297: Chapter 277 So annoying

Inside the Red Velvet dorm, the installation work was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Various filming devices with blinking indicator lights were carefully placed in corners of the living room, in the crevices of the ceiling, and even in strategic spots in the kitchen, striving to capture the most comprehensive "Ruined Daily Life" without disrupting their daily movement patterns.

The air was filled with the faint scent of plastic from the equipment and electronic components, mixed with the bitter aroma of coffee.

Bae Joo-hyun sat alone in another corner of the living room, keeping a distance from the center of the activity.

She gripped the iced Americano in her hand, which had long since lost its optimal drinking temperature, her slender fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

The straw was clenched between her teeth, unconsciously and somewhat vindictively chewed upon.

Bitter.

The distinct bitterness on the tip of her tongue made her already bad mood even gloomier.

Moreover, this bitterness seemed to carry some sort of additional "charge"—this coffee that made her mouth bitter was bought by Jiang Zhiyu! It was brought in by that assistant of his!

Even this damn bitterness, in Bae Joo-hyun's current state of displaced anger, seemed to have become a symbol of Jiang Zhiyu doing it on purpose.

Did he know she was used to drinking iced Americanos, so he specifically chose the bitterest one to "retaliate" for her "arguing her case" earlier? Or was this just a manifestation of his "haughty" desire for control, wanting to decide even what they drink?

Ah—damn!

The more Bae Joo-hyun thought about it, the angrier she got; her very roots of her teeth began to itch.

She took another vicious gulp; the cold, bitter liquid slid down her throat but did nothing to extinguish the fire in her heart. Instead, it made her delicate little face scrunch up, looking exactly like a cat that had tasted a sour lemon.

She lifted her eyes, her gaze crossing the rim of the cup like two cold searchlights, shooting toward the source of her agitation on the other side of the room—Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu was standing in the center of the living room with his back to her, head slightly tilted, directing the technicians to adjust the angle of a wide-angle camera.

He held a tablet in one hand to check the composition, and the other hand... was actually leisurely holding that pink, sweet, and cloying strawberry ice cream milkshake of his!

Even when she looked over, he happened to turn his head to say something to the director beside him, his lips faintly curved with a smile, and then he took a calm sip through the straw.

That relaxed demeanor formed a tragic contrast with her own state of deep-seated bitterness and sulking!

Ha!

Bae Joo-hyun almost sneered out loud in her heart.

See!

This guy is doing it on purpose!

He is definitely drinking that milkshake, which looks delicious as hell, right in front of her on purpose! He is deliberately using that relaxed and joyful posture to highlight her stifled frustration and bitterness!

He is deliberately using this childish, infuriating method to "retaliate" against her, or perhaps simply... enjoying the fun of teasing her!

This realization made the stifled anger in Bae Joo-hyun's chest swell even more; she unconsciously puffed out her cheeks, like a little pufferfish that had been provoked and was accumulating rage.

Her cold mask of expression completely shattered, replaced by incredibly vivid annoyance and... a hint of childish grievance that she hadn't even realized herself.

On the other side, driven by "gossip" and "curiosity," the movements of the other four members of Red Velvet quietly split into two groups.

Yeri and Joy, the two most active "gossip radars," having witnessed the brilliant (and strangely ended) "clash" between their leader and PD Jiang, could no longer suppress their burning souls of gossip.

The two huddled together at the dining table near the kitchen, heads touching, whispering and giggling about something. Their eyes darted from time to time toward the sulking Bae Joo-hyun, and then toward the composed and commanding Jiang Zhiyu, their faces filled with the excited glow of "I get it," "Just as I thought," and "How exciting!"

Clearly, they were conducting a heated and in-depth "academic discussion" on the major topic of "what kind of bizarre chemistry exists between Jiang Zhiyu and Bae Joo-hyun."

Wendy and Kang Seulgi, on the other hand, took a more "pragmatic" route.

Wendy was very interested in the "Ruined Points" system mentioned in the show and the novel task designs, and was also curious about the filming equipment TG used, which was clearly different from traditional variety shows.

She pulled along Kang Seulgi, who had a gentle personality and treated everyone with kindness, and approached Jiang Zhiyu, who was checking the wiring of another camera.

"PD Jiang (Zhiyu-ssi)," Wendy pushed up her glasses and spoke politely, "Excuse me. I wanted to ask about the filming schedule for this afternoon, and these devices..."

Jiang Zhiyu turned his head at the sound. Seeing it was Wendy and Kang Seulgi, he showed the gentle smile appropriate for treating seniors.

He temporarily put down the milkshake in his hand (once again successfully attracting a "scorching" gaze from somewhere in the distance), nodded, and patiently explained:

"Wendy-ssi, Seulgi-ssi. It's like this: the filming starting at two this afternoon is strictly speaking just a test shoot and won't be counted toward the official program content or the point system."

