Chapter 331

Seoul.

The breeze of the night brought a damp chill, and lead-gray clouds piled up in the sky, pressing heavily toward the city's skyline.

Just when Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing were exchanging interesting stories about a person who was not present in the guest room in Shancheng.

The protagonist of their topic was standing in front of the small tavern entrance at this time, squinting slightly, looking at the car slowly starting in front of him.

"Drive carefully." Lin Xiuyuan, who raised his voice, said to the car window again, his tone full of familiar concern.

The passenger window slowly lowered, revealing Zheng Xiuyan's exquisite and cold face, waving her hand, and rejecting someone with a crisp and neat action.

"Nagging, you guys hurry back, it looks like it's going to rain, don't get drenched."

After speaking, she signaled to Kim Ruanruan in the driver's seat.

The latter nodded, first smiled at Lin Xiuyuan, then skillfully shifted gears, turned, and the car body slid lightly into the traffic.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was standing in place, watched those two bright red taillights, like dying charcoal, flickering in the increasingly thick twilight and traffic, and finally turned the street corner and disappeared completely.

The smell of car exhaust remained in the air, but it was soon blown away by the wind.

After withdrawing his gaze, he turned to the person beside him again.

Zheng Xiujing next to him was slightly lowering her head, kicking a small stone in the gap of the sidewalk with the tip of her shoe, making a slight "cluck" sound.

She was dressed very simply today, slim trousers set off her straight legs, and a loose thin sweater jacket wrapped her slender body.

Her shoulder-length long hair was lifted by the occasional gust of wind, and a few strands of hair brushed across her side face, which had no expression.

"Xiujing," Lin Xiuyuan spoke, breaking the short silence between the two, "When does your schedule start?"

After stopping the action of kicking the stone, Zheng Xiujing raised her head, "Not that early, I don't want to go too early either."

Her tone carried the unique weariness of an artist waiting for the stage, "If you go too early, most of the time you are just sitting in the backstage, watching others busy, and you are as bored as a fool."

Lin Xiuyuan, who heard the situation, naturally picked up, "Then go up to the apartment to rest first, by the way, I will also ask about Zhenli's situation, and see when she will come back."

Zheng Xiujing said a light "Mm," which was considered an agreement.

Then the two walked side by side along the sidewalk, unhurriedly toward the entrance of the apartment building next to them.

Vehicles on the road roared past, tires rolled over the road, bringing up gusts of wind, rolling up the withered yellow leaves falling on the side of the road, and also blowing Zheng Xiujing's long hair into a mess again.

So she raised her hand and tucked her hair behind her ears casually, revealing her beautifully lined jaw and neck.

As a result, a stronger wind blew toward her face, this time carrying the unique earthy smell before the rain.

Just in the gap when the wind stopped, Zheng Xiujing suddenly turned her face and looked straight at Lin Xiuyuan, who was lowering his head to tap on the phone screen and sending an inquiry message to Sulli, and asked a sentence.

The words spit out under the steady voice were like a stone thrown into a seemingly calm deep pool, instantly stirring up thousands of waves.

"Xiuyuan," she called him, and then asked almost without pause, "Did you sleep with Unnie?"

"Click."

As Lin Xiuyuan pressed the send button with his thumb, the sentence that exploded in his ears also caused his movements to freeze instantly, and his fingers even hovered slightly above the screen.

His expression management failed in an instant, astonishment, caught off guard, and a trace of embarrassment of being exposed to his face, mixed into a complex expression and solidified on his face.

About two or three seconds later, the stiff lines slowly melted, and then Lin Xiuyuan shook his head as if laughing at himself, and let out a breath, "Wow, Xiujing-ah, you asked this in such a way that I almost thought you were Krystal."

Because only Krystal in 25 years would be so sharp, Zheng Xiujing on this side didn't seem so sharp.

But this teasing clearly didn't lead the topic astray.

Zheng Xiujing still stared at him quietly, her clear eyes didn't have the aggressive questioning, but were surging with a few strands of unclear emotions.

That look made Lin Xiuyuan realize that playing dumb wouldn't pass the test.

So the amusement on his face deepened a bit, and finally, he nodded clearly enough against that gaze.

Although the process was not quite right, I don't know if it was an accident catalyzed by alcohol, or an inevitability under the pressure of the situation.

But the fact was that he had rolled, so he didn't argue about anything.

