Chapter 157: Lee Juli

At noon in June, sunlight spilled onto the city streets through the gaps between high-rise buildings, looking exactly like ironed-out time—silent and bright.

Inside a high-end Western restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam District, Lee Juli was currently seated in a booth by the window, wearing an oversized pink shirt.

The soft fabric draped along her figure, making her look both languid and refined, with an exceptionally vacation-like aura.

With her left hand propping up her chin, she gazed around somewhat boredly, her eyes drifting casually toward a rooftop not far away. She had originally just intended to zone out, but the next second, her gaze suddenly locked into place.

She narrowed her eyes, as if to confirm a certain fact.

Then, she leaned forward. A few seconds later, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she picked up her phone to make a call.

Park Hyomin, sitting opposite her, was currently looking down at the menu. Today, she was dressed simply yet with great style; a black, slim-fitting long-sleeved T-shirt outlined the graceful lines of her upper body, and the back featured a large cutout, faintly revealing a touch of sexiness.

Upon hearing the sound of Lee Juli actually making a call, Park Hyomin finally looked up at her. "What's wrong? Who are you calling?"

"Guess?" Lee Juli didn't answer directly, instead laughing while holding up her phone.

After ringing a few times, the call connected, and Lin Xiuyuan's voice came through: "Hello, Juli?"

Lee Juli smiled slightly, her eyes still fixed on that rooftop. "Xiuyuan, I see you~"

On the rooftop, Lin Xiuyuan was listening to the phone while looking down, fiddling with the corner of the table.

Then, upon hearing these words, he jerked his head up and subconsciously looked around, but saw nothing.

"Hm? Where do you see me? I don't see you."

"Yo, is Taeyeon there too? A lunch date?"

Lee Juli deliberately changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of mockery, as if teasing, or perhaps probing without wanting to point it out directly.

"Just grabbing a meal. In such an open-air place, what are you thinking?"

Lin Xiuyuan replied, unable to laugh or cry, then quickly added, "So where exactly are you? I'm out eating too, I really don't see you guys."

Lee Juli didn't answer directly, just saying leisurely, "Mm, Hyomin and I are planning to go golfing this afternoon. So we're just grabbing a casual lunch, and then we bumped into you. It's fate~"

"Where are you exactly? Don't keep me guessing." Lin Xiuyuan rubbed his temples helplessly, his eyes still scanning around.

Kim Taeyeon, sitting opposite him, saw this and understood what was happening, so she cooperated by looking around as well.

But with her eyesight, whether she could see anything was a question.

Suddenly, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze paused slightly as he scanned a certain direction. He narrowed his eyes and immediately saw a familiar figure half-leaning behind a glass window on a certain floor of the high-rise building across the street from the rooftop.

As Lin Xiuyuan looked over, Lee Juli beamed a smile at him and waved her hand. "Hi~"

"Holy crap, I thought you were at a restaurant on this side." Lin Xiuyuan laughed, a bit surprised.

"Want to come over?" Lee Juli asked.

Park Hyomin, sitting opposite, was a bit surprised to hear this, but didn't show any sign of opposition.

But Lin Xiuyuan politely declined. "Forget it, let's meet another time. You guys enjoy your meal."

"Alright, then I won't disturb you. You also... chat slowly."

After hanging up, Lee Juli put her phone back on the table, but her eyes remained fixed on Lin Xiuyuan on the rooftop opposite, a faint, ambiguous smile always on her face.

"Why did you specifically call him?" Park Hyomin couldn't help but ask.

Facing the question, Lee Juli lifted her chin, signaling for the other to look out the window toward the rooftop. "The table at the edge of the rooftop opposite—Xiuyuan and Taeyeon. See them?"

Park Hyomin followed her gaze and soon saw the familiar figures of the two on the rooftop. Her eyebrows rose slightly, surprised. "Eh? When did these two... get so close?"

"Who knows? Maybe, like Zhiyan, he likes younger boys." Lee Juli blinked, not committing to a definitive answer.

To this response, Park Hyomin laughed softly, her fingers toying with her straw. "Speaking of Zhiyan, she looked for me as soon as she got back. Unnie, do you know what she went to do?"

