290: Please click to request an update for Chapter 270; it will give me some comfort.

Outside the apartment door, Jiang Zhiyu's hands were both full. In his left hand was a heavy eco-friendly bag printed with a large supermarket logo, stuffed to the brim with various ingredients packed in crisper boxes or plastic wrap; bright green vegetables and bright red meat were faintly visible. In his right hand, he carried a smaller bag, which seemed to contain seasonings and some jars and bottles.

He was just about to free up a hand to press the doorbell when the door was opened from the inside.

It was Im Yoona who opened the door. Her expression was much more natural than when she was learning to kill fish in the kitchen earlier, though her cheeks still held a faint flush from exercise (?), and a flash of surprise crossed her eyes when she saw Jiang Zhiyu and the two large bags in his hands.

"You're back so soon?" Im Yoona turned to let him in and naturally reached out to take the larger, heavier-looking supermarket bag from his left hand. It was indeed heavy, carrying the distinct chill of the supermarket's refrigerated section.

"Yeah, it was just in the parking lot downstairs, not far." Jiang Zhiyu replied gently, walking in with the other bag. He changed his shoes and his gaze quickly swept across the living room—Kim Taeyeon and Sunny were still sitting on the sofa in a subtle posture following some sort of "standoff," while Lee Tima was peeking from the kitchen doorway with a grin on her face, looking like she was watching a good show.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed completely unaware of the lingering "gossip" storm in the air. As he walked toward the kitchen, he explained to Im Yoona, and also to the others in the living room: "Since I didn't know exactly what everyone likes to eat, I bought a bit more. Mostly beef and pork belly, plus some vegetables suitable for grilling. If everyone likes, we can have BBQ for dinner, although..."

He paused, a slightly apologetic and helpless smile appearing on his face as he looked at Kim Taeyeon: "It might be troublesome for Taeyeon Noona; without specialized ventilation equipment, the smell of smoke in the house might be a bit strong."

His consideration was thorough, and his tone was gentle and polite, leaving the choice to the owner of the apartment.

Hearing him mention her, Kim Taeyeon subconsciously straightened her back. The blush on her face hadn't completely faded after Sunny's "interrogation" earlier, and now it was burning slightly again because of his gaze and words. She quickly waved her hands: "No, no problem! Once in a while is fine! I... I'll go open all the windows!" She started to get up as she spoke, seemingly wanting to use action to prove her "generosity" and that she "didn't mind."

Im Yoona spoke up at this moment. Carrying that heavy bag of meat, her gaze lingered briefly between Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Taeyeon (keenly capturing Kim Taeyeon's subtle panic and the hint of gentleness beneath Jiang Zhiyu's calmness), then she turned to Jiang Zhiyu, her tone tentative and proactive:

"Later... I'll come help too." She pursed her lips, seemingly having made up her mind. "Although I'm definitely not as good at cooking as you, washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, preparing the BBQ... I should be fine with those. We can't really just let you do all the work alone."

When she said this, her eyes were clear, carrying a sincerity of "I can help share the load," while also cleverly avoiding the "student and teacher" atmosphere that had been in the kitchen earlier, attempting to establish a more equal, cooperative relationship in preparing dinner together.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiyu looked at Im Yoona. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then turned into a faint smile. He nodded, his tone gentle and affirmative:

"Then I'll trouble you, Yoona Noona."

He didn't decline, nor was he overly polite; he naturally accepted Im Yoona's proposal. This title of "Noona," at this moment, sounded less like the teasing from when they were discussing the script and carried more respect and a sense of cooperation.

"Yay! BBQ! BBQ!" Lee Tima was the first to cheer, the scent of wintersweet drifting as she bounced around. "Oppa! I want to eat grilled beef tongue! And pork belly wrapped in lettuce! Yoona Unnie, I'll help you wash the vegetables!"

