91: Chapter 91 The Invitation to the Blue Dragon Award for Best Actress

The main stadium of the Seoul Jamsil Sports Complex, which can accommodate 69,000 people, was packed tonight.

A sea of red, pink, and purple cheering lights rose and fell within the venue, like a breathing sea of stars.

In the center of the stage, Lee Hyori had just finished an upbeat song. The music was still echoing in the aftertaste. She held the microphone, her breathing a bit rapid, but her smile was radiant.

"Everyone, are you happy?" she shouted to the audience.

"Happy!!!" came the deafening response.

Lee Hyori laughed, walked to the edge of the stage, wiped her sweat on a towel handed by a backup dancer, and then tossed it into the audience, sparking another round of screams.

"For this next song," she adjusted her in-ear monitor, her voice traveling through the top-tier sound system to every corner of the venue, "it's a duet love song from my new album, titled 'Closer'."

The audience erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers.

"Originally, this song was supposed to be a collaboration with Kim Jong-kook sunbaenim." Lee Hyori walked slowly on the stage, the sound of her high heels tapping on the stage floor amplified by the microphone, carrying a sense of rhythm. "But Jong-kook oppa is filming a movie and doesn't have time. So..."

She deliberately dragged out her voice, the stage lights dimmed, leaving only one spotlight on her.

"So I've invited another special guest."

The music intro began, a soft piano melody.

The lift at the back of the stage rose slowly. Song Tianhao stood on it, wearing a well-tailored black suit, the top two buttons of his white shirt undone, no tie. He held the microphone, looking at the audience with a calm gaze.

A brief silence.

Then, the fans' screams and cheers almost tore the roof off the venue.

"Song Tianhao!!!"

"It's actually President Song!!!"

"Ahhh! Oh my god!!!"

Lee Hyori turned around, looking at Song Tianhao on the lift, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

She walked to the center of the stage and waited for Song Tianhao to step down from the lift before she spoke: "This person, some may know him, and some may not. Song Tianhao, the boss of Sky Entertainment, and also last year's Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards."

Another round of cheers from the audience.

"But tonight," Lee Hyori tilted her head to look at Song Tianhao and blinked, "he is not a president, nor is he a film emperor. He is just my duet guest. Right, Tianhao?"

She changed her address from "President Song" to "Tianhao." This change in address made the fans' screams in the audience go up another octave.

Song Tianhao smiled and said into the microphone: "That's right, Noona Hyori."

He also changed his address, from "Sunbaenim" to "Noona."

This detail was captured by the sharp fans, and the atmosphere at the scene became even more heated.

The music officially entered the main verse.

Lee Hyori started first. Her voice was lazy yet sexy, like a glass of whiskey in a midnight bar. Song Tianhao followed, his voice deep and magnetic, forming a wonderful harmony with Lee Hyori's voice.

The two walked slowly closer on the stage, following the choreography from the rehearsal, exchanging eye contact, and their movements were in perfect sync.

In the chorus, the designed move came. Lee Hyori turned and leaned backward.

The audience held their breath.

Song Tianhao stepped forward, his right hand firmly supporting her back, his left hand holding her shoulder, catching her in his arms. The movement was smooth and natural, even more composed than in the rehearsal.

Lee Hyori fell into his arms, looking up at him, her eyes reflecting the stage lights, shining surprisingly bright.

According to the rehearsal, this should have been a brief freeze, and then Lee Hyori would get up and continue singing.

However, Song Tianhao did not help her up immediately.

He lowered his head, leaned close to her ear, and said something in the gap of the music in a voice only the two of them could hear.

The voice was very soft, but it was amplified a little bit through the microphone Lee Hyori was wearing.

Although the content could not be heard clearly, that breathy voice, that proximity, was clearly captured by tens of thousands of audience members and countless cameras.

Lee Hyori was stunned for a moment, and then, a smile that was radiant to the extreme bloomed on her face.

It was not a stage-style, well-trained smile, but a heartfelt, slightly shy, and pleasantly surprised smile.

Her cheeks flushed, her eyes curved into crescents, and she trembled slightly in Song Tianhao's arms, as if her heart had been struck by something.

The big screen captured this smile.

The audience was quiet for a moment, and then erupted into deafening screams and teasing.

