enjoyebooks Chapter 26 Aren't you being a bit too high-profile?
Chapter 26 Aren't you being a bit too high-profile?
As she talked about the past, Kim Tae-yeon herself became somewhat dazed.
They didn't talk much, but she still remembered clearly the time they spent together at the amusement park that year, riding the Ferris wheel together.
For some reason, after Jiang Youzhen went abroad to study, she gradually forgot to keep in touch. Perhaps it was the time difference between the two countries, or perhaps they were both very busy.
With a jumble of random thoughts suddenly popping into her mind, Kim Tae-yeon ignored the gossipy trainee sisters and, lost in thought, squeezed past them and headed for the door.
The practice room was quiet for a while. Even the youngest member, Seohyun, could tell that something was amiss, especially with the bewildered expressions on the faces of her older sisters.
In a situation where even a pin dropping would be clearly visible, Seo Joo-hyun spoke up, and her words instantly brought them back to their senses.
"Unnie, did Taeyeon unnie just... ignore you guys?"
This isn't a question, it's a very affirmative statement!
Even Kim Tae-yeon herself didn't realize this. By the time she came to her senses, she was already outside, and there stood that familiar figure in front of her.
Jiang Youzhen deliberately bent his knees, lowered his height, and looked directly into her eyes. In those eyes, he only felt brightness and kindness, as well as a feeling that made him feel comfortable.
"Is the dessert I just bought a little too little? I didn't expect there to be so many people here. Should I go buy some more?"
Upon hearing this, Kim Tae-yeon realized that she had left the bag of food in the practice room.
"Oh no! I forgot all the food you bought in the practice room."
"It's okay, let's go buy some more. I'll also buy some to take home for my dad. I feel a little bad for using his car today."
Kang Woo-jin smiled brightly, adjusted his hat brim, and asked with a light laugh, "Your company probably doesn't prevent trainees from going out, right?"
Kim Tae-yeon hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at the front desk and said somewhat awkwardly, "They won't stop us from leaving, but our dorm leader won't let us eat these sweets."
"Then eat it secretly, or... buy fruit instead."
"Fruit? That's too expensive."
Kim Tae-yeon wanted to shake her head and refuse, but her living expenses were already low. If Kang Woo-jin spent a lot of money to buy them fruit, how would she ever repay that favor?
But Kang Woo-jin didn't care about this at all. He reached out and grabbed Kim Tae-yeon, then walked towards the door.
The security guard at the gate stared blankly as the tall man led their company's trainee away. By the time he came to his senses, all he could hear was the arrogant roar of the sports car.
Kim Tae-yeon didn't struggle; she just smiled apologetically at the security guard while still listening to what Kang Woo-jin had said to her.
With only this little bit of rest time, she really wouldn't mind going out for a stroll, but since Jiang Youzhen is now an artist, she worries about whether it will be a burden on him.
After calming down, Kim Tae-yeon looked somewhat conflicted. Sitting in the passenger seat, she cautiously looked out the window and couldn't help but ask, "Anders, aren't you being a bit too high-profile? You're a celebrity now."
"Aren't celebrities human? I'm just an ordinary person. Are you worried about paparazzi?" Kang Woo-jin shook his head and chuckled. He knew what Kim Tae-yeon was worried about.
He was troubled by it, but it made him care more about Kim Tae-yeon, so he ignored the paparazzi.
"Then I'll get a quieter car next time."
"...This doesn't seem to have anything to do with the car."
Kang Woo-jin awkwardly changed the subject, asking Kim Tae-yeon to recommend a shop where he could buy snacks and coffee, while he kept an eye on the time.
I asked before, and they said that the trainees have limited rest time and the head of the dormitory keeps a close eye on them, so she can only come out for half an hour at most.
Half an hour passes quickly with just a few words, let alone when going out to buy things.
Kim Tae-yeon recommended two shops that were relatively close to the company. Besides, there are more than a dozen coffee shops near the company, and they all taste pretty much the same, so I won't say which one is better or worse.
Finally, Kim Tae-yeon returned to the practice room carrying two bags of desserts, cookies, and fruit. When she handed the food to her fellow members, she even managed to avoid a gossip crisis.
These people were all prepared to wait for Kim Tae-yeon to return and then question her about why she abandoned them and ran away.
But when they saw the freshly baked, steaming desserts and even some expensive fruits from the market in the bag, they instantly lost all interest in anything else.
Kim Tae-yeon gave them all her things, then took out her phone and saw several new messages from Kang Woo-jin. She smiled gently, replied with "good news," and put her phone back in her pocket.
The company has rules against them slacking off by playing on their phones. If they are caught, their phones will be forcibly taken away. But compared to the situation where their seniors, Super Junior, couldn't even get their hands on phones when they first debuted, they are already considered to be in a more relaxed situation.
"Unnie, did you buy all of these?" Seohyun asked Kim Tae-yeon with a hint of curiosity after receiving a box of desserts from her sister.
Before Kim Tae-yeon could answer, Choi Soo-young chimed in, "No way, it looks like that Hollywood veteran bought it."
"Hollywood seniors...you guys are really something else." Kim Tae-yeon listened to the title with some speechlessness, as she had felt it was somewhat inappropriate before.
She understood Kang Woo-jin's personality; he probably wouldn't care about being called a "Hollywood senior."
She felt it was insignificant to talk about it privately, but she was afraid of being overheard by others, which would cause trouble for no reason and lead to accusations of disrespecting their seniors.
Out of desperation, Kim Tae-yeon could only remind them to be mindful of how they addressed their seniors when they were out in public. She also explained that Kang Woo-jin had bought all of these items.
On the other side, Jiang Youzhen drove home and, as expected, saw Mads-Oh sitting in the living room reading a book. He walked over with a bag of food and smiled ingratiatingly at his father.
"Dad, are you hungry? I heard their cream puffs are really good, so I bought you two, and some freshly squeezed juice to cleanse your palate. Want to try some?"
Mads-Wu put down his book, glanced at Kang Woo-jin, and then looked calmly at the bag in his hand.
The sweet, milky aroma was gradually stimulating his taste buds and appetite. This foreigner's palate loved these sweet pastries and breads the most, and Jiang Youzhen buying these desserts was like delivering them right to his heart.
"Fine, I'll forgive you since you bought me afternoon tea."
"Really? Then I'll drive it away tomorrow!"
"..."
When Mads Wu heard this, he almost choked on the cream puff he was eating. He was just joking, how could this kid take it seriously?!
However, they hadn't exchanged more than a few words when the family's maid came to remind Jiang Jingshu that she had returned.
Upon hearing this, the father and son acted simultaneously, tidying up the sofa area thoroughly and hiding the desserts they had bought earlier under the coffee table.
Jiang Jingshu doesn't really want them to eat sweets. After all, they have to work in front of the camera, and sugar not only makes them gain weight easily, but it also makes them break out in pimples. So she is quite strict about their body management.
A few minutes later, Jiang Jingshu walked into the living room and saw the father and son sitting there rehearsing their lines with the script. She said in a calm tone, "You two are actually quite serious at home. Perfect timing, Mads. Come with me to the beauty salon later. I got you a few dresses and will have the tailor take your measurements. You'll be attending the year-end awards ceremony with me."
Mads Wu wasn't too surprised by the news and nodded in agreement.
Jiang Jingshu spoke in a calm tone, making it impossible to discern her emotions, yet she exuded a powerful sense of pressure.
Sitting in the corner of the sofa, Kang Woo-jin silently took his script and moved a little further away from Mads-Oh. These award ceremonies had nothing to do with him; let his dad suffer.