Chapter 242

Early morning.

Sunlight swept across the streets of Seoul, casting a warm golden glow on the glass curtain walls and plating the entire city in a soft radiance.

On the streets of Gangnam District, pedestrians hurried by, the aroma of coffee mingling with the sound of car horns to form a familiar morning rush-hour symphony.

Yet amidst this bustle, a certain beauty salon presented a different scene.

As members of the idol group Girls' Generation, this place was the starting point of their day.

As usual, they drew lots to decide the makeup order, and as usual, Kim Ruanruan was unlucky enough to draw first.

Upon entering the salon, Kim Ruanruan immediately sat in her chair, greeted the familiar makeup artist and stylist, and then very naturally closed her eyes to rest, entering a state of feigned sleep.

Behind her, the staff were already in perfect sync, skillfully performing skincare, applying makeup, and steaming her long hair, completing today's look step by step.

The entire process was quiet and smooth, with only the humming of hair dryers and occasional low-voiced conversations.

As time passed, two or three more members walked into the salon one after another.

Her seat was arranged in a corner, not easily noticed, and it was so quiet it felt isolated from the outside world, which was why she didn't appear immediately when Lin Xiaolu arrived.

It wasn't until a sudden, slight commotion broke out at the entrance that she curiously stepped out from in front of the mirror.

She had only intended to peek out casually, but the moment she saw Lin Xiaolu, her footsteps faltered slightly, and she stood as if nailed to the spot.

That state was simply too eye-catching.

Her skin was so delicate it seemed like it could be pinched to release water, the depths of her eyes shone like stars, and she looked as if she had been brushed by a spring breeze; even the surrounding air felt a few degrees sweeter.

Zheng Xiuyan couldn't help but narrow her eyes, slowing her pace as if giving herself time to digest the sight.

Reason told her not to ask too much or overthink, but her emotions surged uncontrollably.

Soon, Zheng Xiuyan arrived beside Lin Xiaolu, her gaze like a hook, meticulously scanning the other person from head to toe.

That bright, smiling face, the faint red marks visible near her collarbone, and that subtle, lingering luster on her lips...

And so, the conversation mentioned above occurred.

When Zheng Xiuyan heard Lin Xiaolu's answer, she was momentarily stunned, and her heart felt even more unsettled.

She knew she shouldn't keep pressing, but she couldn't help staring at Lin Xiaolu for two seconds, trying to find a flaw in her eyes.

Yet Lin Xiaolu smiled so brightly and cleanly that one couldn't find a single fault, and this openness only made people feel more flustered.

The atmosphere between the two hung subtly in mid-air, as if sparks could fly at any moment.

Just then, a soft "Oh my" came from the other side of the makeup room, breaking the stalemate.

Immediately after, Kim Ruanruan's head poked out, wearing an expression of someone enjoying the show, her voice carrying clear teasing, "Wow, YoonA, what's going on with you today? Did you eat something nourishing for your complexion last night?"

She leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, her eyes full of undisguised interest in the drama.

That smile also held a hint of cunning, as if to say: the plan succeeded.

After taking two steps, she simply arrived beside Lee Sunkyu, pretending to mutter about daily trifles while her eyes never left the two people over there.

Watching Zheng Xiuyan stare at Lin Xiaolu, and then watching Lin Xiaolu smile back with that "I'm very happy" expression, the smile at the corner of her mouth was almost impossible to hide.

: Oh my, oh my, why does this scene look so much like a Shura Field from an idol drama?

Kim Ruanruan, who couldn't help but giggle inwardly, even subconsciously checked the angle with her phone, as if to engrave this scene in her mind to savor later.

Zheng Xiuyan noticed Kim Ruanruan's actions and couldn't help but glare at her, as if warning her to stop causing trouble.

Yet Kim Ruanruan just tilted her head and winked at her, her expression incredibly provocative, practically telling her: Xiuyan, I know what happened.

After several exchanges of glances, the gunpowder smell in the room subsided slightly.

