225: Chapter 212 The Darkened Smile~

At this moment, Kim Taeyeon had shed her stage aura and senior's reserve, looking more like an ordinary person happy after receiving a promise. The morning light spilled across her face, making her eyes appear exceptionally bright.

Jiang Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat subtly.

He quickly looked away, gazing out the window again.

He couldn't look anymore.

Some boundaries, once blurred, can never be made clear again.

A brief silence fell over the car. But soon, that silence was broken by something else—

A fragrance.

The sweet scent of mature fruit on Jiang Zhiyu's body gradually grew stronger in the enclosed space of the car.

It wasn't an artificial scent like perfume, but something natural and pure, like the aroma of a ripe peach naturally wafting under the sun. It was a full sweetness, an enticing sweetness, a sweetness that... made one's mouth water.

It was like walking into a midsummer orchard with ripe peaches, plump grapes, and juicy pears... all the sweetest fruit fragrances intertwined, steaming and fermenting under the sunlight to form an irresistible temptation.

Kim Taeyeon was able to remain calm at first.

But soon, she found that her breathing had become difficult.

It wasn't a physical difficulty, but a psychological one—she didn't dare to breathe.

Because with every breath, that fragrance would drill into her nasal cavity, reach her brain, and awaken a primal, panicky craving.

She wanted to eat.

She really wanted to eat.

Not the fruit, but... the person emitting this fragrance.

This thought made her entire body freeze.

She held her breath, trying to resist the temptation.

But how could a person go without breathing for long?

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...

Kim Taeyeon's face turned slightly red from holding her breath.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Haa—"

She took a deep breath, like a drowning person surfacing for air.

That single breath, saturated with the fresh fragrance of mature fruit from Jiang Zhiyu, poured directly into her lungs and then flowed through her blood to her entire body.

Instantly, her mouth filled with saliva.

It was secreting wildly.

She could even taste the fragrance—not a real taste, but a hallucination produced by her brain, an extremely sweet "flavor" that made her mouth water.

Kim Taeyeon suspected she had gone mad!!!

She must be crazy to have such perverted thoughts about a Hoobae!!!

No! Wake up! Calm down!!!

She almost frantically pressed the window control button.

The cool morning breeze immediately poured in, dispersing the thick fragrance in the car and messing up her hair.

The wind hitting her face brought a trace of clarity.

Kim Taeyeon took several deep breaths of fresh air, feeling her reason gradually return.

But her fingers gripping the steering wheel were still trembling slightly.

She immediately pressed the button to open the window.

She stole a glance at Jiang Zhiyu and found that he was still quietly looking out the window, seemingly completely unaware of her abnormality.

Thank goodness.

Kim Taeyeon secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But in the next second, Jiang Zhiyu's words made her tense up again.

"Noona," his voice was very soft but clear, "there's something I want to remind you about."

"Hmm?" Kim Taeyeon's heart leaped into her throat.

"Uncle's health... there might be an issue." Jiang Zhiyu spoke very tactfully. "I noticed that he occasionally inhales involuntarily while speaking, and although his complexion is ruddy, there's an unnatural dark red faintly showing on his cheekbones. These are all signs of an overloaded heart."

Kim Taeyeon's breath hitched.

Her hands involuntarily tightened on the steering wheel, and the car's speed slowed down a bit.

"Zhiyu, you're mentioning this..." her voice trembled slightly, "do you have a way to help?"

Jiang Zhiyu fell silent.

He could actually see Father Kim's condition quite clearly. It was heart function damage caused by overwork in his early years; while not severe, it required special care as he aged.

And treating this kind of ailment was not difficult for him.

As the closed-door disciple of a Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine, who had continued to study independently after finishing his apprenticeship to the point where he could treat almost any medical condition, Jiang Zhiyu had his own treatment plan. The simplest way was to scrape some powder from the Life-Saving Pill he had made himself and drink it with water—that pill used rare medicinal herbs brought from the Tianxuan Continent, for which no substitutes could be found in this world. Just a tiny bit could directly improve one's constitution and solve the problem at its root.

But he would not offer it proactively.

The first lesson his master had taught him was: "A gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall." While a physician's benevolence is important, protecting oneself is even more so. Do not easily interfere in the karma of others, especially matters of life and death. Unless the other party proactively seeks help, and...

Offers significant compensation and signs a liability waiver.

This was his principle for practicing medicine in this world.

Furthermore, the other party was Kim Taeyeon's father.

This identity made things even more complicated.

If it was cured, it would naturally be a good thing. But if any problem occurred—even if the probability was extremely small—his relationship with Kim Taeyeon, and the relationship between TG Entertainment and SM Entertainment, would be severely affected.

So, he just cleared his throat and gave the safest answer:

"Noona, I don't proactively treat people's illnesses."

He paused and added, "Besides, I just think you should take Uncle to the hospital for a checkup. We should believe in science."

These words were watertight, expressing concern for Father Kim's health while also clearing himself of responsibility.

Kim Taeyeon's fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel.

She understood Jiang Zhiyu's subtext—he wouldn't step in proactively, but if help was needed, she could go to him.

This was a form of prudence and also a form of protection.

Protecting himself, and protecting their relationship.

Kim Taeyeon was silent for a while, then said softly, "Then I'll take Appa to the hospital for a checkup first?"

"That would be for the best," Jiang Zhiyu nodded. "If Noona feels there's anything I can help with, feel free to reach out."

He spoke very sincerely.

Kim Taeyeon's heart warmed slightly because of this promise.

"Thank you," she said, her voice very light.

Jiang Zhiyu smiled and didn't say anything more.

The car continued forward, and the scenery outside changed from the traditional buildings of Jeonju to modern streetscapes. The silhouette of the station appeared in the distance.

This awkward and subtle journey was about to end.

But Kim Taeyeon knew that some things were just beginning.

Like her complex emotions toward Jiang Zhiyu.

Like her obsession with that fragrance.

Like her... savoring of that "sleepwalking" incident from this morning.

Her cheeks began to heat up again.

Stop it! Can't think about it anymore!

Kim Taeyeon shook her head vigorously, tossing those ridiculous thoughts out of her mind.

The car slowly pulled into the station's parking lot. Kim Taeyeon parked and turned off the engine.

The car interior fell silent once more.

"We're here," she said, her voice unnaturally calm.

"Thanks for the ride, Noona." Jiang Zhiyu unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door.

Cool air rushed into the car, washing away the thick fruit fragrance.

Kim Taeyeon suddenly felt... a little lost.

"Noona," Jiang Zhiyu stood outside the car door, leaning down slightly to look at her, "I'll have the team follow up on the variety show matter. Contact me anytime if you need anything."

His smile was gentle and professional.

"Okay," Kim Taeyeon nodded. "Be careful on the road."

"You too, Noona. Drive safely."

Jiang Zhiyu closed the door and, carrying his simple backpack, walked toward the station entrance.

Kim Taeyeon sat in the car, watching his back gradually recede.

The fragrance seemed to linger in the car, hovering at the tip of her nose.

She leaned against the back of the seat, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Then, she opened her eyes, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot.

In the rearview mirror, the station's silhouette grew smaller and smaller.

Just like some things, once they start moving away, they can never come back.

But perhaps, some things are just starting to draw closer.

Kim Taeyeon didn't know.

She only knew that this early summer trip to Jeonju had left an indelible mark on her heart.

And among those marks, the deepest and clearest was a person's figure and a sweet fragrance of mature fruit.

The car merged into the traffic on the main road.

The morning in Jeonju was filled with perfect sunshine.

And some stories were just beginning.