Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 155 Review
Sulli ate quietly to the side, her eyes occasionally glancing at the two unnies, while her inner voice was screaming in frustration:

'Oh no, I think I really messed up... The relationship between these two unnies is definitely not as simple as Krystal said—just a bad relationship! Krystal misled me!'

The dinner, in which everyone had their own thoughts, was finally drawing to a close.

After paying the bill, the three walked out of the restaurant. Jessica Jung stood next to her car, looking at "Taeyeon" and Sulli standing side by side, and asked:
How will you get back?

Jiang Che immediately replied, "I can walk by myself! You just take Shirley home safely!"

He wished he could summon a taxi and leave immediately.

Jessica glanced at Sulli, who was clearly nervous, then shifted her gaze to Taeyeon, who was eager to distance herself from the situation. Her eyes flickered slightly before she spoke calmly:
"Let's go together."

"Oh? No need, no need! It's really no trouble at all!"

Sulli, standing next to her, widened her eyes, unable to believe that she had been left behind by Taeyeon unnie.

Jessica Jung didn't say anything, just quietly looked at him, her eyes showing no emotion, but she exuded an undeniable aura.

Seeing this, Shirley gently tugged at Jiang Che's arm and whispered:
"Taeyeon unnie... let's go together..."

Seeing Jessica Jung's "we'll just wait here if you don't get in the car" attitude, and feeling Sulli pulling at him, Jiang Che sighed inwardly and resignedly opened the back door:

"……OK then."

After Soo-yeon settled into the driver's seat, she asked:
"You haven't moved, have you?"

"Ah," Jiang Che realized that she seemed to be talking to him. He didn't know if Taeyeon had moved before, and replied:

"It's in XX"

"Oh," Xiuyan asked for Shirley's address again, then didn't say anything more and started the car.

For a moment, only the low hum of the engine filled the car. After driving for a while, just when Jiang Che thought they could reach their destination in peace, Zheng Xiuyan glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror, as if suddenly remembering something, and asked:
"By the way, where did Sunny's cousin come from?"

She still harbored resentment towards that mysterious figure who could be mentioned by "Taeyeon" and seemed to influence Sulli's decisions.

Jiang Che was pondering whether to say hello to Taeyeon before leaving when they arrived at Taeyeon's house, or go straight back to Sunny's house, when he heard this and was taken aback:
"Huh? Sunny's cousin?"

"It's the person you told Shirley about, the one who can tell whether a script will be a hit."

Jessica Jung reminded her, her tone clearly skeptical.

Jiang Che then suddenly realized what was happening and began to make up stories in an attempt to dispel any further questioning:
"He's someone who came back from abroad... a really interesting guy. Tall, handsome, and knowledgeable. Witty and humorous, practically the perfect man! So I advise you not to meet him. I'm afraid you'll fall for him at first sight and can't help but develop feelings for him. Then things could get complicated..."

"roll."

Before he could finish speaking, Jessica Jung interrupted him with a crisp, emotionless "Get lost." She even rolled her eyes at Kang Cheol through the rearview mirror.

Jiang Che awkwardly shut his mouth, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief—at least he had managed to dodge the question.

Sherry, who was sitting next to Jiang Che, nodded seriously when she heard what he said, her face full of deep agreement.

Jiang Che caught a glimpse of Shirley's reaction out of the corner of his eye. He found it amusing but couldn't show it, so he could only continue looking out the window, praying that the journey would end soon.

Speechless all the way.

The car came to a smooth stop. Jiang Che looked out the window at the familiar building and finally breathed a long sigh of relief—we've finally arrived!
"We've arrived." Jessica Jung's cool voice came from the driver's seat, revealing no emotion.

"Yes, Xiuyan, thank you for bringing me back. Take care on the road. Shirley too, goodbye." Jiang Che said politely, but his hands were already nimbly preparing to open the car door and drive away.

"Thank you for tonight, unnie. Goodbye, unnie," Shirley said politely.

However, just as Jiang Che had one foot out of the car—

"Taeyeon".

Jessica Jung suddenly spoke up again, calling out to him.

Jiang Che froze, slowly turned around, and forced a smile that he could make as natural as possible.
"...Hmm?" His heart pounded, fearing that this woman would ask some difficult questions again.

