IDEI CH39

Qi Yanning turned his head to look at An Zai.

Unaware, An Zai kept fake-sobbing, “Qi-ge! Our bond is already so deep, you can’t abandon us and throw yourself into someone else’s arms!”

“Day-one faithful companions,” “throwing himself into someone else’s arms”… In just a few short phrases, Qi Yanning had been painted as an unprecedented scumbag!

Qi Yanning was infuriated to the point of laughter. He narrowed his eyes at An Zai, seemingly contemplating where to strike first.

Seeing the dark aura around Qi Yanning practically solidifying into physical form, Wei Mingzhe held back his laughter and rushed forward to peel An Zai off of Qi Yanning.

A few seconds later, and Qi-ge looked ready to physically eliminate An Zai.

Pulled away, An Zai was still slightly sulky, but the moment he caught Qi Yanning’s expression, the words choked in his throat. Shrinking behind Wei Mingzhe, he offered Qi Yanning a fawning smile.

Just then, Gong Jiayu chimed in, “Qi-ge… aren’t we your most cherished babies?”

As he spoke, he deliberately sent over a greasy wink.

Qi Yanning paused. Busy dealing with An Zai, he had forgotten that TND had more than one comedian.

Before he could react, however, the other members stepped up to discipline Gong Jiayu.

“Xiao Yu! You’re so greasy!” Feng Qingyi said in mild disgust.

Pang Nong hesitated, wanting to speak, but finally looked away.

“Gong Jiayu, act normal!” Lou Yuxing said, looking thoroughly pained.

Even Xiao Yingyi, who usually never engaged in such antics, quietly looked away and planted a throw pillow squarely into Gong Jiayu’s face.

Qi Yanning watched them fool around. He knew why the exhausted TND members hadn’t gone upstairs to rest: they were genuinely worried he would leave TND.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want him to have a brighter future, but the members were all in their twenties, naturally loving togetherness and fearing separation. Qi Yanning held profound significance for them. He had practically revived Your Star single-handedly, then guided them step by step to the summit.

Several of them had received his personal guidance, which helped them break through their own limits.

Their reliance on Qi Yanning was something even they couldn’t fully explain. After debuting, most of the staff around them had changed; only assistant Tang Xin and stylist Qi Yanning were familiar faces. Naturally, they were even more reluctant to let him go.

With a brief thought, Qi Yanning understood their worries. He curved his lips slightly. “At this stage, at least until your group variety show wraps filming and your album promotional cycle ends, I won’t be leaving.”

“Yes!!” An Zai instantly cheered, hugging Gong Jiayu as they hopped around together.

Smiles surfaced on everyone else’s faces as well.

“So, can you all go wash up and sleep now?” Qi Yanning asked with a half-smile. “There’s still filming tomorrow, right?”

The members scattered in an instant.

Watching the quieted living room, Qi Yanning shook his head and turned back to his room.

He hadn’t had time during the day, so only now did he have the chance to thank everyone who had stood up for him.

He first contacted Pei Huan. When Pei Huan was in closed-door training on Ou Jin, they hadn’t been in touch. Later, although the scandal among the top rankers on Ou Jin grazed him slightly, he was an earnest kid with a clean track record, so he weathered it safely.

After that, right after finishing his performance on the finale night of Ou Jin, he publicly announced he was giving up his debut spot, causing a massive stir online.

However, the kid seemed very happy about it. Once he got his phone back, he immediately messaged Qi Yanning to let him know he was safe, before wildly complaining about Ou Jin‘s ridiculous antics following Qi Yanning’s departure.

The company he signed with was small and laid-back. While they couldn’t offer him top resources, they didn’t hold him back either. Now, Pei Huan had returned to school, preparing for art academy entrance exams.

Qi Yanning hadn’t expected Pei Huan to step up yesterday to defend him.

Over the phone, however, Pei Huan’s voice sounded remarkably carefree.

“Qi-ge, don’t worry, I’m totally fine. I just couldn’t stand seeing them slander you. They don’t know you, and they don’t know what a wonderful person you are!” Pei Huan’s voice was still a bit shy, but it was clear his mood was much better than during Ou Jin. “Now that public opinion has reversed, I’ve gained a ton of fans!”

“After Ou Jin, I realized I’m not really cut out for the idol stage. But my agency hired acting coaches before, and I audited a few classes. The teacher praised me for having great natural instincts! I’m planning to study acting. Even if I can’t become a real actor, I can always play a ghost in a haunted house!”

Qi Yanning listened quietly to the voice on the other end, a soft smile touching his lips. Pei Huan was the first person to show him genuine kindness after he transmigrated into this world; he truly hoped this sincere, hardworking kid would live a happy life.

