After Kim Muhyuk left, only Ye Xiaotong remained.
She stood there for a mont in thought, then turned to ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the bodyguard behind her.
“Tao. You knew too, didn’t you?”
“······.”
“I’m asking if you knew who my father is.”
“Yes. I knew.”
“Ha······. This is insane.”
Tao was the bodyguard her grandfather had assigned to her.
A forr special forces soldier, sent to ensure her safety as she worked as a lobbyist.
“That must’ve been amusing for you. Every ti I asked my mother and grandfather about my father, I wonder how ridiculous I must’ve looked to you.”
“That’s not true. I never had such intentions.”
“Tao. I trust you. But you don’t trust .”
At her disappointed gaze, Tao’s expression finally cracked.
“That’s not it. I am soone who works for my boss.”
“Then you shouldn’t be hiding anything from ! You knew and still pretended you didn’t! You knew exactly how important this was to !”
“······I’m sorry. The elder ordered to keep it from you.”
Clicking her tongue, Ye Xiaotong rose and walked toward him.
“Tao. Choose. , or my grandfather? Yes, he’s the one who assigned you to . But the person you’re supposed to serve is . If you intend to remain his man until the end, then you can no longer stay by my side.”
Letting out a sigh, she gently brushed her hand along Tao’s arm.
She already knew that Tao, who had followed her like a shadow for so long, craved her attention.
“Choose. Otherwise, I’ll discard you.”
At her cruel words, Tao lowered his head slightly.
“Boss. I have always placed your safety and trust above everything else.”
“Then show that trust.”
“······What should I do?”
“From now on, you will keep no secrets from . If my grandfather asks about , you only tell him what I allow you to. And any orders he gives—you report them to . Can you do that?”
Tao nodded stiffly.
A satisfied smile ford on Ye Xiaotong’s lips.
“First, we need to leave for Beijing imdiately. I have a lot to discuss with my grandfather.”
As she turned and walked away, Tao carefully asked from behind her.
“What about Wei Zhengcheng attempting to assassinate President Kim Muhyuk?”
“Leave it. If he dies like this, then that’s all he amounts to. But if he survives, it would be nice to see him again in Korea. Ah, and if he fails—tell the organization to kill Wei Zhengcheng.”
“Is that wise? Killing Wei Zhengcheng is extrely dangerous.”
At Tao’s concerned question, Ye Xiaotong shrugged.
“Make it look like a suicide. After the humiliation he suffered at the inauguration party, it wouldn’t be strange if he took his own life.”
“Understood. I will relay the order.”
Nodding, Ye Xiaotong continued walking.
Her eyes were colder than ever.
* * *
After eting Bo Xilai following Ye Xiaotong, I returned to the hotel.
Cheon Jiyoung was waiting for .
“You’re late. Did you et her?”
The mont I stepped inside, Cheon Jiyoung clung to .
“Aren’t you going back to Korea? There’s nothing left to do in Shanghai, right?”
“Even if I go back, there’s nothing to do anyway. I’ll stay a bit longer, do so shopping, and then go back with you. But why are you dodging the question? Did you et her or not!”
Her pronunciation was slightly slurred.
I glanced around the room—and as expected, a whiskey bottle and glass were scattered across the table.
“Have you been drinking?”
“I had a little while waiting for you. Just answer already!”
“Yeah. I t her.”
“What did you talk about? When we had lunch a few days ago, nothing special ca up.”
I loosened my tie and slowly walked toward the sofa.
“What else would we talk about? Business.”
“Really? Hmm.”
Cheon Jiyoung glanced at with a strange look.
I knew exactly what she was thinking.
I flicked her forehead lightly, then sat down and poured myself a glass of whiskey.
“We’re going back to Korea in three days. If you want to shop, do it now. If there’s anywhere you want to visit, go ahead and see everything before we leave.”
“Okay!”
She answered brightly and sat across from .
“So? She seed like a nice unnie, right? I don’t know what you think, but she really helped a lot during my activities in China. She wouldn’t approach just to get close to you.”
There was no reason to shatter her illusion.
I gave a small nod and dropped ice into my glass.
“Yeah. Must be a coincidence. That’s what I think too. But what if I had gone back earlier? Why did you co all the way here without thinking?”
“Well······ if I couldn’t et you, I would’ve just found your hotel and co there. It didn’t have to be that exact place. And I wanted to co to China anyway. My entire China schedule got canceled suddenly, so I ended up with nothing.”
What a luxurious complaint.
I took a sip and lightly scolded her.
“You should rest properly when you have ti.”
“If I get older, I won’t be able to play the roles I want even if I want to.”
“What are you talking about? You’re still young, and you’re already worrying about age?”
“You’re the one talking nonsense. Younger people are already catching up from below. If you just sit still, you’ll fall behind.”
She snapped back imdiately, but unlike before, her face was bright.
“Do you really like working in the entertainnt industry that much?”
“Yeah. It suits . It’s not sothing I’m doing just to make a living—it’s sothing I want to do, so maybe that’s why it feels easier.”
From there, Cheon Jiyoung started chatting endlessly.
I sipped my drink and asked her about her work, listening as she spoke.
At so point, I checked the ti.
Quite a bit had passed.
“That’s enough drinking. Go inside and get so sleep.”
Her face was flushed now.
“You keep treating like a kid. I’m all grown up now.”
I chuckled softly at her complaint and finished my drink.
Just as I leaned forward to set the empty glass down—
The sound of glass shattering suddenly rang out.