"Resting at home."

Thinking of the situation the night before last, Lee Juli lowered her head to take a sip of juice. "But I heard she signed up for a tennis class, planning to practice hard."

Park Hyomin was shocked. "Ah?"

On the other side, at the rooftop restaurant.

After hanging up, Lin Xiuyuan flipped his phone over and set it on the table, meeting Kim Taeyeon's slightly curious gaze.

"What is your relationship with... Juli? How come you seem to be getting closer?"

She asked unhurriedly, her calm tone revealing a hint of deliberately suppressed gossip-seeking. Lin Xiuyuan found it amusing. "Friends. Taeyeon, what else could it be?"

This answer was natural and casual, almost without a moment's hesitation.

"Ha~" Kim Taeyeon laughed softly, though her eyes seemed to be sizing him up. "It's not what I think, it's that I'm afraid you kid have ulterior motives. Take it easy, Xiuyuan. The age gap between you two, hmph hmph."

Her last sentence sounded like both a tease and a well-intentioned reminder.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and looked at her, his expression ambiguous. "Taeyeon, it seems you and Juli also..."

Before he could finish, Kim Taeyeon's smile tightened, and she narrowed her eyes.

Discovering that Lin Xiuyuan wanted to continue, she hurriedly reached out to slap him, but he laughed and dodged it skillfully.

"Don't use me as an example."

As she spoke, Kim Taeyeon's lips were already pursed, as if she had been slightly "broken" by his words.

"Doesn't this just show that I'm popular, approachable, and that age has no boundaries?" Lin Xiuyuan laughed smugly.

Just as the two were bantering back and forth, a waiter pushed a small cart over and placed the plates on the table one by one.

"Please enjoy." The waiter left with a smile, and the rooftop returned to tranquility.

Seeing that they had actually ordered fried chicken, Lin Xiuyuan quickly called out to stop the waiter. "Hello, could I trouble you for two cans of ice-cold cola? Original, thanks."

Upon hearing this, Kim Taeyeon immediately looked up at Lin Xiuyuan, her eyes curious.

A moment later, the waiter brought the cola, and Lin Xiuyuan opened one and handed it to Kim Taeyeon. "Here, how can you have fried chicken without cola, right?"

"Mm, absolutely right. Thank you, Xiuyuan."

Kim Taeyeon was a bit surprised as she took the cola, but the smile on her lips was very happy.

Then she looked at the fried chicken on the table, her eyes falling on the dipping sauce on the side. Before she could speak, Lin Xiuyuan beat her to it. "Taeyeon, do you like eating with dipping sauce?"

"Ah, I'm fine with anything."

Kim Taeyeon subconsciously softened her tone; worried that her own tastes might burden her friend, she rarely took the initiative to make requests.

After all, she had always been the type who wasn't used to causing trouble for others.

Then, she heard Lin Xiuyuan's laughter. "Then let's eat it original. Eating fried chicken without eating it original is such a waste, right, Taeyeon?"

Two small points, at this moment, poked Kim Taeyeon's heart with joy. Her small hand touched the ice-cold cola can, and she looked up slightly at Lin Xiuyuan opposite her, suddenly asking, "Did YoonA tell you my preferences?"

"YoonA? No." Lin Xiuyuan answered truthfully.

After all, it really wasn't Lin Yun'er who said it, but yourself from 2013, and that Sunny over there.

Hearing this, Kim Taeyeon, who had been probing, was even happier. "Then I didn't expect our preferences to be quite the same."

"Fate, I guess."

As Lin Xiuyuan said these three words, the atmosphere between the two fell silent for a moment.

Then, Kim Taeyeon, who was cutting the steak on her plate, suddenly looked up at him as if remembering something, her tone becoming a bit more serious. "By the way, Xiuyuan, actually, I invited you out today because I want to formally invite you to my concert in Hong Kong."

Lin Xiuyuan was holding his water glass, ready to drink, and his hand paused slightly. He looked at her in surprise. "Just for this? You specifically invited me to lunch?"

"Are you surprised?"

"A little. This kind of thing... wouldn't a phone call have sufficed? You made it so formal, I thought something had happened."

"Didn't I send you a message last time? And you rejected me with a 'my schedule is too tight'."

