The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 311 Are you playing hard to get?
In the afternoon, Gong Cheng and Bae Joo-hyun arrived at Donamsan Mountain near Goyang. The mountain path was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees... The shadows of the grass and trees on both sides were cast on the stone steps, rustling in the autumn wind, which was incredibly refreshing.

"How are the preparations for the concert in a couple of days going?"

Bae Joo-hyun gripped the handrail by the roadside and walked uphill. The tips of her off-white sneakers were covered in mud, and her hair under her hat was damp with sweat, sticking to her flushed cheeks as she breathed heavily.

While inquiring about Sheng Gongcheng's concert in two days, he also looked at the winding stone steps ahead. Along the way, Gongcheng said that there were no high mountains or great rivers on the peninsula, but the Daonan Mountain in front of him was interestingly steep and could be considered a good option for hiking on the mainland.

"...The preparations are quite good."

Gong Cheng, carrying a bag and striding with his long legs, walked ahead of the woman from Daegu. A light rain had fallen in Gaoyang that morning, making the stone steps on the mountain path a little damp and slippery. He turned around to help her.

But then he saw Bae Joo-hyun stop and take pictures of the small purple flower that was sprouting from the crack in the rock for a long time. "How about you guys, Ryder Baby, how's your preparation going?" Gong Cheng didn't disturb her filming, but instead asked with a smile.

The Seoul show, which starts the day after tomorrow, features Bombardment Meteor, TWICE, BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, (G)I-DLE, IU, and Kim Tae-yeon as his invited concert guests, though the three shows will be on different days.

It can be said that nowadays, apart from himself, he has invited all the popular K-pop groups and solo artists.

Oh, right, there's also a solo singer, Park Jin-young...

"Seulgi and Wendy, they're so excited..."

After taking the landscape photos, Bae Joo-hyun couldn't resist pointing the camera at Gong Cheng, who was standing to the side and looked to be in good physical condition. She snapped two photos of him, but lately he always seemed to be yawning and looking sleepy, appearing rather lazy.

"..."

Passing through the thin shadows of trees on the stone steps of Daonan Mountain, the rugged mountain path winds upwards, and the valley becomes increasingly quiet—at this time, most tourists have already descended the mountain, and there are hardly any other people to be seen along the entire road.

The mountain isn't very high...

Getting up was more difficult than it looked. Bae Joo-hyun's legs were short and her hips wiggled violently, making it easy for her to expend energy. Her sneakers stepped over the gravel embedded in the soil, and she occasionally tripped over protruding tree roots by the roadside...

Gong Cheng couldn't help but laugh from time to time, but he quickly grabbed Pei Zhuxuan's wrist and led her up the mountain together.

"..."

Upon reaching the mountaintop, the mountain breeze was a bit chilly. Fortunately, Bae Joo-hyun had put on the jacket that Gong Cheng had left in the car before heading up the mountain. There was also a temple not far away, though it wasn't crowded with tourists. Nevertheless, the two of them cautiously pulled their baseball caps down further.

She then lifted the scarf hanging around her neck, covering herself completely.

At first glance, they look like two professional mountaineers, one tall and one short.

"...I'll take this call."

Gong Cheng glanced at the caller's phone and smiled as he spoke to Bae Joo-hyun.

Immediately afterwards, she turned and walked to the side, softly asking the person on the other end of the phone, "What's wrong, Pab?"

"I missed you, oppa~" Zhao Meiyan's soft voice was sweet and cloying. "Rehearsal is tomorrow, so I called you beforehand~"

"Alaso, how's the preparation going?" Gong Cheng replied, glancing back at Bae Joo-hyun, who was standing not far away, looking quite pleased with herself and taking pictures of the scenery with her phone. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"No problem~ The members have been practicing really hard lately, and Shuhua has even lost a lot of weight~" Just from her cheerful and silly voice, Gong Cheng knew that this Pab must be in a good mood. Then she asked, "What is oppa doing?"

"It sounds like it's very windy where you are..."

"I'm driving," Gong Cheng replied with a light laugh, stepping into the temple gate. He chatted with Zhao Meiyan as he looked at the old building in front of him; the temple seemed to have been built quite some time ago.

But it's not hard to understand why this country has never lacked Buddhism, Christianity, and all sorts of cults...

"Then oppa, focus on driving, see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow!"

