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墨書 Inktalez
Today’s filming has concluded, and many classic scenes seem to replay before my eyes. Over the years, everyone has rarely taken the time to reflect on the little moments that have brought us here today.
Feeling quite sentimental, Miao PD and Brother Jae-seok decided to treat everyone today.
Everyone was particularly happy, and the cleanup was done swiftly and lightly. The temptation of meat is always the best motivation.
“Get ready, everyone! Let’s gather at Samsun BBQ Restaurant!” Yoo Jae-suk announced joyfully.
“Okay,” everyone responded while still busy with their tasks.
Some people had already finished and headed to the Barbecue Restaurant to place their orders.
“Anna, where are Sister Jihyo and Brother Gary?” Kwang-soo asked Anna as he pulled her aside.
Anna looked around and realized they were nowhere to be seen.
“Did they go to the Barbecue Restaurant first?” Anna suggested.
“No, I didn’t see them go over,” Kwang-soo replied.
Hearing this conversation, Han Yufei quietly spoke up, “I think I saw them heading towards the back door of the Science Museum.”
“Oh, is that so? It’s fine, Yufei. You can finish up and go ahead,” Anna said with a smile.
Noticing Anna's worried expression, Kwang-soo asked, “What’s wrong? Are you worried?”
Anna shook her head and said, “No.”
“This is their own business; they can handle it.”
“Why did Brother Gary suddenly announce his marriage? Why so suddenly?” Anna asked Kwang-soo.
Kwang-soo said, "Well, I actually don't know either. I find it strange. When I chatted with him before, he mentioned that he didn't have any plans to get married for now... Maybe... could it be that Miss Jeong Eun-hee is pregnant? Is that why they have to get married? That's usually how it goes with celebrities, right?"
Anna slapped him on the head and said, "What are you thinking?"
"You hit me again? I'm much older than you; isn't that a bit unreasonable?" Kwang-soo said, feeling wronged.
Anna smiled. "Alright, hurry up and clean up. It's time to eat."
It wasn't until everyone had been eating for a while that Ji-hyo and Gary joined the group. The two of them sat together, chatting and laughing, creating an atmosphere that felt just like friends joking around, as if everything was just an illusion.
Is this what they call: the way adults solve problems?
Are there too many downsides to being together? Will it hurt the other person? So they turn that suppressed emotion into friendship? Is that how it is?
Anna wondered if in ten years, when she reaches the age of Brother Gary and Sister Jihyo, she would choose to resolve such matters in a way similar to theirs. But the current Anna knows this is not feasible; she has deeply experienced it.
If you truly love someone, no matter what, you cannot suppress those feelings. Unless you stop seeing each other completely, allowing time and distance to fade and erase all emotions, otherwise, such an ideal transformation cannot be achieved.
Maybe what they are doing is indeed right...
She wishes she could be as carefree as they are so that when Park Chan-yeol returns in the future, they could interact as simple friends, playfully joking around, just existing in a corner of his world.
Thinking of this made her heart ache for a moment before fading away. Anna picked up a piece of golden-brown grilled pork belly, wrapped it in lettuce, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"What are you doing? Are you that hungry?" Lee Kwang-soo looked at Anna in confusion.
"Kwang-soo, don't just eat for yourself; make sure to wrap some for Anna too," Jae-seok said with a smile.
"Hey now, she's doing just fine eating by herself," Lee Kwang-soo teased.
Anna shot him a glare and ignored him.
"How about going for another drink?" After the meal, Ji-hyo pulled Anna aside.
"Sister Jihyo, I can't drink anymore," Anna said.
"It's fine, just keep me company while I drink," Ji-hyo replied with a smile as she took a seat in the passenger side of the car.
Looking at the time, it was already past eleven at night. However, Ji-hyo must be feeling quite upset to be acting this way, Anna sighed in understanding and got into the car.
They arrived at a relatively quiet bar and found a discreet corner to sit down. Anna had heard that Ji-hyo could hold her liquor well, but seeing her drink so much today made Anna start to feel a bit worried.
"Sister, please don't drink anymore," Anna urged.
"Ah, it's fine," Ji-hyo said, downing another glass.
"Sister Jihyo, you and Brother Gary... why is Brother Gary suddenly getting married? Don't you think it's a pity?" Anna asked.
Ji-hyo smiled slightly, already showing signs of intoxication. "What's there to regret? We're destined not to be together anyway."
