"Of course it looks cool! It's the limited edition! I think there are only five of that model in our country."
"Wow, the owner of the car must be super-rich and powerful."
"Exactly! My cousin wanted to buy one, but failed."
Lisa called Jungkook when she stopped the car, and Jungkook walked out soon. When he saw Lisa driving here by herself, he was surprised. "Do you have a driver's license?"
"Sure," Lisa said with pride. "I passed the driving test when I came here after the New Year Festival."
Jungkook was impressed but not astonished, because he knew that Lisa was a skilled driver.
"Where are we going?" Jungkook got in the car.
"Fengshang Shopping Mall," Lisa said.
The hotel wasn't far from Fengshang Shopping Mall and they arrived within 10 minutes.
When they entered the underground parking lot, Lisa stopped the car and was about to get out but Jungkook pulled her back. "What?" Lisa looked to him with confusion.
"Stay here for a while. I need to tell you something," Jungkook said with a serious look.
Seeing Jungkook being serious, Lisa thought that it must be something important. "What is it?"
Jungkook approached her and Lisa thought that it must be a secret so he needed to be close to her. Unexpectedly, Jungkook kissed her the next second. Lisa wouldn't be alert when she was with Jungkook, so Jungkook always had a chance to kiss her. Lisa was struck dumb for a second then soon realized that Jungkook just played a romantic trick in order to kiss her.
The two were getting closer to each other.
Jungkook kissed Lisa for a short while before he sat back in his seat because they were still in a public place.
"You..." Lisa was a little annoyed, but she had to admit that she loved this feeling.
"I always lose control of myself when you're by my side," Jungkook said, staring at Lisa with a burning desire in his eyes.
Lisa flushed, then opened the car door getting out without delay.
Jungkook was amused then left the car too. He walked to Lisa's side, holding her hand, walking together to the shopping mall.
The moment they appeared in the shopping mall, many people were attracted to this stunning couple. Most of them were women who couldn't help but stare at Jungkook. It wasn't uncommon to see beautiful women in a high-end shopping mall, but it was rare to see a handsome man, especially an extremely handsome young man.
"What a shame! He already has a girlfriend."
"Well, stop dreaming. Such an extremely handsome young man can't be single."
"I hate his girlfriend."
"Ha-ha."
"If he entered the entertainment industry, I bet that he'd be a household name."
"I think that he could be an heir of a super-rich family, and doesn't care about fame."
"You're right. A rich second-generation heir is from a much higher social status than a star."
Although a star was in the limelight all the time, many people from rich or powerful families despised the job.
Noticing many women paying a lot of attention to Jungkook, Lisa felt a little uncomfortable.
Jungkook held her hand tightly in his palm and joked, "Should I wear a mask so that they can't see my face?"
"Ha-ha." Lisa was amused. "Well, I think that it's better if you don't leave the house and stay by my side all the time."
"No problem." Jungkook smiled. "I'll eat and sleep all day in the house, and I won't go anywhere but stay by your side."
He thought that it wasn't a bad idea to dine and sleep with Lisa all day long. However, Lisa didn't understand the special meaning of what Jungkook had said. "What if you gain too much weight?"
Jungkook laughed and his husky voice sound very sexy. "Don't worry. I can exercise more every night."
Lisa flushed again. "You're a bad man!" Saying that, she wanted to draw her hand from Jungkook's palm, but her hand was held tightly by him. "Ha-ha, I'll never let you leave my side."
They were quite close to each other now, and neither of them was willing to leave the other.
Before long, Lisa and Jungkook arrived at Charm store. However, there weren't many customers shopping inside.
Once Lisa and Jungkook walked in, a saleswoman, Xiao Lin welcomed them. "It's so nice to meet you, Miss Lisa!"
Xiao Lin knew that Lisa was their new boss now. However, when she noticed Jungkook, her eyes lit up and she was stunned by his outstanding appearance. Xiao Lin also understood that this extremely handsome man could be her new boss's boyfriend, so she soon drew her look back.
Lisa noticed her reaction but didn't mind. "Where is Sunmi?"
"She's in the storeroom now and she said that you may go there once you're here to meet her," Xiao Lin said.
"Great," Lisa said, then walked to the storeroom.
Lisa knocked on the door of the storeroom. "Hi, may I come in?"
"Come on in please. The door isn't locked," Sunmi said and Lisa pushed the door open walking inside.
The storeroom was around 10 square-meters and it was also Sunmi's design studio. There were dresses hanging on a wall, and several mannequins dressed in gowns which weren't finished yet. On the other side, there was a sewing machine and a table on which various needles and tools such as scissors for making clothing was placed.
"Hi boss, welcome!" Sunmi greeted Lisa with enthusiasm.
When Sunmi saw Jungkook, she was also stunned.
"Hi!" Sunmi greeted Jungkook.
"Hi," Jungkook said lightly.
"Boss, come on and have a look at the gowns. I can finish the three pieces on the mannequins by tomorrow," Sunmi said.
Lisa had a look then said with satisfaction, "I love them!"
Hearing that, Sunmi was finally relieved.
"I need to find an appropriate company and factory next," Lisa said.
"I can help. I'm free anyway," Jungkook said at once. He was complaining because Lisa didn't spend much time with him these days, and he was free and by himself all day.
Lisa understood that he had complaints, so she agreed, "That would be great!"
"We need workers to work in the factory too, but it takes time to hire people. Please help me find some garment factories which can barely stay afloat and are about to be sold. If it's possible, we can directly acquire one," Lisa said.
It wasn't easy to run a profitable business nowadays, so many companies went bankrupt every year, but Lisa would only acquire one if it was qualified.
"No problem," Jungkook said.
Lisa came to Charm store just to check on the gowns, so she left soon after that. She had nothing else to do during the rest of the day, so she decided to have a walk with Jungkook, and they would be back before dinner.
Lisa and Jungkook went to a park. They stopped the car in the parking lot then got out to take a walk.
There were many people in the park but the park was very large, so people didn't gather together at a certain place. No matter where Jungkook walked people would be attracted to his outstanding appearance. Luckily, there weren't many people around them, so it wasn't bothersome.
Lisa and Jungkook walked to the woods and ambled on the forest path.
"Xia Jiyeon, what's wrong with you? Why didn't you come to record yesterday? Do you know that someone else bought the song before us, and we now have to pay liquidated damages which are over a million yuan? Do you know..." Lisa and Jungkook heard a man's angry criticisms.
