Chapter 294: Human Barbie Goo Hara [Part 1] (Ten Thousand Words, Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets)

Not long after.

Accompanied by Li Juli, Lin Xiuyuan very smoothly rented a medium-sized camper van with complete facilities.

However, to Li Juli's surprise, he did not, as she had previously imagined, drive this "mobile cabin" straight toward the gloomy Dosan Park cemetery.

On the contrary, Lin Xiuyuan first drove the camper to an open, relatively quiet patch of ground by the Han River and parked.

Then the two got out of the car and began to take a leisurely stroll along the riverbank.

The afternoon sun spilled onto the river surface, shimmering with ripples, and a gentle breeze brushed against their faces; the atmosphere was quite pleasant, completely dispelling the sense of eeriness and terror brought about by the words he had said earlier.

It was just that while enjoying this rare moment of tranquility, Li Juli was still pondering in her heart what exactly Lin Xiuyuan was up to.

But soon she stopped thinking about it.

Because two sedans were slowly driving over from not far away, parking behind their camper.

Especially when Li Juli looked at the license plate number of one of the cars, she immediately recognized who the other party was, so she turned her head toward Lin Xiuyuan beside her with some surprise, "You called Zhiyan over too?"

Looking at the graceful figure stepping out of the car over there, Lin Xiuyuan smiled and added, "Mm, and I also called Taeyeon over."

Hearing this, Li Juli's heart stirred, and a guess surfaced, "Xiuyuan~ are you planning to take us few people over there together?"

She was, of course, referring to Dosan Park.

If there were many people, it really didn't seem that scary, did it?

"Are you afraid?" Lin Xiuyuan did not answer directly, but tilted his head to look at her and asked back, his eyes carrying a hint of playfulness.

Li Juli's heart skipped a beat upon being asked.

To say she wasn't afraid at all would definitely be a lie.

After all, it was a cemetery, and it was at night.

But the greater emotion in Li Juli's heart at this moment was curiosity.

Mainly because she remembered never having heard Lin Xiuyuan specifically mention the name Goo Hara before, let alone their relationship; the two also didn't seem to have any intersection.

How could he suddenly want to go "mourn" with such a big fuss?

Even going so far as to set up this "overnight in a camper" scenario?

This was truly too sudden and too contrary to common sense.

Thus, taking advantage of the fact that Kim Taeyeon and the other person hadn't walked close yet, Li Juli seized the time to ask the doubt in her heart.

The 25-year-old version of her was no longer the personality from 2013 who would hesitate and be sensitive; she had become more direct and carefree.

"Xiuyuan, tell me honestly, did you know Goo Hara before? Or is it just that you simply feel it's a pity, so you suddenly want to go take a look?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who was asked, rubbed his chin, seemingly organizing his words.

However, before he could give an answer, Kim Taeyeon and Longzai, who had already parked and gotten out, had already walked over quickly with smiles, waving and greeting them, their voices crisp.

"Unnie~!"

"Xiuyuan~!"

Seeing this, Li Juli could only temporarily suppress her questioning of Lin Xiuyuan, put a smile on her face, and welcome the approaching Longzai and Kim Taeyeon, greeting and hugging them affectionately.

Taking advantage of the gap while Li Juli was held up by Kim Taeyeon and Longzai for small talk.

Lin Xiuyuan, who hadn't found a suitable time earlier, gave those two a look, then turned and walked onto the rented camper, seemingly to check and test something.

A few minutes later.

When Lin Xiuyuan came down from the camper, the gazes of Kim Taeyeon and Longzai immediately focused on him in unison.

In those two pairs of eyes, there seemed to be a hint of imperceptible nervousness, but more of a hidden anticipation and excitement.

Did it succeed??

Noticing the strange expressions of these two, Li Juli's delicate brows instantly furrowed, and ten thousand points of confusion welled up in her heart.

What kind of expression is this?

Is there anything to look forward to about spending the night at a graveyard?!

It wasn't until she saw Kim Taeyeon and Longzai's eyes light up instantly because of a slight, almost imperceptible nod from Lin Xiuyuan, and even couldn't help but let out low cries and laugh at each other.

The wrinkles between her brows could no longer be contained.