Sunny also stood up from the sofa, the fire of gossip on her face temporarily replaced by the anticipation of food (and the advancement of her inner "get him drunk plan"). She said with a smile: "Oh my, we really are in for a treat! Chef Zhiyu, Sous-chef Yoona, little helper Tima... and Taeyeon, you're in charge of directing and... hmm, admiring?" She dragged out the tone on purpose, provoking another shy and annoyed glare from Kim Taeyeon.

Jiang Zhiyu had already carried the bags into the kitchen and started taking out the ingredients one by one. Im Yoona also followed him in with the meat bag, placing the beef and pork belly into the draining basket by the sink. Lee Tima immediately crowded over to the sink, clamoring to help.

Kim Taeyeon watched the three figures gradually becoming busy in the kitchen—Jiang Zhiyu skillfully checking the ingredients, Im Yoona earnestly rolling up her sleeves to prepare for cleaning, and Lee Tima chirping away while directing (causing trouble) on the side—the embarrassment from being interrogated by Sunny earlier and the inexplicable sourness in her heart seemed to be diluted somewhat by this sudden, vibrant scene of dinner preparation.

She took a deep breath, deciding to temporarily cast aside those messy thoughts, and turned to go to the various rooms to open the windows for ventilation.

Sunny leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching the "harmonious" scene inside, especially the natural and efficient division of labor and interaction between Jiang Zhiyu and Im Yoona, her eyes flickering, wondering what new "assist" or "scheme" she was plotting.

Dinner preparations officially began in this slightly complex but superficially harmonious atmosphere. And the aroma of BBQ was about to fill the entire apartment, perhaps also temporarily masking those more subtle emotions surging in the air.

— —

In the kitchen, water splashed, and plastic bags rustled. Jiang Zhiyu and Im Yoona stood side by side in front of the counter, unwrapping the various ingredients bought from the supermarket. The red and white marbling of the beef looked exceptionally tempting under the lights, the pork belly had a perfect mix of fat and lean, and the vegetables were bright green and fresh.

The atmosphere was much more relaxed than during the teaching session earlier, but it also carried a subtle tension that only the two of them could perceive. Jiang Zhiyu's movements were unhurried yet exceptionally efficient, with every item handled in an orderly manner. Im Yoona followed his lead, carefully washing the lettuce leaves, occasionally helping to pass a plate or scissors.

But Im Yoona soon noticed that Jiang Zhiyu's gaze seemed to unintentionally fall on her. It wasn't the sharp observation of reviewing a script character, nor the almost self-forgetful focused stare from earlier, but a more... indescribable, thoughtful kind of appraisal.

Once, twice... When Jiang Zhiyu turned his head again and his gaze lingered on her profile, Im Yoona finally couldn't help it. She stopped what she was doing, turned her head, slightly furrowed her brows, her clear deer-like eyes filled with genuine confusion:

"Is there... something on my face?" She subconsciously raised her hand to touch her cheek.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't seem to expect her to ask directly. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he shook his head, a very faint arc appearing at the corners of his mouth, though his gaze remained fixed on her face, and he said in a gentle tone:

"No. Just thinking... Noona is very good."

This sentence came suddenly, and it was a bit nonsensical. Im Yoona's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks uncontrollably flushed with a faint blush. She averted her gaze in a panic, unconsciously pulling at the lettuce leaves, and muttered softly:

"What... what are you saying? Saying this so suddenly..."

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer immediately, but lowered his head, continuing to process the beef in his hands, slicing the large pieces of beef into thin slices suitable for grilling. His movements were fluid, and the blade hitting the cutting board made a rhythmic and crisp sound.

Just when Im Yoona thought that was just a casual remark made on a whim and was about to focus back on washing the vegetables, Jiang Zhiyu suddenly spoke again, his voice not high, as if talking to himself, and yet as if asking her a question:

"Do you think, if we were to classify things by water temperature... what would your temperature be right now?"

This question was even stranger, even a bit baffling.

