The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 329 Kim Jisoo: I will always stalk you! (Seeking monthly votes)
"Drip drip..."

In Ryderbabe's dorm, Bae Joo-hyun was curled up in bed when she suddenly noticed her phone ringing. She glanced at the caller ID of "Cheater Bro"... Sure enough, he would call her back immediately.

I wonder if his actions tonight were a ploy to lure me in.
However… since the call had been returned, Bae Joo-hyun smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, reached out and turned on the lamp. She didn’t want to be sentimental or coy. Even if they had broken up, wasn’t it normal to make a phone call?

"Hey?"

The dim, warm light cast a halo in the not-so-large bedroom, falling perfectly on Bae Joo-hyun's bare face. Her skin, without makeup, had a delicate, porcelain-like smoothness, and her soft, languid tone held a hint of nervousness beneath its calm surface...

This was the first time the two had spoken on the phone since they separated.

In the past, the cheating guy had called him before, but he just wasn't interested in answering them back then...

Is it Irene?

Surprisingly, the voice was rough and loud. Before Bae Joo-hyun could think about it, she said, "Irene, I'm Gong Cheng's manager, Kim Dae-woo. You should remember me, right?"

The polite inquiry immediately snapped Bae Joo-hyun out of her daze, and she replied respectfully, "Yes, Daewoo Oppa."

……

Kim Daewoo stood by the window of the ward and glanced at Gong Cheng, who was still fast asleep and receiving an IV drip. He lowered his voice involuntarily, "Good lad!"
I'll lend you a hand!
Who knows, it might even help you get back together!
"Irene, is there something you need from Gong Cheng?"

"I'd like to ask, has his concert ended?"

A hesitant reply came from Bae Joo-hyun on the phone. Kim Dae-woo immediately composed himself, turned to look at the hospital bed, and said in as natural a tone as possible, "The concert went smoothly, but... he might not be able to answer your call right now. Gong Cheng, he..."

At this point, he paused deliberately, and sighed softly into the air. The sigh contained just the right amount of worry, as if he had a lot to say but didn't know where to begin.

"What happened to Gong Cheng?"

The voice on the other end of the receiver tightened instantly. Bae Joo-hyun's questioning was noticeably urgent, and even her breathing could be heard through the static.

"He's in the hospital..."

"I just fell asleep not long ago, and I'm still delirious with fever. If you need to contact him urgently, please call back tomorrow."

Kim Daewoo considered the doctor's recent notification: if Gong Cheng's fever could be brought down by tomorrow, they could continue the IV drip for another day, and then everyone would return to Seoul together the day after tomorrow.

However, if the high fever persists, then they will have to stay for two more days. After all, the turbulence on the plane is not a good thing, and there will be more than a week to adjust before heading to Europe and America for the tour.

"..." There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by heaving breathing, as if an indescribable anxiety was quietly spreading.

……

Before anyone knew it, Bae Joo-hyun had already sat up in bed. The robe that had been loosely draped over her shoulders had slipped halfway down, revealing her collarbone, which looked pale and gleaming in the dim light of the bedside lamp. She was clutching her phone tightly in her hand, and her face, which usually had a somewhat aloof air, was now deathly pale.

"What happened to him?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Bae Joo-hyun heard her own voice tremble. She instinctively bit her lower lip, trying to steady her voice. In her memory, this person was as strong as an ox.
"How could... how could it be so serious that hospitalization is necessary?"

But upon closer reflection, Bae Joo-hyun did notice that he looked unwell during the days before they parted ways, as if he were very tired.

"The schedule was too rushed, the high fever wouldn't go down, plus..."

Kim Daewoo's voice was somewhat stammering, with a hesitant and halting quality, as if he was having trouble speaking.

"Add what?"

Bae Joo-hyun bit her dry lips, her voice trembling. The warm light from the desk lamp fell on her eyes, but it couldn't reflect any warmth, only a surging panic in her throbbing pupils...

[Cheater], I don't want you to be happy.

But I didn't want you to die!
"...Plus, Irene, didn't you two break up? Recently, since coming to Southeast Asia from Seoul, he hasn't been in a good mood and seems a bit dazed every day."

Kim Daewoo sighed helplessly and told the truth, "I talked to him about you two before, and he didn't say anything, but I could tell he cares about you a lot. But his work right now doesn't allow him to think about these things, so he puts the energy he would have spent thinking about you into his daily work..."

"...Sometimes I would advise him to stop and take a break, and he would say..."

"say what?"

Bae Joo-hyun leaned forward involuntarily, her grip on her phone tightened, and her throat tightened.

He said that when he gets busy, he doesn't have time to be sad, so he can't stop.

With a sigh, Kim Daewoo repeated Gong Cheng's words. Then, he left the ward, went to the smoking area, lit a cigarette with a "click," and exhaled a long puff of smoke. His voice was complicated as he said, "Irene, I shouldn't have said these things to you."

"But I've watched Xiao Cheng get to where he is today. A few days ago, his new album was released with great fanfare, and he unlocked his tenth number-one single. He seems to be doing very well, but he also carries a lot of pressure. There are countless eyes watching him. He's too famous, and there are always many people who want to see him fall from grace..."