So she immediately walked to Lin Xiuyuan's side and asked with a bit of dissatisfaction and deep curiosity, "What's the situation~ what kind of riddles are you playing? What secret whispers were you sharing?"

After a pause, feeling that something was even more wrong, she continued to ask, "No, that's not right, you didn't speak at all; what kind of tacit understanding is this? You can complete a conversation just by relying on eye contact, right?"

At this moment, Li Juli suddenly felt as if she had been excluded from some small circle.

If Park Hyomin were here, she would definitely shout out loud: Unnie, that's exactly it, that's exactly it, that's right, that's right!!!

Facing Li Juli's slightly temperamental complaint, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and stroked her back soothingly, "That's not it, but Juli~ I'll ask you one more time now, do you really want to come along and have some fun with me?"

"Go to the graveyard————to have fun?" Li Juli repeated this proposal that still felt inconceivable to her.

"I think it's quite good~" Longzai leaned over at this time, affectionately took Li Juli's other arm and shook it, her tone carrying encouragement, "Unnie, let's go together. With me and Taeyeon Unnie, there are many of us, you don't have to be afraid!"

On the other side, Kim Taeyeon shrank her neck, her face showing genuine fear, and she clicked her tongue, "I'm actually a bit scared, okay?"

Then she looked at Lin Xiuyuan, "Xiuyuan~ do we really have to stay overnight? How about we go during the day tomorrow instead? In the middle of the night, next to a graveyard————"

Just imagining it made her feel a chill down her back.

Regarding this, Lin Xiuyuan did not answer Kim Taeyeon directly, but cast his gaze toward Li Juli again, seemingly waiting for her final answer.

In that calm gaze, however, there was a kind of invisible pressure.

Although Li Juli had no idea what Lin Xiuyuan was planning, looking at the man in front of her and recalling the unprecedented experiences and heart-fluttering moments he had brought her.

Whether it was the vitality that made her indulge physically, or the feeling of freedom and being cherished mentally, and his mysterious circle————

Various thoughts flashed through her mind rapidly.

Finally, she gritted her teeth, first looked at Park Zhiyan and Kim Taeyeon, and asked as if to confirm, "Zhiyan, are you guys really going too?"

Kim Taeyeon just opened her mouth to say something, but Longzai took the lead, answering with a grin, "How is that possible? We aren't going."

"What?" Li Juli was shocked, her voice even rising a few notches, "Then what are you here for? You just said to go."

"Just joking, how could that be possible."

The still-smiling Dalongzai pointed at the car they had driven over, "I came over this time to bring you things. Xiuyuan just asked us to buy quite a lot of snacks, instant food, and ramen and such, to serve as your dinner and late-night snack for tonight. How about it, aren't we thoughtful enough?"

Li Juli, who had originally thought that having two more companions would bolster her courage, was now completely bewildered, and her heart sank all at once.

It turned out that in the end, it was still just her and Lin Xiuyuan.

Yet Lin Xiuyuan seemed not to see her distress and continued to apply psychological pressure on her, asking in a flat tone, "Juli, you still haven't answered me. Are you going or not?"

Kim Taeyeon, who was to the side, now understood Lin Xiuyuan's intention, quieted down, and looked at the struggling Li Juli with a gaze of inquiry.

Just at this moment, a slightly stronger wind suddenly blew up by the river.

It blew the willow branches on the bank into a chaotic dance and also stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground, making a "rustling" sound.

The tree branches overhead were blown by the wind to make a "creaking" sound, and the swaying shadows cast upon the bodies and faces of Li Juli, Lin Xiuyuan, and the others made the light and shadow flicker uncertainly.

It also seemed to reflect the intense internal struggle Li Juli was experiencing at this moment.

Was she afraid?

That was a given, and she was truly afraid.

But she also wanted to accompany Lin Xiuyuan, yet this guy never gave her a clear explanation, just bluntly demanding an answer from her.

Hesitation, struggle, fear, curiosity, unwillingness—various emotions surged in her heart.

Finally, having been silent for a long while, she suddenly remembered the words she had sighed to the other person while in bed not long ago.

That impulse to get close to him and integrate into his life finally overwhelmed all fear at this very moment.

Then she let out a long sigh of the stuffiness pent up in her chest, as if she had made up her mind.

