A band, or a battleground?

Ning Qianyu: "Teacher, we are discussing what hairstyle would suit Qi Yuan."

Su Wan raised an eyebrow: "What hairstyle do you think suits him? Let's get this straight, I'm a teacher at the school, don't go too far with your comments."

Qiu Mengxue said first, "I think he is suitable for differential splitting caps."

Su Wan: "The length is a little too long... but our school isn't that strict about hairstyles, and given Qi Yuan's special circumstances, the school leaders probably won't say anything."

Qiu Mengxue sighed: "Mom, I'm not asking if it's okay according to school rules, I'm just asking if you think it looks good."

Su Wan glanced at the boy beside her: "They should be alright. What about Yi Yi and Qian Yu?"

Jiang Yi said weakly, "I think he's fine as he is now, not too long and not too short, just right..."

Su Wan smiled thoughtfully: "Yes, that works too."

However, at that moment, Ning Qianyu said, "I think he should shave his head!"

Su Wan was stunned: "What?"

Qi Yuan: "Anyway, it's not your head, so you can do whatever you want with it, right?"

“No, I’m not making this up,” Ning Qianyu said firmly. “Your first song was about a blue lotus, which was very Zen-like, you know, it had the feel of an enlightened monk. And your nickname was ‘Martial Monk’.”

Qi Yuan: "Only you call me a martial monk!"

Ning Qianyu ignored the warning and continued, "As the saying goes, there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names, so shaving his head is the most suitable for his creative direction."

Qiu Mengxue suppressed a laugh and said, "That's true, he doesn't like writing love songs..."

Qi Yuan: "If you want me to shave my head, fine, Qianyu, you come with me."

Ning Qianyu: "If you shave your head, I might as well!"

Qiu Mengxue's smile vanished instantly: "Wait, are you two serious?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

098 Yi Yi is really anxious.

Of course, Qi Yuan would never actually shave his head.

Before the release of the band's daily routine footage from the crossover collaboration episode, Ning Qianyu was the only one who used the nickname "Monk Warrior."

The next day, when the hairstylist came to the door, after carefully examining Qi Yuan, he said that no major changes were needed, just a slight trim.

"This is also because you've already appeared on stage, and the change is too drastic; the audience might not be used to it. However, the cameras in interview programs are closer, so more meticulous editing is indeed necessary."

The hairstylist who said this was a man, but when he picked up the scissors to cut Qi Yuan's hair, he unconsciously raised his pinky finger.

Of course, Qi Yuan wasn't surprised by this. Those who make a name for themselves in this industry seem to have some kind of special advantage.

There was also an assistant next to me, also a man, who didn't seem to have this kind of buff. He was responsible for preparing tools, setting up mirrors, getting the vacuum cleaner, and cleaning up after the haircut.

The three girls sat on the sofa next to them, whispering among themselves.

Qiu Mengxue: "He fiddled with it for so long, did he really cut it? I don't think the length has changed at all..."

Ning Qianyu: "Does the so-called mastery lie in the details?"

Qiu Mengxue: "This is too detailed."

Jiang Yi: "That's why I said just keep it as it is, there's no need to change too much."

Ning Qianyu and Qiu Mengxue looked at her slightly shy yet smug expression; one hesitated to speak, while the other remained silent.

After a while, they finally figured it out.

The hairstylist did cut, but he did it quite carefully. He only cut some hair on the sides and back of Ji Yuan's head to make the hairstyle thinner and more youthful.

While cutting his hair, he praised him, saying, "Handsome, you have a lot of hair. If it were many other male celebrities, I wouldn't dare to do much with it, for fear of exposing their scalps. And your natural features are also very good."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Qi Yuan didn't take the praise seriously. He felt that the reason this hairstylist received so many positive reviews from celebrities was partly due to his excellent skills, but also because of his emotional value.

Suddenly, the hairdresser changed his tool, switching from scissors to an electric razor.

Ning Qianyu immediately perked up: "Oh, are we going to start shaving?"

But then the hairdresser remained cautious, only shaving off the stray hairs around Qi Yuan's ears and the back of his neck. Seeing this, Ning Qianyu initially felt a little bored, but Qi Yuan's subsequent reaction caught her attention.

Because Qi Yuan couldn't help but shrink back. This reaction was truly rare for someone as fearless as Qi Yuan.

The hairstylist asked with a smile, "Is the back of your neck a little itchy?"

Qi Yuan: "It is a little itchy."

