314: Chapter 294 Please use me indefinitely! I'm PZX's dog!

The competition suddenly became intense.

The atmosphere, which had been a bit wilted and ashamed due to the "meme public execution," was stirred up by Jiang Zhiyu's "grand prize" and "individual battle," instantly becoming heated and high-spirited. Everyone secretly made up their minds to show their most "collapsed" (and most competitive) side in the upcoming "the collapsed daily life of a homebody"!

Jiang Zhiyu looked at their instantly ignited desire to win and the light flickering in their eyes, nodded with satisfaction, and a faint, imperceptible arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

Very good. He had just casually provoked them and thrown out a lure, and the atmosphere that might have become dull or fallen into collective slacking had come alive again, even filled with dramatic internal competitive tension.

This was the "the collapsed daily life" he wanted—with surprises, real reactions, interactions, conflicts, and also... the absurdity and fun of struggling to "collapse" for the sake of the "reward."

"Then," Jiang Zhiyu raised his hand like a starter, "ten minutes, 'the collapsed daily life of a dormitory homebody' individual battle—"

"Ready... Go!"

A new round of the "collapsed" storm officially staged itself within the Red Velvet dormitory, accompanied by increasingly fierce point competition and the members' various interpretations of a "homebody." And on the other end of the internet, countless fans were wide-eyed, refreshing the official account, looking forward to more freshly baked "collapsed" memes.

The five members of Red Velvet took a collective deep breath and slowly exhaled. Their stance didn't look like they were about to film a variety show, but rather like they were about to rush into some life-or-death battlefield, or... jump off a cliff of social death.

At this point, their sense of shame had been rubbed raw until it was somewhat numb. The memes were already flying everywhere, the internet popularity had exploded, and as for their image... it didn't seem like it was the first day it had crumbled under Jiang Zhiyu's hands anyway.

Since "death" was unavoidable, they might as well set their sights on something more "pragmatic."

Target locked: Redeem the reward!

Especially that glittering "grand prize" that came with someone's shameless cuteness—Jiang Zhiyu (One-Day Experience Ticket) and that "wish within his power"! Whether they wanted to get actual benefits (Lemm, new songs, travel) or were acting out of some secret "revenge" mentality (Bae Joo-hyun: Stare—), this reward was full of fatal temptation.

Yeri raised her hand first, her little face full of the fighting spirit of "I want to win," but tactically, she still needed to clarify the rules: "PD Jiang! The rules for the individual battle are 'the collapsed daily life of a dormitory homebody,' right? But... isn't there a more specific hint? Like, are there mandatory actions, or is there a 'homebody behavior checklist' I can refer to?"

The others also nodded in agreement. While "collapsing" randomly could earn points, if there was a clear direction, perhaps it would be more efficient to farm points?

Facing their questions, the smile on Jiang Zhiyu's face remained gentle, but a flash of "I knew you would ask" realization passed through his eyes. He didn't give an answer directly, but instead asked rhetorically:

"What is your 'daily life' like on your usual days off, or when you don't have a schedule? Don't deliberately think about variety show effects, just talk about your real state."

This question stunned the five girls for a moment. Talking about their most relaxed (and perhaps most "collapsed") selves in private in front of the camera?

Yeri scratched her head and spoke up somewhat embarrassedly: "For me... if there's no schedule and I don't have to practice, I might... sleep until the afternoon." She finished and stuck out her tongue, "So do I go back to my room to 'perform' sleeping in?"

Everyone: "..." Although they knew Yeri was the maknae and loved to sleep in sometimes, saying it so bluntly still gave people the feeling of "this kid is really honest."

Kang Seulgi blinked her big eyes and naturally followed up: "Me... I will hold my phone and scroll through videos for a long time, especially food reviews and cute cats and dogs!" When mentioning cats and dogs, her eyes clearly brightened, "The kind where once you start, you can't stop."

The image of Kang Seulgi holding her phone and giggling at the food or cute pets on the screen automatically appeared in everyone's minds. Yeah, very "Bear Seulgi."

Wendy pushed up her glasses, her expression serious: "I usually arrange time to go to the gym to work out, or do some basic core training at home. Maintaining physical strength and figure is a required course for a singer." Her tone carried a matter-of-course self-discipline.

