Chapter 149: Monogamy and Polygamy (Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets)

In 2013, inside a temporary private room of a home-style restaurant.

As the food was served, Lin Xiuyuan closed the room door again, and Lin Yun'er, who had just put on her mask, took it off once more.

Lin Xiaolu, who had been watching all of this from the side, smiled slightly, "Although the mask is a bit troublesome, at least I can go out for a walk; it's actually quite useful."

Lin Yun'er, who had set the mask down, nodded gently, "Mm, but there is one more situation: if it were to be knocked off by someone, it would be troublesome, so it's still not suitable for places with many people."

Lin Xiuyuan, who was serving soup to the two of them, thought of something upon hearing this and smiled, "If you want to go to a crowded place, I suggest buying a leather suit to wear before going."

"In that case, wouldn't I be surrounded by even more people? Besides, I want to go shopping and have fun; wearing that kind of doll suit would mean being the one played with."

After hearing Lin Xiuyuan's reply, Lin Yun'er gave him a look full of charm and then said indifferently.

However, Lin Xiaolu, who was next to them, stood up to speak for Lin Xiuyuan after hearing this response, "It doesn't necessarily have to be a leather suit; just wear that kind of mask or hood that pulls over. That kind is hard for you to take off yourself, so it would be even harder for others to knock it off."

"Mm~ so Lin Xiaolu, you've been watching SM lately, right?"

A nasal sound carrying a smile flashed by, and then Lin Yun'er, bringing shock to Lin Xiaolu, said this sentence.

After her pupils dilated for a few seconds, Lin Xiaolu denied it repeatedly, "What are you talking about? I didn't, what kind of nonsense are you saying?"

"If not, then why mention hoods and things that can't be taken off..."

"Eat your food, I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Looking at the playful smile on Lin Yun'er's face, Lin Xiaolu, having thrown out this sentence, could only pick up her chopsticks and start drinking soup and picking up food to eat.

Opposite them, Lin Xiuyuan watched this situation and laughed silently.

Then, quite unluckily, he was caught by Lin Xiaolu with this smile; she looked up and said, "What are you laughing at, Lin Xiuyuan? How come I didn't know you could do Bread Making? When will you make some for me?"

"Huh?"

"He can do it with you right now."

"Hmm?"

In just a few short sentences, all sorts of messy thoughts were contained; first, it left Lin Xiuyuan stunned, then it left Lin Xiaolu dumbfounded, and only Lin Yun'er was smiling.

Thus, the three of them just stared at each other, and in an instant, the entire private room went quiet.

A moment later, Lin Xiuyuan, having sorted out the train of thought and the meaning of the words, let out a laugh. After glancing at the cunningly smiling Lin Yun'er, he hurriedly stated, "Next time for sure, let's eat for now, eat."

At this moment, Lin Xiaolu, who was a step behind Lin Xiuyuan, also figured out the meaning behind the sentence Lin Yun'er had suddenly interjected, understanding all the implications after the misunderstanding.

Then she sighed loudly, "Whoa, hey, Lin Yun'er, will I really become like you in the future? Are you sure you're Lin Yun'er and not Sunny unnie?"

"You really shouldn't say that; Shun Gui unnie has really become more conservative as she gets older, unlike how she was in '12 and '13 when she was more open."

It would have been fine not to mention her, but as soon as Sunny was brought up, Lin Yun'er had a topic.

Then, pulling Lin Xiaolu to her side, they began to compare the members of 2013 and 2025, one word after another.

From changes in personality and work situations to private lives, development, and so on.

Lin Xiuyuan ate his lunch quietly, listening to the two gossip, occasionally interjecting to ask a few curious questions, while chatting with Zheng Xiuyan, Park Jiyeon, and others in the group.

Among them, Park Jiyeon asked Lin Xiuyuan if he was free tomorrow; she had finally finished the business of establishing her company through others and was preparing to find Lin Xiuyuan to get together.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had just returned from Nihon, was naturally free, so he set a time.

At this time, Lin Yun'er, who was opposite, saw Lin Xiuyuan frantically typing with his head down, so she hurriedly leaned into Lin Xiaolu's ear and whispered, "What's the situation with you two? No, it should be what's the situation with you? You can't take this guy down in a week?"