Im Yoona was completely stunned. She stopped her hands and looked somewhat blankly at Jiang Zhiyu's well-defined profile. Water temperature? Classification? What did that have to do with her?

But perhaps out of respect for the questioner (or rather, an instinctive seriousness toward the author of "the crab" script), or perhaps infected by his thoughtful expression, Im Yoona didn't take this as a pure joke. She tilted her head and really started to think about it seriously.

Water temperature... her own current state...

"5... 55 degrees, I guess." She hesitated, giving a somewhat specific number, and tried to explain, "It's just... it feels a bit hot to the touch, you'd subconsciously want to pull your hand away, but actually, it hasn't really reached the point of being unbearable or causing burns. It's a kind of... just-right temperature with a bit of a stimulating sensation."

She paused, recalling the experiences of the past day or so, her voice gradually steadying: "Because I failed completely at killing the fish yesterday, my mood was actually quite bad, like cold water. Then Taeyeon Unnie called Tima over to help, and I saw hope, so the temperature rose a bit. In the market... it was chaotic again, and the temperature was a bit messy. And then... you, this 'outside helper,' suddenly appeared, brought fish, and wanted to cook... Now, well, it seems like everything has stabilized, although it's still a bit... hmm, subtle, but at least the direction is for the better, right? So... 55 degrees, I guess that's it?"

After she finished speaking, she felt the metaphor was a bit silly herself, and couldn't help but purse her lips and smile, looking at Jiang Zhiyu, asking curiously: "So... why ask me this question? Does it have anything to do with the script you're writing? Or are you researching some kind of... character emotion thermometer?"

Jiang Zhiyu had finished cutting the beef and was neatly arranging the slices into a plate. Hearing her answer and counter-question, he stopped his movements, raised his head, and his gaze fell on Im Yoona's face once again. This time, his eyes were very deep, like a tranquil lake, yet beneath the surface, something seemed to be surging.

He didn't answer her question directly, but instead, following her "water temperature" metaphor, said something even more unfathomable:

"I was just thinking..." His voice was very soft, carrying a tone that was almost like a sigh, "When... can Noona stay boiling all the time."

Boiling? 100 degrees?

Im Yoona blinked, not fully understanding the deeper meaning behind his words for a moment. Did he mean an eruption of acting skills? Or some kind of state? Or... something else?

She looked at Jiang Zhiyu's deep eyes, which reflected her image, the warm kitchen light, and some other complex things she couldn't understand.

After a while, Im Yoona suddenly smiled. There was a bit of helplessness in that smile, but also a lightness from being amused, which dispelled the subtle tension of the moment before.

"Yah, Jiang Zhiyu xi," she shook her head, her tone regaining some of its usual liveliness, laced with teasing, "You really speak... so strangely. With all this talk about temperatures and boiling, someone who didn't know better would think you were conducting some physics experiment or studying cooking heat."

Jiang Zhiyu watched her curved eyes and the shallow dimples (if she had them at this moment) by her cheeks when she smiled. His gaze softened for a moment, and then he let out a low laugh. The laugh was very light, yet it seemed to carry the resonance of his chest.

"Is it strange?" He averted his gaze and began to process the next ingredient, his tone returning to his usual gentle indifference, as if those metaphorical words from just a moment ago had never been spoken, "Then just consider it me... talking nonsense."

He did not continue the topic, turning instead to ask, "Noona, is the lettuce washed? Please pass it to me."

The topic shift was natural yet abrupt.

Im Yoona said "Oh," and passed over the washed, crisp lettuce, but in her heart, she was still ruminating on his words, "When can you stay boiling all the time."

A strange person. She silently evaluated him in her heart, yet she had to admit that this "strange" scriptwriter always seemed able to say things that made her unable to stop pondering.

In the kitchen, the sounds of water, chopping, and plastic bags became the main theme once again. But some invisible ripples had already quietly spread.

The atmosphere of the dinner was unexpectedly harmonious, amidst the ventilation from the window Kim Taeyeon had opened in advance and the sizzling sound of grease on the grill.

