Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four: Important Journey

em and asked curiously, "What were you guys talking about""I told him he's been super popular lately, and he even admitted it." Sunny pouted."Oh my, this is exactly what I had in mind for Jingyuan, no...Looking at the top of the lyric sheet, where the song title "i" was just written in a neutral pen, both Ji-yeong and Kim Tae-yeon smiled. A sense of accomplishment welled up within them.

Today's work is finally done. After stacking the song sheets neatly into a drawer, Ji Jingyuan got up and started tidying up the music room. Kim Taeyeon also had an "I'll help too" look on her face, actively arranging the haphazardly placed cushions on the sofa with care. She even threw the drink bottles on the table into the trash can, doing the chores quite efficiently.

“I’ll get the rap lyrics revised soon, probably around the time I get back from Xia Guo. We can then schedule a meeting to confirm.”

After tidying up, Chi Jingyuan slung his bag over his shoulder and locked the door. The two of them left the music room and headed for the elevator. As they walked, Chi Jingyuan casually said, “Nuo, now that you’re done with your practice, you can start recording directly when the time comes, saving some time…”

“Including this song “i,” I’ve practiced the few confirmed tracks for the album countless times, they're practically memorized, right”

When Jin Tae-yeon heard this, she felt underestimated and couldn't help but roll her eyes. Then she waved dismissively and said in a confident tone: "Don't worry, the recording will be fine."

"Well... I'm quite strict." Chi Jingyuan felt it was necessary to give a heads-up beforehand.

"No matter how strict it is! Don't you believe me when I sing"

Pointing his head, Ji Jingyuan didn't say much. Recording shouldn't be a difficult thing for Kim Taeyeon. If it were someone else from their younger days, things might be different.

Two people stood before the elevator, pressing the button. Chi Jingyuan took out his phone to check the time: “Alright… it’s past twelve now. Want to go eat something”

"No, I don't have time today."

Mentioning this, Taeyeon sighed, "I just pushed an appointment this morning to get here, and the other members are still waiting for me at the TV station. We have a shoot in a while, so I need to hurry over… The comeback period is really exhausting."

"Indeed."

Chi Jingyuan nodded.

As soon as an idol enters their comeback period, they automatically slip into a state of constant busyness. The higher the popularity, the busier they get. He certainly understands this well and doesn't say much about it. He casually chatted about his childhood during this comeback while waiting for the elevator.

In a short while, the elevator arrived. It was empty inside, just the two of them. After pressing the 1st floor button, the elevator started to descend slowly.

Just as they had descended two floors, the elevator stopped again. With a "ding," the doors opened. Pool Jingyuan and the two people inside stared at the few who were preparing to enter the elevator, both sides momentarily stunned and looking at each other in surprise.

"Sensei, Annyeonghaseyo..."

"Oni!"

"Jingyuan/Oppa, what a coincidence"

It happened that all four members of Red Velvet were waiting for the elevator outside. They were clearly surprised to see池景源 and 金泰妍, but quickly regained their composure and greeted them warmly.

As for Chi Jingyuan, it's fine. They are already very familiar with each other and like old friends. The main issue is the senior figure, Kim Taeyeon.

Four people were all wearing casual workout clothes, with sweat still visible on their heads. It looked like they had just finished practicing.

While Ji-yeong could see right away that it was Park Soo-hyuk standing in third place. This sister was wearing a small bear pattern sports t-shirt and denim shorts, with a pair of white sneakers that matched her legs. And when she saw the people in the elevator, she blinked her eyes and looked over very naturally.

Although my head was foggy yesterday, the memory of (insert song name here) sung by Park Soo-hyun is still very clear. I didn't expect to run into her again after just talking on the phone last night.

They looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. They both smiled subtly and then simultaneously turned their gaze away.

"Aniu..."

Kim Taeyeon smiled and waved back, making way for Ji Kyung-won to the side. Leading the way, a few people including Kang Seolgi walked in while bowing. The confined elevator immediately filled with a subtle fragrance mingled with the scent of sweat.

"Irene!"

Kim Taeyeon's eyes lit up when she saw Park Sooyoung, and she immediately pulled her over with a tug. She held her hand affectionately, giving the younger girl a warm smile as she admired her flushed cheeks. After clicking her tongue twice, she asked, "Just finished practicing"

"Inneroni, he is getting ready to eat."

When being led by the hand, Pei Zhuxuan seemed a little surprised and nodded, standing beside Kim Taeyeon like a little sister.

The three people beside Debebe, who had come along, were all a little surprised to see this. As members, they didn't know when their captain had become so close with her senior from long ago.

Don't look at s 's love of promoting family, in fact, the relationship between idols of different generations privately is far less close than imagined. At least when it comes to Taeyeon, people like Jiang Seqi seem a little restrained and don't dare to speak loudly.

