The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapters 268 and onwards will become even more...

The next day, Gong Cheng walked out of the suite with a chapped lip and ran into Wu Shixun and a few others having breakfast in the hotel restaurant. These guys had come back even later than him the night before.

A true Peninsular, he probably stayed in Ginza until three or four in the morning before returning to his hotel, but he still looked radiant.

He strongly suspected that if it weren't for the concert today, Park Chanyeol and Jackson Wang would probably have been partying in Ginza until six or seven in the morning.

"What happened to your mouth, maknae?" Lin Yingxiong sat down at the table with a sandwich in hand. When he saw Gong Cheng sit down, he noticed a faint scar on Gong Cheng's handsome face, near the corner of his mouth. Upon closer inspection, a small crack could be seen...

Gong Cheng pursed his lips and said evasively, "I wasn't paying attention while eating and bit my tongue..."

"Was it Irene who bit you?" Zhang Yixing asked suspiciously, clearly not believing it.

Wu Sehun nudged Gong Cheng's shoulder, which was somewhat evasive, and said, "Come on, you're too cunning. Seulgi called me last night to ask if Irene was with us."

“They’re coming to the concert today, let’s get together tonight…” Gong Cheng remembered what he had talked about with Bae Joo-hyun last night and gave the members a heads-up.

Sehun nodded. "No wonder Seulgi told me last night that she was coming to pick us up from get off work today."

"Actually, that's not the case..." Zhang Yixing glanced at Wu Sehun speechlessly and chuckled, "It was clearly Irene who came to pick up the maknae, okay?"

"..."

……

At 6 PM, Bombardment Meteor's first concert in Japan, at the Tokyo Dome, officially began.

The name Bombardment Meteor exploded on the LED screen outside Tokyo Dome, and a giant holographic projection displayed the words "Neon First Stop" against the dim night sky. As the countdown ended, the dome of the venue lit up dramatically, and the 55,000 seats seemed to be illuminated like a starry river...

Amidst the packed stadium and the surging waves of light, the glow sticks waved by the stargazers and acquaintances converged into a flowing river of light, the dazzling spectrum of seven colors transforming into a vibrant surge of sound...

The brand-new opening special effects seemed to confirm the official website's earlier boast of "Tokyo's Fall." On the giant screen behind the stage, a desolate coastline emerged in a dark blue light, with moonlight like cold silver poured onto the rugged rocks. Then, with a transition, tens of thousands of audience members realized that the country they were surrounded by was the very coastline, encircled by the sea on all sides...

Suddenly, a crisp sound came from the dome of the Tokyo Dome. In the dim night, stars burst forth from the depths of the screen, and blazing white flames tore through the night. Then, hundreds and thousands of meteors, trailing burning contrails, cascaded down, exploding into dazzling nebulae and colorful fireworks on the horizon...

The splashing seawater rose as high as a city wall, and the surging waves, carrying the darkness and firelight, combined with the tsunami sound transmitted from hundreds of speakers in the venue, the sound waves pounded into the eardrums of tens of thousands of people as if they were real...

"Bombardment Meteor!" Amidst the shrill roar of waves tearing through the air, their usual cold, mechanical synthesized voices assaulted from all directions of the venue.

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

"Oppa!!!"

As the light sticks illuminated in unison, the stadium erupted in cheers and screams, a roar like a tsunami, flooding every corner of the venue from all directions…

The stage lights suddenly focused, and the intro to the opening song, "Love Shot," began to flow like an undercurrent...

A pop-dance track featuring a solid 808 bass and an addictive chorus, this is Bombardment Meteor's new song from their comeback, making its debut.

"Aiming at each other~ A bone-chilling cold~"

Those words, sharp as blades, were filled with a suffocating feeling.

Gong Cheng's charming voice, along with his handsome features, appeared on the big screen. His silver-white hair was swept back by the stylist, and he wore a black fitted suit, revealing his collarbone and a silver necklace. His tall figure danced under the spotlight... "Oh~oh~oh~"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"TTTTTarot!"

"Just blinding them like that~"

"Our hearts are tightly closed off~" Lin Yingxiong, wearing a headset, moved nimbly to the center position and joined the six members behind him, each performing a choreography that was quite challenging for this dance.

