Chapter 104 To ask Kwon Ji-yong's heart at this moment...

If you were to ask Kwon Ji-yong how he felt at this moment, he himself wouldn't know how to describe it. Indeed, from the moment he learned that Taeyang was going to propose, he had consciously begun to tidy up his schedule. He scrutinized every day on the calendar like a miser, calculating the time difference. He was waiting for her to finish the World Championships so he could subtly ask if she had asked for leave. He knew that athlete approvals were complicated, especially during the Olympic season. He had also prepared himself for the possibility that she might not get her leave approved. He comforted himself, telling himself it was okay; even if she didn't get it approved, he could use his free time to go to China and be with her. But when Ren Xiyao told him first, he felt a genuine sense of fulfillment, as if he had been given a sense of security.

When he first gave her luxury bags and clothes, she only said thank you. But she never used them. At that time, he asked Ren Xiyao, "Don't you like them?" Ren Xiyao hesitated for a long time before tactfully saying, "I'm an athlete. I train 300 days a year. I really don't have time."

He then realized he had been presumptuous. He was used to expressing affection and importance in his own way, neglecting the uniqueness of her environment and identity. He saw this quiet, beautiful, sometimes even aloof girl, but subconsciously forgot that she was first and foremost a top athlete who had to give everything for even a fraction of a second. Her world had rules and priorities completely different from his. It seemed to have started from that moment. He would first remember that she was an athlete. He would consider whether these things would be a burden for her as an athlete.

And it was from that time on that everything he gave her, Ren Xiyao would let him know that she had seen his feelings. These subtle responses, for someone who had been in the entertainment industry for many years and was used to exchanging favors and hypocrisy, were a rare sense of security and...warmth of being taken seriously.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was hoarse. She hadn't brought it up again since Jeju Island last year.

Ren Xiyao's back was still pressed against the fire door, the cold metal sending a chill through her team uniform: "I'm afraid it will affect your work schedule." She raised her hand to tidy her hair, which he had ruffled: "Besides, there are a lot of procedures. I'm not sure if it will be approved." She didn't want to give him false hope, and she didn't want to disrupt his already tightly packed work schedule because of her uncertain vacation.

Kwon Ji-yong suddenly laughed out loud, resting his forehead on her shoulder: "Ren Xiyao."

"Um?"

“I know,” she interrupted him, “but you should pack up and go back now.”

The motion-sensor light illuminated Kwon Ji-yong's slightly reddened eyes. He really had to go; he had an early morning flight back to Seoul tomorrow, and meetings and announcements awaited him. Ren Xiyao was also going back to China with the team to attend the subsequent debriefing meeting.

"Ten days." He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "Starting from the 1st, not a single day less."

Ren Xiyao glanced at her watch, then waved her wrist in front of him: "You can still get four hours of sleep if you go to the airport now."

"You want me to leave?"

"I'm sending you off to make money." She pushed him away: "My plane ticket is very expensive."

Kwon Ji-yong burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the empty stairwell. He gave her a final kiss on the forehead, then turned and walked downstairs with steps as light as if he were on a spring.

"Cancel them all, cancel all these unnecessary trips. If you can't cancel them, reschedule." He dragged his suitcase and strode forward: "Clear all my schedules from the 1st to the 10th."

"Just say I have food poisoning. Postpone the trip."

"...I've used this reason before."

"Then just say I'm going to serve in the military. We've been talking for so long. If you can't even show any sincerity, then both sides should calm down."

He glanced at the time; indeed, the Chinese delegation should be at an altitude of 10,000 meters at this moment.

“Go straight to the company,” he told the driver. “Take my laptop with you.”

Ren Xiyao was in a similar situation. She had just gotten off the plane and turned on her phone when over a dozen messages flooded in. The top one was from Kwon Ji-yong, sent three hours earlier:

"arrive."

"The announcement has been adjusted."

"I guess my agent wants to kill me."

What time do you dismiss the party?

She dragged her luggage out, her fingers flying across the keyboard: "Just landed, meeting at 8 am tomorrow."

The phone rang as soon as the message was sent.

"Hello?"

"A three-day meeting?" Kwon Ji-yong's voice mingled with the sound of keyboard typing.

"Yes, summarizing and planning for the new season."

