Peninsula: I run a bed and breakfast on Jeju Island

Just past noon, the Jeju Island sunlight streamed through the kitchen window and fell onto the dining table.

The steamed sea bass has been deboned, the stir-fried broccoli is bright green and crisp, the scrambled eggs with tomatoes are served on a white porcelain plate and glisten with oil, and the stewed winter melon and duck meat are tender and have a faint aroma.

Two bowls of thick, sticky millet and pumpkin porridge were placed next to it.

The food was just served and was still steaming warm.

The two washed their hands and sat down.

"How is it? Don't the dishes you helped cook smell better?" Li Ran asked with a smile.

Choi Jin-ri leaned closer, sniffed, and nodded. "It seems... a little bit."

She held the chopsticks, looking eager to try.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

She wasn't the only one impatient; Little Black, with his tongue lolling out and drooling, was also there.

Seeing its appearance, Choi Jin-ri couldn't help but laugh.

Li Ran picked up a piece of egg and put it in her mouth, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, didn't you say yesterday that you were going to bring Brin over? When were you planning to do that?"

"Um?"

Choi Jin-ri was a little stunned, seemingly not expecting him to suddenly bring up this topic.

She paused, looked up at him, and asked, "...What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?"

There was a hint of tension in his voice that was barely perceptible.

"No," Li Ran paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Why do you look so humble and dependent?"

"You paid for this, Choi Jin-ri, so please adopt a more respectable attitude, okay?"

"Besides, I asked you for the time because I was thinking of buying some cat food and litter, and cleaning out the cat bed. What were you thinking?"

Choi Jin-ri breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "No need to trouble yourself, I can bring it myself."

Li Ran glanced at her sideways, "Choi Jin-ri, do you remember what you said before?"

She was a little stunned.

"You said, 'Aren't we friends?' So are we friends or not?" He tapped his chopsticks to express his dissatisfaction.

"Of course!" she nodded.

"Since we're friends, why are you being so particular about such small things?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Or are you not considering me a friend, and just trying to toy with the feelings of this naive boy?"

After hearing this, Choi Jin-ri's lips curled up slightly. "Since we're friends, does that mean I don't have to pay rent?"

"Don't even think about it!" Li Ran made an X in front of her chest.

He curled his lip. "Even close brothers keep clear accounts. Besides, you're currently my only source of income for this guesthouse."

Choi Jin-ri looked around. "I've been wanting to ask this for a while now. After all these days, am I the only one who booked it?"

Li Ran nodded with some disinterest.

"I don't know what's going on. The rooms are already listed, but no one is making a reservation. They have no taste at all," he said indignantly.

"What about the guests who stayed here before? I remember this guesthouse used to have a good reputation, so there should be quite a few repeat customers, right?"

"You're asking me? Who should I ask?" He rolled his eyes.

Perhaps those guests all came for his great-aunt, and now that it's his turn to take over, naturally there aren't many people to support him.

Who knows the specifics?

Choi Jin-ri gently stroked her chin. "Looks like I'll have to introduce you to some business opportunities in the future. Don't let it go bankrupt later."

When Li Ran heard that she was going to help introduce business opportunities, her expression lit up, but then she heard her say that the business would "go bankrupt".

"Pah! Pah! How can you curse like that? Even if your SM Entertainment goes bankrupt, my guesthouse won't go bankrupt," he said discontentedly.

Is SM going bankrupt?

She smiled.

"Alright, let's stop with this nonsense." Li Ran waved her hand.

"Hurry up and eat. It took a lot of effort to make this, don't let it get cold."

Upon hearing this, Choi Jin-ri also picked up her chopsticks.

"It tastes good." She took a bite of the steamed sea bass and her eyes lit up.

"Right?" he said, sounding a little smug.

He was quite confident in his cooking skills.

"Try some others."

Choi Jin-ri picked up a few pieces and tasted them one by one, finally giving Li Ran a thumbs up.

Li Ran was practically strutting around with pride, about to reply, when Xiao Hei under the table objected.

Its claws kept scratching at his trouser leg, it was making whimpering noises in its throat, and its eyes were fixed on the plate of bass on the table.

"You're the most anxious one."

Li Ran gently pushed it back with her foot, picked up a piece of boneless fish, and casually tossed it into its food bowl.

The little guy immediately ran over and happily started munching away.

Choi Jin-ri looked at them, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes.

"Ding-dong~"

She glanced down at her phone, paused, and then looked up at him.

"I just confirmed with my friend, and she'll bring Brin over the day after tomorrow afternoon."

As if afraid he might change his mind, she added after she finished speaking, "It's very well-behaved, it won't scratch the sofa or bark, and I've brought all its things with me so it won't cause you any trouble."

"Look! You're doing this again."

Li Ran rolled her eyes. "I already said it's fine. I'll arrive the day after tomorrow."

"I'm going to the supermarket this afternoon to buy a bag of cat food and cat litter."

"Show me the same spirit you had when you made me shout 'Noona'!"

Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips and gave an awkward smile.

Just then, Xiao Hei came over again and rubbed against her feet.

She looked down and saw that the dog had already finished eating the fish in its bowl.

It was staring longingly at the duck meat on the table, its tail gently brushing the floor, looking ingratiating.

Choi Jin-ri smiled and picked up a piece of skinless, tender duck meat, tossing it into the food bowl next to her.

Little Black immediately ran over again and started munching on it without even looking up.

After finishing their meal, Li Ran cleared away the dishes, and Cui Zhenli helped wipe the table as well.

"Shall we go check on that turtledove from yesterday?" She draped the rag back over the sink.

"That works too." He nodded.

The two walked towards the location of the tomato greenhouse.

Xiao Hei wanted to follow, but Li Ran gently stopped it with a kick. "You stay here, don't startle it."

Xiao Hei stood at the door for a while, then lay down.

The turtledove remained in its original spot, huddled neatly in that small clump of withered grass, the white spots on its neck clearly visible in the sunlight.

The two stood a distance apart, not getting closer.

"The wind was quite strong last night," Li Ran glanced at the roof, "If another big gust comes, this nest will probably fall apart."

"When will you install the shield on it?" Choi Jin-ri asked in a low voice.

"Let it go out on its own. Going over now might scare it away. If it really doesn't go, let it leave for a while, settle it down, and then let it come back."

Choi Jin-ri looked up and examined the corner of the greenhouse. "Does that side block the wind? I feel the sloping side would be more suitable."

"The slope is too steep, it's hard to secure the board." He shook his head. "Let's put a piece across it, leaving a gap for ventilation."

She thought about it and didn't refute it.

The dove tilted its head, blinked, and then remained still.

The two stood quietly for a while longer, and the turtledove remained motionless before slowly walking back.

Back at the entrance, Choi Jin-ri sat down on a recliner without immediately going inside.

The sunlight warmed the insteps of my feet, carrying a touch of languor.

Li Ran went to the storage room, found an old wooden board, compared its size, and put it aside.