IDEI Ch29

The next afternoon, Ling Cangzhou still arrived at the recording base of Youxing.

He came to apologize.

Ling Cangzhou hadn’t expected that the public opinion, which had been entirely under control, would experience some minor fluctuations.

It wasn’t a big deal, just that during the public opinion battle yesterday, several staff members from Wave magazine received instructions to guide the conversation and posted a photo.

The focus of the photo wasn’t on Qi Yanning, but a small part of his face was visible.

At the time, Qi Yanning was standing behind An Zai, adjusting his makeup. His eyes were slightly narrowed, his hand firmly supporting An Zai’s cheek, with a calm and focused expression. Meanwhile, under his hand, An Zai’s face showed a happy smile, looking very pleased.

Initially, not many people paid attention to Qi Yanning in the photo, but before long, the comment section under the post on Xingbo started to turn a bit strange.

@BeautifulPersonHereICome: Wait, did anyone notice the super handsome guy with half his face showing in the photo? Even with the lens distortion and deliberate blurring, I can still tell this guy is absolutely top-tier handsome!

@LetMeTakeALook: Yeah, he must be the makeup artist, and his hands are so beautiful! Long, slender, and elegant, with a hint of restraint. Under those hands, An Zai’s face doesn’t even look palm-sized.

@World’sNumberOneShipper: Wow, this move! The makeup artist is firmly holding him in place, observing calmly, but despite this dominance, An Zai is all smiles and unbothered—it’s got me shipping them hard.

@XiaoLuluOneHand: Now that you mention it, you’re right! They are totally shippable! The vibe in this photo is incredible!

…

The comments section gradually shifted its focus to the makeup artist, who, with just a small part of his face showing, was clearly super handsome. People were even starting to talk about the chemistry between him and An Zai, and some had already begun digging into the magazine staff to uncover the makeup artist’s identity.

However, these people didn’t realize that Youxing had its own in-house makeup artists for the shoot, so for the time being, no one had discovered Qi Yanning’s real identity. But as long as the image kept gaining traction, someone would eventually recognize him.

Ling Cangzhou learned about this situation because the public relations department discovered that the development of public opinion did not match expectations, so they reported it to him.

“Suppress this news,” Ling Cangzhou decisively ordered, “and get someone to divert attention in another direction. Do not let the makeup artist’s identity be revealed.”

He knew that Qi Yanning didn’t like trouble. If his real identity were exposed, it would stir up another wave of public opinion.

Moreover…

Feeling a bit agitated, Ling Cangzhou ran a hand through his hair and looked at the photo again, this time with some frustration.

An Zai still looked like a child, while Qi Yanning appeared mature, strong, and so good-looking. How could anyone see any chemistry between them?

＊

After confirming that the PR team had suppressed the issue, Ling Cangzhou was still distracted. In the end, he simply drove directly to the Youxing filming base.

He went straight to the makeup office, but Qi Yanning was in a meeting.

When Qi Yanning heard the knock on the door, he looked up and saw Ling Cangzhou’s figure.

He seemed a bit down. Seeing the questioning look in Qi Yanning’s eyes, he shook his head, closed the meeting room door, and left.

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

“Hm?” Ling Cangzhou took a deep breath, barely regaining his composure.

“President Ling, what exactly are you here for?” Director Lin asked, half-amused, half-baffled.

Ling Cangzhou had suddenly shown up, saying he wanted to understand Youxing’s current situation, but he seemed rather preoccupied.

“Chenxing Entertainment has secured some excellent group endorsements for the debut group,” Ling Cangzhou finally calmed down. “The debut album is all set, except for the final roster. Chenxing Entertainment wants to manage this group well, so I need to understand the trainees’ situations more closely.”

“And Director Lin, since you know the trainees well, I’m also here to invite you to continue directing the music video and the group reality show.”

Director Lin was quite pleased upon hearing this.

Having been a director for so long, he’d grown attached to the trainees and naturally wanted to see them go further.

“Of course, I’d love to! Just about the timing…” Director Lin inquired.

“After the debut night, we’ll start recording a small reality show, beginning with the group’s moving-in. The theme will be their daily lives during group living and preparations for their debut album,” Ling Cangzhou explained clearly. “The large-scale group show will begin recording a month later, and you’ll finalize the plan with Chenxing’s planning team later.”

“Sounds good, sounds good.” Director Lin beamed. “By the way, I have a small suggestion…”

“Could you sign Xiao Qi, that kid? I only trust his aesthetic now.”

Hearing Qi Yanning’s name, Ling Cangzhou paused.

“I’ll try my best,” Ling Cangzhou’s deep voice held an inexplicable determination. “No matter what conditions he has, no matter what it costs me, I will do my best to secure him.”

Director Lin was instantly touched. This kind of client, President Ling, was the dream client every director wished for!

Generous with money, not controlling, and highly respectful of his opinions! Upon hearing his recommended candidate, Ling Cangzhou was already seriously preparing to secure him!

Overwhelmed, Director Lin grabbed Ling Cangzhou and began rambling on about the trainees, but in his excitement, he didn’t notice that his dream client was once again lost in thought.

