Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 154 Jiang Che still wants to go home

Jiang Che had also arrived at some point and naturally pulled Shirley behind him. His smile remained, but his sharp eyes swept over Shirley's manager as he slowly repeated:
"Shouldn't I be from SM Entertainment?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his agent's grim face, and said in a calm tone:
"I also think Sulli isn't suitable for that role. Is there a problem? Are you also going to bring up 'Salamander Guru and Shadows' with me?"

Then, he turned to Director Li:
"Or is it that your cousin, this popular actor, insists that our Shirley star in this movie?"

The scene fell silent instantly.

Sulli's manager opened her mouth, looking at the calm yet imposing "Taeyeon," and was momentarily speechless. Kim Taeyeon's seniority, status, and influence at SM Entertainment were naturally completely different from Jessica Jung, who had already left the group.

Director Lee's expression also turned extremely ugly. He didn't understand why the other party had suddenly brought up this relationship, but after glancing at "Taeyeon," who was clearly protecting Sulli, and then at Jessica Jung, who, although not speaking again, was also standing on Sulli's side,
Knowing that today's plan was completely hopeless, he forced a smile and said dryly:

"Since...si Taeyeon-ssi has said so...well then, it seems our fate with Sulli-ssi hasn't arrived yet."

After saying that, he turned around almost immediately and left in a hurry, skipping even the most basic pleasantries.

The manager watched the director's departing figure, then looked at "Taeyeon" blocking Sulli's way and Jessica Jung standing next to her with a cold expression, her face turning pale and then red.

But in the end, he didn't dare say anything more, only glared at Shirley fiercely, and then walked away sullenly.

After watching the two annoying guys leave, Jiang Che turned around, gently patted Shirley's shoulder, and said in a relaxed tone:
"Alright, it's all over now, Sherry. If your manager gives you any trouble later, be sure to tell me."

After he finished speaking, he noticed that Shirley was just staring at him blankly, so he raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes:

"Hey! Sherry? Snap out of it! Were you really scared out of your wits?"

Sulli suddenly snapped out of her daze, as if a play button had been pressed, and quickly bowed to Kang Cheol and Jessica Jung beside her:
"Thank you, Taeyeon unnie! Thank you, Jessica unnie!"

Jessica Jung looked at "Taeyeon" with a puzzled expression:

Kim Tae-yeon has changed so much that she can now casually bring up her embarrassing past, like "Salamander Guru and the Shadows," as a joke?

'And... the way she shielded Sherry behind her just now, that undeniable strength, somehow reminded her of something from a long time ago.'

As the leader, Taeyeon also stood in front of all the members, facing the Black Sea, facing everything, but later...

After thanking her, Shirley remembered her business and asked in a low voice:

"Taeyeon unnie, have you finished discussing things with the brand?"

Reminded by her, Jiang Che realized that the brand's issue hadn't been completely resolved. He had been focused on Xiuyan and only then noticed Shirley's situation. He quickly said to Shirley and Xiuyan:

"It's not over yet, I have to go there first." After saying that, he gave Sulli a reassuring look, nodded slightly stiffly to Jessica Jung, and then turned and walked quickly towards the brand's location.

Shortly after Jiang Che left, Zheng Xiuyan's phone rang in her bag. She took it out and saw the name "Quan Ningyi" flashing on the screen. Her slightly softened expression instantly turned cold again.
She walked to a corner a little further away, pressed the answer button, and said in a cold voice, "Hello."

A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone:
“Jessica, are you really not going to consider coming to Victory’s bar? There are a lot of people in the fashion industry here, the atmosphere is great, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to expand your network.”

"I'm not going." Jessica Jung's answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Kwon Ning-il seemed to have anticipated this, and changed the subject:
“Jessica, don’t be so stubborn. By the way,” he paused, then lowered his voice:
"Why don't you ask Taeyeon to contribute to our career? Her solo career is currently very popular, and she has top-notch popularity and buzz. If we could invite her to support us, or even just mention her on social media..."

"Stop thinking about her," Jessica interrupted him, her tone firm.

"With me here, it's impossible."

