Chapter 204

July 1, 2013, Gangnam District, Seoul, inside the tvN TV station building.

In front of a conference room door, it was bustling with noise and excitement.

Outside the glass door, a banner hung straight, on which was written in bold Korean: "TV Drama 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo' Script Reading Meeting"

Inside the conference room, staff were busy shuttling back and forth, with cameras, recording equipment, table signs, and character posters all ready.

Character grouping and relationship charts were also posted on the walls, and the air was filled with a kind of anticipation and excitement about to set off.

10:00 AM sharp, ten minutes before the official start of the reading meeting.

The door of the conference room was pushed open gently, and a slender figure walked in.

Today, Sulli shed her usual sweet and casual girl attire and changed into a sharp outfit with more of a writer's style.

The upper body was a dark green military-style short jacket, with a three-dimensional lapel and cinched waist design outlining a capable silhouette, while still retaining the soft beauty lines unique to women.

Inside was a black and white floral pattern knit sweater, with lively and playful patterns jumping in the dark tones, adding a touch of fresh literary feel to the whole look.

The lower body was a gray high-waisted A-line skirt, neither ostentatious nor restrained, carrying just the right amount of rationality and self-restraint in the calmness.

With simple makeup, she let her short hair fall naturally over her shoulders, with a professional polite smile on her face, but she still couldn't hide the light flashing in her eyes.

Because this was the excitement and pride brought by her first official appearance as a "screenwriter."

Seeing her enter, the staff who were talking in the conference room and several actors stood up one after another to greet her, "Writer Choi, you're here."

When the three words "Writer Choi" were spoken from others' mouths, Sulli's heart moved gently, and the gentle warmth and glory of being recognized quietly bloomed in her chest.

So the corners of her lips raised slightly, and she responded softly, "Thank you all for your hard work."

Afterwards, she walked to the screenwriter's seat in front of the conference table and sat down, opened the leather script folder she carried, took out a few copies of the script with neat marks, and while seriously checking the lines, she quietly looked around.

This was her first time appearing on a TV drama production set as an official screenwriter; she had been a lead or supporting actor before, so her mood was also exceptionally complex and excited.

Not long after, light and rhythmic footsteps came from outside the conference room again.

The female lead…… Zheng Xiujing had arrived.

Her appearance was as clean and bright as the early morning sun.

Unlike Sulli's intellectual calmness, today's Zheng Xiujing chose a youth-style outfit that best fit her temperament.

A sharp-cut white shirt, with the hem naturally tucked into high-waisted denim shorts, making her look fresh and capable, with a bit of playfulness and an unforced sense of comfort.

She stepped on a pair of white-soled blue-edged thick-soled canvas shoes, paired with high-tube white socks, outlining long and straight leg lines, clean, sharp, as if a simple sketch, but exceptionally delicate due to her frame and posture.

She carried a small white shoulder bag casually, her phone stuck between her fingers, her expression relaxed and natural, with a smile at the corners of her eyes.

As soon as she entered the door, she became the focus of everyone's attention.

"Xiujing is here!"

"Wow, as expected of our female lead, she's so energetic today~"

And Sulli, sitting in the front row, heard these voices, didn't look up, just curled her lips slightly into a faint arc, and didn't respond.

Her fingertips, however, flipped through the script copy in her hand more seriously, as if the whole world had nothing to do with her.

But the little smile at the corner of her eyes still quietly leaked her mood.

After entering the door, Zheng Xiujing first swept a light glance at Sulli in front, then bowed slightly to the whole room, her voice clear and crisp, "Hello everyone, I am Zheng Xiujing, who will play Kim Bok-joo this time, please take care of me."

Although this was not her first time participating in a TV drama shoot, as the script reading meeting for the first time in her life as a female lead, the confidence in her tone still hid a slight, imperceptible nervousness.

It was a kind of carefulness of "hoping to perform well, but afraid of being seen through," which happened to have a clever overlap with the character she played.

After greeting, Xiujing walked to Sulli's side and sat down, saying in a low voice, "I'm a bit nervous."

Sulli turned her head and winked at her, replying in a low voice, "Today is your home court, relax, perform well."

The tone was comforting, but also carried a gentle firmness that pushed her onto the stage.

"You too, Sulli~" After feeling slightly relieved, Zheng Xiujing also smiled slightly at her.

And in the surrounding seats, the male lead Nam Joo-hyuk, as well as Lee Jae-yoon, Cho Hye-jung, Lee Joo-seung, and other young actors had already taken their seats.

With the arrival of this pair of "writer and female lead," the atmosphere of the entire conference room gradually became lively.

Everyone sat around naturally in front of the seats arranged by the crew, a long table divided them into two rows, and in front of each person were nameplates, scripts, mineral water, and a few brightly colored highlighters.

