From Jun-Yu's words, it was clear that he had been forced to wear the towel. But when Shin-Yue returned to her room, her face had turned bright red with embarrassment. Tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and a shy smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
Again and again, her mind replayed the image of Jun-Yu with his thick, messy, wet hair and that gentle, handsome face.
After imagining a few more romantic scenarios involving Jun-Yu, Shin-Yue covered her face with both hands and murmured,
Shin-Yue: "I'm already going crazy thinking about him. I can't imagine anything without him for even a moment. And today, I saw him like that…"
"I don't know how I'm going to live if Jun-Yu leaves me after this."
★★★
Jun-Yu needed some emergency clothes and pants, so he went shopping with Shin-Yue. As usual, he wore a mask and a cap over his head before leaving, making sure no one would recognize him.
Jun-Yu went to the men's section and began looking at some T-shirts, shirts, and coats for himself.
Standing beside him, Shin-Yue picked out a few outfits and said,
Shin-Yue: "These would look better on you."
"By the way, will you help me choose some clothes?"
Jun-Yu said nothing to Shin-Yue. He simply nodded silently.
Taking his agreement as permission, Shin-Yue brought him over to the women's section and began trying on different outfits one after another.
Jun-Yu didn't look at Shin-Yue even once. He simply nodded repeatedly and told her that every outfit looked beautiful on her.
At first, Shin-Yue was quite happy when Jun-Yu helped her choose clothes.
But before she had even finished shopping, she realized that Jun-Yu wasn't really paying attention to her.
Instead, he seemed distracted, lost deep in thought.
Jun-Yu was thinking,
"I left home. What am I supposed to do now?"
"What will happen to my studies, my research, my racing, and my dreams?"
"Besides, Shu-Yang is still in the hospital. What am I going to do about him? How long can I leave him there?"
"Should I join an e-sports club? I'm fairly good at gaming. That might actually be a good option."
"If I can earn some money by gaming, I can use it to pay for Shu-Yang's treatment and medicine."
"And with the money I've won from racing competitions, I could also restart my research."
"What am I supposed to do? I can't think straight."
"There's an exhibition coming up, and now my father has destroyed my research project and my lab. How am I supposed to recover all the data?"
"Damn it. I can't keep thinking about all of this. And what is wrong with my head again? Every time I try to think about something, this headache starts hurting."
"This headache just won't leave me alone."
"Anyway, Jun-Yu, thinking about all this while having a headache isn't going to accomplish anything."
"I need to start my research again. But before that, I need to talk to Professor Lin-Boshi."
"But before even that, I need to go to the hospital."
"I don't know how Shu-Yang is doing in the hospital."
Shin-Yue: "Jun-Yu, did your fever come back?"
"Or are you just feeling down?"
Jun-Yu was lost in thought, overwhelmed by all the worries about his career and future.
Suddenly, Shin-Yue's question broke into his thoughts.
But Shin-Yue noticed that Jun-Yu didn't seem to have heard her at all.
Shin-Yue: "Jun-Yu! Jun-Yu, what's wrong with you?"
"I've been watching you for quite some time. You seem really distracted."
As Shin-Yue said that while holding Jun-Yu's hand, Jun-Yu was startled. His gaze suddenly fell upon Shin-Yue.
Shin-Yue was wearing a black puff-sleeved midi dress. Part of her hair was tied into a loose bun at the back, while the rest was left open. A few short strands were scattered naturally around her face.
Her skin was bright and fair, with a subtle rosy tint. The black midi dress suited her perfectly. Moreover, the sweet, smiling expression on her face was enough to leave any man mesmerized.
Shin-Yue couldn't understand Jun-Yu's expression at all.
She released his hand and placed her palm against his forehead to check whether his fever had returned.
The moment her hand touched Jun-Yu's forehead, he suddenly murmured,
Jun-Yu: "Black rose."
Those were the only words that escaped Jun-Yu's lips.
