Chapter 19

A person who usually has difficulty getting up was particularly early today. Not only did he wake up early, but he also started to exhaust himself as soon as he got up. First, he washed his face and brushed his teeth, then he started doing push-ups, sit-ups, and everything else that could drain his energy. This was mainly due to the MV that was about to start filming. At 5 a.m., Jin C had called to say that the script had been sent to his email and asked him to read it first, with filming starting at noon.

Li Jingming was very angry. How could someone be so inconsiderate? They had agreed to film in the afternoon, but he was woken up at 5 a.m. to talk about work. After tossing and turning in bed for a while, his strong self-discipline finally got him out of bed.

When it came to getting up, it had a lot to do with his previous life. His profession in his past life required him to wake up early and maintain a vibrant and energetic appearance, so he had long since gotten used to it and could wake up very early. However, it was precisely because he had been waking up early every day for twenty years in his previous life, always looking like he had taken ginseng and sea cucumber, that he developed a rebellious attitude and wanted to be lazy, especially since his current life had been very relaxed so far, making him even more lax.

After skimming through the script, Li Jingming's morning grumpiness dissipated like clouds. His heart was filled with bright sunshine, clear skies, birds singing, and flowers blooming. Ha ha, there was actually a bed scene in it!

Even an MV could have a bed scene. It was undeniable that the screenwriters and directors in South Korea had some creative ideas. God had indeed given Jin C's lecherous uncle the right role. Li Jingming really wanted to shout, "Come on, don't be gentle with me just because I'm a delicate flower!"

The script didn't specify whether they would be partially or fully undressed for the bed scene, as it was still a rough draft with very brief descriptions. However, Jin C said there was no need to create a detailed shot-by-shot script, as he had everything in his mind. "Just go for it" were the words that resonated with Li Jingming.

Although he didn't know how much he would have to take off, Li Jingming decided to do some exercise to be prepared. His body, honed through years of martial arts practice, was well-defined and had a good texture. However, to look even better on camera, some exercise was necessary, and a bit of oil would make it perfect.

Thinking about today's female lead, the beautiful trainee named Li Zhiyan, Li Jingming squinted and drank a large mouthful of cold milk, feeling refreshed. His past life had left him with little opportunity for entertainment or leisure. He had only heard the main melody of "Confession" and liked it, but he had never watched the MV. At that moment, he was imagining Li Zhiyan's shy and shocked expression when she saw his abs.

Before the beauty could come, Li Jingming's intense exercise made him hungry.

Breakfast was essential. During his time studying in Nanjing, China, and Boston, USA, he lived alone in rented apartments, so his cooking skills were quite good. It wasn't that he disliked dormitories or deliberately sought freedom; it was just that living on campus was inconvenient for the family's security. The Li family couldn't have their security forces standing outside the dormitory or checking Harvard students, so Li Jingming had to live off-campus. Having lived two lives, he had never stayed in a public dormitory.

Li Jingming was well aware that there were many people in the world who wanted him dead, whether as the eldest grandson of the Li family or as the owner of those assets. His experiences in his past life made him more cautious than anyone else. Although he seemed to go places alone, he had already built a wall around himself. These people were trained by the Li family from a young age, some of whom were his uncles who had watched him grow up, and others were his childhood friends. Their job was not to protect him from physical harm but to eliminate potential dangers.

There were certainly people who would sacrifice their lives for the Li family, but to have someone willing to give their life for you, you must first be willing to sacrifice your life for them. This was a lesson his grandfather, Li He, had always taught him. The Li family provided these people with protection and gave their descendants things that others could never get, and in return, they repaid the Li family in their own way. This was fair.

The time in China was the most pleasant period of Li Jingming's two lives, which led to his strong affection for China. The cultural depth that permeated every aspect of life, the human touch in the lifestyle, the contented and relaxed mindset, and even the casual and unrestrained dialect of Nanjing, as an observer, he found it very appealing.

Most importantly, the food in China had an irresistible charm that no one with a normal sense of taste could resist. Those Europeans always boasted about their sophisticated dining, with champagne and red wine before and after meals, soup first, then the main course, and finally dessert, with bitter coffee to cleanse the palate. Little did they know that while they were still eating raw meat and drinking blood, the Chinese were already frying, stir-frying, steaming, and sun-drying, and they had never even seen fine salt or sugar.

In the morning, a bowl of dumplings from the Jin family, two large buns, or a steamer of small buns, a beautiful day started with queuing.

When he went to the City of Fireworks to see the peonies, the tea houses there, such as Chun Cha She, Chun Cha She, and Xuan Chun Cha She, showed him the pinnacle of breakfast. Especially the large cooked bean curd threads, the soup-filled buns, and the Huangqiao baked cakes, it was no wonder that in many places in China, breakfast was considered a celebration.

Now, looking at the jam-coated toast and the sausage and fried eggs on the plate, he suddenly had the urge to throw something. Was there no place to buy dumplings in Korea? Of course, there was, but the best place was in Busan, and what was with the dumplings filled with soybean paste? As for Korean buns, they were so disappointing that Li Jingming felt no satisfaction at all. If he hadn't been to China, if he hadn't eaten the buns from the Lao Yin family, if he hadn't experienced the satisfaction of feeling full after eating just two, he might have been able to tolerate the Korean buns. Unfortunately, there were no such "ifs." After years of eating sandwiches in the United States, Li Jingming had tried a few famous Korean breakfast places during his breaks, but he eventually decided to eat at home.

