Chapter 7: Gossip

"Are they speaking the truth?" Chen Jiming narrowed his eyes to allow the makeup artist to apply dark powder, acting as if the question was a careless one.

The makeup artist was a very pretty girl with a loli face, called Du Wei. She liked to do her makeup j.a.panese style, which made her look childish and delicate. Chen Jiming had been at the broadcasting station for about a month and his makeup had always been done by Du Wei. He had always a.s.sumed that Du Wei was a little lady who was not versed in worldly affairs, a newcomer like him.

"What's real or fake?" Du Wei did not seem to have heard the gossip outside, continuing to focus on doing his makeup.

Chen Jiming opened his eyes to scrutinize this little lady. Looks like she wasn't stupid, knowing how to play taiji[1] with him. However, he wouldn't let her go so easily. Makeup artists interacted with the most number of people and the amount of gossip they were privy to was also the most, probing for news from them was definitely the right move. "These few days there have been people saying that Qin-ge relied on Manager Zhong to crawl his way up. Is this true?"

Chen Jiming was handsome and his voice was also nice to listen to. When he spoke, his words were laced with uncertainty and regret, as if wanting to defend Chu Qin. But even the Jianghu[2] could tell that he wanted to take advantage of the chaos to achieve his own goals.

"Look down," Du Wei gently spoke as she dipped a brush into eyeliner cream and started drawing his eyeliner. At an angle unseen by Chen Jiming, her mouth curved downwards impatiently, "Chu Qin was drafted by the national broadcasting station. If it wasn't for Manager Zhong s.n.a.t.c.hing him, he wouldn't even come to Shengs.h.i.+."

The implication was that Chu Qin was an ox[3], he didn't need to enter through the back door.

Chen Jiming's eyes widened and he laughed a little, using an expression of "you're still young and only know how to look at things on the surface, don't know how deep the waters in the entertainment world are" to look at Du Wei.

After he finished applying makeup, Chen Jiming got up and went to his recording studio. Du Wei packed up her tools and walked out of the dressing room. A few a.s.sistants outside the door noticed Du Wei and quickly stood up, "Wei Wei-jie, are you finished with your work?"

Du Wei glanced at them, "So free, not doing work but squatting outside the dressing room to gossip?"

A few a.s.sistants trembled and immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

The makeup artists in the broadcasting station were ranked. Chen Jiming was not aware, but the makeup artist a.s.signed to him, Du Wei, was a top-notch makeup artist who was only a.s.signed to a few hosts and news reporters. This tender and delicate young lady who looked as if she was only eighteen was in fact thirty already.

Du Wei eyed Chen Jiming's recording studio, her mouth curving. The entertainment world was full of these self-important children who believed that there was always more than there appeared to be on the surface. Chu Qin that guy really did rely on his abilities to enter Shengs.h.i.+. Friendly Confusion was also personally created by him, although Zhong Yibin did deserve some merit.

When Chu Qin had just entered University as a student, the national broadcasting station happened to have a very popular television program called

. Speaking plainly, it was a talent compet.i.tion for hosts, just a more cla.s.sy version. Hence, a bunch of youths engaged in a war of attrition for three months. As a student who was not in the field of study, he defeated a group of universities specializing in media and communication to win the champions.h.i.+p and obtained the crystal microphone trophy.

Only when the compet.i.tion ended did people realize that Chu Qin's profession had nothing to do with broadcasting - food manufacturing. At that moment, many had fervently expressed that they could not show their face in front of their hometown's elders after being defeated by a cook.

At that time, the domestic entertainment industry looked bleak. Everyone was anxiously searching for interesting hosts to support their venue and many television stations had wanted to sign Chu Qin. Since he was still attending University, he was offered many interns.h.i.+p opportunities. In the end, Chu Qin went to Shengs.h.i.+ TV, an unexpected result which caused great surprise. It had to be known that that year the national broadcasting station had offered him an olive branch. In comparison, Shengs.h.i.+ had not yet partnered with them and was merely a personal television station that had a small audience.

Zhong Yibin, who had just been appointed as entertainment supervisor of Shengs.h.i.+, used some unknown methods and managed to s.n.a.t.c.h Chu Qin in a very obvious way.

Other people may take heed of idle chatter, but Du Wei, who had been with Shengs.h.i.+ from then till now, would never believe it regardless of what was said. If they really had to talk about it, it would be more accurate to say that Manager Zhong relied on Chu Qin to climb up.

Shengs.h.i.+ TV had expanded rapidly these few years. Ever since they partnered with the national broadcasting station and became a starred satellite tv station, their ratings have always been in the top three among television stations and were even often at the top. Chu Qin's program also became Shengs.h.i.+ TV's signature program. There were definitely people around who were envious of his success. This week alone, the news of him being hospitalised had already spread across the entire television station.

Everybody in the broadcasting station knew that Chu Qin was backed by Zhong Yibin. However, rumors and slanders had been flying around these few days yet Zhong Yibin had not appeared to stop them. He had even taken leave to play overseas, which only encouraged people to have thoughts about the subject.

Chu Qin did not know that rumors of him falling out of favor with Zhong Yibin had already circulated at the broadcasting station. After eating breakfast, he received a notification from the police that the three kidnappers had been interrogated and he would need to visit the police station today to sign a few materials.

It was already ten o'clock in the morning and he would need to record in the afternoon, hence he would need to set out immediately for the police station. Zhong Yibin was very unhappy, "Can't you go two days later? Your would hasn't healed yet."

He was on painkillers yet he still arranged for such a packed schedule.

