NABC Chapter 39 I will never forgive her!
Chapter 39 I will never forgive her!
Chapter 39 I will never forgive her!
As Jiang Yongtai walked to the dining table, Jiang Huiyuan immediately greeted him with a smile, taking his arm and speaking in a voice so sweet it could melt your heart: "Oppa, you're so slow~"
Jiang Yongtai glanced at her, perfectly ignoring her coquettish tone, and looked past her to the girl opposite him, matching her name with her identity.
Kwon Eunbi, the leader of IZ*ONE, and the oldest member of the group.
When Kang Hye-won participated in the talent show, she forced him to contribute to the ratings every episode and even used his phone to register a voting account, so he was not unfamiliar with Kwon Eun-bi, but this was the first time he had met her in person.
He pulled his arm out of Jiang Huiyuan's arms and bowed slightly.
"Eunbi, hello, I'm Hye-won's oppa, Kang Young-tae. Thank you for taking care of Hye-won."
Kwon Eunbi quickly stood up, clutched her chest, and bowed in return. Her movements were a little hurried, and her long hair fell down.
"Hello, Yongtai i, that's what I should do."
When Jiang Yongtai straightened up, he could see her outfit clearly. She was even more striking in person than on TV. However, he didn't linger on her and politely looked away, returning his gaze to his younger sister.
"Huiyuan must give you a lot of trouble, right? You can tell me, and I'll teach her a lesson."
Oppa!
'
Jiang Huiyuan pouted, patted his arm, and then turned to look at Quan Enbi, her eyes filled with "Say a good word for me."
"Unnie, don't you think I'm usually very well-behaved!"
Kwon Eunbi awkwardly forced a smile. "Yes, Hye-won usually—"
She glanced at Jiang Huiyuan, whose expression held a hint of warning, and made a difficult choice between "honesty" and "survival".
"Huiyuan is usually very well-behaved, so I haven't had to worry about her much."
She emphasized the word "very" a little more, as a way of giving herself some psychological comfort in lying.
Jiang Huiyuan proudly raised her chin and looked at Jiang Yongtai.
"See, I told you, Oppa, don't think of me as so mischievous!"
Looking at the hesitant expression on Quan Enfei's face, and then at his younger sister's "look how well-behaved I am" look, Jiang Yongtai said indifferently, "I know what kind of person you are."
However, he did not intend to embarrass himself in front of outsiders, so he turned to Kwon Eun-bi, gestured for her to sit down, and softened his tone.
"Eunbi, please have a seat. You must have been waiting for a long time. Hye-won, have you ordered yet?"
Jiang Huiyuan pulled him down to sit, winked at him, and began to act like a proper lady.
"Not yet, Oppa isn't here yet, how can we order before then~"
Kwon Eunbi sat down again, picked up her water glass and took a sip. She secretly glanced at the brother and sister opposite her from above the rim of the glass, a question slowly forming in her mind.
Was today's meal really, as Huiyuan said, a dinner arranged by Jiang Yongtai to thank her for taking care of Huiyuan?
From the moment he entered until now, Jiang Yongtai's reaction doesn't seem to indicate that he knew anything about it.
Jiang Yongtai glanced at Jiang Huiyuan speechlessly. This person, who used to lie on the sofa at home with her feet up and clamoring for fried rice cakes, was now acting like a lady.
He didn't respond to her, and turned his gaze to the other side.
"Eunbi i".
"Um?
Kwon Eun-bi snapped out of her reverie, quickly put down her water glass, and forced an awkward yet polite smile.
Do you have any dietary restrictions?
"Uh, no, I just finished my comeback recently, so I can eat more freely now."
She smiled, and this time it was genuine.
Being able to eat whatever you want after the comeback period is a rare little happiness for all girl group members.
Jiang Yongtai nodded and gestured for a waiter not far away to come over.
He glanced at the menu, ordered three set meals, closed the menu, and handed it back to the waiter.
After the waiter left, Jiang Huiyuan moved closer to him, her voice filled with obvious disappointment.
"Oppa, how about having some wine?"
As a well-known wine lover in IZONE, I feel that in this kind of atmosphere, it would be a shame not to have a drink!
Jiang Yongtai glanced at her. "I need to drive."