"As for your relationship with Xiaocheng, as an outsider, I shouldn't say much, but I just want to tell you that this child isn't as cold-blooded as he seems. He was very sad about your breakup, but he kept it bottled up inside and wasn't good at expressing it..."

As he finished speaking, the muffled hissing of smoking echoed through the room...

"I understand, Daewoo Oppa... Is he really alright?"

After listening to Kim Daewoo's story, Bae Joo-hyun asked again, still feeling uneasy.

"It's alright. If the fever breaks by tomorrow, we'll go back to Seoul the day after. Don't worry too much, just get some rest..."

"..."

After hanging up the phone, Bae Joo-hyun paced back and forth on the bedroom floor, her mind filled with that harmless, rascally smiling face. How could she... have gotten sick?

Having known him for so long, this is the first time I've seen Gong Cheng in the hospital...

She thought about what the cheating guy had done to her, and logically, she should be excited. This was karma! "I'll teach you to cheat, I'll teach you to be a womanizer, you bastard..."

But it really happened. Bae Joo-hyun didn't want to think about what happened between him and Jo Mi-yeon. She only remembered that in 16, after she fainted in the parking garage after the MBC music festival, this guy carried her to the hospital.

When they went to the hospital, he was very impatient. From then on, she vaguely felt that he didn't like the smell of disinfectant in the hospital.

Last year, when he was suffering terribly in his dorm, it was Seulgi, that talkative guy, who called his boyfriend over and took him to the hospital. The second time, he wasn't as impatient, but Bae Joo-hyun still felt that he was restless in the hospital.

During her several hospitalizations, in her most vulnerable and helpless moments, this bastard would always happen to be there for her, taking care of her. She felt that this man, who was much younger than her, was really good at taking care of people...

Bae Joo-hyun, who had always been considerate and mindful of others' feelings, felt inexplicably at ease. Finally! I found a younger man who takes good care of me. With him, I don't seem to have to worry about too much, and I never feel like I'm almost thirty.

But... how come I wasn't by his side when he was sick?

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Bae Joo-hyun looked down and realized that she had unpacked her suitcase and was stuffing clothes inside, looking like she was going to find him.

She lifted her foot, kicked the suitcase, sighed, and lay back down in bed.

What a joke!
This guy might be back the day after tomorrow; we've already broken up! Are you going to pay him back yourself? Go find him!

Think beautiful!
……

At ten o'clock in the morning, the autumn atmosphere in Seoul was strong, and a gentle autumn breeze was blowing...

The pale blue light of the sky spilled softly onto the floor-to-ceiling windows of Incheon Airport… Bae Joo-hyun wore a white mask and a baseball cap, with dark circles under her eyes that made her look tired. She had barely slept a wink last night, and her head was still foggy, but she nimbly slung her bag over her shoulder and boarded the flight to Jakarta…

She didn't carry much with her, only a few changes of clothes.

Bae Joo-hyun was sitting on the plane taking off, blinking as she gazed at the clouds outside the window. She had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Even though she felt she shouldn't go, she still wanted to see it.

So this morning, before coming to the airport, she went directly to the company and went to Lee Soo-man's office without any attempt to hide it.

In short, "Gong Cheng is sick, and I want to go see him..."

She felt that since Lee Soo-man knew about her past relationship with Gong Cheng, even if they had broken up, she and the company still benefited from the Dior endorsement deal, so the CEO had no reason to refuse. Moreover, Bae Joo-hyun clearly understood that Lee Soo-man was very willing for her to date the "cheating guy."

And then... as expected.

Lee Soo-man agreed, and in his words, he subtly hinted that he and the "cheating guy" could rekindle their old flame. However, the approved leave was only two days. After all, even if Ryder Baby didn't have a group comeback at the end of the year, they still had to attend and prepare for the music shows and award ceremonies on the three major TV stations...

There are 400 direct flights between Seoul and Jakarta every week, with a flight time of about 7 hours, and all tickets are relatively easy to book.

"..." He abandoned his complicated thoughts.

Bae Joo-hyun sighed softly, "I really owe you something in my past life, you cheating guy..."

However, having already boarded the flight to Jakarta, she stopped thinking about those pointless worries and instead thought, "I'm already here!"

I won't get back together with you, but can't I at least disgust your precious Zhao Meiyan and that lunatic Kim Jisoo?
……

"Irene called you last night, remember to call her back."

Che Qianhao carried breakfast into the ward. Jin Dayu sat on the edge of the bed, picked up a fruit knife and peeled an apple. He glanced at Gong Cheng, who had just woken up, and reminded him, "It feels like you haven't slept this soundly in a long time."

"Did Irene call me?"

Gong Cheng, his mouth dry, picked up a water glass and took a sip. After getting an IV drip, he felt much better when he woke up, except his lips were still dry. He moistened his throat, picked up his phone from the bedside table, unlocked the screen, and looked at the messages Bae Joo-hyun had sent him last night and a missed call.

"Yes, she's very worried about you..."

"I was being nosy and told her about your hospitalization."

Kim Daewoo handed over the peeled apple, sighed, and adopted an air of experience, "I can tell that Irene really likes you. Just be a little sweeter. Arguments are normal! Just coax her a bit more, okay?!"

"?"

