Chapter 142

Just as Lin Xiaolu and Lin Xiuyuan were freely pouring out their smiles and youthful time on the streets of Harajuku, Seoul in 2025 was also welcoming the same morning.

Krystal, who had officially started her shooting work for the day, had just sat down to prepare for makeup when the exclamations of the makeup artist and staff rang in her ears once again.

Such scenes had recently become almost a daily routine for her.

"Your skin is getting better and better, Krystal~"

"And your hair too, daebak, did you cure your receding hairline?"

Krystal smiled, her tone carrying a bit of composure and mystery she had prepared long ago.

"Yeah, I recently met a friend from Huaxia who gave me a prescription for Traditional Chinese Medicine. I didn't expect that after drinking the medicine every morning and night, it would show results in just half a month. I find it quite magical myself; I'm really lucky."

"Traditional Chinese Medicine, huh? It's really quite mysterious. We haven't heard of any breakthroughs in Korean medicine for many years."

"The world has changed; we really need to open our eyes and look at the outside world."

In the information explosion era of 2025, young people on the Peninsula also had to start re-examining the world.

Although some chose to stubbornly live within their own perceptions, others, like these makeup artists and staff, were willing to believe, to try, and to marvel.

After she finished speaking, those makeup artists and staff also crowded around Krystal, asking if they could use the prescription as well.

However, Krystal politely declined them all with an excuse—either that the person had brewed the medicine for her directly, or that it was a secret recipe. Anyway, having an excuse was enough to brush them off.

But it was only a moment of triumph before the makeup artist there suddenly changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, Jiyeon from T-ara has been in really great shape lately too. Didn't my friend just go with them to the Lion City for a music festival? When she was doing her makeup, she said her skin and complexion were just like yours right now; the whole person was glowing."

"Hmm?" Krystal raised her eyes to look at the makeup artist busy drawing her eyebrows in the mirror, her voice pausing slightly, "Unnie, who did you just say?"

"Jiyeon from T-ara, of course. Her skin is incredibly good. My friend even took a close-up photo of her to show me; she's basically returned to her peak period."

The makeup artist, busy drawing eyebrows, said while sighing that idols are just different; no matter what, they still rely on their looks to make a living.

She didn't notice at all that when Krystal heard these words, her small fist clenched slightly, and her lips remained tightly pressed for a moment.

The lights in the makeup room remained bright and gentle, and the mirror reflected her exquisite features.

But at this moment, Krystal felt as if some silent alarm had gone off in her heart.

Just like that, a few more days passed.

During these few days, in Tokyo in 2013.

Lin Xiuyuan, Lin Xiaolu, and Sulli were almost completely brought into a journey of a "runaway Tokyo food and fun squad" by Goo Hara.

The four of them barely stopped, their itinerary packed tight, like fighting a relaxed yet enthusiastic "happy battle."

But strangely, no one complained of being tired; instead, everyone played with more enthusiasm than anyone else.

On the morning of the first day, they first took a big stroll through the alleys of Harajuku, during which a cosplay collision occurred between Lin Xiuyuan and Lin Xiaolu, which could be described as having drama maxed out.

At noon, they found a Showa-style ramen shop nearby to rest, and the piping hot soy sauce ramen paired with golden, crispy pan-fried dumplings made everyone shout, "The deliciousness is off the charts!"

However, Lin Xiuyuan chose a beef ramen, but the soup was too thick, and he ate it with a complicated expression.

In the afternoon, they headed straight for Akihabara. Besides hunting for figures and buying games, the arcade was naturally a key check-in area.

Racing, fighting, claw machines—the group experienced almost every machine at least once.

Lin Xiuyuan's skills were decent, but the combat effectiveness of the girls next to him was a bit worrying.

Near dusk, Sulli had a sudden whim and suggested taking photo booth pictures.

But in the final product, Lin Xiuyuan was covered in stickers by the two girls, even having a pair of rabbit ears on his face, and his face had turned completely black.

Only Sulli held the photo and laughed until tears were about to come out, while Lin Xiaolu insisted on putting it in her wallet, planning to take it out and mock someone thoroughly later as "black history material."

Early the next morning, Goo Hara took everyone straight to Kaminarimon Senso-ji, saying she wanted to "cleanse some bad luck" and, by the way, draw a fortune to get some good luck.

In front of the temple, incense smoke swirled, and crowds surged.

Lin Xiuyuan drew a fortune amidst the group's teasing, and upon seeing it, his face immediately turned black again.

The two characters for "Great Misfortune" were particularly glaring.

And the three girls beside him laughed into a ball. Lin Xiaolu held her stomach and laughed until she leaned back, "Lin Xiuyuan, did you just roll your eyes at the temple gate gods?"

