The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 284 Cunning Wisdom and Ingenuity (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The end of June, the 30th...

For several days in a row, Gong Cheng was rushing to keep up with the filming schedule of "Parasite" and would occasionally go to the recording site of PRODUCE 48 to attend some of the recordings.

The attention this talent show has garnered from the outside world, and the trainees' desire and ambition to debut in the second half of the competition are even more intense than in the first half. The massive exposure they've received has already temporarily established a top-ranking group of trainees in terms of popularity...

Miyawaki Sakura, who usually sheds a few tears now and then, surprised him somewhat during yesterday's recording. Makoto had heard some rumors about himself among the trainees, but hadn't delved into them further, only finding them rather interesting…

"..."

On July 1st, Jeonju was like being stuffed into a scorching furnace, with the rising heat waves accompanied by the chirping of cicadas, making the air thick and sticky.

"...Are you busy with the new album?"

Bong Joon-ho handed two bottles of frozen drinks to his junior brother, who was lounging comfortably in a recliner.

It feels like this kid is on vacation just like he's on set...

"Inside."

Gong Cheng responded, put a straw in his cold drink and took a sip, then placed his hands on the notebook in front of him, working on some planning proposals for the new album.

For him, filming was like a vacation. These past few days, he's spent either on set or visiting the PRODUCE 48 recording studio, and taking some time to work on his new album. As for Doufu, after that kissing scene, he threw himself into TWICE's group activities...

Hiding away in Jeonju, away from the nagging of his female relatives, he was quite unaccustomed to it...

"The Lovers?"

Bong Joon-ho raised an eyebrow, adjusted his glasses, and didn't rush to film. The crew was setting up the set, while the main actors for the scene were still getting their makeup done... On the laptop screen beneath his eyes, a picture of a tarot card was displayed...

The painting style is abstract, with an oil painting feel. As a director, he has a certain level of appreciation for art. The scene in the oil painting is set against the backdrop of the Garden of Eden, with fertile land and lush vegetation, blue sky and white clouds, and Adam and Eve.

“Inside, the Great Arcana [Lovers]…”

Gong Cheng chuckled lightly, teasingly saying, "Aigoo, senior brother, this is top secret! You got to see this..."

That's what he said, but he continued typing away nonchalantly, adding to the new album project. For the management company, the comeback project and the content and music of the new album needed to be kept strictly confidential.

Otherwise, so many artists wouldn't keep the contents of their new albums tightly under wraps before each comeback, even keeping their makeup, styling, and hair color secret. In the past, there have been many instances where music leaks caused a decline in the performance of group artists during their comebacks.

Therefore, major entertainment agencies maintain extremely strict confidentiality requirements regarding the return of their artists.

"Then why are you swaggering around here working, you brat?"

Bong Joon-ho gave a sullen laugh and a curse.

Gong Cheng smiled. He didn't care about his comeback plan. After all, the current plan only involved some album concepts and frameworks, and there was no risk of leaking the music. He just needed to come up with a general plan and submit it to Park Jin-young...

The rest can be left to the relevant departments at the company to handle marketing and pre-launch promotion. He's handled the planning for his new albums over the past two years himself, just like the albums themselves. It's not that JYP lacks talent; it's that he doesn't trust them…

Even with clothing, Gong Cheng didn't need the company to interfere; he simply had no interest in leather pants...

"This hand is quite interesting..."

Bong Joon-ho, holding his coffee, pointed to the Arcana card related to "The Lovers" on the screen. Besides Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, there was a Tree of Knowledge behind Eve, with five red apples on it, symbolizing the five senses of mankind: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

A snake coils around the tree trunk, representing lurking wisdom and the allure of desire. This junior apprentice has depicted the green snake's body with exquisite detail, making it appear winding and sinuous.

Following Bong Joon-ho's gaze, Gong Cheng chuckled and explained, "To amplify desire is to be greedy."

Regarding the new album in the second half of the year, "The Lovers" represents adolescence in Tarot. Similar to the name of the card, it is about lovers and love. Keywords include "mutual attraction" and "falling in love".

He wanted to sing some love songs, including some keywords with antonyms.

His initial plan for this album was to divide it into two conceptual lines:
1. "Turn the world upside down with love."

2. "The antonym of love".

The songs are either about falling in love or breaking up, in emo minor keys.

"And this one?" Bong Joon-ho pointed to the other side of the picture, where Adam was standing with a Tree of Life behind him. There were twelve flames on the tree, but one of them was burning particularly fiercely and turbulently...

"This flame corresponds to Aries, because I'm an Aries..." Gong Cheng shrugged and explained. The twelve flames of the Tree of Life represent the twelve zodiac signs in the Bible, and he's an Aries, so his flame naturally needs to be more prominent.
"..."

Bong Joon-ho's face twitched, but he didn't ask any more questions.

……

An hour later, Gong Cheng had almost finished organizing the project structure for "Lovers".

He stared intently at the concept line of "turning the world upside down with love," feeling a bittersweet ache. After all, his own emotions were a mess, difficult to manage...