Jessica Jung turned her head, giving him a complicated look. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something. Her eyes held emotions that Jiang Che couldn't decipher. But in the end, she swallowed her words, only saying calmly:
"...It's nothing, get some rest."

“…Yes, you too.” Jiang Che didn’t dare to linger, quickly got out of the car, closed the door, and did so in one smooth motion.

After walking a few steps, he looked back and saw the taillights of Jessica Jung's sleek sedan light up before quickly disappearing into the night.

Only then did his tense nerves finally relax. Tonight's meal was just as exhausting as the last time he ate with Yoona in Beijing.

With a moment of relief, the next question popped into my head: Should I go straight back to Sunny's house, or go upstairs to see Taeyeon and ask about the situation while I'm at it? Hmm, not while I'm at it.

Without hesitation, Jiang Che immediately took out his phone and dialed Taeyeon's number.

The call was answered almost as soon as it rang, and Taeyeon's excited voice came from the other end:

"Hey? You're done? How was it?"

Upon hearing this voice, Jiang Che's lips unconsciously curled up. He cleared his throat and deliberately kept everyone in suspense:
"It's over, but... I have some good news and some bad news for you. Are you home? Let's talk in person."

"Yes, yes! Come on up!" Taeyeon's voice instantly brightened, filled with undisguised anticipation.

Jiang Che chuckled, responded, and hung up the phone, then entered the apartment building with practiced ease.

I took the elevator upstairs, and shortly after ringing the doorbell, the door clicked open.

Behind the door, Taeyeon, dressed in comfortable loungewear, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, gazed at him with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Why did you come so quickly? What good news or bad news is it? Why are you being so mysterious?" She said as she pulled Jiang Che into the house and closed the door behind her.

As soon as she entered, Taeyeon urged, "Change back quickly! It feels so weird talking with my face on!"

Jiang Che readily complied, and with a thought, quickly reverted to his original appearance.

As soon as she transformed back, Taeyeon cheered and hugged him like a koala, rubbing her head contentedly against his chest, her voice muffled and tinged with a hint of coquetry:
"Aren't you tired? Was that party boring?"

Jiang Che naturally hugged her back, feeling the warmth in his arms and the familiar fragrance lingering around his nose. The fatigue and tension of the night seemed to dissipate a lot.

He gently patted her back, led her to sit on the sofa in the living room, and then said, feigning seriousness:

"Well, to be honest, normal social engagements aren't that tiring. But I'm afraid of encountering special circumstances—" Thinking of tonight's special circumstances, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly:
"As for being bored... tonight is anything but boring. Want to guess what the good news and bad news are?"

Taeyeon blinked and, being very polite, began to analyze the situation seriously:

"Good news... Did the negotiations with the brand go smoothly?"

"Smart!" Jiang Che snapped his fingers, confirming her guess:

"Your agent will follow up. We've already received their initial offer, and we'll have more in-depth discussions later. The chances are very good."

"Wow! Really? That's great!" Taeyeon happily leaned forward and gave Kang Cheol a kiss on the cheek as a reward.

Then she wrinkled her nose again, trying to think:
"Bad news... I can't guess. Did you do something weird with my face again and get photographed?" She vividly remembered her previous feats of filling in for the radio station and attending fan meetings.

"No, not at all." Jiang Che shook his head and prompted:

"Why don't you guess who brought me back?"

Taeyeon blinked upon hearing this, then suddenly leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, playfully shaking his arm.
"How could I possibly guess? Since you asked, it definitely isn't the manager oppa. Could it be Yoona? Or Sunny? It can't be someone I know... Hey, stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me, okay?"

Seeing her adorable appearance, Jiang Che's heart softened, and he couldn't help but lower his head and gently kiss her lips, thus revealing the answer:

"Jessica brought me back. How about that, are you surprised?"

"Morako?!" Taeyeon's smile froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed, her eyes filled with disbelief:
"Xiuyan? She...she was at that party too? And...she even brought you back?! You two...said something?"

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Che was both amused and exasperated. He relaxed and leaned back into the sofa, sighing.

