22: Chapter 22, "Later," has been released.

Tongxing Entertainment Company.

Originally, Chen Shaoping hadn't planned on coming over after buying the car, but he couldn't resist Li Qian's repeated requests.

The same place, the same four people.

However, everyone was much more relaxed tonight.

Zhang Ying and Li Qian were talking and laughing.

"Yo! Our future Heavenly King is back. How is it? Getting used to it?" Chen Shaoping teased.

To be fair, after the past two days of outside promotion, Wang Bo's skin looked a bit darker.

"Hehe! I have to get used to it. No matter how much I have to give, I'm willing to do it just so people can call me Heavenly King Wang."

"Da Ping, my follower count has been rising these past few days. I've already surpassed you."

"And these are true fans, not haters!"

Wang Bo winked and nudged, looking triumphant.

Chen Shaoping gave a cold snort and a wicked smile. "So what if you become a Heavenly King? You're still just working for the three of us."

"Da Ping, would it kill you to let me be happy for a moment?"

"No, but I just can't stand your smug attitude."

Wang Bo wasn't having it; he rushed forward to teach Chen Shaoping a lesson.

Chen Shaoping certainly wasn't going to just take it. The two of them scuffled together, constantly letting out miserable cries.

They were brothers, alright!

Best buddies, no doubt!

But they certainly fought dirty!!

"Can you two be quiet? If not, get out. Don't disturb us here," Li Qian shouted, looking at them with annoyance.

The two quickly let go of each other.

Their faces were flushed red from holding back the pain.

Just now, they had both been aiming for each other's family jewels; neither had come out on top.

"Second Bo, you brat, you really went for the kill."

"You did too! It hurts like hell."

...

Li Qian gave them a cold look. "How old are you? Still playing such childish games."

She then gave a little chuckle and looked at Wang Bo. "Go ahead and play. If you break it, see if I ever pay attention to you again."

Looking at Chen Shaoping, the determination in her heart to find him a girlfriend grew even stronger.

Zhang Ying felt a bit embarrassed and didn't dare look at Chen Shaoping or Wang Bo.

Was play-fighting between men always this brutal?

It seemed a bit cruel!

Then she thought about how she and her best friend also aimed for the 'three points' when they messed around.

She suddenly felt relieved.

After being scolded by Li Qian, Wang Bo didn't dare say another word. He scurried over to the two of them and stared at the computer as well.

It reached 2:00 AM.

The song "later" met everyone on the General Music Network right on time.

In a rental room in Kyoto.

Liu Zhiqiang stared at the computer screen with bright eyes. On the top right corner of the computer desk, a cup of instant noodles was still steaming.

When he found out Zhang Ying was releasing a single, he had jumped for joy.

He hadn't just posted the news to his Moments and short video platforms; he had even sent it to many group chats.

Looking at the button on the computer screen, his trembling hand gently clicked it.

He paid for it immediately.

"later..."

Liu Zhiqiang quietly finished listening to it for the first time.

It was like being struck by lightning. Zhang Ying's sincere, soulful voice was like a sharp knife that stabbed deep into his heart.

It left him slumped in front of the computer desk, his body weak and limp.

After resting for a moment.

He clicked the computer again and set the song on loop.

"later, I finally learned how to love."

"Unfortunately, you have long since gone, vanishing into the sea of people."

"later, I finally understood through tears,"

"That some people, once missed, are gone forever."

With just these few lines, the regrets of youth and the price of growing up were cruelly laid out before people.

It turned out that people aren't born knowing how to love; it is something exchanged for youth and regret.

...

"If we hadn't been so stubborn back then,"

"Perhaps we wouldn't have so many regrets now."

Stubbornness is the mark of youth and the root of regret.

It wasn't because of external obstacles, but because of one's own immaturity.

When you understand this, the regret becomes even more bitter.

...

"How do you remember me? With a smile or in silence?"

"In all these years, has there been someone who could keep you from being lonely?"

When you finally realize that unfinished feelings only exist in memories, whether you smile or feel bitter about the past, it's all just worry for the happiness of that unforgettable person.

...

Simple, plain lyrics combined with Zhang Ying's emotionally charged and heartbreaking voice.

It drew out the girl Liu Zhiqiang kept hidden deep in his heart.

Along with the girl, scenes from the past played frame by frame in his mind like a slideshow.

All these years!

The things he had struggled to forget for all these years were now clearly presented, as if they had just happened a second ago.

The healed scars were torn open once again.

Liu Zhiqiang felt suffocated. He didn't want to live with a lifetime of regret like the lyrics sang.

He wanted to fight for himself one more time.

At the very least, he had to see her one more time.

He took out his phone and gently pressed eleven digits—a number he had typed and deleted countless times before.

A number he had deleted from his phone, yet remembered with absolute clarity.

"Beep, beep, beep!"

In less than three seconds, the call connected.

A sobbing, infinitely aggrieved female voice came through the phone.

Liu Zhiqiang's heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife. His voice trembled, and countless words were stuck in his throat, only allowing two words to squeeze out.

"Ah Zhen..."

"A-Qiang..."

...

Zhang Ying was carefully watching the fans' reactions.

She wanted to see if her fans still remembered her.

Beside her were three other heads, also staring at the screen without moving.

"When I first heard it, I didn't understand the meaning; when I heard it again, I was already the person in the song. 'later,' we all became people with stories. I'm so pathetic, why did I listen to it so many times?"

"Others: later, I finally understood through tears... Me: later... finally... understood through overtime... Some people, once unemployed, are gone forever!"

"Yingbao, you're too cruel. This blade stabbed me so hard. You, whom I hurt so deeply back then, are you doing well? I've already met my retribution; I regret it so much."

"Ying, I'm so worried about you. Is there also a 'him' in your heart? Were these two years of rest spent licking your wounds alone?"

"Looping 'later' countless times isn't to miss a certain person; it's to commemorate that foolish self who 'didn't know how to cherish'."

"later I finally learned how to love—love who? Love Zhang Ying. I've realized it now."

...

The comments under Zhang Ying's Qingbo had already exceeded 99,999+. It was impossible to read them all one by one.

But overall, it was very good, with very few negative reviews.

Her follower count had surged by over 200,000 since the release of "later."

Wang Bo, who was next to her, was green with envy. The number of followers he had gained over the past few days was about the same as what Zhang Ying had gained in these two hours.

Moreover, there were now many celebrities on Qingbo helping with promotion. The click count was more than double that of the second-place song.

The payment rate had also reached an astounding 70%.

To put it this way, with this song, Zhang Ying was even more popular than at her peak. Or rather, this was now her most popular moment.

"Sister Ying, do you have more confidence in becoming a Heavenly Queen now?" Chen Shaoping said with a smile.

Zhang Ying was still excitedly staring at the computer, the corners of her mouth curled high. she hadn't even noticed what Chen Shaoping said.

Li Qian and Wang Bo were also immersed in it, unable to pull themselves away.

Chen Shaoping silently stood up. Without disturbing them, he quietly walked out of the office.

The moonlight was very bright tonight, and a few scattered stars could be seen hanging in the sky.

Chen Shaoping lit a cigarette, took a few puffs in the moonlight, and strode toward the garage.