[Styling Session]
On the morning of August 9th, the five were driven directly to the photo studio in the company van arranged by Director Xu.
Today was their official promotional photoshoot. A stylist wheeled in a long clothes rack packed with outfits. Fang Yinnian scanned it briefly but couldn’t tell which set was meant for whom among the numerous styles.
Manager Xu Baichuan walked in and announced, “Everyone will start with hairstyling first. Today you’ll change into three different outfits and take numerous promotional photos. Also, could the stylists please dye Xiao Fei’s hair?”
A hairstylist came over with a color palette. “Which color?”
Xu Baichuan showed it to Fu Fei. “How about platinum blonde?”
Fu Fei looked confused. “Huh? I’m dyeing my hair? I’ve never dyed it before.”
Xu Baichuan explained, “I carefully examined the photos from last time—when all five of you stand together, your hairstyle looks too similar to Yinnian’s, reducing your visual distinctiveness. Your skin is fair, so you can pull off this color. Platinum blonde will make you look like a little sun—quite adorable. Let’s try it.”
Fu Fei brightened up. “Great, let’s go with that color!”
Xu Baichuan continued, “Everyone else will keep their natural hair color. Please style their hair carefully according to my previous instructions. Thank you all for your hard work.”
The stylists began working on their heads.
Previously, whenever Fang Yinnian visited a hair salon, he worried about ending up with an awkward-looking straight fringe. However, the professional stylists arranged by their manager were highly skilled—his last haircut had been very fashionable and flattering.
Everyone’s hair had grown a bit over the month, requiring only minor trims and detail adjustments.
Tang Che and Tan Junwen’s hair required more complex styling, and Fu Fei’s dyeing process would take the longest. Fang Yinnian and Mo Xun were finished quickly.
The two who finished first were called to change clothes for their photoshoot.
The photography area was in the adjacent room—a temporary studio set up with the same photographer, Teacher Zhou, from before.
The two bowed together. “Hello, Teacher Zhou.”
Zhou Yue smiled and waved his hand. “Hello. We’re shooting indoors today, right? With three outfit changes?”
Xu Baichuan confirmed, “Yes, there’s no time for outdoor shoots. Today we’ll focus on promotional materials—individual and group shots. We’ll take plenty of photos for official social media accounts and online encyclopedia profiles.”
“Understood. Leave it to me.” Zhou Yue adjusted his camera and turned to the two members. “Mo Xun, you first.”
Having photographed them previously, the photographer already understood each member’s unique presence, which expressions suited them best, and their most flattering angles, making today’s shoot proceed relatively smoothly.
After dyeing his hair, Xiao Fei looked significantly more eye-catching.
The four older members had such distinctive characteristics that Fu Fei’s presence in the group hadn’t been particularly strong. But now, with his platinum blonde head standing out among the five, paired with his baby face, he added an adorable brightness to the team.
As the youngest member, he would definitely attract plenty of older sister fans and motherly fans.
The first styling concept for the five members featured suits—casual tailored attire that fit them perfectly.
Fang Yinnian’s outfit had a particularly clever design, with a longer hem that extended to his knees.
Fu Fei asked curiously, “Director Xu, when would we wear these suits? For red carpets or award ceremonies?”
Xu Baichuan replied, “You’ll wear them for the concert.”
All five paused in surprise.
Fu Fei exclaimed, “These are our performance outfits?”
Xu Baichuan explained, “Suits complement a piano performance better. You can’t exactly surround a piano wearing tattered, multicolored outfits, can you?”
That made sense. Since Fang Yinnian would be playing the piano live, it would look strange if he were dressed too casually.
A boy band debuting with all members in suits around a piano was truly unprecedented in the Chinese entertainment industry.
The five of them, not yet 20 years old, had a unique quality when wearing casual suits—somewhere between youthful innocence and maturity. With their tall, straight figures creating the impression of endless legs, combined with their striking looks, they were genuinely captivating.
Mo Xun glanced at the hem of Fang Yinnian’s outfit and remarked, “No wonder Yinnian’s clothes are different from ours. Since he’ll be seated at the piano, the longer hem will fall naturally, creating a more flowing effect.”
Fu Fei turned to look as well and commented, “Brother Nian’s outfit is truly ethereal!”
Each member’s shirt and cufflinks featured distinctive designs. The color palette centered around black, white, and gray—Tan Junwen in dark gray, Tang Che and Fu Fei in light gray, Mo Xun in pure black, and Fang Yinnian in pure white.
A white suit with a white piano might look too monotonous, so Fang Yinnian’s suit collar, cuffs, and hem were embroidered with dark gold embossed patterns. When the camera zoomed in, these exquisite details would be captured.
Fu Fei’s description of “ethereal” was indeed accurate—Fang Yinnian’s aura in a white suit with dark gold embroidery resembled that of a pure, unworldly noble prince.
