274: Chapter 254 An Encounter in the Elevator: Scent, Wariness, and a Raging Heart

The elevator doors slowly opened on the sixth floor.

Jiang Zhiyu stood inside the elevator, one hand tucked into his suit trousers pocket, appearing as composed as if he were at TG Entertainment rather than SM. When the doors fully opened and he saw the person standing outside, his face displayed a perfectly timed expression of "surprise."

—Im Yoona.

She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans, layered with a beige knit cardigan. Her long hair was loosely tied back, and her face held the rosy glow of post-workout exertion. Clearly, she had just finished a personal practice session and was preparing to leave.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhiyu in the elevator, Im Yoona's footsteps halted.

Her expression went through multiple changes in an instant: first surprise (what is he doing here?), then vigilance (at this time? in this place?), and finally the polite smile of a perfect idol—though that smile didn't reach her eyes.

“President Jiang.” Im Yoona's voice was soft, yet carried a distinct sense of distance. “What a coincidence.”

“Yoona-sunbae.” Jiang Zhiyu nodded slightly, stepping aside to make room. “Aren't you coming in?”

His tone was as natural as if it truly were a chance encounter, but Im Yoona knew this man too well—Jiang Zhiyu never did anything without a purpose, especially in a sensitive place like SM.

She smoothed a few stray strands of long hair, a gesture that was both elegant and carried a hint of self-protection. Then, she stepped into the elevator.

The elevator doors slowly closed, leaving only the two of them in the cramped space.

The air instantly became subtle.

First, there was that fragrance—Jiang Zhiyu's unique body scent, sweet and mellow like ripe fruit, which grew even more intense in the enclosed elevator. It wasn't intentional like perfume, but more like a natural aura permeating from deep within the skin, carrying the warmth of sunlight and fruit.

Im Yoona's breath hitched slightly.

She was all too familiar with this scent. Ever since the day of the squirtle water gun battle, this fragrance had been branded into her memory. Even more terrifyingly, her body had an instinctive reaction to this smell—her mouth began to salivate, her throat swallowed unconsciously, and a voice deep inside was screaming frantically:

I really want to eat.

The thought made her feel ashamed. How could she have such a... primal appetite for a person's body scent? But logic couldn't control physiological reactions, just as it couldn't stop her heart from racing.

She forced herself to look away, staring at the blurred reflections on the elevator doors.

However, out of the corner of her eye, she caught it—Jiang Zhiyu was looking at her.

It wasn't a casual glance, but a focused, smiling gaze. Im Yoona couldn't help but look sideways, and their eyes met in the elevator's mirror.

In that instant, Im Yoona almost immediately deciphered the meaning in his eyes.

It was the look of someone about to pull a prank.

Why was she so sure?

—Because she herself loved pranks. When she played tricks on Jiang Zhiyu during the weekend special, or when she "retaliated" against him with specially made fruit and vegetable juice during the squirtle water gun battle, her eyes looked just like that. Sly, expectant, with a hint of childish mischief.

And now, that same look appeared in Jiang Zhiyu's eyes.

Im Yoona gritted her teeth inwardly, her entire defense system instantly going on full alert.

This guy... I must be careful!!!

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor—the floor where the recording studios were located.

The doors opened. Jiang Zhiyu didn't move, only looking at Im Yoona with a smile: “Is Yoona-sunbae getting out?”

Im Yoona was stunned. She had originally intended to go to the parking lot, but the fourth floor... was the recording studios. What did Jiang Zhiyu mean by this?

“Or rather,” Jiang Zhiyu continued, his tone as relaxed as if chatting about the weather, “does Noona have time to chat with me?”

He changed the form of address.

From “Yoona-sunbae” to “Noona.”

This tiny change made Im Yoona's heart skip a beat. She knew that when Jiang Zhiyu used this tone and this title, it usually meant he was about to start "stirring things up."

But could she refuse?

Curiosity and some indefinable attraction made her nod as if possessed.

“Sure.” Im Yoona heard herself say, her voice calmer than she expected. “It just so happens I don't have any schedules next.”

