285: Chapter 265 Give me a little attention, meow~ Follow my little savior, Xiao Du meow~

Kim Taeyeon listened to Lee Soon-kyu's exaggerated "Group Spirit Ulsan Trip" declaration with a heart as still as stagnant water, even feeling a bit like sneering. Lee Soon-kyu's proposal was nine times out of ten driven by personal interests—either she wanted to take the opportunity to slack off on a trip, or she was secretly planning something else; in short, its reliability was infinitely close to zero.

Her gaze fell on the slumped Im Yoona. Yoona's brow was slightly furrowed, clearly still troubled by the legality of the script's source and how to prepare for the role afterward. Contact Jiang Zhiyu directly? That thought was crushed by Kim Taeyeon as soon as it popped up. No, at least not now. A vague sense of blockage in her heart made her instinctively resist this option.

But... just wait like this? Or really go to Ulsan with Lee Soon-kyu to "feel the atmosphere"? No matter how she thought about it, it seemed unreliable.

Just then, a figure jumped into her mind without warning—Lee Tima!

That little girl in the Jeonju house who had pounced out wearing a Hanbok with prank glue on her hands; that "troublemaker" and "little genius" who could make shocking "men's health specialist" comments while also casually whipping up amazing medicinal food and impromptu songs.

Right! Samgyetang! That Perfect Great Tonic Samgyetang she made, which even her father said was good, although Lee Tima's subsequent terrifying remarks about "tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the yang" and "adding a child next year" almost made the whole family collapse... (Thinking of this, Kim Taeyeon's cheeks heated up slightly, and she quickly shook off certain untimely associations).

More importantly, Lee Tima was someone who wore the "TG Little Chef Special Grade Chef (Jiang Clan Certified)" armband! Culinary skills personally certified by Jiang Zhiyu! Handling a fish would probably be like child's play to her, right?

And... Kim Taeyeon's eyes lit up slightly. Who was Lee Tima? She was Jiang Zhiyu's lawless, audacious, yet infinitely tolerated (at least in terms of cleaning up the mess after causing trouble) sister! Having her step in to "casually" inquire about more details of the script for "the crab," or at least test Jiang Zhiyu's true attitude toward Im Yoona's contact with the script... wouldn't that be much more appropriate and natural than any of them outsiders, especially herself?

Lee Tima's small face, always wearing a cunning smile yet being exceptionally sharp at times, became clear in Kim Taeyeon's mind. This girl might seem to be messing around, but she was actually very shrewd. Back in Jeonju, one could see she knew exactly how to "utilize" Jiang Zhiyu. Asking for her help might truly break the deadlock.

The more Kim Taeyeon thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. It could solve the practical problem of Yoona's role preparation (killing fish) while indirectly obtaining script information, all without her having to face Jiang Zhiyu directly, perfectly avoiding that inexplicable awkwardness in her heart.

She cleared her throat, interrupting Lee Soon-kyu's ongoing impromptu speech (or rather, stand-up comedy) on the "importance of the Ulsan group spirit trip."

"Ahem," Kim Taeyeon sat up a bit straighter, her gaze sweeping over Lee Soon-kyu and Im Yoona. "What do you think... about asking Tima to come and help?"

Lee Soon-kyu's speech came to a screeching halt. She blinked, seemingly not having reacted to how the topic had suddenly jumped to that quirky little girl.

Im Yoona also raised her head slightly and looked at Kim Taeyeon, a flash of doubt in her eyes, but then she seemed to think of something as well, and a faint light appeared in her dim gaze.

"Tima?" Lee Soon-kyu repeated, her mind spinning fast. "That... sister picked up by the Han River? Little Lee Tima, who cooks delicious food but can talk people to death?"

"Yes, her," Kim Taeyeon nodded, her tone gaining a bit of certainty. "Her culinary skills are excellent, especially at handling ingredients, certified by Jiang Zhiyu. Having her teach Yoona how to handle fish would be much more efficient than us fumbling around blindly or going to the market to watch."

