Chapter 351: 【Park Hyomin's Shock】

While Lin Xiuyuan was enjoying the sunshine and living a leisurely, carefree morning at the Blue Coast with the Zheng sisters.

Over in the ancient city of Siena in Tuscany, Italy, the time had also arrived at a bright and beautiful morning.

After waking up, the three members of Tara walked out of the manor Jiudian where they had stayed the night before, preparing to head to a local restaurant nearby to enjoy lunch.

Sunlight spilled onto the ancient cobblestone road, and the air was filled with the aroma of coffee and baking.

Walking along the quiet street toward the restaurant, Park Hyomin looked at the two calm and composed sisters beside her, then thought of Lin Xiuyuan, who had been appearing and disappearing like a ghost these past few days, and her expression couldn't help but turn a bit strange.

So, after walking a bit further, she finally couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.

"Zhiyan, this trip was clearly something we all agreed on together. How did it end up that for most of the time, it seems like there are only the three of us left? That guy Lin Xiuyuan is here today and gone tomorrow. Just how many lovers does he have to see here?"

Although she knew very well that Dalongzai's words from last night were just joking with her, it didn't stop her from teasing someone as well.

Hearing this, Dalongzai glanced at her sideways, and silently muttered in her heart: It's all because of you, Unnie; if you hadn't followed us, where would we have so much trouble with arrangements and time management?

Of course, she wouldn't say this out loud.

And it just so happened that her gaze was caught by a vintage second-hand shop by the side of the road that looked quite tasteful, so she immediately spoke up to divert the other person's attention.

"Look, this shop seems nice!"

While her eyes lit up, she also happily turned around and pushed the door to walk inside, intending to have a good look around and leave Park Hyomin completely ignored behind her.

Li Juli and Park Hyomin had relatively average interest in these types of second-hand antique knick-knacks, so they didn't follow her in to browse; they just stood in front of the accessory rack at the shop entrance, casually flipping through small items like earrings and brooches that had a vintage or local flair.

While looking around casually, they also continued the topic from just before.

While it was called an exchange, it was actually mainly the curious Park Hyomin asking questions.

"Unnie————" Park Hyomin leaned closer to Li Juli and lowered her voice, "I have a question, it's been bottled up in my heart for a long time, and I really want to know."

Li Juli, who was being asked, didn't even lift her head; she picked up a bird keychain inlaid with colored glaze, held it up to the light to look at it, and replied in a flat tone, "Curious? Then why don't you just keep it bottled up."

"？？？"

This answer left Park Hyomin, who had been prepared to pour out her question, frozen right there; her expression instantly became incomparably depressed, and she stared with wide eyes straight at Li Juli, as if accusing her of cold-heartedness.

Fortunately, it was clear that Li Juli's words were just meant to tease her.

So after saying it, she couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter herself, then put that bird keychain back on the rack and picked up another uniquely shaped accessory to fiddle with.

She then turned her head to look at Park Hyomin, "Alright, alright, stop putting on that pitiful look; it was just a little joke.

Ask whatever you want to ask, while I'm in a good mood."

Hearing this, Park Hyomin immediately regained her spirit and asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time, "Unnie, what exactly is your relationship with Xiuyuan? I've been watching from the side these past few days, and it feels like sometimes you seem especially intimate, but other times it seems like you don't really interact much, and the atmosphere is very ambiguous; it's really strange."

Facing Park Hyomin's direct and sharp question, Li Juli stopped the movement of her hands and turned her head.

Her beautiful eyes looked straight at Park Hyomin, the corners of her mouth curled into a lazy and frank arc, and she gave a reply that was shocking enough to stop one's heart.

"My relationship with Xiuyuan? It's very simple————"

Her tone was as relaxed as if she were talking about today's weather, "————it's the kind of relationship where we sleep together."

"？？！！！"

This statement shocked Park Hyomin so much that her pupils instantly shook.

Her brain went "buzz," and she was completely blown away by this sentence.

However, Li Juli acted as if she didn't see her shock and continued in her straightforward, slightly mature-woman tone.

"It's just that I crave his youthful vitality and his energetic, good body; it's pleasing to the eye to look at, and even more comfortable to use. He probably also likes a mature woman like me who is proactive, open-minded, knows how to cooperate, and doesn't get clingy. Everyone gets what they need, as long as we're happy; how simple."

This overly direct and shocking confession made the first image that flashed through Park Hyomin's mind————

Was the moment a few days ago when they were departing from Seoul to board the plane, in the airport VIP lounge, when Dalongzai was holding both Lin Xiuyuan and Li Juli in her arms.

