Translator: _Min
Gu Wenzhuâs hand quivered, nearly dropping his phone.
âTeacher, look at you, your hands are so unsteady, â Qu Lingyun remarked, standing under the glaring sun. âLetâs rest for a few days. Iâm still working on the script. Can you let me have a break?â
He had thought himself the epitome of overwork.
Yet, Gu Wenzhu well surpassed him in diligence.
âShut up!â Gu Wenzhu snapped fiercely. âGet lost, donât bother me.â
Qu Lingyun stood speechless.
What brought on this sudden outburst from the old man?
Better not to provoke him.
He wisely chose to keep his distance.
Taking several deep breaths, Gu Wenzhu shakily opened his email.
A dual signature in English and Chinese greeted him.
Luna.
Yun Lan.
The message was an address.
Lin City!
His pupils dilated in shock.
It took him a moment to remember that Lin City was a coastal city in the West State of the Great Xia Empire.
Not internationally renowned, but still a significant city.
Reading the address thrice, Ancient Wen Bamboo took a deep breath. âQu
Lingyun, what are you dawdling for? Come here right away.â
Feeling wronged, Qu Lingyun replied, âTeacher, you just told me to stay away.â
âAnd if I told you to fly, would you?â Gu Wenzhu glanced at his watch, urgency in his voice. âBook me a ticket to Lin City immediately, the earliest one available.â
âWhy are you heading to Lin City again?â Qu Lingyun complained. âWe just got off a plane. Can I catch a breath?â
âIâm going alone this time,â Gu Wenzhu retorted coldly. âIdiot!â Thinking about seeing Yun Lan when he couldnât even find her?
Not a chance.
âFine, fine, fine,â Qu Lingyun surrendered. âIâll book it right now.â The timing was perfect. There was a flight in an hour.
Without a backward glance, Gu Wenzhu left Qu Lingyun behind.
âWhy is the teacher going to Lin City?â Qu Lingyun muttered to himself, puzzled. âSeems like Miss Siâs show is nearing its final episode. Well, I might as well go check it out.â
With that thought, he booked himself a flight as well.
To avoid Gu Wenzhuâs scolding and disdain, he chose a flight on Friday.
If Gu Wenzhu was still there by then, he could introduce the old man to Si Fuqing.
With their similarly peculiar temperaments, they were bound to have much in common.
Meanwhile, at Glenn.
Lan Headquarters.
âGreat Xia Empireâs Lin City.â The design director was surprised to receive Gu Wenzhuâs message. âThese outfits are to be sent to the Great Xia Empire.â
From the moment he saw the designs from Gu Wenzhu, he was astounded.
Apart from Gu Wenzhu, no other designer under Lan could craft such attire.
Including Qu Lingyun.
It was fortunate to be Lan, the international leading design brand. Otherwise, these designs would have been impossible to realize.
The design director entered the studio. âPack these clothes and send them to this address, as per Mr. Guâs instructions.â
The designers nodded, carefully removing six outfits from the hangers to pack them.
âDirector, who designed these clothes?â the assistant asked curiously. âThe style doesnât seem like Mr. Guâs.â
âIndeed, itâs not. The design and use of colors are quite bold,â the design director agreed. âIâve heard that Mr. Gu has a closed-door disciple, not Mr. Qu, but someone else. Probably this person.â
Truly a case of the pupil surpassing the master.
The assistant gasped, âYou mean the personal designer of Teacher Yun Lan?â
âYes,â the design director confirmed. âThis designer only created outfits for Teacher Yun Lan. Now reappearing, could it meanâ¦â He paused, barely daring to breathe loudly.
Could it mean Yun Lan was making a comeback?!
The assistantâs eyes widened in realization. âDirector, thisâ¦â
âLetâs not jump to conclusions,â the design director calmed himself. âIf thereâs news about Teacher Yun Lan, Mr. Gu will surely know first. Weâll wait for the notification.â
He couldnât help but inhale sharply.
If Yun Lan truly returned to Glenn, it would send shockwaves through the entire international entertainment industry. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
He wondered if his years of service at Lan would earn him an autographed photo of Yun Lan.
