Chapter 437: 461

459 "How about I try?" or "I thought it was taught by Lin Xiuyuan~" (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)

As mentioned before, this night is still long.

So, over at the Small Tavern's Apartment, Goo Hara had just finished showering and was wearing a loose pair of pajamas.

While casually wiping the water droplets from the ends of her hair with a towel, she opened The Gate to head out, though she didn't forget to place the towel on the vanity beside her before leaving.

When she arrived in the Living Room, she saw Xueli curled up on the sofa at a single glance.

The other girl was hugging a cushion, her legs tucked in front of her, and her chin resting on her knees.

Although her eyes were open, her gaze was fixed on some unknown spot, and she remained completely motionless, as if she had been sucked into some thought.

Seeing this situation, Goo Hara subconsciously lightened her footsteps and slowly walked toward the sofa.

During this time, even though her slippers made a slight sound on the floor, Xueli still didn't notice her at all.

It wasn't until Goo Hara walked up to her and looked down at her for a few seconds that she spoke softly.

However, fearing she might startle her, she kept her voice very low, "What's wrong, Zhenli? What are you thinking about?"

The voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet Living Room, it still fell clearly into Xueli's ears.

Only then did Xueli look as if she had been pulled back from another world; she blinked her eyes and slightly raised her head to look at Goo Hara standing before her.

Because she had just finished showering, Goo Hara was currently without makeup.

Her face still carried a bit of the rosy flush steamed out by the heat, her skin looked delicate and translucent, her features were exquisite and petite, and there was a very clean, graceful feeling between her brows and eyes.

The only flaw one could discern was perhaps the dark circles left behind from not resting well lately; the color was somewhat dull, faintly floating beneath her eyes.

But even so, it didn't affect her overall beauty in the slightest.

And perhaps this state of the mermaid princess was her peak appearance.

Xueli looked at Goo Hara, first shaking her head to temporarily shake off the messy thoughts in her mind, then the corners of her mouth curled into a smile, "It's nothing, Unnie, you look so beautiful without makeup."

Goo Hara was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed and scolded her in a huff.

"I'm asking you a question, why are you bringing me into it?"

As she spoke, she walked around the sofa, sat down next to Xueli, crossed her legs, turned her body toward Xueli, and continued, "Besides, even if you look good, can you be as good-looking as Xiaomin tonight? That little face is so supple it really looks like it could squeeze out collagen; I'm envious."

Upon hearing this, Xueli's hands holding the cushion moved, and she shifted into a more comfortable position, "If you're tempted, then take action. Unnie, it's not like you don't know how Xiaomin Unnie's situation came about."

After saying this, Goo Hara rolled her eyes, leaned back, sank into the soft sofa cushion, and then said something that instantly made Xueli feel depressed.

"You haven't even succeeded yet, how am I supposed to take action?"

She called her out.

She called her out directly.

Xueli was so blocked by this sentence that she didn't know how to respond for a moment; her mouth pouted slightly, and her cheeks puffed up, as if she were sulking, but there was more helplessness than anything else.

So she hugged the cushion tighter to her chest, rested her chin back on it, stared at a spot on the coffee table, and remained silent for several seconds.

Then she said slowly, "Aiya, Unnie, it's not like you don't know my situation,"

Her voice carried a bit of grievance and frustration, "It's not that I don't want to, it's that Oppa won't give me a chance. I don't know where he gets the idea; he's not much older than me, but he always treats me like an underage little girl. It's driving me crazy."

When saying this, Xueli's tone clearly carried a sense of emotional venting.

In fact, she had thought about this problem more than once, and every time she thought about it, she found it both funny and infuriating.

Because Lin Xiuyuan's attitude toward her—how should she put it—was very caring, very doting, and one could even say he pampered her.

But there was just that layer of separation; there was absolutely no ambiguity that should exist between adult men and women, even though she wasn't a child anymore.

It was driving her crazy!!!

After hearing her complaint, Goo Hara suddenly nudged her with her shoulder, with a hint of instigation, a glimmer of amusement flashing in her eyes, "Then why don't you just lie on him?"

Hearing this, Xueli immediately shook her head, the speed so fast it was as if she had been scalded.

"I don't want to."

Then she put the cushion aside, turned to look at Goo Hara, and said very seriously, "If that ends up making the atmosphere between me and Oppa awkward, then it really wouldn't be worth the loss. I don't want that. If it really doesn't work, I'll just wait. Anyway, I don't believe there won't be a chance, hmph hmph hmph."

