IDEI Ch25

“Hmm?” Qi Yanning paused his flipping through the reference materials, listening closely to Qi Yu’s voice over the phone.

“A-Ning! The stylist here is deliberately making the show’s trainees look ugly. Xiao Yingyi and Wei Mingzhe’s eyes were drawn two sizes smaller!” Qi Yu’s voice was low, yet she couldn’t suppress her fury. “He even claimed this is high fashion. I don’t know much about fashion—”

“But can something completely hideous really be called fashion?”

By the end of her sentence, Qi Yu could barely keep her voice down.

She was utterly furious. She had lived through the lowest trough of the Your Star production team. Back then, the entire atmosphere was bleak, and practically only the top-ranking trainees hadn’t given up completely. She had witnessed their hard work and felt for these young men striving for their dreams.

Later, when Your Star‘s public reception turned around, she treasured it dearly and refused to let any outside factors tarnish its hard-won reputation.

Yet this photo shoot was very likely a ploy by someone pulling strings behind the scenes to destroy Your Star. Deliberately making the trainees look ugly, then steering the online narrative once the magazine went on sale to create the false impression that Your Star‘s top trainees were all eyesores.

Given a choice between a gorgeous talentless visual and an average-looking powerhouse, most viewers today would still choose the gorgeous visual. They would dote endlessly on beauties, while nitpicking every flaw of the skilled.

When that happened, the audience that had elevated Your Star would discard the show like a worn-out shoe upon seeing the “reality” that its top rankers were all unattractive.

The more Qi Yu thought about it, the angrier she grew. The release date of this issue happened to be right before Your Star‘s finale night! The mastermind behind this wanted to obliterate Your Star completely!

“Understood,” Qi Yanning’s voice was calm. “I will go inform the director right now. Stay calm, and don’t let the trainees clash with the magazine staff.”

Qi Yu felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. Trembling slightly, she realized that in her blind rage, she hadn’t considered the bigger picture. Thinking about it now, could this also be part of the mastermind’s scheme?

If trainees dissatisfied with their styling clashed with the magazine team, those in the shadows could take things out of context, embellish the story, and post it online. It would become ironclad proof that Your Star‘s trainees acted like divas with terrible character before even debuting!

Qi Yu took a deep breath, fighting to keep her composure. Putting away her phone after ending the call, she walked toward the trainees.

At that moment, the trainees were still locked in a standoff with the stylist. They stood in silence without saying a word, merely blocking the doorway to keep the stylist from leaving. Meanwhile, the stylist was already cursing at them.

“Trainees who haven’t even debuted dare to act tough with the magazine? Seems having a handful of fans has made you completely lose your heads!”

The stylist sneered with bitter sarcasm. “Even your top-tier PD doesn’t dare offend the magazine staff, yet you lot are so brave. I’d love to see whether you can land a single fashion gig once word of this gets out!”

His venomous words made the trainees’ faces darken. Someone moved to speak, but another trainee tugged at his sleeve to stop him.

Sarcastic as the man was, he wasn’t entirely wrong. As mere trainees, they were at the very bottom of the entertainment food chain.

“A-Yi, are you done with hair and makeup? It’s time to shoot!” Just as the tension grew suffocating, Qi Yu appeared.

Beaming with smiles, she squeezed through the doorway, as if oblivious to the hostile atmosphere. “Thank you so much for styling them, Teacher. You’ve worked hard! Here is a souvenir gift prepared for you, please take it.”

Her bright, gentle voice shattered the sword-drawn tension. The trainees were confused by her accommodating attitude, but seeing Qi Yu shoot them a meaningful glance, they held back. Only a few younger trainees looked at her with aggrieved eyes.

Moving swiftly, Qi Yu thrust the gift into the stylist’s hands. Before he could lash out, she bowed slightly and said in a flash, “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher. I’ll take the trainees to the set now.”

With that, she gave Xiao Yingyi a subtle nudge.

Xiao Yingyi took the lead, following her out of the dressing room, and the other trainees filed out behind him.

“Xiao Yu-jie,” An Zai muttered aggrievedly, “if we shoot with styling like this, we…”

Anxiety showed on everyone else’s faces as well.