Jay Park stepped forward and began his rap segment, “…”

Sitting in the front row of the audience, Son Seungwan watched Oh Sehun, Park Chanyeol, and Zhang Yixing take turns performing their parts on stage, and couldn't help but lean over and say to Kang Seulgi next to her, "Is this Bombardment Meteor's new song?"

"These guys on stage seem even more authentic than XO..."

"That Tarot guy is so flashy..."

"What do you mean by 'flamboyant'? That's just how the dance style is for that song." Bae Joo-hyun quickly spoke up to defend Gong Cheng, "You know what, he dances really well."

Kang Seulgi glanced at Oh Sehun and the others, "It's much better than developing in XO..."

What she said was true. She had heard Oh Sehun complain that the contract he signed with SM Entertainment was very harsh, so harsh that he couldn't even easily appear on variety shows. Moreover, with the resources allocated to XO and the company's focus on promoting certain artists, this guy's career was only so-so.

But then, because of Tarot's words "Don't let loyalty ruin you," they joined Bombardment Meteor and rose to the top. If they were the most popular members of XO a few years ago, then in just over a year, Oh Sehun, Park Chanyeol, and Zhang Yixing, along with Bombardment Meteor, have become some of the most popular members in K-pop.

Tarot is practically the undisputed top-ranking celebrity in terms of popularity, leading the pack in almost every category. From his fan base to various metrics…

……

The long concert is over...

In the bustling hall, fans began to leave one by one.

The members of Red Velvet arrived backstage at the concert and sat in the dressing room at Bombardment Meteor, their eyes filled with envy. "When can we hold a concert here? Even just one..."

Bae Joo-hyun ignored the members' dreams and aspirations. She wondered what Gong Cheng would say if he heard this. Would he say—'Wendy, are you really happy holding a concert at the Tokyo Dome?'

Thinking of this, she smiled, a slight upturn of her lips. Her black hair, tied in a low ponytail, swayed as she glanced up at the corridor leading from the waiting area back to the lounge. Her black, lightweight suit jacket, slightly long, hung in her pockets, and she would occasionally glance at it expectantly.

He also had a bottle of electrolyte water tucked under his elbow.

Shui is Gong Cheng's manager. Jin Dayu gave her this job. This experienced manager seemed to see through something at a glance, but her intention to matchmake was so obvious that she blushed a little.

"Unnie, do you know what you look like right now?" Kang Seulgi tilted her head with a grin, teasing her leader who had soloed earlier than everyone else.

Why does she feel that Unnie and Gong Cheng's good news is coming soon?

Even though Unnie is five years older than him, and he's two years older than that guy, for Unnie's happiness, calling him brother-in-law a couple of times isn't so bad, right?

Bae Joo-hyun's light smile faltered for a moment. "Like what?"

"Like waiting for my boyfriend to get off work..." Kang Seulgi smiled teasingly, but her bright eyes were full of encouragement and support.

"Don't talk nonsense." Suddenly remembering what happened last night, Bae Joo-hyun blushed slightly. Her heart pounded on the sofa; the emotions that had been building up inside her surged up again, like fermenting sediment. She chuckled to herself, "His technique is pretty good, it's amazing."

"What technology?"

Hearing these ambiguous words, Kang Seulgi felt a bit awkward and quickly glanced at her unnie. Could it be...? She knew that her unnie and Gong Cheng went out together last night... Could it be? So fast... It's very much like Gong Cheng's nightclub style, but this is definitely not her unnie's style!
Damn it, Seoul Cannon, what did you do?
After seeing Kang Seulgi's glaring eyes and questioning expression, Bae Joo-hyun realized that her words were too ambiguous and could easily lead to misunderstandings. She quickly reached into her pocket and waved her hand, "Ani-oh, what are you thinking? I meant that he really lives up to his reputation as a player, he's got real skills..."

She tried to brush it off, since Seulgi wasn't exactly smart anyway.

Gong Cheng's kissing skills are quite good, but the way he pried open people's teeth is a bit too vulgar!

Online sources say this is a guiding relationship? It involves gently guiding the other person, teaching them kissing techniques to create a wonderful experience for both...

