Chapter 18
From the morning publication to the afternoon supplement, Character was a domestic first-tier magazine and did everything in an orderly manner. 10,000 supplementary copes were printed again and sold out within three days.
Character had experience with supplementary copies in the past. The Huaxia of this world placed great importance on copyrights, so their sales were quite high. No readers would take the liberate to spread the pages only, and there were no pirate manufacturers who would print an inferior produce.
In fact, a supplementary number of 10,000 copies was ordinary. Every year, Character would do two or three such supplements. In most cases, it was due to big models, celebrities or important news stories.
But this time…
This issue looked normal? The British male model on the cover could be considered relatively popular, while the female on the inside of the cover wasn't that known. Could it be the key news? But this time, Character didn't release any breaking news in order to focus on next month's annual release.
Was it because of that?
Huaxia's fashion magazines held votes for the best section on their official website. Just like in the last Fashion Entertainment poll, the most popular section was the '18 years old' section. This time in Character's pill, the most popular wasn't the handsome cover or the sexy and enchanting girl on the inside cover. It was—
“The Glorious Years."
As the name suggested, 'The Glorious Years' was about the bright and beautiful years of youth. The tall and handsome Wu Yuzhen, feminine and neutral Liu Qian, bright and sunny Zhu Wei (his image) and the handsome and elegant Ming Yu.
Four different types of beautiful men gathered together, the visual impact was too large!
In the forum area of Character's official website, there were several such voices.
【 Lick lick lick!!! I will sponsor a month of instant noodles money to see those four again! 】
【 This is great! The photo of Sister Qian coming out of the water is almost erotic! As a straight man, I am typing with both feet to prove my innocence! 】
【 Sir Wu is a prince! 】
【 Zhu Wei isn't bad. He still looks good despite standing in front of Sir Wu 】…
Liu Qian's appearance was more neutral, so he was given the nickname of 'Sister Qian.' Wu Yuzhen previously had a role in a small-budget movie where he played a police officer, so fans called him Sir Wu. Zhu Wei's popularity was behind theirs, but they could only be compared to Ming Yu when the three of them were added together.
【 Ah aha ah ah ah Ming Xiaoyu is too handsome!!! The photo with the red wine is life!! 】 (TL: Basically, calling him Ming Little Yu. I decided to go with Ming Xiaoyu because it is a nickname they will use a lot)
【 No no, don't bend over! Someone stop my son! 】
【 The positioning of the four people is really accurate. Liu Qian and Wu Yuzhen's positions are no different from normal. Zhu Wei's positioning isn't bad, but his performance is more ordinary and tepid. The most surprising one if Ming Yu! This melancholy and elegant image really unexpectedly fits him. I originally thought he had the noble and cold image, but he is wearing a wet shirt like Liu Qian and it is really tempting! Ah, I have gone from being indifferent to being a huge fan. get√ 】
【 The emperor's analysis! Favourite +1. The 'natural carving of a fresh lotus.' This is really natural! It is a fairy!! I won't say that I stared at Ming Xiao Jade's chest for a long, long time….】
【 Ah, I made a typo. I meant Ming Xiaoyu. 】
【 His nipples were exposed? !!! I just looked through the magazine and it is true! Ah ah ah ah, white shirt + water. It is simply a big kill!!! You aren't allowed to look at my husband! 】
【 Ming Xiaoyu is really great ~ the jade skin and handsome face ~ nickname get√ 】……
After the Fasion Entertainment typsetting event, Ming Yu wasn't an obscure small model. He didn't have many fans, but it wasn't to the extent that no one knew him. Therefore, after this issue of Character was published, the readers recognized him and flocked to the Muse website to join the 'Ming Yu' personal fan site.
Muse had hundreds of models, each of them with their own official fan site. The highest one had more than 30 million fans and was naturally Xi Ze, while Ming Yu's fans only just reached 100,000.
