452: Chapter 505 PIQJX

The banquet ended faster than expected. It wasn't that the banquet itself was short; it was that Jiang Zhiyu had made it short.

From the moment Lee Jae-yong's speech ended, he began timing the departure.

At 9:07, he declined the third dinner invitation.

He still held that person's business card in his hand; he glanced down at it, folded it, and put it in his pocket.

At 9:13, he declined the fourth dinner invitation.

At 9:21, he and Kim Soo-yeon walked out of the revolving door together.

The night breeze hit them, carrying the chill of early spring and a hint of unknown floral fragrance. The valet had already brought his car to the entrance, and the engine was still humming.

Kim Soo-yeon pulled open the car door, got into the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt.

Jiang Zhiyu got into the driver's seat from the other side and started the engine.

The car drove out of The Shilla Hotel's porch and merged into the traffic on the main road.

The back seat was piled high with two large bags of food.

The bags were exclusive to the hotel, made of dark blue canvas with The Shilla Hotel logo printed on them.

The openings were tied tightly with white ropes, but the aroma of the food still seeped through the gaps.

There was the charred scent of grilled Hanwoo, the fresh sweetness of seafood, the milky aroma of French desserts, and some indescribable, complex scents unique to haute cuisine.

Jiang Zhiyu had packed these foods one by one throughout the banquet; every dish was carefully selected by him—the best cuts of Hanwoo, the freshest seafood of the day, and limited-edition desserts made by the head chef.

He had asked the waiter to deliver the packed bags to the entrance of the banquet hall, and then he brought them into the car.

Kim Soo-yeon turned back from the passenger seat to look at the two large bags of food, gauging their weight with her eyes.

They were heavy; each bag felt substantial, and combined, they were enough to feed about six people.

They contained high-end ingredients and were quite expensive.

The problem was, it was just too much.

For a female idol, this was full of guilt.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.

She knew him too well; saying anything was useless, he wouldn't listen.

The night scenery outside the car window receded rapidly.

Streetlights flashed past one by one, casting alternating light and shadow inside the car.

Jiang Zhiyu gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his posture relaxed. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned; the arc was small, but he couldn't seem to suppress it.

From the moment they left The Shilla Hotel until now, that arc had never disappeared.

It wasn't smugness; it was anticipation.

Like someone anticipating something that would make them happy.

Kim Soo-yeon watched his "I'm very happy but I won't admit it" expression, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

"You really spoil Minjeong too much. After eating this meal, she'll have to run at least ten kilometers tomorrow."

Jiang Zhiyu raised an eyebrow.

The eyebrow-raising motion was quick.

"Don't underestimate the four of them."

His tone was calm, but beneath that calmness hid a confidence of "you don't know how much they can eat."

He recalled the image of Kim Minjeong eating an entire plate of grilled meat by herself, the image of Ningning eating half a box of strawberries alone, the image of Uchinaga Eri expressionlessly stuffing a whole piece of cake into her mouth, and the image of Karina saying "I'm on a diet" while silently eating a second bowl of rice.

The arc of his mouth grew a little larger.

Kim Soo-yeon was silent for a moment.

Some images surfaced in her mind; those images were from some years ago.

Back then, she was still an idol at Tianzhou Group, working with Jiang Zhiyu for the first time.

The days of running schedules were like a war, from morning till night, from one city to another.

Meal times were always squeezed in; breakfast was eaten in the car, lunch backstage, and dinner at the hotel.

At that time, the four of them didn't eat any less than male idols.

"Actually, when we were running schedules after debut, our appetites weren't small either."

Her tone carried a hint of reminiscence.

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers tapped the steering wheel twice, the rhythm unhurried.

He tuned his thoughts to the channel of the past.

Those images flashed through his mind frame by frame like a movie.

"Needless to say, breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

His voice slowed down.

"At 2:00 PM, fixed afternoon tea. Cake, sandwiches, fruit platters, and sometimes fried chicken. After dinner, there was a late-night snack. On the road running schedules, there were snacks."

His fingers tapped the steering wheel again.

"If you didn't exercise, it was basically raising pigs!"

Kim Soo-yeon couldn't help but swat him.

It wasn't hard, but the sound was crisp.

"Who are you calling a pig!"

