Chapter 461: 483

483 "The Happiest Thing in the World~" (14k-character chapter, requesting subscriptions and monthly votes)

At the entrance.

Park Soyeon stood there, her gaze passing through the scattered light and shadows in the restaurant, landing on the two people sitting by the window.

Then, she blinked subconsciously, feeling that this scene was somewhat unreal.

Because in her impression, Li Juli usually maintained quite a sense of distance when interacting with the opposite sex; she rarely leaned her body toward the other person and got close like this.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but reach out and gently poke the arm of Quan Baolan beside her; the movement was very light, just touching the fabric of her sleeve, and then she asked in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

"Baolan, are they very close? It's so hard to see Juli leaning in like that."

Quan Baolan had also been looking over there, and being poked by Park Soyeon like that, she shook her head, the hair behind her head swaying gently, "I don't know, but as far as I know, it seems they went skiing in Niseko before and came back after playing together for a few days."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "I'm not very clear on the details either; I just heard a few people mention it, saying that those few days of skiing were quite fun. I really didn't ask if they were close or not."

"Skiing, huh." Park Soyeon repeated these words softly in her mouth, her voice very light, as if she were chewing on some information.

Afterward, she cast her gaze over there again, and looking at Li Juli's appearance, she inexplicably felt she didn't know how to describe it.

She opened her mouth wanting to say something, but the words reached her lips and were swallowed back; in the end, she just pursed her lips lightly and said nothing.

At this moment, a waiter wearing a black apron walked over from the nearby aisle, a professional smile on their face, and asked very politely if they were looking for Ms. Li Juli.

Clearly, they had recognized them and were preparing to lead them over directly.

Park Soyeon came back to her senses, and seeing the waiter's posture, her first reaction was to wave her hand in refusal.

She had only come to grab a bite to eat and hadn't intended to disturb others; moreover, looking from afar, the atmosphere at Li Juli's table was clearly about discussing something, and she didn't want to rashly cut in.

As it turned out, Lin Xiuyuan on the other side was faster than she was at speaking.

His ears were always sharp, and although the movement at the entrance wasn't loud, he had still keenly captured it.

So, he subconsciously turned his head to look, and after scanning Park Soyeon and Quan Baolan standing at the entrance, he immediately raised his hand and waved it in front of Li Juli's eyes.

He swung his palm back and forth two or three times to draw Li Juli's attention, then pointed toward the entrance.

"Oi, your sister group is here too. Did you call them?"

Lin Xiuyuan's tone was very casual when he said this, his voice neither loud nor soft, carrying that kind of offhand inquiry between friends.

And Li Juli looked in the direction he pointed, and when she saw Park Soyeon and Quan Baolan standing at the entrance, she was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting to run into them here either, then she quickly reacted.

First, she shook her head at Lin Xiuyuan, indicating naturally that she hadn't called them, then she raised her hand and waved toward the entrance, "Soyeon-ah, over here."

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan didn't say anything, just withdrew the hand he had been waving and picked up the cup on the table again to take a sip of water.

At the entrance, Park Soyeon had originally been prepared to say "no need," but then she saw Li Juli already waving at them.

Thus, that "no need" was immediately swallowed back into her stomach by force.

Then, she sighed lightly in her heart.

It wasn't that she was unwilling to go over; it was just that she hadn't intended to disturb them in the first place and felt a little embarrassed.

However, since Li Juli had taken the initiative to wave, she didn't decline any further, and taking Quan Baolan with her, she followed behind the waiter and walked over.

Arriving at the dining table, Park Soyeon first glanced at Lin Xiuyuan, then turned her gaze to Li Juli, "What a coincidence, we aren't disturbing your meal, are we?"

When saying this, her gaze mainly landed on Lin Xiuyuan, because this question was actually more directed at him; after all, he and Li Juli were eating and chatting, and her suddenly popping up would seem a bit abrupt no matter how one looked at it.

Lin Xiuyuan was somewhat surprised by Park Soyeon's question.

He hadn't expected Park Soyeon to look specifically at him to ask this, so he hurriedly shook his head and said in a very easygoing tone, "Ah, me? It's fine, do you want to sit down together? I'm just a guest anyway."

When he said this, he was still holding the cup in his hand and leaned back against the chair, his posture looking quite relaxed.

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan so readily indicate that it didn't matter, Park Soyeon felt a bit more at ease.

Thus, she turned her head to look at Li Juli again, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.

Today's scene was indeed a bit novel, so before sitting down, she still subconsciously wanted to see Li Juli's attitude first.

Li Juli sensed Park Soyeon's gaze, the expression on her face barely changing, and she picked up the conversation naturally, "Why are you looking at me? Since it's such a coincidence, we must eat together. Waiter, please add two chairs."

Originally, there was no special relationship between her and Lin Xiuyuan, and the topics they were discussing were all proper matters, with no content that couldn't be heard by others, so she didn't have that sense of embarrassment from being disturbed at all; instead, she felt it was livelier with more people.

Just as Park Soyeon and Li Juli were talking, Lin Xiuyuan beside them had already locked eyes with Quan Baolan.

The two of them were separated by a short distance, their gazes meeting in mid-air; one pair of eyes seemed to ask "Why are you here," while the other used her gaze to gesture toward Li Juli.

