Chapter 16

Wen Zhengyu paused, staring blankly at Lee Sun-kyu: "I..."

He hesitated for a long time but couldn't say anything. Was it a deception? But it wasn't intentional. As a newcomer, it was normal to get along well with the seniors, and there was no need to be deliberate about it. In just one month, his relationship with Seo Mi-na had rapidly improved, and it was all genuine, with no falsity.

Especially compared to the fact that he had hit that male trainee, it didn't count as敷衍 (perfunctory) or deception. Because Wen Zhengyu was defending himself and didn't provoke anyone. The main reason was that the male trainee couldn't stand Wen Zhengyu being favored as a newcomer, not only getting close to the CEO but also always being with the CEO's daughter, Lee Sun-kyu. So even if Wen Zhengyu didn't have a sharp tongue, the male trainee would still find a reason to teach him a lesson. Jealousy is one of the original sins.

But the male trainee didn't expect that he couldn't beat Wen Zhengyu. In Korea, the senior-junior system is very strict. Normally, seniors can discipline juniors, and juniors are not allowed to fight back, otherwise, they would be seen as challenging the established order. No one would think you were strong for winning against a weaker opponent. The established order is often the very people you are rebelling against.

However, nothing is absolute. If a society really defined power by age, it wouldn't exist. Everything still depends on strength. Moreover, with Wen Zhengyu's intelligence, he had even outsmarted his shrewd Uncle Xu. A jealous child would be easy to teach a lesson. He deliberately provoked him without giving him a reason, and then took the opportunity to beat him up.

Discipline and punishment are necessary. In the end, after finding out the reason, both sides were punished equally, and the matter was left unresolved. But saying all this is to clarify one thing: Wen Zhengyu's closeness to seniors, including Lee Sun-kyu, was not just a test of his social skills. Even without Lee Sun-kyu's requirement, it was something he should do.

If you don't practice social skills during the trainee period, do you wait until you debut to start from scratch? Networking often determines your success. No matter how talented you are, if no one knows you or values you, you won't get far. In the entertainment industry, especially in Korean entertainment, out of a thousand, maybe only one can succeed without relying on connections, and even then, they might not go all the way.

People are complex. In today's society, just not being familiar with someone and not interacting with them is considered good. Often, people suspect you of having issues and try to trip you up because of unfamiliarity. It's all about psychological balance. Most people have gone through these challenges to get where they are today. Why should you be lucky and not have to go through them to get everything?

However, in Lee Sun-kyu's eyes, Wen Zhengyu had only mastered a communication pattern, but his core hadn't changed. Although most people show two faces to the world, once you enter society and interact with strangers, regardless of age, this is normal.

But Wen Zhengyu's extreme difference between his public and private self, if Seo Mi-na found out, would be considered outright deception. Even if his intentions weren't malicious, he couldn't be forgiven. Lee Sun-kyu, seeing Wen Zhengyu deep in thought, clearly understood the nature of the issue. So she didn't say much, just looked at him.

Originally, Lee Soo-young called him for a reason, but seeing Wen Zhengyu's expression and hearing Lee Sun-kyu explain the situation, he seemed to be seeing Wen Zhengyu's character issues for the first time. If this wasn't resolved, or resolved early, it could be more serious than failing to meet the standards in singing and dancing.

After a moment of thought, Lee Soo-young temporarily put aside his training plan. He called Wen Zhengyu today to discuss these issues, but it wasn't urgent. He decided to handle these matters first.

Sitting next to him, Lee Soo-young patted his shoulder: "Zhengyu, it's not as serious as you think. But you do need to change. Being too straightforward is not good. When someone is nice to you, you open up, and when someone is not nice, you try to get back at them. This can easily lead to trouble, in any aspect."

Wen Zhengyu looked up, his eyes filled with confusion.

Lee Soo-young paused, turning to Lee Sun-kyu: "You've been with him for a month, was it really that difficult?"

Lee Sun-kyu shook her head: "How would I know? Even a psychologist might not change someone's personality, and I'm just a 14-year-old kid. Do you expect me to solve it? I just found a direction for him."

Lee Soo-young frowned: "What was the result?"

Lee Sun-kyu shrugged: "It's a bit ambiguous. He can act the part, almost convincingly, but his nature hasn't changed."

Wen Zhengyu suddenly interjected: "You said this is part of my personality, as long as it's me, it counts. Were you lying to me?"

Lee Sun-kyu sighed: "That's a different matter. Sometimes you can't just judge by yourself; you have to consider others' perspectives. After all, in the society you live in, you can't avoid interacting with people. If everyone thinks you're crazy, does it matter if you think you're normal?"

Lee Soo-young waved his hand: "We're getting off track."

Looking at Wen Zhengyu, Lee Soo-young comforted him: "Don't think too much. You're still young, and it's normal for your personality to be uncertain. Even now, with three children, Sun-kyu's mother still tells me to change this and that. No one can be perfect in every way. No one pays attention to cultivating their personality as they grow up. Just remember a few principles, which Sun-kyu has probably already told you: try not to offend people. Get along well with seniors and juniors. Ultimately, it's about developing your career, not doing public relations. If you can avoid offending people and not be deceived, that's enough. You don't have to harm anyone, and you don't have to be harmed."

