CHAPTER 9: Persona Collapse: 9%

◎The flower blooming in my heart◎

Tuesday, 5 PM.

A new episode of Life Dash Challenge was airing.

It wasn’t exactly a prime-time slot. Most people were still working or at school at that hour.

But 5 PM was also a rather special time.

That’s when countless people walk into the kitchen and start prepping dinner.

The production team had done their research—over half of Life Dash Challenge viewers were domestic experts who loved watching contestants raid supermarkets while they cooked.

So the network had deliberately moved the show to this time slot.

Thousands of people tied on aprons and, out of habit, turned on the latest episode.

When they saw Yang Zhan leading his team to the entrance of Siyan Supermarket, almost everyone thought for sure—he was going to lose this round.
But the moment the supermarket lights turned on, they were all stunned!

What the hell kind of supermarket is this?!

This was easily the most stylish, innovative, and impressive store in the show’s entire history.

Absolutely jaw-dropping!

[??????]

[I kept dragging the progress bar back and forth—this is really the same place?!]

[Was the entrance a portal? I blinked and thought I’d entered another world. This makes no sense!]

[Wait a second—isn’t this the old rundown store under my building? How did it become like this?!]

[Who else is sitting here with a head full of question marks? Just me??]

The audience was buzzing. Everyone was shocked by the drastic contrast between the inside and outside of the store.

The screen was flooded with comments.

Someone casually rinsing rice took a glance at the screen and, seeing everyone else freaking out, calmly typed:

[Y’all are still young. Flashy design doesn’t mean much. What matters is quality goods and good prices.]

Then they went back to cooking.

But the next scene made even the calmest viewers break composure!

[Quick! Tell me this supermarket’s address! I need to go!]

[Sis, weren’t you just saying the store wasn’t that great?]

[Seafood drip baskets! Crabs pre-unstrung! This place is heaven!]

[…]

[Sorry, if you don’t cook, you just won’t get it.]

Most viewers tuned in just for fun.

But even those who didn’t know how to cook were floored by the next segment.

[Wait—what?! You can buy meat and get it pre-cut? Look at those knife skills! If I knew about this place earlier, I wouldn’t have nearly sliced my hand!]

[The sales assistants help pick ingredients based on recipes?! My mom won’t have to worry about me cooking anymore!]

[I seriously need this store. Now!!]

[Did you guys not know? Siyuan Supermarket has always been like this—great service and the lowest prices in the entire city. It’s just that the storefront is ugly, so not many people go in, which is why it’s not well known.]

Back when Qin Heping first founded Siyuan Supermarket, its selling points were precisely good service and quality goods at affordable prices.

Not only were the staff attentive, but every item sold went through strict screening—top quality at the lowest price in town.

It was very popular at the time, but after a few years, times changed, and the store got pushed out by other supermarkets.

Now, with the airing of this episode, Siyuan Supermarket exploded in popularity, shooting straight to the trending list almost as soon as the show finished.

#HowConscientiousIsSiyuanSupermarket#

Countless people started asking for the address of the store.

Great quality, low prices, excellent service, and now even a completely revamped store design—who wouldn’t be tempted?

Qin Yangyang sat in front of the TV, having just finished watching the latest episode.

Maybe it was because Yang Zhan’s team, the underdogs, had won, so the production team gave Siyuan Supermarket a lot of screen time. The fantasy forest-themed design wasn’t common in the supermarket industry, and with the camera sweeping through it, the effect turned out even better than expected.

With this episode out, the supermarket should be seeing customers now, right?

At the very least, it shouldn’t be as deserted as before.

Thinking this, Qin Yangyang took out her phone and called the store, wanting to ask about the situation.

But the call went unanswered.

At this hour, the supermarket shouldn’t be closed yet.

She tried calling two more times. None of the staff picked up.

Qin Yangyang started to get worried and immediately had the butler prepare the car to take her to Siyuan Supermarket.

As soon as she reached the entrance, the sight of the massive crowd flowing in gave her a shock.

It was still that same gray, dingy sign, with three of the four characters unlit—only the character for “market” (超) was blinking, perfectly reflecting Qin Yangyang’s current mood.

So many people!

How could there be this many people?!

She genuinely suspected the entire Linhai City had shown up.

The parking lot outside the supermarket was already jam-packed, and yet more cars kept arriving.

With no space to park, people just left their cars wherever they could and rushed straight into the store.

While watching the episode earlier, Qin Yangyang had already expected the supermarket’s situation to improve, but she never imagined the effect would be this dramatic!