Gong Cheng hung up the phone, turned around and left the temple. There was nothing to see there; he wasn't particularly interested in religious superstitions. But he noticed Bae Joo-hyun sitting in the octagonal pavilion ahead, lost in thought.

He picked up his phone again and walked over, pretending he was still on a call.

Bae Joo-hyun was gazing absently at the distant horizon when she caught a glimpse of Gong Cheng returning from the temple. He had his phone to his ear, as if he were talking to someone. Knowing better than to call out to him, she took out a bottle of cola from her bag. The soft "pop" of the cap as she unscrewed it sent a shiver through the air. She took a sip, the sweet, cool sensation spreading across her tongue, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards him.

It's a woman, isn't it?
A woman's phone call?!

Otherwise, why would they go to pick it up behind my back?
The thought, like a leaf swept by a mountain breeze, gently settled into her heart. Otherwise, why would she have gone out of her way to answer the phone outside the pavilion? Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the cola can, a sense of frustration and distress settling in her heart.

As she was lost in thought, Gong Cheng's calm voice drifted through the mountain breeze, "I understand. See you tomorrow then. Thank you for coming to my concert."

Bae Joo-hyun abruptly averted her gaze, pretending to pick up the Coke bottle in her hand and study the ingredient list, but her eyes under the brim of her hat still stole glances at Gong Cheng, who was slowly walking towards her...

Gong Cheng had already reached the pavilion, his tall figure standing beside Pei Zhuxuan, seemingly shielding her from the wind.

He raised his eyelids to glance at the woman from Daegu, his gaze meeting hers as she hurriedly looked away, but then tentatively said into the phone, "I'll treat you to dinner another day..."

As he finished speaking, he lowered his head and pretended to hang up the phone. Then he plopped down next to Bae Joo-hyun. The moment their shoulders touched, the Daegu woman shifted away very slightly, as if she had been burned.

Gong Cheng felt deeply hurt.
Are you serious about taking half a step back?

"Ani, what's wrong?"

Gong Cheng deliberately dragged out his question, feigning ignorance, his tone carrying a hint of feigned grievance, "I'm sitting here, and you're still hiding?"

Bae Joo-hyun paused, her hand still holding the cola bottle. Without turning around, her voice was muffled: "Who hid? The stone bench was just too narrow..."

Gong Cheng glanced at her with amusement. Her jawline was taut, and her ears were turning slightly red. The wind blowing in from all directions in the pavilion made her hair under her hat brim sway wildly. She was clearly very concerned, but she pretended not to care.

"Noona~"

"Are you jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous?" Bae Joo-hyun gave him a look that said she was an idiot, then glanced at the time on her phone. "Let's go down the mountain." With that, she stood up, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and looked like a stubborn fool.

"Ring ring~"

Suddenly, Gong Cheng's phone rang again. He didn't want to look down to see who was calling, fearing it might be one of his female relatives. The previous call was one thing, but the things he said in front of the Daegu woman were intentional.

But this phone call came rather unexpectedly...

"Answer it?"

"You're quite busy..." Bae Joo-hyun chuckled, her eyes crinkling, but she looked rather sarcastic. She then glanced at Gong Cheng's phone with obvious concern.

Gong Cheng glanced at the caller's contact name: Kim Dae-woo.

He paused, thought for a moment, answered the phone, and put it on speakerphone. Bae Joo-hyun, who had just been grumbling about wanting to go down the mountain, was now rooted to the spot, not moving an inch, and even moved closer to Gong Cheng.

"Where are you, you brat?"

"I called you earlier but the line was busy. I saw you weren't at the company or the dorm, so I was about to look for you..." Jin Dayu's laughing voice came through the receiver.

Gong Cheng glanced at the Daegu woman beside him and suddenly said, "She's on a date with Irene."

"Moragu?" Kim Daewoo exclaimed in surprise, then added after a moment's thought, "Ha, that's true. I noticed before that you were interested in Irene. Are you dating?"

Gong Cheng silently watched Bae Joo-hyun's reddened earlobes. "Ani, she's hard to pursue. It seems her date today didn't go very well..."

"Does that mean you're not dating yet?" Kim Daewoo asked, then started offering advice again, "Aigoo, let me teach you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gong Cheng said softly, "Hang up." He abruptly ended the call, his eyes fixed on Bae Joo-hyun, whose face he had turned to the side. "Noona, you made me lose face..."

