Chapter 434: 456 Fighting poison with poison, using a married woman to control a married woman (Please subscribe, please give monthly

456 Fighting poison with poison, using a married woman to control a married woman (Please subscribe, please give monthly tickets)

Inside the Villa, Lin Xiuyuan sat in the main seat, holding his phone in his hand; the screen was still lit, but the call-ended interface was clearly visible.

It was the other party who hung up, not him who pressed it.

Staring at the small "Call Ended" text for two seconds, Lin Xiuyuan's expression shifted from surprise to confusion, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, nearly unable to keep a straight face.

A moment later, his gaze finally moved away from the phone screen and landed on the troublemaking Dalongzai.

Then, he shook the phone in his hand, screen facing outward so everyone could see the "Call Ended" interface, and said speechlessly.

"Zhiyan, look, she hung up on me directly. Doesn't this prove that there's nothing going on?"

"That's not necessarily true." Dalongzai rested her hands on the tabletop, tilting her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan. "Is it possible that you, Xiuyuan, did something to hurt Unnie, which is why she's like this?"

When she said "hurt," her tone carried an unspoken ambiguity, and she raised her eyebrows slightly, as if hinting at something only adults could understand.

Moreover, she really loved to watch the drama unfold; in the midst of chatting and laughing, she set another trap for Lin Xiuyuan, moving her finger away from in front of her and pointing it precisely at Park Hyomin, who was sitting across from her.

Uh, the one from 2013.

"Hyomin Unnie, judging by your current personality, if you were to infer your self 10 years from now, do you think you would directly hang up on a friend's call?"

Although Park Hyomin was caught off guard by this question and didn't know how to answer, she instinctively shook her head.

The movement wasn't large, but it was certain.

Because she rarely hung up on someone's call directly; even if it were someone she disliked, she would basically just let it ring, at most pressing mute to ignore it and waiting for the call to end on its own.

Mainly, Park Hyomin felt that hanging up was too absolute an action, like slamming The Gate in someone's face, which was a bit impolite.

So, unless she had completely fallen out with the other party and severed all ties, based on her current mindset, she at least wouldn't take the initiative to hang up on anyone's call.

Seeing Park Hyomin shake her head, Dalongzai became even more excited, tapping her finger on the tabletop. "Xiuyuan, look! Unnie said she wouldn't. That must mean you bullied Unnie, which is why she hung up on you!"

Speaking very quickly, she caught her breath and continued, "Seriously, I've known Unnie for so long, and I've never seen her take the initiative to hang up on anyone's call. You count as the first, Xiuyuan."

"Damn, you're being a bit unreasonable, Zhiyan." Lin Xiuyuan's mouth twitched slightly, unable to find a point to refute for a moment.

The others, regarding the situation between the two, were also eating while watching the show; after all, this kind of minor teasing and interaction was the best accompaniment to a meal.

And Dalongzai took the opportunity to laugh, "Then try calling again. If she still doesn't pick up, everyone should understand."

When a former female friend hangs up on a male friend's call twice, if there isn't some story behind it, basically no one would believe it.

And so, Lin Xiuyuan was put on the spot; sitting in his chair, he felt countless gazes shooting over from all directions.

Helpless, he had to turn his head to look at Krystal, who was currently holding a glass of drink, sipping it in small mouthfuls.

Although she returned a look to him, it was the kind that said she couldn't help; after all, if she stood up at this moment, the next person to be ganged up on would be her.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan looked toward Lin YoonA.

The smiling Xiaolu was still holding a spoon in her hand, holding it in mid-air and drawing circles lightly.

Fine, another one watching the show.

Helpless, he had to pick up his phone again, open the contacts, and find the number for the married woman Park Hyomin.

Looking at that number, Lin Xiuyuan's finger hovered over the screen for a second, then he pressed the call button.

The "beep~ beep~ beep~" dial tone came through the speaker.

Fortunately, she picked up this time.

The moment the call connected, Lin Xiuyuan was about to speak, but the voice coming from the receiver made his expression change slightly.

This was not the voice of the married woman Park Hyomin he had expected, but a crisper, more lively female voice.

"Hello, Xiuyuan~"

Lin YoonA, who had just been laughing with Lin Xiuyuan, had her expression change immediately; her eyes widened, her gaze landing on the phone in Lin Xiuyuan's hand, and she silently mouthed a sentence, the lip-reading very clear: Xiuyuan, this is Shun Gui Unnie.

