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Chapter 289: Changing Fate (2)

Wang Min expressed his gratitude repeatedly in an emotional tone.

-I don\'t know how to repay this kindness. Thanks to you, my son and daughter-in-law are alive...

"Not at all, sir. I just had a bad dream and acted on a whim as a friend. This happened to work out by chance," I replied using the most respectful language.

-Please, don\'t be so formal. If you\'re my son\'s friend, you\'re like a son to me too. Speak comfortably with me.

A man who would later become the top official of the Chinese Communist Party had asked me to treat him like a father. I had no idea how to respond, but eventually agreed as he continued to press me further.

Then Wang Min left me with one last request, saying I should call him whenever I needed help. I tried to decline, but Wang Min firmly stated that such offers should not be refused.

"Understood, Father."

-It sounds nice to hear you call me that.

After finishing his words, Wang Min asked to speak with his son again.

When I handed the phone to Wang Long, he continued the conversation with an excited tone. After a long chat, Wang Long ended the call saying he would contact Wang Min again later.

"Yoon-Ho, my father wants me to bring you to China sometime."

"Me?"

"He says he can\'t just let this go. He wants to repay you somehow."

Wang Long seemed excited to see his father asking to meet his friend for the first time since he became an adult.

"Scrap that. Actually, would you like to join us when we return to China?" Wang Long asked.

Lily also encouraged me to come with them, but I simply didn\'t have the time.

"I appreciate the offer, but Yoo-Jin\'s schedule is so packed that I really can\'t go. Let\'s plan for another time."

Thanks to saving Lily\'s life, I received an unexpected invitation.

At that moment, I noticed Ling Ling who had been quietly observing from the corner looking at me with a gleam in her eyes. It was as if she believed that earning my approval would make her an idol.

\'Ling Ling, just hang in there for a bit longer,\' I remarked inwardly.

I deliberately ignored Ling Ling\'s gaze and began comforting the others who were still shaken by the sudden news of the earthquake.

***

Wang Long, Lily, and Ling Ling had a three-day visit to Korea planned and Ju Yung-In was originally supposed to take them on a tour of Korea on the first day. Unfortunately, the Sichuan earthquake disrupted those plans. At their request to cancel all schedules and rest, I ended up bringing the three of them to my home.

Having been informed beforehand, Yoo-Jin and Miso greeted them with overwhelming hospitality. "Welcome, everyone!"

With Ling Ling acting as the interpreter, there were no difficulties in communication.

While Jung In-Ji was preparing a meal for our guests, the topic of the L.M.L brand showcase which was happening the next day came up.

Lily suggested that she could join as a guest if it wouldn\'t be a bother.

Upon hearing her suggestion, I immediately called Lee Yung-Ah and relayed the proposal.

-My goodness! Lily is currently the hottest model in China, isn\'t she!?

"Yes, she\'s at my place right now."

When I sent a picture of Lily and I, Lee Yung-Ah was startled and quickly accepted the offer.

-Absolutely yes! I\'ll schedule her right after Miss Yoo-Jin. Is that okay?

"That sounds good. I\'ll see you tomorrow then."

Then, Lily said she would help Yoo-Jin prepare for the stage by teaching her how to walk like a model. "Yoo-Jin, I\'ll help you!"

"Thank you, Lily unnie."

Since the living room on the first floor was too small, we went out to the yard where Lily began her lesson by showing Yoo-Jin the correct posture and started walking.

"Keep your back straight, gaze slightly downward, and walk with a confident expression. Like this," explained Lily.

Then, wearing her slippers, she started her walk with a charismatic look with a towel draped over her shoulder that had been drying in the yard.

After I translated Lily\'s instructions, Yoo-Jin also grabbed a towel from the laundry rack, draped it over her shoulder, and began to walk—wearing slippers as well.

Yoo-Jin asked, "Like this?"

Lily shook her head. "Hmm, something\'s off. Let\'s try it a few more times!"

