Chapter 109: The Ballad War

ed with the music and performance. The meticulously crafted computer effects dazzled the audience's eyes, making them feel as if they were in a chaotic and surreal fantasy world.The countless audience..."Girlfriend"

Lee Soo-man looked at Ji Seong-won, who had finished taking a selfie with her and sat back down, fiddling with his phone, and asked with a smile.

He's not stupid. Chi Jingyuan has been texting for a while, and his face is still smiling happily. He even ran over to take a photo with him just now. Judging by his experience as a big shot in the music industry, he must be chatting with his girlfriend.

"Not..."

The dishes had arrived. After sending the last message, Chi Jingyuan put his phone away, looked up and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "It's not quite."

It's true that it wasn't a definitive moment. Although that night, because of the song "Let It Be," Bae Joo-hyun couldn't hold back her feelings and expressed them proactively with intimate gestures, after she cooled down, she seemed to have retracted those surging emotions she had released earlier and put them back in her heart. She didn't lose her rationality because of the feelings.

However, the connection through phone calls has become much more frequent in this short period. He often sends selfies over, and sometimes the tone of our conversations even carries a hint of ambiguity. Overall, it feels like our relationship has leveled up from just being friends.

Chi Jingyuan felt that this was actually pretty good. For him, dating wasn't about instant infatuation or a strong initial attraction. It wasn't about having enough connections and emotional buildup before getting together. He thought that if two people just clicked right away, even if they started dating, it probably wouldn't last long, maybe only a few months before breaking up. It was hard to find a girl who he actually had some feelings for, so it was best not to rush into things.

This is good enough for now. It has a touch of ambiguity and anticipation, but not too much pressure.

And in this relationship, he was the kind of person who felt "I love you more than you love me." He wasn't worried or anxious at all, calmly sitting on a fishing platform without fear of falling into the river.

As for what the future holds...

Isn't that what the song says Just go with the flow.

"Not quite Is this what you young people are into these days" Lee Soo-man seemed to have misunderstood, raising his glass and taking a sip. There was a hint of lament in his tone, as if sighing about how "people's hearts aren't what they used to be."

"...Chi Jingyuan didn't explain, raised his head and smiled twice with squinted eyes.

"

After a while, Lee Xiuman seemed to remember something and took the initiative to remind Jingyuan: "For you, dating is something the company certainly wouldn't object to. However, in private, it's best to be careful not to be photographed. Even if you disguise yourself when going out, make sure you do a good job. Even if some media reports or your family can block it, but if you are accidentally photographed by fans and uploaded directly, even if the company denies it, it will definitely have a very bad impact."

Pool Kyung-won himself and the TV station probably don't even know how much his revenue is this year, but it must be known inside the company. He's currently ** Entertainment's latest super cash cow, both as himself and as an EXO member.

"I understand."

Chi Jingyuan didn't say anything like, "For the company, for the fans, for my career, I won't be dating for now." He just lightly nodded to show that he had understood.

Actually, even if he accidentally got photographed on a date and uploaded it online, ** would definitely issue an emergency statement. After all, directly denying it wouldn't work, and fans, even if they saw vague photos, wouldn't believe them. For Park Ji-eon, it wouldn't be a big deal really.

But according to his understanding of how fervent his fans are, once this kind of news is exposed even if it's denied, the woman rumored to be involved with him would definitely be attacked by Yuan fans. If it were an idol, it could potentially have a significant impact on their career.

So even if you don't want to bother others, it's still wise to be careful.

Because of a selfie, the two chatted for quite a while, but after a while they quickly got down to business and continued talking about things related to this album.

"As for the choreography, just follow the style described in your last project proposal. First, quickly come up with a sample, and several dance instructors from the company will help you complete it..."

…………

"550 billion won a year Are boy groups really that profitable" Kim Taeyeon looked at Ji Kyeong-won sitting beside her, grinning with a skeptical expression, her eyes gleaming with envy as she smacked her tongue.

On the evening of the 18th, cosmetics brand Nature Republic held its year-end party. As spokespeople, all members of EXO and Kim Taeyeon naturally attended. At this time, the stage performance had ended and entered the leadership speech and employee commendation session. The seats where the spokespersons watched from below were also allocated together. Under Kim Taeyeon's just-made wave, Ji Chang Wook proactively sat over from the edge.

Speaking of which, it's been a while since he last saw Kim Tae-yeon. Since Jung Soo-yeon left the group, she has been relatively quiet. Even at the end of the year, there were no activities. She didn't seem to plan on participating in the upcoming SBS Gayo Daejeon either. The last time Ji-seong saw his senior was when he came across news about their Dongdaemun concert online.

