Chapter 299: Respecting the

Upstairs, inside the study.

While Lin Xiuyuan and Li Juli were downstairs discussing topics regarding Goo Hara and Xueli, in the guest room upstairs, the two young girls sitting side by side in front of the computer were experiencing another silent storm.

Goo Hara moved the mouse, her fingertips trembling imperceptibly, and entered her own name into the search bar.

Then, as those shocking news headlines popped up one by one, the faint trace of color that had just returned to her face slowly faded away once again.

When she first saw the news of "herself" committing suicide, Goo Hara was still able to maintain a facade of composure; after all, Lin Xiuyuan had already spoken of it before.

This was the second confirmation before her eyes, and she was already mentally prepared.

Immediately after, seeing the tragic news about Xueli, she took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the sob in her throat, and reached out to tightly grasp Xueli's cold hand beside her.

It was as if she wanted to draw strength from the other person, and as if she were confirming her existence.

However, when the searched information began to involve those more specific and unbearable details, the calmness she had propped up was finally shattered completely.

【Goo Hara's mother appears at the funeral hall, not to mourn but to fight for the estate?】

She recognized every character in the line of text before her, but when put together, they made Goo Hara's eyes widen slightly.

Her tightly pressed lips instantly lost all color, and her body swayed imperceptibly.

Yet this was merely the beginning.

【Suspected of being beaten by boyfriend until uterine bleeding————】

【Threatened with indecent videos————】

【Begging for mercy while crying in front of the Elevator, yet still refused————】

News item after news item, like poisoned daggers, stabbed fiercely into her eyes and her heart.

Even if these events came from the future and had not yet happened to her at this moment.

But just thinking that this was the humiliation, pain, and despair that the "self" in another time and space had truly endured, that immense empathy and sense of shame overwhelmed Goo Hara like a tsunami.

Instinctively, her stomach churned violently, causing her to dry heave a few times, her face as pale as paper.

Finally, when reports related to the "Gu Hara Act" appeared on the screen, clearly pointing out that this act was pushed into establishment because of her, Goo Hara was as if struck by a freezing spell.

She sat there completely stunned, even her pupils seeming to lose focus.

All of this was simply too impactful for her, who had originally only planned to go out today to play and clear her mind; it almost completely destroyed her mental world.

Meanwhile, the conversation about her continued downstairs.

It was mainly Lin Xiuyuan who was curious about Li Juli's recent judgment, "I still don't quite understand, why do you think Hara had it worse than Xueli?"

Li Juli, being asked in return, looked toward the upstairs direction again, as if she could see through the floorboards to that figure who had just been suffering so much, and explained softly, "If you look at the comprehensiveness of the cyberbullying and family relationships encountered, Xueli's situation might be more miserable, but————"

As she said this, her tone carried the empathy unique to women.

"But if we speak purely from a woman's own perspective, the things Hara encountered, from being beaten by a scumbag until uterine bleeding, to being threatened with indecent videos, and then the experience of the court indecent video. These directly—"

"—inflicted on the body and dignity, and completely exposed to the public eye, these scars are often more specific, and even more suffocating and painful."

After hearing this explanation, Lin Xiuyuan raised his sword-like eyebrows, not refuting immediately.

Because he understood that personal perspectives and experiences differ, and naturally the definitions and feelings regarding these things differ as well.

He then clicked his tongue lightly, pulling a faint smile onto his face, attempting to dispel the overly heavy atmosphere, "Forget it, there's no need to discuss these things too much, lest it make people feel bad. Shouldn't the current situation be focused on happiness?"

Li Juli nodded, accepting his statement.

But immediately after, she looked at him with some reproach, "It is indeed focused on happiness, but why couldn't you tell me in advance? When I saw Xueli and Hara appear as if resurrected at the cemetery earlier, I was really scared to death; my legs even went soft."

If it were a different setting, she wouldn't have been so shocked, but that location happened to be a cemetery!!!

"If I had told you in advance, where would the surprise be, right?" Lin Xiuyuan replied in a tone that was almost roguish.

