IDEI Ch21

Starting at age three, Lou Yuxing had studied Peking Opera with his maternal grandfather. In primary school, he had delicate, porcelain features and was exceptionally pretty. Coupled with his talent in Peking Opera, he was adored by teachers and classmates alike. But this also led some kids to ostracize him.

Children’s malice could be terrifying. By fifth grade, a gang of mischievous boys surrounded him daily, taunting him as a “sissy.” Powerless to resist, he could only endure it in silence. But the boys grew bolder. Once, they even dragged him into the restroom, insisting on checking if he was truly a boy.

His memories of that day had blurred with time. In the end, his mother brought him home, covered in cuts and bruises from fighting back. After that, he stayed away from his grandfather’s place for a long time, unable to practice Peking Opera. Just as he managed to steady his mindset, another tragedy struck.

…His grandfather fell gravely ill and passed away.

From then on, he rarely sang opera. Just as he was beginning to step out of the grief of losing his grandfather, middle school brought a new wave of bullying.

Lou Yuxing had been beautiful since childhood. In middle school, he ended up at the same school as those same boys from elementary school. Because of his androgynous looks, he was bullied once again, plunging into endless torment.

This time, relief only came when his family moved away to another city.

Yet his personality was already formed. He hid himself behind thick bangs, like a snail retreating into a heavy shell.

He knew he was good-looking, but that beauty was one of the roots of his suffering.

Choosing to become a trainee was probably out of reluctance to give up. He loved singing.

Yet as for whether he still loved opera, even he couldn’t say for sure.

“Never mind, if you don’t want to talk about it, don’t,” An Zai said, interrupting his train of thought when he noticed his troubled expression. Flashing a broad grin, he added, “Either way, all we need to know is that you’re super amazing!”

Hearing that, Lou Yuxing smiled softly.

The tracks for the mentor collaboration stage were chosen shortly after. They were all pop songs rearranged with traditional Chinese elements, exceptionally catchy.

The prominent guest mentors arrived once again at the Your Star filming base.

This time, the selection mechanism for the mentor collaboration stage was slightly different: trainees would present themselves to their preferred mentors. Each trainee could pitch themselves to two mentors in the first round. If neither mentor picked them, they would have to wait until everyone finished before entering a second round.

Since the mentor stage did not involve bonus vote competitions, the order was determined by drawing lots.

Lou Yuxing drew number ten, which wasn’t a bad position at all.

He originally planned to join Teacher Qin’s group. Teacher Qin specialized in traditional big drums, and his team’s song was bold and heroic.

However…

As he walked toward Teacher Qin’s doorway, his steps slowed, eventually coming to a halt. He stood there for a long time.

Only when the PD reminded him to make his choice quickly did his frozen figure stir.

Taking a deep breath, he turned toward another direction. His strides were hurried, as if terrified he might change his mind.

Lou Yuxing reached out and pushed open a door.

Inside, Lin Zhiping looked at him with a warm smile.

“Good child, you’re here.”

“This song has an opera vocal part that suits you perfectly. Would you like to try it?”

Lin Zhiping’s gentle voice sounded like a cool spring flowing into his parched heart.

Lou Yuxing nodded softly. In the end, he still couldn’t let go of opera, even after all the pain it had brought him.

Lin Zhiping’s eyes sparkled. Reaching out, she gently held Lou Yuxing’s hands, which were cold with nerves.

“Good child, you are very talented. Have faith in yourself.” Her gentle tone gradually brushed away the unease lingering in his heart.

Lou Yuxing looked around. The three trainees who had entered before him only held delight in their eyes, without the slightest hint of disdain. His chest loosened. Tucking a lock of hair behind his ear, he offered a quiet smile.

Perhaps this could be a brand-new start, couldn’t it?

***

While the trainees practiced diligently, Qi Yanning was… shopping.

This was City A’s largest clothing wholesale market, home to tens of thousands of storefronts. Qi Yanning was here hunting for costumes for the mentor collaboration stage.

Because of the sudden change in theme, the production team’s wardrobe warehouse lacked suitable outfits, forcing the styling crew to source them on short notice. Since Qi Yanning bore the heavy responsibility of overseeing the styling of every trainee, the task of purchasing costumes fell onto his shoulders.

Qi Yanning walked past shop after shop without glancing sideways, while the three junior assistants trailing behind him exchanged hesitant looks.

“Got something to say?” Qi Yanning spoke abruptly. The three, who had been nudging one another, jolted in surprise.

Under the silent prodding of the other two, Wu Jianming had no choice but to speak up: “Qi-ge, shouldn’t we step into a few shops to check…?”

“We’ve walked past dozens already. What if the right ones are inside?”

“Oh?” Qi Yanning turned his head with a faint smile.

Sweeping his gaze over the three, his smile widened. “Sure, why not go take a look?”

Seeing that smile, Wu Jianming felt a twinge of foreboding, but with Qi Yanning already leading the way into an adjacent store, he could only follow.

Stepping inside, Qi Yanning stood in a corner with his hands tucked into his pockets, poised and leisurely. “Go look. Show me what you find.”