Wen Zhengyu was taken aback, his lips curling into a smile: "Can it be that simple?"

"No," Lee Sun-kyu frowned before Lee Soo-young could nod.

But he was speaking to Lee Soo-young: "Dad, are you lying to the kid? If he doesn't change, do you think he won't offend people? Even if he just keeps a straight face, he'll give the impression of being proud and disrespectful to seniors after debuting. Moreover, if someone talks to him, can he always push it to his agent? If he talks, a few words might be fine, but if he talks more, he won't know what he's saying or what he shouldn't say. How can he survive in such a complex industry? Offending one person isn't just one person. It spreads, and his reputation will be ruined before he even becomes famous."

Lee Soo-young was speechless, glaring at Lee Sun-kyu and patting Wen Zhengyu, whose face had turned sour. As the CEO and Lee Sun-kyu's father, he was over fifty and had seen many complex situations. But Wen Zhengyu shouldn't be消极 (negative) about these issues, and this problem shouldn't be approached negatively. Otherwise, it would be even more unnatural and end up being a mess.

However, there was no good solution. When Wen Zhengyu asked why Lee Soo-young called him, he didn't say much. He just asked about his recent situation, cared about his singing and dancing practice, and then had Lee Sun-kyu take him out.

He wanted to think more about his plan. At least, the personality issue was a challenge that needed to be addressed, but it might also be an opportunity to see if his direction for training Wen Zhengyu was truly forming.

Walking out of the CEO's office, Wen Zhengyu frowned. Lee Sun-kyu, seeing his expression, gently pushed him: "Hey. You're always like a red-black belt in Taekwondo, can't you act more like a man? Looking so gloomy is really unappealing."

Wen Zhengyu turned his head: "Is it related to that? I'm not crying or calling for my parents or my older sister."

Lee Sun-kyu was taken aback, her face turning red, and she bit her teeth, giving him a few hard punches on the back: "You're so arrogant. If I get angry, I'll tell Seo Mi-na the truth. A few times, when she was happily saving cake to give you, I really wanted to tell her the truth. For someone to be so nice to you, it's like the heavens are blind and sinful."

Wen Zhengyu pursed his lips: "Why do you have to say it like that?"

Lee Sun-kyu huffed: "How else should I say it? Besides, you're a bit over the top, right? You say you're angry at the senior, but Seo Mi-na is only one year older than you. If you keep misunderstanding, what if she really falls for you? Are you going to be her boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Lee Sun-kyu widened her eyes, pointing at Wen Zhengyu: "Look, look, you haven't even thought about it, but you always tease her. Isn't that deception?"

Wen Zhengyu sighed: "Can't you be a bit quieter? Is this your chance to get back at me? Don't forget, these were things you made me do, to help me develop my personality."

Lee Sun-kyu giggled: "Hey. You know to be quieter? That's progress. Knowing to be careful means you're becoming more normal. You never used to care about anything."

Pausing, Lee Sun-kyu suddenly turned cold: "But what do you mean by saying I made you do it? Are you trying to drag me into it and shift the blame?"

Wen Zhengyu shook his head: "I didn't." Lee Sun-kyu grabbed him: "You did! You 164 IQ brat, you're thinking exactly that. Do you think I don't know you?"

Lee Sun-kyu suddenly cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted: "Seo Mi-na, Wen Zhengyu has been lying to you. He's been deceiving your feelings... uh."

Wen Zhengyu quickly stepped forward, covering her mouth: "What are you trying to do?"

Lee Sun-kyu pushed his hand away in disgust: "What? I'm proving I have nothing to do with this. If you want to drag me into it, you can't blame me..."

"Clatter." A few lunch boxes fell to the ground, the hot and crispy sweet and sour pork slowly rolling to their feet.

Instinctively looking up, Seo Mi-na's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Wen Zhengyu. Her hands were still in the position of holding the sweet and sour pork. A boy stood behind her, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. Wen Zhengyu stood there, mouth open, but unable to speak.

Lee Sun-kyu was also stunned but reacted faster, approaching with a forced laugh: "Seo Mi-na, we were just playing. Don't... Seo Mi-na!"

Seo Mi-na shook her head and suddenly turned to run away. Lee Sun-kyu, seeing Wen Zhengyu instinctively lift his foot, pushed him angrily: "Go after her!"

Wen Zhengyu paused, then stepped over the boy and chased after her. But before he could take a few steps, he suddenly stopped and returned. He grabbed the boy's hand and performed a back throw, slamming him to the ground, making him cry out in pain.

Wen Zhengyu then ignored him, not saying a word or even looking at him, as if he had just thrown away a piece of trash. He turned and chased after Seo Mi-na, running down the corridor without looking back.

Lee Sun-kyu, watching Wen Zhengyu's back, suddenly turned cold and walked to the boy, who was moaning in pain: "Hey! Do you want to die?!"