He paused, but since Kwon Eunbi was still opposite him, he added a sentence.
"Would you like something to drink, Consort Eun?"
"Uh—" Kwon Eunbi looked embarrassed.
She doesn't actually like drinking, and her alcohol tolerance is ridiculously low.
When her sisters clamor to have a drinking party, she always just sits on the side with a glass of juice, occasionally being coaxed into taking a small sip, at which point she'll blush and giggle like an idiot. Afterwards, she'll be photographed and posted in the group chat to be laughed at for days.
But Kang Hye-won's eyes were fixed on her intently, flashing a "please, unnie" signal. She bit her lower lip and gave in.
"I can have a little bit, I don't have any plans tomorrow."
She gestured with her fingers to indicate the range of drinks she could have.
Jiang Yongtai knew nothing about her alcohol tolerance, so he nodded and called the waiter back to add another bottle of red wine.
After the waiter left again, Kwon Eun-bi and Kang Young-tae quieted down once more.
Jiang Huiyuan picked up her water glass, took a sip, and glanced between the two of them.
What a joke! Jiang Huiyuan is a well-known social butterfly in the team, how could she let the dinner party fall flat!
She put the cup back on the table and proudly raised her chin to look at Kwon Eunbi across from her.
"Unnie, isn't my oppa handsome?"
Kwon Eunbi was startled and looked up, where she saw the two people sitting opposite her at the same time.
Jiang Yongtai has deep facial features; the lines of his brow bone and nose bridge look as if they were sculpted. He sits there quietly but is not easily overlooked.
Kang Hye-won is also very beautiful. Kwon Eun-bi used to think she was the most beautiful member of the group, but now that the two of them are sitting on the same side and she is comparing them, she realizes that the siblings don't actually look alike.
Kwon Eunbi realized she had been staring at the other person's face for too long, so she quickly looked away and gave a polite smile.
"—Yes, Yongtai is indeed very handsome. You and your siblings are both very good-looking, but—"
She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "Huiyuan, are you siblings?"
She had thought this question would embarrass Jiang Huiyuan, but to her surprise, Jiang Huiyuan simply smiled and answered generously.
"Of course not!"
She pointed to Jiang Yongtai, who looked helpless, and then to her own face.
"Unnie, you don't think we look alike, do you?"
Kwon Eunbi paused for a moment, "Then why did you keep saying he was your dear oppa in the dorm?"
Jiang Huiyuan chuckled and turned to look at Jiang Yongtai.
"Oppa, can I say it?"
Jiang Yongtai nodded silently. Even if they didn't let the girl say it here, Quan Enfei could still find out by asking Cui Yena when she got back.
"Then I'll tell you~"
Jiang Huiyuan blinked, moved a little closer to Quan Enfei, lowered her voice, and gave a mysterious look to her face.
"Actually, Oppa is someone I picked up when I was a child—"
Before she could finish speaking, she received a sharp tap on the forehead. Jiang Huiyuan cried out, clutching her forehead, and glared accusingly at Jiang Yongtai.
Jiang Yongtai calmly withdrew his hand and looked at Quan Enfei, who had a dignified expression.
"I told you to speak, not to talk nonsense, Eunbi. Don't listen to her lies. I was actually adopted, and the reason is—"
He glanced at Jiang Huiyuan, who was covering her forehead and protesting with her eyes.
"Because when Huiyuan was pregnant with her second child, she kept making a fuss, saying she didn't want a younger brother, she wanted a older brother."
My mother and father were at their wits' end with her antics, and since Huiyuan had been excessively mischievous since she was three, they wanted someone to discipline her, so they adopted me from an orphanage.
"----ah."
After hearing this, Queen Eun-bi was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
This reason is indeed full of Jiang Huiyuan's personal style: willful, straightforward, unreasonable, yet unconditionally loved by the whole family.
She felt it was inconvenient to say those words aloud, so she looked at Jiang Yongtai apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Yongtai, I didn't expect it to be like this."
Jiang Yongtai smiled and waved to her.
"It's okay, I'm very grateful to my father and mother."
Jiang Huiyuan, having recovered from the pain, glared at Jiang Yongtai.
"Oppa, you're hitting too hard!"
She rubbed her forehead and turned to Kwon Eunbi to add.
