The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 346 Kim Ji-soo's Complete Collapse, A New Pattern Evolves (Bonus Chapter of 1 Words by Donglong Alliance Leader)
"squeak--!"

The screeching sound of brakes shattered the tranquility of the highway in the dead of night. The tires of the red Maserati left long black marks on the slippery snow, and the car jerked violently, the inertia causing both of them to lurch forward.

Fortunately, both Lim Nayeon and Kim Jisoo were wearing seatbelts, and the bright red car finally came to a sudden stop on the side of the road. The engine was still shaking slightly, as if it had been startled by the sudden braking.

Kim Jisoo instinctively reached out and gripped the handrail on the roof of the car tightly. The faint smile that had been on her lips just moments before vanished instantly, replaced by a look of shock and panic.

The surge of adrenaline made her heart pound wildly, causing her chest to ache, and even her breathing became rapid.

The momentum from the sudden braking still lingered in her body, and Kim Jisoo couldn't help but shudder. A layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out her back. After glancing at the car coming to a smooth stop under the streetlights outside the window, she turned to look at Lim Nayeon in the driver's seat, her voice still carrying lingering fear and a hint of suppressed dissatisfaction:

"Ani!"

Why did you suddenly brake?!

Kim Jisoo released the armrest, raised her hand to press her tight chest, and gasped for breath. The relief of surviving the ordeal was mixed with the anger of being offended, making her look at Lim Nayeon with a hint of uncontrollable rage:

What's wrong with you?

"Do you know how dangerous that was? The road was so slippery, what if there was a car behind us..."

Faced with Kim Ji-soo's accusations, the carriage fell into a brief silence.

Only their slightly rapid breathing mingled together. Outside the car window, the halo of streetlights shone in, casting flickering shadows on Lim Nayeon's tense profile, clearly outlining her furrowed brows and lips pressed into a straight line.

She didn't respond to Kim Jisoo's accusations. Instead, she lowered her head, gripped the leather steering wheel tightly with both hands, and breathed heavily, looking like a rabbit that had been provoked but was desperately trying to suppress its anger. Her whole body exuded a sense of tension that could explode at any moment.

"I was just...too angry."

The dizziness from the sudden stop hadn't completely subsided, and her heart was still pounding in her chest, carrying the lingering fear of her adrenaline rush. Lim Nayeon closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, but her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Why are you angry?"

Upon hearing this, Kim Jisoo noticed her friend's agitated expression and couldn't help but ask with concern.

I wondered to myself if my good friend had encountered something sad, which was why he came to pick me up as soon as I landed in Seoul?
Oh my god, my usually energetic and carefree friend needs my company and comfort right now.

"..."

After a long while, Lim Nayeon slowly raised her eyelids and subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror. There was no sign of any vehicles on the empty road behind her, only snowflakes were still slowly falling. The thrill she had just experienced seemed like a false alarm.

She bared her rabbit teeth and gently bit her lower lip, a sense of lingering fear rising in her heart. She had acted too impulsively just now, only caring about venting her anger, completely ignoring the dangers of the slippery road and the late hour. If there had been a car behind her... the consequences would have been unimaginable.

But at this point, Lim Nayeon no longer planned to go to the private room that Gangdong had booked, because her friends were still deceiving her!

This woman, who pretended to care about her but secretly seduced her boyfriend, disgusted and repulsed her. Moreover, she feared that she might lose control of her anger while driving...

"Nayeon, say something!"

"What happened? What's going on?"

When Kim Jisoo saw Lim Nayeon pull out the car keys, she hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt, moved closer to her friend, and looked at her with anxious concern!

What happened?!

"Is Rockefeller Center beautiful?"

As Lim Nayeon watched Kim Jisoo's composed expression as she lied, the thought of how she had spent the past few days with her own man made her anger rise again, leaving her feeling both annoyed and wronged, unable to utter a single soft word.

"It's quite beautiful, with snow and Christmas trees..."

Kim Ji-soo couldn't understand why her friend was bringing up Rockefeller Center again, but she could only give a reply.

But the more she looked, the more she felt something was off about the atmosphere in the carriage. She unconsciously clutched the clown doll in her arms tighter, a chill creeping down her spine for no apparent reason…

"I heard that's a popular date spot for couples?"

Lim Nayeon rolled down the car window, opening it only a crack of about two fingers, hoping the night breeze would help her clear her head and calm down. Her tone was as cold as the wind, devoid of any smile, just a faint whisper.

"Yes, mainly because there's an ice rink there, and lots of tourists..."

Kim Jisoo smoothed the strands of hair that were being blown by the night breeze coming in from the window. As she spoke, she glanced at her friend beside her, feeling that her friend was acting a little strangely today!
What happened?!

"...Sounds like a great date spot."

Lim Nayeon's voice was indifferent, like the cold wind from outside the window, each word sharp and piercing, "But those who go there to take photos, are they openly couples? Or lovers who can't see the light of day? Or... are they mistresses who interfere in other people's relationships? Or are they secretly having an affair?"

She emphasized the last few words, her tone carrying an undeniable sarcasm. Her slender fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the veins on the back of her hands throbbed, leaving shallow marks on the leather steering wheel. She wanted to tear off Kim Jisoo's "innocent" mask and show her just how ridiculous she was.

Immediately, out of the corner of her eye, Lim Nayeon caught the fleeting look in Kim Jisoo's eyes when she heard these words, and her sneer in her heart intensified!

"Who would know? I don't pay attention to that when I'm traveling..."

Kim Ji-soo spoke softly, her eyes darting away. Whenever she mentioned her trip to the United States, she couldn't help but think of the time she spent with "First Dawn" in New York, visiting Rockefeller Center and watching movies at the Manhattan Cinema, even though he was busy with work most of the week.

She stayed by his side like a secretary, but those uneventful days together made her realize even more clearly that this "young deungpo bastard" might really need companionship...

Thinking of this, a smile unconsciously appeared on Kim Jisoo's lips, and her eyes instantly brightened, flowing with a hint of sweetness and tenderness? It was an irrepressible, stolen tenderness.

"You really won't care." Lim Nayeon's voice suddenly turned cold, filled with undisguised anger, especially when she saw the smile on Kim Jisoo's face. Was it sweet? Was this a provocation?

"After all, all you need to focus on is how to steal someone else's boyfriend."

"Yes, how could I have time... Moragu?" Kim Jisoo was startled by her sudden words, her smile instantly freezing. Then, her delicate face and eyelids twitched wildly, and she questioned angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about, Lim Nayeon!"

"Who do you think I am?"

The cold expression and hurtful words from her best friend made her feel as if a knife had been plunged into her heart, drawing blood! She didn't understand why her best friend would say such things to her.

Stealing someone else's boyfriend? Ridiculous...

But then, as if struck by a sudden realization, Kim Jisoo's gaze, which had been fixed on Lim Nayeon, abruptly shifted, becoming unnaturally evasive! Could it be... that her friend had found out about her relationship with Miyeon and Gong Cheng?!

Aigoo! When did you become so good at judging people? Lim Nayeon!
"Pack?"

"Still pretending!"

Lim Nayeon grinned, revealing her rabbit teeth, and chuckled, her laughter filled with anger and disdain at being fooled.

Seeing that Kim Jisoo was still putting on a brave face and refusing to admit anything, she could no longer restrain herself. She suddenly turned to the side, her eyes burning like two raging flames, staring intently at Kim Jisoo in the passenger seat, and growled in a low voice:

"Now that things have come to this, are you still going to keep lying to me, Kim Jisoo?!"

"Are you treating me like Prabhu?"

Before she could finish speaking, she grabbed her phone from the center console and quickly scrolled through her chat history with this "good friend" in front of her. The screen's light reflected on her flushed face as she spoke in a mocking tone:

"Come on, you dare to do it but not admit it, huh? Let me read it to you!"

