Chapter 26 Come to my house, that xxxibgdrgn might...
This time, it was Jiang Tinghan's turn not to reply.
Kwon Ji-yong didn't disturb her doctor's visit and focused on driving home. He had been out for a while, spending several hours there, but he was still full of energy and spirits.
When pursuing someone, it feels like returning to your twenties; life is no longer boring and dull, but full of energy.
Kwon Ji-yong had to admit that CL was right; he really needed to get out more, even if he was freezing cold, his heart would still be warm.
Almost two hours later, after he had finished washing up and gone to bed, Jiang Tinghan sent a new message.
It is a recording that is four minutes long.
When Kwon Ji-yong saw the length, he could roughly guess what it was about. He clicked in and listened, and sure enough, it was Jiang Tinghan singing "e back to me".
Singing a cappella, her voice was clean, crisp, and soft, like a nightingale, and it even seemed to have some reverberation. Kwon Ji-yong noticed that she imitated the singer's pronunciation and enunciation. Utada Hikaru was an American returnee, so she also added some American pronunciation.
Occasionally, at the end of a lyric, she would let out a faint breath, which didn't sound out of place or abrupt, but rather made it more real. She also lowered the pitch, so it wasn't so strained, and it sounded as natural and gentle as a laugh.
She hummed the opening piano piece, making Kwon Ji-yong's lips curl into a smile.
He pondered for a moment and replied: "[Singing in the bathroom? The artificial reverb is very good (thumbs up) (thumbs up)]"
A few seconds later, the other party sent a message.
[Senior, if I see a headline tomorrow about my weird hospital bathroom singing addiction, that's your fault.]
Kwon Ji-yong: [What's wrong with that? It's not surprising. Everyone will think you're cute, just like I do.]
Jiang Tinghan was caught off guard by a direct question and immediately flipped his phone screen over to cover it. He only turned it back on two seconds later.
[Senior, are your eyes really okay? No one has ever told me I'm cute except my parents.]
Kwon Ji-yong continued to praise: "That's because those people have no taste. It's thanks to your parents' appreciation that you were able to raise a Coldy."
Jiang Tinghan replied coldly: "Too much praise just seems a bit greasy."
Kwon Ji-yong replied with a very funny message: 【What! Am I already at the age of being a greasy old man?! Is this a bug (dizzy) (dizzy)】
Jiang Tinghan pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, and typed: 【No, that's not true. Even if you're an older man, you're still handsome, senior.】
Kwon Ji-yong: [Seeing the nickname "Agassi" doesn't make me happy...]
Jiang Tinghan: [Senior, have some of your homemade lemon and honey water to help you recover.]
Kwon Ji-yong: [I don't usually drink this. I drink black bean water, which is good for nourishing hair.]
Jiang Tinghan: [The senior said he doesn't like being an assassin, but the topic of health preservation has a very assassin-like feel to it.]
Kwon Ji-yong seemed to be able to discern a hint of retaliation in Jiang Tinghan's message, and immediately chuckled.
Aren't all the popular "Agassi" (male or female assassin) online these days some kind of ghost or killer? They look cool, but I'm nowhere near that level.
Jiang Tinghan: [Indeed, Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook are both very handsome. Every weekend when I went home for vacation in high school, the first thing I did was catch up on the latest episodes of "Goblin".]
The topics of their conversation didn't seem like those of two people flirting at all; they unknowingly became best friends.
Kwon Ji-yong's smile vanished as he looked at the names of these two universally acknowledged handsome older men, and he stopped grinning.
He thought with a touch of bitterness, "Actually, he's not so bad!"
It's also worth mentioning "high school". "Goblin" was released in 2016 when he was 28 years old. At that time, he was at the peak of his career, which was the huge success of his album "Made". Jiang Tinghan was in high school... and it's very likely that he was only in his first year of high school.
As Kwon Ji-yong calculated, a faint sense of guilt rose in his heart.
This kid did it on purpose, he's so naughty.
He casually changed the subject, pretending nothing was wrong: "How were the test results? Are you still running a fever?"
As Jiang Tinghan looked at these lines of text, a slight smile appeared on his usually indifferent face.
[Yes, I'm getting an IV drip [image]]
I'll be staying in the hospital tonight for observation.
Kwon Ji-yong: [Get well soon. Are you filming tomorrow?]
Jiang Tinghan: [Yes, we need to announce the elimination list and select songs and form teams tomorrow. We can rest for two days starting the day after tomorrow.]
Kwon Ji-yong sent a lone "OK", and it's unclear what he was planning.
