422: Chapter 475 The Old Woman (9)

(Updating the previous chapters frantically; currently on the Zhoushan highway for a vacation.)

—

The game continued, but the atmosphere in the private room had been thoroughly ignited.

Yeri, Wendy, and Kang Seulgi huddled together like three detectives analyzing a case, their expressions comically serious. Yeri had her arms crossed and brows furrowed, her gaze scanning Joy's face back and forth, trying to find clues in her micro-expressions. Wendy rested her chin on her hand with a thoughtful look, occasionally nodding or shaking her head. Kang Seulgi sat up straight, looking as serious as if she were taking the college entrance exam, but the blank look in her eyes betrayed the fact that she actually hadn't come up with anything.

"Since it's not singing," Wendy began, her tone as certain as if she were reading a verdict, "and it's not something related to Crush—"

Joy's face turned red again. "Ya! Son Seung-wan!" She glared at Wendy, her voice full of shame and annoyance, "Do you have to mention that name?!"

Wendy blinked innocently: "I'm just analyzing the clues."

"Does analyzing clues require mentioning names?!"

"It's necessary, otherwise how can we eliminate options?"

Joy opened her mouth to argue but found she couldn't say anything. Wendy was right; the process of elimination did require mentioning the excluded subjects. But she just didn't want to hear that name, especially in this setting and in front of this group of gossipy people.

Yeri couldn't help but laugh seeing Joy's defeated expression. However, she quickly composed herself and brought the topic back on track. "And it's something we can do together..." She repeated Wendy's words, her eyes darting around. "So, it's not singing, it's not related to Crush, and it's something we can do together. That narrows the scope significantly."

She looked at Joy, her eyes full of expectation: "Unnie, give us some more clues."

Joy bit her lower lip, hesitated for a few seconds, and then looked at Kang Seulgi with eyes pleading 'don't say it'. Kang Seulgi met that gaze, remained silent for a second, and then looked away, pretending to read the slip of paper in her hand. She spoke, her voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something: "Blooming."

Joy covered her face.

She literally covered her face. With both hands over her face, she curled into a ball like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. That sight made the laughter in the room even louder.

Yeri laughed so hard she slapped the table: "Blooming? What blooming?"

Wendy laughed too, but with a hint of helplessness: "What the! Are we just guessing? What could 'blooming' be? Flowers blooming? Spring is here?"

Kang Seulgi spread her hands: "I can only say this much. Saying more would be cheating."

Yeri stared at Joy: "Unnie, what did you actually write? What does 'blooming' mean?"

Joy didn't speak, just kept her face covered, her shoulders shaking. It was unclear if she was laughing or crying.

At that moment, a voice rang out. It was crisp, carrying a hint of innocence, a touch of mischief, and a chillingly smug 'I know the answer' tone.

"I know! The flower of love has bloomed!"

Everyone's gaze turned to Lee Tima. She had stood up from her seat and was swaying her body with her hands raised above her head, looking like an elderly person at a disco. To put it nicely, the movement was 'rhythmic'; to put it bluntly, it was 'completely off-beat'. But she was swaying very intently, seriously, and enjoyably. She sang while she swayed. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, and every word reached everyone's ears distinctly.

"In my heart that's like a desert, a flower called 'you', the flower of love, has bloomed—"

Translated, it meant: "In my heart that is like a desert, that flower of yours, the flower of love, has bloomed."

The room fell silent for a second. Then, an even more violent explosion of laughter erupted.

Yeri laughed so hard she couldn't straighten her back, leaning over the table with her shoulders shaking. Wendy laughed until tears came out, and the teacup in her hand finally tipped over completely, spilling tea all over the table, but she didn't even notice. Kang Seulgi laughed while slapping her thighs loudly. Joy lowered her hands from her face and looked at Lee Tima's 'elderly disco' routine; her expression shifted from blushing shame to helplessness, from helplessness to amusement, and finally, she couldn't help but laugh too.

"Ya! Lee Tima!" She grabbed a tissue from the table and threw it at Tima.

