253: Chapter 234 "The Prisoner of the Demon King's Castle ~ The Pisces Saintess Who Loves to Steal Food" - On the Filming Set

TG Entertainment's newly built large indoor studio had been decorated into a bizarre, candy-colored, fantasy-style "Demon King Castle." The walls were an exaggerated ginger-yellow and berry-red, hung with twisted lollipops, cotton candy clouds, and reliefs of winking chocolate cookie soldiers. The floor was covered with a soft, multicolored swirl-patterned carpet, and the air was even filled with a cloyingly sweet scent of artificial flavoring—reportedly to help the actors better immerse themselves in the "Candy Castle" worldview.

Jiang Zhiyu stood behind the monitor, wearing a loose black hoodie and cargo pants. His hair was slightly messy, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes, but his amber eyes were startlingly bright, filled with the exhilaration of being immersed in his work. He held a thick stack of storyboard scripts and a densely annotated shooting schedule, communicating rapidly with the cinematographer and lighting technician about camera angles and lighting effects.

"When Camera 1 does a close-up of Yena, I want her eyes to simultaneously hold the 'Wow, so much candy' sparkle and the 'This must be a trap' vigilance. Keep the lighting soft, with a bit of a dreamy filter effect, but keep the shadows to imply the danger beneath the sweetness... Yes, that's the feeling!"

His speaking speed was fast, his gestures decisive, and he had completely entered "Director/Producer" mode. It seemed that only by burying himself completely in one concrete creative task after another could he temporarily block out those chaotic thoughts and the annoying, intermittent twinges in his heart.

Just then, a small commotion came from the entrance.

Choi Yena had arrived. Today, she was wearing the "Pisces Saintess" costume prepared by the production team—a fluffy skirt adorned with sequins and rhinestones, transitioning in color from light blue to pinkish-purple, with a pair of small, slightly trembling transparent fish fins on her back. Her hair was braided intricately and she wore a small crown. Although her makeup was sweet, her face clearly carried a mixture of "resignation to fate" and the curiosity of "I want to see what kind of tricks you can pull."

Beside her, as expected, was a "guardian"—Lee Chaeyeon. Chaeyeon was dressed in casual clothes, her expression relatively calm, but her eyes were full of scrutiny toward this bizarre set and a hint of worry for her sister.

However, to the slight surprise of Jiang Zhiyu and the staff on site, following behind Lee Chaeyeon were two familiar figures, poking their heads around with "I'm here to watch/join the fun" written all over their faces—ITZY's Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna.

"Chaeyeon Unnie! Wait for us!" Shin Yuna's energetic voice reached them.

"Wow... is this the place where they're filming that 'Demon King Castle'? It looks so... sweet?" Lee Chaeryeong blinked her large eyes, looking around curiously.

Choi Yena and Lee Chaeyeon were also stunned for a moment. Choi Yena looked at Chaeyeon, asking with her eyes: Why are they here?

Lee Chaeyeon helplessly whispered an explanation: "We happened to run into them nearby on the way here. When they heard I was coming to 'protect' you, they insisted on tagging along, saying it was some... 'Operation Protect the Duck Auxiliary Support Team'?" Even she felt this title was a bit of a stretch.

Jiang Zhiyu looked up from behind the monitor, his gaze sweeping over the quartet at the door. When he saw Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna, his eyebrows arched slightly, and then, his face, slightly pale from days of staying up late, instantly bloomed into an extremely bright, even somewhat "maliciously" enthusiastic smile.

He put down what he was holding and strode toward them.

"Oh my! Isn't this our Yuna and Chaeryeong?!" Jiang Zhiyu's voice sounded surprised and familiar, as if he had met old friends he hadn't seen in a long time. "It's really been a long time! How have you been lately? Is ITZY's schedule going well?"

Shin Yuna and Lee Chaeryeong didn't expect Jiang Zhiyu to come over and greet them so enthusiastically, so they quickly bowed and said hello: "Hello, President Jiang (PD-nim)!" "We're doing great, thank you for asking, President!"