Next, she pursed her lips, even unconsciously biting her lower lip, and finally raised her eyes to look at Lin Xiuyuan with a sense of going all out, her tone carrying a hint of reproach yet being exceptionally firm.

"I'll go! I'll go! I'll accompany you there, but you are not allowed to scare me."

Hearing her words, a smile finally blossomed on Lin Xiuyuan's face again, a smile even more brilliant than the sunlight on the river surface.

But he still "thoughtfully" gave Li Juli a chance to go back on her word, "Juli~ if you feel the pressure is really too great, or you are truly afraid, I can go alone, it doesn't matter."

"No need, don't provoke me, and don't play tricks on me anymore." Li Juli immediately shook her head, her tone resolute, "I said I'd accompany you, so I will accompany you. There is no pressure!"

Since she had made the decision, she, Li Juli, was not the type of person to shrink back or go back on her word.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan nodded with satisfaction and looked back at the camper van, "Alright then, since it's decided, let's set off. If we go over early, maybe we can even see the sunset."

More than ten minutes later, when Li Juli, Dalongzai, and the others brought the food from their car and stepped onto the steps of the camper van.

They were surprised to see Kim Taeyeon and Dalongzai also giggling as they squeezed in.

This scene made Li Juli's eyes widen instantly, and she pointed at the two who had already sat down comfortably on the sofa booth, suddenly realizing, "Oh~ you guys were lying, weren't you."

Dalongzai looked at her bewildered expression, couldn't help but laugh and roll her eyes elegantly, and retorted, "Unnie, sometimes you really are a bit stupidly cute. If we weren't really going, why would we specifically drive all this way? Just to deliver a few bags of snacks to you and Xiuyuan? Of course we are going with you."

Kim Taeyeon, who was next to her, hugged a cushion tightly as soon as she got on the vehicle, muttering, "Zhiyan, let me tell you, I am definitely going to squeeze into a bed with you tonight, don't even think about shaking me off."

Li Juli watched this dramatic scene, stunned for several seconds.

Then she suddenly reacted, her gaze lifting immediately, accurately capturing Lin Xiuyuan who had just walked onto the vehicle and was standing by the door looking at her.

She saw that detestable guy wearing a smile of success, carrying a hint of cunning and happiness, directed at her.

Looking at that smile, how could Li Juli not understand in her heart.

It was clear that she had been set up by them working together; those words just now were nothing more than teasing her.

If Lin Xiuyuan thought of this, he would probably laugh even more happily.

Teasing? Shouldn't it be called testing?

And Li Juli, who had figured it out, while feeling relieved that she didn't have to face the fear alone, also felt a small surge of annoyance at being played and a sense of being unable to laugh or cry.

So she couldn't help but quietly pout.

Afterwards, because the situation had been sorted out, the group first contacted a designated driver to return the two cars that Kim Taeyeon and Dalongzai had driven over.

Then the whole party finally boarded the spacious camper van, with Lin Xiuyuan taking the driver's seat and driving toward the direction of Dosan Park.

Actually, if one didn't consider the final destination that made one's hair stand on end tonight, the three people sitting in the back of the vehicle were having quite a fun time along the way.

The stereo was playing upbeat songs, they hummed along, chatted about everything under the sun, and even took out playing cards to play a few rounds.

Watching the camper van driving steadily on the road, the scenery outside the window constantly receding, and the interior of the vehicle filled with laughter, the atmosphere was so relaxed it felt like just an ordinary outing.

So in such pleasant play, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the camper van arrived at the area of Dosan Park.

However, after arriving here, Lin Xiuyuan did not drive directly to the cemetery, but drove the camper van, slowly circling along the outer perimeter road of the park.

At this time, Kim Taeyeon and the others in the back also stopped playing and gathered by the window one after another, their expressions becoming slightly more serious.

One by one, they pointed outside the window, acting as temporary guides for Lin Xiuyuan who was driving.

"Look over there, that area with the walking paths and leisure facilities is the tourist activity area."

"Further inside, that hillside which is quieter and has denser trees is the cemetery area—"

"Mm, it's written on the sign, turn in here."

Listening to the directions coming from the back of the vehicle, Lin Xiuyuan silently noted the positions, but he did indeed control the steering wheel to have the camper van complete a full circle, gaining a rough understanding of the terrain of the entire park.

