IDEI CH35

The newcomer wore a brown Tang suit embroidered with traditional patterns. His figure was lean and emaciated, and he wore a pair of reading glasses, presenting an exterior that looked somewhat like a scholar of ancient culture.

However, his posture and words severely undermined any aura of sage-like elegance he might have possessed.

“Where did this impudent brat come from, talking so big!” Seeing Qi Yanning look over, the old man scrutinized Qi Yanning’s features, his tone dripping with even deeper disdain. “Actors should just stick to acting properly. What books have you ever read to dare show off like this?”

Yet no anger could be seen on Qi Yanning’s face. He looked toward Director Wang, who at that moment had an exceedingly awkward expression plastered across his face.

“Elder Li, please don’t be angry,” Director Wang soothed. “This is the costume and makeup teacher I invited, Qi Yanning.”

“Xiao Qi, this is Mr. Li Anguo, Elder Li. Elder Li is a senior member and veteran scholar of the Heng Dynasty Research Association. He understands the history of the Heng Dynasty thoroughly. You two can exchange insights more often—it’s all for the sake of the production!”

Wang Ning’an framed it this way partly to give Qi Yanning a subtle warning. After all, between a veteran scholar and a stylist, a veteran scholar was undoubtedly more credible in the eyes of others.

“A makeup artist?” Hearing Qi Yanning’s identity, Elder Li became even more aggressive. “I wouldn’t dare exchange insights with him. This young man probably doesn’t even know how many emperors ruled the Heng Dynasty, does he?”

Wang Ning’an frowned. He hadn’t expected Elder Li to be so unrelenting, refusing to give him even a shred of face.

“Oh?” Qi Yanning finally showed a trace of interest.

A scholar researching the Heng Dynasty?

“Did Elder Li help select these costumes?” he asked, his tone subtle.

“Indeed!” Elder Li raised his head proudly. “I have studied the history of the Heng Dynasty for so many years—there is nothing I do not know!”

“These garments were meticulously selected by me as well. There cannot possibly be any errors!” he asserted with absolute certainty.

The smile on Qi Yanning’s face deepened.

If it were knowledge concerning the history and politics of the Heng Dynasty, he might not compare to this Elder Li. But when it came to garments and attire…

He was exceptionally well-versed.

When he first transmigrated and familiarized himself with this world, he discovered that its history bore striking similarities to his previous world.

It was as though history had branched off right after the end of the Heng Dynasty. In Qi Yanning’s previous life, after the fall of the Heng Dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Yong Dynasty launched an uprising from the south, ultimately unifying the Central Plains. In this world, however, the Qi Dynasty had mobilized troops from the north, taking thirty years to finally cross the Yangtze River and unify the realm.

Qi Yanning had deliberately looked into it: prior to the historical divergence, the histories of the two worlds were entirely identical. Even the eccentric quirks of the late emperors recorded in unofficial histories aligned down to the smallest detail.

As for why he knew the attire of the Heng Dynasty so intimately…

It was all thanks to that young emperor who had just ascended the throne back then.

Before rising to power, the young emperor had suffered greatly under the torment of the extravagant, decadent old emperor. After ascending the throne, he was forced to hold his nose and continue paying tribute to his memory, which made him feel thoroughly stifled and resentful.

Thus, slapping his thigh, the young emperor declared that the official court robes and auspicious ceremonial garments would be redefined under the guise of emulating the preceding dynasty and venerating ancient systems—covertly abolishing the institutions established by his imperial father bit by bit.

Under such an imperial decree, Qi Yanning, as the Chief Grand Eunuch of the Bureau of Imperial Attire, had no choice but to comb through ancient texts alongside the officials of the Ministry of Rites, digging into every obscure corner for records of the former dynasty’s ceremonial garments as references.

Qi Yanning had even visited many noble and prominent clans, studying the ancestral robes and portraits they enshrined, all to gain a deeper understanding of the Heng Dynasty’s garments.

Even back in the Yong Dynasty, when it came to knowledge of Heng Dynasty attire, aside from that old pedant, the Minister of Rites, no one could rival Qi Yanning—let alone in the modern era a thousand years later.

“Elder Li, regarding clothing construction and forms, have you truly examined them thoroughly?” Qi Yanning asked meaningfully.

“Of course! As I said, I know everything there is to know about the Heng Dynasty!”

“Then how could you not know that this sort of frog button in the form of a ‘fortune-and-treasure pearl’ did not exist during that period?”

Elder Li’s expression froze as he looked toward the garment.

There, indeed, was a small frog closure shaped like an auspicious treasure pearl!

