421: Chapter 474 The Old Woman (8)

(Currently updating previous chapters; writing whatever for now. I'll spend five days at the end of the month revising.)

With the rules explained, the atmosphere in the private room instantly switched from a "warm dinner" to a "variety show set." Yeri was the first to reach out, her target clear—the chopstick in Jiang Zhiyu's hand.

"I'll spin it!" Her voice was as crisp as a freshly picked apple, her hand already grasping one end of the chopstick.

Jiang Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, and his fingers instinctively tightened. Yeri gave it a tug but couldn't pull it away. She looked up at him, her eyes full of the questioning look of "What are you doing?"

"You know magic, so we can't give it to you!" she said righteously. "What if you tamper with the chopstick? What if you want to spin it to whoever you want? Wouldn't we be played like puppets in your hands?"

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her face, which was practically screaming "Aren't I smart?" He fell silent for a second and then laughed. In that smile, there was a hint of helplessness, a hint of resignation, and a hint of "Damn it, Yeri, you really are smart" teeth-gritting frustration.

He indeed intended to be the conductor until the very end.

The conductor could see everyone's notes, control the pace of the game, guide the direction of the conversation, and shift attention away from themselves without exposing anything. It was the safest position. The safest. But this mischievous girl Yeri had seen through his plan at a glance.

"Fine." He let go, and the chopstick was snatched away by Yeri. His tone was as calm as saying "The weather is nice today," but anyone who knew him could hear how much unwillingness was hidden beneath that calm.

Yeri held the chopstick triumphantly, her gaze scanning everyone's faces as she began to calculate in her heart.

Bae Joo-hyun? No. Immediate pass. The protagonist can't be the conductor; the conductor needs a God's-eye view, while the protagonist has to be in the thick of it.

Jiang Zhiyu? Also no. Immediate pass. The other protagonist definitely can't be the conductor.

Wendy? Her gaze lingered on Wendy's face for a second before quickly moving on. Wendy had notoriously bad luck; if she let her spin the chopstick, who knows what strange person it would point to. Pass.

Joy? No reason. Immediate pass. Yeri couldn't explain it herself, she just didn't want Joy to be the conductor. Maybe it was because her "I've been watching the drama for years" smile earlier was too punchable, maybe because she always felt Joy would cause trouble in the game, or maybe just because she wanted to play herself. Regardless, pass.

Lee Tima? Her gaze landed on Lee Tima. Tima was holding a glass of juice, drinking slowly, her expression as well-behaved as a little rabbit. But Yeri knew that while this girl looked obedient, she was actually a little maniac. When she was leaking info in the group chat earlier, that tone, that expression, that "I know a lot but I'm just not telling" smile—if she were the conductor, she would definitely pull off something unexpected. The risk was too high. Pass.

So, the only one left was—

Yeri's gaze landed on Kang Seulgi.

Kang Seulgi was sitting there, still holding a piece of unfinished meat, looking at her with a blank expression. That look was like a little bear who had no idea what was happening.

Yeri smiled. That smile was as bright as the spring sun.

"Seulgi Unnie~" she drawled, handing the chopstick to Kang Seulgi. "You do it."

Kang Seulgi was stunned. She looked down at the chopstick, then up at Yeri, then down at the chopstick again. Her expression shifted from blankness to confusion, and from confusion to nervousness.

"Me?" Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty. "I'm spinning it?"

"Yes!" Yeri stuffed the chopstick into her hand. "You're the conductor!"

Kang Seulgi held the chopstick, her whole body freezing up. She looked at the chopstick as if it were a bomb about to explode. Everyone's eyes in the private room were on her—Yeri's expectation, Joy's teasing, Wendy's encouragement, Tima's curiosity, Joohyun's calm, and Jiang Zhiyu's—

Jiang Zhiyu was looking at her with a hint of a smile on his lips.

That smile made Kang Seulgi even more nervous.

She took a deep breath, then another, and pursed her lips. Her expression was as serious as a staff member pressing the final button at a rocket launch center. She slowly raised the chopstick, her movements as solemn as if she were holding a holy sword.

"I'm going to start spinning now." Her voice was very soft, yet it carried a gravity that suggested this was a matter of great importance.

Watching her nervous state, Joy couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Unnie, it's not like this is the horn that ends the world. Just hurry up!"

Kang Seulgi glared at her, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance: "Ya! Arasso! So annoying!"

She gave it a forceful spin.

