Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 113 Labor and management are now acting strangely.
The phone screen was blindingly bright in the dim light, but Tian Xiwei ignored it, biting on a cantaloupe-flavored lollipop. Her fingertips slid quickly across the screen, sending the edited photo directly.

As soon as the Weibo post was published, the notification numbers skyrocketed. 1.2 reposts and 3.8 likes. These numbers are already higher than some third- or fourth-tier celebrities, and her latest airport photos once again swept through the Gu Jingyi super topic.

Not only that, comments also appeared one after another very quickly.

[Gu Jingyi, my dream husband. So handsome! Sweetie's photos are still as stunning as ever.]
[Is this a new airport photo of Jingyi? He looks so cool!]
[Husband, tears of emotion streamed down his face.]
Tian Xiwei glanced at the comments in the front row and found it somewhat amusing to see people calling Gu Jingyi their husband.

Have they met Gu Jingyi in private? Do they have Gu Jingyi's WeChat? They have nothing, yet they're calling him "husband" all the time?

Do these people even know how to pronounce it?

Tian Xiwei was somewhat annoyed, but she suppressed it.

[What's that watch Jingyi is wearing today? Why is it blurred out by Sweetie?]
[Perhaps Jingyi is wearing a Richard Mille watch, which clashes with the business watches of Chopard and Dior, so Sweetie (the author) blurred it out.]
[Don't ask, Sister Sweetie must have her reasons for doing this.]
Soon, some fans noticed something was wrong: in the photos posted by Tian Xiwei, the watch face on Gu Jingyi's wrist was deliberately blurred.

"Because this is a secret that Jingyi and I keep in mind, my reflection appeared on Gu Jingyi's watch face. Send it directly? Impossible."

Thinking of how Gu Jingyi used the airport as cover to try and get back to her, Tian Xiwei smiled faintly.

The so-called evidence of gentleness that the "Consort Jing" fans discovered was actually only one in ten thousand.

She filmed a legendary autograph video of Gu Jingyi, an unknown trainee, during his early years when he had no glamorous red carpets. This video changed Gu Jingyi's destiny, making him a trending topic on Korean websites and forums.

She also stood in the pouring rain at the TV station during the talent show just to support Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi's favoritism towards her has always been blatant. On the final night of "Idol Producer," during his solo performance, he noticed her and forgot all his other planned stage walks. Amidst a packed audience, he expressed his subtle affection to the fullest.

Tian Xiwei always felt that she was different from others, and Gu Jingyi was particularly indulgent and fond of her.

She believed that as long as she worked hard, she would be able to keep up with Gu Jingyi and become his girlfriend.

This is Tian Xiwei's biggest expectation since entering the entertainment industry after signing the management contract offered by Gong Yuhan.

The May Fourth Gala will air tomorrow night at 21:30 PM. As soon as Gu Jingyi appeared backstage, staff members greeted him.

"Welcome, Teacher Gu. Your rehearsal is second in the order, and the stage design and lighting are all set up. The orchestra will be responsible for the prelude to the 'Centennial Journey' version of 'The Sea of ​​Stars,' so please take some time to rehearse it."

"Okay, it's not hard work. It's all for the better effect of the show. Are you hungry? I just came back from Zhejiang Province and brought some local specialties with me."

Gu Jingyi had a warm smile on his face, which made the girl blush instantly.

"Ah... Professor Gu, you've gone to too much trouble."

Lin Ze also came in dragging a small suitcase, which was full of Zhejiang Province specialties.

Things like rice cakes, Longjing tea, pastries from Zhiweiguan, and duck tongues were all things that Gu Jingyi specifically asked Lin Ze to buy.

To be able to enter an official gala, an artist not only needs to be popular, but also needs to have good character.

After appearing on the May Fourth Youth Day Gala for several consecutive years, Zhang Yixing began to be influenced by his "red and patriotic" background. He is the grandson of a certain old revolutionary and was influenced by his maternal grandfather from a young age.

He exaggerated these kinds of press releases to an extreme degree. Surprisingly, his true descendants saw them and directly debunked the claims.

Gu Jingyi certainly didn't value this; he wanted to align himself with the mainstream ideology and gain the attention of the higher-ups.

The government also supports outstanding patriotic youths, and Wang Jiaer has benefited from this.

When Gu Jingyi was still on "Idol Producer", she received the "May Flowers" award along with Kris Wu, Zhang Yishan, and Guan Xiaotong.