“That's great.” Jiang Zhiyu stepped out of the elevator and made a “please” gesture with a side step.

Im Yoona followed behind him as they walked through the quiet corridor. At this time, most of the recording studios were empty, with only a few scattered producers in their workrooms.

Walking to a recording studio at the end of the corridor, Jiang Zhiyu stopped.

The doorplate of this recording studio still had traces of a torn-off label—it was his exclusive recording studio from his time at SM.

Im Yoona raised an eyebrow: “This one?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Zhiyu responded, and then did something that surprised Im Yoona—he directly reached out and pressed his hand on the fingerprint lock.

“Beep—”

The green light lit up, and the door lock opened accordingly.

Im Yoona's eyes widened: “Your fingerprint... still works?”

Jiang Zhiyu pushed the door open and looked back at her with a smile: “I'm surprised too. It seems SM still intends to get me back.”

He said it nonchalantly, but Im Yoona heard the deeper meaning. SM not deleting his access meant the higher-ups were indeed considering deep cooperation with him, perhaps even... harboring thoughts of having him return.

But she didn't have time to think deeply, because Jiang Zhiyu had already entered the recording studio and turned to look at her:

“Noona, please come in.”

Im Yoona walked in and looked around. The recording studio remained exactly as it was when Jiang Zhiyu left—neat, but full of personal traces: handwritten chord progressions pinned to the wall, several succulent plants on the desk, and many music theory books in Chinese and English on the bookshelf.

She suddenly remembered something and looked back at Jiang Zhiyu:

“Not calling me Sunbae anymore?”

Jiang Zhiyu was closing the door. Hearing this, he looked back and gave an innocent smile: “Yes~ Noona-sunbae.”

The title was both intimate and teasing, leaving Im Yoona momentarily speechless. She gave a light huff and turned around, pretending to examine the recording studio's environment, while actually trying to calm her suddenly racing heart.

Jiang Zhiyu said to the assistant who had been following him: “You go back first. I'll head back on my own later. Take the car.”

The assistant hesitated: “...But President, you...”

“Do as I say.” Jiang Zhiyu's tone was gentle but left no room for doubt.

“...Understood.” The assistant bowed and exited the recording studio, closing the door behind him.

“Click.”

The sound of the door closing was exceptionally clear in the quiet recording studio.

Now, in this perfectly soundproofed space, only the two of them remained.

With her back to Jiang Zhiyu, Im Yoona could clearly feel his presence—his breath, the sound of his footsteps, and that all-pervading body scent. She couldn't help but swallow. The action was so subtle it was almost imperceptible, but she knew Jiang Zhiyu must have seen it.

She took a deep breath and turned around, trying to regain control of the rhythm.

With a standard, flawless idol smile on her face, her tone was relaxed and natural:

“President Jiang, is there something you called me here for?”

Jiang Zhiyu was fiddling with something at the mixing console. Hearing this, he looked up with clear eyes:

“Can't I look for Noona even if there's nothing?”

Im Yoona raised an eyebrow: “The President is a busy man! Season two of Twelve Star Messengers is in preparation, you have to talk cooperation with SM, and you have to manage the daily operations of TG Entertainment... where do you have time to just wander around?”

Her words carried thorns, serving as both a probe and a reminder—I know your purpose for coming to SM today isn't simple.

Jiang Zhiyu laughed, a smile as warm as afternoon sunlight:

“Coming to see Noona is the most important thing right now.”

“...”

Im Yoona's face flushed instantly.

It wasn't a blush of shyness, but a flush of... embarrassment turning into anger. These words were too ambiguous, so ambiguous they caught her off guard. She glared at Jiang Zhiyu, wanting to find a trace of mockery in his expression, only to find his gaze terrifyingly serious.

“President Jiang, those words are quite strange.” She barely maintained her composure, but her voice was already tightening.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't respond but walked up to her, carefully examining her face.

His gaze moved from her eyes, to the bridge of her nose, to her lips, and finally back to her eyes. That gaze was so focused it gave Im Yoona the illusion of being seen through. She could even feel her cheeks gradually heating up under his watch, the redness spreading uncontrollably.