As for the second point, the concept of "the opposite of love," it reflects Gong Cheng's concerns about the future... He was reluctant to admit it, but he did indeed have some fears and worries.

But he had no intention of stopping!
Like the serpent on the Tree of Knowledge behind Eve, when desire is magnified, it becomes greed...

After a moment's thought, Gong Cheng typed a message at the very bottom of the project plan, under a series of concepts and the expected style of the songs. This message would be included in the album's introduction by the company. He wrote it with a sorrowful expression:

“I don’t know if you’ve come to hear the truth, but I know I’ve been hiding something from you because I want you to stay by my side as always.”

Gong Cheng then saved the plan and sent it to Park Jin-young. After Park Jin-young deemed it flawless, the plan was distributed to all departments within the company. Tarot's comeback this year would officially begin...

"Dahyun, I'm so depressed..."

Gong Cheng wanted to find someone to chat with, so he sent a message to Lieutenant Jin.

Lieutenant Kim: "If you're depressed, just die..."

"?"

……

On July 2nd, after several days of filming, Bong Joon-ho gave Gong Sung a break, and the crew also had to travel to Seoul for some location shooting and filming.

Gong Cheng originally planned to go back to the company first to discuss the world tour and comeback with Park Jin-young in a while, but after seeing the message that Bae Joo-hyun suddenly sent, he got in his car and drove to SM.

Ryderbabe's first neon album, "#Cookie Jar," was released a few days ago.

Red Velvet's debut in Japan was lukewarm at best, making no splash. On the contrary, I heard that Kang Seulgi and the others were having a great time in Tokyo...

Arriving at a cafe near SM Entertainment, Bae Joo-hyun wore a white knitted long-sleeved top with the hem hanging naturally. The white camisole underneath was faintly visible through the seams. Black high-waisted straight-leg pants accentuated her waistline perfectly, and the clean cut of the cuffs revealed her fair ankles clad in canvas shoes...

Her long brown hair was tied into a neat bun. When she saw Gong Cheng's eyes, she was clearly pleased. "You're here so fast?"

I miss you~

Gong Cheng said casually, his blunt words startling the woman from Daegu. She hurriedly turned her large head, glancing around nervously, afraid someone might have overheard their conversation. "Let's go to a private room..."

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice muttering softly beneath the white mask.

"Nunna..."

Gong Cheng stood beside Bae Joo-hyun, very close to her petite figure. On the steps leading to the second floor, their bodies occasionally brushed against each other. Meanwhile, in the nearby café, which wasn't exactly full, Jin Zhuan, five years his senior, explained...

"Business here has never been very good, there aren't many people, because the customers are all drawn away by the coffee shops next to the company, plus the location is not good because it's near the back of the company..."

"But normally, the company's artists and trainees often rest and chat here. Seulgi really likes this pizza..."

As Bae Joo-hyun spoke, she raised her eyelids and looked up at Gong Cheng beside her. She couldn't help but recall the scandal that had recently broken out between this kid and her friend Ji-soo. And to be honest, that photo of him being knocked over by the "Gong Cheng" was actually quite good-looking…

She was a little envious. Although there weren't many customers in the coffee shop, Gong Cheng's tall figure and temperament were unique in the country's entertainment industry. He could attract attention wherever he went, even though he was wearing a mask and a baseball cap...

Wearing these things sometimes makes it easier to attract attention, which feels like an unnecessary effort, but almost every citizen recognizes this guy's face.

Therefore, Bae Joo-hyun secretly sensed that the guests at the tables in the corner not far away were all young girls, who all looked quite young, and they were all turning around to look in her direction, perhaps they had already recognized him...

"Did they recognize you?"

She asked softly, then followed Gong Cheng into the private room. She took off her mask, took a couple of deep breaths of fresh air, and immediately smelled Gong Cheng's pleasant scent…

"maybe……"

Gong Cheng didn't care too much about being recognized. With Kim Jisoo and Chou Tzuyu already there, adding Bae Joo-hyun wouldn't be a big deal. Besides, it would also help to confuse people. And besides, he didn't have anything to lose.

"It's not important, are you still drinking Coke, noona?"

He chuckled and took off his baseball cap, then quite unceremoniously sat down next to Bae Joo-hyun, choosing not to sit opposite her, since sitting next to each other would be more intimate, right?
“Whenever you shout ‘Nuna,’ nothing good ever comes of it…”

Bae Joo-hyun knew Gong Cheng well. After seeing him sit down next to her and hearing the familiar address, she rolled her eyes and muttered irritably, "You're calling me all cute when you're trying to take advantage of me..."

"We're already very close!"

Gong Chengcan smiled and opened a bottle of Coke for her, inserted a straw, and pushed it over. Because they were very close, his arm under the white T-shirt easily made physical contact with Bae Joo-hyun. Kim Jong-un's body was soft and he liked to stick close to people he was close to.

"Come on... You always call me Juhyeon so politely, you never use honorifics."

Perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for a while, and since they hadn't officially established a relationship yet, Bae Joo-hyun was initially a little nervous and at a loss. But gradually, she naturally moved closer to him, and the two of them sat close together, chatting.

At first, she was quite worried about being recognized outside, but later she came to terms with it. She had been involved in numerous scandals with the boy who had already put his hand on her shoulder two years ago. [Tarot domestic violence against Bae Joo-hyun] [Tarot suspected of taking Bae Joo-hyun to the hospital for a miscarriage].

What else are you afraid of?
Besides, she's been in the industry for a long time... and has worked diligently for so long, she doesn't want to be involved in any scandals with Gong Cheng.

The two are also making progress towards turning the rumors into reality...

"What are you thinking about?"

Gong Cheng lowered his head, tilted his head, looked at Pei Zhuxuan's thoughtful gaze, and asked with a grin.

"It's nothing... I suddenly remembered our past scandals. Those media outlets are really awful."

"You actually accused me of domestic violence... How dare you say that?" Bae Joo-hyun adjusted her straw with her slender white hand, took a sip of her cola, and said with a smile, "And you even said something about a miscarriage..."

"That's just how the media is, I'm used to it."

Gong Cheng chuckled and said something.

Do you want to have children in the future?

Bae Joo-hyun suddenly asked a question out of the blue. She didn't know why she asked it. Was she just making conversation? Or had she lost her mind?
Or perhaps, subconsciously she felt that miscarriage was something she shouldn't do. If it really happened to her, she would be an elderly mother, so how could she have an abortion?
We need it!
"With you, Nuna?"

Gong Cheng narrowed his eyes and smiled as he asked in return, "Of course, such things should be left to nature. He's not childless by choice, but he's not particularly attached to it either, but it's definitely not the right time right now."

So many women haven't figured things out yet, and suddenly a child appears. What's going on?

So when Tzuyu gave him a puppy and said, "This is our child..." it startled him!

"Tch, what do you mean, 'me'?"

"What happens in the future is anyone's guess. Do you think I'm some eighteen-year-old girl out there who'll believe your lies after just a few sweet words..."

Bae Joo-hyun chuckled. She really wasn't love-struck! Although she was a novice, she didn't believe in the nonsense of a relationship lasting a lifetime. She was just willing to walk forward with Gong Cheng, but things depended on human effort, not just words.

So, do you prefer a boy or a girl?

She suppressed a smile, then asked softly, her face slightly flushed...

"If it's with Nona, I hope it's a girl, because she'll be like Nona, very pretty..."

Gong Cheng ignored Bae Joo-hyun's stubborn words. Did she really mean to say that she and her future wife wanted a girl? That would be utterly idiotic! That's what she said, but who knows if Bae Joo-hyun was thinking to herself, "You don't have me in your future," or something like that...

You need to have thick skin, the kind that bullets can't penetrate!
"I never said anything about what would happen between us..."

Even though she knew it was just Gong Cheng's smooth talk, it still sounded nice coming from him... Bae Joo-hyun suppressed the corners of her mouth that were turning up, took a sip of her cola, feeling a little tipsy, but looking at Gong Cheng's longing and hopeful eyes, it seemed he was genuinely considering the future and how things would turn out for her...

The effects of the cola became even more intense.

"But girls tend to resemble their fathers, right?"

Gong Cheng nodded: "It's fine if you're as tall as me, and look like you, but it's not necessary for a girl to be too tall."

Bae Joo-hyun listened with satisfaction, thinking he was right. This guy did have a great physique, very healthy, especially his proportions, which were exaggeratedly good. But she suddenly came back to her senses, turned to look at him, and asked with a hint of reproach in her eyes, "Are you saying I'm short?"

"Oh, Ani..."

Gong Cheng opened his mouth, then quickly denied it. He mentally muttered, "He's already short, why would anyone want to criticize him..." But he didn't dare say it aloud. He blinked, looking at Bae Joo-hyun's pale red lips, his heart pounding wildly, "Noona..."

"what?"

"Shall we get closer?"

Gong Cheng blinked again. The kissing scene with Dahyun a few days ago wasn't quite satisfying; it was too bland, like mint without the sweetness of cola... After expressing his inner desires and frankly stating how much he missed Bae Joo-hyun after not seeing her for so long...

Bae Joo-hyun stared at him silently, and as if responding to his signal, she blinked and pursed her lips.

Seeing that the "golden brick" really was as still and silent as a brick, Gong Cheng originally wanted to just kiss it. Sometimes, not responding is a form of acquiescence, especially in this kind of situation, especially after seeing Bae Joo-hyun purse her lips and look at him with a hint of expectation in her eyes...

But he quickly dismissed the idea of ​​kissing her; why should the boy take the initiative in such a thing?

Needs adjustment!

Women in Daegu naturally want to kiss themselves, so why should they make themselves take the initiative?
He prefers to be passive, especially in passionate situations...

"Never mind then..."

Gong Cheng shrank back his handsome face, turned his head and muttered something as if he were a little disappointed, then looked down at the orange juice in the glass, picked up the straw and took a sip.

