The One (manhua)

The One
Cover of The One, volume 1 (Tong Li)
獨領風騷 (Dú Lǐng Fēng Sāo)
Genre
Author	Nicky Lee
Publisher	Tong Li Comics
Magazine	Star Girls
Original run	2005 – 2014
Collected volumes	17

The One (獨領風騷) is manhua being written by Taiwanese author Nicky Lee. Published by Tong Li Comics, it is being serialized in Star Girls Magazine.

Characters

• Lele Cane (藤樂樂, Téng Lèlè): Model, Protagonist of the story, has become very famous in a short amount of time, graduated high school. In the beginning of the story she thought that modeling was superfluous and only for the vain. She gets into modeling because she sees a picture of "Angus" and was inspired by him. When Lele's grandmother died, her aunt blackmailed her into becoming a model again. She briefly thought she was in love with Angus, (though it may be concluded by the reader that she has been romantically interested in Eros for a long time, albeit unwittingly, as she is prone to fantasizing about him and is comforted by merely seeing his face) but recently she realized that she loved Eros, and confesses to him, only to have him say "I know". She is frustrated by this answer and is angry with Eros. She later does a photoshoot with Angus under the photographer Marshall who also photographed the picture that inspired Lele to join the modeling industry in the first place. During the shoot she is portrayed as Angus's "Angel". The pictures are a success and she is rapidly rising in the modeling world, but Eros has suddenly become colder towards her and she can't figure out why. She is determined to ask him about his response to her confession but he forcefully harasses her in an attempt to frighten her and drive her away. She is saved by Leo and she leaves the party crying. After she gets home she starts reading her mother's journal, but suddenly falls ill due to anemia. Once Young Qui helps her recover and forces her to think about her modeling career instead of Eros she returns to DGM after a few days. She receives an offer from Glenn Devereaux, a very famous fashion designer in Paris, where she might have to stay for 3–6 months as a minimum or more than a year to train to be the next "Devereaux" girl. She is hesitant to accept the offer. However, when she meets Eros in the street and he remarks that she doesn't look happy that she received the offer. He also remarks that Nick is worried that she will not accept because of Eros to which Eros also says it has nothing to do with him. Lele has had enough and is sick of her heart beating faster for this guy so she tells him off and says that he has nothing to do with it and that she was just "digesting this good news". When he asks if they can be friends she says they never were and that she will forget about him when she leaves New York. With that she walks away from a stunned Eros. Back at the apartment with Leo, who helps her pack for Paris, she notes that the curtain with the telescope is closed which makes the room dark. She asks Leo when he will let light in and that it is her fault that he is so heartbroken. When Eros is finally able to return from Sweden half a year later, it is implied that Lele is still in love with him though she adamantly denies having any feelings for him at all. She begins to show feelings for him once again as Eros begins to recuperate after being kidnapped for almost a year. They make love in chapter 84.

• Eros (Yin) Lanson (艾洛斯 (銀) 藍森, Àiluòsī (Yín) Lánsēn): Elder twin, Fashion Runway Director (silver eyes, silver eyed monster) also called the Silver-Eyed Monster by Lele. He helps her throughout her journey in becoming a model. He grows interested in her and later on in the story falls in love with her. He wears one earring saying "Yin" ("Silver") given to him by Lele when she left Japan. He becomes protective of Lele, always bailing her out when she gets into trouble. He becomes jealous when Angus kisses Lele, prompting him to kiss her. Lele manages to trick him into playing her pretend boyfriend so she can get into a role. He is shown to have a dark past. He was raised in an orphanage because his mother could not care for him. His mother committed suicide that seemed to damage him psychologically. He has recently allowed Angus to stay in his apartment for fear that their father will take him back to Sweden and has even cut his hair and gotten green colored contacts to look exactly like Angus. He has become colder to Lele but it is evident to the reader that he actually is trying to protect her. He even hurts his hand against a wall which shows that he is resentful of attacking her. However, he still puts on his mean facade. He gets slapped by Leo when he says he's tired of caring for girls who confess to him. He runs into Lele on the street for the first time after attacking her. He tells her that she shouldn't look so depressed after getting the Glenn Devereaux offer. He provokes her into accepting the offer saying that Nick has become angry at Eros, believing him to be the reason Lele is hesitant about accepting Devereaux's offer, but he states that he doesn't think that is the case. Lele says Eros is right and that it has nothing to do with him and that she will forget him and they won't even be friends. Afterwards Eros is seen on the boardwalk contemplating what Lele told him thinking this is for the best. He calls Taylor and asks him to hide away Angus and himself from their father by meeting them in LA and then smuggling them off to a pasture. He and Angus escape by flight to Los Angeles where at the last minute Amber, Angus' assistant, has arranged a photoshoot job for him. Eros remarks that she deserves a raise. While Angus goes off to shoot he realizes that some of his father's minions have followed them there so he arranges something with Taylor that involves them hastening their plan. Eros slips a sedative in Angus' milk which causes Angus to sleep and Eros to take his place in the photoshoot. When he takes a bathroom break, three of his father's goons try to get to him but he quickly knocks them all out. Then he goes out to lunch with his comodel and the rest of the crew where he learns that they were also hired to bring "Angus" back and they beat Eros and bring him back. Eros' father realizes after that it is Eros in Angus' place but decides to use Eros in Angus place and forces him to remain in Sweden.