After speaking, she looked at Lin Xiaolu with a look of disdain, feeling that this younger version of herself, wearing her own face and still ending up in such a situation, was a bit embarrassing.

"You're being long-winded, and I never said I wanted to make a move."

Lin Xiaolu avoided her gaze and lowered her head to shovel a few bites of food, seemingly not wanting to talk about this aspect.

The main thing was that the 'teasing' game of the past few days had gotten to her head; for example, right now, as she ate, she subconsciously licked her lips.

It was as if the warm traces of the two of them from the past few days still remained on them.

Compared to the direct, tit-for-tat confrontation, she seemed to prefer the taste of this ambiguous period.

Lin Yun'er, who didn't notice this, became curious about another situation, "Then how did you pass the audition this morning?"

Because if, as Lin Xiaolu said, nothing had happened, then she didn't think her younger self could have snatched this role.

"..."

Lin Xiaolu, who had been asked about the crux of the matter, looked left and right, then raised her eyes to look across the table.

Opposite, Lin Xiuyuan, who had also heard this question, could do nothing else after meeting Lin Xiaolu's gaze but help her out of the predicament.

So he said, "YoonA..."

But before he could even finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Lin Yun'er, "Xiuyuan, I think you need to go out to the restroom, don't you think?"

"Ah~"

Lin Xiuyuan was startled, and then, upon seeing Lin Yun'er's smiling expression, he suddenly realized, "Oh, alright, I'll go out to the restroom, you two chat."

Then, looking at Lin Xiaolu beside him with a wry smile and giving her a look of 'I can't help you,' he got up and left.

As the door to the private room was closed, Lin Yun'er didn't mince words and immediately said, "Lin Xiaolu, we are a community of shared destiny now. Why are you hiding things? What good does it do you? Or do you simply feel... shy and afraid to say it?"

"You're such a gossip, Lin Yun'er," Lin Xiaolu retorted.

"What do you mean gossip? I'll tell you the truth: last night, Xiuyuan was just drained of his Yang energy by another fairy. And men are always weaker than women in this regard; if you keep dragging your feet, don't regret it later."

Just as Lin Yun'er finished this sentence, Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean drained of Yang energy? You mean he... no, that's not right, didn't you say he was at your Apartment last night? Could it be that..."

Then, Lin Xiaolu's gaze stared fixedly at Lin Yun'er, wanting her to give an answer.

And Lin Yun'er smiled, having whetted Lin Xiaolu's appetite, "I did leave the door unlocked for him, but who knew Xiuyuan would be so upright that he really wouldn't open the door to take a peek..."

"You just wanted him to take a peek?"

"If he wanted to eat, I was quite happy last night; it wouldn't have been to the point of not letting him."

Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu frowned; although her reason told her that with Lin Xiuyuan's current situation, there was no way for any serious romantic path to develop.

But the feminine sensibility and hormonal secretions that had emerged these days because of the 'experience method' were influencing Lin Xiaolu, causing her to have an impulse to follow her heart rather than her head.

A moment later, Lin Xiaolu finally spoke about some of the situations in the Roppongi Presidential Suite over the past few days, as well as how she had actively thrown herself into the 'experience' when she went out, taking the initiative to try various behaviors, and so on.

However, when Lin Yun'er finished listening, she was completely stunned, "No, you were already that proactive, and Lin Xiuyuan still held back?"

"So now you know why I didn't want to say it; it's really embarrassing, he actually held back."

Slamming down her chopsticks, Lin Xiaolu let out a deep sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and annoyance, yet also a sense of admiration for Lin Xiuyuan.

He is truly the man she set her sights on... the aftereffects are kicking in again.

Then Lin Yun'er asked, "Then what about you? It reached that point, why didn't you be a bit more proactive?"

"I have my pride."

This explanation from Lin Xiaolu left Lin Yun'er completely speechless.

At the same time, she realized that her younger self here is only 23 years old; even if she is well-traveled and has experienced a lot, her skin is still a bit thin.

If this were her, she wouldn't let Lin Xiuyuan leave the Jiudian door without sucking his bone marrow dry.

Thinking of this, Lin Yun'er followed up with a regretful "Ah."

"What?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her.

