The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 323 Bae Joo-hyun: I'm furious! I'm breaking up with her unilaterally! (Seeking monthly votes)

"Why do you say that?"

When Bae Joo-hyun's voice tightened, Kim Ji-soo looked at her suddenly tense face, and even the smile that was originally in the corners of her eyes showed panic...

She suddenly chuckled. The lingering annoyance and pity for this unnie in her heart, upon seeing Bae Joo-hyun's flustered appearance, ignited like sparks, transforming into an indescribable sense of exhilaration...

She recalled the dignity she had always maintained in the past, and the hesitation she had shown each time she wanted to speak but couldn't, and found it all laughable. All that self-righteous consideration for the greater good had ultimately made her look like a clown kept in the dark!

Just like I said to Gong Cheng in the private room this morning, nobody should think about maintaining appearances anymore...

If you've messed with me, you newcomer Dongxi has really bitten off more than you can chew!
"Unnie..." Kim Jisoo called softly in a hoarse voice, her eyes under the brim of her hat fixed on Bae Joohyun's increasingly anxious expression. She hadn't expected to see an expression on this unnie's face that she hadn't seen on the face of a certain "newborn angel." "Are you going to... become a mistress?"

He spoke those harsh words, one word at a time.

The moment the words left her lips, the air in the private room froze. Bae Joo-hyun, as if struck by lightning, froze, her usually gentle, smiling eyes widening in shock, the shock in her pupils rippling outwards like a stone thrown into a lake, creating chaotic, fragmented waves...

Unsure whether to be angry or what, she swallowed hard, her hand gripping the coffee cup turning slightly white...

After a brief moment of distraction, Bae Joo-hyun took a deep breath, raised her eyelids, and stared coldly at Kim Ji-soo in front of her. "What do you mean?"

Is this considered an attempt to interrogate someone?

And what does "mistress" mean? For a moment, Bae Joo-hyun's heart was in turmoil... even her breathing became rapid...

"Oh……"

"Judging from your expression, you probably don't know yet, right?" Kim Jisoo glanced at Bae Joo-hyun's expression, hardened her heart, and her lips moved slightly. "He and Cho Mi-yeon did break up, but they got back together a long time ago. However, you should know very well..."

"Celebrities can't just go public with their relationships. That's why I said, if you had told me earlier that the boy you liked was him..."

"It seems like Unnie won't be fooled that badly?"

As she spoke, she looked at Bae Joo-hyun's eyes, which were gradually losing their luster, her trembling shoulders, and her pale face, which reminded her so much of herself that morning, and of the suffocating anger and helplessness she felt when she saw that Cartier bracelet on Gong Cheng's wrist at Fashion Week...

The initial joy she felt suddenly turned into a suffocating frustration, but she didn't look away, simply gazing quietly at Bae Joo-hyun...

"..."

"...He told me that we had already broken up..." Bae Joo-hyun was no longer concerned about the barbed sarcasm in Kim Ji-soo's words. She only felt a chill run through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, and the noisy voices outside the private room had become blurred.

She lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on the table. The surge of anger made her ears turn red. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about Zhao Meiyan's existence, but Gong Cheng always said that "it's all over," so she selectively ignored those vague timelines and chose to believe.

At this moment, Kim Jisoo's words shattered all the self-deception she had been holding onto, leaving only broken bubbles scattered everywhere...

"separate?"

"He and Zhao Meiyan broke up, but they got back together quickly..."

Hearing Bae Joo-hyun's trembling voice and her barely suppressed anger and sadness, Kim Ji-soo felt a sense of dejection. Looking at this unnie was like looking at herself, she gave a self-deprecating laugh. She felt that Bae Joo-hyun had repaid what she owed her!
But sanctioning Gong Cheng is not enough!

This "Emerging Dawn" picked up the phone lying on the table, opened Zhao Meiyan's chat window, and pushed it into Bae Joo-hyun's view, her voice slightly hoarse, "Look for yourself, my chat history with that Pab..."

"I suspect she was kept in the dark as well."

Bae Joo-hyun didn't even need to look away to see the contents of the chat box. The latest message was about Kim Ji-soo arranging a meeting with Cho Mi-yeon. Without guessing, she guessed that their meeting tonight would be just like her own right now...

Looking up, I saw Zhao Meiyan calling him "Oppa" affectionately, which didn't seem like a breakup, but it also seemed to carry a hint of showing off to Kim Jisoo.

In the instant her heart sank, Bae Joo-hyun raised her face, glanced at Kim Ji-soo, and abruptly asked, "You like him?"

"what?"