She paused, observing the reactions of the two, and continued, "Besides, she's Jiang Zhiyu's sister. She might know more about TG Entertainment's affairs, including scripts, than we imagine. Even if she doesn't know the specifics, with her 'abilities,' she might be able to help us ask for some useful information."

She didn't explicitly say "ask whom," but all three present knew very well.

Lee Soon-kyu stroked her chin, her eyes flickering as she quickly assessed the pros and cons of this new proposal. Having Lee Tima come seemed more direct and effective than going to Ulsan? And... maybe she could even get some other intel about Jiang Zhiyu and Lemm out of that little girl?

Im Yoona thought more practically. She had witnessed Lee Tima's culinary skills (though her attention was mostly drawn to the terrifying comments back then). If she could really teach her how to kill a fish, it would undoubtedly solve the biggest technical hurdle at hand. As for script information... even knowing a bit more about the character's background details would be good.

"It seems... we could try?" Im Yoona said softly, hesitating.

Lee Soon-kyu clapped her hands, a smile appearing on her face again. "Good idea! Taeyeon-ah, you finally said something useful! It's settled then, contact Tima quickly! It just so happens I haven't seen that interesting little fellow in a long time. I'll ask her while we're at it..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the light in her eyes showed she was already planning how to perfectly combine "helping the maknae" with "satisfying her personal interests (probing about Lemm)."

Kim Taeyeon looked at Lee Soon-kyu, who had instantly "come back to life," and shook her head helplessly, but she also felt a sense of relief in her heart. At least there seemed to be a feasible path ahead. She took out her phone, found Lee Tima's contact information, and her finger paused over the dial button for a moment.

Hopefully, this little troublemaker will actually help this time instead of bringing new and even greater chaos. Kim Taeyeon prayed silently in her heart and then pressed the dial button.

——

Loen Entertainment Building, a certain exclusive recording studio.

The air was filled with the near-vacuum pure standby sound characteristic of top-tier audio equipment, along with a faint... warm aroma of Samgyetang mixed with some herbal medicine.

Lee Tima, or rather, the name in Loen Entertainment's internal files that Manager Han Te both loves and hates—Lee Ji-eun—was sitting on a high stool in front of the console with a look of utter despair. A complex music score was spread out before her, her fingers aimlessly tracing the mixing console while her eyes stared blankly through the soundproof glass at IU (the real Lee Ji-eun), who was closing her eyes to get into the right emotional state in the recording booth.

"Hey, Lee Tima, focus." IU's cool and unquestionable voice came through the high-quality monitor headphones, so clear it felt like a whisper right in her ear. "That breath before the chorus in the third bar, I want it to feel more broken. Remember to mark it for the mixing engineer later."

"Yes—, Jieun Unnie—" Lee Tima responded listlessly with a drawn-out tone, picking up a pen to make a mark on the score, her handwriting as messy as ghost scribbles.

IU in the recording booth seemed to sense that resentment through the glass; the corners of her mouth curled up imperceptibly, but she quickly regained the calm expression of a professional singer before entering her performance state.

The control room door was pushed open gently, and Manager Han Te walked in carrying two cups of coffee. He placed one by Lee Tima's hand and, after a moment's hesitation, placed the other a bit further away from IU's microphone control knobs. He looked at Lee Tima's "out-of-body" appearance and then glanced at the powerful IU in the booth, unable to help sighing for the hundred and first time in his heart:

What a sin!

Originally, having one "Lee Ji-eun" (IU) in the company was enough to make him, as a Manager, both proud and often feel "overwhelmed"—this Nations Little Sister was a perfectionist devil when working, and in private... well, she was also quite "unique" sometimes. Now, it was just great; another "Lee Ji-eun" (Lee Tima) had dropped from the sky (more accurately, was picked up from the Han River)!

