Chapter 154

2025.

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the blinds into the master bedroom, the soft light like a silent touch, gently brushing over everything on the bed.

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan was sleeping in an embrace with Lin Yun'er, their breathing gradually synchronizing like two quiet beats, clinging to each other in this tranquil morning light.

Lin Xiuyuan's arm was wrapped around her shoulders, his fingertips touching her bare skin, while Lin Yun'er's head rested against his chest, her long hair spread messily across the sheets, a few light strands rising and falling gently with her breath.

Suddenly, Lin Xiuyuan slowly opened his eyes; although the light had not yet fully illuminated the room, he could already feel the familiar warmth beside him.

The air was filled with the scent of last night, carrying a hint of languor mixed with the freshness of just waking up.

Turning his head slightly to look at the beautiful figure in his arms, Lin Yun'er, her sleeping face quiet, her eyelashes fluttering, seemed not yet fully awake.

Yet the corners of her mouth already held a faint, elusive smile, as if she were still immersed in the enchanting dream of last night.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan gave a mischievous smile, leaned close to her ear, and blew gently.

Then he saw Lin Yun'er's body tremble slightly, and she was awakened just like that.

Her eyes opened slowly, still filled with a bit of haziness, and it took a few seconds for them to focus on Lin Xiuyuan's face, which was leaning too close.

Then, without a word, she just hugged him tightly, buried her head deeper into his chest, and murmured lazily, "Stop it."

"Morning, Yun'er-xi."

Lin Xiuyuan said with a bright smile, his voice warm and carrying the languor of just waking up.

"Good morning."

Lin Yun'er, buried in Lin Xiuyuan's arms, spoke in a low, sweet voice, still hazy from her dream, "Aren't you sleepy? What time is it even?"

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and replied, "Eight or nine, I suppose. My biological clock usually wakes me up around this time, then I scroll through some videos and go back to sleep."

"Then go scroll, I want to doze off a bit more..."

Lin Yun'er, eyes closed, muttered slightly.

That piece of bread she ate last night—she didn't know if it was because she ate too fast or was too full, but right now she just felt weak all over and didn't want to move.

And after saying this, she seemed to think of something and added, "By the way, don't forget the time you agreed on with Little Zhiyan."

Last night, when Lin Yun'er bet with Li Juli on Lin Xiuyuan's time today, wasn't it just to find an excuse for him in advance?

The gentleness and thoughtfulness of a big sister always seeped into the details quietly, making one feel warm and secure.

"Mm, then I'll get up and head back."

"Go, go, I'll doze a bit more, I'm so sleepy."

Lin Yun'er urged him with her words, but her hands held him tighter, as if she were clinging on and refusing to let go.

It was so rare to have a warm human body pillow; she couldn't bear to let go.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh, "I think you're intentionally not wanting to get up, wanting to cling to me for a while longer."

"What are you saying? Who's clinging to you?"

Having her thoughts exposed, Lin Yun'er finally opened her eyes, a smile at the corners of her mouth, and gave him a slight glare.

"Then... is it me clinging to you?" Lin Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows, his smile bright.

"What do you think?"

Lin Yun'er chuckled, reaching out to lift the edge of the sheet, revealing her slender legs.

Then she reached her hand under the covers, her fingertips lightly touching the area below his waistline, looking at him with a smile.

"Does this count as you clinging to me and refusing to get up? That bread last night was baked so dry and hard; I didn't expect it to still be like that after a whole night."

"Then I must study carefully how to 'bake' it just right."

Although Lin Xiuyuan, caught in the act, suddenly gasped, his gaze turned fiery in an instant, flickering with pleasure and an irrepressible impulse.

However, Lin Yun'er sighed slightly, stretched lazily, and leaned against him gently, "Forget it, let's get up quickly, don't keep Little Zhiyan waiting for you over there."

Her words sounded like she was persuading Lin Xiuyuan, but even more like she was persuading herself.

It's just that once a meal is heated up, it's not something you can stop just because you want to.

Thus, the two of them dawdled through their morning routine, and by the time they were truly dressed, the clock outside had already struck ten.

