Why would Peninsula want to date a lazy dog ​​like me?

"PD Wei, is there anything here that needs adjusting?"

Park Dong-hoon, the head of CJ ENM's music division, a big shot in the Korean entertainment industry whose every move could cause an earthquake, stood behind Wei Wu, his face full of a warm, almost obsequious smile.

"No need, it's fine. CJ's hardware is truly top-notch."

Wei Wu took a sip of his iced Americano, his tone calm, without even turning his head.

He's now a top independent producer with a signing bonus of 500 million won and "absolute freedom" granted by CJ. Although deep down he's still that trouble-averse, low-level worker, he understands very well that in this industry where capital reigns supreme, your talent and net worth are the capital for your arrogance.

The more you act like a big shot, the more they feel that the 500 million was well spent.

These people are just asking for trouble.

"That's good, that's good." Park Dong-hoon rubbed his hands together. "The members of IZ*ONE are already waiting outside. Today, we'll mainly let them familiarize themselves with their respective parts of 'Violeta' and record a few test clips. When would you like to start?"

"Let them in. I'm in a hurry; I need to go back and play games this afternoon," Wei Wu said casually, flipping through the lyrics distribution sheet in his hand.

"Okay! I'll arrange it right away!"

Park Dong-hoon gave a wink to Kim Sung-soo, the manager of the agency standing next to him, and the two of them tactfully withdrew from the control room, leaving Wei Wu with absolute authority.

As the soundproof door was pushed open, a series of chattering yet suppressed footsteps drifted in.

The twelve members of IZ*ONE, dressed in their own clothes, walked into the recording studio in a neat line.

Wei Wu coldly observed the group of beautiful young women through the glass window. His gaze paused almost imperceptibly when it swept over the tall figure at the end of the line.

Wei Wu's back muscles tensed slightly.

The reason he was willing to leave that safe apartment today was partly because he had taken the money and needed to do something, and partly because he wanted to test the waters.

He wanted to see what kind of madness Zhang Yuanying would go through after that falling-out conflict and discovering that she had been signed by CJ.

If she dares to continue her "I'm your master" yandere act in CJ's recording studio, Wei Wu will definitely throw his iced Americano in her face without hesitation, then take the money and leave. He'll just sue CJ; he's got nothing to lose.

"one two three!"

Captain Kwon Eunbi's clear voice rang out from the monitor speakers.

"Eyes On Me! Annyeonghaseyo! We are IZ*ONE! Nice to meet you!"

The twelve girls bowed in unison at a ninety-degree angle, their voices perfectly synchronized, filled with awe and curiosity towards this mysterious genius producer.

Wei Wu pressed the intercom button, his voice low and flat.

"No need to be so polite, it's not like we've met before. Time is precious, let's get started. Kwon Eunbi-ssi, you go first with the first paragraph."

The recording has officially begun.

"Stop. Kwon Eunbi-ssi, don't use your pure voice to hit the high notes, it's too sharp. Use a mixed voice, with a bit of breathiness, I want that gorgeous yet somewhat psychedelic feel. Let's try again."

"Cho Yuri, your pronunciation is too heavy. 'Violeta' isn't a powerful song; it's light, like violet petals. Put the emphasis on the second half of the beat and try again."

"Ahn Yu-jin, your emotions aren't right. You're singing too much like a passionate female warrior. Tone it down a bit, imagine you're someone searching for light in the fog."

Wei Wu's orders were precise, ruthless, and to the point, without any unnecessary words.

The girls outside the control room were all awestruck by this powerful and professional aura.

As the recording progressed, Wei Wu's brows gradually relaxed.

It must be said that these girls are indeed very capable; they grasp things very quickly.

However, Wei Wu's attention was always partly focused on Zhang Yuanying, who was sitting in the corner waiting.

He was waiting. Waiting for this crazy woman to slip up.

Finally, it was Zhang Yuanying's turn.

"Zhang Yuanying, come into the shed." Wei Wu pressed the intercom button, his voice unconsciously carrying a hint of wariness.

Zhang Yuanying stood up, walked to the microphone, and put on her headphones.

Then, she looked through the thick glass at Wei Wu in the control room.

Wei Wu's finger hovered over the record button, his eyes coldly meeting hers.