His tone was clear, ensuring both could understand: "The purpose is to let the Red Velvet seniors have a process of adaptation and familiarization, to get a feel for the 'Ruined Daily Life' atmosphere in an environment where cameras are 'everywhere' (within reasonable limits, of course). At the same time, we also need to test the sensitivity and capturing effects of these new devices to ensure everything goes perfectly during the official filming. The official filming will probably start in a few days, after everyone has fully adapted."

His explanation was very thoughtful, both eliminating their nervousness and demonstrating TG's professionalism and caution.

Wendy nodded, her gaze curiously turning to those micro-cameras with slightly peculiar shapes: "So that's how it is. Speaking of which, this is the first time I've seen such tracking filming equipment in a variety show. It must be... very expensive, right? After all, it has to track people's movements in real-time and react."

Jiang Zhiyu smiled, not answering the price question directly, but explaining from another angle: "These devices have their core interactive entertainment concepts and algorithm support provided by us, TG Entertainment, and were then commissioned to be manufactured and optimized by a leading tech company in China in the field of intelligent imaging."

He paused, and seeing that Wendy and Kang Seulgi both had expressions of listening attentively, he continued to add, his tone carrying a hint of small pride (though very restrained) regarding his company's layout:

"Actually, the application scenarios for this technology are very broad. In the future, it won't just be used in our variety show filming; it might also be applied to smarter civilian security monitoring, upgraded versions of car dash cams, or even more miniaturized and portable personal video creation devices. TG Entertainment's positioning is not just to produce content, but also to try to become a bridge connecting creativity and cutting-edge technology."

This statement contained a lot of information. Wendy's mouth opened slightly, and her eyes behind her lenses were full of surprise and contemplation.

According to what Jiang Zhiyu said, the fields TG Entertainment is involved in are far deeper and broader than the "variety production company" or "music production company" seen by the outside world!

It is more like a composite organization driven by entertainment content that simultaneously infiltrates into technology R&D and industrial applications.

No wonder it's rumored in the industry that it might be more appropriate for TG Entertainment to be renamed "TG Auxiliary Entertainment Company"—it always seems to be able to provide unexpected solutions in areas where other companies need "assistance" (technology, creativity, resource integration).

Kang Seulgi didn't understand complex things like technology or industry, but her round eyes were more focused on Jiang Zhiyu's gentle and patient attitude while speaking, and... did he just secretly pull a small item out of his suit pocket?

Jiang Zhiyu was explaining to Wendy while his hand seemed to slide very naturally into the inner pocket of his suit, then quickly pulled out a small, exquisitely wrapped chocolate. The movement was smooth and carried a bit of "guilty conscience" speed as he quietly slipped it into the hand of Kang Seulgi, who was listening attentively beside him.

His movements were very covert and minimal, clearly to avoid the line of sight of the Manager not far away, fearing he would be scolded for feeding snacks to artists indiscriminately.

With a small item carrying body heat suddenly appearing in her palm, Kang Seulgi was stunned for a moment. Looking down, it was a piece of milk chocolate that looked very high-end.

She looked up and met Jiang Zhiyu's eyes, which carried a smile and a "shh" gesture.

A happy, silly smile immediately bloomed on Kang Seulgi's round face as she whispered, "Thank you, Zhiyu-ssi!" Then, she happily clutched the chocolate in her palm, deciding to eat it when no one was paying attention.

This small interaction, in Kang Seulgi's eyes, solidified Jiang Zhiyu's "good guy" image—he explains patiently and secretly gives delicious chocolate, how could he possibly be a bad person!

However, this "warm" "chocolate feeding" scene, in the eyes of a certain "little pufferfish" sulking in the distance, was tantamount to adding fuel to the fire!

Bae Joo-hyun had been keeping an eye on the activity over there with the corner of her eye (or rather, she was blatantly glaring).

Seeing Jiang Zhiyu chatting "heatedly" with Wendy and Seulgi, the feeling of imbalance in her heart grew even stronger.

Why can they communicate with him normally (and even get chocolate!), while she has to sit here sulking over bitter coffee?

Especially when she saw Jiang Zhiyu secretly slipping the chocolate to Seulgi, and Seulgi smiling so happily, a wave of inexplicable, surging bitterness and annoyance rushed up.

Yah! This two-faced guy!

He's gentle and polite to others and even secretly gives them snacks!

But toward her, he uses all sorts of schemes, provocations, and tricks!

She resentfully took another big gulp of coffee, but the cold, bitter liquid hit her taste buds again, making her little face scrunch up tighter, almost to the point of distortion. It's bitter to death!

Yah! Damn Jiang Zhiyu!! It's all your fault!!!