"Forget it, let's go down the mountain..."

He stood up, no longer looking at Bae Joo-hyun's blushing face and unnatural expression. When he caught a glimpse of her turning her head, he suppressed the smile on his face.

Bae Joo-hyun was still reeling from the fact that Gong Cheng had publicly told her manager that he was pursuing her...

She felt a surge of joy in her heart, but then she saw Gong Cheng's calm expression. His handsome face lacked the sunshine and warmth he had shown during the phone call, and she felt that he had taken a step back as well...

"you……"

"Why are you doing this?"

Bae Joo-hyun asked, somewhat flustered.

"What kind?"

"Is your anger because you're upset that I told my agent we were dating? Mia, it won't happen again."

Gong Cheng pretended to be confused, picked up his backpack, and waited for her to go down the mountain together, as if their date for the day was over.

How could I be dissatisfied?

"I mean, why are you angry..."

Seeing that he didn't understand her meaning, Bae Joo-hyun felt a tightness in her chest and a heavy feeling of suffocation. As a complete novice in love, she had absolutely no experience with this kind of argument and felt helpless at this moment!
I wish I could call for help from the sidelines and summon Zhuge Zhixiu!

Gong Cheng: If you dare call her, I'll really run away!!!

"Why should I be angry?"

Gong Cheng casually returned Bae Joo-hyun's words to her, "Noona and I aren't dating, so Noona won't be jealous or interested in me. Why should I be angry?"

He said it in a cheeky way, but his eyes kept sneaking glances at Bae Joo-hyun.

"you……"

Bae Joo-hyun was furious at these words. She kept throwing off her backpack, sat down in the octagonal pavilion, and her eyes were red with anger. "You bastard, Gong Cheng?"

"I'm not interested in you, yet I let you kiss me and touch me?"

After saying that, she turned her head to look to the side, her heartbroken expression making Gong Cheng feel a little sorry for her.

"So, should we officially start dating, noona?"

Gong Cheng's tone softened. He wanted to laugh to lighten the mood but didn't dare, afraid that Pei Zhuxuan would tear off his handsome face. He wanted to speed up their relationship, "I like things to be more intense..."

Upon hearing this, Bae Joo-hyun turned her head, her reddened eyes fixed on him, and questioned, "Did you say those things just to see me get jealous?"

"Then let me ask you, who was the one who called you earlier?"

"It's a woman, isn't it?"

She asked about what had happened earlier, and now she seemed rather fierce.

"Zhao Meiyan, my ex-girlfriend..."

Gong Cheng squatted down in front of her and began to explain earnestly. Seeing that Pei Zhuxuan's face was starting to turn angry, he said, "The company invited their group to be guests at my concert in a few days because..."

"Jin-young has a good relationship with their boss, and their CEO used to be an employee of JYP. He wanted to do me a favor by inviting them to be my guests. Regarding this..."

"I have no reason to refuse, she's my ex-girlfriend..." He carefully chose his words, tentatively beginning, "It would be a lie to say I have no feelings for her at all..."

"Even when I learned that Zhao Meiyan had successfully debuted, I was genuinely happy for her because when we were together before, I knew that her goal as a trainee was to stand on the stage..."

Gong Cheng said with a melancholy expression, "Even though we've broken up, I still hope things will go well for both of us. That's why I made that phone call; we were just talking about going to the venue for rehearsal tomorrow..."

"Noona should be jealous. If Noona doesn't care about me, then I will care a lot. I will care whether Noona likes me or not."

He smiled bitterly, looked at Bae Joo-hyun, and reached out to grasp her hand resting on her knee. "So, noona clearly cares, but pretends not to. I'm a little annoyed. I hope you can ask me directly, instead of just saying something like, 'Let's go down the mountain...'"

These words were spoken with sincerity. Regarding the invitation to (G)I-DLE to participate in his concert, since Jin-young and the president of Cube Entertainment have such a good relationship, let's give Jin-young a chance to show off his loyalty!

He only came up with this reason today.

"Do you think it's appropriate to talk about your past relationship with your current girlfriend in front of her?"

Bae Joo-hyun's gaze fell on the boy crouching in front of her, his eyelashes trembling slightly in the mountain breeze. She didn't immediately look away; instead, she leaned forward slightly, her voice low but slightly hoarse from the wind, "Can't you lie to me?"

