Night had fallen.
In the south of the city, most of the floors of this twin-towered workplace had already switched off their lights.
Only the top floor was brightly lit.
At 12 storeys, it would not be considered a skyscraper in a modern city.
However, when people stepped onto the glass walkway, which could only hold one person and was not even as wide as many men's shoulders, only they knew what fear was.
More than forty female contestants trembled as they walked along the glass walkway, and by the time they reached Building B, they were all in tears.
"I did so badly. When I stood up there and looked down, my legs went weak."
When they reached the middle of the walkway, half of them were suddenly frightened, standing in the air and hesitating to move forward.
"The wind is so strong. Standing up there, I felt like the wind would blow me off!"
"My high heels were too slippery. I was very careful when I walked on the glass, but I still fell. Oh, I don't want to walk anymore, I want to go home, I don't want to compete anymore."
"Is this a fashion show? It's simply torture for us!"
High heels with thin heels of at least five centimetres had a small and slippery contact area on the glass, so they walked as if they were floating. Many people slipped and fell off the glass walkway after just a few steps.
They hung in mid-air by safety ropes, crying for help.
Qu Ji'en, sitting at the judges' table in Building B, carefully observes their performance all the way.
His eyebrows twitched.
In this segment, as judges, he and Liu Min personally tested the routine to ensure it could be completed before confirming it as a preliminary routine.
But now, the barely passable performances of several contestants in a row make him want to stop watching.
"Where is your core strength?"
"Control your muscles!"
"Is walking on the runway about looking down? Are there diamonds on the ground or your boyfriend? Chin up, chest out, look forward!"
"Where is your professionalism? Has it gone down with the sun?"
Qu Ji'en had high expectations for professional models.
He could tolerate part-time models making mistakes.
But for professionals who had been in the industry for many years, he couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes.
"If you can't do it, I suggest you do something else."
Being a model was a job that only paid when you were young.
He could not accept that professional models who had done it for several years were still as inexperienced as babies. They were just wasting his time.
Liu Min sighed, "It's a pity that Fang Lei fainted. She could have given us a satisfactory result if she hadn't been afraid."
Fang Lei was 24 years old this year.
She ranked third among models under 30 who could walk on the domestic walkway.
She had participated in almost all well-known fashion shows and was a favourite of several top domestic brands.
This time, she came to participate in the competition as a top player, setting the highest standard for the show.
But who would have thought that she would be unable to compete?
She might even be eliminated.
"It's over. Let's organise the scores." Photographer Xiao Minghua glanced at the table. "Let's just eliminate Group 25. What are the top three scores? The first-place group will also get a free pass for the next round."
"Um," Liu Min nodded, "although it's regrettable, the last group with Bao Ruanruan doesn't need to walk this show. Of course, I hope she can make it; even if she gets the lowest score and gets eliminated, she will be a symbol of modern female courage."
Qu Ji'en raised an eyebrow.
He remembered the resolute look on her delicate face when she said she would rely on herself to advance after the audition.
Is this how it ends?
Well, she simply couldn't master the runway techniques perfectly in such a short time.
Seemingly simple steps on the runway involve all the central areas covered by the back, core abdominal, buttock, and thigh muscles, as well as coordination with the arm muscles, facial expression, and eye contact......
More than forty professionals with better skills than hers had stumbled and fallen on the glass walkway.
Compared to them, she was destined to be the worst.
If she could make it to Spot B, the most he would give her was a 'thank you for participating' score of 1.
Qu Yi'en took out the scoring sheet for Group 25 and put down a mark next to Bao Ruanruan's name.
But just as he finished writing 1, he heard a flurry of whispers around him.
"What is she doing?"
"Oh my! What did she put under her shoes?"
"Oh my God, aren't those the new D-brand models for this year?"
Gu Ji'en: "?"
He looked up to see Bao Ruanruan's face on the large screen before him, solemn and serious, as if she were operating a precise instrument.
