This time, the joint photoshoot with Mousha Magazine was a collaboration between the production team and the fashion magazine for the promotion of “Love Game.” However, with Yan Chi’s involvement, the cooperation between the production team and the magazine went very smoothly, effortlessly securing this high-profile year-end cover shoot. This also indirectly boosted the profile of the previously unknown Gu Qingtong.
After all, Yan Chi is highly respected in the fashion industry, with numerous awards and endorsements from luxury brands like C. For years, she has graced the covers of the five most prestigious fashion magazines in the country. As the year-end approached and various fashion magazines prepared for their respective red carpet events, the competition to secure prominent figures naturally intensified, reaching a point where networking and influence played a pivotal role.
So, apart from the simple cover shoot and video filming, “Silent Gaze” was also invited to the domestic headquarters of a certain magazine for a floor-standing event. They helped promote the variety show and the year-end red carpet celebration of the magazine.
Both of these tasks posed challenges for Gu Qingtong, and shooting with Yan Chi was certainly no exception. The latter was also the first time she would genuinely attend an offline event with Yan Chi, inevitably coming face-to-face with the audience and fans.
Despite trying her best to maintain a distance from Yan Chi in the show and livestreams, there were still many people cheering them on in the barrage of comments. Gu Qingtong couldn’t imagine how awkward it would be to be called “Silent Gaze” in person.
However, no one expected that the official announcement of the collaboration for the double cover of Mousha magazine would spark a minor conflict between Yan Chi’s solo fans and the fans of “Silent Gaze” CP1Couple Pairing. Originally, the relationship and interactions of “Silent Gaze” on the variety show were clearly visible, and Yan Chi’s fans had a favorable impression of Gu Qingtong.
They felt that she was different from the junior artists who were previously paired up with Yan Chi for bloodsucking promotion. However, this joint cover was inevitably making them sensitive. After all, following a variety show appearance with a tied-in event was not a good sign. Moreover, it was clear that Gu Qingtong’s inclusion was riding on Yan Chi’s popularity.
Added to this, the recent manipulation of trending topics and marketing by Fu and Tang only fueled the fans’ speculations. Given all this, some fervent fans of Yan Chi began to express their disapproval of this cover shoot. They stated that they wouldn’t support a magazine that aimed to capitalize on Yan Chi’s popularity.
Well, Yan Chi has graced the covers of the five major magazines countless times. Currently, she still holds the record for the highest-selling female star magazine cover, leaving the second place far behind by a large margin. Not only refusing to support, but they’re also advocating resistance against any further tie-ins or promotions that associate Yan Chi with Gu Qingtong outside of the show.
These sentiments reached the ears of the “Silent Gaze” CP fans, and it naturally sparked a rebellious spirit among them.
CP fans began to express: “Why can’t we cooperate just because you say so? We’re all consumers, who’s superior to whom? Bring it on! We love to see it!”
They praised the program’s CP benefits while simultaneously going to the official account of Mousha Magazine to show their support.
After days of accumulation, the “Silent Gaze” CP fans have grown significantly and have held the top spot on the Weibo CP rankings for a long time. Moreover, these seasoned fans of romantic variety shows are used to shipping CP pairings, and online, one person can create the aura of multiple individuals.
At this moment, both sides were engaged in heated discussions under the official accounts of Mousha magazine and the production team, creating a strong sense of tension. The magazine’s marketing team, being quite savvy in making money, took advantage of the situation and shamelessly posted a pre-sale link for ten thousand copies of the “Silent Gaze” double-cover magazine on their official website. They didn’t even wait to take new photos; they just used old pictures of the two and started making money off them.
They even mentioned that if these ten thousand copies were sold out before the day of the photoshoot, they would unlock a surprise reward featuring “Silent Gaze” together. This move naturally brought joy to one party and worries to the other. The fiercely resistant fans of Yan Chi were almost infuriated by this cunning move from the magazine. While Yan Chi’s fans clearly expressed their intention not to buy and were waiting to see how things played out, who could have expected that these ten thousand copies would be snatched up by the enthusiastic “Silent Gaze” CP fans within the first hour of being available?
At 20 dollars per copy, that’s not a small amount – a total of 200,000 dollars. This move directly demonstrated the strength of the “Silent Gaze” CP fans’ combativeness and purchasing power. Mousha Magazine clearly hadn’t anticipated the extent of their purchasing power and even regretted pre-selling only ten thousand copies.
