Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Pre-event fitting for Chapter 106

November 12, Changbai Mountain.

The snow started falling in the morning. Lin Shen stood by the window for a while and watched. The snow outside was very thick, bending the tree branches.

News also came from the studio that the snow was too heavy to shoot outdoor scenes, so today's filming was temporarily canceled.

Yang Chaoyue was curled up on the sofa scrolling through his phone when he suddenly sat up straight.

"Brother Shen, come and see."

Lin Shen walked over and took the phone.

The screen shows a Weibo post from an entertainment account, accompanied by several screenshots.

The screenshot shows the backend data of the TrackTmall flagship store, with the sales figures for Singles' Day highlighted.

"Trajectory achieved 1.3 million yuan in sales on Singles' Day? Is Lin Shen aiming to become the richest man in China?"

There are already more than 20,000 comments.

The top-rated comment reads: "I bought that hoodie, and it really looks good. The quality is also worth the price."

Article 2: "You used to say that they weren't doing their proper job, but it turns out they earn more than you do with your regular jobs."

The third point: "I've bought track products several times. The design is good, and the delivery is fast. It's not one of those celebrity brands that just tries to fleece customers."

Some trolls jumped around in the comments: "Is it just fans hyping it up? Who would believe 1.3 million?"

But this was met with a rebuttal: "Go check Tmall's backend data yourself."

Yang Chaoyue laughed from the side: "The internet is buzzing right now. Some people are digging up data, some are asking for links, and others are asking when the next batch will be released."

Lin Shen returned the phone to her without saying anything.

Yang Chaoyue kept scrolling, and then laughed again: "Brother Shen, Sister Qian posted on Weibo again."

She handed me the phone.

Song Qian's latest Weibo post features a selfie of herself wearing a Track brand hoodie in front of a mirror.

The caption reads: "New clothes arrived! Warm and comfortable. @LinShen brand does a really good job."

The first comment reads: "How many times has Sister Qian crossed paths now?"

Song Qian replied to this: "This is the umpteenth time, I'm a true fan."

Scrolling down further, there's another comment: "Sister Qian and Lin Shen have a really good relationship."

Another person replied: "They're from the same company, so of course we should support them."

Lin Shen looked at the Weibo post and his lips twitched.

During a meeting at Lucky Film, Song Qian did mention that she would help with promotion.

Over this period of time, she posted more than once, sometimes as a selfie, sometimes as a repost, and each time it felt quite natural, without giving the impression of being a blatant advertisement.

Yang Chaoyue put his phone away and began to report on business: "By the way, Brother Shen, Gucci just contacted me and said they'd like to come over next week to let you try on the dress you'll be wearing for the event at the end of the month."

"next week?"

"Yes, they said the dress is ready and you need to try it on. If it doesn't fit, they can make alterations." Yang Chaoyue flipped through the memo. "Jaeger-LeCoultre also said they'll be coming and bringing a few watches for you to try on."

Lin Shen thought about it and realized that next week's filming schedule wasn't too full, so he could take a day out of his schedule.

"Okay, let them arrange it."

Yang Chaoyue nodded and wrote it down.

The snow was still falling outside the window, and it got dark earlier than usual.

Lin Shen's phone suddenly vibrated.

He picked it up and glanced at it; Bai Mengyan's name was displayed on the screen.

"Feed?"

"Brother Shen!" The voice on the other end sounded quite happy.

Lin Shen leaned back on the sofa, a slight smile unconsciously playing on his lips: "What's wrong? Why are you so happy?"

"you guess."

"Zhao Mosheng has made her decision?"

There was a pause on the other end, then a laugh: "How did you know? Sister Xi just told me."

Lin Shen didn't answer, but instead asked, "When did this happen?"

"It was just finalized this afternoon," Bai Mengyan said. "Director Liu told me to get ready for the audition next month."

"Why do we need to audition?"

"Yes, they said it's just a formality." Bai Mengyan paused, "But Teacher Gu Man said that the production team has already made the decision, and the audition is just a formality, so I shouldn't be nervous."

Lin Shen nodded. He was familiar with this process. The male lead and the female lead were decided, but before the official announcement, they still needed to generate buzz and let netizens speculate.

Are you nervous?

"It's alright," Bai Mengyan said. "As long as I know it's mine, that's fine."

Lin Shen smiled.

This girl is definitely much more composed than before.

Where are you now?

"I'm in Beijing," Bai Mengyan said. "These past few days I've been taking training courses, covering lines, physical movements, and acting, one after another."

Lin Shen hummed in agreement.

Bai Mengyan suddenly asked, "How much longer will you be filming over there?"

"It'll probably take another month or so," Lin Shen said, glancing at the snow outside the window. "The snow is too heavy here in Changbai Mountain, so progress is slower than expected."

"When are you coming back?"

Lin Shen thought for a moment: "I might go back at the end of the month for an event."

"The end of the month?" Bai Mengyan's voice suddenly rose. "Then can we meet when you come back?"

"Yes," Lin Shen said. "The event is in the evening, so I should be free during the day."

Bai Mengyan was satisfied: "Then it's settled."

"Um."