Lin Yun'er, wearing a bathrobe, leaned lazily against the master bedroom door frame, her eyes carrying a hint of playfulness and doting as she watched Lin Xiuyuan hurriedly dressing in the room, her tone filled with sweet teasing.

"Slow down, Xiuyuan, I'm not going to eat you, why are you in such a rush?"

Her voice rose slightly, like a breeze laced with sugar, soft and alluring.

"I'm going to be late, the appointment is at 11 o'clock."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had just put on his T-shirt and wanted to run, was blocked at the door by Lin Yun'er, "What's the rush? Slow down."

Then she reached out to straighten his collar, her movements gentle yet filled with intimacy. When her fingers lightly brushed across his delicate skin, they left behind a hint of warmth.

Lin Xiuyuan lowered his head, seemingly stunned, his gaze involuntarily locked on her slightly upturned lips, the urgency in his heart seemingly shattered by her gentleness in an instant.

"Don't rush."

Lin Yun'er, speaking, picked up a small carbon fiber fragrance balm from the side, opened the lid, and gently applied it to his neck and wrists.

The balm was silky and slightly warm, the touch almost like a kiss, making Lin Xiuyuan's heart beat faster.

The fragrance was elegant yet lasting, as if it had completely closed the distance between them, their very breaths stained with each other's scent.

"This balm was specially chosen for you." Lin Yun'er whispered in his ear, her voice like a feather sweeping across his earlobe, "The scent is long-lasting, you'll like it."

Lin Xiuyuan was initially moved, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh, "Yun'er, the way you say that... it sounds a bit insulting to me."

"Ah~"

Lin Yun'er was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, "What are you thinking? I really was talking about the balm."

Then her tone shifted, light and triumphant, "But based on your performance just now and last night, I am indeed quite satisfied, so I'll give you another reward."

After saying this, she stood on tiptoe and left a light kiss on his lips.

"Smack."

The sound of the kiss was crisp and light, as if signing some exclusive agreement.

Lin Yun'er smiled, tucked the balm into his pants pocket, and then pushed him out the door, "Go quickly, if you dawdle any longer, Little Zhiyan will be waiting anxiously."

Lin Xiuyuan gave a helpless smile and nodded as he left.

After watching the young man leave, Lin Yun'er returned to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, standing there blankly for several minutes until her gaze caught a car driving away from the parking lot exit.

Only then did she tidy up her bathrobe slightly and return to the vanity mirror in the room, examining herself earnestly and carefully.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a hint of excitement and scrutiny, trying hard to find some unusual changes.

First, she lightly touched her face, feeling the delicate and firm skin; as her fingertips slid over it, she could almost feel every inch of elasticity and smoothness.

Her pores seemed finer than before, and even under the morning light, they looked as smooth as porcelain, glowing with a healthy luster.

This tactile sensation was not just an external change; it seemed that her internal Qi and blood had also been mobilized, making her look even more rosy and radiant.

"This is truly outrageous, Xiuyuan..."

Lin Yun'er, talking to herself, was stunned; it hadn't been this exaggerated last night, and she hadn't expected the effect to be even more obvious after waking up from a sleep.

And Lin Yun'er soon discovered that besides the changes in her skin, even her eyes had become much clearer and brighter in the mirror.

Carrying a long-lost sense of lightness, as if she had regained the aura of youth.

"If I follow along to have a meal with Lin Xiaolu today, I wonder if she'll have a breakdown."

Thinking of this, Lin Yun'er's body couldn't help but tremble slightly; she had an impulse to show off to her younger self and compete with the past version of herself.

Fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan had already left, otherwise she might really have been unable to resist following him.

"So no wonder Xiujing ate a big meal without a word; who could resist this?"

After speaking, Lin Yun'er laughed softly, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, but her eyes held a hint of complex light.

Everything from last night seemed to have transformed into some indescribable energy, injected into her body, not only giving her appearance a new look but also comforting and releasing her heart to a certain extent.

Then Lin Yun'er stood in front of the mirror and stretched lazily, feeling the indescribable smoothness and relaxation in her body, and murmured, "I'll talk to Xiuyuan later; he needs to know about this situation, it's too obvious, it's easy to cause problems."

