The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 380 Five Mouths, Five Bitches, Five Means (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Jiang Huiyuan, is that the first-class pure one?"

IZ*ONE, the girl group that debuted last year through a talent show, has 12 members, but Kim Minjung only really remembers Jang Wonyoung and Kang Hye-won. Leaving aside the former, the latter gained a lot of exposure and attention online just because her oppa kept calling her "first-class pure".

Moreover, in her opinion, whether it was the early days of Produce 48, their subsequent debuts, or their current activities with IZ*ONE, that "first-class pure" girl, aside from her looks and comedic moments, really didn't have any debut-level qualities...

Therefore, Kim Minjung had a deep impression of Kang Hye-won. Yoo Jimin only mentioned it briefly, but she immediately remembered: "What happened to her?"

"I feel... Jiang Huiyuan seems a bit awkward, but it's really lucky that she can debut." The little washboard's words were quite sharp; she was one of the trainees coming and going in a large entertainment company.

Kim Minjung, Yoo Jimin, Ning Yizhuo, and Nai Yongzhili all pay close attention to the more outstanding trainees in their company or other companies, and secretly compare them. So, they are not really gossips, but just expressing their own opinions.

...Outside the private room, Zhang Yuanying's usually cheerful eyebrows furrowed. Her good mood before coming here was somewhat dampened by the conversation inside. She turned to look at Jiang Huiyuan unnie, who looked bewildered and shocked, and helplessly reached out to pat her shoulder.

Jiang Huiyuan was wearing a black blazer with an open front, revealing an olive green and dark green plaid tank top underneath. She wore a black striped mini skirt and a shoulder bag. She squatted down, lowering her hand that was about to knock on the door.

Is the person inside just chirping their own cricket?
Inside the door, Liu Zhimin scoffed and retorted to Jin Minzheng, "Pabmo? She's not..."

Hearing this, Jiang Huiyuan felt inexplicably better, as she had always considered herself quite intelligent.

But the voice continued leisurely, "She's incredibly shrewd, otherwise how could she have debuted? Don't you guys remember the airport photos of IZ*ONE at the beginning of the year? This girl was carrying a Gucci handbag, and then she was criticized by the media and fans for flaunting her wealth."

"What does this prove?" Ning Yizhuo asked with a wry smile. It's just a high-end handbag. Her family is well-off, so it's not actually that expensive. She was speechless at the media's smear campaign, thinking that carrying a high-end handbag was considered showing off wealth.

If she remembered correctly, Jisoo from BLACKPINK was also ridiculed online for wearing a purple sweater given to her by a fan at the airport. The sweater was from a less well-known and expensive brand and was an out-of-season item.

Therefore, Ning Yizhuo felt that no matter what you do, there will always be people who are dissatisfied and find fault.

Liu Zhimin clicked her tongue, looked at the bewildered Ning Yizhuo, and said earnestly, "Ningning, you're still too young..."

Ning Yizhuo secretly rolled her eyes.

"What happened after the media reported that Jiang Huiyuan was flaunting her wealth?" Liu Zhimin, with her arms around Long Mi, sat on the sofa, pointing and gesturing: "Jiang Huiyuan immediately started using eco-friendly tote bags. What does that mean?"

Uchinaga Eri took a sip of coffee, paying little attention to her friends' discussion. Instead, she picked up her phone and asked for some votes in her book club group. Even though she had become a trainee, her dream girl novel about "Tarot" was still being secretly serialized.

When Liu Zhimin saw that her friends didn't respond, she gripped Mangosteen's hand and said with serious certainty, "That means she's putting on a show!"

“Unnie’s analysis makes a lot of sense…” Kim Minjung rolled her eyes and echoed.

"So, after this incident, I thought back carefully about her time on 'Produce 48,' and she really had a lot of tricks up her sleeve. She tried to get close to the oppas and then used her innocent image to start marketing. Recently, she was even marketing some sisterhood with Jang Won-young, right?" Liu Zhimin was very confident in her judgment. She, the executive director, had a keen eye for women who tried to ride on the coattails of "Tarot."

……

Listening to the discussions in the private room, Jiang Huiyuan's emotions fluctuated, and she muttered to herself in despair, "Is this just a show?"

Oh my god, how could the representative have such an rude friend...?

Before coming tonight, the representative only mentioned that they were friends of similar age, but didn't say who they were. Instead, they said they would introduce them to everyone tonight. But now, the innocent girl has absolutely no desire to meet the person who spoke first.

Zhang Yuanying looked a little embarrassed and indignant, and quickly turned around gracefully, wanting to comfort the unnie next to her.

But just as she opened her pink lips, wanting to tell Jiang Huiyuan not to take it to heart, she immediately clenched her fists, turned her head, and listened to the conversation inside with trembling lips...

