Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 377 Zhou Ye(6.3k)
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"Sister Binbin, you're such a busy person, what brings you to think of me today?"

Gu Qing quickly gathered her slightly tired thoughts, adjusted her state, pressed the answer button, and instantly switched her tone to a just-right warmth, her voice full of laughter, showing no trace of the drowsiness she had just experienced.

"Little brother, what you're saying is really hurting your sister's feelings. What do you mean by 'thinking of you'?"
Sister, I've been thinking about you ever since I first saw you. Otherwise, why would I have gone to so much trouble to sign you to my company?
Isn't it because we believe in you, and we cherish this hidden gem, wanting to polish you as soon as possible?

Who is Li Binbin on the other end of the phone? He has been in the entertainment industry for nearly 20 years. What kind of scene hasn't he seen and what kind of words hasn't he heard?
She naturally didn't show the slightest awkwardness or distance. She immediately turned the tables with a tone that was both reproachful and familiar and intimate, her words even carrying a hint of flirtation.

"Sis, that's a bit greasy. It sounds like Yang Mi's style."

Gu Qing couldn't help but mutter a complaint to herself, feeling goosebumps rising on her arms.

This overly direct and deliberate closeness always made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

After two years in the industry, he gradually came to realize a fact: stripped of their glamour and image, at a certain level of primal desires and thought processes, male and female celebrities are essentially no different.
They can all be described as "animals that follow their instincts".

Even some powerful women who initially relied on wealthy business tycoons, weathered many storms to eventually gain control of their own resources and become successful business owners,
When it comes to certain things, their methods and purposes are often more blatant and direct than those of men, without any concealment.

"Sister Binbin, you're so busy, you must have something important to tell me, right?"

Gu Qing was still not used to such roundabout small talk, so he chose to get straight to the point, while also setting up a defensive barrier for himself, "If it's about filming or reading scripts, as you know, I officially start school tomorrow."

"So many eyes are on me now; the school rules and regulations are there for all to see, I'm definitely not going anywhere anytime soon."

"Little brother, don't worry. I know you have to go to school. Your studies are the most important thing right now."

Li Binbin's laughter was still pleasant, but she subtly changed the subject, "Your sister came to see you, not about filming."

But... little brother, put your hand on your heart and tell me, how have I, your sister Bingbing, treated you?
Back when you were being relentlessly attacked during that New Year's Eve gala on Moon Terrace, I was one of the first to post a message in your support. I didn't hesitate, did I?

coming.

Gu Qing thought to himself, "Debts of gratitude must eventually be repaid."

In this circle, there are no unsolicited favors, especially acts of kindness offered when you're down on your luck. They usually come with a price tag, waiting for the right moment to be paid off.

"Sister Binbin, I've always kept these things in mind."

Gu Qing's tone became solemn, "I have always been grateful for your righteous words and the kindness you showed back then."

Don't worry, I will definitely repay the favor I owe.

On the other end of the phone,

A satisfied smile appeared on Li Binbin's face.

really,

The comments circulating in the industry are correct: Gu Qing, though a bit naive, actually knows how to repay kindness. Even after becoming famous, she didn't turn her back on people like some others do.

What a rare, insightful, and kind-hearted...good kid.

Her tongue unconsciously traced a light swirl across her brightly colored lower lip, her voice growing increasingly soft and alluring: "Little brother, look at you, still so distant with your older sister."

Those were just small favors, nothing to worry about paying back. It's too formal. I remember you start school tomorrow, right?

Before Gu Qing could answer, she continued, "Well, it's your first day of school, so you're probably not familiar with the campus environment and don't know anyone here."

How about I introduce you to a guide?
She's a very pretty and sensible girl. Let her show you around the campus and help you get familiar with the environment.

"Sister Binbin, just tell me, what's her name?"

Gu Qing sighed inwardly and bluntly revealed the truth.

"I have only one request: no matter what, please don't buy any trending topics about me."

