Peninsula: Please, I only want to talk about ordinary people.

Chapter 21 Departure

Two days after the pre-trip interviews, the recording of "A Heartbreaking Trip" took place on the day of filming.

Zhao Meiyan hurriedly pushed a small pink suitcase into the Gimpo Airport terminal, wearing a mask on her face.

Seeing the production crew of about twenty people in front of her, she was stunned for a moment, then took off her mask, ran in front of the camera, and bowed to greet them.

"Aninhaseyo!"

Today she wore a cream-white knitted cardigan over a light pink floral dress, the hem of which just went past her knees.

Her hair wasn't styled in a complicated way; it just fell naturally over her shoulders with slightly curled ends, making her look like she stepped straight out of a spring magazine.

Sun Changyu laughed out loud behind the camera; he could already imagine the "miserable state" Zhao Meiyan would be in when she left the Jeju Island airport terminal.

"Miyeon-xi, you're the first one here."

"what?"

Zhao Meiyan was still a little dazed. She looked around and found the seating area in the departure hall empty. Apart from the staff who were setting up the filming equipment, there was no sign of the other three guests.

"Am I the first one? What about the other seniors...?"

"They haven't arrived yet."

Upon hearing Sun Changyu's words, Zhao Meiyan sweetly flirted with the camera.

"So, PD-nim, what benefits do the first ones to arrive get? Like, increased personal travel allowance!"

She had clearly watched the previous program and wanted to use it to improve her treatment over the next two days.

"no."

"Oh my!"

She pursed her lips, and before her drawn-out complaint could fully land, she laughed at herself.

She dragged her suitcase to a bench and sat down, her eyes constantly glancing furtively at the production crew.

Where is PD Kang? Why isn't he here?

She scanned the area again, but still couldn't find Jiang Yongtai.

Just then, someone else came over pushing a suitcase.

Narsha was wearing a long military green trench coat and sunglasses pushed up on her head. She waved when she saw the production crew.

Zhao Meiyan quickly stood up, clasped her hands in front of her, and bowed respectfully to greet him.

"Hello, senior!"

Narsha walked in front of the camera, took off her sunglasses, and greeted the camera in a natural and friendly manner.

"Oh, Miyeon-xi! Hello."

"Does senior-nim know me?"

"Of course, gidle."

After Narsha finished speaking, he hummed two lines of the chorus of "LATATA" and gestured along with the melody.

Just as she finished humming and was about to put her hand down, Zhao Meiyan clapped her hands with shining eyes and hugged Narsha before she could react.

Narsha was caught in her embrace, his hands awkwardly hanging in mid-air, unsure of what to do.

Sun Changyu asked at the opportune moment, "Has Narsha met with Miyeon before?"

"no."

Narsha smiled awkwardly and looked down at Zhao Meiyan, who was still clinging to him.

"Miyeon-ssi, is this a nice meeting?"

"Yes, senior-nim~ Nice to meet you."

Zhao Meiyan raised her face and gave her a simple, honest smile, her tone filled with an irresistible enthusiasm.

Narsha looked at her smile, and his hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, patted her back twice.

"Wow, unnie, you and Mi-yeon are so close?"

Zhang Dulian walked over from the airport entrance, pulling her suitcase. She had her scarf wrapped around her neck twice, and when she spoke, she tucked her chin into her collar.

She stepped into the frame and glanced at the two people embracing.

Narsha, looking burdened, distanced herself from Zhao Meiyan and casually placed her hand on Zhang Dulian's arm.

"This kid is a bit too enthusiastic... It's been a long time since I've seen Du Lian."

Zhao Meiyan turned to Zhang Dulian and bowed respectfully in greeting.

Zhang Dulian looked at her gently and nodded.

"Miyeon-ssi, you look even prettier in person than in photos."

Zhao Meiyan's eyes lit up. She brushed her long hair aside and accepted the compliment without any hesitation.

"Thank you, Miyeon is beautiful today too~"

Zhang Dulian was bewildered by her actions. He had only made a polite remark, but he did not expect to receive such an unbearable reaction.

She turned to look at Narsha and lowered her voice, "Unnie, isn't this child a little crazy?"

Narsha took a half step closer to her and nodded solemnly.

Sun Changyu nodded in satisfaction as he watched the interaction between the three.

Zhao Meiyan performed even better than he expected; it wasn't forced humor, but rather an unpolished sense of variety show humor.

It seems he made the right choice; now all that's missing is Seohyun.

As soon as the three of them sat down on the bench, Jang Do-ryeon untied his scarf and draped it over his knees, then turned to look at Narsha.

"Unnie, how was the 14th anniversary fan meeting? Why aren't you releasing any new songs?!"

Narsha smiled and waved his hand, "We're all this age, and Gain and the others are busy with their own things, so a fan meeting will suffice."

"That's the fourteenth anniversary! If you don't release any songs, we'll run out of material."

Jang Do-yeon held Narsha's hand with a look of regret on his face.

"Hey! Are they trying to prank us on 'Comedy Big League' again? It's been so many years!"

Narsha angrily shook off her hand and then looked at Zhao Meiyan, who was sitting quietly beside them listening to the two reminiscing.

"Miyeon, are you guys releasing a new song soon, Giddle?"

Zhao Meiyan nodded, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, senior, you're making a comeback early next month with a song called 'Oh my god'."

"Oh my god?"

Narsha repeated the song title and gestured to the open space in front of them.

"Let's do a segment here."

Zhao Meiyan was stunned for a moment, then waved her hand in a fluster.

"Now? This song hasn't been released yet..."

"What's there to be afraid of if it's not made public yet? It will be made public when the show airs."

Jang Do-yeon glanced at Cho Mi-yeon's manager in the production crew.

"Your manager has already given his approval. You can dance a cappella. The production team will add the song for you in post-production."

Zhao Meiyan glanced at the two seniors in front of her, then at the affirming look her manager gave her, bit her lower lip, and stood up.

Although she felt a little embarrassed, she knew in her heart that Zhang Dulian and Narsha were helping her find publicity opportunities.

She walked in front of the camera, took a deep breath, and started dancing.

Her cream-white knitted cardigan swayed with her movements, and the hem of her floral skirt swirled slightly above her knees; she performed each movement with great care.

She maintained excellent facial expression control, continuously scattering food in front of the camera while silently reciting song lyrics.

Then, halfway through the jump, she couldn't hold on any longer and suddenly collapsed to the ground, her forehead touching the floor, her shoulders shaking as she laughed.

"Ah—no! It's so weird without music!" Her muffled voice came from the ground.

Narsha and Jang Do-yeon sat on a bench, watching their junior lying on the ground laughing so hard he couldn't lift his head, and remained silent for two seconds.

Then Narsha slowly leaned close to Zhang Dulian's ear.

"Du Lian, this child... did he have any mental problems when he was young?"

Zhang Dulian did not answer, but looked at Zhao Meiyan who was still lying on the ground and nodded with a complicated expression.

Zhao Meiyan got up from the ground, patted her skirt, her ears were red, and a smile she couldn't stop was still on her lips.

"Senior, I can try again... I was a bit improvising just now~"

"We're here! We're here!" Jang Do-yeon quickly shook his head, stood up, and pointed to Seo Hyun, who was the last to arrive.

Seohyun pushed her suitcase over. She was wearing a camel-colored long coat and her black hair was tied in a low ponytail at the back of her head.

With an apologetic yet natural smile on her face, she first bowed slightly towards the production team, then quickened her pace toward the three of them.

"Narsha unnie!"

Seohyun opened her arms to Narsha, the two hugged, and then turned to greet Jang Doyeon.

"Dulian unnie, long time no see~"

Zhao Meiyan stood up beside her and bowed obediently.

"Hello, senior."

Seohyun looked at her and returned the greeting with a smile.

"Miyeon-ssi, it's nice to see you again. We only had a brief meeting on tvN last time, but we can finally record a program together today."

After Seohyun settled into her chair, Jang Do-yeon exchanged a glance with Narsha and then spoke naturally.

"Seohyun, what have you been busy with lately?"

Seohyun understood that Jang Do-yeon's words were not just casual conversation; Kang Young-tae had secured a publicity opportunity for her, and Jang Do-yeon was naturally the person the production team had privately asked to pass on the message.

She tilted her head slightly and smiled.

"Yes, I'm currently filming a new project, which should be released to the audience soon."

"Oh?"

Zhang Dulian followed up by asking, "What role do you play?"

"I play a woman who lives in a lie."

Xu Xian paused, glancing at the camera lens and at Sun Changyu, who was nodding slightly to her.

"I learned how to live with a fake identity from my father when I was young, and I became a conman to survive when I grew up."

But later he got caught up in a bigger scam and had to confront all the lies he had told in the past.

She smiled after she finished speaking, "It's a somewhat complex character."

"It seems like a very challenging role for you."

Zhang Dulian nodded in satisfaction.

This publicity was just right, giving Seohyun enough face without making the show seem like it was sabotaging another TV station.

Seeing that all four guests had arrived and the tasks for the opening segment had been successfully completed, Sun Changyu clapped his hands.

"Alright everyone, welcome to the Jeju Island special episode of 'A Heartbreaking Trip'!"

The four guests clapped in unison, with Zhao Meiyan clapping the loudest.

"The rules are slightly different this time."

Sun Changyu opened the flowchart in his hand, "Today you will be divided into two teams and act independently. Each person's budget is 10."

The team captains for the first day have been decided: one team will have Zhang Dulian and Zhao Meiyan, and the other team will have Xu Xian and Narsha.

Zhang Dulian turned to look at Zhao Meiyan sitting next to him.

Zhao Meiyan braced herself on the chair with both hands, leaned closer to her, and called out sweetly.