"Nayeon, what should I do if I fall in love with my best friend's boyfriend?" she said, drawing out each word.

"..."

"What if you give the boy you like to your best friend?"

As she read the last sentence, Lim Nayeon's voice trembled.

She stared at the familiar words in the chat box, then looked back at her heartfelt reply from back then, "What a moron!"—Now it seems she was the real moron!
Those silly words that advised her to "go for it bravely!" and "don't regret it" are now like dull knives, repeatedly cutting into her heart. Looking at these chat logs that made her look like a fool again is like inflicting secondary damage on her!
You think you can just give it to your best friend? I don't need you to give it to me!

"Come on, now I'll ask you a question, Kim Jisoo!"

Lim Nayeon slammed her phone onto the armrest between them. The screen was still lit, and the glaring chat history remained on the page.

She suddenly raised her voice, staring intently at Kim Jisoo, her teeth grinding together:
"If your best friend tried to steal your boyfriend, what would you do?!"

Kim Jisoo's face was pale, her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, and even her breath caught in her throat for a moment: "You knew?"

She lifted her eyelids with a trembling voice and glanced at Lim Nayeon in front of her. Her throat suddenly felt dry; it seemed her friend now knew about her love triangle with Zhao Meiyan and Gong Cheng!

"We've known each other for so many years, Kim Jisoo, am I just a fool in your eyes?"

Nayeon's eyes, which were taut with anger, were bloodshot, but as she spoke these words, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Because of betrayal, because of friendship: "Why did you lie to me?" she asked angrily, baring her large white rabbit teeth and biting her lip.

“Miannei, I didn’t mean to lie to you. I just felt that we were very good friends, so I wanted to confide in you about these things. I know that what I did was wrong, which is why I hid it from you and told you that a friend had encountered such a problem.”

The panic that had welled up on Jisoo's face slowly faded. She slumped weakly into her chair, instinctively avoiding Nayeon's gaze. That angry look was too intense, burning her with nowhere to hide. A choked voice escaped her lips as she tried to guess…

Is your friend so angry because she doesn't want to be a third party interfering in someone else's relationship?

She meant well for me, but Nayeon, you don't understand the relationship between me, Zhao Meiyan, and Gong Cheng!

"You actually know that being a mistress is wrong? Kim Jisoo!"

Nayeon stared at Jisoo, who was flustered and blushing, and felt both pleased and angry! She had finally torn off the "mask" that her friend had carefully maintained, revealing the true nature of this "vixen"!

But when she thought of how she had teased and toyed with her, she felt an urge to slap her two times across the face for her "pure and innocent" act!

"What did you say?!"

When Kim Jisoo heard a certain word that felt like a knife twisting in her heart, her panicked eyes instantly sharpened... and she raised her head and raised her voice sharply!

"I'm saying you're the other woman! Kim Jisoo!"

Lim Nayeon emphasized the word "homewrecker," her whole body trembling with anger. She growled, "Isn't that right? You stole your best friend's boyfriend, and you still think you're right?!"

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, such as her father's ex-girlfriend Zhao Meiyan, with whom he had an ambiguous relationship, and another ex-girlfriend she only learned about today, Bae Zhuxuan!

Her anger intensified, and a cruel sneer spread across Lim Nayeon's lips as she sneered, "Aigoo, no... you're not even qualified to be a mistress, understand?"

"Lim Na-yeon!!!"

Kim Jisoo sat up abruptly, her furrowed brows twisting into a knot, her eyes filled with anger mixed with deep embarrassment, her clear eyes staring at Lim Nayeon in disbelief. Wasn't it supposed to be "women of Gangdong are of one mind"?

Even if she made a mistake, shouldn't my best friend listen to her explanation first? Even if I don't support her, is it necessary to say such harsh things?
When did you and Zhao Meiyan become best friends? When did you become allies? Kim Jisoo couldn't hold back any longer and shouted angrily, "Why do you have to say such nasty things?!"

In the sudden outburst of volume, there was a barely perceptible hint of grievance. Why couldn't even her best friend understand her? And what did she mean by "You're not even qualified to be a mistress?!"

These words reminded her of the "Newborn Dawn" who had cheated on Zhao Meiyan with Bae Joo-hyun. And just over a month ago, she was the one who went to Bae Joo-hyun's door and angrily cursed her for being a "mistress"!
How did this happen to me now?!
"What's wrong? Do you think I'm being rude?"

Lim Nayeon scoffed, her disdain undisguised. "When you were doing those disgusting things in America, didn't you ever think this day would come?! You weren't disgusted by stealing your friend's boyfriend, but now you're complaining about my harsh words? Kim Jisoo, have you no shame?!"

"I...I didn't pry it open!"

Nayeon's harsh words reached Jisoo's ears. Her face turned pale, and the tears she had been holding back finally spilled over. Her voice, choked with sobs, was filled with anger and sorrow. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her sharp eyes dimmed, revealing only a despair as if the whole world had abandoned her... She completely broke down...

"But didn't you still pry it open?"

"..."

Jisoo's lips trembled, all her explanations, grievances, and resentment turning into helplessness. Through her tear-filled vision, Nayeon's disdainful and disgusted expression told her that no matter what she said, Nayeon would no longer believe her.

"You came to pick me up at the airport today just to tell me this?"

She forcefully suppressed the sob in her voice and asked a question.

"Should I throw you a celebration ceremony? A 'Champion of the Competition to Steal Your Friend's Partner'?"

Although Lim Nayeon was still feeling terrible, as a "woman from Gangdong," she couldn't tolerate betrayal, especially from the person she trusted most. Even though Kim Jisoo beside her looked desperate and in pain, only heaven knows how devastated and helpless she felt after learning about it this afternoon.

The suffocating feeling of not being able to breathe cannot be dispelled even by the current sense of joy!

"You don't need to worry about our affairs..."

Kim Jisoo took out a tissue from her bag and wiped away her tears. When she turned to look at Lim Nayeon's face again, she realized that her friend had become so unfamiliar to her since when. But those words had completely torn their friendship apart!

Her eyes turned cold and a hint of heartache appeared. Then, after uttering her last words, she said, "From today onwards, Nayeon, there's no longer any talk of women from Jiangdong being of one mind!"

After saying that, she didn't hesitate for a moment. She reached for the car door handle and opened the door with a click. The biting cold wind instantly swirled with snowflakes and rushed into the warm car, stinging her face like needles.

She bent down to get off the bus, intending to flag down a taxi on the roadside to go back to her dormitory.

Kim Jisoo felt like she was about to shatter! Shatter in this icy, snowy landscape...

Just as she had one leg out of the car, Lim Nayeon suddenly leaned over and grabbed her wrist! The force was astonishing: "You can't leave until you explain yourself clearly today!"

Nayeon's voice was firm and unyielding, her anger still burning in her eyes. What did she mean by "Our affairs are none of your business"?

Jisoo felt a sharp pain in her wrist as it was gripped tightly. She turned to look at Nayeon, her coldness now tinged with mockery: "What else is there to say? Don't you see me as a mistress?"

The half-open car door let in a howling gust of cold wind. In their standoff, Jisoo's eyes were particularly sorrowful, especially as she looked at Nayeon's furious face. She had even lost her only remaining "best, most trusted" friend!

"Am I wrong? Aren't you the other woman?"

Lim Nayeon was amused and annoyed by her attitude. How could she be so self-righteous! Grabbing Kim Jisoo's wrist, she unconsciously increased her strength. She herself had large hands and large knuckles, and she squeezed the other's slender wrist harder and harder, like an iron clamp...

"..." Kim Jisoo's face instantly flushed red with pain. The excruciating pain from her wrist shot through her body like an electric shock, completely overwhelming her last shred of restraint. The pent-up grievances, anger, resentment, and despair exploded within her. She abruptly raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and hysterically roared at Lim Nayeon:

"Lim Na-yeon! Are you ever going to stop?!"

