Chapter 83: Won't You Fire Me?

or visuals combined with his naturally deep bass voice made for a pleasant listening experience in the well-rehearsed live performance. At least among idols, he was qualified and didn't appear too lac..."Nayeon..."

Seeing the restroom door tightly shut before him and hearing muffled sobs coming from inside, Yu Dingyan gently knocked on it and then lowered his voice to call out.

Lin Na-yeon had been inside for quite a while. Everyone else knew what she was doing in there, and Yu Deok-yoon of course knew too. But after sitting on the sofa in the living room for a few minutes, he couldn't help but worry and came to take a look.

After the third episode of aired on the 19th, the show gained a lot of attention due to the addition of Park Kyung-won and Suzy as judges. Especially with Park Kyung-won's presence, the survival show, which had been struggling since its premiere, saw a significant increase in traffic and discussion.

...However, the show is actually quite well-made. Although JYP's current financial situation has resulted in a lower production budget, meaning that some sets and costumes are not very elaborate, the reality show format and process are still fresh and interesting. The audience voting system is engaging, and the trainees' quality is actually quite good.

Therefore, after injecting a large amount of traffic and new viewers, they were able to retain a considerable portion of that traffic, transforming it into new audiences for the program.

The past two days, every member felt that the attention they were receiving was increasing. The number of votes on ilkAPP was also noticeably growing, giving these female trainees a sense of "becoming famous." Occasionally, even walking on the street, they would be recognized. This change made their moods significantly better.

It's a pity that some people are in the complete opposite situation.

Mina is just...

When the third episode just finished airing and she saw that the ratings were improving and the online discussion was increasing, she was still very cheerful and happy, like everyone else.

What she didn't expect was that the wind direction would change drastically soon. The attention of many viewers and passersby was shifted to her out-of-control facial expressions, and under Alice's leadership, countless people began a frenzied attack on her.

In a very short time, she was verbally abused severely.

Although it was sudden, it was her first time experiencing this kind of thing. Even though she wasn't in a good mood, she initially thought it would just pass. However, as time went on, it got worse and worse.

But now it's already the third day, and after being insulted and attacked by so many people, she finally couldn't bear it anymore. Although she had endured and cheered up for two days, her emotions were a bit on the verge of collapse.

"Oh…"

After Yu Dingyan's knock, the only response was another wave of sobbing from inside the bathroom.

The howling cry from earlier, right when I just walked into the bathroom, has now changed. The sound is stifled and heavy, like it's holding back an ocean of sorrow.

"Oh..."

Recalling Im Nayeon's usual vivacity and cheerfulness, then considering how she had been anxiously uneasy and burdened all day yesterday and today, even Yoo-jeong at the door couldn't help but sigh. She fully witnessed her relative Unnie's plight.

Every person on YouTube uploaded their personal introduction video, which was basically an interview or showcasing their skills, like some kind of K-pop performance. At first, because the show wasn't very popular, no one really watched it and the click count was low.

However, Lim Na-yeon's personal introduction video was one of the more standout ones. Although its click count was still average, it had the highest viewership among them all. The few comments below the video were mostly praise, such as "So lively," "Bunny teeth are adorable," and "Comeback soon! We'll always support you."

Although she hasn't debuted yet, she already has some fans who really like her. They often leave comments to encourage and express their anticipation, which always puts Lin Na-yeon in a good mood. Her desire to debut is growing stronger every day.

Others are similar too. These trainees privately often check their video views and comments, as well as some online discussions about the program, which makes them feel a sense of accomplishment.

However, the comment section of Lim Na Yeon's personal videos, which used to be a place for self-encouragement and communication with a small number of fans, has now been taken over by Alice and some passersby.

"What a disgrace, how can someone like this debut"

Get eliminated ASAP, I feel sick seeing you, you single-handedly ruined this show.

"Dare to show us disrespect, XO You're asking for it! Damn you, you smelly %^&!"

"People who are rude and disrespectful to their elders are trash, no matter where they are."

"Die! Die! Die! Die!"

The previous encouragement and support are nowhere to be seen. Now, looking at Lim Na-yeon's comment section, all that remains are various insults and slanders, all highly aggressive and even vulgar messages flooding the screen. Not a single positive comment can be found.

These bloody and chilling words made Yu Dingyan feel heavy in his heart when he read them, and he found them quite frightening.

Even worse, JYP's official account posted a message about the show, or else they would boycott the program.

This is no longer simply personal attacks, but aims to completely eliminate this girl's hope of debuting.

