Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

……

……

When Gu Qing opened her eyes again, the van had already come to a smooth stop in front of the hotel.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened. The night in Shanghai was brightly lit, and the outlines of skyscrapers were faintly visible in the darkness.

The warm yellow light emanating from the hotel lobby appeared particularly soft in the early autumn breeze.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched his stiff neck; he had slept exceptionally soundly in the car earlier.

Perhaps it was the exhaustion from the hectic schedule these past few days, or perhaps the decision he made about his birthday had calmed him down, but he slept so soundly that he didn't even have a dream.

"Boss, we've arrived."

Zhao Ya turned around from the passenger seat and said softly, "The room has been arranged, it's your usual suite. Would you like to go up and rest for a bit?"
Dinner has been prepared. Would you like to eat in your room or in the dining room?

Gu Qing checked the time; it was 7:30 PM.

"Eating in the room is fine, but eating in the restaurant will inevitably distract you."

He opened the car door, and a cool night breeze rushed towards him.

"Ok."

Zhao Ya nodded, and as she got out of the car, she instructed her assistant who was following behind, "Xiao Liu, go and book the plane tickets to the fashion capital the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, Sister Zhao Ya, I'll arrange it right away." Assistant Liu immediately took out her phone and started checking flight information.

The hotel lobby manager greeted Gu Qing with a warm smile and attentively led her to the private elevator.

The elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the noise of the lobby.

Gu Qing leaned against the elevator wall, watching the floor numbers jump up one by one, silently planning her arrangements for the next two days.

I have nothing to do tomorrow or the day after, so this is my only break in the past month.

You can sleep until you naturally wake up.

then……

then……

My phone suddenly rang.

Gu Qing paused for a moment, then took out her phone and glanced at the caller ID. "Sister Ziqi?"

"Goldfish Girl - G.E.M."

He was one of the earliest celebrity 'fans'.

At the party that year,

Zhang Jie took Deng Ziqi to his room to ask for an autograph and a photo, immediately claiming that she was his fan.

Gu Qing thought he was joking, but she didn't expect him to be serious.

At that time, G.E.M. became an instant sensation in mainland China thanks to "I Am a Singer".

A rising star in Hong Kong pop music, a powerful vocalist, a household name, and a renowned vocal powerhouse.

People said they were her fans and even admitted it in front of the media, which added a lot of charm to Gu Qing at that time.

At first, Gu Qing didn't understand: do celebrities still follow their idols?
It wasn't until later that he understood one thing.

The impact of idol dramas on female artists should not be underestimated.

They're all human, and they're all in the entertainment industry. They'll watch the dramas that make other celebrities famous.

A few years ago, when Korean dramas were all the rage, how many female celebrities were obsessed with watching them?
There are countless examples of people chasing after celebrities offline, blushing shyly when making eye contact with Korean stars, and calling them "male god, male god".

The term "male god" became popular around that time.

In the eyes of these female celebrities who have no shortage of money, resources, or admirers,

Having experienced too many naked transactions and charades, they naturally yearn for the pure, romantic, and unadulterated "fairytale love" depicted in idol dramas.

She's shrewd and capable when it comes to her career, but once she gets hooked on a TV series, she can easily turn into a "love-obsessed" person.

Just like the wildly popular show "The Rap of China" this year.

Xiao Lu and a group of female celebrities went crazy supporting an unknown underground rapper, using their resources and connections to record VCRs and canvass for votes everywhere, doing things even more enthusiastically than the fan leaders.

To outsiders, it seems unbelievable just to think about it.

But right now, it's actually happening.

Gu Qing answered the phone.

"Gu Qing, are you busy?"

The voice on the other end of the phone had a unique accent—it sounded like someone had something in their mouth or was soaking in seawater, and their speech was slightly lisping, making it sound rather silly and quite amusing.

“I…I have a concert the day after tomorrow, which happens to be in Shanghai. Would you like to come and see it? I have VIP tickets for the front row.”

G.E.M.'s voice carried a hint of anticipation, yet also a touch of shy embarrassment.

"Sister Ziqi, what time is your concert the day after tomorrow?"

Gu Qing remembered her promise to Deng Ziqi and asked.

"7:30 PM the day after tomorrow!"

G.E.M. answered immediately, her words even faster, "At the Mercedes-Benz Arena! The Mercedes-Benz Cultural Center! You know it, right?"

Gu Qing knew, of course.

Mercedes-Benz is the largest investor in League of Legends.

It is also one of the largest indoor venues in Shanghai.

After attending yesterday's alliance event, the head of the largest investor even asked for my contact information.

He might just land another top-tier endorsement deal.

"Mercedes-Benz? I know that."

Gu Qing's tone was slightly mischievous, "Sister Ziqi, I remember you said backstage last time that you were going to invite me to be your guest performer? How come it's become a ticket to the audience now?"

"Sister Ziqi, you don't mean you're disgusted by my singing, do you?"

With a simple tea-related remark, G.E.M. easily became a hot topic.

"No way! No way! No way!!!"

On the other end of the phone, G.E.M.'s voice instantly rose eight octaves.