Her voice was hoarse and trembling from the shock of her breakdown, and her body was shaking uncontrollably: "Yes! I admit I like Gong Cheng! So what? Is the mess between me and Zhao Meiyan, and between me and Gong Cheng, worth you holding onto like this?!"

"Is it worth getting so angry? You're even disregarding our friendship of over a decade?"

As Jisoo spoke with grief, her eyes fixed on Nayeon, tears streaming down her face again uncontrollably: "I'm not a mistress!" She practically shouted these words, her voice filled with the grievance and sadness of being wronged.

“Clearly… I should have been the one with Gong Cheng before! Clearly… I told you all my secrets, Lim Nayeon! But why are you doing this to me? Saying these things about me…”

"If only I hadn't been so clever and let them have their way..."

She was interrupted by a heavy sob halfway through her sentence. Kim Jisoo could no longer hold back and covered her face, bursting into tears, her shoulders trembling violently! Bae Joo-hyun, Jo Mi-yeon, Lim Na-yeon beside her... why are one friend after another treating her like this?
"let?"

Lim Nayeon stared wide-eyed as if she'd heard the biggest joke in the world. Without a shred of mercy, the anger in her chest threatened to extinguish her reason. She gritted her teeth and growled, her voice filled with ferocity:

"Do you think I need to give way to you?! Gong Cheng—is my boyfriend! Who gives you the right to pretend to 'give way'?!"

She abruptly shook off Kim Jisoo's wrist: "Can you stop joking, Kim Jisoo?"

"...How can it not be considered a concession?"

Kim Jisoo stubbornly raised her head, retorting loudly. But her vision, blurred by tears, suddenly froze, her pupils contracting sharply, as if she had heard something utterly surreal. Her lips trembled uncontrollably, her breath catching in her throat, and she leaned forward hastily, speaking urgently:
"what did you just say?!"

Inside the cramped train car, the cold wind was still howling, but Kim Jisoo was completely oblivious. She stared intently at Lim Nayeon's face, afraid that she had misheard because she was crying so hard.

"Tell me again!"

As she spoke, she hurriedly moved closer to Lim Nayeon, grabbing her hoodie collar tightly. The words she had just spoken exploded in her mind like a thunderbolt, making her instantly forget the grievances and arguments from before, leaving only overwhelming panic and disbelief.

"release!!!"

Nayeon glanced irritably at Jisoo, who was gripping her collar. They were very close, and Jisoo's grip on her collar was almost choking her. Nayeon angrily flung Jisoo's hand away, took a deep breath, and repeated her angry outburst:
"Do you think I need to give way to you?! Gong Cheng—is my boyfriend! Who gives you the right to pretend to 'give way'?!"

Jisoo froze on the spot, her expression frozen. "He's your boyfriend?"

Seemingly unable to believe what she was hearing, she asked again with difficulty.

"Otherwise, Kim Jisoo!"

"He—can he really be your boyfriend?!"

Lim Nayeon found the scene before her utterly ridiculous! Didn't you just admit it? Why are you acting all panicked now?

It makes it seem like I betrayed you!
Really are……

"You...you're treating me like this because of this?"

After confirming that she hadn't misheard, Kim Jisoo slumped into the passenger seat, feeling utterly hopeless. Her eyes stared blankly at the floor mats in the car, and just then, a chubby clown doll with long, green curly hair entered her field of vision!

In an instant, everything became clear to her: why was her friend treating her this way? And even bringing up their chat history to subtly criticize her—did she think she had stolen her boyfriend?!

But how the hell was I supposed to know that was your corner?! Wasn't that Zhao Meiyan's corner?

"Otherwise what? Kim Jisoo, you want to steal my boyfriend, do you expect me to speak to you politely?"

Nayeon was still seething with resentment, and her words were quite harsh. Then, she asked again, "Now, I'll ask you again, Jisoo, were you alone at Rockefeller Center?"

The repetitive questions made her voice sound accusatory!

"I'm with Gong Cheng, just the two of us!"

Jisoo gave Nayeon a miserable look and finally understood why Nayeon had said that Rockefeller Center wasn't just for couples, but also for lovers and mistresses... Hah... She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe!

I can't breathe...

Kim Jisoo's long, straight black hair fell beside her cheek as she leaned slightly towards the car door, breathing in the cold wind outside!

—A leopard can't change its spots [Newborn Dawn]!
How could you be so mean! My dear friends... you didn't spare a single one of them!
[Best Friend Killer] Mo?

Her pale lips trembled, and she wished she could immediately board a flight back to the United States, and kill that "Newborn Dawn" with a single blow, to see what his heart was made of—rotten to the core!

"Why aren't you pretending anymore?"

Lim Nayeon gave a sarcastic laugh, but she was actually relieved inside. During her earlier interrogation, she had heard the woman from Gyeonggi Province beside her say that she had tried to steal someone else's boyfriend but failed!

"I said there's a misunderstanding, do you believe me, Nayeon?"

Jisoo looked bitterly at Nayeon, her rabbit teeth clenched in a menacing expression, and forced a smile: "He fooled us all!"

"how?"

"Could it be that he didn't tell you about the woman you were seeing?"

Upon hearing this, Lim Nayeon's heart, which had just settled down, jumped again! But she could understand, after all, she had never told anyone about her relationship with her boyfriend, except for her mother and younger sister.

Moreover, her boyfriend had already taken her to his home in Yeongdeungpo! Even though Tzuyu was showing off during the SBS rehearsal that afternoon, she wasn't the only daughter-in-law her uncles and aunts knew.

She's famous, but Tzuyu has no chance!
“I know he has a girlfriend, and he's been honest about it!”

Kim Jisoo felt like a deflated balloon, wishing she could teleport to the "young deungpo bastard" and tear him to pieces!

You're fucking messing with me again!
"Then you still dare to seduce him?"

Lim Nayeon took a deep breath, her anger flaring, and stared intently at Kim Jisoo. Still so arrogant?!

Are you trying to force me to take action?

"...But in my memory, the woman he was dating wasn't you!"

Kim Jisoo calmed herself down. The grievance and despair she felt from being criticized by her friend had now gone numb. She smiled faintly, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes as she looked at Lim Nayeon: "As far as I remember, he has always been dating Zhao Meiyan!"

"After that, you dated Bae Joo-hyun for a while, but when did you start dating him?"

As she spoke softly, Kim Jisoo was about to continue when memories of last year suddenly flashed through her mind... Her friends came over to ask her for advice on how to pursue someone... Just like a few days ago, the two of them seemed to have switched roles, with the offensive and defensive tactics reversed.

A bad feeling suddenly crept into her heart!

Her soft voice carried a hint of urgency: "Last year...you came looking for me? Could it be...that bad boy is Gong Cheng?" As she said this, Kim Jisoo didn't even realize how much her voice was trembling!
She had always assumed that the "friend" Nayeon was referring to was Twice's Park Jihyo, especially since just a few months later, Park Jihyo's relationship with Wanna One's Kang Daniel had been revealed in the entertainment industry...

"Inside!"

Lim Nayeon was still reeling from the shock of Kim Jisoo mentioning that "Gong Cheng was dating Zhao Meiyan and Bae Joo-hyun." Her mind was a little fuzzy, and she didn't think about the reason for Kim Jisoo's sudden question. She just nodded blankly and responded with a dazed tone.

The moment she received an affirmative answer, Kim Jisoo completely panicked.

Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her dress, her throat bobbing several times before she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "You mean... you followed the methods I taught you and managed to win over Gong Cheng?"

"Yes, we were already together when I shared the news with you later!"

Seeing that she could no longer hide her secret relationship with Gong Cheng, Lim Nayeon openly admitted it! Bae Joo-hyun, her ex-girlfriend! Cho Mi-yeon, her ex-girlfriend! She knew all of this, so she had nothing to be afraid of!

"..."

The understated affirmation struck like a thunderbolt onto Jisoo's once again pale face.