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan's look, Quan Baolan recalled the "I'm just a guest" that Lin Xiuyuan had just said, and after thinking about it, she felt this explanation was correct, so she nodded and didn't ask anything more.

At this time, the waiter had already brought the chairs over, and Quan Baolan sat down, her position happening to be right next to Lin Xiuyuan.

Her movements were very natural as she sat down, her body slightly angled as she moved the chair toward the table.

However, this small round table didn't have a large diameter, and with everyone sitting around it, how the seats were arranged didn't really matter much; it made no essential difference who was closer to whom.

After sitting down, Li Juli picked up the menu on the table and pushed it toward the two of them, inviting them to order.

After inviting them, she continued with the question she had in mind just now, "Didn't you say you weren't coming out to eat? Why did you suddenly come out?"

There was a backstory to Li Juli asking this question.

It turned out that the beauty salon that Tara and the others often visited was right near this restaurant, and today, when Li Juli invited Lin Xiuyuan out to eat, it was exactly the time she had just finished her styling at the salon.

Thinking that she would be going out to eat anyway, she thought she might as well ask the others in the group if they wanted to join.

Because in her view, the few questions she was prepared to discuss with Lin Xiuyuan were things that everyone in the group already knew; they weren't secrets, and there was absolutely no need to hide them.

It was just that she hadn't specifically explained to everyone that she had an appointment with Lin Xiuyuan today.

But at the time, the reactions of Park Soyeon and the others were all uniform; one by one, they shook their heads to indicate they didn't want to go out, all saying they planned to just eat some fruit salad and leave it at that, telling Li Juli to go eat by herself.

Everyone's thinking was very simple, because they had a stage performance that night, and the performance outfits were tight-fitting styles, which had high requirements for their figures.

If they ate too much now, their stomachs would definitely bulge, and it wouldn't look good if they were caught by the cameras off-stage later, which would have a big impact on their image.

Therefore, they would rather just make do with a few bites at the beauty salon than come out and feast.

That was why Li Juli was so surprised when she bumped into Park Soyeon and Quan Baolan in the restaurant just now, and one could hear a hint of surprise in her tone.

After hearing Li Juli's question, Park Soyeon lifted her gaze from the menu, "It's all Baolan's fault; she said she wouldn't eat earlier, but then suddenly said she wanted to eat something, so we came over. I didn't expect you to be here too."

Although she was answering Li Juli's question, her eyes still looked at Lin Xiuyuan with some curiosity.

With a calm, unruffled gaze—not the kind of intrusive scrutiny that feels offensive, but simply finding it quite interesting that this person would appear here and be dining alone with Li Juli.

Lin Xiuyuan also sensed the gaze Park Soyeon cast his way, so he naturally looked back.

Looking at Park Soyeon's face, the image of the "big sister" who would later go down a path of unceasingly showing off her affection surfaced in his mind; he couldn't help but feel a bit curious, and even more so, a bit sentimental.

Time is truly a fascinating thing; standing in the present, looking at the person before him, and then thinking about what they would become in the future, that sense of contrast always makes one unable to help but dwell on it for a while.

Just as the two were each lost in their own thoughts, Quan Baolan reached out a finger from the side and gently poked Lin Xiuyuan's hand.

The movement was very light, like a small reminder.

So much so that after Lin Xiuyuan felt the touch on his hand, he subconsciously withdrew his gaze, turned his head to look at Quan Baolan, his eyes carrying a questioning look.

Then he heard Quan Baolan ask him, "Xiuyuan, when do you plan to go over and look at that property in Nihon? The people over there have been asking me again recently."

As a high-quality client for the agency, the agent in Nihon naturally wanted to provide her with good service, so they would send a few greetings every few days, while also checking on the progress.

After all, for this kind of cross-border real estate transaction, the commission is not small if it goes through; everyone understands the desire to make money.

After Lin Xiuyuan finished listening to Quan Baolan, he thought seriously about his schedule and the matter he had agreed upon with Sulli not long ago, and after calculating the timeline, he answered.

"I want to, I definitely do, but it will have to wait for a while; I have some things to be busy with recently, probably around the end of next month."

"The end of the month? OK, I'll tell them later."

After Quan Baolan received a clear timeframe, she nodded, noted the information in her mind, and prepared to communicate with the agency later.

And this conversation between the two of them attracted the attention of Park Soyeon and Li Juli nearby.

Park Soyeon looked at Quan Baolan, then at Lin Xiuyuan, the curiosity in her eyes becoming even more apparent.

She held back from asking out loud, but her ears were pricked up straight, wanting to hear what followed.

Conversely, Li Juli was different.

This person had just been "blasted" emotionally by Lin Xiuyuan on certain topics, and the turbulence in her heart had not yet fully subsided; now, she suddenly heard him and Quan Baolan talking about buying a house.

And the way they were speaking was quite familiar; that "unclear" state made her curiosity shoot straight up, so she almost immediately couldn't help herself and asked.

"What are you two chatting about? You're even talking about buying a house?"

Lin Xiuyuan saw Li Juli and Park Soyeon staring at him in unison and knew he had to say something.

He then roughly explained the matter of him asking Quan Baolan to help him find a house in Nihon earlier.

His narrative was also very measured; he only said he asked Quan Baolan to help look at houses, framing the nature of the matter as a normal favor between friends, slightly distancing Quan Baolan from the role of an agent to prevent the two in front of him from letting their imaginations run wild and filling in some strange plot.

