Chapter 3

Ji Zhonghua, in a fit of anger, simply walked out of the ward to find the attending doctor to learn about Zhang Chengyuan's condition over the past two days.

After Lee Hyori and her sisters bowed to see Ji Zhonghua out, they walked to Zhang Chengyuan's bedside. Pointing to herself, she asked kindly, "I am Lee Hyori. What's your name?" Knowing that Zhang Chengyuan was a high school student and definitely younger than her, she naturally didn't put on formalities.

Zhang Chengyuan's eyes lit up, finding the woman before him both beautiful and cheerful, and he immediately felt a liking for her. He replied, "Chengyuan, Zhang Chengyuan." Unfortunately, he didn't use honorifics.

Lee Hyori was somewhat annoyed and said, "I am definitely older than you, so I am your sister. How can you speak so casually to me on our first meeting?" Korea is a country where Confucian respect for hierarchy is deeply ingrained, and when speaking to elders or meeting strangers of similar age for the first time, one must use honorifics to show politeness and respect.

However, the newly reborn Zhang Chengyuan instinctively adopted the ways of a Taoist practitioner. Taoists are not bound by secular etiquette, pursuing naturalness and non-action, and do not pay much attention to formalities unless they encounter a senior of their own sect or a respected elder.

Hearing Lee Hyori's words, Zhang Chengyuan's eyes flickered, and he immediately recognized his mistake, thinking to himself, "What a strange place! Well, let's just follow the local customs." He sat up a bit higher and nodded respectfully, saying, "Sister Hyori, hello! I am Zhang Chengyuan." If he weren't a patient, he would have bowed respectfully.

Lee Hyori immediately smiled happily, her eyes forming a crescent moon shape, and her sweet smile was very endearing. It seemed that she felt a great sense of achievement because even the person who even Ji Zhonghua couldn't handle was tamed by her. After laughing for a while, she continued, "You're so well-behaved! How old are you this year?"

"16 years old, born in February 1983."

Lee Hyori said, "You're so young, nearly two years younger than our maknae Yoo Ri. Remember to be more polite when you speak. Sisters, come and meet this little guy."

Knowing Zhang Chengyuan's age, Yoo Chuhyeon, Lee Jin, and Yoo Ri were no longer restrained and came forward to greet him. Under Lee Hyori's watchful gaze, Zhang Chengyuan had to nod respectfully and greet the sisters with a very solemn tone.

For some reason, Zhang Chengyuan always felt that Lee Hyori had a charm that made him willing to obey her, as if she were his own sister. If it were anyone else speaking to him like this, he would have closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, even if he wasn't angry.

After that, under Lee Hyori's lead, the five of them began to chat warmly. Zhang Chengyuan almost answered every question, and within half an hour, he had clearly explained his family background, school situation, personal interests, and hobbies. Of course, he only talked about the original Zhang Chengyuan's information and didn't mention anything about his past life as Xiao Yuan.

"Why did you run to Mapo Bridge that night? And how did you get hit by our car?" Lee Hyori suddenly asked. This was a sensitive topic, and if it weren't for Lee Hyori, no one would have been so presumptuous to ask such a question, implying that it was his own fault for being reckless and not the driver's responsibility.

Yoo Chuhyeon, Lee Jin, and Yoo Ri were stunned on the spot, fearing that Zhang Chengyuan would be angry and embarrassed. Although Lee Hyori was telling the truth, and the accident scene video could prove it, direct truths often offend or even anger people for no reason.

Lee Hyori, of course, knew this. As the leader of a popular idol group, she had extensive experience in dealing with people. However, her woman's intuition told her that Zhang Chengyuan would not be angry, so she asked directly.

Sure enough, she was right! Zhang Chengyuan did not blame her. In fact, even if she was wrong, it wouldn't be a big deal, as she was only dealing with a high school student who hadn't yet left school, not a big shot like a PD or MC from a broadcasting company. If she said something wrong, a sincere apology to Zhang Chengyuan would be enough to avoid any consequences.

"That night, I was beaten up by some delinquents from a neighboring school... I just wanted to die... I walked to the bridge, and in a daze, I fell off... When I woke up, I was here." Zhang Chengyuan said calmly, his tone steady and emotionless, as if he were a bystander recounting a trivial matter.

The four women, seeing his indifferent expression, mistakenly thought that Zhang Chengyuan was heartbroken and felt even more pity for him. They no longer minded his initial rudeness and began to comfort him, talking about the beauty and richness of life, and urging him not to do anything foolish again.