"Enough!" Before the man could finish the sentence, a woman interrupted him in anger. "Qiao Guanxiang, enough is enough! Stop lying to my face. I already found out that you and Pei Hena are merely taking advantage of me..." At the end, the woman almost shouted, and burst into tears.
Pei Hena? Lisa had heard the name. She was a popular singer.
"You..." Qiao Guanxiang didn't expect that Jiyeon would say it aloud, so he was struck dumb. How is it possible that she found out?
Jiyeon looked at Qiao Guanxiang, who was still in shock, and said with a biting smile, "Qiao Guanxiang, I know that you actually don't like me at all, but approached me to help Pei Hena become popular. You said that you wanted to help me become a popular singer, but you planned a car accident and disfigured my face so that I can't appear in front of the public anymore. To realize my musical dream, I had no choice but to be a ghost singer for Pei Hena."
"How-how did you find out?" Qiao Guanxiang rounded his eyes in shock, but his question proved that what Jiyeon had said was true.
Even Lisa felt greatly surprised hearing that. Lisa didn't want to interfere in other people's personal affairs, but now she was interested. Pei Hena was a famous singer, which was affirmed by many experts. She also enjoyed great popularity among the public, and her name often appeared on the rankings of varied music forums. Unexpectedly, there was a ghost singer behind her.
An entertainment company needed actors as well as singers. If Jiyeon was really the ghost singer for Pei Hena, Lisa would love to have a talk with her. Even though her face was disfigured, it was easy for Lisa to help her recover.
Lisa pulled Jungkook to sit at a nearby bench, observing them.
There was still a distance between them, so they didn't find out that Jungkook and Lisa were eavesdropping.
Although the position they were standing at was covered by dense branches, Lisa had Jade Eyes to help her. Lisa's sight fell on Jiyeon, observing her carefully. Jiyeon was about 1.65 meter tall, medium build, not fat or thin, wearing a cap and a mask with only a pair of eyes exposed.
Even so, Lisa still clearly saw her features. Jiyeon was a beauty to some extent, if the scary scar could be removed from her right cheek. Even in the entertainment industry, she would still be a noticeable beauty. With her outstanding voice, singing skill, and beautiful face, it was unreasonable that she wouldn't be popular as long as she had support.
"It's not important how I found out. Since I already know, I won't let you take advantage of me anymore. Without me, Pei Hena's career will be ruined. And, as long as I expose this dirty secret, you and Pei Hena will have to live in the darkness forever!" Jiyeon looked vicious, and said with strong hatred.
She wasn't a weak girl, and had her own principals, but she had lost herself in love. Besides, ever since her face had been disfigured in an "accident", Qiao Guanxiang always stayed by her side, so she had remained loyal to him, which was the reason why she had fallen into the trap they set for her.
"No, you can't do that!" Qiao Guanxiang panicked. Once this dirty secret was exposed, their reputation would be completely ruined. He had paid a lot to be successful and the last thing he wanted now was to fall from that high social status. He was determined to be an outstanding agent.
"Why not? I'm the victim, and you're the initiators of the evil plan!" Jiyeon shouted in anger.
Having been schemed against by the man she loved, Jiyeon felt deeply hurt, but she was angrier and more resentful than ever. She had lost herself in the ridiculous love so much that she didn't discover that Qiao Guanxiang was so shameless, snobbish and would get whatever he wanted by hook or by crook until now.
"Jiyeon, I'll give you money to get plastic surgery as compensation, and I'll raise your salary too. Please, keep being Hena's ghost singer," Qiao Guanxiang almost begged in order to protect his reputation and career.
"If I had enough money to get plastic surgery, do you think that I'd be willing to be Pei Hena's ghost singer any longer? I can stand on the stage myself!" Jiyeon sneered.
Jiyeon was beautiful, and she was a singer, not an actress, so the audience had comparatively lower standard of appearance. As long as she could sing well, she was confident that she could be popular. However, her face was disfigured. A disfigured face was different from an ugly face, and she felt quite self-abased ever since the "accident" had happened to her.
Thinking of that, Jiyeon clenched her teeth in anger. "Qiao Guanxiang, I promise that I'll pay you and Pei Hena back!"
Qiao Guanxiang seemed extremely displeased, and blurt out, "Xia Jiyeon, if you dare to do that, I'll kill you and nobody will know that you've ever existed!"
Facing the threat, Jiyeon stayed calm, and raised her phone to show Qiao Guanxiang. "Qiao Guanxiang, do you think that I came here to meet you without preparing anything? I've recorded every sentence you just said. If you dare hurt me, I'll spread it across the Internet."
"You..." Qiao Guanxiang panicked at once, reaching out to grab Jiyeon's phone, but Jiyeon escaped on time.
Qiao Guanxiang was in a rage now. Thinking that Jiyeon could ruin his reputation and career, he lost control of his emotions. However, he thought of something all of a sudden, and seemed less angry. "Xia Jiyeon, don't forget that your younger brother is in my hands. If you dare to spread the recording across the Internet, I'll make a call, and your younger brother will be tortured."
Qiao Guanxiang had a connection with gangs.
"How dare you!" Jiyeon panicked this time. Her younger brother was her only family in this world and she couldn't tolerate it if anything bad happened to him. Jiyeon swore at herself. How could she forget that! Her younger brother was innocent and Qiao Guanxiang would keep her younger brother as a hostage.
"Face the reality Xia Jiyeon, and we can work together as usual. Don't worry. I'll still raise your salary," Qiao Guanxiang said arrogantly. "However, if you dare to refuse, you can't bear the result."
Jiyeon was so mad, but she could do nothing about it. Although she hated Qiao Guanxiang and Pei Hena to death, she was reluctant to put her younger brother in a dangerous situation. She chose to yield for her younger brother's safety.
"Fine, I agree," Jiyeon said in the end. She couldn't risk her younger brother's life.
Hearing their conversation, Lisa really appreciated Jiyeon now.
"Very well. Now, delete the recording," Qiao Guanxiang ordered.
Jiyeon didn't want to do it but she had to obey Qiao Guanxiang's order and deleted the recording right in front of him.
"You can have the day off and I'll send some people to watch over your younger brother. If you dare do anything to resist my control, your younger brother is doomed," Qiao Guanxiang said.