Finally, he drove the vehicle to the top of a small slope with slightly higher terrain and stopped.

This place faced the sparkling Han River, and on the opposite bank, Seoul's landmark Namsan Tower was clearly visible under the reflection of the sunset.

And the time at this moment was just around five o'clock in the afternoon, right at the time of sunset.

As the vehicle came to a complete stop, the surrounding scene also entered the eyes of the few.

This vicinity appeared quite desolate, surrounded by empty land that had not been carefully maintained, with weeds growing everywhere.

However, the view from the top of the slope was quite open, and apart from their camper van, there were no other figures or vehicles, only the sound of the wind sweeping across the wilderness, carrying a hint of chill.

After parking the vehicle, Lin Xiuyuan was the first to get off, standing on the top of the slope at the front of the vehicle, gazing at the river surface in the distance dyed golden-red by the sunset.

He took a deep breath of the slightly cool air, and then turned back to call the three ladies down from the camper van.

Seeing this, Li Juli, Kim Taeyeon, and Park Jiyeon got off one after another, walked to his side, and followed Lin Xiuyuan's gaze toward the direction where the river and sea met on the left.

On the skyline, a huge, egg-yolk-like setting sun was slowly sinking, rendering the clouds across the sky into a magnificent expanse of orange-red and rose-purple.

The scorching rays became gentle, like a warm veil draped over the surface of the river, stirring up billions of leaping golden scales of light.

And Lin Xiuyuan and the other three stood side by side on the desolate roadside just like that, their figures stretched into long shadows.

Several pretty beauties either tilted their heads slightly, letting the evening breeze blow through their long hair.

Or pointed their fingers at the ever-changing colors in the sky, exclaiming in low voices.

Or hunched their shoulders slightly, both attracted by the beautiful scenery and seemingly feeling a bit uneasy due to this desolate environment.

And Lin Xiuyuan stood among them, his gaze looking calmly at the sunset, as if he were thinking about something.

This scene, against the backdrop of this apocalyptic yet splendid and lonely atmosphere, formed a strange and story-filled ambiance.

When the last glimmer of the sunset was finally swallowed by the horizon and only a faint blue-gray twilight remained in the sky, Lin Xiuyuan finally withdrew his gaze and looked at the few people beside him.

Finally, his gaze fell on Li Juli, and a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth, "Alright, the beautiful sunset has been enjoyed. Let's go, get in the car, it's time for us to find a place to set up camp."

The sudden remark made Li Juli, who was still immersed in the romantic sunset atmosphere, jump in her heart as she was pulled back to reality by this sentence.

However, she quickly adjusted her expression, maintaining composure on the surface, even with a bit of "might as well go all the way" coolness, and turned around decisively.

She was the first to board the RV.

Instead, Kim Taeyeon glared at Lin Xiuyuan with some shame and annoyance, leaned close to him, and lowered her voice, "Hey, Xiuyuan, are you really planning to live in the car? What about tonight then? Are you planning to let Juli know everything right now?"

Although the two beds in the RV might be able to squeeze the three of them in, it wouldn't be impossible even with Lin Xiuyuan added.

But Kim Taeyeon, who knew what needed to be arranged for tomorrow, was very clear that Lin Xiuyuan still had to go back to the year 13 to deal with Goo Hara's affairs.

So she cast her gaze toward the car, "You aren't thinking of leaving Juli—"

Hearing this, Dalongzai also turned her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, took his arm, and said with a tone of trust, "Don't worry, Taeyeon unnie, Xiuyuan isn't the type of person to act recklessly on a whim. Since he arranged it this way, he must have already thought of a follow-up plan, right, Xiuyuan?"

However, Lin Xiuyuan, who had just been trusted by Dalongzai, revealed a smile like a successful prankster the next second, "Nope, I really haven't thought it through. How about you guys find a way to get Juli off the car later, then I'll leave here and go to the year 13 to rest, and you guys wait here for me to come over tomorrow, and then explain it together with Juli."

"???"

As soon as these words were spoken, Park Jiyeon and Kim Taeyeon both widened their eyes instantly, looking at him in disbelief.

