IDEI Ch29

The following afternoon, Ling Cangzhou arrived at the Your Star filming base after all.

He was here to apologize.

Ling Cangzhou had not expected that the public discourse, which should have been entirely under his control, would encounter a slight hiccup.

It was not a major issue. During yesterday’s online squabbles, several staff members from Tide magazine, having received directives to guide public opinion, had posted a photo.

The focus of that photo was not on Qi Yanning, but it revealed a clear view of half his face.

At the time, Qi Yanning was standing behind An Zai adjusting his styling, his eyes slightly narrowed, his hand firmly cradling An Zai’s cheek, his gaze calm and focused. Beneath his hand, An Zai’s brows and eyes held a warm smile, looking exceptionally happy.

Initially, not many people paid attention to Qi Yanning in the photo. Before long, however, the comments section beneath that Xingbo post took a strange turn.

@BeautyHereICome: Wait a minute, did anyone notice the gorgeous hunk showing half his face in the photo? Even with lens distortion and deliberate blurring, I can tell this is an absolute top-tier stunner!

@LetMeSee: Right? He must be the stylist. And his hands look so good! Slender, fair, with a hint of sensual appeal. Framed by those hands, An Zi’ai’s face looks smaller than a palm.

@WorldNumberOneShipper: Whoa, that pose! The stylist holding him firmly in place, observing with cool detachment, yet under such domineering assertiveness, An Zi’ai doesn’t dodge at all, grinning like a happy little idiot. Hiss, I ship it!

@ShowALittleSkill: Now that you mention it, totally! It’s so shippable! The atmosphere in this photo is sublime!

…

The comments gradually shifted focus to the CP chemistry between An Zai and this stylist, whose partial profile was enough to confirm his stunning looks. Some netizens even began digging into Tide‘s staff directory in an attempt to unearth the stylist’s identity.

However, they never expected Your Star would bring its own stylist to an outside shoot, so Qi Yanning’s true identity remained hidden for the moment. Still, once the image gained enough traction, someone was bound to recognize him.

Ling Cangzhou only learned of this because the PR department noticed public sentiment deviating from their projections and escalated it to him.

“Suppress this,” Ling Cangzhou ordered decisively. “Then have our people steer the conversation elsewhere. Do not let the stylist’s identity leak.”

He knew Qi Yanning disliked trouble. If his identity were exposed, another media storm would erupt.

Moreover…

Ling Cangzhou ran a frustrated hand through his hair, looking at that photo once more with a hint of grievance.

An Zi’ai still looked like a kid, while Qi Yanning was mature, powerful, and strikingly handsome. How on earth did they have any CP chemistry!

***

After confirming that the PR team had suppressed the matter, Ling Cangzhou felt somewhat absent-minded. In the end, he simply drove straight to Your Star‘s filming base.

He headed directly to the styling office, but Qi Yanning was in a meeting.

Hearing a knock on the door, Qi Yanning looked up to see Ling Cangzhou’s silhouette.

Ling Cangzhou seemed a bit downcast. Seeing the questioning look in Qi Yanning’s eyes, he shook his head, pulled the conference room door shut, and walked away.

“…Boss Ling, are you listening?” Director Lin’s voice snapped Ling Cangzhou out of his daze.

“Hmm?” Ling Cangzhou took a deep breath, barely pulling himself together.

“Boss Ling, what exactly did you come here for today?” Director Lin asked, caught between tears and laughter.

Ling Cangzhou had dropped by unannounced, claiming he wanted to assess Your Star‘s current status, yet he appeared perpetually distracted.

“Morning Star Entertainment has already lined up several solid group endorsement deals for the debut lineup,” Ling Cangzhou said, finally regaining his composure. “Everything for the debut album is ready, pending only the final roster. Morning Star hopes to manage this group thoroughly, so I need a deeper understanding of the trainees’ situations.”

“Furthermore, Director Lin knows the trainees best. My visit today was also to invite you to continue directing their music videos and group variety shows.”

Hearing this, Director Lin was delighted.

Having directed the show for so long, he had developed genuine affection for these trainees, naturally wishing to accompany them further along their journey.

