434: Chapter 487 Supplement (1)

The next day at noon, the sunlight was just right. Kim Taeyeon sat on the living room sofa, holding a cup of tea that had already gone cold, her eyes constantly staring at the time on her phone screen.

Eleven fifty-eight.

Two minutes left.

She felt like she was probably going crazy. It was just a delivery, yet she had been restless since waking up this morning, changing her outfit three times, doing her makeup twice, and tidying the living room inside and out. Now she sat on the sofa, her back ramrod straight, like a cat with its ears perked up waiting for its owner to come home.

The moment the doorbell rang, Kim Taeyeon sprang up from the sofa. She walked quickly to the door, took a deep breath, and then opened it.

Outside the door stood a courier in a gray uniform, holding a massive package. The package was visually estimated to be about fifty centimeters in diameter, carefully wrapped in light blue wrapping paper, with a striking label pasted right in the center—

TG Entertainment Logistics Department Direct Delivery

Kim Taeyeon was stunned for a moment. She had signed for many deliveries, but she had never seen one with these specifications—it wasn't a courier company's tracking number, nor a common cardboard box, but an exclusive package sent directly by the TG Entertainment Logistics Department. The label was gold-stamped, shimmering with fine light in the sun, and underneath was a line of small text: "This package is specially authorized by the TG Entertainment President's Office."

The courier smiled and handed over the signing tablet: "Please sign for this."

Kim Taeyeon signed her name and took the package. It was a bit heavier than she had imagined, but not overly so. Holding the huge light blue package, she walked into the house and closed the door with her foot.

She placed the package on the coffee table, and it took up the entire surface. Kim Taeyeon circled it twice, something stirring in her heart. The wrapping paper was a light blue with a fine shimmer, like the surface of the sea under the sun, and it was tied with a white silk ribbon in an exquisite bow.

She carefully unwrapped the paper, revealing a transparent box inside.

Then her breath hitched for a moment.

Inside the transparent box lay a Slime.

It was light blue, a light blue like the clear sea under the midsummer sun—the exact color Jiang Zhiyu had described in a gentle tone she had never heard before while sitting in her living room that morning. At the time, she thought it was just a casual remark, that a "gift exclusive to Kim Taeyeon" was nothing more than polite talk.

But now, it was lying right in front of her.

The color was even more beautiful than she had imagined; a shade lighter would be too pale, a shade darker too heavy—a blue that sat right between the sky and the sea. Under the light, the Slime's jelly-like body shimmered with a slight luster, like a meticulously polished gemstone.

Kim Taeyeon crouched down and carefully opened the transparent lid. A faint, fresh scent wafted out—not perfume, nor any artificial fragrance, but more like a familiar scent from deep in her memory—the pleasant herbal fragrance on him that night by the Han River.

She reached out and gently poked the Slime's body.

It was soft and bouncy, with a slight coolness.

"Gurgle, gurgle—"

A tiny sound came from inside the Slime's body, like a sigh of contentment. The sound was soft and squishy, like the purring of some small animal, making Kim Taeyeon's heart melt into a puddle.

She couldn't help but poke it again.

"Gurgle, gurgle—"

The corners of Kim Taeyeon's mouth curled up. She crouched in front of the coffee table like a child, poking the light blue Slime over and over. With every poke, it made that soft, squishy sound and its body trembled slightly, as if it were laughing.

She poked it for quite a while before remembering there were other things in the box.

At the bottom of the transparent box lay an exquisite little booklet. The cover was printed with gold-stamped characters—"5th Generation Exclusive Companion Slime User Manual." The manual wasn't thick, only a dozen pages or so, but every page was printed in color with both illustrations and text.

Kim Taeyeon sat cross-legged on the rug and opened the first page.

[Activation Steps]: Step one, press your palm against the Slime's body and hold for five seconds until a text prompt appears on the surface.

Kim Taeyeon pressed her palm against the Slime. Under her palm, the Slime's body was slightly cool, like a piece of warm jade. Her palm wasn't much larger than the Slime's body—it was about the size of two fists, just enough to be held in her hands.

Three seconds, four seconds, five seconds.

