Chapter 75 MAMA (Part 1) (Bonus Chapter 21,000) Best...
Jiang Tinghan was somewhat shocked, finally having the real feeling that a man was willing to spend tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan on her at once.
The previous gifts, all added up to several million or even tens of millions, felt very different this time; it felt both very rich and very loving.
More than buying a house, Jiang Tinghan cares about one thing.
Oppa, can I check your bank card balance?
She really wanted to know how much money Kwon Ji-yong had.
Kwon Ji-yong didn't mind his girlfriend's curiosity; on the contrary, he could finally openly flaunt his wealth. (Although he had already subtly flaunted his riches many times before.)
I have too many KKK cards, I haven't even calculated how much money I actually have. Can I see one of them?
Jiang Tinghan regretted it again: [Forget it, what if my phone gets hacked and there's a risk of data leak? I'll just keep it to myself.]
Kwon Ji-yong laughed again: [If we were really attacked, there would probably be a more serious problem than a screenshot of the bank balance.]
For example, the photos they take of each other, or intimate photos of them snuggling together.
Jiang Tinghan: [That will be the time to test the capabilities of WK1's PR team.]
Kwon Ji-yong: [(Laughing and crying) (Laughing and crying)]
Choosing a house still requires an in-person selection process. Jiang Tinghan was too busy at the end of November, so she scheduled it for December.
The news of Kwon Ji-yong signing with WK1 has not yet been officially announced, but Kong Yeon-seo, the all-knowing and all-powerful person, somehow heard that Kwon Ji-yong was in WK1, so she urgently convened the Nth annual girls' dormitory chat conference to ask Jiang Tinghan:
"Coldy, what brings your boyfriend to WK1? Is he coming to see you so openly?"
Bae Soo-min murmured, "How sweet."
It was impossible to tell whether it was a sigh or a veiled criticism.
Jiang Tinghan: "..."
"No, he's here to discuss some cooperation matters."
She phrased it rather vaguely, and the girls only thought it was about a collaboration between the two, without giving it much thought.
The story of her relationship being exposed dates back to a night long ago.
It was actually one evening in early November when Jiang Tinghan went to the door to pick up a package and casually placed his phone on the sofa. In those few dozen seconds, Kong Yanshu happened to be sitting on the sofa and accidentally caught a glimpse of a message from kkt on the lit screen.
The note is just a lonely "1", which looks perfectly normal, but the messages sent by this "1" start with "baby" plus a kiss emoji.
Anyone would have doubts!
Kong Yanshu was shocked. Who was this "1"? Was it the number one brother or the number one sister? What the hell? How could someone talk to Coldy like that? Who was this person?
Who gave you permission to kiss Coldy? Take back the emoji!
Do Not Disturb is often very useful, but Jiang Tinghan doesn't actually live on KKT, so in order to reply to Kwon Ji-yong's messages in time, he has to let him out to run around.
An unemployed person might message you at any time of day. Most of the time it's fine to see the message and reply, but intermittently they might get upset if you reply too late, just like a neurotic cat.
However, cat owners sometimes find their cats annoying, but they also feel anxious when their cats are out of sight. Besides easily revealing this problem, Jiang Tinghan also quite likes to read the messages that Quan Zhilong sends her.
As the saying goes, "When you walk by the river, you're bound to get your shoes wet," and this day eventually came.
Soon, Jiang Tinghan returned with a package, which probably contained some gifts from G-Dragon. He would send her a little something every few days, even if it wasn't an anniversary or a holiday, and sooner or later it would fill the whole room.
Unpacking packages is a pretty happy thing. She had a slight expectation for what was inside, hoping it wouldn't be jewelry again, otherwise she would have so much jewelry that she could wear it from head to toe.
Kwon Ji-yong's name, with the character "Dragon," is truly fitting. No wonder he loves sparkly jewelry so much—it's in a dragon's nature! And he buys it without batting an eye, his motto being, "I'm rich, I'll take it all!"
She grabbed her phone, which was off, and walked towards her room. Kong Yanshu hesitated for a moment, her lips moving slightly, but she didn't say a word.
She tried to keep it to herself for several days, but one day she couldn't help but whisper to Jiang Tinghan, "I didn't see it on purpose, but that 1... I don't know either, but if it's a boy, be careful not to let the company find out."
Jiang Tinghan then realized that Kong Yanshu had seen it, but he wasn't too surprised: "It's okay, the company knows."
"The company knows..." Kong Yanshu didn't react for a moment, then her eyes widened suddenly, "So it really is—a male relative?!"
She quickly reached out and grabbed Jiang Tinghan by the neck, shaking him violently, still using her last bit of rationality to keep her voice down: "The company knows, how could I not know?"
