The Uncrowned King of the Peninsula

Chapter 279 You're Using Me, But I'm Willing (Part 2)

Bae Young-joon glanced at Lim Na-yeon, who was sleeping like a little pig in bed, closed the bedroom door, and walked towards the living room.

At the dining table, Liu Zhimin, who had her legs crossed, heard footsteps, looked up, and met his gaze.

The fiery blush on her once aggressive face had vanished, replaced by snow-white cheeks. Lipstick had been reapplied to her lips, and paired with a white off-the-shoulder sweater and swaying black leather boots, she exuded an exceptionally cold and aloof aura.

"Is she asleep?" Liu Zhimin asked.

"Hmm, she's asleep." Pei Yongjun couldn't help but glance at the little golden bell she was playing with, the tinkling sound of it when it was swinging around with the little orange ringing in his mind.

"Cough cough." He couldn't help but cough twice, banishing the erotic thoughts from his mind, and looked at Liu Zhimin, who seemed completely unaffected. "You've really worn her out; she's sleeping soundly."

"Me?" Liu Zhimin glanced at him sideways. "You're the one who messed with her, don't blame it on me."

"A real man should be responsible for his actions."

Bae Young-joon blinked and didn't say anything more.

Liu Zhimin didn't say anything, a small golden bell was tucked between her fair fingers, jingling and tinkling.

Bae Young-joon glanced at the things on the table: the dog-ear blindfold, the little chain, and the little bell in Yoo Ji-min's hand. Suddenly, an image of a thin little girl with messy hair popped into his mind.

Could it be my adorable Minjun?
Bae Young-joon felt that the two had a strange compatibility in terms of temperament.

"Hey, Jimin, where did you get all this stuff from?" Bae Young-joon, as her cousin, asked with concern.

"Which one?" Liu Zhimin held the small bell in her hand, then paused.

"This?" Bae Young-joon held up the puppy earmuffs.

“Minjung, isn’t he cute?” Yoo Jimin glanced at him, then looked at Bae Youngjun.

She is cute, though.

Bae Young-joon imagined Kim Min-jung wearing puppy ears and looking adorably dazed as he looked at the little bell clip in Yoo Jimin's hand.

But this is...

Do you young girls play this big?
"Oh! This isn't it!" Liu Zhimin blushed and glared at him. "What are you thinking!"

"Hate……"

She pouted.

"Oh, I see," Bae Young-joon breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to put his worries about Min-jung to rest. "I thought..."

"What did you think?" Liu Zhimin rolled her eyes at him. "Does Minzheng have any use for it?"

Bae Young-joon couldn't help but picture Kim Min-jung's skinny frame; it really was...

cough cough.

My apologies, Oppa didn't mean it.

Bae Young-joon suppressed his deep doubts about Kim Min-jung's feminine charm, but his eyes flickered and fell on Yoo Jimin's bulging off-shoulder sweater, where the swaying pomelo was visible.

"then you……"

Could it be that you bought it for your own use?

Noticing Bae Young-joon's rude gaze, Yoo Ji-min glared at him fiercely, "What are you looking at? I bought this especially for that silly rabbit."

"I'll let you use it again!"

Bae Young-joon raised an eyebrow.

"Let's get down to business," Liu Zhimin snorted irritably, slamming the small bell onto the dining table with a clatter. "Why are you so concerned about Yu Qinghao?"

"He helped you buy Hanjiang Sports, so why are you still targeting him?"

“Well,” Bae Young-joon pondered for a moment, “because he wants to buy not only Han River Sports, but also me, do you understand?”

"I see, I understand." Liu Zhimin thought for a moment and understood his meaning. She glanced at him up and down. "So you're planning to put up a last-ditch effort?"

"You have so little confidence in me?" Bae Young-joon smiled.

“Confidence? He’s the president of Kakao Entertainment, far superior to your Hanjiang Sports, right? Besides,” Yoo Jimin paused, her eyes fixed on Bae Young-joon’s expression, “didn’t you want to know who his father is?”

"Who is it?" Bae Young-joon asked, recalling the question that had abruptly ended earlier.

"Do you really want to know? Some things are better left unsaid." Liu Zhimin didn't agree immediately, her eyes fixed on him, as if searching for the slightest hint of something amiss.

"Really, since it's come to this, just tell me," Bae Young-joon said.

"Alright." Liu Zhimin looked at his normal expression, took out her phone, pressed a couple of buttons, and handed it to him.

On the screen was a photo of a middle-aged man with a kind smile in his eyes and slightly graying hair, who looked like a kind and honest elder.

Between her eyebrows and eyes, one can vaguely see the resemblance to Woo Kyung-ho, but Woo Kyung-ho's face has a somewhat feminine quality, which seems to be inherited from his mother.

