392: Chapter 451 Phantom Thief Zhimin (17)

By the time the dinner gathering ended, it was already late into the night in Seoul.

The warm yellow light from the entrance of the izakaya spilled onto the street, casting long shadows of several people. Hyoyeon was being supported by Yuri, still mumbling "one more glass"; Sooyoung and Tiffany walked side by side, occasionally waving back at the shop; Seohyun was the last to come out, nodding politely to Jiang Zhiyu before quickly catching up with her unnies.

Designated drivers and taxis arrived one after another, and left one after another.

When Sunny left, she gave Jiang Zhiyu a meaningful look, then glanced at Kim Taeyeon who was still standing at the shop entrance. A smile that said "This is as much as I can help you" curled at the corner of her mouth before she ducked into the car and drove away.

The entrance gradually became quiet.

Only Jiang Zhiyu and Im Yoona remained, standing beside her white Porsche.

The night breeze blew over, carrying the characteristic chill of early autumn. Im Yoona pulled her coat tighter and looked up at Jiang Zhiyu. His profile looked exceptionally soft under the streetlight, and his clear eyes were gazing at the traffic passing in the distance, lost in thought.

"Noona."

He spoke first, his voice very light, as if he were mentioning something perfectly ordinary.

"For the upcoming movie promotions, and tomorrow's short drama filming with Ji-min—"

He turned his head and looked at Im Yoona.

"I hope you can create some CP chemistry with Ji-min."

Im Yoona was slightly taken aback.

"The vibe of a skilled security guard and an elegant phantom thief," Jiang Zhiyu added, his tone carrying his usual composure and certainty. "Ji-min will cooperate with you."

Im Yoona looked at him, her lips pursed slightly.

She had many things she wanted to say.

She wanted to ask him why they needed to push a CP—was it for the movie promotion, or for Karina's exposure?

She wanted to ask what he meant by what he said in the car that night—why did he tell her that Kim Soo-yeon liked her?

She wanted to ask if he was joking when he said he "liked Karina" in the private room just now, or if...

She wanted to ask so many more questions.

Those questions rolled around on the tip of her tongue twice before she finally swallowed them back down.

"Okay." She nodded, her voice as calm as if she were confirming a work arrangement.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't seem to notice the waves of emotion inside her. He just smiled and gave her a slight bow. "Thank you, Noona. You worked hard today. Go back and rest early."

Im Yoona looked at him, wanting to say "Let me drive you back," but she knew he would refuse. Sure enough, before she could speak, Jiang Zhiyu had already shaken his head.

"You go first, Noona. I'll wait for my driver to pick me up."

Im Yoona was silent for a second, then pulled open the car door and sat in the driver's seat. The Porsche's engine gave a low roar, and the headlights lit up, illuminating the road ahead.

She glanced in the rearview mirror.

Jiang Zhiyu was still standing there, looking down at his phone, probably contacting his driver.

Im Yoona withdrew her gaze and stepped on the accelerator.

The Porsche slowly drove away, merging into the nighttime traffic. As she held the steering wheel, his words kept replaying in her mind—"I hope you can create some CP chemistry with Ji-min."

Pushing a CP.

With Karina.

She sighed softly.

Whatever, work is work.

The car lights traced an arc in the night and disappeared at the end of the street.

It became quiet again at the entrance of the izakaya.

Jiang Zhiyu put his phone in his pocket and was about to walk to the roadside to wait for his driver when something caught the corner of his eye.

His movements froze.

The lanterns at the shop entrance were still swaying gently, casting a warm yellow glow on the steps. Someone was standing there, wearing a thin cream-colored coat, hands in her pockets, head down, silently looking at the ground.

Kim Taeyeon.

She hadn't left.

Jiang Zhiyu stood where he was, looking at her. The night breeze blew over, lifting the stray hairs on her forehead. She shrunk her neck, but she still didn't move, just standing there like a mimosa plant forgotten in a corner.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't even have to think to know what had happened—Sunny must have "forgotten" her, and the others probably thought she had already left. This silly Noona had been "abandoned" at the izakaya entrance just like that.

He sighed softly, took a step, and came to a stop beside her.

The distance between the two was less than half a meter.

Kim Taeyeon visibly shuddered all over.

