Chapter 19: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Path
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What could possibly be attractive about a man who just finished showering? At twenty years old, Shin Yuna finally found her own answer to this question. His broad shoulders and slim waist, accentuated by the tank top, highlighted the contours of his muscles. Captain Xia truly belonged to that category of men who look slim when dressed but possess a well-built physique when undressed. Freshly showered, his slightly tousled hair and clear, handsome features paired with the gold-rimmed glasses he had somehow put on gave off an air of refined decadence. Borrowing the word that had popped into Shin Yuna’s mind earlier—it was very daddy-like.
“Are you hungry?” Xia Xing noticed the subtle swallow Shin Yuna made and rummaged through the fridge, only to find a bottle of fresh milk. The girl paused, and with Xia Xing’s reminder, she suddenly remembered she hadn’t eaten all evening. She had planned to grab a quick bite after a walk, but then ran into Xue Yun, went for a jog to keep up appearances, bumped into Captain Xia at the supermarket, and ended up accompanying him to a nightclub to pick up her cousin. But soon, Shin Yuna understood why Xia Xing had asked about her hunger. Her pale skin, which had just cooled down after her shower, flushed once again. She must have just swallowed—how embarrassing. Fortunately, Captain Xia didn’t misinterpret the situation.
“There’s nothing to eat in the fridge,” Xia Xing scratched his head apologetically. “I don’t really eat snacks, so I only stocked this.” “I’ll go downstairs to the convenience store and buy you something,” he offered. Shin Yuna was about to decline when her stomach betrayed her with a rumble. Since it wasn’t her time of the month, eating a bit more shouldn’t be a problem. She stood up, intending to follow him, but Xia Xing persuaded her to stay.
“You’re an idol after all, and you’re not in disguise. It wouldn’t be good if someone took pictures of you outside.” Not insisting on accompanying him, Shin Yuna simply nodded and watched from the entrance as Xia Xing changed into his jacket. It had the familiar feeling of waiting for someone to come home. “Come back…early.” “Yeah, I’ll be quick.”
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The girl with a face as delicate as a quail egg tossed her phone aside, blinking tearfully as she stared at the bedroom ceiling. She knew that 2024 was a crucial year for aespa. The company had allocated high-quality songs to the group and tilted various resources in their favor. In an increasingly dull K-pop scene, their upcoming comeback would undoubtedly propel them forward, surpassing groups embroiled in controversies or lacking in talent. Naturally, the company’s investment needed to yield results, which required sufficient public attention. Simply relying on “Liu Zhimin’s looks” as a topic wouldn’t attract much traffic in the drama-heavy entertainment industry.
Thus, SM’s management resorted to their traditional scandal-mongering tactics. According to preliminary plans, early next year, SM would begin leaking the so-called relationship between her and Lee Jae Wook. But... Lee Jae Wook seemed unable to distinguish between work and personal life, always acting as if the fake relationship could turn real. Recently, he had been making excuses to invite Liu Zhimin out, even going so far as to ask her to a nightclub, having his dubious friends fabricate the excuse that “Lee Jae Wook is drunk” to lure her. It was truly outrageous. She wanted to be a good artist and advance her career, but did she really have to pay such a price?
Though she had long known the entertainment industry was rife with darkness, when Liu Zhimin confronted it firsthand, she felt genuine fear. What if Lee Jae Wook kept pestering her forever? “Unnie, is something bothering you?” The youngest member’s concerned voice reached her. Not wanting to worry her teammates, Liu Zhimin turned away from Ning Yizhuo and forced herself to play with her phone, holding back tears. “Nothing… I just lost a game and feel frustrated.” “If you’re upset, just eat some sweets,” Ning Yizhuo tried to comfort her while rummaging through the bedside table for snacks. After a while, she had to admit an embarrassing truth: she had been snacking so often that she had finished the entire stash.
“Unnie... sorry, I wanted to find some snacks for you but ended up eating them all.” “It’s okay. It’s already great that you’re trying to cheer me up. Snacks... I’ll go buy some now.” Liu Zhimin buried her face in the blanket, breathing shallowly to calm herself, but she realized that wasn’t easy in the short term. Perhaps going out for a while and having some alone time would be better.
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“I’ll go with you!” “No need. I just want to take a walk. I lost terribly at the game today and need a change of mood.”
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Yeouido is wonderful in every way except for its exorbitant land prices. Those who dare to purchase homes here must not only be financially capable but also have a keen sense of future market trends. Ordinary families with slightly better means simply cannot withstand the fluctuations in housing prices here. Accordingly, Yeouido’s real estate is primarily commercial, and the associated facilities like dining and convenience stores bear a distinct Yeouido character. Unlike other neighborhood stores, the convenience stores serving white-collar workers here don’t operate 24/7 and offer a more limited range of products.
For example, the Apple charger that Shin Yuna messaged about was nowhere to be found in the two convenience stores Xia Xing checked. “There’s a tablet on my bedside table. The password is the same as the door code. It’s connected to the whole-house Wi-Fi.” “If your phone runs out of power, you can use my tablet for a while or contact me through it.” The screen showed “typing...” for a while, but eventually, the reply was just an “OK” emoji. Intent on buying the charger and some snacks, Xia Xing walked about two kilometers before finding a convenience store with a relatively complete selection.
While Xia Xing browsed the snacks, a young woman’s voice came from near the freezer as she spoke on the phone. “Instant noodles, chocolate, strawberry-flavored yogurt drink... anything else?” “It’s really hard to find a convenience store that meets all your needs. I searched around before finding this one.” “Kim Min Gyu, you better say everything at once.” “If you make me go back to buy more stuff later, I’ll be the first to hit you.” Her voice was quite distinctive, and the cold tone she used jokingly threatening her friend sounded familiar. Could this be the same person who had called her a little troublemaker?