Chapter 407: Two Phone Calls from Two Places

Noon.

After Kim Taeyeon had eaten her fill at home, she tidied up and set off for the SM Company.

If it weren't for the fact that today's recording matters truly needed to be handled, she, having abstained from staple foods for these past few days and having tasted the sweetness of it again, really wouldn't have been willing to let Lin Xiuyuan go.

And after walking into the company building and taking the elevator up to the recording studio floor.

Just as she turned into the hallway, Kim Taeyeon ran into an acquaintance walking toward her.

It was a dance teacher at the company, in her thirties, a peer just like her.

"Wow, Taeyeon."

That teacher's eyes lit up when she saw her, "How have you become even better looking? I haven't seen you for a few days, your complexion is just too good."

Before Kim Taeyeon could even manage a humble response, two backup dancer unnies she knew walked over from the side, and they were also stunned when they saw her.

One of them even leaned in directly to examine her face closely, "Your skin is so good! Taeyeon, where did you go for skincare? Introduce it to me, I want to go too."

"Exactly, exactly." The other one chimed in, "You've become pretty again, it's too infuriating."

After that, similar remarks didn't stop along the way.

Kim Taeyeon walked from one end of the hallway to the other; in that short distance of several dozen meters, almost every acquaintance she met had to compliment her.

Some praised her complexion, some praised her glowing skin, and others directly asked if she was in a relationship.

Of course, she laughed off this last question.

However, hearing these words did indeed put her in a good mood, so the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upward, and her eyes crinkled into smiles.

And her reply to everyone was very uniform: "Actually, I just slept enough. I've slept nearly twenty hours every day for the past two days. You guys should try resting like this too; your whole person will actually feel brand new."

But as soon as this answer came out, the expressions of those few who were originally eager to ask for skincare secrets changed instantly.

They looked at each other one after another, then stared at Kim Taeyeon with eyes full of resentment in unison. After a few seconds of silence, they each dispersed.

This left Kim Taeyeon feeling a bit bewildered, but she didn't think much of it and pushed the door open to enter the recording studio.

Then, while waiting for the recording teacher on the sofa, she took out her phone to message Lin Xiuyuan, recounting what had just happened, her tone carrying a hint of smugness.

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan was eating spicy hot pot at a small shop near the Villa.

The shop was steaming hot, and a large bowl was placed in front of him, with red oil floating fragrantly and all kinds of ingredients piled up to the brim.

While picking up wide glass noodles to put into his mouth, Lin Xiuyuan looked at his phone, staring at the few messages Kim Taeyeon had just sent, and couldn't help but laugh.

He then typed a reply with one hand, "Taeyeon, your words are a bit provocative. It's not that people don't want to sleep; it's that they don't have the time to sleep."

After sending it, he added another line, "Do you think everyone is like you, able to sleep for twenty hours? People are so busy working and doing overtime every day that their feet don't even touch the ground. You asking them to try resting like this—isn't that just pure provocation?"

Seeing these two messages, Kim Taeyeon was stunned for a moment before she realized it in hindsight.

"Ah, I forgot. Now that you put it that way, I think I might have been a bit excessive just now."

Lin Xiuyuan replied instantly, "More than just a bit. Although I wasn't on the scene, I can definitely imagine the look they gave you. They were probably thinking, 'Is this person humble-bragging?' They probably even had the urge to hit you."

Looking at this message, Kim Taeyeon couldn't help but laugh out loud. She leaned on the sofa, holding her phone, and typed, "Then I'll change my excuse next time and say I went to get a Water Light Needle."

"That's even worse; they'll definitely pester you for the hospital address."

"Then what should I do?"

"Just say that natural beauty is hard to abandon, and let them be envious."

"Hey, that's even more provocative." Kim Taeyeon looked at this message, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Just as she was about to reply further, the door to the recording studio was pushed open, and the recording teacher walked in, "Taeyeon, warm up your voice. We'll start recording in ten minutes."

"Understood."

After responding, Kim Taeyeon quickly sent a message to Lin Xiuyuan, "Starting recording now, talk tonight."

The other side quickly replied with "Mm, go ahead."

