112: Chapter 112 Pei Zhuxuan

February 8, 2026, Thursday at 2:00 PM. The wind in Seoul was still cold, a thin layer of ice had formed on the Han River, and sunlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the glass curtain wall of the SM Entertainment headquarters in patches of light.

Kim Young-jun parked the car on the first basement level, turned off the engine, and glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror. Chairman Wang Shunyi was flipping through the profile of Bae Joo-hyun that Choi Soo-jin had brought; he reached the third page and closed it.

The profile listed Bae Joo-hyun's birthday, height, blood type, debut date, and a list of endorsement brands, along with several photos: on stage, in magazine pictorials, and on variety shows.

After finishing, he only said one thing: "This dress doesn't suit her." Soo-jin paused for a moment and said, "Chairman, that's from a pictorial last year."

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't respond, pushed open the car door, and got out.

The elevator went from the first basement level to the twelfth floor. The doors opened to a hallway covered in deep gray carpet, with giant posters of SM Entertainment artists hanging on the walls.

Bae Joo-hyun's poster hung on the right side at the end of the hallway, showing her in a long black dress from a profile view against a background of dark red roses. Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't look as he passed, but Soo-jin took a glance without stopping her pace.

The door to the meeting room was half-open, and voices could be heard inside. Bae Joo-hyun's manager came out first—a woman in her forties with short hair, wearing a black puffer jacket and holding a tablet.

She nodded to Soo-jin first, then looked at Chairman Wang Shunyi and bowed.

"Hello, Chairman Wang. Joo-hyun is waiting for you inside."

Chairman Wang Shunyi walked in. The meeting room wasn't large, containing a long sofa, two armchairs, and a coffee table set with two glasses of water, a plate of macarons, and a small potted plant.

Bae Joo-hyun sat in the armchair by the window, wearing a light pink dress with her hair down and the ends slightly curled.

She was halfway through a magazine in her hand; seeing Chairman Wang Shunyi enter, she closed it, placed it on the coffee table, stood up, and bowed slightly.

Her movements were neither fast nor slow, the degree just right—neither humble nor perfunctory. Her face was very small with a sharp chin and fair skin, but not a pale white; it was a white that glowed with a healthy complexion.

The neckline of the dress wasn't low, covering everything above the collarbone, but the fabric was thin, allowing the faint outline of her shoulders to be seen.

Chairman Wang Shunyi sat in the armchair opposite her. Soo-jin did not follow them into the meeting room, staying in the hallway to check the contract terms with the manager. The door was left ajar, and occasional voices drifted in, though they weren't clearly audible.

"Miss Bae, has your manager mentioned the details of the endorsement contract to you?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't engage in pleasantries; his tone was much like his usual meeting style.

Bae Joo-hyun picked up the glass of water in front of her, took a sip, swallowed, and gently placed the glass back on the table. The bottom of the glass hit the marble surface with a very soft, crisp sound.

"They have. 1.5 billion Korean Won per year for TV and internet advertisements, excluding offline activities. If there are offline activities, the fees will be calculated separately."

She looked into his eyes as she spoke, without flinching. Having been in the industry for many years, she had seen scenes like this before.

"What are your personal thoughts on this proposal?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi leaned back against the chair, his right hand resting on the armrest, his thumb slowly stroking the leather surface.

Bae Joo-hyun didn't answer immediately. She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the potted plant on the coffee table for two seconds before looking up again.

"1.5 billion is the market price; I don't think it's low. But I have one question: what is the product positioning of Shunyi Foods? I need to know what I am endorsing."

Her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, as if she were confirming a detail of cooperation rather than negotiating terms.

"High-end fire chicken noodles series. Health food series. Beverage line. The consumer profile is concentrated between twenty-five and thirty-five years old, which highly overlaps with your fan base, Joo-hyun-xi. Endorsing this won't be beneath you."

Chairman Wang Shunyi's speaking pace wasn't fast, but every word carried weight.

Bae Joo-hyun gave a small smile. It wasn't deep; the corners of her mouth only curved slightly.

"Chairman, you seem to speak very directly."

"Directness saves time."

Bae Joo-hyun didn't ask further. She picked up the water glass and took another sip, drinking more than before, until the water in the glass was half gone.

The sunlight from outside shone in from behind her, falling on her shoulder and casting a soft glow on the light pink fabric.

Chairman Wang Shunyi's gaze moved from her face to her shoulder, paused for a moment, and then moved back.

He pulled a business card from his inner suit pocket, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it across. The card was deep gray, printed with his name and private mobile number, but no title.

"This is my private number. You can contact me directly if there are any issues during the endorsement period."

Bae Joo-hyun glanced down at the card but didn't take it. Her hands rested on her knees, her nails painted a very light nude pink, with her index and middle fingers crossed.

"Regarding the endorsement contract, the manager will coordinate with your team. I came today just to see if you are the same in person as you are in front of the camera. Among SM Entertainment's female artists, your commercial value ranks in the top three. But commercial value isn't just about data; the face is also very important."

He stood up and buttoned his suit. The suit was deep blue, and the tie he wore today was a birthday gift from Park Min-ji, a dark-patterned navy blue.

"I've seen enough now. It's about the same."

Bae Joo-hyun didn't stand up; she sat in the chair and looked up at him. The sunlight hit her from behind, illuminating her silhouette with a faint golden ring.

"Is it the same as in front of the camera?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't answer. He reached out his hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you, Miss Bae."

Bae Joo-hyun took his hand. Her fingertips were cool and her skin was fine; she didn't grip hard, nor did she let go quickly. She waited two seconds before withdrawing her hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you, Chairman Wang."