"The most cunning one is that little brat Zhang Yuanying...she's incredibly mean!"

Liu Zhimin—the grand review of troops… She launched into a long-winded explanation of a funny little story about Zhang Yuanying: “Back in February, wasn’t Oppa, Sehun, Jay Park, and Chanyeol out on a street tour in Gangnam?”

Uchinaga Eri became interested, raised her head and hummed in agreement: "I remember, back then the trending topics were all about 'playboy emperors' (a term for wealthy men who flaunt their wealth). But speaking of which, there is a big difference. When these 'playboy emperors' travel in Bugattis and Ferraris, not a single person criticizes them for showing off their wealth. On the contrary, Jiang Huiyuan was recently criticized severely because of his Gucci bag."

Kim Minjung scoffed and defended him, saying, "How can that be the same? Oppas are rich, you'd think it's just a show if you let those playboys ride bicycles around. What I like most about Oppas is their authenticity, their lack of pretense and hypocrisy."

Liu Zhimin smacked her lips and wrinkled her small nose: "Then, that day, a paparazzi revealed that Zhang Yuanying and Jiang Huiyuan were also shopping near that commercial street. Actually, there was nothing wrong with that, but the next day, Zhang Yuanying's school issued a notice that she went out to play without finishing her homework... But the fans were still criticizing Jiang Huiyuan, saying that she led the maknae astray and so on."

"Tell me, isn't Zhang Yuanying scheming? She wanted to go out and have fun, but when she got scolded, she just disappeared... using Jiang Huiyuan as a shield."

After some forced interpretation, even Ning Yizhuo felt that Zhang Yuanying was quite scheming. But to be honest, how could a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl debut without a bit of scheming? She's not some second-generation chaebol or royalty.

...Outside the private room, Jiang Huiyuan looked stiffly at the maknae beside her and patted her shoulder.

Zhang Yuanying gritted her teeth, her chubby face puffed up with anger. How could there be a girl who liked to gossip about others behind their backs?

But then she suddenly focused her gaze and felt that the voices in the private room were somewhat familiar, especially that arrogant tone, which seemed to have been heard somewhere before.
The keywords "mean" and "green tea" were quickly linked together, seemingly resembling the voices of IZ*ONE members in last year's movie theater.
Just as they were hesitating, the five members of [itzy] walked out of the corridor in unison, led by a waiter.

Shin Yuna walked ahead excitedly, while Hwang Ye-ji and Shin Ryu-jin chatted and laughed. Choi Ji-soo and Lee Chae-ryeong looked around curiously until they saw Kang Hye-won and Jang Won-young standing outside the private room. The group stopped and looked at each other.

The five members of itzy had met Jang Wonyoung and Kang Hye-won during the recording of "Produce 48" last year, and had met a few more times during their schedules after their debut at the beginning of the year. They maintained a pretty good relationship.

Huang Lizhi smiled and narrowed his eyes, about to politely greet them, when a voice from the adjacent private room abruptly drew the attention of the five members of [itzy]: "Jang Won-young, definitely Mean. You can tell from the trending topics her company bought~"

"Besides, the fourth generation predecessors are still very popular right now, so why would they buy some trending topic marketing like 'five girls and one main character'? Isn't that ridiculous?"

Zhang Yuanying bit her lip awkwardly, raised her slender arm, and waved to Huang Lizhi and the others as a greeting, without saying a word.

Hwang Ye-ji and the others felt awkward and wanted to turn around and leave, but when they glanced at the number on the door of the private room, they realized it was the room that Oppa had booked. However, why were the people inside speaking so casually?

"Tch, what natural idol? I don't see it at all." Liu Zhimin clicked her tongue, getting more and more excited as she spoke. She kept expressing her opinions, and fearing her friends wouldn't believe her, she made a simple analogy: "Just look at their age, Oppa's company's [itzy] is a new girl group..."

Shin Ryujin, Choi Jisoo, and the others all looked towards the private room and listened intently.

But the seven people in the corridor all tacitly remained silent, standing one by one outside the door, wanting to hear what the oppa inside had to say about what the stranger had to say about them [itzy].

"IZTY's maknae, Yuna? Doesn't she completely outshine Jang Wonyoung in terms of figure?"

Ning Yizhu listened to Liu Zhimin's comparison, thought about it carefully, and nodded: "Indeed." This sister was finally reliable for once, not talking nonsense, and knew to use data for comparison. She has improved a bit.

Standing behind Hwang Ye-ji, Shin Yoo-na glanced at Jang Won-young somewhat shyly upon hearing the praise, but the teenage girl couldn't help feeling a little proud and excited.

Although everyone knows each other, they could be considered competitors during the comeback period, but everyone clearly distinguishes between work and personal friendship.