"What's the point of having a younger brother? It's better to have an older brother, right, unnie?"
"How old was Yongtai when he came home?"
Seeing that the two of them didn't seem to care about the matter, Queen Eun-bi felt relieved and asked curiously.
Nine years old.
"You already had this grumpy face when you were nine years old, unnie."
Jiang Huiyuan seized the opportunity to make a sarcastic remark, then wrinkled her nose at Jiang Yongtai.
Jiang Yongtai didn't say anything, but directly reached out and pinched the tip of her nose.
Jiang Huiyuan's face was pinched until it was wrinkled, and her nostrils were pinched so she could only breathe through her mouth. She patted his wrist with her hand and mumbled, "Let go, let go."
Kwon Eun-bi couldn't help but laugh out loud; the siblings' relationship was unexpectedly good.
She thought of her oppa, who was also very good to her. When she was in school, he saved up the money he earned from part-time jobs to support her to attend art high school, while he always wore a faded sweatshirt to work.
Her gaze softened unconsciously. She rested her elbow on the table, propped her chin up, and quietly watched the two people across from her who were still making a ruckus.
After the two had finished arguing, the waiter brought out the appetizers and red wine.
He picked up the decanter to pour the wine, but Jiang Yongtai raised his hand to cover the mouth of his glass, indicating that he would drive.
The waiter nodded and poured half a cup for both Kang Hye-won and Kwon Eun-bi.
The three of them started eating.
Kwon Eunbi first ate a few bites of appetizers, then picked up her wine glass and took a sip.
The moment the red wine touched her tongue, her brows furrowed, her face contorted, she instinctively stuck out her tongue, put the glass back on the table, and decided not to touch it again for the time being.
She looked at the man opposite her who was helplessly putting the food that Jiang Huiyuan had picked out to eat into his own mouth.
"What does Yongtae do for a living? Huiyuan only mentioned you as an oppa in the dorm, but she didn't tell us what you do."
Kang Young-tae picked up a piece of cod that Kang Hye-won threw to him and said casually, "Entertainment PD, now on tvN."
Kwon Eun-bi raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise. She had thought this face belonged to some unknown new actor or model, but she didn't expect it to be the PD behind the scenes.
However, she quickly adjusted her expression and casually made a half-joking remark.
"If PDnim has any shows in the future, could you invite me to appear?"
Kwon Eunbi is very clear about her situation. IZ*ONE is indeed very popular now, but the contracts have an expiration date. When the time comes, everyone will return to their respective companies.
Her company is not as good as Jin Caiyuan and Zhang Yuanying's; it has far fewer resources.
She had debuted as a member of a girl group before IZ0NE, but she was so obscure that nobody knew her and thought she was an older trainee from some company.
After this contract ends, she will most likely start anew as a solo artist. Getting to know more entertainment producers and appearing on variety shows will only benefit her.
Moreover, with Jiang Huiyuan's connection, it's not difficult to get along well with Jiang Yongtai, nor is it something that needs to be done deliberately.
Kang Young-tae smiled and said, "Of course, if there's a chance. I've watched IZ*ONE's variety show, and Eunbi has a great sense of variety; she's very funny."
Like Kwon Eun-bi, maintaining good relationships with interesting and ambitious celebrities is also very important to him.
Seeing that the two had started talking about work in a serious manner, Jiang Huiyuan secretly rolled her eyes.
She hadn't planned this candlelight dinner to watch her oppa and Eunbi unnie discuss a collaboration, so she quickly raised her glass and raised her voice by half a tone.
"Oppa, Unnie, stop talking about work! And stop using honorifics all the time, be more friendly~"
Jiang Yongtai sighed inwardly, knowing that this girl had started again.
However, since Hye-won is still in IZ*ONE, getting closer to her leader wouldn't be a bad thing for her.
He put down his chopsticks, looked across at the other side, and said, "Hye-won is right, I'm older than Eun-bi. If it's convenient, just call me Oppa."
Kwon Eunbi thought so too. She was originally an E-person like Kang Hye-won, and after these few rounds of conversation, she didn't think Kang Young-tae was the kind of person she needed to be polite to.
She nodded, her smile shifting from a polite one to a more casual one.
"Then I'll call you Young Tae Oppa, and you can just call me Eunbi."
