Chapter 82

About half an hour later, the sounds in the bedroom gradually subsided, and the three women felt a great sense of relief, feeling much better, but they were still inwardly cursing Zhang Chengyuan, the instigator of it all.

After a while, Zhang Chengyuan, having finished his bath and changed into new clothes, walked out of the bedroom with a spirited demeanor. He was not at all embarrassed, acting as if nothing had happened, and greeted the three sisters nonchalantly. The only difference was that he, who usually hugged them while greeting, kept his hands properly by his sides today.

Lee Hyori asked, "How is Joo Hyun now?"

"A bit tired, she’s sleeping soundly. Sister, do you need my help?" After a brief explanation, Zhang Chengyuan quickly changed the subject, fearing that Lee Hyori and the others would start asking detailed questions.

Lee Jin and Seo Yeori placed all the washed vegetables, meats, and other ingredients in front of Zhang Chengyuan and said, "Cut all of these, and make sure they are neatly arranged." There was still some resentment in their tone.

Zhang Chengyuan immediately responded, "Yes, Sister!" and even gave a rare military salute.

Zhang Chengyuan picked up the kitchen knife and started cutting the ingredients with great effort. Although the Korean kitchen knife was small and thin, in his hands, it felt like a large cleaver. With a flick of his wrist, whether it was a radish or beef, it was sliced into pieces of almost identical thickness, indistinguishable to the naked eye. Moreover, his knife skills were as fast as lightning, and before long, he had finished cutting all the vegetables, fruits, and meats.

Afterward, he put down the knife and proudly reported to the three sisters, "Sisters, I’m done."

Lee Jin came over to check and, seeing that everything was indeed completed, casually said, "Hmm, that’s fine. You can go now, don’t stay here and get in the way." She didn’t even offer a word of praise.

Zhang Chengyuan looked at Lee Hyori and Seo Yeori, but they were looking down at the pot, ignoring him. He could only leave the kitchen dejectedly.

Although Zhang Chengyuan’s knife skills were excellent, the women had seen them many times before and found nothing special about them. Although they used to praise him every time, it was just to tease him. Today, their good mood had been ruined by him, so they naturally didn’t give him a good face.

After lunch was prepared, Yoo Choo Hyun also woke up. After bathing and getting dressed, she came out to eat. Facing the inquiring gazes of her three sisters, especially Lee Jin and Seo Yeori, she almost dared not look up. She was also a bit surprised at her own madness today, knowing that her sisters were about to arrive, yet she had ended up with Zhang Chengyuan, when she had only intended to kiss him a few times.

The gathering that day passed in an awkward atmosphere. However, the four women were like sisters, and such a small issue did not affect their bond. As for Zhang Chengyuan, having won over another sister, he felt as if he had eaten a belly full of honey, his heart sweet with joy.

In late October, on a weekend morning, Zhang Chengyuan was pestered by Xiao Jing to take her out for a walk. Since he had recently been focusing all his attention on the four sisters of Fin.K.L, he hadn’t spent much time with her lately, feeling guilty, he readily agreed. He held Xiao Jing’s small hand and walked along a street by the Han River. Despite deliberately dressing up, he was quickly recognized by passersby. The number of fans asking for autographs increased, and Zhang Chengyuan, fearing that Xiao Jing might get hurt, immediately picked her up and ran away.

Running to a nearby car, Zhang Chengyuan didn’t dare to stay for a moment and immediately drove away. In the car, Xiao Jing said dejectedly, "Brother, you’re getting more and more famous. We can’t even go out for a walk together, it’s really disappointing."

Zhang Chengyuan apologized, "I’m sorry. When I have time, I’ll take you abroad to play. Then no one will recognize us, and we can do whatever we want."

Xiao Jing complained, "That’s good, but who knows when you’ll have time?"

Zhang Chengyuan smiled helplessly at her, patted her head, and apologized again, "I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you. How about I give you all my time today? You can decide where we go!"

Xiao Jing then smiled happily and said, "Let’s go visit my sister first, then pick her up to eat steak, and then you take me home to play with me until I fall asleep before you leave."

Zhang Chengyuan pinched her delicate nose and responded, "Okay, I’ll do whatever you say."

Since it was a weekend, knowing that Jung Soo Yeon would definitely be practicing at ** Company, Zhang Chengyuan drove to Gangnam Garosu-gil. He parked the car near ** Company and, carrying Xiao Jing on his back, entered the company under the pretense of visiting a relative. It had been a long time since he had visited Jung Soo Yeon, the last time being before he joined the military in early 2002.

He still remembered the first time he met the Jung sisters. Jung Soo Yeon was about the same age and size as Xiao Jing now, but her attitude towards him was vastly different. Xiao Jing was warm and cute, not afraid of him at all, while Jung Soo Yeon was cold and distant, never initiating conversation with him. However, over time, he discovered that her warmth was no less than her sister’s. After his discharge, Zhang Chengyuan often reflected on whether he had been too strict and cold towards Jung Soo Yeon, which might have made her afraid to approach him. Therefore, in the past half year, her attitude had become much warmer, but due to the lack of interaction, the effect was not very noticeable. She was still somewhat cold towards him, though better than a few years ago.

When Zhang Chengyuan and Xiao Jing saw Jung Soo Yeon, she was practicing dance with several other female trainees, completely focused and unaware of their arrival. They stood quietly to the side and watched. Xiao Jing, being small, couldn’t see her sister from his back and didn’t want to get down, so Zhang Chengyuan put her on his shoulders, giving her a better view. She held onto his neck with one hand and waved to her sister with the other.

The unusual sight of the brother and sister soon caught the attention of a few other female trainees who were resting nearby, causing a bit of a stir.

"Hmm? Isn’t that Sica’s sister, Soo Kyung? Who is that tall man? He looks familiar!"

"Ah! It’s Oppa Zhang Chengyuan. I’m his fan, I want to go ask him for an autograph."

"Seoyoung, don’t rush. He’s Sica’s brother, he’ll sign for us later. Don’t disturb him while he’s watching Sica practice."

"Yuri, do you know him?"

"Yes, I recognize him. I even took a photo with him and Hyoyeon. He used to visit Sica every few weeks, being very strict but also very caring. But he hasn’t been here for over two years, as he was in the military. He’s been busy with acting work since his return half a year ago, so he hasn’t had time to come see Sica."

"I joined the company earlier than you, but I never met him. What a pity!"

...

Similar conversations were happening among the other girls nearby. With his exceptional hearing, Zhang Chengyuan could hear everything clearly. He vaguely remembered two girls named Kwon Yuri and Kim Hyoyeon, whom he had met a few times before. However, after two years, they had grown and become more beautiful.

Zhang Chengyuan smiled and waved at Kwon Yuri and Kim Hyoyeon. They immediately bowed in response, their smiles wide. Although they often saw established idols in the company, Zhang Chengyuan seemed to have a different star quality, perhaps illustrating the saying "a foreign monk can chant better." If they got to know him better, they might not feel as excited.

A few minutes later, Jung Soo Yeon stopped to rest. Seeing her sisters pointing to her side, she turned back and saw Zhang Chengyuan and her sister. A smile immediately appeared on her lips, but it quickly faded. If not for the lingering joy in her eyes, one might not have noticed that she had smiled.