Their eyes seemed to be spitting fire, with a posture that said, "If you dare to do this, we will fight you to the death."

So, watching their expressions as they were about to explode, Lin Xiuyuan finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, reaching out to push them gently on their backs toward the RV, one by one.

"Hahaha~ Just kidding, just kidding. Let's go, let's go, get on the car first, it's getting windy outside, it's quite chilly."

After everyone got back on the car, Lin Xiuyuan immediately started the engine and set the RV in motion again.

This time, he clearly turned the front of the car toward the direction of the cemetery area.

So the three people in the back of the carriage suddenly quieted down and stopped playing around.

One by one, they looked through the car windows at the mountain road leading to the cemetery that was gradually darkening, their expressions varied.

Someone was silently taking deep breaths, seemingly building up psychological preparation for herself.

Someone had wandering eyes, as if trying hard to convince herself to accept this crazy plan.

And someone had already subconsciously hugged the pillow in her arms tightly, her face turning slightly pale.

However, just as the car slowly circled to the foot of the cemetery mountain and was about to drive along the road up the mountain, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly made a sharp left turn, spun the steering wheel, and drove the car straight away from this area.

He drove back in the direction of the city, along the road they had come from.

This sudden turn left the three people in the back of the carriage completely bewildered.

Li Juli was the first to react and asked suspiciously, "What's wrong? Xiuyuan, did you take the wrong road?"

"Yeah, shouldn't we have turned right at that intersection just now?" Park Jiyeon also pointed to the back and said.

"Hmm—I don't think the sign was wrong, it was that way."

The three of them spoke one after another, full of confusion.

But Lin Xiuyuan, who was holding the steering wheel, looked at their puzzled expressions through the rearview mirror and couldn't help but laugh, revealing the answer in a relaxed tone.

"No, you guys really wanted to spend the night there? Stop messing around, I just brought you here to scout the location and get familiar with the environment. If we really want to pay our respects, we have to wait until tomorrow morning when it's bright. Juli, I'll bring two more acquaintances for you then."

This time, not only Li Juli, but even Dalongzai was angry.

Li Juli glared at the back of Lin Xiuyuan's head, half-angry and half-amused, while Dalongzai had already clenched her small fists and gritted her teeth, saying, "Xiuyuan~ I really want to beat you up, you made me nervous and do psychological preparation for so long for nothing!!"

Only Kim Taeyeon, after being stunned for two seconds, was truly and completely relieved, patting her slightly heaving chest, "Thank goodness, thank goodness, I said Xiuyuan wouldn't be like that."

After experiencing this little interlude, the car continued to head toward Seoul.

And Dosan Park was very close to the Seoul city area, so the RV soon merged into the city's traffic and lights.

Lin Xiuyuan then dropped off Li Juli, Dalongzai, and Kim Taeyeon one by one at the entrances of their respective residential complexes.

Finally, he parked the RV downstairs at Kim Taeyeon's Apartment, locked the car, turned around, and walked to the door of the independent bedroom at the back of the car, which was separated by a solid door.

The previous little experiment had led Lin Xiuyuan to discover a surprise.

That is, as long as it is a door structurally similar to a house entrance, it can open the Time Gate, but ordinary car doors cannot.

However, this mid-to-large-sized RV he rented happened to adopt the design of using a standard interior door to separate the bedroom.

So when Lin Xiuyuan grasped the handle of the bedroom door, his mind moved, and he pushed it open gently.

The scene behind the door was no longer the cramped carriage, but had turned into the Year Apartment.

After entering and turning around, he returned to the guest room of the Jiudian he was staying at in Tokyo.

And just as Lin Xiuyuan successfully returned to the Jiudian and was delighted by the new application of the Time Gate.

Xueli and Goo Hara were having a pleasant "shopping spree" on the streets of Tokyo.

At this moment, both of them were carrying quite a few shopping bags in their hands, filled with newly bought clothes, accessories, and so on.

However, if one were to follow them closely and observe, one would find that a significant portion of the items Xueli picked out seemed to be clothing in a masculine style.

This gave Goo Hara, who was watching from the side, a headache as if she were watching a "love-struck" best friend, and she reminded her, "Zhenli, we are out to relax this time, shouldn't you buy more pretty clothes for yourself? How come it feels like most of what you bought is for Xiuyuan."