The meat was good, the vegetables were fresh, and the dipping sauce was a unique recipe Jiang Zhiyu had mixed using several ready-made sauces. It was perfectly salty and sweet, with a hint of fruitiness (which subtly echoed the scent on him). There was no special technique to grilling the meat itself; everyone did it themselves, and it was quite pleasant.

What was truly stunning was the milky white fish soup, made from the fish head and bones of that "teaching demonstration fish" from the afternoon, supplemented by a special broth packet Jiang Zhiyu had brought and a few simple spices, simmered slowly over low heat in the corner of the kitchen. The soup was rich and mellow, with an enticing fresh aroma, and not a trace of fishiness. Drinking it warmed one from the throat to the stomach, feeling extremely comforting.

Even Im Yoona, who ate very restrainedly to maintain her figure, couldn't help but drink an extra small bowl. Kim Taeyeon was sipping it in small mouthfuls, feeling that this soup was more effective than any hangover soup or placebo.

Sunny also ate very contentedly, her mouth never stopping, but her brain was moving faster than her mouth.

While chewing on the tender pork belly, she observed the layout of the dining table from the corner of her eye, while internally venting frantically about her "Operation: Seize the Pink Lemm."

A miscalculation! A huge miscalculation! This progress is completely wrong!

According to her genius original plan, it should have been an epic strategy of steady progress and calculated steps:

Step 1: Probe and collect intelligence. Understand Jiang Zhiyu's preferences, the trends of TG Entertainment, the difficulty of making Lemm, and Jiang Zhiyu's criteria for giving them away.

Step 2: Raise the banner and find a legitimate reason. Use the "major benefit" of Im Yoona obtaining the lead role in the movie "the crab" (even if it was just an intention) as the perfect excuse to invite Jiang Zhiyu to celebrate/express gratitude.

Step 3: Elaborate layout, attack at the dinner table. Organize a meal in the name of Girls Generation (at least pull in a few teammates), and in a relaxed and pleasant (and alcohol-filled) atmosphere, fully utilize her Sunny social charm and the remaining prestige of "Boss Squirtle" to get Jiang Zhiyu tipsy (or more).

Step 4: Reveal the dagger, present the request. At the moment when the other party's vigilance is at its lowest and their mood is at its best, throw out the request for a "custom pink Girls Generation commemorative edition Lemm," supplemented by moving rhetoric about team sentiment, variety show collaboration memories, and so on.

Step 5: Strike while the iron is hot, secure the bag. Once the other party nods (even if it's just a vague promise while drunk), immediately finalize the details, preferably leaving behind "evidence" (like a recording? Or coaxing him to press a thumbprint? Just kidding... probably), to prevent the other party from going back on his word after sobering up.

Step 6: Ultimate goal, monopolize the artifact. Using the excuses of being the "team representative," "the one who appreciates it most," and "the most free (with time to take care of it)," naturally keep the finished pink Lemm in her own hands for "safekeeping," and then... "temporarily" keep it until the end of time!

This should be the standard orthodox RPG process of starting from the newbie village, fighting monsters to level up, and finally challenging the Demon King!

But now?!

She had just left the newbie village and hadn't even found the first NPC to take a quest, when she looked up and saw the final Demon King (Jiang Zhiyu) not only delivering himself to her door but also bringing his own ingredients to cook for them?!

The plan is completely ruined!

Sunny's gaze swept across the dining table:

Kim Taeyeon was bowing her head, sipping the fish soup in small mouthfuls, occasionally lifting her eyes to glance quickly at Jiang Zhiyu, who was putting food on Lee Tima's plate opposite her. Her cheeks were flushed with a faint pink from the light and the steam of the hot soup. That look of wanting to speak but holding back, eyes darting away yet unable to stop paying attention... If someone said there wasn't some deep connection between her and Jiang Zhiyu, at least one that "exceeded the ordinary relationship between a senior/junior and a producer," Sunny would give away her game account!

