In the late spring of 2023, Cen Jin resigned from her position at Aoxing, completed the company registration, and officially became the legal representative of C2 Advertising Co., Ltd.
Besides her, the other founders were Song Ci and Chun Chang, holding 62.1%, 26.9%, and 10% of the shares respectively.
By mid-June, the first advertisement video released by the company had already stirred up considerable buzz both online and within the industry.
It was a sanitary napkin advertisement. The brand's marketing director was an old friend of Song Ci's, who was willing to give them a chance to test the waters.
Of course, it was Cen Jin's creative concept that had won her over.
The video depicted a silent study hall where a girl in the front row, caught off guard by her sudden period, looked embarrassed and turned around to gesture for a sanitary napkin.
The girls understood implicitly and passed the message along in the same manner one by one.
It wasn't until the last row that they found success—a girl with an extra sanitary napkin tucked it into a textbook and handed it to the girl in front of her.
Thus, the girls began passing it forward quickly and carefully, one after another.
But when it reached the fourth row, one girl fumbled.
With a soft thud, the book fell into the aisle, and the sanitary napkin slipped out, exposed to everyone's view.
The whole class was startled; the boys and girls wore varied expressions—some subtle, some awkward, and some even whispering and standing up to watch.
The entire classroom fell into a stalemate.
After a moment, the girl in the front row suddenly stood up, walked past several rows of desks and chairs, picked up the sanitary napkin, held it high between two fingers, and strode back to her seat with her head held high, not glancing sideways.
In an instant, everyone relaxed and laughed, clapping and cheering.
As the girl slapped the sanitary napkin onto her desk, the brand name and slogan slapped onto the center of the screen: "Guard yourself, no relay needed."
The video contained no dialogue, but the background music was witty and perfectly aligned with the theme.
The sharp whistle at the beginning, the heartbeat-like rhythm in the middle reminiscent of passing a parcel, and the cheering sound effects at the end created an atmosphere akin to a track and field event.
This relatable, resonant, and thoughtful advertisement garnered over ten million views, instantly elevating the brand's reputation and popularity to a peak in recent years and even sparking a new wave of public welfare reactions aimed at "breaking menstrual shame."
Cen Jin's Creative Boutique made a name for itself overnight, emerging into the spotlight.
If the first half of the year was a cautious exploration with bold innovation, then the second half saw C2 becoming steady and advancing triumphantly. By the end of the year, the company had gradually expanded to over fifty employees, establishing its initial scale and successfully securing three long-term major clients.
The industry jokingly referred to their company as the "Double C"—one responsible for the core magical output of creativity, the other for the core physical output with clients, a perfect complement indeed.
The intense management work inevitably led to neglect in her personal life. Over the past year, the most frequent things Cen Jin said to her younger boyfriend were:
"Looks like I'll be back late again today." "I'm so busy—" "Big sister is tired..."
"Wahhh—"
"Why didn't anyone tell me being a boss means so much work—"
...
Fortunately, her younger boyfriend was also burdened with heavy academic responsibilities and was extremely considerate, rarely voicing objections and even enjoying listening to her vent her frustrations.After entering her junior year, Li Wu's schedule became increasingly packed as she raced toward graduation. Her days followed a strict routine between the classroom building, library, and laboratory, busy from dawn till late at night. Her only remaining leisure activities were her regular calls and video chats with Cen Jin, along with weekend visits home.
When love was no longer the sole focus of their lives, the two became like evenly weighted scales, achieving true stability and balance.
One day, sharp-eyed Cen Jin noticed the mention of F University in a work group chat and curiously asked what product required filming there.
Account Manager Xiao Chen replied: Gaming chairs.
Cen Jin blinked: So we’re going to F University?
Xiao Chen said: Yes, one of their new dorm buildings has great ambiance. We’ve borrowed a student room as our location and already coordinated with the school.
Cen Jin asked: When do we leave?
Xiao Chen answered: Tomorrow.
Cen Jin smiled: Remember to bring me along. Perfect chance to mix business with visiting family.
Xiao Chen said: Ok.
All the staff knew Cen Jin had an accomplished university boyfriend, and they teased her lightheartedly in the group chat.
Cen Jin paid no mind, brushing it off with a laugh. She didn’t inform Li Wu in advance, wanting to surprise him.
The next day, Cen Jin applied her makeup meticulously and dressed brightly in a sapphire blue coat that accentuated her curves, appearing vivid and radiant—a stark contrast to her usual muted style.
The morning shoot went smoothly. Around noon, as everyone headed out for lunch, Cen Jin sent her location to Li Wu.
The young man was astonished: You’re on campus?
Cen Jin replied: Yeah, we happened to have a shoot here.
Li Wu said: Why didn’t you tell me earlier?
Cen Jin asked: Where’s the fun in that? Where are you now?
Li Wu: Library.
Cen Jin felt like tweaking his nose in person: Such a hard worker~
Li Wu urgently: Where are you? I’ll come find you.
Cen Jin: No, I’ll come to you.
Li Wu: Alright.
Though they both agreed confidently, they ended up meeting halfway.
