Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 625 "Darkness" joins the production team! A chill ran down my spine.

Morning light streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

Kim Jisoo's eyelids twitched, and she was the first to regain consciousness.

My body felt like it had been disassembled and then reassembled; the soreness and weakness were clear reminders of last night's absurdity and the long-lost intimacy.

Quan Xuanhe was fast asleep beside her, his face looking peaceful and gentle in the morning light, his arms wrapped around her waist, his warmth emanating through the thin blanket.

The air was filled with the lingering scents of alcohol, fragrance, and desire, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.

Kim Jisoo took a soft breath and slowly pulled away from his embrace.

The silk sheets made a soft sound as they rubbed against the skin.

Barefoot on the cool wooden floor, the clothes scattered on the floor silently testify to the urgency of last night.

She quickly picked up her underwear, not daring to look at the person on the bed.

As they walked toward the bathroom, their footsteps were almost silent.

The door closed gently, the click of the lock ringing out clearly in the quiet morning.

The sound of water pattering could be heard.

On the bed, Quan Xuanhe slowly opened his eyes. His gaze swept over the empty space beside him, where the lingering warmth was still vivid.

His gaze shifted to the closed bathroom door, and as he listened to the faint sound of water, a very faint, almost imperceptible smile silently curved his lips, carrying a hint of lingering satisfaction.

The bathroom was filled with mist, and water droplets trickled down the frosted glass door.

Kim Jisoo stood under the warm water, the water washing away the clear marks on her body and trying to wash away the chaotic fragments of memory in her mind.

Last night's indulgence fueled by alcohol, Kwon Hyun-hyuk's domineering and irresistible closeness, and my own half-hearted surrender...

All the images swirled and blurred, yet remained clear, amidst the rising steam.

Her fingers unconsciously brushed over a clear hickey below her collarbone, as if she could still feel his pressure.

There was a slight sound coming from outside the door, either Mishu was moving around or Quan Xuanhe was getting up.

Jisoo's heart skipped a beat, and she dried herself off even faster.

She opened the door and stepped out, still damp and warm.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was no longer in bed; he was wearing dark gray lounge pants and a white T-shirt.

When Mishu saw her come out, he immediately wagged his tail and came over, nudging her legs with his wet nose ingratiatingly.

Kim Jisoo bent down and ruffled Misoo's hair.

The air still seemed to carry traces of last night, but strangely, the tension brought on by the hangover and chaos seemed to have been mostly washed away by the water.

Unlike when she first woke up, she didn't hastily avoid his gaze. Instead, she gently raised her chin and met his eyes with a frank expression.

"When did you wake up?"

Quan Xuanhe asked curiously.

About half an hour?

Kim Jisoo answered Kwon Heonhyuk naturally, then picked up her shirt and put it on.

"Are they getting ready to leave?"

Seeing her actions, Quan Xuanhe assumed she was about to leave and tried to persuade her to stay.

"Why leave so early? Aren't you going to stay a little longer?"

Kim Jisoo paused in putting on her top, looked up at Kwon Heonhyuk, and shook her head slightly.

"No, I have to go back to the company."

"It's not good to stay here too long."

Quan Xuanhe watched her tidy up efficiently in the morning light and didn't insist any further.

That's true. If Jisoo were to stay at his home and be photographed by paparazzi, that would be a big deal.

He walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and began to methodically select clothes to wear outside.

Mishu paced back and forth between the two a few times before finally lying back down on his mat.

"I have to leave soon too, I'm going to film a movie."

Kim Jisoo was fixing her hair in front of the mirror when she heard this and paused.

"Nite Owl?"

It is now rumored that Kwon Heon-hyuk has two dramas in the works: one is "20th Century Girl" which has already been filmed, and the other is "Night Owl".

There is a lot of anticipation surrounding Night Owl.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the former is just a romance movie and doesn't really make a splash in terms of acting.

The latter is a male-centric film, with Kwon Heon-hyuk at the heart of the movie. It's also a period thriller, which is quite challenging for the actor.

"No, it isn't."

Quan Xuanhe shook his head.

"It's Dark Glory."

Okay, this is common knowledge.

Kim Jisoo smoothed out the last wrinkle on her coat, her fingertips lingering briefly on the buttons, her gaze involuntarily following Kwon Heonhyuk as he adjusted his cuffs in front of the dressing mirror.

"Then I'm leaving." She broke the silence with her voice, which was clear in the empty bedroom and sounded somewhat forcedly natural.

Quan Xuanhe had just finished fastening the last cufflink when he heard the sound and turned around.

He didn't speak immediately, but took a few steps and quickly closed the distance between them.

