Gu Zehan, on the other hand, was quite open-minded. At this moment, he still looked calm.
Shi Jin felt that she was calm enough, but Gu Zehan was even calmer than her. Perhaps it was precisely because he was fearless that he could remain unmoved even in the face of this storm.
“By the way,” Gu Zehan said, “what do you think about adding some coarse fabric to make the costume look heavier and plainer?”
“Hmm, sure, but will I lose my elegance?”
“In order to maintain the elegance, I will make some special adjustments to the hems of the clothes. I will try my best to recreate the simple and unadorned style without reducing the softness and beauty of the dance.”
As soon as the two of them started talking about this topic, they forgot about the rumors online.
The Li family did not take Gu Zehan’s attack too seriously. Everyone in the family was from Country S. It was really funny for him to be labelled as someone from Country H just because of his looks and random speculation.
It was clear that Gu Zehan’s identity was really mysterious, and there was nothing wrong with his actions.
Even his competitors had a hard time finding evidence. They could only attack on the basis of him being mysterious. There were no other weak spots. On the other hand, Chu Ling was deep in thought when he heard that Brian’s identity was being attacked.
At this moment, the outside world was in a state of confusion.
The matter regarding Country H’s statement had not been finalized yet.
Brian was also in a mess after being scolded.
Choosing to side with Brian and be with him from now on became Chu Ling’s problem.
Many big fans knew that he wanted to collaborate with Brian.
Before, the fans had been very proud, but now, the situation was completely different. One wrong move and an idol could lose everything.
The big fans also took turns advising Hu Lai to cut ties with Brian so that Chu Ling wouldn’t become the target of public criticism.
“There are plenty of other good designers. No matter how good Brian is, can he compare to those blue and red blood designers? It’s not worth sacrificing Chu Ling’s future for him!” a big fan said persuasively.
Hu Lai was actually thinking the same thing. After weighing the pros and cons, it was obvious that cutting ties with Brian was the best solution.
Chu Ling sat opposite her, deep in thought.
“Chu Ling, the company has already evaluated the risks and feels that you should give up on Brian,” Hu Lai said.
“If I give up on his clothes, how am I going to outshine the others at the event?” Chu Ling didn’t want to give up.
“There’s no other way,” said Hu Lai. “If you don’t give up, everyone will know you’re working with him. Sooner or later, this fire will be on your head.”
She continued to persuade him. “After that, we will definitely find you a better designer. It’s not a pity to give up on Brian. I’ll help you post to Weibo now.”
Chu Ling’s Weibo account was shared by him and Hu Lai. When it came to public matters, Hu Lai needed to make a statement.
Chu Ling did not refuse.
Hu Lai used his name to post on Weibo. “I’m really heartbroken to find out that Country H has continued to use Country S’s cultural treasures. We can’t forget our ancestor’s things, and we can’t let anyone snatch them away. At the same time, I’m also announcing that I refuse to work with Brian and will no longer wear his designs.”
There were two layers to this Weibo post. The first was cutting ties with Brian. The second was expressing to the public that Chu Ling’s fashion resources had far surpassed his peers’ and that he had gotten the opportunity to work with Brian. As for why he would not continue working with Brian, it was because he had given up his personal interests for the sake of the country’s honor.
Once the Weibo post was released, it naturally attracted praise for Chu Ling.
“Let’s see what it means to be a real top celebrity! This is what it means to be a real top celebrity. Even if you can get the best resources, you are willing to give them up for the country!”
“Giving up on this opportunity, Chu Ling is truly akin to a warrior cutting off his hand.”
“Impressive, impressive! I used to look down on these superficial artists, but now it seems that there’s no lack of hot-blooded men.”
***
Shi Jin sat opposite Gu Zehan. When she saw the news, she frowned and said, “You’re still working with Chu Ling?”
Gu Zehan glanced at Fu Xiuyuan, who was sitting to one side with a stern expression on his face. He coughed lightly. “That was before. If I’d known he would cut off our collaboration, I would have cut it off long ago anyway.”
Fu Xiuyuan’s expression softened.
“I’ll reply to him now.” Gu Zehan took out his phone and opened Weibo.
He quickly created a Weibo post: “Exactly what I wanted @Chu Ling.”
After he posted it, he threw his phone aside and stopped looking at it. He would allow the public to discuss it freely.
Needless to say, Shi Jin could guess what Chu Ling’s fans were saying.
There was a high chance that they would think that Gu Zehan was using Chu Ling’s popularity.
Perhaps to those fans, the whole world was wrong. Only their idol was right.
“It’s alright. Let’s go to the National Dance Association first,” said Shi Jin.
Gu Zehan stood up and blinked at Fu Xiuyuan, who couldn’t go with them, showing off that he could go with Shi Jin.
Fu Xiuyuan remained silent.
Shi Jin noticed the unusual atmosphere and asked, “What are you guys doing?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Gu Zehan immediately shook his head.
The two of them went to the National Dance Association.
The secretary handed them their cards.
“Miss Shi, Brian, you have to swipe your card every time you go in and out. Because the matter regarding Shen Yi has blown up, the management of the dance association has been tightened. Not everyone can enter.”
“I understand.” Shi Jin nodded.
She and Gu Zehan followed the secretary. When they saw their usual seats, they all swiped their cards.
The evaluation of personal identities had indeed become much stricter. This was understandable.
The National Dance Association was one of the key organizations in this year’s batch of applicants, and they kept all sorts of information. The theory behind “Shangzhou Ancient Music Dance” was also here.
If they did not properly protect these secrets, and if the people from Country H found out, they would probably think that these things were theirs again.
It was difficult for Shi Jin to judge others. However, Country H’s people were famous for their shamelessness. Who knew what they would do?
The secretary swiped his card and entered.
Shi Jin followed suit.
The screen showed:
Shi Jin.
S Card. Entry Permitted.
When Shi Jin entered, Gu Zehan was amused. “Are you an S card? I don’t even know what card I have.”
He swiped it.
The screen displayed:
Brian.
Temporary VIP card. Entry Permitted.
Gu Zehan looked at the words and could not help but look at the secretary. “Why am I only a temporary card?”
