Chapter 383: 【It

A few minutes ago.

The sun in Dubai seemed to be pouring down all the heat it had saved up in the desert for centuries.

Even though it was already November, and the locals said this was the best season for travel, standing outdoors at noon, that layer of golden-white light still made one's scalp tingle with heat.

That blue was too pure, so pure it was like a piece of enamel fired to white heat; looking at it for even a second more made one feel dazzled.

The three from Tara, having just finished lunch at a Yemeni restaurant, had originally planned to head to their next destination, but now, looking at this weather.

Forget it, they gave up.

"It's too sunny." Li Juli put on her sunglasses, "Didn't they say November in Dubai is very comfortable?"

"That's early morning and evening." Dalongzai looked down, scrolling through her phone, her fingers sliding rapidly across the screen, "At noon, it's going to be sunny regardless; it's a desert city, after all."

After saying this, she turned the screen toward the other two, "Let's go, Unnie, there's a mall right ahead. Why don't we go inside to hide for a bit and see if we want to go over and play in the evening?"

Park Hyomin, who had already raised her hand to shade her brow, didn't speak, just nodded in that direction.

She, who usually talked quite a bit, had become quiet today.

From the moment they left until now, most of the time it had been Li Juli and Dalongzai chatting, while she only responded occasionally.

And all of this had happened after that incident with the car ride earlier.

The mall was only a five-minute drive from the restaurant, five stories high, with a facade of fluid, curved design, the silver-white metal curtain wall gleaming with a cool luster under the sunlight.

The moment the automatic doors slid open to both sides, the three of them felt almost simultaneously that rush of cold air pouring down from the dome.

Dry, crisp, like plunging headfirst into a giant refrigerator.

"I've come back to life."

As soon as she entered, Dalongzai immediately took off her sunglasses and let out an exaggerated breath.

The lobby was extremely high-ceilinged, with a geometric hollowed-out dome design overhead; the sunlight, filtered through layers, turned into soft, water-patterned light spots when it hit the ground.

The indoor music was light jazz piano, completely different from the overwhelming City Pop found in shopping centers.

The marble floor was polished spotless, reflecting the figures moving to and fro and the warm lights in the display windows.

Li Juli spotted the giant directory screen in the atrium at a glance, so she led the two beside her to walk over quickly, sliding her fingers across the screen a few times to zoom in on the map and check the brands inside.

"Unnie, let's go browse here."

As Li Juli turned the screen, Dalongzai, who was to the side, suddenly pointed at a shop's logo and shouted, "Pop Mart, I heard they released new items again."

Hearing this, Li Juli leaned in to take a look, somewhat surprised, "Zhiyan, don't you not really like these little trinkets? We saw these things in Seoul before, and you walked away without even looking at them."

"I don't like them, but I recently found out that Xiaoxueqiu likes them."

Dalongzai smiled, the corners of her eyes curving into two playful arcs, "She saw those blind box unboxing videos before and her eyes lit up; she sat on the sofa hugging her tablet and watched for almost an hour. Later, I bought her a few, and she keeps them all on her bedside table, so since we saw them here, I'll just bring a few back for her."

Seeing that it was something Xueli liked, Li Juli also nodded quickly without saying anything more.

"Then let's go take a look."

Only Park Hyomin, who didn't understand anything, stood where she was, her gaze shifting back and forth between Dalongzai and Li Juli.

"Wait—" she finally couldn't help but speak up, her tone carrying a bit of confusion at not being able to keep up with the progress, "Zhiyan, Unnie, who is this 'Xiaoxueqiu' you two are talking about? How come I've never heard you mention her?"

Dalongzai turned her head and blinked.

That pause was very brief, so brief it could almost be ignored, but Park Hyomin caught it.

"A friend I know." Dalongzai smiled, revealing that signature smile of hers, "A very cute younger sister; I'll introduce you to her when there's a chance."

Her tone was very relaxed, as if she were just talking about an unimportant, ordinary friend.

But Park Hyomin looked at her smiling expression and always felt something was wrong.

There was no helping it; it was mainly because Dalongzai felt that if she really said that name, this Unnie, who was usually carefree but actually more timid than anyone, would probably be so scared she'd drop her phone on the spot.

Thinking of this, Dalongzai withdrew her gaze and turned to walk toward the escalator.

Li Juli followed behind her with calm steps.

Park Hyomin remained where she was, watching them for two seconds, and after huffing out two heavy breaths of frustration, she finally took a step to follow.

The escalator slowly ascended.

The second floor was the international luxury brand area, where the scent of perfume mixed with the agarwood being burned at some shop, winding through the cold air in thin wisps.

Several local men in white robes walked past them, their wristwatches reflecting a heavy, metallic light.

Some European women in exquisite suits were standing in front of an Hermès display window, holding their phones up and repeatedly finding angles for that row of orange boxes.

Upon reaching the second floor, the three did not stop and headed straight for the escalator again to go to the third floor.

The atmosphere on the third floor of the mall was more youthful than the floor below.

Streetwear shops, designer collective stores, and several electronics experience stores decorated with a highly futuristic feel.

