Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 202 As the music started, Emperor Gu received his award.
Mid-December passed by on the set of "Go Go Squid!", and Gu Jingyi started taking leave again from December 22nd.

As the year draws to a close, all the major award ceremonies have begun.

As a superstar who excels in film, television, and music, Gu Jingyi has received numerous invitations to award ceremonies.

Based on their importance, Lin Ze selectively accepted a few calls for Gu Jingyi.

"Jingyi, Tencent's Star Awards are scheduled for December 26th. You've been nominated for Breakthrough TV Actor of the Year and Breakthrough Film Actor of the Year."

In the van, Lin Ze took advantage of the journey to the airport to show Gu Jingyi the itinerary and explained the week's schedule to him.

"Really?" Gu Jingyi raised an eyebrow. He asked in surprise, "Isn't my 'Ashes of Love' delayed until January next year? 'Better Days' is also in the backlog. Only 'Take My Brother Away' is currently airing. Can a drama that isn't airing still win an award?"

"Of course," Lin Ze said, handing the compiled data directly to Gu Jingyi.

"Look, this is the data after the second and third runs of 'A Love So Beautiful.' It's clear that there's no obvious decline. In fact, as you become more and more popular, it has attracted new casual viewers or fans to come and watch the show. The popularity of this Tencent show has remained high, and many fans have even subscribed to a membership just to skip the 60-second super long ad at the beginning."

Gu Jingyi glanced at the data and said, "What a rip-off! When I took on this role, the company only paid me 30 yuan per episode, not including profit sharing and taxes. Tencent Video really snagged me at a bargain price. With this kind of revenue, they can't possibly not give me an award."

"There's nothing we can do about it. It's hard for newcomers in the industry to make it big. Jingyi, you were chosen by President Zhao from among the students during the art exam. Not everyone has such outstanding looks as you. And even if you hadn't hitched a ride on 'Idol Producer,' you could still have built a 'Tencent direct descendant' status by having your first drama be a hit exclusively broadcast by Tencent."

"With your strategy, you can't possibly lose to Yang Yang."

Gu Jingyi did not deny that if it weren't for "Idol Producer," he might have actually followed Tencent's path.

Tencent's historical romance dramas and Huace's modern romance dramas are enough to make Gu Jingyi a top star.

"BL adaptation 2.0" was something Gu Jingyi had never imagined.

Even if he starved to death or jumped off the Huace Building, he would never film "The Untamed" with Xiao Zhan. It wasn't that Gu Jingyi was particularly aloof.

It's because this IP is so famous in the BL (Boys' Love) genre that the author has an overwhelming level of popularity.

The works also rose in popularity, and the fans became the most dedicated and fan-oriented group.

With Gu Jingyi's looks and figure, if she were to film a movie, she would definitely end up having a passionate affair with "Zhan Zhan".

He clearly remembered that in his previous life, some CP fans were already in their 30s and still called Xiao Zhan's daughter-in-law every day.

Every time Wang Yibo is mentioned, it's always "son, son".

She's over 30 years old, yet she acts like a lovesick girl.

This is too terrible!

Are Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo on good terms? They've been estranged for ages.

I bet both of you would find it disgusting to hear that…

The thought of receiving the same treatment as his neck if the photo was taken made Gu Jingyi's vision go black.

He'd rather follow the path of Wu Lei (Lee Siu-ying), making his fortune from Tencent's historical dramas than take advantage of the easy money from BL (Boys' Love) films...

"Jiang Chen" is a good name, serving as Gu Jingyi's starting point after returning to China.

While it may not be a blockbuster, it's a pretty good start.

It was thanks to this drama that Gu Jingyi was able to negotiate terms with iQiyi directly when he entered "Idol Producer".

This prevented the production team from maliciously editing Gu Jingyi's performance, allowing her to leverage her advantages exponentially.

"A Love So Beautiful" is of great significance to Gu Jingyi, so he naturally attended the Starlight Night.

There aren't many contenders competing with him for Breakthrough Actor in a Television Series this year; let's take a look at these candidates.

Nie Yuan, who became popular again with his role as "Emperor Qianlong" in "Story of Yanxi Palace", and Xu Kai, who broke through as a newcomer actor with his role as "Fu Heng" in "Story of Yanxi Palace".

Finally, Bai Yu, one of the two male leads in the phenomenal web series "Guardian," was also nominated for this award.

