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His and Jisoo's birthdays were only a month apart.
Jennie felt like she should prepare a birthday gift for Lisa.
...
Upstairs.
They walked out of the elevator hand in hand.
Just as they were about to enter a men's clothing store, they saw two people walking towards them.
Jennie was wearing a mask and a cap, and her hair was loose. Logically speaking, no one should recognize her.
But the handsome man in black at the front recognized her immediately.
Mino couldn't help but walk towards Jennie.
He walked very quickly, and the woman beside him had to jog to keep up with him.
The woman was wearing high heels that were at least 10 centimeters high. The heels were sharp and thin, and she almost sprained her ankle after taking two steps.
She looked at the man in front of her who still hadn't stopped. She bit her lip in dissatisfaction, steadied herself, and quickly chased after him.
As she chased him, she called out sweetly, "Brother Mino, slow down. Wait for me. I can't keep up with you in my high heels."
Mino ignored her and walked towards Jennie.
Rosé was shocked to see him. "Y-Young Master Song?"
Mino looked at Jennie for a few seconds. There was a hint of joy in his eyes, but he hid it well.
"Jennie, is that you?"
Although he asked her, he had already confirmed Jennie's identity.
The moment he got close to her, her faint fragrance wafted over.
Besides her, he hadn't smelled the same scent on anyone else.
This was her unique scent, like her label.
Jennie looked up and was stunned to see him.
She opened her mouth and was about to speak when she heard a sharp voice. "Why is it you again, shameless vixen? Did you find out that Brother Mino was here today, so you deliberately came to pretend to have a chance encounter with him?"
Jennie's expression darkened.
Mino's expression also darkened. He turned around and said coldly, "Shangguan Qing, no one asked you to speak. Shut up. Also, didn't I tell you not to follow me anymore? This has nothing to do with you. Leave immediately."
Shangguan Qing's eyes reddened.
Her hatred for Jennie deepened.
She felt like Mino was defending Jennie.
She pointed at Jennie's nose and yelled, "Brother Mino, why are you protecting this shameless vixen? Aunt Song said that I'm your future wife.
"A shameless woman wants to seduce my husband. Can't I scold her?"
Shangguan Qing was very loud.
Seeing that everyone was looking at them, she became even more self-righteous, as if she had really caught a mistress. She pointed at Jennie and scolded her even more fiercely. "Jennie, I warned you last time not to get close to Brother Mino. Why are you so shameless? Isn't Taehyung enough for you to seduce? You even came to seduce my man.
"A shameless vixen like you is seducing other men just because you're pretty."
"You're just a toy that someone can sleep with after spending some money. How dare you snatch my man, you..."
Before Shangguan Qing could finish her sentence, her face was slapped to the side.
Five bloody finger marks appeared on her cheek.
Mino said icily, "If you dare to say another word, I'll make sure you can't open your mouth.
"It's impossible for you to marry me in this lifetime. I feel disgusted seeing a woman like you. Get lost immediately!"
This slap wasn't light.
Shangguan Qing took a few steps back and fell to the ground.
She cried out in pain.
Mino looked at her coldly for a second before looking away.
He said to Jennie, "Ignore her, she's crazy. I have nothing to do with her.
"I don't know what my mom said to her. But my mom is my mom, and I'm me. She can't decide anything about me."
Jennie was speechless.
When she was about to hit her, Mino had already taught Shangguan Qing a lesson.
Seeing Shangguan Qing lying on the ground, half of her face swollen, holding her injured knee, and crying, Jennie felt that she didn't have to do anything.
Mino was really ruthless.
Jennie felt that he didn't hold back at all. Shangguan Qing's face was swollen like a pig's head, and the five bloody fingerprints were still very clear on her face.
It was obvious how powerful that slap was.
Actually, Jennie was shocked by his actions.
She heard from Taehyung that the Song and Shangguan families wanted to form a marriage alliance.
He hit Shangguan Qing in public and even hit her so badly. The marriage between the two families was probably...
"Mr. Song, this is all your business. It has nothing to do with me."
Although Mino helped her, Jennie wasn't grateful to him.
On the contrary, her attitude wasn't very good. Her tone was even a little cold. "Mr. Song, this is all your business. It has nothing to do with me. You don't have to say this to me. I don't want to be misunderstood by your friends."
