Chapter 401: 【001】(Seeking subscriptions and monthly tickets)

Seoul, an Apartment building in Cheongdam-dong.

The morning sunlight spilled diagonally into the Living Room through the gaps in the curtains; the light was very soft, dyeing the originally slightly desolate room in a layer of faint, warm color.

Inside the house, one could occasionally hear the sound of cars from the street below, and the faint sound of wind drifted in through the window gaps, very light, like light music.

At this moment, the bedroom door was pushed open, and a just-awakened Zheng Xiuyan walked out from inside.

Her hair was still a bit messy, a few strands falling casually across her forehead; she yawned while walking, and also habitually rubbed her dry-feeling eyes.

Originally, she had come out to pour a glass of water to drink, but as soon as she walked into the Living Room, her gaze froze.

Because at this moment, a person was sitting on the sofa in the Living Room.

Zheng Xiujing, who was wearing loungewear just like her, was sitting there with her hair neat, looking as if she had been awake for a long time, or perhaps as if she hadn't slept all night.

What made Zheng Xiuyan feel a bit strange was that the other person was neither looking down at her phone nor had she turned on the TV; she was just sitting there quietly.

Moreover, her gaze was fixed straight at her, with a complex emotion in her eyes.

This kind of stare was too focused, as if she were hesitating, and also as if she were struggling, making one feel a bit uncomfortable.

So, feeling a bit bewildered by the stare, Zheng Xiuyan asked directly, "Why are you looking at me like this so early in the morning? It's kind of scary."

While speaking, she also walked over and sat down next to Zheng Xiujing, her tone carrying a hint of amusement, "When did you get back last night? When I went to sleep, I hadn't seen you return yet."

"I didn't get home until after 2 o'clock." Zheng Xiujing's voice was very calm.

Having received the answer, Zheng Xiuyan originally wanted to add, "So late?", but before the words could leave her mouth—

Zheng Xiujing spoke again.

Taking a deep breath, she seemed to have made up her mind, and then went straight to the point, "Jessica, could I trouble you with something?"

Huh??

Zheng Xiuyan was slightly stunned, "What is it?"

The person beside her did not speak immediately.

Instead, she raised her hand and pointed at her gently—to be precise, she tapped her face.

"If I also want to do a facial, is there any other way?" Zheng Xiujing's tone was very light, but every word was spoken with exceptional clarity.

This made Zheng Xiuyan, who heard these words, widen her eyes, which had still been a bit sleepy.

She stood there stunned, her brain beginning to spin rapidly.

Wait a minute, does this sister of hers know what she is saying?

But if she didn't know, how could she possibly ask such a question?

Want to do a facial!!!

The literal meaning of this sentence was already very obvious.

Then what did "other way" mean?

This was clearly a question asked only after already knowing the specific situation, right?

After being dazed for several seconds, Zheng Xiuyan, having sorted out the situation, immediately felt a headache and raised her hand to scratch her hair, "Xiujing, I can't help you with this."

Zheng Xiujing pursed her lips and did not speak.

And Zheng Xiuyan, looking at her, couldn't help but press further, her tone curious, "But how did you suddenly think of this? You already look very good-looking anyway, one of the four great god-tier visuals; it doesn't really matter if you do it or not."

Asked this, Zheng Xiujing slowly lowered her head, and then said in a very small voice, "I don't want to lose to the Krystal over there."

【Note: The line break in the source text splits 'Krystal' into 'K' and 'ystal'.】

This reason was a bit sudden, making one feel a bit surprised, yet it also seemed inexplicably very reasonable.

So much so that after hearing it, Zheng Xiuyan looked at her deeply for a while, before she couldn't help but laugh out loud and gave a light "tsk."

"Tsk, Xiujing, I believe the words Jessica said to me before now."

"What words?" Zheng Xiujing raised her head.

Looking at this sister of hers, Zheng Xiuyan, who was knitting her delicate brows, had a slightly more serious tone.

