Chapter 165: Kim Tae Yeon: “sulli, Why Are You Still Here?”
Seoul’s night in June had the perfect temperature, even the evening breeze carried a gentle taste.
Im Yoon Ah’s car slowly drove along Gangnam’s main road, the car window tightly closed, blocking the outside clamor, yet unable to stop the city’s neon lights from shining through the glass onto the two faces.
Street neon flickered like dancing musical notes, passing by in rows outside the car window, then left behind by the car’s speed.
The red-green light ahead flashed orange-yellow, the roadside coffee shop’s lights warm and soft, perfectly reflecting on Kim Tae Yeon’s face in the front passenger seat, quiet and gentle.
No music was playing in the car, making it seem somewhat serene.
Im Yoon Ah held the steering wheel with one hand, the other casually resting on the gear stick.
But for some reason, ever since hanging up the call from Lin Xiuyuan, driving the car out of the parking lot, and up to now, she kept glancing sideways at Kim Tae Yeon in the front passenger seat.
Once, twice, three times… until the Nth time, Kim Tae Yeon finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Yoona, why do you keep looking at me like that?”
Kim Tae Yeon tilted her head, asking in a somewhat curious tone with a bit of lightness, “Is there something on my face? You’ve been looking since earlier.”
Im Yoon Ah shook her head, slowly saying softly, “No, just wanted to see older sister’s current expression, to compare later.”
“What kind of talk is that.” Kim Tae Yeon amusedly raised an eyebrow… oh, no eyebrows anymore.
“Hmm, nothing.”
After saying this, Im Yoon Ah withdrew her gaze, looking at the traffic ahead, but her tone suddenly changed as she asked.
“Older sister, what do you think is the most ‘tall tale’ thing you’ve seen in your life?”
This sudden question stunned Kim Tae Yeon for a moment.
The car fell briefly silent, only the soft sound of tires gliding on the road surface.
Kim Tae Yeon turned her head to look outside the window and saw a familiar desserts shop, the signboard still that old blue-white neon from that year, as if time had never passed.
A few seconds later, she slowly withdrew her gaze, turned to look at Yoona, her tone carrying a bit of amusement.
“The most tall tale thing… many are outrageous, but if I really have to pick one… I’d say it’s you saying you like Xiuyuan. How long have you even known him, and you’re already so serious.”
Hearing this, Im Yoon Ah didn’t respond immediately, just chuckled lightly, “Older sister, you’ll know soon.”
Kim Tae Yeon blinked, her lips curving into a strange arc, “Then what about you, Yoona? What’s the most tall tale thing you’ve seen?”
Im Yoon Ah didn’t answer, just lightly pressed the accelerator, the car speeding through a brightly lit intersection like daylight.
“Older sister, wait until dinner tonight to ask me.” Then she chuckled lightly and replied, “If you still want to ask then, I’ll answer.”
Facing this response, Kim Tae Yeon was actually a bit expectant, “Then I’ll wait and see what it is.”
The two chatted while the car continued forward, passing towering buildings and mottled light shadows.
Night breeze brushed past the car window, bringing a slightly cool aura, like driving into an unveiled future.
……
And at the same time.
In the 2013 apartment.
Jung Soo Yeon, having placed the small accessories on the shelf, glanced at the tightly closed room door and frowned, “That guy has been gone for a while, why hasn’t he come back?”
“Don’t know, probably waiting for people to come together.”
On the sofa, Lin Xiaolu sat cross-legged leaning on a cushion watching television, this rare leisure time making her very relaxed.
“How long to wait? Jinjin is almost done with dinner.”
“Not that fast, older sister, just sit down and rest. Didn’t you get up very early this morning? Not tired?”
Facing Jung Soo Yeon’s words, Lin Xiaolu smiled and pulled her to sit beside, then handed her a peach, curiously asking, “By the way, older sister, you think if we continue developing like this, what will the future be like?”
“How could we know that? Xiuyuan said something right, from the moment he opened that door, everything became an unknown.”
After sitting, Jung Soo Yeon hesitated, first answered Lin Xiaolu’s question, then continued, “Yoona, are you worried about something?”
“I’m not worried at all.” Lin Xiaolu waved her hand, “Everything is going too smoothly now, the future won’t be bad even if it follows the mold. Compared to that side, at least we have the right to choose, I’m content.”
Contentment is a blessing—these four words had never disappeared from Lin Xiaolu.
“Contentment is a blessing.”
Jung Soo Yeon couldn’t help laughing after hearing, “That’s pretty good, at least we won’t have any regrets, can keep walking toward the dreams we want, become the people we truly want to be.”
Halfway through her words, a certain scene emerged in her mind.