The surface of the Slime began to change. First, a faint halo slowly spread out from where her palm made contact, rippling like a stone cast into water. Then, text emerged within the halo—

First was the English "Hello," then the Chinese " Hello," and then the Korean "안녕하세요." The three languages appeared alternately, as if someone were writing them stroke by stroke by hand. The font was a rounded, cute handwriting style that looked as though it were slowly growing out from inside the Slime's body.

Looking at the slowly emerging words, Kim Taeyeon couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. She remembered that morning when Jiang Zhiyu had also said "Hello" to her in various languages—no, wait, that's not what he said that morning. She shook her head, tossing those messy thoughts aside, and continued looking down at the manual.

[Please lightly tap the red button below to confirm activation.]

At the bottom of the Slime's body was a small, glowing red button, like a sleeping firefly. Kim Taeyeon tapped it.

There was a soft "click." The sound of fine gears turning came from within the Slime—precise and orderly, like an ancient clock starting to run. The sound lasted for a few seconds before turning into a low hum, as if something were waking up.

Following the manual's instructions, Kim Taeyeon turned on her phone's Bluetooth. The phone automatically searched for a new device—"TG-LM5-TY." Without hesitation, she clicked connect.

The moment the connection was successful, a window popped up on her phone: [Please download the exclusive APP to complete final activation].

Kim Taeyeon clicked download. The progress bar moved very quickly, finishing in just a few seconds. She opened the APP, and the interface was incredibly simple—a pure white background with a light blue dot in the middle, the exact same color as the Slime in front of her.

The dot jumped once.

Then, a clear voice came from the phone.

"Hello, I am a 5th Generation Exclusive Companion Slime. Your palm print and personal information have been recorded. Please give me a name! Taeyeon Noona!"

Kim Taeyeon was stunned.

It wasn't because of the voice—though it was indeed very pleasant, a clear boyish voice with a hint of childishness and a touch of earnestness, like a teenage boy next door greeting you politely.

The reason she was stunned was the last two words of that sentence.

Taeyeon Noona.

It called her "Noona."

Not "Taeyeon-xi," not "Miss Kim Taeyeon," but "Taeyeon Noona."

Just like Jiang Zhiyu called her.

Kim Taeyeon held her phone, her cheeks slowly turning red. She knew this was preset—Jiang Zhiyu must have entered this form of address into the system when he set it up. But knowing it was one thing; hearing it still sent ripples through her heart.

"Um..." she thought for a moment, "How about calling you Anne?"

The phone was silent for a second—presumably processing the voice input. Then that clear boyish voice rang out again: "Anne, that's a very nice name. Please set the device's gender."

Kim Taeyeon looked at the options that popped up on the screen: Male, Female, None.

Her finger hovered over the screen, hesitating for two seconds.

Then, she chose "Male."

"Understood, the device has been reset." The voice from the phone seemed a tiny bit deeper than before, but it still had that clear boyish feel. "Name: Anne, Gender: Male. Setup complete."

Before Kim Taeyeon could react, the Slime in front of her suddenly changed.

First came a faint halo as a blue light lit up from inside its body, like a small night light being turned on. The light was soft and warm, dyeing the entire living room in a layer of light blue. Then, within that blue light, a pair of mechanical eyes suddenly opened on the surface of the Slime's jelly-like body.

The eyes were large and round, with deep blue pupils like two meticulously polished gemstones. They blinked once, then twice, as if adjusting to the light of this world.

Then, those eyes looked at Kim Taeyeon.

The voice from the phone rang out again. This time, the voice carried a sense of genuine emotion, like a creation endowed with life seeing its creator for the first time—the metaphor might be an exaggeration, but that was truly how Kim Taeyeon felt at this moment.

"Taeyeon Noona, hello. I am Anne. From now on, please take good care of me."

Looking at those round mechanical eyes and the little light blue thing lying quietly on the coffee table, Kim Taeyeon suddenly felt her nose tingle.

It wasn't sadness. What it was, she couldn't quite say. It was probably that feeling—of being treated with absolute sincerity. It wasn't perfunctory, it wasn't just polite talk, it wasn't just courtesy; it was truly putting a lot of heart into preparing something "you would like."

She reached out and gently stroked Anne's head.

Anne blinked, and that "gurgle, gurgle" sound came from its body again. Then its body tilted slightly, as if nuzzling into her palm comfortably.

The corners of Kim Taeyeon's mouth curled up into a deep smile.

