295: Chapter 275 Heart Fluttering, Pei the Hedgehog

His heart constricted sharply in his chest, then, like a wild horse breaking free from its reins, it began to pound uncontrollably, violently, slamming against his ribs, beat after beat.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump...

This palpitation, so familiar it was exasperating, arrived once again, precisely and without fail, the moment his gaze touched Bae Joo-hyun's face.

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't even be bothered to suppress it anymore, or rather, having tried too many times, he found that his reason was nearly ineffective in this matter. It was like an instinctive reaction of the body to some allergen—unavoidable and uncontrollable.

"I'm used to it," he muttered in his heart, almost self-mockingly. In reality, he was helpless, he had given up; just let it be.

Since he couldn't stop his heart's betrayal, he could at least control his eyes and expression. He told himself this.

Thus, he let his gaze—that greedy gaze, wanting to deeply imprint the face before him—fall candidly upon Bae Joo-hyun. Morning light filtered through the living room window, spilling softly over her, outlining her slender and graceful silhouette. That face was so fair it was almost translucent, and her features were as exquisite as if carved by the most skilled artisan, without a single flaw. Especially those eyes: clear, calm, and carrying an innate sense of aloofness and cool scrutiny, like a bottomless cold pool under the moonlight.

The sense of déjà vu of Baek Ji-xin descended once again, without warning, with the force of an avalanche.

It wasn't a complete overlap of appearance, but that aura, that stubbornness and vulnerability occasionally flashing in the depths of her eyes, that sense of cold detachment as if she were drifting outside the world... It was too similar. So similar that he could almost see the shadow of another person in those familiar contours of her brows and eyes, could feel those once-surging loves, the grievances of unrequited longing, the heartache of watching her endure everything alone, and the deep worry of fearing she might be hurt...

These emotions, which had long been buried deep in his heart and which he thought had faded with time and his transmigration, were instantly ignited by Bae Joo-hyun's face and eyes, transforming into a complex, indescribable gaze that almost spilled uncontrollably from his eyes.

He pressed his lips tightly together, his jawline slightly tensed, forcing himself to press those surging emotions back down into the depths of his heart.

Only three short seconds had actually passed, but in Jiang Zhiyu's perception, it felt infinitely stretched, long enough for him to complete an internal collapse and reconstruction.

Three seconds later, he blinked, and all exposed emotions retreated rapidly like the tide, covered over by a layer of gentle and distant politeness. Except for the heart in his chest that was still beating wildly, asserting its presence, there was no sign of anything unusual on his face or in his eyes.

He nodded slightly, his voice steady and clear, carrying just the right amount of respect: "Irene xi."

At the same time, almost reflexively, Bae Joo-hyun suppressed the extremely subtle fluctuation that had arisen from their accidental eye contact the moment the door opened. Her expression returned to its usual calmness, and she nodded in response just as politely: "President Jiang nim."

Their forms of address were both formal and restrained, drawing a clear line between professional and personal boundaries.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to feel that this opening wasn't enough, or rather, he wanted to pull everyone's attention (including his own) back to the main topic as quickly as possible. He spoke immediately, his tone sounding calm and composed, as if he were merely stating the most ordinary work matter: "Irene xi, I came over today mainly to discuss with everyone the final determination of the shooting location, as well as the placement of the cameras and other filming equipment." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the other members present, before finally landing back on Bae Joo-hyun, and added, "I hope you don't mind that I didn't inform you of the specific arrival time in advance."

This statement, both in content and tone, was impeccable, perfectly fitting the process of a professional PD communicating with an artist team before starting work.

However... the other Red Velvet members in the living room—Yeri, Joy (whose face was still flushed), Wendy, Kang Seulgi, and perhaps even Jiang Zhiyu himself, who had just been distracted by his racing heart and emotions, didn't realize that in the tone of his final explanatory sentence, there seemed to be... a faint, imperceptible sense of urgency, an attempt to make others trust him.

That feeling was as if he were in a rush to prove: "I really am just here to talk about work! I don't have any other intentions! I didn't even fix the time in advance just to avoid misunderstandings! Please, you must believe me!"

This subtle feeling formed a strange contrast with his usual calm, composed, and gentle image.

Yeri blinked and exchanged a strange look with Joy beside her. Wendy pushed up her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses thoughtful. Kang Seulgi, on the other hand, looked clueless, feeling that nothing seemed wrong, but the atmosphere felt a bit... strange?