Kim Jisoo was gazing absently at the autumn wind outside the window when she heard this and suddenly snapped back to reality. "I...I didn't! I...I don't like him..."

"How could I possibly like such a bastard?" She waved her hands hastily like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, denying it in a flustered and resistant manner.

She was all accusatory just now, how could she possibly admit to something like this now?! Besides, her excuse for coming here to say these things to Bae Joo-hyun was simply that she was acting as a friend of Jo Mi-yeon and Bae Joo-hyun, unable to bear seeing them being deceived…

"...You don't need to explain. Your attitude today has already said a lot."

"You cried after you found out I was dating him, didn't you?" Bae Joohyun pushed the phone over. She looked at Kim Jisoo's red and swollen eyes under her hat. No matter how angry and annoyed she was about that young man, she now seemed to understand why her sister sitting opposite her was questioning her with barbs.

However, she seemed to have discovered something even more ridiculous: the "original wife" that Kim Ji-soo mentioned seemed to have realized even earlier than she did that the woman sitting opposite her liked Gong Cheng, yet she kept bragging about it in the chat history. This was something worth investigating further...

"……Inside."

"I feel so sorry for Unnie and Miyeon..."

Jisoo's tone softened. If Bae Joo-hyun was a mistress? Then what was she?! She suddenly raised her hand to her forehead, feeling like she'd acted like a shrew today! She didn't want to be like this…

"Feeling sorry for me?" Bae Joo-hyun's voice, thick with nasal tone, was like cotton wool soaked in water, muffled and heavy. Her tense expression, her brows furrowed tightly, and the redness around her eyes becoming more and more obvious, were all tightly controlled as she squinted, as if she was trying to force back the tears that were about to spill...

"You're just feeling sorry for yourself, aren't you?" Bae Joo-hyun's voice suddenly rose, trembling with tears, "Jisoo, you're so hypocritical!"

The emotions that had been building up inside her finally erupted: the anger at being deceived, the resentment at being betrayed, the embarrassment of being questioned by her best friend—all these feelings, like a gloomy fog, instantly turned into a torrential downpour, soaking her from head to toe…

Her boyfriend cheated on her? No, she was the one who was kept in the dark and cheated on! And this sister she had treated with all her heart not only didn't offer a word of concern, but every word she said was like a knife to her heart, almost pointing her finger at her and calling her a "homewrecker".

From the moment she stepped into the private room, she couldn't see any concern or reluctance on Kim Jisoo's face. Her words became increasingly harsh, as if she had prepared her lines in advance and was just waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

"Am I hypocritical?"

Upon hearing this, Kim Jisoo's face immediately turned ugly. She forced a smile and said, "If I were hypocritical, I should have flattered you and said, 'Unnie is so lucky,' and pretended not to know anything, watching you and Cho Miyeon being kept in the dark?"

“I can’t stand seeing you being fooled by him like an idiot! I can’t stand seeing Meiyan still acting so silly every day…”

"Can't bear to see it? Or are you unwilling to accept it?" Bae Joo-hyun raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, the back of her hand scalding with tears. "Can you honestly say that you didn't feel uncomfortable at all when you saw me with him? Can you honestly say that you were so eager to tell me the truth without any selfish motives?"

"Kim Jisoo, you say you feel sorry for us, but you seem more heartbroken than I am?"

Memories of getting close to Kim Jisoo flooded her mind. At the "Sunrise" concert in China, and during private dinners, she had asked her many times if her sister had ever been very close to Gong Cheng.

After all, she knew Gong Cheng so well, yet she only received an ambiguous reply...

After venting her emotions, Bae Joo-hyun sat on the sofa, covering her face with her hands, trembling all over! Just yesterday, she and Gong Cheng were exchanging gifts, and before coming to this coffee shop where she learned the truth, she was even eating the breakfast he made!
But it seems that once you step through this door, in just over ten minutes, everything changes...

"..." Kim Jisoo stared speechlessly at the scene before her. Bae Joo-hyun's trembling shoulders and every word she had just spoken seemed to pierce her heart! She didn't want to admit that this unnie was right!
Just like this morning at Fashion Week, that guy said, "I like Irene even more than I liked you before!"

"you're right……"

Bae Joo-hyun composed herself, her voice slightly suppressed, "The one who was kept in the dark was me."

When she looked up, tears welled in her long eyelashes, but she took a deep breath and said calmly, "But it's none of your business what I do with him."

"Kim Jisoo, we're finished."

"It's over between Gong Cheng and me, and it's over between you too..."

