Chapter 395: Arrival and Room Assignments (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Votes)

In the VIP lounge at Incheon Airport, the warm yellow light spread softly over the sofas in the rest area, casting long, quiet shadows of the few people there.

Park Hyomin, holding a coffee cup, had glanced toward the seat opposite her multiple times after Lin Xiuyuan arrived.

But in the next second, her gaze suddenly froze.

Because she saw Park Jiyeon pushing a black card toward Lin Xiuyuan.

The material of that card was clearly different from an ordinary credit card.

The black metal surface gave off a low-key and restrained luster under the lights, printed with the American Express logo and that very iconic Centurion pattern.

So, having recognized this card, Park Hyomin's eyes widened slightly.

She subconsciously turned her head to look at Li Juli beside her, discovering that the same surprise had surfaced on the other woman's face as well.

The two of them exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other; clearly, neither of them knew about this, or rather, they did not know about this gift from Park Jiyeon.

Not until she finished listening to the conversation between the two opposite her did Park Hyomin, who understood a bit more of the inside story, speak up to ask.

"Jiyeon, does this mean that hot pot restaurant of yours, that investment company, has already started making a profit?? Didn't you say before that it would take a while longer?"

Hearing the question, Park Jiyeon turned her head, an irrepressible smile on her face, and explained to her unni.

"Actually, it has already started making a profit, it's just that there haven't been any dividends; it's been continuing to invest in expansion. But during this period, there has been an external valuation, and it just so happened that business in Europe needed to be coordinated with the bank, so Amex sent an invitation to oppa."

After hearing this explanation, Park Hyomin couldn't help but let out a soft "wow."

Scenes from the beginning of the year flashed through her mind; back then, she had suspected that Lin Xiuyuan was a fraud, swindling the money of their group's maknae as well as the money of Lin Yun'er and the others.

Thinking about it now—

Her cheeks felt inexplicably hot.

For no other reason than that she had been slapped in the face.

Compared to the shock of Park Hyomin and Li Juli, the owner of the card seemed much calmer.

Merely looking down at the card once, the calm-faced Lin Xiuyuan casually put it into his card holder.

This card holder was prepared by Sulli when she helped him pack his luggage at noon.

Seeing him tossing his documents and bank cards around messily at the time, Sulli simply emptied out her own card holder for him to use.

It wasn't any famous luxury brand, just an ordinary leather card holder, yet it had been wiped clean by that lovely girl, with a faint scent of the hand cream she often used still lingering on the corners.

In a sense, Sulli was undoubtedly pouring her heart and soul out for Lin Xiuyuan, her savior.

After putting the card away, Lin Xiuyuan tucked the card holder into his pocket, then looked up at everyone and made a suggestion.

"Do you want to go out and get something to eat? It's still early, otherwise, the airplane food later really won't be very good."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Juli laughed.

That smile carried a hint of amusement, along with a faint, lingering sense of watching a show.

"Xiuyuan-i—" She pointed at herself and the few people beside her, "Do you mean you intend to have us idols go out with you inside Incheon Airport, walk around everywhere, and then sit down to eat?"

After saying this, she even symbolically straightened her clothes, as if she were truly preparing to get up.

She continued to laugh in an extremely cheerful tone, "But if you're willing, I don't mind, I'm personally OK with it. I'm just afraid you'll be exposed."

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment.

He immediately realized what she meant and hurriedly raised his hand to signal a pause.

Li Juli watched his somewhat helpless and earnest look of admitting his mistake, and coupled with the words that reached her ears, her eyes brightened slightly, the smile at the corners of her lips deepened a bit more, and her gaze toward Lin Xiuyuan softened as well.

The few people behind didn't end up wandering around.

There weren't many people in the VIP lounge, the environment was quiet and private, so they simply grabbed some buffet food and made do with a meal.

A few light salads, cream pasta, and some Korean side dishes.

The taste couldn't be called stunning, and it was even a bit bland, but it had the advantage of being convenient; there was no need to worry about being recognized, and even less need to be dazzled by choices outside.

Lin Xiuyuan sat to the side, eating slowly and methodically, occasionally raising his eyes to look at the few people opposite him.

