362: Chapter 338 Full Update Today (5)

Seoul, LOEN Entertainment Building, Top Floor Lounge.

Lee Tima stealthily packed her small backpack, stuffing it with snacks and drinks IU had prepared for her, along with a box labeled "Jeju Island Specialty for Zhiyu Oppa" (she suspected IU was just using her as an excuse to send things and mark her territory). Holding her breath like a little hamster preparing for a prison break, she nudged toward the door inch by inch.

Behind her, on the soft sofa, IU was elegantly flipping through a fashion magazine, seemingly oblivious to her movements.

Lee Tima's hand touched the doorknob.

She twisted it.

The door opened a crack.

Victory was in sight!

“Tima-ya—”

That soft, sweet voice, which sounded like a demon's whisper at this moment, came from behind her.

Lee Tima froze, slowly turning her head with the most obedient smile she could muster: “Unnie~ what's wrong~?”

IU raised her eyes from the magazine. Those beautiful eyes shimmered with a light Lee Tima had become increasingly familiar with lately—dangerous, calculating, and with a hint of sickly tenderness.

“When you go to Jeju Island, keep a good eye on Zhiyu Oppa.” IU closed the magazine and stood up, walking over in her high heels, each step carrying an invisible pressure. “Especially those female idols—even though (G)I-DLE doesn't have many schedules right now, who knows? Young girls are always prone to having improper thoughts about outstanding men.”

She reached out and gently stroked Lee Tima's hair, her movements as tender as if she were petting a beloved pet.

“You are my sister, and I've watched you grow up.” Her voice grew even softer, like a whisper. “So you should know what should be said and what shouldn't, right?”

Lee Tima nodded vigorously, nearly snapping her neck.

IU smiled with satisfaction. The smile was as bright as a flower, yet it sent a chill down Lee Tima's spine.

“Go on then.” IU took a step back and waved goodbye. “Give my regards to President Jiang. Tell him that I... miss him very much in Seoul.”

She spoke the last few words with lingering affection and deep meaning.

Lee Tima practically fled the lounge.

The moment the door closed behind her, she heard IU's voice drifting through the crack, sinister and filled with a certain determined certainty:

“Oh, my foolish little sister~ Going to Jeju Island to pick up your sister is a very legitimate reason~ Zhiyu wouldn't refuse the request of a cute woman who dotes on her sister, right~ Jie jie jie~”

Lee Tima's footsteps faltered; she felt completely unwell.

A cute woman who dotes on her sister?!

That's IU Unnie?! What the hell was that laugh just now?! Jie jie jie?! That's a standard villain boss laugh, okay?!

She bolted, not daring to look back.

Behind her, through the frosted glass door, she could vaguely see IU's silhouette standing by the window, elegantly turning around. The sunlight outlined her perfect profile—the scene was as beautiful as an idol drama.

But Lee Tima knew that behind that beautiful silhouette hid a person who was frantically darkening, possessed a morbid possessiveness over her Oppa, and might launch her to North Korea as cannon fodder at any moment...

A devilish beauty.

“Help me—!!!”

Lee Tima screamed in her heart. With wind at her heels, she rushed out of the LOEN building, dove into a pre-booked car, and shouted at the driver:

“Gimpo Airport! Quick, quick, quick! A demon is chasing me!”

The bewildered driver stepped on the gas.

The car sped toward the airport. Lee Tima slumped in the back seat, watching the Seoul streetscape recede rapidly outside the window, finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

Freedom!

Even if it was only temporary.

Even if she still had to face IU Unnie, whose darkening progress bar was almost full, when she returned.

But at least for now—

She pulled out her phone, opened the chat window with Kim Taeyeon, and typed rapidly:

[Tima wants to live today too]: Unnie!!! I finally escaped!!! I'm going to Jeju Island right now!!! Don't worry!!! I'll definitely find out everything for you!!! How is that hickey!!! Does Oppa miss you!!! Has he mentioned you!!! Wait for my news!!!

After sending that, she opened the chat window with Jiang Zhiyu, her expression instantly switching from "obedient sister" to "angry little sister":

[Tima wants to live today too]: Jiang Zhiyu!!! Do you have any idea what I've been through in Seoul!!! IU Unnie is almost using me as a human surveillance camera!!! You actually don't care about me at all!!! Not even a single message!!! Do you not want your sister anymore now that you have a new variety show!!! I'm going to Jeju Island right now to settle the score with you!!!

