Chapter 13: 13. Kang Seulgi: I am really smart
"Whoa!!"
As soon as she entered, Bae Juhyun was greeted with a collective cheer from her group members.
The streamers floating above her head made the corners of her mouth twitch; she had only been living at her own place for a month or two, but it felt like she hadn't returned for half a year.
And those troublesome things are hard to clean up!
Though she complained, the delighted smile on Bae Juhyun's face still revealed how she felt.
After all, this was the first event she had received since the incident.
Even if the event was just their company's family concert...
It was still better than staying at home doing nothing!
Returning to the familiar dorm made Bae Juhyun feel unexpectedly sentimental.
She sat in her usual spot on the living room sofa, observing everything familiar, and her smile grew more natural.
"You're not planning to run off again this time, are you?"
Kang Seulgi snuggled next to Bae Juhyun, wrapping an arm around her captain's shoulders before softly asking.
Bae Juhyun didn't answer directly but hesitated for a moment before smiling wryly.
"We'll see; after all, you guys sometimes have work, and I don't want to disturb you at the dorm."
Although she said she didn't want to disturb them, everyone knew the real reason.
She just couldn't stand seeing everyone busy while she could do nothing and felt like she was holding the team back.
Don't even mention preparing meals or doing chores at the dorm...
That wouldn't solve the problem; it would only make things more awkward.
"But if you're home alone, it really worries us."
In recent years, incidents involving celebrities due to psychological issues were not uncommon.
If Bae Juhyun were to develop mental issues because of this, it wouldn't be good.
As it stood now, Bae Juhyun seemed to be showing some early signs of that, but somehow, her mood had suddenly improved over the last two days.
And now she finally had work...
Would this sister of theirs go to any extremes?
"Don't worry so much, I won't do anything foolish."
"A few days ago, you couldn't even smile!"
Bae Juhyun awkwardly cleared her throat.
"What on earth has made you so much more natural and cheerful?" Not being curious would be impossible; she hadn't heard of Bae Juhyun getting any pets.
And given that she rarely stepped out, it was unlikely she had met any new friends, or any guys for that matter.
Could it be...
Kang Seulgi thought of an unbelievable possibility, hugged Bae Juhyun's small frame, and earnestly said, "Sister, no matter how lonely you get, don't overly trust people online, okay?"
"...What nonsense are you thinking now?" With a weird look on her face, Bae Juhyun broke free from her junior's embrace and complained in a tone of utter resignation.
Kang Seulgi counted on her fingers, explaining her guesses seriously.
"Juhyun, you only go between home and the company every day, so it's unlikely you'd meet anyone."
Great, Kang Seulgi started off on the wrong foot.
Bae Juhyun didn't interrupt; she was curious about Kang Seulgi's wild guesses, plus she didn't want to reveal the existence of Liu Xin'an to everyone.
How to put it...
She's a celebrity, a highly talkative one at that, thinking of hiding her identity and befriending a foreigner sounds like a tall tale.
If everyone knew, they would surely persuade her to cut ties with him.
Most of a celebrity's friends being other celebrities is not without reason.
Their unique status and profession inevitably separate them from the world of ordinary people.
What happened to Bae Juhyun now was bound to blow over eventually; it wasn't something unforgivable.
In other words, Bae Juhyun was quite sure if she told everyone about Liu Xin'an, they'd certainly think there was something between them.
Then they'd try everything to distance her from Liu Xin'an, afraid of where their relationship might go in the future.
But that's impossible!
Bae Juhyun knew her own choices well; for now, she just wanted to work hard and show her best to the fans.
Romance?
Not even a thought!
Kang Seulgi didn't know the rich inner world of Bae Juhyun and just continued her guessing.
"Since you don't meet anyone, I think you must've met some weird people online, right!"
Kang Seulgi clapped her hands gleefully, drawing the attention of the other two girls.
"What's up?"
"Nothing, nothing, go on with your ordering."
Son Seungwan and Kim Yerin were ordering takeout; with their long-worried sister back in the dorm, they couldn't miss out on a good meal.
Hmm... dieting can wait; one meal won't make much difference.
"So you mean, I've met someone online recently, hence my good mood?"
"You're admitting it?"
"Admitting what? You should cut down on watching those weird things!"
