17: Chapter 17 Their First Time Alone

The car had only been driving for a short while when Liu Zijun noticed a black Hyundai following them. Its windows were tinted with a dark film, clearly a paparazzi vehicle.

A cold sneer curled at the corner of his mouth as he said to Choi Sulli, "Sit tight."

Before Choi Sulli could react, Liu Zijun had already jerked the steering wheel, turning the car into a narrow alley.

The alleys in Seoul's Gangnam District were crisscrossed and complex. Liu Zijun wasn't familiar with the roads, but relying on his skilled driving, he made several turns. Driving fast yet steadily, he soon left the Hyundai behind.

Choi Sulli gripped her seatbelt tightly, watching the street scenery flash past the window. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Joon oppa, your driving is amazing!"

Liu Zijun glanced at her and said indifferently, "I learned a bit before. It's enough to deal with these paparazzi."

Choi Sulli suddenly said weakly, "Joon oppa, the paparazzi don't know that neighborhood is where our dorm is located. That car just now should have been people arranged by the company!"

Liu Zijun was somewhat speechless. Sure enough, it wasn't long before Choi Sulli received a phone call from Han Jaeran, filled with complaints!

Having no choice but to inform him of their destination, it wasn't long before they saw that black Hyundai again.

Two men followed them into the mall, took some photos secretly, and then left.

There were many shops with exquisite decor. When they arrived at a well-known brand store, the owner turned out to be an f(x) fan.

When she saw Choi Sulli, she was stunned for a moment but tactfully didn't make a scene, merely greeting her with a smile.

Choi Sulli pulled Liu Zijun along to browse the store, seriously helping him pick out clothes.

"Joon oppa, you look great in black, but you could also try coats in other colors; that would look a bit softer."

She picked up a navy blue cashmere coat and handed it to Liu Zijun. "Try this one, it'll definitely suit you."

Liu Zijun took the coat and went into the fitting room. When he came out...

Choi Sulli's eyes lit up. "Wow! It looks so good! This coat really complements your temperament!"

The owner also joined in the praise. "This gentleman has a great build; he looks good in everything. This coat is our new arrival, and it's the last one left."

Choi Sulli then helped Liu Zijun pick out a few shirts, sweaters, and casual pants—all simple styles that suited him well.

Watching her pick things out so seriously, an unconscious smile curled on Liu Zijun's lips.

When it came time to pay, Choi Sulli rushed to pay, but Liu Zijun stopped her.

"I'll do it myself. Helping me pick out the clothes is enough."

Choi Sulli pouted. "But I want to thank you for protecting me today."

"Silly girl, protecting you is my job. Besides, I have money!"

Liu Zijun ruffled her hair, paid the bill, and took the shopping bags from the owner.

The two of them walked out of the menswear store.

Sitting in a coffee shop, Choi Sulli didn't hide herself at all. She was recognized by many people and had many photos taken, but she didn't care one bit, merely requesting that they didn't upload Liu Zijun's face.

She had already seen the official notice posted by the company; many fans were praising this young girl for knowing how to repay kindness.

So although many people were taking photos, they all had relatively kind smiles.

Seeing this, the smile on Choi Sulli's face grew a bit wider.

She held a cup of iced Americano, sipping it while occasionally stealing glances at Liu Zijun.

"Jin-ri, drink less cold coffee in winter; it's not good for your stomach, and your eating schedule is already irregular."

Choi Sulli gave a smile and chuckled. "Yes! Oppa!"

Yet her mouth couldn't resist taking another sip, letting out her unique laugh.

Unknowingly, the way she addressed Liu Zijun had changed.

The clothes were bought, the coffee was finished, and the night had gradually deepened. The two walked out of the mall towards the car.

The streets of Seoul were brightly lit. Occasionally, pedestrians passed by, but no one recognized Choi Sulli.

She walked beside Liu Zijun, skipping along like an ordinary young girl.

"Oppa, let's go eat tteokbokki! There's a particularly delicious little shop ahead!"

Liu Zijun nodded dotingly!

The two entered the roadside tteokbokki shop. The owners were an old couple who warmly greeted them and showed them to their seats.

Choi Sulli ordered tteokbokki, fish cake soup, and gimbap. Looking at the steaming food, her eyes sparkled.

"The tteokbokki here is super delicious. I came here secretly once with Krystal."

Watching her eat with such a satisfied look, Liu Zijun felt exceptionally warm in his heart.

After finishing their food, Liu Zijun drove Choi Sulli back to her dorm.

Neither of them intentionally mentioned Choi Soo-myung, as that was a shared wound for both. Instead, they chatted about many interesting things from their lives.

It was mainly Choi Sulli giving Liu Zijun a crash course on The Peninsula's entertainment industry.

These two siblings were simply identical!

Arriving at the underground garage of the dorm building, Choi Sulli unbuckled her seatbelt, looked at Liu Zijun, and said seriously, "Oppa, thank you for today. I had a great time. Come pick us up early tomorrow."

"Mm, okay! I'll come early tomorrow to wait for you all." Liu Zijun nodded.

Choi Sulli smiled, pushed the car door open, and got out. Walking to the elevator hall, she turned back and waved at Liu Zijun before skipping into the elevator.

Liu Zijun watched her figure disappear before starting the car and driving away.

He looked at the night view outside the window and thought silently: 'Choi Soo-myung, look, your little Jin-ri is smiling so happily now.'

Meanwhile, back at the dorm, as soon as Choi Sulli pushed the door open, Victoria Song and the others surrounded her. "Sulli, how was it? Was buying clothes with Ja-joon-xi successful?"

Choi Sulli sat on the sofa and described Liu Zijun's model-like appearance while trying on clothes, making the girls exclaim in amazement.

They all remarked that if Liu Zijun debuted as an artist, he would surely have many female fans.

"And Oppa is such a great person; he even took me to eat tteokbokki!" Choi Sulli said with a smile, her eyes full of happiness.

Looking at her, Victoria Song felt relieved.

She knew that since Choi Soo-myung passed away, Sulli had been unhappy for several days. Being able to laugh now proved she was doing quite well.

Liu Zijun drove the van toward his home nearby. Looking at the pile of clothes in the back, he thought of the two girls from the morning and the content of the text message Emily had sent him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Back at home, Liu Zijun changed into some cool-looking clothes. He looked at a mask in a hidden compartment, thought for a moment, but didn't pick it up.

Because once he picked it up, Seoul would become a scene of blood and gore.

Arriving at Seoul's FF Club, Liu Zijun put on a face mask and entered the bar under the watchful eyes of the security personnel.

After a bit of searching, he found the two girls from the morning on the dance floor. Currently dressed in a somewhat 'alternative' style, they were dancing with several equally young male hoodlums.

This SM Entertainment Company truly is quite useless!

Seeing that he had found his targets, he didn't have the patience to wait for them to finish dancing; he was busy getting home to sleep.

He tapped one of the girls on the shoulder, prompting her to start cursing.

Liu Zijun pulled a stack of cash from his pocket, a full 5 million korean won.

The curses in the girl's mouth were instantly swallowed back down as her eyes gleamed at the cash waving in front of her.

Liu Zijun pointed toward the bar door, and the two girls along with those few hoodlums all followed him out.