As Lily said, Yoo-Jin\'s first couple of attempts were awkward. But after watching Lily demonstrate the walk a few more times, Yoo-Jin quickly started to mimic her.

Yoo-Jin\'s walk soon resembled Lily\'s so closely it was as if she was \'performing\' as Lily herself.

After about ten rounds of practice, Lily finally yelled okay with a satisfied smile. "Wow~ You have incredible talent! I bet you could be a successful professional model if you wanted to!"

Yoo-Jin beamed at Lily\'s high praise.

However, Ling Ling, who had been filming with a camera, called out with a slightly disappointed voice. "Yoo-Jin unnie! Let\'s try just one more time!"

"Again?" asked Yoo-Jin.

"Yes. Yoo-Jin unnie, your body has a prettier shape than my sister\'s. So you should walk in a way that accentuates your figure more. Trust my judgment!"

Ling Ling planned to post the video on a fan site when she returned to China and was making demands like a professional director.

Given that Lily was quietly observing without objection, it didn\'t seem like Ling Ling\'s comments were far-fetched. After all, it was not uncommon for dedicated fans to develop skills that rival professionals.

Thanks to Ling Ling, Yoo-Jin\'s walk was becoming more and more perfect as time went on.

In the darkening yard of the Cheonho-dong house, one of Korea\'s top actresses coached by China\'s hottest model was sweating profusely as she practiced her walk, wearing slippers on her feet and holding a pink towel in hand.

***

The next morning, I headed to the second floor as soon as I woke up and woke up Wang Long.

Even without my prompting, everyone was already drinking their detox juice as if it had become a habit. Lily and Ling Ling were also drinking detox juice beside Yoo-Jin and Miso.

"Oh, I didn\'t realize everyone\'s already up," I remarked.

Miso came running over and excitedly bragged that Ling Ling had told her a really fun story the night before. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, I have a fan in China too!"

It seemed Ling Ling told Miso about the Chinese fan club, Yu-Mi-Love.

"Wow~ that\'s so exciting!" I responded.

"Yeah!"

"Want to hear even better news? Soon, your mom and you will have an official fan club in Korea too," I said with a smile.

Currently, the fan cafe created during Yoo-Jin\'s Burger Girl days was filling the role of her fan club. However, with Yoo-Jin increasing popularity, the company needed to establish and manage an official fan club.

As fan clubs grew larger, challenges related to managing substantial funds for tribute gifts could emerge. Hence, it was much safer to operate an official fan club with an accountant.

Hearing that she would have an official fan club in Korea, Miso got excited and went to find her mom. "Mom! I\'m getting a fan club too~"

"Really? That\'s great!"

"It is!"

Seeing Miso so happy made me smile without realizing it.

"Okay, everyone. Hurry up and get ready. We\'re on a tight schedule today."

Once we were all ready, we headed straight to the Samsung-dong Art Hall where the L.M.L brand showcase was being held.

When we arrived at the Art Hall, the staff directing cars to the parking lot were sweating profusely. Although the venue was set up for 500 seats, the number of guests had been increased and now there were 700 seats. As a result, cars were lining up to enter the parking lot.

"There are a lot of people."

As we parked, Choi Sun-Mi, the Assistant Manager of L.M.L who was in charge of today\'s event, rushed out to greet us. "Welcome, everyone. We\'ve been waiting for you."

Choi Sun-Mi guided us through a passageway reserved for staff. As we walked toward Entrance 2 about 50 meters away from the parking lot, Choi Sun-Mi carefully asked a question. "Um, Mr. Jung... has Mrs. Lee ever worked in the fashion industry before by chance?"

Lee Mi-Ri had been on-site since early morning to check Yoo-Jin\'s outfit. When she saw some issues with the clothes backstage, she immediately fixed them on the spot.

"Well, yes."

When I replied that Lee Mi-Ri was a former designer and had been one of the candidates for editor-in-chief at Bogue in New York, Choi Sun-Mi\'s jaw dropped and she was left speechless.

