Chapter 179: Lin Xiuyuan is busy tomorrow! The day after? He

One afternoon in June 2025.

After a day of drama promotional activities concluded, Lin Yun'er was bidding farewell to the cast and directors on-site; the atmosphere was warm and relaxed.

Everyone was laughing, exchanging pleasantries, their words filled with the consideration and care that follow hard work.

Lin Yun'er bowed slightly, hands pressed together, and gave a gentle bow to several seniors, her warm smile carrying a touch of humility. "Thank you all for your hard work. Travel safely on your way back, and take care."

"Thank you for your hard work, YoonA. See you next time." A female screenwriter walked over from behind and patted her shoulder, her smile bright and her eyes full of concern.

Looking back at her, Lin Yun'er nodded gently, a fresh smile lifting the corners of her mouth as she replied, "Yes, thank you, Writer-nim. Thank you all for your hard work as well."

Her voice was clear and gentle, carrying sincere gratitude.

After saying goodbye, Lin Yun'er turned and walked toward the parking lot with her team.

With every step, the afterglow of the sunset cast a soft silhouette behind her; her pace was light and firm, as if she had completely set aside the day's fatigue, and the lenses of the media and fans behind her recorded this moment.

Shortly after, Lin Yun'er sat inside the car and closed the window, just preparing to enjoy a moment of tranquility.

But before she could even stretch her limbs, her rest was interrupted by an incoming call.

She lowered her head to glance at the screen, and upon seeing the caller ID, Lin Yun'er's brows twitched involuntarily. She whispered softly, "Unnie?"

Ever since that last time she went out with Lin Xiuyuan to meet Jessica and Quan Ningyi, and that incident occurred, the two had not spoken on the phone, let alone met.

She hadn't expected Jessica to take the initiative to call her today, which caught Lin Yun'er by surprise.

At this moment, the driver in the front of the nanny car started the engine, and the vehicle slowly pulled out of the parking lot, taking her away from the event venue.

Lin Yun'er swiped the screen and answered Jessica's call. "Hello, Unnie?"

On the other end of the line, Jessica's voice came through the phone, carrying a hint of a smile. "YoonA, what are you doing?"

"I just finished the promotional activity and am getting ready to head back."

Jessica's tone left Lin Yun'er stunned for a moment. After answering, she immediately asked in return, "Unnie, are you in Seoul?"

"Mm, just got back. Do you have plans tonight? How about we grab a meal together?"

Lin Yun'er was startled again, but she agreed nonetheless. "Sure, I just finished work, but I need to tidy up a bit; I have another engagement tonight."

"Another engagement?" Jessica's tone revealed a touch of curiosity.

A long while later, at dusk, inside a high-end restaurant in the Longshan District.

Jessica, having arrived early, had already changed into an elegant plaid sleeveless vest, hoping to avoid being called a "passerby" by a certain guy again. Thinking of how Lin Xiuyuan had used that description on the highway earlier, Jessica felt an urge to kill.

A few minutes later, Lin Yun'er also arrived at the restaurant.

She wore a simple jacket over a solid-colored crew-neck T-shirt paired with black shorts, looking both fresh and capable; the classic black-and-white combination was generous and stylish.

Her rolled-up sleeves looked exceptionally bold, while her gentle curls added a touch of elegance to balance it out.

When the two met, the first topic was their last encounter. Fortunately, Jessica didn't take it to heart and told Lin Yun'er not to worry about it either.

To this, Lin Yun'er smiled. "I'm fine, it's just that Xiuyuan is a bit vengeful."

"..." This answer left Jessica speechless, and she then curiously asked about the "next engagement" Lin Yun'er had mentioned on the phone.

Lin Yun'er, who had been a bit hesitant, thought of how Li Juli and the others would be there, and having heard that Lin Xiuyuan had gone to pick up Jessica and Krystal that afternoon, she smiled and explained the situation regarding the small gathering at the tavern later.

