Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 649 A Battleground! Mediation!

Zhao Meiyan stood at the entrance to the rooftop, light and shadow climbing up her calves from below, her eyes flickering uncertainly in the shadows.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's hand hadn't even had time to remove itself from Tzuyu's rounded shoulders and neck.

Chou Tzu-yu felt as if she had been pricked by an invisible needle. She hurriedly pulled away, and the thin blanket slipped off with her movement, piling up at her feet.

A hint of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly took a deep breath and composed herself.

The voice was all too familiar; she knew it was Zhao Meiyan without even turning around.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk reacted just as quickly. As Zhou Ziyu stood up, he withdrew his hand, sat up straight, and frowned almost imperceptibly.

He watched Zhao Meiyan standing there, the corridor lights outlining a blurry yet taut silhouette of her.

Will Zhao Meiyan be angry?
There is almost no doubt that any man's girlfriend could remain calm and indifferent after witnessing this scene.
Zhao Meiyan's gaze lingered on Zhou Ziyu's face for half a second before shifting to Quan Xuanhe's face.

Her red lips were pressed tightly together, and her lower lip was even unconsciously bitten by her teeth, leaving a faint white mark.

The rise and fall of his chest was noticeably greater than usual, clearly indicating that he was trying his best to suppress his surging emotions.

Those eyes, which were usually bright and smiling, were now filled with gloom and complex emotions, as if they wanted to tear Chou Tzu-yu apart.

This is more powerful than crying and making a fuss.

The party was crowded and noisy, and Zhao Meiyan secretly observed Quan Xuanhe, watching him talk to someone.

However, seeing Kwon Heon-hyuk and Chou Tzu-yu disappear from her sight one after the other made her instantly wary.

She followed the figure and discovered this scene.

Quan Xuanhe stood up and looked at Zhao Meiyan. At this moment, he had already made all sorts of preparations in his heart.

It feels like I was caught cheating.

No, this is catching someone in the act of adultery.

However, just when he thought a storm was about to break and even instinctively prepared to speak up to comfort or defend her, Zhao Meiyan's icy expression miraculously began to melt.

She took a deep breath, the air sinking down, her shoulders tensing almost imperceptibly before relaxing again. When she looked up again, the turbulent undercurrent in her eyes was covered by a thin layer of forced calm.

Although still cold and hard, at least it was no longer a sign of things getting out of control. The pearly teeth on her red lips loosened, leaving a noticeable mark.

She started walking, step by step towards them. Those few steps could be flashed back countless times in a movie, becoming a famous scene that was about to reach its climax.

"Ah..." She stopped about two steps away from the two of them, her gaze lingering on Zhou Ziyu's face for a moment before finally landing on Quan Xuanhe.

Her voice sounded deliberately slowed down and unusually calm, as if Chou Tzu-yu didn't exist.

"I've been looking for you for ages, Xuanhe. You've been so busy, you haven't even eaten anything."

Her gaze swept over the whiskey glass and the plate of cherry tomatoes that Quan Xuanhe had placed on the low table, finally settling on his face.

The word "busy" was pronounced lightly, yet it carried a heavy, ironic meaning.

"There's fresh salmon sashimi and Spanish ham underneath; it looks very generous."

Zhao Meiyan's tone was mechanical at this moment, devoid of any emotion, which instead made people's hearts pound.

"If I hadn't come to call you, there would really be only empty plates left."

"Let's go, don't stay here. What are you doing with her?"

When Zhao Meiyan said this, she finally revealed her true emotions, sounding like she was suppressing her anger.

That undisguised questioning made the air suddenly drop to freezing point.

Quan Xuanhe's gaze swept quickly between Zhao Meiyan's tense face and Zhou Ziyu's panicked eyes.

Beneath Zhao Meiyan's outward calm lay surging anger and disappointment, which felt even more unsettling than outright crying and tantrums.

His mind raced, weighing the options. If he stubbornly refused to leave, Zhao Meiyan would only explode completely, and she might erupt at any moment. He couldn't allow that embarrassing scene to happen a second later.