"I was wondering why Xiuyuan would occasionally stare at me last night; so you two had already reached that step. If I had known, I would have..."

Lin Yun'er thought that if her younger self was already like this, then what secrets could she, the future self, possibly have?

She might as well just eat that guy up and experience whether it's truly effective.

Lin Xiaolu, having learned of Lin Yun'er's thoughts, felt a bit uncomfortable and snorted, "There's no need to be that proactive, can't we just take it slow?"

"I just told you, when it comes to that kind of thing, men are definitely the weaker party. Why do you think monogamy is popular in society now? It's to protect men. If it were polygamy, look at why men in ancient times died young; most were drained of their bone marrow by women."

Facing this 'fallacy' given by Lin Yun'er, Lin Xiaolu was truly shocked beyond words, "Ah, don't lie to me, is that how monogamy is explained?"

"Otherwise, go back and check the books yourself." Lin Yun'er didn't offer much explanation.

Because she had heard this theory on a short video, and it was quite interesting to bring it out now to shock her younger self.

Moreover, in some respects, Lin Yun'er also felt it made quite a bit of sense.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at The Gate.

Noticing this gaze, Lin Xiaolu pulled on Lin Yun'er, "You wouldn't really want to do that, would you? Please, show some restraint. If you really do that, it will be very awkward for me to see him later."

Currently, across the two timelines, they are the only two who can make a pair.

So when Lin Xiaolu thought about the possibility of the other party actually rolling into bed with Lin Xiuyuan, the way Lin Xiuyuan would look at her afterward made her feel inexplicably numb all over.

"You are young, you can take it slow. But I'm different, Lin Xiaolu. You'll understand when you reach my age."

Lin Yun'er, who had softly reminded Lin Xiaolu, smiled slightly, "But I don't actually have that thought right now, don't worry. If it really happens, I will tell you; I won't even be stuttering over a kiss."

"Is this just a kiss?"

The latest novels are first released here!

Lin Xiaolu held her forehead, she had forgotten how many kisses she and Lin Xiuyuan had shared in the past few days.

"I was wondering what you two were doing, the atmosphere was so strange, and it turns out it was just a kiss..." After saying that, Lin Yun'er gave a summary, "Boring, Xiuyuan probably thinks so too."

Lin Xiaolu, who was being whipped repeatedly, couldn't hold back anymore, "Lin Yun'er, that's enough. Don't be sour just because you can't eat the grapes."

"Can't eat? Do you believe that as soon as Xiuyuan walks in the door later, I'll put on a show for you to see?"

"..."

"Look at you, not saying anything again, you coward."

At this moment, the silent Lin Xiaolu thought that once this hurdle was passed, things would be better later.

As it turned out, after the three of them finished eating, paid the bill, left the restaurant, and sat in the same car to leave, Lin Yun'er finally dropped her bomb.

"Xiuyuan, tell me, do you look down on Lin Xiaolu, or do you look down on me? You've kissed to that extent, how are you still able to hold back?"

"Ah? I didn't."

Lin Xiuyuan, holding the steering wheel, opened his eyes wide, his pupils trembling with shock.

In the back seat, Lin Xiaolu had already lunged at Lin Yun'er, "Hey, stop talking, it's so embarrassing."

But unfortunately, Lin Yun'er's next sentence was already out, "Is it because her technique isn't great, so you didn't feel anything? If that's the case, I can teach her."

"Hey, Lin Yun'er!!!"

"Haha, hahaha, no, I..."

Lin Xiuyuan, suddenly being put on the spot, didn't know how to answer for a moment.

If he said no, he had actually enjoyed the kissing quite a bit.

If he said yes, wouldn't that directly offend Lin Xiaolu to death?

So after a dry laugh, Lin Xiuyuan chose to remain silent, quietly taking on the role of the driver, completely ignoring the fight between the two in the back seat.

"What's the matter? Lin Xiaolu, you also profited, didn't you? The experience from the trial card helped you secure the role, right? It's a very normal exchange, you didn't get carried away, did you?"

Lin Yun'er, whose hands were being held, looked at Lin Xiaolu with a playful smile.

Lin Xiaolu, being stared at, blushed a little and had to turn her head to look at the figure driving in front, "Lin Xiuyuan, hurry up and send this crazy woman back to 2025, I really don't want to talk to her anymore."