However, Lin Xiuyuan didn't see it; focused on that voice on the other end of the phone, his brain was rapidly searching for who the owner of this voice was.

But in the end, he didn't guess who it was, so he asked back, "Ah, who are you?"

Then Kim Taeyeon also said softly from the side, "Idiot, this is Shun Gui."

Although the voice wasn't loud, it still traveled into the phone, allowing Sunny on the other end to hear it.

So, that "idiot" from Kim Taeyeon made her shout in shock, "What? Taeyeon, you're with Xiuyuan?"

On the other side.

The car was speeding along the highway in the night; streetlights flashed past the car window one after another, casting alternating light and shadow on the windshield.

Sunny, sitting in the passenger seat, held the phone in her hand, the screen's light reflecting on her face, illuminating her expression clearly.

Seeing that she had been discovered, Kim Taeyeon could only reply, "Yeah, Shun Gui, why are you with Hyomin? Aren't you at the company in Lion City?"

On the car side, Sunny glanced at Park Hyomin, who was driving. "I came over to play for a few days. Have you two eaten? I just got off the plane and am about to go eat; come over and join us."

Facing this question, Kim Taeyeon didn't answer immediately, but looked at Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan received that look and didn't answer immediately, instead lifting his chin slightly, gesturing around the Living Room.

Seeing this, Kim Taeyeon, understanding his meaning, replied apologetically, "Shun Gui, how great it would have been if you had called earlier. Now that I, Xiuyuan, and our friends have all sat down, it's hard to leave. Why don't you guys go? I'll find you after I finish eating later."

The married woman Park Hyomin, who was driving, felt her hands on the steering wheel tighten slightly upon hearing this; the movement was very small, so small that if one didn't look closely, it wouldn't be noticeable at all.

But Sunny saw it.

Her gaze had been fixed on Park Hyomin, and she hadn't truly looked away since getting in the car, so she saw the subtle changes in Park Hyomin's expressions from the moment she hung up the phone earlier to now, while she was chatting with Lin Xiuyuan.

She also saw her subtle reaction when Kim Taeyeon's voice appeared beside Lin Xiuyuan, and saw the moment she tightened her grip on the steering wheel just now.

Those details were like puzzle pieces Sunny picked up, placing them in her palm to piece together a rough pattern bit by bit, and so the look she directed at her became strange.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes narrowed, and her whole person radiated an aura of alertness.

Until Kim Taeyeon on the other end of the phone called her again, "Shun Gui? Shun Gui? Are you still listening?"

Sunny then came back to her senses and said, "Is that so? Then that's perfect, I'll come find you guys with Hyomin later."

Then she quickly stated a temporary decision, "It's been so long, I don't think I've ever been to the Tavern that Xiuyuan opened. I have to go see it tonight no matter what; don't stand me up."

Kim Taeyeon, who had just said it casually or intended to go find Sunny herself, had no choice but to look at Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan picked up his phone and checked the time; it was neither early nor late, and if they had to wait now, there was still some time to go.

So, he beat around the bush, "Teacher Shun Gui, we might be a bit late on our end."

However, Sunny's reply was crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation, "It's fine, it's rare to be back for a few days anyway, I can sleep in until I wake up naturally tomorrow, we'll wait for you."

To this, what else could Lin Xiuyuan say?

Could he say "no"? Could he say "you're not welcome"?

Obviously, he could not.

So he could only agree, "Alright then, see you later, we'll call you once we're finished here."

After speaking, he waited for an "okay" from the other side before hanging up the phone.

Once the call ended, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Dalongzai immediately and called her out directly, "Zhiyan, you are not allowed to run off later."

"Why?"

"You caused this trouble, so you have to come with us to deal with Shun Gui; doesn't this count as looking for trouble for yourself?"

Facing this statement from Lin Xiuyuan, Dalongzai gave him a very charming roll of her eyes, then let out a soft huff and said very calmly, "It's fine, I just happen to want a couple of drinks, if we're going, we're going."

After that, the gathering continued; because it was rare for everyone to be present, the conversation became increasingly relaxed.

Starting from gossiping about artists who were considered okay in 2013 but had already had their reputations ruined by 2025, those people were brought up one by one, discussing why they fell, how thoroughly they fell, and whether there was any possibility of a comeback.

Then came the bumpy paths they each took later on; some pitfalls that could have been avoided but were stepped into due to a lack of experience or insufficient information were also brought up for discussion.