A thought popped into everyone's minds involuntarily: Although they knew this was definitely just explaining the work process, why, listening to his tone, did it always feel like he was... urgently pledging his loyalty? Proving that he was really just here to talk about work and absolutely didn't have any mixed private thoughts or other intentions? What an eerie feeling. It was as if... this seemingly all-controlling young President, in front of a specific person (like their own powerful leader), would subconsciously and involuntarily want to "prove his innocence"?

Bae Joo-hyun also clearly received that hint of "urgency" in Jiang Zhiyu's words. Her cold, clear gaze flickered slightly, but there was still no expression on her face. She just gave a faint "Hmm" to indicate she understood, then walked over to the sofa, set down the booklet in her hand, sat down gracefully, and lifted her eyes to look at Jiang Zhiyu, waiting for what he had to say next. It was as if that brief eye contact and the strange atmosphere of "pledging loyalty" in the air had never happened.

Jiang Zhiyu breathed a sigh of relief inwardly (although his heartbeat hadn't settled), and walked over to the coffee table, sitting down on the chair the staff had brought over, ready to begin the formal work discussion. He needed to concentrate, handle the matters at hand, and cast that disobedient heart and those thoughts that shouldn't have appeared to the back of his mind.

However, that heart was still in his chest, stubbornly and loudly declaring its existence.

Thump-thump, thump-thump...

Just as Jiang Zhiyu was trying to calm his heartbeat and prepare to enter work mode, there was movement at the door again. Xiao Zheng, an assistant from TG Entertainment, poked half his body in, carrying several paper bags printed with the logo of a well-known chain coffee shop. He had already finished distributing the iced Americanos to the other staff members on site and was now here to deliver coffee to the Red Velvet members and the SM Manager.

"President Jiang, the coffee is bought," Xiao Zheng said respectfully to Jiang Zhiyu, then took out the iced Americanos from the bags one by one, handing them to Joy, Yeri, Wendy, Kang Seulgi, and the SM Manager. Fine beads of water condensed on the cold cup walls, giving off the coffee's characteristic rich, slightly bitter aroma.

However, when Xiao Zheng took out a drink that was clearly different from the last bag, the atmosphere in the living room changed subtly again. It was a drink that looked colorful and full of girlish charm—a strawberry milkshake with sugar and less ice, topped with a big scoop of tempting vanilla ice cream, with strawberry jam running down the cup wall; the visual effect was top-notch. It formed a sharp contrast with the steady black iced Americanos in everyone else's hands.

Xiao Zheng handed this "special blend" to Jiang Zhiyu very naturally.

"President, yours." Xiao Zheng's tone was matter-of-fact, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Everyone's gaze shifted in unison from the iced Americanos in their own hands to the strawberry milkshake in Jiang Zhiyu's hand, which looked sweet and delicious and had a huge contrast with the image of a "President."

Jiang Zhiyu also seemed to pause for a moment, then took it with a composed expression and explained to everyone: "Oh, this coffee shop is an important advertising investor for our TG, providing quite a lot of filming support. Their drinks... are quite varied in variety."

His explanation sounded reasonable—it was for the sponsor, after all. Assistant Xiao Zheng, standing by the side, while helping to arrange the coffee, silently added in his heart (of course, he wouldn't say it out loud): Actually, that coffee shop is in a rather remote location, and business has always been lukewarm; it only barely manages to survive because we at TG often order from them for employees and partners. To show gratitude (and to want to get on TG's fast train), the shop Manager paid a significant sponsorship fee and gave a super low discount, the only condition being to have more brand exposure in the variety shows led by TG. Now it seems that shop Manager's business acumen is really quite good...

Jiang Zhiyu seemed not to notice everyone's gaze focused on his drink; he lowered his head, poked the ice cream on top of the milkshake with a straw, and took a small sip through the straw. The cold, sweet taste mixed with the fruity aroma of strawberries and the smoothness of the cream seemed to relax his tense nerves just a little (at least that's how it looked on the surface). He put the cup down, and shallow lip prints and traces of melted ice cream were immediately left on the cup wall.

"Then, let's begin." Jiang Zhiyu cleared his throat and brought the topic back on track. He opened the tablet he was carrying, brought up the filming plan, and began to explain his thoughts on the filming location. His voice returned to the clarity and orderliness of work, logical and comprehensive: "Regarding the filming location, there are currently two main plans. One is to conduct it right here in your dorms, capturing the real daily life to the maximum extent; the second is to go to an apartment that TG Entertainment has rented and furnished in advance, simulating a similar living environment for filming."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone candidly, lingering for a moment on Bae Joo-hyun's calm face (and then quickly moving away), and continued: "I personally prefer the second plan. There are two main reasons: First, to fully protect everyone's privacy and safety. The dormitory is your private space; long-term, multi-angle filming will inevitably cause trouble and may also bring unnecessary safety risks. Second, filming in the rented apartment allows for more controllability in scenes, lighting, and camera placement, which can better present the program's effects and also reduce the interference with your daily lives."