She didn't look up, but Jiang Zhiyu could feel her breathing become rapid. Her shoulders tensed slightly, and her hands clenched into fists in her pockets. She was like a small animal that had been suddenly startled, wanting to run but unable to, wanting to hide but having nowhere to go.

Silence.

The night breeze passed between them, carrying the chill of early autumn and the sound of traffic from the distant street.

Neither of them spoke.

Kim Taeyeon kept her head down, staring at the cracks between the bricks on the ground, her mind a complete mess.

He's standing right next to me.

Right next to me.

I can smell the scent on him, the scent of herbs. It's different from before, but it still smells so good.

Why isn't he saying anything?

Does he not want to talk to me?

He was clearly laughing and talking with everyone in the private room just now, so why is he silent as soon as we're alone?

Did I do something wrong?

Was I really wrong that day on Jeju Island?

I shouldn't have bitten his neck.

No, he was the one who provoked me first.

No, I was the one who went to find him first.

No, Lee Tima was the one who said he missed me...

The more she thought, the more confused she became, and the more she felt like a fool. She had gone all the way to Jeju Island, but in the end, nothing was made clear, and instead, the cold war had intensified. Three months, a full three months, and the two of them hadn't said a single word.

When their work overlapped, they communicated through Managers. In private, she didn't even have the courage to send a single message.

Are we really going to go our whole lives without speaking again?

The moment this thought surfaced, Kim Taeyeon felt as if something was blocking her chest, making it difficult to even breathe. That familiar sense of suffocation began to spread again, as if something were consuming her heart. She remembered those days from a few years ago, those mornings when she didn't want to get out of bed, those afternoons when even breathing felt exhausting—

No.

Don't let it happen again.

She shook her head desperately in her mind, trying to drive these thoughts away, but they coiled around her like vines, tighter and tighter.

Just then, Jiang Zhiyu spoke.

"For the collaboration between TG and SM, Kim Taeyeon is the first choice."

His voice was very calm, as if discussing a perfectly ordinary work arrangement.

Kim Taeyeon's breath hitched.

"As the main person in charge of this project," he continued, his tone carrying a business-like detachment, "I hope Kim Taeyeon-xi can take the initiative to tell me your thoughts."

He paused.

"My Kakao ID is..."

Kim Taeyeon was stunned.

Kakao ID?

She snapped her head up and met his eyes. Those eyes were as clear as ever, sparkling under the streetlights, looking at her.

My Kakao ID is—

This sentence spun around in her mind twice.

I have his Kakao.

Aren't we already friends?

He even sent me messages three months ago—"Open the door" "Noona?"

The name I saved him as is still there.

What does he mean by saying this now?

Her lost emotional intelligence suddenly came back online at this moment.

Her eyes slowly widened.

He means—

Let me take the initiative to contact him.

He's waiting for me to initiate contact.

Kim Taeyeon looked at Jiang Zhiyu, and something in her heart, like ice, began to slowly melt.

Jiang Zhiyu pulled his phone out of his pocket, opened KakaoTalk, went into their private chat interface, and then turned the screen toward her.

On the interface, the chat history between the two still stopped at three months ago.

[Jiang Zhiyu: Open the door]

[Jiang Zhiyu: Noona?]

And then it was a blank space.

Three months.

A full three months without any messages.

Kim Taeyeon looked at that interface, an indescribable sourness welling up in her heart.

She silently pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened Kakao, and found the chat box labeled "Jiang Zhiyu."

Her finger hovered over the screen, hesitating for a moment, then she typed a smiley face.

Sent.

With a "ding," Jiang Zhiyu's phone rang.

He looked down at that smiley face on the screen, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly. Then he exited the chat interface and created a new chat box—a new, clean chat box.

He typed.

[Hello, Noona, I am Jiang Zhiyu. Looking forward to our upcoming collaboration.]

Sent.

Kim Taeyeon's phone vibrated.

She looked down at that message, at that ordinary, normal, even somewhat official greeting, and a sudden wave of sourness rose in her heart.

Hello, Noona, I am Jiang Zhiyu.

Of course she knew he was Jiang Zhiyu.

How could she not know.

From the first time she saw him in the recording studio, she knew who he was. At that time, he was still wearing a hoodie, holding a coffee, and his eyes would crinkle when he smiled, like an ordinary college boy. Who would have thought that a few years later he would become the president of TG Entertainment, the "genius producer" that the entire industry looked up to.

