Peninsula: Starting with a silly childhood friend!

Chapter 145 A Strange 'Rival in Love'?

Upon hearing Zhou Ziyu's words, Liu Baiyuan also lowered his head slightly to look at the little fish in his arms.

However, just as he lowered his head, a faint scent of shampoo instantly entered his nostrils. This subtle fragrance was like a small claw, gently tickling Liu Baiyuan's heartstrings.

Zhou Ziyu's words not only answered why she liked Liu Baiyuan, but also revealed the grievances she had been hiding in her heart. As for her purpose in speaking out, it was not to gain Liu Baiyuan's pity or anything like that.

I just thought of it and said it.

Looking at Zhou Ziyu in his arms, Liu Baiyuan unconsciously raised his hands and wrapped them around her waist, holding her tighter.

Chou Tzu-yu is only seventeen years old this year. Before her debut last year, she was a trainee at JYP for three years. That means she was already living alone on the peninsula when she was thirteen. Perhaps only Chou Tzu-yu herself knows all the hardships she has endured.

But at least at this moment, listening to Chou Tzu-yu's words, Liu Bai-yuan could vaguely sense the condensation of her emotions over the years.

"You won't be alone anymore."

Liu Baiyuan opened his lips, and finally, as he hugged her, he said these words to her.

Upon hearing this, Chou Tzu-yu's body trembled slightly, her hands unconsciously tightened, and her head rested against his chest, swaying slightly as if trying to find a comfortable position for her head.

The two embraced for two or three seconds, and suddenly, Liu Baiyuan felt that his chest was a little wet.

Chou Tzu-yu... seems to be crying.

Just as Liu Baiyuan was feeling a bit lost, a voice of envy suddenly came from behind them: "Oppa! Look at him, he knows to hug his girlfriend at this time, unlike you, Oppa, you have no romance at all!"

"Oh~ they're probably still in the honeymoon phase. We've been together for a month already, isn't this too cheesy...?"

"Ashi..."

As the sound faded into the distance, Liu Baiyuan turned his head curiously. It was just an ordinary young couple, but judging from their conversation, the man seemed to dislike the woman. But it had only been a month. Was their relationship really that short-lived?

This doesn't even last as long as a bag of potato chips...

However, their conversation served as a reminder to Liu Baiyuan. Although this was Seoul Tower, a popular spot for couples to take photos, it was still rare to see people openly hugging and cuddling in public like the two of them. So he whispered to Zhou Ziyu in his arms, "Ziyu, did you hear what that person just said? If you don't get up, we'll not only be mistaken for a couple, but we might also be stared at like rare animals."

"Oh dear, did I think your mother was treating you badly, Brother Bai Yuan?"

Upon hearing this, Chou Tzu-yu slightly raised her head, her eyes slightly red, indicating that she had indeed been crying, but it didn't seem to be very serious.

Because if she were truly heartbroken, she certainly wouldn't speak to Liu Baiyuan in this tone, with a hint of coquettishness.

"How could that be? I'm just worried you'll be recognized."

Hearing Zhou Ziyu's slightly reproachful words, Liu Baiyuan couldn't help but chuckle and offered her some words of comfort.

"Tch, I don't believe you."

Chou Tzu-yu wiped away the few remaining tears around her eyes, then faced the wall of locks again and began looking for a spot; her lock hadn't been hung up yet.

However, she quickly found an excellent spot.

When Mina hung the padlock, she guessed that many people would come and see TWICE's big padlock. So, although it was next to the big padlock, she left a little space. But Tzuyu didn't care. Since you left a space, it means no one is here. Since no one is hanging it, there's nothing wrong with her hanging it.

"Tzuyu, it seems like this isn't signed."

Liu Baiyuan watched as Zhou Ziyu hung her padlock between the TWICE padlock and Mina's small padlock. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that they seemed slightly different.

When Chou Tzu-yu heard his words, she looked at the comparison and realized it was true.

But this didn't stump her. Mina has an English name, and she attended an international school when she was young. Everyone has an English name.

Thinking this, Chou Tzu-yu waved her hand and added a signature to the lock: SallyChou.

"Sally Chou? That's your English name."