To be honest, seeing (name) and (name), they are quite envious of them.

After nodding in response, Bae Ju-hyeon turned her head to look at Ji Kyeongwon and asked, "Where is oppa"

Just finished work with Jingyuan, and now I'm heading to the TV station.

Kim Taeyeon gave a simple explanation.

As the elevator doors closed, a rumbling sound of descending echoed. Ji Jingyuan glanced around and realized someone was missing. He curiously elbowed Jiang Shiqi beside him: "Where's Joy I don't see her"

She had a shoot for "" today and went out early.

Seemingly poked playfully, Seqi seemed a little happy and whispered back with a smile.

"Oh, 《I'm Tied Up》ah, I'm so envious... How is your album preparation going"

"These two days I've been practicing the main song dance, Jingyuan, let me tell you, this time..." She seemed to have thought of something interesting, Jiang Shiqi's eyes sparkled as she whispered with Chi Jingyuan.

After a while, the elevator reached the first floor. A few people exchanged a couple of final words before preparing to say goodbye and go their separate ways. Just as they were leaving, Kim Taeyeon suddenly remembered something and waved to Bae Joohyun: "Irene, about that nail salon you mentioned last time, let's go together in a couple of days if you have time."

"Okay, oppa." Jeon Somi of course wouldn't refuse, obediently nodding her head repeatedly.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

Ji Jingyuan, who had just taken a few steps aside, heard this and didn't look back. He glanced at Kim Taeyeon, who was smiling, and felt speechless for a moment.

Are you guys this close already That's a little fast, isn't it

And wasn't the return period agreed upon And you have time to go for a manicure with your team

……

After another day or so of travel, Ji Jingyuan and the EXO group boarded a flight to China on July 16th. The next two days, the 16th and 17th, will feature some exclusive activities in mainland China as well as two long-awaited fan signing events. On the 18th and 19th, there will also be EXO concerts taking place.

For this reason, Ji Se-yeong also missed the recording of "Music Bank" on the 17th. However, the younger sister had previously said that even if she was absent due to her schedule, she hoped that no one else would be asked to fill in for her. Ji Se-yeong simply didn't find anyone, so she hosted this episode by herself.

The program team also agrees. Nowadays, the unique hosting style of "" CP has already established its own reputation, attracting a large number of fans and significantly boosting the program's viewership and attention. If one member is absent, simply replacing them with someone else wouldn't work. Not only would the temporary pairing likely fail to achieve the previous effect, but the numerous CP fans certainly wouldn't be satisfied either.

And it's also difficult for them to find a male artist with the same popularity and heat as Chi Jingyuan to fill in.

Actually, when they first invited Ji-yeong as a fixed member and talked contract terms with the agency and the show's production team, they already discussed it. They knew that because EXO had a lot of overseas schedules, Ji-yeong might miss some recordings, but the production team didn't have any objections at the time. Now that the ratings are so high, naturally, they are all very pleased.

After flying to Jiangcheng on the 16th and checking into a hotel, the next day he accepted two interviews and recordings before heading to Kaide Plaza, which was also the location of today's signing event.

You are a cold yet fiery devil~

"Taking a shower in the summer's sudden downpour~"

More than an hour before the signing event officially begins, all nine members of XO are preparing in a spacious and well-decorated lounge provided by the organizers. At this moment, yesterday's newly released song is playing on their phones through speakers. It's the title track "Devil" from the comeback album released by Super Junior's 16th anniversary last night.

At this time, not only was the music of the song echoing in the room, but there were often snippets of enthusiastic singing from XO members, clearly indicating that this newly released song had many fans among them.

Chi Jingyuan was also one of them, he quite liked this song. At this time, he was sitting on the sofa, brushing his phone while swaying to the rhythm and melody, even humming along during the chorus. He looked very happy.

The K-Pop scene has been incredibly hot in recent months. The peak showdown between two generations of boy groups in May and June just concluded, and as July arrived, the summer girl group battle kicked off immediately. With various boy groups also vying for attention amidst this chaos, it's safe to say that things are incredibly lively.

,, aOA, Sistar, NeES, Girls' Generation, and Girl's Day have all returned with underwhelming results. There is also the popular boy group F(x) complicating things, as well as EXO who just won't go away.

And recently, over the past two days, there have been some new artists making comebacks with their music releases. On the 13th, JYP Entertainment's boy group GOT7 made a comeback with their third mini album. And on the 14th, KARA's Goo Hara made her solo debut.

It wasn't until yesterday, the 16th, that an apk which had reached its peak last year but has been dormant for half a year also joined the girl group battle. At the same time, sj also released a tenth anniversary commemorative album. Now, this song that Pool Kyeongwon and they are listening to is sj's main title track this time.