What I need right now is an image of low-key, focused learning. Any hype related to a romantic relationship will only harm me and your artist.

"Don't worry! My sister knows what she's doing and knows how to behave!"

Having achieved her goal, Li Binbin beamed with joy, her tone light and cheerful.
"I just want her to show her face around you, get a little attention, and increase her fame. I will never over-exploit you."

Her name is Zhou Ye. She's currently a sophomore in college, was last year's most beautiful girl in the acting department at the Beijing Film Academy, and is also the top artist my company plans to heavily promote in the future.

"Which class are you going to report to tomorrow? After school, I'll have her come to find you. You can just take a walk around the campus, chat, and have a meal at the cafeteria. Just show your face in front of everyone, it's that simple."

She paused, a hint of teasing in her voice, "Of course, if you two kids hit it off and things develop between you, maybe something else will happen..."
"I wholeheartedly support that! I'd love to see it happen!"

"Sister Binbin, we've gone off-topic."

Gu Qing said helplessly, "It's getting late, and I have to get up early tomorrow to register at school... I'll wait for her in the classroom then."

Since the debt of gratitude has already been settled,
Gu Qing lost the will to continue the pretense and gave Li Binbin a few perfunctory replies about their "late-night chat" in an attempt to build rapport before decisively and politely hanging up the phone.

"Zhou Ye...who is that?"

Putting down her phone, Gu Qing frowned slightly as she tried to recall fragments of memory about the name.

In his previous life, his interest in the entertainment industry peaked after he started using a sewing machine, and then gradually shifted to games, various knowledge bloggers, and funny short videos.

As for later TV series and movies, I only glance at a very few phenomenal works; otherwise, I basically stop actively following the activities of newcomers in the entertainment industry.

What leaves an impression are mostly those gossip news stories that go viral, or legal reports about certain celebrities breaking the law.

The entertainment industry landscape he remembers most clearly is mainly composed of the post-85 actresses from the era of "Sister Zhao".

After all, the actresses born in 85 are often ridiculed for their "bad acting skills" and "relying on popularity."
However, each of them has more than one highly popular representative work, has a huge fan base, and their related love, hate, career ups and downs are even more interesting.

Before his time travel, the actresses born in the 95s and 00s seemed to generally lack truly outstanding and convincing representative works, and their faces appeared rather vague.

"The most beautiful girl in the department in 16..."

Gu Qing fought off waves of drowsiness, picked up her phone, and decided to check anyway.

It would be too embarrassing if someone actually came to your door tomorrow and you didn't even know what they looked like.

however,
When I typed "2016 Beijing Film Academy Campus Belle" into the search box, the first related news item that popped up was: "16 Beijing Film Academy Campus Belle: Guan Xiaotong".

"Hmm... Individual business owners really can't beat 'Princess's' resources and background. Xiao Tong is awesome."

Gu Qing chuckled to herself and had no choice but to continue scrolling down the screen.

"Beijing Film Academy's Campus Belle: Wang Huahua..."

"Another one. How many campus beauties did the 16 class of Beijing Film Academy actually select? It's like they're being wholesaled."

Looking at the endless stream of so-called "campus beauties" and "department beauties" in the search results, Gu Qing could only keep scrolling.

at last,

After flipping through four or five entries, he finally found information related to Li Binbin.

"Zhou Ye..."

Gu Qing clicked on the picture and glanced at it a few times. The girl in the photo looked pretty and clean, with a youthful, girl-next-door vibe, but she didn't give him much of a sense of amazement.

This is not surprising.

The ID photos or everyday photos of ordinary people circulating online are incomparable to those of celebrities who are in the entertainment industry and have been meticulously packaged by top teams—from clothing, makeup, and hairstyle to facial expression management, lighting, and photography.
The difference in visual effect is like night and day.

Even many stunningly beautiful internet celebrities on social media platforms, once removed from filters and specific angles and exposed to harsh spotlights,
When appearing alongside second- or third-tier female celebrities who have undergone professional image management, their looks and presence are often overshadowed.

