After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH47

Chapter 47

After the Golden Lily Awards, Qin Wen suddenly received a surge of invitations.

Even some magazine companies extended olive branches, inviting him to shoot their covers.

Although Qin Wen currently held the role of a popular drama’s second male lead, he was still considered a newcomer in the entertainment industry. This was indeed a very good opportunity.

For the fashion industry, a debut appearance is very important.

Once labeled as unfashionable or tacky, it could greatly affect future fashion resources.

Gu Xingshi certainly wouldn’t let such a thing happen.

Therefore, despite usually giving his artists a lot of freedom, he became uncharacteristically strict lately, controlling Qin Wen’s diet and fitness regimen.

Qin Wen was already self-disciplined, and by the day of the shoot, he had adjusted his state very well.

Accompanying him, Gu Xingshi arrived early at the studio.

Qin Wen had three looks for this shoot.

The makeup artist, Amy, and the stylist, An Jie, had previously worked with the Boy Group. Gu Xingshi had remembered them long ago. Upon meeting, he greeted them warmly, “Sister Amy, Brother An, we meet again!”

“President Gu, so it’s your artist we’re shooting today!” they exclaimed.

“Yes, I’ll be counting on you both today.” Pulling Qin Wen forward, Gu Xingshi chatted with them for a bit, making them laugh continuously.

Who wouldn’t want to see a handsome young man with a pleasant voice on a tiring workday? Their workday frustrations were swept away by Gu Xingshi.

He then took out the prepared coffee: “I got these for you—an iced Americano for Sister Amy and a double-shot latte for Brother An. Did I remember correctly?”

“That’s right! Oh my, President Gu, you even remembered our coffee preferences,” Amy said, pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful gesture.

Gu Xingshi knew that many problems arise from neglecting details. So, while he grasped the big picture, he also paid attention to the finer points.

Besides, having been a working professional himself, he empathized with their feelings. Being a bit kinder and more respectful wasn’t difficult—why not do it?

So, he playfully made a small gesture, “It’s Qin Wen’s first time shooting a cover, so I have to bribe you to make him look his best!”

He voiced his intentions openly, without causing any offense—in fact, it made him seem endearing.

Amy couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, President Gu. You can trust us with him.”

The atmosphere in the dressing room was cheerful.

Both Amy and An Jie lived up to expectations, putting in their utmost effort.

Qin Wen already had excellent bone structure and good skin. With such a great foundation, Amy wasn’t conservative in her makeup choices. The avant-garde look she chose is typically hard to pull off, but Qin Wen carried it exceptionally well.

Even An Jie was inspired to make adjustments to the styling.

When Qin Wen stepped out of the dressing room, he was truly eye-catching.

His entirely different aura almost made Gu Xingshi not recognize him.

Amy excitedly snapped photos with her phone. “This face is absolutely stunning!!”

An Jie was also satisfied, adjusting details while softly coaching Qin Wen on some key points for posing.

Originally, he wasn’t obligated to do this, but who could resist when President Gu was so likable and Qin Wen was so outstanding!

Once the styling was complete, the studio was ready.

Everyone headed over together.

At a glance, Gu Xingshi noticed the photographer adjusting his equipment—a face he didn’t recognize.

He was momentarily stunned. “Isn’t Teacher Min supposed to be shooting today?”

Amy and An Jie both frowned upon seeing the photographer.

Amy said, “Teacher Min was injured not long ago. We thought someone else would be shooting today, but why is it him…”

Her last sentence was very quiet, but Gu Xingshi still heard it. Sensing something was off from her tone, he asked, “Who is this photographer?”

“His name is Deng Yan, also a photographer for our magazine,” Amy hesitated before whispering, “You should be careful around him. He’s the type to flatter the high and step on the low. He’s very respectful and serious when shooting big-name artists, but with less-known ones, he’s rather casual.”

Amy’s words were tactful, but Gu Xingshi understood her implication.

Sure enough, once the shoot started, Deng Yan chewed gum and stood in one spot to shoot, not even bothering to move around. Compared to the photographer who shot the Boy Group before, he was utterly unprofessional.

When the photos came out, they were disastrous.

Some shots made Qin Wen look particularly bad; his 1.8-meter height was reduced to looking like 1.6 meters.

Forget highlighting the beauty of the styling—it didn’t even compare to the few shots Amy had taken on her phone.

Yet Deng Yan lazily put down his camera, telling Qin Wen to change into the second outfit.

Suppressing his emotions, Gu Xingshi approached Deng Yan and said, “Teacher Deng, could we take a few more shots in this look? Perhaps we can capture more expressive images.”

“Who are you?” Deng Yan raised his chin displeased. “Do I need you to teach me how to shoot? Take it or leave it. If you don’t like it, get lost!”

