Peninsula: A Max-Level Forward's Leisurely Life

When Sulli walked out of SM Entertainment this afternoon, she even felt that the terrible smog in Seoul tasted sweet.

Wow, the power of capital, it's really awesome.

That once meticulously planned schedule is now mostly blank. Half of the music show performances have been cut—even those disgusting drinking and dining parties have been completely wiped clean.

This is the power of capital. As long as you have a powerful figure behind you that even tycoons dare not easily provoke, those high-ranking executives who usually look down on others will instantly become the most considerate servants in the world... even more obsequious servants.

She folded the reprinted itinerary and stuffed it into her bag.

10 PM, in a back alley of Itaewon.

'Ding'

The neon lights were dazzling.

Sherry stood outside Leon's bar, holding a transparent plastic box in both hands.

I wasn't wearing a mask today, nor was I pulling my hat down low. I exuded a carefree, "I've finally jumped out of my cage" vibe.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, the brass bell on the door rang out with a muffled sound.

Lee Chi-hoon was standing behind the bar, clearing ice. Hearing the noise, he didn't even look up, concentrating on shoveling ice shards—at this hour, the only person who could just walk in was that Peach.

"We're not accepting customers today. The sign is up."

He casually tossed out half a sentence to get rid of them, without even glancing in their direction.

Shirley wasn't buying it. She strode to the bar and slammed the square box she was holding onto the thick wooden counter.

'Pat'

"I'm here to deliver a gift."

Her eyes sparkled, and she practically glowed: "Celebrating the day when I can finally walk around Seoul with my head held high!"

Lee Chi-hoon stopped what he was doing and his gaze fell on the box.

Several plump, pinkish-white peaches lay quietly inside.

He blinked his eyes, looking disgusted.

"You brought a box of peaches to the bar to celebrate late at night? That's so tacky, you know?"

I grabbed a tissue to wipe my hands, and I was disgusted by the smell.

Shirley glared at him, then flipped over and climbed onto the high stool.

"What do you know? This is called sincerity."

With her hands supporting her chin, she retorted confidently, "Someone could easily take down the entire entertainment company's management with a flick of a finger, yet they're always pretending to be some ordinary bartender—isn't that just plain tacky?"

Li Chixun was amused by her rapid-fire retorts. He threw the tissues he had used to wipe his hands into the trash can, picked up the box of peaches, tossed it in his hand, and remained calm and collected.

"These peaches of yours... judging from their shape and color, they're from Cheongju, right? They're juicy enough, but not as sweet as those from Gyeongsan. You should have picked a better one as a gift."

"Lee Chi-hoon, can you please stop being such a spoilsport!"

Shirley slammed her hand on the table in protest: "I'm already being generous by spending my own savings to buy it for you, and you're still being picky!"

"I'm teaching you how to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous businesses."

He took a small fruit knife from the cabinet and casually twirled it.

"Want some drinks?"

"You have to drink it."

"I'll adjust it for you."

The two of them moved back and forth so smoothly that no extra preparation was needed.

Li Chixun's movements as he cut fruit were very skillful. With a light stroke of the knife across the pinkish peel, and a quick flick, "swish"—the plump flesh was cut into several even pieces and arranged on a plate.

He pushed the fruit platter in front of her and handed her a glass of freshly mixed light-colored fruit liqueur. It had a very low alcohol content; it tasted like fruit juice diluted with a little spirit.

"So, tell me, did you show off at work today?"

He leaned against the edge of the counter, watching her with a leisurely air.

Shirley picked up a small fork, poked a piece of peach, and popped it into her mouth. The peach was sweet and juicy, and the sensation of it bursting on her tongue was truly delightful.

"It's more than just showing off."

After swallowing the fruit, she narrowed her eyes slightly: "That minister who forces us to diet every day actually brought me a glass of warm water today and asked me if I've been under a lot of stress lately."

Even now, she still finds that scene surreal when she thinks about it.

"So how did you reply?"

"I said it was okay, but the schedule was too tight and I couldn't sleep well." He hummed and took a small sip of the fruit wine. "Then he just canceled all my commercial performances and told me to get more rest."

The situation within SM Entertainment is in an uproar. Who dares to mess with this newly emerged, hidden major shareholder—even though this shareholder himself is currently standing behind the bar cutting peaches for people.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"I'm satisfied, I am." Shirley put down her glass, the smile in her eyes fading slightly. "But I feel a little guilty."

"What are you feeling guilty about?"

"Everyone else has a sugar daddy, now I have one too..." she muttered to herself, her gaze slowly becoming fixed on him, almost to the point of being drooling.

Li Chixun couldn't help but laugh when he saw her acting all innocent after getting the benefit.

"I didn't ask you to accompany someone for drinks, don't make baseless accusations."

Even if fruit wine has a low alcohol content, drinking too much of it can still cause a hangover.

After a few drinks, Shirley's courage grew noticeably. Thinking back to the self-deceptive messages she'd sent last night, she suddenly felt a little ashamed—how could this shrewd man not see through her clumsy tricks?

"Lee Chi-hoon." She called his full name and leaned forward.

"explain."

"Did you already know that I bought that wristband for you yesterday?"

I stared at him, determined to force an answer out of him.

Lee Chi-hoon took a sip of water, his tone utterly irritating: "Your lame excuse, plus those crooked letters—I must be blind to not see it."

"Then why were you deliberately teasing me yesterday!"

"They've practically delivered themselves to my doorstep, so why shouldn't I make fun of them?"

This man is absolutely wicked. Shirley gritted her teeth, wanting to refute him, but couldn't find a single valid argument.

