Chapter 284

Ten-plus minutes later, inside Sweet Enjing's apartment in the year 2025.

When Sweet Enjing, sitting on the sofa, watched Park Jiyeon and Xueli step out of the Time Gate, a flash of perfectly measured surprise crossed her eyes.

Immediately, that gaze, carrying a hint of understanding and playfulness, drifted past the shoulders of the two younger sisters and landed on the figure behind them who was currently trying to lower their presence.

Then, the corners of her lips curled into a gentle arc, and she asked softly toward that direction with a teasing tone, "Xiuyuan~ why are you hiding in the back? Receiving your call late at night, I thought there would be some kind of special 'surprise,' but this is it?"

"Ah~ Unnie!! Are we not a surprise? Does it have to be oppa?"

Park Jiyeon, in front, spoke up first to answer her, and her beautiful eyes stared intensely at Sweet Enjing, who was in loungewear yet couldn't hide her good complexion.

Her tender, white, translucent skin looked as if it had been coated with a reflective buff.

Her tone carried a bit of frustration at being ignored, as well as a small amount of envy.

It formed a sharp contrast with Xueli, who stood beside her, smiling faintly and observing quietly.

Sweet Enjing's smile remained unchanged upon hearing this, but her gaze swept over her own left leg as if by chance, and then she said frankly, "Of course you coming over is also a surprise, but... as far as my personal needs are concerned right now, the biggest 'Easter egg' is indeed still Xiuyuan."

These words were very meaningful, carrying an implication that only the few of them understood.

So, hearing this, Xueli also took the opportunity to cast her gaze toward Xian Enjing's injured left leg and asked with concern, "Unnie, how does your leg feel now? Is it still hurting badly?"

Park Jiyeon, on the side, immediately followed up, her expression turning serious, "That's right, Unnie, what did the doctor say? How long is the recovery period?"

"It's quite good." Sweet Enjing's tone was very relaxed, even carrying a bit of joy, "After taking the 'medicine' twice before, the pain has eased a lot. Look..."

As she spoke, she actually stood up by leaning on the sofa with one hand, without any assistance, and without wearing any support frame.

However, this action of Sweet Enjing's truly gave Park Jiyeon and Xueli a start, and they subconsciously rushed over, wanting to support her.

Yet, the next second, they watched in astonishment as Sweet Enjing, after rising, although her movements were still slightly unnatural, was indeed relying on her own strength, walking a few steps in the living room with a limp, slowly but steadily, rather than just moving with difficulty.

"Daebak, Unnie, have you evolved?"

Seeing this, Park Jiyeon couldn't help but exclaim, her eyes wide as saucers, "Ligament tear... can it recover this quickly??"

As one of the main dancers in the T-ara team and a teammate of Xian Enjing for many years, Park Jiyeon knew all too well how long and painful the recovery process for this kind of injury usually was.

But this scene, which was close to a miracle, made it hard for her to accept for a moment, and she just felt it was incredibly magical.

Xueli, who was also watching all of this, after the initial surprise, had a certain possibility flash through her mind instantly.

So she raised her eyes and took a deep look at Sweet Enjing's face, which was glowing with a healthy flush and bright eyes, and then looked back thoughtfully toward Lin Xiuyuan's side.

Finally, her gaze fell back onto Sweet Enjing's left leg, which was still somewhat inconvenient to move.

Now, Park Jiyeon clearly noticed Xueli's meaningful shift in gaze, and being straightforward, she shouted toward the kitchen direction almost immediately, her voice full of shock and disbelief.

"Wait a second~ oppa, you actually have this function? You can cure illnesses???"

Her sharp question sounded exceptionally clear in this quiet night.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was currently looking for water in front of the refrigerator in the kitchen, turned his head after hearing the shout.

He looked at the three people by the sofa with different expressions, helplessly made a "Little Bear Hands" gesture, and his tone carried a bit of ambiguity that he himself couldn't explain clearly.

"I don't know the specific situation either. If I really have to find a reason, then it probably has something to do with backtracking time? Letting the body state return to before the injury? Who could know about this situation? I'm not a scientist, and I don't have an instruction manual for the Time Gate."

"Reverse Devil Fruit, right."

Just as Lin Xiuyuan's voice fell, Xian Enjing, who had been staying at home recently and had indeed watched quite a few film and television works, interjected out of the blue, her tone carrying a bit of novelty and interest.

Hearing the answer, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh, and he walked out of the kitchen with a water bottle, "Yo, Enjing, you actually watch 'One Piece'? That's rare."

Sweet Enjing tilted her head slightly and smiled, "Recently, besides recuperating, I've been bored, so I specifically looked for some movies and anime with superpowers and special abilities. I've watched both animated and live-action versions. But to be honest, this 'ability' of yours is really quite exaggerated. Others are all about destruction, but you are all about repair."