Before he could voice an excuse, Qi Yanning continued:

“Of course, that is merely a minor detail. There is another issue.

Did you know that cross-collar palace gowns of this cut were only popular among the common people during the reign of Emperor Mingguang, and were never worn by imperial consorts?”

Elder Li’s expression turned even uglier. He stiffened his neck. “Nonsense! What evidence do you have to back that up?”

“Oh?” Qi Yanning began, “In the Collected Rites of the Great Heng…”

Before he could finish, Elder Li interrupted him, his expression relaxing into deep contempt. “Most of the Collected Rites of the Great Heng was damaged and lost hundreds of years ago. The surviving portions contain no such records!

Don’t tell me you want to claim that such a record was in the lost portion, and that you magically know what was written in the damaged text!”

Qi Yanning’s brow twitched slightly. He hadn’t expected the Collected Rites of the Great Heng to be lost to history. However, there were certainly other supporting records.

“Travels of Li Xing, Qin Yang’s Examination of Heng Rites, Classic of Great Heng Attire…

Have you not read a single one of these ancient texts?” Qi Yanning smiled faintly, looking straight at Elder Li.

Panic was now evident on Elder Li’s face, but he pressed on, “Those are not orthodox official histories! How can they serve as legitimate grounds?!”

Director Wang’s gaze toward Elder Li had already shifted, filled with scrutiny and strangeness. He could tell that Elder Li had completely lost to Qi Yanning and was now merely making an unreasonable scene.

“Oh? Orthodox histories?” Qi Yanning narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Does the Book of Heng count as an official history?”

“Of course the Book of Heng counts! But the Book of Heng contains no such records!” Elder Li said hurriedly.

“Then…” Qi Yanning spoke unhurriedly, “‘The Emperor decreed, deeply loathing the hibiscus, thus ordering them all felled; for forty years throughout the capital, not a single blossom of hibiscus was seen.’ Recorded in the ‘Mingguang Chapter’ of the Book of Heng—has Elder Li heard this line before?”

Cold sweat was already beading across Li Anguo’s face.

“What does that line have to do with clothing?!” he barked, his bravado masking his guilt.

“Oh? Unrelated?” Qi Yanning casually lifted a palace gown. “Since Emperor Mingguang loathed hibiscus to the extent of cutting down every single tree in the capital, how would a low-ranking consort’s gown dare to feature embroidered hibiscus patterns…

Did this consort no longer wish to live?”

Elder Li’s pupils constricted violently. He had not noticed those details at all.

He opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. The arrogance from earlier had been thoroughly swept away. His face was flushed purple, looking as if he might faint at any second.

Seeing this, Wang Ning’an seemed to snap out of it, letting out a hearty laugh. “Elder Li, Xiao Qi is young and speaks bluntly. Please overlook it; don’t lower yourself to a youngster’s level!”

Hearing this, Elder Li grew even angrier. What did he mean by “young and speaks bluntly”?

That was basically saying that Wang Ning’an already believed this young brat’s words!

Shaken by fury and embarrassment, Li Anguo glared fiercely at Qi Yanning. Without waiting for Wang Ning’an to soothe him further, he flicked his sleeves and stormed off.

Watching Li Anguo storm away in anger, Wang Ning’an felt a lingering fury of his own. He didn’t chase after him, instead composing his expression and saying to Qi Yanning, “Xiao Qi, I didn’t expect you to understand the history of the Heng Dynasty so well.”

Qi Yanning let out a light laugh, countering, “It would be more accurate to say that I didn’t expect that so-called Elder Li to understand history so poorly.”

Wang Ning’an choked. He hadn’t expected Qi Yanning to strip away his diplomatic facade so directly.

He sighed. “Elder Li was recommended to me by someone who said he was a senior member of the Heng Dynasty Historical Research Association, with exceptional scholarly credentials and cultural literacy. The person who introduced him was an old friend of mine for many years. Out of trust in my friend, I only briefly tested Elder Li’s competence. Seeing that he answered fluently and aligned with the historical records I had looked up, I gave him full authority over early costume and prop preparations…

Who knew… my old friend was probably deceived as well.”

Who would have thought Li Anguo’s actual skill would be this poor!

This had happened first because Director Wang’s early preparations had leaned toward general historical records without diving deep into attire; second, because during pre-production he was swamped with thousands of tasks, so despite valuing costumes and props, he hadn’t monitored the procurement work every single second.

And third… he had placed too much trust in a longtime friend.

“Fortunately, these issues were discovered early in pre-production. Otherwise, once the drama aired and people caught onto it, it would have been a devastating blow to the crew,” Wang Ning’an said wearily.