"Does this mean that Putuo Qian knows, Yin Zhicai knows, and Ruixi knows, but I'm the only one who doesn't know?"
Jiang Tinghan blinked: "Hmm... Grape should have guessed that there is such a person, but she doesn't know who it is. I guess the others don't know either."
Kong Yanshu became excited again: "Then tell me who it is, I'll be the first one in Lumera to know."
Jiang Tinghan remained vigilant: "If I tell you, it's the same as the whole team knowing, right?"
Kong Yeon-seo: "What does it matter? It's good that everyone knows. Why can't we know what the company knows? We're clearly closer than you, right? And of course we have to keep an eye on things for you!"
Kong Yeon-seo is different from Kwon Ji-yong. Even if Kwon Ji-yong keeps harassing her, he can only send messages and make phone calls. But Kong Yeon-seo can buzz around Jiang Tinghan like a bee. Jiang Tinghan couldn't take it anymore and said, "Get lost, you chicken!"
Korean pronunciation has four syllables that are very clear, and there is no possibility of mishearing them, unless there is another person in the world named G-Dragon.
Kong Yeon-seo dismissed all of Coldy's rumors as false, never expecting that one of them was actually true.
She was immediately shocked and even said in disbelief, "Coldy, you've changed! You used to say you weren't interested in G-Dragon!"
Surprisingly, the person who said those things back then ended up dating that senior who wasn't interested in him.
And this age difference...
Kong Yeon-seo's respectful senior image seems to have been somewhat shattered, but thinking about it carefully, Coldy is indeed very similar to GD, and they would be a good match if they were together.
Jiang Tinghan was a little embarrassed when she heard this, but she tried to remain calm: "People's thoughts change, and things are different now than before."
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the whole team found out, and they held a public interrogation of Jiang Tinghan.
Putuo Qian sighed, "I didn't expect the teacher you mentioned to be GD... So, Fox is him too?"
Jiang Tinghan pursed her lips somewhat awkwardly and nodded.
Pei Xiuwen looked at Jiang Tinghan in surprise, then at Putuo Qian: "How do you know that the teacher is definitely GD? Did you already know that Fox was Coldy's boyfriend?"
Putuo Qian: "I guessed it. During the talent show, Coldy would go out to date this teacher after each performance."
Jiang Tinghan tried to correct him: "It should be 'study'."
Bae Soo-min: "???"
Yoon Ji-chae calmly voiced what was on her mind: "It started so early?"
Jiang Tinghan: "It's alright... I guess..."
She watched as Kim Seo-hee remained silent, her pupils constricting whenever she saw her, and she hesitated to speak. Her own tone became increasingly hesitant.
She also remembered that there was a big fan of G-Dragon here.
Kim Seo-hee was still reeling from the shock of "my real sister-in-law is right next to me." She genuinely thought GD and Coldy were just close senior and junior colleagues. G-Dragon was someone she had hugged when she was little, yet he was dating the leader who was about the same age as her, creating a very shocking sense of disconnect.
Won't this kind of relationship lead to a generation gap?
Yoon Ji-chae, this twisted and toxic fan of Coldy, has already spoken rudely to her real brother-in-law: "He's using the guise of teaching you how to write songs to get close to you, but he's probably just plotting something against you. Men this age are the most cunning; be careful not to get played without even realizing it."
Bae Soo-min expressed her strong agreement, unusually joining forces with Yoon Ji-chae: "She makes a good point. Coldy, you need to be careful and not be fooled by men."
Anri Tsukichi also said seriously, "Kan-chan, you must take good care of yourself."
Kong Yanshu said with a resentful expression, "It's too late to say that. We were already secretly talking during the audition. Now I've been completely fooled."
They've been having an affair for a whole year! They've been living under their noses for a whole year!
But I've never heard Coldy say anything about "GD's private life" before. My goodness, their leader can really keep their relationship secret for so long without ever showing it off, except for supporting GD in a live stream a few days ago. But there's a reason for that; as GD's girlfriend, Coldy couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
She never complains about her boyfriend when they're in a relationship? Is G-Dragon really such a good man? Or is their leader a ninja? No, wait, if it's Coldy, he probably wouldn't compromise himself, right?
That leaves only the possibility that GD truly makes Coldy impeccable... Kong Yeon-seo, who had a stereotypical impression of G-Dragon as arrogant, wild, and unapproachable, was momentarily shocked and couldn't believe that G-Dragon was really a good man.
She preferred to believe that this senior had been tamed by her leader. How many people in "SW" used to be hostile to Coldy? She was one of them, Bae Soo-min was one of them, Yoon Ji-chae was one of them, and in the end they all became Coldy's loyal followers. So it wouldn't be so surprising to have another GD.