There were so many people outside that she barely managed to squeeze her way in—only to find even more people inside!

It was shoulder to shoulder, people coming and going in waves.

The food section, general goods section, and fresh produce section were all packed to the brim!

Despite the crowd, people didn’t seem annoyed. On the contrary, she kept hearing excited exclamations:

“Wow! This asparagus is so cheap! Three yuan cheaper than what I bought yesterday!”

“They really will slice meat for you? The show wasn’t lying!”

“Oh my god! A supermarket that helps you drain seafood? I’m never going anywhere else again!”

…

The praises kept coming.

On the way here, Qin Yangyang had been thinking: since she was already going, she might as well pick up some fruits and vegetables for the housekeeper to cook tomorrow.

But after finally squeezing inside, she found the shelves completely empty!

The employees were happily weighing produce, practically glowing with energy.

Siyuan Supermarket’s staff received not just a base salary but also commission. The more customers, the higher their income. So now, the harder they worked, the happier and more motivated they became.

Qin Yangyang managed to push her way to the front.

“I called you guys earlier. Why didn’t anyone answer?”

The moment the staff saw her, their faces lit up with delight, their voices full of excitement.

“Miss Qin! The supermarket’s gone viral! So many customers! Ever since Life Challenge aired, people started pouring in nonstop! We’ve almost sold out everything!”

They’d been so swamped that they hadn’t even noticed their phones ringing.

Qin Yangyang looked at the steady stream of customers still coming in and was a little stunned.

“Life Challenge has that much influence? Do other supermarkets that appeared on the show get this popular too?”

The staff shook their heads.

“I’ve been following that show from the beginning. Our supermarket is the only one that blew up. Siyuan Supermarket has fair prices, great service, and quality products. Anyone who watches wants to come check it out.”

Because of the flood of customers brought in by the show, the shelves were quickly emptied.

Some latecomers, disappointed at the lack of goods, didn’t leave right away. Instead, they began admiring the unique interior design of Siyuan Supermarket.

A little fantasy-forest world that made people want to linger—even if they weren’t buying anything.

Qin Yangyang saw that quite a few people were examining her design and couldn’t help glancing over several more times.

A staff member said, “Miss Qin, a lot of customers just now were saying the supermarket looks way better than before. Everyone was full of praise.”

Hearing that, Qin Yangyang couldn’t help but break into a grin.

“I’ll stay and help out. After closing, we’ll sort out the inventory. We need to stock up on a lot more tomorrow.”

That day, when Siyuan Supermarket finally closed, half the items in the store had been sold out.

Never underestimate people’s purchasing power.

Qin Yangyang helped the team take inventory and finalize the next day’s supply orders before finally clocking out.

On the way home, her mind was still calculating the day’s revenue.

In just a few hours today, sales had already surpassed the supermarket’s entire revenue from last month!

For Siyuan Supermarket, which had been in a slump for three years, this was like an adrenaline shot straight to the heart!

And since there wasn’t much stock today, many customers had left empty-handed.

Which meant—tomorrow would probably be even busier.

The surge in traffic brought by Life Challenge was huge, but whether they could retain those customers would depend on their own abilities.

On that front, Qin Yangyang wasn’t worried at all.

When it came to product quality, price, and service—there wasn’t a single supermarket in Linhai City that could rival Siyen Supermarket.

As of today, she had finally brought it back to life.

Qin Yangyang was a little excited.

Not just because the supermarket had been resurrected under her hands, but more importantly, because her design had once again been recognized!

Among the customers that came today, aside from praising the service and price, the most mentioned compliments were all about the supermarket’s interior design.

The unique forest theme made it unforgettable at a single glance.

Feeling thrilled, she grabbed her things and got out of the car.

But the moment she stepped into the living room, she saw Ji Jingxiu sitting there.

It was already late, yet he was still dressed in his suit, sitting expressionlessly on the sofa—as if he hadn’t moved a muscle since coming back from work.

Everyone else in the house was still present too.

The cook, the driver, the cleaning staff—they all stood nearby, looking concerned.

Ji Jingxiu looked just like a strict school dean who had just caught a student sneaking in past curfew, his gaze sharp with frozen frost.

“Where did you go?”

“The supermarket.”

Qin Yangyang held up the bags in her hands and smiled. “I even brought everyone gifts.”