She froze in her seat, her mind blank. So the bad boy Lin Nayeon chased last year was Gong Cheng. So she had personally "taught" her best friend the person she liked...

It turned out that what she thought were "coincidences" were all foreshadowings she herself had planted. A tremendous sense of absurdity and regret overwhelmed her, leaving her feeling suffocated and dizzy!
"You big idiot!" Kim Jisoo thought she had done something right for her friend, which was why she had taken it upon herself to "give" Gong Cheng to Zhao Meiyan. But now it seems that she was the one who brought her friend and that "First Dawn" together!

Thinking of this, she seemed to remember something else!
She quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket, found the chat box for the contact "Bae Joo-hyun", and scrolled through the chat history from a certain period of this year!

For a moment, Kim Jisoo felt like a huge joke, but if Bae Joo-hyun's affair were confirmed, she would be even more ridiculous than a joke...

[Bae Joo-hyun]: "Jisoo~ My sister has fallen for a bad boy..."

"..."

After only glancing at the chat history a few times, Kim Jisoo threw her phone aside as if she'd seen a ghost, clutched her head in her hands, and screamed in despair, "Ah!!!" The familiar "bad boy," the familiar "friend," or even the "little sister"! It was all a cover-up!
She felt pathetic, like a complete clown!
Then she saw that she had once proudly told Bae Joo-hyun that she had successfully set up three couples! The first couple was Jo Mi-yeon, who had argued with Gong Sung!
The second pair is the woman from Jiangdong and the bastard from Yongdeungpu!

The third couple is Pei San'er and [Chu Sheng Dong Xi]!
"Oh!"

Kim Jisoo abruptly raised her head, her face streaked with tears, glistening with each tear, yet radiating an almost frantic resolve. She clenched her fist and slammed it against the car door with a dull thud, the impact sending numbness through her fingers, but the pain was nothing compared to the despair surging within her.

Seeing her completely broken down, Lim Nayeon was utterly bewildered!

However, the anger that had been stuck in her throat suddenly caught in her throat, replaced by a strange pang of heartache, yet she couldn't bring herself to back down. She grinned, her tone still defiant and resolute.
"Hey! You were the one who seduced my boyfriend first, and now you're crying like this, what are you pretending to be wronged for?"

"Wronged?!"

"I'm going crazy, Lim Nayeon! I almost got together with him three years ago, before you even knew him! Do you know what I've been through these past three years?!"

Kim Jisoo finally couldn't hold back anymore. Three years of pent-up unrequited love, hesitation, compromise, and the feeling of betrayal at this moment completely erupted, and she roared again. Strands of hair, disheveled by tears and sweat, clung to her cheeks, her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like a defeated dog driven to the brink of despair and completely broken: "And the result?"

"You kept it from me, saying you wanted to pursue a 'friend,' and asked me to give you advice, teaching you how to create chance encounters and how to say sweet nothings! I was like a shark's arm, teaching you step by step how to capture his heart!" She pointed to her chest, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Now that you're together, you turn around and boss me around, pointing your finger at me and calling me a homewrecker?!"

"I was here first!"

She shouted her last words almost in a sob, overwhelmed by grievances and resentment, and slammed her fist hard on the car door again!

She felt like a fool being played by everyone, busy matchmaking for other people's "love." Then, she curled up in her seat, her shoulders trembling violently, her cries a mixture of sobs and desperate whimpers...

One Lim Nayeon is one thing!

But now, judging from the situation... damn it, Bae Joo-hyun and that "First Dawn of the East" were also brought together by someone else!
"...You've liked him for three years?"

Hearing Kim Jisoo's tearful account, Lim Nayeon was stunned! Upon closer reflection, if that were truly the case, then this whole affair, from beginning to end...
Isn't this a bit too dramatic?

Is this dark humor?! Seeing Jisoo's despair, so intense it seemed to infect the whole world, Nayeon couldn't help but tremble. If that's the case, she seemed rather unfair.
But how could she know that her friend was secretly in love with her boyfriend...?

"if not?!"

"I only found out today that you were dating him, and I found out by catching you cheating! The most ridiculous thing is that I was the one who set you up?!" Despair, like icy seawater, slowly washed over Kim Jisoo's head, suffocating her.

The familiar yet unfamiliar Lim Nayeon before her made her suddenly feel like she had nothing left. The person she liked had been taken away, her best friend had betrayed her, and even her sincerity had become a laughing stock...

"Then who are these so-called friends in the chat history you showed me?"

Lim Nayeon asked hesitantly again!
"Heh, I really didn't know about you and Gong Cheng back then. The friend I was talking about was Zhao Meiyan, and I'm the 'big idiot' you're talking about! As for that scumbag, he's—your good boyfriend!"

Kim Jisoo's voice was hoarse, even her cold laugh was tinged with self-mockery, and beneath her hair, her bright eyes were now wet, red, and swollen.

She readily accepted the title of "big idiot," then looked at Lim Nayeon with a broken and miserable expression: "Nayeon, you have a good eye for people!"

Her tone was full of self-deprecation, which made Lim Nayeon feel uncomfortable!
Having finally figured out the whole story... she took a deep breath, glanced at the snowflakes outside the stadium with a flickering brow, and prepared to insert the car keys to take Kim Jisoo back to her dorm!
Now that things are cleared up here, she still wants to settle accounts with Gong Cheng!

"Buzz!"

The sound of the Maserati starting up had just begun when Kim Jisoo suddenly picked up her bag and said in a hoarse voice, "I'll go back by myself."

Her voice trembled, but her tone left no room for argument! She no longer looked at Lim Nayeon's expression, her former good friend, nor did she want to argue with her anymore!
Nayeon! Joo-hyun! Miyeon! You won!

"Let me take you..."

Although I feel sorry for Kim Jisoo, she still seduced her own boyfriend! It's really hard for Lim Nayeon to put on a pleasant face, especially since the words were so harsh and the relationship has been completely ruined; how can things possibly go back to the way they were before…

"Women of Jiangdong are of one mind...heh," she now found it rather ironic!

"unnecessary!"

Kim Jisoo stubbornly answered, picked up her bag and got out of the car. She walked with unsteady steps, as if she would collapse with a "thud" after a few steps! Through her blurry vision, she went to the trunk of the Maserati and took out her luggage!

Without even bothering to greet Lim Nayeon, he turned and slowly walked through the snow, pulling his suitcase...

The tears that slid down her face quickly froze into a cool liquid in the cold weather.

"..."

With red-rimmed eyes, Lim Nayeon sat in the driver's seat, her fingertips repeatedly tracing the steering wheel. She desperately wanted to call out to Kim Jisoo and offer her a ride, but her decades-long friendship made her all too aware of her friend's stubborn nature. In the end, she didn't say a word, simply shifting gears gently and driving at an almost snail's pace, following that stubborn figure on the sidewalk at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The headlights of the red Maserati cast two warm yellow streaks in the snowy night, like a pair of silent eyes, following the lone figure dragging a suitcase...

"..."

Kim Jisoo kept her head down, the heavy wheels of her suitcase making a "gurgling" sound on the snow-covered road, intertwining with the sound of falling snowflakes.

The yellowish streetlights cast long shadows of hers. In the warm light, the falling snowflakes, like torn cotton wool, landed on her hair and shoulders, quickly accumulating into a thin layer. This highway near the airport was exceptionally deserted; apart from the occasional car speeding by and splashing up fine snow, there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight.

Kim Jisoo suddenly stopped, abruptly raising her head to look at the vast expanse of snow. The anger, sorrow, and despair that had been building up in her chest burst forth from her throat, and she screamed in a heart-wrenching voice, "Gong Cheng! You fucking made me lose all my love!"

It was as if he wanted to vent all the anger and sorrow in his heart...

Snowflakes fluttered down, the north wind howled, and the background music began. Lim Nayeon sat in the car, listening to the desperate screams outside the window. Her heart felt like it was being clenched; she opened her mouth, but found herself unable to utter a single word.