Jessica became interested as soon as she heard. "Then if I go over to join the fun, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"As long as you don't mind when Unnie sees Xiuyuan rolling his eyes at you or ignoring you, then it's fine," Lin Yun'er said with a light laugh.

"I can't be bothered to pay attention to him," Jessica huffed.

And so, having finished that topic, the two began to order dinner, and after dinner, they ordered some desserts.

Only when the time was right did they get into the car together and head toward the tavern.

The scene that followed was exactly the same as the one that had occurred in the tavern previously.

The people in the tavern, upon seeing Jessica appear, cast their gazes toward her one after another. Krystal, in particular, exclaimed, "Jessica? Why are you here too?"

"What? You won't let me? I'm not mooching off your seat; I came with YoonA."

Jessica, being questioned by Krystal, held her bag in her hand, retorted at her first, and then narrowed her eyes.

It seemed she was warning Krystal that if she dared to talk back again, she would see if she wouldn't hit her.

Fortunately, Krystal's crisis awareness, developed from being beaten since childhood, gave her a danger warning at this moment.

So, upon catching Jessica's small movement, she immediately turned her head back and didn't say another word.

Seeing Krystal sensibly shut her mouth, Jessica smiled with satisfaction, then greeted Tian Enjing, Li Juli, and the others.

Finally, she walked up to Kim Taeyeon and smiled slightly at her. "Long time no see, Taeyeon~"

Kim Taeyeon looked at her, and the scene of meeting Zheng Xiuyan when she returned to the 2013 apartment the day before yesterday surfaced in her mind involuntarily.

The two figures intertwined slowly in her memory, and her emotions became complex.

"Mm, it's been a while. I didn't expect you to come tonight, Xiuyan. I thought you weren't very familiar with Xiuyuan."

Just as Jessica was about to answer Kim Taeyeon, Lin Xiuyuan, who was behind the bar, spoke up first. "Actually, we really aren't that familiar."

This sentence made the few people present prick up their ears immediately; the atmosphere seemed to tense up instantly, as if they were expecting a good show to unfold.

Fortunately, Jessica had already guessed Lin Xiuyuan's attitude toward her when she came, so although she was a bit depressed, she didn't feel angry.

Instead, she let out a laugh, stared at him for a moment, and then turned to Krystal to complain.

"Zheng Xiujing, this friend of yours is really petty."

"Then you tell him that."

Krystal knew that Lin Xiuyuan's pettiness was because of that last incident, and since he hadn't said anything harsh, she didn't intend to smooth things over for Jessica. After all, Jessica had indeed gone a bit too far in that matter, even if it wasn't her intention.

Fortunately, Kim Taeyeon stepped in at this moment. "Alright, Xiuyuan, you go play with Zhiyan and the others. I'll take Xiuyan over to the sofa to sit. Bring us something to drink."

"Pay up," Lin Xiuyuan responded calmly, simultaneously taking a POS machine from the counter. "Card or cash?"

Jessica was so angry she laughed. "Ya..."

Kim Taeyeon hurriedly pulled her back and laughed along. "Xiuyuan, didn't I bring my own drinks?"

"Glass usage fee, plus ice fee," Lin Xiuyuan stated calmly.

"Then I'm going to charge you too," Kim Taeyeon raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have to; I'm charging that other person," Lin Xiuyuan pointed at Jessica.

Hearing this, Kim Taeyeon covered her mouth and laughed. "Then I'll give this drink to Xiuyan. Bring me a new one."

This made Lin Xiuyuan look at Jessica, who looked back, and the next second she intended to take out her bank card to pay.

But Lin Xiuyuan suddenly said, "Fine, since you're a member, the entourage is free."

Jessica's eyes widened as soon as she heard this. "Ya, I have money! Swipe the card, swipe..."

Kim Taeyeon was even happier, so she hurriedly pulled her back and called over Lin Yun'er. "Alright, alright, Xiuyan, let's go sit down. YoonA, you come over too."

