Chapter 110: The Down-and-out Yoona
2025.
That lunch at noon in the golf club restaurant ultimately didn’t fall to Xiuyuan to pay; midway through swiping the card, Kim Tae Yeon snatched it away.
She put it beautifully, saying that after coming so many times, it was her turn to treat once.
In this situation, Xiuyuan still wanted to take the initiative and act gentlemanly once during it, but she stood up and pressed down his credit card, handing over her own.
Facing this standing and leaning posture, Xiuyuan politely looked up, only for a hand to suddenly float over and block his view.
Then came Yoona’s laughter, “Don’t look if you shouldn’t, Xiuyuan.”
Xiuyuan turned his head sideways and bumped right into her bright smile like afternoon sunlight, as if teasing this “young boy” was her greatest pleasure at the moment.
Opposite, Lee Ji-eun’s laughter followed, and she helped steady Taeyeon as she sat back down.
Taeyeon glanced at Xiuyuan who was “blindfolded” opposite, then quietly turned her head to look at Yoona, inwardly unable to help complaining: Yoona, you’re such a busybody.
After finishing lunch, the group sat and rested a bit more, then rode the little carts into the fairway under the afternoon sunlight, starting Yoona and Taeyeon’s first official golf trip.
They played until past 4 in the afternoon.
As the sun set in the west, under the slightly tipsy sunlight at five, this leisurely golf game also came to an end.
Although Lee Ji-eun and Big Dragon Cub knew Taeyeon and the others planned to go sit at Xiuyuan’s small tavern, they didn’t go along, instead heading home to rest separately.
So at dusk, two cars pulled up one after the other to the parking spots at the small tavern doorway.
Taeyeon gripped the steering wheel and immediately turned her head to gaze at the petite storefront by the roadside, “Yoona, is this the tavern?”
“Older sister, there’s only one tavern here.”
Yoona in the front passenger seat smiled as she unbuckled her seatbelt, then grabbed her bag and got out of the car.
Seeing this, Taeyeon turned off the engine and locked the car, following her down.
By the time she reached the doorway, she saw Yoona standing in front of the door, lowering her head to perform iris and fingerprint double verification on the door lock, while Xiuyuan stood behind her.
Seeing this scene, Taeyeon suddenly remembered something and frowned, “Wait, Yoona, didn’t you say this tavern isn’t for members and you can’t open it yourself?”
“But I’m a member now.”
Accompanied by the door lock’s “beep beep beep” light sounds, the latch clicked open. Yoona turned back with a smile, her little face unable to hide her excitement, “Come in, older sister. This time, I’ll host you.”
I’m a member now.
This light remark made Taeyeon slightly taken aback.
Because she clearly remembered that a few days ago in the golf club practice area, Yoona had specially pulled her to complain about Xiuyuan not giving her membership.
But at the time, Xiuyuan withstood the pressure; even with Taeyeon, Lee Ji-eun, and others egging him on from the side, he didn’t give out the membership slot.
And just a few days later? Just how many days?
Yoona had become a member?
Although Taeyeon wasn’t insisting on the slot, the fact that he had just refused them and now Yoona was suddenly a member made the disparity drive her a bit crazy.
The beauty’s self-esteem suddenly shattered to pieces, so her gaze toward Xiuyuan also filled with resentment.
Sensing the female gaze, Xiuyuan quickly walked into the tavern, and after avoiding the line of sight, he looked back at Taeyeon, “Please come in, welcome to【Solve Worries】 Small Tavern.”
“Solve worries—can it really solve worries here?”
Taeyeon, stepping into the tavern for the first time, said the most core line, making even Yoona ahead turn back to look at her.
The smile in her eyes gradually faded a bit, as if thinking of their captain’s regrets, but she wouldn’t reveal the tavern’s secret; it depended on their captain’s fate.
Thinking this, Yoona quickly adjusted her emotions and raised her smile again, “Older sister, what do you want to drink?”
“I don’t want you making it, Xiuyuan.”
But Taeyeon directly ignored her offer and turned back to look at Xiuyuan.
Faced with this, what could Xiuyuan say?
Smiling as he ushered the pouting-faced Yoona out from behind the bar counter, he walked in and asked, “So Taeyeon, what do you want to drink? But no driving after drinking; you’ll have to call a ride later, okay.”
Taeyeon waved it off nonchalantly, “No problem, we’ll drink first. I want sparkling wine.”
“Sure.” Xiuyuan nodded, then turned his gaze to Yoona.