"Nuna, do you want me to lie to you?"

When Gong Cheng looked up, he met her tightly pursed lips, exactly the same as when she was avoiding him earlier, but the light in her eyes had softened. Suddenly, he snapped out of his daze and stood up excitedly, "What did you just say? Say it again!"

"...Can't you lie to me?"

Bae Joo-hyun suddenly curled the corners of her mouth up, her eyes curving into beautiful crescent moons, and pretended to be confused.

As for Zhao Meiyan's matter, once it's explained, it'll be over. After all, he publicly said he was pursuing her in front of his agent, so he must have talked about her a lot to those around him in private, right? But Gong Cheng's few unfiltered words just now still left her with a bit of inexplicable anger.

"Ani! The line before that!"

Gong Cheng hurriedly denied it.

Bae Joo-hyun refused to respond, only smiling at him with a sly glint in her eyes.

Seeing his completely subdued state, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction, like an older sister controlling a younger brother. She cleared her throat before repeating what she had just said, drawing out the last syllable lightly.
"Do you think it's appropriate to talk about your past relationship with your current girlfriend in front of her?"

"Is it your current girlfriend?"

Gong Cheng opened his mouth and laughed in the wind, his expression one of genuine surprise!
The women in Daegu are wonderful... He really likes them!

Bae Joo-hyun watched him laugh in the wind, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed, the smile spreading from his eyes, and his expression was also very happy!

She's no longer single!
I met a boy with a very sunny smile...

Zhuge Zhixiu is right. When you meet the right person, you have to act quickly!
"Yes, it's a male relative~"

She looked up at him with her bare face, and called out.

"Joohyun~"

Gong Cheng lifted Pei Zhuxuan's small body from the stone bench in the pavilion and held her higher than himself.

Bae Joo-hyun was both amused and annoyed, and she pouted, "Tsk tsk."

"You were so serious just now, calling me 'noona' all the time, how come you're dating now? And you're acting all cutesy again?"

"Then if I call you Nuna, will you dare to answer?"

Gong Cheng raised his chin, looked at the large head of the Daegu woman, and chuckled as he called out, "Noona..."

Immediately afterwards, he leaned in and kissed her.

"..."

Bae Joo-hyun responded briefly, and afterwards, the "Complete Guide to Kissing Techniques" and "What to Pay Attention to During Your First Kiss," which she used to search for in bed late at night, were now practiced to an incredibly skillful and experienced degree by Gong Cheng, who was holding her close...

Blinking, she glanced at Gong Cheng's moist lips and suddenly remembered something Jiang Seulgi had said yesterday: '...Hehe, unnie, now I see it. It wasn't you playing hard to get, it was that bastard, or maybe he was slowly boiling you like a frog.'

"What are you thinking about?"

Gong Cheng asked curiously.

Bae Joo-hyun snapped out of her daze. She wrapped her arms around Gong Cheng's neck, tightening her grip slightly, and stared at him, "You...you weren't just saying something embarrassing on purpose...those hurtful things, were you playing hard to get?"

"Yes~ Hyun-na, you guessed right."

The honest and straightforward young man, Gong Cheng, laughed heartily, only to have his ears rubbed red by the Daegu woman. "You can't back out now..."

"..."

After fooling around for a while, Bae Joo-hyun smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling much younger, like she was eighteen. "Let's go down the mountain!"

Her tone was light and cheerful...

"Get off the mountain!"

Gong Cheng picked up her Coke, took a sip, then slung her bag over her shoulder. The two of them headed down the mountain at dusk, preparing to return to Seoul.

"..."

……

Back in Seoul, the two discreetly found a barbecue restaurant to celebrate the successful completion of their date!
Bae Joo-hyun sat down next to Gong Cheng and opened Kim Ji-soo's chat window. She first shared some landscape photos and selfies she had taken that day with her friend, but Gong Cheng was not among them. After all, there was still Zhao Mei-yeon standing between her and her friend's close relationship.

But she still couldn't help but thank Zhuge Zhixiu, "Zhixiu, my sister's matter is settled. She specifically asked me to thank you. That bad boy has been won over!"

"Who are you chatting with?" Gong Cheng stuffed a piece of grilled meat into his mouth. The whole plate of grilled meat was grilled by the women of Daegu, but she had a small appetite and didn't eat much. Instead, she filled her own bowl to the brim.