After Li Juli finished listening to Lin Xiuyuan's explanation, she raised an eyebrow slightly and refocused her gaze on Lin Xiuyuan's face, "Is this property you're buying for investment, or for your own use?"

"Who would be so meticulous about an investment property? It's definitely for my own use." Lin Xiuyuan answered with a smile, and after finishing, he shook his head slightly, feeling that Li Juli's question was a bit substandard.

Hearing him say this, Li Juli frowned slightly and then asked, "So you plan to go live over there?"

As soon as Lin Xiuyuan saw her expression, he knew she had misunderstood, so he quickly waved his hands to correct her, "I said for my own use, not for permanent residence."

He enunciated the words "own use" and "permanent residence" very clearly, emphasizing the difference, meaning that while it is true I am buying it to live in myself, it doesn't mean I will live there long-term and never come back.

While Lin Xiuyuan and Li Juli were discussing this issue back and forth, Park Soyeon and Quan Baolan, who were sitting next to them, were not idle either.

The two put their heads together, studying the contents of the menu, pointing back and forth on it, and finally ordered some food.

They didn't order much, just some vegetable salad and a few plates of tea snacks, all relatively light and small portions, and finally added a small cake as dessert.

After ordering, Park Soyeon closed the menu, pushed it to the middle of the table, then picked up her water glass and took a sip, her gaze sweeping over the two people discussing the property issue.

However, at this moment, the discussion between the man and woman nearby had also come to an end.

When Quan Baolan heard Li Juli suddenly say, "I'd like to go over and take a look when the time comes," the expression that had been quite calm suddenly showed cracks.

She widened her eyes slightly, her mouth opened a little, and a soft "ah" escaped from her throat.

The surprise was expressed quite fully.

Li Juli heard her "ah," turned her gaze to look at her, and asked back with an amused expression, "Mm, I was wondering if I should also go over there and invest in some property, just to compare it with Seoul."

Since things had reached this point, Quan Baolan felt it would be inappropriate to ask any more, so she put away that bit of surprise, readjusted her expression, and changed the subject.

"By the way, why did you two suddenly get together today? It's a bit unusual; before, it was either Zhiyan or Enjing by your side, Xiuyuan, and now you've added Juli. You're being a bit too philanderous, aren't you?"

As soon as Quan Baolan said this, the atmosphere in the air became a bit subtle.

Li Juli was just about to open her mouth to answer, but Lin Xiuyuan spoke before her, explaining in a very lighthearted tone, "Fair ladies are a gentleman's quest, you know. You can't blame me for that."

After he finished speaking, just as Quan Baolan and Park Soyeon both opened their mouths wide, preparing to be shocked, he added another sentence.

"Hahaha, just kidding. You wouldn't actually believe that, would you? We were just chatting casually; Juli said this ski season isn't over yet and asked if I wanted to go skiing again or something."

Earlier, when Li Juli heard Lin Xiuyuan say that before she could, she immediately turned her head to look at him with some surprise.

There was clearly a question mark in her eyes.

In her understanding, this matter could clearly be explained plainly; there was no need at all to use such an ambiguous way to respond, but Lin Xiuyuan chose to use such a poem to brush it off, an attitude she found hard to understand.

After Lin Xiuyuan used a joke to change the subject, although Li Juli was still puzzled, she didn't go on to explain anything to Quan Baolan and Park Soyeon.

Because she knew that if she went to explain now, it would only seem even stranger.

It was just that for the rest of the time, she would look at Lin Xiuyuan from time to time, her mind constantly mulling over what exactly that attitude of his meant just now.

Was it simply that he couldn't be bothered to explain, or that he felt there was no need to explain, or perhaps he had some other thoughts.

It was as if there was a little ball of yarn rolling around in her brain, and she couldn't find the end of the thread.

By the time the lunch was finished and the group put down their chopsticks and wiped their mouths, preparing to leave separately, Li Juli still hadn't figured it out.

So when she stood up, she looked at Lin Xiuyuan again.

However, Lin Xiuyuan was talking to Quan Baolan about the Nihon house and didn't notice her gaze; seeing this, she had no choice but to let out a soft breath and temporarily set the question aside.

Because she still had work to do later, and there was no time for her to continue sitting there pondering these things.

As for Lin Xiuyuan, after waving goodbye to everyone, his next plan was to go back and soothe the other "Li Juli" in the other Apartment.

……

……

The next day, which was also the last day of the year.

And Lin Xiuyuan woke up in Shanghai in the year 2025 on this day.

The city skyline outside the window was shrouded in a thin layer of winter sunlight; ships occasionally sailed slowly along the Huangpu River, and the sound of their whistles drifted over, faint through the city's bustle.

Although at the juncture of the New Year, almost everyone had work or activities to attend to.

Those running promotional schedules were running them, those performing were performing, those filming were filming; everyone had their schedules packed to the brim.

But after finishing their work, everyone basically had friends or family by their side to welcome the New Year together, to have a meal, drink a little, and chat, ending the year in a lively way.

Except for Jessica.

She was staying alone in a foreign land, having not returned home, nor gone to the United States to reunite with her family; she was just living in this city all by herself.

So on this last day of the year, Lin Xiuyuan was called over by Krystal, who asked him to go keep her older sister company for the New Year.