They analyzed why they had made those choices at the time and what they would do if they could do it all over again.

Then they continued to talk about their respective subsequent developments.

Still the same point: because everyone was there, they all expressed their own opinions, and the voices became increasingly boisterous.

Some wanted to be producers, some wanted to open studios, some wanted to transition into acting, some wanted to retire behind the scenes, and some wanted to develop their careers abroad.

Every idea had its supporters and its skeptics, with the sounds of debate rising and falling.

So much so that later on, because they had drunk a little alcohol and it had gone to their heads, the two pairs of rivals—Jessica and Zheng Xiuyan, and Park Jiyeon and Dalongzai—started their tit-for-tat drama again.

Jessica said Zheng Xiuyan's brand design lacked creativity and she only knew how to cheat; Zheng Xiuyan said Jessica hadn't improved in all these years, having started a business for ten years only to run back on stage to jump around, which was embarrassing.

Dalongzai said Park Jiyeon was too young and didn't understand anything; Park Jiyeon said Dalongzai was too old and couldn't keep up with the times.

The voices of the few grew louder and louder, and their emotions became increasingly agitated.

One pair almost started throwing things directly.

Jessica's hand had already grabbed a corner of the tablecloth, and Zheng Xiuyan's hand had already gripped the stem of her wine glass.

One pair almost started a fight directly.

Park Jiyeon stood up and rolled up her long sleeves, and Dalongzai also took off her small vest; the two people's gazes collided in the air, neither willing to yield to the other.

This incredibly exaggerated scene scared Lin Xiuyuan, Krystal, and the others into hurriedly pulling them apart.

Among them, Lin Xiuyuan stood up from his chair, walked quickly between Jessica and Zheng Xiuyan, and together with Krystal and Lin YoonA, separated the two and pulled them backward.

He even shouted, "Don't mess around, don't mess around; if you break things, we'll have to call someone to fix them, it costs money."

On the other side, Kim Taeyeon, Tian Enjing, and the others also walked up to Dalongzai and Park Jiyeon; one person pressed down on Dalongzai's clenched fist, while another pressed down on the fork Park Jiyeon had casually grabbed.

Others were persuading, others were laughing; the entire Living Room was like a bustling marketplace, incredibly noisy.

Finally, the Living Room was partitioned into two parties, and everyone was divided into two groups, separated by the corridor of the sofa and the long table, and only then did they survive this crisis.

Time continued in this manner until the dead of night.

Because it was the end of the year, there were many scheduled activities for both the 2013 side and the 2025 side, so they ended this rare gathering with some reluctance.

Under Lin Xiuyuan's door-opening service, he stood before the Time Gate like a dutiful doorman, sending them back to their respective homes one by one.

As for the cars they drove over, that was a matter for later.

However, Dalongzai was not let go by Lin Xiuyuan; regarding this divorced wife who had just dug a pit for him, he insisted that he had to take her along tonight to deal with another wife who hadn't divorced yet.

Fighting poison with poison, using a wife to deal with a wife—this strategy might sound unreliable, but Lin Xiuyuan really couldn't think of a better way.

For him to face Sunny and that wife Park Hyomin alone, the pressure was truly too great; he really needed someone by his side to share the fire.

The same went for Kim Taeyeon.

It was just that she had already drunk quite a bit; although she could still remain sober and her consciousness was still clear, her walking was already staggering.

Her little face was flushed, her eyes were a bit unfocused, and her whole person radiated a state of clarity before the limit.

Under these circumstances, Sunny called again.

The phone vibrated on the coffee table, the screen lit up, and the caller ID displayed Sunny's name.

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at the time; it was past 12:00 AM. Since she was calling so late, it seemed she really didn't intend to let him off.

Helpless, he had to pick up the phone and swipe to answer.

"Hello, Xiuyuan, haven't you finished yet?"

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at Kim Taeyeon beside him, then looked at Dalongzai standing to the side, "We just finished here, you guys come over directly, we'll be there soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came through the phone by his ear.

"We've already arrived, the car is parked in the alley at the entrance of your Small Tavern; hurry up, we can't wait."

This answer surprised Lin Xiuyuan, and even Dalongzai looked toward the direction of the floor-to-ceiling window, meaning that Sunny and the wife Park Hyomin were standing at the entrance of the alley outside right now.

Damn it, they were being blocked at their own doorstep; if they went out, they would be marked at the fountain in a heartbeat.