He was already on the list of candidates for support before he even sang "The Sea of ​​Stars".

Unfortunately, Gu Jingyi was still busy with rehearsals at the time and couldn't share a frame with the "prison-type male god".

Tsk, that's a bit of a shame.

"Xiao Gu, you're too kind."

Zou Wei, the chief director in charge of the May Fourth Gala, noticed this and walked over with a smile.

"You've had a long journey, why bring a gift when you've come all this way?"

"It's just a small token of our appreciation. Everyone has worked hard, so consider it a late-night snack."

Gu Jingyi certainly didn't take his polite words seriously. These local specialties weren't expensive, but few artists who came to rehearse would think of them.

At most, they would treat the production crew to milk tea, something that's the same no matter when they drink it.

Although the local specialties Gu Jingyi sent were not expensive, they were all things that could not be bought offline in Beijing.

As the conversation progressed, more and more staff members noticed the unusual situation.

Zou Wei then stopped being polite and said, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony. Jingyi, thank you for your thoughtfulness."

He turned around and called out, "Everyone, come over here. Gu Jingyi asked each of us to bring a gift."

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff from the lighting, makeup, and stage design teams filed out.

Thank you, Teacher Gu.

"Thank you, Jingyi~"

"Teacher Jingyi is so thoughtful!"

Lin Ze specially packed the gifts into gift bags according to the number of people, and Gu Jingyi took them out of his suitcase and gave them out one by one.

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's gift is bound to him." Gu Jingyi's social skills were all influenced by his idol, Lin Yoona.

Actually, he had dated Im Yoon-ah before he debuted on that South Korean talent show.

However, in his previous life, after Gu Jingyi debuted as a member of "Forgot to Take the Bowl," he secretly dated Kim Ji-won and Kim Ji-soo. He messed up his multi-tasking on Valentine's Day and was caught red-handed by Lim Yoon-a, who had returned early, at the Hilton Hotel.

Unlike the "Double Gold" (referring to two powerful figures), this senior with doe-like eyes didn't cry and beat Gu Jingyi, but instead chose to forgive him after being charmed by his sweet words.

Yoona decisively chose to break up, without looking back.

Gu Jingyi still remembers her words, "Ah, I used to think you were different from other men. I never expected that in the end, we would all end up the same."

His rebirth occurred in February 2017, at the time when the rankings were announced during the third performance of "Produce 202".

At this time, Gu Jingyi was not yet dating Kim Ji-won and Kim Ji-soo, but he and Lim Yoon-ah were already in a flirtatious relationship before he participated in the audition.

In January 2017, Gu Jingyi was watching "Confidential Assignment" at the cinema when he bumped into Lim Yoon-a, who was wearing a baseball cap and a mask and had secretly come to see her first movie role.

At that time, Lim Yoon-a had just gotten rid of the "ratings poison" label with her collaboration with Ji Chang-wook in "The K2", and then, thanks to her years of work in the entertainment industry, she landed a role in the Chungmuro ​​film "Confidential Assignment".

When she first took on this role, the forum was flooded with negative posts. People questioned her acting skills, saying that Chungmuro ​​films were starting to decline. They felt it was beneath her to rely on someone from a girl group to boost popularity.

So, after secretly preparing her disguise, Lim Yoona went to the movie theater disguised as an ordinary audience member. She was eager to know what kind of feedback she would receive from the audience for her portrayal of Park Min-young.

Gu Jingyi pulled his hat down low and sat alone in the third-to-last row of the theater. On the screen, "Confidential Assignment" was showing a scene where Park Min-young, played by Lim Yoon-a, was pointing a gun at someone.
Im Yoon-a plays the younger sister of a North Korean deserter who, upon learning that her brother has been used, transforms her expression from innocence to despair in just three seconds.

When Yoona appeared on the big screen, the audience in the theater were whispering among themselves.

Gu Jingyi was the only exception; he sat in his seat leisurely eating popcorn.

"Excuse me, what do you think of Yoona's acting skills?"

A slightly familiar voice sounded behind him, but Gu Jingyi couldn't immediately recall who it was because the other person was deliberately lowering their voice.

"Your acting has improved," he said softly, looking at the person on the screen.

A soft chuckle suddenly came from behind, "Such high praise? I thought you were going to say, 'Idols really can't pull this off.'"

