Chapter Five: It's Not That Simple and Unfortunate

EXO's managers, Zhao Yalin, was already waiting there. After seeing Ji Kyeong-won being brought in, she didn't say much, just quietly looked at Park Na-hyun and the car they were riding in. After gree..., the Peninsula asteroid

After walking for about ten minutes, we arrived at the Chinese restaurant that Zhou Tzuyu had mentioned. It wasn't the kind of traditional Chinese style restaurant with ancient decorations he had imagined, but rather a modern design style. Overall, it looked pretty good and was considered an upscale mid-range restaurant.

After finding a private room, Ji Park Yuan, who was visiting for the first time, gave up her right to order. Sitting across from Chou Tzu-yu, she hesitated for a long time. As this was her turn to treat, after much deliberation, she finally ordered several dishes slowly and painstakingly.

These are all the dishes I had with my friends last time, and I thought they tasted pretty good.

It seems she was afraid that Chi Jingyuan might be unsatisfied later, so she specifically explained it.

The food arrived quickly, before the two of them could say a few words. Ji Jingyuan didn't waste any time either. He signaled with a nod and started eating. He had been busy since noon until just now, he didn't know if Zhou Tzuyu was hungry or not, but he was already starving himself.

The taste is indeed good. Chi Jingyuan also lived in Xia Guo for many years when he was a child and ate a lot of delicious local delicacies. The impression has always been very deep.

However, this restaurant did not adjust its menu to cater to the tastes of people on the Peninsula like other mainstream Chinese restaurants. Instead, it strives to present the most authentic flavors.

After the food was served, he didn't say much. He ate a whole bowl of rice, filling his starving stomach. Only then did he let out a long sigh, took a sip of water and started chatting while eating.

Zhou Tzuyu didn't seem very hungry. She nibbled at a bowl of rice for half an hour and hadn't finished half of it. On the contrary, she seemed more interested in talking and chatting. She held her chopsticks and didn't even touch her food, instead excitedly talking about her recent life and practice.

She made a few new friends recently and her progress has improved a lot. Her teacher praised her several times for that kind of good news.

She also said that the practice was very tiring, that dieting for her figure was grueling, and that she did face masks every day for fair skin. The local trainees who practiced with her rolled their eyes at her again and were always making sarcastic remarks behind her back.

What was your score on the trainee end-of-month assessment last December

Chi Jingyuan swallowed a mouthful of braised pork with relish, then looked at her and asked.

“Well…that's pretty good, you've improved a lot since last time.”

Zhou Tzuyu was taken aback for a moment, then didn't directly answer the question, her voice lacking confidence as she evaded it.

Ji Jingyuan could tell from her expression that her grades were average, and he was embarrassed to speak up.

"No, you just said your skills have improved a lot recently and your teacher praised you I even thought you had become a key trainee that the company was focusing on... So all that bragging was for nothing, you couldn't even pass the monthly assessment"

He gave Zhou Tzuyu a disdainful glance, curled his lip and shook his head, then picked up some food.

"I... I've definitely improved a lot, and I've only been practicing for a year. Many of them have been with the company for several years now. Of course, I can't compare to them."

Zhou Tzuyu was flustered by the other person's unapologetic gaze. She frowned and raised her voice, trying to explain.

"A year... A year isn't actually that short, you know. I won't tell you how long I've been practicing for, afraid it'll discourage you..."

"With your current level and progress, you're not even qualified to debut. Just wait."

Ji Jingyuan let out a soft hum, his gaze making Zhou Tzuyu feel agitated. These were facts she couldn't argue against, so after glaring at him for a long time, she could only angrily take a large bite of her food, sulking in silence.

Chi Jingyuan looked at her and chuckled softly, shaking his head. After taking a sip of water, he changed his tone:

However, a trainee's debut isn't solely based on skill. It also considers various other aspects. Excluding the influence of company backstage operations, a trainee's personal charm, such as appearance and physique, plays a significant role, even more so than skill at times.

"You seem to have the advantage here."

Ji Jingyuan's words were essentially a compliment on her appearance. Zhou Tzuyu heard it and suddenly felt a surge of happiness. She glanced at him, her lips curling into a smile, clearly delighted.

"What are you laughing at If you weren't so advantaged, I would have told you to go back to school ages ago and stop wasting time as a trainee."

I don't know why, but whenever Ji Jingyuan saw Zhou Tzuyu smile like that, he couldn't help but tease her a couple of times.

The person isn't angry either, they happily munched on their food with little bites.

