Peninsula: Starting with forming a group with the nation's little sister

Chapter 83 An Unexpected Meeting

Stepping into the stadium, the noise was so loud it hurt my ears.

Purple light boards and banners in support completely surrounded the venue.

Backstage in the dressing room, the costume designer was nervously adjusting the skirt for Lee Ji-eun's opening stage performance.

Huang Lizhi sat on the sofa next to her, glancing at her phone every now and then. The screen still showed the last message Lin Yuan had sent last night: "Remind her to bring an extra coat."

She hasn't conveyed those words yet; she wants Oppa to say them to her face, because that's the Oppa she truly loves.

The door to the dressing room was tightly closed, and with his time to go on stage fast approaching, Huang Lizhi had no choice but to look away, his eyes shifting from anticipation to disappointment.

Is Oppa really not coming?

"Yeji, bring me that white cardigan." Lee Ji-eun's voice suddenly rang out.

Hwang Ye-ji snapped out of her daze, quickly stood up, handed her the jacket, and asked hesitantly, "Unnie, the stadium is heated, should we wear it now?"

Lee Ji-eun took the coat, her fingertips tracing the soft knit fabric, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "It's gotten colder in Haishi today, it'll be chilly when we go out after rehearsal. I don't know why... but I feel like I should wear an extra layer."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lizhi's eyes reddened, and she turned her head to the side, desperately trying to hold back her tears.

Some unspoken understandings, even across mountains and seas and a five-month gap, remain so punctual that they are heartbreaking.

"IUxi is ready to go on stage."

At that moment, the staff member's voice came through.

Lee Ji-eun composed herself, took a deep breath, clenched her fist, and whispered to herself, "Fighting!"

As she walked down the dimly lit corridor, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and the grievances in her heart surged up at that moment.

She kept waiting for that man to appear, even if it was just a phone call, a text message, or a... face-to-face meeting.

"You filthy scoundrel, you're really disgusting."

Lee Ji-eun laughed self-deprecatingly, tilted her head back, forced back her tears, and swallowed her grievances alone.

When the light shines, she will still be the most dazzling IU.

.....

The far right of the front row in the audience.

Mieko chose the spot, which had the best view; everything on stage was clearly visible.

Lin Yuan had put on a mask without realizing it, and his heart pounded with each countdown on the screen.

When the number '1' appeared, two beams of light descended from above, and Lee Ji-eun's figure appeared in the center of the stage, followed by the start of music.

It's "A Good Day"!

The fans erupted in cheers, waving their light sticks and clapping and shouting.

"IU!"

"IU!"

"IU!"

"She's lost weight."

Lin Yuan didn't open his mouth, his eyes following Li Zhi'en's figure, applauding her in his heart.

Mihoko smiled happily, her hands almost red from clapping, seemingly even more excited than Lee Ji-eun.

She tugged at Lin Yuan's sleeve, "Darling, Zhi En is really dazzling, isn't she?"

Lin Yuan nodded reluctantly, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth beneath his mask.

As the iconic three high notes landed perfectly, the crowd's enthusiasm reached its peak.

Lee Ji-eun walked to the right side of the stage to interact with the audience, maintaining an impeccable professional smile while casually glancing over the VIP section in the front row.

A man wearing a mask and hat came into view.

In an instant, she knew that the person she had been longing for had arrived.

She also had that hat; it was a matching pair they bought while shopping, but she hadn't worn it since saying "break up."

She had considered throwing it away, but always regretted it at the last minute.

Lee Ji-eun suppressed her excitement and slowly moved towards that spot.

Finally, just as the music ended, she stood in front of Lin Yuan, extended her hand, and said, "Hello?"

Her voice trembled slightly at that moment, and her palms were sweaty.

Lin Yuan stared blankly at Li Zhi'en, his mind a complete blank, not knowing what to do.

Reach out? Or get up and hug?

Seeing that all eyes were on them, Mihoko gritted her teeth and pinched Lin Yuan's waist.

"what!"

Lin Yuan couldn't help but jump up, frantically rubbing his waist, and looked at Mei Huizi in confusion, wondering why she was doing this.

Do pregnant women also have unpredictable moods?

This is what he's thinking now.

"Pfft"

Lee Ji-eun, whose eyes were originally red and who was even prepared to "hold his hand even if she lost her composure in front of millions of people," couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Lin Yuan comically clutching his waist and jumping up.

The laughter traveled through the still-on microphone throughout the stadium, only to be quickly drowned out by the deafening screams from the crowd.

The fans in the surrounding rows began to jeer and exclaim with envy.

"Wow, that male fan is so lucky!"

"IU is interacting with him! Why is he just standing there blankly? It's driving me crazy!"

"Is this what it means to be calm and collected for the wealthy, even with IU standing right in front of them?"

Mieko rolled her eyes in exasperation, desperately nudging Lin Yuan's ribs with her elbow while hissing through gritted teeth in low Japanese, "Baka! All the cameras and lights are about to pan over here! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and hand me your hand!"

Lin Yuan was instantly brought back to reality by Mei Huizi's urging.

He suddenly raised his head.

Lee Ji-eun was standing less than half a meter away from him; he could kiss her anytime he wanted.

The stage lights shone down on her from behind, as if God had given her a golden edge.

She was still wearing the long dress that had been prepared for the opening stage.

At this distance, Lin Yuan could clearly see her slightly trembling eyelashes, her surprised eyes, and her slightly open mouth as she breathed.

You idiot...you're a hopeless idiot.

She's a seasoned artist, yet she acts like an innocent naiveté.

Lee Ji-eun was somewhat disappointed in him.

If it weren't a fan meeting, she would have loved to crack open Lin Yuan's head to see what was inside.

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and put down his hands that were rubbing his lower back.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, he finally extended his right hand, facing the blinding light, and steadily covered the warm, slender, but slightly trembling palm.

"Hello there."

Lin Yuan spoke, his voice hoarse beyond belief, even through the thick mask.

The moment their hands touched, both of their bodies visibly stiffened.

Lin Yuan instinctively wanted to cup her hand in his palm and gently knead it, just like before, but reason immediately pulled him back. Instead, he only grasped the tips of her fingers and then quickly separated them.

Lee Ji-eun's eyes turned completely red the moment they clasped hands.

Large, warm hands, a familiar strength, and that familiar, comforting scent.

It's him!It's really him!

Instead of letting go immediately, she provocatively, as if punishing him, suddenly tightened her grip and squeezed Lin Yuan's hand hard.

The pain of the manicured nails piercing his skin shot straight to Lin Yuan's heart, and a bitter taste spread across his mouth.

"Thank you for your support," Lee Ji-eun said playfully, blinking her eyes.

The lights converged on the stage at that moment, and Lee Ji-eun knew it was time to leave!

She gave Lin Yuan a fierce look, glanced defiantly at Mei Huizi, then raised her neck like a proud white swan and returned to her stage.