Chapter 192: Duangduang Returns And Shocked Jessica
In the following days, Lin Xiuyuan and Lee Ji-eun spent their time in the Maldives, truly like a real honeymoon vacation, leisurely and comfortable.
The deep blue of the sea, the white of the beach, the salty fragrance in the air—every day was like a carefully woven dream.
They changed into light swimsuits and tried diving into the crystal-clear seawater.
During that time, Lin Xiuyuan occasionally grabbed a handful of sand to tease her, while Lee Ji-eun hid underwater and quietly kicked him.
Amid the playfulness, they laughed very happily.
Later, they also tried tandem parasailing, and the moment the airplane slowly took off, tension appeared on both their faces.
But soon, as the altitude climbed, the wind carried away their worries, replaced by one shout after another.
“This is awesome.”
“Whoa~”
“So stimulating.”
The wind tousled their hair strands, yet it made their smiles seem even freer and more uninhibited, and their relationship grew even more intimate.
Later, the two rented a speedboat and began circling the outer islands, fishing.
Sea breeze hit them in the face, Lee Ji-eun sat at the bow with her feet dangling, letting waves splash on her legs; the water droplets brought a slightly salty coolness, making her feel the most primal gift of nature.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiuyuan steadily controlled the boat, taking her to roam in the embrace of the sea, watching dolphins leap and seeing the sunset disappear on the horizon; the whole world gradually merged into nightfall in a tranquil serenity.
In the evening back at the villa, they sat in the yard enjoying a perfect dinner.
The aroma of seafood barbecue filled the air, mingling with the fresh scent of coconut wine and sea breeze into an intoxicating aura.
Lee Ji-eun had poor tolerance for alcohol and always ended up dizzy, leaning on Lin Xiuyuan’s shoulder with moist eyes, as if immersed in this romantic island.
And late at night, when she was asleep in his arms, Lin Xiuyuan gently got up, quietly got out of bed and opened the door, returning to the apartment that side in 2013.
However, these few days there, he didn’t dare linger too long.
Just like before positioning Jung Soo Yeon and Lin Xiaolu, he successively visited Ham Eun-jung and Park Ji-yeon’s apartments, completing the positioning for these two places as well, precise and efficient.
Then back to the apartment this side, accompanying Sulli with a glass of wine, chatting about daily interesting stories.
After these few days of life, Sulli began teasing him: “Oppa, your identity is really like a real-life Doraemon.”
And in the same few days far away in Seoul, Jessica, though already unsettled by Krystal’s advances, still hadn’t taken that step; instead, she accepted Big Dragon Cub’s tennis invitation.
At first, the two were somewhat politely formal; Jessica in a neat tennis skirt, swinging accurately and sharply.
Big Dragon Cub gradually let go of her restraint after exchanges, from probing each other to sitting on the sidelines of the golf course chatting about life and the past.
Soon Big Dragon Cub discovered that the Jessica senior who once seemed “unapproachable” in her eyes was actually a goofball, occasionally saying some silly jokes.
And as their relationship grew closer, Big Dragon Cub also chatted with Jessica about marriage issues; anyway, summed up in one sentence: sisters can be beautiful for a lifetime alone, men are unreliable.
Just as Jessica was about to believe it, Big Dragon Cub added: Oh, Xiuyuan excepted.
This answer left Jessica stunned for a long, long time, but on marriage matters, she gained quite a bit of experience.
And all this quietly accelerated the process.
Time flowed by day by day.
Finally, a week later.
The sunlight in the Maldives was still intense, the beach still white, but Lin Xiuyuan and Lee Ji-eun’s vacation was coming to an end.
“A bit reluctant.” Lee Ji-eun stood in the yard, gazing at the sea horizon, a hint of melancholy in her eyes, “But it’s time to go back; if we don’t, Ji-yeon will come kill us.”
“Hahaha, don’t worry, we can come anytime.” Lin Xiuyuan smiled as he closed the suitcase, appearing relaxed and at ease.
“Mm.” Lee Ji-eun nodded lightly, a tacit understanding in her gaze.
In the evening, the sunset glow lingered in the sky.
The two boarded the airplane to the airport, Lin Xiuyuan glanced at the receding island through the window, his heart unusually clear.
And for Lee Ji-eun, this short vacation had already recharged her with energy; though brief, it was an unforgettable journey.
……
……
Thus, after boarding in the evening and another 9 hours of flight, Lin Xiuyuan and Lee Ji-eun finally arrived at Incheon Airport in Seoul.
As the airplane slowly landed on the runway, passengers in the cabin began packing their luggage, preparing to disembark.
The two felt slightly tired, but more relaxed and pleased.
It was already past 9 a.m., the airport’s morning rush had begun, with passengers streaming continuously.
“Finally here; it feels so good to be back in Seoul.” Lee Ji-eun stretched lazily, following behind Lin Xiuyuan down the airstair, then breathing the fresh outdoor air as warm sunlight fell on her face.
Next, the two took the shuttle back to the airport lobby.
Following the crowd to the baggage claim, just as they reached the carousel, Lin Xiuyuan noticed a burst of cheers and screams suddenly from behind.
