Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 207 will write the story as we...

On the afternoon of December 30th, Gu Jingyi took the latest flight and landed in Changsha. He then took a business car to Hunan TV's New Year's Eve concert.

Lin Ze was in a good mood and suddenly asked, "Jingyi, have you been in contact with Cai Xukun lately?"

"My relationship with him is just that of acquaintances who like each other's posts on social media."

Gu Jingyi put down his phone and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why are you suddenly bringing him up again? Has Cai Xukun's team been up to no good again lately?"

"No, he's barely able to take care of himself, how could he possibly have time to belittle you?"

Lin Ze nodded, speaking with a sense of pride.

"Huh? Has Cai Xukun been officially announced as an NBA ambassador recently?"

When Gu Jingyi thinks of that man, he can't help but picture "middle-part hair, overalls, and basketball."

"Not yet, it will be around the Spring Festival of 2019. He was targeted by Chris and Zhang Yixing's team, and there was a conflict over resources. In addition, he is still in a lawsuit with his former company, so he doesn't have time to confront us."

Lin Ze put down the documents and said meaningfully, "Do you know Cai Xukun's most famous joke? Do you think you're Gu Jingyi?"

"What, how did this get involved with me again?"

"It's just marketing accounts playing with memes; we're not involved. Netizens are saying that Cai Xukun sees himself as Gu Jingyi."

Lin Ze tilted his head, rolled up the file into a microphone, and held it to Gu Jingyi's mouth, saying, "Let's interview you about your current feelings. Are you proud or what? Also, do you need us to pour some oil for Cai Xukun?"

"My native language is speechless! Don't get involved in anything related to Cai Xukun. His opponent is Chris, and I'm not a top-tier goalkeeper. We're not on the same level, so don't lower your status."

Gu Jingyi slapped the document aside, not intending to pay any attention to Cai Xukun.

His market share has already been absorbed by Gu Jingyi, leaving Cai Xukun with inherent disadvantages in his development. His current status is merely that of a "half-step top star," and his rivals are top stars like Chris who are about to fall behind.

As for Li Yifeng, Lu Han, and Yangyang, they are all past their prime.

Of the former "Four Top Idols," only Chris managed to recover some of his losses with the 2017 show "The Rap of China."

It has to be said that the landscape of top celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry has changed quite a bit.

However, Gu Jingyi will never have to worry about fading into obscurity; he will always be a leading figure in the traffic-driven camp.

He wasn't very interested in Cai Xukun. After a few words, he got down to business with his manager: "Is our backing track ready for the New Year's Eve concert?"

"Of course, Hunan TV gave us a performance slot at 11:45. Just after you finish singing, He Jiong will come on stage to count down to the New Year."

"Really?" Gu Jingyi nodded. Then he suddenly spoke up, "Chunchun didn't come? I remember it was her for the past few years."

Lin Ze adjusted his glasses. "Times have changed. You should know that with your current status, participating in a New Year's Eve concert is the biggest selling point. If Hunan TV isn't satisfied with the offer, Zhejiang TV and Shanghai TV will be waiting for us with truckloads of cash."

"Even in 'Better Days,' you and Little Yellow Duck were billed equally, with your name coming first. How could we possibly give up our billing for a New Year's Eve concert? Even in 'Ashes of Love,' we were the lead male lead. Your popularity has grown tremendously over the past six months, and you've firmly established yourself as a top star by a wide margin. And all your upcoming projects are S+ level, expected to be huge hits upon release. Right now, apart from actresses of Zhou Xun's caliber, there's no one left who can surpass you in billing."

"You can see this from the scheduling of the most influential Hunan TV station."

Gu Jingyi also smiled; his almost year-round tireless efforts had finally paid off.

Upon arriving at the Broadcasting Building, Gu Jingyi, as always, delivered a high-level performance during the rehearsal.

After having a late-night snack with the hosting team, including Wang Han and Teacher He, Gu Jingyi returned to the hotel.

The following evening, the blue coat with a three-dimensional butterfly design from Robert Wun's 2019 Fall/Winter Haute Couture collection in Hong Kong Island, which I had ordered long ago, arrived as scheduled.

Robert Wun, a member of the French Haute Couture Federation, has contributed stunning works such as Man in the Rain, shining on the fashion week runway with his strong personal style.

Gu Jingyi's outfit was specially designed for him by Robert Wun founder Yun Weijun after a long discussion. The design incorporates elements such as butterflies to combine the concept of the passage of time with the brand's design, making this blue coat a perfect match.

As soon as Gu Jingyi, who is 1.86 meters tall, came out wearing it, the whole team was amazed.

"Boss, no wonder you weren't wearing the Pirate Lord's Margiela. This outfit is so elegant, like a nobleman who stepped out of a European castle."

