The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 226 Tutorial & Psycho (Seeking monthly votes)
Today's recording of "Idol Producer" will re-announce the trainees' rankings as voted by the public vote, followed by a public lesson at noon. In the afternoon, trainees will practice according to their chosen songs, with guidance from the instructors.

"Is this how you practice?"

The studio for the open class was very large, and the overall layout resembled a movie theater. As the representative of the national producers, Zhang Yixing stood in front of the microphone on the stage, looking at the 60 trainees who had not been eliminated with a grim expression.

The show will premiere on iQiyi in three days, and the recording process has already reduced the number of trainees from over a hundred to the current 60. When the performance begins the day after tomorrow, another round of eliminations will leave only 35 trainees...

It was cruel, which is why he got a little angry after seeing their practice.

Sitting next to Zhang Yixing were mentors Wang Jiaer, Cheng Xiao, Zhou Jieqiong, and MC Jin; the atmosphere in the studio was somewhat tense…

Several mentors were originally in the practice rooms of different levels, guiding the trainees. However, perhaps because of the 100 to 60 competition in the previous two days, the trainees in front of them were a little relaxed. After each team selected their songs, it was difficult for them to meet the passing standard in their practice.

They seriously doubted whether this level of performance was truly suitable for a stage performance, or even for broadcast to the audience...

Jackson Wang sat down in a chair, picked up the microphone that was dangling near his arm, and lifted the brim of his hat: "Are you guys kidding us? If this were a variety show, OK, I can joke around with you, but this is a competition..."

"I don't want to hear any excuses like 'too little practice time' or 'too weak foundation.' Didn't Teacher Cheng Xiao tell you all? If you're not good enough, it's because you haven't practiced enough. If others do it ten times, you should practice it a hundred times..."

As he spoke, Jackson Wang reluctantly took off his baseball cap, looking at the 60 trainees in front of him with a complicated expression. Realizing that his words might have been a bit harsh, he straightened up and sat back a little.

"I know you're all tired, but I can tell you that you'll be even more tired after you debut. Are you not going to debut? Let me give you an example. Because I know I'm a former athlete and I know I'm not as talented as others, when I was practicing in Seoul, if others did ten, I would do a hundred. I refused to believe I couldn't catch up with them..."

"..."

Gong Cheng stood in front of the open class studio, watching the scene unfold inside through the transparent glass of the door frame.

“Jackson’s Mandarin has improved a lot…” He glanced at the five or six cameras standing around him, smiled, and didn’t rush to go inside.

In the studio, Cheng Xiao, dressed in a white and red floral dress, sat on a chair. She picked up the microphone and spoke earnestly, her tone somewhat stern: "Some people ask me what the standard for an A is? Others ask me what it was like when I was a trainee in Seoul?"

"I don't know what your mindset is. I understand that staying up for two or three nights a lot is tiring and exhausting. But when we were trainees in Seoul, there were no cameras around. Only after we debuted would people be willing to get to know us..."

"But what if you don't debut?"

These words silenced the 60 trainees in the audience, who lowered their heads in fear.

Jackson Wang sighed, his voice hoarse: "Someone asked about the standards for an A? Do you know my brother Tarot?"

"We know..." all the trainees present answered in unison.

"Tell me what you know about the name Tarot..." Zhang Yixing raised his eyelids, listened to their answers, and asked.

"handsome!"

"Being handsome is the least noteworthy thing about this senior. If you had that face, you could all debut right now." Zhou Jieqiong interrupted speechlessly. Originally gentle, she couldn't help but become strict when she saw the trainees' unserious attitude and their failure to meet the standards of practice.

"Pop superstar, Billboard chart king..."

"Order-generating machine..."

"..."

Jackson Wang grinned as he listened to the series of pretentious titles, then waved his hand to indicate that it was enough: "What you're all talking about are just titles, they're so empty, they're just things you see from his success..."

"But what about those who haven't seen it? You can ask PD Zhang, Cheng Xiao, and Zhou Jieqiong... What was the name Tarot like in Seoul two years ago? And now? To be honest, you can verify this when you travel to Seoul in the future..."