A fine layer of water droplets condensed on the outside of the glass, making it icy cold to the touch. She slid off the bar stool, walked straight past the partition on the side of the bar, and went inside.

Li Chixun did not stop her.

She walked step by step towards him, the distance between them closing to almost nothing. She could clearly see the collarbone of his shirt and smell the faint woody scent emanating from him—a reassuring aroma.

"You've helped me so much."

He tilted his head back, his gaze fixed intently on his eyes.

"What am I to you, anyway?"

Her entire back stiffened as she asked the question. This was the first time she had so blatantly revealed this unspoken truth while fully conscious. Leaving no way out.

Li Chixun looked down at her.

This little girl has definitely had too much to drink today; she doesn't usually have this much confidence.

He didn't back down, nor did he try to brush her off with those easily dismissive words.

"Shirley."

He abandoned his casual demeanor and became serious.

"I'm not a philanthropist."

He braced his hands on the table behind him, his gaze meeting hers without flinching.

"It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision." The statement carried a weight of certainty. "And it wasn't out of pity that I helped you."

This is the final answer given.

One fatal blow. There was no room for maneuver.

Shirley's eyes instantly welled up with tears. The grievances and fears that had been suppressed in her heart for so long began to crumble after hearing those words.

She stepped forward, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and buried her face in his broad shoulders.

I've liked you for a long time.

With her eyes closed, she poured out everything she had been holding in for the past few days.

Lee Chi-hoon sighed, raised his hand, and gently stroked the soft back of her head.

The two stood there behind the dimly lit bar, leaning against each other. Time seemed to freeze completely.

After a while, Shirley finally lifted her head from his embrace, her eyes still damp with tears, but her face was full of smiles. She reached into the fruit plate, picked up a slice of peach, and held it directly to his lips.

Li Chixun raised an eyebrow. He didn't immediately take it, but just stared at her.

The next second, he opened his mouth and bit into the peach.

The warm lips inevitably brushed against her fingertips.

"hiss--"

A jolt of electricity shot from her fingertips to the top of her head, and Shirley's fingers recoiled.

The temperature in the air skyrocketed.

Lee Chi-hoon swallowed the sweet, cloying fruit, and the long-suppressed aggressiveness in his eyes finally became undisguised.

next moment.

Shirley felt a sudden lightness in her body as she was lifted up around the waist.

What are you doing?

She gasped in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Li Chixun steadily carried her horizontally in his arms without pausing for a moment.

"The celebration is over."

Looking into her flustered, almond-shaped eyes, he whispered his verdict: "Now it's time to get down to business."

The wooden planks of the stairs made a slight creaking sound.

'Ding, ding, ding'

He carried her like that all the way up to the private bedroom on the second floor.

The bedroom door was kicked shut.

"Bang--"

Only one bedside lamp was on in the room, casting a dim, yellowish glow on the carpet, creating an extremely ambiguous atmosphere.

Shirley was thrown onto the soft, large bed. She sank into the blankets, and just as she tried to struggle to sit up, that tall body pressed down on her.

The tug-of-war between adults finally tore away the facade of tenderness.

But the word "defeat" doesn't exist in Shirley's dictionary.

"Let me tell you, I've trained in dance."

She pressed her hands against his chest, trying to maintain the last bit of her bluff.

"My patience is definitely stronger than you think."

Lee Chi-hoon knelt on one knee on the edge of the bed, looking down at this stubborn peach. The smile in his eyes grew deeper.

"Yeah?"

"If I yell 'I give up,' I'll bark like a puppy!"

She bluntly stated that she herself hadn't realized how dangerous this stake was.

"OK."

Li Chixun reached out and unbuttoned her collar, his voice deep and slow.

"You said it yourself."

The rustling sound of the fabric was particularly clear in the quiet room.

……

That night, someone truly understood what it meant to "walk into a trap."

The disparity in strength is especially brutally manifested in bed.

After half an hour.

The situation in the bedroom was completely one-sided and overwhelming.

Those suppressed sobs in her throat could not be held back in the end.

"Woof..."

A soft sob, tinged with a heavy crying tone, emerged from under the covers.

She felt extremely wronged. Like a small animal that had been bullied terribly.

Li Chixun paused slightly.

Then—a new and even more strenuous journey began.

Doesn't this girl know that barking like a dog at a time like this will only push a man's interest to an even more insane point?

"It's too late to admit defeat now."

He bit her earlobe, ruthlessly cutting off her last escape route.

The voices of protest were instantly crushed by an even more violent storm.

The night is still long.

Nobody can expect to get a good night's sleep easily.

The next morning.

The sunlight in Seoul pierced through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled patterns of light on the carpet.

The bedroom was a mess. Half of the blanket was dragging on the floor, and several scattered clothes were carelessly tossed at the foot of the bed.

Sherry was fast asleep on the bed. The little peach who had boasted about defeating him last night was now lying limply on Li Chixun's chest like a lump of mud.

I'm exhausted; even my breathing feels tired.

The thin summer blanket only covered her waist, leaving large expanses of her fair and delicate skin exposed to the air. The shocking red marks were clearly visible—but she paid no attention to them, and even subconsciously snuggled closer to that warm chest, searching for a more comfortable position.

Li Chixun had been awake for a while, with one hand behind his head and the other gently stroking her smooth back.

He no longer needed to rush around social events in the world of fame and fortune, nor did he need to face the tactics board on the green field. The heavy weight in this embrace gave him an unprecedented sense of peace.

I looked down at that sleeping little face.

His eyes were no longer guarded, only filled with unreserved favoritism.

……

Since you're already wearing wristbands.

He has now completely taken over this peach for the rest of his life.