Mino was stunned.
Jennie ignored him.
She looked at Shangguan Qing, who was still crying on the ground, and took two steps forward. She stopped in front of her and looked down at her coldly. "Miss Shangguan, I don't care what your relationship with Mino is. This is my last warning.
"I have nothing to do with Mino. I have a boyfriend, and we have a good relationship. If you're delusional, go to the hospital for early treatment. Don't keep fantasizing about anyone snatching your man. This is an illness, it has to be treated."
Shangguan Qing covered her face and looked up with swollen eyes. "You shameless vixen, you..."
"Vixen, vixen, is this how the Shangguan Family teaches you?" Jennie sneered. "Only beautiful women are called vixens. I'll take it that you're jealous of my looks.
"If a person isn't good-looking enough, they can change their appearance through some means. But if their heart is ugly, then it's hopeless."
Shangguan Qing's chest heaved.
"Slut, shameless vixen!"
Jennie looked at how ugly she looked and smiled even more disdainfully.
No wonder Mino didn't like Shangguan Qing.
She didn't look like a rich girl at all.
Even a daughter from an ordinary family wouldn't be like this.
It was too embarrassing.
Jennie glanced at her and couldn't be bothered to talk to someone as simple-minded as Shangguan Qing.
More and more people gathered around them.
Because of Shangguan Qing's loud voice, many people learned of Jennie's identity. Some young people who often browsed Weibo also quickly recognized her.
They surrounded Jennie and pointed at her.
"Isn't this Jennie? She's the actress who's always on Weibo's hot searches."
"I was wondering why she looked so familiar. So it's Jennie. What's going on? Is the woman lying on the ground Mino's fiancée? Was it true that she called Jennie a vixen for seducing Mino?"
"She seems to be the daughter of the Shangguan Family. A friend of mine works at the Song Corporation, and he said that the Song family might be forming a marriage alliance with the Shangguan Family. So, the fiancée might be real."
"The Shangguan Family? They're quite compatible with the Song family. I think the Shangguan's only have this one daughter. If the Gong's marry her, it's equivalent to taking over the Shangguan family's business. This is the true alliance of the strong."
"The Song family is already so powerful. They don't need to rely on the Shangguan Family to stabilize their position. I don't think Mino is interested in this Miss Shangguan at all. This person fell to the ground, but he didn't help her. This marriage should be the intention of the two families' elders. Mino definitely isn't willing."
"If the woman lying on the ground is really the daughter of the Shangguan Family, then their upbringing is too terrible. She doesn't look like a daughter of a rich family at all. She's more like a shrew. No wonder Young Master Song despises her so much. Who would want to marry such a woman?"
"I'm only concerned about her saying that Jennie seduced Mino. Is that true?"
"I really don't know, but I can tell that Mino is very protective of her. I don't know if it's because Jennie's boyfriend is his brother, or if he's really having an affair with her."
Jennie heard the discussions around her.
She already thought she might be on the trending list again.
She even thought of a few trending topics:
# Jennie snatched her fiancé #
# Mino's ambiguous relationship #
# Jennie was accused by Mino's fiancée #
She felt that she was really unlucky.
It was an undeserved catastrophe.
She had no contact with Mino in private, and neither did they have a friendship.
There was nothing between them.
But even so, she was still misunderstood.
She was out shopping today, but she actually bumped into Mino and this Shangguan Qing.
She didn't know why Shangguan Qing was so hostile towards her and insisted that she seduced Mino.
Jennie didn't intend to be too entangled with her. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to get away if more people gathered around them.
She didn't want Rosé to be criticized, too.
"Rosé, let's go."
She held Rosé's arm and turned to leave.
Suddenly, someone rushed out of the crowd and pushed her.
The person who rushed over was a girl who looked to be only 15 or 16 years old. She pushed her and yelled, "Jennie, you bad woman. You caused Brother Yilei to be so badly injured and forced him to leave the industry. You caused him to be like this, but you're still walking around here as if nothing happened.
"You vicious woman, return my Brother Yilei."
No one expected someone to suddenly rush out.
Jennie was even more surprised.
Hence, she was pushed back a few steps and fell to the ground.
"Baby!"
