68: Chapter 68 It's Going to Rain

In the meeting room, the air that had frozen due to Im Yoona's outburst finally began to flow slowly again after Jiang Zhiyu painfully made the guarantee of "no toilets in the first three episodes." Although Im Yoona still had her face turned away and her arms crossed, looking like her anger hadn't fully subsided and she might flip the table and leave at any moment, at least she didn't shout "Shibal" again, nor did she immediately slam the door and walk out.

Jiang Zhiyu breathed a quiet sigh of relief, knowing he was safe for the time being. He quickly adjusted his state, burying his mourning for the "Toilet Muse" deep in his heart, and put back on his professional producer mask. He knew he had to immediately, right now, pull the discussion back to a "safer" and more "constructive" track, and must never trigger any of Im Yoona's flammable or explosive points again.

He cleared his throat, his voice returning to a steady tone. His gaze swept across everyone, finally landing on Im Yoona's tense profile, his tone exceptionally "serious."

"So, regarding the core setting and initial development of the character Angel Lim Ying-er, let's discuss some more specific details."

He deliberately avoided all words that might trigger associations and began writing keywords on the whiteboard:

"Clumsy." — This is the foundation.

"Unlucky." — This is the driving force.

"Arrogant (Pseudo)." — This is the protective coloring and the source of comedy.

"First, in the angel's 'enrollment' stage, we need to strengthen her attributes as a 'poor student' and being 'unfit for the human world,'" Jiang Zhiyu said while writing. "This 'enrollment' could refer to her entering the Heavenly Realm's 'Human Internship Angel Academy' (if we need a Heavenly Realm background), or it could directly refer to the initial period after she descends to the human world and tries to integrate into human society."

He turned around and looked at Im Yoona, his gaze this time incredibly sincere and full of the focus of "we are seriously polishing the character."

"Yoona Sunbae, imagine this: an angel who was at the bottom of her class in the Heavenly Realm, always failing magic class, and only able to pass theoretical exams by guessing, is sent to the human world for some reason (like a graduation internship, or punishment for a mistake). She might carry a kind of inherent, subconscious arrogance typical of those from the Heavenly Realm toward the job of 'helping humans'—feeling that humans are small, troublesome, and emotionally complex."

Although Im Yoona didn't look at him directly, her ears were clearly perked up, and her tense shoulders relaxed slightly. When it came to specific character psychology and performance layers, her professionalism as an actress made it impossible for her to ignore it completely.

Jiang Zhiyu caught this subtle change, felt a bit more settled, and continued deeper:

"This arrogance isn't evil; it's a nearly naive sense of superiority built on ignorance. She might think human troubles are very simple and can be solved with a flick of a finger (magic). Therefore, when she messes everything up because her magic keeps failing, that contrast and sense of frustration will be stronger and more comedic."

He drew an arrow after "Arrogant (Pseudo)" and wrote "Frustration" and "Putting up a Front."

"For example, in the first specific event after entering the human world or trying to help Kim Hyo-soon," Jiang Zhiyu illustrated, "we can design a scene where she confidently tries to use a 'Top-tier Purification Spell' to help solve the cockroach problem in Kim Hyo-soon's house."

He paused, ensuring his description stayed far away from any sensitive areas:

"As a result, the spell is chanted incorrectly, or the hand gesture is off, and the magic doesn't eliminate the cockroaches. Instead, it turns them into... glowing, singing, but still crawling everywhere 'Sparkling Singing Cockroaches.' Kim Hyo-soon and her family watch the glowing creatures scurrying around the room in shock and fear, while Lim Ying-er pretends to be calm, sweat on her forehead as she explains: 'Th-this is the Heavenly Realm's latest eco-friendly pest control method! Infect them with art, make them feel ashamed of themselves, and they'll leave on their own!'"

Although this example was still a bit absurd, it was at least ten thousand miles safer than a toilet, and it indeed touched upon the character's core of being "clumsy" and "face-saving."

Sunny couldn't help but snort with laughter. "This is good! Sparkling Singing Cockroaches! The imagery is so strong!"