He was prepared to immediately cut off the microphone should Zhang Yuanying dare to look at him with that disgusting gaze or say any inappropriate or crazy things.

however.

Zhang Yuanying did not.

She bowed very precisely and respectfully towards the glass window.

"PDnim, I will do my best. Please give me your guidance."

Her voice was clear and sweet, with just the right amount of nervousness and awe, exactly the kind of reaction an ordinary idol would have when facing a strict producer.

Wei Wu was taken aback.

He looked at Zhang Yuanying with some suspicion.

"...Let's begin."

Wei Wu pressed the play button, and the accompaniment music filled the recording studio.

Zhang Yuanying closed her eyes and swayed gently to the beat. When her part came, she precisely entered the melody.

"넌나의바이올레타 (You are my violet)..."

Wei Wu's pupils dilated slightly.

perfect.

It wasn't just the perfect pitch and rhythm, but also the perfect emotional connection. Zhang Yuanying flawlessly conveyed this subtle emotion with her uniquely sweet voice.

Even in the treatment of the ending note, she deliberately added a slight vibrato, making the whole lyric sound like a feather gently scratching the tip of one's heart.

"stop."

Wei Wu pressed the intercom button.

Zhang Yuanying immediately opened her eyes, looking somewhat uneasily at the glass window, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes: "PDnim, is there something I sang badly?"

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Wei Wu's wariness gradually subsided.

"No, you sang very well." Wei Wu gave a fair assessment, "The handling of the ending notes was very clever. Keep this feeling, let's record the chorus as well."

"Yes! Thank you, PDnim!" Zhang Yuanying's face immediately lit up with a bright and innocent smile, as if she had received the greatest praise.

For the next half hour, Zhang Yuanying's recording went surprisingly smoothly.

She was very obedient. She sang exactly as Wei Wu instructed. If Wei Wu pointed out any flaw, she would immediately correct it and never make the same mistake twice.

She behaved like a perfect, emotionless vocal machine, or an extremely obedient puppet.

"Alright, Zhang Yuanying's part is done. Come out now."

Wei Wu took off his headphones and let out a long sigh of relief.

He leaned back in his chair and watched as Zhang Yuanying bowed to thank the other members before obediently sitting back in the corner to drink water.

"It seems I was overthinking it."

Wei Wu sneered inwardly.

Zhang Yuanying is an extremely vain young lady who is extremely concerned about her perfect image. Her previous outburst was because there were only the two of them in that hidden basement of the Starship.

Now, she's in the spotlight. She's afraid her teammates will discover her twisted true self, afraid of being seen by CJ's executives, and even more afraid that her carefully cultivated "national little sister" image will collapse.

Therefore, she could only try her best to act normal and well-behaved.

"That makes things easier."

Wei Wu felt a wave of relief wash over him.

As long as this crazy woman doesn't cause trouble at work, he can make his 500 million won incredibly easily. Everyone's business as usual: you do your job, I'll take my money, and we'll keep to ourselves.

Wei Wu even found his previous sense of tension, as if facing a formidable enemy, somewhat laughable.

"He's just a spoiled brat who likes to play master-servant games."

Wei Wu picked up his iced Americano and took a large, satisfying sip.

But what he didn't know was that on the other side of the bulletproof glass, the girl sitting in the corner with her head down, seemingly drinking water quietly, was experiencing a turbulent frenzy inside.

Zhang Yuanying held the water glass tightly in both hands, her long hair hanging down to cover her face.

No one could see that the corners of her mouth were twisted and turned upwards in a terrifying arc.

Her eyes were fixed on the ripples in the water glass, and deep within them churned a thick, inky black slurry.

"Cao Cao..."

"Cao Cao..."

She chewed on that name in her mind over and over again, almost obsessively.

For her, the half hour she spent in the recording studio just now was an ultimate spiritual celebration.

She heard Wei Wu's deep, cold, and controlling commands coming through her earphones (not really, that's just her imagination).

"Let's start over."

"Too much breathing."

"Do as I say."

Every word, every phrase, was like an electric whip lashing her soul, making every cell in her body tremble and scream.

She deliberately made mistakes in minor ways just so she could hear his scolding one more time.

She deliberately adopted a submissive and humble attitude to meet his every request because she discovered that when she acted like a puppet completely under his control, Wei Wu's eyes would reveal a satisfied and relaxed emotion.