At the time, she thought the words Dalongzai said with a grin were just a joke, just messing around.

But now, with Li Juli saying it so frankly and directly.

Oh no, it seems that wasn't a joke at all; Park Hyomin felt she had to take it seriously.

Her worldview also received no small impact; although she knew a little about the complicated relationships in the entertainment industry, none of her close sisters had ever had this kind of relationship before.

To the point that when Park Hyomin faced this kind of "adult relationship" for the first time, it still left her unable to react.

Just as she wanted to ask something more, Dalongzai walked out from between the shelves inside the shop, holding a crystal bracelet that looked warm in texture and emitted a faint luster.

With a happy smile on her face from finding a treasure, she walked to the two of them and asked, "Unnie, do you think this bracelet is pretty?"

Li Juli took a look at the bracelet and nodded, "Hmm, it's alright. The style is quite unique. But this is a crystal bracelet, right? To be able to find one of such good quality in a second-hand shop like this, you're quite lucky."

"Yeah, I just happened to see it in a box in the corner. I heard a tourist who was browsing nearby say that this kind of crystal has the meaning of bringing good luck and fortune locally," Dalongzai explained, her eyes sparkling.

"That's great then, Zhiyan, if you like it, you can buy it. It's just that the style of this chain and the size of the beads seem more suitable for a man or someone with a thicker wrist?"

Park Hyomin, who had temporarily recovered from her shock, leaned in to take a look and offered her own opinion.

Hearing this, the smile on Dalongzai's face deepened, and she said with a bit of anticipation, "That's perfect then, I'm not looking at it for myself. I want to buy it for Xiuyuan; do you think it will look good on Xiuyuan?"

Hearing that it was a gift for Lin Xiuyuan, Li Juli became even more serious; she took the crystal bracelet from Dalongzai's hand and examined it carefully in her palm.

Then she used her fingers to gently rub the surface of the crystal, and then nodded slightly, "It works; the texture is very warm, and the color is low-key and not flashy. Xiuyuan's skin is on the fairer side, and the bone lines of his wrists are also very nice; wearing a bracelet with this kind of design should be very suitable, it adds a lot of points."

After finishing, her gaze also crossed over Dalongzai and cast toward the dazzling array of shelves inside the shop, a flash of interest appearing in her eyes.

"Since you put it that way, I want to go look too. I wonder if there are any other small things suitable for Xiuyuan; since we're already here, it wouldn't be bad to bring him a little gift."

As she said this, she really stepped forward and walked into the shop, starting to search carefully.

"Unnie, wait for me." Dalongzai turned her head to follow.

And so, in the blink of an eye, of the two people who had just been standing in front of the accessory rack, only Park Hyomin was left.

Looking at the backs of the two sisters walking together, and thinking of the words she had just heard, a subtle feeling welled up in her heart.

After coming to her senses, Park Hyomin acted a bit tsundere for once, "Hmph hmph hmph, is it only you guys who have men to give gifts to? I, I have a husband too, alright————"

However, a few minutes later, when she also began to browse those various vintage ornaments on the shelves in boredom, the first person who came to mind when thinking "who is this suitable for" was not her nominal husband.

There was no helping it; Lin Xiuyuan's young, handsome face, which always carried a warm smile or an occasionally mischievous expression, was just too suitable for these things.

Moreover, when picking gifts for young people, it always seemed easier to find suitable and interesting choices.

So much so that in the shop this morning, a woman stroking a brass bookmark with an archaic design couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, her thoughts drifting far away.

"Sigh—"

At the same time, as the sunlight in Siena gradually grew scorching and the time approached eleven in the morning.

In Seoul in 2013, it was already afternoon.

Inside a certain practice room at S. M Company, Jin Ruanruan, who had just finished a high-intensity rehearsal, was leaning against the wall resting, sipping water in small mouthfuls.

After consecutive days of intensive schedules and practice, there was finally good news.

That was that starting tomorrow, she could welcome a few days of precious vacation.

And thinking of the vacation, the first figure that popped into her mind was Lin Xiuyuan.

So she immediately looked at Zheng Xiuyan, who was packing her things nearby and preparing to leave, and asked casually, "Xiuyan, Xiuyuan hasn't seemed to pop up much lately. Do you know what he went to do? He didn't even reply to my messages."

At this moment, Zheng Xiuyan had just zipped up her gym bag, and upon hearing this, she glanced at her, "That guy is having a great time over in Europe, don't you know? I think it was mentioned during the gathering before."

She, who was packing her things, was actually preparing to head to her next destination: the Gym.