Liu Baiyuan looked at the signature Zhou Ziyu had added, a hint of doubt appearing on his face. He felt this name didn't sound as good as her stage name.

"Yes, when I was little, I went to an international school in Taiwan. The teacher asked each of us to give ourselves an English name, so my mother gave me this name. But I don't use it often, only in more formal occasions. Usually, a stage name is enough."

Liu Baiyuan nodded. This name was indeed not as simple and clear as her stage name, which made it easy for people to recognize her at a glance. Of course, this might also be because everyone was used to her stage name.

Tzuyu, Zhou Ziyu, these two names together clearly indicate a connection, but Sally...

It's just a little bit off.

However, this isn't without its advantages. At least now, with the words written on the padlock, very few people will likely know that it was Chou Tzu-yu who hung it...

"Let's go, let's go to the next place!"

"Hmm? Where to?"

"You'll see when you come with me!"

Tzuyu kept everyone in suspense, as she rarely has the opportunity to come out on her own. She had only come out with Jeongyeon before, but today it was a different person. She wondered if this older brother would like the kids. The two held hands and walked slowly with the people coming down the mountain.

Yes, right after hanging the lock, Chou Tzu-yu took Liu Bai-yuan's hand, and the latter didn't refuse. The two of them...

Hand in hand, under the dim streetlights and the watchful eye of the bright moon, we walked down the mountain, just like many other couples around us.

However, Liu Baiyuan and Zhou Ziyu were unaware that a playful couple had suddenly appeared at the spot where they had just hung their locks. Just as the man was cornered against the wall by his girlfriend and slammed his back against the lock, a lock quietly broke in a corner unnoticed by anyone.

"Oh my!"

"What's wrong?"

The man seemed to hear a cracking sound and was immediately startled. This sudden reaction also startled his girlfriend, who asked him a question.

"It's nothing, you must have misheard."

The man turned to look at the lock on the wall, and seeing nothing unusual, he didn't pay any attention to it. The two then left.

But perhaps only the moon saw it: the small lock that Mina had hung up earlier now had a crack quietly appearing on its lock...

This crack may not be fatal, but in severe weather like strong winds and heavy rain, it could very well cause the lock to break completely...

On the other side, with Zhou Ziyu leading the way, Liu Baiyuan and she arrived at a rather inconspicuous alley. There was only one shop open, and a somewhat worn red cross at the entrance revealed the nature of the business.

"This is......?"

"This is an animal shelter."

Chou Tzu-yu, with practiced ease, took Liu Bai-yuan's hand again. A bright smile appeared beneath the mask that covered half her face, and her crescent-shaped eyes seemed to be comparing their beauty with the moon.

"Pet shelter..."

Liu Baiyuan's attention wasn't on Zhou Ziyu's face at this moment, but rather on the shelter. He recalled the stray cat that he and Mina had taken to the pet hospital before, and wondered how it was doing now.

It was obvious that this wasn't Chou Tzu-yu's first time here; she seemed very familiar with the place. Even the cats and dogs inside seemed to recognize her, wagging their tails like propellers the moment they saw her.

"Wow, it seems you're quite popular here."

"Of course, I'm very popular here."

Just as Chou Tzu-yu finished speaking, a man walked out of the room. As for the man's appearance...

To put it nicely, they fit the stereotypes that people have about Korean men from the Korean Peninsula.

The body of a double-door refrigerator, the tight and well-fitting "watermelon-shaped" head, the smile on his face with an indescribable greasiness, and most importantly... his inexplicable attentiveness to Chou Tzu-yu.

"Oh my, Tzuyu?! You haven't been here in ages!"

The man seemed extremely surprised by Chou Tzu-yu's arrival, but his unusual enthusiasm and the excitement hidden in his eyes made Liu Baiyuan feel...

I felt unwell for a while.

Men understand men best, and while Zhou Ziyu might not have noticed, Liu Baiyuan saw right through her. It seemed this man had a thing for Zhou Ziyu.

"Yes, I've been quite busy lately, so I haven't been able to come as often."

"Haha, that's how celebrities are. You have no idea. There are so many people around me who are your fans. When I tell them I know you, they don't believe me."