Qi Yu sighed. “I know, but were you planning to fight the stylist head-on? And then land on tomorrow’s trending topics under headlines like ‘Your Star Trainees Act Like Divas, Assault Stylist at Magazine Shoot’?”

The trainees paused, their expressions turning subdued.

“You didn’t say anything out of line, did you?” Qi Yu asked carefully.

“No,” An Zai replied. “We basically didn’t say a word.”

Qi Yu breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Your footing isn’t stable yet. When you’re out in the industry, don’t leave anyone ammunition to attack you with.”

“So we just swallow it?” Wei Mingzhe couldn’t help but ask, his sharp brows furrowing slightly.

“Of course not,” Qi Yu broke into a radiant smile. “The director and the others will be here shortly!”

“Go ahead with the shoot for now. Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”

The trainees finally relaxed, easy smiles returning to their faces.

When they walked onto the set sporting that makeup, the entire studio fell dead silent. The photographer froze for several seconds before finally beginning to direct their positions.

While they began shooting, Director Lin and Qi Yanning were speeding toward the studio location.

Inside the car, Director Lin was fuming, tapping aggressively on his phone screen.

He was trying to contact an associate editor-in-chief he knew at the magazine. To his shock, the man had completely shed the eager warmth he displayed when booking Your Star‘s trainees, turning perfunctory and evasive.

Director Lin was about to explode with rage. Your Star‘s trainees had immense buzz lately, and quite a few fashion magazines had sought shoots through Morning Star Entertainment or other channels. They ultimately settled on this publication because its terms were the most generous.

The cover, an inside cover, and nine full-page spreads—it had seemed full of sincerity.

Yet…

Director Lin never imagined someone would disregard the magazine’s own reputation just to stomp Your Star beneath their boots!

Exiting the chat with the associate editor, he tapped into another one.

[WanderingEverywhere]: Assistant Xu, is Boss Ling busy?

[Xiao Xu]: Boss Ling has an important meeting in an hour. He can spare ten minutes right now.

Director Lin perked up instantly, typing furiously to relay the situation to Assistant Xu, asking him to pass it to Ling Cangzhou.

Shamelessly clinging to a golden thigh whenever trouble struck, Director Lin felt not a shred of guilt, but rather a touch of smug pride.

Turning his head, he said to Qi Yanning, “Alright, handled.”

Watching Director Lin flip from raging fury to utter ease after sending a few texts, Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow.

Was Ling Cangzhou truly this formidable?

***

The Your Star vehicle raced along, reaching the studio at top speed. By then, the trainees had already been shooting for half an hour.

However, Director Lin didn’t rush inside, choosing to wait for someone at the entrance.

“Xiao Qi,” Director Lin muttered from inside the car, “if we just barge in, we don’t have the authority to halt the shoot. Better to wait for the person Boss Ling arranged. That way, stopping the shoot will be completely above board.”

Qi Yanning nodded. He understood well that storming in right now would look like overstepping boundaries, which would only provoke resentment from the magazine side.

Director Lin checked his phone repeatedly. Finally, he stood up. “Here they are!”

Not far off, another car pulled up, and a fashionable, capable woman stepped out.

Director Lin walked up to greet her. “Editor-in-Chief Ning, hello.”

Editor-in-Chief Ning shook hands briskly with Director Lin, getting straight to business. “I understand the situation. Shall we head in and assess?”

Director Lin nodded profusely, and the three walked into the studio together.

At that moment, the trainees were shooting their group portrait.

Posing under the photographer’s instructions, they managed a vague semblance of style from afar.

Taking a closer look, however…

Editor-in-Chief Ning’s gaze darkened. If styling like this were placed on their cover, their fashion credibility would certainly be called into question.

It seemed that during her business trip, someone at the magazine had gotten far too ambitious!

Editor-in-Chief Ning called out immediately, “Pause the shoot.”

Noticing her arrival, the staff on set halted their work.

“What is going on here?” Editor-in-Chief Ning surveyed the room, her voice cold and cutting. “Can anyone explain this to me?”

Several staff members under her gaze hung their heads. Only the photographer spoke up with difficulty: “Editor Ning, with styling like this, I simply can’t shoot good photos!”

He was the magazine’s dedicated house photographer, but being young, he had little authority within the company.

