Chapter 52: What’s It to You?

After Yoon Nam-hyuk returned home, Qi Huai immediately began a whirlwind schedule of being Kim Min-kyung’s assistant during the day and having video conferences with the GATE team at night.

To prevent others from discovering their private contact, Qi Huai changed Yoon Nam-hyuk’s contact name to “Landlord Uncle,” and Yoon Nam-hyuk changed Qi Huai’s contact name to “Assistant Yoo.”

The pitiful Assistant Yoo completely lost his name.

Nine in the morning.

Qi Huai arrived at Kim Min-kyung’s doorstep right on time. This was his third day as his assistant.

“Good morning, Actor Qi. This must be your first time at Min-kyung oppa’s house, right?” The person who opened the door for Qi Huai was Heo Young-hee, one of Kim Min-kyung’s personal assistants, a very cheerful and smiling woman.

“Good morning, Ms. Heo Young-hee,” Qi Huai said with a smile, handing her the bag in his hand. “Didn’t everyone mention wanting to eat taiyaki yesterday? I passed by a stall on my way here and bought a little of each kind. Think of it as a little snack after breakfast.”

“Omo!” Heo Young-hee gasped in surprise, her eyes sparkling. “Oh my God, we just mentioned it casually, and you actually remembered. How can there be such a nice person!”

Qi Huai couldn’t help but laugh. “Please don’t let me off easy just because of the taiyaki. What should I do today?”

Actually, being Kim Min-kyung’s assistant was quite difficult. Not because the tasks were many or heavy, but because Kim Min-kyung himself was too lazy, to the point that Qi Huai had almost nothing to do.

If it were any other actor, they would probably take on more endorsements or events before filming to ensure they had enough exposure and income during the shooting period.

But not Kim Min-kyung. The moment he confirmed his role in Director Baek’s film, he turned down all commercial offers.

Putting in effort was out of the question. He would sleep in the early hours of the morning and wake up at noon, then it was just showering, working out, and eating. During the day, he would either read the script, go to the company for a while, or play games. After dinner, Qi Huai would be urged by assistants like Heo Young-hee to get off work.

Qi Huai knew why. Because Kim Min-kyung was going to Heaven to play. This was not something an artist from Woosan like him should know.

And then the next day, Qi Huai would see a sleepy Kim Min-kyung, still with a hint of drunkenness right after waking up, with a faint hickey on his collarbone. The boring days repeated themselves.

With Kim Min-kyung’s family background, besides his shares in Heaven and RC Entertainment, he definitely had other sources of income. But Qi Huai had no desire to investigate these. He just couldn’t help but wonder, could the mastermind targeting the Yoon family be Kim Min-kyung?

If so, why?

Was Kim Min-kyung’s father not satisfied with his position as Prosecutor General and wanted to run for president, so he needed to control a few chaebols to fund his campaign and sink with him?

“Don’t worry, Actor Qi, there’s a lot of work today,” Heo Young-hee said with a chuckle. “Aren’t we starting to film in a few days? Min-kyung oppa has so much stuff to pack. He needs to bring at least fifteen suitcases.”

Fifteen?

Qi Huai was stunned.

“Did we scare our Actor Qi?”

Kim Min-kyung came out of his room slowly, a smile on his face, his hair still a bit damp, smelling fresh from the shower.

He yawned and said, “I have no choice. They’re all sponsored brands. I have to take photos when I get on and off the plane, and I have to change often when I attend dinner parties or shoot behind-the-scenes footage. Otherwise, wouldn’t the brand’s high endorsement fees be for nothing?”

Kim Min-kyung picked up the watch on the table, carefully put it on, and winked at Qi Huai. “Remember this watch? Last time, I almost forgot to meet with the brand representatives. Our Chairman Eun gave me a good scolding~”

Qi Huai smiled. He felt that Kim Min-kyung was truly a natural actor. Whatever came out of his mouth, whether true or false, inexplicably carried a hint of sincerity, making people want to believe him.

Today’s assistant work was crazy packing. Clothes, pants, shoes, socks, hats, bags, accessories, and even lip balm and perfume. From their condition and the repetition of brands, they were most likely all sponsored items.

