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

The air conditioning in the study was on full blast, and the air was filled with a faint, slightly neurotic, expensive perfume scent that belonged to Zhang Zhenying, as well as the dry smell of turning pages.

Wei Wu sat at the large mahogany desk, holding a red ballpoint pen, mercilessly drawing big crosses on Zhang Zhenying's exercise book.

"Zhang Zhenying, I just emphasized in the last lesson that the usage of '的, 地, 得' is completely different in Chinese context. You should use '得' after the verb here, not '的'. This is an extremely basic grammatical error."

Wei Wu's voice was cold, hard, and mechanical, without the slightest inflection, like a ruthless teaching machine programmed with a set script. He didn't even lift his eyelids; his dead fish eyes were fixed on the typos in the exercise book, as if those words owed him millions of Korean won.

Sitting next to him, Zhang Zhenying was wearing a black silk slip dress with a thin cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders. She didn't feel ashamed for getting the questions wrong as usual, nor did she try to attract Wei Wu's attention with her body's curves as she had at the beginning.

She simply sat there quietly, her hands folded on her knees, her gaze fixed on Wei Wu's profile.

Her eyes were deep and slick, filled with a chilling fascination, like a venomous snake admiring its prey about to devour. She was waiting, waiting for the "perfect trap" to completely lock this arrogant man to her side.

On the other side of the study, on the soft leather sofa, Zhang Yuanying was hugging a cushion, her long legs curled up, quietly watching this scene.

Today she was wearing a simple white printed T-shirt and a pair of light blue denim shorts, with her hair casually tied back. She looked like a well-behaved and sensible girl next door who had just come home from school.

But only she knew that the heart hidden beneath her sweet exterior was beating wildly with excitement because of the upcoming "hunting time".

"Okay, that's all for today's grammar section. Copy down the parts you got wrong ten times, and I'll check them tomorrow."

Wei Wu closed the textbook on time. He glanced at the time on his phone, then skillfully swept the pens and books on the table into the faded canvas bag, zipped it up, and prepared to leave.

"Teacher Wei, thank you for your hard work," Zhang Zhenying said softly, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

Just as Wei Wu stood up, preparing to leave the study without looking back as usual, Zhang Yuanying, who had been sitting on the sofa like a ghost, suddenly stood up and walked lightly to the desk.

"Teacher Wei, please wait a moment."

Zhang Yuanying's voice was sweet and clear, with just the right amount of shyness. She took out a blue folder with the Starship Entertainment logo from a small bag behind her and handed it to Wei Wu with both hands.

Wei Wu's steps suddenly halted, and his brows instantly furrowed into a tight knot.

His gaze swept over the blue folder, then he looked coldly at Zhang Yuanying.

"What is this?" Wei Wu's voice was filled with undisguised impatience and vigilance. "If it's some kind of trainee contract from your company, or an invitation for me to visit, I advise you to take it back immediately. I'll say it one last time, I have absolutely no interest in the messy affairs of your Korean entertainment industry, so don't bother me."

His extremely trouble-averse radar was frantically sounding alarms.

He knew all too well how these entertainment companies operated; once you got involved, it was endless wrangling, exploitation, and tedious socializing. He just wanted to make some quick money to buy his secondhand monitor speakers.

Seeing Wei Wu's eagerness to avoid him, Zhang Yuanying felt a surge of contempt growing wildly within her.

"What a wary stray dog," she thought to herself with a cold laugh. "Too bad, you have no idea what kind of bait you're dealing with."

Although she had already thoroughly despised Wei Wu in her heart, Zhang Yuanying showed no sign of it on her face. Instead, she lowered her head slightly, feigning a wronged expression as if frightened by Wei Wu's indifference, and bit her lower lip, explaining in a soft, sweet voice:

"Teacher Wei, you've misunderstood. This isn't a trainee contract, nor is it some kind of long-term indentured servitude."

She raised her head, her large, clear eyes looking sincerely at Wei Wu:

"I heard from my sister that you are very talented in music. Coincidentally, our company has a very urgent project recently and needs a capable producer to do outsourced arrangement and mixing. This is just a one-time part-time contract. You don't need to show your face, you don't need to be credited, and you don't even need to come to our company to clock in. As long as you deliver the finished product, the money will be transferred to your account immediately."

Wei Wu's brows remained tightly furrowed.

