novellhall Is 36 a confession...?
Is 36 a confession...?
As the car approached the main entrance of Hannandong, a security guard in the booth checked the information and raised the barrier to let the car through. The villa area, surrounded by high walls, was unusually quiet. Security personnel were stationed at intersections and side streets, making it virtually impossible for outsiders to enter; its secrecy was excellent.
The car slowly came to a stop in front of an elegant detached villa. Luo Yonghao and Wang Zilu got out. This villa area, located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, is quiet, secluded, and elegantly styled—a recognized upscale area in Seoul. Surrounded by walls and lush greenery, the detached residence is understated yet grand, exuding a unique and privileged atmosphere from afar.
A barely perceptible hint of amazement flashed in Luo Yonghao's and Wang Zilu's eyes, but upon reflection, it made sense. For Li Jingcheng to study at Pace University in the US, the tuition and living expenses must have been substantial; his family must have considerable wealth. It was just a pity that his family had suffered a sudden misfortune, coupled with South Korea's outrageous inheritance tax. The two couldn't help but sigh.
But then I thought, given Li Jingcheng's current meteoric rise, earning back the money for this house this year, or even several times it, would probably not be difficult at all.
Li Jingcheng got out of the car first, turned to the two of them, and invited, "We're home. It's still early. Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
The two declined, as they still had a lot of company business to attend to in cooperation with Kim Min-joo. Wang Zi-lu smiled and declined, saying, "No, Brother Cheng, we still have a lot of things to deal with at the company. Let's talk about it another time."
Luo Yonghao nodded with a smile.
Li Jingcheng naturally wouldn't insist. After saying goodbye, he returned home. To be honest, although he seemed quite busy today, he didn't feel very tired. Perhaps the effects of his improved physical condition were beginning to appear.
He simply quenched his thirst and then sank into the soft sofa in a languid, reclining position. He picked up his phone, the screen still showing his text messages with Bae Joo-hyun.
She hasn't replied to that polite but distant congratulatory message yet.
"Looks like I won't get a response from text messages." Li Jingcheng simply dialed her number.
To his surprise, the call was answered instantly.
But on the other end of the phone, Bae Joo-hyun's mood was far less decisive than her action of answering the call.
From the moment she sent that text message, her heart was in her throat. In the practice room, almost everyone's conversation revolved around Li Jingcheng, who had become a national heartthrob overnight. She was genuinely happy for him, but along with that came a clear, chilling sense of disparity.
The feeling was like two people walking side by side on the same road, one suddenly bathed in spotlights and stepping onto a red carpet in the spotlight, while the other remained in the dimly lit audience seats, unwilling to bow her head, not wanting to appear as if she were deliberately trying to curry favor or beg for attention.
Yet, a quiet, growing affection within her, one she herself might not fully understand, made her reluctant to distance herself. She sent that text message with a hidden tension and expectation, hoping he would notice this subtle distance.
He should take the initiative to come over and use a familiar tone to dispel the invisible barrier created by the sudden change in their status, offering her even just words of comfort...
After sending the text message, every second of waiting felt incredibly long. She was tormented by a rollercoaster of emotions: afraid he'd think she was being dramatic and that they'd become strangers, yet also secretly hoping he'd understand her unease and respond.
But then I thought about it again and realized that my idea was a bit funny.
They had only just officially met, and although their brief time together was indeed pleasant—that brat, refusing to call her "Oppa" and even taking advantage of her—when she recalled the helplessness she felt during her low blood sugar, his inexplicably pleasant scent, and even the warmth and comfort of being half-huddled in his arms, she felt a surge of happiness.
And that scoundrel deliberately showed off his abs.
Bae Joo-hyun couldn't help but secretly smile, a sweet feeling she herself didn't even realize quietly spreading through her heart.
Sigh, what a contradiction.
She was somewhat distracted during practice all afternoon, but thankfully she had already received an A in her monthly assessment, so it wouldn't have too much of an impact. Just as she was deleting and editing text messages on her phone, the screen suddenly lit up.
That was Li Jingcheng's phone call!
Overwhelmed with surprise, she almost instinctively pressed the answer button.
But the moment the call connected, overwhelming regret and panic engulfed her. What should she say? How should she begin?
"What's wrong? Didn't Bae Joo-hyun receive my text message?" His familiar, smiling voice came through the receiver, instantly breaking the awkward silence and easing some of her tension.
"I saw it." Bae Joo-hyun's voice was muffled, with a nasal tone that she herself was unaware of, sounding somewhat defiant and puffy.
"Are you not in bed yet?" Li Jingcheng teased.