“Of course, though in terms of scheduling…” Director Lin asked.

“Right after debut night, filming for the mini group variety show will begin starting with moving house, focusing on their dormitory life and daily preparations for their debut album,” Ling Cangzhou stated clearly. “A month later, production for the main group variety show will start. The planning proposal will be finalized between you and Morning Star’s creative team.”

“Great, great, excellent,” Director Lin beamed with joy. “However, I have a small suggestion…”

“Could we sign that kid Xiao Qi? Right now, his aesthetic sense is the only one I trust.”

Hearing Qi Yanning’s name, Ling Cangzhou paused.

“I will do everything I can to bring him on board,” Ling Cangzhou’s deep voice carried a resolute determination. “No matter what terms he sets, or what price I must pay, I will strive to secure him.”

Director Lin was deeply moved. An investor like Boss Ling was practically the ideal gold-standard client in every director’s dreams!

Generous with funding, hands-off without micromanaging, and deeply respectful of his artistic opinions! Upon hearing his recommendation, he was prepared to pursue him with such earnest dedication!

Overwhelmed with excitement, Director Lin grabbed Ling Cangzhou and began rambling on about the trainees’ individual traits. What the touched director failed to notice was that his dream investor, while nodding attentively on the surface, had once again drifted into his own thoughts.

By the time the chatty Director Lin finished speaking, an hour had already passed.

As twilight fell, Ling Cangzhou returned to the styling office.

By now, the styling team’s meeting had concluded, leaving only Qi Yanning and his three young assistants.

Ling Cangzhou knocked on the door.

Seeing him, Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Boss Ling?”

“It’s me,” Ling Cangzhou smiled at the doorway. “A-Ning, do you have time? Let me treat you to dinner.”

“Boss Ling is in a good mood?” A flicker of amusement crossed Qi Yanning’s eyes.

“Not particularly,” Ling Cangzhou shook his head. “Mainly, I have something I need to apologize to you for.”

“Oh?” Qi Yanning rested his chin in his hand, regarding him with curiosity. “What did Boss Ling do to wrong me?”

Hearing this, Ling Cangzhou choked for a second. “A-Ning, shall we talk over dinner?”

“Sure.” Qi Yanning finally stood up, waving a hand at the three assistants who were huddled like quiet quails. “You all can head back.”

Then, he followed Ling Cangzhou out with an easy stride.

Behind them, the three assistants exchanged bewildered looks.

“Don’t you guys feel like something’s a bit strange?” Chu Sixiu murmured.

The other two nodded.

A busy CEO dropping by constantly to see their Qi-ge… no matter how you sliced it, something was definitely off!

***

“…And that’s what happened,” Ling Cangzhou explained, serving Qi Yanning food with serving chopsticks.

This was a private restaurant, comfortable and secluded, with exceptional cuisine.

“I’m sorry. This matter accidentally dragged you in,” Ling Cangzhou said sincerely. “Morning Star Entertainment will keep a closer watch moving forward.”

Qi Yanning took a leisurely bite of beef before speaking. “Public opinion cannot be controlled. It’s not your fault.”

“Besides, I’m not afraid of my identity being exposed.”

Ling Cangzhou’s hand tightened slightly. He asked in a low voice, “Didn’t A-Ning strongly dislike this sort of thing before?”

“I did.” Qi Yanning turned to look at him, his gaze flickering. “I just found it troublesome, not that I feared being found out.”

“After all, with Ou Jin‘s finale night approaching, the ones terrified of Qi Yanning resurfacing before the public eye aren’t going to be me,” Qi Yanning remarked meaningfully.

Ling Cangzhou understood immediately. Qi Yanning’s previous indifference toward online rumors was not because he had given up on clearing his name, but because he had some sort of agreement with Ou Jin.

And that agreement clearly had an expiration date. Once Ou Jin wrapped its broadcast, the agreement would dissolve into thin air.

