Chapter 37

There were books and magazines, both domestic and international, filling the bookshelf, making one's eyes dazzle.

Xian did not find the self-help books she liked, or rather, there were very few. After all, it was impossible for her to read every single one. Most of the books were about TV dramas, movies, directors, and actors.

She casually picked up a few, all of which showed signs of being read, and some even had notes!

Suddenly, she realized that Park Ji-hoon had not succeeded in his career despite his many years in the industry, and he was truly being overlooked! Without mentioning other things, just this effort alone was enough to make one admire him.

"OPPA, when did you read these?" After a while, Xian asked.

"Whenever I have time," Park Ji-hoon said with a smile, "I read them whenever I have time. It took me five years to read all these books!"

Xian's eyes widened slightly in surprise. In her memory, the simple and sketch-like image of "Park Ji-hoon" seemed to be erased by an eraser, and then, like a mirror, reflected a vivid and lively image. It turned out that beneath that casual and calm facade, there was such a passionate heart!

Without pursuit and passion, how could anyone persist in reading and studying these boring things for five years?

"At first, I didn't pay much attention, but I realized it when I moved last time. These things took up a significant portion of my belongings," Park Ji-hoon said with a touch of nostalgia.

"I will also learn from OPPA in the future!" Xian said with a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"This is probably my only strength right now," Park Ji-hoon said with a hint of self-mockery.

Xian blinked in confusion, seeing that he had no intention of explaining. She reached out and picked up an English book, asking, "OPPA, can you read English books?"

"At first, it was a bit difficult, but now it's no problem," Park Ji-hoon said, looking at the book in her hand and fluently summarizing the content in English.

Xian's face turned slightly red. She didn't understand some of the professional terms and felt a bit ashamed.

Seeing this, Park Ji-hoon explained it again in Korean.

Unconsciously, the two stood side by side, and some physical contact became natural.

They stood in front of the bookshelf for a full half hour until they felt a bit hungry and went out to eat.

Xian treated him and accompanied him to the amusement park in the afternoon, celebrating his birthday in advance.

In the "Haunted House," Park Ji-hoon naturally held Xian's hand, and even after they came out, he didn't let go. Xian, though blushing, did not pull away. For some very thrilling rides, like the free-fall, Park Ji-hoon held her hand, making her feel very safe.

They played until evening, and before the filming ended, Xian gave Park Ji-hoon a diary as a birthday gift, which recorded her expectations and aspirations for her "husband."

"Do you hope I can do these things?" Park Ji-hoon asked, looking at her after closing the diary.

"Um!" Xian nodded brightly, holding her hands in front of her.

What a simple and innocent girl! Park Ji-hoon's lips curled slightly, and he smiled faintly, then suddenly asked, "How many sweet potatoes am I?" After the first filming, he was interviewed by the production team and learned that Tiffany and Taeyeon had suggested he use "sweet potatoes" and "hamburgers" to rate.

From her reaction today, he was probably a sweet potato.

"Ah!" Xian's face turned red, and she shook her head shyly, saying, "I don't know!"

The little girl was learning to lie!

Park Ji-hoon couldn't help but laugh lightly, not pressing her further, and asked, "At least a sweet potato, right?"

"Um!" Xian didn't deny this.

"That's enough," Park Ji-hoon said with a smile.

Xian breathed a sigh of relief. Because Taeyeon was there, she didn't know how many sweet potatoes to give.

"Let's part here. Thank you for today," Park Ji-hoon said. He had another filming session in the evening.

"Okay." Xian nodded and said, "OPPA, take care of your health."

After the filming ended, the two thanked and said goodbye to the staff.

"Time flies!" Xian muttered to herself after greeting, then suddenly remembered something and found Park Ji-hoon again.

"What's up?" Park Ji-hoon asked with a smile when he saw her coming.

"Is the author of 'No Matter What Life You Choose, I Will Support You' OPPA's sister?" Xian asked.

"Surprised, right?" Park Ji-hoon smiled and said, "If you have the chance, I'll introduce you to her." Although he didn't answer directly, it was a confirmation.

Xian nodded and then asked, "Really?" It was indeed surprising because the book was clearly a mother's letter to her daughter!

"Um. Min-ah is the same age as you, but her birthday is a bit later," Park Ji-hoon said, "I was also surprised when I first found out."

"Wow—" Xian exclaimed, her eyes filled with admiration.

"After you finish reading it, if you have any thoughts, let me know. I'll help you... Oh, right, I'll introduce you two. You can communicate directly with her then," Park Ji-hoon said.

