Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 109 The Heart-Fluttering Lamp That Went Out and Then Went Back On

Sulli slapped her forehead in annoyance, reached for her phone on the coffee table, and muttered, "Mianhae, oh, unnie forgot, I'll take the picture now—"

She first took a picture of the empty wine bottles and leftover dishes lying haphazardly on the coffee table with her phone, then turned the camera to point at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan stared blankly at the camera, still clutching a half-empty bottle of liquor in his hand, his lips twitching slightly.

"Click."

The image freezes.

Choi Sulli quickly sent a message to Kim Min-jung, adding a voice message: "See? Unnie didn't lie to you, she really will take pictures of you."

On the other side of the screen, Jin Can opened the photo, zoomed in with two fingers, and examined it carefully.

In the photo, Jiang Yan's face clearly showed the words "I have no will to live".

At that moment, Choi Sulli's head had somehow returned to Kang Yeon's shoulder, and she playfully made a peace sign at the camera, her cheeks flushed.

Upon seeing this, Kim Min-sung's face immediately tightened: "Unnie, do you have any schedules tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Choi Sulli tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I think there's a photoshoot for a male character, in the afternoon."

"Then unnie should go home."

"—Mo?"

"It's almost eleven o'clock now." Jin Zheng pointed to the time in the corner of the screen and said in a serious tone like a little adult, "Unnie has to film GG tomorrow afternoon. If you don't go back and rest now, your face will be swollen tomorrow and you won't look good on camera."

Choi Sulli opened her mouth, but couldn't find a single word to refute it.

This young woman uses her professional ethics to intimidate people; it's practically flawless.

Hearing this, Jiang Yan couldn't help but chuckle softly.

That laugh was like lighting a fuse.

Sulli and Kim Jung spoke almost simultaneously: "Hey, what are you laughing at!"

"Oppa, what are you laughing at?!"

The two spoke in unison, even their coquettish tone was exactly the same.

After saying that, they both froze, exchanged a glance across the screen, and the atmosphere was inexplicably funny.

Choi Sulli was the first to give in, rubbing her temples and resignedly straightening up from Kang Yeon's shoulder: "Alright, alright, little housekeeper, unnie will go back now."

She shoved the phone back into Jiang Yan's hand, picked up her bag from the sofa, and stood up, her steps slightly unsteady.

Jiang extended his hand to support her arm, turned to the screen and said, "Zheng, I'll take Zhenli back first, and I'll get back to you later."

"Okay." Kim Chan nodded obediently, but his eyes remained fixed on Choi Sulli. "Unnie, be careful. Message me when you get home."

"Alas~" Choi Sulli waved at the camera and hung up the video call.

In the entryway, Choi Sulli bent down to change her shoes, struggling with the shoelaces with her fingers, unable to tie them properly for a long time.

Jiang Yan knelt down and quickly tied her shoelaces, then looked up at her and asked, "Can you still walk?"

"Yes." Choi Sulli nodded, opened the door, and went out.

The motion-activated lights in the stairwell turned on, casting a dim, yellowish glow on the narrow steps.

The two walked down the stairs side by side, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space. The spring night breeze blew in from the stairwell window, carrying the fragrance of flowers from some unknown windowsill.

After climbing a few steps, Choi Sulli suddenly stopped.

"Jiang Yan".

"Um?"

"I'm not drunk today."

Jiang Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Just then, the motion-activated lights went out, plunging the hallway into a brief darkness.

Choi Sulli took a step forward, stood in front of him, and gently poked his chest with her fingertip. "I know you don't have an answer in your heart right now, or maybe you do but don't know how to say it. It's okay, I can wait."

"We've waited so many years already, what's a little longer?"

The voice-activated light came on again. Jiang Yan looked at the earnest look in her eyes and suddenly reached out and gently patted the top of her head.

"Pabu".

"Hmph." Choi Sulli snorted softly, then, as if thinking of something, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

When she smiles, her eyes curve into two shallow crescent moons, just like when she was a child.

"Let's go, I'll take you home."

"Um.

""

The two continued walking down, but Choi Sulli's steps were still a little unsteady. Jiang Yan held her back with one hand, protecting her at all times.

When she reached the platform at the corner of the third floor, Choi Sulli suddenly stopped again.

"Wait a moment."

Jiang Yan subconsciously stopped, turning his head to look at her: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the motion-activated light went out again.

Darkness instantly engulfed the entire corridor.

In that brief moment, Jiang Yan smelled a fragrance mixed with the aroma of wine suddenly approaching, and then a soft, slightly cool touch gently pressed against his lips.

Time seemed to have been paused.

Jiang Yan's mind went blank for a moment, and by the time he came to his senses, the sensation had already disappeared.

"Clatter".

Sulli's footsteps, taking half a step back, reactivated the motion-activated lights.

The dim, yellowish light filled the hallway again.

She retreated to her original position, her back against the mottled wall, her fingers gripping the bag strap so tightly they were almost deformed, and she didn't dare to look up at him.

Jiang Yan stood still, his Adam's apple bobbing slowly.

The lingering sensation on my lips was soft and slightly cool, with a hint of spiciness from the soju and a subtle sweetness from the strawberry lip balm.

"----truth."

"Don't speak." Choi Sulli raised one hand to cover her face, her voice muffled as it leaked through her fingers, "You're not allowed to say a single word."

Jiang Yan looked at her flushed cheeks peeking out from between her fingers and listened to her trembling voice, which was filled with nervousness. Suddenly, he felt something burning in his chest.

He took a step forward.

Hearing footsteps, Choi Sulli shrank back abruptly, pressing her back against the wall. She lowered her hand from her face and used it to shield herself, stammering, "Oh, I said no—uh."

The rest of his words were all shut down.

Jiang Yan lowered his head, braced one hand against the wall beside her, and gently supported the back of her head with the other, pulling the little thief who had stolen a kiss and wanted to run away back.

This time, it's no longer a mere fleeting taste, like brushing against a petal.

His kiss carried the emotions that a young man had suppressed for so many years; it was passionate and carried the inexplicable ties that spanned from the alley of the orphanage to the SM building, across his entire youth.

Choi Sulli's back was pressed against the cold wall, her fingers first froze in mid-air, then slowly climbed up his shoulder, her fingertips gripping the fabric of his coat.

The motion-activated lights in the hallway kept turning on and off.

When the two separated, Choi Sulli's lips were slightly swollen and red, and her almond-shaped eyes were covered with a layer of water, but they looked very bright under the lights.

She was panting, and gently punched Jiang Yan's chest with her hand. "Hey—Minchan said I shouldn't be taken seriously because I was drunk, but you didn't deny it just now."

Jiang Yan smiled, took her hand, and continued walking downstairs. "I'm not drunk. You don't need to ask me if I like you anymore, because from today onwards, I'll let you know the answer every single day."