She picked up her phone and took a photo. In the photo, Anne lay quietly on the coffee table, those big mechanical eyes looking at the lens, its light blue body shimmering in the sunlight. Light shone in diagonally from the window, casting a warm halo over it.

She opened Instagram and edited a new post.

[Kim Taeyeon: A new member has joined. Should I call it Anne? What do you think?]

The attached image was the photo she had just taken.

Click send.

Less than a minute after posting, the comment section exploded.

[Netizen 1]: Ahhhhhhh! So cute! What is this?!

[Netizen 2]: Slime! It's TG's Slime! Taeyeon got one too!

[Netizen 3]: This color is so beautiful! It's the color of the sea!

[Netizen 4]: Anne! That's a great name too!

[Netizen 5]: So Taeyeon chose a boy baby? The mechanical eyes are so cool!

[Netizen 6]: Jiang Zhiyu sent it, right? It must have been sent by Jiang Zhiyu!

[Netizen 7]: To the person above, isn't that obvious? TG exclusive logistics!

[Netizen 8]: I want one too! Where can I buy it?!

[Netizen 9]: You can't buy it, this is a TG custom version, only given as gifts, not for sale.

[Netizen 10]: So jealous of Taeyeon!

Looking at those comments, Kim Taeyeon couldn't hide the smile on her face. She lay on the sofa, holding Anne in her hands, stroking its cool body. Anne's eyes blinked once, and then it let out a soft "gurgle."

Just as she was immersed in that soft sense of happiness, a new comment popped up.

[Sunny]: where?

Kim Taeyeon couldn't help but laugh out loud. Sunny's "where" was only five letters, but she could read countless emotions from that short word—shock, jealousy, grievance, and indignation.

She replied:

[Kim Taeyeon] replied to [Sunny]: At home.

The reply was almost instantaneous.

[Sunny]: I'm going to hold a sit-in protest downstairs at TG.

Just as Kim Taeyeon was about to reply, the comment section had already exploded.

[Netizen 11]: Support Sunny! We're going too!

[Netizen 12]: If something happens, let Sunny take the fall alone!

[Netizen 13]: Right, we support Sunny in spirit!

[Netizen 14]: Go Sunny Unnie! You are our hope!

[Netizen 15]: Do you need a truck? I have a contact number for truck services here!

[Netizen 16]: Hahahahaha, dying of laughter, Sunny has become the scapegoat.

[Netizen 17]: Sunny will protest, and we'll record it from the side to post online later.

[Netizen 18]: I've already thought of the headline: "Girls' Generation Sunny Protests Downstairs at TG to Beg for a Slime, Teammates Watch the Whole Process."

[Netizen 19]: You people, do you have no conscience? Sunny is about to go protest, and you're still joking here?

[Netizen 20]: We do, we have plenty of conscience, it's just not on Sunny.

Kim Taeyeon looked at those comments and laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up. Anne was snuggled in her arms, trembling along with her laughter. Her large mechanical eyes blinked, unsure of what was happening.

Meanwhile, at Sunny's place.

Sunny was reclining on her bed, holding her phone with an expression that said, "I'm being serious."

When she saw Kim Taeyeon's "at home" reply, she had already sat up. Then she saw the comments under her own post about "going to TG for a sit-in protest"—they were all like this:

"Support Sunny!"

"If something happens, let Sunny handle it alone!"

"Truck service contact number: XXX-XXXX"

Sunny's eyes grew wider and wider.

"You guys... you guys..."

She stared at the comment "If something happens, let Sunny handle it alone," and her whole mood soured.

"What do you mean by that?!"

Sunny's voice echoed in the room, but she was alone. Her phone screen remained lit as the comment section continued to refresh.

[Netizen 21]: Sunny Unnie, we support you forever! Spiritually!

[Netizen 22]: Yes, spiritual support is still support! Go Sunny!

[Netizen 23]: Hahahahaha, Sunny must be cursing us right now.

[Netizen 24]: Not cursing, roaring.

[Netizen 25]: I can almost hear Sunny Unnie's voice: "Hey! You heartless bunch!"

[Netizen 26]: How can the person above post audio?

Sunny stared at the line "Hey! You heartless bunch," and her lip twitched.

Because she had indeed just shouted that.

