s in the final round, but they seemed like spectators, completely relegated to supporting roles."...."Chi Jingyuan remained silent, only gesturing "OK" with his hand towards Def.Immediately, Chi Jingy..."That's all for now, Oni and Jingyuan Oppa. We'll be going first."

Wu Xiaorong and Kim Nam-ju waved goodbye to Ji Sung and Jung Eun-ji. The two, who had just come out of the KTV, both had flushed faces, not sure if it was because they were too engrossed in singing or because they were a little excited to be with Ji Sung.

Apink is about to make a comeback on the peninsula. They've been incredibly busy these past few months, releasing an album, having activities in Japan, and preparing new songs. So, before their official release, the company gave them a half-day off to relax and unwind.

It's possible that because of her busy schedule lately, Zheng Eun Ji felt a little down, or maybe it was the slight nervousness before returning to work. Yesterday, she took the initiative to chat with Park Kyung Won for a few words and made an appointment to get together today to chat and relax. And since she had mentioned it several times before, this time, Wu Hyae Ryong and Kim Nam Joo, who were both fans of EXO and Park Kyung Won, also joined in the fun. The few people chatted for a while after meeting, then went to a karaoke room to sing for two hours.

After they came out, Wu Xiaorong and Kim Namjoo noticed that their older sister and relative, Chi Kyungwon, still wanted to chat for a while longer. So they tactfully said goodbye.

"Bye bye."

Ji Jingyuan and the two others also waved goodbye to them with smiles, watching the car drive away.

"Where shall we sit for a while"

Looking at the empty road and the dazzling neon signs on both sides, Chi Jingyuan, who had just walked out of the enclosed KTV, let out a breath feeling that his whole body was much lighter.

"Fancy grabbing a seat somewhere and having a couple of drinks"

"Jung Eun-ji had obviously thought it through, and with a raised chin, she suggested,"

"Okay, you find a place. I'll have Zhi Chang drive over. Just tell him the address."

It had been a long time since he'd had a good chat with this old friend. Even though it had been a while since they last met, Ji-seong was happy to see him. After nodding in greeting, he called over his assistant, Choi Ji-chang, who had been waiting nearby. The two got into the car and drove toward the restaurant that Jung Eun-ji had recommended—a place where the two of them had eaten together before.

Jeong Eunji is a person who likes to drink and has a pretty good alcohol tolerance. Ji Kyeong-won knew before he came out that he would definitely have to drink a little today, so he just didn't drive himself.

The car drove along the bridge towards Mapo District. About one or two hundred meters from their destination, the two people got out of the car and strolled leisurely toward it.

Even in the evening, the summer season still retains a hint of heat. Walking down the street, one can't help but break out in a light sweat. Occasionally, a refreshing breeze blowing from the front caresses the cheeks like a gift from the night, allowing pedestrians to clearly feel the preciousness of its arrival.

After leaving the karaoke room, it was already late. Besides, this place wasn't exactly bustling. Walking down the street for ages, I barely encountered anyone. The lush tree shade and occasional blasts of a horn added a touch of tranquility to the surroundings.

Ji Jingyuan glanced at Zheng Eundi beside him. This woman had dyed her hair a light brown perm, with an open black and white striped t-shirt, a gray, slightly low-cut undershirt, and high heels that made a steady tap-tap-tap sound on the floor. She walked while occasionally shaking her head lightly with a sense of style.

I didn't notice it before.

Chi Jingyuan specially glanced at her up and down twice, sized her up for a moment, was somewhat surprised, and also sincerely complimented: "You look much prettier than before."

I could really feel the difference. Because we were all busy with our own schedules and hadn't seen each other for several months, today when I saw Ji Jingyuan, I felt a 'star quality' or a 'goddess aura' on this woman. Everything she did seemed much more graceful.

Although she has lost weight, her face is still the same. However, she gives off a completely different vibe from before. It's unclear if it's because she has matured or because her successful career has brought a healthy glow to her.

"Hehehe."

It's a pity that after hearing his sincere praise, Jung Eun-ji grinned, narrowed her eyes, bared her teeth, and laughed with an awkward giggle. Then, as soon as Busan's big mouth opened and that smile emerged, the rustic charm that had been most deeply imprinted in Ji-yeong’s memory instantly returned, shattering the previous graceful poise completely.

Alas, as expected, this woman is just like that.

Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but smile despite the disdain he felt in his heart.

"That's not right."

