The Uncrowned King of the Peninsula

Chapter 291 Shirley: Oppa! Unnie! What are you doing!
“Not all of them, just a part,” Bae Young-joon said.

"Even just a part is fine, really?" Lee Ji-eun ran over again, shaking his arm. "Tell me quickly, what should we do?"

"So friendly when it comes to money?" Bae Young-joon chuckled at her manner. "Little money-grubber."

"Oh, do you think it's easy for people to earn money? They work hard in all kinds of weather, just to earn a meager living, and then they still get all sorts of deductions," Li Zhi'en said pitifully.

"You're so pitiful, why don't you become my secretary? It'll be much easier," Bae Young-joon said.

"No way! You look like you have ulterior motives, boss." Lee Ji-eun snorted twice and patted his arm. "So what do I do?"

"Hanjiang Sports is about to undergo a redesign, and Kakao Entertainment will place some of its song and TV drama copyrights on Hanjiang Sports."

"I'll include some of yours in the deal later, and that'll be fine. Once we get the copyright out of Yu Qinghao's hands, things will be much easier."

"Will he give it to me? He's keeping a close eye on things." Lee Ji-eun wasn't sure if Bae Young-joon's method would work.

"The exclusive reporting rights are in my hands now, aren't they?" Bae Young-joon blinked. "He wouldn't want everything to go wrong, would he?"

"Wow, President Bae, you're amazing~" Lee Ji-eun hugged his neck and said seriously, "I declare that President Bae is my favorite person now!"

Snapped!
Bae Young-joon slapped her little bottom.

"Ouch~"

Lee Ji-eun giggled and then gave him a sweet kiss.

Their lips met, their eyes locked, and they kissed breathlessly, their feelings growing more ambiguous. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

"We'll serve the food later," Lee Ji-eun called out.

A crisp sound came from outside the door.

"Ji-eun unnie, is that you?"

It's Choi Sulli's voice.

Bae Young-joon and Lee Ji-eun locked eyes.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sulli's voice still echoed, and time seemed to stand still in the private room for a moment.

Before Bae Young-joon could react, Lee Ji-eun suddenly pounced on him, grabbed a dirty handkerchief from the table, and started frantically wiping his face.

"Ah, is that Shirley?" she said to the outside of the private room while frantically wiping her lipstick mark off Bae Young-joon's face.

"Yes, unnie, it's me. Is this a good time for you?" Choi Sulli's crisp voice was incredibly pleasant.

It really is Choi Sulli.

"Unnie? Is it inconvenient?" Choi Sulli asked again from outside the door, her voice tinged with doubt.

The two looked at each other.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Um, Editor-in-Chief, Unnie, you, you..." Choi Sulli, who was welcomed in by Lee Ji-eun, stared in disbelief at the scene before her.

Lee Ji-eun stood with her arms crossed, looking sullen, while Bae Young-joon stood opposite her, wine still dripping down his cheeks, looking surprised.

The two stood on opposite sides of the table, seemingly having just had a quarrel and parting on bad terms.

Bae Young-joon looked at Lee Ji-eun, who was puffing up in anger, his face cool and full of the aroma of white wine.

Just now, at the critical moment, seeing Choi Sulli standing right at the door, Lee Ji-eun grabbed a wine glass from the table and splashed it all over his face, saying that this was the only way to cover up the scent of Lee Ji-eun perfume on him.

That wicked woman, she's using herself as a shield again.

Isn't it a bit wrong for women to always get this all over their faces?
Bae Young-joon blinked and turned to look at Choi Sulli at the door.

"Sulli, um, I'm sorry," Bae Young-joon said, "There was a little accident between you and your Ji-eun unnie."

"An accident? You...you guys, please don't fight, okay?"

Choi Sulli looked at the two people in front of her and muttered to herself, feeling a headache coming on.

------

"...So, I treated everyone to dinner here, and then I saw Unnie's car outside, so I came over to ask her about it," Choi Sulli explained, explaining why she was there.

She sat between Bae Yong-joon and Lee Ji-eun, cautiously moving all the cups on the table far away, as if afraid the two would start fighting again.
"Oh, I see. You're really thoughtful to treat everyone to a meal." Bae Young-joon said to Choi Sulli while wiping his face with a handkerchief that still smelled of lemonade.

Sulli's variety show on KBS has been basically confirmed. The preliminary preparations have been completed, and the location for the store she plans to open has been selected. They just need to arrange the schedule before filming can begin.

She felt that everyone in the production team had worked very hard, so she wanted to treat them to a meal.

It just so happens that I had taken Lee Ji-eun to this restaurant many times before, and she really liked it. It was private, and the environment and food were great, so we chose this place. As a result, we saw Lee Ji-eun's car in the parking lot.