Of these, only Bai Yu could barely be considered a stepping stone for Gu Jingyi.

"Story of Yanxi Palace" is a work by Yu Zheng, and it is well known that his dramas usually promote his own people.

Nie Yuan, the male lead, did not achieve the same level of popularity as Xu Kai's "Fu Heng".

However, the most promoted actress in this TV series is Wu Jinyan, who went from being virtually unknown to becoming a rising star.

Even Qin Lan, who played the beloved Empress Fucha, experienced a career resurgence.

The highlights and popularity of "A Love So Beautiful" are 80% focused on the male lead.

Gu Jingyi has no chance of losing when competing against male actors in this kind of female-centric drama.

"The winner of the 2018 Tencent Video Star Awards' Most Popular TV Drama Actor is..."

The award presenter held a teleprompter, drawing out the syllables.

On the big screen, the faces of candidates Gu Jingyi, Xu Kai, Nie Yuan, and Bai Yu flashed by one by one.

When the camera switched to Gu Jingyi, the screams in the arena almost lifted the roof off.

"Ahhh, Gu Jingyi!"

"Gu Jingyi! Gu Shen!!"

"Gu Jingyi, you're the best!"

Voices came from the audience. They waved their banners so loudly they almost tore them apart.

After building up the anticipation, the presenter finally announced the winner:
"Gu Jingyi! Congratulations, please come up on stage to accept your award and give your acceptance speech."

Sitting next to Gu Jingyi was Bai Yu, who was not sitting with the cast of "A Love So Beautiful" today.

In the industry, seniority is determined by popularity at major award ceremonies, and with Gu Jingyi's current popularity, he has directly secured a spot at the small round table where the "top influencers" are seated.

Shen Yue doesn't yet have the qualifications to sit at the table.

This also means that he won't be able to contribute harmonious scenes for the drama's fans like the creators of "Story of Yanxi Palace" did tonight.

But it doesn't matter, 90% of the fans of "A Love So Beautiful" have been turned into Jiang Chen's die-hard fans.

As fans of the drama who have a good impression of Gu Jingyi, we all watched "The Idol Producer".

After watching "Idol Producer," Xiufen could only sit at home and watch "A Love So Beautiful" and "Take My Brother Away" over and over again while waiting for her brother's drama to air.

The vast majority of these viewers or passersby had a favorable impression of Gu Jingyi.

It's normal to be captivated by "Jiang Chen," after all, Gu Jingyi is far superior to Hu Yitian in the original timeline in both looks and acting skills.

This resulted in the drama, which aired at the end of last year, maintaining its popularity until the end of 2018. Benefiting from this long-tail effect, Gu Jingyi was nominated for awards again.

Standing on the stage, Gu Jingyi held the trophy and flashed his standard business smile.

“I am very honored to receive this honor. Breakthroughs mean constantly pushing my own limits. In 2019, I will present even more diverse works to everyone. Thank you Huace, thank you Mr. Zhao. Thank you to my fans and the ‘A Love So Beautiful’ team. Thank you all, this trophy is also a testament to your hard work.”

"Ahhh, brother!"

"Jingyi!"

The more sentimental fans in the audience were moved to tears, cheering for Gu Jingyi with tears in their eyes.

After the awards for the TV drama category were presented, it was quickly followed by this year's "VIP Star" award.

"Jingyi, who do you think should receive this award?"

Bai Yu tilted his head and whispered to Gu Jingyi.

"It should be Yangyang, but Yang Ying is also a possibility."

Gu Jingyi smiled and gave his answer.

Speaking of which, the "VIP Star" award is almost a case of "the top stars come and go, but Teacher Yangyang remains a constant."

From 2017 to 2020, Teacher Yangyang's name was consistently listed among them.

Starting in 23, the prestige of this award began to diminish.

"Late Emperor," a rising star, can be won over by Xiao Ding from the same building.

However, the "VIP Star of the Year" in 2018 still did not receive any "pork distribution".

2016 was Li Yifeng alone, 2017 was Yang Mi and Yangyang.

Yang Ying and Yang Yang were born in 2018, but the "pork distribution" will begin in 2019.

The number of participants increased from two to many, which reduced the value of the performance but created a "unrepeatable moment in the history of Chinese entertainment".