Jiang Zhiyu walked up to them, smiling as he examined the two girls, his eyes looking as if he were evaluating some rare treasure (or lambs waiting to be slaughtered). He stroked his chin and spoke casually:

"Speaking of which... since you're here, isn't it boring just watching?" He blinked, his tone full of temptation. "This special episode of our Yena just happens to be missing a few cute (unlucky) and lively (funny) supporting roles to set the mood and increase the dramatic conflict... How about it, Yuna, Chaeryeong, do you want to make a guest appearance too? Just a few shots, it'll be a lot of fun!"

"Mwo?!" Shin Yuna and Lee Chaeryeong exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide.

After the shock, a wave of uncontrollable excitement surged in their hearts! A guest appearance? A guest appearance in the twelve star envoys special series, currently the most talked-about project at TG Entertainment? And with the seniors from IZ*ONE? For any young idol, this was an excellent exposure and an interesting experience!

"Re... really, is it okay?" Lee Chaeryeong asked uncertainly, her fingers nervously twisted together, but her eyes were already shining.

"We... can we? Wouldn't it disturb the filming?" Shin Yuna was also surprised and delighted, eager to try.

Jiang Zhiyu's smile deepened, like a cat watching fish take the bait. He clapped his hands, his tone relaxed and full of the certainty of "I'm in charge." "Of course! The roles are ready-made; we just need to make some slight adjustments! As for the company side..." He deliberately dragged out the tone, watching the two girls' faces instantly become nervous, before adding slowly, "I'll call President Park right now to ask. I'm sure he wouldn't refuse to let ITZY's precious ones have another opportunity to show their diverse charms, right?"

As he said this, he really took out his phone and made a gesture to dial, but his eyes glanced at the two of them, observing their reactions.

Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna's hearts were in their throats! Both expectant and afraid! Expectant to participate, but afraid that the president wouldn't agree or would have some concerns.

Just then, Choi Yena and Lee Chaeyeon exchanged a look. That look was filled with complex emotions of "as expected," "welcome to hell," and "run, sisters!" (but they didn't say it out loud). Choi Yena even gave the two juniors a subtle smile that was slightly sympathetic but also a bit of "waiting to see a good show."

Jiang Zhiyu walked to the side and really made the call. Lee Chaeryeong, Shin Yuna, Choi Yena, and Lee Chaeyeon stood where they were, each with their own thoughts. Choi Yena was expectant yet anxious, with a subtle sense of relief at "finally having company to suffer (crossed out) adventure with." Lee Chaeyeon was helpless but curious, wanting to see how Jiang Zhiyu would "arrange" these two uninvited sisters. As for Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna, they were purely nervous and excited, pricking up their ears to hear the content of the call.

"...Yes, yes, President Park, it's me, Zhiyu... Nothing major, just filming a small program today, and Chaeryeong and Yuna happened to come to visit... Hmm, they are very interested, and I think their image fits very well... Yes, yes, just a guest appearance, not many scenes, absolutely safe and interesting... It can also increase the buzz, an ITZY and IZ*ONE collaboration? Hahaha, you think it's okay? Great! Thank you, President Park! I'll treat you to a meal another day! ...Alright, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of them!"

The call ended quickly. Jiang Zhiyu turned around with a smug smile of "mission accomplished" and gave the four of them an "OK" sign.

"Yay!!!" Shin Yuna and Lee Chaeryeong instantly cheered and high-fived, their previous anxiety drowned out by huge excitement.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded with satisfaction and turned to the assistant director, shouting: "Script adjustment! The original 'stupid and cute guards combo'—the scatterbrained General Kitty Cat and the silly-happy Golden Retriever Corporal, the actors are decided! It's our Yuna and Chaeryeong!"

The assistant director stifled a laugh and responded loudly: "Yes! PD-nim! Welcome the scatterbrained General Kitty Cat (Lee Chaeryeong) and the silly-happy Golden Retriever Corporal (Shin Yuna) to the Demon King Castle family!"

Lee Chaeryeong: "...???" Scatterbrained General Kitty Cat?

