Chapter 104: Needle Point Against Blade of Wheat

e many reporters surrounding them, seemingly waiting for them. As soon as EXO passed the security check and came out, they immediately focused on them. Counting from head to toe, they found that only...Then I'll go back first.

With a determined look in her eyes, the hesitation on her face subsided. Pei Zhuxuan lightly shook her head, smoothing down the hair at the side of her temple. She gave Park Kyung-won a gentle smile and waved. Seeing him smile back and nod, she gave him one last glance before turning and walking towards the dormitory area.

She still walked with that swaying, hip-tilting gait of hers. From behind, it was both distinctive and alluring. But her pace was quick, as if something terrible chased her. In a blink, she turned a corner at the end of the street and disappeared from Chi Jingyuan's sight.

“…………”

Watching Park Ji-hyun's figure disappear from his sight, Ki Kyung-won let out a faint smile and shook his head lightly.

Although Pyo Ji-hye's sentence wasn't finished, Ji Kyung-won guessed what she wanted to ask.

It's just asking if he's currently dating anyone and what his current situation is with Jung So-min.

The intention behind asking this kind of question is quite obvious.

She stopped midway through her sentence, possibly considering other aspects. She kept the rest of her words to herself.

Chi Jingyuan, as expected, had clearly calmed down from the excitement of last night and the sweetness of the atmosphere just now. After stepping out of a dreamlike state, she naturally had to consider many more realistic things.

...like whether Chi Jingyuan has a girlfriend, if he is in a relationship, what his feelings for her are, if he has any good feelings for her, or if he truly likes her...

More importantly, her own combination still looks like this, she wants to date after only three or four months of debuting, which is a bit irresponsible. Not to mention that she's still the captain.

To debut after so many years of hard work and perseverance, it's not just about debuting and then becoming uncaring and chasing men after everything is left behind.

Pei Zhuxuan is not love-brained. After calming down, she naturally considers more things. For her, the most important thing now is still to salvage the precarious business and get the team back on track.

Although he didn't explicitly say it, Ji Jingyuan could also understand some of her thoughts. After spending so long together, he had seen that Bae Joo-hyun had a strong work ethic and self-esteem.

And speaking of likes...

There is definitely attraction, but Pyo Ji-hyeong's feelings for Park Hae-soo are clearly not as intense or enthusiastic as the other person's feelings for him.

But for Chi Jingyuan, it's already incredibly difficult to have a good impression.

As for whether it will continue to ascend in the future, that's something I can't say for sure.

He pursed his lips, staring at the alleyway where there was no sign of anyone anymore. Recalling what had just happened, he silently muttered to himself:

This is great.

He stood still for two minutes, Ji Jingyuan pondered for a moment. Instead of calling Park Jae-hyeon and the others to drive over, he took one last glance in the direction of the dormitory, tightened his collar, and turned back.

Walking to the spot in the park where the two of them had embraced earlier, she took a selfie under the moonlight at a certain angle and sent it to Park Jimin. After smiling, she put away her phone and walked out of the park, getting into the chauffeured car that had been waiting by the roadside. The engine roared to life soon after, and in no time, the park returned to its usual quiet solitude of the night.

The dorm room door opened to a silence so profound that the only sound was the faint breathing. Using her phone as a light, Seulgi fumbled around in the darkness, changing her shoes and tiptoeing into the bathroom. She hurriedly turned on the faucet, cupped her hands full of water and splashed it onto her face. The cool water brought an instant wave of clarity to her heated head.

After covering her face for a while, Pei Zhuxuan finally let out a long sigh of relief and looked up at herself in the mirror.

"

Please shine brightly on me...

"

"Could it be...that this...isn't a misunderstanding"

The sound of Chi Jingyuan kept echoing in her ears, circling and lingering. The embrace and kiss they shared in the park earlier, born from a surge of emotion, now made her body flush with warmth when she thought back on it.

She stretched out her hands to cover her cheeks, rubbing them back and forth forcefully. She felt the warmth and smoothness of her flesh, and looking at herself in the mirror, she seemed to think of something happy, and let out a 'poof' of a laugh.

Her face, stained with water droplets, was still rosy. The fuzz on her cheeks and the glistening water drops around her nose complemented her apple-like face and pearly white teeth, blooming like a beautiful flower. She looked incredibly pretty, with a touch of cuteness.

