Chapter 408: Zheng Xiujing and Park Hyo-min

Evening.

After finishing her schedule this afternoon, Zheng Xiujing had been staying home in her Apartment to rest.

She curled up on the sofa to scroll through her phone for a while, then lay back on the bed to zone out, or went to drink some beverages and eat some fruit, and then stood by the window to stretch her body; she just idled away the time in such a lazy manner.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened during this time, and streetlights lit up one after another; it wasn't until evening that she finally showed some movement.

Or rather, she had accepted an invitation from a friend on Kakao and was preparing to wash up and head out to keep the appointment.

That friend of hers said they had discovered a newly opened Western restaurant with a nice atmosphere and good food, and since the two hadn't seen each other in a long time, they could sit down and have a good chat.

While taking a shower, Zheng Xiujing thought about these things and felt quite good, even considering whether to have a couple of drinks that night.

After finishing her shower, she applied simple, light makeup and tidied herself up a bit.

Finally, she blew her hair until it was half-dry, let it hang over her shoulders, looked in the mirror, and feeling it was OK, she got up to change her clothes.

As it turned out, just as she had finished changing and was ready to leave, her phone suddenly rang.

She walked to the bedside, picked it up, and glanced at the screen; upon discovering that the name on the caller ID was Lin Xiuyuan, Zheng Xiujing's breathing stalled for a moment.

Her finger hovered over the screen, not answering immediately.

Instead, she thought of the situation earlier in the day when Xueli had invited her to have dinner together.

At that time, Xueli had sent her a message saying she was eating with Goo Hara that night and asked if she wanted to come.

Of course, Zheng Xiujing had been very willing at first, and even more so after hearing that Goo Hara would be there, as she wanted to sit down and chat with them; after all, the three of them hadn't gathered in a long time, and it would be a perfect chance to catch up.

Who knew that Xueli would add another sentence later, "Xiuyuan oppa is coming too."

It was this sentence that made her feel a bit off all of a sudden.

It wasn't that she disliked him, but rather a kind of inexplicable, slight resistance.

It was like having lost face in front of someone, so she didn't really want to appear before them, lest she recall those situations that made her blush with shame.

As for what the specific situation was, she and Zheng Xiuyan were likely the only ones who knew, so it was just an instinctive avoidance.

To the point that she had made an excuse at the time, saying she had something on that night and couldn't go.

Yet now, that person had actually called her.

Staring at that name on the screen, various thoughts raced through Zheng Xiujing's mind.

She thought of the scene when she met with Zheng Xiuyan earlier, remembered the things she had said, and recalled those moments that felt a bit foolish in hindsight.

The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to answer this call.

But the phone kept ringing.

It wasn't until it had rung four or five times that Zheng Xiujing pursed her lips and finally swiped the answer button.

Holding the phone to her ear, she tried to keep her tone as flat as possible, even adding a touch of deliberate, petty temper, "Hello, what is it?"

On the other end of the line, Lin Xiuyuan heard Zheng Xiujing's voice, which was clearly tinged with emotion, and subconsciously looked toward Xueli at his side.

Xueli, who was drinking tea, saw Lin Xiuyuan look over and immediately laughed silently, then pointed at the private room, signaling for him to speak up.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan clicked his tongue and then said, "Um, Xiujing, have you eaten yet?"

As soon as this incredibly formulaic opening line came out, Goo Hara, who was sitting next to them, couldn't hold it in and collapsed into Xueli's arms, stifling her laughter.

At the same time, Xueli's shoulders shook with laughter, but she managed to hold it in without making a sound.

And Zheng Xiujing on the other end of the phone was also laughed to the point of anger; was this opening line too stiff?

So, after a speechless laugh, she replied with a hint of disdain, "If you don't know how to start a conversation, don't just call randomly. Seriously, hurry up and say it, why are you looking for me?"

Hearing Zheng Xiujing say that, Lin Xiuyuan's tone finally relaxed, "Actually, it's nothing, I'm just having dinner with Zhenli and the others. Do you want to come over and join us? I heard the beef hotpot at this place is quite fresh and delicious, let's eat together."

