Peninsula: I created the golden age of girl groups

"Yuhe?"

"Kang Woo-hyuk!"

The sound seemed to come through a thick curtain of water, indistinct and distant.

Jiang Yuhe suddenly came to his senses.

Inside the studio.

The scorching light beat down on their faces, the echoes of their boisterous laughter still lingered, and an eerie silence hung in the air.

There were countless gazes... fixed intently on him.

Including Cai Yan, who was standing directly opposite, her expression already showing signs of embarrassment...

"Hey, Jiang Yuhe!"

Cai Yan frowned, looking reproachful. "While I may not be a stunning beauty, I'm not so boring as to make someone zone out right here, am I?"

"Of course not!"

Jiang Yuhe blurted out instinctively, quickly glancing at the scene.

From his side and behind, Yoo Jae-suk was looking at him, his brows furrowed and his face showing concern.

Kim Jong-kook was to his left, looking helpless and leaning slightly forward, as if ready to save the day at any moment.

Kang Ho-dong, on the other side, grinned and waited for the show to begin.

This is the recording site of "X-MAN".

The time was... February 2007.

"Of course!" game segment.

But Jiang Yuhe, in the golden three seconds after Cai Yan asked the question, froze like a fool.

"Why is that?"

Cai Yan persisted, but her tone had softened considerably.

Since it was a TV show recording, she didn't want to make the atmosphere too awkward.

Jiang Yuhe took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and bowed with a forced smile, "It's all because Nuna looks... absolutely stunning today!"

He reached out and pointed to the spotlight beside him, "Just now, the moment the light shone down, it dazzled me. I thought it was some kind of goddess, and my mind went completely blank... I'm so sorry!"

After he finished speaking, he bowed at a ninety-degree angle, his movements perfectly executed.

The room fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter again.

"Hey! That brat!"

Kang Ho-dong pointed at Kang Woo-hyuk, stomped his foot exaggeratedly, then turned and glared at Yoo Jae-suk, "Did you teach him? Did you teach him? How could you say such cheesy things!"

"I really can't teach that!"

Yoo Jae-suk waved his hands repeatedly, then stepped forward and put his arm around Kang Woo-hyuk's shoulder, smiling at the camera, "But that's just how our Woo-hyuk is, he tends to speak the truth when he's nervous! But then again, Chae Yeon-hee really does look radiant today, doesn't she?"

"Of course!"

The guests understood immediately and quickly joined in the commotion.

Cai Yan's face visibly flushed red. She covered her mouth and glared at Jiang Yuhe reproachfully, "You smooth talker! Don't do that again!"

The crisis is over.

The MCs then took over the conversation and moved on with the process.

Jiang Yuhe continued to smile and cooperated by making the expected responses.

But he still gets distracted from time to time...

The main reason was that the palpitation he felt just moments before was so real that it made him feel like something was about to happen!

……

"Cut! Twenty-minute halftime break!"

As soon as the PD's voice came on, the atmosphere instantly relaxed, and the guests and staff chatted and laughed in twos and threes before leaving the studio one after another.

Jiang Yuhe stood still, preparing to move with the crowd.

"Yuhe."

A gentle voice rang out.

He turned his head and saw Yoo Jae-suk handing him a can of coffee.

It's icy.

"Thank you, Jae-seok hyung."

Jiang Yuhe took the coffee and gulped it down, temporarily suppressing the anxiety in his heart.

Yoo Jae-suk didn't rush to leave. Instead, he sat down on a bench next to him and sipped his drink.

After a few seconds, he lowered his voice and asked, "What happened? That kind of basic mistake just now is not like your usual level."

"I don't know either, it just suddenly..." Jiang Yuhe smiled bitterly, unsure how to explain.

"Dreaming again?"

"I'm sorry, brother, I..." Jiang Yuhe lowered his head with a look of shame.

"I don't want you to apologize."

Yoo Jae-suk quickly waved his hand, his tone softening slightly, "I'm worried about your recent condition. It's not just today; it was the same when we recorded 'Come Play' last time. When we talked about music, which is your strongest subject, you stumbled twice in a row. This is just... so abnormal!"

He paused, then lowered his voice further: "Have you been under too much pressure lately? Or... what about your company...?"

He didn't continue, but they both understood the implication.

Jiang Yuhe's company is called Xingshuo Entertainment.

The name sounds impressive, but the entire company only has a dozen or so people, crammed into half a floor of an old office building in the Jiangnan District.

The artist department is even more depressed.

Besides him, there were only two boy groups that debuted last year, which flopped quietly.

His role in "X-Man" was actually a stroke of pure luck:

At the end of last year, he participated in the recording of a program as a backup dancer for a singer.

And coincidentally, a guest was absent, so the PD randomly picked him up to fill in. To put it bluntly, he was just there to make up the numbers.

Unexpectedly, her innate sense of humor, coupled with her perfect ability to catch jokes, led to a small surge in viewership after that episode aired.

Discussions about him are rampant across various online communities.

And then... he became a semi-regular guest on X-Man.

Although it's called semi-permanent, he's really just a substitute. He fills in when someone takes leave, and waits quietly when the position is full.

Even so, for Jiang Yuhe at this moment, it was like a windfall.

"Things at the company... are fine."

Jiang Yuhe shook his head, forcing a smile. "If I had to say... it's because X-Man is almost over, and I feel a little... empty inside."