And he didn't find any excuses, didn't explain any cause and effect, and quietly admitted the result.

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan's nod, Zheng Xiujing's gaze flickered imperceptibly, and then she didn't ask any details.

Just said a very light "Mm" again, then withdrew her gaze, and looked at the road ahead again.

That light response couldn't tell whether the other party accepted this fact or just indicated that she heard it.

Making Lin Xiuyuan a bit embarrassed.

So silence permeated again, but the atmosphere was already different, and the two walked to the parking space under the apartment building with their own thoughts.

Then, Zheng Xiujing's footsteps stopped.

She took out the car key, pressed the unlock button, and a black SUV not far away flashed its lights in response.

"What's wrong?" This situation made Lin Xiuyuan a bit surprised.

"Nothing." Zheng Xiujing didn't look at him, her voice was still steady, "I think I won't go up after all."

She, who opened the car door, turned around and explained to Lin Xiuyuan's puzzled gaze, "Because I just thought about it, I still have to touch up my makeup when I go over, and I have to check the script with the director and writer. It's better to go over a little earlier, it seems polite."

The reason was sufficient and impeccable.

But Lin Xiuyuan looked at her neat action of opening the car door and couldn't help but have a teasing tone, "Why? Afraid I'll go up and force you?"

Zheng Xiujing, who was preparing to sit in the driver's seat, paused and turned back to look at Lin Xiuyuan.

This time, her face was no longer that plain expression, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and her eyes also curved.

She actually revealed a somewhat mischievous smile, "That's hard to say."

Her voice was light but like a feather scratching the tip of her heart, with itchiness and a little bit of stinging pain stuck in Lin Xiuyuan's heart, "After all, it seems that I am the only one left on both sides who is clean."

This sentence was used both abruptly and appropriately, instantly dyeing a certain embarrassing and subtle situation with a layer of absurd and real comedic color.

It also made Lin Xiuyuan completely choked.

He opened his mouth, but found that any response seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

And his dumbfounded, speechless appearance clearly pleased Zheng Xiujing.

Making the smile on her face expand a lot, no longer the subtle lip curling just now, but really laughing out loud.

Her eyes were bright, as if she had seen some extremely interesting picture.

"Leaving!"

Afterwards, she didn't say much, sat into the car neatly, and closed the door.

The engine started, the vehicle drove out of the parking space smoothly, and the light of the taillights went further and further away.

Until that bit of red light couldn't be seen at all, Lin Xiuyuan seemed to come back to his senses, raised his hand and touched his nose, "It seems that I have to have a serious talk with Krystal tonight, what the hell is this."

The wind was stronger, rolling the fallen leaves on the ground and spinning, and the first drop of cold rain finally fell on Lin Xiuyuan's forehead.

Still Seoul, 2025.

"Achoo~"

A crisp sneeze broke the lazy atmosphere after the meal in the private room.

And Krystal, who had just made a sound, was rubbing her nose, her eyes slightly red.

"Are you okay, Xiujing? Caught a cold?" Lin Yun'er, who was sitting next to her, immediately turned to the side with concern and handed over a tissue.

"Not really." Krystal took the tissue, her voice carried a bit of nasal sound because of the sneeze just now, and shook her head, "It's just that my nose was suddenly a bit itchy, no other feeling."

Kim Taeyeon, who was sipping her after-meal drink across from her, upon hearing this, raised her head and said slowly, "I guess someone is talking about you, or missing you?"

Then she blinked meaningfully.

As if to verify Kim Taeyeon's words, Krystal's phone, which was turned over on the table, suddenly lit up, accompanied by a crisp ringtone and vibration.

This time Krystal hurriedly picked up the phone, and when she saw the name jumping on the screen, the expression on her face, which was slightly wrinkled because of the sneeze, instantly relaxed, and the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably.

Even the voice answering the phone softened by a few degrees unconsciously, "Hello, Xiuyuan~"

"Mm, we are eating together, just finished—you finished eating too?"

She said while her gaze swept over Lin Yun'er and Kim Taeyeon across from her, and repeated, "The second half?"

She, who opened her mouth, looked at the remaining two again.

Kim Taeyeon shrugged, indicating she had no opinion, with an indifferent appearance.

The two then cast their gazes at the remaining Lin Yun'er, and Lin Yun'er already had an idea, elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth and smiled, "Let's go to the spa, we've been running continuously lately, it's not easy to have some time today, let's go for a massage, relax our muscles and bones."