Gong Cheng took a bite of his apple, speechless. What are you even trying to say?! But he still said helplessly, "Our situation is complicated, brother. It can't be explained in a few words. Don't worry about it!"

As he spoke, he leaned against the headboard, biting into an apple, and dialed Bae Joo-hyun's number back. After a few rings, he heard, "The number you dialed is currently switched off." He thought, "She's probably still resting, or maybe her phone isn't charging."

Gong Cheng thought to himself, knowing that Daegu's girlfriend didn't have any schedules and often fell asleep while scrolling through videos on her phone late at night, without even turning off her phone, just like a big star.

"what happened?"

After casually replying to a message, he opened the chat windows of his other female friends. A long string of messages appeared, and he replied to each one, explaining about the IV drip he received last night. He hadn't originally wanted to mention it, because there's a saying, "The kindness of a beautiful woman is the hardest to bear."

One female relative caring for you is sweet; two, and you'll feel that life with the three of you is pretty good! Three, and you might find it a bit overwhelming; four, five, six...
There's nothing we can do right now. Park Jin-young alone has called five or six times. Gong Cheng guesses that the TWICE members also know about his hospitalization. In fact, that's exactly what happened. His girlfriends and good friends Hagi-yeon have been sending him messages of concern one after another.

He told me the truth, that it was just a fever, nothing serious, and he didn't exaggerate or say anything like, "I'm not going to make it! It's not cancer, what's the big deal?"
"Big star~ When I felt unwell last night, all I could think about was you~ (weakly)"

"Baby~ Don't worry, okay? I'm really taking good care of myself, but I really want to see you right now, I miss you so much~ (tears)"

"Chaeyoung~ I knew you would always be with me. When I fainted last night, I missed you so much. I know I was selfish. I'm sorry about Mina-chan, but I couldn't control myself, you understand? If love could start over, I would give up everything for you... But unfortunately, it can't. I'm really fine now. So, the three of us, let's leave it at that for now, okay? (Tears streaming down her face behind sunglasses)"

"Momo-chan~ Do you know what a time machine is? I was so scared last night, afraid I wouldn't wake up, afraid I wouldn't be able to stay by your side, because we're so good together, so young, and we have so many more days to spend together. But in the end, I realized that the girls I love most in this life are still you and Nayeon. I really can't live without you, I can't bear to part with you~ (sob sob)"

While munching on an apple, Gong Cheng responded to his women's concerned remarks. Although their concern was overwhelming, it still warmed his heart! He was touched. Moreover, the descriptions, such as the "scrolling through time" or similar phrases, were not exaggerated!
Because when you give your girlfriends appropriate emotional value, they also want to give you equal emotional value. It's a two-way street, so Gong Cheng can only satisfy them one by one. After all, he's a good man who takes care of his girlfriends' emotions.
"Mina-chan~ Last night was the first time in my life I felt so weak. All I could think about were my girlfriends and you. Even though we're not dating, when I felt like I was about to leave this world, I realized how much I missed you… and then I pulled myself together! Now I'm healthy again! Thank you, Mina-chan, for giving me strength! (So touching)"

"Tzuyu~ I'm fine, don't overthink it, okay? Don't worry about me, I'm really healthy. How about I take you out to eat when we get back to Seoul? I brought you a gift from Jakarta, I'll give it to you then~ (grinning)"

"Hagiyan~ Dude, I'm almost back in Seoul, let me treat you to a drink~ (beer)"

"Jihyo~ Thank you for your concern, I'm fine."

Gong Cheng threw away the apple core, picked up a tissue to wipe his hands, and then opened the chat box of the last member of TWICE, Little Monster Tofu!
【Little Strange Tofu】: "Oppa, you absolutely can't get hurt!"

"With so many sisters-in-law, if you were gone, wouldn't they all be widows?"

"And tell me honestly, did you make a move on Momo unnie? You shameless thing!"

"Also, you really can't get hurt! PDnim completely hates me now. If anything happens to you, my life is completely over!"

"However, if anything really happens to you, I'll take good care of you in May~"

"No, what about Duoxian?!" Gong Cheng pursed his lips, staring at the message on the screen. He was so angry that the needle in his hand started to slip. The more he read these words, the more upset he felt!
"Last night, my brother just suddenly fainted. Do you know what fainting means?"

【Little Strange Tofu】: "Didn't I care about you? Besides, there are so many sisters-in-law, who would I care about? (awkward) It can't be that exaggerated, right? And 'slap' and you fainted? If that were the case, I reckon before the sisters-in-law even get worried, PDnim would have to fly to Jakarta to be with you right away, right?"

"Damn, you call that concern?" This is outrageous! Gong Cheng took a deep breath. "What do you mean by exaggeration? I'm in the hospital! Do you think I'm exaggerating?"

"Dahyun, my heart aches so much, it aches because of you (heartbroken~)"

[Little Strange Tofu]: "Okay, okay, Oppa, I feel sorry for you, okay? Instead of feeling sorry for me, you should think more about what will happen to us if things get out. Now, I get more and more scared whenever I see your wives worrying about you..."

"How many times have I told you? What are you afraid of? I'm here!" Gong Cheng scoffed and replied, "If all else fails, if your sisters-in-law really run away, the two of us can just make do..."

[Little Strange Tofu]: "You shameless bastard!"

