Chapter 176: Jessica: Hiding a Beauty in a Golden House

Because today is a workday, the midday traffic was not busy, so Li Juli quickly drove to Tian Enjing's Apartment, and she did not forget to bring a meal for her.

During the time she was rushing to Tian Enjing's Apartment, she was thinking in her heart that she must get to the bottom of the "truth" from last night.

For example: whether she actually ate it, what the effects were after eating it, how effective it was, how fast it took effect, how long it lasted, and so on and so forth.

As a result, when Li Juli arrived at the door of Tian Enjing's Apartment, skillfully entered the password, and pushed the door open to enter.

Looking at Tian Enjing sitting on the sofa, her first reaction was: why is there no change? Her face and skin looked completely normal, with no trace of having done anything at all.

Over there, Tian Enjing was sitting on the sofa leisurely drinking coffee, as if everything from that phone call earlier had never happened.

There was not a hint of guilt on her face; she even seemed slightly relaxed and happy.

Seeing this, Li Juli's expression instantly turned into one of shame and anger; she walked over fiercely, placed the meal in her hand on the coffee table, and gritted her teeth, "Yah, Xian Enjing, you lied to me."

Tian Enjing looked up, smiled, and yawned, then leisurely set down her coffee cup, "Lied to you? How could that be, Unnie, you're overthinking it."

"I'm not blind, there isn't a shred of effect on your face from having done anything."

Li Juli's gaze grew sharper as she walked over, and as she approached Tian Enjing's sofa, she threatened in a low voice, "Fine, you and Zhiyan are now one after another, you've both learned to lie and fool people; you really are my good sisters."

Tian Enjing did not respond immediately; instead, she smiled slightly, reached out to tidy her messy hair, and revealed a meaningful smile.

"Unnie, what if the effect is delayed? You haven't tried it, so you wouldn't know, right?"

Hearing this, Li Juli couldn't help but roll her eyes, but she didn't know how to refute it.

The main thing was that what the other party said really made a lot of sense; after all, she had never experienced it herself, and it really poked at her inner sore spot.

However, this did not prevent her from properly teaching this 'arrogant' good sister a lesson.

So she shouted, "You die for me, Xian Enjing."

After saying this, Li Juli immediately lunged at Tian Enjing on the sofa, but the moment she lunged at the sofa, Tian Enjing was not panicked at all and nimbly dodged her attack by turning to the side.

Li Juli, who had missed, almost lost her balance because she had lunged into empty air, and she fell right into Tian Enjing's arms.

The two of them were thus "entangled" together; Li Juli struggled hard, wanting to stand up, but Tian Enjing nimbly hugged her arm and used one leg to cleverly pin her body down.

"Aigoo, Juli Unnie, why is your strength so small?"

Tian Enjing smiled somewhat mischievously, her eyes carrying a hint of provocation, "If you want to teach me a lesson, it would be about right if Zhiyan came instead."

Li Juli widened her eyes, looking at this good sister full of strength in front of her, and was so angry she almost exploded, "You dare to laugh at me? Believe it or not, I won't let you get out of bed today!"

The two had a "great battle" on the sofa for a while, and eventually, Li Juli began to feel she was not up to the task and had to raise her hands in surrender.

The main thing was that her hands were already a bit numb, and she really couldn't hold on anymore.

After Tian Enjing let her go, Li Juli sighed and put her hands down, "Fine, fine, you win. But you just wait for me, Xian Enjing, today's matter isn't over yet."

"Unnie, if you say it like that, then I don't plan on letting go, oh." Tian Enjing smiled and grabbed Li Juli again.

Seeing this, Li Juli hurriedly shouted, "Fine, fine, fine, that's enough, that's enough."

Hearing this, Tian Enjing finally leaned back against the sofa backrest and pursed her lips, "Unnie, you really are both unskilled and love to play."

"You think everyone is like you and Zhiyan, a Popeye?"

Li Juli rolled her eyes, then helplessly smoothed her hair and returned to a sitting posture.