Lin Yun'er, who had been standing on the side watching the show, gave a faint smile. "Yes, Unnie, coming."

Then Krystal followed, and the bar area was instantly empty.

Dalongzai and Li Juli took the opportunity to sit in front of Lin Xiuyuan quickly, their faces full of playfulness, and asked in a low voice, "Xiuyuan, what's wrong? What's wrong?"

Fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan ignored them and just asked with a smile, "A bit gossipy, aren't you? What do you want to drink?"

"Who can resist gossiping?" Dalongzai curled her lips and then said, "I can't drink alcohol recently, give me some fruit juice or a drink."

Li Juli, on the side, heard this and immediately smiled, saying excitedly, "Xiuyuan, I can drink something cold. Give me a sparkling fruit drink."

Then Tian Enjing also sat over and asked for a sparkling fruit drink.

And so, this small tavern was suddenly divided into two teams.

One side was Girls' Generation on the sofa, and the other side was Tara at the bar.

Krystal ran back and forth, helping Lin Xiuyuan deliver the mixed drinks to the sofa, and then occasionally sat at the bar to chat with Dalongzai, a wandering player.

However, after sitting for a while, Jessica suddenly noticed a detail.

That was when she inadvertently glanced at Dalongzai sitting at the bar, and her heart was shocked: How did Zhiyan's skin tone become so good?

That skin, which remained fair even under the dim lights of the tavern, maintained its elasticity and the plumpness of collagen, almost making her doubt if she was seeing things.

Jessica, looking at Dalongzai, suddenly felt a stir in her heart and turned to look at Lin Yun'er beside her.

She had noticed Lin Yun'er's condition while eating earlier and had asked what was going on with this state.

As a result, Lin Yun'er's answer was "medical aesthetics," which directly blocked all her subsequent questions.

But now, seeing that Dalongzai was the same, Jessica's gaze inexplicably finally drifted to her sister Krystal.

Medical aesthetics are one thing, but since when can hairlines grow hair?

These new discoveries shocked Jessica, but she had no heart to think too much.

After all, she didn't have enough information and background to interpret these changes, so all she could do was put the things she couldn't figure out to the back of her mind for now.

And she planned to talk to Dalongzai later to see if she had also done similar medical aesthetics and, by the way, ask for the address.

Kim Taeyeon had also made some discoveries.

Compared to Jessica, she had more information, so after her gaze lingered on those who had taken the great supplement pills, it finally stopped on Lin Xiuyuan.

She was a bit suspicious, but not quite sure.

And just at this moment, Kim Taeyeon suddenly heard Li Juli ask Lin Xiuyuan, "Xiuyuan, since summer is here, do you want to go out to sea to play?"

"Ah? Go out to sea? Me?"

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan subconsciously refused. "I don't think I have time. I have to guard this shop and work to make money."

Dalongzai couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. "You're lying, right? It's been a month since opening, and the number of days you've officially been open for business isn't even a week. How could you be busy working? Who are you fooling?"

Seeing that Dalongzai didn't believe him, Lin Xiuyuan hurriedly defended himself. "Who says? I have to guard the needs of the members. This shop is just a contact point; serving members is my real job."

Then Tian Enjing, who hadn't interrupted, finally laughed. "Alright, Zhiyan, Xiuyuan really isn't wrong. His job is really to serve members. You don't understand this, so don't make things difficult for Xiuyuan, otherwise he really won't have money to earn."

Lin Xiuyuan spread his hands and looked at Dalongzai and Li Juli with an innocent face. "See, right?"

At this moment, Kim Taeyeon's voice came from behind them. "So Xiuyuan, when are you going to serve me? I'm a member too."

Dalongzai and Li Juli turned their heads one after another, only to see Kim Taeyeon's gaze pass over them and look at Lin Xiuyuan with a smile. "Since you said that just now, can you save tomorrow's time for me?"

"Tomorrow?" Lin Xiuyuan was stunned.

