Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

……

……

Changsha.

After a smooth two-hour flight, we landed safely, and the humid, slightly warm air from Hunan Province rushed in through the gaps in the cabin door.

The staff from the "Happy" program were already waiting outside the VIP passage.

They were experienced, warm yet tactful, and quickly and efficiently guided Gu Qing and his group through the special passage.

By boarding the special car arranged by the production team, the potential for crowds and disturbances in public areas was minimized.

As one of the longest-running and most influential variety shows in China, "Happy Camp" invites celebrities to participate in the recording without paying them "remuneration" in the conventional sense.

Instead, the show itself generated a huge amount of exposure.

The hotel arranged for the "Love O2O" crew was just like that; not only was it in a superb location, but it was also only a ten-minute walk from the TV station.
It is also known for its extremely high level of privacy and security measures, ensuring that artists can get sufficient rest during recording breaks without being disturbed by the outside world.

As soon as the car entered the airport expressway, Gu Qing's phone rang with a video call invitation.
The name that was flashing on the screen was "Teacher He".

He pressed the answer button, and Teacher He's kind and familiar face, always with a warm smile, immediately appeared on the screen. The background seemed to be the dressing room of a recording studio.

"Little brother! Have you arrived in Changsha yet? You must be tired from the journey!"

Teacher He's voice was as warm and caring as ever, "I'm so sorry, I'm currently filming the third season of 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' with Jackson Yee."

I won't be able to finish work and get back to the station until around 3 PM, so I won't be able to make it to lunch with you.

His tone was sincere, with a hint of apology, and then he naturally tilted the camera slightly to one side, "Come on, Jackson, say hello to your brother."

Another young and energetic face squeezed into the frame.

The young man had a round and approachable appearance, a short midface, a round nose, and his eyes narrowed into a curved arc when he smiled. He exuded a kind of honest and energetic sunshine.

He faced the camera without any stage fright, grinning with his signature bright smile, waving excitedly, his Mandarin carrying a distinct Cantonese accent and unique intonation, yet his speech was quite fast:

"Brother! Brother! Hey hey, my name is Wang Jiaer! You can also call me Jackson!"

Bro, I've heard all your songs, and your dramas are really popular in South Korea!

"Jackson, speak slowly. At least give your younger brother some space to respond."

Teacher He, standing to the side, was both amused and exasperated. He gently patted Wang Jiaer on the shoulder, then turned to the camera and smiled.

"And another thing, your younger brother is clearly two years younger than you, so why do you call him 'brother' right away?"

"Huh? Is my brother younger than me?"

Wang Jiaer paused for a moment, blinked, and quickly switched to a humble, inquiring mode, "Then what should I call you? Senior? Gu Qing, Senior? Teacher He, is that correct?"

He was clearly a chatterbox; even though his Mandarin wasn't fluent, it didn't diminish his desire to express himself. His optimism and straightforwardness were quite infectious.

"You should be my senior; I debuted later than you."

Gu Qing finally found an opening to speak and responded with a smile.

He had heard of Wang Jiaer in his previous life.

The other party's career in the Chinese entertainment industry wasn't particularly smooth, limited by their image and style, as well as the market environment at the time.
He is not particularly popular in film and television dramas and mainstream idol circles, and the lack of sufficient platforms has also limited his development.

However, he took a different approach, shifting his career focus to the international stage, and surprisingly succeeded, becoming one of the Chinese celebrities with the most followers on overseas social media.

With 30 million followers on Instagram, besides Chen Long, his name is mentioned the most among young viewers in Europe and America.

From Asia to Europe and America, holding concerts with a majority of foreign fans in the audience, this genuine international influence and cultural export capability was unique in the Chinese entertainment industry at the time.

Gu Qing was not very familiar with Wang Jiaer's musical works, but she was impressed by his numerous appearances on trending topics due to his patriotic remarks and actions.

On overseas programs, they directly confronted and corrected the hosts' stereotypes about China, and firmly upheld the image of their motherland in public.

This is definitely a "real man".

"Brother, please don't say that."

