"Hello, Ms. Bae Juhyun, my child has always been a fan of Red Velvet. If possible, could you give me an autograph?"
"Ah! Of course, it’s our honor."
After promptly and neatly signing her name on the handkerchief, Bae Juhyun maintained a professional smile as she saw off the high-profile visitor, then turned her gaze to Liu Xin’an, who stood beside her.
Liu Xin’an skillfully identified the visitor.
"This is Ha Yoonsu, the Superintendent of Education for the Busan Metropolitan City, and the one who came before him was Park Heongjoon, the Mayor of Busan."
Bae Juhyun remained expressionless, not because she was exceptionally calm, but because she had become... numb.
These prominent figures, people they rarely encountered in their entertainment career, appeared before them one by one, and they always maintained a friendly demeanor. This was something Bae Juhyun and her peers could never have imagined.
Yet, such a scenario was unfolding right before their eyes.
"Ah! Ms. Bae Juhyun, it’s been such a long time."
This time, Bae Juhyun recognized the visitor.
She looked at the man in front of her, startled, and quickly greeted him.
The man before her was, in fact, the Mayor of Daegu, her hometown.
As a prominent figure from Daegu, she had seen this Mayor at some events before.
Usually, they had only met briefly, maybe a handshake, but such a warm conversation was a first since her debut.
"Having an outstanding celebrity like Ms. Bae Juhyun is indeed an honor for us in Daegu."
"No, no, we should thank you, Mayor, for your hard work. Daegu will certainly prosper under your leadership."
"Hahaha, I’ll take your good wishes. I wonder if you have some free time coming up. There’s still a vacancy for the position of cultural ambassador of Daegu..."
"Ah? I... I can’t decide on my own. I need to follow the company’s arrangements."
Bae Juhyun quickly waved her hands, bringing up her company to excuse herself.
"I see. It seems I need to give S-M a call and have a good chat with Chairman Lee Seongju."
"Uh..." Bae Juhyun didn’t know how to respond, so she could only manage a wry smile.
Mayor Kwon was not the only one extending such goodwill.
As Seong Taekyon had said, those invited to this banquet were all smart people.
Seeing the goodwill from Zhang Jirong and Dai Zhiyuan, the other invited visitors instantly understood the potential power behind the beautiful Ms. Bae Juhyun. The source of thɪs content is novel⟡fire.net
Of course, they didn’t fully comprehend the specifics, but they knew that making a good first impression was undeniably beneficial to them.
And they didn’t need to do much. Things that could greatly benefit Bae Juhyun were just a matter of words for them.
After dealing with another group of prominent figures, Bae Juhyun, gripping Liu Xin’an’s arm, ensured there weren’t many people still watching them closely, then carefully rested her head on Liu Xin’an’s back to calm her nerves.
Liu Xin’an, feeling somewhat guilty, gently squeezed Bae Juhyun’s small hand and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Feeling a lot of pressure? I’m sorry, Juhyun."
His voice was deep, and his breath, slightly wafting from his words, dyed her delicate earlobe red.
Resting her head on his back, Bae Juhyun shook her head and spoke tenderly, "We should be thanking you. You don’t need to apologize."
"...Doesn’t this kind of honor make you feel embarrassed?"
Bae Juhyun paused, then straightened up with an amused look, gazing at the worried Liu Xin’an.
"Hey, do I look like a newbie who just debuted, constantly shouting about achieving success purely on my own merits?"
"Being this active even years after debuting is already a great success for us. If not for you, we might always be trailing behind as one of the three major girl groups. So you don’t need to blame yourself."
Bae Juhyun was well aware of her current situation. As she said, without Liu Xin’an, their comeback might have been lackluster.
Perhaps next year’s efforts would bring new milestones, but reaching the heights they once dreamed of seemed impossible.
But his arrival changed everything.
The planned low-key comeback became a sizzling sensation. Next year... could it be a year belonging to Red Velvet?
No one could predict with certainty, but at least it felt much more tangible than the nebulous hopes of the past.
All of this was thanks to meeting the man before her.
Bae Juhyun couldn’t count how many times she had felt fortunate for choosing to return home that day instead of continuing to wallow in self-pity at the dorm.
Without that decision, this exceptional man in front of her might have been taken by someone else!
Just imagining that possibility, Miss Bae, who initially felt sweet inside, couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy, hugging Liu Xin’an’s arm tighter. Her cold and beautiful face, always commanding a sense of authority, now also bore a hint of aloofness.
This dignified demeanor of Bae Juhyun made Kang Seulgi and the others beside her click their tongues in amazement.