426: Chapter 479 The Old Woman (13)

Memories flooded back like a tide, impossible to hold back.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at Bae Joo-hyun's face—at those eyes, that nose, that mouth—it was too similar to that person in his memory. It wasn't just a resemblance in facial features, but an indescribable feeling. Baek Ji-xin. He silently repeated this name in his heart, and those scenes buried deep in his memory surfaced frame by frame like a movie.

The year 2024, Tianxuan Continent, Nanming Kingdom. He had not been there long, and everything was still unfamiliar. One of the multi-industry development plans under the Tianzhou Group was the expansion of the entertainment industry, which was the project he was responsible for. That day, he was going to Yangsan to inspect a site and boarded a tram bound for Yangsan. There weren't many people in the carriage, so he found a window seat, took out his phone, and clicked on the latest MV of BlackMandala under ASB Entertainment.

Five girls were dancing on the screen, and the camera cut to the leader—Baek Ji-xin. Her face was radiant in the sunlight; the title of 'Fourth Generation Goddess' was not for nothing. Jiang Zhiyu was watching very seriously because he was studying ASB's operational model. A voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

"Um... excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"

He looked up. A girl stood before him, wearing a mask and a hat, with only her eyes exposed. Those eyes were beautiful, shining like stars. He froze for a moment, then shook his head. The girl sat down beside him, looking down to fiddle with her phone. The carriage was quiet, with only the sound of the wheels rubbing against the tracks.

Then, he noticed the girl's gaze drifting toward his phone screen from time to time. She was watching BlackMandala's MV; she was looking at herself on the screen, a hint of an uncontainable smile at the corners of her mouth. She probably thought she had encountered a fan. Jiang Zhiyu thought at the time, if she knew he wasn't a fan but was researching how to acquire her company, what would her expression be? He didn't say anything, just continued watching the MV, pretending he hadn't noticed anything.

Later, he pulled a large bag of potato chips from his pocket. The movement was so fast it was like a magic trick. Seeing the bag of chips, the girl couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise. It wasn't very loud, but it was enough for the other passengers in the carriage to hear. Among those passengers were her fellow members.

"The leader is being harassed!" someone shouted.

The carriage fell into chaos. Several girls rushed over, shielding Baek Ji-xin behind them and glaring at Jiang Zhiyu, their eyes full of hostility. Jiang Zhiyu held the bag of chips, looking bewildered. He just wanted to eat some chips; how did that turn into harassment?

That was their first meeting, ending in a misunderstanding.

A few months later, they met again. It was Kim Soo-yeon's high school summer festival, the annual grand event of the elite high school, a stage that countless idols flocked to. Kim Soo-yeon was the student council president, coordinating and managing the summer festival activities. She sat at the other end of the conference table, looking at Jiang Zhiyu with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Prove TG's strength," she said. "I will use that as a standard to consider joining TG Entertainment."

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the seventeen-year-old girl before him, calculating in his mind. He thought of a person—Baek Ji-xin. The summer festival needed an MC, and Baek Ji-xin, the 'Fourth Generation Goddess' and the leader of ASB Entertainment's top girl group, was the perfect candidate. But ASB wouldn't let her go. They were 'anti-exploding' Baek Ji-xin, suppressing her growth thoroughly. She was too popular, so popular that the company was afraid she would slip out of their control. Therefore, any resource that might make her even more popular would be rejected by the company for various reasons.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't care. He used public opinion pressure to force ASB to agree, using the Tianzhou Group's endorsements as bargaining chips. Those confrontations were sharp and cruel, but Baek Ji-xin knew nothing of them. She only knew that the company had suddenly agreed to let her serve as the summer festival MC, but she didn't know why. She just happily prepared for it.

Later, she found out. It wasn't Jiang Zhiyu who told her; she guessed it herself. She sat on a bench by the river, looking at the water, lost in thought. Jiang Zhiyu walked over and sat down beside her.

"Is anyone sitting here?"

She glanced at him and didn't speak.

That was their second formal meeting.