She took a deep breath, sat up straight, and typed a line in the comment box:

[Sunny]: You just wait! I'll go by myself! If I have to handle it alone, then so be it!

After posting, she tossed her phone onto the bed and leaned against the headboard with her arms crossed.

But she only lasted three seconds.

Three seconds later, she picked up her phone and scrolled back to Kim Taeyeon's Instagram post. She opened the photo and zoomed in on Anne.

A pale blue body, large mechanical eyes, and a round, jelly-like shape—it really was so cute.

Sunny looked at the photo and pouted.

"I want one too..."

She muttered softly, then threw herself back into the covers and rolled over.

Outside the window, the sunlight was perfect.

But her phone was still ringing frantically—those "Support Sunny" comments were still pouring in one after another.

Sunny buried her face in her pillow and let out a muffled wail.

"Shit—I want a Lemm too—!"

—

The Lemm family was expanding with an unstoppable momentum.

Choi Yena's first-generation green Lemm was the start of it all. That little guy, who was almost useless except for turning into a green burger, had now become the sole topic of conversation for the IZ*ONE members at their post-disbandment gatherings. Every time Choi Yena brought it out to show off, she would be attacked by the other members: "This is it? This is all? This is what Jiang Zhiyu gave you?" "What can it do? Can it pick up takeout? Can it clean? Can it wake you up?" "No? Then what's the use!" Choi Yena would always retort righteously, "It can turn into a burger! Can you guys?" only to be mocked even harder.

It was said that Choi Yena once tried to teach it to do more things, but it would just turn into different types of burgers after every command—cheeseburgers, fried chicken burgers, and once even a meat patty without buns. Choi Yena was so frustrated she almost stuffed it into the fridge.

Jang Wonyoung's aquarius Lemm, Tami, was the turning point that truly made the Lemm famous. That light blue Slime, sporting a 400,000 KRW mini water pitcher, not only had a full set of smart functions but also became Jang Wonyoung's "bodyguard"—or more accurately, her protective umbrella. Since getting Tami, Jang Wonyoung's status at home had skyrocketed; even her sister Jang Da-ah didn't dare to order her around casually anymore. Of course, Tami still obeyed Jang Da-ah's commands implicitly, which made Jang Wonyoung stomp her feet in frustration every time.

Kim Minjeong's capricorn Lemm, Lami, was the clingiest one. The little purple thing spent all day snuggled in Kim Minjeong's arms, never leaving her side. Lami's best feature was its "Aegyo Mode," where it would say in a soft, sweet electronic voice, "Unnie, hug me." Kim Minjeong's heart would melt every time she heard it, while NingNing would just roll her eyes. It followed Kim Minjeong everywhere, even waiting by the door when she went to the bathroom. NingNing would roll her eyes every time she saw it: "Can't you let it be more independent?" Kim Minjeong would argue righteously, "It's still small!" Lami was already a year old, older than any member of aespa, but Kim Minjeong insisted it was a "baby."

Red Velvet's Red Velvet Lemms were the ones with the most ill-fated destiny. Everything had been prepared—five red Lemms lined up, each with a custom red velvet bow. Jiang Zhiyu had originally intended to give them to the group after that dinner, but after that kiss—he didn't dare have any connection with Red Velvet at all. The shame was off the charts. Every time he thought about seeing Bae Joo-hyun again, his heart would race, and he wouldn't know what to do with his hands and feet. So those five Red Velvet Lemms were still sitting in TG Entertainment's warehouse, waiting for owners who might never come.

And now, the newest member was Kim Taeyeon's Ocean Lemm, Anne.

A pale blue body, a clear boyish voice, and those blinking mechanical eyes. Anne was a fifth-generation product, equipped with the latest and most high-end AI learning system. Its voice would evolve through interactions with its owner, becoming more human-like, more natural, and more—like that person's voice.

Kim Taeyeon was woken up by that voice every day.

Every morning at seven, Anne would make a soft sound by her pillow: "Noona, it's time to get up. Today's schedule is..." The voice was clear, gentle, and carried a hint of morning hoarseness, like morning sunlight spilling onto the bed. Kim Taeyeon would close her eyes, her lips curling up involuntarily.

Younger guys are the best.

She silently gave a thumbs-up in her heart.

