Chapter 86 The third day on Jeju Island, also...
On their third day in Jeju Island, which was also the last day of their short vacation, they drifted leisurely and comfortably towards dusk. The setting sun cast its last golden rays upon the sea, and the sky displayed a soft tapestry of pink, purple, and orange hues, as beautiful as a meticulously painted oil painting.
Ren Xiyao walked barefoot on the beach, waves occasionally washing over her ankles. Quan Zhilong followed behind her, taking photos of Ren Xiyao with his phone from time to time, carrying both of their slippers in his hand, but he seemed hesitant to speak.
"Speak your mind." Ren Xiyao said without turning her head.
Kwon Ji-yong quickened his pace to walk beside her: "Want to have a barbecue tonight...?"
"Why would two people grill something?"
"No..." He touched his nose, "that..."
Ren Xiyao stopped and squinted at him.
Kwon Ji-yong took a deep breath: "Taeyang and Hyorin unnie are here too, might as well meet them?"
The sea breeze suddenly picked up, tousling Ren Xiyao's hair. She paused for three seconds: "More than that, isn't it?"
"..." Kwon Ji-yong looked away guiltily: "And CL, Daesung, Lee Joo-hyuk, and a few producer friends..."
"Kwon Ji-ryong".
"exist!"
"to be honest."
He kicked the sand like a child who had done something wrong: "They took a last-minute vacation, and this is the vacation spot they chose..." Seeing Ren Xiyao's expression, he quickly added: "If you don't want to go, then don't go! Really!"
Ren Xiyao stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked, "How long have you been planning this?"
"...almost three months." Kwon Ji-yong, in a fit of despair, said, "From...from the day you finished the World Championships."
"So," Ren Xiyao leaned against a tree, "you want me to meet your friend?"
“It’s true they’re on vacation!” He immediately surrendered. “It’s also true they want to spend some time alone with you. If you don’t want to, then you don’t have to go.”
Ren Xiyao didn't speak, and looked back into the distance.
Kwon Ji-yong waited a while, then couldn't help but lean closer: "Are you angry?"
"No." She paused, "It's just a bit sudden."
“They all know you. And,” Kwon Ji-yong grasped her hand, “haven’t Taeyang and Daesung seen you before?”
Ren Xiyao recalled how she tried to suppress her laughter so hard that her face turned red when she saw them the day after tomorrow at the concert.
“I…I don’t speak Korean well, and my honorifics…I speak them all very poorly,” she suddenly said.
Kwon Ji-yong paused for a moment, then laughed out loud: "That's all?"
“Lee Eun-jung said it’s very serious.” She frowned, listing the points Lee Eun-jung had explained to her one by one: “And isn’t this what you trainees care about most when you debut?”
“They’re outsiders.” Kwon Ji-yong squeezed her fingers. “My friends don’t care. Besides, they all speak English. You can speak whatever you want.”
Ren Xiyao clicked her tongue, but finally nodded: "Alright."
Kwon Ji-yong's eyes lit up, and he immediately leaned in to kiss her. Ren Xiyao covered his face with her hand: "Let's make this clear first, if I say something wrong, you'll be responsible for covering it up."
"We guarantee the mission will be completed."
Ren Xiyao suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek: "What are you so nervous about?"
Kwon Ji-yong paused for a moment, letting her pinch his cheek. Sunlight fell on her eyelashes, casting fine shadows on her cheeks. He said softly, "Because it's important."
Ren Xiyao changed into a simple white linen shirt, and Quan Zhilong insisted on applying sunscreen for her. She sat in the chair and let him do it, but it ended up making her neck feel sticky.
"Ren Xiyao!"
A clear female voice came from behind. Hyorin, wearing a light blue dress and holding a plate of fruit salad, said, "We finally meet."
Ren Xiyao instinctively tried to stand up, but Xiaolin pressed her down: "Don't be so reserved," she said with a smile in English, "Relax."
Kwon Ji-yong nodded frantically beside him: "That's right, that's right!"
“Oppa,” CL’s voice interrupted, “your girlfriend is even prettier than in the video. No wonder she can hold her own against the camera even without makeup.”
Ren Xiyao turned her head and saw a girl wearing a fisherman's hat winking at her, her jewelry sparkling in the sunset.
Lee Joo-hyuk approached with a beer, his somewhat reserved self-introduction contrasting sharply with his sharp appearance: "Hello! I'm Lee Joo-hyuk!"
Ren Xiyao couldn't help but smile: "Hello." Then a total of seven or eight people came and greeted Ren Xiyao one by one. Quan Zhilong treated them like family.
Kwon Ji-yong breathed a sigh of relief and quietly hooked his finger around hers: "I told you, they're fine."
Hyorin handed Ren Xiyao a skewer of grilled mushrooms: "I heard from Ji-ryong that you have many dietary restrictions, is this okay?"
"Vegetarian is fine."
“It must be tough,” Hyorin said softly. “We can’t eat anything cold or spicy during the Taeyang tour, they say it’s to protect our voices.”
The two exchanged a smile, and a tacit understanding of mutual appreciation inexplicably arose between them.
Not far away, Kwon Ji-yong and CL were arguing about the doneness of the barbecue, while Kwon Ji-yong loudly tuned his guitar. The sound of waves mingled with laughter, and the aroma of barbecue wafted through the salty, humid air.
“Actually,” Hyorin suddenly said, “Taeyang told me that Jiyong has wanted to introduce you to everyone for a long time.”
