With The Backing Of A Powerful Figure: He's Gone Wild In The Modeling World - Chapter 15

A layer of flush appeared on his fair face. Even Zhou Xing noticed his condition. She stepped forward, intending to touch his forehead to check his temperature, but Zhan Zhiqing retreated. In a gentle but firm manner, he told her, “I am fine. Do not worry. I can handle it.”

Ordinarily, he might have been able to tolerate someone’s touch, but at this stage, it was completely impossible.

On the way to the studio, Zhan Zhiqing leaned against the back of his seat in a daze. Finally, they arrived. The studio was set up exactly as it had been the previous week, with the only difference being two fewer people. The number would continue to dwindle, as two more models with the lowest scores would be eliminated this episode.

Zhan Zhiqing had informed the staff beforehand, so the judges, out of consideration, placed him first in the lineup. His editorial shot with Shen Lin appeared on the large screen. Perhaps because he looked so miserable, with flushed cheeks and pale lips, the judges kept their comments as brief as possible.

“I like your restraint and asceticism, but the passion is a bit lacking. After all, that is a vampire. A priest who falls in love with a vampire is destined to be a madman. But I like your face. If I were a vampire, I would fall in love with you too. I give you an 8,” Chen Bing critiqued.

“I agree. An 8 from me as well,” He Yu said with a smile.

“Same as before. You are not manly enough. I give you a 6,” Meng Ping stated.

Bai Chuan spoke with a look of concern. “Your audience score has stabilized this week and remains relatively high. Keep it up.”

Drowsily, Zhan Zhiqing thought it was mostly what he had expected. Although his and Shen Lin’s movements were perfect, he had never truly been in love. If he were to show his true self, his eyes would reflect madness rather than affection.

Once the evaluation was over, He Yu quickly asked the staff to take him to the hospital. Zhan Zhiqing could no longer hold on and collapsed to the floor.

When he woke up, he heard a rhythmic dripping sound. He opened his eyes and realized it was the sound of the IV drip. He had been placed in a spacious, quiet room. The hospital bed was soft and comfortable, and through the window, he could see lush green trees.

Strangely, the intense craving that usually haunted his heart had been suppressed quite a bit. He looked at his hand and saw several dark bruises, appearing as though the needle had been inserted incorrectly multiple times. He frowned. Would a nurse in a hospital like this make such a low level mistake?

However, no one gave him an answer. When the nurse came to change the IV, he inquired but only learned that the program staff had brought him in for treatment. After the drip finished, the hospital contacted the production team and prescribed some medication. Zhan Zhiqing then returned to the Top Model House.

The moment he walked through the door, he saw a prominent editorial shot on the large screen: Le Xin and Cao Yan. Zhou Xing and Shen Lin came to meet him. Likely knowing his quirk, they held him by the sleeves where his arms were covered by his shirt. Although he was not so weak that he could not walk, he still thanked the two kind girls.

Zhou Xing curled her lip. “Le Xin got first place. Bai Chuan said the audience really likes her kind older sister image.”

Zhan Zhiqing managed a smile. “Expected. I need to go pack my room.”

Since Le Xin had taken first place, she would definitely be moving into the Top Model Suite. He needed to clear his things out quickly. However, the moment he moved to get up, the two girls stopped him. Sensing something was wrong, Zhan Zhiqing asked, “What is it? Did something happen?”

At the mention of this, Zhou Xing grew angry. She glared hatefully at the photo on the wall before telling him, “As soon as everyone got back, Le Xin and Cao Yan went to the suite. Cao Yan just threw your things out. Shen Lin and I helped you move everything back to your old room.”

Shen Lin added in a small voice, “If I had not held Zhou Xing back, she would have gone to fight Cao Yan.”

“Given his character, it is not surprising that Cao Yan would do something like that. It is fine. Thank you both for packing for me. I will go up and check. Do not be angry.” Zhan Zhiqing remained calm. After comforting the two girls, he went upstairs alone.

In the second episode, two boys had been eliminated. Yu Can, who had originally shared a room with him, seemed to have moved out, whether due to Cao Yan’s threats or of his own volition. This was for the best. It meant Zhan Zhiqing could have a room to himself, even if Cao Yan’s intention had been to isolate him.

Fortunately, he had no valuables in the room, but several pieces of clothing had noticeable dust on them, specifically the three outfits he had won from the challenge. It was clear that when Zhou Xing said Cao Yan threw them out, he had literally thrown them onto the floor.

Zhan Zhiqing was certainly not the type of person to suffer in silence after being bullied. However, during the filming of the program, there was very little he could do. If given the chance, he would definitely retaliate.

There were now only twelve people left in the house. He had ranked fourth in the second episode. Le Xin’s first place position must have been bolstered by a very high audience score. However, once the second episode officially aired, he believed his, Zhou Xing’s, and Shen Lin’s audience scores would rise significantly, while Le Xin’s and Cao Yan’s would plummet. The first episode had limited content, but the second episode hid many points of conflict: Cao Yan insulting his photo, Le Xin pressuring Shen Lin, and Cao Yan’s overall arrogance.

From these details alone, the audience would see Le Xin’s and Cao Yan’s true colors. Viewers might be temporarily deceived by their performed images, but as time passed and their true faces were exposed, the praise they once received would turn against them.

The next day, the second episode of China’s Next Top Model hit the trending searches. The editors had lived up to expectations by including all the explosive conflicts. However, the audience had different interpretations of the video. The big brother and big sister images of Cao Yan and Le Xin became more solid in some people’s eyes, while in others, they began to crumble.

Ying Cheng, being an active observer of the drama, was exceptionally focused on the conflict between Zhan Zhiqing and the duo. After finishing the second episode, he immediately messaged Ying Yuan.

“Reporting in! Brother, I found out there are water armies online whitewashing Cao Yan and smearing my Zhan Zhiqing. Should I step in and knock them out?”

Cao Yan was merely a wealthy nouveau riche brat. That he would use his family’s influence to manipulate online public opinion was simply intolerable. Ying Yuan, of course, was already aware of the situation. He spent much more time following the show than Ying Cheng did, though he did not pay much attention to general online chatter.

“Have the water armies dealt with. Leave Cao Yan alone for now. I want the competition to be fair and just. I will handle anyone who tries to manipulate public opinion or destroy the fair scoring environment.”

“No way, brother. You are being so heartless toward Zhiqing!” Ying Cheng was shocked. While their family did not spoil children, they were notoriously protective of their own if something went wrong.

Ying Yuan read the message and frowned. He was not being heartless. He simply believed in Zhan Zhiqing’s strength. Besides, he was not the type of person to do good deeds anonymously. When the competition was over and he took revenge in person, perhaps the boy’s attitude toward him would become a bit more enthusiastic?

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