Then, Krystal's voice popped up. "Unnie, tomorrow won't work. Xiuyuan has already promised to accompany me to see Xiao Taozi tomorrow."

This answer was understood by more than half of the eight people present, while the rest were confused.

Kim Taeyeon frowned slightly and stated, "But I'm leaving for a tour the day after tomorrow. How about the day after?"

As soon as the words fell, Lin Yun'er interrupted her train of thought from the side. "The day after won't work either, Unnie. Xiuyuan promised me he'd go make bread for the volunteers the day after tomorrow. It's all settled, and I'm going to Haojiang the day after that, so I don't have time to wait."

"Hm? YoonA, do you have to do this with Xiuyuan?" Kim Taeyeon widened her eyes, full of surprise.

"Must," Lin Yun'er nodded very seriously.

Going to Haojiang the day after tomorrow is an endorsement schedule for two big brands. If you don't absorb yang and replenish yin now, when will you?

At this time, Tian Enjing, sitting at the bar, couldn't help but laugh, because she knew very well why these two were looking for Lin Xiuyuan.

So she immediately looked at the little boy inside the bar, waved at him, and after he leaned over, she asked with a smile, "Scared? Xiuyuan, why don't we go out and order some late-night snacks tonight? Oysters, geoduck, that kind of thing."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan immediately straightened his back and said with a righteous face, "Do I need these?"

Then he immediately leaned over and asked cautiously, "Can it really replenish?"

Tian Enjing laughed out loud after hearing this.

At this time, Li Juli, who noticed this, poked Dalongzai's waist, signaling her to look at the two people beside them.

Following Li Juli's gaze, Dalongzai's eyes narrowed slightly, and seeing the two figures chatting and laughing, she couldn't help but feel isolated.

【Park Hyomin:?? Zhiyan, did you get the wrong person???】

At the same time, Lin Xiuyuan, who had finished answering, immediately looked cautiously at Krystal and Lin Yun'er on the other side. He knew exactly what the two were planning.

While happy, he was also a little worried, really afraid of being drained by these two women as an "oil field."

If it were a normal battle, where everyone was relaxed and happy, that would be no problem at all.

What he feared was the kind that went straight for the result, killing the oil or picking the lock.

The key was just inserted into the lock, and before you even had to turn it, the lock core inside would automatically curl up, and it was the fully automatic, no-bottom-line kind. Who could stand that?

"Xiuyuan~"

Just as Lin Xiuyuan was imagining various thoughts in his mind, Dalongzai in front of him also waved at him. "Come here for a second."

"What for?" Lin Xiuyuan leaned forward and asked.

"How exactly can one join as a member here?" Dalongzai showed a curious expression.

The second she heard that Lin Xiuyuan was serving members, it was no wonder Dalongzai thought randomly; the first thing she really thought of was the hosts in Ginza.

However, in her view, the little boy in front of her was countless times better than those hosts.

Whether it was his appearance, figure, physique, talent, or that mouth that could talk and play, it was all very good.

Finally, plus that unique physique, it was 99.99% perfect.

The only drawback was probably that his time wasn't free and he couldn't be on call.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Tian Enjing, who had just shown off, for the first time. The latter shook her head directly. "Don't look at me. I won this membership by fishing. Who knows how others joined?"

With Tian Enjing's words, Li Juli immediately turned her head back and asked Kim Taeyeon curiously, "Taeyeon, how did you become a member of Xiuyuan's tavern?"

"Ah, me?"

Kim Taeyeon, who was discussing Lin Xiuyuan's time with Lin Yun'er, didn't know how to answer Li Juli's question for a moment.

So she looked at Lin Yun'er. "YoonA, how did you join?"

"Me? Another member of Xiuyuan's had a need, so I was added." Lin Yun'er, who was asked, answered very naturally, because the opportunity for her to join was indeed because of Lin Xiaolu.

As soon as the words fell, the eyes of several people refocused on Kim Taeyeon, but she didn't seem to have thought about how to continue, so she turned to look at Krystal.

