IDEI Ch17

After supper, Ling Cangzhou had his assistant escort the group to a hotel next to Morning Star Entertainment for the night.

Adjacent to Morning Star Entertainment, the hotel not only boasted an excellent location, but its interior decor and service were top-notch as well.

After washing up, Qi Yanning climbed into the plush king-sized bed. A bed like this was incomparable to the bunk beds back in the dorms; sinking into the soft yet perfectly supportive mattress felt as if every ounce of exhaustion was instantly swept away.

Qi Yanning drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

Early the next morning, Qi Yanning rose to prep the essentials needed for today’s gala.

His duty today was simply to complete the hair and makeup for the girls before they departed for the venue; any subsequent touch-ups would be left to Morning Star Entertainment’s in-house makeup artists.

The gala was scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM, hosted in an art museum adjacent to Morning Star Entertainment.

The red carpet grand finale belonged to Morning Star’s A-list veterans. Carrying little industry weight, the newly minted trainees were slotted near the very front of the lineup. The only ones walking ahead of them were the other trainees with no debut plans in sight.

Consequently, their styling began around noon. The trainees lined up for hair and makeup. Making their public debut on a red carpet for the very first time, they were on edge with nerves.

The two from the acting department leaned against each other in silence, drawing strength from one another.

Meanwhile, the idol trainees huddled together, whispering back and forth, but when that failed to ease their anxiety, they simply began to sing. And what they sang was none other than the title track of their upcoming debut album.

Even without an audience, their dedication was absolute, hitting every intricate vocal detail and layered harmony.

Soaring high notes, rhythmic rap verses, and a powerful chorus combined into an edgy, futuristic battle anthem that resonated perfectly with their cool personas.

Listening to the seamless, melodious singing around him, Qi Yanning smiled faintly, turning his gaze to Shen Qing, who was in the chair. “Congratulations.”

Shen Qing lifted her eyes to meet Qi Yanning’s gaze in the mirror, her freshly painted, plump lips curving into a confident smile.

She understood what Qi Yanning meant. Having teammates of such caliber was a true privilege.

Back in the training camp, she had been ostracized for her superior skills, but things were different now—her current teammates were just as formidable. Such talent would be their greatest shield and weapon on the road ahead.

Qi Yanning and his assistants worked with swift efficiency. Qi Yanning in particular had previously been unaccustomed to modern cosmetics, making him clumsy with application. But after this period of experimentation, he had thoroughly mastered modern makeup products.

It had to be said that modern cosmetics were vastly superior and far more versatile than those of ancient times.

Making final adjustments to the curve of a few stray hairs, Qi Yanning clapped his hands. “All done.”

The girls didn’t even dare make bold facial expressions, keeping their eyes glued to one another and their reflections in the mirror.

Today’s makeup was noticeably more polished than yesterday’s trial. Even seeing it again, they were still stunned by how gorgeous the styling looked.

Immensely beautiful, unique, and distinctly “them.”

Qi Yanning’s styling didn’t erase their innate individuality; rather, it amplified their strengths, keeping them distinct while enhancing their beauty to the utmost.

It was breathtaking!

With skills like this, why on earth did he become an idol in the first place? Do geniuses just operate on a completely different brainwave that mere mortals can’t comprehend?

The girls murmured silently in their hearts.

“Time to head out.” Qi Yanning checked the time on his phone, confirming they had plenty of margin. He gestured to the girls with a faint smile. “There won’t be any problems. Trust me, and trust yourselves.”

The girls’ skyrocketing nerves settled substantially under Qi Yanning’s calm, resolute gaze. Taking a collective deep breath, they turned around and set off on their journey.

Meanwhile, red carpet pre-show coverage had already kicked off.

The staging for this red carpet was exquisitely detailed. Cascading floral waterfalls flanked both sides of the backdrop signature wall, while the photo zones were framed by elaborate displays of fresh, vibrant blooms.

The first to step onto the carpet were Morning Star Entertainment’s junior trainees. Still early in their training days, their presence on the carpet was essentially just to gain public exposure.