"Little brother, don't think that way! That's not what I meant!!"

Hearing the disappointed tone in her voice, she jumped off the chair in a panic, her short legs dangling in the air. Her tight leather pants accentuated her round thighs, completely ignoring the astonished looks from the stylists around her.

His already accented Mandarin became even more illegible when he tried to explain in a flustered manner, sounding like a goldfish frantically blowing bubbles.

"I'm just embarrassed!"

What does "I'm sorry" mean?

"Help! I don't know what to do! Come and save me!"

G.E.M. got caught up in it, and her helpless local accent came out.

"Sister Ziqi, just kidding. I'm not angry. I'll be there on time the day after tomorrow."

Gu Qing chuckled twice and said, "Perfect timing, I'm also a fan of yours, so I can enjoy your music up close."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

then,

G.E.M.'s voice rang out again, tentatively asking:
"Little brother, when the time comes... will you sing a song with me?"

Since Gu Qing brought it up, she immediately seized the opportunity to make this request, which she had been too embarrassed to ask.

chorus?

Gu Qing thought for a moment, then hesitated: "Sister Ziqi, we haven't rehearsed before. Won't a last-minute duet affect your performance?"

"No way! I'd rather die than!!!"

G.E.M. spoke with a resolute and firm tone.

"My fans all know I really like you... I'm your fan!"

G.E.M. happily said, "If they see the two of us singing and interacting together, they'll definitely think I've successfully met my idol and they'll be happy for me!"

She had just finished speaking in a firm tone when her voice switched to a coquettish mode, pleading pitifully with Gu Qing:

"Little brother, please say yes~ Just one song~ okay~"

The change in expression was so natural and fluid.

In Hong Kong, acting coquettishly is generally referred to as "fake coquettishness".

The word itself carries the connotation of "pretending" or "performing," emphasizing its purpose. Using it to describe so-called "Hong Kong girls" is actually somewhat stigmatizing.

Men from Hong Kong generally believe that Hong Kong women are too calculating and realistic, and that they like to use coquetry to appear weak or coquettish in order to gain the other person's attention, concessions, or pampering. This is a communication strategy with a clear purpose.

Locally, a widely circulated joke goes like this: When asked "How to win a man's heart," Hong Kong women answer with:
"I can help you pay the mortgage."

This statement was disliked by many Hong Kong men with patriarchal tendencies, who felt it was a mockery of their inability to pay their mortgage.

Hearing such words would immediately cause an uproar.

The two of them can be considered a pair of star-crossed lovers.

However, as a mainland Chinese boy, Gu Qing naturally wouldn't react to G.E.M.'s coquettish requests.

He thought it was quite cute.

Since entering the entertainment industry,
Most of the women Gu Qing encountered spoke and acted with a natural gentleness.

Some were shy and timid, some were gentle and considerate, and some spoke in a delicate, high-pitched voice.

The only people who dared to be violent towards him were Sister Zhao and Liu Shishi, whom he had become familiar with.

Gu Qing thought about it and realized that only Sister Jiang Xin seemed to be able to be so carefree from the beginning. However,

That's because they have naturally low emotional intelligence; you can't compare them to ordinary people.

"Sister Ziqi, which song are you planning to sing?"

Gu Qing asked.

"I'm fine with anything! I can sing all your songs!"

Even through the phone, you could hear the joy and excitement in G.E.M.'s voice.

“Sister Ziqi, it’s not appropriate for you to sing my song at your concert, is it? It’s stealing the spotlight.”

He thought for a moment and said, "How about singing your recently released song 'Peach Blossom Promise'? I really like that song."

He was referring to the theme song of a TV series called "Ancient Love Song" which aired in mid-June of this year.

As the saying goes, bad movies often produce amazing songs.

The show has already been labeled "worst show of the year" by Dongfang TV.

The plot is melodramatic and illogical, the special effects and costumes are cheap, the dialogue is cheesy and childish, and it only has a pitiful 3.1 rating on Douban.

The attack was incredibly spectacular.

Even Gu Qing's fans went over and stomped on it a couple of times.

For no other reason than that the male lead of this drama is—"Master Huang".

The greasy, domineering CEO has made a comeback in this drama. With his textbook-perfect greasy acting, he has contributed countless negative reviews and memes to this terrible show.

Gu Qing's fans are overjoyed.

"Congratulations to the couple for adding another 'terrible drama' to their list of achievements!!"

"Are the acquisition department of Dongfang TV out of their minds? My brother's hard-earned reputation has been completely ruined by your own actions!"

"Good grief! Of all the films they could import, they had to import Huang Xiaoming's! Who are they trying to disgust!"

"Luckily, 'Love O2O' aired on CCTV-6, otherwise our Qingcheng couple would have been in trouble too!"

"I'll leave a message on the studio's account right now: From now on, Dongfang TV won't be able to buy any of my brother's dramas!"

The fans' comments were childish and provoked hatred.

However, it is extremely lethal.

Gu Qing's works gave them ample confidence.

When the public outcry was brewing, news actually came out from Dongfang TV that the employee who brought in "Ancient Love Song" had been demoted.