The last two "hmph hmph hmph" sounds seemed to carry a bit of spite, as if she were cheering herself on.

Xueli wouldn't fall for Goo Hara's fire-stoking.

She actually knew very well in her heart that this kind of thing couldn't be rushed; her Oppa was the type who would eat soft but not hard.

If you forced yourself on him, he would instead take a step back and distance himself.

So she planned to take it slow; anyway, she was still young, and at worst, she would just wait a few more years.

Watching her look so serious yet spiteful, Goo Hara finally couldn't hold it in and burst into loud laughter, the sound appearing exceptionally bright in the quiet Living Room.

She laughed so hard that her body even leaned back, then she reached out and patted Xueli's shoulder, saying something that made her even more depressed, "Then you'll probably have to queue up to the very back."

And so, Xueli's face fell instantly.

She shouted quite annoyedly, "Aiya, Unnie, don't remind me. I was just worrying about this matter, so annoying."

Seeing that Xueli's expression was indeed a bit downcast, Goo Hara finally put away her smile and stopped teasing her.

She reached out and hugged Xueli, wrapping her arm around her shoulder, pulling her toward herself, her tone becoming a bit gentler, "Alright, alright, don't be angry. I think someone will definitely be angrier than you tonight."

Hearing this, a thought suddenly flashed through Xueli's mind, and she thought of someone.

"Unnie, you're talking about Zhiyan, right?"

"Who else could it be but her?" Goo Hara's tone carried a bit of amusement, but more of a sigh of someone who saw through everything, "From what you all said before, Zhiyan was the first member to join the club, and now Xiaomin has caught up in progress while she's still 'aba aba', and she's someone close to him too. I think she's really going to go crazy."

The description "aba aba" was used just right; after hearing it, Xueli immediately pictured the confused and anxious expression that might appear on Park Jiyeon's face, and she finally couldn't help but laugh along.

After laughing, the Living Room was quiet for a few seconds.

Then Goo Hara spoke again, her voice lighter than before, "But Zhenli, you say Xiuyuan has no feelings for you—is it because we died over in the year '25, and he can't get past that hurdle?"

Once these words came out, the atmosphere in the air changed subtly.

Xueli lifted her head from Goo Hara's shoulder, the smile on her face slowly fading, replaced by an indescribable expression.

She was silent for a while, then shook her head, "I don't know."

Seeing the topic turn back to her side, Xueli felt depressed again, her fingers unconsciously tugging at a corner of the throw pillow.

Tugging it up and letting it go, tugging it up and letting it go, she repeated this several times.

Watching her like this, Goo Hara felt it was necessary to step up, so after thinking about it, she spoke up, "How about I give it a try?"

Xueli turned her head abruptly in confusion, her eyes wide, looking at Goo Hara in shock.

"Huh? Unnie, what did you say?"

Goo Hara didn't repeat it immediately; instead, she first tapped her own chest with a light, slow motion, then turned her finger toward Xueli and pointed at her.

Then she made her words clearer, "I said, what if I try it myself? If Lin Xiuyuan touches me, then it probably isn't because of the reason I just mentioned. If he doesn't touch me..."

She didn't continue.

But Xueli already understood.

It was just that her expression became a bit strange; after glancing at Goo Hara, the corners of her mouth twitched.

It was as if she wanted to hold something back, but in the end, she couldn't, and she let out a laugh, "Unnie, are you trying to scout the path for me, or are you just wanting a man yourself?"

After she finished saying this, she added another sentence, her tone carrying a hint of playful amusement, "But thinking about it, it's normal. When it comes to matters of love and desire, everyone wants a top-tier man like oppa. It's normal, too normal."

This was said very realistically.

Lin Xiuyuan, how should one put it—setting aside everything else, just that face and that physique were enough to make one's heart race.

If one added that advantage that couldn't be set aside, then to other men, it was even more of a dimensional strike.

"Yah, Choi Jin-ri, I'm doing this for your sake, and you actually dare to mock me."

As a young woman in her early twenties, her skin was still a bit thin, so Goo Hara's cheeks were suddenly stained with a thin layer of red, not knowing if it was from anger or shyness.

While speaking, she lunged toward Xueli, her hands reaching directly for Xueli's waist, and began to tickle her.

Taken by surprise, Xueli fell straight back onto the sofa, the throw pillow in her hand dropping, and her laughter burst out, echoing in the Living Room.

Laughing while dodging, her body twisted and turned on the sofa, trying to break free from Goo Hara's clutches.

