Lu Xia found she was helpless against this side of Graces. Though she was unwilling to admit it, she really was the type to yield to a soft approach but not to force.

Graces had been by her side this whole time, taking meticulous care of her. Now, the sudden absence of such a person would indeed make her life feel inconvenient.

"If you don’t want to, then don’t. There’s no need to sleep on the floor." ’It makes it sound like I’m bullying him.’

Hearing this, Graces relaxed, but he still softly asked Lu Xia for a definitive answer, "So, I can continue to stay here, right?"

"Mm," Lu Xia hummed in response. He was making the atmosphere in the room feel strange. "It’s getting late. Let’s get some rest."

"Okay!" As if he had gotten the answer he wanted, the man’s spirits lifted, and even his reply sounded much more cheerful. It made Lu Xia glance over at him, only to find him watching her with a burning gaze. She was inexplicably scalded by the intensity in his eyes.

*

On the morning of the official launch of the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream, the ad commissioned by the No. 1 Institute was simultaneously broadcast on all major online platforms.

Hudar was a female actor who had just entered the entertainment industry and had no famous works to her name. Her very first commercial was for the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream.

When her agent told her she had been chosen, she could hardly believe it. Even her agent was stunned, because although the No. 1 Institute was a new brand, they had heard it was backed by a very powerful figure.

Many people had auditioned for the part, as the pay was incredibly generous.

She’d even heard that some popular young female celebrities had auditioned. She didn’t think she stood a chance. Who would have thought that in the end, she and a male actor would be the ones chosen?

The two of them played a couple in the commercial. After an accident, her partner’s face was injured, leaving him with an ugly scar. Instead of leaving him, she stayed by his side, tirelessly searching for a way to cure him, and finally, she found the beauty cream... The story was simple, but after it was filmed and they watched the dailies, everyone felt it was less like a commercial and more like a short film.

The story’s script, they heard, had been written on the spot by the brand representative, who was unsatisfied with the proposals provided by the director.

Initially, the director had his doubts. After all, he had been shooting commercials for many years and had produced several hits, but none of them were like this—a commercial filmed like a TV drama.

But he couldn’t argue. The client had a special status and was paying a hefty sum, so the director relented on all fronts.

Unexpectedly, the final result was outstanding. They couldn’t help but look forward to the performance data after the launch.

Finally, today was the official launch. The results, good or bad, would be out soon.

At 8:00 AM sharp, as the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream commercial went live on all major platforms, the beauty cream was also simultaneously listed for sale on all major official retail platforms.

A 500ml jar of the large-capacity beauty cream was priced at 599 across all platforms, while the 1000ml jar was 899.

Among similar products, this price was expensive, but not prohibitively so. It was at a level where the wealthy could buy it without a second thought, and those with less money could afford it by saving up. More importantly, a 500ml jar was enough to last until a scar was fully healed, unless it was an exceptionally large one.

At first, no one knew about the launch. Although many people had been eagerly awaiting the beauty cream’s release, the No. 1 Institute had never officially announced a specific launch date.

It was only when some people stumbled upon the commercial while browsing online that the news got out. The highly anticipated beauty cream had been released without any fanfare.

"What’s going on? Something this important, and they just released it quietly? Does the brand even want to make money? Good thing I saw the ad, or I would’ve missed it!"

"Wait, the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream is out?! Why didn’t I get a notification? Is it still in stock?"

"Honestly, when I first saw the commercial, I thought it was a new TV series. When the Female Master pulled out the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream, I froze for a second before it dawned on me that this was actually an ad!"

"This ad is way too idealistic. Whoever came up with it is a bold dreamer. If a male’s face was disfigured, he’d have been dumped long ago, okay? It’s totally unrealistic!"

"It’s unrealistic, but I gotta say, the story is pretty good. If you could find a Female Master that devoted, you’d have to be blessed with some insane ancestral luck!"

"This ad is so memorable. I only watched it once, and it’s stuck in my head. Have to say, the director’s got skills!"

"Is the beauty cream in the ad really that magical? Can you use it even if you don’t have scars? I saw it mentioned a brightening effect?"

"Yes! My scar wasn’t serious, and it was gone after a week. Now I use the beauty cream as a face mask, and it’s incredible. Everyone around me says I’ve gotten so much fairer. I’ve never seen a product that delivers this well. Highly recommend! I just went and snatched up two of the 1000ml jars. This stuff has a long shelf life, so I’m stocking up now while not many people know about it. I’m afraid I won’t be able to grab any later when it gets popular!"

"You’re a clever one, poster above! Now that you mention it, I’m going to go grab two more jars myself!"

...

More and more comments like these appeared online, eventually pushing the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream to the top of the trending lists again. At the same time, the commercial itself also went viral, bringing fame to the actors who starred in it.

Hudar watched her agent, who was sitting beside her, field call after call on her constantly ringing terminal. It was the first time she had ever seen her agent so busy.

It slowly dawned on her that she had actually gained a lot of popularity from this single commercial.

It wasn’t just Hudar; the director’s production team also became hot property. For a time, they were so inundated with offers from new brands that they couldn’t keep up.

Meanwhile, Mana, who had been keeping a close eye on the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream, naturally saw this spectacular success.

It made her realize even more keenly what she had lost. All of this could have been hers, but because of her disdain, she had missed a golden opportunity.

The frustration was almost enough to kill her.

When she had seen the online buzz that day, she had a faint feeling that this was a rare opportunity. But since the commercial hadn’t been released yet, she clung to a sliver of wishful thinking. ’What if? What if the commercial doesn’t make a splash after its release?’

She had even secretly hoped for that to happen.

But the result was clear: a good product never lacks market demand. Moreover, Duke Lu Xia was extremely capable and willing to spend generously, whether on research and development or on funding.

With an effective product from the No. 1 Institute and a high-caliber advertising campaign, how could it not generate traffic and buzz?

The commercial had only been out for a single day, but it had already made the name "No. 1 Institute" a household term.