214: Chapter 201 Okay, I admit I broke down... Holy crap, waaaaaah!

Her voice wasn't quiet; the surrounding staff heard it and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her expressionlessly: "No."

A crisp, decisive refusal.

Lee Tima pouted: "Why... it's so fun..."

"This is Taeyeon Noona's variety show, not 'Running Man'." Jiang Zhiyu said mercilessly, "Besides, watermelon juice gets everywhere, and cleanup in post-production is a hassle."

Nearby, Kim Taeyeon happened to walk over to rest. Hearing this conversation, she exchanged a look with the director. Both pairs of eyes revealed the same sentiment—truly, there is always someone to keep someone else in check! The little devil Lee Tima finally has someone to manage her!

But Jiang Zhiyu's next sentence stunned everyone.

He stroked his chin, seemingly thinking it over seriously, then revealed a smile: "However... let's have a fried chicken eating contest."

The air went quiet for three seconds.

"Fried... fried chicken?" The director thought he had misheard.

"Yeah," Jiang Zhiyu nodded, saying matter-of-factly, "A fried chicken eating contest."

Lee Tima immediately perked up: "Fried chicken is good! I agree!"

But the others were still looking bewildered.

Kim Taeyeon couldn't help asking: "Why fried chicken? When talking about Jeonju, shouldn't it be bibimbap? jeonju bibimbap is very famous."

This was a very reasonable question. As a representative local delicacy of Korea, if they were to do a food challenge, bibimbap was clearly a more suitable choice.

But Jiang Zhiyu's answer left everyone between laughter and tears.

He raised his phone and showed the screen—it was a page from a food review app, displaying the high ratings of several fried chicken shops in Jeonju.

"Because the fried chicken ratings in the food reviews are very high," Jiang Zhiyu said confidently, "And I don't like bibimbap, so jeonju bibimbap is a pass!"

This reason... is too willful!

The production team was shocked. They looked at Jiang Zhiyu, then at Kim Taeyeon, thinking to themselves: This is the sponsor! Would Taeyeon flip out on the spot?

Kim Taeyeon was indeed stunned for a moment. She looked at Jiang Zhiyu's matter-of-fact face, feeling both annoyed and amused.

"Zhiyu," she tried to make her tone sound gentle but firm, "This is work; we can't just decide the content based on personal preference. Besides, fried chicken... doesn't seem to fit with Jeonju's local characteristics."

She spoke very appropriately, expressing a different opinion without making him lose face.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to sense the subtle atmosphere; he put away his phone, and the expression on his face suddenly changed.

It was a kind of... aggrieved little expression.

His eyebrows dipped slightly, his lips pursed gently, and his eyes blinked, like a large dog at a loss after being scolded by its owner. Despite being over 1.8 meters tall, he managed to create an innocent feeling of "I was wrong, but I don't want to change."

"Taeyeon Noona..." his voice also softened, "Just this once... fried chicken is really delicious..."

Kim Taeyeon looked at that expression of his, and her heart felt like it had been gently bumped by something.

She actually... wanted to nod and agree.

This realization made her instantly alert. What was she thinking?! This is work! This is filming! How could she change the plan just because someone was acting spoiled?!

But reason is one thing, and emotion is another.

Kim Taeyeon opened her mouth, only to find she couldn't say the words to refuse.

The production team was also stunned. They had seen many sides of Jiang Zhiyu—the professional and rigorous producer, the talented musician, the gentle and polite guest, and the President who was in command just a moment ago.

But this... aggrieved, spoiled look was the first time they had seen it.

And, it was damn charming.

Several female staff members had already covered their mouths, their eyes shining frighteningly bright.

Just as Kim Taeyeon was about to compromise, Jiang Zhiyu suddenly laughed.

That smile was as bright as a suddenly blooming sun; all the grievance and spoiled behavior instantly disappeared, replaced by the craftiness of a successful prank.

"Did I fool everyone?" He laughed, his eyes curving into crescents, "I just felt the filming atmosphere was too serious, I was just joking~"

Everyone: "..."

The scene fell into an eerie silence.

Then, someone laughed first, and then everyone started laughing.

The director shook his head while laughing: "President, you are too good at acting! I really thought you were angry just now!"

"That aggrieved expression was super cute!" A female staff member whispered.

"Exactly! I even wanted to go up and comfort him!"

Kim Taeyeon was also stunned, and then a wave of embarrassment and annoyance surged into her heart.

She actually... got fooled!

This guy... actually used such tactics!

She gritted her teeth secretly, but looking at Jiang Zhiyu's brilliant smile, she couldn't bring herself to be angry.