He wore a white robe with gold trim, looking exceptionally noble and of extraordinary status.

Bae Young-joon recognized the person.

"Jung Kyung-soo?"

“That’s right, Archbishop Jung Kyung-soo of the Morning Star Order,” Yoo Jimin said, glancing at Bae Young-joon with a snort. “How about it, scared?”

“Fear…” Bae Young-joon muttered to himself, Jung Kyung-soo’s identity flashing through his mind.

The Morning Star Church is one of the largest churches on the peninsula, with millions of believers and extraordinary influence. As the head of the church, Jung Kyung-soo can command a huge following and can easily organize large gatherings of tens of thousands of fervent believers, making him a very important figure on the peninsula.

Jung Kyung-soo was originally a figure who cooperated with the conservatives, but in recent years he has suddenly turned to the progressives and contributed a lot to them.

No wonder……

Bae Young-joon recalled the intricate connections between former President Park and religious forces, and then thought of Jung Kyung-soo's experiences frequenting the Blue House when he was young.

The birth of Woo Kyung-ho, a young lady obsessed with the other shore and salvation, a living star with a sacred halo, suddenly seems to make perfect sense.

As for Jung Kyung-soo's sudden shift from conservatism to progress in recent years...

Who isn't doing this for the children?

right.

Bae Young-joon seemed to understand a lot in an instant.

But how did Liu Zhimin know all this?

Is Liu Xunjie's intelligence network really that powerful? Zheng Qingzhu is no ordinary person, and the secret of this illegitimate child is not something that can be easily found out.

“Yes, compared to Yu Qinghao, you are still far behind, let alone his father?” Liu Zhimin frowned. “In short, he is very powerful. Don’t overestimate yourself and go against him.”

"Understand?"

Liu Zhimin tapped the table with her fair knuckles. "If you don't want to continue with him, then leave."

"I can only give you one piece of advice: absolutely, absolutely do not take his money casually. The happier you are when you spend it, the more miserable you will be in the end."

"The more you spend, the deeper you sink, and in the end you won't be able to escape even if you want to."

“Leave…” Bae Young-joon pondered Yoo Ji-min’s words, then chuckled softly, “Where to?”

"I don't care where you go." Liu Zhimin snorted. "If you're done talking, I'm leaving."

“I've said all that, but,” Bae Young-joon looked into Yoo Jimin's eyes, “how do you know all this so clearly?”

"What do you mean?" Liu Zhimin frowned. "You came to me because I know a lot, didn't you?"

"This is Yu Qinghao's biggest secret. Even if Director Liu is extremely powerful, it wouldn't be something he could figure out in a day, let alone you."

Unless, Liu Zhimin had been prepared for this, having observed Yu Qinghao for a long time before discovering this huge secret hidden within him. "Zhimin," Bae Yongjun sat down next to Liu Zhimin, looking at her slightly furrowed brows, and leaned closer to her face, "You care a lot about Yu Qinghao, can you tell me why?"

“…No.” Liu Zhimin looked at him, her dark eyes gleaming, and shook her head.

"Don't you believe me?" Bae Young-joon asked.

"Why should I believe you?" Liu Zhimin retorted.

“I thought you liked me.” Bae Young-joon clicked his tongue.

"Ha, I like you, so what?" Yoo Jimin scoffed. "Doesn't Lim Nayeon like you? Choi Sulli? Kwon Eunbi?"

She counted the names one by one, her gaze fixed on Pei Yongjun's face. "So many people like you. I believe in you. I wonder if you'll still remember me by then."

Before Bae Young-joon could say anything, Yoo Ji-min added another sentence.

"Ah, don't say I forgot about Lee Ji-eun. A woman like Lee Ji-eun will never like you. She will only use you and kick you aside when you are no longer of use."

You bad woman, listen to this, listen to this! I'm not just saying you're bad, everyone knows it.

Bae Young-joon raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly.

"You're not going to say that I'm different from them, are you?" Liu Zhimin looked at his expression and retorted, "Don't try to fool me with that kind of talk."

Their eyes met, and Bae Yong-joon pursed his lips, politely asking, "Is it not allowed?"

“Okay, I’m different,” Liu Zhimin took a deep breath, her off-shoulder white sweater bulging as if it would burst, revealing a breathtaking curve in her chest.

"Because, because I can tell you a lot of information that you want to know."

Her tone turned somewhat unhappy and cold; her words were icy and realistic, completely out of character for her young age.

"So I'm different from them."

“That’s not what I think.” Bae Young-joon shook his head.

"Bae Young-joon, isn't that right?"