"...But as for looks, well, I think Yuna and Zhang Yuanying are just so-so. I don't know what's so great about them. Without makeup and styling, they're pretty ordinary, not even as pretty as our Ningning." Liu Zhimin pouted and continued to evaluate the "Top of the Five" based on factors such as figure, looks, and popularity.

Ning Yizhuo was a little dizzy from listening, but she quickly waved her hand and said modestly, "Ani, unnie, I'll pass."

Liu Zhimin curled her lips into a smile, glanced at Ning Yizhuo, and said with a laugh, "Don't be modest, Ningning. Excessive modesty is just hypocrisy~" As she said this, she seemed to still be enjoying herself, so she picked up her coffee and took a sip to moisten her throat, "But when it comes to meanness and green tea~ I completely agree with Zhang Yuanying [one of the five girls]!"

"She's even meaner than Minjung~ How come she's not considered one of the 'Five Girls'?"

Executive Director Long leisurely put down his coffee, secretly criticizing Kim Minjung's little trick. This friend actually wanted to ask Oppa out alone yesterday, haha.

Upon hearing this, Kim Minjung's face flushed red with displeasure. She raised her chin, smacked her lips, and said unhappily, "Why did you have to pull me like that? Really... Unnie's current behavior is so mean~ You're [five mouths and one]."

"Aigoo, me [five mouths one]?" Upon hearing this, Liu Zhimin's mouth dropped open, and she began to expose each other's secrets with her friend: "I would never pretend to be pitiful every day~~"

"..." After a few words of argument, Ning Yizhuo and Nei Yongzhi chose to turn off their microphones.

Ning Yizhuo couldn't take it anymore and spoke up crisply: "Friends, let's get back to Zhang Yuanying and Jiang Huiyuan..."

She sighed helplessly. She was already used to the two of them arguing and having little tantrums. As for that cabinet friend, he was someone who didn't care about anything, understood the principle of "innocent bystanders being affected," and actually liked to watch the drama unfold.

So every time Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung are about to have a cold war, as long as Ning Yizhuo throws out a common enemy, the two can start arguing again.

……

After parking his car in the hotel's underground garage, Gong Cheng discreetly took the elevator upstairs, his towering height making him stand out in the elevator.

When the door opened again, he was led to the private room by the waiter. But as he walked down the wide corridor, Gong Cheng immediately saw several graceful figures standing outside the door of the private room. The inmates of ITZY, Zhang Yuanying, and Jiang Huiyuan were all standing against the wall as if they were being punished.

Have you just arrived?
Why don't you go in...?

Gong Cheng looked on with curiosity. After greeting the waiter who was leading the way, he let her leave first.

Just a dozen meters away, as he walked, the restless Shen Youna spotted him first. She was about to greet him, but hearing the loud chatter from the private room next to her, she glanced at Zhang Yuanying and Jiang Huiyuan and awkwardly shut her mouth.

The people inside are incredibly talkative, their words are never the same, ranging from female celebrities to today's big-bodied swimmers... and they even got involved in politics?
Even though they weren't mentioned much, just standing outside the door made them feel awkward and speechless, so they didn't dare to go in.

Zhang Yuanying, Jiang Huiyuan, and the others caught a glimpse of a figure in the corridor out of the corner of their eyes. They all instinctively looked up at the same time—Gong Cheng's face showed obvious confusion and doubt. His brows were slightly furrowed, but it did not affect his handsome features at all. He was wearing a neat brown leather jacket with the collar casually open, revealing a clean white T-shirt underneath. The hem of the jacket was lightly attached to his waistline. There were no extra decorations, but it made his broad shoulders and narrow waist figure even more distinct.

He waved to several girls.

Gong Cheng was about to greet them and let them in when he heard a voice that made him speechless.

"Absolutely awesome!"

"Haha..." Gong Cheng remembered the voice of the Dragon of the Execution Department very clearly... She was laughing happily when a "slap" sound came from her, as if she was slapping her thigh because she couldn't stop laughing.

"Minjung, you're right! 'No-brainer' and 'Grumpy' are perfect! Haha~" Yoo Jimin sat on the sofa, laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight. She slapped the table in admiration and added, "So apt! And Kang Hye-won? Silly—no-brainer~"

"Zhang Yuanying seems to be putting on an act. She always manages her expressions in front of the camera as if they were real, but she always secretly purses her lips—she's unhappy."

Gong Cheng suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and turned around to look at Jiang Huiyuan, who had a bitter smile on her face, and Zhang Yuanying, who had a cold expression on her face... Upon closer inspection...

That does have a certain appeal...

……

"And wow, Zhang Yuanying's walking posture is really pretentious..."

"Nei ne!"