Kim Taeyeon also nodded, feeling that while this direction was exaggerated, it was at least a controllable comedic exaggeration.

Im Yoona's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, as if she were imagining that scene and performance state.

Seeing the atmosphere soften, Jiang Zhiyu struck while the iron was hot, further deepening the settings of "poor student" and "arrogance."

"To reflect her nature as a 'poor student,' we can even work on some details. For example, the 'Angel Internship Manual' she carries with her (perhaps a glowing book) has a glaring 'F' for her grade, with the comment: 'Theory all wrong, practice all botched, but attitude exceptionally proactive (in terms of causing trouble).' She treats that manual as a treasure, often taking it out to 'review,' but she's actually staring at that 'F' and sulking, then muttering to herself: 'The Heavenly Realm's grading system is too outdated! It doesn't understand my innovative mistakes at all!'"

"Another example," he looked at Im Yoona, trying to guide her into character thinking, "she is extremely lacking in basic human common sense but refuses to admit it. When Kim Hyo-soon says 'I'm hungry,' she might solemnly suggest: 'I can summon Heavenly Dew for you, rich in spiritual energy, one drop will keep you full!' The result might be a thick, weird-tasting honey-like substance that gets all over Kim Hyo-soon's face. When Kim Hyo-soon helplessly says 'I still want to eat Rice Soup,' Lim Ying-er will show a confused and puzzled expression: 'Rice Soup? That kind of low-grade carb? You humans' sense of taste is truly hard to understand.' — This arrogance based on ignorance will make her series of backfiring attempts to help seem both ridiculous and a bit pitiful."

He concluded: "So, the early Lim Ying-er is a bundle of contradictions: the inferiority of a poor heavenly student (hidden), the misjudgment and arrogance toward human (especially Kim Hyo-soon's) situations (surface), and a clumsy kind heart that wants to do good but always ends up going the wrong way (core). Her 'bad luck' stems largely from her 'clumsiness' and this cognitive misalignment."

After Jiang Zhiyu finished speaking, he looked at Im Yoona, waiting for her feedback. This time his proposal focused on the character's internal logic and comedic performance space, avoiding all "physical embarrassment." It should... be safe, right?

Im Yoona was silent for a moment.

She finally slowly turned her head back and looked Jiang Zhiyu directly in the eye. The anger on her face had mostly faded, replaced by a professional scrutiny and reflection. She frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop.

"...An arrogant angel with bottom-tier grades," she repeated softly, as if savoring the character setting. "Magic always goes wrong, yet she always has her own set of twisted logic to justify it. Looks down on humans' 'low-grade' lifestyle, yet doesn't even have the most basic human common sense."

She raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Zhiyu:

"Playing this kind of character... is indeed a challenge. To act out that 'unjustified but confident' silly arrogance, it can't be too annoying, yet it has to make people unable to help but laugh."

Her tone had returned to calm, even carrying a hint of the seriousness of an actress discussing a role.

The weight in Jiang Zhiyu's heart dropped, and he nodded quickly. "Exactly! That's the balance! Yoona Sunbae will definitely be able to handle it perfectly! For example, that line about 'low-grade carbs'—the tone should have seven parts confusion and three parts disdain, but there shouldn't be any real malice in the eyes. Instead, there should be a hint of grievance, like 'I'm doing this for your own good, why don't you recognize quality?'"

Im Yoona didn't respond, but her eyes were clearly thinking about how to perform it.

Kim Taeyeon, standing by, chimed in with performance advice at the right time: "Yoona used to be very good at playing characters who were well-behaved on the surface but had little schemes inside. This time, just swap the 'little schemes' for 'naive arrogance' and 'stubborn self-justification.' The essence is still that 'I think I'm right' vibe, just the reasons are more absurd."

Sunny also joined in the fun: "Right, right! Just like how you insisted that terrible health meal was 'Michelin potential' last time! Clearly everyone said it was like a rag, but you still held your ground saying 'it's because you don't understand the original flavor of the ingredients'!"

"Unnie!" Im Yoona glared at Sunny reproachfully, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly. With this interruption, the last bit of tension in the meeting room dissipated.

