The next afternoon, Jiang Yue and Jiang Kaiwen rushed back to Donghai from out of town, and their plane landed at Donghai Airport.
The moment the cabin door opened, Jiang Yue took off his mask and took a deep breath. The familiar, welcoming sensation allowed his nerves to relax slightly.
“Ding-dong.”
The moment Jiang Kaiwen turned off airplane mode, messages from their work group chat flooded in like a tidal wave.
Su Qing had clearly been waiting for them to land; the schedule, seating chart, and brand contact list were sent into the group chat one after another.
Jiang Kaiwen quickly replied with a “Received,” then turned around to look at Jiang Yue with a mix of seriousness and playfulness. “Today, you are an exhibition piece flown in straight from Paris.”
Jiang Yue leaned against the car window, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Then where is my exclusive security guard?”
“Right here, of course. Glued to the exhibit's side.”
“Very professional.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Instead of returning to the apartment, the car headed straight for the venue of the Penguin Video Annual Gala—the Donghai Linjiang Exhibition Center.
Security was already tight outside the venue, with several layers of guards keeping the passionate fans restricted to their designated areas.
Jiang Yue had only glanced over casually, but he clearly saw his own name among them.
Blue-and-white LED signs were held high in the crowd, swaying gently with the movement of the people. Even through the car window, the characters remained highly visible.
Previously, the numbers on Weibo, the screenshots of the comment sections, and even the system's Prestige points had mostly felt like a string of data used to measure popularity.
But at this moment, those numbers transformed into real people waiting for him in the freezing wind.
Jiang Yue let his gaze linger on that sea of light for a moment longer.
Noticing his gaze, Jiang Kaiwen lowered his voice. “Third Brother, quite a few people showed up today.”
Jiang Yue withdrew his gaze and gave a soft hum of agreement. “Yeah.”
The entrance was packed with various business vans.
Staff members wearing earpieces hurried back and forth. On the livestream screens flanking the red carpet, the list of attending artists for tonight had already begun to scroll.
As soon as their car came to a stop, the receptionist immediately stepped forward to greet them.
“Teacher Jiang, your dressing room is in Area A. You are scheduled to hit the red carpet at 7:12 PM, with ninety seconds reserved in the interview area. Your seat inside the venue is Row 2, Middle Section, B08.”
Jiang Kaiwen's footsteps paused. “Row two, middle section?”
The staff member's smile widened. “Yes, the seating chart was finalized only last night.”
Only after the staff member had walked far away did he lean in close to Jiang Yue and whisper emphatically, “Third Brother, row two, middle section, B08!”
Jiang Yue withdrew his gaze from the LED signs in the distant fan zone and gave him a calm look. “I heard you.”
“Why are you so calm about this?” Jiang Kaiwen's words rushed out. “This isn't just any ordinary seat. At an annual gala like Penguin's, the first row is basically reserved for platform executives, investors, senior industry figures, and the finale guests. The middle section of the second row is the core artist area, where the cameras scan most frequently.”
“Reactions are for the camera. What's the point of reacting now?”
Jiang Kaiwen was instantly choked by his words.
In such highly anticipated settings, Jiang Yue always knew exactly when to be happy and when to focus on doing what needed to be done first.
Inside the dressing room, the styling team sent by Lamerd was already prepared and waiting.
The midnight blue velvet suit hung quietly on a rack, shimmering with a subtle luster under the soft lighting.
On a velvet tray nearby lay silver cufflinks and an obsidian brooch.
Pierre, the master tailor, held a soft tape measure in his hand. When he saw Jiang Yue enter, his eyes swept over his shoulder lines and back. “Mr. Jiang, your condition is even better than I expected.”
After speaking, his gaze drifted down to Jiang Yue's left hand. “How is the wound healing?”
“It's already scabbed over. It doesn't affect my movement at all.”
Jiang Kaiwen added, “Just don't apply sudden, heavy force, so you don't accidentally rip the scab open.”
Pierre nodded. “Rest assured, today's formal wear will handle all of these issues perfectly.”
Once the suit was on, the finely adjusted shoulder lines made him look even more sharp and upright.