"Oh my goodness. No wonder she stood out. That explains everything..."

Choi Sun-Mi remarked that it had seemed odd to her how the meticulous Lee Yung-Ah had entrusted Yoo-Jin\'s outfits entirely to someone else backstage.

Hearing that one of my team members was being recognized made my heart swell with pride.

"She\'s always been extraordinary. I bet there\'s no one in Korea who can match Mrs. Lee Mi-Ri in terms of her expertise," I remarked proudly.

Choi Sun-Mi\'s eyes sparkled as she mentioned that she should get to know Lee Mi-Ri better on a personal level.

In the meantime, we had arrived at the second exit. When the door opened, a long hallway leading to the backstage area came into view.

"Follow me this way, please." said Choi Sun-Mi as she guided us in a line through the narrow hallway.

***

Backstage at the Samsung-dong Art Hall, employees of the L.M.L brand, a subsidiary of LM Clothing, were hanging the outfits that had passed inspection on a row of garment racks.

However, the outfit for today\'s main model, Jung Yoo-Jin, was placed on a separate rack. In front of it, Lee Mi-Ri, was personally inspecting the clothes.

Lee Mi-Ri was meticulously checking ten outfits in total against the design book. When she noticed issues with the second and third outfits, she began repairs without hesitation.

"Phew~ It\'s tiring to do this after so long," Lee Mi-Ri remarked as she finished fixing the zipper on the second outfit at a table near the rack.

She was now drenched in sweat having worked intensely since early morning. After taking a brief moment to catch her breath, Lee Mi-Ri took the third outfit, which had beads on it, off the rack to start fixing it.

At that moment, a sharp voice echoed in her ears.

"Hey! Who do you think you are to recklessly touch the outfits for the show?"

Wondering who was yelling so loudly, Lee Mi-Ri turned her head to find a woman in a pristine white suit glaring and pointing at her accusingly.

\'What\'s that woman doing here?\' Lee Mi-Ri wondered.

The woman was none other than Director Jo Jin-Hee of LM Clothing. She was a high-ranking official who had interviewed Lee Mi-Ri when she applied to LM Clothing the year she returned to Korea.

Lee Mi-Ri still remembered how absurd it had been when Jo Jin-Hee had dismissed her international experience, insisting she provide domestic credentials instead.

However, Lee Mi-Ri had never mentioned that she applied to LM Clothing before as she didn\'t want to create any unnecessary friction with Lee Yung-Ah.

Hoping the woman wouldn\'t recognize her, Lee Mi-Ri cautiously responded, "Um, Ms. Lee Yung-Ah asked me to handle Miss Yoo-Jin\'s outfits..."

However, Jo Jin-Hee cut her off before she could finish. "Hey! Didn\'t you hear me? First, take your hands off the outfit!"

As Jo Jin-Hee\'s shrill voice rang out, Team Lead Ahn Sang-Yeon, who was managing the backstage, hurried over.

"Oh, Mrs. Jo, this is Miss Jung Yoo-Jin\'s stylist."

Jo Jin-Hee\'s expression turned cold. "So what? If she\'s a stylist, she should stick to picking out clothes. How dare she mess with the designer\'s work! I\'ve been too busy to be on-site for a while, and now everything\'s a mess!"

Jo Jin-Hee was a veteran with 20 years of experience at LM Clothing. Although the recently founded L.M.L brand was personally managed by Lee Yung-Ah, no one could ignore a director from LM Clothing, the parent company.

Ahn Sang-Yeon tried to explain that Lee Yung-Ah had given Lee Mi-Ri permission, but Jo Jin-Hee wasn\'t listening at all.

Instead, she began to berate Lee Mi-Ri even further. "Wait a minute. You... I\'ve seen you somewhere before."

Jo Jin-Hee tilted her head in thought before suddenly bursting out in anger. "What the...? It\'s you! You\'re that arrogant brat who acted all high and mighty because you\'d been abroad!"

