Chapter Sixty-Two: The Fiery Sensation of ‘Miss Xiaoyue’ Across the Internet

“All good things must come to an end. Thank you all for coming to Yutou Village, and thank you for this fateful encounter!” Zhang Xiu’e gave a slight bow, then straightened up with a smile. “Village Chief Tang Long and I have prepared a small gift for each of you as a memento. We hope you’ll visit Yutou Village again in the future.”

Each gift was a small stone carving, specially purchased from the county. Though they were machine-engraved and hand-finished, and not especially valuable, they were all quite beautiful.

“Wow, we even get gifts?” Zhang Xinxin exclaimed in delight, beaming as she accepted hers, declaring that this trip had been more than worthwhile.

“In the next day or two, we’ll be heading to the city,” Tang Long said with a smile as he stood in front of Jiang Xue. They’d already agreed on starting a campus travel company together, but Tang Long and Zhang Xiu’e still needed to go to the city to sign several contracts with Jiang Xue.

Yutou Village was still in its pioneering phase, with so much yet to be done. But it was a legitimate village collective company, and even the ownership of “King of Ghosts Cave” was now set down in contract.

“All right, I’ll be waiting for you,” Jiang Xue replied with a gentle laugh, her cheeks flushing as she glanced at Tang Long. She then walked up and gave him a quick hug.

Tang Long was momentarily stunned, but took it in stride.

Only Zhao Xiaoyue sobbed uncontrollably. Although their acquaintance with these college students was brief, she had grown very close to them. Now that everyone was leaving, she didn’t really know why, but tears just wouldn’t stop.

“How old are you? Still crying like a child. You can visit them in the city when you want!” Tang Long walked over and ruffled her hair.

Zhao Xiaoyue buried her face in his chest and cried even harder, wailing inconsolably no matter how anyone tried to comfort her.

The scene amused everyone, but also touched them deeply. “Miss Xiaoyue’s” innocence, wildness, and kindness were like a wild daisy by the roadside, leaving a lasting impression on their hearts.

“Remember, come visit me whenever you have time! I’ll treat you to fish!” Zhao Xiaoyue called out loudly through her tears, waving vigorously at those about to leave.

They switched to the luxury coach sent from the city, and the group of university students departed.

Zhao Xiaoyue was left with a whole heap of snacks—so much that she could eat for two months straight, or even open a little shop with them. They were all left behind by the students, who hadn’t managed to finish them during their stay.

“Tang Long, do you think they’ll ever come back?” On the road back to Yutou Village, Zhao Xiaoyue clung to Tang Long, her face streaked with tears like a little kitten, sniffling as she asked.

Tang Long nodded, “Of course they will. Our Yutou Village has King of Ghosts Cave, Liangou Hollow, and… the charming ‘Miss Xiaoyue.’ They’ll definitely be back.”

Zhao Xiaoyue could tell he was teasing her. She blushed and twisted away shyly.

Zhang Xiu’e watched the two of them with an enigmatic smile. She showed no displeasure at Zhao Xiaoyue’s attachment to Tang Long—if she ever did, she’d never show it to Xiaoyue, only to Tang Long in private.

“‘Miss Xiaoyue’ really is a highlight of our village. Maybe we should make her our spokesperson in the future!”

Zhao Xiaoyue blushed even more. “Sister Xiu’e, why are you teasing me with Tang Long?”

Zhang Xiu’e shook her head. “I’m not joking. When Yutou Village develops in the future, we’ll need someone for our ads and billboards. Instead of hiring outside models or celebrities, why not have our own Xiaoyue?”

That’s what makes something unique—if no other place has it, then that’s your signature. Maybe in the eyes of those college students, “Miss Xiaoyue” was the very charm of Yutou Village, for she was one of a kind.

...

“Jiang Xue, come here quickly!”

Zhang Xinxin suddenly stood up, calling out to Jiang Xue, who was sitting ahead chatting with someone.

“What is it?” Jiang Xue came over, looking curiously at the senior in their dorm.

“Look!” Zhang Xinxin handed her the phone.

Liu Yangsha and Du Fangfang, seated in front, also turned around curiously, wondering what had startled their dorm leader.

“Everyone, sit five to a table, and there’s plenty of steamed buns for all—no fighting over food!”

“These are wild fish from our Liangou Hollow, and they taste especially delicious!”

“Master Chef Liu’s ancestors cooked for the imperial court… Anyway, it’s absolutely delicious!”

“Gulp.”

The sound of Zhao Xiaoyue swallowing came through the video—obviously, it had been edited and was entirely about her. With no makeup, her pure, innocent face held a powerful appeal for city youth.

The video was titled: “Adorable Spokesperson: Miss Xiaoyue!”

“Is this the campus forum?” Jiang Xue blinked and looked up at Zhang Xinxin.

Zhang Xinxin nodded, “The views have already surpassed ten thousand, and the thread’s been pinned by the student union’s publicity moderator!”

“It’s gone viral?”

“Looks like it!”

As Jiang Xue and Zhang Xinxin chatted, Liu Yangsha and Du Fangfang exchanged glances, quickly pulling out their phones to log into the campus forum. Sure enough, the post about “Miss Xiaoyue” had been pinned by an admin.

Just a moment ago, Zhang Xinxin had said it had over ten thousand views; now, in no time at all, it had reached thirteen thousand—and it was still climbing fast!

“Who uploaded the post?” Jiang Xue asked, eyes bright with curiosity.

Zhang Xinxin shrugged, not knowing, but she was sure the uploader was one of the people on the trip.