She glanced at Kim Jisoo, her eyes dimming. The bright-eyed, white-toothed woman she had been before entering the room was now as pale as paper. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips, revealing a heartbreaking resolve: "Go and explain to your good friend Zhao Meiyan."

As she spoke, Bae Joo-hyun picked up her coat and the handbag from the sofa, and before leaving, she paused, her petite frame lingering, "Jisoo-ah..."

"Actually, you're the biggest idiot in the world! You helped her again..."

Afterwards, Bae Joo-hyun pulled up her white mask, revealing only her red-rimmed eyes, and opened the door of the private room to leave...

She suddenly remembered that when she was in contact with Gong Cheng, she had asked Kim Ji-soo about his preferences and also inquired about Zhao Meiyan and Gong Cheng. If she remembered correctly, Kim Ji-soo had mentioned that she had witnessed Zhao Meiyan confessing her feelings to her ex-boyfriend...

If Kim Jisoo had feelings for her ex-boyfriend back then, is it possible that Jo Mi-yeon already knew? What good friend would have nothing better to do than constantly brag about their boyfriend to their friend?

Some wildly imaginative guesses stemmed from a woman's intuition, but Bae Joo-hyun couldn't be bothered to check their veracity. If they were true, then Kim Ji-soo, who had questioned her not long ago, would probably be the most foolish person in the world!
But she didn't want to delve into those things anymore. She was exhausted. Having ended a relationship filled with deception and lies, Bae Joo-hyun walked out of the coffee shop and looked up at the setting sun. It wasn't very bright, and the autumn wind around her made her trouser legs sway...

But the sunlight in her vision, like the suppressed anger and grievances in her heart, became increasingly blurry, and she gradually found it difficult to breathe.

……

"Jisoo Kim, we're finished!"

"...You helped her again..."

Kim Jisoo sat in the private room, stunned. Bae Joohyun's casual words before leaving felt like a boulder hitting her heart. She didn't know why, but the "First Dawn" hadn't lost everything, while she herself had lost even her friendship.

Besides, how could I possibly help that [Newborn Dawn]?

After thinking it over, Kim Jisoo turned her head and looked out the window at the street with few pedestrians. Her gaze met Bae Joo-hyun's as she walked out of the coffee shop.

Those intimate moments with Bae Joo-hyun suddenly exploded in my mind: the two of them huddled in front of the makeup mirror sharing the same lipstick; during private meals, she held up a glass of soju, and the two of them shared their recent work schedules; shopping together, getting massages together...

After BLACKPINK's meteoric rise to fame this summer, this unnie (female fan) is genuinely happy for herself...

Just as Kim Jisoo was hesitating whether to chase after this unnie to smooth things over and explain, the figure in her line of sight suddenly lost her balance and fell to the ground with a "thud".

"Ouni!!!"

Upon seeing this, Kim Jisoo couldn't help but shout, and hurriedly grabbed her bag and rushed out of the private room.

In less than a few dozen seconds, she rushed downstairs to Bae Joo-hyun's side, her voice trembling, "Unnie! What's wrong?" Looking at Bae Joo-hyun's pale, bloodless face, she realized she hadn't fainted, but her swollen, red eyes showed deep sorrow...

"You're having low blood sugar, just call me a car..."

"No! We need to go to the hospital!" Kim Jisoo's voice was trembling with tears and deep regret. After carefully helping Bae Joo-hyun up, she realized that the girl's tears hadn't stopped. She quickly waved for a taxi, helped Bae Joo-hyun into the car, and then said directly, "To Seoul Hospital!!!"

There was absolutely no way for Bae Joo-hyun to refuse...

"..."

……

"Mi-ane..."

"...I really didn't expect things to turn out this way."

Outside the ward at the Seoul hospital, Kim Jisoo saw Gong Cheng's hurried figure and quickly stood up to explain. Her face, hidden under her hat brim, was filled with deep regret and guilt—not towards the "First Dawn" before her, but towards Joo-hyun unnie...

She only just came to her senses. None of her previous words seemed to be from Unnie's perspective, but the culprit was still the bastard in front of her! If he hadn't deceived Unnie's feelings, how could things have turned out like this?

"What about people?"

Gong Cheng took a deep breath, glanced at Kim Ji-soo in front of him, and sent himself a message saying that the woman from Daegu who was admitted to the hospital was her.

"She's asleep in the ward..."

Kim Jisoo smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered something, her heart pounding with apprehension, fearing the guy beside her might erupt in anger! Although the main responsibility lay with him, she also bore some responsibility, didn't she?
So when she was on her way to the hospital, she sent a message to Gong Cheng. The incident was caused by him. Even though Joo Hyun unnie unilaterally announced their breakup in front of him, the two of them had not completely separated yet, and he had the right to know about it.

