Chapter 118 Enchanted by Madrid (36,000 words) I think it's similar to Ting Han's...
Kwon Ji-yong's trip to Madrid was entirely impromptu. Jiang Tinghan sent him a video of Madrid with its blue skies and charming town architecture, so he flew over without much thought. It seemed he simply wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery with his girlfriend.
In the past, I was so tired after a concert that I would have to lie down for three days. This year, I went through each concert with a grateful heart and am still full of energy. I've been lying at home long enough. Now, of course, I want to unlock a new world map with my loved ones!
Thanks to Kwon Ji-yong's passport, which grants visa-free access to the vast majority of countries in the world, including Spain, this spontaneous trip was very easy. However, the flight itself was quite grueling, as there were no direct flights and he had to transfer in Shanghai. It took him almost 24 hours to finally land.
The feeling on the plane was actually quite magical. The time difference was messed up for every distance the plane flew, but every minute and every second that passed represented him getting closer to Jiang Tinghan, even the time difference was messed up.
Kwon Ji-yong had already slept soundly in first class. He arrived in Madrid the next afternoon. After settling in at the hotel, he rushed off to the music festival. His schedule was packed, but he didn't feel tired at all. On the contrary, he was full of energy.
He felt it was a pity he missed the Danish music festival last week, and he definitely didn't want to miss Madrid this week. Fortunately, Lumera's performance was in the evening, and Kwon Ji-yong rushed and finally made it.
The scorching sun had been completely swallowed by the twilight, and the stars were faintly visible. It was a typical Mediterranean climate, with the temperature only around 20 degrees Celsius at night. Quan Zhilong was wearing a light green and white striped shirt, which was just right.
However, by this time he could no longer get a good spot, so he and his bodyguard ended up at the back, watching the big screen from afar. But even just watching the big screen was a happy experience.
To match the song "All in Gold," Jiang Tinghan wore a bikini underneath a beige crocheted openwork knit cardigan that covered her entire upper body. She paired it with bright yellow high-waisted shorts and strappy sandals in the same color scheme as her bright red inner layer, creating a cool and sexy look. Under the bright moonlight and spotlight, her smile became even more radiant, and her eyes sparkled with the passion and charm of summer.
With a swift movement of her long legs, she knelt on one knee, then twisted her body, her blouse billowing freely in the wind like a dashing cape. Every movement was captivating yet sharp. The camera panned across her red heeled sandals, which swayed to the rhythm before lightly stepping, like a red nail driven into the stage. A casual clap was enough to make the entire audience clap along with her.
Kwon Ji-yong recalled the first performance of "Shining World" that he had attended. At that time, Jiang Tinghan had dyed her long hair dark red and had an undeniable ambition in her eyes, burning as fiercely as a wildfire.
What he loved most was that ambition, and now, that indomitable spirit still flickers and churns in her eyes, like a piece of candy on a hot coal. Even now that she has climbed to the top, she still seems to have no intention of stopping. The little wolf cub of three years ago has now become a majestic alpha wolf, still untamed.
She wants more than just the conventional K-pop phenomenon; she wants to conquer everyone with her stage presence, to have impeccable talent, and to earn genuine public recognition, not just the impression that "Coldy seems to be very popular these past two years." She wants people to still mention her name and praise her for reaching the pinnacle ten, twenty, or even thirty years from now.
Kwon Ji-yong can really understand this "unsatisfied" mentality. He is the same way. He will keep asking his lover and fans for "love". Even though he has already won so many "honors", he still wants more. The 2013 tour record has not been broken by any solo artist. Then he will break it himself. He is G-Dragon. Why can't he have everything?
A rap performed with effortless ease, accompanied by a disdainful gaze and a faint smile, as if saying, "You can't replicate my success." She exudes confidence and relaxation, and what's even more striking is her effortless sense of control. It's only natural to fall in love with her.
Kwon Ji-yong took another photo: a dense crowd, a beautiful and stunning large screen, and a grand performance.
