040 Striking First?

Yin Yunhui hung up on Liu Zhimin. What could that little brat possibly want? And what kind of "major event" could she have to tell him?

Could it be that she’s secretly dating and too afraid to tell her family? Or has she gone and gotten herself pregnant without a word?

Hmph.

Yin Yunhui felt like Liu Zhimin was practically asking for trouble.

He tidied up the items on the floorboard of his scooter. He should have known to pack the trunk before leaving. Because he kept an extra small helmet in the storage space under the seat, there was simply no room left, forcing him to place everything on the tiny floorboard.

There was just too much stuff—Bae Suzy had given him way too much. And many of the items were difficult to fold; any crease would make them look unsightly.

The traffic light flickered again and again. Just as Yin Yunhui was about to turn his bike around, he noticed an MPV pulling into the lane next to him. It looked like a celebrity van; the windows were tinted so dark that you couldn't see anything inside, much like his own vehicle. Yin Yunhui didn't give it much thought—there were simply too many cars like that in Seoul.

However, once the light turned green, Yin Yunhui realized that the van’s route seemed to overlap with his own. It appeared they were both heading across the Cheongdam Bridge toward Gangnam. The van wasn't driving fast, and Yin Yunhui kept a distance of a few car lengths behind it. When they reached the next intersection, Yin Yunhui happened to pull up right into the lane beside it.

He couldn't resist sneaking a few extra glances. He had a hunch that Bae Suzy was sitting inside that van.

Yin Yunhui’s hunch was correct. Inside the van, Bae Suzy was watching him, too.

*It’s him.*

Bae Suzy was surprised by Yin Yunhui’s choice of transport. That scooter was so ugly; it didn't seem to fit him at all.

"That guy has been following us for a while," the manager in the driver’s seat remarked. Unlike Yin Yunhui’s van, which had been modified with a solid partition, this one remained in its original state.

"It’s fine. He can’t get into the complex anyway," Bae Suzy said indifferently, feeling nothing in particular. Besides, her address wasn't exactly a secret; her villa in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, was a place her manager frequently caught paparazzi or obsessed fans lurking around. The high-end apartment and villa complexes in the peninsula had excellent security; unauthorized people couldn't get in.

"What if he lives in Gangnam too? That ticket was the one my mother asked me for."

"Oh, then I suppose I was overreacting." The manager recalled the conversation. "In that case, I must say, he does have quite an unusual air about him."

"Wait, is that a BMW logo on his scooter?"

Hearing the manager, Bae Suzy finally noticed the emblem on the back of the bike.

*Uh...*

BMW, motorcycle, scooter? Bae Suzy was speechless. Where did this little brat even come from? He really was just a student!

It was a good thing Yin Yunhui couldn't hear the conversation inside the van, or he would have had something to say. He couldn't exactly ride a liter-class sportbike to school, could he?

Yonsei University’s Seoul campus was right next to the affiliated hospital. Who was he supposed to be terrorizing by riding a liter-class sportbike there? This was when the benefits of a small scooter became clear: it was practically silent, could carry plenty of things, and he didn't ride it fast—it was truly the ultimate grocery-getting machine.

Yet, to others, it looked like a completely unnecessary effort. A hobby that wasted both money and time was a luxury.

"Let's go," Bae Suzy said, looking away.

"Understood."

After crossing the bridge, Yin Yunhui watched the van continue straight—likely heading toward Nonhyeon-dong—but he had reached his destination. He made a turn and arrived at SM Entertainment.

When he pulled his scooter up to Liu Zhimin, the girl, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately brightened up. "Why did you bring this bike out, Yunhui Oppa?"

"Get on. What do you want for a late-night snack?" Yin Yunhui ignored her remark. She was dressed in a very childish way, wearing plain, comfortable clothes suitable for dancing.

"Hey, Oppa, let's make a deal. Let me drive." Liu Zhimin wasn't in a hurry anymore; seeing Yin Yunhui had sparked a playful mood.

"You?"

"Please, Yunhui Oppa, I'll do anything!"