Rosé was also shocked by this sudden situation. It took her a few seconds to react.
Seeing Jennie fall to the ground, her expression changed, and she immediately ran over to help her up.
But someone was faster.
In the blink of an eye, Rosé saw that Mino had already reached Jennie and was helping her up.
As he grabbed her arm, a rare hint of nervousness appeared on the man's usually feminine face.
"Jennie, how are you feeling?"
Jennie opened her mouth and was about to say something when the girl who pushed her to the ground rushed over again.
The girl looked indignant and seemed like she wanted to hit her. "You're a jinx. Brother Yilei is kind-hearted and won't hold it against you. I'll vent my anger on you today."
The girl raised her hand.
But before she could touch Jennie, Mino stood up and kicked her away.
The girl fell to the ground. Her face went pale from the pain and she cried.
At this moment, the mall security guard noticed the commotion and walked over. When he saw the few people on the ground and Mino's scary expression, he was stunned and immediately said respectfully, "Young Master Song, what happened here? This is..."
Mino glared at the girl on the ground and said coldly, "Take this troublemaker away. She's not to enter this mall ever again."
The moment he said that, everyone was shocked.
The girl on the ground looked up. With red and swollen eyes, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Who are you? What right do you have to ban me from this mall? I only taught a bad woman a lesson. What right do you have to say I'm causing trouble?
"You hurt me. I'm going to sue you for compensation!"
Mino narrowed his eyes. "Why? Because this mall is mine. Compensation? Don't worry, I won't lose a single cent."
The girl's eyes widened in shock.
Although Mino wasn't low-profile, many people knew him.
But the girl was still young, and she usually only chased after idols.
Young masters like Mino weren't public figures, so it was normal for little girls not to know them.
"What are you waiting for?" Mino was obviously angry. "Take her out."
With that, he narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Shangguan Qing, who was still clenching her teeth on the ground. "Take her away, too."
Hearing that, the security officers immediately went to drag the girl off the ground.
When the security guard reached out to grab her, Shangguan Qing's reaction was especially intense. She waved the security guard's hand away and yelled, "I'm Shangguan Qing, the daughter of the Shangguan Family. Get lost, don't touch me.
"Whoever dares to touch me, I'll make sure you suffer."
The security officers were stunned by her actions.
They were employees of the Song Corporation and had naturally heard about the Song family's marriage with the Shangguan Family.
And they saw Shangguan Qing with Mino before.
They really didn't dare to touch this woman who might become their future lady boss.
The security guard looked at Mino as if asking for his opinion.
Mino said angrily, "Don't you understand me? Take her away."
"But Miss Shangguan..."
Mino sneered. "It seems like you'd rather be fired."
"No, no, Young Master Song. We'll bring Miss Shangguan away immediately."
They would be fired if they didn't follow the order. The security officers didn't hesitate anymore and reached out again. Ignoring Shangguan Qing's struggle and resistance, they pulled her up from the ground.
"Brother Mino, I'm not leaving.
"Let go of me, get lost, don't touch me.
"Brother Mino...
"Mino, you're too much. I'm going to tell Aunt Song everything you've done!"
Shangguan Qing was escorted further and further away by the security officers.
Until they couldn't hear her anymore.
The crowd was also dispersed by the security officers.
But some people were unwilling to leave and looked over from afar.
Jennie wanted to stand up on her own.
But when she tried to move, her ankle immediately hurt. The unbearable pain made her unable to stand up.
She tried a few more times, and her face turned pale from the pain.
Rosé noticed her abnormality and squatted down. She looked at her injured leg and asked anxiously, "Baby, what's wrong with your leg? Is it injured?"
"Mm." Jennie took a deep breath and endured the pain. "I think I sprained my ankle. I can't stand up."
"What? Sprained your ankle?" Rosé frowned. "Then, we have to go to the hospital quickly."
Jennie looked at her lap and sighed. "But I can't stand up now."
Rosé immediately said, "I'll carry you."
"You?" Jennie looked up at her. "Can you do it?"
Although Rosé was 1.7 meters tall, her figure was slim.
Rosé was about to speak when she heard a voice above her head. "I'll carry her."
Rosé and Jennie looked up at the same time.
Both of them were stunned.
