Chapter 495 - 329: Spread Too Thin

Chapter 495: Chapter 329: Spread Too Thin

"You quit?"

Lin Chen’s ears perked up at the keyword.

"Didn’t you say your childhood dream was to be an idol? How did you end up with a job?"

"I didn’t make the cut."

Jin Meiyan shrugged helplessly. "You probably know this, but the star-making culture is huge in South Korea. Ninety percent of girls dream of becoming an idol when they’re little. A lot of them start taking singing and dancing lessons in kindergarten."

"I grew up abroad, so I got a later start than them. On top of that, I had to juggle my schoolwork and Korean lessons, so I really couldn’t squeeze out much time. Later, to chase my dream with everything I had, I barely slept. I just barely managed to get my high school diploma."

"Starting in middle school, I was constantly auditioning for all the major agencies. The best I ever did was making the top eight. If I’d pushed just a little harder, I might have had a chance of being picked, but I was already fifteen by then."

For kids in most countries, fifteen is an age for carefree studying.

But for kids in South Korea who want to be idols, that’s already considered old.

Basically, the ones who debut usually join an agency around age thirteen. Then they go through two or three years of training, or even more, and only get to debut if they meet the right conditions. The training period for some can be practically endless.

If you haven’t been picked by fifteen, you train for another two years, get picked at seventeen or eighteen, and then spend a few more years as a trainee... by that point, you have no value in the star-making industry.

"After that, I went to a gosiwon, studied hard, and got into university. I ended up becoming a flight attendant. In my free time, I filmed some makeup tutorials and became a blogger, earning my own income."

"And then... well, how should I put it... I ran into some things I couldn’t tolerate, so I quit. I decided to become a full-time blogger, but makeup content alone isn’t enough to support me, so I thought I’d try making travel videos."

"So where have you been so far?"

"Hehe, it’s a little embarrassing to say, but for now, I’ve only filmed travel videos within South Korea. I’ve been to Thailand once and Japan once. The United States has been a bit dangerous lately, so I thought I’d come play in neighboring Canada. It just so happens to be whale-watching season, and I stumbled across your video, so here I am."

Lin Chen hadn’t expected this girl, who was more than a year younger than him, to have such a rich life experience. It was no wonder she didn’t seem like she was twenty-four; she had the air of a mature woman.

’But it makes sense,’ he thought. ’South Korean girls start wearing makeup from a young age. Plus, she danced and went through auditions, so her interpersonal skills were probably honed long ago. It’s not strange that she seems so mature.’

The thought of Jin Meiyan dancing for over a decade and almost becoming a trainee made Lin Chen’s gaze subconsciously sweep over her.

He hadn’t paid much attention before, but looking closely now, he saw she was wearing a simple white shirt. While it wasn’t tight, it still subtly revealed a slender waist and a rather proud, sizable chest.

On her lower half, she wore a very ordinary pair of denim hot pants, her long, fair legs shimmering under the sun, reflecting a smooth, jade-like translucence.

’As far as he knew, almost all female South Korean trainees and dancing idols also practiced yoga or Pilates to improve their flexibility and curves. She was probably no exception.’

After just a single glance, he quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to be caught and leave a bad impression.

’She already said she quit because of problems at work related to the senior-junior culture. With her looks and aura, I can guess what kind of trouble that was without even trying.’

"Why not go visit Great Xia? Didn’t you just say you were very interested in Daxia Cuisine?"

"It’s no fun going alone!"

Speaking of which, Jin Meiyan puffed up her cheeks and stomped her foot. "My friends all go in groups. Isn’t there a visa-free policy right now? I asked them if I could travel alone, and they said I could, but there’s just too much good food in Great Xia. If you go by yourself, you can’t order more than a few dishes."

"I thought about it and they’re right. It would be a shame to finally go and not be able to eat my fill. And if there aren’t many dishes, it won’t look good for my video either. So I figured I’d wait until I could find someone to go with."

"April happens to be the off-season for travel, so the tickets were cheap, and I could go whale watching. That’s why I came here first."

"It’s perfect! Oppa, you’re one of the Da Xia People. If I can learn a few Daxia phrases from you and taste some authentic Daxia Cuisine, I’ll feel more confident. Then I won’t be worried when I go to Great Xia!"

"What are you two so happy talking about?"

Erica walked back, carrying a large trash bag full of empty plastic food containers.

She hadn’t expected the two of them to talk on and on. It had already been over ten minutes. If they kept at it, the sun would set!

"We were just talking about my past experiences. Since South Korea’s idol culture is pretty famous, and Oppa said he used to watch a lot of Korean variety shows and knew a bit about it, we just chatted about that."

"Oppa?"

Erica’s eyes narrowed, precisely catching the keyword.

Although she didn’t know what it meant, she was sure it wasn’t English.

Jin Meiyan is South Korean, and she definitely doesn’t speak Chinese, otherwise they wouldn’t be communicating in English. So, that word must be Korean.

And in the context of that last sentence, this "Oppa" undoubtedly referred to Lin Chen.

’Not calling him by name, but by a title?’

’They only just met half an hour ago, so how does it feel like she’s already closer to him than I am?’

’Most importantly, this Korean girl came here wearing a full face of makeup and was dressed so neatly. You could tell at a glance she had a great figure hidden under that white shirt.’

’Meanwhile, I only put on some light makeup and I’m wearing baggy clothes. Standing next to her, I inexplicably feel outshone.’

’My full hips and long legs, which I was always proud of, actually look a bit chubby next to this girl.’

Putting aside these subjective views, she secretly snuck a few more glances at Jin Meiyan’s long, slender, fair legs.

’Damn, so slender and long. Even I want to touch those legs!’

’No, I have to lose weight. Look at my thick legs!!’

"Uh, anyway, thanks for your hard work, Erica. Let’s head back. We can discuss when to start filming the second episode and the issue of the workers’ meals."

"And the date and itinerary for whale watching," Jin Meiyan said with a light smile, holding up a finger. "Before I came, Erica mentioned you hoped I could join the filming for the whale watching. Of course I’m okay with it. Oppa has way more fans than I do. It’s a joint shoot, but I’m the one benefiting from it."

’Oppa again!’

’What on earth does ’Oppa’ mean?’

Erica felt like she was going crazy with curiosity. She wished she could pull out her phone and look it up right then and there, but she didn’t want to be too obvious.

The two of them clearly just seemed to be having a normal conversation. If she suddenly acted strangely, she would inevitably arouse Lin Chen’s dislike.

The two of them didn’t have any kind of real relationship yet, and she didn’t want Lin Chen to think she was a jealous woman.

"You sit in the back with her," Lin Chen said. "You can tell her about the area. That way I won’t have to talk while I’m driving."

After putting the insulated container and the trash bag in the trunk and opening the car doors for the two women, he walked over and said a few words to the driver before getting into the driver’s seat himself.

After chatting throughout the drive, Erica’s anxious heart finally settled back into her chest.

This Miss Jin Meiyan wasn’t a fan of Lin Chen’s, nor had she come specifically for him. That point alone was enough to eliminate a lot of unnecessary thoughts.

When they got home, after showing Jin Meiyan to the guest room on the first floor and getting her settled, Erica ducked back into her own room, closed the door, and pulled out her phone to search online.

"’Oppa, a Korean term used by a female as a respectful form of address for an older male, typically used only in close, friendly relationships?’"

The first half of the sentence made her breathe a sigh of relief, but after reading the second half, a row of question marks instantly appeared over her head.

’How are they "close" already?’

’Or is it just that I don’t understand South Korean culture, so I’m misunderstanding something?’

’Damn it, Daxia Culture is already enough of a headache. Don’t tell me I have to learn about South Korean culture now too?’

’No, no, I don’t have the energy to learn two languages at the same time. And at the end of the day, she’s just here to travel and film videos. She’ll leave after a while. I don’t need to get hung up on this.’

’Right, that’s it. Just relax.’

She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and forced a smile onto her face.

’Looks like it’s time to watch some videos about relationships. I can’t just let my half-assed personality run wild.’

She quickly adjusted her mindset, because she thought of a situation she would inevitably have to face.

Once the first phase of Lin Chen’s business was established, a lot of his fans would surely come to experience it. There would inevitably be photos, hugs, and things like that.

Having female fans was a given. Was she supposed to be on guard against every single one of them?

Thinking about it from that angle, there was no doubt that her own mindset was the problem.

For no particular reason, she remembered how her ex-boyfriends back in school would inexplicably fly into a rage and yell at her when she participated in club activities.

’So that’s how it was.’

’Is this... what jealousy feels like?’

’Yeah, it’s the same feeling as when I was a kid, jealous of other kids who had lunches their moms made or whose moms picked them up after school.’

Lin Chen took a quick shower and came out to find the living room empty. Both bedroom doors were shut tight. He didn’t disturb them, instead going to the kitchen to check the remaining ingredients and jot them down.

Since this was the first time shopping, they had to buy all sorts of spices and tools, so the cost was definitely higher than the normal food budget. That was to be expected. He’d have to cover the extra cost himself; he couldn’t let the driver pay for it out of his own pocket.

Besides flour, there was only some rice left. Based on today’s consumption, it would be just enough for tomorrow.

The problem now was how to balance making lunch for the workers and taking Jin Meiyan out for a wilderness survival experience.

As the star of the channel, he definitely had to make an appearance. That meant he had to personally take his guest into the mountains.

If he wasn’t there, Erica definitely couldn’t cook, which meant he had to prepare enough food in advance—something simple that could be served just by heating it up.