Shin Yuna: "...!!!" Silly-happy Golden Retriever Corporal?

The excited smiles on their faces instantly froze, slowly transforming into a kind of bewilderment of "who am I, where am I, what did I agree to," as well as a clear, ominous premonition that they had boarded a pirate ship.

Choi Yena finally couldn't help it, burst out laughing, walked over and put her arms around the shoulders of the two younger sisters, and said in the tone of someone who had been through it, earnestly (but actually gloating): "Feel the pain, sisters! Welcome to PD Jiang's 'creative' paradise!"

Lee Chaeyeon also held back her laughter and added: "Remember, here, shame is superfluous; surviving (and finishing the filming) is the first priority."

Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna looked at the cloyingly sweet and bizarre set in front of them, looked at Jiang Zhiyu's increasingly bright and "malicious" smile, and listened to the "blood and tears" "advice" from their seniors, finally fully understanding—this wasn't coming to play or a simple guest appearance at all; this was jumping into a deep pit called "Jiang Zhiyu's wild imagination"!

The two looked at each other and saw the same emotion in each other's eyes: T_T Feeling like they've boarded a pirate ship... Is it too late to get off now?

Obviously, it was too late.

Jiang Zhiyu was already holding the revised script, energetically explaining the "essence of the characters" to them:

"Chaeryeong, for your General Kitty Cat, the core is 'scatterbrained' but 'thinks she's very cool.' Your task is to guard the candy warehouse, but you are always tricked by Yena using various childish tricks (such as 'Look, there's a flying pudding in the sky!'), and then you chase after the non-existent 'flying pudding' and run away, forgetting about the warehouse door entirely. The actions must be exaggerated, and the expression must have a stupid cuteness amidst the seriousness!"

Lee Chaeryeong: "..." I've already started to feel ashamed.

"Yuna! Your Golden Retriever Corporal is the embodiment of 'silly-happy' and 'overactive'! Your task is to patrol the castle corridors, but any little thing can make you spin in circles happily, such as finding a particularly round candy bean, or seeing your own tail (prop) wagging. Yena just needs to sneak past you while you're spinning until you're dizzy. Remember, your happiness must infect everyone, even if the reason for that happiness is stupid!"

Shin Yuna: "..." Stupid happiness... I think I've realized the seniors' pain.

Choi Yena looked at the expressions of the two juniors who were gradually collapsing but pretending to be calm, and suddenly felt that her upcoming "shameful adventure" seemed... not so lonely? Maybe even a little looking forward to seeing their performance?

Lee Chaeyeon silently took out her phone, preparing to record this historic moment—the moment when ITZY's sisters officially fell into PD Jiang's clutches.

Jiang Zhiyu clapped his hands, his voice loud and full of creative passion: "Alright! Actors in position! Lighting and camera, get ready! 《Demon King Castle's Captive ~ The Pisces Saintess Who Loves to Snack》 Scene 1, Take 1, Action!"

Inside the candy-colored Demon King Castle, a special episode filming full of absurdity, shame, but destined to be hilarious, officially kicked off. And the newly added "scatterbrained" and "silly-happy" combo was about to add a "brilliant" touch to this episode with their blood and tears (and laughter).

Jiang Zhiyu stared intently at the monitor, all his irritability and feelings seemingly temporarily dispelled by this bustling, creative set full of his personal quirks. Only here, while controlling one absurd and vivid story after another, could he feel a kind of near-paralyzing peace.

In front of the cloyingly sweet "Candy Warehouse" set, Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna stood stiffly, wearing fluffy mascot costumes. Lee Chaeryeong was wearing a huge, disproportionate pink Hello Kitty headgear (the eye positions had holes, so she could see out, but her vision was limited), and her body was a matching pink jumpsuit, with a round, short tail attached to her butt. Shin Yuna was styled as a fluffy, light-yellow Golden Retriever, with big ears flopping down, tongue (prop) lolling out, and a large, fluffy tail dragging behind her.