“Still, does A-Ning not mind CP topics like this?” Ling Cangzhou asked. “A CP between you and a trainee…”

Qi Yanning keenly caught the trace of grievance in Ling Cangzhou’s eyes. As if stumbling upon something amusing, the corners of his mouth curved upward slowly.

“I don’t mind.” Qi Yanning shook his head, then dropped a bomb. “I like men.”

Ling Cangzhou’s pupils shook violently. He stared at Qi Yanning in utter shock. “Wh-what?”

“Aren’t you the same, Boss Ling?” Qi Yanning cast a sidelong glance at him, his tone rich with implication.

With that, he picked up his chopsticks again and continued eating at an unhurried pace.

The roasted squab at this private restaurant truly lived up to its reputation as a signature dish: tender meat, crisp skin, irresistibly aromatic.

After quite some time, just as Qi Yanning had finished half a squab, Ling Cangzhou finally gathered his wits.

He hesitated, then ventured, “A-Ning, you aren’t joking… You like An Zi’ai’s type?”

“He’s just a kid.” Qi Yanning shook his head.

Ling Cangzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to ask what type Qi Yanning actually liked, but after deliberating for a long while, he did not dare voice the question.

“Try this Wensi tofu, it’s very delicate.” Picking up a small bowl, he attentively ladled soup for Qi Yanning.

Ling Cangzhou’s hesitation had been laid bare before Qi Yanning’s eyes. Qi Yanning had assumed he would ask something, yet Ling Cangzhou simply changed the subject as if nothing had happened.

Qi Yanning’s lips curved into an amused smile, watching Ling Cangzhou’s movements in silence.

Those ears were bright red again, such a timid puppy.

In the blink of an eye, it was the eve of Your Star‘s finale night.

Driven by the show’s explosive popularity over the recent period, reservations for the finale night live broadcast hit over ninety million.

Part of this buzz stemmed from the official release of Tide.

As a second-tier fashion magazine, Tide‘s sales had historically been lukewarm. Amid the broader downturn in print media, its situation had been far from optimistic.

Thus, inviting Your Star‘s trainees to shoot the cover was an active attempt by this veteran publication to adapt, hoping to leverage the trainees’ popularity to boost circulation.

Though complications arose along the way, the outcome was fortunately stellar. The shoot finished smoothly, and the resulting photos were breathtakingly stunning.

Inside the editorial office, a heated debate had erupted over which photo to use for the cover.

After all, whether it was the medieval aesthetic or the modern highway concept, both group portraits were impeccably gorgeous.

Ultimately, Editor-in-Chief Ning made the final call, choosing one of the modern shots as the cover, with the medieval look serving as the inside cover.

In the days leading up to release, Tide‘s official Xingbo had never been this proactive, releasing promotional materials at a rapid pace of two photo drops and one video per day.

Yet unexpectedly, the heavy previews did not cannibalize sales at all; instead, they stirred public anticipation even further.

On the day before release, pre-orders for the physical print edition had already reached double their usual volume! The uncapped digital version was even more staggering, soaring to five times normal numbers!

Having tasted the immense sweet benefits of traffic idols, the editorial staff grew energized, eager to book more trending stars for upcoming covers.

Editor-in-Chief Ning, however, poured cold water over their excitement.

“Fifty percent of these sales came from Your Star‘s trainees having massive traffic, and the other fifty came from the photos being astonishingly gorgeous, which is credited to Your Star‘s master stylist.”

“If we keep inviting trending stars, can you guarantee the styling will be just as breathtaking?”

The staff members exchanged sheepish glances, deflating instantly.

Indeed, eighty percent of the photoshoot’s brilliance stemmed from the styling.

Over the past few days, Tide‘s covers trended on social media repeatedly, with praise dominating the tags.

@Nihao: Holy crap, Tide is insane! These photos look better than anything they’ve ever done! Whether it’s lying in rose petals looking decadent and manic, or the cinematic road spread, it’s breathtaking to the point of suffocation!

@XiaoLinglingAh: So handsome, seriously so handsome! Every single one looks incredible, and amazingly, I can tell them all apart. Everyone has their own uniquely gorgeous vibe. I’m buying a copy just to stare at it!