"Everyone worked very hard and took good care of me." Choi Sulli looked a little nervous. "I hope everything will be alright after the broadcast."

"It will be alright, don't worry." Bae Young-joon patted her head. "They will do their best."

Choi Sulli smiled affectionately at him, as if she had finally found her pillar of support, "That would be best."

"Thank you, Editor-in-Chief!"

"Still calling me that?" Bae Young-joon ruffled her hair.

"I...I just wanted to call him that." Choi Sulli looked at Lee Ji-eun, who was still sulking across the table for some reason. Her cheeks felt a little hot. She gently nudged him and moved her soft body closer to Bae Young-joon, her nose filled with the fragrance of a young girl.

"Stop talking now, unnie is still angry."

"What's wrong with you two? What are you doing?" Choi Sulli asked again, inquiring about what the two of them were doing.

She looked at Lee Ji-eun, "Unnie, what's wrong?"

"Let him talk!" Lee Ji-eun snorted, as if she had suffered a great injustice. "Ask him what good deeds he's done?!"

Choi Sulli then looked at Bae Young-joon.

I said?

what did I say?
Watching Lee Ji-eun so eager to shift the blame, Bae Young-joon raised an eyebrow.

“Editor-in-chief,” Choi Sulli couldn’t help but laugh, noticing the lingering wine on his raised eyebrows, “What is that~”

She reached out her fair fingers and wiped the dirt from between his brows, a playful smile on her snow-white cheeks. "Why are you acting like a child? Why are you angry with your unnie?"

"If Unnie makes you angry, I'll teach her a lesson for you!"

Choi Sulli patted her chest.

"Hey!" Lee Ji-eun's eyes widened. "Choi Sulli, whose side are you on?"

"Me, hehe," Choi Sulli glanced at Bae Young-joon a little shyly, stuck out her tongue, then looked at Lee Ji-eun and hugged her arm, "Of course I'm on your side, unnie~"

"But wasn't it you, Unnie, who splashed the water on them?"

Seeing Lee Ji-eun's hilarious expression, Bae Young-joon burst out laughing.

"Me?" Lee Ji-eun was speechless for a moment, and could only glare angrily at Bae Young-joon to tell him not to laugh at her.

"Ji-eun's president asked her to invite me to dinner," Bae Young-joon said after laughing for a while. "She was supposed to come with the intention of gathering information, but well..."

He shrugged, "We just didn't see eye to eye, so that's it." Bae Young-joon shifted all the blame back to Bae Young-joon.

"Huh? Unnie, you..." Choi Sulli quickly looked at Lee Ji-eun.

"I, I..." Lee Ji-eun didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Unnie, apologize to the editor-in-chief, okay?" Choi Sulli was a little worried that something unpleasant had really happened between the two of them, so she quickly advised her.

“…I’m sorry.” Lee Ji-eun had no choice but to apologize.

"It's alright, Ji-eun. For Shirley's sake, I won't hold it against you this time, but don't let it happen again," said Bae Young-joon magnanimously.

"Okay, okay." Lee Ji-eun secretly rolled her eyes at him, her eyes filled with a look that seemed to want to devour him.

"Alright, that's settled then. You two, stop arguing." Choi Sulli stood up like a mother and patted their heads. "Be good."

Lee Ji-eun glanced at her speechlessly.

Choi Sulli herself found it a bit funny and giggled.

"Do you have any clothes to change into?" She stopped laughing and sniffed the strong smell of alcohol on Bae Young-joon's collar. "Shall I go buy you another one?"

“No need, I have new ones in my trunk,” Bae Young-joon said.

"Then I'll go get it for you!" Choi Sulli took his car keys and ran out.

"Then you two, stop fooling around, okay? Wait for me to come back." She poked her head out of the doorway again, instructing the two of them, her fair face showing a serious expression.

Sulli left temporarily, and IU suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew, that scared me to death."

"Luckily, I'm quick-witted."

"Alright, alright, you go keep watch at the door, I'll take another look." She pushed Pei Yongjun to the door and immediately began looking around the private room again, destroying evidence and eliminating clues.

"Ji-eun, how come you're so experienced?" Bae Young-joon asked curiously, watching her busy figure.

"You practiced on your own, okay?"

Lee Ji-eun glared at Bae Young-joon, annoyed. "Come and help me wipe the floor."

Bae Young-joon smiled and went over to help.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Bae Young-joon took the shirt's packaging bag and was about to change when Choi Sulli suddenly stopped him.

"Um, Ji-eun unnie, I need to change my clothes..."