And just as Dalongzai's foot stepped off the escalator, she suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed straight ahead, and she let out an "Eh?"

That soft exclamation was very short, then her eyes lit up, and she called out, "Xiuyuan—"

The voice wasn't loud, and afterward, she walked over quickly, her pace as light as a kitten seeing its owner.

Li Juli, who was following behind her, looked in that direction, and upon seeing Lin Xiuyuan, a hint of surprise also surfaced in her eyes.

Not far away, just a dozen steps directly in front of the escalator, Lin Xiuyuan was standing in the rest area at the entrance of a streetwear shop.

He was wearing a light gray cotton shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, carrying several shopping bags by his side, leaning against a pillar in a relaxed posture.

Standing by his side was Liu Zhimin, and opposite them were two other girls.

Those two girls were both very tall, belonging to an exceptionally slender type even within the generally slim idol circle.

If it were anyone else, Li Juli might not have recognized them, but she happened to know these two.

Shin Yuna, Hwang Yeji.

A few seconds ago, when Lin Xiuyuan heard that call from Dalongzai, he also subconsciously turned his head.

The moment he saw Dalongzai walking over quickly, his heart was finally no longer so calm, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Then he left the circle of Liu Zhimin and the others, took two steps out to create some space, and looked at Dalongzai, saying, "How did you guys end up here too? Didn't you say you were going to the spice market to hunt for treasures?"

"It's too sunny, I can't be bothered to go." Dalongzai walked up to Lin Xiuyuan, her gaze sweeping over his face, then quickly darting past Liu Zhimin behind him.

Then she smiled slightly and asked casually, "How about you two, are you out shopping?"

"Yeah, just out for a stroll," Lin Xiuyuan replied.

At this moment, Li Juli and Park Hyomin also walked over.

Among them, Li Juli's gaze swept gently between Lin Xiuyuan and Liu Zhimin, finally landing on the two young girls.

The smile on her face was appropriate and composed, just as it would be when meeting juniors in any public setting.

As for Park Hyomin, she stood two steps away and did not come closer.

She just stood there quietly, like a statue without warmth.

At the same time, Hwang Yeji and Shin Yuna over there, almost the instant they saw who had arrived, subconsciously straightened their spines.

This change in body language was extremely obvious.

From the undisguised, sparkling gossip state they were in while watching Liu Zhimin and Lin Xiuyuan just a moment ago, they instantly switched to the respectful posture of juniors meeting great seniors.

"Hello, seniors!" Shin Yuna's voice was crisp, but clearly more cautious than before.

She then bowed slightly, her long hair sliding down from the side of her shoulder.

"We are ITZY's Shin Yuna and Hwang Yeji."

Hwang Yeji, standing to the side, also bowed, her movement smaller in range than Shin Yuna's, but the sense of solemnity was not diminished in the slightest.

Her voice was calm and clear, and she enunciated every word firmly.

"Senior Li Juli, Senior Park Hyomin, Senior Park Jiyeon, it is a pleasure to meet you."

She did not mention anything else, just the simplest of greetings.

In this kind of situation, saying more leads to more mistakes, and saying less leads to fewer mistakes.

Seeing this situation, Li Juli immediately nodded with a smile, "Hello, are you here in Dubai for work?"

"Yes, we're here to shoot some pictorial material and have some fun while we're at it," Hwang Yeji replied.

"You've worked hard." Li Juli's tone was as gentle as an elder caring for a younger one, "The sun is very strong here; remember to stay hydrated while shooting."

"Thank you for your concern, senior."

The conversation was short and appropriate, like any routine small talk during a chance encounter backstage.

But Hwang Yeji and Shin Yuna's eyes were scanning back and forth between Lin Xiuyuan and the three great seniors before them at a very high frequency and with very small movements.

The scene was too subtle.

So subtle that they could hardly believe what they were seeing.

Dalongzai stood right by Lin Xiuyuan's side, very close; although it wasn't the kind of closeness that was deliberately pressed against him, it was a very natural way of being, as if it were a habit.

Her right hand was even resting on Lin Xiuyuan's shoulder; the movement was very light, so light it was almost unconscious.

And Li Juli, who had just finished exchanging pleasantries with them, also stood in front of the other party, tilting her head slightly with a faint smile on her lips.

Very gentle, very intimate.

Even Park Hyomin, who had previously stood at the very edge and hadn't come over to speak at all.

After a few seconds, she also walked to the other side of Lin Xiuyuan and curiously checked the shopping bag the other party was carrying.

Then she began to raise her hand and pat him a few times, muttering and complaining as she did so.

This kind of relationship was clearly not simple.

So Hwang Yeji couldn't help but quietly catch her breath.

She considered herself to have seen many scenes.

She had seen the polite and distant interactions between seniors and juniors, the intimate and open playfulness between same-aged friends, and those so-called secret relationships that were hidden away, where people pretended to be just colleagues despite being together.

But she had never seen this kind of situation before—it felt very close, yet without a heavy "CP" vibe; it was just very free and unconstrained.

