Chapter 45

This rhythm is definitely not right; could it be that I opened it the wrong way? Li Jingming is now deeply perplexed. According to his plan, he should have given Kim Tae-yeon a good scolding, and then Kim Tae-yeon would have cried and said over a dozen times that she would never bully Jessica again. He would have fulfilled his duty as a friend, and it wouldn't have been in vain for Jessica to come to him to cheer up when she was feeling down.

But now, what is this scene? Kim Tae-yeon is pouring out her troubles to him, and he is listening with great interest because he can relate to her.

In Li Jingming's previous life, he actually didn't want to pursue a political career. However, as the eldest grandson of the Li family, he had to take responsibility for the family's future. The burden on his shoulders was given to him by the family, not chosen by himself. Li Jingming's dream at that time was laughably simple for an heir of a large family: he wanted to be a pastry chef because he enjoyed creating sweet flavors.

Kim Tae-yeon's situation is actually very similar to his at that time. She is just a girl who loves singing and wants to stand on a big stage. However, S.M. Entertainment, because she is the oldest, insisted on making her the leader. She had never even been a group leader for collecting homework in school. Being a leader is not just a title; it is a responsibility. She now has to bear the dreams of nine girls, including herself.

In his previous life, Li Jingming did what he was supposed to do. Now, in this life, he only does what he wants to do. But what about this girl? Li Jingming doesn't know if she will have another chance to finish what she should do and then do what she wants to do.

Whenever a topic involves dreams, it becomes both beautiful and heavy.

Li Jingming listened to Kim Tae-yeon as she talked about the pressure she had been under these days, so much so that she had to come to the Han River Bridge to shout and cheer herself up. He realized that everyone's story is different, and sometimes it's just a matter of perspective. Jessica was sad because her little sisters were being taken care of by someone else, and Kim Tae-yeon was nervous and anxious because she was forced to carry everyone's dreams.

"You don't know how hard it is to practice singing. After each practice, I feel like my brain is oxygen-deprived," Kim Tae-yeon complained. Unconsciously, Li Jingming's role in her eyes had changed from "Jessica's friend" to "perfect listener."

Li Jingming is always a good listener when others want to talk, as if the usual laughing and joking Li Jingming is a different person. He just nods or responds, making others feel comfortable. "Can't you take a break?"

"How can I take a break when everyone is working hard?" Kim Tae-yeon's sparse eyebrows furrowed, looking very cute.

"Isn't the charm of a song expressed through emotion? Just practicing techniques is not enough," Li Jingming said, sharing his own insights.

"But without technique, even the strongest emotions can't be conveyed," Kim Tae-yeon naturally had her own theory.

Li Jingming was actually mistaken. His control over his body is something ordinary people can't achieve, so he can naturally express his emotions through his voice. It's like how martial arts masters can always let out a long, powerful shout when they emerge from seclusion or see a beautiful scene. Ordinary people can't do that; if they don't practice their voices, they will become unfamiliar with the use of their vocal cords and breath. Even those who have been singing for decades have to practice daily to maintain their state.

"Be careful not to hurt your voice," Li Jingming said, having seen many examples of people hurting themselves through excessive practice while learning martial arts. He didn't want this girl to be cut off from her dreams just as they were about to take off.

The Han River Bridge is not long, only one kilometer, and it takes no more than ten minutes to walk from one end to the other. So Li Jingming and Kim Tae-yeon quickly reached the bottom of the bridge.

"Your singing is good?" Li Jingming interrupted Kim Tae-yeon's discussion on frugality, not knowing where the topic would go if he continued. Jessica had said that Kim Tae-yeon was a quiet person, but she talked more than he did. Indeed, women's words can't be fully trusted.

"It's okay," Kim Tae-yeon was being modest. Her face clearly said, "I'm really good," but this expression was good. Confidence is the foundation of showing oneself. Li Jingming himself is a confident person. On his path, there are destined to be many enemies. If he ever thought he couldn't win, even just once, it would be a disaster.

"Can you sing a song?" Li Jingming was also curious about the singing skills that even Jessica was concerned about. He had seen many talented people in America, with singing skills as high as the Empire State Building.

"What do you want me to sing?" Kim Tae-yeon didn't refuse. If she couldn't open up in front of one person, how could she stand in front of thousands of strangers in the future?

"Why don't you sing a song you like?" Li Jingming asked, smiling and looking into Kim Tae-yeon's eyes, which were not big but very bright.

"Of course, I like it," Kim Tae-yeon said without hesitation. She really liked it.

"Then why not sing a song you like?" Li Jingming smiled and looked into Kim Tae-yeon's eyes.

