Fashion Vanguard was the trendsetter of the fashion world. Not only did it lead fashion trends, but it also possessed the magical ability to make someone famous overnight, attracting countless aspiring celebrities eager to appear in its pages. Yet very few actually succeeded. Moreover, Fashion Vanguardwas a foreign magazine, so the celebrities featured were usually international stars. Since Best Actor He Ziheng, no other Asian face had appeared in its pages.
However, this year, Fashion Vanguard once again shattered people’s perception of it. A young man with the same Eastern features as He Ziheng—but a completely different temperament—appeared on the cover of its latest issue.
The man’s gentle, water-like eyes seemed to gaze affectionately at the viewer. The faint smile on his lips resembled the first breeze of early spring. A warm and comforting aura seemed to flow straight from the page. Without question, he was the kind of man who could put people at ease simply by looking at him.
Over the years, Fashion Vanguard had featured countless styles—cold and glamorous, sexy, mature, seductive, radiant, arrogant, cool, and aloof—but never this sort of gentle warmth.
The man’s refined and elegant appearance, combined with his calm and graceful temperament, made him unforgettable at first glance. After seeing the magazine, many people instinctively searched for information about him, only to discover that Fashion Vanguard had chosen a newcomer so new that he had no previous debut records whatsoever.
Even so, that did nothing to diminish the impression he left on people. Many were already eagerly anticipating his future works.
That man was He Ping.
Because of the accident he suffered in childhood, although his intelligence had eventually returned to normal, his starting point remained far behind that of others. As a result, the number of professions available to him was limited.
Originally, his dream had been to become a middle-school or high-school teacher. He felt his personality was well suited to teaching. Unfortunately, his academic foundation was not strong enough to shoulder the responsibility of educating older students, so he had no choice but to give up that aspiration. Yet he lacked the qualifications for many other professions as well.
After learning about his situation, Wang Cheng found him a job that did not require a high academic background—magazine modeling.
He Ping’s looks were already above average. With that foundation in place, all he needed was professional training to develop his skills. As long as he worked hard, someone with He Ping’s natural aptitude was bound to achieve results.
He Ping truly cherished the opportunity. Although he was not particularly passionate about modeling, he was willing to give it a try. After several months of training, even the instructor Wang Cheng hired remarked on how quickly he learned and how talented he was in this field. As a result, Wang Cheng arranged for him to start taking jobs. Fashion Vanguard became his very first assignment. Given Wang Cheng’s relationship with Master Paul, securing the opportunity for He Ping was not difficult.
Using Fashion Vanguard as a stepping stone, He Ping became famous much like He Ziheng had before him. Despite receiving little promotion in the beginning, he still became a sensation.
Advertising endorsements and fashion show invitations poured in like snowflakes. While most newcomers were still running around desperately searching for opportunities, He Ping was already enjoying a situation where opportunities came directly to him. Sometimes, having connections really was a wonderful thing.
He Ping did not possess the prideful mentality of I must carve out my own success entirely by myself. Wang Cheng had given him this opportunity, and all he wanted was to work harder and earn enough to repay that kindness. That was the only thing he felt he could do.
As a result, only a few months after his debut, He Ping was already spinning like a top from one job to another. It was only when Wang Cheng heard about it from his manager that he ordered He Ping to take care of his health while working. Their family did not lack money. Money could always be earned later, but good health was not something that money could buy.
Following Wang Cheng’s instructions, the manager stopped piling more work onto He Ping. Every daily schedule was carefully recorded in a notebook. Whenever possible, he was given time off so he could rest and enjoy life. Celebrities might live differently from ordinary people, but everyone deserved to treat themselves well.
Besides modeling and runway shows, He Ping also began trying his hand at acting.
He had never attended an acting school and had no acting experience whatsoever. Yet he found portraying different personalities fascinating. It felt as though putting on a role was like putting on a mask—suddenly becoming a completely different person. The experience felt fresh and exciting.
The role he received was not particularly important. Since it was his first film, Wang Cheng deliberately avoided giving him a major role, worried that he might struggle to adapt. That concern quickly proved unnecessary. He Ping’s good nature and genuine politeness won over most of the cast and crew on his very first day. He even brought fruit for everyone through his manager. He looked like a seasoned veteran skilled at navigating social situations, but in reality it was simply his natural personality rather than a deliberate attempt to please others.
Several days passed without incident. He Ping handled everything smoothly. Occasionally there were one or two people who disliked the fact that he had entered the production through connections, but as long as he ignored them, they did not dare do anything.
