“Fuu-woo...”
Choi Yeon-Ha sighed while drying her wet hair with a towel.
“I probably won't survive in Africa...”
Actresses traveling to remote corners of the globe to do charity work used to be all the rage once upon a time. That was because sacrificing proper hygiene and/or food while trying to help those less fortunate than them had become a big hit with the general audience.
Choi Yeon-Ha watched that trend from the sidelines and sneered at those women. If they were genuinely worried, couldn't they simply donate money instead? Some of these actresses had the audacity to make a fuss about helping the poor children eat some gruel when they decorated their home walls with name-brand handbags costing an arm and a leg!
Selling one of those bags could've easily fed every child in one such poor village for an entire month. Even then, the audience enthusiastically applauded the actresses as if they were all kind-hearted angels.
Obviously, Choi Yeon-Ha nearly had a heart attack from a fit of intense jealousy. So, she nagged her manager and prepared for her own trip to Africa. Of course, her capricious whims meant the whole trip got canceled at the last minute despite having already set a departure date and everything! Now that she looked back to that episode, though...
Her canceling that trip must've been one of the smartest decisions in her entire life! The only thing that gave Choi Yeon-Ha a semblance of comfort in this foreign land was taking a shower, an act which remained largely the same whether it was done in Korea or elsewhere.
As this wasn't her home, the bathroom facility was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not completely to her liking. But, at least the shower was more than adequate-enough to satisfy her.
After putting on her underwear, Choi Yeon-Ha wrapped herself in a bathrobe and settled down before a vanity table.
“Heol...?”
Choi Yeon-Ha's jaw fell to the floor after witnessing her freshly-washed face.
“D-d-dark circles?!”
Just who was Choi Yeon-Ha? Wasn't she acknowledged in South Korea as a woman with gorgeous skin?
The ambitious result of combining her genetic lottery win with the shocking amount of money—enough to make people gasp loudly at the number of zeros—poured into skincare specialists and dermatologists was... unceremoniously crumbling down right before her eyes!
Whether it was her skin's moistness, its smoothness, or even the suppleness... Everything was sending an emergency signal to her!
“I, I'm gonna get wrinkles at this rate!”
That wouldn't do. Wrinkles? Choi Yeon-Ha and wrinkles?! That could not be allowed to happen!
Yes, getting older meant wrinkles would gradually invade one's face. That was the unavoidable natural order of things. However, Choi Yeon-Ha still wanted to avoid that if she could help it!
Besides, didn't she have an exceedingly-logical reason to maintain her looks? That man was like an immovable rock even with a pretty face like hers, so how was Choi Yeon-Ha supposed to seduce him with a wrinkly one?!
“S-should I quickly hop over to Korea?”
Wouldn't things improve if she received some urgent skincare on that side?
'Since that crap happened, should I just stand my ground and earn myself a vacation? Like, after I tell them how it's impossible to continue filming with how I feel and stuff?'
Besides, wouldn't the production team simply move on and shoot other parts that didn't require her presence while she was on vacation for a few days?
“...Yup, I've totally lost my mind.”
Choi Yeon-Ha groaned deeply.
With how mentally tired she was, all sorts of silly thoughts had begun invading her mind. If she actually did that, she'd be no different to those actors she used to insult for having zero work ethic.
Being an actor and standing before a camera were things she'd never yield on. Choi Yeon-ha flew all the way here to China to become a big-name actor that matched Kang Jin-Ho's status, didn't she? So, to think she was seriously considering hopping over to Korea just because her skin looked a bit off! What kind of...
“It's not just a bit off, now is it!”
Choi Yeon-Ha yelled and jumped up to her feet.
To a woman, maintaining their looks would always rank number one in their priorities. Nothing could push this sacred activity down to number two! As a matter of fact, they were willing to give up on most things just for the sake of their number one priority!
“I, I should at least do a face mask...!”
Although traveling back to Korea was out of the question, for now... She should still do everything she could in this place first! This matter was also crucial for her job, too. After all, she was an actor. Not just any, but your typical beautiful actress who made a living from her looks! So, what would someone like that do when her looks were ruined?