@132OneThree: The makeup on this cover is unreal! Unhinged, decadent, maximum tension! Any beauty bloggers taking notes? Teacher, I want to learn this!

While casual passersby still retained some restraint, Your Star‘s fans plunged into utter euphoria. Their celebration was underscored by the envious cries of other idol fandoms, making them all the happier!

@A-YiIsTop: Who gets me! Xiao Yingyi can actually pull off styling this delicate! The battle-damaged vibe is way too sultry. Every time I look at it, I have to re-read my username a hundred times just to stay firm in my convictions! Stylist, you turned our manly pillar into a delicate flower! And… you did a magnificent job, wuwuwu…

@IAmWei-ge’sDog: Wei-ge drinking wine on the car roof is so unhinged! I love it so much. Wait, our Super Topic avatar just changed to this picture, hhhhhh.

@AnZaiIsAnZi’ai: What kind of medieval princess is our cub! If a dragon steals our baby away, I will sprint until my legs wear off to bring him back!

@LoveXinxin: Ahhhh, I’m warped with jealousy. Why do Your Star trainees look so good every single time they appear? Petitioning with a signature in blood for this master to style our Xin-bao! I’ve had enough of flat, scalp-tight high ponytails, wuwuwuwu!

@NingIsTheOnlyOne: Ning-bao wants it too! Teacher, please look at our natural sweet girl Ning-bao!

@YouAreAStar: Xiao-ge, Wei-ge, Hai-ge… all of them look so good! Give this stylist a raise! He understands their charms so well, exquisite and stunning! I declare that both this magazine stylist and Your Star‘s stage stylist deserve an altar in the Ancestral Temple!

Two days before Your Star‘s finale night, Tide officially launched sales!

To incentivize purchases, Tide set up milestone unlocks where digital sales unlocked exclusive behind-the-scenes clips. Driven to madness, the fans not only drove digital sales past one hundred million copies, but kept Tide trending on the hot search for an entire day.

This time, even casual netizens who rarely followed idols learned about Your Star. The production team capitalized quickly, churning out stage materials and charming behind-the-scenes clips of the trainees’ daily lives. After seeing these clips multiple times on their feeds, many passersby grew intrigued, casually reserving spots for the finale night stream.

Amid this grand promotional fanfare, the calendar finally turned to finale night.

Yet right before the finale commenced, another minor interlude unfolded.

“Who wants you doing my makeup!” In a backstage dressing room of Your Star, a spoiled, arrogant female voice rang out.

“A stylist nobody’s ever heard of. My face won’t rot off after you touch it, will it? Get out of here right now. I already booked Teacher Aria, so don’t even dream of sneaking around trying to copy her techniques!” The female celebrity continued her tirade.

She fiddled with her manicure, casting a look of disdain at Qi Yanning.

To the side, Li Jinshi clutched her fists tightly, her face filled with fury.

She had actually liked this Meng Ningning quite a bit before, but who knew that the girl marketed as the chosen sweet darling would act like this in person!

Truly…

“Does your manager know about this?” Qi Yanning showed no anger, asking with amused curiosity instead.

“What does this have to do with my manager!” Meng Ningning rolled her eyes, snapping impatiently, “Just hurry up and leave, don’t get in my way!”

Qi Yanning took a long look at her, curled his lips, and turned to leave without hesitation.

What a pity for her manager’s painstaking efforts. That manager was well-connected and resourceful, having learned of Qi Yanning’s existence through unknown channels and pulling strings to place Meng Ningning as a guest on Your Star‘s finale night.

This way, not only could she ride Your Star‘s current wave of buzz, but secondly…

Meng Ningning was currently vying for the role of a twisted, yandere little princess, and her manager had specifically requested Qi Yanning nudge her styling toward that archetype.

Qi Yanning shook his head, turning into another dressing room. The heavyweight guest waiting inside offered a polite, humble smile upon seeing him enter.

Shortly after, while he was applying makeup to the other artist, a furious roar bellowed through the corridor, audible even through two sets of dressing room doors:

“Meng Ningning! Are you trying to anger me to death?!”