Chapter 22 Zhang Yun can infuriate someone with just a few words...
Ye Jinyan's message to Gu Mingyan went unanswered all night, like a stone sinking into the sea.
This unprecedented cold reception made him restless, and even the blisters in his mouth started to hurt more.
He couldn't wait for Gu Mingyan to contact him, so he had to urge Gu Mingyan's agent, Cai Chengyun, to find out what was going on early the next morning.
During a break in recording, Gu Mingyan's phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, answered casually, and pressed the speakerphone button to continue touching up her makeup.
Sitting to the side, applying lipstick, Yun tilted her head slightly and mouthed, "Who is it?"
Gu Mingyan mouthed the same words: "Cai Chengyun, my manager." She made no attempt to avoid Yun Qingqing answering the phone.
On the other end of the phone, Cai Chengyun's gentle voice came through: "Mingyan, are you still recording the show? You must be tired."
"I'm fine, is something the matter?" Gu Mingyan was straightforward.
"It's nothing serious..." Cai Chengyun tentatively got to the point: "It's just that, Mingyan, have you been angry with Young Master Ye lately?"
Gu Mingyan was puzzled by the question: "Angry? Angry about what? No, I'm not."
"Really not?" Cai Chengyun clearly didn't believe him. "Then why haven't you replied to Young Master Ye's messages? He's worried sick. Mingyan, listen to my advice. Young Master Ye might have been inconsiderate to have Meng Xian come to the island for the fireworks show that day, but he absolutely didn't mean to disrespect you. It was purely to promote the company's artists. You have to understand him..."
Hearing this, Yun Qingqing snorted coldly in her heart, feeling extremely displeased with Ye Jinyan's behavior of not daring to show his face himself and instead sending his agent to act as a mediator, while also trying to manipulate Gu Mingyan through his words.
She was just thinking about how to subtly interrupt this nonsense when she heard Gu Mingyan speak.
"Brother Cai, what are you talking about? How could I blame Brother Jin Yan?"
"That……"
“You know Jin Yan’s investment acumen has never been great. This time, he organized a fireworks show to promote Meng Xian, but he didn’t think things through, and even the company’s stock dropped. I’m too worried about him to be angry with him.”
Yun gently opened her mouth and then closed it again.
It has to be said that Gu's unintentional frankness was remarkably effective; if Ye Jinyan had heard it, he probably would have been punctured in the lungs.
On the other end of the phone, Ye Jinyan, who had been listening in, couldn't hold back any longer: "Gu Mingyan! Can you please stop bringing up my failed investments!"
He intended to reprimand him sternly, but the large blisters in his mouth severely affected his pronunciation, making his words sound muffled and lacking in force.
Gu Mingyan was completely confused and asked into the phone, "Huh? Brother Jin Yan, are you here? What did you say? I can't hear you clearly."
Ye Jinyan was even angrier. He was about to speak, but because he was too anxious, he pulled on a blister when he opened and closed his mouth, and hissed in pain, making his pronunciation even more indistinct.
Gu Mingyan had no choice but to ask Yun Qingqing for help: "Qingqing, can you understand what Brother Jin Yan is saying?"
“Sure.” Yun Qingqing kindly helped translate. “Young Master Ye also admitted that he has poor judgment and his investments always fail. I’m sorry you had to laugh at him.”
Yun's voice was soft, but loud enough to be heard through the microphone.
Ye Jinyan: "?"
When did he admit it?!
But now he was speechless, and the more anxious he was to explain, the more his mouth hissed and laughed in pain.
Gu Mingyan quickly and gently comforted him: "Brother Jin Yan, are you so anxious that you lost your voice? Don't blame yourself. It's normal to fail in investments. I won't laugh at you just because you keep making mistakes and losing money, really!"
Every word of comfort she uttered was like a small knife, stabbing precisely into Ye Jinyan's heart.
He was trembling with rage, and roared at the top of his lungs, "@#￥%……&*!!"
Gu Mingyan looked at Yun Qingqing with a puzzled expression once again.
Yun listened attentively, then translated: "Young Master Ye said that he deeply realized his mistake and felt extremely ashamed for setting off fireworks on the island without your permission. He felt that he was incredibly stupid."
Ye Jinyan: "???"
He isn't! He didn't!