Kim Jisoo.

Bae Joo-hyun didn't hide it; the two of them knew Kim Ji-soo.

"Does she know we're dating?"

Gong Cheng's expression stiffened instantly as he turned his head to look at Bae Joo-hyun's face, which was bowed as she read the message...

Surely that crazy woman isn't going to throw herself into the Han River?

“Oh, I didn’t tell her…”

Bae Joo-hyun sighed with a hint of disappointment, but that sigh seemed to offer a breath of fresh air to Hagi-sung, who asked curiously and naturally, "Why didn't you say anything?" "It's because..."

"Isn't it all because of your ex-girlfriend?" Bae Joo-hyun gave him a helpless look before stating her thoughts, "Jisoo and I are really close now, we can talk about anything, but Jo Mi-yeon is also her good friend..."

"I was afraid of putting her in a difficult position, and I didn't want to lose this friendship."

In the entertainment industry, most people with good personalities have many friends, but the environment of the industry makes it difficult for everyone to have true confidants. She and Jisoo get along quite well, and apart from the group members, Jisoo is the one who is getting closer to her.

Previously, all her friends were outside the entertainment industry, so having a friend in the industry now seems like a great thing.

"...Is that so?"

Gong Cheng sighed at the complex relationships between women, but regarding the relationship between Kim Jisoo and Bae Joo-hyun, even with Cho Mi-yeon involved, he could only say that he knew Kim Jisoo all too well…

Bae Joo-hyun will not lose her friendship with Kim Ji-soo, but if things are exposed, Kim Ji-soo will come to deal with her first!

"Besides, aren't you two very good friends?"

Bae Joo-hyun raised her arm, nudged Gong Cheng, and asked curiously.

"Yes, we used to have a very good relationship. Like you said, he's a very good person..."

Gong Cheng remained silent for a moment, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Although she always called her a crazy woman, before they fell out, she was really a good person—gentle and considerate. In fact, some of her qualities were similar to Bae Joo-hyun's, but also quite different.

"However, we lost contact for a long time afterward, and our relationship grew distant..."

He then dropped the subject and focused on his food. Hyun's barbecue was quite good!
Bae Joo-hyun glanced at her friend Kim Ji-soo's reply.

[Zhuge Zhixiu]: "No need for thanks, it was just a small favor. (Laughs wildly)"

"I've set up another couple! Aww, I feel like I could be a matchmaker after all the girl groups retire, haha. (smug)"

"What do you mean 'again'?" Bae Joo-hyun looked at her friend's message in surprise. She hadn't expected that Joo-kyo Ji-soo was even more amazing than she had imagined.
"What a Casanova!"

She sent the message with a slight smile, but secretly wondered if she should tell Xiuxiu about their relationship once she got closer to her in a few days. After all, Xiuxiu was a great contributor and a very good friend; she couldn't keep it a secret forever…

……

"Nura, I have a little dog that knows kung fu. Do you want to come home with me to see it?"

In front of Ryderbabe's dormitory complex, Gong Cheng sat in the driver's seat, watching Bae Joo-hyun unbuckle her seatbelt and prepare to get out of the car, and asked with a grin.

"Again?"

Hearing his angry shout, Bae Joo-hyun rolled her eyes, knowing what he was up to. After all, he had snagged her hair that morning. After a moment of hesitation, she looked up, her face flushed, and said, "Let's do it in a few days. Isn't there a rehearsal tomorrow?"

"I need to go back and check on Yilin and the others..."

"Let's wait for the holidays..."

"OK!"

Gong Cheng didn't dwell on it too much. He still had to go back to the company to try and get Park Jin-young to give a proper statement.

"..."

……

"...So, if the guest lineup for the rehearsal starts tomorrow, it will definitely cause some rumors."

"I'm fine, but I'm mainly worried about (G)I-DLE and the others. You know me, I'm a sentimental person..."

Gong Cheng sat in Park Jin-young's office, sipping his Heineken with a sigh. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited (G)I-DLE to be my guests. Even though we broke up, I still thought I'd help them out if I could..."

"You keep talking..."

Park Jin-young listened thoughtfully. He knew about this when the company sent an invitation to Cube last month. He also knew that this kid was sentimental. After all, it was Gong Cheng's solo concert. As long as the guests could be invited, he would agree and didn't ask any questions.