Kim Taeyeon glanced at him, her tone teasing but carrying a smile.

Lin Xiuyuan, being roasted, rubbed the tip of his nose. "That time was really an accident, I really didn't push it on purpose. I was at that time..."

"Alright, alright." Kim Taeyeon waved her hand to interrupt him. "Let's not worry about the past. Anyway, I learned my lesson this time—inviting you face-to-face, let's see if you can run away."

Lin Xiuyuan laughed helplessly. "You really are..."

"I didn't just invite you, you know." Kim Taeyeon smiled lightly, her eyes looking interestingly at Lin Xiuyuan.

"I also asked YoonA to go. Though it's hard to say about her schedule right now, it should be no problem. You two will have company, so it won't be too boring."

"YoonA is going too?" Lin Xiuyuan repeated softly, his expression carrying a hint of surprise.

The two had only just parted ways last night, and he hadn't heard Lin Yun'er mention this. Moreover, normally, she shouldn't have called him along.

He was supposed to be low-key; how could he dare to sit openly at a concert with Lin Yun'er?

"Yeah." Kim Taeyeon lowered her head to continue cutting her steak, her voice calm. "Haven't you two been hanging out lately? I thought, why not take advantage of the concert period for everyone to rest for a few days."

When she said this, a flash of imperceptible cunning crossed her eyes.

Kim Taeyeon clearly remembered the "I like Xiuyuan" that YoonA had said yesterday.

With the tacit understanding between sisters of many years, she knew very well that with Lin Yun'er's personality, if she truly said "like," it absolutely wouldn't be a joke, much less a casual tease with her.

So she wanted to take advantage of this Hong Kong concert to specifically arrange a "joint invitation" for these two—not deliberately playing matchmaker, but intentionally creating space.

Giving them more opportunities to spend time together, perhaps things would naturally fall into place.

It could also be considered helping out her second youngest.

Although this boy was a bit young, liking someone didn't distinguish by size, only passion did.

However, Kim Taeyeon's meticulous arrangement was met with a meaningful look from Lin Xiuyuan.

He didn't speak, but his smile gradually grew, and finally, he let out a long sigh. "Ah~ haha, I'm dying of laughter. Taeyeon, what kind of things are you imagining?"

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Kim Taeyeon was also a bit surprised by Lin Xiuyuan's reaction.

"I don't know how to answer. How about this: I'll talk to YoonA later and see if we should go together."

Lin Xiuyuan waved his hand, not explaining too much.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the rooftop restaurant.

Pei Zhuxuan sat near the railing, with clusters of green plants swaying in the wind behind her. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, falling on her smooth hair and beige skirt, like a quiet summer painting.

She was currently looking down, using a fork to poke at the fruit salad on her plate, while listening to her friend talk about interesting things that happened in the practice room, occasionally nodding and responding.

"And then that person just said directly in the group chat, 'I'll see who dares to dance wrong again'... Hahaha, isn't that outrageous?"

The friend said, handing over a slice of orange.

Pei Zhuxuan accepted it politely, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on a table not far away.

Those were the two people she had noticed from the moment they walked in.

At first, she was a bit unsure, but after the other person took off his sunglasses, Pei Zhuxuan dared to confirm that the woman dressed simply but with an excellent aura.

It was indeed the great senior in the company, Girls' Generation's Kim Taeyeon.

But what made her even more curious wasn't this senior, but the boy sitting opposite her.

He was dressed simply, didn't look like someone in the industry, his features were young and clean, yet he was very unfamiliar.

But from the intimacy inadvertently revealed in the conversation between him and Senior Kim Taeyeon, one could tell at a glance that their relationship didn't seem simple, or rather, it was somewhat intimate.

"Hm?" The friend sitting opposite noticed her wandering gaze and curiously looked over as well. "Where are you looking?"

"Nothing... just saw Senior Taeyeon." Pei Zhuxuan said casually, but didn't withdraw her gaze.

Her eyes revealed a hint of doubt and interest: Kim Taeyeon had always been low-key and taciturn, rarely eating alone with the opposite sex in public. Why was it like this today? And the atmosphere clearly didn't look work-related.