From then on, they often met on that bench. They chatted, argued, stayed silent, and watched the river together. Baek Ji-xin was an excellent person, rigorous and serious at work, though occasionally a bit clumsy. Privately, she was very shy; when she couldn't win an argument with him, she would hug him and press her forehead against his shoulder to act spoiled. Occasionally, she would be very proactive, saying possessive things like, "You talked to that female producer for too long today, I'm unhappy." She would take on the responsibilities she should, being resilient while retaining her unique aura. She was incredibly cute.

Jiang Zhiyu saw many sides of her, and every side made his heart flutter.

On the day of the confession, they didn't say things like "I like you" or "Let's be together." He just pulled her into his arms and gently kissed the tips of her hair. She leaned into his embrace, saying nothing, but the smile at the corners of her mouth couldn't be hidden.

Later, he learned to write songs and became a producer. He developed in all aspects—variety shows, songs, and TV dramas. Relying on the background of TG Entertainment, the resources of Tianzhou Group, and the connections he developed in Nanming Kingdom, Baek Ji-xin's personal resources soared. Everything seemed to be heading in a good direction.

But differences also began to emerge.

Baek Ji-xin was very good to her members. It wasn't that the members were 'blood-sucking' her; BlackMandala was a single unit, and the members were a family. But Baek Ji-xin valued her younger sisters far more than Jiang Zhiyu. She used the resources she had and the endorsements that should have belonged to her to build a brand of her own. As her boyfriend, Jiang Zhiyu naturally supported her unconditionally. But as the brand continued to expand, her time at home became less and less. Jiang Zhiyu was also busy, but he would cancel work to accompany her. She, however, would miss appointments because of work.

More than once.

Jiang Zhiyu had said many times, "Just go with the flow, care more about your own life."

Baek Ji-xin had only one sentence: "I am the leader of BlackMandala, and the older sister to these kids."

Jiang Zhiyu understood her. He knew her sense of responsibility, her love for the members, and why she worked so hard. But he could also get tired.

On the day they broke up, they were walking on a large bridge. One in front of the other, he followed behind. From one in front of the other to walking side by side, from side by side to holding hands and hugging, and then from holding hands and hugging back to one in front of the other. He was like a silent knight, guarding the princess.

At the end of the bridge, Baek Ji-xin stopped and didn't look back. Her voice was very soft, as if it were about to be scattered by the wind.

"Let's end it here."

Jiang Zhiyu stood in place, watching her walk away. He didn't chase her because he knew she needed time, he needed time, and they both needed time. When this period passed, when he finished the TG Fifth Anniversary Concert, and when she calmed down, he would go find her and repair this relationship.

On the stage of the Fifth Anniversary Concert, he was wearing an MC outfit, standing under the spotlight before tens of thousands of audience members. Then, a flash of white light occurred.

He had transmigrated.

From the 2029 concert scene in Baiyu City, Zhongzhou, he appeared on the Han River Bridge in Seoul, Korea, in 2017. He was wearing that stage MC outfit and still holding the microphone in his hand.

Jiang Zhiyu blinked and snapped out of his memories.

The private room was very quiet. Bae Joo-hyun was still sitting beside him, looking at him. The teasing in her eyes had vanished, replaced by confusion. What was this man thinking? His gaze was so distant, as if he were looking at something very far away, or something from a long, long time ago. What was he thinking?

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her, at that face so similar to Baek Ji-xin's. Similar, far too similar. But they were different. Baek Ji-xin's gaze was gentle; Bae Joo-hyun's gaze was cold. Baek Ji-xin's mouth always held a smile; Bae Joo-hyun's lips were always pursed. Baek Ji-xin would hug him and press her forehead against his shoulder to act spoiled; Bae Joo-hyun would only look at him with that condescending gaze.

But they had the same eyes. Deep, like a pool of water.

He reached out his hand.

The movement was so fast that Bae Joo-hyun didn't have time to react. He hooked the back of her head, his fingers sliding into her hair. The sensation was as soft as silk. Bae Joo-hyun was startled, her body instinctively shrinking back, but his hand was too powerful, and she couldn't move.