Everyone was instantly filled with awe, especially remembering the photos of Wendy's clear and beautiful abs circulating on the internet. As expected of the self-disciplined warrior Son Seung-wan! This kind of "daily life" wasn't "collapsed" at all, it was actually very inspirational! (But in the context of "the collapsed daily life," would this overly healthy daily life actually become a bonus for being "anti-collapsed"?)

Joy's face flushed slightly, and her voice was a little lower than usual: "As for me... I might look at fashion magazines, study new outfits, and then if the weather is good or I'm in the mood, I'll ask friends to go shopping, drink coffee, or something." Very much in line with her image as a fashion and vitality representative.

Finally, everyone's gaze turned to the leader, Bae Joo-hyun.

Bae Joo-hyun met everyone's gaze and stated calmly: "When I'm in the dormitory, I usually do some pilates stretching to maintain my physical state. Sometimes I will go to restaurants with Seulgi to find good food. Or... ask some old friends outside the industry to go out for tea, chat, and go shopping."

Her description sounded healthy, self-disciplined, and had a normal social life, completely a mature woman's fulfilling and rational way of relaxing.

After the five of them finished speaking, they looked at each other and suddenly realized... except for Yeri's "sleeping until the afternoon" and Kang Seulgi's "scrolling through videos" which matched the public's imagination of a "homebody/loser," the others' daily lives sounded quite "normie" (winners in life whose real life is very fulfilling)! Especially Wendy and Bae Joo-hyun, they were simply models of a healthy life.

Jiang Zhiyu nodded thoughtfully after listening to their descriptions, rubbed his chin, and then showed a smile that could be called brilliant, praising them sincerely:

"It seems that everyone lives a very fulfilling, very healthy, and very meaningful life. That's good, really."

However, just as he finished this sentence and before his smile faded, as if he couldn't help it, he tilted his head slightly and, in a volume that was lowered but definitely loud enough for everyone present to hear, muttered softly and quickly:

"Tsk... damn normie life!!"

In that tone, it was mixed with a hint of subtle envy (?), unwillingness (?), and a thick sense of "I'm not on the same path as you sunny, healthy normies" roasting. Although it didn't sound malicious, and was more like self-deprecation or a joke, combined with his previous "evil PD" actions, it always made people wonder... was this guy jealous of everyone's "healthy daily life"?

Red Velvet: "..." PD Jiang, isn't your inner drama a bit too much?

However, this small dig unexpectedly diluted the tension and slight awkwardness of "fighting for rewards" just now, making the atmosphere a little more relaxed (or rather, more bizarre).

Jiang Zhiyu quickly adjusted his expression as if he hadn't said that dig just now. He clapped his hands to pull everyone's attention back to the main topic.

"Since everyone has their own understanding of 'the collapsed daily life' and their own ways of relaxing," Jiang Zhiyu put on that PD smile that controlled the whole situation again, "then, we won't set specific limits. Everyone, play freely, relax however you want, and 'collapse' as naturally as you can."

He changed the subject and pointed to the main display screen: "As for how many points you can get and what kind of 'tasks' you complete... let's see what kind of 'exclusive the collapsed daily life tasks' the AI system will automatically generate based on everyone's real-time performance!"

As soon as he finished speaking, on the main display screen, next to the "Personal Point Redemption Mall," five parallel small windows branched out, corresponding to the five members of Red Velvet. Above each window, the words "Exclusive Task Pool (Generating...)" were flashing.

AI automatically generates tasks?!

This meant that their every action, expression, or even just a state of dazing could trigger a system judgment, generating a specific "small task" that needed to be completed? Could they get personal points by completing tasks?

This looked more goal-oriented than them just randomly "collapsing" and waiting for points, and... also more like they were being "thoroughly arranged" by the AI!

Yeri looked at the "Generating..." flashing prompt under her name on the screen, feeling inexplicably nervous and excited. Kang Seulgi had already started thinking about whether it would be easier to trigger "food appreciation" or "pet obsession" tasks if she sat or lay down while scrolling through videos. Wendy was thinking about whether doing a few simple stretches in the living room would be judged by the AI as "the persistence of a healthy homebody" and add points? Joy was already examining the layout of the living room, thinking about how to naturally perform "flipping through magazines" and "simulating the struggle of picking an outfit before going out." Bae Joo-hyun's gaze fell calmly on her task window, her brain spinning rapidly, thinking about what kind of "relaxed state" could trigger tasks efficiently while maintaining a certain... well, bottom line of image (if there was any left).

The individual battle, plus the variable of AI real-time generated tasks, instantly made this performance of "the collapsed daily life of a dormitory homebody" full of more uncertainty and strategy.