After hanging up, he first thanked everyone on Xingbo who had supported him today, then sent private messages of gratitude on Feixin.

Still…

Qi Yanning narrowed his eyes.

Director Lin stepping forward had been planned between them, and Huanmeng had likely been instructed by Morning Star Entertainment. But what about Director Wang, Editor-in-Chief Ning, and even Li Qing?

Especially Li Qing: had he suddenly discovered a conscience?

Pausing, Qi Yanning opened Ling Cangzhou’s chat window and sent a single character: “?”

The next second, a video call request from Ling Cangzhou popped up.

Hesitating briefly, Qi Yanning accepted it. Ling Cangzhou was likely in his own bedroom, where the lighting was soft and dim. He was drying his hair with a large towel, wearing an oversized black tank top.

He looked like he had just finished showering.

“A-Ning, what’s wrong?” Ling Cangzhou seemed to prop his phone up on a desk, then lowered his gaze toward the screen.

“Director Wang, Editor-in-Chief Ning, and Li Qing, did you reach out to them?” Qi Yanning asked directly.

Ling Cangzhou’s hand drying his hair paused, then he broke into a grin. “Our A-Ning really is clever.”

Qi Yanning understood why he had done it. Even with solid evidence, some would inevitably remain skeptical because the people testifying were all close to him.

Director Wang and Editor-in-Chief Ning were different. While they had working relationships with him, their interactions were strictly professional. Having them speak out on his behalf clearly proved that Qi Yanning’s professional capability and work ethic were beyond reproach. Furthermore, Director Wang was an industry heavyweight, and while Editor-in-Chief Ning led a second-tier magazine, her network across the fashion industry was vast. One in film, one in fashion; their public support carried immense weight.

Yet industry veterans of their caliber were usually masters of self-preservation. Getting them to step into the fray could not have been easy for Ling Cangzhou.

Qi Yanning fell silent.

“Director Wang and Editor-in-Chief Ning both think very highly of you, so they agreed as soon as I brought it up. Director Wang didn’t want to lose the stylist he values most, and Editor-in-Chief Ning still wants to invite you to do another shoot for Tide,” Ling Cangzhou said with an easy smile, seeing through Qi Yanning’s thoughts. “It’s all thanks to A-Ning’s own reputation.”

“As for Li Qing, that was even simpler. Morning Star Entertainment just offered him a position on the condition that he step forward and clarify what happened back then. Naturally, he was willing.”

“It wasn’t a loss for Morning Star Entertainment either, since A-Ning mentioned before that Li Qing does possess solid skills.”

Ling Cangzhou made it sound effortless, but Qi Yanning knew it couldn’t have been that simple behind the scenes.

Still, since Ling Cangzhou didn’t wish to dwell on it, he refrained from pressing further.

“Thank you, Boss Ling,” Qi Yanning said softly.

“You’re welcome. A-Ning is, after all, my most prized… stylist!” Ling Cangzhou said, then leaned closer to the screen, looking at Qi Yanning with an almost puppy-like gaze. “A-Ning is still calling me Boss Ling…”

Watching Ling Cangzhou feign vulnerability, Qi Yanning let out a soft laugh after a moment. “Then how does Boss Ling want me to address you?”

“My courtesy name is Yuchuan. Will A-Ning call me Yuchuan?”

“I didn’t expect Boss Ling to have a courtesy name.” A flicker of surprise crossed Qi Yanning’s eyes. In this modern era, there were still people who observed such ancient traditions.

“The elders in my family are quite traditional,” Ling Cangzhou explained with a smile. “Very few people know this name. Can A-Ning call me that?”

“Yuchuan?”

“Mm!” Ling Cangzhou’s eyes lit up, answering immediately.

“A-Ning, actually, I…” Ling Cangzhou started to say more, but a phone ringtone sounded from his end.

Noticing the noise, Qi Yanning said, “Boss Ling… Yuchuan, go attend to your work.”

Ling Cangzhou had no choice but to hang up reluctantly.

On this end, after ending the call, Qi Yanning’s lips curved slightly.

He thought back to Ling Cangzhou just now: the droplets of water on his face and neck, the tank top outlining the lines of his muscles, and that deliberate puppy-dog look…

A little peacock, and in full display mode, no less.

Qi Yanning chuckled, drawing that conclusion.

The next day brought another full day of variety show filming. By the previous night, public scrutiny had shifted entirely from Qi Yanning to Luo Heng.

Luo Heng was trapped in a raging firestorm. Massive waves of fans deserted him, leaving behind only a handful of die-hard apologists who could no longer make any difference.