Choi Yeon-Ha turned her head while searching for her phone, her head filled with a list of items necessary to create a homemade face beauty mask. And that was when this happened.
Beep, beep, beep.
“...Huh?”
Choi Yeon-Ha's eyes faintly quaked. That beeping noise indicated someone was opening the front door.
However, she shouldn't be hearing that noise. After all, a hotel room's door couldn't be opened from the outside. The only way to open it, a key card, was in Choi Yeon-Ha's possession.
Even Han Eun-Sol had to ring the bell and obediently wait for Choi Yeon-Ha to open the door first before entering the room. So, how could the front door open without her?
It felt like a creepy chill was running down her spine. Choi Yeon-Ha urgently turned her head toward the vanity desk, then grabbed the largest bottle of makeup she could see. Although such a thing wouldn't serve as a good weapon, it was still better than being empty-handed.
She cautiously got up, then searched for her phone.
'Where is it?'
Why was it always nowhere to be found when she needed it the most? Why!
She suddenly grimaced after remembering where her phone was. It was resting on the bathtub's rim. She hadn't bothered to bring it out with her.
'What should I do?'
The best thing she could do in this situation was to call Han Eun-Sol. He'd rush here in the blink of an eye, after all. Unfortunately, her phone was not in her grip, and the bathroom felt like it was a million miles away.
Why did this suite have to be so uselessly large! Choi Yeon-Ha bit down on her lower lip before sucking in a deep breath.
'No, calm down, Choi Yeon-Ha!'
She might have heard the door lock's unmistakable beeps, but there had been no other noises besides that. Due to how quiet her room was, she could've heard the next room's door opening instead. If not, the door lock was possibly malfunctioning.
And when she thought about it... Didn't she have a bodyguard standing outside the door?
The sound of the door lock was this loud, so there was no way she'd miss the commotion of an intruder fighting off the bodyguard to open the door. While trying to logically explain this situation, Choi Yeon-Ha cautiously headed toward the suite's entrance.
All she needed to do was confirm. And that would be all...!
Each of her steps felt heavy. Unwilling. It even felt like her breathing was clogging up.
'There is no reason to panic, Choi Yeon-Ha!'
This was all Han Eun-Sol's fault for saying all those unnecessary things! This was a hotel, and she even had a bodyguard. In that case, who'd force their way into her room!
“Dammit!”
Choi Yeon-Ha clenched her teeth and quickened her steps toward the entrance. This was her way of defying her scared self. And when she got to the suite's entrance... The sight of a firmly-closed doorway greeted her.
“Hah-aaaah...”
She couldn't stop a lengthy groan from escaping her lips. There was no one here, and the door was closed.
'Yup, thought as much...'
It seemed she had become really on edge lately. Either she misheard those beeps, or the noise must've come from the room next door. She usually would've brushed something like this aside, but her agitated state meant she ended up overreacting a little.
“I might end up with a nervous breakdown at this rate.”
Choi Yeon-Ha slowly shook her head and turned around to head back to the dresser.
That was when a soft whisper suddenly registered in her hearing. “Wow. You're prettier than I thought.”
Now imagine this. What would you do when something cold suddenly touched your ear when you least expected it? What if that something was like a snake's tongue, so sticky and wet? And also bone-chillingly cold? Everyone would react the same.
Choi Yeon-Ha didn't even have the time to scream while throwing herself forward.
Thud!
The sound of her body crashing to the hard floor rang out loudly. Choi Yeon-Ha urgently turned her head to look behind before pain could stop her. And that was when she discovered a hoodlum-looking man standing there. Someone she had never seen before!
“W-what...?”
What was she supposed to say here? Or how was she supposed to react? Her head blanked out like a piece of white paper.
“What a waste. Waste, I tell ya. A total waste, indeed...” The hoodlum muttered that in Chinese.
That was when Choi Yeon-Ha sobered up and realized she must accept this as reality, not an imagination. If this was all a product of her imagination, that man cosplaying as a Korean hoodlum wouldn't have spoken in Chinese!
“W-who are you?!”
