The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 413 Unnie, I really didn't mean to cause trouble!

"Ha... I just realized that 'Blinding Lights' is still on the Billboard charts."

After watching several music videos from Tarot's new album, Yeh Shu-hua belatedly discovered this fact through the comments section. She took a sip of her cold drink and looked at Chou Tzu-yu with a wistful expression:

"I always thought this guy had been away from the music scene for a long time, but it turns out that since he released 'Blinding Lights' last winter, the song has been at the top of the charts for more than half a year."

As she finished speaking, her bright, clear eyes were fixed on Zhou Ziyu's furrowed brows. Behind them was a railing more than ten stories high. From their seats in this Western restaurant, they could overlook the entire bustling Gangnam district.

Chou Tzu-yu picked up a straw and stirred the mint leaves in her cup. After listening to the songs from her brother's new album, the sadness in the album spread through her heart. Compared to the other English songs, the Chinese song "I Really Want to Love This World" had lyrics that were as straightforward as thunder, exploding in her heart.

Completely absorbed in Gong Cheng's loneliness during this period, she had no time to pay attention to the words of her good friend across the way.

"..." Ye Shuhua sighed, her fair skin gleaming. "This guy is really amazing. In the past two years, emo rap has made its way into the mainstream in Europe and America. This guy's album is just incredibly emo."

During the golden age of Trap music in the past two years, from 16 to 17, it maintained a strong momentum of development in Europe and America, presenting a scene of comprehensive prosperity and almost completely dominating the major music charts. From EDM Trap to Trap Rap to Trap Pop, various forms of Trap music became widely popular.

In 17, Trap music remained incredibly popular, and Tarot, with its distinctive style, made a name for itself in the Western music scene. That same year, rap officially became the number one music genre in the United States.

In the same year, emo rap also began to gain popularity...

The current "Tarot" album contains very few rap songs, but it includes various genres such as pop, electronic music, and R&B. Thinking about this, Yeh Shu-hua couldn't help but mutter a slight complaint: "I really like some of the..."

"HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY!"

"But with such a soulful voice and songs, I always feel that when this guy sings, it's like the song title, it's incredibly heartbreaking. But once you step back and look at it again, it just feels a bit strange."

Chou Tzu-yu calmed her complicated emotions, raised her eyelids to look at her, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"As for Gong Cheng, isn't he having an ambiguous relationship with our group's Mi Yeon unnie? Last time I heard you say that he's dating your TWICE's Sana unnie. Plus, you told me before about your feelings for him and his attitude towards you. Anyway, he's pretty much a jerk." Ye Shuhua leaned back in her chair with her red lips and white teeth, crossed her legs, and analyzed.

"So, it always feels a bit strange when he sings such a heartfelt song. But his musical talent and professional skills are undeniable. Most of the 11 songs in the collection are bestsellers."

Hearing her best friend's praise of her brother made Chou Tzu-yu feel a little sad, but she couldn't help feeling a little smug, yet also somewhat helpless: "My brother is great in every way, it's just that his love life is..."

She stopped there and let out a soft sigh.

Yeh Shu-hua, instead, looked at her with a gossipy expression: "How far have things progressed between you and him? Since you've kissed, you should be making it clear that you're dating."

After thinking for a moment, she continued to remind her best friend in front of her: "I'm telling you about Tzuyu seriously. Don't think I'm being materialistic. At the fashion gala a few days ago, the moment he opened his mouth, the Jimmy Choo brand was already in contact with Miyeon unnie."

"I think that Unnie and him are dating."

As she said this, Yeh Shu-hua looked troubled and conflicted, as if she didn't know which side to take. But after only a moment's hesitation, she immediately smiled and said, "However, I support you, Tzu-yu~"

It's not that the members of the group aren't close, but even though they are close, and they will all be living and working together for the next few years, the allocation of resources within the group will inevitably cause dissatisfaction.

Even though they've only been in the industry for a year, it seems that Yuqi is actually closer to Tarot's ex-girlfriend than to her. While some members outwardly congratulate her on getting resources by relying on her ex-boyfriend, everyone knows what they're saying behind her back.

Even Yeh Shu-hua herself was envious.