Inside the private room, Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng were chatting away like a double act. As they got into the conversation, Long from the Executive Department immediately stood up from the sofa, declaring that she would put on a show for Ning Yizhuo and Nai Yongzhili. Then she did a chest-expanding exercise, and her voluptuous breasts trembled.

Kim Min-jung immediately followed suit and stood up: "I'll play the brainless one~"

As she spoke, she walked over to Ning Yizhuo and slung her eco-friendly tote bag over her small shoulder.

Ning Yizhuo and Uchiyoshi looked up with great interest at the two's imitation and performance. In the dormitory, Liu Zhimin had often imitated the way Irene, a senior from the company, walk, and her mouth was quite impressive.

"Then I'll play the role of being unhappy~" Liu Zhimin cleared her throat in a light tone, her quail-egg-shaped face beaming with joy.

She gets happy and her head spins as soon as she touches a mouthful of people, like she's drunk spirits.

Yoo Ji-min's slender figure and Kim Min-jung, carrying eco-friendly bags, stood side by side on the empty space next to the sofa in the private room. Then, with a snap of Nae Young-ji-ri's fingers...

In front of her friends, Liu Zhimin playfully raised her face and pouted. Then, she crossed her arms, slightly sticking out her buttocks, and with her two thin legs wrapped in black, she walked forward with a pretentious and awkward gait, her feet barely touching the ground. Before she even turned her buttocks, her body was already leaning forward.

"Aigoo, you really do imitate it perfectly~" Uchigatani Eri watched for a moment and exclaimed in admiration. Liu Zhimin's imitation really captured the essence of the character.

Kim Minjung walked alongside Yoo Jimin, the two facing the floor-to-ceiling window with their backs to the box door, walking like they were on a runway at an airport.

...Outside the private room, Gong Cheng held the doorknob and gently pushed open the heavy door. What came into view was Ning Yizhuo and Yongzhili sitting on the sofa area inside, their backs to him, looking intently at Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng in the open space.

Gong Cheng, who was initially in a bad mood, couldn't help but tremble when his eyes glanced at the two people "walking the runway" in the open space.

Standing behind him, Zhang Yuanying stood gracefully with her bag slung over her shoulder, staring at him with an equally grim expression. Jiang Huiyuan's pupils contracted, and he felt as if the sky had fallen... "Is this really how I walk?"

The younger members of itzy covered their mouths, turned their faces away, and tried their best to control their expressions—don't laugh!
In the simultaneous gaze of several people, Liu Zhimin still stood with her arms crossed, taking more than a dozen steps from a distance of six or seven meters from the floor-to-ceiling window, her slender legs taking affected, pigeon-toed steps.

Kim Minjung, on the other hand, was carrying an eco-friendly bag, leaning forward with his head tilted forward and his back slightly hunched, walking in an exaggerated manner.

"Cough cough..."

As Ning Yizhuo shifted her legs, she turned around and saw Gong Cheng standing expressionlessly outside the private room. She quickly stood up from the sofa, coughed, and tried to remind Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng, who were still engrossed in their "performance."

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that behind that oppa stood the "real" figures, whom his friends had imitated: Jang Won-young and Kang Hye-won, as well as the members of ITZY.

Ning Yizhuo was numb. After thinking for a moment, she decided that it would be better to just say hello directly so as to interrupt her two friends' spellcasting.

But before she could even speak, Liu Zhimin, while walking with her hands clasped, said, "Besides walking, there's also an unhappy wink~ Haven't done it in a long time, haha~ I'll learn one for you guys~"

“Then I’ll imitate a mindless second-gear start too~” Kim Minjung was not to be outdone during the talent show segment.

Ning Yizhuo's face turned bright red with embarrassment, wishing she could disappear into the ground. Clutching the hem of her clothes, she asked, "Are we still going to learn?"

Liu Zhimin continued walking towards the French windows, her tone excited: "Learn! I have to learn! Just wait until I get to the French windows, I'll turn around and wink at you one after another~ So cheesy~"

Zhang Yuanying clenched her fists, trembling with anger! Her thin frame and flushed face were burning with rage…

Gong Cheng watched the two figures performing in front of the French windows, glanced at Zhang Yuanying's face, raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder, patted her to comfort her, and then patted Jiang Huiyuan's back with a wry smile.

He was truly speechless; the Dragon of the Execution Department and the Little Washboard...

Zhang Yuanying felt the sudden comfort on her shoulder and trembled as if she had been electrocuted. She raised her eyelids and looked at Gong Cheng's warm smile and the anger in his brows. Her anger subsided a little, but her pure face showed an even more aggrieved expression.

Gong Cheng exchanged a glance with her, then raised his eyelids to look at Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng, who had already walked to the French windows.

The two turned around simultaneously. The instant Kim Min-jung turned, he mimicked Gear Second from One Piece, bending over and saying in the same tone as Kang Hye-won from Produce 48, "Representative, representative~"

"Second gear activated! Yahoo!"