Afterward, Kim Taeyeon put away her phone, stood up to straighten her clothes, and walked into the inner recording booth.

Over at the spicy hot pot shop, Lin Xiuyuan had just put down his phone and hadn't even had a chance to continue eating what was in his bowl when his phone rang again.

But this time it was a call, and a name popped up on the screen: Krystal.

Glancing at the caller ID, he quickly answered, "Hello, Xiujing."

Immediately following, Krystal's voice came from the other end of the line, as concise and clear as always, "Xiuyuan, I'm on a flight in a bit. Come pick me up tonight."

——

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment and subconsciously repeated, "Tonight?"

"Mm, do you have plans?"

Hearing Krystal's reply, Lin Xiuyuan felt a bit of a headache; the main thing was that this timing caught him off guard.

However, he had nothing to hide from Krystal, so he told her the situation directly, "Mm, I just made plans for dinner with Xiaoxueqiu this morning. You tell me what time you arrive first? I'll see if I can make it."

"Xueqiu?"

Krystal paused on the other end. Once she heard it was related to Xueli, her tone changed immediately, and she replied without hesitation, "Then go have dinner with her; I'll go back by myself. But bring her over tonight; it's been a while since I've seen her too."

Lin Xiuyuan, who was biting on a crab stick, nodded while chewing, "Alright, then I'll bring her to find you after dinner."

"Mm, hanging up." After Krystal finished speaking, she hung up the phone decisively, taking less than twenty seconds in total.

And Lin Xiuyuan, looking at the ended call on his phone screen, shook his head, smiled, and then continued to lower his head to eat his spicy hot pot.

The rest of the afternoon passed even faster.

After finishing the spicy hot pot, Lin Xiuyuan returned to the Villa and stayed for a while, then went to see Dalongzai and the others through the Anywhere Door, chatted with them for a bit, and found a little comfort.

By the time evening arrived, the sunset glow on the horizon gradually receded, and just as the last trace of sunlight was about to disappear, he opened the Time Gate right on time and returned to the 2013 Apartment.

But not long after he left 2025, Park Hyomin, who had just finished working out, came out of the Gym. Wiping off her sweat, she picked up her phone, thinking of asking Dalongzai and the others out for dinner.

It had been some days since they last gathered after returning.

She called Dalongzai, and the other side answered quickly, "Hello, unnie~"

"Zhiyan, are you guys free tonight? Want to go out for a meal?" Learning that they were gathered together that afternoon, Park Hyomin asked while walking toward the parking lot.

Then a burst of laughter came from Dalongzai's side, "Ah, are you eating now? We just finished eating not long ago, so we aren't very hungry."

"What time is it? You've already finished dinner?" Park Hyomin glanced at the time; it was past six in the evening, a normal time for dinner.

"No, we went out for tea and snacks with Lin Xiuyuan this afternoon, so we aren't very hungry right now."

As soon as Dalongzai finished speaking, the laughter of Li Juli and Tian Enjing came from beside her; the two were laughing especially heartily, clearly watching a show.

Upon hearing this, Park Hyomin froze for a moment, and her footsteps even came to a halt, "That guy is back?"

Previously, she had only learned from Tian Enjing that Lin Xiuyuan had gone out to have fun and hadn't returned yet.

At this moment, Li Juli snatched the phone from Dalongzai and shouted, "Yeah, Hyomin, didn't Xiuyuan tell you?"

There was another burst of laughter on the other end of the line; both Dalongzai and Tian Enjing were laughing hysterically.

Hearing this, Park Hyomin subconsciously took down her phone and scrolled through the message list on it.

No reply.

Ever since returning from Dubai last time, Lin Xiuyuan hadn't sent her a single message, and even the few she had taken the initiative to send hadn't received any response.

Then she scrolled up through the chat history, and the last message was still one she had sent.

After looking around, Park Hyomin gritted her teeth, her gums tightening, but she still forced a smile, trying to make her voice sound normal.

"No, we haven't communicated since we came back last time. I haven't even looked for him."

That last sentence, "I haven't even looked for him," was her final bit of stubbornness.