When she relaxed, her voice, which had been lowered, returned to normal.

The familiar voice made Gu Jingyi stiffen. He turned around and met those doe eyes that shone brightly even in the darkness.

Im Yoona was sitting right behind him, her baseball cap pulled low over her shoulders. Her mask was barely down to her mouth, and she was holding a half-eaten bucket of popcorn in her arms.

"Is Im Yoon-a coming to see the movie she starred in?"

Gu Jingyi recognized her at a glance; her Adam's apple bobbed. She noticed Lin Yun'er had pulled her mask up and was looking at him warily. She was ready to sneak away if Gu Jingyi said anything inappropriate.

He chuckled and made a "zipping" gesture to his lips, the movie still playing. The screen light illuminated his sharply defined profile, and Gu Jingyi commented objectively, "Lim Yoona's crying scene this time is more natural than in 'The K2,' a big improvement. But her gun-holding posture is still wrong; North Korean women don't hold guns like that."

Yoona raised an eyebrow, surprised that he could actually say something.

"Then how should we hold it?"

Gu Jingyi gave the answer directly, "She has never received this kind of training, so it's impossible for her to be able to grip a gun so accurately on her first try. The grip will slip slightly; the senior gripped it too straight."

Lim Yoona was a little surprised; she hadn't expected that the guy she bumped into at the movie theater could actually see something.

Is she a trainee from some company or a new actress debuting in the industry? Why did he just call her "senior"?
Lin Yoona subtly swept her gaze across Gu Jingyi's face; he possessed a handsome, almost sharp, appearance. His striking features made a strong first impression. Such exceptional looks didn't seem to come from South Korea; he appeared somewhat like a Chinese person.

[YG has a very handsome trainee. Lee Soo-man even complained in a meeting about how inefficient his talent scouts were. Such a big gem, and YG managed to snatch him up.]
Lee Soon-kyu's past complaints about her uncle in the dorm suddenly came to mind for Im Yoon-ah.

She glanced at Gu Jingyi and asked uncertainly, "Are you a newly debuted actor, or that Chinese trainee from YG Entertainment?"

"It seems your information channels are a bit outdated; I've already terminated my contract with YG."

Gu Jingyi lowered his eyes and revealed a secret that few people in the industry knew at the time.

"Huh?" Lim Yoona was a little stunned. The fact that she had spoken so intimately with someone she didn't know well suddenly left the usually eloquent Yoona speechless.

She wasn't sure if she should comfort Gu Jingyi, but it was really strange to act like this on their first meeting...

Lin Yoona's CPU was practically smoking from Gu Jingyi's words.

"Senior, there's no need to feel embarrassed. I already have other plans."

Gu Jingyi looked up and met Lin Yun'er's gaze. His eyes, like a clear pool, seemed to hold a flowing spring.

"Perhaps out of a little bit of compensation, YG gave me a list of contestants for Mnet's Produce 202. I should be the first YG contestant to participate in a small-to-medium-sized company's audition. Trainees trained by big companies already have their own popularity. No matter how maliciously Mnet edits, they wouldn't let me be eliminated in the first round just for the gimmick of being a 'former YG trainee'."

Gu Jingyi smiled calmly, showing no trace of the gloom he felt after being laid off from a big company. Lin Yoona also breathed a sigh of relief; at least the conversation hadn't gotten awkward.

She rubbed her fingertips against the popcorn paper cup, then looked up and teased, "So, how come the future 'National Center' suddenly decided to come to the movie theater to study acting?"

Gu Jingyi did not answer; his gaze returned to the screen.

When Park Min-young was shot and fell to the ground on screen, Im Yoon-a's tears didn't just flow directly from her eyes. Instead, her expression changed. After instinctively firing her gun, she noticed the other person was shot. The tightness in her chest eased, and she suddenly felt as if her soul had been ripped away. Her pupils dilated, and only then did the tears that had been welling up in her eyes slowly fall.

She handled this scene very naturally, and her acting skills are far superior to some actresses who only know how to use eye drops to shed tears and pout.

"You did a great job here."

Gu Jingyi suddenly spoke up, “It’s very natural, it doesn’t seem like acting.”

Lin Yoona was stunned, not expecting that Gu Jingyi could understand her so well.

In order to bring out the character's arc, she took "private lessons" before filming began.

In order to make a better film, they even wrote several versions of the character biographies.