Han Te still remembered his momentarily blank expression when the CEO approached him with a copy of Lee Tima's passport (name field: Lee Ji-eun). Two Lee Ji-euns! And both were closely related to that genius Jiang Zhiyu! One was "Z," who had once submitted work anonymously and later publicly collaborated while hiding a strategic game; the other was simply his publicly admitted "sister" picked up from the Han River!

At first, Han Te was devastated. He felt his career had been hit by a double "Lee Ji-eun" curse. Especially this little Lee Ji-eun (Lee Tima)—she was practically a lawless little tyrant! Relying on IU's affection (or rather, some complex, family-certified "sisterly" bond) and the inscrutable Jiang Zhiyu behind her, she practically walked sideways through the Loen building. Yet, she actually had the capital to do so—she was exceptionally talented in music (though her style was occasionally eccentric) and her cooking was astounding (especially that pot of kidney-tonifying and yang-strengthening Perfect Great Tonic Samgyetang she learned from Jiang Zhiyu and "improved," which, after being tasted by a small circle of company executives, sparked a mysterious rumor: an nearly sixty-year-old director allegedly made his wife exclaim that he had "returned to thirty" the night after drinking it!). Moreover... she always seemed to get her hands on some strange but remarkably effective good things.

For example, right now, Han Te felt his physical condition was better than ever. He was full of energy every day, his work efficiency was incredibly high, yet it wasn't the kind of excitement that followed overdrawing his energy. He even felt his constitution had improved; during his last workout, he easily added two plates to his bench press! All of this was "credited" to the various medicinal snacks and special drinks Lee Tima would "feed" him from time to time—not the yang-strengthening kind, of course; according to little Lee Tima, it was an "exclusive formula for poor Manager Han Te Oppa who is being squeezed dry by IU Unnie, designed to refresh the mind and strengthen the foundation."

"Tsk, I guess this little girl has some conscience after all," Han Te thought at the time while drinking the "special drink" that tasted strange but had a sweet aftertaste.

But "conscience" is relative. At this moment, seeing Lee Tima looking like a frost-bitten eggplant, Han Te couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude.

All of this traced back to a night a few days ago, in the apartment shared by IU and Yoo In-na.

It was a seemingly ordinary "sisters' gathering" that was actually an Old Maid card game with undercurrents. The stakes were: the loser had to unconditionally do one thing for the winner, with a time limit of one week.

Lee Tima, who prided herself on being a master of cheating (having learned some "unorthodox" skills from Jiang Zhiyu), joined with full confidence. Her techniques were indeed exquisite, with swaps, hiding cards, and psychological suggestions played to the hilt. However, she met her match—the actress Yoo In-na.

Yoo In-na seemed to have a peculiar intuition, always able to precisely avoid the traps Lee Tima set. Every time she drew a card, she could unerringly take away the only "safe card" in Lee Tima's hand that wasn't the ghost card. After a few rounds, the cards in Lee Tima's hand got worse and worse, and her face grew paler and paler.

IU sat to the side, holding her juice and watching with a smile, occasionally throwing in some sarcastic remarks: "Tima, didn't you say your 'Jiang Clan cheating skills' were invincible?" "In-na Unnie's luck is something even fortune-tellers call miraculous."

The final result was no surprise. Lee Tima lost everything (metaphorically speaking). And the request the winner IU made was:

"For the next week, when I'm recording new songs, you will serve as my exclusive 'life assistant' and 'creative support,' accompanying me throughout and following all reasonable (and what I unilaterally deem reasonable) work arrangements. No salary, no holidays. Codename: 'Slave Lee'."

And so, it led to the current scene. The little tyrant Lee Tima, who used to be arrogant and domineering in the Loen building and even dared to barge into the CEO's office, was now wearing the invisible shackles of a "slave," providing emotionless (on the surface) new song recording support for her "creditor" and "older sister" IU.