Lee Tima nimbly dodged it and swayed even more vigorously. She held her hands above her head as if waving invisible glow sticks, her body rocking side to side as she continued to sing: "Love flower~ Love flower~ Our love flower~"

"Love flower~ Love flower~ Our love flower~"

That voice, that tune, that dance—it was simply a disaster. But this disaster made everyone laugh. Yeri coughed from laughing, Wendy collapsed onto the table, Kang Seulgi slid off her chair, Joy pounded the table, Bae Joo-hyun's eyes curved into crescents, and even Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh.

Yeri finally caught her breath, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and summarized: "So, it's about acting out a confession scene in the rain, right!"

The room went quiet again.

Because what Yeri said made sense. Blooming, in the rain, confession—these three things added together pointed to a very specific scene. A confession in the rain.

Everyone's eyes fell on Joy once more. Joy's face was already as red as a cooked shrimp. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't. Because she knew they had guessed correctly. What was written on that slip of paper was indeed 'Confession in the Rain'.

Just then, two voices spoke simultaneously.

"It couldn't be that Crush confessed to you in the rain, right?"

Jiang Zhiyu and Bae Joo-hyun.

The two of them spoke at the same time, saying almost the exact same thing.

The room fell silent. Dead silent. Everyone's gaze darted back and forth between Jiang Zhiyu and Bae Joo-hyun. Yeri's eyes lit up, Joy's eyebrows shot up, Wendy's mouth hung open, Kang Seulgi's expression lost control again, and Lee Tima's lips curled into that 'I know everything' smile.

Jiang Zhiyu was stunned. He hadn't expected Bae Joo-hyun to speak at the same time as him. Even less had he expected her to say almost the same thing. His heart began to race again, but he struggled to maintain a calm expression as if nothing had happened.

Bae Joo-hyun was also stunned. She looked at Jiang Zhiyu, her gaze lingering on his face for a second before looking away. Her expression remained indifferent, showing no emotion. But her slightly reddened earlobes betrayed her.

Joy looked at these two, feeling such resentment in her heart. She grit her teeth, her voice full of shame and annoyance: "How is that possible! He was at—" She suddenly stopped.

Because she realized she had almost let it slip.

"Ya!! You guys are trying to bait me, aren't you!"

She glared at Jiang Zhiyu and Bae Joo-hyun, her voice urgent and angry. Jiang Zhiyu blinked innocently, and Bae Joo-hyun looked at her calmly; their expressions were each more innocent than the last. Joy took a deep breath, then another.

"I was wrong... I should never have played this game..." Her voice was full of regret and helplessness.

Jiang Zhiyu gave a dry cough and brought the topic back. His voice returned to a calm state, as if nothing had happened. "So, what you wrote was... a confession in the rain?"

Joy looked at him and didn't speak. But her expression clearly said, 'You guessed right, but I won't admit it.'

Bae Joo-hyun spoke up, her tone indifferent as if saying 'the weather is nice today'. "If I'm not mistaken, there should be designated people. Like the person to the left or right, for example."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "Joy Sunbae wouldn't be that boring. Writing a confession in the rain without a target would be pointless. There must be designated people."

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at him: "Are you Joy?"

Jiang Zhiyu shook his head: "No. But if it were me, that's how I'd write it."

Bae Joo-hyun gave a meaningful "Oh" and didn't press further.

Joy sat there, watching these two play off each other, and the resentment in her heart deepened. She took a deep breath, then another, and finally spoke. There was a sense of reckless desperation in her voice.

"Enough. I'll just say it."

The room went quiet. Everyone's eyes were on her.

Joy said word by word: "It's to act out a dialogue for a confession in the rain. There is no Crush, and definitely no me!"

After speaking, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes with an expression of 'I've given up struggling'.

The room was silent for a few seconds. Then—an even louder burst of laughter exploded.

Yeri laughed so hard she pounded the table, making it go 'thud thud'. Wendy laughed until she couldn't stand straight, leaning over the table with her shoulders shaking. Kang Seulgi laughed so much she slid off her chair and sat on the floor pounding the ground. Lee Tima laughed so hard she rolled around, shouting: "No Crush! Definitely no me! Hahahaha!" Bae Joo-hyun's eyes curved into crescents, the curve of her lips impossible to suppress. Even Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh.

Joy kept her eyes closed, listening to the laughter and crying silently in her heart.

Damn this game.

Damn Jiang Zhiyu.

Damn his variety show talent.

Joohyun Unnie too—playing along so perfectly.

