416: Chapter 470 The Old Woman (4)

The door to the restaurant's private room was slightly ajar, with warm yellow light leaking through the crack, casting a long, thin band of light onto the corridor floor. Faint sounds of laughter and chatter drifted from inside; the voices of several girls were intertwined, making it sound very lively.

Kang Seulgi sat by the window, holding a cup of barley tea in her hands, taking small sips. Her eyes were vacant, as if she were lost in thought. Wendy sat beside her, flipping through a recipe on her phone and muttering to herself, "This cake looks delicious... I should try making it next time..."

Yeri occupied the most comfortable spot in the room—the corner of the sofa against the wall. She was curled up into a ball, hugging a cushion, with a smug expression on her face that said, 'I'm the maknae, I'm the boss.'

Joy sat opposite her, menu in hand, studying what to order later.

Bae Joo-hyun leaned against the back of her chair, holding a cup of warm water, her gaze sweeping across the faces of her members. Looking at this group of younger sisters, she suddenly remembered her purpose for coming today—to ask Jiang Zhiyu for help with ideas for the Bubble live stream. And the culprit behind all this was that man.

The air was filled with the scent of grilled meat and kimchi. It should have been a warm dinner atmosphere, but at this moment, the vibe was subtly eerie.

"Sigh—"

Yeri let out a long sigh and leaned back against the chair.

"It's all that Jiang Zhiyu's fault," Yeri suddenly spoke up, her tone full of resentment. "Starting some 'boyfriend-vibe' Bubble live stream... now the whole company is forcing us to do it."

Wendy put down the menu and sighed. "The SM PR Department had a three-hour meeting yesterday specifically to discuss this. They said everyone has to come up with a plan and submit it before next Monday."

Seulgi's eyes widened. "Three hours? Just for Bubble live streams?"

Wendy nodded. "Just for that. The director said it's 'SM's most important strategic transformation for fan communication in 2021.' He even said 'those who can't keep up will be eliminated.'"

Joy held her wine glass and said slowly, "Ji-min did so well; she dominated the trending searches and her subscriptions skyrocketed. The SM higher-ups are green with envy. Did you see Director Park's expression during the meeting yesterday?"

Wendy nodded with a helpless look. "I saw it. He said 'Red Velvet has to do it too, and do it better than aespa.' At that moment, I really wanted to ask, 'Director, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about us?'"

Kang Seulgi hugged her cushion, shrinking into her chair, and whispered, "I barely even post on Instagram, and now they want me to do Bubble lives... What can I even post? Post about getting caught eating fruit? Post about me dozing off in the practice room?"

Yeri immediately raised her hand. "That works! Fans love seeing that!"

Kang Seulgi glared at her. "Shut up."

Yeri looked at Bae Joo-hyun, suddenly thinking of something as her eyes lit up. "Irene Unnie, what do you plan to post?"

Bae Joo-hyun's gaze slowly shifted over to Yeri. She looked at her and remained silent for two seconds. "...I don't know."

Yeri pressed further, "But you have to post something, right? The company is pushing so hard."

Bae Joo-hyun went silent again. Then she spoke slowly, her tone as calm as if she were saying 'the weather is nice today': "...'I'm very pretty today too.'"

The room went quiet for a second. Then Wendy was the first to react: "Unnie, that's praising yourself, it's not a 'girlfriend-vibe'!"

Joy added a finishing blow: "Right, you have to say 'You're very pretty today too'—'You', understand? It's 'You'!"

Kang Seulgi also spoke up for once: "And you can't say it with a blank face. You have to smile, sweetly."

Bae Joo-hyun looked at the three of them, was silent for a moment, and then said expressionlessly, "...Too much trouble."

The four of them sighed simultaneously.

Yeri continued, "About that Bubble live thing, are we really going to ask him for help?"

Joy put down the menu and sighed.

"What else can we do? Look at the plans the company gave us—telling me to post 'The weather is great today, I want to go for a walk with you,' or 'Eating alone is so lonely, I want someone to keep me company'—I felt embarrassed just reading them."