The man walked with Chou Tzu-yu as if they were old friends. He subconsciously ignored Liu Bai-yuan behind her, treating him only as her manager. If he was her manager, what did he have to do with her?

All he cared about was Chou Tzu-yu. He didn't even notice that the two of them had walked in hand in hand; his gaze remained fixed on Chou Tzu-yu's face.

"Wangcai has become a bit depressed since you haven't been here for a while."

The man very attentively led Zhou Ziyu to a small dog. When Zhou Ziyu saw it, a smile immediately appeared on her face.

Wangcai is the name that Chou Tzu-yu gave to this puppy.

Back then, before Chou Tzu-yu debuted, she happened to see this dying puppy on the roadside and quickly brought it to this shelter.

Later, due to the shelter's unspoken rule that whoever brought the puppy was responsible for naming it, Chou Tzu-yu named it Wangcai. Perhaps... this is also part of the strange DNA of Chinese people.

Zhou Ziyu picked up the puppy, looked it over, and saw that it hadn't gotten hurt from fighting with other puppies. Instead, it had become even rounder, which made her feel a little happy.

Ignoring the attentive man beside her, she instead carried the little dog, who seemed excited to see her, to Liu Baiyuan and said, "Brother, look, this little dog is the one I brought here. It's so affectionate with me!"

Chou Tzu-yu said to Liu Bai-yuan as if she were taking credit, and the latter, seeing her joyful smile, unconsciously smiled as well, and said to her, "It looks like a little mongrel, and a bit like a Shiba Inu."

He carefully examined the little dog in front of him. It seemed to have the憨厚 (honest and simple) nature of a mixed-breed dog, and the sillyness of a Shiba Inu. It was a bit strange, like a mixed breed.

Sana Minatozaki: Shiba Inu? You better not have been secretly cursing me.

"Hehe, yes, the staff here identified this puppy as a cross between a Shiba Inu father and a mixed-breed dog mother."

Liu Baiyuan nodded in realization. Zhou Ziyu then told him some more about the puppy, and their affectionate behavior naturally caught the man's attention.

Or rather, it was only now that he noticed Liu Baiyuan. The latter's exquisitely beautiful face made him pause in surprise, and a strange sense of inferiority welled up in his heart. The intimate way he was with Zhou Ziyu made him feel very uncomfortable.

He'd known Chou Tzu-yu for about a year and a half. There hadn't been much of a fuss before, but ever since Chou Tzu-yu debuted last year, he knew he had a powerful backer. He and Chou Tzu-yu already had a good relationship, and if he could maintain it and take it to the next level, it would be very beneficial in the future.

Having a celebrity girlfriend, how prestigious is that!

Unfortunately, Chou Tzu-yu's attitude was always somewhat aloof, only becoming more enthusiastic when interacting with small animals. However, Liu Bai-yuan, this man who suddenly appeared, managed to make Chou Tzu-yu greet him with a smile, which naturally made his tone somewhat displeased.

"Aniyaseiyo, my name is Kim Jun-hyuk, and I'm a veterinarian at this pet hospital shelter. May I ask who you are?"

Although the man's words seemed flawless, his tone was full of scrutiny.

Upon hearing Jin Junhe's words, Liu Baiyuan frowned slightly. "You came up here and started fussing over Zhou Ziyu and touching her inappropriately. I haven't even bothered you yet, and you've already started causing trouble for me?"

Before Liu Baiyuan could speak, Zhou Ziyu spoke up first, saying, "Junhyuk oppa, he's a very, very close oppa of mine. He came with me today to see these little guys."

Zhou Ziyu took the initiative to introduce Liu Baiyuan to Jin Junhe. She was so excited when she saw the animals that she forgot to introduce her older brother.

Upon hearing Zhou Ziyu's words, Kim Junhyuk nodded as if he had just realized what she meant, but his eyes did not relax.

This scene was also witnessed by Liu Baiyuan, but Zhou Ziyu seemed not to have noticed it... or to put it more realistically, it was simply because she didn't care about Jin Junhe's reaction. To her, Jin Junhe was just a pet doctor she knew.

While Kim Jun-hyuk turned around to lead the way inside, Liu Baiyuan whispered to Zhou Ziyu beside him, "Ziyu, your veterinarian friend seems a bit strange..."