Sika was much more open-minded in comparison: "GD is not bad, at least he didn't find a man who needs your financial support. It's good that he looked up to someone."
She patted Jiang Tinghan on the shoulder: "I support you!"
Bae Soo-min said helplessly, "What support? We're idols."
Skye paused for a moment: "Oh right, the fans here seem to care a lot about that, but I think..."
Her expression was resolute: "Coldy will do anything!"
Because it's God!
I support all of Coldy's decisions.
Anri Tsukichi belatedly realized, "Oh my god, GDxi even invited you, Xiaohan-chan, to collaborate on a song? That's too bold!"
Yoon Ji-chae scoffed, "Once you're in a relationship, it's impossible not to show affection in public."
Jiang Tinghan felt as if an arrow had been silently pierced his heart, but Yin Zhicai was right.
Bae Soo-min also began to reflect: "No wonder you're so steadfast in supporting someone, Coldy..."
She had never experienced such steadfastness.
It turns out that everything was traceable!
Jiang Tinghan comforted her, "Sumin, if anything happens to you, I will firmly support you."
Bae Soo-min shuddered: "It's better if nothing happens."
Kim Seo-hee finally snapped out of her daze, digging out a detail from her memories of a year ago: "So... that lemon tea from two hours ago?"
She remembered that Coldy seemed to have gone to find Coldy's friend with Lin Zhixia.
Besides Jiang Tinghan, Bae Soo-min, the only other person who had been poisoned by the chicken-flavored lemonade, also remembered: "GD-xi is here too? That's really bold... but GD-senpai's cooking skills are really terrible..."
Actually, Yi Gong also came.
Jiang Tinghan's head was throbbing from listening to everyone dredging up old grievances: "Okay, okay, I know everything you're saying. I promise I won't be hurt by men, okay?"
The lemon tea was alright at the time; it was just a little sour and a little bitter, but it was also quite refreshing.
After accepting this fact, Kim Seo-hee became worried: "Coldy, what about 'Hate'..."
The real-life inspiration for the passive-aggressive nightclub guy in the music video isn't...
Although from a fan's perspective, she felt that Kwon Ji-yong was quite loyal in love, she also knew that Kwon Ji-yong liked push-pull tactics. He had mentioned on a variety show that he would deliberately reply to messages a little later. If push-pull tactics were to evolve further, wouldn't it turn into passive-aggressive behavior? It felt like there was a risk of driving his partner crazy!
No, if we really treat her dear captain like that, she'll stop being a fan.
“Stop! Stop fantasizing,” Jiang Tinghan felt that Kwon Ji-yong was becoming an unforgivable sinner in the mouths of her good teammates. “This song has nothing to do with him. He’s very good to me.”
Upon hearing this forbidden phrase, Putuo Qian was startled and said solemnly, "Hey, Coldy... sometimes a man being nice to you doesn't necessarily mean he's nice; it might just be your perception of him."
Jiang Tinghan couldn't very well recount their past relationship in detail, so he resorted to a perfunctory approach, feigning sincerity with an expression: "Mm."
Pretending was useless; his teammates saw through him immediately. But Coldy has always been a very opinionated person, and their attempts to persuade him were futile.
She could only look at Jiang Tinghan with the hopeless, love-struck gaze.
Jiang Tinghan: "..."
This is true; you don't understand how good he is.
No, you can understand that, right? Kwon Ji-yong, under the guise of Fox, has produced quite a few songs for her.
Also—she's really not a love-obsessed person.
No, it really isn't.
*
"We're going to MAMA 2023!"
Back on the day of the MAMA awards ceremony, Lumera was invited to attend. Their performance was at the back of the room, while everyone in front was watching the awards ceremony and performances.
Lumera was dressed to the nines today, especially Jiang Tinghan, whose jewelry was so dazzling it seemed to blind people, but even such elaborate jewelry was overshadowed by her aura.
Her outfit was sponsored by the well-known French fashion brand Andrew Gn. The dark blue lace shirt had sleeves that looked like two fluffy clouds. The shirt was tucked into high-waisted black trousers, making her proportions look even better. At first glance, it seemed like her legs started right below her neck. The black ribbons at the chest added a touch of delicate sexiness, and a diamond choker necklace adorned her long neck.
This outfit exudes both sophistication and maturity, while also revealing a touch of refinement and liveliness. Paired with his face, he shines on the red carpet, captivating everyone who sees Coldy.
Offline, you can feel Lumera's popularity more directly. The media were already very enthusiastic when walking the red carpet, and when they sat down in the guest seats, the fans behind them cheered loudly.
