The comment thread immediately sparked recognition among fans:
“Whoa? Now I remember! That name Yao Ge sounded familiar—so it’s him?”
“! It’s him! I knew I’d seen that name before!”
“??? Yao Ge? The same person??”
“Haha, everyone’s eating the same gossip. I thought that name looked familiar—so that’s why!”
Fans quickly noticed something off:
“? Wait, wasn’t Yao Ge the designer everyone was criticizing before? People said he had no real talent, mediocre design, average aesthetic sense, right?”
“Exactly, and I remember he trended twice before, I think.”
“+1, yes! That’s exactly it!”
“Ah? But Jian Feiyang’s outfit looks amazing! Honestly, the white alone was stunning, but flipping it to black at the back gives such a fallen, seductive vibe—I love it.”
“Yeah, I think the outfit is amazing too. And don’t forget Manager Fan, right? Sharp eye, capable. Jian Feiyang’s look tonight is brilliant. Best of the night, no one can argue. How can anyone say the design is bad? Is the fashion industry just too competitive, or is our taste just different?”
“Hmm… actually, something seems off. That trending topic came from an internal forum at their academy. The original post was odd—someone took tons of photos at a senior-junior gathering and claimed it was ‘the highest-level arrangement.’ I’m thinking, how do you just get access like that and even photograph it secretly?”
“Haha, glad someone else shares my confusion. And notice the trend’s final direction? Everyone was saying good grades aren’t everything, character matters, and ability matters too. So are we saying Yao Ge’s academic achievements mean he lacks character or skill? That’s hilarious.”
“It’s obvious who benefits from this mess if you look carefully.”
Fan Qing glanced at the online heat and looked at Tang Sheng.
“Sheng, it’s enough.”
Tang Sheng, unfazed, ignored the hand reaching from the suit and nodded.
“I got it.”
Jin Yi couldn’t bear to watch his brother anymore. He looked at Fan Qing, who was focused on work.
Then he glanced at Yao Ge.
Holy… the guy hadn’t even looked at his phone, just holding a tablet, sketching something.
Jin Yi’s pupils widened.
Yao Ge was designing?
Right now, people are talking about gossip, and he’s just… designing?
Curious, Jin Yi leaned in closer.
Yao Ge muttered under his breath:
“Two more sets… finish these two sets and then it’s vacation…”
Jin Yi was speechless.
His gaze at Yao Ge was a mix of admiration, sympathy, and confusion.
He couldn’t resist taking a photo.
As soon as he did, a hand reached out.
Jin Yi: ?
Fan Qing casually took the phone, glanced at the screen, and said calmly after two seconds:
“Borrowing this photo for a bit.”
Online, fans were beginning to piece it together. After Jian Feiyang’s exposure by media platforms, more and more people were captivated by this stunning outfit and the story behind its designer.
So more and more people started questioning the earlier trending topics.
“??? Am I blind, or is the fashion world really this cutthroat? Honestly, I’d personally give this outfit a Best Red Carpet Look award—no gender distinction needed! And yet some people say the designer has no talent and only succeeded through backstage connections? Wait, what? So is the design world over-competitive or in decline? If over-competitive, then how did someone with no talent win so many awards? If declining… I still think this outfit is stunning, absolutely flawless.”
“Today’s ultimate paradox: absolute talent versus ‘no talent.’ When I first saw this gossip, something felt off. People were throwing dirt at him without evidence, saying his designs were bad and aesthetic sense lacking, yet they only showed someone else’s photos. He’s a designer, not a celebrity—does high talent mean he has to live like a star? Laughable. Show us his award-winning works first!”
And then some enterprising netizens really dug them up.
“Gossipers, sharing some new tea here—I’m honestly shook. I had to ask a few friends in the design circle to finally find a source: the official competition websites. Here are images of the first, second, and third place designs for comparison. I can only say… I’m stunned beyond words. If this counts as ‘no talent,’ then I guess I was born with negative talent!”
“Let me see! Let me see!”
“Me too!”
The netizen immediately shared the images.
Even people with no design background could tell something special.
Yao Ge’s works stood out immediately. His designs had a strong individuality, a bold, unmistakable signature.
“…I just looked at it and I’m speechless, seriously.”