Today's Taeyeon is wearing a white long dress, with shoulder-length wavy dark brown hair cascading to one side. She exudes elegance mixed with fashion. Just looking at her upper body feels good and stylish. However, overall, her slightly short stature and slender figure appear somewhat disharmonious, even in high heels that are ten centimeters tall.

How tall is Jennie, by the way

The two of them were looking ahead while quietly discussing the hottest topic about Chi Jingyuan recently.

After a program aired a "Korean Peninsula Artist Income Ranking" a few days ago, it immediately topped the hot search list the next day. The heat hasn't diminished in the slightest these days, and even shows signs of escalating. Particularly eye-catching is Ji Chang Wook, ranked second on the list, as he represents a significant income gap. Due to his short debut time of only two years, and being the only idol among all the artists on this list, his position stands out.

One of the points brought up is that there's a significant gap between Kim Soo-hyun, who ranks first on the list, and Park Seo-joon. There's also a considerable gap between Park Seo-joon and Jun Ji-hyun, who comes in third. Furthermore, the income disparity widens even more after Jun Ji-hyun, with the combined earnings of fourth through sixth place actors being less than any of those ranked ahead of them.

For Kim Soo-hyun and Jeon Ji-hyun, people sighed after lamenting a bit, as they are both veteran actors who have been in the industry for many years. Jeon Ji-hyun, whose fame skyrocketed with "My Sassy Girl" long ago, needs no further introduction. Even Kim Soo-hyun, who has been in the industry for seven years and starred in popular TV dramas and films, is a well-known young actor. It's understandable that he could earn so much this year after starring in a highly successful drama that swept across Asia earlier this year.

But Chi Jingyuan's ranking sparked a lot of debate. Aside from fans cheering and showing off everywhere, relentlessly pursuing his current mortal enemy, VIP: 'How much does your Oppa earn per year' 'Why can't I see someone's name on the list' questions kept coming. Some people said that the program crew fabricated it and didn't believe the data. Others felt that this income was too high for an idol who had only debuted for two years. More people thought that the income was incompatible with his status and seniority. A young idol surpassing so many senior actors and artists seemed excessive.

That's a little enviable too.

Some people, who either have something wrong with their brains or are deliberately trying to cause trouble, are replying to ** and Park Gyeong-won's posts with inappropriate content.

However, a large number of onlookers who came to see the commotion didn't have much opinion afterwards. Aside from being amazed, they also expressed admiration and understanding. After all, Ji Jingyuan was indeed extremely popular towards the end of last year, and EXO was the most popular male group in Xia Guo at that time. Ji Jingyuan also naturally had a look that was very welcomed by manufacturers and advertisers. Fans would support anything he endorsed, and basically, the sales of most advertising brands over the following period would show a significant increase. With multiple attributes added together, it is understandable why he is so favored, and it is understandable that his revenue is so high.

They bickered and argued with each other, and as a result, within just a few days, at least in the music industry of the entertainment circle, almost everyone had heard about it.

"Is it possible that it's not the boy group making money..." Ji Jingyuan turned his head sideways, tilting his head towards her and blinking. "Or is it just that I make more money"

"Tch," Kim Taeyeon made a face as if she were disgusted, seeing him like that.

Although she knew the ranking data from this program was not real and fabricated to a large extent, even if it were true, she would have to split the profits with the company, to be honest, she felt a surge of envy when she saw it, her heart filled with bitterness.

It's not just her. Even Taeyeon knew that there were plenty of people envious of her, even back in their girl group days. As for the other groups who earned less, well, it goes without saying.

Including XO's dividends and royalties, it's around 500 to 600 billion Korean won a year. Even if a girl group on the peninsula reaches the top level like Girls' Generation, they probably wouldn't know how many years of individual shares it would take to earn this amount.

Many artists may have debuted initially for the stage, for their dreams. However, as time goes by, when passion fades, most will return to reality unless they are from privileged families who don't really need money. For most others, what they value most is income.

Just like in their girlhood days, and even with so many idol group members, conflicts often arise due to resource allocation. They fight for all those resources, and ultimately, isn't it all about increasing popularity which then translates into income

If she could earn five to six hundred billion won a year, then I'd definitely stay home and slack off for a couple of years to do some things I want to do.

How should I spend it...

Thinking and thinking, she stared ahead with her pupils a little scattered, as if lost in her own world. This made Chi Jingyuan beside her speechless. How did this sister suddenly go off on a tangent while talking

Ji Jingyuan didn't disturb her. After a while, Kim Taeyeon came back to her senses and turned to look at him with expectant eyes, tentatively asking: "Okay, you're pretty good... But are actors really that rich"

"Annie."