Leaving with Zhao Meiyan was the only option that could barely keep the situation under control at this moment.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk met Zhao Mei-yeon's gaze, moved his feet, and positioned himself between her and Zhou Ziyu.

"I don't remember when the food was served."

"Come on, go down and have a look."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk gestured for Cho Mi-yeon to turn around, then turned back to look at Chou Tzu-yu.

He gave Chou Tzu-yu a reassuring look.

Having experienced this so many times, I can handle this kind of situation with ease.

He pulled Zhao Meiyan back, their footsteps quickening, and the two figures soon disappeared.

In the last moment before leaving the rooftop, Zhao Meiyan turned back and glanced at Zhou Tzuyu sitting on the sofa.

Chou Tzu-yu's gaze remained fixed on the two of them, especially on Cho Mi-yeon, who turned around at the last moment.

She had already composed herself and met Zhao Meiyan's gaze with a calm yet powerful look, her eyes fixed on her without any hesitation.

What kind of look is that?
Do you still feel unconvinced?

Zhao Meiyan's temper flared up instantly. She wanted to stop and turn around to chase after Zhou Ziyu and scold her angrily!

You adulterous mistress, how dare you look me in the eye!

Say!
But Quan Xuanhe didn't give her a chance. He grabbed her with the strength of an ox and wouldn't let her stop. Instead, he was dragged downstairs, staggering.

Only the glass door remained, swaying slightly in the night breeze.

Only Chou Tzu-yu remained on the rooftop.

The glass door closed, and the slight vibration seemed to linger in the air.

Silence returned to the rooftop, broken only by the faint whistling of the night wind through the string lights and the tireless hum of the city in the distance.

Chou Tzu-yu maintained that sitting posture, her bare toes curling slightly on the cold carpet, her knuckles turning slightly white.

The moment Zhao Meiyan appeared, the immense shock and the sudden feeling of being "caught" almost froze her blood.

She was so flustered that she hastily pulled away, barely able to react.

But now, Kwon Hyun-hyuk has been forcefully taken away by Cho Mi-yeon. That door shuts out the noisy party downstairs and seems to have removed the suffocating sense of oppression.

Chou Tzu-yu's tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

That's...absurd.

She reacted.

Why should she be afraid?
She was the one who held his hand first, hugged him first, and shared all her secret thoughts with him first.

That feeling didn't disappear with the breakup; it just went dormant. Then, on countless sleepless nights, it was burned by his increasingly dazzling light and revived more and more clearly.

Yeah.

Zhou Ziyu's gaze fell on the empty doorway. Zhao Meiyan's angry and possessive glance back was clearly imprinted in her mind. That wasn't the end; it was just a signal.

She, Chou Tzu-yu, never considered escaping this war.

Why pretend to be guilty and act as if nothing happened?

Zhao Meiyan's anger and feigned composure precisely revealed her unease.

That "girlfriend" identity is Zhao Meiyan's only shield.

If it is truly indestructible, why go to such great lengths to "arrest people" and even forcibly remove them?

Chou Tzu-yu's gaze settled completely, like a calm yet profound lake under the moonlight.

That calmness is no longer a gentle indifference to conflict, but a firmness and composure after recognizing the goal.

She bent down and picked up the thin blanket that had slipped to her feet, her movements unhurried and deliberate.

The blanket seemed to still retain the warmth and scent of Quan Xuanhe's embrace, which brought a touch of tenderness to the depths of her eyes.

She put down the blanket and her gaze fell on the plate of bright red cherry tomatoes on the low table.

I picked up the one I had just handed him; it was round and plump, and under the warm yellow string lights, it looked like a sparkling ruby.

Unconsciously exerting force with fingertips.

With a soft "pop," her fingernail pierced the thin skin of the fruit, and the cool juice instantly seeped out, staining her fingertip red.