“Make me a Long Island Iced Tea.”
Xiuyuan, who was about to start bartending, paused his hand and looked up sharply, “Ah, Long Island Iced Tea? Are you crazy?”
One had to know, this Long Island Iced Tea that appeared in songs wasn’t ordinary “tea.”
It was a high-proof cocktail mixed with vodka, tequila, rum, and multiple strong liquors, with alcohol content up to over 40%, and a surprisingly strong aftereffect.
A normal person’s tolerance would drop after one glass.
And the one named ‘tea’ was something even Taeyeon had heard of; she turned to Yoona beside her, “Yoona, what’s up with you?”
“Drink some alcohol to sleep well at night.” Yoona said righteously, “Anyway, I have no work tomorrow, unlike you, older sister, who still has rehearsal for the concert tour.”
This reason was perfectly reasonable, leaving even Taeyeon speechless for a moment, so she could only turn to look at Xiuyuan.
“Let her drink,” Xiuyuan shrugged with a smile, “If she gets drunk, I’ll take her back.”
Seeing that smile, Yoona laughed and spat, “In your dreams.”
In the end, Xiuyuan still made her that Long Island Iced Tea, just lowering the concentration of the high-proof base liquor a bit, to around 30%, so it wouldn’t be too strong to down one glass.
Soon, the drinks were served.
Taeyeon, sipping the sparkling wine in her glass, smacked her lips lightly a few times and immediately looked at Xiuyuan in amazement, “No wonder Yoona said your bartending skills are better than your golfing; it’s indeed delicious, much better in mouthfeel and taste than outside.”
“It’s about steady hands and accuracy.” Xiuyuan smiled.
Hearing this, Taeyeon looked around inside, “But I didn’t see you using a measuring cup or small scale?”
“My hand and eyes are the measuring cup and scale.” He said it with a straight face, playing it cool.
This casual “act” won Taeyeon’s praise again due to the real quality of the taste, “Yeah, if I hadn’t drunk this glass, I’d think you were joking; your hand really is impressive now that I see it.”
Joking? Hand?
Yoona beside them heard those two words and thought crookedly, raising her hand to pat Taeyeon.
The latter yelped lightly, “Ow, what?”
“Don’t tease Xiuyuan, older sister. Come on, let’s go check out that little stage.”
As soon as she spoke, her gaze was drawn to a small stage in the corner with basic musical instruments, and she pulled the somewhat reluctant Taeyeon over.
While walking, she didn’t forget to turn back and ask, “Xiuyuan, how’d you think to set up a stage here?”
“Thinking you all might come to play a few songs for fun; anyway, it doesn’t take up space there, and if not used, it’s just decor.”
Xiuyuan, who was making himself a honey lemon drink, answered casually without lifting his head.
Yoona stood by the stage, touched the guitar and the drum kit beside it, and laughed, “We don’t play these musical instruments.”
At this time, Xiuyuan, who had just finished his task, looked up, “The basic rhythm on the drum kit isn’t hard; I can play guitar, and keyboard too. Want to sing?”
“Xiuyuan, you play guitar and keyboard?”
Taeyeon, already seated on the drum stool, sounded surprised upon hearing this, and Yoona also cast a curious gaze.
Xiuyuan came around from behind the bar counter with a smile, “Isn’t it normal for young people nowadays to know a bit of guitar? To chase girls, or show off at parties, or act cool with friends—it’s quite fulfilling.”
“Such a real thought.”
Taeyeon had thought she’d hear some romantic love story, but got this answer instead and burst out laughing.
“It’s the truth.”
Yoona was curious about the outcome, “So Xiuyuan, did you successfully chase any girls with guitar?”
“No, before I could even make a move, they delivered themselves to the door.”
Xiuyuan laughed; after all, he wasn’t bad-looking.
Realizing it wasn’t the story she wanted to hear, Yoona lost interest immediately, “That’s so boring then.”
Afterward, Taeyeon, who was visiting here for the first time, wandered a few laps around the small tavern, looking here and there, before finally returning to the bar counter, picking up her drink, and sitting on the sofa.
Looking at Xiuyuan already seated opposite, “Your tavern really isn’t big; no wonder it’s membership system.”
“Exactly, if it really opened for business, it’d fill up with just a few people. Besides, I don’t have the mindset to serve others; inviting friends to sit and chat is enough.”
Xiuyuan nodded in response while scrolling videos.
Yoona sitting beside him saw Tik Tok and took out her mobile phone to add him as a friend.