Wendy looked up and said seriously, "My plan was 'I'm so tired after exercising today, I want someone to give me a massage.' I thought it was pretty good."

Everyone looked at her at the same time.

Wendy felt a bit self-conscious under their gaze. "...Is it not good?"

Kang Seulgi said softly, "Unnie, that... sounds a bit like a thirst trap."

Wendy's face instantly turned red.

"I-I didn't mean it like that!"

Yeri was already laughing so hard she couldn't straighten her back.

"A massage! Hahahaha! Wendy Unnie, you're too innocent!"

Wendy defended herself with a red face: "I just really wanted someone to give me a massage! It's really tiring after exercising!"

Bae Joo-hyun sat at the head of the table, holding a wine glass, her expression as calm as a pool of stagnant water. She didn't participate in the discussion, only taking an occasional sip of wine, her gaze sweeping over her younger sisters' faces as if watching a play that had nothing to do with her.

But the faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of her mouth betrayed her.

She actually quite enjoyed seeing them so anxious.

"Irene Unnie!"

Joy suddenly turned her head toward her, a hint of alertness in her eyes.

"What's with that expression?"

Bae Joo-hyun blinked, looking innocent.

"What expression?"

Joy narrowed her eyes. "That 'I'm enjoying the show' expression."

Bae Joo-hyun couldn't help but laugh.

It was a light laugh, but she was definitely laughing.

Then she spoke, her voice leisurely, even carrying a hint of deliberate teasing:

"Don't you have experience?"

Everyone turned their heads at the same time toward the source of the voice.

Bae Joo-hyun sat by the window, holding a cup of tea, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Joy was stunned.

"Ex-experience? What experience?"

Bae Joo-hyun took a slow sip of tea and then said:

"Dating experience."

Joy's face froze instantly.

Bae Joo-hyun saw her expression, and the smile in her eyes deepened. She put down her teacup, her voice slow but every word cutting deep:

"Weren't you and Crush together once?"

The room went silent for a second.

Then—

"Unnie???"

Joy's eyes widened instantly, her expression shifting from shock to disbelief, and finally to a 'you've got to be kidding me' breakdown.

Yeri was the first to react, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"That's right, that's right! Joy Unnie! You have the most experience!"

Kang Seulgi also leaned in, looking expectant. "Quick, teach us, Teacher Sooyoung!"

Wendy nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! Dating expert! Please enlighten us!"

Joy's face went from white to red, and from red to purple.

"Hey! How can I teach something like that!"

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at her, her tone airy:

"Tell us about your dating history with him—shopping, eating, watching movies—just say something."

Joy's eyes widened.

"How could I possibly say that!"

Yeri tilted her head, putting on an innocent expression.

"Why can't you say it? It's not like it's something shameful."

Joy glared at her through gritted teeth.

But Yeri wasn't done yet.

She blinked, showing an 'I'm just curious' look.

"Joy Unnie and Crush... you didn't only have dates in a room, did you?"

The room fell silent again.

Dead silence.

Then—

"Pfft—!!!"

Bae Joo-hyun was the first to lose it, letting out an earth-shattering 'Ajumma laugh.' That laughter was a huge contrast to her usual cold image; her shoulders shook as she laughed, and the wine in her hand even spilled out.

Wendy covered her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers.

Kang Seulgi's cushion fell to the floor, but she didn't bother picking it up because her mouth had formed a perfect 'O' shape.

Yeri herself was shocked by her own words. She froze for a second before starting to hold back laughter frantically.

And Joy—

Joy's face had turned from purple to black.

She stared at Yeri, her eyes practically spitting fire.

"Kim—Ye—ri—!!! Go to hell!!!"

She grabbed a cushion and threw it at Yeri.

Yeri was prepared; she nimbly dodged it and laughed even more wildly.

"I'm just telling the truth! Didn't you guys want to know about dating! I asked for you!"

Joy chased after her to hit her. Yeri, prepared, screamed and hid behind Wendy. The two of them circled the table like two cats with their fur standing on end.

