Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

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September 3, Xiangshan Film and Television City.

The autumn sun, having shed the heat of midsummer, gently shines through layers of clouds onto this vast film and television base.

This is one of the largest film and television shooting bases in China, housing dozens of film crews year-round.
Today, the most anticipated event is undoubtedly the opening ceremony of the highly anticipated ancient costume fantasy drama "Eternal Love".

The film crew rented an entire area of ​​the core scenic spot, and the perimeter was already cordoned off. The entrance was crowded with people.

Fans who rushed over after hearing the news quickly took up good positions, holding up various light boards and banners high, their eyes sparkling as they eagerly awaited the arrival of the dressing room and the shooting area.

More than a dozen uniformed security guards stood in a row, looking serious and ready to maintain order at the scene, separating the enthusiastic fans from the filming area. The noise and anticipation quietly filled the air.

In stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere outside, the largest dressing room in the film crew was shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere, with the air so stuffy that it was almost impossible to breathe.

"Xiao Gu, no! Absolutely not!"

Guan Qiwen's brows were furrowed into a deep frown as he looked at Gu Qing, who had just changed into a costume. His dissatisfaction and disdain were almost overflowing, and his complaints and accusations never stopped.

He quickly circled Gu Qing twice, his gaze repeatedly sweeping over the fabric and cut of her clothes. His expression grew increasingly grim, and his anger rose uncontrollably.

"Is this Mo Yuan's costume? Although I haven't read the original novel, does it highlight his composure and dignity as a master in the slightest?"

Guan Qiwen pointed heavily at the dark-colored robe, his tone excited, "They are all black and navy blue, with a rigid and monotonous style, without any patterns or embellishments, as stiff as a piece of black cloth wrapped around the body!"
The fabric was even worse; it wasn't even proper cloud-patterned silk. It felt stiff and had absolutely no drape!

He angrily reached out and tugged at Gu Qing's sleeve, his fingertips touching the rough fabric, his brows furrowing even more.

"And what about Crown Prince Ye Hua's costume? Why is it predominantly black? How can viewers tell who's who just by turning on the TV?!"

"What on earth was the stylist doing with this show?! Did they embezzle all the costume budget allocated to the production team?"

"A complete shoddy production! Utterly shoddy! It's a disgrace to the characters and the actors!"

Gu Qing has joined the cast of this popular historical fantasy drama adapted from a popular IP, playing two core male roles: Mo Yuan and Ye Hua.
Guan Qiwen is his personal ancient style stylist. With more than 20 years of experience, he is well-known in the old-school stylist circle in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He has an almost obsessive pursuit of the texture, tailoring and charm of ancient costumes.

Upon learning that Gu Qing had joined the production team, he rushed over to oversee the process, but the batch of costumes in front of him made his blood pressure soar.

In a moment of excitement,
People in authentic Cantonese exclaimed, "What the hell is this?!"

Guan Qiwen secretly rejoiced, thankful that she had personally gone to check on him. She was even more relieved to see her carefully nurtured "Jade Boy" appearing on camera in such cheap and low-quality clothes.
His reputation built up over so many years is going to be ruined in an instant, he'll have nowhere to hide his face!

in those days,
Despite budget constraints and challenging filming conditions, TVB has never skimped on the fabrics, workmanship, and details of its period dramas.

Every stitch and thread is meticulously crafted, and every garment and skirt exudes elegance. Unlike some film crews today, which only pursue superficial glamour while cutting corners on the inside.

In the circles of old-school stylists in Hong Kong and Taiwan, there is a unique romantic insistence—unlike in the West, they do not refer to their favorite models as "muses."
They prefer to use classical-sounding terms like "Prince of the Rainbow Robes," "Master of Elegance," and "Jade Gentleman" to describe actors whose physique, temperament, and demeanor perfectly match the charm of ancient costumes.

Gu Qing is the irreplaceable and perfect "Jade Boy" in Guan Qiwen's heart.

With a tall and straight figure like bamboo, and handsome features like a painting, his appearance is of the highest quality. As long as he puts on a proper ancient costume, he can instantly get into character, exuding an otherworldly and ethereal charm. He is a natural-born protagonist in period dramas.

Wearing this outfit is like a flaw in white jade, or a beautiful jade covered in dust.

"Teacher Guan, please calm down. Don't get upset and harm your health."

Gu Qing, dressed in a wide-sleeved black theatrical costume, stood tall and straight, looking at Guan Qiwen, whose face was flushed with anger and who was speaking rapidly. She raised her hand somewhat blankly.
She gently ran her fingertips over the fabric of her clothes, her tone tinged with a hint of confusion, "Are these clothes really that bad? They have shiny trim on them, all sparkly and pretty nice."