Finally, they announced the reward: they would arrange for “Silent Gaze” to do a promotional event at the Mousha Magazine headquarters on the day of the photoshoot. They would also randomly select fans from those who purchased the pre-sale magazines to participate in on-site interactions.
With things having progressed to this point, even though Yan Chi’s fans maintained their tough stance, deep down they couldn’t resist the temptation of seeing Yan Chi in person. Some of them secretly went and bought tickets to the “Silent Gaze” CP fan interaction event, which inevitably led to teasing from the CP fans. Once again, the conflict flared up.
Both sides displayed considerable fighting spirit and energy, leaving the fans of Gu Qingtong sandwiched uncomfortably in the middle, feeling helpless and trembling with anxiety, practically lying flat in defeat.
[Whatever resources Tongtong has, we’ll support with all our might, just lying down and enjoying the beautiful pictures.]
[Anyway, I got a spot from the presale magazines I bought before. I’m looking forward to seeing my girl on-site, hehehe!]
As Gu Qingtong herself stared in disbelief as the two sides went back and forth in their exchange for quite some time. In the end, she, like her fans, decided to lay low. After all, it was clear that the battle between the top-tier solo fans and the CP fans was a celestial fight that a mere mortal like herself shouldn’t get involved in.
Soon, the day of the shoot arrived. It seemed like the production team had done it intentionally— the shoot was coinciding with the release of the next episode of “Love Game.” The situation was becoming increasingly intense, as if a fierce battle was about to break out.
Of course, Gu Qingtong had already grown accustomed to each day being filled with excitement since she became intertwined with Yan Chi. Not to mention the upcoming casting announcement for “Bai Mei Sheng.” Where was she headed now?
The promotional event at the company’s headquarters came before the shoot, so Gu Qingtong had her styling done at the company and arrived in a chauffeur-driven car. After all, this was a public event. From the moment she stepped out of the car, she would be captured by the media and fans’ cameras. It was important to maintain the company’s image. Naturally, she couldn’t arrive in the same unimpressive car as she had with Sun Xiao before.
Since Yan Chi hadn’t arrived yet, Gu Qingtong found herself patiently sitting in the car, lifting the curtain slightly to sneak a peek outside.
At this moment, the chauffeur-driven car stopped outside the headquarters of Mousha Fashion magazine. Although it was still a bit of a distance away, she could already see quite a few fans and station sisters gathered outside.
A caution tape was set up, separating the fans from the platform area. Despite everyone looking eager and excited, the fans of the “Silent Gaze” CP and Yan Chi were clearly distinguishable.
However, both fan groups consisted mostly of girls. Despite their intense online arguments, when they gathered offline, they acted as if nothing had happened. They didn’t speak, but they still maintained a peaceful demeanor.
It’s good that they didn’t start a fight…at least Gu Qingtong felt somewhat relieved. Among the Yan Chi fans, the two station sisters, Ah Lu and Lizi, who previously met Gu Qingtong, were also present. They had ample experience in following events like this and arrived earlier than most others. They were now holding cameras and standing at the forefront of the caution line.
As they looked around for Yan Chi’s car and occasionally glanced at the “Silent Gaze” fans on the opposite side, Ah Lu and Lizi exchanged a glance, both feeling a bit lost for words.
It was because their feelings towards Gu Qingtong were quite complicated. They had initially started to like her and were on the verge of supporting her, but then the whole CP magazine issue happened unexpectedly.
In the “What’s Teacher Yan Eating” group chat, people’s opinions about Gu Qingtong were diverse and kept changing. Some were staunchly convinced that she was guilty of riding on the coattails of Yan Chi’s popularity, while others believed that Gu Qingtong hadn’t really done anything wrong and that if Teacher Yan wasn’t against collaborating with her, there shouldn’t be such strong opposition against her. The group of about a hundred people argued about Gu Qingtong several times, and in the end, the group admin stepped in and prohibited any further discussion about her in the group.
While Lizi waited, she opened her camera and looked at the candid shot she had taken of Gu Qingtong during the filming of “Love Game.” She hesitated, not sure whether to keep it or delete it.