Jiang Tinghan couldn't possibly be unaware that Kwon Ji-yong had landed in Madrid, but since they had just finished attending a music festival together, it wouldn't be right to cancel the celebration banquet. So, she invited Kwon Ji-yong to come along as well, and sat down with him amidst the teasing glances of the crowd.
With others around, they didn't talk much, but they opened up more when they got back to the hotel. During that time, Kwon Ji-yong added several more food photos to his phone: Madrid stew, Spanish potato pancakes, stewed tripe, Iberian ham... They could totally film a whole episode of "Lume Time" here.
Lumera's vlog pro, Anri Tsukichi, is also filming a vlog today. Her last backstage vlog for Coachella was very well received. This time, she plans to edit together videos recorded from two music festivals in Denmark and Spain. Of course, no suspicious man surnamed Quan will appear in the video.
Mr. Quan also obediently remained silent, like a seal that Jiang Tinghan always carried, only showing his presence when asserting his sovereignty.
After a satisfying meal, the two successfully separated from the group. The hotel wasn't far away, so they decided to walk back and digest their food along the way.
Jiang Tinghan looked at the streetlights emitting a faint glow ahead and asked softly, "How was our performance just now?"
Kwon Ji-yong smiled and said, "How can you be so sure I watched your performance? What if I didn't see anything?"
Jiang Tinghan: "I'm just guessing. Was Oppa not in the audience just now? Was his flight delayed?"
If Kwon Ji-yong didn't come to her music festival performance, the only possibility is a flight delay; it's not that he had the time but didn't come.
This is reputation.
Kwon Ji-yong chuckled: "You guessed right. Does Ting Han want to hear A-level, B-level, or C-level reviews?"
Jiang Tinghan turned to look at him: "What's the difference?"
Kwon Ji-yong: "Difference in word count."
Jiang Tinghan pretended to ponder: "Hmm...then I'll listen to the one with the most words."
Kwon Ji-yong, with a slightly teasing tone, switched to Chinese and uttered three words: "Very good."
Jiang Tinghan: "...That's it?"
Kwon Ji-yong: "Yes."
Jiang Tinghan's lips curled up: "Let me guess, the other two tiers aren't 'Great' and 'Super Great', are they?"
Kwon Ji-yong: "It's beautiful and pretty."
Jiang Tinghan: "Superficial."
Kwon Ji-yong switched back to his familiar Korean: "Aniyo, because after seeing your face, I can't think straight at all. You can't blame me, can you? You know how charming your looks are, Jeonghan."
This guy can casually utter a single sentence that would cause millions of fans to scream. Who doesn't miss G-Dragon's sweet words? Especially when he speaks, he always stares at you. His eyes are clear and sincere, as if he has your whole heart and can only hold you in his eyes.
What kind of puppy stares at its owner?
Jiang Tinghan forced herself to remain calm, even showing a hint of disdain: "You've been watching it for three years, haven't you gotten used to it yet?"
Kwon Ji-yong: "Even if I watch it for eighty years, I still won't get used to it. Every time I see Ting Han, my heart skips a beat. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."
Jiang Tinghan's cold expression, which he had maintained for just a few seconds, crumbled again: "What the heck, 'bang bang'?"
Her voice held a hint of amusement: "Are you playing the drums? Why are you even setting a rhythm?"
Kwon Ji-yong touched Jiang Tinghan's fingertips with the back of his hand twice, feeling that they were a little cold. He then turned his hand over and wrapped his palm around hers, transferring the warmth to her.
"The heart has its own rhythm. Has Tinghan never used the beat of her heart to write songs?"
“Well…” Jiang Tinghan looked away, avoiding eye contact with Quan Zhilong, “there is…”
Whether it's sampling heartbeat sounds or incorporating heartbeat rhythms, it's a common and effective creative method. Even if you make a melody that's just a pile of dog poop and pair it with a heartbeat, it will still resonate with people involuntarily, as if the love for heartbeats is engraved in human genes.