Jiang Zhiyu seized the opportunity to push the discussion toward more specific plot designs: "So, based on this setting, we can start brainstorming Lim Ying-er's 'enrollment' into the human world, or rather, her first complete event after starting her 'internship.' This event should be able to centrally reflect her clumsiness, bad luck, pseudo-arrogance, and the starting point of her relationship with Kim Hyo-soon..."

His brain began to race again, but this time, he firmly remembered one principle—

Stay away from the bathroom!

Stay away from any pipes!

Stay away from all objects that might trigger unclean associations!

His gaze involuntarily drifted toward the window.

Blue sky, white clouds, flying pigeons...

Maybe...

Could it start with something falling from the sky?

No, that won't work. The action of "falling" might trigger bad memories.

Then... growing out of the ground?

That seems a bit weird too.

Jiang Zhiyu scratched his head.

Suddenly he felt that without the universal prop of a "toilet," brainstorming a sufficiently exciting yet safe "angel trouble-making event"...

Seemed...

A bit difficult?

When the meeting room door finally closed, isolating the discussions about the "arrogant poor-student angel" and "Sparkling Singing Cockroaches" inside, Jiang Zhiyu stood in the hallway and realized his back had long been soaked with cold sweat. He let out a long, silent breath and wiped his forehead as if he had just survived a disaster.

Turning his head, he saw Kim Minjeong still following half a step behind him, her small hand still unconsciously tugging at a corner of his clothes. Her head was down, and although her small face wasn't as bright red as before, it still showed obvious embarrassment and a lingering trace of daze. Clearly, the impact of the "Angel Who Fell into the Toilet" label hadn't completely faded yet.

NingNing and Karina also followed him out. One had a wandering gaze (NingNing), and the other had a subtle expression (Karina). Clearly, they hadn't fully recovered from that "meeting room storm" either.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at Kim Minjeong's dejected puppy-like appearance, as if she had done something wrong (when clearly he was the one in the wrong!), and a rare hint of guilt rose in his heart. This kid had really been screwed over by him today. First, she vaguely acted out the prototype of the "toilet-falling angel," then she was "exposed" in public by NingNing, and finally, she almost got targeted by Im Yoona Sunbae for "defending Oppa's creativity"... it was simply a bolt from the blue.

He had to comfort her.

Jiang Zhiyu stopped, turned around, and forced a smile onto his face that was much gentler than usual, his voice softening: "Alright, the meeting is over. Thank you for making the trip, and... for the scare."

Kim Minjeong raised her moist puppy eyes, looked at him, then quickly looked down again, muttering softly: "N-no..."

"To express my apologies, and to thank you for your 'help' today," Jiang Zhiyu paused, swallowing the phrase "especially Minjeong's sacrifice," "how about Oppa treats you to a meal?"

Kim Minjeong's eyes lit up instantly, but then she looked at him with some uncertainty.

NingNing immediately perked up: "Really? What are we eating? BBQ? Hanwoo? Or Japanese food?" She was already hinting to Karina with her eyes—quickly say Hanwoo! Hurry!

Jiang Zhiyu smiled and shook his head, uttering a word that made NingNing's smile instantly freeze:

"SM Cafeteria."

"..." NingNing's shoulders slumped.

Karina couldn't help but facepalm as well.

Only Kim Minjeong didn't seem to have any objection to the suggestion; instead, she nodded and whispered, "The cafeteria... is quite good. They have spicy stir-fried pork..."

Jiang Zhiyu looked at NingNing's "Oppa, you're stingy" face and explained, "The cafeteria is close and convenient. Besides, we can find a corner to keep talking about the drama while we eat. It's not a work discussion, just casually sharing ideas. How about it?"

Although a bit disappointed about the cafeteria, NingNing's interest was piqued again by the chance to continue "exploring" (gossiping about) the scene from earlier. Karina nodded too. Kim Minjeong naturally had no objections.

So, the group of four moved to the internal cafeteria of SM Entertainment. It was during the gap after the afternoon tea break and before dinner time, so there weren't many people. They found a quiet corner by the window and sat down.

