Duan Xiubo sat cross-legged in the back seat of the car, wearing his headset, and sneakily replayed the video.
The slender young man in the video had explosive physical movements that were so intense they involuntarily tightened Duan’s own muscles to the beat of the music.
Damn, that’s so cool, so cool, so cool…
Tsk, iPhones really are too small. Maybe I’ll check if anyone on set has a Note2 later.
Oh wow, that move was perfect! And this one too! Oh, that one’s good! So good!
He couldn’t help but grin foolishly and even chuckled out loud. Suddenly, a knock on the car window pulled him back to reality.
His expression instantly became composed again. Smiling, he lowered the window. Outside, Yuan Bing rolled her eyes at him and shoved a stack of newspapers through the gap. “Is *New Weekly Entertainment* from your side?”
Duan Xiubo hesitated, then casually placed his phone face down on the seat. “Yeah, why?”
“‘Golden Couple’? ‘Rekindling an old flame in film’? What flame are they talking about? Who’s rekindling anything with you?” Yuan Bing sounded annoyed, tired of always being linked to Duan Xiubo in gossip columns. She was a driven woman who didn’t want to be seen as dependent on anyone, but whenever she appeared next to Duan, she was treated as just an accessory. Being constantly on gossip headlines frustrated her.
Duan Xiubo glanced at the newspaper and, sure enough, *New Weekly Entertainment* had made them the front-page feature. Though the wording seemed objective at first glance, a closer look revealed the writer’s bias in how they phrased things.
Yuan Bing had been dragged into gossip with Duan Xiubo for years. Despite knowing it was all just for hype, Duan Xiubo had never responded or bothered to refute the rumors, acting as if he didn’t see them. However, magazines that worked with KaiXuan Media rarely published this kind of gossip, so even Duan Xiubo felt this situation was a bit unusual.
He took the newspaper from Yuan and smiled at her, teasingly saying, “Yuan Jie, you’re so independent, what’s there to worry about with the gossip?”
Yuan Bing rolled her eyes at him. “What do you mean? Of course it matters who’s saying it. A report from *New Weekly Entertainment* made a few of my friends call and ask if you and I are really together. Can you believe that?”
Duan Xiubo hesitated, unsure if she meant both of them were being clueless or just her, so he awkwardly mumbled, “…Blind.”
“Clueless, my foot! I’m the one who’s clueless!” Yuan Bing had probably just come over to vent. After she got it off her chest, she turned to leave, but Duan Xiubo called out to her.
“Yuan Jie.”
She turned to look at him.
Duan Xiubo grinned. “Do you have your phone with you?”
Yuan Bing pulled out her phone, another iPhone. Duan Xiubo glanced at it and then asked, “Do you have a tablet?”
“No internet,” Yuan replied seriously, “Why?”
Duan Xiubo waved her off and slowly rolled up the window.
Yuan Bing: “…”
Get a grip!
Inside the car, Duan Xiubo was disappointed for only a moment before picking up his phone again, rewinding the video by two minutes. Even though the screen was small and his eyes were starting to get tired, he replayed it two more times before finally exiting full-screen mode. He opened Luo Ding’s Weibo to check his latest post.
After the dance video was released, Luo Ding had posted a soft and cute message, thanking his fans for their support and promising to work hard on his dance practice. The accompanying picture was from the dance studio shown in the video, with two hands pressed together, as if in a high-five. Duan Xiubo recognized the slim, well-manicured hand as Luo Ding’s, while the rougher, hairier one must have belonged to the famous dance coach. Staring at the picture of their hands touching, Duan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his smile faded a bit.
He paused for a moment, then seriously commented: “The photo isn’t great.”
After reconsidering, he deleted the comment and replaced it with: “Next time, just post a selfie instead. XD”
Unexpectedly, this comment quickly gained likes, and even Duan Xiubo was surprised to see the familiar ID rise to the top of the comment section. A strange sense of joy bubbled up inside him, even more so than when his main account would top the rankings.
But as he basked in this joy, his mood suddenly soured again.
“Marry me, my idol!!”
“How can your hands be so alluring?! Even your nails are captivating. I’m losing my mind!”