Her voice went up half a pitch.

"It was all requested by you, Oppa! You said you customized medicinal meals for everyone, and if we didn't eat them, we were letting down your sincerity!"

Jiang Zhiyu pretended to be aggrieved and pouted.

The arc of his mouth changed from upturned to downturned, his brows furrowed slightly, and his whole being radiated an "I am the victim" aura.

"I used to sleep at twelve and crawl out of bed at four to make breakfast for you all. After making breakfast, I had to prepare the daily schedule check, and then prepare lunch."

His voice carried a hint of accusation, like "you all owe me."

"And I had to be roasted by you all; when discussing afternoon tea, I'd be told I had no creativity. Your consciences have been eaten by dogs!"

He wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his hand, though there were no tears there at all.

"Wuwuwu—"

Kim Soo-yeon was so angry she laughed; the laughter spilled from deep in her throat, quick and sharp.

"Ya! You didn't eat any less yourself!"

Her voice went up half a pitch.

Jiang Zhiyu burst into laughter.

The laughter surged from deep in his throat, bright and unbridled.

His hand on the steering wheel shook with his laughter.

His laughter echoed in the car, carrying a kind of unbridled arrogance, and a strong confidence and smugness of someone who had held great power at a young age through his own ability.

"At that time, the power of the entire Nanming Kingdom Tianzhou Group branch was in my hands."

He lifted his chin slightly, his tone calm, but beneath that calmness hid a pride of "it's good that you know."

"It would be too unfair to myself not to cook a little something extra."

Kim Soo-yeon rolled her eyes.

The eye roll was big and slow, tracing a complete arc from the top left to the top right, and then she took out her phone from her pocket and started scrolling through videos.

The light from the screen reflected on her face, and her expression was one of "I don't want to deal with you" disdain, but the arc at the corners of her mouth that she couldn't suppress betrayed her.

She scrolled through short videos for a while and, seeing a Corgi stealing a strawberry, couldn't help but laugh.

The street scenery outside the window was slowly becoming familiar.

The area where the aespa dorm was located was in the northeast side of Seoul; it wasn't a high-end neighborhood, but it was very quiet.

Most of the shops along the road were already closed, with only a few convenience store signs still lit.

The light from the streetlamps shone in from outside the car window, drawing a ray of light and shadow on her face.

She put down her phone and looked at the street scenery receding rapidly outside the window.

Back when they were running schedules, it was also nights like this—coming out of the television station, with unfinished snacks in the car, the four of them leaning crookedly against the seats, too tired to speak.

Jiang Zhiyu drove in the front, occasionally glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

Back then, she also sat in the passenger seat, also looking at the night scenery outside the window like this.

Nothing to think about, nothing to worry about.

And now? She was also looking at the night scenery outside the window, with nothing to think about.

It wasn't that she didn't have to; it was that she trusted him.

"We're almost there."

Jiang Zhiyu's voice drifted over from beside her ear.

Kim Soo-yeon pulled back her thoughts and looked at the familiar apartment building ahead.

The lights in the building were still on, and a few windows revealed a warm yellow glow.

She was thinking that Kim Minjeong was probably napping on the sofa holding Lami, or staring blankly at her phone.

When those two large bags of food were delivered up in a moment, she would bounce off the sofa, her eyes shining like two lit-up stars, and then pounce over to hug the bags, instantly switching from a "sleepy puppy" mode to a "gluttonous puppy" mode.

The arc at the corners of her mouth grew a little larger.

Jiang Zhiyu parked the car downstairs of the apartment building and turned off the engine.

The interior lights of the car automatically turned on, illuminating both of their faces clearly.

He unfastened his seatbelt, turned around to look at the two large bags of food in the back seat, and checked if the openings were tied tightly.

After confirming there were no issues, he pushed open the car door.

The night wind poured in through the crack of the car door, chillingly cold.

Kim Soo-yeon also got out of the car and adjusted her collar.

The two walked one after the other toward the entrance of the apartment building.

Jiang Zhiyu walked in front, carrying the two large bags of food in his hands.

The bags were heavy, but they didn't affect his pace.

Kim Soo-yeon followed behind him, her steps light; she took out her access card from her pocket and swiped it on the sensor with a "beep."

