Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 656 It still has to be a mature woman

Quan Xuanhe slowly moved the phone away from his ear, the call-end notification on the screen still seeming to carry the lingering warmth of Zhao Meiyan's solemn voice.

The phone screen went dark, reflecting his slightly somber expression.

Zhao Meiyan's voice, filled with grievance and exhaustion, yet incredibly clear and resolute, echoed repeatedly in his mind.

That wasn't just a demand, it was more like a fragile confirmation.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't put down his phone immediately; his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the screen.

Zhao Meiyan's tolerance and rare vulnerability did indeed evoke his pity and protective instincts.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk agreed almost without hesitation.

To be honest, Zhao Meiyan's reaction on the phone was somewhat unexpected.

How did things change?

This was a bit confusing for Kwon Hyun-hyuk.

The change was somewhat abrupt, leaving him feeling a little confused.

What made her adjust her mindset in such a short time?
Just then, Han Hyo-joo strolled in leisurely, wearing high heels.

She immediately noticed the expression on Kwon Seonhyuk's face.

“Xuanhe,” Han Xiaozhou stopped beside him, her gaze sweeping over his face.

"What's he thinking about standing here all by himself? He looks so preoccupied."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked up at the sound and met Han Hyo-joo's eyes.

He subconsciously twitched the corner of his mouth, trying to brush it off with a vague answer.

"It's nothing important, I'm just thinking about how to capture the character's emotions more accurately in the next scene."

He looked away, picked up the half-cold coffee beside him, took a sip, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

This ambiguous statement clearly could not fool Han Hyo-ju.

She gave a soft "heh," the last syllable rising slightly, clearly indicating her disbelief in his perfunctory answer.

He never seemed to think deeply about the script when filming; he always just picked things up off the cuff and got the director's approval as soon as he started acting.

"qinjia?"

Han Hyo-joo was all smiles, but he felt like she was hiding a knife behind her smile.

Try spouting nonsense here again.
Seeing this, Kwon Hyun-hyuk had no choice but to briefly explain the reason, after all, deceiving Han Hyo-joo was not an easy thing.

He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before speaking.

"Miyan just called."

"His attitude is a little... different now."

Han Hyo-joo paused slightly at her lips as she picked up her coffee cup, then a knowing smile spread across her eyes.

She took a slow, deliberate sip, her gaze drifting to the bustling crowd on the distant film set, as if admiring some interesting scenery.

"Oh? Miyeon-xi? What did she say that made you feel different?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk did not repeat the exact words, but only gave a brief explanation.

"It's a bit surprising how quickly she adjusted her mindset."

"Quickly?" Han Xiaozhou chuckled, already knowing the answer.

She put down her coffee cup and finally turned her gaze back to Kwon Seonhyuk's face.

"I don't think it's fast at all. Young people, after experiencing a small setback, always need time to think."

"Ani, I haven't even explained what it is yet, how does Nuna know so much about it?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked at the carefree Han Hyo-joo and immediately realized something was wrong.

His gaze was fixed on Han Hyo-joo.

"Nuna, what did you say to Miyeon?"

Han Hyo-joo met his gaze without flinching, but her eyes held a hint of smugness.

"What can I say? I just couldn't bear to see her in pain and obsession, so I told her the most basic and practical principles in this industry."

Quan Xuanhe's confused look vanished, replaced by a sudden realization.

He understood; he realized why Zhao Meiyan had changed so suddenly.

Oh, it's Han Hyo-joo!
It has to be the mature, sophisticated woman who has seen it all, knows a lot, and is truly powerful on stage.

His initial surprise at Zhao Meiyan's sudden change in attitude subsided. Han Xiaozhou's intervention had a direct and immediate effect.

"Thank you, Noona," Kwon Hyun-hyuk said, his tone knowing, as this was convenient for him.

As the saying goes, an old person in the family is like a treasure.

Although Han Hyo-joo isn't old, he's undoubtedly a pillar of strength among those around him.

"Now you know how to thank me?"

"Sincerely, Nuna really helped me out of a tight spot."

Upon hearing this, Kwon Hyun-hyuk smiled and said to Han Hyo-joo in front of him.

“I really have to thank Nuna.”

Time passes gradually.

Kwon Heon-hyuk is filming "Dark Glory" in an orderly manner, and the progress is proceeding smoothly.

Liu Zhimin stopped bothering him because aespa had officially returned.

They released their second mini-album, "Girls," to enter the global market, selling 142 million copies in its first week, becoming the first album in the history of a Korean girl group to break one million sales in its first week.