She continued to pretend to glance over casually.

Over there, Kim Taeyeon was smiling while picking up her water glass to refill the other's, and the boy was leaning sideways to respond, his voice not loud, but his aura very natural, as if he had known her for a long time.

Pei Zhuxuan bit her straw slightly, her eyes brightening slightly. She suddenly felt it was interesting.

But this curiosity didn't have time to ferment before the scene suddenly changed.

Because Pei Zhuxuan saw a sexy figure walking from the elevator direction. She also knew this figure, Lee Juli, a member of the great senior group Tara.

In her line of sight, she saw Lee Juli walk straight toward that table, leaning toward the boy's side without the slightest hesitation.

The scene that followed made Pei Zhuxuan almost forget that she hadn't put down the juice in her hand. She subconsciously sat up straighter, her gaze quietly following.

Because Lee Juli leaned down with a chuckle, her whole body almost pressed against the boy's shoulder. That distance in that instant... face to face.

Even though she didn't hear the content, from the tacit understanding flowing between their eyes, and after that whisper, Lee Juli gently patted his shoulder, then nodded to Kim Taeyeon and left with a smile. The whole movement was as natural as could be.

Yet it was also surprisingly intimate.

"Daebak, that's Tara's Senior Lee Juli, right? Did she go to greet Senior Taeyeon? Who is that boy?"

The friend opposite also noticed this scene and asked curiously.

"Seems... not just a greeting." Pei Zhuxuan swallowed, her voice low, not even realizing her tone was a bit distracted.

She looked back at the table and saw Kim Taeyeon still sitting calmly, slightly lowering her head to drink lemonade, while the boy leaned back in his chair easily, as if that scene just now didn't count for anything.

Interesting.

Pei Zhuxuan blinked lightly, and the interest in her heart quietly changed direction.

She was originally just curious why Senior Kim Taeyeon would dine alone with a young man in such an open occasion.

But at this moment, what she wanted to know more was: who exactly is this boy?

To be able to make Senior Kim Taeyeon happily accept the appointment, and make Senior Lee Juli lean in to whisper and pat him goodbye.

What exactly is his background?

Ten-plus minutes ago.

Inside the high-rise restaurant next door, after ordering, Lee Juli had never truly focused her attention on the menu or the topic on the table.

She held a straw with one hand, stirring the glass of lemon sparkling water nonchalantly, but her eyes moved quietly past the window, looking toward the rooftop opposite.

That touch of familiar blonde hair, and the male figure sitting diagonally not far away, made her know who it was almost without needing to confirm.

"What's wrong?" Park Hyomin sat opposite, laughing after eating a piece of appetizer. "Unnie, your state is a bit off today. Your soul isn't even here."

"Hm? Is it?"

Lee Juli clicked her tongue and smiled faintly, then put down the straw. "Wait for me a moment, I'm going to the restroom."

Saying it was the restroom, she stood up directly, picked up her phone, and pushed away her chair, her movements crisp and decisive.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, she took the elevator downstairs and walked across the sidewalk toward the building opposite.

Her pace wasn't hurried, but it carried a sense of "determined" urgency.

She didn't fully understand why she had suddenly had this thought, but starting from that conversation with the Little Dragon Cub the night before last, that fair and lustrous face had been like a nail driven deep into her mind, unable to be pulled out no matter what.

And the name Lin Xiuyuan.

Now, to her, it was no longer as simple as "accidentally met."

Carrying thoughts with complex emotions, Lee Juli walked into the building opposite and took the elevator straight to the top floor rooftop.

Although she wasn't a member here, relying on a familiar face and the claim of "having an appointment with Kim Taeyeon," the waiter only hesitated slightly before letting her pass.

The moment she pushed the door and entered the rooftop restaurant, sunlight slanted in, and her gaze swept over and saw the target.

That—Lin Xiuyuan—whom she and Zhiyan jokingly called the little golden retriever.

The other party was currently saying something, his expression carrying a bit of laziness, and a bit of a smile after being teased by Kim Taeyeon.

And Kim Taeyeon was also holding a water glass, smiling elegantly as she responded to him. The atmosphere between the two was quite natural.

But at this very moment, Lee Juli didn't want to know what they were talking about.