Lee Sunkyu and Kwon Yuri became outsiders again, completely unable to grasp what the eye contact and small actions of these three were about; they couldn't guess it, and they couldn't figure it out.

Soon, as Tiffany, Choi Sooyoung, and others arrived one after another, the atmosphere gradually returned to normal.

It was just that Lin Xiaolu remained surrounded, continuously receiving everyone's envy and exclamations.

Fortunately, although Lin Xiaolu's vitality had improved, her face and features hadn't changed much; she was still that vibrant girl, just full of energy and glowing with luster.

There was absolutely no visual impact of a sudden overnight transformation like in the 25-year timeline.

All there was, was the luster brought by her vitality and that filter-like buff.

It made people want to look a few more times, and couldn't help but wonder: what exactly happened last night?

A few minutes later.

Back at her seat, Kim Ruanruan took out her phone again.

Kim Ruanruan: 【Phase one of the plan, complete; phase two begins.】

Xian Enjing: 【Do we really have to do this? I have a feeling that if we do this, we'll be trapping ourselves later, Taeyeon.】

Kim Ruanruan: 【Tony Stark said something very right, which is to just do it first.】

Xian Enjing: 【It's Stark.】

Kim Ruanruan: 【It's Stark.】

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Inside Lin Xiaolu's apartment, the curtains were half-drawn, and the sunlight filtering in cast a warm beam of light across the bed.

After the other person left, Lin Xiuyuan, lying on the bed, closed his eyes and caught up on sleep, sleeping straight until noon.

It wasn't until his phone rang that he groggily turned over and reached out to touch the phone on the nightstand.

Picking up the phone to look, it wasn't anyone else, but Sulli, who had almost interrupted his good time with Lin Xiaolu last night.

He couldn't help but laugh out loud, answering the phone with a slightly hoarse, sleepy voice, "Hello~ Zhenli, what's up?"

"Oppa~"

Sulli's signature sweet, syrupy voice came from the other end of the line, the tail end drawn out long, clearly in a very good mood. "Are you still sleeping? Haven't you woken up yet?"

As Sulli spoke, she exchanged a meaningful look with Zheng Xiujing beside her, unable to stop her lips from curling up. "This call of mine... won't disturb your rest, will it?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who had been tricked many times, had already developed an instinctive reaction. He subconsciously glanced at the empty pillow beside him and then laughed, "Stop trying to trick me. Just say what you have to say. You've already called, so what's the point of asking if you're disturbing me?"

"Hee hee~" Sulli couldn't help but laugh, revealing a row of small white teeth. "Then I won't beat around the bush. Oppa, I was thinking, if you have nothing to do at noon, how about..."

She deliberately drew out the tail of her sentence, "... treating me to a meal?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zheng Xiujing beside her kept poking her waist, as if urging her to finish what she was saying quickly.

Sulli calmly held down her arm, winking at her with a playful expression, silently shouting: Stay calm, Xiujing, stay calm.

Sure enough, the next second, Lin Xiuyuan's voice came through the phone to Zheng Xiujing's ears, "Forget it, I know whether I'm treating you to a meal or treating you both to a meal. It's nothing more than Zheng Xiujing being gossipy, right, Zhenli?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Zheng Xiujing, who was still messing around with Sulli, felt her cheeks flush red instantly. Even her small movements stopped, and her fingers froze in mid-air.

Sulli, who had already guessed this situation, couldn't help but laugh until she was doubled over, hurriedly trying to remedy the situation. "Oh my, oppa, you haven't eaten anyway, so it's just right for us to eat together, right?"

"Eating is eating, what time is it?" Lin Xiuyuan rubbed his temples and finally sat up from the bed.

"11 o'clock sharp, oppa. Get ready and head out, the timing will be just right." Sulli's voice carried a smile, clearly having anticipated that he would agree.

"Fine, you find a place, then give me the address. I'll get up and wash up first."

"Alright, oppa~"

Having settled everything, Sulli happily gave Zheng Xiujing an OK gesture.

Zheng Xiujing just wanted to smile, but the next second, another sentence from Lin Xiuyuan made her entire earlobe turn red. "Zheng Xiujing's personality is quite cold, so why is she gossiping about this? It seems she's still not as good as her sister."