"It's that this pride of yours is a good thing sometimes."

"But sometimes, it might just be a burden; it really could drag you to hell."

Facing the almost identical evaluation from the two *unnis* from different timelines, Zheng Xiujing subconsciously averted her gaze; she didn't know how to respond.

The Living Room was also briefly quiet for a while.

During this time, Zheng Xiuyan looked at her appearance and suddenly thought of something, "Wait, this isn't right either. Krystal hasn't been over here recently, how did she provoke you again?"

This time, Zheng Xiujing began to explain, her voice still very calm.

But if one listened carefully, one could feel the bit of emotion suppressed beneath that calmness.

"Last night, while having a late-night snack with Hela and Xueqiu, Hela suddenly said something; she said that the last time she saw Krystal, she felt the other person was getting younger and younger."

1

Her voice paused here, as if she were recalling the scene at that time.

"At first glance, she was about the same as me."

She repeated that last sentence once more.

"About the same as me."

These words were spoken very lightly, but anyone who understood her even a little could hear the suppressed anger and pride within them.

So even Zheng Xiuyan, hearing this, couldn't help but bare her teeth and raise her hand to scratch her forehead.

She tried to offer a word of comfort, "Xiujing, Hela might have just said it casually; you don't need to take it too much to heart. No matter what, it's been ten years. How could Rejuvenation be that exaggerated? It must be an exaggeration."

As a result, after finishing, she found that Zheng Xiujing was just looking at her quietly.

That gaze was very calm, as if asking herself: *Unni*, do you believe it yourself?

Facing that gaze, Zheng Xiuyan opened her mouth, but couldn't say a single word.

After all, if she really believed that explanation, she wouldn't have found an opportunity back then to run to the year '25, get Jessica drunk, and pile on top of her.

And so, her throat suddenly choked up.

The air went quiet once again.

After a while, Zheng Xiujing spoke up again, "Isn't there any way that's a bit more on the edge?"

The main thing was that she hadn't fully convinced herself yet to cross that line.

A pair of sisters, after all.

Although she had watched Japanese adult films and heard that such situations existed in reality, when such a thing was truly about to happen to her, Zheng Xiujing still needed some time and reasons to convince herself.

Zheng Xiuyan looked at the expression on her face and sighed, "I don't really understand."

And in this answer, she was truly not lying; she was being very honest.

"If you really want to know if there is such a way, you might still have to ask Krystal."

"Because the person who understands that guy the best isn't actually me."

"It's Krystal."

Don't look at the fact that Lin Xiuyuan's first person was her; in terms of status and progress, her own sister of 25 years had long since far surpassed her.

Even if Zheng Xiuyan was unwilling to admit this, she had no way to deny it.

So when Zheng Xiujing finished listening, she bit her lower lip directly and slowly lowered her head.

As for Zheng Xiuyan, looking at the reaction of this sister before her, she also felt a little bit of complexity in her heart.

Actually, at first, she also felt it was a bit absurd—what the hell is a pair of sisters?

But during that period, after she saw "the actions of the Krystal over there," many thoughts about many things seemed to suddenly become reasonable and smooth.

So looking back now, Krystal's initial move of "Sacrificing Oneself to Feed the Tiger" was simply like a meticulously arranged chess game.

She entered the game herself first, using herself as the bait, dragging Jessica in little by little, and then slowly dragging Zheng Xiuyan in as well.

After these two people were both influenced, now it was Zheng Xiujing's turn.

Leaning on the sofa, Zheng Xiuyan thought of this and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

This operation.

It was simply divine.

Niseko.

After deciding at the breakfast table not to go skiing today, but just to rest and go shopping, the group finished their instant noodles and returned to their respective rooms to have a good nap.

Anyway, today's schedule was relaxed to begin with; there was no need to rush to the ski resort early, and sleeping in a bit was actually more comfortable.