It was the scene of her following Lin Xiuyuan crossing to 2025 for the first time, the two standing on the rooftop blowing wind.
Suddenly, her interest surged again, thinking of going over there with him later to blow evening breeze and chat.
At this time, the kitchen door was pushed open, Sulli poked out a small head and asked, “Older sisters, when are oppa and them coming? I’m wondering if I should make stir-fried dishes. If late, I’ll wait more, otherwise it’ll get cold later.”
Hearing the voice, Jung Soo Yeon thought and replied, “Didn’t you say there’s soup? No rush, Sulli, come out and rest.”
Hearing this, Sulli came out and sat on the other side of the sofa, “The soup is already boiling~”
“Thanks for the hard work, little snowball.”
Lin Xiaolu grinned and leaned over to hug her, cheek rubbing cheek, then turned back to Jung Soo Yeon, “Older sister, look, isn’t Sulli’s complexion getting better lately?”
Jung Soo Yeon nodded lightly, tone gentle, “Yes, resolved the knot in her heart, no more internal torment. Naturally, she’ll be more spirited and radiant.”
“Radiant?”
This word made Sulli think of the ‘miraculous phenomenon’ that Im Yoon Ah and Krystal mentioned last time, then she sneakily glanced at these two older sisters—she still didn’t dare mention it to them, afraid her oppa here would also be drained dry.
……
While the three in the apartment sat chatting, on the other side of 2025, Im Yoon Ah finally drove Kim Tae Yeon to that familiar alley.
When the car slowly stopped, Kim Tae Yeon instinctively looked outside the window, confirmed the surroundings, then suddenly turned to the alley entrance beyond the car window, her tone carrying a trace of surprise.
“Huh? Isn’t this the alley next to the small tavern?”
“Yes, older sister.”
Im Yoon Ah turned off the engine while picking up her mobile phone, smiling in response, “Let’s go, Xiuyuan’s home.”
“His home is here?”
Kim Tae Yeon got out of the car full of suspicion, looking around left and right, until she saw Im Yoon Ah standing in front of the gate of a villa surrounded by high walls, shock instantly emerging on her face.
“Wait, this is… Xiuyuan’s home?”
“Right? Completely unexpected, huh?”
Seeing Kim Tae Yeon’s appearance, Im Yoon Ah couldn’t help laughing, because the other’s expression was almost identical to her own first time.
While Kim Tae Yeon was still dazed, she had already skillfully completed fingerprint verification and iris recognition, gently pushing open the villa gate.
“Wait, Yoona.” Kim Tae Yeon snapped back, couldn’t help asking softly, “You and Xiuyuan, exactly how far have you developed? How can you come and go from his home so freely?”
“Think about this question yourself later~ Come in first.” Im Yoon Ah pulled the still-dazed Kim Tae Yeon inside.
The moment she entered the yard, Kim Tae Yeon’s mouth almost formed an “O”.
The villa before her eyes was far more astonishing than its exterior, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, marble-paved courtyard, warm internal lights revealing exquisite and elegant decoration style.
All this was far from her impression of Lin Xiuyuan.
She followed Im Yoon Ah into the house with a half-shocked, half-scrutinizing expression.
At this time, Lin Xiuyuan had risen from the sofa, smiling as he came to greet, first saying hello to Im Yoon Ah, then shifting his gaze to Kim Tae Yeon beside her.
It seems everyone who knows he lives in this villa shows a similar expression.
But interestingly, even Lin Xiuyuan himself couldn’t say exactly how much this villa cost.
Not that he didn’t care, but he truly didn’t know.
Soon, after stepping into the living room, Kim Tae Yeon’s first reaction was a gasp, “Wow~ The inside is even more luxurious than the outside, Xiuyuan, you’re not some second generation tycoon, playing at experiencing life with us here, right.”
“What if I said yes?” Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow, casually countering, “Taeyeon, want to consider clinging to my thigh? I guarantee no disappointment.”
Seeing the question pushed back to Kim Tae Yeon, Im Yoon Ah beside them also laughed out loud.
“Sigh, forget it.”
Kim Tae Yeon shook her head lightly, joking yet slightly self-mocking tone, “I’m almost half-retired, don’t want to fly too high. This state is just right, occasionally sing, appear on shows, rest the rest of the time.”
“Isn’t that perfect?” Lin Xiuyuan also laughed, “I just lack someone free to accompany me.”
Just as Kim Tae Yeon wanted to say something, Lin Xiuyuan continued, “Huh, where’s zero? Didn’t Yoona say you took it out for a walk?”
“Oh, I sent it to the hospital for a check-up, and a bath.”
