That girl was none other than Chen Xiaoyan.

As that year's most popular female singer, her eligibility to participate in such an event was not called into question.

She thought it was just an ordinary artiste fashion show, but it never occurred to her that it would be so different.

She was thrilled after receiving the invitation and went there after taking great pains to dress up and choose her clothes meticulously. It was only when she went there that she realized the musical celebrities who joined the catwalk had to be sponsored by the clothing brand.

Since it was a catwalk, the most important thing other than the person was to show those clothes.

That particular artiste fashion show required singers to obtain sponsorship from luxury brands and wear said brand's latest lines that have yet to hit the market. That way, the singers could make an appearance whilst advertising those new clothes, thus creating a win-win situation for both parties.

However, Chen Xiaoyan was oblivious to that important piece of information!

Though the dress she wore was not at all bad, it was certainly not new!

It was known that everyone in the audience was extremely picky about fashion. She would surely invite displeasure from them if she dressed that way, and once the public knew about it, her image would also take a blow.

The invitation made no mention of that!

Chen Xiaoyan thought of getting a sponsor before the show started, but it was impossible.

Besides, the brands were very particular about sponsoring, and more importantly, she needed it to be a new style, and even if there were, it would be too late to send them over!

At the same time, many singers onstage looked at Chen Xiaoyan on occasion. They pointed fingers at her and were relishing in her misfortune.

Her peers were her foes.

Chen Xiaoyan rose like a comet and it was only natural that her peers were jealous. It certainly sparked joy in the others to see her make a fool of herself during such a big occasion.

"Hehe, Chen Xiaoyan, we meet again." A cutting voice was heard when Hong Na appeared in front of Chen Xiaoyan. Hong Na gave her a mocking look. "With that kind of clothes, are you sure you're here for the catwalk and not as a waiter?"

Chen Xiaoyan looked at Hong Na, kept quiet, and was ready to walk away.

"Don't be in such a rush. Let me tell you the good news. When it's time to go on stage, the two of us happened to be in the same group. What a coincidence!" Hong Na grinned and looked at Chen Xiaoyan.

A comparison of looks alone made it quite clear who was the winner, but catwalks were a whole different thing altogether. Clothes made the woman, and the importance of clothing could not be overstated!

Chen Xiaoyan wore a long black dress on that day. It was ordinary but atmospheric and leaned toward a reserved style.

Hong Na was different. She was clothed in a golden color, complete with a gold crown-like headdress that opened like a peacock on the back. It was very shiny, and if she went on stage, the lights would no doubt make her stand out. Overwhelming Chen Xiaoyan was going to be a walk in the park.

Chen Xiaoyan gave Hong Na a cold glare before snorting and turned away.

She knew that she could not get away from Hong Na on that day. Hong Ha wanted to crush her on stage as retaliation for what happened in the past!

Onstage!

After the emcee's completed his opening remarks, his facial expression switched to one of seriousness. "Everyone, let us welcome the first group! They are a band whose songs are known on the streets and all over the world. They are...Legend of The Phoenix!"

A man and a woman strutted out slowly in exquisite clothes as soon as the emcee spoke.

Members of the audience nodded slightly and made comments on occasions.

"They're wearing the Tory brand. The color of this brand's clothes has always been rather plain, but it's improved this time."

"Legend of The Phoenix, eh? Their songs are quite good. I think I'll buy some clothes from this brand and try them out since they're endorsing this brand."

"I heard that they just hired a French clothing designer. It seems like they'll be very competitive in the future."

After doing the catwalk, Legend of The Phoenix left the stage.

"The next group are singers Li Hao and Wang Song!"

It was two men, who wore different brands of clothing but were both suits. There was a slight difference in color, but the similarly received rave reviews.

"The next group ..."

Groups made their appearance one after another.

The VIPs observed carefully offstage, especially those who were leading figures in the apparel business. They compared the characteristics of their competitors' garments with their own, jotting down the good and the bad for future improvement.

Besides the clothes, they also took note of the stars wearing those clothes. If they were suitable for modeling, they would personally request those stars to be their ambassadors. Fame and fortune were practically handed over to them on a silver platter.

The emcee then continued by saying, "The next group consists of singers that are famous now and in the past. One has successfully transformed from an online celebrity singer, and her songs have long been in the top three of QQ's greatest hits. It's Chen Xiaoyan! The other is a veteran songstress who wrote countless classics, Hong Na! Welcome them onto the stage!

Chen Xiaoyan took a deep breath, bit her lip, and walked out of the stage with a stubborn look on her face. Hong Na meanwhile, beamed with a smile as she walked out.

Everyone was aware of the bad blood between Chen Xiaoyan and Hong Na. The entire episode caused quite a stir, so when everyone heard that they were coming out as a pair, it immediately attracted the attention of many. A great number of people focused their attention on the stage.

Once the crowd looked over, everyone frowned unwittingly.

"What's going on? Isn't Chen Xiaoyan's clothes last year's style?"

"Could it be that no clothing companies were willing to sponsor Chen Xiaoyan?"

"This is a bit too lackadaisical isn't it? She should've just refrained from participating. Is she trying to act self-important?"

"Chen Xiaoyan cannot be compared to Hong Na, they're far too different. This is what happens when you aren't mindful!"

"Chen Xiaoyan's gonna be doomed soon. Many VIPs are obviously unhappy. How could she make such a silly mistake?"

"Hong Na completely outshines Chen Xiaoyan onstage."

...

Many of those comments flowed into Chen Xiaoyan's ears, causing her delicate body to tremble slightly. Still, she gritted her teeth and went on.

The corner of Hong Na's lips curled up proudly. 'That's what you get for offending me! I'll always crush you. Why should you even try to fight me?'

Celebrities were well-off, but they still needed significant capital to support them. They needed that support and funding to get better rates of exposure and be memorable in the public sphere.

Those offstage VIPs were precisely the source of that capital!

Those who left a good impression would no doubt be treated very differently from those who left a bad impression!

Many celebrities who failed to get good funding or sponsorship would find it difficult to make a living, let alone make a name for themselves!

Ye Lingchen was also surprised when Chen Xiaoyan come out. The moment he saw Chen Xiaoyan and Hong Na coming out together, he frowned after having guessed that something was amiss.

In that situation, it was good enough that Chen Xiaoyan maintained her courage to do the catwalk.

"Stop!"

At that time, someone suddenly said, "We do not accept outdated dresses for this catwalk. Will the one wearing the black dress please leave!"

The catwalk was only halfway done, so the change stunned everyone present.

Slowly, however, many people began voicing out in favor of that, "That's quite true. Please leave the stage..."