Racked with nerves, their demeanor lacked poise. Mediocre styling paired with awkward, stiff body language left viewers feeling underwhelmed, and barely any cameras were raised in the media press pit.

[These rookies are way too raw]

[Looks like the Morning Star Gala red carpet is gonna be another snoozefest]

[Morning Star’s theme this time, ummmm, you could guess what the female celebrities will wear with your toes—]

[BIG! PUFFY! PRINCESS! GOWNS!]

[When will domestic female celebrities ever let go of giant puffy fairy skirts?]

[Swap it for a suit like Yang Xinting wore at the last red carpet? Too ugly, I refuse, hhhhhh]

[So boring]

[Saw the departure photos for the top starlets and veteran actresses, and yep, completely uninspired]

[The male actors are in a sea of identical suits, which is even more boring, not to mention some are downright homely]

[Do any of these styling teams have an ounce of creativity? A couple of flowers stuck onto a skirt hem or a boutonnière pinned to a suit lapel counts as a ‘Garden’ theme?]

[.]

In the Morning Star Gala livestream, the MCs delivered their opening spiels with rousing fervor, but in the chat, aside from fans pasting copy-paste support scripts, genuine engagement was scarce.

Viewers had had their fill of safe, formulaic red carpet fashion. Beyond dedicated fans, most lingering in the stream were just idling away time or waiting for celebrity drama.

The contrast between the emcee’s onstage bombast and the flat indifference of the live chat grew increasingly stark. Especially once the departure studio portraits of Morning Star’s top stars were posted online, viewers grew thoroughly bored; more than half the live audience clicked away, leaving the remainder scrolling mindlessly.

Until—

Several trainees stepped out of a car, and viewers snapped to attention!

They were clad in structured black bespoke dresses, tailored from crisp, architectural fabrics that sculpted sharp, high-fashion silhouettes. Across the gowns were metallic sculptural blossoms; realistic botanical forms intertwined with deconstructed metal petals, staggered artfully across the fabric. The hemlines were cut modern and short, revealing lengths of slender, fair calves.

Their makeup featured restrained, elegant smoky eyes, with delicate silver metallic strokes tracing their lids and brow bones as an inspired finishing touch. Each of the five sported a distinct hairstyle: pin-straight glossy black locks, a sharp hime cut, a sleek high ponytail, an architectural updo, and an edgy scorpion braid—all styled impeccably without a single stray flyaway.

They stepped out of the vehicle one by one. Though their individual designs varied, the motifs resonated seamlessly, presenting a striking, unified ensemble at first glance.

[Holy crap]

[!!!]

The live chat erupted instantly.

[WHO ARE THEY?! This is so unique!]

[Never thought the day would come where a little black dress would leave me completely stunned!]

[A gorgeous girl, another gorgeous girl, three, four, five beauties hehehe]

[Who on earth are they?! Morning Star Entertainment, you hid them so well!]

[Finally a look worth looking at! Beautiful!]

The five trainees stepped onto the red carpet in succession. Set against the lush floral arrangements flanking the carpet, their black dresses didn’t clash in the slightest; instead, they stood out as the most mesmerizing view of the night.

The entertainment journalists lining the press pit hoisted their telephoto lenses, snapping away with genuine focus.

Camera flashes lit up the area in a blinding sea of white. The trainees felt a flutter of nerves, but betrayed none of it on their faces. Holding poised, immaculate expressions, they radiated an imposing presence that appeared remarkably effortless.

“Hello, and welcome to the Morning Star Gala,” the host beamed. “Why don’t you introduce yourselves?”

“Hello everyone, we are—”

“THE DREAM, Huanmeng!”

Dressed in black gowns that bore distinct silhouettes yet shared resonant motifs, clearly belonging to a single cohesive collection, the five stood in a neat line, greeting the audience in unison with confident smiles.

Behind them was a photo backdrop woven from vibrant blooms, yet standing before the flowers, they eclipsed the floral scenery entirely.

