Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 43: A Complete Victory for a 21-Year-Old Against a 15-Year-Old

Choi Sulli looked at the chili oil and scallions floating in the bowl, gave a soft "hmm," and picked up the bowl to take a small sip.

After a short while, she put down her bowl, a bright smile returning to her face. Looking at Kim Minjung earnestly, she said, "Minjung, if anyone in the company dares to bully you, whether they are a trainee or a senior, you can come to me. After all, I've been in the industry for so many years and know a lot of people, so don't be afraid of others."

Kim Minjung's chopsticks froze in mid-air. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted and quickly nodded, "Yes, thank you, Jinri unnie."

"By the way, let me tell you my Kakao ID." Choi Sulli took out her phone from her pocket, opened her profile page, and handed it to her. "If you encounter anything at the company in the future, or if you're tired from training and want to talk to someone, you can always contact me."

Kim Minjung looked at the pink peach profile picture on her phone screen, then subconsciously glanced at Kang Yeon next to her.

Jiang Yan was drinking his soup with his head down when he noticed her questioning look and nudged her shoes with his toe.

Kim Minjung immediately put down his chopsticks, took out his phone, opened Kakao's "Add Friend" page, and entered Choi Sulli's ID.

My phone vibrated; the friend request had been successfully added.

Choi Sulli looked at the profile picture that popped up on the screen—a chubby little sea lion basking in the sun on a rock—and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, amazing! This profile picture is so cute, did you take it yourself?"

"Yes!" Kim Minjung nodded his head repeatedly, a smug look on his face. "This was taken last summer at Taejongdae. The sun was shining brightly that day. This sea lion was lying motionless on the rocks. I squatted down next to it and watched it for almost half an hour, but it didn't swim away. However, this profile picture will be changed soon. Company rules don't allow us to use this kind of profile picture."

"It's okay, we can secretly switch it back later." Choi Sulli said, then stopped what she was doing, rested her chin on her hand, and a thin layer of nostalgia appeared in her almond-shaped eyes. "Speaking of the sea in Busan, it's been so long since I've seen it. I remember we used to go and collect small crabs and starfish when the tide was out."

"Tch, as if you actually dared to pick it up." Jiang Yan scoffed, glancing at her sideways. "Minjung, don't listen to your unnie's nonsense. She's terrified of birds. She screams and runs away as soon as she sees a seagull flying by. She's too scared to go to the beach alone."

Choi Sulli narrowed her eyes slightly and stepped under the table without hesitation.

Jiang Yan hissed, glanced down at the merciless foot under the table, then looked up at Cui Xueli's smiling eyes. He moved his lips, but ultimately chose to eat his meal obediently.

Kim Minjung stared at the scene, completely dumbfounded; this was something he could never have imagined before.

The Jiang Yan she knew was never one to mince words, and he could be quite infuriating even to her. But in front of Cui Xueli, he always seemed to give way a little.

After dinner, most of the food on the table was gone.

Jiang Yan got up to clear the dishes, and Jin Minzheng also stood up to help, but Jiang Yan pressed his shoulder and made him sit on the sofa.

"Sit down and rest for a while, there's still time."

As he spoke, he glanced at Choi Sulli again, "You sit down too."

"I wasn't going to help you collect it." Choi Sulli leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and slowly sipped her water.

Kim Minjung sat on the sofa, looking down at his phone, while Choi Sulli sat at the dining table scrolling through social media. Neither of them spoke first.

A few minutes later, after Jiang Yan had cleared everything off the table, Cui Xueli locked her phone screen, got up and sat down next to Kim Minjung.

"Minjung ah."

"Huh?" Kim Minjung subconsciously flipped his phone over and placed it face down on his knee.

"Your oppa is clumsy with words, soft-hearted, very stingy with himself, but very generous to others." Choi Sulli turned her head to look at the figure tidying up in the kitchen. "He was like that when we were in the orphanage. He would share his snacks with the younger children, go hungry himself, and even when the older children hit him, he wouldn't cry. In the end, he would still protect the people he should protect."

"But sometimes he's too stubborn. He wants to shoulder everything by himself and doesn't tell anyone anything. He always thinks he can solve everything. So he needs someone who is more attentive to him, someone who can tell when he's tired and someone who can see through his stubbornness."

At this point, Choi Sulli looked intently at Kim Minjung: "So, can you help unnie? Contact me immediately if you sense something's wrong with him, okay?"

Kim Minjung listened to these words, her little head turning in all directions, and she pursed her lips without saying a word for a long time.

Seeing this, Choi Sulli immediately understood what the little girl was thinking, and smiled as she changed her words and continued, "Don't overthink it, unnie didn't mean anything by it. I just thought that if he needs help, I will do my best to help him, but I can't be with him for a long time. But you can, so you need to keep an eye on things. Minjung, you also want Kang Yeon to have an easier time, right?"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Kim Minjung immediately suppressed her ulterior motives and nodded hastily, "Yes, unnie, don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on oppa. If he stays up all night without eating again, or pretends he's fine, I'll message you immediately!"

Choi Sulli was amused by her serious, adult-like demeanor, and her eyes crinkled into a smile. She held up her little finger and said, "It's a deal then. This is a little secret between us, and your oppa can't know."

"Okay, it's settled!" Kim Minjung extended his little finger without hesitation, hooked it tightly around Choi Sulli's finger, shook it three times in a very professional manner, and then stamped it with his thumb.

The two exchanged a smile, and the subtle sense of distance that had been there in the living room vanished completely.

Having received the promise she wanted, Choi Sulli told Kim Minjun that she was going to help out in the kitchen. The latter wanted to come along, but Choi Sulli stopped her.

"Go check if you've forgotten anything you need to take back. I'll come over and relieve your oppa later, and then he'll take you to the station first, otherwise we'll be in a rush."

After saying that, she walked towards the kitchen.

Jiang Yan was standing in front of the sink filling with water when he heard footsteps. Without turning his head, he said, "What are you doing here? Just go out and sit with Min Zheng. I'll fill the sink first and soak for a while. I'll wash later when I get back."

"Let's divide the work. You go deliver Minjung's food, and I'll wash the dishes." Without another word, Choi Sulli forcefully pushed him out of the kitchen once again. "Alright, be good. It's getting late, go on."

Jiang Yan glanced down at his watch; it was 6:10.

Taking the bus from Hongdae to Yongsan Station, the road is probably going to be a bit congested at this time, so we really need to hurry.

Without hesitation or affectation, he took off his apron and handed it to her: "Then you decide what to do. If you're tired, take a rest. Leave the rest to me. I'll go take Minzheng first. Wait for me to come back."

"Okay, go ahead!" Choi Sulli turned on the tap, soaked the sponge, squeezed in two pumps of dish soap, and skillfully rubbed it to create foam.