"Brother Jin Yan, don't blame yourself too much," Gu Mingyan comforted him. "Although it's common sense that you can't set off fireworks in ecologically sensitive areas, it's understandable that you didn't understand these things since you were a child because your grades were poor. I won't take it to heart."
"..." Ye Jinyan felt like he was about to be attacked by Yun Qingqing and Gu Mingyan, and he was so angry that he turned over.
He yelled incoherently into the phone, then angrily hung up.
Hearing the busy tone from the receiver, Gu Mingyan blinked: "Why did Brother Jin Yan suddenly hang up the phone?"
Yun continued the simultaneous interpretation without changing her expression: "He was probably too ashamed, too embarrassed to face you. I heard him choke up at the end and say that he was too ashamed to see you again and needed to be alone to repent for his foolish behavior."
"So that's how it is..." Gu Mingyan nodded thoughtfully, then grabbed Yun Qingqing's hand. "Qingqing, you were right! I haven't contacted him for just a few days, and Brother Jin Yan misses me terribly. He not only contacted me first, but also deeply reflected on his actions! He's never been like this before!"
Yun suppressed a laugh: "Right? I, your love strategist, didn't lie to you, did I? Maintaining appropriate distance helps to enhance the intensity of feelings."
"Yes!" Gu Mingyan nodded vigorously, clearly believing in Yun Qingqing's theory.
Then, seemingly casually, Yun Qingqing asked, "By the way, Mingyan, when you were on the phone just now, why was your manager with Young Master Ye? Are they close?"
Gu Mingyan didn't think much of it and casually replied, "You mean this? It's quite a coincidence. When I first decided to try my hand at the entertainment industry, Brother Cai contacted me and analyzed and planned my career path for me, helping me with all sorts of miscellaneous matters. He was very dedicated. Later, I found out that he was actually Brother Jin Yan's college classmate! Isn't that a coincidence?"
Yun Qingqing showed just the right amount of surprise: "Wow, that's quite a coincidence."
Then he sneered inwardly, "What a load of rubbish! There aren't that many coincidences in this world!"
It's likely that from the very beginning, this so-called college classmate was deliberately placed next to Gu Mingyan to gain her trust.
Otherwise, how could we keep track of her movements at all times, and even subtly brainwash and influence her?
*
It was still early before the scheduled meeting time set by the production team, and the male guests looked much more casual compared to the female guests who had dressed up carefully early in the morning.
Jiang Mingqian was lying on the lower bunk and had been awake for a while.
The sounds of washing up, the soft hum of an electric toothbrush, and the crisp sound of water splashing against the sink wall came from the bathroom, making the room even quieter.
He listened to the sounds from the balcony, and only after confirming that Yu Ran wouldn't be coming out anytime soon did he quietly take out his phone from beside his pillow.
As the phone screen lit up, Jiang Mingqian opened the photo album.
His photo album contains very little content, almost entirely screenshots and sheet music related to work. However, in the most prominent position, there is a photo that stands out from the rest of the album.
The photo's resolution isn't top-notch, and the composition is quite casual; it seems to be a candid shot taken by someone else.
In the photo, a girl in a white ballet dress is dancing gracefully, with sunlight filtering through the gaps in the sycamore leaves outside the window, casting dappled shadows on her.
She lightly touched the ground with her toes, stretched her neck, and drew graceful arcs with her arms, completely immersed in the dance with focused concentration.
This is the candid photo that made Meng Xian an overnight internet sensation.
Jiang Mingqian's gaze lingered on the screen for a long time, his eyes somewhat vacant.
Through this photograph, memories seem to drift back to that damp and cold rented room from a few years ago.
Back then, Jiang Mingqian was an unknown underground singer, carrying his guitar and moving from one small, dimly lit livehouse to another, singing his own songs, but with very few audience members.
That night, Jiang Mingqian had just finished a lackluster performance and returned to his rented room, which didn't even have heating. He lay on the cold bed, filled with confusion and self-doubt about the future.
On that night when he couldn't see the way forward, Jiang Mingqian happened to see this photo that was being widely shared on his phone.
The girl, hailed by netizens as the "national school beauty," seemed to possess an untainted beauty and vibrant vitality, instantly inspiring him with a boundless wellspring of inspiration.
