Xu Qiao lifted his eyes, scanning Mo Chenghong’s somewhat stiff face.
This person could crack a joke with a straight face, really managing to fool people.
A pleased curve formed at the corner of his mouth. Xu Qiao flipped open the document and read two words: “Shower gel?”
It turned out to be a big-name beauty product.
Mo Chenghong pulled out a stack of brand-related information and pushed it in front of Xu Qiao: “Hecate used to focus on beauty products, but last year they expanded with a fragrance series called ‘Desire.’ This shower gel is part of that collection.”
Hecate, the brand name derived from the Greek mythology underworld goddess, represented the dark side of the world. The brand advocated for women to follow their hearts and embrace their inner selves.
The target users were mature women in their thirties.
The presented visuals often depicted refined and sensual scenes.
“Although it’s just endorsing a single product line, it’s still a big brand. Your popularity isn’t stable yet. Aside from the not-so-high-end web drama ‘Chatting About,’ you don’t have any other notable works. Having a few commercials won’t hurt, considering the scarcity of such opportunities for you.”
Xu Qiao had no objections to endorsing shower gel, but he still had some questions.
“Fragrance shower gel, the users should all be women, right?”
Mo Chenghong sensed his unspoken thoughts. He glanced at him and said, “Any issues? There are even male celebrities endorsing sanitary napkins.”
Xu Qiao: “……”
Mo Chenghong continued, “But now, according to the new regulations for celebrity endorsements, endorsers can’t recommend products they haven’t used. So, you probably won’t see male stars endorsing sanitary napkins in the future.”
What did “probably won’t” mean? Xu Qiao felt Mo Chenghong’s words were a bit strange, as if there might be exceptions in the future.
After checking the document and confirming everything was fine, Xu Qiao signed his name.
Mo Chenghong collected the signed document from Xu Qiao and nodded towards Li Feifei beside him.
In response to his gaze, Li Feifei immediately took out a thick script from his bag and handed it to Xu Qiao. “Big Brother, this is the script Director Hu sent today. He mentioned it would be some time before the start of filming, so take your time to get into the character.”
Xu Qiao accepted it with a nod.
“Hundred Ghosts” was a large-scale fantasy historical drama with sixty episodes. Hu Zhenghua insisted on using real locations whenever possible, minimizing studio shoots. Striving for perfection, the entire filming process lasted nearly a year.
As it was a series, with each story being mostly independent and a lengthy filming schedule, there was no need for Xu Qiao to rush into the production.
In the five independent stories, Xu Qiao was set to play a role in the fourth, “Water Ghost,” with around twelve episodes of screen time. The expected time to join the production was a month, and if everything went smoothly, they could wrap up filming in less than two months.
Afterwards, Li Feifei accompanied him home and, incidentally, helped Xu Qiao move the letters and gifts from fans sent to the studio back to his place.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
In the spacious and bright duplex living room, two large cardboard boxes sat unopened – one filled with letters and the other with gifts from fans.
Vfjafv mgbrr-ifuufv bc atf mjgqfa, We Hljb bqfcfv j ofk ifaafgr, gfjvlcu atf tfjgaofia mbcofrrlbcr ogbw ojcr, rboafclcu ybat atf mbgcfgr bo tlr fsfr jcv tlr fzqgfrrlbc.
Qlat abb wjcs ifaafgr ab gfjv ja bcmf, We Hljb vfmlvfv ab ajxf tlr alwf jcv gfqis ab j ofk ktfc tf tjv atf mtjcmf.
His gaze shifted to the large box of gifts beside him. Xu Qiao began using a paper cutter to unwrap them one by one, with Li Feifei assisting in organizing.
As he unwrapped, a furrow formed on Xu Qiao’s forehead.
Besides the handmade gifts from fans and some local specialties, there were quite a few luxury items among the presents.
Watches, high-end jewelry, and designer handbags.
Li Feifei, looking somewhat astonished, remarked, “Big Brothers, your fandom… seems to have quite a few wealthy sisters. This watch costs two hundred and sixty thousand, and this bag is a new release, also worth over a hundred thousand.”
Despite Xu Qiao’s current fluctuating popularity and modest celebrity status, his fans were surprisingly generous. It seemed he had quite a loyal following.
