Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 140 Meeting (1328)

"Yes! Perfect logic! As long as she knows, she knows, and he knows, but Yoona doesn't know, isn't that the same as nothing happening?"

This self-deceiving thought seemed to give Taeyeon a shot of adrenaline. She picked up her phone, swiped the screen for a long time, deleting and rewriting, rewriting and deleting, before carefully sending Sunny a seemingly casual message:

【Sunny...what are you doing? Have you eaten?】

After sending the message, every second felt incredibly long. She stared nervously at her phone screen, her heart pounding, both hoping for a reply and fearing it wouldn't be what she wanted.

A moment later, the phone vibrated, and the screen displayed "sunny".

"Oh my!" Taeyeon's hand trembled, almost dropping the phone. She quickly answered it like a thief, her voice unconsciously lowering several decibels:
"Hey……?"

Sunny immediately launched into a merciless rant on the other end of the phone:
"Hey, Kim Tae-yeon! You're not trying to mooch a meal again, are you? Not today! I didn't cook for you, so don't come over, I'm warning you!"

Taeyeon's ears turned bright red instantly after her thoughts were accurately exposed. She tried to remain calm and stubbornly said:

"Who...who's coming over for dinner! I was just asking to check on you!"

"That would be best! I'm hanging up now, I'm busy!" After saying that, Sunny didn't give Taeyeon a chance to continue speaking and hung up the phone decisively.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

Hearing the busy tone from her phone, Taeyeon let out a frustrated "Ah!" and slumped onto the steering wheel like a deflated balloon.

The horn was accidentally pressed, emitting a short "beep" sound that was particularly loud in the quiet night, startling her so much that she quickly jumped up.

Alright, no need to agonize anymore, Sunny has ruthlessly taken away your right to choose.

She took one last, reluctant look at the lit window, as if she could see the figure inside through the curtains, before reluctantly starting the car again and slowly driving towards her home.

Sunny's home.

As soon as she hung up the phone, Sunny rolled her eyes at Jiang Che, who was giving her a questioning look:
"What's wrong? You're not happy that Taeyeon isn't allowed to come to dinner?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che paused slightly, before he could even speak—

Seeing his expression, Sunny simply steered the conversation back on track:

“Perfect timing. Continuing from where we left off, I’ve already told you in detail about Yoona and Taeyeon’s performance at the company today.”

She paused, her expression unusually serious:
"Why don't you take action beforehand and think of a way to at least normalize their relationship? The atmosphere is so tense every day; the practice room is practically an icebox."
"The members will definitely notice the problem eventually. Besides, I'm afraid I won't even make it to next year. I don't want Yoona to end up like Jessica, with a 11:30 or 12:30."

'Xiuyan? 1130...1230?' When Jiang Che heard this word, his heart sank and his expression became serious. He involuntarily sat up straight and fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Sunny knew her words had worked, and immediately pressed her advantage by issuing an ultimatum:

"Listen, Yoona promised to go to Taeyeon's first solo stage performance, and you're going too, right? I don't care what methods you use—cheating, sweet talk, or even sacrificing yourself!"

"Take this opportunity and straighten out Yoona's blockhead! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless later and calling the police to arrest you!"

"Pfft—" Jiang Che was amused by this unusual threat, and the heaviness in his heart dissipated a little. He nodded helplessly:

"Yes, yes, Arasso. I'll figure something out."

She readily agreed verbally, but what exactly does she intend to do? We can't just expect Yoona to suddenly figure it out herself, can we?

Thinking of this, Jiang Che couldn't help but feel another headache coming on:
"Okay, Sunny, I'm going to rest now. You should rest early too."

After saying that, he went back to his room, lay down on the bed, and almost subconsciously took out his phone, his finger involuntarily swiping to his chat with Yoona.

The last message he sent was about reminding her not to eat instant noodles all the time.

She didn't reply then, and now she looks even more lonely.

His finger hovered over the send button. "Are you asleep?" He was almost ready to send it, but what would happen afterward? Saying it through a screen? Probably wouldn't be of any use.

You might not be able to convince someone to pay you back over the phone, let alone something like this!
Thinking of this, he tossed his phone aside. Oh well, he'd wait until Taeyeon's solo stage to see how Yoona fared.

He refused to believe that Jiang Luffy, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't subdue Lin Zoro's crew. After all, he wasn't building a harem; he was just there to mediate peace. In times of war, even envoys are not to be killed.

He rolled over, forcing himself to close his eyes, but the image of Sunny's words—Yoona looking haggard and having nightmares—kept flashing through his mind…

Frustrated, he looked back at his phone, hesitating whether to simply ask her to meet tomorrow. But the solo performance was the day after tomorrow… Waiting another day shouldn't be a problem, right? Perhaps he could use this time to prepare a surprise for her?
With this thought in mind, he turned over again to try to fall asleep, and began to conceive the so-called "surprise plan" in his mind.

