Chapter 146: It Evens Out

ons, renting cameras, scouting locations, and many other aspects. None of these steps went smoothly.After finally getting that sorted, I ran into problems with casting again these past couple of days...."Actually, there's no difference."

To someone who doesn't know the situation, what Ji Jingyuan and Jin Junmian say might sound a little confusing.

But the members of EXO know it all too well.

They saw Ji Jingyuan's expression now and felt it was too familiar. Because the first time they met him, they had witnessed this kind of expression from Ji Jingyuan, whose behavior gave them a chill down their spine. It was truly impressive and fresh in their memory.

A few female idols nearby looked on with some curiosity. Although Chi Jingyuan was smiling at the moment, anyone with eyes could see that he was angry. He looked like he was about to erupt.

And Kim Jun Mien's words also left people puzzled. What does he mean by 'This is on SBS, not at the company.'

Many people scoffed inwardly, thinking that he was just a half-new idol, and even if his popularity had been skyrocketing recently, did this mean Pool Jingyuan could do whatever he wanted at S company

However, they soon got a taste of it.

Ji Jingyuan removed Jin Juman's hand. She gave him and Cui Xueli, who was watching him with concern beside him, a reassuring nod before turning to walk slowly towards Jae-ho.

He stood about two meters away from Li Zaihao and stopped. With his height advantage, Chi Jingyuan looked down at this hip-hop senior with a condescending gaze. After squinting and sizing him up, he chuckled softly and asked in a curious tone:

"Senior, what's wrong Why are you so angry You look like you want to kill someone."

Chi Jingyuan's expression was a bit innocent, a bit wronged.

"Ace, is this how you speak to your seniors Why did you pretend not to hear me just now, ￥%…ap;￥……"

Even though Zaihao sensed that Chi Jingyuan's demeanor and bearing were completely different now compared to before, he raised his head defiantly, staring at Chi Jingyuan. He felt that the fault lay with the other party, and since he felt he was of a higher standing, he saw this as a good opportunity to reprimand him.

"Alas, what a shame."

It seems that speaking politely to seniors is really a difficult thing.

Chi Jingyuan lowered his head and sighed, then looked at Zaihao with regret in his eyes. His innocent expression instantly changed, replaced by a look of disdain and amusement. He stared at Zaihao's face and curled his lips: "Your behavior and appearance are really a perfect match."

Chi Jingyuan now looks completely different from the idol who just apologized politely for his mistake. Even though he is smiling with his eyes closed, anyone can feel the disdain and arrogance radiating from him.

Prior respect for seniors in the entertainment industry had completely vanished. He looked at Jae Ho with a gaze that made many around him think of the word 'condescending'. From Ji Kyung Won's demeanor and tone, it seemed like this short person wasn't even worthy of standing next to him.

This kind of drastic change in aura left many female idols who had been keeping their eyes on him dumbfounded. They felt that the Ji Kyeong-won before them was suddenly a completely different person. Even close friends and acquaintances, such as Jung Eun-ji, Son Na-eun, and Choi Seol-ri, couldn't quite believe their own eyes.

But this kind of expression and demeanor appearing on him, for some reason, didn't feel out of place at all. Instead, they felt that Chi Jingyuan should have always been like this.

Whether he was the polite and smiling Chi Jingyuan from just moments ago, or the arrogant and somewhat dismissive Chi Jingyuan of now, he exuded a different kind of charm. Especially now, this contrast was so impactful that it made some people's hearts beat faster, their eyes fixated on him without blinking.

"Hey, what are you saying Do you know what you're saying" Ji-hyeon was clearly taken aback by Choi Jingyuan's sudden change in demeanor. Jaeho stared at him in disbelief, unable to process what was happening.

Although the hierarchy between seniors and juniors in the entertainment industry is gradually fading with the development of times, it's still rare for people to openly show disrespect to their seniors in public. If exposed, they would easily be targeted by public opinion.

But Chi Jingyuan seemed to not care at all. Looking at him, he sounded like he was speaking to a terminally ill patient with pity and said, "Can't you hear me, senior Even this close, you can't hear me. It seems your hearing isn't very good."

