bdsm-fiction Chapter 22 | Known in the martial arts world as... the Dwarf King
Chapter 22 | Known in the martial arts world as... the Dwarf King
Kwon Eunbi smiled and nodded, not exposing his nervousness, but simply reaching out to brush a small piece of paper off his shoulder. Actually, there wasn't much on his shoulder at all, but she brushed it off naturally, like an older sister caring for her younger brother.
Cao Yisen felt a slight tightness in his heart, but quickly suppressed it. He told himself not to overthink it, but the subtle feeling that arose when she was close to him still made him a little uneasy.
When Zhang Yuanying saw this, her gaze immediately became even more "obvious." As if she had suddenly found another point of leverage, her tone was soft, yet her words were precise.
"Wow, the captain is really good to you." She said deliberately.
Cao Yisen was dumbfounded again: "...?"
He found himself in a state of confusion tonight: every time someone said something, his mind was filled with questions. He even began to wonder if this body had actually done something outrageous in the past, but he hadn't inherited the memories.
Ahn Yoo-jin immediately reached out and pushed Jang Won-young back half a step, interrupting with a smile, "Don't talk nonsense, Won-young. Our captain is nice to everyone."
Zhang Yuanying wasn't angry when she was pushed away. Instead, she stubbornly crossed her arms and stood aside watching Cao Yisen pack his suitcase. She watched very seriously, almost as if she were picking on him: What's so good about you?
Cao Yisen stood the box upright, coughed awkwardly, and decided to go through the "polite procedures" first, at least not making himself seem like an outsider. He had just joined Pledis and was practically a member of the entertainment industry, so he thought for a moment...
He nodded to Choi Ye-na, Kang Hye-won, and Ahn Yu-jin in greeting: "Ye-na noona, Hye-won noona, Yu-jin... sunbaenim."
Ahn Yu-jin immediately smiled and waved her hand: "No need for senior, no need for senior, just call me Yu-jin. It puts a lot of pressure on me to call me that."
Zhang Yuanying immediately interjected, "Then why didn't you just say 'Yuanying' was fine?"
Ahn Yoo-jin: "Stop messing around."
Zhang Yuanying retorted, "Where did I cause trouble? I just asked him not to treat me differently."
Cao Yisen was even more confused: "I didn't treat anyone differently, I was just afraid of calling someone by the wrong name..."
Zhang Yuanying stared at him, then suddenly threw out an even more childish and direct question: "Were you always afraid of calling someone by the wrong name?"
Cao Yisen had no idea what to say, so he simply chose the safest approach: a polite smile.
His smile only made Zhang Yuanying more annoyed, as if she had punched a pillow. She bit her lip and decided to lay her emotions on the table: "Fine, just pretend I don't like you."
The living room fell silent for half a second.
Cao Yisen was completely speechless. He looked at An Youzhen, his eyes saying: Why is she suddenly like this?
Ahn Yoo-jin gave him a "don't take it to heart" look, while simultaneously covering Jang Won-young's mouth with her hand and laughing as she said to everyone, "She got sprayed on the head today, so she's a bit emotional."
Zhang Yuanying pulled her hand away from An Youzhen's, her face full of displeasure: "I didn't. I'm perfectly normal."
Choi Ye-na laughed so hard she slapped the table: "When our maknae says she's normal, that's when she's most abnormal."
Cao Rouli finally came over and pulled Cao Yisen into the house: "Alright, alright, don't stand at the door yet. Put your luggage down first, and take off your shoes. Today is a celebration of our move to a new house, not a trial."
Cao Yisen was pulled inside. As he changed his shoes, he wondered: Why was Zhang Yuanying targeting him? Was it because his body had really been rude in the past, or was she simply using this as her unique way of socializing?
He didn't have the answer either.
But he was certain of one thing—tonight's "surprise" would definitely go beyond just the ribbon.
Kwon Eun-bi picked up the confetti one by one with practiced ease. Ahn Yoo-jin and Kang Hye-won helped her while laughing. Jang Won-young was still arguing with Choi Ye-na, muttering, "You did it on purpose." Choi Ye-na, holding up the spray can, refused to admit it, insisting that "the props betrayed her."
Once the ground had finally returned to a level where they wouldn't fall flat on their faces, everyone realized that there was still some time before dinner.
Choi Ye-na was the first to suggest, "Let's play games first, there's still plenty of time."
Ahn Yu-jin immediately raised her hand: "I can, what game? I'm really good."
Zhang Yuanying retorted, "What are you trying to prove? You start cheating as soon as you lose."
Ahn Yoo-jin retorted without hesitation: "Jang Won-young, you're not afraid, are you?"
