Chapter 69: Hold me, just for a while

"What? I committed suicide?"

"Wait a minute, what is this? Xiuyan Unnie left the group?"

"Wait a little longer..."

In front of the computer, Sulli looked at the news items whose validity had long expired, and suddenly froze on the latest push notification.

She scanned the content quickly, then turned her head sharply to look at Park Jiyeon behind her. "Unnie, are you married?"

"Look carefully. That's the old woman of 2025. The me of 2013 is not married, single as single can be."

Park Jiyeon, who was already unable to refute, vented all her inner depression on the "old woman" of 2025, and then corrected Sulli's statement.

Only then did Sulli react to why she was so emotional just now, and couldn't help but laugh. "Unnie, you're a bit like burying your head in the sand. The future you is you, isn't it?"

"If I didn't know the future, this statement might hold, but we are currently in 2025. Knowing everything that might happen in the future, then marriage and divorce will cease to exist for the me of 2013."

Park Jiyeon looked at her seriously, her tone paused, and then she continued slowly.

"At the same time, after you of 2013 know what will happen in the future, you won't experience those crappy things again. And you certainly won't commit suicide alone at home in 2019. This point is especially important; Sulli, you must remember."

After finishing, she reached out from behind and hugged Sulli, gentle yet firm.

Lin Xiuyuan, further back, hadn't expected that Park Jiyeon, who was usually carefree, would have such a gentle side, so a smile rose unconsciously at the corner of his mouth.

"Mm, Unnie."

Sulli gripped the mouse tightly, trying to relax and show a smile. "After all, I don't want to lie in that cold cemetery either."

However, since Lin Xiuyuan intended to use heavy medicine, it was impossible to let Sulli recover so quickly.

Seeing that he had listened to Sulli's words, he stepped forward quickly and came to her side. "Although I don't really want to stimulate you now, there is a problem you must know now. For example, after you committed suicide here, Goo Hara followed you."

Sulli, who was comforting Park Jiyeon, suddenly stiffened and looked sideways at Lin Xiuyuan, who was bending over to fiddle with the computer. "Oppa, what do you mean by this?"

"That's exactly what I mean. See for yourself."

Lin Xiuyuan, having already searched for the keywords, returned the computer and space to Sulli, then pulled Park Jiyeon back and stood there, quietly watching the back that went from stiff to trembling, and finally sobbing.

This scene, even for the young Park Jiyeon, was a bit heartbreaking. She looked at Lin Xiuyuan. "Oppa, you're too anxious."

"When you came over at first, I told you the same thing."

"How can marriage compare to martyrdom?"

Every time her own crappy things were mentioned, Park Jiyeon always had a sense of shame that she couldn't lift her head.

She remembered very clearly that the first time she came to this villa with Lin Xiuyuan, and then sat in Sulli's position at this time, watching the various things that happened in the group's future.

At that time, she was still rational, even seeing Park Soyeon and Quan Baolan choose not to renew their contracts, she could understand.

Until she saw the news that she had married a crappy person, lived as a widow for more than half a year after marriage, and then divorced after dragging it out for a few years, only then did she explode.

Park Jiyeon, who originally wanted to watch all night, only remembered Xian Enjing waiting for her on the 2013 side after Lin Xiuyuan's reminder, so she left the room, looking back at every step.

"I think knowing some things all at once is better than knowing them one by one. If you want to explode, explode enough at once, and then you can wake up the things that should be exploded."

This sentence, Lin Xiuyuan didn't deliberately avoid Sulli like he did when chatting with Zheng Xiuyan before, but said it directly at a normal volume.

So much so that Park Jiyeon could clearly see that Sulli's shoulders, which had just calmed down slightly, suddenly tightened again after hearing this sentence.

Now she couldn't help it. She gave Lin Xiuyuan a sideways glance, walked up, and comforted Sulli in a low voice.

And Lin Xiuyuan quietly left the room, leaving the space to the two girls.

And his work was finished after telling Sulli about Goo Hara's death.

If Sulli could still repeat the same mistakes after learning about her dragging two people down with her, then Lin Xiuyuan didn't know how to stop her.

After all, one can stop others' actions, but cannot stop the thoughts in others' hearts.

A person's energy is limited; it's impossible to stare at another person at all times.

Even living under the same roof, there is always time for sleeping, showering, and going to the bathroom.

Lin Xiuyuan, who came to the corridor outside, leaned on the railing, overlooking the two figures downstairs, and suddenly felt "malicious," laughing and asking, "Xiuyan-ah, did Krystal cry?"

As soon as the words fell, Krystal downstairs looked up fiercely and glared at him, quickly extending a Great Desolate Imprisoning Heaven Finger. "You come down here, if you have the ability, don't ask from upstairs. Come down, and I'll tell you the answer myself."

"Looks like she didn't cry. What a pity, I wanted to take a photo as a souvenir." Lin Xiuyuan smiled.

