Chapter 113 Happy New Year

m and television industry is already fiercely competitive. It's even more off-putting that idols from the music industry want to join in.So for most idols, the path to becoming an actor is really diff..."Are you Santa Claus"

Seeing this reply, Park Soo-hyun who was sitting cross-legged on the bed burst into laughter. She found a cushion to put behind her back, leaning comfortably against it with both hands holding her phone, smirking and quickly tapping the screen: "If you think I am, then I am."

"What kind of presents will Santa Claus give me with that thud(Anticipation)"

Whether it was "one thud" or "Santa Pei" that tickled Park Soo-hyun's funny bone, she burst into giggles the moment she saw the reply.

It's Christmas today, even though it's not early, all the members in the dormitory are still awake. The people beside heard Jennie's laughter and didn't say anything, they just peeked their heads out curiously, wondering what news she had seen or who she was chatting with that made her laugh so happily.

Jennie smiled and flipped over, her legs curling up as she hugged her phone, replying "I'm going to send you... nothing. (sticking out tongue)."

Because Ki Chanyeong had teased her curiosity several times before, only to run away, P.O (Park Cho-a) was eager for a little revenge. This time, she intentionally posted this cryptic message just to drive him crazy!

She typed away with a mischievous grin, eager to see what expression would appear on Chi Jingyuan's face when he saw it.

Soon, Chi Jingyuan's reply came. He didn't type, but instead sent a selfie to express his emotions. In the photo, he sat there with his head down and a sad face, looking very disappointed and pitiful.

Seeing him like this, feeling as if her purpose had finally been achieved, Park Soo-hyun laughed gleefully. She rolled back and forth on the bed, lifting her legs lightly in the air and kicking them a few times. She felt warm all over suddenly.

Of course, she could see that Ji Jingyuan was deliberately cooperating with her and putting on a pained expression.

But that's what makes it even more joyful, isn't it

After feeling happy for a while, Pei Zhuxuan raised her eyes and thought for a moment before sitting up. She found a spot with good lighting, picked up her phone, blinked her eyes and did a "k", pouted her lips and took a beautiful selfie, then lowered her head to check it and sent it out.

"Here you go."

Ji Chang-wook looked at the selfie that Bae Joo-hyun had just sent him for a while. Even in a photo, he could still feel that she was in a really good mood right now. Even though she frequently sent him selfies lately, this kind of pouty look in such a pretty picture was very rare. Usually, Bae Joo-hyun was quite reserved and wouldn't post something like this unless she was truly happy.

He smiled and shook his head, saving the photo.

Receiving several beautiful selfies in a row is kind of like a Christmas present, isn't it

After chatting for a while longer, the other members also returned to the dormitory one by one.

After Wu Shixun returned, he didn't wash his face and went straight back to his room. As he walked in, he pretended to flick his bangs, and his whole being emanated a sense of charm.

"How did you get back so early Didn't you go out with your girlfriend" He was very surprised to see Ji Jingyuan lying on the bed playing with his phone as soon as he entered the door, blinking in astonishment and asking curiously.

" 池 Jingyuan glanced at him, didn't even raise his head and pointed outside the door: "Out!"

"Hmph," Wu Shixun put down his belongings, a bag clearly holding the Christmas gift he had just received—he didn't know which of his girlfriends had sent it. He then let out an annoyed hum and went to wash his hands in the restroom.

"I'm getting ready for bed, I have to wake up early tomorrow." Ji-Seong looked at the time and said goodbye to Joo-Hyuk individually.

Good night. (smiling face)

…………

Early this morning, on the 26th, EXO got up again and followed their manager to KBS for rehearsals for tonight's music festival.

The Song Festival and the previous day's Song Battle had somewhat similar but not entirely identical guest lineups. This time, Red Velvet did not get another chance to perform.

However, being able to debut and perform on SBS Gayo Daejun, the most popular music show, is already very impressive. Moreover, their collaboration stage with three other rookie groups definitely left a deep impression on many viewers. It has been quite popular online these days. When Ji-seong casually browsed some forums, he saw many comments asking which group the four girls in green were from and how pretty they were. This shows that their hard work preparing for this year-end stage was rewarded. It wasn't a pointless performance; they truly gained fans.