Bae Juhyun knocked lightly on Kang Seulgi's forehead, making her yelp pitifully.
Getting it wrong is fine, but why hit me?
This sister seemed to be really back to normal. Thinking back to how pale she looked at the start of this incident, Kang Seulgi even wondered if she had been swapped out.
But, no matter what, it's good that she's back to normal.
While playing and laughing with her sisters, Bae Juhyun suddenly felt her phone vibrate slightly in her pocket.
Her phone didn't have many miscellaneous social media apps, and she had turned off all notifications during the incident to avoid distressing herself.
So, aside from new social messages, her phone was usually very quiet.
Since they were in the dorm, her sisters definitely wouldn't be messaging her.
Home?
Bae Juhyun didn't think much, took out her phone, and unlocked it in front of Kang Seulgi.
But before Kang Seulgi could see the screen clearly, Bae Juhyun's smile faded, and she quickly stuffed the phone under her seat.
This sneaky move left the recently doubtful Kang Seulgi puzzled.
After a second of pause, Kang Seulgi showed a meaningful smile.
Pretend!
Pretend all you want!
She knew her guess wasn't wrong!
Just by looking at Kang Seulgi's expression, Bae Juhyun could guess what she was thinking and felt there was no way to explain.
This time was hard to clarify.
Why did Liu Xin'an suddenly message her!
"Seulgi, don't you want to order takeout with them?"
"I'm more interested in the information on your phone."
"Ahem, it's just a push notification, news."
"I saw it."
"What did you see?" Alarm bells rang in Bae Juhyun's head as she didn't believe Kang Seulgi's eyes were that fast.
She had locked her screen and hid her phone the moment she saw the surname "Liu."
This girl was definitely bluffing!
Kang Seulgi didn't answer but kept staring at her with a half-smile. Now, she was certain that Bae Juhyun was hiding something from them!
She just didn't know what it was about.
Although she only caught a glimpse, she did see a social media screen.
"Just admit it, Juhyun, I won't say a word to anyone!"
Bae Juhyun didn't buy it.
"I don't get what you're talking about, let me go, I need the bathroom."
"To check your phone?"
"...Can't I watch videos?"
Kang Seulgi reluctantly let go; this sister was really fun to tease, but pushing her too far wasn't good either.
Anyway, with Bae Juhyun staying at the dorm, she had plenty of time to probe her.
After locking the bathroom door, Bae Juhyun took out her phone and opened Liu Xin'an's message.
Actually, the message wasn't complicated.
A picture and a short text from Liu Xin'an.
The picture was simply an image of bibimbap.
The recognizable name on the bibimbap container made her pause, then she saw Liu Xin'an's next words.
"It's really delicious! Certified! Full marks!"
With her lips curved upwards, leaning against the bathroom door, Bae Juhyun showed a cute smile.
She couldn't deny it... this feeling of someone trying something upon your recommendation made her feel genuinely valued.
And this feeling was heartwarming.
Since it showed as "read," Bae Juhyun naturally couldn't pretend she hadn't seen it.
She thought for a moment, then her fair fingers tapped on the screen, quickly forming a sentence.
"Of course, I've eaten it for several days and never get tired of it!"
The message turned "read" instantly, startling Bae Juhyun.
Was Liu Xin'an waiting for her reply all along?
———
Of course, Liu Xin'an wasn't waiting for a reply all the time?
He had just set the phone beside him after sending the message.
Since he set it not to auto-lock, the screen stayed on.
As for Liu Xin'an...
At that moment, he was holding his game controller, happily responding to questions from his stream viewers.
After three days, Liu Xin'an had started his stream again.
Just over ten minutes into it, and his stream had already attracted a large number of viewers.
All sorts of super chats and gifts made him dizzy, but they were his patrons, so he had to respond to each one.
"Hmm? Asking if I met any pretty girls here? Funny enough, I actually did meet one, very pretty, though a bit short."
"Calling someone short is such a straight man's response... what's wrong with that? Tall is tall, short is short; I didn't mean she had a physical flaw, just that she didn't suit me."
The now-popular Liu Xin'an was very careful about what he said, ignoring clearly provocative questions.
Even ambiguous answers were given after much thought.
He was far from his former ease.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone