Starlight Descends - 57
Suit
By mid-December, preparations for Fengxing's new product launch had finally been completed.
The venue was C City's largest national convention center. Giant promotional posters dominated the landscape, playing on a loop across mall LED screens.
Inside malls, out on the busiest pedestrian streets, even splashed across social media app loading pages, the campaign was everywhere. With extraordinary fanfare, the X-11 Series finally made its entrance.
The day of the launch event.
The event was set to start at 2:30 p.m., but Qi Yao started hair and makeup at nine in the morning. A crowd of people had already arrived at her apartment. Stylists and makeup artists carried in cases and equipment, the living room felt noticeably cramped.
"The sizing on these dresses from the brand is completely off. Three gowns, and not a single one fits. What's going on?” Qiao Nian frowned as she sorted through the gowns hanging on the rack before stepping outside to make a call.
Qi Yao glanced over her shoulder.
The luxury brands had only started approaching her recently. At best, she qualified as a brand ambassador, and one near the bottom of the hierarchy at that. It was hardly surprising she wasn't getting special treatment. Holding a dress up against herself, she figured she could maybe, barely, squeeze into it. It would be best if they could fix it, but if not, she'd just have to endure.
"Let's do the makeup first," she said.
The makeup artist nodded and got to work with practiced efficiency, beginning to apply the base.
With her eyes closed, Qi Yao silently rehearsed the event script.
Her segment only included interviews and Q&A. She wasn't responsible for product introductions. Even so, basic professionalism mattered. She mentally reviewed all the specifications and information about the new release again in case the media threw her a curveball.
She had just reached the section about the chip when the makeup artist moved to her eye makeup. Feeling the familiar targeted motion, Qi Yao's lashes fluttered, and she abruptly opened her eyes.
Quietly stared at the face reflected in the mirror, she pressed her lips together, and said softly, "Don't cover it anymore."
The makeup artist's hand, holding the powder puff, froze. "Huh?" she managed hesitantly. "But… isn't President Qiu supposed to be there today? Wouldn't it be better if…"
"I don't care."
Qi Yao met her own eyes in the mirror and blinked slowly. Her voice was soft but unwavering. "From now on, we're not covering it."
"...Okay," the makeup artist replied.
***
Out on the balcony, Qiao Nian finished her call. The contact had apologized profusely, guaranteeing a replacement gown in the correct size would arrive within the hour.
She was so unused to being treated that way that she almost didn't know how to react. After a brief hesitation, she only managed a thank you.
After hanging up, Qiao Nian remained where she was, looking at the woman seated before the vanity, and found herself overwhelmed with emotion.
Qi Yao had never followed the route of some pampered beauty handed success by fate. Every resource she'd earned came from auditioning for roles herself, climbing up the ladder one steady, hard-won rung at a time.
If there was any place where capital could truly dominate everything, it was undoubtedly the chaotic entertainment industry.
Truth and lies, schemes and interests, public performances and hidden dealings, the thousand masks everyone wore; wade through those murky waters, and you'd turn muddy yourself.
It was only the rare, fleeting glimpse of someone truly clean and pristine that could pull you out of that muddy world.
Qiao Nian let out a long breath and lowered her head to read a message from her team.
This industry survived on rumors. Agencies monitored every wave of public opinion, large or small. Though, most never gained traction and were simply ignored.
Some time ago, when Qi Yao had fallen ill and collapsed on set, some marketing accounts praised her dedication while others twisted the story to accuse her of acting like a diva. Fans had controlled the comments well enough that it never exploded into a major scandal, but that didn't mean there were no ripples left.
She opened the link that had been sent to her.
It was a long screenshot from a social media platform. The title read: "A Certain Rising Actress Slept Her Way to the Top and Is Reaping Massive Rewards." Qiao Nian's heart skipped. She immediately scrolled down.
"No vested interest here. Just heard this from a friend. There are way too many red flags and I can't hold it in anymore. Just venting. Not naming names. Read it if you want."
