Chapter Eleven: Not Very Optimistic About Me

ghout on his phone in the company practice room. Not to mention the main song, this special stage looked quite comical. The three from back in the day were YoonA, Sunny, and Sooyoung. From EXO there..."Jingyuan, your look is really amazing. This ash-gray hair color is especially suitable for your temperament. You look super fashionable. When v is released, I bet all your female fans will be unable to sleep after seeing it and will want to become your sasaeng fans."

Dy Kim You-na set down the hairdryer and began her final touches. While styling Chi Jingyuan's sideburns, she gazed into the mirror and exclaimed with exaggerated admiration.

Several stylists like dy and exo have been working together for a long time. Just Jinny Kim alone has styled Park Jung-won many times, and they’ve already become quite familiar with each other after chatting several times. Their conversations are also more casual.

These well-known stylists in the industry aren't just styling for EXO as a group. Even within ** Entertainment, they've collaborated with Girls' Generation and Red Velvet. They also take on outside artists and idols. Last time, even Kim Yuna jokingly gave Ji Chang Wook a note from a female idol through her, with contact information written on it. She really went straight to the point!

He just glanced at it and didn't save it.

"It's not just fans, I feel like even idols who have debuted can't hold it in. Some male idols in the circle are truly superior looking, whether it's natural beauty or makeup, we can tell at a glance..." A stylist next to Wu Shixun heard this and chimed in as well, but halfway through he probably realized it wasn't a good idea to continue, so he stopped. Finally, as if he had thought of something, he added: "Everyone knows everyone in the circle... By the way, Shixun looks really handsome this time."

"Nei, Nunna, Kangsangmida." Wu Shixun, who had always been a shadow, thanked stiffly.

“Can none of the female idols hold it in This is so exaggerated, I feel like Nuna just held it in with such ease” Just finished styling, Ji Kyeong-won stood up from the chair and shook his head in front of the mirror, making a joke with a smile.

This fluffy, messy hairstyle has definitely been seen on him before, but this ash-gray hair color is his first time trying it. He also thinks this new look is pretty eye-catching, and it really goes well with his outfit, giving off a strong sense of fashion. It really looks good on him!

"Who said that If I didn't know it was impossible, I'd really want to be your deputy, Jingyuan..." Dy sister immediately got interested and gave him a greasy wink: "Yuanxi, how about we exchange contact information"

“Haha…” Ji-yeong and sister dy looked at each other, both laughed. He nodded to Jin Yu-na in thanks, walked behind Oh Se-hun for a while, found that his styling wasn't very eye-catching, then sat back on the sofa in the makeup room and chatted with a few other members who had already finished their styling.

Not long after, the door to the dressing room suddenly swung open and director Nam Jae-seok, who was in charge of "Call Baby," walked in.

Nam Daejun is considered a frequent collaborator of s company as a v director. He has directed music videos for many groups under the company, making him practically one of their own.

He nodded in response to the greetings of the few people in front of him, scanned his eyes and saw Chi Jingyuan, he walked over directly, a smile appeared on his face, and said very familiarly: "Jingyuan, this time v really thanks to you, these cars are really great, the entire Seoul estimated that there are not many cars better than this level of sports car, much better than the cars we contacted before."

Ignoring the curious glances from all around, South In-seok, who was over forty, patted Ji Seongwon's shoulder vigorously, just like a kind and friendly friend: "There are a few cars that have been modified and look very stylish at first glance. They really helped out a lot."

"Ani, ah, you're overpraising me. After all, it's something we XO made ourselves, just a small thing." Ji Jingyuan narrowed his eyes and smiled politely, lightly bowing his head. He didn't seem to take it to heart at all.

"Hee hee, I got it." Nam Jiseok laughed and patted Ji Kyeongwon's back hard. He nodded at the surroundings and walked out.

He also didn't talk to anyone else, as if he had come in specifically to express his gratitude to Chi Jingyuan.

He came and went quickly, staying for less than two minutes. After he left, the makeup room, which had been buzzing with activity just moments before, fell silent. Even the assistants and makeup artist dy standing nearby couldn't help but secretly glance at Ji-seong, who was now sitting on the sofa. They pondered over Director Nam Jae-seok's words from earlier, and when they understood, a wave of disbelief washed over them.