"Not to mention Asia and the world, there is no one in Seoul who doesn't know him, but most people have the same impression of him as you do: a world superstar... amazing."

"A green card holder achieving this level of success isn't something a mere genius producer can do! When we at Bombardment Meteor practiced, it was like a knife-like synchronized dance; he had no prior training experience..."

"So we practiced however we wanted. After practice, we'd be so tired we couldn't straighten our backs, but we'd still go to JYP's composition studio, and that light would stay on until dawn. That's talent. My brother is very talented, but most importantly, even someone as talented as him is working hard. What about you guys?"

“We’re a talent show, but debuting isn’t just about sweating and crying in front of the camera. Even behind the spotlight, I’ve only ever seen Tarot sweat; I’ve never seen him cry or complain about being tired…”

As he spoke, Jackson Wang turned to ask, "Lay, have you seen him?"

"No, but although the maknae's practice time was short, his current level is already that of a main dancer." Zhang Yixing smiled, his mood improving considerably. He then looked at the trainees in front of him, feeling that he had given them enough pointers and it was time to send them back to practice.

"By the way, today's vocal teacher, Li Ronghao, has a schedule, so I will substitute for him for the day."

……

Gong Cheng stood in the corridor, took off his down jacket, revealing a floral collared shirt underneath and a white and blue crew neck sweatshirt on top. A staff member helped him attach a microphone to his waist. He looked at the camera with a strange expression: "Your production team really didn't tell Lay and the others that I was coming to visit the set?"

The photographer was rather short, and when he shook his head, the camera he was carrying on his shoulder swayed as well.

Gong Cheng looked down at the close-up shot of his face and smiled helplessly: "It makes me look like a plant..."

Having said that, he raised his eyelids and pushed open the studio door...

……

"Thank you, teacher……"

The 60 trainees on stage stood up and bowed, expressing their gratitude to the mentors for their guidance...

Zhang Yixing and Jackson Wang had just turned around, preparing to leave the studio, when the figure that walked out of the door startled them.

Gong Cheng stood there, smiling broadly as he looked at Cheng Xiao and Zhou Jieqiong, whom he hadn't seen in a long time: "Cheng Xiao, Jieqiong, it's been a long time..."

His gentle eyebrows curved slightly. He debuted in 16 with Cosmic Girls, but starting last year, Cheng Xiao, dressed in a white and red floral dress with a thin ribbon around her neck, debuted in China, participated in her first variety show, and began to have frequent activities in China.

Her management company has always been Yuehua Entertainment, a domestic company.

After the disbandment of the limited-time group IOI last year, Zhou Jieqiong debuted again in Seoul as a member of the group PRISTIN and has been frequently active in China. It is estimated that she will mainly stay in China in the future.

This is why he was familiar with both of them, but not very close. After frequently meeting at various events in 16, their focus shifted back to China last year, and with less interaction, their relationship naturally became distant.

However, since they all share the same nationality, they maintained a good relationship while in Seoul.

The trainees in the crowd not far away, after bowing, looked up in shock, their mouths agape as they stared at Gong Cheng in the studio. For a moment, they were so nervous they didn't know what to do, and then they started whispering among themselves, "Tarot?"

"My God, it's really..."

"..."

Then, to their incredulous gaze, Cheng Xiao and Zhou Jieqiong, who were usually quite strict in the practice room, became just as reserved and flustered as they were.

His usual domineering demeanor was gone; instead, he appeared somewhat blushing and unnatural...

"Why are you so nervous? Acting like strangers..." Gong Cheng glanced at the trainees of varying abilities not far away, then looked at Cheng Xiao and Zhou Jieqiong whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and smiled.

"Oh my god, Oppa, what brings you here..." Cheng Xiao, with her long, wavy, brownish-red hair and wispy bangs covering her eyebrows, covered her upturned red lips with her hand, looking shocked and somewhat incredulous. But remembering that she was in China, she quickly said, "Why didn't you call ahead, Cheng-ge..."

Zhou Jieqiong was clearly quite surprised as well, wearing a plain white dress and holding a tablet in her arms. "Yeah, brother, why the surprise attack?"

