Peninsula: My mentor Kim Tae-yeon

Chapter 117 Illusions (6k)

The news that Su Xia participated in writing and composing the song "thanku" for IVE's third EP was made public after being reposted by Su Xia's account.

Su Xia, who had reduced contact with IVE since the middle of last year, appeared in the same frame as IVE again.

This time, it wasn't just a collaboration; they also participated in the production of the comeback track.

Suddenly, the track "thanku," which was not originally getting much attention, received even more attention than the title track "REBELHEART."

The song is alright, nothing special. It's not particularly good, but it's not bad either; it's just a very standard song.

However, if you take the lyrics into account and interpret the song in the eyes of fans, it becomes quite different.

Growing pains —

Rebirth from the ashes —

A fresh start —

Looking at these lyrics, it's hard not to think of the chubby Chestnut of the past and the beautiful Chestnut of today.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a song specifically for him.

The main focus of the early firepower on the other members of IVE was on Liz and Autumn.

In other words, Su Xia could only have written this song for one of the two of them.

Both autumn and Liz are suitable.

However, fans tend to think Liz is the best friend. Those who don't pay much attention to behind-the-scenes videos won't notice that Su Xia and Jin Qiutian actually interact quite a bit. Many people still believe that Su Xia and Liz have the best relationship.

He even wrote a song for Liz. This relationship... it makes one wonder.

However, such statements were quickly refuted. Unless solid evidence was presented, fans would not accept it and would quickly look for "loopholes" to justify the relationship.

However, although the progress of the scandal was curbed, the amount of criticism Su Xia received skyrocketed.

The public doesn't care about this or that; if you get involved with IVE, you'll get criticized.

After receiving instructions from Su Xia, Park Hee-min did not immediately attack Starship. Instead, he waited for public opinion to rise, compiled the slander and abuse against Su Xia, and then sent it to Starship.

Knowing they were in the wrong, Starship also suffered heavy losses.

We have no choice but to go out. CJMCN's attitude is very firm. If you dare to play dead, I will report it to higher authorities.

CJ Entertainment may not necessarily pay attention to CJMCN, but what if they do?

If they do take it in, it won't be something that can be solved by spending some painful resources.

You can say Starship's management is bad, but you can't say they're stupid.

They can still figure out this problem.

On the surface, Su Xia lost a considerable amount of public reputation, but secretly she gained a lot of benefits from Starship. She could exchange what she couldn't use for other departments, or simply hand it over to CJ Entertainment for money. In any case, she was definitely not at a loss.

Starship may seem to have lost money, but in reality, it didn't lose out.

It's true that a lot of resources were released, but the purpose of promotion was achieved. Moreover, the quality of the song "REBELHEART" is high enough that whether it's a case of being criticized or praised, it will ultimately become positive publicity.

This is a common tactic in K-pop, learned from SM Entertainment.

Don't worry about how you became famous, just become famous first, and then use the quality of your songs to restore your reputation.

Now everyone has learned it and is playing it with great skill, while SM has stopped playing it.

great!

No need for further explanation!

February 13th.

CJ Entertainment Building, Seoul.

The sixth floor is the corporate communications department's conference room.

The large conference room was filled with people, and a picture was prominently displayed on the large screen at the front.

Details of the Valentine's Day Outdoor Live Stream Event

Su Xia sat in the main seat, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the planner explain the content of the live broadcast event to him and the rest of the team.

"All of these activities are just a prelude to the main topic." The planner picked up the iced Americano on the table, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then switched the PPT to the next page.

Su Xia, who had been nonchalant, suddenly raised an eyebrow.

The PPT prominently featured a photo of Oh Hae-won at the airport.

"After discussions, JYP will arrange for NMIXX's leader, Oh Hae-won, to make a surprise appearance at a postcard shop in Myeongdong tomorrow night. Our cameraman will also happen to capture Oh Hae-won shopping alone, thus making her a surprise guest for this live broadcast."

"Wait a minute," Su Xia called out to the group, "What do you mean by 'chance encounter with Wu Haiyuan on Valentine's Day'?"

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day; this is the background.

