Chapter 187

Early morning.

Cheongdam-dong, the underground parking lot below the Girls' Generation dormitory. Cold white lights spill onto the concrete floor, making it spotless, the silence tinged with a bit of coldness and detachment.

Lin Xiuyuan skillfully reverses the Mercedes into an empty spot, kills the engine, unbuckles his seatbelt, and pushes the door open to get out.

His movements are crisp, with almost no unnecessary hesitation.

Kim Taeyeon is already standing by the front of the car, watching him get out with her arms crossed, and walks up to meet him.

Lin Xiuyuan hands her the car keys, a teasing smile on his lips, "Remember to have someone replace the tire tomorrow; don't just rely on this spare tire to drive. A spare tire can't drive far."

"Mm, got it."

Kim Taeyeon takes the keys, her words carrying a smile, while her lips curl up unconsciously, as if she can't hide the helplessness of having her mind poked, "I always feel like you're still pulling my leg."

"Not this time, seriously reminding you." Lin Xiuyuan also smiles, his gaze frank.

"Are you two going to get a late-night snack next?"

Kim Taeyeon asks this as if it were a casual question after hearing Lin Xiuyuan's words.

This makes Lin Xiuyuan look at Sulli in the passenger seat of the Land Rover nearby, thinking this is likely the other party's excuse, so he nods lightly, "Mm, out with Sulli to find something to eat. Do you want to join?"

Although Kim Taeyeon is a bit tempted, she ultimately shakes her head, "Forget it, I have work tomorrow."

"Alright, then I'll be going." Lin Xiuyuan nods in greeting, his tone gentle.

Watching Lin Xiuyuan turn and prepare to leave, Kim Taeyeon actually has quite a few questions she wants to ask this boy properly.

But the words on the tip of her tongue condense into a soft exhortation, "Mm, drive carefully."

"Don't worry." He turns back and waves, smiling casually, his footsteps not pausing as he heads toward the Land Rover.

Just then, a cold but slightly sleepy female voice comes from the entrance of the parking lot, "Oh, hello, Sunbae~"

Lin Xiuyuan pauses his steps and turns to look.

He sees Pei Zhuxuan wearing a home-style gray-blue long sweatshirt, her hair tied up loosely, wearing slippers, holding a phone in one hand, and what looks like... some late-night snacks packed just now in the other.

Pei Zhuxuan's gaze lingers on Lin Xiuyuan's face for a second, then immediately passes him to see Kim Taeyeon not far away.

Immediately, obvious surprise appears in her eyes, but she reacts quickly, immediately bowing ninety degrees to Kim Taeyeon, her tone respectful, "Hello, Kim Taeyeon Sunbae."

"Hello." Kim Taeyeon nods, her voice gentle.

She remembers this girl; she is a trainee member of the new group the company is preparing to launch.

Lin Xiuyuan also raises an eyebrow and greets her with a smile, "Long time no see."

At this time, Sulli, sitting in the car, seems to notice the commotion, presses the window down, leans her head out curiously, her tone light, "What's wrong, Oppa~"

Hearing this familiar voice in her ear, Pei Zhuxuan is clearly stunned again, turning her head almost reflexively, bowing and saluting again, "Hello, Sulli Sunbae."

"Oh, I remember you, the company's trainee group member, right? Hello there."

Sulli shows a gentle smile, her eyes carrying a bit of surprise and kindness, "Is it... Zhuxuan, right?"

"Y-yes."

Pei Zhuxuan nods, somewhat incredulous, her voice still carrying a bit of flustered awe.

But Lin Xiuyuan, standing to the side, seems to suddenly remember something, so he taps his forehead, "Eh, right, I almost forgot about this."

Kim Taeyeon and Sulli both look at him, and Pei Zhuxuan turns her head as well.

Soon, Lin Xiuyuan, who turned to walk to the trunk of the Land Rover, rummages through it, then takes out an exquisite little bag, clearly prepared long ago.

