The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 374 Mr. Octopus, Temporarily Leaving the Music Industry (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
As Kim Jisoo sat on the floor watching the live stream, Gong Cheng's new single "Lonely" performed at the Grammys came to an end, the piano arrangement and his lonely voice and figure were coming to a close. Meanwhile, the documentary on her phone froze at the end, showing the silver microphone inlaid with diamonds lying quietly and alone on the counter.

In her hazy mind, the two figures from the Grammy Awards ceremony in the documentary seemed to slowly overlap.

In her memory, the first time she met this brat was when he was unruly and arrogant. Later, she got entangled in a love triangle with Zhao Meiyan and herself. That was the first time this "Newborn Dawn" used the cheating technique. She was still a little unskilled at it, and then she was discovered.

From his debut—the initial lows and subsequent worldwide phenomenal success—Kim Jisoo knows very well that everything is just as Gong Cheng frankly stated in the documentary. After officially entering his twenties and releasing his first album titled "YDP," followed by his 17th full-length album, he began to rise to global fame. That little rascal was somewhat arrogant during those two years…

"…Are you kidding me?"

Lisa suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Jisoo's drifting thoughts. She jumped to her feet, pointing at the third official announcement JYP had posted five minutes earlier that day, and raised her voice incredulously: "Oppa is taking a break from the music industry? Retiring...?"

"Moragu?"

Upon hearing this, Kim Jisoo immediately frowned her delicate brows and leaned closer to look... In her line of sight, JYP Entertainment's official website had released a personal documentary about "Tarot" today, followed by information about the release of the song "Lonely," and also revealed one of the Major Arcana cards in "Tarot's" world—"The World."

However, the current third announcement states: "After full communication with his team and company, and respecting his personal wishes, our singer and actor Tarot (Gong Cheng) hereby officially announces to our fans and all those who follow him that, effective from the date of this announcement, Tarot will temporarily leave the music scene to enter a personal rest period."

The concise copy and black text inexplicably create a sense of solemnity, like a boulder crashing into a calm public discourse, each word carrying a heavy weight.

The subsequent supplementary statement was devoid of flowery language, simply mentioning that "During the break, Tarot will suspend all music-related work to focus on personal adjustment and life reflection." It offered no specific return date or further explanation, and this "leave blank" only made the announcement seem more solemn, while also evoking a sense of indescribable melancholy in those who saw it…

At the end of the announcement, JYP Entertainment also added a brief thank you note on their behalf: "Thank you to everyone who has been with us all this way. We will share any new developments or comebacks with you as soon as possible."

"Are you crazy?" Park Chaeyoung stared in disbelief after reading the announcement. "It's clearly a period of rapid growth..."

She glanced again at the Grammy live stream, where Gong Cheng had just finished his performance of "Lonely." The director's camera panned across the visibly moved faces of Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, and others in the audience: "Tonight's 6 nominations and 6 wins is already legendary. I can't even imagine how terrifying the media frenzy will be tomorrow about this guy winning a major Grammy. How did this happen..."

Park Chae-young was very puzzled and wondered, "The tsunami of the 'Tarot effect' + 'Grammy effect' will definitely expand this guy's influence on the world again. It can be said that starting tonight, this guy is standing at a higher peak than ever before. But why does he have to temporarily retire from the industry?"

JYP doesn't have the capability to "freeze" someone out of the music industry, and the announcement didn't mention the reason for the temporary departure, which is the most intriguing point.

"Damn, this is serious! At the peak of her career, she suddenly announced her retirement?" Jennie Kim's voice trembled as she looked at the comments on JYP's official website. Many fans and the public who saw the news immediately were in an uproar.

"Are you crazy...JYP?"

"Is it because they didn't reach a contract renewal agreement with Oppa, so they want to suppress him?"

"Are you kidding me? You just won six Grammys, how can you announce a temporary retirement from the music industry?"

"Fuck your mother, you gorilla! You just wait!!!"

"We strongly urge the Blue House to execute Park Jin-young..."

The earth-shattering news, like a thunderclap, quickly fermented and spread around the world in the streaming era.

"Perhaps, he really just wants to take a break for a while?" Kim Jisoo's brows furrowed, and she felt uneasy. Why did this brat suddenly want to leave the music industry?

Why didn't you communicate with me? How come I didn't know about something so important?

