31: Chapter 31 Rumors with Son Ye-jin

The air inside the minibus went silent. Choi Sooyoung realized she might have asked the wrong question.

Even if she wanted to ask this, it should have been done in private.

Kim Taeyeon and the Manager both tried to smooth things over, wanting to speak up.

“That's right! That person was me!”

The air in the car went silent once more as everyone looked at Liu Zijun as if he were an alien.

“Wow! Daebak!”

“You actually know Senior Son Ye-jin!”

...

Even Lee Taeyong, who was sitting beside him, looked at Liu Zijun with his mouth wide open.

Naturally, the girls began to gossip and ask how they met.

At the mention of Son Ye-jin, Liu Zijun's eyes flickered slightly before he said calmly, “Son Ye-jin and I met by chance in Busan.”

He didn't want to say more, but the girls wanted to know every detail.

So, he told the story of how Son Ye-jin was being harassed by thugs at a bar and how he stepped in to save the damsel in distress, leaving the girls sighing in admiration.

This was their second day in Japan. When the scandal broke, Son Ye-jin had called him to apologize and suggested he use this version of events as his explanation.

Because the scandal photos were taken from a great distance and only showed his back, no one could recognize him unless they were very close to him.

Choi Sooyoung had asked the question on a whim, but who would have thought it was actually him?

Seeing Liu Zijun speak so openly about it, the girls believed him completely.

Only Im Yoona's eyes shifted; he knew Son Ye-jin, yet he showed such obvious coldness toward Kim Hyoyeon.

Setting Son Ye-jin aside, she didn't have much contact with Choi Sulli.

Could his coldness toward Kim Hyoyeon be related to Choi Sulli?

Although Liu Zijun was Chinese and disregarded many of The Peninsula's etiquette rules, he was still a polite person; he shouldn't treat Kim Hyoyeon like this.

It seemed he would only act this way toward someone related to Choi Sulli.

And it must be because of some negative factor.

Meanwhile, Jessica Jung was marveling along with the others, but she would occasionally glance at Liu Zijun.

Especially that look he gave her—a gaze filled with a bit of confusion—it made her feel inexplicably curious.

The minibus drove through the night. Outside the window, Tokyo's lights were brilliant, but the car gradually grew quiet.

The fatigue from several consecutive days caught up with the girls, and one by one, they leaned against their seats and began to doze off.

Kim Taeyeon leaned on Tiffany Young's shoulder, while Im Yoona rested her head against the window, occasionally pondering various possibilities.

Sitting in the front row, Liu Zijun remained vigilant, checking the interior through the rearview mirror and watching the movement outside through the window.

This was his professional habit; even in a moving car, he never relaxed.

His gaze inadvertently swept over Jessica Jung again. She was leaning against her seat with her eyes closed, her long eyelashes drooping down like little fans.

Her cold profile was truly beautiful, making that sense of familiarity rise in his heart again. But no matter how he searched his memories from his past life, he couldn't remember where he had seen her.

Perhaps it was just an illusion.

As for Kim Hyoyeon, he still didn't give her a friendly look.

Even if she had unintentionally introduced Choi Sulli to Choi Jae-ho, Choi Jae-ho had ill intentions toward Choi Sulli, and Kim Hyoyeon was ultimately involved in the matter.

He wouldn't actively look for trouble with Kim Hyoyeon, but he would certainly never have a good attitude toward her.

The car finally arrived at the hotel where they were staying. Liu Zijun was the first to get out, opening the door and shielding the girls as they exited one by one.

His movements were still professional, placing his hand over the top of the door frame to prevent them from bumping their heads.

At the same time, he scanned the fans and media at the hotel entrance with a wary gaze, only following the girls inside after ensuring everything was safe.

In the hotel lobby, Girls Generation's Manager quickly arranged for them to return to their rooms. Liu Zijun and Lee Taeyong stood to the side, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming they had all safely entered the elevator.

Liu Zijun looked at the closing elevator doors and shook his head helplessly.

This group of girls, though radiant on stage, were quite noisy in private, which actually allowed his tense nerves to relax slightly.

Furthermore, he noticed that Girls Generation had been debuted for many years, and many of them had developed their own agendas.

The gap between those with many resources and those with few had become polar opposites.

This was the reality of the entertainment industry.

Don't talk to him about human nature; he had seen plenty of it in both his past and present lives.

Human nature is the thing that can least withstand a test; in the face of profit, it is even more fragile.

He turned and walked to the hotel front desk to get the room keys for the security personnel. They were on the same floor as the Girls Generation members!

He then called Shadow to ask about the situation in Seoul.

Shadow's call connected quickly. She had already begun contacting the high-level executives of SM Entertainment and CCM Company.

Choi Sulli was doing well, practicing in the dance studio every day. She had obediently started learning Chinese, pestering Victoria Song to practice with her every day.

Meanwhile, Choi Jae-ho hadn't made any unusual moves over the past few days.

Liu Zijun hung up, feeling slightly relieved.

Girls Generation's Japan schedule would end tomorrow morning, and they could fly back to Seoul.

The girls had to rush back to promote their new album, go to TV stations for rankings, and participate in various variety shows; they were going to be very busy.

Back in his room, he was still sharing with Lee Taeyong, and the standards were naturally not as high as those for the Girls Generation members.

He walked out of the room into the hallway, dialed a number, and said in Chinese, “Hello! Is this Choi Jin-ri?”

A voice speaking broken Chinese came from the other end: “Hello! I am Choi Jin-ri. Is this Brother Liu Zijun?”

Liu Zijun almost choked.

He switched back to Korean.

“Jin-ri! In Chinese, you don't have to say 'Brother' like that, it sounds very awkward. Also! Your pronunciation today is even better than yesterday!”

Choi Sulli's happy laughter came from the other end of the phone.

“Oppa, really? Older Sister Victoria Song also said my Chinese pronunciation is better today! When are you coming back? I really miss seeing you.”

“And you've been in Seoul for over ten days, you've lived in your house for so long, and you haven't invited me to a Housewarming Feast! We're going to get busy in a couple of days, and I'm afraid I won't have time later.”

Liu Zijun asked in confusion, “Housewarming Feast? That's not necessary, I'm not that formal!”

Choi Sulli's anxious voice came through: “No, Oppa! Since you're in The Peninsula, you have to follow our customs here!”

“Then it's settled! The day after tomorrow! The day after tomorrow in the afternoon, I'll invite Krystal and the others to attend Oppa's new Housewarming Feast, okay?”

Liu Zijun smiled. Since she liked the idea, he would host one.

“Alright, since you want it, Jin-ri, I'll ask Section Chief Park for some time off. I'll make barbecue for you guys at home, okay?”

Choi Sulli's laughter on the phone became even brighter.

After chatting with Choi Sulli for a while longer, Liu Zijun finally hung up the phone.

Then he turned around and looked at the girl hiding around the corner.