Sulli, with a serious face, handed her "Great Luck" fortune to him, "Oppa, come on, I'm your exclusive lucky koi fish, hurry up and swap it!"

But of course, Lin Xiuyuan refused this, because in the hearts of Huaxia people, if I believe in you, you are real; if I don't believe in you, you are just wild grass on the side of the road.

It's not at all like here in Japan and Korea, where they believe it to the marrow of their bones.

So he told Sulli to keep the fortune well and indicated that she would be better off in the future.

Before leaving, Sulli suggested taking a group photo.

In the photo, Lin Xiuyuan stood in the center with his arms spread, Sulli and Hara each resting on one of his palms, and Lin Xiaolu squatted in front of him with a radiant smile, like a proud little fox.

This group photo was eventually set by Sulli as her phone lock screen.

At noon, the group had a "tasting challenge" on the snack street near Senso-ji.

From takoyaki to grilled senbei, from taiyaki to Japanese-style stir-fried noodles, the group ate their way through almost the entire street without spending much money at all.

Sulli ate while filming a vlog, then smiled at the phone lens until she was swaying, "Do you know? Choi Jin-ri, this is truly the happiest time I've had in recent years. You must remember this."

As she said this, a glimmer of crystal-clear light really flashed in her eyes.

In the afternoon, the group rented bicycles and rode along the banks of the Sumida River.

The wind blew past, carrying the scent of early summer.

The wind blew past, carrying the temperature and taste of early summer.

Lin Xiaolu, not wanting to move, simply sat her butt into the front basket of Lin Xiuyuan's bike, licking a popsicle while humming a little tune.

Lin Xiuyuan muttered, "You're going to crush my bike basket," but he kept riding steadily without stopping.

Lin Xiaolu turned back and glared at him, "You're insulting Girls' Generation. Do you believe I'll post this online and cyberbully you?"

"Bring it on, let's see who dies first," Lin Xiuyuan countered with a laugh.

Goo Hara quietly raised her phone from behind and froze this scene in time.

Under the sunset, the figures in the backlight were like a gentle painting; in the frame, three young people, laughing, playing, like youthful days without worries.

The third day could be called "Shopping Carnival Day."

From Harajuku and Shibuya all the way to Ginza, the combat effectiveness of the three girls was directly off the charts.

And after experiencing these two days, when they finally saw a cosplay-themed shop that looked decent, Lin Xiaolu's eyes lit up, and she started frantically clearing the shelves as soon as she went in.

Masks, wigs, cosplay costumes—everything was available, and they returned fully loaded.

Later, because there were too many things, they followed the shopkeeper's suggestion and packed them on the spot, finding an international logistics company to ship several large boxes back to Seoul.

Then they bought some recent fashion styles and items, but these weren't shipped back; instead, they used Lin Xiuyuan as a bag carrier.

After a casual meal at noon, in the afternoon they took Lin Xiuyuan to the Shibuya crossing to check in.

The evening was even simpler: they returned to the hotel's presidential suite and turned on KTV mode.

During the three-hour duration, Goo Hara was the microphone hog the whole time, Sulli assisted with dancing, and Lin Xiuyuan and Lin Xiaolu leaned to the side, watching the two of them with amusement.

On the fourth day, Goo Hara had a temporary work arrangement, so the three of them started a free-action mode.

Early in the morning, Sulli suddenly said she wanted to see the "legendary red-light district," but Lin Xiaolu grabbed her, "There's nothing to see there, and besides, what kind of entertainers would you see on a rainy day? Let's go, let's go eat dessert. I saw online that there are a few handmade cake shops nearby."

Just like that, the destination was changed in a second to a well-known cake shop nearby.

The three of them ordered six or seven flavors in one go, from strawberry cream to matcha mille-feuille, various sweet and greasy happiness served one after another, until they were so full they even skipped lunch.

During this time, Lin Xiuyuan transformed into an all-around photographer, taking countless photos of them.

But when Lin Xiaolu finished looking at them, her expression was strange as she looked at him, "Lin Xiuyuan, are these photos you took? They're all memes, right? You deliberately captured me rolling my eyes, right?"

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, feigning innocence, "Your expressions were too eye-catching; I couldn't help it."

"Hey, looking for a beating!" Lin Xiaolu raised her fist.

In the afternoon, because the rain got heavier, the three of them simply rented a small private room in a Japanese-style internet cafe, intending to experience it and kill some time.

In this private room, Sulli put on headphones and started playing games, while Lin Xiaolu flipped through shoujo manga, complaining while reading that the plot was too melodramatic.