Regarding this, Lin Xiuyuan, who had just unscrewed the cap and taken a sip of water, was just about to answer something.

But suddenly, as if remembering something, his brows furrowed slightly, "Oh no, Zhenli, when we left, did we not have time to tidy up the base spirits and juices used for bartending and put them back in the refrigerator? Some of them need to be refrigerated."

Xueli thought about it carefully and nodded, "It seems so, oppa. Should I go back and tidy up?"

"No need, you guys chat." Lin Xiuyuan shook his head and shook the water bottle in his hand, "I'll go back and take care of it, it'll be quick. You guys keep Enjing company for a while."

After speaking, he didn't linger, carried the bottle of mineral water, turned around, opened the Time Gate, and left Sweet Enjing's apartment, returning to the Small Tavern to deal with those drinks that needed to be put back.

Although it wasn't very urgent, since he had thought of it, it was better to tidy it up, especially those ingredients that needed low-temperature storage.

And with Lin Xiuyuan's departure, as soon as the Time Gate closed, Park Jiyeon immediately couldn't suppress the burning jealousy.

She took a step closer to Sweet Enjing, lowered her voice, and asked with eyes full of envy, "Unnie, did you and oppa... do that..."

"Do what? Sleep together?" Sweet Enjing naturally picked up Park Jiyeon's unspeakable words, while her face still wore that gentle smile that also carried a bit of teasing for the little sister.

Especially after seeing the cheeks of Park Jiyeon and Xueli beside her turn red instantly, she shook her head slowly, "That hasn't happened yet, it hasn't reached that step."

Then she sighed lightly, as if savoring something, and her tone carried a bit of regret and pragmatism, "It's just that I drank some 'Special Effect Milk Tea' with Xiuyuan. After all, my legs and feet are not very convenient right now. If we really want to do something, maybe everyone will be uncomfortable and won't be able to let go, so let's wait a bit."

???

Seeing Park Jiyeon and Xueli still looking at her, Sweet Enjing added, "An unsatisfying sex life is more uncomfortable than not having enough to eat."

Such a straightforward explanation, even carrying a bit of bold language, made Park Jiyeon and Choi Xueli, these two girls who had just become adults not long ago, have their cheeks burn intensely, and even the tips of their ears turned slightly red.

Actually, as idols, it wasn't the first time they had heard such remarks in the circle.

When those senior makeup artists and stylists chatted, situations with much larger scales than this happened from time to time.

But those were ultimately other people's stories, and they would forget them after hearing them, not taking them to heart, let alone substituting themselves into them.

But once the topic involved Lin Xiuyuan, and involved someone close and familiar like Sweet Enjing.

That strong sense of substitution and shame surged up instantly, making both of them feel a bit at a loss, and their heartbeats couldn't help but accelerate a bit.

Especially when Park Jiyeon finished listening to Sweet Enjing's straightforward explanation about the "Special Effect Milk Tea," the blush on her cheeks hadn't completely faded, and she had already pursed her lips and made a certain determination, and then asked seriously again.

"Unnie, then... then can I ask you one more question seriously?"

Xueli's eyes moved slightly, and she looked at Park Jiyeon with a somewhat strange gaze, as if she had already guessed what she wanted to ask.

And Sweet Enjing was like a clever person, as soon as she saw Park Jiyeon's hesitant and complex little expression, she smiled and answered first, "What do you want to ask? Ask if I really like Xiuyuan? What I really mean to him, right?"

"Ah~"

Park Jiyeon didn't expect her thoughts to be guessed so accurately, and she opened her mouth subconsciously, feeling a bit flustered at being caught.

However, this reaction of hers amused Sweet Enjing even more, and even the depressed mood of not being able to go on stage due to injury these past few days seemed to have been dispersed quite a bit.

But she soon restrained her smile a bit, and her tone became slightly more serious as she answered, "How should I put it, liking him is definitely there."

Then her gaze swept over the focused expressions of the two younger sisters in front of her, and she continued, "Not to mention how Xiuyuan himself is, just talking about the 'ability' he possesses, there is no woman who can refuse him. It might be a bit absolute, but at least for me, it is a huge attraction that cannot be ignored."

"However..." Speaking of this, her tone changed, and her eyes revealed a bit of sobriety and indifference, "If you want to ask if this is that kind of 'true love' that is unforgettable and can't be without him? Then that's another matter."

Speaking of this, Sweet Enjing, seeing that Park Jiyeon and Xueli both showed some touch on their faces and seemed to want to say something, raised her hand to stop them gently and continued to elaborate on her thoughts.

