and formalities were over, everyone took their seats. Director Gang Sin-hyuk looked busy and didn't waste any time getting straight to the point: "Our shooting schedule and plan are already in place....Tzuyu

Hearing this name, for some reason, even though Pei Zhuxuan had already prepared the gift and was halfway through taking it out, she suddenly felt a bit reluctant to take it out.

Or maybe some don't want to send her out with them at the same time...

" Tzuyu, did you guys run into each other during the pre-recording just now"

She saw Chi Jingyuan had already turned and walked over to the sofa from where she was. She took something out of her bag, rummaged through it casually a few times, zipped it up nonchalantly, then put it aside. She smoothed down her bangs, her eyes sparkling, and looked at him curiously: "What did you bring"

Although she felt a little uncomfortable, the young lady wouldn't show it in front of Chi Jingyuan.

"When I came back, I happened to bump into..."

It wasn't that Zhou Tzuyu was looking for him specifically, though. Pool Geon-yeong sat down next to Park Soo-hyun and picked up the script on the table, flipping through it casually: "Haven't read it yet, something like a small gift, I guess."

"We were right here before…", Bae Joo-hyun leaned in and pointed to a marked spot on the script. "Did you tell her how busy you've been lately"

"He said that..." Ji Jingyuan followed Qingbai's finger and looked over. At the same time, he shrugged his shoulders.

As expected.

Pei Zhuxuan thought to herself, when she first saw Zhou Ziyu at shase, she felt that this girl was not simple.

Wow, at only sixteen or seventeen years old, he's already quite remarkable.

She and Ji Jingyuan viewed Zhou Tzuyu from completely different perspectives. For Ji Jingyuan, Zhou Tzuyu might be a younger sister they met many years ago because of fate, with a more special position than friends.

But for Bae Joo-hyun, she knew Zhou Tzuyu entirely because of Park Ji-eon. This young girl, in her eyes, took on the role of a formidable opponent.

"Oh, you just mentioned En Di…"

After glancing at the script, Ki Jingyuan suddenly thought of something. He let out a sigh and leaned back on the sofa: "She's been really unlucky lately."

Since "Answer Me", Jung Eun Ji's career has been relatively average. The dramas she has acted in have received mediocre ratings and reviews. Behind the scenes, she was even nicknamed "Ratings Poison No. 2" by Park Kyung-hwan, which led to several arguments between them.

However, she had been managing to keep going until last month when her leading role in the television drama "Advance Without Reason" flopped spectacularly. It only achieved a viewership of 2% to 3% throughout its run and ended its broadcast as the lowest-rated drama among its monthly fire competitors.

Although the drama's ratings are relatively good compared to its online reviews, this lackluster performance has severely impacted her acting career. If her agency doesn't provide sufficient resources, she'll likely find it difficult to land leading roles in well-produced dramas for the next year or two.

Although he often jokingly calls Jung Eun Ji "the ratings poison," it's just a playful banter between friends. Seeing that his fellow actress is truly struggling, Park Kyung really feels sorry for her and even considers giving her some advice.

Hearing Ji-yeong's simple explanation, Bae Joo-hyun seemed to have put away the strange emotions she had just had. After thinking about the scene she encountered this morning, she curiously questioned: "But when I saw Eun-de in the morning, I felt that she was in a pretty good mood."

She remembered how happy Jung Eun-ji and Ji-yeong looked when they met in the morning. Her eyes were crinkled, her mouth was wide open with a carefree smile – you wouldn't have guessed that she had just suffered such a huge setback recently.

As someone from the countryside of Busan, he's inexperienced and doesn't have many worries. He's just very optimistic.

Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but complain again, with a mix of exasperation and affection in his voice. He shook his head and chuckled, "That's about the only good thing about her."

"Haha...," Bae Joo-hyun also laughed along.

She rarely saw Chi Jingyuan talk about friends in this kind of tone and manner. It was obvious that the two had a very good relationship.

"Aren't all of you who aren't from Seoul just country bumpkins" Though she heard the term "country bumpkin" repeatedly, she was still a bit indignant. She raised her eyebrows lightly and gave Chi Kyung-won a withering look.

"My hometown is Daegu..."

"Don't worry, I won't look down on you." Chi Jingyuan kept his eyes on the script without looking up. He sounded unconvincing.

"

“Ouch!” Pei Zhuxuan frowned and lightly patted him, a bit dissatisfied.

"

In jest, the two opened up the script and went over the morning's content.

Putting aside other emotions, I quickly entered work mode. I still have a lot to do today.

…………

After finishing lunch, I was busy for a while. First, I rehearsed the special stage of the two MCs for today, and then went to several artists' waiting rooms to discuss interview matters. The work of the MC was almost done, and Ji-sung and Suzy returned to their respective groups.

"Ah, you're finally back."

"After the pre-recording, I didn't see them anymore. Didn't they used to be less busy when Beomgyu and the others were MCs"

"Bo Xian's brother was partnered with Jun Mian at the time, of course, he wouldn't be busy..."

