On social media, related topics were growing more and more in popularity.
Netizens quickly gathered to partake in this huge piece of gossip. They went at it with a magnifying glass. They weren’t going to let go of even the slightest clue.
The first top post.
[Henceforth, marriage, to him, will always mean loneliness, sadness, and never-ending despair.]
The second top post.
[He sent more than seven hundred messages. Not a single one was seen by him.]
The replies were full of wailing and howling.
[Ahhh! A knife to my heart!]
[My heart’s literally been stabbed. It hurts so much.]
[Ahhh! Why do you have to do this to my Chi Chi? Xie Luyu, come out for a beating!]
[I’m really not an anti, but Gu Qingchi’s mental state clearly isn’t normal.]
Gu Qingchi’s old interview was dug up once again.
He was surrounded by a crowd of reporters, repeatedly subjected to their questions. His eyes trembled slightly as if he was about to burst into tears, but he stood there with a very indifferent look on his face, seeming as though nothing mattered to him.
He spoke to the camera.
[It wasn’t a happy marriage.]
The comment section wailed.
[Now that it’s all been put together, I feel so distressed … ]
[I feel like crying. Trash paparazzi! They’ll say literally anything!]
[Okay, but, when the news just came out, the ones that scolded him the most were … ]
[In keeping with the messages, Chi Chi wanted to get a divorce. It seems like he was in a lot of pain.]
[Is there really no problem with Xie Luyu? I suspect he might have violent tendencies.]
[I want to know why there was such a text message. I feel horrible after just reading the text messages.]
They even found videos and photos of Gu Qingchi during his school days.
There were still many photos of Gu Qingchi on his school’s official website.
There were photos of him raising the flag in white gloves. There were photos of him playing the piano at a dance. There were even headshots of him on the meritorious student list.
Many netizens ended up getting off topic.
[Chi Chi’s looks are so real! He hasn’t had any work done! Also, why couldn’t it have been me! I can treat you so well, Gu Qingchi! I am now a Xie Luyu anti, a braindead Xie Luyu anti.]
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.
[Don’t worry. We’ve already gotten our marriage certificate. You can be jealous to your heart’s content.]
[Excuse you! He’s literally in my bed right now!]
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He was also wearing a headband. His bangs were a little damp, and his face was kind of flushed.
He looked very healthy and energetic.
He was originally walking forward, a bit of a jump in his step. However, the person behind the camera called out to him, so he looked back, turned around, and started walking backwards. He still looked rather young. Compared to his current facial structure, his jawline was a bit softer, a bit gentler. He was just a good-looking teenage boy. His eyes looked into the camera and sparkled. His smile was as bright as the sun. His laughter was clear and crisp.
The person behind the camera spoke with a smile.
“Say cheese. I’m taking a photo of you.”
Gu Qingchi laughed when he heard this. It wasn’t clear what he was laughing about, but he had the kind of laugh that made others want to smile along with him. He threw up a peace sign and said cheese.
He then turned around and ran away. It wasn’t long before other people began crowding around him, gathering by his side. There were a few of them with their arms slung affectionately over his shoulders.
Children of this age always seemed to be full of boundless energy.
Only their backs could be seen by the end of the video, but, even so, the most eye-catching one of them all was still Gu Qingchi.
[He’s so sunny. His entire being seems to be shining. It’s not that he isn’t shining now, but it’s not the same sunny feeling.]
[Ah, I thought he was just born with that melancholy temperament. Are you telling me that he was actually that sunny as a teenager?!]
[Ahhh, Mama’s getting angry now! What did you get married for? Chi Chi doesn’t even smile anymore!]
⁂
Gu Qingchi knew nothing of the turmoil occurring online. He didn’t see the WeChat message from Ye Li either.
His cell phone was usually kept on silent. He was a very light sleeper, so he needed absolute silence when he was sleeping. He also couldn’t be bothered to keep checking his notifications throughout the day as it would only make him anxious. He would only check his notifications after a long period of time.
The people that knew him were used to waiting for a bit before getting a message back from him.
Gu Qingchi didn’t start work until the next day.
Unlike his previous gigs, he would be the only model in the studio for this photoshoot.
The staff members in the studio would be attending to him and him only.
Gu Qingchi had come with Gu Xie and one of Gu Xie’s assistants. The studio wasn’t quite ready by the time they arrived. Thus, they were placed in the break area.
The staff were all very friendly. The culture here was a little different from that in China. Most of the people here were generally very enthusiastic. They unashamedly looked him up and down and openly voiced their amazement.
In fact, one of the staff members that picked them up had exaggeratedly complimented him on the very first day.
“Christ, you have got to be god’s favorite child.”
Gu Qingchi had only been sitting down for a short while, yet several people had already passed by and said hello to him. There were some roses and chocolates piled up on the table in front of him. There were even people bringing him drinks and tiny cakes.
There were also people poking their heads in through a window not too far away. They seemed to be staff from other departments. Once they saw him look over at them, they began cheering.
“Oh, his ears are red. He’s really too cute.”
“Look at his hair! It’s so pretty! I’ve never bought into Snow White. I didn’t expect to meet someone who fits her description so perfectly.”
“I like his eyes.”
Those employees stayed gathered by the window until the clicking of heels began ringing down the hallway. They then dispersed into the wind.
A beautiful woman with a name tag poked her head in. She rapidly tapped a folder against the door frame in order to attract everyone’s attention, turning her head back from time to time. She spoke very quickly.