• Angus (Long) Lanson (安格斯 (龍) 藍森, Āngésī (Lóng) Lánsēn): Younger twin, Model (green eyes, lu yan she lang). He's quite the ladies man. When he first meets Lele he sees her as a shy and often embarrassed person, but he later works with Lele in a photo shoot he becomes intrigued by her spirit and modeling skills. The picture of "Angus" that inspired Lele was actually a picture of his brother, Eros. Angus' father has been forcing him to sleep with influential people since he was thirteen years old (both men and women) in order to advance his career in the political world. Long (Chinese for Dragon) is under his father's suffocating control and wishes to escape. However his father promises to go through any length to make sure that Long remains under his control. Recently, after the photoshoot with Lele he meets Ulysses Dowlan, the father of rival model Will Dowlan, who has become obsessed with him after seeing him in a television advertisement. After meeting with Ulysees Dowlan at the party and Eros warning him to stay away from him, Angus has an appointment with Ulysees who tells Angus he loves him. Angus is not convinced and thinks that all liars should go die. Angus hears of the plan from Eros about meeting Taylor in LA and appears to be stunned. He escapes to Los Angeles and remarks that he feels free breather in the Los Angeles air. He partakes in a photoshoot organized last minute by Amber. He is shown a little skeptical at whether or not Eros' plan will work but is reassured by Eros. He does not know that his father's minions are in Los Angeles. Angus is knocked out by a sedative that Eros puts in his milk so Eros can take Angus' place in the photoshoot. He later wakes up in Taylor's car with his hands tied where he realizes his brother is not there and Taylor is taking him away.

• Grandmother: Lele's foster guardian. She died when she fell from a ladder and went into a coma. She cared for Lele very much and was afraid when Lele had gotten sick for fear that Lele might leave her just like Lele's parents did in that terrible plane crash. She used to sing Lele to sleep. She was Lele's maternal grandmother, Lele's aunt and mother's mother.

• Ye Fei Hong (葉非紅, Yè Fēi Hóng): Aunt, Model agent/manager. She loves Lele very much and pushes her to become an international model. Lele hated her when Ye Fei Hong didn't tell her how serious her grandmother's condition was when her grandmother was in a coma, and when Ye Fei Hong was drunk, she told Lou Shang about how she was sad at how much Lele hates her. She has a peculiar relationship with Lou Shang, who said they were once great "sisters" in high school. She might have some feelings for him as she has chosen him as her "permanent sacrifice" and playfully calls him her little "wolf-dog." She pretends to be cold and unfeeling to those who get close to her because she is afraid of showing her true feelings. Lou Shang is the only one who understands her true feelings and has seen them.

• Lou Shang (樓上, Lóu Shǎng): Magazine editor, was once gay (he went straight when his boyfriend, Lele's father, left him for Ye Feihong's sister), he's in love with Ye Feihong. He at first did not like Lele when she went to see a photoshoot of Angus at W magazine. He remarked that she got her lips from "her useless father." He starts to warm up to her a year after her grandmother dies and when she gets to do her first fashion show he was impressed by her charm and remarked how she was "the most charming model I have seen in this year." He is usually the voice of reason when it comes to how cold Feihong acts towards her niece. He is Feihong's "permanent sacrifice."