“I understand that styling like this is hard to shoot,” Editor-in-Chief Ning said, her tone softening slightly.

Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, she turned directly to the production coordinator on set: “Who was today’s makeup artist? Dannel or Aria?”

The young female coordinator answered tremulously, “Neither… it’s, it’s Caleb…”

“Caleb?” Editor-in-Chief Ning froze for a second, then unleashed her full executive presence. “He is an assistant still on probation! Why is he in charge of the cover styling for the upcoming issue?!”

The coordinator flinched. Even though the editor’s fury wasn’t aimed at her, she was terrified.

“Call Caleb out here,” Editor-in-Chief Ning suppressed her anger, regaining a calm facade. “And then…”

“Regardless of his excuse, have him pack his things and leave the magazine.”

The coordinator dashed toward the dressing room like a frightened rabbit. Before long, Caleb, who had been strutting around arrogantly earlier, walked over with a sheepish look.

“Ning-jie…” he tried to act familiar.

“You’re fired,” Editor-in-Chief Ning stated succinctly.

“What?” Guilt flickered in Caleb’s wide eyes, but he still argued, “Is the styling unsatisfactory? I can change it, I’ll fix it right now.”

“No need. Please leave.”

“On what grounds?” Caleb said indignantly. “What right do you have to fire me? My uncle is…”

“Unless he owns the magazine and fires me this second, I have the authority to terminate any employee who makes critical errors that threaten our brand’s reputation.” Editor-in-Chief Ning cut him off, glancing at several staff members nearby.

They scrambled forward, hauling the protesting Caleb out toward the exit.

Having resolved the issue with the stylist, Editor-in-Chief Ning pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly, turning to Director Lin: “My apologies. This was an oversight on our magazine’s part. To compensate, we can include a dedicated feature interview for the trainees in this issue.”

Director Lin wisely accepted the olive branch. “Thank you, Editor Ning. We appreciate your help.”

“As for the shoot itself…” Director Lin looked troubled, “this is the only free day the trainees have on their schedule lately.”

Understanding the implicit hint, Editor-in-Chief Ning told the coordinator beside her, “Contact Chief Editor Li and have him send over another stylist.”

The coordinator acknowledged the instruction, but hesitated without moving.

“What is it?”

“Editor Ning,” the coordinator whispered uncomfortably, leaning in close, “there’s a major red carpet event today. All the top stylists our magazine collaborates with have been booked by celebrities.”

Editor-in-Chief Ning shook her head. Having been traveling for so long, she was slightly out of touch with daily domestic entertainment schedules.

She picked up her phone to contact makeup artists she personally knew, but after calling four or five, they were either out of town or booked for the day.

With each refusal, her aura turned increasingly chilling.

A deep rage brewed within her. Other people at the magazine had botched their jobs, yet she, fresh off a flight, was forced to clean up their mess.

Cleaning up this mess was proving difficult, giving Editor-in-Chief Ning a splitting headache.

Right at that moment, Director Lin smiled and said, “Editor Ning, how about letting our show’s stylist step in to save the day?”

Editor-in-Chief Ning looked at Director Lin and nodded.

She assumed Director Lin would need to make a call to summon someone. Yet the moment the words left his mouth, the handsome young man who had been standing beside Director Lin, whom she had presumed was a regular production staffer, stepped forward.

Stepping out from Director Lin’s side, Qi Yanning walked toward the trainees watching nearby: “Let’s go. Time to redo your hair and makeup.”

The trainees let out a quiet cheer, crowding around Qi Yanning as they headed toward the dressing room.

Only then did Editor-in-Chief Ning realize Director Lin had come prepared all along!

Earlier, while she was frantically calling stylists, Director Lin hadn’t uttered a word. First, because he still held resentment toward the magazine, and second, because unprompted offers held little value. Stepping in only when she was at her wits’ end and framing it as “saving the day” allowed him to seize the upper hand while making her owe him a favor.

That old fox. Editor-in-Chief Ning gritted her teeth inwardly.

Still, the shoot was the priority. She instructed the coordinator to brief Qi Yanning on the available wardrobe, props, and the theme of the shoot.

Meanwhile, she remained on set, trading polite pleasantries with Director Lin through stiff smiles.

