Chapter 322: The

Perhaps to shift the overly heavy atmosphere in the Living Room, or perhaps to give her two unnies, who were still glaring at each other, a little space to cool down, Krystal took the initiative to step forward.

She reached out directly and took Jessica's arm, "Unnie~"

Her voice carried a hint of coquettishness and an insistent tone, "Didn't I mention the scripts and fashion schedules I recently received? It just so happens that while you have time now, why don't you help me weigh in? Let's go upstairs to the second floor, and I'll log into my account to show you."

Asking Jessica to look at scripts?

This suggestion made everyone present, including the invited Jessica herself, subtly raise an eyebrow.

Who here didn't know that this person's acting skills—well, were rather controversial.

Asking the other party to look at fashion resources would have been plausible.

Looking at scripts? This excuse was unique enough; Krystal really managed to come up with it.

However, although this excuse was poor, the corners of Jessica's mouth still curled into a knowing smile; since she needed a way out, she didn't care what the excuse was.

So she replied, "Sure~"

Afterward, the two walked up to the second floor arm in arm.

Following their departure, Kim Taeyeon smiled as she looked at Zheng Xiuyan, who was sitting beside her, and also extended an invitation.

"Xiuyan-ah, the sun is quite nice outside; let's go out to the courtyard for a walk and soak up some sun. It's not good to always stay cooped up inside."

Her tone was natural and caring, purely a suggestion for a casual stroll between sisters.

Zheng Xiuyan glanced at Kim Taeyeon, and as her gaze fell upon that sincere face, the previous stuffiness dissipated quite a bit.

"Mm."

"

So, after giving a muffled response, she stood up and followed Kim Taeyeon, passing through the glass sliding door of the Living Room and heading toward the courtyard bathed in the afternoon sun.

The successive departure of these two groups made the previously tense Living Room suddenly feel empty and much quieter.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was sitting on the carpet at Lin Chongji's feet, let out a long, uninhibited sigh of relief almost immediately!!!

The posture of sitting upright he had maintained before instantly collapsed.

He simply straightened his previously crossed legs, braced his hands behind him, and leaned his body slightly backward.

Then, he very naturally rested the back of his head on Lin YoonA's soft and elastic thighs, his entire person completely shifting from a sitting posture to a lazy, sprawled-out state, as if all the bones in his body had been removed.

Finally, he could catch his breath!

Watching this boy in front of her sprawl on her lap like a large dog that had shed all its defenses and exposed its belly, Lin YoonA couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter.

Her bright eyes curved into crescent moons.

She then reached out her hands, not to push him away, but instead very naturally stroked the sides of his head as it rested on her lap.

Her slender fingers found his temples and, with just the right amount of pressure, began to gently massage them for him.

Her movements were skillful and considerate; clearly, this was not the first time she had done this.

"Know you regret it now?" Lin YoonA asked softly with a smile while massaging, her voice sweet and melodious, "Let's see if you dare to be this brave next time, putting these two ancestors at the same table to eat, and even playing with them for two whole days."

Enjoying this long-lost, gentle massage from Lin YoonA.

Feeling the soothing pressure on his temples and the soft sensation behind his head, Lin Xiuyuan felt so comfortable he almost groaned out loud.

With his eyes closed, as his nerves, which had been tense for two days, relaxed, the complaints he had been holding back for so long spilled out from his mouth without restraint.

"I know, I really know now. Next time—no, there won't be a next time. Even if you beat me to death, I won't do this again. It's truly terrifying."

Subsequently, Lin Xiuyuan began to ramble on, pouring out his grievances, describing some of the inhuman experiences of the past two days using language that was both exaggerated and true.

Facing Lin Xiuyuan's complaints, which felt like he had survived a disaster, the smile on Lin YoonA's face deepened, but her hand movements did not stop; instead, they became even gentler.

"You're also quite stubborn—"

She laughed softly, her tone filled with affection and a trace of helplessness, "Who among us doesn't know the situation with these two unnies? Usually, we try our best not to let them come into conflict, or not to give them a chance to be alone together."

Saying this, she applied a little more pressure and criticized him mercilessly, "But you, you just went and crashed right into it."

Facing Lin YoonA's concern and criticism, Lin Xiuyuan did not refute her; he only rubbed deeper into her lap, seeking comfort while answering in a muffled voice.

"I thought I might have a little face, that I could hold the fort—"

Who knew that just as he said this, Lin YoonA also reined in her smile, her tone becoming a bit more serious.

"Xiuyuan, what you said isn't entirely wrong."

Continuing to massage, she analyzed, "In a situation like this, if it were anyone other than you, Xiuyuan, they would probably have died completely by now, torn to pieces by the two unnies working together, or left with nothing but scraps after being caught in the crossfire of their war."

She then gently combed through the stray hair on Lin Xiuyuan's forehead with her fingers, "Only you could survive in such a Shura Field; in a way, you've managed to please everyone. Although the process was a bit tragic, at least they are still willing to listen to you."