Not long after, the director, PD, producer, and other main creators also arrived one after another.

After a few minutes of pleasantries, the host walked onto the stage area, tapped the microphone twice to test, and then announced in a gentle tone with a sense of ritual.

"Actors and creators, thank you for your hard work. Today, we officially start the first script reading meeting for 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.' Please relax and fully immerse yourselves."

Sulli, who was still whispering with Xiujing, stopped talking, and her expression became focused immediately.

She straightened her waist, opened the script in front of her with both hands, and her gaze fell on the title on the first page.

It was a transition from "friend" to "screenwriter" in an instant, and also a kind of respect for the characters and words.

She knew that from this moment on.

Her future would undergo earth-shaking changes.

Similarly, Zheng Xiujing, sitting beside her, also took a slow deep breath, and her eyes focused.

She understood that what was being flipped page by page was not just lines, but a new starting line.

And just in the corner of the conference room, a small camera phone fixed by a stand was hanging quietly, with the lens aimed at everyone on the long table.

If someone leaned in to look at the screen behind the phone, they would find that at this moment, it was in a video call with someone.

The person on the other side of the screen, although not appearing on the scene, seemed to have been watching all of this.

……

On the other side of the tvN TV station, in Lin Xiuyuan's apartment, two figures were sitting lazily on the sofa.

The TV screen in the living room was synchronized with the real-time picture on Sulli's phone through projection. The scene in the picture was the script reading meeting being held in the tvN conference room, and the scene was as clear and real as the plot picture in a movie.

Lin Xiuyuan sat in the center of the sofa, with Krystal leaning against him with her legs crossed. The two were very close, each holding a cup of freshly mixed fruit tea, but their eyes almost never left the screen.

Watching Sulli sitting in the screenwriter's seat, staring at the script in her hand with slight nervousness, occasionally raising her head to nod and communicate with the director.

Zheng Xiujing next to her was sitting in the lead seat, with a focused light on her face, reading the lines devotedly.

The scene was quiet and orderly, and the atmosphere carried a fresh and enthusiastic passion.

After a long while, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh lightly, "It's so magical, this kind of perspective script reading meeting is more interesting and fun than those edited by TV stations. And Zhenli participated in the reading meeting as a screenwriter for the first time, and her aura is quite steady."

Krystal, leaning on his shoulder, had a gentle look in her eyes, and said with a bit of pride.

"Yeah, it's like she has really become a screenwriter who can stand on her own."

After the two said a few more words, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Zheng Xiujing, who could already see that she was a bit chubby, and smiled with a hint of teasing, "But are we ignoring you a bit too much? Zheng Xiujing is also a female lead for the first time."

As Lin Xiuyuan mentioned her, after a moment of silence, Krystal didn't speak again, just quietly watching the familiar yet strange figure on the screen.

She suddenly realized that this journey of saving Sulli in a parallel space-time seemed to be a saving of her own youth as well.

As this thought overflowed, an indescribable warmth and relief surged from the bottom of her heart.

Then she sniffed lightly, turned her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, and said in a low voice, "Xiuyuan……"

"Yeah?" Lin Xiuyuan turned his head, his gaze meeting hers gently.

The next second, Krystal's eyes were a bit moist, "Do you know? Actually, during the time Sulli was gone, I really…… couldn't hold on anymore."

Lin Xiuyuan's expression softened upon hearing this, and he was about to open his mouth to comfort her.

But he didn't expect Krystal to suddenly throw herself into his arms, hugging herself tightly, as if grabbing a life-saving straw.

"At that time, the few months after Sulli left, I couldn't accept it at all. Every day I was flipping through old chat records, listening to her voice messages, re-watching her variety shows…… as long as I closed my eyes, I felt she was still there."

Her voice got lower and lower, and tears slid down quietly, "I had many dreams, dreaming of her standing at the dormitory door, saying 'Xiujing, I'm back'."

The subsequent voice became lighter and lighter, but it was like a thousand-pound suppression overflowing from her heart, and the tears became more and more, as if the pain at this moment finally found an outlet for venting.

Lin Xiuyuan didn't speak, just gently pressed her head into his chest, as if using his embrace to block the wind and rain of that world for the beautiful figure in his arms.

She gasped, her voice choked with sobs, "I was always thinking at that time, if I could do something then, would things be different? So when that rainy night, you told me that we had returned to 2013…… you couldn't imagine how complex my mood was at that time."

She paused for a moment, and when she looked up, her eye circles were already red and swollen, "But now…… I see her sitting there, her eyes so firm, her voice so clear…… I really feel that I can finally let go, and finally saved my young self, no longer letting her experience everything I once experienced."

Lin Xiuyuan reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, his tone softer than ever, "While you saved them, aren't you also saving yourself?"