Wendy was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight, slapping the table and shouting, "Sooyoung! Calm down! Calm down!"

Seulgi covered her face, her shoulders heaving as she shook from trying to hold in her laughter.

And Bae Joo-hyun—

Bae Joo-hyun held her water cup, watching the farce, the corners of her mouth slowly rising, and then—

"Pfft, hahahaha—!"

She burst out laughing. It wasn't a reserved smile, but a full-blown, uninhibited 'Ajumma laugh.' Her eyes narrowed into slits, her shoulders shook, and she could barely hold the water cup steady.

"Hey! Kim Yeri!" she said while laughing. "How do you dare to say anything!"

Yeri hid behind Wendy, poking half her head out and saying righteously, "I'm not wrong! Otherwise, why wouldn't Joy Unnie dare to say it!"

Joy finally caught up with Yeri and grabbed her ear. "I'm going to act on behalf of the heavens today and kill this disrespectful brat!"

Yeri cried out as her ear was pinched, "Unnie! Unnie, I was wrong! Help!"

"That's for talking nonsense! That's for talking nonsense!"

Yeri covered her ears and begged for mercy: "Unnie, Unnie! I was really wrong! I'll never say it again!"

Joy glared at her. "There's a next time?"

Yeri immediately shook her head. "No, no! Absolutely not!"

Only then did Joy let go and sit back in her seat, huffing.

Yeri rubbed her reddened ear and muttered softly:

"It's true though... otherwise why can't you talk about your dating history..."

Joy glared at her again.

Yeri immediately shut up.

Just then, the door to the room was pushed open.

Jiang Zhiyu stood at the door, with Lee Tima poking her head out from behind him. The two of them looked at the rowdy scene inside and were both stunned for a moment.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze swept across the room. Yeri was laughing while crouching on the floor, Joy was still chasing her with a tissue box, Wendy was slapping the table laughing, and Seulgi was covering her face with her shoulders shaking.

Then, his gaze landed on Bae Joo-hyun.

She was sitting in the corner, her face turned to the side, with that smile still lingering on her lips. It wasn't a business smile for the cameras, but a genuine, heartfelt laugh. Her eyes were curved into crescents, making her whole being seem much softer—like warmth seeping from beneath the ice, or a sudden ray of sunlight in winter.

Jiang Zhiyu's heart suddenly skipped a beat. No, not just one beat; it kept racing. From the second he saw her, his heartbeat went out of control.

Shit.

He cursed in his heart.

He had clearly made a clean break. He had clearly separated her from Baek Ji-xin in his mind. He had thought that after their interaction on 'the collapsed daily life' variety show, his heartbeat should have returned to normal. But now? He had only caught one glimpse of her, and his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.

This definitely wasn't because of Baek Ji-xin. He was sure he had separated Baek Ji-xin and Bae Joo-hyun quite thoroughly. Baek Ji-xin was Baek Ji-xin, and Bae Joo-hyun was Bae Joo-hyun; they had no connection other than looking alike. He told himself this repeatedly, over and over, until he almost believed it himself.

But his current heart rate was at least 130. Maybe even higher.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his expression look normal.

Lee Tima had already bounced inside. "Unnies! We're here!" Wendy smiled and waved at her, "Tima's here, come and sit." Seulgi also smiled, "Long time no see, Tima seems to have grown taller again." Yeri climbed up from the floor and patted her pants. "Tima! You've come at the right time! Joy Unnie was just trying to kill me, protect me!"

Joy glared at Yeri, but seeing Lee Tima, the anger on her face dissipated. "Tima, ignore her, she's just asking for a beating."

Lee Tima laughed even more happily. Then she turned and looked at Bae Joo-hyun.

Bae Joo-hyun had already put down her teacup, a gentle smile on her face. She reached out toward Lee Tima and said softly, "Tima, come here."

Lee Tima immediately lunged forward and burrowed into Bae Joo-hyun's arms. "Joohyun Unnie~ long time no see~ I missed you~"

Lee Tima felt that kindness and smiled even more brightly. She looked around and asked curiously, "What were you Unnies talking about? I heard you laughing from the door."