"Slave Lee," IU's voice came through the headphones again, interrupting Lee Tima's daydreaming and Han Te's memories, "play back the third take of the chorus we just recorded. I want the raw dry vocal, no effects."

"...Understood." Lee Tima operated the equipment as if resigning to her fate, pulling up the audio.

Han Te gently put down the coffee and retreated to the sofa in the corner of the control room, trying to minimize his presence. He looked at both sides of the glass: on one side was the powerful, perfection-seeking singer IU; on the other was the dejected but still precise and quick-handed "slave" Lee Tima.

In the air, the lingering scent of Samgyetang seemed not to have fully dissipated.

Han Te suddenly felt that this double "Lee Ji-eun" curse... might not be entirely a bad thing? At least the company pantry had become much more civilized lately; no one dared to waste food under little Lee Ji-eun's watchful eyes.

As for whether Lee Tima was frantically cursing Yoo In-na's "weird luck" in her heart and planning how to "take revenge" on her IU Unnie a week later... that was another story.

The recording indicator light lit up again, and IU's clear and penetrating voice flowed out. Lee Tima frowned, focusing on monitoring the audio track waveforms, occasionally tapping the keyboard quickly to adjust parameters.

A love-hate relationship?

Perhaps.

But at this moment, in this top-tier recording studio, they were creditor and slave, older sister and younger sister, and most of all, the most special accomplices in each other's talents and troubles.

In the control room, the phone in Lee Tima's pocket vibrated abruptly, accompanied by a special, highly recognizable ringtone—

It wasn't music, but a female voice using a slightly cool and somewhat helpless tone, repeatedly and mechanically chanting "Lee Tima, Lee Tima, Lee Tima..." This was Lee Tima's mischievous setting, using the caller's voice to record an exclusive call; this version of Kim Taeyeon was recorded after she had persistently pestered her during the last Jeonju trip.

(If Jiang Zhiyu called, the ringtone would become his gentle but slightly warning "Lee Tima, Lee Tima, Lee Tima...", with an equally "notable" effect.)

This unique ringtone instantly broke the professional silence of the recording studio.

Lee Tima's slumped shoulders jerked violently, and her dim eyes suddenly lit up, like a drowning person seeing a piece of driftwood! Taeyeon Unnie! Savior!

She almost scrambled to pull out her phone and pressed the answer button without even looking, her voice filled with a surprise like having survived a disaster: "Hello? Taeyeon Unnie?!"

This "Taeyeon Unnie" was called out sweetly and loudly, with immense piercing power.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Inside the recording studio, IU, having just cultivated the right mood and preparing for the next segment of recording, frowned almost imperceptibly.

The soundproof glass could not completely block out all the sounds from the control room, especially Lee Tima's unmasked shout.

Han Te, in the corner of the control room, also looked up and pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses filled with curiosity.

Kim Taeyeon? The leader of Girls Generation? Why would she be looking for this little troublemaker?

IU paused her recording preparations, took off one side of her headphones, and her cool gaze passed through the glass, landing on Lee Tima's face, which had instantly become animated (and even a bit sycophantic).

She remembered not long ago, Lee Tima brought a tablet and insisted on showing her a video—it was a clip of the "music steps" Jeonju trip that Lee Tima had edited herself, focusing on Kim Taeyeon's profile, smile, and... the moment under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree when, after being filmed from below, she was briefly dazed before calmly saying, "Of course."

Lee Tima had boasted at the time: "Look! I filmed Taeyeon Unnie! Isn't it artistic? I edited this 'Director's Cut'!"

IU had only given a faint "Mm," but inside, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

That kind of carefully captured footage, being looked at with special attention—the protagonist wasn't her.

Kim Taeyeon... The name flashed through IU's mind.

This leader of Girls Generation, a national-level solo queen, was the "rival" often mentioned alongside her by the media and fans.