And he also heard from Bae Joo-hyun yesterday that Ryde Bebe has a chance to appear at MBC's Gayo Daejejeon on the 31st, and maknae Park Soo-young will be performing "Coming of Age Ceremony" with other groups on stage, so she'll get plenty of screen time.

Ji Jingyuan didn't know what Park Soo-ryeong's performance of "Coming-of-Age Ceremony" was like, whether it was good or not. It was a pity that they couldn't make it to the scene that day, and they probably wouldn't have a chance to see it.

Actually, the stage arrangement is quite strange. He remembers that Park Soo-young wasn't born in 1996, and this year she hasn't even come of age. What kind of "Coming-of-Age" ceremony is she performing

To Pooling Kyeongwon's surprise, Girls' Generation, who he thought would be quiet for the entire end of the year, actually participated in KBS's year-end event today. He was quite surprised to see Kim Taeyeon and Lee Soonkyu and the others backstage.

Not only that, but also unnie took on the role of MC for this event. In the first half, she wore a black dress as thin as a cicada's wing, and in the second half, a white dress as pure as snow. She truly captivated the entire audience by showcasing her delicate features and superior figure.

This time, she also teamed up with 2PM's Taecyeon, who had been rumored to have many scandals in recent years, as an MC partner. It can be considered a reunion of old flames.

CP fans are overjoyed.

This time, the stage that left the deepest impression on Ji-yeong was a collaboration stage performed by the four members of Apk, Park Jiaeong, Yoon Pummi, Woo Xiaorong, and Kim Namjoo.

It was called "That's Right".

On stage, the four individuals shed their past innocence and returned with a mature look in crimson crop tops. The perfect combination of mature makeup and eyeliner created a powerful impact, leaving viewers astonished by how well they pulled off this style. It was quite a surprise.

Also, ACUBE's dy is really good.

Since Girls' Generation came, EXO couldn't be the finale act anymore. Girls' Generation performed second to last, ending the show with their song "so," which was a difficult comeback track that they only recently got first place on music shows for.

Now that it's the end of the year, the final rankings for all the comeback songs of the year have been confirmed. Among the female groups that made a comeback this year, APink's "r.chu" ranked highest at seventh place, followed by Girl's Day's "sothg" at ninth place.

During their rookie years, 《r.r》 ranked 59th on the annual chart. They were nowhere near as popular as AOA or Orange Caramel, falling far behind in rankings. Their sales figures also saw a significant decline. This year, their digital music scores also took a noticeable dip.

Ji Chang Wook also paid special attention to the stage. The most memorable part of "rr" for him was Taeyeon's handsome suit and Seohyun's several parts. Now that Seohyun has left the group, it seems like all her parts have been given to Sunny.

But after watching the stage for a while, honestly...

Never mind.

After the conclusion of the KBS Song Festival, EXO rushed to record MBC's 'Music Center' year-end special on the 27th.

After that, they ran another day's itinerary and went back to MBC on the 29th to pre-record the stage for the MBC Gayo Daejejeon performance, which starts on the 31st.

The 31st Song Festival was originally planned to be broadcast live throughout, but EXO received an invitation from Hunan Satellite TV's New Year's Eve party in China. That event is also going to be broadcast live on-site.

** didn't even weigh the options, directly choosing to participate in Hunan TV's New Year's Eve party on December 31st. After all, compared to other places, overseas activities, especially those in China, are more important. Especially now that M team is practically disbanded and can't hold any events, any exposure and popularity in China is incredibly valuable.

However, MBC attaches great importance to EXO's performance. After consultation, they still accepted the decision to allow them to pre-record and air the pre-recorded video on the 31st.

Speaking of which, this doesn't seem to be EXO's first time pre-recording a stage for the Music Festival. Last year seemed like it was pre-recorded too...

Also thanks to EXO, although not as popular as they used to be, they are still one of the most popular boy groups, otherwise MBC wouldn't go out of their way to treat you like this.

> Do you really think anyone can just go on stage at MBC's year-end show They don't even come to rehearse in advance...

After completing the stage pre-recording, Ji Jingyuan and his team boarded a plane to Xia Guo's Shannan on the 30th.

Since long ago, Hunan TV has already hyped EXO as one of the major highlights of this year-end party. It has generated a lot of heat and discussion online, making many Chinese fans ecstatic, expressing that they will definitely stick around for the Hunan TV New Year's Eve party stage.