She walked straight over, her light-colored flat shoes stepping on the wooden floor, her pace steady and composed.

It wasn't until Lee Juli stood on one side of Lin Xiuyuan's seat that Kim Taeyeon was the first to look up, pausing. "... Eh, Juli?"

Hearing the sound, Lin Xiuyuan also turned his head to look over, his expression clearly a bit stunned. "Why are you here... aren't you on the other side?"

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the building next door, where only Park Hyomin was left in the original spot.

And the next second.

"Xiuyuan."

Lee Juli called him softly, her tone calm.

Immediately after, she suddenly leaned over, her side face almost pressed between his jaw and neck. The distance was so intimate it was as if they were old acquaintances, or like a tacit performance that had been rehearsed long ago.

Kim Taeyeon's movements stalled, her fingers paused slightly, and she narrowed her eyes.

Even Lin Xiuyuan instinctively wanted to dodge backward, but he stopped his movement, afraid of making Lee Juli embarrassed.

"Leave some time for me after you finish eating. I have something to find you about."

Lee Juli's tone was soft, carrying a composure that brooked no refusal.

This sentence made Lin Xiuyuan stiffen for a moment, but before he could speak, she leaned in even closer, her voice low. "I've come over personally, you wouldn't want to reject me, would you?"

He looked up and met her eyes.

Lee Juli's gaze was calm, but it also revealed a hint of... anticipation.

Newest novel, first release!

"... Okay." He nodded.

Having obtained the desired answer, Lee Juli then satisfiedly revealed a smile.

Then she stood up straight, straightened her skirt, and smiled lightly at Kim Taeyeon. "Sorry to disturb, Taeyeon. I just came over to say a few words to Xiuyuan."

"No problem. Why don't you eat together?" Kim Taeyeon returned the smile, though her eyes held a hint of inexplicable playfulness.

"No, Hyomin is still waiting for me over there." Lee Juli shook her head lightly.

Then she turned and left the rooftop under the waiter's guidance, her pace as composed as when she arrived. Until the elevator door closed, she didn't look back once.

And this scene fell entirely into the eyes of Park Hyomin behind the glass of the restaurant in the building opposite.

She had originally just been looking down to drink water, but upon a casual glance, she suddenly discovered that the familiar pink figure had come out of the elevator, actually crossed the road, and walked into the building opposite, her movements swift, her expression determined.

When she saw Lee Juli appear from the rooftop elevator and walk toward a pair of man and woman and lean directly into the boy's ear, Park Hyomin's eyes widened.

"Huh? What is Unnie doing?" she muttered to herself, her face full of shock.

Soon, Lee Juli returned to the table with a calm expression, as natural as if she had just gone downstairs to smoke a cigarette.

But Park Hyomin immediately seized the opportunity to ask, "Unnie, where did you go?"

"Went to the restroom, walked around outside."

"Don't fool me. I saw you run to the building opposite, and it was the rooftop restaurant?" Park Hyomin widened her eyes, looking like "I won't let it go until you give me an explanation." "What did you say to Xiuyuan? Don't lie to me."

Lee Juli blinked, smiling without a word. "It's a secret, Hyomin."

"Ah~ Unnie." Park Hyomin laughed and raised her fork. "You wouldn't also be wanting to get a man, would you?"

Lee Juli didn't answer, just took a light sip of sparkling water, her tone calm, but her eyes meaningful.

"Hyomin, some things... you'll understand when the time comes."

After a pause, the corners of her mouth rose slightly, as if she had tossed out a joke, yet also hiding a bit of determination.

"But you... might not have a chance anymore."

Lin Xiuyuan's gaze moved slightly, watching Lee Juli's figure in high heels leave the rooftop. It wasn't until she pushed the door and left that he turned his head back to look at Kim Taeyeon opposite.

And Kim Taeyeon was propping up her chin, asking with a teasing smile, "What secret words did Juli say to you?"

"Hm?" Lin Xiuyuan seemed to have just come back to his senses, answering perfunctorily, "Ah... just, said a few words."

"What do you mean 'said a few words'? Your faces were almost touching just now." Kim Taeyeon, who rarely showed curiosity, continued to press, a hint of gossipy laughter hidden in the corners of her eyes. "Was it a fight? A date? Or..."