Especially Lin Xiuyuan, who had been tossing and turning for most of the night; he had originally only intended to close his eyes and rest for a while on the bed, but as a result, he drifted off to sleep in a daze before long.

By the time he woke up again, it was already noon.

The sunlight was much brighter than in the morning, carrying that clean and cold feeling of a winter noon.

And after he simply washed his face and walked out of the room, the Living Room was already full of people; the others had long since packed up and were sitting on the sofa waiting for him.

Some were curled up in the corner of the sofa holding pillows, some were leaning against the back of the sofa looking down at their phones, and some were sitting nearby chatting in low voices.

As Lin Xiuyuan came out, Li Juli, who was the first to look up, saw him.

She immediately smiled, "You're awake."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded, "Yeah, you all didn't sleep?"

Li Juli stood up from the sofa and patted her clothes, "We slept for a while. Let's go; since you're awake, let's go eat."

Hearing this, everyone stood up one after another.

"Yay, what are we going to eat?"

"Ramen, maybe."

"Sukiyaki, maybe."

"Sukiyaki is fine."

However, in the end, for this lunch, they chose a local restaurant that specialized in seafood bowls, which was said to be quite famous.

The restaurant wasn't very big, but it was very popular.

The wooden decor, warm lighting, plus the faint scent of seafood and the aroma of rice in the air made one feel very hungry the moment they walked in.

The group ordered a few different seafood bowls.

Fresh sea urchin, sweet shrimp, tuna, and glistening fish roe were neatly spread over the steaming hot rice.

The colors were distinct, and it looked very tempting.

After drizzling a little soy sauce and mixing it, that fresh flavor instantly spread out.

And when the most gluttonous Park Jiyeon took her first bite, her eyes widened a bit, "Wow, this is too delicious."

Xian Enjing, who was next to her, looked at her with a smile, "You say that everywhere you go."

"That's because it's really delicious," Park Jiyeon said righteously.

Lin Xiuyuan lowered his head and took a bite, and couldn't help but nod.

The softness of the sea urchin, the sweetness of the shrimp, plus the temperature of the rice and the salty fragrance of the soy sauce, mixed together, really gave one the urge to lick the bowl clean.

"This place was a good choice."

Hearing Lin Xiuyuan say that, Li Juli finally smiled, "That's good, it seems I didn't pick wrong."

After finishing lunch, the time had already reached past two in the afternoon, and the girls officially started their shopping mode.

Don't look at the streets of Niseko as not being particularly large, but there were many different kinds of small shops.

There were shops selling ski equipment, small stalls selling local specialties, and some small shops selling Handicrafts; of course, most importantly, there was no shortage of cafes and dessert shops.

Everyone strolled along slowly, going in to look at shops they were interested in, and then continuing forward after coming out.

When they were tired from walking, they would find a cafe to sit down and have a cup of coffee to warm their hands.

After resting enough, they would continue to stroll forward.

They spent the whole afternoon wandering around leisurely, then returned to the Apartment to rest and tidy up.

By the time they went out again, the sky outside had shifted from day to night.

Thinking that they had only had a light drink the previous night, they planned to have a proper drinking session tonight, so they found a rather private ice bar.

Inside the bar.

At first, everyone was still quite restrained.

Eating and chatting, the atmosphere was very relaxed.

They talked about what they had bought while shopping today, who had bought the most, and if they continued skiing tomorrow, how they would ski and how they would take photos.

But after three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere slowly heated up.

Park Jiyeon, who had eaten the most during the day, was also the one who drank the most at night.

The Little Dragon Cub, who loved a lively time to begin with, soon had a flushed face after a few drinks, and her speech started to become a bit slurred.

So she grabbed Lin Xiuyuan's sleeve and shook it back and forth.

"Oppa————"

"You didn't wait for me while skiing these past few days————"

"Oppa, you must accompany me to ski tomorrow————"

As she spoke, she nodded vigorously, as if afraid that he wouldn't agree.