Upon hearing this, Yoo Jae-suk also fell silent.

As early as the beginning of this year, the production team had already internally announced that due to the continued decline in ratings and the aging of the format, "X-MAN" would end its production this year.

Although there has been no official announcement, people in the industry basically already know.

"The show... always comes to an end."

Yoo Jae-suk stood up and gently patted his shoulder. "The important thing is to keep moving forward. You're still young and have potential. Besides... variety show skills are something you can't have in the first place. Don't trap yourself in one show."

"I understand, brother," Jiang Yuhe nodded and replied in a low voice.

He understands the principles.

But the question is... where can he go?

It's been almost two years since he transmigrated here, but he still often feels disoriented.

One moment he was burning the midnight oil typing away at his computer, the next he was a nobody at a small company in the peninsula.

However, the original owner's memories were too fragmented, so much so that even now, he could only piece together some scattered information: name, age, family background, long years as a trainee...

It was so bland it was almost pale.

As for personal feelings and interpersonal relationships, they are even more vague and unclear.

But the only clear memory is of Park So-yeon.

The girl who grew up with him and would blink frantically when she was nervous...

At this moment, she has already passed the rigorous tests with her outstanding abilities and become a prospective member of Girls' Generation.

The two last contacted each other at the beginning of the year.

On the other end of the phone, Su-yeon's voice was full of excited joy, and she kept chattering away.

"Yuhe! We're starting our intensive training camp next month! The coach said if everything goes well, maybe this summer we can... oh well, I can't say for sure!"

"Debut song? Rehearsals have already started! Song title? Hehe, that's a secret!"

At that time, she was full of hope.

Little did they know what thorns fate had laid at the turning point.

In the future that Kang Woo-hyuk knew, she ultimately did not debut as a member of Girls' Generation.

Instead, she turned away at the last minute, joined a group called T-ara, experienced a brief period of glory, and then fell into an abyss from which she could never recover.

Countless images kept flashing through his mind, like some kind of premonition.

"Woo Hyuk?"

Yoo Jae-suk's voice rang out again, pulling him back to reality.

"Jae-seok hyung?"

"I'm talking to you..."

Yoo Jae-suk looked at him helplessly, "Look at you, spacing out again! What's wrong? Tell me the truth, are you feeling unwell?"

"No...no."

Jiang Yuhe shook his head, trying to appear normal. "It's probably just... I haven't been resting well lately, and I'm a little dazed."

Yoo Jae-suk stared at him for a few seconds, clearly not believing him, but did not press him further.

After a moment of silence, he glanced at the time, then stood up. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he turned around and said in a low voice.

"Don't rush off after we finish recording today. There's a dinner party tonight, I'll take you with me."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yuhe's face for a moment, then emphasized again, "Dress smartly, and... be alert. Understand?"

Jiang Yuhe was suddenly stunned.

Dinner?

He had never been in this situation before.

He knows his own limitations; to put it nicely, he's a semi-regular guest, but in reality, he's dispensable.

Being allowed to bow and say goodbye to the seniors after the show ended was already considered a great courtesy.

To be personally selected and brought along by someone of Yoo Jae-suk's stature... the implications are self-evident.

It's worth noting that Yoo Jae-suk is now a top-tier figure in the variety show industry, holding numerous awards.

"Brother Jae-seok, I..."

A surge of heat rose in his throat, and Jiang Yuhe's voice became somewhat hoarse.

"Don't say anything unnecessary."

Yoo Jae-suk raised his hand, looking serious, and said, "Let's skip the pleasantries. Although the show is about to end, we still have to keep going. In this industry, sometimes connections are more useful than talent. It's always good to know more people. Especially..."

He paused, then continued, "Your current situation..."

He didn't continue speaking, but Jiang Yuhe understood.

A minor celebrity with no background, no representative works, and barely maintaining popularity through exposure on variety shows...

After the show ends, it will likely be like a small pebble thrown into the Han River, not even making a ripple.

"Thank you, brother... really, thank you."

Jiang Yuhe took a deep breath, bowed, and became extremely solemn.

Yoo Jae-suk smiled and patted him on the shoulder forcefully. "Just keep it in mind. Do your best tonight, don't be nervous. You have talent, don't waste it!"

After saying that, he didn't say anything more and turned to walk towards the PD.

With little time left in the intermission, he needed to go over the script for the second half of the show.

Jiang Yuhe stood there, gazing at the not-so-tall figure, his heart filled with emotion.

Just then, his cell phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

Jiang Yuhe took out his phone, and the screen lit up, showing three missed calls, all from the same person.

Park So-yeon!

The most recent call was just fifteen minutes ago, precisely the moment he inexplicably drifted off during the recording.

In an instant, his heart sank, and he subconsciously pressed the redial button.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

Just when he thought no one would answer, the call went through.

The expected cheerful sound did not occur.

All that came from the other end of the microphone was a low, suppressed sob, as if someone were tightly covering their mouth.

"So-yeon?"

Jiang Yuhe's heart clenched, and he hurriedly asked, "Suyan, what... what's wrong?"

His response was a suffocating silence.

A few seconds later, a familiar voice rang out, hoarse and nasal, even more heartbreaking than her signature sobbing.

"Yuhe..."

"...I think...I can't hold on much longer."