His tone was incredibly excited.

As Liu Zhimin turned around, her long, black hair swung dramatically in the air. Mimicking Zhang Yuanying's controlled expression, she gently bit her lower lip, blinked her right eye, and gave a charming wink, expecting cheers from her friends. But before her right eye could fully open, her clear left eye was suddenly met with a familiar figure—Gong Cheng stood there in front of the private room, tall and straight, his brown leather jacket accentuating his sharp shoulders. His face was expressionless as he silently watched the wink she had just given.

Liu Zhimin's heart leaped with joy, her lips curving into a sweet smile, her voice brimming with undisguised delight: "Oppa~"

But when she suddenly raised her right eye to wink, it was as if the side bangs covering her eyes were swept away, and her vision became complete. Liu Zhimin suddenly saw the unhappy and clueless people standing to the right of that oppa. Her legs, which were wrapped in black stockings, went weak, and she almost lost her balance and fell to the ground.

"Ah ho~"

On the other side, Kim Minjung was still bent over, his hands making a "second gear" gesture, humming a rhythm softly. When he heard Yoo Jimin's sweet "Oppa," he immediately straightened up, his short hair swaying with the movement, his eyes sparkling, and he shouted "Wow~~~" at the top of his lungs. His tone shifted from excitement to complete silence in the entire private room...

"..."

"..."

Kim Minjung's voice stopped abruptly, his smile froze in mid-air, the corners of his mouth still maintaining an upward curve, but his eyes gradually became dazed.

Why are No-Brain and Unhappy here too?
When did you arrive...?

Liu Zhimin's hair fell across her face, her eyes darting away, not daring to look at the doorway. She could clearly feel her cheeks burning, even her ears were burning, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. The expressions of the four SM members were almost frozen.

Gong Cheng took off his jacket, walked to the side and hung it on the hanger, saying softly, "Zhimin, are you having that old problem again?"

"Minjung, you have a pretty good talent for imitation."

He turned to look at the Executive Department's Dragon and Little Washboard, whose faces were burning red, and spoke in a cold tone.

Gong Cheng had reminded Liu Zhimin of her tendency to talk too much more than once, but each time he received assurances that she would become a more cautious and careful Zhimin in the future...

Where is your caution?
Uchiga Eri cautiously stood up and looked at Miyako: "Oppa, when did you guys arrive?"

As she asked the question, she glanced awkwardly at Zhang Yuanying, Jiang Huiyuan, and the ITZY group.

"When did you arrive?" Gong Cheng turned his cheek to look at Zhang Yuanying.

Zhang Yuanying glanced at him with a look of grievance and sadness, then glared at Liu Jimin, who was hanging her head like a quail, and said, "I've been here ever since this unnie called me mean..."

Her eyes were filled with anger, but her tone was soft and gentle.

Liu Zhimin, who had just raised her head, immediately lowered it again. Holy crap, does that mean you were eavesdropping from the very beginning when you were talking to me?

Stealing a glance at Gong Cheng's expression, she quickly racked her brains and made up a story: "Oh, is that so? Then why don't you come in? We were just reading out the bad comments about you, Yuan Ying. These antis are really nasty. Did you hear us defending you?"

Liu Zhimin forced herself to make up a lie, looking at Zhang Yuanying with hopeful eyes, hoping she would say something nice, otherwise, judging from Oppa's expression, he might really be angry.

If Zhang Yuanying doesn't help, that's understandable, since I've already slapped her!
But you, Zhang Yuanying, will gain the most powerful anti-enemy in history—the Dragon of the Execution Department.

Zhang Yuanying, with her slender figure, deliberately stood a little closer to Gong Cheng. She looked down innocently at Liu Zhimin's smiling face and asked earnestly, "Yuanying? Are we very familiar with each other?"

Even with her good temper, Jiang Huiyuan couldn't stand it. This guy had a big mouth, and even after being caught red-handed, he was still spouting nonsense in front of the representative and defending him.
You're so damn protective of me that you're imitating my second-gear activation, and saying I'm terrible at both singing and dancing, huh? And you're even pounding your chest and yelling...

She looked at Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung and asked directly, "So, how are you protecting us?"

Gong Cheng sat leisurely on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked at the group of people in front of him who were locked in a fierce battle.

Liu Zhimin spoke quickly, but she also backed down just as quickly. She glanced at Jiang Huiyuan and Zhang Yuanying, then at Gong Cheng, who remained silent. Knowing that she was in the wrong and would definitely have to give an explanation, she continued Jiang Huiyuan's words: "Online anti-fans say that Huiyuan unnie is rather dull and loves to show off, but I think unnie is first-class pure and very environmentally conscious. The fans are being too unreasonable."

"Yuan Ying is really beautiful, she's a strong contender for the title of the most beautiful of the five," Kim Min Jung said with a chuckle as he scratched his head.

Hwang Ye-ji, Shin Yoo-na, Shin Ryu-jin, Choi Ji-soo, and Lee Chae-ryeong stood dumbfounded to one side, their eyes darting back and forth between Kim Min-jung and Yoo Ji-min. You guys are really—flexible and shameless!

Insincerely praising him, Liu Zhimin immediately stepped forward to Gong Cheng, bowed, and apologized: "Oppa, I was wrong, please punish me!"

Punishment? Gong Cheng, who was sitting down, twitched his face upon hearing this. Damn it, what kind of misunderstanding is this...?

What kind of punishment am I going to give you? If I punish you, are you going to nag me tomorrow?

Kim Minjung followed suit...

"Zhimin, didn't you promise me last time that you would become a more cautious Zhimin? What about now?" Gong Cheng said coldly. He was really speechless at Liu Zhimin's foul mouth. She was so annoying!
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhimin lowered her head even further, almost burying it in her mouth. She turned sincerely to Zhang Yuanying and Jiang Huiyuan: "Thank you, we just said some things that caused you to misunderstand, but please believe us we really didn't mean any harm. We were just too angry about the smear campaigns against you by those antis..."

She shamelessly said, "We're locals, so in this respect, we're naturally gifted."

Zhang Yuanying's legs were straight, her calves wrapped in white socks. She couldn't help but stomp her feet slightly and look at Gong Cheng, her mouth slightly open. "Big sister... you're the best at smearing me!"

Didn't you just mimic my walk?

“Yes, just like Jimin unnie said, we have always been true fans of IZ*ONE.” Kim Minjung also looked sincerely at Kang Hyewon, and then held up Ning Yizhuo’s eco-friendly bag in her hand: “Look, I specially bought an eco-friendly bag like you, to protect the environment, unnie.”

Huang Lizhi and the others were also shocked by the shamelessness of the two men, their faces turning as smooth as silk.

Ning Yizhuo glanced at Gong Cheng's expression and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "So, the friends of the same age that Oppa was talking about are you guys? We're kind of like..." (This last part is a bit awkward and doesn't translate directly.)

She was incredibly embarrassed, but if she didn't speak up for her two friends soon, she'd be the one getting yelled at next: "It's Oppa's birthday, and it's rare for us all to get together, so let's wish Oppa a happy birthday first..."

Uchiga Eritoshi: "That's right!"

Immediately afterwards, the two received admiring glances from Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjun.

Ning Yizhuo and Uchiyo Eri secretly breathed a sigh of relief...

Zhang Yuanying looked at Liu Zhimin, who was frozen in place. Her face was tense, but the corner of her mouth twitched slightly, and a hint of disdain flashed quickly in her eyes—threatening me with Oppa?
She gave a light scoff, deliberately straightening her back as she turned around. Her skirt swayed gently with the movement, making her figure appear even more graceful. She walked towards Gong Cheng step by step, each step carrying an elegant deliberate slowness.

Walking up to Gong Cheng, she tilted her head slightly, revealing a section of her fair neck, and said softly, "Oppa, Kenchana, don't be angry anymore~"

As she spoke, Zhang Yuanying deliberately shook Gong Cheng's arm, lightly brushing his wrist with her fingertips, her eyes full of innocent "I'm thinking of you" sentiment, "I forgive... these two complete strangers~"

Strangers? The moment she entered the private room, she recognized the four people as the SM trainees who had spoken ill of her in the movie theater earlier.

It's really a narrow road for enemies...

Liu Zhimin, listening from the side, gritted her teeth in frustration and secretly pursed her lips... You forgive me? It's like you're the one who's been wronged!
But seeing Gong Cheng's cold face, she obediently shut her mouth, her fingertips gripping the hem of her clothes, suppressing the urge to refute.

Kim Minjung shrank back, not daring to reply, only feeling that Jang Wonyoung's "magnanimous" demeanor was really too much of a green tea b*tch.

Zhang Yuanying seemed oblivious to their displeasure and sat intimately next to Gong Cheng, almost pressing half of her body against him. She mustered her courage, reached out her small hand, and gently grasped Gong Cheng's arm. Feeling his slight pause, a small thrill immediately welled up inside her.

When Gong Cheng turned to meet her eyes, she quickly lowered them again, feigning a nervous tremor, even her earlobes turning slightly red. But in that instant of looking down, she deliberately glanced at Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng, a barely perceptible hint of disdain in her eyes: "As for being smeared, I've heard enough of that since the 'Produce 48' era, oppa..."

