[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty":3,"chapter-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-98":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The King of 2000: A Mandopop Dynasty",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2301354,4501,"Chapter 98: Because He Is Zhou Yi","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-98",98,"\u003Cp>“Welcome, welcome, nice to meet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zhixiang, whether genuinely outgoing or feigning familiarity, immediately extended his hand to greet the two warmly; beside Zhou Jie, Xu Ruoxuan stood at the peak of her beauty, smiling sweetly, causing Sun Yanzi and Zhou Yi to both feel a flicker of surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is interesting—are they a couple?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Yanzi, sensing the subtle chemistry between Zhou Jie and Xu Ruoxuan, instantly grew curious, while Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting between the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I remember correctly, Xu Ruoxuan didn’t just write several songs for Zhou Jie—she even starred as the female lead in his “Cute Girl” music video.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, he’d heard rumors about Zhou Jie and Xu Ruoxuan’s romance—the story of a rookie musician falling for a heartbreaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wait—was Xu Ruoxuan dating someone at this time or not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t play basketball—I’ll just watch you guys from the sidelines and handle drinks,” Sun Yanzi, who’d only come out to slack off, volunteered for the role of beverage manager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paparazzi who’d been secretly tailing Zhou Jie never expected such a windfall today; he quickly raised his camera and snapped away, capturing the scene of Sun Yanzi and Xu Ruoxuan sitting on the sidelines watching the men play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after Zhou Yi nailed several elegant three-pointers, Sun Yanzi on the sidelines grew excited as if it were her own victory, even whistling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether because of a girl he liked watching or some other reason, Zhou Jie was in phenomenal form today; Liu Genghong, usually the superior player, seemed off his game, repeatedly getting outplayed by Zhou Jie, making Zhou Yi, his teammate, wince in discomfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi, no longer relying on his graceful dribbling, transformed into a stationary center, focusing solely on shooting threes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two entertainment stars were trading blows, leaving Luo Zhixiang and Liu Genghong—the “blue-collar” players stuck doing the dirty work—exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of the custom game, both were drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad, Zhou Yi—your three-pointers were way sharper today. Did you secretly practice?” Zhou Jie, sipping the mineral water Xu Ruoxuan handed him, wiped his sweat and teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should be grateful basketball doesn’t let you kick it—you’d get crushed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking the water bottle from Sun Yanzi, Zhou Yi, feeling his soaked jersey cling uncomfortably, simply pulled off his shirt, revealing his sculpted, muscular physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The perfect embodiment of “clothes make you look slim, bare skin shows muscle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Yanzi, standing directly opposite, had just handed him the water and towel when her eyes involuntarily flickered downward; her fingers, as they dropped, instinctively twitched toward his chest muscle—but she snapped back to herself and pulled her hand away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Genghong, a fitness enthusiast, stared with wide, glittering eyes: “Zhou Yi, your physique is insane—you could literally play a Greek statue and not need makeup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jie, still a slim young man, glanced at his own arms, then at Zhou Yi, a hint of envy in his eyes: “How’d you get this body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drink more milk tea, exercise more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi grinned wickedly as he wiped his mouth, revealing his secret formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Genghong: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zhixiang: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jie blinked in surprise: “Drink more milk tea? Seriously?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d believe me if I said I’ll win next year’s Golden Melody Award for Best Female Singer before you believe him,” Sun Yanzi sneered, her lips curling in disdain—this guy’s ten words were eight lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your album’s been a smash this year—you might actually win Best Female Singer next year,” Xu Ruoxuan said with a hand over her mouth, smiling; though the compliment was polite, Sun Yanzi’s smile brightened genuinely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, no one truly turns down the title of Golden Melody Award for Best Female Singer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speaking of the Golden Melody Awards, Zhou Yi, all those reports claiming I provoked you are fake—I never slandered you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not—if you’d actually slandered me, I wouldn’t be standing here, my lawyer would.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi chuckled, knowing full well this game had been arranged by Zhou Jie to clear up any misunderstanding—otherwise, why would he have shown up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhou Yi understood his intent, Zhou Jie brushed back his sweat-dampened hair and chuckled: “I don’t have much of a chance this time, but I won’t stand still.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My second album—I’m sure I’ll make a name for myself on the mainland. Watch out, your throne might not be safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jie, fully aware of Zhou Yi’s situation, deliberately avoided Taiwan and set his sights on the mainland market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The success of his first album had ignited Zhou Jie’s musical ambition; to surpass his friend, who’d already topped the mainland charts, he had to focus squarely on the mainland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi smiled and nodded: “Fine, so confident—when’s your new album coming out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The company’s set it for September.