Kim Min-kyung lounged lazily on the sofa, watching them pack, drowsy. “Sigh, what a hassle.”

Assistant Heo Young-hee chuckled. “Don’t complain about making money. Anyway, the stylist has already put together the outfits. You just have to wear them… Oh right, have you put on perfume?”

Kim Min-kyung pouted. “Not yet.”

Heo Young-hee quickly handed him a bottle of perfume. “Don’t dawdle, my Best Actor Kim. Hurry up and put it on. There will definitely be fans waiting at the company entrance later. At the very least, you should let everyone smell it when you’re signing autographs and taking photos.”

Kim Min-kyung sighed, sprayed a few times on himself, and a woody scent spread out. Qi Huai sniffed.

“What do you think of the scent?” Kim Min-kyung asked Qi Huai pitifully. “It’s a brand I endorse. Because I signed a one-year exclusive contract, I can only use this one… It’s not bad, but smelling it every day is enough.”

Qi Huai smiled. “It’s nice.”

Alphas were very sensitive to scents. Kim Min-kyung’s perfume was a heavy, cold woody scent. To Qi Huai, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. He still preferred the scent on Yoon Nam-hyuk—a rich tea fragrance with a hint of caramel sweetness, smelling warm and reassuring.

Thinking of Yoon Nam-hyuk, the corners of Qi Huai’s lips inexplicably curved up. Kim Min-kyung mistakenly thought he liked the scent and raised an eyebrow. “Like it? I’ll give you two. Help me share the burden, Actor Qi.”

“Thank you, sunbae.”

It was just a few bottles of perfume. There was no need to refuse.

“You like woody scents?” Kim Min-kyung suddenly asked.

Before Qi Huai could answer, he continued on his own, “I heard that a person’s taste in perfume is similar to their taste in partners. Some people like mysterious and calm woody notes, some people like quiet and distant green leaf notes… Ah, speaking of which, that guy Chul-woo hyung is a woody note lover, with a preference for heavy scents. As for Nam-hyuk, he’s obsessed with Chinese tea and has customized many green leaf-scented fragrances. They’re both people with unique tastes~”

Kim Min-kyung smiled at Qi Huai. “What about you, Actor Qi? Do you like woody notes or green leaf notes? Don’t tell me you like both? Haha.”

The System suddenly chimed in: [Oh, I know! The president likes green leaf-scented perfume, and he loves to drink tea.]

Although Attack Dog #4 talked a lot, jumping from one topic to another, and the System couldn’t figure out his train of thought, these few sentences were surprisingly useful.

Qi Huai didn’t answer Kim Min-kyung’s question directly, but instead smiled and asked back, “What about you, Min-kyung hyung? What scent do you like?”

Kim Min-kyung said meaningfully, “Me? Mmm, that’s a good question. Rather than which scent I like, I prefer a carefully crafted scent.”

He leaned back on the sofa, sprayed the perfume in his hand into the air, and closed his eyes to smell it. “GUCCI’s perfumes are very good, and so are DIOR’s. The packaging is exquisite, and the scents are carefully crafted. But I don’t like perfumes like these, no matter what the scent is, because anyone who can afford them can have them.”

He only liked unique, mysterious scents that belonged to him alone. That was what was interesting.

The woody scent in the air was too strong, giving Qi Huai a headache. His nose was sensitive, and he didn’t like scents that were too strong. Light and fresh, barely there, was best.

Although Qi Huai’s answer was clear, he didn’t answer Kim Min-kyung directly, because he always felt that there was a hidden meaning in his words. It seemed he wasn’t just talking about perfume, but about the people the perfume represented.

Nam-hyuk had said that his relationship with Kim Min-kyung wasn’t actually that good. Their elders knew each other from business and politics, so they, the younger generation, could talk to each other, occasionally having dinner and drinks for the sake of their families, and communicating about mutually beneficial resources and recent situations. That was all.

Yoon Nam-hyuk and Eun Chul-woo, one was Kim Min-kyung’s childhood friend, the other was his boss. Was there any special meaning in him mentioning both of them in front of him?

