The results of the first interview for MiniGlitz came out quickly.
Si Nian soon received a message from the magazine, but it wasn’t to inform her whether she passed or not; rather, they asked her to come in for an in-person interview again.
She had gone back and forth to the Glitz headquarters several times.
The first few times were for a runway interview, but later she was asked to try on several outfits for styling, seemingly to see how they would look in real life.
However, after trying on the clothes and taking photos, they still didn’t tell her whether she would be used. The response was always just “wait for the news.”
Jiang Yihan was still a low-level editor, so she didn’t have much information to offer and couldn’t leak any insider details.
But given the competitiveness of the event, where models were eager to get a spot in the show, any harsh screening process seemed inevitable.
By the time Si Nian received the confirmation to be part of the MiniGlitz inaugural show, she had almost lost hope.
At the same time, Jiang Yihan also received the model list from their magazine and immediately circled Si Nian’s name to send to her:
“Did you see it!! I knew it!!!”
“The moment I submitted your name, I couldn’t think of any reason you wouldn’t make it.”
“Proud and smug”
Si Nian let out a sigh of relief when she saw her confirmation email, feeling her heart race with excitement, then replied to Jiang Yihan: “Hehe, thanks!”
“I’ll treat you to a meal, mwah”
Jiang Yihan: “Let’s eat”
For the MiniGlitz inaugural show, each selected model was offered a fee of 28,000 yuan.
For a regular show in China, models typically earn only a few thousand yuan, with some even making less than a thousand.
So, this is why there was so much competition for the Glitz event—its high exposure and prestige, not to mention the high-paying rewards, made it irresistible to girls who couldn’t help but aim for the opportunity, enduring the tedious interviews and selections.
Si Nian set aside the several freelance jobs she had planned to take on and focused on preparing for the Glitz show.
She now received the news that she would be going to the magazine headquarters for the official fittings.
The MiniGlitz show was divided into four segments, each with a different style or target age group: “Nineteen,” “RED,” “Working Day,” and “Dreamy Night.”
The “Nineteen” segment was meant to showcase the carefree, distinctive personalities of young girls.
“RED” was focused on a more sensual theme to emphasize female allure, “Working Day” aimed at portraying modern professional women in the workplace, and finally, the “Dreamy Night” segment was the grand finale, featuring glamorous evening gowns worn by female celebrities, idols, and well-known influencers.
Si Nian was assigned to both the “Nineteen” and “Working Day” segments.
For “Nineteen,” her look was a light green oversized striped shirt dress paired with a beige knitted vest and, for the lower half, a popular “no pants” style, with white stockings and brown shoes.
The overall look was youthful and stylish.
The details were also very well executed: Si Nian’s hair was styled into soft bangs with a corn clip and tied back with a matching green hairband.
To match the theme of a 19-year-old girl who might still be a student, she also wore transparent, oversized glasses to add a scholarly touch.
When Si Nian changed into this outfit and posed for the photoshoot, she noticed the designer behind her nodding with apparent satisfaction.
For the “Working Day” theme, her outfit was a gentle and intellectual lotus pink spaghetti strap dress with a matching pink knitted cardigan and a white chain bag.
The overall look was quite comfortable, and the most striking detail was the makeup.
Although the outfit appeared soft and gentle, the makeup artist had applied a vibrant blue-green eyeliner, adding a lively touch to the otherwise gentle look.
It suggested a workday professional woman who appeared modest but had an underlying energetic and fresh spirit.
Si Nian noticed that other models’ outfits were similar—most of them were styles that could easily be adapted into everyday outfits, but with added details that made them more refined.
The MiniGlitz inaugural show was scheduled for Sunday.
The entire event would be live-streamed across all platforms, and Jiang Yihan had been busy for a week and was hardly seen.
Since Glitz was one of the top five fashion magazines, the show had invited several popular entertainment industry celebrities and guests, so the attention on the event was huge.
Here’s the translation with a line break after each full stop:
Si Nian followed the requirements and attended two dress rehearsals on-site.
This runway wasn’t the traditional fashion week runway and venue; the stage design and lighting were more akin to a concert.
There were many audience and fan seats, and the runway was about fifty meters long, with three large screens behind it showing close-ups of the models and the details for the audience.
All the models had already arrived at the venue in the afternoon to start their makeup preparations.
Si Nian also saw several young female celebrities who would be walking the runway tonight.
They were being interviewed by the magazine while getting their makeup done.
The young stars agreed to walk this show mainly to build good relationships with the magazine and flatter the editor-in-chief, hoping to appear on the cover of the main issue in the future.