Jennie looked completely bewildered: "Taking a break doesn't have to mean not accepting commercials, but there's no need to issue a statement right away." She pointed to the Grammy live stream on her tablet, "That's six Grammys! This guy started his American acting career in 2017, and won nine Grammys in two years..."

"I hope nothing bad has happened to this guy?" Park Chaeyoung, her blonde hair tied back, looked at the members with concern.

As Jisoo listened to the members' speculations, her heart skipped a beat. Her delicate white hand scrolled down on JYP's official website, staring at the announcement about the release of the song "Lonely".

She looked closely at the Major Arcana card – The World: This is a card that symbolizes permanent and continuous success. Around the gate of success are the happiness and sorrow you have experienced.

Looking back, not long ago, Gong Cheng stood on the Grammy stage, his voice and eyes weary.

In an instant, Kim Jisoo's face turned pale and she clenched her fists—Zhao Miyeon!

Are you even taking good care of my white moonlight...?

……

At the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, after Gong Cheng's performance ended and he sat back in the guest seats, many singers sitting in the front row stared wide-eyed in shock under the director's camera. Immediately afterwards, their eyes locked onto "Tarot" sitting next to Kanye West.

It's not the news of his temporary departure from the music scene that's shocking, but rather the fact that in most people's minds, this boy, just like the lyrics of the song "Lonely" mentioned earlier, has achieved such wealth and fame at such a young age. Over the years since his debut, he has been a workaholic, releasing albums at a high speed, with high quality and frequency.

"Ready to take a break, Tarot?" Kanye West, lifting his round head, grinned and asked curiously. During the performance of "Lonely" earlier, he had actually noticed something strange about Gong Cheng. Bro~ he was too successful…

For singers in Europe and America, taking a short break of one or two years is not uncommon.

But "Tarot" has seen a surge in popularity and commercial value.

"Hmm, let's take it slow." Gong Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, guessing that the company had already issued a statement announcing his temporary departure from the music industry. He then joked with a smile, "Looks like the collaboration will have to be postponed again?"

Kanye West shook his head and smiled, "It's alright, have a great holiday!"

He also went through a period of low spirits, feeling suffocated by emotions, so I can understand Gong Cheng very well. After all, he's a musician; everything is in his songs.

He's not a newbie in the music industry; he's actually a Black man.

...With another performance, the globally broadcast Grammy Awards ceremony slowly came to a close.

Gong Cheng, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift chatted as they walked out of the theater. The three of them agreed to have a drink together at a bar in Los Angeles that night, since although they kept in touch on Twitter, they didn't see each other often.

As soon as Gong Cheng appeared at the red carpet entrance outside the theater, the Los Angeles media and reporters who were originally scattered on both sides instantly seemed to have been activated, and they rushed towards him with their "long guns and short cannons". The originally spacious red carpet entrance was instantly surrounded by a crowd.

The next second, countless flashes suddenly went off, the shutter clicks were incredibly dense, and waves of white light surged in one after another, completely enveloping Gong Cheng's tall figure.

The light spots fell on his black custom-made suit, reflecting a delicate luster. They landed on his slightly raised eyebrows, making his originally deep eyes gleam with a faint light under the strong light. However, this did not make Gong Cheng feel awkward at all. On the contrary, it made his shoulder line look even more upright, and he stood in the center of the crowd like the focus of light.

The reporters' questions mingled with the clicks of camera shutters, one after another. "Tarot! Can you tell us more about your decision to temporarily leave the music scene?"

When will you return?

Questions came from all directions, and cameras seemed to be practically right in front of him, but were carefully kept away by his entourage.

"I just want to take a short break..." Gong Cheng didn't stop walking, but simply nodded slightly in the direction of the camera, answering with a smile as he walked. As for when he would return, he couldn't say for sure, he'd talk about it later.
To be honest, he recently realized that something seemed wrong with him. The suppressed emotions were suffocating, and his body could feel it. So, after carefully examining himself, he admitted it, even though he didn't want to.

But it seems like I'm really... in deep trouble.

After boarding the van, amidst a flurry of camera flashes, Gong Cheng got into the Mercedes, and the black sedan slowly drove away.