The chopstick spun on the table, making a faint whirring sound. Everyone's eyes were glued to it—Yeri's expectation, Joy's scrutiny, Wendy's calm, Tima's curiosity, Joohyun's indifference, and Jiang Zhiyu's—

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze was on the chopstick. But out of the corner of his eye, he kept glancing toward the seat by the window. Bae Joo-hyun was looking at the chopstick with a faint expression, unreadable. Her fingers gently rubbed the rim of her glass, her movements slow, as if she were counting the rotations of the chopstick.

The chopstick spun slower and slower, slower and slower, until finally—it stopped tremulously, its tip pointing at Joy.

The private room fell silent for a second.

Joy looked at the chopstick and raised an eyebrow. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, carrying a hint of pride, a hint of composure, and a hint of "as expected" realization.

"It seems," she picked up her wine glass and took a leisurely sip, "everyone will have to guess what I wrote."

Her tone was as casual as saying "The weather is nice today," but anyone could hear the confidence in it—she had written a good task. A task that would make the game very interesting. A task that would give the person who got it a real "surprise."

Yeri looked at her smug face and cursed inwardly: "Bad luck."

Joy had sharp ears and turned to look at Yeri: "What did you say?"

Yeri's smile instantly became radiant, as if nothing had happened: "Unnie's luck is so good~"

Joy stared at her for two seconds, then huffed and looked away.

Yeri breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, but the smile on her face remained.

Kang Seulgi began to distribute the slips of paper. She first tore the paper from her notebook into small pieces, gave one to each person, and also handed out a pen.

"Give them to me after you've finished writing." Her voice had returned to calm, but if one listened closely, a hint of nervousness could still be heard—because she was the conductor, she had to check everyone's slips, and she had to hold everyone's secrets without anyone else knowing.

Yeri was the first to finish. She folded the slip and handed it to Kang Seulgi, her smile as mysterious as if she were hiding a huge secret. Joy was second; she wrote slowly, smiling as she wrote, a smile that made Yeri's skin crawl. Wendy wrote very seriously, checking it once after she finished, then nodding in satisfaction. Lee Tima wrote even slower; she chewed on the pen cap, thinking for a long time before putting pen to paper. Bae Joo-hyun wrote neither fast nor slow, her expression unchanged, making it impossible to tell what she wrote. Jiang Zhiyu wrote the fastest; he almost started writing the moment he got the pen and folded it as soon as he was done, his movements fluid as if he had long since decided what to write.

Kang Seulgi gathered all the slips, held them in her hand, and took a deep breath.

Then, she opened the first one.

Her expression didn't change.

The second one, neither.

The third one, neither.

The fourth one, neither.

The fifth one, neither.

The sixth one—

Kang Seulgi opened the sixth slip.

Her expression instantly lost all control.

It wasn't the kind of surprise where an eyebrow slightly twitches, nor the kind of smile where the corners of the mouth turn up, but a genuine, complete, and uncontrollable loss of composure. Her eyes went wide and round, her mouth hung slightly open, and her whole body seemed frozen by something.

Then she looked up, eyes wide, and stared directly at Jiang Zhiyu.

In that gaze, there was shock, disbelief, and a hint of "How could you dare write such a thing?" incredulity.

The atmosphere in the private room changed instantly.

Yeri's eyes lit up.

Joy's eyebrows shot up.

Wendy put down her teacup.

Lee Tima sat up straight.

Even Bae Joo-hyun looked up slightly.

Everyone's curiosity instantly skyrocketed.

Shibal!

What did these two write?!

Kang Seulgi was still looking at Jiang Zhiyu, her gaze now holding an extra layer—scrutiny. She was re-evaluating this man as if she were meeting him for the first time.

Yeri couldn't take it: "Unnie! What are you looking at! Say something!"

Kang Seulgi didn't answer. She lowered her head and opened the seventh slip.

And then, her expression lost control once again.

This time was even more severe.

Her mouth opened wider, her eyes grew even rounder, and she looked like she had been struck by lightning. She slowly raised her head, her gaze moving from Jiang Zhiyu to another person.

Bae Joo-hyun.

In the private room, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's eyes were on Bae Joo-hyun. But she remained with her head lowered, looking at the cup of cold tea in her hand, her expression unchanged. As if all of this had nothing to do with her.

Yeri's inner self was screaming.

Shibal!

What exactly was written!

Can someone please tell me!

Joy's inner self was also screaming.

That expression on Kang Seulgi—it wasn't ordinary shock, it was the kind of shock from "I saw something I shouldn't have." What on earth was written on that slip?