"I'm not going to be your backup plan!!"

"Oh my, our Dahyun has grown up!" Gong Cheng smiled as he looked at the annoyed emoji sent by Xiao Xiao Guai Doufu in the chat box. When he first met TWICE's "maknae line", the three of them were only seventeen or eighteen years old. Now they are almost twenty years old, or even already in their twenties.

"So you even know about having a backup plan?"

He chuckled, then sighed, "Never mind, I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm feeling melancholy..."

"What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it..."

After putting down his phone, Gong Cheng glanced at Jin Dayu and Che Qianhao, who were busy preparing breakfast on the sofa, then took the porridge, scooped up a couple of spoonfuls, and found it to be alright.

"..."

……

In the afternoon, Gong Cheng lay in the hospital bed, continuing his IV drip. After finishing the last bottle, he could go back to the hotel to pack his luggage, rest for the night, and book his flight back to Seoul for noon the next day!

With the women's concern in his heart, he couldn't wait to see each and every one of them.
……

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia's largest airport, connects Jakarta with major cities around the world.

Bae Joo-hyun carried a lightly sized bag and held a handbag in her hand. She glanced at the unfamiliar city and the bustling airport. Apart from the white mask on her face, she took off her baseball cap. She didn't think that her team, Ryder Baby, was popular enough to reach Indonesia yet.

Perhaps they have fans here, but they will only be a minority.

Most K-pop groups primarily gain recognition in their home countries, such as China and Japan, which are located in East Asia. While they may be somewhat famous in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia, their influence certainly doesn't radiate globally like that of the "cheating guy."

As soon as she got off the plane, Bae Joo-hyun turned on her phone and glanced at the call and message that Gong Cheng had called back, guessing that he had already woken up.

For a moment, she felt a sense of relief.

Hesitating, now that she was awake, she wondered if she should turn back. If she remembered correctly, there was a flight back to Seoul in three hours...

After hesitating for a while, Bae Joo-hyun found an excuse for herself!

The airline doesn't reimburse airfare to Indonesia; it's all out-of-pocket. But we're already here...

Let's meet then.

She opened her contacts and dialed the number Gong Cheng had called back that morning. "..."

……

Just as Gong Cheng was about to take a nap, he suddenly heard the phone ringing from under his pillow. He glanced at the contact name 【Irene】. For contact information that allows calls to bypass the lock screen, his contact names were always quite formal.

He didn't dare to use a label like "Daegu Female Cousin," except for sharp-eyed fans, which is fine. The main thing is that he has many female acquaintances, so he used this more formal format.

After answering the phone, Gong Cheng glanced at the empty hospital room and softly called out, "Nuna..."

How have you been lately?

He paused, wanting to ask, "Did you miss me?" but he was too embarrassed to ask.

Would you believe me if I said yes?

Bae Joo-hyun's soft voice sounded very calm. Then, she spoke directly, "Gong Cheng, let's meet."

That short sentence struck him like a thunderbolt, the ripples instantly dispelling any sleepiness. A smile spread across Gong Cheng's face as he glanced at the ceiling, suddenly finding the air in the hospital room less stuffy. "Okay~"

"I'm going back to Seoul tomorrow, let's meet."

……

"I'm talking about now, let's meet..."

Bae Joo-hyun stood in front of the bustling terminal, trying to hail a taxi, but she didn't know where Gong Cheng's hospital was or his room number... Hearing the sudden silence on the other end of the phone, she curled up her lips and couldn't help but feel mischievous.

"What?" She deliberately dragged out her words, her tone slightly nonchalant at the end, "You don't want to? Then forget it..."

Presumably, that guy didn't know she had arrived in Jakarta. She chuckled and pressed him for an answer, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, but her tone remained calm, revealing no flaw whatsoever.

Just as Bae Joo-hyun was about to make a joke, Gong Cheng's loud voice suddenly came through the receiver.

But what he said didn't seem to be a conversation with himself.

"Daewoo, Qianhao, book me a flight back to Seoul tonight..." After shouting twice, Kim Daewoo's helpless voice came from the other end of the receiver, "Our flight is for tomorrow. Wouldn't it be better for you to rest more in the hospital?"

"You should listen to the doctor, right? If you keep acting like this, I'll have the president call you. Can you listen to me for once?"

“I have something very important to take care of back in Seoul…” Gong Cheng’s voice was serious. He then turned to Bae Joo-hyun on the other end of the phone and said, “Noona, I just checked, the earliest flight is in 3 hours, but I estimate I won’t arrive in Seoul until 4 or 5 in the morning…”

"Let's meet tomorrow morning, okay?"

A soft voice, transmitted gently through the receiver, reached Bae Joo-hyun's ears.

She couldn't help but chuckle at her bare face; at least she had a conscience!
I guess my trip wasn't in vain!
"I do not want……"

"I want to see you right now. If I don't see you within an hour, Gong Cheng, we're really finished, it's over!" Bae Joo-hyun took off her mask, took a breath of fresh air, and said the most ruthless words in a gentle tone.

"But, I'm in Jakarta right now, over 5,000 kilometers away. I'm not Superman... I can't fly there..." The helpless voice chuckled with a hint of bitterness.