Jiang Zhiyu was surprisingly generous this time (relatively speaking), ordering several of the cafeteria's most popular dishes: spicy stir-fried pork, pork cutlet, soybean paste stew, along with unlimited kimchi and side dishes. The aroma of the steaming food finally dispelled some of the tension and absurdity lingering from the meeting room.

Kim Minjeong ate the spicy stir-fried pork in small bites, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed, looking much more composed. Jiang Zhiyu ate his pork cutlet while trying to steer the conversation toward a "safer" creative territory.

"Setting aside those... well, controversial settings," Jiang Zhiyu chose his words carefully, "how do you think the Dazed Angel and Kim Hyo-soon, two people with such vastly different personalities and backgrounds, could naturally become friends? Or rather, create that kind of wonderful bond?"

NingNing immediately raised her hand: "True feelings show in times of trouble! Like experiencing a real crisis together! Not like a clogged toilet, but for example... encountering a thief? Or Kim Hyo-soon getting bullied, and the angel, though clumsy, tries her best to help?"

Karina thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps through small daily matters? The angel is always trying to help but making things worse, yet through the process of cleaning up the messes over and over, Kim Hyo-soon sees through the angel's clumsiness to her simplicity and kindness? Plus, those absurd magical failures of the angel might actually help Kim Hyo-soon at some unexpected moment?"

Kim Minjeong swallowed the rice in her mouth and quietly joined the discussion: "The angel... though she always makes mistakes, she's really trying hard to be good to Hyo-soon. Hyo-soon works so hard, maybe... she's never had someone care for her so diligently like this (even if it's in the wrong way)? So even if it's a lot of trouble, she'll slowly soften her heart?"

Jiang Zhiyu nodded from time to time as he listened. These ideas were a bit naive, but they did provide some angles. The atmosphere gradually lightened, and they even began discussing specific comedic bits, like the angel trying to use magic to make a birthday cake for Kim Hyo-soon, only to conjure a singing cream volcano instead.

Just when Jiang Zhiyu felt that today's "calamity" was finally going to pass smoothly, and he had even gained some unexpected inspiration—

His phone on the table suddenly vibrated. The caller ID jumping on the screen was a crucial name he had only recently saved.

[Orion Marketing Dept · Director Park] (with a symbol next to it)

Jiang Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat. This Director Park was the one who had previously shown interest in the "Angel Snack Placement" and was one of the most important potential sponsors for the destined kim hyo-soon project. Calling at this time...

Jiang Zhiyu felt a tightening in his chest. He immediately made a "silence" gesture to the three girls, adjusted his breathing, and pressed the answer button, his voice instantly switching to a professional and respectful mode:

"Director Park, Annyeonghaseyo. This is Jiang Zhiyu."

Director Park's hearty laughter came from the other end: "Producer Jiang, I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"No, not at all. Please, go ahead."

"It's like this," Director Park's voice lowered a bit, carrying a hint of excitement and mystery, "regarding your special episode script, especially the part where the angel debuts, after our discussion here, we think it's... very, very interesting!"

Jiang Zhiyu's heart sank with a bad premonition. "The part where the angel debuts"... which part did he mean? He had just sworn under Im Yoona's death stare that he would never mention it again in the first three episodes...

"That's the one! The scene where the angel falls into the toilet, gets spun around by the flush, and then tries to act tough and talk big!" Director Park's voice suddenly rose, full of praise. "Brilliant! Producer Jiang, your imagination is truly incredible! A few young people in our marketing department read the summary and almost fell off their chairs laughing!"

Jiang Zhiyu's hand holding the phone began to sweat slightly. He forced a laugh: "Ah... is that so? I'm glad you like it, Director Park. However, regarding that part, we're still further deliberating within the production team, possibly considering the actor's acceptance and the actual filming..."

"Deliberating what?! Don't you dare change it!" Director Park immediately interrupted him, his tone resolute. "Don't change a single word! Especially the 'toilet' and 'flushing' parts, they must be kept! And it should be filmed as clearly and impactfully as possible!"

