Chapter 468: 492 Little Peach Who Wants to Film a Short Video~ (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Afternoon time.

The sun had already slid slowly from its position directly overhead toward the west.

The light was no longer the violent white-gold of high noon, but had begun to be dyed with a layer of warm orange, and the heat had followed suit, dropping a little.

The entire Malibu beach entered the most comfortable period of the day at this moment.

Lin Xiuyuan and the two others, having rested enough in that little Villa, finally walked out from the backyard area and arrived at the seaside, stepping onto the fine sand of the beach.

The texture of the sand was very fine, warmed by the sun, and when stepped on barefoot, it sank in just a little.

Then those fine grains squeezed out from between the toes, carrying a slightly warm, frictional sensation.

It was a bit sticky, a bit itchy, as if countless tiny particles were gently massaging one's acupoints.

Accompanied by the sound of waves crashing one after another in one's ears.

That rhythmic, unhurried sound brought a sense of relaxation to everyone that seeped out from the very marrow of their bones.

Xueli and Hela walked in front, their sandals already taken off and held in their hands.

One walked backward, looking down as she walked at the shallow footprints being pressed into the sand beneath her feet, laughing very happily.

Her hair was blown backward by the sea breeze; from time to time, she had to reach out to brush away the stray locks that flew in front of her face, but a few seconds after brushing them away, they were blown back by the wind again. She wasn't annoyed, just brushing them away over and over like that.

The other walked forward facing ahead, her gaze fixed on the person walking backward in front, occasionally spreading her hands slightly to shield the other, and occasionally calling out "Careful" when she saw the other step on a slightly harder shell or pebble underfoot.

The voice was not loud, but that subconscious sense of nervousness could not be hidden.

Lin Xiuyuan, walking at the very back with a Fujifilm camera hanging around his neck, followed the two of them unhurriedly.

Watching this scene before him, watching Xueli's happy smiling face as she walked backward, watching Hela's cautious posture as she shielded the other.

A flashback uncontrollably flickered through his mind; it was when he first learned of the ending those two had in the 25 timeline.

Comparing that to this very moment, the vivid, sun-drenched scene before his eyes was like a brand-new layer slowly covering that old negative.

And so, the smile at the corners of his mouth also couldn't help but lift slightly.

The arc wasn't large, but he was very happy.

As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a Seven-Level Pagoda.

Lin Xiuyuan silently calculated in his heart that he had saved more than just one life.

Xueli counted as one, Hela counted as one, and adding Kim Jonghyun, that made at least three.

Three human lives—this number was not small.

When he kicks the bucket in the future, he should be able to accumulate some merit.

At the very least, after going down there, he wouldn't have to stare wide-eyed at the King of Hell, and he might even be able to ask for a cup of tea.

Just as Lin Xiuyuan was letting his thoughts run wild, Xueli, who was walking in front, suddenly stood still and waved vigorously at Lin Xiuyuan.

Her voice traveled through the sea breeze, "Oppa, hurry over and take photos of us."

"Oh, coming." Lin Xiuyuan responded with a smile, then took long strides toward the two of them.

As he walked, he picked up the Fujifilm camera hanging around his neck, adjusted the parameters a few times, and his mind had already habitually begun to compose the shot.

It was just that after he walked closer, looking at the two young women who were clearly intending to walk into the seawater, he couldn't help but ask one more thing.

"What's the plan, are you two going into the water?"

The waves before them, though not large, were not small either.

Pushing over layer by layer, white foam spreading out on the beach and then receding, it really couldn't be called gentle.

"Let's just stay on the shore." Hela looked at the slightly restless waves, her tone carrying a bit of caution.

"Mm-hmm, not going in deep, just stepping in the water on the shore." Xueli was also very clear about the dangers of the seaside, so she nodded in agreement.

The time that followed entered the traditional photo-taking segment.

Lin Xiuyuan squatted on the beach with the camera, stepping back a few paces to find an angle, then shifting half a meter to the side to avoid the backlight, occasionally shouting "OK" from time to time.

The sound of the shutter clicking, mixed with the background noise of the waves, had a unique rhythm to it.

