Over the following period, ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' continued airing.
Aside from personally handling a few major company matters, Su Yan was largely in relaxation mode.
He began checking off places he had wanted to visit for years—Tokyo landmarks, famous restaurants, shrines—making a list and going through them one by one.
And during this time, he started, intentionally or not, inviting Shinozaki Ikumi along.
At this point, the operations of Dimensional Pictures were already well-structured. Su Yan had scheduled everything through the year after next. While it was great to have Shinozaki Ikumi on-site, even without her or him, the high-priced talent they had recruited could handle most issues.
No one is born to be a workhorse. No one is inherently addicted to work.
Just because Su Yan and Shinozaki Ikumi once found joy in constant work didn't mean they couldn't also enjoy a leisurely, wealthy lifestyle.
From one perspective, Su Yan constantly inviting her out could be seen as simple socializing between friends.
But with distracting thoughts creeping in, Shinozaki Ikumi began to feel something was… off.
"Are you… trying to pursue me?" she finally asked one day, gathering her courage.
"Not at all. Just didn't want to go out alone—figured I'd find someone to hang out with," Su Yan replied with a casual grin.
Shinozaki Ikumi let out a small sigh of relief—but just as a faint trace of disappointment surfaced, Su Yan added:
"But since you asked… now I'm curious. What if I actually am?"
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavier.
Still, Su Yan didn't dwell on the topic.
But from that day on—
Shinozaki Ikumi stopped bringing up Shen Liqian, Gu Qingyuan, and Zhuang Yuxin in front of him.
In their private group chat, they also stopped sharing anything about Su Yan.
And when it came to her appearance around him… she began changing her style.
After all these years, she knew his preferences.
Long hair. Black stockings. A fuller figure.
You could tell just by looking at Su Yan's works—whenever the setting allowed, whether it was the female lead or supporting roles, he leaned toward that aesthetic.
Time passed, and soon it was late August.
''Suzume'' premiered as scheduled.
Audiences in the Xia Nation were already familiar with Makoto Shinkai's style. As soon as the film was released, fans immediately reacted—
["Yes, this is it! The familiar vibe is back!"]
The scenery and visual style were exactly what they expected.
However, Su Yan had made some adjustments to the original script.
For example, the sudden conflict between the female lead and her aunt in the later part of the story now had more foreshadowing earlier on, making it feel less abrupt.
He also tweaked the emotional development between the male and female leads.
Falling in love quickly in life-and-death situations was understandable.
But that infamous line—about being unable to live in a world without him—was removed.
After all, they had only known each other for a few days, and for a large portion of that time, the male lead was literally a chair. If he died, why would she be that terrified?
Even love at first sight had limits.
These were common criticisms from audiences in his previous life, and Su Yan had no intention of repeating those mistakes.
As a result, after ''Suzume'' released in the Xia Nation, its reception wasn't quite on the level of ''Your Name'' or ''5 Centimeters per Second''.
Its opening day box office—360 million—was solid, but not particularly astonishing by Su Yan's standards.
However, there wasn't any large-scale backlash either.
If ''Your Name'' was a perfect 100, then ''Suzume'' would be around an 80 among Xia Nation audiences.
The day after the premiere, Su Yan specifically invited Shinozaki Ikumi to watch the film in theaters.
Officially, it was to observe audience reactions firsthand and conduct "market research" for future productions.
In reality—
It was a date.
Su Yan knew it.
And so did Shinozaki Ikumi.
That day, she dressed up carefully.
A black skirt from a luxury brand, long hair draped over her shoulders, delicate makeup highlighting her refined features. Her skin was fair and smooth, her smile bright and captivating.
She looked elegant and striking.
Su Yan could tell at a glance—this wasn't her usual style. She had likely brought in the company's top makeup artist, and even her outfit had probably been selected professionally.
Normally, she only wore business-style makeup.
He had never seen this side of her before.
"Well? Not bad, right?" she asked with a smile. Her tone was calm, but there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
"Very beautiful," Su Yan replied simply.
He wore a mask the entire time, of course.
As for Shinozaki Ikumi, while she was undeniably attractive, she wasn't widely recognized among fans. Most fans preferred pairing Su Yan with Shen Liqian and the others.
That night, they simply watched the movie and went home separately.
No extra activities.
But as the saying goes, once it's unfamiliar, twice becomes natural.
After that first date, their relationship progressed much faster.
They both understood each other's feelings.
They were just waiting for the right moment.
As for Shen Liqian, Gu Qingyuan, and Zhuang Yuxin—
Even if they were slow to notice, the growing ambiguity between Su Yan and Shinozaki Ikumi didn't escape them.
For a couple of days, they felt a bit down. A little disappointed.
But they adjusted quickly.
Shinozaki Ikumi might not act, but in terms of looks, she was no less impressive than they were.
And as someone who had spent the most time with Su Yan, it was only natural for feelings to develop.
It was fine to feel disappointed. Fine for a quiet crush to fade.
But not to dwell on it.
Within days, the trio bounced back.
Since it couldn't be helped, they decided to support their friend instead.
From then on, their group chat shifted direction, actively helping Shinozaki Ikumi and Su Yan's relationship move forward.
Meanwhile—
The summer season ended.
The autumn season arrived.
Season 1 of ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' concluded, with Season 2 scheduled to air in January after a three-month break.