Upon hearing this invitation, Zheng Xiujing subconsciously wanted to agree.

After all, she had wanted to go from the start, she liked beef hotpot, and since Xueli and Goo Hara were both there, the three of them hadn't eaten together in a long time.

But just as the words reached her lips, she suddenly remembered that she had just promised a friend and had already arranged to go out.

So she paused, and her heart began to struggle.

Yet it was precisely because of this hesitation that she suddenly heard Lin Xiuyuan's voice from the other end of the phone.

But it wasn't directed at her; it sounded more like he had turned his head to talk to the person beside him, "See, I told you it wouldn't work."

The voice wasn't loud, but she heard it clearly.

Just like that, Zheng Xiujing's brain instinctively took over her body, and her mouth followed suit, "I didn't say I wasn't going, I just woke up and haven't washed up yet, you guys go ahead and eat, I'll be there in a while."

After the words were out, she was stunned herself.

On Lin Xiuyuan's side, he responded, "No problem, we just arrived too, we'll wait for you."

"Yeah, hanging up." Zheng Xiujing said, and quickly hung up the phone.

Then she stood in the Living Room, clutching her phone, still feeling a bit dazed.

What just happened?

How did she end up agreeing?

Hadn't she already made plans with a friend?

Thinking of this, Zheng Xiujing looked down at her phone, recalled the sentence Lin Xiuyuan had just said, and suddenly felt a bit indignant.

What did he mean by "it wouldn't work"?

Who said it wouldn't work?

Didn't I just agree now?

But then she immediately thought of her friend and began to get a headache.

What to do? She had just made the plans, and now she had to cancel?

Standing in place and struggling for about ten seconds, she then very seriously made a decision, which was to stand her friend up.

Anyway—anyway, it wasn't the first time, and her friend should be able to understand, right?

After all, she is an idol; it is normal to have something come up at the last minute.

Thinking this, Zheng Xiujing's finger had already tapped on her friend's number and dialed it.

After the call connected, her voice followed immediately, "Hello, Enhui, I'm sorry, but I might not be able to make it tonight.

Something came up at the company, and I have to go back."

Upon hearing this, her friend immediately expressed understanding, "It's fine, it's fine, you go do what you need to do, we'll reschedule another day; busy as you are, remember to take good care of yourself."

Listening to those caring, comforting words in her ear, Zheng Xiujing's entire face began to feel a little hot.

It was not that she had never lied to people before, but she had truly never deceived a friend for the sake of a man; this feeling of guilt made her heart race, and even the roots of her ears turned red.

"It's nothing, it's just—just a last-minute meeting. Don't worry, I'll contact you when I'm done."

"Okay, then take care of your health and don't get too tired."

"Mm-hmm, bye-bye."

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Xiujing finally let out a long breath, then checked the time, verified that her bag was in order, changed her shoes, and pushed open The Gate to leave.

That hot pot restaurant was indeed quite close to the Apartment where she lived; it took less than twenty minutes by taxi to arrive.

After paying the fare, Zheng Xiujing put on a mask, pushed open The Gate to get out of the car, and walked inside.

The shop was steaming hot, drifting with the rich fragrance of the soup base; there were quite a few customers, and waiters were weaving between the various tables.

After coming in, Zheng Xiujing first reported the private room number, and then a waiter led her through the lobby to the door of the room at the very end.

"It's right here," the waiter said, helping her push open The Gate.

The moment the door to the private room opened, Zheng Xiujing saw the person sitting directly opposite at first glance; Lin Xiuyuan happened to be sitting in the seat facing the door, with a water glass and tableware laid out in front of him, his mobile phone held in his hand.

Seeing her enter, the other party also immediately broke into a smile and put down his phone.

He said with a smile, "Oh, you came quite quickly; I thought I would have to wait a while longer."

Zheng Xiujing, who had walked into the private room, only took off her mask after waiting for the waiter to close The Gate completely.