Then came mealtime. "Noona, it's time for lunch. Today's recommended dish is..." The voice carried a hint of concern, as if it were truly worried about whether she was eating well. Kim Taeyeon would always comply obediently; even if she wasn't hungry, she would go to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Schedule reminders. "Noona, you have a schedule this afternoon, it's time to get ready." The voice was serious and professional, like a little assistant. Listening to that voice, Kim Taeyeon felt it was more effective than any scheduling app.

Moreover, that voice called her "Noona."

Every "Noona" sent a ripple through Kim Taeyeon's heart. She would hold Anne, poke its body, and listen to its "purring" sounds, unable to keep her smile down.

Younger guys are the best!

She shouted it again in her heart.

Then she picked up her phone, opened the chat with that familiar name, and sent a message. It wasn't about anything important, just some casual talk. He replied quickly, and though it was only a few simple words, Kim Taeyeon was happy just looking at them.

Anne blinked in her arms, her large mechanical eyes reflecting her smile.

And Kim Taeyeon's schedule also became busier because of Anne.

On the last episode of "Amazing Saturday," the host asked Kim Taeyeon if she had any new treasures lately. Kim Taeyeon thought for a moment and said in a "it's nothing much" show-off tone, "It's nothing special, I just received a Lemm recently. You know about Lemms, right? The ones from TG Entertainment that aren't for sale and are only given to their own people. It's nothing special, it just wakes me up, reminds me to eat, helps me pick up packages, cleans the house, and has a pretty nice voice."

That tone, that expression, that "clearly showing off but pretending not to care" posture made everyone present want to hit her.

The host asked, "A nice voice? What kind of voice?"

Kim Taeyeon's lips curled up slightly as she said in an "I'm not showing off, I'm just stating facts" tone, "It's just... a very clear boyish voice. Hearing it call me 'Noona' every morning makes me feel motivated for the day."

After that episode aired, Kim Taeyeon's name immediately appeared on the trending searches. The hashtag #KimTaeyeonLemm surpassed 300 million reads, and #KimTaeyeonBoyishVoiceAlarm had over a million discussions. The comment section was a chorus of wails: "I want a Lemm too!" "I want a boyish voice to wake me up too!" "Jiang Zhiyu, look at us! We want one too!"

Another trending topic was #KimTaeyeonShowingOff. Fans were frantically taking screenshots of her expressions to make memes, with captions like "It's nothing much," "Nothing special," and "I'm just saying." No one believed she was "just saying"; the curve of her lips and the light in her eyes clearly said, "You guys don't have one, hehe." Fans mocked her for showing off while frantically sharing the posts.

Consequently, more variety shows and schedules came knocking. The reasons for the invitations were surprisingly consistent: "We hope Kim Taeyeon-xi can participate with Anne." Some said they wanted to increase the show's popularity, some said they wanted to show the interaction between high-tech and idols, and some directly said, "We just want to see what a Lemm looks like." When the Manager came to ask for Kim Taeyeon's opinion, she thought about it and declined most of them. "Anne is still small," she said, her tone as serious as if she were talking about a real living being, "She's still adapting to the environment and isn't suited for too much exposure."

The Manager's lip twitched. Anne was an AI; there was no such thing as "adapting to the environment." But she knew Taeyeon was just being protective, so she didn't push it.

In the end, she only agreed to one, and that was only because the PD of that show was an old friend of hers and she couldn't bring herself to refuse. On the day of recording, Kim Taeyeon walked into the studio holding Anne, and everyone swarmed around them. Being stared at by so many people, Anne blinked her large mechanical eyes and shrank back into Kim Taeyeon's arms. Kim Taeyeon looked down at her and whispered, "Don't be afraid, they're just saying hello to you." Anne made a "purring" sound as if in response. Everyone present was melted by the cuteness.

Sunny was lying at home when she saw all of this. She looked at Kim Taeyeon's name on the trending searches, the comments saying "I want a Lemm too," Kim Taeyeon's "it's nothing much" showing-off face on the show, and then at her own empty arms—she slammed her phone face down on the sofa in frustration.

"Isn't this the life I've always dreamed of?" she shouted at the ceiling.

Taking photos, posting on Instagram, getting envious looks and discussions from everyone with a nonchalant yet boastful tone. No need to move, no need to run, no need to maintain some "sporty girl persona," and certainly no need to pretend to be a "savage Unnie."