After returning, Chi Jingyuan received a few sarcastic hints from the members. He didn't bother with these smirking and hypocritical members who talked big but never walked the walk. He sat down, took a sip of water, and caught his breath.

But just as I sat down in XO's lounge for a few minutes, before even saying two words, the stagehand came to notify EXO that they needed to go back to the studio for another rehearsal.

As the biggest guest today, EXO has two stages today. They already pre-recorded "" this morning, and are currently rehearsing another song, "".

"I'm leaving..."

Captain Kim Jun-Myeon greeted, and the group got up and walked towards the front desk in a scattered manner.

As they chatted and walked, they came across several other idol and artist groups along the way, all greeting each other with polite bows.

"Shh..."

As they neared the studio, Kim Jong-kook suddenly turned back and motioned for the members to be quiet. At the same time, angry shouts and reprimands could faintly be heard from the front, becoming clearer as they got closer.

"Damn it, is this the attitude new recruits have during rehearsals"

"Look at what it looks like, I…"

"Qiao Song Hamid, I'm so sorry..."

EXO slowed their pace, a few members glancing at each other.

From the sound and tone of voice alone, it's safe to say that the PD is scolding someone.

The PD of a television station is already in a very dominant position for ordinary artists. It's normal for them to get angry and scold them if something goes wrong. Today, because of the special edition live broadcast on "Music Bank," things are especially tense. This kind of thing has happened several times since this morning.

This morning, before the live recording, the PD set off a few times. Ji-sung even saw several members of a girl group being scolded so badly that they all cried. Unexpectedly, this happened again now.

Chi Jingyuan followed the members, slowing down their pace and standing there to listen for a couple of sentences. He roughly understood that during the rehearsal or recording session earlier, a female idol group member seemed to have dozed off or done something, anyway her attention wasn't focused during the rehearsal, resulting in a mistake. When called, she didn't seem to hear and didn't respond immediately, making the staff feel like her attitude was bad and they directly got angry.

Rehearsing and falling asleep Surely no one would intentionally do that, right That's just asking for trouble...

He probably fell ill, or maybe he didn't sleep well last night.

After hearing the gist of the situation, Qi Jingyuan was stunned. He pondered for a moment.

Although there was a situation, it was impossible to stop and not move forward. After finding out what happened, EXO also let out a sigh of relief and quickened their pace to walk around the corner.

At the back of the line, Ki-gyeong looked up and saw a number of people standing near the backstage entrance to the studio. A middle-aged PD with a director's hat and nametag on his chest seemed quite angry as he shouted fiercely at a female idol group lined up in front of him.

This PD pool, Jingyuan knows about it.

Kim Nam-cheng, a live director for the Music Bank program, is usually responsible for pre-recording and rehearsals. He has a rather impatient personality and tends to be quite irritable. At least since he started as an MC, Ji Kyeong-won has seen him scolding guest artists many times.

But when he saw the group of female idols standing in a line being scolded, Ji Jingyuan was taken aback.

Turns out it's te

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze fixed on the past. At this time, eight people stood straight against the wall, their hands either behind their backs or clasped in front of them, all drooping their heads with a listless look. Zhou Tzuyu, whom he had seen before, stood at the edge of the lineup, and although she wasn't affected as much, her dark expression was still very sullen.

And another member, Minakami Sashana, was not standing with the others, but was held in front of everyone, alone, bearing most of Kinamichi's anger.

It seems like the member who was dozing off and had a bad attitude just now is her, right

At this moment, Minozaki Sakuya who was right in front stood there looking rather pitiful. Her eyes were red and swollen, with her fingers continuously wiping away the tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. Her whole demeanor radiated a sense of fragility. Even the sound of her sniffling seemed to lack any strength, yet it carried an choked sob as she kept apologizing.

The golden hair bun hung down, obscuring some of the profile of her face, but not her lips that were pressed tightly together, looking rather wronged.

The manager of Te was also standing there, and he didn't have any way to do anything about it. He could only smile wryly and apologize along with him.

The approaching footsteps of EXO also drew the attention of everyone here. After glancing sideways and seeing the person, te hurriedly turned away again, a little afraid to look this way.

Being publicly reprimanded is really embarrassing, especially if acquaintances are around. It can be incredibly awkward.

And even looking at the most heartbreaking sight, Komatsuna Sashina couldn't bear to look. When she heard footsteps, her head involuntarily ducked down

She didn't want to be watched crying by people she knew but wasn't familiar with.

And Jin Nam-cheng's roar also stopped. Interrupted, he glared over with some annoyance, just about to say a few harsh words when he suddenly saw it was EXO. His lips that were about to speak froze for a moment.

Especially after seeing Chi Jingyuan in the crowd, his previously imposing aura dissipated. Although he didn't force a smile, he looked much more normal than when he was reprimanding others just now.