"Then," Jiang Zhiyu looked at the five girls' instantly focused (and each with their own thoughts) eyes, and announced with satisfaction, "Ten-minute countdown—start! Show your unique 'collapsed' sides to your heart's content!"

In the living room, the five members of Red Velvet quickly entered "battle mode." Although the theme was "collapsed" and "relaxed," their eyes and postures clearly showed a sense of seriousness as they "rolled" for points and rewards.

And the AI system, like a silent and efficient referee, was quietly observing, preparing to tailor a... "surprising" "collapsed" challenge for everyone. Fans on the other end of the internet were also holding their breath, ready to welcome a new round of meme and "collapsed" famous scene bombardment.

—

"Then," Jiang Zhiyu looked at the five girls' instantly focused—and each with their own thoughts—eyes, and announced with satisfaction, "Ten-minute countdown—start! Show your unique 'collapsed' sides to your heart's content!"

As soon as the words fell, the ten-minute countdown on the main display screen started ticking. At the same time, the five members' exclusive task pools refreshed simultaneously, and the "the collapsed daily life challenge" tailored by the AI system for each person was officially released.

Yeri's task pop-up:

[Princess Yeri who lies flat anytime, anywhere in the dormitory]

Task description: Walk around the dormitory activity area at will. The system will make a prompt sound every thirty seconds. Wherever you are, you must immediately go limp on the ground and make a snoring sound, lasting for ten seconds.

Success reward: +50 points for each completion

Failure penalty: -10 points for each failure

Member interference reward: Other members successfully prevent Yeri from lying flat (making her unable to lie flat normally), +5 points each time (gained by the interferer)

Joy's task pop-up:

[Sofa Fashion Magazine Imitation Show]

Task description: Lie on the sofa reading a magazine and make the corresponding model poses from the magazine. Each pose must be held for 15 seconds.

Success reward: +30 points for each successful pose

Failure penalty: No deduction for interrupting or getting the pose wrong, but no reward.

Member interference reward: Other members successfully interfere with Joy completing the pose (pushing over, blocking, weird noises, etc.), +5 points each time (gained by the interferer)

Wendy's task pop-up:

[Living Room Triathlon Challenge]

Task description: Continuously complete three exercises on the floor: 30 dumbbell lifts (2kg), 50 high knees, 10 cycles of stretching exercises (yoga cat pose).

Success reward: +80 points for completing a full set

Failure penalty: Can restart if interrupted midway, no penalty.

Member Interference Reward: If other members successfully interfere with Wendy completing an action (bumping into her, holding her feet, etc.), +5 points each time.

Kang Seulgi's Task Pop-up: [Invisible Fruit Ninja]. Task Description: Sneakily eat grapes (at least 10) and the "Fruit of the Day" voted on by the fan group—half a watermelon—without anyone noticing. Success Reward: +3 points for every grape eaten without being caught, +100 points for successfully eating the watermelon. Failure Penalty: If discovered and called out by other members, points for that specific instance of snacking drop to zero. Member Interference Reward: Successfully discovering and stopping Seulgi from snacking, +10 points each time.

Bae Joo-hyun's Task Pop-up: [Immersive Line Acting Master]. Task Description: Please listen carefully to the music/line clips randomly played by the system, then perform the corresponding actions and recite the provided lines. The lines must be delivered with emotion! Content Library: TV/movie lines (confessions or breakup lines from urban romance dramas), K-pop song clips, commercial slogans. Success Reward: +60 points for every perfect performance. Failure Penalty: -5 points for insufficient emotion or incorrect actions. Member Interference Reward: Successfully interrupting or interfering with Irene's performance (singing along strangely, interjecting, etc.), +8 points each time.

The moment the tasks were announced, the atmosphere in the living room changed completely. The fighting spirit that was just "fighting for rewards" a moment ago had turned into a ruthless determination to do whatever it took to get the rewards they each wanted. Everyone's eyes sharpened, and when their gazes swept over the other members, they were already filled with scrutiny and calculation.

"What is this?!" Yeri was the first to cry out. "I have to lie down every thirty seconds? And snore? Am I a koala?!"

But before she could finish her protest, the first thirty-second alert sounded—"Ding!"

Almost as a conditioned reflex, Yeri flopped onto the carpet with a "thud," closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and began to pretend to snore: "Zzz... Zzz..."