In his opinion, the fabric of the clothes was smooth with a faint sheen, and the style was loose and comfortable; he couldn't see much of a problem with it.

"Little Gu, they just prey on laymen like you who don't know anything about this!"

Seeing this, Guan Qiwen hurriedly stepped forward and reached out to undo Gu Qing's costume, wishing he could strip off this pile of "rags" immediately, afraid that staying even a second longer would ruin Gu Qing's demeanor.
"This kind of clothing looks like it's just cheap yarn piled up haphazardly, and the fabric is all reflective synthetic fiber!"

As he deftly helped Gu Qing undress, he bluntly exposed industry secrets, his tone full of disdain.

"You may look quite radiant and beautiful in person, but once you're on camera, with the lighting and filters applied, your true appearance is immediately revealed!"

It's so thin it's like you're not wearing anything at all, so light and flimsy with no texture whatsoever. That overwhelming sense of cheapness is clearly captured on camera; viewers can see it immediately!

Gu Qing quietly cooperated with his actions, listening with a smile but saying nothing, when suddenly she understood a principle within the industry—

No wonder many top-tier celebrities and veteran stars nowadays bring their own styling teams, scriptwriters, and even costume and prop sets when they join a production.
While it may seem like they're throwing their weight around or have a strong desire for control, most people are probably just trying to create drama and improve their public image.
However, upon closer examination, it's possible that there were instances of perfunctory work or even embezzlement of funds within the production team.

Going head-on against the production team will only lead to trouble, but your perfunctory work and shoddy production are your business.

Just don't interfere with 'me' maintaining my best appearance in front of the camera and being beautiful on my own.

"Xiao Gu, you must listen to me!"

Guan Qiwen casually threw the costume he had just taken off on the ground, glanced at it with disgust, and said in an extremely firm tone, "Absolutely do not take any costume photos yet, and do not rush to start filming!"
Give me ten days, two weeks at most, and I'll go back and personally alter your clothes and style your hair!

He spoke with absolute confidence: "During this time, I designed more than a dozen sets of traditional Chinese style clothing for you. I have a huge stockpile of top-quality fabrics, cloud-patterned silks, and embroidery patterns at home."
After taking it back, making some modifications and adjusting the size, it's perfectly suited for this show.

Gu Qing had always treated him with great courtesy, and his treatment was exceptionally generous, rarely seen in the industry: a fixed annual salary of one million.
When Guan Qiwen has nothing to do, she buys high-end fabrics to design clothes and researches new styles, with Gu Qing covering all material and labor costs.

His expenses on silk, embroidery, and accessories over the years have almost exceeded his annual salary.

What's even more remarkable is that,
Gu Qing never restricted his freedom or prevented him from taking on other jobs in private.

Upon hearing that he was Gu Qing's exclusive period costume stylist, many celebrities in the industry rushed to hire him at high salaries, resulting in a continuous stream of resources.

Such a respectful, generous, and considerate boss is hard to find even in the entire entertainment industry.

"Okay, Teacher Guan, I'll listen to you."

Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Qing immediately nodded in agreement, embodying the spirit of readily accepting good advice and listening to others' suggestions.

He knew better than anyone that for ancient costume fantasy dramas, looks and styling were half the battle won; if the costumes, makeup, and props were poor, even the most outstanding actors couldn't save them.
No matter how good the acting is, if you're wearing a cheap costume, it's hard to get the audience into the story, and all your efforts will be in vain.

"The production team needs time to prepare for things like costume fittings, the opening ceremony, actor coordination, and script readings, so filming won't start so quickly."

Gu Qing pondered for a moment, then made arrangements in an orderly manner, "If time is tight, I'll ask Sister Xiaoya to talk to the production team and postpone my makeup fitting time."

"This is a good opportunity for me to calm down and study the script carefully, to understand the psychology of the two characters, and to get a feel for them."

"Don't worry, Xiao Gu, I will definitely not let you down!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Qiwen's face lit up instantly. Without wasting a moment, knowing that time was of the essence, he turned and gave his assistant a meaningful look.
He was in a hurry and was about to leave when he said, "I'll go back right now to organize the inventory and modify the patterns, and try to get the clothes to you as soon as possible!"

The voice just fell,

His voice, deliberately restrained yet polite, came from outside the dressing room: "Ms. Yang, please come in."