“Lick those fingers… lick, lick, lick, lick…”
“Dare to show your face so I can lick it too?!”
Duan Xiubo noticed that one user had commented, “Husband, remember to wear warm clothes! I’ll be heartbroken if you catch a cold,” and the profile picture was of… himself. Checking with his main account confirmed that the fan was following him.
With a cold snort, Duan Xiubo harshly clicked “Remove Follower.”
While Duan’s fan sat bewildered, wondering why they’d been removed, Luo Ding was having great success with his dance practice and recording sessions.
The dance routine Vester had choreographed for Luo Ding wasn’t overly complicated, and though it was short, it was captivating if the moves were executed correctly. Luo Ding had a strong dance foundation and picked it up quickly, but he still spent at least thirteen hours a day in the rehearsal room, perfecting his movements and refining his basics. Other than dance, his schedule was relatively clear at the moment.
In the rehearsal room, Luo Ding had his leg resting on the barre, unmoving for a long time. Outside the door, Gu Yaxing peered through the small window for a moment before quietly asking Vester, “Is Luo Ding having any trouble with the routine?”
Vester smiled. “Luo Ding is a hard-working learner. Don’t doubt him. He’s among the most outstanding students I’ve ever taught.”
Vester had been teaching in the West for over a decade, and later semi-retired, taking on only private students. All of them were top-tier celebrities. To receive such high praise from him made Gu Yaxing feel an immense sense of pride.
Thanking Vester and sending him off to rest, Gu stepped into the room, treading lightly as he approached Luo.
Without moving, Luo Ding spoke up. “What’s up?”
“I thought you were asleep,” Gu said, smiling as he quickened his pace to reach Luo’s side. “How about taking a break? You’ve got an event tonight.”
The young man slowly raised his head and straightened his waist. His hair was clipped back, exposing his entire delicate and handsome face. Sweat hadn’t been fully wiped from his forehead, dripping down his hairline to his neck, and resting in the hollow of his collarbone.
Gu’s sharp eyes noticed his collarbone and frowned. “You’ve lost weight again.”
Luo Ding yawned. “What’s the event?”
Gu Yaxing had to let the weight comment slide as he explained, “It’s for *Fashion Weekly*. They want to feature you as next week’s *Fashion Weekly Person*. With your current level of recognition, this is a rare exposure opportunity. So, despite your busy schedule, I accepted it for you.”
*Fashion Weekly*, as one of the top magazines in the country, only had a few slots available for features, so this was not an opportunity to pass up. However…
“*Fashion Weekly Person*?” Luo Ding gave Gu a teasing look. “Why are you hiding the details? It’s just an inside feature, not the cover.”
Gu grinned sheepishly. His authority over Luo Ding had diminished over time. Where he used to be able to manage Luo Ding with seriousness, now he could barely hold his ground without being called out and teased. It hadn’t even been that long.
Luo Ding knew he was lucky to be featured in the magazine’s inside pages, a tough spot to secure. Landing on the cover was reserved for first-tier TV or movie stars. For singers, only those at the level of kings or queens could grace the cover. The standards had always been strict.
Luo Ding lifted his long leg from the barre, stretched his waist, and shook his legs to loosen up his joints. “What time?”
Gu, standing by, quickly answered, “6:30. You’ve got time; it’s only just after eleven.”
“Then I’m going to take a nap. Have Fangyuan come get me at five.”
**********
Luo Ding had moved into his new home, which, though technically someone else’s property, gave him a surprising sense of peace. The house was large, and the clean, minimalist design made the space feel even bigger.
The previous owner had clearly lived there for some time, as there were many everyday items already prepared. Luo Ding wasn’t too picky and used whatever was available without replacing much. What he loved most was the grand piano placed in the corner. It wasn’t the Steinway he was used to playing, but since Luo Ding played mostly to relieve stress, the brand didn’t matter as much.
Luo Ding had been wound up like a tight string lately, never letting himself relax, so when he finally did, exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave.
No one knew just how much Luo Ding cared about the success of this EP, not even Gu Yaxing or Wu Fangyuan. Luo Ding had become adept at hiding his negative emotions, making it difficult for others to guess his true thoughts. His calm exterior even helped ease the tension of those around him, allowing them to work more smoothly. As a result all the pressure unknowingly fell onto his shoulders alone. Apart from enduring it, Luo Ding had no other choice.
