IDEI Ch22.2

Qi Yanning had excellent handwriting; in his previous life, he was most proficient in the slender gold script. In this life, although he was somewhat unaccustomed to using a hard pen, in that half month of staying at home and crazily absorbing knowledge, he had already practiced hard pen calligraphy to about sixty to seventy percent of the charm he had in his previous life.

“Elegant and unrestrained but with rules, A-Ning’s handwriting is truly beautiful.” Ling Cangzhou praised, then lowered his head to continue reading.

The more he read, the more surprised he became. This document analyzed Luo Heng’s history of plastic surgery in a thorough and convincing manner. Moreover, the hand-drawn illustrations on it were also exquisite and intuitive.

This was a very direct and useful document. With it, Luo Heng would surely suffer heavy losses in this public opinion war.

“I’ll have my assistant come to pick up the document right away; it will be put to great use soon.” Ling Cangzhou nodded at his phone, “A-Ning is really amazing!”

When Ling Cangzhou entered the makeup department office, he left his assistant outside, but since they were in the same building, the assistant arrived very quickly.

After taking the document, the assistant hurried toward Chenxing Entertainment. On the way, he contacted the public relations department at Chenxing Entertainment to let them prepare in advance.

At that moment…

He received a message.

[BOSS]: Have the PR department scan a copy of the document for safekeeping; put the original on my desk.

[BOSS]: Place it in the right drawer; the desktop might get dirty.

[BOSS]: No, the drawer might mix up the documents easily, so just put it on the top shelf of the bookcase.

Assistant Xiao Xu was confused.

He envisioned Ling Cangzhou’s immaculate luxurious office on the top floor of Chenxing Entertainment and the bookcase that held many important documents, falling into a long silence.

＊

Chenxing Entertainment lived up to its status as an industry giant, quickly using the information Qi Yanning provided to ignite a trending topic, and Luo Heng instantly became the target of public scorn.

As he scrolled through Xingbo, he saw passersby and fans of other trainees in the same program ridiculing his face, even giving him a nickname:

“Tech Guy.”

This meant that his face had no natural components, purely derived from technology.

Luo Heng was furious; these words struck at his innermost pain.

Fuming, he raised his phone and was about to smash it against the wall—

Just then, his phone vibrated; it was a call from the company.

On the other end of the line, a middle-aged man was exasperated: “Luo Heng! What on earth have you done to provoke Chenxing Entertainment, making their PR department step in? You’d better come up with a solution for this, or…”

“If we can have you, Luo Heng, we can just as easily have Li Heng or Lin Heng!”

Luo Heng immediately panicked, sweat pouring down his forehead like rain, his eyes darting anxiously left and right, and he didn’t even feel his nails biting into his mouth until they bled.

It wasn’t until the patience of the person on the other end was nearly exhausted that Luo Heng seemed to grasp the last lifeline, shouting, “I have a plan! I have black material on several people in the upper tier! As long as they all explode, I won’t stand out so much!”

The middle-aged man on the other end paused, his tone somewhat meaningful, “You do have ideas.”

This kid appears obedient, but behind the scenes, he’s full of schemes. However, this situation could be mutually beneficial. The resources in the idol circle are limited; for the company where Luo Heng is located, eliminating a popular idol would mean getting a piece of the cake.

And for this Luo Heng… the company has high-ranking executives protecting him. As long as his underhanded actions don’t target the company, he will still be one of the most valued trainees in the company.

“Send me the material; this is the last time. If you mess up again, you’ll solve it yourself.” The middle-aged man on the other end said coldly, without any mercy, then hung up.

On this end, Luo Heng finally couldn’t hold back anymore and smashed his phone hard onto the ground, the screen shattering in response.

He gasped for breath, tears streaming down his face. After a moment, until the middle-aged man sent a message urging him, he picked up the wrecked phone and sent the material to the other party.

Thus, just as Luo Heng topped the trending topic and Qi Yanning retired after achieving success, the black materials on the upper-tier trainees collectively made it to the trending list.

#Qin Tinghui Smoking#

#Li Qingwu Colluding with Fans#

#Ye Yang in a Relationship#

#Fang Yiyang Gambling#

#Lin Qinghua Women Should Stay at Home#

Practically no trainee in the upper tier was spared; all were exposed for their dark deeds. The Xingbo erupted in excitement.

Fans were breaking down, controlling the reviews, while the onlookers were thrilled, running wildly through various gossip fields.

[Oh my, how spectacular! The upper tier has turned into ruins.]

[This program is about to enter the annals of talent shows; it hasn’t even debuted yet, and the entire upper tier is exploding.]