"?"

Bae Joo-hyun wanted to say something, but seeing his silly expression as he drank his beverage, she felt a little annoyed.

...All...all...are you ready to close your eyes?!

You're not a pro...aren't you a master?
Gong Cheng glanced at Bae Joo-hyun out of the corner of his eye without saying a word. Seeing her somewhat unnatural and speechless expression, he couldn't help but smile inwardly, but still muttered softly, "Mi-nee-ah, noona..."

Like a child who has done something wrong, sincerely apologizing.

"What are you apologizing to me for?" Bae Joo-hyun took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. "I just got back from Tokyo and came to find you. Did you think I just wanted to chat with you?"

You're here to chat with me!

Seeing Gong Cheng's downcast expression, she became even more furious. Glancing at their close proximity, she took a deep breath, reached out and patted the younger man's head, her tone leaving no room for argument, "Turn around..."

"what happened?"

Gong Cheng raised an eyebrow, obediently turned his face, his eyes filled with a smile.

Bae Joo-hyun was in a hurry. Her bright eyes and white teeth were fixed on Gong Cheng. Then, the moment he turned his head, she raised her face, leaned in, and bit Gong Cheng's lip!
Chatting with someone?!
Go to hell! You bastard!
She lightly bit Gong Cheng's lip, and then she realized that the rhythm was getting out of her control. The boy who had been looking pitiful just moments before had suddenly taken away her initiative and pulled her onto his lap.

Getting close to...

Bae Joo-hyun took a breath, staring at Gong Cheng's increasingly broad smile. She blushed and bit her lip, "You did that on purpose?"

"Yes, I prefer something more passionate."

Gong Cheng frankly admitted, wrapping his arms around Bae Joo-hyun's waist as if he had truly taken away this five-year-older gold brick, and he leaned in... for a cola-scented pinch...

Bae Joo-hyun's eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes...

"..."

Gong Cheng's skillful hands appeared through the opening of Bae Joo-hyun's white knitted long-sleeved shirt, and then naturally slipped inside the white tank top, as if she were coming home...

Bae Joo-hyun trembled, her fair neck turning pink. She opened her tightly closed eyes, glanced at Gong Cheng, and remained silent...

"..."

Five minutes later, the hand that had startled Bae Joo-hyun awake once made her quickly release her hands from Gong Cheng's cheeks, panting with a hint of pleading.
"You can't touch this..."

As she spoke, she gripped Gong Cheng's wrist and pulled it out of her high-waisted black straight-leg trousers.

Bae Joo-hyun blushed so deeply she was practically bleeding as she straightened her clothes.

"Don't call me Noona anymore..."

“I’ll shout it out~” Gong Cheng pursed his lips, which were covered in cola bubbles and lip gloss, and retorted.

“Whenever you call me Nuna, I’m about to do something bad…”

"It was clearly Nuna who kissed me first?!" Gong Cheng argued vehemently. What kind of era is this? How can they be turning the tables on the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches?
"You..." Bae Joo-hyun was about to say something, angrily cursing this guy for being shameless!

But she quickly got off Gong Cheng, her face flushed with embarrassment as she glanced at the massive erection beneath him… truly living up to its reputation.

Gong Cheng followed her gaze and immediately crossed his legs, feeling a little embarrassed by Pei Zhuxuan's stare...

"..."

……

An hour later, Gong Cheng escorted Bae Joo-hyun back to SM Entertainment. After a brief farewell, he got up and went to the parking lot to return to the company.

She picked up her phone again, looked at the reflective screen, and wiped the lip gloss from the corner of her mouth.

Arriving at SM's underground parking garage, Gong Cheng was looking for his parking space. In the garage, which was lit up with underground lights, there were many cars and license plates that he recognized, including those of Lim Yoona, Kim Tae-yeon, Oh Se-hun, and Park Chan-yeol...

I reckon they're all at work...

Suddenly, Gong Cheng felt a tap on the back, and he turned around in surprise.

A tiny little thing, a washboard, stood prettily behind him, looking at him with an excited smile...

Washboard has shoulder-length black short hair, an oval face, and a pair of slightly upturned puppy eyes. The naturally drooping lines at the corners of the eyes add a touch of innocence. Paired with cool, fair skin, she looks very youthful and energetic. However, the upturned corners of her mouth, full of joy, contradict her somewhat aloof temperament, creating a sense of detachment...

But looking somewhat dull, the Klein blue tight-fitting T-shirt and loosely layered jeans didn't really show off her figure or highlight anything; instead, it made her look more like a washboard with protruding edges, just a tiny bit of curve...

It was Kim Minjung, whom we hadn't seen in a long time.

"Minjung? What are you doing here..."

Gong Cheng was quite surprised by her appearance and asked with a smile, "Why didn't I see the more cautious Zhi Min?"

Little Washboard and the Dragon of the Execution Department, weren't they inseparable before?
Kim Minjung clenched the hem of her clothes. She had originally wanted to say that she was late today and had only come to the company to practice, but then she changed her mind and said, "Oppa, I'm not feeling well today, so I finished practice and wanted to go to the hospital to see a doctor..."