It's just insults, which are alright. I can bear them and let them pass. But this is something that truly strikes at the core of what matters to Lim Na-yeong.

Although many people probably only know the girl, Lim Na-yeon, for less than half a day, and most have only seen a snippet of a video.

But maybe they really just dislike her that much...

Although Yu Dingyan and the others had been trainees for so many years and had seen many similar things, watching the commotion and gossip was still quite interesting. They could even excitedly comment with their friends.

But when it really happens to you, you realize the ferocity and cruelty of this kind of cyberattack. It's truly a burden that ordinary people find difficult to bear.

Although trainees are part of the entertainment industry, they're only on the fringes. They don't get to experience much. This time, however, they got a real taste of what the artist world is truly like.

Thinking of her relative's situation, she was very worried. Although there was no response inside, Yu Dingyan did not leave, she kept standing at the door, waiting. After a while, the crying gradually subsided.

">”

A few sniffs were heard, but they were quickly drowned out by the sound of water rushing dramatically. A few seconds later, there was a click as the doorknob turned, and Lim Na-yeon's face appeared before her.

The hair at the back was combed very neatly, but the hair at the front was obviously a little messy. The eye sockets were sunken and somewhat swollen, and his face was covered in traces of tears. His cheeks seemed to have become rough from rubbing his eyes repeatedly, his nose was red and swollen, and there were still some remnants of dried snot on it.

It's obvious that they cried very hard.

After walking out, Lim Na Yeon glanced at Yu Dingyan, then hurried to the nearby washbasin, turned on the tap and started washing her face.

As for Yu Dingyan, it's fine. She definitely doesn't want others to see her like this.

The sound of trickling water rose and fell, icy droplets washing away the dirt from her face. But the bare, washed face only highlighted her pallor.

And the feeling of distress and grievance is not so easily washed away.

"It's okay..."

Yu Dingyan sat down casually and looked at Lim Na-yeon, saying a meaningless word of comfort: "Don't look at those comments online for now, in two days the heat will die down and everything will be fine..."

"Boy group fans are like this, EXO's fans are still the craziest inside, this time Ji-sung..."

"It's obviously unfair, because he favors her just because she's close to Tzuyu. We all can see it, right"

When it comes to mentioning Ji-seong, Lim Na-yeon's emotions, which had just calmed down a bit, became agitated again. She took a sniff and, with her neck stiff, stubbornly opened her mouth as if she wanted to vent the grievances in her heart: "Besides, I didn't say anything either, just a little surprised. Why did they scold me like that Their words were so harsh... I want to scold them back too, gosh darn it..."

Speaking of this, I can't help but think about the relentless verbal abuse and insults I've been subjected to these past few days. My heart aches with sadness, and tears well up in my eyes just thinking about it.

"Alright, alright, it's unfair, it's unfair..." Seeing this, Yu Dingyan quickly patted her and soothed her a few times. He spoke softly, like he was comforting a child.

But actually, in her heart, she thought, 'Even if it's unfair, Chi Jingyuan has the right to do this.'

And not managing expressions well is indeed a mistake.

But Yu Dingyan certainly wouldn't say that. In terms of stance, she is definitely on the same side as Lin Na-yeon.

Everywhere is filled with … fans of "Light of the Pool" who are cursing me. Don't they have anything better to do They're really sick in the head.

"My mom saw it all and even called to ask what happened..."

After her emotions calmed down, Im Nayoung couldn't help but start venting, clearly harboring a great deal of resentment towards Ji Kyeong-won and the Alices.

"And a lot of people have been saying I'm ugly…" She stopped mid-sentence, her heart feeling a little uneasy. At the same time, she felt very uncomfortable.

Many people in the entertainment industry have body image anxiety and place great importance on their appearance. This is true for actors, idols, and trainees alike, and this extends to Lin Na-yeon as well.

"How is that possible You're so popular among the male trainees, several of them have crushes on you, and the company values you so much..." Yu Dingyan quickly comforted.

That's true. Lim Na-yeon was very popular among trainees. Her strong skills and lively personality made her very likable, and she was considered one of the most sought-after female trainees by the guys.

Some others who enjoy similar treatment are, like Minase Minato and Asahina Sumika. Both of them were known for their beauty among the male trainees at JYP, they were quite popular with the boys and there were many who secretly admired them and wanted to ask them out.