She wanted to look away but found herself unable to move.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment. In the recording studio, there was only the faint hum of equipment and the sound of their breathing in close proximity.

The fragrance on Jiang Zhiyu grew even stronger.

Im Yoona could feel her heart racing, blood drumming in her eardrums. That frantic voice appeared again:

I really want to eat.

I really want to eat him up.

She bit her lower lip, using the pain to keep herself conscious.

Just then, Jiang Zhiyu spoke.

His voice was very soft, yet it struck like a bolt of lightning in Im Yoona's ear:

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Does Noona know how to fight?"

Im Yoona was taken aback by Jiang Zhiyu's question, "Does Noona know how to fight?", her mind going blank for two seconds.

Fight?

What kind of fight?

Before she could react, Jiang Zhiyu smiled and explained, "I just heard some gossip about the Girls Generation 'waiting room stairwell wars' from back in the day, and I was just curious."

His tone was as casual as if he were talking about the weather, but Im Yoona could sense the probing beneath it—this person was using the most nonchalant method to touch upon the most real, hidden side of their group.

Girls Generation did indeed have rumors of a "waiting room stairwell war." That was during the period shortly after their debut, when they were under the most pressure; due to schedules, stress, and clashing personalities, the members did have intense arguments and even physical altercations. But these matters were kept strictly confidential, known only to a very few insiders.

How did Jiang Zhiyu know?

Im Yoona pursed her lips, not answering the question. Her gaze became sharp, like a cat that had detected a trap.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't seem to expect an answer. He turned and walked toward the briefcase on the mixing console, calmly unzipped it, and took out a thick document folder.

The folder was pure black, with no markings, except for a tiny TG logo embroidered in silver thread on the side.

Im Yoona's gaze drifted toward it almost involuntarily.

Curiosity overcame everything at that moment. Jiang Zhiyu came to the SM Building today to negotiate with top management, and now he had called her alone to this recording studio and pulled out a document that looked very important—there was no way all of this wasn't connected.

And that folder was now sitting on the table less than three meters away from her.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't seem to notice her gaze, or rather, he noticed but didn't care. He placed the folder on the corner of the mixing console, then turned around to look at Im Yoona, revealing a smile... that made her heart skip a beat.

It wasn't an ordinary smile, but one that said "just as I expected," a smile filled with a sense of control.

There was a clarity in his eyes that pierced through everything, as if all of Im Yoona's inner conflict, curiosity, and defensiveness were within his expectations.

"Noona is truly like water," Jiang Zhiyu suddenly said.

"...Eh?" Im Yoona blinked, completely failing to follow this turn in the conversation.

Water?

What does that mean?

Jiang Zhiyu didn't explain. He simply stood up, straightened the front of his suit, and then—walked straight toward the door.

"Noona, you look beautiful today," he stopped at the door, turned back, and smiled at her, "Goodbye."

With that, he opened the door and walked out.

"Click."

The door closed again.

In the recording studio, only Im Yoona was left, along with that black folder lying quietly on the table.

She stood there, stunned for a full ten seconds.

He just... left?

He called her here, asked an inexplicable question, said an inexplicable sentence, and then... just left like that?

And he specifically left the folder behind?

Im Yoona's first reaction was: A trap.

This was definitely a trap.

Someone like Jiang Zhiyu couldn't possibly make a rookie mistake like "forgetting to take an important document." He did it on purpose. He left the folder here specifically so she would look at it.

But... why?

She walked to the mixing console and stared at the folder. The black color had a matte texture under the light, and the silver TG logo reflected slightly at certain angles.

Must not look.

Her reason warned her. This was a commercial document from another company, likely involving confidential information. As an artist under SM, snooping into internal documents from TG Entertainment was not only a matter of professional ethics but could also lead to legal disputes.

But...

Curiosity coiled around her like a vine.

What exactly did Jiang Zhiyu talk about with SM today? What was in that document? A new collaborative project? Or... something else?

She remembered Jiang Zhiyu's smile as he left, the way he said "Noona is truly like water," and how he deliberately mentioned the "waiting room stairwell war"...