“Oh, not only a pretty face, but smart, too? Your pronunciation of Chinese is pretty convincing, even though you haven't been here for that long. And I like how you chose the right words, too. Yup, it is too much of a waste to hand you over to that loser.”
Reasoning quickly returned to Choi Yeon-Ha's head. She regained her balance and slowly got back to her feet. This hoodlum didn't seem interested in stopping her. In that case, standing up was better than being on the floor if she was to resist.
“How did you get inside?”
“Wow, you're also pretty quick at regaining composure, eh? Hmm... This is a big dilemma, isn't it?” The hoodlum, Guo Liqin, muttered while taking his sunglasses off and hanging them by his front pocket.
“Get out! Get out of here, now! Or I will scream!”
“Well, now that's a bit disappointing. I didn't expect this stereotypical response, you know? I figured you might show me something different, but... Mm? Wait, I take that back. I didn't think you'd glare at me with such venom in this situation. I guess you got some temper, huh,” Guo Liqin cackled loudly. “Now, then. If you're as smart as I think you are, I'm sure you can predict what I'm about to say. If I'm to give you a hint... I will be giving you a stock reply. So, what do you think I was going to say?”
This hoodlum was obviously insane. Choi Yeon-Ha didn't want to humor this insane bastard, but she also needed to buy time. While grimacing, she loudly spoke up. “It's no use screaming? Is that it?”
“Correct. Very good!” Gui Liqin leisurely nodded away. As he thought, she was one smart lady. Or, maybe she was simply familiar with this sequence of events due to her profession?
“You...!” Choi Yeon-Ha was about to say something only to bite her lip.
What was this familiar feeling? She got this eerie feeling that something about this man was familiar to her. Not the man's face, obviously, but the way he nonchalantly committed this irrational act, that was. And he was so relaxed about it, too.
It was as if Choi Yeon-Ha was dancing on the palm of his hand, and no matter what she tried, she could never escape from his nefarious grip. This feeling made her realize this man before her eyes was not a 'normal' person.
Even if she screamed and dashed for the door, the hoodlum would catch her before she could do anything. This man silently subdued a bodyguard trained in self-defense and leisurely slipped into her room, so how was Choi Yeon-Ha supposed to fight someone like that off?
When the situation became clear to her, Choi Yeon-Ha's mind calmed right down. Utterly composed. Trembling like a leaf in this situation would not help her in any way.
Choi Yeon-Ha coldly asked, “What do you want?”
“Mm?” Guo Liqin stared at her in slight puzzlement.
“Spit out what you want from me. Is it money? Or something else? I need to know what you want so I can respond accordingly.”
“Hah? Hahahah!” Guo Liqin burst into raucous laughter. “Goodness me! You have a knack for flustering people, don't you! So, you have the guts to ask me something like that, eh? I'm impressed.”
Guo Liqin couldn't help but hold a positive impression of this woman. He was convinced now that Choi Yeon-Ha was way too good for that loser, Liu Wei. It was easy to see why she hated that punk's guts so much, too! Who wouldn't get angry when a man below their standards tried to chat them up like a creep? Guo Liqin totally sympathized with Choi Yeon-Ha on this one.
“Unfortunately for you, though...” Guo Liqin muttered while leisurely closing the distance. His friendly grin suddenly morphed into a jeering smirk. Then, he grabbed Choi Yeon-Ha by her collar and mercilessly slammed her down. n(0)vel(b)(j)(n)was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
“Aaaahk?!” Choi Yeon-Ha screamed at the sudden enormous force crushing her down to the floor. Even after being pressed down hard against the floor, she still shot a venomous glare at Guo Liqin above.
“You see, I'm not much of a fan of cheeky women. I like everything about you except that part. You ain't my type, lady. Too bad, but not much we can do about it, right? Everyone has their preferred type, after all. Which means I'll have to hand you over to that loser. Besides, I have a hunch that he's gonna lose his sh*t if I have fun with you before him.”
Despair quickly filled Choi Yeon-Ha's eyes as she stared at that snake-like smirk on Guo Liqin's face.
'Help me!'
Her brain suddenly recalled Kang Jin-Ho's bright, innocent-looking face. His face that smiled like a moron who never worried about anything!