"Ahhhh—!!!"

"What did he say? What did he say?!"

"My god, so sweet!!!"

Lee Hyori stood up with the help of Song Tianhao and continued to sing, but that smile remained on her face and did not fade until the song ended.

As the last note of the music fell, the two stood in the center of the stage, the lights shining on them.

Lee Hyori panted, holding the microphone, looking at the boiling audience, and suddenly said: "Tianhao."

"Nae, Noona," Song Tianhao replied.

"Thank you for coming today," Lee Hyori said, her voice trembling slightly through the microphone, "Really, thank you so much."

Song Tianhao looked at her and nodded gently.

Fans in the audience started to cry, shouting "Unnie, don't cry" and "Hyori Unnie is the best" while crying.

Lee Hyori took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and then smiled: "However, since we are so happy today, how can one song be enough?"

She turned around, looked at the director's area on the side of the stage, and blinked.

The director immediately understood and cut the camera to the VIP area.

On the big screen, the faces of the six members of T-ara and the nine members of Girls Generation appeared. The fifteen girls were sitting together, dressed in casual clothes, without makeup, but their youthful, radiant faces were still dazzling under the lens.

Another round of screams at the scene.

"Today, my juniors are also here," Lee Hyori said, her voice filled with a smile, "So, I decided to give Tianhao a gift."

She paused, and amidst the curious gazes of the audience, she announced loudly: "Please invite my juniors to the stage, we will sing 'U-Go-Girl' together!"

As soon as the words fell, the scene exploded.

"U-Go-Girl" was Lee Hyori's representative work in 2008, sweeping all major music charts, with simple and addictive choreography, almost a national-level song in South Korea.

Lee Hyori letting the fifteen girls from Sky Entertainment perform this song on stage was no longer a simple guest segment; it was an open promotion by a top-tier senior for her juniors, an endorsement from the national diva.

In the VIP seats, the fifteen girls were stunned.

They were just here to visit the set today. Park So-yeon said she bought drinks, Kim Taeyeon said she made lunch boxes, Park Hyomin said she wanted to learn stage presence, and Lee Qri said she wanted to see the president dance.

But in fact, they all knew in their hearts that they just wanted to see the collaboration stage between Song Tianhao and Lee Hyori.

But they didn't expect Lee Hyori to suddenly do this.

On stage, Song Tianhao was also stunned, but quickly regained his calm. He said to the director through his in-ear monitor: "Give them microphones, prepare fifteen in-ear monitors, quickly."

The director replied in the in-ear monitor: "Already preparing, thirty seconds!"

Song Tianhao looked at the VIP area again and said into the microphone: "Soyeon, bring everyone up. Don't panic, follow the practice. Hyomin stands in the center, Taeyeon on lead vocals, others improvise."

His voice was calm and powerful, clearly transmitted to everyone's ears through the in-ear monitors the fifteen girls had just put on.

Thirty seconds later, the staff quickly guided the fifteen girls onto the stage from the VIP passage.

As soon as they got on stage, the atmosphere at the scene reached its climax for the night.

The six members of T-ara, the nine members of Girls Generation, plus Lee Hyori, sixteen female artists stood on the stage, almost filling half of the main stage. The lights shone down, and everyone's face was glowing.

The music intro began, the familiar melody of "U-Go-Girl."

Lee Hyori walked to the very front of the stage and picked up the microphone: "Everyone knows how to sing this song, right?"

"Yes—!!!" the whole audience responded.

"Then let's sing together!" Lee Hyori shouted, then turned around and waved to the girls behind her, "Come on, kids, dance!"

Park Hyomin stood in the center, and although she was nervous, her dance instinct allowed her to immediately enter the state.

Kim Taeyeon held the microphone, took a deep breath, and sang the first line. The other girls also quickly found their positions and danced along with the music.

The fifteen girls came from two groups. The dance versions they practiced usually were not exactly the same, but the choreography of "U-Go-Girl" was too classic, and almost every South Korean artist had learned it. At this moment on stage, they actually danced with astonishing uniformity.

Song Tianhao retreated to the side of the stage, leaving the center of the stage entirely to the girls and Lee Hyori.

He watched on stage, sixteen figures dancing under the lights, and the cheering from the audience came in waves like the sea. In the in-ear monitor, the director's excited voice came: "President Song, the ratings have broken 30%! Real-time number one!"

