Chapter 131: A Flood of Advertisements at the Door

Returning from the United States, Jiang Yihan had not gained much else, but this nomination alone served to further consolidate his standing.

The Samsung commercial took five days to complete. In the seven-minute advertisement, Jiang Yihan and Lee Hyori portrayed a joyful and romantic love story, which accounted for the extended filming period. Having finished the location shooting, they were now back in the studio for the promotional poster session.

Given the romantic theme, intimate scenes were inevitable. However, having collaborated numerous times, Jiang Yihan and Lee Hyori were now quite adept at such tasks.

With their faces barely five centimeters apart, they could each feel the other’s body heat and breath. They looked toward the camera, fingers interlaced, while their free hands held a camera to simulate a self-portrait. Their smiles were sweet and blissful. The camera in front of them quickly captured the beautiful, ethereal scene. It took quite an effort, but this set of photos was finally completed.

The two then went off to change outfits for the next sequence.

"Hyori, what have you been busy with lately?" Jiang Yihan asked while sitting before the vanity mirror.

"Busy with hosting duties, commercials, and music programs," Lee Hyori replied while touching up her makeup. "Yihan, everyone in the industry is talking about how they envy you these days."

"Why? Their attitudes weren't like that before. What is there to envy now?" Jiang Yihan curled his lip.

"You can't blame them. Self-preservation is the rule of this circle. Besides, back then, none of us had the influence or status to help you," Lee Hyori sighed. Survival in this industry is truly difficult.

"I don't blame them; I just wonder why society has to be so realistic." Jiang Yihan felt a twinge of melancholy. Although he understood their behavior, it still left a strange feeling in his heart. "But I've let it go. People have their own lives and choices; I should just focus on doing my own thing. By the way, you haven't told me why they envy me."

"Oh..." Lee Hyori’s thoughts drifted as she recalled the past. "Right, envy. It's because you've been landing so many commercials."

"Commercials? What about them?" Jiang Yihan clearly didn't realize what landing commercials meant in this industry.

Watching Jiang Yihan’s bewildered expression, Lee Hyori found it somewhat amusing. He had been in the business for over two years, yet he remained oblivious to so much. This was largely because his manager was Li Ran. While other artists and managers often suffered from financial disputes that ended in acrimony, the dynamic between Li Ran and Jiang Yihan was different. Jiang Yihan placed absolute trust in Li Ran, leaving almost everything to him, and Li Ran, in turn, acted entirely in Jiang Yihan’s best interest. Consequently, Jiang Yihan remained largely unversed in the intricacies of the industry.

It was only after Lee Hyori’s explanation that Jiang Yihan understood the status commercials held.

Many in the entertainment industry mistakenly believe that albums are the most profitable venture, but that is not the case. The current record market is unstable; only a few singers can turn a profit, and even then, the margins are slim. The hierarchy of earnings is generally: commercials first, then films, followed by television dramas, and finally, albums. Actors are paid by the episode, and after the manager’s cut, that is the actor's income. In South Korea, there are still a number of artists who earn over 25 million won per episode. As for films, the salaries are very high—sometimes half the production budget goes to the actors—though these figures are often inflated because, in the film world, an actor's stature is measured by their fee. For instance, 100 million is top-tier, while 80 million is first-rate.

Finally, there are commercials. If someone is truly popular, the fees are astronomically high and incredibly easy to earn, requiring none of the grueling recording and promotion of an album, nor the long, arduous filming and character study of a drama or movie. Taking Jiang Yihan as an example: his previous Samsung deal was for 1 billion won over two years, requiring only a few TV and print ads. Ziyi was even more generous, signing him for 10 million RMB for two years. Now that Jiang Yihan’s fame had reached new heights, his Samsung fee had soared: 4 billion won for print ads and a staggering 9 billion won for TV commercials over two years. Just from Samsung alone, Jiang Yihan was set to earn nearly 80 million RMB without lifting a finger. Not to mention Ziyi, which paid 30 million for print and 60 million for TV over two years—top-tier levels across Asia.

With these two contracts alone, Jiang Yihan had become a multimillionaire. Who wouldn't envy that? And there were many more commercials lining up to "hand him money."

"Given your current situation, who wouldn't envy you?" Lee Hyori concluded with a smile. "In our circle, everyone wants to land commercials. Whether it's albums, variety shows, films, or dramas, everyone works extra hard hoping to get a commercial deal. So, you are currently the most envied person in the entire South Korean entertainment industry."