Lin Xiuyuan coughed, picking up his water glass to cover it. "How do you think the weather is today? The sunlight is nice, the wind isn't strong, it's just right for eating."

Kim Taeyeon stared at him speechlessly for three seconds, then let out a "chi" laugh and rolled her eyes. "Fine, forget it if you won't say."

"I'm just afraid you'll get jealous." Lin Xiuyuan joked, taking the step down.

"Who's jealous of you." Kim Taeyeon rolled her eyes, her expression as vivid as if she had heard a joke.

The topic was quickly changed, and Kim Taeyeon continued to chat while eating lunch. "By the way, I talked to Sunny about your bistro two days ago."

"Hm? What did you say?" Lin Xiuyuan looked up.

"She was quite curious about what kind of membership system it is." Kim Taeyeon shook her head with a smile. "She also said she'd drag me over to take a look another day, and mooch a few drinks from you."

"Then I'd better prepare sweet cocktails quickly." Lin Xiuyuan laughed. "But the shop just finished renovation, the smell is still very new, let's wait a few days for ventilation before officially opening."

"Remember to call me." Kim Taeyeon nodded, her tone carrying a hint of relaxed anticipation.

The two chatted like this, occasionally bantering with each other, the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious. Until the dessert was served after the meal, the time had quickly reached around 1:00 PM.

Seeing Kim Taeyeon start to pack her things, Lin Xiuyuan also intended to raise his hand to call the waiter to pay the bill, but was stopped by Kim Taeyeon raising her hand. She smiled. "No need, I put it on my tab. It's a member restaurant, after all."

"Didn't we agree that I was treating? This is another free meal." Lin Xiuyuan sighed, unable to laugh or cry.

Kim Taeyeon indicated, "Then you owe me a meal. Remember to pay it back."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled and made an OK gesture.

The two left the restaurant laughing. Lin Xiuyuan accompanied Kim Taeyeon all the way to her car in the underground parking lot. Watching her get in and fasten her seatbelt, he smiled and waved. "Drive slowly, be careful."

"Got it." Kim Taeyeon smiled and waved back, the car window slowly rising, and the car drove toward the parking lot exit.

And Lin Xiuyuan, watching the vehicle leave, had just turned around to walk back to his own car when he suddenly saw a figure approaching him from the side.

It was Pei Zhuxuan.

Having also finished her meal, she was also coming down to drive back, not expecting to run into Lin Xiuyuan here.

The two looked at each other, both a bit surprised, but only nodded and smiled, counting as a silent greeting.

Lin Xiuyuan nodded slightly, then looked away and continued forward, his pace as usual.

Pei Zhuxuan stood in place for a moment, looking at his back, slightly distracted, thinking of the few scenes she had seen on the rooftop just now.

"This person... who exactly is he."

She whispered in her heart, and for some reason, her curiosity about this boy suddenly increased by a few points.

And Lin Xiuyuan, after leaving the parking lot, walked toward the alley entrance where he had parked earlier, returned to his car, and started it. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel a few times, but he never drove away immediately.

About ten minutes later, the passenger door was opened.

Lee Juli, wearing that pink shirt, sat into the car with her skirt fluttering lightly, placed her bag on her knees, and then turned to look at him.

"Waited a long time?"

"It's okay, I just came down too. But you stood Hyomin up like this, won't she resent me?" Lin Xiuyuan answered, laughing with pursed lips.

Lee Juli, listening to Lin Xiuyuan finish, smiled and pointed to a small sports car not far away. "Hyomin is right there. Why don't you get out and ask her."

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned. He looked up, but only saw a pair of taillights speeding away.

This situation made him turn his head to look at Lee Juli, asking in a low voice, "Does this mean she resents me?"

"Hahaha, then you ask her. Haha, hurry up and drive."

"Where to? What for?"

Lee Juli looked at him, the corners of her lips curving slightly. "Let's go to your bistro. We'll talk about things later."

This time, Lin Xiuyuan didn't say anything more, just nodded, turned the steering wheel, stepped on the gas, and the car drove away from here steadily.