Chi Jingyuan knew exactly what she was thinking and decisively shook his head, dismissing the unrealistic idea: "The pay for acting in TV dramas is very low. Even if an actor reaches the peak of their career on the peninsula, they won't earn much. The main income still comes from endorsements."

Pool Geon-yeong had no intention of taking things lightly. He earned only 2 to 3 million Korean won per episode for his television dramas, which was already considered high. His main source of income was still from advertising endorsements after he rose to fame. During the early part of this year, any endorsement he took on cost at least thirty times more than his acting fee.

But it's not necessary to give specific numbers, even if the relationship is close, saying it so clearly can still easily give off other vibes.

At the end, Ji Jingyuan added specifically: “For specific details, you can ask Unnie. She’s so popular, she definitely has a lot of experience in this area.”

“Ugh.” Kim Taeyeon let out a soft hum and stopped fantasizing. She knew Park Kyung-won was joking, but of course, she wouldn't ask Yuri about these things. Girl group members rarely discuss personal income among themselves; it's an easy topic to be sensitive about. This time, it wasn’t her who brought it up because the news of "Park Kyung-won 55 billion won" had blown up and become common knowledge.

And speaking of making money, although it's not as much as Yuan550, Kim Taeyeon isn't doing too shabby either, right

After watching and listening to the speech on stage for a while, Kim Taeyeon quietly asked again: "I heard that your XO's comeback next year is already confirmed With XO being like this now, the comeback next year is really important, the planning should be pretty amazing, right"

“As for the album, we will release a few singles first…” Ki-won nodded and gave a simple introduction. With so many people involved in something like this within the same company, it’s impossible to hide. Just casually asking around would reveal everything, and he didn't feel the need to conceal it anyway. After all, in one or two months, the company will officially announce it to the public.”

"Oh, four single albums coming together to form a regular second album, it can keep the momentum going and keep the heat up. It sounds really great." Taeyeon's eyes glittered, she seemed to be very fond of EXO's comeback plan.

"How about you guys when you were young This time next year should be crucial too, right"

Although Girls' Generation hasn't had as many departures as EXO, things aren't looking good either. Their only comeback in 2014 showed a significant decline, and the incident with Jessica Jung in the second half of the year further worsened their situation. The fact that they were completely absent from all award ceremonies and music shows at the end of the year already proves their current slump. Now, many remaining Sones online are feeling anxious and worried, fearing they may never hear news of Girls' Generation's next comeback.

“It’s confirmed that we’ll be making a comeback next year. This was already decided when the company renewed our contract, but the specific plan is still under discussion and hasn’t been finalized yet. The members all take it very seriously… I hope that by then, we can satisfy sone.” Kim Taeyeon said with a mixture of disappointment and anticipation, ending with a slightly sad sigh. It was clear that she understood the current situation well and felt deeply saddened seeing those departing fans.”

Ji-seong didn't ask her when the solo she had been hoping for would happen. The earliest it would likely start would be after Girls' Generation's comeback.

He shrugged and gave a good wish:

"Come on!"

He doesn't know if Girls' Generation will cheer him on, but one thing is for sure, EXO will definitely fight.

…………

As the end of the year approaches, various activities also increase. Besides TV programs and commercial performances, many cooperative brands also host celebrations like parties, signings, and year-end parties. Both Park Jeong-won and EXO are expected to attend these events.

In just the past few days, I've attended several parties, big and small. LG's evening banquet by the pool was quite a lively affair, with their brand ambassador participating. Even more unbelievable is that the EXO-endorsed ice cream brand Bask-Robbs held a signing event for them on the 20th.

God knows, holding a signing event for an ice cream brand in the middle of winter is crazy. Just sitting there would make Chi Jingyuan feel cold, he'd probably want to hold a cup of hot drink in his hands all day and never let go.

> It's amazing how many people came to the meet-and-greet! The venue was packed, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was a testament to EXO's enduring popularity or simply that fans are incredibly dedicated. Maybe it's just because people here have strong stomachs—eating ice cream and cold drinks in sub-zero temperatures seems totally normal!

After several busy days, EXO also gathered at the SBS Gayo Daejun main venue in Samsung-dong, Gangnam District, along with other artists, to begin preparations for the music showdown that will kick off this evening.

"Annyeonghaseyo..."

EXO members, escorted by staff and their manager, just walked into the designated waiting room. Red Velvet's four members, who arrived much earlier, quickly stood up together and bowed to EXO.

On the way here, Lee Seung Hwan had already told them that because the event was held in a temporary venue, there weren't many separate resting rooms. Only groups or artists with high popularity or seniority would have their own private rooms. The rest basically shared one room.

