I Became the Koi Actor After Entering the Book

**Chapter 84: Du Ke Endorsement**

Translator: Namizaki

*********************

The contract offered by Du Ke, a top-tier luxury brand, was naturally far more than a few sheets of paper. As the endorsement covered the entire Asian region, the range of activities involved was even more extensive.

Du Yusheng focused on reviewing the contract, while the brand representative enthusiastically engaged Chi Zhongqiao in conversation.

The representative said, “Actually, Du Ke noticed you so quickly because you’ve worn our formal attire so many times, especially those personal outfits you wore in <Invisible Crime>. And then there was that livestream you did—the coat you wore is a classic piece that never goes out of style, and sales surged afterward. We immediately sensed your affinity for our brand, and we’re equally fond of celebrities like you who share our aesthetic sensibilities…”

Although Du Ke’s style aligned perfectly with his aesthetic preferences, Chi Zhongqiao himself didn’t have any particular attachment to the brand. As long as the clothes matched his taste, he was happy to wear any brand.

However, Lu Yuzhou had an inexplicable fondness for Du Ke, and most of the clothes he prepared for Chi Zhongqiao were from that brand. This had given outsiders the mistaken impression that Chi Zhongqiao was a devoted fan of Du Ke.

Chi Zhongqiao smiled, needing no prompting from Du Yusheng, and smoothly launched into a round of mutual flattery: “As an internationally renowned brand, Du Ke is universally recognized for both its innovative design philosophy and the exceptional quality of its products…”

Du Yusheng listened intently for a few sentences, confirming that even Chi Zhongqiao’s business compliments sounded genuinely sincere. Reassured, he refocused his attention on the contract.

Du Ke’s endorsements were highly coveted in the industry. Beyond the brand’s luxurious aura, their contract terms were widely praised for their generous benefits and fair treatment of talent.

This contract continued Du Ke’s established style, with a one-year term—remarkably good compared to some seasonal deals.

Du Yusheng finished reviewing the document and gently closed it.

The representative paused, and the two exchanged a glance. Chi Zhongqiao immediately sensed a silent undercurrent of tension—the real contract wouldn’t be signed now. This was merely a draft, requiring further negotiation with the artist’s agency before the final version could be formalized and signed at the official ceremony.

Clearly, the haggling was about to begin.

Chi Zhongqiao glanced back at his team, who all smiled encouragingly at him.

Chi Zhongqiao: …Whatever makes you happy. I don’t understand any of this anyway.

*****

After finally wrapping up filming for <The Patriot>, Chi Zhongqiao, who hadn’t posted in ages, suddenly dropped two updates in quick succession. One celebrated the end of filming, while the other announced his endorsement deal with Du Ke.

Having been silent for so long, his two posts were immediately swarmed by fans who had been refreshing his page incessantly. After a frenzy of comments that filled dozens of floors, one fan finally took a moment to actually read the content.

“Wait… is that “the” Du Ke?”

“The luxury brand Du Ke?”

Dazed and desperate for confirmation, fans flooded the comments with questions, each one ending with a question mark.

“Am I still dreaming?”

“Du Ke? Is this really “the” Du Ke?”

“Is my Qiao still half-asleep, or am I?”

After confirming with each other that they were equally bewildered, they looked up to reread the announcement. But what they saw only deepened their confusion— “wait, not just the China region ambassador, but the entire Asia ambassador?”

“Sorry, maybe our all-nighters are causing hallucinations. We’ll check again after we get some sleep tomorrow. Good night, Qiao bao.”

Before the netizens could even tuck themselves into bed, Du Ke’s official website left a cute emoji in the comments under Chi Zhongqiao’s post, along with the message: “Looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.”

[ Fans: ? ]

[ Fans: ! ]

Shortly after, Du Ke’s official website officially announced their partnership with Chi Zhongqiao.

It’s official, it’s real—Chi Zhongqiao is the new Asia-Pacific brand ambassador.

When fans saw the announcement, the surreal feeling finally grounded into reality. They gazed at the official website’s photo of Chi Zhongqiao meeting with Du Ke’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, and a strange sense of pride swelled within their hearts.

“Look at our Brother Qiao, standing out so strikingly and handsomely even among these high-level executives.”

Through their rose-tinted lenses, the fans scrutinized Chi Zhongqiao’s image multiple times before sharing it across their communities, spreading the news with satisfaction.

“Such a momentous occasion calls for a giveaway!”

Perhaps mirroring their idol’s habits, Chi Zhongqiao’s fans had learned two things from him: Organizing occasional charity drives and their fondness for giveaways. It couldn’t be helped—Chi Zhongqiao, the living Koi, loved hosting them, running one every few weeks.

Thanks to the giveaway, the buzz around Chi Zhongqiao securing Du Ke’s annual Asia-Pacific ambassadorship skyrocketed. With the announcement dropping late at night, the topic quickly climbed to the top of the trending searches.

However, brand ambassador transitions often spark conflicts between the outgoing and incoming representatives, and mishandling the situation could ignite a full-blown war. Just as some rational fans had feared, when the hashtag #ChiZhongqiaoSignsDuKeAsiaAmbassadorship# held steady at second place on the trending list, fans of the former ambassador began flooding Chi Zhongqiao’s social media posts. Some even stormed Du Ke’s official accounts, accusing the company of breach of contract.

Du Ke’s previous spokesperson was Zhao Lunce, one of the “Four Young Male Actors” of his generation. When Zhao Lunce first debuted, he was a “legend” who dominated half the entertainment industry. He was the only one among the Four Young Male Actors to get married, and before his affair was exposed, he maintained a public image as a devoted and loving husband. But when photos of his late-night tryst surfaced, his carefully crafted persona crumbled.