This familiar sound made idol Lee Ji-eun freeze, instinctively pulling her straw hat low and burying her head into Lin Xiuyuan’s embrace, afraid of being recognized.
Her movements were somewhat flustered, clearly startled by the sudden enthusiasm.
Lin Xiuyuan, seeing this, gently patted her shoulder and teasingly whispered with a smile, “Don’t be nervous, Ji-eun; it shouldn’t be recognizing you.”
“What are you laughing at? Looking down on my popularity?”
Lee Ji-eun muttered softly in shy annoyance, then pinched the soft flesh at his waist in some dissatisfaction.
Lin Xiuyuan couldn’t help but chuckle, “Are you so afraid of being recognized?”
However, just as his words fell, the cheers from behind grew even closer.
The wave of sound thickened, surrounding gazes began gathering that side, a group of fans surrounded them, the scene growing more heated.
“What’s this situation…” Lee Ji-eun’s face paled slightly, lowering her head to press her straw hat even lower, afraid of being spotted.
At that moment, Lin Xiuyuan’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the center of the group of fans, where a familiar figure seemed to be slowly approaching.
Slightly stunned, he confirmed the focus of his sight.
“Yoo Jimin?”
Then Lin Xiuyuan muttered to himself softly, a trace of surprise emerging in his eyes, “Why is she here?”
Yes, Lin Xiuyuan never expected that Yoo Jimin, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, would appear here, surrounded by over a dozen fans.
Clearly, she had just gotten off a flight and was heading to the baggage carousel with her team.
Lin Xiuyuan slightly turned sideways, looking at Yoo Jimin’s back.
This recently controversial DuangDuang romance brain had her short hair tied up today, looking both neat and a bit playful; she wore a casual fitted T-shirt and jeans, paired with white sneakers, giving a capable yet casual feeling.
Finally topping it with a hat, her overall image looked very natural yet still retained that celebrity aura, as if she could be the center of attention wherever she went.
And despite the fans’ support around her, Yoo Jimin remained exceptionally calm, softly chatting with her team while occasionally smiling and waving to the surrounding fans, behaving politely.
Soon, when she reached the baggage carousel, Yoo Jimin’s gaze casually swept around, a hint of boredom on her face.
Just as her line of sight wandered idly, suddenly, her gaze met Lin Xiuyuan’s not far opposite, so her pupils slightly contracted, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
However, when she saw Lee Ji-eun hiding in Lin Xiuyuan’s arms, Yoo Jimin’s expression instantly stiffened somewhat.
Beautiful eyes under the hat brim swept with complexity, seeming surprised and also… complex gaze.
Yoo Jimin lightly furrowed her brows but still maintained a polite smile, continuing to interact with fans as if not wanting anyone to notice her emotional fluctuation.
But Lin Xiuyuan didn’t pay much attention to her expression, instead lowering his head to chat with Lee Ji-eun in his arms about the next arrangement, “How about taking a cab? Anyway, stuffed in my clothes like this, the driver probably won’t recognize you.”
Lee Ji-eun couldn’t help smiling at this, patting Lin Xiuyuan’s chest with a somewhat helpless tone, “Your words make me feel so down; I want to be recognized but also fear it.”
She paused, then continued, “But forget it, I called someone to pick us up; she should be here soon.”
“Who? Not Ji-yeon, right?”
Lin Xiuyuan immediately thought of a possible candidate.
Lee Ji-eun smiled and countered, “Why not guess Eun-jung or Hyo Min?”
“Those two, one filming, one married; do you think my brain is like yours, full of…”
Lin Xiuyuan’s tone was slightly teasing, but before he finished, Lee Ji-eun smilingly interrupted him.
“Right, full of ideas to devour you.”
Then she huffed proudly but hugged the boy beside her tightly again.
After these few days together, Lee Ji-eun truly felt a long-lost impulse of passionate love on Lin Xiuyuan, as if back to the heart-fluttering feeling of youth.
With the luggage retrieved, Lin Xiuyuan looked up across, just meeting Yoo Jimin’s gaze.
The two locked eyes for a second but showed nothing, like strangers passing by, instantly looking away.
After a while, Lin Xiuyuan and Lee Ji-eun followed the information to the parking lot area mentioned, then matched parking space numbers one by one.
Another few minutes or so, they found the sedan parked alone in the corner not far away.
And just as the two walked over, the two in the car also got out; Big Dragon Cub gazed from afar at Lee Ji-eun’s plump cheeks under her sunglasses, her eyes already a bit dazed.
Even Big Dragon Cub was like this, let alone Jessica beside her.
Originally scheduled for tennis with Big Dragon Cub today, when she heard the other say she was coming to pick up Lin Xiuyuan and Lee Ji-eun, she said, “Together then.”
Thus, now as Jessica looked at Lee Ji-eun standing before her, gazing at the other’s face which no longer had the gauntness and dullness from their last meeting days ago, but had transformed into this reborn delicate and radiant state.
This made Jessica’s eyes widen slightly, her gaze somewhat stunned.
The photos she saw a few days ago compared to the real person before her today created a huge visual impact, directly causing her brain to freeze in place.
And at that moment, a phone ringtone rang, breaking the quiet atmosphere.
Lin Xiuyuan looked down at the incoming call, surprised, “Huh, how is it this person.”
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