Chapter 473: 495 Li Zhien catches them in the act of

495 Li Zhien catches them in the act of "illicit relations"!! (Please subscribe, please vote for monthly tickets)

The next day.

The first person to wake up from their sleep was Lin Xiaolu.

Her consciousness woke up a step before her body; before her eyelids had even opened, her body had already sensed the presence of the person beside her.

She was too familiar with the rhythm of that breathing.

Then she opened her eyes a crack and looked at the bedroom.

The light was still very dim, the curtains were drawn tight, with only a few streaks of gray daylight leaking in through the edges, which, combined with the pattering sound of rain, reminded her that it was another rainy morning outside.

Next, Lin Xiaolu tilted her head slightly, shifted her gaze from the ceiling to the man beside her who was still fast asleep, and looked up at him.

His nose was very straight, and the line from the bridge of his nose to the tip was clean and smooth.

His jawline was also very good-looking, not the overly sharp, knife-cut kind, but a clarity that was just right.

And that healthy, youthful, clean skin condition, in such dim light, exuded a very supple texture.

After staring blankly at Lin Xiuyuan for a while, Lin Xiaolu realized that only when he was completely asleep could one truly see that he was only just in his early 20s.

When he was awake, his way of speaking, the calmness with which he handled things, plus the often cheeky, suggestive remarks he would make, often made people forget his actual age.

But as soon as he fell asleep, all those sharp edges were tucked away.

Although his features were still the same, his entire temperament became soft.

Tender, making one feel comfortable just looking at him—a very sunny, youthful boy.

Lin Xiaolu lay on her side on the bed like that, one hand tucked under her cheek, quietly watching Lin Xiuyuan's sleeping face and spacing out for quite a while.

The bedroom was so quiet that only the sound of their two breaths and the faint sound of rain outside the window remained.

At this time, it seemed as if the whole world hadn't fully woken up yet; only she was awake, possessing this short, quiet moment in time.

After spacing out for a long time, she suddenly reached out her small hand and carefully pressed the tip of her index finger onto Lin Xiuyuan's lips.

As a result, the moment her fingertip touched him, before she had time to feel that warmth for a moment longer, the other person's lips suddenly opened and bit down on her finger in one go.

The force was very light; rather than calling it a bite, it was more like he was holding her fingertip with his lips.

His teeth didn't use any force at all; he was just holding it very, very lightly.

Immediately after, Lin Xiuyuan's voice came out, wrapped in the hoarseness and laziness of just waking up, rising with a hint of a shallow smile, "YoonA, you started this, so you can't blame me."

"Huh?" Lin Xiaolu was stunned by his sudden sneak attack.

She blinked twice, her brain having just booted up, not yet fully reacting to what he meant by that sentence.

Then she felt those palms that she didn't know when had reached out from under the quilt.

Carrying the body heat accumulated throughout the night, they pressed hotly against her skin.

Lazy, clingy, neither hurried nor heavy.

This rhythm of seeking and exploring was, instead, more heart-accelerating than any other action.

So Lin Xiaolu's body couldn't help but instinctively tremble slightly.

Then she immediately realized that something was terribly wrong and hurriedly began to beg for mercy, her voice filled with laughter and panic, her two hands pushing against Lin Xiuyuan's chest, wanting to push him away but unable to muster any strength.

"No, I need to get up, wash up, and go out. Xiuyuan, you can't be like this early in the morning. At least not now, I haven't washed up yet."

It was just that this protest sounded soft and weak, not at all like a refusal, but more like telling someone to be gentle.

"Work is in the afternoon, it's only morning now, there's still time."

Having dropped this sentence, Lin Xiuyuan didn't give Lin Xiaolu any chance to continue negotiating.

First, he released the lips that were holding her finger, and then in the next second, he simply rolled over, cleanly and neatly pinning the still slightly struggling Bambi under him.

With both arms supporting him on either side of her body, he looked down at her from above.

Looking at those bright eyes, looking at her pupils reflecting his own face, Lin Xiuyuan smiled and leaned down, gently nipping those lips that still wanted to say something into his own mouth.

So supple.

With a hint of cool mint, plus that sweet softness that belonged to her, her entire scent, set off by the body heat that hadn't fully dissipated in the morning, smelled warm and cozy.

Just like that, who knows how much more time passed.

By the time the two of them finally finished being lovey-dovey and sluggishly wandered out of the bedroom, the daylight outside the window had already changed from gray to a slightly brighter pale white.

The rain was still falling, and it seemed to be even heavier than it was at dawn, changing from thin, fragmented drizzles into a dense, moderate-to-heavy rain.

Lin Xiuyuan walked in front and pushed open The Gate of the bedroom, stepping barefoot onto the wooden floor of the Living Room.

