Chapter 363: No matter what, I am always on your side~

Starlight fell, stretching the shadows of the man and woman on the side of the street.

As Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal walked into the restaurant, the slight, biting chill they had just felt on the street was instantly shut out.

The heating, set to just the right temperature, rushed to meet them, mixed with the faint fragrance in the restaurant, making one involuntarily relax.

Under Krystal's guidance, the two soon returned to the booth by the window where she had been sitting earlier.

Through the glass, one could clearly see the white camper van parked quietly by the street.

After sitting down, Lin Xiuyuan swept a glance at the empty seat opposite and asked, "Where is Jessica?"

"She went to the restroom," Krystal replied.

Then she turned to the side, looking at the man beside her with a hint of a smile in those beautiful eyes, "How is it? The feeling of a hero saving the beauty isn't bad, right?"

After speaking, she didn't forget to lift the tail of her sentence slightly, carrying a touch of teasing.

Asked this by Krystal, Lin Xiuyuan also raised his hand to rub his still-throbbing temple and smiled as he recounted the situation.

"How should I put it? It was just okay. There wasn't that kind of hot-blooded scene from movies or TV shows where one slaughters all sides and slaps faces left and right;

nor were there any thrilling accidents. I just very normally went over, brought her out from among a bunch of rather unpleasant friends, and then drove her back to the Dormitory. The whole process was very unremarkable."

The only thing that stood out was the experience in the backseat, but in the 21st century, that was nothing to be surprised about.

"Hmm~" Krystal drew out her tone, emitting a nasal sound rich in meaning.

She then leaned close to Lin Xiuyuan, her small nose almost touching his collar, and sniffed lightly like a curious little kitten.

Then she raised her head, the smile in the depths of her eyes deepening, carrying a knowing air, "It seems I was overthinking it then."

But as she finished, she deliberately tapped the collar of Lin Xiuyuan's shirt with her fingertip, "I thought my Xiuyuan had been rubbed with this rather pleasant perfume scent because the plot of the hero saving the beauty was too moving, leaving the other party with no way to repay him but to offer herself."

"You're crazy." Lin Xiuyuan was amused by her, though he also lowered his head to smell himself.

There was indeed a faint, soft fragrance, "What era is this? Where would anyone still offer themselves in return?"

Shaking his head, Lin Xiuyuan then added very naturally, "But this perfume scent is probably Zhiyan's. When I dropped Xiaomin off at the parking lot earlier, I was pulled up to the Dormitory by them to sit for a while and had a couple of drinks before I could get away."

【Far away in the Tara Dormitory in Seoul in 2013, a sleeping Park Jiyeon turned over in her dream and mumbled a few dream words that no one could hear clearly.】

However, Krystal was a person of great keenness.

Those beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and she cast a coquettish glance at Lin Xiuyuan from the corner of her eye, a look that seemed to tell Lin Xiuyuan, "Make it up, keep making it up."

But she didn't expose him; instead, she seemed to accept the explanation and gave a light "Oh."

But soon, the rich smile on her face faded a little, replaced by an incomparably gentle and tolerant expression. She then leaned her head gently against Lin Xiuyuan's shoulder, as if to use this method to provide support and peace of mind to someone who was feeling a bit uneasy.

"Alright, I didn't say anything."

When Krystal's voice softened, it carried a kind of reassuring comfort; this was a gentleness that few others could experience.

"Xiuyuan, you must remember, I am always on your side, no matter what, no matter where. So—"

""

Speaking of this, Krystal chuckled, "Even if you really wanted to flirt with Xiaomin unnie here, I would support you one hundred percent."

Her tone was open and natural, carrying a kind of detachment and support that transcended conventional understanding.

"So what if you're married? It's just a marriage that anyone with eyes can see has problems. Even if it weren't, there are plenty of people who cheat. Not to mention Xiaomin unnie over there; normal romance between a man and a woman, both willing—what's the problem with that? Right?"

Just as Krystal finished this shocking declaration of support, Jessica's voice, filled with helplessness and a warning, came from behind them.

"Krystal, it's fine to say these things in private and joke around. But you must never say such things outside, or to people you aren't close with. It will cause big trouble, you know?"

Hearing the voice, Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal turned their heads at the same time.

They saw Jessica carrying an exquisite little handbag, passing by from the side.

Clearly, she had just returned from the restroom and had heard the latter half of Krystal's bold remarks. There was a trace of a helpless smile on her face, but her eyes held a serious warning.