Kwon Ji-yong took a step forward, then turned around to meet her gaze again, smiling as he said, "Tinghan's heart seems to be pounding too, doesn't it?"
Jiang Tinghan replied expressionlessly, "No."
"Then..." Kwon Ji-yong pulled out two tickets from somewhere. His eyes were still curved, and a thin crease appeared at the corner of his eye, like a shallow ripple on a calm lake. His smile rose from the bottom of the lake, making him look exceptionally gentle, yet with a touch of stubborn provocation.
"Want to go watch the football match tomorrow? I guarantee your heart will be pounding after you watch it."
Jiang Tinghan paused for a moment, looking at the paper ticket in Quan Zhilong's hand. He couldn't quite describe what he felt, but his heart seemed... to be racing a little.
She reached out and pinched the small corner of one of the tickets. It felt nice and was quite thick. She then pulled it out and held it up to her face. She recognized the Real Madrid team logo on it; she had watched some football matches with her father when she was a child. The logo of the other team also looked somewhat familiar. Looking at the content on the ticket, she realized it was a match against AC Milan.
The seat number, match time, and even the price were all listed on it.
Jiang Tinghan was deeply puzzled: "Oppa, if I remember correctly, didn't you just land today? How did you manage to watch a music festival and buy tickets to a football game? Do you have a clone?"
This outrageous guess made Kwon Ji-yong laugh even harder, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened, adding a touch of gentle charm: "I didn't buy it. It was a gift from a friend I met here. I contacted him before coming here... It turns out he's a visual director at YSL. He's originally from Madrid, and it seems he's come back here to develop his own independent brand in recent years."
He waved the ticket in his hand, a mischievous glint in his eye: "Maybe it's some kind of business collaboration with a football club."
When the topic of fashion comes up, even if it's just a little bit, Kwon Ji-yong automatically gets all excited, talking as if knowing such a person is no difficult thing.
Of course, he is G-Dragon.
"You have such a wide network of connections, G-Dragon," Jiang Tinghan gently poked the hand that Kwon Ji-yong was holding with hers. "Since you've already given it to him, then go ahead and do it."
Kwon Ji-yong: "Coldyxi, you must have a good network of connections. I heard that many brand directors want to collaborate with you. You must be getting so many invitations to Fashion Week this year, right?"
Jiang Tinghan chuckled and said modestly, "Then it's definitely not as much as GDxi."
She continued, "With so many resources at his disposal, GD must have prepared his outfit for tomorrow, right?"
"Huh? Do we need to make any special preparations?" Kwon Ji-yong wanted to decide before leaving, and said somewhat helplessly, "Tinghan, I don't really have the ability to create clones."
Jiang Tinghan said confidently, "Of course, you can't dress like you would for a date when you go to a game. Don't you think dressing more appropriately for the game will help you better experience the atmosphere?"
"Well..." Kwon Ji-yong was also being persuaded.
What outfit is more suitable for a sports game than a jersey?
The two slept until they naturally woke up at 11 a.m., and by the time they went out it was already noon.
They went to Futbol Emotion, a large chain of sporting goods stores, where they could not only buy Real Madrid jerseys but also have their jersey numbers and names printed on them. However, AC Milan only had jerseys and did not offer this service.
Jiang Tinghan gave the choice to Kwon Ji-yong, who happily selected an eight and a large GD logo. She went to the vintage section and picked out a replica Adidas Kaka jersey; a blank jersey just didn't have the right feel.
Kwon Ji-yong looked quite pleased when he put on the Real Madrid jersey, as if he had unlocked a new experience. However, his expression changed when he saw the huge "KAKA" on Jiang Tinghan's back. Isn't he a famous handsome football player?
He has had several interactions with Son Heung-min, one of South Korea's national treasures and a football star, due to their joint endorsement deals, so they can be considered to have a personal relationship. South Korea is also a team that can qualify for the World Cup, so he has some knowledge of football.