"I know," Chou Tzu-yu said with a troubled expression, then continued the conversation about Yeh Shu-hua, her eyes filled with frustration: "If my brother weren't such a jerk, he probably wouldn't have been able to write such a heartfelt song..."

Yeh Shu-hua glanced at her friend's striking face. There was a reason she was called the world's most beautiful woman; she single-handedly created the template for a local yoga-style beauty. She blinked and said enviously, "I hope I can be as handsome as Gong Cheng in my next life~"

"Would you like to experience what life is like for someone like him? He can't even stand our Tzuyu?"

"Hey, it's not that you look down on me~!" Chou Tzu-yu chuckled at her words, her face flushing red. "It's just that you have a lot of concerns too, you know~"

Ye Shuhua spoke in a tone of indignation on her behalf, "Concerns? What concerns could there be? It's nothing more than wanting what you don't have while eyeing what you don't have."

As she spoke, she glanced at the notification on her phone; it was the "Daily Gossip" column.

Out of curiosity, I clicked to take a look. "【Daily Gossip】is really good at piggybacking on others' fame. Gong Cheng's album just came out, and they're already making up rumors about him again~"

At this point, Yeh Shuhua was speechless.

Then I turned my attention to the new hot post in the 【Daily Gossip】 section:

"【Daily Gossip】Exclusive Scoop: Seoul's new song with eight times the emotional depth is coming, featuring an exceptionally soulful vocal style and a playful take on R&B—"HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY," a superb melody, listen to this heartbreaking anniversary together."

"?" Ye Shuhua glanced at the first column of the post and couldn't help but admire the music taste of "[Daily Gossip]". "You have good taste!" She liked the same song as him, but was also puzzled and curious: "Aren't they always spreading rumors about Gong Cheng? Why are they promoting his new song?"

"that is because……"

Chou Tzu-yu was about to explain.

Then I saw Ye Shuhua and clicked on the video posted in the thread.

The video played slowly, showing LED screens on the walls of buildings in Gangnam District, Seoul, with ambiguous orange-yellow lights playing "Heartbreak Anniversary," one of the songs from Tarot's new album.

Chou Tzu-yu and Yeh Shu-hua looked up as soon as they saw the familiar building, looking towards the bar on the top floor of the building.

The two, carrying their cold drinks, walked a few steps toward the railing. In their line of sight, they saw the neon-lit buildings of the commercial district not far away. When Tarot's new album music video was released tonight, it was projected onto various LED screens, playing songs or music videos on a loop according to the audio track list.

"Have we reached the music video for this song yet?" Ye Shuhua stared at the scrolling screen on the wall.

The song "Heartbreak Anniversary" played for a while, and Gong Cheng, dressed in a matte black shirt, black trousers, and a gold-trimmed tie, stood tall and straight on a theater stage bathed in orange light.

Wearing a black sequined leather glove, one hand gripping a microphone, the other holding a glass full of champagne, she gently swayed her sexually alluring body, humming:

"Just like the day I met you~"

"I thought that day would last forever."

Following the sound of Gong Cheng's song playing on the LED screen, Ye Shuhua swayed in her white dress on the wooden floor of the terrace, her high heels clicking. "This guy's voice, just listening to it makes me feel slightly tipsy~"

The languid rhythm, coupled with Gong Cheng's unique voice, flowed smoothly through the Seoul night.

You said you loved me, but your love was fleeting.

"It's freezing cold outside, just like when you left my life."

Inside the LED screen, Gong Cheng's smooth shoulder and waist lines were accentuated by a slight tug on his tie, exuding a sharp yet somewhat ascetic air. Behind him was a blurred retro curtain, and the entire space was bathed in warm orange light, making it even more ambiguous.

Why did you leave my life?

"~~~"

While listening to music, Yeh Shu-hua leaned on the railing and continued scanning the posts in the "Daily Gossip" section.

"How were such moving melodies and heartfelt vocals created? Here, we must mention—the nickname 'Eight Times More Affectionate in Seoul' refers to the octopus on Tarot's album cover, who simultaneously dated eight girlfriends… His rich romantic experiences have been transformed into…"

"Oh my god, I thought [Daily Gossip] was doing a rare favor by promoting Gong Cheng's new album, but I didn't expect it to end up just bashing him." Ye Shuhua chuckled and took a sip of her cold drink, then leaned against the railing and looked at Zhou Ziyu.