Next time, I'm absolutely not playing games with the two of them.

After making that vow in her heart, she opened her eyes, picked up her glass, and drained it in one gulp.

—

The content of the slip was finally revealed—a confession in the rain. But a new question arose. Who had the slip? Who was Joy going to perform this confession in the rain with? Everyone's gaze fell simultaneously on Kang Seulgi. As the conductor, Seulgi was the only one who knew who held the slip. But her expression remained that mysterious 'I know but I'm not telling' look, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned with a hint of anticipation for the show.

Yeri couldn't take it anymore: "Unnie, just tell us, who has it?"

Kang Seulgi shook her head: "I can't say. The game would be boring if I did."

Yeri glared at her, wishing she could rush up and snatch the slip from her hand.

Just then, a figure stood up. The movement was sudden, like a rabbit jumping out of the grass. Lee Tima stepped onto a chair, standing tall with one hand raised as if waving to someone. She tilted her head back toward the ceiling, her expression as serious as if she were making an important declaration.

"Crush Oppa—" Her voice was crisp, echoing in the room, "We're just playing a game! Joy Unnie is still yours!"

She blinked and blew a kiss into the air. "Wink~"

The room fell silent for a second. Then—

"Ya!!!" Joy's voice exploded as she sprang from her seat, her face flushed deep red. Her voice was urgent and angry, filled with shame and an 'how dare you say that' sense of disbelief.

But Lee Tima didn't panic at all. She stood on the chair, looking down at Joy with her signature 'I know what I'm doing' smile.

The room erupted in violent laughter. Yeri pounded the table, Wendy couldn't stand straight, Kang Seulgi slid off her chair, and Bae Joo-hyun's eyes curved into crescents. Jiang Zhiyu quickly stood up and reached out to lift Lee Tima down from the chair. The movement was fast, like he was rescuing something fragile. He laughed and scolded while holding her: "You little brat! Crush won't be that petty!"

Lee Tima was set down, and as soon as her feet hit the ground, she looked up at him with a serious expression as if confirming something: "Really?"

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "Really."

Lee Tima asked again: "Do you know Crush?"

Jiang Zhiyu shook his head: "I don't."

Lee Tima tilted her head: "Then how do you know he's not petty?"

Jiang Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Because a normal person wouldn't get worked up over a game."

Lee Tima nodded thoughtfully: "Oh... then what if Crush isn't a normal person?"

Jiang Zhiyu opened his mouth and found that he actually couldn't refute her. He reached out and lightly tapped her on the head. "Shut up."

Lee Tima rubbed the spot where she was tapped and obediently shut her mouth, but the smile on her lips couldn't be hidden.

Joy palmed her forehead, her voice full of helplessness: "Can you please stop talking?" Her tone was very light, like a wisp of smoke floating in the air of the private room. That was directed at Lee Tima, at Jiang Zhiyu, and even more so at everyone present who was laughing.

But no one paid her any mind.

Yeri was still laughing, breathless. "Being stingy won't help; Joy Unnie belongs to everyone—" Her voice trailed off, carrying a certain certainty that "this is a fact."

Joy glared at her: "What do you mean 'everyone's'! Whose! No!"

Yeri blinked: "Then she's just Crush's alone?"

Joy opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found she couldn't say a word. Because saying "yes" would mean admitting Crush was hers; saying "no" would mean denying her relationship with Crush. Either way, it was a trap.

She gritted her teeth and made a mental note against Yeri.

Wendy finally had enough laughing, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and spoke. Her voice was very calm, as if saying "the weather is nice today," but beneath that calm was a seriousness that made one's skin crawl. "So, it's Joy confessing to someone else in the rain..." She paused, glanced at Joy, then at the ceiling, as if imagining the scene. "And Crush is crouching nearby watching?"

The private room fell quiet again.

Kang Seulgi looked up, her expression as confused as if she were doing a math problem. "Why is Crush crouching?"

Wendy said matter-of-factly, "Is it because Crush is a dog?"

The room was silent for a second. Then—even louder laughter erupted.

Yeri laughed until she coughed, Wendy laughed while slapping her thigh, Kang Seulgi laughed while pounding the floor, and Bae Joo-hyun laughed until her eyes curved into crescents. Joy sat there, her expression changing from a blush to helplessness, from helplessness to amusement, and finally, she couldn't help but laugh too. She laughed with restraint, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, but that mirth couldn't be hidden.