Krystal's tone on the phone sounded quite calm; she didn't say anything sentimental, just gave a few simple instructions, and then hung up.

After Lin Xiuyuan arrived, he saw Jessica curled up on the sofa watching TV, wrapped in a blanket, so he asked casually, "Why not go back to Seoul, or go to LA?"

Upon hearing this question, Jessica shifted her gaze from the TV screen, "It's all about the same, and there's work to be busy with after the New Year, so I'm too lazy to run around."

Thus, for the few hours until the New Year's bell rang, they didn't do anything special; they just had a simple dinner together and then sat by the floor-to-ceiling window chatting.

Jessica talked intermittently about some work matters, and Lin Xiuyuan listened from the side, occasionally chiming in.

The city lights outside the window became increasingly brilliant; the Oriental Pearl Tower glowed with a warm light in the night, and the neon lights on both banks of the Huangpu River dyed the sky a faint red.

When the New Year's bell finally rang, Lin Xiuyuan held Jessica, who was sitting on his lap in a duck-sit position, and the two of them looked through the huge floor-to-ceiling window at the Oriental Pearl Tower and the sky full of lights outside.

Their figures rose and fell with their breathing, the rhythm very slow and even.

In such a moment of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, they spent this 2013/2025 year together, which had changed the lives of many people.

There was no party, no noise, no loud countdown or sound of popping champagne, nor the clamor of a crowd huddled together to take photos.

They just sat quietly together, using this almost silent way to send off the last second of the year.

The next day.

The first day of 2026, New Year's Day.

The first rays of the new year's sunlight shone in through the gap in the curtains, drawing a thin golden line on the floor.

Lin Xiuyuan, having gotten up from bed, first stretched a big stretch, then yawned, grabbed his slightly messy hair, walked barefoot out of the bedroom, and walked along the hallway to the Living Room.

Outside in the Living Room, Jessica, who usually was a terrible sleeper and often had to be called several times before she would get up, had already risen early today, and had even prepared Breakfast.

So seeing Lin Xiuyuan walk out rubbing his eyes, she immediately flashed a smile at him, her voice carrying a lightness and vitality unique to the New Year, "I thought I'd have to go in and call you to get up; come over and eat, the timing is just right."

Lin Xiuyuan walked over and glanced at the things on the dining table.

On the table were Sandwiches and two glasses of Milk, as well as several exquisite small plates containing some tea snacks; they looked good and were arranged quite elegantly.

So, while pulling out a chair to sit down, he pointed at the table, "You made this?"

"I made the Sandwiches, and these tea snacks were ordered for delivery." Jessica also sat down and pushed a glass of Milk toward Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan first gave a big thumbs up, then sat down and picked up the glass to take a sip of Milk.

The temperature of the Milk was just right, neither hot nor cold, and it felt very comfortable sliding down his throat.

After taking a sip of the Milk, he turned his head to look out the window.

The sun was bright; it was a rare good day in winter, and everything it shone upon felt warm, making one feel cheerful just looking at it.

So, after putting down the Milk glass, Lin Xiuyuan asked casually, "Any plans for later?"

Jessica took a small bite of her Sandwich, her mouth chewing, "No particular ideas, but a friend invited me to go stroll around Jing'an Temple; Xiuyuan, do you want to come along?"

Lin Xiuyuan thought for a moment and shook his head, "Forget it, it's not very convenient for me to show my face; you go ahead and stroll."

In Shanghai, where there were cameras everywhere in Huaxia, he was a bit special, and going out for a stroll was indeed not such a casual matter for him.

It wouldn't be good if he were seen or photographed by certain people.

After saying this, another matter popped into Lin Xiuyuan's mind, "By the way, Jessica, what kind of gifts do you think Zhenli likes?"

"Zhenli?" Jessica was clearly stunned when she heard this name and repeated it.

Her voice carried surprise, and her eyes were full of curiosity; she didn't quite understand why Lin Xiuyuan had suddenly asked this.

Seeing her puzzled expression, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh and reminded her, "Her birthday is coming up."

Birthday??

After Lin Xiuyuan's reminder, Jessica's brain seemed to be powered on and started running instantly; the floodgates of her memory were opened all at once.

According to the space-time here, Sulli was, after all, someone who had passed away many years ago, so it was normal for her to have forgotten.

Besides, the two hadn't really had any interaction before.

However, even so, Jessica didn't show too much, but instead, with a sudden realization, she touched her forehead and laughed out loud, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I really would have forgotten."

After muttering these words, Jessica looked up and smiled happily at Lin Xiuyuan, "So, Xiuyuan, you want to pick a gift for Xueqiu?"

"Given the current situation, it can be considered her first birthday of this new life, so I still have to give one." Lin Xiuyuan nodded seriously.

Jessica looked at Lin Xiuyuan's serious face, and the smile at the corners of her mouth deepened, "Actually, if you're talking about Zhenli, I might not know much, but if it were Xiujing, I could say a thing or two."

"How so?"

"Right now, I guess it would be you."

Hearing her say this, Lin Xiuyuan also laughed, "But I've already sent one; I can't give the same gift twice."

"That's not impossible." Jessica raised her eyebrows, looking completely like someone who loved to watch the chaos.

Lin Xiuyuan knew that if he kept going in circles with her, it would never end, so he used his knuckles to tap lightly on the table, making two *thump-thump* sounds, to regain the initiative in the conversation, "Seriously, give me a suggestion; like what did you used to give Xiujing?"

