Chapter 35: Zhao Xiaodao

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"Little brother Qingqing, did you miss your big sister?"

"No."

Gu Qing replied truthfully.

"No?!"

Even after removing her makeup, Nazha remained exquisite. Seeing the little brother's reply, she felt both annoyed and amused.

As a beautiful "vase" and a well-known "love brain," she naturally had many pursuers.

Some were nervous and stiff in conversation, some were witty and humorous, and some even went full "overbearing CEO" mode, ready to send her gifts at the slightest disagreement.

She had never encountered someone as blunt as Gu Qing.

"I'm going to be heartbroken!"

Nazha, acting like a total young girl, typed back indignantly.

One minute... three minutes... ten minutes...

Nazha blinked her dry eyes, her exquisite face filled with confusion.

Something was wrong with the development of this plot.

Normally, wouldn't he immediately come to coax her after she sent a message?

But what about Gu Qing?

He was too engrossed in watching *Running Man*.

The quality of the first season of *Running Man* was beyond doubt. In his past life as a viewer, he had followed every single episode. Now, as a member of the *Running Man* crew, the experience felt even more surreal. Watching the show was naturally a thrilling experience.

As for Nazha's messages, Gu Qing took one look and ignored them.

Firstly, he didn't know how to reply.

Secondly, he didn't consider his relationship with Nazha to be that close. They had only met once on a variety show and had barely exchanged a few words. It wasn't as if she had fallen in love with him just because he was handsome, right? That would be ridiculous.

With his straight-man mindset, Gu Qing only believed in feelings developed over time, not love at first sight. The more an acquaintance acted affectionately toward him, the more Gu Qing felt a sense of wariness, even if the other person was a beauty.

An hour later...

"I'm so angry, I'm dying of anger!"

A strong sense of frustration made Nazha, huddled under her covers, feel angrier the more she thought about it. She kicked the blankets, unable to sleep.

In a fit of rage, she threw off the covers, picked up her phone, tapped on Gu Qing's profile, and sent a message: "I'm going to sleep!"

*Ding-dong.*

Gu Qing: "Goodnight."

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

Nazha let out a sharp, piercing scream.

Not replying: Annoying!

Replying instantly: Even more annoying!!

"What a wonderful day."

After finishing the show, Gu Qing set an alarm on his phone and buried his head in the pillow, falling asleep with great satisfaction.

……

A quiet night passed.

Early the next morning, before the alarm could even ring, Gu Qing was woken up by a phone call.

When he opened his eyes, three women were standing straight outside his room: his manager, a makeup artist, and a junior assistant.

"The entertainment industry is truly a case of 'female prosperity and male decline'..."

Gu Qing sat groggily in a chair, allowing the makeup artist to work on him.

After the second episode of the show aired, the traffic Gu Qing attracted had even surpassed that of the "Big Treasure," making him a rising star in the domestic entertainment industry.

It couldn't be helped; the entertainment industry was dominated by female viewers, who were notoriously strict with female artists. Although the company was small, they gave him plenty of importance. They had hired a high-end makeup artist, a driver, and bodyguards—everything he could need.

"Sister Li, how should I address this lady?" Gu Qing asked the makeup artist after she finished.

Even though he wasn't part of the industry, he had heard a rumor: no matter how big a star you are, never offend your makeup artist or the lighting director on set. Otherwise, no matter how good your natural features are, the final result on camera might not even be as good as a supporting actor's.

"Just call her Sister Xu."

"Hello, Sister Xu."

"Such a sweet mouth. Do you have a preferred makeup style?"

Sister Xu beamed at the compliment.

"Anything is fine, as long as it's not too heavy," Gu Qing replied.

"Heavy makeup is usually used to hide an artist's flaws. Since you are so handsome, you could even go without makeup," Sister Xu remarked, her index finger gliding over the youth's elastic skin. "Youth is the most beautiful cosmetic."

"Baby, let me go over today's schedule first."

Li Li directed the assistant to pack the luggage, then stood to the right of the mirror. "The fermentation from the two episodes of *Running Man* has given your popularity a massive boost. You can now create your own social media accounts."

"My current plan is to get you ten million followers in a week to firmly establish your status as a top-tier star!"