As she spoke, she clutched her lower abdomen, her puppy-dog eyes showing a mixture of innocence, pity, and pain.

"Where's Zhimin? I haven't seen her today."

Gong Cheng asked curiously, but then added with concern, "Where are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to take you to the hospital...?" He added that the route to the hospital was on his way back to Jiangdong, and even if it wasn't, taking a friend to the hospital when they were sick wasn't a big deal. They'd known each other for so long...

Upon hearing Gong Cheng's previous words, Kim Min-jung's eyebrows drooped slightly. Was he really not as important as his unnie after all?
So she readily straightened up and said, "Then, Oppa, could you give me a ride to the hospital?"

She pouted and looked at Gong Cheng with a pitiful expression, like a wounded puppy.

She wasn't lying; she really wasn't feeling well, but it wouldn't affect her practice or anything—it was just that her period had started...

I just want to spend more time with Oppa! Just the two of us!
Meeting with Oppa together with Unnie in the past doesn't count. Besides, Unnie often goes to see Oppa behind my back!

"it is good……"

"You should also pay attention to your health while practicing."

Gong Cheng opened the car door and got in. Kim Minjung glanced at Gong Cheng's Aston Martin—a black car, so cool! She sat in the passenger seat and tried to fasten the seatbelt, but her movements were a little clumsy, as if it wasn't very easy. So, she asked sweetly, "Could you help me, Oppa?"

Gong Cheng nodded, turned to the side, and bent down to help her fasten her seatbelt, but as he did so, he glanced at Jin Minzheng's chest, which was deliberately pressed against his cheek...

Stop fooling around, you little washboard!
If it were Momo-chan, she might have already encountered it...

All I can say is that the chest is not high enough; it's too flat.

"Buzz~"

The car started, and Gong Cheng drove it out of SM's underground parking garage. Sitting in the passenger seat, Kim Minjung quickly picked up her phone to ask her trainee mentor for leave. To spend more time with her oppa, missing a day of practice was nothing...

She deliberately opened Jimin unnie's chat box, where there was a message sent half an hour ago: "Aigoo, Minjung, really, I didn't wake you up this morning, how come you're late?"

"Still not awake?"

"Hurry up, they're going to take attendance soon..."

"Oh my god~ You're not still sleeping, are you?"

"Unnie, I wasn't feeling well today, and then I ran into Oppa on my way to the company. He's taking me to the hospital now. Oppa is really nice, so I'll stop here for now, Unnie. Don't worry about me. I just asked my practice teacher for leave. You have to practice hard~ Fighting~" Kim Minjung tapped her fingertips on her phone screen and sent a message to Yoo Jimin, briefly summarizing the current situation.

You think I didn't know you went to see Oppa behind my back?

I'm telling you straight up, I'm with Oppa, what can you do about it?
She subtly curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

Gong Cheng glanced at the washboard and saw that she was engrossed in a conversation on her phone. "Are you chatting with friends?"

"Ani, just some unimportant friend, Oppa~" Kim Minjung quickly waved her hand and laughed, afraid that Gong Cheng would misunderstand that she was making friends with some opposite sex outside. Then, she saw the message sent by Yoo Jimin.

Yoo Jimin: "Oppa? Which oppa are you talking about?"

"I only have one oppa, unnie~ (poor look)" Kim Minjung replied, then raised her phone, turned on the camera, and asked seriously, "Oppa, can I record a video for Jimin unnie to see?"

"I told her I wasn't feeling well. Could you take me to the hospital so she won't worry..."

"Kenchana, take the picture..." Gong Cheng was waiting for the traffic light to turn green when he heard this, and his lips twitched.

Are you worried that the Executive Department's leader will be concerned?

She'll be even more worried if you film it...

Kim Minjung and Yoo Jimin, well, one's a washboard, the other's the Dragon of the Executive Department. I've known them for so long, and I know perfectly well that neither of them are easy to deal with.

But he never deliberately stopped her from doing anything. Gong Cheng knew exactly what Liu Zhimin was thinking.

He quite liked the two little fans, but there's a specific role for everyone, and they compete for those positions. Even girl groups fight tooth and nail for resources, let alone him, this lovable little cabbage.
"Thank you, Oppa~" Kim Minjung smiled sweetly, picked up her phone but didn't immediately flip the camera to film Gong Cheng. Instead, she took a selfie and zoomed in on her own face, her light eyebrows slightly furrowed and furrowed. "Unnie, I'm in Oppa's car now, on my way to the hospital. Don't worry~"

Her tone and expression suggested she was very weak. Then she tilted her head and moved the phone to the left. The screen showed Gong Cheng driving, his handsome profile bathed in a soft, warm glow in the sunlight.

Gong Cheng glanced at Jin Minzheng's performance almost imperceptibly. Tsk tsk, his acting was really bad.

Is this a provocation against the Dragon of the Execution Department?

"..."