The door opened.

Warm yellow light poured out from the lobby, enveloping the two figures.

——

A few months ago, the aespa dorm had been relocated to a property owned by TG Investment.

It wasn't a rented apartment; it was a property registered under Kim Soo-yeon's name, with no third-party involvement, and the keys were held only by Jiang Zhiyu and the four girls.

On the day they moved in, Kim Minjeong stood in the center of the living room and spun around three times, saying, "Oppa, this house is too big." Jiang Zhiyu leaned against the doorframe and said, "Bigger is better; with the four of you living here, it would be cramped if it were small."

Ningning poked her head out from the kitchen, "Master, the fridge is also very big." Jiang Zhiyu nodded, "Yeah, it's for you all to store snacks."

Uchinaga Eri walked out of the bathroom, "The bathtub is also very big." Jiang Zhiyu's mouth twitched, "…Yeah."

Karina stood on the balcony looking at the night view of the Han River, without saying it was big or small.

She just stood there for a long time, then walked back and said softly, "Oppa, thank you."

Jiang Zhiyu smiled and didn't say anything.

Jiang Zhiyu had reserved four such dorms for aespa in Seoul.

One in each of the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, each in a TG Investment property, and each with a different decoration style.

He said, "Go to whichever is closer to your schedule; you don't need to run back and forth."

Kim Minjeong asked him, "Oppa, how afraid are you of us being photographed?" He looked at her and said, "It's not that I'm afraid of you being photographed; it's that I'm afraid of you being tired."

Kim Minjeong's ears turned red, Ningning went "Oh~" from the side, Uchinaga Eri expressionlessly took a sip of her Americano, and Karina lowered her head.

This way, they wouldn't be discovered by paparazzi, nor would his private contact with aespa be discovered and admonished by SM.

When Jiang Zhiyu wanted to see them, he could drive directly to the underground parking lot downstairs, go up via a private elevator, and the door would open right into the foyer.

No need to pass through the lobby, no need to swipe a card, and he wouldn't be seen by anyone.

This was what he had designed from the very beginning; from site selection to renovation to the security system, he personally oversaw every step.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

The lighting in the aespa dorm's living room was soft, with warm white light spilling evenly from the recessed LED strips in the ceiling. The sofa was a light gray fabric model with cushions of moderate firmness and armrests at just the right height for resting elbows comfortably. A few magazines and a fruit plate sat on the coffee table; a few strawberries remained in the plate, left over from Ningning's afternoon snack. The television was on with the volume turned low, replaying a late-night variety show. Lami lay on Kim Minjeong's lap, its purple translucent body shimmering slightly under the lights, its large mechanical eyes half-open and half-closed like a dozing kitten. Kim Minjeong's fingers traced gentle circles on Lami's back, and Lami let out a 'purring' sound. Her other hand held her phone, the screen's glow reflected on her face, and the curve of her lips simply wouldn't go down.

Kim Minjeong hadn't told the others at all that Jiang Zhiyu was sending food over. She had even rehearsed in her mind a few minutes ago how to naturally say 'Oppa is coming' without raising suspicion. But the 'hehe' giggle she let out while looking at her phone was still caught by Karina—it was a short laugh that bubbled up from deep in her throat, like a candy being bitten open, so sweet it made one's teeth ache.

Karina sat at the other end of the sofa with her legs crossed, also holding her phone. She shifted her gaze from her screen to Kim Minjeong's face, which was still wearing a silly grin. That face was smiling with its mouth, its eyes, even its nostrils. She looked away and opened KakaoTalk. She created a new group chat and added members Ningning and Uchinaga Eri. The group name: 'Beware of the Puppy Eating Alone.' Ningning's message was the first to arrive. 'Unnie?' Karina typed. 'Oppa is coming.' Send. Ningning replied in a second. 'Absolutely.' Uchinaga Eri's message followed immediately. 'Minjeong actually didn't tell us.' It was followed by a '' emoji.

Karina's fingers paused on the screen. 'That girl Kim Minjeong, can we agree to her eating alone?' Send. Ningning's reply carried an excitement that said 'I have an idea.' 'How about we pretend to rest and then give them a scare?' Karina thought about those words for a moment. Give them a scare? How?