His teammates also had dark gold elements in different locations on their suits. When the five stood together, they created a visually harmonious impression.
Tan Junwen praised, “Our performance outfits are quite well-designed—not like those rigid, formal suits you typically see. With these dark gold patterns, they’re reminiscent of Tiny’s haute couture.”
Xu Baichuan raised an eyebrow. “You unknown rookies want to wear haute couture? You can’t even borrow pre-season collections. Brands only lend clothes based on a celebrity’s popularity and status.”
Tan Junwen smiled cheerfully. “If we become famous someday, will our manager help us borrow some to wear?”
Xu Baichuan replied, “Let’s focus on becoming famous first! If you really make a name for yourselves, I might help you try borrowing some.”
Fang Yinnian didn’t understand and quietly asked Mo Xun, “What are pre-season collections and haute couture?”
Mo Xun explained softly in his ear, “For example, if you wear clothes in spring that a brand won’t officially release until fall, that’s considered ‘pre-season’—being allowed to wear them early shows the brand’s recognition of you. ‘Haute couture’ refers to high-end custom designs, globally limited and extremely expensive. Both types of clothing reflect a celebrity’s status in the fashion world, which equals ‘industry ranking’—something the entertainment world values tremendously.”
Fang Yinnian nodded in confusion. “That’s so complicated. It’s all related to status rankings?”
Mo Xun laughed. “Of course—the entertainment industry is obsessed with status. Even the order in which people walk the red carpet can cause lengthy feuds.”
Fang Yinnian: “…”
Fang Yinnian realized his understanding of the entertainment industry was indeed shallow—even clothing choices involved so many considerations.
He asked, “The clothes we’re wearing today aren’t expensive, right? We should be careful not to get them dirty.”
Mo Xun replied, “These were custom-made for us by a small domestic brand that Old Xu found, so they’re definitely not expensive. The quality is good though—mine feels quite comfortable. As complete unknowns, we don’t need to worry about these things anyway.”
Fang Yinnian smiled. “True. Junwen seems very knowledgeable about fashion—I’ve never even heard of the brands he mentioned.”
Mo Xun said, “He studies art, so he probably cares more about design aesthetics and follows fashion magazines. I don’t know much either.”
Fang Yinnian admitted, “I know absolutely nothing about it.”
While the photographer paused to review the photos, the two continued chatting as if no one else was present.
Noticing them huddled together whispering, Xu Baichuan couldn’t help asking, “Mo Xun, Fang Yinnian—what are you two murmuring about?”
Both answered in perfect unison: “Nothing.”
Xu Baichuan: “…”
Just like students caught passing notes by their teacher—and their synchronized answer shows surprisingly good chemistry.
Xu Baichuan smiled and waved his hand. “Everyone go change outfits—let’s move quickly to the next set.”
The second outfit set consisted of everyday clothing—jeans paired with colorful T-shirts, each with the FTM team logo printed on the back. The five pastel-colored shirts in light blue, cream yellow, and other soft hues with low saturation made them look exceptionally youthful.
Being not yet twenty years old, these pastel colors gave them a fresh, innocent style, highlighting their collagen-rich faces and youthful energy.
The third set featured casual sportswear—long-sleeved shirts and pants with white bases accented by amber-colored stripes. Amber-gold was their team’s support color, and these versatile outfits could be worn for various variety shows and interview appearances.
There were no performance outfits suitable for dancing among today’s selections.
Since they didn’t have any dance songs yet, perhaps those would be custom-designed later based on their music?
They took thousands of promotional photos across the three outfit sets.
By the end of the shoot, everyone’s smiles and poses had become somewhat stiff, but for a group of rookies, even this exhausting experience felt exciting.
After returning that evening, Xu Baichuan added them to a group chat: “Tomorrow’s flight is at 3 PM. We’ll take the company van together after lunch. We’ll be staying until the 19th before returning. My assistant will bring your performance outfits, so you only need to pack everyday clothes.”
Everyone took turns replying: “Understood.”
They immediately began packing their luggage upon returning to the dormitory.
Mo Xun glanced at Fang Yinnian’s oversized white suitcase and asked, “Yinnian, do you have a lot to pack?”
Fang Yinnian replied, “Not much. Summer clothes are thin—just a few sets for changing.”
Mo Xun suggested straightforwardly, “Then put your things in my suitcase—we can share one. Your suitcase is too bulky to carry around.”
Fang Yinnian looked at his 30-inch oversized luggage and nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
Mo Xun spread his suitcase open on the floor. “Half for each of us.”
Men typically don’t need much when traveling—underwear, socks, clothes, and some daily necessities. Mo Xun’s carry-on suitcase had ample room for both their belongings, with space to spare.
The two quickly finished packing, and shortly after, the others brought their packed suitcases to the living room.
Five people, four suitcases.
Tang Che asked with confusion, “Why are we missing a suitcase? Who hasn’t packed yet?”