But the street in front of us is very, very far from Kim Jisoo's dorm in Gangnam...

With the weather so cold and snow falling heavily, and seeing that her former "friend" had no intention of calling a car, Lim Nayeon was also going to Gangnam, but to Cheongdam-dong!

Tonight, she wasn't planning to go back to her dorm, nor did she want to go home. She was waiting for her boyfriend's call; there were some things she couldn't explain, and she couldn't sleep! She didn't want to bottle things up like snowflakes, so she came to see Kim Ji-soo tonight!

"Buzz!"

Lim Nayeon stepped on the gas, and the bright red Maserati accelerated with a "whoosh." The car sped across the sidewalk and gradually slowed down, stopping beside the trembling Kim Jisoo. With a nimble turn, she brought the car to a stop seven or eight meters in front of Kim Jisoo.

She opened the car door with a "click," pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt, and walked quickly toward Kim Jisoo!

With her big feet, Lim Nayeon ran up to Kim Jisoo in a few steps, snatched the suitcase without saying a word, and then went back to the trunk of the Maserati and stuffed the suitcase in!

"What are you doing? Leave me alone..."

Kim Jisoo snapped back to reality, her voice trembling with tears as she resisted, staggering as she tried to chase after him to retrieve her suitcase.

"Snapped!"

Nayeon slammed the trunk shut, turned around and looked at Jisoo, who was running towards her and almost slipped. She roughly caught her, then wrapped her arms around Jisoo's waist like an iron lock and pushed her forcefully toward the passenger seat: "Get in!"

"I'll take you back to your dorm, don't waste time!"

……

Boston, Hakim, is still in a coma, recovering on his own...

……

In Mina's bedroom, she had just finished a beating, enduring a brutal beating from the dog's wild punches! The defeated dog beside her was already asleep, exhausted, but she was too excited to sleep!

It wasn't that he was beaten, but rather, he finally managed to cut down one of his men!
Mina smirked smugly, turning over as she huddled under the covers. But Minatozaki Sana, feigning sleep with her back to her, couldn't possibly fall asleep after the breakup. The more she thought about it, the angrier and sadder she became. She glanced at her in the moonlight and saw a small, trembling figure in her eyes, her joy barely contained…

Sana Minatosaki kicked Mina in the butt with a "smack," pretended to roll over, and then stretched out her arms and legs in a starfish shape as revenge!

(⊙o⊙)...

"? Baka!" Mina was kicked out of nowhere. She turned her head in a daze and looked at the "rude woman" who was still sleeping with her eyes closed and breathing lightly. Her sleeping posture was so ugly!

I wonder if she was actually asleep? Was that last stab intentional?

But Mina had already been beaten up and had learned her lesson. She slowly got up, tiptoed off the bed, picked up the quilt and pillow. It was cold outside, but the bedroom had underfloor heating, so it was warm and cozy. She then took out a stack of bedding from the bottom of the wardrobe, carefully spread it on the floor, and then happily lay down on the floor mat!

She wasn't going to lie in bed and get beaten up. Anyway, it was the last time, so she wasn't going to hold a grudge against Sana-chan!

Sana Minatozaki lay on the bed, opening her swollen eyelids in the darkness. She glanced at Mina, who was lying on the floor, and tears welled up silently, settling into the cotton under the pillowcase.

Mina, meanwhile, lay curled up in bed, staring into the darkness ahead, pondering who to take down next!
[Silly Dog], [Dumb Peach], [Stupid Rabbit], [Sick Tiger], [Green Tea Fish], [Bullying Xuan], [Scheming Yan]...

Cheng-chan's six female friends: [Silly Dog] and [Bully Hyun] are out! As for what she learned about [Kim Ji-soo] this afternoon, she hasn't figured out the situation yet, but she's not in a hurry; she'll clear things up first!
As for the remaining few, Mina probably felt quite bad at the moment when such a big scandal broke out today.
However, recently, Mina has decided to take a short break, mainly to act according to circumstances. Any woman from the Mina family who makes a move will either be killed or seriously injured!

Simply put, everything needs to be rhythmic and result-oriented! As for [Silly Dog], he had already laid the groundwork and hints before Makoto went to America, and only today has it blossomed and borne fruit, causing the two to separate completely!

That's the rhythm! So far, she's only suffered a setback with [Sick Tiger], which is why she hasn't been provoking her much lately, instead focusing on dealing with [Silly Dog]!
Otherwise, why would she be getting beaten up every day? She's not sick, does she enjoy being beaten up? This endless, chaotic mess is just nonsense; it makes the opponent wary and easily annoys Makoto...

In Mina's view, every "battleground" must have a result: either the other person loses, or you win!

……

"Brother, will you break up with Sana unnie this time?"

In TWICE's "maknae line" dorm room, Tzuyu, wearing a face mask, stared intently at the message Gong Cheng had yet to reply to in her phone's chat window.

Then, she sighed softly, put down her phone, picked up the tablet next to her, and opened the video app.

I've started my ninth viewing of "Empresses in the Palace"!
Everything this afternoon—Ryderbabe, (G)I-DLE, and TWICE—was thrown into chaos because of the older brother!

But with so many heroes vying for supremacy, it's hard to tell who's friend and who's foe, and the battle can change in an instant.

Just like in this game, the victory of Sana, the "silly dog," was the result of a subtle collaboration between her, Mina, and Miyeon Cho, while the loser was Sana Minatozaki—the loser!
So, she had no choice but to pass knives to Mina and Miyeon, and they stabbed Sana unnie and her brother swiftly and ruthlessly.

But there's nothing we can do about it.
With Mina and Sana Minato as two older sisters, plus her brother's ex-girlfriend Miyeon Cho, and the ambiguous relationship with Jisoo Kim, Tzuyu had no choice but to eliminate one of them first!
To narrow down the final rounds, and she never thought that her brother only had two female relatives in TWICE, Sana and Mina. Many of the unnies' performances today were very strange!

For example, today I suddenly learned that the "bully Hyun" is also one of my brother's "ex-girlfriends" group. Judging from Sana unnie's surprised look, it seems like my brother tricked her. So, perhaps today's gains are not just about one "stupid dog" being OUT!
The chain reaction is even more subtle.

"Brother, you're not angry about what happened today, are you?"

Chou Tzu-yu paused the playback of "Empresses in the Palace" and picked up her phone to send another message to Gong Cheng.

She believed that Gong Cheng, who was far away in the United States, already knew about what happened this afternoon, otherwise he would not have chosen to turn off his phone. Moreover, her good brother was "well-connected," otherwise how could he have managed to win over the unnies in the group and herself?
……

"Sana unnie, Mina unnie, Cho Miyeon, Bae Joo-hyun, Kim Jisoo!"

"And... Nayeon unnie!"

In Dahyun's other bedroom, Son Chaeyoung, wearing a fluffy yellow and black striped tiger pajama, frowned and asked her now-returned strategist, "Dahyun, what do you think I should do now?"

Kim Da-hyun lay there casually, secretly overjoyed!
She glanced sideways at the worried-looking Son Chae-young. "So what if you're so great? You still need my advice!" she thought. With her legs crossed and a bag of pistachios in hand, she peeled them while guiding the conversation: "Do nothing!"

Let me calm you down first, so you don't cause any trouble for the commander!
She tried her best to win the Blue Dragon Award for Best Actress and escape the troublesome place that was TWICE. It wasn't that she had no feelings for TWICE, but if she stayed any longer, her life would be in danger!

The thought that she might be the future Blue Dragon Film Award winner made Kim Da-hyun even happier!

With her calves crossed over her knees, her fair toes strutting around in mid-air, she offered a nonsensical suggestion: "Think about it, Oppa was with you first, what are you afraid of?"

"Even regarding Mina unnie's matter, didn't you two have a cold war after it happened? Let me ask you, even after you stopped caring about Mina unnie's matter, was Oppa good to you?"