Moreover, when she looked around and saw those female staff members still immersed in the aftertaste of that "aggrieved expression," watching Jiang Zhiyu with sparkling eyes, a strange emotion suddenly surged in her heart.

It was a kind of... urge to hide him away.

Not allowing him to show that expression in front of others, not allowing him to look at others with those eyes, not allowing...

This thought startled even her.

She hurriedly shook her head, shaking those absurd thoughts out of her mind.

Jiang Zhiyu had already returned to work mode; he walked to the monitor and pointed at the footage just filmed: "Seriously speaking, I think the filming direction can be adjusted."

His expression became serious and professional: "The current perspective is too singular; it's all follow-shots and close-ups. We can add some filming methods similar to MVs—fixed camera positions, slow motion, and special angle compositions."

The director listened attentively, nodding frequently.

"Then, the formal filming stage will still be in a follow-shot style; this is the foundation of a documentary variety show." Jiang Zhiyu continued, "But for the expression of emotion, we can shift from personal narration to humming melodies."

"Humming melodies?" Kim Taeyeon walked over and asked curiously.

"Yes," Jiang Zhiyu looked at her, "Isn't Noona a singer? Instead of saying to the camera 'This reminds me of my childhood,' it's better to just hum a melody. Music can sometimes express emotions better than words."

This suggestion made everyone's eyes light up.

"And we can slightly adjust the content theme," Jiang Zhiyu's train of thought became clearer, "Not 'Kim Taeyeon returns to her hometown to reminisce about the past,' but 'Songwriter Kim Taeyeon is writing a song for Jeonju and is currently collecting inspiration.' This has more of an action line and more anticipation—the audience will want to know what the final song will be like."

"Good idea!" The director clapped, "This way the program has a clear goal and a closed loop!"

Kim Taeyeon also nodded. This direction was indeed more structured and had more to watch than simply "reminiscing about returning home."

"But..." she suddenly thought of a problem, "What kind of song should I write? I don't have any concept right now."

Jiang Zhiyu smiled.

He looked at his watch: "Give me five minutes."

Then, under everyone's surprised gaze, he walked to a nearby stone bench and sat down, took out his phone, and opened the recording software.

The early summer wind blew through the Hanok village, and the wind chimes under the eaves made a crisp sound. From afar came the laughter of tourists, and nearby was the slight sound of staff preparing equipment.

But Jiang Zhiyu seemed to have entered another world. He closed his eyes, his fingers tapping rhythms on his legs unconsciously.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

Just at the fourth minute, he opened his eyes, pressed the record button, and then began to hum softly.

It was a simple but moving melody. The verse part used the classic 4536251 chord progression—this is the most common, most "universal" chord pattern in pop music; countless hit songs are built on this foundation.

But Jiang Zhiyu's way of performing it was completely different. He didn't follow the conventional rhythm and melody line, but added complex melisma, syncopated rhythms, and unexpected interval jumps within the chord framework.

The first four lines were still warm, lyrical with a touch of nostalgia; the fifth line suddenly modulated, the melody becoming light and jumping, as if recalling some childhood anecdote. Then, before the chorus, it cleverly modulated back to the original key, with emotions escalating layer by layer.

The entire melody was complete and full of changes; although it only used a simple chord pattern, he played with it brilliantly.

Five minutes later, he stopped humming and pressed the stop button.

The scene was dead silent.

Everyone was stunned listening to it.

As a professional singer, Kim Taeyeon could best understand the brilliance of this melody. Creating the richest musical expression with the simplest materials required extremely profound musical literacy and creativity.

Lee Tima was the first to react; she rushed in front of Jiang Zhiyu, her eyes shining like stars: "Oppa! This melody is so good! I want to learn it!"

The director also walked over excitedly: "President! This part can be used! It can completely serve as the program's theme melody!"

Jiang Zhiyu shook his head: "This is just a demo, very rough. The specific arrangement and lyrics still need to be perfected."

He looked at Kim Taeyeon: "What does Noona think? Is this direction okay?"

Kim Taeyeon looked at his clear eyes, which reflected the blue sky and white walls of the Hanok village, as well as her own shadow.

Her heartbeat accelerated irregularly again.

But this time, she did not avoid it.

"Okay," she said softly, her tone firm, "Let's film in the direction you mentioned."

After a pause, she added: "But forget about the fried chicken contest."

Jiang Zhiyu smiled: "That goes without saying."

His smile was clean and warm, like the early summer sunshine.

Kim Taeyeon looked at him, and that thought of "wanting to hide him away" popped up in her heart again.

But this time, she didn't suppress it anymore.

Perhaps, some things, once started, can never go back.

Just like this early summer in Jeonju, once you come, you leave an indelible mark.