Of course, Ming Yu's weibo had more than 500,000 fans, because not every fan would go to the Muse website.
In this way, Ming Yu's popularity increased step by step. His momentum was still heating up after the issue of Character, with no signs of reduction, prompting Muse to readjust the level of attention to him.
There was a clean and tidy office, the minimalist design of black and white being the only embellishment. Before a floor to ceiling glass window, a tall and upright man was slightly bent over, his fingers lightly moving the charcoal to sketch on the paper. As he moved, black slowly infiltrated the paper and a simple and elegant skirt was drawn.
He was just drawing the last line when there was a knock on the mahogany door in front of the man. After the whispered "Come in," a man wearing silver glasses walked in and sat on the swivel chair in front of the desk.
"I just heard from Shenxiang, that kid said that the PR department is raising Ming Yu up two levels."
Xi Ze continued calmly sketching as he looked down at the paper. He looked at his agent out of the corner of his eye and casually asked, "Ming Yu?" His tone was confused, as if he really didn't know this person.
Ding Bi sneered. "Don't pretend that you don't know. He is the beauty we saw last time at Ruoshang Hall, where you acted as the hero to save him."
Xi Ze calmly sketched as he spoke flatly, "Oh, his name is Ming Yu." He paused before adding, "I didn't act as a hero to save that beauty. I was just passing by."
Ding Bo, “…”
After a long time, Ding Bo spoke. "Hey, don't act in front of me. Do you really not know him? As a lifelong honorary chairman of the Outward Appearance Association, how can you not know the name of the mdoel when Ming Yu looks so good? Aren't you paying attention to him?"
Xi Ze placed the pen lightly on the table and leaned back in his seat, lifting his eyes to gaze at Ding Bo. The calm and indifferent eyes looked over Ding Bo, then Xi Ze's lips curved up. "Aren't you very concerned about that night?"
Ding Bo touched the goose bumps on his arm and replied, "Not really."
"Oh, you are concerned."
"……"
After a moment, Xi Ze casually asked, "How is the king pig recently?"
Ding Bo frowned. "The person called Wang Zhu… recently, he doesn't seem very good. Since the last time you scolded him, he hasn't started on other small models. However, a dog can't be taught to not eat poo. I don't know when he will start again."
A low laugh emerged from Xi Ze as he cupped his chin and grinned at the agent in front of him.
"So, you are concerned about the king pig…"
Ding Bo, “…”
"You are very concerned about him."
"…I'm not!!!"
"You know his current situation."
Unable to argue Ding Bo, “…”
“Tut, even being concerned about the king pig, your taste…"
"Xi Ze! I really lost a lot of blood being your agent!!"
Ding Bo angrily turned to leave. Just before he reached the door, he heard a loud voice behind him, "Oh, I poked at your centre so you are fleeing angrily to cover the up the truth."
Ding Bo, “…”
This was a really hard day!! What could he say to that? He could only learn from this mistake! Mr. Ding had been poisoned by someone for so many years and didn't realize a single truth—
Don't provoke Xi Ze!
On the other hand, Ming Yu didn't know anything about what was going on in the Muse building. He didn't know that Ding Bo was cursing a man for the 100,0001th time, nor did he know that the number of his fans was rising at a rate visible to the naked eye.
At this moment, Ming Yu and Cheng Su saw each other. Ming Yu recognized Cheng Su instantly. After all, the first thing he saw after being reborn was this man's poster, so he naturally remembered the face. On the other hand, Cheng Su didn't even recognize Ming Yu!
The teenager sitting in the chair, speaking humbly and warmly to Wu Mei. The smoky make-up didn't look heavy on the youth's face, it only served to emphasize his beauty, making Cheng Su startled.
All designers in the fashion industry were loyal members of the Outward Appearance Association, there were even a lot who felt attached to a face.
Beauty was the highest pursuit of everyone in this circle. For example, the top designers Xi Ze was, according to Ding Bo's words, a lifelong honorary chairman.