• Ye Fei Yi (葉非儀, Yè Fēi Yí): Lele's mother, died when Lele was 2, was a model. She was Taiwan's top model and had the characteristics and abilities to make it international. Her sister, Feihong, said that, "because she used to practice her walk on the rooftops at home and at the office that no one has surpassed her walk and that she was born with the demeanor of a queen." Fei Yi fell in love with Night Cane when they had to work together in a shoot in India. She knew he was gay but was open to the possibility that he was bisexual so she pursued him. She showed him the stars and even made him carry her lying that her feet hurt. When he turned her away she was heartbroken but did not give up and eventually seduced him on the last day of the shoot. She was very possessive of Night, especially when Damien, the owner of ZAC, tried to have Night for his own. She showed up to the dinner Damien planned in Night's place and made fun of his height, took the watch he was going to bribe Night with, and announced she was going to marry him because she was pregnant with his child, Lele. She was very headstrong and determined. According to reports read by Young Qui when she entered the international modeling world, she was pregnant with Lele but still carried on with her career.

• Night Cane (藤夜, Téng Yè): Lele's father, died when Lele was 2, was a model. He was gay and had a relationship with Lou Shang but like Angus was never in love. When he was young he and his mother were waiting for the day that they could go to Taipei where his father was working. That night he saw the stars and described it as the most beautiful memory he had. However, when they got to Taipei they found out that his father was in debt and his mother had to work hard to support the family. He didn't let anyone get too close to him because he found it unnecessary. He, however, warms up to Fei Yi after she shows him the stars in marble in the Taj Mahal and even unconsciously starts holding her hand. He tries keeping his distance from her because he is afraid of the trouble it might cause him but eventually is captivated by her so much that he falls in love with her by the end of the shoot, thus making him bisexual. Damien, the owner of ZAC, tried to get Night as his own and even planned a one night stand with him but was verbally put down by Lele's mother.

• Young Qui (小裘, Xiǎo Qiú): Schoolfriend (best friend), aiming to be a makeup artist. She promised to be Lele's personal makeup artist when they both become famous, goes to Japan to study cosmetics. She takes care of Lele when Lele went into a severe depression after her grandmother died. She is a very supportive friend and even helped Lele make a pair of wings for an audition that Lele and did her makeup. She visits Lele in New York when Lele's ZAC advertisement comes out and describes it as the best set of pictures she has seen of Lele. She begs Lele to eat when Lele refuses to after Lele came back from the party. She becomes mad at Lele saying she can't fall into a coma every time something bad happens to her. She tells Lele that she shouldn't focus on getting love from Eros but should become a supermodel like her aunt wants and her mom would have wanted. She leaves for Japan afterwards.

• Leo (里歐, Lǐōu): An African-American homosexual crossdresser whom Lele is roomies with when she goes to New York City to model. He has had a crush on Eros for a very long time and has been good friends with him as well. He often thinks as Lele as a sister, but is jealous of the attention Eros gives her. Leo purposely has his telescope turned at Eros's apartment window. He realizes that there will always be women after Eros but is glad that Lele is a better choice than supermodel Feidna because he believes Lele will be the one hurt in the end. He knows all about the Lanson family by Google. He works as a stage manager for Eros after Eros sees his talents behind the scenes the first time he met him. He saves Lele from the party from Eros and along with Young Qui wants her to eat. When she falls ill he is the one who confronts a cold Eros about what he did to Lele. He slaps Eros after confronting him when Eros says hurtful things, unintentionally hurting Leo in the process. When he returns home he cries constantly saying he is heartbroken. He closes the curtain and removes the telescope from the window where he used to watch Eros and when Lele asks him why he won't open it he says it is to help him mourn his lost love. He will only open it when he finds a new love. Lele feels sorry that he has to continue working for Eros when she can escape him but Leo says that it is just work and he will be fine. He remarks that he will miss Lele and think of her every day.

• Yang (揚, Yáng): Boyfriend of Angus Lanson. He is very practical when it comes to Angus but he longs for more. He gets more when Angus gives him the key to his apartment but they do not live together. Yang comes in and does odd jobs around Angus' apartment. He has never once asked for Angus' love as he said when Angus left to live with Eros to protect himself from their father. He becomes upset and even says he is willing to die for Angus to which Angus coldly smirks. He works as a stylist for Eros.