To this, Li Juli just gave him a charming glare, and suddenly thinking of something, she lowered her voice and asked, "By the way, so————except for Xiaomin, everyone else knows?"

"Knows what?"

"The Time Gate."

"Oh~ as far as the current situation in '25 is concerned, that is the case." Lin Xiuyuan gave a vague answer.

As a smart person, Li Juli immediately heard the subtext in this sentence.

Her gaze swept over the familiar faces in the Living Room, whether from '13 or '25, and finally landed on Lin Xiuyuan's face as she smiled, "So, it's the same for the '13 side, then?"

Lin Xiuyuan nodded again, somewhat awkwardly, taking it as an admission.

Just then, his keen hearing seemed to catch a subtle movement from upstairs, and he abruptly looked up toward the second floor.

This sudden action startled Li Juli, and she followed his gaze upward.

But her hearing was far less sensitive than Lin Xiuyuan's, so she heard nothing and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Lin Xiuyuan pursed his lips and made a "tsk-hiss" sound, as if he had a headache.

"Those two little ones upstairs seem to be crying again; I'll go up and check."

Seeing this, Li Juli didn't say anything more, but like the others, watched Lin Xiuyuan walk up the stairs.

After his figure disappeared from sight, she looked around the unfamiliar Villa environment and finally moved to sit beside Dalongzai.

In this new setting, she still instinctively sought the sense of security that came from her own people.

On the other side, Lin Xiuyuan arrived at the door of the second-floor study.

Just as he gently pushed the door open, he saw at a glance the two young girls huddled tightly together, crying until they could barely catch their breath.

The sound of him opening the door made the two subconsciously stop their crying, and they looked up in unison, their tear-filled eyes carrying panic.

Not until she saw clearly that it was Lin Xiuyuan did Goo Hara seem to let out a sigh of relief, yet also seem even more embarrassed.

Biting her lower lip, she hung her head deeply.

Beside her, Xueli wiped the tears that kept flowing with the back of her hand, and asked with a heavy nasal tone, "Oppa, why did you come up————"

As Lin Xiuyuan walked into the room, he feigned a relaxed smile on his face, his tone carrying his unique style.

That is, the humor mixed with concern and teasing, as he laughed, "I definitely had to come up and see; if by any chance you two were watching this and your emotions became unstable, and you ended up blowing yourselves up together, wouldn't all the work I've been busy with for the past half-year be in vain?"

This overly blunt, even somewhat heart-stabbing metaphor, instead diluted the heavy sorrow in the room.

So, hearing this, Xueli wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, which finally turned into a tearful, playful rebuke, "How could you, oppa? We won't be like that anymore, right, unnie?"

Goo Hara nodded forcefully, took a few more deep breaths, and tried hard to calm her surging emotions.

Then she raised her head and looked at Lin Xiuyuan with those red, swollen eyes, her gaze filled with complex and unspeakable emotions, but it finally turned into a very earnest expression of gratitude, "Yes, Xiuyuan, thank you, thank you for letting me see these things in advance."

Regarding Goo Hara's solemn attitude, Lin Xiuyuan just waved his hand casually, as if this were just a trivial matter.

He then leaned toward the computer screen and scanned the news page that was still left open on it.

It was precisely that haggard, grief-stricken scene captured by the media when Goo Hara had rushed back from Japan to attend Xueli's funeral back then.

He couldn't help but cough lightly, shifted his gaze away somewhat uncomfortably, and turned to look at the two young women beside him.

He comforted them in as relaxed a tone as possible, "You are all people who have seen yourselves die once now; just look at these news reports and let it go, don't take them too much to heart."

Having experienced all this earlier than Goo Hara and having digested it for longer, Xueli nodded very understandingly.

Although her eyes still carried sadness, that determination was also exceptionally clear.

As for Goo Hara, she was more mature and restrained than Xueli had been at the time, so even though her eye sockets were still red, she followed up with a reply, "I know. It's just that I just found out, so my emotions were a bit too volatile, but I'm much better than before."