“Gu Qingtong, the chief editor mentioned that the number of people at the scene has exceeded the expected scale. Yan Chi’s popularity is too high. If she were to appear here now, it might cause a commotion and pushing. She’s already entered the company through the back door with Teacher Yan. They’re asking us to help manage the situation, greet the fans, and calm things down a bit. Let’s head over there quickly,” Sun Xiao said as she finished a phone call and turned to Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong nodded and stood up. Since she was going to participate in the meet-and-greet event, she was wearing a black and white semi-formal dress, paired with high heels. Her makeup leaned towards a more mature and professional look. This outfit accentuated Gu Qingtong’s striking beauty even more.
Perhaps due to this ensemble, she unconsciously carried herself more elegantly. When she wasn’t smiling, her cold and alluring demeanor exuded an air of sophistication that was quite captivating.
Unlike the previously enchanting and dazzling Gu Qingtong, she looked different. This is one manifestation of the malleability of her appearance and temperament, and it’s also the reason why Yuan Jingyu concluded after watching several clips of her performances that she could portray the character He Haomei, whose personality and temperament are not very similar.
Even Sun Xiao, her agent who had long been accustomed to her, couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment before opening the car door. Because there weren’t enough security personnel, almost all of them were dispatched to maintain order by the security line. No one came over to follow Gu Qingtong and Sun Xiao, only the two of them walking inside. As soon as Gu Qingtong appeared in everyone’s sight, she quickly became the center of attention in the whole venue.
This was the first time everyone has seen Gu Qingtong up close like this, and they felt that she was completely different from what they’ve seen on variety shows before. After all, in her previous appearances on variety shows, Gu Qingtong was often subjected to conservative styling choices of the production team that didn’t allow her to fully present her image. Many times, she couldn’t even wear a full makeup look and there were even a few times when she almost appeared without makeup.
The natural charm of a girl without makeup, still carrying a touch of innocence, is quite distinct from the carefully dressed person she is now. It’s as if these two moments capture completely different aspects of her.
As we all know, one of the distinctive features of a striking appearance is that the more it’s adorned with colors, the more stunning it becomes. Whether it was the fans of the “Silent Gaze” ship or Yan Chi’s supporters, it was the first time they had experienced the impact of her fully made-up vibrant look up close.
Every feature of Gu Qingtong’s face was flawless, from the peachy eyeshadow that extended upward to the perfectly blended balance of cold and charm brought together by her dark, profound pupils. Her fair skin was almost translucent in the sunlight, radiating amidst the crowd. Her slightly pursed red lips and loosely curled long hair fell casually over her shoulders, exuding an air of effortlessness.
The fitted dress outlined her exquisite figure, and the sound of high heels tapping on the ground seemed to resonate in the hearts of the onlookers. Even the Yan Chi fans who had some prejudice against Gu Qingtong due to the arguments found themselves unable to utter a single reproach in the face of such a stunning and breathtaking visage.
Was this the legendary….cold-faced mature beauty?
Ah, Ah, when did our sweet and gentle female goose2This term in this context refers to a person who acts overly cute or naive. become so dignified?
Even Gu Qingtong’s fans couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward, hesitating to call out “Tongtong” or “female goose” at the scene.
“Tongtong!”
But with the shout of a female fan, Gu Qingtong immediately reverted to her usual self. Her eyes visibly lit up with a sparkle, and she followed the direction of the fan who called out her name, waving her palms energetically.
Her enchanting peach blossom eyes curved into crescent moons due to her smile, perfectly resembling the adorable and innocent appearance from the show.
This was the first time Gu Qingtong had encountered her fans and station sisters in an offline event. They stood together, their excitement clearly evident on their faces.
Gu Qingtong’s gaze swept across each person’s face, earnestly imprinting their appearances in her memory. Even a faint pink hue of shyness colored her cheeks as she spoke: “H-hello, everyone.”
With her response, not only Gu Qingtong’s fans but also other CP fans and Yan Chi’s supporters snapped out of their stunned silence. They greeted Gu Qingtong one after another, following suit with calls like “Tong Mei!” and “Tongtong.”
The atmosphere suddenly came alive with this burst of energy, causing a stir at the scene.
Clearly, the staff from Mousha magazine hadn’t taken into account the audience’s enthusiastic response when having Gu Qingtong step in to salvage the situation. Behind the security line, there were constant attempts by people to get a better view of Gu Qingtong.