It's better than some media outlets and reporters, or Joo-hyun's agency, knowing that she's strong...

What did you say to her?

Upon hearing the news that Bae Joo-hyun was alright, Gong Cheng felt relieved and sat down on a chair in the corridor. Suddenly, he asked a question.

"...What do you think?"

Kim Jisoo asked a question, then clenched her hands and sighed, "I had a fight with my unnie, and I told her about you and that Pab... We parted on bad terms, and she almost fainted when she left, so I took her to the hospital..."

"Arathor."

Gong Cheng's tense shoulders relaxed.

Kim Jisoo looked at his expression and answer with surprise, and couldn't help but ask, "You...aren't you angry?"

"..." Gong Cheng turned his relatively calm face and looked seriously at Kim Ji-soo's slightly nervous and delicate face. "Are you angry?"

"Jisoo-ah~"

"Tell me, how should I get angry?" He chuckled self-deprecatingly, leaning his shoulder against the cold seat. "From Joo-hyun's perspective, should I give you a good scolding?"

"This whole thing started because of me, how can I have the nerve to blame you?"

“Although I’m really annoyed…” Gong Cheng glanced at the room number across the hall, then looked at Kim Ji-soo, “but, if I were to yell at you and vent my anger, I’m afraid…”

"What are you afraid of?"

Kim Jisoo clutched the hem of her clothes, blinking at his serious expression. "Afraid I'll hit you?"

“Ani ah…”

"How could I possibly be afraid of you?" Gong Cheng smiled helplessly, then let out a long sigh and spoke his true feelings, "I'm afraid you'll be heartbroken, afraid you'll end up in a hospital room like Zhu Xuan..."

Hearing such casual words, Kim Jisoo's pupils contracted as she stared at his slightly tired face, her heart feeling as if it had been clenched tightly!
Does he still care about me?
"Jisoo~ The reason I didn't come to you back then was because you had already rejected me once. I can't change my bad habits." Gong Cheng leaned back in his chair and chatted casually with Kim Jisoo. "Just like you said, I was facing certain death!"

"But I still don't regret it~" He turned his face to look at Kim Jisoo's stunned face, as if seeking some kind of affirmation, "Tell me, would you date someone like me?"

Kim Ji-soo didn't answer. Gong Cheng's honesty was heartbreaking. "Don't you regret it?"

She asked softly, "But Joo-hyun unnie has already unilaterally announced that it's over between you..."

“Me and Miyanoko broke up before, but we’ve started over now, haven’t we?” Gong Cheng’s sincere smile and the jerk’s words were really incongruous. “Besides, you said it was one-sided, and I haven’t even agreed yet…”

After saying that, he stood up and looked at Kim Jisoo, "Alright, you can go back now. Go find Jo Miyeon if you need to. I'll take care of things here..."

"Ugh..." Kim Jisoo couldn't help but curse under her breath, "You dare to ask me to go find Cho Miyeon?"

"Aren't you afraid that Papoo will keep Joo-hyun company, each in a hospital bed?"

"Don't worry, I'll arrange single rooms for them." Gong Cheng shrugged, his tone rather roguish. "Didn't I tell you, I'll show you what it means to be reborn from the ashes?"

He's already prepared for the worst, so what's there to be afraid of?
Before heading to the hospital, Gong Cheng appeared at the SM building, there was only one thing he needed to do! To see Lee Soo-man…

He brought up the project that had been shelved, which involved selecting one idol from SM and one from YG to form a temporary group. If Daegu Girl really had to separate from him, then Gong Cheng would start the project next year when he had some free time!
Even producing a comeback title track for Ryderbabes wouldn't be out of the question; these projects would proceed without any resistance, and Lee Soo-man and SM Entertainment would be more than happy to oblige! If they're going to separate, then he can just shamelessly show up in front of the Daegu Queen!
I'll just hang around in front of her every day and drive her crazy! She can't escape me anyway!

Even Kim Jisoo can't escape... In fact, Master Gong is thinking ninety-nine steps ahead for every one step he takes! If any of the TWICE members try to run away, they'll be dragged into the project too!

It's about getting them tied together and using all sorts of tactics!

Therefore, no matter what decision Daegu Women's Association makes next, Gong Cheng will not be surprised. If they are to separate, then everyone should calm down for the time being. It is definitely impossible for Bae Joo-hyun to accept it all at once!

Besides, he did make a mistake, but for a warrior of pure love, there is no right or wrong in feelings!