Although the two had never publicly acknowledged this comparison and had little private interaction, the unyielding spirit deep in IU's bones—the drive to compete for everything—made her naturally carry a sense of vigilance and competitiveness toward the name "Kim Taeyeon."

And now, this "rival" had called her "little sister" directly.

Little sister... IU's gaze lingered on Lee Tima's excited profile.

This little girl, who also went by the name Lee Ji-eun and whose "sisterly" bond had been seen and acknowledged by her own family, possessed astonishing musical talent and almost magical culinary skills.

Naturally, IU had categorized her as part of her own territory in her heart, viewing her as a "possession" in a certain sense.

This possessiveness did not just stem from Lee Tima's own talent and sense of closeness, but more deeply, it was linked to another name—Jiang Zhiyu.

That young CEO who started from scratch and built TG Entertainment in just a few years; that genius producer who had had brilliant (and subtly competitive) collaborations with her during her SM days, helping her dominate the music charts time and again with works like "White Frost Moon," "Fragments," and "Greed"; that man with a gentle and jade-like temperament, composed speech, and handsome appearance, completely different from the typical chauvinistic style common in Korea, and more like a gentleman carefully cultivated by an ancient noble family.

He was Lee Tima's "Oppa," the brother she spoke of who was omnipotent and infinitely tolerant.

And she herself was Lee Tima's "Unnie," her nominal "creditor" and guardian (at least for this week).

If... if in the future, she and Jiang Zhiyu had more contact and deeper understanding because of the connection through Lee Tima... given Jiang Zhiyu's qualities—looks, talent, career, personality—he was a man who practically stepped on every standard line of IU's ideal type.

A union of the strong... becoming closer through family... it was only natural!

This thought was like a tiny spark, suddenly ignited within IU's ambitious career blueprint and equally picky emotional standards.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes becoming deep and sharp.

She was not just a fan of good looks and talent; she was an ambitious person.

Everything Jiang Zhiyu represented was extremely attractive.

And at this moment, Kim Taeyeon's call was like a tiny thorn, gently pricking into this hidden blueprint that had just begun to brew.

Meanwhile, Lee Tima was gesticulating excitedly on the phone: "the crab? Of course I know it! Oppa has the outline on his computer, and I even secretly... ahem, I mean, I happened to see it! That script about a former mercenary who hid their identity only to get involved in a murder case! It's super cool!"

As she spoke, she secretly peeked at IU behind the glass and lowered her voice a little: "Mm-hmm, killing fish? Experiencing the role? No problem! Leave it to me! I'm the little cook of TG, a top-tier chef certified by the Jiang family! Any fish that falls into my hands is just... (realizing she'd let something slip, she quickly corrected herself) just obediently becomes an ingredient! Don't worry, don't worry!"

Hanging up the phone, Lee Tima was practically beaming.

She turned around, trying her best to look both well-behaved and pitiful, and said toward IU's direction in the sweetest, most cloying voice she could muster: "IU Unnie~ That... Taeyeon Unnie has something urgent she needs my help with, it's about Yoona Unnie's new role experience... Um, can I... apply for a temporary leave? I promise to come back quickly and continue being a 'slave'!"

She pressed her palms together and blinked her eyes, trying to get by with cuteness.

IU watched her silently for a few seconds, her face expressionless, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

Just as Lee Tima was feeling anxious and preparing to unleash an even more exaggerated performance of begging for mercy, IU spoke, her voice steady, revealing neither joy nor anger:

"Since Kim Taeyeon Sunbaenim is looking for you, then go."

"Really?!" Lee Tima almost jumped up, simply unable to believe that happiness had arrived so suddenly.

"However," IU changed the subject, her fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the console, her gaze fixed calmly on Lee Tima, "before you go, tell me first... 'the crab', what kind of script is it."

Her tone was very flat, as if she were just asking casually, but in those beautiful eyes, there was an inquiry that brooked no evasion, along with a trace of subtle concern that only those who knew her well could detect.