...At 11 p.m., Taylor, Justin Bieber, and Gong Cheng were enjoying drinks at a bar on Eastlake Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Taylor took a sip of his drink, sat in the private room, and glanced helplessly at the two men sitting there, one of whom had suddenly announced his temporary retirement from the music scene, probably because something had happened; the other had been embroiled in controversy for the past two years, caught in a vortex of drug-related issues and relationships.

In my line of sight, Gong Cheng's handsome features were slightly smiling as he drank his wine, but the melancholy in his eyes and brows could not be hidden beneath his black, tousled hair.

Meanwhile, another Justin Bieber, as if seeing a kindred spirit, raised his drink and repeatedly cursed the media: "Yes, Tarot, you're absolutely right. Those shitty media outlets don't care about the truth at all. We live in controversy, and every move we make is magnified and interpreted endlessly..."

Mentioning this, Taylor put down her wine glass, shrugged, and turned to Gong Cheng, saying with a speechless expression, "Right now, the biggest gossip media in Europe and America are all about you dating ten girlfriends at the same time, and quite a few people actually believe it, haha~"

Beneath the joking tone, she complained that the media would fabricate anything and everything for the sake of clicks and traffic...

When Justin Bieber heard this, he couldn't help but laugh and looked at Gong Cheng, who was chatting happily with him: "Those bastards don't care about the truth at all. Dating ten girlfriends at the same time, how could you possibly have time for album releases, haircuts, and concerts in the past two years?"

"Yes, those bastards are spouting nonsense." Gong Cheng was slightly tipsy. There were quite a few empty liquor bottles on the table. He raised his slender fingers, brushed the stray hairs above his eyebrows to reveal his forehead, and spoke with dissatisfaction in his extremely aggressive face: "I only dated eight girlfriends at the same time, not ten."

As Justin Bieber continued to complain about his situation over the past two years, Mr. Gong couldn't help but lose his temper.

"That's right, these media outlets are making things up..." Taylor was just smiling as she raised her hand to smooth her blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes darting around as she spoke, but suddenly, as if realizing something, her pupils contracted and she turned to look at Gong Cheng sitting next to her: "What did you say?"

"How many relationships could you have at the same time?"

Before Gong Cheng could speak, Justin Bieber, who was drunk and confused, smiled at Taylor and said, "Tarot said eight, not ten, those damn media guys~" As he spoke, he suddenly came to his senses... He jumped up with his hands behind his head, squatted on the sofa, and looked at Gong Cheng's innocent face in disbelief.

"Bro, what did you just say?"

"..."

……

Meanwhile, news of Tarot's announcement of a temporary hiatus from the music industry, and the news of Tarot becoming the biggest winner at the 61st Grammy Awards, spread rapidly around the world.

[Meteor Superstar – Tarot Announces Temporary Retirement from the Music Industry]

Tarot won all 6 of his 6 nominations, becoming the ultimate winner of this year's Grammys.

【…】

"No, why are you temporarily leaving the music scene?"

"Oppa's 23rd birthday hasn't arrived yet; it's the golden age for a singer."

"Aigoo, what's wrong with JYP?"

"Even idols aren't playing Tarot anymore?"

"..."

Headlines like these have really gotten on the nerves of many fans…

With red eyes, Lee Bona stared at the announcement on JYP's official website. Since the Grammy live broadcast ended, she had browsed hundreds of comments online, and even some bloggers and media outlets that jumped out to jump on the bandwagon, analyzing the real reasons for "Tarot's" temporary departure from the music scene.

Some say it's due to the suppression and being sidelined by JYP for not renewing their contract. Others, the well-known gossip media outlet "Daily Gossip," revealed that the real reason for Tarot's temporary departure from the music scene is that he is preparing for a second child with Jessica Jung, who is currently in Los Angeles and has a son with Gong Cheng.

Or perhaps, he secretly retired from the entertainment industry to get married... The various rumors left Li Baona feeling helpless and confused.

With six Grammy nominations and six nominations, he's the most popular singer in the world music scene in the last two years. How could he suddenly take a break from the music industry?
Thinking of this, Li Baona couldn't help but curl up on the sofa and cry. But suddenly, she remembered something her mother had said to her while watching the "#Tarot" documentary that night. She couldn't help but turn on the documentary again and watch it from the beginning.

...As time went on, the more she watched, the more she cried.