Mino squatted down and faced Jennie. "Get your friend to help you up. The hospital is nearby, I'll drive you there."
Rosé turned to look at Jennie and then at Mino.
"Jennie, let Young Master Song take you to the hospital." Although she felt that Mino's behavior was indeed a little abnormal, Rosé still didn't reject him. "Let's quickly go to the hospital to see what's wrong with your leg. If you're really injured, it won't be good to delay treatment."
Jennie pursed her lips and nodded.
As Rosé carefully helped her onto Mino's back, Jennie immediately felt him stiffen.
After a few seconds, he put his hands behind her and slowly stood up.
Rosé looked at him deeply and said, "Young Master Song, I'll have to trouble you then."
Mino nodded and carried Jennie towards the elevator.
Rosé stood rooted to the ground for a few seconds before following him.
...
With Mino's help, they arrived at the hospital quickly.
People were already waiting at the hospital. As Mino carried Jennie out of the car, a nurse came over with a stretcher.
Mino carefully placed Jennie on the stretcher.
"Young Master Song," the doctor greeted respectfully.
Mino kept his eyes on Jennie with a hint of worry in his gaze. "Her leg is injured, she can't stand. Check where she's hurt."
The doctor quickly said, "Young Master Song, don't worry. We'll immediately do a check-up on this lady."
Mino nodded and looked at Jennie's pale face. He frowned as if something was tugging at his heart.
What else could he do besides watching her suffer?
To avoid suspicion, he couldn't even show his concern for her.
If she was his woman, he would be hugging her and comforting her.
He wouldn't have to hide his emotions.
However, no matter how worried and anxious he was, he could only watch from the side.
But Mino didn't know.
He was already showing his restraint.
Even someone as slow as Rosé could tell that something was wrong.
...
Jennie's legs were fine, just that her bones were dislocated. Once the doctor restored them, she could stand normally.
Even so, Mino still asked the doctor, "Have you checked her thoroughly? Is she really fine?"
"Young Master Song, don't worry. We've already done a full body check-up. She really only sprained her ankle, and we've already fixed it for her. As for the rest, she's still a little bruised, but it's not serious. Just apply some ointment."
Mino nodded and turned to ask Jennie. "How are you feeling now? Do you feel any discomfort?"
Jennie shook her head. "I'm fine now, Mr. Song. Thank you for bringing me to the hospital. Rosé and I are leaving, you can go back to your work. I'm sorry for wasting your time."
Jennie was very polite.
Polite and distant.
Mino could tell.
A hint of sadness flashed past his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he nodded. "Since you're fine, I'm relieved. Alright, I do have something on. I'll take my leave first."
Jennie nodded. "Mr. Song, take care."
Mino looked at her and moved his lips as if he had something to say.
But in the end, he didn't say anything.
He nodded at Jennie and left.
After Mino left, Jennie rubbed her sore ankle. She looked at the time and said apologetically, "Rosé, I promised to pick a gift with you. But now...
"Instead, it became you accompanying me to the hospital."
"Baby, don't say that. If you're so polite, I'll be angry. We can pick a gift any day. If anything happens to you, I'll blame myself. After all, if I hadn't called you out, you wouldn't have encountered this today."
"Alright." Jennie thought that even if she participated in a variety show, she would still have to wait for a while. She said, "Then, pick a time tomorrow. I'll shop with you."
"Alright."
Rosé was still worried about her. "Are you really alright? You have to tell me if you feel uncomfortable."
Jennie nodded. "I'm fine."
"Alright. It's already so late, let's find a place to have dinner. Have you made an appointment with Prince Charming tonight? Will I affect your date?"
"What effect can it have? I'll just let him know. Let's go find a place to eat."
...
In the end, they chose a hot pot restaurant.
Rosé drank a little.
She recalled what happened in the mall and couldn't help but ask, "Baby, what's with that Shangguan Qing? Is she really Mino's fiancée? I think Mino hates her a little."
Jennie picked up a piece of tripe. "I'm not sure. But I heard from my brother that the Song's intend to form a connection with the Shangguan's through marriage. As for whether it will happen, I'm not sure."
"You and Mino obviously have a very ordinary relationship. Why would Shangguan Qing think that you have an ambiguous relationship with him?" Rosé had just finished asking when she suddenly recalled Mino's previous actions. Her eyes flickered, and there was a deeper meaning in them.