Lee Tima's smile froze on her face, and her heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, she had been so happy about escaping her "slave" life that she had forgotten that IU Unnie... seemed to always pay a lot of attention to Oppa's affairs?

Her eyes darted around quickly, her brain thinking at high speed: Should she say it or not? To what extent? Would Oppa blame her for being loose-lipped? But if she didn't say it, it seemed she wouldn't be able to get past IU Unnie...

In the control room, the air seemed to solidify again.

Han Te silently picked up his now-lukewarm coffee and shrank into the sofa, trying to minimize his presence, but his ears were already pricked up.

It seemed this wasn't just a simple matter of helping to kill fish... He smelled a more complex atmosphere that spanned across SM, TG, Loen, and even personal feelings.

A subtle question-and-answer session about "the crab" script was about to unfold in this top-tier recording studio.

And Kim Taeyeon on the other end of the phone, along with the sea bass with a miserable death in her apartment and her two headache-ridden teammates, were still unaware that their casual request for help had already quietly stirred up another deep pool of water.

As Lee Tima's voice faded, the core information that the script for "the crab" was a "violent action crime film featuring a mercenary as the protagonist" echoed clearly in the recording studio.

Almost immediately, Manager Han Te made a professional judgment out of reflex.

He pushed up his glasses, looked at IU, and said in a tone that sounded "taken for granted": "Jieun, it seems this is indeed not your style."

In his mind, IU's image was always tied to emotional, narrative music and literary or romantic light comedy film and television works that better suited her temperament.

Hardcore crime action film? The style didn't match.

Upon hearing this, IU did not immediately agree.

She just glanced at Han Te faintly, her red lips parted slightly, and she calmly threw back a rhetorical question: "Isn't Im Yoona... also always in the 'romance idol' style?"

This sentence was like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.

Everyone—IU, Han Te, and even Lee Tima—subconsciously fell into a brief silence.

Yes, Im Yoona, the face of Girls Generation, the national goddess; the movies and TV dramas she had starred in since her debut, from "You Are My Destiny" to "Prime Minister and I," and then to "The King Loves," "Big Mouth"... although the roles varied, they generally couldn't escape the image of a beautiful, intelligent, slightly playful, or deeply affectionate and resilient woman, which seemed to be a long way off from words like "violence," "crime," and "mercenary."

However, in this silence, in the minds of the three, a small "thought cloud" formed by imagination rose involuntarily and synchronously.

Inside the cloud, the scene gradually became clear: not under the bright and glamorous lighting, but in some dim, damp, and oppressive environment—perhaps an abandoned pier warehouse, or a muddy alley on a rainy night.

Im Yoona's face appeared in the picture, but it was not the flawless refinement seen in front of the camera on ordinary days.

Her hairstyle was messy, a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks by sweat or rain, her face stained, and there were even one or two small, bleeding wounds.

Her eyes were no longer gentle or lively, but a tempered coldness and sharpness, with a beast-like vigilance and a weariness and ruthlessness hidden deep within.

Perhaps she was using some unconventional fighting technique to cleanly subdue an opponent, her movements swift and fatal; perhaps she was leaning against a cold wall, panting, and what she was clutching tightly in her hand was not a prop from the script, but the "past" and "intent to kill" that seemed to have the weight of a thousand pounds.

It was a completely different kind of beauty, full of brokenness and power, mixed with a dangerous attraction that carried the scent of blood.

"Daebak..." Han Te was the first to come back to his senses, unable to help but exclaim in a low voice.

He was completely shocked by the scene he had imagined, even forgetting his professional reserve as a Manager.

"Yoona xi... so cool!" His eyes lit up, and his professional instinct began to run at high speed.

"And, from the national sweet romance goddess to a ruthless female mercenary with a heavy past... This contrast! This topic! It's amazing! If it's really filmed and done well, I will definitely buy a ticket to watch it! This could completely open up a brand new acting path!"

