You Did It On Purpose

Gu Yi, a fresh graduate working as a live streamer in a big city, got fired for refusing to follow orders. She slunk back to her hometown, Nanxun. In her eyes, Nanxun had nothing for young folks—so she lazed around, letting her family nag her about being a slacker. Feeling useless, she almost gave up, ready to take the family’s suggested job and go on blind dates. Then she met Shen Zhiyu, owner of Wangjianglou Restaurant. Their chats rekindled her hope for life. Around the same time, she noticed more tourists flocking to the ancient town. Taking a step back, she started observing her hometown daily, eventually deciding to open a new Chinese-style B&B. She launched an account named “You Did That on Purpose” to live-stream her entrepreneurship journey. At first, viewership was low. But one day, exhausted from renovations, Gu Yi fell asleep mid-stream. When she woke up, her viewership had skyrocketed. Finally overcoming her nerves, she poured herself into the B&B. With its fresh design and growing online following, the place attracted city dwellers from big cities looking to unwind and snap photos. Gu Yi and Shen Zhiyu became partners, sending guests home with Chinese-style gifts from his restaurant. Spending time together daily, they developed feelings. Shen introduced her to a travel photographer friend, and they shot new Chinese-style photoshoots—blending intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting into Gu Yi’s makeup. When Shen saw her in a red qipao, he stared in a daze. Their couple photos caused a buzz online. Shen’s classmate Xu Rusheng, a cultural and creative ops pro from Shanghai, noticed the duo’s popularity and reached out to collaborate. Gu Yi accepted, but Xu’s obvious crush on Shen made her jealous—even as she admired Xu’s work ethic. Tensions flared, but Gu Yi pushed through, finalizing the proposal to great acclaim. Shen confessed his feelings, and they became a couple. To promote the B&B, they held a water town wedding, chasing their dreams side by side in the quiet rhythm of daily life.