The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 107 Tarot is my muse!

In the president's office, Park Jin-young was smiling as if basking in the spring breeze. The more he looked at Gong Cheng, the more satisfied he became!

The release of Bombardment Meteor's first album not only sold out, but also boosted the sales of Gong Cheng's personal album released a few months ago.

Within 24 hours, invitations to Gong Cheng poured in. The company's departments were working overtime, too busy to spare any time.

Gong Cheng's fan club has seen a surge in members. His personal social media account, Instagram, has seen its number of followers explode from 70 to 270 million, and is still rising.

"Brother, just tell me straight, let's make the next schedule." Gong Cheng made a bitter face and took a sip of coffee, which he usually hated because it made him sleepy. But recently, he really had no choice but to rely on coffee to stay awake.

At Park Jin-young's nod, Kim Dae-woo smiled and picked up the schedule in his hand. "According to your wishes, the company has already helped you push back on some brand invitations and commercial shoots. In a week, Bombardment Meteor will begin a month-long promotional period. This news has been conveyed to the remaining three members. They and their agency have expressed their approval."

"In a couple of days, SBS TV's variety show 'Running Man' needs you and YG's Lee Sung-kyung-xi to participate. This was previously agreed upon between the production crew, YG, our company, and the production team. Going on the show will increase your exposure while also promoting the release of 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'."

"Writer Kim Eun-sook has announced that Lee Ji-eun will be the female lead in Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. Writer, you've also been invited to produce the OST for this drama."

"Armani has already sent a batch of tailor-made suits for you according to the script's requirements to the crew."

"Regarding Bombardment Meteor's fan meeting, it was originally scheduled for a week later, but due to the members' schedules, we finally decided to hold it after all the promotions are finished, which is next month. Park Jae-bum suggested that we hold it on the day of the first snowfall, in accordance with the agreement between you and the fans."

"Huh? This guy is really..." Gong Cheng's face was bitter, but he finally forced a smile.

"There are also many entertainment companies that have sent invitations for cooperation, hoping that you can produce a few songs for their groups. There are even companies that want you to form a limited group with their artists..." Jin Dae-woo said, feeling a little speechless.

This group of people are really good at getting away with things!

"Also, SM's song that they sold last time received a good response. They're also thinking of inviting you to be the producer for Red Velvet's comeback next year. YG has also tentatively sent you an invitation, wanting you to produce for Blackpink..."

"There are also many commercial performances that want to invite Bombardment Meteor to participate in their activities..."

"..."

"Stop it, brother." Gong Cheng listened. How could he schedule his schedule right up to the end of the year? If he hadn't interrupted him in time, he would have already planned his schedule after the major award ceremonies at the end of the year.

"Alright, brat! The most important thing is, after Bombardment Meteor disbands in December, the company will start planning your first full-length solo album. It's expected to include ten songs and is scheduled for release at the end of March. It'll mainly be in the genres of hip-hop, pop, or R&B."

Park Jin-young took over the conversation and cursed with a smirk. As an artist, explosive popularity also means a heavy schedule.

"The first regular album?"

After thinking about it for a while, Gong Cheng finally nodded.

He debuted as a solo singer, and after leaving the group, he will definitely return to this identity.

As for Bombardment Meteor's disbandment, the members were all aware of it, but tacitly agreed not to mention it. This was a precondition written into their contracts. Before signing the contract, no one could have imagined the huge impact Bombardment Meteor's launch would have on the Korean Peninsula and even across Asia.

……

into the night.

Gong Cheng finished filming "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" and returned to the dormitory.

According to Lin Nayeon's request, the plastic bag in his hand was filled with a lot of wine and drinks.

"Oh my god~ Oppa, you are really popular now!"

"You and Bombardment Meteor have completely dominated the trending searches..."

“‘Spring Day’ is really nice~”

"..."

At the dining table that could accommodate ten people, nine members were talking about the huge success of Bombardment Meteor's first album.

The table was filled with takeout and bottles of wine that needed to be opened. Everyone in Twice knew this oppa, and with his busy schedule lately, they didn't bother him anymore and asked him to cook.