“Okay!” Son Chae-young nodded emphatically.

"That settles it, doesn't it? It proves he was telling the truth back then. He really likes you and Mina unnie, and he hasn't changed his mind; he just has someone else in his heart." Kim Da-hyun crunched on a pistachio. Being an undercover agent is all about enjoying the thrill of manipulating other people's intelligence!
What a performance!
Thinking about it this way, she felt that her acting skills were really amazing, and that she had a great future as a [Blue Dragon Film Award] winner!

"He's great in every way, and he's good to me, but his heart just can't belong to me," Son Chae-young said in a muffled voice, still feeling a little bothered.

Kim Dahyun sat up, patted the pistachio crumbs off her hand, looked at her earnestly, and said, "Chaeyoung, don't be too greedy! Oppa, someone so outstanding, can you really control him?"

I'm K-pop's best wingman! I'm not going to fool you! Who's the little "traitor to Korea"?
In an instant, she spread the fallacies and evil ideas that the great general had instilled in her to her good friend beside her.

"Am I greedy?"

"Moragu, isn't it because he's greedy?" Son Chaeyoung turned to look at her friend in disbelief. How could she say such a thing!
Is this reasonable?

Kim Da-hyun exchanged a glance with her, sighed, and her eyebrows drooped instantly. With a sad expression, she reminded her, "Chaeyoung, don't forget what that psychologist in Tokyo said back in the summer?"

"He's crazy! Why are you arguing with him?!"

Mentioning this, Little Strange Tofu felt a pang of guilt! Great General, I'm guilty!

I was so immature before; I shouldn't have drawn that circle to curse you! Little did I know, my words would come true! And you're still so kind…you even encouraged me to become the [Azure Dragon Film Queen]!
……

"The number you dialed is currently switched off..."

In (G)I-DLE's dorm room, Zhao Meiyan sat in her bedroom, listening to the notification tone on the receiver, and instantly understood what was going on!

She knows Gong Cheng well; if his phone is off, he's probably drinking or sleeping. So, for his boyfriend, something very important must have happened. She just doesn't know whether it will be Chou Tzu-yu or Lim Na-yeon who falls from grace.

With her eyes crinkling into a gentle smile, Zhao Meiyan picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, then turned off the desk lamp and snuggled into bed. The white light from the screen fell on her fair, unadorned face. Her slender fingers tapped on the keyboard, conveying her tenderness and care.

"Oppa, the first thing you should do after you wake up from being drunk is to drink hot water and take good care of yourself."

"Call me if you miss me."

Although people from the peninsula don't drink hot water, the father-in-law is Chinese and knows his habits and lifestyle, so he is certain that Gong Cheng is definitely feeling down right now, either "taking a nap" as the aunt said, or "drinking."

...Three years have passed, and my beauty remains as strong as ever, invincible!
She wondered how her dear friend Jisoo unnie was doing. A hint of concern flashed in her eyes, and she finally let out a long sigh before turning off her phone.

……

"As a former friend, Nayeon, I have one last piece of advice for you!"

"Stay away from that bastard!"

At BLACKPINK's dorm in Gangnam, Kim Jisoo sat in the passenger seat, unbuckled her seatbelt, and remained silent the whole way. Now, she turned her head and gave one last word of advice!
"Who are you calling a brat?"

Hearing Jisoo speak ill of her boyfriend like that, Lim Nayeon felt a pang of resentment! "Why didn't you say this when you were trying to seduce him in America?! And now you're telling me to stay away from him?!"

"If you can't listen, then so be it..."

Kim Jisoo opened the car door, leaving cleanly and efficiently this time. She grabbed her luggage, walked straight into the building, and pressed the elevator button... As the elevator doors closed, she watched through the crack as the bright red Maserati disappeared into the night.

Then, the tears she thought she had cried all back streamed down her beautiful face again!

She gritted her teeth, gripping the suitcase handle, and growled in a hoarse, sorrowful, and desperate voice, "Gong Cheng, I'll fucking kill you, you 'Newborn Dawn'!"

You're fucking toying with me again...

They've teamed up to mess with me!

"Woooo..."

The sound of sobbing echoed in the elevator...

……

In Boston, when Gong Cheng woke up in the soft yet lonely presidential suite, the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was already dark.

He picked up the liquor from the bedside table, took a sip to moisten his dry throat, and felt much better!
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Gong Cheng got up, went to the living room, found his phone on the sofa, and turned it on. He needed to give an explanation for everything.

I glanced at the messages from my girlfriends and ex-girlfriends.

Gong Cheng was too lazy to reply, but instead glanced at the information of [Da Tengu] Liu Zhimin and [Xiao Washboard] in the list and couldn't help but smile.

Right now, he'd rather see information about these two SM trainees than his girlfriends... The reason is simple: it would make him happy...

【Ootengu】: "Oppa, is it cold in Boston?"

"I've never been to Boston before. It's my first time going to such a faraway country as the United States. I went there with my oppa last time. Could you take a picture of Boston for me?" (probing)

"As a reward, Oppa~ I'll show you the snow scene in Seoul, it's snowing heavily today~~"

[Little Washboard]: "Oppa, when are you coming back to Seoul? Can we get together? (Starry-eyed)"

"Jimin unnie spreads rumors in the dorm every day, saying that you like her, that you're going to wait for her to debut and then be with her, it's really funny!"

[Ningning's fellow townsman]: "Oppa, when are you going back to Seoul? I beg you, please talk to Jimin unnie! We haven't even debuted yet, and she's already badmouthed all the seniors in the industry! If this keeps up, I might as well pack up and go back to Harbin... (trembling)"

"Or, do you think JYP still needs trainees? I can transfer there... You don't know, besides Jimin unnie and Minjung, there's another even more outrageous closet girl recently, oh my god."

"Haha!" Gong Cheng chuckled, barefoot, leaning against the edge of the sofa on the carpet. He replied to Ning Yizhuo, "What are you worried about? Humility and caution are things that people from the Peninsula do. What are you afraid of? As for Zhimin and the others' little mouths..."

"If you can really debut, none of this matters. Don't you believe in SM's ability to whitewash things? As an artist, if someone doesn't like you, they'll target you. So don't be afraid of offending people, just focus on your practice!"

He then opened the chat box of [Little Washboard]: "At the end of the month, after the song battle is over, I'll treat you, Zhimin, and Ningning to dinner. You can choose the restaurant, and then let me know so I can make the reservation!"

Immediately afterwards, Gong Cheng patted his hangover forehead, got up and went to the French windows. He took a picture of the slightly desolate and lonely Boston night view and the thick snow, and sent it to Liu Zhimin: "(Picture), in exchange for you."

After that, he opened his contacts and called the big star back.

"dududu~"

……

"Oh my gosh~"

"This isn't just exchanging photos!" In the SM trainee dorm, Yoo Jimin suppressed a smile, her face flushed as she looked at the Boston night view picture on her phone... Boston under the night sky was covered with a thin layer of snow through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but on the windowpane reflecting the light, the tall figure of the oppa holding up his phone to take a picture could be vaguely seen, a faint outline blurring his handsome features. "This is practically exchanging my heart!"

The little hand holding the phone looked at the photo on the screen with a smug expression, then quickly saved it and set it as the desktop wallpaper and chat wallpaper!
Did I actually succeed in licking it?
Ning Yizhu glanced at the message that the oppa in Boston had replied to her, then looked at the smug Liu Zhimin beside her and sighed silently!

If this unnie (older sister) really debuts, then she would willingly honor her as the "world's number one licker"!
"Just a photo?"

"Oppa even treated me to dinner!"

Kim Minjung pouted and proudly waved her phone. This time, I'm finally not standing like an ant!

"Bullshit!"

"I don't believe it!" Liu Zhimin waved her phone, showing the photos Gong Cheng had just sent. "This is proof of exchanging hearts! If Oppa really asked you out to dinner, then show me the chat history!"