Everything felt like a meticulously designed puzzle, and the answer was likely right inside that folder.

Im Yoona bit her lower lip, her hands unconsciously twisting together.

What is my relationship with Jiang Zhiyu?

This question suddenly popped into her mind.

Senior and junior? Yes, in terms of seniority, she was his senior.

Producer and artist? He did produce a variety show for her (though that show left such a deep impression that she wanted to "take revenge" on him).

"Enemies"? That might be an exaggeration, but their relationship of pranking each other in "weekend special" and "squirtle water gun battle" was indeed much more complex than that of ordinary colleagues.

Or... some other more subtle, indescribable relationship?

Im Yoona recalled the "appetite" she had developed for his scent, the vague messages she had sent in the Girls Generation group chat, and the way he had looked at her in the elevator just now...

Her face began to heat up again.

No, can't think about these things.

She forced herself to get back to the point.

Senior and junior relationship.

Yes, just a senior and junior relationship. So, if a junior left a document behind, wouldn't it be... okay for the senior to take a peek?

After all, if it were really a top-secret document, how could Jiang Zhiyu leave it here so carelessly?

Maybe, he actually wanted her to see it?

Once this thought appeared, it grew like wild weeds.

Im Yoona looked around. The recording studio was very quiet, with excellent soundproofing; no sounds from the hallway outside could penetrate it. No one knew she was here, and no one knew that the document existed.

She reached out, her fingertips hovering a few centimeters above the folder.

Her heart was pounding hard.

Just... one look.

Just look at the title.

Put it back after looking.

She convinced herself of this.

Her fingertips trembled as they touched the surface of the folder. It felt smooth and slightly cool.

She took a deep breath and opened the folder.

In the elevator. Jiang Zhiyu pressed the button for the underground parking lot, then leaned against the elevator wall and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It wasn't an ordinary laugh, but a low, "hehehe" sound of a prank successfully pulled off, echoing in the confined elevator space.

The gentle, jade-like expression he had in the recording studio was gone, replaced by an almost evil excitement.

"Im Yoona, oh Im Yoona..." he muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming under the light, "You can't escape."

The elevator slowly descended, the numbers changing.

Jiang Zhiyu closed his eyes, his mind conjuring up the expression on Im Yoona's face when she opened the script—surprise, shock, then struggle, and finally... an irresistible attraction.

He knew her too well.

This national goddess, who seemed gentle, elegant, and perfectly flawless on the surface, hid a nearly crazy adventurous spirit deep inside. Otherwise, how could she have pranked him like that in "weekend special"? How could she have "taken revenge" on him like that in "squirtle water gun battle"?

She and he, in a sense, were the same kind of people.

—Both liked challenges, both liked to break the rules, and both liked... to tear perfect things apart to see what was really inside.

And the script for "the crab" that he left behind was the "bait" specifically prepared for her.

A role that would make the national goddess roll in a mud pit and get the smell of fish on her at a fish stall.

A chance to completely tear apart her gentle and elegant exterior.

Jiang Zhiyu opened his eyes, and the elevator mirror reflected his face—that face which was still gentle, but with eyes burning with a certain flame.

Im Yoona, didn't you want to know why I left the document?

Because I want you to jump in willingly.

Willingly, to be tormented by me.

He remembered the triumphant smile on Im Yoona's face when she sprayed him with special fruit and vegetable juice in "squirtle water gun battle."

He remembered the chat logs where she incited the members to "take revenge" on him together in the Girls Generation group chat.

He remembered how she always used that gentle, harmless expression while doing the most "ruthless" things.

Jiang Zhiyu's lips curled into a dangerous arc.

I'm very petty, Noona.

I remember every single thing you did to me clearly.

And now, it's my turn.

The elevator arrived at the second basement level, and the doors opened.

Jiang Zhiyu adjusted his expression, transforming back into that gentle and refined young president, and stepped out.

His footsteps echoed in the empty parking lot, steady and firm.

And back in the SM Building behind him, in a certain recording studio, a psychological game of "voluntary or not" had only just begun.