The reason they gathered here today was to sincerely feel happy for this oppa.

To be honest, the name Tarot has been a witness to them all, from their first time joining JYP to where they are today.

As the center of the conversation, Gong Cheng and the children before him drank a few glasses of wine with great enthusiasm, then waved his hands solemnly, "Actually, it's not that bad. It's not a huge explosion, but about what I expected..."

As he spoke, the corners of his mouth, which he could hardly suppress, raised.

"You're just pretending~" Lin Nayeon sat next to him, rolled her eyes at him, but didn't bully him much.

She picked up a glass of wine and raised it in front of Gong Cheng with a smile: "Cheers, congratulations!"

"Oppa, congratulations." Zhou Ziyu spoke softly, and with her slender fingers, she picked up the wine glass and held it up.

Yu Jeongyeon immediately stopped her: "Tzuyu, just drink the juice..."

As she said that, she stood up and replaced the wine glass in the youngest member's hand.

"By the way, Oppa, I heard that you took on a new script? It's a play by writer Kim Eun-sook." Kim Da-hyun thought of this while eating the pizza in her mouth and asked casually.

Over the past two days, this news has been making the rounds at the company. Especially among the debut artists, many are jealous, including some senior members of GOT7, who are secretly complaining about the company's bias.

Lin Nayeon was stunned when she heard this, and the phone screen on the desk flashed again.

She opened her phone messages and saw another one from BamBam. His tone was somewhat interrogative: "Nayeon, Nuna, didn't you really hate him before? Ah Si really does! Is this guy some royal family member? He can even take over writer Kim Eun-sook's drama? You don't even know, but now he looks down on everyone. It makes me so angry..."

Lin Nayeon curled her lips speechlessly. When did I say that I hate him?
But she did kind of hate this little brat who was always gossiping about others behind their backs: "Are you done yet?"

Really, if you're upset with this stinky guy, just go find him! Besides, when has the company ever been able to get a script from writer Kim Eun-sook?

"Yes, I did get another drama. It was just luck, plus I had the teacher's support." Gong Cheng thought about it and felt a little lucky. If it weren't for the recommendation of teachers Cheng Xizhen and writer Yang Xisheng, and the teacher's friend, the famous novelist on the Peninsula, the outcome would have been uncertain.

"Luck? I wish I could have such good luck." Minatozaki Sana curled her lips. Why is this guy getting more and more addicted to pretending?

But then she chuckled. She liked this type, the dead-simple one.

Sun Caiying kept silent and just focused on eating. She had already thought about how to congratulate this oppa.

Last time, Oppa said he liked mermaids, so this time she specially borrowed Mina's penguin pajamas. As for why she wanted to borrow someone else's, she always felt that her own were not as exciting as others.

"Oppa, there won't be any more scandals this time, right?"

Hirai Momo asked casually, chewing on a piece of fried chicken. It was as if she hadn't thought it through.

"What do you mean?"

"You're the scandal prince, oppa, don't you know?" Yu Jeongyeon carefully explained the situation to the person involved.

"Ex-girlfriend of the trainee, Lee Sung-kyung from YG, Lim Yoona, Bae Joo-hyun..."

She counted them off on her fingers, listing them all. These were just rumors outside the company; she hadn't said anything inside the company yet.

For example, Yu Jeongyeon glanced at her good friend, Lim Nayeon.

But the members of Twice all knew that this rumor was fake.

It doesn’t seem like Gong Cheng oppa has any interest in his good friend at all!

But why is my stupid friend getting closer and closer to that oppa?
"Except for the first one, they're all fake, okay? I'm really at a loss. I should have a talk with seniors Lim Yoona and Bae Joohyun before revealing the real deal!"

Gong Cheng curled his lips speechlessly.

"Scumbag!" x7
"How could you think that, Oppa?"

Listening to everyone's scolding, he looked around and found that only his little tiger was silent.

I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, my Chaeyoung is still the best!
"Oh my! Look at Lee.k's Instagram!!!" The little tiger was lowering his head, wishing he could bury his face into the phone screen.