Then, he cast a worried glance over Zhaohou, shook his head, and continued:

"And, taking into consideration the predecessors' actions just now, your intelligence may also have some problems... It is suggested that the predecessor buy several lifetime high-value insurance policies, after all, life for someone with impaired intelligence and hearing can be quite honorable when encountering difficulties and dangers."

"Speaking of which, it's really not easy for seniors to live this long."

Chi Jingyuan smacked his lips and let out a sigh.

Words dripping with mockery and sarcasm were casually uttered by Chi Jingyuan, who maintained a dazzling smile throughout. This unreserved hostility shocked many, causing them to cover their mouths in astonishment.

And when Zaihao was stunned, hearing these words, his anger surged up. A junior newcomer dared to speak to him like this in front of so many people, completely ignoring him as a senior who had debuted for nearly 10 years.

He's a very face-conscious person and is quite popular in the hip-hop scene. He also has a very high opinion of himself.

At this moment, Cai Hao was almost unable to control his emotions under the gaze of the surrounding group of female idols. His small eyes widened in anger, his face flushed red, and he took two angry steps forward, looking directly at Ji Jingyuan and roaring:

"Brat, do you know what you're saying…",

He was just about to finish his sentence when he was interrupted.

"Stay away from me...." Chi Jingyuan frowned slightly and turned his head, fanning the air in front of his nose with his hand. It seemed he was disgusted by Zaihao's spittle flying when he spoke, as if implying that the air smelled bad.

Taking a step back, Chi Jingyuan seemed to realize his actions were inappropriate and hastily explained, "Don't misunderstand, I didn't say your mouth is unpleasant... I was just afraid that the prosthesis in your nose might suddenly explode and injure me."

"After all, I'm not like my seniors, I didn't buy that much insurance." Ji Jingyuan shrugged his shoulders and raised an eyebrow at Zaihao.

Damn it...

This kind of teasing and blatant sarcasm finally made Zaihao lose his temper. Looking at Chi Jingyuan's face, which was smiling so brightly, his emotions suddenly got out of control. He didn't even bother to think about the consequences, whether there would be any or not. He picked up his fist and punched Chi Jingyuan with all his might.

"Oh!"

The sudden outburst of aggression from the bully caused everyone watching to gasp in shock. Many friends worriedly watched Ji Jingyuan, fearing he would be hit.

However, the EXO members standing nearby were somewhat surprised, but they didn't mean to help. They just stood there, staring blankly at the two people, and for some reason, a scene that was fresh in their memory appeared in their eyes.

Zhai Hao threw a powerful punch, but it didn't land as he had hoped. Chi Jingyuan smiled, dodging his fist with a light shift to the side. It seemed like he had anticipated Zhai Hao's attack all along.

After flashing that punch, Chi Jingyuan's smile grew even brighter as his right foot shot up, aiming a brutal knee strike directly at Zaihao's abdomen.

"Ugh..." A violent pain shot through his abdomen the moment he was hit, an intense nausea making Za Hao reflexively arch his back.

Before he could catch his breath, Ji Jingyuan landed another elbow strike directly on his cheek, causing Zaihao's body to tilt sideways.

Next, seizing the opportunity, Ji Jingyuan clamped his arms around the other person's, pushing his shoulder into Zaixiao's armpit. With a sudden burst of strength, he threw him up and over his own body in a textbook-perfect over-the-shoulder throw.

"Bang!"

The forceful impact of back and ground produced a sickening thud, eerily similar to the sound of the vase shattering moments ago. One beginning, one ending, a perfect symmetry.

Chi Jingyuan's movements were swift and fluid. After Za Hao initiated the attack, he was on the ground like a corpse within 3 seconds.

Seeing Zhai Hao being thrown to the ground by Chi Jingyuan's beautiful over-the-shoulder throw, and hearing that muffled sound that made people wince, everyone around fell silent.

This fierce close-quarters combat and the standard, applause-worthy shoulder throw left these female idols speechless for a moment.

...while the members of EXO all had expressions of "I knew it," looking at Ji-seong, their mouths moved but they didn't make a sound.

The members who have good memories all know that according to the last script, there should be a sequel.

