Chapter 321

Inside the villa.

The three's gazes slowly shifted away from Zheng Xiuyan, and when looking at the other two, their first glance fell on the figure sitting comfortably on the sofa.

The other party was currently wearing a silk-textured loungewear dress, her posture looking much lazier and more relaxed than Zheng Xiuyan, who was standing, even leaning slightly against the back of the sofa.

Although Krystal and the others couldn't see the expression on the other party's face clearly due to the distance.

But they still noticed that slightly annoying smile.

And Lin Xiuyuan stood between the two, slightly to the side, his slightly furrowed expression seeming to want to say something, but not knowing where to start.

Especially after noticing Krystal and the others entering, he immediately looked at them, his face full of "help me"

expression.

Clearly, before Krystal and the others entered, a very intense confrontation was taking place here.

Judging from the atmosphere of the scene, plus Zheng Xiuyan's expression of almost wanting to bite her back teeth, that Jessica sitting on the sofa was clearly the winner of this confrontation.

Because two minutes ago, Jessica was using her unique lazy voice, slowly saying a sentence to Zheng Xiuyan, who was preparing to return to the 13-year side for work.

"Oh my, I almost forgot, someone seems to be going back to work bitterly tomorrow."

Jessica covered her mouth, pretending to be surprised, but the smile in her eyes couldn't be hidden, dragging out her tone, appreciating Zheng Xiuyan's increasingly ugly complexion, "How pitiful~ unlike me, I have plenty of time to rest, adjust, and enjoy life with Xiuyuan next~"

Then, she changed the subject.

Her gaze pointedly glanced at Lin Xiuyuan, who was stiff beside her, and finally fell back onto Zheng Xiuyan's face.

"But it doesn't matter, that bed of yours in the Seoul apartment, I'll help you sleep in it and roll in it a few more times, no need to thank me. After all, we don't distinguish between you and me, yours is mine, right?"

"Boom!!!"

This sentence was like a spark thrown into an oil drum, instantly detonating all the anger, jealousy, and possessiveness that Zheng Xiuyan had pent up over these two days.

Help me roll in the big bed a few more times?? Or my apartment and my bed???

Jessica's words were not just as simple as showing off.

This was simply a naked, public declaration of war and insult to her!!!

So much so that after hearing the answer, Zheng Xiuyan's back teeth were really about to be bitten to pieces.

The veins on her temples throbbed, her fists clenched until they rattled, her chest heaved due to her intense breathing as she glared at Jessica, her eyes fierce as if she wanted to pounce and swallow her alive.

And Lin Xiuyuan, who stood in the middle and witnessed the entire process of this critical hit, the expression on his face at this moment could no longer be described as awkward or helpless.

It was a mix of "it's over, it's over, it's happening again," "can I even respond to this?", "help me, why did you let me hear this," and a tiny bit of longing for someone to come and save him.

And I don't know if Heaven really listened to Lin Xiuyuan's "call for help," so 2 minutes later—

"Beep beep beep—click~"

Several electronic sounds + the sound of the latch jumping came from the entrance outside the courtyard.

Instantly, the three people confronting each other in the living room turned their heads in unison, their gazes looking toward the doorway like searchlights, seeing the three figures who had originally wanted to sneak in.

Six gazes met in the air.

The air completely solidified at this moment.

The living room, which was already full of gunpowder, also became even more strange and tense due to the sudden intrusion of the three uninvited guests.

And there was a little bit of awkwardness.

After a while longer.

The atmosphere in the living room changed from the two-person confrontation between Zheng Xiuyan and Jessica to a more complex and subtle multi-party talk.

After a brief game of chess and eye-fighting, the seats were fixed.

Krystal, as the "hostess" in a certain sense, was arranged by Lin Xiuyuan in the very middle of the long sofa, which was also the position with the most pressure.

Because on her left, she was right next to Zheng Xiuyan, who was still angry—

And on the right was Jessica, who had a lazy posture and a faint smile on her face.

Further out at the two ends of the long sofa sat Lin Yun'er, who was trying to maintain a dignified expression but had an obvious look of watching a show in her eyes, and Kim Taeyeon, who was trying to reconcile the atmosphere but was actually a bit helpless.

As for Lin Xiuyuan, who triggered all this, he had long since slipped into the open kitchen area, burying his head between the refrigerator and the cutting board.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had experienced two days of "secret war," would rather be with fruits and vegetables than stay in that eye of the storm for another second.

It's just that there is a saying: smiles don't disappear, they only transfer.

Since Lin Xiuyuan, who was in the kitchen at this time, with his back to the living room, focused on cutting various fruits and vegetables, had the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a smile.

Then Krystal, who was sitting in the C-position of the living room sofa, bearing the gazes from both left and right, could no longer find the relaxed smile of watching the fun without fear of it being too big that she had in the tavern before.

At this moment, she felt like she was sitting on a miniature active volcano, with a young active volcano about to erupt on her left, and a mature active volcano that looked calm but had magma rolling inside on her right.

If she was even slightly careless, it would really erupt.