"It wasn't just talking..." Then he began to recount his story, from initially being "blind" and not recognizing the other person, simply wanting to greet Sherry, to later recognizing her and offering a friendly greeting.
Then came the shock of discovering that even greeting someone was problematic, and finally, Lee Seung-ri and Kwon Ning-il appeared and extended an invitation.
He suggested the dinner to stir things up, but to his surprise, the other party actually agreed... He recounted Jessica Jung's questioning and his response as completely as possible.

"...In short, the whole conversation gave me the feeling," Jiang Che shrugged, his face filled with utter despair:
"It's like a scumbag who abandoned his wife years ago and suddenly came home, only to be bombarded with questions about why he left her in the first place. The worst part is, this scumbag has no idea why he left her!"

As Taeyeon listened to his description, her expression gradually shifted from initial shock to a complex one. She pursed her lips guiltily and muttered softly:
"...So, you guys even had dinner together? Sherry was there too?"

"Otherwise what?" Jiang Che pinched her cheek helplessly.
"I didn't know what you were thinking at the time. I was afraid that standing you up would cause you more trouble, but I was forced to do it due to the circumstances."

After finishing his rant, he sat up straight, his joking expression fading, and looked at her seriously.
"So, Taeyeon, what exactly happened between you and Jessica Jung? How did things get to the point where you don't see each other anymore and even avoid each other when you occasionally bump into each other?"

He needs to figure out the "historical legacy" behind this so that he can deal with it better if he encounters it again in the future.

Upon hearing this, Taeyeon lowered her head and remained silent for a while. The living room was so quiet that they could hear each other breathing.

After a long while, she raised her head again, her eyes filled with a complex mix of guilt and helplessness.

"Well... there's nothing special about it, it's just that... before that incident happened, we... had a really big argument in private."

She paused, seemingly considering her words:

“I…I think she might have been deceived. I’ve always felt that Quan Ningyi was no good, and I’ve tried to advise her…maybe I was too hasty and said a lot of harsh things.”

“I told her she was blinded by the promises the other party made, that she was selfish and didn’t care about the team’s overall interests, and why she couldn’t wait until the contract ended before doing it…” Taeyeon’s voice trailed off:

"Anyway, I was in a bad mood at the time, and I said almost anything hurtful or that hit a nerve without thinking."

“And what about her…” Taeyeon gave a wry smile:
"She probably felt that I wasn't considering things from her perspective, that I was putting pressure on her on behalf of the company, and that I didn't understand her dreams and urgency... So, the argument got more and more heated, and we couldn't reach an agreement at all."

Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if she had traveled through time back to the scene of that heated argument:

"Later, things really couldn't be salvaged. I know I also bear a lot of responsibility. If I had been calmer at the time and communicated properly in a different way, maybe... Alas, it was too late to say anything then."

After the incident, meetings and conversations became awkward. Over time, an unspoken agreement formed—avoid meeting if possible, and if you do bump into each other, it's best to take a detour to avoid making each other uncomfortable.

After Taeyeon finished speaking, she seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden and looked at Kang Cheol:
"Isn't it... kind of childish?"

Jiang Che listened quietly until he finally understood.

In short, one person thought the other was stupid and wouldn't listen to good advice; the other felt the other didn't understand them at all and was even criticizing them from the opposite side. Afterwards, neither of them was willing to back down, causing their relationship to completely freeze.

But today, under Taeyeon's guise, he suddenly approached her. To her, it was probably like the sun rising in the west—no wonder she reacted so strongly.

"I see..." Jiang Che nodded thoughtfully, then chuckled and reached out to ruffle Taeyeon's hair.
"It's alright. Quan Ningyi is indeed not a good person, and you did the right thing. But judging from this, my behavior today probably seems like I've gone mad in her eyes. Luckily, I was using your face. What does going mad have to do with me, Jiang Che!"

Taeyeon burst out laughing at his words, feeling a bit lighter in her heart. She playfully punched him and scolded him gently.

"Oh! How come it has nothing to do with you..."

Seeing her smile again, Jiang Che breathed a sigh of relief, took Taeyeon's hand, and looked at her earnestly:
"Okay, let's get serious. Although what happened today was an accident, it also broke the deadlock between you two by sheer coincidence. So, Taeyeon, what are your thoughts?"

Is the hope to maintain the status quo and go their separate ways, or... is there an opportunity to do something to ease tensions?

This question gets straight to the heart of the matter.

(End of this chapter)