"By the way, in a little over half a month, won't it be Chinese New Year How are you planning to spend it here all by yourself"

As he was almost full, Ji Jingyuan took the tissue that Zhou Tzuyu proactively handed him and wiped his mouth. Then, he seemed to remember something and asked.

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"My mother said she would come to see me when the time comes, and we will celebrate the Spring Festival together."

Zhou Tzuyu seems quite expectant.

"Alright then, just make the arrangements. " Chi Jingyuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He got up and stretched: "It's about time, let's get going. I have some things to deal with back at the company... One last question, are you sure you want to treat me"

"OK!"

Zhou Tzuyu nodded seriously, then called the waiter to pay the bill. She seemed to come from a pretty well-off family.

After Tzuyu finished buying, Jingyuan walked out of the room with his single shoulder bag on his back, and Tzuyu followed behind carrying her own bag.

This Chinese restaurant is doing very well. Our private room is located deeper inside, and there's a screen separating it from the main hall, making it quieter. However, at a glance, you can see that the main hall is already packed with people, bustling and noisy. The waiters serving the dishes are constantly running around, quite busy.

Chi Jingyuan, seeing the situation, put on a baseball cap and a mask to avoid being recognized by anyone. However, just as he put on the mask and hadn't fastened the strap behind his ears yet, a tentative voice suddenly came from behind him: "Jingyuanxi"

Although it's a question, the tone is quite sure, clearly recognizing him.

Chi Jingyuan heard the sound and turned around to look, his eyes scanning over, sure enough, it was an acquaintance.

She's Kong Shengyan, considered a longtime friend.

During the first time they met last year, she often took the initiative to send messages to Ji Jingyuan and occasionally invited him out for a meal. Her feelings were very obvious.

After Chi Jingyuan hinted that he was in a relationship, the other party gradually reduced their previous enthusiasm and initiative, returning to the normal boundaries of friends.

Although we've always kept in touch, the frequency has definitely decreased a lot compared to before. We also haven't seen each other for a while. I didn't expect to bump into you here at this Chinese restaurant of all places.

"Shengyan xi" Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

Ji Jingyuan looked at Kong Shengyan with some surprise, but after reacting, he curved the corners of his eyes. Although the mask covered most of his face, it could be seen that he was in a good mood.

Zhou Tzuyu, seeing that Chi Jingyuan had met an acquaintance, silently stood behind him, slightly bowing her head and using the corner of her eye to glance at the person in front of her.

"I wasn't sure just now, but I didn't expect to meet you here, Jingyuan... "

Kong Seung Yeon was also clearly very happy. She walked a few steps forward and smiled brightly at them. After greeting them, she saw Zhou Tzuyu behind them and curiously asked: "Are you here to have dinner with friends"

Her black down jacket was unzipped. A slim-fitting undershirt underneath hugged her figure, accentuating her curves.

"I heard the summer dishes here are very good, let's try them..." Chi Jingyuan nodded and then briefly introduced Zhou Tzuyu: "This is a friend of mine, she's still a trainee and hasn't debuted yet."

"Anihaseyo." Tzuyu bowed and greeted, Seoryoung smiled and returned the greeting.

"This is..."

Chi Jingyuan noticed that Kong Shengyan was followed by a girl. She had short hair which looked quite cool, she had a good figure, and she seemed very familiar.

"This is my younger sister, Yu Dingyan. She's also a trainee, but at JYP. She's my real little sister."

Kong Shengyan proactively pulled Yu Dingyan from behind to the front and enthusiastically introduced him to Ji Jingyuan, finally specifying that he was her younger brother.

Upon hearing that she was a JYP trainee, Ji-seong immediately knew. He said how familiar she looked, having seen her performance at the previous trainee showcase and two days ago when he went to JYP with Park Jin-young to watch 6IX dance, this girl was there too.

He is obviously a trainee who is highly valued by JYP, and he's almost ready to debut.

“Anihaseyo…” Yu Dingyan looked a bit nervous, bowing deeply in a very standard manner. Ji Jingyuan chuckled and returned the bow, nodding at her.

Since she's a friend's younger sister, he would naturally be a bit more sincere. While not overly enthusiastic, he wouldn't put on the same kind of stiff, business-like smile he gives strangers.

Yu Dingyan and Chi Jingyuan exchanged greetings before standing aside, glancing at the close-by Chi Jingyuan with a mix of excitement and observation. At the same time, he took a moment to assess Zhou Ziyu who was following behind him.

