Chapter 11: At Twenty-Three and the Pressure to Marry
“I didn’t expect you to actually ask me out.” Park Se-min, with his flowing long hair, sipped his coffee leisurely. Unlike Xia Xing, his long face with high cheekbones and single eyelids was unmistakably Korean in appearance.
He slowly flipped through the documents Xia Xing handed him, his expression calm but tinged with a hint of nostalgia.
“Since I manage the personnel files for all the senior executives in the group, that’s why I came to ask for your help.”
Listening to Xia Xing explain the reason for his visit, Park Se-min tossed the files onto the table.
“Calling me ‘bro’ every other sentence is so cheesy. And yet, you still ask me out just to talk business.”
Though he complained, he patiently listened to Xia Xing’s analysis of the budget issues.
“This marketing budget is twice the usual amount, and even considering coconut water as a key future growth driver for the company, it doesn’t justify this…”
“Furthermore, the way the marketing budget was planned seems far too casual and frivolous…”
“Stop,” Park Se-min interrupted after about five or six minutes, unable to hold back any longer. “You know why I was assigned to manage personnel files, right?”
“Don’t bother explaining these complex business matters to me.”
As Xia Xing’s cousin and one of Xia Xuhe’s grandchildren, Park Se-min was not the type to chase a career.
After all, he was a beneficiary of the family trust, receiving a substantial annual income from it.
For him, finding a steady position within the group was the most respectful choice he could make for the family, given his carefree playboy nature.
Xia Xuhe placed him in the archives management role precisely because he was virtually hands-off and unlikely to cause trouble.
Thus, he never understood the details of business matters from the start.
Rubbing his brow with one hand, Park Se-min shifted his attention to a young, attractive waitress nearby.
“You know, just sitting in the office for eight hours is my greatest contribution to work.”
“So, what exactly do you want to know? Tell me in the simplest terms.”
Xia Xing sighed silently. Turning to him for help was truly a last resort.
This cousin, who rushed off to nightclubs right after work and disliked discussing business, was less likely to leak Xia Xing’s investigation into the budget allocations.
So despite doubting his abilities, Xia Xing had no choice but to seek him out.
Besides, he was one of the few family members who prioritized the overall interests.
“Bro, I need the personnel files of the main heads from the Marketing, Sales, and Channel Management departments.”
“Including their education, previous companies, and detailed work histories for each position…”
“Hold on, I get the gist,” Park Se-min held up his hand to silence Xia Xing.
“So you want all the info on those people, right? I’ll send it to you tomorrow after I get to work.”
Xia Xing held back what he wanted to say and nodded.
“That would be best. Just scan them into PDFs on your phone and send them to me. Don’t use the OA system.”
“Not sure why, but I get it. I’ll trust you on this.”
Park Se-min glanced at the time — 6:25 p.m., just five minutes before clocking out.
“By the way, next week is the old man’s seventieth birthday. Has he been pressuring you to bring a partner home?”
Caught off guard by his cousin’s sudden question, Xia Xing, still in work mode, nodded reflexively, then looked up in confusion.
“Why are you asking all of a sudden? Has he been pressuring you too?”
“Who do you think I am? That old man only hopes I don’t mess around outside and bring back a bunch of illegitimate kids.”
Park Se-min shrugged casually and continued.
“After all, my last name’s Park, not Xia. So of course he’s pressuring you.”
“How’s it going with Xue Yun? She’s an idol after all. It’ll probably be five or six years before you two can even make it official.”
After a brief silence, Xia Xing forced a smile to dispel the gloom on his face.
“Bro, what exactly are you trying to say?”
“I mean… do you want to come to the party tonight? It’s full of girls from families like ours. It’s always good to make more connections.”
“That way, you can give the old man some peace of mind.”
Like Park Se-min, who spent every day hopping from one party to another, no matter how good one’s birth, what use are connections?
Xia Xing thought briefly, then realized his cousin’s true intention.
Inviting him to the party was just a way to find someone to share the expenses.
Though Park Se-min had a sizable annual family trust income, his high-spending lifestyle, frequenting bars and such, often left him short on cash by year’s end.
“Bro, I have some things to do tonight, so I’ll skip the party.”
“Please help me make more friends, though. When I need to reach out to them later, I’ll be counting on you.”
“You can just send me the bill for this month afterward.”
Hearing Xia Xing’s promise, Park Se-min brightened up. He glanced at the clock — it was already 6:30.
He stood up, warmly draping an arm around Xia Xing as they headed toward the office building exit.
“Don’t worry, bro may not be skilled at work, but I’ve got social skills you can count on.”
“By the way, what are you busy with tonight? Work?”
“Oh, Xue Yun has a break next week. She might come visit me. I need to prepare well.”
At this, Park Se-min’s cheeks flushed red as he gave Xia Xing a hearty pat on the shoulder.
“So, you’re really together with Xue Yun, huh?”
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Xue Yun selected a khaki-colored, academy-style hooded wool coat from her wardrobe, pairing it with a matching short skirt.
Spinning in front of the full-length mirror, she looked like an elf stepping out of a magical realm.
After confirming this outfit as her choice for the upcoming break, she packed it neatly into her suitcase, satisfied.
“I think I smell cookies!”
A lively voice called from outside, followed by hurried footsteps.
Having finished her personal schedule for the day, Zhang Gui-zhen sniffed the air and pushed open the dorm door.
“Sister Xue Yun, why are you baking cookies today?”
Though she called her “sister,” Zhang Gui-zhen bypassed Xue Yun and headed straight for the oven Xue Yun had moved from the kitchen to the bedroom.
“Wow, they smell really, really good.”
Under Zhang Gui-zhen’s gaze, Xue Yun put on thick cloth gloves and took the freshly baked cookies out of the oven.
“I wanted to try a different cookie flavor but didn’t want to disturb the other teammates, so I baked them in the bedroom.”
Not minding the heat, Zhang Gui-zhen casually grabbed a cookie and popped it into her mouth.
“Ow… it’s hot, it’s hot…”
“But it’s really creamy and super sweet.”
“If I were a guy, receiving such a thoughtfully prepared gift in autumn or winter would make me fall for you right away.”