74: It exploded

Xu Jun had thought Qin Zhao was also in France and had even searched around the venue twice. When he really couldn't find him, that's when he made the call.

Back when he and Qin Zhao worked at the same company, Qin Zhao was the talented designer everyone had high hopes for. Everyone guessed the next designer to hold a show in France would likely be Qin Zhao. Who would have thought Qin Zhao would suddenly resign, saying he wanted to go back and focus on some new Chinese style with national characteristics.

This caused quite a stir in the industry.

Later, Qin Zhao's career didn't go as smoothly as hoped. He started his own brand, which didn't gain much recognition in China. Many felt it was a pity, thinking how much better it would have been if he had stayed in France.

Among all the guests at the show, Lu Qingyu was undoubtedly the most eye-catching. Photos and videos had already been circulated back home.

Su Jixing couldn't get into the inner area of the show; he was managing communication for the team from the outer area.

The original plan was for the photographer to send over photos of Lu Qingyu watching the show inside the venue. He would have the team retouch them and then post them on social media.

After the photographer sent the photos, he opened them expecting to see Lu Qingyu seated in the back rows of the show. But when he opened them, Su Jixing was stunned.

Holy shit, how is he in the front row!

And in a VIP seat!

The person sitting next to Lu Qingyu was none other than Mr. Louis, the kind gentleman who had let them hitch a ride on his private plane.

Lu Qingyu's phone was in his hand. Eager to find out what was going on, he went online to search for information on Mr. Louis.

That search made him break out in a cold sweat.

Lu Qingyu really had some incredible luck. This guy was actually an investor in five major luxury brands.

Unlike others who racked their brains trying to get a photo with Louis, Lu Qingyu was sitting casually right beside him.

Containing his excitement, Su Jixing quickly had the team prepare the materials and send them back.

Netizens back home had been speculating about which celebrity would make the biggest splash at this Paris Fashion Week. Guesses ranged from a certain actress, to a movie emperor, a movie queen, a rising starlet, top-tier celebrities... but no one ever imagined it would be Lu Qingyu.

Even Lu Qingyu's own fans thought the same: it was the kid's first time at Fashion Week, just going along for the experience to broaden his horizons.

But then, what came back? A front-row seat, surrounded by genuine Hollywood movie emperors and queens, fashion icons, and even the investor behind five major luxury brands.

Originally, apart from Lu Qingyu's own photographer who would snap countless shots of him, other entertainment reporters wouldn't give him much camera time, focusing instead on the big stars.

But they just couldn't help themselves. First, because Lu Qingyu was too handsome, and second, because Louis was actually standing right next to him.

"That seat... I really want to ask, little brother, how did you manage to get it?"

"My bestie's top-tier idol is still in the second row, and little brother is sitting in the first row. If his family background hadn't been exposed a couple of days ago, I'd start suspecting he's some hidden young master from an ultra-wealthy family."

"Little brother is truly showing off! And his outfit is absolutely stunning."

"Does anyone know what brand this is? The clothes are totally my aesthetic."

"Little brother is also the first to wear a national style at Paris Fashion Week. Love it, love it!"

Lu Qingyu, with his new Chinese style, became the undisputed center of attention.

After the show ended, Louis even introduced Lu Qingyu to several designers and creative directors from the luxury brands under his umbrella.

Finally, when it was all over, he even accompanied Lu Qingyu during an interview.

What Xu Jun saw was that final interview. The young man standing next to Mr. Louis, when introducing his outfit to the reporters, mentioned the brand "Qing Shi." Upon hearing "Qing Shi," Xu Jun immediately called Qin Zhao.

Hearing the three words "Lu Qingyu," Qin Zhao jolted. He had personally mailed Lu Qingyu's outfit. Could he have actually worn it?

Before Qin Zhao could even respond, Xu Jun heard the dial tone—Qin Zhao had hung up.

After hanging up, Qin Zhao went online to search for information about Lu Qingyu. Then he saw the interview footage everyone was sharing. Opening it and seeing Lu Qingyu, dressed in that all-too-familiar moon-white outfit, Qin Zhao was ecstatic. It felt like a skyrocketing firecracker had exploded right in his head.

Ahhh! Lu Qingyu really wore it!

Holy shit, holy shit! He looks so damn handsome!

Containing his excitement, Qin Zhao watched Lu Qingyu's interview. When asked about the design of the outfit, Lu Qingyu began explaining in very fluent English.

What moved Qin Zhao the most was that Lu Qingyu articulated the garment's concept perfectly, hitting right at the heart of what Qin Zhao intended. The information card he sent with the clothes wasn't that detailed.

And at the end of the interview, the man next to him actually said he liked this brand.

Fuck, was he seeing this right? The person saying he liked the brand was Louis, the investor of the brand he used to work for.

Immediately after, his usually quiet inbox, which barely got emails even during holidays, started pinging incessantly, completely disregarding that it was almost 4 AM.

Qin Zhao's sleepiness vanished. He opened his inbox to find emails from the studios of many celebrities.

The outfit Lu Qingyu wore had made a name for itself at Paris Fashion Week. Coupled with the affirmation from the investor of five major luxury brands right beside him, the fashion-forward celebrities in China couldn't sit still. They had to stay on the cutting edge.

So, their studios sent collaboration inquiries one after another, asking Qin Zhao to mail them sample garments and haute couture pieces.

Seeing these names, Qin Zhao was speechless. Several of these celebrities were ones he had mailed samples to before—pieces he had painstakingly handmade over weeks. The fact that they were sending such emails now meant those previous garments had either been given away or were buried unseen in some storage room.

Seeing the many unread emails from various studios still in his inbox, Qin Zhao suddenly wasn't tired at all.

Right now, he really wanted to sketch designs. In his mind, based on Lu Qingyu's image, no less than seven or eight design concepts popped up.

Paris Fashion Week was over. If you had to name the biggest sensation of this Paris trip, it wasn't the fashion bloggers or the actresses—it was Lu Qingyu.

The biggest loser was Cui Yuzhe. The incident of being "escorted" out of the show had embarrassed him internationally.

Previously, he had mocked Lu Qingyu's clothes, saying Lu Qingyu was dragging down the image of Chinese people. Who would have thought it wasn't Lu Qingyu causing the embarrassment, but himself.

Online ridicule of Cui Yuzhe was overwhelming. He had hoped to secure some mid-to-high-level luxury brand endorsements from this opportunity. Now, not only did he fail to get any, he was blacklisted by these brands. Any opportunity related to fashion brands was now out of Cui Yuzhe's reach.

Lu Qingyu really brought honor to Su Jixing this time. After the France trip, Louis had invited Lu Qingyu to visit the design studios of the luxury brands. However, Lu Qingyu had other commitments lined up, and if he didn't return soon, he would run out of time.

So, after bidding farewell to Louis, Lu Qingyu returned.

The day after returning, Su Jixing suddenly received endorsement requests from three high-end luxury brands. Looking at the content of the emails, Su Jixing's hands trembled.