Chapter 24

After listening to Uncle Jin's report in his office, Xia Hou Shang nonchalantly waved his hand, telling him to go ahead and arrange it. His son needed people and a car, so he should just give them to him. Who would dare to say anything? After all, he was the biggest in Korea. He even prepared a high-end DV camera for his son to have more fun.

At 8:50 AM the next morning, Xia Hou Zhongying arrived at the designated meeting place 10 minutes early, finding that he was neither too early nor too late. He wasn't too early because some people had already arrived—two classmates, a fat one and a thin one, and a guy named Song Zhenhuan. He wasn't too late because none of the girls had shown up yet, which made him忍不住吐槽两句 (couldn't help but complain a bit).

"Brother," the three guys greeted Xia Hou Zhongying as they saw him. Actually, all three were older than Xia Hou Zhongying, but they willingly called him "Brother." After all, they were his underlings. Besides, Xia Hou Zhongying was now very popular at school, far from the miserable state he was in when he first arrived. Beautiful girls always surrounded him, and even if he didn't have a chance with them, it was still a feast for the eyes, right?

Moreover, Xia Hou Zhongying was good to them. He never forgot them when something good came up. Today, he had invited them along, which made them feel they hadn't followed the wrong person. If they knew that Xia Hou Zhongying had only invited them to use them as labor, they might have had different thoughts.

At 9:00 AM, Uncle Jin arrived with a company minibus, loaded with all the materials and tools needed for the picnic, which were well-prepared. He even brought a tape player and a car battery, along with many music CDs, so they could listen to music during the picnic.

After greeting Uncle Jin and chatting casually, Xia Hou Zhongying started talking with his three friends. It was inevitable, given the age difference; they had a significant generation gap and couldn't really talk about the same things.

About ten minutes later, the seven girls finally arrived. Besides the three agreed-upon girls—Zheng Xiuyan, her sister, and Jin Tae-yeon—Xia Hou Zhongying had also seen the other four before. They were the four girls—Hwang Mi-yeong, Lim Yoon-a, Kwon Yu-ri, and Sulli—who had come to the Zheng family to see Zheng Xiuyan. Jin Tae-yeon even carried a guitar, saying that there should be some activities during the picnic, which all the girls agreed with.

The seven girls were all dressed in outdoor sports attire, full of youthful vitality, and each one was as beautiful as a flower. Xia Hou Zhongying's three underlings were drooling, almost ready to hug their "Brother" and cry out loud. Such a close encounter with beautiful girls was too rare, especially with a group of them.

Each of the seven girls had their own unique charm. Even Zheng Xiuyan's younger sister, who was still growing, was a natural beauty. They were all incredibly beautiful, making Xia Hou Zhongying stare for a long time. But it wasn't surprising. S.M. Entertainment, known as the top agency in Korea, had extremely strict standards for selecting trainees, with appearance being a significant factor. It would be strange if the trainees who joined S.M. weren't beautiful.

Song Zhenhuan even solemnly vowed to Xia Hou Zhongying, "Brother, if you tell me to go east, I won't go west. If you tell me to take a knife, I won't take a gun. If I frown even once, you can cut off my head."

Xia Hou Zhongying was both amused and exasperated. What was this all about?

"Hello, Brother Zhongying, hello to the three brothers, and hello, Uncle Jin," the girls greeted the five of them. Even Jin Tae-yeon, who didn't know Uncle Jin, called him "Uncle Jin" along with the others, while the three underlings were simply referred to as "the three brothers."

Even so, the three underlings weren't disappointed; they were even more excited. Didn't they hear the "brother" at the end? They were willing to die for the seven girls, hearts ready to be torn out.

Uncle Jin looked at the seven beautiful girls and couldn't help but sigh. Each one of them was a precious gem, someone you'd be afraid to hold for fear of breaking. If he had such a daughter, he would do anything to make her happy.

Seeing Xia Hou Zhongying chatting with the seven girls without a care, Uncle Jin felt a lump in his throat. How many of these girls would be harmed by this future playboy? Looking at his smiling face, Uncle Jin felt a strong urge to strangle him, to save the girls of his country from future harm.

But that was just a fantasy. Not only was he unsure if he dared, but even if he did, he wouldn't be a match for Xia Hou Zhongying. He had seen Xia Hou Zhongying practicing martial arts in the courtyard of the villa where the Xia Hou family lived. There was a wooden stake array, and Xia Hou Zhongying practiced in it every morning. He had even seen him kick a tree trunk as thick as a bowl in half. His own body couldn't withstand two kicks from Xia Hou Zhongying.

"Wow, a DV camera?" The only one who could have discovered the high-end DV camera given by Xia Hou Shang was the unreserved Zheng Xiuyan's younger sister. She immediately started rummaging through the materials and tools on the bus, while the others were more reserved, only glancing a few times.