After gaining experience from his first acting role, He Ping’s interest in acting grew even stronger. His second role was the third male lead in a film. While not as prominent as the first or second male lead, the character carried tremendous narrative weight.
At first, the character possessed the same gentle impression that He Ping normally gave others. However, as the story gradually unfolded, audiences were horrified to discover that the third male lead was actually the mastermind behind everything—the greatest villain of all. He was a man with two faces, one of them hidden in darkness. Yet he also had a tragic background, and when he finally died, he drew an overwhelming amount of tears from the audience.
The role was highly challenging, demanding far more technique and acting ability than his previous one. At first, He Ping repeatedly ran into difficulties and even suffered a few minor injuries. Fortunately, he possessed determination and a strong capacity for learning. After an adjustment period, he finally reached the director’s expectations, and filming proceeded smoothly.
Three years later, He Ping had become a household-name superstar. Because he was dedicated to his craft and approached every project with sincerity, people almost always gave him a thumbs-up whenever his name was mentioned. He now accepted only two scripts each year, maintaining a steady output of two high-quality productions annually. As for endorsements, there were fewer than before, but they were all luxury brands. Those alone were more than enough.
He Ping was already in his thirties, but unless someone who knew him revealed it, no one could guess his age. His appearance gave no clue whatsoever. After two years in the entertainment industry, there had been very few rumors about him. Because there had never been any reports of him dating anyone, media reporters became increasingly interested in his love life. They simply refused to believe that He Ping was truly a celebrity with absolutely no scandals.
The vast majority of celebrities in the entertainment industry encountered more and more temptations after becoming famous. Very few managed to stay true to themselves, and even fewer remained completely free of controversy. Therefore, reporters firmly believed that He Ping could not possibly be exactly as the public knew him to be. There had to be another side of him hidden from view.
Because of this, the number of paparazzi following He Ping recently seemed endless. He Ping himself was not bothered by it, but his manager, Yu Lu, was already fed up with the situation. In the end, it was He Ping who ended up comforting her instead.
“If they want to follow me, then let them follow me,” He Ping said with a smile. “We haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s nothing to feel guilty about.”
Looking at his smiling face, Yu Lu knew he was broad-minded, but she still felt helpless. “That’s not the point. Whether you’ve done anything wrong or not, artists deserve privacy too. The way they’re everywhere and into everything has already crossed the line into violating personal privacy.”
“But there’s no way to stop them from following us, is there?” He Ping replied. “We just need to keep living as usual. Once they realize there’s nothing scandalous to uncover about me, they’ll naturally give up.”
He Ping felt completely at peace with his conscience. Since he could not control other people’s actions, the only thing he could do was ignore them.
Knowing she could not win an argument with him, Yu Lu changed the subject. “Your only remaining schedule today is filming. If we leave a little earlier, you should be able to finish sooner and get some rest. Or would you rather rest for another half hour before heading over?”
“Let’s go now,” He Ping said as he stood up. “The earlier we finish, the earlier we can rest.”
He had already filmed two commercials that morning, but that level of work was nothing to him. The real issue was that his schedule had been especially packed the day before, leaving him with very little sleep. He knew Yu Lu was only concerned about his well-being.
The production they were heading to was the first drama He Ping had accepted that year. The title was Beacon Fires. He Ping played the lead role. In fact, the script’s protagonist had been written by the screenwriter with He Ping as the inspiration, making it a role tailored specifically for him. Naturally, his screen time was substantial.
Actually, He Ping had already finished all of the lead character’s scenes a week earlier. The only remaining scenes belonged to supporting characters, meaning he technically no longer needed to return to the set. However, three days ago, he had received a call from the director of Beacon Fires. The director wanted to reshoot several scenes, saying he had come up with better dialogue and a stronger interpretation of certain moments. He politely asked whether He Ping would be willing to come back and film them again.
By now, He Ping’s status was completely different from what it had been two years earlier. As one of the hottest stars in the industry, his schedule had already been arranged two months in advance. Any reshoot would require changes to that schedule. Most of his collaborations were with major brands, making postponements or cancellations difficult. The director clearly understood this as well, which was why he approached the matter with such humility.
Fortunately, He Ping was both easygoing and highly dedicated to his craft. He also held high standards for the quality of his work. If reshooting a few scenes could improve the final product, he did not mind sacrificing some of his own rest time to do so.
So he agreed.
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