On June 1st, before their comeback, they released the pre-release track "Illusion," which was praised for its Aespa-esque feel. Despite being a surprise release, it achieved decent results.

Therefore, the tone for the official comeback is very high.

SM Entertainment has really gone all out, spending a lot of money on promotion for this comeback.

First, it made its stage debut in the United States with "aespa Showcase SYNK in LA" at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, attracting nearly 10,000 audience members.

Subsequently, they became the first K-POP girl group to appear on the main stage of ABC's "Good Morning America" ​​summer concert in the United States, where they premiered their title track "Girls" and performed hit songs such as "Black Mamba" and "Next Level," generating immense attention through the global live broadcast.

They even gave a speech at the United Nations, and were invited to speak at the UN High-Level Forum on Sustainable Development as part of the "Metaverse Group".

The album "Girls" reached number three on the Billboard 200 main chart and number three on the Artist 100 for two consecutive weeks, and also broke into 10 sub-charts including "Top Album Sales" and "World Album", making history for K-POP girl groups.

The album topped the iTunes singles chart in Ecuador, Vietnam, and other countries, and the album itself topped the album chart in more than 40 countries and regions worldwide.

The number of Spotify subscribers surged by 4.8, and the title track surpassed 2000 million streams in its first week, making it one of the fastest-growing songs by a K-POP girl group in 2022.

"Girls" peaked at number 10 on Melon's daily chart, garnering 23 listens in its first hour and consistently remaining in the top 20.

The music video for the title track "Girls" surpassed 3500 million views within 24 hours of its release, becoming the third highest first-day view count for a K-POP girl group in 2022.

During their comeback, aespa was consecutively selected as one of Time Magazine's "2022 Next Generation Leaders" and Forbes' "Asia 30 Under 30," becoming the only K-POP group to be selected on both lists.

Looking at the results, they are indeed impressive and look quite good.

But in reality, it was just that they capitalized on the previous hype and raised expectations quite high, resulting in a great first comeback.

But ultimately, it all comes down to the songs themselves.

The title track "Girls" received mediocre reviews on music charts, described as being clunky and unpleasant to listen to, neither catchy nor addictive, and not something people would want to listen to repeatedly.

Therefore, Aespa's comeback lacked staying power. Although its paper results were impressive, it actually started strong but declined in the long run. After all, everyone thought that 2022 would be Aespa's year to reach the top, but it didn't meet expectations.

Aespa's busy Yoo Jimin didn't have time to contact Kwon Hyun-hyuk, and Chou Tzu-yu was also busy with the group's comeback, so she didn't have much time to contact Kwon Hyun-hyuk either.

Be busy, everyone's busy.

Kwon Heon-hyuk has been exceptionally busy lately.

On the one hand, the filming schedule for "Dark Glory" is tight.

On the other hand, the details of contracts with several top brands, including La Mer's Asia-Pacific brand ambassador, have been finalized one by one, followed by a busy schedule of advertising shoots.

Park Jung-jung and his team worked non-stop to coordinate all the preliminary materials and shooting plans related to the endorsement before the Blue Dragon TV Awards, an important exposure opportunity.

Kwon Heon-hyuk had just come out of the set of "Dark Glory" and hadn't even had time to change out of his costume when Park Jung-jung personally drove him away to a high-end fashion studio in Gangnam District, Seoul.

"Uncle, is there any need to be in such a hurry?" Quan Xuanhe leaned back in the car seat, rubbing his temples, looking slightly tired.

Park Jung-jung glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "The Blue Dragon TV Awards are next weekend. All of this has been arranged in advance."

"You're one of the favorites, and you'll need to showcase your popularity on the red carpet and at the awards ceremony this year."

"Clothing, styling, demeanor, and even every word spoken during backstage interviews must be carefully planned in advance, leaving no room for error."

Inside the studio, several staff members were already on high alert. The designer personally greeted them, with his assistant displaying several expensive haute couture suits behind him.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk cooperated with the work like a robot.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk had just finished arranging his outfit for the upcoming awards ceremony when his phone, which his assistant had placed on the table, suddenly vibrated, displaying Yoo Ji-min's name on the screen.

A sudden phone call during a break in a busy schedule.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk raised his hand to signal the makeup artist to stop, then took the phone and answered it.

"Yo-bu-sai-yo?"

Immediately, Liu Zhimin's unique, slightly coquettish yet energetic, clear voice came from the other end of the phone, with the background sounds of faint music and human chatter.

"Oppa! Where are you? Are you busy right now?"

"Just finished one, what's up?" Quan Xuanhe relaxed a bit and leaned back in his chair.