Hearing that Xia Hou Zhongying had prepared a DV camera, the girls' eyes lit up, and they all gathered around Zheng Xiuyan, blocking her small body from view.

Xia Hou Zhongying, who didn't know Uncle Jin had prepared the DV camera, turned back and asked, "Uncle Jin, did you prepare it?"

"President Xia asked me to," Uncle Jin said with a smile as he started the car.

Xia Hou Zhongying nodded. Since he was going on a picnic and using his father's people, Uncle Jin had to report to his father. It was a standard procedure, and Uncle Jin couldn't use the company's assets without his father's approval.

"Come on, Xiuyan, give me the DV camera. You're too young and don't know how to use it. What if you drop it and break it?" Zheng Xiuyan said righteously as she tried to take the DV camera from her sister.

"Big sister, who said I don't know how to use it?" Zheng Xiuyan naturally didn't fall for it and hid the DV camera behind her back.

"Right, little Xiuyan, you're too young to handle such an expensive item," Lim Yoon-a, who was behind Zheng Xiuyan, said as she snatched the DV camera and ran to her seat, grinning from ear to ear.

"Big sister Yoon-a, give it back!" Zheng Xiuyan, unwilling to be robbed, chased after Lim Yoon-a, shouting in anger.

"Kids, sit down, we're about to start. Fasten your seatbelts," Uncle Jin said, turning to look at the girls in the back.

Thanks to Uncle Jin's intervention, the girls had to sit down. Zheng Xiuyan, who had been sitting with Kwon Yu-ri, switched places with Sulli and started playing with the DV camera with Lim Yoon-a, while Hwang Mi-yeong sat with Jin Tae-yeon.

The three underlings, after getting on the bus, all sat separately, each hoping for a chance to sit with a girl. Although they thought the chances were slim, having an extra girl still gave them some hope.

When the girls were all seated, the three underlings were almost in tears. They looked out the window with a sad expression, a picture of desolation and sorrow.

"Brother, the sisters are bullying me," Zheng Xiuyan pouted as she sat down next to Xia Hou Zhongying.

"If you want to play with it, just ask me later. There's no need to fight with them today," Xia Hou Zhongying said with a smile as he fastened her seatbelt.

"Oh, right," Xia Hou Zhongying's words made Zheng Xiuyan beam. She had a significant advantage over her sisters. She had a private room at the Xia Hou family's house and had stayed there a few times. Xia Hou Shang was also very good to her, almost always fulfilling her requests. If she wanted to play with the DV camera, it would be easy to get.

Realizing this, Zheng Xiuyan didn't mind anymore and laughed.

"Brother Zhongying, can I borrow the DV camera to play with in the future?" Lim Yoon-a, who was now playing with the DV camera with Zheng Xiuyan, turned her head and looked at Xia Hou Zhongying with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"If Xiuyan doesn't need it, you can borrow it," Xia Hou Zhongying said, making Zheng Xiuyan almost burst with joy. She hugged his arm, head held high, and gave Lim Yoon-a a sideways glance, as if to say, "This is my brother's, and you need to ask me if you want to play with it."

Lim Yoon-a, being a trainee, had excellent acting skills. She immediately put on a flattering smile and said, "Xiuyan, we're good sisters. If you need anything, come to me. Don't be shy; I always treat you like my own sister."

Lim Yoon-a's shamelessness made Zheng Xiuyan want to throw the DV camera at her head. She was also resentful of Xia Hou Zhongying. In the past two months, her sister had been completely won over by his charm. Now, she had no place in her sister's heart except for their blood relationship. If they had a conflict, Zheng Xiuyan knew her sister would side with that guy without hesitation, making her feel powerless and very disappointed.

Lim Yoon-a had a very outgoing personality and loved to be playful, making her the perfect choice to liven up the atmosphere. With her moving around, the atmosphere in the minibus became very lively, and even the three underlings, who were initially sad, occasionally joined in the conversation.

After leaving Seoul, the car drove onto a country road. The people in the car, who had been living in the city for a long time, cheered at the sight of the open countryside. Although the fields were empty and dry, the absence of tall buildings made everyone feel as if their hearts were as open as the fields.

Soon, the car stopped at a grassy area by a large lake, and Uncle Jin signaled that they had arrived.

To be honest, Uncle Jin had chosen a great spot. There were mountains, water, and grass, and not far away, some families were out for a weekend picnic, with a few tents scattered on the grass.

Of the seven girls, except for Jin Tae-yeon and Sulli, who were more reserved, the other five had already unbuckled their seatbelts before the car stopped. As soon as the car came to a stop, they urged Uncle Jin to open the door and, with a cheer, rushed onto the grass, leaving the others staring at each other in surprise. They just ran off like that? How would they carry all the stuff?