Peninsula: My e-sports dream shattered, I chose to become an actor.

October 24th is the day the sixth episode of "The Heirs" airs.

It is also Krystal Jung's birthday.

After finishing the afternoon's filming, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the entrance to the film set. Li Mingye waved to the fans waiting around the filming location, eliciting waves of cheers.

"Mingyeoppa! Look this way!"

"Oppa, you've worked hard!"

Since the drama "The Heirs" began airing, the number of fans around the set has been increasing, with cameras and microphones almost forming a human wall. Fortunately, the fans have been relatively rational, and the impact on filming hasn't been too significant, so the production team has tacitly allowed their presence.

The only slight impact might be that these people take some Reuters photos and upload them online, sparking some discussion.

Lee Myung-yeop and Kim Ji-won had a good relationship on set, and the two often got together to rehearse their lines or joke around, which led to many of their interactions being posted online, contributing to the growth of the "Do-seop CP" fanbase and the spread of rumors.

Lim Na-yeon has seen it many times, and she sometimes gets jealous and says strange things.

"Ah, you two are such a perfect match! Your eyes are practically locked in a passionate gaze!"

Li Mingye could only reassure her through physical contact.

Neither he nor Kim Ji-won intended to create a romantic pairing, but things have come to this point, and it's no longer up to them, so they can only let nature take its course.

"Noona, I'll be going now." Lee Myung-yeop turned to look at Kim Ji-won, who was packing her things, and lowered his voice.

They were both going to Krystal Jung's birthday party, but to avoid any suspicion, they went separately.

Kim Ji-won was initially hesitant about whether to go, but after Jung Soo-jung kept inviting her and Lee Myung-yeop offered some advice, she finally agreed.

Kim Ji-won nodded with a gentle smile, her eyes tender: "Okay, be careful."

As the two of them spoke, a few small gasps and camera shutter sounds came from the side. CP fans are really good at finding sweet moments; even though Lee Myung-yeop and Kim Ji-won were now about two meters apart, they could still imagine a whole drama just from their eye contact.

Lee Myung-yeop took out his phone and sent Jung Soo-jung a message saying "I'll be there soon." He then got into the back seat of the van, and the car slowly drove away from the film set.

……

The birthday party was held at a highly secluded upscale club.

"Mingye, you're here."

Upon entering the private room, the first voice I heard wasn't that of the birthday girl, Jung Soo-jung, but that of Choi Jin-ri.

Li Mingye looked towards the doorway and immediately noticed her bright, sparkling eyes. She was wearing a pink knitted sweater, which made her look exceptionally sweet.

He responded with a friendly smile and a familiar tone: "Why is Soojung here so early? The birthday girl hasn't arrived yet."

Krystal Jung hasn't arrived yet, but Jinri Choi already looks like she's been waiting for him for ages.

Truth immediately took a step closer, his joy evident, tinged with a hint of nervousness.

"Because I was thinking you might come sooner..."

She started speaking quickly, but then paused, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Although they had been communicating online a lot over the past few months, Choi Jin-ri had already developed a considerable fondness for Lee Myung-yeop, which is why she was so happy and enthusiastic when she first saw him.

But in reality, this was only their second meeting.

This gap between online and offline made Choi Jin-ri unsure of how to approach him; she wanted to appear close, but was afraid of crossing the line by being too forward.

Seeing Choi Jin-ri suddenly become conflicted, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, Lee Myung-yeop probably understood the source of her hesitation.

He naturally took a step forward, shortening the distance between them, reached out and gently covered Zhenli's hair, ruffling it as softly as if he were handling a frightened kitten, before immediately letting go.

"Long time no see, Sensei." His voice was warm and friendly, and the natural touch instantly brought their friendly online relationship into reality.

Choi Jin-ri breathed a sigh of relief, a cute yet embarrassed smile spreading across her face, her eyes brimming with joy.

"I've been too busy before, but I'll have more free time later."

She still maintains high popularity and a good public image, participates in many commercial activities, and even filmed a movie recently, so she is indeed very busy.

Choi Jin-ri complained about her recent work as if she were chatting online, her words carrying a clingy undertone. At this point, she looked directly at Lee Myung-yeop and said expectantly:

"Mingye, are you free lately?"

Li Mingye thought for a moment, then shook his head with a hint of regret in his eyes:

"I've been busy filming lately, so I probably won't have much time."

It's not that he can't find the time, but he has a girlfriend he needs to spend some time with.

Choi Jin-ri forced a smile, her eyes dimmed for a moment, and she looked somewhat disappointed, just about to say something.