The night breeze slightly ruffled Chou Tzu-yu's long, straight black hair. She wore a white off-the-shoulder short-sleeved T-shirt paired with a denim pencil skirt, revealing her shapely, long legs. She glanced at the posts on Yeh Shu-hua's phone and smiled playfully.

Is it possible that the boss behind 【Daily Gossip】is the older brother?

Before Maze Entertainment was created, she forced her good brother to give her a bank card. As far as she knew, some other unnies also wanted to tie themselves to Gong Cheng in this way. So, the money of several people was pooled into a small group of shares in Maze Entertainment.

As one of the shareholders, Chou Tzu-yu also learned from her good brother that after Maze Entertainment was founded, [Daily Gossip] was acquired by him.

"Are you kidding me? Almost 80% of his scandals are from [Daily Gossip]," Yeh Shu-hua said, pursing her lips in disbelief. But as she looked at Chou Tzu-yu's serious, smiling expression, her eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"Really?" Chou Tzu-yu squinted her eyes and nodded with a grin.

Ye Shuhua opened her mouth, then seemed to understand something and immediately said, "Then you can't believe it even more. If Brother Gong Cheng really had eight girlfriends, would [Daily Gossip] dare to expose it? It can only mean they're doing the opposite..."

As she said this, she stared intently at Chou Tzu-yu, trying to glean something from her face. Logically, given that Tzu-yu and that guy had known each other longer and had more contact, had she dated eight girlfriends?
Tzuyu should know at least a little bit, right?

"Eight?" Chou Tzu-yu took a sip of orange juice, met Yeh Shu-hua's eyes, her gaze darting away for a moment, and said in a soft, sweet voice that left Yeh Shu-hua puzzled: "If only there were eight, that would be nice~"

Beneath her playful tone lay a deep sadness.

When Chou Tzu-yu first heard that her good brother was dating eight women at the same time, she felt that she should be the one who was "suffocating" like the lyrics of the song "Love Is Gone," but she gradually realized later.

Whether it's eight times the affection in Seoul or an octopus, perhaps these aren't the limits of what my brother can achieve...

……

At the same time, major entertainment forums were instantly ignited by Tarot's new album "Judgement".

"Holy crap, it seems like my brother has had a lot of relationships in the last two years?"

"I feel like they couldn't have written such an emo song without mentioning one of their female relatives..."

How would you rate this album?

"From the opening of 'Love Is Gone' to various songs, it unveils the triple transformation of this currently hottest pop superstar in his love life, career, and mental and physical well-being. From his troubled romantic experiences to 'TELEKINESIS,' it reveals a boy who went from the Han River Bridge to a weary figure with nine Grammy Awards..."

"The Chinese song 'I Really Want to Love This World' expresses his trapped world of depression and his closed and numb heart. But from the second half of the song, the gradually warming harmonies are like a pair of hands holding him, and the song gradually becomes hot and warm again."

"The closing song, 'Street Lights,' is considered by many fans to be more emo than other songs on the album. However, to me, it is full of warmth and strength when facing life's difficulties, just like the flickering streetlights, like a beating heart. And Tarot has picked up the microphone again! The imperial engine from the Han River Bridge roars to life once more!"

"A great era, a great superstar. Nine months have passed since Tarot released his last album. Tarot has given the music industry almost a year, and the number one spot on the US Billboard chart is still dominated by 'Blinding Lights.' Perhaps Tarot himself will break his own reign at number one."

"..."

The comments section was flooded with information about Tarot's return to the music scene and his new album. Lvmh Group also promoted Gong Cheng's new album on its official website and the websites of its luxury brands, Louis Vuitton and Dior.

……

After Chou Tzu-yu and Yeh Shu-hua left the bar and were strolling along the street, they happened to pass by a shopping mall where another song from Gong Cheng's new album was playing on the LED screen on the wall.

The actress appearing in the music video is a familiar face, the nation's first love – Bae Suzy.

Ye Shuhua stopped and stared at Bae Suzy's trembling eyelashes and tearful eyes on the big screen. She couldn't help but sigh softly, "This guy's songs always break my heart, but the lyrics portray him as a complete scumbag!"

