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

Once inside the TV station building, the glass doors slowly closed behind me, finally isolating the screams and camera shutter sounds from outside into a blurry background noise.

Bae Suzy, however, did not rush forward. Instead, she pouted, stuck out her index finger, and poked his waist twice. The force was not great, but her jealousy was considerable.

"You're so popular! I feel like I'm being completely ignored."

Her words weren't just baseless sentimentality. Celebrities—especially idols—have an almost professional-level ability to spot their fans in a crowd.

They could accurately count their own signs from a sea of ​​light boards, and precisely pronounce their own names amidst the waves of sound.

Downstairs, Bae Suzy looked around again and again, but couldn't find a single support sign for herself.

The banners and signs were densely packed with Li Mingye's name, and even the sound of people calling her name was drowned out by the almost boiling chant of "Mingye" "Mingye".

Li Mingye shrugged and casually replied, "It's just riding the wave of the show's popularity, don't take it seriously."

This is, of course, an understatement. The reason he has such a large following is twofold: firstly, male actors' fans are generally more enthusiastic than female idols' fans; and secondly, he is genuinely popular in China right now.

In some aspects, he has even subtly surpassed Lee Min-ho.

Riding on the popularity of "The Heirs" sweeping across Asia, coupled with his face that can be described as nuclear weapon-level, he has completely gone berserk.

Compared to Lee Min-ho, he has another significant advantage—he is young enough.

This is actually a huge advantage. Casual viewers might not feel it much, but for true fans, the word "youth" is the most potent allure.

Especially for younger girls, the "dream girl index" will increase exponentially.

In the Korean Peninsula, with the lingering popularity of "The Heirs," various CP (couple pairing) topics related to him can still be seen on major forums, and the atmosphere is relatively harmonious, with solo fans and CP fans each doing their own thing without interfering with each other.

However, in China, his solo fans held an overwhelming advantage, and the CP fans were almost completely overwhelmed.

In Li Mingye's Baidu Tieba forum, any post related to the CP (couple pairing) is basically taken down instantly.

This group of people is the core reason why he has such a huge offline presence.

He suddenly felt a little relieved that he hadn't let the company create a "pure and innocent boy" persona for him, otherwise these fans would have become even more obsessed and infatuated.

The two were chatting away when a group of people came up at the end of the corridor.

He Jiong walked at the front, followed by the members of the Happy Family, all with friendly smiles on their faces.

He was the first to extend his hand, his smile gentle:

"Mingye, Xiuzhi, our headquarters has been waiting for you for so long!"

When shaking hands, he smiled and pointed to Du Haitao next to him: "Haitao even imitated your look on a TV show before."

Li Mingye's lips twitched. He had seen the video too, and could only say that it was for entertainment purposes.

He Jiong handed a printed script to Li Mingye for him to confirm on the spot.

Li Mingye took the script and quickly skimmed through it.

The show's content was quite conventional; his role was simply to be handsome and, when Bae Suzy needed him, to act as her translator.

The program consisted of classic Q&A sessions and games, with no particularly tricky segments, and he didn't need to force himself to do anything awkward.

However, one part of the script was marked with important notes—his early life experiences in China.

It seems the production team is quite interested in this segment, probably trying to promote him as a "top influencer on the peninsula who speaks Chinese," emphasizing cultural affinity.

For him, who was in the prime of his career and urgently needed to solidify his position in the Chinese market, this was indeed a very good entry point.

Li Mingye handed the script back, a calm smile on his face:

"no problem."

Bae Suzy, standing to the side, was holding her script, which had been specially translated into Korean, and was reading it carefully, word by word, her lips moving slightly as if she were memorizing something.

Li Mingye glanced at her but didn't say anything to disturb her.

An hour later, the studio lights came on.

The program has officially begun recording.

Welcome to "Happy Camp"! We are the Happy Family!

The classic opening remarks began with a familiar melody, and the five hosts stood in a row, shouting their iconic slogan in unison towards the camera. The studio was instantly filled with applause and cheers from the audience.

Before the atmosphere could cool down, He Jiong quickly introduced the two guests with an enthusiastic tone. There was no fancy preamble; it was simple, direct, and efficient.

Lee Myung-yeop and Bae Suzy walked out side by side from the side of the stage, with spotlights following their steps all the way to the center of the stage.

As soon as Li Mingye appeared, the cheers from the audience suddenly rose to a whole new level.

"Li Mingye!"

"Oppa!"

He waved to the audience with a smile, and screams erupted from those directions.

Li Mingye calmly took the microphone handed to him by a staff member, raised it to his lips, and spoke in perfect Mandarin without any accent:

"Hello friends from China, I am Li Mingye!"

The pronunciation was so clear that the fans sitting in the front row were stunned for a second before bursting into even more enthusiastic screams.

Standing beside him, Bae Suzy also took the microphone and greeted the audience in Chinese, which she had practiced several times beforehand, word by word.

Although her pronunciation had a cute stiffness, it was full of sincerity, and she was met with a round of good-natured applause from the audience.

After the humorous warm-up and a few rounds of playful banter, the atmosphere had become completely lively.

The hosts tacitly got to the point, with He Jiong taking the lead:

"Mingye, although this is your first time on our show, it's actually not your first time on Xiaoxiang, right?"

He paused, a hint of mystery in his voice: "I heard you lived in Xiaoxiang for a while before?"

These things are no secret to fans, but the show is mostly watched by casual viewers, so it needs to be introduced again.

"Yes." Li Mingye nodded slightly, his expression calm.

It's just that people from the peninsula are too sensitive; otherwise, he would at least say that he is half a Hunanese.

At the same time, the large screen behind him lit up. Several photos of him from his early years in Hunan flashed by:

On the towering peaks of Zhangjiajie, he stood before the sea of ​​clouds with one hand in his pocket, his face bearing the exuberant smile unique to young people.

Beneath the eaves of Yueyang Tower, he leaned against the railing, his profile bathed in the warm golden glow of the setting sun.

In front of the statue at Orange Isle, he casually made a peace sign at the camera, his brows beaming with undisguised brilliance.

He looked noticeably younger in the photo than he does now, and his features weren't as defined, but his natural bone structure was already undeniable, and his handsomeness remained undiminished.

This can be seen as a direct response to those who said he had plastic surgery.

The screen went dark abruptly. He Jiong led the applause, his face showing genuine surprise: "Wow, Mingye, you've really been to so many places!"

He then steered the conversation further: "Having visited so many places, which one left the deepest impression on you?"

"Does it refer to the whole country or Hunan?" Li Mingye asked to confirm.

He Jiong's smile grew even more friendly, and he waved his hand, "Then let's ask them all!"

Li Mingye lowered his eyes and thought seriously for a few seconds. His fingers unconsciously stroked the microphone lightly, as if searching for a scene in his mind.

Then he looked up and smiled, a smile full of youthful energy, and his voice became a few degrees clearer:

"In Xiaoxiang, it's Orange Isle; nationwide..."

He paused, a glimmer of memory flashing in his eyes.

"The Bird's Nest in Beijing, I watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics there."