Chairman Wang Shunyi turned and left. His leather shoes stepped on the floor, the sound of his footsteps mostly swallowed by the carpet. In the hallway, Soo-jin was still speaking in a low voice with the manager; seeing him come out, she immediately closed her folder and followed.

The manager glanced into the meeting room and pushed the door open to enter.

The elevator doors opened. Soo-jin followed him inside and pressed the button for the first floor.

"Chairman, the terms of the contract have been confirmed. The endorsement fee is 1.5 billion a year, with one version each for TV and internet advertisements. It's valid for twelve months, and renewal conditions will be renegotiated at market price. Offline activities will be signed separately, with fees starting at 100 million Korean Won per event."

"Mhm."

Before the elevator doors closed, the sound of high heels approaching from the hallway could be heard. Chairman Wang Shunyi's gaze passed through the closing doors and saw Bae Joo-hyun's figure appear at the end of the hallway.

She was holding that deep gray business card, standing at the door of the meeting room, glancing in the direction of the elevator.

The doors closed.

The elevator descended. Soo-jin stood behind him to the right, glancing at him through the metal reflection of the elevator wall; his expression was the same as when he arrived, showing no change.

The car was already parked at the entrance. Kim Young-jun pulled open the rear door, and Chairman Wang Shunyi sat inside, leaning against the backrest. Soo-jin got in from the other side and buckled her seatbelt after sitting down.

"Chairman, are we going back to the company?"

"Yes."

The car drove out of the SM Entertainment parking lot and merged into the traffic of Gangnam District. Outside the window, Seoul was gray, and the sunlight was obscured by clouds.

He closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn't Bae Joo-hyun's face in his mind, but the way her two fingers pinched the corner of that deep gray business card when she picked it up from the coffee table. It was unhurried, as if she were confirming whether something was worth taking.

"Chairman, when is the formal signing of the endorsement contract scheduled?" Kim Young-jun looked back from the passenger seat.

"Next week. Have Lee Jung-hoon set a time with them."

"Yes."

Soo-jin, flipping through the folder beside him, added: "Chairman, SM Entertainment also asked if Sunyi has any interest in signing other artists besides Bae Joo-hyun. The managers for Kang Seul-gi and Yoo Ji-min also came to ask."

"No rush. Let's finish this line with Bae Joo-hyun first. If the results are good, we'll talk about the next one."

"Understood."

The car got onto Gangbyeonbuk-ro. The Han River spread out gray on the right, and the ice on the river surface flashed past the car window.

Chairman Wang Shunyi opened his eyes and looked at the apartment complexes on the opposite bank. The building where she lived was not visible, but he knew the general direction.

His phone vibrated. A message from Park Min-ji.

"Are you coming back for dinner tonight? Sister Lee made soy-marinated crab."

He replied with one word: "Yes." She sent the time: seven o'clock.

He placed the phone face down on his knee and closed his eyes again. The heater in the car was running high.

He thought of the way she held that business card between her fingertips, flipping it over to glance at the back, which had no writing, before flipping it back.

He didn't know why he noticed this detail; perhaps it was because he had handed out that business card many times and had never carefully observed how others received it. Most people received it with both hands, bowed their heads, and said thank you.

Some took it with one hand—this was common when he first started his business—glanced at it, and put it in their pocket, the movement so fast it was like completing a task.

She was different. She looked at it for a long time, flipped it to see the back, and looked at the front again before he left. He had already turned to leave at the time, but he knew she was looking, because the gaze from behind is different from the gaze from the side; the gaze from the side is scattered, while the gaze from behind is focused, like a needle pricking the middle of the shoulder blade.

He didn't like being stared at from behind, but he didn't look back. As long as it was someone who could bring something to Chairman Wang Shunyi, he never cared if the other party was out of line.

The car stopped below her building. He turned off the engine and sat in the driver's seat without moving. The warmth from his palm still lingered on the steering wheel; he took his hand off the wheel and clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking a few times.

He went upstairs and rang the doorbell. The door opened; she was in loungewear, her hair untied, and she was placing a pair of slippers on the floor.

"You're back? Dinner is ready."

She turned and walked back to the kitchen, where Sister Lee was still busy by the stove. A pot of Samgyetang was stewing on the stove, bubbling away. He changed his shoes and sat down at the dining table without taking off his coat.

She brought a bowl of soup from the kitchen and placed it in front of him, saying to drink the soup first to warm his stomach. He picked it up and took a sip; it was hot, but he didn't frown.

"Did you see Bae Joo-hyun today?"

"Mhm. Talked about the endorsement."

"How is she in person?"

"She's alright."

She pushed the soy-marinated crab over, broke off a crab leg, and placed it in his bowl.

"What do you mean by 'alright'? Is she pretty?"

He looked at the crab leg in his bowl and didn't answer immediately. The dining room light was a warm yellow, shining on her face; her expression was calm, as if she were asking if the weather was nice today.

She didn't really want to know if Bae Joo-hyun was pretty; she was asking about something else.

"You'll see when the contract is signed. She's even prettier in the TV commercials," he said.

She didn't ask further and lowered her head to drink the soup. He finished that crab leg and then ate another.

Sister Lee brought out the second dish from the kitchen, and the dining table was full. The TV was on with the volume low, broadcasting a variety show where people were laughing loudly. The two people in the dining room ate their meal in silence.

"Minji, come with me to China next week. I need you to go and check the accounts for the equipment installation at the Guangzhou factory."

"Okay. Have Kim Young-jun book the tickets. I'll pack my own luggage."

"Mhm."

Outside the window, Namsan Tower was lit up in the night. In the distance, the last thin layer of ice on the Han River was slowly melting. Winter was almost over; perhaps in another week or two, the cherry blossoms would be in bloom.