Chapter 28: Representative Xia, Pure and Untarnished

The black BMW X6 pulled into the parking lot at Hangang Park. Xia Xing had originally intended to study some work at a tea shop and head home to sleep once he grew tired. He hadn't expected someone like Liu Zhimin to be so impatient, insisting that he help her clear things up that very night. Before heading over, Xia Xing had called Shin Yuna to ask if he should go. On the other end of the line, she hesitated for a moment before replying, "Although I'm quite worried... Karina and I are, after all, acquaintances. It’s truly not easy for a female idol to encounter such situations. So, could you please help her?"

If it weren't for Shin Yuna, Xia Xing wouldn't have bothered with this at all. With a mix of resentment and resignation, he searched the park until he finally found the girl with her hands in her pockets and her hoodie pulled up. Her hair was unstyled, strands falling loosely outside the hood, making her small face appear even more delicate. However, her downcast expression and bloodless lips revealed that she was in a poor state. She didn't seem to notice Xia Xing nearby, staring blankly at the quietly flowing Han River under the moonlight, lost in thought.

"Liu Zhimin?" He asked tentatively, which triggered her alertness. Upon seeing who it was, her eyebrows arched in surprise; then, as if realizing something, she blurted out, "So it was you." The shift from vigilance and shock to a look of exhaustion and helplessness made her seem like a stray kitten on the street, lying in a park at night to lick its wounds. Xia Xing’s somewhat resentful tone softened.

"What do you mean? Have we met before?"
"Earlier at the convenience store, I accidentally bumped into you."
Reminded by Liu Zhimin, Xia Xing finally linked her to the woman wearing a mask at the store that day. The voice did sound the same, as did that disheartened yet cold demeanor.

"Where is that guy, Lee Jae-wook? Didn't he say he was coming to Hangang Park to meet you?"
"Are you in such a hurry?" Liu Zhimin patted the empty seat beside her. "Sit down and wait. That guy will probably take a while."
"Considering what you said, he was very eager to get you out here. Now that you've agreed to come, he’s late?"

Feeling that something was off, he didn't sit down, instead resting his hands on his waist and looking toward the Han River with a sigh. He had once read a news report claiming that the concentration of certain male-specific drugs and illicit substances in the Han River was dozens of times higher than in other normal areas. People like Park Se-min and Lee Jae-wook were likely contributing to that.

"The appointment with him was for ten minutes from now. Are you a player like them too?"
Liu Zhimin’s sudden, illogical question made Xia Xing blink at her in bewilderment, leaving him speechless for a moment. Perhaps amused by the absurdity of it, Xia Xing let out a long sigh and leaned back against the armrest of the park bench. "What do you think?"
"I don't know..."
"I'm not." His tone was firm and decisive.
"Oh..."

Watching her nod while pretending to believe him, Xia Xing felt a sense of powerlessness for the first time in his interactions with others. He was clearly being wronged, yet he felt he couldn't really blame her. On the phone, Liu Zhimin had explained her relationship with Lee Jae-wook. It was nothing more than a scandal manufactured by their respective agencies for publicity, but Lee Jae-wook, that club-going type, seemed to have taken it seriously, believing he could actually win Karina over. As a result, he would call her to go out from time to time, to the point of harassment. Xia Xing could understand Liu Zhimin’s distrust of men after being repeatedly harassed by Lee Jae-wook. But being falsely accused like this didn't feel good for anyone.

"So, I just need to clarify things in front of him, right?"
"I don't know... he seems quite stubborn."
Xia Xing had a premonition that he had stepped into a quagmire; if he didn't resolve this thoroughly tonight, he would have nothing but headaches in the future. Just as they were lost in their own thoughts, a tall man walked over from a distance. Although they were of similar height and both happened to be wearing Kingston-style trench coats that day, there was an impurity in Lee Jae-wook’s temperament that was absent in Xia Xing.

"Zhimin, it's a pleasure to see you." Lee Jae-wook took out a small gift he had prepared while casting his gaze toward Xia Xing, who had stood up and was looking down at him slightly. "Who is this? Your manager?"
Lee Jae-wook looked at the man before him—whose physical appearance was no worse than his own—and, while marveling at the high average attractiveness of SM Entertainment, began to concoct a scenario in his mind. Given Liu Zhimin’s shy personality, even if she had felt Lee Jae-wook’s "sincerity" and agreed to the date, she would likely have had her reservations. Bringing a manager along to give the young girl a sense of security made sense to him. Besides, wasn't SM trying to hype up their scandal anyway? It would be a perfect opportunity for the manager to snap some photos of their date.

He had expected Liu Zhimin to introduce him, but when Xia Xing turned to look at her, he found that she had already sidled behind him, leaving only half her body visible. She was just like a stray kitten, hiding away to observe whenever something happened. It turned out this Liu Zhimin had intended to dump the whole situation on Xia Xing from the very beginning.

Without time to think, Xia Xing reached out a hand to Lee Jae-wook. "Hello, I need to explain something to you about what happened at the club last night."
Lee Jae-wook shook his hand dismissively and turned away, keeping his eyes fixed on Liu Zhimin. "Alright, you can just safely leave Zhimin to me."

Xia Xing had originally just wanted to clear the air and leave, but after being ignored by this guy repeatedly, he stepped forward, completely blocking Lee Jae-wook’s line of sight. Sensing the sudden coldness in the other man's gaze, Lee Jae-wook instinctively took a step back, then tried to maintain his composure.

"What exactly are you doing?"
"Nothing much. I think whatever needed to be explained, Liu Zhimin has already explained to you." Xia Xing sighed slightly, abandoning the idea of communicating with someone like Lee Jae-wook. "I just wanted to mention a few names to you."

***

"I'm actually quite curious, what exactly did you say to Lee Jae-wook? He really just left like that."
Liu Zhimin walked out of the convenience store and handed Xia Xing a Peninsula-brand drink. Taking the drink, Xia Xing’s thoughts drifted back about ten minutes. He had actually only mentioned a few contacts he had seen in Lee Jae-wook’s address book the previous night. Names like "Ms. Kim from Seongsu-dong" or "Ms. Lee from Cheongdam-dong"... surely Lee Jae-wook wouldn't dare let the media dig too deeply into his stories with them? He had initially wanted to bring up Park Se-min as well, but Lee Jae-wook had acted like a fox whose tail had been stepped on, instantly retracting his arrogance and slinking away. Could it be that he had been involved in some illegal activities with those people and really couldn't withstand media scrutiny?

Having won without a clear explanation and having resolved the matter unexpectedly easily, Xia Xing didn't know how to explain, so he brushed it off: "Don't worry about it."
"Fair enough. I don't understand the things in your circle. But thank you anyway."
"Pfft... I'm not the same kind of person as Lee Jae-wook."