But as his gaze shifted, he noticed she was holding a roll of white... double-sided tape?
With her dewy face slightly lowered and her pink lips slightly puckered, she tore off three strips, carefully peeled off the backing of the double-sided tape, and stuck it to the sole of her D-brand crystal shoe in her hand.
She did not breathe a sigh of relief until she had covered the sole's entire surface.
Gu Ji'en: "??"
On the camera, Bao Ruanruan picked up two red strings from the adjacent seat and tied them around her right hand.
As if performing some kind of ritual, her eyes turned red as she tied the knots.
"Have you ever risked your life for a beautiful sister?"
"Uh, I have."
Gu Ji'en: "......"
In the silent B-section, only her soft, fearful, and trembling voice could be heard from the big screen.
On the screen, her eyes were red for a moment, crystal tears swirling at the bottom of her eyes as if she had stored pearls.
But she quickly sniffed her delicate nose.
Unlike the contestants who had cried before, she patted herself on the shoulder.
"No crying."
"Tears will blur your vision in the dark and increase the unnecessary risk factor."
Gu Ji'en was stunned.
Meanwhile, Bao Ruanruan had already asked a nearby staff member for tissues and was sniffling as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.
She took a deep breath, pinched the hem of her black dress and rose from her chair as if she were going into battle, ready to face death.
She walked to the starting point of the glass walkway.
With the help of the safety officer, she put on the safety harness and requested the other person to give her an extra one.
She lowered her head and checked the harness several times.
She nodded and walked to the starting point.
She raised her arms to her sides.
"Everyone, please be ready to rescue me at any time; thank you."
Qu Ji'en: "......"
"Hahaha, I've seen her dark materials1. I didn't expect the real person to be quite interesting and cute. Could it be that the marketing account was spreading fake news?" Liu Min wondered.
"I even want to give her a little more comfort points. Just walk casually, pretty girl!"
And just as she said this, Bao Ruanruan really set off.
Wearing a pair of high heels with an increased friction coefficient, she slightly twisted her hips and took a solid step forward.
Then, another step, and another, like a young leopard just emerging from the forest.
The first few steps were a little cautious and timid towards the unfamiliar world.
But as a hunter of the night, those cautious steps quickly changed.
With the added patience in her steps, there was silence and caution of 'sizing up the prey and waiting for the right moment'.
Within the seemingly modest footsteps, each step grew stronger.
She was unlike others who had stumbled, struggling to control their core, unable to prevent falls or slips on the glass walkway.
Instead, each of her steps was steady.
Qu Ji'en involuntarily couldn't move his gaze.
Within her petite and slender body lay unexpected agility and surprisingly—aggressiveness!
The pen in his hand seemed to move on its own.
After Bao Ruanruan's '1', he circled a '0' ......10 points!
*
The show was over for everyone except Fang Lei, who fainted.
On the big screen, snapshots of each contestant at the 3/4 position on the glass walkway were played in sequence.
The judges gave their comments one by one.
"Lin Ling, you completely forgot you were on the runway, like a pathetic little bird caught off guard. I can see you slouching, exposing your hunchback... This dress from last year's Spring/Summer collection, with its one-shoulder design, completely highlights your flaws, which dragged down the overall quality of the dress."
"Unfortunately, I'm giving you a 4.5. That's the level at which the designer wouldn't want to see you in his clothes again."
"Zheng Xuanni, being 176 cm tall, you have a natural advantage among the contestants. But, in this photo, you didn't showcase your long neck at all.
Your fearful look with your head down made you look like you were only 168cm tall. Your sexy long dress made you look like you were wearing your mother's clothes, and you were crying because you couldn't complete the assignment."
"3 points, a fail."
"Qian Xuezhou, your catwalk skills are at the bottom among the 50 contestants, but your youthful sweetness and smile have won me over. However, at a height of 34 metres, all I saw were your tears and your tonsils when you screamed. 4 points."
"...The way your hands waved when you were about to fall in the photo makes me wonder if you ever exercise your core muscles."
"2.5 points; please get a gym membership as soon as possible, okay?"
Among the professional judges, Qu Ji'en was the most acerbic, giving scores that plummeted to the depths.
Every contestant ended up in tears.
Qu Ji'en couldn't take it anymore, "I hope you come to me to ask how to improve your skills instead of answering with tears."
His already cold phoenix eyes were sharp and cutting.
He had criticised more than 40 people in a row. With each criticism, his face grew darker and his words harsher.
"Next..."
Qu Ji'en's expression darkened even more.
He was ready to be even more harsh.
But when the big screen lit up, he seemed to choke.
His cruel gaze seemed to be burned by the girl in the photo.
The black silk dress with gold embroidered cloud patterns wrapped around the girl's delicate skin was like moonlight in the dark night, her slender waist swaying in the wind like a willow branch.
She held one side of the skirt with one hand, lifting the hem half an inch to reveal her crystal red high heels, shining like blood on her feet.
The side slit of the dress was pulled open slightly, revealing the subtly muscular yet smoothly contoured long legs that drew people's attention.
It was just a snapshot.
Yet it was full of a vivid sense of power that seemed to walk out of the screen——
Her calves, thighs, arms, collarbones, and neck—wherever his gaze fell—appeared relaxed but were actually quietly gathering strength... Not an inch of her muscle was slack or weak.
In her porcelain-like milky face, her delicate, watery eyes were slightly red, but they showed a hint of alertness as they gazed straight ahead.
In the enlarged photo, one could still see the faint reflection of tears yet to be wiped from her curled eyelashes while her pink lips were firmly pressed together.
The contradictory conflict between a woman's vulnerability and strength merged in this moment.
"It was as if she gritted her teeth and said: 'You may make me cry, but you cannot defeat me. You are just a small white flower standing tall in the wind, fierce and full of life'. There is a conflict in the collision, yet it's very sophisticated."
Liu Min was the first to comment with a smile.
"Bao Ruanruan, your excellent expression and body language in the photo surprised me. Your steady balance on the glass walkway impressed me. You are my favourite for today. I give you 8.5 points."
"Thank you for making me feel that I didn't miss out on you in the audition. You were the right choice."
Photographer Xiao Minghua followed suit with interest, even itching to grab a corner of the table.
"It's the kind of level that makes people want to pull you into the studio immediately."
"I like the momentum you exude. Maybe your catwalk isn't the best, but the power you displayed as you lifted your skirt and walked like you were pushing down the night scene under your feet is fantastic, 9 points."
"I give you 9 points too. I can't believe you are the only non-professional and untrained cross-border contestant here. Your unwavering body seems to be walking on flat ground, strong as if you were the Queen of the Night, disdaining all the other contestants, but your expression is like that of a startled rabbit."
"I really want to know how these two conflicting entities coexist in your body."
All three judges spoke.
Then they looked at the ever-sarcastic Qu Ji'en, "What do you think, Teacher Qu?"
"Such a strict Teacher, Qu; how many points will you give this time? It won't be a very low score again, will it?"
"As for contestant Bao, let's show her some mercy. Although she is not a professional, with an imperfect catwalk, she should still deserve 6 points."
Everyone begged for mercy.
Qu Ji'en, the strictest judge who usually gave low scores by default, kept a straight face throughout: "......?"
He lowered his head.
He looked at his scorecard.
A glaring total score of 10 points...
Surprisingly, he was more lenient than the other three judges, who were known to be 'easier to please' and 'undemanding'.
"That's good, I've given it an 8. Plus... 2 more points."
"?"
"These 2 points are, um, to give the other contestants a sense of crisis."
"......?"
What kind of confusing statement is this?
Sitting next to him, Liu Min blinked as she looked back at him, thinking that Qu Ji'en had been possessed.
"You're giving her a perfect score."
Qu Ji'en: "Let's reveal the group rankings for the preliminary round!"
You're a master at changing the subject.
The three judges were helpless. "OK, the one eliminated is..."
After ten minutes, at the small prop rest area.
"What, you advanced? No, I mean, I fainted, and then our group, the two of us advanced together?"
Fang Lei had just woken up, and her lips were still a bit pale.
Upon hearing this news, she threw off the blanket in surprise and sat up.
Bao Ruanruan handed her a chocolate bar. "That's right. It's just like you said."
She stuffed it into Fang Lei's hands.
"I've said it before: eating carbohydrates prevents fainting at work, but no one believes me."
Fang Lei: "..."
It hurt to be forced to kneel in admiration.
"But how did we advance? Did you walk the glass walkway? Were there others like me who didn't participate in this round?"
"No, everyone else went through it." Bao Ruanruan looked at her sympathetically.
That's right, only you are more afraid of heights and death than I am.
Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to protect this little sister.
"Eat the chocolate first and get some rest. The second round of the competition will start in two hours."
Fang Lei's expression immediately tensed, and she tried to get up.
But Bao Ruanruan pushed her back down with one hand.
She hadn't finished speaking.
"But the second round of the competition doesn't really concern us. We have the champion card, which allows us to avoid elimination once. So just keep lying down and go straight to the third round."
Fang Lei: "? What?"
Bao Ruanruan frowned when she mentioned this.
"Are you surprised, too? Yes, I also didn't expect that the show actually has a rule for avoiding elimination. Why wouldn't they eliminate anyone?"
"They even gave me first place, saying I have strength or something. How is that even possible? I'm just a weak woman!"
Fang Lei: "......"
Such a familiar taste.
This is what people call humblebrag.
Being naturally talented, this was the first time she had learned from others how ordinary her body was.
Fang Lei cheered up and thought about the task Teacher Qu had given her. Soon, she raised her head again and said, "I want to see your competition video."
Now, she wanted to see how Bao Ruanruan's performance was and where it could be improved.
Bao Ruanruan waved her hand at the screen.
Outside the contestants' area, her first-place footage was still playing on the big screen.
Fang Lei recovered and quickly went to watch it.
When she saw it, she was stunned.
A red-eyed Bao Ruanruan could be seen talking to the camera.
--Who had risked her life for the beautiful sister? She did.
In an instant, Fang Lei's heart fluttered.
"Ruanruan, the production team will assign rooms later. Let's stay together."
"I'll tell you all the footwork and photography techniques I've mastered. I'll do my best and take you to the final round!"
Excited, Fang Lei hugged Bao Ruanruan's arm.
Bao Ruanruan: "?"
Sister, you've got it wrong.
Her dream was to go home.
*
At the judges' lounge.
"Brother, did you eliminate her? Brother, did you help me..."
Qu Ji'en, leaning against the edge of the sofa, had just lit a cigarette.
It was then that he answered his younger sister's call.
"She's heartless and unprincipled and not good to Teacher Tang. But she... saved me once, after all, so I want to repay her."
"Brother, I know this puts you in a difficult position, making you see unprofessional people strutting on the walkway and causing trouble for Teacher Tang's love life. You must be itching to scold her, but you're going to eliminate her anyway, right? Can you go easy on her?"
Qu Feifei's voice carried a coquettish plea.
"Um, until I've repaid her favour, how about you turn on the speaker... and scold me? I'll put my phone on silent?"
Qu Ji'en almost rolled his eyes; such an unfashionable thing to do.
"If you go silent, it's just me talking. What do you think your brother is, someone with bipolar disorder?"
He reluctantly put out the cigarette between his fingers.
"I didn't scold her."
In his mind, he suddenly saw Bao Ruanruan on the walkway in the night sky.
Imperfect, but a female warrior.
Going through thick and thin.
Worthy of respect.
"She's advancing."
"What? Brother, I just asked you not to scold her, not to give her a free pass. I'll take care of repaying the favour myself."
"Hey, on your first day as a judge, you're already involved in this kind of scandal that could get you kicked out of the entertainment industry for violating moral standards! Oh my! What are we going to do? Is it too late to apologise now?"
