Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Li Hui led Lin Shen towards the makeup area, speaking in a low voice as they walked:

"To be honest, the editor-in-chief was under some pressure to get you on the cover of the October issue."

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow: "Because of the clothes I sold on Weibo?"

"That's part of the reason," Li Hui smiled, but spoke directly, "but more importantly, it's because I have high hopes for you, especially after 'Gu Jian'."

You've topped the artist new media index for two consecutive months. Ultimately, the fashion industry is all about chasing trends and fresh faces.

Your actions have actually made your image more talked about and highlighted your personal characteristics compared to others, which is exactly what we wanted.

Seeing the surprise on Lin Shen's face, Li Hui added, "Of course, your Dior Homme outfit today, as well as the other Gucci and Saint Laurent pieces from the current season, are also important factors."

This is quite clear: Lin Shen's ability to grace the cover of Esquire magazine is not based on any fashion experience, but rather on his undeniable top-tier popularity and viral buzz.

The magazine needs his popularity to boost sales and brand awareness, while he needs this cover to solidify his commercial value and fashion status—a win-win situation.

Soon, a man with a small ponytail appeared in front of them, kneeling behind the camera adjusting the parameters. Next to him stood a middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit, who was Zhang Lei, the editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine.

"Editor-in-Chief Zhang, Teacher Chen, and Teacher Lin Shen have arrived," Li Hui introduced.

Photographer Chen Man looked up, glanced at Lin Shen, and smiled:

"You're here? You look even more energetic than in the photos. Let's take some different photos today."

Zhang Lei stepped forward to shake hands: "Lin Shen, welcome. Yesterday's Weibo post was very bold. We temporarily adjusted the direction of the cover story and wanted to talk about your understanding of trajectory, not just clothing, but life choices."

"Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Zhang, for this opportunity." Lin Shen shook hands and sincerely thanked her. "I'm relatively new to the industry, and being on the cover of Esquire is a great affirmation."

This October's solo cover was given to an actor who had only become a sensation two months prior, which is quite rare in Esquire's history, so Zhang Lei is under considerable pressure.

"Fashion is not just about clothes," Zhang Lei said with a smile, "it's also about attitude. You have your own path, which aligns well with our theme of exploring the voice of the new generation. Let's go get our makeup done first, and we can chat while we shoot."

In the dressing room, after Lin Shen sat down, Li Hui came over to discuss the details.

"The first outfit is a simple suit that highlights your youthful charm; the second outfit will involve experimenting with light and shadow, and might be a bit abstract..."

Li Hui flipped through the proposal in her hand. "By the way, I heard you're quite knowledgeable about fashion?"

"I like to think things through." Lin Shen looked at himself in the mirror as his foundation was being applied. "Starting a brand is also about making the things I like tangible."

"That's good." Li Hui nodded. "Many celebrities these days only know how to dress, but don't understand why they dress that way. You have ideas, so the stories you create will be stronger."

Halfway through the makeup session, a slight commotion arose outside. Xiao Yang leaned close to Lin Shen's ear and whispered, "Teacher Chen Weiting has arrived and is greeting everyone outside."

Lin Shen nodded without saying anything.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the dressing room door. Chen Weiting poked half his body in, smiling, "Shenzi! Director Li, you're here too."

He was dressed casually today, wearing a trendy hoodie and ripped jeans, clearly not there for a cover shoot.

"William, you're here?" Li Hui greeted him. "Perfect timing. The set for your interior shoot is already set up over there. You can go over and get ready."

"I'll be right there, Shenzi! I heard you're shooting a cover today? Congratulations!" Chen Weiting replied and walked towards Lin Shen.

"William." Lin Shen smiled at him in the mirror. "Yeah, I didn't expect our schedules to clash."

"It's not a scheduling conflict," Li Hui explained from the side. "Professor Chen is shooting the inside pages and column interviews, while Professor Lin is shooting the cover and the main feature interview."

Both shoots are today, but the filming locations and teams are separate. Both actors are currently very popular, and we finally managed to schedule them, so we couldn't bear to separate them.

"You can't compare to Shenzai. I'm here to film a feature." Chen Weiting walked up to the two of them.

Seeing that he showed no sign of leaving, Li Hui said goodbye to the two of them and hurriedly left.

Chen Weiting leaned against the dressing table, sizing up Lin Shen: "You're really bold. My manager even asked me if I wanted to start a side business, and I said forget it, I don't have the brains for it."

"Just give it a try. I can't rely on my youth forever," Lin Shen replied casually. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Me? Just so-so, filming and doing events." Chen Weiting shrugged and casually mentioned, "I heard you got the role in 'The Lost Tomb'? Congratulations, that's a big project."