As a rookie group that has just debuted and is not very popular, Red Velvet being able to appear on Music Bank already reflects the company's support. They probably don't have their own private practice room. Instead of squeezing into a crowded room with many other artists, it would be more convenient for them to borrow EXO's practice room. After all, their space is spacious enough to accommodate so many people. So the company simply made this arrangement, and they can move them there when needed.

It seems like their manager might have given them some instructions, because all the girls look a bit nervous now.

A nod served as a greeting, and XO's group of people walked in, placing their bags beside them. The few individuals instinctively huddled together on a couch, warming each other listlessly.

"Take a break for a while and don't run around. When it's our turn to rehearse, the stagehands will notify us. It won't be in the order of the evening performance. If you go out, remember to watch the time, and we'll still have a final run-through of the whole process at the end..."

Lee Seung-hwan first greeted Red Velvet's manager and then walked over to pat his hand and started explaining the schedule for a while. As he was finishing up, he suddenly saw Ji Kyeong-won skillfully taking out a pair of black-rimmed glasses from his single shoulder bag after hearing the word 'rest', and then flipping out a game console to start playing. He immediately paused, opened his mouth wide, and looked at Ji Kyeong-won with a helpless expression, saying: "Kyeong-won ah, can't you do something else every time you come to the resting room"

"Ah..."

"As soon as he pressed the power button, ready to start working after Lee Seong-hwan finished speaking, Ji-seong was suddenly called out. He heard a few members laughing beside him, and felt that attention from people like Seulgi had shifted to him. Blinking under his glasses, Ji-seong innocently spread his hands: 'Do something else Then I'll go play around with Chanyeol hyung later...' "

"Ugh…" Park Chan-lye looked over with a displeased face, feeling like he'd been dragged down.

"Hahahaha…" At first, only a few people were laughing softly, but they quickly became more unrestrained. Their uncontrollable laughter dispelled the sleepiness that had just enveloped their heads.

Back when they first debuted, they wouldn't dare speak like this to Lee Seong-hwan. However, it's been over two years now. They've gotten closer with their manager, and the company's management has also loosened up a bit. It's harmless to joke around now.

At the corner, several red velvet members exchanged glances, all seeming confused. They didn't seem to understand the joke that the seniors were laughing about and why they were so happy.

I just saw that the seniors were chatting with their manager and they seemed so relaxed. It made me a little envious.

After making eye contact, Pei Zhuxuan turned her gaze back to him, noticing a flash in the eyes of Ji Jingyuan who was wearing black-rimmed glasses.

"You… forget it." Lee Seung-hwan shook his head helplessly, too tired to deal with Ji Kyeong-won anymore. He turned and glared at Park Chan-hyeok: "Chan-hyuk is talking about you. Don't run around later!"

Before Park Chan-hyeol could retort, Lee Seung-hwant casually waved his hand and walked out the door.

"The sound of the door closing echoed, and suddenly silence fell over the resting room. Less than two seconds later, laughter erupted once more. Kim Jun-myeon laughed with particular delight, reaching out to pat Park Chan-yeol's shoulder and earnestly advising him, “Did you hear that, Chan-yeol Don’t run around too much later.”

"Haha..."

"... Feeling Park Chan-ryeol's angry gaze, Ji Kyeong-won raised his hand to show his innocence: "Ani, oppa, I was just joking. Actually, I'm quite envious of you..."

“Hahaha…” Wu Shixun was exceptionally arrogant, laughing so hard he almost choked. Beak Hyun was also clutching someone’s waist, trembling all over. The others probably couldn't understand why they were laughing, and they weren't good at explaining either. This kind of thing about members' private conduct is something only people inside XO would get.

"……” Park Chan-ryeok stifled a laugh for a few seconds, then found a spot to sit down and crossed his legs. He was originally going to go out and visit friends directly, but now that his manager had just finished giving him instructions, he definitely needed to give some face and wait a while before leaving.

Ji-yeong turned his head to look at Red Velvet's direction, smiling and nodding at a few friends. He also made eye contact with Seulgi for a moment, winked, and then looked away. The XO members were all here, but it was mainly because Ryeowook's manager and assistant were also present, so he had to be careful about many things.

Before he could settle into a comfortable position on the sofa and start playing his console, a sudden commotion erupted outside. It sounded like someone was arguing, or perhaps even fighting.

(

First release on the Traditional Chinese Novels Websiteng her gaze and lowering her head slightly. She pursed her lips and felt a little awkward and uncomfortable.... just doesn't know if this feeling of tension is brought on by the car, or by the people...