"By the way, Brother Shen," Bai Mengyan suddenly remembered something, "have you seen those online? The tracks are selling so well, and a lot of people are praising you."

Lin Shen smiled and said, "I've seen it."

"I knew you could do it." Bai Mengyan said this with a hint of pride in her tone, as if she herself had done a good job selling it.

The two chatted for a few more minutes when someone called Bai Mengyan, saying it was time for class.

"I'll hang up now," Bai Mengyan said. "Take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."

"Um.

"

See you at the end of the month!

See you at the end of the month.

The phone hangs up.

Lin Shen put his phone aside and leaned back on the sofa, looking at the snow outside the window.

Yang Chaoyue peeked over from the side: "Is it from Sister Mengyan?"

Lin Shen nodded.

Yang Chaoyue smiled, didn't ask any more questions, and continued to scroll through his phone.

After a while, she looked up again: "Brother Shen, when should Gucci and Jaeger-LeCoultre send over?"

Lin Shen thought for a moment: "Next week, let's see which day is free."

"Okay, I'll coordinate it."

The snow had stopped by November 11.15th.

Lin Shen stood by the window, looking at the white expanse outside. The snow on Changbai Mountain came suddenly and went quickly. Yesterday it fell heavily, but today it subsided as soon as the sun came out.

A knock came at the door.

Yang Chaoyue poked his head in: "Brother Shen, Gucci's people have arrived and are waiting in the conference room."

F

Lin Shen nodded, put on his coat, and went outside. The air conditioning in the corridor was on full blast, making it warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the sub-zero temperatures outside.

Yang Chaoyue followed beside him, holding a tablet in his hand, and reported in a low voice: "Five people have arrived, including an Italian, who seems to be a senior executive in the Asia-Pacific region. Jaeger-LeCoultre will arrive this afternoon, but their arrival times are different."

Lin Shen hummed in agreement.

The meeting room was on the third floor of the hotel, and the film crew had specially vacated it out.

Pushing open the door, I found the room had been set up as a temporary fitting room: a full-length mirror, clothes racks, spotlights, and several black suitcases laid out, each neatly stacked with dust bags inside.

A woman in her thirties hurried up to greet her with a professional smile: "Teacher Lin, it's been a long time."

"Did Sister Vivian make the trip herself?"

Vivian smiled, "How could I not come to Professor Lin's event?" She stepped aside and pointed to the Italian man behind her, "This is our Asia-Pacific Product Director, Mr. Rossi, who flew in specially from Shanghai."

Rossi stepped forward to shake hands, his Chinese surprisingly fluent: "Mr. Lin, it's a pleasure to see you again. Your look at the dinner was outstanding; headquarters were very satisfied with the photos."

Lin Shen smiled and exchanged a few polite words. In his heart, however, he knew perfectly well that while he was satisfied, the main reason the Asia-Pacific Director had personally flown to Changbai Mountain was because of his current popularity.

"Let's get started." Vivian clapped her hands, and several staff members immediately got to work.

The first dust bag was pulled open, revealing a dark blue velvet suit.

"This is a piece from this year's Fall/Winter runway collection, which was just transferred from Tokyo after the tour," Vivian explained. "You wore the same collection at a dinner party before, and this is a different version with slight adjustments to the neckline and shoulder line, making it more suitable for the red carpet."

Lin Shen took the clothes; they felt very light, and the fabric had a subtle sheen under the light.

He took off his coat and put it on, then stood in front of the full-length mirror.

Rossi stepped forward and began adjusting the details. His movements were light but professional, fine-tuning the shoulder line, sleeve length, and waistline, while a staff member next to him used safety pins to mark the details.

"The shoulders need to be rounded up a little," Rossi gestured. "Mr. Lin's shoulder line is flatter than our standard; rounding it up slightly will make it look more stylish."

"Is Mr. Lin satisfied with this set?" Vivian asked from the side.

"Good."

Rossi nodded and asked the staff to bring out a second outfit. This time it was a black double-breasted tuxedo with a more streamlined cut and a satin collar, making it much more formal than the first one.

"This is next year's early spring collection, which is supposed to be officially released in January next year." Vivian lowered her voice, "It was specially approved by headquarters, so after you wear it here, we'll give it to you directly."

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow.

送？

He certainly knew that most celebrities' red carpet outfits were borrowed and had to be returned. Some brands even installed GPS trackers on the clothes, just in case something went wrong.

If you break it, you have to pay for it; if you get it dirty, you have to wash it; if it's serious, you'll be blacklisted.

Sending you a piece of the runway directly? This kind of treatment is indeed rare.

He changed into a second set, which fit him better this time and required almost no adjustments.

Rossi circled around twice, then nodded in satisfaction: "This outfit suits you perfectly; it's practically tailor-made for you."

Vivian added from the side, "Teacher Lin, bring both outfits for the 27th. We'll decide which one to wear based on the weather. Just in case something happens on the red carpet, it's better to be prepared."

Lin Shen understood what she meant. It's common for celebrities to carry two or three outfits on the red carpet.

In case the first outfit gets dirty, torn, or you wear the same outfit as another celebrity, you need to have a backup.