Outsourcing? Part-time?

He sneered, completely unmoved by that.

"No interest. I already have enough part-time jobs, I don't have time for any music arrangement. Jang Jin-young, keep an eye on your sister, don't let her waste my time after get off work with this kind of boring stuff."

As Wei Wu spoke, he bypassed Zhang Yuanying and walked straight towards the door of the study.

"Teacher Wei!"

Zhang Yuanying turned around, looking at Wei Wu's back, her tone still maintaining that perfect, slightly pleading patience: "Aren't you sure you want to take a look at the compensation before deciding? The terms offered by our company are absolutely top-notch in the industry."

Wei Wu's hand was already gripping the doorknob of the study.

Upon hearing the word "reward," he paused slightly. But reason told him that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and that money from South Korean capitalists wasn't so easy to come by.

"I won't look. No matter the price..."

"Twenty million Korean won."

Zhang Yuanying casually uttered a number, her voice not loud, yet it resounded in the study like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

"Taking away the young master?!"

Wei Wu shouted it out almost subconsciously.

His fingers gripping the doorknob suddenly stiffened, and his entire body seemed to be frozen in place as if under a spell.

The study was deathly silent, with only the constant patter of rain outside the window.

Twenty million Korean won.

That's equivalent to 120,000 RMB.

For a poor international student who stands at a convenience store for eight hours a day, earns only 8,000 won per hour, and has to save up for several months to buy a set of second-hand speakers, this is definitely a huge sum of money that could make his brain instantly shut down.

Wei Wu's Adam's apple bobbed up and down with difficulty.

Suddenly, a blindingly pure...greedy light burst forth from his previously lifeless, dull eyes.

"Say it again?"

Wei Wu slowly turned his head, his neck making an extremely stiff "crackling" sound. He looked at Zhang Yuanying with eyes like a wolf that hadn't eaten for three days and three nights seeing raw, bloody flesh.

Looking at Wei Wu's appearance, Zhang Yuanying's contempt was practically overflowing from the screen.

"Sure enough. As long as you throw the dog a big enough bone, it will wag its tail obediently."

Zhang Yuanying inwardly mocked Wei Wu's cheapness and shallowness.

She had initially thought that this genius who could write "Believer" would have a lot of pride, but in the face of 20 million won, his so-called indifference and aversion to trouble instantly shattered into pieces.

"Teacher Wei, I said the fee for this outsourced arrangement is 20 million Korean won."

Zhang Yuanying suppressed her nausea and maintained her harmless smile as she handed over the blue folder again.

"And, after tax."

"Gulp."

Wei Wu swallowed very noticeably.

He loosened the doorknob and, like a puppet controlled by money, mechanically turned around and walked back to his desk step by step.

He didn't immediately take the folder, but stared intently at Zhang Yuanying with an extremely suspicious and wary look.

"Twenty million? Just for the arrangement and mixing of one song? Does your company have money to burn?" Wei Wu's voice was full of distrust. "For this price, you hired someone like me, a nobody who doesn't even dare to reveal his name? There must be a trap in this contract, right?"

Although Wei Wu loved money, he was definitely not stupid. He knew all too well the nature of the Koreans; these capitalists wanted to suck the marrow out of their employees, so how could they possibly do such a losing business?

Faced with Wei Wu's questioning, Zhang Yuanying remained completely calm. It was all part of her plan.

"Mr. Wei, you're overthinking it." Zhang Yuanying placed the folder on the desk and gently pushed it in front of Wei Wu. "The reason our company is willing to pay this price is because this song is very important for our upcoming comeback, and after listening to your song 'Believer,' our production director believes that your style is exactly what we need. This is a premium for 'special talent recruitment.'"

"Furthermore, I assure you, this is absolutely a clean and transparent outsourcing contract. You can see for yourself."

Wei Wu stared intently at the blue folder, as if it contained a bomb that could explode at any moment, but the bomb's casing was made of pure gold.

Ultimately, the desire for money overcame the fear of trouble.

Wei Wu took a deep breath, stretched out his hand, which was slightly rough from carrying goods in convenience stores for a long time, grabbed the folder, and opened the cover.

The study fell silent again, with only the sound of Wei Wu turning the pages of paper remaining.

Wei Wu read the contract extremely slowly. He scrutinized every word, his brain, honed to an exceptionally sharp level by poverty and a life of manual labor, was now operating at full capacity.