Uchinaga Eri's message interrupted her thoughts. 'What if we run into them... you know... poppo-ing... what then?' In reality, Karina and Ningning both snapped their heads up to look at Uchinaga Eri at the same time. Four eyes met in the air and then shot toward Uchinaga Eri simultaneously. Uchinaga Eri was looking down at her phone, her expression still wearing the calm of 'I'm just chatting seriously,' with even a faint, lingering smile on her lips. Karina's eyes screamed shock—'What are you saying?' Ningning's eyes also screamed shock—'What are you saying?' Their levels of shock were similar, but Ningning's held a bit more curiosity, like 'How did you even think of that?'

Uchinaga Eri looked up and met their gazes. She gave a dry cough—a very light one, tinged with embarrassment. She lowered her head to type, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen. 'Oh, I was just saying whatever.' Send. She looked up at the two of them, her lips pressed into a line and her shoulders giving a slight shrug, her expression saying 'I was just talking, don't take it seriously.'

Karina's fingers tightened slightly on the back of her phone. The scene Uchinaga Eri described uncontrollably surfaced in her mind—the door opens, Jiang Zhiyu stands at the entrance holding bags of food. Kim Minjeong springs from the sofa and pounces on him. Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Minjeong in the foyer, in the living room, in the kitchen—she shook her head, tossing those images out of her mind. But the fingers gripping her phone had turned slightly white, and she bit her lower lip, her teeth leaving a faint white mark. She was just about to send a message when she realized Ningning was already chatting excitedly.

'Isn't that even more exciting? Then we'll have dirt on Minjeong!' Followed by a string of exclamation marks and smirking emojis.

A vein popped on Karina's forehead. Ning—Yi—Zhuo—she recited the three characters in her mind, each one like she was grinding her teeth. She typed quickly, her fingers stabbing at the screen. 'Stop talking about that. Next, are we going to act like we don't know, or what?'

Another message from Uchinaga Eri arrived. 'Minjeong will definitely use some excuse to make us all go back to our rooms to rest so she can eat alone.'

Kim Minjeong's innocent face appeared in Karina's mind. She would use that aegyo tone to say, 'Unnies, you must be tired, go rest early,' or that fake caring tone, 'We have a schedule tomorrow, staying up late is bad for your skin,' or that matter-of-fact tone, 'Oppa came to see me, it's not good if you're here.' She could imagine every single tone, and every single one made her want to roll her eyes.

Ningning added a follow-up. 'She definitely will.'

The corner of Karina's mouth twitched. Minjeong-ah, look at what your image has become in our hearts. She took a deep breath and typed. 'Oppa will definitely bring a lot of food; Minjeong won't be able to finish it all by herself if she tries to eat alone. We'll just sit on the sofa and wait!' The replies from Ningning and Uchinaga Eri arrived at the same time. 'Okay!' 'Let's do it!' Both of them added fist-clenching emojis to show their determination.

Kim Minjeong stood up from the sofa. Lami slid from her lap onto the cushion; the purple Lemm bounced once on the sofa, its eyes opening to glance at Kim Minjeong's retreating back before closing again. Kim Minjeong ran to the bathroom and the door closed. The sound of the faucet ran for a moment and then stopped. She was looking in the mirror.

The bathroom light was a cool white, shining on Kim Minjeong's face and making her skin look almost transparently pale. She leaned close to the mirror and checked her face carefully—no pimples, no heavy dark circles, lips weren't dry. She gently wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingertip; no sleep crust. She adjusted her bangs with her fingers, pressing down a few stray hairs that were sticking up. She leaned in again to check, confirming everything was fine. Then she smiled at the mirror, the smile spreading from the corners of her mouth, across her cheeks, to the corners of her eyes. After smiling, she felt silly and rolled her eyes at her reflection. 'Kim Minjeong, what are you doing?' she muttered silently.

She walked out of the bathroom with a light step, her face still carrying the flush from looking in the mirror. Her gaze swept across the living room—Karina was looking at her phone, Ningning was looking at her phone, and Uchinaga Eri was also looking at her phone. Everything was normal. She took a deep breath.

'Unnie, Ningning-ah, are you not sleeping yet? We have a schedule tomorrow.' Her tone was natural, as natural as saying 'The weather is nice today.'

