Rong City, known for its tourism and cuisine, had become a top destination for leisure and entertainment in China. However, over the past three years, the city had also emerged as a crucial hub for e-commerce in the inland region, expanding its influence across neighboring areas.
This transformation was closely tied to one person—Guan Qingtong.
When Guan Qingtong first ventured into the world of online video platforms, she quickly rose to fame, riding the wave of social media's booming popularity. Three years ago, she capitalized on this momentum to start promoting her coffee brand, Qiyu, through vlogs.
She introduced a fully transparent approach—showing every step from sourcing to production, packaging, and even the profit margins, all openly shared on the internet.
Unsurprisingly, she skyrocketed to fame, and her brand Qiyu gained national recognition.
The brand truly took off when it cleverly piggybacked on a marketing trend set by a competing coffee brand's collaboration with a well-known liquor company.
At that time, as the rival brand's liquor-infused coffee series became a hit both online and offline, Guan Qingtong made a bold decision to ride this wave.
She knew it was a gamble—if she won, Qiyu would outshine the competing brand and become the most popular coffee brand in the country. If she lost, Qiyu would be overshadowed, and its reputation could plummet.
Her business partner, Zhou Huiying, trusted her instincts and let her take the reins. Guan Qingtong didn't disappoint—she won the bet and emerged victorious.
During the peak of the rival brand's liquor-infused coffee craze, she used Qiyu's existing popularity to create a buzz with a photoshopped image of Qiyu collaborating with another well-known liquor brand.
She bought trending spots, stirred up discussions, and hired online promoters—using a series of tactics to piggyback on the rival brand's success. Then, in a surprise move, she revealed Qiyu's real collaboration with the national lottery.
The campaign slogan was: "Enjoy Qiyu, and expect a chance to win millions."
This clever play on words, along with the lottery tie-in, became an instant hit online, completely overshadowing the rival brand's liquor-infused coffee.
Following this successful campaign, Zhou Huiying completely handed over the management of Qiyu to Guan Qingtong, content to sit back and enjoy the profits, frequently praising her brilliant strategies.
Later, Guan Qingtong capitalized on the rising trend of online shopping, leveraging her and Qiyu's existing popularity to help a regional brand in Rong City achieve sales numbers that far surpassed previous years—all in a single night.
Other influencers tried to replicate her success, but none could match her influence or the results she achieved.
Recognizing Guan Qingtong's impact, Rong City's leadership worked to associate her with the city, using her to attract investment and opportunities that would benefit the region. Meanwhile, Guan Qingtong used this connection to elevate her career even further.
Her live streams attracted top celebrities eager to ride her wave of success, solidifying her as a national sensation, with a level of fame surpassing many mainstream celebrities.
Becoming an influencer was inevitable for Guan Qingtong. Su Yirao had anticipated this when she first helped her in Yun City. However, she never imagined that Guan Qingtong would become a phenomenon, a superstar influencer. Now, to catch a glimpse of her, Su Yirao had to rely on Weibo's trending topics.
Just like now—seeing Guan Qingtong's name on the trending list, Su Yirao hesitated but clicked on it anyway.
As expected, the trending topic was celebrating another milestone: "Guan Qingtong's live stream sales break records during Double 11, surpassing billions of yuan."
Three years had passed, and Su Yirao had grown accustomed to seeing similar headlines, barely reacting anymore. But then, a comment caught her eye: "Guan Qingtong is coming back to Rong City soon! Are you going to the airport to welcome her?"
Coming back to Rong City?
Su Yirao's gaze froze.
For the past two years, Guan Qingtong had been focused on her work in the capital, rarely returning to Rong City. Was she coming back for work, or…?
Su Yirao couldn't help but think of that night in Yun City—the fireworks, the promise.
Maybe Guan Qingtong was still upset. Ever since that night, she had truly kept her distance, treating Su Yirao as if they were strangers.
After traveling abroad for several months, Su Yirao returned to Rong City, only to find that Guan Qingtong's career had skyrocketed in her absence.
They met for a work-related meeting, and after discussing business, Guan Qingtong quietly drank a cup of coffee with her.
"Su Yirao, I've been following your social media, seeing you living it up abroad. You didn't think of me even once—not a single message," Guan Qingtong had said, a mix of bitterness and resignation in her voice.
At the time, Su Yirao had secretly bought a gift for Guan Qingtong, but she discovered that Guan Qingtong had blocked her first.
"It's fine. If you have nothing to say to me, I won't keep torturing myself by watching your updates. Let's just delete each other. Hmph, at least I won't be miserable seeing your posts."
"You wanted us to be strangers for three years—so be it!"
Looking back, if she had tried harder to keep Guan Qingtong in her life, maybe they wouldn't have completely lost touch.
Snapping back to the present, Su Yirao clenched her phone, her fingers hovering over the news about Guan Qingtong's return to Rong City.
On a whim, she sent a private message to the commenter: "Hi, since you're planning to greet her at the airport, you must know when, where, and what time she'll arrive, right?"
Sensing her impatience, the commenter quickly replied: "Of course! It's public information. Just check her assistant's Weibo page for the details."
The commenter, being helpful, even included a screenshot of the assistant's profile.
AssistantNotPig: Thanks for your support! Yes, Qingtong will be returning to her hometown of Rong City on December 1st, after wrapping up a brand event. After a successful Double 11, we'll be taking a well-deserved week off. Everyone, make sure to rest up too!
Su Yirao's eyes lingered on the words "a week off" for a long time before she finally set down her phone and closed her eyes.
December 1st arrived.
Guan Qingtong was back in Rong City.
And their three-year promise was nearing its end.
In these three years, Guan Qingtong had grown and become independent.
Her success with the lottery-themed coffee campaign was inspired by a meme, creatively adapted.
In fact, the slogan they came up with was quite fitting: "Enjoy Qiyu coffee and look forward to winning millions!"