"Party A: Starship Entertainment...Party B: Blank (To be filled in)..."

Job Responsibilities: Complete the arrangement and mixing of the designated demo within fifteen working days...

"Compensation: 20 million Korean Won, to be transferred in a lump sum to Party B's designated account within three working days after Party B delivers the final master tape and it passes inspection..."

"Ownership: Party B voluntarily relinquishes the right of attribution, copyright revenue, and all related derivative rights of this work. Party A owns full ownership of this work..."

"Confidentiality Clause: Party B shall not disclose any details of this cooperation to any third party; otherwise, Party B shall bear full liability for breach of contract..."

Wei Wu scanned the rows one by one, and the more he looked, the brighter his eyes became.

There are no long-term exclusive agreements.

There is no mandatory appearance clause.

There were none of those vague and disgusting demands like "cooperating with the client's promotion."

Aside from making him give up his right to be credited (which didn't matter to him at all, as he never wanted to be famous), the contract was practically a blank sheet of paper!

This isn't a trap at all, it's practically the God of Wealth doing charity for him!

However, Wei Wu's suspicious nature had not completely subsided. He turned to the last page of the contract, his gaze falling on the "additional clauses" that Zhang Yuanying had deliberately bolded.

"Additional Terms: To ensure the final audio track meets commercial release standards and to prevent unreleased audio from being leaked, Party B must use the recording studio designated by Party A, located on the basement floor of Starship Entertainment's headquarters, for the mixing and mastering stages. Party A will provide Party B with 24/7 access control..."

Wei Wu frowned slightly.

"Do we have to go to your company's recording studio?" Wei Wu looked up at Zhang Yuanying.

"Yes, Professor Wei," Zhang Yuanying explained. "We cannot allow the master tapes to be processed on external computers. If they were stolen by hackers, the losses would be incalculable. Moreover, our S-class recording studio has the most advanced equipment in all of South Korea, which I believe will be of great help to your work."

Wei Wu quickly calculated in his mind.

Working at Starship's recording studio meant breaking his principle of "never getting involved in the entertainment industry," and it meant coming and going in that building full of idols and staff, which was definitely a huge "trouble."

but……

That's twenty million!

With those twenty million, why would he need to work at a convenience store? Why would he have to put up with that balding store manager's attitude every day?! He could just buy a whole set of top-of-the-line equipment and then lie around in that run-down cheap apartment for half a year!

"Trouble" is nothing compared to "twenty million".

As long as he doesn't provoke others, as long as he keeps his face covered, and runs away with the money after finishing his work, what problem could there be?

He slammed the folder shut, took a deep breath, and looked at Zhang Yuanying again.

This time, Wei Wu's eyes changed completely.

The indifference and disdain I felt towards "troublemakers," "distant relatives," and "unimportant women" vanished instantly.

Instead, they gave him an extremely ardent, obsequious, and even somewhat divine gaze.

He looked at Jang Won-young as if she were a goddess of wealth radiating golden light. That exquisite face, which had previously held no appeal for him, now seemed more endearing and charming to him than Shin Saimdang on the Korean won banknote.

"Zhang Yuanying, right?"

Wei Wu's voice suddenly became incredibly gentle, even carrying a slight lisp he himself didn't realize. He held the blue folder in both hands as if it were a Bible.

"Oh dear, look at you, you didn't even need to bring a contract. You're too kind."

Wei Wu's face broke into a bright, shrewd smile, his two rows of white teeth gleaming under the study light.

"Actually, although I'm a bit of averse to trouble, I'm extremely meticulous when it comes to music! Since your company values ​​my talent so much, and since Zhang Yuanying has so sincerely invited me, it would be incredibly rude of me to refuse!"

As Wei Wu spoke, he casually stuffed the folder into his canvas bag, his movements fluid and effortless.

"I'll take this contract back and review the details carefully. If there are no problems, we can officially sign it tomorrow!"

Looking at Wei Wu's disgusting behavior of being arrogant at first but obsequious later, and obsessed with money, Zhang Yuanying felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

She had seen countless men fawn over her, some for her beauty, some for her fame, but she had never seen anyone like Wei Wu who treated her like royalty simply because she could bring him 20 million Korean won.

"What a despicable piece of trash."

