Chapter 215: Xiuyuan, you can't handle them!!

By the time Lin Xiuyuan drove into the villa garage, it was already late at night.

The courtyard was quiet, and the lights cast down from the eaves outlined familiar silhouettes.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had pushed the door open to enter the house, hadn't even had a chance to speak when the fragrance of fried rice rushed toward him.

The entryway light was on, and a late-night snack was already set on the dining table—a plate of freshly fried egg fried rice.

The color was golden, still steaming, and next to it was a glass filled with ice cubes and cola, the bubbles popping lightly in the glass, exuding a sense of late-night healing.

And Krystal, who had been on the call earlier, was now sitting in front of the kitchen island, wearing loose white home-style shirt and shorts, her hair tied up casually, lazily propping her chin as she watched him enter the door.

"Go wash your hands quickly; if you're any later, I'll eat it myself."

Her tone was seemingly indifferent, like a command, yet it carried a hint of familiar intimacy.

Lin Xiuyuan smiled, changed into slippers, tossed the car keys onto the side cabinet, and while walking toward the bathroom, teased, "Krystal, why is your 'ice queen' vibe so heavy today? You're even using commands when you speak."

"Practicing the style for going to Wimbledon in advance."

Krystal said, while taking out a clean spoon and handing it to Lin Xiuyuan, who had come out after washing his hands, "Eat quickly; you didn't eat dinner, you must be so hungry."

After sitting down, Lin Xiuyuan smiled and tasted a mouthful of fried rice, then raised an eyebrow, "Oh~ this fried rice is very fragrant; did you add cheese?"

"Smart." Krystal tilted her head to look at him, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes, "I was afraid you wouldn't be full, so I asked the shop to add some."

Afterward, the two ate and chatted, discussing the ingredients of fried rice and fried noodles in a proper manner.

Just as they were chatting and eating, Lin Xiuyuan, halfway through, suddenly looked up at Krystal.

"By the way, I have a question. I was thinking, isn't the Wimbledon final starting in a few days? How about we just detour to another place to play for a round? Otherwise, if we head straight to London, we'll have to face those media, and there'll be nowhere to go; waiting inside is too much of a waste."

Opposite him, Krystal had been looking down at her phone, but hearing this, she raised her eyes, gave Lin Xiuyuan a light smile, and answered in a measured tone.

"Who told you we were going to London from the start this time?"

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned, "Did you make a new plan behind my back again?"

Krystal took a sip of cola, the ice cubes clinking lightly in the glass, "What do you mean 'behind your back'? It was said from the beginning that it was a European tour. I decided to go to Georgia for a round first."

"Georgia?" Lin Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised, "The one in the Caucasus? When did you decide that?"

Lin Xiuyuan knew about Georgia; as a treasure land of the Caucasus Mountains, it possessed one of the oldest red wine origins in Europe, with snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes coexisting, and it was a rare niche travel destination.

"Decided last night."

While speaking, Krystal flipped her phone over; on the screen was a photo of a mountain village, the scenery magnificent yet tranquil, "I originally wanted to go to Bordeaux, but decided to head to Georgia on a whim. Because there aren't many people there lately, the scenery is good, and there's a winery I really want to see."

"So you were aiming for the wine," Lin Xiuyuan smiled, finished the last mouthful of fried rice, then leaned back into the chair, looking at her, "But it doesn't matter; if we go, we go. Now that we have the Time Gate, I can come back here to rest at any time."

"The most important point is that the cost of living there isn't high. I was thinking about whether to buy a suite there, so we can go over for a walk and clear our minds when we have time."

Krystal looked at him, the corners of her lips curling into an unnoticeable arc.

However, Lin Xiuyuan shook his head, "Forget it. Although that kind of countryside doesn't have many cameras, it's even more troublesome. If you disappear for a day, people might knock on the door to ask what happened, and it would be troublesome to explain."

"Mm, that's true." Krystal thought about it and felt it made sense, nodding lightly, "Then forget it."

She put down her glass and looked at the time, "Let's go, let's pack."

"Pack what? Just grab a backpack and throw in two pieces of clothing and leave. If there's anything we need, I'll just open the door and bring you back to get it."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had long been accustomed to using the Time Gate to solve everything, was becoming increasingly lazy.

"We still have to bring some things to look the part." Krystal rolled her eyes at this guy, then pulled him toward the stairs.

Was she packing luggage?

No, she was packing up this man who was becoming lazier and lazier.

On the other side.

Bae Suzy, who had returned home, frowned at her phone, which still hadn't received a response. It wasn't until she had finished her shower and skincare, and it was almost midnight, that the phone finally rang.

Then, she, wearing a face mask, walked out, looked at the caller ID, curled her lips, and answered, "Hey, Xiuyuan~ your 'call back later'—this 'later' is too long."

On the other end of the phone, Lin Xiuyuan was lying on the bed, letting out a long breath, his voice carrying a hint of a smile.

"I forgot about it while driving on the road, sorry, sorry. By the way, what was it you wanted to say earlier?"