At eight o’clock in the evening, after all the invited guests and audience had taken their seats, the MiniGlitz debut show officially began.
First, a popular singer performed the hottest hit song.
As the singer finished the song and took a bow, the spotlight gathered on the entire runway.
Accompanied by the rhythmic show music, the first model for the debut show of MiniGlitz made her appearance.
The first theme was “Nineteen.”
Si Nian walked out as the seventh model.
Backstage at fashion shows is usually chaotic.
The models who had just walked were quickly rushed off to change into another outfit.
The sound of the show director shouting and making arrangements filled the air.
Si Nian had already changed into her outfit and was waiting in the holding area.
When the music hit the right cue, the director lightly tapped her shoulder and whispered “Go.”
Si Nian immediately began walking down the runway, following the beat of the music.
Once on the runway, the audience was a sea of people.
The large screens displayed close-up shots of the model walking to the end of the runway.
Si Nian walked with a smile, adjusting her steps according to the style of the show.
Among the models, Si Nian had always been among the best in terms of runway walk.
She adjusted her steps to match the lightness and playfulness of the “Nineteen” theme.
The front row of the audience was filled with invited fashion icons and celebrities.
As Si Nian walked, her hair gently swayed with her steps.
She reached the end of the runway, where the models typically pose.
Unlike the previous models who blew kisses or winked, she gently lowered her transparent glasses to the tip of her nose, facing the camera with a mischievous tongue-out gesture as if caught unexpectedly by a camera.
The three large screens displayed close-ups of her.
The live-stream and text live broadcast finally reached the seventh model in the light green outfit.
The online viewers, who had been amazed by the uniqueness of the MiniGlitz debut show, gasped when they saw the model in the light green outfit walk down the runway.
From her height to her proportions, even the lines of her calves were perfect.
As the camera zoomed in on her face, she posed with a playful, quirky look.
At that moment, everyone nearby simultaneously exclaimed, “Wow.”
Tonight, at the Guan Zhou Club.
Lu Shuyan had a dinner meeting with relatives from his mother’s side.
The “Yun Jian Shui” private room echoed with the sound of flowing water, accompanied by the sound of the guqin.
Lu Shuyan had always respected his mother’s side of the family.
People with his background usually have distant family ties, with relationships often mixed with bloody business interests.
On the other hand, the relatives from his mother’s side, with no direct business ties, were closer.
When Lu Yuan Shan suddenly fell seriously ill and Lu Shuyan took over Rongsheng, his mother’s family’s stable support was crucial, in addition to his own impressive capabilities, helping him secure his position at the board despite the power struggle.
Lu Shuyan smiled and agreed to his two uncles’ proposal about a project in the northern city.
The two uncles had come to appreciate Lu Shuyan not just as a young relative but as a businessman.
They had a pleasant conversation, and at the end, one uncle seemed to remember something.
The families of Xu and Lu both knew that Lu Shuyan had a girlfriend, whom he met during university.
However, the girl was from an ordinary background, and unless it led to marriage, neither family was particularly interested in meeting her.
Xu Qingke, Lu Shuyan’s uncle, had recently heard rumors that Lu Shuyan and his girlfriend had broken up.
When the news spread, some of his friends had suggested introducing their own daughters to Lu Shuyan.
Xu Qingke, rarely asking about personal matters, took the opportunity to ask his nephew if the rumors were true.
Lu Shuyan looked at his uncle, lightly tapping his finger on the armrest of the sofa, and gently replied, “Mmm.”
Xu Qingke nodded.
It wasn’t a big deal.
She was just an ordinary girl.
The fact that she had been able to date Lu Shuyan was surprising, and it wasn’t something that belonged to her social class.
Now that they had broken up, it was nothing.
The dinner ended.
Lu Shuyan sent off his two uncles and got into the car to return to his current residence.
He hadn’t gone back to the Mingjing Mansion.
It seemed that, in his heart, he didn’t want to return to that place.
As the car drove through the streets, the man sat silently in the back seat, lost in thought.
Until they reached a traffic light.
The car stopped at a busy intersection in the commercial district.
Pedestrians quickly crossed the street under the green light, and the large screens on the buildings displayed various advertisements.
One of the screens seemed particularly lively, as if it was broadcasting a live event.
Many passersby had stopped to watch.
Lu Shuyan, sitting in the back seat, snapped out of his thoughts and casually glanced at the screen through the car window.
Then he saw the model in a light green shirt dress walking onto the runway, her carefree smile followed by a playful and quirky pose as she took her spot.
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