Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 128 Taeyeon VS Yoona (6K)

At this moment, Taeyeon noticed Kang Cheol sitting on the carpet, quietly looking at his phone with an unusually calm expression. Worried that Kang Cheol might not be able to handle the negative comments, she asked him with concern:

"Jiang Che, are you alright?"

Upon hearing this, Sunny and Yoona immediately looked up from their phone screens and at Jiang Che, their faces filled with worry. Sunny added:
"Jiang Che? You weren't scared out of your wits by the negative comments, were you?!"

Yoona quickly added:

"Why don't you stop reading those nonsensical comments? Those people don't understand anything at all!"

Hearing their words, Jiang Che seemed to snap out of his daze. He looked up at the three pretty faces filled with concern, felt a warmth in his heart, smiled, and shook his head, saying:
"It's not a matter of negative comments. Think about it, I'm the kind of person who can come up with the theory of true love between Lee Seung-ji and Byun Baek-hyun. Why would I be afraid of these things?"

"Then why did you look like your soul had left your body just now?" Taeyeon asked, puzzled.

Jiang Che's smile faded slightly, and his tone became somewhat serious:
"I was a little worried that Sulli wouldn't be able to handle seeing all this. I originally invited her on the show to help her relax and show her best side, but I didn't expect that even she would get attacked by haters!"

Upon hearing Jiang Che's words, the others also showed the same worry on their faces.

The atmosphere in the living room became somewhat somber for a moment.

Jiang Che stared at the beautiful image of him and Shirley making a pinky promise in the sunset frozen on the TV screen, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly turned to Yoona and said:
"Yoona, can I borrow your phone for a moment?"

Although Yoona was a little confused, she still unlocked her phone and handed it over without hesitation:

"Here, what do you want to do with it?"

Jiang Che took the phone, didn't explain much, and quickly started operating it.

Taeyeon and Sunny also curiously came over, wanting to see what Kang Cheol was going to do.

Jiang Che opened KakaoTalk and found his chat window with Shirley. After a moment's thought, he typed and sent:
[Sulli, did you watch the show? Don't take those messy comments to heart, okay? Look, there are many more people who like and support us speaking up for us.]

After the message was sent, all four pairs of eyes were glued to the screen, waiting for a reply.

Shortly after, Shirley's reply appeared:

[Hey unnie! I'm okay, don't worry. Unnie looked so cool protecting me! Thank you so much for taking me out. I had so much fun watching the show today! [bunny spinning.jpg]]

She replied quickly, her tone light and cheerful, and even added cute emojis, as if she wasn't affected by the negative comments at all.

"Sherry seems alright!" Sunny breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing this and tried to lighten the mood.

But Jiang Che's brows didn't relax. He stared at the line of text and the emoji, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He then shook his head and typed rapidly as he spoke:

"I'm still a little worried." Then she sent another message:
Is it convenient to video chat now?

After sending the message, he immediately looked up and made a "shh" gesture to the other three, lowering his voice:
"I think Shirley might want to make a video call. You guys keep quiet."

The three of them instantly understood that they were going to conduct a surprise inspection of Shirley's true condition. They nodded in unison and made a zipping motion with their hands near their mouths.

A moment later, Shirley's video call request popped up.

Jiang Che took a deep breath and focused his mind—the next second, he transformed into Yoona. He quickly tidied his hair and expression and pressed the answer button.

The screen lit up, the light on the other end was dim, with only a small bedside lamp casting a yellowish glow. Shirley's face appeared in the frame, wearing pajamas and leaning against the pillow.
Her hair was loose, and her bare face appeared somewhat pale in the dim light, but the corners of her mouth were curved in a smile.

"Unnie?" Shirley's voice came through the receiver, soft and slightly nasal, as if she was about to fall asleep.

"Hmm, Shirley, are you going to sleep?" Jiang Che asked softly, carefully examining the girl on the screen. Shirley's eyes were curved, and she had a smile on her lips. She seemed to be in pretty good shape.

"Yes, I'm about to go to sleep. I just lay down a little while ago. Is there something wrong with the video call, Unnie?" Shirley rubbed her eyes and said casually.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I told you that PD Na praised you to me, and a lot of people online like us too," Jiang Che tried to keep his tone light.

"Oh, really?" Shirley laughed, revealing her adorable gums.
"I thought there would only be bad reviews! Just now... I was worried that I might have caused trouble for you, unnie." As she said this, there was a hint of apology in her tone.

"Don't worry about trouble, the most important thing is that you're alright." Seeing that her emotions seemed relatively stable, Jiang Che felt a little relieved, but still didn't forget to remind her:

"Remember our promise, okay? Don't forget, there are still people you can come visit me, you know?"