Just as they were talking, Ji Zhonghua came in, and the four women hurriedly bowed to greet him.

Ji Zhonghua nodded and asked, "Hyori, did this kid say anything?"

Lee Hyori replied, "Yes, senior! Chengyuan's home is in Guro-gu, Guro-dong. Here is his home address, phone number, and his father's contact number." She handed a piece of paper to Ji Zhonghua and added, "However, Chengyuan said his father works for an import-export company and often travels to China, Japan, Thailand, and other places, sometimes not returning home for one or two months. It might be difficult to contact him now."

Ji Zhonghua said, "Well done, as expected of Captain Lee Hyori. I will take care of contacting his father. Ah! It's best to get rid of this hot potato as soon as possible. Also, you have to participate in 'Music Bank' tomorrow, so go back and prepare early." Without even looking at Zhang Chengyuan, he turned and left.

Seeing that Zhang Chengyuan was silent, Lee Hyori thought he was angry with Ji Zhonghua and said with a smile, "Chengyuan, Senior Ji Zhonghua is a good person and takes good care of us four. He just doesn't like it when juniors are disrespectful. So, you should bow to him properly when you see him, okay?"

Zhang Chengyuan nodded helplessly, "I understand, Sister Hyori."

After a few more words, the four women left.

Two weeks passed quickly. During this time, the four members of Fin.K.L visited twice and then stopped coming. Instead, they were often seen on TV. It seemed that as they became more popular, their schedules became tighter, leaving them no time to visit him. Or perhaps the higher-ups at DSP Entertainment thought the accident was a thing of the past and saw no need to waste the time of their popular group on a young boy.

Although Zhang Chengyuan felt a bit disappointed, he didn't feel lonely because his nominal father, Zhang Donghu, had come to the hospital to take care of him ten days ago. Ji Zhonghua's efficiency was truly remarkable; he managed to contact Zhang Donghu, who was in a small village in Northeast China, within two days. Upon hearing that the only heir of the Zhang family was seriously injured in the hospital, Zhang Donghu, fearing that no one would take good care of Zhang Chengyuan, hurriedly took leave and rushed back to Seoul.

In the past few days, Zhang Donghu had changed his usual behavior, treating Zhang Chengyuan with warmth and care, almost like a doting mother, a stark contrast to his previous stormy and fierce demeanor. Although Zhang Donghu never apologized to his son, Zhang Chengyuan keenly sensed his father's deep love and guilt, realizing that Zhang Donghu had always loved him but had been too strict and demanding due to Zhang Chengyuan's young age and lack of experience.

Maternal love is great and direct, while paternal love is deep and subtle. How could a young and impulsive teenager understand this?

Although Xiao Yuan, in his past life, was a young Taoist who should not have understood these things, his powerful spirit, keen senses, and sharp mind allowed him to see through the essence of things from subtle details. He easily understood that Zhang Donghu's strictness was actually a way to make his son strong and independent, as Zhang Chengyuan's mother had passed away early, and Zhang Donghu was often away on business, unable to provide constant care.

Using physical punishment to cultivate a child's strong character is not uncommon in traditional and highly competitive Korean society, though it is not the norm. However, Zhang Donghu failed to consider that such methods should be gradual and that he should pay attention to his child's emotional state. He should not have been so busy with work that he neglected the psychological changes in a young person, nor should he have made unrealistic demands without considering whether the child could meet them, leading to Zhang Chengyuan's suicide attempt.

Clearly, this accident made Zhang Donghu realize his mistakes and decide to change. Not only did he want to change his educational methods, but he also wanted to change his job to spend more time with his son. So, he said to Zhang Chengyuan, "Chengyuan, in a few days, I will apply to transfer back to the company's headquarters in Korea and spend more time talking to you. We haven't had a heart-to-heart chat in years."

Zhang Chengyuan nodded in agreement but thought to himself, "I doubt you can change your position. The Korean economy is affected by the Asian financial crisis and is declining. Many large companies are laying off employees to survive. Your company would be lucky not to lay you off, let alone allow you to return to the headquarters with better benefits." In the past few days, to adapt to Korean life more quickly, Zhang Chengyuan often watched TV and had some understanding of the current economic situation in Korea.

However, he knew that Zhang Donghu was not seeking his opinion but merely informing him, so he remained silent.

Zhang Donghu was not bothered by his son's silence, as their communication had always been like this.