Chapter Ninety-Nine: A Fresh Start

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Entertainment Always Around – No Ads
Story Timeline: June to October, 2006
Recommended Song: Penny Tai – Blessings on the Corner

Disclaimer: This story is purely fictional. Please do not take it personally. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental!

"Jiang Yihan signed with YG?"
"Jiang Yihan’s sloppy life (with photos)."
"Drunk and decadent, living a wasted life."

As Jiang Yihan began his training life at YG, the media started to harass him frequently again. For example, a photo of Jiang Yihan taking out the trash was photoshopped to depict him as sloppy; when Jiang Yihan helped his intoxicated friends home after a night out, the media labeled him a drunkard. The most shocking rumor, however, was the speculation about his signing with YG, which stirred waves both inside and outside the entertainment circle.

The MS company’s repeated failure to sign Li Ran and Jiang Yihan frustrated them greatly. Lee Soo-man even inquired about the situation from Liang Xianxi and Li Tong, but the two gave vague, ambiguous answers in unison, nearly driving Lee Soo-man to frustration.

No matter what the media said, seeing Jiang Yihan now, although the rumors seemed absurd, no one said much anymore. As Jiang Yihan put it, “Is there any image left for me to ruin now?”

The training life was busy and tough. For Jiang Yihan, the dance part was manageable; having practiced hip-hop style dances extensively with Kim Yiyun before, he adapted well now. The key was in the vocal techniques: singing hip-hop differed subtly from singing ballads—in breathing, rhythm, and vocal placement. Jiang Yihan was learning these nuances. Moreover, the posture and dance moves during hip-hop were crucial to showcase the style, as was breath control while singing and dancing simultaneously. Kwon Jiyong and Lee Seunghyun had become Jiang Yihan’s instructors.

Laughter suddenly filled the practice room. Several trainees, exhausted from practice, were playing games. Jiang Yihan was in a "chicken fight" with Kwon Jiyong—a game where you stand on one foot, hold the ankle of the other leg with your hand, and use the knee of the lifted leg to push against your opponent. The loser was the one who fell or put both feet down first.

Jiang Yihan launched the first attack, bumping Kwon Jiyong’s back with his knee. Kwon Jiyong stumbled backward, and Jiang Yihan pressed forward, pushing with his knee. But before Jiang Yihan could finish his move, Kwon Jiyong escaped his attack range. They returned to the starting position.

This time Kwon Jiyong attacked first, raising his knee to press down on Jiang Yihan, intending to unbalance him. However, Jiang Yihan anticipated this and lifted his knee to counterattack, causing Kwon Jiyong to lose balance instead.

They clashed again, knees colliding fiercely, both wincing but unwilling to concede. Suddenly, Jiang Yihan jumped back to release his force. Kwon Jiyong tried to attack forward but faltered, losing his footing and falling. Jiang Yihan took a step back but not far enough, and Kwon Jiyong grabbed him, bringing them both to the floor.

After the intense game, everyone was breathless but smiling, laughter echoing through the room.

“Yihan, have you ever thought about returning to the entertainment world if the truth ever comes out?” Kwon Jiyong asked between gasps.

Silence filled the room, broken only by heavy breathing.

Lee Seunghyun hesitated, then added, “Yeah, Yihan, I think the real you is on stage. I miss seeing you perform.”

“Heh, you’re the hip-hop guy, I’m the ballad singer. Why are you admiring my stage?” Jiang Yihan teased with a smile.

“Exactly. When you sit center stage alone, it feels like the stage is already full—completely yours. You radiate a charm that turns the stage into your domain. Even with dancers or others around, all eyes are on you. You have that power,” Lee Seunghyun said sincerely.

Silence returned, so profound that even the heartbeat seemed amplified. “I want to go back... but I don’t know when.”

That brief sentence conveyed Jiang Yihan’s helplessness and unwillingness to accept defeat. At the peak of his career, he inexplicably fell, dragged down by baseless accusations and the greed and darkness of the industry’s underbelly. He was unwilling to submit, refusing to yield. Though months of quiet life had helped him come to terms with much, his Scorpio-born competitiveness yearned to return to the stage. Now, all he needed was a chance—a chance to prove himself again. Only fate knew when it would come.