But soon, her eyes became curious, and the question in her heart forced her to ask, "But to be honest, what gift did Lin Xiuyuan give you last night? What exactly did you receive that makes you so smug right now?"

Tian Enjing laughed softly, a mysterious light flickering in her eyes, "Guess, Unnie, guess what it could be?"

Li Juli frowned, "If I could guess, would I still need to ask you? I definitely can't guess it, tell me, tell me."

"I can't say, Lin Xiuyuan and I agreed, this is a secret that cannot be revealed."

Tian Enjing feigned innocence and tilted her head, though the corners of her eyes carried an imperceptible cunning, "However, if you can promise me one thing, Unnie, I will reluctantly tell you."

"What thing?" Li Juli asked, feeling a bit uneasy in her heart.

"Help me get Lin Xiuyuan drunk tonight." Tian Enjing pursed her lips and smiled.

Then Li Juli immediately widened her eyes, her tone somewhat agitated, "Yah, Xian Enjing, are you trying to snatch my Great Medicine?"

Yet Tian Enjing smiled very innocently, "What do you mean by snatch? I just want to get Lin Xiuyuan drunk so he can have a good rest; he's been too tired at night recently and hasn't been able to rest well. I want to let him get drunk for a bit, and then have a good rest."

"No, what is he tired from at night?" Li Juli asked, confused.

"I can't tell you this, Unnie." Tian Enjing smiled very sweetly.

"Are we still besties, are we still sisters?"

"We are." Tian Enjing responded nonchalantly, though her eyes contained a hint of a challenge.

"Then why can't you say?" Li Juli asked, puzzled.

Tian Enjing spread her hands and expressed very amusingly, "Because now I am closer to Lin Xiuyuan."

Then, Li Juli was dumbfounded; the last sister to say something like that seemed to be Dalongzai.

What is the situation, what does it mean, is Lin Xiuyuan a succubus? He snatched away her good bestie in one night?

And just when Li Juli was "butting heads" with Tian Enjing here, on the other side, inside the SM practice room.

After finally finishing the morning rehearsal, Kim Taeyeon also found a corner to sit down, her eyes looking ahead in a daze, her mind full of the things from the night before last.

After returning yesterday afternoon, she fell into a long period of blankness and only managed to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning.

The image of seeing her father in Jeonju the morning before kept appearing in her mind, as well as the moment she took the initiative to jump into Lin Xiuyuan's arms and kiss him passionately.

Although it looked incredibly cool at the time, now that she recalled that scene, she couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed.

It wasn't that Kim Taeyeon regretted anything; it was more that she felt since she had already done it, she shouldn't give up halfway.

Either let go completely and be clean and decisive, or don't make a move at all.

A state like this, neither up nor down, really makes her feel depressed.

If she wants to find an opportunity next time, she will probably have to brew the atmosphere all over again, which is really troublesome.

Just as she was lost in thought, Kim Taeyeon took out her phone and opened a chat box, which contained the chat history between her and Lin Yun'er.

Lin Yun'er: 【Unnie, I received reliable news that Xiujing is back tonight; should our little team get together?】

Kim Taeyeon: 【Reliable your head, the news is already out, what are you being reliable about, you think your Unnie doesn't surf the internet, right.】

Lin Yun'er: 【Huh, I thought Xiuyuan told you, Unnie~】

Kim Taeyeon: 【Hm? Xiuyuan? You're chatting with Xiuyuan?】

Lin Yun'er: 【Smile. JPG. So Xiuyuan hasn't been chatting with you, Unnie. Oh, I forgot, you're a newcomer, Unnie, I'm the senior.】

Kim Taeyeon: 【LIN! YUN! ER!】

After another while, a newly created group quietly appeared, group name: 【Jieyou Small Garden】

Creator: Lin Xiuyuan.

Group owner invited people to join the group: Krystal.

Krystal: 【What is this?】

Group owner invited people to join the group: Lin Yun'er.