Jiang Huiyuan raised an eyebrow in satisfaction as she watched the progress.
Nice start!
She raised her glass, emphasizing the evening's ritual: "Let's clink glasses!"
Jiang Yongtai raised his water glass, and Jiang Huiyuan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he hadn't contradicted him.
Jiang Yongtai looked at her mischievously, "Huiyuan, where's your toast?"
Kwon Eunbi smiled and raised her wine glass, waiting for her to speak.
"To celebrate my debut day~"
Jiang Huiyuan hadn't forgotten the reason she'd used to trick Jiang Yongtai into coming out today, so she naturally couldn't afford to mess things up now.
But she forgot one thing: she said to Kang Young-tae, "Celebrating my debut day," but to Kwon Eun-bi, she said, "My oppa is treating you to dinner to thank you for taking care of me."
As expected, when Kwon Eun-bi heard this, a hint of amusement appeared in her eyes as she looked at Kang Hye-won.
"Really? Why didn't you tell me today was your debut day, Hye-won~"
Jiang Huiyuan's smile froze on her face, her hand holding the wine glass stood still in mid-air, and her eyes darted back and forth between Quan Enfei and Jiang Yongtai.
Oh no — the versions are not aligned.
Seeing her "caught red-handed" expression, Jiang Yongtai's lips curled up slightly, and he clinked his cup against hers.
Kwon Eun-bi suppressed a laugh and gently tapped her wine glass against the rim of her own, producing two crisp sounds.
Jiang Huiyuan closed her eyes in frustration, downed the small half-glass of red wine in one gulp, and exhaled.
Just then, the waiter brought over the remaining dishes and main course, and refilled the two ladies' wine.
After downing half a glass of red wine, Kwon Eun-bi's cheeks were completely flushed red.
She put her wine glass on the table, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at Jiang Yongtai across from her, her interest clearly much higher than before.
"What are your hobbies, Oppa?"
Jiang Yongtai was cutting the steak into small pieces for Jiang Huiyuan when he heard this. He looked up and saw the abnormal blush on Quan Enbi's face, and frowned slightly.
Is her alcohol tolerance really that low?
"I'm already very busy with work, and I often work overtime. When I'm resting, I just play games."
Back when I was in college, I enjoyed hiking and mountain climbing.
Kang Hye-won took the cut steak from his hand, and her eyes lit up instantly when she heard Kwon Eun-bi's question about her hobbies.
Finally! Finally back on track, well done Eunbi unnie!
Kwon Eunbi didn't notice the fleeting worry on Kang Young-tae's face.
Her vision was already somewhat unfocused, and she only caught the four words "hiking and trekking." She suddenly became excited and slammed her hands on the table.
"I like it too!"
Jiang Yongtai raised an eyebrow. He could tell that she wasn't just trying to please him; she genuinely liked him, which was somewhat unexpected.
"Eun-bi, you actually like mountain climbing?"
"What, Oppa doesn't believe me?!"
Kwon Eunbi puffed out her cheeks in anger, grabbed the wine glass on the table, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
Jiang Yongtai couldn't even stop her in time and could only watch as she downed the glass of wine.
Jiang Huiyuan watched from the side with her mouth slightly open, forgetting to even put the steak in her mouth.
She had never seen Eunbi drink so freely.
Kwon Eunbi placed the empty glass on the table, frowned, let out a small burp, and patted her chest.
The neckline of her black dress trembled slightly with her movements.
Jiang Yongtai's gaze lingered in that direction for less than half a second before he immediately looked away.
Do not look at what is improper, do not look at what is improper —
"I'm the woman who's going to conquer the Himalayas!"
Kwon Eunbi braced her arm on the table, her voice filled with an air of ambition amplified tenfold by alcohol.
"That's a dream I absolutely must fulfill at least once in my life!"
"Really? You're very brave," Jiang Yongtai said, going along with her.
Kwon Eunbi suddenly quieted down, lowered her eyelashes, and traced circles on the rim of the empty glass with her fingers.
"Don't ignore me, Oppa~ Hiking is therapeutic for me————"
Her voice lowered, as if she were talking to herself.
"I used to think that participating in a talent show was the most painful thing in my life. After the results came out, I went to climb Hallasan Mountain."