"Why?" Jiang Zhiyu blurted out, then realized his tone was off and quickly added, "I mean, why do you have such a... special fondness for this part, Director Park?"

Director Park chuckled twice on the other end, lowering his voice with a "let me share some good news with you" vibe:

"Producer Jiang, to be honest, I have a childhood friend who is a distributor for high-end bathroom fixtures, mainly dealing in smart toilets and bathroom cabinets. He recently wanted to expand his brand awareness and enter entertainment marketing. I happened to send him your script summary..."

Jiang Zhiyu's heart sank to the bottom.

"The moment he saw it, he slapped the table!" Director Park's voice was excited. "He said this is practically a product placement opportunity tailor-made for him! Think about it, what big star, what A-list actress, would be willing to endorse a toilet or a flushing function? Almost none! It's too beneath them! But your script is clever! It's not a stiff advertisement; it perfectly and dramatically integrates the product's features into the plot!"

Director Park grew more excited as he spoke:

"The angel falling in shows that the toilet bowl opening is well-designed (?) and has great capacity! Being spun around by the powerful water flow perfectly demonstrates the strong cleaning power and water-saving efficiency of their latest 'Turbocharged Cyclone Flush' technology! Finally, the angel being able to come out (battered but) intact shows the excellent anti-clogging design of the pipes! Moreover, the whole process is full of comedic effects; the audience will be happy, the brand impression will be deep, and it's not stiff at all!"

He paused, his tone becoming incredibly solemn and full of temptation:

"Producer Jiang, my friend said that as long as this plot is filmed exactly as written, and their brand is given enough screen time and dialogue (like that line of praise from Kim Hyo-soon must be kept!), he is willing to invest this amount—"

Director Park stated a figure.

It was a figure that made the hand Jiang Zhiyu held the phone with tremble slightly.

It far exceeded the fees for ordinary product placement.

It was even enough for him to film the "Toilet Descent" scene with movie-level special effects.

More importantly, this was a stable, high-quality sponsorship channel. For the startup TG Entertainment and this not-so-large-budget special episode, it was a godsend—no, it was gold bricks falling from the sky!

"So, Producer Jiang," Director Park said earnestly, "I know it must be difficult to get a top artist like Im Yoona-xi to perform such a scene. But what big star would endorse a toilet? Almost none! This is a Blue Ocean! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! You can get a huge advertising fee to ensure the production quality of the series, and you can create unprecedented buzz! Once Im Yoona-xi performs this, it will definitely become a classic scene, the kind that goes down in the history of Korean entertainment!"

He concluded at last, full of allure:

"Seize it, Producer Jiang! For art, for comedy, for... money! You must convince Im Yoona-xi! This part absolutely cannot be deleted or changed! Not only must it be filmed, it must be filmed spectacularly!"

The call ended.

In the corner of the cafeteria, there was dead silence.

Although NingNing, Karina, and Kim Minjeong only heard fragments from Jiang Zhiyu's side, combined with his expression and keywords like "toilet," "flushing," "cannot change," and "huge investment," they had already guessed most of it.

The expressions of the three girls were each more spectacular than the last.

NingNing: dumbfounded.jpg ("Again?!")

Karina: painful_facepalm.jpg ("As expected...")

Kim Minjeong: pupil_earthquake_2.0.jpg ("Still... still more?!")

Jiang Zhiyu slowly put down his phone, his fingertips cold.

He looked up and stared out the window, his eyes hollow.

Just moments ago in the meeting room, Im Yoona's eyes, burning with a rage that seemed ready to swallow him alive, were still vivid in his mind.

That shrill scream of "Shibal!! Don't mention the toilet!!!" was still echoing in his ears.

He had just painstakingly made the guarantee of "no toilet in the first three episodes" in exchange for a brief peace.

And now...

The sponsor's call was like a final judgment, kicking him right back into that bottomless "toilet pit."

And this time, the bottom of the pit was lined with glittering... Korean Won.

On one side was a furious top actress who could quit or even hunt him down at any moment.