We're having a live stream event tomorrow for Valentine's Day; that's our mission.

Creating entertainment value through live-streaming events is responsible.

But can anyone tell him what Oh Hae-won meant by creating a good show effect?

"I bumped into Hae-won on Valentine's Day, and she even did an event during her live stream. Wouldn't that easily lead to rumors?" Su Xia asked doubtfully. "Would JYP agree to that?"

"Yes, we agreed. After discussing tomorrow's live broadcast collaboration with JYP, they offered us the option of either ITZY or NMIXX members. After internal discussions, we chose Oh Hae-won. You were informed of every step of the process," Park Hee-min said from the side.

Have you been informed?

It seems like there is such a thing?

"Since JYP has no objections, then I have no problem either." Su Xia nodded. If JYP has no objections, what objections could he possibly have?

Rumors and such don't affect him.

Seeing that Su Xia did not press the matter further, Park Hee-min and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

JYP really had no objections, because their planners simply didn't realize that tomorrow was Valentine's Day!

Last month, when I talked to JYP, they didn't mention Valentine's Day at all. They were talking about a live broadcast event in February, and they didn't mention ITZY either.

Compared to NMIXX, whose popularity on the Chinese internet is soaring, ITZY was not really on their shortlist.

Actually, Hybe initially pursued LESSERAFIM and IVE, but she noticed the sensitive topic of Valentine's Day and rejected them outright.

Starship didn't notice, but they were still resentful about being held accountable by CJMCN after tricking Su Xia a while ago, which resulted in a huge financial loss, so they directly rejected this cooperation.

With both top choices gone, they'll have to rely on JYP.

You know what, the people at JYP really didn't notice the problem; they really are a makeshift team.

Therefore, Oh Hae-won, the most popular member of NMIXX, naturally became the candidate.

With the Valentine's Day live stream event approaching, JYP Entertainment finally realized, "This is a Valentine's Day event!"

I want to cancel, but I'm hesitant because of the previous successful collaborations and I don't know how to bring it up.

Cancellation is definitely possible; this contract was entered into due to a significant misunderstanding and can be rescinded. However, the problem is—

If it's cancelled, will there be similar collaborations in the future?

Oh well, I'll just have to bite the bullet and go for it. It's just a guest event, nothing more.

Thus, without Su Xia's knowledge, both sides proceeded with the event with their own agendas.

After the meeting, Su Xia remained seated and sent a message to Wu Haiyuan.

SuXia: ?

Haiyuan Street: ?

The familiar instant reply.

Haiyuan Street: What are you doing?

SuXia: Do you know about tomorrow's event?

Haiyuan Street: I found out last month.

SuXia: You have no objections?

Haiyuan Street: What's your opinion?

SuXia: Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

Haiyuan Street: Valentine's Day it is.

Haiyuan Street: Do you mean you have to report to Zhiyuan i?

SuXia: No need for that.

SuXia: Since you don't mind, then it's fine.

Haiyuan Street: See you tomorrow night!

SuXia: OK.

Do we need to report it?

Su Xia raised an eyebrow, looking at the chestnut pinned to the top of Wu Haiyuan's chat box.

Reporting my ass!

I closed the page and stretched on the spot.

"Go check out what to wear tomorrow."

The following evening, Myeongdong.

Su Xia and her photographer set up shop at a shopping mall in Myeongdong to start their Valentine's Day live stream.

He clipped the radio to his collar, glanced at the people coming and going on the street, and signaled to the cameraman that he could start the live broadcast.

The next second, the live stream, which had already undergone multiple rounds of promotion and hype, suddenly flickered from a black screen, revealing the lively scene of Su Xia and Myeongdong.

"Hello everyone, I'm Su Xia, and I'm currently in Myeongdong, Seoul, South Korea. Today is—"

The opening remarks, which he knew by heart, came out as easily as reciting a menu.

Su Xia is no longer the nervous newcomer she once was in front of the camera; she speaks quite fluently now.

The live stream also has a real-time translation function. When Su Xia speaks Chinese, it translates to Korean, and when Su Xia speaks Korean, it translates to Chinese.