Chou Tzu-yu glanced at the song title, "Glimpse of Us." She hadn't paid much attention to the song while watching the music video, and she couldn't understand some of the English in it.

But in the field of vision, almost the entire LED eye was filled with tears. Gong Cheng's figure was reflected in Bae Suzy's blurry pupils. The minimalist gray tone, coupled with the fact that the music video for this song seemed to have been rushed and perfunctory, meant that just one shot of tears and blinking was slow motion for more than thirty seconds.

The clear, melancholic piano notes, without complex arrangements, only the blank spaces created by the piano colliding with the air, seem to echo in Bae Suzy's tearful eyes.

She relieved me of the heavy burden I was carrying.

If it's truly difficult to achieve, she will turn the storm into a rainbow for me.

"Rescue me from my grief~"

Chou Tzu-yu stared at the Korean lyrics translation, and Yeh Shu-hua's explanation came to her ears: "This song seems to be about how he knows his current girlfriend is wonderful, but the bad thing is, he can't forget his previous relationship no matter what. And he knows his current girlfriend is perfect, but he can always see the imperfect ex-girlfriend in her eyes..." "You know, these lyrics are really damn good!" Yeh Shu-hua said in a complicated tone.

Chou Tzu-yu listened thoughtfully to Hao You's explanation and Gong Cheng's low, delicate singing voice. She seemed to be resonating with something about "drowning in sadness~". Her brother had depression, and these days, it was Mina unnie who had been with him.
"When I gaze into her eyes~"

I will see it~

"Our precious moments... I tried my best to succumb to her caresses, but what I longed for in my heart was..."

The deeply moving singing made Tzuyu carefully read the translation of the lyrics. She suddenly took out her phone, opened the music streaming website, and shared the song with Mina. Then, standing under a street lamp, she pursed her lips and carefully considered how to phrase the lyrics.

So, fingers tapped the keyboard, sending:

"Unnie, listen to this song. I'm really not one to stir up trouble, but look at the lyrics, isn't it describing you? You've been by my side these past few days, helping me with my depression treatment. In the lyrics, he said you would turn the storm into a rainbow for him, and he also said you were so perfect. But how could he see any trace of you being with other girls in your eyes? Who are those other girls? Nayeon unnie? Sana unnie? Momo unnie? Jo Miyeon? Bae Joo-hyun?"

"I'm absolutely not trying to stir things up, unnie. I'm genuinely trying to analyze this for you. Doesn't this mean that your brother knows you're good to him? I just genuinely feel that he might have been thinking about something from the past lately, like his white moonlight, his first love, how good they were... I'm not trying to stir things up, unnie! Think about it, he must have been reminded of something or made some comparisons in his mind. And his piano playing and singing are so melancholic, like they're full of regret and resentment..."

"Could it be that your brother cheated on you with his ex-girlfriends again behind your back? Did he make you a cuckold? Of course, you shouldn't blame your brother, after all, God has already punished him for being with people he doesn't like..."

After sending a long, drawn-out message with great difficulty, Zhou Ziyu sent Gong Cheng another message, feeling quite satisfied: "Where are you, brother?"

"Want to grab some late-night snacks together?"

……

In the villa in Seongbuk-dong, Gong Cheng lazily stared at a large number of messages in the chat box.

After careful selection, the first reply was to Major General Jin.

【Little Strange Tofu】: "Oppa, you're so good at playing the victim~ (disdain)"

Gong Cheng raised an eyebrow and immediately replied, "Do you think all the pain I've been going through lately is fake? You've seen it all!"

Afterwards, while waiting for Kim Dahyun's reply, he scrolled up through the chat history and saw the travel photos Dahyun had sent him in the past two days.

【Little Strange Tofu】: "Aigoo, I was just saying! How about I go with you for a late-night snack? I just got back from a trip to Busan with my mom and dad..."

"I'm busy lately, I'm in Iceland queuing up." Gong Cheng replied casually, then opened the message sent by Lin Nayeon as if he were calling out a general.

……

Tokyo, at Eiko Eiryu's hospital.