"You know you're not Superman?" Bae Joo-hyun bit her lip, her previously curved eyebrows relaxing, replaced by a hint of unspoken grievance and heartache. She blinked, her gaze falling on a quiet bench not far away. She slung her bag over her shoulder and slowly walked over to sit down.

"Then why did you end up in the hospital? Don't you hate those kinds of places the most?"

"I caught a bit of a chill recently, just a minor cold. I couldn't resist the concern of Brother Da Yu and Brother Qian Hao, so I came to get an IV drip..." Gong Cheng explained in a soft, boastful tone, not wanting to worry his mother, Da Qiu.

"A minor cold?"

"Are you lying to me again?"

Bae Joo-hyun gripped her phone, frowning slightly. "Even though we've broken up, Gong Cheng, is it okay for me to care about you? Why won't you tell the truth?"

"Daewoo Oppa said you suddenly fainted!"

"Can a minor cold warrant hospitalization? Will you not answer my calls?"

Her words were sarcastic and veiled...

"..."

Gong Cheng glanced speechlessly at Jin Dayu, who stood to the side with his head bowed. "Did I really faint last night?"
"……I do not care!"

"I need to see you within an hour, or we should never contact each other again!"

Bae Joo-hyun sat humming on a chair outside the airport. The humid wind made the stray hairs by her ears sway gently. Planes occasionally flashed overhead as they took off. Before her, the crowds surged, and passengers with suitcases hurried by. Various languages ​​mingled in the air, creating a cacophony... How stupid of me! Can't I even hear this cacophony here?

"Noona, close your eyes and open Kakao, and I will appear before you..."

Gong Cheng spoke softly with a smile on his face.

Bae Joo-hyun scoffed, "Nonsense!"
But I'll still obediently listen, wanting to see what tricks the "cheating guy" is up to? Could it be that he really did secretly fly back to Seoul?

She opened Kakao, closed her eyes, and heard a voice from the receiver, "Open your eyes, Noona!"

Immediately afterwards, Gong Cheng sent a photo in the chat box with a "biu" sound!

"Isn't he handsome?"

"Now that I've finally appeared before you, don't say anything discouraging like 'we're over' anymore, okay?"

"..." Bae Joo-hyun's lips twitched as she looked at the photo Gong Cheng sent, but she couldn't help but be amused by his unreasonable and nonsensical nagging. She raised her voice, "Annyeong!"

"I said I need to see you within an hour!"

"Photos and videos don't count!"

"..." On the other end of the line, Gong Cheng's silent breathing was heard, and he said with difficulty, "Mina, I can't do this right now... An hour really isn't enough to see you..."

"...Why can't I go see you?"

Bae Joo-hyun's voice, tinged with amusement, filled the receiver like a smile.

"Moragu?"

Hearing Gong Cheng's voice filled with existential doubt, Bae Joo-hyun glanced at the time on her phone screen. "We have 59 minutes left. If you don't tell me the hospital address and room number soon, we might really be done for, you brat..."

"You're coming to Jakarta?" Gong Cheng's voice was full of surprise. "Don't joke around, Joo Hyun, I'm going back tomorrow."

“58 minutes…” Bae Joo-hyun nodded, stood up and prepared to go to the roadside to hail a taxi. “I’ve arrived in Jakarta. I just got off the plane about ten minutes ago and I’m talking to you on the phone.”

"Aigoo, this is too much..."

"Who are you scolding?"

“Ani, that’s not what I meant. I’m just really shocked… Stay at the airport and don’t move around. I’ll have Qianhao pick you up. Whether it’s 58 minutes or 1 minute, it doesn’t matter. No matter what, we won’t end this abruptly. I’m worried about you traveling alone here.”

Gong Cheng explained in a serious and assertive tone, then turned to Che Qianhao and called out, "Hyuna, I've sent your number to Qianhao-ge. He'll call you when we arrive. Just stay in front of the terminal and don't wander around..."

"Arasso..."

Hearing Gong Cheng's unquestionable tone, Bae Joo-hyun obediently withdrew her hand from the taxi stand. "If you're so worried about me, why don't you talk to me for a while? Anyway, it'll be quite a while before Qian Hao oppa gets here..."

"Inside."

……

An hour later, Bae Joo-hyun followed Cha Kun-ho to the hospital.

Gong Cheng glanced at the message sent by Che Qianhao, "He's arrived at the hospital, will be in the ward in five minutes..." He immediately threw down his phone, jumped up from the sofa, lay back on the hospital bed, pulled the blanket up, and looked extremely pitiful with his weak appearance!
He glanced at Kim Daewoo and asked, "Brother, did I really just faint last night?"

“Really, with a ‘snap,’ he fainted!” Kim Dae-woo said with a serious expression.
With such a trusted advisor in charge, Lord Gong is extremely at ease!

Before they could exchange more than a few words, the ward door was pushed open...

Gong Cheng, looking weak, sat up, his lips dry and pale. "Zhu Xuan, you've come..."

In my line of sight, Bae Joo-hyun was wearing a short black jacket, the zipper only pulled up to her chest, revealing a pale white turtleneck sweater underneath. The sweater's fabric looked soft and supple, clinging tightly to her neck, while her long, dark brown hair, draped over her eyebrows and shoulders, added a touch of casual gentleness.

"Yes, I'm here..."