Speaking of this, Goo Hara asked with full curiosity, "And how do you know what size that guy wears? Has your relationship already reached such an intimate level?"

Xueli, who was being asked, was currently holding a short-sleeved shirt that suited Lin Xiuyuan's temperament and measuring it against herself.

So much so that when she heard Hela's words, she didn't even lift her head, answering very naturally, "Unnie~ oppa's figure is simply a natural clothes hanger. So as long as you know his height, and buy the rest according to standard sizes or a bit larger, you basically won't go wrong."

This answer sounded reasonable, but that tiny bit of jealousy in Hela's heart still bubbled up, so she said something half-joking and half-serious.

"Then why haven't I seen you buy me anything? I want a gift too~"

Hearing this, Sulli finally lifted her head, glanced at Hela from the side, and revealed a meaningful, mysterious smile on her face, saying, "Unnie, you probably won't need me to buy these for you in the future, and by then, you probably won't even be going shopping anymore."

"Why is that?" Hela was puzzled by this answer and pressed for more.

But Sulli didn't explain directly, only maintaining that mysterious smile, "Just wait a little longer, Unnie, you'll know very soon."

"Always like this." Hela muttered a complaint under her breath.

Just then, Sulli's phone vibrated, and after looking down and discovering it was a text from Lin Xiuyuan.

A bright smile immediately bloomed on her face, and she quickly called him back, laughing in a lighthearted tone.

"Oppa, are you done with your work?"

"Mm~"

"Then come out and eat with us? We bought so many things, we're missing someone to help out."

Just like that, when Lin Xiuyuan came out to have dinner again with Hela and Sulli that evening.

Taking advantage of the harmonious atmosphere at the dinner table, he formally brought up and finalized the agreement to go out "sightseeing" the next day.

Regarding this, Hela looked at the howling gale outside the window and was still somewhat worried, "Xiuyuan, the weather forecast says the edge of the typhoon has already started affecting Tokyo. Look at how strong the wind is now; I reckon there will be a rainstorm later tonight or soon. Are we really still going out tomorrow?"

Facing this questioning, not only was there no fear on Lin Xiuyuan's face, but he even revealed a trace of an inscrutable smile.

He first subconsciously muttered, "The rougher the waves, the more expensive the fish————"

Then he immediately corrected himself, "Pfft, pfft, pfft, I'm mixing up my lines. What I mean is, what's a little wind and rain? It's just a small scene; tomorrow you will see what a real storm is like."

I hope you can endure it.

Lin Xiuyuan, speaking with hidden meaning, already had a storm brewing in the depths of his eyes that was even greater than the one outside the window.

Seeing this, Sulli immediately chimed in obediently from the side, holding Hela's arm and pleading softly, "Ah, Unnie~ let's go, let's go, oppa definitely has it all planned out. Besides, rainy days have their own way of being fun, just like that time with YoonA Unnie, and we don't even have to worry about being recognized."

Under the "1+1" combination of Lin Xiuyuan's bold words and Sulli's soft pestering.

Hela finally nodded and agreed, feeling helpless yet also a bit curious.

After finishing dinner, the two girls, who had already been shopping all afternoon, did indeed feel exhausted, so they canceled the originally planned "second half KTV" activity and prepared to go straight back to rest.

And this time, Sulli did not return to the Jiudian with Lin Xiuyuan, but chose to go back to her temporary Dormitory in Tokyo with Hela to rest.

Ostensibly for a "bestie night talk," but in reality, it was to lay the groundwork and "prepare" for the other party.

Regarding this, Lin Xiuyuan didn't say much, only returning to the Jiudian alone.

However, after returning to the Jiudian, he did not rest immediately, but called Enjing and Zhiyan from next door over, and the three of them discussed in low voices in the suite's Living Room for a long time, seemingly making final confirmations and arrangements for tomorrow's operation.

So when Enjing and Zhiyan returned to the Tara Dormitory in Tokyo late at night, the two of them submitted leave requests for the next afternoon to their team manager, citing physical discomfort.

This sudden request for leave made Li Juli and Baolan, who were in the same Dormitory, subconsciously exchange a look, both of them thinking of the boy named Lin Xiuyuan they had accidentally met during the day.