A group photo shows Yang Mi, Dilraba Dilmurat, Zhao Liying, Chris, Yang Yang, Xiao Zhan, and Wang Yibo all gathered together.

A sewing machine is impossible to reproduce now, which is why it's impossible to replicate.

Gu Jingyi will definitely participate in 2019. His drama with Dilraba Dilmurat, "You Are My Glory," is a Tencent production.

Congratulations to the Star Awards next year for having the honor of inviting Gu Jingyi, the "King of Big Hit" who starred in both "Ashes of Love" and "Go Go Squid!", to attend.

During the casual conversation, the awards were presented.

"The winner of the VIP Star of the Year award is..."

Congratulations to Yangyang and Yangying!

Bai Yu was somewhat surprised, "Wow, you even knew that."

"It's easy to guess, both of them are from Tencent."

Gu Jingyi waved his hand, adopting a low-key demeanor.

There were some performances interspersed throughout, and finally the awards for the film category were presented.

"The winner of the 2018 Star Awards' Most Popular Film Actor award is..."

The big screen then began to cut in close-ups of the candidates one by one, and when Gu Jingyi's face appeared, the scene was a sea of ​​"black and gold".

"Congratulations to Gu Jingyi!"

As the award was announced, rousing music began to play.

Surrounded by cheers, Gu Jingyi went on stage again to receive the award.

"Thank you to Huace for nurturing me, and thank you to the crew of 'Take My Brother Away.' Thank you, Director Zheng, and every one of my fans who are happy for my happiness..."

Fans who were mentioned by their idol screamed and held up their light sticks.

The director cut to a close-up shot of the audience seating arranged in a U-shape.

This vast "sea of ​​black gold" occupies about a third of the seats tonight.

It's magnificent, it's something to be so proud of.

Gu Jingyi's popularity is truly astonishing.

Perhaps to appease the "A Love So Beautiful" cast who had traveled a long way, Gu Jingyi and Shen Yue went on stage together to accept the "Best Web Series Couple of the Year" award before concluding his Star Awards journey.

Generally, there is a banquet after the awards ceremony.

Of course, celebrities aren't just for making a living; they're for building connections. Amidst the clinking of glasses, resources are exchanged in a series of power games...

Even if Gu Jingyi, who stands at the top of the pyramid, isn't interested in her, there are plenty of people throwing themselves at her.

His appearance attracts countless people.

In the past, Gu Jingyi might have given in halfway.

Forget about it now; he's used to Michelin-starred restaurants and doesn't want to eat at roadside stalls.

As expected, press releases about Gu Jingyi appeared online after the Star Awards ended.

"A historic showdown between top male celebrities: who won and who lost?"

Click to see, and you'll find Gu Jingyi dressed in Dior's latest Fall/Winter collection and Chris wearing Burberry's current season style.

Whether it's looks or fashion resources, Gu Jingyi is the clear winner.

Gu Jingyi has not issued any press releases similar to these.

These are all marketing accounts creating their own buzz for traffic.

She's not a female celebrity, so she doesn't need to market her looks anymore.

Only obscure celebrities who aren't popular enough need to find a sense of presence in these places.

Even if he does nothing, he will still be analyzed and discussed by marketing accounts on Weibo such as "raw photo destroyer" and "let's look at handsome guys together".

It has once again secured a place on various beauty rankings and in viral photos of handsome men.

Two days later, Weibo Night.

After getting her hair styled at the beauty salon, Gu Jingyi wore a black suit from Maison Margiela's 2019 Fall/Winter Artisanal Haute Couture collection.

Designed by creative director John Galliano, this collection features deconstructed suits that break away from traditional formal wear with asymmetrical lapels and waist pleats, paired with Chopard diamond jewelry, resulting in an overall look that is both experimental and sophisticated.

A burgundy stitched suit jacket paired with a patterned overcoat exudes elegance with every gesture.

As soon as Gu Jingyi got into the car, Lin Ze looked at his outfit and exclaimed, "Jingyi, no wonder you didn't wear Dior haute couture today and chose a Gallardo design instead. I initially thought this brand was a bit low-class, but I didn't expect it to suit you so well."

"With my current popularity, I don't need to compare myself to different haute couture brands. For my fans, suitable full-line haute couture > suitable guest haute couture > unsuitable haute couture > suitable high luxury."

Gu Jingyi twirled the 17.32-carat Chopard red agate ring on his hand and calmly spoke.