She then walked to the seat opposite Lin Xiuyuan and sat down. After placing her handbag aside, she looked at Lin Xiuyuan and greeted him, "When did you get back? Did things go smoothly?"

"Just got back not long ago. It went quite smoothly, nothing major," Lin Xiuyuan answered briefly.

Krystal sat up straight again at this time, but her hand was still linked with Lin Xiuyuan's arm, "I'm not an idiot. Who would go around saying these things outside? It's only because there are only the few of us here that I said it casually."

"I was just reminding you," Jessica nodded, accepting the explanation.

When her gaze turned to Lin Xiuyuan, she switched the topic very naturally, "Have you ordered? Take a look and see what you want to eat."

"Not yet, let me see."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan picked up the menu on the table and browsed through it quickly.

When the waiter brought the food over, he ordered a chicken wrap set that looked quite substantial.

The restaurant's atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, and the food was delicious.

The three of them chatted casually while enjoying their dinner.

And for Lin Xiuyuan, who had just experienced the early morning in Seoul, this meal was actually more like a late-night snack.

Although he had drunk some alcohol in Seoul earlier, he hadn't eaten, so his appetite was quite good at this moment.

When the meal was almost finished, Lin Xiuyuan sipped his drink, cast his gaze toward the conspicuous camper van outside the window, and asked with some curiosity, "By the way, how did you think to drive the van into the city? And you even found a place to park. When I left, I was wondering if you would be able to find a suitable spot."

"We aren't idiots," Krystal replied with a smile, "We searched online."

Immediately following that, Jessica also raised a very practical question, "Now there is another problem: whether we stay in the camper van tonight or find a Jiudian."

Regarding this, Lin Xiuyuan gave his suggestion almost without hesitation.

"Let's stay at a Jiudian. Although the camper van is quite comfortable, it doesn't feel as safe parked at a campsite outside the city. Besides, the campsite is in the suburbs; if something happens, it's not convenient. It's not like we don't have the money for a Jiudian; there's no need to entrust our safety to other people's character and luck just for that bit of camping romance. It's not very appropriate."

"Besides, how comfortable is it to stay at a Jiudian? You can take a proper hot shower and sleep in a comfortable big bed."

Krystal, who always considered Lin Xiuyuan first, also nodded in agreement, "Hmm, staying at a Jiudian is good. Xiuyuan just came back after drinking; it will be more comfortable for him to rest at a Jiudian, and it's convenient for washing up."

Facing their arguments, Jessica raised the corner of her mouth, "Xiuyuan, since you've already had a few drinks in Seoul tonight, why don't you have a couple more with me and Xiujing tonight? Anyway, you've already had some, so a little more won't hurt, right?"

"Unnie, stop it."

But before Lin Xiuyuan could answer, Krystal spoke up first to refuse, "Let him have a good rest tonight. He has to drive tomorrow; drinking will make him sleep poorly and affect his condition."

"Oh?" Jessica raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out her tone, her voice becoming somewhat sarcastic.

"So now you call me Unnie, Xiujing? Didn't you always just call me Jessica before? What is it, now that you're trying to be polite for Lin Xiuyuan's sake, you know how to call me Unnie, and you're feeling sorry for him, right?"

This tone was sarcastic and deliberately looking for trouble.

If she were facing those younger sisters from 2013 who were still thin-skinned and full of awe for their older sister, they probably would have been left blushing and flustered by her words long ago.

However, sitting in front of her at this moment was the Krystal from 2025.

So, far from being shy, she instead slightly lifted her delicate, petite chin, meeting Jessica's gaze while not forgetting to send back a provocative look.

"So what if I am?" Krystal's tone was incredibly open, even carrying a hint of showing off, "I just feel sorry for Lin Xiuyuan, so what? I feel sorry for my own man, is there a problem with that?"

"Zheng Xiujing, you—" Jessica was choked by this direct counterattack, just wanting to use her status as an older sister to assert some kind of sovereignty, or at least win back a point.

But the words reached her lips, and in her mind, she instantly flashed back to the attitude Lin Xiuyuan usually showed toward Krystal, which could almost be called doting, and then compared it to how he treated her—

Hmm, although it wasn't bad, she always felt it lacked a certain something.

Thus, her momentum suddenly deflated a bit, and she sullenly shut her mouth, transforming that small bit of depression and unwillingness into a glare directed at the culprit, Lin Xiuyuan, cutting him with her eyes.

