originally, he only had a bit of time with Shi Zhang before bedtime; the rest of the time, he wanted to spend with his husband or talk to his parents on the phone.

Moreover, it wouldn’t be good if students really recognized him.

Song Fuzhi’s response was entirely within Luo Luli’s expectations.

Deep down, they, as Teacher Song said, were not flamboyant people. They didn’t care about popularity or profit. What made them happiest was the cosplay itself and the love and praise from strangers.

‘Okay,’ Luo Luli said, ‘a laid-back cosplayer.’

Song Fuzhi smiled, ‘Exactly.’

Then Luo Luli changed the topic: ‘Why do you have so much time to talk to me today? Professor Shi isn’t at home.’

Song Fuzhi put the bowl into the kitchen and said, ‘Professor Shi has been busy recently.’

Luo Luli laughed, ‘Is Professor Shi going to become a scholarly widower? ‘

‘Not that exaggerated. He’s just been busy lately,’ Song Fuzhi said.

Luo Luli teased, ‘Does Professor Shi know that his husband already has thousands of fans online? And they’re all praising his husband’s body—if the professor knew, would he mind? ‘

Song Fuzhi hadn’t thought about this issue before and honestly replied, ‘I don’t know.’

Luo Luli continued, ‘Think about it. Professor Shi also has a great physique. If he becomes an internet celebrity behind your back and many people call him handsome, would you mind? ‘

After thinking for a moment, Song Fuzhi said, ‘Probably.’

Everyone has possessiveness, and with Professor Shi’s great physique, Song Fuzhi wouldn’t want others to see it.

After a pause, Song Fuzhi added, ‘Unless it’s something before we got married, like if he was recruited to model because of his good physique, then I can’t help it; after all, it’s beyond my control. But if he does this after marriage, I would mind.’

Luo Luli said, ‘So—’

Without hesitation, Song Fuzhi said, ‘So if I really plan to continue playing cosplay, I will talk to him first.’

Luo Luli said, ‘That’s good, very honest.’

The two chatted about other things, with Luo Luli complaining about the annoying things at work and Teacher Song giving her some clever ideas.

After about a week of busy work, Professor Shi finally caught a Friday where he could leave early and told Song Fuzhi that he would come home early.

Unfortunately, Professor Shi had time, but Song Fuzhi was busy. He had a meeting on Friday night and had to stay at the university.

So Shi Zhang took the initiative to take over the task of feeding the birds. He bought a bunch of meat, took a bunch of photos imitating Song Fuzhi, and added a note, ‘Haven’t seen you for a few days; you’ve grown so much.’

At that moment, Song Fuzhi was talking to a student’s parent about the student’s situation. He didn’t see the message. After that, another teacher called him to have dinner, and he hurriedly ate a few bites before heading to the meeting.

After the meeting, on the way back to the office, the English teacher mentioned to Song Fuzhi, ‘Teacher Song, our students Fang Fan and Wu Shuqian…’

From her opening, Song Fuzhi already knew. He smiled and said, ‘Oh, they have a good relationship.’

‘Did Teacher Song figure it out? ‘ The English teacher laughed.

‘More or less,’ Song Fuzhi nodded. ‘I had a class meeting with them last week, talking about related issues and giving them a bit of guidance.’

The English teacher was somewhat surprised. ‘Even a class meeting? Teacher Song is moving fast this time.'”

Their English teacher is a gentle and amiable beauty named Florence, with the Chinese surname Fu. She has a close and friendly relationship with the students.

Teacher Fu has worked with Song Fuzhi for two sessions. When she led the previous class, there were some ambiguous signs in the class.Teacher Fu was the first to notice and informed Song Fuzhi to be cautious.

“I thought this time I’d be the one to bring you the news,Teacher Fu said. “I didn’t expect Teacher Song to be so sharp. You’ve cultivated well these past few years.”

Song Fuzhi smiled without saying a word, asking, “How did they behave this week?”

Teacher Fu said, “Xiao Fang helps Xiao Wu with questions after class, and I think the effect is quite good, especially in improving Xiao Wu’s English. But two weeks ago, I noticed they were getting closer. I thought of observing a bit more before discussing it with you. Unexpectedly, Teacher Song took direct action. They are intelligent kids with plans for their future, and this week they’ve become more discreet.”

Song Fuzhi nodded and said, “Good.” He added, “Thank you, Teacher Fu. If they encounter any difficulties, please let me know.”

Because Teacher Song is not approachable, students don’t like to seek help from Song Fuzhi, even if they have problems. A beautiful teacher, both a mentor and a friend, is easier for students to approach. They occasionally confide in her, and if there’s something that requires the class teacher’s intervention,Teacher Fu informs Song Fuzhi.

Song Fuzhi took a detour to the classroom and glanced inside. The students who commute are almost gone, leaving about half of them quietly studying.

Fang Fan and Wu Shuqian are sitting in their respective seats, separated by a large part of the classroom, each focusing on their studies.

Song Fuzhi had considered whether to talk to the two of them separately, but he was afraid it might have a counterproductive effect because both kids are quite shy.

It seems the last class meeting had some effect; there’s no need for him to talk to them individually again.

After watching for a while at the classroom door, Teacher Song returned to the office. For this kind of positive student relationship, Song Fuzhi saw no significant problems and wouldn’t interfere too much.

After all, many years later, it should also be a memorable youth memory.

After worrying about the students, Song Fuzhi checked his phone. The message still stopped at Shi Zhang’s “The bird has been fed, and Little Five has successfully gained weight.”

Song Fuzhi lowered his head and smiled for a few seconds, and the smile suddenly froze on his face.

He hadn’t replied to Shi Zhang’s message for a few hours.

The memory of the five missed calls last time is still fresh in his mind. Song Fuzhi took a deep breath and replied, “Sorry, I’ve been in a meeting. I’m free now. I’ll be leaving the school in a while.”

Shi Zhang surprisingly replied instantly, “Sure, no rush.”

It sounds like Professor Shi isn’t too upset.

Teachers packed up their things in the office, chatted, and finally, it was time to leave work.

Song Fuzhi finally sent a message to Shi Zhang, walking out of the school gate with a few other teachers.

Teachers walked in groups of three or four, stretching and massaging their shoulders, complaining about their busy lives, and casually looking forward to the upcoming short weekend.

Someone asked Song Fuzhi what his plans were for the weekend, and Song Fuzhi smiled and said he might just stay at home.

As they approached the school gate, Old Zhou called out to Song Fuzhi from behind, “Old Song!”

“Do you want to join us for barbecue later? Old Qian and Old Ma will be there too.”

Song Fuzhi was about to politely decline, “I’m sorry, I have to go home.”

Before he could finish, Song Fuzhi looked surprised at someone not far away, and Old Zhou also said, “Hey,” raising his eyebrows high.

“Isn’t this Professor Shi here to pick up Teacher Song after work?” Old Zhou laughed with a twinkle in his eyes.