"How do you know if you haven't tried?" Anna said anxiously.
Ji-hyo seemed to have a flicker of something in her eyes. After a moment of silence, she said, "It's too late now; let's leave it at that." Ji-hyo smiled lightly.
Anna understood that things had reached this point, and it was indeed very late. At this stage, saying anything more seemed unnecessary.
Watching Ji-hyo down another drink, Anna didn't know what else to say to ease the sadness. If she got drunk and fell asleep, maybe that would help.
Ji-hyo was out cold on the table, and Anna felt helpless sitting next to her. Just then, Ji-hyo's phone rang. Anna thought about waking her up to answer the call but Ji-hyo merely hummed softly and remained still.
Anna shook her head helplessly and glanced at the number on the phone screen; it was 'Mr. Squid' calling...
Mr. Squid?
Anna understood that this must be Brother Gary's call.
She looked at Ji-hyo for a moment, thought it over, and then answered the phone.
"Is that you, Ji-hyo? Are you home?" Gary's voice came through the receiver.
"Brother Gary, it's Anna."
"Anna?" Gary sounded surprised. "Did I dial the wrong number? Isn't this Ji-hyo's number?"
"No, Brother Gary, you didn't dial wrong. This is Sister Jihyo's phone. We're together right now," Anna said.
"Oh," the straightforward Brother Gary didn't fully understand and assumed that Ji-hyo didn't want to talk to him, so he sounded a bit disappointed.
"Brother Gary, we're outside. Sister Jihyo is drunk," Anna added.
Only then did Gary grasp the situation and asked, "What? Where are you?"
Anna replied, "Bruce Bar."
"Okay, I'll be there right away," Gary said.
Anna wasn't sure if this was a good idea. After helping Gary put Ji-hyo in the car, Anna quietly left on her own.
Seeing their car drive further away in the rearview mirror, Anna started her own car and headed home.
"You have something to do; I'll be there soon." Such words were more reassuring than any sweet talk. Where would they go from here?
Let them decide for themselves; as long as one is alive, it's never too late to choose.
The streetlight at the entrance of her home was broken for some time, leaving the entire road dark. As she turned the corner, a shadow flashed by, startling Anna. When she looked again, the figure had vanished.
So late? Could it be haunted?
Feeling a bit uneasy, Anna parked her car and ran to the door. It felt like a scene from a horror movie; she had a constant feeling that something might appear behind her. Her hand holding the keys trembled slightly as she hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
After changing into slippers, she expected Andy to be asleep, but he just came out from the door on the second floor.
"What's wrong? Why are you back so late?" Andy came down the stairs.
Sure enough, he was enveloped in the scent of Fir Balsam Resin.
"Why are the streetlights outside not on? It's too dark, and a bit scary," Anna said. "Did you go feed those two big guys again?"
"Yeah, they have quite an appetite... By the way, I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?" Anna felt a strange sense of alertness.
Andy smiled and asked, "Have you seen a man with silver hair? Around thirty years old."
Anna was somewhat surprised. The fact that Andy asked such a question indicated that he already knew something. If she denied it now, it would only draw more attention.
She took a sip of water, quickly calming her emotions, nodded gently, and said, "By coincidence, I've seen him a few times. It's hard not to remember someone with such a distinctive hair color."
"Coincidence?" Andy chuckled lightly and looked at Anna. "Stay away from him; there's no benefit in it."
Anna was puzzled. Why did Andy seem to know so much about Hogga? If he had really noticed the relationship between Hogga and her, he should know that Hogga had been helping her since they met. Why did it suddenly become something without benefits? Moreover, why was Andy saying this during Hogga's absence? Had he seen this person during this time?
Seeing Anna's confused expression, Andy said, "You'll understand in time. Staying away from him and Park Chan-yeol is the right choice."
Anna forced a bitter smile and replied, "Don't worry, Andy. I'm already far away from Park Chan-yeol. This time, I just hope he doesn't hold a grudge against me."
"It's late; you should go to bed," Andy said with a slight smile.
Anna nodded and walked toward the bedroom on the second floor.
She took out her keys from her bag, opened the drawer, and retrieved the sealed bottle. As she pulled out the rubber stopper, the same scent as Andy's instantly filled the air.
She replaced the stopper quietly and put the bottle back in its original place before locking the drawer.
The sound of water overflowing from the bathtub could be heard as Anna picked up her pajamas and headed to the bathroom.
Return to the Original Intent Special saw a ratings increase of 3.8, a figure that excited everyone.
With only one episode left in their two-month agreement, the ratings finally rose to 9.2, almost like a Miracle. At least this time, the crisis of member changes seemed to have passed. What they needed to do next was to seize the renewed enthusiasm of the audience and strive to bring Running Man back to its former glory.
The proposal planner for this episode, Anna, received a lot of praise. Besides feeling happy, Anna felt much more relaxed.
“Summer is about to end. Every year after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the production team selects two outstanding staff members to study in the United States for a month. This year, one of them will definitely be you, Anna,” Dong Wan said with a smile.
“Why does it have to be me? My English isn’t that good. Plus, my work performance has been so low recently…” Anna replied.
“You really should go and see. I went last year, and I learned a lot. Although the styles of variety shows in both countries are different, there are many aspects worth learning from, including their filming methods, video editing techniques, CG technology usage, and overall program direction,” Dong Wan explained.
Hearing this from him made Anna somewhat tempted. “Can you really learn that much?”
“Of course! After all, Western pop culture is still the mainstream of global pop culture. While we won’t copy it directly, we can take its essence and combine it with our country’s unique pop culture,” Dong Wan said.
Anna smiled slightly; even if she was genuinely tempted, she would still have to follow her superiors' arrangements if she got the opportunity. “Let’s see what happens; if I can go, that would be great.”
“Anna, someone is looking for you,” Han Yufei walked in and said quietly.
“Who is it?” Anna asked in confusion.
“It’s Jiang Baoyan. I told her to wait for you in the lounge,” Han Yufei replied.
Before Anna could respond, Dong Wan’s eyes widened in excitement, radiating a pink aura.
“Jiang Baoyan? Is she the currently most popular Idol, Jang Bo-Yeon?” Dong Wan asked incredulously.
Han Yufei nodded blankly and said, “I think it’s her; it’s definitely Miss Baoyan.”
“Got it, thank you, Yufei. I’ll go over now,” Anna said with a frown; she didn’t understand what Jang Bo-Yeon was doing here.
“Do you know her, Anna?” Dong Wan asked.
Anna nodded and said, "I suppose so."
"This rare opportunity, Anna, don't forget to take a photo," Dong Wan said with a smile that almost split his face.
Anna glanced at him helplessly, "Oh, Dong Wan, you really are..." At this moment, Anna felt her heart in turmoil and chose to ignore the lovesick Dong Wan, heading towards the lounge.
Originally unrelated people formed an unbreakable connection due to various coincidences. It was strange, but it couldn't be classified as good or bad. As for what purpose Jang Bo-Yeon had in coming here, Anna couldn't guess and didn't care to.
Nietzsche once said, "I feel sad not because you deceived me, but because I can no longer believe you." Anna increasingly understood the feelings behind that statement.
She had previously seen a Chinese writer say, "I have never minded speculating on human nature with the deepest malice." The first time she read this, it shocked Anna. How heavy must a person's heart be to arrive at such a conclusion?
But now, she understood.
All malicious speculation stems from an inability to trust again.
Whether one chooses to stand in darkness and observe others or whether others mercilessly immerse oneself in darkness is indeed a question worth pondering.
That's all there is to it.
"Anna sister." Jang Bo-Yeon, still wearing that same smile, had light makeup on today and wore a sky-blue dress. Her originally black long hair was slightly curled, and she was still as beautiful as ever.
"Hello, Jiang Baoyan." Anna smiled lightly and sat down on the sofa next to Jang Bo-Yeon.
A moment of silence passed as both seemed to be contemplating how to start the next topic. Although it might revolve around one person, what they wanted to express would be entirely different.
Finally, it was Jang Bo-Yeon who spoke first.
"Anna sister, do you know about Brother Canlie going to Australia?" Jiang Baoyan asked.
Anna nodded and replied, "I know."
Seeing Anna's calm demeanor made Jang Bo-Yeon feel somewhat stiff. She raised the corners of her mouth and said, "Since you know, why don't you try to keep him? Why did you say such hurtful things before? Why..."
"Anna" interrupted her words. "Jang Bo-Yeon, you were the one who tried so hard to keep me apart from him before, and you were the one by his side at that time. Keep him here? For what reason?"