After walking back, he looks at Pei Zhuxuan with a relaxed tone and a smile in his eyes, his smile clean and gentle, and says in a relaxed tone, "Here, this is the gift I promised to bring you when I saw you before. Didn't expect it to be dragged out for so long."

This was a small item Lin Xiuyuan saw when passing by a shelf while choosing a gift for Little Dragon Cub.

Thinking of Pei Zhuxuan at that time, he brought it along.

Pei Zhuxuan stares at him blankly, then looks down at the small gift in her hand, her mind seeming to go blank for a moment.

She never expected that Lin Xiuyuan would actually remember this small matter that was only mentioned as a joke at the time.

Her eyes are wide, and for a moment, her reaction is even a beat slow.

"Is... is this for me?"

She asks stutteringly, as if confirming, or as if she can't believe it, her fingers tightening unconsciously on the bag's handle.

Sulli, sitting in the passenger seat, leans over to take a peek and immediately raises an eyebrow.

Kim Taeyeon in the back also tilts her head, looking at Lin Xiuyuan with a meaningful gaze.

Pei Zhuxuan stands where she is, holding the snack bag in one hand and the gift in the other, as if she hasn't recovered from the surprise.

"Th-thank you, Sunbae... really... thank you..."

Kim Taeyeon watches Pei Zhuxuan standing there foolishly and finally speaks, "Speaking of which, you ran down in the middle of the night, is it to buy late-night snacks?"

Asked this, Pei Zhuxuan's expression changes instantly, her whole body stiffening as if hit by an acupuncture point.

So she subconsciously hides the snack bag behind her back, looking at Kim Taeyeon with a flustered expression, "I... I... I'm just... just a bit hungry... didn't eat after practicing..."

Her voice gets smaller and smaller, as if waiting for the judgment of fate to fall.

After all, the company has extremely strict requirements for weight management for trainees like them who are about to debut; sneaking food in the middle of the night would definitely get them scolded.

However, Kim Taeyeon just smiles lightly, her tone unexpectedly gentle, "Don't be nervous; when I was a trainee, didn't I often..."

She points at Sulli, her smile unable to be hidden, "go downstairs in the dark with her to buy fried chicken?"

"That's right, Taeyeon Unnie took the lead with YoonA Unnie at that time." Sulli smiles until her eyes curve, "Also taught me how to avoid the company's checks; eat it and throw it away, and must open the window for ventilation, or spray some perfume and other things with a scent to cover up the smell of the food."

"R-really?"

Pei Zhuxuan widens her eyes, looking at these two unreachable seniors in disbelief.

"Of course it's true." Kim Taeyeon nods with a smile, "So relax; eating late-night snacks occasionally isn't against the law. As long as you pay attention to maintaining your figure, then there's no problem."

"Mm-mm-mm!"

Pei Zhuxuan nods repeatedly, like a little chick pardoned, looking serious and moved.

Seeing the atmosphere relax, Lin Xiuyuan doesn't linger, "Then we'll be going first; Taeyeon, you guys go up and rest early too."

Saying this, he pats the car door and looks at Sulli in the car, "Let's go, Sulli."

"Nae, Oppa~"

Sulli smiles, waves lightly, and closes the window again.

Lin Xiuyuan is just about to start the car and leave when he suddenly seems to remember something, lowers the window again, and shouts at Pei Zhuxuan, "Right, that... Pei Zhuxuan..."

"Mm?" Hearing her name called, Pei Zhuxuan stands up straight almost subconsciously.

"..."

A moment later, Kim Taeyeon also waves slightly, turns and leaves with an expression Pei Zhuxuan can't understand, walking toward the elevator entrance.

And Pei Zhuxuan still stands where she is, watching Lin Xiuyuan's car slowly drive out of the parking lot, and only when the taillights completely disappear at the exit does she let out a soft breath.