But Goo Hara was determined to teach her a lesson this time, her hands not stopping for a second, while she muttered, "Let you laugh at me, let you laugh at me."

However, she overlooked a very important issue.

That was the difference in physique.

Although Goo Hara had plenty of spirit, she was, after all, a small person, while Xueli was 1.7 meters tall; don't let her usual quiet appearance fool you, but when she really moved, her strength was not small at all.

So, before long, the situation reversed.

With one roll, Xueli pinned Goo Hara directly beneath her, looking down at her with a victor's smile on her face.

Goo Hara was pinned to the sofa, unable to move, and could only tilt her head to look at Xueli; the two of them remained in a stalemate like this, their breathing somewhat rapid, both with smiles on their faces.

Just as the two were roughhousing on the sofa, another figure appeared at the entrance of the Living Room.

It was Zheng Xiujing.

She had just gone to the room next door to wash up, and now that she was back, she was wearing pajamas, her hair pulled back loosely with a headband, revealing her smooth forehead.

As she walked in, she happened to see the scene of the two people tangled together on the sofa, so she was stunned for a moment, then called out with some amusement.

"Xueqiu, what are you two playing at?"

On the sofa, Goo Hara, who was pinned underneath, heard the voice and, as if she had seen a savior, hurriedly patted Xueli's arm, "Alright, alright, stop messing around, Xiujing is back."

After hearing the voice, Xueli turned her head to look at Zheng Xiujing, "Because Unnie was called out by me on her true feelings, so she's become angry from embarrassment."

As she spoke, she let go of Goo Hara and sat up from the sofa, tidying up the clothes and hair that had been messed up just now.

Goo Hara also sat up, her cheeks still red, so she patted her cheeks, trying to let the heat subside, while also calling out with some defiance, "What is it? You don't like Lin Xiuyuan? You're lecturing me, didn't you say the same thing just now?"

"I do like him, but..."

Xueli had just wanted to say something, but stopped halfway through.

Her gaze seemed to be attracted by something, staring straight at Zheng Xiujing who was standing at the door, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if she were thinking about something.

Goo Hara, sitting to the side, also noticed the change in Xueli's gaze and followed it, her eyes lingering on Zheng Xiujing for a moment.

Then she exchanged a look with Xueli, and the two of them, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding, thought of the same idea at the same time.

Then Goo Hara spoke first, her tone carrying a sense of "aha" realization.

"Oh, that's right, among the three of us, if anyone can take down Lin Xiuyuan the most easily, it definitely has to be you, Xiujing."

Zheng Xiujing, who was standing against the wall, clearly paused after hearing this sentence, and linking it to what the two had just said, she immediately understood what they were talking about.

So she immediately shook her head, her tone very firm, "What is it? What do you mean by 'take down' that guy? I don't want to."

When she said this, she appeared completely unmoved on the surface, but inside, she was actually a bit stirred.

Because the group gathering tonight made her truly feel for the first time the weight of the Krystal over there in Lin Xiuyuan's heart.

According to the logic of "love me, love my dog," she, as the Zheng Xiujing who was the same person, should also be able to enjoy similar treatment.

But as soon as she thought about lying in the same bed as that woman, and sharing the same man with that woman who shared the same identity as her in a certain sense.

Zheng Xiujing still couldn't get past that hurdle in her heart.

This feeling was very subtle; it wasn't quite jealousy or anything else, but it just wasn't very comfortable.

On the sofa, Xueli and Goo Hara's gazes were still cast toward Zheng Xiujing together.

Hearing Zheng Xiujing say this, a new idea popped into Goo Hara's mind, "Xiujing, since you're not willing, then can you help me, Unnie?"

Zheng Xiujing, who had already sat down on the single sofa to the side, frowned slightly after hearing this, her tone carrying obvious confusion and a trace of shock.

"Can this kind of thing even be helped?"

"Yes, why couldn't it be?"

When Goo Hara said this, her tone carried a sense of confidence.

One had to know that she had stayed in Tokyo for so long, and she hadn't learned nothing.

The midnight channels over there broadcasted so many programs, and all sorts of plots and tropes were top-notch; some of the scenarios she saw at the time she even thought were outrageous.

But thinking about it now, taking one out to use a little bit shouldn't be a problem.

Should be... right?

She silently added a question mark in her heart.

Zheng Xiujing was silent for a few seconds, then asked a very practical question, "How to help?"

And so the three of them sat on the sofa like this; Hela moved toward the middle, Xueli also leaned in, and the three of them formed a small circle, beginning to discuss the plan for their little team.