“Director Wang, none of these costumes can be used. You will likely need to procure a fresh batch,” Qi Yanning stated.

“I understand.” Wang Ning’an let out a deep sigh. “Before that, though, I’m going to see what kind of demon this Elder Li is, daring to scam his way onto my head!”

Wang Ning’an narrowed his eyes.

“In that case, Director Wang, I’ll be heading back first,” Qi Yanning said, not dwelling on the matter further. As a renowned director, this incident was a momentary lapse on Wang’s part. Now that he had caught on, Qi Yanning had no need to worry about the subsequent fallout.

“Also…” Qi Yanning paused, offering a word of advice. “Although the fabrics of these garments look decent on the surface, the craftsmanship is sub-par. Director Wang might want to check whether there are any irregularities in the ledger.”

Wang Ning’an paused, his demeanor darkening even further.

Qi Yanning didn’t know what Director Wang was thinking, nor did he care to know. Exiting the dressing room doors, he spotted Ling Cangzhou’s figure.

“A-Ning, are you done talking with Director Wang?” Ling Cangzhou strode forward to greet him. Earlier, he had been dragged around by the assistant director to inspect shooting locations, listening to the assistant director paint grand visions of the future in hopes of squeezing more investment out of him—an utterly tedious ordeal.

Seeing Qi Yanning now, he finally perked up.

“More or less.” With so many ears around, Qi Yanning didn’t recount the details.

Ling Cangzhou noticed that unexpected complications had arisen, but he didn’t press. Smiling, he said, “Then let’s go.”

Once in the car, Qi Yanning recounted the story at an unhurried pace.

He couldn’t quite fathom how someone of Director Wang’s stature could trust an old friend to such a blind extent.

“Director Wang’s old friend?” Ling Cangzhou thought for a moment and smiled. “That would probably be the screenwriter Zhang Xiong. The two have been partners since university. After so many years, they’re practically closer than blood brothers.”

“Only, Director Wang didn’t collaborate with Zhang Xiong this time for some reason.” Ling Cangzhou found that slightly curious as well.

Qi Yanning understood. The trust accumulated over decades of friendship was bound to be extraordinarily deep.

No wonder Director Wang tried to make excuses for his friend even after realizing he had been duped.

“I completely understand Director Wang, you know!”

“If it were A-Ning deceiving me…” Ling Cangzhou gazed at Qi Yanning, a peculiar smile playing on his lips, “I might be tricked out of my underwear without even realizing it.”

Qi Yanning shot Ling Cangzhou a half-smiling glance.

“Oh?” he said. “Boss Ling is that easy to talk to?”

“Since Boss Ling is so gullible, then…” Qi Yanning’s gaze flickered, brimming with rich amusement, “I have things to attend to when I get back. How about we cancel both movie dates?”

“That won’t do!” Ling Cangzhou’s smile vanished instantly, his eyes widening.

“Pfft.” Seeing his reaction, Qi Yanning patted his head and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.

Leaving Ling Cangzhou alone with an unreadable expression.

After a long pause, he finally ventured, “Is A-Ning really that busy?”

“How about we just postpone it a bit?”

“Or… going just once is fine too…”

Qi Yanning looked at Ling Cangzhou with an indescribable expression. So when the man said he was easy to fool, he really hadn’t been joking!

A deep smile surfaced on Qi Yanning’s face. “Boss Ling, you truly are…”

“Too cute.”

Having been praised as cute by Qi Yanning, Ling Cangzhou didn’t even know how he managed to drive back home.

The moment he stepped through the door, he opened his safe.

Inside, an animal ear headband lay in sharp contrast amongst a stack of certificates and confidential documents.

“He called me cute!” Ling Cangzhou cradled the ear headband, grinning radiantly.

“He never called you cute, did he? I won!”

Boss Ling declared childishly to the headband.

Qi Yanning had no idea what childish antics Ling Cangzhou was getting up to; he had already returned to the TND villa.

By now, Director Lin had emerged from his editing cave, storming the villa with the freshly cut MV.

“Come on, come on, everyone gather around and watch!” Director Lin called out to everyone in the villa.

Several members had just finished training and were sprawled across the living room in various disheveled states, completely drained of the desire to move.

Hearing Director Lin’s voice, they sluggishly lifted their heads and gathered around the sofa.

Manager Qin Haoyu and assistant Tang Xin appeared in the living room as well.

“Come take a look!” Director Lin looked thoroughly exhausted—his hair was messy and greasy, his clothes rumpled, and his face covered in stubble, looking utterly unkempt.

Yet his entire demeanor was electrifyingly hyper.