"Hahaha, really?" Jiang Yihan hadn't realized he had such status. "I had no idea. I'll ask Jin'er when I get back."

"You are currently the number one male star in the South Korean advertising world. If you count overall rankings, you're likely number one there, too. You really are the highest-earning artist," Lee Hyori teased.

It was true. With his record-breaking album sales, climbing box office numbers, and flourishing commercial career, Jiang Yihan excelled in every field except for television dramas and hosting—both of which were now on his schedule. One had to wonder where the limits of his potential lay. By now, the industry must have been genuinely impressed by the foresight of Li Tong and Park Yinghu.

"Then who is the number one female star? That must be very lucrative, too," Jiang Yihan asked casually. Seeing Lee Hyori turn slightly shy, he seemed to understand and began to laugh.

"Ah, what? What's so funny? The number one female star is me," Lee Hyori said with a smile.

"Ha! You're very wealthy too, sister. What is there to envy about me?" Jiang Yihan laughed and teased.

"I envy how many commercials you land. Seeing you so busy, I'm quite envious." Although Lee Hyori had remained a top female star for the past two years, the lack of timely album releases and corresponding promotions meant she had missed out on the absolute top spot among all celebrities, which remained a source of regret.

"Don't worry, Hyori. Things will definitely be great in the future—maybe even better than for me," Jiang Yihan said, encouragingly, knowing exactly what she meant.

Having finished discussing commercials with Lee Hyori, Jiang Yihan moved on to his next project: a jewelry commercial. Jewelry endorsements were always a favorite among female stars because the sponsors provided beautiful accessories. For this shoot, his partner was none other than Han Chae-young.

"Yihan, long time no see. How have you been?" Han Chae-young initiated the greeting.

"Lately? Just busy. I've had very little sleep. How about you? What have you been up to?" Jiang Yihan asked with a smile.

Seeing his smile, Han Chae-young froze for a second, but she quickly composed herself, covering her nervousness with a laugh. "I've been resting at home. Filming was too tiring, so I gave myself a break. Now I'm looking at scripts."

The two chatted back and forth. When it came time to film, both became serious. However, looking at Jiang Yihan, Han Chae-young found it impossible to calm her heart. To convey the feeling of a jewelry campaign for couples, their intimacy was indistinguishable from that of real lovers.

Jiang Yihan’s right hand gently brushed across Han Chae-young’s cheek. The tenderness in his eyes was intoxicating, and his slightly glossy lips were incredibly alluring. Han Chae-young could feel the warmth of his body. Although his hand wasn't hot, the skin where he touched began to burn, and her cheeks flushed faintly. As their eyes met, Han Chae-young felt lost—was this acting or reality? Love inadvertently shone through her gaze.

She had always had a favorable impression of him, but in this moment, Jiang Yihan was truly someone she wanted to love, and love well.

"Cut!" The photographer’s voice pulled Han Chae-young out of her fantasy. Looking at Jiang Yihan, who was still smiling but whose eyes no longer held that flicker of love, she finally realized it had all been just acting. Feeling slightly depressed, she thought it was a waste of all her years of acting experience that she couldn't even distinguish reality from performance. Feeling as if her face were on fire, she made an excuse to go to the restroom.

In truth, it wasn't Han Chae-young's fault; it was Jiang Yihan’s eyes—those dark pupils and long lashes, revealing emotions deep enough to make anyone lose their composure. Especially since she already had a crush on him, it was hard not to get confused.

She splashed water on her face to clear her head. She knew about the betrayal by Jiang Yihan’s ex-girlfriend, and she knew it wouldn't be easy for him to open his heart again. She also knew of Lee Hyori’s feelings for him. With such an intimate confidante by his side, her own chances were hard to calculate. She shook her head, trying to stop the wandering thoughts.

*Keep the attraction strictly as an attraction.* That was her warning to herself. To hold onto her own beautiful memories and maintain that romantic spark—that was enough. She didn't want to get trapped, or rather, she was afraid of getting trapped and ending up with nothing. She bit her lip, telling herself this.

Jiang Yihan was unaware of her internal turmoil, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have had the energy for it. The regrets of Liu Yan and the pain of Li Yimei were not things he could easily forget. He had always been a passive person, and now, one shouldn't expect him to take the initiative in matters of the heart.