Hairstylist: "This reaction is normal; many people are itchy on the back of their neck."

Qi Yuan: "I didn't feel itchy when I touched it."

The hairstylist laughed and said, "You usually don't feel itchy when you touch it yourself, but it might not be the case for others. Besides, you have to shave very lightly here, and that kind of pressure can easily make people feel itchy."

"Yes, that should be normal..."

Qi Yuan genuinely felt nothing was unusual; after all, he often felt itchy in the same spot when getting a haircut in his previous life. However, he didn't notice that Ning Qianyu was intently observing his reaction, her large, round eyes blinking incessantly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After the hairstylist finally finished, Qi Yuan looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction: "It really looks good."

The boy in the mirror, somewhere between a young man and a teenager, had a handsome face with a touch of coldness and strength. His hairstyle at that moment further accentuated his refined features. Especially the seemingly casually tousled hair on top of his head, which gave him a dashing and unrestrained air.

The assistant next to her was also very efficient. She cleaned up all the stray hairs that had fallen on the floor with a vacuum cleaner.

The hairstylist said, "I used some hairspray to style it for you. It's actually very simple to style, you can do it yourself, but if you have an assistant or a personal hairstylist, I still recommend having someone do it for you."

Qi Yuan: "I can try it myself when I have time. I watched you struggle with it for a while, and I think I'm starting to understand. By the way, the hairspray you're using is really good. It's not greasy and looks quite natural. Can I have a copy?"

“Of course, no problem,” the hairstylist handed him a bottle of hairspray, then turned to the three girls. “A female hairstylist will be coming over to style you in a bit. I’m not particularly good at girly styles, so I’ll take my leave now.”

"Okay, thank you, take care..."

After watching the hairstylist and assistant leave and the villa gate close, Ning Qianyu tiptoed up behind Qi Yuan and gently touched the back of his neck.

The touch was very light, similar to the pressure a hairstylist would apply when lightly shaving with a razor.

Qi Yuan practically jumped around, staring at the petite, short-haired girl, and exclaimed in astonishment, "What are you doing?!"

"Hehe..." Ning Qianyu laughed mischievously, like a kitten that had successfully stolen some fish, "Does it tickle? Did I tickle your funny bone?"

Jiang Yi noticed that Qianyu's little hands weren't behaving properly and got a little anxious: "Qianyu, what are you doing?"

Ning Qianyu said in a serious tone, "I'm just curious, I want to see if he's really ticklish down there."

Jiang Yi: "You can't do this just because you're curious!"

Ning Qianyu: "If you have doubts, you must verify them. This is the empirical spirit that drives the progress of human civilization."

Jiang Yi: "..."

Qi Yuan chuckled: "I didn't feel any tickle from what you did just now, it just startled me."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze blew on the back of his neck.

It turned out that when he turned to face Ning Qianyu, he naturally left his back to the other two girls. Jiang Yi spoke up for him earnestly, but Qiu Mengxue was different.

As if by some strange twist of fate, this girl, who usually presented herself as aloof, quietly took two steps forward and blew a breath on the back of his neck. Moreover, the distance was very close and the force was very light.

Qi Yuan suddenly shrank his neck and turned around to look at Qiu Mengxue.

Qiu Mengxue chuckled and said, "Now, it really tickles, doesn't it?"

Qi Yuan: "..."

Ning Qianyu clapped her hands and said, "Great! The experiment was a success!"

However, Jiang Yi was genuinely getting anxious. She glanced at Ning Qianyu, then at Qiu Mengxue, and finally stared at the bewildered Qi Yuan, gritting her teeth as she said, "Did she even agree? And you're already touching and blowing on her like that!"

Ning Qianyu said jokingly, "The person involved hasn't said anything yet, why are you in such a hurry?"

"I'm in a hurry? I..." Jiang Yi was really in a hurry now, and even couldn't help but gasp for breath, not even regulating her breathing.

Ning Qianyu squinted and smiled, "Since it's an experiment, there definitely needs to be a control group. Yi Yi, why don't you touch that spot and see if it itches?"

"it is good!"

Jiang Yi rushed over to Qi Yuan, reached behind his neck, touched the skin below his hairline, and asked, "Are you itchy now?"

Qi Yuan: "It doesn't itch..."

Ning Qianyu laughed and said, "Now we have a control group. It really does take a light touch to trigger it!"

Qi Yuan stared at the girl in front of him, looking at her flushed cheeks and her clear, shy peach blossom eyes, but he didn't say a word.