Is someone with you while you get your IV drip? Do you need me to come with you? Can I make a phone call or something?
Jiang Tinghan was taken aback. Kong Yanshu had insisted on staying with her at the hospital, but Jiang Tinghan had easily persuaded her to stay away with just a few words. Jin Ruixi was the same; she was indeed the only one in the ward now.
She thought for a moment, then replied, "No need, it'll be finished in an hour."
The next second, the caller ID appeared at the top of the screen.
Jiang Tinghan tapped the top of the screen twice with his fingertip before pressing the answer button: "Hello?"
Kwon Ji-yong's voice came from the other end of the phone. It was late at night, and he was feeling sleepy. His voice also had a slightly sticky quality: "Let's chat for an hour first."
Jiang Tinghan: "Senior, I said it's not necessary..."
Kwon Ji-yong interrupted her: "But your reply speed is slower than before, which means you are also hesitant, isn't it?"
"There's no need to hide your true thoughts so deeply. I've said it before, anything from A to Z, just call me what you want to say, babe."
Whatever you want, I will give it to you.
Although it was a song lyric, he took the opportunity to call her "babe." Jiang Tinghan thought to herself that Kwon Ji-yong was really good at dating, but how come he's single now? He's good at dating but not at managing relationships, isn't he?
"Senior, have you gotten home yet?" she asked in a low voice.
"I'm already in bed, what do you say?" Kwon Ji-yong's voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement.
Jiang Tinghan said slowly, "Oh...that's good."
Kwon Ji-yong: "What else do you want to know? To my left is Zoa, to my right is Pillow, and Iye has gone back to her own bed to sleep."
A meowing sound seemed to come from the other end of the phone, and the man's voice still carried a thick laugh: "I woke Zoa up, and she's trying to scratch me. This kid's temper is so unpredictable, what should I do?"
His words seemed to have a hidden meaning; he was ostensibly referring to Zoa, but it's unclear who he was actually talking about.
Jiang Tinghan lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the snow-white quilt: "That's because you did something it didn't like, senior, so it will definitely retaliate against you."
"Ah... really?" Kwon Ji-yong's tone was somewhat meaningful: "So what does it like? Cat treats, cat beds, catnip, cat toys, cat trees... I've prepared everything for it, but it hasn't treated me any differently."
"..." Jiang Tinghan confidently retorted, "I don't know!"
Kwon Ji-yong seemed to have a headache: "They're really hard to please."
Jiang Tinghan feigned concern and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. It was your own choice, Senior, wasn't it?"
If she were that easy to pursue, she wouldn't have been single her whole life.
Zoa, who was still asleep after being petted, muttered: "zzzzZZZ—"
Kwon Ji-yong: "Speaking of which, this seems to be the first time we've talked on the phone. I called you twice before, and you hung up once, and I hung up once. This is the first time we've had a proper chat like this."
Jiang Tinghan recalled for a moment and realized it was true: "Yes."
Kwon Ji-yong remarked with some emotion, "Under these circumstances, meeting in person and making phone calls have become very precious things."
Jiang Tinghan thought to herself that since participating in the program, she had only made one phone call each to her parents and her father to explain her current situation.
I made one ongoing phone call with Kwon Ji-yong and two calls that ended abruptly, so when you add it all up, Kwon Ji-yong actually made the most calls.
Jiang Tinghan: "Actually, it's already a good deal. At least SW doesn't confiscate cell phones. I used to attend boarding junior high and high school, so I couldn't send messages or make phone calls, let alone meet with friends outside."
Kwon Ji-yong has calmed down. He doesn't like 16-year-old girls. He chatted casually in a friendly tone, saying, "I was a trainee in middle and high school. Back then, we used keypad phones. Phone bills were expensive, and I couldn't bear to call my family."
Looking back on twenty years ago, Kwon Ji-yong was also in a daze, realizing that he had been on the idol path for so long in the blink of an eye.
The flood of insights ultimately culminated in a casual summary: "Looking at it this way, the changes from the 1990s to the 2000s were nowhere near as significant as those from the 2000s to the 2010s."
"You started training as a trainee when you were very young." This was a statement, and Jiang Tinghan had already researched it online.
She expressed her admiration, saying, "You've really worked hard."
Kwon Ji-yong paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Actually, it's not so bad. There are quite a few people who work as hard as I do, but not many can achieve what I have."
Jiang Tinghan said in a serious tone, "Senior, that's not how it's calculated. Your achievements are not due to hard work, but to your unique talent. Your hard work is also unique. Therefore, what you have lost, what you have missed, what you have endured, and how long you have been tormented are all pains that cannot be shared with others."