But that's not the point. The point is that he performed terribly last night, like a complete novice. Perhaps even a novice wouldn't have bitten his lip until it bled.

However, in today's rapidly developing technological world, there are tutorials for everything. For example, the content she saved last night—

Kissing is a skill, not just a simple slap on the lips. Here are ten kissing tips.

First, understand each other's needs and respect individual differences.

2. Engage in deep eye contact to create a romantic atmosphere.

Third, gently kiss the other person a few times, and don't rush to use the snake head.

Fourth, be careful to control your drooling and don't progress too quickly...

Fifth, sucking, biting, and dabbing are advanced kissing techniques.

6. Enjoy a slow and affectionate kiss to strengthen your emotional connection.

7. Try a gentle kiss on the neck and earlobes for a powerful...

……

There will be an advanced tutorial later.

[How to achieve a wonderful No. 1: Tips and tricks (plus 27 bonus tips and techniques)]

However, the advanced version requires payment...

Bae Joo-hyun stared at the "Yay yeah" title, then blushed and swiped away.

"Irene, Seulgi, are you waiting for me?!"

At the corner of the corridor, several sweaty figures walked towards them with laughter. The ones walking in front were Park Jae-beom, Jackson Wang, and others. Oh Se-hun's joking words interrupted Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi, who were whispering to each other.

Bae Joo-hyun raised her eyelids and smiled, greeting the others. Since they were all from the same company, and Bombardment Meteor and their Ryder Baby often went on social events, their relationship was naturally quite close…

"You guys are really something else! We were sitting in the stadium and our ears were practically deafened by the noise," Kang Seulgi said with a grin, giving a thumbs-up in affirmation.

Bae Joo-hyun glanced behind Oh Se-hun and the others, and then Gong Cheng appeared from around the corner, seemingly holding his phone and talking on the phone. Park Chan-yeol was walking alongside him, his arm around his shoulder...

After seeing Bae Joo-hyun, Gong Cheng smiled and waved, then hung up the phone with Park Chae-young to talk about their comeback.

Approaching Irene, Park Chanyeol grinned mischievously, "Irene, is this water for me?" He pointed to the electrolyte solution clutched in Irene's hand. The other members, seeing this, also cast knowing glances.

"..." Bae Joo-hyun blushed slightly and wanted to refuse, but then she thought that it was just a bottle of water, and besides, there were so many people around. She felt a little embarrassed to just hand it to Gong Cheng with her freshly boiled water...

Just as she was about to hand the water to Park Chanyeol, Gong Cheng reached out and took the water from her hand, muttering, "Can't you be a little more decisive?" With that, he unscrewed the cap with one hand and drank from it.

Park Da and Xiao, along with Jackson Wang and the others, chuckled silently before entering the lounge to greet Wendy and the others.

"It's just a bottle of water, I'll get you some more later..." Bae Joo-hyun put her hands in her pockets, looked up at Gong Cheng's expression as he drank the water, and felt a little pleased. "You're quite domineering," she thought. "Besides, I should have gotten everyone a bottle of water. Everyone's tired, it's not really appropriate to only give it to you..."

As she spoke, she reached out and patted Gong Cheng on the back, trying to prevent him from choking, "Are you jealous? Are you angry?"

"Oh, it's clearly for me, you're not firm at all." Gong Cheng screwed on the bottle cap, smiled, and explained, "If you don't teach someone like Chanyeol a lesson, he'll take advantage of you."

"Okay, let's get ready and go eat..."

……

An hour and a half later, a dozen people were chatting enthusiastically in a private room at the restaurant.

Bae Joo-hyun sat down next to Gong Cheng, carefully picking out the bones from the ribbonfish with her chopsticks. Then, she casually placed the golden-brown fried fish pieces onto Gong Cheng's plate. "Eat up, I'm not sure if I've removed all the bones, so take small bites..."

"Inside."

"Shall we take a group photo?" Bae Joo-hyun peeled a shrimp and took a bite. In Gong Cheng's eyes, the Daegu woman was busy and flustered throughout the meal, yet she was also slow and methodical, taking care of her members relentlessly.

Gong Cheng nodded, and after seeing her soft tone, he knew she was referring to a photo of the two of them together. "Okay, we don't think we have a photo together yet, do we?" He racked his brains to recall.