After the video recording ended, Kim Minjung's weakness disappeared, and she excitedly sent the video to her good unnie. Then, she added, "I'm not going to say anything more, unnie. Oppa was really concerned about me just now. Don't get sick like me, and take care of your health while practicing..."

"I'm a prime example (feeling wronged)."

……

On the other side, Liu Zhimin, who was chatting with someone in the practice room, hurriedly opened the chat box after hearing the message notification on her phone.

After watching the video, which lasted for more than twenty seconds, and seeing Gong Cheng appear at the end, he clenched his fist in anger, yelling, "Damn it!"

"Kim Minjung!!!"

She was really angry. She considered Kim Minjung a good friend, and this guy actually tried to steal her oppa?!
How many times?

"..."

"I'm a prime example (feeling wronged)."

Especially when I see text messages from friends, what kind of green tea is this?
Immediately, Liu Zhimin hurriedly opened the chat box with Gong Cheng. The screen was full of chat content, but much less than before, because Oppa had warned her last time not to send so many messages, and that he would reply when he saw them.

In the days that followed, Oppa proved that he was not lying.

She also followed Oppa's advice, striving to become a better version of herself, practicing diligently, sharing her daily life with Oppa, and becoming a more cautious and sensible Jimin...

So far, she thinks she's doing pretty well.

"Oppa, is Minjun really sick? I didn't even know..." Yoo Jimin gritted her teeth and sent the message. Originally, she wanted to directly expose her friend's hypocrisy, but after thinking it over...

Liu Zhimin was already being more cautious. Would it make Oppa think she was a jealous girl or something if she rashly revealed her friend's secrets?

So, she decided to give Oppa a hint, hoping he wouldn't easily believe his friend's nonsense.

“When Minjung left home this morning, he was still very healthy and ate six steamed buns.”

"Last night she insisted on dragging me to a shisha bar, but I refused, so we didn't go..."

She swore she had been more careful and had no intention of flattering her friend. She said it as usual, and while six buns might seem a bit exaggerated, it was her friend's fault for making the first move.
hum...

You must become an even more cunning and shrewd person in the future!
……

After parking the car in the Seoul Hospital parking lot, Gong Cheng led Kim Minjung out of the car. He took out his phone from his jeans pocket, looked at the message sent by [Executive Department Dragon] with a strange expression, and then looked suspiciously at the little washboard.

"Oppa, why are you looking at me like that?"

Kim Minjung felt a little shy under the gaze, her face flushing slightly... Surrounded by a constant stream of pedestrians and vehicles, she enjoyed standing openly next to this oppa. As for rumors, she, a trainee, didn't care at all.

Having scandals is just a form of exposure!
Besides, such rumors won't affect the oppa next to her at all. Even if she's photographed, her company will probably contact her immediately to find out the reason and then issue a denial, just like Irene did last year and the year before.

#Tarot takes a sick trainee to the hospital, and through marketing, it becomes a story of helping others and demonstrating humanitarian spirit. Tarot cares for its junior trainees...#
In truth, although she really didn't want to admit it, as a member of Akana, she knew very well that those fans simply wouldn't believe that the oppa next to her would be with a trainee like herself.

It sounds discouraging, but that's the truth.

"You eat six steamed buns in one meal?"

Gong Cheng stared at Jin Minzheng's small frame in disbelief. Where did the bun go?

Or is Liu Zhimin exaggerating?
"Oh no, how could that be, Oppa? I have a very small appetite..." Kim Minjung quickly retorted, what kind of logic is that?

Six steamed buns in one meal? If I really did that, could I still debut?

Gong Cheng betrayed Liu Zhimin without hesitation, saying, "Zhimin said it..."

"She said you ate six meat buns for breakfast..."

To prove it, he handed the chat history on his phone to Kim Minjung for a look, and then watched the puppy's expression change with great interest. Since it was a practice day, she didn't wear much makeup, and her delicate face was very pretty.

However, the little washboard looks like a puppy without eyebrows, especially when the eyebrows are furrowed, it looks even more festive.

Kim Minjung clenched her fists and looked up. "Unnie is talking nonsense. I couldn't possibly have eaten that much, and I really don't feel well..."

She was terrified of angering the oppa in front of her, making him think she was scheming or something, and that she was faking illness to play the victim...

"Kenchana, if you're not feeling well, you should see a doctor. We're already at the hospital, aren't we?"

Gong Cheng wasn't interested in whether Kim Min-jung was genuinely sick or faking it. A teenage girl is bound to be restless; it was just a side trip. Besides, looking at her pale face, she really didn't seem well…

"Yes, I understand, Oppa..."

"I really didn't lie to you..."

Kim Minjung was hesitant to deceive Gong Cheng on this matter. Trust is a very strong yet fragile thing. She knew very well that if she was pretending to be sick, even if he didn't say it to her face, his impression of her would definitely be very negative.

When that happens, the more cautious Ji-min unnie will add fuel to the fire, and she'll be out of the game...

She wouldn't do something so foolish; she's very intelligent! No matter how cautious Ji-min unnie was, she couldn't outsmart her own clever mind, which suddenly had a brilliant idea...