Kwon Ning-il was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, seemingly surprised by Jessica Jung's resolute stance, before chuckling and saying:
"OK, OK, don't be angry. It was just a suggestion. But Xiuyan, if you really don't want Taeyeon to endorse us, then you need to get your mysterious designer to design a few more new products that can ignite the market as soon as possible."

After saying that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Jessica Jung's response.

As Jessica Jung listened to the busy tone on her phone, her chest heaved slightly. Even if she and Taeyeon had a complicated and unspeakable relationship, to the point where they needed to "take a detour"—it was none of the business for outsiders to try to take advantage of it!
On the other side, Jiang Che was skillfully navigating among several brand representatives, successfully leaving a deep impression on them with his forward-thinking vision and excellent social skills.

About half an hour later, he finally managed to secure an opportunity for Taeyeon to have further discussions, and the rest of the work could be handed over to the company.

After finally seeing off the brand representatives, Jiang Che secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced around and noticed that Shirley and Xiuyan were still standing not far away.

He muttered to himself:
If I stood Xiuyan up and then ran away, given Na Ying's personality, wouldn't it escalate from "never meeting" to "mortal enemies"?

Then I thought, if Yoona knew that she had messed up the relationship between her two unnies like this, would she kill him?
After much deliberation, Jiang Che resigned himself to his fate and walked towards his agent.

"Oppa, you should go back first. I... I made plans with Soo-yeon and Sulli to get together later."

The agent's eyes widened instantly, and he lowered his voice urgently:
"Taeyeon! You...you and Jessica? This...if they get photographed, who knows what they'll say online! And what about the company..."

Jiang Che waved his hand, interrupting:

"Oppa, if you don't tell me and I don't tell you, the company won't know. As for the rest, I'll be careful, don't worry."

Seeing Taeyeon's unusually determined gaze, and glancing at Jessica Jung not far away, the manager ultimately swallowed back her words of advice and compromised:

"Sigh... okay... then you must be careful, keep a low profile, and don't get photographed together. Come back soon!"

After seeing off his manager, who kept turning back to look at him, Jiang Che took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the two of them, forcing a natural smile on his face:

"let's go?"

Sulli nodded happily, but Jessica Jung only glanced at him indifferently, hummed a soft "hmm" through her nose, and then turned to walk towards her car.

The three of them got into Jessica Jung's car, with Kang Cheol and Sulli naturally sitting in the back.

The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat heavy. Jiang Che couldn't help but quietly lean closer to Shirley and whispered, "..."

"Shirley, I have a question for you... Why were you so eager to find a restaurant earlier?" He really couldn't figure out what this girl was thinking.

Sulli blinked, lowered her voice in return, and said matter-of-factly, "Unnie? When you came over to greet Jessica unnie earlier, wasn't it because you wanted to make up? I saw the atmosphere had eased a bit, so I thought I'd strike while the iron was hot..."

Jiang Che: "..."

He felt as if an arrow had struck his chest, and he was speechless with grief.

'This girl's ability to fill in the blanks is on par with Taeyeon's! Did I want to make up? I didn't even realize it was Jessica!'

He was internally ranting and raving, but could only manage a forced smile; everything was understood without words.

"What are you two whispering about in the back?" Jessica Jung's cool voice came from the driver's seat. Through the rearview mirror, her gaze was precisely locked on the two people whispering in the back.

Jiang Che quickly sat up straight and forced a dry laugh:

"Oh? It's nothing! I just wanted to ask if Sherry's Restaurant is far away..."

Shirley nodded in agreement.

Jessica Jung gave Kang Cheol another deep look, clearly not entirely convinced, but she didn't press him further.

Once in the private room, after ordering and the waiter left, the atmosphere fell silent again.

Finally, Jessica Jung broke the silence. She crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair, and fixed her gaze on Kang Cheol's face like a searchlight, finally bringing up the core topic of the evening:
"Taeyeon, why did you take the initiative to talk to me today, and even... do those things?"

Here we go again! Can't we just eat and drink properly and then go home? Jiang Che wailed inwardly, his brain racing, and could only continue using the same excuse as before:
"Well... didn't I say that people change? Besides, people can't always live in the past, right?"