The three of them looked at each other. Karina's gaze met Ningning's, Ningning's met Uchinaga Eri's, and Uchinaga Eri's met Karina's. Their eyes clashed in the air with silent sparks.

Here it comes, this little puppy trying to eat alone.

Karina recited Kim Minjeong's name in her head, each syllable like she was grinding her teeth.

'We're not sleepy yet,' Karina's voice was calm.

Ningning directly pinned a label on her. 'Is Minjeong Unnie trying to kick us out?' She tilted her head and looked at Kim Minjeong, her expression carrying a 'I'm teasing you' smile.

Kim Minjeong's fingers clenched slightly at her side. 'No, no—' Her speaking speed was a bit faster than usual. 'I just...' Her voice grew smaller, 'Ahem... asking...' She pressed her fist to her lips and gave a dry cough, her gaze drifting elsewhere.

Karina looked at her guilty appearance. 'Minjeong-ah, if you're tired, go rest. We'll stay a bit longer.' Her voice was very gentle, gentle like a knife wrapped in cotton.

Sitting on the sofa, Uchinaga Eri's mouth had been twitching slightly. She was holding back laughter, struggling hard, her lips pressed into a thin line, upper and lower lips squeezed tightly together. Using her maximum effort to maintain a calm face, she spoke. 'Minjeong-ah, get some rest early. Goodnight.' Her voice was calm, but beneath that calmness was a hint of laughter that she couldn't suppress no matter what.

Kim Minjeong got anxious. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes, and her voice became more urgent and faster. 'I'm not sleepy either, haha—' That 'haha' was dry and strained. She spun around in place in her panic, countless thoughts flashing through her mind. What should I do? I want to see Oppa alone, but they won't leave. Should I just go to the parking lot and wait? Her eyes lit up, the brightness changing so fast it was as if someone had flipped a switch in her pupils.

'Unnie! I'm going to the convenience store to buy some water!' Her voice was crisp and bright. Having said that, she turned to grab her jacket and mask, her steps light like a puppy that had finally found an escape route.

Uchinaga Eri's voice drifted from behind her, neither loud nor soft. 'Minjeong-ah, don't we have everything in the fridge? Oppa bought several cans of every kind of drink from the convenience store; why are you still going there?' Her tone was level.

Kim Minjeong's footsteps stopped. Her hand remained in the 'reaching for the jacket' position. She opened her mouth to say something but found her excuse had been blocked. There were indeed all kinds of drinks in the fridge; every so often, Jiang Zhiyu would have someone send all the new drinks from the convenience store to the dorm. This excuse was too lame, so lame she didn't even believe it herself.

Kim Minjeong slapped her forehead. It wasn't a light slap, making a 'thwack' sound. Her heart was crying, and the curve of her lips didn't know whether to laugh or cry anymore. 'Oh—I completely forgot...' Her voice grew softer and softer.

Karina and Ningning sat on the sofa, their expressions calm, but they were bursting with laughter inside. Karina bit the inside of her cheek, her teeth clamping down hard; the pain kept her from laughing out loud on the spot. Ningning buried her face in a throw pillow, her shoulders shaking slightly. Uchinaga Eri looked down at a cookbook; she had been looking at that same page for a long time and was still looking at it.

Kim Minjeong stood in the center of the living room, jacket still in hand, her expression as innocent as a puppy caught red-handed stealing food by its owner. Her mind was racing—what other excuse, what other reason. Her phone vibrated. She looked down; a message from Jiang Zhiyu—'I'm here.' Her eyes lit up again, and she typed rapidly—'Oppa, come up from the underground garage and just enter the code to come in.' Send. Then she hid the phone behind her back, putting on an 'I didn't do anything' act.

Kim Minjeong's slippers made a 'patter-patter' sound on the floor again. She stood at the entrance, back to the living room, facing the front door. Her ears were pricked, listening for movement outside. The three on the sofa watched her back, watching her 'I'm waiting for delivery' posture. They exchanged a look that said—'When Oppa comes in, let's see the look on her face.'

The living room was quiet for a moment. The variety show was still playing on the TV, the audience's laughter coming through the speakers like some distant background music. Lami rolled over on the sofa, a tentacle resting on Ningning's knee.

The doorbell rang.