Just this costume alone was enough to make the two girls want to dig a hole and hide in it from embarrassment. But when the assistant director handed them the freshly printed "Supplementary Script Pages," still warm from the ink, the true "hell" officially descended.

On the paper, written in bold font, it read: Scene: Corridor outside the candy warehouse; Characters: Brainless General Kitty Cat (played by Lee Chaeryeong) & Happy-go-lucky Golden Retriever Corporal (played by Shin Yuna); Plot: The two (? cat and dog) are conducting a serious (?) patrol shift change and have a philosophical dispute over the issue of "Ultimate Delicacy."

The lines were as follows:

Brainless General Kitty Cat (Lee Chaeryeong) lines: "Oh! My dear, loyal, though foolish but still obedient Golden Retriever Corporal! (in an exaggerated dubbed tone) I must correct your impoverished, pitiful, and bone-gnawing taste perception! (waving a hand wearing a cat paw glove) The supreme delicacy of this world is the grace bestowed by the deep blue sea—fish! Smooth, delicious, carrying the salty fragrance and freedom of the ocean! (closing eyes in ecstasy) Your dry bones are nothing more than boring tools for grinding teeth! (arrogantly lifting the Kitty chin)"

Happy-go-lucky Pistachio Golden Retriever Corporal (Shin Yuna) lines: "Oh~! My noble, beautiful, though occasionally chasing the shadow of its own tail, General Kitty Cat! (in an exaggerated dubbed tone, with exaggerated reverence) Please forgive your most loyal corporal for speaking boldly! (standing at attention, tail wagging wildly) Bones, that rich fragrance wrapped in hardness, that crunch that requires patience and skill to appreciate, are the eternal classics of the food world, the source of strength! (eyes shining) Fish? Those are just cunning aquatic creatures, covered in thorns, and they will splash water in your face with their tails! (exaggeratedly imitating the water-splashing action, and making a 'purr-purr' sound.)"

Golden Retriever Corporal (Shin Yuna): (head held high, chest out, tail wagging happily) ["Oh~ My dear General Kitty Cat! On this sweet night shrouded in moonlight (though there is no moon indoors), I still insist that, after being fully roasted, crispy and fragrant, condensed with the essence of the earth and the craftsmanship of a butcher—bones! Their charm is incomparable to any other food! They are the source of strength, the symbol of loyalty! (ecstatic expression) Ah, that 'crunch' sound when chewing, what a moving movement!"]

General Kitty Cat (Lee Chaeryeong): (hugging arms, expression under the mask should be disdainful, but the mask face is always smiling) ["Oh~ My foolish Golden Retriever Corporal! Your taste buds are clearly still stuck in the Stone Age! Only if you haven't tasted the dried fish—sun-dried, kissed by the sea breeze, with firm and delicious meat, carrying the deep breath of the ocean in its salty fragrance—would you say such narrow-minded, tasteless words! (waving a paw dismissively) That is the true, elegant, gift belonging to top predators!"]

Golden Retriever Corporal: ["General! This is a blasphemy against bones!"] General Kitty Cat: ["Corporal! This is a deficiency in your understanding of the culinary universe!"]

(The two start circling each other, glaring at each other, the atmosphere is tense, the background should be intense BGM, but in reality, there is only childish music box music)

Golden Retriever Corporal: (stamping feet in defiance) "Bones! Are the symbol of loyalty and strength!" General Kitty Cat: (flicking tail dismissively) "Dried fish! Are the crystallization of elegance and wisdom!" Both: (turning around simultaneously, back to back, arms crossed/hands on hips) "Hmph!"

Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna were petrified after reading these lines. Their hands holding the paper trembled slightly. A few seconds later. "Ahhhh—!!!" Shin Yuna was the first to break down, ripping off her headgear (which could be removed temporarily), her face bright red, not knowing if it was from the stuffiness or embarrassment, "This... who could say this out loud!! And 'Oh~ my dear', 'Oh~ my foolish'! What kind of ancient dubbed-film lines are these!! And having to use that exaggerated theatrical tone!!"