While Chi Jingyuan, under the gaze of everyone present, walked up to the heavily inebriated hip-hop elder and knelt before him, quietly observing this now somewhat disoriented figure.

Because of Ji Jingyuan's elbow strike just now, Caihao's mouth had already begun to ooze red liquid. The intense pain from the knee strike also made him weep with snot and saliva mixing together, and because he was smashed onto the floor, the huge impact left him momentarily dazed.

Chi Jingyuan smiled lightly, scrutinizing the deceased Zai Hao for a while. He pursed his lips, stretched out his hand and gently patted the other's relatively clean left cheek. Looking into Zai Hao's eyes, he sincerely apologized:

"Mi ah na da, senpai."

After that, Chi Jingyuan reached out and smoothed the collar of the stage outfit given by the sponsor on the other person. He said to Zaixiao who was not sure if he could hear him: "Senior, I splashed you with coffee just now, but now I have exercised with you, so we are even."

After tidying up the other person's collar, Ji Jingyuan pursed his lips, stood up and prepared to return to the members, but as he lifted his foot, he accidentally bumped into the drink bottle that Zaihao had just thrown over.

The drink bottle rolled slowly to the side of Za Hao under his force, stopping after hitting his body. Some of the liquid inside splashed out from the impact and landed on his neck.

Chi Jingyuan turned his head and glanced back, as if remembering something, and added with a reminder: "By the way, senior, try to drink less of this kind of beverage in the future. It has too much sugar and is not good for your health."

Having sincerely given his advice, Ji Jingyuan last cast a glance at Zaihao on the ground, a flash of light in his eyes. He then turned and walked towards EXO's position.

Even though there were several groups of idol onlookers around, there was complete silence at this moment. Everyone was dumbfounded, staring blankly at Ji-yeong's series of actions.

Several girls' eyes widened in surprise. They had never seen Pool Jingyuan like this before, the difference from his usual self was too great.

"Jingyuan, this..." Jin Junmian saw Chi Jingyuan walking over and felt a bit helpless.

He wasn't worried about the follow-up being difficult to handle. Having been teammates for so long, he already understood this busy person well. He said if it was nothing, then it really was nothing.

The only problem is that there are so many people watching now. Once it gets out, it's bound to have some negative impact.

However, Kim Jun-beom couldn't really say anything accusatory. Regardless of right or wrong, he was definitely on Ji Kyeong-won's side.

"Do you have a wet wipe"

Chi Jingyuan looked as if nothing had happened, and calmly asked a question.

"I have it, give it to..." Zheng Xiujing, hearing this, hurriedly took out a bag of wet wipes. After tearing one apart, she originally wanted to wipe Chi Kyung-won herself, but as soon as she reached out, she remembered that there were many people watching around her, so she quickly changed her posture and handed the wet wipe to him.

After receiving it, Chi Jingyuan first wiped his hands, then wiped the skin that had just been splashed with coffee.

That air of elegance and nonchalance stood in stark contrast to the vulgarity sprawled on the ground.

"Jingyuan, Mai'an, it's all my fault... You won't be alright like this, will you" Cui Xueli walked over, her face wasn't looking good. She bit her lip and softly apologized, her voice laced with concern.

"It's normal for friends to have playful arguments. I don't blame you at all. It was that senior who took advantage of the situation to cause trouble. Even without this incident, there would be others."

Chi Jingyuan smiled at her and waved his hand to comfort her: "As for whether there's anything...rest assured, this senior can't influence anything."

"…"

Choi Se-ri nodded lightly, her face improving slightly, but her eyes still held a hint of guilt. After all, if she hadn't pushed Jiyeongwon, there wouldn't have been so many problems.

However, Chi Jingyuan truly didn't blame her at all. Just as he said, it's normal for close friends to banter, and he actually quite enjoyed this kind of interaction.

At that moment, a gap opened up in the crowd at the back. Li Cheng Huan, who had heard the news, quickly ran forward. Wu Shixun, who was going to inform others, followed behind him.

"Jǐngyuán, are you alright"

Lee Seung-hwann first glanced at Jae-ho lying on the ground, didn't care much, and walked straight to Ji-yeong's face, asking anxiously.

