Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 282 Even Sima Xiangru shook his head upon hearing this.

[Chapter Summary: A story from a thousand years ago is being used by Jiang Zai-xun to justify a love triangle; Sima Xiangru must be turning in his grave.]

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The office fell into a moment of stillness, the light suddenly dimmed, as if night had fallen early.

Kang Jae-hoon got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, his figure casting a blurry silhouette on the glass.

"Worthy of it?"

"This is a very interesting philosophical question."

"When we talk about love, what are we really talking about? Is it morality, loyalty, or... some more primal instinct?"

Jessica Jung was clearly taken aback.

She was armed with a belly full of moral judgments, but unexpectedly stumbled into philosophical propositions.

of course.

Kang Jae-hoon didn't need her answer and continued speaking to himself:
"In the Han Dynasty, there was a talented man named Sima Xiangru. His song 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate' made Zhuo Wenjun abandon everything and elope with him. This beautiful story has been passed down for thousands of years."

"However, historical records also state that in his later years, he took a concubine, which caused his first wife to write the poem 'The Ballad of the White-Haired Woman' with resentment."

"But what posterity will always remember is the romance of eloping under the moonlight—"

He turned suddenly.

However, it was discovered that Jessica Jung's furrowed brows revealed her lack of knowledge.

Obviously.

These literary allusions buzzed in her ears like celestial scripture.

"..."

"Let's be more direct."

Kang Jae-hoon put it another way:

"A pride of lions only submits to the strongest male lion. The lionesses don't care whether he is faithful or not; they only care whether their cubs can survive the dry season."

"Krystal is not a princess living in a fairy tale who needs a prince to save her."

"What she needs is a partner who can lead her to higher levels, not a weakling who can only stay in place and complain about the unfairness of the rules."

Jessica Jung was exasperated by this sophistry that jumped from the animal kingdom to Game of Thrones. Unable to keep up with the logic, she simply crossed her arms and sneered.
"So you think you're that partner?"

Kang Jae-hoon's gesture of spreading his hands and the curve of his raised eyebrows were perfectly synchronized, as if to say, "What else?"

"Wow! Brilliant!"

Jessica Jung's Chanel earrings flashed coldly in the air, making the mockery even sharper:
"Is the act of cheating on someone like an octopus being packaged as a privilege of the strong?"

"A man who rose to power by relying on women is here spouting lofty ideas about 'admiring the strong'?"

She deliberately slowed her speech, each word dripping with venom:
Don't you think...it's ridiculous?

"You're right."

Kang Jae-hoon's honesty caused Jessica Jung's pupils to shrink slightly.

She thought that the concept of "living off a woman" would at least tear down his composed facade.

"King Sejong's creation of the Korean alphabet was inseparable from the assistance of scholars Sung Sam-mun and Shin Suk-ju; General Park Chung-hee needed American support to create the Miracle on the Han River; I, Kang Jae-hoon, merely followed the wisdom of my predecessors—I received instruction from my teacher, received a blood transfusion from Yoon-ah, and had Soo-ji build a bridge."

"Leveraging existing resources is the path to strength."

"The important thing is that I can make their investment a hundredfold return."

The clouds outside the window gradually dispersed, and sunlight once again streamed into the room.

Jessica Jung suddenly realized that the conversation had been under his control from the very beginning.

She tried to use moral judgment, but he kept talking about the rules of survival.

"As for feelings..."

Kang Jae-hoon turned and walked towards the tea table, where the blue light from the induction cooker glowed softly.

“I admit I’m greedy, but at least I don’t cheat.”

The spring water hummed softly in the copper kettle, before the steam rose.

"I can't offer a promise of unwavering commitment, but I can give them resources that everyone envies."

He slowly and methodically warmed the teapot and cups, the white porcelain gaiwan and tea scoop making a clear sound as they clattered together.

After the water droplets have all rolled off, use a teaspoon to scoop out two spoonfuls of Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle White Hair).

"Now let's talk about you."

"I?"