Kim Tae Yeon explained, though the afternoon incident had passed, she was still a bit uneasy.
“Mm, alright.”
Lin Xiuyuan didn’t say more, nodded and checked the time, “Then let’s go, everyone must be waiting impatiently, time for dinner.”
With that, Lin Xiuyuan waved to Im Yoon Ah and Kim Tae Yeon, leading them to the time-space door.
Lin Xiuyuan and Im Yoon Ah exchanged a tacit glance, then he gently opened that door.
“Go on, older sister~”
Im Yoon Ah laughed and pushed the still-dazed Kim Tae Yeon in.
Caught off guard, Kim Tae Yeon stumbled unsteadily into the door.
The next second, her feet landed, and the scene before her eyes was like someone suddenly adjusted the color tone.
Kim Tae Yeon originally wanted to turn and complain to Im Yoon Ah, but in that instant of turning, her body was like hit by an invisible force pressing pause.
She felt the air suddenly stagnate, several strange yet familiar gazes falling on her, even the light seeming slowed.
So Kim Tae Yeon instinctively withdrew her gaze, looking straight ahead.
This time, she clearly saw the figure on the sofa biting fruit, familiar beyond familiarity.
Long hair, bright eyes, slightly thin lips, and that face always in her memories even after so many years.
It was the person who had long forever left in reality…
It was Sulli, also Jinjin, and moreover that cute little snowball.
At this moment, the air suddenly froze.
Kim Tae Yeon was like heavily struck by some invisible emotion, her soul trembling fiercely deep inside.
She stared wide-eyed in a daze, lips slightly parted, yet unable to say a word.
She didn’t even realize she had instinctively stepped back, like wanting to flee, like not daring to believe what she saw was real.
Not a photo, not a dream, not an illusion.
The girl who only lived in eulogies, bouquets, and her nighttime tears was now sitting on the sofa not far from her.
Wearing a casual white T-shirt at home, hair casually tied into a ponytail, holding a bitten peach, looking at her with a somewhat stunned expression.
“Taeyeon older sister?”
It was Sulli who spoke first, voice soft, carrying a trace of confusion, yet so real.
This “older sister” sliced open the deepest defenses in Kim Tae Yeon’s heart like a knife.
Eye sockets instantly reddened, tears surging.
Her lips trembled lightly, yet still unable to say a complete sentence, only staring fixedly at that face, afraid it would vanish from her sight the next second.
“What’s wrong… you all… why isn’t anyone moving?”
Kim Tae Yeon murmured, her voice trembling badly.
Lin Xiaolu, who had been laughing and chatting, was startled by her sudden appearance, stunned for several seconds before reacting, “No… Taeyeon older sister? How are you here?”
“Taeyeon.”
Jung Soo Yeon finally recovered from shock at this moment, slowly standing and walking two steps toward her, slightly narrowing her eyes.
She hesitantly looked at this Kim Tae Yeon whose clothing, appearance, state, even figure were clearly different from yesterday’s, lips moving, yet not knowing what to say.
And Kim Tae Yeon remained stiff in place.
From Sulli’s appearance, to the young Lin Xiaolu, to this long-unseen Jung Soo Yeon before her.
The emotions of casual teasing for dinner appointment completely collapsed at this moment.
Countless possibilities flashed through her mind like lightning, yet all shattered by Sulli’s “older sister”.
Tears in her eyes suddenly fell uncontrollably.
“Sulli…” She softly called, with hesitation, with probing, “How are you… still here? How are you all still here.”
At this time, Lin Xiuyuan and Im Yoon Ah stepped in one after another from the time-space door.
The door clicked lightly behind them, closing.
Hearing the sound, Kim Tae Yeon instinctively turned back, gaze falling on them, especially shrinking sharply upon seeing Im Yoon Ah.
Because on the sofa not far away, there was another “Im Yoon Ah”.
Thus the clouds of doubt in her heart fully exploded, Kim Tae Yeon sharply shifted her gaze to Lin Xiuyuan, as if all mysteries converged on him.
And Lin Xiuyuan just smiled slightly, tone relaxed as if nothing happened.
“Taeyeon, do you still remember you said this afternoon you’d treat me to dinner?”
“Mm…” Kim Tae Yeon mechanically nodded, like a puppet being led.
“Then look at this situation now, think about how many meals you need to treat me to in the future.”
He paused, then added meaningfully.
“Right, this is—2013.”
Ten Thousand Daily ended, thanks to godfathers’ support and votes.
Then last month’s monthly tickets broke 16K, ten thousand daily +1, this month’s monthly tickets broke 3K, ten thousand daily +3.
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Begging for monthly tickets, subscriptions, subscriptions, rewards, everything!
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