The other four were stunned for a second, and then—"Opportunity!" Joy was the first to react. She quickly glanced at her own task. "Wait, I can interfere with her getting points!"

No sooner had she said this than Yeri's ten-second snoring time ended. Just as she was about to get up from the floor, Wendy lunged over, grabbing Yeri's arms with both hands: "Yeri-ah, the floor is cold, get up quickly~"

Though she said she was pulling her up, in reality, Wendy yanked Yeri to the side with force, ensuring she had no chance to lie down in the original spot.

"Unnie!" Yeri said, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

At this moment, Joy had already pounced onto the sofa, grabbed a fashion magazine from the coffee table, and flipped through the pages. It showed a model lying sideways on the sofa armrest, in a lazy pose with one hand supporting her chin.

Joy immediately began to imitate it—she lay sideways on the sofa armrest, left hand supporting her chin, right leg elegantly bent. As soon as the pose was set, the system alert sounded: "Joy Pose #1: Pose matching degree 92%, +30 points."

"Wow, that's so easy!" Joy's eyes lit up. But her joy only lasted for three seconds.

"The next thirty seconds are coming!" Kang Seulgi suddenly shouted. She appeared to be reminding everyone, but in reality, her eyes were already locked on the grapes in the fruit bowl on the coffee table.

Upon hearing this, Yeri immediately looked around to find a good spot. But Wendy was standing to her left, Joy was lying on the sofa, Seulgi was standing seemingly casually on her right, and Bae Joo-hyun was sitting quietly on the single sofa—the position everyone occupied made it impossible for Yeri to easily find space to lie flat.

"Ding!" The second thirty-second alert sounded.

Yeri gritted her teeth and lunged directly toward the empty space between the sofa and the coffee table. But just as her body tilted, Bae Joo-hyun, who had been observing quietly, suddenly extended a leg—not to trip her, but to gently tap Yeri's waist with her toe.

"Ah!" Yeri lost her balance from that poke and toppled over onto the floor, but she didn't lie completely flat; instead, she ended up curled up on her side.

"Snore! Hurry and snore!" Wendy "helpfully" reminded her from the side.

Yeri scrambled to adjust her posture, barely managing to lie flat, and started snoring: "Zzz... ha... Zzz..."

But the posture was awkward, and the snoring was intermittent. Ten seconds later, the system judged: "Yeri Lying Flat #2: Posture not standard, snoring intermittent, +25 points (halved)."

"Ah! Why?!" Yeri wailed.

"Because you didn't lie completely flat, oh." Kang Seulgi said with an innocent face, while her hand had already silently reached toward the fruit bowl, pinched a grape, and turned away to quickly pop it into her mouth.

"Seulgi Unnie!" Yeri's eyes were sharp. "You're stealing grapes!"

Kang Seulgi froze, the grape still in her mouth, her cheeks bulging.

The system alert sounded mercilessly: "Kang Seulgi Stealing Grapes #1: Discovered by Yeri, points for this instance of stealing drop to zero. Yeri successfully discovered and stopped her, +10 points."

"Yay!" Yeri immediately turned her sorrow into joy.

But Kang Seulgi wasn't annoyed. She swallowed the grape and said with a smile, "Then I'll have to be more careful next time."

At this time, Joy had already flipped to the second page of the magazine—an exaggerated pose of a model standing on the sofa backrest with her arms spread wide.

"This..." Joy hesitated for a moment but decided to try. She climbed onto the sofa backrest, stood up carefully, and spread her arms.

Just as the pose was set, Wendy suddenly let out an "Oops," and the dumbbell in her hand "accidentally" slipped, rolling toward the sofa.

"Watch out!" Wendy shouted.

Startled, Joy instinctively looked down, her body swayed, and she nearly fell off the sofa backrest. She scrambled to maintain her balance, and the pose naturally collapsed.

System: "Joy Pose #2: Pose interrupted, +0 points. Wendy interference successful, +5 points."

"Seungwan Unnie!" Joy jumped down from the backrest, cheeks puffed out. "You did that on purpose!"

"Oh, the dumbbell was just too slippery." Wendy picked up the dumbbell, looking innocent, but a cunning glint flashed in her eyes.

At this moment, Bae Joo-hyun was still sitting quietly on the single sofa. Her task pop-up displayed the first segment of content to be performed, but she didn't start immediately; instead, she carefully observed the movements of the other four.