Gu Qing bent down to pick up the costume that had been thrown on the ground, gently shook off the wrinkles, and casually placed it on the table next to her. Just as she straightened up, a familiar and soft sheep-like voice floated in.

"Little brother~ Are you dressed up? Let your big sister see you, it'll be good for your eyes~"

Before she arrived, her voice preceded her, carrying a deliberate softness and playfulness.

Next second,
Yang Mi then walked into the dressing room with her hands behind her back and a smile on her face.

She wasn't wearing her costume today, but a light pink casual outfit that made her skin look fair and radiant, and her long, black hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders.
Her makeup was exquisite yet understated, her eyebrows and eyes were curved, and her steps were light and quick, like a naive young girl, deliberately exuding a strong sense of girlishness.

Looking at the young and cute woman in front of him, Gu Qing merely glanced at her indifferently, his tone calm.

"Honey, do you know that you've recently broken some cardinal rules?"

"Huh? You've broken a taboo?"

Yang Mi blinked her big eyes, took two steps closer with an innocent look on her face, and tilted her head in feigned confusion. "Little brother, I don't understand~ Is there something wrong with the trending topic I bought? I followed the rules very well, and I didn't add any embellishments."

"It's not a problem with trending topics."

Gu Qing sighed softly, took a step back, and precisely avoided Yang Mi's "perverted hand" that reached out to pinch his cheek.

The words were on the tip of his tongue,

After thinking it over, he decided to remain silent to avoid being too blunt and hurting people's self-esteem.

I just silently recited one sentence in my heart:
There's something wrong with you!

Can anyone think of,

The moment the trending topic about his collaboration with Yang Mi in "Eternal Love" appeared on his blog, he experienced a chaotic media storm within just one day.

The first to be affected are the fans who don't buy it.

Gu Qing's fans immediately went wild in the comments section, fiercely criticizing Yang Mi: "Who said you're a hit partner? Don't flatter yourself! What kind of hit goddess do you think you are?"

"Don't you know how many terrible dramas you've made? Don't try to ride on my brother's coattails! I don't understand why my brother would be so foolish as to work with this woman!"

This is just a minor grievance among the fans.

Netizens and passersby unanimously mocked her, saying things like, "Oh, is Yang Mi starting to become superstitious? Trying to salvage her reputation by relying on Gu Qing?"

"Gu Qing can make Jing Tian famous, but I don't believe he can save Yang Mi. Her status as the queen of bad dramas is ingrained in her bones!"

"Go film your Tiny Times series, stop ruining fantasy dramas!"

During this period, Yang Mi's public image was visibly deteriorating.

Early incidents include hitting a cell phone, rolling one's eyes on set, being accused of diva-like behavior, publicly arguing with strangers, and frequently taking on roles in bad dramas while engaging in aggressive marketing...

With a constant stream of negative news, her reputation has plummeted, and she is no longer the popular young actress she once was.

Gu Qing sometimes really couldn't understand how Da Mimi, who was so arrogant and domineering in front of outsiders, could act like a gentle and sweet woman every day when she was with him.
She has an exaggeratedly good temper. No matter how much I tease or ignore her, she never gets angry. Instead, she becomes even more clingy.

But then I thought about it again...
Since entering the industry, he has met all sorts of female artists: some are overflowing with maternal love and are gentle, considerate and caring towards him.
They are either lively and cute, always acting cute and charming;

They are either shy and timid young girls, who constantly call their older brother "brother," it's become their norm.

Well, maybe this is just the world of handsome guys.

Gu Qing could only console herself with this thought.

He wouldn't care about the complaints from fans and netizens. Once the series airs and its reputation is established, all the criticism will naturally disappear.

But unfortunately—

His "fishpond" has completely exploded!

The last time there were signs of turmoil in the "fishpond" was at the Bazaar Charity Night, when Sister Zhao and Sister Shi met.
The two men glared at each other throughout, subtly competing, and their bidding was so heated it was almost palpable.
There is absolutely no "sisterly affection" as is typical of harem anime.
If it weren't for Brother Qian's chivalrous intervention and his act of being a hothead, who knows how much more embarrassing the situation would have been.

This time, however, the commotion was far greater than the last.

After the news of his collaboration with Yang Mi on a film was officially announced, Zhao Liying, who is usually calm and rarely asks about his career choices, along with Liu Shishi, Jing Tian and others, seemed to have made a pact to call and message him like crazy.