Krystal nodded heavily, but the tears couldn't help falling down again.

"Xiuyuan, I'm really so happy…… I've never been as happy as I am now."

Her voice was soft and carried a bit of fragility, as if at this moment, she finally found the peace that belonged to her.

And Lin Xiuyuan also hugged her tighter, as if giving this Krystal, who was finally willing to be fragile for once, a reliance after letting go.

And at this moment, on the other side of the TV screen, Sulli was opening the second act of the script, reading the dialogue devotedly.

Her voice was clear, every word distinct, with a faint smile on her face.

Zheng Xiujing, sitting beside her, raised her head slightly, looking at her gently, her eyes full of support and encouragement.

The two girls had different styles, but they intersected at this moment, and in this conference room full of scripts and dreams, they opened a new chapter that belonged to them.

……

At the same time.

On a bustling street in Shanghai, Huaxia, the morning sun passed through the gaps between high-rise buildings and spilled in front of a newly opened shop.

The shop's decoration style was distinct, and a particularly eye-catching red banner hung at the door: "Warmly celebrate the grand opening of 'Flame Yan Selection Malatang' flagship store!"

Although it wasn't noon yet, the outside of the door was already bustling with people and exceptionally lively.

On the stage, Park Ji-yeon was wearing a clean and sharp white suit, standing in the sun with a bright smile, surrounded by T-ara members who were also dressed up, Xian Enjing, Park Hyo-min, Quan Baolan, and others all appeared one after another.

And as they appeared, it triggered a mountain-shaking roar from the fans offstage.

Support light boards and banners rose one after another, and cheers and screams came one after another.

"Queen Zhiyan is the most beautiful!"

"T-ara I love you!!"

"Long live Malatang!!"

"Little Ming classmate, crisp high!!!"

"Enjing oppa!!!"

"Suyeon Big Suyeon!!!"

"Heavenly King covers the earth tiger, my blue is 1.5 meters tall!?"

"Juli, Madam, you will always be the goddess!!"

Looking at this formation, even Park Ji-yeon and Xian Enjing, who had long known the "future intelligence" from Lin Xiuyuan, couldn't help but show some genuine surprise and astonishment.

And although the other members didn't have psychological preparation in advance, they still relied on their stage experience to perfectly maintain their expression management, smiling very calmly and appropriately.

"My god……"

Xian Enjing leaned close to Park Ji-yeon's ear, finding it hard to hide her shock, "This scene, is it crazier than the one we had in Busan at the end of 11?"

Park Ji-yeon had a smile on her face, but her heartbeat was tight, and then she scanned this sea of people, her ears full of cheers and shouts.

"Yeah…… even if I knew some situations in advance, when I really stand here…… I will still be scared."

She answered softly, but her eyes were unusually firm, and she became more determined and clear about the path she would take in the future.

Soon, under the arrangement of the host, the shop's opening ceremony began to cut the ribbon in the heat.

The golden scissors cut the red silk crisply, announcing that the first franchise store of "Flame Yan Selection Malatang" outside of direct operation had officially set sail.

The audience cheered like thunder, and the air seemed to be filled with the heat of chili oil mixed with the enthusiasm of fans.

And as the brand ambassadors of "Flame Yan Selection Malatang," the T-ara members also walked into the store, starting to sign for fans, take photos with customers, and accept interviews from the host on the scene.

As long as they raised their hands, turned their heads, or smiled, the fans roared like waves in response.

Several hardcore fans from remote areas even came to the shop door two days in advance to set up tents and wait, holding tightly to the support merchandise and handmade photo albums from many years ago.

And seeing the idols themselves appear, many people burst into tears on the spot.

"We finally waited for you to come back……"

"We, have never left."

Real crowds, hot enthusiasm, swarming fan groups.

At this moment, the T-ara members truly realized what it meant: "This is not so-called market potential, this is a huge stage that is the real deal."

And behind the crowd, a low-key manager in black was holding a phone, silently recording this opening scene that was like a grand ceremony.

He took photos of the long queue of fans, recorded the high-light moments when Tara and others were called "Malatang Queens" on stage, and then quickly recorded in his notebook.

"Huaxia offline commercial heat is amazing"

"In terms of brand endorsement, it has extremely strong appeal"

"The T-ara reunion effect is still strong here, fan stickiness is extremely high"

"Suggest planning a Huaxia tour schedule within 2~3 months as soon as possible"

"Commercial cooperation/endorsement can be contacted with mainland beverage/cosmetic brands"

Writing to the end, he suddenly stopped, changed to a red pen, and circled two lines in the blank space.

——Go back and discuss with the company, must restart the Chinese market strategy!

——Lots of money, few people, come quickly.

He closed the notebook, looked up at the figures shining on the stage, and couldn't help but raise a smile.