Wendy's inner self was screaming.

She had never seen Kang Seulgi make that kind of expression. Never. That Kang Seulgi, who usually stayed calm no matter what happened, had actually lost control twice. Twice!

Lee Tima's inner self was screaming.

She knew Jiang Zhiyu liked Bae Joo-hyun and knew he would write some "strange" things. But that expression on Kang Seulgi—it was even more exaggerated than she had imagined. What did he actually write?

Kang Seulgi finally withdrew her gaze. She lowered her head and put the slips away, her movements somewhat stiff. Then she looked up at everyone, her voice a bit dry: "O-okay... all the slips have been collected..."

Yeri stared at her: "Unnie, what was with that expression just now?"

Kang Seulgi was stunned: "What expression?"

"That one—" Yeri imitated her expression, eyes wide, mouth agape, "That expression!"

Kang Seulgi looked at Yeri's distorted face, fell silent for a second, and then laughed. That smile was very forced, very guilty, very "I know but I'm not telling."

"It's nothing. Just... I didn't expect what everyone wrote to be so interesting."

Yeri narrowed her eyes.

Interesting?

What kind of "interesting" could make you make a face like that?

Joy also narrowed her eyes.

Kang Seulgi was lying. That expression of hers clearly meant she had seen something that shattered her world view. Something related to Jiang Zhiyu, related to Bae Joo-hyun. Related to both of them.

Wendy also narrowed her eyes.

Seulgi, oh Seulgi, you usually can't lie. Once you lie, the whole world knows.

Kang Seulgi felt uneasy under their stares and quickly lowered her head, pretending to organize the slips.

"Alright, alright, the game starts! Let me check the content of everyone's slips first..."

Her voice grew smaller and smaller, finally disappearing into the air.

But the curiosity in the private room had been ignited to the extreme by her two expressions just now.

—

The game continued, but the atmosphere in the room had been turned upside down by Kang Seulgi's two moments of lost composure.

Kang Seulgi kept her head down, pretending to organize the slips, but she was actually building up her mental defenses. Her fingers were trembling slightly, not from nervousness, but because what she had just seen was still lingering in her mind. That slip Jiang Zhiyu wrote, and the one Bae Joo-hyun wrote—she repeated to herself several times, "I'm the conductor, I have to be calm, I can't let it show," but every time she thought of those two lines of text, her heart rate would quicken.

Shibal, what is going on with these two?

She took a deep breath, then another, and looked up. Everyone's gazes fell on her in unison, filled with curiosity, expectation, urging, and a hint of "Say it, just say it" urgency.

Kang Seulgi cleared her throat and spoke. Her voice was slightly softer than usual, carrying a hint of caution, as if she were testing something, or perhaps avoiding something: "That... four seasons."

Everyone was stunned.

Yeri blinked: "Four seasons?"

Joy raised an eyebrow: "Seasons?"

Wendy tilted her head: "Are you saying... everyone's favorite season?"

Kang Seulgi nodded, relieved: "Yes, it's seasons." She didn't look at anyone, keeping her head down, her gaze on the slips as if they held a secret only she could see. But she could feel everyone's gaze shift from her to someone else.

Joy.

Yeri was the first to turn her head, staring at Joy with scrutiny in her eyes: "Unnie, what did you write? Seasons? Rain? Snow? Or what?"

Joy held her wine glass, took a slow sip, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, her smile as mysterious as the Mona Lisa. She didn't answer immediately, instead enjoying this feeling of being the only one in the know for a moment, then put down her glass and said slowly, "The rainy season, I suppose."

The private room went silent for a second.

Yeri's eyes widened: "Rain? Wow! Isn't that the same as saying nothing!"

Joy shrugged, looking innocent: "You asked, I answered. If you're not satisfied with the answer, then what do you want me to say?"

Wendy put down her teacup and began to analyze seriously: "Rainy season... according to Joy's style, it should be something more romantic. It won't be just rain; it definitely relates to something." She paused and looked at Joy, "Who does it relate to?"

Joy's smile deepened, but she didn't answer.

Yeri's eyes darted around, and she suddenly thought of something, her voice carrying a hint of excitement: "Rain... are you talking about a drama plot? Like that scene where the male and female leads meet on a rainy day?"

Joy glanced at her without speaking, but the look clearly said: Keep guessing.

Wendy shook her head: "No. Joy isn't the type to write a drama plot into a game. She leans more toward—real experiences." She gave Joy a meaningful look, "Or, real feelings."