Lin Shen was holding a powder compact handed to him by the makeup artist when he heard this, and paused for a moment. The news travels fast.

"We're still negotiating," Lin Shen said vaguely, then asked, "And you, have you found a script you like?"

"I'm in contact with a few people," Chen Weiting smiled, without going into details.

Both of them understood that there was potential competition for some resources, and their teams were well aware of it, but there was no need to openly confront each other about it.

Moreover, Chen Weiting comes from a wealthy family. Apart from being a bit of a playboy, his character is decent. Entering the entertainment industry is more of a hobby and a hobby for him, and he's not that aggressive.

But Lin Shen could sense that Chen Weiting's agent was peeking in from outside the door from time to time, clearly taking this chance encounter very seriously.

That's how the entertainment industry is; things seem friendly on the surface, but underneath it's all scheming.

"Then you go ahead and get busy, I won't bother you anymore." Chen Weiting stood up at the right time. "After filming, do you have time to grab a bite together? I know a good Cantonese restaurant nearby."

"It might not be possible today." Lin Shen smiled apologetically. "The brand still has samples to look at. I'll treat you next time."

"I understand, I understand. Boss Lin is busy." Chen Weiting waved his hand with a smile and went out.

After the door closed, the makeup artist muttered to herself, "He's here to shoot the inside pages, he's not from our area, and he even came over to say hello..."

Lin Shen closed his eyes and let the makeup artist do his eye makeup, without saying a word.

He knew that Chen Weiting's team probably wanted to create buzz by shooting together, and hopefully ride the wave of the fashionable collaboration between the two male leads of "Gu Jian".

But Lin Shen didn't want to cooperate; the cover and the inside pages were simply not in the same league.

Filming officially began.

The first group has a minimalist style. Lin Shen changed into a black turtleneck sweater from Gucci and stood in front of a pure white background.

The photographer's request was strange: "Lin Shen, just stand there, think about whatever you want, and don't look at the camera."

Lin Shen did as instructed, relaxing his shoulders and lowering his gaze slightly, as if he were spacing out, while the camera shutters clicked rapidly.

"Great! Excellent!" the photographer exclaimed excitedly. "It has a slightly detached yet story-telling atmosphere!"

The second set is the highlight. The background has been changed to a huge abstract light and shadow projection that keeps flowing and changing.

Lin Shen changed into a Saint Laurent tailored suit, with the collar naturally open. The lighting technician shone a strong side backlight, outlining the lines of half of his face and neck like a sculpture.

"Til your head a little more! Yes! Give it a little bit of eye contact, just a tiny bit of aggression!"

Lin Shen adjusted his breathing, got into the zone, focused his gaze on a point in the void, tightened his jawline, and the sharpness that he usually kept under wraps, belonging to a young man, came rushing out through the lens.

Li Hui stood behind the monitor, arms crossed, and took a deep breath.

This issue's cover is a sure thing. This combination of top-tier celebrities, the actor's versatility, and the most talked-about personal commercial endeavors is bound to generate a lot of buzz.

After filming wrapped, Lin Shen took a short break when there was a knock on the door of the dressing room. The editor's voice came through: "Teacher Lin, Editor-in-Chief Zhang is ready."

Lin Shen straightened his shirt collar, put on a gentle and polite smile again, and opened the door.

"Alright, let's begin."

The interview room was dimly lit, and Zhang Lei was already sitting on a single sofa with a voice recorder and notebook on the coffee table in front of him.

Lin Shen sat down on the sofa opposite him.

"Relax, let's just chat casually." Zhang Lei pressed the record button and began asking questions.

"Yesterday's Weibo post, I don't think it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. It seems you've been planning this for a long time, wanting to explore a different path besides acting?"

Lin Shen leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed.

"I guess so. I've always felt that life isn't a one-way street. Acting is my passion and my foundation, but aesthetics and business are my interests and another form of expression. The brand 'Trajectory' is actually a concrete manifestation of the aesthetic system I want to share."

"Aren't you worried about it affecting your acting career? After all, the public always has reservations about celebrities doing side jobs."

"It's normal to have doubts, which is why I need to let my products and actions speak for themselves. Actors rely on their work, and brands rely on their products; they are essentially the same."

I don't think they're conflicting; rather, they can complement each other. Acting helps me understand emotions and stories better, while branding requires rationality and market insight. Combining these two might create something unique.

Zhang Lei continued, "Does this mean you're not content with simply being a chosen artist?"

Lin Shen smiled and did not avoid the question.

"In this industry, having a voice is very important. I want to have more initiative and choices to participate in and even create content that I think is valuable."

This isn't just ambition, it's also a creative desire. Who says an actor can't also be a client?