Upon hearing Gu Qing's words, Wang Jiaer immediately waved his hand, flattered, and his expression became serious. "I just debuted earlier in South Korea, but in China, you debuted earlier than me and have more influence. You are my senior!"

In the South Korean entertainment industry, seniority is generally determined by the date of debut.

Judging from his debut date, he officially debuted on January 1, 2014, with the JYP boy group GOT7, which makes him senior to Gu Qing.

after all,

Gu Qing returned to China at the end of 14 to participate in Running Man.

But Wang Jiaer isn't stupid.

What's the use of debuting early? You have to become famous!

He is Chinese, not South Korean.

The principle of prioritizing those who achieve success is ingrained in our very being.

I returned to China in 15 and co-hosted "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" with He Jiong. It's been three years now.
He also participated in the recording of some popular variety shows, but unfortunately the effect was mediocre, and he remained in a lukewarm state.

Wang Jiaer was getting anxious.

“We can just address each other as equals. You can call me Gu Qing, and I'll call you Jiaer. We don’t need to follow those South Korean rules.”

Gu Qing set the tone with a friendly tone, and then said to Teacher He, "Teacher He, we've known each other for so long, so don't be so polite with me. We can't have lunch together, but we can get together properly after the show is recorded tonight."

"By the way, look who this is!"

As he spoke, he naturally turned the camera toward Jing Tian, ​​who was sitting next to him.

"Hello, Teacher He~" Jing Tian immediately moved closer to the camera, waving and greeting him with a bright smile.

Wow! It's Tian Tian! Long time no see, you've gotten even more beautiful!

Teacher He's eyes lit up, and his tone became even more enthusiastic, "Our whole crew is watching your and your brother's new drama, it's so good!"

Nana messaged us in our group yesterday, saying that after watching the latest episode, she felt nostalgic for the time when she had a crush on Zhang Jie back in school, and almost cried.

As a living fossil in the entertainment industry, Teacher He has met all the celebrities with a little bit of fame, and he knows them better than Gu Qing when it comes to topics.

After chatting with Jing Tian for a few moments, Teacher He remembered something and asked, "By the way, little brother, are Binbin and Sister Xun's two children in the car next to you? I'd like to say hello and introduce them to them beforehand."

"They were in another car, with their respective teams."

Gu Qing replied.

"Okay, then let's get to know each other when we go to the station to record the program this afternoon."

With a smile on her face, Teacher He reminded him to get some rest and said "see you tonight" before ending the call.

……

The vehicle arrived at the hotel where the guests were staying.

After everyone settled their luggage, the short rest period turned into a busy one.

Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Ye's agents were on their hands and feet, immediately taking the two newcomers out.

When appearing on a big stage like "Happy Camp" for the first time, it's common practice in the industry for juniors to prepare a small "gift" for the hosts and production team as a token of their appreciation, according to unwritten "etiquette".

They need time to choose the right gift.

Even Jing Tian was not immune to this.

However, the young lady's style was obviously much more direct. She did not go in person, but instead called her assistant and whispered a few words to her.

The assistant accepted the order and set off, his destination clearly the Chanel luxury store in the city center, to pack five bags as gifts for their meeting that evening.

Gu Qing watched this scene, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

Teacher He really doesn't care about this amount of money.

As for Sister Na... although she loves to take advantage of small things, she'll actually accept any gifts you give her.

But Sister Na never posts on her blog to show off.

The last three factors were the key reasons why the program was taken down.

Wu Xin lacked emotional intelligence; she put the gift someone gave her on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace app) to sell, which triggered the whole incident.

But this in itself is not a very serious matter.

After all, once you've given the gift, it belongs to the recipient. If you can't fit it at home, you can't just throw it away instead of selling it.
At most, people might nitpick and criticize her from a moral standpoint, saying she's brainless and lacks emotional intelligence, which is consistent with her usual persona on the show.

But Taozi and Weijia have incurred public wrath.

A loan product endorsed by an individual ran into problems, and then his immediate family member made inappropriate remarks during a live stream.

The Wei family is even more outrageous.

The company was directly accused of absconding with funds, which caused franchisees to block Huangguo TV station, holding banners and wearing clothes labeled as "dishonest artists" to protest and question the company.