And both Xueli and Hela were professionals; coming from a girl group background of many years, their bodies would automatically enter an instinctive working state when facing a lens.

Every gesture carried a natural, beautiful quality that had been trained into their very bones.

But as they were shooting, Xueli suddenly had a new idea.

So she ran back to Lin Xiuyuan's side, stepping on the sea foam, leaned in to take a look at the preview of the photos just taken, then raised her head and asked him with sparkling eyes.

"Oppa, I remember when I was watching short videos over there before, there was a type of video where a girl turns around, takes off her top, and faces the sea to show the back of her swimsuit. Do you think we should film one too?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who was looking down to check the photos, raised his head upon hearing this and looked at Xueli. He didn't object, just asked curiously, "Zhenli, are you planning to post this on social media after filming it?"

"A little bit." Xueli nodded, the eager light in her eyes impossible to hide.

It had been a long time since she had posted any truly interesting content on her social media that could show her true self.

The things she posted before were basically promotional materials coordinated by the company; they were pretty, but she always felt they lacked something that belonged to her.

At this time, Hela interjected from the side, "Zhenli, for a situation like yours, don't you have to discuss it with your company? The persona issue needs to be confirmed, right?"

After all, they were both girl group members who had experienced strict management by talent agencies, and they knew very well that not every piece of content on social media could be posted just because one wanted to.

Especially regarding things involving the direction of image presentation, companies usually have a very strict review process.

As a result, Xueli laughed heartily after hearing this, laughing very brightly, "Unnie, you forgot. Ever since my script became a hit, my main job has changed from idol to Screenwriter."

"Then that's no problem." Hela realized with a smile, nodded her chin, and didn't ask any more questions.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had been looking down at the camera parameters the whole time, teased after hearing the two's conversation, "Looking at it this way, Zhenli, your fans are in for a treat. I didn't expect a figure that wasn't even seen during your idol days would appear during your screenwriter days."

"Then, Oppa, what do you think of my figure?" Hearing Lin Xiuyuan take the initiative to lead the topic to her figure, Xueli immediately acted like a little fox that had seized the opportunity, climbing right up the pole.

She stood on that patch of wet sand repeatedly washed by the waves, raising both hands to gather her hair.

And with her arm-raising motion, the loose T-shirt she was wearing also shrank upward a bit, just revealing the fair, tender skin above her shorts, at her navel and waist.

Overhead, the California sun shone obliquely onto her side profile, making that waistline look almost luminous.

The lines of her body from shoulder to waist to hip outlined a very beautiful arc.

In the warm afternoon light, her cold-toned skin did not look pale.

Instead, it was a translucent, lustrous white, as if soaked in sunlight.

It was very charming.

"Beautiful." Lin Xiuyuan didn't say much more, just pulling out that one word.

"That's it? Nothing else?" Xueli continued to press him.

She tilted her head slightly, staring straight at Lin Xiuyuan with her mouth pouted just a tiny bit, an expression hovering between acting spoiled and a serious inquiry.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan added a few more words, "Sexy, perfect, good-looking."

Although these words were still very brief, the curve of Xueli's mouth bent a few degrees more after hearing them.

Yet she still refused to stop, or rather, she felt this was a rare, good opportunity to steer the topic in this direction, so she took a deep breath and continued to push forward with her questions.

"Oppa, have you watched my last movie?"

As soon as these words were spoken.

Goo Hara, who had been standing to the side listening the whole time, had her playful expression vanish the instant she heard this sentence.

Her mouth tightened, and a flash of heartache crossed her eyes.

But she had guessed what Xueli was trying to do, so she quietly turned her gaze toward Lin Xiuyuan, acting as a very qualified spectator.

Lin Xiuyuan was no fool, so the moment he heard Xueli ask this question, he immediately understood the layer of meaning she wanted to probe next.

So, after hesitating for a moment, he bit the bullet and muttered, "I haven't."

"Liar."

Xueli was amused to the point of laughter by this lie that Lin Xiuyuan had clearly forced out, but there was no anger in her eyes, only helplessness.