The System suddenly gasped: [How does Attack Dog #4 know the president’s preferences so well? He doesn’t have a crush on the president, does he?! Kim Min-kyung is 31, the president is 28. Could the original comic’s side story be—the younger brother he had a crush on since he was a child grew up to be an entertainment industry tycoon, so he deliberately signed with the rival company to get his attention?]

Daebak…

So cliché!

Qi Huai: “…”

Qi Huai wasn’t sure if the System’s guess was right, but if he followed this line of thought…

The reason Kim Min-kyung had chosen to drug Baek Soo-kyung in the original comic was because he knew Yoon Nam-hyuk and Baek Soo-kyung had a relationship, so it was out of jealousy?

Now, Kim Min-kyung had no interest in Baek Soo-kyung at all, and instead was always being meaningful with him. Was it because he knew he had a relationship with Yoon Nam-hyuk?

At the nightclub that day, Yoon Nam-hyuk had asked Kim Min-kyung to drug him. Was Kim Min-kyung jealous? So at RC, he brought up the matter of switching companies, trying to poach him from Yoon Nam-hyuk?

This time, why did he mention both Eun Chul-woo and Yoon Nam-hyuk at the same time? Was it because he knew Eun Chul-woo was also pursuing him, so he deliberately asked him who he liked more?

The System was bewildered: [That makes so much sense, Host Oppa…]

---

Night fell.

Since Yoon Nam-hyuk had returned to the Yoon family’s main residence, the person changing his dressings was the family doctor who had long served the entire Yoon family. Her name was Kang Jung-ah, a gentle woman in her fifties, quiet and professionally meticulous.

Yoon Nam-hyuk put on his bathrobe, covering the bandages on his back. “Dr. Kang, how is Father’s heart condition?”

Dr. Kang said softly, “No matter what, an elderly person with a heart condition is not suitable for drastic emotional fluctuations. He needs to rest quietly. If he is greatly stimulated, it can easily trigger an attack. It’s best to carry heart medication with him at all times and take it when the situation is critical.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk nodded.

Yoon Tae-min cherished his life very much. He had a driver and bodyguards to pick him up and drop him off, a doctor came to his house for check-ups every week, and the maids and Goo Ah-ra were personally responsible for his three meals a day. The menu was even customized by a professional nutritionist.

Although he had a heart condition, he had barely had an attack in all these years. A man like an old fox had a very good mentality. It wasn’t easy to stimulate Yoon Tae-min. Yoon Nam-hyuk even felt that the other would outlive him.

After the doctor left, Yoon Nam-hyuk lay on his stomach on the bed, feigning sleep. Qi Huai’s face inexplicably floated in his mind, and he cursed inwardly, Shibal.

I’m thinking of him again…

What kind of magic does this guy have?

Did he poison me?

Or are all people in love like this? When you’re not together, you want to be together. When you are together, you’re always kissing with your eyes closed, so you can’t even see the other’s face…

His hormones were raging to a shameful degree.

The cast was about to start filming, and the news that Woosan Entertainment was planning to terminate Qi Huai’s contract had been spread by Assistant Yoo. Yoon Nam-hyuk frowned, thinking, That guy won’t be bullied on set, will he?

Probably not… He’s tall and strong, not a child. He’s also good at fighting. The day he caught Choi Min-jun, he defeated several skilled thugs. Who could beat him?

But speaking of not being a child, he was actually only 22.

When Qi Huai was 22, he was 28…

Shibal!

When Qi Huai is 30, I’ll be 36??? Why does the gap feel so big!? Isn’t it only 6 years!?

Yoon Nam-hyuk’s eyes snapped open. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Dr. Choi: 「Dr. Choi, how is the scar removal matter going?」

「Dr. Choi: Uh…」
「Yoon Nam-hyuk: What’s wrong?」
「Dr. Choi: Actor Qi said that if you bring up the matter of scar removal again, you should just go to him directly.」

Yoon Nam-hyuk froze. 「How did he know I wanted to remove my scars?」

Aigoo!

Careless!