Tears welled up in her large eyes. "You just treat me like a child, thinking you can easily appease me, don't you?"

"How can I trust you if you act like this?"

Liu Zhimin's tone carried a hint of accusation, and hot tears slid down her cheeks, "Why did you ask me such a question?"

"Isn't it enough that I told you?"

"Can't I just lie to myself one more time?"

"What are you lying about?" Bae Young-joon asked, raising his hand to wipe away the tears on Yoo Ji-min's cheeks, but she slapped him away.

“You’re lying to yourself. You only approached me because you like me,” Liu Zhimin said.

"You think I'm using you?" Bae Young-joon chuckled softly. "Is that what you think?"

"Aren't you using me?" Liu Zhimin retorted, looking at Pei Yongjun, her tone becoming agitated. "Isn't that right?"

"You think I don't know?"

"Then why did you tell me the news? You must have had a hard time getting this information, so why did you tell me?" Bae Yong-joon looked into her tearful eyes and asked softly, "Didn't you know everything perfectly well?"

"..." Their eyes met, and a complex and indescribable expression flashed in Liu Zhimin's eyes. Her dark eyes reflected Pei Yongjun's handsome features, and her lips trembled slightly, as if a thousand words were stuck in her throat.

But in the end, she just snorted, turned her head away, took a deep breath, and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"...Heh, I'd like to."

She only said this one sentence, her tone full of stubbornness: "I'm blind, I don't need your help."

"I'm leaving." Liu Zhimin glanced at Pei Yongjun, stood up, and said, "You and your little rabbit can play here. If you need anything, just come find me."

"Wait," Bae Young-joon called out, stopping her as she turned to leave.

"What?" Liu Zhimin asked, "Is there anything else? I'm in a bad mood tonight, so don't upset me."

"It's a small thing, a small gift." Bae Yong-joon looked at her fluttering eyelashes, which were still faintly covered with glistening tears, making her look pitiful.

"What?" Liu Zhimin stopped in her tracks and looked at his actions.

Bae Young-joon walked into the study, took out a long, narrow notebook, scribbled a few lines with a pen, and then took out a small personal seal from his pocket and stamped it.

Then, he tore off the piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Here, take this before you go."

"What is this?" Liu Zhimin frowned, took the paper, and suddenly her eyes widened.

"This checkbook is something I just received after taking over as president today. To be honest, it's the first time I've used it, but it should be fine." Bae Young-joon waved the small book around.

"Two, two billion?" Liu Zhimin's eyes swept over the long string of zeros, she looked up at Pei Yongjun, then looked down to confirm, "What are you going to do?"

"Just consider it a fee for the information." Bae Young-joon casually tossed the checkbook onto the table next to him, which hit Kim Min-jung's little dog ear with a thud. "Didn't you say that information is now charged, 10 billion won?"

"I don't want your money." Liu Zhimin frowned, reaching out to throw the paper back to Pei Yongjun. "Are you crazy?"

Where did you get so much money all of a sudden?

Two billion may not be a large sum for Hanjiang Sports, but it is definitely not a small matter to come up with all at once.

“It’s alright, we have money. Woo Kyung-ho gave us a lot of money.” Bae Young-joon smiled.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Don't take his money, you'll regret it! Sooner or later you'll lose it all!" Liu Zhimin became agitated again, "You hurry..."

“You really need money, don’t you?” Bae Young-joon’s words made the excited Yoo Ji-min pause in shock.

"You didn't just say you wanted 10 billion, did you?"

"Jimin gave up her life as a rich heiress to become a hard-working trainee, running around Seoul in the middle of the night, secretly earning money for leaks."

“You really need the money, don’t you?” he said, his eyes burning with sincerity and warmth. “Here you go.”

“If that’s not enough, I have more. I’ll give you another two billion.” He grabbed his checkbook again.

"Are you crazy! I need money and this is how you treat me?" Liu Zhimin snatched the checkbook and threw it at his chest, looking like she wanted to beat him up. "Bae Yongjun! Do you even have a brain?"

"Not even a reason..."

“I’m willing.” Bae Young-joon smiled as he looked at Yoo Ji-min’s angry eyes.

Liu Zhimin froze on the spot.

"Zhimin, I like you, so I'm willing."

Is that reason enough?

"That's enough, can you trust me now?"

Bae Young-joon stepped forward, raised his hand, and wiped away the tears from Yoo Ji-min's eyes.

"Not enough, I don't believe you!" She bit her lower lip tightly with her white teeth.

"Then I believe you."

"why?"

“I’d like to.” Bae Young-joon smiled.

Looking at his smile, Liu Zhimin felt infatuated.

(End of this chapter)