A staff member helped adjust Jiang Yue's shirt collar, while the makeup artist concealed the slight fatigue under his eyes from consecutive days of high-intensity filming. The hairstylist brushed his bangs back, exposing his forehead.
The tailor walked behind him, rechecking the shoulder lines and cuffs before using a few hidden pins to secure the fabric, ensuring that the bandage on his left arm wouldn't show when he raised his hand.
“We can't take it in any further here.” Pierre pointed to the side of his waist. “The red carpet will take some time, so we need to leave some breathing room in the suit, or it'll be uncomfortable.”
Hearing this, Jiang Kaiwen also nodded. “Yes, comfort is the most important thing.”
Jiang Yue stood in front of the mirror, raising his hand to fasten his cufflinks.
The thin bandage on his left arm was completely hidden beneath the high-quality shirt cuff, leaving not a single trace visible from the outside.
Just then, a woman wearing a smart, professional suit pushed the door open and walked in. She was Manager Wang, the brand PR manager sent by Lamerd to coordinate the event on-site.
“Mr. Jiang, I'm here to confirm tonight's brand-related segments.” She opened her tablet. “The red carpet signing, designated photo-op, and brand logo placement have all been confirmed with the organizers. If any interview questions involve Lamerd, you only need to answer according to the brand's provided talking points. Other questions will be handled jointly by the platform and your studio.”
Jiang Yue nodded slightly.
“After the red carpet, you will first return to the dressing room to touch up your look. The brand's staff will confirm the condition of the suit and jewelry. Once the event concludes, we will take responsibility for safekeeping and returning them.” Manager Wang added, “The main hall and the award ceremony will be managed entirely by the organizers. You just need to follow the guidance of the on-site staff.”
“Director Lin has finalized everything. The brand's official announcement will be timed to launch during your peak exposure on the red carpet, pushed simultaneously across global social media and all domestic platforms.”
Jiang Kaiwen's eyes lit up. “You're really timing the official announcement right during his red carpet exposure?”
“That was Director Lin's decision.”
“The title being announced this time is Asia Region Spokesperson, correct?” Jiang Yue asked.
Manager Wang smiled and nodded. “Yes, it is the official title.”
Jiang Yue nodded slightly. “Thank you for your hard work.”
At 6:40 PM, the staff in the red carpet staging area began calling out numbers over their walkie-talkies.
This was an annual event organized by Penguin Video for its hit dramas and key projects, and the order of appearance heavily favored the platform's broadcasting achievements of the year and the artists' popularity.
The first to appear were rookie actors and short-form drama artists, followed by mid-career actors with hit dramas under their belts, popular stars, and guests from other categories.
The leads of the platform's key dramas and top-tier artists were usually scheduled toward the end, which made it easier to generate concentrated buzz and demonstrated the platform's high level of esteem.
Jiang Yue's turn was scheduled quite far down the list.
Up ahead, someone turned around, saw him, and walked over on his own accord.
“Yo, finally caught you in the flesh.”
The newcomer was Han Song. He wore a neatly tailored black suit, but his bow tie had been loosened slightly. He didn't look like he was preparing to walk the red carpet; instead, he looked like he had just been dragged off a sofa in the waiting area by his agent to do some forced labor.
“Do you have any idea what I just went through?” Han Song lowered his voice, his face full of mock grief. “I just wanted to sit down and rest for a few minutes, but my agent told me that if I slumped any further, the red carpet livestream would label me as the 'Special Sleeping Guest of the Penguin Annual Gala'.”
Jiang Yue couldn't help himself, and his lips curved upward. “Sounds fitting for you.”
“You're still laughing?” Han Song walked up to him, his gaze first landing on his left arm. He originally wanted to pat his left shoulder, but switched to patting his right shoulder instead. “I heard you've been developing a deep relationship with a first-aid kit on set?”
Jiang Kaiwen immediately chimed in from the side. “Mr. Han, please talk some sense into him.”
Han Song waved his hand. “Don't call me Mr. Han, call me Referee Han. I'm taking your side today.”
Watching the two of them play off each other, Jiang Yue sighed silently.
Great. The red carpet hadn't even started, and court was already in session on his end.
Rate on N.U.