At this, Jessica finally put away her joking expression and thought about it seriously.

After thinking for a while, she put down her fork and counted on her fingers, "I've given bags, some support food trucks, or necklaces and the like; actually, in our profession, we rarely have time to spend birthdays together, so if you ask me, I don't really know what to say."

"Forget it then, I'll think about it slowly myself." After hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan expressed his understanding.

After all, an artist's time didn't really belong to themselves, and the chances for the two sisters to get together for a birthday were indeed few.

However, for the rest of the time, the two of them sat at the dining table and really discussed for a long time the question of how to choose a gift for Sulli.

From what arrangements to make on the birthday, to what style of gift to choose.

The content of the discussion was fragmented, the topics jumped from here to there, and sometimes they would go off-track while talking; Jessica even started telling embarrassing stories about Krystal's childhood birthdays, and Lin Xiuyuan just listened and laughed by her side, the breakfast being eaten intermittently for quite a long time.

It wasn't until both of them were full and satisfied that Jessica's phone rang; it was her friend urging her to head out.

Jessica said "Right away, right away" to the other end of the phone, then hung up, stood up from her chair, and walked quickly into the room to change clothes and prepare to leave.

Afterwards, Lin Xiuyuan also got up, explained the situation to her, and after sharing a hug and a kiss, he walked through that Anywhere Door and returned to the Apartment in 2013.

It was just that today, on the first day of the New Year, the Apartment was empty; Sulli and Goo Hara had all gone back to spend time with their families.

Lin Xiuyuan was left alone sitting on the sofa, dazed for a while, thinking about how to arrange today.

After thinking for a while, he simply stood up from the sofa, reached out to pull open the door, and walked through the Anywhere Door to the Villa in 2025.

Thinking that today was New Year's Day, the first day of the New Year, he might as well go out for a stroll and see how New Year's Day ten years later differed from ten years ago.

While thinking this, Lin Xiuyuan calculated in his heart that the person who loved to block his door wouldn't possibly come to block the door on the first day of the New Year, would they?

It was the New Year, after all; one should spend time with family or a husband or something.

As it turned out, he lost the bet.

That married woman was indeed blocking his door on the first day of the New Year, as immovable as a mountain.

It was mainly because Lin Xiuyuan felt that since it was New Year's Day, the city center would definitely be heavily congested, and driving out would surely waste a lot of time on the road, so he might as well try the subway here.

Taking the subway to go around and look at things was convenient and worry-free.

So he walked out directly and headed along the road of the Villa area toward the subway station.

Then...

He was firmly blocked by that married woman right there at the intersection ahead.

Looking at Park Hyomin, who was standing in front of him with a beaming smile, Lin Xiuyuan didn't know what expression to make for a moment, and the first sentence he spoke afterwards was even more helpless.

"Can you give me a chance to go back and drive?"

After hearing this, Park Hyomin laughed even more happily, clearly amused by Lin Xiuyuan's helpless tone.

After laughing, she deliberately glared at him, her eyes full of triumph, "Guess."

After saying these two words, she turned her head to look at the surrounding environment, her gaze falling intentionally or unintentionally in the direction of the Villa not far away, and then she continued, "Since it's come to this, won't you invite me in to sit for a while?"

When she spoke, she tilted her head slightly and lifted her chin toward the Villa, her meaning very clear.

However, after Lin Xiuyuan followed her gaze and glanced at the Villa, he immediately withdrew his eyes, cast his gaze past her, and landed on the sign of the coffee shop diagonally across the street.

Just at this moment, the green light for the crosswalk turned on, and the little white figure icon flickered, so Lin Xiuyuan simply mimicked her and tilted his chin toward the coffee shop, "Let's go, I'll treat you to coffee."

After hearing his words, Park Hyomin didn't move her feet immediately, but stood in place and watched him quietly for about two seconds.

Only then did she smile readily, turned around neatly, and walked across the crosswalk with Lin Xiuyuan.

While walking, she said, "Boring, Xiuyuan, how long do you intend to keep this secret? It wouldn't really be some impart scene inside, so you can't let outsiders in, would it?"

"Watch too many movies?" Lin Xiuyuan replied without stopping his pace, his voice carrying a faint sense of helplessness.

"I've seen through reality."

Park Hyomin sensed Lin Xiuyuan's gloominess, and this gloominess actually made her even happier; her steps became a bit lighter, and her high heels made crisp tapping sounds on the sidewalk tiles, full of rhythm.

After receiving this answer, Lin Xiuyuan let out a long sigh from his chest, a sigh that was deep and heavy.

Then he turned his head to look at Park Hyomin, let his gaze linger on her brightly smiling face for two seconds, and then said, "Tell me, are you just bored out of your mind?"

The moment his voice fell, Park Hyomin, who had just crossed the road beside him, stopped in her tracks without any warning.

Her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and she stood there motionless.

Lin Xiuyuan had walked two steps ahead before he realized Park Hyomin hadn't followed, so he stopped and turned back to look at her.

However, that scene was truly impactful.

In the environment of interlacing light and shadow, Park Hyomin happened to be standing under a warm beam of light cast by the winter sun.

That beam of light slanted down from the gap between two buildings and landed right on her, as precise as a spotlight on a stage.

