202: Chapter 200 Around noon, I was so sleepy that I was subjected to the crazy torture of the "six off one" people.

"This is..."

Lee Tima's small hands were covered in a sticky, translucent gel-like substance. The color was an eerie mix of fluorescent pink and bright blue, shimmering slightly under the sunlight. Even worse, these 'paints' seemed to be mixed with glitter and fine colored sand, giving them a peculiar texture—if Jiang Zhiyu had actually caught her just now, his clothes would likely be covered in a large, unwashable 'work of art' by now.

Kim Taeyeon's face darkened visibly.

Seeing this, Lee Tima immediately put on a self-righteous expression, trying to break free from Kim Taeyeon's grip: "This is a TG-exclusive welcoming ceremony! Variety show training!! As a member of TG, I am practicing the variety spirit!"

As she spoke, she stole glances at Jiang Zhiyu, her eyes pleading, 'Hurry and speak up for me, Oppa.'

Jiang Zhiyu just crossed his arms, looking like he was enjoying the show: "This is clearly a prank. We're not filming a Japanese prank variety show." He paused and added, "And I remember the last time you put mustard in Senior Park Jin-young's water cup at JYP, you also called it 'variety spirit.'"

Lee Tima's face instantly collapsed: "Oppa, how could you expose my past like that!"

Kim Taeyeon didn't want to hear any more of her excuses. She grabbed Lee Tima's wrist and, with a dark expression, led her toward the outdoor sink on one side of the courtyard: "Regardless, Lee Tima, come here and wash your hands! Now! Immediately!"

"Noona—I can wash them myself—" Lee Tima tried to struggle, but although Kim Taeyeon was petite, she was surprisingly strong and held on firmly.

Jiang Zhiyu followed leisurely behind, the smile on his lips becoming more and more apparent.

The Hanok's courtyard was elegantly designed. On one side was a traditional sink made of blue stone slabs, with a faucet styled like a bamboo tube, and a ceramic basin underneath to catch the water. Several clumps of emerald bamboo were planted nearby, rustling as the wind blew through.

Kim Taeyeon pulled Lee Tima to the sink and turned on the faucet. A cool stream of water gushed from the bamboo-shaped faucet, falling onto Lee Tima's sticky hands.

"Scrub them yourself," Kim Taeyeon's tone brooked no argument.

Lee Tima pursed her lips and reluctantly began washing her hands. But the paint seemed difficult to wash off. After scrubbing for a long time, her hands were still sticky. Although the color had faded slightly, the traces of fluorescent pink and bright blue were still obvious.

"What kind of paint is this? Why won't it come off?" Kim Taeyeon asked with a frown.

"It's... it's my specially made 'Variety Surprise Glue'!" Lee Tima muttered softly. "I added glitter, eco-friendly pigments, and a bit of glue... I originally wanted to give Oppa a 'surprise'..."

"The 'surprise' part worked, but there's definitely no 'joy' in it," Jiang Zhiyu said gleefully, leaning against a nearby bamboo stalk.

Kim Taeyeon sighed, took the soap from a nearby shelf, and took matters into her own hands. She grabbed Lee Tima's small hands, squeezed on some soap, and began scrubbing vigorously.

"Ahhh, Noona, be gentle—my skin is going to be rubbed raw!" Lee Tima immediately let out an exaggerated wail.

"If I don't scrub hard, will it come off?" Kim Taeyeon remained unmoved, her hands never stopping. She scrubbed seriously, from palm to back, from fingers to wrists, not missing a single spot.

Lee Tima's hands looked exceptionally small in hers, with fair skin and slender fingers. But right now, those small hands were covered in sticky paint. The soap suds mixed with the fluorescent liquid, creating an eerie color under the running water.

"Oppa, you're still laughing!" Lee Tima turned to glare at Jiang Zhiyu, who had taken out his phone and was casually recording the scene.

"Just recording life," Jiang Zhiyu said with a smile. "This is a rare and precious image of the TG little genius suffering a setback."

