novellhall 34. Luo Yonghao's Admonition
34. Luo Yonghao's Admonition
Wang Zilu was driving in the car.
Sitting in the back seat, Luo Yonghao explained the preliminary plan devised by Kim Min-joo to Lee Kyung-sung in detail, holding his newly released iPad and speaking in a gentle tone.
"Jingcheng, your current exposure is enough to sustain you for this period of time. So, before you officially join the crew, even though you majored in film and television performance and have excellent acting skills, there may be some differences between the Western acting system and the rhythm and emotional expression of Korean film and television performances. Take advantage of this gap before you officially join the crew to learn more about the local Korean acting style and on-set habits, learn from their strengths and make up for your weaknesses, and work together to make up for your weaknesses. This will only greatly benefit your future filming."
"We will pick you up at your home at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Also, starting today, your personal social media accounts will be managed by a dedicated person from Director Kim's team. They will maintain your public image from a more professional perspective and publish appropriate content."
Li Jingcheng listened quietly, his face expressionless, and simply nodded. "I understand. I'll do as the company arranges."
He did not show any resistance. As a time traveler, he knew the importance of a professional team, especially in the entertainment industry where everything is about systems and packaging.
Seeing that Lee Kyung-sung was very cooperative, Luo Yonghao felt much more relaxed and continued, "Normally, the company will arrange dormitories for new employees for unified management. However, your home is in Seoul, which is very convenient, so you don't need to. But," he changed his tone, becoming more serious, "there are some important points you need to be aware of."
Li Jingcheng raised his head, assuming a posture of attentive listening.
"First, let's talk about your private life, especially your love life." Luo Yonghao carefully chose his words. "Objectively speaking, actors are indeed more tolerant of relationships than idols, but it also depends on the specific circumstances. For you, you've just debuted, your foundation isn't solid yet, and most of your fans are based on your looks. It's not suitable to expose any romantic relationships right now. What you need to do is let your work speak for itself, build a good reputation, and solidify your core fanbase. Once you have a few solid works to back you up, you can consider personal relationships much more easily."
"Furthermore, when choosing a partner, the other person's social image and background are also very important. There are certain red lines that must never be crossed."
Luo Yonghao lowered his voice, his tone more serious than ever before, "For example, people with families must maintain a clear distance. Jingcheng, you spend most of your time in the United States. Things might be more open in Europe and America, but Korean society is extremely harsh in its condemnation of adultery, that is, breaking up someone else's family and having a relationship with someone who is already married. Once you get involved, you will be immediately labeled as an adulterer, a third party, and a destroyer of a family, and it's almost impossible to wash it off. It's social death, not just the end of your career."
Looking at Luo Yonghao's serious face, Li Jingcheng had a question in his mind. Why did Brother Hao suddenly bring up such a specific and serious topic? Do I look like the kind of person who would go after a married woman?
The moment this thought arose, a gentle and beautiful face flashed through his mind almost simultaneously—Han Jiaren.
Just now, during the group photo, she stood beside me, her smile as gentle and elegant as ever, exuding a unique, warm, and non-aggressive beauty characteristic of a married woman.
Could it be because he noticed the slight admiration I unconsciously revealed at that moment? Lee Kyung-sung thought he had concealed it very well, and Han Ga-in herself seemed completely unaware.
Looking at Luo Yonghao's earnest face, Li Jingcheng was deeply impressed. This guy's insight was indeed extraordinary; in his opinion, it was even comparable to that of another Luo Yonghao in China.
Lee Kyung-sung was well aware that this was an extremely risky move, but he had to admit that, as a man with memories of his past life, it was instinctive to feel a slight stirring in his heart upon seeing Han Ga-in, a beauty he remembered from his previous life. Admiration aside, if a scandal were to erupt, not only would his fledgling acting career collapse instantly, but...
Even his Bae Joo-hyun, Lim Yoon-ah, and Lee Hyeri will probably be out of reach.
Thinking of Han Jiaren's husband, who was so eager to marry her, she truly understood his good intentions.