On the other side was the easily accessible, massive funding and vital channel that could bring the project back to life (?) or even take it to the next level.

Art (?) versus Money.

Dignity (Im Yoona's) versus Survival (TG Entertainment's).

Promise versus Betrayal.

Jiang Zhiyu felt his head begin to throb violently.

Silently, he picked up a piece of already cold spicy stir-fried pork and put it in his mouth; it tasted like wax.

Then, he looked at the three girls opposite him, especially Kim Minjeong, who was still in a state of shock, and gave a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Minjeong-ah..."

Kim Minjeong flinched.

Jiang Zhiyu's voice carried a near-tragic exhaustion:

"It seems Oppa is... going to seek death again."

"This time..."

"I might really die."

The sponsor's words "absolutely cannot change" and that tempting figure circled in Jiang Zhiyu's mind like a curse all night. He lay on that hard camp bed in the TG Entertainment basement (yes, to save money, he sometimes slept at the company now), staring at the familiar water stain on the ceiling, while countless little scenarios played out in his head:

Scenario A (Humble Begging Version): He kneels before Im Yoona, tearfully explaining the importance of the project funding, the life and death of TG Entertainment, and the "immortal contribution" this plot makes to comedic art, begging the goddess to sacrifice herself for art (and money). Result: Getting hit by a script thrown by Im Yoona, kicked out of the meeting room, and permanently blacklisted within SM Entertainment.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Mini-theater B (The "Prince and the Pauper" switch version): Find a body double! Long shots, back shots, editing, AI face-swapping... there is always a way! Outcome: The technical difficulty is high, the cost might be even more expensive, and once discovered by Im Yoona or sharp-eyed viewers, it will be a devastating fraud scandal. TG Entertainment will go bankrupt immediately, and he himself might face lawsuits.

Mini-theater C (The "broken vessel" version): Just tell the big sponsor directly, Im Yoona isn't acting, replace her! Outcome: Lose the biggest sponsor, project budget cut in half, script rewritten, pre-production preparations go down the drain, and TG Entertainment dies before it even gets started.

Every ending pointed to the word "death."

Just as he was about to be swallowed by despair, at three in the morning, a glimmer of light shone through the window, illuminating his cluttered desk piled high with cosmetics and wig molds (used for various styling auditions for Lee Tima). A lightning-fast thought split through his chaotic mind.

"Im Yoona doesn't agree?"

Jiang Zhiyu sat up abruptly, his eyes shining terrifyingly in the dim light, staring fixedly at the pile of makeup brushes and wigs.

"Then let's just... make a 'fake' Im Yoona!"

A crazy, bold, whimsical plan, which also seemed to have a glimmer of feasibility within his area of expertise (causing trouble and disguise), gradually took shape.

He was Jiang Zhiyu! The ace producer of TG Entertainment on the Tianxuan Continent, what kind of storms hadn't he seen? He had personally applied special effects makeup for artists, altered wigs, and even acted as a background extra! After coming to this world, in order to save money and mess with Lee Tima, his makeup skills had "advanced by leaps and bounds," earning him the title of "Underground Makeup Master"!

Who said Im Yoona herself had to act in that scene?

As long as for the critical shots that required a clear face—the "sacred declaration before falling into the toilet" and the "arrogant remark while hands on hips after crawling out"—he used Im Yoona's own footage or licensed portrait (this could be negotiated by saying they needed some beautiful still frames for posters and trailer editing). And for the actual shots of "falling in," "flushing and spinning," and "crawling out in a mess," which were either long shots, partial close-ups, or could be blurred with editing and special effects...

He would step in himself, put on makeup to look like Im Yoona, and complete them!

Once this thought appeared, it grew like wild grass. The more Jiang Zhiyu thought about it, the more feasible it felt. He had quite a bit of confidence (in his own opinion) in his "disguise" skills, and with the help of post-production editing, lighting, and camera angles, it wasn't impossible to deceive the eyes of ordinary viewers! Most importantly, this could simultaneously satisfy the big sponsor's requirement of "filming the original plot" and... save his own life (for now)!