He was in control of her.

He is sculpting her.

He was using his talent and his commands to leave his mark on the depths of her soul!

"This feeling...is amazing..."

Zhang Yuanying felt her breath becoming hot.

She originally thought that with the hit song being taken by CJ and Wei Wu being signed by capital, she would lose control over him.

But she was wrong.

She discovered a more discreet, exciting, and irresistible way to possess someone.

She played the role of a perfect idol in front of everyone, her teammates, and the executives of CJ.

But only she knew that her perfect body existed only for the man behind the glass window.

Wei Wu thought she was pretending to be well-behaved because she was afraid of ruining her image.

It's absolutely ridiculous.

The reason she pretended to be well-behaved was because she discovered that Wei Wu, this highly vigilant lone wolf, would only let his guard down when faced with "safe" and "normal" things.

"Since you'd rather see the normal me..."

Zhang Yuanying slowly raised her head, and through the gaps in her hair, she stared intently at Wei Wu's profile in the control room with a greedy gaze that could melt a person.

"Then I'll act out the most perfect, most obedient puppet for you to see."

"I will make you get used to my obedience, my presence, and your control over me."

"Until one day, you wolf will be strangled by this gentle rope and will never be able to escape from my world again."

She no longer uses violence and coercion to tear apart her prey, but transforms into a clear yet bottomless swamp, waiting in the most harmless manner for her prey to sink into it step by step until it suffocates.

"Ten-minute break."

Wei Wu's voice was broadcast throughout the recording studio through loudspeakers.

The members immediately breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed to drink water and stretch their muscles.

Wei Wu pushed open the door to the control room and walked out, preparing to go to the restroom at the end of the corridor.

As soon as he stepped out of the control room, a fragrant figure silently appeared beside him.

"PDnim, thank you for your hard work."

Zhang Yuanying held an unopened bottle of mineral water and handed it to Wei Wu with both hands.

Her face still wore that flawless, innocent smile, and her eyes were as clear as a spring, as if she were truly just a considerate junior to her senior.

Wei Wu stopped and looked down at the bottle of water.

"No need, I already had coffee." Wei Wu refused indifferently, his tone neither sharp nor warm.

He didn't want any contact with this woman outside of work.

"But...you've been talking for so long inside, your throat must be dry." Zhang Yuanying didn't pull her hand back, but instead took half a step forward.

Her voice was soft, tinged with a hint of grievance.

Just as she leaned forward, her fingers, which were offering water, subtly brushed against the back of Wei Wu's hand.

"hiss--"

Wei Wu gasped sharply, and the hairs on the back of his hand stood on end.

The feeling was like being gently licked by a cold, venomous snake when you least expect it.

A strange, chilling shiver ran down my spine and straight to my head.

Wei Wu suddenly raised his head and stared intently into Zhang Yuanying's eyes. He tried to find a trace of provocation, madness, or morbid possessiveness in those clear eyes.

But there was nothing there.

Zhang Yuanying's eyes remained as innocent as ever, and she even seemed somewhat flustered by Wei Wu's sudden wariness.

"P, PDnim... I'm sorry, did I bump into you?" She shrank back like a frightened little rabbit, her eyes instantly reddening.

Wei Wu stared at her intently for a full five seconds.

Finally, he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the strange discomfort in his heart.

"It's alright. I've taken the water, thank you."

Wei Wu grabbed the bottle of mineral water, turned around, and strode towards the end of the corridor, his back view even showing a hint of dishevelment.

He cursed himself inwardly as he walked.

"Damn it, Wei Wu, are you paranoid? It was just an accidental touch, why are you so scared?"

"They're acting so well-behaved right now, don't make yourself miserable."

Standing there, Zhang Yuanying watched Wei Wu's slightly flustered back and slowly withdrew the hand that had just touched the back of Wei Wu's hand.

Then, in a corner where no one could see her, she slowly and adoringly pressed those fingers to her lips and took a deep breath.

The facade of innocence finally tore through her eyes, unleashing a dark red light that was almost tangible and extremely crazed.

"Cao Cao..."

"I received your temperature reading."

"This is just the beginning. I will use the most legal, reasonable, and irresistible method..."

"Little by little, I'll devour you completely."