Sent.

Then she thought for a moment and added another one:

[Tima wants to live today too]: By the way, IU Unnie told me to pass on a message: she misses you very much. (Attached a "meaningful" emoji)

After sending it, she turned off her phone, closed her eyes, and began rehearsing her "interrogation" lines for when she saw Jiang Zhiyu.

—

The lounge fell into silence.

IU remained in that elegant sitting posture, the smile on her face slowly, slowly undergoing a subtle change.

The smile was still there.

But the curve had changed.

From gentle, it turned into something... meaningful, cold, and a curve that made one's back tingle.

She reached out, picked up the phone on the coffee table, and swiped the screen. On it was a candid photo of Jiang Zhiyu taken a few days ago on Jeju Island—someone from the TG Logistics Department had "accidentally" posted it in the work group, and she had her Manager help her get it. In the photo, Jiang Zhiyu stood by the sea, his profile gilded by the setting sun. His features were clean, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised, making him look gentle and harmless.

IU stared at the photo, her fingers gently stroking the outline of the person on the screen. Her voice was low and soft, as if talking to herself:

“Oh, my foolish little sister...”

The curve of her lips deepened a few more degrees, but her eyes grew even darker.

“Going to Jeju Island to pick up your sister—that is indeed a very legitimate reason.”

She paused and chuckled. The laughter echoed in the empty lounge with a strange sense of resonance.

“Zhiyu... surely he won't refuse the request of a 'cute woman who dotes on her sister'?”

She put down her phone, crossed her legs, and her toes swayed gently.

“After all...”

“I am IU.”

“Who could refuse me?”

“Jie jie jie...”

The laughter sounded very much like a villain boss who had the upper hand.

—

The sea breeze on Jeju Island was still gentle, but the members of (G)I-DLE were about to be driven crazy by the torment.

Yesterday's double blow of green peppers and bitter melon had caused their psychological shadow to reach a historical peak. Although Jeon Soyeon braved the second round's cold bitter melon challenge (Master Huang Huifeng had used all his skills, using honey, lemon juice, and plum powder in turns to barely suppress the bitterness to a "tolerable" level), she still lost by a narrow margin to the mechanical Mr. Krabs of the Bikini Bottom army—that guy couldn't even taste bitterness!

Two rounds, two losses.

If they lost the third round, they would have to "make Krabby Patties for Bikini Bottom for a lifetime."

Although everyone knew it was just for variety show effect, the sense of frustration was real.

It was currently halftime. The six of them sat in small groups under sun umbrellas by the beach, with chilled drinks and fruit platters provided by the logistics department in front of them. Jeon Soyeon was still reviewing yesterday's mistakes, Kim Minnie had entered a zen-like state of zoning out, Xu Suizhen quietly watched the sea, and Ye Shuhua was clutching her phone, scrolling through social media.

As for Cho Mi Yeon—

Her gaze was uncontrollably drifting, time and time again, toward the shaded area behind the cottage.

There, Jiang Zhiyu sat on a folding chair, his side facing them. He held a document in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed as if he were thinking about some thorny problem. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face and outlining that overly exquisite profile—the high bridge of his nose, his slightly pursed thin lips, and his occasionally flickering eyelashes.

He wore a simple white shirt with sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms. The hem of his shirt was loosely tucked into his waistband; his waist was lean yet didn't lack a sense of power.

Abstinent. Elite. Aloof.

A string of adjectives popped into Cho Mi Yeon's mind.

Like those wealthy CEOs written about in novels—gentle and polite on the surface, but actually keeping everyone at a distance. You could never guess what he was thinking, yet you just couldn't help but want to look.

As if possessed, she pulled out her phone and quietly aimed the camera in that direction.

Click.

She had turned the shutter sound to silent, but she still shrunk her neck guiltily. Looking down at the screen—the angle was perfect, the lighting was excellent, and that profile was enough to make any visual-lover's heart skip a beat.

“Hehe...” She couldn't help but let out a satisfied, silly laugh.

“Mi Yeon Unnie.”

A voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

Cho Mi Yeon was so startled she almost threw her phone. She turned her head sharply and met a face smiling meaningfully—Song Yuqi had leaned in next to her at some point, her head almost touching her shoulder, and her eyes were fixed on her phone screen.