He was pleased to be a guest himself, and he will be going to the Sangam World Cup Stadium tomorrow to participate in the rehearsal.

"Once the Reuters guest lineup is released, people will definitely speculate whether Zhao Meiyan and I have gotten back together?"

"After all, I invited (G)I-DLE here... But as you know, senior, I didn't help (G)I-DLE to get back together with Cho Miyeon or anything, so rather than having the members of (G)I-DLE thank me..."

"I'd rather thank you. I'm not the kind of person who craves these empty titles." Gong Cheng took a sip of beer. "Think about it, everyone knows that you have a good relationship with the president of Cube and Bang Si-hyuk. After all, they all came from JYP..."

"Rather than having my rumored affair with Zhao Meiyan make a huge fuss, it would be better to spread the word that you invited me because of your personal relationship with the president of Cube Entertainment. Then the company can buy articles to market it. Wouldn't that be more like being loyal and righteous?"

"Compared to a businessman like Lee Soo-man, who is all about profit, isn't the difference obvious?"

The last sentence struck a chord with Park Jin-young, who raised his beer and clinked glasses with Gong Cheng.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Junior Brother..."

"Of course, senior brother..." Gong Cheng lay on the sofa, paying no attention to outside opinions!

Tomorrow, the big star is definitely going to face off against Zhao Meiyan; it's a clash of titans.

It's not just big stars; there are so many female relatives, though they're hidden in the shadows. But Zhao Meiyan is the real deal. So, (G)I-DLE is coming back, but they have to shift the credit for inviting them onto Park Jin-young so they can make excuses later.

"It's not for these empty titles, senior brother. It's just that I can see you're a sentimental guy."

"You don't want Zhao Meiyan to be caught in the storm of public opinion and attacked by fans, right?" Park Jin-young chuckled knowingly, glancing at Gong Cheng with a wise look, as if he had seen through Gong Cheng's complicated thoughts.

"..." Gong Cheng nodded honestly.

"Don't worry, we'll do it your way. No matter how big the problem is, your senior brother will take care of it!"

Park Jin-young patted Gong Cheng on the shoulder, wondering to himself if his junior brother still liked Zhao Meiyan.
But it doesn't seem like it. The junior is indeed very sentimental. Yesterday's meeting about Lim Na-yeon's solo career, just the fact that he wrote songs for free, shows that...

……

That night, Gong Cheng tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

"..."

……

September 21st, cloudy.

Gong Cheng had just gotten up and drawn back the curtains when a light drizzle began to fall outside, spreading down the French windows.

After washing up and making a quick breakfast in the kitchen, he put on his coat, went downstairs, got into his Maybach, and headed to the company.

The rehearsal was scheduled for 6 p.m., which was in line with the concert performance schedule, and there were many guests whose individual schedules often needed to be coordinated.

Like Bombardment Meteor, Lay Zhang, Jay Park, and Lim Young-woong, they can only arrive for rehearsal tomorrow.

"..."

Upon arriving at the company, Gong Cheng ordered a coffee to perk himself up and sat in his practice room, a huge room he hadn't been to much since the Bombardment Meteor event ended.

On one hand, he's a singer, and although he has decent dancing talent, that's not his focus, so he's not inclined to come here. At most, he'll practice occasionally to improve his basic dance skills and some song moves. On the other hand, the sofa in the TWICE practice room next door is much more comfortable to lie on.

"The audio tracks and music videos for 'STAY' and 'Off My Face' will be released tomorrow at noon sharp," Kim Dae-woo reported on his recent work arrangements and progress.

"Including the songs to be released tomorrow, all the songs on the new album 'The Lovers' are expected to be released in early October."

"Arathor."

Gong Cheng nodded, took a sip of coffee, and then said, "Check the schedule for Sony's 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' as well. The arrangements for the remaining two singles are almost done. After the Seoul concert, record the audio, and this job will be finished."

"I remember when the song 'Blinding Lights' was going to be released next month, I told Mercedes in advance that they would have to spend money to promote the music video from Times Square in New York to all parts of the world."

"I have a feeling that this song, with Mercedes' help, will be the most popular streaming song on this album!"

He earnestly stated that with the influence of his own "Tarot" brand, coupled with the promotional support of "Mercedes," the combination of the two would be another cross-industry collaboration.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of all of this."

Kim Dae-woo nodded, his expression extremely serious, showing that he took this matter very seriously.

