113: Chapter 113 Endorsement

In 2026, the wind in Seoul had yet to turn warm. In the conference room on the twelfth floor of SM Entertainment headquarters, the heating was running strong. Choi Soo-jin had arranged the contract documents in order by page number in advance, opening each one to the last page with the signature line facing up and a pen placed on the right.

She was wearing a dark gray professional skirt suit today, her hair put up, and the small pair of silver stud earrings on her earlobes were Uni-President standard issue from Kim Young-jun.

She took a step back to look at the tabletop, then shifted Bae Joo-hyun's nameplate one centimeter to the left. With gold lettering on a black background, the dark gray nameplate opposite it bore the six characters "Shunyi Foods Chairman Wang Shunyi," with no title.

Chairman Wang Shunyi walked in at 9:55. Lee Jung-hoon followed behind him, holding a kraft paper document bag in his hands. He was wearing that dark blue custom-made suit today, with a dark gray tie, and his pin hadn't changed.

He didn't look at the documents on the table, sitting down directly in the main seat. His gaze swept across Bae Joo-hyun's face; once he had seen her, he didn't look again.

Bae Joo-hyun had already stood up. The moment he walked in, she had risen from her chair, her body leaning slightly forward as she bowed. It wasn't a ninety-degree bow, but it was deeper than last time. She didn't straighten up immediately after bending her waist, waiting until Chairman Wang Shunyi sat down before she stood upright.

"Hello, Chairman Wang."

"Sit."

She sat down, folding her hands on her knees. Her back was very straight, but her shoulders were slightly hunched inward. Last time, she would look at him while speaking, her eyes not shying away. This time, it wasn't that she was dodging; it was that she didn't dare to look at him too much at all. She seemed to have realized something.

She glanced at his tie, then at his hand placed on the table, before pulling her gaze back, letting it fall onto her own knees. Her manager sat beside her, also sitting with a straight back, but their expression was more relaxed than Bae Joo-hyun's; after all, this wasn't their first time handling a contract signing.

Choi Soo-jin pushed the documents over, opened to the signature page. Chairman Wang Shunyi took the pen and signed, his movements quick, like he was approving a routine document. Bae Joo-hyun's hand didn't tremble while signing, but she paused after writing her name.

It wasn't hesitation; she was waiting for him to say something. He didn't. She closed the documents and returned them to Choi Soo-jin with both hands.

"Miss Bae, the contract is signed. For the upcoming commercial shoot, coordinate the time with Lee Jung-hoon; I won't be involved. During the endorsement period, watch your words and actions, and don't have any negative press. There are clauses in the contract; review them yourself again."

"Yes, Chairman." Her voice was softer than last time, omitting even "Chairman Wang" and addressing him directly as "Chairman."

The manager wanted to say something on her behalf, but she lightly tapped the back of the manager's hand with the back of her own, and the manager fell silent.

Chairman Wang Shunyi stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. Bae Joo-hyun followed suit, the legs of her chair making a soft sound against the floor. She glanced down at her chair, confirming it hadn't hit the table leg, before looking up.

"I have another meeting. You two continue."

"Goodbye, Chairman."

Bae Joo-hyun bowed again.

He left. The sound of his leather shoes on the floor wasn't heavy, but every step was clear, growing more distant until it vanished at the end of the hallway.

Bae Joo-hyun remained standing where she was, waiting until the sound was completely inaudible before slowly sitting down. The manager leaned over and whispered something; she shook her head, picked up the mineral water on the table, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

The elevator doors closed. Lee Jung-hoon stood behind Chairman Wang Shunyi, flipping through the schedule on his phone.

"Chairman, at 3:00 PM there is a video conference with the equipment supplier for the Guangzhou factory, and at 7:00 PM…"

"Cancel the 7:00 PM one."

Chairman Wang Shunyi looked at his own face reflected in the elevator doors; his tie was a little crooked, so he reached up to straighten it.

"I have plans tonight."

"Yes."

The car was already waiting at the entrance. Kim Young-jun opened the car door, and Chairman Wang Shunyi sat inside, leaning back against the seat. As the car drove out of the SM Entertainment parking lot, he didn't look back.

The building in the rearview mirror grew smaller and smaller. He glanced at it, then withdrew his gaze. His phone vibrated—a message from Park Min-ji.

"Are you coming home for dinner tonight?"

He replied with one word: Yes.

She sent the time over: 7:00.

"Chairman, are we heading straight back to the company?"

"Yes."

Outside the window, Seoul was gray and hazy, the sunlight obscured by clouds. He closed his eyes for a moment. Bae Joo-hyun had been wearing an off-white skirt suit today, her hair tied up, and the pair of pearl earrings on her earlobes were so small that one wouldn't notice them without looking closely.

The car got onto Gangbyeonbuk-ro. He opened his eyes and looked at the gray, hazy Han River outside the car window, running through the agenda for the afternoon meeting in his mind.

There were still a few clauses in the equipment procurement contract for the Guangzhou factory that hadn't been finalized; the other party's asking price was too high, and he planned to press it down at the meeting today. As for the matter with Bae Joo-hyun, he had already turned the page.

The contract was signed, the commercial would be shot and aired, and sales would rise; that page would be turned. A resource like a female celebrity was no different in essence from a raw material supplier.

A raw material supplier could provide stable raw materials, and she could provide stable traffic. That was all.

The car stopped downstairs at her home. He didn't turn off the engine immediately, sitting in the driver's seat and loosening his tie. He went upstairs and rang the doorbell. Park Min-ji opened the door, took his coat, and hung it in the entryway, saying that Sister Lee had stewed oxtail soup today, having let it simmer all afternoon.

He changed his shoes and walked inside. On the dining table, a few side dishes and two sets of bowls and chopsticks were already laid out. When the oxtail soup was brought out, it was still bubbling; the white radish was stewed until transparent, and the meat on the oxtail bones fell off at the slightest touch.

He picked up the soup bowl and took a sip. It was hot, but he didn't frown.

"Did you sign the contract?"

"Yes."

"How was she?"

"She's alright." He picked up a piece of oxtail bone and placed it on his small plate, bowing his head to eat the meat. The meat was stewed very tenderly, with a bit of tendon connecting the bone and meat. He nudged it twice with his chopsticks, and the meat fell off.

"What do you mean by 'alright'?"

He swallowed the meat, put down his chopsticks, and looked at her. "It just means she's alright. She's nice to look at, obedient, and doesn't cause trouble. She's enough for an endorser."

She didn't ask again. The sky outside the window had turned completely dark. The television was on, the volume very low. He finished the remaining soup, and she ladled him another bowl. He picked it up and drank it slowly, not speaking. She was eating quietly across from him. He knew she was watching him, but he didn't look up. Some things didn't need explaining, and some people didn't need to be compared.