Could it be related to him?

The next day.

In 2013 Tokyo, the typhoon indeed brushed past the border as forecasted.

——

——

But even if it was only a peripheral impact, the violent wind and rain still swept through this metropolis without mercy.

The gale howled, whipping bean-sized raindrops against the window, making a pitter-patter sound.

The sky was as gloomy as dusk, as if it had shrouded the entire Tokyo in a huge, constantly shaking curtain of rain, with visibility extremely low.

But even in such severe weather, Lin Xiuyuan still got up on time early in the morning and quietly returned to the 2025 side.

And in 2025 Seoul, it was sunny and the sky was clear as if washed.

It formed a sharp contrast with the wind and rain in 2013 Tokyo.

At the same time, Taeyeon here also got up early today, so after receiving Lin Xiuyuan's message, she ran downstairs the first moment she could and slipped into the camper van that had been parked downstairs all night.

She was still holding a prepared Breakfast in her hand, handing it to Lin Xiuyuan who was preparing to start the car, "Here, I didn't know if you had eaten Breakfast, so I just brought a little something."

Lin Xiuyuan turned to take the still-warm Breakfast, smiling and nodding, "Perfect, it's a typhoon day over there, and the Tokyo Jiudian didn't have any decent Breakfast for me to eat, this is just right."

After delivering the Breakfast, Taeyeon also turned and sat in the passenger seat.

Fastening her seatbelt, she asked with a trace of worry on her face, "Xiuyuan~ how do you plan to tell Hela in a while? Are you taking her directly to the cemetery? Won't that be too shocking?"

The car started and slowly pulled away from the Parking Space.

Lin Xiuyuan, preparing to pick up Dalongzai and Li Juli, looked ahead, "I won't say too much, just let her pay respects to herself. The process and experience are actually about the same as that time with Zhenli, but————"

At this point, his tone suddenly sank, carrying a trace of suppressed anger, "But I feel that her realization this time will likely be deeper and more stinging than Zhenli's. After all, that is a public cemetery; just thinking about it feels too outrageous and too chilling."

Looking at the undisguised anger on Lin Xiuyuan's face, Taeyeon also sighed faintly.

"Sigh~ I've always heard sayings like 'when a person dies, the lamp goes out' or 'after I die, let the flood come.' But now with you as an anomaly, if a dead person can really see what their aftermath looks like with their own eyes, just imagining it makes my heart ache. As for Hela herself, I really dare not imagine what her mood will be when she sees it with her own eyes; I hope she won't be too sad."

After speaking, Taeyeon remembered something else and asked, "What about Juli? What were you thinking by dragging her along too?"

""

Lin Xiuyuan, who was driving, explained calmly, "Actually, I didn't have any special thoughts; I just felt that since I'm already herding one cow, I might as well herd two. Since I had the thought of including her in my considerations before, I might as well do it together this time. It saves the trouble of having to do it again once the thought comes up later."

Taeyeon originally wanted to say that Li Juli didn't seem to need to experience this situation.

But on second thought, given Li Juli's personality of pursuing freedom and truth, and her increasingly close relationship with Lin Xiuyuan, it seemed like there would be such a day sooner or later.

So the words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back, and she only said softly, "Fine, as long as you're happy, I just hope you don't overplay your hand."

She still wanted to go back and see her father.

After a while, the camper van successfully picked up Dalongzai and Li Juli.

Both of them were tacitly wearing black or dark-colored clothes today, appearing solemn and grave, clearly understanding what kind of place they were going to and what kind of atmosphere they would face today.

As everyone arrived, Lin Xiuyuan drove the recreational vehicle, bathed in the exceptionally brilliant, even somewhat scorching, sunlight above Seoul in the year '25.

He drove once again toward the cemetery area of Dosan Park.

Gazing at the bright, blinding sunlight outside the car window, Lin Xiuyuan, who was driving, squinted his eyes and suddenly said with a thoughtful expression.

"Last time, it was pouring rain with thunder and lightning. This time, it is bright, scorching sun with not a cloud in the sky. Do these two completely different types of weather correspond to the different fates and personalities of those two people? Could this be considered an arrangement of destiny?"

Sitting in the back, Dalongzai, who had long since learned the detailed circumstances of that time regarding Xueli, smiled.