"A two-character traffic starlet. Recently landed a major endorsement deal and is always thirsting on the hot search with constant self-promotion. Honestly sick of seeing her."
"Here's what happened. My friend A works at the company she's endorsing. Just a regular office worker, not in management. One day they overheard the interview panel chatting in the break room, saying that this actress and the boss's son seem to have some kind of relationship."
"The son has been working at this company recently because the big boss forced him to, so let's call him Little Boss. According to the gossip, Little Boss and the actress were high school classmates."
"My friend didn't think much of it at first. Relationships are complicated, right? But later they stumbled across Little Boss's private Weibo and noticed constant traces of the actress appearing all over it. That's when things started feeling suspicious."
"First, a huge ultra-rare internal selection opportunity fell right into the actress's lap. (I won't even list the legends who were in the running, they're Best Actress-level people) Let's give her the benefit of the doubt and say she was just lucky or insanely talented."
"But what's more insane was the background-check period. Every other candidate had a clean record. Only she got hit with a serious relationship scandal that stayed on the trending list for days. And somehow she still wasn't removed from the final selection!"
"Not only that, Little Boss even posted a cryptic Weibo that included a photo of the two of them together. I was absolutely shocked! Can backdoor deals really be this blatant? If you're going to show off your relationship, at least wait until the heat dies down, no? Don't assume people on the internet can't figure out who's who!"
"This actress is unbelievably 'lucky.' Not only did someone help clean up her mess, but she also somehow skipped the second round of interviews. All those messy scandals vanished as if they'd never happened!"
"She spent less than twenty minutes in the conference room during the third round, then somehow crushed all those major names and walked away with the giant prize. Can anyone understand how shocked I am?"
"Who wouldn't call that skillful? Climbing the ladder by stepping on men (and from what my friend says, Little Boss is crazy handsome too, so she scored big). Truly a role model to us all!"
...
The post was followed by several WeChat chat screenshots.
[Friend]: I'm dying laughing. How did this actress even hook our Little Boss? Must've photoshopped herself frame by frame. Whoever dates her got scammed big time
[Friend]: Oh my god, look at this photo. Not to sound overconfident, but seriously. She's not even prettier than me.
The image was heavily censored and impossible to make out. Only the original poster's reply was visible: “So true.”
Scrolling to the end, Qiao Nian saw the post was dated from late November. Fengxing hadn't officially announced the endorsement at the time, so nobody had successfully identified the people involved. People in the thread had just been guessing, and the post eventually sank into oblivion. Now it was deliberately dredged up by someone with ill intentions.
Qiao Nian searched Weibo and immediately recognized what was happening. Some rival companies had clearly paid a coordinated smear campaign; multiple marketing accounts were posting in waves, even using a unified hashtag.
It was hitting right during the morning commute doom-scrolling hour, peak traffic, and the topic was steadily gaining momentum.
The comments section was exploding. When netizens investigated gossip, their detective skills rivaled hackers. Within two hours, they'd identified nearly everyone mentioned in the post.
"Case solved. The two-character actress is qy. The endorsement is Fengxing, the one holding the launch event this afternoon. Little Boss should be this guy. [image] It's a private account, very few posts, not much on it."
"So? This handsome guy's Weibo verification says Jingfan? Never even heard of that company. What's his connection to Fengxing?"
"If you're ignorant, stop embarrassing yourself. Just search for the XM Chip and you'll understand. Anyone who pays a little attention to semiconductors or the STAR Market knows about them. The stock is booming. Tons of potential."
"I looked it up on corporate records. This guy is Jingfan's legal representative. Fengxing is the largest investor, in other words, Yu Chongshan. You don't seriously think that surname is a coincidence, do you?"
"Oh my god, their photo looks amazing. It's got that movie-poster vibe. Feels like the cover of a romance drama."
"Who cares if she looks good? Lmao. Wasn't she already accused of being a mistress before? Backdoor deals aren't exactly surprising."
"Here comes another one who acts like they know everything. Did you skip the official clarification? Or does your internet only show you rumors?"
