367: Chapter 432 Update Progress Today (2)

The sudden visit from the legendary seniors of Girls Generation was like a drop of water into a boiling deep fryer, causing the chaotic filming set to fall silent for a split second.

Just for a second.

Then, the Bikini Bottom bullies continued to wail, Ye Shuhua continued to be chased by Squidward, and Kim Minnie continued to parade around holding Patrick Star's underpants like a flag. Only the six girls of (G)I-DLE, upon seeing those two familiar faces, briefly snapped out of their "naughty kid mode," showing a flicker—and only a flicker—of rationality.

"Senior Taeyeon! Senior Yoona!" Song Yuqi was the first to rush over, her face smeared with some mysterious green liquid from who-knows-where, but her smile was as bright as if she were seeing family. "Why are you guys here?!"

Kim Taeyeon looked at the junior before her, whose hair was messy and clothes bore suspicious handprints yet was still bursting with energy, and suddenly felt a bit dazed.

This is the person who's been "tortured" by Jiang Zhiyu for several days?

Why does she look... even more spirited than when she arrived?

"We're here to visit the set," Im Yoona replied with a smile, her gaze passing over Song Yuqi to land on the Karate Squirrel struggling to get off a glue trap not far away, her lips twitching slightly. "You guys... seem to be having fun?"

"We are!" Song Yuqi nodded vigorously, then leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Especially after we started fighting back."

Kim Taeyeon raised an eyebrow. "Fighting back?"

Song Yuqi winked, flashing a meaningful smile, but before she could explain, she was pulled away by Cho Mi Yeon, who had rushed over.

"Unnies, please rest first! We're going to clean up!"

The six girls dispersed like a gust of wind, starting to direct the staff to clear the scene, organize props, and comfort the Bikini Bottom bullies who were questioning their life choices. Muscle SpongeBob finally climbed up from the sand, spat out the octopus tentacle in his mouth, and was led away by staff with a look of utter despair. Mechanical Mr. Krabs gave up his struggle with the coins, his claws having ground out sparks, and was finally carried away by two burly men. Karate Sandy Cheeks finally broke free from the glue trap, but she was covered in glue, sticking with every step like a freshly made piece of pulled-sugar squirrel. Squidward was exhausted from the chase and slumped in a chair, panting. Ye Shuhua finally stopped, looked back, and expressionlessly flashed a peace sign.

Patrick Star snatched his pants back and was in a standoff with Kim Minnie, while Zhenzhen was still shouting, "I'm telling my dad!" her voice already hoarse.

The chaos gradually subsided.

The sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the beach and painting a gentle, warm hue over this absurd day.

That evening, long tables were set up in the courtyard of the guesthouse, decorated with warm yellow string lights, and a simple yet lively "celebration banquet" (or rather, a "consolation banquet") began.

Jiang Zhiyu stood at the head of the table, holding a glass of wine—tonight, he broke his rule and wasn't drinking sweet soy milk, likely feeling that such an occasion required a sense of ceremony.

"First of all," his voice wasn't loud, but everyone present fell silent, "thank you to the staff for your hard work. Everyone has been very tired these past few days, especially the Logistics Department. Thank you for your efforts."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the staff sitting on both sides of the long table, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

"Secondly, thank you to the members of (G)I-DLE for your hard work." His eyes landed on the six girls, his lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "Although today's filming was a bit... beyond expectations, the results were very good. Your performance was even better than I anticipated."

Song Yuqi whispered, "Of course, we even started fighting back..."

Beside her, Jeon Soyeon kicked her under the table.

Jiang Zhiyu pretended not to hear and continued, "Finally, a special thanks to our two seniors—" He turned toward Kim Taeyeon and Im Yoona sitting in the corner. "Senior Yoona and Senior Kim Taeyeon of Girls Generation, who made a special trip to Jeju Island to visit the set today. Everyone, please welcome them."

Applause broke out.

Kim Taeyeon nodded with a polite smile, but her eyes couldn't help but drift toward Jiang Zhiyu.

He wore a light gray knit sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms. The warm yellow light hit his face, making his features look much softer, a stark contrast to his polite and distant attitude from earlier that afternoon.

But she noticed that after he finished speaking, he silently retreated to the side, picked up his chopsticks to take a couple of bites, and then—

Put them down.

He didn't eat anymore.

He just sat there quietly, his gaze fixed on some indistinct point in the distance, as if he were thinking about something, yet also as if he were thinking of nothing at all.

Kim Taeyeon frowned.

Why does he... look like he's in a bad mood?

Clearly, (G)I-DLE's filming went smoothly, clearly the set visit was lively, and clearly everyone was quite happy—

But he wasn't happy.

She could feel it.

