211: Chapter 198 is still an update of the previous chapters. Also, the leader wanted to...

At 5:30 in the morning, the horizon was just beginning to turn a pale, fish-belly white, and the Hanok in Jeonju was faintly visible in the morning mist. In the Kim family's courtyard, a few early-rising sparrows chirped on the branches, and dew glistened on the blades of grass.

However, warm lights were already shining in the kitchen.

Father Kim was accustomed to taking a morning walk. When he opened the door and smelled the aroma of food wafting through the air, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. At this hour, his wife was usually still asleep.

He followed the scent to the kitchen doorway, and the scene he saw made him freeze.

Jiang Zhiyu was standing in front of the stove wearing an apron, gently shaking a frying pan, and the egg pancake inside was making an enticing "sizzling" sound. The rice cooker beside him showed it was in keep-warm mode, and the air was filled with the fragrance of rice and the savory scent of fried eggs.

What surprised Father Kim even more were the other things on the counter—several plates of already seasoned side dishes, vibrant in color and exquisitely plated; a pot of steaming soup, the broth clear, with tender white tofu and emerald green vegetables visible inside; and there were even a few freshly steamed pumpkin buns, golden and fluffy.

"Jiang Zhiyu?" Father Kim walked into the kitchen. "You're up so early?"

Jiang Zhiyu turned around at the sound, a gentle smile on his face. "Good morning, Uncle. I slept very well last night, so I just woke up naturally."

He said it lightly, but Father Kim noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes. Although not obvious, they were visible in the morning light.

"You... what time did you get up?" Father Kim couldn't help but ask.

"Five o'clock." Jiang Zhiyu answered while plating the egg pancake. "I'm used to it. Usually, I get up at this time at the company to prepare breakfast and then handle some work."

Father Kim glanced at the clock on the wall—5:35 AM. In other words, Jiang Zhiyu had already been busy for at least half an hour.

"What time did you... go to sleep last night?" Father Kim recalled passing by the guest room last night, where light had shone from under the door until very late.

Jiang Zhiyu paused and said somewhat sheepishly, "Actually, I went to sleep at 3:00 AM."

Father Kim's eyes widened. "Three o'clock? And you got up at five? You only slept for two hours?"

"Yes," Jiang Zhiyu nodded, setting the egg pancake aside and starting to cut fruit. "But it's enough. I can usually recover after sleeping for four or five hours."

He spoke with a casual tone, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

Father Kim walked to the counter and looked at the breakfast that was already prepared. The side dishes included kimchi, seasoned spinach, and soy-sauce pickled cucumbers, each made perfectly. The soup was a light tofu and seaweed soup, which was just right for the morning. The egg pancake was golden and crispy, with finely chopped green onions and diced carrots visible inside.

"Did you make all of this?" Father Kim was somewhat incredulous.

"Yes," Jiang Zhiyu arranged the sliced apples and pears into a beautiful platter. "I learned it back when I was taking care of my younger sisters. Xiuyan is busy with work and often stays up late, so she needs a nutritionally balanced breakfast in the morning. Lee Tima is a picky eater, so I have to vary the dishes."

As he spoke, his hands didn't stop; he skillfully arranged the fruit and sprinkled a little honey and crushed walnuts over it.

Father Kim fell silent. He looked at this young man—who was only nineteen himself, yet already shouldered the responsibility of taking care of two younger sisters, while also running a company, producing variety shows, composing, and arranging music...

"Can your body... handle this?" Father Kim couldn't help but ask.

Jiang Zhiyu smiled, a gentle yet firm smile. "It's fine once you get used to it. I usually go to bed at eleven and get up at four to cook for the kids, then handle work. I actually got an extra hour of sleep today."

He paused, as if recalling something interesting. "My record is three days without sleep, during which I wrote twenty songs."

"Three days?!" Father Kim was shocked.

"Yes," Jiang Zhiyu arranged the last side dish and untied his apron. "Back then, the company had just been established, and I needed to build up a repertoire. I just wrote for three days straight, and then slept for a whole day afterwards."

He spoke lightly, as if it were just a trivial matter.

But Father Kim could imagine the workload—three days, twenty songs, averaging six or seven complete works per day. This wasn't just composition; it also involved arranging, recording, mixing...

"This won't do," Father Kim said seriously. "You can't ruin your body like this, even when you're young. When I was your age, I also worked desperately, and ended up with a bunch of health problems. Health is the most important thing."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded earnestly. "You're right, Uncle. That's why I try to keep a regular schedule now, and only stay up late in special circumstances."

As he spoke, he began to set the table. The bowls and chopsticks were arranged neatly, and tableware and napkins were placed at each seat. His movements were skillful and natural; it was clear he was accustomed to doing these things.