Lin Yun'er: 【Oh, the suggestion I just made, Xiuyuan, you set it up so fast, awesome... wait a second, why am I not the first one in the group.】

Krystal: 【YoonA Unnie, don't you need to promote your drama?】

Lin Yun'er: 【Bored while waiting.】

Group owner invited people to join the group: Kim Taeyeon.

Krystal: 【Taeyeon Unnie??? Yah, Lin Xiuyuan, you're in for it later.】

Lin Yun'er: 【Xiujing, can't blame Xiuyuan, he's still a boy, young people are bound to be impulsive.】

Kim Taeyeon: 【Xiujing, when are you returning to Seoul?】

Krystal: 【Waiting, boarding in half an hour, landing in 2 hours.】

Just as the few of them chatted for a while longer, suddenly, a notification flashed across the page.

Group owner invited people to join the group: Tian Enjing.

Krystal: 【...】

Lin Yun'er: 【...】

Kim Taeyeon: 【...】

Tian Enjing: 【Hello everyone. JPG】

Inside the business class waiting lounge at Shanghai Pudong Airport, Krystal, who had come here to promote a Jaeger-LeCoultre pop-up store and incidentally took some photos and accepted some interviews, was currently sitting in the airport business lounge, looking at the messages on her phone with a serious expression.

Her thin, tightly pursed lips trembled slightly, and her eyes couldn't help but furrow as she murmured, "I've only been gone for a few days, Xiuyuan, have you let yourself go? Or what are you trying to do?"

Then she looked up at the window, suddenly having the urge to make the plane take off early and hurry back to Seoul.

But this thought was obviously impossible to realize, so she could only lower her head helplessly and continue chatting with everyone in the group.

And everyone in the group was not young, so they naturally knew very well what could be discussed in the group and what could not, and they were also very clear that being able to enter this group meant they were definitely members of that so-called Church.

So, as for their identities, it went without saying.

At the same time.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was in the Villa in Gangnam, Seoul, after pulling everyone into the group, also turned over on the big bed and lazily stretched.

Having stayed up for two consecutive nights, he was finally able to have a good sleep today and let himself wake up naturally.

After waking up, Lin Xiuyuan first glanced at his phone, then chatted with Krystal and Lin Yun'er about the situation. Upon learning that the former was returning tonight, he thought about going over to bring Xiao Taozi over; the two hadn't seen each other for a while.

Next was Lin Yun'er's topic. When she was chatting with Kim Taeyeon, she suddenly felt it was a pity that Lin Xiuyuan wasn't present when they talked about him, so she brought up the suggestion of creating a group in the dialogue box.

And when Lin Xiuyuan heard it, he also thought of the 【Jieyou Small Garden】 from the 2013 side.

Previously, in 2025, he didn't build a group because the number of people was too small; it was just Krystal and Lin Yun'er, what was there to build a group for.

It wasn't until he pulled two members in these past two nights that the number of people finally barely caught up with the pace of 2013. Thinking of this, he then established the 2025 【Jieyou Small Garden】.

And after pulling people into the group, he threw his phone aside, fearing being called out by the people inside.

Then, while getting up to wash, he ordered takeout. By the time he emptied his stomach, finished washing, and went downstairs, the takeout had also arrived.

At the same time, there was also an incoming call.

Seeing the caller ID, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, swiped the screen, and looking at that familiar beautiful figure, he smiled, "Hey, Krystal, haven't you boarded yet?"

"Getting ready to. What are you doing? You haven't responded even though they've been calling you in the group." Krystal's voice carried a hint of complaint.

In the waiting lounge, Krystal looked at Lin Xiuyuan's wet hair and him eating a chicken wrap; the anger she wanted to feel instantly dissipated, and she helplessly chuckled, "Yah, sleeping is one thing, but you still have to eat properly."

"Mm, it's not too late now, it's just noon." Lin Xiuyuan responded vaguely.

"It's almost two o'clock." Krystal reminded him.

"About that." Lin Xiuyuan chewed the chicken wrap vaguely, seemingly not paying much attention.