It was a subtle intuition born from their limited but profound interactions. The man who would gently call her "Noona," who would bring her white porridge in the early morning, and who would customize a special Lemm for her, was currently enveloped in a faint, inexplicable loneliness.

She wanted to go over and ask him what was wrong.

But she had no reason to.

Under what pretext? In what capacity? A senior? A partner? Or... the "drunkard" who had left a hickey on his neck?

She bit her lip, forcing herself to look away and pretending to focus on the grilled meat in front of her.

A few minutes later, when she looked up again, the seat was empty.

Jiang Zhiyu had left at some unknown point.

Kim Taeyeon stared at the empty seat for a few seconds, that inexplicable surge of emotion churning even harder in her heart.

He left.

Where did he go?

Why didn't he stay with everyone?

Is it... because he doesn't want to see someone?

She bit her lip and then suddenly stood up.

"I'm going to the restroom."

She whispered to Im Yoona beside her and hurriedly left her seat without waiting for a response.

Im Yoona watched her back, her chopsticks pausing for a moment before she went back to picking up food as if nothing had happened.

Only, those chopsticks stayed in the dish just a little bit longer than usual.

Kim Taeyeon bypassed the lively courtyard, walked through a short corridor, and reached the stairs leading to the second-floor balcony.

She didn't know why she was coming here.

Her intuition just told her that he might be in that spot.

That afternoon, she had seen him on that balcony, holding sweet soy milk and watching them from a distance.

Now, he was probably there too.

She tiptoed up the stairs, her heart beating faster and faster, so fast she found it ridiculous—isn't it just meeting a man? What's there to be nervous about? You're the leader of Girls Generation! You've been debuted for over a decade! What kind of scene haven't you seen!

But when she reached the balcony door and poked her head out, seeing that slender figure leaning against the railing with his back to the moonlight, her heart rate shot into another dimension.

He really was here.

The moonlight spilled over him, giving him a silvery-white halo. He lowered his head slightly, the profile of his face appearing exceptionally soft yet exceptionally distant in the night. The sea breeze blew through his hair and carried that faint scent from him—it was slightly different from what she smelled in the afternoon.

The previous full fruity scent was gradually fading, replaced by a crisper, deeper woody aroma, like cedar in the deep mountains or a bamboo forest after rain.

Kim Taeyeon took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

Then, she realized a serious problem—

She was just clinging to the doorframe, glaring at him with a fierce look.

Wait, why was she glaring at him?

She didn't know either.

Probably because that polite and distant "Noona" from the afternoon had left her fuming.

Saying he missed her, saying he blushed, and then this is what happens when they meet? This is it?!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and her glare became even fiercer.

Then, Jiang Zhiyu suddenly turned his head.

Their eyes met.

Kim Taeyeon was startled, shrinking back and nearly tumbling down the stairs.

She scrambled to grab the doorframe to steady herself, her face already burning like a sunset cloud.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, I've been caught—

Just as she was thinking of running away, she saw Jiang Zhiyu freeze for a moment, and then—

He smiled.

It wasn't the polite smile from the afternoon; it was a genuine, warm smile. His lips curled into a slight arc, his eyes reflecting the moonlight, and he instantly transformed from a "distant elite CEO" into a "gentle boy next door."

He waved her over.

With just that one gesture, Kim Taeyeon's escape plan completely collapsed.

She should have run.

This time, this place, this atmosphere—it was too dangerous.

But on second thought—

Why should I run?

He was the one who ignored me first!

He was the one acting all cold first!

Why should I be the one to run?!

She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, stepped out from behind the door, and walked with a "do-or-die" pace to the center of the balcony, sitting in the chair opposite Jiang Zhiyu.

After sitting down, she realized a serious problem—

She had sat down.

Now what?

What should she say?

She looked up at him.

Under the moonlight, his face was somewhat hazy, as if veiled by a thin mist. But it was precisely this haziness that made him look even more... indescribable.

To call him beautiful felt too frivolous.

To call him handsome felt too cliché.

She stared at him for several seconds, suddenly feeling her face burning up again.

But she just couldn't look away.

Jiang Zhiyu was also looking at her.

His gaze wasn't polite and distant like in the afternoon, but... soft.

Like the moonlight itself.

Kim Taeyeon opened her mouth, about to speak—

"Noona."

Jiang Zhiyu suddenly spoke.

His voice was very soft, somewhat scattered by the sea breeze, but every word fell clearly into her ears.

"Why did you message Tima?"

Kim Taeyeon was stunned.

What?

Her brain worked rapidly, trying to understand the meaning behind this question.

Why message Tima? Isn't that normal? Tima is like a sister to her, caring about a sister—

Wait.

He was asking... why she messaged Tima instead of messaging him?

She suddenly felt a bit guilty.

