The glass still had half the water left, but it had tipped over on the thick carpet without shattering. However, the carpet had been soaked through.

Yet, Lin Zhi was half-lying there, and instead of looking sorry, he seemed to find the situation amusing, even smiling a little.

There was even a hint of smugness on his face.

This was indeed the kind of mischief that the three-colored cat would cause.

Li Chu, who was sitting below, had been splashed with some water. His reaction was quick—he lifted his foot and gave Lin Zhi a light kick. He wasn’t really angry; rather, he was mimicking the playful movements of little cats fighting, and he clearly controlled his strength.

After taking the “hit,” Lin Zhi shifted on the couch, changed his position, and reached out to provoke Li Chu again. The two of them, one on the couch and the other on the carpet, stripped away many of their accessories, looking more like two little animals playfully tumbling around.

This was just a break between takes, not an official shoot, but the director, who was sitting behind the monitor, suddenly shouted.

“Great! This one’s interesting, much better than the previous one. Take off the extra stuff and do it just like this!”

The director seemed to have found some inspiration from the moment. The surrounding crew hadn’t quite reacted yet, but Zhou Chunqing, who was standing there, was quick.

“Got it. But this makeup isn’t quite right, it’s too heavy,” she raised her hand and said. “Let me take the artist to change the makeup and styling. We’ll be back quickly.”

The director gave her a second glance, recognized her as the staff member brought in by the artist, then glanced at the monitor again, nodding in approval, and said, “Alright, hurry up and come back, make it fast.”

Zhou Chunqing got the approval and immediately led Lin Zhi and Li Chu to the dressing room.

The two exchanged a glance and followed her. As they walked, they whispered and discussed the script.

“Since the director likes it, I think we should change the actions here.”

“Mm, we could do it this way, it would look more natural…”

Li Chu had seen that fat three-colored cat on the rooftop before, and it was a cat they both had picked up from their living area.

The property of Xiangshan Bieyuan had originally planned to send it away, but they happened to see it and took it in. Though the cat was kept at Lin Zhi’s place, it roamed all over the house, and as no one was allergic, the members quickly got used to having it around.

Yesterday, while playing in the garden, the two of them had seen the cat, through the fence, playfully squawking with a very expensive-looking Ragdoll cat from the neighboring villa, stretching out its claws and swatting at it, both cats seemingly communicating in their own way.

Zhou Chunqing was very quick. In the dressing room, she removed all the fluffy, excessive clothes from both of them, and then picked out some loose loungewear from the many options available. She also planned to change their hairstyles.

She took off so much that even the brand representatives were a bit puzzled and tried to stop her, saying, “Wait, will this work? What are you doing…”

It was normal for artists to suggest their own ideas during shooting, but such a large change made the crew uneasy.

Not only the brand representatives but even the team’s executive manager seemed unsure. But Li Chu reacted quickly and immediately called Su Ning.

Su Ning answered quickly. After listening, he paused and said, “Give the phone to Chunqing. Since it was her idea, I’d like to hear her thoughts.”

After Zhou Chunqing took the phone, she took a deep breath and spoke a few words to Su Ning as requested.

When she returned with the phone, Su Ning’s clear voice came through: “Please try it our way. Chunqing, go ahead and do it. I’ll communicate with the brand. If there are any issues, I’ll take the responsibility.”

His words were like an anchor, calming the situation.

Everyone fell silent, and even the director, who was leading the shoot, nodded in agreement. Zhou Chunqing faced no further obstacles and decisively got to work. She changed the makeup, focusing on the eyes, which were already quite beautiful and round.

If they were a bit bigger and the lashes were slightly curled, they’d look even more like innocent little animals, while keeping the rest of the makeup subtle.

She worked quickly, thinking as she went.

The hairstyle seemed simple, but Zhou Chunqing had put a lot of thought into it. On the surface, it seemed casual, but in reality, it was meticulously styled, giving the key parts of the hair a light, airy, voluminous feel that shaped their faces, making their features appear smaller and more delicate.

“Later, when you go back, make it even more natural,” Zhou Chunqing reminded as she worked on the makeup. “Don’t get stuck on the script, it’s not natural enough.”

The two of them looked at their reflections in the mirror and found themselves inspired by the changes.

