Rebirth in 2011: Starting as an Advertising Genius

After finishing their sketching trip in Hongcun, the bus, loaded with sketchbooks and exhausted students, swayed and bumped its way back to Suzhou.

The first thing Chen Jianghe did upon returning to school wasn't to catch up on sleep, but to turn on his computer and log into the Taobao store's backend.

After being away for three days, Tianji Clothing's sales dropped by nearly 40%.

This is not a normal fluctuation.

He browsed the comments section and searched for similar keywords, and quickly found the reason.

Someone copied his methods.

A Taobao store called "Cotton and Linen Story" went online a month ago, specializing in Mori-style women's clothing, and its style is almost identical to that of Tianji.

Product images, copywriting, and even the concept of "I endorse myself" were all repackaged and copied. The other party found a girl with a heavily made-up, internet celebrity face to stand in a fake lavender field. The photoshopping was obvious, but they still spent money to buy a top spot on the paid advertising platform.

What's more troublesome is that "Cotton and Linen Story" has started a price war.

Tianji sells skirts for 89, they sell them for 69; Tianji sells coats for 129, they sell them for 99.

As for the quality, Chen Jianghe clicked on the detailed pictures in the buyer's review and saw that the stitching was crooked and the fabric was pilling. It was not even in the same league as Tian Ke's products.

But consumers don't know that.

They only see products with similar pictures, lower prices, and higher sales rankings.

Tian Ke's messages kept flashing on QQ:

[Tian Ke: Jiang He! Did you see that Cotton and Linen Story ad? My parents are so worried, sales have dropped so much this month!]

[Tian Ke: Do you think someone is deliberately targeting us?]

[Tian Ke: You'd better think of a solution quickly!]

Chen Jianghe leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

The competitor arrived two months earlier than he expected.

He originally planned to wait until Tianji's monthly sales stabilized at over two thousand units before considering a defensive strategy, but now it seems that the plan needs to be brought forward.

[Chen Jianghe: Don't rush. I'll film another new video tomorrow.]

[Tian Ke: Still making more? The last one, "I endorse myself," was already copied. Will making another one get copied too?]

Chen Jianghe's lips curled slightly upward as he typed a line on the keyboard:

[Chen Jianghe: This time, they won't be able to copy it.]

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The next day, in an old neighborhood next to the university town in Suzhou.

Bluestone path, white walls and black tiles, the air after the rain is filled with the fragrance of gardenias.

This alley is called "Locust Flower Alley," a hidden gem of a filming location that Chen Jianghe knew about in his past life. It's a quiet oasis amidst the hustle and bustle, where everyday life and artistic flair coexist, making it perfect for forest-themed filming.

When Huang Xiaoqian received Chen Jianghe's call, she had just washed her hair, which was still half-wet.

"Taking photos? Again?"

"Yes, this time is different," Chen Jianghe said on the other end of the phone. "This time we're not shooting product photos, we're shooting a story video. Director, you're the most suitable."

Huang Xiaoqian bit her lip.

The photoshoot she did last time is still on the homepage of her Taobao store. Every time she clicks on it and sees her own photos, she blushes.

But I must say, the photos were really good.

"When?"

"Now, I'll come pick you up."

"Now?" Huang Xiaoqian glanced at herself in the mirror, dressed in her pajamas, her hair still dripping wet. "Wait for me for an hour—"

"You don't need makeup," Chen Jianghe interrupted her. "You're beautiful enough without it."

"...Don't give me that." Huang Xiaoqian hung up the phone, quickly dried her hair, changed into a milky white cotton and linen dress, and applied a thin layer of lip balm in front of the mirror.

She told herself: This is work, not a date.

But a heartbeat doesn't lie.

In Huaihua Lane, Xia An had already set up his camera.

Chen Jianghe stood at the alley entrance, holding a floral dress from Tianji in his hand. When he saw Huang Xiaoqian walking over, his eyes lit up noticeably.

"It looks good," he said.

"You haven't changed your clothes yet," Huang Xiaoqian rolled her eyes at him.

I'm talking about people.

Huang Xiaoqian's ears turned red, she snatched the skirt from his hand, and turned to go to the public restroom next door.

After changing her clothes, Chen Jianghe was already standing in the middle of the alley waiting for her.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on his shoulders. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark gray casual pants, looking clean and comfortable.

"There's no script for today's video." Chen Jianghe handed her a cup of osmanthus wine he had just bought. "Just think of it as a stroll. Walk around this alley, look at the flowers, look at the sky, and occasionally stop to daydream. Xia An will be filming, so you don't need to look at the camera."

Huang Xiaoqian held the cup, took a sip, and found it sweet.

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple," Chen Jianghe said. "You're not an actor, and I don't need you to act. Your natural self is the best content."

Huang Xiaoqian didn't ask any more questions.

She carried the cup and walked slowly along the bluestone path.

As she passed a clump of gardenias, she stopped to smell them, then casually picked one and tucked it behind her ear. The wind ruffled her skirt and hair; she lowered her head and smoothed it down with her other hand, a faint smile playing on her lips.

All of this was captured by Xia An's camera.

Chen Jianghe stood at a distance, hands in his pockets, watching her.

The sunlight fell on her, and she looked like someone who had stepped out of a painting.

It's not the kind of painting that's so exquisite it's unrealistic, but rather a small ink wash painting, light and clean, making you want to slow down your breathing when you look at it.

This wasn't the first time he'd thought Huang Xiaoqian was beautiful.

But at this moment, he felt that she was a little too beautiful.

The filming lasted forty minutes.

Huang Xiaoqian walked the entire Huaihua Lane and stood on the stone bridge at the end of the lane for a while, watching the flowing water and swimming fish under the bridge.

Xia An finished shooting enough footage and gave an "OK" sign.

"Finished filming?" Huang Xiaoqian walked over, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

"Filming's finished." Chen Jianghe handed her a pack of tissues. "You've worked hard today."

"It's not tiring, just treat it as a walk." Huang Xiaoqian wiped her sweat, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Will this video be useful?"

"Whether it works or not depends on the audience," Chen Jianghe said, "but I'm certain of one thing."

"What?"

"At least one viewer thought it was very good."

Huang Xiaoqian was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant and blushed again.

"Can you please stop saying things like that?"

"Which language?"

"It's...that kind of thing."

Chen Jianghe smiled, didn't ask any further questions, and turned to walk towards Xia An to look at the materials.

Huang Xiaoqian stood there, a gentle breeze lifting her skirt. She looked down at the bluestone slabs beneath her feet, her heart pounding like a drum.

After returning from Hongcun, she was still struggling with whether to sever ties with Chen Jianghe, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Chen Jianghe's existence seemed to fill a void in her heart. Despite the myriad difficulties of the world, she couldn't help but want to get to know Chen Jianghe.

Take today's filming as an example.

She originally wanted to refuse, but Chen Jianghe said it could help him, so she came without hesitation!