They sought beauty and pursued this intangible thing all over the world. Beauty, no one wanted to degrade it.
Once entering this circle, the 'paranoid' Cheng Su gradually began to pay attention to all the beauties around him. He was attracted to this 'unfamiliar' boy until he saw Zhao Rui sitting next to Ming Yu.
Zhao Rui currently only had one model: Ming Yu.
Cheng Su thought this and carefully looked at the teenager. He did look like Ming Yu. They hadn't seen each other for several months and somehow Ming Yu's temperament had changed. He wasn't as gloomy and sharp as before.
It was no wonder why Cheng Su didn't recognize Ming Yu— After all, he never looked carefully at the original.
After recognizing Ming Yu, Cheng Su's face turned red, then white, then green, until his assistant received the clothing. He sneered at Wu Mei and after Wu Mei greeted him, he didn't even respond as he turned around to leave.
Wu Mei frowned as she looked at Cheng Su's back. "Strange, Cheng Su usually isn't so arrogant. He understands how to be polite. Why isn't his attitude good this time, do you know Little Yu?"
Ming Yu smiled at the words and deflected, "Maybe he isn't feeling well."
Wu Mei made an oh sound and didn't ask anymore, continuing with the previous topic. Zhao Rui was simmering with anger. He wanted to shake the shoulders of his small model and roar, "How can you still speak up for that bastard? Didn't you see his attitude towards you?"
However, Zhao Rui didn't know that because Ming Yu spoke for Cheng Su, he actually made Wu Mei like him more.
『 Not speaking bad words behind a person's back and even helping, he is such a good child. 』
Pei Feng's first assistant designer, Wu Mei secretly thought.
And what was Ming Yu thinking?
—Being shaken just because his face was seen? Alas, Cheng Su seemed weaker than he imagined.
Chapter 19
Ming Yu talked to Wu Mei a little longer before going to change his clothes.
The Pei Feng autumn fashion show was a clothing show. There were inevitably some size problems, so sometimes simple changes needed to be made to the clothing. For example, when Ming Yu changed into his two sets of clothes, he noticed that the sleeves were slightly short.
Wu Mei and the other assistants helped measure his body size after they discovered that Ming Yu's height had exceeded 183cm, making Pei Feng's clothes slightly short. As the assistant went to get new clothing, Wu Mei said with a smile, "Little Yu, how is it that your Muse official website hasn't updated in six months? We thought you were still 181cm."
Ming Yu smiled and made an excuse, while Zhao Rui bowed his head with shame.
The reason why Ming Yu's data on his official website wasn't updated for six months? The big reason was that his agent was negligent!
As a still growing model, Ming Yu's physical data should be measured every three months. However, in the past six months, the original owner had been so persistent regarding Cheng Su that he messed up the most basic work, let alone allowing his basic data to be measured.
After changing into two different sets of clothing from Wu Mei, Ming Yu and Zhao Rui headed in the direction of the photography studio.
For any clothing brand, fashion shows were their home and needed to be taken seriously. So, before the show started, they needed to take photos of each model which would be placed on the official website for everyone to see after the fashion show was over.
Showy but not vulgar, beautiful but not feminine, it was the right type of smoky make-up to deepen the youth's exquisite facial features. When he appeared on the camera wearing a grey-blue and grey-black mixed leather jacket, the photographer was amazed and took a lot of photos.
Ming Yu was like a fish in water in front of the camera. He easily made a variety of poses for the photographer to choose from. He changed his actions quickly. The shutter would sound twice then he would change, causing the female staff to stare with amazement. "I want to have such a fast speed. I would become the queen of selfies…"
This was the professionalism of a supermodel.
Ming Yu would wear a total of three sets of clothing in this fashion show. The first one was the leather set that he just shot. The second was a more casual set of denim clothing, while the third one was a grey-blue jacket.