When I reached the top of the mountain and looked down, all the clouds were right below me. They would disperse with a gust of wind, and I realized that talent shows weren't such a big deal after all.
If I could come again, I could come ten more times!
She suddenly raised her head, looked at Jiang Huiyuan, raised her fist, and her eyes shone with a light that seemed to be ignited by either alcohol or dreams.
"Don't stop, Huiyuan!"
Jiang Huiyuan was stunned and almost reflexively blurted out "Commander"!
She swallowed hard, lowered her voice, and turned to Jiang Yongtai with a complicated expression.
"Oppa—Eunbi unnie seems drunk. She usually can't even touch alcoholic beverages—"
Jiang Yongtai glanced across the table and saw that Quan Enfei had lowered her fist and was resting her chin on her hand, looking at the candlelight on the table with a hazy, silly smile on her face.
Her eyes were half-closed, her eyelashes casting a small fan-shaped shadow in the candlelight, her cheeks were rosy, and her lips had a moist sheen, making her look as if she had an automatic filter applied.
Then her eyelashes fluttered twice, slowly closed, and she fell asleep sitting up.
Looking at Kwon Eunbi, who was shouting "Conquer the Himalayas" one second and then falling asleep quietly the next, Kang Young-tae couldn't help but think, "She's kind of cute."
He quickly dismissed the thought and turned to stare blankly at Jiang Huiyuan.
"Look what you've done!"
Jiang Huiyuan looked up at him innocently, "I didn't expect it to turn out like this either—"
Jiang Yongtai shook his head and placed the napkin on the table.
"Alright, let's settle the bill. I'll take you home."
"No, Oppa!"
Jiang Huiyuan quickly reached out and pressed down on his wrist with surprisingly strong force.
"What's wrong? Aren't you full yet?"
Jiang Yongtai glanced at the steak she had only eaten a few pieces of and drew his conclusion.
"No, that's not it!" Jiang Huiyuan said anxiously, her tone changing.
"We didn't have any schedules these past few days, so there were hardly any people in the dorm. I was planning to sleep at Oppa's house tonight anyway."
Eunbi unnie said she was going back to her apartment later, but she definitely can't go alone like this!
"Why not just send her back to her dorm?"
Jiang Yongtai was a little confused. Wasn't there someone in the dormitory? Then it would be alright to take care of Quan Enbi, the team leader, right?
"Uh, it's best not to—"
Jiang Huiyuan hesitated for a moment, and a rare look of seriousness appeared on her face.
"Right now, only Sakura unnie, Nako, and Hitomi are in the dorm. It's better for me to take care of the drunk Eunbi unnie than to have them do it myself—"
A strong sense of foreboding welled up in Jiang Yongtai's heart.
He looked at Jiang Huiyuan, and Jiang Huiyuan looked at him; their eyes clashed in the air.
Then Jiang Huiyuan took a deep breath, tucked her chin in slightly, and lowered the corners of her eyes, adopting a classic expression that had worked every time since she was a child.
"Oppa, let me take Eunbi unnie to your house for the night~ I promise I won't bother you~"
Jiang Yongtai looked at Quan Enbi, who was curled up in the back seat with her head tilted to the side.
She was completely asleep, her lips moving slightly, lost in her dreams, conquering some mountain.
She glanced again at Jiang Huiyuan in the passenger seat, who was trying her best to put on an expression that said, "I am innocent, I am wronged, and I have no choice." She then rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath.
"I already agreed to let her come to my house, so why did I have to carry her upstairs?"
"Oppa, I drank too~"
Jiang Huiyuan pouted and began to emit a charming light wave that always managed to repel Jiang Yongtai.
Jiang Yongtai turned her head around and made her look at the windshield.
"Don't look at me like that, I'll do it, okay? —"
Jiang Huiyuan had her back to him, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.
Operation successful!
-
Jiang Yongtai sighed, got out of the car, went around to the back seat, opened the door, and helped Quan Enfei up from the seat. He put one hand around her shoulder and the other hand on her back.
Kwon Eunbi's head rested softly on his shoulder, her breath brushing against his neck, carrying the scent of red wine.
He tilted his head and whispered something to Jiang Huiyuan, who was still lounging in the passenger seat.