Shin-Yue looked around in confusion and said,
Shin-Yue: "Black rose? But there isn't a single rose anywhere around here."
"Jun-Yu, I think you're feeling unwell. Come on, let's go home."
Although Shin-Yue could often read Jun-Yu's thoughts and emotions, at this moment she couldn't figure out who exactly he was calling a "black rose."
As Shin-Yue took Jun-Yu's hand and began walking, several toxic girls suddenly surrounded them.
The truth was, when Shin-Yue noticed how distracted Jun-Yu was, she had become so concerned about him that she completely forgot they were standing in a public shopping mall.
And right at that moment, everyone realized the true identities of both Jun-Yu and Shin-Yue.
Unfortunately, among the girls surrounding them was a reporter.
Clapping her hands, the reporter said,
Reporter: "Wow. How wonderful."
"People across the country respect Jun-Yu, the son of Mr. Jun-Kai. But do they actually know that Jun-Yu is a disgrace to the Jun family?"
The moment she heard those words, Jun-Yu's entire body seemed to burn with anger.
Shin-Yue was furious as well.
She couldn't understand why this woman was bullying Jun-Yu so cruelly.
But she knew that if both of their identities were exposed at the same time, the situation would only become worse, not better.
Shin-Yue: "Who are you? And what did you just say?"
"Jun-Yu? Who's Jun-Yu?"
"Why are you bothering Sen-Long?"
Reporter: "You don't need to know who I am."
"You're not the reason I'm angry. This guy is."
"And what did you call him? Sen-Long?"
"You're quite good at acting, I see. You could have become an actress instead of a presenter."
"Listen, I know this guy very well. Don't try to fool me. Otherwise…"
From the woman's vicious words, Shin-Yue immediately realized that she knew far more about them than she was letting on.
Still, trying to control the situation, Shin-Yue said,
Shin-Yue: "Otherwise what?"
"You know him, so what?"
"He's my best friend, Sen-Long."
"Now move aside. Look, I don't know you, and we have no conflict with you."
"Just let us go."
Reporter: "I didn't block your way because I intended to stop you."
"You'll understand soon enough if you tell even one more lie."
"And if this isn't Jun-Yu, then ask him to take off his mask."
"Everyone here knows what Jun-Yu looks like."
"I don't understand. If he's really Sen-Long, what's the problem with proving it?"
At the woman's provocative words, Shin-Yue was about to say something when Jun-Yu thought to himself,
"Even though I left home, this is still a matter of my family's honor—the honor of the Jun family."
With that thought, Jun-Yu removed his mask.
The moment he took it off, a strange, twisted smile appeared on the reporter's face.
But seeing Jun-Yu remove his mask, Shin-Yue looked at him in alarm and said,
Shin-Yue: "Jun-Yu, why did you take off your mask?"
"I was talking to her!"
Jun-Yu raised his index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.
Jun-Yu: "Shut up!"
"This is a matter of the Jun family's honor."
"Yes, what were you saying?"
"You said I'm a disgrace to my own family."
"Who are you to question the honor of the Jun family?"
Hearing Jun-Yu's words, the woman quickly pulled out her phone and played a video of Mei-Xue's press conference for him.
The moment Jun-Yu saw the news, his eyes widened in shock.
Suddenly, the warmth seemed to drain from his hands and feet.
But because of what the woman had just done, Shin-Yue found herself in an even more dangerous situation than Jun-Yu.
She thought to herself,
> "No! If Jun-Yu finds out who I really am right now, he'll never come near me again."
"Since that woman knows all of this, she'll probably tell Jun-Yu my identity right now."
"No. I can't let that happen."
Jun-Yu was focused on watching the video, while Shin-Yue was desperately thinking about how to keep her identity hidden.
Taking advantage of the moment, the reporter signaled to her colleague.
Suddenly, Shin-Yue's train of thought was broken when bright camera flashes went off right in front of them.
She immediately realized what was happening.
The woman was trying to capture photos of the two of them together and spread a scandal.