It seems there haven't been any solo photos of him and Bae Joo-hyun, not even during the music video shoot in Daegu last year...

"Who said there isn't?" Bae Joo-hyun took off the transparent gloves she used to peel shrimp, picked up a piece of paper to wipe the sauce from the corner of her mouth, then lowered her head, opened the photo album and swiped the screen, precisely flipping to a date among a group of photos of her with the members and their families.

Gong Cheng asked in surprise, "Really?"

"I have no impression at all..."

"Yes, yes," Bae Joo-hyun said with a smile, pushing her phone onto the table in front of Gong Cheng. The photo was dark and of poor quality, but the colors were still vibrant.

Gong Cheng looked at the photo in surprise, pointed to himself, and then looked at Bae Joo-hyun, "Is this you and me?"

It's a wonder he didn't recognize him. The photo was blurry, and judging from the angle, it was taken secretly with a zoomed-in lens—Gong Cheng's tall, straight back was carrying a lump of what looked like limp mud. If you didn't look closely, the blurry style and the blurry image would make it impossible for anyone to believe it was him...

The gray night sky was ablaze with colorful fireworks, the horizon bright and vibrant.

Gong Cheng was carrying a lump on his back...

Under the fireworks in the night sky, they rushed into the Seoul Hospital building...

"Oh my, it was New Year's Eve in 16, right?" After thinking carefully, Gong Cheng suddenly remembered. He had taken Bae Joo-hyun to the hospital twice. Once he drove his own van, and the other time was the first time he took Bae Joo-hyun to the hospital in 16. At that time, the Gayo Daejeon had just ended, and this beautiful girl fell into his arms...

Just like when he staged an accident, he carried the car onto a taxi to Seoul Hospital.

Bae Joo-hyun nodded with a smile and took a sip of her cola. "It was taken by paparazzi. Didn't it immediately become a trending topic?"

"Aigoo, is it the 'Tarot's Domestic Violence Against Irene' incident?" Gong Cheng's vision went black as he recalled the sensationalist headlines the media had used back then. Damn it...

"Oh, that was the rumor from last year when you took me to the hospital." Bae Joo-hyun laughed heartily after seeing his expression. Seriously, what kind of people are these media outlets? The headlines they came up with were all about domestic violence and abortion...

Gong Cheng chuckled twice. "Then I remembered wrong." Then, he looked at the Daegu woman with a half-smile. "Aigoo, when did you start coveting me?"

"You actually kept these photos from so early?"

"Coveting?" Bae Joo-hyun suddenly felt like she'd wasted all the ribbonfish and shrimp she'd just eaten. "Could you be any more shameless?"

"Okay, so when did you start lusting after me?"

"..." Bae Joo-hyun smiled at him. With her long torso, she sat in front of the wooden table and chair, and her powerful legs kicked Gong Cheng hard from under the table.

This time we were sitting close together, side by side, so it was easy to get on A.

……

The next day...

Tokyo is sunny and calm, but the tsunami triggered by the Bombardment Meteor continues...

Bae Joo-hyun came to pick up Gong Sung from get off work.

……

The third day, the last day at Tokyo Dome.

Irene (Bae Joo-hyun) didn't come; Red Velvet went to Nagoya to film their debut music video and posters in Japan...

……

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!"

"Bombardment Meteor!!"

"..."

After their concert at Tokyo Station ended, Bombardment Meteor went to an izakaya (Japanese pub) late at night... The members chatted about their schedules, or they just boasted, talked about their dreams, retirement, and relationships...

"Aigoo, brothers, I'm retiring in two more years. I want to enjoy life." Park Jae-beom, holding a bottle of liquor, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol, spoke of his plans for the next few years and his ideal life. "My current girlfriend, I'll pursue her seriously. I want to give her a home..."

Wu Shixun pursed his lips and leaned back on the sofa in the private room. He flicked off his cigarette ash and sighed, "Brother, you said the same thing about my last girlfriend..."

"To be honest, you're not as reliable as Lay..."

"I'm better than the maknae, right?" Jay Park immediately laughed, somewhat resentfully...