Not to mention,

Gu Qing usually associates with female artists of the "Four Little Flowers" level.

Of these four young actresses, two of them have a good personal relationship with Gu Qing.

In addition, there's a very popular friend who always tries to get involved with him and generates a lot of buzz.

And Liu Tianxian, who, despite having only a casual relationship with the goddess, is revered as a "fairy sister" and whose beauty is universally acknowledged to be stunning.

Under the influence of such a top-notch aesthetic environment, Gu Qing's threshold for beauty has long been raised to an extremely high level.

Not to mention,
He himself is hailed as the top handsome man in the industry. He has no background and became a hot topic on social media just because of his face.

but,

One of the search results titles still made Gu Qing laugh.

"Zhou Ye...is known as 'Little Zhang Ziyi'?"

"Li Binbin has a 'little Zhang Ziyi' under his wing... Well, it seems that the story and grudges of the 'Four Dan and Two Bing' era are continuing in another way."

Gu Qing shook her head and chuckled.

Perhaps this is just their twisted sense of humor.

Having learned what the contact person would look like tomorrow, Gu Qing turned off her phone, placed it on her bedside table, and fell into a deep sleep.

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Two neatly arranged suitcases were already placed in the living room of the hotel suite.

"Boss, this dark gray suitcase contains seven sets of everyday clothes that Teacher Guan personally selected for you, enough for you to wear a different outfit every day of the week."

In addition, this thick, long down jacket was specially sent from overseas by Brother Chen Long, so please make sure to keep warm.

I've marked the order of pairings and the occasions on sticky notes, so you can just take a look when you need to.

Zhao Ya, like a concerned mother, pointed to one of the boxes and meticulously explained everything, her tone filled with worry.
"Boss, you must not wear the same outfit for more than two consecutive days."

I know you don't care about these things, but now that you're living at school, so many classmates are watching. If someone with ulterior motives takes a picture, someone will write an article saying you're 'sloppy,' 'unkempt,' or 'only have a few clothes.'

Also, don't worry, I will come to the school gate every week to deliver clean and brand-new clothes to you.

She then turned to another, slightly smaller suitcase: "This suitcase contains a full set of skincare and toiletries."

This is an amino acid facial cleanser, gentle and non-irritating;

This is a toner with excellent moisturizing effects;

This is a highly moisturizing body cream; and this is an eye cream to reduce dark circles...

Oh, by the way, I also brought you a bottle of Dabao, which you used to use. Remember to apply it before going out during the day and do your basic skincare routine before bed at night. "The air in the capital is much drier than where we are, especially in spring and autumn. Remember to use a face mask every two days to keep your skin moisturized."

Boss, you can't be lazy this time. You must take good care of your skin, because there will still be a lot of random snapshots...

She explained it again and again, patiently, as if she wanted to cram every detail she could think of into Gu Qing's mind.

But talk and talk,

Her eyes involuntarily reddened, her voice choked with sobs, and finally, she couldn't help but sob softly.

Since learning that Gu Qing was really going to leave the team and live on campus alone, Zhao Ya barely slept a wink all night.

My heart is filled with a mix of complex emotions: sadness, reluctance, and uncertainty...

Zhao Ya's first job after graduating from university was with Gu Qing.

She practically witnessed firsthand how this once-young and somewhat naive boss, who was younger than her, gradually transformed himself through his own hard work and talent.
He overcame numerous obstacles in the turbulent entertainment industry and eventually rose to the top, becoming an undisputed top idol.

That kind of deep affection, almost like a "growing up" relationship, cannot be simply described in words.

not to mention,
Gu Qing has always been very good to her.

Within the team, facing Li Li's occasional difficulties and disdain, Gu Qing's approachable, gentle, and caring attitude was like a warm spring breeze.

This is infinitely better than many celebrities in the industry who boss their assistants around or even beat and scold them.

She cherished this respect and warmth immensely.