Kwon Eunbi sat down on the sofa and gently patted the empty seat next to her: "Quiet down, quiet down. If you're going to play, play something serious."
Jiang Huiyuan calmly took out her phone: "I have a fun game where the loser has to do the punishment. It's perfect for you guys."
So the living room quickly turned into a mini variety show venue.
Some people's phones were playing fast-paced background music, some were calling out commands, and some were keeping score. Choi Ye-na was the most excited, unable to sit still, clapping and laughing at the drop of a hat; Jang Won-young seemed the calmest, but she was always the most serious when it was her turn, and after losing once, she would study the rules thoroughly; Kang Hye-won, on the other hand, was like an observer, playing and commenting at the same time, and her comments always hit the nail on the head.
Cao Yisen originally only wanted to be a background character, but less than two minutes after he sat down, Cui Ruina shoved a card into his hand: "Cao Yisen, you come too. You're a new resident today, so you have to participate."
Cao Yisen wanted to refuse, but Cao Rouli was already signaling to him with her eyes—the kind of look that said, "If you dare not fit in, I'll expose your dark past on the spot."
He could only sit still and resign himself to his fate: "Okay, I'll participate."
After several rounds, the punishments became increasingly outrageous. Choi Ye-na lost and was forced to read a cheesy blessing in a "broadcaster's tone," only to burst out laughing halfway through. Jang Won-young lost and was forced by Ahn Yu-jin to imitate cartoon characters. While seemingly reluctant, this anime fanatic ended up having more fun than anyone else. Tsao Yi-sen accidentally lost once and was made to do ten squats, muttering as he did so, "Is your idol's training this torturous?" causing everyone to burst into laughter.
When the game ended, Cao Rouli checked the time and realized that there was still a while before the food delivery would arrive. She took off her hat, tucked her hair behind her ear, and sat down next to Cao Yisen.
"Oh, right."
Cao Rouli suddenly seemed to remember the important matter, "Didn't you just say you didn't know what level this building was at? Well, let me introduce it to you, so at least you won't look like a country bumpkin when you move in."
Cao Yisen immediately retorted: "I don't look like a country bumpkin."
Choi Ye-na chimed in from the side, "Yes, I heard you making that 'tsk-tsk' sound of amazement in the elevator just now."
Cao Yisen: "..."
Cao Rouli laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and then she began to talk about the house very seriously.
"This is a 2B2B," she gestured, "two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It's about 800 square feet, not big, but enough."
She pointed to one side of the living room: "The living room connects to the balcony, and it's very comfortable to have a balcony. You can hang your clothes out to dry or just relax and daydream whenever you want."
Cao Yisen followed his gaze and saw a small balcony outside the glass door, its light filtering through, framing the city's nightscape. Cao Rouli then pointed to the area next to the kitchen: "There's an indoor washer and dryer here, so you don't have to go to a laundromat. Don't let your socks get moldy before you wash them."
Cao Yisen immediately retorted, "I don't have a pile of socks."
Jiang Huiyuan added casually, "It's no use saying you don't know now. You'll find out after you stay for a few weeks."
Ahn Yu-jin laughed heartily: "Boys are all like that."
Cao Yisen looked completely innocent: "...Please don't attack me with stereotypes, okay?"
Cao Rou ignored him and continued, "There are also parking spaces available in the parking garage that you can apply for. If you need one for work in the future, or..." She paused, her tone casual, "it will be convenient if I want to change cars in the future."
Zhang Yuanying's eyes lit up instantly when she heard the words "change car": "Yuri unnie, what kind of car are you getting?"
Cao Rouli rolled her eyes at her: "You're at it again. I was just saying."
Kwon Eunbi then spoke, her tone gentle: "But this house is indeed very nice. The location is good, it's safe, and it offers good privacy."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Cao Yisen, paused for a moment, and then naturally looked away, as if it were just a casual remark.
Cao Yisen felt a strange tightness in his chest when that glance landed on him. He quickly looked down to get the water from the table, pretending to be listening to the house introduction, but his ears were actually getting hot.
Cao Rouli continued, "Your room doesn't have a private bathroom, but you can use the one in the living room. You can stay in that room. I'll stay in the master bedroom. You won't be competing with me, a girl, for the master bedroom, right?"
Cao Yisen immediately replied, "How could I dare to compete with you?"
Cao Rouli snorted, seemingly pleased with his attitude, and gently nudged him with her arm: "Sensible."
Choi Ye-na chimed in from the side, "Oh my, isn't Cao Yi-sen quite well-behaved? You've raised Cao Rou-li well."
Cao Rouli raised her eyebrows: "Of course, I raised them."
When Cao Yisen heard the words "I raised her," he suddenly felt a little strange. He looked up at her, and Cao Rouli was beaming with pride, her eyes crinkling, as if she truly took it for granted.