But she didn't dwell on this issue with him, instead switching to a more direct approach, "I won't say anything else, Oppa, just answer me: is it good-looking or not?"

This question was very straightforward.

She didn't want him to discuss the content of that movie, nor did she want him to talk about its significance, and she certainly didn't need him to express anything heavy.

She only asked for the most primitive, most instinctive aesthetic judgment.

Good-looking, or not good-looking.

Two options, no third.

Although Lin Xiuyuan had a bit of a headache, if one were to isolate this question purely from an appreciative perspective, setting aside all extra meaning and emotion.

Then the answer was naturally very clear: good-looking.

But he didn't really want to talk about this topic.

It wasn't because he didn't want to praise Xueli, nor did he feel there would be any negative evaluation of Xueli's figure; he simply didn't like that movie.

A dislike accompanied by an instinctive repulsion and discomfort.

So he spoke again, his tone a little firmer than before, but also containing something more serious.

"Alright, Zhenli, let's skip this topic. Over here, those kinds of things and those kinds of scenes will never happen. Don't think too much, and don't let your imagination run wild."

However, Xueli did not follow his lead to drop the topic at all.

She tucked the hair that had been messed up by the wind behind her ears and responded to Lin Xiuyuan in a tone that was calmer and more mature than before.

"It's you who are too nervous, Oppa. I, on the other hand, have already let it go. After all, even Unnie has watched those videos of herself. Actually, after putting myself in those shoes, although I felt miserable for a while afterward, I felt much more clear-headed later on. Right, Unnie?"

Goo Hara, who had been cued, stood to the side and remained silent for a moment after hearing Xueli's words.

Her gaze dropped, as if she were replaying that experience in her heart, then she nodded gently and replied, "That's how it is."

After Goo Hara gave her confirmation, Xueli, as if she had received support from a backup team, immediately put her hands behind her back.

Her small feet stepped on a wave slowly washing up, and following the rhythm of that wave, she walked step by step to Lin Xiuyuan's side.

The distance between the two closed significantly in this instant.

Then Xueli leaned forward slightly, bringing her face closer to Lin Xiuyuan, looked up into his eyes, and revealed a very bright smile that seemed to fully bloom under the sunlight.

"So, Oppa, don't keep treating us like those two over there."

Her voice was very soft, yet she managed to send every word clearly into Lin Xiuyuan's ears through the gaps in the sea breeze and waves.

"You said it yourself, things here will never be the same as they were over there, so Unnie and I will not become those two people. On the contrary, Oppa, why can't you look at us with normal eyes? Is it that you keep thinking we will be like that? Or do you think we are substitutes for them?"

The weight of this sentence surpassed all the previous words combined.

Its sharpness far exceeded every previous conversation.

To the point that this sentence shocked Lin Xiuyuan.

The hand holding the camera dropped immediately, and he didn't rush to answer, but instead stared intently at the Xueli before him.

He looked for several seconds.

The sea breeze passed through the gap between the two, blowing the stray hairs on Xueli's forehead to sway gently, and also blowing the collar of the T-shirt he was wearing to flip up a little.

Then Lin Xiuyuan took a deep breath, looked down at the Fujifilm camera in his hand, and when he raised his head again, a smile had appeared on his face.

"Mm, I'll reflect on myself later."

No arguing, no explaining; he simply and cleanly accepted the question Xueli had thrown at him.

This attitude was more sincere than any defense.

"Hmph, should have done that long ago." Xueli hummed in a spoiled, coquettish way.

After this sound, she returned to being a young girl in her early twenties, her tone carrying the expected playfulness.

She immediately stood up straight, took a step back, and then turned around to face away from Lin Xiuyuan.

Then she lifted the hem of her loose T-shirt slightly with both hands and let it go, adjusting the drape of the garment.

Finally, she turned her head and looked at Lin Xiuyuan behind her with a side profile, "So now, Oppa, can you film the video I wanted?"

Lin Xiuyuan raised the camera; the screen showed Xueli's back as she stood by the sea with her back to him.

The lines of that back, from shoulders to ankles, were outlined by a soft rim light from the afternoon backlight, and the seawater at her feet happened to wash over her insteps and then recede.