The three exchanged glances for a while before hesitantly moving into the shop.

They leafed through the racks near them. This section of the street specialized in traditional-style garments, with every store packed with Chinese-inspired clothing.

Yet…

After searching for quite some time, the three failed to find anything suitable. The clothes here weren’t hideous, just ordinary. Plain and utterly devoid of character, filled with designs seen everywhere.

Such designs were completely unfit for a performance stage.

Gritting their teeth, they reluctantly pulled out a few pieces.

“The colors, the fabrics, and this one… Li Jinshi, what were you thinking?” Qi Yanning frowned, studying the three outfits laid out before him.

The piece Chu Sixiu selected was a dull gray. It looked fine to the naked eye, but under stage lighting, it would look worn and cheap. Wu Jianming’s pick was made of linen, which wrinkled far too easily.

As for Li Jinshi, she had chosen a modernized Ming-style hanfu. The colors were lovely and the fabric luxurious, but the heavy layers made it entirely impractical for dancing on stage.

The three sheepishly pulled their hands back. They knew their selections weren’t ideal, but put on the spot, this was all they could manage.

“Let’s go,” Qi Yanning said. Nodding to the shop owner in apology, he casually grabbed a couple of knickknacks to pay for before walking out cleanly.

“The shops here aren’t working out. Qi-ge, where exactly are we looking?” Chu Sixiu stepped up to ask.

“Around back,” Qi Yanning answered succinctly.

Passing rows of nearly identical shops, they reached the end of the street. Most of the storefronts here looked far more run-down than those at the entrance, with garments appearing even less impressive.

They stopped before a small shop. Its door was half-closed, hidden behind lush, leafy trees near the entrance.

Qi Yanning checked the sign above the door, then stepped inside without hesitation.

Exchanging glances, the three assistants followed him in.

What made this shop so special that Qi-ge walked past the entire street just to find it?

Li Jinshi was in the lead. Stepping into the shop first, the dim interior plunged her eyes into brief darkness after the bright early summer sunlight outside.

Once her vision adjusted, she took in everything around her. The garments here all carried distinct classical charm, ranging from strictly traditional tailoring to a wide variety of modern adaptations.

More importantly, every piece was clearly handcrafted!

All three gasped in admiration. To think such a hidden gem existed back here!

This was actually Qi Yanning’s first time visiting in person. It was opened by the original owner’s university classmates, and the designs inside were all crafted by them. These classmates loved traditional Chinese design, but the commercial fashion firms employing them saw little market potential in classical styles.

As a result, they poured their passion into this humble storefront.

This tiny shop served as a creative utopia for designs that had nowhere else to go. With no rent or labor overhead, Qi Yanning’s classmates easily covered fabric costs themselves. As for sales, in the joking words of his classmates, these clothes were only sold to those meant to find them.

Qi Yanning closely inspected the traditional-style garments hanging along the walls, verifying that the fabric quality and craftsmanship were just as exceptional as his university group chats claimed.

He raised his chin slightly toward Chu Sixiu, signaling her to speak with the owner. The shopkeeper was the grandmother of one of his classmates, a master seamstress who stitched every garment alongside her friends.

Chu Sixiu waited until the elderly woman at the sewing machine finished her stitch before politely greeting her, “Hello, Grandma.”

Hearing the voice, the old woman didn’t rush to look up. She smoothed the fabric in her hands before raising her gaze. “What can I do for you?”

“Hello, how many adapted menswear pieces do you have in total?”

The old woman glanced at her in surprise, then slowly stood up. “Between what’s displayed up front and what’s in the storeroom, about forty or fifty pieces.”

Forty or fifty? That was plenty.

“Grandma, may we take a look at them?” Chu Sixiu asked gently.

“Sure.” The grandmother picked up a key from the table and handed it over. “Most of them are in the back storeroom. Help yourselves.”

“Just be careful with them. It’s a hassle for an old woman like me to tidy things back up.” Her voice was soft and slow. Having spoken, she resumed her work, paying no further attention to the four of them.

The four moved into the storeroom. Garments hung in neat, orderly rows along the walls. Qi Yanning casually reached for one ensemble:

A crimson robe with a tapered waistline, paired with a black-and-gold cummerbund. Subtle gold-threaded embroidery trailed from the hem all the way up to the collar, exquisitely detailed.

The piece beside it was equally impressive: a teal short-coat set, sharp and crisp, yet its dense, woven motifs projected an imposing aura.

Qi Yanning combed through the racks with care, while the three assistants beside him let out quiet gasps every few moments.

These garments were breathtakingly refined. The dense embroidery seemed to retain the warmth of human hands, possessing a vibrant vitality that no machine could ever replicate.

Their designs were ingenious as well. Retaining traditional classical charm, they were tailored to contemporary movement, making them ideal for the stage.

Qi Yanning and his assistants selected over forty pieces, coordinating complete outfits for every group. Only after paying and bidding farewell to the grandmother did they exit the shop.

They left with their hands full, entirely unaware that from the shadows, a camera lens was trained squarely on Qi Yanning, quietly stirring the beginnings of a new storm online.