Jiang Tinghan found it somewhat amusing: "Seriously? Oppa's jealous about this? She's probably already married with kids and in her forties, right?"
Kwon Ji-yong looked down to search for Kaka's birth year, saw that it was 1982, and then looked up and said quietly, "He's not much older than me."
Jiang Tinghan discovered that this person was just a pure, unreasonable, spoiled brat. He wouldn't stop until he had provoked you to the point of wanting to teach him a lesson. Without any mercy, she pulled on Quan Zhilong's face and pinched his little remaining cheek fat outward like a piece of chewing gum: "The important thing is to get married and have children."
Kwon Ji-yong suddenly had a look of sudden realization: "Ah, getting married and having children~"
Judging from his tone, Jiang Tinghan had a gut feeling that he was definitely not talking about Kaka getting married and having children, but about someone else.
But upon closer inspection of his expression, he had that innocent look with round, bright eyes, as if he had simply repeated what Jiang Tinghan had said.
Pretending, pretending again.
Oh dear, the puppy has turned into a dog-man.
Kwon Ji-yong quickly changed the subject: "Ah, I'm hungry. Shall we go get breakfast? How about hot dogs? Or omelets?"
Jiang Tinghan looked away: "Is it lunchtime now?"
Kwon Ji-yong moved behind her, pushed her shoulders and walked forward, saying in an exaggerated tone, "Then let's eat steak, barbecue, anything is fine. Come on, come on, I feel like I'll be too hungry to stay any longer."
The match didn't start until 9 p.m., so there was plenty of time to wander around after lunch. It was very hot during the day, but there were still quite a few people. After all, there was a music festival and the Bernabéu welcoming guests these past two days. The young couple wearing jerseys didn't look out of place at all on the street; on the contrary, they could blend in naturally with the crowd.
They are not people who like to plan their trips, and they feel somewhat constrained. They just wander around aimlessly, and they will even squat down and chat with a stray cat they see on the roadside.
"Nammok Kiyo, is it a tabby cat?" Kwon Ji-yong looked at the plump orange cat, smiling like a loving father, and also a little silly for some reason.
He cautiously reached out to the cat, and only after seeing that it didn't attack or become wary did he feel relieved enough to pat its head: "Little guy, are you hungry?"
Jiang Tinghan stared at the cat for two seconds: "It probably doesn't understand Korean, right?"
Kwon Ji-yong was amused and chuckled a few times, resting his head on his knees. From the few Spanish phrases he knew, he managed to utter, "iHola?" (Hello?)
The orange cat still ignored him, continuing to bask in the sun with its eyes half-closed. These two silly humans were simply beneath its notice.
Kwon Ji-yong continued to show off his meager Spanish skills: "iHola Madrid?" (Hello Madrid?)
The orange cat opened its eyes, stretched its paws and yawned, finally giving Kwon Ji-yong a look.
His narrow, amber eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, met a pair of round cat eyes, a classic case of a big cat looking at a kitten. In their meowing exchanges, even their eye colors seemed somewhat similar.
Jiang Tinghan thought to himself that today was undoubtedly a victory for the Cat Plastic Party.
Then the little cat turned its head and walked away with a haughty, cat-like gait.
Kwon Ji-yong also turned to look at Jiang Tinghan, seemingly somewhat hurt: "Even Iye wouldn't treat me like this."
Jiang Tinghan suppressed a laugh, patted Kwon Ji-yong's shoulder, and comforted him, "Oppa, you can't lie through your teeth. Iye often treats you like that."
Kwon Ji-yong: "?"
He stood up, grabbed Jiang Tinghan's wrist, pulled her up as well, and jogged to catch up with the little orange cat, calling out, "iHola Barcelona?"
Real Madrid and Barcelona are notorious rivals. Every player who joins Real Madrid shouts "iHola Madrid" at the Bernabéu Stadium. Kwon Ji-yong's shout is no less powerful than Liu Zhimin or Zhang Yuan saying "Jiang Tinghan, the fifth female lead" in English Premier League.