So he softly replied in his mouth, "It's okay."

Ten-plus minutes later.

Having finished the shoot, Xueli naturally took the arm of Goo Hara beside her, and just like before, they continued walking forward along the beach side by side.

The sea waves retreated and advanced at their feet, constantly washing away the two strings of footprints and constantly imprinting them anew.

During this, Goo Hara quietly turned her head to look behind her.

Seeing that Lin Xiuyuan was not following very closely, likely having deliberately fallen back by a distance of seven or eight meters, she leaned her body toward Xueli and whispered, "Wow, daebak, Zhenli, what you just said was so amazing, how did you think of that?"

"I got angry a lot, so I just thought of it," Xueli replied to her, pouting her little mouth.

"Do you really think Xiuyuan thinks of us like that?"

Actually, Goo Hara's heart had also been stirred by what Xueli said just now, so she couldn't help but curiously ask again.

But just after she finished speaking, Xueli beside her shook her head, quickly refuting the very words she had just said.

"That's definitely impossible. If it were really like that, the way oppa looks at us would definitely be full of pity, or he would basically not have contact with us; how could it be like this now? I was just provoking him, I was purely just angry."

After saying this, she also turned her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, who was silently walking forward with his camera behind them.

Then she smiled, that smile carrying a little bit of happiness after succeeding, "Hee hee, but it looks like the effect is quite good."

Evening, Jiudian.

After strolling on the beach until the sunset completely sank below the horizon, the three of them packed up their things, found a decent Western restaurant nearby, and had a simple dinner.

The restaurant was the semi-open-air type, with small strings of lights wrapped around the trellis, which looked like a small patch of warm-colored starry sky hanging overhead when they lit up.

The three of them chatted while eating, and they didn't drive back to the Jiudian until the restaurant's guests had all changed over.

And after returning to the room at the Jiudian, Lin Xiuyuan immediately shook the Fuji camera in his hand, indicating that he was going to head over to the year 2026 to help them use the AI technology there to edit and process the videos shot today, and by the way, do some beauty and fine-tuning on the photos.

The excuse was very complete, sounding exactly like the attitude of a responsible technical worker.

During this, he even specifically asked a question, asking if Xueli and the others wanted to go over and take a look together.

But Xueli, who saw through this little scheme at a glance, didn't buy his act at all.

A meaningful smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

She neither exposed him nor said anything more, just reached out and grabbed the arm of Goo Hara beside her, teasingly saying, "We won't go, but oppa, edit if you must, just don't stay out all night."

This sentence made Lin Xiuyuan feel panicked, then he gave a sheepish smile, explained nothing, turned around, and pushed open The Gate.

Passing through the Anywhere Door, he arrived at the Villa in 2026.

After arriving at the Villa here, he first got the real business done.

He walked into the study and turned on the host computer he had specially configured for Xueli and the others, which never connected to any external network and used entirely local deployment.

The hard drive was fully encrypted, the operating system was specially configured, and the large AI model was pre-processed, the kind that could be used normally even in an offline state.

In this way, even if he needed to process some materials featuring Xueli and the others, there would absolutely be no risk of anything leaking to the internet.

The security was maxed out, and it was very convenient and smooth to use.

And with the assistance of AI, the editing work for the few video clips shot on the beach this afternoon was completed very quickly.

The fine-tuning of the photos was even more of a breeze.

But after finishing the real business, Lin Xiuyuan did not immediately push open the Anywhere Door to return to that suite in the Los Angeles Jiudian.

Instead, he pushed open that door again and arrived in 2014 Seoul, in the Living Room of Park Hyomin's Apartment.

Park Hyomin got off work early today.

Having already made an appointment with someone, she returned to her Apartment as soon as she got off work, instead of returning to the Dormitory.

At this moment, she had just finished showering not long ago and was curled up on the sofa wearing a loose nightgown, watching TV to pass the time.

Suddenly, hearing the movement of someone appearing in the Living Room, she was instinctively startled at first.

Then, after seeing clearly that the person who arrived was Lin Xiuyuan, the expression on her face switched from shock to surprise within a second.