She saw Yeri's anxiety in finding a place to lie flat, Joy's eagerness to complete her poses, Wendy's calculation as she appeared focused on exercise but was actually ready to interfere at any moment, and Kang Seulgi's craftiness behind her seemingly honest exterior as she waited for a chance to sneak a snack.

She wanted to get back at Jiang Zhiyu, so she had to win. This thought burned in Bae Joo-hyun's heart. She recalled Jiang Zhiyu's effortless smile during the test shoot, his eyes that easily saw through her emotions, and his detestable ability to always capture the perfect frame when she was at her most embarrassed.

Bae Joo-hyun, the game fanatic whose competitive spirit had been ignited—this was her true self.

She took a deep breath and lightly tapped open the task pop-up.

The first segment of content began to play: it was the chorus of a classic K-pop song—Girls Generation's "Gee": "Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby."

Accompanying the upbeat melody, Bae Joo-hyun's expression shifted rapidly. She stood up from the sofa, made heart shapes with her hands next to her cheeks, swayed her body gently to the rhythm, and a sweet yet slightly shy smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

"Gee gee gee gee—" she began, her voice clear and bright, carrying just the right amount of sweetness.

The other four turned to look at her simultaneously, stunned by this sudden change in style. Bae Joo-hyun, that always cool and dignified leader Irene, was dancing to "Gee" right now?

"Pfft—" Yeri was the first one who couldn't help but laugh out loud.

But Bae Joo-hyun was completely unaffected. She continued to complete the moves, even adding a simple dance step. Although slightly rusty, that sincerity and dedication instead created a strong sense of contrasting cuteness.

System judgment: "Bae Joo-hyun Performance #1: Completion 95%, emotional investment excellent, +60 points."

"Wow, Unnie is amazing!" Kang Seulgi praised sincerely. But praise was praise; she still had to interfere where necessary.

No sooner had Bae Joo-hyun's first segment ended than the second segment began to play—this time it was a commercial slogan: "XX Brand Ramen, chewy and smooth, rich broth, the best companion for working overtime or pulling all-nighters! Buy now and get a free gift~"

Bae Joo-hyun's expression switched rapidly, transforming from the sweet idol of a moment ago into a friendly commercial model. She picked up a throw pillow from the coffee table, using it as a ramen bowl, and flashed a professional smile at the empty air: "XX Brand Ramen, chewy and smooth—"

"Gurgle—" Yeri's stomach suddenly let out a loud sound.

Bae Joo-hyun's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly, but she quickly recovered: "Rich broth—"

"Aigoo, I'm so hungry." Kang Seulgi chimed in at the perfect moment, her eyes darting toward the fruit bowl again.

"The best companion for working overtime or pulling all-nighters!" Bae Joo-hyun sped up her speech, trying to finish before more interference occurred.

But Joy had already reacted. She grabbed the magazine, flipped to a food advertisement page, and read aloud: "YY Brand Ramen, even chewier, even richer! Buy one get one free now!"

Their voices overlapped, and Bae Joo-hyun's lines were completely drowned out by Joy's interference.

System judgment: "Bae Joo-hyun Performance #2: Completion 60%, severely interfered with, +36 points. Joy interference successful, +8 points."

Bae Joo-hyun pursed her lips and said nothing, but her eyes became even sharper.

The game entered a white-hot stage. Yeri's lying-flat task became the primary target for everyone's interference. Whenever the thirty-second alert sounded, a chaotic battle to "stop Yeri from lying flat" would play out in the living room:

Wendy would sit directly on the spot Yeri intended to lie down in, with an innocent "someone's sitting here" expression; Joy would pile up throw pillows to create an obstacle, blocking the open space; Kang Seulgi would "accidentally" drop grape skins on Yeri's intended landing spot; even Bae Joo-hyun would "coincidentally" stand up to pour water at a crucial moment, blocking Yeri's path.

Yeri was run ragged. Out of ten lying-flat tasks, she only successfully completed four, and each posture was more awkward than the last. Her points grew slowly, and she stomped her feet in frustration: "You guys are too much!"

Joy's magazine modeling show wasn't any better. Every time she finished setting a pose, someone would "accidentally" bump into the sofa, or walk back and forth in front of her to block the camera, or make weird noises to distract her. The worst time was when Yeri pounced directly onto her, hugging her and shouting: "Unnie, this pose is so pretty! Teach me!"

Joy was pressed so hard she couldn't breathe, and the pose naturally collapsed.