The light in the Living Room was still that warm yellow, shining on the three people's faces, reflecting their serious expressions and the smiles that occasionally appeared.

The night outside the window was very deep, and this night was indeed still very long.

……

……

In the blink of an eye, another period of time had passed since that group dinner, and the time had arrived at the end of the year.

During this time, Lin Xiuyuan's daily life actually hadn't changed much.

He was still running back and forth between the year '13 and '25, shuttling between two different timelines, dealing with all sorts of things.

Occasionally drinking a little with the members, chatting, and exchanging some liquids.

But he spent more of his time doing one thing.

That was avoiding that married woman, Park Hyomin.

That's right, avoiding this married woman.

Ever since that night in the Small Tavern when he accidentally let slip those literary little sentences he had secretly learned from back home, Park Hyomin seemed to have triggered some kind of switch, and the whole person just wasn't right.

The tacit understanding of "drawing a clear line" that the two of them had managed to build with such difficulty was treated by this married woman as if it didn't exist.

Although she didn't resort to phone bombing, the method she adopted was even more headache-inducing.

Because she would often organize a gathering through Dalongzai and the others.

Today saying everyone hadn't seen each other for a long time so let's get together, tomorrow saying she discovered a newly opened shop and let's go try it, and the day after saying the weather is nice so why not come out and sit for a while.

The excuses were varied, but the final result was always the same, which was that Lin Xiuyuan would appear at the gathering, and Park Hyomin would also appear at the gathering.

And then after meeting, she wouldn't talk to Lin Xiuyuan, not a single word.

She would just sit there, staring at him the whole time.

That kind of gaze, how to put it, was purely curious, a look wanting to see through something, carrying a bit of persistence and a bit of confusion.

As if wanting to see through the mystery on this man.

Every time Lin Xiuyuan was stared at by this kind of gaze, he felt the back of his head go cold, and his whole body felt uncomfortable.

He wanted to pretend not to see it, but the presence of that gaze was truly too strong, so strong that he felt the food had no taste when eating, and the alcohol didn't taste right when drinking.

Later, having no other choice, he had to find Dalongzai and the others and seriously give them a warning.

"If you guys keep watching the show like this, then I'm really going to make a move on this married woman."

When saying this, Lin Xiuyuan's tone was half-true and half-false, and even the expression on his face made it impossible to tell whether he was serious or joking.

So after Dalongzai and the others heard this, they looked at each other, and then very tactfully admitted their mistake.

After all, although they really wanted to watch the show, they didn't want to actually light a fire to the point of being uncontrollable.

And so this situation finally quieted down for a few days.

Then the time arrived at the middle of the month.

After brewing for so long, the sky over Seoul finally dropped the first snow of this year last night.

The snow started falling from midnight; at first, it was small granular ice crystals, then it slowly turned into large snowflakes, drifting down and shrouding the entire City Pop in a sheet of white.

By noon, the streets had already turned into a mixture of wet ice slush and some accumulated snow.

A thin layer had also accumulated on the roofs of cars, white icicles hung from the branches of street trees, and the air carried that crisp scent unique to winter.

And Lin Xiuyuan, who woke up from a sleep in the Villa, the first thing he did after getting up was habitually look toward the window first.

The curtains weren't drawn tight, revealing a gap, and the light from outside filtered in, carrying that bright white unique to after a snowfall.

He got up and walked over, pulled open the curtains, and looking at the courtyard covered in white snow outside the window, he then turned his head back toward the bed and shouted in surprise.

"Wow, Xiujing, it snowed last night, and it's quite heavy."

Krystal, who had been lying on the bed, heard this and propped up her body, the quilt sliding off her shoulders and revealing her fair, delicate body.

Then she followed Lin Xiuyuan's gaze to look outside the window; the snow light reflected in her eyes, making her pupils look brighter than usual.

"Mm, quite beautiful."

Her tone was very flat, carrying that laziness of just waking up, her voice soft, but her emotional fluctuation wasn't large.

"What a perfunctory tone." Lin Xiuyuan smiled, turned back, and leaned against the window looking at her.

"Then what do you want me to say, it's not like I haven't seen it before." Krystal muttered a sentence, then got up and walked off the bed.

When she walked up to Lin Xiuyuan, she immediately stretched out her arms toward him, and then her whole body fell softly into his embrace.

Her cheek pressed against his chest, like a cat that had found its nest, she buried her face in his clothes and rubbed a few times, then said in a muffled voice, "What to do, Xiuyuan, I really can't bear to leave you."

