17. Misunderstanding Resolved

The two girls used the excuse of attending an event to sneak out.

Bae Juhyun bid farewell to the two girls without any suspicion.

She just didn't expect them to call so soon.

Bae Juhyun was sprawled on the couch, watching TV, when the sudden video call startled her.

After glancing to confirm that it was a call from one of her best sisters, she didn't bother to move, but just propped up her phone against her abdomen, not minding at all that her double chin was visible on the screen.

Even the skinniest person has a double chin!

"What are you calling for?"

"Well, Juhyun, I need a favor."

Kang Seulgi, her face full of bitterness and wearing a hat, quickly said to Bae Juhyun on the other side of the screen.

Bae Juhyun glanced at the girl, sat up, and finally transformed from that image-unconscious couch potato to the stunning celebrity, Bae Juhyun.

"What's the matter? Need something delivered?"

"Uh... actually, Seungwan and I are right at your doorstep."

"...Huh?"

Bae Juhyun froze. Was this some sort of April Fool's joke?

"Didn't you have an event..."

"Anyway, we're at your door now, and your neighbor stopped us, insisting that you might owe us money!"

Kang Seulgi, who knew that Bae Juhyun's identity had not been exposed, quickly interrupted Bae Juhyun, and then she saw Juhyun's suddenly dilated pupils and her dumbfounded expression.

"Did you get through?"

Then, Liu Xin'an's familiar voice confirmed the authenticity of this call.

This finally solved the case. She wondered why Kang Seulgi and Son Seungwan were so secretive when they left the house not long ago...

Turns out these two girls had sneaked off to her place?!

"You... you give the phone to Liu Xin'an!"

"Who's Liu Xin'an?"

"The guy who's stopping you."

At this point, Bae Juhyun couldn't care less about exposing Liu Xin'an; her sister's safety was more important.

And she feared Liu Xin'an might have called the police already.

At this moment, Bae Juhyun truly wished she could slap herself. Why did she make up such weird lies? Wasn't this just asking for trouble!

Soon Liu Xin'an's face, still partly skeptical, appeared on the phone screen, as he was still wearing a mask.

But upon seeing the girl on the camera, Liu Xin'an was taken aback for a moment, then quickly made faces at Bae Juhyun.

He suspected this person might be threatened by the two girls.

"You didn't call the police, did you?"

"Um, not yet. Do I need to call? Are you safe?"

"Safe! Very safe! Extremely safe!"

Bae Juhyun used three serious replies to indicate her current situation.

Only then did Liu Xin'an finally let his guard down.

He took a deep breath; although a misunderstanding like this was embarrassing, at least no one was harmed, and that was what mattered.

"That's good then. I saw them acting all sneaky, thought you were hiding from someone."

Kang Seulgi and Son Seungwan listened in with perked ears.

Bae Juhyun was hiding from someone?

Who would she need to hide from?

"No, no, you've got it all wrong... I'll come down now, don't scare them anymore."

Liu Xin'an nodded, returned the phone to Kang Seulgi, and after taking off his mask, revealed an embarrassingly cheerful smile.

"Well, sorry for the misunderstanding, I thought you two were some sort of bad people."

Before them was a handsome man with an infectious smile, leaving Kang Seulgi and Son Seungwan, who had seen plenty of good-looking guys, momentarily stunned.

Neither had expected, what with the mask on, that Liu Xin'an would have such a handsome face.

It was only then that the relieved girls began to properly size up the tall man before them.

At a glance, he was definitely over six feet tall.

Plus, his smile was disarmingly warm, and even through his clothes, you could tell he had a sturdy build...

Kang Seulgi gently tugged at Son Seungwan's sleeve by her side, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

Having debuted together for so many years, a single glance was all it took for Son Seungwan to understand the implications.

They had already explained everything, and the misunderstandings had been cleared up.

Moreover, it was obvious that he was unaware of their identities...

All those factors, plus Bae Juhyun's suddenly cheerful mood these days, made them think they were onto something.

"You are Liu Xin'an, right?"

Originally, Liu Xin'an had planned to just greet them and go back to his apartment, but since they spoke to him, he certainly couldn't just laugh and walk away; so he nodded his head and introduced himself briefly.

"Ah, I'm Liu Xin'an. As I said before, I'm new to the building."

"I see. Seungwan and I initially said we were going to the 18th floor also because we knew Juhyun was actually trying to avoid someone and thought you were one of those bad guys," Kang Seulgi said, her mind working at lightning speed.

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Although she didn't know the specifics, she was aware that Bae Juhyun must have told a significant lie to cause such a misunderstanding for Liu Xin'an.

Since that was the case, in order not to let Bae Juhyun's image crumble in the eyes of this neighbor, she knew to coordinate with Bae Juhyun, who had yet to arrive.