"Understood," Lin Xiuyuan replied briefly, his gaze sweeping over their faces with a hint of imperceptible softness, "No matter who it was, it would be impossible to stabilize so quickly, but don't cry until you make yourselves sick."

His words remained concise, even a bit clumsy.

However, the concern hidden beneath the banter was clearly conveyed to the hearts of these two young women who had been pulled back to the human world from the abyss of despair.

And after comforting these two tearful girls, Lin Xiuyuan looked at their still somewhat pale complexions and shifted the topic at the right moment, "Alright, you've cried enough and seen enough. Do you want to eat something? It's not early anymore; we haven't even had lunch, so we can just eat afternoon tea now."

Goo Hara, who was asked, shook her head gently; having experienced such huge emotional ups and downs, she clearly had no appetite at the moment.

Compared to her, Xueli, who had already experienced a similar shock once, was relatively calmer and said in a low voice, "I'll just have a salad or some soup noodles, something light."

Lin Xiuyuan, who noted this down, asked again, "Do you want to keep looking at the news? Or should we go downstairs and sit for a while? It's livelier downstairs."

Goo Hara guessed that he was worried she would continue to let her imagination run wild, so she rarely managed to pull out a somewhat weak but sincere smile.

"Don't worry, I'm really much better now. I've seen enough of this news, you don't need to worry about me anymore."

Although the voice saying these words still carried the hoarseness from crying, the determination in her tone was convincing.

At the same time, Xueli also nodded forcefully from the side and took Goo Hara's arm.

As if to give her strength, she also said to Lin Xiuyuan, "It's okay, oppa, I'm here keeping unnie company.

When the delivery arrives in a while, you can call us down then."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan took another careful look at their state.

Confirming that they didn't seem to be forcing themselves, he nodded, didn't try to persuade them any further, and turned to leave the guest room.

Before long.

When he returned to the Living Room downstairs, the moment he stepped off the stairs, all the gazes cast openly or covertly focused on him.

Feeling this silent inquiry, Lin Xiuyuan beamed and broke the slightly stagnant atmosphere with a relaxed tone.

"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry, they just hugged and cried for a bit, it's good to let the emotions out. Let's order food and eat, aren't you hungry?"

"I am a little hungry, I haven't eaten anything since early this morning." Park Jiyeon responded immediately, clutching her stomach as she leaned toward Kim Taeyeon, and together they put their heads together to browse the menu on the delivery app.

At this time, Xian Enjing seemed to have remembered something and looked at Lin Xiuyuan, her tone carrying a bit of worry.

"Xiuyuan, the camper van we left at the beach, will it be okay just parked on the side of the road like that?"

After thinking about it, Lin Xiuyuan indicated, "Don't worry, I specifically checked when I parked; it's in a marked parking space, and there aren't any tall trees nearby, so it shouldn't get hit or be in the way."

However, since it was mentioned, he still felt it would be safer to confirm it with his own eyes.

So he walked to the corner of the Living Room and opened The Gate by gripping the old brass handle.

The moment The Gate opened, the sound of the howling rain from the 2013 Tokyo typhoon, along with the violent wind like a beast breaking free from its cage, instantly roared and filled the entire previously quiet Villa Living Room.

The huge noise startled the few figures who hadn't experienced typhoon weather for some time.

Immediately after, curiosity overcame the shock.

Kim Taeyeon, Lin YoonA, and the others ran to the side of The Gate one after another, carefully poking their heads out to look at the scenery on the other side of the door.

And the camper van's windshield was facing the terrifying sight of the surging sea.

The gray sky, the rain curtain torn by the gale, and the ink-colored sea with white foam surging in the distance formed a scene with great impact.

"What scary weather————"

"It is indeed a bit scary————"

"But it also looks quite comfortable, I kind of want to go over and play~"

The one who said this last "bold statement" was none other than Lin Chong'er's little head.

But just as she finished speaking, the back of her head was tapped by Lin Xiuyuan behind her with a not-too-light, not-too-heavy flick.

"Ya! It hurts, Xiuyuan~ what are you doing." Lin YoonA covered her head and turned back, aggrieved.