"In 2014, you created your brand by leveraging the tragic persona of being 'forced to leave the team,' and reaped the benefits of public opinion."

The moment boiling water is poured into the gaiwan, the aroma of tea bursts forth.

"When Krystal terminated her contract and went solo in 2015, did she ever think about how she would cope if she stayed with SM Entertainment?"

The filter traps the foam, and the first brew of tea is poured into the tea pitcher.

The second infusion was brewed in silence.

Water slowly flows down the side of the bowl, and the silvery-white tea buds unfurl and float in the crystal tea sea.

"After Red Velvet's rise to fame, f(x) was sidelined, Sulli left the group, Victoria returned to Korea, and Amber and Luna each went their own way—"

"Only your own sister became a hostage and sacrifice left behind after you lost your battle with SM."

The amber-colored tea overflowed the rim of the cup, spreading dark water stains on the rosewood tea tray.

"The resources I gained by 'living off a woman' gave her a movie lead role, a lucrative contract, and a chance to be nominated for Best New Actress at next year's Baeksang Arts Awards. And you—"

The spout hangs above the overflowing teacup.

Water droplets fell intermittently.

"—yet she used her youth to lay the foundation for your ideal world."

"Only now are you taking on the role of guardian... Don't you think this redemption has come too late?"

The aroma of tea grew stronger in the silence.

Jessica Jung's gaze fell on the tea pitcher that Kang Jae-hoon kept pouring—the amber-colored tea soup had already overflowed the rim of the cup, meandering into a humiliating stream on the sandalwood tea tray.

This is the most straightforward way of asking you to leave.

She took a deep breath, the scent of expensive perfume mixed with the aroma of tea filling her nostrils, but she couldn't taste anything.

He turned around and opened the door.

"Ernie."

Jung Soo-jung and Kim Ji-won, like startled birds, scrambled away from the door frame.

Looking at her sister's worried eyes.

Jessica Jung remained silent for a moment, then reached out to smooth her collar, all the words stuck in her throat.

She withdrew her hand, stepped into the corridor in her seven-centimeter heels, her back straight, yet like a snow sculpture in the process of collapsing.

Jung Soo-jung gazed in the direction her sister had left, then turned back to look at Kang Jae-hoon, who remained calm and composed in the office. She twisted her toes halfway around in place before finally choosing to follow in the direction her sister had gone.

Kim Ji-won watched them leave before casually walking into her office and locking the door with a "click".

She then gracefully straddled Kang Jae-hoon's lap:
"You must have had a bad time arguing with your sister-in-law, right?"

The hem of her skirt brushed against her trousers with a soft rustling sound, and warm breath brushed against his ear:

"Shall I help Oppa cool down?"

Kang Jae-hoon looked down at the cunning woman—

He wasn't actually feeling stifled.

He won this confrontation beautifully.

But Kim Ji-won had already bent down, her pearly teeth biting the zipper, and slowly lowered it.

He closed his eyes.

His fingers sank into her silky long hair.

……

When Krystal chased after Jessica Jung to the underground parking garage, the echo of her high heels striking the ground sounded like the second hand of a countdown.

The air conditioning inside the car was blasting.

But she still felt a fire burning in her lungs.

"Ernie."

Krystal Jung spoke cautiously:
"Are you OK?"

She actually wanted to know more about the intense battles between her sister and Kang Jae-hoon.

But in the driver's seat, Jessica Jung just turned her head to look out the window, her profile as if covered with frost, her knuckles on the steering wheel tightening and then slowly loosening.

—This almost absent-minded vulnerability is something Krystal Jung hasn't seen in her sister for many years.

She wisely swallowed the question that was about to come out of her mouth.

The only sound in the carriage was the low hum of the air conditioner.

a long time.

Jessica Jung finally moved, managing a smile that wasn't quite a smile:
"What can I do?"

"But you——"

Krystal Jung immediately perked up her ears.

Fasten your seatbelt.

That's it? Krystal almost rolled her eyes.