"No matter what reason!" Jang Bo-Yeon became somewhat angry at Anna's words. Anna had never seen her like this before; it was the first time she saw the smile fade from her face, tears slowly filling her eyes. Yet Jang Bo-Yeon remained stubborn, biting her lip. "No matter what reason, he has to come back... I miss him so much, and I'm so scared he won't return to Korea... This time I'm begging you, just let Brother Canlie come back..."
"And then what?" Anna never believed that Jang Bo-Yeon would give up her feelings for Park Chan-yeol; she had been certain of this from the beginning.
"And then... and then..." Jang Bo-Yeon clenched her hands tightly, unwilling to say the next sentence. Tears dripped onto her skirt.
"Jiang Baoyan, you have to ask others for help just to bring him back here. What confidence do you have that he will stay by your side?" Anna raised the corner of her mouth.
Jang Bo-Yeon stubbornly looked at Anna and said, "That's none of your business."
Anna lowered her head, smiled slightly, and said, "Yes, I really can't interfere."
Anna stood up; she had already decided what to do about this matter. However, she didn't want to waste more breath explaining anything to Jang Bo-Yeon. As she said, it was not Anna's place to interfere in her affairs, so whatever Anna decided to do did not need to be explained to her.
"Where are you going?!" Jang Bo-Yeon also stood up.
"I heard everything you said; I know what to do," Anna replied.
How could Jang Bo-Yeon feel at ease? She anxiously grabbed Anna's arm. "Do you know that the shareholders' meeting is about to be held? Kim Mi-kyung's shares will soon surpass those of the largest shareholder in the company. I already know that your brother Zheng Andy is currently the chairman of Century Group. Don't tell me this has nothing to do with him. Tell me, is it because you don't want Brother Canlie to continue being an artist that you're involved in this? Are you seeking revenge?"
Anna looked at her helplessly, brushed off her hand gripping her arm, smiled, and said, "Jiang Baoyan, do you know? The first time I met you, I thought you were very cute and beautiful. So please don't make yourself so despicable."
"What?"
"If I disregarded Park Chan-yeol's dreams and career and selfishly stayed with him without care, why would I need to resort to such tactics? It's you who has orchestrated so much behind the scenes and forced roles upon me in your imagined script. But what is the outcome? In the end, you're asking me to bring Park Chan-yeol back? Jiang Baoyan, maybe you can get things right once or twice, but you can't always be right; not everything will go according to your wishes, especially in matters of the heart. I've never found Kim Mi-kyung scary or pitiful; on the contrary, I am quite moved by her actions. But for you, I truly hope this will be our last conversation."
Anna turned to leave again when Jang Bo-Yeon quickly blocked her path.
"Don't go! Anna Zheng." Jang Bo-Yeon sneered coldly. "I have known Brother Canlie for a long time; I have long been aware of Kim Mi-kyung's existence. But I never cared about her because I knew Brother Canlie wouldn't like her. Do you know how much effort I've put in just to stand on the same level as Brother Canlie? After all my struggles, I've finally reached a position where I can stand beside him. I won't allow him to leave or allow you to get close to him."
Anna couldn't believe it; she didn't understand why such greed sounded so natural and justified coming from Jiang Baoyan's lips.
Anna walked past Jang Bo-Yeon and said, "Alright, I understand."
"And then?" Jang Bo-Yeon continued to question Anna's retreating figure.
"Since you can't do anything, Miss Baoyan, please be patient and wait."
"Anna..."
Anna did not listen to her next words; she left the room and closed the door. She walked towards the studio in her flat white canvas shoes, making no sound on the floor. The corridor was empty, and the light was particularly blinding. Anna's thoughts seemed to be pulled back to that time. Lured by a fraudulent text message to SBS during a break, it felt just like this moment—walking down an empty corridor to a dark archive room, where she encountered an unforgettable nightmare.
If only time could rewind to that moment, when she hadn’t believed that text message or had followed Kwang-soo's advice to come with him. Would that nightmare have been avoided? Would Park Chan-yeol have appeared alongside the bright light in her moment of despair? The trajectory of fate had already shifted dramatically at that time, leading everyone down a winding path of struggle.
The sound of a door closing echoed behind her; the click of high heels resonated in the corridor. Anna knew it was Jang Bo-Yeon leaving.
And indeed, there was little time left for her.
Park Seok poked his head out from the studio and saw Anna approaching. He shouted, "Anna, hurry up! It's time for the meeting."
Anna nodded and quickened her pace. "Okay, I'm coming."
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