This isn't just opening a Malatang shop; it also reignited the flame that hadn't gone out in the hearts of a group of people.

……

At noon, Seoul Incheon International Airport.

The sun spilled onto the ground through the huge glass dome, and the airport was as bustling as ever, but today's heat rose straight up because of a group of special visitors.

The members of Girls' Generation walked off the nanny car one after another, with assistants, managers, and security personnel surrounding them, and rows of suitcases moving forward slowly like an honor guard behind them.

Flashes went off one after another, and screams and slogans came one after another, as if shaking the entire terminal.

And the first to detonate the media shutters was not any deliberate action to steal the spotlight, but that calm and elegant figure.

Among the crowd, Zheng Xiuyan was particularly eye-catching.

She wore black square-framed sunglasses, her long hair hanging softly on her shoulders, and she brushed it aside casually, the movement like the rhythm of gently smoothing out a gust of wind.

She wore a gentle and capable light pink plaid suit jacket, with dark blue denim overalls inside, and the gold buttons shimmered slightly in the sunlight, perfectly fusing fashion sense and retro atmosphere.

This outfit not only retained her consistent elegant queen temperament but also didn't lose the fashionable and young sense of vitality, as if she had just walked off the runway and could be on a brand pictorial in the next second.

The black and white color-blocked canvas shoes under her feet cleverly broke the distance of the overall look, adding a touch of casual and random closeness to her.

She carried a small chain bag that had just come off the production line not long ago, white leather spliced with black bottom edges, simple but highly recognizable.

Her whole person appeared independent and radiated a strong "fashion aura."

Unlike the airport outfits of other members that were biased towards sweet or casual, Zheng Xiuyan's look was like a walking pictorial, with full marks for recognition.

So naturally, the media's lenses automatically focused on her side.

"Xiuyan's airport look this time is too amazing!"

"She designed that suit, right? It's stylish and has attitude, and it's also very interesting!"

"Completely walked her own path, she is really a designer now!"

Reporters praised while shooting, and there was no lack of sincerity in their words.

More specifically, on both sides of the airport passage, a group of Zheng Xiuyan's fans had been waiting for a long time.

Unlike other fans waving light boards, glow sticks, gifts, and flowers.

They were almost all wearing replicas of Zheng Xiuyan's past series: some were skirt suits, some were jackets, and some were small handbags.

The color tone was unified, the style was high-end, and from a distance, it seemed like a mini fashion show initiated by fans, and the momentum was not inferior to the starlight at the other end of the airport.

"We are not just chasing stars, we are also wearing her designs."

A fan proudly displayed the same jacket, her face full of pride and firmness.

Even though Zheng Xiuyan's current design planning was still in the early stages of development and had no idea of making a profit.

But her fans had already turned "promotion" into a belief, a kind of emotional connection of co-creation with their actions.

Seeing this scene, Zheng Xiuyan's footsteps paused slightly, then a gentle smile curled up at the corners of her mouth, and she waved gently at the group of pink and white figures.

This time heading to Wanwan, her identity was slightly different from other members.

Others were basically traveling purely as idols, but Zheng Xiuyan had long been invited by many fashion institutions, independent buyer platforms, and brand studios to participate in a week-long offline runway show, design sharing, and brand exchange activities.

And recently, many independent brands from Tokyo, Taipei, and Lion City had already thrown joint cooperation intentions to Zheng Xiuyan.

Even some small fashion exhibitions had already sent her formal invitations as a designer.

Although these were not international big brands, these niche and professional invitations were already an important step for Zheng Xiuyan in the process of transforming from a "star" to a "designer."

So when she looked back for the last time before boarding the plane at the group of fans who were wearing her designs and still standing straight in the hot sun, a gentle firmness finally appeared in her eyes.

At this time, Lin Xiaolu in front suddenly slowed her pace and came to her side, smiling, "Unnie, how do you feel."

Zheng Xiuyan thought for a moment before saying lightly, "Sense of achievement."

She tilted her head, "So, YoonA, when you got the female lead that time, was it the same feeling?"

"About the same." Lin Xiaolu nodded with a smile, "There's a kind of excitement of wanting to secretly spin around but having to pretend to be calm, and then the joy of laughing loudly while lying on the bed at night."

Then, a figure strolled over, it was Sunny, "Oh my, Xiuyan, your fans are so exaggerated, where did they get those clothes, they look quite good for daily wear too."

"Replica models, I didn't expect this situation either, I was also a bit shocked."

Zheng Xiuyan laughed softly, her expression even carrying a bit of unexpected surprise.

After speaking, she raised her eyes to look at the familiar backs walking fast in front, raised her eyebrows slightly, calm and not worried at all.

After all, this was all the spontaneous deep love of the fans, and it had nothing to do with her.

……

……

(End of chapter)