Chapter 161: Lin Yoona Playing The Victim And Kim Tae Yeon Eating A Late-night Snack
The sunlight at 3 PM was bright but not glaring, slanting down onto the stone pavement in front of the small tavern door.
Occasionally, a breeze blew through the street, stirring the string of wind chimes behind the door, producing a series of crisp sounds, like background music for seeing someone off.
Lin Xiuyuan stood at the doorway, one hand casually resting on the doorframe, watching the two familiar figures ahead slowly walk toward the car parked not far away.
Lee Ji-eun’s steps were somewhat unsteady, her feet clearly feeling light.
She hadn’t drunk much, but she was right at the edge of being tipsy, her cheeks flushed red, her gaze carrying a faint glow from the alcohol that hadn’t faded.
When she reached the car, Lee Ji-eun turned back to look at Lin Xiuyuan at the doorway, her gaze pausing for a few seconds in that instant, as if she wanted to say something.
But in the end, she just lightly waved her hand, smiling as she said, “Xiuyuan, I’m heading out first. Remember to find that cake for me, or I’ll really get mad.”
Lin Xiuyuan nodded, smiling as he replied, “Yeah, got it.”
Im Yoon Ah, standing beside him, glanced at the two of them, didn’t interject on the topic, but casually reminded Kim Tae Yeon, “Oni, drive slow, safety first.”
Kim Tae Yeon helped Lee Ji-eun into the front passenger seat, turned back to look at her, “Got it, nag.”
With that, she went around the front of the car to the driver’s seat, and as the engine let out a low hum, the car slowly drove away.
Lin Xiuyuan watched their car drive out of the street entrance until it completely disappeared around the corner, then withdrew his gaze, turned, and went back into the tavern.
He casually glanced at Im Yoon Ah, who had been following beside him, “Yoona, how did you know I was at the tavern?”
He had wanted to ask this question for a while, but only now, with just the two of them and quiet surroundings, did he voice it.
Im Yoon Ah didn’t hide it, directly telling him about the location tracking, and after finishing, she grinned at him, her deer eyes full of amusement, as if waiting for Lin Xiuyuan’s reaction.
As a 2013 “old-timer,” Lin Xiuyuan just chuckled lightly after hearing this, “Impressive, Yoona. You’ve even learned these little tricks for catching cheaters, huh.”
“Not mad?” Im Yoon Ah tilted her head and smiled.
“What’s there to be mad about? Even if you caught me in the act, you couldn’t escape the relationship.” Lin Xiuyuan spread his hands, looking utterly indifferent.
For him, currently single, location tracking, sharing, getting caught—none of it was enough to anger him; he even found it somewhat amusing.
If he ever got caught red-handed someday, he might even smile and ask: Want to join?
Then, just as Lin Xiuyuan sat back on the sofa, Im Yoon Ah suddenly did a light flip and knelt straddling his thigh.
Today, she wore a light-colored waist-cinching windbreaker, the belt tied casually, outlining her curvaceous figure.
The hem slightly open, revealing the shorts underneath and a section of fair, slender leg, making her look both summery light and confidently regal.
And Im Yoon Ah’s movement was so natural that Lin Xiuyuan didn’t even have time to react.
The next second, her hands were pressing on his shoulders, her smiling gaze fixed straight on him, with a bit of seriousness and a bit of teasing, “Spill it, what exactly did you just chat about with Goo Ri Oni?”
“Just… talked about cake.”
Lin Xiuyuan smiled as he answered, but his hand had unconsciously landed on the side of her leg, the touch smooth and warm.
“Cake?” Im Yoon Ah clearly didn’t buy it, leaning down slightly, her nose tip almost touching his, “You think I’ll believe that? Why not say you made bread instead.”
Her loosely tied belt draped just right when kneeling, exposing the firm lines at the root of her thigh.
Pinned on the sofa by her, Lin Xiuyuan looked up at this beauty so close, couldn’t help laughing, “Yoona, that bread you mentioned—I only made it with you, right? Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black… mmph~”
But before Lin Xiuyuan could finish, Im Yoon Ah suddenly leaned down and kissed him.
Her lips soft, carrying a deliberate sense of oppression.
Then Lin Xiuyuan didn’t waste words, his hands sliding up her legs, one landing on her perky butt, the other against the outer side of her thigh, feeling the temperature and smoothness of her skin.
Im Yoon Ah felt his response, her lips curving slightly, then she bit down again, lightly grinding his lower lip before releasing with a bit of panting.
“You’d better not be lying to me.”
Im Yoon Ah whispered laughing by Lin Xiuyuan’s ear, with a hint of threat, like acting cute.
“So, you’re depriving me of pursuing beauties? Kinda like forcing me into a lock… wait, forced lock-down vibe.”
