Chapter 100

Krystal ultimately didn't invite Seohee to join her because Jessica insisted on coming along. Thinking that one less person meant one less competitor, she left her friend behind.

As the old saying goes, ignorance is bliss, and so Seohee was very happy now. "Unnie Taeyeon, they're serving chicken legs in the cafeteria today. Let's go have dinner early, or we'll miss out," the poor girl had no idea that a delicious barbecue dinner had just passed her by.

Li Jingming found it boring to always eat barbecue, and he also found it boring to always go out to eat. But he found going to amusement parks and shopping tiring. Since they were just friends meeting, what else could they do besides eat? Krystal did most of the eating during dinner. Li Jingming was lost in thought and didn't say much, nor did he tease anyone. Jessica quietly observed the silent Li Jingming, so only Krystal occasionally sighed, enjoying the barbecue and wishing for some beer to go with it.

"Kids can't drink beer," Jessica rejected Krystal's suggestion.

"Unnie, I know kids can't drink. Strange things happen when you get drunk," Krystal said, giving Jessica a meaningful look, clearly trying to get Jessica to get Li Jingming drunk.

This little girl, though young, was quite cunning. At such a young age, she already had so many schemes. Words like "alcohol emboldens the timid," "alcohol loosens the tongue," "alcohol leads to indiscretion," and "alcohol...," floated through Jessica's mind, making her face turn red. "Then let's get a bottle of soju," she said.

Perhaps imagining a certain scene, Jessica changed beer to soju. However, legally, Jessica was already eighteen and two months, and since she had American citizenship, she was subject to American law, which meant she could legally drink.

"Are you going to drink alone? Krystal is underage, and I still have to drive later," Li Jingming said, having noticed Krystal's eyebrows moving restlessly, though he couldn't understand what it meant, he was sure the sisters were plotting something big against him.

"Unnie, just take a taxi. We can leave the car here and pick it up next time," Krystal had already thought of a solution.

Li Jingming shook his head with a smile, "I can't buy alcohol. My face makes people doubt my ID, and they won't believe I'm an adult." He even turned to look at Jessica, making her blush again. The first time they met, Jessica didn't believe he was born in 1986.

Krystal replied indifferently, "It's fine, let Unnie do it. She looks mature enough..."

"Hey, Seohee!" Jessica was angry. How could her own sister say she looked old in front of others?

"I just said you have a mature beauty, why are you angry?" Krystal said apologetically.

"Mature beauty?" Isn't that just another way of saying she looked old? Jessica reached out to grab Krystal's collar.

Although she didn't talk much, Krystal focused on the beef and didn't cause any trouble, making the whole dinner quite warm, at least in Jessica's eyes. However, not being able to drink alcohol left her a bit disappointed.

The sisters were going home today, and Li Jingming drove them to the building. Krystal went upstairs first, giving Li Jingming and Jessica a chance to talk alone.

"You always say you're about to debut. Is there a specific date set? I have to go back to Los Angeles on Monday," Li Jingming wasn't sure if his schedule would allow it, but Jessica's debut was a big deal to him. Netizens had said, "I won't be absent from your future."

"We're already preparing for the debut documentary. The official debut is probably on August 1st," Jessica deduced from various signs.

"Okay, I understand. I should be back," Li Jingming nodded.

"Why 'should'? You must be back," Jessica was unhappy with Li Jingming's casual attitude. Realizing her tone was too strong, she quickly switched to a coquettish tone, knowing Li Jingming was weak against it, "Okay, OPPA?"

"Got it, got it, I'll definitely be back," Li Jingming shivered at the cloying tone but agreed readily.

Jessica frowned for a moment. If she went back to the U.S., she wouldn't be able to call him for a long time. International calls were expensive, and she couldn't afford them every day. What if someone else took the opportunity to get close to him? "Is OPPA very busy in the U.S.? Why are you going back so soon?"

"Of course, I'm busy. Otherwise, why would I go so far?" Li Jingming said matter-of-factly.

"International calls are expensive. You have to call me first, got it?" Jessica spoke strangely to Li Jingming. She called him "OPPA" but never used honorifics and often used a commanding tone. They were once just friends, American-style friends, so they didn't pay attention to such things. But now, their relationship had become strange, so it was fine to speak in a strange way.

"I'll reimburse you for the calls. Here," Li Jingming took out a card and handed it to Jessica, "It's not much, but it should be enough for calls. The password is your birthday."

"How much did you give? Why a card?" Jessica didn't take it. A few thousand or tens of thousands wouldn't need a card, and her coquettish words were just for the sake of the call, not genuine. She didn't want to take Li Jingming's money, "I only said that to joke. I can afford the calls."

"You're about to debut. This is a gift. Buy some clothes and cosmetics to look more beautiful," Li Jingming pushed it into her hand and gave her an American-style hug, "It's going to be tough before your debut. Take care of yourself."

"Okay, I got it," Jessica was dazed, completely immersed in the embrace. At that moment, she could clearly feel two heartbeats, both strong and in sync. Naturally, she raised her hands and hugged Li Jingming, her small hands tightly gripping his shirt, unwilling to let go.

Li Jingming was just preparing to say goodbye with a hug, as Americans do, but Jessica's grip on his shirt was firm. Was she trying to stop him from leaving?

Jessica's heart was beating faster and faster, like a drum. Her mind was a chaotic mess, filled with countless thoughts. Is he going to kiss me? Should I cooperate? What angle should I use? Does he find it strange to see my face up close? I forgot to touch up my makeup after dinner. I used cola to rinse my mouth. Will it taste strange? Jessica's brain worked like an overloaded CPU, her face flushed.

Seeing Jessica not letting go, Li Jingming couldn't just say, "Let go, let me go." That would be too awkward. Bored, he took out his phone and started browsing the web behind Jessica...

Just a moment ago, she was moving, but now, after so long, there was no movement. Jessica thought, is he waiting for me to make the first move? How clueless. Men are always the ones to initiate. Determined, Jessica decided not to miss this opportunity. Closing her eyes, she raised her face and leaned in.

"Ouch!"

"Ah!"

The two exclamations came simultaneously. Li Jingming, who was looking at his phone, felt something hit his chin, while Jessica's nose was in excruciating pain, having collided with something very hard. It was another tragedy caused by height. Li Jingming, focused on his phone, didn't notice Jessica's movements and didn't coordinate with her. Jessica, after much hesitation, finally mustered the courage, closed her eyes, and even stood on tiptoe.

Angry, Jessica punched Li Jingming's chest and ran home, leaving Li Jingming scratching his head. He hadn't done anything, so what was wrong?

Krystal, who had just returned home, ran to her mother. Mrs. Jung was sitting on the sofa watching TV. Without a word, Krystal pulled her mother to the window and gestured for her to look down. The mother and daughter, like spies, adopted the same posture, using the curtain as cover to observe the situation below. Mrs. Jung almost rushed down but was held back by Krystal. They saw Li Jingming hand a card to Jessica, and Mrs. Jung thought her daughter had "gone bad."

"That's Unnie's boyfriend, Sica's boyfriend," Krystal explained, "It's a proper relationship. He's just helping out because the allowance you give is too little, and Sica spends a lot."

Mrs. Jung's expression clearly suggested she was thinking the worst. Anyone seeing a man in a high-end business car giving a card to a newly adult trainee from an entertainment company would misunderstand. Both her daughters would be in the entertainment industry, and Mrs. Jung knew all too well the chaos in that world.