"Can we slip away?"

Ren Xiyao glanced at the team leader who was taking attendance not far away: "Guess."

"Kwon Ji-ryong".

"Um?"

"Calm down."

The keyboard clicks stopped abruptly: "I'm very calm."

"You're speaking faster than the commentator now."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then a dull thud was heard, sounding like someone had slammed their forehead against the table.

“…I’ll try my best.” Kwon Ji-yong took a deep breath and lowered his voice: “You focus on the meeting, I’ll take care of the arrangements.”

Ren Xiyao watched her teammates board the bus one after another and softly hummed in agreement: "Don't cancel too many jobs."

"Know."

"Don't argue with Yang Hyun-suk either."

"...Try your best."

After hanging up the phone, Ren Xiyao subconsciously touched the jade buckle around her neck. Dusk fell over Beijing outside the bus window, while eight thousand kilometers away, someone was rescheduling the entire world's timeline for her.

It seems that life is all about a few fleeting moments. The moment of standing at the pinnacle of one's career, basking in the glory of victory. And, with a heart full of love and anticipation, crossing mountains and seas to see the person you long to see…

Taking a vacation as a top star requires some struggle. Compared to 2015, when he simply ran away without informing anyone, this time, even when everything was barely on the edge of balance, he still chose to meet with President Yang.

As expected, Yang Xianshuo's temper flared the moment he heard the news, and he slammed the folder on the table: "Do you know what this means?"

“I only need 10 days.” Kwon Ji-yong sat at his desk, twirling his pen. He himself had forgotten when he had entered this office. He was now able to sit opposite Yang Hyun-suk, which was probably the biggest improvement he had made in the past 10 years: “Last year, I worked all year round without a break.”

"Teddy and the others are fine, and besides, the new boy band has quite a few talented musicians."

"Your solo..."

"It will be released in August, there is enough time."

The atmosphere in the meeting room was frighteningly tense. The manager huddled in a corner, pretending to be a potted plant. Yang Hyun-suk took a deep breath: "Is it that athlete again? How many outrageous things have you done since you two got together?"

Kwon Ji-yong stopped twirling his pen and looked at the man in front of him, who was both a mentor and a father figure, but was also increasingly resembling a pure businessman. A somewhat sarcastic smile suddenly appeared on his face: "It's just a private trip."

"President," Kwon Ji-yong suddenly smiled, "Do you remember when was the last time I took a vacation?"

Yang Hyun-suk choked.

"February 2015, 11 days." Kwon Ji-yong stood up: "I acted first and ran away without informing anyone. But it turns out I didn't delay anything back then. Didn't I? This time, including the round trip, all I need is 10 days. The sky won't fall."

Meanwhile, a three-day seminar also began in Beijing. Aside from some simple post-competition relaxation training, the seminar consisted mainly of meetings. The discussions summarized the new season, looked to the future, and made professional plans for the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Ren Xiyao filled an entire page of her meeting minutes notebook with sketches of ice skates. Lin Shan, sitting next to her, had been so sleepy that Ren Xiyao had woken her up several times. Just before her head hit the table, Ren Xiyao pinched her again. After waking up, Lin Shan took a deep breath and patted her face. To keep herself awake, she started chatting casually with Ren Xiyao.

Suddenly noticing something, Lin Shan perked up and nudged her with his elbow: "The team leader has been watching you for ages."

She looked up and, sure enough, met the team leader's probing gaze.

"Next is anti-doping training." Seeing her look up, the team leader looked away. He tapped the projection screen: "Especially during the off-season, pay attention to food safety."

Ren Xiyao closed the notebook without changing her expression.

"Are you really going to Las Vegas?" Lin Shan asked softly.

"Um."

Just the two of you?

"Or should I take you with me?"

Lin Shan stepped on her foot under the table: "I mean... is it safe?"

Ren Xiyao flicked her wrist, and the watch face shimmered in the sunlight: "He'll be ready."

Finally, when everything was settled, filled with excitement and anticipation, the two prepared to head to the same destination. As Ren Xiyao handed her boarding pass to the security personnel, her phone vibrated; messages from Quan Zhilong had been pouring in.

"We've boarded."

See you in Las Vegas!

She smiled as she read the message and switched her phone to airplane mode.