"Xiuyuan~ Isn't this weather something you can choose yourself? Whether you want a day to be sunny or rainy, isn't it all up to your will?"

However, facing this statement, Lin Xiuyuan shook his head and denied it, "Choosing the date and location is indeed up to me, but when I felt the impulse to do this, at that very moment, it happened to correspond to this kind of weather. Could this also be considered a form of fate?"

Kim Taeyeon, in the passenger seat, fell silent for a moment.

Lifting her eyes to look at the scorching sunlight outside the window, she nodded slowly and said with a firm tone, "It counts. Perhaps this is just a different side of fate manifesting in your hands."

She used to not believe in this.

But now, no matter how absurd things were, she would believe a little bit of whatever was said.

Li Juli, sitting in the back row and pressed against Dalongzai, listened to the three of them having that cryptic, mysterious conversation, her large eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

She hadn't heard a single thing about what they were actually talking about.

What rainy day or sunny day?

What fate or destiny?

Why did it feel like there were so many secrets between them that she didn't know?

Sensing Li Juli's strangeness, Dalongzai turned back and smiled, taking her small hand and holding it gently, "Unnie, don't worry, don't think too much; everything will be fine in a moment."

Everything would be fine.

At the same time, in other corners of the year '25, many similar scenes were unfolding simultaneously.

Krystal, who had quickly finished her morning work, returned to her Apartment as soon as her schedule ended.

She walked into the bathroom, washed up carefully, changed into a solemn black outfit, and then sat quietly on the Living Room sofa playing with her phone.

From time to time, she looked at the scenery outside the window, not knowing what she was thinking about.

Doing the same as her were Lin Yun'er and Jessica, who was far away in Shanghai.

Both of them had also changed into dark-colored clothing, sitting in their Apartments, their gazes occasionally turning toward their phones.

And over in the year '13, the situation was exactly the same.

Zheng Xiuyan, Jin Ruanruan, and Lin Xiaolu, who had rushed back to Seoul on the earliest flight today, all three had almost simultaneously secured a half-day vacation from their respective managers.

Then, they each returned to their residences, washed up carefully, and changed into the dark-colored clothes they had prepared.

Finally, they all sat in their Living Rooms playing with their phones or chatting in group chats.

Their expressions carried a trace of imperceptible nervousness and anticipation, as if waiting for a special call.

Over at the Dormitory in Tokyo, Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon were even more prepared.

They sat in the Dormitory waiting for Lin Xiuyuan to return, intending to meet up with him and head to the designated location.

Tokyo in the year '13, a little past 11:00 AM.

Outside the window, a typhoon was showing its power without restraint.

On the almost deserted street, only trees torn by the wind swayed helplessly.

At this moment, inside the Kara Dormitory, when Hela saw Xueli—who had instantly sprung up from the sofa after receiving Lin Xiuyuan's call and was jumping around excitedly like a little squirrel that had just been rewarded—

She couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, her tone filled with doting and a hint of confusion, "Is it necessary to be this happy, Zhenli? It's just going out to play. Look at how happy you are; why are you still like a child who hasn't grown up?"

Upon hearing this, Xueli turned around.

Her face was overflowing with a smile mixed with excitement and some indescribable anticipation; she leaned close to Hela and blinked, "Unnie~ don't ask now, you'll understand everything in a little while."

After saying this, she couldn't wait to pull Hela's arm, "Let's go, let's go, Oppa and the others are already waiting downstairs. Let's hurry down, don't let them wait too long."

Although Hela felt that going out in this weather was truly a bit crazy, she was also made to feel somewhat baffled by Xueli's excessive excitement, and at the same time, she was infected by it.

So, without thinking too much, she simply picked up her phone and keys, put on a coat, and walked toward The Gate.

As she pushed open the glass door of the Dormitory building, a strong wind mixed with damp, cold rain instantly rushed toward her, making Hela subconsciously squint her eyes and shrink her neck.

However, when she adapted to the light outside and saw the scene in the curtain of rain ahead,

Her footsteps faltered, and her heart stirred slightly.

For in the open space in front of the Dormitory building exit, three figures were standing quietly in the violent wind and rain.

Holding umbrellas, waiting for everything~