Those details that she hadn't noticed on her first viewing were magnified in Lee Bo-na's mind at this moment. Why did Oppa spend all year in airplane cabins and hotels...? She jokingly said that she hadn't spent Chinese New Year with her parents for three years...

In the dim light of the back seat of a Mercedes car, under the Parisian night sky, Gong Cheng's handsome profile, bathed in the dim light, revealed a rare hint of fatigue. A concerned voice came from the glare of the headlights: "Cheng, take good care of yourself while you're working away from home..."

The soft, gentle female voice sent a shiver down Li Baona's spine. The video footage, besides showing "Tarot" talking to his family in the car, also captured the scene outside the car window: a sea of ​​fans completely surrounding the Mercedes, their youthful faces filled with heart-wrenching cheers and shouts…

"Mom, you and Dad need to take care of yourselves." In the blurry, dimly lit video, Gong Cheng spoke softly into the receiver before hanging up the brief call with his family. In the documentary, the barrage of comments was filled with fans' expressions of concern and messages.

What is Oppa thinking at this moment?

"...I saw myself in the crowd outside the window!!!"

"Why do I feel so... lonely when I see this, even though Oppa is loved by so many people?"

"His loneliness seemed to be hidden in his eyes..."

For a moment, Li Baona paused the documentary. Her eyes were red from crying, and she realized that she no longer had the courage to continue watching. Compared to the joy and excitement of watching it for the first time, after watching the entire documentary, her feelings were all about the surge of emotion she felt as she watched each of the "Tarot" achievements in the video.

Therefore, some insignificant, fleeting things were overlooked, because both the Grammys and "Tarot" were too dazzling.

Lee Bo-na immediately thought of the song "Lonely" performed by "Tarot" on the Grammy stage and the scene at the end of the documentary where they put down the microphone. It seemed that everything was connected, like a bond, and that their temporary departure from the music scene had already been hinted at at the end.

...In the midst of ultimate triumph and global attention, standing on the grandest stage of the music industry, the Grammy Awards, they won six awards in one night. However, the latter half of the documentary is extremely fragmented and somewhat disjointed...

Lee Bo-na took a tissue and wiped away her choked tears. She had been puzzled and confused by "Tarot," and even had some minor complaints. She couldn't understand why he would announce a temporary departure from the music industry at the peak of his career.

Have you ever thought about your fans who have always supported you...?

But now, with red and swollen eyes and only heartache in her gaze, Li Baona tried her best to calm her breaking emotions and continue watching the documentary.

"...At 22, we'll be rolling in money, but that's actually quite sad because you gradually realize that none of it will bring you true happiness..." "As you get older, after achieving each goal, you'll find that new goals don't necessarily bring happiness..."

In the latter half of the documentary, Gong Cheng smiled wryly yet helplessly, speaking softly...

But when these words reached Hwang Yeji's ears in the ITZY practice room, she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. She suddenly remembered that when she met that oppa at the company not long ago, he asked her with a serious and warm smile, "Yeji?"

Would you be happy if you won a Grammy?

When Liu Zhen heard this, she even complained to her oppa behind his back, saying that he was showing off...

But now it seems that everything is traceable.

……

"Click..."

In a private room at a Los Angeles bar, Justin Bieber sat opposite Gong Cheng and Taylor, glancing enviously at the scattered bottles on the table—no, six dazzlingly golden Grammy Awards. He was holding up his phone, taking a picture of "Tarot" across from him.

The image in the phone's original camera frame has no extra filters or embellishments, yet it exudes an exceptionally realistic and delicate quality.

Gong Cheng, dressed in a black hoodie, casually swept his black bangs back, revealing his full forehead and making his features even more defined. He smiled quietly, his eyes tinged with a clear hint of intoxication and a hazy relaxation, the weariness in his eyes softened by the honey-colored ambient lighting. Before him, beside a few elegantly placed bottles of liquor, were six Grammy Awards trophies, shaped like gramophones, crowding the frame, gleaming gold…

"Click~" Justin Bieber pressed the shutter button and handed over the phone: "Okay, Mr. Octopus."

During the conversation just now, he finally understood that the "Tarot" on the other side was just like Taylor, even worse than Taylor... But Mr. "Octopus" didn't say who his girlfriend was, nor did he ask Taylor any more questions.

But it really is outrageous...