This is the first time Im Yoon-a has taken a role so seriously. The doubts from the audience before filming started fueled her determination. As a perfectionist, she put in all her effort to do her best and prove those doubters wrong.

This wasn't the first time she had sneaked into a movie theater after the release of "Confidential Assignment" to observe the audience's reaction.

Before this, the audience's attention was focused on well-known film actors such as Hyun Bing and Yoo Hae-jin.

When she appears on screen as Park Min-young, the most she gets are compliments like "beautiful" or "no wonder she's the visual center of Girls' Generation, the original goddess of beauty."

After watching so many shows, Lim Yoona has become somewhat numb. But she wants to go further in her acting career, so she always makes sure to be in the last row of the movie theater when her character appears.

I listened quietly to the audience's comments, hoping to find some unique insights.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until today that Yoona found the answer.

This guy, who was about to participate in an audition, gave Yoona the answer she wanted when she had almost given up hope.

"I don't know much about acting either, but in China, it's divided into experiential learning and method acting. If you have the chance again, you can try to experience the character's journey. Practice is the best teacher, and the details of the character will be refined little by little in the process."

Gu Jingyi smiled slightly, looking very reliable.

"Perhaps you could recommend some books about acting?"

Asking someone she had just met for advice on acting was something Yoona would never have believed she could do before.

"Of course," Gu Jingyi said, taking out his phone and waving it.

"The reading list is a bit long. Even if I tell you it now, you won't be able to remember it all at once. How about we add each other's contact information and I'll send it to you?"

Perhaps it was because Gu Jingyi's eyes were too clear, and his conversation with him was filled with harmless sincerity and kindness.

Lin Yoona gritted her teeth, scanned Gu Jingyi's kkt and added him.

With his looks and talent, he's bound to debut eventually; he'll be in the industry sooner or later. There's no need for her to be coy right now; maybe Gu Jingyi can become a connection for her later.

With this in mind, Lin Yoona and Gu Jingyi added each other on KKT. They tacitly avoided watching the rest of the movie, instead chatting on KKT, with Gu Jingyi also sending her his book list.

The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't snap out of it until the end credits rolled. Yoona hastily pulled her hat down low and stood up, but the theater lights had already come on.

A member of the audience in the front row was holding up their phone and looking around: "Isn't that Yoona? I felt like I heard a voice that sounded familiar. That's Yoona's voice, right?! Yoona, now you're Girls' Generation, you'll be Girls' Generation in the future, you'll always be Girls' Generation!"

As the cringeworthy Girls' Generation chant began, Yoona visibly hesitated. In her haste, her baseball cap fell off.

Gu Jingyi acted even faster, pulling off his baseball cap and placing it over her head. The wide brim of the man's cap completely obscured her face, and he then pulled her into his arms.

Gu Jingyi used the height difference to block the view from the surroundings, allowing Lin Yun'er to fall into a safe and secure embrace.

"Don't be nervous, lower your head, and come with me."

His voice was as gentle as ever, as if he could remain calm no matter what.

But Gu Jingyi firmly held Lin Yun'er's hand and led her through the crowd to leave.

The two were pressed close together, and when Lin Yoona lowered her head, she could smell the faint scent of ebony and sandalwood emanating from Gu Jingyi.

They only managed to escape successfully after running to the back door emergency exit and shaking off those annoying tails.

Lin Yoona finally caught her breath and glared at him, saying, "You're really reckless. What if we get photographed?"

"So what if they got photographed?" Gu Jingyi looked down at her. "The media will say, 'Girls' Generation's Yoona and a former YG trainee had a late-night rendezvous'?"

Or is it that "Girls' Generation's Yoona followed in Kim Tae-yeon's footsteps and also fell for a younger, handsome guy"?
He didn't say it aloud, but Yoona understood.

She suddenly smiled and reached out to tidy his hair, which had been messed up by the hat. Gu Jingyi had just hurriedly taken it off, not even bothering to fix his own disheveled hair, before taking her away from the crowd of onlookers.

That men's baseball cap is still on Lin Yoona's head, carrying the lingering warmth of Gu Jingyi.

Im Yoona's heart suddenly raced, and her thoughts became inexplicably jumbled. But she forced herself to remain composed and adopted an older sisterly demeanor, saying, "Your acting critique just now was very professional; you could be a film judge."