Apart from “Miss Xiaoyue,” others had posted about the trip to Yutou Village, with photos of King of Ghosts Cave, Liangou Hollow, the campsite, and the food.

Many people had taken photos, and under the influence of the “Miss Xiaoyue” post, Yutou Village trip reports quickly flooded the campus forum.

Many students followed suit and made their own posts!

Their view counts were decent, but none matched the viral post about “Miss Xiaoyue.” With the admin’s pin, its views quickly soared past thirty thousand and could reach a hundred thousand by nightfall.

“Jiang Xue, the ‘Miss Xiaoyue’ post has been reposted by our campus social media account!”

No one expected that before Jiang Xue and her friends even returned to the city, the Yutou Village trip had already gone viral on the campus forum.

And by dusk, the name “Miss Xiaoyue” appeared on the trending searches of Weibo, climbing from forty-eighth all the way up, even surpassing celebrity gossip, and finally reaching the number one spot.

Who was “Miss Xiaoyue”?

Where was Yutou Village from the video?

Thanks to the “Miss Xiaoyue” effect, “Yutou Village” and “King of Ghosts Cave” also made the trending list.

The legends of King of Ghosts Cave spread rapidly online, sending its popularity skyrocketing.

No one anticipated that a single post would catapult “Miss Xiaoyue” into fame. Whether this was a fleeting or lasting fame remained to be seen, but for now, the buzz around her, King of Ghosts Cave, and Yutou Village was sure to last for some time—which might just be the golden moment for Yutou Village’s development.

As soon as she got off the bus, Jiang Xue called Tang Long.

“Are you back in the city? Did someone leave something behind?” Tang Long was a bit confused when he got her call—they’d just parted ways, after all. He thought maybe someone had left their belongings in a tent.

Jiang Xue shook her head, “No, do you know Weibo?”

Tang Long was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled, “I may not have gone to college, but I’ve used the internet.”

What did she think he was, some primitive tribesman?

Jiang Xue took a deep breath, excitement in her voice. “Someone edited Zhao Xiaoyue’s video clips and uploaded them to the campus forum, then it got reposted to Weibo. Now ‘Miss Xiaoyue’ is viral—number one trending! Yutou Village and King of Ghosts Cave are trending too!”

What?

Zhao Xiaoyue was trending?

Number one?

“Oh, and you’d better hurry to register official accounts for Yutou Village, King of Ghosts Cave, and Miss Xiaoyue. Don’t let anyone else beat you to it. Get in touch with Weibo to verify your identity, that’s really important,” Jiang Xue reminded him quickly.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Tang Long hung up and went straight to Zhang Xiu’e.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Xiu’e asked in surprise as Tang Long rushed over.

Besides Zhang Xiu’e, Zhao Xiaoyue, Shan Xiu, and Aunt Yang were all there, calculating the total budget for the group visit in preparation for a summary and analysis.

“Where’s your phone?” Tang Long asked.

Zhang Xiu’e pulled it out, thinking he wanted to make a call.

Tang Long shook his head. “Log into Weibo—Jiang Xue just called to say Xiaoyue is trending.”

“Weibo trending?” Zhang Xiu’e was stunned, half in disbelief as she opened the app—then her eyes went wide.

“Oh my...”

She looked at Zhao Xiaoyue as if she’d just found a treasure.

“Xiaoyue, you’re famous!”

Zhao Xiaoyue looked at her hopefully. “What’s famous?”

“Weibo trending—the top spot is you, ‘Miss Xiaoyue’!” Zhang Xiu’e showed her the phone.

The post about “Miss Xiaoyue” had been trending for a while, with no sign of its popularity waning.

“Is this for real?” Zhao Xiaoyue blinked. She didn’t really understand what Weibo trending meant.

Zhang Xiu’e didn’t answer, but turned to Tang Long, “What should we do?”

“Did we register an official account for Yutou Village?” Tang Long asked.

Zhang Xiu’e nodded, “I registered and verified it a while ago. But we never did King of Ghosts Cave.”

Tang Long grinned. “Then hurry! Register Yutou Village, King of Ghosts Cave, Miss Xiaoyue, and all the related accounts!”

He turned to Zhao Xiaoyue, “Where’s your ID card?”

“At home!” she replied.

“Hurry and get it—we’ll need it!” Tang Long ruffled her hair.

Seeing their urgency, Zhao Xiaoyue sensed this was something good. She quickly ran home to fetch it.

Very soon, official accounts for Yutou Village–King of Ghosts Cave, Yutou Village–Liangou Hollow, Yutou Village–Hiking, and many others were registered.

The most important accounts were three: the official account for Yutou Village, King of Ghosts Cave, and Miss Xiaoyue.

After real-name verification, the “Miss Xiaoyue” Weibo account was officially launched.

“Come on, let’s post a video for everyone!”

To prove the real identity of “Miss Xiaoyue” to netizens, a video was undoubtedly the best way.

Though it was already evening, that wouldn’t affect the video’s impact.

“Hello, everyone… Oh, Tang Long, I’m nervous. Don’t film me yet.” “...We’re not filming yet, just say hi. Nothing to be nervous about. Smile and introduce Yutou Village. Invite everyone to visit…”

The video was shot casually, with two versions—one unedited, one trimmed.

Either way, the style was down-to-earth, but that wouldn’t lessen her appeal. After all, what people liked about “Miss Xiaoyue” was precisely her innocence and purity.

“Wow, Miss Xiaoyue’s got a Weibo now!”

“It’s really her—so adorable! I can’t stand it, I have to go to Yutou Village and meet her!”

In no time, the number of followers for “Miss Xiaoyue’s” Weibo soared…