His Maison Margiela haute couture outfit is by no means low-end; it's from a long-established haute couture brand that pays great attention to style and is rarely lent out.

Haute couture also has different tiers; above this brand are only Chanel, Christian Dior, Armani Price, and Valentio.
These four are top-tier haute couture, standing out in the haute couture world.

Gu Jingyi had previously only worn ultra-luxury clothing from the previous seasons; Dior haute couture could only be borrowed by Dior's most favored ambassadors.

However, Dior's haute couture line is not as extensive as the brand that Gallagher works for.

Pirate King once worked for Dior, and his style was passionate and bold, like a richly colored oil painting. Gu Jingyi's cool and aloof temperament, combined with his strikingly handsome features, made him a perfect fit for this established haute couture brand.

In the Chinese entertainment industry in 2018, not to mention haute couture, even luxury brands were extremely aloof.

Male celebrities who can borrow haute couture can easily outshine a large number of others, like Gu Jingyi's good teammate Cai Xukun. He recently attended the Tencent Video All Star Awards wearing a Zuhair Murad haute couture outfit.

According to the haute couture hierarchy, the third tier is the more luxurious haute couture.

Even so, Ikun (fans of Ikun) praised it highly, until casual observers started to question it.

"Wait, isn't this brand in the same league as Georges Hobeika? I seem to remember that Yang Ying once went viral for changing seven different haute couture outfits from this brand in one day? If your Kun Kun is really that amazing, why doesn't he change outfits several times a day like Yang Ying?"

Ikun completely lost their temper, calling the other person a hater. All that buildup was just to smear their idol.

Some illiterate fans even dragged Gu Jingyi's outfit from the Star Awards two days prior into the comparison, saying that Gu Jingyi's treatment as "Asian Brand Ambassador" was terrible. They claimed he couldn't even borrow haute couture, and that his ultra-luxury outfits were inferior to his own brother's.

In the comments section, helpful bystanders immediately explained that Gu Jingyi was wearing Christians, a sub-brand of Dior Haute Couture. The misconception arises because Dior Haute Couture is more famous for its women's wear; it's simply that Dior Haute Couture only offers women's clothing.

IKUN has broken down again, and Cai Xukun's anti-blacklisting team directly called out that passerby.

"@CaiXuKunAnti-BlackStation: All IKUNs, listen up! Someone is smearing our idol! The link has been posted, remember to report it every day. Choose 'yhsq' as the reason for your report, let's protect our idol together!"

Following reports from tens of thousands of people, the Weibo account of the kind passerby was indeed suspended.

In a fit of anger, he directly posted a screenshot of his previous science popularization statement using his popular fashion account.

@Fashion Veteran: There really are boundaries in the fashion world, and it's okay if you don't understand them. Just listen to my explanation and open your eyes to the world. (Screenshot)

IKUN rose to fame overnight, but his reputation plummeted.

Only then did everyone realize that Gu Jingyi was already dressed beautifully in top-tier haute couture.

Wow, this kind of treatment is truly unique in the Chinese entertainment industry, isn't it?

Fans couldn't even imagine it, but Gu Jingyi accomplished it.

The fans of Jingfei were overjoyed in the super topic, feeling so good to be carried by their idol!
However, while Dior haute couture is expensive, Gu Jingyi felt that he couldn't fully utilize his own strengths.

So let's try something different this time for Weibo Night.

This outfit really does give off a warlord vibe.

Gu Jingyi is destined to be the star of the night.

"Gu Jingyi! Look here!"

The moment he appeared on the red carpet, the sound of camera shutters almost drowned out the screams.

The moment they entered the venue, Maison Margiela boldly reposted Gu Jingyi's unedited photos to claim her as their own.

The hashtag #Gu JingyiMaison Margiela# quickly became a trending topic, with major fashion bloggers taking turns to analyze Gu Jingyi's outfit.

"Let's briefly discuss Gu Jingyi's outfit today. It's from the long-established haute couture brand Maison Margiela. Not to mention male stars, even actresses born in the 85s would have a hard time borrowing it. Especially since he's wearing a Maison Margiela design by Paul Walker, it's top-of-the-line and has the best features!"

"The Pirate King, a top figure in the fashion world! His style is extremely glamorous and full of artistry."

"Robin Hood served as Dior's artistic director from 2007 to 2011. Nostalgia for that era's style (pictured: female models walking the runway wearing Robin Hood's designs)."

