Forced Me to Regress, Huh?

The concept of ‘pure desire’ had actually been around for quite some time.

However, it wasn’t until later that this particular term was coined to encapsulate the aesthetic and quickly gained popularity across the internet.

Speaking of this style, many people immediately thought of some representative figures.

Among them was no lack of celebrities and influencers.

Looking back further, there had been some pure desire goddesses many years ago, such as Vivian Hsu, famous for her angel trilogy, and Loletta Lee, known for her pure appearance.

More recently, numerous celebrities in the entertainment industry posted photos on social media in this style.

It wasn’t just China either. Across Japan, South Korea, and even Europe and America, there were representatives of this style.

Even celebrities were embracing it, let alone influencers.

Many influencers had marketed themselves with the persona of the ‘ultimate pure desire’.

The so-called pure desire style was easy to understand literally. It was purity combined with desire.

Its rise in popularity also reflected changes in social trends.

In the past, the focus was on being purely innocent to the extreme.

While sweet, pure girls had always been popular throughout history, even within this category, there was competition.

The pure desire style offered a way to stand out within the realm of purity.

At its core, it was simply a type of contrast.

This style required a lot of subtle finesse, and at times, it even overlapped with tea art (TL note: as in green tea girls).

This was evident in choices of clothing, photograph poses, and overall mood.

Many men were particularly drawn to the pure desire style. Some even had the mentality of ‘wanting something to happen but fearing to ruin the other person’s image’.

The film Lolita embodied a similar dynamic.

Let’s not talk about how women viewed the pure desire style for now.

For certain men, pure girls would always hold a timeless charm.

They could stimulate men’s sense of possessiveness, protectiveness, and so on. They could evoke impressions of beauty, sweetness, innocence, naturalness, purity, healing warmth, and freshness…

It even made people imagine that these girls were soft and fragrant.

And pure desire carried an undeniable element of ‘teasing allure’.

Many men were attracted to having a girlfriend like this—out in public, she looked one way, but in private, she showed a completely different side.

You could gain vanity from the outside world, and you could also gain private satisfaction.

Of course, Cheng Zhu was well aware that the pure desire style in his store leaned far more heavily into desire than purity because of the unique nature of lingerie.

When this trend eventually swept beyond the adult circle, it likely wouldn’t be like this.

In other words, his store represented the extreme version of this style.

Take the gray backless sweater for example. You couldn’t find anything wrong with it from the front.

But from the back? Did you still have time to find faults?

Cheng Zhu was confident that this new product line would overwhelm even the most seasoned perverts.

In my opinion, it’s actually very simple to convey the feeling of this style of adult product photos.

And that is—

Big Brother, it looks amazing and feels just as comfortable.

The countdown to the new product launch of Keep Coming had already begun.

Previously, when the store began to take on a more internet-famous image, Cheng Zhu immediately created an official Weibo account for it.

And sure enough, the follower count grew fast.

As expected, the desire of perverts was the primary driving force of productivity.

Over the past few days, new product measures had been posted across the board—on the store’s official Weibo account, fan groups, and within the platform itself.

Meanwhile, the factory in Guanyun was stocking up like crazy. Chen Bin was even busier than Cheng Zhu every day, and his wife said, “The sides of your head have more and more white hair.”

Of course, middle-aged Ah Bin didn’t mind one bit. How much would it cost to dye his hair?

After all, the factory’s profits in this period were about to surpass last year’s entire revenue!

Lately, Chen Bin had also felt a growing sense of urgency.

Don’t forget that Guanyun County later had a very domineering title: the World’s Capital of Lingerie.

In this place, the factories of lingerie practically clustered together.

Although it was only 2014 now, the trend had already begun to take shape.

At the same time, the local government of Guanyun County attached great importance to this industry.

After all, for the economically powerful Jiangsu province, the Twin Laggards of Guan had a reputation for dragging things down, and Guanyun was one of them.

The rapid development of the adult industry would surely receive official government support in the near future.

Chen Bin wasn’t foolish. He fully knew that if he could grow big and strong within the two years, the future would hold countless benefits!

I have to hug Boss Cheng’s thigh tightly if I want a shot at becoming the adult industry leader of Guanyun, Chen Bin thought.

Speaking of which, during a certain phone call, Cheng Zhu had told him that when he first came to visit Guanyun, he had gone to several factories and met many manufacturers, but he had received the cold shoulder from a few.

I wonder if those bosses will regret it so much in the future that they’ll slap their thighs red, he mused.

* * *

Meanwhile, after class, Cheng Zhu led all of Room 309 to the sushi restaurant just outside campus.

According to the contract between this restaurant and Shen Qingning, the lease would expire tomorrow.

However, some people liked to drag their feet after their expiration date and insisted on sticking around for a few more days, thinking any extra time they could leech was a bonus.

Fortunately, this sushi restaurant’s business was indeed terrible. Every extra day it stayed open only deepened the losses.

Cheng Zhu couldn’t figure out what the owner was thinking. He opened a restaurant right outside a school while insisting on mid-to-high-end pricing.