After finishing breakfast with a grudge, he brushed his teeth again, then took off his clothes and started to shower. After a thorough wash, he stood naked in front of the mirror to ensure there was nothing that would be inappropriate on camera before putting on a clean set of clothes and heading out.

He didn't go directly to the filming location but to a beauty salon. Beauty salons in Korea were different from those in China. Chinese beauty salons offered a wide range of services, from facial steaming to foot care, from acne removal to full-body massages, covering almost every part of the body. In Korea, beauty salons mainly focused on hair and makeup, with other services like massage, foot therapy, and nail care being separate and specialized.

Li Jingming was very confident in his face, which was a gift from heaven, "naturally perfect" and didn't need any "artistic touch." However, even the most perfect face needed some assistance to look good on camera. During MV filming, lighting on the face without makeup was not acceptable.

At 7:30 a.m., Li Jingming drove to the destination. The sign outside the shop read "Salon" rather than "Beauty Salon." It was a trusted and reputable place for many artists, recommended by none other than Li Jingming's mother, Jin Runshu. Unlike other artists, this was Li Jingming's first time visiting. He usually went without makeup, and this was the first time he was getting makeup done in this life. In his past life, he had only needed makeup a few times for press conferences. Yes, even those important figures needed makeup. If you watched TV closely, you would notice that they were always made up when they appeared on camera.

Appointments were required, and Korea was a country that valued formality. Li Jingming had booked a top-tier stylist, an internationally award-winning professional. In every industry, there were a few top-tier experts, and Li Jingming had chosen one of them.

When he entered the shop, it was already bustling with activity, and no one was idle. Artists would wake up very early to meet their schedules, especially those in groups with many members, who had to wake up even earlier to get their makeup done and leave together. Sometimes, if the location was far, they might have to come in the middle of the night.

Li Jingming came alone, without a manager or assistant. Only a few people were there to protect his safety, who had already scouted the area and were now waiting nearby. Standing there for a while, no one paid him any attention. Li Jingming didn't recognize many faces in the entertainment industry; he knew their names and stories but couldn't match them to their faces. He also lacked the awareness of an artist, and the people getting their makeup done should have been his seniors, whom he should have greeted with a bow. However, in his experience, it was always others who greeted him, not the other way around.

At first, the artists thought this young man, who was so handsome even without makeup, must be a new artist. But when they saw he had no manager or assistant and showed no signs of recognition, they thought he might be a fan. Li Jingming waited for a while, and when no one approached him, he had to make a call. The person on the other end told him to wait at the entrance and then hung up.

A few minutes later, a woman in her forties came out and waved at Li Jingming. "Oh, you look just like your mother. You're Li Jingming, right? Come in, let's talk inside."

"Hello, Auntie," Li Jingming greeted with a slight bow. His mother had said this woman was a friend and asked him to be polite. With her warm greeting, he didn't want to be rude.

As they walked upstairs, the people downstairs started to speculate.

"President Choi is here today."

"Who is that? To have President Choi come out to greet them personally."

"Looks like they might be an artist. That face is not to be underestimated."

"How could someone so striking not leave an impression? Must be a new artist."

"Why did they ignore us? They didn't even greet us when they came in. If they were an artist, their company would have instructed them to do so."

Everyone asked their stylists if they had any inside information, but no one had any.

Choi Hyun-jin was the president of the salon. She had previously worked in painting but failed to achieve recognition as an artist. In her mid-thirties, she began to study makeup and eventually succeeded in this field thanks to her artistic background and exceptional sense of art. She had gained international recognition and had been running the salon for almost ten years. The lady who recommended Li Jingming, Jin Runshu, was one of her first customers and a true aristocrat who had helped her a lot when she was starting her career.

At first, Choi Hyun-jin only knew that Jin Runshu was very wealthy and had a large entourage, but it wasn't until the day the LG heir came for makeup that she truly understood who Jin Runshu was. That day, Jin Seong-min was getting his makeup done when Jin Runshu arrived. Despite being in the middle of his makeup, Jin Seong-min immediately stood up, bowed, and called her "Nuna." Jin Runshu smiled, nodded, and said, "Being an artist is tough," before walking past.

Although she was five years older, Choi Hyun-jin had always treated Jin Runshu as a friend. That morning, Jin Runshu had called to say her son was coming for a makeover. While others needed to book a week in advance, she had come early to greet him personally. Upon seeing him, she immediately recognized him as Jin Runshu's son, not just by their resemblance but by Li Jingming's demeanor. Choi Hyun-jin, with her extensive experience in reading people, could tell that he was a distinguished young man from a prominent family, not a spoiled rich kid.

Li Jingming stood tall, with a radiant complexion and a confident yet proud expression. He chose a position that best showcased himself, unlike some who preferred to stand in the corner. Choi Hyun-jin could tell at a glance that he was a young man of noble birth, full of vigor and confidence, not a debauched playboy.