"..." Gong Cheng chuckled speechlessly upon hearing Justin Bieber's address. Then Justin started chatting with Taylor Swift again, while he sat next to Taylor, editing his Instagram post. After uploading the photos, he pondered for a moment, took a deep breath, and raised his finger to edit:

"The next time we meet will be—Gong Cheng."

[Photos]

Immediately afterwards, in a world of information explosion, he posted this Instagram post.

...Shortly after the Instagram post, the comment section was flooded with likes, reposts and comments. What made countless people even more curious was Tarot's decision to leave the scene. Some people asked in the comments, hoping to get an answer.

The six Grammy trophies in the photo are so dazzling.

After rewatching the documentary "#Tarot", Lee Bo-na saw her fans in a group chat, all excitedly tagging her as the group admin and expressing their opinions. Some were afraid that "Tarot" oppa would disappear completely after retiring from the entertainment industry, while others expressed their desire for him to continue his activities and appear in front of fans. Some even suggested that they should petition the Blue House to immediately execute Park Jin-young...

They say it's a "sinner" company in the music industry...

After receiving an Instagram notification about the latest update from someone she follows, Lee Bo-na, with red eyes, immediately clicked on the post. Upon seeing the line, "The next time we meet will be—Gong Cheng," she couldn't help but cry again.

The ID of the Instagram account is @TTTTTarot.

After calming down for a while, Lee Bona, with tears still streaming down her face, wrote a short essay in the comments section: "...Although Tarot's career as a singer and actress is particularly dazzling, looking back always makes me want to cry. Tarot is the conceptual center of the Tarot world, the Gong Cheng who is adored by countless Arcana, the Seoul playboy and womanizer in the mouths of countless haters and antis, and a playboy who is always involved in scandals. His short three years from his twenties to his twenty-three years old were more than nine hundred days of companionship with every Arcana. The news of his temporary farewell to the music industry is too regrettable and hard to accept."

As she wrote this, she couldn't help but wipe away her tears and the tear-stained phone screen with a tissue: "But whether it's temporarily leaving the music industry or wanting to rest, date, or fall in love, Oppa, do whatever you want... Tarot, looking back, your fans have never gone far, and they won't leave you because of every choice you make in your career..."

Immediately afterwards, Lee Bo-na shared a screenshot from the documentary. It showed a letter Tarot wrote to his early self in 2018, at the suggestion of a VJ. The handwriting on the silver sticky note was delicate and elegant… She posted the screenshot in the comments, adding, “The stage curtain has fallen…”

"You, Tarot, who are more lonely than anyone else in the world and are afraid to walk into the composing room again like Pabu tomorrow at the age of twenty, have really had a hard time."

After posting the short essay, Li Baona felt a little relieved of her depression, and instead hoped that her oppa could get some rest.

But just a few minutes later, she suddenly noticed in her Instagram feed that besides the likes and comments from the Akana fans, there was also a reply from someone with the ID @TTTTTarot. Lee Bona rubbed her red, swollen eyes and looked at "Tarot's" reply:

"Oh~ I caught you again, Lee Bo-na~ (sunglasses)"

“Oh my…” Li Baona stared at the reply on her phone, bursting into laughter through her tears.

……

In TWICE's practice room, Lim Nayeon was staring intently at the picture Gong Cheng posted on Instagram. Upon closer inspection, a few strands of golden hair could be seen on his shoulder. Because he was wearing a black hoodie, the golden hair stood out prominently.

"Is this the length of a woman's hair?"

She was a little unsure, so she looked at Yu Dingyan and asked.

Yu Dingyan glanced at it and couldn't help but purse her lips: "This guy is always busy, no matter where he goes!"

Sana Minatozaki, Momo Hirai, Chaeyoung Son, and Tzuyu were also sneaking glances at the blonde in the picture, trying to figure out who it was, and who was taking the picture of Makoto Miyamoto across from them.

It couldn't possibly be a man, could it?
He's juggling eight relationships at once, how many female friends could he possibly have?
After the group analyzed the situation, Lin Nayeon, Minatozaki Sana, Hirai Momo, and the others all turned their attention to Mina, who was sitting to the side playing a game.

Mina shrank back, raised her fair face, and couldn't stand their gazes any longer: "Why are you looking at me?"