At this point, all of Dimensional Pictures' productions for the year had finished airing.
Excluding Q4, the company's annual net profit—from ''Fate/stay night'', ''Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion'', ''Rurouni Kenshin'', ''Howl's Moving Castle'', ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'', ''Suzume'', along with IP licensing, merchandise, and game revenue—
Reached 8.1 billion Xia Nation currency.
Nearly double that of the previous year.
Dimensional Pictures wasn't publicly listed, so it didn't need to disclose financial reports.
But in the Xia Nation's film and television industry, there were always insiders who could access such information.
Once the data leaked, the global entertainment industry was shaken.
Unlike Hollywood in Su Yan's previous life, there were no dominant global film conglomerates in this world.
While the company's total revenue wasn't outrageous, that figure—
Was net profit.
In early October, Su Yan dominated headlines across global entertainment media.
At just 29 years old, he had built such a company in under a decade.
Give him another twenty or thirty years—
Even his harshest critics had to admit:
The foundation of an entertainment empire had already taken shape.
Winter arrived.
Season 2 of ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' premiered on schedule.
Its opening ratings hit 7.42%, once again far exceeding the market average.
But more importantly—
The merchandise market exploded.
Limited-edition figures and model kits were reselling at ten times their original price.
Even the most basic mass-produced mobile suits from the series attracted long lines of fans outside stores.
While many viewers in the Xia Nation weren't deeply invested in merchandise—
Globally, middle-class fans with disposable income and collector tendencies were more than enough to turn ''Gundam'' into a booming cultural market.
And this was just the beginning.
By January, as temperatures dropped, Su Yan—who had been semi-retired since July—gradually returned to the company.
Taking half a year off was fine.
But any longer would be a problem.
Not because the company couldn't function without him—
But because corruption would begin to spread.
Middle and upper management exploiting their positions, siphoning production funds, making shady deals—
These things would inevitably increase.
Su Yan wasn't naive.
After years in the industry, he could see through financial reports at a glance.
On the surface, everything looked fine.
But under scrutiny, inconsistencies were everywhere.
In a company generating tens of billions annually, even small lapses could allow certain individuals to profit massively.
And worse—
Such behavior would demoralize honest employees.
In his previous life, Su Yan had despised this kind of corruption.
Now that he owned a company, he cracked down hard.
Anyone caught—
Was dealt with strictly.
Other companies might hesitate, fearing talent loss or competitors gaining an advantage.
But Dimensional Pictures was different.
Its core was Su Yan.
Its true value lay in his scripts and IPs.
Everyone else was replaceable.
Even if he fired the entire staff, he could rebuild a top-tier company within a year or two.
So upon his return, he swiftly purged several mid-to-high-level executives.
The entire company was shaken.
Their boss might usually be easygoing—
But cross his bottom line, and he was even harsher than Shinozaki Ikumi.
After returning, Su Yan split his focus between supervising ''Naruto'' and ''One Piece''—
And thinking about when to finally make things official with Shinozaki Ikumi.
They were adults.
No need to complicate things.
She hadn't distanced herself from him, which already spoke volumes.
But just as he was considering the perfect moment—what gift to prepare, how to confess—
At the end of January, Shinozaki Ikumi came to his office.
"There's something I want to ask… This New Year, could you come home with me?"
"Huh?" Su Yan was stunned.
"Every year when I go home, my mom pressures me about marriage… sets me up on blind dates. So this year…" Her ears turned red. "Come with me. As my boyfriend. Will you… agree?"
No confession.
No gradual step.
She dropped something far more direct—
Meeting the parents.
Agreeing meant entering a relationship.
Refusing meant the end.
"Okay," Su Yan replied after less than ten seconds of thought.
"You… agreed?"
"Yeah," he smiled.
In early February, after finishing company matters, distributing year-end bonuses, and attending the annual party, the two returned to Su Yan's villa—slightly drunk.
Even though they were now officially together, and had progressed to holding hands—
They still slept in separate rooms.
The next morning, after washing up, Shinozaki Ikumi looked down at her clothes.
They had been bought overnight by Su Yan's driver while she slept.
"…So this is it?" she muttered, both amused and relieved.
Three days after the holiday began—
It was the Spring Festival.
Su Yan had a stylist spend hours preparing his look. Dressed in a white designer suit, he stepped out of his villa—handsome, youthful, and full of energy.
Though nearly thirty, he still looked like he was in his early twenties.
Following the address Shinozaki Ikumi gave him, he arrived at a villa.
The door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman, aged, but still clearly stunning.
Shinozaki Aki.
He had met her over twenty times before.
But this time—
He was here as her daughter's boyfriend.
"Su… Chairman Su?" she said in disbelief.
"Just call me Su Yan, Auntie," he replied with a smile.
"You're here?"
Snow fell outside Tokyo.
Inside, with heating on, Shinozaki Ikumi wore light summer clothes—a thin black T-shirt and denim shorts, her fair legs exposed, her cheeks slightly flushed from the warmth.
She quickly walked over, wrapped her arms around Su Yan's, and shut the door.
"Mom, let me introduce you—this is my boyfriend, Su Yan."
"How long have you been together?" Shinozaki Aki asked, now smiling with delight.
"Three years," Shinozaki Ikumi answered without hesitation.
"So I told you before—no need to worry about my marriage."
Three years?
More like three weeks…
Su Yan glanced at her, speechless.