After a few scolding words and venting, she felt a little better. However, Lin Na Yeon remembered the real matter, her expression became uneasy in an instant, and she nervously grasped Yoo Seongyeon's hand and asked: "This time, making such a big fuss and having so many people comment against me, the company won't really let me quit the show and fire me, will they…"

Words of abuse made her cry at the airport, she vented a couple of sentences and then stopped looking. This is what worries her most now.

"How did the head of the department say they wanted to see you at noon"

Yu Dingyan also became serious, "This kind of thing is really possible."

Although it's just a black face expression, being impolite is indeed not a small matter. That's how the peninsula is, they value these things very much, regarding etiquette and respect for seniors, and even the use of honorifics in social interactions are very particular.

As an artist in front of the camera, even if you particularly dislike someone, you must never show it.

The two female artists who publicly quarreled last year have both become much less popular. The one who didn't use polite language is even more ostracized.

After all, it's JYP.

She scolded me.

Lin Nayeon pouted her lips, seeming a little wronged: "Trained so hard... the others didn't say anything else."

She is usually quite lively both in her daily life and on camera, and she is also quite confident. She has a strong personality, but in reality, she is quite timid, which creates a sense of paradoxical contradiction.

Although he was also worried about this situation, Yu Dingyan could only say something positive at this time:

la

I think it probably won't...

A low, analytical and soothing voice echoed around the room, trying to dispel the somewhat desolate atmosphere that had just hung there.

The rest of the dormmates didn't show up, leaving this more private place to Lin Nayeon and the other.

It's possible because you are not familiar with it.

> It could also be due to some other reasons.

…………

"The heat for this sixteenth episode of [program name] has become really high. After the first two episodes aired, there wasn't much online discussion, but now it has suddenly increased a lot. Many viewers have even gone back to watch the previous two episodes."

Well, not bad.

"My introduction video thread, a lot of people are praising me in it, have you seen it... Voting has also become somewhat different."

"Well, okay."

"What are you doing"

Finally, Zhou Tzuyu couldn't stand Ji Jingyuan's perfunctory replies anymore and couldn't help but take the initiative to ask a question.

Just after changing into a new set of clothes and having a brief exchange with the photographer about the shooting highlights, Ji Jingyuan sat on a bench next to the photography studio, occasionally texting Zhou Tzuyu on his phone.

These two days, because of the traffic she brought to , and because of the attention she received for being strongly chosen by the show for Tzuyu, this girl who didn't even have a正麵特寫 in the first two episodes, making people think she wasn't there at all, suddenly became very noticeable.

Of course, it feels great to be noticed and supported. Zhou Tzuyu's mood is obviously very good, her tone is cheerful, and there's a hint of smugness.

He was already familiar with the other's personality, it wasn't surprising anymore. He glanced around at the bustling crew and the backdrop being changed, then typed a few words back, "Getting ready to shoot the magazine cover."

Because of Gucci's expressed intention to collaborate, ** has adjusted its plans for Ji Chang Wook accordingly, investing significant resources and giving him numerous fashion-related schedules. Recently, he has participated in several magazine photo shoots.

"Oh... Are we filming now" Zhou Tzuyu sounded sweet and obedient when she heard him.

"

In a while, it is currently being prepared.

"

"Oh."

“Our new mission hasn't started filming yet, we've been practicing these two days. The others seem to be in high spirits... But Nayeon unnie isn't doing well. Although she doesn't live in the same dorm, I heard she's been crying in the dorm these two days. Recently, she's been getting heavily criticized online, and a lot of people are leaving comments saying they want to boycott the show. The head of the dorm even scolded her for this, and many people are worried that the company might make her withdraw from Sixteen because of this...”

Seeing this text message, Chi Jingyuan blinked and paused for a moment.

He of course knew about what happened to Lim Na-yeon. He often browsed real-time hot searches and dynamics online whenever he had free time. In fact, he knew it as soon as it started, especially since it was spearheaded by AeRi and Source fans.

Alas, ever since EXO became popular, this sort of thing has happened countless times. He can't even count how many times it was Alice who instigated it all.

Thinking about this, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but sigh.

However, he couldn't control his fans' actions and wouldn't comment on Ellie's stance. Besides, he specifically looked into the "black face" scene of Lim Na-yeon, which was indeed a controversial moment with facial expressions that could make fans uncomfortable and lead outsiders to perceive her as rude and disrespectful towards the judges and seniors.

So, to be blunt, she has only herself to blame.

Moreover, it's not actually because she was a trainee and didn't have fans that she was attacked like this. After this controversial footage aired, even popular idols who had debuted would be criticized, and some even worse than her.