Perhaps she was overthinking.
She felt that there was something wrong with Mino.
Although she didn't know him well, she'd heard about him before. She knew he wasn't someone who would defend others easily, nor was he so thoughtful.
But he didn't just defend Jennie.
He even offered to send her to the hospital.
And the way he looked at her when he got the doctor to do a full-body check-up on Jennie...
If it was because he and Lisa were brothers.
He was too concerned about his brother's woman.
Too concerned.
"How would I know? Maybe she saw the scandal between us?" Jennie didn't know what was going on with Shangguan Qing.
Rosé hesitated for a while before saying, "Baby, don't you feel that Mino... treats you differently?"
Jennie was stunned. "Differently? Rosé, what are you trying to say?"
"I think so." Rosé hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "I know you only have Prince Charming in your heart. But Mino seems to have feelings for you.
"Perhaps this caused Shangguan Qing to misunderstand?"
Jennie's expression changed slightly. "Mino has feelings for me?"
Rosé nodded. "I think he treats you differently from others. Don't you feel that he's... very good to you? Whether he marries Shangguan Qing or not, the way he treats her in public will affect the relationship between their families."
And everything he did was because of Jennie.
Rosé felt that he was only willing to help Jennie because of his friendship with Lisa.
Moreover, there was something wrong with the way he looked at her.
He didn't look like he was looking at an ordinary friend.
Rosé also hoped that she was overthinking. After all, Mino and Lisa were very good friends. If Mino really had feelings for Jennie, it definitely wasn't a good thing.
But she didn't think too much about it.
Jennie kept quiet for a while.
Rosé wasn't the only one who felt that Mino treated her differently.
Initially, she thought that he was especially nice to her because he felt guilty towards her.
But now that Rosé said that...
"I don't think so." After a while, she analyzed it in her heart and felt that the possibility of Mino liking her was rather low. She bit her lip and analyzed her thoughts for Rosé. "Mino has someone he likes, he can't possibly like me.
"He must have helped me because of his friendship with Lisa."
Rosé didn't believe it.
She raised an eyebrow. "Mino likes someone? Who?"
"Krystal." Jennie knew this. So, she felt that Mino wouldn't like her.
"I heard it from Seunghoon, too. He said that Mino has liked Krystal for many years and only has her in his heart. He's been waiting for her. As long as she's willing, he can marry her immediately.
"And you know, Krystal means a lot to him."
"Means a lot to him? In what way?"
"Krystal is Mino's life savior. I heard from Seunghoon that Mino fell into the pool when he was little and almost drowned. It was Krystal who saved him. Mino is very grateful to her, so Krystal's place in his heart is different."
Rosé was stunned. "There's such a thing? Krystal is Mino's savior?"
She believed that Mino liked Krystal.
She still remembered how he protected her at the restaurant.
He had fallen out with Lisa because of Krystal.
But Krystal saved Mino? This surprised Rosé.
"Mm. That's why Mino's feelings for her won't change so easily."
"If that's the case, it might be because of his friendship with Prince Charming. But..."
"But what?"
"But if Krystal is so different in Mino's heart and even saved her, why didn't the Song family help when something happened to her family? Mino should be in charge of the family now. If he wants to help, he can at least help a little.
"Don't you find it strange?"
Jennie felt that something was amiss.
Because some time ago, Krystal went on blind dates because of her family situation.
She knew that Mino liked her, so she could have married him.
Moreover, Mino probably wouldn't reject her. Even if he couldn't completely solve the Jung family's problem, he would at least help a little.
But judging from Krystal's performance and her family's current situation, Mino obviously didn't help.
Even if he helped a little, the Jung family wouldn't have fallen to such a state.
Although the Jung Corporation hadn't declared bankruptcy, the corporation's current situation was similar to that.
It was a hopeless situation.
If Mino still liked Krystal, would he watch her family fall to this state?
Could he accept Krystal going on blind dates?
According to Seunghoon, as long as Krystal was willing, Mino could marry her anytime.
It was always better for Krystal to marry Mino than for her to go on blind dates. Mino's qualifications were far from hers.
"Baby, are you sure Mino really likes her? If a man likes a woman, would he ignore her in her most difficult situation?"