In any visual work, makeup and styling were crucial.

Now they looked completely different. Even though they were wearing similar loungewear, Zhou Chunqing had adjusted the details. Lin Zhi’s ankles and calves were especially attractive, so she chose shorter pants for him. Li Chu’s collarbones were beautiful, so she angled his neckline slightly, making small adjustments for both.

When they returned to the set, the director’s eyes lit up at the new look. He was a very experienced director, and once he had an idea, he couldn’t stop.

He called for the shoot to begin: “Let’s shoot it this way!”

Not only had the director altered the original script, but he also adjusted the lighting on set, signaling for everyone to get ready again.

The idea of the water glass being knocked over by Lin Zhi remained. Then, the “cat fight” between the two was interrupted by the “mistress” who only existed in the off-screen sound, forcing them apart and placing them each in their own “bed.”

—This “bed” was, of course, the product they were promoting.

Because it was designed for pets of various sizes, the bed came in different models. The one they were lying in was the largest.

However, since they were adults, lying in different beds, one of them with a leg sticking out and the other half of his body outside, they didn’t look entirely comfortable. It seemed like they were too lazy to leave the bed for another fight because the bed was too comfortable.

With this change in the scene, the shooting progressed differently.

The next scenes featured pet toys and the brand’s intelligent pet products, such as feeding and drinking devices. It was clear that Lin Zhi and Li Chu were becoming more and more in sync with each other during the process.

In an advertisement with no dialogue, they had to rely solely on actions to convey their performance. The two interacted with each other, not only focusing on themselves but also on each other’s movements.

They played with toys, refusing to let go even when they fell asleep, holding tightly onto a ball meant for clawing. They were also intrigued by the intelligent products, occasionally stopping their mock fight to press buttons and play with them.

Like pets, but still distinct.

Zhou Chunqing kept a close eye on them, adjusting their hair and touching up their makeup. Their hairstyles were vital. Even without fake ears, the voluminous styles made it seem like they truly had ears growing out.

Because of the creative change, today’s filming took longer.

The director was inspired and shot a few more takes, choosing the best ones. Zhou Chunqing also signaled to the team’s photographer to take some photos for the official account.

The lighting was perfect for the shots.

When Lin Zhi and Li Chu had yet to completely recover from their previous playful state, they squatted side by side by the director’s chair, looking up at him. Zhou Chunqing knew right away that the fans would love this shot.

The lighting was beautiful, and the makeup showcased their advantages. Their expressions were earnest. By the time they finished and returned home, as she predicted, the set of nine photos was posted on the official account, quickly causing fans to scream, “So cute!”

Not only were they cute, but their gazes also held depth.

Since Glory was currently trending, the image quickly made its way to the lower ranks of the hot search, with a high number of shares. The brand representatives, who had initially been uncertain about the creative changes, immediately jumped on board.

The artist team’s adjustments were correct.

Soon, both the brand representatives and the director reposted it.

The brand reposted it as a normal operation, but the director’s repost was unexpected. He was somewhat famous in the industry, known for his visually stunning films. He usually kept a low profile on social networks, and shooting commercials for him was a side gig. He wouldn’t typically promote them unless it was written in the contract.

But today, after reposting, he added a message: “Great performance, an unexpected delight. If there’s an opportunity, I’d love to collaborate again.”

With a thumbs-up emoji.

His repost reached even more people.

For truly stunning images, attention was inevitable.

The brand hadn’t expected the ad to gain this kind of traction before its release. They realized they had underestimated Glory’s popularity and quickly released behind-the-scenes clips, putting in extra effort to push the content.

By the time Li Chu and Lin Zhi returned to Xiangshan Bieyuan, the heat had already climbed from the lower ranks to the mid-range of hot searches.

When they opened the door, the other members sitting at the restaurant, eating, saw the trending search.

“Really cute,” Ji Mowei, almost done with his meal, was sitting and petting the three-colored cat while scrolling on his phone. He secretly liked the post with his alt account. “No wonder this brand would pick you guys, it really fits.”

Li Chu and Lin Zhi collapsed onto the sofa as soon as they returned, exhausted, their heads resting against each other, too lazy to eat. Li Chu opened his mouth and replied, “You still have time to tease us? Your and the captain’s ad is going to shoot soon, right?”

