Chapter 7
In Silver Fox Entertainment, Xi Ze had his own dormitory, but according to Jian Anning’s suggestion, it would be best for him to live with her. She was a workaholic, and her place had all the equipment and resources that artists could use, making it much more convenient.
Xi Ze asked her, “Don’t you ever take breaks from work?”
Jian Anning shrugged, “You don’t understand. It’s a tradition for artists to live with their managers. Many managers, like me, turn their homes into workspaces. Don’t worry, I don’t like taking vacations; I just love working.”
Pretending to be serious, Xi Ze packed up his things to return to the dormitory, but in reality, he knew that the old Xi Ze had almost nothing. Besides a few clothes and daily necessities, his previous life could be described as “living in poverty.”
After finishing packing, his belongings barely filled half of a small bag. Jian Anning shook her head while taking Xi Ze home, “What kind of life were you living? A person in the entertainment industry with only a few sets of clothes?”
Xi Ze left his bag at the back and sat in the passenger seat, gazing into the distance at the planet specially built for the entertainment industry. He calmly said, “It’s not about having many clothes; the key is your appearance.”
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After a whole day of running around with Jian Anning, they quickly finished dinner and went back to their rooms to rest. Xi Ze hadn’t rested well for the past few days, and as soon as he laid on the pillow, he fell asleep.
The next day.
Jian Anning couldn’t wait any longer. She had turned her home into a small studio for artists’ work. When she had finished the decoration earlier, she felt it might be a waste and unnecessary. However, now she realized that all the preparations she had made were for this very moment, for Xi Ze!
A week later was the industry exchange event, and Jian Anning received a communication from Xia Li. As expected, Xia Li would be bringing Xi Ze to the event, using his resources to elevate him to a whole new level.
Jian Anning was ecstatic upon receiving the news, while Xi Ze remained much calmer. Having someone with access to resources to offer help was undoubtedly a good thing. However, the path in the entertainment industry was never easy. Having someone to guide you didn’t guarantee success; it still depended on individual abilities.
The exchange event was meant for shooting promotional videos for the artists. To prevent big companies from excluding smaller ones technically and to avoid vicious competition among large corporations, the organizers had devised a set of rules.
The promotional videos were not allowed to use three-dimensional graphics and could only use regular photos on the light screens. Exaggerated promotional phrases were prohibited, and only ordinary background music could be used. Promotional videos with a plot were banned, as were promotional photos and touch-ups of actors’ appearances using transition techniques!
In short, the promotional videos shot would only consist of a few minutes of ordinary photos specially taken for this exchange event. Excessive technical modifications were not allowed, and the main purpose was to showcase the artists’ images without any other purposes.
Everyone had to take photos, and Xi Ze was no exception. Instead of going through the company and joining others in a studio, Jian Anning, who had her own resources, had all the necessary equipment at home, so why make Xi Ze suffer by going to some studio?
As soon as the communication was made, the stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and post-production team all arrived. A row of aircraft parked in the courtyard, leaving Xi Ze utterly astonished. A manager of this level would have been an invaluable treasure even six thousand years ago.
When they came upstairs, they all called out, “Anning Jie.” You could tell from the intimate tone that these people were Jian Anning’s trusted confidants, and their skills were probably top-notch in the industry.
At that moment, Xi Ze stood near the window, wearing casual home clothes. In one hand, he held a mobile light screen, and on his face, there was his usual gentle smile as he looked at everyone. At first, when the group came upstairs, they didn’t pay much attention to him. The main reason was that his presence felt too weak. Jian Anning, dressed in a royal blue long skirt, was exceptionally eye-catching.
However, as their gazes shifted and landed on the window, everyone froze. Who was that?! My God, could that be the little white face that Jian Anning recently took in? Where did this handsome Asian little white face come from??? Tell me, I want to take one too!!!