In the early morning, Lim Yoona woke up with a strong feeling of hunger.

"Uh……"

I didn't eat much yesterday, and I don't know when I fell asleep last night. Right now, my stomach feels empty, and it feels like there's a hand scratching inside.

She sat up groggily, her steps unsteady as she drifted toward the bathroom, intending to wash up before figuring out how to fill her stomach.

When I looked up, I was startled by the woman in the mirror who had obviously red and swollen eyes that looked like those of a sad frog, a pale face, and messy hair.

"Oh my..." Yoona gasped, leaned closer to the mirror, and touched her swollen eyelids with her finger in disbelief.

How can I face anyone like this?!
If the members saw him practicing in that state, it would be enough to spark endless imagination, especially Taeyeon unnie and Sunny unnie.

Thankfully it's just practice lately, so if I don't go, I don't have to. But I still need to let the members know. Usually around this time, I'd contact Taeyeon unnie, but now...

Frustrated, she scratched her hair, turned around and went back to her bedroom. After finding her phone, she stared at her contacts for a long time before finally dialing Sunny's number.

The call connected quickly, and Sunny's voice, which sounded like she wasn't fully awake, came through the phone:
"Yoona, what's wrong?"

"Unnie... I have something to do today, so I can't go to the company." Yoona tried her best to make her voice sound normal.

"Can't come?" Sunny's tone immediately became anxious:
"Are you feeling unwell?"

She hadn't forgotten how haggard Yoona looked yesterday.

"No, no," Yoona quickly explained.
"I have something to do and need to go to my father's place."

"Okay, I understand." Sunny was relieved to hear this and didn't ask any further questions.
"Call me anytime if you need anything."

Putting down her phone, Yoona let out a long sigh of relief. She felt a little guilty for lying to Sunny unnie, but in the current situation, she really didn't have the courage to face the members with those swollen doe eyes, especially... Kim Tae-yeon.

Indeed, while escaping is shameful, it is certainly effective.

Having solved the problem of getting out of the house, the next issue was food and clothing. She quickly washed up, headed to the kitchen, and her eyes habitually glanced at the instant noodles in the cupboard.

Just as she reached out to take it, the message Jiang Che had sent her earlier popped into her mind at an inopportune moment:
[Yoona, stop eating instant noodles every day. If I find out you've lost weight, I won't let you off the hook.]

The outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

Yoona bit her lip in frustration. That bastard... he's gone, why should she still listen to him!

In the end, she reluctantly withdrew her hand, picked up her phone, and resignedly began searching for the phone numbers of nearby restaurants.

"I'm not listening to him!" she said, making excuses for herself as she dialed the number.
"I just... I just haven't eaten all day, and I'm just trying to make up for it with something good today!"

While waiting for her food to be delivered, she listlessly curled up on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. The small group chat, which only included her, Sunny, Taeyeon, and Kang Cheol, was quiet.

Neither Sunny nor Taeyeon made a sound, and the culprit's private chat window was as quiet as if it didn't exist.

"I wonder what that bastard is doing..." This thought popped into her head uncontrollably, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Who cares! Do whatever you want!"

She forced herself to focus on the television, but found she couldn't concentrate at all. The entire apartment was eerily quiet, and that pervasive sense of loneliness washed over her again like a tide.

SM Entertainment practice room.

Taeyeon arrived exceptionally early today. After all, although Yoona was cold yesterday, she eventually accepted her invitation to perform on her first stage, which gave her a glimmer of hope for a thaw in their relationship.

She even secretly rehearsed several ways to greet Yoona naturally, hoping to take her relationship with Yoona a step further today, even if it was just a casual chat.

However, as time passed and the members arrived one after another, Seohyun, Sooyoung, Hyoyeon... even Sunny, who always arrived on time, appeared yawning, but the most familiar tall figure was nowhere to be seen.

Taeyeon's heart slowly sank from the clouds, her gaze drifting towards the door every now and then, and she became somewhat absent-minded while practicing her movements.

What happened to her? Was she late because she didn't get enough rest yesterday? Or... did she not want to see me, so she simply didn't come?

Various speculations clashed in her mind, making her restless.

"Huh? Where's Yoona? Is she late today?" Sooyoung asked, stretching her long legs and looking around.

Seohyun glanced at the time, her tone uncertain:
"There's probably a traffic jam on the way."

At this moment, Sunny stretched her neck and casually said:
"She called me this morning and said she had something to do today and wouldn't be coming."

"What's wrong?" Yuri asked, puzzled.
"She didn't say anything about anything yesterday."

Tiffany blinked her smiling eyes and optimistically guessed:

"Maybe I suddenly have some personal plans, like going on a date?" She laughed as she finished speaking.