Even more unexpected was that she would become like this—

Her heart racing just at the sight of his name, blushing at the scent of him, one word from him making her happy for an entire day, unable to sleep when he didn't contact her.

Three months.

For three whole months, she had been waiting for his message every single day.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

She opened the chat box, typed a few words, and deleted them.

She typed a few more, then deleted them again.

Back and forth, over and over, until finally, she placed her phone face down beside her pillow, closed her eyes, and her mind was filled with thoughts of him.

Now, he had finally sent a message.

"Hello, Noona, I am Jiang Zhiyu."

What is this supposed to mean?

What is this even supposed to mean?

Kim Taeyeon's eyes suddenly grew hot.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she fought desperately to keep them from falling.

She didn't want to cry in front of him; she didn't want him to see her looking so disheveled and pathetic.

Watching her struggle to hold back her tears, a soft spot in Jiang Zhiyu's heart stirred.

He put his phone back in his pocket and lowered his voice even further.

"Noona, if you want to reach me in the future, just message me directly."

He paused, then added, "There is no need to ask Tima anymore."

Kim Taeyeon almost couldn't hold back her tears.

Obviously!

How could I possibly go look for that little brat again!

That Lee Tima, saying things like "My brother blushes whenever he hears your name" and "My brother must be thinking about you"—it was all a lie!

She made her travel all the way to Jeju Island, only for nothing to be cleared up, and instead, the cold war between them just got worse.

Liars!

Both of those siblings are liars!

She bit her lower lip, cursing Lee Tima a thousand times in her heart.

But as she cursed, her eyes grew even hotter.

Because the liar was standing right in front of her, looking at her.

With that impossibly gentle gaze.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her—angry, aggrieved, and struggling to hold back tears—and suddenly remembered that night three months ago, when she had been drunk and left that red mark on his neck.

His ears turned slightly red.

"Noona." He spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Why haven't you messaged me during this time?"

Kim Taeyeon's body stiffened.

"Because—" He paused, his face turning redder and redder.

"Because of the neck..."

Before he could finish, Kim Taeyeon suddenly shrieked, "Yah—!!!"

She lunged forward, trying to cover his mouth with her hand.

But because she wasn't tall enough, her hand only reached near his chin.

Standing on tiptoe with her arm stretched out straight, she flailed around his chin, shouting, "Don't say it!!! Don't say it!!! You are not allowed to say it!!!"

Startled by her sudden movement, Jiang Zhiyu instinctively leaned back slightly to dodge her hand.

Then—their eyes met.

The streetlights shone down from above, casting a faint golden rim on his eyelashes.

His eyes were sparkling, as if they held an entire galaxy.

He was bent slightly, his face very close to hers—close enough that she could see herself reflected in his pupils.

Kim Taeyeon froze.

Her hand was still held in mid-air, and she remained motionless, as if someone had cast a freezing spell on her.

Then, her skin began to turn red.

It started at her cheeks and spread to her ears, her neck, and everywhere he could see.

It was as if someone had lit a fire inside her, burning from the inside out, leaving her nowhere to hide.

She wanted to say something, opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

She wanted to look away, but her eyes felt nailed in place, unable to move.

She just stared at him, looking at his sparkling eyes, his slightly upturned lips, and the faint halo of light on his face.

Then, Jiang Zhiyu smiled.

It was a light, faint smile, but it was impossibly gentle.

"Noona," he said, his voice as light as the night breeze.

"I missed you."

Kim Taeyeon's mind went blank instantly.

"You... I..."

She opened her mouth, emitting a few broken syllables, but couldn't form a complete sentence.

Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, and her eardrums were filled with a thumping sound, deafening her to everything else.

What is he saying?

What is he saying?!

"I missed you"?

He said he missed me?

It was as if ten thousand fireworks had gone off in Kim Taeyeon's brain at once, shattering all her reason into pieces.

She stood there with her hand still in mid-air, her mouth slightly agape, her face as red as a ripe persimmon, looking silly, dazed, and adorable.

Watching her, Jiang Zhiyu's smile deepened.

He said nothing more, simply reaching out to gently ruffle her hair.

The gesture was light and natural, like soothing a ruffled kitten.

"How are you getting back, Noona?" he asked, his voice having returned to its usual calm.

Kim Taeyeon, still not having recovered from the shock, answered blankly, "I... I called a designated driver."