[From Qi Yanning, the first shot of this battle was fired.]

[Honestly, I couldn’t be bothered to look at Qi Yanning’s trending topic; it was just another daily hot topic, but I didn’t expect today to get more and more exciting. Hahaha.]

…

This raucous public opinion battle lasted for three days and three nights, even the other upper-tier trainees who weren’t exposed also got dragged into it.

In this frenzy of public speculation, few people noticed that Qi Yanning had quietly disappeared.

Qi Yanning himself didn’t know. After handing over the document to Ling Cangzhou, he hadn’t concerned himself with it further and simply enjoyed his soup.

This was also the chef’s specialty from Chenxing Entertainment’s cafeteria; this time it was angelica and oxtail soup, the rich flavor was heartwarming, causing Qi Yanning’s brows and eyes to relax a little.

Seeing that Ling Cangzhou had not yet left, he teased, “What’s this? Still not leaving so late? Planning to stay with me?”

Ling Cangzhou’s eyes lit up, “A-Ning, can I?”

Seeing Qi Yanning’s smile that wasn’t quite a smile, he felt a bit deflated and half-jokingly complained, “A-Ning is truly heartless; I brought you delicious food, yet you won’t even let me sleep here for a night.”

Qi Yanning raised his brows slightly, leaning forward, his index and middle fingers coming together…

With his fingertips, he tapped lightly on Ling Cangzhou’s face, his eyes flickering as he glanced at Ling Cangzhou. “Oh? It seems my gift won’t be sent out after all.”

Ling Cangzhou immediately perked up. “A-Ning wants to give me a gift?”

“What gift?”

“In that box over there, go get it yourself.” Qi Yanning leaned back in his chair, a slight smile on his face as he watched Ling Cangzhou eagerly stride toward the cabinet.

Ling Cangzhou opened the box and saw—

A dog-ear headband?

He was a bit dazed, holding the box and turning to Qi Yanning, his eyes full of questions.

At that moment, Qi Yanning walked over, took the ears out of the box, and with a slight movement of his hands, deftly placed the ears on Ling Cangzhou’s head.

He pinched Ling Cangzhou’s chin between his fingers, making him turn his head left and right.

“Not bad. It really suits you.” Qi Yanning patted his head and then stroked the ears.

Ling Cangzhou felt his ears heating up.

Clearly, these fluffy gray ears did not belong to him, but when Qi Yanning touched them, he seemed to feel that cool, jade-like hand.

He looked at Qi Yanning, somewhat unable to react.

But Qi Yanning had already tidied up his things and was ready to leave.

He picked up his bag and walked toward the door.

At the door, he turned back to look at Ling Cangzhou, who was still in a daze but had his gaze fixed on him.

“Mr. Ling, the real gift is under the box.”

“That ear looks good on you.”

“Good night. And—” Qi Yanning nodded to him, a rare bright smile on his face, “Thank you.”

That night, Mr. Ling tossed and turned for a long time. First, he attached the “real gift” that Qi Yanning had given him—a pair of low-key luxurious obsidian cufflinks—to his suit jacket for the next day.

Then, he placed the ears on the desk in his room.

Until midnight, Ling Cangzhou suddenly sat up—

He stepped forward and stuffed the ears into the safe.

“How dare he touch you! I’ll put you under house arrest!” The president of Chenxing Entertainment, the decisive Ling Cangzhou, threatened fiercely at the dog-ear headband in his modern gray-toned bedroom.

＊

The uproar on the internet raged on, yet it didn’t stir even a speck of dust around Qi Yanning.

No, there was some.

“Are you all very free?” Qi Yanning looked up from the documents in his hands, “If you have nothing to do, go organize the props.”

The three little assistants quickly shook their heads.

“Is there something you want to ask?” Qi Yanning sat up straight and looked at them leisurely.

The three exchanged glances for a while, and finally, Li Jinshi spoke up, “Qi-ge, about the public opinion war yesterday…”

Did you do it?

With so much black material on those trainees, Qi-ge should consider becoming a detective.

“It has nothing to do with me.” Qi Yanning denied, “I just…”

“Gave it a gentle push.”

His eyes curved, clearly with a hint of pleasure.

Through their previous interactions, he had gained some understanding of Luo Heng’s character. Luo Heng was petty, deep-minded, and vengeful but liked to pretend to be gentle and harmless.

His biggest reliance was his company, but this backing was not particularly solid.