And what about Im Yoona? Although she seemed to be concentrating on eating, that strange conversation about "water temperature" and "boiling" with Jiang Zhiyu in the kitchen earlier (she had pricked up her ears and overheard some fragments), plus the various subtle interactions caused by the script, and the tension between the two that seemed natural but always hinted at a "bickering couple" dynamic... The female lead and the screenwriter? This relationship alone was enough to write a ten-episode drama series!

Add to that Lee Tima, who loved chaos, might drop bombshells at any moment, and was clearly a core member of the "Jiang Zhiyu camp"...

This situation was even more intricate and spark-filled than an 8 PM prime-time soap opera!

The originally envisioned "purely business/sentiment negotiation" backdrop had instantly turned into a chaotic stage full of personal emotional entanglements, complex interpersonal relationships, and potential battlefields.

How could she proceed with the original plan?! Get him drunk? In front of Taeyeon and Yoona? Ask for the Lemm? In such a bizarre atmosphere?

Sunny felt a wave of frustration that her plan had failed, but then, a bolder, crazier, and more... exciting idea, like lightning striking in the dark night sky, suddenly hit the top of her head!

Perhaps... the original complicated plan wasn't needed at all?

The core of the original plan was to use the "team name" and "alcohol assistance" to achieve the goal. But now, weren't the "resources" on the table even richer?

Her gaze, like the shrewdest hunter evaluating prey, slowly and with an excited glimmer, landed on Kim Taeyeon, who was quietly drinking soup nearby.

There was definitely something going on between Taeyeon and Jiang Zhiyu! That atmosphere couldn't fool her, a teammate who had been with her day and night for over a decade! If... if she could make good use of this "relationship"...

A vague but highly tempting prototype of a new plan was quickly sketched out in her mind.

It wasn't about getting Jiang Zhiyu drunk directly, but rather... cleverly using Kim Taeyeon as a "bridge" or "catalyst"? Perhaps she could even encourage Taeyeon to bring it up? Given Taeyeon's personality and the "grudges" between them, wouldn't the possibility of Jiang Zhiyu agreeing be higher? Or, create some situation where Jiang Zhiyu would "voluntarily" offer compensation or a gift?

At the very least, she could use excuses like "helping Taeyeon test the waters" or "celebrating for Yoona's movie" to heat up the party atmosphere and pave the way for the subsequent real "negotiation."

The risk was high; if handled improperly, it might detonate Taeyeon's bomb of shame and anger, or make the situation even more chaotic. But... the rewards could also be beyond imagination! Skip the long, tedious intermediate steps and go straight for the jugular!

The corners of Sunny's mouth curled up uncontrollably; it was a mischievous smile mixed with extreme excitement, calculation, and a "the bigger the trouble, the better" attitude. Her eyes were shockingly bright, as if she could already see the pink Lemm waving at her, and the path to it, though full of thorns (mainly Kim Taeyeon's anger and Jiang Zhiyu's unfathomability), was full of the joy of challenge and... the huge pleasure of watching the show.

Plan change!

New mission: Utilize existing "resources" (specifically the Kim Taeyeon-Jiang Zhiyu suspected emotional line & the Im Yoona-Jiang Zhiyu work + bickering line), find opportunities in the chaos, and carve out an unexpected shortcut for the "pink Lemm"!

Sunny picked up the juice by her side (she had wisely not drunk alcohol tonight, keeping a clear head was crucial), took a big gulp, and suppressed the excitement in her heart. When she looked at Kim Taeyeon again, her gaze was completely different, filled with a strange glow of "maternal love," "encouragement," and "Unnie will help you out."

Kim Taeyeon seemed to notice something, lifted her head, and happened to meet Sunny's creepy smile; alarm bells immediately rang in her heart.

This Lee Soon-kyu... what kind of devious scheme is she cooking up again?!