Kim Minjung opened the chat window, rolled his eyes, and deliberately pressed his thumb over the words "He Zhimin, Ningning," waving it triumphantly in front of Ning Yizhuo and Liu Zhimin.

Fearing she might give herself away, after a brief three or four seconds, just as Liu Zhimin and Ning Yizhuo had seen the text on the screen and were about to read it, she immediately put her phone away and waved her hand, "Garlic Bird, Garlic Bird, let me read it to you!"

"Unnie, don't be too jealous~" Kim Minjung wrinkled her small nose, cleared her throat with a shake of her head, and stared at the message sent by her oppa in the chat box. The message read: "At the end of the month, after the Gayo Daejeon, I'll treat you, Jimin, and Ningning to dinner. You can choose the restaurant, and then tell me, and I'll make the reservation!"

But the sweet tone that came out of her mouth was: "Minjung, oppa will be going back to Seoul at the end of the month, but he will be quite busy then. How about I treat you to a meal after the Gayo Daejeon? You choose the restaurant, and I'll make the reservation, okay?"

"Would you like Western or French food? It would be even better if there was a violin performance! But, Minjun, you're such a good friend and family person, if..."

At this point, Kim Minjung paused, unable to continue his story.

But Liu Zhimin, sitting on the sofa, shook the heavy Longmi, frowned, and asked anxiously, "What if?"

"Hmm... If Minjung is willing, how about we invite Jimin and Ningning too? But whether you invite them or not is up to you, I respect your decision!" Kim Minjung finished making up the lie with a sweet smile and quickly turned off his phone screen, afraid that someone would see through his act!
"Damn it! You? Taking care of your friends?"

Liu Zhimin, unaware of what kind of spell her friend had cast on her oppa, retorted, "It's clearly me taking care of you, okay? Aren't you ashamed to hear that, Minjun!"

"Why would I be embarrassed? Oppa said so!" Kim Minjung stiffened his neck guiltily.
Liu Zhimin snapped out of her daze and sprang up from the sofa, causing Long Mi to leap into the air in a breathtaking motion: "Aigoo, Kim Minjung! Were you secretly talking badly about me to Oppa again?!"

She clenched her fist fiercely with her mangosteen hand!

"Did Oppa send you that many text messages?"

Ning Yizhuo, sandwiched between the two, whispered a question. She really couldn't understand their thought processes; one was all looks and no brains, the other was obviously cunning. They both needed to evolve! It seemed the training for SM trainees was just too little!
……

"A big star, huh? That's how my relationship with Kim Jisoo is. We were already quite familiar with each other when I was dating Cho Miyeon... As for you asking her for advice, I really didn't know!"

"It was because of my past relationship with Zhao Mi-yeon and Kim Ji-soo that I knew she was filming in New York, so I thought of inviting her to the concert..."

In the spacious apartment in Cheongdam-dong, Lim Nayeon, dressed in pink pajamas, hadn't dared to close her eyes all night, unable to sleep, waiting for this phone call to explain: "Where's Bae Joo-hyun?"

"My ex-girlfriend! We dated briefly. At that time, I was in Tokyo on a schedule, and Ryderbabe was also there preparing for their debut in Japan. Sehun and Kang Seulgi are friends. After a while, I couldn't control myself and started dating Irene briefly."

“I was in a lot of pain and suffering during that time. You trusted me too much and indulged me too much, which made me feel empty.”

Gong Cheng's muffled voice came slowly through the receiver, as if he were recounting the cause and effect, while Lin Nalian, leaning against the headboard, had tears in her eyes: "Gong Cheng, wasn't it good that I trusted you? And then I got your betrayal in return?"

"Is it wrong for me to trust you?"

"How could that be? You're not wrong, I'm the one who's wrong. Listen to me—later, I realized that falling in love with Irene in my emptiness only made me more miserable and tormented. Then Jisoo helped me find relief, and Irene and I ended things. I didn't tell you because I felt bad for you." Gong Cheng's frank tone simply summarized his relationship with Bae Joo-hyun. "As for Jisoo, it's her business if she has a crush on me..."

"Our relationship ended three years ago."

The weary voice spoke calmly, like a death row inmate confessing to all his crimes. But Gong Cheng knew perfectly well that these 'crimes' were nothing more than a drizzle, a mere trifle!

And there are many more 'charges' that follow. To put it simply, they are 'emotional offenders' that require close monitoring by intelligence agencies such as the CIA, FSB, SIS, and BfV, provided that these agencies have the time and inclination to do so.

"Why didn't you tell me that Jisoo had been with you in America all these days?"

Hearing his shameless remarks, Lin Nayan angrily questioned him. Thank goodness Gong Cheng wasn't there, otherwise she would have definitely slapped him twice!

"Because you trust me enough!"

“I made a mistake with Irene, so I won’t make the same mistake with Jisoo. And now, this time I’ve stood my ground for you, big star…” Gong Cheng said softly in a gentle tone.

……

"If you're willing to be a big star, wait for me to come back. You can hit me or scold me all you want, just don't let us separate!"

"But if you have any reservations, it's okay to break up. I respect your decision."

Gong Cheng sat on the sofa and said with relief, "I'm very busy!"
He had to go on tour, negotiate endorsements, produce albums, release songs, and attend various red carpet events in formal attire, appearing under the spotlight. Today's events left him somewhat numb and weary; a person's energy is limited!

At least for now, he doesn't want to talk about these things; talking over the phone would only escalate the argument.

"Zhao Mi-yeon, we didn't break up completely. Kim Ji-soo, there's nothing between us. Bae Joo-hyun, it's over!"

He whispered and repeated his relationship with several girls again!

After all that commotion, for the big star... the only remaining rival is Zhao Meiyan, who was exposed to her early on. As for Bae Joo-hyun... she's a thing of the past! I just wonder if the big star can come to this conclusion?
Sure enough! There are no stupid women under the spotlight!

Haji Cheng finally understood why the Second Artillery Corps was so persistent in its pursuit of trainees: they were smart, but not yet completely cunning...

Seeing that Mina, Tzuyu, Miyeon, and Joohyun were all getting impatient, Gong Cheng felt a little helpless. However, he didn't have the energy to deal with these things right now. In a few days, he had a signing event with Rolex, a simple interview to shoot, a concert, and a whole bunch of other things to do!
Just like with the puppy, he planned to wait until her birthday before taking action.

Master Gong has his own fighting style!
Hearing the silence on the other end of the receiver, Gong Cheng scratched his stray hairs that were sticking up after a nap. So annoying!

It feels like it's about to evolve again!
……

Guess where I am right now?

Just hours ago, Lim Nayeon had furiously stepped on the gas of her Maserati and sped to the airport to confront Kim Jisoo. Now, with her rabbit teeth pursed, she sat on the edge of the bed, silently shedding tears. On the bedside table was a framed photo of her and Gong Cheng.

This is a photo taken on the day this large flat in Cheongdam-dong was just renovated!

Cheongdam Cave.

On the other end of the phone, Gong Cheng's voice carried undisguised certainty.

Lim Nayeon's tears fell even harder. She sniffed and tried to make her voice sound steady, but she still couldn't stop it from trembling: "Please don't embarrass me, Gong Cheng?"

She reached for the photo frame on the bedside table, her fingertips gently tracing Gong Cheng's face in the picture, her voice full of grievance and pleading: "Mom, you've met my sister, and I've met your uncle and aunt too. At the last family dinner, Mom even held your hand and said she liked me... We were clearly very close."

The bedroom was quiet, with only her suppressed gasps and Gong Cheng's silent breathing on the other end of the phone.

The snow outside the window hadn't stopped, and moonlight streamed in through the thin gauze curtains, falling on her tear-streaked face. Her exposed rabbit teeth made her look especially vulnerable and distressed...

……

"Alaso, we'll keep going, believe me!"