"Ah! That's great!" Liu Zhimin's voice immediately rose an octave, and she spoke rapidly.

"We're backstage at KBS Music Bank right now, promoting our songs today. Oppa, can we film a challenge?"

Liu Zhimin didn't offer any unnecessary formalities, revealing familiarity and a touch of willfulness.

"Not now is fine too, oppa, when are you free?"

Quan Xuanhe glanced at the wall clock, his mind racing as he calculated his next schedule.

What time do you finish?

"We're not in a hurry, we'll wait a while longer, even after the live stream ends."

"Let me check the time."

“Yes, Oppa is the best.” Yoo Jimin’s voice immediately lit up with joy.

Quan Xuanhe mentally calculated the time.

There's no time like the present, so let's just go now.

“Uncle,” he said quickly, turning to Park Jung-jung.

"Go to KBS, finish up here and go straight there. If things go smoothly, we can finish filming within an hour."

Park Jung-jung glanced at the schedule. "Are you sure we'll have enough time?"

“No problem, there’s enough time.” Quan Xuanhe stood up.

"Hurry up on the road."

Park Jung-jung sighed as he looked at his unquestionable attitude and made a call to his assistant to arrange for a meeting.

He was not entirely unaware of Kwon Seonhyuk's entanglements with women, and could only compromise.

"I'll go there now."

Quan Xuanhe said to Liu Zhimin on the other end of the phone.

"Now?"

"Yes! I'm waiting for oppa at the TV station."

Liu Zhimin just wanted to take advantage of the break to call him and chat and act cute, but she didn't expect it to actually work, and her eyes lit up.

Ten minutes later, Kwon Heonhyuk was already in a car, speeding towards the KBS building.

The city scenery outside the car window rushed past, and Quan Xuanhe closed his eyes to rest.

Upon finally arriving at KBS, an assistant was already waiting at the back entrance, skillfully guiding them away from the main passage and quickly through the staff passage.

Inside the TV station, people came and went, and the noise from the music show drifted through the walls.

Upon arriving at the door of the aespa's private waiting room, the assistant knocked on the door.

The door was pulled open almost immediately, revealing Liu Zhimin's delicate face, which was clearly made up for her stage performances.

She was still wearing that gorgeous, slightly futuristic stage outfit, and her smile instantly lit up when she saw Kwon Heon-hyuk, filled with relief and immense joy.

The small waiting room was packed with aespa's four members, stylist, assistant, and manager, making it feel a bit crowded, but the atmosphere was unusually lively.

"Xuanhe oppa." Ning Yizhuo, Jin Dongtian, and Gisele immediately stood up to greet him, all with smiles on their faces.

The manager was also there, and when he saw Kwon Heon-hyuk, he simply nodded, his face expressionless.

"Sorry, the schedule is a bit tight, I've kept you waiting." Quan Xuanhe nodded to everyone, his gaze finally settling on Liu Zhimin.

"Ani! You've arrived just in time! We just got back from rehearsing the final stage."

Liu Zhimin pulled him to a slightly emptier spot in the waiting room, her speech still rapid but full of energy.

The waiting room was full of their own people, so there was no need to be so discreet. Liu Zhimin showed some intimacy with him, but not too much.

"The moves are simple, Oppa, I'll teach you! There are a few signature hand gestures in the chorus, and also some dance moves..."

As she spoke, she gestured, her movements concise and powerful, exuding competence.

Music flowed from the speakers in the waiting room, the powerful beat of "Girls".

Liu Zhimin stood next to Quan Xuanhe and began to demonstrate.

Although Kwon Hyun-hyuk is not a professional dancer, thanks to his early idol training, he has a strong ability to imitate. With Yoo Jimin's clear and precise guidance, he quickly mastered several core movements.

“Yes, that’s it, raise your arm a little higher, that’s right!” Liu Zhimin carefully corrected his movements, and their shoulders occasionally bumped gently as they moved closer together.

Liu Zhimin spoke to him as if she were coaxing a child, which felt somewhat unexpected.

"Okay, that's about it! Oppa, remember the order."

"At the beginning, turn around and point here, then cross your hands, followed by this wave and squat... and finally finish with this crossed hand gesture!"

Liu Zhimin quickly recounted the key points.

"We'll just record this part of the chorus, about half a minute long. Let's do several takes and pick the best one!"

“Em, Minjung, come with me later. The two of us will film the challenge with oppa.”

As the team leader, Liu Zhimin displayed a certain demeanor at this moment, and seemed to have the air of an older sister.

After all, in her opinion, the atmosphere was different when Quan Xuanhe was by her side at this time.

(End of this chapter)