Even if all the members of Xia Guo exit, these past few months EXO has been subjected to a lot of attacks and blackening by marketing accounts in Xia Guo, but in terms of heat and popularity, there is still a gap compared to other peninsula male idol groups, especially the influence among student groups is very large. Among audiences of other age groups, due to Park Kyung-won's actor status, EXO also enjoys high visibility.

And Chi Jingyuan's fans haven't been too affected by that scandal, even the number of die-hard fans in the fan base is still growing.

According to fans of Xi Guo Chi Jingyuan, who call themselves "Yuanqi", being a fan of Chi Jingyuan is truly blissful. He satisfies every kind of fan, from appearance-based fans to fans who appreciate his physique, girlfriend fans, wife fans, career fans, and even those who admire his fame. He never disappoints his fans.

And when you're online arguing with other families, you always have the most confidence. You can easily find a bunch of arguments and points to back up your attacks on them.

"The term 'Source Rider' as a special title for fans of the Chinese idol Yuan Jiyuan Xia Guo Wei has multiple layers of meaning. The mainstream interpretation refers to 'Guardians of Source,' while the less mainstream interpretations refer to 'Riding on Source' or 'Source Riding on Me.' The specific understanding depends on the fan's personal feelings and preferences."

Despite the efforts of numerous fans from various fandoms, including those dedicated to Chi Jingyuan and EXO, who worked together to whitewash and control online discourse, traces of negativity and rumors about XO have significantly diminished on Chinese social media platforms. What once seemed like a turbulent situation has now calmed down, with everything appearing to be moving in a positive direction.

It is worth mentioning that this year's Shonan New Year's Eve not only invited EXO, but also YG's new boy group ner. It seems they are also thinking about developing in mainland China.

It's a pity that EXO dominates the market here, especially among students. They have a very large share. If you want to open up the Xia Guo market, there's a long way to go.

The Shonan New Year's Eve Concert on December 31st officially started at 7:30 PM, and EXO made their appearance three hours after the opening.

"Next up, this guest... the director gave me a slightly longer introduction for them."

How long is it

"It's just particularly long!"

On stage, several hosts of the event were reading their scripts and starting to build up the atmosphere.

"Personally, I'm going to take some liberties here and condense the lengthy opening remarks into three letters..."

As soon as the prompt "” was uttered, the fans who had come to see EXO immediately erupted in a piercing scream.

"Han Ge, I don't know if I've got it wrong, is it A, B, C, D..."

"E!X!O!"

In the cheers of the audience, EXO's nine members' close-up portraits appeared on several large screens. The bright red background and black oil-printed portraits created a strong contrast, giving a shocking visual impact.

As nine members ascended the stage slowly from the elevator, they were concealed behind a screen, revealing only nine black silhouettes. Under the illumination of spotlights at a unique angle, these figures appeared colossal. Paired with the powerful background music, an air of sophistication immediately emerged.

Today's Hunan New Year's Eve party stage decoration is really great, and it seems that EXO is also very important. Just the introduction and opening ceremony are done very grandly.

"It's dangerous now, I'm warning you, how could you not know"

Please don't give me any more stimulation, I'm getting panicked.

In South Korea, EXO has a unique advantage when it comes to stage performances. They have versions of almost all their songs, and all members have undergone specialized training. While dialogue might be a bit challenging for them, they have truly memorized the pronunciation of the lyrics.

Today EXO had three songs' stages, performing "Growl," "Overdose," and "Lucky."

The first two are their two most well-known hit songs, while the last one was chosen as a performance piece for New Year's Eve because its lyrics were very fitting and timely. It was also the most important song they performed at the end.

"You can call my name, you can hold my hand with sincerity."

The sunshine shone brightly on me, feeling blissfully happy.

As the final song, "cky," began, all nine members walked down from the stage sides, each holding a small gift prepared beforehand by the staff. They entered the audience and started distributing the gifts nonstop, instantly igniting the fans' emotions. Many fans who had come specifically to see them excitedly received the gifts, their hands trembling visibly.

"Happy New Year, everyone."

Thank you everyone...

