It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 11

 

ITOTIABSAM | Entertainment Industry | 11

At the same moment, Gu Cong was lying on the floor in the practice room.

In the past week, the company hadn't arranged any work for him, as if ignoring him for a day because he couldn't secure a collaboration with Xie Ge for a day.

Feeling around for the phone beside him, Gu Cong opened Xie Ye's chat box, and the content still lingered on the day he returned to the country, reporting his safety to the other.

Xie Ye wasn't a very proactive person, and Gu Cong wasn't sure if the other would appreciate being disturbed during personal time. With this hesitation, their communication faded.

The intimacy on the island seemed like a dream. Gu Cong was lost in thought when suddenly his phone vibrated.

Not a voice call through messaging apps but a proper dial, the pre-saved contact popped up, glaringly labeled as "Teacher Xie."

His amber eyes widened suddenly, and Gu Cong almost slammed the phone into his face. "Hello? Teacher Xie?"

"It's me." The familiar voice came through the phone. "What are you up to?"

Gu Cong sat up abruptly. "Practicing."

Xie Ye asked, "Is there a performance?"

Gu Cong replied, "Yeah, tomorrow, it's Chengtai Stage's evening gala."

Due to the organizers inviting the entire group, the company had no choice but to let him show up. After all, one less person meant the choreography needed to be rearranged.

However, he didn't want to burden Xie Ye with these frustrating matters. Although the online discussions about Xie Ye had somewhat eased, there were still many antis actively spreading negativity. Gu Cong hadn't found any news about Xie Ye participating in the mentioned magazine shoot that his manager mentioned earlier in the car. He wasn't sure if Xie Ye's situation had improved.

With a cheerful tone, he crossed his legs and asked, "Why did Brother Xie think of calling me?"

Xie Ye: ...

He just wanted to see who would be foolish enough to be bullied by a small company.

But judging by his attitude, it seemed like he didn't have any intention to complain. Xie Ye, without any particular reason, blurted out, "I ran out of candy."

Gu Cong was puzzled at first. "Huh?"

Immediately, Gu Cong chuckled softly. He certainly remembered giving something to Xie Ye, but he hadn't expected that Xie Ye would come looking for him just for a small can of candy.

It was a bit cute.

Despite the convenience of online shopping.

"I've just finished practicing. Shall I bring it to Brother Xie?" Gu Cong cleared his throat, containing his laughter. "Or I can have Manager Zhou come to pick it up."

Xie Ye: "No need. Just keep it with you."

Xie Ye: "Hang up."

"Keep it with me?" Did he mean he would give it during the next recording? Staring at the call log for a few seconds, the youth, who had been exhausted and absent-minded a moment ago, suddenly regained energy. He connected his Bluetooth and began practicing his moves seriously.

—What if, and he meant what if, Brother Xie watches me perform on TV next time?

However, Gu Cong never expected that he would see Xie Ye the next night.

In the bustling and chaotic backstage, the dark-haired youth, wearing a mask and the simplest shirt and jeans, stood out despite his casual attire. No one could ignore him because the exposed features of the youth were too exquisite—his eyebrows and eyes were refined, his eyelashes curled, the corners of his eyes were upturned, resembling a fox. All of this was forcefully subdued by his pale skin, revealing a trace of decadent coldness.

Using the shared dressing room, which was quite spacious and the door was not closed, Gu Cong didn't realize what was happening until Xie Ye walked through the crowd and stood in front of him.

"Teacher Xie?"

The dressing room had a mixed fragrance, and Xie Ye wrinkled his nose, halting the hand that was about to remove his mask. "Hmm."

Several gazes turned their way, and a few teammates who had finished their makeup also turned their heads. Gu Cong knew he should introduce Xie Ye to both sides, but what he blurted out was, "Why are you here?"

Xie Ye replied, "Bored, came to visit."

And, by the way, to clarify some things with someone.

