Unless it was very late at night with nowhere else to stay, the dorms usually remained empty. Of course, the company couldn't revoke the dorms—this was one of their privileges.
After grabbing some lunch at a roadside store, Lee Seung-gi drove to the gate of Kim Taeyeon's residential complex. He waited from noon until around five in the evening. Just as he was about to knock on the door, two figures appeared outside.
Relief washed over him. He immediately got out of the car and approached them. Though the two were bundled up and wore no makeup—enough to prevent casual passersby from recognizing them—Lee Seung-gi knew one of them and quickly intercepted them.
"Seng-gi, Oppa…" Lin Yun'er froze at the sight of him, her voice tinged with awkwardness.
Kim Taeyeon eyed Lee Seung-gi warily. She knew he was brilliant and proud; he likely already knew everything about what had happened that day. His absence for the past few days hadn't eased the tension—his return could only bring trouble. She didn't want Lin Yun'er hurt again.
"Yun'er…" Lee Seung-gi glanced at the two of them, unsure what to say. Seeing the innocent expression on Lin Yun'er's face, part of him wanted to scold her, "You little brat, I know all about your mischief."
But he restrained himself, knowing that if he said such things, his career could be over. If Lin Yun'er didn't show up in front of Jiang Hai tonight, and Jiang Hai called Li Xihuai… he'd be finished.
So he had to rely on the woman who had betrayed him to save him. Even so, the words stayed lodged in his throat—especially with another woman standing beside her.
"Sunggi-oppa, what's up?" Kim Taeyeon finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.
Lee Seung-gi softened his expression, chuckling lightly. "Taeyeon, can I talk to Yun'er alone for a moment?"
Lee Seung-gi was born in 1987, Kim Taeyeon in 1989—they had known each other through Lin Yun'er, so speaking casually wasn't unusual. Kim Taeyeon nodded, glancing at Lin Yun'er.
"Ouni, wait a minute," Lin Yun'er said, calming herself. This was important.
Taking a deep breath, she persuaded Kim Taeyeon to step aside, gesturing for Lee Seung-gi to follow her nearby. They moved to a quiet corner while Kim Taeyeon stayed put.
"Sunggi-oppa… I'm sorry," Lin Yun'er spoke first, exhaling deeply. She couldn't stay silent—this was her choice, after all.
"Hehe… Yun'er, I understand. This isn't entirely your fault," Lee Seung-gi replied, lowering his head to suppress his anger. He reminded himself repeatedly: do not lose control.
"Oppa…" Lin Yun'er's eyes reddened as she looked at him, filled with gratitude.
"You… you are Jiang Hai…" Lee Seung-gi's gaze softened as he looked at her, then he spoke slowly.
"You… how did you know?" Lin Yun'er asked, confused.
"At first, I wasn't completely sure. But I ran into him today. A few days ago, I accidentally offended him over a trivial matter, and he wanted to send Li Xihuai to ban me. You know, Li Xihuai holds immense power in South Korea—it's far above a small-time guy like me. So today, I went to beg for mercy, and he told me that if I wanted to avoid the ban, I'd have to go to him…" Lee Seung-gi's face showed a mixture of shame, frustration, and embarrassment.
He wanted to beat Lin Yun'er up and fight Jiang Hai to the death—but he knew he couldn't. Years of hard work couldn't be undone because of these two people. At twenty-nine, he didn't have the luxury of time; he had to preserve his achievements.
"O-oppa… what do you mean?" Lin Yun'er had hoped for comfort and reassurance from Lee Seung-gi. If he had said, "Let's start over," she would have been truly moved.
But this wasn't that. Why was he telling her Jiang Hai was looking for her? What did he want from her?
"Yun'er… can I trouble you with something?" Lee Seung-gi asked, lifting his gaze slowly. Lin Yun'er's tears began to fall, uncontrollable.
Meanwhile, around 10:30 pm, Jiang Hai took the elevator back to his floor. His flight for the next day was ready.
He would travel to China alone, while Cheryl, Azarina, Galina, and Hualisi would return to the United States.
With the situation in South Korea settled, Jiang Hai naturally needed to return to China to check on Qi Li and the others. Hualisi would continue monitoring the situation, and Azarina and Galina would return to the manor to protect the girls. Everything would soon be back on track.
Jiang Hai's own safety wasn't a concern. In China, he would have Du Ning and Qi Li with him.
He hadn't seen Du Ning or Qi Li in ages. The last time Qi Li mentioned going back to find a manager, she had sorted out company matters and then left to see Jiang Hai. Months had passed, leaving him slightly melancholic.
But if he thought about seeing Qi Jie and Qi Ya, he'd be even more depressed. Shaking his head, he decided to set those thoughts aside.
Forcing himself to stay awake, he entered his room. Something felt off. Hua Lisi and Galina, who had stayed behind, watched him with amusement. A figure sat prettily on the sofa—standing immediately as Jiang Hai approached, her eyes locked on him.
"You actually made it! That Li Shengji is impressive—inviting you here," Jiang Hai said with a smile. She was remarkable indeed, capable of appearing at the right moment—but who exactly was she…?