Zhang Yuanying cursed viciously in her heart.

She felt that the hunt she had carefully prepared had suddenly become somewhat boring.

The prey was too easy to catch, and its eating manners were so unsightly that it greatly diminished her sense of superiority as a person in a superior position.

She couldn't help but feel a deep contempt for her own sister, Zhang Zhenying.

"Unnie, how desperate can you be to fall for such a low-class creature whose mind is only filled with money? You're actually willing to die for someone like this? Your taste is absolutely awful."

Although she had already belittled Wei Wu and her sister to the dust in her heart, Zhang Yuanying still maintained that sweet and obedient smile on her face.

"Okay, Teacher Wei. Then I'll wait for your good news." Zhang Yuanying bowed slightly, her tone carrying just the right amount of joy.

Wei Wu patted the canvas bag with satisfaction, feeling that he had reached the pinnacle of his life.

"Okay, that's all for today. Goodnight, Zhang Zhenying-xi and Zhang Yuanying-xi!"

Wei Wu now found Zhang Zhenying much more pleasing to the eye. He even waved to Zhang Zhenying for the first time ever, and then walked out of the study with extremely light steps, like a gust of wind.

"Bang."

The study door was closed.

Wei Wu's cheerful footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor.

Only the Zhang sisters remained in the study.

The sweet smile on Zhang Yuanying's face vanished the moment the door closed. She slapped her hand, which she had just handed to Wei Wu, with disgust, as if it had been stained with something unclean.

"What a greedy fool." Zhang Yuanying sneered, turning to her sister sitting behind the desk. "Unnie, you see, I told you he couldn't escape my grasp. Once he gets into the recording studio, the rest will be..."

Zhang Yuanying's words were cut off abruptly before she could finish speaking.

Because she noticed that Jang Jin-young did not show the ecstatic expression she had expected.

Instead, Zhang Zhenying was sitting there, staring intently at her with an extremely cold and eerie gaze.

That look was like that of a mother wolf guarding her prey and discovering that another beast is trying to take it.

Zhang Yuanying's heart skipped a beat.

She knew her sister all too well. Although Jang Jin-young usually seemed a bit neurotic, in some ways, her intuition was frighteningly sharp.

Just now, Wei Wu was stunned by the 20 million won and was looking at Zhang Yuanying with the eyes of someone looking at a "Goddess of Wealth".

Zhang Yuanying's extreme contempt and the morbid pleasure of being in complete control caused her to lose control of her facial expressions for a mere 0.01 seconds.

In that instant, the pretense of "the well-behaved younger sister who introduces part-time jobs" disappeared from Zhang Yuanying's eyes when she looked at Wei Wu.

It was a haughty, predatory gaze, as if looking down at an ant at one's feet, yet filled with a twisted possessiveness and a sense of predation.

That was the kind of vicious look that only a deeply yandere would reveal when admiring the prey they were about to manipulate.

This extremely subtle change in expression, which even Wei Wu, with his bluntness, failed to notice, was precisely captured by Zhang Zhenying, who had been observing from the sidelines.

It was as if a bolt of lightning struck Zhang Zhenying's mind.

She suddenly realized that her younger sister, who had always liked to take her things and had a morbid competitive spirit, was not "helping" her at all.

She's robbing us!

The way Zhang Yuanying looked at Wei Wu wasn't at all looking at a future brother-in-law, but rather at an interesting toy of her own!

"Unnie...why are you looking at me like that?"

Zhang Yuanying suppressed her panic and put on an innocent expression, trying to deceive them. She picked up her bag from the sofa, pretending to be preparing to leave.

"Now that everything's taken care of, I'll head back to my room. I have an early announcement tomorrow..."

Zhang Yuanying turned around and quickened her pace toward the study door.

All she wanted to do right now was get out of this oppressive space.

Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob.

"Snapped!"

A cold, pale hand with distinct knuckles gripped Zhang Yuanying's wrist like an iron clamp.

Zhang Yuanying gasped sharply and turned her head away.

Zhang Zhenying had appeared behind her like a ghost at some point.

That once exquisite face was now contorted with extreme anger and morbid jealousy, its eyes bloodshot, radiating a chilling aura of madness.

Zhang Zhenying stared intently into Zhang Yuanying's eyes, her voice hoarse as if it were produced by rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together.

"……stop."