Chapter 69

"Hey, Lee Hyori! In the middle of the night, are you crazy?" Lee Jong almost got burned by a cigarette butt while answering the phone, and he felt like his lungs were about to explode.

On the other end of the line, Lee Hyori had kept the phone away from her ear since the call connected, but she could still hear Lee Jong's roar through the phone.

"Hehe, did I wake you up? I just finished a job, and I have a bunch of things to do tomorrow morning, so I only have time now!" Lee Hyori said with a laugh, responding to Lee Jong's roar.

Lee Jong was frustrated, "Just tell me what it is, so I can go back to sleep."

"It's about my MV shooting. When are you free? We need to set a time, and you have to help me fully when the time comes," Lee Hyori said.

"Sis, it's only February, and you haven't even finished collecting the songs for your album yet. Why are you in such a hurry?" Lee Jong felt helpless. Lee Hyori had previously told him that she planned to release an album this year with a new company, but the songs weren't all collected yet.

"Hehe, don't you think it's better to plan ahead? You're so busy, and you just started working on someone else's movie right after your own movie was released. I'm afraid that once you finish this, someone else will book you, and I'll lose out," Lee Hyori said in a coquettish tone.

"That's not right. I feel something's off. Are you hiding something from me? Or are you and the other witches making some kind of bet again?" Lee Jong felt that something was wrong. Given Lee Hyori's character, she wouldn't call him at this time unless she had just done something related to him. They had done such things before.

"Hehe, how could that be? Just tell me when you're free," Lee Hyori started to act dumb.

Lee Jong felt something was still off, but he had already agreed to Lee Hyori's request back in December. Now, he was just fulfilling his promise, "Starting next month, Brother Jang Hoon's movie will start shooting, which will take about two months. That means May. By then, your songs should be finished, so let's do it then. We'll shoot your album MV in May."

"May? What about after that? Do you have any other plans? Are you going to shoot another movie?" Lee Hyori asked eagerly.

"Yeah, after finishing your MV, I'll start my next movie." Lee Jong found Lee Hyori's behavior a bit strange.

"OK, then come to my company tomorrow and sign the contract." Lee Hyori, sensing Lee Jong's suspicion, quickly said.

"You're really strange. Alright, alright, I'll come tomorrow afternoon. I'm going upstairs; it's really cold outside." Lee Jong hung up the phone and walked straight to the apartment building.

Hearing "going upstairs? It's really cold outside?" Lee Hyori thought, "Hey, this brat said he was going to sleep, didn't he? I'm so angry, and he even yelled at me. I'll show him tomorrow." But Lee Hyori was smiling.

"Xiaoguai, Xiaoguai, you're going to lose. As long as he signs the contract with me tomorrow, you'll have to do as I say," Lee Hyori thought, her eyes narrowing into a crescent moon.

Meanwhile, Sung Yuri was busy with her drama. The ratings for "Quick-Draw Hong Gildong" were only average, so everyone was trying to boost them. The screenwriter was thinking of plot twists to increase ratings, and the actors were using their acting skills to prove their worth.

"Sigh, I wonder if Hyori can get Lee Jong first. It's the middle of the night, and I can't call her," Sung Yuri was worried.

Earlier, Lee Hyori had managed to visit the set of "Quick-Draw Hong Gildong" and talked about Sung Yuri's personal issues. Lee Hyori knew about Sung Yuri's feelings for Lee Jong, but nothing had happened between them. However, during the "Star Friends" show, Lee Hyori noticed that the socialite Yoon Seon-hee was looking at Lee Jong in a strange way. Lee Hyori felt it was her duty to tell Sung Yuri and push her to take action.

But Sung Yuri was determined not to make things clear. Lee Hyori didn't know about Sung Yuri and Lee Jong's past, so she made a bet with Sung Yuri. Whoever could get Lee Jong to work for them in the first half of the year would win, and the loser would have to listen to the winner. The work could be anything directed by Lee Jong, even a short film.

Lee Hyori insisted on the bet without listening to Sung Yuri's explanations. Sung Yuri was a bit helpless, as this sister always made decisions first and then made others follow. So she reluctantly agreed, thinking she could just talk to Lee Jong later, given their past.

Lee Jong slept until noon, got dressed, had lunch, and then went to CCM Entertainment in the afternoon. He had no choice since he had already agreed to come, even if it meant getting scolded. He took a taxi to get his car and then drove to CCM Entertainment.

The CCM Entertainment building was much more impressive, being a subsidiary of CJ Group, which wouldn't tarnish its image. Unlike the dilapidated S&M building.

Lee Jong walked into the CCM building and called Lee Hyori, then took the elevator to the 9th floor. The 9th floor of the CCM building had only one practice room, which had been unused for a long time because the company no longer had top-tier artists. Now, with Lee Hyori, the top-tier practice room was being used again.

As soon as Lee Jong got off the elevator, he could faintly hear the energetic music of Lee Hyori's "Ten Minutes." "Is this sister still nostalgic?" Lee Jong was unsure.

Pushing open the slightly ajar door of the practice room, Lee Jong saw Lee Hyori, wearing shorts and a tank top, dancing sensually to the music.

The heating in the practice room was excellent, and Lee Jong felt a wave of heat as soon as he entered.

"This sister's figure is really good, just a bit tanned..." Lee Jong saw Lee Hyori's smooth, exposed skin, her prominent breasts wrapped in a tight tank top, moving up and down with the music.

Seeing Lee Jong enter, Lee Hyori signaled to stop the music, "Lee Jong, you're here. Wait a moment, I'll rest for a bit, then I'll take you to President Kim to sign the contract." She picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from her head.

"OK, take your time, I'll wait." Lee Jong was happy to wait, as the dancers accompanying Lee Hyori were all handsome and beautiful, mostly beautiful women. Lee Jong watched the group of women in light clothing, enjoying the view, "Hmm, this one is nice, long and straight legs, and whiter than Lee Hyori; that one is also good, so pure, and prettier than Lee Hyori."

If Lee Hyori knew what Lee Jong was thinking, she would probably throw him out of the 9th floor.

Fifteen minutes later, Lee Hyori put on a long-sleeved shirt and pants and took Lee Jong to the 12th floor to meet President Kim Jang-soo, the producer of Lee Hyori's album. Kim Jang-soo planned to create a classic album to bring Lee Hyori back to her peak in 2003.

"Lee Jong-xi, we meet again." Lee Hyori pushed open the door to the president's office, and Kim Jang-soo saw Lee Jong enter.