Think about the spending power of college students. Reality wasn’t like the internet, where every young person was flush with cash.

Online, earning tens of thousands of yuan a month was barely considered middle class.

But back in 2014, there were still many students whose monthly living allowance was only three digits.

There simply wasn’t much of a high-end consumer base here.

Cheng Zhu brought his three roommates to eat at the restaurant—not just for a meal but also to show his face to the owner, make a favorable impression, and spend money to build goodwill.

Once the lease expires, pack up and leave quickly. Don’t delay.

At the same time, he intended for his three roommates to help him with some tasks in the coming days after this meal.

“Old Cheng, have you already ordered the claw machines and plush toys?” Dong Dong asked. He had overheard Cheng Zhu making calls to suppliers in their dorm room.

“Yeah,” Cheng Zhu replied.

In his past life, he had started his business in Wucheng, which was a famous small commodity city with no shortage of plushie manufacturers.

Some of them were even people he had known in his past life.

Although they might not have as close a relationship in this life, working together remotely was still feasible.

He had chosen a manufacturer called Shangrong Workshop, whose owner would later become the president of the Wucheng Toy Association.

Their plush toys were known for their quality.

Dong Dong was puzzled. “Old Cheng, why did you order plush toys and machines so quickly? Shouldn’t you renovate the place after they move out?”

“Renovate what?? I have to keep costs down.” Cheng Zhu looked at him. “The claw machines are already flashy enough. Once they’re lined up inside, the visuals will be just fine.”

He gestured around and explained, “Knock down these sections, repaint the walls, and whatever decorations are needed, put up some LED lights and neon lights. That’s enough.”

Neon lights forming words and patterns would still be trendy in the next few years.

In 2014, they were considered quite cutting-edge.

“Why does it sound so casual to me?” Dong Dong looked around. “It feels like you didn’t put much thought into the shop.”

“That’s because you’re still on this floor, while I’m already standing on the top floor. What you rack your brains over might not even compare to what I whip up without trying.” Cheng Zhu spread his hands.

“Old Cheng, when it comes to being pretentious and showing off, I’ve got to hand it to you.” Dong Dong admired Cheng Zhu’s light tone and indifferent expression when he said such words. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t replicate it.

At this moment, Cheng Zhu was scrolling through the official Weibo account of Keep Coming on his phone.

Dong Dong, a shameless phone peeper, caught a glimpse of the screen. The moment he saw what Cheng Zhu was browsing, he immediately shouted, “Holy crap!”

His outburst startled both Liu Feng and Zheng Qingfeng, who didn’t understand why Young Master Dong was so shocked.

Did Cheng Zhu mess with you again?

“Someone do something about Old Cheng! He dares to look at that kind of stuff in public!” Dong Dong pointed at Cheng Zhu’s phone, shocked by how unruly he was.

Fuck, do privacy screen protectors exist in 2014? Cheng Zhu cursed inwardly.

Speaking of which, Cheng Zhu was using his personal Weibo account to browse the store’s official posts purely for one reason: to stir the pot with his alt account in the comments.

The business war you imagined: relentless commercial promotions on Weibo, burning through marketing budgets, and masterfully strategizing against competitors in online showdowns.

The real business war: the boss personally logs into an alt account to comment—Wow, your clothes are so sexy! Better than anyone else’s. I really want to buy them!

And yes, he even had a female account to leave comments in a woman’s tone.

Of course, if he encountered trolls, he’d fight them! I’ll trash-talk you to death!

At this moment, Cheng Zhu, an adult product tycoon, glanced at Dong Dong and sneered in his mind. If you’re this shocked just seeing me browse, what would you do if you knew I owned this store? You’d probably lose your mind! You clueless guy who’s never seen the world!

Cheng Zhu looked at his three roommates and asked curiously, “Have you heard of this store before?”

Dong Dong and Liu Feng shook their heads in unison.

Only Zheng Qingfeng looked at the name Keep Coming and nodded slightly, indicating that he knew about this internet-famous shop and had come across some of its memes online.

“Damn it, Old Zheng. You usually keep a low profile, but you’re actually into this kind of stuff!” Dong Dong berated loudly. Then he opened his own Weibo and angrily followed the official Weibo account of Keep Coming.

He firmly believed he’d definitely have the chance to buy from this store a few times during his four years of college.

After finishing their meal, the four of them left the sushi restaurant.

Just as they stood up, two people walked in.

Dong Dong and the others immediately became a little excited when they saw the girl.

“Senior Sister Zhang Qiqi!”

Cheng Zhu, however, simply acted like he didn’t see her.

It was the influencer campus belle, Zhang Qiqi, and the guy she had hooked, Xu Shao, who sported a perpetual pout.

Although not many ordinary students patronized this sushi restaurant, these two were regular customers and had already become familiar with the owner.

Since some ingredients had to be reserved in advance, their frequent visits led them to become friends with the owner.

Xu Shao had seen that the owner had posted on Moments that today was the restaurant’s last day of business, so he took the opportunity to invite Zhang Qiqi to have one final meal here together.