The so-called three-person limited group project is centered around Gong Cheng, which drives the artists of SM and YG. However, if necessary, the three-person limited group can also be four, five, or six people. No one can escape!
Whether it's CUBE, YG, SM, or JYP, among all the entertainment agencies on the Korean Peninsula, Gong Cheng, to put it arrogantly, could be said to be irresistible. However, let alone a four- or five-member limited-time girl group…

I'm afraid that if it's just a three-person limit, it'll be a daily battleground, but you know, fighting is a sign of affection, and scolding is a sign of love!

"I'm not leaving..."

Kim Jisoo silently stood up after him, then looked up and said, "I still need to wait for Joo-hyun unnie to wake up so I can apologize to her..."

"Aren't you going to complain to that Pab?"

Gong Cheng leaned against the corridor wall with a smile and casually asked, "What about Zhao Meiyan? The two of them and Kim Jisoo in front of them have been entangled for so many years. Besides, Seoul is only so big. Where could they possibly run off to?"

Besides, that Pabhu has her own "killer move" that she's very proud of.

"If you go, don't provoke that Pab like you did with Joo-hyun. She's much more formidable than you think..." Gong Cheng kindly reminded her. After all, he hadn't dated Joo-hyun for very long and hadn't been entangled with her for that long.

But Zhao Meiyan was different. As she spoke, she glanced at Kim Jisoo with a complicated look and didn't continue. If Jisoo provoked that Pab, he might get angry and bring up what happened back then!
The one keeping the women of Daegu company is definitely not that Pabu, but rather this "poor little thing" in front of them...

Poor "Jisoo unnie" was completely manipulated by "Miyeon Pabu," but he couldn't say anything. After all, Jo Miyeon was his daughter, and he still harbored resentment about what happened to Kim Jisoo...

However, when I think about the big star, I can't muster any resentment or anger from those so-called old stories.

Gong Cheng doesn't have a penchant for seeing girls cry. To this pure-hearted warrior, any man who makes a girl cry is a bastard!

"...Tch, that Pab is always so confused, what could he possibly be capable of?"

Kim Jisoo rolled her eyes dismissively. This "New Dawn of the East" was blatantly lying. "As for Miyeon, well..."

She was really worried that Pab would not be able to withstand the blow, after all, he had only debuted a few months ago and was in the rising period of crazy commercial performances.

Right now, Kim Jisoo just wants Bae Joo-hyun to wake up so she can try to salvage their friendship. Because the one in the wrong is this [First Dawn]...

You're a complete scumbag!

Jisoo gritted her teeth and added a sentence.

"Well, you're right!"

Gong Cheng raised an eyebrow and responded indifferently, "You brought my Corgi to the hospital, what kind of person are you if you don't avenge your mother? These old and new grudges!"

He's been saving them all! If you dare mess with my Daegu woman, Kim Jisoo, again, you'll regret it! I'll make you pay!
"Besides, what's the point of you staying here?"

"I'm going to show off my love with Joo-hyun later, do you want to watch?"

"You little brat! Stay away from Joo-hyun unnie!" Kim Ji-soo immediately became unhappy upon hearing this. "If unnie really breaks up with you, don't mess with her anymore! Otherwise, I really will..."

"Kill me?" Gong Cheng retorted, a complete scoundrel!
"Death!"

He said, in a cheeky way, "Anyway, living like this is tiring enough for me~~~"

“You’re tired…” Kim Jisoo’s previously calmed emotions were reignited.

"If I'm tired, it means I'm still alive. I'd rather make mistakes than do nothing..." Gong Cheng put on a melancholy expression and said something completely irrelevant in a pretentious way...

Having achieved this level in his career, he gradually lost sight of where to go next. He had won the Grammys, gained fame and status, and made money! But his busy schedule continued, and he needed to maintain all of this. The only time he could feel genuinely happy was when he was with his female relatives.

He sighed softly, "I'm just too lonely..."

"Lonely? Do you want to get beaten up again?"

"Is the next line, 'I just made a mistake that all men make'?" Kim Jisoo glared angrily at the bastard's sophistry. What kind of scumbag lies were these? Only that pampered Zhao Meiyan would believe them!

"I'm not leaving anyway!"

Kim Jisoo sat to the side, not wanting to listen to his nonsense! Tired?
In less than three years, this person has gained fame, wealth, industry status, and influence that these little idols could never catch up to. She doesn't want to listen to successful people spouting this bullshit!
"up to you……"

Gong Cheng raised his head and looked into the ward from the corridor.

