Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 137 Sunny Unnie (6K 1128)

Yoona paused slightly, remembering that Jiang Che had promised Sulli that she could visit him often while in China. After a moment's hesitation, she replied:

Okay, let's meet at our company this afternoon.

After replying, she looked at the screen, her eyes flickered, and she made up her mind:
'I won't tell that guy about this for now.'

Seeing that Yoona hadn't said anything more, Sunny looked up and saw Yoona staring blankly at her phone. She was about to look down and continue playing on her phone when...
But then he caught sight of Pani yawning not far away, and his eyes lit up with a sly smile.

She put away her phone, moved closer to Pani, nudged her with her shoulder, and whispered with a hint of schadenfreude:

"Oh no, Pani, you're doomed."

Tiffany had just finished yawning when Sunny's abrupt remark left her completely bewildered:

"??? What happened to me?"

"What else? Did you ask Taeyeon to go drinking yesterday, and since she didn't go, you secretly went by yourself?"

“Yes,” Pani admitted honestly, then asked curiously:
"how do you know?"

“I stayed with Taeyeon yesterday,” Sunny explained.
"She later became worried about your safety and tried calling you, but you didn't answer. She even went to look for you, but it was too late."

Just you wait, I bet Taeyeon will find a chance to pamper you these next couple of days!

Sunny imagined that Tiffany should immediately look terrified upon hearing this, and then grab her arm for advice.

Kopani did grab her arm, but what she said completely surprised her:
"What?! Why are you two living together without me?!"

“…” Sunny was completely taken aback by this bizarre thought process and was speechless for a moment.

Looking into Pani's eyes, which seemed to say "You're isolating me," she internally screamed:
"Hey! Is that the point? Isn't the point that you're going to get beaten up by Taeyeon? And, take you along? Why take you along? So you can experience what it feels like to be seen and touched all over?"

Of course, Sunny couldn't say these words aloud. She took a deep breath, forcibly swallowed the retort that was about to come out, and forced an incredibly kind smile onto her face:

"You want to come? Sure, I'll definitely invite you next time. Just be prepared to be double-teamed by Yoona and Taeyeon, and I'll absolutely welcome you!"

Pani was even more confused, as if even more question marks were popping up above her head:
"Huh? What does this have to do with Yoona? Sunny, what are you talking about?"

Seeing Tiffany's completely clueless and adorable expression, Sunny finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. Just remember to be careful of Taeyeon lately."

Although Pani didn't quite understand, seeing Sunny laughing so happily, she assumed Sunny was joking with her, and immediately became indignant, playfully pouncing on Sunny to tickle her:

"Hey! Lee Soon-kyu! You tricked me!"

"Hahaha...no...I'm serious...ouch, stop tickling me..."

The two immediately burst into laughter and playful banter in the corner of the practice room.

Meanwhile, Taeyeon wandered around the corridor for ages, figuring out how to get through the day. Finding her manager was just an excuse to appease Sunny.

But she couldn't just keep pacing in the hallway—several people had already greeted her in that short time. After much hesitation, she finally mustered the courage to knock on her agent's office door.

"Please come in."

"Oppa, I'm here." Taeyeon pushed open the door and entered, trying her best to put on a natural expression.

The agent looked up from the documents and was somewhat surprised to see her.

"Taeyeon? What brings you here? Is something the matter?"

"Ah... well... about my solo album, I'd like to know more about the follow-up arrangements."

Taeyeon pretended to be calm and sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

Although the agent found it strange—why was he asking about something that had already been discussed—he patiently explained:
"The album production is basically complete, and we'll proceed with the release and promotion as planned. You'll need to cooperate with the promotion, and you'll definitely be performing on music shows, which may be quite tiring, so be prepared."

He paused, noticing Taeyeon's somewhat distracted expression, and his tone became more forceful, filled with obvious expectation:
"Taeyeon, I'm not exaggerating, but I have a feeling this title track will be a huge hit! Seriously, the melody, the lyrics, and your performance are all perfect!"

"Yes, thank you, Oppa, I will try my best." Taeyeon nodded obediently.

The agent seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, somewhat puzzled:

"But Taeyeon, I still don't understand why you insist on not revealing that you wrote and composed the lyrics yourself? Why do you have to use a stage name like C?"

If you announce to the public that this is a song you, Kim Tae-yeon, wrote yourself, the buzz and attention will definitely be higher, which will greatly help album sales.

Upon hearing this, Taeyeon's gaze flickered for a moment, then she firmly shook her head:

"No need, Oppa, just use the name C. I think... it's fine this way."

