Chapter 405: Pei Zhuxuan: Are you trying to take advantage of me?

Inside the restaurant, not long after Lin Xiuyuan and Pei Zhuxuan started chatting, the auntie on the night shift walked out from the back kitchen with a tray and placed a steaming sukiyaki pot in the center of their table.

The moment the pot landed, heat immediately billowed up.

Thin slices of beef were laid out neatly along the edge of the pot, with tofu, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, and a few slices of onion in the center; the ingredients were coated in a dark sauce and were currently bubbling away.

That sweet and salty aroma soon permeated the air, making one's appetite stir involuntarily.

After putting the pot down, the auntie adjusted the flame slightly, said "Enjoy your meal" to the two of them, and turned back to the kitchen.

Pei Zhuxuan, at Lin Xiuyuan's invitation, picked up her chopsticks to grab some ingredients and began to eat while they talked.

To be honest, there were hardly any people out eating Breakfast at this hour.

The TV in the shop was on, but the volume was turned very low; it was broadcasting the morning news, with the anchor reporting the day's weather in a calm tone, occasionally cutting to international reports and some overseas information.

Eating the beef, Pei Zhuxuan savored the sweet sauce, finding the taste even better than she had imagined, so she raised her eyes to look at Lin Xiuyuan across from her.

He was looking down, focused on dealing with the food in the pot, his chopstick movements unhurried.

The atmosphere of their conversation was quite relaxed, with topics remaining on a fairly superficial level.

For example, chatting about how the food at this shop tasted, talking about the recent weather changes in Seoul, or curiously asking how packed the various schedules were at the end of the year.

After all, when it came down to it, the two of them really couldn't be considered particularly close, not yet at the level where they could casually talk about many private matters.

So the conversation naturally stayed within a relatively comfortable and safe range.

Then, after a while, the phone Lin Xiuyuan had placed on the table suddenly vibrated, and the screen lit up.

It drew his gaze, and he subconsciously looked down at it.

It was a new message.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan put down his chopsticks, picked up the phone to unlock it, and after tapping open the chat box, he was slightly stunned.

Because the person who sent the message was none other than the company senior of the person across from him, Kim Taeyeon.

Seeing this name, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

He hadn't expected this little leader to be awake so early, so he quickly typed a line on the screen to reply, his fingers moving skillfully and nimbly.

After sending it, he put the phone back on the table and reached for his chopsticks to continue eating.

Pei Zhuxuan, sitting across from him, had actually been paying attention to this side ever since he picked up his phone.

Even though she didn't ask anything directly, the faint curiosity in her eyes was quite obvious, yet she felt embarrassed to speak.

She could only use her actions to mask her mood, so she picked up her teacup and took a light sip, her gaze lingering on Lin Xiuyuan's face for a moment, as if waiting for him to say something to her.

This led Lin Xiuyuan, after noticing the gaze, to look up at her directly.

Guessing roughly what she was thinking, he explained casually, "Oh, someone replied to a message I sent out to a group."

Pei Zhuxuan was slightly stunned upon hearing this, her expression a bit surprised, "So early?"

Her gaze subconsciously turned to look out the window.

The sky wasn't fully bright yet, the streetlights were still on, and there weren't many cars on the road.

She looked down at the time on her phone again.

It wasn't even seven o'clock yet; it was neither early nor late, a bit awkward.

If it were an artist with a schedule to run, they would usually have to get up at four or five o'clock for makeup, styling, and catching rides, so the whole process was very tight.

But for those without a schedule, most would sleep until nine or ten.

So by comparison, this time slot was a bit in-between.

"So do you have any rehearsals at the end of the year that require getting up early in the morning?"

"Us?" Pei Zhuxuan didn't react for a moment, pointing at herself with a finger, her expression a bit puzzled.

"Your company."

"Who?"

"Taeyeon."

"Ah, Senior Taeyeon~"

Having received the answer she wanted, Pei Zhuxuan nodded thoughtfully, "As far as I know, Senior Taeyeon seems to be in a rest phase right now, with no plans for a comeback; why is she up so early?"