Krystal, who was being watched, answered very simply. "Me? Thinking carefully about the opportunity for me to join as a member, it should be related to Jessica. I got to know Xiuyuan with her, then chatted with Xiuyuan for a few days, and then joined as a member."

After speaking, Krystal suddenly smiled. "By the way, when I joined as a member, this tavern hadn't even been set up yet, or rather, he didn't even have this idea."

Krystal said this last sentence very lightly, but when it fell into the ears of some interested people, it had a bit more of a stinging sensation.

Obviously, she wanted to show off that she knew Lin Xiuyuan earlier and that their relationship was closer.

At this time, Kim Taeyeon, who had thought it through, also answered, "Compared to you, Krystal and YoonA, I don't seem to have had so many situations. I just called Xiuyuan and let him come to my house. Then I joined as a member, right, Xiuyuan?"

Once this was said, the gazes that everyone had withdrawn focused on Lin Xiuyuan again.

And Lin Xiuyuan, who had just made himself a cup of Watermelon Coconut, was dumbfounded. "Ah, Taeyeon, don't be so general. That's because you were almost crying, so I let you join."

The "crying" Lin Xiuyuan mentioned was more general, but in the ears of several members, everyone understood it.

Only Jessica, Dalongzai, and Li Juli looked at them, confused and extremely depressed.

If you ask, they all say they don't know.

If you look with your eyes, the gazes looking at Kim Taeyeon are all so full of stories.

This is called not knowing?

Fooling ghosts.

But Dalongzai didn't care about stories or not, and directly followed Lin Xiuyuan's answer to Kim Taeyeon just now, teasing, "Xiuyuan, does that mean as long as you're in a hurry and crying, you can join as a member?"

"No, that's Taeyeon's own problem, not a question of crying or not. I was just using a metaphor."

Seeing Dalongzai preparing to try it out for herself, Lin Xiuyuan hurriedly stopped her.

However, seeing that Dalongzai had already shown a look of preparing to "try" to cry, he hurriedly added, "Zhiyan, don't mess around. Rest well first. I'll treat you to fried chicken in a few days."

Once this was said, Dalongzai's expression immediately turned from cloudy to sunny, and she smiled. "Fine, then we'll talk about this later."

So in the blink of an eye, except for Jessica, only Li Juli was left fighting alone in the tavern.

So she immediately said, "Xiuyuan, what kind of riddles are you and Zhiyan talking about? Why is everyone using this encrypted language, one by one."

At the same time, Jessica, sitting beside Kim Taeyeon, also seemed a bit confused.

Originally, she thought that coming to the tavern to drink this time, even if Lin Xiuyuan was present, she could chat happily with Lin Yun'er, Kim Taeyeon, Krystal, and others.

However, she hadn't expected to be teased by Lin Xiuyuan the moment she entered, and then, as the conversation between the others continued, she couldn't get a single word in.

After that, as the few finished chatting, she found herself isolated.

The kind that was truly isolated.

At least Li Juli could still chat about Lin Xiuyuan, or pull Lin Xiuyuan to explain this and that.

But Jessica couldn't call Lin Xiuyuan at all, and even to drink a glass of water, she needed Krystal to pour it, otherwise she really couldn't drink any water.

However, as the alcohol intake increased and the topics opened up, the atmosphere in the tavern slowly became relaxed and enthusiastic.

The teasing and complaining between each other made everyone laugh constantly, especially Li Juli questioning Lin Xiuyuan about the membership situation, which Lin Xiuyuan skipped over with a slice of watermelon, adding more vitality to the atmosphere of the entire tavern.

And as everyone relaxed a lot under the influence of alcohol, even Tian Enjing, who was usually quiet, began to take the initiative to chat with Krystal, and the atmosphere slowly reached its peak.

However, Li Juli was still "fighting" with Lin Xiuyuan.

Her eyes changed from grievance to depression, and then to anger.

