After patiently accepting his mother’s affectionate concern, Liu Xin’an comforted the woman and finally ended the call.
This phone call lasted a full hour, setting a new personal record.
Once the call ended, Liu Xin’an stretched lazily, then replied to the messages from a few up hosts who were not particularly familiar but had wished him a happy birthday on WeChat. He stood up and headed to the bedroom.
Tonight, there was a birthday livestream, so after finishing the filming for Red Velvet’s comeback in the afternoon, he had to go home to prepare for the livestream.
Since it was a birthday livestream, a face reveal and some chatting were essential.
Liu Xin’an was also considering whether to showcase his singing skills. His throat had been itching lately, and he desperately needed to sing a song to unwind.
For a birthday... singing "Happy Birthday" to himself wouldn’t be too excessive, right?
Soon, Liu Xin’an, now dressed in fresh clothes, emerged from the bedroom.
The ring given to him by Bae Juhyun, which he had been wearing on his hand, was carefully removed and stored away.
Purple was a very significant color for Bae Juhyun, so if he also wore a purple accessory, who knew what the livestream viewers might think.
The current public opinion was still manageable, and it needed to stay that way.
In no time, Liu Xin’an drove his car into S-M’s underground garage.
This area was restricted to S-M employees or artists holding an S-M employee badge, so Liu Xin’an, holding a temporary employee badge, smoothly arrived here and parked his car in an unobtrusive spot.
After easily reaching the floor where Red Velvet was located, he was greeted with a beaming smile from Manager Kim.
Hmm... this change in attitude...
Seeing the middle-aged man smile so warmly at him, Liu Xin’an almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
"Hello, Manager Kim."
"Oh! Xin’an, you’re here. Have you had lunch?"
"Yeah, I have. What’s today’s filming task?"
"Ah! The members have already gone to the MV filming site. I’ll have Taekyon come to pick you up in a bit. Why don’t you rest in the lounge for a while?"
"Alright, I’ll be fine on my own. You can go ahead with your work."
Liu Xin’an nodded, feeling a bit helpless about Manager Kim’s friendliness. No wonder he had risen to this level of leadership; he was exceptionally good at treating people differently based on their status.
Previously, Manager Kim had only been polite to him, but now...
In any case, the difference was noticeable compared to before.
"Alright, contact me anytime if you need anything. Today’s filming isn’t particularly important. Last time’s video sparked a lot of discussion, but about your relationship with Irene..."
"I’m very sorry for keeping Juhyun’s relationship with me a secret from the company. I don’t really understand these matters, so I was worried you wouldn’t approve of us."
"Not at all, not at all. The company fully supports your relationship. Irene isn’t a newly debuted kid; it’s time for her to have a proper relationship."
"That’s great to hear." Liu Xin’an smiled gratefully, then continued with the same smile, "But I heard that revealing a relationship before a comeback could affect the comeback’s success. So... I hope you’ll help us keep this quiet a bit longer."
"That’s what the company plans to do. This comeback is Red Velvet’s first in two years, and its success is very important. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, we would have explained it to you. It’s good that you understand."
Liu Xin’an pointed to the lounge nearby, "I’ll head over there for now."
After waving goodbye to the kindly Manager Kim, Liu Xin’an entered the lounge without any change in his expression. He patiently sat down and took out his phone to browse the chat groups.
After about half an hour of browsing, the previously tightly closed lounge door was pushed open from the outside. Seong Taekyon, whom Manager Kim had mentioned earlier, walked in.
Before Liu Xin’an could speak, a small figure beside Seong Taekyon caught him by surprise.
"Why are you here too?"
Bae Juhyun’s mouth twitched. Could she say she didn’t want to come at all?
This morning, Bae Juhyun had seen the realistic side of her company firsthand.
First, there was Manager Kim’s warm concern, followed by other higher-ups subtly probing her.
Taking Liu Xin’an’s advice to heart, no matter who asked, she consistently feigned ignorance.
Her unyielding attitude left the higher-ups helpless.
After all, Bae Juhyun was the only link they could think of to improve relations with China.
The company had long been troubled about how to mend fences with China, and now that a chance had finally appeared... no one wanted to miss it by offending Bae Juhyun.
Bae Juhyun’s presence here was courtesy of Seong Taekyon following Manager Kim’s orders.
Yes, it was Manager Kim who had asked Bae Juhyun to come along, considering she was in a relationship with Liu Xin’an.
The more they saw each other, maybe... Bae Juhyun would be in a better mood?
A good mood might mean better cooperation... perhaps?
"Manager Kim asked me to come with Taekyon-oppa to pick you up."
Already dressed in her MV outfit and makeup, Bae Juhyun’s appearance took Liu Xin’an’s breath away.
She stood there in white boots and a dashing dark blue denim outfit.