Jiang Mingqian stayed up all night and wrote the song "Girl Under the Moonlight" that made him famous and changed his destiny.
It was this song's unexpected popularity that brought Jiang Mingqian from the underground to the stage, making him a household name.
He searched diligently for the person in the photo and finally learned her name—Meng Xian.
From then on, Meng Xian was no longer just a stranger he glimpsed online; she became his faith that supported him through his low points and his muse.
"Are you admiring your muse again?"
Yu Ran walked out of the washroom, her clothes still damp with moisture, and said unsurprisedly.
Jiang Mingqian covered his phone to his chest and gave a barely audible "hmm" in response to Yu Ran's teasing.
After a quick wash, the two went together to the open space outside the dormitory building to meet.
The production crew had already set up the equipment, and a long table was placed in the center of the open space, on which were various kinds of breakfast.
Meng Xian and Ding Manni were standing by the table, receiving their meals from the staff.
The morning light fell on Meng Xian's much thinner figure, making her look somewhat haggard and pale, but adding to her pitiful and endearing appearance.
As soon as Jiang Mingqian saw her, his heart began to pound uncontrollably, and his steps unconsciously slowed down.
"Good morning." Meng Xian looked up and saw them, took the initiative to pick up two breakfasts and handed them over, jokingly saying, "Long time no see."
It feels like quite a long time has passed since Meng Xian was taken away for investigation for setting off fireworks indiscriminately.
Jiang Mingqian took the warm milk and bread, and his fingertips inadvertently touched Meng Xian's slightly cool fingertips, causing his heart to skip a beat.
He looked at Meng Xian and blurted out, "You've lost weight."
Looking at his furrowed brows, Meng Xian smiled gently: "After all, you've been in the police station for a few days, not eating or sleeping well, it's hard not to lose weight."
Jiang Mingqian offered a somewhat clumsy attempt at comforting her, "It's all over now, it's good that everyone's alright. Did you suffer any injustice inside?"
"I wouldn't say I feel wronged, I just overthink things. Mingqian, do you think I did something wrong that upset Mingyan? I always feel like she's never really liked me." Meng Xian raised her eyes, her gaze moist. "I really didn't mean to set off fireworks on the island. I didn't expect Yun Qingqing to call the police so quickly."
Jiang Mingqian hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Rationally, he felt that setting off fireworks on someone else's ecological island without permission was indeed inappropriate for Meng Xian and the others, and Gu Mingyan had every reason to be angry.
But seeing Meng Xian's pitiful appearance and forced smile, his initial disagreement based on principles was quickly overshadowed by his pity.
"Don't blame yourself too much, just be more careful in the future," he said.
As the two were talking, they heard laughter coming from not far away.
Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing walked over together.
Both of them looked radiant and healthy, chatting and laughing as they turned their heads, completely unaware of Jiang Mingqian and Meng Xian on the other side.
Jiang Mingqian's gaze fell on Gu Mingyan's smiling face, which was free of any gloom. Thinking of Meng Xian's words just now, he couldn't help but frown.
Just then, the live streaming devices all lit up with red lights, indicating that the live stream was about to begin.
A staff member stood in the center of the open space with a megaphone: "Good morning, guests! Good morning, viewers in the studio! Welcome back to 'Best Partners'!"
"Considering that today is the first day of the show's resumption, we've set our task to be relatively simple and easy. The theme is—'You in My Eyes'!"
"The task is simple: each guest must create a head-to-toe look for their partner based entirely on their own aesthetic sense and preferences! Once completed, we will return here for a group showcase."
"Please note that the key phrase is 'completely according to your own aesthetic!' We hope to see how you all see each other, so please feel free to express yourselves."
Once the rules were announced, the chat in the live stream room instantly became active.
[It's here! My electronic pickled vegetables are finally back! Days without "Aces Go Places" to watch while eating are truly unbearable!]
[Does the production team know how I've been these past few days without the show airing? I've finally waited so long, sob sob.]
[Our nation's school beauty, Meng Xian, definitely won't lose this round! She's got the looks; she'd look good even in a burlap sack.]
Actually, in terms of looks, Yun Qingqing, who is of the same type, isn't much different.
[Hahaha, I'm looking forward to seeing how Ji Sihan will dress up Nan Xu. He's been wearing a string of ugly clothes since filming started, so his taste must be terrible.]