"Yes! Let's do it!" Jiang Zhiyu slammed the bed frame, feeling heroic, "Let this world experience the strength of this 'Makeup Master'!"

He acted immediately! He needed to practice, needed to observe Im Yoona's facial features, expressions, and small mannerisms up close, and needed a perfect practice subject and environment...

His gaze slowly shifted to the corner, where Lee Tima was sleeping soundly wrapped in a small blanket, smacking her lips.

The next morning, in the basement of TG Entertainment.

Lee Tima, with messy hair and sleepy eyes, was dug out of the blanket by Jiang Zhiyu and had a cold rice ball shoved into her hand.

"Eat quickly, come with me when you're done." Jiang Zhiyu was radiant, completely showing no signs of having stayed up all night.

"Where to? Don't we have no schedule today?" Lee Tima asked blankly.

"To learn! To observe! To dedicate ourselves to art!" Jiang Zhiyu said righteously, "Red Velvet has a group schedule today. I've already spoken to their Manager, we're going to be 'accompanying assistants' for the day to observe the work state and... makeup details of a top girl group up close!"

Lee Tima was even more confused: "Why do I have to go too?" She just wanted to sleep at home or play video games.

Jiang Zhiyu patted her head, his eyes "affectionate": "Because you are an artist of TG Entertainment, you need to learn from your seniors. And..."

He paused, lowering his voice, with an unquestionable tone: "What if I get too engrossed in discussing the script with the Red Velvet Unnies, and need someone to help carry things, buy coffee, or... block some suddenly appearing, unfriendly gazes?"

Lee Tima woke up instantly, eyes wide: "A shield?! Oppa, what are you trying to do again?!"

"What shield, it's a learning assistant!" Jiang Zhiyu corrected her, pushing her toward the washroom without letting her argue, "Hurry up! For the future of TG Entertainment! Let's go!"

An hour later, inside SM Entertainment, in the hallway outside Red Velvet's private lounge.

Jiang Zhiyu wore a temporary assistant badge, his face bearing an impeccable, slightly shy "new assistant" smile, greeting Red Velvet's Manager and several familiar staff members. Lee Tima followed behind him with her head drooping, actually holding a pile of coffees (which Jiang Zhiyu had bought in the name of "learning sincerity").

The sound of the girls' laughter and music could be faintly heard from inside the lounge.

"Zhiyu-xi, thank you so much for the trouble today, coming all the way here to help." The Manager said politely.

"Not at all, it is my honor to have the opportunity to learn from the Red Velvet seniors up close." Jiang Zhiyu's attitude was so humble that no one could find fault with it.

The door opened.

The five members of Red Velvet were preparing their makeup and hair. Bae Joo-hyun was sitting in front of the main vanity mirror, with a makeup artist applying her base; Kang Seulgi and Wendy were huddled together watching a video on a phone, laughing from time to time; Joy was studying a newly arrived lipstick color in the mirror; and the maknae Yeri was holding snacks, looking curiously toward the door.

"Unnies, this is Producer Jiang Zhiyu, he's here to help today, and by the way... to learn a bit." The Manager introduced him briefly.

The girls politely said hello, although there was some curiosity in their eyes—how did this producer, who was currently in the spotlight and had made their leader "suffer" last time on the "weekend special," end up working as an assistant?

Jiang Zhiyu behaved exceptionally well, directing Lee Tima to distribute the coffee, while he helped organize the clothing rack, and then consciously retreated to an inconspicuous corner of the lounge—there happened to be a spare vanity mirror there with good lighting, and some unused cosmetics and hair accessories were piled up next to it.

His gaze, seemingly unintentional, was actually like the highest-precision scanner, sweeping over and over again across Bae Joo-hyun who was applying makeup, and Joy and Yeri who were chatting nearby. He focused on observing their facial contours, the distance between their eyebrows and eyes, the curvature of their noses, the characteristics of their lip shapes, and even the curvature of the corners of their mouths when they laughed, their blinking frequency, and their unconscious little expressions...

At the same time, his ears weren't idle either, capturing the girls' idle chatter.