“Send them all back.”
“Huh?”
Continuing to unwrap the packages, Xu Qiao gathered the high-priced items to one side. “Return these according to the provided addresses. From now on, the studio is not allowed to accept such expensive gifts.”
Li Feifei: “Big Brother, these are expressions of fans’ feelings…”
Considering the considerable value of these gifts, Li Feifei felt it was a bit of a shame to return them. “Big Brother, you might not be able to afford these luxuries right now, but with these—”
Xu Qiao shook his head, cutting him off, “We can’t accept them, and we can’t set this precedent.”
While fans’ sentiments were one aspect, principles were another. If they accepted these high-value gifts, it might escalate in the future.
After some thought, Xu Qiao posted on Weibo:
【Xu Qiao】Received all the letters and gifts, thank you for your love and support. I’ll keep the letters and handmade gifts. However, anything worth more than a hundred yuan will be returned. The intention is what matters, and I appreciate all of your kindness. (heart).
「No, no, no, Qiaoqiao, don’t return them!! I’ve got plenty of money, trust me!」
「Huhuhu, brother, just accept them. If it cannot exceed a one hundred yuan bill, where is all my money suppose to go?」
「I, with my clumsy hands, will learn to make handmade gifts for brother.」
「Clumsy hands +1.」
Putting down his phone, Xu Qiao, along with Li Feifei, repackaged these absurdly expensive gifts. Li Feifei sighed and took these packages back to the studio, arranging for a courier to send them back one by one.
After Li Feifei left, Xu Qiao took out a drawing board to sketch. Gao Ming’s reminders were urgent, and he couldn’t delay any longer.
Dianxing Game Company wasn’t large, with less than thirty employees. The team lacked formality, and roles weren’t as finely defined as in larger companies, often requiring individuals to handle multiple responsibilities.
Despite its small size, the team excelled in storytelling.
Xu Qiao had spent several nights organizing his experiences in the post-apocalyptic world, the worldview, and the power system. Gao Ming and his team quickly built the game’s main theme and story development based on the provided worldview.
Xu Qiao also provided substantial support in relevant academic background materials, ensuring the game’s content wouldn’t have major bugs.
Speaking of creating a game, the most basic planning and art aspects were practically outlined by Xu Qiao. Gao Ming’s concern was now gradually filling in the details within this framework.
The groundwork was laid. Now, it was up to Gao Ming to take it from there.
Earlier, there had been sporadic work on maps and character designs. Today, Xu Qiao was tasked with creating the promotional poster.
Unlike concept art, which focused on the conceptual design of the overall artistic style and characters, as well as scene props, promotional art was all about “beauty.” It needed to be expressive, attention-grabbing, and detailed enough for promotion.
It required considerable effort to bring it to life.
After spending two days at home working on the illustration, it was finally time for the commercial shoot.
Early in the morning, Mo Chenghong arrived with Li Feifei and Nicole to pick him up. When they reached the studio, the set and cameras were already prepared.
After exchanging greetings with the director and the crew, Xu Qiao was led to the dressing room to change into the prepared outfit.
Hecate truly lived up to its big-name status. The costumes and props provided were exquisitely detailed.
Clad in a luxurious satin green robe, the flowing fabric remarkably accentuated Xu Qiao’s pale skin.
After discussing the shooting concept with Nicole and the director, Xu Qiao had concealer applied from his eyebrows to the end of his eyes. Looking in the mirror, he noticed Nicole had left him with only two short eyebrows, which seemed a bit unusual at first glance.
Other than that, the makeup on his face was light and subtle, deliberately toning down a few shades.
The only vibrant color was on his lips. After applying a layer of lipstick with her fingers, Nicole styled Xu Qiao’s hair with a curling iron. The small curls scattered messily, giving a casual and cute appearance with a subtle, alluring charm upon closer inspection.
The director evaluated the completed look on Xu Qiao, satisfied that the envisioned effect had been successfully brought to life, and nodded approvingly.
The first thing to shoot was the promotional photos.
The location was covered with red roses moistened by dew, surrounded by layers of thorny brambles.