There was Park Hyomin, who was twirling pasta with a fork while frowning and critiquing the taste.

There was also Li Juli, who had only taken some fruit and was eating very restrainedly.

By comparison, Park Jiyeon had a good appetite and even took an extra dessert.

During the meal, the few of them sat around chatting.

The sofas were arranged in a semicircle, the soft light falling on their shoulders, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.

"No, no, no, OK, OK, my fault, I didn't think of that level for a moment, I almost forgot you guys are idols."

As they chatted, the topic naturally drifted to skiing in Niseko.

"How is the apartment you booked?" Lin Xiuyuan leaned back on the sofa and asked casually.

"It's quite good." Park Jiyeon said with a hint of pride, "Oppa, what we booked this time is a two-story detached house specifically set up as an apartment, with five rooms. The living room is very large, the floor-to-ceiling windows look directly out at the snow scenery, and there's an open kitchen."

When mentioning the "snow scenery," the Little Dragon Cub's eyes lit up, as if she were already there.

"Kitchen?" Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow, "Does that mean you can cook for yourselves?"

"Of course." Park Hyomin took over the conversation, her tone matter-of-fact, "Otherwise, why book one with a kitchen? But the possibility of actually using it is likely very small; I personally prefer going out to eat, it's more comfortable."

As she spoke, she glanced at Li Shaoxi, a smile on her lips, "But there still needs to be a backup plan, don't you think so, Shaoxi."

The teasing tone in her words was obvious.

As for Li Shaoxi, who had been named, she also laughed softly and did not refute, "As long as you don't mind, unni."

"If Shaoxi doesn't know how to cook, then who will?" Lin Xiuyuan asked.

The few of them subconsciously looked at each other, and the atmosphere became a bit subtle for a moment.

"We'll see when the time comes." Park Jiyeon glossed over it.

Everyone laughed again.

Then they started chatting about details like the difficulty of the ski slopes, equipment preparation, protective gear, gloves, and heat packs.

Li Juli, who played this often, watched as Lin Xiuyuan earnestly explained the precautions and shared some of his own experiences.

Xian Enjing, who was on the side, occasionally added a few sentences, her logic clear.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was listening very attentively, would interject with a few questions from time to time.

"Will the ski slopes be very crowded?"

"How is the night skiing over there?"

"If I fall once, will I be completely written off? Seriously, a broken leg is acceptable, but being paralyzed is out of the question; I still need to carry on the family line."

His half-joking, half-serious tone drew another round of laughter from everyone.

It was not until the boarding announcement sounded that a soft yet clear female voice echoed through the waiting room.

The atmosphere was pulled back from the relaxed small talk to reality.

More than half an hour later.

Accompanied by the takeoff of the plane, the night view of Seoul outside the window gradually receded.

The lights of the high-rise buildings connected into one, like a spread-out web of light.

Immediately following the plane's ascent, those points of light shrank rapidly, eventually remaining only as a blurred galaxy.

Leaning against the seat back, Lin Xiuyuan exhaled softly.

Then he turned his head to take a look at his side.

The person sitting next to him this time was still Park Jiyeon, but not that Dalongzai from the year '25.

At this moment, Park Jiyeon was looking down and scrolling through her phone, the light from the screen reflecting on her face; compared to herself many years later, the current Park Jiyeon clearly still carried a bit of naivety, and in her expression, there was not that composure that came with maturity, but more of that straightforward simplicity.

Frowning as she looked at the content on her phone, she would occasionally purse her lips and smile lightly, completely immersed in her own world.

She also had absolutely no thought of the possibility of having some "ten-thousand-meter-high-altitude passionate exercise" with Lin Xiuyuan.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiuyuan withdrew his gaze, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Actually, to say he wasn't looking forward to it would be a lie.

But if it didn't happen—

That also seemed fine.

It would save a lot of unnecessary subsequent trouble.

The plane passed through the clouds, and the wings extended quietly in the night.

Outside the porthole, only the deep blue sky and sporadic starlight remained.

