Chapter 15

Shen Yuanting seemed very busy today. After Yan Zhao had finished his meal and taken a walk, Shen Yuanting returned. At this time, the borrowed formal attire also arrived. Yan Zhao took a look and saw that it was a complete set of clothing, from head to toe, including accessories.

Temporary borrowed clothing often has sizing issues, but when Yan Zhao tried it on, the outfit fit him perfectly, as if it had been tailor-made for him.

Yan Zhao glanced at Shen Yuanting, the man’s expression was indifferent, showing no emotions, and he only praised, “It fits very well.”

Among musicians, there is no lack of eccentric individuals, but the New Sound Music Award is, after all, a formal award event, so artists must dress appropriately for the occasion without being too conservative. This outfit fits the condition perfectly—

A black suit jacket, a dark red tie, and an exquisite rose brooch with a gold chain hanging from it. The combination of black and red, light and dark, ensures that one does not blend into the crowd, yet does not stand out too much.

Except for his face, Yan Zhao’s face is always very eye-catching.

At 10 o’clock in the evening, as Song Jing expected, KUMONO made an official announcement.

Salt Soda had been eagerly anticipating this endorsement for a long time, but the result was that it went to someone else, leaving their feeling disappointed. They rushed to KUMONO’s Weibo to see who got the endorsement, and when they saw it, “WTF!”. Damn it, Ning Yunfan?!

As teammates in the same group, Yan Zhao and Ning Yunfan maintained a superficial plastic friendship^[1]塑料花友誼(sùliàohuā yǒuyì) = Plastic Friendship, The word originates from a popular joke on Weibo that goes, “The relationship between good sisters is like plastic flowers, very … Continue reading. But precisely because they were in the same group, it was more convenient to compare their resources. Ning Yunfan was the leader, and Yan Zhao was the center. Salt Soda complained about the editing of the group’s variety show, saying that Ning Yunfan was ugly but kind-hearted, and besides his good looks, he had nothing else. Clouds^[2]云 朵(yún duǒ) = Clouds, It’s Ning Yunfan’s fan name. angrily criticized the choreography of the concert, saying that why Ning Yunfan deserved a dance partner like him every day, so who was treating whom like a servant?!

In short, the two have long-standing grievances, but they are still in the same group, so they can’t officially tear their faces apart.

Today when they checked the results, they found out that ‘The resources from my idol were taken by the other idol?!’ / ‘My idol has taken over the resources of the other idol, amazing!’

Weibo exploded in an instant.

#NingYunfan KUMONO# quickly trended, with Clouds dancing happily, and a bit of mockery towards Yan Zhao’s big face, riding on the popularity of teammates. The old fans of Salt Soda, in the fan group and on Weibo, shouted angrily: “Don’t give the opponent attention!!! Does they deserve it, does they deserve the attention, do they deserve anything!!!”

With the old fans taking charge, Salt Soda quickly calmed down, but the frustration lingered.

Jia Qin, one of the oldest fans with the nickname Jia Ge, and having connections with the official side, couldn’t help but say in the group: [I asked over there, they said Zhao Zhao and K Dog^[3]狗(Gǒu) = Dog, K Dog, it was to mock people from KUMONO have signed a contract.]

After posting, she felt it was inappropriate and immediately retracted the message. But many people still saw this message. Fortunately, this group is small, filled with die-hard fans of many years, who wouldn’t be foolish enough to go on Weibo to seek justice, otherwise Yan Zhao would definitely be mocked and ridiculed by passers-by and haters.

The atmosphere in the group was gloomy, and Jia Qin couldn’t stand it, saying: [Don’t be disheartened! Tomorrow Zhao Zhao will walk the red carpet! I’m going to lift the iron, and tomorrow, I’ll take the most stable and beautiful photos of Zhao Zhao!]

[Haha, I’m going to vote for my son by flexing Jia Ge’s biceps!]

[My personal MV is almost edited, everyone get ready to like and comment!]

Everyone laughed, and the group quickly returned to a harmonious and friendly atmosphere, but only they knew how difficult it was in their hearts.