“Fuu-woo...”
Choi Yeon-Ha sighed while drying her wet hair with a towel.
“I probably won't survive in Africa...”
Actresses traveling to remote corners of the globe to do charity work used to be all the rage once upon a time. That was because sacrificing proper hygiene and/or food while trying to help those less fortunate than them had become a big hit with the general audience.
Choi Yeon-Ha watched that trend from the sidelines and sneered at those women. If they were genuinely worried, couldn't they simply donate money instead? Some of these actresses had the audacity to make a fuss about helping the poor children eat some gruel when they decorated their home walls with name-brand handbags costing an arm and a leg!
Selling one of those bags could've easily fed every child in one such poor village for an entire month. Even then, the audience enthusiastically applauded the actresses as if they were all kind-hearted angels.
Obviously, Choi Yeon-Ha nearly had a heart attack from a fit of intense jealousy. So, she nagged her manager and prepared for her own trip to Africa. Of course, her capricious whims meant the whole trip got canceled at the last minute despite having already set a departure date and everything! Now that she looked back to that episode, though...
Her canceling that trip must've been one of the smartest decisions in her entire life! The only thing that gave Choi Yeon-Ha a semblance of comfort in this foreign land was taking a shower, an act which remained largely the same whether it was done in Korea or elsewhere.
As this wasn't her home, the bathroom facility was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not completely to her liking. But, at least the shower was more than adequate-enough to satisfy her.
After putting on her underwear, Choi Yeon-Ha wrapped herself in a bathrobe and settled down before a vanity table.
“Heol...?”
Choi Yeon-Ha's jaw fell to the floor after witnessing her freshly-washed face.
“D-d-dark circles?!”
Just who was Choi Yeon-Ha? Wasn't she acknowledged in South Korea as a woman with gorgeous skin?
The ambitious result of combining her genetic lottery win with the shocking amount of money—enough to make people gasp loudly at the number of zeros—poured into skincare specialists and dermatologists was... unceremoniously crumbling down right before her eyes!
Whether it was her skin's moistness, its smoothness, or even the suppleness... Everything was sending an emergency signal to her!
“I, I'm gonna get wrinkles at this rate!”
That wouldn't do. Wrinkles? Choi Yeon-Ha and wrinkles?! That could not be allowed to happen!
Yes, getting older meant wrinkles would gradually invade one's face. That was the unavoidable natural order of things. However, Choi Yeon-Ha still wanted to avoid that if she could help it!
Besides, didn't she have an exceedingly-logical reason to maintain her looks? That man was like an immovable rock even with a pretty face like hers, so how was Choi Yeon-Ha supposed to seduce him with a wrinkly one?!
“S-should I quickly hop over to Korea?”
Wouldn't things improve if she received some urgent skincare on that side?
'Since that crap happened, should I just stand my ground and earn myself a vacation? Like, after I tell them how it's impossible to continue filming with how I feel and stuff?'
Besides, wouldn't the production team simply move on and shoot other parts that didn't require her presence while she was on vacation for a few days?
“...Yup, I've totally lost my mind.”
Choi Yeon-Ha groaned deeply.
With how mentally tired she was, all sorts of silly thoughts had begun invading her mind. If she actually did that, she'd be no different to those actors she used to insult for having zero work ethic.
Being an actor and standing before a camera were things she'd never yield on. Choi Yeon-ha flew all the way here to China to become a big-name actor that matched Kang Jin-Ho's status, didn't she? So, to think she was seriously considering hopping over to Korea just because her skin looked a bit off! What kind of...
“It's not just a bit off, now is it!”
Choi Yeon-Ha yelled and jumped up to her feet.
To a woman, maintaining their looks would always rank number one in their priorities. Nothing could push this sacred activity down to number two! As a matter of fact, they were willing to give up on most things just for the sake of their number one priority!
“I, I should at least do a face mask...!”
Although traveling back to Korea was out of the question, for now... She should still do everything she could in this place first! This matter was also crucial for her job, too. After all, she was an actor. Not just any, but your typical beautiful actress who made a living from her looks! So, what would someone like that do when her looks were ruined?
