Peninsula: A Comeback After Losing the Election

Being quarantined at home for 14 days seems tough, but time really flies when you're busy; a day goes by in no time.

When Yang Chen came out of the master bedroom, An Youzhen was setting the table with dishes: shredded pork with green peppers, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, Mapo tofu, and seaweed and egg drop soup. Zhang Yuanying was already sitting at the table with a bowl of rice in front of her, but she hadn't touched her chopsticks.

"Three dishes and a soup again today?" Yang Chen sat down opposite him. "Youzhen, that's too lavish."

Ahn Yoo-jin took off her apron and sat down next to him. "I was worried you wouldn't have enough to eat."

Yang Chen picked up a piece of Mapo Tofu and chewed it. "Delicious, better than the one I made the day before yesterday." South Korean cuisine also has Mapo Tofu, but it's sweet and spicy. Yang Chen really didn't appreciate it when Ahn Yoo-jin made it for the first time.

Ahn Yoo-jin smiled. "Of course."

Yang Chen took another bite of the shredded pork with green peppers. "Your cooking is getting better and better. If you practice for a few more days, I'm afraid I'll be out of a job." An Youzhen smiled even more broadly, her eyes curving into two crescent moons. "Being out of a job is just fine, I'll support you."

"Ahem, well then I'll have to work hard."

Yang Chen picked up the conversation, and An Youzhen was about to speak when Zhang Yuanying's chopsticks tapped against the edge of her bowl, interrupting her.

Zhang Yuanying picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks, chewed it, and felt that it was just so-so, not as delicious as her father's cooking.

After dinner, the three of them sprawled on the sofa to digest. Ahn Yoo-jin, hugging a cushion, leaned against the left armrest and scrolled through her phone. Jang Won-young sat on the right, casually flipping through her phone, but her listless eyes showed her mind was elsewhere. Yang Chen sat in the middle, also holding a phone, scrolling through Douyin (TikTok).

He's been scrolling through top accounts, celebrity accounts, and viral videos for the past few days, checking out fan comments.

Ahn Yujin leaned closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Oppa, what are you watching? It's not in Korean, are you watching Chinese videos?"

"TikTok, the super popular TT on foreign websites is their product." Yang Chen tilted his phone slightly towards her. "It has a lot of traffic and gets exposure quickly. It's very useful in the Dongda Market area."

Ahn Yoo-jin glanced at it a few times, didn't understand, and rested her chin back on his shoulder. She said "Oh" and closed her eyes.

Yang Chen felt a little uncomfortable, but did not push him away.

Zhang Yuanying snapped out of her daze and glared at Ahn Yujin, who blinked like a puppy. Zhang Yuanying decided to ignore this shameless woman and turned her gaze to Yang Chen's phone screen. "Oppa, is that Douyin video you're watching really that amazing?"

"Look, the videos it mainly outputs are short, simple, and fast-paced, which easily fills our fragmented time." Yang Chen turned his phone to show her. "You can take it out and watch it when you go to the toilet, when you're in line, or when you're waiting for someone."

"For example, we are currently in home quarantine, and many people are like us, unable to work at home and bored. Can't we watch videos to pass the time?"

"What's terrifying is that it makes you lose track of time; two hours can pass in the blink of an eye. You could open this feature in the future; it would be helpful for the Dongda Market."

Zhang Yuanying stared thoughtfully at the continuously looping short video on the screen. An Youzhen asked Yang Chen to share the app with her.

After chatting for a while, the three of them took turns washing up. Zhang Yuanying and An Youzhen went back to their respective rooms, and Yang Chen lay down on the sofa, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He kept thinking about An Youzhen's actions that day, and then about Douyin (TikTok). As he thought, his consciousness sank.

He was awakened by a sound in the middle of the night, as if someone was whispering in his ear. No! Someone was talking.

"...At that moment, I froze completely. I couldn't move, and my mind went blank."

"I've thought about it a lot. I've thought about my father and my mother. I'm worried about how heartbroken they would be if something really happened to me."

"From childhood to adulthood, I've always been the 'perfect child' in everyone's eyes. I debuted as the center of IZ*ONE at the age of 14. I thought, I'm so young, so successful, my life has just begun, how can it end here?"

Zhang Yuanying's voice was tinged with a sob, and her warm breath brushed against Yang Chen's ear, making him feel ticklish. Yang Chen dared not open his eyes, afraid that she would notice.

"Then you rushed over and pushed me away. You were covered in blood. I thought you were going to die."

Her hands rested on the edge of the sofa as she looked down at his perfect face, her hair falling down and brushing against Yang Chen's face.

"At that time, I was thinking, what would I do if you died? When you were transferred from the intensive care unit to a regular ward, I felt like it was already dawn. I held your hand and stayed by your side all night."

"Later, I always thought, if you hadn't saved me that day, where would I be now?"

Yang Chen's face felt a little itchy; so this is what it feels like to be brushed by a girl's hair.

"I was so happy the day you woke up, even happier than the night I debuted. But I didn't dare face you. I was afraid you would hate me, hate someone who had hurt you so badly."

Yuan Ying, I don't know what would have become of me if it weren't for the system, but because of you I got the system, you are my lucky goddess.

"When we met again, you were already on the starship. Seeing you made my heart race. Isn't this fate?"

"The third time, the fourth time... every time I see you, my heart races. I can confirm that this isn't the so-called suspension bridge effect; I truly, truly feel it..."

Zhang Yuanying stopped and remained silent for a moment.

"Oppa, Yang Chen oppa, I can confirm it, I am yours, you are mine."

Her fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the sofa.

"We're destined to be entangled for life, don't you think so too?"

Yang Chen lay there, listening to these words, his scalp tingling. The muscles in his back were tense, and his fingers gripped the edge of the blanket.

Zhang Yuanying ran her fingers along his cheek, lowered her head, and pressed her lips to his. It wasn't the fleeting, light kisses that had landed on his cheek before; it was real, lips to lips.

Yang Chen's breath hitched.

Her lips were soft and slightly cool. She pressed them against his, paused for a second, then extended the tip of her tongue and gently licked his lips.

Yang Chen felt her trying to crawl in, and his mind instantly became completely clear.

He pretended to turn over, raised his arm, stretched, and mumbled something indistinctly.

Zhang Yuanying blushed instantly, her face turning bright red to her ears. As if afraid he would notice, she hurriedly stood up and ran back to the master bedroom in a panic.

After a while, Yang Chen sat up, touching his lips as if they still held her warmth. Her words from just now echoed in his mind, sending a chill down his spine.

Yang Chen's previous impression of Zhang Yuanying came from a TV show, where she was always an outgoing person, practically a source of joy. After getting to know her, Yang Chen found the contrast quite striking. After all, it's normal to have two different personas in real life, but now it seems there's something fishy going on.

"Sigh~"

Yang Chen lay down and continued to sleep.

He didn't notice that the door to the master bedroom only closed after he lay down.

Zhang Yuanying leaned against the master bedroom door, her shyness completely gone, replaced by a strange smile. Her eyes gleamed in the darkness, and she touched her lips with her fingers.