Joy still didn't answer, but the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. That tiny change was caught by Wendy, by Yeri, and by Kang Seulgi.

Kang Seulgi made a mental note: Real feelings.

At that moment, a voice rang out leisurely. The voice was crisp, with a hint of innocence, a hint of naivety, and a hint of a chilling pureness: "Rainy days are perfect for stew! It must mean having another serving!"

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Everyone's gaze turned to Lee Tima.

She was holding a glass of juice, her expression as serious as if she were presenting an academic paper, but the slyness in her eyes betrayed her.

Jiang Zhiyu reached out and lightly tapped her on the head.

The force wasn't heavy, but the meaning was clear—you brat, you definitely want to stir the pot again.

"An interesting clue." He withdrew his hand, his tone returning to calm. "Rain in the four seasons doesn't necessarily mean it's actually raining."

Yeri pressed, "Then what is it?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer. He simply picked up his water glass and took a slow sip.

The movement was deliberate, as if he were stalling for time, or perhaps contemplating something.

But only he knew he was waiting. Waiting for someone to speak.

The private room went quiet for a few seconds. Then, that voice rang out.

It wasn't loud, very calm, calm as if saying "The weather is nice today," but beneath that calmness, something that made one's heart race was hidden.

"Taking a walk in the rain with Crush?"

Everyone froze. Then—a burst of raucous laughter erupted.

Yeri was the first to laugh out loud, slapping the table, tears almost coming out: "Unnie! How did you think of that!"

Wendy was laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up, nearly knocking over the teacup in her hand: "Irene! What kind of wild talk is this!"

Kang Seulgi laughed until she slumped onto the table, her shoulders shaking, completely unable to stop.

Joy's face turned from white to red, and from red to purple.

She glared at Bae Joo-hyun, her voice full of embarrassment and anger: "Unnie???"

Bae Joo-hyun looked at her, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

In that smile, there was a hint of slyness, a hint of smugness, and a hint of "I won" satisfaction.

She didn't speak, just picked up her teacup and took a slow sip.

Lee Tima watched this scene, blinked, and then asked a question that made the whole room quiet down again: "Who is Crush? Is it a dog?"

Jiang Zhiyu slapped her on the head. This time, the force was a bit heavier than before.

"Crush is Senior Joy's boyfriend, a rapper."

Lee Tima rubbed the spot where she was hit, then looked at Joy, revealing an apologetic smile.

That smile was very sincere, sincere as if saying "I really don't know," but the light in her eyes clearly said "I know, but I just like watching your reactions."

"Oh~ sorry," she said.

Everyone else sighed in their hearts simultaneously: Absolutely no sincerity!

But Yeri, looking at Lee Tima's expression, suddenly realized something.

This brat didn't *not* know; she was doing it on purpose.

That "Is it a dog?" wasn't ignorance; it was variety show effect.

She was creating topics, guiding the rhythm, and making this game more interesting.

Yeri remembered what Jiang Zhiyu said earlier— "Tima and I are both variety show PDs."

She only now truly understood the meaning of that sentence.

Lee Tima was indeed a variety show genius.

If they were actually on a filming set, that "Who is Crush? Is it a dog?" would definitely go viral.

Yeri silently gave Lee Tima a point in her heart, then pulled her attention back to the game.

"So," she looked at Joy, her eyes full of gossipy light, "is the content related to Crush? For example—mimicking Crush's memes? Or singing a Crush song?"

Wendy nodded in agreement: "It's possible. Joy usually wouldn't mention Crush in public, but if it's a game slip, writing a task related to Crush isn't impossible."

Kang Seulgi also joined the discussion: "Or—sending a 'Thinking of you' text to Crush? That kind of task would be very exciting."

The three of them went back and forth, getting more and more outrageous.

Joy sat there, the expression on her face changing from blushing to helplessness, and from helplessness to resentment.

She spoke up, her voice carrying a hint of "Can you please let me go" pleading: "It's not Crush—"

But her voice was drowned out by the wave of gossip.

Yeri continued: "I think it's mimicking Crush's memes! Didn't Joy say before that Crush's expressions are very rich?"

Wendy continued: "Singing a Crush song is also possible. Joy has sung it on variety shows before, and the response was very good."

Kang Seulgi continued: "The text message one is the most exciting. If it's that task, the person who gets the slip is doomed."

Joy took a deep breath, then another deep breath.

She looked at Bae Joo-hyun, her eyes full of "Save me" distress signals.

But Bae Joo-hyun just held her teacup, drinking slowly, the corners of her mouth carrying a faint, elusive smile, with absolutely no intention of helping.