“This MV—all I can say is, perfection!” His voice boomed like a bronze bell as he gesticulated wildly.

Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued as well.

He pulled over a small stool and sat in a corner—

The damp, sticky sweat and humidity radiating from the trainees who had just finished exercising, along with the greasy smell of Director Lin, who hadn’t washed in days—he had no desire to get near either.

Fortunately, the living room was spacious enough to accommodate them all.

Qin Haoyu and Tang Xin also silently moved over to stand beside Qi Yanning, avoiding crowding with the ten people on the sofa.

Director Lin connected his phone to the large screen in the living room, and the MV officially began playing.

It opened with a shot of Xiao Yingyi slowly opening his eyes in the desert.

Xiao Yingyi lay buried halfway in the sand. Only those eyes framed by brownish-blue eyeshadow were impossibly mesmerizing.

Those eyes seemed to hold countless stories within them.

The camera shifted rapidly as members stood up from various corners. Looking alert and curious, they gradually approached the aircraft.

Only then did the music officially begin.

The MV broadly told the story of TND accidentally stumbling into a higher-dimensional realm. Although there were only three scenes throughout the video, because the visual impact was potent enough, it felt extraordinarily rich.

The close-up shots of each member were remarkably exquisite.

Whether it was the crisp, heroic elegance of the tailored suits, the wild technological fusion in the desert, or the cold, detached aesthetics under the minimalist backdrop, each look flawlessly highlighted the members’ striking appearances and distinct temperaments.

The synchronized dance during the chorus was an absolute feast for the eyes.

The flawless pairing of scene design and styling, coupled with the formidable talent of the nine TND members—the intricate wardrobe accentuated the sharpness and rhythm of their choreography, looking extraordinarily captivating and cohesive.

In the end, the MV concluded with the members collapsing in the desert. The camera pulled back into a wide shot, shifting into a pair of inorganic, robotic eyes.

As if hinting that a brand-new story was about to unfold.

Assistant Tang Xin leaped up in excitement. “During the shoot, I already thought the results would be great, but I never imagined it would be this amazing! Director Lin, you’re freaking badass!”

Director Lin smiled with pride.

“Is this…” Qin Haoyu looked at Director Lin in surprise, “a hook left at the end of the MV?”

“Indeed,” Director Lin said cheerfully. “I don’t know whether TND’s next album will continue this concept, but leaving a hook now makes it easy to pick up later if you want to extend it.”

Director Lin had truly poured his heart into this. TND’s next album was still far off in the horizon; no one knew if they would continue this concept, or even if Director Lin would direct it, yet he still conscientiously left a narrative thread for TND to easily pick back up when needed.

“So good!” An Zai howled. “I look so handsome in there! Truly so handsome!”

“Yeah! This MV is insane!” Yan Zihao grinned, flashing a rare row of bright white teeth.

“Qi-ge! Badass! Director Lin! Badass!” Gong Jiayu cheered. “TND, BADASS!!!”

“So great!” Lou Yuxing thought back to his shots just now. His role was like a mysterious mystic among warriors, blending in seamlessly with the group without feeling out of place, completely dispelling his earlier worries.

The other members couldn’t conceal their excitement either.

Qi-ge was truly incredible! Frankly speaking, the members of TND had completely different personal vibes, making it exceedingly difficult to fit them all into a unified concept.

Yet Qi-ge managed to excavate the facets of each member that aligned with the concept and amplify them—harmonizing the team while never forcibly distorting their inherent individuality.

Like Lou Yuxing’s mysterious mystic, Gong Jiayu and Pang Nong’s fiercely adorable beastmen, or Wei Mingzhe and Mo Jinghai’s heavy artillery gunners.

It was simply brilliant!

“Just wait and see!” Director Lin waved his hand grandly. “We release promotional concept photos today, teasers next week, and at the start of next month, pre-orders for your album officially begin!”

“In the middle of next month, the MV will officially drop,” Qin Haoyu followed up after Director Lin, speaking with composed authority. “Practice your dancing relentlessly. The debut showcase is already set, and your first stage afterward will be at the Cherry TV Gala Celebration.”

“This is TND’s very first battlefield upon debut. We must seize victory in style!” Qin Haoyu raised his voice slightly.

The TND members looked at one another, their eyes ablaze with fighting spirit. Ever since the public opinion flipped on Your Star, everything had felt like a dream—debuting, filming a group show, shooting an MV… none of it had felt entirely real.

Only now did they experience such an overpowering sense of reality.

They had genuinely debuted! No longer bottom-tier, invisible trainees overlooked in their companies, no longer the forgotten rejects of debut lineups, but real, living members of the TND boy group!