Moreover, everyone's first sentence was almost exactly the same:
"Little brother, are you really going to film a movie with Yang Mi?! That trending topic was fake, right?!" When they received a positive answer from Gu Qing, confirming that he was indeed going to join the cast and work with Yang Mi,

The expression of wanting to speak but holding back tears could be felt even through the screen; it was as if she had swallowed a fly, her face turning red, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Gu Qing could never forget that tone of voice, which was filled with fear, panic, and anger.

Other than that,

Liu, his senior sister, who questioned him directly, Jiang Xin, with whom he had always had a good relationship, and even Liu Tao, who was always gentle and low-key and never interfered with other people's choices, all sent messages to inquire about his situation.

There are countless other female celebrities who want to show concern but dare not ask too many questions and remain silent and watch.

Everyone's reaction was surprisingly consistent:
"Yang Mi? You want to collaborate with her?"

"All right……"

A casual "okay" can conceal speechlessness, disagreement, and skepticism.

Gu Qing's lips twitched slightly, and she clicked her tongue inwardly in amazement:

Just how bad are Yang Mi's relationships within the entertainment industry that they could cause such a sensational impact?

"Little brother, is someone talking badly about me behind my back?!"

Gu Qing's sudden silence and the complex emotions in his eyes made Yang Mi instantly realize something, and the playful smile on her face vanished in an instant.

Her pretty face gradually darkened, and the girlishness she had been trying to maintain vanished, replaced by suppressed anger and grievance, her aura suddenly becoming domineering.

"Is it Sisi? It's her, isn't it? I knew it! She's definitely afraid that one day I'll surpass her and take away her resources!"

"What right does she have to question me or interfere with me? Who I want to act with and work with is my own business, and it has absolutely nothing to do with her!"

Losing control of emotions often happens in an instant.

Yang Mi blinked wearily, her eyes filled with clear red blood vessels, which stood out starkly against her fair skin.

That was the exhaustion accumulated from long hours of high-intensity work, severe sleep deprivation, and endocrine disorders; at this moment, he completely broke down.

"It has nothing to do with my senior sister."

Gu Qing was startled by her sudden loss of control of her emotions and explained, "She didn't say anything bad about you. She was cursing me, saying that I deliberately lied to her."

"Those are your good older sisters! They've teamed up to look down on me?!"

Yang Mi became increasingly agitated, taking two steps forward until her forehead almost collided with Gu Qing's nose. Her eyes were slightly red, and her tone was filled with barely suppressed anger.

"They're lucky enough to ride your coattails and boost your popularity, acting all innocent and naive in front of you. Why can't I? Why should I?!"

"We've all been in this industry for years, and none of us are more naive than the others. Don't try to act all innocent and naive in front of me!"

"Little brother, do you also think they're right? You look down on me from the bottom of your heart, and you think I'm shameless and deliberately trying to ride on your coattails, right?!"

As she continued speaking, Da Mimi's voice grew increasingly strained, thick with nasal tones, and filled with suppressed sobs and choked sobs.

The fatigue from long-term high-intensity work, the unhappiness in her married life, the overwhelming negative public opinion and insults online, and then Gu Qing's silence just now—

All the grievances, pressure, and resentment erupted at this moment, becoming the last straw that broke her back.

"Sister Honey, calm down, don't get agitated."

Gu Qing quickly came to his senses and hurriedly reached out to gently press down on her slightly trembling shoulder, afraid that Da Mimi might accidentally stab him in a moment of excitement.

"No one is talking badly about us behind our backs. It's netizens on the internet who are openly criticizing us. They didn't hide anything and just said frankly that they don't think our collaboration will work out."

"you…"

Yang Mi was suddenly stunned.

She looked up at Gu Qing, her face a mixture of wanting to cry and wanting to laugh, her expression extremely complicated.

Amidst her sobs, her delicate nose twitched slightly, and suddenly, an unpleasant soft sound rang out without warning—

"puff--"

The air froze instantly.

"what--!"

Yang Mi suddenly covered her nose tightly with both hands, and her face turned bright red at a visible speed.

For a female celebrity like her who values ​​her image and reputation more than her life, she felt like dying at that moment.

"..."

Gu Qing put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky as if nothing was wrong.

But the next second, the collar of her shirt suddenly felt heavy.

Gu Qing immediately bared his teeth, clearly feeling a terrible sensation coming from the shirt on his body.

This piece of clothing is completely unusable.

"You brat, can't you just finish what you were saying?!"

Yang Mi's muffled voice came from her collar, tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, "Why did you have to tell me only half the story, deliberately trying to make me look foolish!"

After venting her anger and incidentally "abusing" Gu Qing, the grievances and anger that had been building up in her heart dissipated considerably, and she felt inexplicably much lighter.