After saying this to herself, Lin Yun'er suddenly realized a problem.

That was that she had started looking forward to tomorrow, and even every day after that, without realizing it.

Since meeting Lin Xiuyuan, life seemed to have been injected with fresh oxygen, and the once clear future had become blurred, yet fascinating.

"It seems I need to thank him properly."

Lin Yun'er thought to herself, a hint of cunning laughter in the corners of her eyes.

And at this moment, Lin Xiuyuan knew nothing.

He was currently driving fast toward the villa, without stopping, opening the gate without any hesitation, and traveling back to 2013.

The time was exactly 11:00 AM.

The phone, which had been fully charged last night and left casually on the coffee table, rang at this moment as if it had timed it perfectly.

Hearing the ringtone, Lin Xiuyuan smiled, walked quickly to the entryway to pick up the car keys, then turned to pick up the phone, answering it as he went out, "Hello, Zhiyan."

"Oppa, where are you? We've already arrived at the restaurant."

"I'll be there after a turn." Lin Xiuyuan replied calmly.

At the same time he answered Park Jiyeon, his finger pressed the elevator button.

And on the other end of the phone, the laughter of the Little Dragon Cub also came through, "Don't lie to me, Oppa, your 'I'll be there after a turn' must mean you just left the house, or just got in the car."

"How can you think of me like that? I really will be there after a turn." Lin Xiuyuan replied with an honest face.

After all, it was a fact that he would be in the car after a turn; he felt he wasn't lying.

And Park Jiyeon didn't bicker with him much, "Alright, alright, we'll wait for you, Oppa. Just go straight to the private room on the second floor when you come in. Do you want to eat anything? I'll order first."

"Ah, I'll just have a steak in a bit, it should be quick, no need to order in advance."

"Alright then, see you in a bit, Oppa~"

After hanging up, the elevator reached the first floor just in time, so Lin Xiuyuan walked quickly out of the building, got into his Land Rover, and drove toward the agreed-upon restaurant.

Meanwhile, inside the private room of the restaurant on the other side, Park Jiyeon had just hung up the phone and was surrounded by the laughter of Xian Enjing and Xiaomin.

"Jiyan, listening to the phone call between you two just now, Boss Lin is quite humorous, 'I'll be there after a turn,' that's a fresh way of saying it."

"Unnie, this is a 'classic habitual routine' from Oppa's side."

Park Jiyeon smiled mysteriously and began a live tutorial, "Left the house = just woke up, on the way = just left the house, after a turn = just got in the car, coming, coming = just started driving; when he starts scolding people righteously, that's when he's really arrived."

While saying this, Park Jiyeon couldn't help but laugh herself, the image of her and Sulli rolling on the sofa while scrolling through short videos in 2025 appearing in her mind.

And at this time, Xian Enjing and Xiaomin also laughed out loud after hearing this.

"Wow, Daebak, it can actually be translated like this?"

"No, this is too realistic, no wonder you laughed when you heard his tone."

Park Jiyeon rolled her eyes and smiled mischievously, "Unnies, do you believe that the first thing Oppa says in a bit will be 'Sorry, there's a traffic jam on the way.'"

"Of course we believe that, this is a gold-standard routine excuse." Xiaomin agreed with a laugh.

Xian Enjing nodded from the side, her tone gentle, "Indeed."

Then Park Jiyeon chatted with the two Unnies about some small jokes she knew from 2025, the atmosphere in the private room was very pleasant, completely devoid of the depression and fatigue after being harassed by anti-fans last night.

And this restaurant was not far from Lin Xiuyuan's apartment, so not long after, the door of the private room was lightly knocked.

The next second, Lin Xiuyuan pushed the door and entered.

"Sorry, there's a bit of a traffic jam on the way." He said, while showing an embarrassed smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, the three girls burst into laughter, especially Park Jiyeon, who laughed so hard she slumped on the table, "Oppa, your excuse is really too bad."

Looking at their reactions and listening to Park Jiyeon's words, Lin Xiuyuan understood that he had been seen through, but he couldn't explain much.

He couldn't say he was late because he had been delayed in bed with Lin Yun'er, could he?