"Then why are you saying such nonsense." Lin Xiuyuan joked, "What's fun about this kind of weather? Even basic safety is hard to guarantee, right."

Lin YoonA pouted and shot a glare at this guy who didn't understand the mood.

But soon she laughed herself.

Her lively eyes rolled, and she changed the subject, "By the way, Xiuyuan, I'll be done with my work here soon, and there won't be any intensive work coming up, so shall we find a time to go out and stroll around?"

"Go out?" Lin Xiuyuan repeated, confirming with a bit of teasing, "Does this 'go out' you're talking about mean the same thing as the 'go out' I'm thinking of?"

"Travel! Travel! Understand now!" Lin YoonA waved her arms and explained excitedly.

Just as Lin YoonA finished speaking, Krystal on the sofa also had her eyes light up, and she joined in with interest, "I think that's possible, Xiuyuan~ let's find a time to go out and play together. After I finish with the film festival, I won't have any important work either; I can at least rest for over half a month."

"I also think it's possible." Kim Taeyeon, who had been a homebody for a while, blinked her big eyes, clearly moved by the suggestion.

Lin Xiuyuan, who discovered that the topic had been instantly derailed, first closed The Gate connected to the storm, cutting off the annoying noise.

Only then did he turn back to look at these few women who were suddenly full of enthusiasm, "Then do you have any recommendations or ideas?

If we travel during this period, it seems we can't go to many places, right? Your targets are too obvious."

He had just wanted to say that there were too many eyes and ears, when Li Juli, a seasoned socialite, spoke up with a smile, carrying her unique bourgeois sentiment.

"Lin Xiuyuan, we can go out to sea. This time of year is the best for going out to sea to have fun."

She then gave a more specific suggestion, "It's best to rent a yacht to go out. We don't need to go too far, just cruise around the coastal waters, soak up the sun, and go fishing. It's both private and comfortable."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xiuyuan rejected this plan that sounded so wonderful without the slightest hesitation, "Juli, don't even think about it. Where are you going to find a rental yacht that doesn't have surveillance cameras installed? Once you people enter the frame for more than a few hours, we'll all have to lie down on the dissection table of some mysterious research institute together."

This remark, which was overly vivid, immediately drew laughter from many people, and at the same time, it made Li Juli, who had proposed the suggestion, feel a little depressed.

As a member who had just newly joined the Church, she had not yet fully adapted to this life that required hiding everywhere.

However, her little partner Dalongzai immediately helped this unni of hers perfect the plan.

"Then how about we do it like we discussed before? Find a seaside spot with good scenery and strong privacy, and just buy a detached house or Villa to serve as our base. When we want to go, we can call you, Lin Xiuyuan, and you can go over to play in the water and swim at any time. Plus, if it's our own house, we don't have to worry about the issue of surveillance at all."

As Dalongzai said this "ultimate solution."

Lin Xiaolu, who had been squeezed by busy schedules for these years and had almost never truly relaxed or traveled, immediately became interested, her eyes shining, "Then where should we choose to buy a house?"

As the two JK sisters among everyone present who were travel buddies or who played around the most, they heard this and suggested almost in unison, "The Palm Islands, Dubai??"

"What?"

"Over at the Palm Jumeirah."

As soon as this suggestion was made, Kim Taeyeon, who had previously looked up this information, opened her mouth in surprise, "Ah? Isn't it very expensive over there now? And I heard that it's been hard to find a property there for a long time, right?"

However, Jessica looked at Zheng Xiuyan beside her, "If we buy it now, it will definitely be an astronomical price, and there are no spots available. But if we go to the time and space around 2013 to buy it, we should be able to easily secure it for a few million dollars, right?"

Zheng Xiuyan, who was being looked at by Jessica, heard this and met the provocative gaze of "herself," so she nodded without hesitation and replied in a crisp and decisive tone.

"No problem, let's buy it."

For her, although a few million dollars was a bit painful, it wasn't impossible to come up with if she gritted her teeth.

After all, she had earned quite a bit over the years and hadn't had much time to spend it anyway.