“What... what are you doing!” Cho Mi Yeon hurriedly hid her phone behind her back, her face flushing all the way to her ears. “I didn't, I didn't!”

“Didn't what?” Song Yuqi's smile grew even brighter. “Didn't secretly take a photo of Jiang Zhiyu?”

“I didn't!!!”

“It's okay.” Song Yuqi patted her shoulder, her tone as relaxed as if they were chatting about the weather. “We all took photos.”

Cho Mi Yeon: “...Huh?”

She turned to look at her other teammates.

Ye Shuhua held up her phone. On the screen was a profile shot of Jiang Zhiyu from another angle, with filters already adjusted.

Kim Minnie lazily waved her phone: “I have some too. Although I just took them randomly while I was half-asleep, the results were surprisingly good.”

Jeon Soyeon looked down at her phone expressionlessly, her finger sliding across the screen. Although she didn't speak, the obvious action of flipping through her photo album gave her away.

Even Xu Suizhen slightly turned her face away when Cho Mi Yeon looked over, pretending to fix her hair—but the direction of the cartoon charm on her phone case was clearly aimed toward Jiang Zhiyu.

Cho Mi Yeon: “...” So I'm not the only one.

Song Yuqi leaned into her ear and whispered in a tone used for sharing secrets: “And do you know? Lee Tima is here.”

“Lee Tima?” Cho Mi Yeon was stunned. “That... TG's third-in-command? IU's younger sister?”

“Yes.” Song Yuqi nodded, her eyes sparkling with gossip. “She's talking to Jiang Zhiyu right now. What do you think they're talking about?”

Cho Mi Yeon followed her gaze.

Sure enough, a small figure had appeared beside Jiang Zhiyu.

—

“Oppa—!!!”

Lee Tima's shout pierced the tranquility of the beach.

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers paused. He looked up to see a small figure rushing toward him at a hundred-meter sprint speed, her face wearing a complex expression—joy? Anger? Grievance? It seemed to be all of them.

Before he could speak, Lee Tima had rushed in front of him, hands on her hips, looking up at him with those big eyes, and began her accusation:

“Do you know what I've been through in Seoul?! Do you know how scary IU Unnie has been lately?! She looks at me with that gaze every day! Asking me about TG! Asking about you! Asking if I'm hiding anything from her! I don't even dare to turn off my phone when I sleep, for fear of missing her messages! I don't even dare to eat more snacks, you know! Because she says 'it's bad for your health' and then looks at me with that smile while she puts the snacks away! Do you know how scary that smile is! It's the kind of 'if you don't put it away, I'll help you put it away and put you away along with it' smile! I—”

“Stop.”

Jiang Zhiyu raised his hand, interrupting her.

Lee Tima panted, glaring at him, waiting for an explanation.

Jiang Zhiyu sized her up and nodded: “Your complexion looks good, you've gotten a bit rounder.”

“!!!” Lee Tima almost exploded on the spot. “That's swelling! Swelling!!!”

The corners of Jiang Zhiyu's mouth turned up slightly, a curve that made Lee Tima even angrier—this was ridicule! Absolute ridicule!

“Alright,” he tilted his head to the side, “Sit down and have something to drink.”

Lee Tima followed his gaze. On the small table next to them sat a chilled drink, with water droplets condensing on the glass, looking very refreshing.

She swallowed her saliva but still kept a straight face: “I'm not drinking! I'm here to demand justice!”

“Lemon honey water with two slices of mint.” Jiang Zhiyu didn't even look up, continuing to type on his keyboard. “Prepared specifically for you.”

Lee Tima's persistence lasted less than three seconds. She grabbed the cup and took a large gulp. The ice-cold liquid, with its fresh sweet and sour taste, slid down her throat, soothing her body and mind which were parched by the sea breeze and anger.

“...It's okay.” She muttered softly, sitting down on the folding chair.

Jiang Zhiyu ignored her and continued working.

After Lee Tima finished half the cup, her anger had mostly dissipated, and she finally began to take in her surroundings.

On the beach, those girls—the members of (G)I-DLE—were sitting under sun umbrellas in the rest area, seemingly also on halftime. Their gazes drifted over here from time to time, filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Lee Tima waved to them, showing a standard "TG third-in-command, full-of-affinity social smile."