Public opinion overwhelmingly condemned Luo Heng, leaving him in a position even worse than Qi Yanning’s the day before. The accusations against Qi Yanning had lacked real proof, mostly fueled by manufactured hype. Luo Heng was different; there were far too many concrete stains on his record.

Faced with undeniable evidence, nobody felt the slightest pity for him.

After all, who could sympathize with a two-faced bully?

With the storm hovering squarely over Luo Heng, peace and quiet returned to Qi Yanning’s world.

Unlike the day before, when the online tempest forced the variety show broadcast to delay until after styling was completed, today’s broadcast resumed right from the styling session.

As usual, Qi Yanning wore a mask and a cap. His three assistants from Your Star, Li Jinshi, Chu Sixiu, and Wu Jianming, had completed their onboarding and arrived by his side today.

When the controversy first broke, all three had posted on Xingbo to defend Qi Yanning. Unfortunately, as everyday non-celebrities, their voices were too faint to sway the tide of opinion, reducing them to tears of frustration several times.

It was during that same period that they received an offer from Morning Star Entertainment inviting them to continue working as Qi Yanning’s assistants. Gritting their teeth, they had accepted without hesitation, which brought them to the TND villa today.

[The stream started so early today!]

[Qi Yanning is still here, my god-tier stylist!]

[TND looks so handsome today too]

[There it is, the welded-on base makeup!]

[Can the camera get closer? Let me see what products and techniques he’s using!]

[Why is Qi Yanning still wearing a cap and mask? A gorgeous guy hiding his face is a tragic loss for this world!]

……

Today’s bullet comments were very friendly, so manager Qin-ge permitted the members to interact with them a bit.

“Get closer?” Mo Jinghai was in the second batch for makeup today, leaning in front of the screen. “I’ll try bringing the camera closer…”

He lifted the camera and walked over toward the vanity table.

[S-slower! I’m getting dizzy from pecs, Hai-ge!]

[What kind of bridal-carry POV is this]

[Ah, these massive chest muscles, I love it!]

The camera spun quickly and was set down beside Qi Yanning.

Qi Yanning glanced up at the camera, then turned back to continue styling.

It was only because TND didn’t have any beauty endorsements yet that they dared film like this; otherwise, they would risk contract violations in an instant.

[Wow, Qi Yanning is so handsome!]

[That foundation! I have that too! Scrambling to take notes]

[Did anyone screenshot it? If I buy the same set of cosmetics, can I get the same look as TND?]

[Keep dreaming, unless you can get a pair of hands like Qi Yanning’s]

The comments scrolled by swiftly while Qi Yanning set to work on today’s looks.

Today’s filming location was the botanical garden.

Indeed, the theme of Let’s Go, TND!‘s first set of shoots was “touring the three gardens” (zoo, water park, botanical garden).

To match the vibe of the botanical garden, the overall styling leaned sporty.

Tank tops paired with techwear cargo pants, layered with light-colored utility vests, created a relaxed, athletic charm.

The makeup was the subtlest of the past few days, using virtually no distinct color, yet this style tested a stylist’s foundational technique the most.

[Is Qi Yanning doing magic? Why is he applying foundation so fast, and why does the finish look so good?]

[That hand speed! Here I was planning to learn, but I just put down my brushes]

[I hereby crown Qi Yanning’s makeup as a real-life filter. This finish is incredible!]

With three assistants helping with hair today, Qi Yanning worked at blinding speed, finishing all nine members in under an hour.

The bullet comments were dumbfounded.

[Under an hour for nine people… what kind of sorcery is this?]

[A level I could never reach in my lifetime]

[The key point is that all nine looks turned out phenomenal]

[If Qi Yanning’s hands are hands, what are these two unidentified objects hanging from my forearms?]

……

Qi Yanning didn’t tag along for today’s shoot, sending Chu Sixiu and Li Jinshi instead to handle any necessary touch-ups.

He remained at the villa to hold a brief meeting with TND’s management team.

TND’s album would be dropping soon, followed immediately by their promotional cycle. They needed to strike while the iron was hot, participating in various shows to promote their tracks.

Today’s meeting was to finalize TND’s promotional schedule. Qi Yanning’s primary task was to design the styling needed for their various public appearances.

Whenever the team confirmed a schedule, Qi Yanning noted it down to plan suitable outfits and makeup.

Qin-ge was a sharp, decisive manager. Laying out the invitations for TND one by one, he addressed the room: “Any thoughts?”

Arching an eyebrow, Qi Yanning spoke up: “I don’t recommend taking this magazine shoot. As for this brand, my advice is also to decline.”

Frowning, Qin-ge looked at him. “Why? This magazine holds a good status and is willing to give TND a full feature interview for the album. And this brand is a tier-one name.”

“The magazine’s prestige isn’t the point. What matters is that their aesthetic direction over recent issues has run into issues.”