“Awooooo!!!” An Zai leaped into the air. “TND! CHARGE!!”

However, before the MV officially released, TND had to film their major group variety show.

For this variety show, Morning Star Entertainment spared no expense, hiring a renowned production crew in the industry. Knowing his variety experience fell short of theirs, Director Lin humbly learned alongside them.

After more than a month of preparation, Let’s Go, TND! was finally set to begin filming!

Let’s Go, TND! was an adventure-competition variety show. Such formats not only enjoyed a wide audience, but were also best suited to showcase the gritty, fighting spirit of TND’s young members.

Compared to other formats, competitive variety shows appealed strongly to youth who admired strength and skill—the exact target demographic for TND.

Thus, after extensive coordination, Let’s Go, TND! officially kicked off. The show featured the TND members as regular MCs, inviting industry guest stars to participate.

To stand out from other variety shows, Director Lin decided after much research to carry over the live streaming aspect from Your Star, creating the domestic entertainment industry’s very first live-streamed adventure-competition variety show!

Live streaming was the ultimate test of a celebrity’s true character—without editing, everything was laid bare before the camera lens.

However, Director Lin had faith in the TND boys; they were all good kids, and live broadcasting would only serve to amplify the shining facets of their personalities.

The first episode featured no guest stars, designed solely to let the trainees adapt to the recording format.

The filming location was set at a zoo, and the live stream began the moment the trainees woke up in the early morning.

Having been promoted for half a month, fans and viewers interested in such variety shows were well aware of Let’s Go, TND!‘s premiere. Consequently, the moment the stream went live, countless viewers flooded the room.

[Streaming this early?]

[I’m here! Let Mama give our Pang Xiaonong a big smooch!]

[Xiao-ge, Xiao-ge, long time no see!]

[Morning Star Entertainment hid TND away for so long! I thought TND got shelved right after debut! Trash company!]

[Ahem, considering Morning Star Entertainment invested in such a massive variety show for TND, they hardly count as a trash company]

[Let me see what kind of clownery An Zai is going to get up to today hhhhh]

[This early… does that mean we get to see the members’ sleeping faces?]

The moment this comment appeared, the screen fell silent for half a second before exploding instantly.

[Heavy breathing, I want to see Hai-ge hehehe]

[Wei Mingzhe! Let me see what pajamas you’re wearing, I’m begging you]

[Hiss, Lou Yuxing’s sleeping beauty portrait]

[Why point the camera at the living room! Go upstairs to see the members!]

……

Much to their disappointment, the members were already awake. In fact, they were actually returning from outside.

[??]

[What did they go do at the crack of dawn?]

[They’re all in sportswear, gasp—]

[So disciplined, my babies, Mama gives you smooches]

[So blinding! What is that! Turns out it’s the radiant light of TND’s self-discipline blinding me :)]

Stepping indoors, the members greeted the camera one after another. Soon, several of them headed upstairs to shower and change.

An Zai didn’t go upstairs, stopping in front of the camera to chat with the viewers.

[Bare-faced An Zai, so fresh and healthy]

[In this condition, they don’t even need makeup]

[Truth be told, looking at them just now, all the members are bare-faced and in fantastic condition]

“Of course our condition is great,” An Zai said. “Lately we’ve been practicing the new tracks every single day from morning till night. Once we’re done, we pass out immediately.”

“With this amount of exercise, plus sleeping early and waking early, I kid you not—”

“When I looked at Xiao-ge the other morning, I swore he was glowing!”

An Zai babbled on, chatting with the bullet comments.

“The new tracks? The album drops on the eighth of next month! Make sure to pre-order in advance, everyone!”

“Wei-ge and the others went up to shower. If you want to see them, don’t worry, they’ll be done soon.”

“Ah, why did we go running in the morning?” Reading this comment, An Zai put on a mask of pure agony. “Because we have to do our styling!”

[Why do you need to run to do styling?]

[??]

“If the puffiness isn’t gone by the time we do our styling, Qi-ge can slice us to pieces with his glare!”

“So we have no choice but to run at the crack of dawn to depuff! It’s exhausting!”

[Qi-ge? Is that the gentle and kind stylist Qi-ge that you all thanked?]

“Gentle… kind?!” An Zai’s expression turned into one of stunned disbelief.

“He isn’t gentle in the slightest!” An Zai complained. “The guy is an absolute Great Demon King!”

Just then, he casually turned his head, only to see—

Qi Yanning was standing off to the side, a faint, ambiguous smirk resting on the corner of his lips.

“AHHHHH Qi-ge, I was wrong!!!” An Zai shrieked in horror.