"As if~"

Listening to Krystal on the other end of the phone give a light "huff," without giving Lin Xiuyuan time to react, Krystal continued to ask, "By the way, I heard from Enjing Unnie that you, Zhiyan, and Juli have an appointment to have a few drinks tonight?"

"Ah~ no... oh, I remember now, there is an appointment."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had just wanted to say no, suddenly remembered the words he had casually thrown out when he pulled Tian Enjing over from the future last night, and then he smiled, "Then it seems our dinner tonight will have to be eaten a bit earlier."

As a result, Krystal indicated, "It's fine, it was just decided in the group that everyone will get together tonight."

"Hm? Tonight? I was thinking of calling Xiao Taozi over, but it seems there's no time now."

Hearing the address "Xiao Taozi," Krystal's eyes suddenly softened a bit, the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously, and her gaze became charming.

"Just getting together for a drink, it shouldn't be too late. I'll go over there to rest with you tonight. I haven't seen her for a while either, and I even bought her a gift."

"Alright then, since you've all decided, does that mean it has nothing to do with me?" Lin Xiuyuan asked whimsically.

Krystal raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "What are you thinking? You're the big protagonist tonight."

Speaking of this, Krystal wanted to teach the boy on the screen a good lesson.

How did this guy seduce so many curvaceous mature women without even realizing it.

Completely forgetting who the one holding the leash was in the first place.

Just like Park Jiyeon in 2013.

Afterwards, the two of them spent about ten minutes chatting like this, one eating while watching the other eat, the other eating while watching television.

Finally, after the boarding announcement came from Krystal's side, the call was able to end.

Before hanging up, Krystal didn't forget to say, "Come pick me up in a bit, I'm not going back to the Apartment."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded, "OK."

After hanging up the phone, Krystal then stood up and walked toward Jessica, who was not far away, "Let's go, Unnie, it's time to board."

Jessica, who had been sitting in her seat in a daze, raised her head upon hearing Krystal's voice and teased, "Yo, you finally finished your call? What kind of secret whispers did you share with your Xiuyuan that even your Unnie isn't allowed to hear?"

"I can't," Krystal nodded very firmly.

Jessica was so annoyed she rolled her eyes, but she still picked up her bag and walked toward the boarding gate with Krystal.

Over at the Villa.

After finishing the call with Krystal, Lin Xiuyuan finished his lunch, rested for a while, and then returned to 2013.

Just as Lin Xiuyuan stepped through The Gate, before he had even looked up, he felt a gust of wind rush toward his face.

The next second, Park Jiyeon lunged fiercely into his arms, her movements swift and practiced, as if she had been waiting for this moment all along.

This situation made Lin Xiuyuan's heart tighten, and he immediately reached out to catch her, just like he had caught Dalongzai at the beach yesterday.

After holding Park Jiyeon steadily, a helpless smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Jiyeon, what are you doing? You scared me."

Park Jiyeon looked up, gazing into Lin Xiuyuan's eyes that held not a hint of hesitation; a flash of warmth and gratitude crossed her eyes, and she smiled softly, "I'm thanking you, oppa."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled lightly and pushed her a little away from his embrace, "I don't quite understand."

At the same time, his gaze swept across the Living Room, discovering Xian Enjing and Sulli sitting on the sofa.

The two clearly noticed his gaze; one smiled, and the other nodded.

Then Xian Enjing spoke first, her voice relaxed, "Oh, Xiuyuan, we were just talking about when you would come over."

Facing Xian Enjing's question, Lin Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, the confusion on his face deepening, "Why are you all here? Didn't you say last night that there was a rehearsal today?"

Xian Enjing smiled and shook the water glass in her hand lightly, "There was supposed to be a rehearsal, but later, when I told Jiyeon about the situation last night, she had no heart for it, so after it ended early, she came over to chat with Sulli."

Beside her, Sulli also laughed, "Oppa, you know me; I don't have any work for the time being. I have to wait for the production crew to be assembled in a while before I get busy."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Alright then, coming over to keep Sulli company is good too, saves her from being bored."