The sunlight was bright, the day was still early, and the city was still bustling.

2013. SM Company.

Inside the practice room, the air still retained the lingering warmth of sweat and the vibration of the speakers.

Sulli lay on the floor, her breath slightly disordered as she looked at the ceiling, her long hair scattered on her sides, her fair forehead soaked with sweat. The whole person looked like a child who had just finished a dance performance, exhausted and without any image.

"So tired." She complained, but it also carried a hint of satisfaction.

Victoria squatted down, handed over a bottle of water, and asked in a soft voice, "Sulli, have you been pushing yourself too hard lately? You can relax a bit."

When saying this, Victoria was actually genuinely worried about Sulli. After all, over the past half month, Sulli's personality had changed more and more every day.

But there was one point she felt was good, and that was that Sulli's smiles were becoming more and more frequent, no longer like before, sitting in a corner and zoning out with empty eyes.

Sulli turned her head to look at her upon hearing this and smiled. "It's okay, V Ma, I'm just practicing dancing, I don't have any other work."

"I'm not talking about rehearsals, it's... your state lately, I always feel like you're doing a lot of things, like you're very busy." Victoria said cautiously, worry written between her brows.

Hearing this, Sulli was clearly stunned, but this aspect was hard to explain too much.

So she blinked, slowly sat up, her back against the mirror wall, one hand hooking the sweat towel to press against her forehead. "Don't worry, V Ma, I'm really fine, just finding something to do lately."

Then she smiled, and turned to look at Zheng Xiujing, who was sitting by the water dispenser. "Xiujing, come, I have something to tell you."

"Hm?" Zheng Xiujing bit her straw and turned back, her eyes looking slightly tired.

"Didn't I tell you about a script before? The one I wrote. It's been submitted to the TV station lately, and investors have been contacted to prepare for launch."

"Really?" Zheng Xiujing was surprised for a moment.

"The preliminary plan is to start filming at the end of next month, the crew is already preparing, so you have to prepare." Sulli added.

"Prepare? Wait a minute, prepare for what? Do I have a role too?" Zheng Xiujing tilted her head, clearly not fully understanding.

"Gain weight." Sulli, looking at her, smiled. "The you in the drama isn't that kind of cool, beautiful, cold-feeling girl role. Being thin as a stick won't work, you have to eat yourself into the look of a weightlifter."

The practice room suddenly fell into a brief silence.

Not far away, Amber had just finished a sip of sports drink, and almost choked upon hearing this. "Sulli, what are you saying? You said your script is already going to be filmed?"

Luna also widened her eyes. Although they all knew Sulli had been writing a script, they didn't expect... it was really going to be filmed.

Even Victoria, who had just finished talking to Sulli, looked up again, her face full of surprise. "Sulli, didn't you just start writing it recently? How did you...?"

"I wrote it long ago, I was just finishing it up and polishing it recently."

Sulli of course couldn't say she just "copied" it recently, so she hurriedly added a patch. "At the end of last year, anyway, there was no social life, so I wrote these when I was free. Once the inspiration came, it couldn't be stopped."

"But who did you find to invest?" Luna asked, full of disbelief. "We all thought you were just writing for fun."

"Mm... at the very beginning, it was indeed written for fun."

Sulli nodded, but her smile carried a hint of serious deception. "But as I wrote, I found I really wanted to film it. I like the story inside very much, and I also want more people to see it."

"Then did you tell the company?" Zheng Xiujing asked subconsciously.

"Not yet." Sulli glanced at her, her eyes serious and gentle. "So Xiujing, you have to go report to the company. The role isn't decided casually, I wrote it according to you. As long as the company doesn't object, you are the first female lead."

This sentence made the practice room fall into an unbelievable silence again.

Zheng Xiujing opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't make a sound.

Sulli sat there quietly, holding a water bottle, her eyes bright and clear, like a pool of water under the afternoon sun, gentle and firm.

Victoria, looking at her like this, suddenly had a dazed feeling.

That once taciturn, depressed, and lost younger sister seemed to have really, quietly transformed into a driver who could hold the steering wheel and drive toward the future.