God knows what she is looking at.

After a while, she excitedly pointed at her phone screen at everyone at the table. After seeing the members' confused expressions, she explained incoherently: "Lee.k, don't you know?"

"A well-known artist on our peninsula!"

“I’ve been to his art exhibition, it’s amazing!”

"Chaeyoung, Oppa knows you like painting, but what does this have to do with us?" Gong Cheng was also confused, not knowing what was wrong with this nervous little tiger.

He knew that Son Chaeyoung had some artistic talent, but this seemed to be the same topic as what everyone else was talking about!
"Oh! No, oppa! It has nothing to do with us, but it has something to do with you!!!" Son Chaeyoung carefully enlarged a picture on her mobile phone and handed it to the members to watch.

"Look, who is this painting of?" Ming Jingnan was the one closest to her, and she recognized who it was just by glancing at the portrait's features!

She asked in surprise: "Gong Chengxi?"

The members of Twice were stunned after hearing this and started searching on Instagram.

Gong Cheng had never heard of this painter, so he leaned over to Lin Nayeon's ear and waited with her for the page to load.

A few strands of hair scratched the side of his face, making it itchy.

Lin Nayeon noticed the breathing beside her ear and her face turned red, but she lowered her head with a little joy.

"Oh my! Oppa! That's amazing!"

Kim Da-hyun was browsing the painter's Instagram and exclaiming in admiration.

……

As Lee.k released his latest work on Instagram, the number of likes on his Instagram reached 80 in just a few hours.

And some careful fans discovered that the artist created an exclusive category on his homepage called [Muse] for these portraits that were just completed today.

He added: [Tarot, Gong Cheng. He is definitely my muse, with a perfect figure]

Tarot's face possesses both Eastern and Western charms. Furthermore, he possesses a pair of godly eyes. I have captured sadness, loneliness, and a smile in them. His high nose bridge and chiseled jawline combine Western three-dimensionality with Eastern clarity. This face breaks down the barriers of region and culture, and his singing breaks down the prejudices and arrogance of his people.

【…】

Below the text, nine portraits of Gong Cheng are arranged in order, depicting him from various angles. Some depict Gong Cheng's appearance in Blood, Sweat, and Tears, others depict him in the make-up of YDP, and some depict him as created by the artist himself.

The most outstanding and eye-catching painting is located in the middle of the nine-square grid.

In the primarily black and white portrait, Gong Cheng's face looms amidst the interweaving of ink dots and lines. His meticulously outlined eyebrows, slightly drooping eyelids, and high nose bridge are as imposing and majestic as a mountain. His thin lips, shrouded in ink, have a faint outline, as if kissed by rose petals, lending a touch of allure and sensuality.

The only touch of color in the interweaving of light and shadow is at his eyebrows, a colorful butterfly, which seems to gently touch his long eyelashes and blend into one with him.

In the last paragraph, Lee.k said: [With Tarot’s consent, I hope to exhibit this painting at the Gustave Gallery in Paris next year, or even at the Louvre.]

"My oppa was born a work of art!"

"I don't know why, but these paintings really touched me. The moment I saw them for the first time, I got goosebumps, and then tears came. They are truly shocking, beautiful like works of art, mysterious and full of stories."

"Oh my goodness! Lee K actually said Tarot is his muse. How rare!"

"Who is Tarot? But looking at the portrait drawn by Lee.K, it's really handsome, with a feeling of being foggy but not foggy. No, I have to copy it."

"The Louvre? As expected, no artist doesn't love his muse..."

"Gong Cheng oppa's existence itself is art!"

"Uh... I'm just a casual passerby and don't really follow celebrities, so I'm not really sure who Tarot is. But just looking at Lee.K's drawings, I have to say, they're really beautiful. I don't mean to say anything bad, but this face is just too beautiful..."

"Wow! Teacher Lee.K has never praised anyone so highly before..."

"The discerning artist has met his muse."

"It only takes a moment to fall in love with Tarot."