Qin Wen’s expression changed, and he was about to step forward when Gu Xingshi stopped him.

He swallowed his anger and calmly tried to negotiate with Deng Yan.

Finally, with Amy and An Jie mediating, Deng Yan reluctantly agreed to take a few more shots.

Although he still wasn’t very attentive, at least the photos turned out relatively normal.

However, for the next two outfits, he became increasingly perfunctory.

Amy and An Jie knew Deng Yan’s behavior all too well but felt helpless. They could only comfort Gu Xingshi, “He’s just like that. Don’t take it to heart. Besides, he has some standing in the photography circle and is on good terms with several big-name artists. Even the editor-in-chief can’t do much about him.”

“Actually, today’s shoot isn’t too bad. He’s done worse before. At least for the first look, we got some decent shots. If we really offend him and he messes with us during photo selection and post-production, that’ll be even more troublesome.”

“Anyway, it’s just this one collaboration. Once Teacher Min recovers, he’ll definitely be the one shooting again. President Gu, please bear with it.”

Their persuasion left Gu Xingshi with no temper. He knew they were right and could only endure it for now.

But the troublesome matters didn’t end there.

A day later, photos from Qin Wen’s first look leaked online—and they were the worst discarded shots taken by Deng Yan.

Someone went to Deng Yan’s Instagram to ask about it, and unexpectedly, Deng Yan replied: “He just looks like that; what can I do?”

Although Deng Yan deleted the comment soon after, netizens had already screenshotted it and shared it on Weibo, causing an uproar.

Qin Wen’s haters immediately emerged.

Netizens’ Comments:

[Tsk tsk, didn’t fans praise his stunning looks before? Can they still say that looking at this face?]

[Qin Wen’s physique is terrible—does he have a five-five body ratio?]

[Hilarious, another ugly guy in domestic entertainment.]

Naturally, fans were furious. While arguing with the haters, they flocked to the magazine’s Weibo, demanding an explanation.

Gu Xingshi went directly to the magazine to seek justice for Qin Wen.

The editor-in-chief explained that Deng Yan had handed over the photos to his assistant for processing. The assistant, being careless, forgot to delete the discarded shots, which were then synced to the public cloud and subsequently leaked. After the incident, they had already fired the assistant.

In reality, the leaking of unedited photos can be a big or small issue, but the main problem was Deng Yan’s remarks.

With a rare stern expression, Gu Xingshi asked, “How does your magazine plan to resolve this matter?”

The editor-in-chief, being reasonable, knew they were at fault and pressured Deng Yan to apologize.

But the damage was already done. More importantly, since the first look had been exposed, they couldn’t use it for the cover. As for the other two sets of photos, Gu Xingshi didn’t even want to discuss them.

Moreover, time was running out; they had only 48 hours.

Finding a photographer to reshoot on such short notice made it difficult to book a well-known photographer.

The editor-in-chief could only suggest hiring a less-known photographer and promised to supervise the entire shoot to prevent any mishaps.

But Gu Xingshi refused.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the editor-in-chief, but Qin Wen’s image had already been affected. The only way to mitigate this impact was to shoot a set of even better photos.

Thinking of this, he contacted Ji Wangshu.

Ji Wangshu was very knowledgeable about the fashion industry and had extensive connections.

Moreover, she was loyal and straightforward. As soon as she heard about Gu Xingshi’s problem, she brought her laptop over without hesitation.

On her laptop, she had compiled a list of photographers and their preferred styles.

“How about this one? He’s a good person, and I’m quite familiar with him. He should be willing to help…”

“She is also good. Although she’s an emerging photographer, she has great ideas in her shoots and isn’t expensive…”

Ji Wangshu introduced these photographers to Gu Xingshi like reciting a treasure trove, explaining their strengths and shooting styles. She even included some of their previous works after each person’s profile.

But none of them were what Gu Xingshi wanted.

He wanted photos that could grab people’s attention at a glance; only something stunning enough could completely eliminate the negative impact.

Until they reached the end, his gaze suddenly stopped.

This profile was extremely simple, with only a name—Adam Astrid.

But the photos below instantly captured Gu Xingshi’s attention.

The shots were bold and imaginative.

Moreover, the photographer truly knew how to bring out the beauty of the model. Every photo was as beautiful as a painting, making it impossible to look away.

He couldn’t help pointing at this one and asking, “What about him?”

Ji Wangshu shook her head. “He won’t do.”

“Why not?”

“President Gu, you have a good eye. Adam is indeed a top domestic photographer, especially in portrait photography. In his early years, he produced several legendary photos that no one has surpassed to this day.” Ji Wangshu sighed. “But unfortunately, starting five years ago, he no longer shoots portraits.”

Gu Xingshi couldn’t help frowning. He had finally found a suitable candidate, only to find out that he no longer shoots portraits.