Of course, the live stream didn't start by going after Oh Hae-won. Instead, they randomly interviewed a few passersby in Myeongdong, mimicking Mr. Beast's lavish spending style in their interviews.

It's actually quite simple.

Do you know Su Xia?

"I don't know him."

"OK."

next.

Do you know Su Xia?

"know!"

Name one of Su Xia's works?

'

"Cover of Taeyeon's 'Why'".

"Okay, here's 50,000 won. Have a happy Valentine's Day."

And so it went until 7:15 when Su Xia announced the end of the event, and the couples surrounding Su Xia dispersed with regret.

Following the original script, Su Xia strolled leisurely toward where Wu Haiyuan was.

Myeongdong in February is immersed in the sweet atmosphere of Valentine's Day. Shops along the street are decorated with pink and white heart-shaped lights, and Valentine's Day slogans in Korean and English are wrapped around lampposts. The evening breeze carries the aroma of coffee and hot chocolate from the street vendors, brushing against the tightly linked arms of couples passing by.

The photographer behind Su Xia carried a camera, and the live broadcast screen flashed across the crowd of people, with comments scrolling rapidly across the screen.

[There are so many people, all in pairs. Poor Su Lu, all single, has to do a live stream for us on Valentine's Day.]

Seoul is so festive for Valentine's Day!

[Hoping to bump into handsome guys and beautiful girls!]

[Then why don't you go out? How can we bump into each other at home?]

[Just click on one.]

[? ? ? ]

Su Xia looked at the live stream comments on her phone with a smile, but stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of her destination out of the corner of her eye.

He raised his hand and pointed to the wooden shop door on the street.

"Let's take a tour of a popular retro postcard shop in Myeongdong. I'll pick out a few to send to the viewers in the live stream as a small Valentine's Day gift."

As she spoke, Su Xia stepped forward and pushed open the wooden shop door.

The wind chimes tinkled as soon as the door was opened.

The store is warmly lit, and the wooden shelves are stacked with all kinds of postcards, including illustrations of Hanbok, Seoul night scenes, and cherry blossom limited editions, with a faint smell of ink in the air.

Su Xia bent down, picked up a card album at random, and flipped through the cards on the shelf. The camera behind her was also steadily focused on the dazzling array of postcards. She chatted with the comments on the screen, but silently counted the time points in the script.

Judging by the time, the other party should have arrived by now.

Thinking this, Su Xia pulled out another postcard with a picture of Myeongdong at night. Her fingertips had just touched the gold-embossed heart pattern when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a light apricot figure out of the corner of her eye.

Su Xia subconsciously looked up, and the camera followed closely behind.

Wu Haiyuan, standing in front of the cherry blossom postcard rack not far away, was immediately captured by Su Xia and the live broadcast camera.

Today, Oh Hae-won didn't have her glamorous stage outfit. Instead, she wore a casual light beige short knitted cardigan over a white lace-trimmed camisole, paired with a light brown pleated skirt. Her long hair was loosely tied back, with a few strands falling beside her cheeks, which were softened by the warm yellow light.

The light makeup accentuated the girl's clear and bright eyes. Her naturally smiling eyes were now lowered as she lightly tapped a postcard with her fingertips, revealing the DW sparkling star bracelet on her wrist. A faint smile played on her lips, and even the tips of her ears were tinged with the sweet tenderness of Valentine's Day.

Even though it was a chance encounter that she knew about in advance, Su Xia suddenly froze on the spot when she saw the girl's profile under the warm light.

The photographer saw this scene, and as he smiled, he slightly shook the camera to zoom out and capture Su Xia and Wu Haiyuan, who was not far away, in the frame.

The smooth interaction with the comments just moments before abruptly stopped, my breath felt like it was caught by the evening breeze, and even my heartbeat skipped a beat.

It wasn't the kind of stunning performance you see on camera; it was a genuine, unexpected, and heart-fluttering moment.

The team leader, who exudes charisma while singing and dancing on stage, becomes as gentle as crushed spring sunshine when she stands in a small shop full of postcards after leaving the spotlight, leaving Su Xia's mind blank for a moment.

All the pre-memorized procedures and designed interactive segments vanished at the sight of this stunning view.