Bae Joo-hyun looked at her and smiled faintly. "We were talking about dating."

Jiang Zhiyu's hand, which was unbuttoning his suit jacket, paused for a moment. The pause was very short, so short that almost no one noticed. It was just that the polite smile he had been maintaining stiffened the moment he heard the word 'dating.'

Dating.

Bae Joo-hyun was talking about dating.

She was talking about dating.

Who was she talking about dating? Herself? Someone else? Regardless of who it was, hearing that word from her mouth caused an indescribable emotion to well up in his heart.

He remembered what Lee Tima had said in the car earlier—

“Joohyun Unnie definitely has pursuers.”

Definitely has pursuers.

Who is it?

Who is pursuing her?

Did she agree?

Does she like that person?

His expression flickered only slightly before he quickly regained that polite, distant smile. He took off his suit jacket, draped it over the back of the chair, and then began greeting everyone one by one.

“Wendy Sunbae, long time no see.”

“Seulgi Sunbae, how have you been lately?”

“Joy Sunbae, thank you for your hard work.”

“Yeri-ah, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

Every form of address was just right. Polite, appropriate, neither too distant nor too close. But when it came to Bae Joo-hyun—

“Irene-xi.”

His speech was just a fraction too fast. So fast that he regretted it the moment it left his mouth.

Everyone else was 'Sunbae,' but for her, it was 'Irene-xi.' This title was more distant and formal than 'Sunbae,' sounding more like something said to an unfamiliar business partner. The atmosphere in the private room shifted subtly, but it soon returned to normal as Jiang Zhiyu had already turned to sit in his seat, picking up his water glass and taking a sip.

Bae Joo-hyun watched his back, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. The arc was so shallow it was almost imperceptible. But in those eyes, something was clearly flickering.

This man. She sneered inwardly.

Did he think she hadn't noticed? Did he think he was hiding it well? Did he think she couldn't hear that 'Irene-xi' and the slightly rushed speech? And when he entered just now, his gaze lingered on her for—she counted silently in her head—1.7 seconds. That was 0.5 seconds longer than he looked at anyone else.

She lowered her eyelashes, picked up her water glass, and also took a sip.

The water was lukewarm, but her heart felt cold. No, not cold, but at an indescribable temperature. That man was clearly looking at her, yet pretending he wasn't. Clearly caring, yet pretending he didn't. Clearly... She put down the glass and stopped herself from thinking further.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhiyu was staring at the water glass in front of him. His gaze was cold and dark, as if he wanted to stare the glass into exploding.

They were talking about dating just now. Bae Joo-hyun said it; she was talking about dating. Who's dating? Her? Or Joy? When he came in, Joy and Yeri were the most boisterous, so it should have been about Joy. But Bae Joo-hyun said 'We were talking about dating'—'We,' did that include her? Did she participate? What did she say?

His mind was a mess.

Bae Joo-hyun?

A dating topic?

Bae Joo-hyun is talking about dating?

She's talking about dating?

Who's talking? About whom?

Joy has a boyfriend, Crush—right, Crush. But what about Bae Joo-hyun? Does she have one? Does she have someone she likes? Does she have pursuers?

She doesn't have a partner.

She doesn't.

Absolutely not.

If she did—

Who is it?

Who dares to get close to her?

Who dares to smile at her?

Who dares to make her smile?

Who dares to make her show that kind of smile?

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze grew colder and colder, like the Han River in winter. He stared at the water glass before him as if he could shatter it with his eyes alone.

The water glass bore his gaze innocently, remaining motionless.

But inside, Jiang Zhiyu was in a state of total upheaval.

Bae Joo-hyun. Dating. Someone else. These words swirled manically in his mind like a tangled mess that couldn't be unraveled. Doubts, anger, jealousy, and murderous intent intertwined within him like a silent storm growing ever more violent.