So she turned her neck slightly left and right, carefully observed the complexions of the two Unnies, and then squeezed out a very reluctant, sheepish smile.

Attempting to use a very safe social phrase to break this suffocating silence.

"That, Unnies, it can be seen that you two have had—uh, quite a fulfilling time these past two days, right?"

Krystal, weighing her words, originally wanted to use the word "not bad," but felt it might be too provocative, so she temporarily changed it to the relatively neutral "fulfilling."

However, this opening line, which attempted to ease the atmosphere, was like poking a hornet's nest.

"Oh?"

Only to see Zheng Xiuyan, who was sitting on her left, immediately let out a cold sneer, tilting her head slightly, "Xiujing, how did you see that we had a fulfilling time?"

Almost simultaneously, Jessica's equally malicious laughter came from the right, "Yeah, Xiujing, I'm also quite curious, from which aspects did you specifically see it?"

Krystal, upon hearing the replies of these two, was completely dazed.

Complaining wildly in her heart: No, I just wanted to be polite, just say the most nutritionless opening line! Do you have to be like cats whose tails were stepped on, and retort to me with such high synchronization??? Who did I offend???

And Lin Chong'er and Kim Taeyeon, who were "watching the battle" from the side, upon seeing Krystal's cute, dumbfounded look after being snubbed instantly.

Coupled with Zheng Xiuyan and Jessica's synchronized nitpicking reaction, they really couldn't hold back their laughter anymore.

They hurriedly lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking wildly uncontrollably, clearly holding back their laughter very hard.

But these few seemed to have forgotten one thing, and that was that this Krystal in front of them was not the Zheng Xiujing of 2013; she in 25 was not some soft persimmon that could be kneaded by anyone, and even less was she a good-natured person who was easy to provoke.

Look, Krystal, who had just been expelled by the two together on the phone the night before last, and was retorted again after not saying two words upon entering the door today, after suffering setbacks one after another, the little grievance and dissatisfaction in her heart, as well as her little temper, also came up.

Immediately taking a deep breath, her gaze instantly switched from the earlier caution and slightly ingratiating sheepish smile.

That invisible Martial Soul Avatar was released directly.

Her spine straightened a bit, and her chin lifted slightly.

Her gaze was no longer dodging, but became direct and bold, even carrying a few sharp and naked gazes, unceremoniously scanning Zheng Xiuyan and Jessica beside her from head to toe, from face to neck to hands, quickly.

Then she retorted clearly and quickly, "Does this even need to be asked?"

Her voice, with an accelerated speed, seemed to want to return all the grievances she had suffered, "I saw it from the fact that there are no nail scratches or slap marks on your faces, and no bruises or bite marks on your hands, feet, or arms!"

Saying this, Krystal even deliberately imitated Jessica's tone just now, her tone becoming even more straightforward.

"If you two really had a bad time these past two days, and couldn't stand each other, you probably would have fought to the death and scratched each other's faces, right? How could you still be sitting here bickering so completely?"

This assessment-style answer regarding personal safety, which both pointed to the core and carried a bit of spicy teasing, left Zheng Xiuyan and Jessica speechless for a moment, and they couldn't hold their faces up.

But—Krystal's counterattack hadn't ended yet.

Her gaze fell back onto the two faces, this time with a more careful, scrutinizing look.

Looking at Zheng Xiuyan's cheeks, which were white and red from nourishment and could be broken by a blow, and then looking at Jessica's radiant face, which seemed to have an extra layer of soft-focus filter and revealed a lazy charm.

Finally, she curled her lips and retorted in a tone that was almost speechless.

"And looking at your complexions, ruddy and shiny, with spring in your eyes, your spirits are so full that you're almost glowing; I feel like the only one who had a bad time these past two days—is probably Xiuyuan alone, right?"

Perhaps to let the effect of this sentence fully ferment, Krystal paused slightly, and then slowly added the final blow.

"Looking at it like this, he's almost been knocked to the bone and sucked dry by you two, it's a bit too selfish, Unnies~~~~"

Knocked to the bone and sucked dry!!!

This term was used both vividly and explicitly, instantly causing the air in the living room to stagnate again.

It also extinguished the spirit that Zheng Xiuyan, who was still preparing to retort, had just raised in the blink of an eye.

Especially when Krystal's teasing gaze, which seemed to see through everything, looked at her face again.

That kind of bashfulness mixed with having her mind read, as well as the panic that was more youthful, made Zheng Xiuyan subconsciously turn her head slightly with a bit of shyness, dodging Krystal's gaze.

Although there was no blushing expression, she was more or less feeling a bit guilty.

Completely unlike Jessica next door.

This one, after experiencing the initial astonishment, adjusted quickly, and even met Krystal's—

slightly provocative gaze directly.

Far from being shy or avoiding it, she instead generously shifted the blame.

"Ya, Xiujing, don't look at me~" she waved her hand, her tone light, "If we're talking about gnawing, ah no, if we're talking about who is the most powerful at sucking Xiuyuan dry, it's the one beside you."