It was just that after buying this house, her little treasury would probably hit rock bottom.

Fortunately, Lin Xiaolu saw this and excitedly raised her hand, "Unni, I'll chip in a share, I'll chip in a share."

Although Jin Ruanruan was a bit tongue-tied by the amount, she still raised her hand to indicate that she would also participate.

Immediately after, Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon looked at each other and also nodded with a smile to indicate they were joining.

For a moment, the Living Room seemed to turn into a multinational real estate investment decision-making scene, only the content of the discussion had a slight touch of fantasy.

However, just as everyone was discussing the luxurious vision of the Palm Islands enthusiastically, Lin Xiuyuan had to play the role of the one pouring cold water again.

He tapped on the tabletop, and after attracting everyone's attention, his tone was pragmatic and left no room for doubt.

"Hold on, everyone. Although I don't want to disturb you, don't just think about those world-famous tourist hotspots. The more popular those places are, the more tourists there are, and the more paparazzi and pervasive cameras there are. What we need is a place that is truly quiet, private, and not easy to attract outside attention. With many people come many eyes; if we let our guard down even a little, it's very easy for problems to arise."

Following this bucket of cold reality, the excited crowd finally calmed down a little.

But the idea of purchasing a "travel base" had already taken root, so how could everyone give up easily?

Thus, the following scene became even more lively.

Everyone gathered together, squeezed onto the sofa, or simply sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, and began to list one by one the relatively niche locations with beautiful beaches that they could think of.

"How about the Bahamas?"

"No, no, there are too many yachts and rich people there, it's easy to get photographed."

"Then, some of the local islands in the Maldives?"

"Would the infrastructure be inconvenient? And if we live there long-term, material supplies would also be a problem."

"We have the Time Gate, so we don't need to worry about that."

"We still have to put on a show."

"In that case, what about the Caribbean region?"

"The hurricane season is a bit troublesome—"

Everyone chimed in with suggestions, and then, based on conditions like concealment, convenience, and safety, they rejected them one by one.

During this period, Lin Xiuyuan sat very quietly on a single sofa to the side, watching this group of women rack their brains for a common idea.

He turned his head to look at Jin Ruanruan, who was sitting on the armrest of the sofa, and asked with a smile in a low voice, "Aren't you going to join the discussion? Give some suggestions."

Jin Ruanruan, who was asked, blinked blankly upon hearing this and said in a low voice, "I don't really understand these things. I've been working all these years. If you insist on me giving a suggestion, I only know Sanya and Jeju Island over on your side."

To this, Lin Xiuyuan shook his head directly, "Forget it, your fan base on my side is too huge, and there are even more eyes. Once you're recognized, with those massive crowds of fans chasing after you, you wouldn't even have time to run."

"So I really don't know," Jin Ruanruan shrugged helplessly, indicating that she was unable to help.

Just then, Kim Taeyeon's phone rang; the takeout had arrived.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had taken the phone and was preparing to answer it, did not forget to reach out and pat Jin Ruanruan on the shoulder, "Go upstairs and call Hela and Xueli down, I'm going out to get the takeout."

"Nae~" Jin Ruanruan responded obediently and got up to walk upstairs.

Two minutes later, Lin Xiuyuan walked in carrying three large bags that were emitting the aroma of food.

The crowd, who were already famished, saw this and got up one after another to help take the bags, then crowded together toward the dining room, starting to distribute the food in a flurry.

Before long, Goo Hara and Xueli also came down from upstairs accompanied by Kim Taeyeon.

Her pale complexion was much rosier than before, and she also silently joined the ranks of those distributing the food.

Later, after learning from the chattering Lin Xiaolu that everyone was discussing finding a beach to buy a house as a future vacation base.

And after quietly listening to a few more points that needed attention, Goo Hara, who had been listening quietly, slowly raised her head and cautiously put forward a suggestion.

"Unnis, how about we go look over in Europe? I heard that in many places there, people's personalities tend to be more reclusive and keep their distance, unlike North America which is so enthusiastic and outgoing. It should be more suitable for our situation than North America, right? And there are also very beautiful beaches there, for example, Greece—"

"Crete, Greece—Elafonisi Beach, right, Hela!!"