After the elevator door closes, Pei Zhuxuan finally recovers, then gathers her thoughts, and walks through the parking lot with the late-night snacks from another exit.

Passing through the building behind, along the familiar stairs, she quietly returns to the dormitory temporarily prepared by the company for trainees like them.

As soon as she enters, the warm yellow light in the dormitory hits the wooden floor, diffusing a soft temperature and a faint woody fragrance.

"Back? Why so long?"

On the living room sofa, Son Seungwan is hugging a pillow and watching a show; hearing the commotion, she immediately jumps up and runs over to welcome her with light steps.

"Mm, just ran into Kim Taeyeon Sunbae and... Sulli Sunbae downstairs."

Pei Zhuxuan's tone is still a bit dazed, and the movement of holding the snack bag is also a beat slow.

"Wow, really? How are they?" Son Seungwan's eyes light up instantly, her face full of surprise.

"B-both very good..." Pei Zhuxuan says while putting the late-night snacks on the coffee table.

Then, as if remembering something, she carefully takes out that exquisite little bag from her arms, her expression inexplicably serious.

"What's that?" Son Seungwan leans over, her eyes instantly attracted.

"A... gift from a Sunbae." Pei Zhuxuan says in a low voice, even she finds it hard to believe, "He said he promised to give it to me before... and today he really gave it."

"Daebak, doesn't he like you? How amazing..."

Son Seungwan seems to have discovered some treasure, leaning in even closer in excitement, "Quick, let me see, open it and see."

Pei Zhuxuan nods and carefully opens the little bag.

In the bag, there is no gift box or jewelry as imagined, only a translucent kraft paper envelope containing a card.

She gently pulls the card out of the envelope.

The next second, Son Seungwan lets out a "Wow!" exclamation.

"This is too good-looking?!" She pats Pei Zhuxuan's arm, staring at the card with wide eyes, "Unnie~ is this you? This is drawn so much like you."

It is a delicate, highly artistic pencil sketch.

In the painting, the girl is wearing exquisite hair accessories, wearing a well-tailored dress skirt, standing under the spotlight, tilting her head slightly, her expression revealing confidence and composure, as if she is stepping into the center of the stage, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

This is her on stage, the Pei Zhuxuan who will stand in the center of the stage in the future.

Pei Zhuxuan stares blankly at the painting, as if her soul was fiercely touched at a certain moment, and she falls into silence.

"Who drew this, Unnie, the Sunbae who gave you the gift?"

Son Seungwan asks in a low voice, her tone full of envy, "He can even draw, and draws so well..."

Pei Zhuxuan doesn't respond immediately, just gently rubbing the edge of the card with her fingertips, her movements gentle and focused.

In the lower right corner of the painting, there is a line of scribbled but dashing Korean handwriting: To the future you, when you stand there, you will definitely be more dazzling than you imagine.

The moment she saw this line, the sentence Lin Xiuyuan said with a smile before leaving suddenly appeared in her mind, as if it were ringing in her ears again clearly.

"That, Pei Zhuxuan. If a stranger suddenly finds you and talks to you, according to your personality and situation, what do you think the first sentence should be to attract you?"

Why would that Sunbae ask such a question?

And why would the other party give her such a... such a special gift?

Could it really be as Seungwan said, that he likes her?

"Hey, Zhuxuan, why aren't you talking?"

Son Seungwan leans over and shakes her, "Sit down first and talk, there's also late-night snacks, eat quickly."

"Oh... mm..." Pei Zhuxuan recovers, but finds she has no appetite at all.

Then she reluctantly picks up a piece of rice cake and puts it in her mouth, but doesn't even taste it.

Her gaze quickly falls back to the card, she stares at the sketch with her head down, her heartbeat seems to be gently bumped by something, a warm current surges, and ripples appear.

It's not that she hasn't seen seniors who can talk and take care of people.

But like this, meticulous and heartfelt... it is indeed the first time.