Joy looked at Jiang Zhiyu again.

Jiang Zhiyu was looking down at the water glass in front of him, his expression so calm that no emotion could be detected, and he also had no intention of helping.

Joy despaired.

Just then, Yeri suddenly shouted in self-abandonment: "I guess it's a date with Crush in the room on a rainy day!"

The private room went quiet. Deathly quiet.

Then—everyone's gaze fell on Yeri in unison.

In those gazes, there was shock, disbelief, and a hint of "How dare you say such things."

"Yah! Kim Yeri!" Joy was the first to react, her voice changing pitch, "What are you saying!"

Wendy covered her mouth, her eyes wide round.

Kang Seulgi opened her mouth wide, her whole body frozen there.

Bae Joo-hyun's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, then—she laughed.

That laughter was bold, like an ajumma's laugh, completely unlike her usual image.

Lee Tima sat there, blinked, then tilted her head, and asked in a pure, innocent tone that made one unable to bear suspecting her: "What does a date in the room mean? Doing naughty things?"

The private room went quiet again.

Jiang Zhiyu said while holding back laughter: "Yah! Yeri! You're corrupting the child!"

Yeri panicked, her voice rising an octave: "It was clearly her own idea!"

Lee Tima blinked, looking innocent: "Think of what? I was just asking what a date in the room means. Is it watching a movie? Or cooking together?"

Yeri looked at that innocent face, feeling so hateful inside.

This brat, she was acting too well.

Bae Joo-hyun put down her teacup and spoke slowly: "If you hadn't said it, how would Tima have associated it?"

Yeri widened her eyes: "Unnie!"

Bae Joo-hyun looked at her, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

In that smile, there was a hint of "You brought this on yourself" schadenfreude.

Yeri opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found she couldn't say anything.

Because Bae Joo-hyun was right—if she hadn't said it, how would Lee Tima have associated it with "naughty things"?

She said it, so Lee Tima asked.

Logically, there was no problem.

But Yeri just felt something was wrong.

She looked at Lee Tima.

Lee Tima was holding a glass of juice, drinking slowly, her expression as well-behaved as a little rabbit.

But the light in those eyes clearly said: I won.

Yeri cursed in her heart: Shit, this brat.

Kang Seulgi and Wendy were already laughing like crazy.

Kang Seulgi laughed until she slumped onto the table, her shoulders shaking, completely unable to stop.

Wendy laughed until she couldn't straighten up, finally knocking over the teacup in her hand, tea spilling all over the table, but she didn't notice at all.

Joy sat there, the expression on her face changing from blushing to helplessness, from helplessness to resentment, and from resentment to—a faint, world-weary sense of death.

"Does no one care about my life anymore?" Her voice was very light, as light as a wisp of smoke, drifting in the air of the private room, with no one responding.

Yeri was laughing, Wendy was laughing, Kang Seulgi was laughing, Bae Joo-hyun was laughing, Lee Tima was laughing—even Jiang Zhiyu, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.

Joy sighed, picked up her wine glass, and drank it in one gulp.

Forget it. Nobody cared anyway.

Jiang Zhiyu held his water glass, drinking slowly.

The movement was very slow, so slow it was as if he were savoring something precious.

But his gaze crossed over the rim of the glass and landed on that spot by the window.

Bae Joo-hyun was laughing.

That smile was different from the slyness when teasing Joy just now, and different from the liveliness when playing around with the members earlier.

It was a genuine, heartfelt smile without any defenses.

Her eyes curved into crescents, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and her whole person seemed to be lit up by something.

Under the warm yellow light of the private room, she radiated a faint halo.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at that smile, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

In that emotion, there was heartbeat, joy, a hint of admiration that "She looks so beautiful when she smiles," and also a hint of—darkness.

Her smile isn't because of me.

She won't smile so happily because of me.

Why? Why can others make her smile, but I can't?

Why can she smile at Yeri, at Wendy, at Joy, at Seulgi, at Lee Tima—but only to me, she is always cold, polite, and distant?

Why?

His fingers tightened slightly, his grip on the water glass getting stronger and stronger.

The force was so great that his knuckles turned white, so great that it felt like he was about to crush the glass.

Why? He asked again in his heart.

No answer.

Only that dark emotion spreading in his heart.

Just then—Bae Joo-hyun turned her head.

The movement was very natural, natural as if it were inadvertent, unconscious, just looking around casually.

Her gaze fell on Jiang Zhiyu.