She glanced at Xueli and Goo Hara sitting to the side.

The two were looking at her with smiles, wearing expressions of watching a good show.

She then withdrew her gaze and replied with feigned composure, "It just happened to be near where I live, not very far."

As she spoke, she walked to the table and looked at the tableware already laid out and the table that had not yet been used, "Why haven't you started eating yet?

I already said there was no need to wait for me."

"It's fine, no rush," Xueli looked at her with a smile, her eyes carrying a hint of deeper meaning, "Some small stir-fries and snacks haven't been served yet; Xiujing, don't just stand there, hurry and sit down."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiujing quickly scanned the seating layout.

The table inside the private room was a large round table; Lin Xiuyuan was sitting in the very center, with Xueli and Goo Hara on his right, the two sitting next to each other and occupying the entire right side.

There were a few empty seats on the left, directly facing Xueli and the others.

If she chose to sit right next to Goo Hara, she would have to go over to Goo Hara's side, in which case she and Lin Xiuyuan would be at opposite ends, enclosing the entire table in a semicircle.

Although there would be nothing wrong with that, it would be somewhat awkward.

Thus, after quickly weighing it in her heart, although Zheng Xiujing felt a little bit of resistance, she still sensibly walked over to the seat on Lin Xiuyuan's left and sat down, not letting this man face any embarrassing situation.

Seeing Zheng Xiujing choose to sit on Lin Xiuyuan's left, Xueli and Goo Hara also quickly exchanged a look, and both could not help but laugh out loud.

That smile carried a meaning that made Zheng Xiujing's heart crawl.

Sure enough, after laughing, Xueli directly began to tease her, "Oh, Xiujing, didn't you say during the day that you were busy and couldn't come? How come you came out as soon as oppa called?"

Hearing this, Zheng Xiujing opened her mouth, but before she could explain, she saw Xueli begin to lean toward Goo Hara, acting like a "green tea" bitch.

"Sigh, unnie, it seems I'm just not as charming as oppa; I couldn't even call Xiujing out."

Goo Hara laughed heartily from the side, hugging her as she replied, "Is this a matter of charm? This is because you, Zhenli, are just not his type."

"Ya!!!" Zheng Xiujing was driven a bit crazy by the teasing, and her face turned red all at once, "Don't talk nonsense! It's not like that!"

She then hurriedly looked at Lin Xiuyuan, attempting to explain the situation to this guy, "It's mainly because I had promised a friend, but that side suddenly stood me up, so that's why I was free to come out at the last minute."

A certain friend in a certain place in Seoul who had been stood up suddenly had a clown face put on them:??? Me? Did I stand you up?

"Oh, so that's how it is," Xueli suppressed her laughter and nodded with an exaggerated expression, "Then it really was me overthinking it."

Zheng Xiujing looked at her obviously disbelieving appearance and really wanted to rush over to suppress the other party and teach her a good lesson.

But just as she wanted to stand up to say something, she met Lin Xiuyuan's gaze the moment she looked up.

The other party was just looking at her quietly, his eyes calm and carrying a hint of a smile, as if waiting for what she was going to say next.

This made Zheng Xiujing freeze up entirely; she opened her mouth and subconsciously said, "Why are you looking at me? I really didn't do that, don't overthink it."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled and handed the menu over, "I'm not overthinking it, I'm just asking what you want to eat. Here, take a look at the menu."

Realizing she had misread the situation, Zheng Xiujing hurriedly took the menu and lowered her head to scan it, attempting to use this action to cover up her cheeks, which were beginning to flush red.

She could feel her face burning, and her heartbeat was a bit fast.

She didn't know why she was like this either; it was as if she didn't want to lose face in front of this man, and in terms of image management in front of him, she was even more serious than when she was an idol.

She didn't take in a single word on the menu, and her mind was a mess.

It wasn't until Xueli asked softly from the side, "Xiujing, what kind of meat do you want to eat?" that she came back to her senses and casually said, "Beef, I guess."

"There's definitely beef, see what cut you want," Goo Hara followed up with a laugh.