The lanky young man approached from a distance, carrying a black backpack.
His gaze was initially unfocused, but the moment he spotted Cen Jin, it sharpened like clear ice. He hurried to her side.
Noticing he only wore an all-black sweatshirt, Cen Jin fretted: "Aren’t you cold? Don’t catch a chill."
Li Wu pulled her into a one-armed embrace, his arm locking behind her neck as if determined not to let her escape: "Not cold anymore."
"Let go, you’ll smudge my makeup."
Cen Jin pushed lightly, but it only came off as playful resistance. The young man remained steadfast, his voice tinged with grievance: "Haven’t seen you in days. What’s wrong with a hug?"
Cen Jin sighed: "Class is about to end. The paths will be crowded—it’ll look bad."
Li Wu raised his wrist to check the time: "Then I’ll let go later."
Cen Jin relented, wrapping her arms around him in return, responding to his signature physical affection.
Three minutes later, the class dismissal melody echoed across campus.
Li Wu obediently released his girlfriend, shouldered his backpack, and instead clasped her hand firmly between his fingers.
They walked side by side under the plane trees. Though the winter air was dry and cold, everything felt serene and tender.
Cen Jin gazed absently at passing students: "Do you have class this afternoon?"
"Yes," Li Wu replied. "You?"
Cen Jin feigned weakness: "Naturally, I have to return to the company."
The young man sighed with a straight face.
Cen Jin glanced at him: "What’s wrong?"
Li Wu lowered his eyes: "Meeting like this in stolen moments feels like we’re having an affair."
Cen Jin laughed at this: "Then who are our respective spouses?"Li Wu said, "Your work, my studies."
Cen Jin nodded in deep agreement.
She then stared at his sharp profile and crooked a finger.
When the young man leaned in closer, she whispered into his ear, her breath light: "Should we take this chance to do something more like having an affair?"
Li Wu's ears flushed completely red, but the emotion in his eyes mirrored her thoughts.
Their near long-distance relationship mode made them yearn for each other constantly, every meeting filled with intense desire.
After entering the room, just as Cen Jin was about to insert the key card, the young man pressed her against the wall from behind.
He used both lips and hands, familiar with the routine.
"Turn on... the AC first..." The card dug into her fingertips until they turned white. Cen Jin couldn't see him but felt completely under his control, only able to whimper fragmented reminders: "The curtains..."
With a swish, broad daylight turned into the dead of night.
The room's movements grew heated, their panting clearly audible.
Cen Jin complained: "Your hands are so cold..."
Adhering to the principle of prioritizing his sister's experience, Li Wu immediately shifted position, adopting a different form of foreplay.
Cen Jin never expected this approach - suddenly feeling both prickly and tingling. She kicked a couple of times, was restrained again, and finally arched her back, letting him savor her.
...
Afterward, Li Wu and Cen Jin dressed properly, transforming back into the upright honor student and the ascetic female manager, ordering delivery to their hotel room.
When the food actually arrived, these two fully-limbed individuals acted as if they had no hands, feeding each other throughout the meal.
Even with the same set meal, they pretended to have impaired taste buds, praising: "Yours is so delicious."
Hearing this, Li Wu immediately repeated his earlier action - meticulously deboning with his chopsticks before picking up another piece and delivering it to Cen Jin's mouth.
After chewing, Cen Jin carefully selected a nicely-shaped piece of green pepper from her own bowl: "Here, ah—eat more vegetables to grow faster."
Her occasional teasing only made Li Wu laugh as he obediently took it into his mouth.
The meal went back and forth for half an hour.
With no dishes between them, they stuck together again.
Li Wu sat in the single armchair while Cen Jin used Li Wu as her armchair, straddling his legs as he held her close, occasionally pinching his ears or kissing his lips, earning either ticklish or happy laughter in return.
She loved seeing him smile most - his sparkling eyes, pearly white teeth, his entire face radiant.
Cen Jin hooked her arms around his neck and asked without blinking: "College student, it's almost your birthday again. What do you want as a gift this year?"
Li Wu said: "I don't know."
His dark eyes shifted, as if he had another idea: "Can I get a hint about next year's birthday gift in advance?"
Cen Jin had already guessed what he was thinking: "Go ahead."
Li Wu cleared his throat solemnly: "Someone will turn 22 next year."
Cen Jin frowned: "Who?"
Li Wu said: "You know them."
Cen Jin asked: "What's their name?"
Li Wu replied: "Li Wu."
"Oh," Cen Jin feigned sudden realization: "That little brat."
Li Wu laughed in protest: "How am I still a little brat?"
"If not a little brat, then what? A big brat?"
"Hmm..." the young man grumbled lowly, gritting his teeth secretly.
Deciding to stop beating around the bush, he went straight to the point: "Sister, I've thought of what I want for my birthday this year."
Cen Jin asked: "What?"Li Wu said seriously, "You'll agree to anything?"
Cen Jin thought for a moment. "Probably."
"Make me a list of your marriage conditions. I'll do my best to meet them within this year," Li Wu drew her closer, his earnest eyes seeming to see right through her:
"By your next birthday, I will become your husband."
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