Lin Xiuyuan shook his head, "I don't know either, let me ask."

"No need————"

After speaking, he didn't give Pei Zhuxuan any time to stop him, picking up his phone again to send a message to Kim Taeyeon, the content roughly asking why she was up so early and if something was the matter.

A few seconds later, the phone screen lit up.

But this time it wasn't a message, but an incoming call.

Kim Taeyeon had called directly.

Lin Xiuyuan looked at the caller ID flashing on the screen, smiled, and then answered the phone.

In the seat opposite, Pei Zhuxuan's gaze fell on his face almost instantly.

Originally, she had been looking down, picking at the beef in the pot, but after inadvertently glancing at the caller's name, her movements paused involuntarily.

Although she said nothing, her eyes clearly took on an extra layer of scrutiny.

After all, for a man to be able to get a female—and a female idol with thousands of fans, a woman who had succeeded many times over—to reply so eagerly and even call directly, she wouldn't believe it if there wasn't some special relationship between the two.

As for Lin Xiuyuan, who was being stared at, he didn't avoid suspicion at all and answered directly, his tone very relaxed.

"Hey, Taeyeon, good morning, up so early?"

Kim Taeyeon, on the other end of the line, was still lying in bed.

The curtains in the bedroom were only pulled open a crack, and the faint light of early morning filtered in from outside, the room still holding that quiet and soft atmosphere of having just woken up.

Originally, she had been hugging her quilt and spacing out, her whole person still a bit dazed.

It wasn't until the phone was pressed to her ear and she heard Lin Xiuyuan's voice that her brain's nerves finally woke up a bit.

So she turned over, changing from a lying-on-her-back position to lying on her stomach on the bed, her chin resting on the pillow, her hair scattered somewhat messily on both sides of her shoulders.

She didn't care at all that this posture made her already minimal curves appear even flatter.

Then, she answered with that lazy tone unique to someone who had just woken up, "Just woke up, when did you from that—"

But before she could finish her sentence, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly interrupted her, "Oh, that's perfect, do you want to come out and have breakfast together?"

This situation made Kim Taeyeon pause for a moment, and then she keenly sensed something.

Being a smart person to begin with, after being interrupted by Lin Xiuyuan, she immediately understood that there was someone beside him and it wasn't convenient to talk about that topic.

So she didn't press further, but sat up from her prone position, leaned against the headboard, and frowned slightly, "You ran out to have breakfast this early in the morning?"

"Just happened to have a dining companion." When Lin Xiuyuan said this, he looked at the person opposite him with a smile.

Feeling his gaze cast over, Pei Zhuxuan subconsciously lowered her head, pretending to be focused on eating.

To be honest, she was actually a little nervous inside.

Although Kim Taeyeon was a senior at the company, the two had met many times in private and were quite familiar with each other.

But in this situation, being known by the other party that she was having breakfast with Lin Xiuyuan early in the morning, she felt a bit of an indescribable awkwardness.

Unfortunately, she couldn't stop Lin Xiuyuan's mouth and could only watch helplessly as the person opposite told Kim Taeyeon her name directly.

"With Pei Zhuxuan."

His tone was as frank as it could be, as if he were just stating the most ordinary thing.

Hearing this, a complex look flashed in the depths of Pei Zhuxuan's eyes.

She raised her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, her lips moved, wanting to say something but not saying it out loud.

But strangely, although the emotions in her heart were complex, she felt no aversion at all.

Perhaps it was because Lin Xiuyuan's attitude when saying this was too natural, so natural that it made it impossible for anyone to form any negative associations.

And Kim Taeyeon in the master bedroom was also shocked to widen her eyes upon hearing that Lin Xiuyuan had actually gotten involved with Pei Zhuxuan without a sound.

The little bit of lingering sleepiness she had originally vanished instantly.

Her hand holding the phone tightened, and her voice went up half an octave, "Zhuxuan? When did you two meet? How could you be familiar enough to have breakfast together early in the morning?"