At the same time, the members of Girls' Generation finally learned that Lin Xiaolu had passed the audition for Kim Eun-sook and SBS Television, officially getting the female lead role in "The Heirs."

After all, this news finally settled with the official signing and press conference this morning.

"Really? YoonA Unnie, you took the female lead in Writer Kim Eun-sook's script?" Seohyun held her phone, her expression shocked and carrying a hint of subtle emotion.

"What's wrong, can't I take it?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her with a smile.

"No, I didn't mean that." Seohyun hurriedly waved her hand. "Just... a bit surprised, Daebak."

Although she was a bit envious, she wasn't that jealous.

At this time, Choi Sooyoung interjected from the side, her tone carrying a slight fluctuation. "YoonA, I heard the competition for this script's role is very big. Park Shin-hye also auditioned, right?"

"Mm, I happened to run into her after I came out of the audition." Lin Xiaolu answered faintly.

"I heard there were other actors, didn't expect it to be you, YoonA, who took it in the end. It's truly unbelievable, how did your acting improve so fast?" At this time, Tiffany also popped up, asking very curiously.

Following her opening, everyone's focus also shifted to Lin Xiaolu.

Lin Xiaolu, who didn't know how to explain for a moment, immediately went up to hold Zheng Xiuyan's arm after seeing her walk in from the door. "Heehee, that's still thanks to Xiuyan Unnie. She helped me find a tutor, and I did some last-minute cramming to make up for it."

"Tutor?" Everyone asked in unison.

"Xiuyan Unnie knows people in this area?" Someone was surprised.

"That's too amazing, taking the female lead of Writer Kim all of a sudden."

"..."

Looking at Zheng Xiuyan and Lin Xiaolu surrounded over there, Sunny slowly touched the side of Kim Taeyeon. "Taeyeon, do you know where Xiuyan found the acting tutor?"

"Don't know. Shun Gui, you know?" The tone in her ear made Kim Taeyeon instinctively ask back.

"Heehee, of course I know." Sunny answered with a smile.

At that time, Lin Xiaolu didn't know the secret of the bistro, so she told her about the "tutor" thing, just didn't go into too much detail.

But this point was enough to make Kim Taeyeon curious, and she immediately grabbed Sunny's hand. "Who?"

"I don't know who it is either."

Kim Taeyeon was stunned, then glared at Sunny with some dissatisfaction. "Then what the hell are you saying."

But Sunny immediately continued, "But I heard it's a member of Xiuyuan's bistro. I originally thought it was a joke or just some cramming, didn't expect it to be a real success. Too surprised."

"A member of Xiuyuan's bistro?" Kim Taeyeon's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Mm, YoonA told me that at the time, but when I asked her who it was later, she wouldn't say, saying the person didn't want to come forward, so I didn't ask more."

After listening to the answer, Kim Taeyeon pursed her small lips tightly, frowned slightly, and then said, "Member, another member. Xiuyuan's bistro is too mysterious."

"Yeah, I even wanted to become a member, but that guy said 'not pleasing to the eye,' it pissed me off."

"Hahaha, don't know if I can catch his eye."

"Taeyeon, why don't you ask."

"Next time."

Back to 2025.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had driven back to the entrance of the bistro from the restaurant, turned to look at Lee Juli in the passenger seat after parking the car.

"We're here."

Hearing the sound, Lee Juli turned to look at the entrance of the bistro next to her, then smiled. "Haven't been here for a long time. Xiuyuan, when can you give me a membership? It's too hard for me to find a place to drink."

"There will be a chance."

Lin Xiuyuan responded with a smile, turned off the engine, and got out of the car.

He walked to the entrance of the bistro, opened the door, and started the lights and equipment.

Lee Juli, who had been following him, curiously toured the place. Although it wasn't her first time here, she hadn't been very familiar with it before, and there were others around, so she hadn't been able to tour it freely. This time, she could take her time and look to her heart's content.

After a while.

"By the way, Juli," Lin Xiuyuan looked at her after adjusting the equipment. "You still haven't told me, what are you looking for me for?"

"Looking for you, f*ck me..."

Lee Juli looked at him with a smile, her tone relaxed and carrying a hint of playfulness.

"???"

"Just kidding. Just looking for you to help me do something."

(End of chapter)