Gu Qing finally saw his most pathetic and wretched side.

Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who embarrassed herself.

"Yes, yes, it's my fault, it's my fault."

Gu Qing, with a pained expression, took a step back and carefully took off her coat.
He turned the clothes inside out, haphazardly tied the sleeves into a ball, and packed it up tightly. He didn't know if Honey Sister's dream boy fans wanted this one-of-a-kind "commemorative edition" jacket.

Seeing Gu Qing's series of actions, Yang Mi's face flushed even more.

She was just about to apologize and make amends for her lapse in composure—

Gu Qing suddenly raised her hand and threw the clothes tied into a ball straight at her!
"Aaaaaah—!!"

Yang Mi was so frightened that her face turned pale. She screamed uncontrollably, covered her head, and ran away as fast as if she had seen a ghost.

In his panic, he almost bumped into Dilraba, who had just finished her makeup and was walking in.

She staggered back a few steps, watching her sister Mi run away in terror, screaming uncontrollably. Then, puzzled, she turned to look at Gu Qing, who was wearing only a white shirt in the dressing room.
She blinked, and the light pink eyeshadow made her eyes look even more lively.

"Little brother, have you finally given up and decided to act like a hooligan towards your sister?"

"Sister Dilraba, I wouldn't dare."

Gu Qing chuckled and shook her head gently. "I'm afraid your sister Mi might use magic on me, and I won't be able to defend myself."

His gaze shifted to Dilraba's makeup and styling, his eyes instantly brightening. He generously gave her a thumbs up, sincerely praising, "This look is so beautiful, Sister Dilraba."

At this moment, Dilraba is completely different from her usual glamorous and exotic beauty image.

Her face was adorned with a light, natural makeup, her hair was styled in two buns, her fair forehead was decorated with pink phoenix tail flowers, and her lips were also predominantly light pink. She wore a brightly colored long dress that resembled peach blossoms, giving her an air of innocent charm.

"Really? Little brother, am I really that good-looking?"

Gu Qing's straightforward praise made Dilraba instantly happy. She cupped her cheeks in her hands and walked over with light steps.

"Little brother, your clothes..."

She glanced instinctively at the garment tied into a ball on the ground, and curiously prepared to bend down and reach out to touch it—

"Baba Bao! Don't move!!"

Yang Mi suddenly shouted at the door to stop them, her voice filled with anxiety, as if she was afraid her precious baby would get dirty.

She quickly turned her head and loudly instructed her assistant outside the door that the clothes were dirty and should be taken to the laundry room for a thorough cleaning.

Only after that "trouble" was completely cleared from sight did Yang Mi breathe a sigh of relief, and her complexion gradually returned to normal.

She turned to look at Gu Qing, no longer trying to act like a young girl, and reverted to her usual sharp and sarcastic tone, casually asking, "Aren't you going to change into your costume? What are you doing standing here?"

Now that Gu Qing had seen her most disheveled side and completely torn away her pretense, she became much more relaxed and didn't bother to act anymore.

"The clothes prepared by the crew were not suitable. My stylist was not satisfied and has gone back to redesign and remake them."

Gu Qing casually explained, "It will take about ten days to half a month. I won't take my costume photos yet; we'll take them after the clothes are finished."

"Okay, then."

Yang Mi nodded as if it were a matter of course, without asking any further questions. "Does the script need to be discussed and revised in advance?"

"Let's talk about it later. I'll reread the original novel and think about the characters more carefully."

Gu Qing nodded slightly to Zhao Ya, who was huddled in the corner, and casually picked up the phone on the table.

"Let's go, Xiaoya. We won't keep you from taking your makeup photos any longer. I need to go back and change my clothes."

Inside the dressing room,

Yang Mi stood there, quietly watching Gu Qing's departing figure, her eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions.

Dilraba quietly moved closer to her, lowered her voice, and asked with a curious look, "Sister Mi, what happened to you just now? Why were you so scared?"

"nothing."

Yang Mi gently shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the door, and murmured softly, "It's just... I suddenly feel that this kid is really different from other celebrities in the industry."

Dilraba blinked her big eyes, seemingly understanding but not quite, not quite grasping the deeper meaning behind the words.

But she also turned her head to look in the direction Gu Qing had left, and unconsciously became somewhat lost in thought.

"Is she really going to be filming a movie with the biggest idol in the entertainment industry later on?"

"My younger brother seems to have the ability to bring good fortune to his wife... So... will I become famous after filming this movie?"

"Will she become a top-tier actress?..."

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...(End of this chapter)