Li Juli lived up to her reputation as a big player, immediately picking up the conversation precisely.

Seeing Goo Hara nod with a smile, her eyes lit up even more.

"That place is indeed quite good. It has a world-rare pink sand beach and crystal-clear diving areas, and the surrounding area is a nature reserve, so the population density is relatively low and the privacy is good. Moreover, Crete itself is the largest island in Greece, and there are quite a few high-end sea-view Villas and Apartments for sale—I think Hela's suggestion is doable."

When Goo Hara heard Li Juli's such detailed supplement, she also explained, "It's mainly because I happened to be looking at some travel guides recently. I was originally thinking that when I had some free time, I would find a place like that to rest by myself—"

Her voice gradually lowered; who knew that what would come more fiercely than travel would actually be these scenes before her eyes.

"I think this could work." Li Juli smiled and affirmed it again, clearly very satisfied with this location.

Meanwhile, Jessica and the others had already taken out their phones, their fingers swiftly searching for the area.

When pictures and short videos of the dreamlike pink beaches, azure waters, and white Villa perched on the cliffs popped up on the screens, exclamations of admiration rose one after another.

"Wow—this place looks like it's worth going to take a look."

"Right, the scenery is so beautiful, and it looks really quiet. We can go there for a trip first and do a site inspection before deciding!"

At this moment, Lin YoonA, who had found a video from a local real estate agent, added excitedly, "And look, the price doesn't seem expensive either. The video says this kind of detached Villa is only a few hundred thousand Euros. The most important thing is, I checked and it seems Greece has very strict laws protecting privacy, with many restrictions on installing surveillance in private areas; this is great for us."

Watching this group of women, who were instantly captivated by the Greek charm and were so enthusiastic they seemed ready to leave the next second, Lin Xiuyuan had to tap the edge of his dinner plate with a spoon, making a crisp sound.

"Ladies, let's get some food first. Buying a house isn't something to rush, but if we don't eat soon, I might really starve to death on the spot."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Li Juli was amused by his dramatic acting, and while speaking, she pushed a serving of steaming seafood fried rice she had just taken out toward him, "Then sit down and eat something first, you great hero."

The others also smiled and quickened their movements, and soon the delicacies from several large bags—

various salads, noodle soups, fried rice, Fried Chicken, Pizza, and so on, were spread out across the entire dining table in a dazzling array.

During this time, Lin Xiuyuan thought of a graceful figure.

So he stood up and walked toward the room door nearby, and two minutes later, he carefully helped Tian Enjing, who still had a support brace on her leg, walk over.

Then followed another round of pleasantries.

In the blink of an eye, apart from Zheng Xiujing, who truly could not get away due to her schedule, all the remaining members of Lin Xiuyuan's special Church had gathered inside this Villa.

At the same time, because of the sudden increase in the number of people, the chairs in the dining room were clearly not enough.

So much so that most people could only eat standing up.

And the selection of the few who got to sit was quite particular.

Lin Xiuyuan, as the core and the owner of the house, was definitely sitting.

Goo Hara and Xueli, whose emotions had just calmed down, were tacitly arranged by everyone to sit.

Tian Enjing, with the injury on her leg, naturally had a seat.

Finally, several "seniors" like Li Juli, Jessica, and Kim Taeyeon were also pressed down into seats.

Actually, at first, Jessica didn't really want to sit down; she wanted to give the seat to others.

However, just as she intended to yield her seat, Zheng Xiuyan appeared silently behind her at some point, a "kind" smile on the corners of her mouth.

She immediately placed her hands firmly on Jessica's shoulders, pressed her securely into the seat, and said in clear, articulate tones, "Respecting the elderly is our consistent fine tradition. You should just sit; otherwise, others will say we have no manners."

This sentence sounded quite fine at first listen.

But if Zheng Xiuyan hadn't bitten so hard and so clearly on the word "old," it might have been even better.