He recalled the scenes he had fantasized about in the car—Bae Joo-hyun smiling at someone else, calling someone else 'Oppa,' saying she loved someone else, being hugged by someone else, kissing someone else—his fingers tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white, and the water glass made a faint sound in his hand.

Ultimately, all those emotions converged into a single thought:

I'm going to break that bastard's legs.

No matter who he is.

No matter where he is.

No matter if he knows what he's doing or not.

As long as he dares to approach Bae Joo-hyun, dares to make her smile, dares to make her show that expression—

I will break his legs.

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers tightened further, the glass letting out a soft creak in his palm.

His expression remained calm, one might even say expressionless. But that icy murderous intent rising from the depths of his heart once again spread out, enveloping the space around him.

Fortunately, he was far from the others.

Fortunately, no one noticed him.

Lee Tima had already hit it off with Red Velvet. She sat between Yeri and Wendy, chatting away and making them laugh non-stop.

“Speaking of which, Unnie,” Lee Tima suddenly spoke up, her eyes sparkling, “I recently learned a new way to say hello.”

Yeri tilted her head curiously: “A new way to say hello? What is it?”

Lee Tima gave a bright smile, then wrinkled her nose in slight frustration: “But this method requires two people.”

Yeri became even more interested: “Two people? Then find someone to demonstrate with.”

Lee Tima's gaze swept around the room before landing on Bae Joo-hyun. Her look carried a hint of anticipation, a touch of mischief, and a sincerity that was impossible to refuse: “Joohyun Unnie, can you help me?”

Bae Joo-hyun looked at her and nodded. The nod was slight but very gentle.

Lee Tima stood up and walked over to Bae Joo-hyun. Bae Joo-hyun turned slightly toward her, waiting for her 'new way to say hello.' Lee Tima leaned down, bringing her face close to Bae Joo-hyun's—their faces were almost touching.

Then, Lee Tima gently nuzzled Bae Joo-hyun's cheek.

“Hehe~”

The room went silent for a second.

Then Wendy was the first to burst out laughing, her laughter sounding both absurd and loud: “Ya! Lee Tima! What kind of greeting is that?!”

Seulgi also laughed, her eyes crinkling into slits: “That's a greeting? That's clearly acting cute!”

Joy covered her mouth, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up: “Tima, who did you learn that from?”

Yeri laughed while slapping the table: “This is too cute! I want it too, I want it too!”

Bae Joo-hyun laughed as well. It wasn't her usual distant, polite smile, but a genuine laugh from being amused. She looked at Lee Tima with eyes full of doting affection, as if looking at a mischievous child.

Lee Tima straightened up and said righteously: “It's from abroad! I don't know exactly which country!”

Wendy shook her head while laughing: “You learned it without even knowing which country it's from?”

Lee Tima blinked and said as a matter of course: “As long as it works, it's fine!”

Then her eyes lit up as she had another idea: “Ah! I want to do this greeting with all the Unnies! Can I take photos and post them on Bubble?”

Yeri was the first to raise her hand: “Post them, post them! I want to see if I look good on camera!”

Joy also smiled: “Sure, take them, make sure they look good.”

Wendy and Seulgi also nodded in agreement.

Lee Tima excitedly pulled out her phone, ran to Yeri first, leaned down, and nuzzled her cheek. *Click*, the photo was taken. Yeri flashed a peace sign at the camera, smiling like a little cat that had stolen a fish. Then it was Joy; Lee Tima leaned in to nuzzle her, and Joy cooperated with a sweet smile, though the amusement in her eyes was real. Wendy and Seulgi each took their turn as well.

Finally, Lee Tima walked over to Bae Joo-hyun. Bae Joo-hyun had already turned her face slightly, waiting for her. Lee Tima leaned down and gently nuzzled her cheek. Bae Joo-hyun's skin was very white and delicate, like a peeled egg. After nuzzling, Lee Tima couldn't help but exclaim: “I think Joohyun Unnie's face is the softest and most delicate!”

The room instantly erupted.

Yeri was the first to tease: “Wow! Tima, are you praising our leader?”

Wendy nodded with a smile: “It's true, Irene Unnie's skin is famously good.”