Closing his eyes, Lin Xiuyuan let the slight vibration of the cabin accompany the low hum in his ears, slowly emptying his thoughts, and fell asleep.

When the plane landed, the world outside the window was already a world of pure white.

As the wings swept past the underside of the clouds, a large expanse of snowfield came into view.

The runway at New Chitose Airport had been cleared into a dark track, yet thick snow was still piled on both sides, and in the distance, several snowplows were moving slowly under the gray sky, their orange warning lights flashing in the snowstorm.

The sky hung low, and fine snowflakes were still falling, like silent white dust.

The moment the cabin door opened, the chill seemed to drill in through the jet bridge.

Lin Xiuyuan and the others, having collected their luggage, pushed their suitcases out of the arrival hall.

The instant the automatic doors opened, cold air rushed toward them, carrying the cleanliness and crispness unique to Hokkaido, even faintly mixed with the scent of snow.

Lin Xiuyuan, who subconsciously took a breath, felt as if his lungs had been washed, and his whole person suddenly became clear-headed.

"This temperature is way lower than Seoul." He rubbed his hands and looked behind him.

"Welcome to the real winter." Li Juli, who was walking behind, replied with a smile, her tone carrying a bit of teasing.

Because they had already contacted the car rental company in advance.

So, very quickly, the group arrived in front of a black Mercedes-Benz Viano, a 7-seater model, its body long and sleek, appearing exceptionally steady against the white background.

Moreover, the rear space of the Viano was not small; it could completely fit the group's skiing equipment for the day, and the rear of the car was also equipped with an external ski rack, so the skis that couldn't fit could be secured on the outside, neat and tidy, looking very professional.

After finishing the handover with the car rental company staff, Li Shaoxi took the car keys handed over by the other party.

However, during the wait for the handover, Lin Xiuyuan looked at the several trailers of luggage behind them; there were quite a lot of suitcases and skis, and the Viano's trunk definitely couldn't fit them all.

Patting the external ski rack, Lin Xiuyuan worriedly said, "What about the luggage? This car can hold a few skis, but what about the suitcases?"

"I've already called for a car." Li Juli shook her phone, her tone relaxed, "The Apartment sent a car over specifically to haul luggage; pay a little more money, and everything is negotiable."

This matter-of-fact explanation made Lin Xiuyuan burst into laughter.

"That works, the power of capital."

Soon, the car sent by the Apartment also drove over; the driver got out and loaded everyone's luggage, and then Lin Xiuyuan and the others sat in the Mercedes-Benz Viano and followed that car straight toward Niseko.

From the airport to Niseko, there was still a two-hour drive.

After the car drove out of the city, the scenery outside the window also began to change slowly.

First it was sparse residential areas, then empty countryside, and further on, it almost became an endless snowfield.

The snow on both sides of the road became thicker and thicker, and in some places, it was piled up almost higher than a person, like walls of white.

The distant mountains were covered by white snow, their lines soft, so quiet in the darkening sky that they didn't seem real.

Lin Xiuyuan, sitting in the passenger seat, rested his elbow on the car door, his gaze landing outside the window.

"As expected of Hokkaido; Seoul hasn't even had its first snow yet, but here it's already like entering a fairy-tale world."

At this time, Li Juli's voice came from the back seat, "Niseko's powder snow is famous all over the world; many skiing enthusiasts from Europe and America fly over specifically for it. If you come here for your first time skiing, you might really look down on other ski resorts in the future."

"Don't raise the intensity for me; if I'm so bad that I make you waste such good powder snow for nothing, wouldn't I become a sinner?"

"That won't happen."

Facing this explanation from Lin Xiuyuan, Xian Enjing replied softly, "Skiing is not as difficult as you imagine; start with the simple ones and adapt slowly, that's all."

Her tone was always gentle, making one feel at ease unconsciously.

So Li Juli also began to chime in, "That's right, just do what you can. We're here to have fun, not to risk our lives, don't be too nervous."

Lin Xiuyuan, who was just joking, nodded.

The heater inside the car was running full blast, while outside the window was a world wrapped in silver.

By contrast, this journey felt all the more like a departure from the mundane.