These very problems all came to the rescue during the Clean Governance Campaign.

If you don't die, who will?

In the end, out of the five people who made mistakes...

The one who got the most criticism was Teacher He.

If he hadn't taken the blame, who knows how much controversy would have arisen.

"Master, aren't you going to prepare some gifts?"

Jing Tian's voice interrupted Gu Qing's thoughts.

"I usually give too many gifts, so I don't need to give any when I'm on TV."

Gu Qing replied absentmindedly.

From the very beginning of their debut
For every advertisement he endorses, the advertiser sends him a large batch of the season's new products.

Gu Qing had nowhere to put it, so she sent it all to her friends in the industry.

A gift from a top celebrity like Gu, just taking a picture of it and posting it on Twitter could make it to the trending topics. Who wouldn't like it?

Gu Qing used gifts to do favors, advertisers gained publicity for free, and the artists who received the gifts not only got a free benefit but also increased their popularity.

Three birds with one stone.

This results in,

The more gifts Gu Qing gave away, the more advertisers he received, creating a virtuous cycle.

Ultimately,
The advertisers stopped sending the new product gifts to Gu Qing and instead sent them directly to all the artists based on the address he provided.

"I thought you would say: Given your relationship, I don't need to send it."

Jing Tian playfully raised her fist and lightly punched Gu Qing's waist.

Then, as if remembering something, her pretty face flushed, and she took Gu Qing's hand, "Zhou, come inside with your sister!"

"What do you want to do in broad daylight?"

Gu Qing broke free of her hand, speechless as she pressed down on Da Tiantian's head, wanting to uncover it to see what was inside. "We're having dance practice this afternoon. There's a dance studio near Huang Guo."

"I'm going back to filming tomorrow. If you don't get the dance done today, you'll have to wait until next year."

"Okay, okay... let's practice dancing then."

Jing Tian's little secret was exposed, and she pouted with some regret, but the thought of practicing dance with Gu Qing immediately reignited her enthusiasm.

……

As a variety show that focuses on games and interactions, "Happy Camp" does not emphasize singing and dancing, but over the years it has cultivated and collaborated with two official dance troupes: "Dragon Dance Troupe" and "Qi Dance Space".

Qiwu Space mainly choreographs for "Happy Camp," and many celebrities in the industry will go there to learn dance if they need short-term practice.

A relatively well-known celebrity is the fourth son of the boy band "Go Fighting!", who performed a "Shot Dance" on the show.

If you look closely at the video, you can see that many of the movements were not in sync with the beat, and the person ran out of energy halfway through the dance.

Her singing and dancing skills are quite good compared to other artists in the Chinese entertainment industry, considering there aren't many artists who can sing and dance in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Aside from the relatively unknown MIC boy group, Cheer Up Boys' "Left Hand Right Hand Slow Motion" is already the pinnacle of singing and dancing artists. In the brutal monthly evaluations of South Korean trainees, they'd probably be getting yelled at by dance instructors.

In South Korea,
The difficulty trainees face in debuting is undoubtedly hellish.

The temple is small but there are many people, so it's a life-or-death struggle, and there's no time to relax.

Although after returning to China,

Because of work, Gu Qing rarely spends more than ten hours a day dancing in the dance studio.

But he didn't let it go to waste; he could still set aside time each month to practice for a few hours, so the foundation he built from childhood was still there.

Among all the artists in the country,
Gu Qing felt that the only people whose dance skills were slightly better than his were Zhang Yixing and Brother Lay.

As for Wu, Lu, and Tao?

Gu Qing now suspects that she is more proficient at dancing to XO's songs than they are.

……

Upon arriving at the dance studio building where "Qiwu Space" is located, before they could even step through the door, a small, excited commotion and suppressed screams emanated from inside.

"Ahhh-"

"It's Gu Qing's younger brother?! And Jing Tian too?!"

"Ahhh, Xiao Nai! Weiwei!! I watch your drama every day!!"

From the moment they reached the gate, before they even stepped inside, the screams from men and women never stopped.

Jing Tian happily posed for photos and signed autographs, her pretty face beaming with a bright and charming smile. "I've endured so many years, isn't this the moment I've been waiting for?"