Joy joined in: “Yeah, every time she's bare-faced, she looks like she's glowing.”

Kang Seulgi whispered “I'm jealous” and shrank back again.

Bae Joo-hyun was a bit embarrassed by their words, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. She glanced at Lee Tima with a look that said, 'You little rascal.'

Jiang Zhiyu sat in the corner, watching this scene. His gaze involuntarily fell on Bae Joo-hyun's face. In the warm yellow light, that face glowed white. It wasn't a sickly pale, but a healthy, radiant white, like a freshly peeled egg or smooth white jade.

Lee Tima said her face was the softest and most delicate. He wanted to know if that was true.

His face slowly turned red.

After finishing the photos, Lee Tima put away her phone with satisfaction. She stole a glance at Jiang Zhiyu, the man sitting at the other end of the long table who had remained silent all along.

His expression—

The corners of Lee Tima's mouth curled up slightly.

Good.

His expression is super terrifying.

His face was as calm as a pool of stagnant water. But in those eyes, something was clearly burning. He stared in their direction, his gaze cold enough to freeze someone to death.

Lee Tima gave herself a mental thumbs-up.

Nicely done.

But she felt it wasn't enough.

“Oppa,” she suddenly spoke up, her voice as clear as a bell, “do you also want to greet the Unnies like this?”

The room went silent instantly.

Everyone's eyes shifted in unison to Jiang Zhiyu's face. Yeri's eyes lit up, Joy's mouth curved, Wendy covered her mouth, and Seulgi's eyes widened. Even Bae Joo-hyun turned her head slightly to look at him.

He glared fiercely at Lee Tima—this little devil! She was definitely doing this on purpose! Talking about those things, nuzzling Bae Joo-hyun's face, posting on Bubble—it was all a setup! Just for this moment!

Lee Tima blinked innocently, her expression as if saying: I was just asking, Oppa, why is your face turning red?

Jiang Zhiyu took a deep breath, and then another.

Then his gaze, uncontrollably and subconsciously—as if pulled by something—glanced toward Bae Joo-hyun.

She was looking at him, her gaze calm, but beneath that calm, something seemed to be hidden. Was it curiosity? Anticipation? Or... was she watching for a show?

He didn't know.

He only knew that his heartbeat was now too fast to count.

”

Her face.

Soft? Delicate?

In his mind, the image of Lee Tima nuzzling her face involuntarily surfaced.

Their cheeks pressed together.

So close.

So close that he could imagine the sensation.

His face turned bright red, visibly so. Starting from the base of his ears, it spread bit by bit to his cheeks until his entire face was as red as a cooked shrimp. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't utter a word. His mind was a blank, his heart was drumming, and his eardrums were filled with the sound of his own pulse.

“...No need.”

His voice was somewhat raspy. After speaking, he lowered his head, staring at the water glass in front of him, and didn't say another word.

Yeri was the first to laugh: “President Jiang's face is red!”

Joy followed up with a jab: “Wow, this reaction is gold!”

Wendy slapped the table while laughing: “First time seeing President Jiang like this!”

Seulgi showed a rare gossipy expression: “So President Jiang can get shy too.”

Bae Joo-hyun didn't say anything. She just looked at him—at his flushed face, at his eyes that didn't know where to look, and at his slightly pursed lips. The curve of her mouth deepened a bit.

Lee Tima stood to the side, watching this scene, smiling like a little fox that had stolen a chicken. She silently gave herself a thumbs-up.

Mission accomplished.

Jiang Zhiyu took a deep breath, then another. He picked up the water glass and drained it in one gulp. The icy water slid down his throat, but it didn't quench the heat on his face. He could feel everyone's eyes still lingering on him.

He put down the glass and tried to make his voice sound normal.

“Lee Tima.” His voice was a bit hoarse.

Lee Tima blinked: “Here!”

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her and said word by word: “When you get back, write me a three-thousand-word self-reflection.”

Lee Tima's smile froze on her face.

In the private room, the laughter grew even louder.