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

Chapter 81 Omens of a Shura Field

"It's...it's just a little hot." Kim Tae-yeon hurriedly pulled her scarf down a bit and gently fanned her cheeks with her hands, trying to cool herself down physically. "Are you hot?" Lee Lu-ran frowned slightly as he looked at the lingering pink on her face. "You're not catching a cold, are you? It's windy today, and the temperature is low at the top of the mountain. Don't push yourself too hard if you're not feeling well."

Kim Tae-yeon quickly waved her hand, "No, no, I'm really fine."

"Oh, right!" To cover up her guilt, Kim Tae-yeon quickly changed the subject: "I remember you were an international student, right? How did you suddenly become an employee of LOEN Company? Can you tell me about it?"

"I just went there to kill time, and I'm just an ordinary intern who does odd jobs every day, so there's not much to say," Li Luran replied casually.

"A regular intern?" Kim Tae-yeon narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Lee.

"Can a regular intern film a music video with IU?"

"Would a regular intern be involved in so many dating rumors with IU?"

"Even ordinary interns would risk their lives to shield her from a knife attack?"

Kim Tae-yeon turned and leaned towards him, her tone slightly sarcastic: "Lee Lu-ran, aren't you being a bit too modest by saying you're just an ordinary intern?"

As Kim Tae-yeon listed his "crimes" one by one, Lee Lu-ran's scalp tingled instantly.

Just at this critical moment, his cell phone suddenly rang, which at least somewhat saved him from the predicament.

However, when he took out his phone and saw the caller ID on the screen, he was completely dumbfounded.

Well, just like the saying goes, speak of the devil and he appears; it just so happens that it was Lee Ji-eun who called.

Li Luran hesitated, wondering whether he should accept the call. He had just been teased by Kim Tae-yeon for a long time, which made him feel inexplicably guilty.

Seeing his conflicted expression, Kim Tae-yeon teased him playfully, "Why aren't you answering the phone? Could it really be Lee Ji-eun calling?"

It has to be admitted that a woman's intuition can sometimes be terrifyingly accurate. Li Luran was exposed to her face and had no choice but to bite the bullet and answer the phone.

As soon as the call connected, Ji-eun's sweet voice immediately reached Li Luran's ears.

"Li Luran, are you up? What are you doing?"

"I'm going out," Li Luran replied curtly.

"Where did you go? Are you alone?" This is another question that strikes at the heart of the matter.

"Um—I'm at Namsan Tower. My childhood friend asked me to take some pictures of Namsan Tower and send them to him." Li Luran tried to remain calm and asked in return, "Ji-eun, what about you? Are you with your family?"

"Yes, I'm here."

Lee Ji-eun's tone sounded somewhat helpless, and then a male voice could be faintly heard through the microphone.

The voice sounded familiar to Li Luran; it seemed to be her younger brother, Li Zhongxun, making a ruckus nearby.

"That kid Chung Hsun keeps asking me all sorts of questions, I'm getting so annoyed with him."

Lee Ji-eun complained, then seemed to hear someone calling her name.

"Okay, I'm hanging up now. My mom's calling me. Be careful to keep warm outside and don't get cold."

After saying that, she quickly hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on his phone, Li Luran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If she knew he was with Kim Tae-yeon, that girl would definitely come to Namsan Tower immediately.

However, although the person on the other end of the phone managed to get away with it, the real crisis was just beginning.

"I really couldn't tell."

Kim Tae-yeon's voice drifted over, carrying a distinct hint of sourness.

"Big star IU gets to call and check up on her even on her rare day off. Could it be that the rumors you guys were spreading before were true?"

Although this tone was more subtle than Ji-eun's direct attack, it was still deadly enough.

Li Luran silently put his phone back in his pocket, rubbed his hands together vigorously, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Kim Tae-yeon tilted her head slightly, staring at him with a leisurely air.

Suddenly, the glass door of the convenience store was pushed open with a jingling sound, and the couple from before walked back in their direction.

Li Luran happened to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and he subconsciously reached out to help Kim Tae-yeon pull her scarf up a little.

In his haste, his fingertips accidentally brushed against Taeyeon's cheek.

The girl's skin was smooth and tender, with a slightly cool touch.

Kim Tae-yeon was startled and shrank back a bit before noticing that the couple had just walked past them.

However, the fleeting touch lingered on her cheek, quickly flushing her pretty face with a blush.

Watching the young couple walk away, Li Luran finally breathed a sigh of relief, while also realizing that his actions just now had been somewhat impolite.

"I'm sorry, I was afraid they would recognize you if they came over, so I—" He withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly, "Anyway, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to."

Kim Tae-yeon's cheeks were burning red, but thankfully she had a scarf wrapped around her, which prevented her from being too embarrassed.

She knew perfectly well that Li Luran was only trying to protect her in a moment of panic, and definitely did not intend to take advantage of her.

However, this big boy always seemed to subtly touch her heart, whether intentionally or unintentionally. She wondered if he was genuinely oblivious, or...

"It's alright." She gently shook her head.

"Let's go then." Li Luran looked around. "It feels like there are more and more tourists here. If we stay and get recognized, it'll be troublesome."

After they had talked things out, Li Luran stood up, and Kim Tae-yeon slowly stood up as well.

However, as she stood up, her gaze fell on the conspicuous lock wall in the distance, and she suddenly remembered why she had come here so early in the morning.

but----

Kim Tae-yeon glanced furtively at Lee Lu-ran beside her. She hadn't expected to run into him at Namsan Tower. Did this mean their bond was more than just a simple coincidence?

Before I knew it, I had run into him several times: our encounter in New Zealand, the backstage area of ​​a music show, our recognition at the music awards ceremony, and our reunion at Nam San Tower today.

Since that's the case, rather than hanging a prayer lock all by yourself, it would be better to—

She stopped, gently tugged at Li Luran's sleeve, pointed to the wall of colorful padlocks in the distance, and tentatively asked, "Li Luran, do you know what those colorful padlocks on Nanshan Pagoda are for?"

Li Luran looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that the railings, walls, and even the passageway of the observation deck were covered with padlocks of all shapes and sizes.

Actually, when he came to the Peninsula before, he had searched for Seoul's tourist attractions online.

Nanshan Pagoda is not only a must-visit spot for tourists from other places, but also a sacred place for couples in love to make vows of eternal love.

Seeing Kim Tae-yeon's nervous expression, Li Luran couldn't help but laugh and tease her, "Tae-yeon, you don't want to hang a couple's lock here too, do you?"