Xi Ze usually kept a low profile and didn’t like to draw attention to himself. It was a habit of his from the past, as he used to have a tough and masculine appearance that could be quite overwhelming. So, he learned to tone down his presence and existence on regular days, trying to appear ordinary. Thus, he was used to giving off an impression of a mild temperament.
But now, things were different. He had this pretty-boy face, with handsome and delicate features, dark and bright eyes. He didn’t draw any attention to himself or exude any strong presence. He just stood there, giving off an aura of a… well-behaved little white rabbit!!!
White and tender, with cute black eyes and such a beautiful face, a well-behaved little white rabbit!!! The people of the future had a much more outgoing and free-spirited character compared to the past. When they thought “lick,” [1] their faces instantly showed a licking expression. The group couldn’t help but drool. Jian Anning felt embarrassed and ashamed to death!!
She cleared her throat and kicked a few people, saying, “What did you all come here for? Look at me, all of you, look at me!”
Photographer Jack turned his head and stared, “Big sis, such a cute and well-behaved little white rabbit! Can I borrow him for a few days?”
Jian Anning picked up her coffee and splashed it on his face, saying, “Wake up! What little white rabbit?! He is my newly signed artist, Xi Ze! All of you, be more alert!”
After being scolded by Jian Anning, the four people finally fully regained their senses. However, they couldn’t control their eyes and still kept glancing at Xi Ze from time to time.
Today, Xi Ze was wearing all white. He had taken a shower in the morning, and his soft hair drooped over his head. His fair skin and naturally slender figure made him appear gentle and smiling, like a well-behaved big boy. What else could he be if not a little white rabbit?!
The four people present were both male and female, and after acting silly and licking their lips in their hearts for a while, a woman with short hair said, “When I received Anning Jie’s call, I had just finished doing makeup for Selina. That little brat even gave me an attitude and asked where I was rushing to.”
Selina was the former little diva who had sought refuge with a competitor, as Xi Ze had learned. According to the rumors, Jian Anning had now put her on the top of her blacklist.
Hearing this, Jian Anning sneered, and Jack asked, “Yeah, then what? Did you splash some powder on her face?”
The short-haired woman laughed, “No, I was extra polite and said, ‘I’m sorry, Teacher Selina, Avril asked me to come over.'”
Avril was Selina’s arch-nemesis, who was also at the level of a little diva. The two debuted similarly and took similar paths, often competing with each other. One could imagine what Selina’s reaction would be upon hearing that. She must have been furious.
Among the four people, the photographer was called Jack, the makeup artist was called Xiao Mei, the stylist was An’an, and the one in-charge for post-production was a tall boy named Xiao Hei. Their skills were all high-level, and Xiao Mei, in particular, usually did makeup for artists at the level of a little diva or above. It was not easy for ordinary artists to get her service.
These people were all Jian Anning’s confidants. She had helped them climb up step by step to their current positions when they were not famous. They had a special relationship with her, and this time, they were working undercover inside the company, gathering a lot of internal information and helping her a lot.
Without much ado, Jian Anning directly explained the purpose of summoning them and finally said, “I want the best effect in the final images.”
All four of them turned their heads to look at Xi Ze simultaneously. To be honest, they were somewhat worried that the little white rabbit wouldn’t be able to perform well because his presence felt too weak. However, as soon as they turned their heads, they found in surprise that the little white rabbit, who had been standing at the window, was gone.
Xi Ze’s brows and eyes revealed a hint of sharpness, and his gaze suddenly became deep and profound. He opened up his aura a bit more and walked over with a mobile light screen in his hand, his expression serious and stern, seemingly not allowing any jokes.
He sat beside Jian Anning, unfolded the light screen, and opened a 3D model. A three-dimensional model appeared on the screen, and he then opened another image, saying, “These are some recommended looks. When you were talking earlier, I thought, why not make the theme of the promotional images ‘Chinese style’?”
[1]”Lick” here refers to the online slang in the context of admiring someone’s appearance, as in wanting to “lick” or “kiss” them in admiration.
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