When the music video for "Glimpse of Us" played, Mina stared at the lyrics, her heart aching. She bit her lip, her face pale, and clenched her fists.

Meanwhile, Minatozaki Sana, Hirai Momo, and Eiko Eirei all focused their gazes on Mina's face.

Eiko Nagare glanced at the lyrics and asked, "Were his previous relationships important to him?"

Her tone was somewhat somber, and her gaze towards Mina held a hint of heartache.

Sana Minatozaki and Momo Hirai straightened their backs involuntarily.

“No, not at all…” Mina forced a smile as she looked at the woman, but her eyes darkened. “As for this song, Makoto and I talked about it. I’ve heard it before. The lyrics aren’t about not being able to forget an ex, but about the unavoidable situation where two people can’t be together. I think it’s alright…”

At this point, her voice weakened, but what she said was true. When the song was produced, Cheng-chan specifically asked her to listen to it and frankly explained the ideas and reasons behind its creation. However, she didn't expect that after the song was actually released, the aftereffects would be more intense and heartbreaking than she had anticipated.

Mina pursed her pink lips, glanced at her two friends beside her who looked like they had something to say, and continued, "He said that people have to have many relationships in their lives, and at certain moments they will think of a lot of things, so he wrote this song."

“I don’t think this means that it’s disrespectful or irresponsible to me or my current partner.”

Immediately afterwards, she met Eiko Eiri's scrutinizing gaze, the expression of an elder observing a junior. Mina quickly tried to change the subject, asking, "Aunt Eiko, how is Makoto's condition now?"

Eiko Eri noticed her attempt to change the subject, sighed almost imperceptibly, and began to express her opinion: "..."

Just then, Mina's phone, which was lying to the side, beeped.

She tapped the screen, glanced at the long message Chou Tzu-yu had sent, and despite her trembling eyelids, read it intently until she reached the last sentence:

"...Of course, you shouldn't blame your brother. After all, heaven has already punished him by making him be with someone he doesn't like..."

Mina took a deep breath, her heart aching terribly, a feeling of suffocation rising from within, enveloping her cool face. Then, without saying a word, she blocked Tzuyu!

"..."

Half an hour later, after "Misamo" and the other two left the hospital, they got into a nanny van.

Hirai Momo, oblivious to the situation, opened her phone and specifically searched for the song "Glimpse of Us" on a music streaming website, turning the volume up very high.

Sana Minatozaki grinned secretly and gave her a thumbs up.

"Perhaps one day, you will feel extremely lonely."

"A fleeting glance into her eyes~"

"Perhaps you'll waver~"

Gong Cheng's low, husky voice, delicate and melancholic, echoed in the carriage.

Mina glanced sideways at the bustling streets of Tokyo, Makoto's song playing in her ears. When she heard the lyrics, "I tried my best to succumb to her caresses~ but what I longed for in my heart was the beauty of the past..."

Her eyes uncontrollably reddened, and a layer of tears quickly covered her pupils, blurring the river of light outside the window.

Mina's previously calm breathing suddenly became rapid, her chest feeling suffocated as if something heavy was blocking it. The next second, she abruptly turned her head to look at Momo Hirai beside her, who was looking down at her phone, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Could you please turn the music off?!"

Her heart was so heavy that she was on the verge of collapse.

Sana Minato glanced at her; her taut jawline and angry brows seemed to be desperately suppressing her emotions, and the watery light in her blurred eyes seemed to convey a sense of dishevelment and heartbreak.

"..." For a moment, the carriage fell silent.

Only Gong Cheng's singing voice remained, flowing with sorrow.

Hirai Momo didn't expect Mina's reaction to be so strong. She took out the earplugs she used when flying from her bag and handed them over to express her attitude.

"Bang!" Mina angrily raised her hand and punched the seat in front of her. Instead of taking Hirai Momo's things, she took out earplugs from her bag and put them in her ears!
With her earplugs on, Mina felt the world instantly become quiet.

While in the hospital, everything she said was true. Cheng-chan had indeed talked to herself about this song. But when she looked at those tearful eyes in the music video, she seemed to see herself in Bae Suzy's eyes, and her heart ached like it was being stabbed with a dull knife.