Lee Mi-Ri bit her lip at Jo Jin-Hee\'s harsh words. She had hoped not to be recognized, but Jo Jin-Hee clearly remembered her—though she twisted the truth and recalled Lee Mi-Ri as someone who had bragged when, in reality, she had desperately pleaded for the job.

"Hey! Didn\'t I tell you there was no place in this industry for someone like you? So you ended up as a stylist, huh? What, did you think you\'d made it just because you\'re at a fashion show now?"

If this had only been about her, Lee Mi-Ri would have endured it. But she couldn\'t betray the trust that Lee Yung-Ah and Jung Yoon-Ho had placed in her by entrusting her with Jung Yoo-Jin\'s outfits.

Lee Mi-Ri met Jo Jin-Hee\'s gaze directly and replied firmly, "That\'s not it. Ms. Lee gave me permission to make adjustments to the outfits."

"Chief Lee Yung-Ah gave you permission?"

Ahn Sang-Yeon quickly nodded in agreement as well. "Yes, Ms. Lee had asked her to take care of Miss Yoo-Jin\'s outfits."

Hearing an unexpected response, Jo Jin-Hee turned her irritation towards Ahn Sang-Yeon this time. "Hey! If Chief Lee made such a decision, you should have stopped her. What were you all doing? You call yourselves designers, and yet you let a mere stylist handle your work?"

As Ahn Sang-Yeon began to sweat profusely, Lee Mi-Ri briefly considered whether she should back down. However, she couldn\'t tolerate the idea of Jung Yoo-Jin\'s outfit not being perfect for the show.

With determination, Lee Mi-Ri looked directly at Jo Jin-Hee and began to speak clearly. "Mrs. Jo! If you need to scold someone, scold me. But I need to finish the alterations on Miss Yoo-Jin\'s outfit, so please step aside. Will you take responsibility if the show gets ruined?"

Jo Jin-Hee scoffed and pointed a finger at Lee Mi-Ri. "You think the show will fall apart without you? What a crazy little bitch! I knew you were arrogant, but you\'re also incredibly rude."

"Watch your mouth, Mrs. Jo! I\'m not even one of your employees!" Lee Mi-Ri warned her.

Jo Jin-Hee laughed incredulously. "Look at this. These brats who\'ve spent time abroad always have a smart mouth, don\'t they? You! What lie did you tell Chief Lee this time?"

"Lie? What lies? What are you talking about...?" Lee Mi-Ri exclaimed indignantly.

"You said you needed a job because your daughter was sick, right? And here you are, working as a stylist? It seems like you\'ve really taken your lies too far."

Lee Mi-Ri\'s hands trembled with anger. From the beginning, Jo Jin-Hee hadn\'t believed that her daughter was sick. And now, she had the audacity to accuse her of lying about it.

Lee Mi-Ri couldn\'t show her sick daughter to this woman, nor did she want to.

Standing there, tears of frustration began to roll down her cheeks. However, she knew she couldn\'t back down now—not after everything Jung Yoon-Ho had done to help her, her husband, and her daughter.

"I\'d love nothing more than to tear you apart right here...but I have a job to do, so I\'ll hold back for now!" exclaimed Lee Mi-Ri as she ground her teeth and grabbed onto Jung Yoo-Jin\'s third outfit.

At that moment, Jo Jin-Hee spoke again. "If you dare to touch that outfit, I\'ll make sure Jung Yoo-Jin is pulled from today\'s show."

Facing a director who had significant influence at LM Clothing, Lee Mi-Ri wondered if she should give up on adjusting the third outfit.

At that moment, a strong and reassuring voice came from behind her. "Let\'s just leave, Mrs. Lee!"

When Lee Mi-Ri turned her head, she saw Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho standing there with his expression hardened as he looked at her.

His face was showing he would never forgive Jo Jin-Hee.