Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 88 Taeyeon's Heartache

Jiang Che looked at Lin Yoona and found her staring at him in a daze. He couldn't help but wave his hand in front of her eyes and grinned broadly.
"Hi?"

Yoona snapped back to reality, her eyes darting nervously toward the dining table, her tone feigning composure:

"...Hmm, it's alright. Time to eat."

She was the first to walk to the table and sit down, picking up her chopsticks and pretending to stare intently at the dishes on the table, but inwardly she was a little annoyed—she had actually been staring at that guy in his casual clothes! Yoona, you need to step up your game!

Jiang Che smiled and sat down as well. After dinner, he was in a great mood because he finally had a change of clothes. He decisively went into the bathroom and took a hot shower.

After showering, he habitually put on a new pair of casual shorts, shirtless, and while drying his still dripping hair with a towel, he casually pushed open the bathroom door, ready to stroll back to his room.

In the living room, Yoona was nestled on the sofa watching a variety show when she heard the noise and glanced over instinctively.

That one glance almost made her jump off the sofa.

"Ah!" Yoona's voice instantly rose in pitch:

"You! Why aren't you wearing any clothes again?!"

Jiang Che was taken aback by her shout, stopped drying his hair, looked down at himself innocently, then looked up at her, and explained:
"I'm wearing them! I'm wearing pants! It's not like before when I was all..."

He stopped the car in time, but the meaning was clear—compared to his previous feat of being completely naked, this was a huge leap in civilization!
Yoona was taken aback by his self-righteous attitude, but her gaze involuntarily swept over his bare chest and abdomen.

The lines are smooth and not overly exaggerated, but they exude the strength and vitality unique to young men, with water droplets still sliding down the texture of their skin...

Her face flushed instantly:

"Anyway! It just won't work!"

Jiang Che found her expression somewhat amusing. He slowly took a step forward and said in a teasing tone:
"They're all sisters, what's there to be afraid of... Oh no, not anymore."

As he drew closer, the scent of shower gel mixed with male hormones became increasingly distinct.

Yoona felt she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed a nearby cushion, threw it at Jiang Che without looking, and then rushed into her room without looking back, slamming the door shut.

Jiang Che raised his hand to catch the flying pillow and touched his nose.

"Uh... such a strong reaction? Could it be that my physique... has become so handsome that people can't look at me directly?"

He muttered something rather narcissistically, but ultimately didn't provoke the other person any further, and obediently picked up the new T-shirt and put it on.

In the master bedroom, Yoona leaned against the cold door, trying hard to shake the image of a 'handsome man emerging from a bath' from her mind before feeling her heartbeat slow down slightly.
But she didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that ever since Jiang Che became a boy, she seemed to be losing control of him.

"How about... we just make him turn back into a girl?"

As soon as the thought popped into her head, Yoona shook her head violently.

No, no, if he really turns back into a girl, I'm afraid... I'll really be in trouble.

Thinking about this, she couldn't help but think of Jiang Che chatting with Taeyeon unnie every night, and she really didn't know what to do.

Sure enough, once you tell one lie, you have to tell countless others to cover it up. It's truly amazing that Jiang Che was able to fabricate so many things before, and make them all sound plausible and believable.

Sigh, she went from initially questioning Jiang Che to gradually understanding him, and now she's actually becoming Jiang Che herself. Seriously, I'm speechless. Maybe... she should just tell Taeyeon unnie that her alter ego suddenly disappeared?
But when she thought about the possible expression on Taeyeon's face, she felt that these words were too cruel.

In the end, Yoona could only sigh helplessly, collapse onto the soft bed, pull the blanket over her head, and mutter resignedly:

"Forget it... let's just leave it at that... let's take it one step at a time..."

When it was almost time, and Jiang Che felt that Bat.Yun was about to start her activities, he went back to his room. Sure enough, a little while later, his phone rang with its signature video call invitation ringtone.

After the call connected, on the other end of the screen, Taeyeon seemed to have just finished washing up. Her face was clean, her hair was soft and flowing, and the background was her familiar bedroom.

"Good evening~" Taeyeon's voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of laziness.

"Good evening, unnie." Kang Cheol skillfully switched to obedient mode.

Taeyeon started by chatting about everyday things, as usual. Just when Kang Cheol thought it was Christmas Eve again, Taeyeon seemed to suddenly remember something and casually said:
"Oh, right, during a break in practice today, I think I overheard Hyoyeon talking to Tiffany and Yuri about investing in a bar... I think it was Lee Seungri's place."

Jiang Che's heart skipped a beat, and he almost lost his composure.

In my past life memories, Tiffany and Kwon Yuri themselves didn't seem to have any direct connection with Lee Seungri's mess.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and probed casually:
"Huh? That...they...they probably won't really go, right? It doesn't sound very reliable."

Taeyeon frowned slightly and shook her head: "I'm not too sure either, but they seemed to be chatting enthusiastically today."