Both of them were born in 98, two years younger than Gong Cheng. Even when they met at events in Seoul before, they would call each other "Oppa" in a natural, friendly, and warm manner...

Even though they had overheard Lay and Jackson talking about it before, saying that this guy might come to visit the set and do a one-episode show, there hadn't been any concrete news, and they all thought he was too busy to make it...

It came unexpectedly.

Cheng Xiao's two sentences in Korean and "oppa" made the cameraman and many trainees blush.

"The production team told us to keep it a secret." Gong Cheng said, hugging Cheng Xiao and Zhou Jieqiong who came up to him with open arms. He then bumped fists with Wang Jiaer and Zhang Yixing, but there was no need to hug the two members...

"Maknae, Lay and I thought you weren't coming." Jackson Wang laughed heartily, then pulled him aside and introduced him to MC Jin beside him.

Zhang Yixing and the others weren't in a hurry to leave, so they stood in the corner of the studio chatting. As for recording? They record here every day, and it's edited later, so it's nothing.

The trainees behind them dared not leave first. Rather than being afraid, they really wanted to stay and see that world-renowned singer who was constantly trending on social media...

You should know that among these trainees, the youngest is a teenager, while the oldest is several years older than Gong Cheng, and some are even former idols who have made a name for themselves but failed to gain popularity...

Zhang Yixing happily put his arm around his shoulder and suggested, "You probably don't have any schedules lately, right? Let's have dinner and a couple of drinks together tonight. Haven't you seen Cheng Xiao and Jie Qiong in a long time? Jing-ge can hold his liquor pretty well too."

"Yeah, we're here to stay a couple more days. Isn't the last rehearsal for the Spring Festival Gala next month?"

Jackson Wang agreed, saying that he was the most outgoing member of Bombardment Meteor, so he often went to bars with Gong Cheng, Wu Sehun, and Park Chanyeol, but he restrained himself a bit in China.

His participation in this program further cemented his reputation as a socialite in Cheongdam-dong back in Korea.

Gong Cheng thought for a moment and smiled, "Having a drink is fine. I have a flight to Seoul tomorrow afternoon."

"Do you have a schedule?" the group asked curiously.

"I need to go back and record a song for the 'The Moon' single recording project," Gong Cheng explained. He plans to stay in Seoul for two days tomorrow. Besides recording the song, the most important thing is that the debut lineup for Zhao Meiyan's pabo has been decided...

She is the first member selected from Cube Entertainment and will debut this May. After the debut members were finalized yesterday, their debut project has already begun.

Gong Cheng felt that he should be by that pabo's side at such an important moment. When he first debuted, this pabo had gone to great lengths to get tickets, support him on music charts, and even come to participate in one of his music show recordings...

Even though she was sitting in a corner of the audience, wearing a mask and completely hidden, didn't I still find her at first glance?
"That's it? Can't we record in Beijing? Didn't I introduce you to two recording studios?" Jackson Wang looked at the maknae with suspicion. "Our venue also has a recording studio, and the equipment is decent..."

He suspected that the kid was missing his girlfriend and wanted to go back to see her.
Zhang Yixing nudged Wang Jiaer on the shoulder, signaling him to shut up...

"..."

The group chatted for a short while, and then Gong Cheng stood on the stage in the studio. His upright posture and tall figure appeared in the camera's view, with Cheng Xiao, Zhou Jieqiong, and three others standing behind him.

The photographer's lens swept across the trainees, who resembled audience members, and the differences that were visible to the naked eye were magnified infinitely in the lens.

Gong Cheng wore black straight-leg pants and white sneakers. Barefoot, he was 187cm tall, and with shoes, he was almost 190cm. His incredible body proportions are widely known online, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and legs that seem to start right below his waist. This is clearly and vividly displayed on camera...

Among the trainees not far away, many were 180cm tall, but their proportions were clearly not good, or they were as thin as bamboo poles, and with the makeup artist's heavy makeup, their skin looked like putty, and some even had powder caked on...

Gong Cheng raised his eyelids, revealing his bare face on camera, and smiled warmly: "Hello everyone, let me introduce myself. I'm Tarot, and I'm your vocal coach for today's class..."