Shirley nodded vigorously, a brighter smile spreading across her face:
"Yes! Arasso, it's a promise! Don't worry, unnie! I remember! And thank you, unnie... really."

After chatting for a few more minutes and confirming that Shirley sounded cheerful and seemed to be unaffected, Jiang Che hung up the video call.

"How is she? Is Sulli alright?" Taeyeon asked anxiously, and Yoona and Sunny also looked at her with concern.

"It looks... alright, I guess." Jiang Che rubbed his temples.

"He speaks normally, but there's just something indescribable about him... something just feels off."

Seeing that the three girls still looked worried, he paused and added:
"Anyway, keep an eye on her from now on."

"Okay, we got it." The three nodded.

Meanwhile, at Shirley's apartment.

After the video call ended, the forced smile on Shirley's face vanished instantly, and the room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the faint sound of traffic outside the window.

Instead of going to sleep as she had told Jiang Che, she mechanically unlocked her phone screen with her fingers—the wallpaper was the beautiful screenshot from the show's final scene, showing her and Jiang Che making a pinky promise on the Great Wall at sunset.

The scene was as beautiful as a fairy tale illustration. She stared at it for a long, long time, a hint of warmth flashing in her eyes, but more than that, a sense of bewilderment.

Then, she swiped her finger and clicked on the topic about her and Jiang Che. Her fingers trembled, but she was unusually persistent in refreshing the comments about tonight's program.

Those vicious comments were like poisoned daggers, precisely stabbing her most vulnerable spot.

Her eyes, initially filled with pain, gradually grew numb. Tears silently slid down her cheeks, one drop, then two, landing on the cold phone screen.
As the grotesque text blurred, a soft notification sounded – a new message had arrived.

Shirley raised her tear-blurred eyes, hesitated for a moment, and this time, she did not choose to delete it immediately as she usually did. She just stared at it blankly, her thoughts drifting away.

In the following days, a new wave of hot topics and gossip quickly attracted the attention of onlookers, and the online world finally returned to a superficial calm.

During this period, Jiang Che also used Yoona's phone to contact Sulli several times. Judging from her replies, her emotions seemed relatively stable.

He had originally planned to ask Sulli out, but Yoona's schedule was too packed, and he simply couldn't find the time, so he had to give up for the time being. Therefore, the remaining time...
He basically stayed in his apartment, focusing on being a top-tier game booster, diligently helping Sunny's "YYDS" game account climb the ranks.

"Damn it! Is this teammate a bot?" Jiang Che stared at the screen, gritting his teeth, as the word "Failure" popped up.

Just then, the phone that was lying next to me beeped and the screen lit up. It was a message from Taeyeon via KaKaoTalk.

Jiang Che picked up the phone and saw that Taeyeon's message was very simple:
[Kang Cheol, I'm going to New Zealand to film a music video!]

He raised an eyebrow and replied quickly with his fingers flying across the keyboard:
Wow! Congratulations, singer Kim! Is this the first step towards becoming a legend? From now on, the music industry has gained another top figure, and your solo brilliance will illuminate the Southern Hemisphere!

On the other end of the phone, Taeyeon couldn't help but burst out laughing when she saw the exaggerated reply, and quickly typed:

Don't talk nonsense! What godhood or anything... But do you remember our promise?

A promise? Jiang Che immediately remembered his earlier promise to "watch the stars together." His heart skipped a beat.
No way? This is going to be fulfilled now?

He carefully considered his reply: "Of course I remember, the starry sky over Lake Tekapo."

Taeyeon: Okay! You can come with me.

Sure enough! Jiang Che scratched his head. This was a bit difficult. His original self was an undocumented person and didn't even have a passport. It seemed like he could only become Yoona again? Or... becoming Sunny this time would also work?

He considered the agreement and replied:

"Sure, but I need to check with Yoona first to see if she has any plans. If she doesn't, I could disguise myself as her and go with you, or maybe I could disguise myself as Sunny?"

After sending the message, Jiang Che waited for a reply while pondering how to bring it up with Yoon-ah—after all, it was hard to say whether she would agree.

Unexpectedly, Taeyeon's reply stunned him on the spot:
No need to ask Yoona, I've already spoken to her.

Jiang Che: "???"

Wow, this woman's pretty shrewd at acting first and informing later! It turns out she had everything planned beforehand and only then notified him.

He couldn't help but wonder:

[You've already told Yoona? What did you say? What was her reaction? Did she just agree like that?]

Meanwhile, as Kang Cheol asked his question, Taeyeon's memory was pulled back to a scene from not long ago—outside the SM Entertainment practice room, Yoona had just returned to the company after finishing a schedule.
Just as I was about to go find the other members, she grabbed my wrist.

