Chapter 435: 459 This man, she likes him so much!!

457 This man, she likes him so much!!! (Please subscribe, please vote for monthly tickets)

Considering the situation of Park Hyomin and Sunny, in the end, the three of them—Lin Xiuyuan and the others—did not leave from the Villa, but chose to flash over to Dalongzai's side, and then took a taxi from there.

There was no help for it; the last time Jessica directly camped the spawn point, she had already tested that route and found it wrong, so Lin Xiuyuan really didn't want to do it again.

The night view of Seoul outside the window flashed past the car window, and the inside of the car was also very quiet, with only the low roar of the engine and the sound of warm air blowing from the air conditioner. Reading novels every day is super convenient, 𝑡𝑡𝑘. 𝑡𝑤 enjoy it anytime.

In the absence of traffic jams, it only took about ten minutes from Dalongzai's Apartment to the Small Tavern.

As the car approached the familiar roadside, it slowed down and stopped.

Lin Xiuyuan, who pushed open the car door and got out first, hadn't even had time to help anyone when Kim Taeyeon's feet had already touched the ground.

Then her legs went soft, and her whole body leaned against him; fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan had been prepared, and he tightened his arm to steady her.

Dalongzai got out of the car from the other side.

And when Park Hyomin saw that Dalongzai had actually followed Lin Xiuyuan and Kim Taeyeon out of the car, her expression was also somewhat surprised.

As she looked at Lin Xiuyuan, Sunny had already stepped forward to support the somewhat staggering Kim Taeyeon, taking her from Lin Xiuyuan's side and letting her lean against herself.

"No, Xiuyuan, why did you guys drink so much?"

As she spoke, she moved her gaze away from Kim Taeyeon's face and landed on Dalongzai, "And Zhiyan, why are you here too? Were you all having a meal together just now?"

"Mm, it was me who asked Xiuyuan and Unnie to eat together." Dalongzai bluffed very calmly.

A lie requires many lies to supplement it; that was the situation right now.

Over there, after paying the taxi fare, Lin Xiuyuan turned around and greeted Sunny and Park Hyomin, "Hi, good morning."

The voice was not loud, but it was heard very clearly in the quiet night.

"Look at this weather, is it considered morning." Sunny made a speechless remark, even jutting her chin toward the pitch-black night sky, a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.

There was no malice in these words; it was more of a tease.

However, Lin Xiuyuan answered while walking toward the entrance of the Small Tavern to open The Gate, "It's the morning of the next day once it's past midnight, no problem there."

At the same time, the door lock finished verifying, and with a "click," the latch sprang open.

The door hinge emitted a slight "creak," and a gust of warm air carrying a woody fragrance and a faint scent of alcohol surged out from inside, wrapping around the scent of aged oak and citrus notes as it rushed toward them.

As The Gate was opened, Lin Xiuyuan walked in and turned on all the lights.

When the soft halo spread across the dark walls, this Small Tavern, which hadn't been entered for some time, once again radiated its vitality.

Those Glass Cups wiped spotless, those neatly arranged wine bottles, those dark tablecloths spread on the bar counter, and so on...

Although it had been a while since anyone came to the Small Tavern, Krystal and the others still had people come over for maintenance.

Twice a week, a cleaning company would send people to clean, wipe the barware, check the equipment, and replenish consumables.

So the fruit platters and drinks inside were not lacking anything, and the hygiene was extremely clean.

Sunny and Park Hyomin, who followed behind, only curiously scanned the environment before withdrawing their gazes.

The Tavern's environment was neither good nor bad; one could only say the atmosphere was quite good, but it was just a bit small.

The color tone of the entire space was dark and warm, the privacy was very good, and it was suitable for a few people to sit down and drink and chat quietly, but it was not suitable for those large gatherings of dozens of people.

This was a thought shared by both of them.

Dalongzai, who was the last to enter, closed The Gate, instantly isolating the cold air and night outside, then turned around and shouted toward the bar counter.

"Xiuyuan, get me a cup of honey water; my head is a bit dizzy, if I don't drink some water, I'll really want to sleep."

After saying that, she walked straight to the sofa area, threw herself into a sofa, and sprawled out there.

Kim Taeyeon, who had lain down a few seconds earlier than her, also raised her small hand, "Xiuyuan, I want a cup too."

"Got it. How about you guys? Want to drink something?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who had already automatically walked behind the bar counter, looked at Sunny and Park Hyomin standing in the middle, his voice coming from behind the bar.

Sunny answered casually, "Anything is fine, just make one of your specialties. Or if you don't want the trouble, a can of beer is fine for me too."

"Same for me." Park Hyomin also said the same.

"Although I really want to be impolite..."

Lin Xiuyuan took several bottles of wine from the wine cabinet, his movements skillful and fluid, his fingers sliding lightly over the bottle bodies as if caressing an old friend, "But since you've waited so long, I have to serve a Long Island Iced Tea at the very least."