Gong Cheng was too lazy to pay attention to them; none of them were serious. He answered Mina's call and, listening to her soft-spoken tone, couldn't stand her roundabout way of talking. "Mina-chan, what's wrong?" "Just say what's on your mind."

“My parents are going to your concert in a few days, but they couldn’t get tickets. Could you pick them up? Just arrange some tickets for the inner section, they don’t need to be too close to the front.” Mina said softly, without mentioning that she wanted him to take her parents to the dressing room.

She knew that, needless to say, given Cheng-chan's personality, she would definitely show her parents around, and might even treat them to a meal...

Gong Cheng took a sip of his drink, looking somewhat surprised. "Okay, how many tickets?"

"Garlic Bird, give my phone number to your uncle and aunt. I'll pick them up when they come."

"Then I'll trouble you, Makoto~" Mina's tone was somewhat cheerful.

"What's the trouble? I don't think it's anything serious. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Uncle and Aunt..." Gong Cheng's voice was tinged with amusement as he stared at the wine in his glass with downcast eyes. Suddenly, as if possessed, he asked, "Do you miss me?"

This question caused the other members in the private room to fall silent, looking at him with a hint of gossip.

Mina was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Have you been drinking?"

"Yes," Gong Cheng replied. He missed the little penguin a little. Alone in Tokyo, with Zhu Xuan busy with other things, he felt a bit lonely... Sigh...

"Drink less alcohol..." Mina didn't address his question directly, but instead whispered, "Listen to Makoto, drink more orange juice."

"Why are you using that coaxing tone with May?" Gong Cheng muttered, somewhat puzzled, before hearing Mingan's reply, "What's the difference between you and it?"

That's enough! It's just right!

He doesn't miss Mina at all anymore...

……

The next morning, Bombardment Meteor and his group boarded a flight to Las Vegas.

Following the Grammys, another important awards ceremony in the European and American music scene is about to begin: the 25th Billboard Music Awards will be held on May 20th.

From the moment they boarded the flight, a deluge of media and public opinion began to hype up the Billboard Music Awards the day after tomorrow.

#Tarot nominated for 13 awards, may become the biggest winner#
#Bombardment Meteor nominee with 5 awards, now on flight to Las Vegas#
#Taylor tweets she looks forward to collaborating with "Tarot" again#
#Tarot Sky's speech seems to be targeting a general Grammy award next year#
#It is reported that in the recent 25th Billboard Music Awards, "Tarot" received five nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Artist, Best Song, Best Selling Album, and Best Rap Song.#
#In other award categories, "Tarot" received nominations for Billboard 2018 Artist of the Year, Top Singles of the Year, Top Radio Songs of the Year, Top Streaming Singles of the Year, Top Streaming Song of the Year, Best-Selling Single of the Year, Best-Selling Single Artist of the Year, and Best Social Artist of the Year, for a total of 8 other nominations.#
#Bombardment Meteor nominations for Best Social Artist, Best Group/Band of the Year, Best Rock Artist, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album – 5 nominations#
#The rock single nominated is *Natural*, and the best rock album of the year is their third album, *3#Crown*.#
#Tarot, a rising star among the top five male singers, has received 13 nominations, including 5 major awards. He will compete against Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and many other A-list artists. Tarot's clashes with these top-tier artists are a major focus for music fans.#
#Because of Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd seem to be constantly vying for attention and competing against each other. Both are nominated for Best Male Artist and Best Artist, and their rivalry will be a major focus of the awards night.#
"..."

In TWICE's practice room, Tzuyu, holding her fluffy puppy May, looked at the trending topics on the web with a grin, waved the puppy's paw, and said with a sweet smile, "May, cheer for Daddy!"

……

On May 19th, Gong Cheng landed in Las Vegas. Standing among the crowd of fans who came to greet him, he recalled the moment when he came here last year to attend the awards ceremony. He couldn't help but feel a sense of returning to a familiar place and how time had changed...

At last year's 24th Billboard Music Awards, also in Las Vegas, Gong Cheng went home empty-handed, having yet to make his mark on the Western music scene. Meanwhile, Bombardment Meteor won the Best Social Artist award, a prize previously dominated by Justin Bieber.

