Peninsula: The young master is poor and doesn't want to date.

Chapter 61 Choi Ye-na

8:55 PM.

Li Zhengyi came downstairs, walked through the narrow alley that could only accommodate one person at a time, and pushed open the back door of the convenience store.

The night shift is from 9 pm to 9 am, a total of 12 hours.

He used to think this schedule was inhuman, but now that he's used to it, he actually feels sleepy during the day.

However, his life was inherently quite anti-human.

The convenience store lights always emit that pale white light, making the instant noodle packaging bags on the shelves reflect a shiny, oily sheen.

Behind the cashier stood a girl in a green work vest, who was tidying up the oden skewers next to the cash register.

Uncle Cui's daughter.

The last time they met was at the entrance of the storage room. She was carrying a box of Shin Ramyun to stock up, and she glanced at him but ignored him.

She was at the cashier today; it seems the day shift is hers.

Li Zhengyi walked to the cashier, picked up the shift handover sign-in sheet, and casually chatted while signing it.

"You're Uncle Cui's daughter? I didn't have a chance to say hello last time. My name is Li Zhengyi, I work the night shift."

Choi Ye-na looked up at him.

Just one glance.

Then she stuck the last skewer into the paper cup, clapped her hands, and spoke in a businesslike tone.

"Oh, you're the one who works the night shift. My dad already said so. The handover form is on the table; you can sign it yourself. There are two boxes of expired milk in the fridge that I haven't had time to throw away yet. If you have time, could you help me throw them away? If not, just keep them and I'll do it tomorrow. Also, the key to the coin box is in the drawer; the petty cash has been counted and is fine. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

She didn't look at him a second time as she spoke, and had already started unbuttoning her work vest.

Li Zhengyi paused for half a second while signing, then continued signing.

The girl's attitude towards him was even colder than the last time at the door of the storage room.

No, at least last time she didn't shut him up with her words, but this time she just said, "I'm leaving now, nothing else."

He was certain he hadn't offended her.

He doesn't even remember speaking to her.

"You seem to have a problem with me?"

Li Zheng put the sign-in sheet back in its place and leaned against the cashier counter.

Choi Ye-na stopped unbuttoning her clothes and tilted her head to look at him.

"You're quite sensitive."

"So I do have some opinions."

You're overthinking it.

After saying that, Choi Ye-na turned her head to look at the shelf.

Li Zhengyi followed her gaze.

The red packaging bags for Shin Ramyun were neatly arranged.

"What are you staring at the instant noodle shelf for? Are you hungry?"

"I love watching instant noodles, it's none of your business."

"Oh~~~ You must be hungry. Want a bowl of instant noodles? It's on me."

Choi Ye-na suddenly turned around, her composure crumbling.

"Oh? What do you mean, 'oh'?"

"Nothing much. I just think you're quite interesting. Your dad said you just got fired from your company..."

"Terminate the contract."

Choi Ye-na corrected him, her tone at least two degrees harsher than before.

"Termination and being fired are two different things. I left voluntarily."

"Okay, contract termination. So what are your plans now? Go back to your studies and get into university, or continue being a trainee?"

Choi Ye-na fell silent.

She had already picked up her bag, ready to walk out from behind the cashier.

Upon hearing this question, she stopped in her tracks.

She turned her face away.

"What I plan to do is none of your business. Why are you asking about the day shift when you're on the night shift? Besides, why are you being so familiar with me? We've only met twice today. Oh, and by the way, the way you're talking to me now, and the way you're initiating the conversation, pretending to be really curious about me."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, took a step back, and created a safe distance.

"I'm warning you, don't even think about messing with me."

"..."

Lee Jung-il remained silent for a full three seconds, looked down at the green convenience store vest he was wearing, and then looked up at Choi Ye-na's expression that said, "I've seen right through you."

Why would I want to make a move on you?

"Because I'm pretty."

When Choi Ye-na said this, she straightened her chest and raised her chin slightly.

"Although I'm no longer a trainee and haven't been wearing makeup seriously, my beauty is an objective fact, not something I'm subjectively boasting about. The line of people who want to date me could stretch from a convenience store to Hallasan Mountain. I understand your motivation to get close to me, because you're not the first one."

She looked at him with an expression that said, "I've seen through everything."

"However, I must state in advance that I will not be in a relationship. I am a professional idol trainee and will become a professional idol in the future. Idols dating is something that will be struck by lightning."

Li Zhengyi listened without saying a word.

He leaned against the counter, carefully examining Choi Ye-na's face.

To be honest, he's not someone who knows much about girl groups.

In the past two years, he has only had close contact with three female idols and trainees in person.

Bae Joo-hyun, Kim Ji-soo, and Lim Yoon-ah.

No matter what standard you use to measure Bae Joo-hyun's face, the conclusion is the same.

She looks better than others just by standing there.

Needless to say, Yoona is the visual center of Girls' Generation and a textbook example of excellence in the Korean entertainment industry.

Although Kim Jisoo was a trainee, her face was so beautiful that it would make any company interviewer decide on her on the spot.

Having gotten used to seeing these three people's faces, he naturally developed a cognitive bias.

To be considered an idol, one should at least look like this to be considered passable.

He used this standard to re-examine Choi Ye-na.

Her eyes are a bit dull, and when she pouts, she looks like a duck.

Especially with this expression now, with his lips pouting so high, he looks even more like him.

Individually, each facial feature looks fine, but when put together...

Anyway, within his cognitive framework, that's roughly how it is.

"You call this pretty?"

He spoke very sincerely.

Although Bae Joo-hyun's face becomes rather ordinary after a while, Choi Ye-na is not as good as Bae Joo-hyun.

Choi Ye-na's expression shifted from confidence to anger in a fraction of a second.

"What? What do you mean 'this is pretty'? Did you even look closely? Do you want to get a closer look? Do you want to turn on a flashlight to see it clearly?"

She took a step forward, tilted her head back, and pointed to her own features with her finger.

Li Zheng leaned back instinctively.

"I also know several idols and trainees, and there are many who are prettier than you."

He wasn't lying either.

I do know a few.

She is indeed prettier than you, Choi Ye-na.

The problem is that the three he compared to Choi Ye-na are not ordinary idols at all; they are goddesses of all time, top-tier pearls in the entire Korean Peninsula idol industry.

Using them as a benchmark to measure a trainee who has just been terminated is inherently unfair.

It's like you see Rolls-Royces every day, then you turn around and see a BMW and think it's nothing special.

But a BMW is still a BMW, not a Hyundai that's everywhere.

But Li Zhengyi clearly didn't realize this.

"How beautiful could your idol be?"

Choi Ye-na was so angry that her face turned red. She waved her hands in front of her for a long time, as if trying to grab some words in the air to retaliate, but she missed every time.

"I don't believe you! Tell me the name! Which trainee? Which idol? Which one is prettier than me? It has to be someone you know yourself, not someone you've seen on TV."

After thinking about it, Lee Jung-il decided that it would be safer not to mention Bae Joo-hyun's name.

After all, they've already "broken up".

Whoever contacts the other first is a puppy.

He doesn't want to be a puppy.

I'm not that familiar with Lim Yoon-a... after all.

Kim Jisoo...

Even if I told you, you wouldn't know him.

"ha!"