The engine roared out of the underground parking garage, sunlight cascading down the windshield like a waterfall. Jessica Jung put on her own brand of sunglasses, the dappled sunlight reflecting off the lenses obscuring the emotions in her eyes.

The car stopped at the first intersection.

The numbers on the traffic lights changed second by second.

"If you regret it now."

Jessica Jung suddenly spoke, her voice sounding as if it came from a great distance:

"Unnie can also help you terminate your contract."

She pursed her lips as soon as she spoke.

This was hardly persuasion; it was clearly a desperate counterattack after defeat, and even she could hear the harsh anger in her tone.

"I do not regret."

"..."

Jessica Jung never doubted that her sister would make this choice.

Three years ago, she looked down on the unknown Jiang Zai-xun; three years later, she still looks down on the rising star Jiang Zai-xun.

The reason remains the same: promiscuity.

Ironically, this promiscuity became the most direct evidence of his masculine charm.

Jessica Jung's hand rested on the steering wheel, stroking the texture of the leather.

a long time.

She sighed almost imperceptibly, a sigh that sounded like a compromise, yet also like self-mockery:
"If he can really guarantee you a leading lady script every year..."

The sound was exceptionally clear inside the enclosed carriage:

"It's not entirely impossible."

Krystal Jung suddenly opened her eyes wide and turned her head abruptly.

—What does this mean? Is it tacit approval?

Yes.

Putting aside preconceived moral judgments, Jessica Jung has to admit that Kang Jae-hoon's courage is remarkable.

At least, she couldn't afford to promote her younger sister so recklessly.

Before Krystal could even process this sudden turn of events, a cold voice followed:
"But additional clauses must be added."

As the traffic light turned green, she smoothly pressed the accelerator.
"If Next Scene fails to fulfill its contractual obligations, it will be required to pay compensation at three times the market rate."

Krystal looked at her sister's stubborn profile, the sunglasses from their own brand still perched on her nose, and suddenly understood something—

This is probably Jessica Jung's kind of compromise.

Using commercial terms to replace emotional agreement, and legal constraints to replace moral judgment.

"it is good."

Krystal Jung responded softly:
"I'll do whatever you say, Unnie."

As the car crossed the Han River Bridge, sunlight shattered into countless golden flakes on the river's surface. The glass curtain walls of the high-rise buildings on both banks reflected dazzling light, like countless pairs of peering eyes.

Jessica Jung held the steering wheel with one hand and turned the air conditioning down two degrees with the other. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her younger sister secretly checking her phone and suddenly spoke:
Do you know the story of "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate"?

Krystal Jung's fingers trembled. She hadn't expected the topic to suddenly shift to Han Dynasty poetry from a thousand years ago, a turn that was so irrelevant.

She recalled for a moment:
Is it the poem "Phoenix, oh phoenix, return to your homeland, roam the four seas to seek your mate"?

"You know?" A hint of surprise flashed in Jessica Jung's eyes.

"I only remember this one sentence; I heard the teacher mention it in my Chinese elective class."

Krystal Jung confessed honestly:

"At the time, it felt like lines from an idol drama."

As the car turned onto the main road in Gangnam District, the shadows of the roadside trees flashed quickly across the windshield.

"What about 'The Ballad of the White-Haired Woman'?"

"do not know"

Jessica Jung tapped her fingertips twice on the steering wheel: "Study hard."

"???"

Krystal looked at her sister with a face full of questions—what was going on with this sudden little literature lesson?

The car slowly came to a stop in front of a coffee shop.

Jessica Jung took off her sunglasses and finally turned to look at her younger sister directly:

"Sima Xiangru wrote 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate' to win over Zhuo Wenjun, but in his later years he wanted to take a concubine. Zhuo Wenjun wrote 'The Ballad of White Hair' and he changed his mind."

Sunlight streamed through the skylight and fell on the armrest box between the two people, creating a line of light and shadow.

"so?"

Krystal asked cautiously.

Jessica Jung put her sunglasses back on and opened the car door:

"So just listen to the poems written by men, and that's it."