Quan Xuanhe's gaze fell on her face, and he said with a smile, "Let me know when you get to the company."

"Mmm," Kim Jisoo responded, her fingertips curling slightly. Feeling him so close, carrying the intrusive feeling of last night's memories, she instinctively wanted to turn her head away.

But he gently pinched her chin with his hand. The movement was light, but it carried an undeniable sense of control, forcing her gaze to be fixed on his deep eyes.

"Just like that, you're leaving?" Quan Xuanhe's thumb brushed against her fair neck near her collarbone, seemingly unintentionally.

Even after being rinsed with warm water, the clear marks underneath still feel slightly hot.

His gaze shifted downwards for a fleeting, meaningful moment.

Kim Jisoo felt a surge of heat rise from the skin touched by his fingertips, rushing straight to her ears.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks as she tried to remain calm, but her body remained rooted to the spot. She muttered a low, reproachful tone, "Kwon Hyun-hyuk! Letting go really means I have to go."

"You won't even say 'Nuna'!"

But her warning lacked any real force; it sounded more like a coquettish attempt to refuse.

Quan Xuanhe not only didn't let go, but instead laughed.

He lowered his head and stopped just inches away from her lips.

Their breaths mingled warmly, and the air seemed to thicken.

"..." Kim Jisoo held her breath, her eyes becoming unfocused for a moment.

Fragments of the intense struggle from last night flooded back into my mind.

Reason screamed to push him away, but her body leaned forward slightly against her will, as if inviting the impending touch.

However, just when she was almost lost in the moment, thinking he would kiss her, Kwon Hyuk simply pressed his forehead against hers and rubbed it affectionately.

Then, he pressed his warm lips to her eyelids with a gentle kiss.

"Let's go." Kim Jisoo seemed to wake from a dream, and her step back was a little messy. She quickly raised her hand to tidy her sideburns, which were not actually messy, as if to cover up her mistake.

The passion she had just revealed made her feel a little embarrassed, and her heart was pounding like a drum.

She tried to remain calm, even deliberately pulling up the collar of her coat a little to cover the sensitive skin on the side of her neck.

She glared at him, trying to cover up her embarrassment, her gaze more like shame than reproach.

"Okay! Go film your movie." She said this almost rudely, as if to cover up her recent loss of composure.

Then she immediately turned around, grabbed her bag almost hastily, and headed for the door.

After Kim Jisoo left, Kwon Hyun-hyuk tidied up the mess in his apartment, his mind flashing back to the absurdity of the previous night and the hurried farewell this morning.

He quickly changed into a low-key casual outfit and summoned the nanny van.

As the car drove out of the underground parking garage, Seoul's morning rush hour was not yet fully congested, and the skyscrapers outside the window were gilded by the rising sun.

Kwon Heonhyuk leaned back in the soft seat as his assistant, Park Jung-jung, handed him a tablet computer. The screen displayed the schedule for "Dark Glory" for the day: the script reading would be held at the Netflix building at 10:00 AM.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk swiped the screen to browse the script summary.

The van drove smoothly and arrived at its destination half an hour later.

Quan Xuanhe pushed open the conference room door, and everyone's eyes immediately focused on him.

Director Ahn Gil-ho was the first to stand up, extending his hand with a warm smile.

"Xuanhe, we've been waiting for you to come."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk quickly stepped forward, bowed, and shook hands, saying humbly, "Director-nim, thank you for waiting."

Screenwriter Kim Eun-sook said with a smile, "Looking at your performance in 'Blues,' Hyunhyuk's acting was excellent."

He exchanged a few pleasantries with the director and screenwriter before sitting down.

Looking around, one sees the core characters from the drama who are constantly antagonizing each other.

He saw several actors who would be forming a "villain gang" in the play—the names of the characters they played were already well-known in the script.

Jeon Jae-joon, Lee Sa-ra, Park Yeon-jin, Choi Hye-jung...

At this moment, everyone was still being polite due to their first meeting, but Quan Xuanhe knew that soon they would transform into the "bullying five" characters in the drama, who would make people grit their teeth in hatred, and put on many wonderful and memorable scenes.

Actually, Park Sung-hoon, who plays Jeon Jae-joon, is in the same company as him, but the two have never met.

This is someone who entered the industry early but didn't make a name for himself until "Dark Glory" became a huge hit, after which he rose to fame like a rocket.

With titles like "Queen of Tears" and "Squid Game," some of these resources came from Dark Glory's accumulation, but more importantly, from the support of BH Company.

There's also Lim Ji-yeon, who initially gained fame by appearing nude in "The Treacherous," but it was difficult for her to put the clothes back on afterward, and she remained stagnant for the next few years without making a name for herself.

Later in 2020, he signed with Artist Company, the agency founded by Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung.

She truly turned her life around thanks to "Dark Glory," which not only put her back in the spotlight but also made her a leading actress among the post-90s generation.

There's also Jung Sung-il, the actor who plays Park Yeon-jin's husband.

She was completely unknown before, but became an instant sensation after being spotted by Kim Eun-sook and starring in Dark Glory.

The show "Dark Glory" has an amazing ability to promote its cast; all of them have gone on to achieve great success.

The script reading session was quietly waiting to begin. Director Ahn Gil-ho and screenwriter Kim Eun-sook were still exchanging opinions in hushed tones, while the actors were also flipping through the script, preparing their emotions.

The meeting room was filled with a focused yet slightly scrutinizing atmosphere, typical of an initial gathering.

Apart from Kwon Heon-hyuk, who is a big star, the other actors are all minor actors. It is extremely rare for one or two people to get into such a big project.

Just then, the conference room door was knocked open again, and everyone looked up from the script.

Han Hyo-joo walked in.

She wore a perfectly timed, slightly apologetic smile, her posture was composed and elegant, and she exuded the approachability and charisma unique to top actors.

"Sorry for the slight delay on the way. We apologize for keeping you all waiting."

Her voice was warm and clear, and her gaze swept over everyone present.

Director Ahn Gil-ho immediately flashed a warm smile: "Hyo-joo! You've come at the perfect time."

Screenwriter Kim Eun-sook smiled and nodded in welcome.

The other actors, whether old or young, all showed respect or slightly nervous smiles and nodded in greeting.

"Hello, senior."

"Hello, Senior Xiaozhou."

Han Hyo-joo smiled and responded to everyone's greetings, her gaze sweeping over the seats in the conference room.

Without the slightest hesitation, she naturally turned towards Quan Xuanhe and gracefully sat down in the empty seat next to him.

Throughout the process, Kwon Hyun-hyuk did not appear particularly surprised or excited when she entered; he simply smiled habitually.

Director Ahn Gil-ho clapped his hands heartily once everyone was present, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's get started according to plan."

He specifically looked at Kwon Heon-hyuk and Han Hyo-joo, his eyes filled with encouragement for the two heavyweight lead actors.

"Xuanhe, Xiaozhou, especially the two of you have a lot of scenes together. Start feeling the sparks from the reading aloud."

Director Ahn Gil-ho cleared his throat again and emphasized it.

"As you all know, we are dealing with an extremely special work this time. You have all read the script. Its core is not just a simple revenge drama, but a profound analysis of class, power, the dark side of human nature, and the terrible violence that breeds in such an extreme environment."

"The brutal depiction of school violence will be one of the most impactful parts of this drama. Let's start from the first scene today, read it carefully, and feel it deeply."

The meeting room fell completely silent, the rustling sound of papers turning could be clearly heard.

Director Ahn Gil-ho gestured to his assistant, his steady voice breaking the silence: "Starting from the very first scene—the gymnasium storage room, where Moon Dong-eun makes her first appearance being bullied."

Shin Ye-eun, who plays the young Park Yeon-jin, took a deep breath and recited her lines in a deliberately raised voice, with a condescending cruelty: "Take off your clothes, Moon Dong-eun."

Writer Kim Eun-sook astutely interjected: "The dialogue needs to be more casual, like talking about the weather. Cruelty should be a game to you, as natural as breathing."

then.

It was Quan Xuanhe's turn to meet Dr. Zhou Ruzheng for the first time. He had restrained all his sharpness, his voice was calm and clear, carrying the calm concern unique to a medical worker.

"The scars on your body... require professional treatment. If left untreated, they can become infected."

The reading session was reaching its climax.

Time slipped away amidst the intense clash of texts.

Director Ahn Gil-ho closed the thick script in his hand, looked around at the actors sitting around him, and the tense atmosphere that had lasted all morning seemed to relax with this action.

"Alright, that's all for this morning!"

Director An's voice carried a hint of relaxation, "Everyone worked hard and performed exceptionally well."

"Let's take a break at noon and continue in the afternoon."

The air in the conference room seemed to instantly come alive.

The continuous and intense emotional outburst left everyone feeling somewhat mentally exhausted.

After the morning script reading ended, Han Hyo-joo turned to look at Kwon Seon-hyuk sitting next to her.

Are you busy tonight?

Upon hearing this, Quan Xuanhe felt a chill run down his spine.

No, come again?

(End of this chapter)