Immediately following that, thinking of something to chat about, she added a layer of amused teasing on top of the surprise, "Xiuyuan, do you think our current situation counts as the kind that people don't want to be known about... an affair?"

"Do you have some kind of hobby in this regard, Xiaomin? These days, you've said things like this more than once."

Over there, Lin Xiuyuan had just walked over and stood steady, his feet not yet fully adjusted to the temperature here from the other side of the Anywhere Door, when he was startled by this sentence from Park Hyomin.

He felt his head ache a little, and at the same time, he was a bit speechless.

Looking at the woman curled up on the sofa with a mischievous smile on her face, his mind uncontrollably thought of that married woman in '26 who also had the surname Park and the given name Hyomin.

The woman who discussed "Awakening" with him in a cafe, chatted with him about the definition of happiness, and finally scared him into fleeing in a panic with the line, "How about we try the bed first?"

As expected of the same person.

Although ten years separated them, certain essential things were surprisingly consistent; how could this brain be so neurotic and crazy?

"It clearly is, and we can't let Xueli and the others know, hahaha, just thinking about it is funny."

Park Hyomin, wearing the nightgown, was immersed in her own "affair" script; the more she thought about it, the more interesting she found it, and by the end, she even stood up from the sofa, stepped barefoot on the wooden floor, and ran toward Lin Xiuyuan.

The hem of the nightgown fluttered gently with her steps, and then, the moment she rushed in front of Lin Xiuyuan, she jumped directly at him.

Lin Xiuyuan was startled by her speed and momentum, and almost reflexively stretched out his hands, steadily supporting the base of her thighs.

The places his palms touched were the scratchy sensation of the lace underneath the nightgown, and that warm skin temperature.

Only after supporting the other person did he let out a sigh of relief, hurriedly saying, "Ya, slow down, slow down, you'll know the pain if you fall later."

After saying this, he lifted Park Hyomin higher on his body, adjusting her center of gravity to ensure she was hanging steadily and wouldn't slide down.

"Stinky Xiuyuan, it's been so many days, and you didn't even say you missed me."

Park Hyomin wrapped her two arms around the back of Lin Xiuyuan's neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck, carrying a kind of dissatisfaction and clinginess like a small animal.

Unlike the others, as a newly added member, she hadn't formed a relationship with Lin Xiuyuan for long, so the passion in her heart was still at its most scorching stage.

Not seeing each other for a few days made her feel like something very important was missing.

Regarding this, Lin Xiuyuan carried her by the thighs and walked toward the sofa, lowering his head to explain hurriedly by her ear as he walked, "How could I not have said it? Haven't we been chatting every day?"

What he said was the truth; even if they didn't meet, the contact on the chat app had never been broken.

Information was exchanged every day, with good mornings and good nights never missed.

"But we could clearly meet up, you know." Park Hyomin lifted her face from the crook of his neck, looked into his eyes, and wore a look of resentment.

In her view, since something as heaven-defying as the Anywhere Door existed, meeting up shouldn't be such a simple matter.

"You'd still have to be back on this side for that; I can't exactly flash into your Dormitory and say hello to Baolan and the others, can I?" Lin Xiuyuan let out a laugh, his laughter filled with helplessness at her unrealistic resentment.

He then went over to the sofa, sat down, and placed her on his lap.

The sofa was very soft, and as their combined weight pressed down, the cushion sank in, causing Park Hyomin's body to naturally press even closer to him.

This position, looking down from above, made her line of sight even higher than when Lin Xiuyuan sat up straight, so Park Hyomin took advantage of this height to press down on the man before her, shifting her entire center of gravity onto his chest.

She narrowed her eyes, radiating a lazy and charming aura, and tapped Lin Xiuyuan on the nose.

"I don't care, you have to answer me one question, then I'll be satisfied and happy."

"What question?" Lin Xiuyuan quickly made a prediction in his heart.

Given Park Hyomin's personality and the frequency of their recent chats, he felt she was eighty percent likely to ask another comparative question like, "How do I compare to that married woman?"