She bit her lip and responded.

Upon seeing this, Kim Dae-woo and Cha Gun-ho quickly left hand in hand, showing great understanding.

As he left the ward, Kim Dae-woo patted Che Qian-hao on the shoulder and instructed, "Qian-hao, these things are best left to the two of us to know, understand?" These words were somewhat overstepping the company's boundaries, but the current accompanying team consisted of a few bodyguards and stylists.

I flew back to Seoul this morning...

As the manager who helped Gong Cheng rise to prominence, Kim Dae-woo's stance on which sides he aligned with had long since shifted. When the company's new boy group debuted at the beginning of the year and they wanted him to manage them, he refused.

The same was true for Che Qianhao in front of him, but as a senior, he couldn't help but remind him.

These past two years, the two of them have been working together quite comfortably!
"Alas, Brother Daewoo, I know what I'm doing," Che Qianhao said with a serious smile.

Kim Dae-woo nodded. "Although the company doesn't object to his dating, we shouldn't interfere since Gong Cheng doesn't report these things to the company himself. It's pointless."

"understand!"

……

The atmosphere in the ward was awkwardly silent.

Bae Joo-hyun put down her backpack, glanced at Gong Cheng lying on the pillow with his dry, pale lips, picked up the water glass from the bedside table, poured him a glass of water, and handed it to him, "What happened to you?"

"I want to hear the truth..."

Gong Cheng took a sip of water, looking tired, seemingly weak but not quite.

It's just a fever, nothing serious. Being too weak would make it seem like I'm overacting... "My schedule's been really hectic lately, I'm exhausted..."

"Is that why?"

Bae Joo-hyun seemed not to have heard the answer she wanted. She pulled up a chair and sat down, crossing her arms as she gazed at Gong Cheng's pale face and the needle marks on his arms, a look of heartache flashing in her eyes.

"Or is it that the love quadrangle between me, you, Zhao Meiyan, and Kim Jisoo is making you feel tired?"

She asked directly.

“Ani, I have no right to be tired.” Gong Cheng pursed his lips, a faint smile playing on his lips. “However, I have indeed missed you a lot during this time apart, Noona…”

"I miss you so much that I can't eat or sleep. Does that sound too cheesy?"

"You wouldn't believe me anyway, Hyuna~"

As he spoke, he put on an expression of indifference to life and death, but his eyes were secretly glancing at Bae Joo-hyun.

I should have pretended to faint or something and had Hyun give me CPR.
Forget it, he wouldn't do something like that.

"Whether you want it or not is only for you to know, I can't tell..." Bae Joo-hyun snorted, stood up and glanced at the IV drip hanging by the window, then bent down and leaned close to Gong Cheng, raising her fair hand to take his temperature on his forehead, frowning as she asked, "Why... is he still a little hot?"

"How could that be? I'm much better now..."

Gong Cheng was also a little puzzled. He had only intended to act pitiful, not fake illness. What kind of nonsense would that be? "I was planning to be discharged from the hospital later, take you out for a meal in Jakarta, show you around, and then we'll go back to Seoul together tomorrow..."

"By the way, come back with me tomorrow. I've booked you a ticket for the same flight."

He remembered this and said, "Don't let Daegu's girlfriend secretly book tickets again."

"Arasso..."

Bae Joo-hyun nodded naturally. She was joking, thinking, "I flew over 5,000 km to find you! If you leave, what am I supposed to do here?!" But her expression still held a hint of worry as she looked at his tired face, her small hand repeatedly measuring his forehead with her own body. "You really do feel a little hot?"

"Is this medicine not working?"

Just as he was muttering to himself, Gong Cheng suddenly grabbed his wrist, which was resting on Gong Cheng's forehead. Gong Cheng squeezed it tightly. "I'm really fine, I'm much better now. You're just too worried about me, worry makes you confused..."

"Who cares about you?"

Bae Joo-hyun rolled her eyes stubbornly, trying to pull her hand away, but she couldn't.

She raised her right hand and pointed at Gong Cheng, "Let me tell you, Gong Cheng, I came to see you only out of concern as a friend. Don't overthink it, and definitely don't have any thoughts about getting back together, understand?"

Can you really be friends after breaking up?

Gong Cheng asked suspiciously, and for a moment he couldn't help but think of Kim Ji-soo!

What kind of friends are we supposed to be after breaking up? He and that self-righteous guy have been strangers for over a year...

"..."

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at him, ignored him, forcefully pulled her hand away, picked up the apple on the table, and started peeling it. "Thank you for the Dior thing..."

"Don't feel pressured about the endorsement. We agreed on it when we were dating, not after we broke up. Don't overthink it." Gong Cheng knew that Daegu was a strong-willed girl, and the Dior endorsement was indeed agreed upon before they broke up.

On the morning we parted ways, who could have imagined that we would be separated just a few hours later...

"Did you not tell Zhao Meiyan and Kim Jisoo about your hospitalization?"

Bae Joo-hyun peeled the apple with practiced ease, glancing at her "first love" on the hospital bed. Usually, this guy would sit by her bedside peeling apples, while she was the one lying on the bed. Now, it was a rare occasion for them to switch roles.

However, their relationship was no longer what it used to be, and many words of genuine concern remained stuck in their throats, unable to be uttered.