Zheng Xiujing said "Mm," forcing herself to focus on the menu; slowly, the heat on her face subsided a little, and she was finally able to order normally.

After ordering, Zheng Xiujing picked up the water glass on the table and took a sip, catching a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of Lin Xiuyuan talking to Xueli; she didn't know what they were chatting about, but Xueli was laughing very happily.

Withdrawing her gaze, she pretended to be examining the decor of the private room.

The private room in this shop was not large, but it was arranged very warmly.

Warm yellow lighting, wooden tables and chairs, and a few traditional-style paintings hanging on the wall.

On a small table against the wall next to them, there were also a few plates of side dishes, including kimchi, radish cubes, and soy sauce-marinated soybeans, which looked quite appetizing.

At this moment, Goo Hara suddenly called out to her, "Xiujing, have you been busy lately?"

"It's fine, my schedule hasn't been busy lately, so I can rest at home. Xueqiu knows this," Zheng Xiujing replied.

"Then what about tomorrow?"

"I have a shoot tomorrow, starting in the afternoon."

"Oh, that's alright, not too busy. What about after the New Year?"

Facing this question from Goo Hara, Zheng Xiujing thought for a moment, "That's not certain. If things follow the trend over there, there definitely won't be anything to do. Why, Unnie, do you have something in mind?"

"Well, we were thinking that after the New Year, we'd like to take a trip to LA to look around. We thought that since none of us are very familiar with it there, it would be better if you were free to come along, Xiujing."

"LA?"

Zheng Xiujing turned her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, "Didn't you just get back from there?"

"Yeah, anyway, I'm not working," Lin Xiuyuan replied righteously.

"How carefree. But why choose LA?"

Facing Zheng Xiujing's curiosity, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze drifted vaguely toward Xueli before straightening his line of sight, picking up a piece of kimchi and stuffing it into his mouth, "I don't know. I've already visited Europe and Nihon, so I thought I'd go check out North America."

This reason was sufficient, so Zheng Xiujing didn't doubt it much, but instead frowned slightly and said, "I'm not sure if I have the time. Let's see. If I'm going, I'll have to prepare now."

"So soon?" Goo Hara exclaimed.

"Schedule arrangements, vacation plans—don't these have to be reported a month in advance? This is normal, Unnie."

"Ah, our company doesn't have so many requirements. You big companies are strict."

"Unnie!!!"

"Hahaha."

Afterward, Xueli also joined in on this topic, and the group began chatting about various possibilities for the trip.

Until the hot pot was brought out—a full, large pot with beef slices arranged neatly, various side dishes lined up on the side, and the soup base bubbling and steaming.

The aroma instantly filled the entire private room.

Year 25.

After Park Hyomin returned home, she first threw her bag onto the cabinet in the entryway, then changed into slippers and walked inside.

There was no one home, so the lights in the Living Room were off; only the city lights from outside the window filtered in, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

Park Hyomin didn't turn on the lights either; she walked straight to the sofa and sat down, her whole body sinking into the soft cushions.

Then, thinking of something, she took out her phone and checked it again. Still no messages.

She then opened her call logs and glanced at the numbers at the very top; they were all to the same person.

Lin Xiuyuan.

But the other party hadn't answered a single one.

Staring at those red "Missed" markers, Park Hyomin took a deep breath, then forcefully threw the phone to the other end of the sofa, not wanting to look at it again.

On the sofa, the phone screen lit up, then went dark again.

Park Hyomin leaned against the sofa, staring blankly out the window.

The night view of Seoul was beautiful, with ten thousand lights and traffic flowing like a tapestry.

But she had no mood to appreciate it at this moment; her mind was filled with complex images and emotions.

Didn't tell me.

That's right, didn't tell me.

You came back and even met up with everyone for a meal, yet you didn't send me a single message.

I reached out first, and you didn't reply either.

That's fine, Lin Xiuyuan.

Closing her eyes, Park Hyomin took a deep breath, telling herself not to think about it anymore; she was already married.