Those at the front, eager to catch a glimpse, inadvertently pressed against the fragile barrier, causing those right in front to be pushed toward the flimsy tape.
Both Lizi and Ah Lu were greatly affected, even getting separated as the crowd surged. Lizi had to guard against the force from behind while protecting her camera nestled in her arms, finding herself in quite a predicament.
At that moment, another force from behind collided, causing Lizi to inevitably lean against the barrier. It was clear that the tape was merely a boundary, incapable of halting the trend of people lunging forward.
Lizi exclaimed as her priority shifted from falling to the ground to the fear of damaging her recently replaced equipment. She clutched it tightly, one hand securing the delicate gear, while the other reached forward with a sense of resignation, grasping at the delicate caution tape.
At that moment, a pair of high heels hurriedly entered her field of vision. Just as Lizi’s hand was about to grasp the light tape, Gu Qingtong’s hand reached out and grabbed hers in time. Although she couldn’t prevent her from falling to her knees, it at least halted her upper body from lurching forward.
“Are you okay?” Gu Qingtong asked with a concerned expression, helping her up.
As their eyes met, they both suddenly recognized each other – Lizi, whom Gu Qingtong had encountered twice before!
Her mind went blank in an instant, not knowing what to do even when holding each other’s hand. Lizi, rescued by Gu Qingtong and now faced with her striking beauty at such close proximity, felt her face flush without knowing how to react: “Tha… thank you,” she stammered.
Hearing her voice, Gu Qingtong snapped back to reality and quickly let go of Lizi’s hand. To mask her own flustered state, she could only nod and smile, saying: “You, um, be careful.”
At that moment, a security guard hurried over, lifting the caution tape and sternly instructing everyone to maintain order. This incident startled the other fans as well, finally calming down the scene.
The scene just now, with Gu Qingtong dashing over in high heels to rescue the young fan, seemed to be etched in everyone’s hearts, lingering until her figure completely disappeared at the entrance of the building. What kind of idol drama scene was that? It’s so heartwarming!
Lizi held her camera, seemingly still lost in the dream-like moment of being rescued, unaware that her knee was hurt from the fall. Nearly all of Yan Chi’s fans in the vicinity had their impressions of Gu Qingtong transformed by her appearance. Although no one said a word, they all had the same thought in their minds:
Ah, ah, ah, who is this incredibly beautiful, kind-hearted, reliable, and stunning lady?!
As the person in question, Gu Qingtong, entered the building, her expression instantly became strained.
Why did it happen to be so coincidental that it was Lizi who fell? Can her secret identity still remain hidden after so many incidents?
Sun Xiao, regardless of the fact that people were just beginning to take this accident seriously behind her, was escorted by security guards and appeared quite angry. She grumbled:
“What’s going on with the security? They didn’t control the number of people, turned the boundary line into that, and even a pushing incident happened!
If you had walked by at that moment, that fan would’ve surely fallen on you. If you didn’t fall alongside her, I wouldn’t believe you were so lucky!”
“What’s the point of trying to salvage the situation? Look at how things turned out. Did they really think nobody would care about us?!….unbelievable.”
Though their thoughts were on different wavelengths, their moods both sank to the bottom.
Clearly, the assistant of the chief editor of Mousha had heard about the incident and hurried over to receive the two, repeatedly apologizing.
Even though it wasn’t her responsibility on-site, and saving the situation was arranged by the chief editor, workers have to take the blame from above.
Knowing that you can’t offend the fashion industry, especially for small companies like theirs without connections, you have to tolerate it for the sake of realism. Even if she was angry, Sun Xiao could only say in a low voice: “It’s fine this time, just be more careful next time.”
When Gu Qingtong heard the voice, she looked over in this direction and sighed inwardly. Yeah, let it go. The other party obviously hasn’t recognized her. Being able to help her fellow fans is also a kind of fate…
When she snapped back to reality, she felt a twinge in her ankle, probably from the reflexive action of rushing over earlier. She wasn’t sure if it was a scrape or a pulled tendon, but it was painful to some extent, yet still bearable.
Gu Qingtong’s beauty and wearing high heels were impeccable, allowing her to catch the person perfectly. Even though her feet were hurting at the moment, there was no hint of discomfort in her walking, and neither Sun Xiao nor the assistant noticed.