Gu Qing explained his purpose to the person in charge and was quickly led to a spacious, soundproof private dance studio.

He connected the Bluetooth speaker and played the dance accompaniment for "A Smile That Captivates a City," which he had already adapted.

"I'll show you the whole dance first. The whole dance is about 1 minute and 10 seconds long. The movements aren't complicated, but you need to be on time with the beat and it needs to be interactive."

Pay attention to the details while you're watching, and feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

As Gu Qing spoke, she took off her coat, revealing a loose white cotton T-shirt underneath and black jogger pants for easy movement.

He wore a black baseball cap, his pale fingers pressing down the brim, instantly giving him a more aloof and focused air.

"Master, don't underestimate me. I have a proper formal dance education!"

Jing Tian snorted and sat cross-legged on the wooden board, very confident in her abilities.

She practiced ballet from a young age, entered a dance academy at the age of 12, and later studied folk dance. She also successfully entered the dance major at Beijing Film Academy.

She genuinely believed that her dancing skills were superior to Gu Qing's.

"Okay, here's your phone. Can you click play for me?"

Gu Qing didn't say much. He handed her the phone with the accompaniment music playing, then walked to the center of the dance studio, adjusted his breathing and posture in front of the huge floor-length mirror, and then gave Jing Tian an "OK" sign.

"Come, let me admire my beloved concubine's dance."

Jing Tian's personality has some abstract female characteristics. She casually clicked to play, then rested her chin on one hand, looking at Gu Qing with bright, sparkling eyes.

The adapted accompaniment begins, its lyrical and smooth nature distinct from the original.

The new arrangement incorporates more bouncy guitar syncopation and subtle funk elements, resulting in a stronger rhythm and a refreshing, energetic vibe reminiscent of summer soda, making it more suitable for dance performances.

"I only wanted to fall in love with you at first sight, as if it were destiny."

The opening is a deliberately slowed-down lyric with a slightly spoken feel. Gu Qing's body moves in rhythm with it, and the posture of lowering his head and pressing down the brim of his hat naturally reveals a relaxed yet poised demeanor.

Then,

The familiar, upbeat melody of the chorus of "A Smile That Could Topple a City" leads in:

"I admit that her smile is captivating and unforgettable."

To say that our love is as deep as the sea is something I dare not accept.

Nothing is more romantic than watching the sunset side by side with you.

My heart desires...

Gu Qing's movements instantly became clean and efficient.

Every step and every extension of the arm is precisely timed to the beat, neither too forceful and clumsy, nor weak and feeble.

While retaining the original choreography's fresh and sweet tone, he incorporated his own understanding of the music.

Some of the turns and stationary movements incorporate a touch of Popping Hit, making the dance look more layered and textured.

His facial expressions were also perfectly controlled. Thanks to his improved acting skills, his eyes under the brim of his hat were sometimes focused, and sometimes revealed a slight smile as he sang along with the lyrics, creating a strong sense of interaction with the camera.

The most "fatal" blow comes at the end of the first chorus. With the final note of "Unforgettable at first sight,"

Faced with the action of lifting the hem of one's clothes with one hand,

When Gu Qing made this gesture, his posture was extremely natural, without the slightest hint of greasiness or pretension. He even seemed a little embarrassed, and he did it very quickly.

Ironically, this shy, youthful charm, coupled with the impact of muscular physique, is what makes it so alluring to women.

It's like a pure and innocent girl suddenly turning into someone completely different – ​​who could resist that?!
"This...my beloved concubine...is this right?"

Jing Tian, ​​who was sitting on the ground with a "judge's" mindset, suddenly widened her phoenix eyes, her cherry-like mouth unconsciously opened slightly, and she blushed and stared in disbelief.

"I want to travel the world with you and enjoy the scenery in both sunshine and rain."

I want to lay out paper and pen with you and write the rest of our lives together.

Share both laughter and tears, no matter how dramatic the plot may be.
"We won't leave..."

The one-minute dance was quickly coming to an end.

The accompaniment ends with a few soft, breathy "who~ who~" hums, as if whispering in a lover's ear.