Wendy's triathlon was a disaster scene. Just as she lifted the dumbbells, Yeri would hug her leg and act cute: "Unnie, I'm so tired, let me lean on you~"; as she started high knees, Kang Seulgi would "coincidentally" walk by with a water cup, nearly getting kicked; when she did the yoga cat pose, Joy would lie directly on her back: "Wow, this mat is so comfortable!"

Wendy was both annoyed and amused; she hadn't even finished one set of the triathlon after ten minutes.

Kang Seulgi's snacking task evolved into a psychological battle. She had to approach the fruit without being noticed, but the other four—especially Yeri, who had been interfered with the most—had eyes like searchlights, staring fixedly at her every move.

Seulgi tried various strategies: pretending to go to the bathroom and then circling to the kitchen (the grapes were in the living room, failure); taking action quickly while everyone was watching Bae Joo-hyun (glimpsed by Wendy in her peripheral vision, failure); and even trying to bribe Yeri: "Yeri-ah, Unnie will share a grape with you, can you stop staring at me, please?"

"No!" Yeri said righteously. "That's my source of points!"

Only Bae Joo-hyun's task, after experiencing initial interference, gradually headed in a bizarre direction. Because Bae Joo-hyun had found a way to deal with the interference—she completely immersed herself in her own world.

The third segment of content began to play: a breakup line from a melodramatic romance drama. "I know I shouldn't be like this, but I can't control my heart." Bae Joo-hyun's voice suddenly dropped, becoming low. She stood by the window, her back to the others, her shoulders trembling slightly. "Every time I see you with her, here—" she pressed her chest, "—it feels like I'm being cut by a knife." The living room went quiet for a moment.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Even Yeri, who was busy interfering with Wendy, stopped what she was doing and stared blankly at Bae Joo-hyun's back.

Standing behind the console, Jiang Zhiyu unconsciously looked toward Bae Joo-hyun. His fingers tightened involuntarily, his knuckles turning slightly white as he gripped the walkie-talkie.

Bae Joo-hyun turned around, her eyes actually reddening: "But what I hate even more is that I don't even have the right to hate you. Because from the very beginning, it was just my own unrequited passion."

Her voice choked up and her eyes were shattered; the pain was so real that the other four members forgot this was a mission and forgot to interfere with her.

It wasn't until the system notification sounded: "Bae Joo-hyun Performance #3: Completion 100%, Emotional Investment Excellent, Points +60 (Extra Bonus +10), Total +70."

Only then did everyone snap back to their senses.

"Wow... Unnie's acting just exploded," Seulgi murmured.

But Bae Joo-hyun had already switched back to a calm expression, as if the heartbroken woman from a moment ago wasn't her. She looked at the mission pop-up, waiting for the next segment.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze was fixed on her, a familiar throb of pain echoing in his heart.

Those lines... that pain about unrequited passion and having no right... it was too familiar. So familiar that he almost thought Bae Joo-hyun knew something.

But he quickly shook off the thought. Impossible. Bae Joo-hyun was just Bae Joo-hyun, not Baek Ji-xin. She was just completing a mission, just acting to win.

But why were her eyes so similar?

The fourth segment: an advertisement script, this time for cosmetics.

Bae Joo-hyun switched modes again, picking up a lip balm from the coffee table and smiling at the empty space where the camera would be: "XX Brand lip balm, giving you 24-hour hydration and care—"

*Thud!* Yeri suddenly threw herself onto the floor, starting another forced 'lying flat' session. "Zzz..."

The snoring sounds overlapped with the advertisement lines.

But Bae Joo-hyun didn't bat an eye, even raising her volume: "—Whether in a dry air-conditioned room or in the cold outdoors, it keeps your lips soft and moisturized!"

Her voice was clear and steady, completely drowning out Yeri's snoring.

Fifth segment: the chorus of TWICE's 'TT'.

Bae Joo-hyun made the 'TT' hand gesture by the corners of her eyes and swayed gently to the rhythm. Her movements were standard and her expressions were perfect, even carrying that unique energy characteristic of TWICE.

This time, even Joy couldn't help but clap: "Unnie, your dancing is so on point!"

But just as the applause started, Yeri's 'lying flat' time ended. The first thing she did upon getting up was pounce on Bae Joo-hyun: "Unnie, teach me!"

Bae Joo-hyun was hugged by Yeri, interrupting her movements. But she didn't push Yeri away; instead, she pulled Yeri into the dance, and the two of them made the 'TT' sign together.