She pointed her chin at Zheng Xiuyan, with an innocent smile on her face, "I'm just passively counterattacking, self-defense only. The one next door is young and has a lot of energy, it's understandable to have big needs, understandable~"

These few light sentences instantly pinned that high hat precisely onto Zheng Xiuyan's head, and also conveniently labeled her as a "lustful woman."

And so—

"You're farting!!! Jessica!!!"

Zheng Xiuyan, who had just been a bit shy, upon hearing this dirty water splashed, instantly became like a cat whose tail was stepped on, all shyness instantly replaced by fury, turning her head fiercely and roaring at Jessica.

"Who was the one who played dirty and didn't admit it first??? Who was the one who broke the game rules first, and you still have the face to talk about me??"

Facing Zheng Xiuyan's angry accusation, Jessica had an "a dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water" look, and even leisurely adjusted her sitting posture.

Then she shrugged, the smile on her face unchanged, and her tone became exceptionally frank.

"I didn't admit it, I admit it, this is a problem with my character and morality, I admit this."

Jessica, who really nodded, had a rogue look, "You can condemn me for this aspect as much as you want, I will absolutely accept it humbly, admit it all, without a second word."

The other party's move of advancing by retreating, directly admitting her character problem, instead gave Zheng Xiuyan a sense of powerlessness like punching cotton.

However, Jessica's subject changed immediately, and while her speed increased, she also began to cleverly shift concepts.

"Zheng Xiuyan!!! Do you dare to say with your hand on your heart that in these two whole days, I was more powerful or more excessive than you?"

This question was asked very cunningly.

Looking from Jessica's perspective and rhetoric, her strategy was very simple: I just don't want my face anymore, I admit my character flaws.

But she had to drag you, Zheng Xiuyan, into the water like a water ghost, everyone is half a catty, but you are more fierce.

Then, what we are comparing is not who is right and who is wrong, but who uses it more often and more fiercely.

In this dimension of comparison, Zheng Xiuyan, who had tasted the sweetness of Lin Xiuyuan, this "great medicine," for the first time, was in the prime of her youth, and her possessiveness and desire for exploration were at their peak; how could she let Jessica gain the upper hand?

So Zheng Xiuyan was suddenly asked the vital point and was speechless.

Wanted to retort, saying Jessica was more excessive, but seemed to have no solid evidence.

Wanted to say she wasn't very excessive, but that clearly didn't fit the facts, and the few beside her were all insiders and former experiencers.

So Zheng Xiuyan was suddenly like a punctured balloon, her momentum visibly withered, opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything powerful.

Could only glare at Jessica hatefully, her chest heaving.

Finally, she turned her face away in anger and fell silent.

Really—nothing to say.

In this battlefield cleverly guided by Jessica, she indeed fell into a disadvantage.

So much so that Lin Yun'er and Kim Taeyeon, sitting opposite, seeing Zheng Xiuyan's dumbfounded and unable-to-retort look, couldn't help but find it a bit funny, and also looked at her with a bit of sympathy.

These two were both "millennium human spirits," and instantly heard the traps of concept-swapping, focus-shifting, and comparison-guiding in Jessica's words.

It was just that Zheng Xiuyan came from 13 years, lacking the experience and rhetorical skills honed in complex interpersonal relationships and public opinion whirlpools for more than ten years, so she was directly circled in and fell into the pit.

Fortunately, at this time, Kim Taeyeon, who had been trying to ease the atmosphere, finally stood out again.

Smiling, she hugged the shoulder of Zheng Xiuyan, who was sulking beside her, patting her gently like coaxing a child, and persuaded her in a gentle tone.

"Alright, alright, you two stop bickering like this. You're not life-and-death enemies, it's nothing more than not being able to stand certain parts of yourselves."

She found a relatively gentle way of saying it, "Ease the atmosphere, ease it. Xiujing is also concerned about you, that's why she said that."

"Yeah, yeah, ease it, ease it!" A voice that sounded like it had been granted amnesty inserted itself at the right time.

Only to see Lin Xiuyuan carrying two exquisite fruit plates filled with colorful fruits, walking out from that refuge in the kitchen, "Come, eat some fruit, vent your anger, replenish some vitamins."

Lin Xiuyuan, having finished all this, had no intention of sitting back on the sofa.

His gaze swept around the living room, and finally, he sat down at Lin Yun'er's feet, which was the corner of the soft carpet near the sofa armrest.

Noticing Lin Xiuyuan's almost hiding action, as well as the undisguised exhaustion and a hint of relief on his face.

Lin Yun'er, sitting on the sofa, had a flash of heartache and amusement in her eyes.

However, she didn't say anything, just very naturally, at an angle no one noticed, quietly stretched out her own small feet wearing soft loungewear socks.

Then she stepped on the feet of Lin Xiuyuan, who was close to her, with the soles of her feet gently.

Not kicking, nor pressing.

But with just the right amount of force, slowly, with a soothing meaning, she began to massage his instep and calves.

This small action was subtle and intimate, carrying silent comfort and heartache.

As if saying: You've worked hard, take a rest.

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