Then, he kissed her.

Not the forehead, not the tips of the hair. It was the lips.

The five people outside the door widened their eyes simultaneously.

Yeri's mouth formed an 'O' shape, and she froze there. Joy's phone slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor, the screen shattering, but she didn't notice at all. Wendy covered her mouth, the shock in her eyes impossible to hide. Kang Seulgi's expression completely spiraled out of control, as if she had been struck by lightning. Lee Tima's mouth hung wide open.

"Shibal!!!"

Someone shouted, but no one knew who. Then, the five of them fell into silence simultaneously. They stared at the screen, watching the two people kissing, unsure of what to say.

Inside the private room, time seemed to stand still. Jiang Zhiyu closed his eyes, feeling her warmth, her breath, and her scent. It was different from Baek Ji-xin's, yet there was a certain similarity. Bae Joo-hyun kept her eyes open, looking at him. He was so close that she could see every single one of his eyelashes. They were long and trembling slightly, like the wings of a butterfly.

She didn't push him away.

—

No one knew how the dinner ended.

Jiang Zhiyu only remembered what he had done—he had kissed Bae Joo-hyun. Lips against lips. That soft, warm sensation exploded in his mind like a bomb. Then, his brain went completely blank. He didn't know how he had let her go, how he had stood up, or how he had walked to the door. He only remembered that when he pushed the door open, five people were standing there with various expressions, their mouths agape as if they could swallow an egg whole.

But he didn't look at them. Not even a glance. Keeping his head down, he pushed through them, his pace so fast it was as if he were fleeing. The lights in the corridor were bright, making his eyes blur. He didn't know how long he walked; he only knew that when he pushed open the restaurant's main doors, the night breeze felt cold against his face. He stood at the entrance, gasping for air, his heart racing as if it were about to leap out of his chest.

Aish. What on earth had he done? He had kissed her. He had kissed Bae Joo-hyun. He had kissed the woman who was always icy, always politely distant, and always kept her guard up around him. Only one thought remained in his mind—run. Run as far away as possible.

He didn't even wait for his driver to pick him up; he hailed a taxi, pulled open the door, and gave the address of his apartment. As the car started, he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. His mind was filled with images of what had just happened. Her eyes, her nose, her lips—that sensation, soft and cool like jelly, with a faint, lingering sweetness.

Jiang Zhiyu snapped his eyes open, his face flushing red once more.

He thought back to his relationship with Baek Ji-xin. During those years, their most intimate acts were hugging and kissing on the cheek; they rarely even kissed on the forehead. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but they were... embarrassed. Both were incredibly shy about such things. Although they had watched adult films and knew what happened between men and women, when the moment actually came, they both lost their nerve. Holding hands made them blush, hugging made their hearts race, and kissing on the cheek required gathering all their courage. They had never even shared a bed; they slept in separate rooms.

Now, he had kissed Bae Joo-hyun. Not on the cheek, not on the forehead, but on the lips.

Jiang Zhiyu covered his face and let out a muffled groan. The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror but didn't ask any questions.

In the private room, Bae Joo-hyun was still sitting there. Her fingers gently brushed against her lips. The movement was light, as if she were stroking something precious. Her gaze was somewhat dazed and blurred, filled with a 'what just happened' kind of bewilderment.

The kiss just now—no, to be more precise, it was just their lips touching. There was no depth, no entanglement, no excessive movement. Put another way, it was just skin touching skin, albeit in a private spot. But that sensation, soft and cool like jelly with a hint of elasticity... and that flavor, the sweetness of unknown herbs, like a mountain spring or the air after rain, clean and clear. Then there was that scent, the body fragrance from Jiang Zhiyu, a mix of herbs and flowers. She had smelled it before, but never from this close. The aroma filled her nostrils and seeped into her lungs, making her feel a bit lightheaded.

Bae Joo-hyun lowered her hand, picked up the teacup in front of her, and took a sip. The tea was stone-cold, but she didn't care; she needed to calm down. Her heart was still racing, her face was still burning, and the sensation still lingered on her lips.