Just lying there, holding a Lemm, occasionally saying "Anne is so cute," and people would envy her, be jealous of her, and think her life was perfect.

The more Sunny thought about it, the angrier she got, and she suddenly sat up. She picked up her phone and opened the private chat with Jiang Zhiyu. She typed a line, then deleted it. Typed another, and deleted it again. In the end, she sent nothing and collapsed back onto the sofa. Because even the sit-in protest last time didn't work—this bastard simply didn't fall for that.

To Jiang Zhiyu, Anne was just a gift he had sent. But to Kim Taeyeon, Anne was the voice that woke her up every morning, the voice that reminded her to eat, and the voice that said "Goodnight Noona" every night. More importantly, that voice was his voice.

So she was reluctant to let Anne have too much exposure. Anne was hers.

At least in this regard, she could be selfish.

Meanwhile, Im Yoona's days lately hadn't been quite so glorious.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The promotional period for the movie "the crab" was in full swing, with subway station light boxes, bus exteriors, and giant LED screens in Gangnam District bombarding the public. Everything that needed to be done had been done, and the results were indeed quite good.

But no matter how much they promoted it, it couldn't compare to the reach of that fifteen-minute short drama — "the pig head struggle between withe and phantom thief zhimin".

That short drama spread like a virus across the internet, with views already exceeding two hundred million and related topic views totaling over ten billion. Karina became synonymous with "Phantom Thief Zhimin," and she, Im Yoona, became the best spokesperson for the "Cold-Faced Security Withe."

Fans were obsessed with the "Yoona-Karina CP," and fan-made videos were everywhere.

But as for the movie itself, its popularity was overshadowed.

After struggling a few times with the publicity department, Im Yoona resigned herself to fate. "Forget it," she said, "It's my popularity anyway; it stays within the family." Despite saying that, she still felt a bit unwilling. That was a movie she had painstakingly trained for three months to film!

But she hadn't had time to dwell on these things lately because she was on vacation. Ever since she blacked out after the dinner party that day, she had been "ordered" by Kim Taeyeon to get some proper rest.

Im Yoona wasn't happy at first, but later she discovered that lying on Kim Taeyeon's sofa without having to do anything was truly refreshing, so she completely gave up resistance.

Every day she stayed curled up in Kim Taeyeon's apartment, or occasionally went back to her own home, living a life of "eat, sleep, eat, sleep."

Occasionally, she would market her "gentle female CEO resting at home" Bubble persona, posting a few photos wearing loungewear — with the caption, "Working from home today, what are you doing?"

The fans went crazy: "The CEO is so handsome even at home!" "I want to work from home with the CEO!" "Which brand is Yoona's loungewear today? I want to buy the same one!" The data for replies, retweets, and likes remained impressive.

As for what happened that night, Im Yoona didn't remember it at all. She couldn't recall a single thing.

Kim Taeyeon had tentatively asked once: "Yoona, do you... remember anything from that night?" Im Yoona thought for a moment, looking blank. "I don't remember. I just remember I drank a lot of alcohol, and then — I just didn't know anything anymore."

She thought again and touched her forehead; the small bump had almost disappeared. "Unnie, what happened to this bump on my head? It was there when I woke up the next day."

Looking at Im Yoona's innocent expression, Kim Taeyeon's heart rate accelerated suddenly. She remembered the scene where Jiang Zhiyu unhesitatingly shifted the blame to Lee Tima, remembered how he had seriously said in the hallway, "Tima accidentally bumped into Yoona Noona," and remembered how she couldn't help but laugh out loud at the time — her conscience stung faintly.

She took a deep breath.

"It was me."

Im Yoona was stunned.

"Unnie?"

Kim Taeyeon lowered her head, her voice getting quieter and quieter: "When I was helping you to the bathroom, I accidentally bumped your head... against the wall. I'm sorry."

Seeing her guilty look, Im Yoona suddenly laughed. "Unnie, is that it? I thought it was something big." She touched her forehead, "It's already healed, it doesn't hurt. Unnie, you are so good to me, even helping me to the bathroom." Kim Taeyeon looked away guiltily.