Xu Qiao walked barefoot on the roses, guided by the director. Looking through the gaps in the thorns, his gaze pierced through. Within the concealment of roses and thorns, the youth’s delicate face turned, exuding an otherworldly and enchanting beauty.
Through the lit lens, every frame was unbelievably beautiful.
The subtle and plain makeup, like a black and white photograph, with red lips and roses all around, added layers of romantic colors to the monochrome image.
Several crew members in the studio looked at Xu Qiao, their faces filled with excitement.
Pure, truly pure.
A great physique, truly great. The satin fabric clung to his body, revealing every subtle contour. With Xu Qiao standing there, the fabric against his skin revealed the outlines of his legs.
The flashlights kept clicking, and the director instructed Xu Qiao to pose in different ways.
“Come on, lie down, place your wrists near your cheek, express a sense of vulnerability. Hey, that’s right!”
Xu Qiao’s on-screen performance and expressiveness in front of the camera pleased the director greatly.
Some people were beautiful, but when in front of the camera, they didn’t look as good as they do in reality. However, Xu Qiao, looking good in front of the camera, became even more captivating when the high-definition lens magnified his face.
He lay on the ground with closed eyes, slightly disheveled curls scattered around his cheeks. His lips had an unusually rosy color, contrasting with his subtle face, invoking an impulse in people to want to ravish him.
The most accurate description might be that he resembled a forest sprite confined in captivity.
Hecate, with its female user base, invited male stars for endorsement not just to sell sex appeal. The director believed that none of the male stars Hecate had previously invited could compare to Xu Qiao in this aspect.
The expression, the movements, too seductive.
Even if he were a straight guy, the excitement was overwhelming. Those girls might be on the verge of fainting.
An assistant brought a bath sponge, dipped it in bubbles, and traced down Xu Qiao’s slightly curled hair with star-like touches. Finally, she rubbed a layer of bubbles on his fingertips, paying particularly meticulous attention.
“Rest your fingers on the thorns, hold them loosely.”
Xu Qiao obediently followed the instructions.
The camera focused on the milky-white bubbles between his fingers, leaving the onlookers with inexplicable expressions. Li Feifei swore he definitely saw somewhat lecherous expressions on the faces of several girls.
With the foam clinging to his slender and fair fingers, loosely resting on the thorns, his nail tips had a hint of pink, giving the impression that he was holding onto something indescribable.
The director, seeming quite enthusiastic, asked with a lingering tone, “Do we have handcuffs?”
The assistant: “……”
“Director, don’t go too far. It’s not acceptable if it’s too explicit,” the assistant reminded in a hushed voice, with a hint of regret in her tone.
Sensing the low pressure emanating from Mo Chenghong, who was watching nearby, and seeing that the promotional photos were nearly done, the director cleared his throat, “Alright then, that’s enough. Let’s change the location and shoot the actual scenes.”
***
omg director 😭
Aw I wanted to see the tractor commercial 😂
+1
Geez, director 🤣
If I were Xu Qiao, I’d have accepted those gifts regardless of their price 😓 Are my principles too low? 😔
i’m not sure if it’s the same in China but i know that expensive gifts can sometimes count as income that you need to pay taxes on. i would also return them if i were him! 😭
thats abit tooo far director 🤣
That director. XD XD XD
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING AWESOME!!!!
Aww, I was looking forward to the tractor commercial 🤣
Thank you for the update ☺️
Thank you for the chapter.
Thank you for the chapter 😍 ❤️ ❤️
No tractor…? Sadge
Did this director forget they’re shooting a parfume ad and not something else? We know that our Xu Qiao is the most captivating but people should act classy a bit!
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter! Scent is such a complicated thing to convey in an add. That’s why perfume adds are so abstract. They try to convey a feeling instead, which you will associate with a fragrance.
… Yeah I have see some questionable ads with provocating pose that seriously makes you wonder what they trying to sell here, the product or the model.
But seriously director, stop right there!
I- I wouldn’t mind watchi- ahem. Director this is inappropriate behaviour 😠 Thanks for the chapter~
🫣🤣 um wow, I wish I could see this ad. And the director! 😂 Bet the fans would’ve been pleased as punch! ~ty for the chapter <3
Thank you for the update 🖤 💯
Thank for the chapter