Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 668 You might as well put it more clearly

The summer morning light, carrying a slightly sticky heat, shone through the sheer curtains onto Zhao Meiyan's bedside.

As a regular MC, this is almost a weekly routine.

Get up, wash up, put on makeup, and rush to your schedule.

However, beneath that professional and radiant facade, Zhao Meiyan's heart was not entirely at peace.

Last night before going to bed, she reviewed the list of performers and the general schedule sent by the production team.

A certain name, like a tiny thorn, pricked her unexpectedly.

“Blackpink…”

Zhao Meiyan murmured the name of the well-known group, her fingertips unconsciously pausing on the list for Kim Jisoo's entry.

Her thoughts were uncontrollably drawn back to Quan Xuanhe and the phone call that changed her mindset.

Han Hyo-joo's cold and realistic words still seemed to echo in my ears: Yoo Jimin, Chou Tzu-yu... and Kim Ji-soo.

They are all "inevitable" presences around Kwon Hyun-hyuk, like comets orbiting his star, always ready to intrude into his orbit.

Especially Kim Jisoo.

She hasn't been in contact with Kim Jisoo for a long time.

The meaning is obvious.

As she was getting ready to leave, she caught a glimpse of an entertainment news notification on her screen: "BLACKPINK's 'Pink Venom' sweeps the charts, their promotional schedule is in full swing..."

Jisoo is smiling brightly in the picture.

Zhao Meiyan took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the tension surging in her heart.

'Kim Jisoo is just one of many celebrities appearing today.'

Zhao Meiyan reminded herself in her heart.

'My job is as the MC, connecting the stage and creating the atmosphere. Her job is to perform. That's all.'

"Meiyan, the car has arrived." The assistant's voice rang out from outside the door.

"I'm here," Zhao Meiyan replied, and hurriedly left the dormitory.

The drive to CJ ENM Centre is a bit long.

Zhao Meiyan leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes to rest, or perhaps she was silently sorting out her thoughts.

She envisioned possible scenarios: nodding and greeting each other when passing by in the public waiting area, maintaining a professional MC smile when meeting in the corridor, and at most, saying a few formulaic blessings and encouragement as the host before or after BLACKPINK goes on stage.

That's it.

Just be ordinary, and pretend to be a working professional.

The car drove into the backstage area.

Changing clothes, putting on headsets, and final makeup and hair checks before going on stage.

The familiar backstage air was filled with the scents of various cosmetics and perfumes.

Staff members hurried along, while other idol teams came and went, creating a noisy yet orderly atmosphere.

Zhao Meiyan changed into that eye-catching MC-exclusive outfit.

Time marches on in its routine.

In reality, she is still a very positive person. After thinking about these things, she is still a lively, cheerful and outgoing person, full of energy in front of others!

Pre-recording, communication with other staff, listening to the director's instructions...

It was all done in a very orderly and skillful manner.

“Miyan Xi,” a PD in charge of back-end coordination was waiting for her with a document in hand.

"There are two details regarding the interview process that I need to confirm with you one last time. I'll take a minute of your time..."

"Yes! No problem."

Zhao Meiyan stopped and focused her attention on the documents and the PD's words.

She leaned forward slightly, listening intently to the PD's explanation, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the process card in her hand as she listened very carefully.

This is a common scenario in the back office, where staff seize every spare moment to communicate details.

The bright lights in the corridor outlined her delicate profile.

Just then, the clear, crisp sound of high heels clicking on the ground came from around the corner, growing louder as it approached.

Almost instinctively, or perhaps with an inexplicable premonition, Zhao Meiyan ended her conversation with the PD, habitually tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and casually turned around, looking in the direction from which the sound came.

The moment she turned around, the image froze.

Zhao Meiyan's beautiful face, adorned with a professional smile, unexpectedly met the gazes of Kim Jisoo and Kwon Heonhyuk the moment their eyes met as they turned the corner of the corridor.

The air in the corridor seemed to freeze into solid ice in an instant.

The shock and turmoil in Zhao Meiyan's eyes almost materialized as she looked at Quan Xuanhe and Kim Jisoo beside him.

Although Kim Jisoo tried her best to maintain a calm appearance, her slightly tense jawline and the sudden suppression of her smile revealed the undercurrents in her heart.

In a flash, Quan Xuanhe's mind started working at high speed with remarkable clarity.

Sure enough, what I feared most came to pass.

But don't panic.

etc.

The gentle and relaxed expression on Quan Xuanhe's face did not completely disappear, but transitioned very naturally in that moment of astonishment, and then a more enthusiastic and purposeful smile appeared.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's voice was slightly louder than usual.