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

As dusk settled, Ling Cangzhou returned to the makeup office.

By then, the makeup team’s meeting had ended, leaving only Qi Yanning and his three assistants.

Ling Cangzhou knocked on the door.

Qi Yanning, surprised to see him, raised an eyebrow. “President Ling?”

“It’s me.” Ling Cangzhou stood at the door with a smile. “A-Ning, do you have time? I’d like to take you to dinner.”

“President Ling is in a good mood?” Qi Yanning’s eyes flickered with a hint of amusement.

“Not exactly,” Ling Cangzhou shook his head. “I mainly have something I need to apologize for.”

“Oh?” Qi Yanning propped his chin on his hand, looking at him with interest. “What did President Ling do to wrong me?”

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

“Alright.” Qi Yanning finally stood up and waved to his three assistants, who were sitting quietly. “You can all go home.”

With that, he casually followed Ling Cangzhou out.

Leaving the three assistants behind, exchanging glances.

“Don’t you think this is a bit strange?” Zhu Sishou murmured.

The other two nodded.

The busy CEO frequently visiting their Qi-ge—something about that didn’t seem right!

＊

“…That’s the situation,” Ling Cangzhou said as he used serving chopsticks to give Qi Yanning some food.

They were at a private restaurant, with a cozy and private atmosphere, and the food was excellent.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to drag you into this mess.” Ling Cangzhou said sincerely. “Chenxing Entertainment will be more careful in the future.”

Qi Yanning slowly chewed a piece of beef before responding, “Public opinion is uncontrollable. It’s not your fault.”

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

Ling Cangzhou’s grip on his chopsticks tightened slightly, and he whispered, “Wasn’t A-Ning never fond of such things?”

“That’s right.” Qi Yanning turned to look at him, his eyes glimmering.

“I just don’t want the hassle; it’s not that I’m afraid of my identity being exposed.”

“After all, with the finals of Your Star approaching, the one who fears Qi Yanning’s name reappearing in the public eye isn’t me.”

Qi Yanning said, his tone meaningful.

Ling Cangzhou instantly understood. Qi Yanning’s previous indifference to the online rumors wasn’t because he had given up on clearing his name, but because he had some kind of agreement with Your Star.

And that agreement clearly had an expiration date. Perhaps after Your Star finished airing, the agreement would vanish as well.

“But doesn’t A-Ning find this kind of shipping talk uncomfortable?” Ling Cangzhou asked. “You being shipped with a trainee…”

Qi Yanning, noticing the hint of grievance in Ling Cangzhou’s eyes, seemed to find it amusing. He slowly curled his lips into a smile.

“No, I don’t mind,” Qi Yanning shook his head and then dropped a bombshell. “I like men.”

Ling Cangzhou’s pupils instantly widened in shock. He looked at Qi Yanning in disbelief. “W-what?”

“Isn’t President Ling the same?” Qi Yanning glanced at him, his gaze full of implication.

Then, he picked up his chopsticks again and continued eating at a leisurely pace.

The roast pigeon at this private restaurant lived up to its reputation as a signature dish—tender, crispy, and irresistibly fragrant.

After a while, when Qi Yanning had already finished half of the pigeon, Ling Cangzhou finally snapped out of his daze.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Aning, you weren’t joking, were you… You like someone like An Zai?”

“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 pondering for a long time, he didn’t dare to say anything.

“Try this Wensi Tofu, it’s really delicious,” he offered earnestly, ladling some soup into Qi Yanning’s bowl.

Qi Yanning had observed Ling Cangzhou’s hesitation clearly. He had expected him to ask something more, but to his surprise, Ling Cangzhou deflected the topic like nothing had happened.

The corners of Qi Yanning’s lips curled up slightly as he quietly watched Ling Cangzhou’s movements.

Ah, the little puppy’s ears have turned red again. So timid.

＊

Soon enough, it was the eve of Your Star’s finale.

Due to the show’s skyrocketing popularity in recent weeks, over ninety million people had made reservations for the live broadcast of the finale.

Some of this buzz was due to the official release of Waves.

Waves, a mid-tier fashion magazine, had always had mediocre sales. With the downturn in the physical economy, Waves had been struggling. So inviting the contestants of Your Star to appear on its cover was the magazine’s way of trying something new, hoping that the popularity of the trainees would boost sales.

Despite some hiccups along the way, the final result was excellent. The shoot went smoothly, and the final photos turned out to be breathtaking.

There was even a bit of internal debate at the magazine over which photo to choose for the cover.

After all, both the medieval-style shots and the modern group photos were equally stunning and flawless.

In the end, Chief Editor Ning made the final call: a modern-style photo would be the cover, while the medieval ones would be used for the inside.

In the days leading up to the release, Waves’s official social media had never been more active, posting two photos and one video each day.

Contrary to expectations, the steady stream of photos didn’t negatively impact sales at all. In fact, it only piqued people’s curiosity even more.