He had to dryly laugh twice: "Then I'll change the excuse next time... No, I'll leave earlier next time."

"Sit down first, Xiuyuan." Xian Enjing smiled slightly.

"Mm."

Lin Xiuyuan sat down beside them, his gaze sweeping over Xian Enjing and Xiaomin, and he couldn't help but ask, "Do you have no schedule today? I thought it was just Jiyan alone."

"What's wrong?" Xiaomin looked at him with a smile, "Does Boss Lin feel that our appearance is disturbing your date with Jiyan?"

Lin Xiuyuan shook his head quickly, a smile at the corners of his mouth, "Not at all, just... a bit surprised."

"Oppa, our schedules are almost all stopped, we've been rehearsing almost every day recently."

Park Jiyeon said while setting up his tableware, "Didn't I tell you before? We're going to Nihon in a while, there are some stages, and a concert at the Budokan."

"Mm, I remember." Lin Xiuyuan nodded, but his mind couldn't help but flash through the things they were cheated of by the company.

It was just that looking at Park Jiyeon's expression now, she seemed to have let go of a lot.

Of course, she couldn't tell the company the answers she knew from 2025 directly; after all, an artist's right to speak was limited, and whether they would believe it was a question.

Rather than wasting time or worrying, it was more practical to slack off and save energy, and save money to prepare for going solo.

Then the few of them exchanged pleasantries, ordered food, and chatted for a while.

They chatted while ordering food.

After the waiter served all the dishes, Park Jiyeon suddenly stopped laughing, put down her chopsticks, and a hint of triumphant light appeared in her eyes.

"Oppa, I've already handled the investment company side." She looked at Lin Xiuyuan with a smile, "The exempted company in the Cayman Islands has been set up through connections, and offshore business can be conducted there in the future, and taxes can also follow international tax avoidance policies."

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Park Jiyeon to have arranged this matter so properly.

As a world-renowned offshore financial center, the Cayman Islands naturally had various advantages.

He didn't know much about these before, but after 2025, information was fully open, and even passersby could say a few words about relevant policies.

Especially regarding preferential tax policies, investors could avoid some unnecessary tax burdens.

"Handled so quickly?" So Lin Xiuyuan, in addition to being surprised, didn't stint on praise, "It seems you've really been working hard recently, thank you, Jiyan."

"Not at all, I just used some connections." Park Jiyeon waved her hand with a smile.

As she spoke, Park Jiyeon leaned closer to Lin Xiuyuan from her seat, took out her phone under the gaze of Xian Enjing and Xiaomin, and whispered close to him.

"By the way, Oppa, the project we mentioned before has also started. The other party is already promoting it simultaneously in Nihon, Lion City, Siam, and other places, but the specific operational details, the other party didn't disclose, just asked me for money."

I pay."

Lin Xiuyuan took a bite of steak and said with a smile, "Don't worry, he wouldn't dare cheat us."

In his mind flashed the chain expansion plan centered on spicy hot pot, using celebrity traffic to quickly open up popularity, promoting through social platforms, and running out maximum benefits with minimal cost.

This path would indeed be popular in the future, and it had been verified; it was a path that could work.

Although T-ara's popularity domestically was not what it used to be, it still had a certain appeal in other parts of East Asia.

Especially when they entered the domestic market for performances and promotion at the end of the year, it would definitely trigger a wave of popularity, and by then... it would really be making money while lying down.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Park Jiyeon and tease softly, "Jiyan, after the end of the year, you can probably be promoted to a little rich woman."

"Oppa, you think too beautifully."

Park Jiyeon glanced at him, smiling very sweetly and happily, "How could there be dividends so quickly? The other party said that all profits in the first half of the year must be invested in reinvestment and expansion, and even if we wait until the second half of the year, we can only divide 20~30% of the income. To really make a big profit, we have to wait at least a year."

After listening to Park Jiyeon's explanation, Lin Xiuyuan nodded, "A year is already considered short. Don't worry, this won't lose money."

"I've never worried."

As she spoke, Park Jiyeon smiled even more mysteriously, "And our company doesn't just have this one project now, the second investment project has already surfaced."