When she finished, Lin YoonA used a word that was slightly teasing but precise.

Listening to Lin YoonA's calm and objective analysis, Lin Xiuyuan also began to reflect on the experiences of the past two days.

Indeed, whether it was Zheng Xiuyan or Jessica, although they argued fiercely and acted crazy.

But both of them had listened, more or less, to what he said.

The eruption of conflict would always pause temporarily at some point because of his presence or intervention.

Even if it was only for a short while, it had stopped after all.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly opened his eyes and looked up slightly at Lin YoonA, who was looking down at him tenderly.

The sunlight shone in from the floor-to-ceiling window behind her, gilding her delicate profile with a soft golden edge, beautiful to the point of being unreal.

At the same time, a thought suddenly popped up, making him unable to resist asking, "YoonA-ah, then why aren't you and Xiaolu like them?"

Upon hearing this, Lin YoonA's hand movements paused slightly, then she resumed the massage.

But the expression on her face became somewhat subtle, and she spoke with a tone of feigned annoyance.

"The way you put that—" she pouted, her petty side seemingly emerging, "When Lin Xiaolu and I first met, have you forgotten how she scolded me during her birthday livestream? I still remember that barrage comment word for word to this day!"

Clearly, even though so much time had passed, and even though the other person was another version of herself, Lin YoonA still held a grudge about that remote confrontation.

And with her reminder, Lin Xiuyuan finally remembered that cross-temporal interaction that could be called a legendary scene, and he couldn't help but laugh, "What does that count for? Isn't that just bickering?"

"That's because—" Lin YoonA pressed his temple with a little more force again as a punishment, and only then explained, "I didn't make any choices or take any actions that made her feel particularly frantic and unbearable."

Afterward, Lin YoonA began to analyze it seriously.

"Look here, the reason Zhiyan and the others, as well as Xiuyan unni and the others over here, ended up like that is fundamentally because of certain major life choices made by the side in the year 25, which the younger ones find hard to accept and cannot identify with. It is an emotion stemming from self-denial and fear of the future; that is the core of why they came into conflict."

She looked at Lin Xiuyuan's thoughtful face and continued.

"If I also did something that made Lin Xiaolu go crazy, thinking 'how could the future me become like this,' given my personality and my talent for sharp-tongued remarks, Lin Xiaolu would definitely gossip me to death and mock me to death."

Lin YoonA still had a fairly clear understanding of her own combat effectiveness.

After finishing, Lin YoonA thought of something else and added a key point, "And there is one most important point, which is that I really have been helping Xiaolu's side. Whether it's advice on work, recommendations for life, or even in certain aspects—"

At this moment, she glanced meaningfully at Lin Xiuyuan and smiled, "—sharing and coordinating on certain issues, we are more about mutual aid to protect our common interests. That is why we can get along relatively harmoniously, and our relationship is actually quite good."

Associating this with the time Lin Xiaolu complained about Lin Chongji in Tokyo, Lin Xiuyuan also nodded, understanding the key to it.

Just then, Lin YoonA suddenly withdrew her massaging hands and instead gently pinched Lin Xiuyuan's cheek.

The force was very light, carrying intimacy and teasing.

"By the way, Xiuyuan—" her voice lowered a bit, her eyes filled with a trace of concern, "You haven't been drained dry by the two unnis these past two days, have you? I saw that your face was a bit pale when you just came in."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan also raised his eyes to look at her.

Gazing at Lin Chong'er's close-up, half-smiling little expression, he felt the cool touch from her fingertips.

He did not answer directly, but the corners of his mouth hooked into an arc carrying a bit of a mischievous smile and confidence.

The palm that had been resting at his side now reached back very naturally and gently gripped the ankle of the foot Lin Chong'er had resting by his leg, which was clad in a house sock.

Then, his fingertips gently rubbed against her slender ankle bone, his gaze burning as he looked at Lin YoonA.

"Don't you know best what my strength is like?"

Lin YoonA was slightly startled by his sudden movement and blunt counter-question, and she subconsciously lowered her head and took a quick glance at a certain spot.

Because Lin Xiuyuan was half-lying down, his posture was somewhat subtle, so she saw everything at a glance.

"Who knows? Just now when I came in and saw that drained, shriveled expression of yours, I thought you were shriveled down there too."

These words were extremely bold and explicit, not at all like the pure and energetic Lin YoonA usually seen in front of the camera.

But it was precisely this private straightforwardness, shown only to the most intimate of people, that made Lin Chong'er appear exceptionally real and intimate at this moment.

Lin Xiuyuan was choked by her words and coughed, hurriedly explaining, "My expression is shriveled because my spirit is being tortured and my heart is tired; it has nothing to do with my body!"

"I see that now." Lin YoonA withdrew her gaze, her smile deepening.

Then she gently patted Lin Xiuyuan's shoulder, as if to soothe him or perhaps to warn him, "Alright, restrain yourself a bit; don't touch any higher, everyone is still here."

Having been warned, Lin Xiuyuan reluctantly released the ankle he had been playing with, pulling his palm back from where it had already reached up to her thigh.