"Sister Li, is it really possible to get ten million followers in a week?" Gu Qing was so shocked that his sleepiness vanished.

"If it's not enough, we'll buy them. Which top-tier star hasn't bought followers?"

"I know about buying followers, but is it okay to buy that many?"

"Of course it is. In the entertainment industry, an artist's follower count is even faker than their height!" Li Li said dismissively.

As insiders, they understood the reality of an artist's data perfectly. The number of active followers a top star actually had was far less than what the public imagined. Out of 10 million followers, having 1 million active ones was considered good. Or even 300,000 to 400,000 was plenty!

But in reality? Having 10,000 active followers was enough to walk tall in the industry!

Of course, "active followers" here referred to those who followed the artist's accounts every moment, reposted updates, and helped with voting and data boosting.

One hundred active followers could make your life on the internet quite comfortable. One thousand active followers meant that even if you clashed with a top star, you could still stir up a significant online war.

Ten thousand active followers meant you were a top star!

Numbers alone couldn't convey this terror. To put it in terms of a startup: imagine having one hundred employees who support you unconditionally, don't require a salary, and even spend their own money to help your business grow! If someone tried to bully you on the road, they would scold them back and fight them off—they were essentially 100% loyal bodyguards.

Now, what if you had one thousand or ten thousand such people?

"Besides that, we are taking a plane to Hengdian in a bit," Li Li continued. "After the second episode of *Running Man* aired, the crew of *The Journey of Flower* offered you 100,000 per episode and promised to increase the screen time for the second male lead. I agreed immediately."

"Are we going to Hengdian to start filming right away?" Gu Qing asked.

"Of course not. We're just setting your look so that when the crew starts filming later, they don't waste time adjusting your makeup," Li Li explained with a smile. "Besides, the *Journey of Flower* crew still has some time before filming begins. *Running Man* is your current priority; you have to finish the variety show before joining the film crew."

"Oh, and regarding that new song you wrote, I've already communicated with the production team. I plan to reserve a solo performance slot for you at the end of the final episode."

"Sister Li, thank you for your hard work," Gu Qing said.

"If you really want to thank me, then hurry up and become a big star. That will make my life much easier," Li Li said with a warm, beaming smile.

After a quick makeup session, Gu Qing's group had a simple breakfast and boarded a plane to Hengdian.

……

The scenery of Hengdian was like a scroll spanning time and space, skillfully blending historical weight with modern fantasy.

Stepping into the Qin Emperor's Palace, the towering city walls and high watchtowers loomed ahead. The brownish-grey bricks and vermilion gates embedded with golden rivets seemed to recreate the grand atmosphere of the Qin Dynasty.

Turning into the *Along the River During the Qingming Festival* scenic area, the bustling marketplace of the Northern Song Dynasty's Bianjing came to life. Wooden arch bridges lay like rainbows over the water, with clear streams flowing beneath, weeping willows brushing the banks, and the banners of wine shops and teahouses swaying in the wind. Tourists in ancient costumes moved through the bluestone streets, and waterwheels creaked as they turned, as if Zhang Zeduan's painting had come to life.

Dozens, even hundreds, of film crews were conducting daily shoots here, producing hundreds or even thousands of works. However, the number of dramas that could become massive hits each year was quite small.

Upon arriving at the film set, Gu Qing's group happened to run right into the team of the drama's female lead.

"It's Li Ying..."

Li Li flashed a bright smile, intending to greet the other party's manager. Then she remembered that the actress had already had a falling out with her manager and was currently in a lawsuit. No wonder she only had an assistant with her!

"Come here, baby, hurry and say hello to your senior in the industry."

Maintaining a polite smile, Li Li beckoned Gu Qing forward.

Unexpectedly...

"I've seen your variety show..."

Two small dimples appeared on the sides of Zhao Liying's rounded face. Her smile was very cute and friendly. "Thank..."

"You acted so well!"

"?"

Gu Qing was stunned, Li Li's smile froze, and the junior assistant following behind Zhao Liying looked like she was about to cry from anxiety.

"Sister, if you don't know how to speak properly, let's just not speak at all, okay?"

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(End of Chapter)