Back in Seoul, even the usually mild-mannered Kim Dae-woo was still provoked to berate the media and reporters, saying, "You need to show respect to Bombardment Meteor..."

“TTTTTTTTTarot!”

"Bombardment Meteor!!"

"Oppa!"

The loud shouts of support from Europeans and Americans were quite intense. A blonde girl stood at the very front of the cordon, and just as Gong Cheng was about to pass by, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Oppa, please do more activities around the world! Come to my country, France, okay?"

"Okay." Gong Cheng nodded with a light laugh, greeted the fans who came to pick him up at the airport, and then left.

……

Upon arriving at the hotel he had booked, Gong Cheng went into the bathroom and took a shower. The long flight of more than ten hours, coupled with the hot weather, had made him feel restless and anxious.

After changing into a Hawaiian-style shirt and shorts, he picked up a sun hat and sunglasses and walked down from the hotel.

It was midday in Las Vegas, and the sun was blazing.

The scenery is quite nice; after all, it's a world-famous gambling city with plenty of entertainment facilities, and tourists are scattered everywhere.

Gong Cheng didn't travel with the other members. They stayed in their hotel suites, either chatting on the phone with their girlfriends, swimming in the hotel pool, or catching up on sleep, preparing to have a good time in Las Vegas tonight...

Their busy schedule brought them to Las Vegas, but after the awards ceremony, they had no time to party and celebrate, as they were heading back to Japan that very night for their second stop there – the Nissan Arena.

This is their first time visiting the largest venue in all of Japan...

Therefore, everyone needs to vent to relieve the pressure in their hearts.

"Maknae, where are you going?" Jay Park asked in the hotel lobby, now dressed in a flashy pink tank top and sunglasses, holding the keys to a sports car rented by his manager. "Want me to give you a ride, or come with me to Cuser to watch a boxing match?"

“No, I need to see Taylor to discuss some collaborations.” Gong Cheng waved his hand, put on his sunglasses, and waved at him with a refreshing smile. This guy is quite interested in boxing and fighting, and has made a lot of money over the years. Besides running his own music company, he's mentioned in casual conversation that he wants to open a club-like company to recruit boxers and organize boxing matches…

Jay Park slammed on the brakes and sped away, feeling even more relaxed in Las Vegas than in Seoul.
After all, they're Americans...

Gong Cheng glanced at Jin Dayu, who was carrying an LV handbag. His flamboyant outfit made him look like he was on vacation. He wore a green coconut-patterned shirt, beach shorts, and pointed leather shoes that looked like "Golden Chelsea boots."
What a piece of crap outfit!
"Do you have to be so over-the-top, bro?" Gong Cheng scoffed, opening the passenger door of the convertible and getting in. "Can you really drive wearing those pointy leather shoes?"

"How about I drive..." He glanced suspiciously at Kim Dae-woo struggling to fasten his seatbelt. His gold Chelsea boots had long, slanted toes... Kim Dae-woo's height and weight meant he didn't have big feet; on the contrary, his insteps were wide, making his leather shoes look a bit swollen...

Gong Cheng strongly suspected that if this guy stepped on the gas or brake, his shoe might slip and he'd end up slumped over...

Kim Daewoo awkwardly stubbed out his cigar; that's how rich people are. Then he smiled and said, "I'm dressed like this to protect you."

"What do you mean?" Gong Cheng started chatting idly with him. He spent more time working with this guy than with his girlfriends, so he naturally knew what kind of person this guy was.

"We didn't bring any bodyguards this time. If we run into any obnoxious stalkers, I'll kick their asses with the toe of my shoe and yell, 'Fuck you!'" Kim Dae-woo slammed on the gas, laughing loudly, and sped away in the golden sunlight...

Gong Cheng's silver-white hair danced wildly in the sunlight and wind, and he smiled through his handsome face behind his sunglasses, "Sounds pretty good."

……

Twenty minutes later, the black Ferrari pulled up on Henshaw Boulevard in Las Vegas, just a few hundred meters from the most bustling area of ​​Las Vegas, the Casino Boulevard.

Gong Cheng opened the car door and got out. He bought two coffees at a nearby coffee shop, kept a low profile, and took a simple photo with a few tourists who recognized him. Then he went to Jin Dayu, who had just parked his car, and handed him a coffee.