"Heh..." Jessica Jung let out a soft, ambiguous laugh:

"So, Kim Tae-yeon? You're coming to me now and telling me that people can't always live in the past?"

Her voice rose slightly, and her gaze sharpened, as if she were trying to see into the depths of his soul:
"So what were you doing before?"

Jiang Che inwardly groaned:

'How would he know what Taeyeon was up to before?! They're just former teammates, but the way he's talking is like he's seeing an ex again after a breakup? Is this a lovelorn woman accusing a heartless man?'

Seeing that Xiuyan was still waiting for his answer, he quickly pulled himself out of his chaotic thoughts and forced himself to continue making things up:
"Soo-yeon, some wounds... need time to heal."

He carefully chose his words, cautiously avoiding any mention of what had happened before:
"I deliberately avoid it not because I hate it, but sometimes... it just needs a little time to heal on its own."

This statement is ambiguous and leaves much to the imagination, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks.

Upon hearing this, Jessica Jung's pupils seemed to have experienced an earthquake, her eyes filled with shock, confusion, and a surge of emotions after being touched, but that fluctuation quickly disappeared.

"So, you now feel that your wounds have healed? You can walk over and say hello as if nothing happened?"

Her tone suddenly became agitated, filled with long-suppressed resentment:

"And what about me? Kim Tae-yeon, do you think everything can go your way? You can avoid me when you want, and come over to say hello when you want? What do you take me for?"

Jiang Che's heart skipped a beat: 'Why is this woman so determined to get to the bottom of things! I've always considered you a valuable investor, but I can't say that now!'

He dared not show the slightest sign of fatigue on his face, and could only muster all his acting skills to subtly feign exhaustion.
"I'm just... a little tired. I don't want to be bound by the past anymore."

He looked up, meeting Jessica Jung's sharp gaze, and softened his voice:

"From now on, I want to try... to walk my own path."

Jessica Jung stared intently at him, her gaze so intense it seemed she wanted to burn holes in his face. For these words to come from the mouth of the team leader, who always shouldered the responsibility of the team, was simply unbelievable.

She frowned deeply, her voice filled with disbelief:
"What's wrong with you lately? Yoona was like that before, and now you are too... Has SM put a curse on all of you? Or has Kim Taeyeon finally gone mad—and is she also preparing to leave the group?"

"Because the Yoona and Taeyeon you mentioned are actually me!" Upon hearing this, Jiang Che almost lost his composure, quickly waving his hands in denial.

"No, no! I absolutely did not mean to leave the team! It's just... I suddenly had a change of heart about some things. You can think of it as me having an epiphany!"

Just then, Shirley, who had been trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, cautiously interjected:
"Jessica unnie...could it be that Taeyeon unnie's mindset has really changed after her solo success this time? Like...like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon?"

Jiang Che nodded hurriedly in agreement:

"Yes! That's right! It's like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon! Shirley, your metaphor is perfect!"

Jessica Jung's sharp gaze swept back and forth between "Taeyeon" and Sulli. After a moment of silence, she ultimately didn't press the matter further. She picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and her tone was unreadable:
"Say what you want, I've never understood what you, Kim Tae-yeon, are thinking."

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased slightly, Jiang Che quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject, putting on a well-behaved smile:

"Well... let bygones be bygones. At least tonight, let's finish this meal first."

Shirley immediately and obediently echoed:

"Yes, yes, yes! This ginseng chicken soup is their signature dish, and it tastes really good! Unnies, you definitely have to try it later!"

Jessica glanced at the two of them but didn't say anything to spoil the mood. Just then, the waiter started serving the dishes, breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere.

However, the meal was not easy. Although Jessica Jung ate a few bites, she was clearly distracted.

She took a few bites and then looked up, her gaze seemingly falling on "Taeyeon" across from her. Her expression was complex and unpredictable, as if just looking at the other person's face was enough to satisfy her.

Jiang Che felt uneasy under her gaze, so he buried his head in his food, with only one thought in his mind: 'Finish eating quickly, then we can all go home and find our own mothers!'

(End of this chapter)