“We need to prepare too,” Qu Shoubai said, tilting his chin. “Rui Song and Zhou Heng got the ‘Shih Zai’ chips ad, and it’s going to air on national TV. The script is a song, and they have to sing. But when we heard it, we didn’t think it was catchy enough. They said they could improve it.”

“President Su went to discuss it, and the brand said if they can improve it, the endorsement fee will increase. If the effect is good, they’ll put more money into it, and the song’s copyright will clearly state their names. But those two are busy.”

The two of them had creative abilities but were still in the early stages. Su Ning had been keen on cultivating them, offering strong encouragement and support.

Rui Song didn’t say much, focusing on his meal, seemingly in a rush. When he stood up to leave the restaurant, Li Chu called after him.

“I’m hungry. I want some red bean cakes,” he said pitifully. “But I don’t want to move.”

Rui Song shook his head helplessly, but still took two pieces from the plate, wrapped them in napkins, and brought them over to Li Chu on the sofa. He then gestured to Zhou Heng to finish his meal before heading to the music room to discuss, possibly even working through the night.

Zhou Heng, however, was still full of energy.

“You two rest first,” he said. “I’ve got to go make money.”

Then he left.

The music room downstairs was soundproof, so it wouldn’t disturb them.

Li Chu, receiving his red bean cakes from the cat, slowly nibbled on one, glancing around, “Where’s Ruo Yi? I haven’t seen him.”

“He has a guest spot on a flight variety show. President Su watched it and said the comedic variety suits him well. The show itself is quite popular. Also, he’s the face of the chewing gum ad, one of the sponsors, so they pushed him in,” Qu Shoubai explained casually while cleaning up the table. “I think it suits him. His smile looks good, his teeth are perfect. Maybe next time he’ll land a toothpaste endorsement. But President Su said there’s nothing suitable for now, so we’ll wait.”

Lin Zhi gave a soft “oh,” his eyes following Li Chu, who was slowly eating. Though he hadn’t been that hungry, now he was, but he didn’t speak.

Li Chu, feeling his gaze, broke off a piece of cake and handed it to him. “Here, eat.”

“Little Chu, you’re so nice,” Lin Zhi nuzzled him, taking a piece and chewing with puffed cheeks. “Hehe, it’s delicious.”

Having lived together, the seven of them were gradually becoming more familiar with each other. Facing Su Ning’s guidance and pressure, they were also communicating more and coordinating smoothly in their work.

Though there were many commercial collaborations coming in, most were short-term, with the brand representatives knowing well that teams born from reality shows gained quick popularity but faded just as fast.

By filtering out the obvious short-term collaborations aimed at fans’ wallets, there were only a few good opportunities left, especially since they were just getting started.

Su Ning’s choices were clearly methodical. Li Chu and Lin Zhi’s brands had large budgets for online promotion, while Rui Song and Zhou Heng had high-end TV commercials, with well-known brands. Wang Ruo Yi had secured two variety shows and was backed by the brand.

He wouldn’t just be a background player on the shows; his presence and treatment were guaranteed, and at least the shows wouldn’t maliciously edit him for the sake of views.

As for Ji Mowei and Qu Shoubai, they had secured well-selling, reputable domestic beauty brands. They were shooting different lines, with Qu Shoubai doing setting powder and Ji Mowei handling eyebrow pencil series, both of which were key products for the brand.

It was clear now that, because of the last “lesson,” they better understood Su Ning’s reasoning for his choices.

Clear thinking led to clear goals.

Regardless of the brand size, once selected, it was all about doing the job well.

They all knew, deep down, that as top idols, they couldn’t just stand there and expect fans to buy into any material they put out.

Being a top-tier star meant meeting standards, not just having a name that would work automatically.

Ad shooting was an important part of their work. Though it wasn’t the same as performing on stage, both stage performances and advertisements were essentially about the difference in visual appeal and on-camera presence.

So when Zhou Chunqing had worked on makeup for that beauty brand ahead of time, she was very serious when she said, “No.”

Neither Qu Shoubai nor Ji Mowei dismissed her opinion. Instead, they valued her feedback and only asked one question: “How should we change it?”