***

“Teacher, the theme for this shoot is ‘Decadence.’ You can use any of the wardrobe and props here freely. If you need any specific set arrangements, just let me know. As long as it’s feasible, we will accommodate your requests.” The young coordinator spoke in a soft, sweet voice, introducing Qi Yanning to everything in the dressing room.

This studio was the magazine’s dedicated facility. Many major fashion houses partnering with the publication had wardrobe pieces here, alongside numerous niche designer garments.

With the earlier delays, it was already approaching noon. Shooting two distinct sets of photos that fit the theme within half a day left them very pressed for time.

After scanning the garments in the room, Qi Yanning lowered his gaze, lost in thought.

The trainees didn’t dare make a sound, terrified of disturbing his train of thought.

“For the set, I need rose petals, red silk, and a Rococo-style chair. Drape the silk halfway across the chair, and scatter the rose petals across the floor,” Qi Yanning stated simply. “Set it up in the white studio from earlier. Please hurry.”

The coordinator breathed a sigh of relief. Those were standard props readily available at the facility. Answering briskly, she left to prepare the set.

Qi Yanning turned back to the trainees.

He was standing beside a rack of European medieval-style formalwear. His gaze swept over the trainees before picking out pieces from the collection and handing them over.

“Time is tight. Go change into these, then line up for hair and makeup.”

The trainees were somewhat bewildered, but followed Qi Yanning’s instructions and changed into the outfits.

When they emerged, Qi Yanning worked swiftly, using tailoring clips to adjust the garments to fit their silhouettes.

“Time is limited. To leave enough room for the second set, we won’t remove the existing base makeup. I will modify the look directly over it,” Qi Yanning explained to them, before casually pulling An Zai into the styling chair.

The washed-out eyebrows were deepened slightly into a soft gold, shaped slightly thinner than his natural brow. The eye makeup was restrained, merely defining the eye contours. The centerpiece of the entire look was a broad wash of crimson across his face.

Varying shades of deep and soft reds were swept across his cheeks in layers, creating an intensely lush effect, as if tipsy or having just wept.

Qi Yanning’s contouring this time was understated, yet the gentle strokes of color immediately enhanced his bone structure.

The hair, which had been damp and plastered flat against his scalp, was lifted at the roots, with soft waves curled into the ends. The damp texture remained, yet without looking sloppy, instead exuding a melancholic, dissolute charm.

“Done. Go shoot your solo shots first,” Qi Yanning glanced at the reflection in the mirror, gesturing for him to stand.

An Zai was utterly transfixed. He never imagined that disastrous makeup could still be salvaged like this!

In the mirror, he looked like an entirely different person.

“Stop daydreaming. Go,” Qi Yanning frowned slightly.

“Ahhhh Qi-ge, I love you to death!” An Zai lunged in for a bear hug, then under Qi Yanning’s death glare, scampered merrily toward the set.

On the set, the backdrop had just been finished.

The coordinator had relayed the instructions quickly, and knowing they had messed up earlier, the prop team didn’t dare slack off, assembling the set in record time. Yet they hadn’t expected the styling department to work even faster!

Editor-in-Chief Ning was equally surprised.

Frowning, she watched An Zai run out.

Styling completed in such a short window… A flicker of unease stirred in her chest.

The moment she took in An Zai’s appearance, however, her eyes lit up. To serve as editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, she possessed sharp aesthetic instincts.

Her internal verdict for An Zai’s styling was an immediate “excellent.” While not a once-in-a-lifetime shock, it was more than sufficient for an editorial spread.

What shocked her more was that this look had clearly been reworked on top of Caleb’s ugly foundation, yet fit the concept seamlessly.

Wearing a white-and-gold medieval-style tunic, the flushed cheeks and damp tresses made An Zai look like the youngest son of an aristocratic house, intoxicated at a lavish banquet.

It had to be an extravagant banquet, yet the faint undertone of melancholy suggested the swan song of a fading feudal era.

Lush, romantic, decadent.

Editor-in-Chief Ning applauded silently in her heart.

When An Zai stepped under the studio lights, her gaze sharpened even further.

The contrast of white and red created intense visual impact that drew the eye instantly. In that minimalist set, he looked as if he had stepped straight out of another era.