"Um! Thank you, OPPA." Xian thanked him sincerely. Clearly, she took this as a promise.

"By the way, remember to find your socks. How can you wear couple socks randomly?" Park Ji-hoon reminded her with a slightly helpless smile.

"Um!" Xian nodded seriously.

"Xian, it's time to go!" At this moment, her manager finally couldn't bear to interrupt their conversation. The managers of Girls' Generation knew the company's attitude toward Park Ji-hoon. Because the staff hadn't completely left, she had held back until now. When she saw Park Ji-hoon's behavior, which seemed like a skilled "angler," she finally couldn't hold back.

"Yes, see you, OPPA." Xian responded and waved goodbye to Park Ji-hoon.

Park Ji-hoon nodded slightly and turned to leave. He didn't deliberately "tease" Xian to provoke the other party because he considered her a friend. His previous actions were genuinely to take care of this little girl and to do the show well.

"Privately, don't get too close to him!" The manager warned Xian after getting in the car.

"Why? We are friends!" Xian said.

"The company doesn't like him! Don't let him ruin your future!" The manager threatened her.

"We are just friends!" Xian was unexpectedly stubborn. Not only did she have a good impression of Park Ji-hoon, but they had been friends for two years. Just the support and encouragement from 2008 made her unable to give up this friend.

This was her life principle!

The manager looked at her bright and honest eyes, opened her mouth, and finally gave up in helplessness. Fine! Let her be. After all, this little girl was reliable.

Deep down, she had a faint admiration for Park Ji-hoon! He had no high education, wasn't a rich second generation or an official's child, wasn't a top star, and didn't have a face that could make people fall in love at first sight... She couldn't understand how he managed to make these girls so devoted to him.

Not to mention Taeyeon, Jessica and others also refused to cut off contact with him. Even f(x)'s Krystal, who said, "I knew him before I joined the company as a trainee," left the f(x) manager speechless.

Suddenly, she thought of another question and asked casually while driving, "Was your answer to Park Ji-hoon's question serious?"

"What question?" Xian asked curiously.

"The one about 'Do you hope I can do these things?'" The manager imitated Park Ji-hoon's tone.

"Of course! What's the problem?" Xian asked, looking puzzled.

"Of course there's a problem!" The manager couldn't help but raise her voice, "Do you like him?"

"Eh?" Xian was stunned, not understanding at first, then her face turned red, and she said indignantly, "OPPA, what are you talking about?" He should know about Park Ji-hoon and Taeyeon's relationship, so why ask such a question?

"Ah—" The manager couldn't help but sigh. If she didn't know Xian's character, she might have thought the little girl was pretending to be silly.

Xian looked at her in confusion.

"Nothing, just for the show," the manager said, shaking her head helplessly. She was still confident in this little girl, which was why she let her appear on "We Got Married." Otherwise, with Girls' Generation's current popularity and development plan, it would be impossible to appear on such a show.

"Okay." Xian responded, seeing that she wouldn't say more, and pondered it herself.

She gave him a diary as a birthday gift.

The diary recorded her expectations for her future husband.

Then he asked if she wanted him to do these things.

Of course! Why else would she give him the diary? She hoped he would... Ah! Suddenly, she thought of a problem. What if he did these things?

Suddenly, she understood.

What should she do? Would he misunderstand? Should she call him to explain... She felt a bit flustered.

Rarely, Xian was distracted during a public appearance.

"What's wrong? Xian, did he bully you?" After the public appearance ended, Hyoyeon saw her in a daze and asked with concern.

"No, no!" Xian shook her head quickly, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Sister, did you see the socks I washed last night?"

"Ah—" Hyoyeon looked strange, clearly knowing something, with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"Where are they?" Xian asked urgently.

"Yoon-a is wearing them!" Hyoyeon said with a smile.

"Yoon-a?" Xian was stunned. Although she had guessed that one of the sisters might have worn them, she didn't expect it to be true!

"Yoon-a wore them by mistake," Hyoyeon said, laughing, "She was asking us this morning during the public appearance whose socks she was wearing." The more she thought about it, the funnier it became. It had been several hours before she realized she was wearing the wrong socks!

"Those are the couple socks I bought with Ji-hoon OPPA!" Xian pouted.

Hyoyeon looked at her curiously and asked, "What did you two do today?"

"We went to the library, to Ji-hoon OPPA's study, and... together..." Xian said.

"You went to his house?" Hyoyeon suddenly interrupted her, exclaiming.