"OK."

Next came the accessories. Bow ties, cufflinks, belts, shoes—I tried them on one by one, adjusting them one by one.

The staff members meticulously recorded details in their notebooks, noting which size, which color, and which style matched which outfit.

By the time Gucci finished everything, it was almost midnight.

Lin Shen had just sat down in his room when Yang Chaoyue brought in a boxed lunch: "Brother Shen, eat something first. The people from the Jaeger Company won't arrive until 2 PM."

Lin Shen took the lunchbox and casually asked, "How long will the trial last this afternoon?"

"They said it would take about two hours. Watches are more troublesome than clothes. There are several models to try on, and photos have to be taken and sent back to headquarters for confirmation."

""

Lin Shen nodded and lowered his head to eat.

Yang Chaoyue, who was scrolling through his phone, suddenly said, "Brother Shen, the internet is buzzing about the Bazaar lineup again. Someone took a picture of you trying on clothes and posted it online, and fans are all guessing what you'll wear."

Lin Shen didn't look up: "Let them guess."

"Oh, right," Yang Chaoyue put down his phone, "Old Jia just called and said to call him back after the fitting this afternoon, he has something to discuss."

Lin Shen hummed in agreement, understanding the situation.

At 2 p.m., the Jaeger-LeCoultre representatives arrived on time.

Unlike Gucci, Jaeger-LeCoultre sent two watchmakers, one French and one Chinese. Their cases were more professional; when opened, they revealed rows of watches, neatly stacked on black velvet.

The head of the China region, surnamed Zhang, was in his forties and spoke gently: "Mr. Lin, I've brought you eight styles this time, all of which are this year's main offerings. Please try them on and see which one best suits your style."

The first one was from the Reverso series, a square case, simple and leaning towards a business style. Lin Shen tried it on and twirled around in front of the mirror twice.

Mr. Zhang, watching from the side, shook his head: "This one is too formal and doesn't quite match your look today. Try this one."

The second model is the MasterUltraThin, ultra-thin with a clean dial, and you can barely feel its weight when you wear it. Lin Shen raised his wrist to look at it, this time neither shaking his head nor nodding.

"This one is better than the last one, but it's still not quite right." After a moment's thought, Mr. Zhang took out another one from the box. "Try this one."

The third model is the Duomètre Quantième Lunaire, a moon phase watch from the Double Wings series. The dial is intricate yet not cluttered, with two symmetrically distributed subdials and a moon phase display below.

Lin Shen put it on and stood in front of the mirror.

Mr. Zhang's eyes lit up: "This is it!"

The staff nearby immediately came up to take pictures from various angles, saying they would send them back to headquarters in Switzerland for confirmation.

A French technician came over and explained in accented English how complex the watch's movement was, mentioning things like the double-wing structure, the double mainspring barrels, and the independent chronograph function.

Lin Shen listened and nodded, but he didn't really understand much.

But he knew one thing—this watch was indeed beautiful.

Next came five more models, which we tested one by one, eliminating them one by one. In the end, we settled on three options: the main choice was the double-winged moon phase model, a Master series model was a backup, and a Reverso model was a backup.

Before leaving, Mr. Zhang shook his hand and said, "Mr. Lin, we will have someone present on the 27th. We will make minor adjustments based on the lighting conditions. Don't worry, leave the watch to us."

After seeing them off, Lin Shen returned to his room and sat down on the sofa.

Yang Chaoyue handed over a cup of hot water: "Brother Shen, are you tired?"

Lin Shen took a sip and realized he was indeed a bit tired. The fitting looked simple, but it was actually very mentally taxing—standing the whole time, changing clothes, being surrounded by people, and having to keep smiling.

"Did I return Lao Jia's call?"

"Not yet, I'm waiting for you."

Lin Shen took out his phone and dialed the number.

The call was answered quickly, and Jia Shikai's voice was cheerful: "Finished the test?"

"Just finished." Lin Shen leaned back on the sofa. "What happened?"

"Two things." Jia Shikai paused. "First, Gucci and Jaeger-LeCoultre have both given me feedback, saying that the cooperation is going very smoothly, that you've been very cooperative, and that they're very satisfied."

Lin Shen hummed in agreement, waiting for the rest of the text.

"The second thing," Jia Shikai's tone became more casual, "is that Song Qian as my date on the red carpet on the 27th. I spoke with her, and she was quite happy about it, saying it would be a good opportunity for her to show her face."

Lin Shen didn't speak.

Jia Shikai continued, "She really hasn't had much work lately. There are few activities on the f ( ) side, and domestic resources are still being coordinated."

If you take her with you, she'll be grateful for your help.

Lin Shen recalled how this girl would promote the track on Weibo every now and then.

"Alright," Lin Shen said.

Jia Shikai laughed: "I knew you would agree. So the matter of the 27th is settled. When you two walk the red carpet together, you need to check your outfits in advance so that you don't clash in color."

"You can arrange it."

"Okay, I'll go tell them." Jia Shikai paused for a moment, "By the way, is your filming going smoothly?"

7

"It's alright, we'll film normally once the snow stops."

"That's fine, I'm hanging up now."

"7