He nodded at the several EXO members bowing to him, then looked towards Park Ji-won in the back: "Ji-won, are you guys here for rehearsal"

Given the current circumstances,

Jin Nancheng's tone was obviously controlled, and it was very different from his angry outburst just now. However, you could tell he was still quite angry, otherwise he wouldn't have asked so knowingly.

And upon hearing the name, Minazuki Sazanami, who was standing abruptly at the front of the line, lowered her head even further.

Ki Jingyuan quickly glanced at the crowd, who were all avoiding his gaze. His eyes lingered for a second on Komatsuzaki Saria before he let out a soft smile and quickened his pace toward Kim Nam-sung. In a familiar tone, he asked, "Brother, what got you so worked up You're even angrier than this morning."

"You wouldn't believe it, the new recruits these days are just... baffling. What can you even say Ash..."

Upon hearing Ki Jingyuan's question, Jin Nancheng seemed to have a desire to confide in someone. He sighed with emotion and was about to say something, while at the same time turning his head as if he was about to scold Mimaki Sashana.

But Chi Jingyuan walked up and interrupted him at this moment, gently patted his back, but said in a nonchalant tone: "It's normal for newcomers to make mistakes. We were the same way at first. Just give some advice, it's over. Take it easy..."

At the same time, Chi Jingyuan gently pushed him forward: "Alright, it's our turn to rehearse. It's important for you to watch over us during this crucial moment. There are many things that will happen later, so let's get started quickly and not delay..."

gold

Nan Cheng felt the force coming from behind and understood a little bit of Chi Jingyuan's meaning. However, he didn't resist and was pushed towards the studio by him two steps.

To be honest, I was pretty angry just now. But after saying a few things, the anger actually subsided quite a bit. What's left is really just to shake my authority a little.

Even if it's about showcasing one's aura, it still depends on the person.

After being pushed, Jin Nam-cheng also took a step down, but still turned back to look at Te's manager and said: "Newcomers need to strengthen management. How can this happen on a program Today if it weren't for... forget it..."

He stopped mid-sentence, too lazy to continue. He walked towards the broadcasting room with Park Kyung-won, leading the way. The other EXO members exchanged glances and then looked at the speechless Taeyeon. With strange expressions, they quickly followed behind.

The grueling reprimand ended just as abruptly as it began. The few people from TWICE watched as Ji-sung and the EXO members arrived quickly and departed quickly, their figures disappearing into the distance. For a moment, everyone was silent. Tzuyu stood there with her lips pursed,

There are still a few people who haven't quite reacted yet, their expressions seem to be questioning how someone could just leave like that

And Minase Shizuka also lightly raised her head and looked in that direction.

Making a mistake and being reprimanded is already difficult and embarrassing, but having it happen in public makes it even worse. It causes an unspeakable feeling of shame and humiliation. All she wanted was for the person to leave quickly and preferably not recognize her.

Unexpectedly, the wind stirred by his retreating figure gently brushed against her face. The PD who had just berated her for half an hour was pushed away, and the agonizing scolding came to an abrupt halt. The change was so sudden that tears were still streaming down her face at this moment.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and there was a distinct layer of mist still clinging to the gaze directed at them.

Unfortunately, when we look back now, both EXO and Kim Nam-cheng have already entered the studio. We see nothing but the dimly lit exit.

"Sana, are you okay"

"Don't cry."

After Jin Nancheng walked away, the two neon-clad girls behind him hurried over to her side, reaching out to help wipe away her tears. The other members also reacted and crowded around her.

Looking at Murasaki Sashas tear-stained face, her expression pitifully sad, the te members all showed some sympathetic concern.

Just now it was said that the whole combination was scolded, but in fact, only Minazuki Sazanami accounted for most of it. The others were just standing behind and listening.

"Alas..."

The agent looked at the scene before him, not knowing whether to blame or complain. He glanced at the several members who were crowding around Minasaki Sashana, and waved his hand to urge them, "Don't just stand here, let's go back first."

……

After Ji Jingyuan left, everything proceeded quite naturally. He quickly began rehearsals with the members, followed by preparations for the broadcast.

He actually didn't think too much about it. He just happened to see some acquaintances like Zhou Tzuyu encountering bad things, so he casually helped them out of the situation. It wasn't a big deal for him at all.

But if it were someone else, Ji Jingyuan probably wouldn't care. It's pretty common for TV station PDs to discipline actors, he's seen a lot of it and can't keep up with it all.

As for the reasons why he was scolded, they really don't matter. Things like sleeping or his attitude have nothing to do with him.

Anyway, he wasn't speaking just to Komatsuna Sasahina.

But when this girl cried, the way she was clearly weeping with tears streaming down her face but still tried her best to lower her voice and suppress her sobs, not wanting to make herself look too pathetic...it really makes you feel sorry for her.

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novels Networks the first time all the actors and creators met, Kim Yuan-sik took to the stage and spoke eloquently. After him, representatives from the production company and TVN also took turns taking the stage a...