Although APK hasn't returned to the peninsula for a long time, this regular second album is still quite popular. The sound source landed in the inner ring, and the pre-order reached nearly 70,000, setting a new high. Although it has only been back for a day, in terms of results, it should be second only to Girls' Generation.

But speaking of APK's summer vibes this time, the title track "reber", even though their album makeup this time is very eye-catching, each member looks good and it can be said to be one of the peak makeups since their debut, honestly, Ji Kyeongwon prefers SJ's "devil", listening to it is particularly dynamic and makes people want to dance.

These are not some obscure indie bands, they're all popular groups with their own names and fan bases. Having several or even dozens of groups come together as one massive force is truly a sight to behold! It gets the crowd going wild and everyone is hyped up about it.

Oh, it's so hot! I really want to join in and sing a song too.

The past two weeks have been a fierce battle between girl groups. Every time, on Music Bank, while SISTAR, AOA, and TWICE were taking home the first place trophy, Ji-yeong felt a bit amused, even wanted to laugh. It was quite funny to see their competitive spirit so high, yet in the end, it was her group who took home the award. It was a truly interesting experience.

It's a pity, I don't know how long 《boywithv》's popularity can last.

"So you're busy every day"

Pool Jingyuan sent Zhou Tzuyu a text message back.

There wasn't much to do, so he just waited for the signing to start. He listened to music, swung his legs, and texted for quite a while.

As expected, Zhou Tzuyu's side already signed a contract with JYP a few days ago. According to her, all six members of the ice nine chosen from Sixteen have signed contracts without exception.

It's understandable, after all, they've all been working hard for such a long time, even going through competitions to earn their debut spots. They're just one step away from achieving their dreams. No one would give up at this point and throw away all their efforts, even if the contract seems a bit harsh.

And now, including Zhou Tzuyu, the nine members of ICE have begun their preparation for their debut. Every day, they are putting in hard work and learning in order to be ready for their final debut.

"Yeah, every morning I still have to go to school, and after that, I have to practice songs for our debut album. Plus, I have to learn a lot of things that artists need to know. As a foreigner, I also have to take Korean classes. And... and... and... it's always 'and...' every day!"

She replied very quickly, a long string of text revealing a slightly irritable mood and minor complaints. However, Chi Jingyuan also sensed a strong sense of fulfillment from it, as well as a strong anticipation for the official debut of the flavor.

Even before their debut, EXO was like this. Compared to Tzuyu, Jingyuan had to undergo devilish training because his dance foundation wasn't good. He trained every day and was exhausted, but he was still full of energy each day because they were just one step away from debuting. It was a mixture of pain and joy.

Now, it's Tzuyu's turn to enjoy this process.

"We also moved into the Shinjuku dormitory, what do you think it's like"

She should be back soon, nothing major going on. Before Chi Jingyuan could even speak, she sent another message.

What kind The one the sixteen major group uses

Pool Jingyuan reasonably guessed, "Sixteen" has two groups with their respective dormitories. It's normal for the company to directly renew the lease of the house for the debut group to ICE.

"If we had been assigned the rooms used by the ajor group, that would have been great! That's what we thought before, and we were looking forward to it for days. However, our dormitory ended up being the one on the first floor that was previously used by the 'inferior students', an old one, reportedly used by some senior student in the past. After tidying it up, we moved in. Compared to the ajor group's dorm, ours is smaller and less well-decorated in terms of both area and renovation. However, we got an extra basement!"

"So cheap"

Even Chi Jingyuan didn't expect JYP to be so meticulous and calculated.

However, when they just debuted, it wasn't appropriate to live in a too good dorm. It wouldn't be conducive to their struggle. According to what Seulgi said, Red Velvet's dorm was very average. At first, EXO also lived in Gangbuk, the dorm was small and old, with nine people living in utter chaos. They only moved into a bigger place this year after becoming hugely popular. Now, EXO's dorm should be among the best in terms of size, decoration, and facilities among all idol groups on the peninsula.

Moreover, JYP hasn't had much money these past two years and has been trying to save wherever possible, which is quite normal.

“Yeah, a lot of people say privately that the company is stingy, hehe… But after living here for a few days, I got used to it. By the way, we've reassigned our dorms. Guess who I'm rooming with now Haha, I'm sharing a room with Doyeon and Chae-young now. We're all the youngest ones going to school, the maknae line!”

"They both have really good personalities, and luckily, the three of us in our room are all very clean and will proactively clean up, unlike..."

After signing the contract and entering the pre-debut training stage, she practiced new songs, moved into a shared apartment in Shinjuku, got new roommates, and formed a new group with eight people—some familiar, some unfamiliar, and even some who might not get along. All these experiences clearly excited Zhou Tzuyu, making her very eager to share them. Compared to the previous few months during the "Sixteen" competition, she was noticeably more lively.