Seeing her resolute attitude, the agent stopped pressuring her.
"Okay, I respect your decision. Oh, and one more thing, the copyright revenue sharing for the songs and the album's sales figures will be transferred to you together."

"But why wasn't the money deposited directly into your salary account? When I looked at the contract later, I thought the bank card number was wrong, and I was shocked."

Mentioning this, a warm smile unconsciously appeared on Taeyeon's face:

"Yes, that's... the card for my family's allowance. Just transfer the money there."

She added in her mind, 'Hmm... calling them family isn't wrong.'

"Alright, it's your decision." The manager smiled helplessly and continued working on her tasks. After waiting a while, seeing that Taeyeon was still lingering, she casually asked:
"Taeyeon, is there anything else?"

"Ah! That's all, that's all!" Taeyeon quickly waved her hand:
"Then I'll be going now, Oppa!"

After saying that, she left the agent's office. Standing in the corridor, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Should she go back now? But if she goes back, she'll have to face Yoona... and she's really not mentally prepared for that.

"Sigh..." Taeyeon scratched her head in frustration, finally making a decision: 'Forget it, I'll just go find a teacher to practice my vocals.'

Time slipped away quietly into the afternoon thanks to Taeyeon's "ostrich tactic".

Yoona checked the time and said to Sunny:

"Unnie, I have to go now."

Before Sunny could respond, Yoona had already picked up her bag and left. Sunny looked bewildered, so what was the point of Yoona coming to tell her?
Yoona and Sulli met at the company as agreed. As soon as Sulli saw Yoona, a bright smile immediately lit up her face, and she ran over to affectionately take her arm.
"Unnie! What are we eating?"

Looking at Sulli's carefree smile, and remembering the unpleasant things she had experienced the previous night, Yoona returned a gentle smile.

"You can eat whatever you want."

"Hmm... I don't know either, unnie decides! I'm fine with anything!"

Sulli looked obedient, completely letting her unnie make the decisions.

The two eventually chose a quiet restaurant with good privacy. After sitting down and ordering, Sulli chattered on about the interesting things that had happened to her recently, while Yoona listened patiently, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

But as they chatted, Sulli keenly noticed that Yoona seemed a little different from when they were in Beijing.

She couldn't quite put her finger on the difference, it was just a feeling—in BJ, Unnie seemed more outgoing? But the Unnie in front of her, while as gentle and beautiful as ever, always seemed to be separated by something.

The question from last night resurfaced in her mind. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to ask it directly:
"Unnie, do you know an oppa named Kang Cheol? He's Sunny unnie's distant cousin."

"Huh?" Yoona paused, the food she was about to put in her mouth. She looked up, wondering if she had misheard, and repeated incredulously:

"Whose cousin are you talking about?"

“He’s Sunny unnie’s cousin, his name is Kang Cheol.” Sulli repeated earnestly:
"It's said that she's from overseas and is temporarily staying at Sunny's house."

Yoona's lips twitched slightly, and countless question marks flashed through her mind in an instant:

'Sunny's cousin? From overseas? What's Jiang Che up to now?! Are these two doing some weird cosplay?!'

She suppressed the turmoil within her, striving to maintain a calm expression, and casually asked:
"Oh... really? But why did you come up with the idea of ​​asking me if I know him?"

Shirley confessed honestly:

“It was Taeyeon unnie who said it. She said you and Kang Cheol oppa have a very good relationship, the kind of very good relationship.”

Upon hearing that it was Taeyeon who said it, Yoona's expression froze. In her mind, she had already cursed that short, rambling man and that bastard who made up a false identity a thousand times over.

She chuckled dryly, picked up her water glass, took a sip, and tried to hide her awkward expression.

"Ah... and Jiang Che-xi, our relationship... well, it's alright."

Then, as if just realizing something, she asked in return:
"But Shirley, why are you suddenly asking about him? Did something happen?"

Shirley frowned slightly, a hint of confusion on her face:
"It's just that... Kang Cheol oppa gives off a very familiar feeling, like someone I've known for a long time. But I'm also very sure that I've never met him before."

She paused, then added, "Besides, I plan to learn how to fight from him, so I want to know more about what kind of person he is, since I'm learning something from him."

"Huh? Learn to fight?!" Yoona's first reaction was exactly the same as Taeyeon's and Sunny's at the breakfast table that morning. But then she thought about Sunny's description of the bar incident last night, and she could understand Sulli's desire to learn something to protect herself.

But then, her mind started to go blank—she hadn't sorted things out with Taeyeon and Kang Cheol yet, and now Sulli was going to be added to the mix?