Lee Chaeryeong also took off the heavy General Kitty Cat headgear, her little face scrunched up, looking at her biological sister Lee Chaeyeon with a look of hopelessness, her eyes filled with a plea for help and an accusation of "Look at what President Jiang wrote for me!" She shoved the script paper into Lee Chaeyeon's hand, with a crying tone: "Unnie! You do it! You try reading it once! Look at this, is this reasonable?!"

Lee Chaeyeon took the script paper, scanned it quickly, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up wildly. But she knew she couldn't laugh now; if she laughed, it would be over. She suppressed her laughter, straightened her face, shoved the paper back into Lee Chaeryeong's hand, then took a step back, looked up and down at her younger sister who was wearing the pink General Kitty Cat plush suit with a breakdown expression, and put on an extremely exaggerated look of confusion: "Hm? Who are you? Why do you call me Unnie? Do I know you?"

She even looked around, "My sister Chaeryeong should be quietly and prettily practicing in the JYP practice room right now, working hard for ITZY's next perfect comeback. You... (pointing at Lee Chaeryeong's plush suit) must be some strange stranger who likes to cosplay General Kitty Cat, right? Sorry, I don't know General Kitty Cat sister."

"Un——nie——!!!" Lee Chaeryeong stamped her feet in anger, the plush suit's paws slapping the air, having no deterrent power, but instead looking even more stupidly cute.

Seeing that asking Unnie Chaeyeon for help was ineffective, Shin Yuna immediately changed targets. She hugged the Golden Retriever headgear in her arms, revealing a pitiful little face, her big watery eyes looking toward Jiang Zhiyu, who was checking the lighting effects not far away, and used her most skillful, sweet, and coquettish tone, dragging out the ending: "Op~pa~~~ President Jiang Oppa~~~!" This "Oppa" was shouted with endless twists and turns, "These lines... really... are too embarrassing! Can we... change them a little? Do they not have to be so... dramatic?" She tried to soften the director with a cute offensive.

Jiang Zhiyu turned his head at the sound. There was no special expression on his face; he even looked a bit tired and indifferent from continuous work, but his eyes, when looking at Shin Yuna, clearly reflected her funny appearance of being ashamed and angry yet trying to act cute. He didn't joke or tease them as usual, but just said in a very calm, even somewhat matter-of-fact tone: "Don't worry, Yuna."

His gaze swept over Shin Yuna and fell onto Lee Chaeryeong, who was holding the General Kitty Cat headgear with a look of hopelessness. "I believe in you." His tone was determined, as if stating a fact, "Chaeryeong's straight-faced comedic sense and Yuna's vibrant energy are exactly the contrasting cuteness this scene needs. The more you feel ashamed, the more you hold back, the less effective it will be. As long as you immerse yourselves in it, treating yourselves truly as that 'brainless but self-proclaimed noble General Kitty Cat' and that 'happy-go-lucky but bone-obsessed Golden Retriever Corporal,' the audience will definitely be amused by you and will remember your cute side."

He paused, and the corners of his mouth finally curled up in a very faint, encouraging arc. "Think about it, this is a look you would never see on the ITZY stage. It's a breakthrough, and also a good opportunity to gain fans. Fighting!"

After speaking, he didn't wait for the two to protest again, but turned around and shouted to the set: "Are you familiar with the lines? I'll give you five minutes to adjust your state, five minutes later we shoot! Makeup artist, touch up their makeup, it's sweaty inside the headgear."

These words from Jiang Zhiyu were soft yet firm; he gave encouragement ("I believe in you," "opportunity to gain fans") and blocked the retreat ("five minutes later we shoot"). The key was that his calm and determined attitude had an inexplicable aura that made people have to obey.

Shin Yuna and Lee Chaeryeong opened their mouths, finding that saying anything else was futile. Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna looked at each other. Chaeryeong: "...Did he just feed us chicken soup for the soul?" Yuna: "...Seems like it, but what should we do if it feels even more embarrassing?"