The black fabric and metallic flowers evoked night descending upon a garden, while vibrating with futuristic, cybernetic technology, making them resemble gynoids arriving from another era.

Their hair and makeup were equally arresting. Crisp, razor-sharp hairstyles and cool, slightly detached smoky eyes gave them an untouchable, almost inorganic aura that kept people at a reverent distance.

[Morning Star’s new girl group?]

[They don’t look human (complimentary)]

[They look so cool, I’m obsessed with this concept!]

[Every single one is gorgeous! These dresses are genuinely creative and stunning!]

[Metallic blossoms? What kind of cyber garden is this kkkk]

The live comments had been buzzing ever since their entrance, and now that the main broadcast camera framed them head-on, the chat grew even more heated.

[So unique, and hits the theme right on the nose! Red carpets need to be unique!]

[Best styling of the night by a mile]

[Is Morning Star heavily backing this group? How is their styling team this formidable?]

The chat buzzed with fervor, though the five members of Huanmeng remained oblivious. After signing the guest wall and posing for the press, they exited with composed grace, paying no mind to the media’s calls for more photos.

Even after the five walked off the red carpet, discussions in the live chat showed no signs of stopping. If anything, because the subsequent red carpet appearances sank right back into mediocrity, viewers fixated on Huanmeng even more.

[Huanmeng! Five fembots, I am so down for this!]

[They’re so cool, not lingering on the red carpet at all hhhh]

[Is this their group concept? I love it so much! As long as their live talent isn’t terrible, I’m stanning!]

Looking across the screen, at least eighty percent of the comments were discussing Huanmeng, a wave that lingered for quite some time…

Until the two trainees from the acting department appeared.

A breath of crisp, pristine white felt as though it cleansed the audience’s eyes; like a gentle breeze, they drifted softly onto the carpet.

[This pair is breathtaking too!]

[What kind of Flower Goddess and Flower Fairy descent is this?!!]

A black van came to a slow stop at the head of the red carpet. The sliding door glided open silently, and the girl in the white mini dress stepped out first.

Smoothing her hemline lightly, she cast curious eyes across her surroundings, before extending a hand back toward the vehicle—

The other girl in the white gown gently took her hand, lifting her train as she descended slowly.

“Whoa!”

Gasps broke out among those who noticed the commotion.

Drawn by the sound, the rest of the crowd turned their eyes toward them.

By now, the two had taken their positions, offering gentle smiles to the onlookers.

The girl in the short dress wore a skirt shaped like a blooming bud, with colorful undertones peeking through the flowing, water-like tulle overlay.

Her makeup carried far more color than that of most female stars earlier: translucent greens and soft pinks washed gently across her eye area, while chestnut braids dotted with tiny white blossoms draped over her right shoulder, making her look like a lively forest sprite.

The girl in the long gown presented an entirely different style. Her mermaid silhouette and floor-sweeping hemline, rich with floral detail, made every step look as though a flower were blossoming beneath her feet. The flowers along the bodice were far sparser than at the hem, arranged in a slender diagonal path, as if catching a glimpse of a lush garden through an opening in a white wall—mysterious and breathtaking.

Her hair was gathered into an updo secured by a white peony hairpin, with only a few delicate strands framing her face in casual ease. Her makeup was sheer and natural, with fine white strokes accentuating her eyeliner and lashes, lending an extra touch of ethereal charm to her already delicate beauty.

So stunning!

The media aimed their lenses at them in unison. Smiling gracefully, they greeted the crowd flanking the red carpet, walking steadily toward the signature wall at the end.

[These two have so much natural presence!]

[So gorgeous! A completely different kind of beauty from Huanmeng]

[Seeing two completely different styles of stunners on a single red carpet… I must have accumulated good karma my whole life, I deserve this!]

[Another group that fits the concept to perfection, utterly breathtaking]

[Are these two rookie… actresses?]

[Definitely actresses. Their eyes are so expressive, conveying so much emotion]

[Can some director hurry up and drag these two into the station—wait, no, onto a film set!]

Like water splashed into boiling oil, the live comments exploded!