Beside her, Son Seungwan eats while looking at the painting, and can't help but mutter again, "This Sunbae is too good at this, Unnie, is he trying to chase you?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Pei Zhuxuan is startled, immediately glares at her, and quickly lowers her voice, "Keep it down..."

However, thinking of the big seniors who appeared one after another around Lin Xiuyuan, Pei Zhuxuan feels a bit empty in her heart.

She... how dare she think too much.

But even so, the gift in front of her, and that scribbled but determined message, are like some kind of quiet seed, quietly buried in her heart.

She thinks she will remember this card.

For a very, very long time.

On the other side, Lin Xiuyuan is driving to Zheng Xiuyan's apartment; at this time, Sulli in the passenger seat is staring at him, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.

"Oppa, what did you just give to that future visual goddess of the company?"

For Pei Zhuxuan's future, Sulli also learned a general idea through short videos, so she smiles and jokes, "Using future information to capture a girl from the past like this, it's a bit too foul."

Facing Sulli's question, Lin Xiuyuan smiles and repeats the sexual orientation he mentioned before, "I don't intend to capture her; I don't like girls with that kind of 50/50 body, thin waist, long legs, and big breasts are my favorites."

As a result, Sulli hears this, secretly looks at herself, and hums with a laugh, "So it's like Juli Unnie who went to the Maldives with you, right?"

"Hyomin is also fine." Lin Xiuyuan smiles faintly.

"Ya, Oppa, you wife-con, just say it, don't destroy other people's marriages." Sulli is startled and immediately corrects him seriously.

"Where is your mind?" Lin Xiuyuan smiles helplessly, "I'm talking about Hyomin in 2013; she's not married yet, right?"

Facing this answer, Sulli purses her lips and smiles, changing her phrasing to answer him, "So if you can't eat the ripe fruit, you want to pick the unripe one to taste too, Oppa?"

"Hiss, what sharp words, Sulli."

"Humph~"

The two chat and laugh, and soon arrive at Zheng Xiuyan's apartment.

Entering, going upstairs, unlocking, all in one go, no special circumstances occurred.

After entering the living room, Lin Xiuyuan glances at the decoration style and quickly withdraws his gaze.

Having become accustomed to the avant-garde and fashion of 2025, by comparison, the aesthetics of 2013 are indeed a bit outdated.

Then Lin Xiuyuan takes Sulli to a door casually, holds the doorknob, and pushes gently.

The villa living room behind the door comes into view, which is exactly the villa in '25.

"Done."

Saying this, Lin Xiuyuan takes Sulli into the villa, then closes and opens the door, and the apartment in '13 appears.

Closing and opening again, the scene inside returns to Zheng Xiuyan's apartment.

Returning here, Lin Xiuyuan looks at Sulli, "Mission accomplished."

"Although it's not the first time I've seen it, I still feel it's amazing every time."

Sulli looks at the door and sighs, "Even more shocking than when you took me directly to the villa in 2025... how on earth is this done?"

"I also think it's amazing." Lin Xiuyuan shrugs, "But if you ask for the principle, I can only say, I don't know."

Saying this, he presses one hand on Sulli's smooth head and rubs it, "Alright, thinking too much about things you can't figure out is useless. While there is still time, set up the apartment on Lin Xiaolu's side too, go eat a late-night snack later, and then I have to go back to the Maldives to rest."

When returning to the car, Sulli is still savoring the door that crossed time and space just now.

She leans on the passenger seat, tilts her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, "Seriously, Oppa, every time we travel back and forth, I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Are you hinting that you don't want to pay for the late-night snack later?" Lin Xiuyuan teases while starting the engine.

Sulli giggles, "Ah, Oppa~ I'll treat, I've earned money."

Amidst laughter, the car starts and drives into the night streets of Cheongdam.

This time the destination is Lin Xiaolu's apartment.

The process is the same as just now, positioning, confirmation, opening, everything is so familiar.