The girls also responded one after another, some waving, some nodding, and one—Cho Mi Yeon—seemed to be doing something guilty, nearly dropping her phone when Lee Tima waved.

Lee Tima narrowed her eyes.

Something was up.

But her attention was soon drawn to another fact—those girls' gazes didn't seem to be just on her.

They were mostly on the man beside her who was still buried in work.

Oh~

Lee Tima withdrew her gaze and leaned in close to Jiang Zhiyu, lowering her voice:

“Oppa, they're all looking at you.”

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers didn't even pause on the keyboard: “Looking won't make me lose a piece of flesh.”

“They're looking again!”

“Shut up.”

Lee Tima curled her lip. Just as she was about to continue her complaints, she suddenly remembered something. She took her phone out of her pocket and opened the chat window with [Little Softie Kim · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With].

The latest message was sent last night:

[Little Softie Kim · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: Tima-ya, are you really going to Jeju Island? If you see Zhiyu-xi... can you see how he's doing lately? Is work tiring? Is he eating on time? And...

Following that was a "typing..." prompt, which then disappeared. After a long time, another one came:

[Little Softie Kim · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: Never mind, it's nothing. Just help me see if he's in good condition. Stay safe and have fun.

Lee Tima stared at this message, the corners of her mouth slowly rising into a meaningful curve.

She turned her head to look at Jiang Zhiyu and said in that "I have a secret to share" tone, softly:

“Oppa, Taeyeon Unnie asked me to ask you, how is that... that...” she paused deliberately, “hickey on your neck doing?”

“!!!”

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers stopped abruptly on the keyboard.

He slowly turned his head to look at Lee Tima's "innocent" face. His ears turned a shade of light red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Lee. Ti. Ma.” He said one word at a time.

Lee Tima wasn't afraid of him at all. Instead, she leaned in even closer, blinking her large eyes: “Tell me, how is it? Is it gone? Does it still hurt? Taeyeon Unnie is really concerned about this question~”

Jiang Zhiyu took a deep breath, trying to regain his calm expression, but that flush had already spread from his ears to his cheeks.

“Tell her it's gone.” He said stiffly. “It's fine.”

“Oh~ it's gone.” Lee Tima nodded, then pulled out her phone and started typing, “Then I'll tell Taeyeon Unnie that Jiang Zhiyu Oppa said it's gone, but his face turned red, very red, as red as the sunset on Jeju Island—”

“Lee Tima!” Jiang Zhiyu reached out to grab the phone.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Lee Tima dodged agilely, giggling, "Grab it, grab it! If you grab it, I'll delete it!"

The two messed around for a while, but Jiang Zhiyu eventually gave up, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his temples.

Lee Tima put her phone away triumphantly, leaned in, and put on a "serious" expression:

"Oppa, does Taeyeon Unnie... like you?"

Jiang Zhiyu glanced at her. "When did you change professions to become a relationship analyst?"

"I'm just curious." Lee Tima swung her legs. "Look, she cares about you so much, but she's too shy to ask you directly, so she has to go through me. And that night, the way she was—I mean, that 'sucking' action—it's obviously a subconscious sign that she has feelings for you!"

Jiang Zhiyu said nothing, his gaze falling on the distant sea.

Lee Tima observed his expression and continued to probe, "Oppa, what about you? Do you like Taeyeon Unnie?"

"Kids shouldn't ask about these things."

"I'm not a kid! My mental age is older than yours!" Lee Tima protested. "Besides, I'm your sister! It's perfectly normal to care about my brother's love life!"

Jiang Zhiyu was silent for a few seconds before speaking, his voice very soft.

"She... asked you?"

Lee Tima was stunned, then realized he was referring to Kim Taeyeon asking through her.

"Yeah." She nodded. "She didn't dare ask you directly, so she had to come to me. Oppa, do you know why she didn't dare ask you directly?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer.

"Because she's afraid you'd mind what happened that night." Lee Tima said, unusually serious. "She's afraid you'll think she's... weird. She actually cares a lot about what you think of her."

Jiang Zhiyu's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Noona..." he said in a low voice, his tone filled with complex emotions. "She doesn't need to care about that."

Lee Tima tilted her head to look at him. "Then why don't you take the initiative to contact her? It's clear you care about her too."