As it turned out, Park Hyomin didn't bring up that married woman from ten years later, but instead asked an interesting multiple-choice question that was completely outside his range of prediction.

"There's this saying: if one day you, Xiuyuan, were drunk, and two people came to pick you up at the same time. One is the person you love, and the other is the person who loves you, which one would you go with, Xiuyuan?"

"Huh???"

After hearing this question, Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, then looked at Park Hyomin with some surprise.

"How did you suddenly think of this?"

"Don't worry about that, answer first." As Park Hyomin said this, she wrapped her arms around his neck again and began to rub against him in his embrace.

Her body heat came through her nightgown, warm and soft, and coupled with this rubbing motion that was clearly meant to be coquettish and seductive...

It was simply infuriatingly hot.

Who would have thought that after experiencing this entire "rubbing offensive," Lin Xiuyuan still wouldn't answer the question.

Instead, he kicked the ball back, "Then which one would you choose, Xiaomin?"

"I'd choose the one I love." Park Hyomin stopped her rubbing, lifted her head, and stared into Lin Xiuyuan's eyes.

Her gaze was very direct, very honest, without any beating around the bush.

She chose the one she loved, and the person she loved was sitting right in front of her now.

At this, Lin Xiuyuan laughed.

It wasn't that he hadn't received the message in Park Hyomin's eyes, but he was still a bit curious, "So, is this multiple-choice question asking about rationality versus sensibility? Rationality chooses the one who loves you, and sensibility chooses the one you love?"

Park Hyomin, whose attention had been diverted by Lin Xiuyuan, thought along his line of reasoning for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't know, I just heard this question from someone else, and I felt it was quite interesting."

As she spoke, she loosened one of the hands wrapped around his neck and patted his shoulder casually, "Oh, don't change the subject, hurry up and answer my question."

"I actually find it quite boring." As Lin Xiuyuan said this, he placed his hand on the outer side of her thigh, his fingertips gently pinching a small bit of soft flesh there.

The movement was very light, as if he were pinching a stress-relief toy.

The force was controlled just right; it didn't hurt, but it allowed her to clearly perceive what his hand was doing there.

"Why?" Park Hyomin felt a bit ticklish from his pinching, and her body unconsciously pressed even closer to him.

Lin Xiuyuan, having been asked, began to dismantle the logical loopholes of the question for her, "Look, the person who loves you in the question, they love you so much but didn't accompany you to drink, right?"

Park Hyomin nodded; that was indeed the logic.

Lin Xiuyuan continued to dismantle it, his hand moving from the outer side of her thigh to her waist, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on her waistline, his tone of voice still relaxed and tinged with a smile.

"The other one is the same; you love someone so much, yet you didn't stay by their side yourself, so tell me, who is important?"

At first, Park Hyomin was still nodding along with his train of thought, looking thoughtful.

But after hearing this sentence, her expression froze slightly.

The framework of the multiple-choice question, which had been quite clear in her mind, was dismantled by these two sentences from Lin Xiuyuan, much like a poorly built block tower with two pieces pulled out from the middle.

It collapsed with a clatter.

Finally, Lin Xiuyuan gave a concluding summary, his palm now covering her two soft mounds, "So in this question, the person most important to you is, of course, the one drinking with you. Therefore, I'm going with the person who is drinking with me."

This answer was beyond Park Hyomin's expectations, but after hearing all the logical dismantling that preceded it, she couldn't find any angle to refute it.

She was left stunned by this whole set of Lin Xiuyuan's well-reasoned sophistry.

After several seconds, she finally realized that after going in circles for so long, not only had she failed to get his answer, but she had instead fallen right into his hands.

Consequently, her expression went from confusion to anger to laughter, finally settling on a shy, coquettish eye-roll.

Then she reached out and slapped the back of the hand on her chest hard, scolding with a laugh, "I told you to answer the question, not to play with me."

"No harm done, no harm done."

"Pervert."

"Does this count as being a pervert?"

"How could it not? Look at your hand."

"Hehehe, then tonight I'll have to let you see what a real pervert is."

"Ah... you stinky man, get away."

"Wow, split-crotch pants?!!!"