"Don't worry, big brother. The seniors might have something to attend to, but I'm fine."

Seeing Ji-won's appearance, Lee Seung-hwan let out a long sigh of relief. He had heard that Ji-won had gotten into a conflict with someone and immediately rushed over from his work. As EXO's manager, he knew what kind of status this royal figure held within the company.

After making sure that Ji Jingyuan was okay, Lee Seung-hwan listened as Kim Jun-myeon began recounting what had just happened.

Lee Seung-hwan listened attentively, nodding as he heard Jae-ho take the initiative and then get beaten up by Ji-seong. After a moment of thought, he frowned and said in a low voice, "Although he started it, hitting someone that badly is still troublesome considering they are a senior."

And this is SBS's place, Jae-ho looks like he won't be able to perform tonight, the TV station will definitely have a lot of complaints... But don't worry, Jingyuan, just let the rest of the company handle it.

Lee Seung Hwan seems to think this situation is not easy to handle. After all, he beat a senior like this, and the injuries don't look light. Plus, the other party is scheduled to perform on the Music War stage tonight, but in this state, there's no way they can perform. Who knows how long it will take them to be discharged from the hospital.

The program list for the event was already released, so making any last-minute changes is really troublesome. Just handling the aftermath with SBS would require a lot of work, and we'd also have to deal with their agency.

However, Lee Seung-hwan's position was very clear, saying that he didn't want to worry Ji-won.

"It's okay, bro."

Ji Jingyuan smiled at Lee Seung-hwan and waved his hand, taking the initiative to say: "This time it was me who lost control of my emotions, and it's not appropriate for the company to clean up the mess... I may not know anyone in this senior's agency, but I can try here at SBS."

Saying that, Ji Jingyuan took out his phone from his pocket, opened the phone book and flipped through it. He found a name he had saved but hadn't been in touch with for a long time, and dialed it.

"Inside, I am Chi Jingyuan..."

"Well, Taemin oppa, it's like this..."

"Are you at the venue Okay, I know. Don't worry, you are not hurt."

“Alright, Konsamida. See you later.”

Qi Jingyuan whispered a few words into the phone and hung up. He nodded toward Li Chenghuan, who was looking at him expectantly, indicating that there was nothing wrong.

"Aiya, as expected of Jingyuan... This matter mainly lies with SBS's side handling the aftermath and changing the program schedule. As for duo's agency..."

Lee Seung-hwan smiled, obviously not taking it to heart. The pride of someone from a big company was evident.

Jung Soo-jung and Choi Se-ri both heard Ji Kyeong-won's phone call, looking at him with complex expressions.

Especially Choi Soo-ri, she felt that the relative she knew before was not complete, and only today did she truly show herself.

"Axi, Zhaihao ah, can you hear me speaking Zhaihao ah..."

Just then, several men pushed through the crowd and ran over quickly. Upon seeing Zaihao on the ground, they immediately rushed to him and shouted at him loudly, their faces filled with anxiety and anger.

These few people were apparently the manager and assistant of dynaibsp;duo, and the other member gaeko who had been observing from the sidelines suddenly rushed out, walked to the manager's side and briefly explained the situation.

Whether what he said was objective or not wasn't important, and Chi Jingyuan didn't care.

"Ace, you guys...," The manager heard this and immediately rushed over to yell at the side of Ji Jingyuan, while Li Chenghuan laughed and argued back without being afraid.

While Zaho was still lying there, motionless, with only slight breaths, neither his teammates nor his manager showed any intention of calling an ambulance.

Tonight there will be a singing competition here, and there will definitely be many reporters outside. If an ambulance is called, it will definitely attract considerable attention. Before we discuss the follow-up with SBS and S, doing so would not be in anyone's best interest.

The senior just lay there, sucking in and out of their cigarette repeatedly, covered in coffee and drinks. There was snot and tears on their face, looking utterly disheveled. Some onlookers were starting to feel uncomfortable watching this.

However, there are also some people who seem to find it quite interesting, almost fascinated by conflict and fighting.

Just as the agents on both sides were arguing, people from SBS finally arrived.

The onlookers spontaneously parted to make a passage for them.