As long as Jiyeon's younger brother was in his hands, he wasn't afraid that Jiyeon wouldn't listen to him.
After threatening Jiyeon, Qiao Guanxiang left, while Jiyeon collapsed to the ground bursting into tears.
At this moment, Lisa told Jungkook to wait for her, while she walked to Jiyeon.
"Did you sing every song for Pei Hena?" Lisa asked.
Hearing a stranger's voice, Jiyeon was a little scared. She stopped crying at once, looking to Lisa with fear on her face. "Did-did you hear everything just then?"
Jiyeon was horrified. If this girl spread what she had heard abroad, her younger brother would be in great danger.
Noticing Jiyeon's worry, Lisa laid her cards on the table. "Don't worry. I won't leak a word out. I just want to figure out whether you sang every song for Pei Hena. If so, you rouse my interest, and we can cooperate if you don't want to be controlled by them any longer."
"What? Cooperate?" Jiyeon was surprised and doubted it.
Lisa looked younger than 20-years-old, so it was hard for Jiyeon to believe that Lisa could help her. Jiyeon wasn't judging Lisa from her appearance, but she did seem too young.
"Well, have you heard of Su Krystal?" Lisa opened her mouth.
"Do you mean the actress?" Jiyeon said.
"Yes," Lisa replied.
"I've heard her name, and she's quite popular recently," Jiyeon said but didn't understand why Lisa suddenly asked that question.
"I understand that you have doubts about my ability, but let me tell you a secret that Su Krystal is working for my company now," Lisa said.
"What? You're the boss of Fenghua Entertainment?" Jiyeon was shocked. She couldn't believe her ears. Although Fenghua Entertainment was a newly-established company, it was quite powerful in the entertainment industry.
"Yes," Lisa said directly.
Hearing her affirmative answer, Jiyeon began to believe that this young girl before her eyes really could help her.
"Do you have any evidence to prove that you're the boss of Fenghua Entertainment?" Jiyeon asked with doubt.
Lisa understood that it wasn't persuasive if she said it without any solid proof. She then took out her phone, and logged into the official Weibo account of Fenghua Entertainment before she showed the screen to Jiyeon. "I know it's still not enough to prove that I'm the boss of Fenghua Entertainment by logging into its official Weibo account, but it at least proves that I'm a key member of Fenghua Entertainment."
Jiyeon took a look at the screen, and believed that Lisa could be the boss of Fenghua Entertainment. However, after a short period of excitement, Jiyeon looked upset again. "Do you want me to be a ghost singer when you sign me? I've done that for Pei Hena already, and I don't think that it's a good idea if I keep doing it for another singer."
Jiyeon wasn't sure why Lisa wanted to sign her. Her face had been disfigured after all, and it would cost a lot to do plastic surgery to help her recover.
Lisa smiled then said, "I'm not dumb, and I know that it's a bad idea. I want someone with real talent, not a ghost singer. Don't worry; I can help you regain your natural face without doing plastic surgery."
"What? Really?" Jiyeon was totally shocked and couldn't believe her ears.
"We'll see!" Lisa said.
Jiyeon got excited again. Although it sounded too good to be true, she chose to believe Lisa.
"Since you've heard the argument between Qiao Guanxiang and me, you must know that he'll hurt my younger brother if I don't listen to him," Jiyeon said.
As long as she could get rid of Qiao Guanxiang's control, she was willing to do anything for Lisa. It was quite torturous to work for someone she hated to death. However, she couldn't abandon her younger brother.
Lisa said with a smile on her face, "If you work for me, I will of course protect your younger brother."
"Really?" Jiyeon was cheered up at once. "Of course," Lisa said affirmatively.
"Great, I'll cooperate with you," Jiyeon said.
"Aren't you curious about your salary?" Lisa looked at her, although she already had the answer.
"I don't care about the salary as long as I can get rid of Qiao Guanxiang and my younger brother is safe. I trust you," Jiyeon said.
It couldn't be worse to work for Lisa than it would be to keep working for Qiao Guanxiang. Although Jiyeon had been treated unfairly, she still believed that there were more good people than bad ones in this world.
"Great, but Fenghua Entertainment is in the capital, so you would have to move there," Lisa said.
"No problem. It's a good thing to leave City B, but I can't leave my younger brother alone here, so would you please help me transfer him to a school in the capital?" Jiyeon asked.
There were only two of them in her family, and all their relatives stopped contacting her ever since her parents passed away, so she only cared about her younger brother.
"Sure," Lisa said.
Hearing that, Jiyeon was very grateful.
"You have to leave for the capital right now. Give me your phone number first, and I'll send the number of the general manager of Fenghua Entertainment to you later. He'll take care of you, and make all the arrangements," Lisa said.
Fenghua would provide a housing allowance for its actors or singers, so Jiyeon could use the money to rent an apartment for herself and her younger brother. It was just the beginning. If Jiyeon could achieve a lot in her career and help the company make a lot of money, she would gain more in the future.
"Thanks," Jiyeon said.
"As for Qiao Guanxiang and Pei Hena, their reputation and career will soon be ruined once you show up on the stage," Lisa said.
"You're right." Jiyeon agreed. She had already deleted the recording, so she didn't have solid proof to accuse Qiao Guanxiang with. However, as long as she left them and went on the stage herself, Pei Hena and Qiao Guanxian's career wouldn't last long.
"I don't have any proof of their dirty secret now because I already deleted the recording." Jiyeon was worried. It would be better if their dirty secrets could be exposed to the public.
"Don't worry. I'll find some," Lisa said with confidence. "Just tell me their addresses and phone numbers."
Lisa knew that she had to deal with those two potential enemies well, in case they tried to harm her business. Like when she had hired Lu Zhan, and acted against Tang Bingsen, Lisa was determined to get revenge on the Tang Family in the capital sooner or later.
Although it wasn't difficult for her to kill Tang Bingsen now, she wasn't willing to do so, because she decided to carry out her plan at a slow pace and disintegrate the Tang Family's business group little by little. In her previous incarnation, the Tang Family's business group wouldn't have been so successful without her help. She lost count of how many illegal things she had done for them. The Tang Family had made full use of her and became an influential, rich family in the capital.
Jiyeon then sent Qiao Guanxiang's and Pei Hena's addresses and phone numbers to Lisa at once.