"No, only the company and you know. Actually, I didn't plan to tell you, but I didn't expect you to call me last night..."

Gong Cheng smiled frankly, thinking that the current progress was quite good!
At least in front of the Daegu woman, she would bring up Jo Mi-yeon, but what the hell is Kim Ji-soo?

"By the way, I told Lee Soo-man, is that okay?"

"Because I wanted to get him to approve my leave..."

Bae Joo-hyun suddenly remembered this and asked with some concern. She had been out of her mind at the time and only now remembered the company's marketing tactics. What if they deliberately exposed her and Gong Cheng's affair again?
As for being both famous and infamous, to be honest, after working under SM for so many years, she's gotten used to it.

"Kenchana~"

“He won’t make a fuss about it. Lee Soo-man, Yang Hyun-suk, and even Jin-young don’t dare to do anything serious. They only dare to be ambiguous or openly flaunt it, which fans and the public enjoy. But if the methods are wrong, the three big names can’t withstand the backlash.”

Gong Cheng chuckled and explained, "Like Yoona, Taeyeon, and even Jessica, there are all sorts of rumors circulating about our love triangle, even rumors about illegitimate children..."

"But these are all just rumors. Why is it that in TWICE, I have a CP with almost everyone, but this year Park Jihyo's CP has been suppressed by the company?"

"Because of her relationship with Kang Daniel?"

Bae Joo-hyun asked curiously. Their relationship wasn't a secret in the industry, but no one would willingly reveal it to fans or the public, otherwise they'd become the target of public criticism…

"Yes, although the company spent money to suppress it, once her relationship with Kang Daniel is exposed, no matter how low the popularity of her and my CP is, her popularity will definitely suffer. If the popularity is higher, to put it bluntly, her idol career will almost be over."

"But these things don't affect me at all. Do you think the company presidents would be so bold as to let their artists play this game with me for real? Even if it were real, no one would dare let them expose it..."

Gong Cheng said softly, "This is the backlash brought about by popularity. The company presidents aren't stupid; they wouldn't do this unless they didn't want their artists to make money for the company! Idols mainly rely on popularity. Even if they're actually dating, once it's exposed, their fan base will hardly decline; fans might even offer their blessings. But for idols, a large-scale exodus of fans is inevitable..."

"That's why we didn't think about going public when we were dating."

He added a sentence to justify himself.

But this was followed by Bae Joo-hyun rolling her eyes, "Isn't it because you're afraid of Jo Mi-yeon and Kim Ji-soo finding out?"

"I think so..."

Now that things have come to this, Gong Cheng's frankness makes Bae Joo-hyun grit her teeth. He continues with a smile, "Actually, it all boils down to two things: first, the limitations of being an idol; and second, management companies love to create personas for their artists. The most ridiculous persona I've ever heard of is..."

"Before the age of thirty-five..."

"Shut up! Aren't you supposed to be on good terms with the XO seniors?" Bae Joo-hyun naturally knew who he was talking about, and couldn't help but smile. "Also, you really don't have a persona, hehe, a player, a clubber... you're such a natural scumbag, no wonder you're the Seoul playboy, so genuinely real..."

"So you're playing for real, right?"

She gave a sarcastic laugh, her voice dripping with sarcasm!
Even though she traveled all the way to Jakarta to see him, who can say she wasn't angry or resentful about what happened back then? It doesn't conflict with her desire to see him...

Gong Cheng subconsciously ignored the sarcasm in the latter half of her words, and gave a dry laugh, "I'm quite close to Sehun and Chanyeol, and also Do and the others, but as for that other one, I'm not very familiar with him, we don't have any interaction, we're not on the same path..."

"You know I have very few friends."

"Hehe, you have a lot of female friends~ The visual center of a popular girl group, and a solo female singer, which one do you not get along with?"

Bae Joo-hyun sneered, then viciously stabbed a green pear in the fruit plate next to her with a fruit knife.

"Are you jealous, Nuna?"

Gong Cheng smiled and turned to the side, shamelessly pressing his face against the back of Pei Zhuxuan's hand.

"Whether I'm jealous or not is another matter, but the way you're acting now, I'm afraid your Miyeon is going to be jealous?"

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at the handsome features of the "cheating guy" stuck to the back of her hand, raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "It's a good thing I don't have that person's contact information, otherwise I should really take a picture of what you look like now and send it to her."

Then, she smiled and smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, "But speaking of which, she's really a failure as a mother-in-law. She dared to come and show off to me, but you're in the hospital and she doesn't even know anything about it."

"Only I, like a fool, flew over here..."

As she finished speaking, she emphasized her words and looked into Gong Cheng's bright eyes. But after only two seconds, she couldn't stand it. She really didn't know how such beautiful eyes could be formed.

She felt a deep affection for even the dogs, and she was really struggling to resist...

"So, I'm even more reluctant to end things with Noona so hastily."

Gong Cheng lifted his face, released Bae Joo-hyun's right hand, and lay down on the pillow.

"Click~"

Bae Joo-hyun ignored him, took a picture of Gong Cheng lying in the hospital bed, and sent it directly to Kim Ji-soo, adding the caption, "...Ji-soo, don't worry about Gong Cheng being hospitalized. I'm here with him. Also, tell Jo Mi-yeon that unnie should be understanding; she should focus on her work since she's just debuted..."