Lee Tima was even more excited, slapping the console (carefully avoiding the key buttons), her little face flushed with excitement: "Wow, wow, wow~! I told you Yoona Unnie is super suitable! So sassy and cool! The fight scenes must be super good-looking! The eye acting must be amazing! A role like this, if played well, could definitely win an award! Blue Dragon Film Awards! Maybe... maybe there's even hope for an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film! Oppa's script plus Yoona Unnie's performance, wow—!"

She was completely immersed in her fanatical fantasies about how "Yoona Unnie is ridiculously cool" and "Oppa's script is invincible."

However, unlike Han Te's commercial admiration and Lee Tima's fan-like cheers, after the initial impact of the imagination, a more complex and indescribable emotion welled up in IU's heart.

Looking at the subversive and highly impactful "Im Yoona" in her mind, and then thinking that this role came from Jiang Zhiyu's script and was about to be played by Im Yoona... IU's teeth clenched slightly and unconsciously.

Damn it...

Her acting wasn't bad either! In fact, she also had a strong ambition to challenge complex roles and broaden her acting range.

Why did such a script, such an opportunity, find Im Yoona first?

Was it because SM and TG were closer? Or was it because... there was a deeper connection or tacit understanding between Jiang Zhiyu and Im Yoona that she didn't know about?

That competitive consciousness of not wanting to fall behind others, especially of being faintly overshadowed by a "rival," mixed with the recognition of Jiang Zhiyu's talent and a secret expectation for some possibility, made her mind somewhat chaotic.

But she quickly suppressed this fluctuation, maintaining a calm expression on her face.

After Lee Tima finished cheering, she finally remembered her identity as a "slave" and her imminent "escape" plan.

She secretly glanced at IU's expression and tentatively asked in a voice even softer and sweeter than before:

"Um... IU Unnie... that's basically the script... Do you see, can I... leave now? Taeyeon Unnie and Yoona Unnie... they seem to be still waiting for me, it's quite urgent..."

She pressed her palms together in front of her chest and blinked her eyes, radiating the signal of "please let me go" with her whole being.

IU withdrew her gaze from the void and landed it back on Lee Tima's little face, which was full of "I want to slip away."

The complex thoughts about the script and Im Yoona were temporarily shelved, but a certain subtle mentality of not wanting Lee Tima to go help "Kim Taeyeon Sunbaenim" and "Im Yoona Sunbaenim" too happily quietly emerged.

She was silent for a few seconds, and just when Lee Tima felt that every second was like a year and her heart was about to jump out of her throat, she finally spoke slowly, her voice devoid of much emotion:

"Go."

"Really?!" Lee Tima felt as if she had been granted amnesty, a huge smile instantly blooming on her face, and a "Thank you Unnie!" almost blurted out.

"However," IU's next sentence made her smile stiffen again, "you must be back before eight tonight. The 'slave' contract will not be interrupted because of your outing. If you are late..." IU didn't finish, just raised her eyebrows slightly, leaving enough room for imagination.

"Nae! I guarantee I'll be back on time! I definitely won't be late!" Lee Tima stood up straight immediately, promising loudly, and then like a little bird finally released from its cage, she grabbed her little backpack and, with the fastest speed she could muster while not daring to make too much noise, slipped out of the recording studio's control room.

The door closed gently.

The recording studio returned to silence, with only the low hum of equipment running.

Han Te looked at the closed door, then at IU, who seemed to be deep in thought behind the glass, and wisely chose to remain silent, only muttering to himself: It seems this isn't just a problem of scripts and roles... The water here seems to be getting deeper and deeper.

IU put her headphones back on, her gaze falling on the sheet music, but her fingertips were unconsciously rubbing the metal surface of the microphone stand.

Kim Taeyeon... Im Yoona... Jiang Zhiyu... and that "the crab" script that was so intriguing.

In her beautiful eyes, light flickered, and one could only wonder what she was brewing.