85: Social Gangster

“Yoona Eonni, how about the AAA Awards Ceremony? Can we go?” Lim Yoona had a lot of inside information on this, so asking her was a sure bet.

Lim Yoona thought she was going to ask about the awards. “Based on my experience, most of those invited to attend will win an award, so don't worry.”

“Awards don't matter; I don't care for them. Aren't we invited as performance guests? What do you think we need to pay attention to?”

Lim Yoona was speechless. If she remembered correctly, when she first debuted, she would cry for half a day if she won first place. This little brat actually looked down on trophies.

“Child, you're a bit arrogant, can't you be more low-key?”

“My strength is right here, no need.”

“I'm too lazy to bother with you. If it's for a stage performance, it's generally recommended to use a handheld microphone. The environment can be a bit noisy, and a handheld mic has stronger directivity, resulting in better sound quality, you know.”

“Who's going from your group? Is Bae Da Tou going?”

“Yes, I'm going too. It's their first year, so we have to show face. Any other questions? If not, I need to read my script.”

“Yes, yes, yes! It's about this hierarchy of contempt, you know. Do you think it's possible that while I'm dancing on stage, the audience below will have disgusted looks on their faces?”

Bad memories instantly flooded Lim Yoona's mind. They had experienced such things, and being disrespected was truly uncomfortable.

“How should I put it? There will be some of that, no one can avoid it. Just deliver a good performance when the time comes. Besides, you're a producer, what are you afraid of?”

“I have a fiery temper. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back and will throw the mic at someone, implicating Show Ge and the others. I would feel bad about that.”

Lim Yoona was truly speechless. What kind of person was this? Unbelievable.

“Don't be crazy. When you're in the entertainment industry, what's wrong with being criticized a bit? It's no big deal. Think about how fast you make money; being criticized a bit is nothing.”

“That's a clear perspective.” When she first debuted, it was to have some fun, but now her goal was purely for the money.

“Right! Besides, for such a large-scale event, the audience is spread across Asia. What a great opportunity to get exposure.”

She was overthinking it. She was there to make money, so what face did she need? Besides, she never had that kind of 'face' anyway.

“I get it. I'll bring a small notebook. If anyone gives me a dirty look, I'll write it down first, and then I'll deal with them once I've developed further.”

“Hahaha! Arasso, you're capable, alright? I need to memorize my lines. See you the day after tomorrow. I'm off the phone for now.”

Lim Yoona found this little brat really interesting. She had a simple mind, and after seeing all sorts of people, she actually preferred simple people like Xu Zhiyou.

Perhaps this was also why Xu Zhiyou had such good social skills; she could chat with anyone and people were happy to talk to her.

Xu Zhiyou then asked Bae Joo-hyun, Chou Tzuyu, Park Sandara, Kwon Ji-yong, Taeyang, and others, summarizing the information and telling it to Kim Ji-soo and the other three.

Kim Ji-soo looked at Xu Zhiyou with complex eyes. How long had it been, and she had already gathered so much experience?

“What are you looking at? Haven't you seen such a beautiful woman before?” She saw admiration in Kim Ji-soo's eyes, and it would be a shame not to gloat a bit.

“Your old habits are back, aren't they?” She had wanted to praise her, but with that stubborn attitude, she couldn't praise her at all.

...

At 6 PM on the 16th, their variety show's broadcast time perfectly clashed with the AAA Awards Ceremony.

Xu Zhiyou absolutely had to watch it. Comedian Show, Shy Jennie, Big-mouthed Lisa, Wacky Rosé, plus a Genius You—what a great combination.

The four of them looked at the surrounding reporters, and since it was their first time walking the red carpet, they were all a bit nervous.

Turning to look at Xu Zhiyou, she was staring at her phone, giggling foolishly. Her complete relaxation was truly amazing.

“Hahaha!”

Every time she saw the self-introduction segment, she couldn't stop laughing. People needed to be contrasted; this way, her image would surely improve.

She was watching intently when her manager snatched her phone away. “Yah! Leah Unnie, what are you doing?”

“It's your turn to walk the red carpet. I'll give it back to you later.” She was too lazy to explain. Other artists were terrified of their managers, but Xu Zhiyou just ignored her.

Xu Zhiyou glanced at the line in front; it was almost their turn. “Remember to give it back to me.”

“Arasso, but is it really okay for you to wear so many layers? Have you seen any other artist dress like you for a red carpet?”

Other artists were all glamorous and competing for attention, or at least like Kim Ji-soo and the other three, highlighting their figures. Xu Zhiyou, on the other hand, was wrapped in a wool sweater and even wearing long johns, looking as if she was about to freeze to death. She had never seen a female artist like this.

“It's only 3℃ right now. You want me to show my thighs? Are you kidding?” She didn't want to get old-age cold legs; she would be the one suffering in the end.

“Leah Unnie, she looks great dressed like this.” Xu Zhiyou had an excellent figure, a typical clothes hanger.

The others heard this and looked at Xu Zhiyou. She wore a white cable-knit sweater with a textured knit and a knit skirt as a base. Her hair was half-tied, revealing her perfect face shape, making her look gentle and elegant.

Leah felt only discomfort after seeing her. “Sigh! What a waste of such good looks.”

“I agree. She lives a bit roughly. It would be better if she were more refined.” Kim Ji-soo was also a fan of good looks.

She truly loved a silent Xu Zhiyou. Sometimes, she even thought about poisoning Xu Zhiyou to make her mute; it was such a waste of her good looks.

Xu Zhiyou saw Kim Jennie and the others silently nodding, which was truly outrageous. “Yah, I deserve to be ugly, right?”

“That's not it, it's just that this face is wasted on you,” Leah said bluntly.

Her face was an excellent publicity gimmick, but she didn't care about image management at all. The company wanted to create an intellectual persona for her but couldn't even find a way to start.

“This is called being clear-headed. Posing all day long, aren't you tired?!”

“Too lazy to talk to you. Get ready, it's your turn.” Leah suddenly remembered Xu Zhiyou's outrageous move last time.

Turning to Kim Ji-soo, she said, “By the way, Jisoo, watch her. Don't let her shamelessly approach the fan crowd like last time, looking so cheap. I can't take it.”

“Yes! I will, Leah Unnie.”

“Tsk! Fans are our bread and butter. What's wrong with chatting a bit? Without fans, who would care about you?”

“Don't twist my words. I'm telling you not to look cheap. Who said you shouldn't communicate with fans? If you do that again, I'll confiscate your social media accounts.”

“Arasso!”

Although her social media accounts were useless – she hadn't even opened them until now – they were her own channel of communication with the outside world.

Everything was done under her name, and she didn't want them in anyone else's hands, not even her manager's.

After a few steps, she turned back and said, “Remember to give me back my phone. I still want to watch the variety show.”

Leah covered her face. “Watch your head! Jisoo, quickly pull her away. I'm afraid I might not be able to resist killing her.”

“Oh oh~” Kim Ji-soo and Kim Jennie each took one of her arms and quickly pulled her away.

Watching a variety show at an awards ceremony? What kind of crazy idea was that? What if the camera caught her?