In the peninsula, one could get a motorcycle license at 16, which was why Yin Yunhui got into riding—it allowed him to legally enjoy the freedom of the wind early. Liu Zhimin had also gotten a license just so she could ride Yin Yunhui’s incredibly cool bikes. Unfortunately, she hadn't had many chances to ride since getting it; she had no time and no opportunities.

"Ride slowly." Yin Yunhui parked and killed the engine, then climbed off to open the storage box and take out a second helmet, finally making room to put his things away.

"What is all this?" Liu Zhimin leaned in, trying to stop him from closing the seat, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Suzy???"

"Yes, I just went to Suzy-xi’s 10th-anniversary fan meeting." Yin Yunhui didn't even blink, grabbing Liu Zhimin’s small, childlike hands and successfully closing the seat.

"Ah!" Liu Zhimin felt the same sulkiness Kim Minjeong had felt earlier. She was unhappy. "Oppa, didn't you say you didn't like her anymore?"

"That’s right, I don't. That kind of fan-to-idol affection? I lost that a long time ago." Yin Yunhui helped her put on the helmet, acting just like an older brother.

"Then why did you go to her fan meeting?"

"Someone gave me a ticket, so I just went since I had nothing to do."

"Oh, so you just go because someone tells you to? Then why don't you listen when I tell you to do things?" Liu Zhimin had completely forgotten what she wanted to tell him; she was just busy being jealous.

Yin Yunhui tapped her helmet. Since the helmet was there to protect her, he didn't mind using a bit of force. "Who are you talking to? Hmm?"

"Oh... sorry... Oppa." Liu Zhimin apologized, but once she sat on the bike, she rolled her eyes behind his back.

"Are your eyes not tired?"

"Hmm?" Hearing his teasing voice, Liu Zhimin was 'horrified' to realize that her eye-rolling had been caught entirely in the rearview mirror.

"Ah!" She shook her head, made a few meaningless but cute faces at him, and said, "Oppa, get on!"

"Hmph, hmph." Yin Yunhui laughed happily. There was absolutely no romantic intent in his eyes when he looked at her. As an only child, he had always wanted a sister, and he supposed he had one now—and it was even better that they weren't blood-related. His relationship with his actual sister was strained; once she found out about *that* incident, she had set a very clear boundary of status, and they had grown completely estranged.

"What do you want to eat, Zhimin? Don't stand on ceremony with your brother—though you’ve never really done that anyway."

"Ha, ha, Oppa, that’s so mean!" Liu Zhimin waited for him to sit behind her, but when he didn't reach for her, she pulled his arms around her waist herself. "Anyway, cough, cough, let's go home, okay? I really have something very important to tell you."

Because she was facing away, Yin Yunhui could only see her slightly reddened cheeks in the mirror and feel the softness of her waist through his arms. But he didn't have time to dwell on such things; her words sent a jolt of alarm through him.

*What?*

*Could you possibly know about that incident too???*

*How could you know? Who told you?*

Yin Yunhui’s expression shifted, but he kept his composure. It was a secret that everyone involved kept strictly guarded. His sister had found out, and she could at least explain it away with her medical background, but someone like Liu Zhimin... that shouldn't be possible.

He couldn't be sure if Liu Zhimin could handle the truth. But honestly, it had no impact on the Liu family; it just borrowed the time of Deputy Director Liu for ten months. The compensation his grandfather gave them was enough for the couple to skip ten years of hard work, and more importantly, it gave them a chance to climb the social ladder.

For him, however, it was a complete collapse of his family ethics. His father, who had passed away early, turned out to be nothing more than his legal guardian in terms of social standing. Yin Yunhui had only ever seen such plots in trashy soap operas; he only now realized that art truly did imitate life.

Liu Zhimin was 'carefree' enough—she probably wouldn't react too badly, right? At worst, he could take her for a DNA test.

Or...

He should strike first!

Yin Yunhui felt a pang of reluctance. Liu Zhimin was a toy he had grown up with, someone he had long since come to view as his own.