Dr. Choi frantically sent a voice message: 「Uh, President, old people are still not suited for smart screens. My eyes get blurry from time to time. Let’s talk again tomorrow. I’m going to bed now. Cough, cough, cough, good night.」

Yoon Nam-hyuk: …

Since Qi Huai was currently revolving around Kim Min-kyung and he didn’t know when he would get off work, and even after work, he had GATE’s progress to deal with, Yoon Nam-hyuk basically didn’t contact him proactively. He would wait for Qi Huai to contact him when he had time, and then reply.

He lay on his stomach on the bed, looking at his phone, scrolling through his chat history with Qi Huai. As he scrolled, he came across the half-naked bathroom photo Qi Huai had sent him.

Yoon Nam-hyuk stopped.

He pursed his lips, his eyes glued to the photo, reluctant to look away. The more he looked, the redder his face became.

A certain president was now someone who had tasted meat. Although he had not yet progressed to the final step with his lover, he was no longer in the same state as the little chick he had been before.

In the past, whenever Yoon Nam-hyuk’s sex addiction flared up, he would feel uncomfortable and nauseous, his heart filled with hatred and disgust for his own body.

Now it was different. His mind was full of Qi Huai. He would savor their kisses and caresses, recall the dominant and heart-pounding words he had said.

He didn’t feel disgusted, only happy.

Thinking of this, Yoon Nam-hyuk missed Qi Huai even more. He missed his voice and warmth, missed everything about him. When all the plans are over, he thought, I must take a long vacation and stick with Qi Huai every day, body and soul intertwined.

Without even turning off the lights, Yoon Nam-hyuk slipped under the covers and, like last time, secretly zoomed in on the photo, his eyes fixed on the perfectly sculpted chest, abs, and waistline in the photo.

The person hiding under the covers gradually began to let out soft gasps. The next moment, a video call suddenly popped up.

Assistant Yoo’s name.

—It was Qi Huai!

Yoon Nam-hyuk fumbled, wanting to hang up but couldn’t bear to. He could only accept the call. The first thing he saw was Qi Huai’s slightly tired face.

Qi Huai had wanted to ask how Yoon Nam-hyuk’s injuries were. But the moment the video call connected and he saw a certain president’s flushed cheeks and shimmering eyes, he swallowed the greeting that was on the tip of his tongue.

“Pull back the covers, let me see,” Qi Huai said, raising an eyebrow.

Yoon Nam-hyuk’s eyes darted around. “Hmm? What?”

“I said, pull back the covers, let me see,” Qi Huai repeated.

Yoon Nam-hyuk was flustered. “Why should I? Stop saying weird things.”

“You’re the one who’s doing weird things first,” Qi Huai couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t dare to pull back the covers? Are you hiding someone in there? How many people? Men, women, old people, children?”

“Hey!” Yoon Nam-hyuk was almost furious. “Do you think my bed is a movie theater?”

Qi Huai laughed for a long time. Just as Yoon Nam-hyuk was about to explode, he continued, “Yoon Nam-hyuk, how many days have we not seen each other? Hmm? I’ll be on set for almost a month. Can you hold it in?”

Qi Huai, who had no idea what Yoon Nam-hyuk had been looking at, thought, I don’t know if the sex addiction has any pattern. Can an injured person who can only lie on their stomach even have an attack?

Yoon Nam-hyuk put on a brave front. “What’s it to you!”

The System couldn’t help but chime in: [What’s his dick to you.]

Literal meaning!

Qi Huai: …

The system that couldn’t control its mouth was once again forced offline.

Seeing that Qi Huai didn’t speak, Yoon Nam-hyuk’s mood gradually worsened. “What do you mean, I can’t hold it in? What about you? Don’t you miss me?”

This feeling of you fantasizing about the other person, feeling flustered and chaotic, while the other person is completely unfazed and even laughing at you, is terrible! he thought.

“I miss you.”

Qi Huai smiled, exceptionally direct. “Of course I miss you. I just came twice thinking of you. My body isn’t satisfied, and my mood isn’t good either. That’s why I called to see you. Next time we meet, will you help me out?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk’s face exploded in red. He felt as if the wounds on his back were about to burst open. He quickly hung up the phone with a beep, turned off the light, closed his eyes, and burrowed into the covers, playing dead.

Qi Huai, who had been hung up on: ?

He gets angry if I don’t say I miss him, and hangs up if I do. Our prince is so delicate.