After she finished, Kang Seulgi carefully observed Liu Xin'an's reaction.

It was only when a flicker of realization passed over Liu Xin'an's face that she breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed her guess was right.

"So that's how it is... It seems we are on the same page indeed, but allow me to ask rudely, who, exactly, has Bae Juhyun... offended?"

Liu Xin'an felt it was necessary to clarify, since today's misunderstanding could have been just a misunderstanding.

But what if, instead of two girls who looked soft and frail, there had been two men even more sturdy than him?

Although his identity as a Huaxia person provided some protection, he would have a headache too if he encountered those fearless and stubborn types.

Son Seungwan coughed once, and her eyes that showed outside her mask narrowed into slits, looking very pleased as she said, "Let's wait for Juhyun to come and tell you herself, it's not quite right for us to say."

That was a lie; in reality, they simply hadn't thought up a good excuse yet.

"Ah, I see, that's true, it's only right to protect Bae Juhyun's privacy."

"But I see, Mr. Liu Xin'an—"

"Ah! No need to call me mister, just my name is fine. I am a Huaxia person; calling me mister actually feels pretty strange."

"A Huaxia person, I see... no wonder."

Kang Seulgi muttered under her breath.

She figured, with their level of fame, how could it be possible that a young person living in Seoul wouldn't recognize them?

Moreover, Bae Juhyun had just caused significant news not too long ago...

"Hm? Did you say something?"

Liu Xin'an seemed to have caught a bit of Kang Seulgi's muttering and asked curiously.

"Ah! Nothing, I am Kang Seulgi, this is Son Seungwan, and we are sisters who are very close to Juhyun."

As a response, Kang Seulgi and Son Seungwan quickly took off their masks to reveal their distinctively pretty faces.

Their vibrant hair colors matched their appropriate makeup, and the refined appearances of the two girls in front of him made it difficult for Liu Xin'an to look away for a moment.

Fortunately, he quickly realized how impolite it was for him to be staring.

"Indeed, the friends of a beauty are also beauties. I didn't expect to meet three such pretty girls just a few days after moving here."

"You're quite the smooth talker." Kang Seulgi loved being praised, so Liu Xin'an's compliment was very satisfying to her.

This wasn't Liu Xin'an trying to flatter them; the always straightforward man was genuinely admiring the two.

He glanced at his phone and then showed a polite smile, pointing to the entrance of his own home.

"If you don't know Bae Juhyun's home door code, you could come to my place and wait for her."

Liu Xin'an's invitation was nothing but a very courteous and polite gesture, since these two obviously knew Bae Juhyun and would know how to enter her home.

Even though he didn't know the purpose of their visit, he felt his assumption was reasonable.

However, Kang Seulgi's response came quickly.

"Is that okay? Then we will impose!"

A smile on Liu Xin'an's face stiffened for a brief moment before he, feeling somewhat helpless, turned to open the door and let the two girls in.

Don't people here understand what is mere formality?

It was like that when he took the delivery for Bae Juhyun before, and now letting these two in to sit was the same...

Could it really be a cultural difference? Should he, a Huaxia person, be more straightforward...

As Liu Xin'an fell into a brief existential crisis, he didn't notice the two girls quietly exchanging words behind him.

"Are you crazy? The company would reprimand us terribly if they found out!"

"Oh, don't you wonder about his and Juhyun's story? That's Bae Juhyun, who except for us, has no friends at all!"

Bae Juhyun's shyness was not news in the entire circle anymore.

Her shyness further shrank her circle of friends.

Moreover, her career left her sensitive and with very little free time. Forget making friends... she barely had chances to meet strangers.

The few friends she did have were all colleagues from the company, and she had never mentioned having any friends outside the industry.

Now this foreigner, Liu Xin'an, was already the first non-celebrity friend of Bae Juhyun's they had heard of in years.

Yeah, as non-celebrity as it possibly could get.

This person didn't even know who Bae Juhyun was...

Kang Seulgi's explanation led to quite a change in Son Seungwan's expression—okay, she admitted she was immensely curious too.

Once Bae Juhyun hurried over, asking questions would not be so simple; therefore... they had to take advantage of the gap before Bae Juhyun's arrival to coax as much information as they could.

Ah! And they were not gossiping.

Asking more would help them in protecting their extremely hardworking leader.

Life was already tough for Bae Juhyun; what if she got deceived by someone?

The two girls together released a cunning chuckle.

Liu Xin'an seemed to have heard some strange sound, but when he turned back, the two exceptionally beautiful girls were just smiling at him.

"What's up?"

"Ah, nothing, these are shoes... since I've just moved, I haven't decorated much yet. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Of course not."

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