She was wearing a light gray knitted cardigan, which was unbuttoned and left open, revealing a matching-colored tube top underneath.

The knit pattern on the tube top was delicate, forming a gentle contrast with the fair skin of her neck.

The hem of the garment fell right at her waistline, paired with the black wide-leg trousers with a heavy drape below; the overall look was both lazy and sharp.

A breeze blew across this street corner, gently brushing a few strands of hair from her temples.

Park Hyomin stood in that beam of light, like a character who had walked out of a magazine, crashing into Lin Xiuyuan's eyes unexpectedly.

It made this man lose his focus, his breathing slowing by half a beat, his brain blank for a fraction of a second.

This woman was the pinnacle example of a mature, elegant woman.

Her frame, temperament, and features could all support those four words.

Now, the charm she possessed was becoming increasingly rich, with much more depth than when she was younger; a simple action of stopping on the roadside could make someone stare in a daze.

Just as Lin Xiuyuan was sighing in his heart, Park Hyomin turned around, looked straight into his eyes, and said something that almost made him freeze again.

"How did you know? I've really been so bored lately, I truly couldn't find anything to do, so I'm really grateful to you, Xiuyuan, for giving me this reason to go out. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know if I should just be dazed at home or what."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her serious and earnest expression and heard her say such a long paragraph.

He had originally thought she was going to say something very serious and important, but after hearing it, he discovered it was just this content, and he couldn't help but silently complain in his heart.

Just this???

Just this??

Huh??

The sense of disappointment in his heart left him speechless, so he rolled his eyes slightly, said nothing, and turned to continue walking toward the coffee shop.

Park Hyomin behind him saw his speechless expression and laughed even more happily.

Then she quickly followed, her steps very light, staying less than half a step away from Lin Xiuyuan, and continued to talk as she walked.

"Don't be so disgusted. I haven't experienced this kind of mood for a long time. I didn't expect to be able to feel it after so many years. I'm really grateful for your efforts, Xiuyuan."

When speaking, the upward lilt in Park Hyomin's tone proved that the happiness she spoke of was truly impossible to fake.

However, Lin Xiuyuan did not take up her lead, continuing to stride forward, and soon arrived at the entrance of the coffee shop.

After walking inside, he scanned the room with his eyes, preparing to find any empty seat to sit down.

As it turned out, just as he took a step toward an empty seat, Park Hyomin behind him reached out and tugged at his sleeve, pointing toward the window, "Over here, my table is over here."

Lin Xiuyuan looked in the direction her finger was pointing.

Beside that huge floor-to-ceiling window near the street, there was indeed a small table.

A few plates of snacks and a cup of coffee were already set out on it; it was clear that this seat was occupied by someone, not an empty table waiting to be used.

After following Park Hyomin's footsteps and drawing closer, Lin Xiuyuan then discovered that there was a book on the tabletop "submerged" by the sunlight.

That book was spread open and placed face-down on the table, cover facing up, and because the cover was coated with a glossy film, when looking over from a distance just now.

The bright winter sunlight hit it directly, and the intense reflection made the cover look like a white blur; without walking closer to look carefully, it was impossible to see what patterns or words were printed on it.

When Lin Xiuyuan finally saw the title of the book clearly, he froze for a moment, his lips moved, and he softly read it out.

"The Awakening?? Awakening? Xiaomin, what are you trying to do?"

Park Hyomin had already sat down across from him, and hearing Lin Xiuyuan read the book's title accurately, she also looked up at him with some surprise, "You know this book?"

Lin Xiuyuan first shook his head subconsciously, then thought for a moment and nodded, "Heard of it, haven't read it."

This was the truth.

He truly had not read the original text of this book; he had only seen an introduction and some selected reviews of it in a summary-style video. If his memory hadn't been quite good after his evolution, he probably would have forgotten it.

Across from him, Park Hyomin was amused by his reaction, which was honest to the point of being cute, and couldn't help but smile.

There was an element of amusement in this smile, as well as a hint of appreciation.

Then, resting her chin on one hand, she tilted her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, "Xiuyuan, you could have said you knew it; there was no need to be so honest about not having read it."

"And then what? Wouldn't it be embarrassing to be exposed? Besides, for a man like me to say I've read a book about a wife's Awakening feels even weirder." Lin Xiuyuan shook his head again, his tone very firm, while simultaneously pulling out a chair to sit down.

And when Park Hyomin heard the four words "wife's Awakening," her eyes actually brightened even more.

She took the opportunity to take her hand off her chin, leaned her body slightly forward, and continued to press him with an even more intrigued tone, "Then, Xiuyuan, do you think I am suited to read this book?"

As soon as Lin Xiuyuan saw her look of keen interest, he knew that no matter how he answered this question, she would use it to elaborate into a long speech.

Thus, he decisively cut off the topic, raised his hand to wave at a passing waiter, and simply said he wanted a glass of lemonade.

After the waiter finished taking the order and walked away, he then gave a watertight answer to Park Hyomin's previous question, "If you like reading it, then read it; I have no opinion."

Park Hyomin across from him saw his defensive posture and was used to it, so she didn't pay it much mind.

She then lowered her head to pick up the book in front of her, gently stroking the edges of the book with her fingertips, and began to tell the story in a leisurely manner.

