Peninsula: My e-sports dream shattered, I chose to become an actor.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our flight is about to..."

"Um……"

The announcement echoed long and drawn out in the cabin. Bae Suzy slowly woke up from her sleep and instinctively stretched out a big yawn.

Her slender arms were raised above her head, and her waistline stretched out in a beautiful arc, perfectly showcasing the superior curves hidden beneath her casual wear.

She rubbed her eyes groggily, only then belatedly realizing the soft warmth against her chest.

A clean blanket was neatly draped over him, its edges carefully tucked into the gaps between the armrest and the side of his waist, fitting perfectly and clearly not just tossed aside.

She blinked, and most of her lingering sleepiness dissipated.

Turning my head, I saw Li Mingye beside me, resting his chin on his hand, gazing absently at the surging sea of ​​clouds outside the porthole, his profile silhouetted against the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Bae Suzy raised her hand and gently patted his arm, her tone unconsciously carrying the sticky snot that comes with just waking up:

"Did you cover me with the blanket?"

Li Mingye was brought back to his senses by her tap, turned his head, and looked away from the distant horizon, his gaze landing on her face.

He chuckled softly, nodded, and didn't say anything more.

Bae Suzy's eyes narrowed at his calm demeanor; she tilted her head and said in a deliberately teasing tone:

"Wow... Mingye's really good at this, he's successfully made Nuna's heart flutter—"

She paused, raised her hand, pinched a barely visible gap between her thumb and forefinger, and waved it in the air:

"——Just a little while."

She blinked and added, "Just a tiny bit."

This half-joking remark, coupled with her signature playful expression, should have been quite effective.

However, Li Mingye simply maintained that faint smile, his voice remaining calm:

"Even if I don't cover it up, the flight attendant will come and cover it up. Don't worry about it."

After saying that, he turned his head back and looked out the window again.

Those deep eyes reflected the layers of clouds outside the porthole, and it was unclear what he was thinking. He seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, making him difficult to see clearly.

Bae Suzy's mouth opened slightly, but the playful remark that was about to come out got stuck halfway through.

What's going on?

She blinked in disbelief.

Although the "heart flutter" comment was mostly a joke, according to the normal script, shouldn't the guy take advantage of the situation or at least show a little bit of embarrassment?

Why would someone intentionally sabotage themselves and ruin their own reputation?

Why did his emotional intelligence suddenly drop after he woke up?

She glared at Li Mingye's sharply defined profile with some resentment, secretly thinking to herself:

Why pretend to be so profound? Seriously...

Despite her inner grumbling, her gaze involuntarily lingered on that profile.

In my line of sight, Li Mingye leaned against the porthole, his chin resting lightly on one hand, his elbow on the armrest of the seat.

His posture was relaxed and casual, yet it carried an innate nobility.

Those eyes, which always held a smile, were now quietly gazing at the surging sea of ​​clouds outside the window. A faint calmness settled between her brows and eyes, her expression revealing nothing, as if she had carefully gathered all her emotions into some unseen box.

The cabin announcements, the whispers of the passengers behind, the soft clatter of cups and plates as the trolley passed by—all the surrounding noise seemed to be blocked out by an invisible barrier.

He stood there quietly gazing at the flowing sky, a subtle melancholy etched on his brow, lost in thought.

Bae Suzy felt her heart skip a beat.

Wow... Does this person even realize they're glowing?

As if sensing her burning gaze, Li Mingye suddenly turned around, meeting Bae Suzy's completely stunned eyes. He tilted his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his expression:

"What's wrong with Nuna?"

"..."

Bae Suzy was unusually unable to respond immediately.

She turned around with some difficulty, sat up straight, and stared intently at a non-existent stain on the back of the seat in front of her.

She bit her lower lip tightly, and quietly pressed one hand against her chest—not pretending, but really pressing it.

The heartbeats there are raging wildly at a completely uncontrolled frequency.

Ruined.

She had actually known for a long time that this junior was a perfect match for her aesthetic.

As a serious looks-obsessed person, her impression of Lee Myung-yeop has never been low since the first time she saw him in the JYP corridor.

She always knew in her heart how much of the subsequent closeness and care she received was due to his special background.

But she only just found out that it actually matched to this extent.

Holy crap! How can there be such a handsome man!

Was he just thinking about another woman? No, that's not important. What's important is the way he looked when he was thinking about another woman—so preoccupied, his eyes downcast, yet somehow...

stop.

Stop immediately.

Bae Soo-ji mentally grabbed the runaway horse and dragged it back into the enclosure of reason.

She cleared her throat, put on her composed senior demeanor again, and lightly patted Li Mingye's thigh.

"Get ready to disembark."

"Okay."

Li Mingye's voice remained indifferent, as if the silent storm that had just erupted had only occurred within her own heart.

Bae Suzy gritted her teeth inwardly, deciding to let bygones be bygones with this person for the time being.

……

After getting off the plane and getting into the van arranged by the production team, Bae Suzy finally had a chance to temporarily clear her mind of all the messy thoughts.

She turned to the side and bombarded Li Mingye with a barrage of questions.

"You stayed in Xiaoxiang for a long time?"

"Yes, I've stayed in quite a few places in China, but Hunan is one of the places I've stayed in the longest."

"So you're very familiar with the food here?"

"It's alright."

At this point, Bae Suzy's eyes suddenly lit up.

"How about we grab something to grab after we finish filming?"

"Um, okay."

After a brief moment of thought, he patted his chest and confidently agreed.

If someone were to be photographed taking Bae Suzy out for food on the streets of Xiaoxiang, their name would probably be trending on social media tomorrow.

But then I thought, I can just bring the rest of the group. Besides, we have work to do in the background, so there shouldn't be any outrageous rumors circulating.

The car slowly came to a stop. Li Mingye straightened his collar, took a deep breath, then pushed open the car door and stepped out.

He was greeted by a deafening chorus of screams.