"It's not that you can't win an argument against me, it's just that I feel Xiuyuan lost out. He ran around helping you with such a big favor, and he only got to kiss a few times."

Facing Lin Xiaolu's statement, Lin Yun'er gave her younger self a few pointers, telling her not to hold back and to strike while the iron is hot, "If this were thrown out to other artists, they would probably lie on Xiuyuan's big bed themselves."

"..."

Although these words were harsh, they were very reasonable, leaving Lin Xiaolu speechless and silent, her cheeks burning.

Fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan spoke up for her in time, "It's mutual benefit, it can't be said so absolutely."

"Xiuyuan, don't speak. In this matter, she is the absolute beneficiary. So you must be extremely clear about this point, Lin Xiaolu."

While saying this, Lin Yun'er put away her smiling expression and looked seriously at her younger self next to her. Having seen many people with inflated egos, although she understood well that she wouldn't be that kind of person.

But her past self didn't have this 2025 parallel timeline, so she didn't dare say whether Lin Xiaolu would change, so she could only warn herself in advance.

Being reserved and having pride is fine, but just don't let your thoughts wander elsewhere.

As the same person, although Lin Xiaolu was a bit younger now, she understood Lin Yun'er's meaning in an instant.

Thus, he withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and stopped making a fuss.

Lin Xiuyuan in the front glanced at the rearview mirror; he had wanted to say something, but was glared back by Lin Yun'er, who told him to be quiet.

Half an hour later, after dropping Lin Xiaolu back at the company, Lin Xiuyuan drove back to the Apartment with Lin Yun'er, who had already put on her fox mask in the back.

Although he didn't ask on the way, halfway there, Lin Yun'er suddenly spoke up on her own, "I know you, Xiuyuan, didn't think that much, but I'm worried that some people think too much and don't take you seriously, you understand?"

"I know, so I'm quite touched."

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at Lin Yun'er in the rearview mirror and smiled slightly.

His answer made Lin Yun'er laugh along, "Then will you accompany me to make bread again tonight?"

"Ah, again? The ones at home haven't been finished yet."

"Then let's go back this afternoon and help me pack those breads up, take them down to give to the community aunties; doing a good deed means the food won't go to waste. What do you think, Xiuyuan?"

"Since you've put it that way, wouldn't refusing mean I lack a charitable heart?"

Just like that, after driving back to the Apartment, Lin Xiuyuan and Lin Yun'er quickly returned to the 2025 side, and upon arriving, headed straight for Lin Yun'er's Apartment.

They didn't forget to buy some packing bags on the way, and then the two of them busied themselves at the Apartment for most of the afternoon.

It wasn't until a call from Dalongzai came into Lin Xiuyuan's mobile phone that he was brought back to reality.

"Who is it?"

Lin Yun'er, who was sitting on the carpet fiddling with a box, turned back to ask.

Behind her, Lin Xiuyuan was currently using pliers to bend some wire, "I don't know, let me see..."

As he spoke, he stood up to look at the phone on the coffee table, and upon seeing the caller, he drew in a slight breath.

At the same time, Lin Yun'er's voice came again, "What's the situation, who is it?"

"Uh, it's Zhiyan."

"Hmm? The one who ate you clean last night~"

As Lin Xiuyuan spoke, Lin Yun'er immediately leaned over, then very naturally draped herself over Lin Xiuyuan's shoulder and laughed, "Answer it, see what's going on."

"Hello, Zhiyan."

"Xiuyuan, let's have dinner together tonight~"

As Dalongzai said this on the other end of the line, she didn't forget to push away Li Juli, who was pressing her face against hers, feeling somewhat amused yet expectant.

"Ah, oh, sure, that's fine."

"Zhiyan, can I join in on the fun?"

"Ah, Yun'er unnie?"

Ten minutes later.

Krystal, who was on the train back, called, "Xiuyuan, I'll be back in Seoul this evening; I just booked a restaurant, let's have a meal together."

Lin Xiuyuan, "..."

Lin Yun'er laughed and took the phone, "Xiujing, Xiuyuan is here with me; we just made plans for dinner with Zhiyan, why don't we all go together?"

Krystal, "..."

(End of this chapter)