Peninsula: Starting with the nation's first love, the white moonlight

At 9:30 p.m., Suzy stayed at Lee Ji-eun's apartment for nearly two hours.

As a popular member of a girl group, her daily schedule is almost calculated down to the minute.

Not only do they have group music shows and commercial performances, but their individual photo shoots and interviews are also piling up.

The phone vibrated again. Suzy picked it up and looked at it, her lips pouting slightly.

"Ugh, how annoying! My manager is pressuring me again."

Suzy reluctantly stood up, stretched, and said, "Unnie, I have to go back to the dorm. I have an important magazine cover shoot tomorrow morning. Let's go shopping together another time."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Lee Ji-eun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, stood up as well, and said, "Sooji, be careful on the road."

However, as Suzy put on her shoes and prepared to open the door, she suddenly turned around, her eyes curving into crescents, and said, "Unnie, I really can't bear to part with you."

She glanced around the apartment building deliberately and said with a smile:

"Unnie's house is so big, it must be so boring living alone. How about... I don't go back tonight? Anyway, you have a guest room, I'll just make do and sleep there, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Lee Ji-eun's smile instantly froze.

"What does this girl mean? Does she know that Li Luran is hiding inside? Is she testing me?" Various possibilities flashed through Li Zhi'en's mind.

She subconsciously took a small step to the side, blocking Soo-ji's view with her body.

When Suzy saw Lee Ji-eun's panicked expression, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha, unnie, you're such a scaredy-cat! Look how frightened you are!"

Suzy stepped forward and gave Lee Ji-eun a hug. "Unnie, I was just kidding! My schedule is packed from morning till night tomorrow, and my manager has been urging me several times already."

"Okay, I'm really going now. Remember to take your medicine on time and take good care of your voice!"

Suzy waved, opened the door, and quickly left in the elevator.

Inside the elevator, Bae Suzy's smile had vanished. She frowned, deep in thought, but ultimately shook her head.

Inside the apartment, Lee Ji-eun leaned against the door, her legs feeling weak.

"My God..." She looked up and exhaled, feeling that all her acting skills in this lifetime had been completely exhausted tonight.

It took Lee Ji-eun a full five minutes to slowly recover.

The living room was empty except for the leftover cake on the coffee table. She didn't have the energy to clean it up, since there was still someone else in the house.

She turned to look at the closed guest room, hesitated for a moment, and then quietly walked over.

She grasped the doorknob and gently pressed it down.

The door opened, and the guest room was dark. Lee Ji-eun peeked in, and in the dim light coming from the living room, she saw Lee Lu-ran lying on the bed.

He was lying on his side, covered with a blanket, breathing evenly, as if he were asleep.

Lee Ji-eun walked to the bedside as if possessed.

When Li Luran was asleep, he didn't have that sharp and assertive feeling he had before. He was very quiet and handsome.

He had his eyes closed, long eyelashes, a high nose bridge, and a handsome, delicate face.

"She's... damn good-looking," Lee Ji-eun muttered to herself.

Although she wasn't someone who cared about looks, she had to admit that the man in front of her had a face and a demeanor that perfectly matched her aesthetic.

He's asleep anyway, he probably won't know...

As if bewitched, Lee Ji-eun slowly extended her right hand, her fingers trembling slightly, and moved it little by little towards Lee Lu-ran's cheek.

Ten centimeters, five centimeters, three centimeters...

My fingertips were about to touch his skin.

Lee Ji-eun suddenly woke up!

She quickly withdrew her right hand, tightly gripping her still trembling right hand with her left hand, hiding it behind her back.

"Lee Ji-eun, Lee Ji-eun, what on earth is wrong with you?!"

She cursed herself in her heart.

What on earth are you thinking about?

Don't be fooled by his small favors; this guy made you cry just a few days ago.

As an idol on the rise, you barely have time to sleep every day, how can you think about these trivial things!

Lee Ji-eun took a deep breath, suppressing the jumbled thoughts in her mind, and then turned and left the guest room.

This stormy night.

Li Luran was fast asleep and didn't notice that Li Zhi'en had come in.

After being soaked in the rain all afternoon, waiting in the corridor, and feeling relieved after letting go of his worries, he slept better than he had in the past few months.

In the master bedroom.

Lee Ji-eun tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

One minute my throat hurts, the next my head feels all jumbled up.

Whenever she closes her eyes, all she sees in her mind is the image of that man shielding her from the rain, and his sleeping face so close to hers.

"Ugh! This is so annoying!"

Lee Ji-eun buried her head in the blanket and let out a wail.

Now she can't tell whether it's because the sudden presence of a man in her home makes her feel insecure, or because her heart is truly in turmoil.

That night, unsurprisingly, the nation's little sister suffered from insomnia.

Meanwhile, in an apartment in Cheongdam-dong.

After Suzy finished showering and drying her hair, it was almost 11 p.m.

She opened the drawer, took out a wooden box, and inside was a cell phone.

This is her personal phone. For a time, she would use it every night to talk to someone about her daily life.

It hasn't been turned on for several months now.

She glanced at it, then put it back.

Now his career is booming, his popularity is soaring, and everything is developing in the best direction.

However, for some reason, after returning from Lee Ji-eun's apartment, she felt a tightness in her chest.

Then, almost as if possessed, I took out the phone that had been sealed away for several months.

She suddenly remembered the paper bag in Lee Ji-eun's house. Although it was only for a moment, the smell was somewhat familiar.

"That dress...is it really Ji-eun unnie's?" Suzy murmured to herself.

A woman's intuition can sometimes be frighteningly accurate, and most importantly, that faint citrus scent was just too similar.

"Impossible! He's just a high school student from China, Bae Suzy! Since you've made up your mind, then stop overthinking!"

That night, Suzy also suffered from insomnia.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

The autumn rains in Seoul come and go quickly.

After the rain, the air was exceptionally fresh.

7:30 in the morning.

Li Luran slept very well and woke up feeling refreshed.

He sat up, stared at the unfamiliar room, and remained stunned for a full three seconds before realizing where he was.

"He actually passed out in his sleep at a female celebrity's house..."

Li Luran rubbed his head and cursed himself inwardly, thinking, "This is shameless."

Pushing open the guest room door, the living room was quiet.

The master bedroom door was tightly closed, and Lee Ji-eun was clearly still in bed.

Looking at the unfinished cake on the coffee table, he sighed and silently walked into the kitchen.

I opened the refrigerator, and inside, besides a few cans of beer, were the groceries I bought yesterday.

Li Luran rolled up his sleeves, grabbed some ingredients, and got to work.

Half an hour later, an enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen.

Considering that she needed to eat lighter meals these days, Li Luran cooked her a pot of mushroom and chicken congee and made two side dishes as a way of repaying her for taking her in last night.

After finishing, Li Luran quietly left Li Zhi'en's apartment.

Stepping out of the building, the sunlight felt especially warm on Li Luran. He glanced back at the direction of Li Zhi'en's apartment. What happened last night felt like a dream, and now that it was dawn, the dream should end.

Li Luran stretched, then put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the subway station.