"You should think, there are so many people in the world who have a smooth ride to the top, why can't there be one more like you? Instead of wasting your own time, you should blame others."
Kwon Ji-yong opened his mouth. This was the first time someone had ever spoken to him like this. It sounded reasonable, but the last sentence seemed like a fallacy. After listening to the whole thing, his heart softened, as if he had been touched.
"Then who should I blame for not being able to win her over for so long?" His tone suddenly became resentful, with a hint of accusation.
In some ways, Kwon Ji-yong and Jiang Tinghan are quite similar. When the deepest corner of their hearts is touched, they hide all their emotions and curl up like a hedgehog.
He continued jokingly, "I'm working really hard right now, spending every day thinking about what I can do to win the heart of a girl surnamed Jiang."
Jiang Tinghan: "..."
"Senior, that's not how you apply the principle of 'drawing inferences from one instance'!"
She didn't need to offer any advice to this person!
Kwon Ji-yong's clear laughter came from the other end of the phone again, sounding somewhat sly.
"Girl, would you like to come to my house the day after tomorrow?"
This blunt invitation startled Jiang Tinghan.
Her expression turned wary. Many men start by talking a lot about romance and poetry, then turn out to be lowbrow when they can't keep up the act.
She felt that Kwon Ji-yong shouldn't be that kind of person, and asked again, as if wanting to confirm, "Huh?"
"Don't worry, that's not what I meant." Kwon Ji-yong seemed to realize his offense and explained, "I have many apartments, some of which are just studios and not very private areas."
"You asked me to find something to do, so I wrote a song. I can't share my pain, but a song can, right?" He can even connect the dots, so he must be quite good at Chinese.
The phrase "many houses" replayed in Jiang Tinghan's mind several times, making her feel a sense of resentment towards the rich. Buying a house was her lifelong pursuit!
She plans to buy one for herself, one for her parents, and one for her father, but she hasn't even saved up the down payment for the first one yet.
Those evil rich people!
However, the gift Kwon Ji-yong gave her today was enough for a down payment on a house.
GD is a rich man who is not evil.
"Senior, let's make this clear first. If anything unexpected happens and the song is leaked later, please don't doubt me. The problem definitely won't be with me." Listening to GD's unreleased new song is different from his previous cover of "Polaris"; it involves many vested interests, so Jiang Tinghan is extremely cautious.
Kwon Ji-yong couldn't help but laugh again. Ting Han's awareness of risk avoidance was really strong, much stronger than his own at twenty years old.
"No, you can have this song if you want."
Jiang Tinghan solemnly refused: "This song is too precious. I haven't grown to the point where I can accept it. Besides, this song was written by the senior himself, and I may not be able to sing it to express your feelings."
She hadn't even decided on the song she wanted to write for Kwon Ji-yong yet, so how could she accept his song in return? Friendships should be mutually beneficial; accepting so much stuff was like treating him like a giant blood bank. Kwon Ji-yong might be willing to do it, but she wasn't.
"Alright, alright." Kwon Ji-yong had more or less guessed that Jiang Tinghan would refuse. "But you should still prioritize your health. If you're not better by the day after tomorrow, don't come."
Jiang Tinghan's voice became somewhat helpless and languid, as if he was getting annoyed by what he was being said: "I know, GD Dad—"
"Hey hey hey!" Before Kwon Ji-yong could even retort, Jiang Tinghan hung up the phone.
Kwon Ji-yong glanced at the screen displaying the end of the call, then stared at Zoa, who had finally been woken up.
"Yi Ge Mo Ya...who wants to be a father!"
Zoa: "Meow?"
*
After receiving an IV drip and taking a nap, Jiang Tinghan woke up with a fever that had subsided, though she still had a slight cough.
She went back to her dormitory with the staff sent by the production team. On the way, she heard them say that today's activity was a team building activity. The production team had purchased a lot of ingredients, and everyone could choose their favorite ingredients to cook dishes from their hometown.
Jiang Tinghan's eyes lit up. Couldn't that mean it could be hot pot again?
Back in the dorm, her three roommates were already staring longingly at the hot pot base she had placed in a hidden compartment of the cabinet, their desire obvious.
Anri Tsukichi said through gritted teeth, "No! Han-chan's illness hasn't healed yet! How can she eat such spicy food!"
Putuo Qian couldn't hide her regret either: "Yes, let's eat something lighter!"
Kim Seo-hee was also making "uh-huh" sounds beside her, but she clearly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Jiang Tinghan smiled and said, "I'll cook for you, but I can make something else myself, okay?"