Song Tianhao didn't speak, just watched the stage.

In the gap between leading the girls in dancing, Lee Hyori looked back at him, with a smile in her eyes, and a hint of slyness.

In the chorus, Lee Hyori suddenly reached out and pulled Song Tianhao to the center of the stage.

"Dance together!" she shouted, handed the microphone to Song Tianhao, and then stood among the girls herself, twisting her body with the music.

Song Tianhao took the microphone, which was Lee Hyori's usual custom model, with silver "HL" letters engraved on the black microphone.

He held it in his hand, and his other hand naturally took Park Hyomin who was standing next to him, leading the whole team to complete the movement.

The screams from the audience were about to break through the venue.

On the big screen, the smiling faces of the sixteen people, Song Tianhao holding Park Hyomin's hand, Kim Taeyeon singing next to Lee Hyori, Park So-yeon, Ham Eunjung, Park Ji-yeon, Lee Qri, Jeon Boram, the nine members of Girls Generation...

This scene was recorded by countless cameras and became one of the most classic shots of the night.

As the song entered the final segment, Lee Hyori suddenly raised her microphone and shouted to the audience: "This song is for my most special younger brother..."

She looked at Song Tianhao, her eyes shining like stars.

"And, his most special 'family members'!"

She emphasized the three words "family members" heavily, with a smile and deep meaning.

The audience cheered wildly, the girls on stage looked at each other and smiled, and Song Tianhao stood in the center of the stage, watching these sixteen people around him, and suddenly felt that the temperature in Jamsil tonight was a bit high.

The music ended, sixteen people stood in a row on the stage, holding hands, and bowed to the audience.

Applause, cheers, and screams lasted for a full three minutes.

Lee Hyori held the microphone, panting, with a radiant smile: "Thank you everyone! I love you all!"

The encore lasted for forty minutes. When the final song ended and Lee Hyori bowed and exited amidst a sky full of falling ribbons, many fans were still reluctant to leave, shouting her name throughout the venue.

Behind the scenes, it was a completely different scene.

As soon as Lee Hyori entered the waiting room, she collapsed onto the sofa, not even wanting to move a finger. Makeup artists, stylists, and managers crowded around her, some handing her water, others offering towels.

Song Tianhao's waiting room was next door. When he pushed the door open, fifteen girls were already waiting inside.

"President!" Park Hyomin rushed over first, her eyes sparkling. "You were so cool! Just now on stage, when you held my hand, my heart almost stopped!"

Kim Taeyeon stood in the back and whispered, "Senior Lee Hyori was also very cool... No, beautiful. She has such an aura."

Park So-yeon handed him a bottle of water. "President, thank you for your hard work. The ratings just broke 30%, and the internet is buzzing about it."

Song Tianhao took the water, took a sip, and looked at the girls. "You all worked hard too. You didn't panic despite going on stage on such short notice. Very good."

"It's because of your direction, President," Ham Eunjung said with a smile. "As soon as you said 'stick to the rehearsal,' we felt confident."

"But Senior Lee Hyori really took good care of us," Park Ji-yeon said excitedly. "When we came off stage, she even told me that if we meet on a music show next time, she'll treat me to a meal!"

Lee Qri stood by the window, watching the crowd that had yet to disperse, and said softly, "After tonight, the name Sky Entertainment should be remembered by many more people."

Jeon Boram nodded. "And in a positive way. Senior Lee Hyori's public support is more effective than any kind of promotion."

Just then, the door to the waiting room was pushed open. Lee Hyori had already changed and walked in, wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt, her hair still wet; she must have just showered.

"Everyone's here," she greeted with a smile, then looked at Song Tianhao. "How is it, President Song? This gift of mine, not bad, right?"

Song Tianhao looked at her and said earnestly, "Thank you, Noona. I'll remember this favor."

"Remembering it is enough." Lee Hyori waved her hand, sat down on the sofa, and looked at the girls. "Kids, you did great today. Especially Hyomin and Taeyeon, standing in the center and being the main vocalist, the pressure must have been huge, right? But you handled it very well."

Park Hyomin immediately bowed. "Thank you for the compliment, Senior!"