Because she remembered what Lee Tima said earlier—"Who's Crush? A dog?" Now Wendy saying "Is Crush a dog" perfectly echoed that joke. What was even funnier was that they were actually imagining the scene. Joy confessing to someone in the rain, romantic like an idol drama. And Crush—with that rapper face of his, crouching nearby like a puppy forgotten by its owner.

That image was too impactful. As Joy laughed, she suddenly realized she shouldn't be laughing. She was the one being teased; she should be angry, embarrassed, and chasing Wendy to hit her. But she just couldn't help it.

She sighed, her voice carrying a hint of resignation: "He's still very good, okay?"

That tone was as nonchalant as saying "the weather is nice today," but anyone could hear the defensiveness in it.

Yeri blinked: "We didn't say he's not good. We just said—he's a dog."

Joy glared at her: "You're the dog!"

Yeri spread her hands innocently: "I never said I was human."

Joy opened her mouth, finding herself unable to refute again.

She took a deep breath and decided to give up the struggle. "Fine, say whatever you want."

The laughter gradually subsided, and the game returned to its track. But a new question arose—who actually had the slip of paper?

Everyone's gaze fell on Kang Seulgi again. Seulgi still had that "I know but I'm not telling" expression, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her inner smugness. She knew the answer, and they didn't. This feeling was too great.

Yeri was the first to speak: "Anyway, it's not me." Her tone was as certain as stating a fact. "If it were me, I wouldn't have been so excited just now."

Joy nodded: "Makes sense. If it were you, you'd have jumped up long ago saying 'It's me'."

Yeri rolled her eyes: "Am I really that impatient?"

Joy looked at her without speaking, but her expression clearly said: Yes, you are.

Yeri snorted and didn't argue.

Wendy also spoke: "It's not me either. If it were me, I would have actively asked to perform." She paused. "Because I think confessing in the rain is quite romantic."

Joy looked at her: "You?"

Wendy nodded: "Me."

Joy looked her up and down, then looked away. "You're not my type."

Wendy laughed: "You're not my type either."

The two looked at each other, both let out a "Tch," and looked away.

Kang Seulgi watched this scene, the smile on her face deepening. She knew who had the slip, but she wasn't saying. She just watched them guess, watched them reason, watched them suspect each other, feeling smug inside.

Jiang Zhiyu spoke. His voice was very calm, like saying "the weather is nice today." "I... am not the one." He paused, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "If it were me, Senior Seulgi's expression wouldn't have been so weird from the start."

Everyone's eyes fell on Kang Seulgi. Seulgi froze for a moment, then nodded. "Makes sense." She looked at Jiang Zhiyu, her expression serious as if confirming something. "If it were you, I indeed wouldn't have been that surprised."

Yeri pressed: "Then why were you so surprised?"

Kang Seulgi went silent. She couldn't say, because saying it would blow her cover. She just smiled, a hint of guilt, awkwardness, and a "please stop asking" plea in that smile.

Yeri looked at her, already having an answer in her heart. She had been observing Seulgi's expression; from the moment she opened the slip, not a single subtle change had escaped her eyes. Seulgi's expression when looking at Jiang Zhiyu's slip was completely different from when looking at Bae Joo-hyun's. When looking at Jiang Zhiyu, it was shock; when looking at Bae Joo-hyun, it was—even more shock. But that shock wasn't "How dare you write such a thing," but rather "How could you also write such a thing."

So, the slip wasn't with Jiang Zhiyu. Nor was it with herself. Then who had it?

Yeri's gaze swept around the room.

Wendy? No. If it were Wendy, Seulgi's expression wouldn't be like that. Joy? No. If it were Joy, Seulgi's expression should have been "As expected," not "Oh my god." Lee Tima? Not her either. If it were Lee Tima, she wouldn't have done that "Sorry Crush" routine just now. She'd be more arrogant, directly saying "Joy is mine." So, no.

Then all that's left is—

Yeri's gaze fell on Bae Joo-hyun.

Bae Joo-hyun was holding her teacup, sipping slowly. Her expression was very calm, as if nothing had happened. But Yeri noticed the corners of her mouth were turned up just a tiny bit. The curve was so small it was almost invisible, but Yeri saw it.