"Then I'll sing 'All That Jazz' for you." Kim Tae-yeon fell in love with the feeling of singing because of this song. The first musical she listened to was "Chicago" (originally a play, not an opera). The young her was completely captivated by the charm of the singers on stage. At that moment, she set a goal to become a singer, not just a dream but a goal, because she knew she had to achieve it.

Her singing skills were really good, and her voice was also good. Although Kim Tae-yeon's voice was not very distinctive, her breath control and full emotion turned this shortcoming into an advantage. This is the voice of a versatile singer. Some people have a hoarse voice like Leonard Cohen, whose voice has a magical effect on沧桑隽永的曲子, but is powerless in sweet and fresh songs; Wang Fei's voice is ethereal and lively, but she would never be able to sing a grand and majestic "I Want to Live for Five Hundred More Years" with imperial grandeur. One could say that the higher the voice's recognizability, the more limited the path, even if they can reach the peak on that path.

Kim Tae-yeon is different. Her voice is not very distinctive, but that doesn't mean it's bad. On the contrary, her path is much wider than most singers. Most importantly, Li Jingming heard Kim Tae-yeon's love for singing in this song.

It was their first meeting today, and Li Jingming didn't abruptly invite Kim Tae-yeon to have dinner together. With his stomach already a bit hungry, Li Jingming decided to go back to LK to eat. He hailed a taxi and took Kim Tae-yeon back to the S.M. trainee dormitory. Nothing unexpected happened, and there were no cliché scenes, only the gradually darkening sky enveloping the city.

"Goodbye, senior." Kim Tae-yeon waved to the taxi, feeling a bit grateful. The senior, who looked younger than her, had said something that relaxed her tense and confused heart. No matter what, singing the songs she liked was enough.

Humming a tune, Kim Tae-yeon walked back to the dormitory. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Tiffany laughing nonstop while surfing the internet. This silly Tiffany, whose laugh points were always low, but a cheerful person can live more easily, right? Kim Tae-yeon thought and pounced on her, hugging Tiffany from behind, "My darling, I'm back."

"Ugh, it's so hot." Tiffany pouted, having already taken a shower, but Tae-yeon hadn't and was "dusty" from being outside, yet she pounced on her.

"Kiss." Kim Tae-yeon's mood was much better today, and she ignored Tiffany's complaints, giving her a firm kiss on the cheek.

"Ah, pervert Tae-yeon, saliva!" Tiffany screamed, her voice so shrill that the whole building could hear.

"Did you see Sica?" Kim Tae-yeon, after a successful attack, rolled around on her bed for a bit and then suddenly remembered something, asking Tiffany.

"Sica goes home on weekends, I don't know. Why are you asking about her?" Tiffany knew that although Jessica and Kim Tae-yeon had never argued or had any conflicts, they seemed a bit incompatible. Why was Tae-yeon asking about Sica today? Was she going to confront her?

But what to confront? There was nothing really between them, just a bit of competitive tension. Hyo-yun and Yoo-ri, who had such a good relationship, barely spoke to each other now. After all, they were just seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls, and their mental maturity was limited. Sometimes it's hard to get out of a rut.

"Oh, nothing, I just saw her friend on the way today and wanted to ask her about it." Kim Tae-yeon wasn't there yesterday and didn't know about the "overhearing" incident outside the practice room.

"Jessica's friend?" Tiffany immediately paused the program on her computer, "A guy?"

"Yeah." Kim Tae-yeon nodded.

"Is he handsome?" Tiffany perked up, her gossip spirit fully ignited. If it were visible, it would be no less impressive than Super Saiyan 3.

"He is handsome." Kim Tae-yeon watched her best friend and roommate squint her eyes. What was this? Just hearing "Jessica's friend" caused such a reaction, a look of gritted teeth. Could it be that Pani had some feelings for Jessica that went beyond friendship?

"The more handsome a man is, the more likely he is to deceive," Pani said angrily, "That bastard actually let Sica stay overnight at his place. Even if Sica was willing, it's not okay. She's still a minor, and he let her stay overnight without her parents' knowledge!"

"Uh, Sica is a few months older than you..." Kim Tae-yeon stuttered, "Stay, stay, stay overnight?"

Kim Tae-yeon had walked and talked with Li Jingming for a while today, feeling that he was a warm and good man. She never expected him to be such a person, preying on underage girls. Wasn't she in danger just now?

"So Sica went home to rest today?" Kim Tae-yeon asked with concern.

"Yeah." Tiffany answered matter-of-factly.

"Is Jessica okay? Could she be pregnant unexpectedly?" Kim Tae-yeon jumped out of bed and grabbed Tiffany's hand, asking.

"Unexpectedly pregnant?" Tiffany's eyelids twitched. Had she said anything about that topic just now?

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