Chou Tzu-yu looked down at the red mark on her fingertip, which stood out starkly against the night sky. Instead of wiping it away, she gently rubbed the smear of liquid between her fingertips.

Intermittent laughter and music could be faintly heard from downstairs; the party was still going on. Chou Tzu-yu stood up, pulled out a tissue, and slowly wiped the juice off her fingertips.

After thinking for a long time, Chou Tzu-yu put her high heels back on and left the rooftop.

...

...

...

The cold walls of the stairwell pressed against Zhao Meiyan's back as Quan Xuanhe pulled her along quickly until they were far away from the rooftop entrance and any possible line of sight, before stopping at the corner between the two staircases.

The noise from the party downstairs was blurred as if through a layer of frosted glass, while in this small space, only the heavy, intertwined breathing of the two people remained.

As soon as Quan Xuanhe let go, before he could even explain, Zhao Meiyan's long-accumulated volcano finally broke through its carefully constructed calm shell.

She held back from making a scene because she didn't want Chou Tzu-yu to see her acting crazy.

She abruptly shook off his hand, which he had already released.

"Tell me, what were you doing with her up there?!"

The mechanical calm that had been deliberately maintained on the rooftop was gone, leaving only naked anger and sharpness after being stung.

Another emotion was surging within her.

It was an immense sense of grievance and fear that she herself had not anticipated.

She couldn't help but wonder, if things really escalated, if she really resorted to violence or completely lost control, would this man's heart still belong to her...?

Zhao Meiyan was both angry and anxious. She was not usually one to lose her temper and was always lively and cheerful, but she really couldn't handle this situation.

The surging emotions were accompanied by tears that fell without warning and completely out of control.

It wasn't sobbing, but large, hot tears that slid down her taut cheeks.

Those eyes, which were once bright and smiling, and filled with anger on the rooftop, were now quickly blurred by tears, and Quan Xuanhe's figure in her vision became swaying.

This vulnerability came suddenly and violently, creating a stark contrast to her sharp and intimidating demeanor just a moment before.

She didn't want to cry at all; it was too shameful, it made her look like a defeated person. But the tears just wouldn't stop falling, and it felt like something was tightly choking her throat, preventing her from even uttering a question. All that remained were silent, violently trembling shoulders and a torrent of tears.

She stubbornly tilted her head back, unwilling to let her tears show weakness.

Quan Xuanhe was prepared to face her anger and even be ready to bear her accusations, but he never expected to see her burst into tears like this.

His heart tightened.

I can't bear to see girls cry, especially because of me; it breaks my heart.

He almost immediately reached out and, with an irresistible yet exceptionally gentle force, pulled her cold, trembling body into his arms.

Zhao Meiyan's body stiffened suddenly in his arms, and she instinctively tried to struggle and push him away.

She's still angry.

How could she calm down just because he held her like that?
but……

His embrace was warm and familiar, carrying the scent and sense of security she craved, and this weakness of wanting to depend on him instantly took over.

Her strength to struggle seemed to have been drained by her tears; the only remaining strength she had was enough to clench her fist and punch his back once.

Rather than venting her anger, it was more like a powerless declaration that "I'm still angry!" But her body, like a weary bird that had found its way home, couldn't help but relax a little in his arms, her forehead resting on his firm chest, and warm tears instantly soaking his shirt.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk tightened his arms around her, gently resting his chin on the top of her head, and patted her back softly with one hand, as if coaxing a child.

"Don't cry..."

If Zhao Meiyan were angry, that would be fine, but he's the type who responds better to gentleness than force, and this is just too gentle.

His embrace and comforting words were like warm water, gradually easing her tense nerves.

The anger still lingered in my heart, and the grievances had not dissipated, but under his tight embrace and comforting presence...

I'm finally feeling a bit better.

Zhao Meiyan's emotions calmed down slightly in Quan Xuanhe's arms, and her tears slowly stopped, but she did not let go of the back of his shirt.

Once her breathing had calmed down, she buried her face in his chest, her voice heavy with nasal congestion and lingering grievance, and asked in a muffled voice.