Upon hearing this, Sulli laughed even more happily.

At this moment, Park Jiyeon also completely detached herself from Lin Xiuyuan's embrace, looked up, and said with sincere gratitude, "Thank you, oppa."

"What are you thanking me for?" Lin Xiuyuan was curious; he didn't feel like he had done anything.

At this time, Xian Enjing said, "You pulled me into the membership, wasn't it because you were worried that Jiyeon had no one to keep her company? I felt a bit strange about it last night, and in the morning it was just a guess, but after chatting with Sulli just now, I'm certain of it now, it must be that."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan looked up at Xian Enjing, who tilted her head and smiled slightly at him.

Then came Park Jiyeon's voice, "Oppa, is that right?"

Since it had already been guessed, Lin Xiuyuan naturally wouldn't deny anything, and while smiling, he walked toward the Living Room, pushing Park Jiyeon along with him.

"Pretty much. I'm not here on weekdays, and you really don't have anyone around you to talk to in your daily life, unlike Sulli who lives with me, or even Krystal."

"Actually, it's fine, I'm not lonely, it's just that sometimes when I want to say something, I have to wait until Zhenli or YoonA Unnie and the others are free."

Following his steps, Park Jiyeon pouted her little mouth and answered softly.

Yet she never said how much pressure she felt inside when hiding things from the two Unnies who were best to her in the group.

But everyone basically saw this, and Lin Xiuyuan wasn't surprised, so he smiled and rubbed Park Jiyeon's head.

Then he teased, "Isn't that about the same? It's fine, anyway, there's no problem with pulling Enjing into the sect, and we can even arrange a mole inside the Tara over there."

Mentioning the Tara of '25, Park Jiyeon pulled Lin Xiuyuan's finger again, "Oh right, oppa, that old woman over there... that me over there, did she really get married because of my father's business?"

Lin Xiuyuan heard this and turned to look at Xian Enjing, who shrugged, "I feel that even if you can't approve, you shouldn't hold a grudge."

"As expected of the leader and Unnie," Lin Xiuyuan praised.

"But I'm not too sure about this either, I haven't asked her. However, in my view, no matter what, it's all in the past; looking forward is what's most important," Lin Xiuyuan replied.

This sentence touched Sulli's heart, and she smiled and nodded, "That's right, I also think looking forward is most important."

"Fine, then I won't call her an old woman, I'll give you and oppa a little face, but I'm still very uncomfortable regarding her taste in men. With my looks and figure, I could totally pick someone better; this is a matter of taste."

After hearing Lin Xiuyuan's answer, Park Jiyeon gave a light huff and said this with a proud, spoiled air.

Xian Enjing rubbed her forehead and sighed with a smile; it seemed her chicken soup for the soul had a slight effect, though not a very big one.

However, the point Park Jiyeon made just now didn't involve any conflict, it was nothing more than a little bit of resentment, so she didn't say anything more.

After all, when she saw that man last night, she herself found it hard to accept.

Next, Lin Xiuyuan sat down on the sofa, and the group's topic slowly turned to trivial matters of life and some lighthearted content, and laughter began to fill the Living Room.

But as they chatted, Lin Xiuyuan remembered that he still had to go pick up Krystal, so he hurriedly stood up, preparing to go over to 2025.

He also asked if the others wanted to go over and play for a while; the three, including Xian Enjing, looked at each other and nodded one after another.

And so, very quickly, the background of the group shifted from the 2013 Apartment to the 2025 Villa.

Because Sulli and Park Jiyeon were there, Lin Xiuyuan wasn't worried that Xian Enjing, who was here for the second time, would be uncomfortable, so he walked straight to the garage to drive away, leaving the three young girls to have fun in the Villa.

Some were scrolling through videos, others were playing on the computer.

During this time, Park Jiyeon was very curious about what the master bedroom on the third floor was like, but because she was a bit thin-skinned, she didn't dare to go in and look around without Lin Xiuyuan's permission.