Kim Dae-woo carried a bag containing some cooperation contracts he had previously discussed with Taylor's agent. His round face, hidden behind sunglasses, was bathed in sunlight, and he looked relaxed and content. Despite his busy work schedule, he still needed to enjoy himself a little...

"..."

The two chatted as they walked into a Western restaurant.

Taylor, whom I hadn't seen for a while, was wearing a black and white graffiti-patterned dress. The skirt was high up to her upper thigh, making her look quite cool. She still had her signature blonde, wavy hair, and her lipstick was very bold...

"..."

After a brief greeting, Kim Dae-woo spoke with Taylor's accompanying manager in Korean-accented English.

Gong Cheng and Taylor sat down on the sofa. He sent her the arrangement of the collaboration song and asked her to listen to it. The arrangement of "Exile" was completed, but he had only finished writing the lyrics halfway through. He thought that if Taylor was interested, the two of them could collaborate on the lyrics.

After all, it is an independent folk song sung by a male and female duet.

"Listen."

At Gong Cheng's prompting, Taylor took out her headphones from her handbag, put them on, and listened to the rather tranquil and ethereal intro...

"..."

With its simple, moderate tempo, the song is almost entirely centered around piano chords, making it sound quite soothing. It lacks the heavy drum beats of the usual "Tarot" style, but it is, after all, an indie folk arrangement. It has a hazy, dreamlike quality, with ethereal and slightly melancholic electronic effects, like distant whistles echoing in a desolate land...

Taylor picked up the lyrics that Gong Cheng had handed her from the sofa, glanced at them, and hummed a few lines.

"This scene feels familiar~"

Even though I don't like this ending~

"You are no longer the homeland I belong to..."

……

Taylor took off her headphones, lost in thought. The simple, slow rhythm and ethereal arrangement and synthesized sound destined this to be a song sung softly by a man and a woman.

"How is it?" Gong Cheng asked with a smile. "I think the arrangement is not bad, but as for the lyrics, it's hard to say. I want to see if you are interested in approaching it from different perspectives. The lyrics might be more effective that way."

Taylor picked up her wine glass, took a sip of red wine, and chuckled teasingly, "Weren't you very resistant to me writing songs for you?"

"Actually, I'm not that resistant, since nothing's happened between us." Gong Cheng shrugged, leaned back on the sofa, and glanced at Taylor's manager, who was sitting next to Jin Dayu, with whom he shared a similar taste. The two of them were smoking cigars and casually enjoying them.

When will we record?

"The sooner the better..." Gong Cheng straightened his back and replied, "Before autumn. Besides, aren't you starting your world tour in Detroit in August?"

"Are you going to release an album during your world tour?" Taylor asked, speculating. "You're not really aiming for all the Grammys next year, are you?"

Gong Cheng shrugged and said seriously, "Although I'm making great strides in streaming right now, it takes time. If last year's 'Peaches' had been released in the summer or spring, then the recent annual production might have been mine."

He smiled and said, "Of course, it's hard to say, but the chances of winning are a bit higher..."

"That's true, your streaming numbers are currently ahead of everyone else's." Taylor said helplessly. Everyone else, including herself, was still the number one song on the Billboard charts, the boy in front of her, "God's Plan."

This pop & trap fusion song is incredibly popular worldwide, consistently ranking high in popularity and play count. It has been topping the charts for over a month since its release, and judging by its momentum, it will likely remain there for a while longer.

On major streaming platforms, the most popular song played live in the past two months has been "God's Plan"...

……

After discussing the collaboration track "Exile" with Taylor, Makoto Miyamoto returned to his hotel.

As evening fell and darkness descended, he unusually declined the members' invitation to go out for drinks. For some reason, in refusing, he remembered Mina's advice to drink less...

I was mainly very tired and just wanted to rest well so I could wake up and attend the Billboard awards ceremony tomorrow.

But I had just drifted off to sleep when, in no time, my phone, which I had left on the bedside table, started ringing incessantly.

Unlike messages from his female relatives, who know Gong Cheng's habits, he only needs to send a message to let them know if something is wrong, and he will reply as soon as he sees it. It's just a matter of time. The main thing is that when he is on a schedule, he doesn't have much time to check his phone every day.