Lin Xiuyuan reached out to hug her, placed his palm on her back, felt the temperature of her body and the rhythm of her slightly rising and falling breath, and answered with a smile.

"Don't say it so exaggeratedly, it's just going out to work for a few days, is it worth it?"

"I don't want to be separated for even a day." Krystal said softly.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan smiled and deliberately teased her, "That's fine, I'll go find Xiujing, it's also you, so it counts as being together."

Facing his teasing, Krystal lifted her head from his embrace, looked up at him, her eyes carrying a bit of provocative amusement, and teased him back.

"Then go, let's see if you get swept out the door by her."

"Fine, you're amazing, both sides of you are so amazing." Lin Xiuyuan admitted defeat.

"Of course, I'm not that easy to conquer." Krystal smiled very proudly, her chin slightly raised, her eyes curved into a beautiful arc.

Regarding this, Lin Xiuyuan feigned a gesture and recalled, as if he were seriously thinking about something, "Is that so? Then who was it that took the initiative to seduce me back then? Let me think."

However, Krystal didn't have the slightest reaction of shyness; instead, she looked straight into Lin Xiuyuan's gaze, her eyes carrying something very charming, and then she tapped his chest with her index finger.

Her movements were very slow, and her fingertips drew a small circle on his chest, "You rascal, that should have been enough for you to enjoy back then."

Her voice carried a hint of feigned annoyance, yet also a touch of smugness.

Then, her small hand was suddenly grabbed by Lin Xiuyuan, his gaze fixed directly on her with an unspoken intention, his voice lower than before.

"It's not enough; I want to enjoy it even more comfortably."

Afterwards, there was another round of passion.

Outside the window, the snow was still piling up quietly, but inside the room, it was full of spring warmth.

……

Meanwhile.

In the vocal practice room of SM Company.

Liu Zhimin, who had just finished a morning of vocal practice, felt her ears still aching from the pressure as she took off her headphones, so she raised her hand to rub her earlobes and let out a long sigh.

Then, she lifted her gaze and naturally met a figure standing at The Gate.

She saw Pei Zhuxuan, wearing a simple knit sweater with her hair tied in a low ponytail, standing there, her body leaning slightly against the door frame, though it was unclear how long she had been standing there.

Seeing this, Liu Zhimin was surprised and quickly stood up from her chair, bowing to greet her, "Oh, Unnie, long time no see, what brings you here?"

"I just happened to be passing by after finishing a recording," Pei Zhuxuan said with a smile.

Then, her gaze shifted from Liu Zhimin to the equipment in the practice room that still had its screen lit, "I was wondering who was singing a Chinese song in the company; so it was you, Karina. It sounds so good, very standard too; how did you learn it?"

Pei Zhuxuan's tone was casual, as if she were chatting about daily life, but her eyes held a hint of genuine curiosity.

When Liu Zhimin heard the compliment, she thought of the person who had taught her, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she answered softly, "Ningning from our group is from Huaxia, so I learned this song from her; it's so difficult."

(Ning Yizhuo, who was currently being interviewed, suddenly sneezed a few times, completely bewildered.)

"Ningning, oh, I remember now."

Hearing this, Pei Zhuxuan also recalled the situation and nodded slightly.

But for a fleeting moment, a strange look seemed to flash across her eyes, very subtle.

Afterwards, she added another sentence, "I thought it was Lin Xiuyuan who taught you; I completely forgot your group still has a member from Huaxia."

This sentence was said very naturally, but when that name suddenly appeared in the conversation, it still made Liu Zhimin freeze for a moment.

She had not expected Pei Zhuxuan to suddenly mention Lin Xiuyuan.

However, in the instant she was stunned, Pei Zhuxuan had already waved her hand, her movements very light and quick, "Alright, I have some things to attend to, I'll be going now. Karina, you really sang it very well, fighting."

After speaking, she turned around and walked in the other direction along the corridor.

"Oh, oh, okay, Unnie, take care." Seeing this, Liu Zhimin quickly nodded and bowed to her retreating figure.

Then, standing at the entrance of the vocal practice room, watching Pei Zhuxuan's slowly receding back, her thoughts became a bit unsettled.

What did this Unnie mean?

Why did she have to mention Lin Xiuyuan?

Did she know something?

Or was she trying to probe something?

Back in the vocal practice room, Liu Zhimin's fingers tapped unconsciously on the tabletop, making a faint rhythmic sound, only the tempo was a bit chaotic.

Or rather, her heart was in chaos.