Jung Eun Ji was praised for her beauty and smiled happily. However, after smiling twice, she quickly frowned and stared at Ji Chang Wook: "Hearing you praise me like this feels strange. Are you the kind of person who praises others so easily... You wouldn't be implying that I secretly adjusted it, would you"

Given her understanding of Ji Jingyuan,

How is that possible Why are you so sensitive

Chi Jingyuan felt a bit wronged, then waved his hand casually: "Besides, even if it's adjusted, it doesn't matter. Anyway, it actually looks better than before."

It's fine, people on the peninsula are quite open to this sort of thing. It's already very common among ordinary citizens, and even more so for idols who use their appearance as a selling point and part of their professional abilities.

He's pretty open to it, as long as it's not the kind where you can't tell who they are after a makeover. He's okay with everything else.

"So you didn't like me before"

Then, Chung Eun-ji first glared at him with a menacing look, and then her expression changed, a sly smile reappeared, and she waved her hand as if she hadn't heard: "Forget it."

Obviously, compared to this sentence, the previous one 'You've gotten prettier' is more important.

In a little while, the two of them arrived at the small restaurant opened by Zheng Endi's friend. As soon as she walked in, she took a quick glance around and cheerfully greeted the proprietress who was counting things at the bar.

The proprietress was also very happy to see her. After greeting them, she immediately recognized Chi Jingyuan following behind and came over proactively to flatter him a few words. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zheng Eundi took the initiative to request a small private room by the window and ordered some dishes and beer.

"The last time I ate here was back in 2013, you invited me. It was when Hong Yu Kyung left the group."

Chi Jingyuan followed behind and walked into the private room along the corridor. After the proprietress turned on the air conditioner and left, closing the door behind her, he looked around at his surroundings: "It's still the same, I don't feel like anything has changed."

"Do you remember" she couldn't help but turn her head and glance at him.

"What other changes could there be The location itself is not good, and it's already very difficult to keep this place running. The owner has to save money for her son's wedding and daughter's education, so where would the money come from to renovate"

Jung Eun-ji put her bag down beside her with a slightly annoyed expression. After saying a few words, she suddenly stopped, as if the name Ji-yeong had just mentioned had brought back memories.

"Hong Yujing... Suddenly, I feel like this name is so far away from me..."

She gazed at her reflection in the window and suddenly felt a tinge of melancholy, probably reminiscing about past memories.

Back when Apink wasn't at its peak, they faced the departure of a member, shrinking from 7 to 6. She felt both anxious and heartbroken at the time, so she called her close friend, Park Kyung-won, for a drink to vent.

Unexpectedly, Apink's development has become increasingly better. They achieved their career peak at the end of 2014. Now, many fans are unaware that this group used to have seven members.

"Do you still have contact with Hong Yu Jing" Ji Jingyuan asked with some curiosity.

When she first left, there were still some. Recently, there haven't been any.

Jung Eun-ji spoke honestly, seeming to reminisce a bit, then felt like Park Kyung-won was bringing it up with ulterior motives. She turned her head and rolled her eyes: "Oh, really Then do you still have contact with Luhan"

"You're not kidding, are you It really is."

Upon mention of this, he winked playfully, a smirk dancing on his lips.

It's true, Luhan might have been the first to leave, but he has always had a good relationship with several members of XO. Even after leaving, he hasn't said anything about severing ties or turning into enemies. Other people may not know, but at least he still occasionally contacts Ji Kyeong-won. He is also the only member from the three who left Xia Guo Line to actively communicate.

A while ago, EXO's popularity was skyrocketing. When they debuted on the B chart, Ji-sung received a congratulatory message from Luhan and jokingly said that next time he had the opportunity, Ji-sung should go to mainland China and he would treat him to a meal.

Although he may earn many times more in the mainland and his status is much higher, I believe that the experiences and memories of his youth on the peninsula, as well as the name "xo" group, are not things he can easily forget.

But it's kind of ironic, because xo needed to "re-popularize" this time precisely because he led the charge.

"Let's not talk about this anymore... Ah~ I'm so tired."

She waved her hand to change the subject, and Jeong Eun-ji directly stretched her body with force, yawning and starting to complain: "You don't know how tired we are lately. We've released three singles and an album consecutively during this period. After finishing one, there's no time to rest, and we immediately start preparing for the next one."

"...And she's been constantly traveling between Japan and overseas, with non-stop activities. I feel like I've lost a lot of weight these past six months..."

"Besides, I also have to take care of the regular training for this comeback. Ugh, you wouldn't believe how hard things have been lately."