Midway, the two of them even tried playing CS with Lin Xiuyuan, but the two girls' operation was touching, and they hadn't played many rounds before they were beaten by the computer AI.

They were beaten until they had no power to fight back.

"I'm not playing anymore, this game definitely has bugs," Lin Xiaolu threw down the mouse, looking serious.

"Right, I'm not playing either, this isn't prepared for humans!" Sulli immediately agreed, as if they hadn't lost to skill, but to fate.

The fifth day.

Early this morning, Sulli went out alone because she had an appointment with Goo Hara to go to an amusement park.

However, Lin Xiuyuan and Lin Xiaolu did not accompany them on this trip.

In Lin Xiaolu's words, her brain had been too relaxed these past few days, and she needed to leave some time to properly organize the emotions that had settled over these days.

After all, the reason she came this time was for an "immersive experience."

And Lin Xiuyuan stated he wouldn't go to be a third wheel, so Sulli and Goo Hara could have a good private chat; otherwise, if he were there, the topics of conversation would definitely be much fewer.

And so, the four-person squad that had been playing for days split into two groups today.

One group went to the amusement park, and one group stayed in the presidential suite to rest.

However, Lin Xiuyuan, who stayed in the presidential suite to rest, wasn't idle either. Under Lin Xiaolu's encouragement, he said that since the money was already spent, it would be a bit of a waste not to use the pool.

So he simply changed into swimming trunks and came out, showing off his physique a little in front of her, which drew a burst of laughter from Lin Xiaolu, and then he dove headfirst into the pool water.

By the poolside, Lin Xiaolu, seeing Lin Xiuyuan jump down, also bent over to roll up her pajama pants, sat down, and put her feet into the constant-temperature pool water, kicking and splashing gently.

The morning sunlight spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the water surface rippling with shimmering light, and the air floated with the refreshing scent unique to late summer.

Lin Xiuyuan stretched his body in the water, swimming a few laps leisurely, then dove to the bottom of the water, preparing to swim a circle from underwater.

When he looked up at the poolside, he happened to see those dangling little feet.

It was Lin Xiaolu sitting by the edge of the pool, her pant legs rolled up, her feet soaking in the water, occasionally kicking up fine splashes of water.

Her feet were small and well-proportioned, her insteps slightly arched, her toes nimbly opening and closing, snow-white and soft, like two floating jade petals in the water.

Sunlight passed through the glass, dappled light and shadow spilling onto her skin and the water surface, gentle and alluring.

Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but hook the corner of his mouth into a mischievous smile, quietly approaching.

While she was looking around, he suddenly emerged from the water, one hand quietly hooking her left sole.

"Ah!!!"

Lin Xiaolu was instantly like she had been electrocuted, her whole body leaning backward, almost falling into the water.

Actually, she had seen Lin Xiuyuan swimming over just now, but she hadn't expected this guy to be so childish, so she immediately laughed and scolded, grabbing the water ladle on the side and splashing it at him, "Lin Xiuyuan, are you looking for death?"

,

Lin Xiuyuan laughed loudly, spreading his hands and swimming toward the center of the pool, "Come on, hit me if you can!"

"You still dare to say that!"

Lin Xiaolu scolded poutingly while splashing water, but she was nimbly avoided by Lin Xiuyuan, who backhanded a large wave of water back, hitting her until she retreated again and again.

Back and forth, the two simply started a water fight in the pool.

Lin Xiaolu knelt by the edge of the pool, using her hands to continuously scoop water to splash him, but she was ultimately no match for Lin Xiuyuan, this "underwater mobile armor."

She was splashed with water droplets on her face several times.

Just as she intended to stand up and splash a more violent one, her feet suddenly slipped.

"Ah!"

Her whole body fell into the water without any defense, splashing a big water flower with a plop.

Lin Xiuyuan was quick-eyed and fast-handed, immediately reaching out to scoop her up from the water. Lin Xiaolu lay wet in his arms, her long hair sticking to the side of her face, her pajamas more than half wet, water droplets sliding down her collarbone.

At that moment, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

The two looked at each other, Lin Xiaolu wiped the water droplets off her face and looked at Lin Xiuyuan with resentment, "Look, it's all your fault."

"You were the one who splashed water at me first."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled, but his hands didn't let go, still tightly wrapped around her slender waist, "How about it? Can you swim? Otherwise, I'm going to let go."

"Don't, I don't really know how."

Upon hearing that he was going to let go, Lin Xiaolu immediately hugged his neck, her whole body hanging on like a little cat, tightly circling his neck.

She had just choked on several mouthfuls of water, and her heartbeat hadn't calmed down yet, so naturally, she didn't dare to take risks.