"If you have any questions or don't understand anything about vocal music, feel free to ask me."

"..."

After a brief introduction, Gong Cheng and Cheng Xiao left the studio, and a murmur of discussion came from the studio behind them.

"So handsome!"

"No wonder everyone says that Teacher Tarot could debut with just his face..."

Gong Cheng quickened his pace and left. He couldn't be bothered to listen to these men's opinions; he had no interest in them...

……

"I heard they call you two the Black and White Duo?" Gong Cheng and Cheng Xiao chatted in the corridor that afternoon, and he teased them with a smile.

While listening to some of the show's staff chatting, he heard many trainees refer to Cheng Xiao and Zhou Jieqiong as the "Black and White Duo" because of their strictness.

Cheng Xiao shook her head, her wavy hair swaying nonchalantly. Standing at 166cm, she appeared petite and delicate next to Gong Cheng: "No matter what, the standards are already quite low. It's almost time to narrow down from 60 to 35. If some trainees don't work harder..."

She sighed and didn't continue speaking. Then she pushed open the door of a practice room, and Gong Cheng walked in. He looked at the ten trainees in front of him, who were divided into two groups, 55 per group. They had all chosen the same song.

In the upcoming performance, they will face off in a head-to-head competition, and the audience will vote. Trainees who rank 35 or lower will be eliminated!

"Now, Teacher Tarot will teach you vocals..." Cheng Xiao is the dance instructor, but according to the schedule they set for the trainees, she doesn't have any classes right now.

I just wanted to see how these trainees performed in Gong Cheng's vocal lessons, and hopefully they would do well!
She knew perfectly well that this guy's visit to the set and appearance on a show had nothing to do with the appearance fee. If it weren't for Lay and Jackson being there, he would never have come.

After all, Cheng Xiao had a lot of dealings with people in Seoul before, and she knew about some of the things that were going on in the industry, especially last year and this year. There were many offers for high-priced appearances in K-pop, China, and even Japan, but she rejected them all.

Strictly speaking, this is still considered this guy's first appearance on a variety show in China.

"Your group goes first." Gong Cheng sat down at the keyboard and gestured for the boy with the middle-part hair who was leading the group in front of him to go first. The song they chose to perform was "Papillon," a song by Jackson Wang.

Released last summer, just as the group was nearing the end of their comeback, this guy wrote the lyrics himself, Gong Cheng arranged the music, and personally supervised the recording and release of this single, so he is very familiar with this song, and the song performed quite well in China.

"..."

The group with the middle-parted hair had only sung two lines when their voices started to crack, and their synchronized dance moves and positioning were a complete mess.

Gong Cheng called for a halt, smiling as he looked at the group of men with the middle-part hairstyle. If he remembered correctly, the men with the middle-part hairstyle were the ones who wore basketball overalls in their self-introduction video when they arrived.
"Don't be nervous, let's try again, relax..."

He could tell that some of the trainees in the team were flustered and at a loss during their performance because of his arrival. It was as if they wanted to prove themselves, but sometimes the more anxious they were, the more likely they were to make mistakes, especially in dance.

"..."

The man with the middle-parted hair led the team through another round, and while the overall performance was much better than the first time, it was still quite unsightly, completely failing to achieve the expression expected of someone performing on stage for the audience to enjoy…

Gong Cheng frowned and asked in confusion, "Didn't Lay tell you about Balance?"

Balance is a professional term in dance, specifically referring to balance and coordination. Based on his understanding of Zhang Yixing, this guy should often use this word when practicing dance.

Previously, during Bombardment Meteor's practice of synchronized choreography and battle dance, Zhang Yixing kept using the word "knife" (referring to a specific dance style), which gave him and Lin Yingxiong a headache. However, their practice progressed rapidly...

"I said..."

"When?"

"I said that on the first day of recording..."

Gong Cheng nodded, signaling the second group to do it as well...

"..."

After the two groups finished their performances, the speakers were turned off. Gong Cheng glanced at Cheng Xiao, who looked somewhat embarrassed, with a strange expression, as if to say, "Can this kind of standard really get an A?"
The ten trainees in front of me were ranked randomly, but some of them had "A" grade labels on their clothes.