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer.

Lee Tima waited for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine, I don't understand the adult world." She paused and added, "But Oppa, IU Unnie has been very strange lately too."

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze refocused on her face. "How is she strange?"

"She's always talking to herself, saying things like 'TG is developing well, I'm very satisfied'." Lee Tima mimicked IU's tone, then shuddered. "That tone, that expression, it's like... like she's already treating TG as if it were her own."

Jiang Zhiyu's brows furrowed slightly.

"Also," Lee Tima lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "She asked me about your relationship with Bae Joo-hyun Unnie."

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, and he didn't speak immediately.

"Why would she ask that?"

"How would I know!" Lee Tima spread her hands. "She just asked, and the look in her eyes when she did... Oppa, you didn't see it, it was exactly the same as when she was watching your demonstration at the training ground that day, it was that kind of... that kind of..." She struggled to find the words. "Like the look of someone wanting to devour something."

Jiang Zhiyu was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slowly.

"Got it."

Lee Tima waited, but when no follow-up came, she couldn't help but ask, "That's it? You have nothing to say?"

Jiang Zhiyu glanced at her. "Yes. When you go back this time, observe IU's situation more closely. If there's anything unusual, tell me immediately."

Lee Tima's eyes widened. "Are you making me a spy?!"

"It's perfectly normal for a younger sister to care about an older sister and tell family about any unusual situations, right?" Jiang Zhiyu said with an innocent face.

Lee Tima put her hands on her hips. "IU Unnie and I are like siblings! Sworn sisters!"

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her calmly.

Lee Tima's momentum lasted less than three seconds before she added righteously, "You have to pay more!"

Jiang Zhiyu watched her expression change, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he continued to paint a picture for her, unmoved. "Work hard. In the future, the TG variety department will be handed over to you as department head."

"Variety department head..." Lee Tima's eyes lit up instantly. Scenes began to flash through her mind—

Herself sitting in a luxurious office, with rows of trembling idols in front of her. She would have her legs crossed, fingers tapping lightly on the desk, with a smile that said, "Let's see what kind of mess I can turn you into."

"Change this variety show setting."

"Increase the difficulty of that task."

"What? You say it's too embarrassing? That's perfect, it's meant to be embarrassing."

The idols would be in the palm of her hand, loving and hating her at the same time, wanting to resist but not daring to, and in the end, they could only comply obediently, even thanking her after the show aired for "unearthing their true selves"...

"Hehehe..." Lee Tima let out a series of villainous, silly laughs, feeling as refreshed as if she'd had a full-body spa.

Jiang Zhiyu: "...Wake up."

But soon, she realized, "Wait! Then wouldn't I be a double agent?!"

Jiang Zhiyu spread his hands. "Aren't you already?"

Lee Tima froze.

She stretched out her small hand and began to count on her fingers:

IU Unnie—makes her monitor Jiang Zhiyu and report on his interactions with female idols.

Taeyeon Unnie—makes her relay messages and keep an eye on Jiang Zhiyu's state.

Yoona Unnie—occasionally invites her out for meals, as naturally as treating a younger sister, but every time she "casually" asks if Jiang Zhiyu is busy or tired lately.

Red Velvet's Yeri Unnie and the others (except Joohyun Unnie)—often probe for news in the group chat, asking what kind of relationship Jiang Zhiyu has with their leader, especially regarding the topic of "Jiang Zhiyu's ex-girlfriend really looks a lot like Joohyun Unnie."

aespa's Minjeong Unnie—even mentioned during her last livestream that "President Jiang said he would write a song for me."

Ji-min Unnie—though mostly it's about caring for herself, and also asking "What food or items does Jiang Zhiyu hate the most?"—is it for revenge because of the "Pig-headed Thief" incident? Or does she want to understand him better?

As Lee Tima counted, her expression became increasingly strange.

She looked up and stared at Jiang Zhiyu with a new, complex gaze.

"Oppa."

"Hm?"

"You are simply..."

She paused to organize her thoughts:

"A female idol charm killer, right?!"

Jiang Zhiyu almost choked on his own saliva.

"What kind of nonsense is that." He frowned.