Anri Tsukichi said, "That's too much trouble!" but her foot unconsciously took a step towards the hot pot broth.
Putuo Qian: "Then let me make you Indian ginger tea and spiced milk tea, both of which can reduce inflammation and treat colds."
Jin Ruixi quietly raised her hand: "I want to make tofu soup."
"Okay, okay."
The four people happened to come from four different countries, each with its own traditional food.
Jiang Tinghan asked Kong Yanshu to help out. The young lady couldn't cook, but she was good at washing pots and pans and handing out utensils.
She didn't even dare let Kong Yanshu wash or chop the vegetables; it was too wasteful. The potatoes were peeled down to the core, and the bok choy was about to be pulled up completely.
She first soaked and boiled the hot pot base, then added some vegetables that could withstand long cooking times. After that, she started kneading the dough, found a large iron pot, and began making her specialty, braised goose in an iron pot, along with juicy and fragrant cornbread.
The intense aroma wafted continuously, and every contestant frequently looked up at Jiang Tinghan, their mouths watering.
"It smells so good... What are you making..."
"Chinese food! I'll trade my curry with Coldy!"
"Coldy is such a good cook, is there anything she can't do...?"
Jiang Tinghan became the center of attention again. When the hot pot and goose were ready to eat, everyone swarmed over like locusts. Some were hesitant to try the hot pot, but seeing how much others enjoyed it, they couldn't resist giving it a try. The flatbread was a favorite for many.
Many European and American contestants didn't know how to use chopsticks, which led to quite a few funny incidents. The entire activity room was filled with delicious aromas and laughter.
Jiang Tinghan even helped Lin Zhixia make some hand-pulled pancakes and bubble tea, earning him the title of "Master Chef Tinghan" from Lin Zhixia.
Jiang Tinghan was amused: "It sounds like the food I make will glow."
She suddenly thought of what other gift she could prepare for Kwon Ji-yong: she could buy some ingredients and cook him a meal tomorrow.
Lin Zhixia pointed at the contestants around her with her chopsticks: "They're glowing! The light is in their eyes."
The contestants walked around eating, tears streaming down their faces again and again.
After they had almost finished eating, the executive PD went on stage to announce the elimination list.
The laughter stopped abruptly; happy times are always fleeting, and then it was time to say goodbye.
Lin Zhixia, who was next to Jiang Tinghan, quickly looked at the screen. She looked from the back to the front and found that her name was number 29.
"She stayed..." Lin Zhixia herself found it unbelievable, and looking at Jiang Tinghan, her eyes welled up with tears in an instant.
Jiang Tinghan quietly pulled her chair further away and calmly took a bite of her biscuit: "Don't smear your snot on me, it's a bit disgusting."
Lin Zhixia was quite furious this time, but she was still very moved: "Coldy, you must be an angel sent by heaven to save me!"
Jiang Tinghan: "...If you keep saying that, I really won't be able to eat. Thank you."
Another harbinger of good news has arrived on the right! Kong Yanshu is ranked 15th! This is a qualitative leap!
"Haha, I definitely have to take a picture of this and show it off to my parents!"
“They’ll be very happy,” Jiang Tinghan replied casually, looking calmly at the screen.
Lena, ranked 23rd, also made it to the top. Song Yamin ranked 9th, Kim Seo-hee ranked 8th, Bae Soo-min ranked 7th, Audrey ranked 6th, Wolchi Anri ranked 5th, Putuo Qian ranked 4th, Sikai ranked 3rd, and Yoon Ji-chae ranked 2nd.
Jiang Tinghan is once again in first place by a wide margin, with fans casting nearly five million votes for her in just one day.
The remaining twenty eliminated contestants combined might not even have five million votes.
This popularity is truly terrifying.
The PD continued to announce: "For this third public performance, we will adopt a free team formation mode, which will be divided into six groups of five people each. However, the top ten contestants in a group can only have a maximum of two people."
"The top six contestants will have an additional individual stage to compete in head-to-head battles. They will still be free to choose their opponents. Now we can begin our discussion."
The moment the PD finished speaking, Jiang Tinghan became the focus of attention for the other nine top ten contestants.
Putuo Qian sent an invitation directly: "Honey, want to team up?"
Anri Tsukichi followed closely behind: "Kan-chan, we've never been in the same group before. How about we team up this time?"
Audrey, recalling Jiang Tinghan's abilities from yesterday, was also somewhat intrigued: "I think we can create a novel stage."
Yin Zhicai walked up to Jiang Tinghan and stared straight into her eyes: "With me."