“Alan’s coming! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Get the coffee! Check the lights! Can we get a makeup artist over here?”
The employees had originally been chatting away with each other, but, upon hearing this, they quickly swam away like a startled school of fish.
Alan was a rather common name, but, here, it represented a total tyrant.
He was dubbed the demon king in the fashion industry by the outside world.
He also lived up to his title of demon king. This title came from a variety show. The variety show had shadowed him for a day.
His work day was incredibly busy and extremely extravagant, and he was very, very particular. He wasn’t just hard on himself. He also demanded the same from everyone around him.
Once he found something that wasn’t to his satisfaction, he would start to grow angry. He didn’t even bother trying to hide his poor temper. In fact, he was the type of person that would scold an intern over an extra spoonful of sugar in his coffee.
However, he seemed to be extra tolerant towards Gu Qingchi.
He even allowed Gu Qingchi to rest for a day. The photoshoot had been put off until the next day. This was something that had never happened before. He was always racing against time, never wasting even a single second.
He once spoke about this.
[My time is precious, but most people’s is not, such as certain models who arrive late or certain employees who delay my work for personal reasons. Models and employees can be replaced at any time, but no one can possibly replace me.]
A hush fell over the studio as soon as he walked in.
He was wearing a pair of sunglasses. His eyes scanned across the room, and they landed on Gu Qingchi. He then walked briskly towards him and stood in front of him. He even took off his sunglasses and began taking in the other’s face.
He didn’t seem to think that this was enough, so he reached out a hand and began stroking from his jaw to the corner of his eyes. He applied a bit of force and had Gu Qingchi raise his head.
Ordinary people would avoid making eye contact, but Gu Qingchi did not. He just blankly looked back. His eyes appeared to be filled with brilliant fragments of light thanks to the studio lighting. His eyelashes were long and naturally curled, fluttering from time to time like the wings of a butterfly.
Gu Xie’s brows furrowed and uttered a warning.
Alan’s assistant quickly explained.
“Sir, he doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just trying to consider what style would suit the model best based on his appearance. I’m sure you know this already, but there are always differences between photos and real life appearances.”
Gu Xie decided to hold back his temper upon hearing this, reminding himself over and over again to not cause trouble for Gu Qingchi.
Once he’d calmed down, the assistant hurriedly continued.
“In addition, we are about to start filming, so we’ll need you to stay in the waiting room. Help yourself to any of the food and amenities that we’ve provided.”
Gu Xie’s brows furrowed again.
Alan’s tolerance towards Gu Qingchi seemed to have run out at this point. He forced Gu Qingchi’s face to the side. His critical gaze swept across Gu Qingchi’s face, inch by inch.
After a long pause, he finally let go. Alan looked down at the drinks and tiny cakes on the table and let out a slightly mocking huff of laughter.
“Ha.”
He swept his eyes over the staff surrounding them, and, wherever his eyes landed, people would lower their heads to avoid his sharp gaze.
“I don’t want to see something like this again.”
He then spoke to someone off to the side.
“Get a makeup artist to apply makeup on him.”
In the course of all this, Gu Qingchi only had the time to tell Gu Xie that everything was fine so that Gu Xie could rest assured.
Gu Qingchi was soon surrounded by the makeup artist and other staff members.
They asked Gu Qingchi to sit on a stool off to the side. The lighting there was slightly better.
Alan also took a seat. He held out his hand, and his assistant immediately handed him a thick stack of albums. He explained his demands to the makeup artist and kept making suggestions during the styling process.
The first set of clothing was white with pure gold accessories, the pièce de résistance of this entire angel-inspired clothing line. The design leaned into that of a uniform. There were even epaulets on the shoulders.
After his makeup was finished, Gu Qingchi went to change into his clothes. After changing, he was brought before Alan.
Alan examined him for a few seconds before nodding.
“Not bad.”
“Okay. Come with me next. Our photographer’s already waiting.”
Someone stepped forward to lead Gu Qingchi onto the set for the photoshoot.
Alan suddenly spoke up again.
“Stop.”
Gu Qingchi understood English. He subconsciously tilted his head.
Alan approached Gu Qingchi. He glanced at him for a brief moment before turning his gaze downwards. His eyes landed on Gu Qingchi’s hand.
He grabbed the other’s hand and pulled up the sleeve, revealing an ugly scar on his wrist.
A gasp rose up from the surrounding crowd.
Alan slowly looked up at Gu Qingchi.
He rolled the sleeve back down and proceeded to check the other wrist. Once he found that this wrist was fine, he turned back toward the scarred wrist.
“Even a third-rate model knows that they need to cherish their body.”
I’m kinda liking Alan! Thank you for the update~ 💖
It feels illegal to laugh at the comment but I really can’t help it🤣. It seems like I’m part of those barrage AHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Thanks for the update🥰
Ahhhhh, I really hope this goes well for Chi Chi and that this scandal back home works itself out!! Thank you for the chappie!!! I am grateful for the constant updates! Please stay healthy!
Thanks for the update!
Finally! #JusticeforChiChi! I’ve been waiting all novel for this!
Thanks!
Thx for the ch ٩( >ヮ<)۶
Thank you for the new chapter
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Ah, so many emotions!
Thank You for the new chapter ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Hm, now they know…. (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ
I find this arrogant guy irritating