"Sister Xiaoya, don't cry. I'm just going to school and experience campus life. It's not like I'm going to go through fire and water. Why make it so tragic?"

Gu Qing was caught off guard by Zhao Ya's sudden tears. He stepped forward, gently patted her back, and comforted her in a lighthearted tone.

"That's perfect. You've been running around with me for the past two years, working so hard that you've hardly had any rest."

Take this opportunity to take a good vacation, go on a trip, and relax.

Don't worry about the money, boss, I'll give you paid leave and your bonus will still be paid!

His attempt to comfort her only made things worse; instead, Zhao Ya's tears, which she had been holding back, started falling even more profusely, like beads from a broken string.

She wasn't just sad; she felt more reluctant and worried.

But she also knew in her heart that she absolutely could not let her own emotions affect Gu Qing's studies and mood.

Zhao Ya quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and forced a smile through her tears:
"Boss, I'm fine, it's just... I'm just not used to it."

Let's go, let's get to school early to avoid the rush hour and unnecessary trouble and congestion.

"Okay, let's go."

Seeing this, Gu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He took out a few tissues and carefully wiped away the remaining tear stains for Zhao Ya, then handed her a new one.

On the bus to school,
Gu Qing took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Sister Xiaoya, I'm not entirely without relatives or friends at the Beijing Film Academy."

Teachers Songwen and Yiwei both taught there, and they took good care of me.

If I ever encounter any difficulties I can't solve, I'll definitely go to them first.

"By the way, do you know which class I was assigned to? It's actually the experimental class!"

"I thought there would be a lot of students in the first year of the Beijing Film Academy's acting department, but I heard that there are only 70 students in this year's class, divided into only two classes. The experimental class I'm in has even fewer students, only 23."

He smiled and said, "It seems the school recognizes my potential and is training me as an elite."

"Boss, of course you're an elite!"

Zhao Ya's attention was successfully diverted, and she smiled through her tears, her tone filled with pride and joy, "Not only at the Beijing Film Academy, but in the entire entertainment industry, you are the best and most unique artist!"

The car drove smoothly and soon arrived at the Beijing Film Academy.

Unlike the quiet atmosphere during the assessment a few days ago, the entrance to the Beijing Film Academy was bustling with activity today.

Looking around, the roadside was lined with all sorts of luxury cars.
Many well-dressed, bejeweled women, and middle-aged men with expensive watches and distinguished bearing, were personally seeing their children off.

Or their own "godchildren"—who come to enroll.

The air was filled with a unique atmosphere that blended fragrance, anticipation, and subtle competition.

Gu Qing and his group got out of the car discreetly.

He was wearing a plain hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and a black face mask covering his face completely.

Behind him, bodyguard Xiao Jun and the temporary driver dragged the luggage, while Zhao Ya followed closely beside him, vigilantly observing the surroundings.

“Ah Gu”.

He had barely stepped out of the car, and before he could even get his footing, he heard a familiar voice calling out.

Gu Qing looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhang Songwen and Zhou Yiwei standing at the edge of the crowd not far away, smiling and waving at him.

"Teacher Songwen! Teacher Yiwei! What brings you here?"

Gu Qing was somewhat surprised and quickly went to greet him.

"What else could it be? After the school leaders found out about our relationship with you, they directly assigned us the task of getting you safely to your dormitory and helping you settle in."

Zhang Songwen explained with a smile, while naturally reaching out to take the suitcase from Xiao Jun's hand.

“The school originally arranged for several student council officers to come and help, but Songwen and I thought about it and decided to decline.”

Zhou Yiwei chimed in, his tone as sincere as ever, "We're afraid that if too many people come, the situation will get out of control and cause you trouble."

Just the two of us old folks are here to pick you up; it'll be peaceful.

Zhang Songwen took the suitcase and said to Zhao Ya and Xiao Jun, "Alright, you can leave it here. We'll take care of the rest."

The school has regulations that generally don't allow outsiders or their vehicles to enter. Don't worry, we'll definitely take good care of A-Gu.