• Angi: A Transgender Devereaux model, Angi was actually a guy. However, by changing his gender, Angi had become one of the top most known models of the time, too beautiful as a woman and too handsome as a man. However, by Throwing tantrums, female models disliked working with him on shoots and put him "outside of their circle", making him always feel insecure. When Lele is given the challenge to work with Angi, he at first tries in every way to make her quit. (This causes her to get an injury on the shoulder). However, after Lele rescues him from being harassed by some guys at a party, which makes him think for a minute that she may have developed a crush on him, he finally notices her jealous free nature and works with her on the shoot, resulting in a perfect wrap up. Unfortunantley, the president of the company comes up with a "better plan" for the runway, and has Lele model as a boy, While Angi remains as a girl. This triggers a sense of jealousy within Eros, who had arrived in Paris when he learned that Lele had fainted from a high fever. Sensing that Angi is still secretly straight, he tracks Leles and Angis whereabouts everyday, since they are to live together for experience. Lele notices, and feels actually smug about it, finally realizing that Eros had indeed fallen in love with her.

• Paymian/Damien Zac (達米安 雷克, Dámǐān Léikè): He is the owner of ZAC and hates Lele. He was, and still is, in love with Lele's father, Night Cane. He tried to bribe Night and court him several times but was always ignored because Lele's mother, Fei Yi, was with Night on and off camera. He tried to have a one night stand with Night by inviting him to dinner but Lele's mother showed up instead and trash talked Damien. Now he hates Lele for being born to Night and "that woman" and tries to make trouble for her during the photoshoot for his new advertisement. He clashes with Marshall.

• Marshall Seus (馬歇爾 修斯, Mǎxiē'ěr Xiūsī): The photographer for Damien's photoshoots. He disliked Damien's emphasis on "sex criterion" for the photoshoot. Marshall is the one who took the set of photographs of "Angus" which got Lele interested in modeling. He knows the actual model in the photographs is not Angus, but Eros.

• Stephen Ian (史帝夫 關, Shǐdìfū Guān): The international photographer who appears to be drunk and wasted at the "Jorivicious" audition which Lele shows up to. He is captivated by her ability to model alongside Feidna and picks her on the spot out of all the other models who came to audition.

• Feidna Ryde (斐娜 萊德, Fěinà Láidé): She is an American model who was Eros' girlfriend. Feidna is the Asian spokesperson for the perfume "Jorvicious". She toys with his feelings a lot by saying she is in love with someone else but ends up getting dumped and rushes back into Eros' arms. She is known as the Fiery Goddess. She is not acknowledged by her father and even goes to the length of dating a man twice her age who is rich and give her a proper education, something her father would like for her to have. She is disliked by Angus, Yang, and Leo. She has recently worked with Will Dowlan on F. Fin's new advertisement.

• Judy Johnson (潔蒂 強森, Jiédì Jiàngsēn): Lele's assistant. She helps Lele out when needed and even worried about Lele when she wasn't picking up her phone after getting her cellphone and purse swiped by a stranger. She is present when Lele is offered the Glenn Deveraux deal.

• Nick Douglas (尼克 道格拉斯, Níkè Dàogélāsī): He is a playboy just like, though not as extreme as, Angus. He is also the youngest CEO of Lele's modeling agency. He got it handed to him when he was 18. But no matter how unprofessional he is, he knows what to do to make it big in the modeling world. He offers the Glenn Deveraux deal to Lele once she gets better after being hurt by Eros. He gets mad at Eros because he believes Eros is the reason Lele is hesitant to accept the offer.

• Glenn Devereaux (葛倫 狄弗洛, Gělún Dífúluò): A fashion designer who extended the invitation to Lele to audition for one of his shows after seeing the photos Marshall took of her and Angus. He is impressed by her powerful walk at the audition and chooses her to become the model that opens for his fashion show and the next "Devereaux girl".