"I'm serious, really!" Lee Tima continued counting on her fingers. "Look, SM's—Taeyeon Unnie, Yoona Unnie, the Red Velvet Unnies, the whole aespa group; JYP's—the ITZY Unnies, TWICE's Nayeon Unnie; our company's—no need to mention them; and IU Unnie... Oppa, do you have a collecting hobby? Are you planning to collect all the female idol groups in the Korean entertainment industry?"

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her expressionlessly and spoke slowly. "Have you been reading some strange web novels again lately?"

Lee Tima guiltily looked away. "N-no, I haven't..."

"That 'charm killer' description, isn't it from 'I Am an Incubus in the Korean Entertainment Industry'?"

"!!!" Lee Tima was shocked. "How do you know I'm reading that?!"

Jiang Zhiyu sneered. "You used my tablet to read novels last time and didn't log out of your account."

Lee Tima: "..."

Crap.

Jiang Zhiyu withdrew his gaze and looked back at the computer screen, his tone returning to calm. "Don't overthink it. It's all just work relationships."

Lee Tima pouted and muttered softly, "Can work relationships make someone 'suck' your neck? Can work relationships make IU Unnie look at you with that kind of gaze? Can work relationships make so many people secretly inquire about you?"

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers paused.

"Anyway..." He finally just said, "Do what you're supposed to do. Don't worry about the rest."

Lee Tima "hmphed" but didn't press further.

She leaned back in her chair, drinking the remaining lemonade, her gaze falling on the (G)I-DLE members in the distance.

They were still looking over here.

Cho Mi Yeon's gaze was particularly frequent, and every time she was caught, she would quickly lower her head, pretending to look at her phone.

Lee Tima narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Oppa, Cho Mi Yeon Unnie is taking pictures of you."

Jiang Zhiyu didn't even lift his head. "Whatever."

"She's taken several already."

"Oh."

"She seems... to be blushing."

Jiang Zhiyu finally lifted his eyes and looked in the direction of Lee Tima's gaze.

Cho Mi Yeon was holding up her phone, the camera lens... indeed pointed this way. Swept by Jiang Zhiyu's gaze, her hand shook, and the phone almost fell to the ground. She then turned around in a panic, pretending to talk to Ye Shuhua, but her bright red earlobes betrayed her.

Jiang Zhiyu withdrew his gaze and continued working.

Lee Tima clicked her tongue twice from the side. "Oppa, you really are..."

"Shut up."

"I'm not done yet!"

"Shut up, pay raise."

"...Okay."

In the distance, Cho Mi Yeon quietly raised her phone again, aiming at the tree.

The shutter sound was perfectly masked by the sound of the waves.

In her photo album, there was one more profile shot of Jiang Zhiyu looking down at his documents.

She looked at the photo and let out a soft "hehe."

Song Yuqi next to her leaned over, took a look, showed an "I get it" expression, and patted her shoulder.

"Unnie, you'll get used to it."

Cho Mi Yeon put away her phone, blushing, and muttered, "I, I just think he looks good..."

"Yeah, yeah, we all think so."

Sunlight spilled onto the beach, and the waves washed over the reefs again and again.

The afternoon on Jeju Island was calm and beautiful.

And beneath this calm, countless undercurrents were surging—

Lee Tima's phone screen lit up; Kim Taeyeon's reply had arrived.

She looked down at it, the smile on her lips deepening.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to sense something and looked up at her.

Lee Tima immediately put away her phone and put on an innocent expression. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Zhiyu stared at her for two seconds and said slowly, "You better not be stirring up trouble."

"How could I!" Lee Tima said with a look of sincerity. "I'm your dearest younger sister, how could I stir up trouble?"

Jiang Zhiyu: "..."

He always felt something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Forget it, work is more important.

He lowered his head again and continued looking at the schedule.

Lee Tima quietly opened her phone and looked at the long string of messages sent by Kim Taeyeon, her smile becoming brighter and brighter.

[Kim Soft · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: He really blushed???

[Kim Soft · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: It's not because I asked about that... that mark, right?

[Kim Soft · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: Did he say anything???

[Kim Soft · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: Tima, don't tell him it was me who asked!!!

[Kim Soft · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: ...

[Kim Soft · The Noona You Absolutely Can't Mess With]: Does he... really miss me?

Lee Tima looked at the last message and laughed out loud.

Taeyeon Unnie, you're just too cute.

She started typing a reply, her fingers flying.