Qi Yanning said calmly, “This magazine likely changed its editor-in-chief recently. The new editor is deliberately nudging their aesthetic toward dangerous territory.”

He pulled up pictures of recent editorial spreads on his phone and showed them to Qin Haoyu. “Look at these. Notice anything?”

Qin Haoyu studied them closely for a while, but couldn’t spot the issue.

“In this spread, the exaggerated slanted-eye makeup, claiming to be Chinese style while subtly weaving in numerous Japanese-style motifs…”

As Qi Yanning explained, Qin Haoyu’s expression grew stern. Taking a magazine gig like that would be planting a landmine for themselves.

“And the brand?”

“The brand is offering an ambassadorship for their newly launched makeup line. But that line…”

“Over-marketed and terrible to use,” Qi Yanning said bluntly.

Qin Haoyu hadn’t expected that answer, but he realized he needed to re-evaluate the brand carefully.

“Alright, got it.” He sorted the documents in his hands. “Any other concerns?”

Qi Yanning shook his head.

“Okay, thanks for the input, Xiao Qi,” Qin Haoyu said seriously. “I’ll look into both the magazine and the brand. If what you said checks out, we’ll pass on both. As for the rest, we’ll hold off until I screen them again for potential risks.”

Qin Haoyu headed back to the company to begin his investigation. With a light shooting schedule today, TND returned to the villa early.

While Qi Yanning was organizing his notes, Xiao Yingyi knocked on his door.

“Qi-ge, are you busy?” Xiao Yingyi asked politely.

“What is it?”

“It’s like this.” Xiao Yingyi straightened his expression. “Today I saw fans mentioning how much they miss seeing us perform, but we won’t have official stages for a while. So I was thinking of doing dance covers of other stages. Could Qi-ge…”

Qi Yanning understood. “Do your styling?”

Xiao Yingyi nodded, looking a bit sheepish. “I know this isn’t part of your official duties, but we really don’t know how to do makeup…”

“Sure,” Qi Yanning agreed easily. “Send me the references for the stages you want to cover.”

Delight immediately spread across Xiao Yingyi’s face. “Thank you, Qi-ge!”

He bowed his head and sent the materials over from his phone.

Qi Yanning’s phone chimed. He clicked it open.

Well, excellent; it was a collection containing at least fifty classic stages.

“Which one do you want to cover first?” Qi Yanning browsed through it. The collection was all-encompassing, even featuring quite a few girl group dances.

“I’ll go ask the members.” A deep flush rose on Xiao Yingyi’s cheeks, clearly embarrassed at having bothered Qi Yanning without thoroughly deciding beforehand.

“Alright.” Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow. So this plan had been devised collectively by the boys.

They were truly earnest kids.

A touch of warmth stirred in Qi Yanning’s chest.

Early the next morning, TND was granted a rare day off, with neither filming nor scheduled training.

Even so, they woke up early to head to the practice room to rehearse their chosen routine. Having trained for no less than three years, the TND members had learned the stages of most popular groups. With Feng Qingyi, their detail-oriented main dancer, refining every movement, and Lou Yuxing, their main vocal, tuning their pitch, they locked into sync rapidly.

By afternoon, they had polished it to near perfection.

When Xiao Yingyi informed Qi Yanning of their chosen track the previous evening, Qi Yanning had already thoroughly researched the song’s MV, live stages, and overarching concept. In the morning, he made a trip to Morning Star Entertainment to pick out suitable wardrobe pieces from the styling department.

Once styled, the TND boys found an open area within the villa community and began recording. Striving for perfection, they filmed nearly ten takes, stopping only when everyone was fully satisfied.

They had originally intended to contact the team’s video editor, but surprisingly, the usually shy and quiet Pang Nong turned out to be quite skilled at video editing. In no time, he completed the color grading and final cut.

Thus, during peak evening traffic hours, the members’ Xingbo accounts uploaded a video simultaneously.

@XiaoYingyi: Saw you all saying you missed seeing our stages today. Since we don’t have official stages for the time being, we covered our seniors Xinghe’s Dark Night. The filming conditions were quite simple and crude, but we still hope you enjoy it.

[Video]

In an instant, TND’s fans were electrified.

They had craved a stage so desperately; now that there was a cover dance to watch, who cared if the production was simple!

Once they finished watching, however, they were left in a daze.

This virtually flawless styling, this virtually flawless live-singing and sharp dancing…

TND, you call this crude?!

Even casual netizens were astounded. Good grief, do TND fans always eat this well?

TND fans wore expressions of bewildered pride.

This was our very first meal since Your Star ended, but…

Hehehe, that’s right, we really do eat this well!