Today was a complete success for Siyen Supermarket. The impressive sales and glowing customer feedback had her in high spirits. Even when facing Ji Jingxiu’s questioning, she wasn’t mad at all. In fact, her smile was extra bright, her whole demeanor brimming with joy.

Ever since marrying Qin Yangyang, Ji Jingxiu had been feeling constantly suffocated. Nothing was going the way he’d expected.

Seeing her come home late today, he originally wanted to seize the chance to reassert his authority. But the moment he saw that radiant smile—like a crescent moon breaking through the night sky—it struck something in him.

His expression remained cold, but inside, he was already softening. Half his momentum had vanished in an instant.

And more importantly—Qin Yangyang had even brought him a gift…

Ji Jingxiu pressed his lips together tightly, his expression easing just a little.

By now, Qin Yangyang had already opened the bags and started handing out presents.

“These are fresh cabbages picked straight from the fields—tender and sweet. I had to fight through a crowd to get them. Auntie, these are for you,” she said, handing a head of cabbage to the cook.

“This is for Uncle Li the driver. Didn’t you say your son loves tomatoes? These are the juicy kind, picked within the last 24 hours—super sweet and tangy, the best!”

“And some prawns for the housekeeper. I had to fight tooth and nail to get even half a catty. They’re still wriggling!”

“Thank you, Madam!”

No one had expected Qin Yangyang to bring them gifts. They accepted them with surprise and delight, chatting happily about cooking them up tomorrow.

Ji Jingxiu kept his eyes fixed on Qin Yangyang as she gradually emptied the bags—gave some to the housekeeper, to the cook, to the driver—but never to him.

“?”

He was shocked.

So when she said “everyone,” she didn’t include him?

The CEO’s face darkened instantly.

Even darker than when he first heard that the gifts were just tomatoes and cabbage.

Qin Yangyang was still cheerfully explaining how fresh the vegetables at Siyen Supermarket were, how great the decor was, encouraging them all to visit and use her name for a discount—when suddenly, she felt an intense gaze burning into her back.

Like a needle stabbing her spine.

She turned around and saw Ji Jingxiu staring at her.

“You came back this late just to buy them gifts?”

He bit down hard on the word “them,” as if grinding his teeth.

Though his face remained cold and expressionless, Qin Yangyang could sense a trace of grievance in his tone.

What was that old saying again? Not worried about scarcity, but inequality?

Qin Yangyang quickly said, “I brought something for you too.”

As she spoke, she reached into the now-empty bags, rummaging around… and only managed to find one sprouting, rotten potato.

It was something the customers had left behind at the supermarket. She’d meant to throw it out later but had forgotten. The potato had already grown long, pale sprouts—having never seen the sun, they were a bit spindly. At the very tip, a small, delicate white flower had bloomed.

Qin Yangyang might usually enjoy teasing Ji Jingxiu and provoking his CEO persona collapse, but handing someone a stinky, rotting potato just felt too much.

But the CEO’s gaze was too intense—as if she had to pull something out of that bag, or else he wouldn’t let this go.

Left with no choice, Qin Yangyang braced herself and held out the rotten potato.

“This is all that’s left.”

It’s not that she didn’t want to give him something—it just wasn’t… appropriate.

Just as she was about to explain, Ji Jingxiu suddenly paused. His eyes visibly widened.

“You’re giving me a flower?”

Qin Yangyang: ?

She looked down—and saw the little white flower blooming from the potato.

Pale yellow stamens surrounded by white petals, standing upright under the bright lights—shy and delicate.

She could only go with the flow and muttered, “I didn’t really mean it at first, but now that the mood’s here… I guess it’s yours.”

With that, she roughly yanked the flower off and stuffed it into Ji Jingxiu’s hand.

The gesture was so violent that the fragile little potato flower swayed back and forth in distress, looking weak and pitiful.

Ji Jingxiu stared dumbfounded at the flower in his hand.

He was a CEO. No one had ever given him a flower before. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do.

The entire living room fell into dead silence.

The driver and cook immediately realized something was off, but Ji Jingxiu—who had been pampered since birth—had no idea what kind of flower it was. He barely even recognized vegetables.

“What kind of flower is this?” he asked after examining it for a while.

Potato sprouts are the unwanted wild growths that farmers hate most after improper storage.

But that explanation clearly wouldn’t do.

So Qin Yangyang put on a serious expression and said, “It’s the flower that blooms in my heart.”

Ji Jingxiu: ???!!!

---

Author’s Note:

[Onlookers: If he was always this flirty, President Ji wouldn’t have stood a chance.]