"Are those few cars outside all from Jingyuan"

A strange silence fell. Kim Jong-in looked at Ji Kyeong-won up and down in surprise, his gaze making him feel a little awkward. After a moment of stunned silence, he finally spoke in a voice filled with wonder. The moment he uttered a word, all eyes in the room turned to Ji Kyeong-won. Even D-y, who was busy blow-drying Wu Shi-hun's hair, unconsciously lowered the wind speed to the minimum.

When they arrived, they saw several luxury sports cars parked outside. All of them had exaggerated car emblems that you usually only see at car shows, magazines, and on TV. Anyone with some knowledge could tell that the price of each one was at least ten million or more. Several cars were clearly specially modified, with extremely flamboyant designs, making Jin Jong-in and his companions unable to resist running closer to observe them in detail.

It just so happened that he learned from Nari's mouth at this moment that all these cars were lent to the company by their youngest member, Ji-sung

No way...

"Not really mine…" Ji Jingyuan and Kim Jong-in exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders, and what they said instantly eased the tension around them. But he seemed to be doing it on purpose, pausing for a moment before adding specifically: "It's my family's… I guess it belongs to my older brother."

">”

A few members beside him were instantly speechless, exchanging glances with each other but remaining silent. A strange atmosphere began to spread, leaving only a few assistants and dy staring at Ji Jingyuan with peculiar looks. The surroundings fell silent once again, save for the noisy hum of the hairdryer.

“How can you not be surprised at all It feels like you already knew” Seeing Woo Shi-hoon, who had just finished styling his hair, naturally walk over and gesture for Ji-yeong to move slightly to the left to make room, then sit down on the sofa with an air of normalcy, Kim Jong-in looked at him curiously.

"What's there to be surprised about I've gotten used to it a long time ago. We've been living together for almost three years now, don't you guys understand him yet It's fine if outsiders don't know, but we, ourselves, don't even really understand what 'royalty' truly means."

Wu Shih-hsuan twitched his mouth, languidly sprawling on the sofa like a world-weary man. He glanced disdainfully at Ji Jingyuan and continued, "Don't act so surprised in front of him. Don't be fooled by his expressionless face; he's secretly over the moon. He's probably even muttering about you guys being pa bo, greenhorns who have never seen the world."

Qi Jingyuan turned his head in astonishment, looking at Wu Shixun. How did this idiot suddenly become so much smarter

“Besides, didn’t his Mercedes just happen to be parked outside Didn’t you guys see it when you came in” Wu Shixun seemed to be mimicking the way Ji-young used to look at him, and he scrutinized the few brothers beside him with the same gaze. That arrogant air, as if he had seized the intellectual high ground, made Jin Jun-myeon, Park Chan-lyeol, and the others feel a surge of anger.”

" …Hmm, never mind." Seeing a few of the guys giving him hostile looks, the ever-busy Wu Sehun quickly raised his hands in apology and surrender. His sheepish look almost made Park Jiung burst out laughing.

However, his humorous remarks made the members seem more natural. What he said also made sense, after all, they had lived together for so long, and they all had a pretty good idea of what Ji Kyeong-won was like and what kind of family he came from. It was the time 13 years ago when he called the SBS representative director that was truly unbelievable. Now, with several luxury cars, it wasn't really surprising anymore.

But those few bystanders, the ones who witnessed it all, still had their hearts racing. It felt like they'd heard some kind of secret, and their eyes kept unconsciously darting this way.

In a somewhat eerie atmosphere, the styling was finally completed. Once all the members had changed into their outfits, the filming of 'V' officially began.

This time, the "callbaby" V doesn't have much of a plot. It just involves changing into several different outfits and dancing in front of a set built in a parking lot. Overall, it's not much different from an ordinary dance-based V. At the same time, this time it still uses what's considered a pseudo one-shot filming technique to increase the V's texture and smoothness.