"Huh? Unnie? Where are we going?" Yoona was pulled so hard she stumbled, looking at the team leader who was walking quickly ahead of her with a blank expression.

Taeyeon didn't turn her head, and said in a low voice:

"I have something to tell you."

Then she pulled Yoona to an empty room at the end of the corridor. She deftly opened the door, pushed her in, slipped inside, and then locked the door with a click.

Yoona looked at Taeyeon, whose expression was serious but whose eyes were unusually bright, and felt a little apprehensive.

"Unnie... what's wrong? What happened?"

Taeyeon took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and said in a calm but firm tone: "Yoona, I'm going to New Zealand to film the music video for 'I' this time, and I plan to have Kang Cheol come with me."

These words struck Yoona like a thunderbolt. The two of them were going to New Zealand? A wave of mixed emotions—jealousy, unease, and bitterness—rushed up instantly.
The smile on her face froze instantly, and her eyes turned cold.

I couldn't help but say:

"Unnie, why are you asking Jiang Che to go to work? Besides, would Jiang Che even want to go?"

Taeyeon remembered her promise to Kang Cheol and nodded gently:
"He should be willing; we have an agreement."

"Agreement? What agreement?"

I can't tell you that.

Yoona pursed her lips and didn't press the matter further. Instead, as if she had found a plausible excuse, her tone became urgent:

"Unnie, have you forgotten? Jiang Che is an undocumented immigrant... he doesn't even have a passport, how is he going to go?"

Taeyeon looked at her quietly without saying a word, but her eyes clearly said: You know the way.

Yoona instantly understood her gaze, a surge of anger rose within her, and her voice suddenly rose as she blurted out:

"no!"

Taeyeon seemed to have anticipated this reaction, and her tone remained calm:

"Yoona, I know you're in a difficult position, but even if you don't let him transform into your appearance, I can make him transform into Sunny's appearance. You can't stop him."

She was stating a fact—Kang Cheol's transformation ability meant that, if he wanted to, Yoona couldn't fundamentally stop him.

Yoona fell into a brief silence. She narrowed her doe-like eyes slightly, scrutinizing Taeyeon with a sharp gaze, as if she were truly seeing her longtime leader for the first time. After a long pause, she finally spoke, her tone eerily calm:
"So, you're informing me now, instead of consulting with me, is that it?"

Faced with the sudden release of pressure from Yoona, Taeyeon not only did not back down, but instead unleashed her full charisma:

"Yoona, I don't know what you're really thinking right now, but I've made up my mind—unless Kang Cheol chooses to leave me on his own, I will never let go."

She paused, her gaze meeting Yoona's icy stare without flinching, and said, word by word:

"So, whether you're here or not, I can't back out. If you're here, I can accept it; if you're not, I can accept it even more."

These almost declarative words infuriated Yoona, who let out a short, cold laugh:

"Heh... Kim Tae-yeon, of course you can accept it, but have you forgotten who took him in when he inexplicably appeared in this world like a ghost and was homeless?"

That vague promise of forever you speak of was built upon my tacit consent and all the risks I took! Without me, Lim Yoona, you wouldn't even have had the chance to begin with him!

Yoona became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger and grievance:
"In other words, when you foolishly treated him as some kind of alternate personality in the beginning, if it weren't for my consent at the time, do you think you could still be standing here now, confidently telling me about forever and never leaving?"

Taeyeon was taken aback by Yoona's barrage of questions, especially the phrase "Kim Taeyeon" with her full name, which stung her heart, and she instinctively retorted:

"Hey! You're not even calling me 'unnie' anymore? If I had been in his situation first, I could have...!"

But halfway through her sentence, her tone softened, and she said helplessly:
"Yoona, I didn't mean to take anything from you, nor did I want to deny your contributions. I just... can't give up. You're right, without you, I might not have all of this now."

But the reality is, the three of us are now inevitably entangled. What's the point of saying "what ifs" now?

"Entangled together?" Yoona's fingers tightened suddenly, her knuckles turning white, her eyes churning with mockery and pain.
"Do you think our current relationship would be acceptable in a normal society? Three wives and four concubines? Do you think this is ancient times? Kim Tae-yeon, have you really calmed down and seriously thought about our future?!"

Taeyeon's eyes were slightly red, and she stubbornly raised her head, her voice trembling slightly:
"The future? I don't know what you mean by the future. I only know that the future is uncertain, and I only know that if I choose to quit now, I will regret it terribly later!"
I don't care what the future holds; I only know that I want to live in the present and hold onto the people I know I want right now!

