Chapter Twenty-Six: Leisurely Moments and an Invitation from the Entertainment Company

Carefully scrutinizing the man before him, Kim Jaemin, Chen Zhe held a skeptical attitude toward his claim of being the president of LOEN Company. After all, it was a major corporation, and yet its president seemed to pay little attention to his demeanor or self-control. His composure was lacking. In truth, Chen Zhe had misunderstood Kim Jaemin. Normally, Kim Jaemin maintained an excellent bearing and was mindful of his conduct, but just moments ago, he had been troubled by the difficulty of finding Chen Zhe, and then, quite unexpectedly, the person in question appeared before him. It was only natural for him to lose his composure a bit.

“Chen Zhe, I heard you’re a tourist from China, is that right?” Noticing Chen Zhe’s suspicious gaze, Kim Jaemin awkwardly feigned a cough, hastily shifting the topic to ease the tension.

“Yes, I’m here traveling from China. Uncle Kim Jaemin, is there something you need?” Chen Zhe silently raised his guard against this middle-aged man named Kim Jaemin, but outwardly he remained gentle, only occasionally casting a doubtful glance at him to avoid arousing suspicion.

After confirming from Chen Zhe’s own words that he was indeed Chinese, Kim Jaemin immediately began searching for topics related to China, seeking to build rapport. He had spent two years in China as an exchange student, gaining some understanding of Chinese culture, so it wasn’t hard to find relevant topics, and soon he managed to capture Chen Zhe’s interest.

Because of Kim Jaemin’s deliberate flattery and accommodation, Chen Zhe, despite having been a senior designer at twenty-six in his previous life, was no match for this cunning old fox when it came to scheming. Most of his attention had always been devoted to design, and he’d been overly sheltered by his family. Under the barrage of compliments, Chen Zhe unwittingly let slip a few details.

“Chen Zhe, what are you doing?” Just as Chen Zhe was engrossed in conversation with Kim Jaemin, he suddenly heard his sister’s voice. Realizing something, he turned his rusted neck slowly in the direction of the sound, only to see his sister standing with hands on her hips, looking at him with a cold expression.

Beside her, Choi Sooyoung was on the phone, seemingly dealing with something urgent. Chen Zhe could clearly see her mouth moving rapidly as she spoke.

“Hello! I am Chen Yuqi, the older sister of the young man beside you. May I ask who you are?” After quickly approaching, Chen Yuqi looked at Kim Jaemin. Though she was angry at her brother for chatting with a stranger, her good upbringing prevailed, and she politely addressed the middle-aged man who had greeted her brother.

“Hello. I am Kim Jaemin, the president of LOEN Company. Pleased to meet you!” Kim Jaemin was taken aback by Chen Yuqi’s politeness, quickly returning the greeting and introducing himself. He had expected to be met with angry questioning, given her cold face and brisk approach.

“LOEN Company?” Chen Yuqi tilted her head in confusion, as if she had never heard of this company.

“LOEN Company is a subsidiary of SK, Korea’s largest telecommunications company. It owns MelOn, the top brand in Korean music, and is also the company of IU, the superstar. Hello, President Kim.” As Kim Jaemin was about to explain LOEN’s business, a female voice interrupted. The three turned to see Choi Sooyoung, who had finished her call.

“Hello, Choi Sooyoung.” Seeing Sooyoung, Kim Jaemin frowned slightly, recalling her earlier phone call and sensing trouble.

“President Kim, are you here to invite our Chen Zhe to join LOEN?” Seeing that her friend Chen Yuqi was still slow to react, Sooyoung took the initiative. After all, the Chen and Choi families were old friends, and she could also be regarded as Chen Zhe’s sister.

“Our Chen Zhe? In what capacity are you asking, Choi Sooyoung?” Kim Jaemin raised his eyebrow, not answering directly but instead turning the question back to her.

“This time, I'm asking as Chen Zhe’s older sister.” Understanding that Kim Jaemin was asking if she was speaking as an SM Entertainment staff member, Sooyoung responded without hesitation, clarifying her current role as Chen Zhe’s sister.

“Yes, I believe Chen Zhe has the potential to become a top singer. I hope to invite him to join LOEN.” Upon hearing that Sooyoung was communicating as Chen Zhe's sister, a flash of joy crossed Kim Jaemin’s brow, but then he remembered her identity as an SM artist, and a trace of concern resurfaced. If Sooyoung was Chen Zhe’s sister, then the likelihood of him joining SM was high.

“President Kim, I’m sorry, but we can’t accept your invitation right now. Whether Chen Zhe enters the entertainment industry is something we need to discuss thoroughly with our parents.” Chen Yuqi, who had been listening attentively, pieced together the situation from Sooyoung and Kim Jaemin’s conversation, and from the earlier episode where a girl wanted a photo with her brother and Sooyoung. She understood the whole matter.

But joining the entertainment industry was a significant decision; neither she nor her brother could make it alone. It required careful discussion with their parents, so Chen Yuqi politely declined Kim Jaemin.

“Chen Yuqi, do you have time tomorrow? I’d like to invite you all to visit LOEN Company. Of course, Choi Sooyoung can come as well.” Knowing the siblings couldn’t make such a decision, Kim Jaemin quickly devised another plan—to let Chen Zhe gain a favorable impression of his company, so that if he decided to enter entertainment, he’d lean toward LOEN.

“Well, all right. We’ll trouble you tomorrow, President Kim.” Having just refused him, Chen Yuqi found it hard to decline a second invitation and could only accept.

“It’s settled then. Tomorrow, LOEN will be honored to welcome you all.” Hearing Chen Yuqi agree, Kim Jaemin smiled with satisfaction.

“That’s my wife and daughter over there. I came out today to accompany them, and ended up meeting you, Chen Zhe.” After a few more exchanges, a little girl in the distance began waving at them, beside her stood a gentle, quiet woman. As the three wondered, Kim Jaemin waved back and explained.

After chatting a bit more, Kim Jaemin hurriedly bid farewell and ran toward his wife and daughter.

“Sooyoung, was that your company calling just now? Was it about Chen Zhe?” Watching Kim Jaemin leave, Chen Yuqi suddenly asked Sooyoung beside her, having pieced things together from the situation.

“Yes. Someone from the company saw the girl’s photo on Instagram and reported it to management. Just now, our artistic director Lee Sooman contacted me personally, inviting Chen Zhe to visit SM Entertainment.” Sooyoung wasn’t surprised that Chen Yuqi had figured it out; with so many clues, failing to do so would hardly be worthy of her reputation as a genius.