Lin Xiaolu followed him out, her hair not yet fully tied up, a few stray strands falling loosely onto her shoulders.

Her face still carried the moisture from having just washed up, along with a bit of a blush that hadn't completely faded.

"Still eating Breakfast?" After walking to the center of the Living Room, Lin Xiuyuan turned around to look at Lin Xiaolu, his tone carrying a kind of leisure that asked a question he already knew the answer to.

Then he was fiercely glared back at by a roll of her eyes.

Lin Xiaolu was both angry and amused, puffing out her small mouth, her cheeks round, and muttered a few words under her breath.

Her voice carried accusations and a complex emotion of being unable to laugh or cry, "Eat your head, I have to hurry to the beauty salon. I told you there wasn't enough time, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Still eating head? Didn't you have enough just now?" Lin Xiuyuan followed up with a remark.

After saying it, he even gave his own reaction speed a perfect score in his heart.

"Hey!!!" Lin Xiaolu shouted this with full vigor, the sound echoing throughout the Living Room.

And clenching her fists, she rushed toward Lin Xiuyuan, her powder-puff fists bringing the sound of wind as they rained down on him—this was exactly what "beating your chest with little fists" was.

After teasing Lin Xiaolu a little, Lin Xiuyuan also smiled and dodged those few soft, yet emotionally charged, powder-puff fists.

While dodging, he raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, continuing to smile and beg for mercy.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong, I was wrong, I won't say it anymore. Let's go, put on your shoes and head out, how about I drive you there?"

"That's fine, there aren't many pedestrians there on a rainy day anyway." Lin Xiaolu withdrew her fists, turned her head to look at the heavy rain outside the window, thought for a moment, and nodded in agreement.

The road to the beauty salon was already remote, and with the rainy weather, there should be even fewer pedestrians and vehicles on the road.

In normal weather, she wouldn't dare let Lin Xiuyuan drop her off directly at the entrance of the beauty salon like this; it would be troublesome if she were recognized or caught by some camera.

After reaching a consensus, the two of them picked up the coats they had tossed haphazardly onto the living room sofa and floor the night before and put them on.

Lin Xiaolu in particular, after putting her lamb's wool coat back on, rummaged through the drawer in the entryway to find a mask to wear, covering half her face completely and leaving only a pair of bright, sparkling eyes exposed.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was standing at The Gate waiting for her, tilted his head to look her over before flashing a teasing smile, "Yo, a big celebrity."

And so, his arm was hit again.

The sound of this slap was exceptionally crisp in the narrow space of the entryway; after hitting him, Lin Xiaolu couldn't help but laugh, and the eyes above her mask curved into two crescent moons.

Soon, the two of them walked out of the Apartment building, one after the other, and ducked into the car parked downstairs, plunging into the rain-shrouded streets outside and heading straight toward the beauty salon.

There were not many vehicles on the road, and the car's heater was on, set to just the right temperature—neither cold nor hot, it was very comfortable.

Lin Xiaolu, sitting in the passenger seat, pulled her mask down a bit, crossed her legs on the seat, turned to the side, and casually asked Lin Xiuyuan about his upcoming plans.

"Xiuyuan, what are you planning to do next?"

"I'm heading to Nihon in a couple of days to look at some houses; I promised Quan Baolan, so I might as well go take a look before the New Year." As Lin Xiuyuan answered, he turned the steering wheel half a turn to the right and merged onto the main road.

"It'll be the Spring Festival after you finish looking at the houses, right?" Lin Xiaolu counted the days on her fingers and asked another question.

"That's right, so if nothing unexpected happens, I reckon I'll head back to my hometown directly from there and come back after the Spring Festival." Lin Xiuyuan nodded and stated the rough timeline he had in mind.

Looking at houses in Nihon wouldn't take more than a few days, and since the timing would land right around the Spring Festival, rather than flying back to Seoul and going through all that trouble, it would be better to fly straight from Nihon to his hometown, spend the New Year there, and then come back out.

Hearing Lin Xiuyuan say this, Lin Xiaolu suddenly became interested.

She took her crossed legs off the seat, leaned her entire upper body over from the passenger side, propped one arm on the center console, and asked a very intriguing question.

"So Xiuyuan, if you go home for the New Year this time and your uncle and aunt ask if you're seeing anyone, or if they pressure you to get married, what are you going to say?"

"Single." Lin Xiuyuan kept his hands on the steering wheel and said these two words with a smile, eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Scumbag." Lin Xiaolu laughed along, the amusement in her tone seemingly even thicker than Lin Xiuyuan's.

Two people who had just rolled out of the same bed were now in the car, discussing this question in the most open and honest tone.

This scene could be described as very fitting, or perhaps very bizarre.

But neither of them seemed to think there was anything wrong with it; on the contrary, they were enjoying it—this was a tacit understanding that only those on the inside could comprehend.