In cases where the black material didn’t threaten his fundamentals, like the previous controversy over his lack of skill, the company would find ways to protect Luo Heng. However, once Luo Heng’s controversies became too severe, the company would undoubtedly abandon him without hesitation to protect itself.

Luo Heng was naturally aware of this and had always been somewhat anxious about it. Therefore, when he sensed that the company was about to abandon him, he would scramble for solutions, suggesting to use even bigger scandals to cover up his issues.

But…

Qi Yanning hadn’t anticipated that Luo Heng would be even more capable and crazed than he imagined.

By netting all the trainees in the upper tier with black material to curry favor with the company, he didn’t know whether the company would confront the wrath of other companies to protect Luo Heng, and whether Luo Heng could bear the consequences of this matter.

The three little assistants saw the smile on Qi Yanning’s face. Though it appeared relaxed and joyful, it sent a chill down their spines.

Just a moment ago, they had dared to ask Qi Yanning to satisfy their curiosity, but now they didn’t dare say a word.

This was bad; Qi-ge looked like he could kill them three without needing three words!

They tucked their tails and began to work earnestly.

Qi Yanning shook his head and focused his attention back on the documents at hand. After all, the rehearsal for the mentor collaboration stage was in two days!

＊

Meanwhile, the trainees were still practicing earnestly.

In the past few days, Lou Yuxing trained until late at night, but he didn’t feel tired; instead, he felt extremely happy!

Lin Zhiping had been with the trainees in their group every day, teaching them some basic vocal exercises for traditional Chinese opera, helping them correct their fundamentals, and then dragging Lou Yuxing to practice the singing segments in the stage area.

With a national-level opera actor providing one-on-one guidance, Lou Yuxing absorbed the knowledge Lin Zhiping imparted like a sponge.

At that moment, the two were singing the same segment, one after the other.

“What flowers are beautiful and the moon is round, may people live long…”

Lin Zhiping’s voice was smooth and pleasant, while Lou Yuxing’s voice was slightly immature but clear and melodious. Their voices blended beautifully.

The song they chose for their stage was originally a rather grand and expansive piece, but after being adapted with opera elements, it highlighted the song’s desolate meaning even more.

Their group’s stage design was also very innovative, combining elements of opera into the dance, making it feel like a stage play.

Of course, it wasn’t just their group’s stage design that was exceptionally innovative; the other groups were equally impressive.

These few big shots each brought their own teams for stage direction, and every stage was designed to be exquisite yet complex.

For example, Teacher Wang’s suona stage “Joy and Sorrow” required the trainees to sing and dance with long silk ribbons.

Or Teacher Liu’s stage “A Sword in Frosty Cold,” which required collective sword dancing and even wire work!

Then there was Teacher Qin’s big drum stage “The Journey to Liangzhou,” where the trainees could experience a bit of Zhao Feiyan’s “Dance on the Drum.”

In these past few days, Director Lin had a headache every time he saw these big shots. The stages they designed were indeed stunning, but… not to mention the crazy burning of the prop budget, the main point was that it was difficult to implement. The prop master of the program team was almost crying as he clutched Director Lin’s chubby waist.

However, at the same time, Director Lin was also filled with joy.

This was great! The more outstanding stages there were, the more the program had a sort of retirement insurance; the more the better!

He consulted Ling Cangzhou and then waved his hand generously, satisfying all the big shots’ requests that could be realized.

When the trainees heard this news, they practiced even harder. They had an unshakeable feeling in their hearts—

This episode might just become legendary!

Now, the only uncertain factor was the costumes and makeup. After all, it was well-known that clothes containing national style elements were the most prone to looking out of place.

The trainees held their anxieties in their hearts and became even more immersed in training.

It seemed that the makeup artist who had created several legendary looks, Qi Yanning, shouldn’t mess this up… right?

＊

Their worries vanished the moment they saw the costumes prepared by Qi Yanning.

The exquisite costumes hung neatly; if it weren’t for the familiar environment of the Yuxing makeup room around them, they would have thought they had entered the wardrobe of some big-budget ancient costume drama.

The clothes were displayed by group, with each group showcasing their own characteristics.

The suona group “Joy and Sorrow” was all in red and white, adorned with lifelike embroidery that echoed each other’s details.

The sword dance “A Sword in Frosty Cold” group wore sleeved robes, with colors ranging from moon white to water green; each was different yet all were free-spirited.

The remaining two groups had costumes resembling general’s armor, as well as scholarly robes with a refined air.

All these outfits were modified; although they looked antique, they did not hinder the trainees’ vigorous movements on stage.