Whether it was the fashion forward leather, the young denim or even the more mature jacket, the teenager had a good grasp of all of them. When he looked into the camera, he was sometimes flamboyant, sometimes frivolous, sometimes bright, sometimes deep. It was to the extent that the photographer was disappointed when he had to take photos of the next model.
After Ming Yu left, Zhao Rui firmly kept repeating, "Tomorrow we will go to the company to retake your measurements and update the official website. Ming Yu was dumbfounded as he nodded to show that he would obediently get his measurements taken tomorrow.
They didn't know that as they walked past the dressing rooms, a handsome man looked at them with a frown and didn't move for a while. Eventually, a small assistant couldn't help running up and asking, "Brother Cheng, what are you lokoing at? Our task here is over and it is time to go."
The handsome face showed a touch of confusion as his thoughts were interrupted. He turned to his assistant and asked, "Little Li, did you see Ming Yu take his photos? Don't you feel like he has changed?"
Xiao Li was surprised for a moment and shook his head, "Nothing has change, he just seems to look better han before? Brother Cheng, Ming Yu is still young and there is the possibility of growth. He has grown taller, that is normal."
Cheng Su shook his head at this but didn't say anything.
After all, his assistant was too young and his eyesight wasn't good enough. The Ming Yu in front of him couldn't be explained by simply 'growing taller.' The youth had an invisible aura around him. Cheng Su might be trying to ignore Ming Yu but he couldn't help being vaguely aware: the young man who used to follow him around seemed to have changed.
Cheng Su sneered at this thought and left the studio.
So what if Ming Yu changed?
It was better not to be tangled up with him!
He would keep walking this path and go all the way!
There was an old saying: the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.
Cheng Su was the mantis. He felt something but he wasn't aware that when he left, the boy who had been talking to his agent quietly glanced at him and smiled.
Cheng Su watched Ming Yu taking the photos, but what about Ming Yu?
The original owner's memories of Cheng Su were just the special treatment and subsequent memories. He didn't have much information about Cheng Su's performance. Therefore, Ming Yu watched silently when Cheng Su took photos.
Cheng Su was one of the most high-profile models here. Apart from the other three first-tier models, he had the absolute right to speak. His set of photos was to be placed on the homepage fo Pei Feng's official website for a month.
Ming Yu had to admit that this world's Huaxia first-tier models were much more powerful than his previous world's.
For example, when taking a photo sitting on some rocks, Cheng Su's raised eyebrows, grace and aura meant it wasn't a surprise that he became a popular first-tier model in recent years.
Ming Yu's eyes narrowed as he thought this, then he whispered, "If I give him time, he can squeeze into the supermodel ranks…"
"Ming Yu, what did you just say?"
"Nothing Brother Zhao. Continue talking about our trip tomorrow."
“Oh, so we will go to the company tomorrow morning to measure your data. Then in the afternoon…"
Yes, Cheng Su had the power to become a supermodel! He might not reach the top, but he could squeeze onto the world's supermodel rankigns. What he was lacking was opportunities, so he stole them from the original owner of the body and became what he was today.
The world was indeed a jungle. The 14-year-old was thrown into the pit that was called Cheng Su. After three years, the youth was like a stream of river. He no longer had the chance to become a sea and finally chose to commit suicide.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest!
Yes, this wasn't wrong!
Then he would have to teach Cheng Su: You have eliminated the weak, now the strong has come to eliminate you.
Why should Ming Yu let him reach the next level and become a supermodel?
Once outside Pei Feng's studio, Ming Yu sighed and looked up at the clear blue sky in autumn. 'Even if his death wasn't directly caused by you, these past three years, you have never stopped hurting him. How can I not get revenge? I will make you experience painful despair!'
"Little Yu… you look weird?"
Ming Yu was surprised when he suddenly heard Zhao Rui's words and reflexively asked, "What?"