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’re out of luck—my album drops in June.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi wasn’t worried at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, “Double-Jointed Stick” was popular—but he was unleashing “Jiangnan,” a song that could rival “Seven Mile Fragrance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And “Double-Jointed Stick” only appealed to the young; “Jiangnan” won over everyone, young and old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s wait and see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Zhou Yi’s calm demeanor, Zhou Jie’s smile shone brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the next day, he stopped smiling—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou-Yi and Zhou-Jie Romance Exposed?! Zhou Yi with Sun Yanzi, Zhou Jie with Xu Ruoxuan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are Warner’s Twin Stars Really Dating?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exclusive Report: Inside Scoop! Twin Stars Shine in Love and Career!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Xu Ruoxuan Cheat on Zhou Jie?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sun Yanzi Steals the Show—What About Xiao Yaxuan?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jie was utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d specifically chosen that basketball court to escape the paparazzi who’d been dogging him since his rise to fame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did they find it?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, Zhou Jie called Xu Ruoxuan, Zhou Yi, and Sun Yanzi one by one to apologize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the paparazzo who first published the court photos—he was one of the few who’d been following him for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi, meanwhile, was filming a Coca-Cola commercial and didn’t care much—he casually asked Sun Yanzi about it; she just laughed carefree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Yi dating? What’s that got to do with me? Did you guys get the wrong person? We’re not dating—we’re just friends, like him and Elva.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yaxuan, attending a promotional event, was also asked about Zhou Yi’s alleged affair with Sun Yanzi; she happily joined the gossip: “Both Yanzi and Zhou Yi are my friends—I haven’t heard they’re dating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did the rumor about Sun Yanzi dating Zhou Yi even come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coca-Cola executives filming Zhou Yi’s commercial were nearly laughing themselves sick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi was already hot—now he was tangled up with the other half of Warner’s “Twin Stars.” Signing one guy got them the buzz of two—total win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Check if Sun Yanzi has a beverage endorsement—if not, sign her for Sprite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After studying the “Twin Stars” trajectory, Coca-Cola China’s executives suddenly saw the opportunity and began probing the possibility of signing Sun Yanzi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it worked—Coca-Cola on the left with Zhou Yi, Sprite on the right with Yanzi—wouldn’t that just take off?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this explosive “photo evidence,” Sun Yanzi handing Zhou Yi water and a towel—and especially Zhou Yi’s half-naked torso—spread like a hurricane across Taiwan at unprecedented speed, even radiating to Hong Kong and the mainland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Female fans praised the paparazzo’s photography skills, thanking him for capturing that half-naked photo to serve Zhou Yi’s fanbase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Yi and I are not dating—we’re just good friends. Just like him and Elva—good friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later, at her album signing event, facing reporters’ questions, Sun Yanzi could no longer laugh carefree—she reluctantly explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi, unfairly saddled with this scandal, felt deeply wronged: “We’re truly just friends—she just happened to drop by the court sometimes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By April, the entire Taiwan—and indeed the whole domestic entertainment industry—was dominated by the “Warner Twin Stars” dating rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally seeing fresh news about Zhou Yi, and such explosive news at that, his fans’ outcry drowned out all other artists’ promotional efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiong Yao’s daughter-in-law, who’d just released promotional material for “Love in a Rainy Season” scheduled for April release, found her campaign crushed under the weight of the “Twin Stars” romance hype.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same familiar office, the same familiar manager with the slicked-back hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man slammed his pen down, glaring at the newspaper headline featuring Zhou Yi, who kept interfering with company business: “Just a few ambiguous photos—why is the storm this big?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Qiuqiong could only sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose: “There’s nothing we can do—because he’s Zhou Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this sudden “storm,” Zhou Yi, who hadn’t been in Taiwan for a long time, instantly returned to the front pages of every entertainment paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell is going on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coca-Cola officially announced that Zhou Yi’s commercial would premiere on April 12, along with his latest photo shoot and posters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Yi’s new song for Coca-Cola, ‘Sad People Don’t Listen to Slow Songs,’ is a departure from his usual style—he embodies our new brand image with a younger, more pop-oriented approach...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, at Coca-Cola’s press conference, Zhou Yi himself confirmed the ad song would not be included in his second album, due out in June.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fans who wanted to hear it would have to either hear it on repeat on the radio or watch the commercial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1561,"2026-06-20T07:33:41.161Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fcf8eb69cfc53201148e390fc86aaf9b00726fb44663aec2f0975c5f83d89e0d","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-99","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-97",883,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-cover.jpg"]