When she saw that face, she had some experience, because Yu Dingyan knew this girl. She was a trainee of their jyp, and because she was pretty, she seemed to be quite famous.

It never occurred to her how a mediocre Xia Guo female trainee could have met the popular king of EXO standing right in front of her.

He didn't ask why the sisters had different surnames. He figured Kong Seung-yeon probably took an artistic name. He glanced at each sister, nodding slightly to himself in thought.

The genes are really good, both sisters have standard bodies and features, and their temperament is not bad either. In terms of recognition, I feel that younger sister Yu Dingyan is more recognizable than her older sister, Chi Jingyuan. That short hair is really eye-catching, and it suits her very well.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Chi Jingyuan said he had some things to attend to back at the company and was preparing to leave. Kong Shengyan sensed the other party's intention and finally took the initiative to ask: "Jingyuan xi, do you have any time recently"

Her words were pretty clear, she wanted to ask Chi Jingyuan out.

"I've been pretty busy lately, besides group stuff there's also a personal project and a collaboration with JYP. I might be unavailable these two days..."

Chi Jingyuan subtly indicated that he had a lot on his plate recently, and he wasn't lying; he was indeed very busy.

Although it's been a long time, he didn't completely shut the door. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Around the end of the month, close to Chinese New Year, things should be better. If I have time, I'll message you."

Originally, when Kong Seon-yeon heard that Ji Kyung-won refused, although her expression was still smiling, her eyes dimmed for a moment. However, after listening to the whole thing, she immediately nodded happily: "Then it's settled."

"Well, we'll go first then."

"Bye bye."

Goodbye, seniors.

Two people waved goodbye, while Tzuyu and Yeonjun bowed again.

Having seen Ji Jingyuan and Zhou Tzuyu walk past the corner and disappear into the business district, the two sisters turned and walked towards the restroom. They hadn't finished their meal yet and had originally come out of the private room to go to the restroom.

"Oni, do you still have feelings for Jingyuan"

As Yu Dingyan walked, she curiously asked, "Pool Jingyuan left She just disappeared after being so nervous before. Now she seems relaxed and carefree."

She was quite attached to her older sister and couldn't help but ask.

“Of course I have a good impression of him, after all, he's such an excellent boy. His appearance and figure are impeccable. He's also a very popular idol and actor. His personality in private is also very interesting and fun to be around. He's a great guy that any girl would probably have some kind of good feeling for. Wouldn't you like this type of man"

Kong Shengyan responded naturally and matter-of-factly, then looked at her younger sister and asked.

“Well, it’s true like that… But how could a trainee like me think so much Even if it's good feelings, it's the kind of fans have for idols, it's different from you, Oni.”

Yu Dingyan, hearing this, flipped through his memories about Chi Jingyuan and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Although the good feelings are still there, so much time has passed that they have definitely faded... Since she already has a boyfriend, I definitely won't go chasing after her anymore. After all, no one is indispensable to anyone else. You know, both of us are quite popular."

Kong Shengyan shrugged her shoulders, and her tone had changed quite a bit from before.

"Then, Unnie, you were just..."

Yu Dingyan, hearing this, felt a little puzzled about his older sister's enthusiasm and forwardness towards Chi Jingyuan before.

“Sigh, the entertainment industry on the peninsula isn't just about debuting. Debut is just the beginning. Afterwards, whether it's advertisements, acting, or any other resources, it all depends on your company's support and your personal network connections. Without these, you can't even get started. The competition is too intense.”

Kong Shengyan sighed.

Since she debuted last year as a commercial model and actress, she took on a few small gigs but hasn't had any substantial resources. Her path as an artist has been bumpy, and to this day, she still hasn't made it big.

Needless to say, Kong Seung-yeon has been feeling down lately. After being repeatedly squeezed out of several gigs due to personal connections, she spent a few months unemployed in her dorm room. During this time, her understanding of the entertainment industry became increasingly clear and profound.

She did not directly answer her younger sister's question, but instead talked about her own personal feelings:

"Ding Yan, you don't know, Jing Yuan is famous for being royalty at S company. His background is deep, and all the staff in the company know him. And he has a lot of connections in the film and television industry. He was able to land a role in the drama "The Heirs" within a year of his debut as an idol. Doesn't that prove something"

"It's been rumored in the industry that he got the role by pulling strings and squeezing out Lee Min Ho. This kind of connections, other people would have already lined up to make friends with him. And I was already friends with him, is there anything wrong with being a little enthusiastic..."

Kong Shengyan looked at her younger sister's youthful face and sighed.

"Debutting as an entertainer isn't that simple, you'll find out later..."