At the âYouth With Youâ training base, Si Fuqing pondered upon seeing the read receipt in her email.
With Gu Wenzhuâs efficiency, she expected him to seek her out soon.
She needed to devise a plan that wouldnât startle the old man.
After some thought, Si Fuqing closed her laptop and slowly left the rest room, encountering Lin Qingyan emerging from the adjacent room.
Lin Qingyanâs expression shifted. As they were about to pass each other, she spoke coldly, âSi Fuqing, you must be feeling quite smug now, arenât you?â Si Fuqing didnât stop, her demeanor indifferent.
âAt first, you were meant to be my contrast, to highlight me,â Lin Qingyan said, her voice trembling slightly as she drew a deep breath. âBut now, the show has made you the star, and you must be laughing at me inside, right?â The fall from grace was hard to accept for anyone.
Since the third episode, not many talked about her anymore.
All the trending searches related to the show were about Si Fuqing and Xie Yu.
Lin Qingyanâs nails dug into her palms. This wasnât howit was supposed to be! âYouâre so insignificant to me that I forget you exist unless youâre in front of me,â Si Fuqing finally turned her head, her smile sudden. âOh, about our bet, we need to wager again. What do you think should be my stake?â
Lin Qingyan scoffed, âI want you to answer college entrance exam questions live. Do you dare?â
Everyone in the entertainment industry knew Si Fuqing was a dropout, likely without even a middle school diploma.
Si Fuqing glanced at her.
Is that all?
Madness.
Lin Qingyan, once again ignored, couldnât hold back her anger, âSi Fuqing, donât think the current rankings mean everything. Iâll tell you straight, the final rankings arenât just decided by fan votes.â
âYes, your six trainees are in the top nine, but let me warn you, unexpected things will happen on the night of the final. Youâve been in this industry long enough, arenât you naive to think otherwise?â
Si Fuqing responded coolly, âMind your own business.â
âIâm just putting it out there,â Lin Qingyan retorted with a hint of scorn. âI have connections with Glenn. The resources there are incomparable to anything domestic. Iâd like to see who you can bring in.â
Without influence in the entertainment industry, one could hardly secure their own position, let alone pave the way for others.
Wishful thinking.
Si Fuqing didnât even pause this time, heading straight downstairs.
Lin Qingyanâs gaze turned dark.
On the night of the final group formation, she would not let Si Fuqing overshadow her.
It will be her last chance.
If she failed, she would have no choice but to release the photos and information from Si Fuqingâs time as a trainee abroad two years ago.
Lin Qingyan touched her face, frowning slightly.
After âYouth With Youâ ended, she too would go abroad to get her face fixed.
At 7 at night in the bustling center of Lin City, amidst the blinding lights and vibrant nightlife, Gu Wenzhu had no interest in the allure of the city.
He hurried along, following the address from the email, arriving at a secluded private café.
Gu Wenzhu didnât enter, standing at the doorway, incessantly checking his watch.
Four years had passed, and he wondered what the girl looked like now.
He had to ask why she suddenly vanished from the limelight.
He wouldnât scold her, not like he would Qu Lingyun.
Footsteps approached, and Gu Wenzhu quickly looked up.
A breathtakingly beautiful face caught his eye.
Unlike other passersby in a rush, the girl walked at a measured pace, the light casting shadows over her features like a masterful ink painting.
Even Gu Wenzhu, accustomed to seeing all kinds of beauty, was momentarily stunned, his gaze quickly shifting away.
Yet, his thoughts lingered.
Such beauty was rare even in the entertainment industry.
Ifdiscovered by a talent scout and given her abilities, she would surely become an instant sensation.
Gu Wenzhuâs thoughts were interrupted as the girl approached him.
He frowned.
Though high in the fashion world, he rarely appeared in public, only occasionally featured in design magazines.
The general public, uninterested in fashion, wouldnât recognize him.
As the girl stood before him, Gu Wenzhuâs frown deepened, âYouâIâ He didnât finish his sentence.
Because Si Fuqing bowed deeply to him in a formal gesture of respect. Raising her head, she smiled and addressed him, âTeacher..â