Although the fact was that she had looked for him and he hadn't replied, it would be so embarrassing to say that out loud.

It was better to say she hadn't looked for him at all; at least it made her seem less concerned.

Hearing this answer, Li Juli on the other end of the line exchanged glances with Dalongzai and Tian Enjing beside her; all three were holding back laughter, but no one exposed her.

Then Li Juli said "Oh" and spoke in a normal tone, "I see, then do you want to come over? We are at Enjing's place."

"No thanks." Park Hyomin continued walking toward the parking lot, "I'm heading back first, let's meet another day."

"Alright, then be careful on your way."

After hanging up, Park Hyomin sat in the car, threw her phone onto the passenger seat, gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and stared blankly at the windshield in front of her for a few seconds.

No reply to the message.

Not a single one.

She took a deep breath, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot.

Outside the window, the streets of Seoul were bustling with traffic, and the neon lights were beginning to shine, but her mood couldn't brighten up at all.

While waiting for a red light, she picked up her phone and took another look.

Still no new messages.

This situation angered her enough to throw the phone back onto the passenger seat, step on the gas, and merge the car into the flow of traffic.

Forget it, I won't think about it; if he wants to reply, he will, if not, he won't.

But soon, she couldn't help but continue thinking: That guy had tea and snacks with Juli and the others this afternoon, so he surely doesn't have any plans for the evening, right? Should I make a call or send a message to ask?

The more she thought, the more annoyed Park Hyomin became; she opened the car window to let the cold wind blow in, trying to calm herself down.

No, that's not right, I'm already married, this is—

Ah, so annoying!!!

However, while muttering "so annoying," Park Hyomin's fingers still subconsciously tapped open her contacts and dialed Lin Xiuyuan's number.

Beep~ beep~ beep~

2013, Seoul, the lights were just coming on.

After returning to the Apartment, Lin Xiuyuan called Xueli at the first opportunity.

And the other side answered almost instantly; the speed was so fast it even surprised him a little.

Her voice was sweet, carrying a smile, "Hello, oppa~ you're back."

Hearing her voice, Lin Xiuyuan replied, "Yeah, just got back. Where are you now? Do you want me to come pick you up?"

He held the phone between his shoulder and ear while grabbing his car keys from the shelf.

Then he pulled open a drawer, fished out some cash, stuffed it into his pocket, and only then walked out the door.

Although smartphones were already widespread in 2013, mobile payments weren't as convenient as they were in '25; most places required card swipes or cash.

So every time he went out here, he had to remember to put some loose change in his pocket, lest he be unable to pay by card at checkout, which would be awkward.

On the other end of the line, Xueli looked at her surroundings and replied, "Oppa, I'm near where Hela unnie lives; why don't you drive over and pick us up?"

"Is Hela with you?" Lin Xiuyuan asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"And what about Zheng Xiujing?" Lin Xiuyuan asked again.

As soon as this was asked, Xueli's laughter came immediately from the other end of the line; after laughing twice, she replied, "I had already made plans, but as soon as Xiujing heard it was to eat with you, she refused immediately. Honestly, oppa, you scared her a bit."

After leaving the house and stepping into the Elevator, Lin Xiuyuan was very helpless, "Nonsense, how long has it been since I saw her? This has nothing to do with me; that silly girl must be overthinking things on her own and imagining too much."

"

Although Krystal's personality in '25 had indeed changed quite a bit, some of her essential habits were still retained.

So Lin Xiuyuan, who considered himself to have a decent understanding of Krystal, couldn't say he saw through her 2013 self at a glance, but at least he wasn't completely clueless.

Don't look at her face; while it might be cold on the surface, she had many little thoughts in her heart, and she could imagine an entire drama series all by herself.

"Oppa, you're really smart," Xueli said with a laugh on the other end.

After finding his car in the parking lot, Lin Xiuyuan immediately pulled the door open and sat in, "That goes without saying. Alright, I'm driving over now, see you in a bit."

"See you in a bit."

After hanging up, Lin Xiuyuan started the car and drove out of the parking lot.

Although Seoul isn't big, the traffic jams are truly real.

