Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 88: Reunion with Fendi's Female Client (10,000 Rewards and 4K Updates)

11 month 14 day.

10:15 pm.

SBS Building, real-time audience monitoring room
Episode 12 of "The Heirs" has come to an end——

"20.6%!"

The monitor's excited voice cut through the silence.

On the monitoring screen, the ratings curve reached its peak during the breakup scene between Bo Na and Chan Young, and finally ended perfectly with an average rating of 20.6%.

——This is the first time that "The Heirs" has exceeded the 20% viewership rating mark since its premiere.

The production team was instantly excited.

Director Jiang Xinxiao stared at the data curve and smiled rarely:
"Kim Tan and Eun Sang's relationship contributed 18.7%, but it was Chan Young and Bo Na's breakup scene that really boosted the ratings."

The head of the publicity team checked the real-time hot search list on SNS——

#The Heirs' ratings broke 20%# (explosive)

#Chanrong Bona Breakup# (hot)

#Kim Tan Eun Sang is officially dating#
#Choi Young Do is crazy and I love him so much#
The comment section exploded——

[1st floor]: Writer, you have no heart!!! They just kissed in episode 8 and broke up in episode 12???

[15th Floor]: Chanyoung, wake up! Bona is clearly defending you!!! (bursts into tears)

[32nd floor]: Choi Young-do is so cool after his dark turn! Kim Woo-bin, please weld your suit to your body, thank you!

[44th Floor]: When Jin Tan's father slapped me, my phone fell to the ground
[67th Floor]: The ratings are a testament to this, right? What about those 'professionals' who were pessimistic about the show when it first aired?

[89th Floor]: Crystal’s acting has improved a lot!

[99th Floor]: Please, screenwriter, get Chan-young and Bo-na back together! I can’t stand it anymore!!

[103F]: Kang Jae-hoon and Krystal Jung’s chemistry is amazing, they should be together in real life too!

[122F]: @SBS, please hand over the master tapes of episodes 13-14 immediately! Otherwise, I'll set the building on fire!

Screenwriter Jin Enshu flipped through the online comments, her lips curled up:
"It seems the audience is more into the show than we thought."

Editing team leader raises his hand:
"Writer-nim, we're going to make a flashback video of the kissing scene in episode 8 and a comparison video of the breakup scene as planned. It's already gotten over 50 views. How are the previews for episodes 13-14 going to be edited? Are we going to reveal a reunion?"

Jin Enshu shook her head:

"To maintain the suspense, only show the clips of Chan-young's father being in the hospital, and save the reconciliation scenes for the main film."

"understand!"

She turned to look at Li Xiuyan again:
"Have the scripts for episodes 13 and 14 been adjusted?"

Lee Soo-yeon immediately replied:
"The funeral scene for Chanyoung's father has been written, and the part where Bona secretly goes to the funeral hall has also been added."

She paused and asked nervously:
"But... do you really want Bo Na to see Chan Young cry?"

According to the original plan, Bona just took a look from a distance outside the mourning hall and then left.

But Li Xiuyan added a scene to the script——

Bona couldn't help but walk into the mourning hall, and happened to see Chanrong, who had always been strong, breaking down and crying in front of his father's portrait.

Li Xiuyan nervously clutched the script:

"Isn't this too cruel? Chanyoung has always maintained a perfect image, but suddenly he breaks down in front of Bona..."

"cruel?"

Jin Enshu chuckled and turned to the two directors:

"What do you think?"

Fu Shengzhe touched his chin:

"Audiences love to see this kind of contrast, especially between couples who have just broken up."

"Kang Jae-hoon can act this kind of layered feeling well."

Jiang Xinxiao nodded in agreement, which was rare.

“I designed this shot like this—”

Fu Shengzhe quickly came up with an idea in his mind:

"First, a close-up of Bona's hands - she crumpled the condolence card, then the camera slowly pulled away to capture Chanyoung's kneeling back, and then the camera moved down to reveal that his knuckles were white as he clutched his father's portrait, and finally a close-up of his tears falling on the portrait."

The conference room was silent.

"This is the shot that deserves a 20% viewership rating."

Fu Shengzhe and Jiang Xinxiao looked at each other and laughed out loud at the same time.

At this moment, the director dispute that lasted for months was finally temporarily settled in the face of this record-breaking ratings.

——After all, in the face of absolute achievements, any differences in artistic concepts seem less important.

The next day.

The set of "The Heirs" is much more lively than usual.

The staff gathered in groups of two or three, all with smiles on their faces. A few interns from the field management team even secretly bought champagne. When the team leader discovered this, they scolded him, but after that, they couldn't help but laugh along.

——What does it mean for the Korean TV drama industry when the ratings exceed 20%?
For SBS, this is the third Wednesday-Thursday drama this year to break the 20% viewership mark;

For screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, this is another work that proves her status as a "ratings guarantee" after "Secret Garden" and "Gentleman's Dignity";

And for the actors—

Kim Woo Bin has gotten rid of the label of "model-turned-actor" and officially joined the ranks of acting talent.