Seeing Taeyeon's reddened eyes and her reckless demeanor, Yoona's previously fierce aura seemed to have been punctured. She knew that the person in front of her was determined, and any further arguments or attempts to stop her would be futile.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the two of them breathing rapidly. She understood Taeyeon's feelings all too well, but she was just more inclined to think more and worry more.

Finally, Yoona slowly loosened her clenched fist, leaving several deep crescent-shaped marks on her palm. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if trying to release the pent-up emotions in her chest. When she spoke again, her tone was much gentler:

"Okay, you can go."

Taeyeon's eyes lit up with surprise, and she was about to speak.

Yoona raised her hand to interrupt her and continued:
"However, there are two conditions: First, while in New Zealand, you... should be mindful of boundaries and not overstep them; second..."

She took another deep breath, as if she had made a great decision:

"After we return from New Zealand, the three of us must sit down and have a serious talk about the future. We can't let things continue like this in a daze."

Taeyeon understood that this was the best outcome she could achieve while maintaining good relations with her teammates. She nodded solemnly, a relieved smile even appearing on her face.

"Thank you, Yoona, I promise you."

Yoona gave a barely audible "hmm," and Taeyeon, seeing this, stepped forward and gently patted her arm, her tone becoming more relaxed.

"Alright, I won't hold it against you for not calling me 'Unnie' this time." With that, she turned and left.

Yoona was left standing alone, staring at the closed door, her lips twitching slightly.

The memory replay ended. Taeyeon looked at Kang Cheol's anxious questions on her phone, smiled, and replied:

[That's what we agreed on. Don't worry about the details. Yoona agreed, and we'll talk about the rest when we get back from New Zealand. Let's just have fun first! Happy.jpg]

In the apartment, Jiang Che looked at Taeyeon's reply and felt completely confused. Yoona had just agreed so easily? But Taeyeon clearly didn't want to say more, and he wouldn't get any more information from her if he asked.

He scratched his head, and could only reply with one word:

【内】

After sending the word "inside," Jiang Che sat in his chair, increasingly uneasy. His curiosity piqued, he sent Yoon-ah a message:

[Um...you really agreed to let me go to New Zealand with Taeyeon?]

The message was sent out, but it disappeared without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

Jiang Che could only wait patiently until evening, when he heard the sound of a key turning at the door—Yoona returned exhausted. She bent down to change her shoes, her long hair falling down and obscuring her face.

Jiang Che sat on the sofa, looked up and asked:
"You're back? About... New Zealand..."

After Yoona changed her shoes, she slowly straightened up. She didn't answer immediately, but instead gave Jiang Che a deep look. Her complex expression made his heart pound.

As she walked towards the living room, she asked in a calm tone:

"Do you and Taeyeon unnie have some kind of agreement?"

Jiang Che observed her expression and replied:
"Ah, yes, there was an agreement..."

"What was the agreement about? When was it made?"

Jiang Che considered it for a moment and gave a vague answer:
"Well... when we were chatting online before, she wasn't in a good mood... I promised to take her out for a walk to cheer her up if I had the chance."

Yoona was silent for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, her tone revealing no emotion:

"Is the song you promised me finished yet?"

"Huh? A song?" Jiang Che was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant.

"Oh! It's finished! It's been finished for a while! I'll take it to you!"

He ran back to his room, pulled out the sheet music and lyrics he had prepared long ago, and ran back to present them to Yoona like a precious treasure.

"Look!"

Yoona took the paper, sat down on the sofa, and, under the warm light of the living room, began to read it carefully. Her fingers lightly traced the lyrics, her face expressionless, and she remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Che stood to the side, the air so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat, inwardly groaning: 'This atmosphere is like a primary school student waiting for the teacher to grade their test!'

Just as he was about to speak, Yoona finally looked up, her voice devoid of emotion: "Why didn't you give it to me sooner?"

She paused, then looked at him sharply:
"You...did you just rush to write this today?"

Jiang Che quickly explained:

"I wrote it a long time ago. I originally wanted to keep it, either to surprise you on a special day, or... to use as a get-out-of-jail-free card if I ever made you angry."

Yoona listened to his explanation, her gaze returning to the lyrics. She looked at them for a long while before letting out a soft breath, as if she had made a decision:
"You and Taeyeon unnie... go have some fun first."

Jiang Che felt relieved, but Yoona's next words made him anxious again: "When we get back from New Zealand, the three of us must sit down and have a good talk."

"Talk? Talk about what?" Jiang Che looked bewildered.

Yoona waved her hand, looking somewhat tired.

"Let's talk about the three of us... this inexplicable situation we're in now. Never mind, we'll discuss the details when we get back. Okay, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. You should get some rest too."

After saying that, she stood up, took the sheet music, walked straight back to her room, and closed the door.

(End of this chapter)