lcionline Chapter 13 Tiffany's True Purpose
Chapter 13 Tiffany's True Purpose
"Not bad at all."
Tiffany slammed down her glass, her voice rising a few decibels as she tapped the table, half reproachfully and half helplessly: "You two are really something else! One's a chatterbox, the other's a taciturn one. Eating together like this is enough to drive onlookers crazy."
She pointed at Kim Tae-yeon and then at Kang Yeon: "One of them just keeps saying 'not bad,' and the other just keeps saying 'delicious.' I really wasted my money treating them to this Japanese meal that cost 300,000 won per person. They didn't even get a decent response."
Kim Tae-yeon rolled her eyes at her, lowered her head, picked up a piece of tempura, and didn't say anything.
Jiang Yan felt a little embarrassed by what was said and awkwardly touched his nose.
"Alright, alright." Tiffany smiled and raised her glass. "Come on, bottoms up."
The three clinked glasses, the warmth of the sake sliding down their throats.
Tiffany put down her cup, then her eyes lit up as if she had suddenly remembered something: "By the way, Xiaoyan, your sister is arriving in Seoul tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, I'll pick her up at Seoul Station on the KTX at 2 PM."
"Sister? My biological sister?" Kim Tae-yeon, who had been eating quietly, suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"Ani, she's my neighbor from my hometown in Busan, we grew up together," Jiang Yan explained. "She just passed SM's weekend audition last week and came here this week to sign the contract. The company dormitory won't be available for another month, so she'll be staying at my place for now."
"A trainee from our company?" Tiffany immediately perked up, leaning forward. "What's their name? Which department are they in?"
"Kim Minjung should be in the vocal music department."
"Kim Minjung..." Tiffany muttered to herself twice, then turned to look at Kim Tae-yeon, "Tae-gu, do you remember him? The rookie audition last Wednesday."
Kim Tae-yeon shook her head: "More than a dozen people come in every week. I can't remember their names, but it's not easy for a teenager to come to Seoul alone from the countryside."
"We had it really tough back then, she was much luckier than us." Tiffany smiled and winked at Jiang Yan with her right eye. "If you ever need anything, just ask. In the company, a word from the two of us still carries weight."
"Thank you, Nuna."
"Don't just thank me." Tiffany gestured towards Kim Tae-yeon with a smug look on her face. "Our Tae-gu is a monster rookie who won first place in the vocal evaluation for three years during her trainee period. If your sister has any problems with her vocals in the future, going to her will be more effective than going to any teacher."
"Hey, you're the monster." Kim Tae-yeon's ears turned slightly red from her words, and she gently patted Tiffany's arm.
She then looked at Jiang Yan and said seriously, "If your sister needs guidance, she can come to my personal practice room on the sixth floor every Monday to Friday afternoon. I'm usually there."
Jiang Yan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly bowed and thanked her, "Thank you, Kim Tae-yeon sunbaenim!"
Kim Tae-yeon lowered her eyes, her fingertips gently tracing the rim of her glass. Her voice was soft yet exceptionally clear: "You don't need to call me 'senpai.' You can call me Paninuna from now on."
Although Jiang Yan was somewhat surprised, he still obediently nodded and replied, "Yes."
Tiffany secretly gave him a victory sign from the side, her eyebrows raised high, her expression clearly saying: How about it, wasn't Noona's assist awesome?
Jiang Yan couldn't help but chuckle, a genuine warmth welling up in his heart.
The meal lasted nearly two hours, and the dishes on the table were completely wiped clean.
Tiffany drank about half a pot of hot sake, her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and she talked twice as much as usual.
Kim Tae-yeon remained quiet, but her eyes were much gentler than when they first met, and she would occasionally refill their drinks.
The rain had stopped by the time the show ended.
The alleyways of Apgujeong were filled with the damp scent of earth after the rain. Kim Tae-yeon's assistant was already waiting at the entrance of the alley in a black van, the headlights casting two soft white beams in the dim night.
"Thank you for your hospitality today."
Kim Tae-yeon said something to Tiffany, then turned to Kang Yeon and nodded slightly: "Kang Yeon, let's talk again next time."
"Okay, Taeyeon noona, take care."
Jiang Yan bowed and saw her into the car, watching the taillights of the nanny van turn the corner and disappear into the neon lights.
The night wind, carrying the lingering chill of early spring, swept over, swirling up a few fallen cherry blossom petals from the ground. The paper lantern with the character "隐" (hidden) on it swayed gently in the wind.
He had just turned around to say goodbye to Tiffany when his wrist was grabbed.
"Don't rush off." The drunkenness on Tiffany's face dissipated almost completely in an instant, and her eyes, which always held a smile, now held an unprecedented seriousness. "Noona has something to tell you."
"What?"
Tiffany didn't say anything more, wrapped her black coat tighter around herself, and walked deeper into the alley in her high heels, turning back to signal him to follow.
The nights in Jiangnan are never completely dark. Cherry blossom trees along the roadside cast dappled shadows under the streetlights, and pink and white petals, wet with rain, fall onto the damp asphalt.
The two walked one after the other, their shoes making a soft rustling sound as they stepped on the flower petals.
After walking about fifty meters, Tiffany stopped under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, turned around and leaned slightly against the trunk.
She looked up at the sparse stars in the night sky, took a deep breath, and then said, "There's something I haven't said yet in the recording studio."
"You said you listen to music not just with your ears, you said the arrangement is out of touch with me, you said I want to dance barefoot, but it forces me to walk the runway in high heels. When others hear these words, they will only say that you are a genius and that you have eyes that can see through music."
She paused, lowered her head, and looked directly into Jiang Yan's eyes without flinching.
"But I know that what you can see is more than just music."
A night breeze blew, and cherry blossoms fell from the trees, a few landing on Tiffany's shoulders and hair.
Jiang Yan's heart skipped a beat, but he kept a straight face and frowned in feigned confusion: "Nuna, I don't understand what you mean."
Tiffany took a deep breath, her lips moved as if she were organizing her thoughts, or perhaps hesitating whether to speak.
Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke slowly and deliberately: "Taeyeon, what do you think of her?"
Jiang Yan's eyes flickered, and he unconsciously took a step back. "Noona, isn't this a bit too sudden?"
"Hey, you little rascal." Tiffany stepped forward, raised her hand and lightly flicked his forehead, her tone tinged with exasperation. "What nonsense are you thinking! I'm asking you, have you figured anything out from Taigu?"
"You can see through my thoughts that I've kept hidden for over a month just from my singing, and you can translate my unspeakable feelings into technical language. So what about Taigu?"
Her voice trailed off, carrying a barely perceptible plea: "Did you notice how many unspeakable things she's hiding in her heart?"
Jiang Yanzhen fell silent.
The night breeze of Apgujeong rustled through the alleyway, making the cherry blossom branches whisper in the wind, while in the distance, the neon lights of Cheongdam-dong blurred the horizon.
After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "So, Noona invited me to dinner today, and specifically asked Taeyeon and Noona to come along, just for this?"