After saying that, he turned around, took a box of ice cubes from the freezer, and poured them into a Glass Cup.

The ice cubes hit the cup wall, emitting a crisp "ding-ding" sound, which was exceptionally clear in the quiet Tavern.

Then he began his work.

However, before actually mixing the drinks, Lin Xiuyuan did not forget to first make two cups of honey water for Dalongzai and Kim Taeyeon, only continuing to mix the drinks afterward.

While he was mixing the drinks, Sunny turned and sat on the sofa side, chatting with Kim Taeyeon and Dalongzai.

But Park Hyomin walked to the side of the bar counter and sat down, resting her elbows on the bar, looking at the person inside with some amusement, "What do you say? Didn't someone say they wouldn't be in contact?"

In addition to the teasing tone, there was a bit more questioning, "Shouldn't you explain to me now why you called my phone?"

After speaking, her two slender fingers tapped lightly on the bar counter, making a "tap-tap" sound, as if finalizing a question that needed an answer.

The previous call had hung up too quickly, and Park Hyomin hadn't even had time to ask.

So now, she placed this question on the table, waiting for Lin Xiuyuan to answer.

"I lost a game, that's why," answered Lin Xiuyuan, who had already thought of an excuse; he didn't look up and continued to focus on mixing the drinks.

"Just that?"

Park Hyomin watched the bar spoon in the other person's hand stir slowly in the cup, the ice cubes hitting the cup wall and making a crisp sound, and then he continued to answer her, "Mm, really, it's just that I needed to call someone I hadn't been in contact with for a while, so that's how it was."

"Then why was it me?" Park Hyomin pressed step by step; she needed someone to give her a reasonable explanation.

There was no help for it, so Lin Xiuyuan had to indicate that Dalongzai just happened to be there, so he thought of it, without too many other thoughts.

Regarding this, Park Hyomin narrowed her eyes, staring at him closely.

Over at the sofa area behind them.

Sunny, who had been paying attention to that side, thought about how everyone here were very close and good friends, so she asked without hesitation.

"Taeyeon, Zhiyan, do you two know what's going on with Xiaomin and Lin Xiuyuan?"

Her gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them, "Why do I feel like there's something wrong with them?"

Although she hadn't been staying in Seoul, her ability to read people hadn't faded; if those two across from her were acting strange, then they were definitely acting strange.

That kind of eye contact, that way of gauging distance, and that restraint of wanting yet fearing—she was all too familiar with it.

"Is it that obvious? How come I can't tell?" Kim Taeyeon, feeling much more energetic after drinking her honey water, asked in surprise.

Beside her, Dalongzai also laughed out loud; the laughter wasn't loud, but it was crisp, "That's because you, Unnie, haven't spent much time with them. As long as you stay with those two for a day, you'll be able to see that there's definitely something wrong. Otherwise, did you think I was just talking nonsense earlier?"

As the only woman who had experienced marriage and divorce, she was all too familiar with her Xiaomin Unnie and this kind of boundary-crossing sense of entanglement.

However, after laughing, Dalongzai explained further, "But there shouldn't be any real trouble yet, so Shun Gui Unnie, don't overthink it. They probably just sparked a bit of friction when they went out to play last time; it'll be fine after a cooling-off period."

When mentioning the "sparking of friction," she made an explosion gesture with her fingers in the air, her expression vivid and descriptive.

Yet, faced with this explanation, Sunny's reply was wild, "If that's the case, I'd actually rather they just roll in the sheets. It saves Xiaomin from being bored at home alone; if there's fresh meat to eat, she should eat it quickly—it's a waste to just leave it there."

"Yah, Shun Gui." Kim Taeyeon glared at her, speechless, "Don't go around playing matchmaker here."

"Why, don't tell me you think so too?" Sunny said jokingly, completely unaware that she had actually guessed correctly.

Kim Taeyeon opened her mouth, wanting to retort but finding it hard to explain, so she just glared at Sunny again and lowered her head to continue drinking her honey water.

After a while, Lin Xiuyuan, having finished mixing the drinks, carried a dark wooden tray over to the sofa area.

On the tray were several glasses of alcohol: there was a Long Island Iced Tea, a Mojito, a Margarita, and a Whiskey Sour he had made for himself.

Having not mixed drinks for a long time, his hands were a bit itchy, so he had brought over a few extra.

And just as he sat down, Park Hyomin followed and sat opposite him, her legs pressed together, her body leaning slightly forward, her gaze still fixed on Lin Xiuyuan.

Noticing this, Sunny's eyes darted back and forth between the two, then the corners of her mouth curled up as she picked up a Long Island Iced Tea and raised it, "Come, it's been so long since we've met, and it's rare for tonight to be so comfortable, let's have a nice little drink."

"Cheers." Park Hyomin also picked up a Mojito.