After that, Lisa gave her a porcelain bottle the size of a thumb. "There is a pill inside, which can cure the scar on your face. Pour some water in the bottle, and apply some with a cotton swab to your scar twice a day."
Jiyeon was surprised again. This pill can cure my scar? She couldn't believe it because the scar on her face wasn't small, and only plastic surgery could remove it. However, she thought that there was no reason for Lisa to lie to her. They had no benefit conflicts after all. In addition, Lisa needed her to make money for Lisa's company. Anyway, nothing good came without risk. Even if Lisa was just lying, she still had to try it. If she tried, she had hope; otherwise, she would be totally hopeless. Therefore, Jiyeon took Lisa's pill and thanked her with sincerity, "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. We just got what we needed from each other," Lisa said. "Oh, you must do an injury report in the hospital first. It'll come in handy when you need it. I think you better do it when you arrive at the capital in case Qiao Guanxiang discovers it and causes unnecessary trouble."
"Sure," Jiyeon said.
After that, Lisa walked away and Jiyeon immediately went back to her home and called her younger brother on the way.
Xia Yedam was Jiyeon's younger brother. He was 17-years-old, studying in the second grade in the No.5 High School in City B. He wasn't very academically inclined, but was still a good student in his school.
Jiyeon was beautiful, and Yedam didn't have a plain face either. Moreover, Yedam was a talented composer.
Jiyeon stopped chasing her music dream because of an accident, so Yedam made up his mind to actualize his older sister's dream, and studied music hard. However, he kept it a secret from Jiyeon, because he didn't want his older sister to be worried about him.
It wasn't a flat road to success, because there were too many people scheming against one another for fame and fortune in the music industry.
Today, Yedam asked for a leave from his school in order to listen to a lecture delivered by a famous music expert in a conservatory of music.
When he received Jiyeon's call, Yedam asked where he was, and he lied, "I'm at school now."
"Head to the airport right now. I'll meet you there after I go home first. Don't ask further questions or tell anyone else; I'll tell you everything at the airport. If you don't do that, both of us will be in danger. Do you understand?" Jiyeon said seriously and nervously.
Hearing that, Yedam understood that something had to be wrong. He was anxious but Jiyeon wouldn't tell him details until they met at the airport.
A classmate who came to listen to the lecture with Yedam noticed Yedam's anxiety after answering the call, so he asked with concern when Yedam hung up, "Yedam, what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. I gotta go now." Saying that, Yedam took a taxi to the airport at once.
Lisa called Myungsoo later and told him what had happened to Jiyeon. Myungsoo would make arrangements for Jiyeon's music career in the future.
After that, Lisa turned to Jungkook. "Can you help me monitor Qiao Guanxiang and Pei Hena, and record their conversations?"
"Sure." Jungkook was, of course, more than willing to help Lisa. He wouldn't hesitate to do anything for her, let alone monitoring two people. Jungkook then made a call and arranged for someone to monitor Qiao Guanxiang and Pei Hena.
Once Qiao Guanxiang left the park, he went straight to Pei Hena's apartment.
Pei Hena didn't go to work today, so she wasn't wearing any make-up. She wore a thin sleeping gown which accentuated her alluring figure. Pei Hena was the same age as Jiyeon. Both of them were 26 years old, and beautiful.
Not many people knew that Jiyeon was Pei Hena's ghost singer, but it wasn't a secret to some people. Except the senior management of their company, Jiyeon's younger brother and Pei Hena's two assistants were all aware of it. And none of them would reveal it.
Yedam knew that his older sister's face had been disfigured so she couldn't stand on the stage. However, it wasn't a bad thing that she could sing songs behind the scene to make some money.
Pei Hena's assistants had signed confidentiality agreements. If they leaked this secret information, they would be put in jail.
The moment Qiao Guanxiang walked inside, Pei Hena pressed on him with her body then asked, "How is it? Did the bitch tell you why she was absent yesterday?"
"She found out about our secret," Qiao Guanxiang said calmly to some extent, because he was less worried now after he got the goods on Jiyeon.
"What? She found out about our secret? How much does she know?" Pei Hena, on the other hand, was frightened. She understood that Jiyeon wouldn't listen to them anymore if Jiyeon found out their secret. She had paid a lot to be a famous singer and was reluctant to fail.
Qiao Guanxiang hugged her and comforted. "Don't worry. I have Xia Yedam as a hostage, so she has to obey my orders. We don't need to keep our relationship a secret anymore. We can do whatever we want from now on."
Hearing that, Pei Hena relaxed a little, but she was still worried. "However, since she already found out, she's a walking time bomb now. What if she spreads it abroad?"
"It's useless to think too far now. Don't you trust me?" Qiao Guanxiang said. Before Pei Hena could say another word, he kissed her wildly. Although they appeared as agent and singer before others, they were a couple in private. However, they had to keep a distance from each other in order to take advantage of Jiyeon, and so they seldom made love.
And now, Qiao Guanxiang told Pei Hena that they were able to do whatever they wanted, so Pei Hena's burning desire was aroused. She could finally stop meeting Qiao Guanxiang in private like she was the other woman in their relationship.
"Would you mind staying with me for a while?" Jungkook stared straight at Lisa when Lisa drove Jungkook back to the hotel.
"I can't," Lisa said. She knew that if she went to the room with him, she wouldn't be leaving right away. Who knew what he would do to her? It was already 4:30 pm, and it would be too late when she went back to her house, especially when it was highly possible that she would be caught by the rush hour on her way back home.
Jungkook felt disappointed but he understood Lisa so he didn't insist. They could meet in the night after all.
A short while after Jungkook went back to the hotel he received He Qiming's call. While Lisa talked with Jiyeon in the park, Jungkook called He Qiming and told him to find some appropriate garment factories and companies which were on sale. Shengshi Group was indeed very powerful and He Qinming finished his task within an hour.
"Lord Jungkook, there are exactly two vacant floors in an office building which is under construction of our company. Every floor is 800 square-meters large. As for garment factories, I've found three of them, and I've emailed their information to you. Please check the email," He Kaiming said.
"Great," Jungkook said then opened the latest email.
The three garment factories that could barely stay afloat were all because of poor management, and they were all in good locations with advanced equipment. However, Jungkook didn't make the decision for Lisa but would let her choose when they met in the night.