So, amidst the excitement of Clouds and the melancholy of Salt Soda, the awards ceremony for the New Sound Music Awards began.

Even though they didn’t sit together with Ning Yunfan, they still entered the venue together.

Since Ning Yunfan forced Yan Zhao to sing in the variety show last time, the media has sensed the gunpowder between the two. Not to mention the big fuss about the endorsement last night, they had already set up their cameras and prepared to see what kind of interaction these two apparent teammates, but actual rivals, would have.

Mu Group arrived, and Ning Yunfan was wearing KUMONO’s custom-made suit, very eye-catching in white.

As the captain, he always walked at the forefront of the team, while Yan Zhao usually walked second. This time, Yan Zhao waited until the end to get off the car, keeping a considerable distance from him.

Sure enough, there was a conflict!

The media’s eyes lit up, already planning the headline: [“Mu Group’s endorsement dispute, is there really friendship between teammates?”]

Yan Zhao walked the red carpet with ease, not too fast or slow, posing for photos with the media and station sisters without hindering the later arrivals of other celebrities.

The sound of camera shutters blended together, creating a galaxy of flashlights outside the venue.

In the frame, Yan Zhao wore a black suit, the tailored cut fully showcasing his body advantages—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. The tie and rose brooch are embellishments, breaking the dullness of black, adding a touch of brilliance and elegance to him.

Is this Yan Zhao?

Not only the media but also the veteran artists inside the venue were amazed.

In the music industry, everyone tends to have interactions. Regarding Yan Zhao, their unanimous evaluation is “a bit lacking in arrogance.” Yes, although he used to have a proud and disdainful attitude, sharp-eyed people could see that he couldn’t let go, holding himself with a lack of confidence hidden beneath the arrogance. But now, the sense of constraint on him has disappeared, as if he was born to be the star in the sky, radiating an unrivaled brilliance. For artists, this is an essential quality. No matter who they were in everyday life or what flaws they have, when they stand in the center of the stage, when they enter the frame, they were the focus of the world.

Song Jing said she wanted to change his position, and indeed, he changed. On his left was the group’s Fang Xingyu, and on his right was the famous composer and lyricist Ling Xiao. And Ying Hongyu, who dabbles in both music and acting, is sitting in a quite distant place from him.

The “Zhao Hong” girl, the sugar-coated failure.

CP Fans: I don’t care, I don’t care. They are in the same venue, so they are practically married!

Ling Xiao usually composes emotional songs with delicate and graceful emotions, but in reality, he is a rough man who is particularly talkative. He quickly became acquainted with Yan Zhao, and the two exchanged WeChat contacts.

The music industry’s luck was dull this year, with no rising stars. Yan Zhao chatted with him, clapped during the awards, and the ceremony passed like flowing water.

It was really peaceful, no explosive points, and the media was not happy!

After all, you are the half of the country’s music industry. Come on, have a conflict, be dramatic!

During the subsequent media interview session, the microphone almost slammed into Yan Zhao’s face.

Then Xiao Dou stepped forward, a conspicuous mountain, even capable of wrestling a bear barehanded.

Media: Where did this strong man come from? Excuse me!

The matter between Yan Zhao and Cao Zhicheng was resolved, with public opinion leaning towards Yan Zhao. But for reporters, the most important thing was whether there was any juicy material to uncover.

A reporter asked, “Can you talk about what you were thinking at that time? Why did you choose such an aggressive way to save someone?”

Yan Zhao smiled and said, “Today is the New Music Awards, let’s not discuss things unrelated to music. I’ll hold a press conference another day, and you can ask then. But I have one thing to say.”

The reporter, curious, asked, “What is it?”

Yan Zhao replied, “I have 12 points deducted from my driver’s license.”

The reporter: “…”

The ceremony and interviews were both live broadcasts, and the news of Yan Zhao’s driving license being deducted to zero quickly amused netizens. Even his fans, Salt Soda, were laughing at their idol.

[There are millions of roads, but only one is safe. If driving is not regulated, loved ones will shed tears!]