She wasn't exactly a stunning beauty, but at this moment, she seemed so gentle.

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

[? ? ? ]

[Holy crap! That's Hae-won from NMIXX?!]

[Help! Does anyone understand Su Lu's expression? He's genuinely stunned by her beauty!]

[I always thought Haiyuan Street was a stunning beauty that would last a lifetime, but now—]

[My daughter is so beautiful!!!]

Wu Haiyuan also looked up at that moment and met Su Xia's stunned gaze. She blinked first, and then showed a surprised expression as if following the script.

She lightly covered her mouth and spoke, her surprised Korean laced with a smile: "Oh my, boss?!"

The familiar tone pulled Su Xia back to reality. Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly as she barely managed to suppress the surging emotions in her heart and managed a slightly hasty smile. However, the lingering amazement in her eyes remained, and her voice was a few decibels lower than usual, carrying a hint of unexpected awkwardness.

"Hae-won, what are you doing here?"

"Of course it's a date!" Wu Haiyuan winked playfully, then suddenly moved closer to Su Xia. "Could it be that Boss is here on a date too? Don't you not have a girlfriend?"

Wu Haiyuan's sudden approach brought with it a rich fragrance.

After a brief moment of surprise, Su Xia quickly regained her composure and smiled as she pointed to the photographer behind her.

"I'm live streaming."

"Huh?" Oh Hae-won was stunned, and quickly waved her hands, "I was just kidding, I'm not on a date!"

"It's all over!"

"It's all over!"

Wu Haiyuan was so anxious that she was like an ant on a hot pan, and her face turned red instantly.

"I know you're joking." Su Xia looked at the camera with a smile and reached out to pull Wu Haiyuan to her side.

"Don't get me wrong, everyone. Haiyuan is just joking. She's my little brother, and she loves to joke around." As she spoke, Su Xia didn't forget to pat Wu Haiyuan's head.

This intimate gesture left the viewers in the live stream completely stunned.

[When did these two become so close? Did I miss something?]

[Xue Yun mentioned during her live stream that all the artists Su Lu has worked with have a good relationship with him.]

Did no one notice that Hae-won called Su Lu "boss"?

[So, Hae-won isn't really on a date?]

"Of course not, don't worry, everyone." Su Xia also saw these comments. "If Hae-won is in a relationship, just you wait and see, I promise I'll break her legs."

"What?!" Wu Haiyuan looked at Su Xia in bewilderment. "Shouldn't you be breaking my father-in-law's legs?"

"I don't know who your future boyfriend is, or what our relationship is. What if he breaks his leg and kidnaps me?"

Wu Haiyuan's eyes widened even more.

"Ani!"

"Even if you break my leg, I'll call the police!"

"It's only natural for the boss to beat up the underling!"

"Are you really a lawyer? Why do I feel like you don't respect the law?" Wu Haiyuan looked at Su Xia with disdain.

The disdainful look in that eyes made Su Xia feel dazed for a moment.

That look in the eyes when looking at trash—it's so similar!

"Thank you, but I'm not a lawyer in South Korea," Su Xia said with a slight smile after regaining her composure.

"So it was a fake lawyer!" Wu Haiyuan said disdainfully, crossing her arms.

"Heh." Su Xia looked at Wu Haiyuan with a forced smile. "Looks like it's necessary to announce that you have a male relative."

"Ani!" Wu Haiyuan stared at Su Xia in shock. "You're spreading rumors!"

"Where did I spread rumors?" Su Xia shrugged. "Didn't you say yourself that you were here for a date?"

"Tens of thousands of viewers in the live stream, don't you agree?"

Wu Haiyuan leaned over and looked at the screen full of "yes," her face turning green.

"You're bullying us!"

Damn it! (。`~。)

"Wow! Boss, you'll never find a girlfriend like this! You're so annoying!" Wu Haiyuan glared angrily at Su Xia, thinking, "How can you stir up trouble like this?"

Su Xia looked completely innocent.

"Didn't you say you were coming on a date?"

Wu Haiyuan stared intently at Su Xia's face, a sense of unease rising within her.