Lately, she’d gotten hooked on scrolling videos too, which was quite helpful for an actor’s path needing to accumulate life fragments.
Seeing this, Taeyeon quickly took out her mobile phone to add him too.
After adding, her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, “Xiuyuan, so how exactly does one join your tavern’s membership?”
Cough cough~
Xiuyuan, who had just sipped some lemon water, coughed lightly twice, “Hard to say; being down and out is a prerequisite.”
Thinking she’d found a breakthrough, Taeyeon pressed, “Is Yoona down and out?”
Xiuyuan glanced at Yoona, who directly turned her face away with an “I don’t want to be involved” expression.
Helplessly, he pondered for a moment, then blurted out, “Her actor path was super down and out.”
Yoona, who had just turned back, instantly darkened her face, opened her mouth to retort but couldn’t say anything, only taking deep breaths and sulking to herself.
Taeyeon opposite heard this—where was the breakthrough? This was clearly an impenetrable south wall.
Helplessly, she could only lower her head to sip her drink and give up completely, “Fine, I admit Yoona was indeed down and out.”
“Ah, older sister~”
“Hahaha~”
The three laughed and messed around for about half an hour more until around seven, when night fell, and Taeyeon stood to say goodbye, since she had work tomorrow.
But she didn’t call a ride, planning to hail a taxi herself; she left the car there and put on a mask before leaving.
Just as she was about to head out, she noticed only Xiuyuan seeing her off, while Yoona sat unmoving on the sofa, so she asked puzzled, “Yoona, you’re not leaving?”
Yoona shook her head, “Not leaving, older sister, you go back first; I’ll sit a bit more.”
Taeyeon glanced down at her empty Long Island Iced Tea glass, her gaze tightening slightly; just as she was about to say something, Xiuyuan at the door suddenly spoke, “A car’s here, Taeyeon.”
One sentence cut off her thoughts abruptly, and in her flustered state, she said nothing before being stuffed by Xiuyuan into the taxi’s back seat.
As the car started and drove away, Taeyeon couldn’t help turning back to look behind, only to see a scene that shook her pupils.
She saw Yoona, who had been nestled on the sofa, now at the doorway, lightly patting Xiuyuan’s back; the two walked shoulder to shoulder slowly into the alley beside, disappearing from her sight.
What was going on?
Where were they going? What were they doing? She just finished drinking.
At this time, in the quiet little alley beside the tavern.
Entering this alley again, Yoona couldn’t help sighing, “The mood walking this road the night before last is completely different from now.”
“Back then, you thought I brought you here to sell you?” Xiuyuan teased with a laugh.
Yoona laughed too, “Worse than that; I was really worried you’d kidnap me and then kill me.”
The two exchanged a look and laughed together, soon arriving at the villa doorway.
Then Yoona watched Xiuyuan familiarly open the access system and couldn’t help asking curiously, “Xiuyuan, you said you’re from over there in 2013, so what’s the deal with this villa?”
“Picked it up for free; anyway, the ID, fingerprints, iris all match me. Compared to the time-space door, this villa isn’t that surprising.”
Explaining casually, Xiuyuan led her into the living room.
Entering here again, Yoona’s gaze immediately went to that unassuming little door; seeing this, Xiuyuan smiled, “Want to go over? I’ll take you.”
Though tempted, Yoona shook her head, then said, “Forget it, next time. Come on, I’ll go up and see how many watches you have; Soo Jung can’t have blocked all our gift paths.”
Xiuyuan said no more and led her upstairs.
Along the way, Yoona marveled at the house’s luxury and style, while only Xiuyuan complained that the original owner was a broke ghost.
Two minutes later, in the walk-in closet of the third floor master bedroom.
Yoona stood before two display cases, looking at the rows of sunglasses and wristwatches, her expression beyond shocked.
These items weren’t outrageously expensive, but each carefully selected and labeled with the year—that thought behind it far surpassed mere money.
In summary: it didn’t require much money, but a lot of… love?
Thinking this, Yoona’s peripheral vision suddenly caught something.
She stepped back two steps, her deer eyes narrowing slightly, gazing at the broken selected nylon material in the trash bin in that corner.
Besides that, there were a few pieces of torn lace, but notably missing the little thing she expected to see.
So her gaze slowly lifted to land on Xiuyuan.
And under his embarrassed expression, she asked meaningfully, “No condom?”
Monthly ticket, monthly ticket, monthly ticket