Luckily, it was just a kitten. He was always a polite person and only knew how to tease kittens that couldn't understand human speech. But the bearded guy passing by shouted, "Dude!"
This guy is wearing a Real Madrid jersey, even one from the second year of the Real Madrid era with gold trim, back when Kaká was still playing for Real Madrid. If you go back that far, he's probably been a fan for over a decade.
Kwon Ji-yong thought he had touched a nerve and was immediately embarrassed. His ability to handle a crisis kicked in, and he blurted out "Sorry".
Jiang Tinghan grabbed his hand and gave him a look that said he could run away at any time. Quan Zhilong nodded slightly to indicate that he understood.
However, the guy wasn't angry, and he probably didn't even notice what Kwon Ji-yong had just said. He exclaimed in a very surprised tone, "Tattoo...cool!"
It turns out they were talking about Kwon Ji-yong's tattoo.
Both of them breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Kwon Ji-yong smiled and replied, "Gracias!"
Only then did the young man get a clear look at Jiang Tinghan's face. All the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, and he was momentarily stunned. The impact of a top-tier, strikingly beautiful face in real life is no joke.
Kwon Ji-yong leaned forward slightly, shielding Jiang Tinghan behind him, his expression and tone turning indifferent: "Anything else?"
"Ah," the young man snapped out of his daze, "Asian? Japanese? Are you guys going to watch the game today too?"
Jiang Tinghan gripped Quan Zhilong's hand tighter, as if to say it was alright, and calmly said, "I am Chinese, he is Korean."
"Oh, I know!" the young man exclaimed excitedly. "Chinese kongfu, Jackie Chan! Bruce Lee!"
The classic three-piece routine for foreigners to strike up a conversation with Chinese people.
This guy completely ignored the fact that Kwon Ji-yong is from South Korea, which shows that his intentions are obvious to everyone.
The two exchanged another glance, having already decided to slip away, but there were still several hours until the match, so they couldn't use the match as an excuse.
Kwon Ji-yong blurted out, "Honey, shouldn't we talk about our wedding? After today, do you think Madrid is a good place for it?"
The word "Wedding" was emphasized, as if afraid the guy wouldn't hear it clearly.
Jiang Tinghan: "..."
She forced herself to say, "Sure, I think this place is quite romantic, but I still need to ask my parents' opinions..."
Kwon Ji-yong: "Mom and Dad should be awake from their afternoon nap by now. Let's go back to the hotel to find them and have dinner together."
Jiang Tinghan was almost convinced by the dragon's tone; its acting skills were on full display, and all she had to do was play along: "OK."
Kwon Ji-yong then looked at the young man, a slight smile playing on his lips, and asked with a friendly and beaming expression, "Are you Spanish? How do you say wedding in Spanish?"
"I'm Spanish..." The young man finally came to his senses. Anyone with eyes could see that the two people in front of him were a couple, but he had just been dazzled by their beauty and had briefly lost his senses for more than ten seconds.
He flashed a warm smile: "In Spanish, wedding is pronounced Boda, and iFelicidades means congratulations."
“iFelicidades por su boda!”
Jiang Tinghan was stunned for a moment. Even though she didn't know what the two middle syllables meant, she could roughly guess what the young man had said by combining the beginning and the end. Although her heart wasn't pounding, it still gave a sudden "thump".
Kwon Ji-yong, however, feigned ignorance and continued in English, "Is this to congratulate...our marriage?"
“Yeah!” the young man nodded. “iQue vivan los novios!”
He offered his explanation: "This means 'Long live the newlyweds,' a blessing we often use when toasting at wedding banquets."
"Oh~ Gracias!" Kwon Ji-yong's smile became more genuine as he thanked him and repeated, "iQue vivan los novios!"
The young man, with a look that suggested he was a quick learner, gave two thumbs-up and said, "That's it!"
"We'll definitely invite you to our wedding." In just one minute, Kwon Ji-yong's attitude underwent a complete 180-degree change.
