In the drama’s opening scene, guards from Jizhou escorted Daji to Zhaoge. Daji sat inside the carriage, her veil gently fluttering in the breeze, her figure only vaguely discernible.

Late Autumn tightly hugged a cushion with both arms, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on the television screen. Finally, the delegation from Jizhou entered the palace, and the envoys bowed to King Zhou. A masked girl walked slowly out from behind them, dressed in local Jizhou attire. Holding five-colored feathers in her hand, she steadily advanced step by step.

The fans’ sensitivity towards their idol was exceptional. Even without seeing her face, Late Autumn knew the young woman appearing in front of the camera was Meng Zhen. She sat up straight, and holding her breath, admired the graceful dance movements. Overwhelmed with excitement, her entire face flushed with a blush.

“This little girl dances quite well.” Late Autumn’s mother expressed her opinions from time to time.

At this moment, King Zhou, seated high above, was also drawn by the young woman’s dance. He rose and descended the steps, standing before Daji. Then he reached out to take off her mask and lifted her chin, revealing her extraordinarily beautiful face.

The larger the TV screen, the clearer the beauty of the actress could be seen. Director Qian Xubing did not like to use filters while filming, so to Late Autumn, every single eyelash and stray hair at Meng Zhen’s temples was visible.

“This version of Daji is really beautiful, but she’s not bewitching enough, not like a nine-tailed fox.”

Late Autumn poured a cup of tea for her mother and softly explained, “I have studied the plot of this drama before. At this point, Daji is just a sixteen-year-old girl who hasn’t been possessed by the nine-tailed fox yet, which is why she appears so pure. Once the fox spirit possesses her, her demeanor will completely change.”

As Late Autumn spoke, she opened Weibo and showed her mother the character stills released by the crew of 《Investiture》. The elderly woman stared at them for a long time before finally nodding. “You have a good eye. The little girl is really pretty and acts well.”

Late Autumn nodded in deep agreement.

———pr

《Investiture》 had only aired its first two episodes, yet three topics related to it had already trended on the hot search list. The most discussed of these was Meng Zhen’s portrayal of Daji. Before this, Meng Zhen hadn’t had much exposure. The web drama she filmed, titled 《Phoenix Arrives in Splendor》, had no set release date, and the only works that truly gained attention were Luo Yang’s short film 《Daffodil》 and that certain episode of 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》.

Since 《Daffodil》 was only released on a video website and didn’t air on TV, the impression most viewers had of Meng Zhen was that of a young woman in a qipao holding an erhu.

After hearing that Meng Zhen would be playing Daji, many viewers felt she was unsuitable for the role. They believed Meng Zhen’s uniquely Republican-era aura was too strong, making it impossible for her to convey the ferocity and alluring beauty of the nine-tailed fox.

Unexpectedly, the face slap came swiftly.

【Wow, Meng Zhen’s acting is quite good. I initially thought that idols from talent shows weren’t suited for acting, but she has unexpectedly broken that perception.】

【When Daji looked at King Zhou, her eyes were so full of emotion, like a timid deer in the forest, making people’s hearts melt.】

【Zhenzhen, mommy loves you!】

Before 《Investiture》 aired, Meng Zhen’s Weibo followers were fewer than ten million. Today, she has finally surpassed that mark and many Hazelnuts urged her in the comment section to release special content for reaching this milestone, even stating that a selfie would suffice.

Director Qian Xubing’s skill was naturally beyond doubt, and the scriptwriters’ ability to construct the storyline was also commendable. Coupled with the main actors’ excellent looks and acting skills, 《Investiture》 had swiftly become the hottest TV drama of recent times. Many netizens have used the drama’s theme songs as their phone ringtones and even created GIFs from it to use as emojis.

【Some people’s perspectives are just too narrow. They can’t stop praising endlessly just because someone played a role in a popular drama, as if their idol’s acting deserves an award. It’s really laughable.】

【I know, right? Just a while ago, they were saying Meng Zhen is a candidate for Phoebe’s ambassadorship in Asia. Meng Zhen’s fans should take a good look in the mirror. With their idol’s reputation as a decorative vase lacking substance, how could a prestigious brand possibly consider them seriously? Wake up and get back to reality. Stop daydreaming.】

【Let’s not wake up Meng Zhen’s fans. Let them continue living in their dreams. For idols like Meng Zhen, who lack acting skills and resources, all they can boast about is their looks. Give it a few more years when she’s aged, then they won’t be able to boast any more.】

Haters might be late, but they would never be absent.

Meng Zhen’s performance in the first two episodes was outstanding, but these haters seem blind to it, criticizing her relentlessly. Fortunately, Meng Zhen’s fans had a positive mindset and ignored these keyboard warriors, focusing wholeheartedly on promoting their idol.

By the twentieth episode, the scenes between Meng Zhen and Gu Ting finally aired.

The netizens had already learned from yesterday’s preview that these upcoming two episodes would feature Gu Ting, the acclaimed actor. They eagerly set up their small chairs in front of the TV, and when they saw the remarkable man appear in the palace, many of them were thrilled. Gu Ting, dressed in white, exuded extraordinary charisma, directly overshadowing Lin Yu, the male lead.