Lin Xiuyuan was left between laughter and tears by her shaking, and could only coax her first, "Alright, alright, I'll accompany you tomorrow. Stop drinking, eat some fruit."

Park Hyomin, sitting on the other side, had actually drunk quite a bit too, but her tolerance was clearly much better, and she still looked quite sober.

It was just that her eyes would occasionally glance at Lin Xiuyuan from above the rim of her glass.

Watching the two figures acting clingy over there, there was a faint smile in her eyes; she wasn't jealous, nor was she annoyed, just watching quietly.

Compared to that maknae who was nearly drunk, Li Juli and Xian Enjing, the two unnis, drank more moderately and were currently only slightly tipsy.

The two leaned against each other, eating and chatting, laughing out loud from time to time.

Among this circle of people, Li Shaoxi was the one who drank the least.

In Lin Xiuyuan's words, she was there as a safety net; if everyone else got tipsy and drank too much, she would be responsible for taking care of everyone at the table, so she only took symbolic sips when clinking glasses.

It was unclear how long they had been drinking, or how much.

Later, when Lin Xiuyuan and the others returned to the entrance of the Apartment, it was already late at night.

The streets of Niseko were also much quieter than during the day.

The streetlights along the road were on, the dim yellow light falling onto the thick snow, looking like a soft carpet of light.

It was unclear when the sky had started snowing again.

Tiny snowflakes fell slowly, landing on their hair and shoulders, bringing a slightly cool sensation.

Lin Xiuyuan, stepping through the accumulated snow, supported Park Hyomin with one hand.

On his other shoulder, he carried Park Jiyeon, this "little dinosaur," directly.

This little girl was completely drunk; her whole body was limp, draped over his shoulder, her head swaying from time to time while she muttered something.

"Oppa. ——"

"Skiing————"

"Skiing tomorrow————"

Lin Xiuyuan felt a wave of helplessness, but he didn't forget to look back at the two people behind him.

Lin Xiuyuan felt a wave of helplessness, but he did not forget to turn his head to glance at the two people behind him.

Hearing his voice, Li Juli's footsteps were a bit unsteady; she would occasionally step lightly on the snow, but she was still trying hard to maintain her balance.

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan look at her, she quickly waved her hand, smiling with flushed cheeks, "I'm fine, Xiuyuan."

She reached out to lean on Xian Enjing's shoulder, "Just look after them; Enjing and I aren't drunk yet, we can still drink."

Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, alright, I know you can drink."

He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Li Juli's earlier "not drunk," but the subsequent "can still drink" made him certain of one thing.

He had just breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Li Juli's earlier remark of "not drunk," but the subsequent "can still drink" made him certain of one thing.

Because usually, only people who are truly drunk would emphasize so earnestly that they aren't.

At this moment, Li Shaoxi, who was walking in front to open the door, had already pushed open the door to the Apartment.

Having propped the door open, she looked back and found that the situation with the others was even more "lively" than she had imagined, so she quickly stepped back and walked a few steps to Li Juli's side, reaching out to support her arm.

Having just propped The Gate open, she turned back to look and discovered that the situation with the few people behind was even more "lively" than she had imagined, so she hurriedly retreated and walked a few steps to Li Juli's side, reaching out to support her arm.

Li Juli, whose steps were a bit unsteady, was leaning against Xian Enjing at this time; hearing Li Shaoxi's voice, she raised her hand, "I'm fine, really."

That smile looked quite natural, only her cheeks were excessively red.

So Li Shaoxi didn't believe her words at all, but she didn't forget to look at Xian Enjing on the other side, "Unni, how about you?"

At this time, although Xian Enjing's steps were also a bit floating, compared to Li Juli, her state was clearly much better.

Her eyes were exceptionally clear, with only a slight redness on her face from the alcohol, "I'm fine, I didn't drink much."

After saying this briefly, she looked at Lin Xiuyuan in front and said, "Xiuyuan, why don't we just let Jiyeon and the others sleep downstairs tonight?"