Cody was an old acquaintance, and she was practically whistling at Gu Jingyi's outfit.

Gu Jingyi isn't acting, she's a supermodel!
Lin Ze nodded, "You look really handsome in this outfit, and it suits the song you're going to perform tonight perfectly."

In 2018, Robert Wun, a high-end couture brand from Hong Kong Island, was still relatively niche in the Chinese entertainment industry.

At that time, the hottest item was Georges Hobeika, a Middle Eastern "fairy brand" that Yang Ying made popular.

But in fact, Robert Wun and Georges Hobeika are in the same league; both are guest members of the French Haute Couture Federation.

In the haute couture snobbery circle, it ranks in the third tier.

However, those in the know understand that Gu Jingyi doesn't need to rely on high-end bespoke clothing to demonstrate her value.

Whatever he wears becomes a hit.

Margiela and ES, two established haute couture brands, saw a surge in search volume and their influence rapidly increased across Asia.

Both of them are international members of the French Haute Couture Association, while Robert Wun was still a relatively young brand at the time.

But this is, after all, the only Chinese brand, so Gu Jingyi is naturally happy to promote local brands.

This outfit was meticulously crafted by founder Yun Weijun, bringing his imagination to life. It perfectly complements Gu Jingyi's personal style, and Lin Ze immediately picked up his camera and snapped several photos before starting to edit them.

After Gu Jingyi makes her appearance tonight, Lin Ze will publicly share her makeup and styling on Weibo for fans to enjoy.

Gu Jingyi cooperated by taking a few photos before heading to the broadcasting building.

Hunan TV's New Year's Eve concert starts at 7:30 pm every year, while Gu Jingyi arrived at the venue at 7:10 pm.

There was only a short time left before the show started, and the audience was everywhere when you looked from backstage.

The staff were also conducting final tests, each one on high alert.

Gu Jingyi glanced at it and walked away. He had just entered the waiting room when he ran into Cheng Xiao and Wu Xuanyi. "Teacher Gu! Long time no see!"

When Wu Xuanyi saw Gu Jingyi, her eyes lit up and she greeted him with a smile.

Cheng Xiao kept a slightly more low-key demeanor, nodding to Gu Jingyi. If Gu Jingyi hadn't had eyesight as high as 5.2 and clearly seen the barely suppressed smile on her face, he would have really thought they were becoming distant again.

Gu Jingyi greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see! How have you been lately?"

He thought to himself that he was really putting on an act, since he and Cheng Xiao had clearly acted out a love story before dawn more than three months ago.

People still ask others how they're doing, as if they're not doing well...

As expected, Cheng Xiao rolled his eyes.

Wu Xuanyi didn't think too much about it and said cheerfully, "It's great. The environment for artists in China is really good. You don't know, we used to get a fixed salary of around 3000 yuan a month when we were in WJSN. After returning to China, we got more personal endorsements, and our income went up."

"No wonder you bought a Maserati, you're doing well."

Gu Jingyi recalled that Wu Xuanyi had just gotten her driver's license and the first thing she did was buy a Maserati.

A rough calculation shows that she will have an income of tens of millions by the end of this year.

Happiness is always highlighted by comparison; compared to the miserable life in South Korea, the Chinese entertainment industry is certainly much more comfortable.

"What about Teacher Cheng Xiao?"

"I bought a house," Cheng Xiao said, his teeth clenching with a sour feeling. This guy wasn't unfamiliar with the place; he was just asking on purpose.

After playing with the cat for a while, Gu Jingyi returned to the waiting room in a pleasant mood.

The waiting room he was assigned to today was the largest and most comfortable, with high-end sofas flown in from France. The coffee table was piled high with cherries and strawberries, and even the cantaloupe slices were accompanied by toothpicks.

Everything was very comfortable; this was all thanks to my status.

Every now and then, some obscure, pretty girls would knock on the door, using the excuse of needing an autograph to try and have a one-night stand with Gu Jingyi.

Unable to bear the disturbance any longer, Gu Jingyi had Lin Ze hang up a sign that read "Resting, Do Not Disturb," as he wasn't the type to accept anything.

With a long way to go before it started, Gu Jingyi simply picked up his phone and read a novel for a while.

Immersed in the novel, he momentarily forgot the passage of time.

It wasn't until a staff member knocked on the door to remind Gu Jingyi to get ready.

He then realized that it was already eleven o'clock.

Putting down his phone, Gu Jingyi opened his thermos, took a couple of sips of warm water, and practiced his voice to get into the zone. He put on his in-ear monitors beforehand, constantly adjusting his performance for tonight's stage.

Lin Ze, like a mother hen, had Cody touch up Gu Jingyi's makeup and tidy her up.