She looked into Shirley's bright, sparkling eyes, felt a pang of helplessness, and carefully chose her words:

"Shirley, that Jiang Chexi... is just an ordinary person, with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth... just like everyone else, nothing special. But his character is fine. You just need to focus on learning to fight, you don't need to know too much about anything else."

She abruptly changed the subject as soon as she finished speaking:
"By the way, no matter what happens in the future, you must tell Unnie immediately, and don't go to the bar by yourself again."

Looking at Yoona's unnatural expression and her attempt to cover up her misunderstanding, a bold guess instantly popped into Sulli's mind: Could it be... that Kang Cheol oppa is Yoona unnie's ex-boyfriend?!
Once this thought took hold, everything seemed to make sense. Only in this way could one explain why Taeyeon unnie said their relationship was very good, while Yoona unnie said their relationship was okay, and why they had such obvious reluctance to talk about it and such an evasive reaction.

Furthermore, Sunny unnie is Yoona unnie's teammate, and her cousin knew Yoona unnie and developed a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, which makes perfect sense logically!
She then recalled how, last night, Taeyeon unnie had tenderly and fondly recounted all of Kang Cheol oppa's good qualities in the darkness.
In the end, she even confessed that she liked him... So, now Taeyeon unnie has fallen for Yoona unnie's ex-boyfriend?!

"Hiss—" Shirley gasped instinctively, feeling a bit dizzy.
'No wonder...no wonder Taeyeon unnie said last night that it was "adult stuff, and I shouldn't meddle..." So the adult world of relationships is this complicated?'

Does Yoona know that Taeyeon likes her ex-boyfriend?
Thinking of this, when she looked at Yoona again, her eyes couldn't help but show a complex sense of sympathy and a hint of indescribable emotion.

When Yoona saw that Sulli not only didn't answer her question but was also looking at her with a strange expression, she felt uncomfortable all over. She couldn't help but touch her face and asked in confusion:

"Shirley, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

"Oh no! It's nothing! It's nothing!" Shirley immediately shook her head vigorously, saying quickly:

"Arasso, Arasso, be sure to tell Unnie if anything happens in the future."

Yoona glanced at her suspiciously, feeling that the girl wasn't up to anything, but since Shirley wouldn't say, she didn't press her for details.

Thus, the meal ended in a subtle and strange atmosphere. Yoona received a whole host of strange looks and inner monologues from Sulli, while Sulli felt that she had even more questions than before the meal.

Meanwhile, Sunny dragged her slightly tired steps back to her apartment. As soon as she opened the door, an enticing aroma of food wafted out.

She sniffed and focused her gaze precisely on the dining table—several tempting home-style dishes were already laid out on it.

"You're back?" Jiang Che came out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of rice and greeted Sunny naturally when he saw her.
"Wash your hands and eat."

As Sunny watched this scene, she couldn't help but sigh again in her heart:
'The other 107 uses are yet to be explored, but at least in the skill of cooking, he's absolutely at max level. Isn't he just a perfect fairy godmother?'

Just for the sake of temporarily tolerating him taking a verbal advantage... it doesn't seem entirely unacceptable?

She had just put down her bag, washed her hands, and sat down at the dining table. Before she could even touch the food with her chopsticks, the doorbell rang.

Sunny frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over her. She put down her chopsticks, shuffled to the door in her slippers, and peered through the peephole—sure enough, there stood that familiar little figure outside.

She silently opened the door, crossed her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and spoke with undisguised disdain:
"Hey! Kim Tae-yeon! What brings you here again?"

Taeyeon, however, seemed not to hear her disdain, and squeezed past her with complete ease, bending down to change her shoes while saying matter-of-factly:

"I'm here to eat."

After changing her shoes, she straightened up and patted Sunny on the shoulder, adding:

"Don't worry, I'm not here to see you."

Sunny watched Taeyeon's smooth and effortless takeover, and was so angry she almost choked. She reached out to slap the back of the head of this increasingly presumptuous woman.
"I don't care who you're looking for! But isn't this my house?! How can you act like you're at home?!"

Taeyeon completely ignored her, her attention now entirely drawn to the delicious-looking dishes on the table. Like a little hamster finding its way home by the aroma, she headed straight for the table.

Wow, it smells so good!

Sunny watched her retreating figure, her back teeth itching with anger. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and unleashed her trump card:

"Okay, you can eat, but you need to go home right after you finish! Don't even think about staying here again today. Yesterday was an exception! If you do it again today, I'll tell Yoona!"

She put her hands on her hips, trying to make herself look more intimidating:
"I let Jiang Che stay at my house so that you two could calm down, not to make things convenient for you, you know that?"

Upon hearing this, Taeyeon paused in her steps toward the dining table. She then turned her head and reluctantly nodded.