Among them are the center-parted hairstyle with overalls and the hairstyle that originated in 1996...

Cheng Xiao gave an awkward yet polite smile. Gong Cheng took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at the trainees in front of him: "It feels like you haven't practiced enough..."

Would you mind if I told you the truth?

He asked.

"No!" In the practice room, the trainees shook their heads in unison.

Gong Cheng nodded, smiled with satisfaction, and then bluntly pointed out their shortcomings: "The dance wasn't coordinated enough, and the rap lacked style..."

"In group performances, each member has a different role and position. Some are lead vocalists, some are rappers, and some are main dancers. But everyone who can debut has to do a great job in their respective positions. For example, the rapper needs to be able to attract the audience as soon as they open their mouth. This requires tone and skills to attract people..."

"Instead of just yelling at the top of your lungs, understand? I heard that only nine of you will make it into the final group, so each of you will get very few parts after the debut, and each song will only be a little over three minutes long..."

“You need to make sure that in your part, you can grab people’s attention from the very first note…” Gong Cheng unscrewed the water bottle and took a sip of water: “I’ll demonstrate the rap part of this song for you, and you can feel for yourselves.”

The trainees present immediately became excited. Everyone knew that the person in front of them was a rapper...

"Aite Aite Aite Aite Aite~"

When he opened his mouth, his hoarse, dry voice made many trainees gape, while the camera focused on Gong Cheng's relaxed and carefree posture.

"You got me feeling like a~~"

“Feeling like a Papillon~~~”

"..."

Gong Cheng performed a rap section in two different tones during the chorus and verse, then put on a baseball cap and said, "Can you hear the difference? Go find your suitable vocal range and rap..."

"Instead of yelling at the top of your lungs, rap is not just about fast rapping and loud voices. All music serves the auditory experience, just like visual aesthetics..."

As he spoke, he pointed to the middle-parted hair and said, "You do a verse, sing it dry."

The man with the middle part took a deep breath, looking nervously at his mentor Tarot, who was several centimeters taller than him, and then put his hand to his mouth and began to rap.

"..."

"You're on point, keep it up, that's a big improvement over your previous performance..." Gong Cheng commented, then gave some pointers to a few trainees before getting up again and going to the mirror in the practice room. "Next up is the dance, I'll show you what balance is."

The staff and crew members carrying cameras around Gong Cheng watched his teaching and couldn't help but admire him.

In the rap lesson just now, Gong Cheng spoke very directly and frankly, saying good is good and bad is bad. However, among the trainees he randomly selected, their pronunciation and intonation were significantly more catchy after his instruction than during their first performance.

Simple, efficient...

Gong Cheng had Cheng Xiao demonstrate the trainees' dance routine while performing the song "Papillon"...

After Cheng Xiao gave her brief performance, she turned to Gong Cheng and asked, "Should I do it again?"

She knew that Gong Cheng didn't know the dance for this song, but she wanted to teach the trainees herself, so she had Gong Cheng demonstrate it.

"No need, there aren't many things to do anyway."

Gong Cheng took off his baseball cap, stood in front of the mirror, and looked at the trainees in the mirror. "Tall trainees, watch carefully how to use your physical advantages. Short trainees, pay attention to Coach Cheng Xiao's movements..."

As he spoke, the photographer's lens captured his tall figure, which, in time with the beat of the music "Papillon," almost perfectly replicated the dance that Cheng Xiao had just demonstrated. However, his long arms and legs maximized the visual impact and aesthetic appeal.

"..."

"Clap clap clap clap clap clap~"

A round of applause rang out in the practice room. Cheng Xiao was also somewhat surprised by Gong Cheng's learning ability, flexibility, and balance. Even among the many main dancers in K-pop, he was an outstanding figure.

How long has this guy been practicing dance?
She smiled and clapped her hands, then glanced at the glass door of the practice room not far away, where many trainees had finished their lessons with their professional instructors and were peering inside, trying to learn from them...

After Gong Cheng finished demonstrating, he glanced at the trainees outside the door, then opened the door and said, "Come in, all of you..."