At the head of the procession was Zhao Chengyou, a mid- to high-level manager from the SBS variety show department. He was accompanied by several PDs and staff members who had rushed over after hearing the news.

Zhao Chengyou looked to be around fifty years old, short and stout with half his hair gone. He wore a suit that was a bit tight, and he walked with confidence. However, his expression wasn't very pleasant.

Every year's Song Battle is a major event for SBS, one that must be flawless. Every time it's held, high-ranking officials from the TV station are present to supervise and ensure that the event goes off without a hitch.

Today during the rehearsal, there was a fight between actors backstage. It's not a small matter that junior actors are fighting with seniors.

And at this time they were all very annoyed about the fight, not only because it had affected their evening plans but also because there was a feeling that SBS hadn't been taken seriously.

These few idol artists actually dared to cause trouble at this time, obviously not putting SBS in their eyes.

While television stations have an unequal position with agencies, especially with artists, they are generally in a position of absolute advantage. This makes some people who always consider themselves superior feel provoked.

We already know what happened. Whether right or wrong is secondary for now. Making a scene and even assaulting a senior figure in this kind of place...

Zhao Chengyou walked to the middle and glanced at Cai Hao lying down. His brows furrowed directly, and his imposing gaze swept around the surroundings. Basically, no idol dared to meet his eyes.

He was quite pleased with his own gravitas, then turned his gaze towards exo and said in a stern voice, "Who did this I hear it was one of your members named yuan"

One victim was already on the ground, unable to speak. Zhao Chengyou could only turn his target to another person.

"Inside, it's me."

Ji Jingyuan lightly raised his hand, smiling and nodding at Choi Seung-woo. His expression and tone didn't feel like he had done anything wrong at all, but rather as if he were saying good morning to the other person.

"Is this the attitude you have after messing things up Don't you know the kind of trouble you've caused"

Zhao Chengyou saw Chi Jingyuan's expression and felt a little unhappy in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He asked her seriously.

"Ma'am."

Chi Jingyuan was too lazy to say anything, just curled his lips and replied lightly.

"You..."

Zhao Chengyou was speechless at the sight of Ji Jingyuan. He had never seen an idol dare to act this way towards high-level executives on TV before. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Ordinary little artists would all show him great respect, including many agencies. Choi Seung-woo hadn't met someone like Ji Kyeong-won in a long time.

His stern face flushed slightly, as if he felt that Ji Kyungwon, being a young idol, didn't understand what his identity and position represented. His entire aura was directed at the wrong person, so he turned his ire towards Lee Seunghwan:

"Damn, how do you guys manage your artists Don't you think EXO got a little popular and started acting beyond their status It seems we need to reconsider our cooperation with your company."

Especially artists like yuan who don't have any seniority hierarchy, on our SBS...

Actually, S company has a very deep relationship network on SBS. It's not just up to one person from the variety department to decide how they cooperate. However, with his own abilities, he can create quite a few obstacles.

Although Ji Jingyuan directly said that he could handle things on the SBS side, Lee Seunghwan still smiled and kept bowing and apologizing to Zhao Chengyou.

Just as Zhao Chengyou was sternly questioning and threatening Li Chenghuan and Ji Jingyuan with great authority, several more people pushed their way through the crowd and walked in. The one at the front didn't have the same air of forced solemnity on his face as Cui Chengyou, but he exuded an aura of superiority that came from within.

After he came in, he scanned the room with an indifferent gaze, completely ignoring the extravagant display on the floor. When his eyes landed on it, he even faintly furrowed his brows, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes, as if he had seen a pile of trash.

He also didn't care about the onlookers, fellow artists who were casting their eyes on him.

After taking a look around, he saw Ji Jingyuan and Zhao Chengyou who was getting angry.

His eyes lit up, a passionate smile appeared on his face, completely ignoring the fact that this variety show executive was directly interrupting him in the middle of speaking. He reached out and waved, taking the initiative to call out:

"Jǐngyuán!"

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networke K-pop scene.I see Zhou Tzuyu's face appearing before my eyes. After thinking for a moment, he tapped the screen and replied with a smile: "What does that have to do with you"Ji Jingyuan could imagin...