Looking at Lee Kyung-sung's calm and expressionless face, Luo Yonghao felt a little more at ease. Not only did Chief Kim Min-joo have a very high opinion of Lee Kyung-sung, but their entire team, from top to bottom, had long regarded this boy as their most precious treasure.
Currently, all of CJ's valuable resources, whether internal or external, must first pass through Jingcheng. This demonstrates the high regard and resource allocation bestowed upon Li Jingcheng within the company. Therefore, he absolutely cannot afford any mishaps.
At the photo session, he did indeed keenly notice the somewhat ambiguous atmosphere between Lee Kyung-sung and Han Ga-in. Considering Lee Kyung-sung's upbringing in the United States, where the atmosphere is more open, he was genuinely worried that the boy might have a blurred sense of certain boundaries.
Under South Korea's drastically different social rules, they unintentionally caused trouble. That guy was their entire team's cash cow and future trump card; if something went wrong, they'd likely lose more than just a job.
Lee Kyung-sung, on the other hand, hadn't thought that far ahead or over. He simply admired Han Ga-in. Since the benefits outweighed the risks, he would definitely make the choice that suited his interests. He took out his phone to see if Bae Joo-hyun, Im Yoon-ah, or Lee Hyeri had sent any messages.
"Congratulations, Lee Kyung-sung! You look very handsome in the news photos. I'm truly happy for you. Now that you're an actor, please keep up the good work and I look forward to your future projects."
The message was a standard congratulatory format, well-chosen, even using the honorific "xi," conveying sincere blessings, yet also carrying a distinct sense of distance. Only one day had passed.
Lee Kyung-sung wasn't stupid; he immediately understood the source of this subtle change: the difference in their status. Just yesterday, he was merely the most handsome man in all of South Korea, but now, he was the media's "CJ Prince," a national-level rookie actor, and a national heartthrob.
One is a member of a top conglomerate who is heavily promoted by royalty, while the other is just a trainee in a large idol company who has not yet debuted. No matter how outstanding or beautiful she is, an invisible chasm has already appeared between the two on the psychological scale.
This made him think of his feelings for Lim Yoona. Even though he was a time traveler with memories of the future and a cheat system, subconsciously, thinking of Lim Yoona as a rich and beautiful woman, he naturally felt that his past status and conditions were quite different from Lim Yoona's.
But the status of a goddess is definitely different.
Actually, keeping Bae Joo-hyun hanging on like this, making her feel threatened, would be more effective in winning her over, but Lee Kyung-sung didn't want to, and didn't know why he wanted to do it this way.
A slight smile played on his lips as his fingers rapidly tapped the screen. The best way to deal with this estrangement arising from a change in status is to proactively break down the barriers and gently guide the other person back onto the same path with a familiar, friendly attitude.
"Today is my big day of officially announcing my debut! I really want to find someone to celebrate with. I wonder if my beautiful Bae Joo-hyun has time to join me?"
Then, he opened Li Huili's chat window. The girl sent a long string of compliments filled with exclamation marks and cute emoticons, practically saying she wanted to cling to his coattails.
"I received Lee Hyeri's full support! I'll definitely treat you to a big meal another day, and I'll also let you experience firsthand just how good your compliments really are (laughs.JPG)"
Finally, he looked at the chat window with Lim Yoona. The last message was one he had sent, and she hadn't replied yet. He wondered what kind of busy schedule she was on.
Li Jingcheng thought for a moment, then wrote it in a slightly arrogant tone.
"Yoona, your oppa Lee Kyung-sung has officially debuted as an actor today! Just a friendly reminder, if your congratulations are late, you'll have to treat us to something to apologize~"
Click to send.
Lee Kyung-sung put down his phone, leaned back against the car seat, and thought that if Bae Joo-hyun didn't reply, he would bombard her with calls. It was a pity he couldn't just swagger over to her like he did yesterday.
"Yong-ho hyung, why are you looking at me like that?" Lee Kyung-bon was originally thinking about how to win over Bae Joo-hyun, but feeling a little guilty from the occasional glances from Luo Yong-ho, he smiled and said, "By the way, who is the tutor the company found for me?"