The Uncrowned King of the Peninsula

Chapter 288 You don't want your boyfriend to lose his job, do you?
At the dining table, the tablecloth was snow-white, and the crystal glasses sparkled. Opposite her was Lee Ji-eun, wearing a simple long dress with a yellow background and white flowers. The braided hair on the side of her fair neck made her look pure and charming.

Bae Young-joon glanced down at the round-toed leather shoes that were barely visible on his calves, chuckled, and looked up at her, her delicate brows furrowed and her face filled with unwavering resolve.

A girl forced into a situation by unspoken rules, a powerful company president—tonight's game is going to be interesting.

"How's your condition? Want to give it a try?" He smiled gently, looking relaxed.

"How do we test it?" Lee Ji-eun's expression revealed a hint of wariness. "President Bae, you should show some respect."

"Let's try it here, it should work, right?" Bae Young-joon looked around.

"In a private room?" Lee Ji-eun's face was cold, seemingly disgusted by Bae Young-joon's actions. "Aren't you afraid of being discovered? President Bae, you'd better show some respect."

"Isn't it true that the soundproofing is very good? You're the one who told me that." Bae Young-joon looked at Lee Ji-eun with a relaxed expression.

He placed his right hand on the table, alternating between his index and middle fingers, and slowly moved his palm forward, over the cup and plate between the two of them, until his fingertips touched her fair fingertips.

It felt slightly cool.

The unique sense of immersion brings a special kind of stimulation; the light touch of the fingertips seems to break through some kind of boundary, making one unable to resist being distracted.

"Hmm? Isn't that right, Ji-eun?"

Lee Ji-eun didn't speak, but lowered her eyes and watched his broad palm slowly climb up her fair hand. She gently bit her lower lip, like a girl helplessly enduring.

Bae Yong-joon's fingers continued forward, climbing up her slender fingers to the back of her hand, and cupped her fair little hand in his palm.

The soft little hands seemed delicate and boneless, with a slightly fleshy feel. When the fingers and palms touched, a jolt of electricity was felt.

Lee Ji-eun trembled, glanced at him, and bit her lower lip even harder.

The reluctant look only made Bae Young-joon grip the ground even tighter.

uh~
Is this what they call the unspoken rules?
This is really bad, really, really bad.

As Bae Yong-joon condemned her, he played with her delicate little hands, a strange sense of excitement rising within him.

"Now, Ji-eun, how about we sing a song? The atmosphere should be a bit more relaxed, right?" He looked into Lee Ji-eun's big eyes.

“President Bae,” Lee Ji-eun shook her head, “Please let go. I won’t let you bully me like this.”

“Really? Ji-eun, you seem a little reluctant, but you’ll get used to it,” Bae Young-joon said.

"President Pei, let's show each other some respect." Lee Ji-eun lowered her head. "That's for the best."

"Isn't this a sign of respect for you..." Bae Yong-joon's voice trailed off, the small hand in his palm vanished in an instant, and the next second, his cheek felt icy cold.

Lee Ji-eun slowly placed the empty wine glass on the table.

She suddenly pulled her right hand out, grabbed the wine glass, and splashed the lemonade inside onto Bae Young-joon's face.

Cool water, carrying the scent of lemon, streamed down my cheeks.

“You’re very bold.” Bae Young-joon raised an eyebrow, finding the game increasingly interesting. He looked at Lee Ji-eun, whose eyes were wide open and who seemed completely unafraid, and laughed. “I don’t think you’re scared at all.”

“Why should I be afraid, President Pei? I don’t know what you did to scare my president, but you can’t scare me. I’m not afraid,” Lee Ji-eun said firmly.

"Jie-eun-ssi, don't you know what I do? If you anger me, the reporters will give you extra attention in the future," Bae Young-joon said softly.

“I’m not afraid. I haven’t done anything wrong. You can come with me.” Lee Ji-eun said without hesitation.

“Your agency contract still has three years left. Your company president has the final say on your activities during this period. Maybe I can get him to stop your activities, don’t you think?” Bae Young-joon escalated his threat.

“I don’t care. I’m not short of money anyway. Three years it is. My fans will wait for me.” Lee Ji-eun remained unyielding. “You’re very confident,” Bae Young-joon couldn’t help but purse his lips, as if looking at prey that had fallen into a net and was struggling for its life. “What if I could make one phone call and make sure you could never be on TV or appear on any shows again?”

Will your fans wait for you forever?

Bae Young-joon's hand slowly reached out to Lee Ji-eun's hand again.

Their fingertips touched, but she immediately pulled her hand away, giving Pei Yongjun no chance.

“Then I’ll retire and never be an entertainer again. I’m not afraid.” Lee Ji-eun stared at him, biting her lower lip tightly.

Bae Young-joon let out a long breath, looking at the unyielding Lee Ji-eun before him. Her pale yellow dress seemed to exude a sense of holiness, making him even more eager to conquer her.

The game has reached a critical moment. Should they concede and end it all, or continue and find the weakness that Lee Ji-eun has set for him?

He smiled and licked his lips.

What does a celebrity want if she doesn't want money, fame, or even fans?

Bae Young-joon's thread landed on the bracelet on Lee Ji-eun's slender wrist.

A delicate platinum chain, with a four-leaf clover pendant in the center of the wrist, and a teardrop-shaped ruby ​​set in the middle, sparkling under the lights of the private room.

This was a gift that he and Sulli bought for Lee Ji-eun last Christmas.

He blinked, looked up, and met Lee Ji-eun's gaze.

He got it.

“It seems,” Bae Young-joon said slowly, “that you’re not afraid of anything, Ji-eun, is that right?”

"That's right, you'd better not even think about threatening me." Lee Ji-eun snorted, her cold expression filled with wariness.

"And what about your boyfriend?" Bae Young-joon pointed to the platinum bracelet on her wrist. "Isn't he scared either?"

Lee Ji-eun froze, a hint of panic showing through her cold expression.

Bae Young-joon felt he had made the right move.

"Your boyfriend is a reporter, right? He works at my newspaper, just an ordinary entertainment reporter, right?" he said.

"How did you know about me and Young-joon oppa?" Lee Ji-eun bit her lower lip. "That's impossible."

Bae Young-joon burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Lee Ji-eun frowned.

“I’m the editor-in-chief, Zhi En. There are no secrets from the newspaper to me.” Bae Yong-joon shook his head slightly, as if he had everything under control. “I already knew.”

"What are you going to do?" Lee Ji-eun's expression softened, as if she cared a lot about this "Young-joon oppa".

"Oh, you care about him a lot. It seems you like him quite a bit." Bae Young-joon sighed, ready to break up the couple.

Does this count as hitting yourself?

He felt both strange and excited, and couldn't help but want to play this game to the very end.

"Ji-eun, you don't want your boyfriend to lose his job, do you?"

He smiled at Lee Ji-eun.

(End of this chapter)