Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 406 She said it was all voluntary on her part.

The rest of the program was recorded smoothly according to the pre-prepared script.

Kwon Eun-bi shared how Shen Juan comforted and encouraged her after they met, giving her the motivation to keep moving forward.

Moreover, considering that Zhao Meiyan had already exposed her ambiguous relationship with Shen Juan, if she were to join in now, it might make things difficult for Shen Juan to handle. Therefore, Quan Jie very considerately stated that she and Shen Juan were simply close friends.

He understands me, and I understand him.

Although we haven't known each other for long and rarely meet, we can both draw a lot of energy from each other.

They somehow managed to give this friendly running buddy relationship a facade of friendship that would make fans and passersby envious and touched.

For example, when Sydney girls on the other side of the ocean are interviewed by the media, they often mention that Alex is their best friend.

All I can say is that Shen Juan has many friends.

However, he also had very few friends.

In the following time, Shen Juan talked about his mental journey and interesting experiences when he was a trainee in South Korea.

Under the MC's encouragement and teasing, he talked about what kind of storyline would have unfolded if he hadn't withdrawn from the competition and instead chosen to join Wangnawan and develop his career in South Korea.

Everyone expressed their regret upon hearing this.

Kang Ho-dong went so far as to say that Kpop may have missed their best chance to rise to prominence since the industry's inception!

Song Yuqi and Minnie shared a story about how they sought comfort from Shen Juan when they were feeling down.

Fortunately, Shen Juan's relationship with these two was purely platonic.

Moreover, when they mentioned Shen Juan, their eyes and tone were very pure, unlike Zhao Meiyan's which was ambiguous.

Otherwise, after the show airs, Shen Juan will probably be bombarded by (G)I-DLE fans, who will say he's a male stunt who ruined the whole group.
Although he is not afraid of online bullying from female fans, he still quoted a classic saying from his "mentor" David Tao.

I hope my reputation won't be further damaged.

Jisoo shared how she learned from foreign fans during her overseas tour how popular Shen Juan is.

The main purpose is to blow away the dust and weariness.

The secondary purpose was to boast about himself.

Although BLACKPINK can't compare to Shen Juan, at least we can see his back, which is much better than those rotten fish and shrimps who can't even get their hands on exhaust fumes!
This is like how BTS gets humiliated and tortured by Alovers every day, and those ARMYs aren't ashamed but proud of it.

To be able to become the opponent of the world's number one male player, and to be the target of the world's number one male player's fans' torture, is already an honor in itself.

In short, as the absolute core of this episode and also a celebrity figure in East Asia during this period, Shen Juan doesn't need to speak proactively. Other guests will steer the conversation toward him in order to boost the show's ratings, and no matter what Shen Juan says, everyone else will respond enthusiastically.

I racked my brains to make sure his topics didn't fall into clichés and to make him feel at home.

Therefore, the recording experience was naturally very enjoyable.

The recording was completed shortly after 7 p.m.

It is said that this episode will be released next week because it was a special project prepared for him at the last minute.

Its main selling point is timeliness!
While the hype surrounding the Leviathan Era tour has not yet subsided, the show will help boost the show's popularity to a new level.

Without exchanging contact information with the group of MCs, Shen Juan left the TV station as a complete passerby.

However, the next destination was not the restaurant.

Tonight's dinner problem was solved by ordering takeout during the intermission halfway through the recording of the show.

It wasn't the hotel where we stayed.

He has no formal work scheduled for tomorrow, so he doesn't need to get up early tomorrow morning and doesn't need to go to bed too early tonight.

It was a bar located in Gangnam District.

Zhao Meiyan asked him to meet her here later.

Shen Juan figured he had nothing better to do tonight.

In addition, she was the first person to ask him out.

Song Yuqi and Minnie kept a close eye on each other, not allowing the other to sneak away. Kwon Eunbi didn't fight back, and Kim Jisoo was a step too late.

So I decided to gladly accept the invitation.

The night breeze in Gangnam, Seoul, carried a light drizzle, casting a hazy glow on the colorful neon signs along the street.

"Let me make it clear beforehand, I didn't bring anything with me in this outfit except my phone." Shen Juan pushed open the bar door, then turned around and raised an eyebrow at the girl who was following closely behind him. "I heard that when you go out to eat here, men and women usually split the bill, so could you please split mine too?"