Zhao Rui involuntarily shrank back. He rubbed the hairs that suddenly rose on his arm and explained, "The way you were smiling at the sky just now… it was weird. Have you been under a lot of stress lately? This isn't good. We should go to the hospital tomorrow and treat you if you are too tired!"
"…." After a moment of silence, Ming Yu couldn't help saying, "Brother Zhao, I was smiling confidently."
Zhao Rui waved his hand with an incredulous expression. "Come on, your expression clearly wasn't good just now! I was almost scared of you!"
Ming Yu, “…”
In his last life, he had fascinated thousands of females with his smile! Believe it or not, he could kill them in minutes.
Fortunately, Ming Yu wasn't naive enough to explode at his agent. Poor Zhao Rui didn't know, but his small model really had a good temper. If this had been a poisonous tongued man, he would be flayed by the poisonous words.
And what was that poisonous tongued man doing now?
"Did you hear that Ming Yu was raised to the second-tier? You really have good eyes, Xi Ze. Who would've thought that this little guy would suddenly jump up in a few days? With his speed, I am afraid that there will be a big leap forward in just a year."
The sunset slowly sank behind the western hills. The last glimmer of light shone through the clouds into the towering Muse building. The man standing in his office on the top floor talked into the phone while fiddling with the potted plants on the transparent glass balcony.
The poor little green leaves were destroyed by the man's hand as he squeezed them.
"I just did a little bit. You are thinking too much, Shenxiang."
Muse's public relations director, Shenxiang smiled with disdain, "If I believe that, my IQ would be the same as Zhao Rui's. That Zhao Rui, I don't know if he is good or bad for Ming Yu. Should I help him change agents?"
Xi Ze's hands paused as he heard this. After a moment of deep thought, he whispered, "There is no need to change agents. Zhao Rui's intuition is very good and he has personal connections."
"Well, that is true. However, Zhao Rui's IQ isn't high and can be a loss for his model."
“Give him an assistant.” A light flashed in Xi Ze's eyes. "Assign Luo Ru to him.
After hearing these words, Shenxiang shot up from his chair with surprise. He cried out, "Boss! You are making a mistake. This is Luo Ru! Luo Ru's methods are very good and she is the best interning agent. A third-tier… no, making her the assistant of a second-tier model? Even you shouldn't act so crazy. That Ming Yu isn't your muse, why are you so nice to him?"
In the bright and spacious office, as the last of the sun's light was disappearing, only the dark blue clouds in the sky were still struggling to tell the beauty of the sun. The handsome and elegant man calmly walked towards his desk to sit down. His eyes flashed as he asked, "Who told you that he isn't my muse?"
Shenxiang: “…”
"Tomorrow, assign Luo Ru to him."
Shenxiang, "…You can't use your assets for private things!"
Xi Ze raised his eyebrows, "Is Luo Ru a thing?"
Shenxiang: “@#[email protected]#%@##%!!!"
Shenxiang knew that it was impossible to convince this man to change his mind. Fortunately, Luo Ru was just a good interning agent, it wouldn't be bad to let her start as an assistant. After exchanging a few more words, Shenxiang intended to hang up and continue dealing with the things on hand.
However, just before hanging up, Shenxiang couldn't help asking, "It has been many years, have you really found your muse?"
Xi Ze was startled by the worlds. After a long time, he sighed and replied, "It can't really be regarded as found. I haven't seen his performance on the catwalk. Maybe his aura and temperament aren't what I am looking for, but it is the closest I have found in years."
Not every designer could find their muse, but they were always looking for that person. That person was the source of their inspiration and the beauty they were pursuing.
Since the moment Xi Ze first saw Ming Yu, he thought that this person might be his muse. This wasn't love, but a type of appreciation that was beyond any emotion. But everything was just a 'maybe.' This person might not be able to show the feeling he needed, but he was the closest alternative for Xi Ze's muse.
Xi Ze thought this and wondered if perhaps he should go and watch Pei Feng's fashion show this quarter.