She was smiling, but as she smiled, some complex thoughts and more realistic things also came to mind. Thinking about those things she had to consider, her smile slowly faded, and the radiance in her eyes dimmed.

Let's not even talk about it, she has personally seen Ji-seong and Soo-jeong together more than once. She even saw them secretly at the family concert just the other day. How long has it been

Adding to the current situation, the distance between them felt like a wall. All sorts of unsettling thoughts rushed out of control.

Oh...

Just as she was feeling a little down, the phone beside her suddenly rang. In the extremely quiet dormitory, it sounded very jarring, scaring Pei Zhuxuan half to death. She jumped up and hurriedly picked up her phone, quickly turning it to silent.

It was so late, and someone still sent her a message. She frowned and opened it, her eyebrows instantly relaxing. Her face, which had been a bit complex and gloomy just seconds ago, immediately broke into a smile.

Only to see Chi Jingyuan sent a selfie, in the photo he stood at the place where the two people had just hugged intimately in the park, facing away from the moon, leaning his body to the left, squinting and grimacing playfully while making a scissor hand gesture beside his head.

It's really rare to see this kind of pool view, and Pei Zhuxuan finds it quite novel.

And she could also understand the meaning of this selfie from the other party. The place where Chi Jingyuan stood, and what happened here was also very meaningful to her.

It's so annoying that he even went back to take a picture.

She blinked and stared at the photo on her phone for a long time. Her eyes lost focus as she looked, until the screen went black and she came to her senses. A smile curved her lips as she saved the picture, then put her phone aside.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again to look at the mirror before her. In the reflection, she pursed her lips, her dark pupils shining with a mix of anticipation and determination.

……

When Chi Jingyuan returned to the dorm, it was already late at night. The entire apartment only had him, making it feel empty and desolate. After washing up, he lay on his bed for a few seconds before falling asleep. The next morning, he got up early and rushed to the set to work.

While Ji-yeong was nervously filming on set and EXO boarded the plane to return to the peninsula, discussions about MAMA from yesterday were gradually heating up. The buzz that dominated the front page of hot searches immediately after last night's award ceremony didn't fade away; instead, it intensified.

However, this year's MAMA was definitely full of hype. Aside from the main award, several other awards sparked some discussion.

There's no dispute that EXO is the best male group, even with some unfortunate setbacks in the second half of the year. Their comeback in the middle of the year was extremely successful, significantly outperforming other male groups. Most other male groups that made a comeback this year simply lack the competitive edge.

But the best girl group award was highly controversial. Although Girls' Generation and 2NE1 took the top two spots with a significant lead in the voting, the award ultimately went to [blank], causing great dissatisfaction among many SONEs and K-pop fans who had been diligently voting. The anger led to widespread criticism and accusations of manipulation by the organizers.

BE1's fandom name, meaning Blackjack, refers to the highest value card in the card game 21 and also aligns with the group name 2NE1.

The Newcomer Award is also the same. When voting in November, the number of votes suddenly increased rapidly, which made fans of the GOT7 group very dissatisfied, and they are still cursing to this day.

While IU was ridiculed as "a stage-made award," the award she received yesterday was one that didn't exist in previous years and is unlikely to appear again next year. It was a unique award created specifically for this year, a complete IU exclusive.

An insider revealed online that the original organizers hinted to IU that she might win a major award if she attended. However, after she arrived, the major award was given to EXO and Taeyang instead. To compensate and console Lee Ji-eun, the organizers immediately created an award for her on the spot. They said there were plenty of trophies anyway and even came up with the name right there.

It is said that IU herself also feels that this award is a joke, and after returning, she was very angry about it, even getting mad at the people around her.

The whistleblower's account was vivid and detailed, as if he had seen it with his own eyes. However, how much truth there is to it remains unknown. Nevertheless, this claim has attracted a lot of attention, and rumors spread quickly for a while.

And many IU's haters, as well as a large number of Super Junior fans are happily holding online gatherings for her, with sarcastic and ambiguous messages, as lively as Chinese New Year.

Apart from these, and the fact that there was much debate over the final winner, what caused a huge stir and the most discussion was Quan Zhi Long directly changing the lyrics in his rap during the MAMA stage to diss the organizers' performance.