"Ah?" Lin Xiuyuan immediately became interested, "So fast? Tell me about it."

"You guess first~" Park Jiyeon looked at him with a smile.

"Let me guess."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, then at Xian Enjing and Xiaomin who were silent on the side.

The two people beside him had been staring at him from time to time since he and Park Jiyeon started talking about the "company" topic, as if they wanted to see through him to see where he got the ability to trick their Little Dragon Cub into investing not only her entire fortune but also a lot of feelings.

In fact, Xian Enjing and Xiaomin had already persuaded Park Jiyeon many times in private.

Even after the last time they spent together, Xian Enjing had a pretty good relationship with Lin Xiuyuan, but she remained vigilant about this matter.

The latest novel is first published!

Xiaomin was even more so; if she hadn't seen the detailed proposal, funding channels, and real evidence of store implementation later, she would have almost wanted to call the police and say Lin Xiuyuan was a fraud.

And at this moment, Lin Xiuyuan was thinking about the problem with his head down.

Since Park Jiyeon asked him to guess, this investment must be related to him or the people around him, otherwise how could he guess it?

But he didn't have any investment ideas, so he could exclude himself first.

Then change to people and things around him...

A moment later, thinking of something, he said, "It wouldn't be Sulli's script, would it?"

"Daebak!!" Park Jiyeon's eyes widened, almost jumping off the chair, "Oppa, how did you guess it?"

Equally surprised was Lin Xiuyuan, who had answered correctly; he looked at this Little Dragon Cub with a wry smile, "Don't worry about how I guessed it, I want to ask you, Jiyan, do you still have money?"

Although T-ara was indeed very popular in the first two years and the dividends were not small, Park Jiyeon had indeed made a fortune at that time.

But with this round of continuous investment, according to Sulli, Park Jiyeon was already "exhausted."

If she wanted to get some small money, she would either have to wait for the company's financial summary and distribution, or consider selling her house to cash out.

"I don't have money, but the company does." Park Jiyeon said in a relaxed tone.

"Company?" Lin Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"Xiuyan Unnie, Yun'er Unnie, and Zhenli all invested money, a total of 4 billion won, just enough to film a TV series."

As soon as this was said, before Lin Xiuyuan could speak, Xian Enjing and Xiaomin on the side were shocked.

"Jiyan, why didn't you tell us about this?"

"No, did Yun'er and Xiuyan go crazy with you too?"

Facing the questioning and shock of these two Unnies, Park Jiyeon of course couldn't reveal the truth, so she could only find an excuse to prevaricate.

"Unnies, you haven't seen the TV series script Zhenli wrote, it's very good, and we've already talked to the TV station, the TV station is also very optimistic about this script, it's just missing an investor."

"Which TV station did you talk to?" Lin Xiuyuan was also a bit curious about this.

"tvN."

Park Jiyeon said very firmly, "Their philosophy is to respect creative autonomy, avoid political interference, and focus on universal values. And they don't like traditional love routines, preferring workplace and growth themes. Zhenli's youth drama about weightlifting and swimming fits their style perfectly."

Hearing the three words tvN, Lin Xiuyuan understood immediately.

Because 2013 was the turning point for the Korean entertainment TV industry; the traditional three major wireless stations (KBS, MBC, SBS) had serious content homogenization, brain drain, and were impacted by OTT platforms, gradually becoming unable to cope.

So in such an opportunity, tvN and JTBC among the cable stations rose to the occasion.

Especially tvN, which, by leveraging long-term cooperation with Netflix, got on the fast track of globalization and jumped to become one of the most popular channels for the new generation of young viewers.

After figuring out this relationship, Lin Xiuyuan didn't say much, just frowned, "4 billion... is it really enough?"

4 billion won, converted, is only about 17 million RMB, using it to film a whole TV series, no matter how you listen to it, it sounds a bit tight.

Park Jiyeon explained with full confidence, "It's enough, Oppa. This is a miniseries, only 16 episodes, and influenced by the 2009 'Salary Cap', the lead actor's salary per episode is at most 15 million won. Unless it's an overseas super-first-line star, otherwise they have to honestly follow the rules."

"This salary cap... is it really useful?"

