212: Chapter 199 What female idol in her twenties doesn't date?

After breakfast, the atmosphere in the Kim household was exceptionally warm due to the sumptuous meal Jiang Zhiyu had prepared. However, the break was short-lived, as there were work arrangements for today.

"The plan for today is to accompany Taeyeon to film the outdoor portion of the variety show," Jiang Zhiyu said to the Kim family while clearing the dishes. "We'll head back to Seoul early tomorrow morning; there's still preparation work for the next shoot for IZ*ONE at TG."

Mother Kim was somewhat reluctant: "Leaving so soon? Stay a few more days."

"I will definitely come to bother you again next time," Jiang Zhiyu replied politely, his hands moving efficiently as he placed the dishes into the sink. "Besides, this trip to Jeonju was also for inspiration and creative work."

He dried his hands, took a notebook out of his bag, and opened it to a specific page. It contained notes and melody fragments written in a mix of Chinese and Korean.

"The working title is [집에 가는 길] (The Road Home)," Jiang Zhiyu said, pointing to one of the melodies. "The inspiration came from the scenery I saw on the road from Seoul to Jeonju yesterday, and also... my feelings while at the Kim household."

As he said this, his tone was light, but his gaze was earnest.

Standing at the kitchen doorway, Kim Taeyeon felt a slight tremor in her heart upon hearing those words.

The Road Home.

This name made her remember many things—the feeling of returning to Jeonju from Seoul, the sensation of returning from the stage to her family, and... certain emotions she dared not delve into deeply.

"The specific lyrics haven't been fully thought out yet," Jiang Zhiyu said, closing the notebook. "It still needs some time to settle."

Father Kim walked over and patted Jiang Zhiyu on the shoulder: "Take your time. Good work needs time to brew."

"Yes," Jiang Zhiyu nodded.

At nine in the morning, the filming crew arrived outside the Kim house on time. Several work vehicles were parked on the roadside, and the staff began unloading equipment.

When the staff saw Jiang Zhiyu, their attitude immediately became respectful.

"President, good morning."

"President, the equipment is ready."

"President, this is today's filming schedule, please take a look."

Each "President" address made the Kim family realize once again—this young man who had been wearing an apron to make breakfast and was gentle and polite in their home was, in reality, the helmsman of an entertainment company.

And Jiang Zhiyu's reaction confirmed this.

Facing the staff, his demeanor underwent a subtle change. He was still gentle, but there was an added sense of composure and authority. He took the filming schedule, scanned it quickly, and then offered a few suggestions for adjustment:

"The lighting for this scene might be insufficient; we need fill light."

"Adjust the angle of the B-camera; it needs to highlight the interaction between Taeyeon Noona and the environment."

"Has the audio equipment been checked? There's wind outside today; we need to be careful with wind protection."

Every instruction was clear and precise, hitting the nail on the head. The staff recorded them earnestly, nodding frequently.

Kim Taeyeon stood to the side watching, and suddenly recalled the way Jiang Zhiyu had been cooking in the kitchen yesterday, which formed a sharp contrast with the composed President commanding the scene right now.

But strangely, these two states were not contradictory in him. The gentleness and meticulousness while cooking, and the professionalism and rigor while working, were both the real him.

The motorcade set off for today's filming location—Jeonju Hanok Village. Jiang Zhiyu, Kim Taeyeon, and Lee Tima sat in the same car, with the Manager in the passenger seat.

On the way, Tima couldn't wait to take out her tablet: "Oppa, I thought of another variation for that melody you revised last night; take a listen."

She played a piece of music. The prelude was the main melody of the variety show interlude from last night, but in the second part, she had added more complex harmonic changes, and the rhythm was also more vibrant.

Jiang Zhiyu listened with his eyes closed, then nodded: "The idea is good, but the harmonic progression could be adjusted a bit more. Here—"

He hummed a melody, his fingers tapping lightly on his lap: "Flatten the semitone, then modulate to here; wouldn't it have more impact?"

Tima's eyes lit up: "Yes! This transition is more natural!"

She immediately made the changes on the tablet and played it again. The revised version was indeed more fluid and powerful.

Kim Taeyeon sat to the side, quietly listening to their discussion. As a professional singer, she had a deep understanding of music, but at this moment, she found herself struggling to keep up.

It wasn't because she didn't understand, but because the leaps in Jiang Zhiyu and Tima's thinking were too fast.

They weren't just discussing melodies and lyrics, but also harmony, counterpoint, modulation, rhythmic changes... Every technical term was accurate and error-free, and every suggestion was based on a solid foundation of music theory.

What surprised Kim Taeyeon even more were their "ears."

"This note is 2 hertz too high," Jiang Zhiyu said, pointing to a note on the tablet.

"Really? Let me listen... Ah, it is!" Tima listened carefully for a moment, then nodded. "I'll adjust it."

She dragged the mouse and fine-tuned the frequency of that note.

Kim Taeyeon was stunned. A difference of 2 hertz, ordinary people couldn't hear it at all, and even most musicians would find it hard to detect. But Jiang Zhiyu and Tima could pinpoint and correct it precisely.

This was the world of geniuses with absolute pitch and perfect musical ear.

The Manager sat in the front row, seeing Kim Taeyeon's expression through the rearview mirror. The two exchanged a look, both reading the same emotion in each other's eyes—a bitter smile at the sight of geniuses.

It was an emotion mixed with admiration, envy, and helplessness.

Admiration for their talent, envy for their gifts, and helplessness at the gap that could not be bridged.

Kim Taeyeon recalled her trainee days, the countless hours she had spent training her pitch. Yet Jiang Zhiyu and Tima seemed to have been born with this ability.

"Oppa," Tima thought of something else, "regarding the chorus part of [집에 가는 길], I thought of a melodic motif last night when I couldn't sleep."

She hummed it out. It was a gentle and slightly sorrowful melody, with little fluctuation, but full of emotion.