Amidst the idle chatter and laughter, the car soon arrived at the side of a quiet, two-lane road.

The beauty salon Lin Xiaolu was going to was located right on the side of this road; the location was a bit remote, neither in a busy downtown area nor on a commercial street.

But this kind of seclusion and low profile was exactly what artists liked; the quieter and more hidden the corner, the more suitable it was for them to do their styling and preparation work in these places.

Because of the rain, there wasn't even a single pedestrian on the road at this moment; it was empty.

Only the threads of rain fell incessantly, splashing dense ripples into the small puddles on the ground.

As the car came to a steady stop by the side of the road, Lin Xiaolu reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt, then turned her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, "I'm going to get busy now, be careful on your way back."

"Remember to eat," Lin Xiuyuan added a timely note of concern before she turned away.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaolu, whose body had already turned and whose hand was resting on the door handle, stopped in her tracks the moment Lin Xiuyuan's words fell.

She turned her head back to look at Lin Xiuyuan, and then, under his gaze, leaned her body back over.

She reached out both hands to cup Lin Xiuyuan's cheeks, feeling the freshness and dryness of his morning shave, then tilted her head slightly and kissed him very passionately.

But just as Lin Xiuyuan was about to raise his hand to reciprocate and take back the initiative, Lin Xiaolu, who had just delivered herself to his doorstep, quickly retreated like a little cat that had stolen some fish.

With a mischievous arc on the corner of her mouth after her conspiracy succeeded, she looked at Lin Xiuyuan's hand, which was still suspended in mid-air, and smiled with particular triumph.

"Hee hee, alright, I really have to go now, drive safely."

After saying this, she picked up her umbrella, pushed open the car door, and with a *pop*, opened it.

She bent her waist to jump out of the car, closed the door, and trotted across the sidewalk, reaching the entrance of the beauty salon in a few large strides.

The moment she pushed the door open to enter, she happened to come face-to-face with a figure who was just about to leave the porch.

Seeing the other person, Lin Xiaolu pulled her mask down a little, revealing her whole face, and greeted her with a smile, "Oh, IU, long time no see."

"Yeah, Unnie, long time no see," Li Zhien replied with a smile, her voice very sweet.

Yet, while she was saying this, her peripheral vision couldn't help but drift past Lin Xiaolu's shoulder, through the glass door of the porch, and land on the car still parked on the roadside outside.

She felt like she had just seen something incredible.

Li Zhien said this to herself silently in her heart; the smile on her face remained motionless, but inside, fireworks had already begun to crackle and pop.

And most importantly, she had seen that man's face clearly!!!

Inside the car outside.

After watching Lin Xiaolu trot into the beauty salon with her umbrella, Lin Xiuyuan didn't linger on the roadside; he quickly shifted gears and lightly stepped on the gas, preparing to return to the Apartment to hunker down.

Today's weather was just perfect for staying indoors.

As it turned out, the car hadn't even gone a few hundred meters when the phone mounted on the phone holder lit up, and Xueli's caller ID popped up on the screen.

Glancing at the screen, he reached out to tap the Bluetooth headset, put it in his ear, and said, "Hello."

"Oppa, what are you doing? Are you free right now?" Xueli's voice came through the headset.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows with some curiosity, "I'm free, what's up?"

"That's perfect, come to Incheon Airport and pick me up; it's raining hard and it's hard to get a taxi." Xueli's reply came very briskly, and she sounded very cheerful.

However, this answer made Lin Xiuyuan's sword-like brows shoot up; he slowed the car down and asked her, half-laughing and half-crying.

"Wait, Zhenli, aren't you in Hengdian? How did you run back already? Did Victoria kick you out?"

The other party had only said she landed in Shanghai last night, and now she was appearing at Incheon Airport; this turnaround speed was too fast.

So fast that it made one wonder if something had happened over in Hengdian.

"No, that's a secret for now; I'll tell you when we meet. Hurry up and come pick me up, I'll go buy you a coffee." Xueli laughed at Lin Xiuyuan's guess on the other end of the line.

But she didn't explain the reason over the phone, instead mysteriously keeping the motive hidden; the amusement and anticipation in her tone came through the airwaves, carrying a sense of small triumph and the joy of keeping him in suspense.

"No coffee, bring a bottle of cola instead, to kill the sperm."

Lin Xiuyuan made a casual quip.

As he spoke, he turned left; the car, which was originally supposed to go straight back to the Apartment, made a U-turn and headed toward Incheon.

"Ah, oppa!!!"

On the other end of the phone, Xueli was amused to no end by his words and laughed heartily.

The laughter exploded from the earpiece, sounding exceptionally bright against the background noise, and even through the phone, one could imagine how adorable she looked doubled over with laughter.