Father Kim watched his busy back, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart. Appreciation, heartache, and a trace of... seeing his younger self.

"Jiang Zhiyu," Father Kim sat down at the dining table. "Your parents... passed away early. These years must have been very hard, right?"

Jiang Zhiyu's hand, which was pouring tea, paused for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. "It's okay. My master took care of me, and later I met Xiuyan and Lee Tima. Now I have a company and a job, and life is very fulfilling."

He didn't complain or grumble; he just calmly stated the facts.

But Father Kim heard the resilience beneath that calm tone. Losing his parents, raising two younger sisters alone in a foreign land, and having to establish a foothold in the fiercely competitive entertainment industry...

This child's heart was far stronger than he appeared on the outside.

Footsteps came from outside the kitchen; Mother Kim had also woken up. She walked into the kitchen and, seeing the table full of a sumptuous breakfast and Jiang Zhiyu making tea, was also stunned.

"Oh my! Jiang Zhiyu, did you make all of this?"

"Good morning, Auntie." Jiang Zhiyu greeted her politely. "I just prepared a little something simple."

"How is this simple..." Mother Kim looked at the exquisite dishes, then at Jiang Zhiyu, the affection in her eyes almost overflowing. "You child, you're here as a guest, and we let you make breakfast. I'm so embarrassed."

"It's only right," Jiang Zhiyu served the brewed tea to Father Kim and Mother Kim. "I received so much care from you both yesterday, so I'm happy to be able to do something for everyone."

He spoke sincerely, making it impossible to refute.

Mother Kim sat down and tasted a side dish. Her eyes lit up immediately. "This taste... it's even better than what I buy at the market! Jiang Zhiyu, how did you make this?"

Jiang Zhiyu patiently explained, "For the kimchi, you need to add more pear juice; it makes the texture more refreshing. For the seasoned spinach, you need to blanch it quickly in hot water and then immediately rinse it in cold water; that way, it stays emerald green and crisp..."

As he spoke, he returned to the stove and began to prepare the last dish—pan-fried dumplings. It was the leftover dumpling filling from last night, which he had freshly wrapped early that morning.

Kim Jiyong and Xia Yan also got up one after another. When they saw the table full of breakfast and Jiang Zhiyu busy in the kitchen, their reactions were exactly the same as Father Kim and Mother Kim's.

"Jiang Zhiyu... what are you made of?" Kim Jiyong couldn't help but ask. "You can compose, arrange music, cook, and you know medicine... and now you're also getting up early to make breakfast?"

Jiang Zhiyu plated the fried dumplings and said with a smile, "I just learned a bit of everything. Do you want coffee, Jiyong? I've brewed some."

"You can brew coffee?" Xia Yan's eyes widened.

"Yes, I learned it back when I was at SM. I often stayed up late back then, and coffee was a necessity."

As he spoke, Jiang Zhiyu took out coffee beans and a pour-over kettle from the cupboard. He ground the beans, warmed the cups, and poured the water—his movements were smooth and coherent, as professional as a veteran barista in a coffee shop.

The four members of the Kim family sat at the dining table, watching Jiang Zhiyu's busy figure in the kitchen, their feelings extremely complex.

This young man was so excellent that he was almost unreal.

Yet he was standing right in front of them so realistically, wearing an apron, preparing breakfast for them.

Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened, and the morning light shone through the window into the kitchen, gilding Jiang Zhiyu with a soft golden edge.

He walked over carrying the last dish and sat down at the table. There was a gentle smile on his face, and although there was fatigue in his eyes, he was in good spirits.

"Please, everyone, enjoy," he said.

The Kim family looked at each other, then picked up their chopsticks at the same time.

The breakfast was delicious, and every dish was just right. The egg pancake was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the side dishes were refreshing and appetizing, the soup was light and comforting, and the fried dumplings had thin skins and generous fillings.

But more impressive than the food was this morning, and the young man who had prepared breakfast for them.

Kim Taeyeon was the last one to wake up. When she rubbed her eyes and walked into the dining room, seeing the table full of breakfast and her family sitting around it, she was stunned.

"This is...?"

"Jiang Zhiyu made it," Mother Kim said, her tone full of appreciation. "This child got up at five o'clock and prepared all of this."

Kim Taeyeon looked at Jiang Zhiyu. He was pouring milk for Lee Tima—Lee Tima had also just been woken up and was still holding a pillow, her eyes sleepy.

"Good morning, Noona," Jiang Zhiyu smiled at her. "Milk or coffee?"

Kim Taeyeon opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just said softly, "Milk, please."

She sat down and looked at the sumptuous breakfast in front of her, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.

This morning had become exceptionally warm because of this person's arrival.

And she seemed to be starting to get used to the presence of such a person in her life.

This realization made her heart race, but it also made her feel an unprecedented sense of peace.