System judgment: "Bae Joo-hyun Performance #5: Completion 85%, Interfered with but cleverly resolved, Points +51."

Seven minutes into the game, the situation was becoming clear.

Bae Joo-hyun was leading by a wide margin.

Her immersive acting method made her nearly immune to most interferences. No matter how chaotic the surroundings, once she entered a role, she completely blocked out the outside world. More terrifyingly, she began to actively utilize the interferences.

When Yeri snored next to her, she used the snoring as background sound effects for a 'sleepless night monologue'; when Joy struck poses in front of her, she treated Joy as a conversation partner for a 'best friends' heart-to-heart' scene; even when she caught Seulgi sneaking grapes, she could improvise a domestic comedy about 'catching a little sister stealing food.'

Her points were skyrocketing, already breaking 500.

The other four were starting to get anxious.

"No, at this rate, Unnie is going to win!" Yeri shouted.

"Then what do we do?" Joy asked breathlessly; she had just been 'accidentally' knocked over by Wendy, failing another pose.

Wendy put down the dumbbells and wiped her sweat: "Combined interference."

The four exchanged looks, instantly reaching a consensus.

The final battle began.

In the eighth minute, Bae Joo-hyun's new mission popped up: a high-difficulty mixed segment—first a sad line from a film or drama, followed by a seamless transition into a dance snippet of a fast-paced K-pop song.

Bae Joo-hyun took a deep breath, preparing to start.

But this time, all four of them moved at once.

Yeri lay down directly at Bae Joo-hyun's feet and started snoring—not because a mission triggered it, but because she was doing it on purpose.

Joy stood in front of Bae Joo-hyun, opening a magazine to block her view.

Wendy started doing high knees next to Bae Joo-hyun, her movements exaggerated and creating a rushing wind sound.

Seulgi, meanwhile, held a plate of grapes and waved it in front of Bae Joo-hyun's eyes: "Unnie, want a grape? They're very sweet~"

She was besieged on all sides.

Bae Joo-hyun's movements paused.

She looked at the chaotic scene before her, at her four younger sisters' seemingly rowdy but actually well-coordinated teamwork, and suddenly laughed.

It was a smile Jiang Zhiyu had never seen before—not her usual faint, polite smile, nor her world-enchanting stage smile, but the smile of a game fanatic that carried a hint of wildness, excitement, and a sense of 'now this is interesting.'

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, under everyone's surprised gazes, she began her performance.

The sad line: "I thought time could heal everything, but it turns out some wounds only fester with time."

Her voice was low and raspy, carrying a genuine sense of pain. But at the same time, her body began to sway gently to the rhythm of Yeri's snoring—not because she was distracted, but because she had turned the snoring into a sorrowful metronome.

Then, the fast-paced music started.

Bae Joo-hyun switched instantly. She pushed away the magazine Joy was holding in front of her—not with a crude shove, but with a dance spin. The magazine spun once in her hand before she precisely tossed it back onto the sofa.

She matched the rhythm of Wendy's high knees and began to dance. Every step landed exactly on the sound of Wendy's feet hitting the floor, as if the two were dancing together.

She even pinched a grape from the plate in Seulgi's hand, popped it into her mouth during a dance interval, and then winked at Seulgi.

She turned all the interferences into part of the performance.

The living room fell silent, leaving only the sound of the music, Bae Joo-hyun's singing, and the footsteps of her dance.

The four younger sisters watched her blankly, forgetting to continue their interference.

Jiang Zhiyu, behind the console, was also stunned. He watched the woman dancing amidst the chaos, turning every obstacle into a stage prop, and his heart pounded wildly.

That wasn't Baek Ji-xin.

Baek Ji-xin wouldn't have such a wild look in her eyes, wouldn't have such an all-controlling aura, wouldn't have such... dominance, turning the whole world into her own playground.

This was Bae Joo-hyun. Just Bae Joo-hyun.

But why did he feel that this version of her was even more impossible to look away from?

As the last bit of music ended, Bae Joo-hyun finished with a beautiful pose. She was breathing slightly hard, fine sweat beads on her forehead, but her eyes were as bright as stars.

The system judgment sound was delayed by three seconds, as if the AI also needed time to digest the performance just now:

"Bae Joo-hyun Performance #10: Completion 100%, Emotional Investment 100%, Creative Integration 100%, Comprehensive Rating: S+. Points +150 (Extra Bonus +90)."