Lin Xiuyuan even takes a bottle of water from the apartment's refrigerator to drink, the whole process taking less than two minutes, but it makes Sulli stare blankly again.

"What we are doing now... feels more like protagonists than the protagonists in those sci-fi dramas, Oppa~"

"Then just don't spoil our future plot for us in the future."

Lin Xiuyuan doesn't look back, just says casually, then pats the door panel with a smile, "Alright, this side is also set up."

Then he reaches out and presses her head again, "Let's go, let's go eat a late-night snack."

Half an hour later, in a barbecue restaurant near Cheongdam-dong that stays open until the early morning.

The charcoal fire "sizzles," and the smoke and the smell of meat fill the air.

Sulli skillfully flips the pork belly on the grill and clips a piece to hand to Lin Xiuyuan, "Be careful, it's hot, Oppa~"

Then she looks at Lin Xiuyuan opposite her very amusingly, "It's strange, Oppa, it's not like you can't cook, why can't you learn to barbecue? It's very simple."

Sulli says while demonstrating the barbecue method.

However, Lin Xiuyuan only cares about eating and ignores her teaching, "... Mm~ this barbecue is actually quite delicious."

Sulli looks at him only caring about eating, shakes her head helplessly, then smiles again, "Of course, I never make mistakes when it comes to picking late-night snack shops."

Lin Xiuyuan raises his cola cup, touches it lightly with hers, and smiles, "Then I really have to give you credit."

The two touch cups lightly, the atmosphere relaxed and intimate.

And Sulli, after taking a sip of the drink, leans on the back of the chair, blinks, and suddenly remembers something, leaning closer to Lin Xiuyuan.

"Right, Oppa, the script I wrote, the company's reaction recently is quite good."

Sulli's voice lowers a bit, but her tone can't hide a hint of excitement.

"Oh?" Lin Xiuyuan looks up and glances at her, "That 'Weightlifting Fairy' one, right? Isn't it already approved at the TV station? Don't need your company's reaction anymore."

"Mm, that's the one."

Sulli nods, her eyes carrying light, "But now the company has started to know my identity as a screenwriter. Recently when I return to the company, many people start calling me Writer Choi instead of Sulli."

Looking at Sulli's happy expression, Lin Xiuyuan smiles gently and asks, "Then which title do you like, Sulli?"

"I like both, both are me." Sulli purses her lips and smiles.

Then she continues, "Right, the female lead has also been decided as Xiujing, and the contract has been signed."

This makes Lin Xiuyuan think of Lin Xiaolu, "Haha, compared to your side, Lin Xiaolu's side is really a bit slow. You've almost caught up to their progress, right?"

"It's different, Oppa, YoonA Unnie's drama is all kinds of location shooting, and have to go abroad, mine is very niche."

Hearing Lin Xiuyuan's answer, Sulli hurriedly explains for Lin Xiaolu.

"I know, just saying." Lin Xiuyuan nods.

Opposite, Sulli, who glanced at Lin Xiuyuan, continues to shake the drink can with a smile, "Seriously, Oppa, this change is really amazing. Even the representative of the acting department who hadn't met much before came to me personally to talk about the direction of the next one."

"Nothing more than seeing the potential in you... pfft, the size of the cash cow." Lin Xiuyuan complains.

"I know, but at least it let me see a bit of respect."

This understated answer from Sulli makes Lin Xiuyuan look up at her deeply, and the other party also hurriedly curls her lips and smiles, "It's okay, Oppa, I'm just a bit emotional."

"Eat the barbecue."

"Nae~"

In a hurry, the two continue to eat and laugh, until the night gets deeper and light rain starts to fall outside the window, only then do they slowly leave the shop.

After returning to the apartment, Lin Xiuyuan doesn't rush to return to 2025.

Instead, he sits in the living room and chats with Sulli for a while, only then slowly stands up, comes to the time-space gate, says goodbye to her, and heads to the Maldives in 2025.