At the sa ti, the furniture behind exploded apart, and fragnts grazed past my cheek.
I instinctively leaped over the table and pulled Cheon Jiyoung into my arms.
Then I dove under the table without hesitation.
“Ahh!”
She scread, but I didn’t have the luxury to calm her.
‘A sniper?’
The sharp gunshot vanished.
Then—silence.
No more bullets ca flying in, but I stayed low, using the sofa and table as cover.
“Are you okay?”
“O-Oppa...”
Her face was pale.
The silence didn’t last long.
A loud crash followed, and the large window shattered completely.
Cold air rushed into the wide living room in an instant.
Cheon Jiyoung trembled violently.
“It’s okay. I’m here. Calm down.”
I reassured her while waiting for Manager Ma.
Monts later, Manager Ma burst in with the security team.
“Boss! What happened—!”
He stopped mid-step.
The guard beside him had just been shot by a bullet that ca out of nowhere.
The security team imdiately dropped low.
Manager Ma calmly lowered himself and crawled toward .
“Boss. Are you alright?”
I nodded, covering Cheon Jiyoung’s eyes as I spoke.
“It was a sniper targeting .”
There was no ti to be formal.
“I’ll dispatch people imdiately.”
Manager Ma spoke rapidly into his radio.
“A sniper attack targeting the boss has occurred. Identify the location and neutralize.”
— Yes!
He gave the order, then looked between and Cheon Jiyoung.
Noticing her trembling figure, he t my eyes as if asking for permission to move. I glanced at him—he shook his head.
“Boss, it’s dangerous to move right now. We haven’t identified the sniper’s position yet. We need to assess the situation a bit longer.”
Manager Ma slightly raised his head to scan the building opposite—
A bullet imdiately flew past him.
He ducked instantly.
“We have to hold position until we locate the sniper.”
Then, with concern—
“Boss. You’re bleeding. Did a bullet graze you?”
Only then did I touch my cheek.
I hadn’t noticed—but there was quite a bit of blood.
I shook my head.
“No. Just debris from the furniture. It’s nothing serious.”
That wasn’t what mattered.
Getting out of here safely was.
— Location confird.
The radio crackled.
“Neutralize imdiately. Capture if possible, but killing is acceptable. The boss’s safety is the priority.”
— Yes!
Manager Ma spoke again, as if to reassure .
“They’ve confird the location. This will be over soon. Please hold on a bit longer.”
If Manager Ma said so, it would be handled quickly.
I nodded and continued calming Cheon Jiyoung.
“Jiyoung. Are you okay?”
“...Yeah.”
Her voice trembled, but she answered.
Keeping her eyes covered, I organized my thoughts.
‘Who is it? The Shanghai faction? Ye Xiaotong? Or...’
We had rented out the entire floor.
No one could enter.
Even room service was intercepted by security at the elevator.
Everything had been airtight.
And yet—a sniper.
This wasn’t sothing I had accounted for.
“Report the situation.”
While I was thinking, Manager Ma continued communicating.
— We are engaged. There’s more than one.
“What? ...Understood. Report again if anything changes.”
He cut the connection and imdiately contacted the hotel security team.
“They might infiltrate the hotel. From this mont on, control all incoming personnel. Lock down the boss’s floor.”
— Understood!
After ending the call, Manager Ma gave hand signals to the guards inside the room.
They moved out, staying low, and closed the door behind them.
“I apologize, boss. You may have to wait a bit longer.”
Leaving it to a professional like him was the best option.
At that mont, my phone rang on the table.
Manager Ma swiftly grabbed it and handed it to .
I checked the caller and answered imdiately.
— President Kim Muhyuk, are you safe?
“What exactly is going on? You guaranteed my safety. And now there’s a sniper attack in a hotel in downtown Shanghai? Does that make any sense?”
Bo Xilai’s voice was full of shock.
— We’ve deployed ard police.
“My security team has identified the sniper’s position and is engaged. I’ve authorized the use of firearms, so I ask for your understanding.”
This could beco a problem.
It was better to inform him in advance.
— I’ve already been briefed. Do not leave your position until the ard police arrive. I’ll be there shortly.
His voice trembled slightly before the call ended.
From that reaction, Bo Xilai could be ruled out as a suspect.
Ti passed.
Only Cheon Jiyoung’s ragged breathing filled the room.
Then—
— Situation resolved.
“Any survivors?”
Manager Ma asked.
— We’re not sure. They were all shot down. We prioritized elimination over capture to minimize our casualties.
“...Our losses?”
— Not confird yet. The ard police have secured the area... What should we do?
Manager Ma looked at .
“Tell them to stand down. Put down their weapons and wait. No resistance.”
He relayed my order, then stood and moved toward the window.
After checking outside through the shattered glass, he turned back.
“Boss. Let’s move to another room.”
I nodded and stood up, removing my hand from Cheon Jiyoung’s eyes.
My palm was soaked—whether from sweat or tears, I couldn’t tell.
“It’s over now. You’re safe.”
She looked at with fear still lingering in her eyes.
For her sake, I forced a smile and led her out.
In the new room, the windows were covered with curtains.
“Go inside and rest for now.”
I gently pushed her into the room and closed the door.
The mont the door shut, the forced smile vanished from my face.
“Find out who’s behind this. No matter what.”
At my cold command, Manager Ma imdiately bowed his head.
Whoever did this—
they would pay at least double.
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