Fang Yinnian smiled and explained, “My things are in Mo Xun’s suitcase.”
Fu Fei was shocked. “Whoa! When did you two get so close? Sharing a suitcase!”
Mo Xun patted Fu Fei’s golden head. “Yinnian’s suitcase was too large and inconvenient, so he’s using mine instead. Got a problem with that?”
Fu Fei grinned. “I’m just surprised—I wouldn’t dare have a problem with it.”
Mo Xun turned to his teammates. “Everyone, hand over your ID cards. I’ll keep them safe so that certain people,” he deliberately glanced at Tan Junwen, “don’t forget them and miss the flight.”
Tan Junwen hastily presented his ID card to the captain with both hands—he had indeed forgotten his documentation and missed flights before.
The captain had predicted his tendency perfectly—it was better to let Mo Xun handle the ID cards from now on.
—
The next morning at nine, their group chat kept buzzing with messages.
Fang Yinnian opened WeChat to find messages from Old Xu: “I’ve sent the photos to Mo Xun’s email. Select your favorites and I’ll have them professionally edited. Each person should pick five individual shots, and collectively choose five group photos. Mo Xun, compile them for me.”
Mo Xun replied “Received” and opened his email to download several ZIP files.
The photoshoot had produced an enormous number of high-quality images that captured them at their most handsome.
Everyone sat in the living room selecting photos until they were almost cross-eyed from the task.
Mo Xun asked, “Should we select photos from the same outfit series for our Weibo profile pictures to create a unified look?”
Fang Yinnian suggested, “I think we could use the pastel ‘macaron’ series for Weibo avatars and the suits for encyclopedia profile images. Using the same series would create visual harmony when our profiles are displayed together.”
Fu Fei agreed enthusiastically, “Absolutely! Using the same series makes us look more like a proper team.”
Tan Junwen said, “Let’s pick our individual photos first, then select the group shots.”
As they were discussing this, another message appeared in the group chat.
Xu Baichuan: “@everyone Do you all have Weibo accounts? Please send me your profile links.”
All five promptly shared their Weibo pages in the chat.
Xu Baichuan clicked on Tang Che’s profile and saw he had recently reposted news articles with a scathing comment: “Human intelligence is indeed uneven. You could shake the water in your brain and create a vast ocean.”
Xu Baichuan: “…”
Clicking on Fu Fei’s Weibo, Xu Baichuan found it filled with entertainment industry gossip: “Hahaha this is hilarious. Such big news, is it true or false?” “Can’t the paparazzi just reveal everything directly? So annoying with these ‘certain actor/actress’ hints!”
Xu Baichuan: “…”
Maybe consume less gossip in the future.
Mo Xun’s Weibo consisted entirely of various stage performances and live shows.
Fang Yinnian had reposted numerous music-related educational content, almost turning his Weibo into a vocal training textbook.
Tan Junwen didn’t even have a Weibo account. He was too lazy—even during last year’s rap competition when he had significant attention, he hadn’t capitalized on it to build an online presence. Any fans he had back then had probably disappeared by now.
Xu Baichuan massaged his temples in resignation and said, “Everyone should register new accounts. Keep your current ones as personal accounts for browsing gossip and casual internet activities. I’ll manage your new official accounts at first, then return control to you after your debut. Public figures can’t post recklessly on social media—understand?”
The five nodded obediently: “Understood!”
After debut, they would become public figures who needed to be cautious with their words and actions. Careless social media posts could be screenshotted and scrutinized by netizens.
Their previous accounts certainly couldn’t be used anymore, though it hardly mattered since they had few real followers anyway—mostly bot accounts.
The five began registering new accounts.
Mo Xun asked, “Director Xu, should our IDs follow a unified format?”
Xu Baichuan replied, “Use ‘FTM-[your name]’—everyone follow this format. Follow each other after registration and send me your account details. I’ll have the company’s PR team get verified blue checkmarks for you.”
They quickly registered their accounts and shared their profile links in the group chat.
Fang Yinnian noticed a red dot in the upper right corner of his Weibo: “You have a new follower.”
It was FTM-MoXun.
Mo Xun had become the first follower of his new account.
Fang Yinnian promptly visited Mo Xun’s page, followed him back, and then followed his other three teammates through Mo Xun’s following list.
Fu Fei held up his phone excitedly. “My brand new account already has 4 followers—all of you guys, hahaha!”
Mo Xun smiled. “Same here. The numbers will grow gradually over time.”
Looking at their new accounts with just “4” followers, everyone experienced mixed emotions.
All their usernames now carried the “FTM” prefix.
This signified that from now on, they would participate in the entertainment industry as members of the FTM group.
FTM was officially setting out.
The five accounts were completely new—without verified status or custom profile pictures, still using system defaults.
After their official debut, people would start following them.
As long as they continued working hard, their Weibo followers would surely increase over time.