"..."

The two chatted as they walked into the hospital and registered.

Gong Cheng disliked the smell of hospital disinfectant, so he spoke less. After a while, he led Kim Minjung to the doctor's office like a parent would to a student.

"Where does it hurt?"

The doctor asked...

Kim Minjung briefly described her symptoms.

"..."

Later, the doctor prescribed some painkillers. The cause was her period, but Kim Min-jung's period was more intense than other girls', meaning her menstrual cramps were more severe, which caused her face to look so pale...

Kim Minjung got back into Gong Cheng's car, glanced at the painkillers in his bag, and felt a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He was in pain.

Well, the menstrual cramps used to be very painful, but I could grit my teeth and endure them for the sake of practicing.

But today, with the oppa driving next to her, Kim Minjung seemed less inclined to grit her teeth and bear the pain. It was really painful, probably because someone was with her.
"Alright, it's almost lunchtime. I'll treat you to lunch and then take you back to your dorm so you can get some rest."

Gong Cheng glanced at the time on his watch. Rather than going back to the company cafeteria for the bland, organic vegetables, he figured he might as well eat something greasy outside. He couldn't skimp on himself, after all. As for Kim Min-jung's illness, he didn't know how to comfort him…

Although he didn't understand that kind of pain, she seemed to be having a very hard time. After all, men also have those few days every month when they feel inexplicably depressed...

"Oppa, did I interrupt your work?"

Kim Minjung bit her lip, her lips drooping, but a fleeting joy shone in her eyes. She glanced at her phone; the cautious Jimin unnie seemed a little anxious, frantically sending her messages.

"Haven't you finished your doctor's appointment yet?"

"Minjung, if it's not too serious, don't waste Oppa's time..."

"We shouldn't cause him any trouble..."

Gong Cheng shook his head and turned down the air conditioning in the car. "It's not a problem. I'm resting today. I just have some things to do this afternoon. Don't worry."

"No matter how busy I am, I'll always find time to treat you to a meal..."

He smiled, glanced at Kim Minjung sitting to the side, his posture very stiff, and then teased, "If you're sick, you should rest well. You're not going to go for hookah again tonight, are you...?"

"No, Oppa, I won't go to a place like that!"

Kim Minjung hurriedly waved his hands in a flustered manner, only then realizing that it was the even more annoying Jimin who had told Oppa about this, "Yesterday was because a fellow trainee from the same company was having a birthday party and invited me and Jimin unnie to go together, so I asked her if she wanted to go..."

"She said she wouldn't go, but she took me to a bar that night, and I couldn't stop her."

She dragged Liu Zhimin into the mess. Damn it, Zhimin, you're so cautious! You're really wicked!
"hh..."

Gong Cheng smiled as he stepped on the gas. He had to admit, Aston Martins were very eye-catching on the streets of Seoul, attracting a lot of attention. He drove towards a restaurant near Cheongdam-dong, laughing as he spoke.
"It's okay. It's a hookah bar or a pub. Isn't it normal for young people to go there?"

"You're just sick, so it's best to rest well..."

He offered a concerned comment, then pressed the button on the central control screen and randomly played a song…

"Oppa, I'm really not that kind of person..."

"You cunning Ji-min, I hate you so much!" Kim Min-jung pouted, on the verge of tears...

……

the next day……

"Aigoo, Oppa, you're really acting like a king, lying around in our practice room, making it impossible for us to concentrate on practicing..."

In TWICE's practice room, Yoo Jeongyeon watched as Gong Cheng's long arms and legs almost took over the entire sofa, with May lying quietly on his chest, and a pile of Spider-Man comics stacked on the floor under the sofa beside him.

There were also some documents in the notebook next to him, including detailed information on the expected style of the songs and some background stories sent by the production company of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse".

The film's production is in its final stages and will be completed soon. In a few days, Gong Cheng will not only be going to Milan and Paris, but also to Sony Pictures Entertainment in the United States to attend an internal screening of the completed film. And the film's theme songs can't just be imagined out of thin air...

We need to draw inspiration to better fit and integrate into the film, and also see how the production team has incorporated their own shots into the movie.

And recently, Gong Cheng has picked up the Spider-Man comics he read in elementary school again and is catching up on them. So dedicated!
Sony and Marvel informed him that the film's expected release date is December, less than six months from now, and the film's promotion and distribution will officially begin in the next couple of days...

At that time, the headline "Tarot is landing in the Marvel Universe" will become a worldwide sensation...

Even the most classic IPs need promotion and marketing.

"I'm working too~"

Gong Cheng stubbornly said something, then turned his body to the side, changed his posture, and looked at the comic book in his hand.

"Master, are you really going to join Marvel? I heard that you'll have a scene in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

Hirai Momo crept up to Miyako and unceremoniously moved her long legs a little further in, sitting on the edge of the sofa. But her soft, peach-shaped buttocks, clad in yoga pants, were unintentionally very close to his.