Ever since she was kneaded into a ball on the bed by Lin Xiuyuan some days ago due to physical fitness issues, and put into various high-difficulty and shameful positions, Zheng Xiuyan's fitness plan had been scheduled and launched.

Otherwise, in the past, she would definitely have gone home to rest and sleep after rehearsal ended, or gone to the spa to enjoy a massage.

Fitness exercises and the like had always been incompatible with her.

Unless it was for body shaping before a comeback, that would be a different story.

"Ah! I forgot because you didn't mention it!"

After being reminded, Jin Ruanruan suddenly realized, and then patted her forehead in annoyance, "I've been busy with all sorts of things lately, my brain is almost stirred into paste, and my memory has gotten worse."

Zheng Xiuyan, who had finished organizing her bag, scanned the other members in the practice room who were still packing or discussing, and then leaned close to Jin Ruanruan's ear and whispered a sentence.

"Taeyeon, I don't think you need to be blindly busy with so many things right now. According to the previous plan, if you lie low and stay steady through this year, and prepare for a solo next year, you will be able to walk on the smoothest path."

Then she continued to suggest, "Or you can see if you can communicate with the company again to push the solo plan forward a little bit. Compared to this, I don't think other things are the top priority."

That's right, the future paths of the few of them had already been privately discussed and roughly planned after learning that future information.

For example, Lin Xiaolu's acting career had already started, and Zheng Xiuyan's fashion brand and business path were also steadily advancing.

And since Jin Ruanruan's dream was to be a singer, the key to her reaching the peak was a personal solo.

So in Zheng Xiuyan's view, Jin Ruanruan could completely try to communicate with the company now to reduce some unnecessary group or individual schedules, and put her focus and energy into vocal practice and solo preparations, striving for the best timing and resources.

As for the source of the songs, they had long had an ultimate plan.

That was to borrow, from that space-time in 2025, hit songs that had already been proven by the market to be classics and that fit Jin Ruanruan's vocal tone and style.

Then reach the top in one step, sitting directly on the throne of the number one solo female singer on the Peninsula.

And the signatures of the lyricists and composers were even agreed upon to be placed under Lin Xiuyuan's name.

The purpose of using him as a copyright proxy was to avoid complete reliance on S. M Company's music library, and to firmly grasp the most important song copyrights in their own hands.

This way, she could not only get a share of the performer's income from the company's settlement but also receive lyric and composition royalties through Lin Xiuyuan, which was simply earning money from both ends; this plan was incredibly awesome.

Listening to Zheng Xiuyan's words, Jin Ruanruan, who understood the situation, also explained softly.

"I have already mentioned my thoughts to the department head and the representative about this, but this year's time is indeed too tight. Even if I could immediately produce mature works now, it would take time to arrange a comeback and promote the songs, and the good time slots in the second half of the year are almost all taken. If I force it, it's easy to crash into other big names, and the effect might not be good."

"Then set it for the middle of next year." Zheng Xiuyan gave the finalized time very decisively, and the reason was very realistic, "Late spring or early summer is best; the weather is comfortable, and the stage outfits don't need to be too thick. Don't drag it to the end of the year; it's freezing to death, and even facial expression management on stage is difficult."

This suggestion was very experienced because she had seen the "famous scene" in '25 where Kim Taeyeon was shivering from the cold on an end-of-year stage.

Likewise, Jin Ruanruan was also amused by her words and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes, definitely not at the end of the year, it's too cold!! Hahahaha!!!"

"

Obviously, she had also seen that video.

After laughing, Jin Ruanruan spoke again, "But Xiuyan, do you know roughly when Xiuyuan is coming back? I plan to go back to my home in Jeonju tomorrow to spend time with my family. If there's a chance, I'll finish that thing they asked me to help with last time."

Regarding this, Zheng Xiuyan shook her head and made a small joke.

"I really don't know about this; you have to ask Xueqiu. She is that guy Xiuyuan's personal little secretary, the kind that is on call 24 hours a day. Compared to her, we can at best be considered outsiders; our news isn't that well-informed."

And at this very moment, that personal little secretary Zheng Xiuyan spoke of was over at the Apartment.

With a serious and focused face, she was incessantly imparting various theoretical knowledge and practical techniques to Zheng Xiujing, who was sitting beside her.

And the theme of the teaching was, shockingly, how to more effectively attract, flirt with, and even capture a certain man.

From facial expression management to verbal hints, from the timing and boundaries of physical contact, to how to use the environment to create an atmosphere—

All of this, Xueli explained in a very logical and convincing way, as if she were an experienced love strategist.

Until Zheng Xiujing asked, "How do you know so much?"

Xueli then smiled a little awkwardly, "Learned it from short videos."