According to the script, the boss was supposed to invite her to do a live stream together, but he didn't say anything—never mind, I'll do it myself!

"Okay then, I'll prove myself!" Wu Haiyuan said, patting her chest. "I'll follow your live stream; that'll prove I wasn't on a date today, right?"

"That won't do." Su Xia shook her head decisively. "What if someone sees us and says we're dating? I'll be at a disadvantage then."

Oh Hae-won: "???"

Looking at Su Xia in disbelief, he pointed to himself and showed the same expression as his senior sister.

"You're at a disadvantage?"

"Otherwise what?" Su Xia raised an eyebrow. "If I'm going to send it, it'll be with Xue Yun. As for you—"

Su Xia looked Wu Haiyuan up and down.

He said nothing, yet he said everything.

Wu Haiyuan blushed.

This time it's truly red with genuine energy.

[Red alert! Warning! Warning!]

[Hahahahahahahaha!]

[Hae-won's face turned red with anger]

[Su Lu is hilarious! These two are so entertaining!]

[Oh dear, after watching the chestnut pastry and snowflake pastry, I realize that Su Lu and Hai Yuan together create the best entertainment. Chestnut and Xue Yun aren't as lively.]

[Su Lu is quite skilled at teasing Hai Yuan.]

[You two should date!]

[Agreed!]

"Boss, you're so annoying!!!"

"Then go ahead and go on your date with your boyfriend," Su Xia said, waving her hand.

"No!" Wu Haiyuan took a deep breath. "Speak, name your terms!"

"What do you mean?" Su Xia asked, feigning ignorance.

"Stop pretending!" Wu Haiyuan sneered, giving her a "I see right through you" look. "You just want me to open my wallet, right? Name your price!"

Upon hearing this, Su Xia dropped the pretense and said with a smile, "You'll cover all the expenses for tonight's live stream."

"No way!" Wu Haiyuan had just finished speaking when she saw Su Xia turn around and leave.

"goodbye!"

"Hey!" Wu Haiyuan's eyes widened, and she quickly followed.

The photographer quickly followed the two to the street and saw Su Xia and Wu Haiyuan haggling over the price.

"Boss, that's not how you negotiate! Make your offer!"

"I'm not paying it back. Anyway, it's you who's spreading the news, not me."

"Didn't I post this news because of you?"

"I don't care, I'll give you one more chance."

"You're really ruthless, boss, covering all expenses."

Goodbye then.

Su Xia turned and left again.

"No, Su Xia!" Wu Haiyuan angrily called out Su Xia's full name, attracting curious glances from passersby. When they saw Wu Haiyuan, their eyes lit up, but they stopped in their tracks and took out their phones after noticing the camera.

However—Su Xia still ignored her and walked forward on her own.

"I'll pay! I'll pay! I'll pay!!!" Wu Haiyuan cried out, on the verge of tears.

Hearing this, Su Xia, who was walking slowly forward, stopped and turned around happily to stand in front of Wu Haiyuan, patting Wu Haiyuan's shoulder affectionately.

"I believe our Hae-won will never be in a relationship, I'm your witness!"

Wu Haiyuan stared blankly at the floor, looking as if she had been gone for a while.

"Hey, stop spacing out, let's go!" Su Xia patted Wu Haiyuan's shoulder again, this time with a little more force, making Wu Haiyuan sway back and forth.

"Stop filming! Stop filming! It's going to fall apart!" Wu Haiyuan quickly grabbed Su Xia's hands. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"This is really bad, not even as good as one of Beibei's," Su Xia said disdainfully.

"Then go ahead and cause trouble for Bae, stop torturing me!" Wu Haiyuan said with a mournful face.

"Haha!" Su Xia waved happily to the pedestrians taking pictures on the street, then looked at Wu Haiyuan.

"Sure, you can go then, let Beibei do it. But I don't think you'll do that, after all—"

Su Xia moved closer to Wu Haiyuan and spoke in a voice that only Wu Haiyuan and the viewers in the live stream could hear.

"Ms. Wu, you probably don't want the company to know you're here on a date, do you?"

"(a°m°)3=3"

Damn it!