Peninsula: Starting with forming a group with the nation's little sister

Chapter 4 Prequel... Senior [Please continue reading]

Lee Ji-eun stood by like an outsider, feeling uneasy.

"Buzz buzz buzz~"

The phone rang; the caller was the "President."

"President-nim! Yes, I understand. I'll have him there immediately."

After hanging up the phone, Lee Ji-eun clapped her hands to stop the two from pulling at each other.

"Stop practicing for now, come with me, the club president needs to speak with us."

"OK!"

Lin Yuan rubbed his aching back, got up, grabbed a towel, wiped the sweat from his body, and drank half a bottle of mineral water in one gulp. "Lizhi, you rest here for a while."

"Inside."

Huang Lizhi nodded obediently.

Lin Yuan followed Li Zhi'en to the office again. This time, he was smarter and pushed open the door and went in first.

Lee Ji-eun was startled by his actions and then burst out laughing, "How childish."

In the office, the president looked up at the two of them and said with a smile, "You're here, please have a seat."

"President-nim," Lin Yuan greeted casually, then plopped down on the sofa, acting as if he owned the place.

"President-nim," Lee Ji-eun wanted to punch him, he had no sense at all.

The president was quite satisfied with his behavior. What's most important for an artist? Looks? Skills? No, the most important thing is thick skin and a strong ability to withstand pressure.

After all, as a public figure, no matter how good your professional skills are or how popular you are, you will inevitably have some nitpicking haters who don't care about this or that, they just find fault with you in every way.

Some obsessive fans even find your address through various channels and harass you or your family. Over time, those with poor mental resilience might go crazy.

Therefore, in his eyes, Lin Yuan's personality is simply that of a born entertainer, and his big heart is enough to support him to go very far.

"Haha, no need to be polite. I called you here to inform you of something. I just received news that in early May, the three major entertainment companies will be holding an audition, and the stage will be very large."

"Lin Yuan!"

"Here comes the president."

Lin Yuan replied respectfully.

"This time you'll be participating in the audition as an ordinary person. Your goal isn't to win an award, but to use your best talent to generate a huge amount of buzz for me, building up popularity for you and the Ji-eun duo in advance. Can you do that?"

"Mission accomplished!"

Lin Yuan stood straight in place and replied loudly.

The president was amused by his funny antics.

"I've also considered your contract. If you pass the assessment, the company will sign an artist contract with you directly; otherwise, you'll only have a trainee contract."

Lin Yuan thought about it for a moment.

He didn't know much about contracts, so he contacted his family and asked his mother to arrange a trustworthy lawyer for him. After all, Korean entertainment companies are notorious for being bloodsuckers, so he couldn't afford to be careless. "I don't have any problems."

"That's all for now. Remember to practice hard."

"Yes, goodbye, President!" Lin Yuan replied loudly.

Lee Ji-eun's face flushed, and she wished she could disappear into the ground. She grabbed him and quickly walked out of the office.

Inside the elevator, Lin Yuan was still rambling on: "See? Outstanding people are popular everywhere. Didn't you see the president's face just now? I..."

"Hey! Lin Yuan, shut up! You're so noisy, you know?"

Lee Ji-eun was driven crazy by his nagging. The thought of doing things with him in the future made her lose all hope and feel that the future was bleak.

Back in the practice room, Hwang Ye-ji was on the phone, and only hung up when he saw the two of them come in.

"IU sunbaenim! Oppa!"

When Lin Yuan saw her, his eyes lit up. He had been worried about having a lot to say but no one to talk to, and this was a perfect listener.

The next second, he darted away from Lee Ji-eun.

Lin Yuan put his arm around Huang Lizhi's shoulder and said excitedly, "Lizhi, you have no idea..."

"Lin Yuan!!!"

Li Zhi'en snapped at Lin Yuan, who immediately shut his mouth.

Hwang Ye-ji broke free from his embrace and ran to hide behind Lee Ji-eun, "Senior...Senior!" like a frightened fox seeking its mother's protection.

Lee Ji-eun was immediately overcome with maternal love. She patted her head and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. If he bullies you in the future, just tell me and I'll teach him a lesson."

Hwang Yee-ji nodded and replied softly, "Yes~ Thank you, senior. You're so kind."

Lee Ji-eun's heart almost melted after hearing this; she's so adorable!

Then he glared at Lin Yuan and said fiercely, "Did you hear me? You're not allowed to bully Lizhi anymore."

Adhering to the principle that a good man doesn't argue with a woman, Lin Yuan quickly raised his hands to indicate that he understood.

Damn it, I was the one who found the dance teacher and I paid for her. How did she get snatched away by Lee Ji-eun? Don't they say young girls like handsome guys? Am I not handsome enough?

As darkness fell, today's training came to an end.

In the practice room, Hwang Yeji, carrying a backpack, gave some instructions: "Oppa, remember to get a massage when you get back, otherwise you won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow."

Looking at Lin Yuan again, he was completely exhausted and lay motionless on the ground.

Why wait until tomorrow? He can barely get up now; he feels like he has no flesh left on his body and can't move a muscle at all.

"Inside~"

Lin Yuan had used up his last bit of strength; all he wanted now was to get a good night's sleep.

Lee Ji-eun walked in at this moment, glanced casually at Lin Yuan lying down, and thought to herself, "All looks and no substance, and he calls himself a 'male model'?"

If Lin Yuan heard this, he would probably fight her to the death. How could a man say no? This is a matter of dignity, and he has to prove himself.

"Lizhi, you've had a hard time. Let me see you out." When Lee Ji-eun saw her, she changed her expression again, becoming gentle and kind, even though she herself was still a girl in her early twenties.

"Yes, thank you, senior."

The two walked to the side of the road and followed the sidewalk to the nearest bus stop.

The two sat side by side on the platform.

Lee Ji-eun turned to look at her and helped her tidy up her wind-blown hair.

As his fingertips brushed against his earlobe, Huang Lizhi trembled, and soon his face turned bright red with embarrassment. Fortunately, it was dark, so he was not noticed.

"S-senpai, I can do it myself."

Upon hearing this, Lee Ji-eun's hand hovered in mid-air, then she casually withdrew it.

"Beep~ Beep~"

A bus pulled into the station; it was the one she needed to take.

"I...I'll be going now. See you tomorrow, senior!"

"Wait a minute," Lee Ji-eun called out to her.

Huang Lizhi stopped and an envelope was stuffed into her hand. She looked up in confusion, wondering what it meant.

"Your oppa asked me to give this to you. Be careful on the road, see you tomorrow."

"Inside~"

What a sensible and good child!

In the car, Hwang Ye-ji smiled and squinted her eyes, looking as beautiful as a fox. She waved through the window and said, "I also want to become a singer like my senior."

On the roadside, Lee Ji-eun waved goodbye to her, stood there watching her for a while until the taillights disappeared around the street corner, before turning back to her company.

Lee Ji-eun pushed open the glass door and walked into the practice room.

"Lin Yuan! Lin..."

Upon closer inspection, Lin Yuan was already lying on the ground asleep.

Lee Ji-eun squatted down and lay opposite him, running her fingers across his forehead, eyebrows, nose, and down to his lips.