It truly has the most impressive presence.

"Wow!! Little brother, you can sing my songs?!"

G.E.M.'s voice changed from surprise to delight.

"You can sing all my songs, is it not normal for me to sing yours?"

Gu Qing said helplessly, "Sister Ziqi, I've already told you I'm your fan, you don't think I'm joking, do you?"

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

G.E.M. smiled sheepishly, her voice tinged with a touch of melancholy, "There's just too much polite talk in the industry; I can't tell which words are true and which are false anymore."

Gu Qing knew she was telling the truth.

That's how the entertainment industry is; everyone speaks while wearing a mask. "Next time we can collaborate," "I really enjoyed your work," "We definitely want to work together sometime"...

Nine out of ten of these sentences are just polite formalities, and the last one should be questioned.

Over time, it becomes impossible to distinguish between the real and the fake.

"Sister Ziqi, I rarely lie."

Gu Qing said with a smile, "I've been listening to your songs since before I debuted. I can sing along to 'Bubble', 'I Like You'...

On the other end of the phone, G.E.M. was silent for two seconds.

"Thank you, little brother."

The emotion in the voice was somewhat subtle.

"No need to thank me."

Gu Qing laughed and said, "We're not strangers, why be so polite?"

After chatting for a couple more minutes, making the goldfish blow bubbles, Gu Qing finally hung up the phone.

The elevator doors opened at that moment.

He stepped out of the elevator, and Zhao Ya followed behind, her expression somewhat hesitant.

On the way to the room, Zhao Ya finally couldn't help but speak:

"Boss, are you going to Teacher Ziqi's concert?"

Her voice was very low, with a hint of cautious probing.

"What's wrong?" Gu Qing looked at her in confusion.

He knew Zhao Ya wouldn't speak up for no reason; there must be a reason.

Zhao Ya hesitated for a moment, but still spoke:

"Boss, the rumors about Teacher Ziqi and Teacher Zhang Jie are circulating online with great detail."

She paused, a hint of worry in her voice: "Won't your participation...affect your relationship with Sister Na?"

Gu Qing paused for a moment.

“And some people say,”

Zhao Ya continued, her voice even lower, "G.E.M. is being attacked so badly right now because... she offended someone."

Gu Qing was stunned for a moment, her mind racing.

"It's been over a year, and the rumors are still going on?" He said, somewhat incredulously.

No wonder, it was just a polite and ordinary expression of concern, but G.E.M.'s tone sounded a bit off towards the end.

Feelings have been criticized for too long, and with no one to talk to, they've become talkative.

"It's been circulating non-stop."

Zhao Ya nodded, "And the rumors are getting more and more outlandish."

Some say that Teacher Ziqi interfered in Sister Na and Brother Jie's relationship, some say that Teacher Ziqi was blacklisted because of this, and some people have even more outrageous opinions..."

She looked at Gu Qing and asked worriedly, "Boss, are you still going?"

Gu Qing remained silent for a few seconds.

he was thinking.

The rumors about Zhang Jie and G.E.M. seem to have started last year.

The incident started when the two collaborated on a song on a music program and interacted a bit more, which led to marketing accounts stirring up trouble.

The situation escalated, with outrageous rumors even circulating, such as "G.E.M. interfered in Zhang Jie and Xie Na's marriage."

But Gu Qing vaguely remembered that in 2019, when Na Jie was selected as a host for the Spring Festival Gala,
He also had a face-to-face conversation with G.E.M. (Gloria Tang). The two chatted and laughed, dispelling rumors of discord.

Therefore, this rumor is most likely just media hype.

As for the claim that "G.E.M. was criticized because she offended someone"...

That's how the entertainment industry is; whoever becomes popular gets criticized, without exception.

G.E.M. has become incredibly popular in the last two years, naturally making her a target.

What celebrity hasn't been smeared with accusations like "acting like a big shot," "having a bad temper," and "being difficult to get along with"?

After all, it's unbelievable that someone can get criticized even for wearing leather pants.

"Of course I'll go."

Gu Qing casually replied, "I already promised them."

He looked at Zhao Ya and smiled: "Sister Xiao Ya, don't overthink it."

If there were any real problems, Na Jie's side should have responded by now. Since there wasn't, it means the media is just sensationalizing it.

He paused, then added, "Besides, how can someone else's conflict with me affect my work plans?"

This is the truth.

He had heard from his team that G.E.M. would always help by forwarding and supporting his new dramas, movies, and songs whenever they were released.

Given her popularity and fame, this is definitely a real and tangible help.

Now that someone is taking the initiative to invite you out, why are you backing down because of a few unfounded rumors?
That's just inhuman.

"Besides,"

Gu Qing shook her head, her tone tinged with self-deprecation, "How much more explosive can it get? More explosive than me being on good terms with both Senior Sister and Yang Mi at the same time?"

Zhao Ya paused for a moment, then nodded silently.

No hair, boss!

She gets along very well with all three of the actresses born in 85.

Zhao Ya thought about it and suddenly realized that her worries were indeed unnecessary.

My own boss is truly a god.

……

...(End of this chapter)