Chapter 86: An Interlude on the Way to Apink's Dormitory

Looking at Chen Zhe before her, sweating profusely and visibly uneasy, Jung Eun-ji’s enchanting eyes narrowed slightly. She fixed her gaze on him, as if trying to see right through him, her stare growing so intense that a fine sheen of sweat broke out on Chen Zhe’s forehead. His heart pounded madly, terrified that he might be exposed at any moment.

“Well then, I’ll trust you this once,” she said at last, her lips curving into a half-smile as if she had seen straight through his intentions, yet, for reasons unknown, chose not to expose his true purpose.

“Hyung Soo-ho, could you help me find a fruit shop nearby? After all, it wouldn’t be proper to visit friends empty-handed,” Chen Zhe said, finally letting out a breath of relief at Jung Eun-ji’s words. The weight on his heart eased, at least for now. He didn’t dare meet her gaze, worried she might see through him again, so he turned instead to Lim Soo-ho, who was driving.

“No problem, I’ll keep an eye out,” Lim Soo-ho replied, suppressing the urge to laugh as he caught the exchange between Chen Zhe and Jung Eun-ji in the rearview mirror.

Perhaps Lady Luck was on Chen Zhe’s side that day, for on their way to Apink’s dorm they did indeed pass by a fruit shop.

Before going in, Chen Zhe asked Eun-ji what kinds of fruit the Apink members liked, especially Hayoung. He received only a gentle reply: “She’s easy to please, any fruit will do.” With a hint of frustration, Chen Zhe walked into the shop, unable to decide what to buy.

Once inside, he immediately surveyed the options. The shop wasn’t small, but the selection was rather limited—just apples, pears, bananas, kiwis, watermelons, grapes, and peaches, the most common varieties.

Seeing so few choices, Chen Zhe frowned, but soon relaxed as he recalled that, given Korea’s modest territory, there simply wasn’t much variety—

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Witnessing this scene, a radiant smile spread across Jung Eun-ji’s face. She waved her arm energetically in farewell to Chen Zhe, then climbed into the van with her befuddled manager.

“Ah Zhe, looks like you’ve already made a great connection with your leading lady. Nicely done!” Han Zelyu, who had come up beside Chen Zhe, clapped him on the shoulder, his tone full of unspoken meaning.

“Exactly, Ah Zhe! You’re quite the social butterfly,” Qiu Ze chimed in from Chen Zhe’s other side, also clapping his shoulder and offering a teasing smile.

“Zelyu, Qiu! That’s enough—stop making things up. There’s nothing between me and Eun-ji noona!” Chen Zhe protested, exasperated, as his two managers continued their teasing.

“Oh, you’re calling her ‘noona’ now, not ‘senior’?” Han Zelyu and Qiu Ze both elongated their words, grinning suggestively.

Chen Zhe’s brow twitched at their continued teasing, and his gaze grew increasingly unfriendly.

“Ahem, well then, Ah Zhe, let’s get you back to your apartment. We’ll have to get up early for the company tomorrow. They’re shooting the MV for your song next,” Han Zelyu quickly changed the subject, feigning a cough and signaling to Qiu Ze.

“Yes, Ah Zhe! We’ll be discussing the MV shoot tomorrow. Do you have any ideas?” Qiu Ze, catching Han Zelyu’s glance and noticing Chen Zhe’s darkening expression, hurried to redirect the conversation.

Sure enough, Chen Zhe’s attention shifted. He began stroking his chin, considering the MV. He hadn’t given it much thought until now.

Despite his powerful memory after being reborn, Chen Zhe simply couldn’t recall how the original MV for “Melody” had looked in his previous life.

Now he had to shoot the MV for “Melody” himself, but with no previous version to reference, he could only rely on his own imagination or wait for the company to provide a concept. It was a little daunting.

“All right, Ah Zhe! Let’s get in the car. You can keep thinking on the way, and if you have any ideas to share at tomorrow’s meeting, even better,” Han Zelyu said, shaking his head at Chen Zhe’s furrowed brow.

“That’s right, Ah Zhe. As the creator of ‘Melody,’ your ideas might be the best fit for the MV—no one knows the song better than you do,” Qiu Ze added after a moment’s thought.

“Okay, I understand, Zelyu, Qiu,” Chen Zhe replied with a helpless shake of his head, following them into the van to head home.

It was past 11 p.m. by the time Chen Zhe finally finished washing up and lay in bed in his apartment, staring blankly at the white ceiling. He still hadn’t come up with any ideas for the MV of his debut single “Melody.” He’d been pondering it ever since they set out for home, but nothing usable came to mind.

Suddenly, his phone, left on the nightstand, began chiming with a series of message notifications.

Chen Zhe quickly rolled over and grabbed his phone. Several people had messaged him—his friends Soojung and Hayoung, a few noonas from Girls’ Generation, and Heechul.

Most were asking how the crew’s invitation went today and whether filming was about to start. Hayoung wanted to know why he’d started acting without telling her.

After replying to the noonas and Heechul, Chen Zhe turned his attention to Soojung’s messages.

“Ah Zhe, how did the crew’s invitation go today? Is your drama about to start filming?” Soojung’s first text had come about half an hour ago.

“No, today was mainly a get-to-know-you dinner arranged by the director, so the main cast could meet and get acquainted for better cooperation during filming,” Chen Zhe explained, understanding her confusion. He’d thought the drama was about to start filming too, before today’s gathering.