• Duke Casare Gustave (凱隆雷 古斯塔夫 公爵, Kǎilōngléi Gǔsītǎfū gōngjué): He is the twins' father. He is very cold and manipulative. He comes to take Angus back to Sweden when Madame Mode/Mandy complains of not hearing from Angus in a very long time. He refuses to acknowledge Eros as his son due to him having the same eye color as the twins' mother. He is of high nobility in Sweden. He married the daughter of a rich baron to prevent his wealth from further declining. He threatens the twins by saying he will use whatever means necessary to bring Angus back to Sweden. He has hired some people to keep a watch over Lele. He hears about the twins escaping to Los Angeles and is baffled that Angus is not obeying his orders to come back to Sweden. He sends goons over to LA to bring Angus back but when they come back with Eros instead he is angry. However, he decides to use Eros for his purposes in Angus' place and refuses to let him leave Sweden.

• Gloria Lanson (葛洛莉雅 藍森, Gěluòlìyǎ Lánsēn): She was the twins' mother. It is believed that she and their father divorced and that is when she became mentally unstable and unable to care for Eros. She did not recognize Eros (Yin) whenever he came to visit her and often asked for Angus (Long). When Eros was at the shelter, he asked Stanley to make a portrait of his mother and sent it to her on her birthday. The day he was going to visit her she committed suicide. Eros told Angus that she was killed in a car accident.

• Stanley (史丹利, Shǐdānlì): An artist who used to be in the youth shelter with Eros. They became friends and Eros was the first person to buy his artwork. He drew the portrait of Gloria.

• Taylor (泰勒, Tàilè): The adoptive father of Eros. Lives on a farm. Used to work in the fashion world. Eros calls him to ask for help when their father is pursuing them and wants to meet up with them in LA so he can smuggle Angus and Eros to his farm. He talks to Eros after Eros tells Taylor to hasten up their plans. Taylor "kidnaps" Angus and drives them to the hideout where they will wait for Eros.

• Berry (貝麗, Bèilì): wife of Taylor

• Curly Wurly Teacher (小捲毛老師, Xiǎojuǎnmáolǎoshī): Not his real name, but nicknamed so because of his "curly wurly" hair. He taught Lele's mother and aunt everything he knew about modeling and even helped Lele. He organized a fashion show to pay tribute to important names in the Taiwanese fashion world, including Lele's mother. He made Lele the showcase model for the show. He was there when Lele's grandmother died.

• Will Dowlan (威爾 道藍, Wēiěr Dàolán): One of the new upcoming models garnering attention for his vampire-like looks. Has a crush on Angus but pretends to be his enemy to protect Angus from his father, Ulysees Dowlan. Has recently worked with Feidna on F.Fin's latest advertisement.

• Ulysees Dowlan (尤里西斯 道藍, Yóulǐxīsī Dàolán): Father of Will Dowlan and dominating the American European shipping industries. He has a crush on Angus like his son. Wants to satisfy Angus rather than Madame Mode doing it. Meets with Angus at the unveiling of ZAC's latest advertisement. He meets with Angus later at an appointment and says he loves Angus and that he won't be making the first move but hope Angus will. Angus later comes to find him, and agrees to Ulysees' wish for him to become his lover for 2 years in exchange he will help free Eros from Duke Gustave's grasp.

• Madame Mode/Mandy Putney (曼黛 普特尼 夫人, Màndài Pǔtèní fūren): One of Duke Gustave's biggest political supporters. In the past, Angus was forced to keep a sexual relationship with her on his father's orders. Later, Eros in Angus' place submerges into this role. Mandy falls in love with "Angus" and even agrees to run away with him. Her husband is sent explicit photos of their encounters together, and he is blackmailed into withdrawing political support for Duke Gustave in order to prevent the public release of the material. Later, Mandy caught at the airport and is kicked out of the house by her husband for her extramarital affair. She finds out "Angus" was only using her, too, because she toyed with him the past so he is giving her a taste of her own medicine. It seems she does not realize Angus has a twin.

• Eileen (艾林, Àilín): Mandy's friend. Took Angus' virginity when he was 13. She casually remarked to Mandy that though Angus has never shown emotion before, she used to think his experience with her at so young might've harmed him. She warns Mandy to be careful of her relationship with "Angus" because she is still married to a powerful man.

• Amber (安柏, Ān Bó): She is Angus' assistant who is showing doing all the grunt work and cleans up most of Angus' messes. She secretly loves him but chooses to maintain a professional relationship in order to not get her heart broken.

• Jim (杰母, Jiémǔ): Duke Gustave's butler.