"Huh?" Lee Ji-eun, who was still nervously wondering if she might have given herself away, paused for a moment before realizing what was going on.

"Tch, what's so interesting about that?" She gave Pei Yongjun a subtle glare, signaling him to be careful, and then walked out, glancing back every few steps.

Bae Young-joon watched her leave, feeling as if there was another person in the room. He looked at Choi Sulli, who was still sitting there, and asked, "Aren't you going out?"

"I...I'll help you." Choi Sulli sat up straight, but there was a faint blush on her fair cheeks. It was unclear whether Bae Young-joon was injured or paralyzed, as he needed help changing his shirt.

Bae Young-joon didn't speak, but chuckled a few times.

"Change quickly, what are you laughing at?" Choi Sulli's cheeks turned even redder.

Bae Yong-joon didn't provoke her anymore. He unbuttoned his shirt, which had been wet twice, and used a handkerchief to wipe his body clean.

Bare upper bodies, muscular curves, the aroma of white wine—an ambiguous atmosphere gradually rises between the two silent figures.

She knelt with her knees together, staring at the tablecloth in front of her. Bae Yong-joon was standing next to her, and she could almost smell his masculine scent mixed with the smell of alcohol. Her fair cheeks flushed even more without her realizing it.

I just wanted to talk to Ji-eun unnie for a few minutes, how did it suddenly turn out like this?

But if I go out with Ji-eun unnie, wouldn't I be just like Ji-eun unnie?
We can't go out.

Choi Sulli stayed, but she felt uneasy.

"clothing."

Suddenly, she heard Bae Yong-joon's voice. She looked up and hummed in response, but then saw Bae Yong-joon's bare upper body and quickly looked down again.

"Give me the clothes, didn't you say you were going to help?" Bae Young-joon looked at Choi Sulli, whose face was flushed, and found it a little funny. "It's not like you haven't seen them before, why are you afraid to look?"

"Who wouldn't dare? I don't want to see it anyway." Choi Sulli, her thoughts exposed, quickly became stubborn and embarrassed. She reached for the shirt on the table, tore open the packaging, and handed it to Bae Young-joon.

I glanced at him again.

Firm and well-proportioned, with smooth muscle lines that are pleasing to the eye.

Then, she glanced at it again.

So lovely.

Choi Sulli felt a little embarrassed, but when she saw Bae Young-joon changing his clothes next to her, she couldn't help but secretly poke him while he was changing.

Well.

The sensation of muscle flashed across my fingertips.

It seemed to be the first time she had ever touched Bae Young-joon like this. She stuck out her tongue and quickly withdrew her hands, putting them behind her back.

"How's this outfit?" she asked, looking at Bae Young-joon who had changed into a shirt. "Does it fit? It looks pretty good."

The new shirt was naturally crisp and looked quite stylish on Bae Young-joon.

“It suits me well.” Bae Young-joon nodded, straightened his buttons, and glanced at Choi Sulli with a smile in his eyes. “I just wonder who keeps touching me.”

"Really? Who is it?" Choi Sulli glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

"What do you think?" Pei Yongjun leaned closer to her face, looking at her delicate features, her fair skin flushed with a blush, shy yet alluring.

"I bumped into it by accident." Choi Sulli looked at him with her big, watery eyes.

"What if I accidentally hurt myself?" Bae Young-joon raised his hand, placed it on the back of her hand, slid it over her slender wrist, and moved it up her smooth arm, making her tremble.

"Do whatever you want, I can't control you anyway." Choi Sulli's face was flushed, and she gently bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth.

"Then I'll be more casual," Bae Young-joon said softly, putting his right arm around her fair neck and pulling her into his embrace. Their eyes met, and he leaned down to kiss Choi Sulli's thin red lips.

Soft, cool, with a sweet, youthful flutter in its mouth.

Bae Yong-joon couldn't resist asking for more, kissing Choi Sulli until she was breathless. She unconsciously stretched out her fair arms to wrap around his neck, and the atmosphere in the private room was both hot and hazy.

“Oppa, I miss you so much…” Choi Sulli murmured, her emotions touching. Bae Young-joon’s right hand couldn’t help but slide down and slip into her collar.

Soft and smooth, with indescribable tenderness, her slightly cool skin felt like the finest satin gliding across his palm, gradually warming up as he held her, making Choi Sulli feel weak and limp as she leaned against him.

"Oppa..." she called out a name she wouldn't normally use, responding with abandon.

Suddenly, a click came from the door lock. "It's changed..."

Lee Ji-eun stared blankly at the two locked in a passionate kiss, then slammed the door shut.

Choi Sulli stuck out her tongue.

(End of this chapter)