“He was afraid you wouldn’t be used to it,” Hyorin handed her a glass of orange juice, “but he also really wanted you to know what kind of people he was surrounded by.”
“When he came to his birthday party last year with that jadeite ring, everyone knew you were there.” Hyorin’s voice was soft and gentle: “Back then, some people even egged you on to come in, but they said you were too tired. Actually, we all knew it was because there were other people in that private room besides friends.”
"Just like with Taeyang back then, true friends who are like family want to get to know each other, but casual acquaintances and those who are just playing around don't want to be introduced at all. They prepare carefully for a long time, just in case something unexpected happens. For celebrities, dating is like standing on both ends of a scale. The slightest problem can cause it to become unbalanced. The more they cherish it, the more they value it, and the more careful they are. Your status is more special, and the fact that he is considering this shows that he cares. This is a very good opportunity."
Ren Xiyao took a sip of juice, which tasted sweet with a hint of sourness: "I know."
The atmosphere gradually warmed up. Sister Meina started teaching Ren Xiyao some traditional games. CL, having drunk too much, insisted on arm wrestling with her.
"I've beaten the national team!" CL rolled up his sleeves.
Kwon Ji-yong scoffed, "You're no match for her."
Ren Xiyao had already assumed a pose: "Left hand, please."
Ten seconds later, CL wailed in defeat: "Athletes are all monsters!"
Everyone burst into laughter. Hyorin secretly gave Kwon Ji-yong a thumbs-up, and he proudly shook his head before whispering in Ren Xiyao's ear, "Are you happy?"
The firelight reflected in her eyes like melting stars: "Mmm."
The party was gradually coming to an end. CL pulled Daesung to dance a girl group dance, Lee Joo-hyuk was in charge of recording, and Taeyang and Min Hyo-rin leaned against each other to look at the stars.
Kwon Ji-yong sat cross-legged next to Ren Xiyao, idly twirling the end of her hair with his fingers: "Are you alright?"
"Um."
"Hyorin said you're easy to get along with."
Ren Xiyao glanced at him: "You think I'd smash the plate and leave?"
“No…” He squeezed her fingertips: “I know you don’t like noisy occasions.”
"Do you know why I wore sportswear that day at the club where we first met?"
"Why?"
"Lin Shan, Li Enjing, and Rita were all dressed up and didn't tell me anything. They just dragged me into the car after the competition. When I found out, they said, 'We know you don't like these kinds of occasions, so we had to do it first and ask later.' Don't you think you did the same thing as them?"
Kwon Ji-yong didn't react at first, but when he realized what was going on, he burst out laughing.
The sea breeze, carrying the warmth of the campfire, brushed against her face. Ren Xiyao looked at the group of people playing in the distance and suddenly said, "They think differently from me."
"Um?"
"More authentic."
What he didn't finish telling Ren Xiyao was something he had indeed planned since the end of her World Championships. But more specifically, it was the night after his argument with Yang Xianshuo, when he hated those people who judged his life and his choices with such condescending attitudes. From the day he met her, she was his most steadfast choice; he didn't need anyone to teach him what was right.
"Ren Xiyao".
"Um?"
Thank you for coming.
She turned to look at him, the firelight reflecting in her eyes, bright like the glare on ice: "Pretentious."
Kwon Ji-yong burst into laughter, then lay down on the beach, his arms behind his head. The night sky was dotted with stars, and the sound of the waves echoed.
Ren Xiyao looked down at him: "Are you drunk?"
“No.” He reached out and tugged at her sleeve. “Lie down and look at the stars.”
She hesitated for a moment, then lay down, shoulder to shoulder with him.
“That brightest one is Venus,” Kwon Ji-yong pointed to the sky. “That’s the Big Dipper over there.”
"You can even recognize stars?"
"Have you forgotten? In Litang, you used your phone to identify the stars and then taught me how."
Ren Xiyao was somewhat surprised that he still remembered. Back then, they were in Litang, where the sky and stars seemed almost within reach. She never expected that he would still remember it to this day.
CL suddenly shouted, "What are you two doing sneaking around like that!"
Quan Zhilong didn't even turn around and gave the middle finger.
Ren Xiyao chuckled softly.
"What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing." She gazed at the starry sky. "I just think...it's quite magical."
"What?"
"You and them."
"Ren Xiyao".
"Um?"
"I love you."
The sound of the waves suddenly seemed very far away.
Ren Xiyao turned her head and met his earnest gaze. This wasn't the first time he had said those words, but at this moment, under the starry sky and amidst the laughter of their friends, those three words carried even greater weight.
She reached out and covered his eyes: "I know."
Kwon Ji-yong pulled her hand down and kissed her fingertips: "That's it?"
"Otherwise what?"
"I thought at least there would be a kiss."
Ren Xiyao glanced at the chaotic crowd not far away, then suddenly flipped over and straddled him, quickly touching his lips to his.
Wow!!!
"Aigoo!!!"
Cheers erupted from all directions. Quan Zhilong's ears burned, but he held her waist tightly to prevent her from escaping: "Ren Xiyao, you've gone astray."
She raised an eyebrow: "I learned it from you."
The campfire crackled, the Milky Way hung overhead, and the laughter of friends mingled with the sound of the waves.
"Ren Xiyao!"
"Um."
"Let's make a report, and next year during your offseason, we'll go to Las Vegas."
"what?"
"I haven't decided yet, but seriously, don't forget to submit a report."
"..."
"Did you hear me?!"
"……Um."
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