New actors like Kim Ji-won and Kang Ha-neul have established themselves;
The doubts about idol-turned-actors like Krystal Jung and Park Hyung-sik gradually faded;

As for Jiang Zaixun——

As soon as he walked into the set, the script supervisor stuffed a box of chocolates into his hand.

"Jaehoon! The ratings hero!"

The makeup artist smiled and sprayed him with an extra layer of setting spray:
"Today's special offer, making you even more handsome!"

Even the usually serious director Jiang Xinxiao nodded at him for the first time:

"Well done."

Kang Jae-hoon was flattered and almost bumped into Kim Ji-won who was passing by when he bowed to express his gratitude.

"Ouch, ratings hero, be careful~"

Jin Zhiyuan dodged with a smile and raised her chin towards somewhere:
"Someone has been peeking at the door since morning."

Jiang Zaixun followed her line of sight and looked——

Krystal was sitting in the rest area, pretending to concentrate on flipping through the script, but the slightly raised corners of her mouth betrayed her good mood.

Jiang Jae-hoon couldn't help but laugh.

——In the morning when the ratings exceeded 20%, even the air was sweet.
-
The nanny car drove smoothly in the night of Seoul.

Jiang Zaixun leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest. The crying scene he filmed today had almost exhausted all his energy, and his eyelids felt heavy as if they were filled with lead.

"Wipe it."

Jin Dayuan handed over a pack of wet wipes from the front: "My eyes are swollen."

"Thank you, brother."

Jiang Jae-hoon took the wet wipe and the cool touch made him sober up a little.

"By the way, your teacher asked you to help him receive the award tomorrow."

"Ok?"

Jiang Jae-hoon suddenly opened his eyes:
"What's wrong, teacher?"

"'When a Man Falls in Love' has reached the part where Han Taiyi is in the late stages of cancer. Your teacher hasn't even been home these past few days in order to maintain his condition."

Jin Dayuan sighed:
"Yesterday, when we were filming a scene where we were coughing up blood, the prop plasma ran out and he just bit through the mucous membrane in his mouth. He was still coughing up blood after the director called cut, which scared the crew quite a bit."

Kang Jae-hoon understood how Hwang Jung-min got into the role - in order to play the role of a terminally ill patient well, he was probably torturing himself with extreme methods.

"So the teacher's current mental state..."

"Very bad."

Jin Dayuan turned the steering wheel and turned onto the auxiliary road: "So he definitely won't be able to attend the Blue Dragon Awards tomorrow."

Jiang Zaixun suddenly straightened up, the seat belt hurting his collarbone:

"Best Actor?!"

"Nomination."

Jin Dayuan glanced at him in the rearview mirror:
"You can also take this opportunity to get acquainted with senior members of the film industry and get accustomed to the atmosphere of the film awards ceremony in advance."

"Do I need to prepare an acceptance speech?"

"Prepare for shit!"

Jin Dayuan cursed and laughed, slapping the steering wheel: "If you really win the prize, just read the cue card."

While waiting for the red light, he threw a folder over from the driver's seat:

"Just memorize this. It's all pre-written by the PR department."

Jiang Zaixun opened the folder and found several pages of standard answers:
If I win the award: "Thank you to the jury. This award belongs to the entire New World crew..."

If I lose the election: "Being nominated is a great honor..."

He closed the file with a mixture of laughter and tears:

“Isn’t this too official?”

"if not?"

"I think I should add a thank you to my master's wife."

"What do you call her?"

"Meihui..." Jin Dayuan almost stepped on the brakes: "Are you tired of living?"

"..."

Jiang Jae-hoon shrank his neck.

On the podium, whether he called Meihui, Master's Wife or the President, it all sounded weird.

Just follow the standard answer honestly.

As the car entered the tunnel, Jiang Zaixun suddenly remembered something in the dim light:
"I have a night scene to shoot tomorrow..."

"It's already been coordinated. Director Boo Seong-chul heard that you were going to represent Hwang Jung-min at the Blue Dragon Awards, so he immediately rescheduled your schedule."

"So refreshing?"

"nonsense!"

Jin Dayuan sneered:
"Do you think a TV drama director doesn't want to curry favor with people in the film industry? Besides, this is a great opportunity to promote 'The Heirs' for free."

As the car drove out of the tunnel, the night view of Seoul suddenly became bright.

Jiang Zaixun looked at the flashing neon lights outside the window and suddenly realized——

Tomorrow will be his first time to officially appear as a filmmaker at the top event of the Korean film industry.
-
The next day.

A high-end styling studio in Gangnam District, Seoul.

When Kim Dae-won pushed open the door, Kang Jae-hoon was surrounded by three stylists.

Jiang Zaixun saw Jin Dayuan walk in from the mirror, and his eyes lit up:
"elder brother!"

"do not move!"

The makeup artist pinched his chin and turned back.

Jin Dayuan threw his suit bag on the sofa and looked Jiang Zaixun up and down:
"Not bad, your skin condition is better than I thought."

Jiang Zaixun muttered incoherently:

"I secretly used three facial masks from Bible last night..."

After a while.

Jiang Zaixun stood in front of the full-length mirror in the styling room and tugged at his collar uncomfortably.