When Gu Jingyi saw her about to touch his head, he instinctively turned his head away to avoid it. But this caused Lin Yun'er's fingertips to touch the tip of his ear, and both of them froze at the same time.

"Actually, it doesn't matter if we get photographed by the media; we might as well just let the rumors become..."

"I'm so cold," Lin Yoona suddenly interrupted Gu Jingyi, looking at him with a pitiful expression.

Gu Jingyi had no choice but to unzip his coat and hug Lin Yun'er.

January in South Korea is cold, and unlike some fashion-conscious seniors, he wasn't dressed lightly. His long down jacket, carrying Gu Jingyi's warmth, quickly brought blushes to Lin Yoona's cheeks as she buried them in it.

On this winter night, Yoona, who enjoys immense popularity in both China and South Korea, set aside her rationality and snuggled up for warmth with a handsome, unknown younger trainee.

"Yoona sunbaenim, your movie... you really acted very well."

Gu Jingyi lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the top of her head.

The airflow from his voice tickled the hair on Lin Yoona's head.

She remained silent, her clear eyes fixed on the emergency exit. The flashing emergency lights seemed to ignite a fire within her gaze.

The sound of footsteps approaching from a distance startled Yoona awake. She pulled away from the embrace only after the footsteps had faded away.

"I know," Lim Yoona said, turning around and pushing open the fire door.

"So next time we meet, don't treat me like a senior who needs cover."

The emergency exit was opened, and the night wind blowing in carried away her last words.

"Junior, just invite me to dinner next time."

...

"Jingyi, what were you thinking about so intently just now?"

Lin Ze watched Gu Jingyi's expression in the waiting room, sometimes annoyed, sometimes sweet. It was like a motion-sensor light bulb, flashing on and off.

Thinking about women

There was no one else in the private waiting room, and Gu Jingyi spoke the truth without any hesitation.

Lin Ze looked at him and shook his head somewhat unconvincingly: "I knew you were just being stubborn at the airport. You're still indulging in Dilraba's gentle embrace."

"Brother Ze, do you still remember who my idol is?"

"Lim Yoona, of course I know. As your manager, I'm fully aware of everything you're doing..."

He had been gloating for a while when he suddenly realized what was happening.

"You're not going to say that Yoona is also your girlfriend, are you? She's your idol, and she's much older than you."

"I guess so," Gu Jingyi said with some annoyance. "Damn it, what a loss. I didn't rekindle our romance back then. I went back to China after announcing my withdrawal from the competition on Instagram."

"Who goes through a flirtatious relationship for half a year and still hasn't slept together? I'm really sorry, I forgot that a young man should be 'wolf-like' in his nature."

"Ah, it's all my fault for being so career-driven! I'm too focused on my career!"

Since there was no one else around, Gu Jingyi stopped putting on airs.

"You've already gone back to China to develop your career, so breaking up with her is fine. With your current situation, Jingyi, you shouldn't have any trouble..."

Gu Jingyi glanced at Lin Ze disdainfully, "What do you know? Senior Yoona taught me how to navigate social situations. I learned how to give gifts to the production crew from her. The gifts aren't expensive, but they ensure that no one has a bad word to say about me."

"I lost out; I was just a little bit away from realizing my childhood dream."

Gu Jingyi slapped his thigh, somewhat annoyed.

He once had an opportunity presented to him, but he didn't cherish it. Only after returning to China did he realize that a woman as intelligent as Lin Yoona would never push him forward. She had been waiting for him to take the initiative, but Gu Jingyi was too naive back then.

Titanium, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.

It seems a trip to South Korea is really necessary after Ashes of Love!

Gu Jingyi has a dream: as a former SONE, he really wants to see the live-action version of "Yunxika" again.

He only started shipping "Yoon-Jessica" after Jessica Jung left the group...

They've all been reborn, so it's understandable that they might ship them as a couple.

The "South-to-North Water Diversion Project" and the "Shared Little Wolf Dog" are also to fulfill Sone's dream of the "Nine Legs" reuniting. Gu Jingyi is truly amazing!
"Teacher Gu, the stage is all set up, it's your turn to rehearse."

There was a knock on the door of the waiting room, and Gu Jingyi's expression instantly turned serious.

"coming."

Having figured everything out, Gu Jingyi is now terrifyingly strong, and he's really going all out on the CCTV stage for the first time!
(End of this chapter)