The women all understand, and if there's anything important, they won't send a message, they'll just call!

"Drip drop~"

Gong Cheng rolled over, still dreaming, ignoring everything.

In her dream, Mina and Chaeyoung lay on either side of her, the three of them enjoying each other's company. Mina even affectionately nudged her, cheering her on in Japanese, "Makoto-chan~ You just got daddy!~"

Fragmented, discontinuous dreams...

The figures of Kim Jisoo, Jo Miyeon, and Lim Nayeon also appeared, so beautiful that he didn't want to wake up...

"Drip drip!"

"Pfft!" Hearing the incessant buzzing of text messages in his ear, Gong Cheng grabbed a pillow and threw it away, scrambling to his feet with a pained expression. He then pulled out his phone...

He'd like to see who it is!

Why are you sending such trivial messages in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?!

I finally dreamt of sleeping in the same bed with someone, and then I got woken up by the hell...

Swipe open your phone screen, and you'll see a message from [Dragon of the Execution Department].

[Dragon of the Executive Department]: "Oppa, is Las Vegas fun?"

"Oppa, have you eaten?"

"No, it's already nighttime in Las Vegas..."

"Is oppa busy or resting? (question mark)"

"Oppa, are you asleep?"

"Oppa, I got a new manicure, do you think it looks good? (picture)"

"..."

Gong Cheng was getting exasperated by the constant use of "oppa"! You already know Las Vegas is late at night, why are you still sending messages like that?!

Liu Zhimin, don't you have a life of your own?
Can this really lead to a debut?

For a moment, he couldn't help but think of Hwang Ye-ji, Shin Yuna, and the others. They used to be so busy in the practice room, getting up earlier than the roosters and going to bed later than the dogs. They never had time to ask him this or that...

"..." Gong Cheng replied with a string of ellipses. Seeing the read notification, he said, "If it's not anything important, let's talk tomorrow. I'm resting now."

He's also planning to continue his dream as soon as possible.

The little penguin pushed quite hard, it was so thoughtful...

The little tiger was also very sensible and politely defered to Mina, saying, "Unnie, you go first..."

"No, you go first, Chaeyoung..."

"You first~"

"Please go first, don't be shy..."

After a few dozen seconds, [Dragon of the Execution Department] asked, "Oppa, are you angry?"

"No, it's just that I'm really tired, Jimin. You should be practicing hard in Seoul at this hour, right?" Gong Cheng got up, took a sip of water, and replied. After thinking for a moment, he decided it would be better to give the Execution Department's Dragon a little push. "It seems like Minjun is practicing more diligently. I saw the photos she sent me; her practice intensity is really high..."

[Dragon of the Executive Department]: "She sent you photos, didn't she?"

"Yeah, Minjung is actually quite lively in private, unlike what you described as a shy little girl." Gong Cheng, lying on his side on the bed, was telling the truth. Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung were among the most active people on his friend list; they would message each other frequently...

[Dragon of the Execution Department]: "Okay, did I disturb your rest, oppa? (crying)"

“Yes, but it’s okay, Jimin. From now on, just send a message if you need anything, and I’ll reply when I see it. Sometimes work is busy, but you’ll understand once you debut,” Gong Cheng earnestly advised. That night in the hotel with the Daegu woman, the ones constantly sending messages were Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjun…

These two seemed to have come as a group, taking turns bombarding...

[Dragon of the Executive Department]: "I understand, oppa, nice to you..."

"From now on, I will become a more cautious Ji-min (serious face)."

"Ani, we're friends. I'm not telling you to be cautious or anything. I just want you to know that I'll reply to your messages when I have time, there's no need for this..." Gong Cheng stared at the screen speechlessly. What's going on?! You should become a more diligent and dedicated Ji Min...

"Never mind," he said, adding comfortingly, "Let's talk tomorrow. Time to rest... Goodnight (moon)."

【Dragon of the Executive Department】: "Oh my, oppa~ are you saying goodnight to me?"

"..." Gong Cheng replied by turning off the screen, tossing his phone aside, and turning off the desk lamp, hoping to drift off to sleep...

Gan ah!

(End of this chapter)