So, as Zheng Xiuyan took the lead, Xiaolu, Park Jiyeon, and Jin Ruanruan seemed to have received some inspiration, their eyes lighting up.

They all raised their respective "kind" smiles and began to follow suit, "inviting" the 25-year-old Lin YoonA, Kim Taeyeon, and Longzai onto the remaining stools.

This simple, crude, and heart-stabbing division based solely on "age" made the three who were forced to sit down extremely frustrated.

They all turned their heads and glared with eyes full of murderous intent at the "past self" standing behind them who was smiling with an innocent face.

Among them, Jessica, who was personally pressed down by Zheng Xiuyan, was the most miserable, her expression management almost failing.

Witnessing this bizarre and funny scene of "self-sabotage," Li Juli felt a little lucky and subconsciously patted her chest, "Thank goodness, the 13-year-old me hasn't joined in yet."

Otherwise, being "age-shamed" to her face like this, she reckoned she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face either.

Tian Enjing, who was sitting on a stool, had the same thought. She turned her head to look at Xian Enjing, who was standing beside her holding a bowl, and asked with a mix of amusement and vigilance, "If I hadn't 'voluntarily' sat down because of the injury on my leg, you wouldn't have done this to me, would you?"

"Don't slander me." Xian Enjing immediately looked up at the dining room chandelier, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift, "I wouldn't do such a thing."

It was just that while saying this, the amusement in her tone couldn't be hidden at all.

As they were the same person, the moment Tian Enjing saw the other's expression, she guessed 100% that the other must have had this thought in mind.

So she also gloomily glared at Xian Enjing and muttered in a low voice, "As if I'd believe you—"

Thus, at this lunch table filled with "undercurrents" and subtle "age conflicts."

The only ones left who could remain completely unaffected and calmly bury their heads in their food were Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal, who was watching the show with great interest.

The former, as the only "Pope" and the man at the top of the food chain, had always been steady as a rock, not worried at all that the flames of war would burn him.

The latter, because Zheng Xiujing was not on the scene, was enjoying the leisure.

While shoveling the fried rice she had been served, she admired this rare annual blockbuster, and the smile on her lips never faded.

And apart from the steady Lin Xiuyuan and the show-watching Krystal, there were actually two little people who were temporarily transcendent, namely Xueli and Goo Hara.

Especially Goo Hara, who had originally been shrouded in gloom and sadness from knowing the ending of her "future self."

Now, after seeing this interesting scene of "self-confrontation," it was strangely diluted quite a bit, and she even had a bizarre thought: it's fortunate that I don't have a significant other.

Xueli even quietly leaned into her ear and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, shared the previous exciting events with Goo Hara with the excitement of sharing a secret.

For example, how Park Jiyeon had once poked right at Longzai's sore spot, and the title of "old woman" made Goo Hara's eye twitch.

But when she heard that during an offline meeting, she was almost severely lectured by Longzai, the corners of her mouth curled up again.

Or hearing how Xiaolu had crazily ranted in Lin YoonA's livestream comment section, sparking a war of words from afar.

And all sorts of interesting scenes triggered by meeting oneself, which made Goo Hara's eyes light up again and again, and while feeling relaxed, she also raised a smile.

She even felt a tiny bit of regret in her heart.

It was a pity that Lin Xiuyuan hadn't pulled her into this bizarre yet attractive circle earlier.

Although this afternoon tea was full of conflict and teasing, overall everyone ate and drank well, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

So after the meal, everyone naturally gathered in the large sofa area of the Living Room.

This resulted in the sofa, which originally felt very wide, appearing somewhat stretched and crowded after accommodating almost everyone.

Looking at the sofa area that was almost squeezed into a can of sardines, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but scratch his hair and sighed, "It seems I have to go look for a new sofa; I can't have half the people sitting on the carpet from now on."

Kim Taeyeon heard this and smiled as she sized up the existing sofa, giving her professional opinion, "Then you'll probably have to get it custom-made; this one should already be the largest model available on the market."

Afterward, everyone discussed the topic of "custom-making a super sofa that can accommodate everyone" for a few more sentences.