Visiting? The program didn't have a designated visiting segment, and there were no cameras around, making Gu Cong realize that Xie Ye wasn't staging anything for the show. He couldn't help but break into a joyful smile.

Before he could say anything more, the dark-haired youth raised his hand, using the cool fingertips to pinch Gu Cong's chin. "Who did your makeup?"

Gu Cong did have a youthful aura, but his overall bone structure was sharp and aggressive. Given time for his features to mature, he would undoubtedly be among the top handsome figures in the industry.

However, the makeup artist today attempted to push Gu Cong in the direction of cuteness, which felt a bit forced. Even though Gu Cong's honey-colored eyes were deceptive, a closer look revealed a sense of disharmony.

Xie Ye, having started in movies and later worked as a model, was particularly sensitive to how facial features presented themselves in front of the camera. Unaware of the slight blush on the young man's earlobes beneath his hair, Xie Ye asked, "Where's the makeup artist?"

"Busy," Gu Cong replied.

Xie Ye glanced around, discreetly observing Gu Cong's teammates who immediately straightened up and subtly pointed to someone nearby.

With a total of four makeup artists, it was indeed a busy scene. In today's male groups, with nine to eleven members, rotating makeup sessions were a regular occurrence unless the company was exceptionally generous. Not to mention that Gu Cong hadn't been in good terms with his agent lately.

Issuing a nearly imperceptible click of his tongue, Xie Ye released Gu Cong's chin. "Sit still."

Foreign makeup artists weren't adept at handling Eastern facial features. Many times, Xie Ye had to do it himself. Taking a long step, he approached the nearest makeup artist. Raising his index finger, he pulled down his mask. "Could I borrow an eyebrow pencil?"

Most makeup artists in the industry recognized Xie Ye's face. Not only did they recognize him, but they had also secretly discussed how they would do his makeup if given the chance. Despite his previous controversies and the many jokes surrounding him, he had regained some momentum recently. In matters of no importance, there was always a thin layer of respect.

Blinking to alleviate the impact of the beautiful person's sudden approach, the round-faced makeup artist said hesitantly, "Of course."

"Please."

With this face, Xie Ye successfully borrowed some items from the four makeup artists that they weren't currently using. He bent over and stood in front of Gu Cong, looking focused, as if performing surgery.

Gu Cong, on the other hand, felt quite at ease.

Encyclopedia had never documented whether Xie Ye knew how to do makeup. During the variety show, he hadn't done it himself either. However, Gu Cong just trusted Xie Ye. He believed that the other wouldn't joke around.

Putting the mask back on, the black-haired youth asked gloomily, "What are you singing today?"

Seizing the moment when Xie Ye paused his hand movements, Gu Cong took out Bluetooth earphones from his pocket and gently inserted them into Xie Ye's ears. "This one."

To match the theme of the evening, it was a relatively light and sweet love song. The makeup artist's concept wasn't entirely wrong, but Xie Ye had a better idea that suited Gu Cong.

Noticing the other's gaze frequently shifting downwards, Xie Ye asked indifferently, "What's wrong?"

Trying to restrain his lips from breaking into a silly smile, Gu Cong avoided moving his muscles too much. "The bracelet."

"Teacher Xie is still wearing it."

"It's quite beautiful." Clearly stating the truth, but under the gaze of those shining pupils, Xie Ye inexplicably felt a bit guilty. After a pause, he added, "I haven't had much work recently."

Gu Cong grinned, "Oh—"

"Teacher Xie rarely wears accessories in casual wear. It seems it is quite beautiful."

Dragging the last note, the nib tilted slightly. Feeling that the other had an ulterior motive, Xie Ye raised his hand and tapped Gu Cong's head. "Shut up."

"No talking."

Hearing this, the young man who pretended to be in pain immediately sat obediently. In the slightly dim space, his toes, swaying involuntarily, revealed his true feelings.

1101: "I'm jealous."

For no reason, why is its host so nice to a stranger?