Lin Xiuyuan, after hearing the answer, still had reservations, because he knew too well that such policies often have "policies above, countermeasures below."

"There is indeed room for operation, but this drama doesn't rely on big names."

Facing Lin Xiuyuan's worry, Park Jiyeon smiled again, "The female lead Xiujing is enough to hold the stage, we are still looking for the male lead. The TV station has already said that as long as we get the investment, they will cover the promotion budget, the part we are responsible for is actually not much."

Looking at Park Jiyeon talking eloquently, Lin Xiuyuan inexplicably thought of the Little Dragon Cub in 2025.

One is going all out to make money, silently laying out, sprinting desperately, wanting to become a female CEO.

One is going all out to be a juice extractor, silently digging holes, clinging desperately, wanting to be a little woman.

So for some reason, he suddenly laughed out loud.

Then Park Jiyeon looked at him inexplicably, "Oppa, what are you laughing at? Do you think this is not good?"

"No."

Lin Xiuyuan shook his head with a smile, "I just think you and Sulli are both too capable, silently doing things to this point. Then invest, anyway, the catering side has to wait for half a year, this TV series can see returns as soon as it airs, the script is also good, there is no risk."

In fact, the theme and script of this drama were chosen by Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal together.

After they finished watching the whole drama, they specifically asked ChatGPT to compare it with the mainstream drama style of 2013, and chose this "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo" which was positioned in the middle and had a high starting point.

So when Park Jiyeon said earlier that she wanted to invest in Sulli's script, Lin Xiuyuan had no thoughts at all, or rather, he had no thoughts from beginning to end.

Because he didn't have to pay this money, and he could sit and take dividends; if he were still nagging, it would seem a bit 'bitchy'.

"However..." Park Jiyeon suddenly leaned close to Lin Xiuyuan and whispered, "I need you to sign something."

"Sign what?" Lin Xiuyuan frowned subconsciously.

"I set up a risk control mechanism, large capital flows of the company need your signature as chairman, of course, incoming funds don't need it."

Facing Park Jiyeon's statement, Lin Xiuyuan clicked his tongue, "You this..."

"Oppa, don't think too much." Park Jiyeon blinked and leaned closer, "You helped me so much, this company really doesn't count for anything, and..."

She paused, lowered her voice with a bit of playfulness, "Isn't this me still owing you church fees? I'll let that old woman go for now, this investment company can count as my church fees. I'll be the CEO, you be the chairman, Yun'er Unnie, Xiuyan Unnie, and Zhenli be shareholders, isn't that just right?"

However, when Lin Xiuyuan heard this part of Park Jiyeon's words, his expression inexplicably became a bit wrong.

He really didn't dare to tell the other party that he had already eaten the Little Dragon Cub clean, no, it should be that he was eaten... oh, anyway, it's about the same.

Finally, he just nodded lightly: "Mm, understood."

As the topic came to an end, the four finally began to focus on enjoying lunch.

On the dining table, dishes gradually filled the whole table, various exquisite dishes exuding an alluring aroma.

Lin Xiuyuan, while eating steak, picked up some side dishes and looked at Jiyan beside him with a smile, "The taste of this restaurant is very good, where did you find it, Jiyan?"

"Not me, it was recommended by Xiaomin Unnie." Park Jiyeon pointed to Xiaomin on the side with a giggle.

Then Xiaomin, who had been quiet for most of the day, also spoke, "How is it, Boss Lin, does it suit your appetite?"

"Good~" Lin Xiuyuan smiled and gave a thumbs up, "But don't call me Boss, just call me Xiuyuan."

After hearing this, a smile of unknown meaning appeared on Xiaomin's face, but she didn't speak again, just lowered her head and continued to eat.

Afterward, the few of them chatted while eating, the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, and laughter spilled from the table from time to time.

After the meal, they unanimously decided to go to a nearby KTV to relax for a while.

In the car, Lin Xiuyuan leaned against the car window, looking at the passing streetscape, the news he heard at the dinner table still echoing in his mind. It wasn't until the car stopped in front of the KTV that he came back to his senses.

The lights in the KTV private room were soft, and the atmosphere was warm.