"Can you tell me now? What were you and Chou Tzu-yu doing up there?"

Quan Xuanhe hugged her, gently patting her back to comfort her, and lowered his voice.

"I didn't do what you're thinking. It's quiet here, with a night view, so I came up to get some fresh air."

“She was so close to you,” Zhao Meiyan looked up, her eyes still red, staring at him.

“I can see it clearly.”

Quan Xuanhe looked back at her calmly: "What would she dare to do at a party with so many people? What would I dare to do?" He paused, then wiped away the remaining tear stains on her face with his thumb.

"Do you know how busy I was tonight, how many people I was entertaining? I came up to get some fresh air, and just as I sat down, she came up too, and we chatted about how she and Jisoo had a good talk."

He didn't mention that Chou Tzu-yu had specifically invited him up.

Looking into his calm eyes, Zhao Meiyan felt much of her anger subside, but she still felt awkward. She pouted.

"You two... still have feelings for each other?"

"It's all in the past," Quan Xuanhe answered decisively, tightening his arms around her.

“You are my girlfriend, and you are the only one I care about right now. Seeing you cry really hurts me.”

His tone carried a hint of helpless gentleness.

"Don't be angry, cheer yourself up, the party is still going on."

Zhao Meiyan looked at him silently for a while, her doubts and last bit of grievances softened by his gentle words and persuasion.

She gave a soft "hmm," her fingers unconsciously tightening around his shirt.

Seeing her give in, Quan Xuanhe breathed a slight sigh of relief and gently wiped away the tears on her face.

Footsteps came from the stairs, not from above, but from someone coming upstairs.

Zhao Meiyan hurriedly pushed Quan Xuanhe away and adjusted her appearance.

Quan Xuanhe turned his head to look.

It's Go Yoon-jung.

"Excuse me, did I disturb you two?"

When Go Yoon-jin came up, she was completely unprepared for this scene. Seeing the two of them alone together, she knew perfectly well what they were doing.

It seems that this has disturbed his secret rendezvous with his new lover.

"no, what happened?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk shook his head as he looked at the familiar Go Yoon-jin.

Zhao Meiyan glanced at Gao Yunzhen, said nothing, but quickly gave her a slight bow before hastily leaving.
Zhao Meiyan's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, while Quan Xuanhe stood in place, the wet marks on the shoulders of his white shirt clearly visible.

Go Yoon-jin, dressed in a sleek black one-shoulder dress, stopped in front of Kwon Hyun-hyuk, her gaze sweeping over his slightly wrinkled shirt like a searchlight before settling on his face.

"The atmosphere... isn't quite right."

Go Yoon-jin turned her head and looked in the direction Jo Mi-yeon had left. "Did you need me to come up at this time?"

She asked directly, her voice low, conveying both caution and understanding.

Quan Xuanhe suppressed the turmoil in his eyes, quickly composed himself, and shook his head slightly, "Everyone's gone, what happened?"

His voice was steady, and there was nothing unusual about it.

"Long time no see, Xuanhe." Gao Yunzhen nodded slightly, revealing a pleasing smile.

As Go Yoon-jung's popularity has risen, her ranking among the top actresses has also improved. Her already outstanding looks have attracted even more praise. The allure of fame has taken its toll; she may not look the same, but she seems to have changed in many ways.

"Actually, I came here specifically to congratulate you on winning the Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor, which is no easy feat."

Go Yoon-jin was in the same training class as him back then, and she watched him grow up step by step.

She hasn't even fully made it big yet, while Kwon Heon-hyuk has already reached the top.

Sometimes the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs.

"Thank you." Gao Yunzhen's arrival at this moment was a way to help him out of a tight spot.

"still busy?"

"Just finished filming a drama, taking a breather." She leaned forward slightly, closing the distance to a private level where they could clearly see each other's eyelashes. The noise of the party was shut out, leaving only the subtle airflow between their breaths.

Sure enough, every single woman at the party harbored ulterior motives towards him; none of them were simple.