"Okay." Jiang Zhiyu nodded, withdrew his hand, and put it in his pocket.

"I had my driver come to pick me up."

He looked at her, his gaze as gentle as moonlight.

"Send me a message when you get home."

Kim Taeyeon nodded mechanically.

"Okay!"

Her voice was small and muffled, as if squeezed out from her throat.

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but smile again at her silly expression.

He turned and walked toward the roadside.

After two steps, he looked back.

Kim Taeyeon was still standing in the same spot, holding the same pose, her hand hanging at her side, watching him without blinking.

"Noona," he called out.

Kim Taeyeon shuddered. "Yes?"

"It's cold outside, go inside the shop and wait."

Kim Taeyeon paused, then lowered her head and whispered, "...Oh."

But she didn't move.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't urge her again, simply standing by the roadside, a few steps away from her, waiting together.

The night breeze blew, carrying the chill of early autumn.

In the distance, streetlights lit up one by one, like a flowing river.

Both of them stood there, neither speaking.

But this silence was different from before.

It wasn't an awkward silence, nor an oppressive one, but—a gentle silence.

Kim Taeyeon lowered her head, watching the two shadows stretched long on the ground by the streetlights.

Her heart was still beating fast, but it wasn't as chaotic as before.

The words replayed in her mind over and over again—"Noona, I missed you."

She bit her lower lip, her lips curling up uncontrollably.

Liar.

You were the one who didn't contact me, yet you say you missed me.

But the sweet Bubbles in her heart kept popping up one after another, and she couldn't suppress them no matter how hard she tried.

Her phone vibrated.

She looked down to see a message from the designated driver: [Customer, I have arrived. Where are you?]

Kim Taeyeon looked up and saw a black car parked on the side of the road, the driver looking around.

She pointed over there and then looked at Jiang Zhiyu.

"I... I'm going now."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "Okay, send me a message when you get home."

Kim Taeyeon gave an "Okay" and turned to walk toward the car.

After a few steps, she suddenly stopped.

She turned back.

Jiang Zhiyu was still standing there, watching her.

They locked eyes for a second.

Kim Taeyeon opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just waved at him and quickly ducked into the car.

The moment the car door closed, she leaned back against the seat and let out a long breath.

Her heart was still thumping, making her feel weak all over.

She took out her phone and opened Kakao.

That new chat box was still there.

[Hello, Noona, I am Jiang Zhiyu. Please take care of me during our upcoming collaboration.]

She stared at that message for a long, long time.

Then, she went into the settings and changed the nickname to—[Kim Softie · The Noona You Absolutely Cannot Mess With]

After changing it, she looked at the name and couldn't help but laugh.

What is this? What kind of name is this?

But she didn't change it back.

The car pulled onto the main road, and the streetlights outside the window flashed by one after another.

She pressed her phone against her chest and closed her eyes.

In her mind, his sparkling eyes and his words "I missed you" remained.

Her lips curled up again.

Kim Taeyeon buried her face in her scarf like a cat that had stolen a fish.

On the other side.

Jiang Zhiyu stood by the road, watching the car disappear into the night.

His phone vibrated.

It was a message from Kim Taeyeon.

[Kim Softie · The Noona You Absolutely Cannot Mess With: I'm home.]

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the nickname and couldn't help but laugh.

Kim Softie.

The Noona You Absolutely Cannot Mess With.

He thought for a moment and changed the nickname to—[Taeyeon Noona]

Then he replied: [Okay, Noona, get some rest early.]

After sending it, he added another line: [Good night.]

A few seconds later, the reply came.

[Good night]

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the purple heart and his lips curved upward.

A black car pulled up slowly and stopped in front of him.

The window rolled down, and the driver poked his head out: "President Jiang, please get in."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded, opened the car door, and sat in the back seat.

The car drove off into the night.

He leaned back against the seat, watching the passing streetlights outside, and Kim Taeyeon's appearance from just a moment ago surfaced in his mind—her flushed face, her sparkling eyes, her hand held in mid-air, looking silly, dazed, and adorable.

He let out a soft laugh.

Then he closed his eyes, and the smile on his lips could not be suppressed no matter what.

That night, some fell asleep with a smile, some hugged their phones and scrolled through the chat history a thousand times, some were still savoring the words "I missed you," and some called out someone's name in their dreams.

The Seoul night was deep.

But some things were already quietly changing.