The members quickly accepted the explanation and began to focus on warming up and practicing.

Taeyeon, however, found her inner turmoil only intensifying: Yoona's absence from the company... was it really something wrong? Or... did she simply not want to come to the company and face her?
Sunny took in Taeyeon's absent-minded look, shook her head helplessly, leaned over and nudged her with her elbow, lowering her voice:

"Hey, what are you thinking about? You're a beat slow. Are you still upset about not inviting you to dinner yesterday?"

Taeyeon seemed startled and quickly shook her head: "Aniyo! I wasn't thinking anything..."

Sunny squinted at her for a moment, then gave an understanding "Oh," and directly pointed out:

"Is it because Yoona didn't come? Are you worried about her?"

Having her thoughts precisely exposed, Taeyeon's face flashed with a hint of panic, her eyes darting around, but she still stubbornly maintained her composure:

"What? I...why would I worry about her..."

“Tsk,” Sunny said with a look that said, “You’re hopeless.”

"If you're worried, just send her a message and ask! Have the same courage you had when you invited her to your debut stage yesterday!"

Taeyeon was somewhat tempted, but holding her phone, her finger hovering over Yoona's name, she still hesitated and couldn't make up her mind.

Sunny, watching anxiously, couldn't help but slap Taeyeon on the back, making a crisp "smack" sound.
"Be brave, Pikachu! Sending a message won't kill you."

"Ouch!" Taeyeon was so startled by the camera that she almost threw her phone away. She turned around and glared at Sunny, annoyed.

However, the slap seemed to have dispelled some of her hesitation. She finally took a deep breath, lowered her head, and typed rapidly.

[Yoona, are you alright? You didn't come to the company today, are you feeling unwell?]

Click Send.

Then came the anxious wait.

On the other side, Yoona, who was mechanically putting ginseng chicken soup into her mouth, heard her phone notification sound, picked it up and saw that it was a message from Taeyeon.

Her hand holding the spoon paused, looking at the simple greeting, her feelings complicated. After hesitating for a long time, she finally replied:

"Um, something came up, I can't go today."

After sending the message, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, but also as if she had become even more irritable. She simply slammed her phone face down on the table and continued her motivational speech.

Meanwhile, in the practice room, Taeyeon saw that Yoona had actually replied to her message. Although the message was brief, she couldn't help but break into a happy smile.

Sunny leaned over, glanced at the brief reply, then looked at Taeyeon's happy expression, and couldn't help but sigh and facepalm, internally complaining:
'Oh my god, isn't this team leader a little too easy to fool? Seriously... I can't bear to watch! How did they even choose her as team leader? Was it because she's short and wouldn't block the camera's view when she stands in front?'

She suddenly had the urge to contact the company and suggest changing the team leader.

The day's practice finally ended amidst Taeyeon's occasional lapses in concentration and Sunny's internal rant.

Sunny dragged her tired body back to the apartment. As soon as she opened the door, she smelled a faint floral fragrance.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, and while changing her shoes, she asked as she looked inside:

"Jiang Che? What are you doing at home? It smells so good..."

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Che walked out of the room with a slightly unnatural smile on his face, and in his hands, he was holding a large bunch of golden sunflowers!
Sunny's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with horror, and she instinctively took a half step back.
"Mo?! What... what do you mean by this?"

An alarm bell rang in her mind instantly—was this Pirate King planning to recruit her to his crew?! This...this setup...something's not right! Something's definitely not right!
Jiang Che was a little embarrassed by Sunny's overreaction and quickly explained:
"Hey! Lee Soon-kyu, what are you thinking about!" He was a little embarrassed, and handed over the flowers in his hand, his tone apologetic.
"This... is for you. Thank you for taking me in and... helping me these past few days."

Sunny took the bunch of sunflowers with some skepticism, looked down at the excessively vibrant golden yellow in her arms, then looked up at Jiang Che's awkward expression, and couldn't help but complain:

"...Who gives sunflowers as a token of gratitude to someone they're trying to please?"

Jiang Che chimed in, "I could give you red roses, would you like them?"

Sunny assumed Jiang Che was joking about the red roses. Holding such a large bouquet of vibrant flowers, her mood did seem to brighten a bit, and she stopped paying attention to Jiang Che.
She turned to look for a suitable vase, but suddenly changed the subject, scrutinizing Jiang Che from head to toe with a critical gaze:

"So suddenly so attentive... Tell me, what are you up to? Is there something you want from me?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che said helplessly:

"I just wanted to thank you! Why are you making things so complicated..."

"Oh?" Sunny added casually as she arranged the sunflowers and placed them in the glass vase she had found:

"Yoona didn't come to the company today. She said she went to her father's place."

Jiang Che's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, and he gave a vague "hmm" without replying.