The stylist sister hurried forward to help him adjust the tightness of his tie.

"Is it okay to be loose or tight?"

Jiang Zaixun nodded honestly, his eyes fell on himself in the mirror——

The three-piece suit outlines the contours of broad shoulders and narrow waist, and the collar of the white shirt underneath is crisp, making the jawline more distinct.

"Nuna..."

Jiang Zaixun suddenly raised his hand.

"Ok?"

"Can I wear my own tie?"

"Let me see?"

Kang Jae-hoon immediately took out a navy blue twill tie from his bag - it was the birthday gift from Yoona.

The stylist took the tie and measured it against Jiang Zaixun's neck:
"This color combination really complements your skin tone."

She expertly tied the Windsor knot and stepped back to admire the result:

"Not bad, more personal touch than what we prepared."

Jin Dayuan stood aside with his arms folded, raised his eyebrows and said:
"When did you buy that Hermès? Did you start squandering it after your pay went up?"

“It’s…it’s a birthday present from a friend.”

"friend??"

Jin Dayuan suddenly remembered that this was a gift from Lim Yoona, and was about to say something about it, but when he saw the stylist beside him, he changed the subject:
"Okay, let's get going quickly. We still have to memorize the script on the way."

"Ah."

Half an hour later.

The nanny car was parked at the back entrance of the Peace Hall of Kyung Hee University.

"Brother, I don't have to walk the red carpet?"

"You're not a nominee, why are you walking the red carpet?"

"Oh……"

After passing security, the staff led them through a long corridor. The walls along the way were covered with huge photos of previous Blue Dragon Award winners. Jiang Zaixun unconsciously slowed down his pace and stopped in front of a photo.

In the photo, the young Hwang Jung-min is holding the Blue Dragon Trophy and smiling as brightly as a child.

That was the photo in 2005 when he won the Best Actor award for the first time for "You Are My Destiny".

The award ceremony was more spectacular than expected——

The crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome illuminated the entire venue with golden splendor, and the front row was filled with Chungmuro's top actors and directors.

Kang Jae-hoon's seat was in the middle back area.

As soon as he sat down, he heard a murmur of discussion behind him:

"Is that person from The Heirs..."

"Jiang Jae-hoon? Why is he here?"

"I heard he came here for senior Hwang Jung-min..."

"Tsk, a TV actor comes to a film awards ceremony to gain attention..."

"..."

Jiang Jae-hoon pretended not to hear and lowered his head to adjust his cuffs.

Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder.

"Jaehoon."

Jiang Zaixun turned around and was surprised to find that it was Jin Chengfan, the leader of the blasting team of "International Market":

"Team Leader Jin! You're here too?"

"I came with the crew of Snowpiercer."

Jin Chengfan laughed heartily, then suddenly lowered his voice and said:

"Ignore those gossips. They are just trash."

Jiang Zaixun nodded gratefully:

"By the way, Team Leader Jin, where is the restroom?"

"What's wrong? Are you so nervous that you have to pee? You weren't this nervous when we were filming the explosion scene."

"Haha... maybe I drank too much water."

Jiang Jae-hoon laughed dryly and followed the instructions through the corridor.

The backstage corridor is deeper than imagined, and the crystal chandelier casts tiny spots of light on the mirrored floor.

Suddenly, the crisp sound of high heels came from the corner.

Four girls in silver sequined miniskirts walked towards us, their skirts swaying with their steps, reflecting dazzling light under the lights.

——is a guest performer of the Miss A group.

Jiang Zaixun subconsciously leaned towards the wall to make way.

Fei, the leader, nodded politely, followed by Min and Jia. When the last member passed by—

"Agent Jiang?"

The sweet voice made Jiang Jae-hoon pause.

He turned his head and met a pair of eyes like glass lamps.

The corners of her eyes were filled with water, like petals soaked in morning dew, and even the air seemed to soften as her eyelashes fluttered.

"It's really you!"

Pei Xiuzhi covered her mouth in surprise: "I thought I recognized the wrong person."

Jiang Zaixun was stunned for two seconds, and carefully looked at the girl in front of him with exquisite makeup——

(This sound...)
(etc!)

Bae Suzy seemed to see through his thoughts and immediately made a gesture to keep quiet.

Jiang Jae-hoon suddenly stopped talking and swallowed back the words "the female customer wearing Fendi".

She looked up and down at Jiang Zaixun's suit, and finally stopped at his tie:
"It seems the career change was successful? IU even changed her tie to Hermès."

"Uh, thanks to you..."

Bae Suzy was about to say something when her manager called out from the end of the corridor:

"Suzy, it's time to get ready!"

"right away!"

Pei Xiuzhi responded and hurriedly nodded goodbye to Jiang Zaixun:

"The shop is already installed, come and visit when you have time."

"Ah? Oh... okay..."

Jiang Jae-hoon watched her jogging to catch up with her teammates, and then he remembered that he was going to the bathroom.

(It turns out that the person that night was actually Bae Suzy!)

(She actually still remembers me!)

This unexpected reunion relaxed his tense nerves a lot.

(End of this chapter)