"That's a long story." Lin Xiuyuan didn't intend to explain too much over the phone, just asked simply, "Do you want to come?"

Kim Taeyeon on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment.

She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand; it was 6:47.

If she had to get up, wash up, change clothes, and go out, it would take some time on the road, and it would probably take at least another half hour by the time she got there.

By then, it would be broad daylight, and breakfast or whatever should be finished by then.

Thinking of this, she shook her head very decisively, even though she knew the other party couldn't see, "Forget it, I haven't even gotten up yet, it'll be broad daylight by the time I get there."

It was precisely because she said this that Lin Xiuyuan remembered the question he wanted to ask; he had been led astray by Kim Taeyeon's question just now and almost forgot the main business.

So he said, "Oh right, why are you up so early? According to your schedule, shouldn't you be sleeping until noon?"

Hearing this, Kim Taeyeon stretched, her shoulders making a slight clicking sound, her voice carrying a hint of laziness, "I have to record a song."

"Record a song?" Lin Xiuyuan was a bit surprised, "Are you having a comeback?"

"Not exactly a comeback." Kim Taeyeon propped the pillow behind her back and leaned against it in a more comfortable position, "It's just a title track for a 10th-anniversary solo compilation, it seems there won't be any music show promotions, just releasing it with the album."

After hearing Kim Taeyeon's answer, Lin Xiuyuan nodded lightly, "Understood."

He thought for a moment and then said, "Then do you want me to deliver it to your door later?"

At this time, Pei Zhuxuan, who was sitting opposite, seemed to have heard something incredible.

That head that was originally lowered lifted instantly, looking in shock at the boy opposite who was listening to the phone.

Deliver to the door? Heading to Senior Taeyeon's residence early in the morning? A young person of the opposite sex?

These keywords swirled in her mind, making her immediately understand one thing: she seemed to have stumbled upon a huge piece of gossip.

So she just stared at Lin Xiuyuan like that, her eyes full of curiosity and inquiry.

However, she was sensible enough not to interrupt, just listening quietly, her fingers unconsciously pinching her chopsticks.

In the bedroom of the Apartment, Kim Taeyeon saw that Lin Xiuyuan had offered, so she agreed without any hesitation.

And she immediately started wanting to order, saying she wanted to eat a Sandwich or rice balls, plus a cup of hot Milk, and it would be even better if there was freshly baked bread.

As a result, before she could finish making her wishes, Lin Xiuyuan blocked her with one sentence, "No ordering, at this time of day, there's probably only soup rice or some things from a bakery."

Upon hearing this, Kim Taeyeon asked a bit stubbornly, "Then can I have a cup of coffee?"

"Only instant is available."

To this, Kim Taeyeon snorted coldly, her tone carrying a bit of tsundere dissatisfaction, "Fine, then I'll wait for you."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

Lin Xiuyuan, hearing the busy signal, smiled and put the phone back on the table, then just as he raised his head, he met Pei Zhuxuan's gaze.

Those eyes were staring straight at him, without any concealment of her emotions, and the look in her eyes was almost written with two words: curiosity.

Like a kitten that had suddenly discovered something fresh, she squatted there quietly, but her gaze was very bright.

Lin Xiuyuan was looked at by her like this for two seconds, and couldn't help but want to laugh, "Why are you looking at me like that? Am I that much of a stranger?"

Pei Zhuxuan did not deny her emotions, but nodded quite frankly, and then gave a light "Hmm."

"Very curious."

Then she put her chopsticks on the edge of the bowl, her movements slow, and then folded her hands on the table, her whole body leaning forward slightly.

Her entire posture looked like someone who was already prepared to listen to a story, her gaze incredibly focused.

"Curious about what kind of relationship I have with Taeyeon?" Lin Xiuyuan looked at her like this and simply took the initiative to break the ice.

Pei Zhuxuan nodded immediately upon hearing this, and after nodding, she added, "That's right, if I hadn't never seen you at the company, counting your meeting with Jimin last time, I would have really thought you were someone from the company, otherwise how could you be so familiar with everyone?"