When Lisa was driving to the Tang Family's house, Jiyeon arrived at the airport with two suitcases. One was filled with her clothes, and the other was full of Yedam's clothing and laptop.They didn't live a very good life, so there weren't many things they had to take with them.
Yedam arrived at the airport 40 minutes after he had received Jiyeon's call, and he was pacing anxiously outside the entire time.
Jiyeon had booked the plane tickets, and the flight would take off around 6:20 pm. They still had nearly 50 minutes to wait.
Seeing Jiyeon coming, Yedam walked forward and helped her with the luggage. "What happened? Why do we have to leave for the capital in a hurry?" Yedam asked.
"Take the boarding cards first, I'll tell you everything once we're in the lounge," Jiyeon said.
"Sure." Yedam didn't continue to ask questions and they pulled their suitcases, walking into the airport. When they found a place in the lounge where there weren't many people, Jiyeon told Yedam everything. She didn't hide any details.
After hearing what his older sister had been through, Yedam was furious, and wanted to tear Qiao Guanxiang and Pei Hena into pieces.
"Damn it! How could Qiao Guanxiang treat you like that!" Although Yedam was mad, he still had reason, and didn't shout it out loud in case others would hear it. However, he put on an evil expression, which even scared Jiyeon.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault that I failed to take good care of you," Yedam said, and he seemed very sad. Although Jiyeon was the older sister while Yedam was the younger brother; Yedam felt that it was his duty as a man to protect his older sister.
"Yedam, don't say that. You're my younger brother and I should be taking care of you. It's my fault that I stupidly lost myself in love. I'm sorry." Jiyeon felt really guilty. If she hadn't trusted Qiao Guanxiang so much she wouldn't have been through so many terrible things.
"I'm a man, and men should protect women!" Yedam argued.
"Alright-alright, now is not a good time to argue." Jiyeon understood that Yedam had a strong sense of responsibility, and she would never win in an argument like that with him.
Yedam also stopped arguing but asked worriedly, "Will Qiao Guanxiang find us even if we escape to the capital?"
"Relax," Jiyeon said then she told Yedam about what had happened to her after she met Lisa.
Hearing that his older sister was signed by an influential entertainment company in the capital, Yedam was excited. His older sister's musical dream was finally going to come true!
"Really?" Yedam was afraid that he was in a daydream, so he asked again with uncertainty.
"Yes, it's real." In fact, Jiyeon also felt like she was in a dream, because it was too good to be true, but she still gave Yedam an affirmative answer in order to comfort him.
"That's so great!" Yedam lost words to describe how excited he was now. As long as his older sister could stand on the stage, Qiao Guanxiang and Pei Hena would be doomed. In addition, he agreed to transfer to another school in the capital because all he wanted now was that he and his older sister could be safe together.
When Lisa got back to the Tang Family's house, it was past 5 pm, and Jiah was still talking to Eunseok in his bedroom.
"Lili, you came back so late! I'm so bored!" Once Lisa walked inside, Rosé complained. Rosé wasn't a quiet girl, and it bored her to stay with the older generation for a long time. Hyunsuk wasn't home either, so there was nobody that Rosé could play with.
"I went out to deal with something serious," Lisa said. Rosé was already passed 20 years old, but she still behaved like a child who loved playing.
"Rosé, don't fool around all day! Why don't you learn something from Lili? She's achieved a lot at such a young age!" Tang Haifeng criticized Rosé.
Although the Tang family and the Cao family were rich enough to support their offspring to live a luxurious life for generations, it wasn't a good thing that Rosé did nothing but fool around all day, because it was a total waste of her life!
Rosé pulled her lips, remaining silent. She understood that she wasn't comparable to Lisa. Let alone Rosé, there were few young people in this world who could achieve so much at such a young age.
Jiah had talked to Eunseok for over two hours today, but he still had no reaction. Jiah felt a little disappointed and sad, but she could do nothing about it. However, when Jiah stood up, walking away, Eunseok's fingers moved a little then stopped.
After dinner, Jiah and Lisa left, followed by Rosé.
"Lili, are you free tonight? If you are, why don't you go to a friend's gathering with me?" Rosé asked Lisa on their way back.
"I am free tonight but I need to stay at home with my mom. She'll be bored alone," Lisa said.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine alone," Jiah said.
Since Jiah said so, Lisa agreed to have some fun with Rosé.
Lisa sent Jiah back to Huafu Hills, then came out after a dozen minutes.
"Are you going to drink? If you are, we can't drive the car because I'm going to drink," Rosé said when they walked out together.
"I won't drink. Let me drive the car, but I think your ORV(*) is enough. The Lamborghini is too noticeable," Lisa said. She had experienced the feeling of being the focus of people's attention during the day. And although it wasn't bad, she still preferred to keep a low-profile.
"Fine." Rosé agreed then gave the car key of her Land Rover to Lisa.
"Can I bring a friend with me?" Lisa asked. Her friend was Jungkook. The reason why Lisa agreed to have some fun with Rosé was because she could call Jungkook to go out with her too. Lisa didn't bother to hide the fact that Jungkook was in City B from Rosé.
"Who is it? A man or woman?" Rosé asked or gossiped.
"A man," Lisa said.
"No way, is he Pan Seungmin?" Rosé asked because Seungmin had invited Lisa to meet earlier.
"No, it's Jungkook," Lisa said.
"What?" Rosé was surprised. "Jungkook is in City B?"
For some reason, Rosé thought of Jimin at this moment. She was curious whether Jimin came to City B along with Jungkook. However, she despised herself for thinking of Jimin the next second.
"Yes, he's on vacation now, so he came to City B to meet me," Lisa said.
"Oh, did you go to meet him this afternoon?" Rosé asked.
"Yes, but we went out for business. My jewelry store in City B is going to open soon, so we went to check the gowns. Oh, I need to find an appropriate garment company and factory too," Lisa said.
"You can let Uncle Quan do that for you. It's a piece of cake for him," Rosé said.
"Jungkook will handle it," Lisa said.
"Fine. I'm envious of you because you have such an outstanding boyfriend!" Rosé said.
Lisa smiled. "You can find one too! I know you have many admirers."
"I don't like them," Rosé sighed. She always wanted to date someone she liked but couldn't find one.
Lisa didn't say anything further, but called Jungkook.
Jungkook was very happy to receive Lisa's call. Even if he could only hear her voice, he felt satisfied.