Without wasting another second, Shin-Yue suddenly grabbed Jun-Yu's hand and ran toward the exit of the shopping mall.
As Jun-Yu and Shin-Yue ran outside, the reporter and her colleague tried to chase after them.
But the reporter stopped her colleague and said furiously,
Reporter: "Leave them. You don't need to bother chasing them anymore."
"This is more than enough to tarnish their precious reputation, pride, and family prestige."
"Listen carefully. Make the story of them shopping together and then fleeing from the public go viral as a romantic relationship."
She paused, then thought to herself,
> "Now let's see how proudly you can boast about your brother, Jun-Yu."
★★★
In the living room of Jun-Yu's apartment, Shu-Yang was sitting on a single sofa, resting his clenched fists against his chin as he thought deeply. A medical dressing covered the spot where he had been injured on his head.
A short distance away from the sofa, Shi-Han stood with his arms folded. Confusion was clearly visible on his face, along with a worried frown on his forehead.
In Jun-Yu's kitchen, Xiao-Tong was cooking while occasionally glancing toward Shu-Yang.
Suddenly, the apartment's doorbell rang.
At the sound of the bell, Shu-Yang looked toward the door.
Shi-Han walked over and opened it.
Jing-Hao stood outside with a smile on his face. In his hands were a bouquet of flowers and a gift box. Shi-Han had no idea what was inside the box.
Jing-Hao: "I heard that Sir is staying at his friend's apartment. May I come in and see him?"
Shi-Han: "Hmm, sure. Please come in."
As Shi-Han invited Jing-Hao inside, Shu-Yang immediately stood up, puffed out his cheeks, and said,
Shu-Yang: "Don't let him come in, Sister!"
"Did I ask him to come here?"
"Tell him to leave. Ah!"
There was a clear trace of resentment in Shu-Yang's voice.
But because he spoke too quickly and became agitated, the movement pulled at his injured area. He cried out in pain.
Hearing him, Xiao-Tong immediately came out of the kitchen, took Shu-Yang's right arm, and said,
Xiao-Tong: "It's okay. Please calm down. You're still not completely recovered."
Xiao-Tong's words made Shu-Yang calm down somewhat. A look of embarrassment was clearly visible on his face.
Seeing Shu-Yang getting angry, Jing-Hao cautiously held out the gift and said,
Jing-Hao: "Sir, why are you so angry? I don't understand what I did."
"Anyway, I brought a gift for you. I hope you recover quickly and come back to join us soon."
Shu-Yang: "What? You're praying?"
"And you're praying for me to recover?"
"Hah! Who gave you permission to let Mr. Jun-Kai's pet thugs guard me in the hospital?"
"You probably wanted me to die from their torture!"
Jing-Hao: "Ah, Sir, you're our senior. We don't have the authority to give you orders."
"So I had no choice but to allow Mr. Jun-Kai to have his people keep you under special care."
Hearing the conversation between Shu-Yang and Jing-Hao, Xiao-Tong couldn't help but smile.
But when Shu-Yang heard Jing-Hao's words, he became even angrier.
Shu-Yang: "Just wait until I recover. Then I'll show you!"
"Even if I can't do it myself, I'll hire someone to give you three times as many injections as the doctor gave me!"
Faced with such a threat, Jing-Hao couldn't control his laughter.
He chuckled nervously and said,
Jing-Hao: "Heh heh... I'm not afraid of injections like you are, Sir."
Jing-Hao laughed as he spoke, and Xiao-Tong also burst into laughter.
Their laughter only made Shu-Yang's temper flare up even more.
He realized that threatening Jing-Hao with injections was completely useless.
Shu-Yang: "Shut up!"
"And you—sorry, Miss, please don't make fun of my weakness."
At Shu-Yang's words, the cheerful expression on Xiao-Tong's face immediately faded.
She lowered her head and said,
Xiao-Tong: "Sorry, Sir. I'm so sorry."