The entertainment industry was unpredictable. One moment it might be clear skies, and the next, it could be stormy weather. Over the years, Luo Ding had survived by constantly flipping the game, struggling in between triumphs and setbacks. He had long learned not to relax, even when things seemed to be going well. Fans might appear eager for the EP, but that didn’t mean they would actually buy it. All around him, rival singers were eyeing him like predators, and Western, Japanese, and Korean music had more popularity than domestic music…
The pressure was overwhelming.
He lay back on the sofa, the smell of the leather unpleasant, so he rolled onto the carpet instead. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he sought comfort from the internet.
The main page was filled with messages of support from fans, like a warm spring flowing into his heart, sweetened with honey.
At the very top was a username that stood out, looking slightly out of place among the other comments.
“Alessandro?” Such a formal name, but the comment it left was soft and cute, complete with an emoji.
He clicked on the user’s profile and saw that it was a new account, mainly retweeting posts about him, and the only person it followed was Luo Ding.
“Maybe it’s a bot account?”
Luo Ding’s finger hovered over the “remove” option for a moment, but when he thought of the XD emoji, he decided not to press it.
**********
*Fashion Weekly* was always busy, all year round.
As the editor-in-chief, Ji Jiahe spent most of his time mingling at various social events—annual meetings, anniversaries, fashion shows, launches… the list went on and on. The combined edition of the annual issue had achieved unexpected sales, delivering a slap to the faces of those higher-ups who had initially rejected half of his submission. Ji Jiahe was in high spirits.
Those who had stubbornly caused losses to the magazine were now too scared to confront him, and Ji Jiahe had regained his prestige. Currently riding high, he had become untouchable. For the time being, *Fashion Weekly* was his kingdom, and it was his decision to feature Luo Ding as the *Fashion Weekly Person* in the next issue.
In reality, the standards for getting into the inside pages, though lower than making the cover, were still beyond Luo Ding’s reach. Compared to most of the past *Fashion Weekly Persons*, his mainstream recognition was almost nonexistent. Even those who had less fame than Luo Ding were usually at the pinnacle of the fashion or modeling industry. But Luo Ding was neither a professional model nor a top-tier actor. Though he was widely recognized online, that meant little to a magazine without a digital version.
However, no one dared to argue with Ji Jiahe when he was at his peak. Still, there was plenty of gossip going around behind the scenes.
This week’s cover star was none other than the famous movie king, Duan Xiubo . When people compared the two, many felt there was a mismatch between them in terms of their status.
Everyone knew Ji Jiahe’s diverse tastes, so some had their suspicions.
“Could he have been… you know, ‘helped’ along? I’ve seen Luo Ding’s photos online, and he’s definitely good-looking.”
“Who knows? Haha, though I wonder who’s on top… Ji Jiahe or Luo Ding…”
“Is Ji Jiahe the effeminate one?”
“Or is Luo Ding the effeminate one?”
“Who knows if he’s effeminate,” the speaker smirked with malice. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
The sound of camera shutters clicking filled the studio as the photographer took the last shots. As the photographer reviewed the photos, the crew gathered to adjust their outfits, apply makeup, and fix hair. Duan Xiubo casually glanced at his watch and then smiled at two girls standing nearby, moving props. “Who were you talking about just now?”
Though the studio was noisy, the two girls were close by and had high-pitched voices, so Duan Xiubo had heard their conversation in full.
Startled, they exchanged nervous glances before stammering, “We… we were talking about the *Fashion Weekly Person* for this issue. Um, the full-page feature.”
“Luo Ding?” Duan Xiubo asked.
The girls, still flustered, replied awkwardly, “…Yeah…” It was a peculiar mixture of guilt and shame, the kind that came from being caught gossiping.
Duan’s brows furrowed as his smile slowly faded. Without saying another word to them, he turned to let the stylist fix his collar. He had heard their entire conversation—comments about Luo Ding being effeminate and their insinuations about sleeping his way to the top. Over an inside magazine spread, no less. What a joke.
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