The wind chimes tinkled crisply at the entrance of the coffee shop.

Looking at her sister's straight back, Krystal couldn't help but ask:
"Unnie, when did you start paying attention to Han Fu (a type of classical Chinese prose)?"

"just."

……

As dusk settles, neon lights gradually illuminate both banks of the Han River.

The aroma of barbecue filled Lee Kwang-soo's living room, and the truffle salt brought by Jo In-sung shimmered under the light.

When Kang Jae-hoon walked into the entrance hall carrying a bottle of Moutai, he witnessed the comical scene of Cha Tae-hyun secretly eating grilled Korean beef and getting burned, his breath coming in gasps.

"I saw in the news that Crystal signed with your company?"

Lee Kwang-soo winked and made faces as he accepted the liquor, his gossipy nature burning brightly amidst the cooking fumes.

"Yes, because of this, her sister came to the company today and scolded me for half an hour."

"Mo?"

Kim Woo-bin's hand, which was flipping the mushrooms, suddenly stopped:
"Isn't it a contract with an artist?"

"You just don't understand—"

Cha Tae-hyun took the Moutai bottle and poured wine for everyone: "Our President Kang's intention is not in the wine, but in the scenery."

Amidst the room's laughter, Lim Ju-hwan coughed three times, choking on his saliva. Do Kyung-soo silently handed him a tissue.

"So, you two are... getting back together after a breakup?"

Cha Tae-hyun suddenly started counting on his fingers:
"Let me count—Yoona, Suzy, Jiwon, Krystal, plus that long-legged model."

He slammed his hand on the table and turned to shout towards the kitchen:
"Kwang-soo! Do you have any grilled kidneys or oysters? Let's give our CEO Kang a treat!"

"Ya shi—"

Kang Jae-hoon laughed and tossed a peanut at Cha Tae-hyun, which landed squarely on the forehead amidst the room's laughter.

After three rounds of drinking.

The TV is showing news about the upcoming Olympics.

Cha Tae-hyun's eyes suddenly lit up:
"Which team do you buy, Zai Xun? I'll buy with you!"

These words struck like lightning, waking the slightly tipsy crowd—the "Blue Fox Miracle" that shocked the football world was now reviving in their memories, carrying the aroma of Moutai liquor.

Everyone pulled out their phones and surrounded them.

Kang Jae-hoon was cornered on the sofa:
"Don't blame me if you lose."

"A little gambling is harmless fun~"

Do Kyungsoo rarely joins in the fun.

Kang Jae-hoon reluctantly unlocked his phone, and the odds for the first day of the Olympic men's football group stage flashed on the screen:

Portugal U23 vs. Argentina U23

[Fixed odds: Portugal win 3.18, draw 3.00, Argentina win 2.08.]

Brazil's U23 national team vs. South Africa's U23 national team

[Handicap betting (Brazil -2): Brazil win 2.02, draw 4.05, Brazil loss 2.58.]

Nigeria U23 vs. Japan U23

[Fixed odds: Nigeria win 2.55, draw 3.05, Japan win 2.55.]

Kang Jae-hoon glanced at the odds table and chose without thinking: -
Portugal wins (3.18) - 100 million won;
Brazil draw (4.05) 100 million won; -
Nigerian flat (3.05) 100 million won.

"You... you're betting on all high odds?"

The betting method, which completely deviated from common sense, made the air freeze for two seconds. In the end, only Cha Tae-hyun boldly followed suit with his full bet.

At dawn the following day, news of the Olympic victory streaked across the sky over Seoul like a shooting star—

Portugal pulls off a stunning 2-0 upset against Argentina!
Host nation Brazil was held to a 0-0 draw by South Africa!

Nigeria narrowly defeated Japan 5-4 in a high-scoring match!

Cha Tae-hyun's 2-out-of-3 record earned him a whopping 4.2 million won, and he sent ten money-sprinkling emojis in the group chat:
"Jiang Bansian's Golden Touch Certification!"

(End of this chapter)