Chapter 70.2: Fashion Event

Among the four members of Verse, Meng Qin consistently ranked last in terms of looks. By the time the group was nearing disbandment, Meng Qin’s popularity was only slightly higher than Lu Xu’s, which limited his career options compared to Xie Qingyang and Gu Sinian.

Though Meng Qin had been active in the fashion industry for some time and Tan Qi had seen plenty of his event photos, she couldn’t quite appreciate his style. Subjectively, she preferred Lu Xu’s simpler, cleaner looks, finding Meng Qin’s outfits overly intricate.

[By the way… is Lu Xu about to run into Meng Qin?]

[Uh, well…]

[LOL, Lu Xu is a total newbie in the fashion world, okay? Does anyone seriously think Meng Qin is that easy to push around? Why not compare their runway treatment instead?]

[+1, Lu Xu should just stick to acting and stop dreaming about overshadowing others in the fashion industry.]

The comments section grew increasingly outrageous. Tan Qi couldn’t hold back anymore. If the others could be snarky, so could she: [But… Lu Xu is G-brand’s spokesperson.]

[Spokesperson, mind you, with billboard campaigns and all.]

[Did G-brand give Meng Qin billboards? Because I don’t recall seeing any.]

As she refreshed her Weibo feed, sure enough, #MengQinStyle was trending again.

The event had barely started, and not all the celebrities had even made their appearances, yet Lin Ge Entertainment had already bought their way into the trending topics.

“Will they die if they stop buying trending tags?” Tan Qi couldn’t resist venting to her friend.

“They might,” her friend replied. “I’m just curious if they even earn enough to cover it. They’re obsessed with marketing.”

Seeing the slew of comments claiming, “My idol’s aesthetics are saving the domestic entertainment scene,” made Tan Qi’s vision go dark.

Resolving not to look at any Meng Qin-related topics, she focused all her attention on following Lu Xu’s updates.

[He’s here! He’s here!]

Although Lu Xu hadn’t appeared on camera yet, the live stream’s chat was already buzzing. However, the first thing Tan Qi saw wasn’t Lu Xu’s face but an unfamiliar older man.

Only then did Lu Xu slowly come into frame beside him.

As usual, he was dressed in a conservative suit-and-tie ensemble. Yet, there was something about the suit’s fabric—under the slightly grainy lighting of the live stream, it seemed to have a faint satin-like sheen.

The suit’s upper section was a bit long, paired with a white shirt and a black tie, creating an overall reserved look. However, with the tie fastened all the way to the top, leaving only a sliver of space for his Adam’s apple to show, it subtly evoked temptation and left much to the imagination.

The light hit Lu Xu’s black hair, casting a golden glow over his soft locks.

Unlike his appearance at the Stellar Awards ceremony, this time Lu Xu didn’t smile. His black-rimmed glasses added an air of sternness to his demeanor. A stray beam of light reflected off his lenses, giving his clear black-and-white eyes a faint warmth—though upon closer inspection, his gaze remained cool and detached.

Lu Xu’s makeup was minimal; in fact, Tan Qi couldn’t even tell if he was wearing any foundation. Compared to the others, his skin appeared entirely natural under the lights, retaining its normal tone.

Perhaps it was this simplicity and naturalness that gave him the aura of a refined gentleman straight out of a novel.

He was, in essence, a walking magazine cover.

[Ahhhhh, Lu Puppy is wearing glasses!!]

[So restrained! So handsome! Forgive my lack of words!]

[Absolutely stunning!!!!]

[Why does this man look like a fashion editorial every time he shows up? He’s too powerful!!]

[You’re all focused on how handsome he is, but I just want to know if he’s hot in that outfit. If he is, he should take off a layer or two [dog emoji][dog emoji][dog emoji]. I won’t mind.]

[LMAO, I can hear your shameless thoughts from overseas.]

[He’s seriously gorgeous!!!!! Why doesn’t he attend more fashion events? It’s such a waste of his looks—this face was sculpted by the gods themselves!]

[…Stop it, upstairs. Have you been infected by Meng Qin’s fans?]

Even though the live stream’s video quality wasn’t crystal clear, Lu Xu’s face still shone with undeniable beauty.

It was only after reading the comments that Tan Qi learned the older man accompanying Lu Xu wasn’t just anyone—he was the head of G-brand’s operations in the country. He had been the one to finalize the brand’s partnership with Lu Xu and had granted him the title of spokesperson.

[The fact that the head of G-brand is personally accompanying him must mean he’s being treated very well.]

[Lu Puppy is unstoppable!]

Fashion events were nothing more than product showcases, networking, and gala dinners. G-brand’s venue was spacious, so even though the cameras primarily focused on the stage, fans could catch glimpses of the tables below.

Lu Xu’s seat was in the middle of the front-row round table. On either side of him were G-brand executives. At the same table sat a legendary actress with an established career and a few low-profile but immensely influential jewelry collectors.

Tan Qi’s gaze was glued to Lu Xu, though her eyes occasionally wandered to the other tables.

This event had indeed gathered numerous stars and socialites, but she was surprised to find that Meng Qin’s seat was tucked in a far corner, significantly distant from Lu Xu’s prime location.

[Ummm, so this is what fashion looks like with Meng Qin?]

[Not to be mean, but the gap between his PR spin and his actual treatment is a bit glaring, no?]

[Anyone can see Lu Xu is the main star tonight. But if you just look at the trending hashtags, you’d think he’s some random extra crashing the event.]

[Typical Lin Ge Entertainment tactics. I’m not even surprised anymore. They’ve always used Lu Xu to boost others—first to hype up Xie Qingyang as the devoted team captain when they were in the group, and now mocking Lu Xu’s solo projects for having weak lineups or lacking buzz.]

[…Wait a second. I’ve noticed something odd.]

[What’s that?]

[Every table has placards indicating A, B, C, or D zones. From what I can tell, Meng Qin’s seat isn’t among the official brand-invited guests. He attended the event as a client.]

[???]

[That makes sense. He’s not seated with other celebrities, nor is he in the typical circle of G-brand collaborators.]

[Ah, I see…]

Tan Qi hadn’t anticipated such meticulous analysis from fans. She hadn’t noticed the placards on the tables, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have scrutinized them so closely.

Tan Qi deliberately observed the scene after hearing the speculation. Sure enough, Meng Qin’s seat was indeed far from the spotlight, surrounded by unfamiliar faces who were clearly not part of the entertainment industry.

“With his status, would he really just show up to piggyback on an event?”

“Do you think he’s doing better than Guo Sinian or Xie Qingyang?” Tan Qi’s friend quipped. “He’s neither a designer nor a model. What’s he got to sustain a presence in the fashion world? It’s all just residual popularity from Verse. But the fashion world is brutal—it elevates some and steps all over others. If you can’t back it up with real achievements, you won’t last.”

“What’s he got to show for himself?”

“A string of flashy, impressive-sounding titles, sure, but not much substance. People in the fashion industry aren’t fools.”

The camera operators seemed to have a sense of drama. At that moment, the broadcast cut to scenes of celebrities mingling. Meng Qin, having made his way from the back tables, stopped to exchange pleasantries with the actress seated at Lu Xu’s table. The actress, ever professional, maintained her composure and politely posed for a photo with him.

Meng Qin then appeared to be making his way toward Lu Xu.

It was well-known among fans that Lu Xu had grievances against the other members of Verse.

Tan Qi had assumed that, given the setting, Lu Xu might exercise some courtesy for the brand’s sake. Yet when Meng Qin approached, Lu Xu simply regarded him with cold, indifferent eyes. There was no smile, only an even chillier demeanor than when he first appeared.

All Tan Qi could think was: “Lu Puppy looks so handsome!”

[He’s totally giving off the vibes of a noble and aloof master from a fantasy drama or a cold, domineering CEO. I’m losing it!]

[Finally, as a long-time Lu Xu fan, I can say this with pride: stop trying to leech off him! Back when the Verse trio fans accused Lu Xu of freeloading, it was so frustrating. Honestly, the ones who lack something always seem to market it the hardest. Lu Xu never cared about clout-chasing—unlike certain other three, who can’t seem to stop!]

[So cool!!! I’m such a fan, I’m so satisfied! Why does Lu Puppy have to be so magnanimous!! During the autograph and photo session, Meng Qin’s fans even mocked Lu Puppy!!]

[Back then, he made a comeback and turned into a superstar, isn’t that way more exciting than reading web novels? Lu Xu was definitely going to be way more famous than some people, and it was going to drive them crazy, ahhhhhh!]

Lu Xu didn’t expect to run into Meng Qin at the G-brand event, and he certainly didn’t expect the other person to come over and greet him.

During the Verse period, the other three were really good at acting and being passive-aggressive, and Meng Qin was the expert at it. He usually didn’t take the first step, but the original owner’s downfall was definitely influenced by the way Meng Qin stirred things up.

Lu Xu had become an actor, and his career didn’t overlap much with theirs, but Verse was already a thing of the past, and everyone knew their relationships had fallen apart. Meng Qin could still talk about the “good times” in the group without changing his expression.

Lu Xu was truly impressed.

If it had been him, he wouldn’t have been able to say a word.

Lu Xu himself wasn’t one to engage in pleasantries.

Even if he were, it would be hard for him to do.

He had become Lu Xu, made up of his soul and the original Lu Xu’s body. The weight of the original Lu Xu’s grievances lingered too heavily for him to even pretend.

To him, forgiveness wasn’t his to offer.

Besides, he had no reason to reconcile with the other three.

Meng Qin hadn’t expected Lu Xu to be so direct and disrespectful, and his expression stiffened for a moment. However, he had been in the fashion industry for a long time, and he wasn’t unfamiliar with such situations—sometimes, when watching shows abroad, overseas celebrities wouldn’t necessarily give him face. In those times, Meng Qin either laughed it off or used a marketing account to post about his experience online.

His fans would naturally defend him.

For Meng Qin, Lu Xu’s indifference also meant more attention, and what he lacked most now was attention.

At least domestic stars… weren’t as arrogant as Lu Xu, right?

Meng Qin was already very familiar with this kind of marketing tactic. After giving Lu Xu a sorrowful look, he “dejectedly” turned around and moved to a table at the back.

In fact, Lu Xu had already anticipated that Meng Qin would pull some stunt.

The original owner had at least worked at Lin Ge Entertainment, which had its own well-practiced hype tactics. They were experts at smearing others and releasing black materials.

If it had been another company doing this, they would have been blasted by the public. However, since Verse had three members, stirring things up separately and targeting each member individually allowed them to achieve the desired effect without being detected.

After the G-brand event, when Lu Xu saw the trending topic #Meng Qin Receives Lu Xu’s Cold Gaze#, he didn’t feel outraged at all. The only thing that came to his mind was the thought, “Here we go again.”

Lu Xu didn’t bother explaining.

Yes, it was his cold gaze, and yes, he was the one being arrogant.

In fact, if the situation had been different, he might have rolled his eyes dramatically.

Lu Xu didn’t click on the topic; he guessed it was just filled with people criticizing him.

He sat in the back seat of his manager’s car, quietly dozing off.

Xu Wen was an excellent driver; the car was steady and fast. It was already quite late, and the car lights were off, with the dim light from outside making him feel drowsy. Lu Xu thought that attending an event was even more exhausting than staying up for a whole night of filming. As the spokesperson for G-brand, as well as a sales and display model, his roles were so numerous that he couldn’t even count them all.

It was fine before the manager arrived, but as soon as the manager showed up, Lu Xu immediately felt too tired to even speak.

Lu Xu slept soundly until the car drove into the parking lot. He then sat up, stretching and yawning.

“The company has already handled the trending topic for you,” Xu Wen said. “You don’t need to take it seriously.”

Lu Xu nodded.

“Right now, Lin Ge just wants to ride on your coattails to stir things up. Unless the three of them start fighting, they’ll have a hard time creating new topics.”

Xu Wen urged Lu Xu to go upstairs, telling him not to check his phone and to get some rest. Although Lu Xu verbally agreed, he couldn’t resist and opened Weibo anyway.

The result—

Under the hashtag #Meng Qin Receives Lu Xu’s Cold Gaze#, it wasn’t all criticism of him.

[Ahhh, the cold-faced puppy looks so good!]

[I thought Lu Xu looked great when he smiled, but actually, his cold face looks even better—so cool!]

[Those black-frame glasses really give off an elite vibe, super noble puppy!]

[When the lights hit, puppy looked like he was surrounded by a golden glow!]

[Who cares about his cold gaze? Considering what Lu Xu went through in Verse, why should he give anyone a smile?]

[I’m so sick of them constantly trying to stir up drama with Lu Xu!!!]

[Report!! Meng Qin was exposed as just crashing the event. He wasn’t even officially invited by G-brand. No wonder, I’ve been wondering why the G-brand official would make such a tactless decision to put Verse together.]

[Not an invited guest???!!! @G-brand, please clear the venue next time so that uninvited people don’t steal the spokesperson’s spotlight!]

Lu Xu scrolled for a while, and it seemed that the voices defending him still held the upper hand.

On his homepage, there were even people liking the topic.

[Your friend Shao Yao just liked ‘Lu Xu is truly the well-deserved spokesperson for G-brand…’]

Lu Xu: “?”

Shao Yao: “Already placed the order.”

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