"I just wanted to ask you, are you free tomorrow? Let's go play baseball together. I've been cooped up in the gym every day lately and am about to go crazy; I prefer outdoor sports more."

Facing Bae Suzy's invitation, Lin Xiuyuan said with some difficulty, "Ah, I might not be free tomorrow; I have to go to Europe."

"Europe?"

As soon as Bae Suzy heard this place, she immediately thought of something, "Wimbledon?"

"Right, going over to play." Lin Xiuyuan didn't deny it.

"That's a bit early, though," Bae Suzy continued.

"So I'm going to detour to other places first; anyway, there's still time," Lin Xiuyuan answered in a relaxed tone.

After hearing this, Bae Suzy was silent for a moment; although she had some faint thoughts in her heart, she still said with a smile, "Then I wish you a pleasant journey and have fun."

Then she hung up the phone and sat on the sofa in the living room, feeling a bit bored.

Just thinking about her mood when she took Lin Xiuyuan out tonight, she couldn't help but fall into a moment of contemplation.

At the same time, in the villa's master bedroom.

He had just put down the phone and hadn't had time to reflect when Krystal walked out of the bathroom, wiping her wet hair, wrapped in a bath towel, holding a towel, and tilted her head to ask, "Who was it?"

"Bae Suzy."

Krystal heard this name, her movements paused, and her eyes immediately became sharp, "When did you two get together? Xiuyuan~ you can't handle that woman; don't get too close to her."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded and grinned, "Hahaha, a 'sea queen,' right? Don't worry, I didn't get too close to her. It was just when I went to find Zhiyan yesterday, I happened to run into her working out, and then tonight we made an appointment to play baseball for a while."

Saying this, he also mentioned running into Song Hye-kyo and Han So-hee.

And after hearing all this, Krystal's expression was clearly tense for a moment, "Xiuyuan~ did you go to participate in the audition for 'Top Female Sea Queen Illustrated Handbook'?"

Fortunately, facing her phrasing, Lin Xiuyuan immediately indicated, "Don't worry, for this kind of 'big heroine,' I definitely keep my distance. With you guys... I can still maneuver a bit. Playing with them? I reckon my bones would be gnawed clean."

After hearing Lin Xiuyuan's words, Krystal didn't know whether to be happy or worried for a moment, but seeing Lin Xiuyuan so clear-headed, she also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mm, as long as you know. It's mainly because the other party's interpersonal relationships are too complicated; it's better to avoid them."

But just as her voice fell, Lin Xiuyuan's next sentence followed, "However, Han Ga-in and Han Chae-young, these two seem like they could be approached; they're living a bit miserably."

Krystal, who was wrapped in a bath towel, immediately narrowed her eyes, and after a moment, a voice carrying a hint of anger sounded, "Ya, you're really a wife-con."

"Who doesn't like it?"

"Bastard."

Although she said that, she had already pounced on him.

Cursing was cursing, eating was eating; Krystal looked at this man who was full of nonsense but always kept his boundaries, and although she was annoyed, she couldn't tell if she was more jealous or more moved.

This night, she decided not to let him go, and also decided to see what the so-called "all night long" tasted like.

The next morning.

Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Incheon Airport was already bustling with people.

Passengers dragging suitcases lined up in long queues in front of the automatic check-in counters, bustling and orderly.

In contrast, Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal appeared exceptionally calm and composed.

Because they were using the first-class exclusive channel, they were spared the tediousness of queuing and security checks, with green lights all the way, unobstructed.

In the first-class VIP lounge, the two had a simple breakfast. Krystal leaned on the sofa, closing her eyes to rest, while Lin Xiuyuan looked down at his phone, confirming flight information.

At 9:10 AM, the flight to Almaty took off on time, with a flight time of about seven hours.

When boarding, the flight attendants guided them to their seats with beaming smiles. The private space in first class was like a small suite, equipped with fully lie-flat seats, independent screens, and customized dining services, almost isolating them from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

As soon as the plane took off, Lin Xiuyuan began to adjust the seat angle, turned his head to look at Krystal, who had already put on an eye mask, and teased her softly.

"Yo, you actually know you're sleepy? Why didn't I see you say you were sleepy last night, Krystal."

Krystal didn't take off the eye mask, but her tone was clear and calm, "That was so I could sleep until we landed today. Stop making noise, close your eyes and sleep."

Her voice paused, and she suddenly added, her tone lazy but carrying a hint of a smile, "However, Xiuyuan, if you're really not sleepy... I don't mind accompanying you to experience the 'thousand miles in a day' high-altitude project. I heard men like to challenge limits, don't they?"

Lin Xiuyuan, upon hearing this, felt his spine stiffen and instantly shivered, quickly pulling up the blanket to cover himself, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep.

"No, no, I... I suddenly feel sleepy."

He wasn't afraid of real combat, but he was afraid of that kind of technique purely for juicing; it was too vicious, too ruthless.

Outside the window, the sea of clouds surged, and inside the cabin, it was quiet and comfortable.

This unknown journey had just begun.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 216 =====