Peninsula: Starting with Hijacking Yoona

44. Confess

Lee Kyung-sung had planned to reply to Im Yoon-ah and Lee Hyeri in the car, so he quickly washed up. Looking at himself in the mirror...

He then noticed the messy red marks on his body, several scratches crisscrossing each other, and even a faint tooth mark on his shoulder. He gave a helpless twitch of his lips.

But that's all. Can you really expect someone to be as gentle as a kitten at a time like this? She's enduring far more pain than that.

Lee Kyung-sung casually put on a loose, plain black T-shirt, chose a black down jacket, and paired it with black casual pants, covering up all the evidence of their ambiguous relationship, only revealing his energetic face.

Compared to his usual casual style of going out, he walked much more quietly this time. Worried about waking the tired Bae Joo-hyun, he tiptoed into the bedroom and carefully closed the door behind him.

Outside the door, Luo Yonghao was already waiting outside the van. Upon seeing Li Jingcheng, he nodded and greeted him as usual, but his gaze paused slightly when it swept over the other man's collar. He felt that something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Having no intention of hiding it, Lee Kyung-sung closed the car door tightly as soon as he got in and confessed directly, "Yong-ho hyung, the girl at home is an SM trainee named Bae Joo-hyun."

Luo Yonghao was taken aback. Although he was satisfied with the other party's honesty, the result still made him frown. "Trainee?"

He felt a headache coming on. If it were an already debuted artist, it would be fine, since they have a certain ability to withstand risks. But this was a trainee who hadn't even debuted yet, which meant there were too many uncontrollable factors.

Lee Kyung-sung saw his concerns and said with unusual firmness, "Yes, he's a trainee, and he's very important to me."

Looking at his unquestionable expression, Luo Yonghao was speechless for a moment.

Even though I had anticipated that this guy would have no shortage of romantic encounters, and even gave him a heads-up beforehand, it felt helpful yet also somewhat useless. His external conditions were undeniable, including this huge villa, but seeing it with my own eyes still left me speechless.

This kid just returned to China, and his harem is already taking shape: one is an SM trainee, one is the visual of Girls' Generation, and the other is the maknae of Girl's Day.

The feared situation did indeed occur, but fortunately it was all within a controllable range, and at least for now, no scandals have broken out.

He didn't insist on breaking up, but just sighed and said earnestly, "Fine. But your house has pretty good security, so try to date at home as much as possible in the future, and at least don't hang around on the street in public."

"Don't worry, Yong-ho." Lee Kyung-sung's eyes gleamed with ambition, his fists clenched. "I want both career and love."

Luo Yonghao shook his head, a sense of relief rising within him. If it were any of those greasy male actors in the industry, they probably would have treated the trainees like playthings long ago.

Why would anyone solemnly declare sovereignty like Li Jingcheng? This shows that the kid has a good character; he even exudes a strange and charming allure that makes Li Jingcheng a little surprised.

He nodded, no longer dwelling on it. "I've already spoken to the PR team and made it clear how Bae Joo-hyun is in your heart. SM will take care of things, but you need to be careful about how things are handled between you and her."

"clear."

Li Jingcheng responded and then freed his hand to open the two unread messages on his phone.

Wang Zilu focused on driving, while Luo Yonghao glanced at Li Jingcheng, who had taken out his phone. Since he genuinely felt this guy was decent, he decided to get straight to the point.

"Jingcheng".

Li Jingcheng turned off his phone and looked at Luo Yonghao curiously.

"Normally speaking, if SM Entertainment knows that one of their trainees is involved with you, they will most likely use you for negative publicity and marketing to promote their girl group." Luo Yonghao said seriously, without any politeness. "Even at ChinaJoy, within the rules, no one will easily give up such a lucrative opportunity."

Li Jingcheng's smile faded slightly as he listened attentively.

Luo Yonghao took a deep breath and uttered his most serious words, "Therefore, the exchange of benefits is the simplest and most brutal rule of survival. The more resources CJ invests in you, the higher their expectations will be. Especially since you personally signed the agreement with Representative Lee, this is both a halo and a shackle."