Kim Taeyeon also hurriedly bowed. "Thank you, Senior!"

"Don't be so formal." Lee Hyori laughed. "Just call me Unnie in private from now on. Your President is my younger brother, so you are my younger sisters."

She said this naturally, but the underlying meaning caused the atmosphere in the waiting room to quiet down subtly for a moment.

Song Tianhao glanced at Lee Hyori but didn't speak.

Lee Hyori met his gaze, blinked, and then stood up. "Alright, pack up. The celebration party is in Gangnam District; I've booked a place. Everyone come, no one is allowed to skip."

A top-tier private club in Gangnam District, in a top-floor private room.

The long dining table was filled with exquisite dishes and drinks. Lee Hyori's staff, backup dancers, musicians, plus Song Tianhao and the fifteen girls, filled four full tables.

Lee Hyori was the star of the day, surrounded by people offering toasts. She accepted everyone's drinks, red wine, soju, champagne, glass after glass.

Song Tianhao sat beside her, not drinking much, spending most of his time listening to others speak and occasionally responding.

"President," Park So-yeon walked over with a wine glass and whispered, "Hyomin and Taeyeon seem a bit tipsy. Should we let them go back first?"

Song Tianhao looked at the other table. Park Hyomin and Kim Taeyeon were sitting together, their cheeks flushed, their eyes watery—they were clearly a bit tipsy.

But they were still laughing and chatting with Lee Hyori's backup dancers, looking very happy.

"Let them play a while longer," Song Tianhao said. "It's a rare chance to relax. Keep an eye on them; don't let them drink too much."

Park So-yeon nodded. "Okay."

Just as she was about to leave, Lee Hyori suddenly reached out and grabbed her. "Soyeon, come, have a drink with Unnie."

Park So-yeon was stunned for a moment, then smiled and raised her glass. "Unnie, I'd like to toast you. Thank you for taking care of our President today, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to perform."

"No need for formalities." Lee Hyori clinked glasses with her and downed hers in one gulp. Then, she draped her arm over Song Tianhao's shoulder, leaned close to his ear, her voice smelling of alcohol. "Hey, those little girls of yours, the way they look at you isn't right."

Song Tianhao helped her sit up straight. "Lee Hyori Noona, you're drunk."

"Me? Drunk?" Lee Hyori laughed out loud, her voice a bit too loud, causing people at the nearby tables to look over. "I'm more sober than anyone. Song Tianhao, you're a menace."

This was said bluntly, and the table went quiet for a moment.

Song Tianhao remained calm and poured her a glass of warm water. "Drink some water."

Lee Hyori took the glass but didn't drink. She just looked at Song Tianhao for a long while, then suddenly leaned in and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Be careful, you menace. Too many women... it'll be bad for your health."

As she said this, her eyes drifted toward the other table. There, although Park Hyomin and Kim Taeyeon were talking to others, their eyes drifted toward this side from time to time.

Meanwhile, Park So-yeon stood by Song Tianhao's side, naturally blocking another person who came to offer a toast.

Lee Hyori smiled, a playful expression that seemed to see through everything, yet carried a hint of complexity she herself hadn't noticed.

After saying this, she stood up, carried her wine glass to another table, and started laughing and chatting with the backup dancers, her back looking carefree.

Park So-yeon asked softly, "President, what did Lee Hyori Unnie say?"

Song Tianhao shook his head. "Nothing." He checked the time; it was already eleven o'clock at night. "Go tell everyone to gather at the entrance in ten minutes. We're leaving."

Park So-yeon nodded and turned to notify the others.

Song Tianhao also stood up, preparing to say goodbye to the staff for the day. But just after taking two steps, he was blocked by two people.

It turned out to be Kim Tae-hee and Son Ye-jin.

Both of them were wearing tasteful cocktail dresses with exquisite makeup, clearly having just come from some formal event.

Kim Tae-hee is a chaebol heiress and a top actress; Son Ye-jin is a Blue Dragon Film Award winner with massive public popularity.

Standing together, they attracted the attention of almost everyone in the private room.

"President Song, we meet again." Kim Tae-hee spoke first, smiling as she reached out her hand. "Lee Hyori's stage was brilliant. We were sitting in the VIP section and saw the whole thing."