"Why don't you come and help me out!"
Jiang Huiyuan could hear the impatience in his tone, so she quickly stopped smiling smugly, got out of the car, and walked around.
The two of them worked together to move Kwon Eun-bi out of the car, turned around, and put her arm around Kang Young-tae's shoulder.
He bent down, lifted her legs with both hands, and Quan Enfei leaned against his back.
She was lighter than he had imagined, but the thin fabric of her black dress offered little protection; her soft touch pressed against him through the two layers of clothing.
Jiang Yongtai shook his head, lifted Quan Enfei up a little higher, and glared at Jiang Huiyuan with annoyance.
"Let's go."
Jiang Huiyuan chuckled, carrying her and Quan Enbi's coats, and followed behind him. The three of them entered the apartment building.
While waiting for the elevator, a gust of wind blew in from the stairwell entrance, causing Kwon Eun-bi to shiver in her sleep and her brows to furrow slightly.
She instinctively tightened her arms, locking Jiang Yongtai's neck, and pressed her face tightly against the back of his neck.
Her breath brushed against his skin, still carrying a hint of lingering alcohol. Her lips brushed against his neck, as if finding the warmest spot.
Jiang Yongtai froze for a moment, cleared his throat, and tried to make his voice sound normal.
"Hye-won, put your coat on Eun-bi; she's a little cold."
Jiang Huiyuan turned her head from the elevator numbers and saw this scene.
Kwon Eunbi closed her eyes and buried her face in Kang Young-tae's neck, her arms wrapped tightly around him, her lips pressed against his neck.
Her oppa was tense, and his ears were flushed an unusual red.
She chuckled inwardly, then a strange feeling inexplicably arose within her.
She was indeed planning to be the perfect match for these two, but—isn't this progress a bit too fast!
She quickly unfolded her coat and draped it over Kwon Eun-bi, completely covering up those alluring scenes.
Jiang Yongtai lifted Quan Enfei's legs up again, readjusting their positions, before recovering from the awkward touch.
Kang Hye-won looked at him strangely and asked, "Oppa, Eunbi unnie has a great figure, right?"
Jiang Yongtai glared at her without saying a word. The elevator doors opened with a ding, and he carried Quan Enfei inside.
Jiang Huiyuan pressed the floor button and stepped aside to watch them.
Kwon Eunbi seemed quite satisfied with the "cushion," and even though she was already wrapped in her coat, her arms were still tightly wrapped around his neck and she wouldn't let go.
He unconsciously rubbed his head against the back of his head, let out a satisfied sigh, and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
Jiang Huiyuan's brows furrowed more and more as she looked at it, her heart feeling as if a glass of juice had been spilled, its flavor a mixture of sour and bitter.
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Oppa, how about you put Eunbi unnie down, and I'll help you support her?"
Jiang Yongtai rolled his eyes at her and said indifferently, "Forget it, we're almost there, no need to go to all that trouble."
Jiang Huiyuan glanced at the constantly changing numbers in the elevator. They were indeed almost there. She could only say "Oh," turn around to face the elevator door, and bite her lower lip.
Her own face was reflected on the elevator wall, her expression somewhat sullen.
What on earth have I been doing today?!
Before she could think further, the elevator doors opened with a ding.
The two stepped out of the elevator. Jiang Huiyuan took out her key and opened the apartment door. Jiang Yongtai carried Quan Enbi straight to the bedroom without even changing his shoes.
He lifted Kwon Eun-bi from his back and placed her on the edge of the bed. Just as he was about to remove her hands from his neck, he realized that she had no intention of letting go.
Both hands were still tightly clasped behind his neck, as if they were treating him like a large doll that he could hug and sleep with.
Jiang Yongtai turned around awkwardly, bent over, and saw Jiang Huiyuan following him in.
"Huiyuan, come help me."
Seeing this, Jiang Huiyuan pursed her lips, suppressing the feeling in her heart that she couldn't quite describe—whether it was displeasure or something else—and walked over.
She squatted by the bed and pried open Kwon Eun-bi's fingers one by one, her actions carrying a hint of venting her anger as she pried open the last one.
Kwon Eunbi finally let go, muttered something in a low voice that no one could hear, then turned over, pulled the blanket into her arms, buried her face in the pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.