His proposal was very proper, one could even say it was very thoughtful and considerate, completely based on a professional perspective and the artists' interests, with nothing to criticize.

However...

The attention of the Red Velvet members did not seem to be entirely focused on what Jiang Zhiyu was saying. Or rather, they were listening, but at the same time, their gazes were unconsciously drawn to other details.

For instance, the spot where Jiang Zhiyu was sitting at that moment.

That was the most comfortable single-seater sofa in the living room set, and also the one with the best view. And that spot... had always been the "exclusive throne" of the leader, Bae Joo-hyun. When Bae Joo-hyun was relaxing at home, she would occasionally curl up there lazily to read books or scripts, with a sitting posture that wasn't particularly "elegant," but carried a sense of casual relaxation.

But now, the one sitting in that spot was Jiang Zhiyu.

He wasn't leaning back relaxedly like Bae Joo-hyun; instead, he sat extremely properly. His back was straight, but not overly stiff; his legs were together, knees pointing straight ahead; his hands were naturally folded on his knees, his fingertips even unconsciously rubbing the edge of his tablet. His whole demeanor presented a sense of being both focused and earnest, yet also carrying a hint of indescribable... restraint and obedience?

That feeling... how should one describe it?

Yeri secretly nudged Joy next to her with her elbow. When their eyes met, they both saw the same absurd association in each other's eyes. Wendy pushed up her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses thoughtfully circling between that "proper" sitting posture and the calm profile of their own leader beside her.

The three of them simultaneously had an extremely inappropriate, yet strangely fitting metaphor pop into their minds:

This sitting posture, this demeanor, this feeling of appearing in the "hostess's exclusive seat"... why does it feel so much like those 8 PM urban romantic dramas, where the "prospective son-in-law" visits his future mother-in-law for the first time, so nervous he doesn't know where to put his hands and feet, trying hard to act obedient and sensible?!

No! What are they thinking?! Joy almost choked on this outrageous association and quickly covered her mouth. Yeri was also shaking with suppressed laughter. Wendy shook her head helplessly, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift slightly.

The three of them exchanged a look again with tacit understanding, both reading in each other's eyes the suppressed laughter of "So you think so too" and the excitement that "this plot development is getting more and more outrageous."

Bae Joo-hyun seemed to notice her younger sisters' strange eye contact and suppressed laughter. She glanced slightly to the side, her cold gaze sweeping over them with a hint of faint questioning and warning.

Yeri and the others immediately composed their expressions, pretending to listen carefully.

Jiang Zhiyu was completely immersed in his work presentation and did not notice the historical significance of the seat he was sitting on, nor did he notice the surging "melodramatic" imagination inside the Red Velvet members' minds. He remained sitting straight and properly, asking with a serious tone:

"I wonder which plan you all prefer? Or do you have any other ideas?"

His gaze fell on Bae Joo-hyun once again, waiting for the leader's final opinion. That damn heart of his, when he asked this question, sped up by half a beat against his will.

——

Jiang Zhiyu's proposal was indeed thoughtful; considering privacy and filming controllability, it sounded impeccable. However, the Red Velvet members had already held internal discussions privately and had their own considerations regarding the filming location.

As the leader, when Jiang Zhiyu finished his explanation and was waiting for a reply, Bae Joo-hyun's cold and clear voice rang out, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"Regarding the choice of filming location," Bae Joo-hyun sat elegantly, her tone steady, carrying an unquestionable seriousness, "Whether it was in the previous meeting with TG or in the many internal discussions within our team, we, Red Velvet, have a unanimous opinion."

She first affirmed the existence of the team consensus, indicating that what she was about to say was not a personal whim.

"The proposal to rent a house for filming put forward by President Jiang," she looked at Jiang Zhiyu, her gaze calm, as if she were merely conducting an objective analysis, "takes care of our privacy needs to a great extent, and from the perspective of the filming process, it indeed has higher controllability and convenience. On this point, we very much understand and appreciate the professional consideration from TG's side."

She used courtesy before force, affirming the merits of the other party's proposal.

Immediately after, she changed the subject, using the word "but":

"However, correspondingly, for us Red Velvet, such a choice would lower the sense of naturalness and comfort we have in a familiar environment."

