Chapter 3 Lee Hyori

  Ji Zhonghua walked out of the ward in a huff and found the doctor in charge to ask about Zhang Chengyuan's condition over the past two days.

  After Lee Hyori and her sisters bowed to see Gil Jong-hwa off, they walked up to Jang Sung-won's bedside, pointed at herself, and asked in a friendly manner: "I'm Lee Hyori, what's your name?" Knowing that Jang was a high school student and therefore younger than her, she didn't stand on ceremony.

  Zhang Chengyuan's eyes lit up, thinking that the woman in front of him was both beautiful and refreshing. He suddenly felt a good impression and replied: "Chengyuan, Zhang Chengyuan." Unfortunately, he didn't use polite language again.

  Lee Hyori said with some annoyance, "I'm definitely older than you, I'm your sister, how can you speak to me so casually on our first meeting?" In Korea, where Confucian tradition runs deep in the veins of its people, it is customary to use honorific language when speaking to elders or strangers of similar age for the first time, as a sign of politeness and respect.

  However, Zhang Chengyuan instinctively took out the set of a cultivator. A cultivator is not a person who follows worldly etiquette, pursuing nature and non-action, and does not pay much attention to those tedious rules. Unless they encounter a senior fellow or an elder who deserves respect, they will not deliberately show respect to others.

  Zhang Chengyuan listened to Lee Hyori's words, his eyes rolled over, and he immediately realized his mistake. He thought to himself, "This is really a strange place! Never mind, I'll just follow the local customs." So he sat up straight, nodded respectfully, and said, "Sister Hyori, hello! I'm Zhang Chengyuan." If he weren't a patient, he would have bowed deeply as well.

  Lee Hyori burst out laughing, her eyes curved into a crescent shape with a sweet smile, looking adorable. It seemed that she felt especially accomplished because someone who even her manager, Gil Jong-hwa, couldn't handle was "tamed" by her in an instant. After laughing for a while, she continued, "You're so cute! How old are you this year?"

  "16 years old, born in February 1983."

  Lee Hyori said: "Really young, compared to our busy Yoona, she's almost two years younger. Later, remember to speak more politely. Sisters, come and get acquainted with this little guy."

  Because they knew Zhang Chengyuan's age, Yu Zhuxuan, Li Zhen and Cheng Youli also relaxed and went forward to greet him. Under Lee Hyori's gaze, Zhang Chengyuan could only nod respectfully while asking his sisters how they were doing in a very serious tone.

  For some reason, Zhang Chengyuan always felt that Lee Hyori had a kind of charm that made him willing to obey her, just like his own sister. If it were someone else who dared to speak to him like this, he would have closed his eyes and pretended to sleep even if he wasn't angry.

  Later, under Lee Hyo-ri's lead, the five of them started chatting enthusiastically. Jang Sung-won almost answered every question, and within half an hour, he had revealed his family background, school situation, personal hobbies and interests, etc. Of course, what he said was all about the original Jang Sung-won's information, as for the previous life Xiao Yuan's situation, naturally not a word was mentioned.

  "What were you doing running to Mapo Bridge that night? And how did our car crash?" Lee Hyori suddenly asked. This was a sensitive topic, and it wasn't just anyone who would ask such an impudent question, with a tone that implied "You crashed into my car by your own recklessness, not my responsibility."

  Yu Zhuohuan, Li Zhen and Cheng Youli were stunned on the spot. They were afraid that Zhang Chengyuan would be angry and humiliated. Although Li Xiaoli was telling the truth, which could also be proven by the video footage of the accident scene, such blunt truths often inexplicably offended or enraged some people.

  Lee Hyori wouldn't be unaware of this, after all she's the leader of a singer group that's been in the entertainment industry for a while and has had plenty of experience interacting with people. But her intuition as a woman told her that Jang Sung-won would absolutely not get angry over this, so she asked him directly.

  As expected, she was right! Zhang Chengyuan didn't scold her afterwards. In fact, even if she had guessed wrong, it wouldn't have been a big deal, since she was only facing a high school student who hadn't even graduated yet, not some big shot PD or MC from a broadcasting company. If she had misspoken, as long as she sincerely apologized to Zhang Chengyuan, there wouldn't be any lingering consequences.

  "That day, I was beaten by a group of delinquents from a nearby school...I just wanted to end it all...I walked onto the bridge, my mind in a daze, and somehow I fell off...When I came to, I was here." Zhang Chengyuan said calmly, his words neither fast nor slow, almost devoid of emotion, as if he were an onlooker recounting a trivial matter.

  That apathetic expression made the four women mistakenly think that Zhang Chengyuan was heartbroken and dying, and they couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for him. They didn't mind his initial rude words at all, and instead began to offer him comfort and consolation, telling him about the wonders and beauty of life, and advising him not to do anything foolish again in the future.