"Lili!" Jungkook called her name with excitement.
"Are you free now?" Lisa asked.
Hearing that, Jungkook was cheered up at once. "Of course!"
Lisa was amused by Jungkook's reaction. "Wait for me at the door of the hotel. I'll pick you up soon. We're going to hang out with Rosé tonight."
"Sure," Jungkook said. Although he couldn't kiss Lisa if Rosé was there, it was much better than staying at the hotel by himself.
Maybe because of Rosé, Lisa called him to have fun together. Thinking of that, Jungkook didn't have complaints towards Rosé.
After hanging up the call with Lisa, Jungkook adjusted himself before he went downstairs. He had waited for almost 10 minutes when Lisa finally arrived. Although he was a little impatient, he didn't complain about it but enjoyed it.
Lisa stopped the car at the door of the hotel and Jungkook walked over to them. "Let me be the driver!" he said. Since he was here, he was willing to do the job for Lisa.
After that, before Lisa had even said a word, Rosé got out of the front passenger's seat, and went to sit in the back seat. "You two can share the seats in the front, and I'll sit at the back."
Jungkook was going to drive the car so she, of course, wouldn't sit in the front passenger's seat. Normally, if a couple was in the same car and the husband was the driver, the front passenger's seat belonged to the wife. Therefore, Lisa directly moved to the front passenger's seat from the driver's seat, and left it to Jungkook.
The appointed place where Rosé was going to meet her friends was a private clubhouse.
Private clubhouses provided a private environment for people from high social class. To make it simple, a private clubhouse was where rich people gathered together, and the membership fee was also very high.
Only a member could book a room, so membership was also the sign of one's wealth or social status. In addition, one had to book a room a few days in advance because it was hard to book one on the day that he or she came.
When Lisa and the others left for the clubhouse, Jiyeon and her younger brother also got off the plane.
Jiyeon had called Myungsoo before she boarded and Myungsoo had already arranged a driver to pick them up.
Once the plane landed, Jiyeon called the driver. The driver told them that they would be staying in a hotel tonight and would meet the general manager, Myungsoo, tomorrow.
Myungsoo booked two rooms at a four-star hotel which was the nearest one to the Shengning Group Building for Jiyeon and her younger brother. Although a four-star hotel wasn't as luxurious as a five-star one, it wasn't bad either.
Shengning Group Building wasn't fully built yet, but they were renting a nearby 300-square-meter building as the temporary office building. It was just a temporary office building, so it wasn't well decorated.
Although the Shengning Group Building was still under construction, Myungsoo was busy acquiring equipment and hiring people these days. Lu Zhan had his own shooting equipment but they needed more than just one set.
There were around a dozen workers in Fenghua Entertainment now, and Myungsoo had used his network to hire some skilled people for the management.
When Lisa and the others arrived at the private clubhouse, a valet parker helped them drive the car to the parking lot and another waiter guided them to their private room.
Rosé and her friends met in the sports area so there was a lot of exercise equipment, boxing rings and so on.
However, just as they got out of the car, another car stopped right behind them. Coincidentally, Fang Xiaoke, who had approached Rosé for the purpose of marrying into a super-rich family, stepped out of the car. She was holding a middle-aged man's arm and it was quite obvious that she was the man's mistress. She really was a woman who was willing to sell both her body and soul for money!
When Fang Xiaoke saw Rosé, she was struck dumb for a second, then pretended that she didn't know Rosé. To her surprise, she met Rosé here.
Rosé also didn't want to pay attention to Fang Xiaoke, so she turned her eyes away too.
"Fang Xiaoke is really a gold-digger! My older brother stopped paying her bills, so she turned to an old man and became his mistress," Rosé said when Fang Xiaoke and the man walked away. Rosé was extremely regretful that she had taken Fang Xiaoke as her friend before.
Before long, they arrived at the sports area.
"Welcome!" Once they entered the hall, waiters greeted them politely.
"May I ask which private room you are going to?" a waiter asked. All the private rooms were booked, so they had to be here to meet their friends.
"No. 888, my name's Cao Rosé," Rosé said.
Even though they were here to meet their friends, the waiter had to check their information first.
"Please wait a moment," the waiter said then took out a walkie-talkie speaking to the butler of private room No. 888. With the affirmative answer, the waiter guided them to private room No. 888 at once.
The private room was spacious, but there were only five people inside, so it looked empty to some extent.
There were three women and two men in the room, but only one of the men and women were Rosé's friends, while the rest were her friends' friends. They weren't strangers, but Rosé wasn't familiar with them.
Rosé's male friend's father was also a leader in the military region and her female friend was from a super-rich family. The three of them grew up together but they went to different colleges. Now they had all graduated from their schools, so they came back to City B lately. The other three people in the room were all from either rich or powerful families.
Although Rosé didn't make friends according to a person's family background, it was an unavoidable trend that she would make friends with people from the same social class as her.
Rosé told her friends that she would be bringing two other friends and her friends all agreed. However, once Lisa and Jungkook entered the room, the two attracted everyone's attention. Especially Jungkook, his appearance overshadowed every man's existence in the private room.
A woman with short hair was excited when Jungkook appeared in her sight, but she soon hid her excitement away. This woman was exactly the one who had encountered Jungkook in the hall of Shengshi Group. Nevertheless, her secretary failed to find out about Jungkook's real identity which disappointed her, but to her surprise, she met Jungkook again in the evening.
"Hi, Rosé!" they greeted Rosé when she walked in.
Rosé guided Lisa and Jungkook to sit on an empty sofa, then introduced them to her friends. "Let me introduce. They're both my friends, Gu Lisa, and Jeon Jungkook."
Lisa had reminded Rosé not to expose her relationship with the Tang Family, so Rosé introduced her as a friend. Although Lisa was Tang Haifeng's biological daughter, it was still a secret, so it was better for them not to say it aloud now. In addition, they were just gathering for fun.
The woman with short hair repeated Jungkook's name in her heart a few times.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon, Miss Lisa!" they greeted them politely.
"Nice to meet you too!" Lisa and Jungkook said.
After that, Rosé introduced her friends to Lisa and Jungkook. "This is Gao Chengyun and An Ran. We grew up together. And they're Jiang Zezheng, Zhu Yuanzhen and Tong Nancy."
Nancy was precisely the woman with short hair.