"Oh, it's not that amazing. It's just a few shots inserted, it's pretty much like an advertisement."

Gong Cheng curled his lip. Sony's so-called "landing in Marvel" really just means inserting a few shots, turning his image into an animated character with the same style as the movies, except maybe appearing in Spider-Man's battle in New York or on the LED screens in Times Square...

Or perhaps it's in the protagonist's notebook, or in their headphones, like that.

However, speaking of which, if the movie's theme song were to play from the protagonist's headphones, the integration would be seamless.

Son Chaeyoung was very interested in this topic. Marvel Cinematic Universe IPs are classics with a huge global influence. She raised an eyebrow, subtly glancing at Momo unnie's "seduce" of her boyfriend, then grinned, revealing her little tiger teeth, and giggled mischievously in her sweet, childlike voice.

"Tarot Hero?"

"..." Gong Cheng blushed a little from the teasing and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

On the contrary, Lim Na-yeon, Minato Saka, and Yoo Jeong-yeon laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Even Mina, who was holding a game console, couldn't help but chuckle softly, raising her eyelids to look at the figure lying on the sofa like a grandpa.

Hirai Momo placed her hands in front of her chest, in the boxing stance taught to her by her teacher. While muttering "whoosh whoosh whoosh" to herself, she performed two shadowboxing punches in front of Tofu. "Boxing Hero?"

"Oppa's boxing is really good..."

The members in the practice room burst into laughter, but Kim Dahyun shrank back in fear, afraid that Momo unnie might accidentally hit her.

Gong Cheng put down his Spider-Man comic book and smiled, then raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming in the sunlight: "Minatosaki Sakai?"

Sana Minatozaki rolled her eyes at him. What was he talking about?

Then, she ran to the side and started playing with Tzuyu, before leaping into the youngest member's arms.

"Hey, Minatosaki Sakai's ultimate move..."

"Sana is taking a plane~"

Gong Cheng teased, pouted at the Shiba Inu girl and the two girls who were playfully fighting, then glanced at the little penguin not far away and said with a light laugh, "And there's also a Pot Hero..."

"What 'Pot Hero'? A scapegoat?" Lim Nayeon asked curiously, not knowing what her boyfriend was talking about!
Mina's fair face turned ashen.

"It's nothing, I just said it offhand."

Gong Cheng gave a vague answer, then yawned and picked up his comic book to shield himself from the sunlight. There's an old saying that basking in the sun helps you grow taller, but the sun was making him a little sleepy.

A moment later, he held the open comic book, which he used like an open fan to cover his handsome face, and fell asleep...

Son Chaeyoung, Minatozaki Sana, and the others stopped their noisy antics and huddled together to stare wide-eyed at the culprit who was hogging the sofa. "Aigoo, how can you fall asleep like this?"

Tzuyu carefully extended her slender fingers and gently poked the corner of Gong Cheng's forehead that was showing. Then she picked up May, who was lying in his arms, and in front of Sana unnie, she innocently winked at the puppy and explained, "Daddy's sleeping, Mommy's holding you~"

Sana Minatozaki and Nayeon Lim's lips twitched slightly as they listened, but they didn't say anything. After all, the puppy was a gift that the members pooled their money to buy for their boyfriend, and strictly speaking, they were all like mothers to May...

This little dog is quite cunning; if you ask it to call someone's mom, it will respond twice, making it very popular in the group and the group's darling.

Lim Nayeon glanced at her sleeping husband's face, and thinking about how the two of them had been up until midnight last night, she couldn't help but feel weak in the knees and her calves cramped during her practice today!
Mina thoughtfully pulled Son Chaeyoung, Kim Dahyun, and Chou Tzuyu aside, and the "Medical Integrity Alliance" resumed its meeting.

A few people sat furtively in the corner...

Mina, her face serious, spoke up, "It seems like Makoto's illness is getting worse; he's been so sleepy lately..."

She had heard from Aunt Eiko that initially, people become dependent on alcohol and drink excessively, eventually becoming lethargic and lacking energy...

"Yeah, that's right. Last time my brother and I went to the movies, he fell asleep..."

In her desperation, Chou Tzu-yu started trying to figure things out for herself, even touching May's fur, seemingly to calm her racing thoughts, or perhaps for some other reason...

Only Kim Da-hyun swallowed hard, wanting to say, "Could it be that the Great General is too tired?"
On such a hot day, with the air conditioning on and nothing to do, it's easy to feel sleepy, right?
"Is it that serious?"

Son Chae-young glanced at her sleeping husband and couldn't help but ask a question.

Her boyfriend has been in Seoul for the past two days. She went to his dorm early this morning. He had been working out like a man, and almost helped her meet her aerobic exercise goal for the day!

She always felt that her boyfriend might be under too much pressure, just like the psychologist Mina found said, but he should get better after resting and relaxing.
But it sounds like it's getting more and more serious now.

She glanced at her husband with some concern, then looked at Mina, ignoring her own suspicions...

"Isn't this serious?"

Mina was inexplicably angry, and raised her voice...

(End of this chapter)