"It's alright, it won't hurt as long I don't do big movements," Chu Qin touched the bald patch on Zhong Yibin's head. In fact, hair had already grown so there was a small block of hard hair at the spot. Zhong Yibin originally had a long yet not too long hairstyle like the male leads in Korean dramas. He had even dyed it brown, like the current popular 'warm boy'[4].

It was a pity this warm boy lost a chunk of hair, making it seem as if a hole had appeared in a field of gra.s.s. It was comical no matter how one looked at it.

"I can bring you to cut your hair on the way to the police station," Chu Qin took out two sets of clothes from the cupboard. They wore different sizes, but fortunately Zhong Yibin had left several sets of casual wear and a suit at his house. It was sufficient for the time being.

"En," Zhong Yibin had not intended to let Chu Qin out on his own. He obediently stretched out his hand to let Chu Qin dress him.

"Wear it yourself," Chu Qin glared at him, throwing a long-sleeved s.h.i.+rt and slacks on his head.

"I have amnesia, don't know how to wear clothes," Zhong Yibin took the clothes of his head and looked up at Chu Qin.

Chu Qin walked over, stood between his legs and looked at him condescendingly, "What's to be done then?"

"Give me a kiss and I'll know how to," Zhong Yibin said with a serious face.

Chu Qin rolled his eyes. This guy, he still remembered yesterday's kiss. He raised his hand, pulled that silly face over and squeezed his cheeks, squeezing out a small chicken mouth. Chick Zhong played along and moved his mouth, letting out a "jiu" sound.

Chu Qin laughed and leaned over, pecking the small chick on the lips.

Zhong Yibin, who was dressed neatly, was dragged out the door and thrown into a familiar hairdressing salon. This salon was not far from the police station. After giving the barber some directions, Chu Qin turned around and left for the police station.

"Where are you going?" Zhong Yibin, who had a towel wrapped around him, asked with some displeasure.

"Just to the police station opposite. I'll come find you after settling business," Chu Qin looked at the man who was tugging at his clothes and couldn't help coaxing in a low voice, "Be good."

The barber looked on with wide eyes. Chu Qin was a regular customer and this Manager Zhong also came occasionally but these two people hadn't been like this in the past.

Only having gotten a guarantee did Zhong Yibin reluctantly let go of Chu Qin.

The program team were on standby at their respective positions after eating lunch, ready to re-record Chu Qin's shots and film an opening dance after him.

It was not time yet and everyone was bored after eating, so they turned to gossiping.

"These few days, Manager Zhong hasn't been at the company," several of Shengs.h.i.+'s trainees who had come as backup dancers started to chat with Friendly Confusion's program team, "All big business is handled by Deputy Manager Li."

Chu Qin's relations.h.i.+p with Zhong Yibin was largely known to all the people in the broadcasting station, just that n.o.body dared to speak of it openly. Confusion's program team had a good relations.h.i.+p with Chu Qin, so they naturally wouldn't speak of it. These few trainees were newbies being cultivated by Shengs.h.i.+. They weren't really notified and were just sent over to dance to familiarise themselves with the lens and increase their stage experience. This way, they could still save the money from inviting dance crews.

"Manager Zhong is really handsome. That proportionate figure, that face, he's more handsome than the average Shengs.h.i.+ guy. Not debuting is really a pity," said a lady dressed in dancing attire who was cupping her face.

"He's the young master of a proper aristocratic family, not an attractive second-generation child without substance. How could he mix around with those in the entertainment circle," another lady opened her mouth to say.

"Ah, if only I could climb up Manager Zhong. If he was willing to do the unwritten rules with me, not paying me is also fine!" The lady cupping her face said with a look that resembled that of a love-struck fool.

"I heard…" A lady lowered her voice and gestured for the other girls to come closer, "Manager Zhong hasn't been in the office these few days because he's scared that Chu Qin will entrap him."

"It can't be…" Everyone was a little surprised.

"Why not," That lady raised her chin and put on an appearance of knowing everything. "I heard the people recording next door say that Chu Qin was taught a lesson by the Zhong family and that Manager Zhong is preparing to break off his ties with him, so he disappeared."

"Ah, so terrible!" Some fans of Chu Qin were present and couldn't help feeling slightly upset after listening to these words.

Just as these words were said, the workers at the side all stood up. Looking over, Chu Qin could be seen walking over from the recording studio in high spirits, laughing as he greeted the others. Following behind him was a handsome man with shaved inch-length hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved black s.h.i.+rt and sungla.s.ses, looking very cool.

"Wow, that bodyguard is so handsome!" The girl smitten with Manager Zhong immediately started drooling over the person behind Chu Qin.

An a.s.sistant sitting at the side eating fruit and looking at the lively scene coolly said, "Isn't that your Manager Zhong."

The author has something to say:

Small theatre:

Er Bing: Jiu jiu jiu, jiu jiu jiu

Chu Qin: You are the Zhong chick with amnesia

Er Bing: chirping while having amnesia

Chu Qin: Today's hairstyle looks great

Er Bing: Every jiu jiu can be exchanged for a head of hair~

Jiu~ the lyrics are from Zhong Yibin who does not want to cut his hair

[1] Its literal meaning is a traditional form of martial art but in this case he means she is avoiding his question

[2] A term commonly used in Chinese martial arts novels, refers to people who are far removed from the public and court

[3] Slang for being awesome

[4] Just means a guy who exudes warmth and suns.h.i.+ne

Note: There will only be one chapter next week because I have midterms to study for. Hopefully the road to h.e.l.l is a two way one…