215: Chapter 202 The Only Sister

After filming resumed, the atmosphere on set was noticeably different.

Kim Taeyeon had changed into a more casual outfit. Instead of the overly artistic long dress from before, she was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with a light blue cardigan layered over it. Her expression had also relaxed significantly; it was no longer the deliberately crafted melancholy, but a more natural state filled with curiosity and a desire for exploration.

"Action!"

At the director's command, Kim Taeyeon walked through the alleys of the Hanok village. This time, she didn't just stroll in silence. She stopped in front of a traditional tea house, where the owner was an elderly grandmother with white hair.

"Grandma, this tea smells so fragrant. What kind of tea is it?" Kim Taeyeon asked naturally.

"It's pear tea, a specialty of Jeonju," the grandmother said with a kind smile. "It's made by drying our local pears and brewing them; it clears the lungs and soothes the throat."

Kim Taeyeon took the small teacup handed to her by the grandmother and took a sip. Her eyes lit up. "It's really delicious."

Then, instead of saying "This reminds me of my childhood" like before, she closed her eyes and hummed a melody softly.

It was a warm and fresh melody, like the sound of a spring stream flowing by. She hummed it very softly, but it was full of emotion, blending perfectly into the atmosphere of the moment.

The camera captured it from various angles—a close-up of her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she hummed with her eyes closed, a medium shot of her heartwarming exchange with the grandmother, and a wide shot framing her as one with the entire Hanok village.

Behind the monitor, Jiang Zhiyu watched the screen intently, a satisfied smile on his lips.

When Kim Taeyeon occasionally looked toward the camera, her gaze would meet his. In those amber eyes, there were none of the complex emotions that had previously made her heart race—only pure, warm affirmation.

It was the trust of a producer in his singer, the recognition of a creator for his collaborator.

There were no personal feelings, only absolute trust in Kim Taeyeon's professional ability.

This realization made Kim Taeyeon feel both relieved and... inexplicably a little disappointed.

But she quickly pushed these emotions down and focused on the filming.

Following Jiang Zhiyu's new direction, the entire filming process became smooth and efficient. Kim Taeyeon was no longer a lonely narrator; she was having real interactions with the people, events, and objects of Jeonju—chatting with the tea house grandmother, asking for advice from a craftsman at a traditional Hanji workshop, and even borrowing a gayageum to improvise a piece when passing by an instrument shop.

After every interaction, she would hum a melody. Some were warm, some were lighthearted, and some were slightly melancholic, but they all perfectly captured the emotions of the moment.

"Fantastic!" the director said excitedly during a break in filming. "Taeyeon's ability to improvise humming is incredible! Every melody is just right!"

Kim Taeyeon smiled modestly, but her gaze drifted unconsciously toward Jiang Zhiyu.

He was discussing something with Lee Tima, his fingers tracing rhythms in the air, his expression focused. Sunlight fell upon him, making him look as if he were glowing.

Kim Taeyeon's heart skipped a beat again.

Filming wrapped up perfectly at dusk. The final set of shots was of Kim Taeyeon standing at the highest point of the Hanok village, overlooking the entire village. As the sun set, orange-red light spilled over the black tiles and white walls, and smoke curled up from the chimneys.

She closed her eyes and hummed the longest, most complete melody of the day. It was the theme that connected all the fragmented melodies together—warm, nostalgic, yet full of hope.

The music flowed from her lips, blending into the sunset, the village, and the rising smoke.

"Cut!"

The director shouted excitedly, and applause erupted from the entire crew.

Kim Taeyeon opened her eyes and looked in Jiang Zhiyu's direction. He was also clapping, a sincere smile on his face.

At that moment, Kim Taeyeon suddenly felt that perhaps this was fine too—a pure creative partnership, appreciating each other, achieving together.

But the next second, a sentence from Jiang Zhiyu shattered her fantasy.

"To celebrate the successful shoot," he said with a smile, "let's go eat fried chicken!"

"Yay!" Lee Tima cheered.