"Xiaoya, Xiaojun, you two go back first. I'll send you a message when we get there, and we can keep in touch by phone if anything comes up."

Gu Qing turned around, waved to Zhao Ya who still looked reluctant to leave, then turned and followed the two teachers into the depths of the campus that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

"Teacher Songwen, Teacher Yiwei, I'd better carry my own luggage. It would look strange if others saw it."

Gu Qing, with his backpack on his shoulder, felt embarrassed as he watched the two teachers each drag one of his suitcases, and reached out to take them back.

"No need, no need! Your luggage is so light, it doesn't look like the pomp and circumstance of an artist at all. It's no effort at all to carry it."

Zhang Songwen dodged his hand and said with a smile.

"We'll take care of it. You just walk carefully and get familiar with the surroundings."

Zhou Yiwei insisted, looking Gu Qing up and down in his "disguise," "And look at you, all wrapped up so tightly, you look just like an ordinary student afraid of being recognized. Who would know that you are the famous Gu Qing?"

"But Teacher Songwen,"

Gu Qing pointed to his gear that almost completely covered his face and asked a question that puzzled him, "I've covered myself up like this, how did you two recognize me at a glance among so many students getting off the bus?"

"Your aura, and that unique quality about you."

Zhang Songwen looked at Gu Qing with admiration and the insight of a teacher in his eyes, "Gu, you may not realize it yourself, but as soon as you get out of the car, you give people the feeling that you are in a different world from those really inexperienced students around you."

The way you walk, the look in your eyes when you glance around, even the relaxed feeling you have when you stand there...

It's something that only comes from experiencing grand occasions and being scrutinized by countless eyes; it doesn't look like something a fresh graduate would have, full of uncertainty about the future.

“Xiao Gu, this is the ‘hand’ you’ve got. It’s the kind of style that comes out of your bones after you’ve truly become a ‘star’.”

Zhou Yiwei added succinctly.

When the movie you star in generates hundreds of millions in box office revenue,
When you can easily obtain an astonishingly high salary,

When you casually stand on a stage, and thousands of audience members below cheer wildly for you, chanting your name in unison...

That confidence and composure that emanates from within, that dazzling vitality as if standing at the center of the world, and that natural, unadorned "nobility" that surrounds you.
It is a charm that even these dedicated actors, who study acting diligently and try their best to imitate and "act," cannot achieve.

This is beyond the level that simple acting skills or "method acting" can achieve.

"Teachers, please stop praising me. If you keep praising me, my face behind the mask will turn red, and I'll almost forget how to walk."

Gu Qing begged for mercy.

"Haha, okay, I won't say anymore."

Zhang Songwen readily changed the subject, "Xiao Gu, the school has gone to great lengths to provide you with a more peaceful and undisturbed learning environment."

This semester, the school specially arranged for Yiwei and me to teach the main performance courses for your experimental class.

As he spoke, he nodded familiarly to the dormitory manager downstairs and led Gu Qing toward the stairs.

"Ah? This..."

Gu Qing was stunned upon hearing this, and even paused in her steps. "Isn't this... being too accommodating? It feels like I'm being given special treatment."

"No, you misunderstood. It's less about taking care of someone and more about providing necessary protection."

Zhou Yiwei shook his head, a helpless smile on his face, "You have no idea what will happen after the news of your admission is announced..."

The school received numerous phone calls from 'acquaintances' within the industry.

How many alumni and business owners, who have already graduated and achieved fame, or who hold resources in major entertainment companies, have indirectly approached the school leaders?

They hope to arrange for young students who are signed by their company or have connections to live in the same dormitory as you, or find a way to transfer them to your experimental class so they can attend classes with you.

He patted Gu Qing on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of foreshadowing: "So, having a teacher you're familiar with guide you will at least help you avoid some of the obvious trouble."

"Putting everything else aside, the classroom will definitely be very lively right now."

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(End of this chapter)