The day before the release, pre-orders for the physical magazine had already doubled the usual sales! And the digital edition, which had no purchase limit, reached an incredible five times the usual number of pre-orders!

Waves had fully capitalized on the power of celebrity fanbases, and the magazine’s staff was thrilled, eager to bring in more idols for future covers.

But Chief Editor Ning doused their excitement with a dose of cold reality.

“The success of this issue is half due to the star power of Your Star’s contestants, but the other half is because these photos were just too stunning. That credit goes to the show’s makeup and styling master.”

“If we want to keep featuring big names, can we guarantee the same level of amazing makeup and styling?”

The staff exchanged glances, suddenly deflated.

It was true—the photos’ impact was due to the makeup and styling about eighty percent of the time.

In the past few days, the cover of Waves had trended on social media multiple times, with praise filling the comments section.

@Nihao: OMG, Waves knocked it out of the park this time! These photos are more beautiful than ever before! Whether it’s the decadent, neurotic vibe of lying in rose petals or the cinematic highway shots, they’re all breathtaking!

@LittleLingling: So handsome, so incredibly handsome! Every single one of them looks amazing, and I don’t even have trouble telling them apart—I just think they’re each uniquely gorgeous (LOL). I’m going to buy a copy and stare at it (drooling)!

@132-one-three: The makeup on the cover is gorgeous! So wild and decadent, full of tension! Is there a makeup guru who can break this down? Teacher, I want to learn this look!

While some fans maintained their composure, Your Star’s fanbase had descended into full-blown euphoria. Their ecstatic celebration was peppered with envy from other fandoms, making them even more delighted!

@AYiIsNumberOne: Who understands this? Even Xiao Yingyi can have such a cute, delicate look! The battle-damaged vibe is just too sexy. Every time I see it, I have to chant my own name over and over to keep myself grounded! Makeup artist, you did it! You… did it so well, sobbing…

@I’mWeiGe’sDog: Wei-ge’s photo, sipping red wine on a car roof, is pure unhinged energy! I’m obsessed—wait, hold up, our entire fan group just made this our profile picture, LOL!

@AnZaiFan: Our boy is like a little medieval princess! If An Zai were the one kidnapped by the dragon, I’d wear my legs down to the bone to save him!

@HeartLoveLove: Gah, I’m so jealous, I’m practically twisting out of shape. Why do the trainees of Your Star always have such amazing styling? I’d give anything for this makeup master to style our heartthrob! I’m so tired of the tight high ponytail, sobbing uncontrollably!

@NingIsTheOnlyOne: Ning Bao wants in too! Master, please take a look at our sweet chosen one Ning Bao!

@You’reAStarFan: Xiao-ge, Wei-ge, Hai-ge… they’re all too handsome! Shout out to the makeup artist for this issue! You totally nailed it, capturing their essence so beautifully! I hereby declare that both the magazine makeup artist and Your Star’s stage makeup artist should be given a palace of honor!

Two days before Your Star’s finale, Waves was officially released!

To boost sales, Waves introduced a special perk—purchasing a digital edition would unlock behind-the-scenes footage once certain milestones were hit. Fans, caught in a frenzy, pushed digital sales to an astonishing one hundred million copies, keeping Waves at the top of trending lists for a full day.

Even casual fans and non-followers were starting to take notice of Your Star, with many signing up to watch the finale out of curiosity after seeing the promotional material flood their social media.

And in the midst of this overwhelming buzz, the day of the finale finally arrived.

However, just before the big night, an unexpected hiccup occurred.

“Who gave you the authority to do makeup here?” a sharp, haughty voice echoed in the backstage makeup room of Your Star.

“A makeup artist no one’s ever heard of? If you touch my face, it’ll probably break out in a rash. I’ve already booked Aria. Get lost, don’t even think about learning from her!” The female celebrity continued her rant.

She looked at Qi Yanning with a slight disdain in her eyes while fiddling with her manicured nails.

On the side, Li Jinshi clenched her fists, her face full of anger.

She used to quite like this Meng Ningning, but who would have thought? The girl who marketed herself as a sweet chosen princess turned out to be like this in person!

Unbelievable…

“Does your manager know about this?” Qi Yanning, however, showed no signs of being upset. Instead, he asked with mild interest.

“What’s it got to do with my manager?” Meng Ningning rolled her eyes impatiently. “Just get out, don’t bother me!”

Qi Yanning gave her a deep look, curled his lips into a smile, and left without hesitation.

What a shame, for all the hard work her manager had put in. That manager, well-informed and highly capable, had somehow found out about Qi Yanning’s presence and used their connections to get Meng Ningning a spot as a guest at Your Star’s finale.

This way, she could ride on the show’s popularity, and at the same time…

Recently, Meng Ningning had been vying for a role as a sickly, delicate princess, and her manager had specifically asked Qi Yanning to style her accordingly.

Shaking his head, Qi Yanning turned and walked to another makeup room, where a major celebrity was already waiting for him. Upon seeing him enter, they greeted him with a humble smile.

Not long after, while Qi Yanning was doing makeup for another artist, a furious shout could be heard echoing from two rooms away—

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