After a while, she stood up, walked into the bedroom, and came out after changing into pajamas.

Off-white silk pajamas, soft and form-fitting; it was the set she liked most.

Just as she walked to the bedroom door after changing, she heard the phone ringing outside in the Living Room.

Almost subconsciously, she ran over, grabbed the phone, and glanced at the screen.

The caller ID displayed: Husband.

This caller ID made her movements pause; the somewhat agitated mood she had felt was instantly cooled, as if boiling water had been poured onto ice.

She swiped to answer and said in a flat tone, "Hello."

"Hey, it's me." A familiar voice came from the other end of the line—her husband.

"Mm, I know. What is it?" Park Hyomin leaned her waist and hips against the sofa cushion, her fair, long legs intertwined.

"I have a meeting at the company tonight. I expect to be busy quite late, so I won't be coming back. You should rest early."

Hearing the explanation from the other end of the phone, Park Hyomin felt no ripples in her heart.

She was too familiar with this kind of excuse—so familiar that she didn't even want to investigate whether it was true or false—so she replied directly, "Got it."

But on second thought, she added, "Take care of your health, don't get too tired."

Even so, they were a married couple after all; occasional concern was still necessary. It was the most basic courtesy and emotion.

"Mm, you too. Hanging up."

"Mm."

""

The call ended. Park Hyomin held the phone in her hand, stared at the screen for a while, and then sat back down on the sofa.

The Living Room was very quiet, with only the faint sound of traffic from outside the window. She looked up at the house.

She had designed the decor herself, every piece of furniture had been carefully selected by her, and the paintings on the walls were works by her favorite artists.

Everything was fine; everything looked perfect.

But at this very moment, Park Hyomin only felt empty.

So, after looking around, she turned her gaze toward the floor-to-ceiling window, outside of which was the night view of Seoul.

The Han River meandered in the distance, the lights from both banks reflected on the water's surface, and tiny specks of light shone from the windows of the high-rise buildings.

This city was very lively, yet she felt as if she had been isolated from it all.

Amidst such emotions, Park Hyomin's mind suddenly recalled things from not long ago.

That is, those days spent traveling in Europe and Dubai with Lin Xiuyuan and the others; those images flashed by frame by frame.

The happiness back then was real, and the smiles back then were also real.

But what about now?

She did not know how much time had passed; it could have been a few minutes, or perhaps half an hour.

In the dim Living Room, only Park Hyomin sat on the sofa, motionless.

The lights outside the window were still brilliant, but her eyes were somewhat vacant.

Suddenly, a long sigh emanated within the dim Living Room.

That sigh carried weariness, helplessness, and also a hint of indescribable loss.

Just then, a soft sound suddenly came from the glass outside the window.

A drop of rain hit it.

Following closely were the second and third drops.

Gradually, the raindrops became more numerous and denser, quickly turning into a heavy downpour.

The rainwater flowed down the glass, blurring the night view outside the window.

Those brilliant lights turned into a patch of hazy light spots, as if looking at the world through a curtain of water.

Watching the rain outside the window, Park Hyomin suddenly felt as if she, too, were looking at this world through some kind of barrier, unable to see it clearly or touch it.

Feeling this, she simply stood up, walked to the window, and pressed her palm against the cold glass.

Watching the rainwater flow outside, her palm also experienced that chill from the inside.

Then she muttered to herself, "It's raining."

No one responded to her.

The Living Room remained quiet, with only the sound of rain faintly drifting in.

After standing for a while, Park Hyomin turned around, picked up her phone from the sofa, and walked slowly back to the bedroom.

After entering the bedroom, she did not turn on the lights, but instead sat directly on the edge of the bed and began scrolling through her phone.

A single point of light in the darkness appeared exceptionally distinct.

The sound of rain outside the window also became increasingly clear in this pitch-black night.

After looking at her phone for a while, Park Hyomin slowly closed her eyes, forcing herself to stop having so many complicated emotions.

Then, she did not know how much time had passed before she finally drifted off into a drowsy sleep.

Only the rain outside the window kept falling.

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