Past ten o'clock at night, the car finally drove into the city center of Niseko.

Calling it a city center, it was actually just a few main streets.

On both sides of the road were rows of detached cottages, some converted into guesthouses, others private residences.

The roofs were pressed down by thick snow, and warm yellow light shone from the windows, appearing exceptionally cozy in the night.

The streets were quiet, with a few cars occasionally driving by slowly, their tires making a faint, crunching sound as they rolled over the snow.

The two cars finally stopped in front of a two-story detached house.

This was their residence for the coming week.

Several people got out of the cars one after another, looking up to size up the house before them.

It had a wooden structure and dark exterior walls, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding snow.

Thick white snow was piled on the roof like a fluffy hat, and warm light shone from the windows; evidently, the heating in the Apartment had been turned on in advance.

"Looks pretty good," Park Hyomin commented in a low voice.

"Better than the photos," Li Juli said, her tone carrying satisfaction.

In the cold air, the white mist they exhaled while speaking was clearly visible under the lights.

Park Jiyeon, already unable to contain herself, spoke up directly, "Shall we go in and take a look?"

"Let's go."

And so, everyone stepped through the snow, following the Apartment's driver inside.

As soon as they entered, a wave of warmth rushed toward them.

The Living Room was even more spacious than imagined.

The floor-to-ceiling windows faced the street outside, and the thick double-paned glass kept the chill at bay, leaving only a tranquil snowy scene outside.

The warm light of the streetlamps reflected on the snow, like a layer of pale golden gauze spread over it.

The wooden floor was polished to a smooth, warm luster, with several dark rugs spread over it; stepping on them felt soft, and even their footsteps became muffled.

In the corner was a stone fireplace; although it wasn't lit, its steady, solid presence alone made one unconsciously relax, as if one could sit around it and chat until late at night.

"This Apartment is really nice," Park Hyomin said, looking around, her tone filled with a hint of pleasant surprise.

The Kitchen was open-concept, connected to the Living Room.

Several warm yellow pendant lights hung above the bar counter, casting a soft glow.

The countertops were clean and tidy, and the equipment was complete.

Xian Enjing, who had strolled slowly around the Kitchen, pulled open the cabinets to look, then lowered her head to check the refrigerator.

Her movements were calm and meticulous, and after closing the refrigerator door, she nodded slightly, "It's indeed nice; we can really cook for ourselves."

"Does that mean we have to rely on Li Shaoxi?" Park Hyomin said with a smile, looking at Li Shaoxi.

Li Shaoxi smiled helplessly, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender, "Unnie, you know me; I can only make ramen or a Sandwich, as long as you don't mind."

The atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.

Afterward, as the driver moved all the luggage in, the group began to divide the rooms.

Several of the women went upstairs first; the staircase was wooden, making a slight sound when stepped upon.

But soon, they came back down from upstairs, expressions on their faces after having just seen the rooms.

"

Oppa

~"

Standing at the foot of the stairs, Park Jiyeon leaned on the railing and looked at Lin Xiuyuan, "Do you want to stay on the second floor or the first? We just took a look around; there are three rooms on the second floor and two on the first, with one bathroom per floor—no suites."

Having received the answer, Lin Xiuyuan barely thought about it, "Then I won't go up; I'm too lazy to climb stairs. I'll just sleep on the first floor, it's less trouble."

Upon hearing this answer, Park Jiyeon's eyelashes drooped slightly, and a flash of imperceptible regret flickered in her eyes.

Familiar with Lin Xiuyuan's style, she had actually intended to choose the first floor herself, and had even taken an extra look at the room near the Living Room just a moment ago.

But since she had already agreed with Xian Enjing to stay on the second floor, and with Park Hyomin and Li Juli—those two "outsiders"—present, she couldn't very well change her mind suddenly, so she felt truly dejected upon hearing Lin Xiuyuan's choice.

However, she quickly adjusted her expression and turned to look at Li Shaoxi.

"That works out perfectly then. There are three rooms upstairs; I'll sleep with Enjing Unnie, and Hyomin Unnie and Juli Unnie can each have one. Shaoxi, how about you stay downstairs?"