With a "click" of the door closing, Lin Xiuyuan stands again in the living room of the beach villa on Vela Island.

The white floor tiles still retain the damp breath of the day, and the sound of the waves in the distance rhythmically hits the shore, as if everything is still as quiet as before.

Only, the smell of barbecue on Lin Xiuyuan at this moment is particularly obvious.

"Tsk."

Lin Xiuyuan frowns, lowers his head to smell himself, and simply takes off his top and walks straight toward the bathroom.

Hot water sprays down, and steam slowly rises in the air.

Lin Xiuyuan, closing his eyes, lets the warm water wash over his whole body, as if even the fatigue of tonight's continuous rotation is starting to be washed away bit by bit.

He lowers his head to wash his hair, water droplets sliding along his forehead and neckline, outlining the contours of his muscles under the light, shimmering.

Suddenly, a very light sound of footsteps quietly approaches.

Before he can look back, a pair of arms with temperature and dampness gently wrap around his waist from behind, carrying a bit of water vapor and body temperature, sticking very tightly.

"Wow..."

Lin Xiuyuan opens his eyes suddenly, startled and almost slipping, hurriedly supporting the tile wall with one hand while turning to look behind him, "You scared me."

The person who came is none other than Li Juli, who was fast asleep before.

She is wearing a soft long T-shirt, clearly having just gotten up from the bed, her hair still a bit messy, standing barefoot on the tile floor, her eyes still carrying the sleepiness of not being awake.

At this moment, she is standing behind Lin Xiuyuan, her face pressed against his shoulder blade, her warm breath hitting his wet skin, carrying a bit of coquettish laziness and attachment.

"Why are you awake?" Lin Xiuyuan is a bit dumbfounded.

"The bed was too empty, couldn't sleep." Li Juli's voice is a bit hoarse, as if she just woke up from a dream, or as if it were a whisper deliberately slowed down.

Lin Xiuyuan turns his head to see her appearance, but just as he moves, the other party quietly bites him on the back, lightly, but like an electric current sliding across.

"Then how did you sleep before without me?"

"Before was before," Li Juli replies without thinking, "Now is now."

Then she hugs Lin Xiuyuan tighter, her fingertips sliding across the muscles of his abdomen, as if inadvertently tracing, or as if confirming his existence.

Lin Xiuyuan laughs out loud speechlessly, just wanting to turn around, but Li Juli pulls a bath towel from the shelf next to her, wraps it directly around his side, and says in a light tone, "Don't move, I'll wash you."

"No way, what kind of treatment is this?" Lin Xiuyuan teases.

"You like it, every day is fine."

Li Juli looks up and gives him a charming look, then starts scrubbing the foam on his shoulders seriously, her knuckles gentle and forceful.

Lin Xiuyuan laughs, closes his eyes, and lets her hands slide on his body bit by bit.

Don't know if the water temperature is too comfortable, or the sense of security brought by that closeness, for a moment, a rare relaxation arises.

And Li Juli scrubs from Lin Xiuyuan's shoulders to his back, and then slowly downward along the waistline, the force of her knuckles being there or not, as if deliberate, or as if unintentional, instead having more of a seductive meaning than direct teasing.

"Did you wash others like this before?" He asks suddenly.

"No, this is the first time."

"Then your movements are too practiced."

"So do you want to focus on washing, or focus on talking?"

"... Can't beat you."

The sound of water continues, the light is dim, and the atmosphere becomes more and more romantic. The wet and slippery tiles reflect two blurred figures, sticking together, almost without gaps.

Lin Xiuyuan supports the wall with one hand, and the other hand wraps around her, bringing her whole body into the water flow.

"Since it's like this, let's wash together."

Li Juli doesn't answer, just looks up at him, water droplets dripping from her chin, falling between the overlapping chests of the two.

The answer is a slow and firm kiss.

(End of chapter)