Although MAMA is very famous, the organizer's reputation in terms of awards has always been bad. Every time they host an event, there are rumors about bizarre award ceremonies and behind-the-scenes manipulation. This time, Kwon Jiyong directly exposed it, even rapping about it on stage, which naturally generated a huge amount of discussion.

At the start, all the public opinion was directed at the organizer M, because their reputation was already bad. Even ordinary people couldn't help but scold them a few times.

But then the wind changed as he was ranting, even though Quan Zhi Long's words were actually about criticizing the organizers for dividing the pork, and responding to those who asked him to participate in "Ey."

But some people began to think outside the box.

Since we're talking about "splitting pork", it naturally refers to dissatisfaction with the award distribution. This year at MAMA, the biggest winner was undoubtedly the group that received the Artist of the Year and Album of the Year awards, the highly prestigious Best Male Group award, and a consolation prize – EXO.

This led many people to believe that Quan Zhi Long was implying, or even directly stating, that EXO's win was akin to being given "leftovers" – that the organizers had awarded them a prize that wasn't originally theirs.

As soon as this was said, the heat instantly rose, and fans from both sides immediately started arguing fiercely, with many onlookers and black fans also adding fuel to the fire.

Both the VIP and ALICE fan groups are already very large, ranking among the most numerous and powerful fanbase in the male group. They initially debated amicably but as the conversation progressed, tempers flared, leading to an online shouting match.

"GD debuted in 2006, he's a senior idol. Even if he disses or criticizes, EXO are just newcomers who have been around for two years, they should just listen quietly. Besides, with EXO's current situation, what right do they have to win two major awards"

“LMAO, today's middle schoolers are so brainless. When EXO was taking over Asia, they were probably still doing their homework! It's just one song that got lucky and blew up last year. Even now, in terms of popularity, EXO doesn't even deserve to tie our shoes. Listen here, educate yourself instead of spewing so much nonsense.”

"Go to hell, senior! Are you and Malong just done smoking weed and your brain is still foggy You're both idols, so what right do you have to talk like that and act so pretentious If seniority is the only factor that matters, then should we be bowing down to TVXQ"

“Why are we XO deserving of an award Look at the sales charts, how many albums have you sold compared to XO One song went viral Didn't "Lies" also go viral Back then you were even called the ugliest boy band in history, remember that Now you guys are pretending”

"And this year he didn't even return to the list of candidates, Solar already won a song of the year award, what does he have to be dissatisfied with and come diss us XO"

"Laughing my ass off, what's EXO become Three members have left, fans have disappeared, and this comeback is just a digital single! The company isn't even releasing an album. How are you guys still able to perform online like this Ali's reverse output really is something, no wonder she's so disliked. It hasn't even been that long and EXO is already acting like they're back on top Are you serious Do you know what a TOP group is"

"As for me, I don't know anything else. All I know is that you will definitely be hit by gingerdacheng’s car when you go out at night, and then the police will determine that you were already dead before the accident (coffin) (handshake) (smug)."

As a senior Lee Na-eun fan, she angrily stared at the screen, furiously replying to the clamoring VIPs and black fans in the forum. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, leaving a trail of afterimages as sarcastic digs and furious insults replaced each other, driving one particularly aggressive VIP into submission.

When the other party saw this, they were speechless and immediately went offline. Lee You-na took a deep breath and drank some water, feeling refreshed. Just as she was about to continue looking for her next opponent, she suddenly looked at the time, her face changed, and she quickly opened another webpage.

As expected, the MV and audio source for EXO's winter single "Let It Be," which was scheduled to be released today, were all leaked out a few minutes ago by ** Entertainment.

Yesterday, after A's performance of "Natural Flow" on stage, a huge wave was caused immediately in Ai Li. Whether it was the gorgeous and magnificent stage effects, or the extremely pleasant melody and the several lead singers' collaborative stage performance, they were all incredibly excited.

Especially the lyrics of this song, at a time when EXO is facing continuous setbacks and turbulence, and the fandom feels lost and uncertain, the meaning behind the lyrics is incredibly timely and appropriate.

Many fans felt that every line in the song was written into their hearts, as if it were written specifically for them.

I was very touched.

During this special time, "Let It Be" instantly became a favorite for many girls named Lily.