Moreover, in today's event, Xue Minglang and Su Qingyue would also participate. With Xie Ye appearing here, isn't he indirectly triggering the plot?

He clearly dislikes triggering plotlines.

[Doing what I want to do, how can that be called triggering a plot?] Automatically ignoring a certain jealous system's outburst, Xie Ye remained logical.

1101: "But haven't you always avoided the main characters and the plotlines?"

Saying that he was too lazy to compete with the author's biological son, those who knew thought Xie Ye was afraid of trouble and didn't want to get entangled. Little did they know that some might think he was exceptionally timid.

Xie Ye: "Anyway, we'll meet during the program recording next week."

Meeting two days earlier or later didn't make much of a difference. Moreover, he might not necessarily run into Xue Minglang and Su Qingyue.

While bantering with the system, Xie Ye's hands were not idle. With limited time, he made a few changes to the original makeup, transforming the entire appearance of Gu Yuzhou.

Highlighting strengths and minimizing weaknesses, he thoroughly brought out the advantages of the young man's appearance. Diminishing the juvenile look of puppy eyes and coupled with Gu Cong's towering height of over 180 cm, with a sweep of his bangs, his forehead and facial features were generously exposed, exuding an aggressively handsome boyfriend style filled with masculine hormones.

The overall style did not deviate from the team's theme, but it unexpectedly made people feel outstanding at first glance.

The manager, who was about to call someone to wait backstage, was also stunned.

Making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he stood at the door, "Mr. Xie?!"

"Good." Satisfied with his masterpiece, Xie Ye turned around, neatly organizing the borrowed tools. "My hands were itchy, hope you don't mind."

"Why would I?" The manager was eager to talk to Xie Ye personally about the endorsement. Afraid that Gu Cong might cause any more trouble, he briefly explained the backstage waiting arrangements and said, "Actually, I've been wanting to meet Mr. Xie for a long time but couldn't find a good opportunity. How about we go out for a chat?"

"No need." Xie Ye declined.

"I know what you want to talk about. I'm fine with anything; just listen to Gu Cong."

Gu Cong was completely stunned, not knowing when Xie Ye learned about the company's plans. However, he could tell that Xie Ye was supporting him visibly. The manager's face turned visibly red as he struggled to speak, "Of course, Xiao Gu..."

"Of course what?" Interrupting rudely, Xie Ye's pace was leisurely, and his voice, though impolite, was somehow gentle enough to leave people breathless. "The most perfunctory makeup, exchangeable for other artists' annoucements, hmm?"

The entertainment industry is a jungle, a battlefield of fame and fortune. Indulging in concessions will only lead to being devoured. From the moment Xie Ye arrived, he noticed that among the nine members, only Gu Cong was ignored, sitting alone.

As for the resource substitution issue, it was information gathered by 1101.

A thin horse is larger than a dead mule; no matter how targeted Xie Ye was by the Su family, the tens of billions in box office revenue and the Film Emperor award he once carried were not fabricated. Not to mention, Xie Ye hadn't yet engaged in the absurd actions of drugging, kidnapping, and violent acts described in the original work.

What bad luck, cursed the manager inwardly. His initial reaction was, unexpectedly, "Gu Cong has hooked up with Xie Ye."

After all, the rumors about Xie Ye's preference for men had caused quite a stir.

"Alright, go to the waiting area." Originally not expecting a genuine answer from Xie Ye, the manager patted Gu Cong on the shoulder. "Good luck on the stage."

"Okay." A individually wrapped candy was handed to him.

Whether it was Xie Ye's illusion or not, he always felt that Gu Cong's eyes seemed deeper than usual.

But that illusion lasted only a moment. In the next second, Gu Cong stood up, ignoring the various scrutinizing gazes around. He put on a brilliant smile and said, "I will do my best."

For love.

For the fans.

For this unique and delightful support.

So, Xie Ye, you must watch me closely, okay?

Keep your eyes fixed on me.

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