"Ugh!" Zhao Meiyan stomped her foot, feigning anger.

"I already said it's my treat tonight! I haven't properly thanked you for bringing me on the show yet! And," she suddenly leaned closer, lowering her voice in a seductive tone, "Oppa, next time you come to Seoul, don't you want a perfectly legitimate reason to ask me out for dinner?"

Shen Juan smiled. "Use repaying the money as a reason?"

As for the affectionate "Oppa" nickname, Shen Juan was too lazy to remind her that she was actually a year older than him.

Zhao Meiyan gave a noncommittal "hmm".

The warm yellow light from the bar fell on her profile, casting shadows under her long eyelashes. Yet, this delicate and aloof face belied her behavior as if she were a happier child caught stealing milk from the table. Her voice rose slightly at the end, and her expectant eyes held a barely perceptible unease.

Shen Juan suddenly had the idea to tease her: "But what if I don't like paying back money by inviting people out for meals?"

“Then it’s not impossible for me to go to your door to collect the debt myself~” Zhao Meiyan looked at Shen Juan, her eyes gleaming with cunning.

Actually, although they haven't met many times, their ambiguous relationship on Kakao has been going on for a long time.

She often confided in Shen Juan to pour out her troubles and stress.

Shen Juan often made her happy by chatting with her about K-pop gossip (all the information came from Sister Quan, thanks to Sister Quan, who is the soul of the Korean section).

Therefore, to some extent, Zhao Meiyan believed that she had a fairly in-depth and comprehensive understanding of Shen Juan. Combined with Shen Juan's advantages and strengths that anyone with eyes and ears could know, she felt that she had discovered the core key to Shen Juan's global fish farming.

This made her even more eager to develop this platonic, ambiguous relationship that existed only online into the real world.

This is what is known as meeting someone you met online in person.

Despite what people around them say: if a girl is too proactive, it will make it too easy for the boy to get what he wants, and he won't know how to cherish it.

But those are just common people's theories about love.

It may not be suitable for celebrities.

It's not necessarily suitable for someone like Shen Juan, who has achieved tremendous success in his career and transcends the boundaries of ordinary people.

After all, a man who makes millions every minute might not have time to play the sweet romance of your student days.

Moreover, Shen Juan is a well-known playboy and heartthrob who enjoys having affairs or keeping lovers all over the world!

In the US, Ariana Grande, Jenner, Taylor Swift, and Sydney Girl have close relationships with him. In Japan, Minami Hamabe, Satomi Ishihara, Elaiza Ikeda, and others seem to have had rumors with him. And in South Korea, just the girls I met today are enough to confirm that they are either Shen Juan's devoted fans or his running buddies.

As for China, there's even less to say.

So it's almost obvious that he's already used to being pursued by girls and being adored by the public, so naturally, he can't mindlessly apply the conventional dating tricks that netizens have summarized to cater to the public to him.

Of course, she didn't know exactly how to get closer to him, or even further, how to infiltrate his fishpond.

After all, she's not like Tian Xiwei from neighboring China, who rose to prominence through her husband and is envied and resented by Alovers worldwide.

If the difficulty of winning over a top-tier man like Shen Juan were placed in those otome mobile games, it would definitely be SSS+!

She didn't have a perfect plan to win over Shen Juan.

Therefore, I can only explore and summarize on my own.

But the good thing is that she is optimistic and open-minded by nature, not afraid of failure, and never overly depletes herself when faced with hardship and difficulties.

So stop thinking, just do it!
When you start, you've already taken the first step to success; the answers you seek are all in action.

I, Cao Weijuan (Zhao Meiyan), am incredibly intelligent and I'm sure I can find the perfect way to make Shen Juan fall in love with me!

Guided by the waiter, the two, who had disguised themselves to conceal their identities, sat down in a corner private room that they had booked in advance.

Zhao Meishen reached out and pulled the gauze curtain closed, the movement carrying a faint fragrance. She remembered Al Pacino's famous movie, "Scent of a Woman": he smelled not only the fragrance, but also a woman's soul; even without speaking, their perfume could speak.

At this moment, Shen Juan, who was in a relaxed and carefree mood, probably experienced firsthand what this feeling was like.

