Peninsula: Please, I only want to talk about ordinary people.

Chapter 4 Love is like riding a bus

"Yongtai."

Li Youting put down his liquor glass with interest, propped his elbows on the table, and leaned forward.

How did you come up with the idea to write this variety show?

Jiang Yongtai put down his chopsticks, while Jin Chengyu had already been pulled to a corner by the two assistant PDs to drink, leaving only three people on this side.

Luo Yingxi remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Jiang Yongtai picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and smiled.

"Love is like a bus journey; you may arrive at the destination together, or some of you may get off along the way."

He put the cup down, ran his finger along the rim, and a shadow flashed through his mind.

"I'm just thinking about how people should look back on past relationships, get what they're supposed to get from them, and then move on to the next one in a better state."

That's why it's called "Love Through Transfers".

Luo Yingxi stared at his movements and expressions, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

This kid doesn't seem to be just talking about the show.

He slowly picked up the conversation, tentatively asking, "I think it's you who wants to date, isn't it?"

Jiang Yongtai was stunned for a moment.

Luo Yingxi's words entered his mind and seemed to hit something, making a "ding" sound, but he quickly suppressed the sound.

"Brother, I don't have that thought right now."

He smiled.

Luo Yingxi didn't notice the meaning behind the smile and was still chasing after him when he suddenly sat up straight and slammed his hand on the table.

"Wow! Do you know how envious I am of you? With a face like that, instead of acting in TV dramas, you're here stealing our jobs!"

"What's the use of being envious, Oppa?"

Lee Woo-ting reached out and pinched Kang Young-tae's right cheek.

"Who says handsome guys have to be in front of the camera? It's great for us Yongtai to be PDs; we can be good-looking while we're working."

Caught off guard, Jiang Yongtai awkwardly dodged to the side.

"Nuna..."

Luo Yingxi watched this scene from the side, his face scrunched up, still feeling resentful about the special treatment Jiang Yongtai received because of his appearance.

Jiang Yongtai sat up straight again and looked at Luo Yingxi, putting away his previous embarrassment and switching to a serious tone.

"What does Youngseok-hyung think of my plan?"

Luo Yingxi pondered for a moment, then picked up his wine glass and swirled it around.

"Very good, really good, but... there will be a lot of controversy."

He put down his cup and started counting on his fingers.

"It involves the privacy of the participants, and they might be accused of supporting 'cheating in public.' You know what kind of people are online these days? They get their keyboards ready as soon as they see a dating reality show."

After a pause, seeing that Jiang Yongtai looked serious and didn't seem to be in a hurry to explain, Luo Yingxi nodded.

"This project looks promising, but with so many dating reality shows these days, are you confident in your ability to succeed?"

Jiang Yongtai did not answer the question about the controversy, but instead asked a question in return.

"Young-seok hyung, you must encounter controversy when you're doing your shows, right? How do you handle it?"

Luo Yingxi was taken aback, not expecting that this kid wouldn't take the bait, but instead kicked the ball back to him.

"Authenticity is my guiding principle in making shows. Variety shows must be entertaining, but they can't lose their authenticity. Only the authentic part can move the audience."

Having worked on the show for so many years, he knows very well what can and cannot be changed.

Jiang Yongtai nodded after listening.

"My attitude is the same: as long as the show is authentic and interesting enough, that's fine."

He paused for a moment, then spoke again.

As for whether I'm confident or not...

He looked at Na Young-seok and smiled.

"I've seen your interviews. When you were making 'Grandpas Over Flowers,' you weren't confident either."

Na Young-seok raised an eyebrow.

"Whether the audience accepts the show after it's produced is up to them. All we staff can do is try our best."

Luo Yingxi paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, pointing at Jiang Yongtai.

"Hey! Now it's my turn to ask you a question, don't keep answering my questions with the same things I've already said!"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

Jiang Yongtai smiled and toasted him before speaking.

"Actually, there's another reason why I wanted to film this."

Luo Yingxi put down his wine glass and looked at him curiously.

Jiang Yongtai didn't say it directly, but pointed to the mask that Luo Yingxi had placed on the table.

"Brother, this get-together must have been quite an eventful one, especially at this time of year."

Na Young-seok glanced down at his mask, not thinking too much about it.

"Yes, the COVID-19 situation is getting more and more serious, making even filming programs much more difficult."

Last week, when we were filming "Mapo Handsome Boys", it took more than 40 minutes just to have our temperatures checked upon entering the set.

There were also outdoor scenes. I wanted to shoot a street scene, but everyone on the street was wearing a mask, and I couldn't see their faces at all. It was driving me crazy during editing...

He couldn't stop talking, getting more and more carried away, as if he had finally found a scapegoat.

Li Youting added to his story, saying that he was so irritable those few days that he even kicked and broke a chair in the editing room.

"……wrong."

Luo Yingxi suddenly stopped, his expression shifting from grumbling to alertness as he looked at Jiang Yongtai.

"How did we get onto this topic again?"

Jiang Yongtai laughed out loud, and apologetically picked up the soju bottle to fill the glass in front of Luo Yingxi.

"Although filming is difficult now, it is also an opportunity for us variety show producers."

He put down the bottle and sat up straight.

Luo Yingxi crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, not interrupting him, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Young-seok also knows the old rule of the broadcasting station: every year in the spring, the ratings will definitely drop."

In winter, when we're stuck indoors, we naturally turn on the TV, but there's nothing in particular about whether we want to watch it or not.

Lee Yu-ting nodded. After so many years in the industry, the collective understanding among broadcasters is still very clear.

"The only exception is rainy days. When it rains and we can't go out, the ratings skyrocket."

Jiang Yongtai picked up his water glass and took a sip. "Now..."

He shook his head.

"Everyone can only stay at home; we can't go to the movies, the stadium, or the mall."

Boredom makes people look for things to do, and besides, we Koreans especially love dating.

He put down his water glass. "If there were an interesting dating reality show right now, it could give them a chance to feel satisfied..."

He looked into Na Young-seok's eyes, and without him saying the rest of his sentence, Na Young-seok and Lee Woo-jung understood.

Luo Yingxi and Li Youting exchanged a glance.

Li Youting nodded, and the two of them understood why Jiang Yongtai had come to see them today.

but……

Luo Yingxi turned his head, a smile on his face, but his tone was a little softer than before.

"Yongtai, now that you've made up your mind, have you mentioned this plan to Minister Cui?"

Jiang Yongtai knew that he was being tested, and now he knew the purpose of his visit.

He shook his head with a wry smile. "No."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a bright red face suddenly appeared beside him.

"elder brother!"

Kim Sung-woo suddenly appeared from the corner, holding half a glass of soju in his hand. He slammed forward, making a loud noise that could be heard throughout the entire private room.

"PD, we want to join you!"

There was a moment of silence in the private room, then two assistant PDs pulled him back, scolding him in low voices, but there was no malice in their tone, more of amusement and exasperation.

"Hey! How could you just shout that out like that!"

Jiang Yongtai glanced at Jin Chengyu, who was being held down in a chair and was still struggling to look in their direction.

He looked away, turned his head, and looked at Na Young-seok with a face full of apology.

"Sorry, brother, Cheng Yu drank too much."

"It's alright. It seems you haven't been training his alcohol tolerance much, but..."

Luo Yingxi ignored the commotion from Kim Sung-woo's side and kept smiling.

"That's not what you meant, Yongtai?"

Jiang Yongtai looked at him, his intuition telling him that things were settled. He smiled, then composed himself and nodded seriously.

"Yes, Youngseok oppa, I want to join you guys."

He paused.

"I wonder if this is enough to get started?"