226: Chapter 213

The TG Entertainment office building was located in a medium-sized office block in Gangnam District. Though not luxurious, it was bright and clean with a modern design, exuding the vitality of an emerging company at every turn.

But when Jiang Zhiyu pushed open the company doors, what he saw was a scene completely opposite to "vitality"—

Busyness.

Extreme busyness.

Staff members were running back and forth in the corridors holding documents, heated discussions drifted from the meeting rooms, phones rang one after another, and printers hummed incessantly.

"President!"

"President, you're back!"

"President, there's a document here that needs your signature!"

Seeing him, the employees acted as if they had seen their savior and crowded around him.

With a gentle but professional smile on his face, Jiang Zhiyu responded to the employees' greetings while walking quickly toward the Chairwoman's office.

A nameplate reading "Chairwoman Kim Soo-yeon" hung on the office door. He knocked, and a tired but still calm voice came from inside: "Come in."

Pushing the door open, he saw Kim Soo-yeon sitting behind a large desk piled high with documents. She was wearing a well-tailored deep blue suit skirt, her long hair tied meticulously behind her head, and her makeup was exquisite.

But even so, Jiang Zhiyu could see the dark circles under her eyes and the weariness between her brows that was hard to hide.

"Soo-yeon," he greeted softly, closing the door.

Kim Soo-yeon looked up, and when she saw it was him, her eyes instantly lit up.

But in the next second, she regained her cold and aloof Chairwoman persona, though her tone held a trace of almost imperceptible... grievance?

"Oppa, you're finally back!!"

That voice finally sounded like a seventeen-year-old girl should, rather than the TG Chairwoman who strategized and commanded.

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh. "I was only gone for two days, right?"

"Ya! Two days is a very long time, okay!" Kim Soo-yeon stood up, walked around the desk, and stood before him. "We are a company in its growth phase! Do you know how many variety show invitations have come to our door in these two days?"

She pointed to a thick stack of documents on the desk. "All of these! After IZ*ONE's variety show aired, TG Entertainment's popularity skyrocketed. Now all the major TV stations, production companies, and even other idol groups want to collaborate!"

She spoke excitedly, but Jiang Zhiyu just calmly walked to the desk and began flipping through the documents.

"First, decline the invitations from some of the small and medium-sized companies as necessary," he said in a steady tone, quickly scanning the contents. "Our main task is still to complete IZ*ONE's series of variety shows, ensure quality, and build a reputation. Biting off more than one can chew is never good."

Kim Soo-yeon nodded; she also understood this principle.

"Accept the variety show invitation from SM," Jiang Zhiyu pulled out a document. "They want to plan an exclusive variety show for Red Velvet; this is a good opportunity. Combining Red Velvet's popularity with TG's production capabilities will yield great results."

He paused and added, "Yeri called me yesterday. They are looking forward to the collaboration."

Kim Soo-yeon took the document and was about to say something when her eyes suddenly darted around, and a sly smile appeared on her face.

"That leader of Red Velvet... Bae Joo-hyun xi, she seems to be known as one of the top visuals of the fourth generation!" she said in a deliberately casual tone. "She looks a lot like Senior Baek Ji-xin, too. I just don't know what her personality is like~"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the office shifted subtly.

Jiang Zhiyu's hand flipping through the documents paused for a moment.

He looked up at Kim Soo-yeon. The girl was looking at him with an "I get it, I get it" look, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He put down the documents, walked to Kim Soo-yeon, and reached out to ruffle her hair—just as he had done back on the Tianxuan Continent, when she wasn't a Chairwoman yet but just the little sister by his side.

"Ya!" His tone carried helplessness and doting affection. "Bae Joo-hyun is Bae Joo-hyun. The one I love is Ji-xin."

As he said this, a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

Baek Ji-xin.

His lover on the Tianxuan Continent. The girl who valued the team's honor above all else, who put herself last and him second.

Their relationship had been good, truly good. They understood and supported each other, being each other's most important pillar.

But in the end, they still parted ways.

Not because of a lack of love, but because of... a difference in ideals.

Jiang Zhiyu hoped that Baek Ji-xin could consider herself more and not always put herself last. He hoped she could occasionally be willful, occasionally selfish, and occasionally put the person "Baek Ji-xin" before the identity of "Team Leader."

But Baek Ji-xin couldn't do it.

To her, the team was everything. She was the leader, the pillar, the one everyone relied on. She couldn't fall, couldn't retreat, and couldn't show any vulnerability.

Their divergence grew wider and wider. Finally, through repeated conversations of "I wish you'd think more of yourself" and "I am the leader, I have a responsibility," their feelings gradually wore away.

The breakup was peaceful. There were no arguments, no resentment, only deep exhaustion and helplessness.

"If I can't even take good care of my own team, then what right do I have to stand in this position?"

That was what she had said at the time.

And Jiang Zhiyu had replied, "But if you can't even take care of yourself, how can you take care of others?"

But in the end, neither could change the other.

So, they separated.

And now, in this world, he had met Bae Joo-hyun.

When he first saw her at SM, he was almost stunned—that face, that aura, that sense of responsibility as a leader, she was practically a carbon copy of Ji-xin.

But he quickly cleared his head.

Bae Joo-hyun was Bae Joo-hyun, not Baek Ji-xin.

They were different people living in different worlds.

"Oh, well then, fine." Seeing the emotions flashing in Jiang Zhiyu's eyes, Kim Soo-yeon put away her joking mood. "Good luck, President Oppa!"

She knew it was time to end this topic.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded and returned to his work state. "Regarding the solo variety show filming for Choi Yena after being caught by the 'Star Demons Claws,' are the venue, props, and so on ready?"

Kim Soo-yeon also regained her professional expression, returned to her desk, and pulled up the files on her computer. "Everything is arranged. Choi Yena has a good image and personality, a strong sense for variety shows, and is well-liked by the audience. Coupled with the response after the broadcast of the main drama 'destined kim hyo-soon,' I've already added all the small brands seeking collaboration to Choi Yena's spin-off filming."

She pointed to the list on the screen. "Snacks, drinks, daily necessities... they are all small brands, but there's a significant number of them. For her personally, it's a great opportunity for exposure."

"Very good." Jiang Zhiyu nodded with satisfaction. "Clear some time tomorrow evening. I need to talk to Yena about some things regarding her personal arrangements."

"Understood."