Facing Im Yoon Ah’s argument, Lin Xiuyuan didn’t rush to push her away; instead, his palm slid lightly along her thigh, like subconscious soothing, then he smiled and teased her.
Im Yoon Ah’s gaze narrowed slightly, suddenly tightening her legs and leaning fully into his embrace, “You sure you have energy left to pursue beauties? If you’re sure, actually I’d like to make more bread.”
“Don’t scare me, you have new drama promotion tomorrow, no time to speak of.” Lin Xiuyuan’s arm around her waist tightened slightly, the feel so good he didn’t want to let go.
Im Yoon Ah found a comfortable spot, simply resting her head on his shoulder, her voice soft, “I’m only busy during the day, evenings I still have time.”
Lin Xiuyuan was stunned by her half-spoiled, half-probing words, chuckling lightly after a moment, “We’ll see, my brain’s still a bit fuzzy now. I keep feeling Ji-eun had ulterior motives just now too.”
“What feeling? It was obvious. And I think I messed up, shouldn’t have come, let her see my situation.”
Speaking of Lee Ji-eun, Im Yoon Ah quickly straightened up, sighing with some annoyance.
Lin Xiuyuan didn’t mind this, “I thought about it all last night—unless you avoid meeting or you don’t appear on camera, it’s definitely not hideable. Whatever.”
Im Yoon Ah said nothing more, just nodded, then reached to wrap her arms around his neck, sticking fully to him.
On this guy, she started rediscovering the intimacy and dependence from their younger years, like a gap fate secretly left for her in time.
The wind chimes outside the tavern were still ringing, sunlight slanting in, falling on their overlapping shadows.
The air held a faint lemon wine scent, but it couldn’t compare to the ambiguous, intoxicating aura filling the room.
……
……
Around ten in the evening,
In the 2013 apartment, Sulli finally finished a day’s work, pushing open the door from the other side.
Just as she entered, a savory barbecue aroma hit her nose, making her eyes light up.
“Wow…”
Sulli kicked off her shoes and slipped on slippers while trotting toward the living room, sweetly calling out, “Oppa~”
“Mm, you’re back.”
Lin Xiuyuan on the sofa looked up at her, nodding toward the pile of late-night snack barbecue just set on the table, “Come, come eat some. Just grilled, I was thinking you might come late so I’d save some, but the timing was perfect.”
Sulli’s eyes sparkled as she sat beside him, scanning the food on the table, then suddenly remembered something and got up to head to the kitchen.
“Oppa, want something to drink?”
“Coke’s fine.”
“OK!”
She opened the refrigerator door, took out Coke and two clean glass cups, and thoughtfully added a few ice cubes.
Then she carried the beverages back to the sofa, sat down again, and grinned as she handed him a glass, “Here, oppa, cheers.”
Lin Xiuyuan took it, clinked glasses, smiling, “Eat while it’s hot, not good when it cools.”
“Mm-hmm~” Sulli nodded, taking a small bite of a skewer of barbecue, squinting in satisfaction.
Then the two ate while chatting about the day’s trifles.
But mostly it was Sulli chattering away, with Lin Xiuyuan chiming in occasionally or interjecting a word.
As they chatted, Sulli suddenly mentioned that she had told Jung Soo Jung about the script and role arrangement.
Lin Xiuyuan, upon hearing this, curiously raised a brow, “So what’s the deal with Soo Jung here? Gaining weight—she willing?”
“She said she really liked it after reading the script this afternoon, then agreed.” Sulli bit into roasted chicken wings, smiling, “She’s probably eating late-night snacks like us now, haha.”
“Then I really wanna see Crystal turn into a crystal ball. Hope it’s not like in 2025.”
As Lin Xiuyuan blurted this out, Sulli beside him froze, then gave him a meaningful look, “Oh~ Oppa, I’ll tell 25-year-old Soo Jung that, see how you explain calling her fat.”
“Go ahead, it’s the truth.”
Lin Xiuyuan shrugged indifferently; facing Krystal, what truly made him guilty was that forced moment—daily teasing he wasn’t afraid of.
Just as they were chatting animatedly, Lin Xiuyuan’s mobile phone suddenly rang.
Both instinctively looked toward the table; the caller ID note surprised Sulli, “Taeyeon Oni? So late, why’s she calling oppa?”
Lin Xiuyuan was also surprised, “Dunno.”
He picked up the mobile phone and answered, “Hey, Taeyeon?”
“Xiuyuan, come out drinking!”
“???”
“Hahaha, no, I mean come out for late-night snacks. I’m at your tavern door, brought takeout late-night snacks.”
That’s it for today, rest a day, back to ten thousand daily tomorrow.
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