IDEI Ch18

The two were invited to the signature wall, where they introduced themselves and signed their names.

The host chatted with them about a few general topics, and both of them responded fluently. Though a bit inexperienced, their answers were substantial.

Soon, the host brought up the final topic, about their outfits today. “Xiao Rou, A-Ling, when you walked over, you both caught my eye—you look stunning!”

The more lively Xiao Rou smiled and said, “Thanks to the makeup and styling artist the company hired for us, they’re really amazing.”

A-Ling added, “Yes. The styling for the Phantom Dream group earlier was also done by his team.”

The host was a bit surprised. On the red carpet earlier, the two of them had been poised and confident, not showing any signs of being rookies. But this response completely showed that they were new to the scene.

After all, seasoned veterans of many red carpet events would never publicly praise their styling team, sharing their spotlight with others.

The host quickly adjusted and joked, “Now I’m curious about this master! After we go backstage, send me a Feixin contact so I can get his info—I’d love to experience that stunning look for myself!”

Xiao Rou and A-Ling both laughed.

They entered the venue, but the live-stream chat began buzzing.

[Phantom Dream and Xiao Rou, A-Ling? Two completely different styles, both done by the same person?]

[This must be a master stylist! Of course, Chenxing Entertainment has the money to hire someone of that level for its trainees. Looks like Phantom Dream and Xiao Rou, A-Ling are highly valued by the company.]

[Curious! Curious! I need the stylist’s Xingbo account! I want to follow him—his aesthetic is a treat for my eyes!]

…

This discussion even spread to Xingbo, and though the topic “#Find the Mysterious Stylist#” didn’t trend, some people were still talking about it.

Many became curious about this mysterious stylist.

At this moment, the mysterious stylist Qi Yanning had just finished watching the live broadcast. Seeing Xiao Rou and A-Ling confidently sign their names and enter the venue together, he nodded slightly and put down his phone.

The audience reaction was exactly as he had expected. Since the two were actors, he had shown some restraint when doing their makeup, focusing more on highlighting their natural aura. The subtle details around their eyes were meant to enhance the emotional depth in their gaze.

As expected, he had succeeded.

Qi Yanning put his phone away and closed his eyes to rest. They were on their way back to the filming base, and although his assistants were excited, they refrained from speaking upon seeing him resting, opting instead to chat furiously in their private group chat.

This was their first time working on a red carpet look, and even though their clients were barely-known rookies, they were still thrilled by the experience.

Moreover, now that the red carpet event was nearing its end, their styling had brought a splash of brilliance to an otherwise dull affair!

They kept refreshing the Xingbo trending page, sharing every single positive comment in their group.

In the end, they couldn’t keep up with all the praise.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive!

In the Xingbo poll for the best looks of the red carpet, the two sets of outfits—one black, one white—ranked among the top.

It wasn’t until Li Jinshi, in his excitement, accidentally flung his phone to the floor that Qi Yanning was disturbed by the noise and opened his eyes with a frown. Under his frosty gaze, the assistants finally forced themselves to calm down.

Qi Yanning’s early morning temper was terrifying!

“Nothing to do?” Qi Yanning asked, his tone icy.

The three assistants frantically shook their heads.

“Tomorrow is the second public performance. Go practice the assigned makeup on each other and show me when we get back,” Qi Yanning said calmly, though his words struck fear in their hearts.

They were doomed! It seems that waking the sleeping demon king came with a price!

＊

While Qi Yanning was away for the past two days, the trainees had made swift progress. They were all highly capable, able to learn the songs and choreography in a short amount of time. After that, it was just endless practice.

Next, it was time for dress rehearsals.

Qi Yanning assigned tasks to the makeup artists, while he supervised the overall process.

Previously, during discussions about the makeup, Qi Yanning had still been open to suggestions from other artists.

However, when it came to actual execution, the makeup artists were shocked to find that he was an absolute “tyrant”!

They had to follow the pre-designed makeup looks strictly, and any sudden flashes of inspiration had to be approved by him.

Most of the time, he wouldn’t approve them.

Qi Yanning never yelled, nor did his tone ever change. But as soon as his amused-yet-not-smiling gaze fell on them, the makeup artists would sheepishly abandon their spontaneous ideas and obediently follow his instructions.

Under Qi Yanning’s firm control, the makeup process proceeded smoothly. Soon, it was Mo Jinghai’s team’s turn.

“This is… our costume?” Mo Jinghai asked hesitantly, holding the outfit in his hand.

“Yes, hurry up and try it on!” Wu Jianming noticed that Qi Yanning’s impatient gaze had already shifted in their direction, and quickly pushed the trainees into the changing room.

After a morning of repeated communication, Qi Yanning’s impatience had reached its peak. Wu Jianming absolutely did not want to find out what would happen if the already icy stare from Qi Yanning turned into actual anger.

The trainees hesitantly changed into their outfits and emerged.

Their team’s costumes were flowing, well-draped shirts—three in white, three in black.

Their lower halves were dressed in simple suit pants, with only chains on the trousers adding a bit of flair to the otherwise simple outfits.

Just as they were puzzled by why their costumes were so plain, a few makeup artists had already gathered around them.

When their makeup was finished, they looked at themselves in the mirror, then at their teammates, and their expressions were a bit odd.