He couldn’t help asking, “Why doesn’t he shoot portraits anymore?”

“I’m not sure about that either,” said Ji Wangshu. “There are various rumors in the industry. Some say that Adam’s girlfriend married someone else, and in his sorrow, he could no longer produce satisfactory portraits, so he simply stopped shooting them. Others say that Adam and his lover were about to get married, but the other person died unexpectedly, and her last set of photos in life was shot by Adam. Heartbroken, Adam never shot portraits again…”

Anyway, these rumors are all over the place, with the common theme being tragic love stories.

At this moment, the system said: [These rumors are all incorrect.]

[Do you know the real story?] asked Gu Xingshi.

[Of course. Actually, Adam couldn’t continue shooting portraits mainly because he’s a bit superstitious.]

[?]

[When he shot his first set of portraits, he was only 20 years old. Because he was nervous, he bought a bottle of wine. After drinking it, he became very inspired, and the photos turned out exceptionally well. Since then, he developed a habit of always drinking a bottle of that wine before shooting portraits. Without that wine, he couldn’t shoot portraits…]

[??]

[Until five years ago, the winery went out of business, and Adam couldn’t buy the wine, so naturally, he couldn’t shoot portraits anymore. He was very distressed, but he was too embarrassed to tell others about it, so over time, people misunderstood…]

[???]

He never expected that behind these tragic love stories, it was actually because a winery went bankrupt!

This is ridiculous!

He couldn’t help asking: [System, do you know what happened to that winery after it went bankrupt?]

[Of course I know. Back then, the winery went bankrupt because the original owner embezzled funds, and there were issues with the raw materials, leading to someone reporting them. However, the wine’s formula was not lost. Later, several old hands from the original winery restarted it, but they changed the brand and packaging.]

[What’s it called now?]

[It used to be called ‘One Gulp White Liquor,’ now it’s called ‘One Gulp Dry White Liquor.’]

[…]

He remembered this name; it’s sold in supermarkets, 25 yuan a bottle.

No wonder Adam was embarrassed to tell others about this.

This name is too lacking in class!!

Looking at the regretful expression on Ji Wangshu’s face, he couldn’t bear to tell her the truth.

He cleared his throat and asked, “Do you know where Adam is now?”

She was stunned. “You still want to find him?”

“I can’t help it; he’s the most suitable. And it’s not my style to give up without even trying. Maybe when he sees Qin Wen, he’ll want to shoot again?”

She tried to persuade him for a while, but seeing that he was determined, she had to say helplessly, “Since you insist, I won’t stop you. Adam should be on vacation on some island in the country now. I’ll try to find someone to see if we can contact him.”

He was delighted. “Thank you so much!”

*

After bidding farewell to her, he first went to the supermarket downstairs to buy the wine, then took Qin Wen directly to the airport.

News that he was trying to find Adam spread in the photography circle.

Deng Yan was playing in a bar with his friends. Upon hearing this, he almost laughed his head off: “Looking for Adam? Is he stupid? Everyone knows that Adam stopped shooting portraits long ago!”

“Not necessarily,” a friend said. “I heard from friends in the film industry that this President Gu is something else, with a deep background. Maybe he can really find a way to move Adam?”

Deng Yan sneered, “Back then, even Film Queen Chu couldn’t move Adam. How could he do it! I’ll say it here: if he can really get Adam, I’ll resign immediately!”

*

Following the address given by her, he soon found the hotel where Adam was staying.

Adam was tall and handsome, with long blond hair tied behind his head, and blue eyes that exuded melancholy. No wonder people mistook him for a tragic hero.

He saw Gu Xingshi at first glance, his eyes lit up, and then he saw Qin Wen beside him.

The unique sense of story in Qin Wen instantly triggered his photographer’s instincts.

In almost an instant, several suitable looks for him appeared in his mind, and even the compositions were formed.

But…

He simply couldn’t produce portraits that satisfied him now.

He sighed deeply in his heart, looking at Gu Xingshi with some regret, and opened his mouth in fluent Beijing dialect: “Are you the one looking for me?”

He nodded.

Looking at his face, Adam didn’t get angry, just said, “You should know that I no longer shoot portraits.”

“Oh, I’m not here to ask you to take photos today,” he said calmly.

Adam was curious, “Oh? Then what do you want?”

“I’m a big admirer of yours. Seeing you today, I feel very close.” He took out the bottle of ‘One Gulp Dry White Liquor’ from behind him. “In our hometown, there’s a custom: when you meet someone you admire, you have to have a drink with them.”

Qin Wen, who was beside him, magically produced two cups. He poured the wine and held it up to Adam: “Teacher Adam, please.”

Adam: “???”

What?

You came all the way from Beijing just to have a drink with me?