The other trainees swarmed in and then formed six rows of ten people each in the practice room, making a total of 60 trainees... Zhang Yixing, Jackson Wang, and Zhou Jieqiong also walked in with smiles...

"Go on, maknae," Jackson Wang said with a grin.

Gong Cheng nodded and gave a wry smile, then turned to look at the dumbfounded trainees. "Balance is not only about balance, but also about expressiveness and aesthetics, and framework is the next requirement after you have achieved balance..."

"Its core is control and extension, which not only influences the expressiveness of dance but also enhances the stage presence..."

Then, he had the man with the middle parting come forward, stand in front of the mirror, and had him perform the dance moves, then freeze-frame and display them. In short, he deconstructed the dance moves.

This method of teaching is simpler and easier to understand...

The guy with the center parting is working very hard and has made great progress under Gong Cheng's guidance, but there is still room for improvement. "Look in the mirror and find your point within the frame..."

"..."

After the lesson, the man with the middle parting, who had benefited greatly, quickly bowed and thanked her, saying, "Thank you, Instructor Tarot..."

After the lesson, although he was the one who got the most attention, the man with the middle part could clearly feel that many of his weaknesses and shortcomings in singing and dancing were being corrected, and he found ways to improve...

"Good luck." Gong Cheng smiled but didn't say anything, then put his baseball cap back on and prepared to go to the rest room to rest for a while. All the trainees were here after the previous lesson, saving him the trouble of going to other practice rooms to give them vocal lessons according to the schedule...

"Let's go, time to wrap up and have dinner." Zhang Yixing patted Gong Cheng on the shoulder.

Gong Cheng took the down jacket from Jin Dayu and put it on. He glanced at the trainees in the practice room and said, "See you again sometime. I hope to see you on stage next time. Good luck!"

"Teacher, can I get your autograph?" a trainee standing in the front row called out.

Gong Cheng glanced at him curiously. A male trainee was asking him for an autograph? He nodded.

After having dinner with Zhang Yixing and a few others, he had to return to his hotel in Beijing to prepare for his trip back to Seoul the next day...

"It's mainly for my sister. She really likes you and said she wants to go to your concert..." The trainee stood shyly next to Gong Cheng. He had originally wanted to take a picture with Tarot to send to his sister...

But during practice, everyone has to hand in their phones, and they're only given them back every few days. Right now, there aren't any albums, photocards, or posters he can sign, although his sister has a lot of those things at her house...

He had no choice but to hand a white scarf to Gong Cheng, hoping he would sign it, since he knew that celebrities couldn't sign on blank paper.

Upon hearing this, the production team and the trainees were somewhat surprised. His sister also liked Tarot? But after a brief moment of surprise, they didn't find it particularly shocking... If we're talking about fame, this teacher in front of them seemed to have more influence...

Gong Cheng nodded, took the pen from Jin Dayu, and wrote "Tarot" on the white scarf. He then glanced at the tag on the trainee's clothes, which bore his name: Fan Chengcheng...

After finishing, he waved to the trainee production team and left...

……

That evening, the 27th Seoul Music Awards were held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, with Shin Dong-yup, Super Junior members Kim Hee-chul and Kim So-hyun serving as MCs.

The members of Bombardment Meteor and Gong Cheng were busy with their own schedules and did not attend, except for Oh Sehun and Park Chanyeol who appeared with EXO...

And in the end, Makoto Miyazaki swept the awards for Best Album, Best Digital Song, and the Grand Prize, just like at the 2018 Golden Disc Awards held on the 11th of this month in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province…

Park Jin-young accepted the award on behalf of Gong Cheng. This guy, unusually, ditched his flamboyant stage costume, wearing a black and brown plaid shirt, and accepted the award on Gong Cheng's behalf, enjoying a moment of glory...

With this, the Seoul Three Awards have come to a close.

After the awards ceremony, Seoul's media sent out telegrams throughout Asia and the world... Gong Cheng swept all the awards this year, leaving none unclaimed...

……

The following day, Gong Cheng quietly landed in Seoul.

After returning to the company and meeting with Park Jin-young, he took the keys to an Aston Martin DB11, entered the underground parking garage, and drove to Cube Entertainment in Cheongdam-dong.