After the call hung up, Zheng Xiujing remained in her original posture, stunned for two seconds.

In a few seconds, her ear tips turned red all the way to her neck, and she couldn't help but pout. "What do you mean just because I'm cold doesn't mean I can gossip? I don't gossip about other people, and besides, that scene last night... who could hold back?"

As she spoke, she slapped the table, her eyes wide, her voice very low, but the excitement still spilled out. "Xueqiu, you saw it too, right? The two of them were hugging and kissing like that. If we hadn't been there, they probably would have directly..."

Sulli was amused by her, pursing her lips and nodding, taking the opportunity to pull her hand. "Yes, yes, yes, I understand you. If you don't say things like this out loud, you'll get grass growing in your heart."

After finishing, she added a serious blow, "And to be honest, even I found that scene yesterday exciting, and I couldn't help but want to look a few more times."

"See!" Zheng Xiujing's eyes lit up immediately, as if she had found a soulmate. "Even you say so, so what's wrong with me gossiping a little?"

The two of them complained to each other, laughing into a ball, and the atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed.

Soon, they began to discuss what to have for lunch.

"I don't want to eat anything too oily." Sulli wrinkled her nose. "I already had barbecue last night, and today I want to eat something refreshing."

"Then let's have Thai food, it's sour and spicy and appetizing, and I happen to want to eat shrimp too." Zheng Xiujing echoed.

The two hit it off immediately, picked a highly-rated Thai restaurant on their phones, and sent the address to Lin Xiuyuan.

"Done!" Sulli raised her phone and shook it, a hint of smugness on her lips.

On the other side, Lin Xiuyuan looked at the address he received, raised his eyebrows, and couldn't help but laugh.

He got up and walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and took a cold shower to wake himself up completely.

After showering, he came to the mirror and looked at the reflection inside, his eyes still carrying a bit of last night's fatigue.

But compared to those mature older sisters in the 25-year timeline, although Lin Xiaolu's taste was good, she was indeed still lacking a bit of side-dish seasoning.

So for Lin Xiuyuan, who had already successfully leveled up in the 25-year timeline, she was still manageable for the time being.

He even thought about whether he should give Lin Xiaolu some props, like taking back Lin YoonA's props and letting her use them for a bit.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiuyuan touched his chin, his lips slowly curling up. "A bit tempted."

But for now, washing up was the priority.

After getting ready, he immediately opened the door and returned to the apartment to change into a clean silk shirt and a pair of casual pants, looking a bit more sharp.

Then he went downstairs, started the car, and headed straight for the restaurant.

At this time in the restaurant, Sulli and Zheng Xiujing had already arrived early.

It was a small, fresh Thai restaurant with a main tone of raw wood and rattan. The aroma of lemongrass and coconut milk floated in the air, and the sunlight outside the window fell mottled on the table through the half-open bamboo curtains, illuminating the entire space brightly and warmly.

They chose a semi-enclosed circular booth facing the floor-to-ceiling window, which allowed them to see the street view while having a bit of privacy.

Sulli lowered her head to study the menu seriously, her fingertips pointing back and forth on the dishes, while Zheng Xiujing poked at the napkins on the table, glancing at the door from time to time.

"Hey, Xueqiu," she muttered in a low voice, "Lin Xiuyuan won't dawdle for too long, right? We still have to rush back to the set after we eat."

"Don't worry, Xiujing, oppa is always punctual."

Sulli smiled, and before she could continue, she saw Lin Xiuyuan walk in through the door.

He was led to the booth by a waiter, and as he approached, he carried a smile, exuding an aura of cleanliness and sharpness.

Looking at this boy, Zheng Xiujing subconsciously glanced at a certain place, her mind filling in the blanks about what happened between him and Lin Xiaolu last night.

Sulli looked up with a smile and greeted him, "Oppa, here!"

Lin Xiuyuan was led to the booth by the waiter, sat down with one hand supporting the edge of the table, scanned the environment, and his lips curled slightly. "This location is quite good, full of privacy, and the view is not bad either. Did you book it specially?"