After the takeout arrived, the living room became even more lively.
Choi Ye-na eagerly opened the bag, Ahn Yoo-jin was in charge of distributing the drinks, and Jang Won-young complained to Kang Hye-won, "Don't touch my portion with your hands," but couldn't resist sneaking a piece. Cho Yoo-ri set out the disposable bowls and chopsticks, like a "temporary parent," while muttering to Cho Yi-sen, "Eat less spicy food, or your stomach will feel uncomfortable again."
"My stomach is very good."
Cao Rouli raised her hand to tap his head, but Quan Enfei chuckled softly beside her and came to his rescue: "Let him eat, it's a celebration today anyway."
When the phrase "Today is a celebration" was uttered, everyone nodded naturally and responded with smiles, as if it were just an ordinary dinner party.
The more a person laughs, the clearer they become that some things cannot be mentioned too bluntly.
Halfway through the meal, the conversation swirled from "the ribbons were sprayed incorrectly today" to "the company's recent schedule," and then from "who in the dorm is the most prone to losing things" back to "what to do in the future." This circling manner was very much like their usual way of doing things: not letting the atmosphere fall flat, but also not pretending that nothing had happened.
Cao Yisen picked up a piece of food and listened quietly for a while.
He didn't belong to their group, nor was he a member, but he could tell that everyone at the meal was trying to hide the word "last".
Kwon Eun-bi is the most obvious one.
She was always keeping things in check. If someone's conversation became heavy, she would respond with a lighthearted comment; if someone's laughter became forced, she would steer the conversation back to everyday things; if Ahn Yu-jin and Choi Ye-na were being too playful, she would subtly hand them water; if Jang Won-young was occasionally silent, she would casually ask, "Would you like some more?"
That's what the team leader's job is like. Often, it's not about leading the team to the stage, but about steadily supporting everyone's emotions.
When they had almost finished eating, Choi Ye-na went to the kitchen to wash her hands, while Ahn Yoo-jin and Jang Won-young sat on the sofa scrolling through their phones, discussing whether they wanted to order dessert. Kang Hye-won leaned back in her chair, lost in thought. The living room fell silent briefly, like the lingering warmth after the lively atmosphere had subsided.
Quan Enfei then put down her chopsticks, gently wiped her hands, and turned to look at Cao Yisen.
"Cao Yisen." She suddenly called him by his full name, her tone natural but a little more serious than before, "Next year... could you come to our concert?"
Cao Yisen was taken aback.
Cao Rouli also raised her head, her expression first stunned, then as if she understood something, her eyes softened involuntarily.
Kwon Eunbi didn't say the word "last," but her pause and tone made the answer clear. It wasn't an ordinary concert invitation; it was more like someone using all the dignity of a leader to say, "Come and witness this."
Cao Yisen's throat tightened slightly. He had just been arguing with Cui Ruina, but now he couldn't keep up with the joke.
"I..." He paused, as if confirming whether he was qualified, "Of course I am."
Kwon Eunbi smiled slightly, a very soft smile, as if she had finally let go of something that had been weighing her down.
"You've seen our team a few times backstage before, haven't you?" she continued. "I remember you always stood very quietly, but your eyes were always looking around."
Cao Yisen was instantly struck by her words, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the cup. Cui Yena, emerging from the restroom, immediately approached upon hearing the key phrase: "What? What? Kwon Eunbi, you invited Cao Yisen?"
Ahn Yu-jin looked up: "A concert?"
Zhang Yuanying didn't speak, but simply placed her phone face down on her lap and listened intently.
Kwon Eunbi nodded, her tone still gentle, but as if giving everyone a way out: "Hmm. Come on. When the time comes... everyone will probably miss you."
"Of course I'm going!" Choi Ye-na's first reaction was to use laughter to keep the atmosphere calm. "Cao Yi-sen, if you don't go, you're doomed. We'll hold a grudge against you for the rest of our lives."
Cao Yisen was jolted back to his senses by her words and managed a weak smile: "I'll go, I'll go. I have to go!"
Kwon Eun-bi looked at them, as if she had finally allowed herself to say a little more of what she couldn't say before.
"The company originally planned to end the activities at the beginning of the year," Kwon Eunbi continued. "Everyone knows... what that means."
A few seconds of silence fell over the living room, even the usually lively Choi Ye-na remained silent. Kwon Eun-bi, however, didn't let the silence grow longer. She continued the conversation naturally, her tone both reassuring and reassuring, "But it seems the company has recently reached some agreement, saying our limited-time group can be extended for a while longer. Not for a long time, but at least—it won't end so abruptly, right?"