Choi Yeon-Ha turned her head while searching for her phone, her head filled with a list of items necessary to create a homemade face beauty mask. And that was when this happened.
Beep, beep, beep.
“...Huh?”
Choi Yeon-Ha's eyes faintly quaked. That beeping noise indicated someone was opening the front door.
However, she shouldn't be hearing that noise. After all, a hotel room's door couldn't be opened from the outside. The only way to open it, a key card, was in Choi Yeon-Ha's possession.
Even Han Eun-Sol had to ring the bell and obediently wait for Choi Yeon-Ha to open the door first before entering the room. So, how could the front door open without her?
It felt like a creepy chill was running down her spine. Choi Yeon-Ha urgently turned her head toward the vanity desk, then grabbed the largest bottle of makeup she could see. Although such a thing wouldn't serve as a good weapon, it was still better than being empty-handed.
She cautiously got up, then searched for her phone.
'Where is it?'
Why was it always nowhere to be found when she needed it the most? Why!
She suddenly grimaced after remembering where her phone was. It was resting on the bathtub's rim. She hadn't bothered to bring it out with her.
'What should I do?'
The best thing she could do in this situation was to call Han Eun-Sol. He'd rush here in the blink of an eye, after all. Unfortunately, her phone was not in her grip, and the bathroom felt like it was a million miles away.
Why did this suite have to be so uselessly large! Choi Yeon-Ha bit down on her lower lip before sucking in a deep breath.
'No, calm down, Choi Yeon-Ha!'
She might have heard the door lock's unmistakable beeps, but there had been no other noises besides that. Due to how quiet her room was, she could've heard the next room's door opening instead. If not, the door lock was possibly malfunctioning.
And when she thought about it... Didn't she have a bodyguard standing outside the door?
The sound of the door lock was this loud, so there was no way she'd miss the commotion of an intruder fighting off the bodyguard to open the door. While trying to logically explain this situation, Choi Yeon-Ha cautiously headed toward the suite's entrance.
All she needed to do was confirm. And that would be all...!
Each of her steps felt heavy. Unwilling. It even felt like her breathing was clogging up.
'There is no reason to panic, Choi Yeon-Ha!'
This was all Han Eun-Sol's fault for saying all those unnecessary things! This was a hotel, and she even had a bodyguard. In that case, who'd force their way into her room!
“Dammit!”
Choi Yeon-Ha clenched her teeth and quickened her steps toward the entrance. This was her way of defying her scared self. And when she got to the suite's entrance... The sight of a firmly-closed doorway greeted her.
“Hah-aaaah...”
She couldn't stop a lengthy groan from escaping her lips. There was no one here, and the door was closed.
'Yup, thought as much...'
It seemed she had become really on edge lately. Either she misheard those beeps, or the noise must've come from the room next door. She usually would've brushed something like this aside, but her agitated state meant she ended up overreacting a little.
“I might end up with a nervous breakdown at this rate.”
Choi Yeon-Ha slowly shook her head and turned around to head back to the dresser.
That was when a soft whisper suddenly registered in her hearing. “Wow. You're prettier than I thought.”
Now imagine this. What would you do when something cold suddenly touched your ear when you least expected it? What if that something was like a snake's tongue, so sticky and wet? And also bone-chillingly cold? Everyone would react the same.
Choi Yeon-Ha didn't even have the time to scream while throwing herself forward.
Thud!
The sound of her body crashing to the hard floor rang out loudly. Choi Yeon-Ha urgently turned her head to look behind before pain could stop her. And that was when she discovered a hoodlum-looking man standing there. Someone she had never seen before!
“W-what...?”
What was she supposed to say here? Or how was she supposed to react? Her head blanked out like a piece of white paper.
“What a waste. Waste, I tell ya. A total waste, indeed...” The hoodlum muttered that in Chinese.
That was when Choi Yeon-Ha sobered up and realized she must accept this as reality, not an imagination. If this was all a product of her imagination, that man cosplaying as a Korean hoodlum wouldn't have spoken in Chinese!
“W-who are you?!”