And Park Jiyeon was the first to choose a song and sang it out loud, then Lin Xiuyuan also sang a Cantonese song, which immediately drew bursts of cheers from the few of them.

Gradually, the atmosphere became even more active.

Just at this time, Xiaomin answered a phone call on the side, and after coming back from answering it, she said to everyone, "Sunkyu is resting this afternoon, is it okay if she wants to come over to play together?"

Xian Enjing nodded first, "It's okay, it's lively with more people."

Park Jiyeon and Lin Xiuyuan had no opinion either.

So Xiaomin turned around and called Sunny back, and after she entered the private room again, she said, "Taeyeon is coming too."

"Then let them come together."

"Mm."*2

About twenty minutes later, the door of the private room was lightly pushed open, and Sunny and Kim Taeyeon walked in one after another.

The outfits of the two this time were a bit interesting, one in a white sleeveless knit top, paired with a pair of high-waisted light blue jeans, the cuffs slightly rolled up, revealing slender calves, the whole look appearing both cool and playful.

One wore a simple black sleeveless dress, the dress design clean and neat, the hem swaying lightly.

As a result, as soon as she entered the door, Sunny was teased by Xiaomin, "Ah, Sunkyu, I told you not to wear a dress, your height really looks strange in a dress."

"Ya! Xiaomin, are you looking for trouble? You started firing as soon as I entered the door?" Sunny immediately counterattacked.

"Hahaha, hi, Xiuyuan, long time no see."

Looking at Sunny and Xiaomin who had instantly switched to "bickering mode" on the side, Kim Taeyeon just smiled, her gaze steadily landing on Lin Xiuyuan, her eyes carrying undisguised pleasure.

She had originally planned to rest in the dormitory for the afternoon, and even when Sunny came to ask if she wanted to join Xiaomin's gathering, she didn't take it to heart and casually refused.

But when she heard the words "Lin Xiuyuan is also there," her attitude changed almost immediately.

That conversation in the tavern last time still made her remember it vividly.

Those resonances about music, life, and creation seemed to move her far more than the liveliness of a KTV.

"Hi, Taeyeon, long time no see."

Looking at Kim Taeyeon walking toward him, Lin Xiuyuan also quickly made a seat, letting her sit with Park Jiyeon, while he sat on a separate stool beside them.

And Park Jiyeon, seeing this scene, also looked at her Oppa with some surprise; how did he become so familiar with Taeyeon Unnie without a sound?

Thinking of this, she suddenly remembered that time in 2025, the overly natural and familiar tone between that old woman and Lin Xiuyuan when she called, her heart suddenly tightened slightly, and her brows couldn't help but frown.

She always felt... something was wrong.

With the arrival of Kim Taeyeon and Sunny, the already lively private room began to become even noisier.

The atmosphere gradually rose, and Park Jiyeon, the Little Dragon Cub, finally couldn't hold back, jumping directly to Sunny and Xiaomin's side, jumping and bouncing together.

Xian Enjing smiled and sat back beside Lin Xiuyuan and Kim Taeyeon, the three of them chatting while eating and drinking.

Just like this, the six people naturally divided into two groups, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

Kim Taeyeon, sitting on the sofa, looked at Lin Xiuyuan with some amusement, "Xiuyuan, when will your tavern reopen? This is the first time I've seen someone renovate again not long after opening."

"No choice, the design wasn't very reasonable at the time, so I had to redo it quickly, to save from having more and more things later, and then not wanting to move it even more."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had forked a piece of apple into his mouth, smiled.

"Speaking of your tavern, I'm getting more and more curious now."

Xian Enjing also couldn't help but join the topic, "Starting a company, investing in projects, making connections with a bunch of people... how did you get Xiuyan, Jiyan, and the others all together? Clearly, everyone wasn't this familiar before."

Kim Taeyeon beside her also nodded with a smile, because she was also very curious why Zheng Xiuyan would be so close to Lin Xiuyuan, even closer than herself, a long-time friend, teammate, and leader, which made her a little jealous.

Being stared at so closely by the two major leaders, it was impossible for Lin Xiuyuan to say there was no pressure, so he carefully mentioned, "Personal charm?"