Facing this guess from Pei Zhuxuan, Lin Xiuyuan felt playful and raised an eyebrow.

"Then what if I'm some secret trainee? A hidden ace, a secret weapon."

However, just after he finished speaking, Pei Zhuxuan laughed out loud.

That smile was not a perfunctory, polite one, but rather she was genuinely amused.

Her whole body laughed until her shoulders trembled slightly, and her entire face suddenly became much more vivid, "That's even more impossible, because I am a secret trainee. Besides, I haven't seen any other trainee dare to chat so easily with me, or even with Senior Taeyeon and the others, and take the initiative to tell me they don't want to use honorifics."

And this smile made Lin Xiuyuan look at her twice more.

To be honest, her face usually gave people a somewhat cold and aloof feeling. Her features were exquisite, but when she wasn't showing much emotion, she always seemed to carry a thin layer of distance. It was like a white flower blooming in the mountains; beautiful as it was, it made people hesitant to approach it casually.

But with that smile just now, that sense of blandness instantly dissipated, her whole face became lively, and a bit of vivid vitality appeared between her brows and eyes.

It also made Lin Xiuyuan truly feel the striking beauty of the other person.

Setting aside her figure, just looking at this face alone, it was indeed quite lethal.

At this moment, the sky outside the window was gradually brightening.

The streetlights went out one by one, and a shallow, fish-belly white appeared on the horizon.

The streets began to have a flow of people: students carrying schoolbags to morning classes, office workers walking quickly with briefcases, and some corporate slaves who looked like they had just finished a night shift, their faces full of exhaustion.

There were even a few men in suits who walked into the shop; they were talking while walking toward the counter, and there was a faint smell of alcohol on them.

Their shirt collars were loose and their ties were crooked; they looked like they had just finished drinking all night.

Most likely they had finished a night of carousing, were preparing to eat something to line their stomachs, and then would go buy a cup of iced Americano to seamlessly transition into work.

When Irene noticed someone coming in, her reaction was almost subconscious.

She shifted her body slightly toward the inner side of the booth and pulled her shoulders in.

Her head was slightly lowered, her gaze fixed on the bowl in front of her, trying her best to keep her face from being too conspicuous.

And all these actions were her instinctive reactions as a public figure.

If she were recognized in a small shop like this, although it wouldn't lead to any major incident, it would still be troublesome.

Lin Xiuyuan, who noticed this small movement from her, also glanced in the direction she had just been looking; the few men over there were ordering at the counter, and no one had noticed them yet.

So, after withdrawing his gaze and looking at Irene, he suddenly smiled and tapped the table to offer a suggestion.

"If you don't mind, shall I come over and sit on your side to help block them for you?"

Hearing this, Irene slightly raised her eyes and looked at Lin Xiuyuan.

If it weren't for that phone call from Kim Taeyeon just now, and if it weren't for the clear and frank look in his eyes at this moment, she probably would have really thought he was trying to take advantage of her.

But after their gazes met briefly, she only saw pure kindness in Lin Xiuyuan's eyes, along with that clean, clear quality.

There was no probing, and certainly no ambiguity of trying to deliberately close the distance.

So Irene was silent for a moment, her fingers moving lightly on her chopsticks, as if she were thinking.

A moment later, she still nodded slightly.

"Mm, then I'll trouble you."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan smiled, "I invited you out; strictly speaking, it should be me who brought you trouble."

After speaking, he stood up, walked around the table to the side of the booth, and then sat down next to Irene very naturally.

Once the seat was changed, the distance between the two of them suddenly became much closer.

And Irene also subconsciously shifted inward a little bit to make enough room for him, then lowered her head again, her gaze falling on the pot in front of her, pretending she was focused on eating.

At the same time, the few men who had just entered the shop had already finished ordering.

They carried their trays and found a seat to sit down; one of them subconsciously glanced over here, but the gaze only lingered briefly before moving away quickly.

Perhaps he didn't recognize her, or perhaps he thought it was unlikely to encounter any celebrities in such a small shop early in the morning.

Noticing this, Irene also breathed a quiet sigh of relief in her heart.