Chaeryeong took a deep breath, looked at the scorching script in her hand, and then looked at Choi Yena, who had adjusted her expression and entered "watching a show mode," and her own Unnie who was pretending to be a passerby. Yuna also took a deep breath, put the dog ears back on, her tail (prop) drooped unconsciously, but then she forced herself to perk up.

"Fine..." Lee Chaeryeong resignedly put on the huge General Kitty Cat headgear, revealing only the lower half of her face, her voice muffled from inside the headgear, "...I am the brainless General Kitty Cat..." Shin Yuna also squeezed out a "going all out" smile, and wagged the big tail behind her butt: "...I am the happy-go-lucky Pistachio Golden Retriever Corporal..."

"Sigh..." Lee Chaeryeong sighed, resigning herself to putting the heavy General Kitty Cat headgear back on her head, her vision becoming narrow again. "Hoo..." Shin Yuna also took a deep breath and put on the Golden Retriever headgear with the tongue sticking out. The two picked up the script paper, walked to the side, and began to stumble through the lines in voices as quiet as mosquitoes.

["Oh... Oh... My dear General Kitty Cat..."] (Shin Yuna's voice was extremely small) ["...My foolish... Golden Retriever Corporal..."] (Lee Chaeryeong's voice was muddled) As they recited, they couldn't stand it themselves; the faces under the headgear were probably already red to the point of exploding.

Choi Yena didn't know when she had come over; she had already entered the "Sugar-Stealing Saintess" state, holding a prop bucket, watching with great interest from the side, and whispered to Lee Chaeyeon next to her: "Unnie Chaeyeon, look at them, don't they look like us when we first got the 'Lion Charge Duck Punch' and 'Dreamy Twin Spirits' lines?" Lee Chaeyeon nodded, holding back laughter: "Exactly the same. The cycle of history repeats."

Five minutes passed in a flash. "All departments ready! 'Twelve Star Messengers: Records of Survival in the Mortal Realm', Scene 2, Take 7, Action!" The sound of the clapperboard fell. Childish, cheerful music box music played. Under the lights, Lee Chaeryeong, wearing the pink General Kitty Cat plush suit, and Shin Yuna, in the pale yellow Golden Retriever plush suit, held their heads high and chests out (posture a bit stiff) "patrolling" in the candy-colored corridor.

Shin Yuna (Golden Retriever Corporal) stopped abruptly, turned to Lee Chaeryeong (General Kitty Cat), trying hard to make her voice sound full of passion and dubbed-film tone, although it trembled slightly from embarrassment: "Oh~ My dear General Kitty Cat!" Lee Chaeryeong (General Kitty Cat) crossed her arms, the mask's forever-smiling face turned to her, trying to use her paw to make a gesture of "disdain," her voice trying to press out a bit of an arrogant tone: "Oh~ My foolish Golden Retriever Corporal!"

"Cut—!" Jiang Zhiyu shouted stop. The two stiffened. "Yuna, the tail wagging is too deliberate; I want that kind of unconscious feeling where it wags naturally because you're happy. Chaeryeong, hold your voice a bit more, imagine you are Napoleon giving a lecture." "...Nae." "...Yes." "Again! Action!"

Behind the monitor, Jiang Zhiyu watched the two furry "animals" in the frame speaking the most chuunibyou and embarrassing lines with the most serious (clumsy) attitude, and the corners of his mouth finally couldn't help but curl upwards. In that smile, there was the pleasure of a successful prank, appreciation for the girls' hard work, and the pure joy of being immersed in creation. It seemed that only at such moments, watching those absurd ideas in his mind being materialized and performed, could he briefly forget those complex worries and find a trace of peace and satisfaction.

And at this moment, the set echoed with the childish arguments of "Bones!" and "Dried fish!", along with the image of the two "animals" seriously and comically circling and confronting each other. Embarrassing? It was exploding with embarrassment. But... it seemed, it wasn't that bad? At least, under the headgear, while Lee Chaeryeong and Shin Yuna were gritting their teeth reciting the lines, they couldn't help but feel that this experience... probably wouldn't be forgotten for a lifetime.