Chapter 19: Basha Double Feature

“Dilraba?” Gu Jingyi was somewhat surprised.

Well, it seemed Dior’s sincerity was even greater than he had imagined.

Gu Jingyi hadn’t expected that with his fashion career just beginning, he would be able to shoot a dual cover for a top-tier magazine alongside the year’s hottest female star, who had become a top trending celebrity thanks to the nationwide variety show “Running Man.”

“That’s right. In the country, those who have had solo covers for Bazaar include Zhang Ziyi, Jin Chengwu, Li Bingbing, Liu Yifei, Li Yuchun, Tang Yan, and Liu Shishi,” Lin Ze flipped through his notes and smiled. “This year, although it leans more toward a younger demographic, only Kris Wu and Wang Junkai from TFBOYS have had solo covers. Xiao Yi, don’t be anxious. The entire company agrees that with your potential, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to have solo covers in the future.”

Gu Jingyi nodded in understanding.

Actually, he hadn’t expected to land a solo feature right away.

After all, Bazaar is one of the top ten magazines in the country, ranked among the five major leading fashion publications.

Even before her romantic relationship, Lu Han’s phenomenal popularity didn’t mean solo covers were handed out casually.

Gu Jingyi’s super topic followers barely reached a hundred thousand, mostly supported by fans from his March drama.

Wanting a solo cover now would be unrealistic.

However, once “Idol Producer” formed the group, Cai Xukun had more than 300,000 followers on the super topic. Gu Jingyi could easily surpass Kunkun by a wide margin, making 600,000 followers on the super topic a piece of cake.

By then, landing a solo cover on a top-tier magazine would be effortless.

Currently, only Kris Wu has made history by completing a grand slam of ten covers, while other major celebrities in the industry are stuck at nine or eight.

It wasn’t until 2020 that the entertainment industry saw a second artist achieve the grand slam of ten covers.

Gu Jingyi didn’t think his appearance was inferior to Kris Wu’s, but in terms of popularity and commercial value, he simply couldn’t compare at the moment.

After more than two hours of flying, around ten in the morning, Gu Jingyi finally landed at Magic City Tianhong Airport. He tidied the wrinkles on his clothes slightly before disembarking.

At the arrival area, the Bazaar staff responsible for coordinating with him had been waiting for some time.

After successfully meeting with the staff sent specifically to pick him up, Gu Jingyi and his group boarded the vehicle arranged by Bazaar and headed straight to the shooting location.

The opening issue of the year has always been the highlight for fashion magazines, second only in prestige to the “Golden September and Silver October” season.

Fashion Bazaar valued Gu Jingyi highly. This time, not only would he partner with Dilraba for the January 2018 cover and inner pages, but the magazine also prized his fashion charisma and popularity enough to specially prepare a dual fashion shoot.

Since 2015, the entertainment industry has entered a “male charm era.” One of the five major women’s magazines, Fashion Bazaar, targets mature, high-taste professional women with style recommendations. Inviting Gu Jingyi was a win-win for both.

Fashion Bazaar needed Gu Jingyi to boost consumption, and Gu Jingyi needed the cover promotion to elevate his status.

Why was Kris Wu able to rise to the top? Was it really just because of his works?

He was the first male artist in the domestic entertainment industry to continuously increase his fame and influence through fashion resources, successfully converting it into commercial value.

This provided more insight within the industry, and the newly carved out fashion circle path gradually became an unavoidable field for male celebrities.

Today’s photographer was a woman in her thirties, dressed casually and looking relaxed.

“Hello, Gu Jingyi, I’m Chen Man, the photographer for today.”

The photographer was very polite and took the initiative to shake Gu Jingyi’s hand.

“Hello, nice to work with you.”

After a brief greeting, they moved on to wardrobe and styling.

Usually, photographers prepare the artist’s outfits in advance.

These outfits revolve around the magazine’s theme and have been pre-approved for the issue.

It was the same for Gu Jingyi this time. The photographer’s assistant brought him to sit in front of a mirror.

Then a woman in her thirties or forties approached—she was today’s makeup artist.

Gu Jingyi closed his eyes, letting the makeup artist work on his face.

After about ten minutes, just as he was resting with closed eyes, he heard the makeup artist say, “All done.”

Gu Jingyi opened his eyes and looked at his reflection.

His hairstyle was a three-seven side part, with one side slicked close and the other slightly voluminous, creating a layered, stylish look.

His face was lightly covered with a sheer foundation, already making him strikingly handsome.

He wore the outfit the photographer had prepared: a sports jacket over a shirt and tie, paired with a suit and trousers, and sneakers.

This mixed style perfectly combined the youthful and mature charm he possessed. The contrast naturally drew people’s eyes to him.

“Thank you, much appreciated.”

After a simple thank you, Gu Jingyi began the day’s shoot.

He first did his solo inner-page photos. Once his female partner’s hair and makeup were ready, they would shoot the dual cover together.

“Guess what our theme is today?”

Chen Man didn’t rush to start shooting but began chatting with Gu Jingyi first.

“Contrast?” Gu Jingyi glanced at his mismatched outfit, hesitating slightly.

“Very close. Our theme today is ‘Drunken in Glitter and Gold.’ Magic City holds a modern and fast-paced image in everyone’s heart. Today, we’re going to embody that.”

Chen Man smiled and explained, “You suit this outfit better than I imagined. I already have some inspiration.”

She quickly stood behind the camera and began working.

Gu Jingyi cooperated fully, striking various poses, making different gestures and expressions to assist her shoot.

The solo fashion spread only took two hours. Chen Man carefully backed up the negatives.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you, Gu Jingyi. You have a lot of spirit. If you weren’t an actor, you’d make a name for yourself as a model.”

This well-known photographer in the industry gave him high praise.

Gu Jingyi smiled and accepted the compliment before boarding the business vehicle headed to the outdoor shoot for the duo.

Dilraba had actually arrived a day earlier. After wrapping filming for “The Flame’s Melody,” she immediately took a flight to Magic City.

She also took the Bazaar opening issue very seriously.

Her solo shoot had been completed yesterday.

Female artists’ makeup and styling were always more elaborate. When Gu Jingyi arrived at the designated location and just got off the car, a vehicle approached from a distance and stopped in front of him.

The door slammed open, and the car lights illuminated the scene.

A slender foot in silver stiletto heels came into view, graceful and delicate, as if it could be held in a gentle grasp.

The smooth ankle and slender, long calf outlined a sensual curve. The skirt’s unique slit design revealed fair skin that seemed to shimmer under the lights.

The cool moonlight draped over her like a sheer veil.