"But you're really on fire, with DP Season 2 and Dark Glory..." Go Yoon-jung said with a sigh.

"We haven't run into each other since our movie 'The Superpowered,' have we? Time flies."

Her approach brought with it a familiar, crisp perfume scent—the same scent that Kwon Hyun-hyuk remembered from the dressing room on the set of "Superpowered Tribe." He didn't move, letting this silent memory permeate the cramped space.

"It's not short."

It must have been more than half a year. Filming for "Superpowered Race" was still last year.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk nodded in agreement with Go Yoon-jin's remark: "Yeah, filming must be tough lately, right?"

Go Yoon-jin leaned relaxed against the stair railing, a relaxed smile on her rosy face: "It's going fairly smoothly. But you, on the other hand, have been working on one project after another without stopping, and you're doing really well right now."

"I was lucky to come across a good project," Quan Xuanhe said calmly.

Just then, footsteps came from downstairs. Zhou Ziyu appeared at the top of the stairs. Her gaze calmly swept over the two people talking, without surprise or lingering, finally landing on Quan Xuanhe.

Their gazes met briefly in the air. Tzuyu's eyes remained calm and composed, revealing no emotion. Kwon Heonhyuk nodded slightly, feeling relieved as he looked at Tzuyu's normal expression.

Don't let things collapse here and then collapse there too.

Chou Tzu-yu noticed that he was talking to someone else, but didn't disturb him. She simply gave Kwon Heon-hyuk a reassuring smile.

Without stopping, Chou Tzu-yu walked straight down the stairs, her figure quickly disappearing into the light and sound of people on the first floor.

Go Yoon-jin followed Kwon Hyun-hyuk's gaze down the stairs, then turned back, a knowing smile on her face. She didn't ask any questions, but simply picked up her drink and took a sip, as if the brief exchange of glances was just a casual glance.

Quan Xuanhe withdrew his gaze and naturally continued the previous topic: "What are your plans for the future?"

When Go Yoon-jin heard Kwon Hyun-hyuk ask about her follow-up plans, her eyes lit up slightly. This was exactly the opportunity she had been looking for.

She originally wanted to hear what this old acquaintance, who was riding high on her career and had a keen eye for film selection, had to say.

“Of course there is a plan,” Go Yoon-jin said with a polite smile and a relaxed tone.

"However, nowadays good projects are highly competitive, and there are many choices, so you have to have a good eye."

She paused, then moved slightly closer to Quan Xuanhe. The soft light from the stairwell shone on her delicate profile, and her eyes held a hint of expectation and sincere inquiry.

"Actually, I'd really like to hear your opinion. You've been on a roll lately, working on a lot of new projects. Are there any projects or directions that you think are worth paying attention to?"

She adopted a humble posture, her smile was sincere, and her intentions were expressed very clearly and naturally.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk met Go Yoon-jin's inquisitive and expectant gaze.

Her words clearly conveyed a desire for advice, given that he was indeed at the height of his career and had access to the most advanced resources in the industry.

After all, these "friends with benefits" are very practical and don't have much romantic involvement; otherwise, they wouldn't just be friends with benefits.

"Yes, there should be some that suit you."

"Let's talk after the party. You can contact me then."

There were many things happening at the party, too many to explain in detail, so it was fine for Kwon Hyun-hyuk to tell her to contact him later.

However, Go Yoon-jin seemed to have misunderstood. She blinked and thought that Kwon Hyun-hyuk wanted her to reschedule for another time.

It was assumed that a duo queue request had been sent.

"it is good."

Go Yoon-jin smiled and nodded, then looked at his slightly damp shirt and politely reminded him.

"Do you want to change your shirt? I feel like people will ask you questions if you go out."

Upon hearing this, Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked down at his shirt.

Zhao Meiyan's tears and makeup smudged on his shirt, making them quite noticeable.

"I understand, thank you."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked up at Go Yoon-jin, who had reminded him, and nodded.

(End of this chapter)