Honestly, when Ji Seong was recording the show, he didn't really feel anything was wrong. After all, after saying so much praise for the other person, suddenly reversing it, he felt it was normal that the other person couldn't accept it. Of course, it's also possible that his focus at the time wasn't on Lim Na-yeon.

But the edit specifically showed this shot and gave it a close-up... Unless the PD is either really incompetent or inexperienced, as someone in the industry, Ji Kyeong-won probably knows what this means.

"Many people also praised me saying that my stage presence in the third phase looked pretty good, hehe, I guess my skills aren't as bad as you said..."

Zhou Tzuyu sent another message, but Ji Jingyuan only glanced at it before dismissing it. His attention had already been diverted from the other party's words a moment ago.

Because of what Lim Na-yeon is going through now, he feels a little awkward.

It's not because he pitied or felt sorry for her, because in Chi Jingyuan's view, being scolded wasn't a big deal. If you want to mix in the entertainment industry, no one is unscathed from criticism. As a person, you are bound to be attacked at some point. He himself didn't know how many times he had been scolded, it was just that his fans were fiercely protective of him and would fight back against the insults.

Fans attacking this kind of thing, just scolding is fine, the heat will pass once it's over.

The reason why it felt awkward was that during the judging process of selecting members, he was indeed biased towards Tzuyu, being extremely unfair and showing no pretense whatsoever.

Qi Jingyuan thought favoritism was normal and didn't think what he did was wrong. Lin Naien's expression wasn't well-managed and had nothing to do with him,

Because she's being scolded for this, it's also normal. It could be considered Lim Na-yeon paying the price for her own expression management.

But if this were to cause her to be expelled by JYP and the program crew, and directly lose her chance at debuting, then that would be...

It's not like he is a royal who doesn't care about the company's operations. The majority of trainees have their fate controlled by the company. Whether they debut or not depends entirely on the company's decision.

This time, things actually caused quite a stir, and it could indeed have some negative consequences, leading JYP to consider these impacts and make a decision.

Remembering that time when they were resting backstage, Lim Nayoung greeted him with a bright smile, revealing her two big front teeth, Ji Kyung-won hesitated for a moment.

"I'm going to the restroom."

After a ten-second pause, he picked up his phone and stood up from the chair. He said something to Choi Ji-chang, his assistant, beside him, then walked towards the restroom. A few steps later, he took out his phone and called Park Jin-young.

"Hello there, Zhenying brother."

"Haha, Jingyuan! What a coincidence. I was just about to call you these two days."

"Is that so How coincidental..."

"Qi Jingyuan smiled in response, and quickly walked out of the photography studio."

………旯

"It doesn't matter, right"

"Jingyuan, since you've said so, of course there's no impact."

"Haha, I see."

"Alright, when you're free, come out brother, I'll treat you to a meal. This time, it's all thanks to you again."

"Okay."

Obviously, Park Jin-young's tone was upbeat because of the surge in popularity of "Sixteen."

This new girl group is considered to be tied to JYP's fate. The previous situation where they were unknown and struggling was a constant headache for him and the company. Now that they are finally on the right track, it's a huge relief.

As for Chi Jingyuan, who drew a lot of attention, he was naturally very grateful and happy. Besides, the two parties already had a good private relationship, so they chatted happily for a while.

As for Lin Na-lien's matter, Ji Jingyuan just briefly mentioned it as a hint. Although it was just a passing remark, Park Jin-young obviously heard his meaning and the purpose of the phone call, readily agreeing to solve it with ease.

Maybe this shot of Lim Na-yeon was specifically edited by JYP to attract attention, but he didn't expect such a large negative response...

Although his tone was lighthearted, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but grumble in his heart.

After hanging up the phone, he let out a breath and returned to the photography studio. He nodded at his assistant and sat back down on the stool.

Although work hasn't started yet, the set designers are making the final touches.

Before, there was a feeling of awkwardness, but now it's gone. In a good mood, Ki-won stretched leisurely and waited for the photoshoot that was about to begin.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he picked up his phone and opened the messaging app. He saw the message from Zhou Tzuyu that he had ignored earlier and reread it. After a slight smirk, he sent a reply:

"Indeed… because your strength is even worse than I said."

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Websitept today."Chi Jingyuan didn't hide it. Anyway, if he was confirmed to star, everyone would know in a few days. He didn't look up, continued flipping through the script, and said."After such a long tim...