"So Oppa, I'm okay with these kinds of things. Please don't let someone so thoughtless ruin your mood." Zhang Yuanying lowered her voice, as if she were whispering to Gong Cheng, but the volume was just enough for everyone in the private room to hear. Gently inhaling the scent of Gong Cheng, she bit her lip. "You smell so good, Oppa~"
"If I could be with you, I wouldn't mind being criticized every day." Thinking this, she suddenly realized that the two "useless" guys not far away weren't so bad after all—at least they brought her closer to Oppa!
Seeing that the maknae had said so, Kang Hye-won turned her gaze away from Yoo Jimin and Kim Min-jung.

Gong Cheng blinked, looked at Zhang Yuanying's face, which was pure yet had a hint of slyness, and asked seriously, "Are you really not angry?" As he spoke, he deliberately gave Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng a cold look in front of Zhang Yuanying and Jiang Huiyuan.

The two lowered their faces, clearly hurt.

Zhang Yuanying couldn't help but raise her pink lips. "Is Oppa speaking on my side? He's so biased towards me!"
So, she put on a sweet smile, feigning generosity, and said, "I'm so happy to be able to wish Oppa a happy 23rd birthday~"

“I really don’t care, even if I don’t know them, they are there…” She left the sentence blank as if to save face for Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung, but the irony made Hwang Yeji, Shin Ryujin and the others’ lips twitch.

The group suddenly realized that what Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjun had said earlier outside the door was true—they were incredibly mean and manipulative.

They also recognized Yoo Jimin, Kim Minjung, and Ning Yizhuo, since the three of them had previously appeared in Oppa's music video. Thinking about it, they were indeed friends of the same age as Gong Cheng had mentioned before...

Everyone's around the same age, born in the 00s. The only one present is Jiang Huiyuan, who was born in 99, just like Oppa, born in the mid-95s.

"Is that so?" Gong Cheng glanced at her, turned to the side, and pretended to be still angry. He looked at Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng, whose eyes were red with embarrassment. Perhaps they were hurt by Gong Cheng's impatient expression just now, but in any case, they were heartbroken.

But when they looked into Shang Gongcheng's eyes, they realized that this oppa was smiling and winking at them, and slightly nodding at Zhang Yuanying beside him.

Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung immediately realized that Oppa wanted to move on from this matter quickly. They then hurriedly apologized to Kang Hye-won and Jang Won-young, saying, "Mwah..."

My heart, which had been broken just moments before, healed instantly upon seeing that look in his eyes, and became even stronger and more resilient.

Oppa is blatantly favoring us!
Ultimately, since Zhang Yuanying and Jiang Huiyuan are both Oppa's friends, then upon careful reflection, the problem is indeed theirs. They spoke ill of him carelessly—no, what they said was true, but in the end, it really embarrassed Oppa…

Liu Zhimin's lips curled up slightly, but she felt a little depressed inside.

What makes me happy is that Oppa is so biased towards me; it seems I've already developed feelings for him through my flattery...

The frustrating thing is, I've caused trouble for Oppa again, but he still takes care of me and spoils me. I'm so sad, Rem~ Waaah~
After seeing that Jang Won-young and Kang Hye-won had reluctantly accepted the apology, Hwang Ye-ji and Shin Yoo-na's ITZY quickly chimed in to liven up the atmosphere, afraid that the little incident might have affected everyone's mood.

Gong Cheng invited the group to sit down at the dining table. It wasn't that he favored anyone; he knew that the Dragon of the Executive Department liked to talk back, and he also knew that she couldn't change that habit.

But now that the words were in front of the person in question, and Zhang Yuanying was someone he had personally invited, it was somewhat awkward.

However, upon seeing Jang Won-young's smug expression and his mockery of Yoo Jimin and Kim Min-jung, he let the matter drop...

This serves as a lesson for the Dragon and Little Washboard in the Execution Department, otherwise they will suffer greatly in the future.

But if I had to choose who to side with, even without his female relative present, Hagi Makoto would still lean slightly towards the Execution Department's Dragon; she's been fawning over me for two and a half years!
Of course, Master Gong would side with the person who licked him the longest—their tongue was practically numb from licking!
Is that the logic?

Therefore, Gong Cheng is a very fair person. Putting aside the long period of their acquaintance, just in terms of how devoted he is to Liu Zhimin, he is unique in his long-lasting affection...

Lord Gong always gives a reward to those who are sycophantic and loyal!
"Why don't you all get to know each other? You're all the same age." Gong Cheng smiled, picked up his orange juice, took a sip, and then looked down at the menu to order with Huang Lizhi and Shen Youna.

Liu Zhimin stood up cheerfully, looking somewhat embarrassed at Zhang Yuanying, Jiang Huiyuan, and the five members of ITZY: "I am Liu Zhimin, a trainee of SM Entertainment, born in April 2000."