"Hm?" Lin Xiuyuan had just walked into the Living Room supporting Park Hyomin and was stunned when he heard this.

He saw Xian Enjing point toward the upstairs direction and explain, "That way you won't have to carry them up to the second floor; you can sleep in Hyomin's room tonight, and they can just sleep in your room."

Speaking of this, she glanced at Park Jiyeon, who was already hanging on Lin Xiuyuan, and then looked at Park Hyomin, who was still relatively quiet, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Speaking up to this point, she glanced at Park Jiyeon, who was already hanging off Lin Xiuyuan, and then looked at the relatively quiet Park Hyomin, the corners of her mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Lin Xiuyuan followed her gaze and couldn't help but laugh, "No need, it doesn't take much effort to go up."

Lin Xiuyuan followed her gaze and took a look, and he himself could not help but laugh, "No need, it won't take much effort to go up."

""

As it turned out, Xian Enjing had already cut off any further discussion, "It's decided then. I'm worried they might get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and then stumble and miss a step on the stairs while they're still groggy."

She lifted her chin to point toward the stairwell, "If they really were to tumble down the stairs, it would be a real mess."

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh.

"Better safe than sorry," Xian Enjing shrugged.

And so, the matter was settled.

Lin Xiuyuan first took them one in each hand, practically half-dragging and half-carrying the two drunks into his room, then turned and walked out to help Li Shaoxi get Li Juli, who wasn't quite as intoxicated, up to the second floor and into her room.

Although Li Juli's steps were a bit unsteady, she still had some awareness.

So, as she lay down on the bed, she didn't forget to turn back and wave at Lin Xiuyuan, "Goodnight, Xiuyuan—"

The tail end of her voice was drawn out a bit long, clearly showing the alcohol was hitting her.

Standing at the doorway, Lin Xiuyuan watched Li Shaoxi finish getting her settled before he turned and went downstairs, seeing Xian Enjing just as she walked out of his room.

She closed the door gently and carefully, as if afraid of waking the two people inside who were already dead to the world.

When she turned and saw Lin Xiuyuan, she nodded, "I've taken care of them; how is it with the older sister?"

"Taken care of as well."

Lin Xiuyuan, having replied simply, noticed that the way Xian Enjing was looking at him seemed a bit different from before.

It carried a subtle nuance, as if she were observing something, or perhaps confirming something.

This strange gaze left him a bit bewildered, "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xian Enjing stared at him for another two seconds before she suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint, looking as if nothing had happened, and then she shook her head, "It's nothing, you should get some rest early too."

After saying that, she turned and walked toward the stairs.

Lin Xiuyuan was left standing where he was, watching her back as she went upstairs, feeling a bit confused for a moment, "What's going on?"

But after muttering that to himself, he didn't think much more of it.

He walked over to the dryer to fish out his pajamas, then turned and headed into the bathroom to wash up.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Xian Enjing stopped when she reached the corner of the stairs, stood quietly in the shadows for a while, and then slowly turned her head to look downstairs.

The bathroom door in the corner was now shut tight.

The sound of water could be heard faintly through the door.

Her gaze lingered there for a moment.

Then she lowered her head, her fingertips gently rubbing her chin, thinking about a small item that had accidentally fallen out while she was helping cover Park Jiyeon and the other one with a blanket in Lin Xiuyuan's room just now.

The next second, the corners of her mouth slowly curved upward.

"Pretty capable, aren't you!!!"

The next morning.

Park Jiyeon woke up from an intense feeling of thirst.

Her first sensation was that her throat felt tight and dry, as if it had been scorched by fire; she subconsciously licked her lips, only to find that even her saliva was pitifully scarce.

Her whole head was still groggy, feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton, heavy and painful.

In this state of extreme discomfort, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, dazed for a few seconds.

Her vision gradually cleared.

An unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar light, unfamiliar furnishings—

Park Jiyeon's brows furrowed slightly.

"Hm?" She blinked, her mind blank for a few seconds.

Then, memories from last night began to return to her mind bit by bit.

The noisy sounds of the bar, the glasses on the table being constantly refilled, the image of her refusing to let go of Lin Xiuyuan, and finally the feeling of being groggily carried back by him.

At the time when Lin Xiuyuan carried her, she actually still had a bit of an impression.

So, thinking of this, she also slowly remembered.

This place seemed to be Lin Xiuyuan's room.

Realizing this, she turned her head slightly and immediately saw Park Hyomin lying beside her.

She was lying on her side, her whole body curled up in the blanket, sleeping soundly, her breathing even and steady, with no sign of waking up at all.

Park Jiyeon stared at her for a few seconds, then raised her hand to rub her own throbbing temples, feeling her head tightening in waves.

So she lay back down and closed her eyes on the bed to recover for a while.

Once that sense of dizziness slowly faded, she opened her eyes again and slowly sat up.

Although her head still felt a bit heavy, it was bearable.

At the same time, she subconsciously wanted to find her phone to check the time, but she didn't know where she had thrown it last night; in any case, it certainly wouldn't be here.

So even though she rummaged through the nightstand a few times and reached into the blanket to feel around, she couldn't find her phone, nor could she find Park Hyomin's.

Only then did Park Jiyeon come to her senses, "Oh, right, this is oppa's room."

Feeling foolish for her own actions, her gaze inadvertently swept toward the foot of the bed, and she saw a black suitcase placed in the corner of the room.

The suitcase wasn't completely closed; the zipper was half-open, as if it hadn't been tidied up after grabbing something in a hurry yesterday.

And most importantly, from her current angle, she could clearly see a part of the inside of the suitcase.

The next second, her whole body suddenly froze.

Because her eyes saw something.

It was a small box.

The packaging was very familiar, and the text was also very familiar—01.

Thinking she had been seeing things, Park Jiyeon hurriedly stood up and walked over, then reached out to open the suitcase.

And so, this time she saw the box of little trinkets very clearly, and the items that had originally been neatly arranged inside were missing a few pieces, with only one left in the box.

It lay there, just casually resting in the corner of the suitcase.

It looked as if someone had used it and then hurriedly put it back, but without packing it away completely.

This discovery made Park Jiyeon's gaze freeze instantly; she remained in her crouching position, but it was as if a pause button had been pressed, and she was stunned.

The air suddenly went quiet.

It felt as if something in her brain had "boomed" and exploded.

After a few seconds, she slowly turned her head, her gaze falling upon the figure on the bed.

At this moment, Park Hyomin was still sleeping soundly.

Her breathing rose and fell gently, her expression peaceful, completely unaware of what had happened beside her.

Very quickly, Park Jiyeon withdrew her gaze and looked at the suitcase again.

That box of 001 still lay there quietly, like a clue that couldn't be any more obvious.

At this moment, her breathing began to grow a bit hurried, and her chest heaved once.

An indescribable emotion slowly welled up from the bottom of her heart.

"Is this from recently, or when was it used?"

It couldn't possibly be that she used it on herself, could it?

And so—

Bubbling.

Confusion.

Strange.

Various emotions appeared one after another, and she slowly stood up, staring at the contents of the suitcase, while all the scenes of them being together over the past few days began to flash back in her mind, her thoughts rapidly searching for any details or situations that felt wrong.

After a while, Park Jiyeon sat back down on the bed.

Her gaze fell once again upon Park Hyomin beside her; the other person was still sleeping soundly, as quiet as if nothing had happened.

But this time, the look in Park Jiyeon's eyes as she watched her had become somewhat complicated.

Various emotions churned bit by bit in the depths of her eyes, yet she tried hard to suppress them.

The room was so quiet that only the sound of two people's breathing remained.

A new day.

Had quietly begun.