Peninsula: My cheat code is unscientific

Chapter 16 Uninvited Guest

With her petite figure, fair skin, and distinctively youthful face, she looked at him with a puzzled and confused expression, her clear, large eyes fixed on him without blinking.

Kim! Tae-yeon!
Jiang Che's brain went blank for a moment, and he felt like he was instantly petrified.

"What?" Kim Tae-yeon frowned slightly, looking at the fake Yoona with suspicion.
"What key??"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che's soul finally returned, and Yoona's signature smile appeared on his face as he tried to deceive her:
Ah...Taeyeon unnie! It's you!
"You scared me! I thought..." He stammered. Screenwriter Jiang actually stammered?!

"Who did you think it was?" Kim Tae-yeon peeked inside.
"Not available?"

"It's inconvenient, not convenient at all!" Jiang Che originally wanted to say that, but looking at Kim Tae-yeon's tired face, with something still lingering in her eyes, he figured she'd be under immense pressure after September 930th.

And her future doesn't seem so good either. If she's kicked out, what if it causes a conflict with Yoona? Would Yoona beat her to death? Thinking about this, she just couldn't bring herself to say "it's inconvenient."

"No, no! Absolutely not!" Jiang Che quickly stepped aside.
"Come in, unnie!" He instantly transformed into the enthusiastic Yoona. "Why did you suddenly come over?"

Kim Tae-yeon walked into the entryway, her voice a little muffled:
"I was passing by and thought I'd come and visit you. I tried calling you, but no one answered."

She paused, her tone tinged with grievance:
"I figured you wouldn't go anywhere, Yoona, so I just came up..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che couldn't maintain his smile any longer. "Yoona, you're really a pain in the ass!!"

"Ah... haha, maybe my phone was on silent and I didn't hear it..." Jiang Che chuckled dryly, inwardly cursing Zhen Yun'er a hundred times over.

"Unnie, please have a seat. I'm going to the restroom."

Without waiting for Taeyeon's reaction, he picked up his phone and went into the bathroom.

"Yoona, you idiot! If you don't use your phone, just donate it! Or you can trade with me, I still have my old phone!!"

Jiang Che held the old phone and listened to the dial tone on the other end, his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth.

When Kang Cheol came out as the enthusiastic Yoona, he saw Kim Tae-yeon hugging the pillow that always beat up Kang Cheol on the sofa. She looked a little listless, like a delicate doll with low battery.

Jiang Che glanced at Kim Tae-yeon's state and said, "This doesn't look like she came to play with Yoona at all. She just seems to have something on her mind and nowhere to go, so she subconsciously wants to find someone to accompany her."

"What am I going to do?" Jiang Che's brain raced. Tell a joke? The atmosphere felt off. Awkward conversation? He was afraid he'd give himself away.

Why not be a little sarcastic? Yoona might beat him to death later... He glanced at Yoona's wine cabinet and a thought popped into his head: there's nothing a drink can't solve; if there is, then have two drinks!

This guy's a notorious drunkard! He gets drunk, falls asleep instantly, and all his worries disappear. He doesn't even have to rack his brains to deal with things anymore. Haha, Jiang Che, you're really a genius…

"Unnie," Kang Cheol transformed back into the obedient Yoona:
"Have you been too tired lately? You don't look very energetic. Would you like me to have a drink with you?"

My friend brought back a bottle of limited edition wine from a century-old shop, and I haven't even had the heart to drink it myself yet.

Kim Tae-yeon looked up at Yoona with some surprise. "In my memory, Yoona drinks too, but not as frequently as Joo-kyu. It's a bit unusual that she brought it up on her own initiative."
But at this moment… she hesitated for a moment, looked at the obedient Yoona, and finally nodded gently:
"...Well, that's fine too."

Jiang Che was overjoyed: The plan worked! He really was brilliant! He immediately got up and opened the wine cabinet. He silently chanted:
Yoona, I'm so sorry, you probably won't be able to keep the rest of your wine, but this is for your dear Taeyeon unnie, you'll forgive me, right? Amen! Kang Cheol carefully poured a glass for Kim Taeyeon and himself, his mind racing with calculations:
Three cups, no, two cups! Two cups at most! With Taeyeon's alcohol tolerance, she would definitely pass out after two cups.

"Unnie, cheers?" Kang Cheol picked up his glass, trying his best to imitate Yoona's playful manner.

Kim Tae-yeon looked at the familiar yet subtly different face in front of her, picked up her wine glass, forced a smile, lightly clinked glasses with Kang Cheol's, and quite decisively drank half of the glass.

Jiang Che's eyelids twitched: So intense?
I quickly took a sip too. Hmm... Did Yoona buy a fake? This wine isn't as good as the previous one.

"Yoona," Kim Tae-yeon put down her cup, her gaze unfocused as she looked at the coffee table.

"Sometimes... I really feel so tired." Her voice was weary.

Here it comes! Jiang Che perked up and immediately switched into his confidante mode. "Unnie, do you mean...the group? Or...someone personally?" he cautiously probed.

Although some time has passed since the 930 incident, solo fans and group fans are still fighting fiercely.

Kim Tae-yeon picked up her glass and drank the remaining half. Two blushes quickly rose on her cheeks, and her eyes became slightly misty.

“Everything…everything…” she stammered.

"It feels like...nothing I do is right...Fans are expecting things, the company is demanding things...The members...Everyone is working so hard..."

She spoke haltingly, the pressure in her words spreading like a tangible force:
"Why...why can't it be like before..."

Jiang Che listened quietly without interrupting. He didn't know how to comfort her. This girl had really had a tough time lately. Maybe he should tell her about her upcoming solo career?
However, Jiang Che's feelings are very complicated right now:
Who would believe that this imposter is comforting the true God? And that he's a penniless nobody comforting a rich woman? Wait, a penniless nobody?
Jiang Che's eyes lit up at this thought. He picked up the bottle and poured a little more for Taeyeon.

"Unnie, don't think too much! You are the one and only Kim Tae-yeon! Believe me, when you go solo in the future, you will definitely be a huge hit!!"

"SOLO?" The alcohol made Kim Tae-yeon's eyes even more confused. "Me? Big fire?" She laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Of course!" Jiang Che said decisively, deciding to add some substance to solidify his statement. He tried hard to recall the melody of the song "I," and cleared his throat:

"
The tears you shed

All the suffering you have experienced

"It's all just to fly higher." Yoona isn't a professional singer, but at least her singing is listenable.

Kim Tae-yeon was stunned. Yoona, who was usually just beautiful, was actually singing a song she had never heard before? Her misty eyes stared straight at Kang Cheol.

The melody and the lyrics somehow brought back all the pent-up frustration, exhaustion, and confusion of the past few days. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks without warning.

"Unnie?!" Jiang Che was startled. The effect was too immediate! He quickly grabbed a tissue and handed it to her, but his inner calculations were even more fervent—watch me fool you so much, no, I mean I'll give you half of my earnings in the future!
"Yoona..." Kim Tae-yeon took the tissue, but didn't wipe her tears; her voice was thick with a nasal tone.
"You...you song..."

(End of this chapter)