Peninsula: The Deepest Affection in Jiangnan

Shen Yu, who had been following the little girl, also went up the stairs.

Near YG, or rather, near established entertainment companies, you'll find these 24-hour self-service practice rooms.

Rolling up paper is a common activity for children in East Asian countries.

Especially for the debut spots, which have an even lower chance than the college entrance exam, it's impossible not to scramble for them. You might be able to guess a few multiple-choice questions correctly if you have a flash of inspiration, but if your dancing skills are poor or your singing is terrible, you know immediately that you have no chance.

Among the three major entertainment companies and one black entertainment company, YG Entertainment is the most demanding in terms of basic skills.

SM is alright; as long as a member fits Lee Soo-man's aesthetic and persona, they're good to go. JYP needs talented people, but they crave more star-like individuals. HYBE has grown wildly, starting with Newjeans, and profoundly educated the K-pop scene on what it means to be rich and powerful.

YG employs the standard old-fashioned parenting style. If you don't want to be criticized by CEO Yang, then you'd better demonstrate your impeccable skills.

Therefore, many young people with dreams choose to roll up their sleeves near the YG building, and occasionally professional teachers, or even teachers from within YG, come to these places to give lessons.

It gives off the vibe of an after-school tutoring center.

Shen Yu went up to the second floor and walked in the corridor.

In this row of two-story buildings, there are eight rooms on both sides, all designed as dance practice rooms.

Shen Yu walked over to the only room that still had a light on.

"5, 6, 7, 8!"

The girl clapped in front of the mirror, repeating the dance over and over again.

It just so happens to be the dance moves from the recently popular song "Ditto".

Shen Yu watched Shen Xialan intently dance over and over again, and then changed to some classic, challenging dance moves.

If the Chae-yeon and Chaeryeong sisters from JYP Entertainment are considered gifted, then to become dancers as light as feathers, they must have practiced just as many times as anyone else.

Moreover, above these talented idols, the teachers at the dance studio are all exceptionally gifted individuals.

The street fighter has verified this.

In Shen Yu's eyes, Shen Xialan may not have that much talent in dancing, but in terms of singing ability, she is definitely in the top tier among YG Entertainment trainees.

She can be considered one of the top singers among the trainees in Seoul who did not debut.

Actually, YG values ​​dance skills to a certain extent, but sometimes vocal performance is more direct than high-intensity, high-amplitude dance.

Although Representative Yang herself is a good dancer.

Shen Yu recalled the image of Representative Yang dancing.

"Thinking about it this way, it's still easier to make a living in the Chinese entertainment industry."

Thinking back to the artists I managed during my MCN days, they were able to endure hardship before their debut, but at most they would kneel down. They had never experienced this kind of self-discipline and the kind of hardship that involves scaring themselves.

Especially in an era where physical appearance can wear down effort.

Once you have a following, you can build your persona. As long as your private behavior isn't exposed, nobody will care.

After all, many celebrities like to say, "Just focus on the image I project on screen; please separate it from my private life."

People only see the side that others want you to see.

Thinking about it this way, SM Entertainment's trainees have more of a Chinese entertainment industry model.

In terms of image management and packaging, SM Entertainment is far more sophisticated than other companies.

But even SM Entertainment trainees put in more effort and sweat than those internet celebrity girls, which is really...

It took Shen Yu a while to realize that he was lost in his past memories.

It's hard for people not to compare their past experiences with their present situation.

After all, we are all creatures of experience.

Looking at Shen Xialan, who was sitting on the floor humming a song and resting, Shen Yu decided to retreat quietly.

As she turned around, Shen Xialan looked up at the window of the practice room door.

"..."

If someone stands still in front of the door, it's actually quite obvious. Shen Xialan didn't feel anything when she was practicing dancing, but now that she's sitting on the floor resting, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Click~" The door opened from the inside.

"Teacher Shen Yu!"

"I saw you at the convenience store earlier and thought I'd say hello." Shen Yu wasn't nervous or intimidated at all; they were people he knew, and it wasn't some romance novel.

Seeing you practice dancing reminded me of some things from the past, and I just stood here and forgot to leave.

"Teacher, why haven't you gone home yet, it's so late?" Shen Xialan looked outside and then glanced at the clock hanging in the practice room.

Shen Yu spread his hands. "I just ran into you as I left the company. Didn't the company already give you guys the day off?"

A quick glance revealed a pillow on the only sofa in the practice room. "Are you planning to live here?"

Unable to resist scratching her pants, Shen Xialan said somewhat embarrassedly, "I just want to make the most of this last bit of time to improve a little more."

"And then you slept here?"

"I rented a practice room, and I don't want to waste the rest of my time." Shen Xialan understands her shortcomings, and as her debut date draws closer, she feels even more pressure.

Shen Yu understood why the other party didn't want to practice at the company.

"Would you like to get something to eat?"

The girl raised her head and looked at Shen Yu.

"Is this what we're eating for New Year's Eve?" Shen Yu pointed to the instant noodle packaging in the corner of the practice room.

I didn't care about her plans. Since we'd run into her, if she were a stranger, I could set aside my desire to help and respect her personal choice.

But Shen Xialan is one of Shen Yu's own people.

It would be better for Xia Lan's little body to stay home and sleep.

After turning off the lights, Shen Yu took Shen Xialan to a nearby soup restaurant that was still open. After eating, he took a taxi to send the girl home.

The last day of the old year has passed just like that.

……

In the new year, Shen Yu's "Somebody That I Used To Know" has seen a resurgence in popularity.

A private conversation with a Grammy judge from the West has surfaced. The judge said he was very impressed with Shen Yu's song and was planning to invite Shen Yu and Zheng Yaxuan as opening act guests at the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony.

During this period, Shen Yu did not release any videos of Xi Yao, nor did he continue to promote himself and Jeon Jungkook. Instead, his reputation began to recover as political correctness prevailed.

Many music YouTubers and music critics in Europe and America have started analyzing Shen Yu and creating related videos.

"OMG! How did this genius manage to remain hidden until now before being discovered?!"

"If people were to dig into the past of singer Shen Yu, they would find that he had already started adapting, arranging, and producing his own songs when he was only 13 years old! He is a musical prodigy! Yet, no one in Seoul has ever seen him."

"Do you understand? Those slick-haired, clown-like imitations, complete with cigarette ash and sexuality, are actually acts of desperation. This is a tragedy for Seoul musicians and the public! People can only see the hype, not the real music itself!"

When Shen Yu saw this comment, he almost spat out his coffee. He really hadn't thought that much about it; it was just because there were so many scandals about Jeon Jungkook that were easy to manipulate.

I wonder how Jungkook is doing this year, living in some apartment far away.

"He's different from those internet celebrities who only imitate stars. You can tell from his songs that he's an absolute musical genius!"

"I love Zheng Yaxuan's voice!" This was posted by Charlie Puth, who's been very active lately; I don't know if he's in love or just dumped. "Please give me the opportunity to work with her and her friends!"