Debuting for so many years, Bae Juhyun had met many so-called "big shots," but rarely had she seen Lee Seongju treat someone so politely.
Before long, Son Seungwan, who had been at a radio event, also hurried back.
A confused Son Seungwan jogged to the door of the reception room. As soon as she pushed the door open, she was startled by the sight of Lee Seongju and Manager Kim together.
She first politely and obediently bowed and greeted a few people, then quickly moved to Bae Juhyun’s side, weakly nestling beside the elder sister.
It wasn’t until Mr. Wang Chengjie walked up to her with a smile and started a conversation that she bowed and greeted him again.
"Hello, hello, I am Wendy from Red Velvet, nice to meet you."
"Hello, I am Wang Chengjie from the Chinese Consulate in Busan. This is for Ms. Son Seungwan." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel•fire.net
"Oh... okay." Son Seungwan wanted to ask what it was, but seeing her sisters all looking serious and solemn, she carefully chose to stay silent, cautiously opening the letter.
Then, another person was stunned and deeply shocked.
"The letters have been delivered. Please respond within the specified time. Also, don’t be nervous; it’s just a family dinner hosted by the General Consul and his wife. Relax."
Wang Chengjie reminded everyone kindly, then turned to Lee Seongju and Manager Kim, who had been smiling all along. After a polite nod, he said, "I’ll take my leave now. I’m terribly sorry for the uninvited intrusion."
"No trouble at all. Let me see you off."
Chairman Lee Seongju left the reception room with Mr. Wang Chengjie, while Bae Juhyun and others quickly followed under the guidance of Manager Kim.
A group of them arrived at the elevator. Seeing that Bae Juhyun and the others had a tendency to follow the elevator down, Wang Chengjie laughed silently, "I can go down by myself. You’ll make me feel burdened."
"I will see him off. Manager Kim, please take everyone back to practice."
"Alright, take care."
Bae Juhyun and her sisters bowed toward the elevator until it slowly descended. Manager Kim, Seong Taekyon, and Bae Juhyun all finally calmed their breaths.
Then, six pairs of eyes fell on Bae Juhyun in unison, leaving her flustered and at a loss.
"I... I really don’t know what’s going on." She explained pitifully for herself. She had really done nothing and knew nothing...
Seeing that Bae Juhyun looked like she wasn’t lying, Manager Kim squinted his eyes. Liu Xin’an’s name flashed through his mind.
If it was indeed due to Liu Xin’an... he would have to reconsider how to use Liu Xin’an.
"You all go back first. Taekyon, take them back to practice. Don’t spread this around, and the same goes for you. Follow the company’s instructions on everything."
"Um, Manager Kim, I don’t quite understand." The last to return, Son Seungwan, raised her hand in confusion. After Manager Kim nodded, signaling her to speak, she asked, "Why were these given to us and not handed directly to the company?"
"Mr. Wang explained it clearly. This is a private dinner, not work. The General Consul invited you five specifically."
"... So, they bypassed the company?"
"Yes, that’s one way to understand it."
"Then... whether to attend or not is up to us, right?" Since the company was bypassed, wouldn’t that mean the decision was theirs to make?
Of course, that was just Son Seungwan’s wishful thinking. Although this matter bypassed the company, the final decision would still be made by the company.
As for S-M’s attitude...
"You don’t want to go?" Manager Kim’s eyes widened. If not due to Liu Xin’an, then the reason for inviting Red Velvet crossed his mind in two ways.
Either Wendy’s performance on the variety show was outstanding, earning goodwill.
Or... Bae Juhyun and Liu Xin’an’s chemistry was found intriguing enough for an invitation...
Yes, whichever the case, it was a gesture of goodwill. Otherwise, an event of this caliber wouldn’t be something they could attend just by pulling strings.
Also... since that lawsuit in 2017, their relations with China had hit rock bottom.
This rare opportunity... and Son Seungwan didn’t want to go?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
They would even tie Son Seungwan up and bring her there if necessary.
Fortunately, Son Seungwan didn’t really want to refuse. She was just... voicing a random thought.
"No, no, I definitely want to go. I was just curious."
"... Go back to practice then."
The group answered seriously, then followed Bae Juhyun toward the staircase.
Not long after, the silent group quickly arrived at the practice room.
Kim Yerin stepped forward to open the door, and Bae Juhyun and the others rushed in.
Finally, Kim Yerin closed the door behind them. The women, who had been silent for so long, finally began to chatter.
And the main target of their questioning...
"I really don’t know!! Stop asking me!!"
Bae Juhyun felt like her ears were growing calluses. The past two days, she had really been irritated by all the noise from people around her.
First, it was because she was spotted with Liu Xin’an by fans, which led some concerned friends to ask about her situation.