Song Tianhao shook her hand. "Kim Tae-hee xi, Son Ye-jin xi, thank you for coming."

Son Ye-jin also reached out, her smile gentle. "President Song's performance today was also great. I didn't expect you to be so professional at singing and dancing."

"You're too kind." Song Tianhao also shook her hand.

Both of them reached out, and Song Tianhao held their hands simultaneously; this scene was seen by a few staff members nearby, who began whispering.

Kim Tae-hee glanced at Son Ye-jin, then turned to Song Tianhao, her tone becoming more formal. "Actually, besides watching Lee Hyori's concert, there is one more thing I'd like to discuss with President Song."

Song Tianhao released their hands and made a gesture of "please speak."

"Son Ye-jin and I are preparing a new variety show called 'Actors' Daily Life'," Kim Tae-hee said. "The concept is to record the real lives of actors when they aren't filming, showcasing the side of actors as ordinary people."

"We have already confirmed Son Ye-jin and myself as fixed cast members, and we are currently inviting other guests."

Son Ye-jin took over. "We watched Song Tianhao's performance in 'Family Outing' and thought you would be a great fit for this show. Plus, you are an actor yourself, and also the president of an entertainment company; your identity is very intriguing."

She paused, exchanged a look with Kim Tae-hee, and both smiled simultaneously.

"So, we would like to formally invite you," Kim Tae-hee said, "to join 'Actors' Daily Life' as one of the fixed cast members."

Song Tianhao looked at the two top South Korean actresses in front of him; their eyes were serious, their tone sincere—it was clearly not just polite talk.

He was silent for a few seconds.

Inside the private room, music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses were all mixed together.

Not far away, Lee Hyori was still drinking with the backup dancers, while Park Hyomin and Kim Taeyeon were already being helped up by Park So-yeon, preparing to leave.

Lee Qri was saying goodbye to the staff at the door, while Ham Eunjung, Park Ji-yeon, and Jeon Boram were helping with the bags.

The other members of Girls Generation also stood up one after another.

Outside the window, the night view of Gangnam District was as brilliant as a galaxy, and Seoul's nightlife had just begun.

Song Tianhao withdrew his gaze, looked at Kim Tae-hee and Son Ye-jin, and smiled.

"It would be my honor," he said.

Both of them smiled. Son Ye-jin took a business card out of her handbag. "This is the producer's contact information. You can discuss the specific details with him. We are very much looking forward to working with you."

Song Tianhao took the business card, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.

Just then, Park So-yeon walked over and whispered, "President, everyone is here, and the cars are waiting downstairs."

Song Tianhao nodded and said to Kim Tae-hee and Son Ye-jin, "Then I will take my leave. For the specific details, I will have my manager contact the producer."

"Alright, take care, President Song," Kim Tae-hee said.

"Looking forward to the collaboration," Son Ye-jin said with a smile and a wave.

Song Tianhao turned and walked toward the door. The fifteen girls were already waiting there, and seeing him approach, they automatically made a path.

Park Hyomin leaned in and whispered, "Oppa, what did Senior Kim Tae-hee and Senior Son Ye-jin want with you just now?"

Song Tianhao ruffled her hair. "Work matters. Let's go, let's go home."

He said the words "go home" very naturally.

The girls looked at each other and smiled.

The group left the private room, walked through the corridor, and entered the elevator. The elevator doors closed, cutting off the noise from the private room.

Downstairs, three black vans were already waiting at the entrance. The girls got into the cars one by one, and Song Tianhao sat in the last one.

The cars started and drove into the bustling night view of Gangnam District.

Inside the car, it was very quiet. Park Hyomin was leaning on Song Tianhao's shoulder, already asleep. Kim Taeyeon was sitting on the other side, looking at the neon lights outside the window, lost in thought. Park So-yeon was sitting in the passenger seat, glancing at Song Tianhao through the rearview mirror, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Song Tianhao took out his phone. The screen lit up; it was a message from Lee Hyori.

"Let me know when you get home. Thank you for today. Also, think carefully about what I said."

Song Tianhao looked at the message, was silent for a few seconds, then replied, "Okay. Noona, you should get some rest early too."

After sending the message, he put his phone away and looked out the window.

The night in Seoul was as bright as day.

And his entertainment empire was quietly expanding amidst this brilliance.