"Ya! No recording! Delete it, delete it!" Lee Tima tried to rush over to grab the phone, but her hands were still being held by Kim Taeyeon, so she could only kick her legs in vain.

Kim Taeyeon gave her palm a hard scrub: "Stop moving!"

"Waaa, Taeyeon Unnie is bullying me..." Lee Tima immediately put on a pitiful expression, blinking her eyes and trying to squeeze out a few tears.

But Kim Taeyeon didn't fall for it at all. She scrubbed diligently until the paint on Lee Tima's hands was mostly gone, with only some stubborn fluorescent residue remaining under her fingernails.

"Clean under your nails too," Kim Taeyeon commanded.

Lee Tima pouted, using her other hand to pick at the dirt under her nails. The early summer sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting small shadows on her lowered eyelashes. She washed very slowly, clearly stalling for time.

Jiang Zhiyu put away his phone, stepped closer, and looked at the colored soapy water flowing in the sink. He suddenly spoke: "Speaking of which, the recipe for your 'Variety Surprise Glue' was found in my 'Prank Material Box' in the basement, wasn't it?"

Lee Tima's body stiffened, and she didn't dare look up.

"When I was tidying up last month, I noticed a few bottles of fluorescent paint and eco-friendly glue were missing," Jiang Zhiyu continued calmly. "I thought they were dragged away by a mouse, but it turns out they were stolen by a certain 'little mouse.'"

Hearing this, Kim Taeyeon glared at Lee Tima: "You even steal things?"

"It's not stealing! It's borrowing!" Lee Tima immediately retorted. "Oppa's things are my things, and my things are still my things! This is resource sharing between siblings!"

This set of twisted logic made Kim Taeyeon both angry and amused. She shook her head, took Lee Tima's hands, and inspected them carefully, confirming that most of the paint had been washed off, leaving only some faint traces that would take time to fade.

"Alright, barely passed." She let go of her hands.

Lee Tima immediately pulled her hands back, looked at them against the sunlight, then puffed out her cheeks and blew on them: "Whew—I feel like my hands have shrunk a size, Noona scrubbed them thin."

"That's just your imagination." Jiang Zhiyu pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to Lee Tima. "Dry them."

Lee Tima took the tissue and muttered softly while wiping her hands: "Oppa is really something, not cooperating with my welcoming ceremony at all... I even specially wore a Hanbok..."

She looked down at the pink and blue Hanbok she had carefully chosen. The part of the skirt that had just rolled on the ground was stained with dust, and the cuffs were slightly wet from washing her hands. Her originally perfect look now appeared a bit disheveled.

Looking at her like this, Jiang Zhiyu finally couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and ruffled Lee Tima's hair—the movement was gentle, avoiding her carefully styled bun: "I've received the sentiment of the welcoming ceremony. Can we use a less sticky method next time?"

Lee Tima looked up at him, blinked, and then laughed too: "Then next time I'll use flour? Or streamers?"

"It's best if you don't use anything at all," Kim Taeyeon interjected from the side. She had already washed her hands and was wiping them with a tissue. "Just saying 'Oppa, welcome to Jeonju' normally is enough."

Lee Tima stuck out her tongue and didn't argue.

The wind blew through the courtyard, and the bamboo leaves rustled. The colored soapy water in the sink had all drained away, leaving only clear water flowing. The warm sunlight bathed the three of them, casting long shadows on the blue stone ground.

Jiang Zhiyu watched Lee Tima bounce around again after drying her hands, then looked at Kim Taeyeon, who, despite her stern face, couldn't hide the helplessness and indulgence in her eyes. He suddenly felt that this trip to Jeonju might be much more interesting than imagined.

At least, it wouldn't be boring.

"Alright," Kim Taeyeon threw the used tissue into the trash can and turned to look at the two. "Let's go inside. Mom has prepared snacks."

She paused and added another sentence, this time looking at Lee Tima: "Remember, no more 'surprises.'"

Lee Tima immediately stood at attention and gave an exaggerated military salute: "Yes! Commander Taeyeon!"

This action made Kim Taeyeon shake her head again, and Jiang Zhiyu burst into laughter.