"Why don't you give him a call and see what he's up to?"

Nayeon adopted a boss-like demeanor, saying something with a forced smile, and then nodded in unison to Puppy, Momo, and Tzuyu.

Feeling frustrated, Mina muttered softly, "Why aren't you fighting?"

When Lim Nayeon heard this question, a hint of heartache flashed in her eyes, but she still grinned and said, "We broke up."

“Me too…” Sana Minatozaki chimed in, though her words were somewhat illegitimate.

Hirai Momo sighed, deflated, "We're in a cooling-off period..."

But as soon as she said that, she felt several eyes staring at her. Yu Dingyan exclaimed, "You're not going to break up with him? You're still calm..."

Sun Caiying remained silent, cowering in the shadows. "Hurry up and distribute them, you bunch of leeches."

"So, you should video chat with him and see what he's doing!" Hirai Momo hurriedly changed the subject. Someone who could drive your new car after the test drive, take your virginity, and then shamelessly tell you that he actually has another amazing car...

It's hard for Hirai Momo not to have wild thoughts. Right now, is her beloved teacher having sex with a foreign woman in Los Angeles again?

"Why do I have to make a video call? I won't..." Mina gave a haughty laugh, grumbling softly. She disliked this "puppet" feeling, like a "puppet" king being controlled by this group of treacherous ministers and usurpers.

Nayeon was equally anxious and blurted out, "Aren't you two dating?"

How much of a gentleman can you expect from a man who seduces the entire "Jiangdong Women" group into bed and has sex with them? And afterwards, he tells you with a sincere face that he was just feeling empty and lonely, and that he couldn't control himself... Don't you bear any responsibility at all?

So, Lim Na-yeon is anxious!

You fucking played with all the women of Jiangdong, and that was one thing, but you slept with most of my members. I couldn't stand it, but every night I dream about you cheating on me with my members... Who the hell can stand that?

Fortunately, none of my friends or members from Jiangdong are promiscuous; they're all very chaste. But then you went to America? What if you ended up with some women who aren't so chaste...?

"You admit that I'm dating Makoto-chan?" Mina's soft, whiny tone vanished instantly, replaced by a smug grin as she pressed on, then added threateningly, "If you don't admit it, I won't hit you, hmph."

Chou Tzu-yu couldn't stand the arrogant expression on this unnie's face. What was she so proud of?

She pursed her lips and suddenly spoke in a soft voice, "Unnie, the problem is that it's no use even if we admit it. It has to be our brother who admits it, it has to be the fans and the public who admit it~ Didn't our brother just deny dating you in front of the whole world during the Grammy live broadcast?"

As she spoke, Chou Tzu-yu looked at Mina with a blank and sincere expression: "Didn't my brother say—you two are good—friends?" Her tone was light, and coincidentally, she drew out the word "friends".

"Slap!" Upon hearing this, Lim Nayeon cheerfully stretched out her large hand and slapped Chou Tzuyu on the back. Thumbs up!

She was so happy! Maknae, unnie has been spoiling you all this time, it feels so good!

"Unnie, you hit me too hard..." Tzuyu's pursed lips and innocent expression suddenly crumbled as she felt a burning pain in her back. She turned to Nayeon, her eyes glistening with tears, and thought, "Why—you hit me so hard..."

"Mian yan mi yan mi yan~" Lim Nayeon immediately realized what was happening, and quickly grinned with her bunny teeth as she reached out to rub her good sister's thin back. "Unnie couldn't control herself~ Tzuyu."

Faced with the mocking laughter of the group, Mina's face flushed red with anger—you bunch of shrewish women!
She raised her delicate face, her anger rising slightly: "Fine, I'll hit you then!"

……

In a Los Angeles bar, Gong Cheng leaned back on the sofa, dealing with a slightly tipsy and swaying Taylor. Justin Bieber across from him was also pretty drunk. All three of them were heavy drinkers, and the table was now empty of empty bottles...

"Drip drop~"

After hearing the phone's video ringtone, Gong Cheng picked up the phone and glanced at Mina's video call. He answered casually, and Mina's flushed face appeared on the screen. He had drunk quite a bit that night and was in a bad mood, so he was a little tipsy and immediately started rambling: "Missed me? Why is your face so red..."