Although they now maintained their skin and state extremely well because of the magical "great medicine" provided by Lin Xiuyuan, no one had ever slacked off on daily maintenance because of this.

Going to a top spa for care regularly is not only the icing on the cake, maintaining an exquisite lifestyle habit, but also to some extent can provide a cover for the existence of Lin Xiuyuan's "great medicine."

After all, maintaining beauty always requires "reasonable" investment.

Even if they spent more money for this, they felt it was worth it, and even enjoyed it.

Listening to Lin Yun'er's suggestion, Krystal and Kim Taeyeon looked at each other, and both saw approval in each other's eyes.

Being served professionally, enjoying the comfortable temptation of relaxing massage from head to toe, is indeed an irresistible comfort.

"Sure." Krystal responded to the other end of the phone.

Immediately, the address information of the spa was quickly sent to Lin Xiuyuan's phone through the chat software.

After about half an hour, Lin Xiuyuan almost arrived on time, and Krystal and the three arrived at the private parking lot of this membership spa in Cheongdam-dong one after another after eating.

Just pushed open the car door and got off, and saw Krystal who was getting off another car in front at a glance.

A smile naturally floated on his face, and he shouted humorously, "Yo, what a coincidence, Xiujing, you guys are also here for a massage?"

Krystal turned her head when she heard the sound, and after seeing him, she flew an eye roll with a bad attitude, but the corners of her mouth curled up happily, "Coincidence your head, let's go."

She, who didn't eat this set at all, walked up in a few steps, very naturally reached out and took Lin Xiuyuan's arm, her action was intimate and carried a bit of indisputable possessiveness.

She didn't even pay much attention to the gazes of some other passersby in the parking lot, and just pulled Lin Xiuyuan and walked toward the hidden side door of the spa specially opened for VIP customers.

Lin Yun'er and Kim Taeyeon, who were following behind, took this scene into their eyes.

Then Kim Taeyeon gently touched Lin Yun'er with her elbow, and asked with a teasing smile, "Yoona-ah, don't you plan to go up and compete for favor? Just watching like this?"

Lin Yun'er smiled slightly upon hearing this.

Her gaze followed the figure leaning together in front, her eyes gentle and calm, "What's there to compete for?"

Her voice was soft and firm, "Anyway, Xiuyuan can't run away, and Xiujing can't swallow him alone. Me, I'm too lazy to be like Xiuyan Unnie and the others—"

Because Lin Yun'er saw it very clearly, if she really wanted to compete, with her advantage like rushing ahead, and even the double blessing of being able to pull Lin Xiaolu along without injury, she had full confidence that she could make Lin Xiuyuan happy and dizzy.

But Lin Yun'er didn't choose to do that, just occasionally pointing out Lin Xiaolu at the appropriate time.

She herself was like an observer outside the situation, carrying a bit of interest and patience, waiting for all these plots to happen naturally.

The word "compete" ran through her life for the first thirty years.

From trainee to debut, to reaching the top, and then facing setbacks, she was more or less a bit tired.

Nowadays, it is rare to have such a harbor, a place where she doesn't need to fight with all her strength, and doesn't need to defend to safely possess warmth and attention, which makes Lin Yun'er feel an unprecedented relaxation and joy.

So how could she take the initiative to jump back into that exhausting arena.

What she wants is the dashing calmness after experiencing things, the thorough comfort after moderate exercise and sweating, and the natural pleasure and satisfaction when emotions come naturally.

As for other subtle competitions, small jealousy, and probing back and forth, she is very happy to be a spectator or participate occasionally.

But she values more, when someone needs it, handing him a glass of warm water, giving an understanding hug, and saying a few warm words.

This warm-hearted big sister persona makes her feel comfortable and at ease, she likes this state now too much.

Looking at Lin Yun'er's increasingly gentle and calm gaze when looking at Lin Xiuyuan's back, Kim Taeyeon also smiled.

It's just that behind this smile, some restless thoughts were also quietly churning, and the scene of standing opposite Lin Xiuyuan and Kim Ruanruan in the apartment this afternoon came to mind.

Since she asked someone for help, she must give some reward!!!

Once this thought was born, it quietly entangled like a vine, making Kim Taeyeon purse her lips hard.

A certain bold and eager-to-try idea began to stir.