The truth must absolutely not be told to her. The smuggled corn, the brat Jiang Zhiyu, the iron barrel sinking in the Han River — that night was like it was forever sealed in a black box, known only to Kim Taeyeon, and Jiang Zhiyu, and Lee Tima, and Sunny, and Kim Soo-yeon. Im Yoona herself would never know.

"Unnie," Im Yoona's voice pulled her back to reality, "What are we eating later? I'm hungry."

Just as Kim Taeyeon was about to answer, she saw Im Yoona pick up Anne again. Anne was held tightly by her, its large mechanical eyes blinking, as if it wanted to call for help but was stuck.

"Yah! Yoona!" Kim Taeyeon panicked, "Anne will be crushed by you!"

Im Yoona didn't let go; instead, she rubbed her chin against the top of Anne's head. Anne let out a "purr," which was indistinguishable as either comfort or discomfort.

"Unnie," Im Yoona raised her head, her eyes sparkling, "Take a picture of me in this pose, I want to post it on Instagram."

Veins popped on Kim Taeyeon's forehead. "Yah! Anne is mine!"

Im Yoona was righteous and confident: "I know, I'm just borrowing it to take a photo. Unnie, don't be so stingy."

Kim Taeyeon took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down. In the end, she picked up her phone and took a picture for her. In the photo, Im Yoona was holding Anne, her chin resting on Anne's head, smiling gently and lazily. Kim Taeyeon had to admit — this girl was indeed beautiful. Anne looked exceptionally well-behaved in her arms.

Kim Taeyeon handed the phone to her, and Im Yoona took a look and nodded with satisfaction: "Unnie's photography skills are getting better and better." She started editing the photo, adding the caption "Daily life of working from home," and added another line in the comment section: "Anne is here too."

Watching her take it all for granted, Kim Taeyeon was so angry her teeth itched. Just as she was about to speak up to snatch Anne back, a sound came from the door lock.

"Beep, beep, beep —" The sound of a password being entered.

Then, with a "click," the door was pushed open.

The person hadn't arrived yet, but their voice did.

"Yah —! Where is my Lemm?!"

Sunny's voice exploded in the entryway, and she had already rushed into the living room, her eyes scanning everywhere, locking onto Anne in Im Yoona's arms.

Kim Taeyeon rubbed her forehead. Can this house ever be quiet?

"Why is everyone here like this? This is my house! My Anne!"

Sunny completely ignored her and walked straight to Im Yoona, squatted down, and stared at Anne. Anne blinked those large mechanical eyes and shrank back into Im Yoona's arms — it felt the crisis.

Sunny reached out, wanting to touch it. Anne shrank back again, almost shrinking into Im Yoona's clothes.

"It's shy," Kim Taeyeon walked over and picked up Anne, "And it's mine, don't touch it randomly."

Sunny raised her head, looking at her with a "Do I look like the kind of person who would listen to you" expression.

"I'll just touch it once."

"No."

"Just a little bit."

"No."

"Kim Taeyeon!"

"Lee Soon-kyu!"

The two stared at each other, sparks seemingly flickering in the air. Im Yoona sat on the sofa, watching these two Unnies staring at each other over a Lemm, and couldn't help but laugh. She picked up her phone and captured this scene. Caption: "The Unnies are about to fight over Anne." Before sending it, she thought about it and mosaiced both Kim Taeyeon's and Sunny's faces.

Sunny was still confronting Kim Taeyeon. "You already have Anne, what's wrong with letting me hold it for a bit?"

"You said the same thing last time, once you held it, you wouldn't let go."

"I was holding it to look for the charger!"

"Do you have a charger at your house? You just wanted to hold it longer!"

Exposed, Sunny was silent for a second. "So what? Anne is so cute, who wouldn't want to hold it more?"

Im Yoona raised her hand at the right moment: "I want to too."

Kim Taeyeon glared at her: "Shut up, you already held it just now."

Im Yoona blinked innocently, but didn't say anything else, continuing to watch this "Anne struggle." Kim Taeyeon protected Anne in her arms. Anne blinked, looked at Kim Taeyeon, then at Sunny, then at Im Yoona. It didn't quite understand why these three women were so obsessed with it. But it remembered who its owner was. So it looked firmly at Kim Taeyeon with its large mechanical eyes and let out a "purr."