Bae Joo-hyun's anger and frustration reached a peak at this moment. She could no longer control herself and glared fiercely at Jiang Zhiyu, her beautiful eyes seeming to spit out literal flames, wishing she could burn two holes in his crisp, straight suit!

Her gaze was so "scorching" and "full of killing intent" that Jiang Zhiyu, who was speaking to Wendy, seemed to sense it, or rather, was "burned" by that intense gaze.

His voice paused slightly, and almost subconsciously, with a bit of confusion, he turned his head and looked toward Bae Joo-hyun. Their gazes collided in the air.

Bae Joo-hyun hadn't expected him to look over suddenly and was startled. Her pupils constricted slightly, and the fierce expression on her face, which she hadn't had time to hide, was exposed to Jiang Zhiyu's sight before she could react.

Their eyes met.

Time seemed to stagnate for a few tenths of a second.

Bae Joo-hyun's heart jumped violently, and a panic of being caught red-handed instantly swept over her. She almost reflexively turned her head away abruptly, staring intently at the floor beneath her feet, as if a peerless flower had suddenly bloomed on the floor that required her full attention to study.

Damn it!

She cursed inwardly, her cheeks uncontrollably beginning to heat up.

We made eye contact just now, right? We definitely made eye contact!

Why did he suddenly look at me?! Did he discover I was glaring at him?

This guy... are his eyes radar?!

Bae Joo-hyun felt her ears burning. The righteous anger from just now was now mixed with a hint of embarrassment from being caught, becoming even more complex and indescribable. She could only stiffly maintain the "studying the floor" posture, pretending nothing had happened, hoping that the brief eye contact was just her imagination.

However, what she didn't know was that her series of vivid reactions—the "fierce glare → being startled by being caught → hurriedly turning away to pretend to look at the floor"—were all taken in by Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu watched her, looking puffy with anger but instantly "shrinking" because she was caught, looking just like a little hedgehog that had been poked and immediately pulled its head and claws back into its shell, leaving only a hard exterior.

No, now she looked more like a little kitten that had been startled into fluffing up its fur, and then was trying to feign calmness.

This realization caused a deeper, more genuine smile to instantly well up in Jiang Zhiyu's eyes. That smile reached the depths of his eyes, dispelling all the seriousness brought by the previous work, and even diluting the pleasure of the "counterattack" success, turning into a more pure, slightly novel, and doting (?) kind of fun.

Oh, Hedgehog Bae, Hedgehog Bae... Poke her, and she immediately shrinks, pretending nothing happened.

But if you ignore her, in a while, she's guaranteed to bristle her spikes again, strutting around in front of you, perhaps even a bit "arrogantly," glancing at you with that cold, seemingly all-knowing look.

This contradictory and vivid trait, this occasionally revealed little temperament of "Bae Joo-hyun" herself—stubborn, awkward, and cute—after shedding the idol halo and the captain's armor... it's really... so cute that it makes one unable to resist wanting to bully her a little more.

This thought grew wildly in Jiang Zhiyu's heart like weeds. He even began to seriously consider whether he should intentionally design some small segments in the afternoon's test shoot, or inadvertently say a few more words in front of her, to see what kind of interesting reaction this "Hedgehog Bae" would show.

Of course, all of this must be kept within reasonable and professional limits. After all, he is the PD, and she is the artist. But... within the rules, adding a little bit of "fun" shouldn't be considered excessive, right?

Jiang Zhiyu retracted his gaze in an excellent mood, turned back to Wendy and Kang Seulgi, and continued the explanation about equipment technology that had been interrupted earlier, but the curve at the corner of his mouth just couldn't be suppressed.

On the other side, Bae Joo-hyun, who was pretending to be focused on "studying the floor," although she didn't look up again, could clearly feel that the gaze full of smiles and inquiry that had been on her had moved away. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately, a new, even more inexplicable irritation surged in her heart.

Was he... smiling just now? What is he smiling at? Is he laughing at me for being stupid? Laughing at me for getting caught?

Ah—!!! Jiang Zhiyu! You bastard!!

Bae Joo-hyun felt that her mood today was like a rollercoaster, completely turned upside down by this man who had suddenly appeared. She resentfully crushed the empty coffee cup in her hand, making a slight "crack" sound.

The test shoot this afternoon... you'd better not pull any tricks! Otherwise... otherwise...

She "otherwise-ed" for a long time but couldn't think of any way to effectively "retaliate" against Jiang Zhiyu. In the end, she could only discover with even more frustration that she seemed to have no good way to deal with this man who was impervious to reason, hard to read, and seemed to take pleasure in teasing her.

So annoying!

Bae Joo-hyun let out a silent scream in her heart for the Nth time.

This day of filming preparation, which should have been ordinary, had become exceptionally "long" and "tormenting" because of Jiang Zhiyu's presence. And the test shoot this afternoon... seemed destined not to be peaceful.