After all, while other celebrities are still fighting tooth and nail for the title of a top luxury item, Gong Cheng in front of you is already decked out in sports cars, luxury watches, and high-end clothing.

"..."

After discussing work, Gong Cheng lay on the sofa, suddenly feeling as if he were walking on thin ice his whole life...

After sending a message to Captain Kim, he led Kim Da-hyun, who had come from next door, to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

The exhaust pipe whirred and turned, the pork belly on the grill sizzled and dripped oil, and the aroma of the grill, mixed with the smell of smoke, wafted into our noses.

Gong Cheng, however, had little appetite. He turned the meat over with the tongs a couple of times, forced a couple of bites into his mouth, and chewed absentmindedly. “Duo Xian,” he put down the tongs and looked up at the person opposite him who was engrossed in eating, “we may have a tough battle to fight this afternoon.”

"What kind of evil spirit have you been up to now?"

Kim Da-hyun was putting a piece of crispy roasted pork belly into her mouth when she heard this. She paused, looked up, and saw some sauce still on the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were full of vigilance: "What are you up to now?"

She had been happily thinking it was a treat for herself, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but raise her head and question the handsome man in front of her.

"(G)I-DLE will be here for rehearsal this afternoon." Gong Cheng wiped his hands with a tissue and stated the problem in a flat voice, "They are also guests for my Seoul show."

Kim Da-hyun said "Oh," picked up a piece of lettuce, wrapped it around the meat, and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks bulging. "So what?"

But as she chewed, she suddenly stopped, her eyes slowly widening, almost choking on the grilled meat in her mouth. "Oh my..." She swallowed the food in her mouth, her mouth agape in shock. "You don't mean... your ex-girlfriend's group?"

"yes……"

Gong Cheng shrugged, picked up his drink, and took a sip.

"Oppa, this meal is on me. Is it too late for me to run ashore now?"

Kim Da-hyun reached out and rubbed her fair face. Her already delicate, single-eyelid eyes drooped further, filled with despair.

"Oh my god, how could you invite your ex-girlfriend to your concert? Have you lost your mind?"

She really thought that the handsome guy in front of her had been cursed by her and had lost his mind!

What happened!
Do you think I'm that stupid?

Gong Cheng sighed helplessly, picked up a piece of grilled meat, put it in his mouth, and glanced at Jin Daxian's flustered expression. "How many times have I told you? Don't panic when something happens. It will pass. Stay calm."

"Tch... Oppa, if you were calm, you wouldn't have called me out!" Kim Dahyun couldn't help but retort.

"I had my own reasons, okay? Otherwise, I would have walked right into their trap!" Gong Cheng said with a sigh. Although he was panicking, he knew it would all pass.

...It's just a little bit of weathering...

"The good news is that your sister-in-law Zhao Meiyan won't make our relationship public..." Gong Cheng earnestly explained the current situation to Xiao Xiao Guai Duoxian, partly to review the game for himself and make the situation clearer.

"She's not my sister-in-law!"

Kim Da-hyun interrupted with a cold snort, arms crossed!
She doesn't acknowledge Zhao Meiyan's status as her sister-in-law! She doesn't even know her. On this matter, she firmly stands with Sana, Nayeon, Chaeyoung, and perhaps even Mina...

"...Whatever..." Gong Cheng silently raised his drink and took a sip. "As for the bad news, there's really no bad news."

“But your sisters-in-law all know about me and your sister-in-law Zhao Meiyan, no… Zhao Meiyan, okay?” He glanced at Kim Da-hyun’s glaring eyes and quickly said, “They know I dated her…”

"So, in the end, it's all for your sisters-in-law in Twice. I'm worried they'll feel bad and overthink things, you know?"

"Sisters-in-law, shouldn't you be overthinking this? Your boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend are still entangled!" Kim Da-hyun angrily spoke up for her sisters-in-law, then glared at Da-da-shuai, "Not to mention, even if the sisters-in-law are overthinking it, it's understandable, since you two never really broke up!"

At that moment, Xiao Xiao Guai Duoxian deeply understood the feelings of his sisters-in-law, as if he were experiencing it himself—that sadness, heartbreak, and helplessness…

I...I, I never want to work for the Great General again!
Doufu roared with intense grief and indignation, but when she looked at the melancholy-faced general in front of her, she still felt a little soft-hearted...