"Oh, Mr. Jeon, nice to meet you! What a coincidence! I just saw you at Shengshi Group today, and yet we are meeting each other again! Mr. Jeon, maybe you didn't notice me," Nancy said to Jungkook politely. She seemed very polite and kept an appropriate distance from Jungkook.
"I didn't," Jungkook said lightly which embarrassed Nancy. She didn't expect that he would be so cold to her.
Although Nancy covered her feelings towards Jungkook very well, Lisa still sensed that she was interested in Jungkook. It was just Lisa's instinct. As long as she stayed polite, Lisa wouldn't jump to conclusions.
In the meantime, Lisa noticed that the woman wasn't from a normal super-rich family.
The other people were also surprised by Jungkook's cold attitude, but they didn't mind, because they had just met each other for the first time.
"Well-well, let's have some drinks!" Gao Chengyun proposed to cheer everyone up.
There was no waiter in the room because they preferred to serve themselves.
"Lisa needs to drive the car, so she won't drink," Rosé said, then she turned to Jungkook. "Jungkook, do you want to drink?"
Rosé was a little afraid of Jungkook. Not because Jungkook had a bad temper, but because he always stayed quiet and cold.
"No, thanks." Jungkook didn't like drinking unless he had to or he was with his close friends.
"Since we're here to have fun, it'll be boring if we don't drink together," Jiang Zezheng said.
"Exactly! If you can't drink we won't force you, but if you can, why don't you have some with us?" Gao Chengyun added. Normally, men gathered together to drink for fun, which was also a way to create a relaxed atmosphere. However, Gao Chengyun wasn't criticizing Jungkook but was just persuading him.
"They're fine. They can chat with each other, all in love, and they won't get bored! I can drink with you!" Rosé said. Since Jungkook wasn't willing to drink, she wouldn't force him to do so.
Lisa needed to drive the car, so everyone understood that she wouldn't drink. However, Jungkook seemed cold and refused to drink, which displeased them.
Lisa sensed their emotional change and she also believed that Jungkook should have fun with those who didn't understand him in case refusing caused misunderstandings. Anyway, she didn't care about others' opinions.
Nonetheless, when Nancy heard Rosé saying that they could chat with each other in love, she realized that Lisa and Jungkook were girlfriend and boyfriend, so she was a little disappointed. Even so, she didn't give up, and made up her mind to compete against Lisa for Jungkook as long as they weren't married. After all, Nancy finally met a man she was interested in.
Compared with those women who tended to seduce men with their bodies, Nancy would rather attract a man with her own charm. Therefore, she wouldn't seduce Jungkook, but seized every chance to talk to him. Of course, she wouldn't do it in front of Lisa.
"Since you aren't drinking, why don't we chat together?" Nancy said. "Miss Lisa, you look so young. Are you still a student?"
Nancy behaved casually and seemed kind, but Lisa already sensed that she was interested in Jungkook, so Lisa was alert now. However, before Nancy did anything inappropriate Lisa replied politely, "Yes, I'm a senior in high school."
Hearing that, everyone was surprised.
Nancy thought that Lisa was too young to be married, and anything could happen in the future, so she believed that it was impossible that Lisa and Jungkook would be together for long. The fact that she had that thought proved that Nancy didn't know much about Lisa or Jungkook.
"The entrance examination to college is just around the corner. Miss Lisa, which university is your dream college?" An Ran asked.
"The Capital University," Lisa said.
Hearing that, Nancy thought that Lisa was going to study in the capital, while Jungkook would stay in City B. They all subconsciously thought that both Jungkook and Lisa lived in City B. Otherwise, Lisa wouldn't be here if she was still a student.
In that case, Nancy was hopeful. She didn't care who Jungkook's girlfriend was now. As long as they weren't married yet, she still had a chance to win Jungkook's heart. In fact, Nancy was a self-centered person who would do anything to get what she wanted and ignored others' feelings.
After chatting for a while, Gao Chengyun said to Rosé, "Rosé, we haven't had a kung fu match for a long time. Why don't we have a round now?"
Both of them grew up in the military region, and they would have a kung fu match every time they met each other. In addition, they were at the same level of kung fu, and the match wouldn't end quickly, so it was exciting to watch.
They were in a sports area, so there was enough room for them to have a kung fu match.
"Of course!" Rosé was excited.
"Let's have a bet as usual!" An Ran said.
Every time Rosé had a kung fu match with Gao Chengyun, the others would bet for fun. Since the two were at the same level of kung fu, it was unpredictable who would win, which was also the reason why the bet would be so exciting. Of course, they wouldn't bet money but wine.
Gao Chengyun took a bottle of wine which wasn't opened yet. "The loser has to finish the bottle by himself!"
If there was a loser, the loser would finish the bottle alone. If the result was even, the two would share the bottle fifty-fifty.
"No problem!" everyone agreed.
Lisa and Jungkook wouldn't drink, so they didn't join them.
"I bet Rosé will win," Jiang Zezheng said.
They all knew that Jiang Zezheng liked Rosé, so he bet that Rosé would win every time. Unfortunately, Rosé wasn't interested in Jiang Zezheng, so Jiang Zezheng stayed by her side as her friend.
Interestingly, Zhu Yuanzhen liked Jiang Zezheng, but Jiang Zezheng wasn't interested in Zhu Yuanzhen, so they became friends. It wasn't always easy to fall in love with a person who loved you too.
"I bet Chengyun will win," An Ran said.
In the end, Jiang Zezheng and Nancy bet that Rosé would win, while An Ran and Zhu Yuanzhen bet that Gao Chengyun would win. After that, the kung fu match began.
The two attacked each other constantly and it seemed very exciting to outsiders, like Jiang Zezheng and the others, but it was quite childish in the eyes of Jungkook and Lisa. They weren't at the same level as Lisa and Jungkook after all.
Around 10 minutes later, they stopped, and Gao Chengyun lost this time. It wasn't a surprising result, because the two were at the same level of kung fu.
"Come on, Chengyun, An Ran and Yuanzhen, you share a bottle!" Jiang Zezheng was excited that he won the bet.
Gao Chengyun lost, so he had to drink too.
"Chengyun, did you lose because you wanted to drink this bottle?" An Ran pretended that he was dissatisfied. However, he was just joking.
"Ha-ha, you got me!" Gao Chengyun laughed.