…………

Ji Jingyuan and Zhou Tzuyu walked for a few minutes after leaving the Chinese restaurant, but at the fork in the road, they went their separate ways and said goodbye to each other.

Ji Jingyuan said he would wait a while and have something to do, so he didn't say much before sending her back. Although Zhou Tzuyu is not yet an adult, she has lived alone on the peninsula for over a year and has strong self-reliance skills.

He doesn't believe that after over a year, he's still lost near the company.

If Tzuyu gets lost again, then either she's doing it on purpose, or she really isn't very bright.

Ji Jingyuan naturally wouldn't think Zhou Tzuyu was actually stupid.

This girl, though she likes to giggle foolishly and act like a meek little lamb in front of him.

But in reality, Ji Liyuan was very clear that Zhou Tzuyu was actually quite smart. She understood many things clearly in her heart, she just didn't show it.

It's really not easy for a little girl to struggle alone in a foreign country. Both mental strength and perseverance are important. Even if the beginning may be a bit clueless, after going through a lot, she will definitely grow up. The truly innocent ones have long been excluded and crying to go home to their parents.

Of course, he could also see that some of Tzuyu's expressions and gestures revealed that she was indeed quite close to Ji-won.

I wonder where her journey as a trainee on the peninsula will lead...

Ji Jingyuan sighed inwardly, sent a message to Pu Zaixian, and quickly got into the car to rush to the company.

The place they were eating was still a bit of a distance away, probably half an hour by foot. He had to rush back and didn't have time to walk.

It's already almost mid-January, and the two most prestigious award ceremonies in the Korean music industry, the Golden Disc Awards and the Seoul Music Awards, are about to be held. EXO has been practicing hard for the stages of these two award ceremonies recently.

This time, they didn't prepare any special stage performances. They just performed their usual "wolf" and "Roar". Although there were no new moves added, practice is still definitely necessary.

These two award ceremonies are half a notch more prestigious than last year's a and aa awards, especially since their grand prizes are widely recognized by industry professionals throughout the Peninsula music scene, as well as all general audiences. Receiving one is considered one of the greatest honors.

However, after EXO won two major awards in 2013, they now have confidence and composure, unlike the nervous rookie image they had last year.

And looking back on the entire year of 2013, no other group could really stand up to them. The power of "Growl" truly made everyone step aside. In any award ceremony's major prize, at least this year, they EXO were the most popular candidate, without a doubt.

Chi Jingyuan sat in the back seat of the nanny car, leisurely browsing his phone after a satisfying meal.

At this time, he was looking at photos of Jennie on Instagram.

Back in December 10th, Bae Joohyun was officially announced as a trainee of ** Rookies' second batch. While Kang Seulgi debuted earlier, on December 3rd, as the first batch.

So-called "srookies" public trainees are those who are closely watched by the company. The company will publicly reveal these trainees and regularly share recordings of their practice sessions, daily lives, etc. on their SNS accounts. This allows viewers and fans to get to know them in advance, accumulating popularity and attention.

Since her public debut, s has uploaded quite a few photos of herself practicing on social platforms like Facebook and Itter. While the heat isn't extremely high, it's still decent. Though she certainly doesn't have the popularity of established artists, s has a large fanbase who are very supportive. So there's a good amount of attention from fans for these new trainees under her agency as well.

Chi Jingyuan is now looking at photos of his friends and making comments in his mind.

Pei Joo-hyuk seems to be well-regarded, with quite a few photos of her. However, Ji-young could tell at once that these photos were carefully edited and the angles were well chosen, showcasing Pei Joo-hyuk's best features very effectively. The comments below are also quite positive.

After looking at a few, he realized that the uploaded photos of Jennie were mostly half-body shots, and not even a full-body shot could be found. It seemed like the photographers were very aware of their senior's strengths and weaknesses, choosing to highlight the former while downplaying the latter.

Jeon Seyeon's popularity is not as high as that of Kim Jennie. Her uploaded photos don't have many highlights.

Of course, she has a full-body picture.

Looking at it, a hot topic notification suddenly popped up on his phone. Chi Jingyuan glanced at it, surprised for a moment before involuntarily frowning.

Super Junior member Ryeowook's father, and grandparents were involved in a car accident and passed away. Upon hearing the news, Ryeowook rushed from his military service to the hospital where his family is being cared for.

This news is really surprising, Ji Jingyuan clicked in and took a serious look.