Her slightly tense shoulders finally relaxed a little.

After they had all sat down, Lin Xiuyuan turned his head slightly, "It should be fine now; they didn't look over here, they probably didn't recognize you."

"Mm, thank you." Irene nodded slightly and replied in a low voice.

"Don't mention it."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled, picked up his chopsticks again, and picked up a piece of tofu from the pot and put it into his bowl.

Next, the two returned to the state of quietly eating as before.

However, compared to when they were separated by the table just now, the atmosphere was somewhat different.

On the surface, Lin Xiuyuan was eating, but his mind was somewhat distracted.

Although the taste of the Korean beef sukiyaki in front of him was indeed very fragrant, the sweet and salty scent of the sauce was slowly rolling in the pot, steam was constantly rising, and a rich aroma permeated the area around the table.

But even so, that scent still couldn't overpower the other aura coming from beside him.

It was a very faint fragrance.

The scent of this perfume was not particularly strong, carrying a bit of the crispness of cedar, clean and restrained.

It unexpectedly matched Irene's own temperament perfectly.

This person usually gave off a somewhat cold and aloof feeling, like the air of a winter morning, and when mixed with that faint woody fragrance on her, it actually seemed even more natural.

So, don't look at Lin Xiuyuan calmly picking up food; his heart couldn't help but pay a little more attention.

And on the other side, Irene actually smelled the scent on Lin Xiuyuan as well.

However, it wasn't perfume, but more like the refreshing scent left by body wash, carrying a bit of clean soap fragrance.

It was very natural, without any deliberate embellishment.

This scent became exceptionally obvious at such a close distance.

It was precisely at this moment that Irene suddenly realized one thing.

This was the first time she had met an opposite-sex person she had barely just met at dawn, and as soon as they met, they were out eating a somewhat ambiguous breakfast together, and sitting so close.

Close enough to smell the scent on him.

Close enough to see the movement of his fingers when he picked up food.

Close enough that if she turned her head even slightly, she might meet his gaze directly.

This distance made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, so her shoulders were a bit stiff, and even her movements became a little cautious.

Yet, strangely, although this distance made her feel a bit uncomfortable, she couldn't say she disliked it.

Lin Xiuyuan, on the other hand, was very natural, eating and drinking as he pleased, occasionally gesturing for her to eat something too, his movements as casual as if he were treating a friend he had known for a long time.

In the middle of it, he even picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece of beef into Pei Zhuxuan's bowl.

Looking at the piece of beef that had been placed there, Pei Zhuxuan was stunned for a moment, then whispered a thank you.

But what she was thinking about in her mind was something else.

That was, what kind of person is this man, really? How could he be so familiar with senior Taeyeon? And how did he come to know Jimin?

Question after question swirled around in her mind, but in the end, she still did not ask them out loud.

Soon, the sky grew brighter and brighter, and the shop gradually became lively.

The few corporate slaves from before had already finished eating and left, replaced by a few young people who looked like they had just finished a night shift and were preparing to eat before going home to sleep.

The morning news on the television had finished, replaced by a talk show; the host was saying something in an exaggerated tone, and bursts of laughter came from the audience.

Having eaten enough, Lin Xiuyuan put down his chopsticks, picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth, turned his head to look at Pei Zhuxuan, and noticed there was still a small half-bowl of food left in her bowl, "Are you full, or is it not to your taste?"

"I'm full." Pei Zhuxuan also put down her chopsticks and picked up a tissue to wipe the corner of her mouth, "The taste is quite good."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded, then checked the time on his phone, "Well, I have to go deliver Breakfast to Taeyeon in a while. What about you? Going straight back or?"

"Mm, I should head back too. I didn't adjust to the jet lag well last night, so now is a perfect time to go back and catch up on some sleep."

Hearing Pei Zhuxuan say this, Lin Xiuyuan also made a small joke, "Then let's meet again next time? If there's a chance, let's have a nice meal together."

Pei Zhuxuan glanced at him, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile.

"Sure, my treat next time."