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Returning to Li Tong’s office felt unfamiliar to Jiang Yihan. Nearly two months away from the company made everything seem unchanged yet utterly distant, as if a century had passed and he was now in a different world. Jiang Yihan felt disoriented.

“Uncle Li, what do you want to see me about?” Sitting in the familiar seat again felt uncomfortable.

Li Tong didn’t answer right away but smiled—a rare smile that made Jiang Yihan reflect on how unpredictable life was. “How have you been feeling about training at YG lately?”

“Huh? Feeling? About what?” Jiang Yihan seemed to miss the point.

“I noticed you were just staying home before, dealing with some unpleasant things. Then you had the chance to connect with YG and Old Liang showed interest in training you for a while to help change your mood. How do you feel about it?” Li Tong’s smile persisted.

“Oh, I see. I was wondering what was going on.” Jiang Yihan nodded, understanding. “Before, I mainly trained ballads, so switching to a different style felt refreshing. The atmosphere and learning vibe are different but good. It really lifted my spirits. Thanks, Uncle Li.”

“Good, as long as you feel better. Here’s what I want to talk about,” Li Tong got to the point, “I want you to release three albums.”

“What?” Jiang Yihan blurted, shocked.

Li Tong smiled calmly. “I discussed it with Li Ran. He had something to do in Gwangju today, otherwise, he’d be here with us. He’s going to resume managing your work.”

Seeing Jiang Yihan’s hesitation, Li Tong continued, “We’ve talked about this for a long time but didn’t want to pressure you. We all know what you’ve been through hurt you deeply, and you needed time to heal. But we still believe you should stand on stage again to show your true self.”

“But... before...” Jiang Yihan began to voice his concerns, but Li Tong interrupted.

“We’ve considered the past. But look at your achievements—who can deny your talent? Your album sales in Korea are unparalleled. Your success in film is recognized by all. All you need is to come back and let your talent speak for you.” Li Tong laid out their discussions clearly and logically.

Jiang Yihan fell into deep thought. Li Tong added, “We trust you to put out these albums. Why don’t you trust yourself? Our contract ends at the end of the year, and renewing it is already on the agenda. ABC and I don’t want to give up on you because we believe in your ability to captivate everyone.”

After Li Tong’s words, Jiang Yihan looked up, tears welling in his eyes mixed with something else—perhaps gratitude, trust, or happiness.

When someone believes in you this deeply, courage springs from the very depths of the heart, driving you to strive forward.

“Uncle Li, I...” Jiang Yihan took a deep breath. “But I’m afraid of losing the castle’s trust—I don’t trust them anymore. I don’t know what will happen or what consequences will come when I step back on stage.”

Indeed, the wounds of “trust” from past events were etched deeply. Even if Jiang Yihan wanted to return, he hesitated. Li Tong didn’t preach but said simply, “Yihan, do you remember when I first thought of signing you? When you hadn’t trained long, I decided to debut you? Even then, you were nervous and uncertain, yet you accepted the challenge. Now it’s the same—whether you have nothing or start over, don’t you want to see how far you can go?”

Jiang Yihan’s heart struggled, as if pulled from different directions. After a long silence, he finally said two words: “Thank you.”

Simple words, yet unable to express the depth of Jiang Yihan’s feelings—yet the most fitting words to say. Li Tong felt a lump in his throat; this young man whom he had nurtured from debut to success deserved trust and gratitude. What he was doing now was the simplest and only thing he could do. It took immense courage for Jiang Yihan to take this step again—Li Tong dared not imagine how great that courage was.

With the three albums scheduled, Jiang Yihan picked up his pen and music sheets once more, returning to his passion—composition. According to Li Ran’s schedule, the timeline was generous; the albums could be released anytime from January to February 2007, meaning almost half a year to focus entirely on an album. Settling down to enjoy the creative process was now Jiang Yihan’s life.

On the balcony, bathed in sunlight and gentle breeze, surrounded by several green plants, a cup of fragrant coffee, a pen, and a music score—there stood a young man like a painting.

Jiang Yihan bit the pen tip while scribbling on his music sheets, softly humming a few lines, then pursed his lips, pondering the awkward parts, and continued writing. Having accepted the new challenge, he transformed his inner scars into musical notes, gradually becoming more natural, returning to the Jiang Yihan that he was meant to be. Music was the soul of a person, and Jiang Yihan was revealing his soul.