Upon hearing the word "whatever," Kim Jisoo suddenly paused, her pretty face fixed on the back of the man who was heading towards the ward, his worried expression genuine. She suddenly felt a pang of jealousy and bitterness in her heart.

She reached out and tugged at Gong Cheng's sleeve, asking softly, "Do you... still like me?"

"like……"

"But you won't be with me? What's the use of liking someone!" Gong Cheng said casually, then asked with interest, "Now that you understand what kind of person I am more deeply than you did three years ago, would you date me?"

"will not!"

Kim Jisoo shook her head firmly, her face stiff.

To be honest, after what happened this morning, the moment she saw [Chu Sheng Dong Xi] in front of her, she wanted nothing more than to stab him to death. The only reason they were able to chat briefly now was because of Joo Hyun unnie in the hospital room...

"OK then……"

Gong Cheng nodded without surprise, then looked at Kim Ji-soo and said nothing more.

This person, on the one hand, cannot accept that he is having two relationships at the same time, let alone more than two. Rather than using "boats" to describe his women, it would be better to say that they are "bamboo poles," one bamboo pole after another, tied together to form a raft!

Or perhaps, they are all their own wings! On the other hand, Kim Jisoo, for the sake of so-called "sisterly affection," haha…

"Scumbag!"

After a moment of silence, the more Kim Ji-soo looked at Gong Cheng's handsome face, the angrier and more pained she felt.

"That scumbag was your first love!"

Gong Cheng looked at her angry face and retorted lightly.

"You're not my first love!" Kim Jisoo retorted defiantly. "Get lost!"

……

An hour later, at dusk.

Bae Joo-hyun woke up in the hospital room, and Gong Cheng hurriedly went in...

Kim Jisoo sat alone in the corridor. She knew what that unnie and that bastard were going to say, and what would be the point of her being there? She could only leave for now and wait until they were completely finished before going in to apologize!

By the way, let me comfort Joo-hyun unnie and denouncing how shameless a certain "newborn Dong-xi" is!

"..."

Kim Jisoo glanced at the "off work" message sent by Jo Miyeon on her phone, and felt a mix of emotions.

Of her three close friends, Zhao Meiyan and Bae Joo-hyun, both of them have gotten involved with Gong Cheng. As for Zhao Meiyan, Kim Ji-soo is now worried that she won't be able to withstand the blow!
But she couldn't let Gong Cheng, that "newborn sage," deceive her friends. A short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one! Or perhaps, Bae Joo-hyun and Jo Mi-yeon would both break up with him... Wouldn't that clean up his life then?

Then wouldn't I be...

No, that would be too dishonest.

As for Bae Joo-hyun, she knew that what she had said today was indeed very harsh. She knew that their friendship had truly been strained, and that it might be difficult to repair. But she still wanted to try, even if their friendship could never return to its former intimacy...

"Whoo~"

After letting out a long sigh, Kim Jisoo couldn't help but think of her other friend, Lim Nayeon's face with her rabbit teeth. It seemed that she would have to spend more time with Nayeon from now on. After all, they had been friends for over ten years, so their relationship was naturally close.

Moreover, there's nothing messy between them, making their interactions more comfortable. Nayeon's cheerful smile is often infectious.

Nayeon, you're all I have left~
Jisoo silently muttered to herself, her slender white fingers opening Nayeon's chat window, "Friend~ Let's see each other more often~~"

[Lim Na-yeon]: "(Bunny teeth OK)"

Seeing the emoji her friend sent—a cartoon rabbit with its bunny teeth showing, holding a carrot in one hand and making an OK sign with the other—Kim Jisoo's terrible mood couldn't help but improve a bit!
……

Gong Cheng walked in with his head held high and chest out...

You could see Bae Joo-hyun lying on her side, half of her cheek sunken into the white pillow. Her lips, which usually always carried a smile, were now pressed into a pale arc. The most striking thing was that there were several tear stains of varying shades on the white pillowcase, like a rain that had fallen on the snow and hadn't completely dried, with the edges of the wet stains slightly wrinkled...

He called out hoarsely, "Ju-hyun..."

"What are you here for?"

Through her blurry vision, Bae Joo-hyun caught sight of Gong Cheng's tall figure. She raised the back of her hand to wipe her eyes, her voice maintaining a deliberately cold and distant tone, but there was still a slight tremor in the last syllable...

"I'm worried about you..."

Gong Cheng took a deep breath, his expression serious as if he were on the guillotine, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"worry about me?"

"Then why did you lie to me... even..." Bae Joo-hyun abruptly turned her head, her pale face looking at Gong Cheng with a guilty expression, still holding an apple from the fruit basket on the bedside table, peeling it herself, "Even, you and I, it's not even betrayal!!"