Li Mingye then said, "You can come visit our film set."

Choi Jin-ri's eyes lit up instantly, revealing obvious interest, but she hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Is it okay if I visit you on set?"

She meant she was worried about rumors, since "The Heirs" and Lee Myung-yeop are both very popular right now, and countless eyes are watching.

Li Mingye gently rubbed her head and said, "Have you forgotten you have a teammate in our crew?"

Zhenli suddenly realized, then gave an awkward laugh, before cheering up again: "Then I'll come visit you and Xiujing on set the day after tomorrow!"

Li Mingye readily agreed, and he believed that Zheng Xiujing would definitely be happy too.

Then, Choi Jin-ri's face flushed slightly. She glanced to the side, noticing that no one seemed to be paying attention, tilted her head slightly forward, and spoke in a voice barely audible:

"...Could I touch it again?"

……

"Here, your gift."

Li Mingye handed the exquisite gift box to Zheng Xiujing, who had just arrived, with a relaxed expression.

The gift box contained a Louis Vuitton designer handbag; the price wasn't outrageous, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad deal.

He didn't prepare gifts for his friends as carefully as he would for his girlfriend; he chose to spend more money but less effort.

Krystal Jung accepted the gift with a happy expression and placed Li Mingye's gift box in a prominent position.

After presenting the gift, Li Mingye didn't chat much, since there were still guests lining up to talk to the birthday boy.

He glanced around and noticed someone giving him a somewhat subtle but hostile look, which Li Mingye still managed to detect.

It's EXO's KAI.

The guy was standing in the corner, holding a wine glass, his eyes occasionally drifting towards Jung Soo-jung and Lee Myung-yeop.

But Li Mingye didn't care. It was just a little jealousy and annoyance on the part of the boy. He'd seen that kind of look many times since he was a child, so he didn't take it seriously.

He turned and walked to a corner, where he found Kim Ji-won idly drinking a cocktail.

Instead of the unflattering bangs, she swept all her hair to the side, revealing her smooth, full forehead and delicate features. Under the light, she looked exceptionally radiant, even more beautiful than before, exuding an air of elegance.

Lee Myung-yeop sat down naturally on the high stool next to her, leaning slightly forward, his expression somewhat frivolous, and struck up a conversation with Kim Ji-won:

"Beautiful lady, are you alone?"

"Do you want to die?" Kim Ji-won rolled her eyes dramatically, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Her mood immediately improved, and the initial awkwardness in this unfamiliar circle dissipated considerably.

Li Mingye became slightly more serious, suppressing his smile, and asked, "Nuna, don't you like these kinds of occasions?"

Kim Ji-won hesitated for a moment, nodded slightly, and then said:

"Don't worry about me, go have fun. There should be people here you want to meet."

After saying that, she waved her hand dismissively, but there was a hint of expectation in her eyes.

Li Mingye placed the wine glass on the table, making a crisp sound, and said with a smile:

"That won't do. What if other men try to chat up Nuna if I leave?"

"Ah!" Kim Ji-won's face instantly flushed red, and she glared at him with embarrassment and annoyance.

"How dare you talk to Noona like that? You have a girlfriend." Kim Ji-won's eyes even showed a hint of displeasure, and her tone became somewhat serious.

Then, she lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of the glass, muttering, "Besides, what does it have to do with you if I get hit on?"

Lee Myung-yeop was given the cold shoulder, but he didn't care. He just looked at Kim Ji-won and said:

"Nuna probably doesn't like being hit on."

Kim Ji-won did not answer, which can be taken as an admission.

"Since I was the one who persuaded Nuna to come," Li Mingye took a sip of his drink, speaking matter-of-factly, "of course I have to take care of Nuna's feelings."

Kim Ji-won's face turned even redder, but the light made it less noticeable.

Damn it... how come this cocktail is so strong...?

Looking at Kim Ji-won's adorable, flushed face, Li Mingye's eyes flickered slightly. His hand holding the wine glass paused for a moment, and his heart stirred.

Perhaps his heart wasn't so pure. What he said was part of the reason, but deep down, there was also a bit of possessiveness at play.

Li Mingye has always known that he is not a devoted man, and he is not the kind of good man who can be indifferent to other women once he has a girlfriend.

But he still wanted to have a proper first serious relationship.

In a way, Lim Na-yeon was his first love, even though he didn't give her many of his firsts.

He shifted his gaze from Kim Ji-won to the center of the dance floor, downed the glass of red wine in one gulp, and tried to suppress the inexplicable restlessness in his heart.