However, the center of the conversation quickly returned to that exciting "travel base" plan.

Krystal took the lead and said, "My schedule isn't packed for the next few days, so I can go with you, Lin Xiuyuan, to Greece to take a look on-site."

"I'm free too! I want to go too!" Lin YoonA immediately raised her hand.

Kim Taeyeon also weakly raised her small hand, her face carrying a bit of embarrassed anticipation.

Li Juli, also infected by the atmosphere, was just about to raise her hand to join in, but her arm was suddenly pressed down by Dalongzai beside her, who smiled and reminded her, "Unnie, have you forgotten that we still have to prepare for the concert? Where would we find the time?"

Li Juli suddenly realized, slapped her forehead, looked at Lin Xiuyuan with annoyance, her tone carrying a coquettish pout.

"It's over, Lin Xiuyuan, I was really scared by this series of events today, my brain isn't working right, I even forgot such an important work arrangement."

"Then go back and get some good rest, and prepare for the concert."

Noticing that it was getting late, Lin Xiuyuan stood up and clapped his hands, "Alright, all you beauties, get ready, it's time to go home. It's getting late, I still have to tidy up over in '13, and you all have work to do tomorrow."

Lin YoonA, Jessica, and the others were also aware of this, so they gathered their small items one after another, and then, with Lin Xiuyuan's assistance, passed through The Gate and returned to their respective Apartments.

Even Krystal went back with the main group, not staying at the Villa to wait for Lin Xiuyuan, acting very decisively.

After sending everyone else away safely, the Living Room suddenly felt much emptier.

Lin Xiuyuan then looked at the remaining few and smiled, "Let's go, it's time for us to head back too."

After saying this, he opened The Gate again and led the few of them back to the camper van in Tokyo by the bay in '13, which was still swaying slightly in the wind and rain.

As the last one to enter, Goo Hara looked back at the brilliant, warm sunshine in the Year Villa behind the door.

Then she turned her head to look at the sky covered in dark clouds outside the camper van's windshield.

Despite having already known the situation and having experienced it personally, this magical and extreme contrast still gave her heart a tremendous shock.

It also gave her a more concrete and thrilling understanding of the two words "space-time."

As The Gate closed, cutting off that sunshine, the inside of the camper van was completely enveloped by the sound of the Tokyo night rain.

Sitting back in the driver's seat, Lin Xiuyuan started the engine and steered the camper van steadily away from the seaside, heading toward the Jiudian where the few people in the back were staying.

The reason he didn't follow the original plan to send Goo Hara back to her group's Dormitory was because this was Goo Hara's own idea.

Having experienced such a subversive day, she felt she needed some time and space to sort out her emotions, and temporarily planned to rest well for two days.

To have Xueli keep her company, or rather, to have Xueli and Lin Xiuyuan keep her company together, to give this emotion a buffer period.

So when the camper van stopped steadily at the entrance of the Jiudian, Park Jiyeon and the others quickly opened their umbrellas and ran into the Jiudian.

Lin Xiuyuan remained until the last, and after carefully checking the camper van to confirm nothing was left behind, he opened the door to get out.

Just as he closed the door and turned to walk into the Jiudian, his gaze happened to meet a petite figure holding a transparent umbrella.

It was Quan Baolan.

It was a repeat of the scene when he had accidentally bumped into Park Hyomin before.

This discovery made Lin Xiuyuan's footsteps pause slightly, but he didn't take the initiative to ask anything, his gaze subconsciously falling on the slightly heavy paper shopping bag that Quan Baolan was carrying.

Hmm, it was paper, and it looked like it was of average quality.

Perhaps because it was soaked by the rain, just as Quan Baolan noticed Lin Xiuyuan, the moment her footsteps hesitated, the bottom of the paper shopping bag in her hand suddenly could no longer bear the weight.

"Rip!" It tore open with a sound!

The scattered items in the bag immediately fell to the ground, rolling away on the damp, cold floor, and the rain instantly pressed down on them.

With his excellent eyesight, Lin Xiuyuan saw several items at once—

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