Because she really had sent Tima many messages, indirectly asking about his situation. Asking if he was busy, asking if he had eaten, asking about the... on his neck.

But she hadn't sent a single one of those messages to him.

"I... I was checking on Tima!" she answered defensively, but her tone sounded guilty no matter how she tried. "Tima is like my sister, after all."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded.

In the moonlight, she couldn't see his expression clearly, but she felt as though something in his eyes had sunk.

He was silent for a few seconds before changing the subject:

"How have you been lately, Noona? Besides the regular Saturday variety show and some scheduled events, do you just stay at home?"

Kim Taeyeon nodded.

"Yeah... mostly at home."

But in her heart, she was screaming:

When I'm at home, I'm thinking about you! Thinking about messaging you! Thinking about what exactly happened that night! Thinking about whether you hate me now!

But she couldn't say a single word of that.

She could only nod obediently, like a child who had done something wrong.

Jiang Zhiyu raised his hand and scratched his eyebrow—a small habit he had when he was nervous, as she had noticed before.

"Noona," he spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of testing, a bit of caution, "about that night..."

Kim Taeyeon's heart skipped a beat.

Here it comes.

He's finally going to talk about it.

Jiang Zhiyu paused, as if weighing his words.

"Actually, there's no need to take it to heart."

Kim Taeyeon froze.

What?

"After all..." Jiang Zhiyu continued softly, "it's normal for someone who's drunk to do something strange."

Kim Taeyeon's expression froze bit by bit.

Normal?

He said it's normal?

She glared at him, the warmth of "shyness" in her eyes rapidly switching to "annoyance."

What does he mean?

What does he mean by that?

That night, she had given him a hickey, asked "Why is it so sweet?" in front of everyone, and was carried upstairs by him in a princess carry—all of that, in his eyes, was just "something strange a drunk person does"?

It's "normal"?

It's "nothing to take to heart"?

Is it something he doesn't care about at all?

The more she thought about it, the angrier and more aggrieved she felt.

She thought he cared.

She thought he would also remember that night.

She thought... at the very least, he would have a feeling that was a little bit different from "normal."

And the result?

This is it?

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to sense the change in her mood and looked up at her. In the moonlight, her eyes were startlingly bright, like a fire was burning in them.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something—

"Noona, you..."

He wanted to ask her why she hadn't messaged him for so long.

He wanted to ask her what she really thought of him.

He wanted to ask her if that "Why is it so sweet?" from that night was just drunk talk, or...

But the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back down.

He didn't know how to ask.

He was afraid that by asking, he would break something.

He was afraid that by asking, the answer he got wouldn't be the one he wanted.

He was afraid that by asking, he wouldn't even be able to maintain this awkward and subtle relationship they had now.

After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly stood up.

"Get some rest early."

He said, his voice as calm as if nothing had happened.

Then he turned and walked toward the stairs.

Kim Taeyeon sat there, watching his departing back, completely dazed.

He left?

He just left like that?

He called me over, said a few inexplicable things, and then just left?!

She suddenly stood up, wanting to chase after him, wanting to grab his sleeve, wanting to ask clearly what on earth he was thinking—

But her feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, unable to move a single step.

Jiang Zhiyu reached the stairs and suddenly stopped.

He didn't look back.

He just stood there, his back to her, silent for a few seconds.

The moonlight shone from the side, outlining his tall figure and his slightly bowed head.

Then he took a step, went down the stairs, and disappeared into the darkness.

The balcony became quiet once more.

Only the sea breeze remained, along with the faint sounds of the lively crowd in the distance.

Kim Taeyeon stood there, staring in the direction he had disappeared, her eyes suddenly stinging.

She didn't know what she had done wrong.

Nor did she know what he was really thinking.

All she knew was—

She really wanted to chase after him.

Yet she was so afraid to.

Afraid that if she did, the answer she'd get wouldn't be the one she wanted.

Afraid that those thoughts hidden in the depths of her heart, which she didn't even dare to face herself, would never be able to be taken back once spoken.

The sea breeze blew through her hair, carrying a slight, cool dampness.

She stood there for a long, long time.

Until Lee Tima's voice came from downstairs:

"Taeyeon Unnie—are you up there—we're leaving—!"

Only then did she suddenly snap back to reality.

Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her eyes and tried to make her expression look a bit more normal.

Then she turned, went downstairs, and returned to the lively crowd.

As if nothing had ever happened.

Only that night, as she lay in the bed at the guesthouse staring at the ceiling, she couldn't fall asleep for a long, long time.

The same scene replayed in her mind over and over again—

Under the moonlight, he stood there, waving to her.

He smiled.

That smile was like the moonlight itself.

Gentle, cold, and out of reach.