She paused for a moment, picked up the iced Americano by her side, and took a gentle sip, her movements calm, giving everyone (mainly Jiang Zhiyu) time to digest the transition and the core conflict point in her words.

Putting down the coffee cup, she continued, her logic clear and layered:

"The name of our variety show this time is 'the collapsed daily life'." She emphasized the program name, "The focus lies in these two aspects: 'collapsed' and 'daily life'."

"The focus of 'collapsed' lies in the game design, in the mission segments, and in those challenges that can stimulate our different reactions and charms." She handed over part of the power of interpretation for "collapsed" to the production team, showing trust in TG's professionalism, "We believe in TG's professional ability in designing variety show content and game rules to ensure that the participating members can display their true individual traits or team chemistry."

"And in the word 'daily life'," her tone grew a bit heavier, her gaze sweeping over her teammates before finally falling back on Jiang Zhiyu, "I think the choice of filming location is perhaps a decisive factor that accounts for a large proportion."

"After all," she tilted her head slightly, as if explaining a principle that couldn't be simpler, "in an unfamiliar environment, a person's state will more or less be affected. This influence might be subtle, but it is not non-existent."

She paused again to emphasize, then immediately added, blocking any potential for misunderstanding:

"Of course, I am not saying this will affect the normal filming process and professional performance. Red Velvet is a group that has debuted for a long time and has experienced various filming environments; every member possesses a high degree of professionalism and individual traits, and can quickly adapt to different environments."

She affirmed the team's professionalism, but immediately after, the tone shifted subtly:

"It's just... that subtle 'sense of estrangement' or 'discomfort' arising from an unfamiliar environment might affect the space for us to perform in a way that is more 'collapsed,' more natural, and more interesting. After all, the atmosphere of 'daily life' sometimes requires the most familiar and relaxed environment to be fully catalyzed."

Bae Joo-hyun's suggestion was layered and well-founded. She didn't completely deny Jiang Zhiyu's proposal, but precisely pointed out its potential side effects—affecting the authenticity of the "daily life" atmosphere and the naturalness of the members' "collapsed" state. She didn't forcefully demand how things must be, but clearly articulated the consensus and concerns reached by the Red Velvet team based on the show's core concept, "the collapsed daily life," kicking the ball of choice and trade-off back to Jiang Zhiyu in a professional and polite manner.

The other Red Velvet members, listening to their leader's clear and unpretentious speech, all wore expressions of shared pride. Especially Yeri, who proudly lifted her little chin, looking at Jiang Zhiyu with provocative (or rather, showing off) eyes, the meaning clear as day: See that! This is our leader! The coolest, most capable, most considerate-of-the-team Bae Joo-hyun! Irene Unnie!

Jiang Zhiyu listened quietly, his gaze falling on Bae Joo-hyun's exquisite face, which was calmly explaining and professionally serious. Her words were logically tight and her attitude clear; she was neither aggressive nor easily compromised.

He couldn't help but frown slightly.

Bae Joo-hyun... she was like a stubborn bump on a smooth surface. Never the type to easily listen to and accept in full the seemingly "optimal" arrangements he provided. She always displayed a stance of "I accept most of it, but I must have my own ideas and considerations, and this part must be taken seriously."

This stance didn't seem unreasonable or annoying; on the contrary, she could always provide reasonable grounds and clearly articulate her thoughts. But that feeling... was more like a declaration: "This is my thought, my position. I am explaining it to you not to seek your approval or permission, but to inform you. Whether you adopt it or not is your business, but my attitude is here."

Tricky.

Jiang Zhiyu just felt it was tricky. This feeling, where the other party was clearly making sense, yet he had a sense of being "checkmated" and helpless, was just like facing a... curled-up hedgehog. When you tried to approach or arrange things, she would raise her sharp quills to protect herself and her team; and when you helplessly chose to distance yourself or compromise, she would stroll in front of you unhurriedly, or even a bit "arrogantly," reminding you of her existence and principles.

This contradictory and helpless feeling made a trace of annoyance surge in the depths of Jiang Zhiyu's heart, but immediately, this annoyance was diluted by an absurd sense of amusement. Because he suddenly felt that the nickname he had privately given her—"Bae the Hedgehog"—was simply too fitting.

However...

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze swept over Yeri's smug little expression beside her, which seemed to say "Isn't our leader amazing," and fell back onto Bae Joo-hyun's cool, elegant face, which was calmly waiting for his reply.

Deep in his heart, that competitive spirit of having been "checkmated," mixed with a subtle concern for Bae Joo-hyun's "hedgehog" personality, quietly rose up.