"I will take good care of her father in the hospital."

With a lighthearted tone, he directly tapped the send button with his finger.

Bae Joo-hyun raised her eyelids again and looked at Gong Cheng with a smile, "I accidentally told Ji-soo about your hospitalization just now, it should be okay, right?"

"Do you dare have any connections?" A gentle smile, yet laced with threat...

"...Hehe, Kenchana~"

Gong Cheng's face twitched slightly. Accidentally?
You're really careless, aren't you? How come you're just like "Slippery Hands Girl"?
What exactly is your relationship with Jisoo?

Bae Joo-hyun couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her lately. Seeing Gong Cheng open his mouth, she added, "You said you wouldn't lie to me again!"

"Xiuxiu?"

“She…she, I was her first love, but because of some things, we didn’t end up together.”

Gong Cheng glanced at Bae Joo-hyun and said softly, "Back then, she was a very pretty trainee at YG. She started shooting commercials before her debut and was quite famous. Later, because of Miyeon, the three of us got to know each other and were very close. But then, due to some things, we lost contact..."

He briefly explained the relationship between the three of them. Compared to that Pab, Kim Jisoo was quite famous before her debut.

"Because of what?"

"Because of Zhao Meiyan?" Bae Joo-hyun felt a little annoyed by his way of addressing Zhao Meiyan and Kim Ji-soo, but she still asked the most crucial question based on her intuition.

Gong Cheng glanced at her sideways and chuckled as he replied, "Who knows, hehe~"

As for Kim Jisoo, even now that her relationship with Daegu Women's Hospital and Cho Mi-yeon has been ruined by her, he has nothing to say. On the contrary, thinking about her brings him an indescribable sadness and loss, and then he thinks about the big star...

This is also why he was always afraid of Kim Jisoo; he always felt that she was somewhat pitiful!
Liking her and feeling sorry for her are not contradictory; they are two separate things...

"dudu~"

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at Kim Ji-soo's reply, "?"

"That bastard's in the hospital? Shouldn't he be in Jakartamo?"

What are you doing there?

"Looks like she still cares about you? Heh..." Bae Joo-hyun pouted and showed the chat box on the screen to Gong Cheng. "She doesn't even pretend anymore. A few days ago, at least she was calling you Joo-hyun unnie on the surface. But as soon as you're mentioned, she..."

……

At this moment in Seoul, Kim Jisoo, who had just finished an event, sat in her van, staring at the photo sent by Bae Joo-hyun in the chat box, her lips tightly pursed, her face looking very unpleasant!
With delicate features and light smoky makeup, she gritted her teeth, opened the chat box for 【New Dawn】, and hesitantly sent a message: "Are you dead or not?"

Please...don't die!
Besides worrying about why Gong Cheng was hospitalized, Bae Joo-hyun's tone in the pictures and messages she sent was clearly meant to annoy her!
You think you're so great, huh?

"Okay!" Kim Jisoo immediately forwarded the photos sent by Bae Joo-hyun to Jo Mi-yeon. "Pab, Gong Cheng is hospitalized. The photos were sent by Bae Joo-hyun..." As she spoke, she also took a screenshot of her chat with Bae Joo-hyun.

Subconsciously, she cut out the few words she had just said to Gong Cheng out of concern!
All that's left is that disgusting part of Bae Joo-hyun.

【New Dawn】: "I'm fine, don't panic!"

"Heh, it seems the wicked live long lives, huh?" Kim Jisoo's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled down upon hearing that cheeky tone. She couldn't help but retort, "Why did Bae Joohyun go looking for you?"

"Don't tell me she went to Jakarta?"

【New Dawn】: "You're getting smarter and smarter, Xiuxiu~"

"Also, I don't want to live for a thousand years, I just want to live to be a hundred with you~"

"Get lost!" Seeing Gong Cheng's slutty appearance, Kim Ji-soo felt inexplicably relieved. She picked up her water glass, took a sip, and then frowned and asked, "Did you seduce Bae Joo-hyun again?"

【New Dawn】: "What are you saying? Could you be any more offensive? What seduction?!"

"I just don't like listening to uncultured people like you talk... It's awful!"

"You're just prejudiced against me! If you look at it from a different angle, you'll see that this is a romantic love story of true love conquering all, a journey of over 5,000 kilometers for love~ How corny!"

Kim Jisoo sniffed, "Do you think this is an idol drama?"

"You better behave yourself, do you hear me? If you dare to do anything with Bae Joo-hyun again, or do anything to betray Mi-yeon, I'll..."

【New Dawn】: "What are you?"

"I will always be watching you, watching you forever!!!" Kim Jisoo clenched her fists and typed hard on the keyboard to send the message.

【New Dawn】: "Chiu Min~ Are you spying on me? Kim Jisoo!"

"Damn it! You little bastard!"

Jisoo angrily pounded the seat in the car, startling Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, who quickly shrank back and asked with concern, "What's wrong, unnie?"

……

Meanwhile, Zhao Meiyan was participating in a commercial performance. She had just returned to the dressing room when she saw a message from her "friend" Kim Jisoo. She raised an eyebrow and unlocked her phone.

(End of this chapter)