Jing Tian seemed to feel a soft humming in her ear, a tingling sensation like an electric current, and even her breath felt hot.

My beloved concubine, let's elbow each other!

“Ahhhh——!!!”

Just then, a loud, excited scream suddenly came from behind. The voice was trying hard to suppress but still managed to escape.

Jing Tian subconsciously turned around and saw countless wide-eyed and open mouths pressed against the glass behind her.

Someone who didn't know better might think that Cthulhu had descended upon the land.

"Maya!!!"

Jing Tian's heart stopped, and she screamed in fright, rushing to Gu Qing's side at lightning speed.

"It's nothing, it's just the teachers from Qiwu Space watching."

Gu Qing smiled and patted her on the shoulder to comfort her, then waved to the outside of the glass door.

quickly,

The choreographers, their eyes gleaming with excitement, swarmed in.

"Teacher Gu! Did you choreograph this dance yourself?"

"Wow! That part just now... that flirting... cough cough, the overall choreography and performance were absolutely amazing!"

"Teacher Gu, Teacher Jing Tian, ​​may we observe and learn from this? We absolutely won't disturb you!"

A young female choreographer covered her face with her hands, peeking at Gu Qing through her fingers. She was so red that she could hardly speak.

"Of course, I'm here to practice too. If there's anything I can improve in my dance moves, please give me some pointers."

Gu Qing smiled and agreed.

As he was speaking, he suddenly felt a slight, careful tugging and groping sensation at the hem of his T-shirt.

Looking down, he saw a slender, fair hand reaching out from behind him, gently touching his waist and abdomen through his cotton T-shirt with a curious yet somewhat "confirming" touch.

Gu Qing: "..."

You've touched it before, is it something new?

"Your little hands are a bit dirty, Sweetie Teacher."

Gu Qing simply removed it.

"I'll just check it out."

Jing Tian wanted to touch it again; the glimpse of his abs earlier was much better than the photos of his abs when he wasn't wearing clothes.

Sure enough, I still have to wear clothes.

Fortunately, the choreographers at Qiwu Space are all insiders in the industry, so they just smiled like doting aunts at the situation.

"Don't 'check' yet,"

Gu Qing helplessly held her down and steered the conversation back on track, "About how many of the dance moves did you remember from that dance just now?"

"Uh... this?"

Jing Tian blinked, then raised her hand and awkwardly but clearly gestured the "lifting the hem of her clothes" motion.

Gu Qing: "..."

So you spent all that time watching it intently, and this is all you remembered?

"Go, sit down, I'll break down the dance for you again slowly, and you can follow along."

Gu Qing gently pushed her in front of the mirror, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Okay, okay, I promise I'll study hard this time and remember everything!"

Jing Tian quickly assured him and sat down cross-legged again.

But as soon as she sat down,
She then noticed that a row of female dance instructors and students from the dance studio had somehow taken up seats opposite her, all of them staring wide-eyed.
His gaze was fixed intently on Gu Qing, the anticipation and excitement in his eyes almost tangible.

"Master, I've memorized the shirt-lifting move. You can just do the other ones."

How could Jing Tian tolerate this?

They've seen my god's naked body, what am I supposed to see?
It's more appropriate to show it to her alone.

Gu Qing nodded without saying anything more.

He was also afraid of showing off his abs in front of so many women.

The space is so small; if he loses his mind, he won't be able to escape.

Two hours passed in a flash.
It was almost lunchtime.

To speed up the practice process, Gu Qing and Jing Tian, ​​without any airs, ordered takeout and ate with the choreographers in the dance studio.

By 1:30 p.m., even the dance teachers were dancing with great skill.

We can just pick a few people to come and be backup dancers.

At 2:00,
Jing Tian lived up to expectations and successfully completed the dance recording task.

Exhausted and almost collapsing, Da Tiantian leaned against Gu Qing in the car as they set off back to the hotel to prepare for recording "Happy Camp".

She was determined to promote this dance video properly.

Gu Qing has written songs for people, but he has never danced for anyone, right?

She's one of a kind, no doubt.

"Zhao Xiaodao, Liu Shizi..."

"Hmph, you should all learn from your sweet sister!"

……

...(End of chapter)