The young man paused for a moment, then smiled and said "thank you." He then exchanged contact information with Kwon Ji-yong.
Jiang Tinghan was somewhat confused about everything that had just happened, but she became increasingly certain that Quan Zhilong's earlier statement about "getting married and having children" definitely referred to the two of them.
The delivery guy even added a friendly greeting to the two of them: "iQue sean felices para siempre!"
It means "May you be happy forever!"
After saying goodbye to the guy, it was just the two of us again.
Jiang Tinghan suddenly asked, "Oppa, do you really want to get married?"
"Huh? That was just an excuse to fob off that friend," Kwon Ji-yong was quite honest this time, a playful smile on his lips, "and also—I wanted to tease you a bit."
"Baby, your panicked expression is so cute."
"..." Jiang Tinghan rolled her eyes and then asked, "Oh, so Oppa doesn't want to marry me?"
To be honest, she had absolutely no idea about getting married. Any idol with normal intelligence would not choose to announce their marriage at the peak of their career. Marriage and dating are two completely different concepts, and their acceptance among fans is also completely different.
Although it's cruel and hurtful, if Kwon Ji-yong were to propose to her now, her answer would definitely be "No." Saying "it's not the right time" wouldn't be appropriate either, because she doesn't know what the right time would be.
When this kind of thing is discussed, the age gap suddenly becomes clear. In three years, Kwon Ji-yong will be forty years old, while she may still be working hard on her career. Even after almost six years of dating, it's still uncertain whether "Boda" will come or when.
Jiang Tinghan sometimes feels that it is unfair to Kwon Ji-yong, but her attitude will not change. She is greedy and does not want to give up her fans or her boyfriend.
Kwon Ji-yong's lips pouted instantly, looking somewhat aggrieved: "I didn't say that! Please don't wrong me, my friend."
“I’ve always wanted to get married, but our current circumstances don’t allow it, do they? Tinghan, you’re still a rising star, and I’ve just made a comeback. Although I want to experience the next stage of happiness, after thinking it over, we think our careers are more important.” His expression became serious, and a warm light shone in his amber eyes.
The two of them hadn't openly discussed many issues, but they both already had their own well-thought-out ideas.
Although Kwon Ji-yong often jokes about marriage, it's not an implication. His attitude is to let things take their course. This isn't unfair to him because he was the one who pursued Jiang Tinghan from the beginning. He knew about the age gap between them, but he still took the initiative to approach Jiang Tinghan and came to her side.
He did all of this willingly, and he did it with great pleasure.
“Besides, our current situation is already wonderful,” Kwon Ji-yong looked at Jiang Tinghan again, meeting her beautiful, clear, obsidian-like eyes, “compared to a wedding that may never come—”
"I think it's more important to feel happy with Tinghan."
As soon as he finished speaking, he softly repeated the Spanish phrase, his voice taking on a slightly magnetic quality: "iQue sean felices para siempre."
May you be happy forever.
The bells of the nearby Almudena Cathedral rang out, their sound subtly overlapping with Kwon Ji-yong's voice.
This should be the bells ringing for the evening mass.
It is said that church bells ring during weddings in Madrid, and what Kwon Ji-yong is saying now sounds like a priest's blessing to the newlyweds.
In that instant, Jiang Tinghan seemed to clearly hear his own heartbeat, which was accelerating every second.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
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Author's Note: *I hope my "self" will always be sizzling and churning, like a grain of sugar on hot coals—from "Loving You Is Like Loving Life"
I need a tutorial on how to instantly go back to the 2010s... I'm watching Ryu's spirited twenties while also watching Gintoki [please!]. Every time I see Ryu's old concerts, my biggest feeling is how incredibly regrettable it is that I didn't see them back then... especially his "mother bud" concert. Although I really felt sorry for him back then, it was so artistic. Every time I see videos of "mother bud," I'm amazed by his beauty. He's the most suitable man for red in the world...
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