"Miyeon!"

He strode past Kim Ji-soo, closing the distance between himself and Cho Mi-yeon first.

This seemingly casual step was actually a clever sidestep, a slight turn of his body towards Zhao Meiyan, causing Kim Jisoo to move from being side-by-side to slightly behind him.

His tall and imposing figure also subtly blocked Kim Jisoo's gaze from falling on Jo Miyeon, making them both only able to see him.

Quan Xuanhe stared directly into Zhao Meiyan's wide, shocked eyes, and spoke rapidly and clearly in a voice loud enough for the surrounding staff to hear: "I came here on short notice to visit the stage, and I didn't expect to run into you. I was just thinking of going to find you."

The sound snapped Zhao Meiyan back to reality, making her panic.

"Xuan...Xuanhe?"

Zhao Meiyan's voice even trembled slightly for a moment without her noticing.

The slightly stiff smile on his face looked like the corners of his mouth were being forcibly pulled up by a string. Although there was still a little unnatural curvature, at least he managed to hold onto the mask that belonged to MC.

She forced herself to ignore the woman with a strong presence next to Quan Xuanhe, focusing her gaze on Quan Xuanhe's face and trying to keep her tone light.

"Why are you here all of a sudden? Is there a filming schedule?"

Her gaze was almost glued to Kwon Heonhyuk's face, trying to confirm the authenticity of the information he was conveying from that brief eye contact, while at the same time she desperately suppressed the urge to look at Kim Jisoo.

She could feel her cheeks getting slightly hot, but she could only hope that the warm lighting backstage would mask it.

"I came here temporarily."

Quan Xuanhe looked at Zhao Meiyan and spoke again.

He looked at the staff members beside Zhao Meiyan and nodded with a smile. These staff members also treated Quan Xuanhe with utmost respect, remaining silent and waiting for them to finish their conversation.

As he moved, Kim Ji-soo's gaze slid across Jo Mi-yeon's face, finally settling on Jo Mi-yeon's unnatural smile.

Kim Jisoo gave a standard smile, but there was no warmth in her eyes. It was just a polite greeting: "Miyeon, long time no see."

The sound was crisp, but it had little warmth.

Zhao Meiyan was stung by Kim Jisoo's greeting, which clearly implied a clear line between them, but she was already in a difficult position.

She could only follow Kwon Heonhyuk's "introduction" and Kim Jisoo's "greeting," and looked at Kim Jisoo as well, nodding and trying her best to maintain a smile on her face: "Yes, it's been a long time. Congratulations on your comeback. 'Pink Venom' was really great."

These words were spoken in an extremely official and fluent manner, as if they were standard MC lines that had been rehearsed countless times.

The atmosphere was awkward.

The two maintained a basic level of decorum because this was not a private place where they could argue loudly. If anything happened, it would spread throughout the entire K-pop scene the next day.

Quan Xuanhe knew that this place was not a place to stay for long and that he had to act decisively and quickly.

He naturally replied, "Jisoo is going to find something to eat, I'll go with her first."

"I'll come see you in a bit."

As soon as he finished speaking, without giving Kim Ji-soo any time to potentially cause further trouble, Kwon nodded slightly to Jo Mi-yeon and then gave her a reassuring look.

He then turned around with steady steps, his hand seemingly casually touching Kim Jisoo's shoulder. The movement was minimal yet carried an undeniable guiding meaning, a silent signal for her to leave.

"Let's go." He said to Kim Jisoo in a low voice, his tone still gentle, but with an unyielding decisiveness.

Kim Ji-soo seemed to want to say something more to Jo Mi-yeon, her lips moving slightly, but with Kwon Heon-hyuk's body slightly turned to the side to shield her and with that seemingly gentle but actually directional pushing force, she could only be passively and somewhat abruptly pulled forward.

She glanced at Zhao Meiyan one last time. The other woman was maintaining that polite but stiff smile, staring straight ahead at nothing, trying to play the role of someone who "didn't care" about their departure.

Kim Jisoo's lips seemed to twitch slightly, but she ultimately obeyed and followed Kwon Heonhyuk's footsteps, her high heels clicking on the smooth floor as she walked forward without looking back.

The two gradually walked away.

Zhao Meiyan stood there, her smile instantly vanishing.

The PD watched the two figures from behind, then turned to look at Cho Mi-yeon.

"Meiyan? Script..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, let's continue."

There wasn't even any room for Zhao Meiyan to think; work forced her to stay focused, leaving no time to think about anything else.