"Because I'm scared..."

Gong Cheng quietly peeled an apple, his voice betraying his exhaustion, "Because I like it, I didn't dare tell you, so when I did things, I didn't consider the consequences, so many times I chose to deceive and hide..."

He confessed softly, as if admitting his guilt.

"Gong Cheng, do you know what's most ridiculous? This morning, I woke up to find the breakfast you made for me, along with the text message you left... I'm thinking about whether I should tell the company the truth, even if it means being blacklisted..."

Bae Joo-hyun raised her tear-reddened eyes and gazed at the face she had longed for day and night. Suddenly, she felt an invisible hand clench her heart, the pain making it hard to breathe. "And what's the result? You've come here like you're confessing a crime..."

"Not explaining anything only makes me feel worse!" She suddenly broke down in tears, which fell like broken beads onto the blanket. "I don't care about your past relationship with Zhao Meiyan..."

"But you can't lie to me!"

Bae Joo-hyun abruptly raised her hand and slapped away the apple Gong Cheng offered her. The apple hit the floor with a thud and rolled a considerable distance. Her eyes were red as she stared intently at Gong Cheng, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "Now I even doubt whether you ever liked me at all? Gong Cheng..."

Gong Cheng stood frozen in place, his throat feeling like it was blocked, unable to utter a single word of explanation... He looked at Pei Zhuxuan's tear-streaked face, at her shoulders trembling slightly with emotion, and the heavy feeling in his heart grew stronger, his head began to spin...

"Let's break up..."

Bae Joo-hyun's voice was still trembling, tinged with tears, but her words were crisp and clear, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Impossible!" Gong Cheng shook his head, put down the fruit knife, and deliberately threw it a little further away. Then he said seriously, "Why would I be with you if I didn't like you? I would only deceive you if I really liked you..."

He gave a wry smile, his tone carrying a hint of shamelessness in his own honesty: "That's a bit shameless, but I'm telling the truth."

Bae Joo-hyun looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly slowly raised her hand, clenching the corner of the white blanket. Strands of hair on her cheeks were soaked with tears and stuck to her skin, making her look particularly disheveled. The pain in her eyes was like an impenetrable fog: "Then can you... break up with Jo Mi-yeon?"

Her words, tinged with a nasal tone, carried a pleading quality that she herself didn't even realize... She dared not look Gong Cheng in the eye, even though she was the one who had been deceived...

Gong Cheng's breath hitched, and his heart clenched. The suppressed grievance and anger in his voice made him look at Bae Joo-hyun's eyes, which were filled with expectation yet despair. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only utter two words with difficulty: "No."

The words had barely left her lips when Bae Joo-hyun trembled violently, like a firecracker had been lit. She grabbed the tear-stained pillow beside her and hurled it at Gong Cheng with all her might.

"Then what are you doing here?!"

She screamed in despair, her voice filled with hopelessness and anger, tears streaming down her face once more: "You can't break things off with her cleanly, and you won't let me go either, what do you want?!"

Gong Cheng didn't dodge, letting Pei Zhuxuan pull the pillow and hit him in the chest. It felt like a piece of his heart had been ripped out; the pain was unbearable...

I want to be with you!

Gong Cheng made a witty remark and casually hugged Bae Joo-hyun's trembling shoulders. After a brief struggle,

Only Bae Joo-hyun's suppressed sobs and Gong Cheng's heavy, weak breathing filled the room...

As darkness fell outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun shone through the glass, casting long shadows on the floor and widening the distance between the two who were "inseparable"...

"Do you remember what I said on our way to climb the mountain in Gaoyang?"

Gong Cheng saw Bae Joo-hyun, and his emotions gradually calmed down, but his swollen eyes and trembling body made him look like a frightened corgi, shaking incessantly. "My grand, great goal is related to you..."

Anyway, I don't want to break up with you!

"A one-sided breakup doesn't count, Nuna..."

He lowered his head seriously to look at Bae Joo-hyun, gazing into the resolute eyes of the Daegu woman, clearly guessing the outcome of tonight. Even though he had expected it, he still felt a pang of pain in his heart.

"Miannei, I shouldn't have lied to you, but if I had to do it again, I would still do it!"

"I'm afraid you'll reject me..."

Bae Joo-hyun seemed not to hear him. She broke free from Gong Cheng's embrace, slowly lay back on the bed, her back to him, and said in a muffled voice, "You can leave now."

"I don't want to see you again, Gong Cheng..."

"This is the end for us!"

"One-sided is one-sided, I can tolerate you deceiving me, but I can't accept you being unrepentant..."