Li Shaoxi, who had been daydreaming, came back to her senses and nodded, "I'm fine with anything, Unnie. If it really comes down to it, I can sleep on the sofa."

"You wish; you just want to sneak out to play in the middle of the night, right?" Lin Xiuyuan joked at the right moment, making Li Shaoxi laugh out loud, "Pfft, oppa~ I wouldn't."

Watching this scene, Li Juli decided with a very straightforward tone, "Alright, then it's settled."

The room allocation plan was thus finalized, and no one raised any further objections.

Next, everyone took their luggage to their respective rooms.

Lin Xiuyuan chose the room at the back of the first floor; it wasn't large, but it was kept very tidy.

A large bed was covered with snow-white bedding, the pillows were fluffy, and against the wall was a simple wardrobe, with a small desk and a lamp placed on the other side.

The window faced the backyard, where the entire expanse of snow glowed with a faint blue light in the night, as quiet as a painting.

Placing his suitcase by the bed, he unzipped it and took out a thicker down jacket to change into; he didn't touch his ski suit and gear for the time being.

As for the snowboards, they were all kept in the Living Room to save the trouble of moving them back and forth.

Having changed his coat, he stretched his shoulders before pushing the door open and walking out.

In the Living Room, the others had also come out one after another; everyone looked at each other, as if suddenly realizing that the journey had truly begun.

At this moment, Park Jiyeon touched her stomach, "I'm hungry."

"I'm hungry too," Xian Enjing chimed in with a light laugh.

Seeing this, Li Juli, who was most familiar with the area, raised her hand to check the time; it was already past eleven at night.

This time made her frown slightly as she pondered for a moment, "How about we go out to Cross Street and see if there's anything to eat?"

"At this hour, would there be anything open?" Park Hyomin asked with a skeptical tone.

"Hard to say," Li Juli shrugged, "It's a matter of luck; being a ski resort, there might be shops still operating."

The group exchanged glances, and no one wanted to be a killjoy.

Park Jiyeon had already started putting on her coat, "It's fine, let's just treat it as going out for a stroll."

Lin Xiuyuan was even more direct, already walking toward the entryway.

"Then why are you all just standing there? Let's go."

And so, the car that hadn't been off for even an hour started up again and departed.

Li Shaoxi, her hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, looked focused and calm; the car's speed was not fast, but it was very steady.

Driving on snow requires caution, after all, and her driving rhythm was very reassuring.

Lin Xiuyuan was still sitting in the passenger seat, head down as he replied to messages from Sulli and the others, reporting their itinerary.

Just then, a few small white dots suddenly appeared on the windshield.

At first, it was just a few scattered flakes.

Then, there were more and more.

"Oh, it's snowing."

Li Shaoxi, who was driving, was the first to notice, and after speaking, she tilted her chin slightly to gesture.

Then, the windshield wipers swept gently across the glass, leaving clear arcs behind.

Everyone in the car looked toward the front almost simultaneously.

In the pitch-black sky, large snowflakes were drifting down slowly.

They weren't the fine, granular kind of snow, but rather complete, fluffy clusters of snowflakes, distinct in their layers, like feathers illuminated by light.

Passing through the beams of the streetlights, they swirled and tumbled in the orange-yellow halo, then landed softly on the road already covered in white snow, silently merging into the pure white expanse.

The entire scene was as slow as a cinematic shot.

The car interior fell quiet for a moment.

Park Jiyeon pressed close to the window, exhaling a puff of white mist, her eyes bright, "Wow, so beautiful—"

"Like cotton candy," Park Hyomin also whispered.

Watching this scene, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly felt an indescribable sensation.

In this moment, there was no work, no distracting thoughts.

There was only the snow, the lights, his friends, and a skiing journey about to begin.

As his thoughts reached this point, he instinctively let out a soft breath, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously.

This trip seemed to be the right choice after all.

It should be very comfortable.

The car continued to drive forward, with snowflakes dancing in front of the headlights.

In the distance, the lights of Cross Street gradually became clear amidst the night, the orange and white colors intertwined like a bonfire lit in the cold night.