[Time to retake the driving test, feel sorry for my treasure Zhao.]

[Stop driving, come drive me instead. [Blushing emoji]]

[??? Chicken cage warning!]

While Salt Soda was still laughing, suddenly some sisters shouted:

[Oh my, the case is solved! Brother is wearing Elegante’s haute couture!!!]

[Wow, is the news reliable?!]

[Yes, it’s really true!]

The sisters threw out a picture, and as they looked at it, the image was divided into two parts. On the right side were the haute couture designs from Elegante’s December runway last year, while on the left side was a photo of Yan Zhao from tonight. Compared to professional models, Yan Zhao’s presence was not inferior at all.

Salt soda started crying again, sobbing. They wondered who this amazing idol was with such a face, legs, and temperament. He seemed like a divine being!

This image quickly spread among fans, and shortly after, some fans pointed out that not only the suit but also Yan Zhao’s shirt, brooch, shoes, and ring were all from Elegante! The brooch alone was worth 150,000!

Unlike the new brand KUMONO, Elegante had a long history and was one of the “blue-blooded” brands. Although not comparable to top-tier luxury brands, it still stood out among many high-end brands. Given Yan Zhao’s current status, it would be somewhat difficult to secure their haute couture.

But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. Elegante had been in the Chinese market for a year with poor sales. Recently, there have been rumors in the industry that they were looking for a brand ambassador!

Yan’s soda water is rarely flustered, oh my, Could it be Zhao Zhao?……….. Calm down, if it’s another disappointment like KUMONO, it’s too sad to be hit twice in a row.

But… sob, they really hoped their idol could secure this endorsement!

Salt Soda had been hurt before, so they remained low-key, but there were still haters popping out from nowhere to pick on it.

[Oh, it must be a scam. It will be embarrassing when it’s exposed, oh]

[On the lemon tree, there are lemon fruits, and under the lemon tree, there are Clouds.]^[4]柠檬 (níng méng) = Lemon, Lemon in this context is to express the sour emotions. It simply expresses that Clouds is sour(jealous/envy).

[All in Elegante, rushing to be lapdogs?]

[Brother is a male god loved by everyone. The brand is willing, what’s your concern?]

[Models are 100.000.000 times better looking than him.]

[However, the colourful lemon essence above^[5]above in this context is referring to the previous comments was more than enough for her to steam.]

Jia Qin finished taking photos, carried her SLR camera back to the car, and was about to take a break before voting for Yan Zhao. She checked the group chat and thought, ‘Great, there are always idiots trying to criticize my idol!’

Jia Qin rolled up her sleeves and contacted her friends, and fought the haters like cutting vegetables and fruits for three hundred rounds. In the heat of battle, her friend suddenly messaged her: [Jia Ge, don’t fight anymore.]

Jia Qin angrily responded: [Trash clouds, there are even black fans^[6]反黑(fǎnhēi) = Black fans, Black fans is an internet buzzword, refers to the behavior of fans whitewashing their idols under negative news (comments). sneaking into the group. I’ve caught the split personality, and I’m going to curse Ning Yun Fan 100 times in front of her(black fans) and see if she can bear it!]

Her friend advised: [Fighting against black fans is commendable, but Yan Zhao’s value is higher! Ignore those sour lemons and come check out Yan Zhao’s new endorsement!!!]

What?! New endorsement?!

Jia Qin immediately abandoned the ongoing argument with the black fans and rushed to Yan Zhao’s Weibo. There, she found:

[@EleganteChina: The beauty of brilliance doesn’t need to be concealed, you are the star of the masses. Elegante China’s brand ambassador @YanZhao, together with you, becomes even better.]

Jia Qin: “……”

Jia Qin: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

Did you see that? My idol’s cake is round, big, fragrant, and it even has gold leaf sprinkled on top!

The supreme, colorful and brilliant VIP royal cake!

Who needs KUMONO anymore? Get lost!

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The author has something to say:

Mr. Shen, who doesn’t want to reveal his name, applauded.

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