He didn't tell Zhao Meiyan about his return to Seoul. Instead, he called Rabbit Girl and told her that he needed to go home first and would meet her at the company the next day.

He then dialed Zhao Meiyan's number, "Pabo? Are you practicing?"

"Ani-oh oppa, I'm resting today, at home, watching TV alone... and missing you~" Zhao Miyeon replied in a gentle voice, "I'm also having dinner with Jisoo unnie tonight to celebrate my upcoming debut~"

"Really? I really want to celebrate with you, Pabo. Should I fly back to Seoul?" Gong Cheng turned his car around and headed towards Cheongdam-dong. The black paint and elegant lines of the car made it stand out as it sped along the main road...

As a supercar brand, Aston Martin is not as common in China and Seoul as Ferrari and Lamborghini. Most wealthy people still choose Ferrari, which has a higher profile and is more flashy. Therefore, Aston Martin is much less common in Seoul's traffic compared to other brands.

"No, oppa's so busy. If you're free today, take a good rest. Don't overdo it, take care of yourself~" Zhao Meiyan said sweetly, her tone suggesting she was still immersed in the joy of her upcoming debut, but also a little disappointed...

"I always feel that I should be by your side at times like this! Why should I refuse?" Gong Cheng chuckled and stepped on the brake, waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

"Kenchana~ It's perfectly normal for me to debut, right? So there's no need to come back specifically to celebrate~" Zhao Miyeon said with a grin, then changed the subject, "Did you miss me, oppa? Hehe~"

"Yes~ I really want to."

"If you're not too busy with work, how about we video chat?"

Gong Cheng agreed and then hung up the phone. He then answered the video call that Zhao Meiyan had sent. In the video, Zhao Meiyan was sitting on the sofa, holding a Patrick Star doll, looking at Gong Cheng with her eyes crinkled. The voices of TV lines could be heard from the other end of the line.

However, Gong Cheng felt that the female voice in the dialogue sounded somewhat familiar.

"Are you driving, oppa? Maybe you should hang up? It's not safe. Honestly, why are you making phone calls and video chats while driving?"

Gong Cheng chuckled at her scolding, "Kenchana, I was focused on driving and didn't look at my phone, so it was fine. Let's chat, okay?"

"Pabo, are you watching 'The King in Love'?"

He hesitated before asking, "The drama 'The King in Love' is a romantic historical drama that aired last year in the Monday-Tuesday slot. It was really hyped up on the Peninsula TV station before it premiered, and it's a period drama..."

Gong Cheng knew quite a bit about it at the time, but no matter how much hype it generated, once he saw the cast, he knew it was destined to flop...

Yoona, the lead actress... Her acting in "God of War Zhao Yun" still seems so fresh in our minds, and she's already taking on a similar role again...

"Oppa, how did you know? You've seen it too?" Zhao Meiyan blinked curiously, looking at him through the screen. Logically speaking, her boyfriend was too busy to have time to watch dramas.

He'd be better off making TV dramas with that time...

"Aigoo, Pabo, turn off the TV. Don't watch those kinds of dramas. What will you do if you become an actor? Watching Yoona's dramas, be careful you don't become ratings poison yourself..."

"That's such a mean thing to say..." Zhao Meiyan pouted her pink lips, ignoring Gong Cheng's joke, and asked curiously, "Oppa, is Beijing fun?"

"It's quite fun." Gong Cheng smiled, looked at the residential area where Zhao Meiyan lived in front of him, slowed down, parked the car in the underground garage, put on a baseball cap and mask, and went straight into the elevator with his phone.

"Back to the hotel?"

Gong Cheng shook his head as he looked at the screen. When the elevator reached the 7th floor, he smiled and said, "Open the door, Pabo, I'm at your door..."

As he spoke, he flipped the camera around, circling the hallway and doorways in front of him...

"Oh my..." Zhao Meiyan on the other end of the video threw away the doll in her hand, tossed her phone onto the sofa, and then disappeared from the screen.

"Click~" In less than two seconds, the door was opened, and Zhao Meiyan stood prettily in front of Gong Cheng. After confirming that Gong Cheng had really returned, her sparkling eyes rushed straight into his arms, her legs, dangling in loose pajama pants, hooked her slippers onto his lap...