But he wouldn't let it go, retorting, "Then why did you come over dressed like this today—"

As he said this, he sat up and turned to look at Lin YoonA.

She was wearing a light-colored floral camisole low-cut dress today; although she had paired it with a thin jacket, the jacket was currently resting on the sofa armrest.

The design of the dress itself left her beautiful collarbones, fair shoulders, and slender neck fully exposed, appearing exceptionally fresh and alluring in the home environment.

Lin YoonA followed his gaze to look down at herself, then patted the jacket beside her righteously, "What's wrong with how I'm dressed? It's a very normal house dress, and don't I have a jacket? It was just a bit hot in the room, so I took it off."

"

She blinked, her face full of innocence.

Just as the two wanted to continue this ambiguous and intimate bickering, the glass sliding door of the Living Room was pulled open.

Kim Taeyeon and Zheng Xiuyan walked in from the sunny courtyard.

The expression on the latter's face was much calmer, devoid of the aggressive tension from before, while Kim Taeyeon wore her usual gentle smile.

"Finished talking?" Seeing the two enter, Lin Xiuyuan immediately sat up straight from the carpet.

"Didn't talk about much, just walked around and soaked up the sun," Kim Taeyeon answered with a smile, walking over to the sofa to sit down.

Afterward, she glanced at the door in the corner of the Living Room and turned to Lin Xiuyuan, saying naturally, "By the way, Xiuyuan, can I go over with you later?"

Lin Xiuyuan immediately understood what she meant; it was nothing more than wanting to go to the side in the year 13 to have a call with her father.

So he nodded and replied naturally: "Sure, Xiuyan is going back in a bit anyway, so we can go together then. By the way, I'll have the you over there come pick up Xiuyan."

Kim Taeyeon nodded; she hadn't spoken to her father in a while, and her eyes flickered with a hint of anticipation.

At this time, Zheng Xiuyan walked to Lin Xiuyuan's side, looking at him with some unease, "Xiuyuan, I only have one request—"

"Got it, got it." Lin Xiuyuan interrupted her before she could finish, stating very seriously, "I won't open The Gate to your side, don't worry."

Looking at Zheng Xiuyan's slightly relaxed but still tense little face, he couldn't help but mutter a small complaint, "And it wasn't all you who provoked it first—"

This follow-up complaint made Zheng Xiuyan so angry she wanted to retort.

But the young person's skin was ultimately not as thick as the people here; thinking of how she had indeed coquettishly asked Lin Xiuyuan to open the passage to that Apartment in Shanghai earlier, she could only let out a defiant snort through her nose, turn her head away, and pout in small annoyance.

Later, the few of them sat around the sofa area, watching a lighthearted Variety Show playing on the TV, eating the fruit left on the coffee table, and chatting idly.

The topics avoided sensitive parts, mostly consisting of daily trifles, recent work updates, and entertainment gossip.

The atmosphere was finally no longer the gloomy, tense state from before, but the relaxed feeling of a casual gathering among friends.

After a while, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and Jessica and Krystal walked down.

After Jessica came down, she no longer had time to bicker with Zheng Xiuyan.

Because she had just received a message from her team upstairs that an event application in Hong Kong had been approved, but some specific fabrics and details required Jessica herself to go over to confirm and negotiate.

It was quite urgent, so she had to return to Shanghai immediately.

As Lin Xiuyuan sent her back to the Apartment in Shanghai, the Living Room was missing one more unstable factor.

At the same time, after Jessica left, Zheng Xiuyan also let out a sigh of relief with a complicated look in her eyes, feeling a hint of an indescribable sense of emptiness.

It was as if the sudden departure of her opponent had caused her to lose that drive.

So she checked the time, looked at Kim Taeyeon beside her, and stood up as well, "Let's go over too; it's not early anyway, and it'll be about time to eat something over there and wait for Taeyeon to come over."

Thus, Lin Xiuyuan had just sent Jessica away, and turning around, he brought everyone back to the Apartment in the year 13 without stopping.

As soon as he returned, he called Jin Ruanruan and asked her to come pick up Zheng Xiuyan.

"Ah, okay! I'm coming right over!"

Upon receiving the call, Jin Ruanruan immediately replied in a lighthearted tone.

However, just as she hung up the phone and excitedly pulled Lin Xiaolu, who was resting and drinking water nearby, to prepare to sneak out of the practice room—

A figure suddenly flashed out from the side, as if she had been lying in ambush for a long time, and grinningly blocked their path.

It was none other than Sunny, who was known as the "Gossip Radar" and the "Master of the Gossip Sect."

She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the two of them with an imposing aura despite her small stature.

Her smiling eyes narrowed into slits as her gaze swept back and forth across the faces of Jin Ruanruan and Lin Xiaolu; especially when she saw the unconcealable little excitement and mysterious expression on Jin Ruanruan's face, the look of curiosity on her own face grew even more intense.

"Where are you going, Taeyeon? Take me with you!!!"