"Kim Minjung, SM Entertainment trainee, born in January 2001..."

The two introduced themselves awkwardly, much like when they were in high school, standing on the podium on the first day of school and introducing themselves to their teachers and classmates.

After Kim Minjung introduced himself, Jang Wonyoung stood up and tilted her head to look at the two of them: "Trainees?"

She feigned surprise, slightly opening her mouth, then turned to look at Kang Hye-won, Shin Yoo-na, Shin Ryu-jin, and the others, saying with disbelief, "After hearing Unnie's insightful comments about us earlier, I thought..."

Jiang Huiyuan chimed in, playing the straight man: "What did you think?"

"I thought you two unnies were senior artists who had debuted a long time ago~" As she spoke, Jang Wonyoung couldn't help but raise her small hand to elegantly cover her mouth and chuckle, but she still looked sincerely at Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung, whose faces were ashen, "Mia ne ah, unnies, I really thought you were senior artists who had already debuted~"

She deliberately emphasized the words "debut" and "senior".

The gentle tone, tinged with a hint of sarcasm, was utterly grating...

In the local entertainment industry, seniority is deeply ingrained, but it is not based on age, but on the date of debut. The difference in seniority is directly reflected in the details of words and deeds. There may be room for flexibility in private, but under the spotlight and in front of the public, there is no room for flexibility. The public values ​​this very much.

Therefore, even if Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung debut in the future, they will still have to call her Jang Wonyoung sunbaenim when they see her.

Liu Zhimin clenched her fist under the table, but her expression remained stiff with a smile as she shook her head nonchalantly.

Seeing this, Jang Wonyoung's smugness grew even stronger. She introduced herself, "I'm the maknae (youngest member) of IZ*ONE, Jang Wonyoung. I was born in 04 and debuted last year~ I'm 15 years old this year~" As she spoke, she playfully winked at Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjung~
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she raised her hand to cover her mouth, looking apologetic: "Mi-nae, Jimin unnie, Minjeong unnie, I didn't mean to show off, it's just that you're both eighteen or nineteen years old and haven't debuted yet, which is a bit worrying, especially since you're in a big agency like SM..."

Zhang Yuanying, ever the troublemaker, asked with concern, "The competition must be fierce, right? Unnies, hang in there! You have to practice hard!" Her sincere tone made Kang Hye-won's eyes tremble slightly. Oh, maknae!
Actually, when Yoo Jimin and Kim Minjun called you a green tea bitch, they weren't entirely wrong.

Liu Zhimin looked at Zhang Yuanying with a grim expression. She chuckled and looked up, "Kenchana~ We'll be debuting soon~ But Yuanying, some people online say you're from Shandong, China, and that you speak Chinese, but you say you're from the Korean Peninsula. I'm really curious, what country are you from? Do you even speak Chinese?"

"If you know it, why pretend you don't understand in front of Chinese fans?"

"As for green cards, like Yuqi from (G)I-DLE and Misamo from TWICE... they're all doing really well~ not to mention oppa..."

Liu Zhimin's small, egg-shaped face was full of confusion, yet she retorted with a smile that concealed a dagger.

Since Jang Won-young's debut, her nationality has been the subject of constant online debate. Even though she herself says she is from the Korean Peninsula, some circulating information suggests that she should be able to speak Chinese.

As the executive director, a member of the "combat department" responsible for "severely attacking" various female idols, he is fully aware of these scandals.

At the dinner table, the atmosphere froze when Kim Minjung subtly gave Yoo Jimin a thumbs-up.

Even Huang Lizhi, Shen Youna, and Ning Yizhuo, who were ordering food, looked up curiously. Gong Cheng was also quite curious about her nationality... However, he had absolutely no idea what nationality Zhang Yuanying was. He was just being nosy because he had heard so much about her.

Zhang Yuanying glanced at Liu Zhimin with a pale face, and said slowly, "I hold a Peninsula passport..."

Shin Ryujin, sporting a neat short haircut, quickly stood up and cheerfully changed the subject when she saw that IZ*ONE's maknae and Yoo Jimin were about to fight: "I'm Shin Ryujin from [ITZY], born in April 2001..."

Upon seeing this, Choi Ji-soo and Lee Chae-ryeong quickly stood up and introduced themselves.

"..."

"Yuna, in 03..."

Gong Cheng shrugged, glanced at Liu Zhimin and Zhang Yuanying, and then handed the menu in his hand to the waiter who had just come in.

So, does Zhang Yuanying actually understand Chinese?

Too lazy to care~
Let’s eat first~
While waiting for their food to be served, several girls from different companies, who were all around the same age, quickly started chatting together.

But as another topic began, Zhang Yuanying smiled innocently and looked at Liu Zhimin, "..."

(End of this chapter)