After the assistant finished apologizing, they came over to ask if she felt uncomfortable anywhere. Thinking about all the company employees and the fans waiting outside for the station event, Gu Qingtong knew she couldn’t afford to delay. Moreover, even if she treated the injured area on her foot, the pain wouldn’t instantly go away; in fact, bandaging it might make walking even more difficult.
Weighing her options, Gu Qingtong shook her head and didn’t say anything. The assistant breathed a sigh of relief and then led them to the rest area where Yan Chi was.
As the door swung open, they saw the renowned chief editor of the industry, often referred to as the “devil” due to their strict selection criteria, along with a few other executives, all gathered around Yan Chi, chatting and laughing.
Clearly, the well-established magazine “Mousha” had orchestrated this collaboration mainly for Yan Chi. They seemed very eager for her to attend their year-end red carpet event. Upon hearing the commotion from the door, their attention shifted to Gu Qingtong standing there, casting a slightly scrutinizing glance at the unfamiliar artist.
Gu Qingtong’s discomfort became evident under their gaze. However, Yan Chi seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation. She stood up and looked at Gu Qingtong, asking: “You’re here?”
Gu Qingtong’s attention also turned to Yan Chi. Just like herself, Yan Chi was dressed more formally today. A simple black suspender suit with an open-collared white shirt underneath, loosely paired with high-waisted trousers. Two thin spiral straps hung from her shoulders, giving her an elegant and professional look with a touch of casual nonchalance.
The styles and colors of their outfits seemed oddly coordinated, as if they had been carefully planned to complement each other. Gu Qingtong’s gaze drifted from herself to Yan Chi, finally resting on the open neckline of Yan Chi’s shirt. She subtly blinked her eyes, maintaining her composure.
The assistant leaned in and hurriedly briefed the chief editor on the situation that had just occurred. There was a hint of apology in the chief editor’s eyes as they looked at Gu Qingtong. She said: “The accident just now was due to our negligence. We sincerely apologize to Miss Gu for that. We won’t make such oversights again in the future.”
Similar to the earlier conversation, it was a somewhat formal rhetoric. Of course, Gu Qingtong didn’t want to pursue the matter any further. Just as she was about to nod, she heard Yan Chi’s cool voice suddenly ask: “What happened?”
Some of the fashion insiders from the magazine had interacted with Yan Chi before, so they were a bit surprised to see her suddenly showing concern over such a minor incident.
The assistant sighed inwardly and had to recount the incident in front of everyone once again:
“There were quite a few people in the audience, and a pushing and shoving incident occurred when Miss Gu entered the scene. One spectator nearly fell into the area. Thanks to Miss Gu’s kindness and quick action, she rushed over to help and prevented the person from falling.”
Feeling a bit uneasy, the assistant emphasized how Gu Qingtong had saved the person.
“Why did you have her come from that direction?” Yan Chi’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she immediately picked up on the clue. “I came up from the underground parking lot.”
“…Because we had previously informed the fans that the guests would enter through the main entrance, so everyone was waiting there. However, we didn’t anticipate such a large turnout, and the security measures weren’t sufficient. We were concerned that your appearance might cause too much commotion, so we had Miss Gu go in first to help manage the situation.”
For some reason, Yan Chi’s light-colored eyes now seemed to carry a touch of coldness, causing the assistant’s voice to grow quieter.
“I can’t come in from there, but it’s fine for Miss Gu? And what about the security personnel? Why would she need to rescue someone?”
As Yan Chi’s tone turned colder, an awkward atmosphere settled in the room, and the expressions on the faces of the executives became quite uncomfortable.
Especially the chief editor, these were all her last-minute arrangements, evidently resulting from inadequate consideration. Worried about causing any trouble for Yan Chi, Gu Qingtong quickly shook her head:
“It’s alright, I just happened to be close to that fan and reached out to help her. There wasn’t really any rescue involved. By the time security noticed, she would have already fallen.”
Yan Chi’s gaze swept from head to toe over Gu Qingtong, landing on her slender high heels, her expression tightening.
“Those heels are so high, how did you manage to rush over like that?”
As she spoke, Yan Chi walked straight to the door. Gu Qingtong remembered her injured ankle and took a step back, saying: “Well….I was in a hurry at the moment.”