"About when will you guys be able to debut" Ji Kyeong-won asked with some curiosity.

"It's not decided yet, the company said they would arrange it based on our progress. It seems like it might be around October... I heard them say that the company will find a time period when a less competitive, non-big name artist is making a comeback to schedule our debut."

It's true that this is the best approach. Even though the ice combination has natural hype from being drafted, they are still rookies with a relatively small and less dedicated fan base. Choosing a less competitive time slot would definitely increase their chances of success.

But in October...

"That..."

Chi Jingyuan saw the time and felt a strange sense of familiarity. He paused, just about to say something when Li Chenghuan came over and stopped him. He handed him a stack of documents and instructed him, "This is the general process and script for today's signing event. Jingyuan, as translator and host, please go through it again."

"Oh, okay, bro."

Chi Jingyuan immediately took the file and responded with a sound. Since he was here for work, there was no time to chat. He put his phone aside and seriously began to read it.

……

"We are one, hello everyone, we are EXO."

"Hello everyone, I'm yuan from xo... Heard you, heard you, ah, so enthusiastic, thank you thank you... I'm really grateful to everyone for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come to our signing event. Today, in this segment, I will be hosting and translating. You should all know that I speak Chinese very well, right... Haha."

Pool Jingyuan held the microphone and smiled in the sunshine, speaking with fluent Mandarin about the opening remarks of this signing event. Almost every sentence he said after could cause a wave of cheers.

“Actually, we’ve always wanted to have more events like signings in mainland China so we can meet with our fans… Today, I’m truly, truly happy… Backstage, when we found out so many people came today, the members were all quite nervous…”

">”

The meet-and-greet isn't just about getting your album signed at the end. There are also interactive segments where idols engage with fans, like chatting, playing games, singing songs, and even dancing to liven up the atmosphere and make fans happy.

Compared to the final autograph session, this earlier stage is actually quite important. Many fans who attend in person come specifically for the opportunity to interact with their idols up close.

Because of his popularity in mainland China and his fluency in Chinese, this time the two signing events held here directly had Chi Jingyuan as the host and translator.

This decision was clearly brilliant. Just look at the excitement of the fans below and the heated atmosphere to understand.

Besides hosting, he also had to translate some of the members' words.

"Junmian said that Xia Guo's fans are really too enthusiastic, he doesn't know how to thank them... What about letting him act cute How does that sound Do you guys want to see it"

After listening to Kim Jun-myeon's words, Ji Kyeong-won translated them with a little embellishment, adding a teasing remark afterwards. Then, along with the fans downstairs, he watched Kim Jun-myeon awkwardly act cute and sell his cuteness, laughing uncontrollably.

"Hmm"

"...The food here is really good, I like eating here... well...mm..."

At this time, Bian Berhyan spoke a few words in Korean to the side. Chi Jingyuan immediately walked over and leaned in to listen. But just as he was speaking halfway through, he got stuck and casually followed up with: "Tofu skin"

"Yes, tofu skin, I really like to eat this..."

After he finished talking, Ji Jingyuan laughed and turned to face the fans below who had understood the words "doupi" and were curious. He said:

"Bo-xian said he really loves this place, there are so many delicious things to eat here in Jiangcheng, he especially likes eating three fresh bean curd...we ate that for breakfast today."

After the translation was complete, Chi Jingyuan placed his hand by his mouth, feigning a mysterious look, and whispered to those below, "I recommended them."

"Ahhh..."

This sentence was clearly well-received, and the fans in attendance screamed with excitement.

After chatting, they played some small games. Finally, under the cheers of fans, Chi Jingyuan sang two lines of Chinese songs. In a great atmosphere, he officially started the signing session.

After two signing sessions, came two concerts on the 18th and 19th at Beijing's Wukesong Arena. Both nights saw nearly 20,000 fans filling every seat.

Whether it's the outrageously overpriced scalped tickets, or the widespread discussion and attention it sparked within the Chinese Kpop community, including many online criticisms of ** Entertainment's choice of a too-small venue, it all shows that EXO remains unmatched in popularity and recognition among idol groups within China.

Don't look at how many idol groups and fans in the music scene hype up their overseas popularity every day, but truly, those who can hold a tour like this with 20,000 people in Xia Guo, and aren't afraid of unsold tickets, with every show sold out, are now only EXO and BIGBANG. The other groups compared to these two are a bit weaker.

After concluding their concert activities, EXO returned to Seoul the next day. As soon as they got off the plane, they were whisked away to a meeting room at the company for a meeting.

Faced with the itinerary of their next important engagement introduced by their agent, Ji-sung and several members were surprised to repeat it.

"Live stream"

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繁體小說網 went to a beauty salon for styling before heading to KBS and the "Music Bank" program team for a meeting. After going over today's script with Jennie Kim and doing some preparation work, he drove str...