203: Chapter 201: I know everyone dislikes forum-style writing, so I deleted it. Actually, I also thought it was noisy...

The three of them walked along the gravel path toward the main entrance of the Hanok. Lee Tima walked in the middle, her left hand pulling on the corner of Jiang Zhiyu's clothes, while her right hand tried to grab Kim Taeyeon's, only to be stopped by a sharp look from the latter.

"My hands were just washed, don't touch them," Kim Taeyeon said.

"Oh..." Lee Tima retracted her hand sheepishly, but soon became excited again, starting to chatter about what she had seen and heard in Jeonju.

Jiang Zhiyu listened quietly, occasionally responding with a few words. His gaze swept over every detail of this traditional Hanok—the wind chimes hanging under the eaves, the potted plants placed along the corridor, and the exquisite lattice patterns on the paper doors.

Everything here exuded a sense of tranquil and warm life, a stark contrast to the fast-paced urban life of Seoul.

And the two people walking beside him—one was his closest 'younger sister' in this world, and the other was a senior with whom he had a complex history—were now miraculously coexisting in this space, forming a scene that made him feel inexplicably at ease.

Perhaps this trip to Jeonju would truly bring some unexpected gains.

Jiang Zhiyu thought this, his lips unconsciously curling into a slight smile.

At the very least, he had already captured a video of 'Lee Tima being deflated' that was worth recording, which he could 'treasure' properly once he got back.

The three reached the main entrance of the Hanok. The traditional sliding doors were half-open, and the faint aroma of food and wood drifted from inside. Lee Tima was clearly already very familiar with the place; she stepped forward to pull open the remaining half of the door and shouted cheerfully inside, "Mother Kim! We're back—and we brought guests!"

"Coming, coming~" a gentle female voice drifted from inside, accompanied by light footsteps.

A middle-aged woman wearing comfortable loungewear and an apron appeared at the porch. She looked much younger than her actual age, and one could clearly see Kim Taeyeon's features in her eyes and brows, though her smile was warmer and softer, without the occasional sense of distance her daughter displayed.

Her gaze swept over the three of them—Kim Taeyeon was walking in front, her face still showing a hint of the displeasure from the hand-washing incident; Jiang Zhiyu followed behind, looking clean and polite; while Lee Tima was sandwiched between them, one hand still clutching the corner of Jiang Zhiyu's clothes, and the other already impatiently reaching for the snacks on the tray.

To anyone, this scene looked exactly like...

"Omo! Looking at you three standing together, you look exactly like a family of three!" Mother Kim blurted out, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled.

The air instantly froze.

Jiang Zhiyu reacted the fastest, immediately stepping forward and bowing politely to introduce himself: "Hello, Auntie, I am Jiang Zhiyu, Taeyeon Noona's colleague. Sorry for the intrusion."

His voice was gentle and appropriate, and he wore a standard social smile, looking every bit the professional producer visiting a senior's family.

Kim Taeyeon spoke almost simultaneously, her voice an octave higher than usual: "Mom! We have a purely professional working relationship!! He's Lee Tima's brother, I just picked him up on the way!"

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, though whether from urgency or some other emotion was unclear.

Lee Tima's small eyes darted around, and a cunning, mischievous grin suddenly appeared on her face. She let go of Jiang Zhiyu's clothes and rushed over like a small cannonball, throwing her arms around Mother Kim's waist—

"Mother Kim is already my real grandma!!"

Her voice was crisp and loud, echoing through the Hanok's porch.

Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Taeyeon simultaneously looked shocked, turning toward Lee Tima in near-perfect synchronization, their eyes filled with the question: 'What nonsense is this child talking now?'

But Lee Tima completely ignored their gazes. She buried her face in Mother Kim's embrace, nuzzled a bit, and then looked up, continuing in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Zhiyu Oppa is daddy, Taeyeon Unnie is my mommy, and I'm the happiest little—"

"Mmph mmph mmph!"

The last word, 'child,' didn't make it out because Jiang Zhiyu had already lunged forward and covered her mouth with his hand. His movements were startlingly fast, clearly a conditioned reflex developed from long-term experience dealing with Tima's various sudden situations.

But while he could cover her mouth, he couldn't hide the mischievous glint in Lee Tima's eyes. She even blinked deliberately, her eyelashes brushing against Jiang Zhiyu's palm.

Holding Lee Tima's mouth, Jiang Zhiyu didn't know what to do for a moment. He couldn't hit her or scold her properly, so he could only look at Mother Kim awkwardly: "Auntie, this child just loves to joke around..."

Kim Taeyeon had already turned from initial shock to embarrassment and irritation. She clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her palms. Her gaze was fixed on Lee Tima; if looks could kill, Lee Tima would have been sliced into pieces by now.

But Mother Kim's reaction was completely unexpected.

She was stunned at first, then looked at Lee Tima, who was still blinking even with her mouth covered, then at the awkward Jiang Zhiyu and her embarrassed daughter, and suddenly—

"Hahahahahaha—"

A hearty burst of laughter erupted. Mother Kim laughed so hard she doubled over, nearly unable to hold the tray steady. She laughed while patting Lee Tima's back (since her face was covered, she could only pat her back):

"Aigoo, this child... this child is just too cute!"