"Captain-nim~"

Looking at her smiling face, Zhang Dulian suddenly had a bad feeling.

"But..." Sun Changyu held up one finger.

"The team leader's responsibility is not only to lead the team, but also to each determine a theme."

After meeting at our accommodation tonight, the two teams will score each other, and members of the other team will evaluate your itinerary for today.

The person with the highest score will become the team leader for the next day.

He paused, then turned over the last card in his hand.

"Furthermore, the team leader on the second day will receive an additional 300,000 won for personal travel expenses and can act independently for a day."

"Three hundred thousand!"

Zhao Meiyan's eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together, looking up at the sky as if she were praying for something.

Narsha nudged her gently with her elbow from the side.

"Oh, you're just a team member today, that 300,000 yuan has nothing to do with you tomorrow."

Zhao Meiyan immediately turned to Zhang Dulian, raised her chin, and became arrogant.

"Captain-nim, do you understand how to serve Lady Miyeon well?"

Zhang Dulian looked at her with a wry smile.

"Oh my god, does this person really think she's a princess?"

Sun Changyu looked at Xu Xian.

"Seohyun-ssi, the theme you chose is 'health'."

Seohyun nodded slightly and swept the end of her single ponytail to her shoulder.

"I think whether it's traveling or living, it all comes down to physical strength."

So my theme was very simple: wherever I go, I want to spend the day in the healthiest way possible.

She took her phone out of her coat pocket, and the screen lit up, displaying a pre-prepared list.

Zhang Dulian leaned over for a glance and let out a sigh.

"Wow, you even wrote this down in advance?"

"Inside."

Seohyun smiled, turned her phone screen towards the camera, and read out the messages one by one.

"First, you must eat breakfast. Second, you must walk at least 20,000 steps a day."

Third, one dish in the main meal must be made with healthy ingredients from Jeju Island, such as seafood or vegetables.

Fourth, you must turn off the lights and go to sleep before midnight; you cannot stay up late!

Narsha listened intently, her eyebrows gradually rising. After Seohyun finished reading the last point, she turned to look at Son Chang-woo, her tone calm.

"PD-nim, is it too late for me to switch teams now?"

"It's too late," Sun Changyu replied with a smile.

Seohyun put her phone in her pocket, turned her head to look at Narsha, and smiled gently, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Unnie, you've worked hard today."

"...Hyun, can you consider my age? I can't go that far!"

Narsha muttered something under his breath. Zhang Dulian chuckled beside him.

Looking at the atmosphere of the opposing team, Zhao Meiyan shrank closer to Zhang Dulian and muttered softly.

"Unnie, our team can't be that scary, right?"

Zhang Dulian didn't answer, but instead took out the playing cards he had been carrying in his pocket and smiled meaningfully.

Sun Changyu gestured for him to stop, taking over the conversation.

"Alright, next up is Zhang Dulian..."

"Well, my theme is—'Playing Cards Determine Your Life'!"

"Huh?" Zhao Meiyan blinked, looking at her captain.

What does it mean that "playing cards determine one's life"?

Zhang Dulian cut the playing cards in his hand.

"To put it bluntly, it's about whether you're lucky or not, but it's determined by the value of a playing card."

She gathered the cards into her palm, then gave a mischievous smile, her gaze slowly falling on the pink suitcase next to Zhao Meiyan.

"Miyeon~"

Zhao Meiyan's smile froze on her face.

"……Inside?"

"Let's play a round now, compare the scores, the one with the lower score..."

Zhang Dulian pointed to Zhao Meiyan's suitcase.

"Suitcases are not allowed; you can only use shopping bags to pack your necessary items for the next two days and one night!"

"ah!"

Narsha was the first to call out.

"Are you going to gamble this much? What if Meiyan gives you a low score? You don't want that 300,000 tomorrow?!"

Zhang Dulian shrugged indifferently, seemingly having decided to prioritize the entertainment value of the show.

"Unnie, what if I lose?"

Seohyun chuckled softly beside her, crossed her arms, and looked at Jang Do-yeon.

"Du Lian unnie, even the production team didn't expect you to be this ruthless, did they?"

Zhao Meiyan looked at Zhang Dulian with disdain, and involuntarily moved half an inch to the side.

"Du-ryun unnie... Is it too late for me to switch teams now? I think I'd be a perfect fit for Seohyun sunbaenim's healthy theme!"

"Miyeon~"

Zhang Dulian spread the playing cards out in a fan shape in front of her and said earnestly:

"As a team member, you can only listen to the captain; that's the rule."

"But don't worry, I'm not a bad person. The loser can choose three must-have items, how about it?"

Zhao Meiyan looked at the deck of cards in front of her, then at her pink suitcase, her throat bobbed, she swallowed hard, and reached out her hand.

Narsha and Seohyun both leaned a little closer, their eyes fixed on the card hovering between her fingertips, each more expectant than the other.