"Arasso, arasso... Can we go back after we finish eating?"

Seeing that the suppression was effective, Sunny gave a satisfied hum and then allowed Taeyeon to officially join the dinner party.

The three sat around the table eating, and the atmosphere was relatively harmonious for the time being. Jiang Che looked at Taeyeon across from him, who was engrossed in her meal, her cheeks bulging, and then glanced at Sunny next to him, whose chopsticks hadn't stopped moving either.

I felt a little amused, yet also inexplicably warm. This harmonious scene truly felt like a family gathering—if Yoona were here too, it would be perfect.

Sunny ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then remembered the important matter and looked up to ask Jiang Che:

"By the way, how's the game going? Did you reach the King rank yet?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che's face immediately showed an expression of utter despair:
"Don't ask anymore. I'm currently fluctuating around the Grandmaster rank, and it's giving me the creeps. I feel like my soul has been knocked out by my teammates and opponents."

He paused and changed the subject:
"But for a girl to reach this rank is already very strong, the stream should be quite entertaining. Why don't you keep streaming for now? I might need to rest and recharge."

Sunny nodded thoughtfully after hearing this, and replied vaguely:

"Oh, I see."

However, she was calculating something else entirely: 'A Master rank account should be enough for now. This guy has so many uses; we can't really let him play games 24/7, that would be a real waste.'

Instead of letting him play games, perhaps we should let him... well, we need to figure out how to best utilize this older cousin.

At this moment, Taeyeon, who had been eating quietly, suddenly looked up at Kang Cheol, her eyes sparkling with obvious anticipation:
"Um... Jiang Che, could you come to my solo debut stage?"

"Huh?" Jiang Che was taken aback for a moment, then looked troubled:

"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to go like this? There are too many people at the TV station, and if something unexpected happens, like being noticed or needing to check my ID and finding out I'm an unregistered resident, that would be a real problem."

Taeyeon listened without saying anything, but silently turned her gaze to Sunny beside her.

Seeing this, Jiang Che subconsciously looked at Sunny as well.

While engrossed in her meal and pondering how to utilize Jiang Che's "Sunny," she suddenly sensed an eerily quiet atmosphere at the table.
She looked up in confusion, only to meet two pairs of eyes staring straight at her.

"...Why are you looking at me?" She rolled her eyes in annoyance and went straight for Taeyeon:
“I think he’s right. Even if we have his agent take him in, what if something unexpected happens and they find out he’s an undocumented immigrant?”

She paused, her eyes sharpening, clearly anticipating Taeyeon's prediction:

"Also, don't even think about turning into me and getting in. The TV station's idols could form a whole group. Are you planning to have him come back and turn you into all sorts of idols and throw parties?"
Or do you feel lonely with Yoona and want a dozen more close girlfriends?

"Pfft—" Jiang Che almost choked on his saliva, quickly waving his hand with a look that was both funny and exasperated:

"Don't slander me! I never had such thoughts. I'm already overwhelmed with just those two, let alone a dozen more... I'm not a stud!"

He tried to clear his name:

"Once I go in, I can just practice silent meditation. As long as I don't speak, that's fine, isn't it?"

Taeyeon immediately chimed in:
"Exactly! Sunny, don't talk nonsense! Jiang Che isn't that kind of person! And... even if he were, I don't think it's a big deal."

Sunny, seeing the harmonious scene before her, felt a pang of jealousy and a slight urge to punch someone. She changed her approach, trying to evoke a sense of love in her teammate:

"Hey! Kim Tae-yeon! We're teammates! Sooyoung and Yuri are going to cheer you on, don't you want me to cheer you on too?!"

Taeyeon immediately flashed an extremely ingratiating smile, hugged Sunny's arm, and rubbed against her like a spoiled kitten:

"Oh, of course I want our world's best Sunkyu to cheer me on! But it's just as good as you sending me encouragement from home through the screen!"

Next time, I'll definitely let you go on the next music show stage! Please, it's his first solo stage, let him go, unnie!"

To achieve their goal, they even started calling her "unnie".

Sunny got goosebumps from Taeyeon's rare, unrestrained display of affection, and then looked at the innocent-looking Kang Cheol, completely speechless at the two of them.

"Ouch..." Sunny rubbed her forehead, feeling a throbbing pain in her temples.

"What terrible things have I done to deserve this...?"

She sighed helplessly, as if giving up the struggle:

"Alright, alright, I'll cheer you on from home. Let him go."

"Yay! Congratulations! Sunny, you're the best! The best Sunny in the world!"

Taeyeon immediately cheered, a bright smile spreading across her face, and turned to give Kang Cheol a high five in celebration.

(End of this chapter)