Only one thought remained in her mind—so Jiang Zhiyu had never kissed anyone before. Come to think of it, neither had she. They were both first kisses. His was, and so was hers.

The corners of Bae Joo-hyun's mouth curled up slightly.

The door was pushed open. The five of them filed in, their movements as stiff as robots. Yeri led the way, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape, still in a state of shock over 'what just happened.' Joy followed behind her; her phone screen was cracked, but she didn't even notice, her gaze fixed entirely on Bae Joo-hyun. Wendy covered her mouth, unable to hide the shock in her eyes. Kang Seulgi's expression had lost control again, her whole body seemingly frozen in place. Lee Tima walked at the very back, a 'I knew it all along' smirk playing on her lips.

The five of them sat down, and no one spoke. The silence in the private room was terrifying.

Yeri finally couldn't help herself. She looked at Bae Joo-hyun, her voice trembling slightly. "Unnie, what is your relationship now?"

Bae Joo-hyun looked at her and raised an eyebrow. The movement was slight, almost imperceptible. But that slight arch of the brow and those narrowing eyes—everyone saw them.

"It's nothing."

Yeri was stunned. "Nothing? But you two just—"

Bae Joo-hyun interrupted her. "Just what?"

Yeri opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. What could she say? "You were kissed by Jiang Zhiyu"? "You two were kissing"? She couldn't say it. It was too direct, too naked, and too embarrassing.

Kang Seulgi gathered her courage and spoke. Her voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing something. "Isn't he... he..."

She was too embarrassed to continue, simply pointing a finger at her own lips. The gesture was as subtle as a game of charades.

Bae Joo-hyun looked at Kang Seulgi's finger and fell silent for a second. Then she smiled. The smile was faint, almost invisible. But those slightly upturned corners of her mouth and those crinkling eyes—everyone saw them.

She said nothing.

But her eyes had already provided the answer. In that gaze, there was a hint of "I know what you're asking," a touch of "I don't plan on telling you," and a sliver of "keep guessing." There was also something deeper and more secret in her eyes, something only she could decipher.

Bae Joo-hyun looked away, picked up the teacup, and took another sip. The tea was completely cold and bitter, but she didn't care. Her inner world was in turmoil.

Jiang Zhiyu. To her, he was originally just a tool to be used. The CEO of TG Entertainment, the man with the Midas touch, and a partner countless idols dreamed of working with. He was interested in her; she could tell. That look in his eyes, that cautious tone, that deliberate distance—it was all because he liked her. She didn't like him, or at least she thought she didn't. He was just one of her many suitors, just with better qualifications. To her, he was nothing more than someone to use and control, a way to see how far she could toy with the man known as a "genius."

But now, it was different. He had kissed her and taken her first kiss. And she hadn't pushed him away. She even... liked the feeling a little.

The corners of Bae Joo-hyun's mouth curled up slightly.

He couldn't escape now. That was what she thought. A man like him owing a favor he couldn't refuse made things interesting and easier to control. Didn't it?

She set down the teacup, looked up, and stared out the window. Moonlight spilled onto the windowsill, the floor, and her face. Her gaze was profound and full of meaning.

Yeri's heart skipped a beat when she saw Bae Joo-hyun's smile. That smile was terrifying. Not because of its appearance, but because of its meaning. In that smile, there was certainty, composure, and a hint of confidence that "everything is under control." There was also a touch of smugness that said, "He can't escape."

Joy saw it too. She sighed inwardly. Joohyun Unnie, you've clearly fallen for him, so why are you still pretending to "use" him? Wendy saw it as well. She shook her head silently. These two—one fleeing through the door and the other feigning calm—were a perfect match. Kang Seulgi saw it too. She marveled inwardly: So this is what love is like. Lee Tima saw it as well. She said silently to herself: Oppa, you're finished.

Inside the private room, the five of them were lost in their own thoughts, and no one spoke. Moonlight fell silently on the windowsill; the story was far from over.