During the day of filming, the studio was filled with a pink, romantic atmosphere. Han Chae-young was enjoying the moment, imprinting these memories as her own. The smile on Jiang Yihan’s lips, the tenderness in his eyes, the warmth of his fingertips, and the ambiguity in his breath all made her heart race.

The photographer was delighted; such print ads were classics. The happiness radiating from them brought the level of the advertisement to a new height.

After finishing with Han Chae-young, Jiang Yihan plunged into the school uniform commercial for Ziyi. With so many commercials on his plate and a packed schedule, he had to cram all the print shoots into the next half-month, running back and forth between studios.

"Hello, Yihan-hyung," the members of Big Bang greeted him together.

"Haha, you guys are being so formal with me. It’s strange," Jiang Yihan said, patting G-Dragon on the shoulder. "How has the promotion been going lately?"

The members of Big Bang included G-Dragon (Kwon Jiyong), Taeyang (Dong Young-bae), T.O.P (Choi Seunghyun), Daesung (Kang Daesung), and Seungri (Lee Seunghyun). G-Dragon was someone Jiang Yihan knew well, and the youngest, Seungri, was someone he had previously mentored. For Jiang Yihan, his relationship with Big Bang was very close. With G-Dragon there, how could it be anything else?

"It's okay, but we always want to do better. We're busy preparing for the new song, so we're a bit tired," G-Dragon said, looking relaxed in front of Jiang Yihan.

"Yiyi is also very tired lately; she has a lot of work on her plate. You two should encourage each other," Jiang Yihan said, feeling a pang of sympathy for his sister, who worked just as hard as he did. Li Ran had hired an assistant recently because he had taken on the management of Big Bang. Li Ran could now be considered the head of One Management, and he had hired a Chinese exchange student named Xiahou Chenxi to assist specifically with Big Bang. The young man was currently interning and had accompanied Big Bang today.

In truth, One had already assigned an assistant team to Jiang Ziyi—a gesture from Jiang Haotian, and indeed something Ziyi needed, as Jiang Yihan’s work was endless. It was just that she had only just started, and there was much to handle, but it would get better once she adapted.

"Yihan-hyung, this is Xiahou Chenxi, the assistant to our new manager, Li Ran-hyung," G-Dragon introduced the stranger.

Jiang Yihan noticed the new recruit, who looked a bit green. "Haha, you’re Chinese, right? I can tell by the name. This job isn't easy, so keep at it!"

Xiahou Chenxi hurriedly shook hands with Jiang Yihan, still a bit nervous in his new role.

"Yihan-hyung, I heard you’ve landed so many commercials. How does it feel?" the youngest, Seungri, asked with curiosity. Jiang Yihan shifted his attention to him.

"Haha, what do you mean, 'how does it feel'? You’ll land plenty of commercials in the future, just experience it for yourself then," Jiang Yihan said, pinching Seungri’s cheek with a laugh.

"That's true! I'll definitely be successful one day," Seungri’s confidence was as strong as ever, making everyone laugh.

"Yihan-hyung, I heard from Xiaoyi that you have over a dozen commercials right now. I’m so jealous!" G-Dragon’s insider knowledge made the other four boys exclaim in wonder.

"Haha, I don’t know. If Yiyi says so, it must be true," Jiang Yihan laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Ziyi, Samsung, jewelry, real estate, milk, ice cream, piano, cosmetics—I think that’s about it. Jin'er said we’re currently in talks for a car commercial."

"Wow..." After a chorus of exclamations, Seungri spoke up first, "If it's real estate, do they give you a house, Yihan-hyung?"

"Haha, you little rascal," Jiang Yihan laughed. "They did give me a house. I can move in once the handover is complete."

The group, having debuted only six months ago, clearly couldn't fathom such a life. "What about the cosmetics? How did it feel when you were endorsing them?" Daesung, the mood-maker of the group, asked curiously.

"Actually, it was fine. It was just face wash and things like that, not the makeup we usually wear, so it was okay," Jiang Yihan answered their questions like a teacher, satisfying their curiosity.

For G-Dragon, he had known Jiang Yihan since he met Jiang Ziyi. Jiang Yihan’s talent, capability, and experiences all made him admire, or even worship, him. How could one not love such a brother?

The end of the school uniform shoot didn't bring Jiang Yihan any rest. The line of advertisers waiting to "hand over money" remained long. To say they were "flooding" his doorstep was no exaggeration!