Especially during this evening rush hour, the traffic on the main road was slow, with one traffic light after another.

So, despite the journey being less than ten kilometers, Lin Xiuyuan drove for a full half-hour before finally arriving at the location Xueli mentioned.

Then, from a distance, he saw two figures standing by the side of the road.

Both were wearing coats; Xueli was wrapped in a light-colored scarf, and Goo Hara was wearing a beanie, making them particularly conspicuous under the streetlights.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had pulled the car over to the side, honked the horn. Seeing the car, the two immediately walked over with smiles, pulled open the back door, and climbed in.

After Lin Xiuyuan glanced at them through the rearview mirror, he complained with a hint of amusement, "I say, you two treat me like a taxi driver, right? Both of you sitting in the back, leaving me alone to drive."

Hearing this, Xueli reacted immediately, "Hee hee, then I'll sit in the passenger seat to keep you company, oppa."

After saying this, she really got out of the car without the slightest hesitation, pulled open the front passenger door, and sat inside.

This left Goo Hara alone in the middle of the back seat; she turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan through the rearview mirror with a hint of resentment, "Now you're happy, Xiuyuan, but now I'm the one who's uncomfortable."

"I'll treat you to something delicious in a bit," Lin Xiuyuan said with a smile.

"That's more like it." Goo Hara, who was very easy to coax, immediately broke into a smile, and the resentment, which was just a joke anyway, vanished instantly.

Once both were seated, Lin Xiuyuan stepped on the gas, and the car continued forward, heading straight for a beef hot pot restaurant they had booked long ago.

In November in Seoul, the temperature was indeed a bit cold, and pedestrians on the street were bundled up tightly in their coats.

Eating some piping hot pot in this kind of weather, with hot beef to eat, the whole person would warm up; it was a very good choice.

Along the way, Goo Hara kept pestering Lin Xiuyuan to chat about some things from the '25 side.

Especially that trip to Europe; Goo Hara was particularly interested, and later she asked about many details of skiing in Niseko.

Lin Xiuyuan answered while driving, and occasionally when asked about something in detail, he even had to recall the specific scene.

"Is the snow at that ski resort really that good?" Goo Hara asked, leaning over with her hands gripping the back of the front seat.

"Mm, the snow in Niseko is indeed quite good—powder snow, it's especially comfortable to ski on," Lin Xiuyuan said.

"What are the streets like there? Is it particularly exotic?"

"It's alright, it's a ski town, after all; there are ski shops and restaurants everywhere, and the architectural style is quite European."

99

Goo Hara's eyes lit up as she listened, so she asked many more questions.

Lin Xiuyuan could tell that she seemed to yearn for that kind of free travel state.

So, while waiting for a red light, he looked back at her and pointedly asked, "Hela, are you wanting to go skiing, or are you wanting to go traveling?"

Goo Hara, being asked, thought for a moment, cupped her exquisite little face with her hands in a flower shape, tilted her head, and said, "A bit of both, but more of the latter; skiing is too tiring."

That pose, paired with her expression, was indeed very beautiful and charming.

"Then once you're done with your work, just head out. Go wherever you want to play; there will always be vacation time, right?"

Hearing this, Goo Hara nodded gently, "There definitely is, but we'll see. I feel like the time will be quite fragmented, not enough for a trip at all."

Then she sighed, "There's a lot to do at the end of the year, and new schedules at the beginning of the year; it's very hard to scrape together a complete long vacation."

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her through the rearview mirror, said nothing more, and continued driving.

After a while, he suddenly turned his head to look at Xueli in the passenger seat.

Previously, Xueli had been staring at him with smiling eyes; he didn't know how long she had been looking, but she didn't hide when he discovered her, instead smiling even more happily.

Gazing at that smiling face, Lin Xiuyuan also asked with a smile, "And what about you, Zhenli?"

"Me?" Xueli pointed at herself, a bit surprised, "What about me?"

"Do you want to go out and have some fun with Hela too?" Lin Xiuyuan said, "Staying cooped up in Seoul working all the time isn't the way to go."