Gong Cheng's gloomy mood vanished. The dog's resolute decision made him hesitant to accept the big star's choice, but now the big star had already given his answer!
The puppy knew too much and ran away!

Even the big star knows, but what's left is still Zhao Meiyan...

"Don't cry, big star... Let's video chat? I miss you..."

Gong Cheng spoke gently, wanting to make a video call to cheer up this silly rabbit. Without waiting for her haughty refusal, he hung up the phone and sent her a video call.

After a waiting period of about ten seconds...

When the video call connected, Lim Nayeon stared at him with stubborn, red, swollen eyes, her rabbit teeth showing in a sullen expression.

Seeing this, Haki felt a pang of tenderness in his heart, "Big star~"

"..."

……

An hour later, after seeing Lin Nayeon asleep on the other end of the video call, Gong Cheng hung up the phone and called Hirai Momo again.

If it's my beloved student, things will be much easier!

You know about my relationship with Bae Joo-hyun, don't you?

Don't you know something about Zhao Meiyan's situation?
!

After that, as for the information about Mina and Miyeon, Gong Cheng was too lazy to look at it. He felt a bit uneasy. Lin Bei had been terrified for so long, and now you're doing this to me. You should experience what it feels like to be terrified too!
He glanced at all the messages but didn't reply.

This time, Chou Tzu-yu, this "good little sister," truly gave him a feeling of being "stabbed in the back"!

"...I drank too much earlier, don't worry about Tzuyu, it's nothing. It's just that I'm really upset about separating from Sana-chan!" Gong Cheng replied honestly, then added in a nonchalant tone:

"But things are much better now. Relationships are like that—they can end just like that, and start just like that too~ I'm already dating Mina-chan! Don't worry~"

So you're trying to climb the social ladder, huh? Like the characters in "Empresses in the Palace"? You're using all your cunning on your "good brother"!
Go and deal with the penguins!
Lord Gong is so kind to you!
……

The following day, Gong Cheng got up and rushed to Fenway Stadium for rehearsal.

Meanwhile in Seoul, Chou Tzu-yu, who had just woken up, saw a message from her good brother and was so stunned that she forgot to wash up... She felt like the sky had fallen!

Why is it that as soon as one leaves, another one comes?
For a moment, a cold glint flashed in Chou Tzu-yu's eyes. Mina unnie?!

"..."

……

On December 17th, "King of Pop" Tarot landed in Boston and held a three-day concert at Fenway Park, successfully kicking off the third stop of his US tour!

The huge success and positive reviews of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" led to Makoto Miyamoto's fourth mini-album, "Justice," reaching number 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart on the 18th, while his second full-length album, "The Lovers," came in second.

The movie's theme song, "Sunflower," debuted at number one on the Billboard charts on the same day, briefly overshadowing "Blinding Lights," one of the main tracks from "The Lovers"!

Rolling Stone, Billboard, and other major music magazines launched a special feature immediately after the charts were released: "The young king, Tarot, is sweeping the world with a youthful storm, unlocking his 11th number-one album!"

On the night of the 18th, after the second concert in Boston, Gong Cheng returned to his hotel and was greeted by staff from the US Billboard charts feature.

"Briana!"

The staff member from B-list who was in charge of the latest feature interview introduced himself, accompanied by a photographer.

Their mission was to interview this globally renowned singer, who, unlike Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, achieved fame at a young age. This boy, even more handsome than in magazines, videos, and music videos, was also a child star.

But the speed at which this young boy rose to fame and his dominance in the streaming shower, making him one of the "20 greatest shooting stars of the century" in just two years, is simply too terrifying and crazy!
In just over 600 days, his achievements are hard to compare with those of other singers in this world, but in my sight, Tarot, with his black, tousled hair and a faint smile, is casually sitting on the sofa. He is only 22 years old this year!

In just two years, he has completed almost all the Mount Rushmore journeys that other superstars of this century took more than a decade to reach!
Moreover, the Spider-Man movie theme song "Sunflower," which unsurprisingly debuted at number one on the Billboard charts today, still demonstrates that this young king possesses a vigorous and imaginative creative talent, like an inexhaustible spring, seemingly steady yet rapidly leaping across the five oceans and spreading throughout the world...

Therefore, Brianna, as the editor-in-chief of Billboard magazine's column, immediately flew from her New York office to Boston to prepare for an exclusive interview with this "terrifying" young king of the music scene.

"let us start?"

Gong Cheng sat on the sofa in the suite, his bright eyes fixed on the woman in front of him, Brianna, and the camera, and asked with a light laugh.

"OK!"

Brianna took off her heavy black down jacket, revealing a formal blue-black shirt uniform underneath, a pencil skirt, black stockings, and red-soled high heels.

She shifted her shapely bottom and sat down next to Gong Cheng, launching into a very professional opening statement. For this type of interview, which was essentially a small segment, using a script would be unprofessional; all the questions were already in her head. "...Today, we've come to Boston to begin our new interview series."

"And the singers sitting next to me, everyone..."

Brianna is from Chicago. With long, curly blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, she sits with her hands folded over her legs, her blue eyes smiling confidently as she faces the camera: "Let me introduce myself. I'm Brianna, one of the editors-in-chief of Billboard Music Magazine!"

In the past, there were no singers who could get her, the editor-in-chief, to leave her office in New York. That was something she did before she became editor-in-chief. Now, in her New York office, she does most of her work reviewing manuscripts submitted by her subordinates.

The person sitting in this position should be sitting by a fireplace in a closet, drinking red wine. Besides, Billboard's music magazine column hasn't had any singer interviews in a long time! There are only some written feature reports.

"..."

After a few minutes of introduction, the photographer's camera captured... "Tarot" reclining on a brown sofa, one long leg casually crossed over the other, his posture languid yet sharp. Noticing the camera pointed at him, he looked up, a casual smile playing on his lips, and waved lightly at the lens, his voice relaxed from the end of a casual chat: "Hi..."

Without elaborate makeup, her bare features appear even more striking and warm.

His white Louis Vuitton sweatshirt, with its simple design, accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making his physique even more outstanding. The classic, subtle white-edged embroidery on the chest was understated yet undeniably sophisticated. The soft fabric, with its slight movements, outlined the smooth lines of his shoulders and back. Without any deliberate styling, he perfectly blended youthful energy with a sense of high-class elegance…

The photographer clicked his tongue in amazement. No wonder he was a singer who commanded an astronomical endorsement fee!

"..."

The interview began slowly, with Brianna controlling the pace and appreciatively asking questions to the superstar beside her.

Gong Cheng answered with ease.

But when Brianna asked another question...

Gong Cheng's smiling face gave an answer that shocked the photographer and Brianna, both of whom looked slightly taken aback!

But a look of understanding flashed across his face in an instant!

That's incredibly arrogant...

……

Seoul, Mina has been feeling uneasy these past two days!

Well, ever since that day, our Cheng-chan hasn't replied to a single message. Is she angry?
Why are you being so petty, Makoto...?

In TWICE's practice room, all nine members were working hard to prepare for the rehearsal of the year-end Red and White Song Festival. This event was very important to them. As soon as they sat down to rest, Tzuyu secretly stared at Mina's back, who was sitting on the floor!
You actually stole it?!

Meanwhile, Sana Minatozaki stood in front of the mirror, practicing her dance moves over and over again.

The swelling in her eyes gradually subsided, and her once bright eyes now revealed a tired look, but even more so, a burgeoning ambition!
She got angry just thinking about what Gong Cheng had said!
What do you mean you fucking like artists without any idol culture?! Since the breakup is over, let's focus on our careers. The pain is nothing! So recently, Sana Minatozaki has been spending a lot of time in the practice room and gym, striving to amaze everyone with her next comeback!

But as soon as he stopped practicing, he sat on the floor and gasped for breath.

A certain sly, mischievous person involuntarily popped into her mind...

(End of this chapter)