To be honest, the music video design for their title track "callbaby" this time is a bit average, it doesn't seem to match the grandeur of the promotional video. However, the song's melody is catchy, the choreography is cool, and Ji Kyeong-won is very satisfied with his styling for this comeback. Besides himself standing out brightly, all members' makeup looks are also top-notch. The company and stylists have definitely put in effort.

Adding those supercars as a backdrop definitely adds some extra flair to the otherwise ordinary v.

Because there was no plot, only pure dance, the filming progress for v was very fast. After working late into the night for less than three days, the filming was completed. Ji Jingyuan and they immediately started working on their comeback album covers and individual pictorial shoots without stopping.

In less than a month, I'll be officially returning, and while I need to make thorough preparations, there are also several other singles that need practice as lead tracks. Time is really tight.

By the way, Park Chan-lyeok and the others also have filming for "My Neighbor is EXO", so they are probably going to work late every night for the next two months.

Just as EXO was busy shooting a V and pictorial, S company also officially released EXO's 2014 first world tour concert DVD on January 29th.

This round of DVD includes 3 high-definition DVD discs and six photobooks, four individual and two group. It's just that there are no member photocards.

The configuration is only average, the number of small cards is too small, and there are no accompanying items such as postcards and cheering fans, light sticks, etc., so the overall price is not high. At the same time, it was immediately ordered by many fans after its release, directly topping the DVD sales chart.

Fans have been waiting for EXO for a long time, their wallets are already prepared. To quench their thirst, they haven't even skipped the DVDs.

"Did you turn down the invitation to Idol Athletic Meet"

On February 4th, EXO was shooting a comeback pictorial in the studio. It was now Jinyoung's turn for individual shots. The other members were huddled together on benches around him, bundled up in their clothes, sipping drinks and chatting quietly. D.O. glanced forward and asked Kyung-Soo a question.

"Oh, no, it wasn't me who pushed it. I don't have that kind of ability. It was the company who felt they didn't have time so they scrapped it..." Ji Jingyuan quickly shook his head, showing his innocence.

Today is the recording day for the Spring Festival special of idol athletic meet, but this time, none of the usual guests exo came. A few days ago, the program team sent an invitation, and after the company considered it and asked for the members' opinions, they politely declined.

"Didn't the company even ask for your opinion" Wu Shixun, beside him, looked over with a speechless expression: "You said you didn't want to go when I was sitting right next to you and heard it with my own ears."

“Seeing that I couldn't put on a show anymore, Chi Jingyuan simply gave up acting. He spread his hands and said, 'That program is recorded for a whole day, and the weather has been so cold these two days. The venue doesn't know how cold it is. We've also been busy recently, and…'

He seemed like he wanted to say something more, but hesitated and didn't finish. After thinking for a moment, he added: "But the production team of that show was really enthusiastic, they made me feel a bit embarrassed. I'll go again next time if there's a chance..."

"As long as you go and sign up for the archery event, you're guaranteed to be a hot topic. It would definitely boost both viewership and buzz. If I were the program team, I'd shower you with attention." Wu Shixun let out a dismissive snort and then, as if remembering something, turned to Jin Giseok who had been quietly listening all along. "Didn't we say that a new football event was added Giseok, weren't you planning on signing up Why didn't you go"

“What am I supposed to do if none of you are going…” Kim Gaeseok shook his head, sounding a little disappointed.

"You represent us EXO, don't you You're the eldest brother, wuli hyung!" Ji Kyeong-won chuckled, patting his shoulder.

"Forget it, forget it. Next time," he sighed, waving his hands repeatedly.

It's really a pity to see Kim Jinseok like this. He used to love playing soccer, and before Han left, the two of them would often make time to kick around a ball. Even now that he's alone, he hasn't given up on his passion.

Chi Jingyuan actually found it quite interesting. He wondered why this guy was so eager to participate in

"Idol Sports Meet". Could he really be going there to play football

However, he didn't really mind. A few people just sat on chairs watching Kim Jong-in strike various poses against the backdrop, leisurely drinking tea and chatting.