Hwang Yeji felt she could still distinguish between genuine feelings and acting, but this scene before her—

She couldn't find the words to describe it at all.

Shin Yuna, who was also paying attention to that side, was clearly experiencing the same cognitive shock.

Those sparkling eyes were now wide open, like two startled little deer.

Her small mouth opened slightly, then closed, then opened again.

Finally, she just pressed her lips together tightly and said nothing.

The two of them then turned their gazes toward Liu Zhimin in unison.

This beauty, who had just been in the role of the female lead, was now standing at the edge of the crowd.

Just like an extra stroke accidentally added to a painting; it wasn't that it shouldn't exist, but in the face of a stronger visual focus, it naturally became the background.

Fortunately, after chatting with Dalongzai for a few moments about the situation, Lin Xiuyuan asked them, "Where do you plan to go next?"

"Ah, right." Dalongzai seemed to suddenly remember the important business, "We were originally going to go check out Pop Mart; we saw it on the directory screen earlier. Xiaoxueqiu likes this, so I'm going to buy her a few new models."

When she said "Xiaoxueqiu," her tone was very light and cheerful, as if she were talking about the most natural thing in the world.

And when Lin Xiuyuan heard that it was what Xueli liked, his expression shifted slightly.

"Then you go take a look, buy two extra and count me in for one."

"Does that count as you getting a gift for free?" Dalongzai smiled.

She didn't ask if Lin Xiuyuan wanted to go together.

Because this question didn't need to be asked at all.

She was even very understanding of Lin Xiuyuan, giving Liu Zhimin a look, "Where do you two plan to go in a bit?"

Liu Zhimin, having received this signal, didn't react for a moment.

Fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan shifted to the side, reached out to gently guide her arm, and pulled her half a step closer, "We don't have any plans; Zhiyan, do you have anything you want to do?"

At this moment, Liu Zhimin was completely bewildered.

She had originally prepared for the two of them to be alone this afternoon, and had even calculated in her heart several niche cafes nearby suitable for a date.

But the current situation was clearly not a state where she could proceed according to her original plan.

So, not having sorted out the situation, her words were somewhat stumbling as well.

"Ah—didn't we just finish strolling? Let's find a place to sit and rest for a while."

As she spoke, Liu Zhimin, having thought of something, let her gaze fall quickly upon Huang Yeji and Shen Yuna, who were behind her trying hard to lower their presence, and curled the corners of her mouth, "It just so happens that Yeji and Yuna are here too; let's all have something to drink and take a break."

Huang Yeji:

"

""

Shen Yuna:

The two of them almost simultaneously gasped in their hearts.

No, sister, how was it that you just rejected us a moment ago?

"I have things to be busy with in a while, Seoul date"—who was it that said that?

What does it mean to say "it just so happens they are here" now? When did we become "just so happens"?

And when you use us as a shield, could you at least give us a look first?

Shen Yuna froze in place, the smile at the corner of her mouth a bit stiff.

As for Huang Yeji, she had completely given up on facial expression management, merely maintaining a posture of slightly nodding while her brain began to spin at high speed.

Because at this moment, there was a thought in her mind, which was why Liu Zhimin would deceive those senior members of Tara, as it seemed completely unnecessary to her.

But if, from Liu Zhimin's perspective, it was necessary—

Thinking of this, Huang Yeji's gaze swept quickly across Li Juli's face, then moved to the hand Park Jiyeon had placed on Lin Xiuyuan's arm, and finally landed back on Liu Zhimin's calm-as-water side profile.

She felt she might have figured something out.

But she also felt this answer was too big, so big that she didn't quite dare to continue thinking about it.

Thus, she could only silently bump the name "Lin Xiuyuan" up one level in her heart.

Hmm, not enough, bump it up another level.

Bump it to the very top layer.

Lin Xiuyuan seemed to have no objections to Liu Zhimin's arrangement; he nodded and said then let's go down.

Then he turned to Dalongzai and the others.

"Then we'll head down first, you all enjoy your stroll."

"Mm," Dalongzai responded, raising a hand to wave, "Let's talk later."

Li Juli also nodded along, a faint smile at the corners of her mouth.

At this time, Park Hyomin finally smiled politely at the two young juniors, which counted as saying goodbye.

Standing in place, Lin Xiuyuan only slowly withdrew his gaze when the figures of those three had disappeared around the corner.

He turned his head to look at Liu Zhimin and smiled, "What are you nervous about?"

"Who told you all to be so close, making me feel like a third wheel."

This answer made Lin Xiuyuan pause for a moment.

Then he didn't pick up the conversation, but just reached out and patted her on the back of the head lightly, "Alright, now we owe the two behind us a coffee, let's go."

Liu Zhimin didn't dodge his hand, nor did she continue to mutter.

She only pursed her lips, followed Lin Xiuyuan's footsteps, turned around, and walked toward the direction where Huang Yeji and Shen Yuna were standing.

The meeting that was missed two days ago happened to coincide today, two days later.

One can only say: it is all fate, it is all fate!!!

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