“What? Do you have any opinions?” Qi Yanning stood to the side, observing their hesitant expressions, and asked calmly.

“Sorry, teacher, we don’t have any opinions!”

“Yes, it looks great, it’s just…”

One of the trainees hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up.

“It’s just, why do the six of us have two different styles?”

The others looked at each other in confusion.

Among them, the three wearing white had more red tones in their makeup. The bright red under their eyes and their slightly wet hair gave them a somewhat gloomy and fragile appearance. Even their lip color was more red.

The ones in black, however, were different. The makeup on the three tall men was simple, primarily for enhancing their natural features, using only black and earthy tones. Even their lip color was more natural. As for their hairstyles, apart from Mo Jinghai’s buzz cut, the other two had very neat and tidy haircuts, without any stray strands.

As a result, when they stood together, the contrast was quite striking.

Qi Yanning glanced at the materials in his hand and then looked up, saying, “There’s nothing wrong with the styling. If you want to change it, go talk to the director.”

“Oh, I see… Thank you, teacher.” The trainee who had spoken scratched his head, smiling sheepishly.

Feng Qingyi gave Qi Yanning a deep look before putting on a smile. “I’m sure the styling was carefully considered by the teachers. As long as it looks good, that’s all that matters. Let’s go, time for rehearsal.”

“Okay!” Mo Jinghai was the first to respond, striding to the door of the makeup room and holding it open for his teammates.

Qi Yanning watched them leave, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Brother Qi, isn’t the symbolism in this group’s styling a bit too obvious?” Chu Sixiu hesitated before speaking up.

“What’s considered obvious?” Qi Yanning replied calmly. “As long as they are expressive enough, even if it looks deliberate, the audience will still accept it.”

Chu Sixiu nodded thoughtfully.

The day after rehearsal was the second public performance. After a week of media buzz, the attention and reputation of the “Your Star” program had skyrocketed, and the odds of winning tickets for this round were almost a few hundred to one.

Li Xin’er was one of the unlucky ones who didn’t win. She was a student at C University and a huge fan of various talent shows.

Previously, she had been completely turned off by “Your Star’s” styling, swearing never to follow such a trashy show again.

When the remastered version of the theme song trended, she resisted the urge to watch. But when everyone praised the first public performance of “Darkage,” she couldn’t hold back anymore.

From that moment, she became a fan of Wei Mingzhe’s looks.

For the second public performance, she created multiple alternate accounts to try and win tickets so she could support Wei Mingzhe in person, but luck wasn’t on her side, and she didn’t win any.

So, she had to settle into her dorm and watch the live broadcast on her computer.

To avoid disturbing her roommate, who was lying in bed, she put on her headphones.

She had to admit, the trainees on “Your Star” were incredibly talented. The vocal team performed live, with every mic open, and their stability was so good that even their breaths weren’t loud.

The rap trainees had clear enunciation and incredible speed, with great sense. The dance team was equally impressive, executing synchronized movements with precision, down to the exact angle of their raised arms.

And this time, the styling was fantastic as well. Each person’s look perfectly suited them, whether it was youthful and fresh, luxurious and cold, or cool and rebellious—it was all on point.

With talent on display, impeccable styling, and solid lighting and camera work, Li Xin’er, like many viewers, was quickly drawn into the stage spectacle.

Although Wei Mingzhe’s performance had already ended, Li Xin’er didn’t turn off the live stream and continued watching.

Until the host took the stage and announced, “Next up is the final stage of the second public performance, dance group, ‘Lost in Your Eyes.’”

Only then did she realize there was only one stage left. A wave of reluctance surged in her heart, making her focus even more intently on the screen.

On screen, the stage had already begun.

Six figures stood in the darkness, their backs to the camera.

As the prelude played, the spotlight slowly revealed them, one by one. The soft white light flowed over them like water, adding a layer of misty radiance to their figures.

“This should be a cool, ethereal song,” Li Xin’er thought to herself, her gaze locked on the screen.

Suddenly, the music intensified, and a saxophone started a grand melody.

The six performers began to move. Their initial dance steps were small, giving off a sense of being just out of reach.

As the music grew louder, a figure in black took the center position! A perfect wave rippled through his body, and he slightly tilted his head, looking at the camera expressionlessly.

His buzz cut, rare among the trainees, heightened his masculinity, and the muscles visible beneath his black shirt subtly hinted at his strength. As he danced, the opening at his collar gradually widened.

Revealing clean, sharp collarbones.

And…

The deep groove between his well-defined pecs.

He lightly tapped his left shoulder with his fingers, then swiftly slid his hand down his chest and abs to his slim waist. He didn’t make eye contact with the camera, instead turning his head slightly downward, showing only one flushed red ear…

And a faintly curled corner of his lips.

“Holy crap!!!” Li Xin’er’s eyes widened, unable to hold back a shout.

But then she noticed something off…

Why were there two screams in the dorm?

Li Xin’er turned her head and found herself locking eyes with her roommate, who had always claimed she didn’t like watching talent shows.

Both of them spoke at the same time.

“You Star…?” Li Xin’er hesitated.

“What a… male mom!” Her roommate’s voice was full of excitement.

Then, as if suddenly realizing what she had just said, her roommate’s face immediately turned bright red!!