So he asked, "I remember you said you really liked iced Americano, why are you drinking latte now?"

She paused, her fingers gripping the menu, a little embarrassed. "Because...some people said the iced Americano was too bitter." But she quickly added, "But mainly it's because I wanted to try something new!"

Sister Mian's inner monologue: Everyone says men like soft girls, so I'll pretend to be shy and see how he reacts.

Shen Juan chuckled softly, tapping the table with his index finger: "Give me a hot latte and a hot milk, please, thank you."

The waiter respectfully left with the menu.

"How do you usually relax, Oppa?" Zhao Meiyan asked Shen Juan earnestly, resting her chin on her hands. "Whenever I'm stressed, I go for a walk around the Han River. Last time, a fan gave me throat lozenges, saying that my voice sounded like it had been kissed by an angel when I sang. Oh dear! I'm nowhere near as good as she described, hahaha!"

But soon she realized that while she was gathering information, she had inadvertently revealed her narcissistic nature.

A little awkward
"Oh, isn't that narcissistic?"

"Kind of."

"I knew it." Zhao Meiyan's face instantly turned ashen, and her tone of voice became weak and listless.

"But it won't make people dislike it, at least I won't."

Shen Juan took the milk from the waiter, felt the warmth of the cup with his fingertips, and began to answer the question from before: "My way of relaxing when I'm not working is rather monotonous. If I have a long break, I'll go out for a walk. If I have a short break, I might chat with friends on my phone."

Zhao Meiyan's eyes suddenly lit up, like a lit candle flame, burning with hope, "So I'm the friend Oppa was talking about?"

"You're just one of them," Shen Juan said frankly.

"How many friends like me does Oppa have?"

Shen Juan thought for a moment, "I haven't counted them carefully."

Zhao Meiyan felt that she should feel jealous and upset at this moment, or at least appear to do so.

So she put on a disappointed and heartbroken look.

"Speaking of which, your trainee days must have been tough, right?" Shen Juan asked, watching her draw circles in her cup with a coffee spoon.

Zhao Meiyan paused, biting the straw between her teeth to make a mark: "Wasn't I in YG at first? Back then, I practiced from morning till night every day. It was really hard. I wanted to give up many times, but I thought that the opportunity to debut was rare, so I felt that there was hope for the future. It's just a pity that I found out after all that hard work that I had wasted my time."

She suddenly looked up at Shen Juan, "Oppa, what about you? You came to South Korea alone back then, it must have been much harder than for me."

"Pretty much, isn't that how it is for all trainees?" Shen Juan lowered his eyes and stirred the coffee in his cup, his reflection faintly visible in the rising steam. "But as long as you choose the right path, it's not too difficult. The worst thing is walking blindfolded, not knowing when dawn will break. Fortunately, it's dawn now, so..."

“So you need to learn to take care of yourself even more!” Zhao Meiyan suddenly leaned forward, the two of them so close that they could clearly smell the fragrance wafting from her. “Actually, when I first met you, I felt that you must have suffered a lot. To reach your current level, you must have paid a lot.”

Shen Juan laughed, "Am I the only one who feels sorry for my brother?"

"What do you mean?" Zhao Meiyan asked, puzzled.

"It's a running joke from where I'm from, to put it simply," Shen Juan raised an eyebrow, "that you're trying to get my attention?"

Zhao Meiyan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly smiled calmly, "Since you know, then don't say it!"

"You're quite frank."

"I have no choice but to be honest!" Zhao Meiyan suddenly looked directly at Shen Juan. Although she hadn't been drinking, a faint flush appeared on her face—a little trick she had prepared before the date. "I figured that since Oppa has many friends like me, he must know."

She suddenly grabbed a sugar cube from the table and threw it into his milk glass. "Every piece of candy in this world deserves its place and its own destiny, like this one."

She watched as the sugar cubes slowly sank into the milk.

"It should stay in its own cup."

Shen Juan stared at the sugar cube that had sunk to the bottom of the glass. After a moment of silence, he looked up at the girl opposite him who was confessing her feelings. "So you mean you've found your place?"

Zhao Meiyan didn't reply, but simply smiled and confidently rested her chin on her hands to meet his gaze. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with a clear light, like melting ice.