The Korean spoken by Mr. Gong was not understood by Taylor next to him and Justin Bieber across from him, so they were naturally somewhat unconcerned.

"..."

Mina deliberately moved her position to the corner of the wall in the practice room. Seeing that the losers around her had no intention of showing their faces, she was naturally overjoyed—making videos, huh?

I'll show you just how sweet Cheng-chan and I are~
"Did you miss me? Why is your face so red..."

As soon as the words were spoken, in the TWICE practice room, Nayeon, Sana, and Chaeyoung couldn't help but twitch their eyelids.

Hirai Momo tilted her head, staring wide-eyed at Mina, whose face was even pinker, but remained rational and didn't say anything.

She wanted to see what that shameless master and this repressed friend could possibly talk about...

"Hmph~" Mina cleared her throat. Although she wanted to show off her love a little in front of the losers, Makoto's words made her very embarrassed. Her fair face instantly turned pink all the way to her ears, but she still lowered her shy eyes and hummed, "I miss you~"

"How much do you think?"

Haji Cheng, still smug, continued, "I won a Grammy for you, you know. This year's competition is fierce. Want to give me a kiss?"

A soft laugh, tinged with a hint of intoxication, echoed in TWICE's quiet practice room.

Tiny little tofu, big handsome guy—danger!

Just as she was about to take action, she glanced at the faces of her "sisters-in-law" who were all red with anger, and then sat down with May in her arms.

Dangerous chicken feathers~
You bunch of people who didn't cherish Da Da Shuai are all out. You brought it on yourselves, haha...

In an instant, Director Kim easily leaned in and gave May's dog head a quick kiss.
"Shall we kiss now?"

Mina's face was so red it was almost bleeding, and she didn't dare to look at the members, but she still braced herself and put on an air of "ruler of the world" without showing any fear.

In the video, Gong Cheng, with a drunken smile, nodded: "What else, Mina-chan~ Aren't we dating?"

"Mwah~" Mina suppressed the trembling of her face from embarrassment and indignation, slightly pouting her pink lips, and gave the phone screen a loud "smack" sound, much louder than her usual tone of voice.

Chou Tzu-yu lowered her eyelids and stole a glance at Mina, whose face was filled with happiness and shyness.

Damn... he's such a repressed pervert.

Because she was facing the phone, and behind the phone were the figures of the members, Mina immediately saw Nayeon, Sana, Momo, and Chaeyoung after saying "Mwah!" They all rolled their eyes and mouthed angry curses.

After vaguely understanding the lip movements of Sana Minatozaki and Momo Hirai, Mina immediately became furious!

Who do you scold?
She immediately snorted, determined to teach these losers a lesson. Then, she looked at Gong Cheng, who was sipping wine in the video, with a coquettish hum and said, "Cheng-chan, you have to kiss me too~~"

"Speak louder!"

Mina added that she even closed her eyes slightly, preparing to give Makoto a kiss from afar. At this moment, she didn't care about being shy anymore. She wanted to completely declare her ownership to these few losers!

...You guys are so outdated!
……

In a Los Angeles bar, Gong Cheng blinked, and just as he swallowed his drink, he heard Taylor's drunken, curious voice beside him: "What is she saying?"

"Let me kiss you..."

Gong Cheng put down his wine glass and offered a casual explanation.

Taylor raised the back of her hand and tossed her blonde hair. Her fiery red lips were stained with wine. She had been drinking quite freely and was very happy today. After listening to Gong Cheng's translation, she turned slightly to the side, suddenly leaned in, and pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Pop~" The sound was quite loud.

In an instant, Miyako stared blankly at the video, as did Mina, who was equally bewildered. However, Mina quickly recovered, her face turning deathly pale, and she began to tremble. She pointed a finger at Miyako in the video, "Miyako-chan—tell her to shut up!!!"

"Shut up..."

Inside TWICE's practice room, Mina switched to English and spoke weakly to Taylor.

The other members also gathered around, but those not in the frame peeked out...

Nayeon, Sana, Momo, and Chaeyoung all looked at Mina with mixed feelings of satisfaction and frustration. They were satisfied because someone could finally teach this little penguin a lesson, but frustrated because, damn it, why were you arguing with Taylor again?
But soon, the group of sisters became indignant and resentful. No matter how much the sisters fought, it was still an internal squabble, and they wanted to keep the good stuff within the family.