"This whole thread is weird. Why can't they just be dating? Why does everyone insist on assuming the worst?"
"Honestly, I'm more inclined to believe it's transactional rather than a romantic relationship. This is Fengxing's heir we're talking about. Look at his resume. Why would someone like that look at the entertainment industry just to date someone? Rich second-generation guys usually just play around with celebrities and bail."
"Agreed. These days, no young actress survives without a backing. Her resources this year have been ridiculously good, and that public opinion storm from before managed to flipped overnight. Who's going to believe she doesn't have a backer?"
"So that's it. I always wondered why everyone praised her online despite being such a resource favorite. Turns out she has connections at the top. Well, I guess women who rely on men really do play by different rules..."
...
Beyond that, netizens had even traced the social media account of the so-called "OP's friend's” through the censored profile picture and color patterns in the photo.
As fate would have it, she'd actually posted the same picture on a public platform.
"Got a photo with #QiYao# today! She's unbelievably gorgeous in person! Standing next to her made me feel so insecure, sob sob. [image]"
The moment Qiao Nian opened it, she nearly needed a deep breath to stop herself from having a heart attack.
The image had obviously been maliciously edited. Qi Yao's silhouette had been stretched outward to visually make her look at least ten pounds heavier.
Qi Yao wasn't naturally pale-skinned, but years of sun protection and careful dieting had brought her about as close to fair-skinned as most Asians could realistically get. Yet in this picture she looked two shades darker than the so-called "OP's friend,” making the contrast glaringly obvious.
Because the post included a hashtag, plenty of random users had flooded into the comments.
"You're a thousand times prettier than her, sis! You're so beautiful, waaah, you totally overshadow her!"
"OMG, is this what QY looks like without editing? So terrifying, her studio team are miracle workers."
"...Are you sure this isn't some green tea act? Anyone who's seen QY on variety shows or at events knows she looks nothing like this. Bad angles happen, but this photoshop is way over the line."
"Stay in your lane and don't bring your fandom nonsense here. You think everyone's out to get your precious idol? Someone's just sharing a photo, don't make malicious assumptions. You're gorgeous, OP, support."
"@xxx HOLY SHIT COME LOOK. This girl is stunning, totally outshines celebrities."
"..."
Qiao Nian was speechless. Taking a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to call Qiu Lang.
The issue still hasn't gained major traction. It had probably just been dug up and hadn't fermented enough to hit the trending list. Normally they could ignore something like this for a while, but this afternoon was a critical moment. Given how deliberate it seemed, it was better to strangle it in the crib.
Qi Yao was completely oblivious to all this. She didn't even have time to touch her phone. After makeup came hairstyling, and by the time all the tedious preparations were finished, the replacement gown had arrived.
A black satin gown with thin straps.
Elegant without being conventional. A slit ran up the left side all the way to the upper thigh. The design was breathtaking; she could hear Lizi gasp audibly nearby. It really was stunning.
"Why is it black?" Qiao Nian had just finished briefing Qiu Lang when she turned around and saw the dress. Her headache instantly tripled. Pulling out her phone again, she said irritably, "Didn't we specifically ask for light colors?"
It wasn't her being difficult. To match both her personal image and the brand image, Qi Yao had always presented a pure, gentle appearance. Besides, her styling plan had already been approved by the organizers. Last-minute changes were troublesome.
Qi Yao glanced at the clock. The were pointing straight up, nearly noon.
Even if they requested another dress now, there wouldn't be enough time.
"Forget it." Qi Yao held the dress up against herself; at least the size was right. Looking at the clock again, she waved a hand to stop Qiao Nian. "This'll do."
Qiao Nian checked the time as well and let out a long breath, her face grim. "Fine."
"Let's get changed." Qi Yao beckoned Lizi over, then told the makeup artist to stay. "We might need to switch up the lipstick shade for this."
***
The Convention center.