Jiang Tinghan raised an eyebrow: "Do you want to cooperate with me, or challenge me?"
Yin Zhicai coldly replied, "Both of them."
Jiang Tinghan: "That's too greedy."
Sika doesn't understand Korean very well, but the enthusiastic Kong Yeon-seo helps translate (and stirs things up). After listening, she immediately says, "No way, Coldy, come and challenge me! I feel like my potential will be unleashed more if I challenge you!"
Jiang Tinghan also said, "I don't want to see the same person too many times, it'll be boring. Yin Zhicai, let's choose one."
"Cooperation or competition?" Her tone and eyes were indifferent, as if she didn't care about Yoon Ji-chae.
Yin Zhicai clenched her fist silently and said in a deep voice, "PK."
Jiang Tinghan readily agreed: "Okay."
Sika stroked her chin and thought for a moment, her gaze sweeping between Yin Zhicai and Jiang Tinghan: "Hey, girl, how about we collaborate?"
Feeling the gazes coming from all directions, Jiang Tinghan rested his chin on his hand and said, "Why don't you draw lots?"
The plan was unanimously agreed upon by the other eight people.
Ska looked at her stick, which was noticeably shorter than the others', and smiled brightly: "Looks like I'm luckier after all."
The contestants were immediately a little excited. The first and third players were teaming up, and the first and second players were going up against each other. This third round was sure to be very exciting!
The other three teammates are Kong Yeon-seo, Lim Sunita (who was ranked 6th in the initial stage, just behind Anri Wolchi), and is of Thai and Singaporean descent.
Another contestant is Kagiso, a South African-Brazilian mixed-race contestant who ranked 18th in popularity this time. She is a very beautiful black woman and the only black woman who has survived to this day.
With Black, White, and Asian people in the team, I wonder what kind of fresh stage they can create.
Jiang Tinghan joked, "If they have 'We Are the World' later, let's choose it."
Kajiso also laughed and said, "It just so happens that my name means peace."
Skye: "Well, we seem to have different ideas. I want to choose a song that's a bit more powerful."
Jiang Tinghan: "Rock and roll?"
Skye excitedly gave her a high five: "Yeah! Let's make a band out of the five of us! We'll just get the audience hyped up!"
*
“So we chose ‘Yellow’,” Jiang Tinghan said to Quan Zhilong.
Kwon Ji-yong twirled his pen: "Coldplay?"
Jiang Tinghan: "Mm."
Kwon Ji-yong: "This classic is not easy to adapt. Singing it exactly as it was will definitely not be as good as the original. Do you play the piano?"
Jiang Tinghan: "No, my teammate is a grade 10 pianist, and I play electric guitar."
Kwon Ji-yong smirked: "You always like to challenge yourself. After you leave this show, you'll become an all-rounder."
"What about the solo stage? You'll be competing against the second-best player, who's also very strong, right?"
Jiang Tinghan: "I want to..."
Her bright, clear eyes stared intently at Kwon Ji-yong, and you could almost see a hint of excitement in them: "Try bringing my original composition to the stage!"
Kwon Ji-yong: "Do you need any help?"
Jiang Tinghan: "No need."
Kwon Ji-yong: "Fine."
"When will you be able to rely on me more?"
Jiang Tinghan stood up: "Senior, you should save your chivalry for your family. The lessons you've taught me have already been a great help to me."
"Also, may I use the kitchen?"
Kwon Ji-yong said lazily, "Whatever, you can use everything here, including me."
"Senior, if you keep saying these things..."
"So what?"
Jiang Tinghan held up her phone, and the screen showed Kwon Ji-yong's Instagram account page. What should have been the blue "following" status was now "following".
She said in a threatening tone, "Then I'll just have to unfollow you—"
Kwon Ji-yong: "!!!"
He jumped up instantly, then pretended to be calm: "When did you follow this account? Was it a major account?"
Jiang Tinghan turned off his phone, crossed his arms, and asked in return, "Do you think that's possible?"
Kwon Ji-yong said in a smooth voice, "I also have an alt account, let's follow each other on our alt accounts."
Jiang Tinghan: "My alternate account has nothing on it, so there's no point in following each other."
Kwon Ji-yong's eyebrows curved slightly, his eyes sparkled, and a smile played on his lips.
"Well—xxxibgdrgn might have accidentally slipped up."
When it comes to threats, the old fox is indeed more cunning.
-----------------------
Author's note: I adjusted my sleep schedule, so I'm late [poor me]. Sleeping at 5 pm and waking up at midnight is still too much.
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