My neck isn't itchy, but I feel a little itchy inside.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

099 is right.

The band spent the morning getting ready and having a quick lunch. At 2 p.m., they were greeted by Xu Xi, who was there for the interview.

As a seasoned interviewer, Xu Xi has a wide reputation in the entertainment industry, yet she is widely regarded as the 'most unpopular interviewer'. The reason is simple: this seemingly calm middle-aged woman always manages to ask the most incisive questions.

When celebrities try to elicit sympathy by saying "Really? I don't believe it," it's child's play for Xu Xi. Not only does she not believe them, she can also pinpoint the logical flaws in their statements. What's even more infuriating is that she's different from those who deliberately try to provoke people.

Her words are usually very polite, but she occasionally throws in a couple of hurtful remarks. The celebrities being interviewed want to flip the table, but given her calm demeanor, they're too embarrassed to retaliate.

So when they opened the door and found that the interviewer was this person, the three girls were on high alert. Qi Yuan, on the other hand, seemed very relaxed and not worried at all.

After everyone sat down on the sofa, Xu Xi signaled to the photographer behind him to start filming, then looked at the four young people on the sofa and asked the first question:

"I heard you signed with Tianhua Entertainment. Congratulations! What are your thoughts on signing with such a big company?"

None of the three girls sitting together spoke; they all looked at Qi Yuan on the other sofa.

Qi Yuan said, "I feel relieved."

Xu Xi smiled and continued, "Why do you feel so relieved?"

Qi Yuan: "Because we encountered a lot of things on the show, it made us realize that we still need to sign with a management company. Also, we want to focus on music and our studies, and we don't have the energy to take care of many specific execution matters, so we also need some professional help."

Xu Xi: "Your answer is so formal. Did someone teach you to do that?"

Ning Qianyu and Qiu Mengxue exchanged a glance, their eyes conveying the same meaning—this is how it begins, Xu Xi's probing questions!

However, Qi Yuan remained calm and said, "The contract was signed yesterday, and you're here today. How could I have time to learn the art of speaking for celebrities?"

Xu Xi: "So that means you don't need to study, your mind is already this mature, right?"

Qi Yuan: "Although I don't think I'm that mature, it's okay for you to say that."

Xu Xi nodded: "Then, why is it always you who answers the questions, while the three girls don't say anything?"

At this moment, Qiu Mengxue spoke up: "Because that's how we usually do it. When we negotiate with others, Qi Yuan is in charge. He's better at that."

At this point, Qiu Mengxue couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. It would be easy for the other person to follow up with questions about "why he's good at this," thus drawing out Qi Yuan's family background.

Lei, who was excluded from the interview in advance due to his family background, was the very target of this interview.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xi didn't ask that question. Instead, he returned to his previous question: "I've heard that many bands are reluctant to sign with a record company because they feel that it's a compromise with commercial interests and that they'll lose the soul of their music. Aren't you worried about that?"

Qi Yuan replied, "Of course we had such concerns, so the signing period wasn't long. Moreover, Tianhua Entertainment showed us sincerity and put almost no restrictions on us, which is why we signed."

Xu Xi blinked: "So, you mean you won't sign as long as the company tries to control you?"

Qi Yuan: "Perhaps, but the company is indeed very sincere. For the first interview after signing the contract, we were surprised to have the famous Ms. Xu. We just signed the contract yesterday, and you're here today. Is it easy for you to schedule a time off?"

Xu Xi was taken aback upon hearing this.

Ning Qianyu chuckled. Everyone had only ever seen Xu Xi make people suffer, but no one had ever seen an interviewee so hurtful to Xu Xi.

Xu Xi gave a wry smile naturally: "Yeah, because artists don't want to talk to me these days, so my schedule is very easy to book. You really found out."

Qi Yuan smiled and asked, "However, interviewing celebrities must be a very interesting job, right? Especially established stars who are always pampered by those around them. Their reaction when they suddenly run into you must be quite amusing."

Xu Xi shrugged slightly: "Many people online have already compiled montages of the celebrity reactions I had talked to, and they are indeed interesting."

Qi Yuan: "Do you take things out of context during interviews?"

Xu Xi said seriously, "I never take things out of context. As you can see, there are cameras here that will record all your reactions truthfully. And when I release something, I either don't release it at all, or I release the complete interview transcript and the complete interview video. So you don't need to worry at all. Speaking of which, are you very worried about being misunderstood or misinterpreted?"

Qi Yuan looked at the three girls: "Are you worried?"