Jiang Che's heart sank. He initially wanted to ignore it, since Tiffany and Kwon Yuri had no connection in his previous life. However, he was afraid that his appearance might cause some negative changes, which would be a huge sin for him.

He took a deep breath, and his tone became serious:
"Unnie, listen to me, that bar is a complete disaster! Make sure Tiffany unnie and Yuri unnie stay away from it! The further away the better!"

Hearing Jiang Che's certain words, Taeyeon paused for a moment, blinking in confusion:

"Mo? Why do you say that?"

Jiang Che choked. Oh no, what do I say?
He said I traveled back from the future, and I know that guy is going to cause a huge uproar later, affecting a lot of people.

His mind raced, and he recalled the events after he confessed to Yoona. Since Yoona didn't believe him, Taeyeon probably wouldn't believe him either...

Thinking of this, he lowered his voice and said:
"Unnie, I'm telling you, you might not believe it... but I can see the future."

"Huh?" Taeyeon's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with shock and disbelief.

Jiang Che forced himself to continue making things up:
"Seriously! That bar... I foresee everyone involved suffering terribly. Even Lee Seung-ri got arrested. Just whatever you do, never get involved with it."

After he finished speaking, he started mentally rehearsing what he should say if Taeyeon didn't believe him, and what other reasons he should come up with to persuade Tiffany and Kwon Yuri.

But Taeyeon on the other side of the screen, after her initial shock, didn't show any doubt or teasing. She simply widened her eyes slightly, listening intently, a glint of something unfathomable flashing in them.

After a brief silence, she spoke softly, her tone more serious than ever before:
"I believe."

"Huh?" Now it was Jiang Che's turn to be completely dumbfounded.

"No... Unnie, you... you really believe that? I told you I can see the future!"

He couldn't help but double-check, wondering if he had misheard.

"Mmm." Taeyeon nodded again.
"I will find another opportunity to persuade them properly and tell them not to get involved."

Jiang Che: "???"

You just...believed it like that?
I can't quite remember how he hung up the video call in a daze.

Taeyeon's words, "I believe you," and her incredibly earnest eyes kept echoing in my mind.

"Wait... what's going on? This is completely illogical! Yoona thought he was a fraud! Did I give myself away somewhere?"

This woman's thought process... is a bit strange, isn't it?

However, the goal was achieved regardless.

He shook his head, temporarily putting aside his confusion, and decided not to think about it anymore, as long as the outcome was good.

On the other side, Taeyeon slowly put down her phone, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the screen—she was starting to feel like meeting Yoona's alternate personality.

A few more days passed peacefully.

Jiang Che lives a regular retirement life, studying cooking, scrolling through his phone, and transforming into Batman Yun for a chat every night.

Yoona continued to shuttle between her schedule and practice room, but when she came home and saw Kang Cheol dressed in men's clothing, casually occupying her living room, she always felt a sense of disconnect.

After practice ended that day, the members packed up their things to leave. Taeyeon lingered until the very end, then casually strolled over to Yoona, her eyes darting around.

"Yoona..."

"Hmm? Unnie, what's wrong?"

Yoona was putting on her coat when a bad feeling inexplicably rose in her heart.

"Um..." Taeyeon lowered her voice, tinged with anticipation:
"Look, my schedule doesn't seem so tight lately, so maybe I can ask her out for a drink?"

Yoona sighed inwardly. The thought of the two of them drinking alone made her feel inexplicably bitter, but looking into Taeyeon's eyes, which were filled with "please, please,"

Considering that I had already made excuses to refuse before, I really couldn't keep refusing Taeyeon unnie.

"Yes..." Yoona nodded with difficulty:
"Then let's do it tomorrow night. Unnie, you can tell him yourself."

Taeyeon's face lit up instantly, and she was about to nod when a voice suddenly interrupted from the side—

"Drinking? Tomorrow night? Who are you going to tell? Are you guys going to drink behind my back? Are you planning to form a clique and ostracize me?!"

Sunny suddenly appeared, her ears perked up like antennas, her face filled with excitement and curiosity, as if to say, "I've caught you!"

She had one hand on Yoona's shoulder and the other around Taeyeon, her eyes darting between the two of them.

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

Taeyeon was startled and, feeling guilty, slapped her hand away.

Yoona's heart skipped a beat. But immediately a thought popped into her head:
'Let Sunny unnie be the third wheel! It's a little unfair to Taeyeon unnie, but it's better than them being alone together. With Sunny around, Taeyeon unnie definitely won't be too unruly!'

So Yoona immediately nodded and took Sunny's arm:
"Ani! Unnie, you misunderstood! Taeyeon unnie said it's been a long time since we've gotten together and wanted to have some drinks and chat tomorrow night. She was talking to me, right? Since you heard it too, unnie, let's go together!"

Taeyeon: "???"

Taeyeon's expression at this moment was priceless. Good news: we can finally meet. Bad news: there's one more person.

But seeing that Yoona's main personality had agreed, he could only force a dry smile:
"...Yes, Sunny, let's go together."

(End of this chapter)