"Yeah, it just happens to be opened by a friend, so they saved us a spot." Sulli explained with a smile, then handed the menu over. "Oppa, take a look at what you want to eat."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at it for a few moments, quickly ordered spring rolls, and also asked for shrimp and stir-fried noodles, while for drinks, he only asked for a glass of lemonade.

After ordering, he leaned back in the booth casually, his sleeves rolled up loosely, revealing his forearms, looking completely relaxed.

After a while.

In the Thai restaurant, the midday sunlight shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, hitting the wooden circular booth with a warm feeling.

At this time, refreshing lemonade and a few appetizers had already been placed on the table. Sulli was poking a piece of spring roll skin with a fork, her expression seemingly nonchalant, but her eyes were shining as she stared at Lin Xiuyuan.

"Oppa~ didn't you sleep much last night?"

Sulli's voice carried a hint of a smile, and the end of her sentence was deliberately drawn out, practically implying something incredible.

Then Zheng Xiujing beside her was also affected, secretly raising her eyes to examine the person opposite, her gaze shining like two searchlights.

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned, put down his chopsticks, and raised his eyebrows to look at them. "What does that mean? Did you see my dark circles?"

As he spoke, he deliberately reached out to rub his eyes, pretending to be very tired.

"No~" Sulli's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, poking Zheng Xiujing beside her with her finger. "It's just that Xiujing and I made a bet that oppa definitely didn't rest much last night."

"Hey!" Zheng Xiujing's ears turned red instantly when she was called out like that, and she immediately covered her mouth. "What nonsense are you talking about!"

As she covered her mouth, she glared at her, her eyes full of panic, begging her to shut up.

Lin Xiuyuan was choked into laughter, picked up his water glass and took a sip, looking at the two with a hint of a smile in his eyes. "So what exactly do you want to gossip about? Why don't you just ask it out, and I'll answer it all at once, so you don't have to beat around the bush."

"Really, oppa? Then I'm really going to ask." Sulli's eyes immediately lit up, and she sat up straighter, like a prosecutor ready to start an interrogation.

But the next second, she was warned by Lin Xiuyuan's "King Bomb". "Yeah, ask away. At worst, I'll call YoonA and have her answer for you together; that would be more fun."

His tone was relaxed, and his smile was provocative.

Sulli instantly deflated, pouting and muttering, "How can you tease people like that?"

She had the nerve to gossip with Lin Xiuyuan, but she really didn't have the nerve to jump around in front of Lin Xiaolu; how could one explore such things casually?

"I didn't say I wouldn't answer." Lin Xiuyuan shrugged lazily, with an expression of "the initiative is in your hands."

"But you brought YoonA unnie out, so how can we ask?" Sulli complained in a low voice.

"That's your problem then."

Lin Xiuyuan laughed even more happily, as if deliberately keeping them in suspense. Watching the two anxious and curious children opposite him, he couldn't help but find it interesting.

Still green.

If it were Krystal from the 25-year timeline, she probably wouldn't need him to say any of this; the first second he sat down, she would have already sent a voice message directly to YoonA, right?

Thinking of Krystal, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze fell involuntarily on Zheng Xiujing, his eyes carrying a hint of teasing.

And Zheng Xiujing immediately felt a chill down her spine, subconsciously pursing her lips and looking back at him, feeling that those eyes could strip her thoughts bare.

Some images flashed inappropriately in her mind, her cheeks instantly burned, and she felt uncomfortable all over.

Lin Xiuyuan, noticing this, quickly saw her panic, and after understanding her situation, he felt a sense of playfulness instead.

So he slowly put down his water glass and threw another King Bomb. "By the way, Xiujing, after you got so fat, is your waist dimple still there?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Sulli directly covered her forehead: Damn, oppa broke the rules again.

Zheng Xiujing froze, her eyes wide, shocked and speechless.

She clearly remembered that she had never shown her waist dimple.

Never!!!

How did he know?!

(End of chapter)