Peninsula: The young master is poor and doesn't want to date.

Chapter 21 What's wrong with taking a second look?

Bae Joo-hyun has never done anything so shameful in her life.

It's more embarrassing than forgetting your lines on stage.

It's more embarrassing than being photographed in an unflattering way.

It's even more embarrassing than confessing my feelings to a convenience store clerk at 2 a.m. in Kowloon Village last time.

She is now standing in the stairwell of a dilapidated building.

Third floor.

In front of that rickety iron gate.

She was wrapped up in a long black coat that reached her ankles, completely covering herself.

But inside the coat.

black silk.

Short skirt.

There was also a black tight-fitting top that she had searched the entire dormitory to find.

Seulgi said it was the kind of thing where "she wore it to a birthday party once and got a warning from the company."

This feels like a secret investigator from some kind of action movie.

She only had one thought in her mind right now.

Bae Joo-hyun, you're really crazy.

I received a message from Li Zhengyi at 1 a.m., which contained only four words.

If you don't come, we'll break up.

She stared at those four words for a full five minutes.

Then she did something she herself looked down on: she replied, "[Coming]".

coming.

Just two words.

She wanted to slap herself.

What are you humming about?

You are a popular female idol.

You are the leader of Red Velvet.

You are the new generation's most beautiful face, praised to the skies by the media.

You ran to this run-down place, Kowloon Village, in the middle of the night, and because a convenience store worker made a four-word threat, you obediently agreed.

But her body is more honest than her mind.

make up.

Change clothes.

Put on your coat.

Put on a mask and hat.

I called a taxi.

She was mentally preparing herself the whole way.

It's okay, he's just a smart aleck.

Last time in his room, we were so close, but in the end we still had to back away.

He just likes to tease people; he doesn't really want anything in return.

And this time, she really did wrong him.

She yelled so loudly, saying "I hate you," but the other person was helping her the whole time.

What's wrong with letting him see black stockings for a couple of seconds?

There won’t be any missing pieces of meat.

Consider it a thank you gift.

Correct.

Thank you gift.

It's simply a matter of repaying kindness.

Bae Joo-hyun took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

The door opened.

Li Zhengyi leaned against the door frame, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, still wearing the same faded T-shirt and loose sweatpants.

He looked her up and down, his gaze lingering for a second on her heavily wrapped coat.

"Wearing so much?"

Bae Joo-hyun felt a throbbing in her temple.

"...It's cold outside."

"Come in."

She stepped inside.

The room is still so small.

A single bed, a simple wardrobe, a small table, and a laptop.

The window was cracked open, and a chilly night wind blew in.

But there was an extra table lamp compared to the last time I came, and the orange light made the room feel surprisingly cozy.

Li Zheng closed the door, then went to close the window and draw the curtains.

He walked to the bedside, sat down, crossed his legs, and gestured with his chin toward her.

"Take off your coat."

Bae Joo-hyun stood by the door, her fingers gripping the collar of her coat, frozen in place.

"Didn't you say... you just wanted to take a look?"

"Yeah, just looking. But you're all bundled up like a dumpling, what am I supposed to look at? Your coat?"

Bae Joo-hyun bit her lower lip, thinking to herself, "I'll hold back."

She unbuttoned her coat, her movements as slow as a bomb disposal expert defusing a fuse.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then he took a deep breath, took off his coat, and draped it over the back of the chair next to him.

The outfit underneath the coat was fully revealed.

Li Zhengyi almost dropped the cigarette in his mouth.

Black tight-fitting top.

Bodycon mini skirt.

Her long legs, encased in black stockings, were followed by cameras on the music show stage, and the material of the stockings shimmered with a velvety sheen under the warm light of the stage lamp.

She stood there, her hands clasped tightly, her face as red as a boiled egg, her eyes fixed on the floor, her eyelashes trembling like a tractor.

This scene is better than any girl group's music show performance.

Li Zheng took the cigarette out of his mouth and chuckled.

"Wow, is this the legendary divine beauty?"

"Shut up."

"I'm genuinely complimenting you. Look at your legs. You're quite short, but your proportions are really good."

"If you say that again, I'll put my coat back on."

"Fine, fine, I won't say."

He stood up and slowly walked up to her.

The two were less than two steps apart.

Bae Joo-hyun instinctively stepped back, only to have her back pressed against the door panel again.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a stubborn refusal to back down, but her ears were already bright red.

"Have you seen enough?"

"No. You promised to wear black stockings, I haven't properly checked them yet."

"Inspect...inspect the goods? Am I a courier?"

"The delivery guy isn't as good-looking as you."

Bae Joo-hyun was speechless.

She couldn't tell if he was genuinely praising her or just teasing her, but her heart definitely skipped a beat.

Li Zheng took a half step back, crossed his arms, tilted his head and looked at her, the smile on his lips looking incredibly irritating.

"Turn around once."

"...What?"

"Turn around. Like a model walking the runway."

Bae Joo-hyun glared at him, but her foot still moved.

Stiff and unsure of what to do with his hands, he awkwardly turned around, his movements even less precise than a robot learning to walk for the first time.

"No, this is too stiff. Do you think this is military training?"

"So what exactly do you want?!"

"Take another turn, walk like a cat, from there to there."

He pointed to the distance from the table to the window, about four steps.

Bae Joo-hyun took a deep breath and thought, "I've already embarrassed myself this much, so what if I embarrass myself a little more?"

She composed herself, straightened her back, and took her first step.

The second step was much better.

In the third step, she even regained some of the feeling she had when practicing catwalk in the practice room.

He went to the window, turned around, and walked back.

This time, Li Zhengyi remained silent.

He leaned against the table, his smug smile turning into one of appreciation.

When she walked back and stood in front of him, he said:

"That's more like it. We'll walk like this on stage from now on and completely overshadow all the other girl groups."

"There's choreography on stage, it's not just walking."

"Then add a walking choreography. Right in the center of the front row, make sure they don't know it at all."

Bae Joo-hyun finally couldn't help but laugh.

But it stopped immediately.

No, you can't laugh.

If you laugh, you lose.

Li Zheng caught a glimpse of that fleeting smile and thought to himself, "This woman has a pretty smile, but she just doesn't like to smile."

But he didn't hold back with his words.

"Alright, inspection complete. Sit down."

"Where should I sit?"

Li Zhengyi looked around his ten-square-meter mansion.

There was only one chair, with her coat draped over it.

The ground is too cold.

The bed is the only place I can sit.

"On the bed."

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at the single bed, then at him.

"Don't worry, I'll sit in the chair, and you sit on the bed. There's a social distance of an entire human civilization between us."

Bae Joo-hyun hesitated for a moment, but finally sat down on the edge of the bed. She only sat on one-third of the bed, her upper body was taut, and her hands were on her knees. Her posture was as standard as if she were attending a seminar.

No, who would wear black stockings and a miniskirt to a serious forum?

Li Zheng pulled over a chair, straddled it backwards, rested his arm on the back of the chair, and put his chin on his arm as he looked at her.

"The way you're sitting, it looks like you're here for a job interview."

"It was an interview after all."

"Oh, what position are you interviewing for?"

"A user of shields."

Li Zheng raised an eyebrow: "Is this position highly competitive?"

"You're the only applicant right now."

"Then I must be very expensive."

"Aren't you working at a convenience store? How expensive can it be?"

Li Zheng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

This woman has a quick tongue when she's roasting people.

"Alright, since we're talking about salary, let's do the math."