With only thirty-five trainees left, this time the costume rehearsal was not divided into batches but conducted all together. They exclaimed in surprise at the costumes, occasionally playfully teasing one another. But when they finally saw the costumes for Lou Yuxing’s group, they were somewhat dumbfounded.

“Wait, why is there one… Is this a Peking opera costume?” An Zai exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, and it’s for a dan role!” A knowledgeable trainee replied.

All their gazes turned to Lou Yuxing. Everyone knew that Lou Yuxing’s group had a Peking opera segment.

Lou Yuxing was also taken aback. Since his grandfather’s death, he hadn’t seen such costumes for a long time.

He gently stroked the intricate embroidery of the garment and turned to Qi Yanning, “Teacher Qi, is this mine?”

Qi Yanning shook his head gently, “This is for Teacher Lin; yours is over there.”

Lou Yuxing was stunned and reluctantly touched the costume again before looking at the outfit nearby.

It was a simple, elegant long robe in light blue, with only the cuffs and collar embroidered with two clusters of plum blossoms.

Lou Yuxing felt a bit uneasy; he didn’t quite understand Qi Yanning’s arrangement. In his mind, he thought he and Lin Zhiping should have similar styles, but…

Why was it like this?

However, before he could gather the courage to ask, Qi Yanning had already left to attend to other matters, leaving him to suppress his unease within.

The makeup artists started working simultaneously, and the pace was rapid. Each group of members completed their makeup, and Lou Yuxing’s group was the last one.

Lou Yuxing was brought to the makeup chair in front of Qi Yanning. He felt a bit dazed because previously Qi Yanning hadn’t done anything, just standing by and overseeing everything.

“Your makeup is a bit complex, so I’ll do it.” Qi Yanning explained, then ordered, “Close your eyes.”

Lou Yuxing could only anxiously close his eyes.

The makeup brush gently swept across his face, and his mind was racing with thoughts.

This was his first performance in opera since he turned twelve; he wanted to make it as perfect as possible, paying great attention to every detail. Thus, he keenly noticed a problem with Qi Yanning’s actions—

Why did the makeup on both sides of his face seem different? One side had densely applied makeup while the other was just lightly brushed.

Thinking about the rumors that this teacher “wouldn’t do the makeup personally,” he became even more anxious, tightly clasping his hands together, repeatedly considering how to communicate with this seemingly unyielding makeup artist if he was dissatisfied with the result.

Time flew by amid Lou Yuxing’s anxieties, and soon he heard Qi Yanning’s voice.

“Open your eyes.”

Lou Yuxing’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

At first glance, he was startled by his reflection in the mirror. Because the makeup on both sides of his face was indeed completely different!

One side looked almost bare-faced, while the other side had a slightly toned-down opera makeup. Both sides looked great individually, but together they created a striking contrast.

Why were two different makeup styles combined?

He raised his eyes, puzzled, looking at Qi Yanning in the mirror.

Qi Yanning was holding his head still to prevent him from moving, checking the makeup effect from the mirror. When his gaze met Lou Yuxing’s, he didn’t explain much, only saying, “Stage design.”

Lou Yuxing hesitated for a moment, noticing that Qi Yanning had slightly furrowed brows and a hint of fatigue in his eyes, so he swallowed his words back.

Let the stage design be the stage design. If the rehearsal doesn’t go well later, he would have ample reasons to use the recording video to ask Qi Yanning to modify the makeup.

He nodded and gave Qi Yanning a smile.

That smile was somewhat cautious, with eyes that glistened like a pure, pitiful little lamb pleading for the hunter’s mercy.

Qi Yanning was amused and smiled slightly. He tapped the head of this shy kid with his knuckles, saying, “Don’t worry, I won’t miss the mark.”

“Quickly go join your teammates,” Qi Yanning said as he took out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped each of his fingers.

Lou Yuxing could only nod vaguely and walked towards the stage.

Teacher Lin Zhiping had several classes to teach today, so time was tight, and the other trainees had all allowed their group to rehearse first.

Therefore, when Lou Yuxing arrived, his teammates were already prepared on stage.

He jogged up, apologetically smiling at his teammates, completely unaware of their slightly stunned expressions.

Soon, the music began to play, and his teammates had to set aside their questions and immerse themselves in the performance.

Lou Yuxing was also fully engaged, so he didn’t hear the occasional gasps coming from the audience below.

He still felt a bit anxious about the makeup, but that anxiety ended the moment he saw the group recording video on stage.

This effect!

He was delighted and watched it repeatedly several times. When he looked up, he met the astonished eyes of his teammates, who were equally filled with surprise!

This stage was solid!!