Jiang Yongtai straightened up, stretched his neck which was sore from being strangled, and walked towards the door.
He stopped as he passed Jiang Huiyuan, his voice lowering.
"Huiyuan, come out here for a moment."
Jiang Huiyuan looked up and saw the rare serious expression on Jiang Yongtai's face, and her heart skipped a beat.
She bit her lower lip, tucked Kwon Eunbi back in, and then slowly stood up and followed him into the living room.
Her feet sank into the floor, each step feeling like walking on the edge of a cliff.
Oh no, Oppa's angry!
Jiang Yongtai walked to the sofa and sat down, rubbing his brow with his hand, his voice very low.
"Jiang Huiyuan, come and sit down."
When Jiang Huiyuan heard him call her by her full name, her heart tightened instantly, but she still put on a pitiful expression and tried to make a last-ditch effort.
"Oppa, don't call me by my full name, it's so insensitive~"
Do you think I'm joking with you right now?
Jiang Yongtai opened his eyes and gave her a cold look. "Come and sit down."
"----oh."
Jiang Huiyuan obediently walked over, sat down next to him, immediately wrapped her arms around his, and rubbed her face against his shoulder, trying to awaken her brotherly love.
This is a skill she mastered without any instruction ever since Jiang Yongtai came to her home.
Jiang Yongtai glanced at her sideways and sighed deeply.
"Tell me, what are you planning to do tonight? Why did you lure me and Consort Eun out?"
"Didn't Oppa already guess? Why are you asking me again?!"
Jiang Huiyuan buried her face in his arm, her voice muffled.
"I'm asking you this as an opportunity to tell you the truth."
Jiang Huiyuan slowly raised her head and met Jiang Yongtai's eyes.
She had known since childhood that this look was more lethal than any scolding, so she hugged his arm tightly and sat up straight.
"Because Oppa can't forget that woman! I wanted to introduce Eunbi unnie to Oppa, what did I do wrong!"
"So you lied to me, you lied to Consort Eun, knowing full well that she can't drink but still encouraging her to drink. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?!"
Jiang Yongtai's tone was even colder than before.
"With Oppa here, what could possibly happen!" Kang Hye-won retorted, sticking her neck out.
"What if I'm not here? I told you I'm very busy these past two days. What if I get a call in the middle of the day and have to go back to work? What will happen after I leave? Have you thought about that?"
Jiang Huiyuan's shoulders trembled, and she lowered her head again, a bad image flashing through her mind.
She bit her lower lip, forcing the image out of her mind, but still refused to back down, muttering to herself.
"There are never that many 'what ifs'—you just won't forget her!"
Jiang Yongtai frowned.
Why can't I reason with this girl?!
"I told you, that's between Sana and me, it's none of your business!"
Jiang Huiyuan suddenly raised her head, her eyes already red, and her voice rose sharply, filled with the grievances and resentment of the past two years.
"Why is it okay?! You're my oppa! Why can that woman treat you like this?!"
She remembered when Jiang Yongtai had just broken up with her. She had finally passed the audition and excitedly ran to his apartment to tell him in person, "I'm going to debut."
When I opened the door, all the curtains in the living room were drawn, and there were several empty liquor bottles piled on the coffee table.
Jiang Yongtai sat on the sofa, his beard unkempt and his eyes bloodshot. When he saw her come in, he only raised his head slightly, said "Congratulations," and then leaned back down.
She had never seen her oppa like that before, never!
From that moment on, the name Sana Minatozaki was etched into her heart, not because she disliked that senior, but because she could not forgive anyone who had turned Kang Young-tae into that person!
Jiang Yongtai opened his mouth, but seeing her reddened eyes, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
He could speak harshly to anyone, but he couldn't say a word to Kang Hye-won, the younger sister who had followed him around calling him "Oppa" since she was three years old.
Jiang Huiyuan gave a cold laugh, released his arm, and stood up.
"Don't even think about making me forgive her!"
After saying that, she turned around, walked quickly back to the bedroom, and closed the door behind her.
After the door clicked shut, the living room fell silent again.
Jiang Yongtai leaned back on the sofa, stared at the ceiling light, and closed his eyes helplessly.
Wasn't I talking about what happened tonight?! Why does she keep bringing up Sana?
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