"Yeah, mind your own business!" Bae Joo-hyun retorted instinctively, her cheeks flushing slightly. She held the phone closer to her ear, as if that would bring her closer to his voice and his breath, confirming that the person on the other end of the line was still the same slightly mischievous, yet heart-stirring Lee Kyung-sung.
"When are you coming over to celebrate? I'm still waiting for you to cook for me." He casually extended the invitation, his tone as natural as if it were a matter of course, just like yesterday.
Bae Joo-hyun wasn't angry. The slight awkwardness in her heart actually dissipated a bit because of his unpretentious attitude, and she felt a subtle emotion similar to that of lovers saying the opposite of what they mean when they have a little tantrum. "Hmph, I didn't agree to go."
Li Jingcheng naturally noticed the hint of coquettishness in her voice, but didn't care at all. Girls need to be coaxed, especially his goddess; he had to give her the full emotional support she deserved.
He lowered his voice, his tone becoming suggestive, "What, have you forgotten how I took care of you yesterday? Don't you want to pay back your debt?"
Bae Joo-hyun pouted, deliberately misinterpreting, "Is it because you're deliberately holding me and won't let go?"
"Wasn't that because you had low blood sugar but were still stubborn? You fell when I let go, didn't you? I was just worried about you." Li Jingcheng's reasoning was sound and his tone was self-righteous.
"Pah!" Bae Joo-hyun spat lightly, "Mysteriously behind me!" Her voice trailed off, and he pulled her closer, the warmth of his hands seeping through the thin fabric. She didn't seem to be truly resisting; this time, he wanted to make her ears burn and flush with an alluring blush.
She suddenly wanted to ask how his work schedule was going, whether CJ had assigned him any projects, but those things that made her feel distant made her swallow the words back; she wasn't too keen on asking anymore.
Lee Kyung-sung on the other end of the phone seemed to chuckle softly, keenly sensing the subtle change in her emotions. He softened his tone, with a hint of coaxing, "What are you thinking? Instead of taking this opportunity to please Oppa and let me take you to new heights, you're still throwing a tantrum here? Look at Lee Hye-ri, how many congratulatory messages she sent."
Bae Joo-hyun's expression subtly turned cold the moment she heard Lee Hyeri's name. Compared to the aloof and detached beauty of her later divine appearance, the chill that settled between her brows now was far more direct.
Her voice instantly turned cold and hard. "Didn't I send a congratulatory message? Sorry then. But would you like to teach me how to curry favor with someone powerful?"
But as soon as she finished speaking, Bae Joo-hyun, who was holding her phone, regretted it.
Li Jingcheng clearly heard the change in her tone, but he remained calm and even smiled, "Of course, you're here to do my laundry, cook for me, and warm my bed."
Bae Joo-hyun's breath hitched. For some reason, even though those words were so awful, a picture flashed through her mind—she was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, while that bad boy leaned against the door, nitpicking and complaining that her cooking wasn't good enough. At night, she made up the bed for him...
The thought made her face instantly flush crimson, like a ripe cherry.
"Ugh!!" she mumbled into the microphone, trying to hide her racing heart. "You want me to warm the bed? If anyone's going to warm it, it'll be you, you jerk, doing it for me!"
"Okay," Li Jingcheng readily agreed, his smile deepening. "Then I'll warm the bed and wait for you to come over."
"You...!" Bae Joo-hyun's tone became agitated, as if she could see his playful and mischievous expression. Unable to argue back, she retorted in a coquettish and unreasonable tone, "You only know how to take advantage of me! You naughty boy who can't even call me 'noona'!"
But as soon as she said those words, the air became thick with ambiguity. Bae Joo-hyun felt her cheeks burning and her breathing quicken uncontrollably; the tension seemed to emanate from her through the phone.
Lee Kyung-sung felt his heart completely melted by an emotion called cuteness. He truly wanted to see Bae Joo-hyun immediately at that moment, so he unleashed his ultimate move: his voice was deep and clear, carrying a formal seriousness.
"Joohyun, I only invited you, not Lee Hyeri."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle, and then, in a softer, gentler tone, added the last, and most important, sentence.
"I miss you."
"Did you...miss me?"
Bae Joo-hyun felt her heartbeat stop completely in that instant.
Is this a confession of love?
The sounds of the world seemed to vanish suddenly, leaving only his gentle whispers through the receiver and the increasingly rapid, drum-like pounding of my heart. Blood seemed to rush to my head in an instant, then quickly flow back, bringing a dizzying sweetness and thrill.
Bae Joo-hyun opened her mouth, but no sound came out. All her little anxieties, prides, and schemes crumbled before this straightforward and gentle statement.
At both ends of the phone, only the soft sounds of each other's breathing remained, intertwined in the invisible radio waves, creating a silent yet intensely beautiful atmosphere.