Later, her face even flashed with a kind of "begging, resentful" expression, but she never got a response from Lin Xiuyuan. Whenever the other party talked about key issues, he started looking left and right.

Seeing this, Li Juli, knowing there was no hope, stood up, finished the glass of wine in front of her in one gulp, and turned to walk toward the small stage. "Hmph, then I won't pay attention to you either, I'm going to play instruments."

Her voice was full of unwillingness and annoyance, but it made Dalongzai and Tian Enjing laugh.

Because the two who were familiar with her knew that if this Unnie really didn't pay attention to people, she would probably slam the door and leave.

When the two finished eye contact with Lin Xiuyuan and came back to their senses, Li Juli was already standing on the small stage of the tavern, picked up the bass, and began to play skillfully.

Her expression gradually relaxed, and the depression in her eyes seemed to dissipate with the flow of notes.

At this time, Lin Yun'er on the sofa looked at her and stood up with a smile. "I'll go play for a while too, to relax."

Finally, her footsteps landed in front of the keyboard, and she played two notes a bit clumsily.

And as Lin Yun'er walked toward the small stage, Tian Enjing also got up, unwilling to be lonely, and walked toward the instrument area. "I'll join in the fun too."

She said, picking up the electronic drums beside her and starting to beat them.

In the next few minutes, the atmosphere in the tavern changed subtly.

Seeing everyone joining this temporarily formed small band, the remaining few followed one after another.

Jessica watched this group of people gradually walk toward the stage, couldn't help but feel a yearning, especially seeing Kim Taeyeon roll up her sleeves, so she smiled. "Let's go, let's go over and see."

Kim Taeyeon heard this and immediately walked over, heading straight for the microphone.

Everyone in the tavern, except for Jessica beside her who could compete with her, the others were "accessories."

Soon, the small stage in the tavern was occupied by the temporarily formed band, and several people began to play various songs as they pleased, some were classic pop songs that everyone was familiar with, and some were their own representative works.

With the rhythm of the music, everyone who was originally divided into two small teams began to play together lively, and the atmosphere became more free and joyful.

Even Krystal, who hadn't sung for a long time, walked up and sang half an English song, her voice clear and powerful, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the entire tavern.

At this time, the only one left sitting in front of Lin Xiuyuan was Dalongzai.

She watched this warm scene quietly, suddenly turned her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, and asked with a smile carrying a bit of loss, "Xiuyuan, do you like the old me, or the current me?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who was originally enjoying the performance, was a bit stunned after being asked, but soon his tone answered with a hint of seriousness.

"You ask this question... I think the old you was very good, and the current you is also great. Every period of you has its own unique charm, how can one simply choose? Can't you like both?"

He said it sincerely, and there was no hesitation in his words.

So Dalongzai couldn't help but laugh after hearing it. "Slippery."

Then she looked at him with that slightly playful gaze and asked, "Then do you think my current appearance counts as uninhibited? Especially in terms of you."

This time Lin Xiuyuan laughed even more happily, and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.

"There's something to say about this. From the perspective of having already enjoyed it, I think Zhiyan, this is an advantage. And from the perspective of not being able to eat, that is a reason for others to be jealous of me."

Listening to this answer, Dalongzai looked at Lin Xiuyuan deeply.

Seeing his relaxed and natural demeanor, and his eyes full of real and fearless appreciation for her, she also laughed out loud, laughing until she was leaning forward and backward, as if she were completely moved by Lin Xiuyuan's humor.

The atmosphere of the band on the stage became more and more fiery, Krystal, Kim Taeyeon, Lin Yun'er, and others were completely immersed in the performance, and the entire tavern became more free and joyful.

After a long while, Krystal turned her head to look at Jessica who had come to her side, a hint of small thoughts flashing in her eyes.

After looking around, she suggested, "How about we play a game."

"What game?"

"With so many women, and only Xiuyuan as a man, of course, it's the King Game."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 180 =====