"Don't be in a hurry to refute me yet. The 'another matter' I mentioned and the 'making do' and 'settling' I mentioned before do not mean that Xiuyuan is not worth it, but rather my view on my own feelings and future life state before meeting him."

"For a female artist of my age who has experienced many ups and downs and seen through many realities, true love sometimes does seem a bit ethereal, more like a luxury item. So many times, everyone's final choice more or less carries some realistic considerations, or can be said to be a compromise with reality."

"But..."

After that, Sweet Enjing's voice became soft and carried a bit of light, "After meeting Xiuyuan and coming into contact with this completely different world, my thoughts have changed a lot. I also suddenly feel that being economically independent and mentally independent like Juli Unnie, living brilliantly according to one's own wishes, and being beautiful alone is actually quite good."

"Actually, you guys probably don't have as many feelings as we do. Now, with the help of Xiuyuan's situation, many things we couldn't imagine before, or felt were out of reach, seem to have the possibility of being touched or even possessed. So, regarding the remaining emotional part, everyone is actually looking at it more casually and easily."

"Anyway, this kind of life now, always holding expectations for tomorrow, not knowing what new and strange things will appear, is indeed much more vivid and interesting than the life before that could almost be seen to the end at a glance."

After listening to this long, heartfelt feeling from Sweet Enjing, Park Jiyeon, who asked the question, fell silent directly, and a certain place in her heart seemed to be touched gently.

A small fist was clenched unconsciously at her side, and complex light flickered in her eyes.

On the contrary, Xueli was still in that quiet appearance, with a faint smile on the corner of her mouth that seemed to have seen through everything long ago.

When Sweet Enjing took in the reactions of the two, she smiled and looked at Park Jiyeon, who was obviously impacted, her tone carrying the consolation and encouragement of someone who had been there.

"However, Jiyeon, you are still young, and your age is exactly the time when you should have expectations and longing for 'true love'. And Xiuyuan is indeed a very good and very special person. If you can let go of your concerns and truly invest in it, you will definitely gain more pure happiness and joy for your future life and mentality than those of us here."

Finally, Sweet Enjing even carried a bit of teasing, half-jokingly and half-seriously pushing Park Jiyeon.

"So I suggest you, if you really have any thoughts, it would be better to be more proactive. Really don't be like Xiuyan, who got up early but caught a late market. That scene is still a bit funny to think about now. Jessica is a latecomer who surpassed the others, even more than you guys..."

At this point, her meaningful, drawn-out tone, although not finished, made the meaning self-evident.

So Park Jiyeon and Xueli, who were still a bit silent and touched, instantly remembered the situation where Zheng Xiuyan was cut in line again and again, and couldn't help but "pfft" and burst into laughter.

The subtle heavy atmosphere just now was also swept away instantly.

Just at this moment, the apartment door was pushed open, and Lin Xiuyuan came back after tidying up the tavern.

As soon as he entered the door, he heard the happy laughter coming from inside and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong? What are you laughing at? So happy."

Sweet Enjing looked at him, her brows curved, "You're done?"

"Yeah, it's all tidied up." Lin Xiuyuan nodded.

"Then come over and sit for a while," Sweet Enjing beckoned to him, patted the empty seat on the sofa beside her, with a smile on her face, "Let's talk about something interesting."

Lin Xiuyuan didn't doubt it, walked over, sat down, and looked at Park Jiyeon and the others, "Talk about what? You guys are so mysterious."

Then he heard Sweet Enjing tilt her head and speak slowly in a tone that seemed casual but was actually full of "life-or-death questions."

"Let's talk about... do you think I look better, or was the former Xian Enjing better? Or tell me, is Jiyeon better, or is our Longzai here better? You can also talk about whether Xiuyan is sexier, or is Jessica more proactive? And YoonA, Taeyeon, Xiujing, and them."

This series of questions thrown out directly stunned Lin Xiuyuan. These were simply life-or-death questions, each more fatal than the last.

The only good news was that only two of these people were here.

However, before Lin Xiuyuan could think about how to muddle through, Xueli, who had not joined the core topic much, suddenly blinked her clear, beautiful eyes and asked softly in an innocent tone.

"Unnie, what about me?"

One sentence, killed the game.

At the same time, in the apartment in Magic City.

Jessica, who had just finished a personal live broadcast and still had exquisite makeup on her face, looked at the empty, cold, and cheerless house.

Thinking of the guy who said he would be back soon but had been nowhere to be seen, and then thinking of someone who might be having a good time in Seoul...

Finally, she couldn't help but grit her teeth, stomped her feet hatefully at the air, and scolded in a low voice.

"Lin Xiuyuan! You bastard!!! Where did you go to mess around again tonight!!!"

Begging for monthly tickets!!!!

(End of chapter)