"Since it's not that serious, just coax her~" Kim Da-hyun said sarcastically.

Gong Cheng stared at Captain Kim's demeanor and was utterly impressed. "Kim Da-hyun, do you really think I can't handle this?"

"If oppa had such a calm expression, he wouldn't have come looking for me." Kim Dahyun scoffed, then lowered her head and shoveled another mouthful of white rice into her mouth.

"Ani, I just wanted to talk to someone before the storm."

Gong Cheng glanced at the light rain outside the window, and smiled calmly, "Otherwise, it's too stuffy..."

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you..."

"What a little brat."

After saying that, the suppressed feelings in his heart dissipated a lot. He ignored Jin Doufu's angry glare and ate the barbecue with great appetite.

……

6 PM, Mapo-gu.

Gong Cheng arrived at the Shangyan World Cup Stadium, a huge venue built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, specifically for football matches. Other sporting events and concerts were also held here on other days.

But recently, the arena has been preparing for Tarot's world tour.

A light drizzle fell, then pattered down. Gong Cheng, holding an umbrella, walked into the concert backstage. The stage setup had already been completed earlier. Today's rehearsal, besides going on stage to go through the routines, was ultimately about testing out all the equipment.

And familiar with, or modify, some stage positioning and design team designs, such as where the stage lights should be placed, and where the artists should stand to make the stage effect more outstanding. These planning proposals are all communicated and designed six months or even a year before the world tour begins.

No, it's not just about randomly flashing a spotlight a couple of times. That's why the preparation period for a tour is extremely long, consuming not only financial and material resources but also a huge amount of manpower.

"Ji-eun, you're here early..."

Gong Cheng looked at IU, who had arrived earlier than him. She had a fair, oval face and had probably been there for a while. It was drizzling outside, but she was wearing a white T-shirt over her slender shoulders and had some sweat on her forehead.

"I have a schedule to catch up on tonight, so I came early to check it out. I'll go on stage again to get used to it before heading to Busan." Lee Ji-eun raised her hand, tied her hair up, and ignored the way he addressed her; she was already used to it.

Why go to Busan?

"I have a business event to attend..."

"..."

The two chatted for only a few minutes when a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the lounge. BLACKPINK and their manager opened the door.

Jisoo, Jennie... The four of them, seeing IU sitting on the sofa, quickly greeted her, "IU sunbaenim..."

Although I've met this senior several times at various events and award ceremonies in the two years since her debut, we rarely keep in touch privately and aren't very familiar with each other. Besides, she's a top local solo artist.

Currently, he's a senior artist who has been in the industry for ten years...

Lee Ji-eun nodded and smiled, becoming much quieter after the BLACKPINK members entered.

On the contrary, Jin Zhenni and the others talked a lot and chatted with Gong Chengdong about this and that.

"Jisoo..."

During a break in their conversation, Gong Cheng glanced at Kim Jisoo, who was sitting to the side smiling, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you and Irene on good terms?"

Seeing that another woman was getting along better and better with Kim Jisoo, he felt uncomfortable sitting next to her!

If it were a complete stranger, even if it were any other member of BLACKPINK who had a good relationship with Bae Joo-hyun, he wouldn't ask any questions; it was none of his business.

But Jisoo is different...

after all……

I loved...

"Yeah, aren't Ryderbabes coming today too?" Kim Jisoo smiled, her beautiful eyes sparkling, then gave him a complicated look. "(G)I-DLE is coming too, right?"

Zhao Meiyan had told Pabu earlier at the beginning of the month that Gong Cheng had invited their group to be guests at his concert.

It seems their relationship is still going well, just like before...

"(G)I-DLE?"

The rest of BLACKPINK and IU looked at Gong Cheng in shock; he was definitely not a big enough star!

Moreover, (G)I-DLE features this guy's ex-girlfriend!
"Is it your ex-girlfriend's group?" IU gave Gong Cheng a strange look.

"Well..." Gong Cheng nodded calmly, "(G)I-DLE, they've been doing quite well since their debut..."

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Jennie and the others tactfully changed the subject.

Only Kim Ji-soo sat next to Gong Cheng, looking at his handsome profile with suspicion, and softly asked, "Are you nervous?" Her words carried a hint of concern. She knew Gong Cheng very well...

But she couldn't understand why he was so nervous.

(End of this chapter)