[The two men's straight-male aesthetics are equally matched; there's no limit to how ugly they can get.]
After two hours of styling, the guests regrouped in the open space.
To maintain the mystery surrounding their final appearance, everyone wore long coats that covered their entire bodies and hats with brims so wide they could cover their faces, making them look like a secret meeting of a mysterious organization.
"After two hours of warm-up, it seems everyone is well-prepared." The director gave the order, "Now, let's start with the male guests and show off your work one by one!"
Standing in the middle, Nan Xu took a deep breath, seemingly preparing himself mentally.
Ji Sihan, standing next to him, rubbed his hands together excitedly, his face full of expectant "Praise me!" expressions.
Nan Xu, as if resigned to his fate, abruptly threw off his long coat, took off his hat, revealing the entire outfit underneath—
For a moment, the open space was silent, then erupted into earth-shattering laughter.
"Pfft—hahaha!" Gu Mingyan was the first to burst into laughter without any restraint.
Yun Qingqing's eyes widened, and she pursed her lips with difficulty.
Nan Xu was wearing a highly saturated fluorescent green tight-fitting T-shirt, with a studded leather vest covered in tassels over it, and shiny tight-fitting pants printed with a huge abstract skull on his lower body.
This outfit, with its conflicting colors and mixed elements, perfectly illustrates what it means to be "ugly in its own unique way."
Nan Xu's expression was indescribable. He tried to raise his hand to look at his fluorescent T-shirt, but ultimately couldn't bear to look at it and turned his head away.
The instigator, Ji Sihan, was completely oblivious, proudly saying, "Isn't it beautiful? Isn't it beautiful? I think this outfit is particularly energetic and will definitely lead a new fashion trend!"
[Help! Hahaha! My eyes are going blind! Ji Sihan's taste has never disappointed me!]
[Does he have a grudge against Nan Xu? He's forcibly dressed him up as a non-mainstream youth.]
[Mainly because Ji Sihan genuinely thinks he put together a fantastic outfit, hahaha.]
In a joyful atmosphere, it was Yu Ran and Jiang Mingqian's turn.
Yu Ran was clearly more self-aware than Ji Sihan. He touched his nose and, somewhat embarrassed, helped Jiang Mingqian take off his coat and hat.
He was wearing a classic red and black plaid shirt, paired with slightly loose blue straight-leg jeans and ordinary white sneakers.
It's not so much ugly as to be utterly unattractive, but rather utterly devoid of any redeeming qualities, perfectly replicating the standard three-piece set of a programmer.
Fortunately, Jiang Mingqian's handsome face was striking enough to make this typical engineer's outfit look good.
Looking at her work, Yu Ran coughed lightly and introduced, "The set I chose is definitely a classic, versatile, and timeless piece. You can't go wrong with it."
He specifically emphasized the words "classic, versatile, and timeless," trying to prove that he had given it thought.
As expected! The straight male duo won't disappoint!
[Haha, although it's ugly, compared to Ji Sihan's level of mental pollution, the plaid shirt actually looks kind of refreshing and refined?]
[Thanks to the contrast with his peers, Ji Sihan has lowered our threshold for ugliness!]
[Stop comparing styles in the comments! These two are equally bad at fashion; one is tacky and trendy, the other is just plain tacky.]
[hahaha, the comment upstairs is so sharp!]
In contrast, the looks created by Nan Xu and Jiang Mingqian for their partner were much more normal, or even more eye-catching.
Nan Xu paired Ji Sihan with a simple dark gray casual suit, which retained Ji Sihan's handsomeness while removing his usual flashy items, making him look clean and neat.
Jiang Mingqian then chose a Japanese-style outfit for Yu Ran, and once the clothes were changed, his delicate features, which had been hidden by the otaku style, were highlighted.
[Nan Xu, being a former agent, has impeccable taste; Ji Sihan looks much better in this outfit!]
[Turns out Yu Ran is quite a handsome young man when he dresses up. What was he wearing before?]
[The male guests have finished watching, quickly bring our female guests to the table!]
Meng Xian glanced at Gu Mingyan subtly, and at the same time, she and Ding Manni took off their hats and coats.