Seeing this, Krystal immediately acted like a mother cat protecting her kittens, blocking Lin Xiuyuan with her side, and said to Jessica with a smile, "What? Can't win an argument with me so you're taking it out on Lin Xiuyuan? Jessica, that's a bit of a low blow, isn't it?"

"I—" Jessica was blocked and couldn't speak; she was truly about to be angered to death.

Watching this clash between the two sisters, Lin Xiuyuan was left between laughter and tears the whole time, and quickly acted as a peacemaker, picking up the drinks to refill both of their cups, smoothing things over.

Soon, after finishing their meal, the three of them paid the bill and left, got into an RV, and headed toward a Jiudian they had just booked.

When checking in, it was the familiar configuration: a spacious and comfortable suite with two bedrooms inside.

Very naturally, it was still Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal sharing the master bedroom, while Jessica kept the empty room in the other secondary bedroom to herself.

Regarding this familiar arrangement, Jessica just curled her lip, said nothing, and walked into the room carrying her small suitcase.

Meanwhile, in Seoul back in 2013.

Inside the Tara Dormitory, more than half an hour after Lin Xiuyuan had left.

The time was past midnight, the Living Room was quiet, and the blacked-out Park Jiyeon and Li Shaoxi had long since been carried back to their rooms.

Outside the Living Room, Park Hyomin was leaning against the carpet by the sofa, having rested and sobered up for over half an hour.

The dizzy feeling in her head, as if it were stuffed with cotton, had finally dissipated quite a bit, and her reason and ability to think had returned.

However, when her gaze swept over Li Juli, who was currently sitting on the sofa, having finished showering and changed into comfortable loungewear, and was staring at her.

And next to her, Quan Baolan, who had also finished washing up and had a curious, gossip-loving expression on her face—

A very strong thought suddenly popped into her mind: she would have been better off being completely drunk like Park Jiyeon and Li Shaoxi, at least she wouldn't have to face these two Unnies at this moment.

"What? Still haven't figured out how to reply to us? Or is the alcohol not fully worn off, and your brain can't turn, Park Hyomin~"

After saying this, Li Juli picked up a bottle of mineral water from the coffee table, unscrewed it, and took a small sip, her tone lazy yet carrying a hint of mockery.

Thinking about how she and Quan Baolan had rushed back to the Dormitory from Nihon half an hour ago, travel-worn and weary.

As soon as they opened The Gate, they saw that spectacular scene: two drunk figures, plus a suspect sitting on the sofa, and her own good sister dressed in light clothing, sitting in front of the other person, half-drunk and half-awake.

The air was filled with the smell of alcohol, and a subtle, indescribable atmosphere.

Under the pressure of those two pairs of eyes, Park Hyomin took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm and natural.

Then, she repeated the events of the night from beginning to end in detail, yet again.

When she got to the end, Park Hyomin specifically took all the responsibility for calling Lin Xiuyuan up to the Dormitory to drink onto herself, saying it was her suggestion, and that Park Jiyeon and Li Shaoxi were just going along with it.

After all, it didn't sound very good for a girl group Dormitory to have a man over for drinks late at night; she felt she should be the one to take the blame.

However, after Li Juli finished listening to her explanation, she didn't dwell on the issue of the rules about having a man in the Dormitory, as Park Hyomin had expected.

She only gently set down the mineral water bottle and leaned forward slightly.

Looking directly at Park Hyomin with those beautiful eyes, the corners of her mouth hooked into a smile, and she spoke slowly, "Hyomin, you don't think that's what I was asking, do you? Do you think I wanted to know about these procedures?"

"Ah?" Park Hyomin's heart skipped a beat, and she blinked in confusion, "Then, then what do you want to know, Unnie?"

The smile on Li Juli's face deepened, and her gaze became more playful and sharp.

Word by word, she said clearly, "What I want to know is, this Mr. Lin Xiuyuan, is he your type, or Park Jiyeon's, or Enjing's—who among the three of you is he the type for?"

After saying this, she seemed to feel it wasn't enough.

So, inadvertently, she glanced over at Quan Baolan, who was focused on eating gossip.

She added the second half of the sentence.

"Or is it—"

"Is he the type for all of you?"

Quan Baolan:???

Quan Baolan, who was focused on eating gossip and felt she was just an irrelevant background character.

When she was suddenly swept by Li Juli's gaze just now, she was instantly stunned.

Hearing the other person's words, her round eyes widened even further, and her face was filled with innocence and question marks.

【No, I'm just watching the show, how did I suddenly become one of them???】