"How come you're really back, oppa?"

Her little face, buried in Gong Cheng's arms, was slightly red-rimmed, and she lifted her face in surprise.

Don't you want me to come back?

Gong Cheng supported her soft waist with both hands, and after seeing her fair belly exposed under her pajamas, he carried her into the room.

"Think~"

“But that’s not what you said on the phone.” Gong Cheng turned around and closed the door, only to find that his girlfriend was clinging to him and wouldn’t get off.

"I don't want to affect your work."

"Nonsense..." Gong Cheng lowered his head and kissed her. Then the two sat down on the sofa together. The TV was still playing "The King in Love," starring Lin Yoona, who kept rambling on and on about her lines.

Just like a light bulb...

"..."

After lingering for a while, Gong Cheng got up and went to the kitchen. He looked at the ingredients in the refrigerator and prepared to cook something simple. He had just gotten off the plane not long ago and hadn't eaten all day. To be honest, he was a little tired and hungry.

Zhao Meiyan happily took out her phone and secretly snapped a picture of Gong Cheng standing in the kitchen. Then, she lay down on the sofa with her legs crossed, watching the TV series starring her senior in the industry.

Although the acting is not as good as my oppa's, the plot is so melodramatic.

Just hearing the title of this drama makes it sound so romantic: "The King in Love"...

In short, she's in a very good mood. The debut is all set, and the company will start releasing individual teaser photos of the members in April, with the debut expected in May...

……

"Our group members include Yuqi, Xiaojuan, and..."

Zhao Meiyan sat at the dining table, right opposite Gong Cheng. There was very little rice in her pink porcelain bowl. As she was about to debut, she was even more strict with her figure. Her pair of fair and delicate feet were placed flat in the air under the table. Her newly done silver nail polish and the soles of her feet and ankles dangled on Gong Cheng's bent legs.

As she spoke, she nudged her boyfriend with her foot, "Oppa, you haven't forgotten my friends, have you? They really admire you..."

“Oh, of course I remember. Song Yuqi, right? Tian Xiaojuan? Ye Shuhua? Minnie? And there’s another one…” Gong Cheng muttered to himself. He had a good memory. During his conversation with Zhao Meiyan, he also learned that their soon-to-debut group was called (G)I-DLE.

The two were chatting...

A short while later, Zhao Meiyan's phone rang.

Gong Cheng glanced at the name in the contact list, which was Kim Jisoo. He mouthed something like, "You've stood me up..."

Honestly, he didn't really want to see Kim Jisoo, and he was increasingly reluctant!

Meeting alone is fine.

If the little penguin is a time bomb, ticking away its countdown, but just when the fuse is about to be lit, it stubbornly stops, refusing to explode...

It's hard to figure out what she's up to. Sometimes you might even have the illusion that we're on the same side and that she's being naughty again.

But Kim Ji-soo is different. She's like TNT that explodes at the slightest touch. Although Gong Cheng himself strapped on the explosives, he couldn't bring himself to hurt the women, nor could he bring himself to hurt himself...

Keep it covered...

Gong Cheng put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and reached under the table to grab the ankle of the woman with the bright silver manicured nails, pinching it. Zhao Meiyan, who was on the phone with Kim Jisoo, trembled. She frowned as she looked at her husband, signaling him not to do anything rash.

Then, Gong Cheng innocently let go of her hand, stood up, came behind Zhao Meiyan, picked her up, and walked into the bedroom.

……

The following day, Gong Cheng arrived at JYP's recording studio.

Park Jin-young was sitting outside the studio, and the members of TWICE were there too, thinking that after their busy oppa finished recording, they would all go out for a meal together.

"Let's begin." Park Jin-young looked at the lyrics and song title "Psycho" in his hand, indicating that recording could start.

Inside the recording studio, a female VJ was filming. The footage from the recording studio would be released along with the single, making it a kind of music video that wasn't quite a music video...

Gong Cheng, wearing headphones, nodded, smiled at the camera, and then timed his movements perfectly...

(End of this chapter)