"Damn it, our company's representatives are such idiots…"

In front of Ji Chang Wook, Jung Eun Ji didn't hold back at all. After grumbling a few disgruntled complaints, she directly revealed her true nature and started cursing at their company in Busan dialect. Her ups and downs in dialect were quite forceful, sounding both strange yet familiar to Ji Chang Wook. Hearing this unfamiliar yet somehow nostalgic place, Ji Chang Wook seemed to be transported back to when he was filming "Reply 1997."

One could tell that despite her makeup, Jung Eun-ji didn't look well under the lights. She seemed genuinely tired and worn out lately.

Although Jung Eun-ji looks very dissatisfied, spitting out Busan dialect with murderous intent, as if she wants to rush into the company and go on a killing spree, based on Ji Chang-wook's understanding of this woman, her strong ambition and slight materialism mean she would probably be both happy and pained by this hectic schedule.

After all, with many itineraries, especially overseas ones, it also means earning more.

If you really let her relax, she probably wouldn't be happy about it.

So he didn't mean to console her, he just smiled and listened beside her, occasionally interjecting with a question.

Soon, the proprietress personally brought in the ordered dishes and beer. The two paused, waiting for the plates to be placed before each of them opened their beers, poured them into cups, lightly clinked glasses, and started chatting over their meal.

“You guys had a big comeback last time, but it took until July of this year to return. Wasn't that a bit too long”

"I also think, who let the company say it's going to develop in Japan, it really is..."

How is Apink doing in Japan

"Just making ends meet, it's not great. Barely scraping by."

"That's not right, I feel your style would be quite suitable for there."

What is our style

"Well, acting cute and adorable, thick legs, round face..." Ji Jingyuan said halfway through, just as the other person's murderous gaze fell on him, he swallowed the rest of his words. After taking a gulp of beer, he wisely changed the subject.

"Haven't been taking any acting jobs lately"

"I'm swamped and haven't found anything suitable yet... I'll take a look when I get back, maybe I can find a good script to act in."

Then continue batting

"Die."

Two familiar friends, without any restraint or shyness, laughed and argued in this small private room. Their sarcasm wasn't truly sarcastic, and their anger wasn't genuine. Both Ji-yeong and Eun-di seemed to have found a long-lost feeling. They drank some wine and chatted, enjoying a relaxing and pleasant experience in the midst of their recent busy and glamorous idol life.

"Ringtone..."

As he was talking, Ji-yeong's phone on the table suddenly vibrated. He picked it up to see that it was Kim Taeyeon calling. He didn't shy away from the call and after quickly chewing and swallowing what was in his mouth, directly answered.

"Baby, you're not getting enough What's wrong with Taeyeon unnie"

"...The lyrics are written qinjia"

"Now Now is definitely out of the question, I'm having dinner with family outside..."

"How about tomorrow morning... ok, then tomorrow morning it is. I'm really looking forward to it... Bye bye."

Hanging up the phone with a smile, despite the other person not asking, Ji Jingyuan noticed the curious look on her face. Although the news was far from being public, he didn't hide it too much. He picked up a piece of grilled meat and mumbled as he ate: "Taeyeon unnie is about to go solo, I'm the producer."

"Taeyeon Taeyeon senior from Girls' Generation, she's going solo Or are you going to be the producer"

It was obvious that this news surprised Jung Eunji quite a bit. She widened her eyes in surprise and asked several questions in quick succession, but after a while she quickly caught on. Even though she was very close to Ji Kyeongwon, she knew she shouldn't ask too many questions about this unannounced project from ** company. After being astonished, she couldn't help but scratch her chin and said, "I'm really looking forward to it."

"Just wait and see, you'll be surprised."

Chi Jingyuan knew the other person's aversion, so he didn't say much. He just pursed his lips, which were still a bit oily from eating, and confidently raised an eyebrow.

I'll be watching with bated breath.

A wave of anticipation rippled through the room. Jung Eun-ji giggled and raised her glass, clinking it against his. Suddenly, a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes as she leaned forward conspiratorially: “Oh, by the way, have you seen our comeback teaser”

"Watched it, not bad, pretty good."

Chi Jingyuan nodded.

He still cares about those close friends in the circle. The day before yesterday, when Apink released their comeback teaser, he took a special look at it.

Jeong Eun-ji blinked.

Have you seen Na Eun

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Traditional Chinese Novel Networks echoing through the exhibition hall. The entire atmosphere was buzzing with energy, clearly amped up by the performance that had just taken place. It was evident they were deeply moved and reached a...