In the end, the nine people bowed deeply together as they said their farewells. After a final bow, they left the stage, leaving countless mainland fans ecstatic. The long-awaited XO stage had finally come to an end.

But after Ji Jingyuan and the members walked offstage, they couldn't leave. They stayed backstage waiting. After about twenty minutes, they were called back onstage.

EXO is one of the guests for this year's New Year's Eve party.

Several guests were lined up in parallel on stage. EXO stood in two rows on the left side of the stage. Ji Chang Wook, as the MC, interacted with the host in the center C-position of the first row for a few moments. After waiting for a while, the time finally came. A giant countdown number appeared on the big screen, and all the hosts, guests, and even the audience shouted out the final countdown together with all their might.

The other EXO members might not have understood, but even Ji-young caught some of the excitement in the atmosphere. Towards the end of the year, he suddenly got a little excited too, and shouted along with everyone else:

"5."

"4."

3.

"2."

"1!"

The last second of 2014 was gone, the first second of 2015 arrived, and everyone began to shout happily together:

Happy New Year!

The warm and joyful atmosphere touched everyone, whether they participated or not. A sense of excitement and nostalgia for witnessing the passage of time would appear subtly in their hearts.

EXO's stage performance has now come to an end. After greeting the backstage staff, they left the venue and boarded a bus to find a restaurant for a late-night celebratory dinner.

The people on the peninsula also place great importance on cross-year celebrations. New Year's Eve events sometimes even have a more symbolic and grander significance than Chinese New Year.

"Let's take a group photo first, and after that, you can take some selfies. Upload them to your own SNS, it's like celebrating the New Year with fans."

Near the hotel, they found a highly-rated Hunan restaurant. EXO went in and booked a private room. After ordering their food, Lee Seong Hwan clapped his hands and took the initiative to speak.

"Yes!"

The New Year's Eve atmosphere got all the members a little excited. As soon as they heard it, they all stood up. They gathered together in the empty space beside them, standing in two rows. Some were giving thumbs-up, some were making scissor hands, and everyone was smiling happily.

From the moment we crossed into 2014, I encountered many hardships and setbacks. This year officially comes to an end, and EXO has already entered its third year since debut. The rookies who used to be so nervous they couldn't even breathe during activities have gradually become senior groups. Including Ji-sung, all the members have matured a lot after going through so much.

They will strive this year to sweep away the gloom of last year and launch a new offensive toward the summit. They will increasingly stand at the center of the stage, receiving the bows and respect of one after another newcomer who makes their debut. They will also accept them, as well as the increasing challenges from everyone.

Lee Seung-hwan took photos from several angles with his camera and uploaded them to the XO group for them to save themselves. After taking a group photo, Park Ji-won walked to the window and found an angle to take some selfies.

"Hum..."

His cell phone had been vibrating non-stop since a while ago. Many friends, both those he was very close to and those he had only exchanged contact information with but never spoken to, had all politely sent New Year's greetings.

Like Jiang Seqi, Son Seungwan, and Jung Eunji.

like Jennie, Tzuyu...

Chi Jingyuan lowered his head and glanced at the messages a few times. There were too many, and he hadn't read them all, but the content was mostly the same.

Since his debut with EXO, he's met a lot of people. He doesn't know when it started, but his phone contacts are now filled with so many numbers that he needs to think for a while to remember who some of them belong to.

Some can't even remember...

Chi Jingyuan stood by the window with his phone, looking at the night view of Xingcheng through the glass. Even though it was past midnight, many places were still bustling with activity, with red and green lights everywhere. Many skyscrapers displayed congratulatory messages for the arrival of 2015 on their LCD screens. Pedestrians on the street were also in high spirits, and their lives seemed to be getting better day by day.

Finally, Ji Jingyuan looked up at the sky. The bright and round moon hung there, gently reflecting its light on everyone. Its silvery color seemed familiar yet so beautiful.

He stared for a while, then Chi Jingyuan came to his senses. He let out a long sigh and curled the corner of his mouth into a knowing smile. After one last glance at the moon, he turned back, sending a silent blessing to all his friends in his heart.

Happy New Year!

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)) Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

First published on the Chinese Novel Network EXO's farewell stage, they immediately left the stage. On "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook," each group's time is allotted based on the number of guests. XO's portion is already over today, and it's now P...