Chapter 17: Do I Look Like a Hoodlum?

“Stay in the car; I’ll need to trouble you to drive it back later.” Xia Xing noticed an Audi parked not far away. The alley’s dim lighting made it hard to gauge the situation inside the vehicle.

Although Shen Youna had disguised herself accordingly, it was safer for her to remain inside the car.

Following his instructions, Shen Youna took the driver’s seat without further hesitation. “If you need help, just call me,” she said.

“Got it. Stay in the car and don’t wander around.” Xia Xing turned and entered through the nightclub’s back door. Since this wasn’t his first time picking up Park Seomin, he was somewhat familiar with the surroundings.

The club manager spotted him entering and greeted him warmly, leading Xia Xing directly to the booth where Park Seomin was seated.

“The total tonight comes to 10,370,000 won. To round it off, just 10 million won will do,” the manager said.

Seeing Park Seomin and his companion passed out drunkenly in the booth made Xia Xing twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Nearly $10,000 spent just on drinks? Highly unlikely. They must have been up to something else.

“Swipe the card...” Xia Xing pulled a card from his wallet, then casually stuffed the bill the manager handed him into his pocket.

Park Seomin could be carried back to his apartment in the car without issue.

But what about the guy beside him?

He looked like one of Park Seomin’s hangers-on, and leaving him there wasn’t right.

After asking the club manager, Xia Xing learned his identity: model and actor Lee Jaeuk.

“Lee Jaeuk, is someone coming to pick you up?” Xia Xing tried shaking his face to rouse him, but Lee Jaeuk just turned his head away and muttered inaudibly.

The smell of alcohol on his breath was strong.

With a hint of helplessness and disdain, Xia Xing pulled out Lee Jaeuk’s phone and used his fingerprint to unlock it.

He planned to find a friend of Lee Jaeuk’s to come get him, but the contact list that appeared gave Xia Xing a headache.

“Seongsu-dong–174-92-70-90–Kim”

“Cheongdam-dong–163-100-68-86–Lee”

What kind of strange notes were these?

He typed in keywords like “mom” or “brother,” hoping to find family contacts, but Lee Jaeuk’s phone had no family groups at all.

Not even work colleagues. It seemed this phone was used solely for personal connections.

So, Xia Xing searched recent call logs and found a number he’d called relatively often.

Though all the calls were initiated by Lee Jaeuk and lasted only a few minutes each, at least it meant they could communicate.

“Beep… beep… beep…”

The call went unanswered.

After several failed attempts, Xia Xing tried calling from his own number.

The call was picked up quickly.

But hearing the noisy nightclub music in the background, the girl on the other end spoke coldly before Xia Xing could say anything:

“Lee Jaeuk… do you even know what ‘publicity stunt’ means? Please don’t take it seriously.”

“You’re an adult now. Please maintain proper boundaries.”

Xia Xing was baffled. He moved to a quieter backstage area, still holding the phone, and explained:

“I’m not Lee Jaeuk. I thought you were his friend, so I called to ask you to come get him. He’s drunk, somewhere near Seongsu-dong.”

Xia Xing thought his voice was pleasant and gentle, but the woman was impatient.

“Lee Jaeuk, if you want to hang out in nightclubs with riffraff, that’s your business. We’re just doing some company-arranged collaboration.”

Then she hung up.

Wait… the “riffraff” she mentioned — could she be referring to Xia Xing?

Seeing the phone return to the wallpaper screen, Xia Xing felt a pang of injustice.

He’d never been called a riffraff before—not counting the manipulative words from that old man Xia Xuhe when he was a child.

This was the first time anyone had insulted him like this.

With a heavy heart, Xia Xing left the backstage and found a nightclub staff member who wasn’t busy.

He handed him 200,000 won.

“Just take that guy to any nearby hotel. Just make sure he has a place to sleep. Keep the rest as a tip.”

Two hundred thousand won—about a thousand yuan—was enough for Lee Jaeuk to get a hotel room for the night.

After handling Lee Jaeuk’s situation, with the staff’s help, Xia Xing managed to get the heavily intoxicated Park Seomin into the back seat of his BMW X6.

When someone is drunk, the cerebellum’s function is suppressed, causing the muscles that support the body to relax, making the person much heavier than usual.

Watching the two of them stumble as they were supported, Xia Xing thought that if there was ever someone willing to help you home when you’re dead drunk, you should cherish them.

Because it takes more than just strength to do that.

After giving both of them a tip, Xia Xing got into the back seat with his cousin.

He had to watch Park Seomin at all times to prevent him from vomiting in the car.

Shen Youna slightly parted her lips, gazing at the utterly drunk Park Seomin, seeming hesitant to speak.

That guy had a nose, mouth, and eyes but bore no resemblance to Xia Xing.

“Remember to drive slowly. If he vomits in the car, that’ll be a real mess.”

“Xingcan… what are you saying? There’s no way I’m drunk.”

Park Seomin looked at his two cousins, swaying as he pointed to one, then reached out to put his arm around his shoulder, only to miss and collapse near the center console.

Shen Youna was startled by the sudden movement, and the car nearly grazed the guardrail.

Xia Xing hurriedly pulled Park Seomin back. “Drunk people can be surprisingly strong. Sorry for scaring you.”

“It’s okay. I’ve seen people this drunk before,” Shen Youna said, gently shaking her head. “My dad used to drink often for business reasons, and now his stomach isn’t so good.”

“Back then, my mom, sister, and I were barely able to get him back home.”

As Shen Youna changed the subject, the atmosphere inside the car calmed.

Xia Xing finally asked the question that had been on his mind:

“Shen Youna, do I sound like a riffraff when I talk?”

-----------------

Myeong In-nam watched as Park Ji-hyo’s clothes were soaked with sweat. Crossing her arms, she stood on the balcony, observing as Ji-hyo put the clothes into the washing machine.

Noticing her teammate’s concerned gaze, Ji-hyo knew she should say something.

“I’ve been active for eight years now. Is dating really that wrong?”

She wanted to express gratitude but ended up defending herself.

“It’s not wrong. I’m just a bit worried about you.”

“Worried you’ll get hurt.”

Myeong In-nam pulled out a slender ladies’ cigarette from her bag. If Ji-hyo remembered correctly, her teammate never smoked.

After pondering, Myeong In-nam put the cigarette back.

“That guy hanging out in nightclubs every day isn’t good. You should keep an eye on him.”

“Whether male or female, it’s best to have your own career. What income will he have after retirement? Teaching others skeleton sledding?”

Ji-hyo disliked Myeong In-nam’s sudden serious tone, which sounded like a lecture from someone who had been through it all.

Frowning slightly, Ji-hyo replied, “I know. Thanks for the reminder. But I have some questions myself.”

Changing into clean clothes on the sofa, Ji-hyo looked at Myeong In-nam, who was staring out the window, and asked:

“When did you buy the apartment here in Yeouido?”

“Oh... I invested in real estate a while back when prices were low.”