……

Taylor blinked slowly, her eyes glazed over. Then she stood up and looked at Mina in the video. There was a faint lipstick mark on Gong Cheng's cheek. He turned to Taylor and asked, "Why did you kiss me?"

"Didn't you say 'Let me kiss you'?" Taylor shrugged naturally. A kiss is nothing special.

Gong Cheng raised his hand, offering a speechless explanation: "I meant, it's her—" pointing to Mina on the screen, "...let me kiss her~"

"Garlic bird, garlic bird..." He didn't take it seriously, it wasn't a big deal.

If you were to say that a man like Master Gong, who juggles eight relationships and occasionally has one-night stands, would mind a kiss from a lady, he'd actually be too shy to admit it...

Taylor then realized what was happening. She scratched her head of blonde hair and recognized Mina in the video. She had seen her several times when she was working with Gong Cheng in Seoul. She gave Mina a strange look. Perhaps she was one of the "octopus" men beside her?

Casually and deliberately, he waved to Mina, seemingly unconcerned: "Mina, long time no see~ Don't mind me~"

Fearing that Mina wouldn't believe her, Taylor 'kindly' leaned closer to Miyako's cheek and lightly touched it with her red lips, saying, "It's just a kiss~" She shrugged and laughed heartily.

"……hehe."

Mina was a little flustered, but she couldn't say anything. Cheek kisses and lip-kissing were indeed common in Europe and America, but to her, it seemed like this international superstar was blatantly taking advantage of Makoto...

Then, she quickly switched to Japanese, afraid Taylor would understand: "Makoto, remember to video chat with me when you get back to the hotel tonight, keep in touch!" Her tone was very firm; she was genuinely a little unsure of herself in front of Taylor…

Gong Cheng chuckled lightly, replying in Japanese as well: "Tsk tsk, Mina-chan, what kind of person do you take me for? When you threatened me to take off my clothes for you, I didn't give in, okay?"

"I'm a gentleman, don't worry. My flight is in three hours, I'm going straight back to Seoul. I'll have a few more drinks, then I'll head to the airport." As he said this, he exhaled a light breath of alcohol. Even though his eyes were blurry with drunkenness, he was sure he'd slept well in first class after a flight of more than ten hours.

"Shut up, shut up, stop talking, Makoto..."

Mina stared at Makoto Miyamoto's smirking face in the video and quickly pleaded in a low voice. After Makoto mentioned in Japanese that she had threatened Makoto Miyamoto and made him take off his clothes, Sana Minato, who was the first to react in the practice room, angrily stood in front of her small body.

Meanwhile, Hirai Momo was pondering the conversation between MAI Mina and Miyako Makoto in Japanese. Although she was a closeted woman, she only understood bits and pieces of what she heard…

What is the gibberish saying?

Sana Minato translated it again for Momo Hirai in Korean, speechless. Momo finally understood, but her incredulous gaze instantly locked onto Mina.

You repressed pervert—you actually threatened my master to take off his clothes for you to see?
As the Korean voices rang out, Lim Nayeon and Son Chaeyoung, who were standing nearby, also snapped out of their daze...

Isn't this blatant seduction?
Kpop's famous thief, famous three?
With a gossipy expression, Yoo Jeongyeon munched on an apple, glancing back and forth between Mina Minami, Sana Minatozaki, Momo Hirai, Nayeon Lim, and Chaeyoung Son.

Chou Tzu-yu picked up a small notebook and pen, diligently taking notes while muttering, "Threatening my brother, seducing my brother, that's how I get him..."

Kim Da-hyun sat next to her, listening to Tzuyu's words with a look of great shock in her eyes. "You're not going to act anymore, are you?"
Tzuyu...

"I'm hanging up now, Makoto!" Mina didn't want Makoto to see her embarrassed, so she quickly ended the video call and then shrank into the corner with a pitiful look on her face. "Members, don't do this..."

……

Hey man, have you ever seen Los Angeles at 4 a.m.? (US time)
...Gong Cheng bid farewell to Taylor and Justin Bieber, and together with Jin Dayu and his entourage, headed to the airport and boarded the plane.

After a journey of more than ten hours, fueled by alcohol and physical and mental exhaustion, Mr. Gong slept soundly in first class...

(End of this chapter)