"Please explain, who is the boy in the painting?"

"..."

"Oh my! Oppa, you are really famous now." Kim Da Hyun looked at him enviously.

He also pointed to the comment that was pinned to the top, which included the painter's reply.

"Why Hua Gongcheng?"

"Because he has a perfect face."

"Tsk tsk! You've been recognized by a famous artist on the Peninsula. Let's interview Gong Cheng oppa. How do you feel now?" Yu Dingyan hadn't recovered from the shock yet and clicked her tongue twice.

That’s the Louvre!
Peninsula has never had any artist's portraits exhibited in the Louvre. If these works by painter Lee.k were really exhibited in the Louvre, I can't imagine what a sensation it would cause in the country.

She estimated that at this moment, all the major entertainment sections of the peninsula were probably scrambling to write articles to get the most attention.

Gong Cheng carefully read the entire Instagram post of painter Lee.K and stopped pretending to be profound.

He would also feel honored to be an artist's muse.

Gong Cheng thought that after the release of Bombardment Meteor's first album, his popularity might skyrocket.

But he didn't expect that his influence and the album he released this time would actually have a tendency to break out of the circle.

The painter Lee.K's kindness was something he had not expected.

Taking another look at the comment section, we can see that this artist, who enjoys a high reputation in the Peninsula, has many fans who are engaged in the painting industry. They are slowly learning about the names Tarot and Gong Cheng from Lee.k's paintings and have become part of his fan base.

"To be honest, I feel a little flattered."

Gong Cheng spoke truthfully about his inner feelings.

Then, he took out his phone and called Park Jin-young's number: "Brother Jin-young, have you seen the latest Instagram post by Lee.K?"

"..."

"Yeah, I thought so too. If you have time, you can arrange a meeting with the artist. I'd like to ask him to help draw the cover for my first album in March next year. What do you think?"

After getting Park Jin-young's reply, Gong Cheng hung up the phone.

The reason he made this call was simply to ask the company to send someone to contact the painter about exhibitions in foreign galleries.

He certainly had no reason to refuse. Besides, he would be working on the cover of next year's first album.

He quite likes this style of painting.

“That’s awesome, Oppa!”

Sun Caiying shook her phone and jumped up and down to cheer for him.

That’s the Louvre!
If it is something that others dare not even think about, Oppa will do it.

"You also want Lee.K to help you draw the album cover for your first full-length album?" Lin Nayeon opened her mouth. This guy really dares to think about it!
Which artist’s album cover isn’t just a photo or photoshopped?

You actually want a painter to hand-paint the cover for you...

"The premise is that the painter agrees." Gong Cheng picked up the wine glass with a smile and couldn't help grinning.

Ah Xi! I am really too popular!
……

At the end of October, Gong Cheng had just finished the script reading session with the crew of "Goblin" and rushed to the crew of "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" without stopping.

After reuniting with Lee Sung-kyung, they also went to record the variety show "Running Man" together.

"Are you nervous? Is this your first time recording a program like this?" In the nanny car, Lee Sung-kyung smiled and stuffed the new album handed to her by Gong Cheng into her bag.

Recently, this young man's popularity in the peninsula has exploded to a terrifying level.

"Fake Love" and "Spring Day" can be heard everywhere in the streets and alleys.

That album I released a few months ago seems to be really starting to become valuable.

"You Nu is protecting me, what's there to be nervous about?" Gong Cheng took a sip of his drink, pinched his sore eyebrows, and suddenly felt tired.

Then he closed his eyes and said, "I'm going to take a nap for a while. Call me when you get there."

Li Shengjing responded softly, as he was already used to it.

She was browsing the popular updates on social media, and suddenly discovered that the most popular topic on the peninsula in the past two days was actually related to the younger man next to her.

Under the tag #Tarot#, copies of Gong Cheng's portraits are circulating in major forums.

Some people are obsessed with painting his face, which is known as the face of God. Some people are obsessed with his story. Some people are obsessed with outlining his eyes that are filled with colorful emotions...
(End of this chapter)