Chapter 39: Harper's Bazaar New Year Issue Goes Live

Perhaps sensing the buzz surrounding Gu Jingyi, Harper’s Bazaar announced on Weibo that their 2018 New Year issue would be released in three days.

However, the order in which the magazine tagged the male and female leads was subtle. They tagged Gu Jingyi first, followed by Dilraba. Although it was a co-billing arrangement, Gu Jingyi subtly took precedence over Dilraba. Even more cunningly, despite it being a dual-cover issue, the magazine set up separate pre-sale channels for the male and female versions. They clearly intended to stir up fan conflict to further boost sales.

Provocative questions began to pop up on Zhihu:
"How should one view the joint cover of the Harper’s Bazaar New Year issue featuring Gu Jingyi and Dilraba?"

An insider replied:
"Thanks for the invite. Let me say a few words: Securing this top-tier resource is crucial for both Gu Jingyi and Dilraba’s future development in the fashion industry. Gu Jingyi might be relatively indifferent, but if you look closely, you’ll notice that Dior appears with surprising frequency in his street style, public appearances, and the outfits he wears to and from the *Idol Producer* set. Here’s the industry tea: Dior has placed Gu Jingyi on a trial period. This Harper’s Bazaar cover is a direct push from the brand. The weight of a 'Blue Blood' luxury house is significant; it has granted Gu Jingyi, a newcomer with only a hit drama to his name, a ticket to the fashion world ahead of time. Bazaar tagging Gu Jingyi first was likely not just to stimulate sales, but also a nod to Dior. In short, this is the first time both have graced the cover of one of the 'Big Five' women’s magazines. Note—this is the main issue, not a supplement! So, sales are vital. If both fanbases want their idols to go further in fashion, stop fighting over billing order."

"Gu Jingyi’s side is already feverishly pushing his individual pre-sale channel. Male idols inherently have a higher ratio of 'girlfriend fans' and 'career-focused fans' than female idols. This should be Dilraba’s first main cover for a top-tier magazine since her rise to fame, and the industry is watching the sales figures closely. In fashion, billing order adds nothing to an artist’s heat. Aside from solo covers, the order of names on a dual cover really doesn't matter. Don't be misled; as fans, please don't fight over billing. It won't win your idols anything; it only makes things difficult for them. Fans are outsiders in these matters. Stay quiet; status isn't won through fighting, but through the accumulation of work."

"One final note: It’s natural for Gu Jingyi to have great resources—look at that face. His singing, dancing, and acting are all top-tier among the younger generation. As long as the executives at Huace and the luxury brands aren't blind, they know who to promote. The Chinese entertainment industry has never seen a male artist who combines idol popularity with such mass appeal as an actor. His path is destined to be bright."

The original plan for the Harper’s Bazaar New Year issue was a solo cover for one of the "Four Dan Actresses and Two Bing," which shows just how blatantly the luxury brand favors Gu Jingyi. So, everyone else should just wash up and go to sleep.

This response, left by an insider under a thread filled with hundreds of comments of fan bickering, was so sensible that it quickly gained the approval of both sides. Aside from a few radical fans still grumbling—"Overseas-gilded idols always have good resources, Dilraba is just there to lift him up"—the rest of the fans turned their focus to driving sales. Gu Jingyi’s 20,000-copy pre-sale channel sold out within five minutes of going live. He had been trending for days, and the fans who had seen his stage performances were at the peak of their fervor. Dilraba’s fans quickly stopped the fighting, and her pre-sale channel sold out within ten minutes.

With two days left until the official release, minor friction persisted.
"Resource-peddler, ugh. A newcomer who just debuted gets Dilraba to boost his status."
"Oh, sure, why don't you look at the viewing figures for *A Love So Beautiful*? In just one month, it was in the top ten annual hits on Tencent. Gu Jingyi has a hit drama under his belt; one project of his has more heat than your idol’s entire career. It’s so annoying—my idol has acting skills and stage presence; his only 'flaw' is that he hasn't been in the industry long."

Local skirmishes broke out, but they remained contained. Both sides were holding their breath, waiting for the release. On January 3, 2018, Bazaar released the collaboration short film. The collision of two top-tier visuals created an undeniable chemistry. Even some of the fans who had been grumbling couldn't help but secretly ship them.

When the cover was finally unveiled, it caused a massive stir. Dilraba was pulling Gu Jingyi’s tie with one hand, and he was leaning forward, head tilted, kissing her ear. In the photo, his shirt was slightly open, revealing robust pectoral muscles. Shallow scratch marks were visible on his chest, looking both erotic and full of tension. They were a perfect match—strong man, strong woman.

Once the cover dropped, even casual observers couldn't sit still. "Shippers" immediately started using both of their individual tags to fan the flames.

"The styling is so ahead of its time! Bazaar lives up to being one of the Big Five—you guys really know how to shoot!"
"I’m so envious of Dilraba. Is this the self-control of a top-tier actress? She managed to shoot with a man as handsome and fit as Gu Jingyi without getting distracted. If it were me, I’d have just bitten him and kept hugging him!"

These were comments from fans with no loyalty to either side, just pure appreciation for the visuals. They didn't feel the heartache of the actual fans.

"Seriously, enough. Dilraba is single, okay? If you want to ship, don't use her individual tag!"
"Why bring Gu Jingyi into this? What can I say? Sorry, my 'husband' Gu Jingyi is just too good an actor, giving you all these unnecessary fantasies."
"Gu Jingyi is an artist with a strong career focus; don't force ships on him. [Attached: Evaluations of Gu Jingyi from his classmates at the Central Conservatory of Music]."

When passersby clicked the link, they found a list of Gu Jingyi rejecting confessions. From his classmates' perspectives, he was a "non-material cultural treasure" of the school. Within a month of enrollment, he had received countless confessions, but not a single one succeeded. The rejected girls eventually gave him that nickname.

There were also candid photos of him from his school days. Gu Jingyi’s fans felt a wave of pride. They saved the photos one by one, posting comments with a touch of "humble-brag": "Can't help it, such a handsome guy is bound to be paired up. But our Jingyi is really single. Any 'fan' hiding in the comments trying to force a ship on him is just pathetic!"

Despite the bickering, the fans continued to drive sales. Within one minute of the dual-issue release, Gu Jingyi’s individual channel of 10,000 copies sold out again. Half an hour later, Bazaar restocked 20,000 more, and they were snapped up in another minute. The immense purchasing power of his fans only further elevated Gu Jingyi’s standing in the industry.