About ten minutes later, the cheering boys who had reunited in front of Gu Jingyi came on stage to perform their last song.

Gu Jingyi followed the staff to the lift leading to the stage and waited. After the cheerleaders finished singing, it would be his turn to go on stage.

The boys also got three songs, but not as many as Gu Jingyi's time slot.

After they finished singing, He Jiong and Wang Han, the two mainstays of the show, took turns saying their lines to fill out the time.

Mango TV's live chat is practically overflowing with angry comments.

[Speechless. This is so long-winded. Where's Gu Jingyi? Hurry up and bring him up!]
[Where's my husband?! Have you seen my husband?! Gu Jingyi!! Where are you?!]
[Stop rushing me, the program schedule was already released. Jingyi's performance ends shortly after midnight, he's listed ahead of everyone else. That's such an honor, he's only been in the industry for a year and a half and he's already achieved this in the seniority-driven Chinese entertainment industry.]
[Why does Gu Jingyi only have three songs today, while the "Go! Boys" also have three? And Gu Jingyi also has one more song, a collaboration.]
[A collaboration? With whom?]
[Tian Xiwei… I don’t know where this nobody came from, she’s so annoying. What does Gu Jingyi owe her? She’s the female lead in the MV, and she’s also the one he collaborated on with. I’d rather Gu Jingyi had Cheng Xiao, Song Qian, or Xiao Ju…]
[What's there to argue about? Your brother's happy. If they really change it, I don't believe you'll still be laughing. Seriously, with the possessiveness of the Jingfeis, anyone who dares to touch Gu Jingyi will get a beating.]
[Laughs, I have to say the comment above is spot on.]
[Actually, there's nothing wrong with the collaboration, the real problem is that it might be her sister-in-law...]
[Huh? What are you thinking? Tian Xiwei is older than Gu Jingyi! How could our Jingyi possibly like an older woman!]
[Shut up, my brother is a virgin. What can he do? The other party's manager is Gong Yuhan! Who knows what kind of agreement he reached with Huace? My poor brother is going to be sucked dry by leeches. Ugh, even handsome guys are being slandered by you!]
[My heart aches for Jingyi, he only has us left. That idiot Huace has gone bankrupt! Sisters, hurry to the public square and clean up Gu Jingyi's online profile. Don't post anything offensive. We'll be fine once my brother sets up his own studio in September 2019!]
Meanwhile, in a backstage artist lounge, Tian Xiwei, who was also watching the live stream on her phone, suddenly lost her smile.

Being a year older makes her an old woman? Haha, if these female fans knew she was really with Gu Jingyi, they'd be heartbroken tonight.

"Xiao Tian, ​​put on your in-ear monitors," agent Gong Yuhan reminded Tian Xiwei to get ready.

What a great opportunity for exposure to work with Gu Jingyi.

Gong Yuhan glanced at his own artist, who was still puffing out his cheeks and engaging in a fierce online battle with the comments section. He shook his head. Maybe this is what they mean by "fools have good fortune."

"Ahhh, Gu Jingyi!"

"elder brother!!!"

Listening to the frenzied screams from the audience standings, which couldn't be contained even through several walls, Gong Yuhan couldn't help but sigh:

"Gu Jingyi's popularity is truly terrifying. Even Lu Han back then didn't have his popularity, right? The most important thing is that he also has achievements. He can sing, dance, act, and is also a creative talent. Xiao Tian, ​​you really have great vision to invest in him when he was still unknown. This is the first time I've seen someone turn a variety show concert into their own solo concert."

Tian Xiwei frowned. "When I liked him, he was still a trainee striving for a debut spot."

"And ever since I became his fan site admin, my biggest wish has been to let him be seen by more people..."

Before Tian Xiwei could finish speaking, Gong Yuhan interrupted her.

"Yes, that's why you're lucky and have good judgment. Even if it's just a third female lead role in a top-tier drama like 'Go Go Squid!', because Gu Jingyi is involved, many female artists in the industry are scrambling for it. He directly influenced Huace's decision and gave it to you. I don't know how many people were vying for it..."

The agent's words sounded somewhat ethereal, but Tian Xiwei remained noncommittal.

More than winning the role, she was happy to be able to stay by Gu Jingyi's side.

Even when she was able to sing a collaboration song with Gu Jingyi this time, she wasn't thinking about how much popularity and discussion this stage would bring her.

It was Gu Jingyi who finally used a song to present their story to audiences across the country.

However, these were things that Gong Yuhan clearly could not understand.

How could a top agent who has been in the industry for many years possibly understand her?
But it's okay, having such a stage allows more people to witness their love with Gu Jingyi.

In her heart, she could be happy for a very long time.

(End of this chapter)