...The audio source and MV haven't been released, so many people could only keep watching the online replays. Naturally, when it was officially released today, a lot of fans were waiting by their computers, including Lee You-na.

After refreshing the page, she quickly clicked on it, turned the volume up a bit, and stared intently at the darkened screen.

"You'll get used to it, again."

Just like having a cold.

At the beginning, the familiar melody appears again. In the MV, Chi Jingyuan sits up from his bed in a dimly lit room, facing away from the camera and staring blankly at the window ahead. The window is completely covered by thick curtains, with only a faint glimmer of light peeking through the cracks.

He rested his hands on the bed, silently watching that faint light. Without words, a heavy feeling came over him all at once.

The swarming grey emotions, even though they brushed past me countless times.

"One must still endure."

The scene changed, with heavy snow falling on the street. Jin Junmian, in a trench coat, wandered back and forth, lost and confused, not knowing where to go next.

Under the soft yet low melody, and the ethereal and emotional vocals, the scenes of the MV change one after another.

Park Chan-lye stood downstairs, looking up at the towering pigeon loft that crowded the sky, feeling pressure coming from all directions.

Wu Shih-hsuan ran quickly down the stairs, but the seemingly endless stretch ahead seemed to mock him. No matter how fast he ran, it felt like he was running in place.

One member's solo spotlight appears in the MV, each frame conveying a sense of gloom and negativity. It leaves viewers with a heavy and oppressive feeling.

But in the second verse, the melody and tone gradually rise.

"In the overcast sky, there must be brighter light."

After the clouds dispersed, a brilliant light shone forth.

At this moment, the first scene of the MV appeared on the screen. At this time, Ji Jingyuan seemed to have gone through struggles and thoughts, and finally made a decision. He stood up lightly, walked to the window, hesitated for a second, then with both hands suddenly pulled the curtains open. The next second, dazzling light shot straight in from outside, bathing the entire room and his face in a layer of dazzling gold.

And afterwards, each member who had just been lost and bewildered, not knowing where the way lay ahead, all found their way out of the difficulty.

Kim Jun-myeon chose a crossroads and resolutely ran in one direction.

Park Chan-wook stepped step by step to the top floor of the building, gazing down at the distance from a high vantage point.

Wu Shixun finally walked out of the endless stairs and onto the street, where he was greeted by a bright sky.

The scene switched quickly, with every member appearing on the road. It was snowing lightly in the dark, twilight sky, seeming to be evening. They were running nonstop down the street under the dim light, their suits and trench coats covered with snowflakes.

It gives one a sense of walking in the dark, under the stars and moon.

With the camera panning, running and running, everyone finally gathered together, arriving at the beach shrouded in the night.

After standing in darkness for two seconds, the sky suddenly brightened. In the deep night, a blazing red sun emerged from the horizon, rising slowly. All shadows and gloom vanished in that moment, swept away by the all-present, dazzling sunlight that slashed across the sky.

From a wide angle, EXO's nine members stand in a row on the beach. Some cover their eyes, some excitedly punch the air, others have their hands in their pockets, and some put their hands to their mouths to make a megaphone shape and shout something.

"u~~"

And at this moment, the melody arrived at the final harmony section of "Follow the Flow." In the perfect acappella harmonies performed by Park Ji-sung and Doyoung, the camera gradually pulled back, encompassing the entire world and all nine people within its frame as the scene froze.

Seeing the nine members of EXO, emerging from the darkness and basking in the sunlight on the beach, side by side on the screen, Lee You-na's hand trembled slightly as she minimized the webpage and placed it on her desk.

After EXO's debut, their first variety show, 《》, the final scene of the episode where twelve members watching the sunrise on a beach was captured in a screenshot and treasured by countless fans. This very screenshot is her screensaver.

She constantly switched, the two in stark contrast.

The same place, the same sun, just different clothes, different people.

But at least they are still here, the sun is still coming up.

Looking at the scene before her, a surge of indescribable emotion welled up in Lee You-na's heart, leaving her unable to contain herself and tears streamed down her face.

This novel was first published on Traditional Chinese Novel Network. they would probably think they had the wrong place.It's true, though BIGBANG is EXO's biggest rival now, their relationship isn't very close. But their music is really good, including last month's "L...