And that’s not all. When the storyline progressed to Bo Yikao teaching Daji how to play the qin, many star-chasing girls attracted by looks went crazy with excitement.

In the first few years, Gu Ting was hailed as the entertainment industry’s ‘divine face’. Apart from earlier female stars, none of the recently popular female celebrities could match his appearance. As a result, despite Gu Ting being in the industry for many years, he hasn’t been linked to any woman, or even shipped to a co-star.

But now with Meng Zhen standing by his side, his features exceedingly handsome, and her beauty like spring water, the two of them together were like a painting, pleasing to the eye.

As expected, that night’s episode achieved another small peak in ratings. Gu Ting topped various charts, and Meng Zhen surpassed Lin Yu for the first time, indicating just how popular she had become.

Seeing the ranking data and considering Meng Zhen’s performance in 《Investiture》, the senior management at Phoebe’s Asian branch finally made up their minds and called the chief designer, Benjamin.

“Meng is indeed a beautiful girl. Previously, there were many rumors about her online, and I even considered removing her from the ambassador candidate list. However, she not only defended her reputation but also delivered a perfect performance in a TV drama. She’s stunning there, truly embodying the allure of a seductive beauty. If Helen of Troy truly existed in the world, only such beauty could have sparked the Trojan War. Darling, your insight is truly remarkable……”

Benjamin, who was currently sketching designs, couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Since he could start remembering things, he had never doubted his own taste in aesthetics.

Meng Zhen was simply the epitome of beauty. Not only does she possess exquisitely refined features and flawless fair skin, but her figure and demeanor are also without any flaws.

Such a beauty perfectly aligns with his design style. If it weren’t for the company’s upper management intervening, Benjamin would have wanted to directly finalize Meng Zhen as ambassador instead of following the usual process and evaluating celebrities who were completely unsuitable.

Unfortunately, the proud blue-blood brand would never just appoint a just-of-age young woman for the position.

“OK, then please quickly contact Meng’s agency. We also want to announce the new ambassador.”

After finishing the call, Benjamin directly hung up. He opened his tablet and played the latest episode of 《Investiture》. When he saw the enchanting young woman on the screen, a constant stream of inspiration surged through his mind. He lowered his head and completed a draft in a flash.

———pr

That afternoon, just as Meng Zhen stepped out of the training room with a water bottle in hand, she spotted Xin Xin hurrying toward her with a joyful expression on her face.

“Sister Zhenzhen, just now I received a call from Sister Fei. She said Phoebe is going to sign a contract with the company, appointing you as an ambassador for Asia, and they also want to feature you on the cover of a fashion magazine!”

Meng Zhen’s brows rose in surprise. She hadn’t expected Phoebe to make a decision so quickly. She had thought she would have to wait six months for the probation period to pass before finding out if she would become an ambassador.

“I quite like Phoebe. This should be a pleasant collaboration.” The young woman said with a smile.

“Sister Zhenzhen, aren’t you surprised?”

Although Xin Xin was a first-time assistant, she had spent enough time around Fei Yun to understand how difficult it was to become an ambassador for luxury goods. Moreover, Phoebe’s ambassadors were extremely small in number, and their prestige far exceeded that of other brands.

“Well, it’s not that surprising. Sister Fei mentioned that Phoebe’s chief designer thinks I fit well with his design style. Benjamin holds considerable sway in the company. As long as I don’t make any major mistakes, I should be able to seize this opportunity.”

Meng Zhen tilted her head back and finished the contents of the water bottle. The transparent droplets of water slid down her snow-white neck, spreading directly onto her plain black T-shirt.

Xin Xin felt a bit embarrassed and turned her head away, silently thinking to herself, Why does Sister Zhenzhen keep getting more and more attractive? Is this what they mean by ‘a woman changes a lot after turning eighteen’?

Meng Zhen was unaware of Xin Xin’s thoughts. After finishing her dance practice, she took a car to the affiliated high school to pick up Lei Yin. The girl had just finished her exams and wanted to have a good meal to relax. Seeing how hard Lei Yin studied, Meng Zhen naturally had no reason to refuse.

As soon as school ended, Lei Yin waited eagerly by the school gate. When she spotted the familiar license plate, her eyes lit up, and she dashed forward like a husky. After getting into the car, she immediately hugged Meng Zhen around the waist and didn’t let go.

“Sister, I’ve been studying every day to prepare for the monthly exams. I haven’t even watched a single episode of 《Investiture》. My classmates all say you’re incredibly beautiful in it, but I dare not even search for GIFs. I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist temptation and end up binge-watching the show before the exam.”

Meng Zhen patted the other party’s head and smiled, “Let’s go eat hotpot first. Then after we finish, I’ll accompany you to catch up on the drama, okay?”

Lei Yin nodded eagerly, looking at Meng Zhen’s profile. Suddenly, she recalled the rumors at school. They said Meng Zhen was the illegitimate daughter of the Xu family and not as smart or outstanding as the talented Xu Xuero. However, Lei Yin didn’t agree with them. Grades didn’t represent everything. Plus, if her Sister Zhenzhen had the opportunity to study, she might not necessarily be inferior to Xu Xuero.