Sunny glanced at him, too lazy to expose his terrible acting skills any further.

That evening, back in her room, Sunny took out her phone and started searching: "The meaning of sunflowers..."

She stared at the keywords that popped up on the screen, her fingers tapping the screen unconsciously, a hint of understanding and deeper contemplation flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Time flew by, and the day arrived for Kim Tae-yeon's solo debut stage.

That morning, Sunny's doorbell rang incessantly. Sunny, who was eating breakfast with a piece of toast in her mouth, shuffled to the door in her slippers. Standing outside was Taeyeon, who looked very excited.

"Oh my, what are you doing here so early?" Sunny leaned against the door frame, slowly chewing on her toast as she looked her over.

Taeyeon's face was filled with anticipation and nervousness. She naturally squeezed past her into the room and immediately saw Kang Cheol sitting on the living room sofa:
"I've come to pick up Jiang Che! We agreed to go to the TV station together today!"

Sunny rolled her eyes and complained irritably:

"Hey, what time is it? It's a music show performance this afternoon, aren't you being a little too enthusiastic?"

"Oh dear, we should go familiarize ourselves with the venue sooner rather than later!"

When Kang Cheol saw Taeyeon come in, he said, "I'm going back to my room to get something." When he came out again, he had already transformed into Sunny.

"Wow, it's still so amazing every time I see it," Taeyeon exclaimed softly, then naturally took Kang Cheol's arm and waved to Sunny.

"Sunny, we're off! Remember to cheer me on from home!"

Sunny didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, waved her hand expressionlessly, and simply reminded him:
"Jiang Che, don't forget that matter."

Jiang Che picked up the keys on the table and gave her an "OK" sign.

As soon as she stepped out of the house, Taeyeon asked curiously:
What did Sunny tell you not to forget?

"It's about you and Yoona," Jiang Che replied in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Taeyeon nodded thoughtfully, squeezed his arm tightly, and did not ask any further questions about the specific steps.

After going downstairs, Taeyeon's van was already waiting at the door. Getting in, she saw her manager's familiar face.

They remained silent the entire way. Upon entering the television station, staff and idols came and went. As a senior artist, Taeyeon immediately displayed the professional aura of Girls' Generation's leader.
He led Jiang Che calmly through the crowd to his lounge.

Along the way, they encountered many young idols who came to promote their music.

"Hello, Taeyeon sunbaenim!"

"Hello, Sunny senior!"

Greetings rose and fell in waves.

Taeyeon responded with a perfectly timed smile, "Yes, hello everyone, good luck!"

Jiang Che, following behind her, kept his mute persona in mind, maintaining a blank expression throughout, only nodding slightly to minimize his presence.

Upon finally arriving at the dressing room, Taeyeon was immediately surrounded by makeup artists and stylists, who began making final preparations for the stage.

The manager told him, "I'm going to check the stage," and hurriedly left. Jiang Che was happy to have some free time. He sat down on the sofa in the corner and took out his phone to start surfing the internet.

Not long after, the door to the waiting room was pushed open again, and the members of Girls' Generation arrived one after another, filling the room with a cacophony of greetings and jokes.

"Taeyeon, stay strong!"

"Wow, Taeyeon, your makeup and hair are absolutely stunning today!"

"Taeyeon unnie, are you nervous?"

The moment the members entered, Jiang Che raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before settling on a familiar figure—Lim Yoona.

She wore a simple white knit sweater with jeans and a beige shoulder bag today, looking fresh and pretty, but the weariness in her eyes and the faint dark circles under her eyes were hard to hide.
This made her appear particularly vulnerable in the crowd. Almost at the same time that Jiang Che looked at her, Yoona's gaze also swept over, and their eyes met in mid-air.

In that instant, Yoona inexplicably felt that the person in front of her was Kang Cheol. She subconsciously avoided his gaze and pretended to greet the other members as if nothing had happened, but her heart was already rippled.

At this moment, the other members also noticed that Sunny was unusually quiet today.

"Hey, Sunny, why are you so quiet today?" Kwon Yuri asked curiously.

“Sunny unnie, are you feeling unwell?” Seohyun asked with concern.

Jiang Che's heart tightened, and he quickly pointed to his throat, then waved his hand, giving a slightly apologetic wry smile.

Seeing this, Yoona's suspicions deepened. She stepped in to explain for him:
"Maybe Sunny unnie's throat isn't feeling well."

The members didn't ask any more questions and turned their attention back to the main character, Taeyeon, surrounding her and cheering her on.

Seeing everyone gathered around Taeyeon, Yoona hesitated for a moment before sitting down in the empty seat next to Kang Cheol. She pretended to adjust her clothes and, in a whisper only the two of them could hear, tentatively asked with certainty:
"Jiang Che?"

(End of this chapter)