Everyone: "..."

So you still haven't forgotten about fried chicken, have you?!

But after a busy day, everyone was hungry, so the proposal was passed unanimously.

In a highly-rated fried chicken restaurant in Jeonju, the four of them—Jiang Zhiyu, Lee Tima, Kim Taeyeon, and the Manager—occupied a table by the window. The aroma of fried chicken filled the air, whetting everyone's appetite.

After ordering, Jiang Zhiyu suddenly took a small travel camera out of his bag, skillfully adjusted the settings, and pointed it at the dining table.

"What are you..." the Manager asked, puzzled.

"Just documenting life," Jiang Zhiyu said with a smile, mounting the camera on a phone stand at the edge of the table. "It'll also serve as behind-the-scenes material for the show."

He adjusted the angle to ensure all four of them were in the frame, then pressed the record button.

The camera's red light turned on.

Lee Tima immediately got into character, waving at the camera with a bright smile on her face. "Hello everyone! This video is a fried chicken competition special! Zhiyu Oppa and I will form the 'Zhiyu Jieun' team to battle Taeyeon Unnie and Manager Oppa's SM team!"

She spoke naturally and fluently, clearly having planned it all beforehand.

But when Kim Taeyeon and the Manager heard the team name "Zhiyu Jieun," their expressions both stiffened for a moment.

Jiang Zhiyu raised an eyebrow. "Why call it the 'Zhiyu Jieun' team?"

Lee Tima said matter-of-factly, "Of course, it's to ride on IU's popularity!"

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Zhiyu said, "Definitely trying to ride on IU's popularity."

The two spoke in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

But Kim Taeyeon couldn't laugh.

She pursed her lips, a wave of inexplicable irritation surging in her heart.

Zhiyu Jieun?

Zhiyu is Jiang Zhiyu, and Jieun is IU's real name, Lee Ji-eun. This team name directly tied Jiang Zhiyu and IU together.

And Lee Tima was IU's "officially recognized" little sister—she had just proudly puffed out her chest earlier: "I went to Suwon to visit the family home, and Uncle and Aunt personally certified me as their little daughter!"

So this "Zhiyu Jieun" team sounded like... some sort of alliance between Jiang Zhiyu and Lee Tima (representing IU).

Kim Taeyeon took a deep breath, trying hard to look calm. She said, as if joking casually:

"Lee Tima, weren't you calling me Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa yesterday? How are you suddenly sisters with IU? If I told them about this, it would be so heartbreaking!"

Her tone was light, carrying a teasing implication, but there was no smile in her eyes.

Lee Tima blinked, completely unfazed. "It's fine, Unnie, you can just say you're IU's mom too."

The air froze instantly.

The Manager's expression changed instantly; he stood up abruptly, before he could speak—

Lee Tima continued, "I am Taeyeon Omma's cute daughter~"

After saying that, she made an aegyo expression, as if it were just a harmless joke.

But no one on the scene could laugh.

Kim Taeyeon's face had completely darkened. The Manager was so angry his lips were trembling: "Lee Tima! Do you know what you're saying?!"

Jiang Zhiyu reacted the fastest.

He grabbed the camera and quickly pressed the pause button, and then—

"Smack!"

A hand chop landed—not too hard, not too soft—on Lee Tima's head.

"Ah!" Lee Tima covered her head, dramatically collapsing onto the table. "Oppa hit me... I'm dead... I need fried chicken to resurrect..."

Her feigned death was comical, but no one was in the mood to laugh right now.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at Kim Taeyeon and the Manager with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, this kid just likes to talk nonsense. I'll discipline her later."

Since he had said that, Kim Taeyeon and the Manager couldn't say much more. The Manager sat back down, but he was still worried:

"Tima, some things really shouldn't be said casually. You're an artist, and IU is an artist. Words like that will cause misunderstandings if they get out."

Lee Tima lifted her head from the table and pouted. "Nae... alright then, I won't say Taeyeon Unnie is IU's mom anymore."