"A respectable wife, possessing a life and environment that many envy, yet during a vacation trip, under the gaze of a young man, she felt tastes and sensations she hadn't felt in a long time. Xiuyuan, do you think this situation is like us?"

It was fortunate that the waiter hadn't brought the lemonade over yet, otherwise, Lin Xiuyuan was certain he would have choked on this sentence and sprayed his water everywhere.

But even without drinking water, he was still badly frightened by this remark; he subconsciously leaned his back against the chair, waving his hands hurriedly as he said, "Don't mess around, I didn't gaze at you back then, wow, don't just pin things on me."

He was truly a bit panicked; this woman Park Hyomin spoke too terrifyingly, and when she said this, she still had that light and breezy smile on her face, making it impossible to tell if she was joking or serious.

"Why are you so scared?" Compared to Lin Xiuyuan's trepidation, Park Hyomin was quite relaxed.

She leaned back comfortably against the chair, crossed her legs, and continued to change the angle of her questioning, "Since that's the case, let's change the subject. Xiuyuan, do you think loving someone is an obligation, or a choice?"

Lin Xiuyuan truly did not intend to take the bait this time.

Very decisively, he shook his head firmly, "I refuse to answer."

Just as his voice fell, the waiter walked over just in time with a glass of lemonade.

Lin Xiuyuan took the glass, thanked the waiter, and then took a sip; the sour and cool taste permeated his mouth.

And he used this act of drinking water to buffer his nervousness.

As the waiter turned and walked away, Park Hyomin, who had been staring at Lin Xiuyuan the whole time, spoke again.

Watching Lin Xiuyuan's profile as he focused on drinking water, her tone carried a bit of coquettish dissatisfaction, and she pouted slightly, "What's wrong? Can't we just chat simply about this book? I didn't name names or say it was you or me."

Lin Xiuyuan saw that she had already said as much, and it really wouldn't be right if he kept refusing to engage.

However, before speaking, he didn't forget to take another sip of lemonade, using that sourness to calm his mood.

Then he put down the water glass and reached out, his arm crossing the small tabletop to take the book *Awakening* from Park Hyomin's side, flipping it open to take a quick look at two pages.

He didn't read it in detail, just quickly scanned a few lines of text, roughly feeling the texture and style of the writing, then closed the book and put it back in front of Park Hyomin, asking a simple counter-question.

"Then, Xiaomin-xi, are you mentally prepared to give up everything? According to the direction of this book, the female lead loses all her social status."

When Park Hyomin heard him say this, her eyes suddenly became exceptionally bright, as if she had discovered something interesting.

The corners of her mouth curled up, "You have read it."

Lin Xiuyuan knew she had misunderstood, thinking he had read the original work.

So he hurriedly shook his head again, and with a very frank tone, continued to correct her, "I really haven't read it; I've only heard of it and read some reviews."

"Mm." Park Hyomin nodded, not continuing to dwell on this question.

However, she mimicked Lin Xiuyuan's previous action, taking the book back, opening it to the page she had been looking at, and pressing her finger into the gutter of the book.

"The book also says that marriage is not the destination of love, but a cage of identity. The husband inside views the protagonist as a 'valuable object' rather than a soulmate. Xiuyuan, what do you think of this point?"

Lin Xiuyuan's reaction this time was even faster than before, almost like a conditioned reflex as he answered, "I look at it with my eyes."

He would rather die than discuss this topic in front of this wife.

And Park Hyomin was thoroughly angered by his way of brushing things off, though her way of being angry was very elegant; she just gave Lin Xiuyuan a very charming roll of her eyes.

And in the movement of her eyes, there was even a bit of coquettishness, which was very captivating.

Lin Xiuyuan, having received that eye-roll, felt a sense of relief in his heart. Just as he prepared to take another sip of water to completely extract himself from this dangerous conversation, Park Hyomin across from him had no intention of letting him off the hook.

He saw her close the book, sit up a little straighter, and change her tone to continue questioning, "Then let's put it another way: Xiuyuan, what do you think freedom is? Or rather, what kind of life can be called free?"

After asking this question, she also gently tapped the cover of the book with her fingertip, as if citing the content of the book to add weight to her question, and added.

"It says inside that freedom is the right to not even have to apologize for breathing, but that sounds so humble."

After she finished saying this, the expression on her face underwent a distinct change.

The cheerful and curious smile she had originally worn seemed to have its brightness turned down by someone, slowly fading away within a few seconds, becoming somewhat dejected and somber.

That emotional shift was not deliberately acted out; it was more like a nerve had been touched by that sentence in the book, a feeling that spread naturally.

So much so that as Lin Xiuyuan watched the change in Park Hyomin's expression across from him, he suddenly felt his head ache a little.

He was very clear that standing before him right now was a highly sensitive volcano.

Should he say a few words of comfort? What if a poorly chosen word ignited some kind of emotion in her?

If he didn't say anything, just watching her sit across from him becoming increasingly dejected and lost in her own world wasn't a solution either.

After struggling internally for a few seconds, finally, out of helplessness, Lin Xiuyuan selectively opened his mouth to say, "Personally, I feel that freedom isn't about being able to choose what to do, but being able to choose what not to do."

In his view, when choosing to do something, that thing itself can be done or not done; the space for that choice exists.

But choosing not to do something—the tricky part of that is that you might even be forced to do it.