“Oh, not only a pretty face, but smart, too? Your pronunciation of Chinese is pretty convincing, even though you haven't been here for that long. And I like how you chose the right words, too. Yup, it is too much of a waste to hand you over to that loser.”
Reasoning quickly returned to Choi Yeon-Ha's head. She regained her balance and slowly got back to her feet. This hoodlum didn't seem interested in stopping her. In that case, standing up was better than being on the floor if she was to resist.
“How did you get inside?”
“Wow, you're also pretty quick at regaining composure, eh? Hmm... This is a big dilemma, isn't it?” The hoodlum, Guo Liqin, muttered while taking his sunglasses off and hanging them by his front pocket.
“Get out! Get out of here, now! Or I will scream!”
“Well, now that's a bit disappointing. I didn't expect this stereotypical response, you know? I figured you might show me something different, but... Mm? Wait, I take that back. I didn't think you'd glare at me with such venom in this situation. I guess you got some temper, huh,” Guo Liqin cackled loudly. “Now, then. If you're as smart as I think you are, I'm sure you can predict what I'm about to say. If I'm to give you a hint... I will be giving you a stock reply. So, what do you think I was going to say?”
This hoodlum was obviously insane. Choi Yeon-Ha didn't want to humor this insane bastard, but she also needed to buy time. While grimacing, she loudly spoke up. “It's no use screaming? Is that it?”
“Correct. Very good!” Gui Liqin leisurely nodded away. As he thought, she was one smart lady. Or, maybe she was simply familiar with this sequence of events due to her profession?
“You...!” Choi Yeon-Ha was about to say something only to bite her lip.
What was this familiar feeling? She got this eerie feeling that something about this man was familiar to her. Not the man's face, obviously, but the way he nonchalantly committed this irrational act, that was. And he was so relaxed about it, too.
It was as if Choi Yeon-Ha was dancing on the palm of his hand, and no matter what she tried, she could never escape from his nefarious grip. This feeling made her realize this man before her eyes was not a 'normal' person.
Even if she screamed and dashed for the door, the hoodlum would catch her before she could do anything. This man silently subdued a bodyguard trained in self-defense and leisurely slipped into her room, so how was Choi Yeon-Ha supposed to fight someone like that off?
When the situation became clear to her, Choi Yeon-Ha's mind calmed right down. Utterly composed. Trembling like a leaf in this situation would not help her in any way.
Choi Yeon-Ha coldly asked, “What do you want?”
“Mm?” Guo Liqin stared at her in slight puzzlement.
“Spit out what you want from me. Is it money? Or something else? I need to know what you want so I can respond accordingly.”
“Hah? Hahahah!” Guo Liqin burst into raucous laughter. “Goodness me! You have a knack for flustering people, don't you! So, you have the guts to ask me something like that, eh? I'm impressed.”
Guo Liqin couldn't help but hold a positive impression of this woman. He was convinced now that Choi Yeon-Ha was way too good for that loser, Liu Wei. It was easy to see why she hated that punk's guts so much, too! Who wouldn't get angry when a man below their standards tried to chat them up like a creep? Guo Liqin totally sympathized with Choi Yeon-Ha on this one.
“Unfortunately for you, though...” Guo Liqin muttered while leisurely closing the distance. His friendly grin suddenly morphed into a jeering smirk. Then, he grabbed Choi Yeon-Ha by her collar and mercilessly slammed her down. n(0)vel(b)(j)(n)was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
“Aaaahk?!” Choi Yeon-Ha screamed at the sudden enormous force crushing her down to the floor. Even after being pressed down hard against the floor, she still shot a venomous glare at Guo Liqin above.
“You see, I'm not much of a fan of cheeky women. I like everything about you except that part. You ain't my type, lady. Too bad, but not much we can do about it, right? Everyone has their preferred type, after all. Which means I'll have to hand you over to that loser. Besides, I have a hunch that he's gonna lose his sh*t if I have fun with you before him.”
Despair quickly filled Choi Yeon-Ha's eyes as she stared at that snake-like smirk on Guo Liqin's face.
'Help me!'
Her brain suddenly recalled Kang Jin-Ho's bright, innocent-looking face. His face that smiled like a moron who never worried about anything!