Seeing this side of Jiang Ziyi breathed a sigh of relief—this was the brother truly belonging to him, the most natural and charming version. Watching Jiang Yihan, Li Ran remained calm, knowing Jiang Yihan had never left the industry and never would. Jiang Yihan held a kind of magic that made the industry go crazy for him—before and always. Li Ran never doubted Jiang Yihan’s talent; seeing him like this brought a sense of peace and warmth.

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While Lee Hyori, Li Ran, Jiang Ziyi, and Kwon Jiyong played chess in the lobby, the doorbell unexpectedly rang. It was 11:30 at night—who could be visiting now? Jiang Yihan didn’t hear it, as the room was filled with piano and guitar sounds, along with his low singing.

“Yihan, are you there?” A familiar voice called again.

“Lazy cat, Uncle Park is here,” Li Ran opened Jiang Yihan’s door and called him out. It was Park Young-ho.

“Uncle Park, what brings you here?” Jiang Yihan came out wearing a loose T-shirt, his hair a bit messy but irresistibly charming.

“Yihan, long time no see. How have you been?” Park Young-ho sat down, smiling joyfully.

Lately, everyone seemed unusually cheerful—Li Tong, Li Ran, Jiang Ziyi, Kwon Jiyong, Lee Seunghyun, Lee Hyori, and now Park Young-ho.

“Yeah, I’ve been good, writing some songs to prepare for my three albums.” Jiang Yihan rubbed his forehead, tired from long hours of work.

“Heh, looks like you’re doing well. That’s good.” Park Young-ho didn’t waste time and got to the point. “Did Li Ran ever mention this to you?”

Jiang Yihan looked at Li Ran, who shook his head. Jiang Yihan’s eyes asked what he was hiding. Li Ran shrugged helplessly, signaling Jiang Yihan to listen.

“No need to mention it then.” Without waiting for Jiang Yihan’s complaints to Li Ran, Park Young-ho continued, “I’ve been in talks with Li Ran recently, discussing many things. We think our plan is still feasible.”

“Did you get it wrong today? Consulting with others and not me? First Uncle Li, now Uncle Park. Seriously.” Jiang Yihan grumbled.

“All for your own good,” Li Ran retorted.

“Heh, it’s not Li Ran’s fault. I sought him out,” Park Young-ho smiled. “There were so many things happening recently, but I couldn’t help you, and I felt guilty.”

“Uncle Park, what are you talking about? Really.”

“It’s true. I brought you into this industry, watched you succeed, and with your help, my movie has achieved great success. I’m busy selecting scripts, but you’re just idling at home. How could I feel good about that?” Park Young-ho spoke with deep emotion, clearly touched by Jiang Yihan’s situation. “So I thought long and hard about how to help you. But as a director, I don’t have many options. Recently, a script came to me that I liked. Surprisingly, the screenwriter was someone I knew—your sister, Jiang Ziyi.”

“Ziyi? You gave the script to Uncle Park?” Jiang Yihan was surprised and also felt guilty for neglecting his sister lately. Jiang Ziyi gave her brother an encouraging smile.

“Ziyi’s script is well-written, delicate, and matches my style perfectly, so I was happy. When I contacted Ziyi, she made one condition: the male lead must be you, or she wouldn’t proceed. Of course, I was thrilled. To do something for you and to shoot the film I want—what could be better?” Park Young-ho was visibly delighted.

Seeing Jiang Yihan’s guilt, Jiang Ziyi sat beside him. “Brother, I just want to see you smile. That makes me happy.”

Looking at his sister, Jiang Yihan suddenly realized his immaturity had caused worry for everyone, including her. He felt both guilty and comforted—his sister was growing up, sometimes even looking out for him. Without saying more, the siblings held hands, feeling each other’s warmth.

“But Uncle Park, what about actors? Investment? Who would invest in me now?” Jiang Yihan raised the main concerns.

“Investment isn’t a problem—I’ve already secured it. Many still want to invest in my films, despite some obstacles, but in the end, we found backers. Remember our first movie? The investor, Ziyi, is investing again. Their boss seems to have great faith in you.” Again, Ziyi’s name surfaced, planting seeds of doubt in Jiang Yihan’s heart. She had appeared around him too many times to ignore.

“As for actors, finding them went surprisingly smoothly,” Park Young-ho said without hesitation, then named the actors.