Talking and talking, Ji Jingyuan suddenly remembered something. He took out his phone from his pocket and found Zhou Tzuyu's name in the address book, and proactively sent a message: "Have you guys finalized the personnel for that audition show Have you been selected"

Speaking of which, after Zhou Tzuyu told him about this last month, there hasn't been much news. The other party occasionally sent messages a while back, but these past two days, it feels like there’s nothing at all. I don’t know what happened.

Although Chi Jingyuan has been very busy lately, he has actually been paying some attention to this matter. He suddenly remembered it now and decided to send a message to ask about it.

"Jingyuan, get ready, it's your turn next."

Before he could get a reply, the assistant came over and reminded him. Ji Jingyuan hurriedly responded and put his phone in his bag. He got up and followed the assistant to change clothes nearby.

By the time Chi Jingyuan finished, it was already dinner time. However, since they were only halfway through filming, it was impossible to disband and go eat. Everyone naturally entered overtime mode, able to only satisfy their hunger after completely finishing.

After having his clothes put on and walking down, Ji Jingyuan took the water from his assistant and drank two sips before sitting in a chair and taking out his phone. He found that Zhou Tzuyu had replied an hour ago.

The reply was only two words: "Not yet."

Even just two words, without any other expression, revealed something far removed from his usual vibrancy. There seemed to be a hint of despondency.

Ji Jingyuan immediately knew what was going on. He glanced at Wu Shixun, who had just started filming, thought for a moment, then stood up and instructed the members, "I'm going to the restroom." After that, he left the set and headed towards the nearby restroom, dialing Zhou Tzuyu's phone as he walked.

It took two rings before the call was answered, "Hello" a low, listless voice came through the phone.

A book friend I've known for ten years recommended this app to me, Huanyan App! It's really great. I use it to listen to audiobooks while driving or before bed to pass the time. You can download it here: .huanyuanapp

Her voice seemed to have some background noise, like she was answering the phone in a practice room. However, the noisy sounds were gradually getting quieter. It seemed that Zhou Tzuyu had come out of the room and walked alone to the corridor.

"Didn't you get selected" Ji Jingyuan didn't beat around the bush, speaking naturally and taking the initiative.

Just now, I was still a little unsure. After the phone call connected and I heard the other party's tone, Chi Jingyuan immediately became certain.

Given Tzuyu's personality of boasting whenever she receives praise from dance or vocal instructors, it seems likely that this survival show audition will be a setback for her.

"Hmm…" Zhou Tzuyu mumbled softly on the phone. It sounded pitifully dejected, but for some reason, when Chi Jingyuan heard it, his heart inexplicably wanted to laugh.

But he still held back, this girl must be pretty sad right now. If she really laughed, she would definitely be really angry.

"What's going on Tell me about it." Chi Jingyuan paused for a few seconds, listened to the other person's breathing for a while, and then asked.

“It seems... a bit embarrassing to talk about. Zhou Ziyu also hesitated for a while before reluctantly whispering, 'The practice room leader already officially announced the news a few days ago, and the company has conducted the first round of selections among trainees, but… I wasn’t chosen…’

After a moment of silence, she added, "I heard that there are already over ten trainees confirmed to participate. I wonder how many they will choose in the end... But, I feel like the company isn't very optimistic about me."

Her voice was noticeably downcast and aggrieved, a far cry from her vivacity earlier.

'You don't improve your skills every day, and the teacher wouldn't be happy to praise you. ' Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but complain in his heart, but he still suppressed his impulse. After thinking for a moment, he asked: "Have you already chosen all the members, or will you continue to add members later"

"I don't know... I heard they might add a few more people." Tzuyu also seemed unsure.

That's also right, this kind of thing is the company's decision and they won't communicate it with these trainees. She probably got the news from those trainees who don't know where they heard it and spread it around among themselves.

"That's it, then."

He felt the bathroom was a little chilly, and Chi Jingyuan tightened his down jacket. He looked up for a few seconds, recalling tomorrow's schedule, then let out an "Mmm" and proactively asked, "Are you free tomorrow night"

Peninsula Asteroid

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkmise with Jeon Somi to watch their performance and catch up with old friends. It's not like he's here to intimidate these trainees.He had no interest in the latter."Your popularity is really high, it...