Sunlight spilled onto her smiling face, and that smile was full of the joy of "fearing the world wouldn't be chaotic enough."

Lee Tima skipped and hopped toward the beach, the smile on her face as bright as the Jeju Island sunshine.

(G)I-DLE Unnies——!!!" She waved and shouted.

The six girls turned their heads simultaneously, and seeing it was her, their expressions varied:

Song Yuqi waved back enthusiastically.

Cho Mi Yeon showed a gentle smile.

Ye Shuhua nodded slightly.

Kim Minnie looked her over curiously.

Jeon Soyeon stood up politely.

Xu Suizhen remained quiet, but her gaze fell on her.

"I'm Lee Tima!" She ran up to them, slightly out of breath. "Jiang Zhiyu Oppa's younger sister! And also TG's—uh—the one who does everything!"

Song Yuqi laughed. "We know you! The famous Lee Tima! IU's god-sister! The former secret weapon of JYP! A genius creative girl! An acting genius!"

Lee Tima scratched her head embarrassedly. "It's not that impressive..."

"And," Ye Shuhua added expressionlessly, "legend has it you have a super good relationship with the Girls Generation seniors, and you're also good friends with aespa."

Lee Tima's smile froze for a moment.

Wait, how do they know so much?

"Because you're too famous in the industry." Cho Mi Yeon explained gently, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Everyone says you're TG's 'social business card,' and you can get along with anyone."

Lee Tima: "..." Have I become this famous already?

Song Yuqi leaned in, lowering her voice, but her eyes were full of gossipy excitement. "Tima, let me ask you a question—your Oppa, President Jiang Zhiyu, is he the kind of person who... um... is exceptionally good at attracting female idols?"

Lee Tima blinked. "What do you mean?"

"It's just," Song Yuqi organized her thoughts. "It feels like no matter who it is, as long as they spend time with him, they develop feelings for him? Look, IU senior works closely with him, Taeyeon senior has a very good relationship with him, Yoona senior worked on a movie with him, and there are the Red Velvet seniors, the aespa seniors..."

She didn't continue, but that look clearly said: You know what I mean.

Lee Tima fell silent.

She thought of the people she had counted just now—IU, Taeyeon, Yoona, Joohyun, Yeri, Minjeong, Ji-min...

Then she spoke slowly:

"Have you ever heard of a term?"

"What?"

"Incubus."

The six girls froze simultaneously.

"It's that kind of..." Lee Tima gestured. "Doesn't need to do anything actively, just attracts others to come close, and then before you know it, you're... um..."

She didn't finish, but everyone understood the meaning.

A brief silence fell on the beach.

Then Song Yuqi slapped her thigh:

"Yes! That's it! The K-pop Incubus!"

Cho Mi Yeon covered her mouth and laughed. "This description... doesn't seem wrong, does it?"

Ye Shuhua said expressionlessly, "So is he an incubus or an ascetic elite president?"

Kim Minnie whispered, "Can't he be both?"

Jeon Soyeon coughed lightly, trying to steer the topic back on track. "Um... Tima, you came to Jeju Island this time to..."

"Oh!" Lee Tima snapped back to reality. "I'm going to be your variety show writer for the next few days!"

The six of them: "..."

A writer?!

That writer who designs those torturous segments?!

"You?!" Song Yuqi's eyes widened. "Will you also torture us with green peppers and bitter melon like your Oppa?!"

Lee Tima flashed a bright smile. Under the sun, she looked innocent and harmless:

"How could I~ I'm very kind~"

The six of them looked at her, and a foreboding feeling rose in their hearts simultaneously.

That smile...

That tone...

That look...

Why is it so similar to Jiang Zhiyu?!

It's over.

It's completely over.

One Jiang Zhiyu is already hard enough to deal with, and now another "Little Jiang Zhiyu"?!

Song Yuqi looked silently at Jiang Zhiyu under the shade of the tree in the distance, then looked at Lee Tima, who was smiling brightly in front of her. Only one thought was in her mind:

What kind of devils are this whole family!

And in the distance, Jiang Zhiyu seemed to sense something and looked up in this direction.

He locked eyes with Lee Tima.

She made an "OK" gesture at him, then mouthed:

"Leave it to me."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded slightly, withdrew his gaze, and continued working.

On the beach, the sea breeze blew gently, and the sunlight was just right.