Lito and his relationship are pretty good, they debuted at the exo showcase hosted by Lito. This SJ captain is also a very social person with many connections, he's very enthusiastic towards seniors and juniors alike.

He was also the first person to exchange contact information with Ji-yeong in SJ, they exchanged contacts at the showcase when he debuted. After that, whenever he encountered important things, he would receive blessings and caring text messages from Lita. In terms of human relationships, the other party really handles it very well, and feels a bit like Yoona Lin.

Although we're not very close, I'd say we're friends or rather good seniors and juniors.

After reading this post, Chi Jingyuan clicked on several similar news articles. He found that although they all reported on the death of family members, the reasons were varied. He then actively searched online forums for more information.

After a while, Chi Jingyuan discovered that this matter was not as simple as it seemed. Some more authoritative websites published that Li Te's father and grandparents did not die in a simple car accident, but had deeper secrets.

"Alas."

Chi Jingyuan closed his phone, sighing helplessly. Such misfortune befalling anyone would be unbearable pain, and he didn't know how this brother could get through it.

He considered it for a moment and didn't send a greeting message directly. He figured the other party probably wasn't in the mood to look at it right now, so he'd wait a bit longer before sending it.

Qi Jingyuan stopped playing on his phone and sat silently, chin resting on his hand, watching the cityscape whizz by outside the window.

…………

"The company has communicated with me, and they hope that the progress of your cooperation with JYP can be accelerated."

"Hurry up faster The time is already tight, and the progress of recording the songs recently hasn't been smooth. I feel like half a month isn't enough."

Chi Jingyuan, upon hearing this, became a little annoyed and grumbled into his phone.

At this time, he was at company s, and after practicing the stage with the members for a few days, just as they were about to go out, he received a call from Park Jaehyun, who told him about some of the recent company's new arrangements for him.

“Because your popularity and buzz are very high in Xia Guo, although you went there for a period of time last year to participate in activities, it was still somewhat inadequate. Invitations to you continue to pour in.”

"And the company and its partners in Xia Guo are working on a new schedule for you. Jingyuan, you have a good chance of performing at some important gala events on several major TV stations in Xia Guo during the Spring Festival."

"Once operational, this will be important for the company's market penetration there, and for your personal recognition."

So they want you to speed things up, finish everything a week before the Lunar New Year, so that you can go to Xia Guo for the activities.

Park Jae-hyeon explained it, making Ji Jingyuan feel better.

After considering it, he still insisted on his opinion: "No, the current time is already not enough. Speeding up the progress would be just perfunctory, and many details wouldn't meet my requirements."

"I still have high expectations for this song. At least in the peninsula market, it's sure to achieve considerable success. It can't just be wasted like this..."

“Bro, you should talk to the company side about this. I can’t speed up my progress any further. Either we have to take on fewer schedules in Xia Guo, or I can go to Xia Guo at the scheduled time, but that requires discussing with JYP. We might need to push back the release date of the collaboration single by about a week. Anyway, this song definitely needs careful production and we can't just rush things.”

"Alright, I understand what you mean. I'll communicate with the company side. There shouldn't be any problems. Unless something unexpected happens, we should choose the latter option. After all, the market in Xia Guo is too large."

Park Jaehyun's tone was confident, he could easily anticipate s's reaction and choice.

"By the way, Jingyuan."

Before hanging up, Park Jae-hyun remembered something and quickly said, “Lee Soo-man and the s Records department also passed on a message. They said your EXO mini-album’s pre-production work is almost done. They want you to hurry and give them the song demos. They sounded pretty urgent.”

"Everything's piled up together... Alright, bro, I get it. I'll make time."

Qi Jingyuan was a little agitated and responded into the phone.

"Well, of course I trust you."

"Then, I'll go like that. See you."

Hanging up the phone, Chi Jingyuan closed his eyes and let out a long breath, adjusting his mindset.

It was something that had already been agreed upon, so there was nothing to complain about. It's just that they all happened to be together at the same time, making him feel a little sudden and rushed.

He shook his head, Chi Jingyuan carrying a single shoulder bag towards the elevator. He still had to go to JYP's place to continue working later.

At the elevator entrance, I waited for a while. With a ‘ding dong’ sound, the elevator door opened and a figure walked out. He came face to face with Chi Jingyuan.

As soon as Chi Jingyuan saw the person coming, he stopped his steps of getting on the elevator and took the initiative to greet them:

"Taeyeon unnie, what a coincidence"

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkly had a group recording for a radio variety show scheduled next, but when he looked at the schedule and time in the afternoon, after some consideration, he directly told his manager that he needed to...