"Ahhh—Lumera is here!"
"Coldy!!!"
"Waaaaah, Coldy looks even better in person than on camera! Her divine beauty is truly legendary."
"Zhicai, Zhicai, look at me! Grape, Grape, hi~ Anri, Auntie loves you! Coldy, I love you so much!"
Today, many fans from various groups came, and there were an unusually large number of Lumera fans. Those wearing or accessorizing in bright colors or bright ice blue were mostly Lumera or Coldy fans. Many people were also holding Lumera light sticks that had only been released a little over a week ago.
The top of their light sticks is shaped like a bird spreading its wings and soaring. The upper part of the bird breaks through the shell, and the shape of the broken fragments is also made out of the opening, as if the bird is struggling to emerge from a flower full of thorns, bleeding profusely. Several stars are fixed on the base inside the shell, like Christmas stars in a crystal ball, and there is also a star on the top of the bird's head.
The birds represent Lumera, and the stars represent both the starry sky and dreams they pursue, and the fans, like a cluster of stars, gather together to create a dazzling light that illuminates their path forward.
When the light sticks are lit, the stars are a warm yellow, while the birds light up in pure white when not controlled by the central light source. The light wicks also have a hint of the blue of the sky or the sea. Overall, these are colors that bring a lot of hope.
The design of this light stick isn't too complicated, but it's quite difficult to make, especially the seemingly chaotic yet orderly pieces that resemble fragments of a blooming flower. As a result, the light stick is priced quite high. However, fans still managed to buy it despite their complaints, and the first batch sold out in seconds.
WK1 made a profit again.
All eight girls participated in the design process. The concept of the bird "breaking out of its shell" was proposed by Jiang Tinghan, as was the sky blue color, which symbolizes the bird flying towards the blue sky.
She likes designs that are harmonious and beautiful, but she prefers designs that are more impactful. For example, she loves the light stick with the Epik High middle finger logo. Even people who are not Epik High fans would want to buy this light stick. Unfortunately, she can't copy other people's designs.
Seeing so many birds and stars, Jiang Tinghan was in a good mood. While watching the performance on stage, she glanced at the fans below the stage out of the corner of her eye.
Suddenly, she heard her own name.
The winner of the MAMA 2023 Best Dance Performance Female Solo Award is—
"Coldy, congratulations!"
The winner of the MAMA 2023 Best Collaboration Award is—
"Coldy & epik high! Congratulations!"
The winner of the MAMA 2023 Best Female Solo Artist award is—
"Coldy, congratulations!"
In the blink of an eye, three different guests came on stage and called out the same name. This was expected and reasonable, since Coldy had already been predicted to be number one in all categories, making the competition with her a foregone conclusion.
The music video for "Always You" appears repeatedly, with a girl as beautiful and fleeting as a night-blooming cereus singing, "It's always you!"
Jiang Tinghan hadn't even come to her senses before she went on stage for the third time to accept the Best Singer award.
"Thank you again to MAMA for this award. I feel a little tired going on stage today."
The miniature Versailles brought knowing smiles to the faces of the audience.
Jiang Tinghan became serious: "I was under a lot of pressure when producing the album 'Always you & me'. All I could think about was how to surpass our Lumera's previous album, how to surpass myself seven months ago... Actually, there is already a fairly mature model for releasing a solo album. You need a song of a certain style as the lead single, and the sub-singer should be like this. It needs to have a catchy melody and a brainwashing MV action. Only in this way can you capture the hearts of the masses."
"But isn't there a saying? 'Don't be a stone, be the edge of a blade, burn, destroy,' said a female writer named Joanna Lars. So I wanted to break away from this more convenient, rigid formula and try to convey what I wanted to express to the public through songs. That's how 'Always You,' 'Hate,' and 'Prayer' came about. Even if I'm destroyed, it doesn't matter, because I've already burned, I've already become a blade."
"I'm so glad I succeeded. This award is proof of my success," Jiang Tinghan said, raising the trophy in his hand. "People should be brave, shouldn't they?"
Finally, I'd like to say one thing.
"The winner is always me, standing strong with all of you!"
I'm always the winner, and I'll always stand firmly with all of you fans!
A sharp smile played on her lips as she glanced at the cheering fans below, her gaze sweeping over them like a goddess of victory surveying her subjects.
The golden light emanating from the trophy complemented her long, golden hair perfectly, just like the lyrics of "Always Me" say—"In the hall of awards ceremony, who is the protagonist under the spotlight?"
"Who? Always me!"
He was 22 years old that year, the prime of his life.
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Author's note: After seeing so many light sticks, I feel that the daisy light stick is the prettiest; many of them look like match-3 puzzles.
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