Soft instrumental music flowed through the private room, the piano prelude trembling like a heartbeat, and ambiguity spread and grew within.

Although it's said that if you like someone, you should take a few more steps towards them, and if they see you coming but don't seem to want to greet you, you should stop immediately and stop taking the initiative if they don't respond, she still couldn't help but take a few more steps because Shen Juan was worth it.

Moreover, unexpressed emotions never disappear; they will only suddenly erupt one day, telling stories of unfulfilled regrets. She feels that there are already many things in her life that she regrets not doing well in the past, so she does not want her future life to become even more regretful.

After a long silence, Zhao Meiyan reached out and straightened Shen Juan's askew collar. "Oppa, do you know? In South Korea, girls who take the initiative are often considered tactless, but I know the girls around you are all very proactive."

"So not only do I not want to be a person of propriety in front of you, I also want to be the one with the least propriety!" Sister Mian's soft voice carried a do-or-die determination and courage.

Shen Juan's gaze lingered on her flushed cheeks, and the soothing instrumental music couldn't mask the warmth emanating from the private room.

He suddenly remembered the sugar cube that had just sunk to the bottom of the glass. It had probably melted by now, silently turning into the sweetness of the whole glass of milk, just like the girl in front of him who was a little cunning but not excessive, and instead seemed clumsy and cute, trying to blend into his life and become a part of his world.

From Sister Tian, ​​who climbed a tree in the middle of the night just to congratulate him on winning the championship, to Xiao Xiao, who wrote his name on the beach, and Xiao Ye, who watched the birthday fireworks together in Las Vegas, to Xiao Shen, who traveled across Eurasia to London to find him, and now Sister Mian, who is trying to take their relationship to the next level.

Ultimately, I still prefer brave people.
After a long silence, he finally got up and sat down next to her, giving his response through his actions.

Zhao Meiyan was tense all over, but the moment Shen Juan put his arm around her waist, she subconsciously grabbed the hem of his coat.

Are you aware of those rumors about me?

"know."

"Most of the rumors are true."

"I know too."

"I probably won't come to South Korea often in the future."

"It's alright, I can come to China to find you!"

"But I may not spend much time in China either."

"It's okay, I'm good at long-distance relationships!"

"I'm not a good romantic partner."

"It's okay, falling in love with you was my own choice!"

"Is everything voluntary?"

"Everything is voluntary!"

"In that case, let's kiss first."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Juan leaned down and kissed her soft lips under her tense yet expectant gaze.

Zhao Meiyan trembled uncontrollably, then softened like spring water, emitting indistinct moans. Her hands gradually changed from pressing against his chest to a passionate and forceful embrace. If she could successfully complete this path, then it wouldn't matter if the process was convoluted or the operation was clumsy!
As night deepened in Seoul, the sound of rain outside the window grew louder.

All the rumors and gossip about Shen Juan's past became less important during this long and lingering kiss.

She only believes what she sees.

She only cares about her own feelings.

She just wanted time to stand still in this moment.

------------

Late at night in Seoul, at the (G)I-DLE dormitory.

"Damn it. Hasn't that guy come back yet?" Song Yuqi paced back and forth in the living room, clutching her phone tightly in her hand.

“No!” Minnie sat cross-legged on the sofa. “She just texted me saying she won’t be coming back tonight.”

"What? Did you manage to contact Shen Juan oppa?"

"No, not really." Minnie looked upset. They were all adults and knew what might happen.

"What on earth is Cao Weijuan doing staying out all night?!" Song Yuqi was almost going crazy and swore.

It would be fine if it were Kim Jisoo, who was recording the show with me today, or Kwon Eunbi, who has an exaggeratedly large bear-like belly.

Since we're not close, out of sight, out of mind.

But why her of all people!
Why did it have to be that extremely narcissistic woman?

Song Yuqi felt that she was really angry this time!
I'm really on the verge of giving up!
I'm not only afraid that my brother will have a hard time, but I'm also afraid that my brother will drive a Land Rover.

Seeing someone she knows successfully fall for her unattainable ideal woman is more painful than killing her!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! ! !
This group really can't stay here for another second!
　Sorry, I had to go out during the day and only got home to write in the evening, so I'm sorry for the late update!
　　Thank you all for your votes, monthly passes, and subscriptions!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)