Kim Taeyeon and Dalongzai, who had just recovered their spirits, also picked up a Cocktail and clinked glasses together.

Just after clinking glasses, Lin Xiuyuan had barely taken a sip of his drink when Sunny added another remark from the side.

"How is it, Xiuyuan? I'm not a bad teacher, am I?"

"Hm?" Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, his gaze filled with a sense of bewilderment.

"Look at the relationship between you and Zhiyan now, hm, don't you remember?" Sunny gave him a look.

Only then did Lin Xiuyuan understand what she was talking about, so he smiled and raised his glass again, showing a sincere smile as he said, "Alright, I really do have to thank Teacher Shun Gui for what happened that time. So I'll finish mine, you drink as you please."

Having said that, he tilted his head back and downed the drink in his glass in one gulp.

The taste of the Whiskey Sour echoed in his mouth, carrying the smokiness and woody notes unique to whiskey, and a warmth spread from his stomach to his limbs, making his whole body relax.

"Impressive." Sunny laughed as she watched Lin Xiuyuan's bold demeanor, then she also took a small sip of her drink.

Afterward, because Kim Taeyeon and Dalongzai were both a bit tipsy, and Park Hyomin kept staring at Lin Xiuyuan, Sunny took over as the host of the scene.

The topic shifted from daily life to work, and then, without realizing it, she began to expose her own emotional history, mentioning that she had just broken up not long ago.

Hearing Sunny say she had just broken up, Lin Xiuyuan instinctively asked back, "Got bored of playing?"

"Yah, Xiuyuan, how could you look at your teacher like that?" Sunny laughed and scolded him, her tone devoid of anger, just a bit amused.

"Then how should I say it?" Lin Xiuyuan, having been asked back, became interested.

Seeing his posture, Sunny suddenly turned to the side and hugged the arm of Park Hyomin next to her, her movements natural and intimate.

Her head rested on Park Hyomin's shoulder, her gaze landing on Lin Xiuyuan's face, a playful smile on the corners of her mouth, "Oh right, as your teacher now, I can use this topic to give you another lesson, Xiuyuan."

"What lesson?"

"It's about how, if you were to break up with a girl, what would you say so that the relationship wouldn't end in a total falling out."

After saying this, Sunny immediately felt Park Hyomin's body tense up; she was like a taut string, her breathing becoming shallow.

Consequently, her smile became even more interesting, the curve of her mouth widening, her eyes filled with the joy of "guessing right."

Words can deceive, but reactions cannot.

And as her question was asked, the other three people present all turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan, being stared at, thought for a moment before speaking slowly, "Hm, how should I put it? Where I'm from, we don't say 'break up'."

"Ah? Then what do you say?" Sunny played the role of the straight man very well.

"We would say: Baby, I've been really busy lately and under a lot of pressure; I don't think my state is suitable for us to continue."

Lin Xiuyuan spoke very slowly, as if he were recalling and speaking at the same time.

"I have no way to give you enough care, nor can I handle the emotions you give me, and I'm even more worried that I can't give you the kind of life you want. Your youth, your time, are all too precious; they shouldn't be wasted on someone like me anymore. So, I don't want to delay you any longer."

His voice, already deep and magnetic, sounded even more heart-piercing and charming against the backdrop of such words.

And he continued to output, "Although you can be understanding and empathetic toward me, my self-esteem won't allow me to continue letting you suffer such grievances by my side, even if you are willing. You can be naive, but I cannot morally kidnap you."

By this point, his voice became even softer, as if unwilling, as if reluctant, but in the end, he used all his strength to utter the final sentence.

"So let it be this way; let us preserve the most beautiful side of each other. Goodbye."

As Lin Xiuyuan finished these words, the air in the Tavern seemed to have been sucked away by something.

Everyone fell silent.

Kim Taeyeon and Dalongzai were stunned, their gazes fixed on Lin Xiuyuan's face, their eyes full of shock and emotion.

Sunny and Park Hyomin were even more so.

The former felt, who is the teacher and who is the student here? In any case, she definitely couldn't say such things.

As for Park Hyomin.

She looked at the man in front of her, listening to the words that had pierced into the bottom of her heart, her whole person seemingly frozen by something, unable to move.

Her lips parted slightly, her breathing becoming shallow and rapid.

In her mind, those words echoed repeatedly; every single word was like a needle, precisely piercing the softest corner of her heart.

This is bad, her long-suppressed literary sensibility is about to emerge again!!!

At this moment, it was as if a little person inside her heart was screaming frantically, shrieking at the top of their lungs.

If it could be said that before this, the Lin Xiuyuan before her eyes had only made her feel a bit moved, a bit curious to decipher him.

Then at this very moment, when Lin Xiuyuan uttered this statement that seemed like a farewell but was actually a confession, a feeling surged in her heart that she had never experienced before, an impulse so intense it made her unable to breathe.

This man, she likes him so much!!!