Otherwise, she would definitely have seen that box of newly bought Xiaotoudan Gepiwan on the nightstand.

That's right, ever since Krystal learned about some of the therapeutic effects, those little umbrellas and the like had long been eliminated, replaced by the latest Xiaotoudan Gepiwan.

And on the other side.

After Lin Xiuyuan sped continuously on the highway for over half an hour, he finally arrived at Incheon Airport.

After arriving at the airport, he found a parking lot and a more secluded Parking Space, then sent the address to Krystal.

He then sat in the car, boredly scrolling through videos; although he felt some anticipation for Krystal, whom he hadn't seen in a few days, he still remained calm.

Before parking, Lin Xiuyuan had already confirmed Krystal's flight time in advance, knowing that her flight should have already landed, so his eyes kept scanning the surroundings.

The air conditioning inside the car blew softly, and the scenery outside the window gradually became familiar; looking down from the second floor here, the busy scene of the roads around Incheon Airport came into view through the windshield.

After waiting for another ten minutes or so, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze finally caught a familiar figure.

Krystal was seen walking out from the Elevator entrance, seemingly accompanied by a passerby. Although her hair appeared somewhat messy, that calm and composed temperament remained attractive.

Just as Lin Xiuyuan prepared to get out of the car to greet her, his eyes finally recognized that seemingly ordinary passerby, who was actually Jessica.

The other party was wearing a hat and a mask, dressed very loosely, and was a bit of a distance from Krystal, so it was truly hard to recognize her for a moment.

At the same time, Krystal's gaze also quickly locked onto the figure in the car not far away, a relaxed smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, and then she walked over with light steps.

Jessica followed closely behind, her face very calm.

Although Lin Xiuyuan was somewhat puzzled, he still opened the car door and went up to meet them, "How did you two come together?"

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan, Jessica raised an eyebrow, and without waiting for Krystal to answer, she took off her mask and said, "What, did my appearance disturb your and Xiujing's world for two?"

"How did you know that's what I was thinking?" Lin Xiuyuan nodded.

Jessica, who had not expected Lin Xiuyuan to be so direct, rolled her eyes speechlessly, feeling extremely depressed inside.

She really did not want to talk to the person in front of her; if it weren't for her younger sister being set on the other party, she would have blocked him long ago.

If she were given another chance, that Debt Note message and number would definitely be blocked.

At this time, Krystal watched the two finish bickering, then smiled and said, "Alright, Xiuyuan, in a while Jessica and I will go back to the Villa with you directly. She will rest there for a bit, and I will go upstairs to get her some things while I'm at it."

Her words were relaxed and natural, but Lin Xiuyuan was somewhat stunned after hearing them.

"Go back to the Villa?" Lin Xiuyuan's tone carried obvious surprise.

How could they go back? Xueli, Zhiyan, and Enjing were all there; if Jessica followed them back, the situation would definitely explode when she saw them.

At this moment, Jessica seemed to notice his confusion, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, as if she had found some amusement.

She couldn't help but smile and lightly teased, "Why the silence? Are you hiding a beauty in your golden house? You don't want Krystal and me to go over that much?"

Lin Xiuyuan remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze falling unintentionally on Krystal.

Krystal quickly sensed his thoughts, her eyes widening, revealing a look of shock.

A moment later, she turned to Jessica, a helpless smile on her lips, "Then Unnie, you should go back to the Apartment instead; I'll bring the things over to you later."

Jessica, who hadn't expected to have guessed the situation correctly and had thought there would be some conflict between the two, was suddenly stunned upon hearing Krystal's such relaxed response.

"Huh? Krystal, this guy is already hiding a beauty in his golden house; aren't you planning to take me with you to catch him in the act?"

Lin Xiuyuan, opposite them, rolled his eyes for once.

Catch me in the act, my foot; you'll probably be scared unconscious the moment you see Xueli.

Because he remembered very clearly that her level of fear of ghosts was higher than anyone else's.

(End of this chapter)