The photographer grew electrified as well. During the first half of the day, he had wracked his brains without capturing a single decent frame, but now…

“Turn your head, just a bit, yes, right there! Lower your eyes, tap into that sorrow… Yes, exactly that, got it!”

The photographer had plunged into a state of frenzied inspiration.

As the shoot progressed, Editor-in-Chief Ning grew increasingly astonished. Each trainee emerged with subtle, unique details in their styling. For instance, Xiao Yingyi’s jet-black hair, defined dark brows, and crimson lips collided to create the lush, gothic allure of a vampire.

Wei Mingzhe, on the other hand, had minimal color across his face, even sporting white-tipped lashes, while his crimson hair cascaded like a blazing waterfall, making him resemble a holy scion preparing to offer himself as a sacrifice.

When all the trainees gathered in the same frame, the distinct yet cohesive styling produced an overwhelming visual impact, drawing quiet gasps from the surrounding crew.

This caliber of craft… Editor-in-Chief Ning glanced deeply at Director Lin, sighing inwardly.

That old fox had truly struck gold.

Qi Yanning’s styling had evidently ignited the photographer’s creative fire. Working with relentless intensity, they wrapped the shoot earlier than projected.

Even so, by the time the first set finished, it was nearly 4:30 PM.

The trainees had only eaten breakfast, and their stomachs were rumbling with hunger by now, yet they dragged their weary bodies back to prep for the second set of styling.

Earlier, while they were shooting, Qi Yanning had the coordinator show him the location for the second look. The second concept called for an outdoor shoot, but Qi Yanning was unsatisfied with the designated outdoor set.

It felt too… contrived.

Standing at the edge of the grounds and gazing into the distance, he spotted the coastline nearby.

City A bordered the ocean, and this studio complex sat near a deserted stretch of shore. Barely any vehicles traversed the roads out here; there was only the vast ocean, an open highway, and barren, natural coastal scrub on both sides.

Qi Yanning narrowed his eyes.

“Can we shoot on that coastal road?” he asked suddenly.

“Where?” The male coordinator looked where he pointed. “That highway over there? Traffic hasn’t opened there yet, so we could shoot…”

Though the scenery was hardly picturesque.

Qi Yanning finalized the decision: “Right there, then. No elaborate props needed, just a single car—preferably black.”

The male coordinator hesitated, but ultimately agreed.

He had realized by now that although this man was merely a stylist, his word carried immense weight. Even Editor-in-Chief Ning deferred to him today.

He might as well follow suit.

Returning to the dressing room, Qi Yanning began searching for the target wardrobe. This time, he needed the simplest of tailored suits. Plain black-and-white suits would suffice.

And tailored suits were the one thing the wardrobe department had in abundance.

After being pushed around all morning and shooting straight through the afternoon, the returning trainees collapsed in exhaustion. Only Xiao Yingyi retained a bit of energy, and was promptly pulled into the chair by Qi Yanning.

He was already dressed in his suit. Because Qi Yanning hadn’t adjusted the outfit yet, Xiao Yingyi, true to his orderly nature, had buttoned everything up rigidly. His white dress shirt was buttoned to the collar, and even his black jacket was buttoned to the top.

Right now, he tilted his head back with eyes half-closed, letting Qi Yanning mist a hydrating spray across his face.

Director Lin and Editor-in-Chief Ning stepped inside at that moment, bringing dinner for the trainees.

Having been blown away by Qi Yanning’s first look, Editor-in-Chief Ning walked in brimming with high expectations, only to be met with plain black-and-white suits.

Granted, they looked sharp, but…

Editor-in-Chief Ning’s heart sank.

“Teacher Qi, the theme for both sets is ‘Decadence,'” she couldn’t help but remind him, worried he had forgotten.

Such things had happened before. The master makeup artists her publication frequently hired often possessed artistic eccentricities, prone to running wild with personal inspiration that strayed far from the brief, stubbornly refusing to adapt.

Could this Qi Yanning belong to that same wild, self-indulgent artistic school?

Editor-in-Chief Ning worried inwardly.

“I remember,” Qi Yanning looked up, casting a calm, sideways glance at her, his voice brimming with unshakeable confidence.

“Why can’t a suit convey decadence?”