"Have you guys noticed that nobody's praising magazines or haute couture anymore? Because praising them is basically praising Gu Jingyi himself [laughing and crying][shy emoji]"

"The Jingfei fans never brag about haute couture or off-season fashion, because they're already used to it [facepalm emoji][shy emoji]"

"A truly elegant young master! His clothes and coats are exquisitely designed, and Gu Jingyi carries them off flawlessly! I, Consort Jing, have never heard of haute couture before, and seeing these large images of Gu Jingyi makes me want to save them (blushing)."

"Is IKUN still around, your beloved brother? Never mind, KunKun was ridiculed for his haute couture last time and now no brand can lend him their services."

Gu Jingyi, sitting inside, was unaware of these opinions.

Today, he was also sitting at a very good table, with Zhu Yilong, Yang Mi, Dilraba, Lu Han, Teacher Yangyang, and Zhao Liying.

Gu Jingyi sat in the middle, exuding an air of unparalleled nobility.

Yang Mi's eyes lit up with hearts; she wished she could devour him whole.

Dilraba, who was still chatting with Yang Mi, turned pale when she saw her like this.

Since this table featured the most popular celebrities, when the cameras panned over and the media noticed something amiss, they excitedly started fabricating various rumors about a "discord between Jiahang's two top stars."

"Next up is the Weibo King award."

Lei Jiayin, who was serving as the award presenter, paused for a moment while holding his cue cards.

The director began cutting the camera, flashing across the faces of the candidates one by one.

Finally, the gaze lingered on Gu Jingyi's face. "Congratulations, Gu Jingyi!"

As the rousing music began, Gu Jingyi went on stage to accept the award amidst cheers from his fans.

"Thank you to Huace for nurturing me, and thank you to my dear fans..."

The lines he knew by heart flowed from Gu Jingyi's lips as he accepted the most prestigious trophy.

This also means that almost none of his remaining awards are relevant to him.

No matter where the awards ceremony is held, it's all about "distributing the spoils."

After the awards ceremony, Dilraba was already waiting for him in the car.

"Jingyi, I don't like the way Sister Mi looked at you today."

Dilraba was held in Gu Jingyi's arms, and she cupped Gu Jingyi's face and said unhappily.

"How to say?"

Gu Jingyi cooperated and let her continue.

Dilraba tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "The way she looks at you is like she's determined to have you. I don't like that, even though you're my boyfriend."

“I don’t like Yang Mi either,” Gu Jingyi said, his hand gliding over Dilraba’s smooth back.

The moment the warm palm touched her, Dilraba's body trembled.

"Why didn't you wear the outfit you wore to the awards ceremony today? This casual outfit doesn't look as good as it did at the awards ceremony."

Gu Jingyi said this, but his hand still bluntly reached into Dilraba's skirt.

"Wow, a haute couture outfit starts at hundreds of thousands."

Dilraba was dissatisfied and frowned as she complained.

"It's okay, buy it if you like it."

Gu Jingyi's hand continued to climb, finally sinking into a soft, warm spot.

"Are you stupid and rich?! Haute couture designs are more extravagant and impractical for everyday wear than high-end luxury. Besides, I'm a female celebrity, and I've worn haute couture in public. If I continue to wear it in public, I'll be criticized for being shabby and cheap!"

Dilraba's eyes and brows were filled with Gu Jingyi's reflection, and she even sounded like she was being coquettish.

"Then wear it in private."

Today, Dilraba's fairy-like dress embroidered with flowers is a Georges Hobeika haute couture piece.

Gu Jingyi felt that this outfit suited Dilraba better than the seven Dior haute couture outfits she would wear in the future Dior global advertising campaign.

Why pretend to be a mature woman when you're a sweetheart? A well-chosen haute couture outfit is more important than anything else.

"Pshaw, what if I get photographed like that? I'd be so embarrassed..."

Before Dilraba could finish speaking, Gu Jingyi cut her off.

"You talk too much, concentrate, Dilraba."

Gu Jingyi grabbed her forehead with one hand and thrust himself inside her.

The atmosphere began to heat up, and clothes fell to the ground one by one.

The soundproof partition on the van was raised, and Lin Ze got out and began to stand guard.

Before long, a voice that made one blush and feel hot came from behind.

(End of this chapter)