As Lin Xiuyuan said this, Kim Taeyeon laughed immediately, "Although I don't want to admit this reason, it seems quite plausible."

After all, that late-night conversation in the tavern that night did indeed make her unexpectedly feel a rare sense of resonance and peace of mind from Lin Xiuyuan.

He was not like those male artists on stage, always carrying social camouflage, but more like an ordinary person who was calm, quiet, yet had ideas.

She never expected that Lin Xiuyuan was just chatting with her while looking at the correct answers of the version.

Then Xian Enjing also recognized this sentence, "Indeed."

Because she also thought of that drunken night, although she stole Xiaomin's persona to chat with Lin Xiuyuan, the feeling during the chat was her own.

After all, facing a dashing young man who talked eloquently, in fact, few girls could have any negative feelings, mostly positive feedback, not to mention the external factors like good looks, friends of friends, and the bartender and tavern owner roles influencing it.

Just as the three were chatting happily, a song appeared on the screen behind them.

That was a classic old song in Peninsula music that was the first choice for expressing fatherly love, "Father" by Kim Kwang-seok.

Since its release in 1994, this song had become a national-level representative work of the "father theme" in the hearts of Peninsula people, so as soon as it popped up on the screen, Kim Taeyeon stood up and shouted, "Sunkyu, give me the microphone, I want to sing this song."

"I want to sing it too, I ordered it."

However, as the Trot Queen of Girls' Generation, how could Sunny give in just like that?

So Kim Taeyeon ran over and started messing with her, and then the two sang this old song together.

And Lin Xiuyuan was looking at the lyrics in a daze, when he suddenly felt his shoulder sink slightly.

Looking back, it was Park Jiyeon, who had stood behind him at some point, her hand lightly resting on his shoulder, standing extremely close.

Although there was no direct physical contact, such a distance still drew the unanimous gaze of the people around.

However, Park Jiyeon didn't care at all, instead taking advantage of the atmosphere of the song, she whispered to Lin Xiuyuan about Kim Taeyeon.

"Oppa, I remember Taeyeon Unnie in '25..."

"Mm, I know what you want to say, put that aside for now. Your father's situation is the most important, right? You said you took him for a check-up before, how was the result?"

Hearing Park Jiyeon mention Kim Taeyeon's father, Lin Xiuyuan also thought of her family's situation, so he asked with concern.

After all, in 2015, Park Jiyeon's father was critically ill due to severe cirrhosis and complications, and her older brother Park Hyojun chose to anonymously donate 70% of his own liver to keep others from knowing, which was quite shocking.

So when Park Jiyeon heard Lin Xiuyuan's concern, the small hand that was just resting on him suddenly turned into lying on his back, sticking tightly together, which shocked the eyes of Xian Enjing and the others behind them again.

And she laughed softly, "Oppa, do you know? After learning about this, I almost cried to death in the dormitory, later it was arranged in time to go to the hospital to check out the problem, the doctor said it was discovered early, there is no big problem, conservative treatment and paying attention to diet, adjusting the life state, and regular follow-up is enough."

Speaking of this, Park Jiyeon's throat was a bit hoarse, "So I am really happy, very lucky to meet you, Oppa."

Then, she changed the subject, "However, I felt so uncomfortable just thinking about my situation, Taeyeon Unnie in '25 would probably be even more uncomfortable."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan sighed slightly and looked at Kim Taeyeon beside him with Park Jiyeon.

On March 9, 2020, this person's father passed away due to sudden acute myocardial infarction, and that day happened to be Kim Taeyeon's 31st birthday.

A birthday turning into a death anniversary, this would probably become a pain she could never forget for the rest of her life.

Kim Taeyeon, who was singing, looked back at the two of them inexplicably.

There was only one thought in her heart: No, you guys be ambiguous, why are you looking at me?

At the same time.

2025.

Kim Taeyeon, who had finished most of her formal tour schedule and returned to daily life, had been holed up at home for two days and finally felt a bit stuffy.

As soon as she returned to Seoul, she dialed Lin Yun'er's phone number for the first time.

"Yun'er, come out."

(End of chapter)