And this sudden action of Lin Xiaolu made Lin Xiuyuan freeze for a moment.

Because of the buoyancy of the water, her whole body pressed against him.

That thin pajama was already soaked through by now, tightly sticking to her body, outlining her delicate and soft curves.

Lin Xiuyuan could almost feel the frequency of her heartbeat; it was an acceleration of nervousness, panic, and seemingly a bit of unease.

His hands were already wrapped around her waist, but this time they froze for a few seconds.

Lin Xiaolu didn't notice, or perhaps she did, but didn't point it out.

She just buried her face in his neck and muttered, "You're not allowed to let go."

Her voice carried a bit of hoarseness, her wet hair sticking to her shoulders and cheeks, gently sweeping against Lin Xiuyuan's skin.

Lin Xiuyuan looked down at her, his gaze unconsciously moving from the stray hairs with water droplets sliding down behind her ears, to her collarbones, and then moving downward all the way; the soft contours faintly visible under the wet clothes made him almost unable to look away.

"Okay, I won't let go. How about we go ashore first?"

He swallowed subconsciously, his Adam's apple rolling, and his voice said in a low tone, "If you keep hugging me like this,

I really can't control myself."

Lin Xiaolu only then realized that their posture was indeed a bit too ambiguous.

Not to mention that she was pressed against him, her knees were even clamping his waist when she dove in just now, and now being supported by the water,

almost every inch of their bodies was pressed together.

She slowly raised her head and met his eyes.

In those eyes, there was a smile, and also a kind of heat that couldn't be hidden.

Some things, at some times, happened naturally, and she also felt it was okay.

Just like at this moment.

So she suddenly asked softly, "Then—do you want to control it?"

Lin Xiuyuan didn't speak, his breathing just became heavier than before.

And the next second, Lin Xiaolu leaned in a little closer.

She slightly tensed her legs, raised her head slightly, paused for a moment at Lin Xiuyuan's lips, and then kissed him.

This wasn't the passive response from the tavern a few days ago, but an active, serious, and even slightly provocative kiss.

Her lips were soft and moist, carrying the sweetness of water vapor mixed with body temperature, her breath hitting the side of his face, without any pattern, yet it tugged at one's heartstrings.

At first, it was just a light touch, but soon, she seemed to be led by the rhythm of that feeling, gently biting Lin Xiuyuan's lower lip, as if inviting him to go further.

Lin Xiuyuan's eyes darkened instantly, and the strength of his embrace deepened unconsciously.

Ripples spread across the water surface, and the sunlight spilled through the glass onto their intertwined figures, frozen in this moment without moving.

This was intimacy, and also the beginning of some kind of tacit understanding.

Lin Xiaolu had never been so active, and Lin Xiuyuan had never been so out of control.

After a long while, Lin Xiaolu lay in Lin Xiuyuan's arms, the lingering warmth of that kiss still remaining between their lips and teeth, her heartbeat thumping wildly as if it had lost control.

She didn't continue to kiss, just gently leaned her head back on his shoulder, feeling his scorching body temperature coming from his chest, beat by beat, just like the rhythm of her heart at this moment.

The water rippled gently around them, and everything seemed to slow down.

She closed her eyes, letting herself lean on Lin Xiuyuan, but her heart was incomparably clear.

Yes, actually, from the moment she decided to come to Tokyo with him, she already knew what she was betting on.

After getting along these days, she also understood a situation.

That is, Lin Xiuyuan is not the kind of person who will use flowery words, but he always makes people's hearts move in the details.

He starts to remember what she likes to eat.

Knowing she is afraid of the cold, he silently hands over his jacket.

He will hold an umbrella for her on a rainy day and shield her from the wind on the street.

When her feet are sore from shopping, he will squat down and turn back to say with a smile, "Come on, aren't heroines supposed to be carried by the hero?"

》

Actually, from the first day she came to Tokyo, Lin Xiaolu had been telling herself.

No matter how this journey ends, at least, she must live as the heroine of an idol drama during these few days, engraving the emotions belonging exclusively to the heroine into her marrow.

Because she didn't want to miss this opportunity that she knew could "soar to the sky."

So she started to actively approach, actively feel moved, actively embrace, actively give kisses, and actively pursue that little bit of "ambiguity" that slowly grew from daily life.

She knew she couldn't wait for Lin Xiuyuan to speak; she was using her own way to push this relationship bit by bit toward the answer in her heart.

The hands that reached out quietly these past few days, those moments of falling into his arms while playing games, those expectations when she pretended to be lost in the mall and waited for him to find her—all of these don't seem like testing anymore.

But rather, it's the natural result of the moment she kissed his lips today.