Qu Ji'en: "......!"
It...... had nothing to do with him.
During the audition, the photographer Xiao Minghua had also prepared a direct pass ticket for her.
Xiao Minghua was a typical face lover.
He loved Bao Ruanruan's perfect face.
Even without him, she would still have made it through.
In the preliminary round's Glass Walkway, she had advanced to the next round on her own.
"I helped, but I also didn't help."
Qu Feifei: "?"
Listening to her elder brother's words was no better than not listening at all.
"Brother, listen to my advice. You better turn yourself in."
"......"
*
The second round of the modelling competition was scheduled for 1 am.
This made Bao Ruanruan, who usually went to bed at 10 pm, feel suffocated.
So she slept on the bus all the way.
In a daze, Fang Lei woke her up to change her clothes and followed her to the set.
Bao Ruanruan didn't know what she was wearing as she stood dazed before Xiao Minghua's camera.
Surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings and people, her five senses of crisis were instantly activated, sobering her up. Like a scholar tying his hair to the house beam and piercing his side with an awl, her sleepy eyes immediately opened wide.
She was like a newly awakened Sleeping Beauty.
——With the first perception of the outside world: helplessness, tension, confusion, and a sense of fragility mixed with fear and beauty.
"Oh, fantastic."
"Your expressions are great; keep it up! Look at me!"
Xiao Minghua kept pressing the shutter button.
He was both the judge and the photographer for the second round.
The blinding flashes made Bao Ruanruan, who only wanted to live peacefully, a bit annoyed.
This show really didn't let people have a good night's sleep.
It was like shooting in the underworld.
"Haha, good, I like that angry expression! It's powerful; the snarl is perfect."
Bao Ruanruan: "......"
"Alright, all 30 shots are done, I will choose the best one for the evaluation session."
Satisfied, Xiao Minghua called the next person.
Finally, it was over.
Bao Ruanruan felt a bit happy.
She could endure hardship and wasn't afraid of getting dirty, being eliminated, or being laughed at.
But she really didn't like working with her sleep time was disturbed.
Once her sleep time for liver repair and blood production was exceeded, it would affect detoxification and her longevity plan, which she had to put on hold.
Bao Ruanruan yawned and dazedly dragged her heavy legs and body, which hadn't quite woken up yet..... towards the bus.
But just as she took a step, she was stopped by Qu Ji'en, who had a complex look on his face.
"You have learnt the skills of shooting still photos?"
"?"
"I've seen your previous photos. When did you improve?"
No, I haven't.
"............I just go with the flow?" Bao Ruanruan was confused.
Qu Ji'en's cold eyebrows furrowed as he watched her slender figure walk away.
Go with the flow?
Is it because of her accumulated real-life experience?
A model's emotions would also be reflected in the photo.
In that photo just now, her grimace looked like that of an injured little beast that no longer trusted humans.
So, she wasn't lying when she said she was emotionally hurt on Weibo...?
Qu Ji'en took a deep breath.
He took out his phone.
He immediately logged in.
[DidTeacherTangBreakUpToday V: Industry news, Bao Ruanruan wasn't lying. She was deceived by Lu Wenyao, who had his foot in both boats2. He was playing with two women's emotions at the same time, hoping that Teacher Tang would wake up soon and wouldn't get hurt.]
This message was posted right away.
And it was posted on Tang Yuxin's Super Topic.
In the early hours of summer, many fans were still surfing the Internet.
[TangWan: ?]
Footnotes Full List
- scandal, negative press, bad publicity
- This is a Chinese idiom meaning to be romantically involved with two people simultaneously.
きつね's Musing
TangWan is an online nickname for one of Tang Yuxin's fans. It means 'sugar pill' and is a play on Tang Yuxin's surname Táng (唐). The fan's nickname uses the character for táng (糖), which means sugar or sweet. Both characters have the same sound and tone.
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