The Gossiping Ye Qiu

The Next Day

Liu Hao flew back to H City. Just as he arrived at the entrance of the Excellent Era club, he saw a young, scholarly-looking man in a pure black suit with black-framed glasses waiting in front.

Liu Hao recognised him: Cui Li, the general manager of Excellent Era and Tao Xuan's secretary, a loyal henchman.

As soon as Cui Li saw Liu Hao, he quickly walked up and eagerly grabbed Liu Hao's hand, exclaiming, "You're finally back."

Brother, it seems we're not that familiar, so why are you so enthusiastic? Liu Hao felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Your appearance at the home base of Tyranny last night caused a huge stir. Excellent Era's fan base grew by two to three million overnight, and your fans tripled," Cui Li said, taking a deep breath. "Listen, I've seen people become overnight sensations, but I've never seen someone gain millions of fans just by showing their face. Even Zhou Zekai, the most handsome guy in Glory, didn't cause such a sensation when he debuted."

Liu Hao was aware of this. He had seen the news on the plane: the terms "Tony," "Liu Hao," and "handsome guy" were trending on TikTok and Weibo. He attributed this to a "temporary surge in popularity due to extreme contrast," explaining that the drastic change in someone's appearance attracted attention, much like how an unattractive girl could transform into a beauty like Diao Chan with makeup.

Liu Hao knew the hype was temporary. Once it faded, he would still need to shine on his own.

"Manager Cui, isn't it hot to wear a suit in this weather?" Liu Hao looked up at the sky. The blazing sun seemed to evaporate everything. Even in a short-sleeved shirt, he felt hot.

"A bit..." Cui Li sighed. "But there's no choice. As the boss's secretary, I can't wear a bright short-sleeved shirt; it's not formal. The boss likes a sense of ceremony. If he wears a long-sleeved suit, I have to as well."

Liu Hao was about to make a few more snarky comments when Cui Li waved him off, "Stop talking. The boss is looking for you."

"Oh, okay."

Liu Hao followed Cui Li upstairs and walked into Tao Xuan's office. The office was as quiet as ever, with ancient paintings on the walls. Behind a central wooden desk, Tao Xuan, dressed in a formal blue pinstripe suit, sat upright in his chair.

Liu Hao glanced at the pretentious Tao Xuan and swore that Tao Xuan was deliberately striking a pose to assert his authority.

"Boss," Cui Li called softly, standing respectfully to the side.

Tao Xuan nodded, smiling kindly, "You really surprised me, Liu Hao."

"Did I? I'm quite surprised that you invited me up here personally," Liu Hao smiled.

"Cui Li told you, right?"

"Yes," Liu Hao nodded. "I attracted some fans because of my looks, which I didn't expect."

"Some?" Tao Xuan chuckled. "If one or two million is 'some,' then you're being overly modest."

"I've always been modest. You know that," Liu Hao said calmly.

Tao Xuan was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily, "You're becoming more interesting, Liu Hao. A truly modest person wouldn't admit to being modest. Sometimes, even I can't predict what you'll say or do."

"Is there something you want me to do?" Liu Hao asked.

Tao Xuan's expression turned serious, regaining his usual authority. "Your popularity is an unexpected boon for Excellent Era. We need to seize this opportunity. I've hired a professional photography team for you. Your old photos are no longer usable. You need a new official portrait."

Liu Hao understood. His looks represented commercial value. Even though he had just gained popularity, Tao Xuan couldn't wait to exploit its commercial potential. "What else besides the portrait?"

"We'll hold a press conference to announce to the fans that you'll be the vice-captain of Excellent Era," Tao Xuan said, tapping the table with his finger. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "Don't get too proud. Your current popularity is superficial. Without me, you're nothing."

Damn, a threat? Liu Hao forced a smile and flattered, "Thank you for your guidance, boss."

"As long as you understand," Tao Xuan waved his hand. "Now go. Before the press conference, take care of your face and maintain your physique. Also, learn some skincare tips from Mucheng. You might be appearing on camera together often in the future."

Liu Hao frowned slightly, sensing Tao Xuan's ulterior motives. Was he planning to promote him due to the current hype, or did he have other intentions?

Accompanied by Cui Li, Liu Hao left the office.

"Liu Hao, I'll take you to get your portrait done. We couldn't reach you by phone earlier, and the photography team has been waiting for a while. Time is money," Cui Li urged.

"Sorry, I couldn't take calls on the plane."

Liu Hao got into Cui Li's Audi and headed straight to the photography studio. Fortunately, the photo shoot went smoothly. By the end of the afternoon, they had finished the official portrait and three sets of artistic photos.

Liu Hao couldn't help but marvel at how looks matter in this world. The old him would never have received such treatment, with people circling him, praising his appearance, and calling for more shots. He even overheard one photographer exaggerate, saying this was natural artistic photography, unlike their previous work.

By evening, Liu Hao was finally free. He was exhausted, having spent the previous night sleeping on a chair in an internet café, waking up with a sore back, rushing to catch a flight, and spending the whole afternoon in a photoshoot. He barely managed to wash his face and apply a mask before collapsing onto the bed and falling asleep.

...

The next day, Liu Hao got up, took a shower, had a simple breakfast outside, and returned to the training room to find Ye Qiu already at his desk, playing Glory.

"When did you get back?" Liu Hao asked, puzzled. He hadn't come back with Ye Qiu yesterday morning and assumed Ye Qiu would stay in Q City for a few more days and go with the Tyranny team to watch the match at the Hundred Blossoms' home ground.

"Yesterday afternoon, while you were at the photoshoot," Ye Qiu replied unexpectedly, "Congratulations, you're one step closer to your dream."

Liu Hao couldn't tell if Ye Qiu was being sincere or sarcastic. It sounded insincere.

Liu Hao chuckled dryly, not wanting to continue dealing with this jerk. Since Tao Xuan couldn't handle Ye Qiu, he had to take it out on Liu Hao; even when promoting him, it came with jabs and insults.

"By the way," Ye Qiu suddenly remembered something, "Remember that girl from the barbecue place?"

"Chen Guo?"

"I don't know her name, but I promised her an autograph," Ye Qiu said, calmly taking a notebook from his desk drawer and handing it to Liu Hao.

Liu Hao opened the notebook to see the first page with "Ye Qiu" written on it. Inside was a photo of Su Mucheng in the Excellent Era team uniform, her golden-orange hair flowing and bright eyes shining, with her signature on it.

"You keep your promises," Liu Hao complimented.

"Is she your new girlfriend?" Ye Qiu asked, unusually curious.

"No, she's just a regular Excellent Era fan I met on the road. We shared a taxi," Liu Hao explained.

"She seems to like you. I can tell," Ye Qiu said.

"Hey, aren't you the God of Battle who only cares about Glory? Why are you acting like a gossiping aunt now?" Liu Hao teased.

Ye Qiu sighed, "I just want to remind you she's a good girl. If you like her, treat her well. If not, don't hurt her feelings. Fans are fragile."

"Who knew you cared about fans? But why don't you show your face to satisfy their wishes?"

Ye Qiu remained silent.

Liu Hao didn't intend to continue the conversation. He took the notebook downstairs, planning to check if Chen Guo was at Happy Internet Café. If she weren't, he'd leave the notebook and never interact with her again.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 61 is up on my Patreon

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Unfortunately, I have been sick for the past four days, so I have not been able to update the files. As compensation, I have uploaded four chapters on Patreon as well as Webnovel…