"The ten-minute countdown has ended!"

The countdown on the main screen hit zero, and the leaderboard was finalized:

Bae Joo-hyun: 842 points

Wendy: 312 points

Joy: 285 points

Seulgi: 270 points

Yeri: 205 points

Bae Joo-hyun won by an overwhelming margin.

A silence fell over the living room. The four younger sisters looked at each other, finally sighed in unison, and then began to clap together.

"Unnie won," Yeri said weakly. "It's well-deserved."

"Terrifying," Joy shook her head. "To be able to complete a performance under those conditions..."

"I'm convinced," Wendy collapsed on the floor. "I'm exhausted."

Seulgi, meanwhile, scooted over to Bae Joo-hyun's side with a grin: "Unnie, was that last grape sweet?"

Bae Joo-hyun steadied her breathing and regained her usual cool expression, but the light of excitement from earlier still lingered in her eyes. She looked at Jiang Zhiyu behind the console.

Jiang Zhiyu walked over with a complex expression. He looked at Bae Joo-hyun, wanting to say something, but ultimately just cleared his throat: "Congratulations to Irene-xi for winning first place in the individual battle. So..."

He paused, trying to make his voice sound professional and calm: "What reward would you like to redeem?"

Bae Joo-hyun looked at him, the corner of her mouth curving into a very faint arc.

That smile was calm, yet it carried a hint of pride that said 'See that?' and a craftiness that said 'You've fallen into my hands!'

"Naturally," she spoke slowly, her voice clear, "a One-day Voucher for PD Jiang, and one wish."

Jiang Zhiyu's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Of course," Bae Joo-hyun added, her tone thick with a 'you're dead' vibe, "as for what the wish is... I haven't decided yet."

She deliberately dragged out the last note, watching the change in Jiang Zhiyu's expression.

Jiang Zhiyu was silent for two seconds, then gave a bitter smile and spread his hands: "Alright, I accept my loss. Redemption successful."

He turned to the other four: "What about the rest of you? Just so we're clear, big prizes like Lemm, songs, or Disney aren't available for redemption yet; you'll have to wait for the follow-up..."

"Wait," Bae Joo-hyun interrupted him.

Jiang Zhiyu turned to look at her.

Bae Joo-hyun looked him straight in the eye and asked, "My one-day Jiang Zhiyu use voucher—what is the expiration date?"

Her question was calm, but the air in the living room suddenly grew tense.

Yeri, Joy, Wendy, and Seulgi all held their breath, looking from Bae Joo-hyun to Jiang Zhiyu and back again.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at Bae Joo-hyun. Her eyes were very bright, reflecting his image. He knew what she was waiting for, and he knew that what he said next would decide everything.

He suddenly smiled.

It wasn't a bitter smile or a professional fake smile, but a kind of... relieved and expectant smile.

"Indefinite," he said.

The single word echoed clearly in the living room.

Bae Joo-hyun's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, like a satisfied cat.

"Good," she said.

Yeri gasped, covering her mouth.

Joy and Wendy exchanged a 'wow' look.

Seulgi looked bewildered: "What does indefinite mean? Does it mean Unnie can use it whenever she wants?"

"It means," Bae Joo-hyun turned around, patted Seulgi's head, and then looked at the other members, "from now on, PD Jiang belongs to me."

She said it casually, but there was an unquestionable sense of possession in her eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't argue; he just stood there, letting her announce her ownership.

His heart was still racing from the performance earlier, and it throbbed at the word 'indefinite'.

He knew this was dangerous. Giving the initiative to Bae Joo-hyun was equivalent to placing himself in the palm of her hand.

But strangely, he wasn't afraid.

On the contrary, he was somewhat expectant.

Expectant of how she would 'use' him, and expectant of where this game, which started with revenge, would ultimately lead.

"Alright," Jiang Zhiyu clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back. "That's it for today's filming. Good work, everyone."

The staff began packing up the equipment, and the members relaxed, collapsing onto the sofa and the rug.

Only Bae Joo-hyun remained standing. She looked at Jiang Zhiyu and silently mouthed:

"Just you wait."

Jiang Zhiyu understood. He smiled and mouthed back:

"I'm waiting."

Outside the window, night had fallen. The lights of the Han River flickered on one by one—another night at TG Entertainment filled with surprises and possibilities.

And this 'collapsed daily life' had only just begun.

The real game was just beginning.