His gaze was piercing as he looked directly at Li Jingcheng. "If you fail to meet expectations, or... if an uncontrollable building collapse occurs, there will only be one outcome for you: being sidelined. No resources, no exposure, left to fend for yourself. So, right now, at least this year, you must put 100% of your energy into your work."

The air inside the carriage seemed to freeze for a moment.

Far from being impatient, Li Jingcheng felt a surge of respect for the other party's honesty. A confident smile curved his lips.

"Don't worry, Yong-ge. You saw my acting skills and public image yesterday. Just relax and watch how I become the number one K-pop star."

In a world like Hong Kong variety shows, rife with intrigue and cutthroat competition, he might have to think twice. But in the Korean entertainment industry, where looks, marketing, and popularity are paramount, CJ has already laid the groundwork; all he needs to do is act and promote himself.

That was a piece of cake for him; he was increasingly looking forward to joining the crew.

"Then I'm relieved."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Luo Yonghao's tense nerves finally relaxed. As long as this kid was determined to climb the ladder, anything was possible. He smiled and shook his head, flipping open his schedule:

"Now that we understand, let's talk about today's itinerary..."

"First, go directly to the music department at 8 a.m. They've already prepared the audition process." Luo Yonghao pushed up his glasses, his tone as calm as if he were talking about what to eat today. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Your main job is acting. The music department is just after your popularity. Representative Lee also hopes you can develop in multiple areas, so he agreed to lend you out."

He paused, then added a crucial piece of information, "As for the profit sharing, the music department will definitely get the lion's share, and you'll have to make some concessions. However, this is very important for building goodwill in the early stages, so you need to understand this."

Li Jingcheng shrugged indifferently. He was currently in the midst of his upward social climb, and he cared more about consolidating and elevating his popularity than about petty gains. Once the pyramid was built, why would he worry about not making money?

Luo Yonghao nodded in satisfaction. Although CJ had ways to get Li Jingcheng to agree even if he disagreed, artists who could see the situation clearly and were obedient and sensible were the easiest to manage.

"Secondly, after the trip, I will take you to Dean Ahn Hyuk-mo's acting academy." Mentioning this name, Luo Yonghao's expression became more serious. "Remember, you must be humble and polite. Dean Ahn has extensive connections in the industry, and his opinions can directly affect your reputation, so don't leave a bad impression."

"clear."

"Finally, and this is the most important highlight of the day." Na Yong-ho closed his schedule and looked sharply at Lee Kyung-sung. "At 4 PM, CJ, MBC, and KEYEAST will jointly announce that you will be playing the male lead in 'The Moon Embracing the Sun'."

Li Jingcheng raised an eyebrow, indicating that he was listening.

"We will release clips of your scenes with Han Ga-in and promotional photos simultaneously. Today is the premiere of the drama, which is the perfect time that we have agreed upon with MBC."

Luo Yonghao's voice was very normal. "As for KEYEAST, Bae Yong-joon will announce that Kim Soo-hyun withdrew due to a sudden illness, and you will be appointed to take his place. We will use your superior appearance, your better chemistry with Han Ga-in, and your highlight moments from the audition to minimize any doubts about the royal family."

He looked at Lee Kyung-sung and said, word by word, "With this move, your popularity will skyrocket. MBC has already made arrangements, and the entire crew will start filming ahead of schedule on January 6th."

Li Jingcheng secretly admired him. This kind of coordination, where a single move could affect the whole situation, would trigger a chain reaction if there was even the slightest mistake. It would be impossible to do without the strong impetus of top-level resources. As for whether others would be affected and take their anger out on him, he didn't care at all.

He chose CJ because he was attracted by CJ's powerful background and wanted to enjoy royal treatment. Since he wanted to be royalty, he naturally had to be prepared to accept all criticism and turn it into his own.

"Received." Li Jingcheng chuckled lightly, his eyes full of eagerness.

For him, the troubles are left to his agent and company; all that belongs to him is the stage under the spotlight.