But her soul had already flown away.

How did Xuanhe suddenly appear here?
After turning the corner of the corridor, and confirming that they were temporarily out of Zhao Meiyan's sight, the crisp sound of Kim Jisoo's stiletto heels echoed in the passageway.

She didn't immediately look at Quan Xuanhe, but instead stared straight ahead, a distinctly teasing smile curving her lips, her voice deliberately light and casual:

"Hey, they're taking me away so quickly?"

She didn't stop walking, turned her head, and looked at Quan Xuanhe with her eyes, which were adorned with exquisite eye makeup.

"It's not too late to chat a little longer. After all, it's been a long time since we've seen MC Zhao."

Her tone was as relaxed as if she were talking about the weather, but each syllable seemed to have a tiny barb, and her attitude was slightly rude.

"What, are you worried that my conversation with Meiyan is getting too pleasant and keeping you occupied?"

Quan Xuanhe was slightly relieved from the tense operation just now, and he paused for a moment when he heard these words.

He glanced at her sideways, and Kim Jisoo's "watching the show" expression was undisguised.

Her clear eyes held a mischievous glint, as if she had just witnessed something amusing and couldn't wait to see his reaction.

"ah……"

He simply reached out and aimed directly at Kim Jisoo's cheek, not with an intimate caress, but with a bit of force, kneading that small piece of soft flesh, with a hint of venting his anger, mixed with a small punishment for her knowingly asking a question while also fanning the flames.

"Don't push yourself too far."

He tightened his fingers a little, his gaze fixed on her deliberately innocent yet mischievous eyes.

Startled by the sudden attack, Kim Jisoo gasped softly, her slender neck tilting back slightly.

"Hey!" She instinctively raised her hand to slap the mischievous hand.

However, the moment she raised her wrist, Quan Xuanhe seemed to have anticipated her reaction, and the hand that was pinching her cheek suddenly released and withdrew.

The movement was as fluid as a breeze, perfectly avoiding her fingertips that were slapping at him.

Snapped!
Kim Jisoo awkwardly slapped her hand in empty air, the landing point still half an inch away from his retracted wrist.

Staff members carrying equipment hurried past in the corridor, and upon hearing the subtle noise, they subconsciously glanced in this direction. A barely perceptible blush immediately rose on Kim Jisoo's face, half from anger and half from embarrassment at the intimacy in public.

Their identities are too sensitive; even if they engage in any unusually intimate behavior backstage, it could easily be leaked as gossip.

She quickly lowered her hand, her eyes filled with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, and glared at Quan Xuanhe.

Quan Xuanhe looked down at her with a half-smile. The formulaic gentleness on his face when facing Zhao Meiyan had disappeared, and his eyes shone with an undeniable firmness.

He leaned slightly closer to her, his voice reaching her ears clearly:

"You just want to stir up trouble, don't you?" His voice carried a warning tone.

"And you even specifically mentioned Miyeon?"

"Want to make headlines? Let NAVER trending topic tomorrow: 'BLACKPINK's Jisoo vs. (G)I-DLE's Miyeon: A fierce battle erupts backstage at a TV station due to Kwon Heon-hyuk'?"
"Ok?"

Each word was like a small hammer, striking at the spark of anger that had just ignited in Kim Jisoo's heart, a desire for a small counterattack and venting of her frustration.

She wasn't an ignorant little girl; of course she knew what would have happened if she had lost control.

"I'm just telling the truth." Kim Jisoo pursed her lips, but the sharpness in her eyes clearly diminished.

With staff members passing by, she had to suppress her expression again and revert to being the dignified Blackpink member.

"Stay put and don't cause any trouble before the performance ends."

Kim Jisoo just pursed her lips at his words, clearly not pleased.

What's going on? It's like she's in some kind of danger.

She's clearly a lively, cheerful, and gentle older sister, okay? These are all baseless malicious speculations!

"Anyway, you seem pretty happy, right? Looking at Miyeon's expression, you feel like you've gotten your revenge?"

Quan Xuanhe glanced at her and added a sentence.

“Ani, I might feel a little better when you break up with her.”

Kim Jisoo said these words in a normal tone.

After all, being betrayed is the most painful thing. Who would have thought that Zhao Meiyan would overtake them by taking a shortcut and stay ahead until now? It's simply outrageous.

"That's unlikely. You probably won't be able to squeeze her out?"

"?"

Kim Jisoo stopped abruptly, staring intently at him.

What's the meaning.

What do you mean I need to climb the ladder?
No, why can't she come down?
You might as well put it more clearly.

(End of this chapter)