She didn't know why she had such a strong emotional reaction, especially after seeing the message from Tzuyu and the scrutinizing look from Aunt Eiko.

Mina's mind was flooded with memories of her time with Makoto. He was entangled with his ex-girlfriend behind her back, and she proudly helped him change, but it seemed to have no effect on Makoto at all...

For the first time, she felt a wavering in her heart.

For a moment, the suffocating feeling made Mina cover her chest, and she instinctively looked away when faced with the gazes of Sana Minatozaki and Momo Hirai.

She tapped her phone screen, opened Gong Cheng's chat window, and typed a few words: "Cheng-chan~ Do you really like me...?"

Before the message could be sent, Mina's eyes reddened again, and she quickly deleted it all, pulling down the brim of her black baseball cap to cover her eyes.

……

In Seoul, Gong Cheng drove to a large apartment in Cheongdam-dong. As he took the elevator from the basement, he felt a pang of nostalgia.

It seems like it's been a long time since I've been to this house.

Stepping out of the elevator, there was only one apartment on the top floor. Through the door, I could hear a dog barking from the living room...

After facial recognition, Gong Cheng opened the door and went inside. Standing in the entryway, he saw Lin Nayeon sitting on the sofa, looking towards the door.

May, which I hadn't seen for more than half a month, came rushing over in a flash.

It pounced on him as he squatted down to change his shoes. Its chubby body and fluffy fur showed that it had gained weight and size, after all, it was a large dog and over a year old.

"Tsk tsk, your mom really feeds you well, you've gained quite a bit of weight recently." Gong Cheng was tackled to the ground by May's strength, plopped down on the carpet in the entryway, patted May's head, and sighed with a smile.

Hearing this from not far away, Lim Nayeon stood up and stared straight at him as he approached.

Upon seeing the familiar figure of this bad boy, her heart tightened violently...

After Gong Cheng put May down on the ground, he got up in his slippers and walked over. He looked warmly at the big star's eyes, which seemed to have been crying, and asked, "Were you crying?"

"What exactly do you want?" Lim Nayeon raised her eyelids to meet his eyes and asked in a muffled voice.

In her opinion, the album that Bad Boys released tonight was pure cheating!
Gong Cheng scratched his head, his tall figure settling onto the sofa. "What do you mean, 'what do I want'? It wasn't Nuna who summoned me..."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Lin Nayeon snorted, crossed her arms, and plopped down next to Gong Cheng.

I'm prepared to have an open and honest talk with him.

“My purpose has always been clear: I didn’t want you to leave.” Gong Cheng was silent for a moment, then glanced at the big star’s profile, with some stray hairs falling around his cheeks.

Lim Nayeon felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. She grinned, showing her rabbit teeth, and reached out to touch May at her feet: "But I tried to persuade you to stay when we parted ways. As long as you separate from them, I can forgive and forget."

At this point, her heart ached terribly...

"But I can't do it~" At this moment, Hagi's honesty was terrifying.

She stated her thoughts directly and clearly, "If I could do that, I wouldn't have become like this, you big star~"

Lim Nayeon turned to look at his serious face. His gentle features were so familiar, and some past memories surfaced in her mind. Her eyes welled up with tears again, and she asked with a sullen and aggrieved tone, "Then how could you refuse other girls when you were with Mina-chan?"

Am I not as important to you as she is?

Seeing that Gong Cheng was about to open his mouth to refute, Lin Nayeon pursed her lips, her tone becoming more and more sad and angry. She picked up the wine glass on the table and took a sip of wine. Combined with the wine she had drunk when she ate barbecue with Kim Yerin earlier, and the tension of the confrontation, her face was flushed.

"Don't say anything to refute me, Sana, Momo. Didn't you reject Momo both times? Why can't you be so cold to other girls when you're dating me?"

After saying that, she slammed the wine glass down on the edge of the table.

Seeing this, Gong Cheng swallowed hard, gazing at her profile. He picked up the glass she had just drunk from, took a sip, and then, exhaling a breath of alcohol, said, "Who said that? I couldn't refuse..."

"Then prove it to me!" Lim Nayeon's tears fell.

Gong Cheng, his throat dry, put down his glass, then nodded and uttered, "Then let's make love! Noona!"

(End of this chapter)