Speaking of which, the first time he had asked Zhang Qiqi out for a meal, he had chosen this very restaurant.

Time really flies. We went from strangers to soon-to-be lovers, but this restaurant is about to close, Xu Shao thought with a mix of emotions, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

At this moment, when he noticed Cheng Zhu, the smile on his face immediately disappeared.

Beside him, Zhang Qiqi’s eyes lit up, and her smile became even more charming.

Just as she was about to greet Cheng Zhu, he brushed past her without even glancing at her, completely ignoring her.

To him, this campus belle was nothing more than a tool. Sometimes, she could work wonders in situations with Shen Qingning and Lin Lu.

But he had no interest in developing any kind of personal relationship with her. It was still the same as before. He had only regressed a few months ago, and he was still sick of girls like her with their influencer vibes.

Meanwhile, Dong Dong and the others, seeing Zhang Qiqi looking at them, put on a cheap smile and greeted her. “Senior Sister.”

The sushi restaurant owner walked over and greeted the two of them. Then he followed Zhang Qiqi’s gaze and looked outside. He asked curiously, “Do you know each other?”

“No.”

“Kind of.”

Two different voices rang out in the restaurant.

Xu Shao looked at Qiqi in astonishment, but he didn’t take it to heart since she only said, “Kind of.”

The sushi restaurant owner looked at the two of them and explained, “The boy who walked out first, the one who looked a little, uh, a bit rough around the edges? He’s the one renting this place.”

Fortunately, Cheng Zhu wasn’t around, or else he would have been furious.

I’m here to spend money, and you’re calling me rough around the edges? Do you know what bad boy means?!

“He rented these two shops?” Zhang Qiqi asked, her interest in Cheng Zhu growing.

For a first-year to have the means to rent a shop off-campus, it was clear he didn’t come from an ordinary family.

Perhaps his family was even better than Xu Shao’s?

She had always suspected that Cheng Zhu came from a decent background, but she hadn’t expected him to be a rich second-generation heir!

Zhang Qiqi was the type of woman who would subconsciously rate men in her mind.

While some men rated women based on looks and figures, she was different. She considered all aspects of a man’s qualities.

He has a lot of good points, she thought.

Xu Shao, displaying his gentlemanly manners, pulled out a seat for Zhang Qiqi to sit down. Then he asked the sushi restaurant owner casually, “Do you know what kind of shop he’s opening?”

“He said it’s similar to a small arcade. I asked him if he wanted to buy any of my restaurant’s items secondhand, but he said he only needed the air conditioner.”

Upon hearing ‘small arcade’, Zhang Qiqi immediately remarked, “Xu Shao, didn’t you invest tens of thousands in that arcade outside the school?”

Xu Shao nodded and couldn’t help expressing his frustration. “The money wasn’t much, but in the end, things got really tense with Lu Yuan. That guy’s character is horrible.”

Shen Qingning had briefly mentioned to Cheng Zhu that a small arcade outside the school had shut down, and the owner was the same Lu Yuan that Xu Shao mentioned.

Lu Yuan was a social butterfly on campus. Though his pockets weren’t deep, he had rallied many friends and classmates to invest in the arcade and get it up and running.

Needless to say, it was easy to scam some college students out of their money. When Lu Yuan opened the arcade, he actually didn’t spend as much as he reported. The investment amounts he had were inflated, by quite a bit.

So when others invested in the business, he had already made a profit off them.

In the end, the arcade didn’t do well, but Lu Yuan himself hardly lost anything.

Finally, when the business shut down, the group had a lot of conflict over the second-hand machines and the lease transfer.

Seeing that Zhang Qiqi was listening attentively, Xu Shao decided to subtly show off. “When he opened that place, a lot of the connections were ones I helped him with. You know, opening a business is tricky, and there are a lot of tough people to deal with. Right after it opens, everyone wants to stick their nose in your business, and you have to deal with all kinds of government departments.”

“I see,” Zhang Qiqi replied perfunctorily.

Xu Shao immediately became energetic. “But it wasn’t much. I only invested fifty thousand yuan. Back then, I just tossed in some money when Lu Yuan came to me.

“You know, the internet cafe I opened off-campus a few years ago is doing pretty well. I made back that amount in no time. It’s just that guy disgusts me.”

“Hmm, just don’t associate with him anymore,” Zhang Qiqi answered, still perfunctorily.

Xu Shao looked through the glass towards the direction where Cheng Zhu and his roommates had disappeared. “This junior brother named Cheng Zhu isn’t very smart. Before opening the shop, he didn’t even bother with basic market research. If he had just asked a few senior students, they wouldn’t have told him about the arcade that closed down.”

He continued, still speaking in a condescending tone, “But it’s normal. Young people tend to be impetuous and impatient like this.

“Oh, by the way, Qiqi, since you don’t like that Miss Shen, you probably dislike him too. I’ll bring you to see him make a fool of himself later.

“I bet his shop will fail in less than half a year!”