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but glance at Kim Taeyeon, a thought flashing through his mind: They really are mother and daughter; even their laughter is so similar—the kind that is completely unreserved and infectious once it starts.

He released his hand from Lee Tima's mouth and whispered in Chinese: "You little brat, what nonsense are you spewing!?"

His tone was three parts irritation and seven parts helplessness.

Once free, Lee Tima immediately hid behind Mother Kim, poked half her head out, and said loudly in Korean: "Does Oppa not like a cute and lively girl like me?"

Then she turned to Mother Kim in a coquettish tone: "Grandma, what do you think?"

Finally, she looked at Kim Taeyeon, her eyes sparkling: "Taeyeon Umma?"

"Ya!!!"

Kim Taeyeon finally couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward, her fist already raised, but seeing Lee Tima hiding behind her mother, she couldn't actually do anything and could only stamp her feet in frustration.

Her face was completely flushed, from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, and even her neck was stained a shade of pink. Those eyes, usually calm and composed on stage, were now burning with fury, yet she had to suppress it due to her upbringing and the occasion, creating an exceptionally vivid expression.

Mother Kim laughed even louder, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye: "Alright, alright, Tima is Grandma's good granddaughter, okay?"

She said this half-jokingly, clearly going along with Lee Tima's prank to humor the child, but her doting tone was genuine.

Jiang Zhiyu watched the interaction between the elder and the youngster, then looked at Kim Taeyeon, who was about to fume beside him, and suddenly felt a headache. He took a deep breath, turned to Kim Taeyeon, and asked in as calm a voice as possible:

"Noona, is there a stick in the house?"

Kim Taeyeon blanked for a moment and subconsciously replied, "I'll go look."

She was about to turn around when she realized something. She stopped and looked at Jiang Zhiyu in confusion: "What do you want a stick for?"

Jiang Zhiyu said expressionlessly, "Want to join me later?" He glanced at Lee Tima, who was hiding behind Mother Kim. "To beat her."

Kim Taeyeon: "..."

She was silent for a few seconds as her anger was gradually replaced by a sense of absurdity. Looking at Jiang Zhiyu's 'I'm serious' expression and then at Lee Tima's smug 'I have Grandma, let's see who dares touch me' look, she suddenly felt both annoyed and amused.

"Forget it." Kim Taeyeon finally sighed, relaxing her clenched fists. "Why take a child seriously."

Jiang Zhiyu added silently, "Don't be polite, Noona, just treat her like your own bratty kid."

As soon as those words left his mouth, the anger Kim Taeyeon had just calmed down flared up again. She glared fiercely at Jiang Zhiyu, her voice squeezed out from between her teeth:

"What 'own'? Who's 'own' with you!"

Her gaze was as sharp as a knife; if looks had substance, Jiang Zhiyu would have been cut into a thousand pieces by now.

Jiang Zhiyu realized he had misspoke and quickly explained: "No, I meant... you don't have to be polite when disciplining a child... no, I mean..."

The more he explained, the messier it got. Finally, he just shut up and gave an awkward yet polite smile.

Mother Kim watched the interaction between the three of them and laughed even harder. Holding the tray in one hand, she pulled Lee Tima into the house with the other: "Alright, alright, don't just stand at the door. Come in and have some snacks. I made the Songpyeon Taeyeon loves most, and the Rice cakes Tima has been talking about for days."

Lee Tima's attention was immediately drawn to the snacks. She cheered, "Yay! Grandma is the best!" completely forgetting the trouble she had just caused.

She skipped along behind Mother Kim into the house, not forgetting to look back halfway and make a face at Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Taeyeon.

Kim Taeyeon glared at her, but the murderous intent in her eyes had faded significantly, replaced by helplessness.

Jiang Zhiyu walked up to Kim Taeyeon and whispered, "Sorry, Noona, that child just loves to act up."

Kim Taeyeon didn't answer immediately. She watched Lee Tima's silhouette disappear behind the inner door, then looked at the man beside her who, despite saying sorry, still had a hint of a helpless smile on his lips. That inexplicable irritability welled up in her heart again.

But this time, the irritability was mixed with something else—an emotion she was unwilling to examine deeply.

"Let's go," she finally said briefly, leading the way into the inner room.

Jiang Zhiyu followed her, his gaze sweeping over the traditional interior of the Hanok—the wooden floors, the paper sliding doors, and the wind chimes hanging under the eaves tinkling softly in the breeze.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of snacks and a faint aroma of tea, mixed with the unique scent of wooden architecture.

Everything here exuded the warmth of home, and Lee Tima's nonsense about a 'family of three' just now, while absurd, had unexpectedly added a bit of...

Cozy warmth?

Jiang Zhiyu shook his head, tossing the ridiculous thought out of his mind.

He quickened his pace to catch up with Kim Taeyeon, already calculating how he would 'educate' Lee Tima later to make her remember—some jokes are not to be made lightly.

Especially in front of Kim Taeyeon.