Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 120 The Problem of Luxury

Looking out from the railing, the entire city of Seoul seems to stretch out beneath your feet.

The Han River, like a dark ribbon soaked in shattered gold, meanders through the city, reflecting the lights of thousands of homes on both banks. A gust of wind can create ripples of neon lights, creating a dazzling spectacle.

The Seoul Tower, not far away, stands in the night, its warm light spreading a soft halo in the thin mist.

Choi Sulli pulled her mask down a little, took a deep breath of the evening breeze carrying the scent of flowers, and her eyes curved into crescent moons: "So beautiful—Oppa, come and look! That area over there is all lit up, isn't that Gangnam District?"

Jiang Yan walked behind her and looked in the direction she was pointing.

The small cluster of buildings was dotted with lights in the night. From this distance, all the buildings appeared as blurry spots of light, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.

"Judging by the direction, it should be."

"Daiba, I've worked there for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen it so beautiful." Choi Sulli rested her arm on the railing, propping her chin up. "And from up there, it doesn't even seem that big."

As she spoke, she bent down, rested her chin on her crossed arms, and softly asked, "Oppa, what do you think we'll be like in the future?"

Jiang Yan turned his head and asked, "What kind of thing do you want it to be?"

Choi Sulli tilted her head and thought for a moment, "I think—I want to live in a house with a yard, not too big, but it must have a yard. I want to plant a persimmon tree in the yard so I can pick persimmons to eat in the fall, and then raise a Sphynx cat and make it fat."

She laughed as she spoke, "Isn't that pathetic? Other artists are thinking about winning awards and starring in big productions, but I'm thinking about raising cats and planting persimmon trees."

"Ani, I think this is a great idea." Jiang Yan looked at the sky and continued along with her imagination, "We can plant that persimmon tree on the left side of the yard, leave me a plot of land on the right side to plant something else, and put a small table in the middle so we can sit in the yard and eat watermelon on summer evenings."

Choi Sulli stared at him blankly, her lips moved, and after a long while she finally managed to utter, "—Watermelon tastes best when it's chilled."

"It's a minor issue; just refrigerate it beforehand."

"You have to scoop it out with a spoon to eat it."

"Okay, I'll buy you the biggest spoon."

Choi Sulli chuckled, but as she laughed, her eyes suddenly stung.

She turned her face back to the lights below the mountain. "Qinjia, you make it sound like it can happen tomorrow."

"Why not?" Jiang Yan shrugged, saying noncommittally, "You can rent or buy a yard, there are plenty of persimmon saplings at the flower market, and you can just adopt a cat. These things aren't difficult."

Upon hearing this, Choi Sulli remained silent for a moment.

She looked at the exceptionally dense lights in the direction of Jiangnan in the distance. She knew that among those lights was the SM Building, where she had once had her most dazzling stage, and also her most suffocating moments.

Seeing her gazing into the distance in silence, Jiang Yan immediately understood what she meant. After a moment of silence, he asked, "By the way, Zhenli, are you busy lately? Besides Jeju Island tomorrow, where are you going next?"

Sulli's eyelashes trembled slightly, then she gave a casual smile: "As for my schedule, there should be a photoshoot for GG, magazine interviews, and then occasionally a variety show appearance."

She spoke casually, but Jiang Yan noticed that her fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the railing.

He understood why. Although he took the lion's share of the blame for the last incident, SM Entertainment would still cause him just as much trouble.

Kim Sung-hoon was forced to swallow that insult, and given his personality, he would never just let it go.

He can't directly touch Jiang Yan now, nor can he openly do anything to Cui Xueli.

But big companies have a disgusting tactic: they simply bypass Choi Sulli with the best resources and quietly transfer the schedules and scripts that should have been given to her to other artists, making her schedule cleaner day by day.

Jiang Yan was aware of this tactic, but since Cui Xueli didn't want to talk about it, he didn't ask. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "What about your contract?"

Choi Sulli paused for a moment, then replied, "It should be around November next year."

She paused, then added, "Actually, the company had my agent submit a letter of intent to renew my contract last month, but I didn't sign it. I said I wanted to think about it some more. Then my agent contacted me again last week, saying that the company was very sincere and that the terms were negotiable. They also said that this was a matter personally overseen by President Kim. I told them that I was too busy with my schedule and that we could talk about it when I had time."

After hearing this, a very faint smile appeared on Jiang Yan's lips.

Kim Young-min personally intervened? Perhaps he's worried that Sulli's contract might also expire and lead to a contract termination dispute. After all, Kang Yeon stood up for her first, and Girls' Generation collectively negotiated. SM Entertainment is currently on edge, afraid that the departure of one artist could shake the company's stock.

He turned around, leaning against the railing. "So, what's next? What are your thoughts? Do you want to renew your contract or not?"

Choi Sulli fell silent.

She lowered her head, her finger unconsciously tracing circles on the railing, and after a long while she finally spoke: "To be honest, I don't know either."

o

"have no idea?"

"Hmm." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her mood slightly downcast, and said, "To say that I don't want to renew my contract at all would be a lie. After all, I've been with this company since elementary school, met a lot of people, and done a lot of things."

"Tiffany unnie, Taeyeon unnie, Yoona unnie — they are all very kind to me, as are my manager oppa and makeup artist."

"Shi Unnie, after all these years, it's impossible not to feel nostalgic."

She paused here, then changed the subject: "But if I renew the contract—renewing the contract means at least three years. For three years, I have to stay in this building. I have to take whatever projects the company gives me, and I have to continue dealing with Kim Sung-hoon and his gang, whether they're still around or not."

"What I fear is not the hardship, nor the low pay; what I fear is that one day I will stand on the stage and suddenly realize that I no longer enjoy doing this. That feeling is terrifying."

"It's worse than being blacklisted, because at least when you're blacklisted, you still feel resentful and want to fight back. But if you lose all your will, then there's nothing left."

Jiang Yan looked at her but didn't rush to reply.

He knew that Sulli's words were neither a complaint nor a plea for help.

She just rarely found someone she could shed her "I'm fine" facade with, and let out all the things she'd kept bottled up inside.

After a long pause, he continued, "You don't need to think so much. If you want to renew your contract, then renew it. Don't be afraid of them; I have a way to handle it."

"If you don't want to renew your contract, then we won't. I'll help you if you want to sing in the future, and I'll also help you if you want to act in movies or TV shows."