Xueli blinked, "Then where to?"

"I don't know, just chatting casually."

Once this question came out, the car immediately became lively, and the three of them began to discuss it all at once.

From modes of travel to destinations, from activities to recommended attractions, they said a lot.

For example, Goo Hara wanted to go shopping in Europe, while Xueli wanted to go to the seaside to space out.

After discussing for a long time, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly thought of something and stared at that lovely person in the passenger seat, "How about after the New Year, we head straight to Los Angeles?"

"LA?" Xueli was a bit surprised, "What are we going there for?"

Goo Hara also leaned her little head over from the back, "Yeah, going there at this time—although the sunshine is still nice and the temperature is suitable, the time suitable for swimming in the sea has already passed. There's really nothing fun to do there, right?"

However, Lin Xiuyuan had already thought through the content in his heart, so when faced with their curiosity, he stated his idea directly.

"Go see Hollywood, do some shopping, and then head straight to Las Vegas. Play there for a few days, the timing is just right."

"Las Vegas?" Goo Hara's eyes lit up, "The gambling city?"

"Right, the gambling city," Lin Xiuyuan nodded, "Even if you don't gamble, there's a lot to play with there, for example, shows,

hotels, shopping centers, and there are also various theme parks. Plus, driving there from LA, experiencing a North American road trip along the way is also quite good."

Listening to this very simple PPT given by Lin Xiuyuan, Goo Hara was indeed somewhat tempted; after all, compared to sports-style travel like skiing, she actually preferred leisurely types like strolling and shopping.

A place like Las Vegas sounded very much to her taste.

Thinking of this, she turned her gaze toward Xueli.

Receiving the signal, Xueli smiled slightly, "Then let's settle on it first. It's hard to say anything for sure right now; we still have to see if the time allows it."

"OK," Lin Xiuyuan replied.

The car continued to drive forward, and the streetscape outside the window kept receding.

The three of them continued to discuss the details of the trip in the car; the atmosphere became increasingly lively, Xueli's laughter rang out from time to time, Goo Hara's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and Lin Xiuyuan gave them ideas while driving.

Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of that beef hot pot restaurant.

The shop was steaming hot, filled with the rich fragrance of the soup base; there were many customers, but there were still seats available.

However, Lin Xiuyuan and the two, who had already booked a private room, headed straight for the private room as soon as they entered. After the waiter led them into the room, they also handed over the menu with both hands.

Lin Xiuyuan took the menu and handed it to the two people beside him, "You two take a look and see what you want to eat."

Faced with this, Xueli and Goo Hara were not polite; they took the menu and began to study it.

They huddled together whispering, occasionally pointing at the pictures on the menu to discuss a few things, and then let out soft laughter.

At the next table, Lin Xiuyuan leaned against the back of his chair and watched them, suddenly feeling that this kind of daily life was quite comfortable.

Without so many complicated matters, just eating, chatting, and planning future trips.

The night outside the window grew thicker; looking out from the private room's window, the distant streetlights had already lit up into a warm ribbon of light.

Soon, Xueli finished ordering and returned the menu to the waiter, and after the waiter left the private room, she turned her gaze toward Lin Xiuyuan, "By the way, oppa, do you want to give Xiujing a call and ask her again if she's coming over?"

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, "You both called her; since she doesn't want to see me, it would be awkward if I asked, so let's wait for her to figure it out herself."

However, Goo Hara held a different opinion, "Xiuyuan, I think that Zhenli asking Xiujing and you opening your mouth to ask her yourself are two different things."

"Exactly, exactly." Xueli nodded vigorously from the side.

"What difference would there be?" Lin Xiuyuan asked curiously.

Looking at Lin Xiuyuan's handsome facial features, Goo Hara laughed along, "It seems those good older sisters from 25 years ago still haven't been able to teach you to be perfect; how could you not know such common sense?"

"What do you mean?"

"A man's initiative versus an invitation from a middleman, can these be the same?"

Faced with Goo Hara's teasing and Xueli's smiling face, Lin Xiuyuan finally picked up his phone and dialed Zheng Xiujing's number.

Beep~ beep~ beep~