Chapter 231: The Advancing Big Pillar Bro
Shu County, High-Speed Rail Station.
Bae Joo-hyun, dressed in a beige women's casual outfit, carrying a small suitcase and wearing a mask, walked out of the exit.
Before she could even message Jiang Shu, a voice already sounded in her ears.
“Hello, Irene!”
A sudden English phrase in a predominantly Chinese environment, and quite close to her, made Bae Joo-hyun instinctively turn her head to look.
What entered her sight was a tall, beautiful girl.
A Chanel tweed suit, a Dior cinched waist, an LV necklace.
Bae Joo-hyun took in all the high-end brands on the girl with just a glance; as an artist who frequently deals with luxury goods, this kind of observation skill was basic.
“Hello, may I ask…?” Bae Joo-hyun had some guesses in her mind and asked in halting English.
“I'm Su Xueqi, Jiang Shu's cousin, I'm here to pick you up,” the tall girl said with a smile.
Hearing Jiang Shu's name, Bae Joo-hyun realized. She had come after communicating with Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu said someone would pick her up when she arrived at the high-speed rail station, and it must be the girl in front of her.
“Hello, Su Xueqi,” Bae Joo-hyun bowed slightly to Su Xueqi in greeting.
“Let's go, my car is in the parking lot,” Su Xueqi pointed to the slope behind her; the parking lot was down the slope.
“Okay,” Bae Joo-hyun replied.
Su Xueqi glanced at the half of Bae Joo-hyun's face that was exposed, and they walked to the parking lot together.
Looking at the ice berry pink-green license plate Porsche in front of her, a bewildered expression appeared in Bae Joo-hyun's eyes.
“Is this a Panamera?” Bae Joo-hyun asked, looking at Su Xueqi's car.
“No, gasoline cars in China have blue license plates, new energy vehicles, which are electric cars, have green license plates. This is Porsche's new energy model, the Taycan,” Su Xueqi explained with a smile.
“Oh, I see,” Bae Joo-hyun nodded in realization, and the two got into the driver's and passenger's seats together.
Looking at the interior of this Taycan, Bae Joo-hyun curiously touched the large screen in the middle.
“It looks a bit more luxurious than the President's Panamera.”
“My brother's car is an old model. The new Panamera is similar. My car isn't as expensive as his; after options, it cost only 1.2 million when it landed,” Su Xueqi said while starting the car.
Only, huh? So that's how it is.
It's already 230 million korean won. Even if Bae Joo-hyun could buy one with two quarters of her earnings, she clearly wouldn't be willing to.
“Where is the President?” After using the car to start the conversation, Bae Joo-hyun smoothly transitioned to the main topic.
“He's busy at home. His grandfather passed away, so he's been busy entertaining guests recently,” Su Xueqi explained.
Bae Joo-hyun was stunned.
She had considered all sorts of situations, but she never expected the unpredictable yet very reasonable reason of a family member's passing.
“My condolences,” Bae Joo-hyun said softly.
“I'm his cousin, and I've never even met the old man,” Su Xueqi said with a laugh.
She didn't even know Jiang Shu's grandfather, so how could she offer condolences?
Bae Joo-hyun smiled awkwardly at her words, having forgotten that point.
“How long has the President been busy then?” Bae Joo-hyun asked again.
“He came back on the tenth or so of last month, stayed for a week, and was just about to return to Seoul when his grandfather had an accident, so he's been here ever since,” Su Xueqi said, taking a moment to glance at Bae Joo-hyun in the passenger seat. “Are you here representing the company to offer condolences?”
“Uh… yes,” facing this convenient excuse, Bae Joo-hyun readily agreed.
“The President isn't here, and the company has a new project that requires the CEO to oversee the overall situation, so they sent me,” Bae Joo-hyun explained.
“I know, aespa's comeback, right?” Su Xueqi stopped the car at a red light and turned to Bae Joo-hyun, “Take off your mask, let me see the true face of Kpop's four divine beauties!”
“It's all marketing,” Bae Joo-hyun laughed awkwardly; being called a divine beauty to her face was too embarrassing…
However, Bae Joo-hyun still obediently took off her mask.
“Wow!” Su Xueqi's eyes widened instantly.
The divine beauty indeed came from marketing, but there was a question: why didn't DM Entertainment market others as divine beauties but only Bae Joo-hyun?
Wasn't it because she was beautiful enough?
The visual impact of seeing these divine beauties in person was stronger than seeing them in videos, just as Su Xueqi was experiencing now.
“Cough, it's a green light,” Bae Joo-hyun felt a little self-conscious from Su Xueqi's stare and cleared her throat.
“Okay,” Su Xueqi reluctantly withdrew her gaze, “You're even prettier in person than in videos.”
What could Bae Joo-hyun say?
Just smile.
“No wonder my brother said he could tell who Irene was with one look. If you weren't wearing a mask, I would have spotted you even faster,” Su Xueqi exclaimed.
Bae Joo-hyun's expression shifted.
“What did the President say?”
“My brother said, just look at the exit, not tall, and gives off a very beautiful feeling—that's Irene.”
Bae Joo-hyun blinked. She had thought Su Xueqi recognized her, but she didn't expect Jiang Shu had given her the “secret” to recognizing people.
“Oh, right, do you artists also date?” Su Xueqi asked again.
“Uh, some do, but everyone is very careful, trying their best to hide it from reporters and the public,” Bae Joo-hyun said truthfully.
“Then what about you? Are you secretly married?”
“No. Our company has a rule: dating is not prohibited, but marriage is, and you cannot hide your relationship status from the company. If you're found to be hiding it, you'll be directly put on hiatus,” Bae Joo-hyun explained.
Some fans also knew about this. DM Entertainment's artists currently aren't dating, not because they don't want to—they are all teenage girls, everyone longs for sweet love—but the problem is they don't dare.
DM Entertainment's benefits are top-notch in the industry, but their penalties are also top-notch in the industry. If they say they'll put you on hiatus, they will, without hesitation.
This also led to DM Entertainment, which is full of female artists, not having a single one dating.
They have the desire but not the guts, so to speak.
Are there exceptions?
Yes, brothers, there are.
Didn't Lee Ji-eun have a relationship with Jiang Shu? Did anything happen to her?
No, brothers.
But currently, she's the only exception; no one else has this opportunity.
“Then why don't you just date my brother?”
Just as Bae Joo-hyun thought of this, Su Xueqi's voice sounded in her ear.
“The President wouldn't be interested in me,” Bae Joo-hyun said with a bitter smile.
She was three years older than Jiang Shu. Although they had played a married couple together, it was just acting. Bae Joo-hyun never thought she could end up with him.
If she had to choose one in the company…
Liu Zhimin's figure appeared in Bae Joo-hyun's mind.
The President treats her most unusually; it should be her.
Zhang Yuanying was selectively ignored by her.
What's there to care about a sixteen-year-old girl?
“That's not necessarily true, you're so beautiful,” Su Xueqi said with a smile.
“Our company has no shortage of beautiful girls,” Bae Joo-hyun said with a wry smile.
“Oh right, I forgot you're an entertainment company.”