After returning to wash up and tidy herself, Lu Mingzhe took her to the studio.
As soon as she sat down, her assistant rushed over with yesterday's data.
"Sister Wan, the video we filmed the day before yesterday has gone viral. It has over 3 million likes across the entire network. Look."
Xiang Wan took it and saw that it was indeed true.
Over 1.2 million on Douyin, and over 1.8 million combined from the other three platforms.
Backend data analysis showed that 80% of the followers who paid attention to Xiang Wan were female users.
Their ages ranged between 18 and 45.
Such a wide age span and a unified high number of likes indicated that the aesthetic of this garment was very appealing to the masses.
It seemed she had to finalize the fabric soon.
Strike while the iron was hot, produce samples, and pre-sell them in the live stream tonight.
With such high popularity, it was estimated that sales for this single item alone would not be low.
"You all hurry and get ready. We're not filming videos today; we're going to the factory with me."
Lu Mingzhe drove towards the Zhan Corporation. Unexpectedly, he received a call from his mother early in the morning.
"Why are you calling me so early? Shouldn't you sleep in more?"
Lu's mother said, "What time is it and you still think it's early? Besides, you don't understand your mother at all. When have I ever been someone who loves to sleep in?"
"Hey, I'm just concerned about you. I thought since you're up, you'd have nothing to do, so I wanted you to sleep a bit longer."
"Alright, alright. Then just say what you want. Why did you call me?"
Lu's mother chided him playfully.
"Can't I call you just because I have nothing to do? Don't you belong to me anymore? You're becoming less filial as you get older."
Lu Mingzhe cried out in injustice, "Mom, I woke up early to go to work and didn't have time to greet you. Did I make a mistake?"
"Okay, okay, it's my fault. I apologize to you."
His mother smiled.
"Stop being so glib. I called to tell you that someone gave your father something good yesterday. I asked the kitchen to start preparing it early, and you and Jiao Jiao are coming back for lunch."
He hadn't expected it to be for this reason.
Lu Mingzhe smiled.
"No, thanks. You and Dad can just eat by yourselves. My studio is far from home, and it's too much trouble to travel back and forth."
His mother saw through him.
"I know you well enough. Even if you're not eating at home, you're running around to find restaurants. Don't give me that excuse!"
"It's not troublesome to spend money eating out, but it's an inconvenience when your mother is serving it to you, isn't it?"
"That's not what I meant. I might be quite busy today..."
"You're not a three-year-old anymore. Stop making excuses to fob me off. Lu Mingzhe, you must come back today!"
Lu Mingzhe really didn't want to go back.
He was anxious to deal with the house matters.
"Mom, you tell me to work hard, and then you insist I come back. Isn't that contradictory?"
"I am contradictory, so what if I'm contradictory just this once? I've spoiled you for twenty or thirty years, can't you spoil your mother back just once?"
Lu Mingzhe was speechless.
"It's early in the morning, and I really don't want to upset you. How about this, you save it for me. Don't make it today. When I have time, I'll call you and spend a whole day with you at home, okay?"
His mother was unyielding.
"No, today! Today is your maternal grandmother's death anniversary. Mom is in a bad mood alone at home and wants you to keep me company!"
Women are so troublesome.
They can't even keep track of all the anniversaries, and they have to treat elder's death anniversaries as festivals...
"Alright, alright. Then I'll come back for lunch. I actually have something to tell you."
Lu's mother waited for his words.
Guessing he was about to confess to her, she continued to ask.
"What do you have to tell me?"
"Didn't you insist I come back for lunch? I'll tell you at noon, it's not good news anyway."
His mother scolded him, "Aren't you deliberately trying to whet my appetite? You speak halfway, and I won't be able to rest easy all morning. Tell me now."
Lu Mingzhe gave her a warning.
"I really don't want to upset you this early. Let's just hang up the phone."
"If you have nothing to do, go find other aunties for tea and chat, get manicures, do whatever you want. Why do you have to bother me?"
His mother threatened him, "Lu Mingzhe, I'm telling you one last time, tell me!"
"If you don't tell me, I'll call someone else to ask. Don't blame me for disturbing your friends then!"
His mother had been spoiled since childhood and had always been very assertive, never giving up until she achieved her goal.
Lu Mingzhe conceded to her. Thinking that he would have to tell her sooner or later and that since she had gotten this far, he might as well confess.
"Fine, since you insist on asking, then I'll tell you."
"Don't let Chen Jiao Jiao come to our house for dinner. We're divorced."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
Lu Mingzhe waited for a few seconds, thinking his mother had been shocked. He quickly called out towards the screen.
"Mom, are you okay, Mom? I told you I didn't want to upset you this early, but you insisted!"
Seeing his concern, Lu's mother sighed deeply into the phone and said deliberately in a trembling voice.
"When did this happen? Weren't you two doing well? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Lu Mingzhe then recounted Chen Jiao Jiao's betrayal and how he had fallen for Xiang Wan, omitting the trivial details.
"In short, I was wrong about this. I shouldn't have joked about my marriage with you."
"But I was extremely angry at the time and just wanted to save face."
"Although we are divorced now, I've found a better girl than him to be your daughter-in-law, and she's even carrying our family's child."
"Mom, consider it my atonement. Please don't be angry. I'll bring her home for you to meet at noon. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Lu's mother sneered on the other end of the phone, but said.
"Is that so? She's already carrying our family's child, you do have some ability."
"But you can't bring her home today. Your father still doesn't know about your divorce, nor does he know about you and this woman. Suddenly presenting so many unexpected things to him, I'm afraid he won't be able to accept it."
"Let's take it slow. We won't eat today. Let's talk after we've digested this."
After hanging up the phone, Lu's mother stood up with a cold face, picked up her bag, and called the driver to go out.
Xiang Wan was walking downstairs with a team of staff, chatting. Lu's mother rolled down her car window and called out to her from not too far away.
"Miss Xiang."
She recalled that yesterday, when Lu's mother had told her to cause trouble, such a big incident had occurred.
Although it seemed completely unrelated, Xiang Wan vaguely felt there was some connection.
Just as she was puzzled, Lu's mother arrived.
Perfect timing, they could clear the air.
She asked her staff to wait and got into the car familiarly.
"Mrs. Lu. Is there something else you need from me?"
Lu's mother said, "The matter isn't resolved yet. Although I don't want to be so arduous, who made you so thick-skinned?"
After a speechless moment, Xiang Wan replied neither subserviently nor arrogantly.
"You are Lu Mingzhe's biological mother, aren't you? And a highly educated woman of high intellect."
"I believe that, besides your notions about social status, you also clearly understand the importance of love and freedom."
"Don't you want to see your son happy? Why must you do something like this that damages your mother-son relationship?"
Lu's mother looked at her coldly and then smiled upon hearing this.