"I heard Im Yoona Unnie accepted Producer Jiang's new drama?" This was Wendy's voice, carrying a hint of curiosity.

"Seems like it, a special episode, playing an angel." Seulgi replied naively.

Joy immediately perked up: "An angel?! Im Yoona Unnie playing an angel! Wow, that must be so beautiful! But..." She lowered her voice with a mischievous smile, "I heard the script is a bit... special?"

Yeri immediately pricked up her ears: "How special?"

Bae Joo-hyun glanced at Joy in the mirror and said flatly: "Don't spread gossip." But there was also a hint of imperceptible inquiry in her eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat, but his face maintained a proper smile, pretending to be organizing a wig.

The girls' chatter soon turned to other topics, cosmetics, new songs, variety shows they watched last night...

Jiang Zhiyu knew the time had come.

He quietly took out a few key items from the bag he had brought with him, which looked like an ordinary makeup bag—foundation that matched Im Yoona's skin tone, a fine eyeliner pen, false eyelashes, blush, and a few carefully prepared wig pieces.

He stood with his back to the crowd, facing the spare vanity mirror, and took a deep breath. "For art... dedicate myself!!"

He muttered in his heart, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp and focused. Start!

The foundation was applied quickly and evenly to his face, adjusting his skin tone, covering his original masculine contours, and striving to get closer to Im Yoona's clear, fair skin texture.

The eyebrows were carefully groomed, drawing the eyebrow shape characteristic of Im Yoona, slightly curved but not overly sharp.

Eye makeup was the most important part! He carefully imitated the charm of Im Yoona's deer-like eyes—the eyeliner was extended at the corner of the eye but not exaggerated, the eyeshadow used soft earthy tones, focusing on strengthening the smudging of the lower eyelid to create that clear and slightly innocent look. He chose natural-style false eyelashes and applied them carefully in clusters.

Nose contouring and highlighting were cleverly used, attempting to visually narrow his nose bridge, which was more prominent than Im Yoona's.

The lip shape was carefully outlined, applying the natural, pinkish lip glaze often used by Im Yoona.

Finally, he put on the prepared wig piece that looked similar to Im Yoona's recent hairstyle, and arranged the bangs and hair ends.

Throughout the whole process, his movements were skillful and rapid, as if he had practiced thousands of times. Benefiting from his long-term observation of artist images and his confidence as an "Underground Makeup Master," plus his extraordinary performance at this moment, the face in the mirror actually began to fade away Jiang Zhiyu's contours little by little, moving toward the direction of "Im Yoona"!

Although there were still differences upon close inspection, and the makeup was slightly heavy (after all, it was a quick makeup job), under specific lighting angles, especially when imitating one of Im Yoona's iconic expressions—such as tilting her head slightly or pursing her lips in a faint smile—it was actually 70-80% similar!

Jiang Zhiyu looked at "himself" in the mirror, feeling a bit dazed and... proud for a moment.

He subconsciously imitated the tone Im Yoona often had in commercials or variety shows, a tone that was a bit smug yet trying to be reserved, and murmured to the "self" in the mirror in a breathy voice: "Hmm... not bad..." "Feels... much better looking than me..."

As soon as he finished speaking. "Clatter." A sound came from behind him, like something falling to the ground.

Jiang Zhiyu stiffened all over, and slowly, extremely slowly, turned his head.

There stood Red Velvet's maknae Kim Yerim (Yeri), who had wandered near this corner at some point, probably to get snacks or something. At this moment, the half-bag of potato chips in her hand had fallen to the ground, her mouth was open in a perfect O-shape, her eyes were wider than brass bells, and she was staring fixedly at Jiang Zhiyu—or rather, staring at his face, which had just been finished and hadn't had time to be removed, the face of "Im Yoona Unnie."

Their eyes met. The air froze.

Yeri's finger trembled, pointing at Jiang Zhiyu's face, a "hiss... hiss..." gasping sound coming from her throat, as if she had seen the most incredible, most terrifying, and funniest scene in the world.

Jiang Zhiyu: "..." It's over. Died before achieving success. It seems... I need to change the way I die.