Despite the scandal, Zhao Lunce had a fiercely loyal fanbase. When the affair broke, he even received support from some men online, with comments like “He’s just a man, it’s understandable.”

Although Zhao Lunce lost countless fans due to the affair, his prompt apology and shifting blame onto his mistress allowed him to retain a portion of his following. After a year of silence, the notoriously forgetful netizens had largely forgotten their initial outrage.

To Zhao Lunce’s fans, the cheers for Chi Zhongqiao’s new endorsement were particularly grating. Fueled by resentment, they launched into mockery:

“Luxury brand? Seriously? They just sign whoever’s popular. Talk about being opportunistic!”

“Ha! Some fans are still bringing up our oppa’s affair? We’ve already said it was that woman who threw herself at him. Why blame our oppa?”

“Our oppa already apologized, okay? Why can’t you just let it go?”

***

Even the night owls who were just watching the drama unfold were stunned by the comments, let alone Chi Zhongqiao’s fans:

“Seriously, why are you girls defending a cheating man?”

“An apology? Ha! If apologies worked, why would we need the police? Besides, was your idol’s apology even sincere?”

“He’s a grown man who’s been selling this ‘deeply devoted’ image all along. Now that his cheating scandal has blown up, he’s trying to blame his mistress? What kind of man does that?”

***

The fans’ comments ignited the public’s discontent, and even some former fans who had left the fandom began to consider turning against Zhao Lunce after seeing those defending him.

They had originally stopped supporting him because of his infidelity. How could a group of foolish girls still cling to him? Was he really a good man?

Thus, the initial conflict between Chi Zhongqiao’s fans smoothly escalated into a full-blown public outrage, complete with mass defections and former fans turning against Zhao Lunce.

Chi Zhongqiao’s fans sat back with their popcorn, dumbfounded as they watched the three factions tear each other apart. They struggled to understand how things had spiraled so out of control. Some increasingly confused fans even tried to mediate, only to be caught in the crossfire and quickly retreat to huddle with the rest, silent as chickens.

The next morning, Chi Zhongqiao was reluctantly roused by Lu Yuzhou.

Lu Yuzhou chuckled, “Qiao ge doesn’t want to go sign the contract?”

Chi Zhongqiao buried his face against Lu Yuzhou’s chest. He had been up until after 11 PM the previous night, engrossed in the drama, and had only gone to bed after Lu Yuzhou forcibly confiscated his phone.

“The last alarm hasn’t even gone off yet.” Chi Zhongqiao mumbled.

“I am Qiao ge’s last alarm.” Lu Yuzhou replied, casually silencing the alarm that had just sounded once.

Chi Zhongqiao reluctantly sat up, sighing in resignation. He shuffled into the bathroom to wash up, moving like a sleepwalker.

The signing ceremony was scheduled for Saturday. Lu Yuzhou, who rarely had a day off, drove Chi Zhongqiao to the venue.

Chi Zhongqiao wore Du Ke’s classic suit. As an actor, he avoided unnecessary fuss with his appearance and had no habit of dyeing his hair. Outside of specific roles, he always maintained a clean and polished look.

As he walked through the crowd surrounded by his assistants, his lips were red, his teeth white, and his features clear and refined.

Having been out of the public eye for several months, many new reporters still remembered him from his Night Capital cover as the fox spirit immortal, assuming he naturally embodied that ethereal yet seductive style. They were surprised to see him in person—a young man as polished and refined as jade.

His posture was as straight and graceful as a bamboo stalk, and a faint trace of men’s cologne lingered in his wake, as subtle as mountain mist, carrying a cool, dewy freshness.

This image perfectly aligned with Du Ke’s design philosophy.

Photographers snapped photos eagerly. Even without any sensational news, his striking appearance alone would draw in a crowd of fans.

Du Ke’s Regional Managers for Asia were all on the stage. Chi Zhongqiao and Du Yusheng walked up together, shaking hands with the Managers. After a light cough, the spokesperson began a lengthy speech.

Chi Zhongqiao stood there with a constant smile, maintaining his composure despite the flashing cameras. Yet, a careful observer would notice his gaze repeatedly drifting to a specific area.

That’s where his lover was sitting.

The spokesperson delivered a rambling, multi-page speech, recounting Du Ke’s entire history and development. Only when his throat grew parched did he finally present the contract.

As both parties signed the agreement, the media below grew restless—the Q&A session was about to begin.

Even a peaceful termination of Du Ke’s Asian ambassadorship could be spun into a dramatic tale of rivalry and power struggles. Given the heated online clash between Chi Zhongqiao’s and Zhao Lunce’s fans the previous night, tensions remained high. Any spark could ignite a full-blown conflict.

“Mr. Chi, what advantages do you believe you have over Mr. Zhao Lunce as the brand ambassador?”

“Mr. Zhou, do you think this change of ambassador will benefit Du Ke’s future development?”

***

The head of the Asian Region, Mr. Zhou, frowned inwardly at the reporters’ questions. To be honest, he really disliked media outlets that took money and still tried to stir up controversy.

With the staff’s assistance, a reporter squeezed forward.

“Mr. Chi, there are rumors circulating that Zhao Lunce lost this year’s endorsement due to infidelity. What are your thoughts on this?”

Chi Zhongqiao raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before settling on a tall, upright figure. He couldn’t help but smile.

Zaki~ English is not my first language, but I’ll try to get the translations as close as possible to the Author’s work. If you see any grammatical errors or mistakes in the translation, please feel free to drop them in the comments section so I can correct them immediately. Thank you and Happy Reading 🙂