She was smiling.

Yeri's heart skipped a beat.

At that moment, Bae Joo-hyun put down her teacup and spoke. Her voice was very calm, as if saying "the weather is nice today." "What a pity—" She paused, her smile deepening. "I can't confess to Joy anymore."

The room was silent for a second. Everyone's eyes were on Bae Joo-hyun. There was surprise, disbelief, and a hint of "What are you saying?" confusion in those gazes.

Joy was the first to react. A smile instantly blossomed on her face, as bright as a spring flower. "It's okay, Unnie! If it's Unnie, I'll definitely be the one to confess!"

That tone was as passionate as a confession. That look in her eyes was as sincere as saying "I'm serious."

Bae Joo-hyun looked at her and smiled. That smile was as gentle as spring sunshine. "Thank you."

Their eyes met in the air, as if something was quietly flowing between them.

Then, Joy turned her head and looked at Wendy. The movement was fast, like a face-changing act. The smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a picky, scrutinizing, head-to-toe look. She looked from Wendy's hair to her eyes, from her eyes to her nose, from her nose to her mouth, from her mouth to her chin, then looked away.

"Tch."

That "Tch" was as contemptuous as saying "You're not good enough."

Wendy had also been grinning, but after meeting Joy's gaze, her expression changed instantly. She rolled her eyes, a big, round, incredibly sassy roll. The corners of her mouth turned down slightly, her whole face screaming "Who do you think you are?" in disgust.

"Tch."

Both of them let out a "Tch" at the same time, then looked away simultaneously.

The atmosphere in the room instantly switched from "romantic" to a "battlefield."

Yeri watched this and couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like it's these two."

Joy and Wendy looked at her at the same time and spoke simultaneously: "Who'd be with her!"

Yeri spread her hands: "You two are so in sync, and you still say it's not you?"

The two let out another "Tch" together and looked away.

Kang Seulgi watched this, feeling smug. She knew who had the slip, but she wasn't telling. She just watched them despise and push it onto each other, feeling overjoyed.

Wendy was the first to speak, her tone as disgusted as if talking about something filthy. "You confess to me, then I'll reject you."

Joy's eyes widened: "Reject me??? On what grounds?"

Wendy said matter-of-factly, "Because I don't like you."

Joy was so angry her voice went up an octave: "Hey! You should be the one confessing to me! Then I'll reject you!"

Wendy raised an eyebrow: "Me confess to you? Tch—"

Joy also raised an eyebrow: "Tch—"

Both turned their heads away, neither looking at the other.

Yeri looked at them and couldn't help but laugh. "So, neither side wants to be the one confessing. How can this go on?"

Wendy and Joy said at the same time: "Then we're not acting it out!"

Kang Seulgi shook her head: "No. Game rules: the one who guesses correctly gets points, and the losers have to perform the action on the slip. You guessed it, so Joy has to perform the 'confession in the rain' action. And you—as the participants in the slip's content—have to cooperate."

Joy and Wendy looked at each other, then turned away again.

Wendy was still insisting: "Then you confess to me."

Joy was also insisting: "You confess to me."

Neither would back down.

The atmosphere in the room froze.

Just then, Wendy's eyes suddenly lit up. That light was as cunning as a fox that had stolen a chicken. She looked at Joy, her lips slowly curling into a meaningful smile.

"Joy-ah—" Her voice was very light, like sharing a secret, "You want someone else to confess so badly, could it be that Crush was the one who confessed to you?"

Joy's face instantly turned red.

That red started from the base of her ears, spread to her cheeks, and down to her neck; she looked like a boiled shrimp.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. Because she knew Wendy had guessed right. Crush indeed was the one who confessed to her. In the rain.

Laughter erupted in the room again.

Yeri laughed while slapping the table, Wendy laughed until she couldn't straighten up, Kang Seulgi laughed while pounding the floor, Lee Tima laughed while rolling around, Bae Joo-hyun laughed until her eyes curved into crescents, and Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh too.

Joy sat there, covering her face, curled into a ball.

It was over.

Everything was over.

This secret had been exposed by Wendy in front of everyone.

She wept silently in her heart, swearing never to play games with these people again.