Her smile was still there.

Radiant, bright, graceful.

Like spring sunshine, like summer flowers blooming, like autumn moonlight, like that cup of hot tea by the fireplace in winter.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze paused.

The whole world seemed to stand still.

That smile, that face, those eyes—like a bullet, striking his heart.

Bang. His heart skipped a beat.

Bang, bang. Heartbeat accelerating.

Bang, bang, bang, bang—faster and faster, fast enough that he couldn't even count it himself.

He looked away.

The movement was very fast, fast as if he were escaping something, or as if he were afraid of something.

He lowered his head, staring at the water glass in front of him, as if that glass of water held some earth-shattering secret.

But his earlobes—blood red.

Red like rubies, like they were about to drip blood.

Bae Joo-hyun saw it.

Her gaze lingered on his earlobes for a second, then moved away.

She didn't smile, didn't show any expression, just picked up her water glass and took a slow sip.

The movement was very slow, so slow it was as if she were savoring something precious.

The water glass blocked her face, her arm covering half of her face, making it impossible for everyone to see her expression.

But from the reflection in the water, she could see herself.

Those eyes were reflected on the water surface.

The look in her eyes—quite playful.

As if confirming something, or verifying something.

There was also a hint of natural understanding, a hint of "as expected" certainty, a hint of "I knew it all along" composure.

And a hint of—superiority.

A kind of condescending, overlooking all living beings, like a queen surveying her subjects, sense of superiority.

Bae Joo-hyun looked at those eyes, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

Very good.

She laughed softly in her heart.

What President of TG? What Midas touch? What genius?

In the end—nothing more than this.

Just by bestowing a glance upon you, you've become like this.

Earlobes red like they're about to drip blood, gaze dodging like a frightened little deer, whole body frozen there, even forgetting to breathe.

Jiang Zhiyu, you're not all that great either.

She put down the water glass, the movement very light, light as if nothing had happened.

Her expression returned to that faint, calm state where no emotion could be seen.

But her inner self was surveying everything that had just happened with a lazy, composed, and nonchalant attitude.

Kim Taeyeon? Im Yoona? That group of kids from aespa?

Her gaze scanned the private room, landed on Lee Tima, then on Yeri, and then withdrew.

Although she knew Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Taeyeon had an unusual relationship, although she knew he was collaborating on a movie with Im Yoona, although she knew he was as close as family with those kids from aespa—but so what?

He looked at her once and became like that, which means she is absolutely in a class of her own in his heart.

Those people, do they even deserve to compare with me?

She sneered in her heart.

Since elementary school until now, she had known one thing—she didn't need to do anything.

No need to strive, no need to work hard, no need to give her all like others.

All opportunities and honors would automatically come to her.

Why? Because she is Bae Joo-hyun.

Because she is the God-tier visual.

Because she possesses that face, those eyes, that mouth, that contour.

Those things are her capital.

Without needing to put in any effort, she could get things others couldn't get even by working desperately.

And, no one would scold her.

Because she is the God-tier visual.

Because she is beautiful, so it's taken for granted.

She remembered many years ago, when she first entered SM.

At that time, she was still a little girl who didn't understand anything, discovered by a scout on the street, and muddled her way into the company.

She couldn't sing, couldn't dance, couldn't act, couldn't do anything.

But the company didn't give up on her, because of her face.

They said: "It's okay, you can learn."

She learned, learned very slowly, made very little progress, but the company didn't give up on her, because of her face.

They said: "It's okay, there's still plenty of time."

Later she debuted, the leader of Red Velvet, the God-tier visual of the fourth-generation girl groups.

She wasn't the best singer in the group, wasn't the best dancer, but she was the most popular.

Because of her face.

Those years, she got used to it.

Used to getting everything without effort, used to having the best without paying a price, used to standing on high, overlooking those struggling desperately.

She knew this way of thinking was wrong, knew this sense of superiority was dangerous, knew that one day she might fall because of this.

But—so what?

She is Bae Joo-hyun.

She is the God-tier visual.

She deserves the best.

And now, the best is right in front of her.

TG Entertainment, the hottest company in the Korean entertainment industry, achieved industry-leading status in less than two years since its establishment.

Jiang Zhiyu, President of TG, the genius planner known as the "Midas touch," the partner countless idols dream of collaborating with.

This person is sitting right across from her, and because he looked at her, his earlobes are red like they're about to drip blood.

She picked up the water glass and took another sip.

The water had already gone cold, but she didn't care.

She was thinking, this game is getting more and more interesting.