“Same here…”
“+1. I feel like I’m watching gods battle, and among the gods there’s a top-tier master—do you get what I mean?”
“Got it, and the immersion is real. Thanks for the explanation!”
“Honestly, how could anyone have said this design was bad before? This looks like a masterpiece.”
“No wonder he could design Jian Feiyang’s outfit—he was already that amazing back then.”
“Legendary. That’s all I can say. Kneeling to the master, sisters!”
Netizens were buzzing with awe. Meanwhile, Zhang Fu, who had gone to meet his future father-in-law, was not so pleased.
He just wanted a smoke break and to check the online reactions, but the situation had completely flipped.
What the hell was going on? Why hadn’t the media team informed him?
His fingers trembled slightly as he called them, only to get a mocking reply:
“Boss, our work’s done. We don’t handle after-sales service, okay?”
What an attitude!
Zhang Fu fumed. “Serves you right—you’ll be stuck as a click army forever!”
But he forced himself to calm down and arrange a counterplan.
“I want you to do one more thing. Don’t worry, you’ll get paid.”
Suddenly, the click army became attentive.
“What’s the task, boss?”
Sycophants, all of them.
Zhang Fu bit back his anger and calmly instructed:
“Distract everyone. Make them focus on Yao Ge’s personal photos, then plant a few people pretending to be classmates, claiming Yao Ge contacted them to sell his designs.”
The click army took the money and set to work.
Zhang Fu smirked, lighting a cigarette—but a shocked female voice came from behind.
“Who were you just talking to? What did you say about Yao Ge?”
The cigarette dropped.
It felt like his brain had been hammered—dizzying.
Meanwhile, the click army’s attempt to smear Yao Ge hit a brick wall—Fan Qing had already stepped ahead, exposing Zhang Fu’s plan before it could unfold.
“Honestly, I checked the forum. It’s strange, really. Yao Ge didn’t do anything wrong—he just wore his own designs to a classmates’ gathering, got praised by a teacher, and then suddenly was attacked. Some people claimed he only got into competitions through teacher recommendations. But if he’s that talented, wouldn’t the teacher naturally recommend him? And he’s won awards—proof of his skill, right?
“And the claims about cheating or teacher influence are laughable. One competition, okay, but there are many. The organizers are not that incompetent. Plus, his teacher is well-known, and their style is not even similar to Yao Ge’s. To say the teacher ‘helped’ him? I can only say—the teacher taught well.”
This comment quickly got lots of likes.
“Exactly! The teacher taught well. My wife’s outfit is perfect!”
“Finally, someone who gets it!”
Then another netizen stepped in with more analysis:
“Everyone’s talking about Yao Ge. Let me explain the other main player in this story…”
The narrative was shifting online, and it was clear: the tides had turned. Fans were now defending Yao Ge’s talent, exposing the unfair attacks, and appreciating the brilliance behind Jian Feiyang’s red carpet look.
It was this class president, Zhang Fu, who had been roasted online and showered with all kinds of “golden couple” blessings alongside his wife.
But honestly, a reunion of this scale just one year after graduation? I don’t know about everyone else, but let me tell you about the people I know.
I personally continued to pursue my master’s degree after graduation, so I lived off the little money my family gave me. My best friend went straight into work, earning about six thousand a month. After rent and living expenses, there’s hardly anything left. A year in, she hasn’t saved much.
And this reunion—who knows the exact level of luxury—but the gifts, the fresh outfits, the formal wear… that’s a lot of money, right? Honestly, if it were me, I couldn’t afford to go.
“Finally, someone gets it! Damn, I thought all designers were rolling in cash right after graduation. But apparently, a lot of people are just keeping up appearances… Can’t really blame them. But still… thank goodness it’s not our class president organizing it!”
That “thank goodness it’s not our class president” comment quickly got likes. Zhang Fu, however, didn’t even have a chance to notice.
Standing in front of a calm, terrifying woman, he felt panic like never before. The cigarette in his hand fell onto his shoe, releasing a burning smell he didn’t even notice. His mind went blank, and he could only mutter weakly:
“It’s not what you heard! Let me explain—”
The woman looked at him calmly, no fury, no screaming, only disappointment in her eyes.
“Then explain.”