Now Krystal was furious and couldn't bear it at all. She stood up and wanted to go upstairs to solve the problem, and Zheng Xiuyan couldn't stop her.

So she could only watch the back go upstairs while looking up at Lin Xiuyuan. "Why are you provoking her now? You handle it yourself. By the way, throw the phone down to me; let's see what's good to eat for takeout. It's time to order."

Lin Xiuyuan didn't say much, threw the phone from his pocket onto the sofa downstairs, and then looked at Krystal, who was coming to settle the score, and smiled lightly. "This is a misunderstanding..."

But before he could finish speaking, Krystal had already walked quickly to him and threw herself into his arms.

"Ah~"

Lin Xiuyuan subconsciously took a step back, but was still hugged tightly by her.

Her arms were clasped very tightly, wrapping around his waist almost without any gap, her whole body pressed against him, as if she had suddenly found her only reliance.

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned, his brain crashed for a moment, his hands still half-raised in the air, not knowing whether to drop them or push her away.

Downstairs, Zheng Xiuyan, who had just unlocked the phone and was preparing to order, suddenly noticed something and looked up at the floor above.

Then her pupils froze, her brows furrowed a few times, and she bit her lip and withdrew her gaze.

It was just that when ordering, she became a bit absent-minded.

And Lin Xiuyuan, hugged by Krystal upstairs, still had his hands floating in mid-air.

Until Krystal, who had buried her face in his shoulder, spoke in a muffled voice, trembling slightly. "Hold me, just for a while."

Only then did he gently land on her back, patting it twice, as if giving her a comforting response.

At the same time, he said in a low voice with a guilty conscience, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong just now?"

Krystal didn't answer, just hugged him tighter.

She didn't want to talk, and didn't know how to talk.

She was just suddenly very afraid, afraid of losing that person she once couldn't protect again, afraid of being too late again.

So at this very moment, she needed a hug.

A hug without any explanation, without any promises.

Seeing that she didn't answer him, Lin Xiuyuan didn't pursue the question. He just stood quietly in place, letting her lean on him, letting this silence slowly settle between them.

Outside the window, the wind was still blowing gently. Outside the house, the heavy rain was still raging.

……

Today is another day of rest.

After the group disbanded, Lin Yun'er had more leisure time than before. Although work was constant, she learned to leave blank spaces and knew better how to leave a little private space for herself to settle.

This, whether for the individual or for acting, could be of great help.

But recently there was a very tricky problem, which was that as soon as she was free, she couldn't help but think of the figure that "brushed past" that night.

At the same time, she also thought of the small tavern the night before, and the young boy inside.

However, looking at the rain curtain outside the window, Lin Yun'er gave up. Although her thoughts were chaotic, they couldn't drive her to leave her comfortable home in this weather.

Besides, if she went over, she probably wouldn't be able to get into that tavern.

Thinking of the membership system the boy mentioned, Lin Yun'er couldn't help but become interested.

After all, there weren't many places in all of Seoul that could keep her out, or places where she couldn't get in by showing her face.

You know, other bosses or store owners were all dying for her to go, and then they would publicize it extensively to take the opportunity to make money.

Only in that boy's eyes was there nervousness and rejection, and he even set up a mysterious membership system, which really made Lin Yun'er interested.

Thinking and thinking, her stomach rumbled.

Lin Yun'er suppressed her thoughts, got up, and walked into the kitchen, intending to continue making some oatmeal to eat.

But the sound of rain outside the window interrupted her movements. She looked up at the rain curtain, thinking that on a rare rainy day, could she reward herself with a good meal?

Lin Yun'er, who did what she thought of, immediately stopped her hand from making oatmeal, and then hesitated in place for a long time.

Finally, she put down the kettle, returned to the living room, picked up her phone, and flipped out a number that hadn't been contacted for a while.

……

……

Over at the villa.

Knock, knock, knock~

As the knocking sound rang out, Sulli and Park Jiyeon in the computer room looked at the door, seeing Lin Xiuyuan standing there looking at the two of them. "Takeout is here, finish eating before watching."

"Oppa, I don't..."

"Eat first, how can there be people who aren't hungry."

His tone was gentle but unrefusable. Lin Xiuyuan looked at Sulli, who wanted to speak, with an unshakeable firmness.

Growing up on red land, he had heard a saying since he was a child: People are iron, rice is steel; if you don't eat a meal, you'll be hungry.

And so, Lin Xiuyuan, who called the two of them down, poured two more cups of warm water and placed them by their hands, only then sitting in the dining chair.

And Sulli, looking at the table full of stir-fried dishes that were colorful, fragrant, and delicious, felt her stomach, which originally had no appetite, suddenly become hungry.

"Let's eat."

Following Lin Xiuyuan's opening, everyone picked up their chopsticks one after another.

But just at this moment, a rapid ringing sound interrupted their meal, and everyone looked toward the sofa following the sound.

At the same time, Krystal beside them stood up. "It's my ringtone."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 70 =====