An Ran glared at Gao Chengyun. "Since you want to drink, you can drink more than us!"
"Nope, let's share it!" Gao Chengyun said.
After that, Gao Chengyun, An Ran and Zhu Yuanzhen shared a bottle of wine.
"What should we play next?" An Ran asked.
"Bluffing?" Zhu Yuanzhen proposed.
The rules were: Each die had 6 sides, from 1 pip to 6 pips. Each player held five dice in their dice cup without revealing it to each other. The purpose of this game was to guess the total number of one particular pip from both players, and if you were right, you won; if you were wrong, then you lost. For example, it could be from one 6 to twelve 6's.
The game started with one player who called for a number of pips, e.g. three 2's, then the next player would have to raise, i.e. four 2's or three 3's. Either the total number or the pip number had to be bigger than the previous calling as the game took turns.
If you thought your opponent was bluffing, then you could say "open!" Supposing you had two 1's and two 3's, and your opponent had one 1 and two 3's in both of your dice cups. Then your opponent called for eight 3's, and you didn't believe him and said open, then you won. If he called for seven 3's and you said open, then you lost.
Normally, 1 pip could be any number of pips; i.e. it could be 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, so that the game could be more complicated and fun. It was like an unknown factor, because a player might only have one 2 in his dice cup, but he also had three i's, which meant he had four 2's potentially.
However, there was a special rule. If a player called for the number of 1 pip, e.g. three 1's, then 1 pip automatically lost its multiple identities. It could now only be 1 pip until the game ended.
"Sure!" everyone agreed.
"Why don't you join us? If you lose the game, you can drink water, not wine," Nancy said. She thought that she would have more chances to get familiar with Jungkook if they could play the game together.
"Right! You can drink water." The others all agreed.
They just met each other. If Jungkook and Lisa didn't join them, they would feel bored sitting aside.
"Well, I'll join you!" Lisa said. She didn't want them to feel that she stayed aloof from them. Lisa also understood that Jungkook wasn't interested in games which were aimed at drinking, so she didn't ask him to join them along with her. The others didn't insist either.
Lisa decided not to use her Jade Eyes this time, because it would be a little much if she used that in such a small game. At the same time, she wouldn't enjoy playing the game if she used her Jade Eyes.
She had used Jade Eyes the last time in a game with Ilwoo just to get revenge on him for Jungkook. However, even though Lisa didn't use her Jade Eyes, she was still lucky and seldom lost. The others, on the other hand, drank a lot.
When it was about 11 pm, they left the clubhouse.
Since Rosé was with them, Lisa could only send Jungkook back to the hotel before she drove back to Huafu Hills with Rosé, and Jungkook would take a taxi to Huafu Hills later.
Jiah was already asleep when Lisa was back.
Jungkook soon arrived at Lisa's room, but he didn't kiss or touch her immediately this time. Instead, he clicked an email open and showed Lisa the offices and garment factories.
"How much is the rent?" Lisa squinted at him with interest.
"It's free," Jungkook said.
"Ha-ha, you're so generous," Lisa said. Although she felt happy that Jungkook didn't charge her, she couldn't accept it. "Jungkook, business is business. If you don't want the rent, I'm afraid that I can't rent your offices."
Hearing that, Jungkook frowned a little. He seemed upset, but didn't know how to retort.
Lisa then read the information about the three garment factories. She trusted Jungkook, but she still needed to check them in person tomorrow.
"Oh, how many days of your vacation do you have left?" Lisa asked.
"Hard to tell. If I'm assigned a task, I have to go back to work at any time. If not, I still have many days off," Jungkook said.
As a member of the special corps, he was paid a lot more than a common soldier. Not only did they need to fulfill dangerous tasks, but they also had three days of special training once a month as well as deep forest training in the Amazon for half a month every year.
Jungkook had just finished his monthly special training, so he would be free as long as he wasn't assigned a task.
"I need to check the factories at noon tomorrow. After choosing a qualified one from them, I'll fly to City D in the evening. If you're free, why don't you go with me?" Lisa said.
"No problem," Jungkook said.
After discussing business, Jungkook couldn't wait and pressed Lisa on the bed. Unfortunately, Lisa was on her period, which meant Jungkook had to limit his desire for at least five days.
Jungkook was extremely unwilling to accept the truth, but Lisa couldn't control her period after all. Therefore, Jungkook just kissed Lisa for a short while before he cuddled her in his arms before falling asleep. Lisa, however, secretly put her magical power into his body to help him have a sound sleep.
The next morning, Jungkook left early as usual.
During breakfast, Lisa told Jiah that she would be going to City D to deal with some business that afternoon and would stay there for the following two days, so a driver sent by the Tang Family would come to pick Jiah up.
Although Jiah felt a little uneasy if Lisa wasn't by her side, she said nothing.
After breakfast, Lisa and Jiah went to the Tang Family's house.
Rosé was going back to her home today, so she didn't go to the Tang Family's house with Lisa.
After the argument with Jiyeon in the park, Qiao Guanxiang moved into Pei Hena's apartment.
Around 8:30 am, Qiao Guanxiang called Jiyeon.
In the beginning, Jiyeon was just a ghost singer, so he would only call her when need arose. However, in case Jiyeon would betray him, Qiao Guanxiang decided to let Jiyeon be Pei Hena's assistant too, so they could have tighter control over her. What he didn't know was that Jiyeon had already left for the capital.
Accordingly, when he called Jiyeon, nobody answered his call. Qiao Guanxiang kept calling her but it was still the same. He immediately felt that something had to be wrong.
"What's wrong? Is she refusing to answer your call?" Pei Hena asked.
"I can't get through to her. Give me your phone," Qiao Guanxiang said. Pei Hena immediately gave her phone to him and Qiao Guanxiang used hers to call Jiyeon once more. However, nobody answered the call again.
"Could you still not get through?" Pei Hena started to panic.
"I think she blocked our phone numbers." Qiao Guanxiang was annoyed. It was possible that Jiyeon ran away from them. How did she dare to do that? Isn't she afraid that I'll hurt Yedam?
"Give me your other phone," Qiao Guanxiang said. Pei Hena had another mobile phone, and Jiyeon didn't have the number of her second phone.
If they got through to Jiyeon with a different phone number, it proved that Jiyeon had blocked their phone numbers and betrayed them.
(*) ORV stands for "off road vehicle"