Peninsula: I run a bed and breakfast on Jeju Island

Choi Jin-ri blinked.

She looked up, her eyes showing a hint of surprise and lingering embarrassment.

"Yes, either way is fine," she said softly.

Actually, she's not completely clueless about cooking.

She also made a chocolate cake for Christmas and learned a few simple Chinese dishes from her teammate Victoria Song.

It's perfectly fine to cook simple dishes like ramen.

Unexpectedly, I messed up my scrambled eggs today.

……

The porridge is ready.

Two bowls, one for each person.

The freshly fried eggs were divided into two plates and placed on the table.

Li Ran also chopped some pickled vegetables.

The two sat facing each other, with only a few things on the table, so simple it seemed a bit shabby.

Choi Jin-ri lowered her head and took a sip of porridge.

She put down her spoon without looking up, seemingly hesitating for a moment.

"You recognized me."

It's not a question.

Li Ran picked up a piece of scrambled eggs with her chopsticks without pausing.

"Um."

"I recognized you as soon as I saw your face last night."

Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips and gently ran her index finger along the side of the bowl.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?"

This time it was a question, but the tone was calm, as if he had already made some kind of preparation.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow, glanced at her, and then lowered her head again to drink her porridge.

"Who should I tell?"

"I know no more than five people in Jeju Island, and none of them are involved in the entertainment industry."

Seemingly feeling that the porridge was a bit too hot, he stirred it with his chopsticks. "You're paying to stay here, so providing a quiet environment is just my job."

"If you get disturbed when you haven't paid, and then you still get disturbed after paying, then what the hell is the money you spent?"

Choi Jin-ri did not respond.

She lowered her head, looking at the steaming porridge in the bowl, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

A gust of wind swept past the window, making the wind chimes in the yard ring a few times before quickly falling silent again.

Xiao Hei crawled out from under the table, rested its head on the instep of her feet, yawned, and slowly closed its eyes.

She glanced down, then gently lifted her toes to tease it.

After a while, she picked up the spoon again and slowly drank the porridge.

"What you said makes a lot of sense."

Li Ran then changed the subject.

"By the way, aren't you named Choi Sulli? Why is your name Choi Jinri on your registration card?"

"My real name is Choi Jin-ri, Sulli is my stage name."

"Huh?" Li Ran was taken aback. "I thought f(x) was your stage name."

"That's the group name. I'm a member of f(x)."

Choi Jin-ri seems to have gained a new understanding of Lee Ran.

She scrutinized Li Ran.

"What's wrong?" Li Ran felt a little uncomfortable being stared at and subconsciously touched her face.

"You don't seem to know me very well?" She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Then how did you recognize me?"

Li Ran pursed his lips. He naturally learned about it through short videos he had sporadically watched in his previous life.

But that kind of ending hasn't happened yet, and he can't possibly say.

"Me? I saw your videos when I was in China."

This isn't exactly lying.

"Really?" She bit her lip lightly, her smile somewhat faint. "Then the evaluation probably isn't very good."

Silence fell on both sides of the table once again.

"Emmm... I don't really know much about it." Li Ran picked up a piece of pickled vegetable. "I don't pay much attention to this area, and I can only recognize a few celebrities."

"Then why did you come here?" She tilted her head, looking at him curiously.

Before he could speak, she added, "If it's inconvenient for you to answer, then don't."

Li Ran gently shook her head. "There's nothing inconvenient about it."

"I guess I got lucky, I inherited the estate of a distant relative, which is this guesthouse."

He shrugged. "My previous job didn't pay much and involved a lot of work. So, with this guesthouse as a safety net, I thought I'd try a different kind of life."

"A different life..." Choi Jin-ri repeated softly, staring blankly at the grains of rice in her bowl.

The two of them didn't eat for very long.

After all, it's just a pot of porridge and two dishes (if you count the pickled vegetables).

After clearing away the dishes, Li Ran pulled out a large bag of peanuts from the corner, ready to peel some.

Whether you crush it or stir-fry it directly, it's quite delicious.

He sat in the yard peeling fruit, occasionally enjoying the breeze, which was quite pleasant.

Choi Jin-ri didn't go back to her room this time. Instead, she sat not far away, playing with the little black dog and occasionally glancing in his direction.

After a while, she walked towards Li Ran.

"Let me peel some for you."

He shook his head. "There's no reason to make guests do the work."

Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips, said nothing, grabbed a handful of peanuts from the bag, and started peeling them.

She used her thumb and forefinger nails to pry open the shell, and with a little force, "snap," the peanut shell cracked open, and a round peanut kernel popped out.

At first, I didn't feel anything.

After peeling several kernels, she subconsciously rubbed her fingertips and paused for a moment.

My hand hurts a little.

Li Ran watched quietly from the side, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"What's wrong? Does your hand hurt?"

He handed her a pair of nail clippers. "Who told you to peel them with your bare hands?"

He picked up another pair of nail clippers and demonstrated.

With a gentle press and a quick snap, the peanut kernel fell out cleanly and neatly.

"Hey, why didn't you say so earlier?" Choi Jin-ri looked down at the mark on her thumb and rolled her eyes at him.

"You didn't ask!" Li Ran shrugged, looking completely innocent.

There are actually more professional clips, but Li Ran hasn't had time to buy them yet, so she's just making do with nail clippers.

Choi Jin-ri wrinkled her nose slightly, "Oh, right..."

She looked up. "By the way, how old are you again? I've never asked."

"25".

"Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow. "What year were you born?"

"94, what's wrong?" Li Ran asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Which month?"

Li Ran looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you asking such detailed questions? June 17th."

"Phew~" Choi Jin-ri visibly breathed a sigh of relief, then the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Then I'm older than you. I was born in March, so you have to call me Noona."

Looking at Choi Jin-ri, who suddenly seemed so familiar with him, Lee Ran blinked.

"I know that the seniority system here on the peninsula is quite strict, but I remember there shouldn't be so many rules between classmates of the same age, right?"

"Besides, I'm not from your country, why should I do things your way?" He rolled his eyes.

"Never mind then." Choi Jin-ri pursed her lips, her previously uplifted mood plummeting again.

Looking at the woman in front of him whose emotions changed more unpredictably than the weather, Li Ran scratched his brow, as if remembering something, and coughed lightly, "Alright, alright."

He uttered a soft "Noona..."

"Huh?" Choi Jin-ri suddenly looked up, a clear smile in her eyes.

"Hurry up and peel the peanuts, you've only peeled so few after all this time." Li Ran shook her hand and handed her another handful of peanuts.

"Hehe." She took the peanuts, her mood noticeably lighter.

Li Ran shook her head, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, thinking, "Let's just consider it as caring for the vulnerable and doing a good deed."

"Besides, it's just a title. It won't cost you anything."

He was trying to justify himself in his mind.