Her hesitant and uneasy heart finally settled down. With a hoarse, muffled sound, Bae Joo-hyun rolled her cheeks and buried them in the pillow, her disheveled hair covering her face, which was known as "divine beauty".

"Inside."

Gong Cheng looked at her slender back, at the trembling shoulder peeking out from under the blanket, and suddenly felt as if the entire ward was spinning...

He didn't want to keep pestering him, at least not now.

Daegu's mother needs time... and so does he...

"Inside?"

Hearing this, Bae Joo-hyun suddenly sat up in bed, feeling even more aggrieved. Her eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and the anger she had managed to suppress, mixed with an indescribable sense of grievance, suddenly exploded. She picked up a pillow and threw it at Gong Cheng's face, yelling, "Get out!"

"I won't leave. I said... a one-sided breakup doesn't count..."

"Bae Joo-hyun, I'll give you an explanation after my world tour ends." Gong Cheng addressed her by her name, his expression unreadable, his heart a jumble of emotions, and he strode towards the door...

The moment the door was gently closed, Bae Joo-hyun abruptly covered her mouth, and her suppressed sobs finally broke through her throat, echoing in the empty hospital room.

……

The moment Kim Ji-soo pushed open the hospital room door, she heard a sob. She glared at Gong Cheng with hatred, "Scumbag!"

“Thank you for the compliment~”

Haji was using a flippant tone to mask the overwhelming sorrow in his heart, his eyes seeming to conceal...

"..."

Back in the car, the weather in Seoul in late autumn changed suddenly, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Gong Cheng watched the windshield wipers work rhythmically, his mind and body gradually becoming numb. As for Zhao Meiyan, he wasn't too worried, but he couldn't say he wasn't worried at all...

At least in the case of Lin Na-yeon, this Pabu knows everything.

She had expressed her desire to have it all, and given Pab's intelligence, Zhao Meiyan wouldn't easily break up with her, let alone be caught doing this by Kim Jisoo!
Once Zhao Meiyan learns about her relationship with Bae Joo-hyun from Kim Ji-soo, she'll definitely first suspect that Kim Ji-soo has ulterior motives. Then she'll hold a grudge and express her dissatisfaction...

The only mistake was that the relationship with the woman in Daegu was too short, and the fact that Kim Ji-soo caught him cheating was too quick and too accidental!
Therefore, it was within Gong Cheng's expectations that Daegu's mother would not be able to accept it for the time being. He was reviewing the situation in the car and waiting for Zhao Meiyan's call.

...I never expected that they would still be doing that damn limited-time project!
As the Aston Martin drove along the rain-soaked streets of Jiangdong District, Gong Cheng rolled down the window and couldn't help but yell, "Damn it, Kim Jisoo! You're finished!"

……

Back in his dorm, Gong Cheng felt somewhat dazed. Fortunately, even without his feelings for Pei Zhuxuan, he still had wealth, a sports car to shelter him from the rain, and many female relatives…

But deep down, Xiba's heart still ached because he truly loved the women of Daegu, and every single one of them...

"Makoto-chan?"

Mina, who was sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet playing games, immediately turned her head to look when she heard the door open. "Why are you only getting back now?"

She dropped the controller, got up from the ground, and walked briskly to Gong Cheng's side. She noticed his pale face and the lack of his usual sparkle in his eyes, which made her feel very sorry for him...

"I went out to take care of some errands..."

"I've discussed a few collaborations that were previously agreed upon with SM Entertainment." Gong Cheng smiled as he answered Mina, who looked at him with concern. He then went to the refrigerator and picked up a can of beer.

"What on earth happened...?"

Mina watched Miyako's movements with her cold eyes. Something was definitely wrong with Makoto!

"Didn't you say you'd tell me when you got back?"

"What! You're going back on your word..." She waddled up behind Gong Cheng, tugged at his clothes, and seeing his hesitant expression, raised her voice, "Didn't you say I was your safe haven?!"

"Loudly!" Mina shouted, mimicking him as she took a can of beer from the refrigerator. "If you don't say anything, I'll drink with you..."

"..."

Gong Cheng helplessly stopped Mina's actions, looking at her concerned and furrowed brows, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, "I broke up..."

"Phew!" After saying that, he let out a long sigh of relief and walked to the sofa.

Actually, he doesn't really need the little penguin's comfort! He's a man, a strong man! Waaah~!

But Miyako didn't hear any words of comfort behind him. Instead, he heard Mina's delighted voice, which was so excited that it was much louder...

"That's great!"

"???"

(End of this chapter)