Kim Taeyeon looked down at it, her heart softening completely. "See, Anne chose me." She lifted her chin triumphantly.

Sunny took a deep breath, and another deep breath. Then she took out her phone and opened a private chat window with Jiang Zhiyu.

[sunny_soonkyu]: Jiang Zhiyu, look at the good deed you've done. Three people fighting over one Lemm, are you shameless? Don't you feel ashamed? Can't you give me another one?

After sending it, she stared at the screen. She waited for one minute, two minutes, three minutes.

[Jiang Zhiyu]: Noona, I don't know you.

Sunny was so angry she threw her phone onto the sofa. The phone bounced twice on the sofa and rolled onto the floor, landing screen-down with a dull thud. Sunny glanced at it but didn't pick it up.

Kim Taeyeon held Anne, the triumph at the corners of her mouth impossible to suppress. She gently patted Anne's body, listening to it make purring sounds, as if declaring sovereignty. "Alright, alright, go do whatever you need to do, Anne needs to take a nap." Im Yoona tilted her head and looked at Anne's wide-open mechanical eyes — did it look like it was about to sleep at all? But she didn't say anything, just moved to the other end of the sofa to make room.

Sunny was unrelenting, circling to the other side of the sofa and sitting down beside Kim Taeyeon, her eyes still glued to Anne. "I'm just looking, not touching." Before she finished, her hand had already reached out. Kim Taeyeon was quick, protecting Anne in her arms, so Sunny's hand missed and landed directly on Kim Taeyeon's shoulder.

"Lee Soon-kyu! Where are you touching!"

"Mistake, mistake, I was aiming for Anne."

"Your hands are as unreliable as your eyes!"

The two started bickering again, one sentence after another, neither giving an inch. Im Yoona sat on the side, watching these two Unnies who were almost seventy years old combined, arguing until their faces were red over a Lemm, and a thought suddenly popped into her head — if she filmed this scene and posted it online, she had already thought of the trending search title: "Girls Generation leader and former member brawl over AI pet, police have intervened to investigate." She couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Kim Taeyeon and Sunny turned their heads to glare at her simultaneously.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing, you guys continue." Im Yoona waved her hand, but the curve of her mouth couldn't be suppressed.

Interrupted like this, Sunny and Kim Taeyeon had no mood to continue arguing. Sunny slumped on the sofa, looking at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh. "Kim Taeyeon, how come your life is so good? You just lie there and someone sends you a Lemm. And me? I beg on my knees and no one pays attention."

Kim Taeyeon's mouth twitched. What does "just lie there and someone sends you" mean? It sounded like she got it through some improper means. "Jiang Zhiyu gave this to me voluntarily, I didn't beg him."

Sunny rolled her eyes. "Right, right, right, you didn't beg him, you just swayed in front of him, and he obediently gave it to you. This is fate, fate!" Her tone was so sour it could pickle kimchi.

Kim Taeyeon couldn't be bothered with her, looking down at Anne. Anne was motionless in her arms, its large mechanical eyes staring at her without blinking. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that there was a kind of "I only look at you" focus in Anne's eyes. Her heart softened for a moment.

Sunny watched this scene from the side and let out another long sigh. "It's unreasonable, really unreasonable. I, Lee Soon-kyu, have done good deeds all my life, how come I don't have a Lemm?" Im Yoona raised her hand: "Unnie, the last time you stole my snacks and got caught by the Manager, does that count as doing good deeds?"

"That's called acting on behalf of heaven! Your snacks are too high in calories, I was helping you share the sin."

"But after you ate them, you said 'not sweet enough'."

"That was to give you a suggestion, buy sweeter ones next time."

Listening to these two people seriously distorting the facts, Kim Taeyeon finally couldn't help it. She took a deep breath and held her forehead. "Can this house ever be quiet?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was very serious. Sunny and Im Yoona shut their mouths simultaneously and looked at her. Kim Taeyeon raised her head, looking at this one, then at that one, with an expression of "Can you two please let me go" exhaustion. Sunny blinked, Im Yoona blinked, and then both nodded at the same time. "Yes." "Of course." After the words fell, the living room was quiet for three seconds.

Then Sunny asked in a low voice: "Then can I touch Anne again?" Kim Taeyeon threw a cushion from her side at her. Sunny caught the cushion, wearing an "I won" smile.