It's clear that they were both worried that following each other's aesthetics would result in an ugly makeup look or a disastrous styling, so their ideas for dressing each other were rather conservative.
The final result was not much different from the image they had cultivated in front of the public before: safe and beautiful, but lacking some surprises.
[A white dress is definitely the most suitable for Xianxian; she looks pure yet elegant, like a fairy!]
[Help! How can she be so fair-skinned, so slim, and so elegant! Every snapshot of her is wallpaper-worthy.]
True beauty doesn't need fancy outfits; a simple white dress is enough to make her look stunning.
[They look good, but something feels off? Didn't the production team require the contestants to be styled according to their own aesthetic? This feels like their personal style has been applied overboard.]
Please understand, what female celebrity wants to be made up to look ugly? Safety comes first.
Meng Xian and Ding Manni were quite satisfied with their makeup and styling.
After their group finished their presentation, it was Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing's turn.
However, when the director signaled that they could demonstrate, Gu Mingyan seemed a little hesitant.
Instead of removing her coverings, she clutched the hem of her coat tightly with both hands and whispered to Yun Qingqing, "Qingqing, do I really look good like this? Isn't it too exaggerated?"
Yun gave her a firm look: "Absolutely beautiful, trust me, I think this is the style that suits you best."
Seeing that Gu Mingyan looked unusually insecure, Meng Xian immediately reminded her softly, "Mingyan, quickly take off your coat and hat, everyone is waiting for you."
Because of this sentence, the comments section also noticed Gu Mingyan's awkwardness:
Why are you dawdling like that? Are you afraid of being overshadowed by Meng Xian's beautiful appearance?
They really do look too alike. With Meng Xian as a perfect example, it's only natural that Gu Mingyan would be afraid of losing face.
I don't think I've ever seen Gu Mingyan wear particularly bright colors. She wears a lot of white dresses in her personal life and for events, which is similar to Meng Xian's style.
[Yeah, it feels like she's always imitating Meng Xian's style, but it just doesn't quite capture the essence.]
Seeing Gu Mingyan dawdling, and recalling Meng Xian's pitiful outpouring earlier, Jiang Mingqian felt a surge of impatience and urged, "Stop dawdling."
Urged on repeatedly, Gu Mingyan steeled her resolve, closed her eyes, and abruptly took off her wide-brimmed hat and long coat.
In an instant, the entire open space seemed to fall silent.
Jiang Mingqian's initially slightly impatient gaze suddenly froze the moment it met Gu Mingyan's.
Yun Qingqing chose a sun-yellow satin gown for her; the well-tailored fabric perfectly accentuated her stunning figure. A rich, bright red lipstick made her skin appear even whiter, radiating confidence and charisma.
[Holy crap?! This is the Gu Mingyan I know?!]
【Oh my god, honey! You look so beautiful! This style suits you so well!】
[It turns out Gu Mingyan looks so good with a bright and glamorous style; her previous innocent and pure image really was a waste of her talent.]
[Yun Qingqing has such amazing taste! She's such a great stylist!]
Gu Mingyan became even more uneasy at the sudden silence. She instinctively reached out to cover her chest with her hand and looked at Yun Qingqing with slight trepidation: "Qingqing, I..."
"Look, everyone's stunned." Yun smiled and took her hand, stopping her from backing away. "I told you you'd suit this style. Your features are actually more defined and striking than most people's, so you can totally pull off this bright and glamorous look."
In order to cater to Ye Jinyan's aesthetic sense, Gu Mingyan usually deliberately downplays the brightness of her facial features, pursuing the so-called "natural beauty" and ethereal look.
However, Yun Qingqing noticed during the last photoshoot that Gu Mingyan's features were actually more defined and bolder than Meng Xian's, making her more suited to this bright and flamboyant makeup.
If Meng Xian is a delicate and elegant ink painting, then Gu Mingyan should be a rich and colorful oil painting.
At this moment, the oil painting reveals its true, dazzling nature.
Yu Ran looked at the person in the dazzling dress under the sunlight and nudged Jiang Mingqian, who was still in a daze, with her elbow: "Mingqian, don't you think... she looks more like the person in that photo now?"
Jiang Mingqian immediately looked away and said to Yu Ran in a stiff tone, "Don't talk nonsense."
His muse has always been Meng Xian, how could it possibly be Gu Mingyan?
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