But seeing his face full of sincerity and admiration, it didn’t seem impossible.

After all, China is vast and has all kinds of strange customs; it’s not surprising.

He muddle-headedly took the wine, and under his encouraging gaze, drank half a cup.

The familiar taste filled his mouth.

Wait—

Adam suddenly widened his eyes, grabbed the bottle from his hand. The name and bottle were different from what he remembered, but the taste… he would never forget.

Thinking of this, he directly picked up the bottle and gulped it down.

In a short while, his face turned red, and his eyes became hazy.

He tentatively asked, “Teacher Adam?”

The suppressed urge to shoot portraits over the years was deepening under the influence of alcohol. He now crazily wanted to take portraits.

At this moment, he saw Qin Wen.

At that moment, all the impulses burst open.

So, he directly picked up the camera beside him and started directing Qin Wen to pose.

He didn’t expect the wine’s effect to be so immediate.

Moreover, he and Qin Wen had just rushed over from the airport, without any styling, even with some makeup worn off, and they were outdoors now, unable to adjust the lighting.

Under normal circumstances, this was very unsuitable for shooting.

But one had to admit, a master is a master. The messy hair in his lens became a decadent beauty; the smudged makeup under the light and shadow exuded a profound sense of story.

A tree, a leaf, a flower, even the light of the sunset—all became props for him to play with light and shadow.

He was amazed: “Teacher Adam, you’re incredible!”

“To think you can shoot like this! Truly divine!”

“Oh my! This photo is so beautiful! It’s a work of art!”

Under his enthusiastic praise, Adam became more and more excited, feeling an unrestrained pleasure, as if he had returned to the feeling when he first shot portraits.

But compared to the immaturity of that time, his skills were now more mature. He even had a hunch that he would produce the most satisfying portrait photos to date.

This shooting session lasted five or six hours. In the end, everyone was exhausted and fell asleep on the ground.

The next morning, Adam woke up groggily.

He had already changed clothes and handed him a bowl of hangover soup: “Teacher Adam, are you feeling okay now?”

Adam nodded blankly. Only after drinking the hangover soup did the memories of yesterday slowly return to his mind. He subconsciously looked at the camera beside him.

Gu Xingshi put his hands together: “I’m sorry for deceiving you yesterday. We did come to ask you to take photos. We were afraid you wouldn’t agree, so we had no choice but to resort to this.”

Adam rubbed his temples: “How did you know that I needed to drink alcohol to shoot portraits… forget it, that’s not important. Where did you find this wine?”

“Just in an ordinary supermarket in Beijing.”

“…”

He then explained to Adam why they came to find him for the photos.

Adam was straightforward and immediately gave them the set of photos.

When Gu Xingshi returned to Beijing with the photos, the editor-in-chief who saw them almost knelt down to him.

Originally, when he refused her suggestion, she was a bit unhappy. Later, she heard that he went to find Adam to shoot portraits and thought he was daydreaming.

She thought the magazine cover would be ruined this time, but unexpectedly, he actually did it!

Not to mention, these photos were so good, even better than Adam’s previous works.

What kind of god is he!!!

Her only trouble now was that every photo was perfect, making it hard to choose!

As she expected, when this issue of the magazine was released, it quickly sold out.

And this set of photos of Qin Wen became iconic in the industry. For a time, various fashion resources came flooding in.

It was a heavy slap to the faces of the haters.

As for Deng Yan, after the incident, he wanted to pretend nothing had happened.

Unexpectedly, his behavior at Qin Wen’s shoot was exposed by a staff member.

Afterwards, other minor artists he had photographed came forward to testify that he was someone who flattered the high and stepped on the low.

Netizens were angry and boycotted him. The big-name artists who had good relations with him also distanced themselves.

In the end, he had to resign and leave in disgrace.

Of course, the biggest shock in the fashion industry was that Adam could finally shoot portraits again.

For a time, countless artists sought to connect with him through Gu Xingshi.

But some didn’t think much of it and tried other means to arrange shoots with Adam.

On the day of the shoot, Adam drank a bottle of ‘One Gulp Dry White Liquor’, and confidently went to the studio.

However, the moment he picked up the camera, he suddenly felt that something was missing.

The agent next to him couldn’t help asking: “Teacher Adam, what’s wrong?”

Adam recalled the process of shooting Qin Wen that day. At that time, his ears were filled with Gu Xingshi’s praises, constantly stimulating his emotions, keeping his enthusiasm high.

Just having the wine was not enough. Without Gu Xingshi’s praise, shooting was simply dull.

Adam picked up the camera, then put it down, finally spreading his hands helplessly: “I can’t shoot; something is missing.”

The agent hurriedly said: “What is it? Please tell me, and I’ll find it for you.”

“Gu Xingshi.”

Agent: “???”