  Just then, Ji Zhonghua walked in and Lee Hyori and the other three quickly bowed their heads to greet him.

  Ji Zhonghua nodded and asked: "Xiaoli, has this kid said anything?"

  "Yes, senior! The address of Sung-won's house is in Gu-ru-dong, Gu-ru district. Here is the address, phone number and his father's contact information." He handed a piece of paper to Ki-jong-hwa and added, "However, Sung-won said that his father works for an import/export company and often goes on business trips to China, Japan, Thailand, etc., so he may not be home for one or two months at a time. I'm afraid it might be difficult to contact him."

  "Good job, befitting of Captain Lee Hyori. I'll take care of the matter with her father, yeah! It's better to get rid of this hot potato as soon as possible. And also, you guys still have Music Bank tomorrow, so go back and prepare early." After saying that, he didn't even glance at Jang Sung-kyu and turned around to leave.

  Lee Hyori saw Jang Sung-won not saying a word, thinking he was offended by Gil Jong-hwa's attitude, so she smiled and said: "Sung-won, Gil Jong-hwa is a good senior to us, but he doesn't like it when juniors are disrespectful to him. So next time you see him, make sure to show respect, got it?"

  "Alright, got it, Hye-ri noona."

  After saying a few more words, the four women left.

  Before I knew it, two weeks had passed and Fin.k.l came twice during that time. They gradually stopped showing up, but their lovely figures could often be seen on TV. It seemed like they were getting more popular, so their schedules got tighter and they didn't have time to visit him anymore. Or maybe DSP's higher-ups thought the car accident incident had blown over and it wasn't necessary for their popular group to waste time on a young kid.

  Although Zhang Chengyuan felt a little down, he didn't feel lonely because his nominal father, Zhang Donghu, had rushed to the hospital to take care of him ten days ago. It's true that Ji Zhonghua's handling efficiency is high, and it only took less than two days to contact Zhang Donghu, who was still in a small village in Northeast China purchasing local specialties at the time. As soon as Zhang Donghu heard that the only blood relative of the Zhang family had been seriously injured and was lying in the hospital, he was worried that no one would take good care of Zhang Chengyuan, so he hurriedly asked for leave and rushed back to Hancheng.

  These days, Zhang Donghu has changed his usual demeanor, being warm and considerate to Zhang Chengyuan, taking good care of him, just like a kind mother. Where is the fierce and stern image of the past? Although Zhang Donghu hasn't said a word of apology to his son, Zhang Chengyuan keenly sensed the strong love and guilt in his father's heart, and understood that Zhang Donghu wasn't unloving towards him before, but because Zhang Chengyuan was too young and inexperienced, he couldn't feel the deep affection hidden beneath Zhang Donghu's strict exterior.

  A mother's love is great and direct, a father's love is deep and subtle. How can young people who are impulsive and reckless understand this point early?

  Although Xiao Yuan was just a young Taoist in his previous life, he shouldn't have understood these things, but his yuan Shen was strong, his eyes and ears were sharp, and his mind was clever. He could often see the essence of things from subtle details, as if one leaf fell and knew that autumn had arrived everywhere. Therefore, he could easily see that Zhang Donghu looked stern but actually hoped that his son would be strong and not rely on adults for everything. Because Zhang Chengyuan's mother passed away early, and Zhang Donghu was often busy outside, it was impossible to take care of his son meticulously, so he could only hope that his son would become independent.

  Raising children with a strong personality through strict education from an early age is not uncommon in traditional and highly competitive Korean society. However, Jang Dong-hwa did not consider that everything should be done gradually and that he should pay attention to his child's dynamics at all times. He neglected the psychological changes of adolescents due to his busy work schedule and only demanded what his son should do without considering whether he could do it or not, ultimately leading to the tragic incident of Jang Sung-won's suicide.

  It's clear that this incident has made Zhang Donghu realize his mistakes, and he feels that he should make changes not only in his educational methods but also in his job position. He wants to spend more time with his son. So on this day, he tells Zhang Chengyuan: "Chengyuan, in two days' time, Dad will apply to the company to return to work at the Korean headquarters, and from now on, I'll make more time to communicate with you. In all these years, we haven't even had a chance to have a heart-to-heart talk."

  Jang Sung-won nodded in agreement, but thought to himself: "I'm afraid you won't be able to switch positions. With the Asian financial crisis affecting South Korea's economy, it's been declining day by day, and many large companies have started laying off employees just to get through the tough times. Your company would be lucky to find a reason to lay you off, let alone allow you to return to headquarters in Korea and enjoy better treatment." In recent days, Jang Sung-won had been watching TV frequently to adapt more quickly to life in South Korea, and as a result, he had gained some understanding of the country's current economic situation.

  However, he knew that Zhang Donghu was not discussing this matter with him, but only informing him, so he didn't make a sound.

  Zhang Donghu didn't think much of his son's silence either, after all, that was how their communication had been in the past.

  ;