When all kinds of pressures, rules, and expectations are pushing you in that direction, and you, as an individual, choose not to do it under such heavy pressure—

That is the freedom as Lin Xiuyuan understands it.

It is not the right to do things, but the courage and leeway to not do them.

After saying this much, Lin Xiuyuan stopped; he didn't dare to delve any deeper.

Especially in front of this married woman who would explode at the slightest touch, he truly didn't dare to speak too deeply or too thoroughly, and could only stop at this relatively safe depth.

It was just a pity that him not wanting to continue the conversation didn't mean Park Hyomin wouldn't.

In the few seconds after Lin Xiuyuan finished that sentence, Park Hyomin's gaze, which had appeared somewhat dim due to her dejection, brightened up again in the blink of an eye, like charcoal being relit.

She then lifted her head again, turning her face toward the beam of sunlight coming in from outside the window, making the light in her eyes even more apparent, "Then what would you personally define as happiness?"

Once this question came out, Lin Xiuyuan knew that this woman's questioning wouldn't stop.

So he hurriedly shook his head, picked up his water glass to drink, used the rim of the cup to block the expression on his face, and said vaguely, "This topic is too profound; I don't have any thoughts on it for the moment."

But Park Hyomin didn't give him a chance to change the subject at all.

Instead, she pressed on step by step, leaning her body forward even more, resting her elbows on the tabletop, cupping her chin in her hands, and watching Lin Xiuyuan without blinking, changing her way of asking.

"Then what kind of scene do you think can be called happiness?"

Being stared at and questioned by her like this, Lin Xiuyuan knew he couldn't dodge this round.

So he had no choice but to lift his head and look back, meeting Park Hyomin's focused eyes.

The two people's gazes collided in the air; neither moved away first, and they just stared at each other quietly for several seconds.

The background music in the restaurant was still flowing slowly, and the sound of the waiter clearing cups and plates in the distance occasionally drifted over.

Sunlight poured in from the floor-to-ceiling window, shining on the table between the two, stretching the shadows of the book and the coffee cup long.

Finally, Lin Xiuyuan was the first to admit defeat.

Letting out a long sigh, he said helplessly with a tone of resignation, "I'll answer this last question, and then the matter will be considered passed, how about that?"

"What matter?" Park Hyomin pretended not to understand what he was talking about, yet the corners of her mouth had already curled up in advance, her eyes full of sly amusement; she was clearly very aware of what Lin Xiuyuan was referring to.

"The matter of blocking the door." Lin Xiuyuan pointed out the crux of the issue very directly.

Seeing him be so direct, Park Hyomin stopped pretending.

She let out a soft hum, the "hmm" dragging on for about two seconds, the tail end of the sound curving gently in the air, and then she smiled—a very beautiful smile—while simultaneously laying out her own conditions.

"If you can give me an answer that satisfies me, then it will pass just like that."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan frowned and said somewhat speechlessly, "Then you're just welching on the deal."

"I promise I won't. I feel my integrity quota should be a bit better than yours, Xiuyuan-xi." Park Hyomin was dead serious when she said this, even using honorifics to strengthen the credibility of her guarantee.

This sentence, paired with her mature and elegant face, actually had quite a bit of persuasive power.

Lin Xiuyuan, sitting across from her, watched her half-smiling expression, couldn't help but click his tongue, and then adjusted his sitting posture.

"Fine, but your question is still too broad. If I have to say one, among the things I've experienced, there is indeed such a scene that is very comfortable."

Hearing that he was finally going to answer, Park Hyomin hurriedly pressed, "What kind?"

Lin Xiuyuan tilted his head and didn't speak immediately.

Instead, he moved his gaze away from Park Hyomin's face a little, shifting it to the road surface outside the window covered in sunlight, his eyes becoming somewhat distant.

He began to recount it slowly while reminiscing.

"That is, after finishing dinner, going out for a walk. Just walking on the road, looking at the streetlights or facing the sunset, blowing the evening breeze while talking about some strange and peculiar topics, walking forward aimlessly, and when we've walked enough, going home together—that gives a very peaceful feeling."

While saying these words, what surfaced in Lin Xiuyuan's mind were not the faces of Krystal or Lin Yun'er, nor any scene of sweet romance.

He thought of his parents and his older sister at home.

What appeared before his eyes was when he was still young, in the summer after finishing dinner when the weather wasn't so hot, the whole family putting on slippers and coming out of the house, strolling slowly along the village road.

On both sides of the road were farmland and low walls, and the streetlights were dim and yellow, stretching people's shadows long and thin.

They would chat about trivial matters on the road, and when they were done talking, they would take a big circle and return to the front door of their home.

Then the whole family would go inside together, turn on the television, and squeeze onto the sofa to continue watching a drama.

That sense of stability and warmth after closing the door is the "very peaceful feeling" he was talking about.

Lin Xiuyuan spoke very concretely and with a strong sense of imagery.

Every detail was pulled from real memories, so when he said it, there was that very natural, rustic flavor in his tone.

But after Park Hyomin heard his words, she was left stunned on the spot.

Those bright eyes trembled slightly, and the curiosity and eager-to-try light that had been flickering in her gaze just moments ago were extinguished like a candle flame blown out by a gust of wind, all dimming in an instant.

Replacing it was not the kind of dejection caused by the sentence in the book earlier, but a deeper and heavier kind of bewilderment.

Because...

She had never experienced it.