A national landmark in C City, reportedly built with an investment exceeding three billion yuan. Covering a vast area, the six-story structure combined a glass dome with towering curtain walls, grand and imposing, gleaming beneath the sunlight.
Qi Yao arrived at exactly two o'clock.
The moment she stepped out of the nanny van, shutters erupted in rapid succession and camera flashes exploded around her.
"The launch is huge. Excluding executives and industry leaders, there are over three hundred attendees. Around fifty are fans, a hundred are independent tech vloggers, fifty slots for enthusiasts, the rest should be standard media." Qiao Nian briefed her quickly as they walked.
"Fengxing has always done things differently. There's a live audience interaction segment, and they don't plant questions. Everything is unscripted. If someone asks something difficult, just play dumb and move on."
Surrounded by people, they were ushered through the doors of the convention center. With cameras pointed at them from every direction, Qiao Nian lowered her voice.
She'd never worried that Qi Yao might say something reckless in public or lash out at reporters the way some celebrities did. Qi Yao always know exactly where the line was.
But circumstances were urgent. After checking the situation online during the drive, it seemed the trending topic still hadn't been suppressed. So Qiao Nian added one more warning.
"President Qiu and I are both on site. Whatever happens, don't panic. Just keep steady on stage. Remember, the whole thing is being livestreamed globally."
Qi Yao glanced at her, expression remained calm. A moment later she looked ahead again and answered softly, "Got it."
The black strappy heels added eight centimeters to her height, yet she moved with effortless speed and grace. The hem of her gown swayed behind her, revealing flashes of long, pale legs through the slit.
By the time they reached the elevators, the crowd behind them could no longer squeeze in. Security blocked everyone except the core team, and the entrance became a sea of people.
Qi Yao stepped into the center of the elevator and turned around.
Her long lashes fluttered. Qi Yao's expression was calm, her eyes lifting casually, when she inadvertently caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance. She froze.
It was the brightest part of the day, the glass entrance doors stood open, pouring scattered sunlight across the floor.
The chaotic crowd seemed to part to either side, clearing a broad, bright path.
The man was in a formal suit.
His stride wasn't hurried, yet he seemed impossibly tall and straight. As he approached, people unconsciously moved aside. His presence alone carried tremendous weight.
The impeccably tailored black suit emphasized broad shoulders and a narrow waist. A matching tie sat neatly in place. Long legs were wrapped in sharply pressed trousers, even the fabric moving with crisp precision as he walked.
The pressure of his presence hit her.
Not the manufactured aura built up with background music and dramatic editing. Not a carefully rehearsed display of charisma.
It was something innate, an effortless, almost careless elegance, a natural-born grace.
He was casually turning his head, speaking to the person beside him.
Dark hair fell across his forehead. His nose bridge and brow bone were sharply defined, his jawline sharp and clean. A stretch of neck extended above his shirt collar, smooth and elegant. His prominent Adam's apple shifted once.
Then his lashes lowered lazily.
And he turned back.
Across a distance of only a few meters, their gazes met.
In an instant, all the surrounding noise seemed to drift far away. The chaotic chatter, the endless shutter clicks, all of it disappeared. Even the flashes no longer hurt her eyes.
Across the crowd, they looked at each other.
Those dark eyes fixed directly on her.
A few seconds later, Yu Jiashu seemed to raise an eyebrow ever so slightly.
Perhaps a long time passed.
Perhaps no time passed at all.
Only when a security guard stepped forward to ask whether he would be taking the same elevator upstairs did Yu Jiashu finally look away from her.
The corner of his mouth curved up into a faint smile. He gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod and lifted his right hand in a small, easy gesture. Ladies first.
The elevator doors slowly closed, sealing off the relentless camera flashes outside and leaving behind a photograph-worthy scene of a man in a suit and a woman in an evening gown staring at each other amid the crowd.
The instant the doors sealed shut.
Within the narrow, quiet space, the soft hum of machinery echoed.
And something else.
Thump. Thump.
For the first time in a very long while, Qi Yao heard the sound of her own heart beating rapidly inside her chest.
---
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