"Perhaps he and Krystal had a misunderstanding." Jennie thought for a while and said, "In any case, I don't think Mino would be interested in me."
Mino knew that she and Lisa were married.
It was said that a friend's wife was not to be trifled with.
No matter what, Mino wouldn't fall for his brother's wife.
Moreover, Jennie didn't think she had such charm.
"Perhaps." Rosé shrugged. "It's best that he's not interested in you. I hope I'm wrong. Otherwise, how could he face Prince Charming and lust after his brother's wife? Isn't he a jerk?"
But Rosé still felt that Mino wasn't pure towards Jennie.
Everything else could be explained as a brotherhood.
But the way he looked at Jennie...
...
They left the hospital.
Mino sat in the car but didn't start it.
He recalled the feeling when he was carrying Jennie.
That was the first time he was so close to her.
He could feel her body temperature when he was carrying her.
And her faint scent.
The journey carrying her was actually very short, but in his heart, it was a beautiful memory that he couldn't erase.
At that time, he really hoped that time would last forever.
Or perhaps, it would be better if the road was longer.
He wanted to carry her for the rest of his life.
Mino realized something terrible. He seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper.
He seemed to have fallen into a swamp. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank.
In the end, it was hopeless.
He thought that liking someone was a sweet and wonderful thing.
But he didn't feel it at all.
Perhaps she already felt something.
That was why she was so cold and distant to him.
Mino sat in the car for a long time. Just as he was about to start it, his cell phone rang.
He picked it up and frowned when he saw the caller ID.
It was Madam Song.
Mino hadn't picked up the call yet, but he could guess why she was calling.
He picked it up. "Mom."
Madam Song's angry voice was heard. "What did you do to Qingqing? Not only did you hit her, you even chased her out of the mall. Is this true?"
Mino's expression didn't change. "Since you already know, why are you still calling me?"
"You brat!" Madam Song raised her voice. "You actually did such a disgraceful thing. A man like you actually touched a woman. Is this what I've taught you? I'm telling you, you can't bully girls.
"I invited Qingqing to my house as a guest. Speaking of which, you're her brother. Is this how you treat your sister? If your Uncle Shangguan and Aunt Shangguan know that you treated Qingqing like this, do you know what they'll think?
"Why don't you consider the consequences of your actions!"
Mino was indifferent. "What's wrong with that? Some women deserve a beating. Since Uncle Shangguan and Aunt Shangguan didn't educate their daughter well, I'll help them educate her. Speaking of which, they should thank me."
"You! So unreasonable! When your Uncle Shangguan sent Qing Qing over, I promised to take good care of her. But now that this happened, how am I going to explain it to them?
"They only have one daughter, Qingqing. But now, my son has hit her."
"Mom, I'll take responsibility for my own actions. When they ask, just push everything to me and let them come to me. I'll give them whatever explanation they want. Also, this is the last time I'm saying this to you. I won't marry Shangguan Qing. Not in this lifetime.
"If you insist on setting me up with her, I can do even worse things. Don't regret it, then."
Mino was about to hang up.
"What are you dissatisfied with about Qingqing? The Shangguan's are compatible with our family. Qingqing is outstanding in all aspects. Most importantly, she's loyal to you. Our Song family needs such a daughter-in-law.
"Are you still thinking about that girl from the Jung family?
"Or is it because of that girl?"
Mino was about to hang up when Madam Song mentioned Jennie.
"Mom, I'm not willing to marry Shangguan Qing because I'm not interested in her. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
"It seems like it's really because of that actress with the surname Qiao." Madam Song sneered. "You have such a big reaction when talking about her. If you want to play with that lousy actress, I won't say anything about it. You just have to keep your heart in check before marriage.
"But if you fall for an actress, you're embarrassing the family."
Mino's expression darkened when Madam Song belittled Jennie. "Mom, she's not some low-class actress. You come from an affluent family, why must you say such awful things?"
He couldn't tolerate others belittling Jennie.
Even if the person was his mother.
Madam Song was even angrier now that he was so protective of Jennie. "You actually rebutted me for an actress. It seems like Qingqing is right. She's really a vixen.
"She's just a woman, it's fine if you treat her like a toy."