Chapter 237: 【twin Dragon Meeting】
More than ten minutes ago.
In a guest room on the second floor of the 2025 Villa.
As Lin Xiuyuan pushed the door open and left, his footsteps gradually faded. Sulli flipped over from the bed with a “swoosh,” excitement flashing in her eyes.
Clutching her mobile phone, she happily typed a long message into the chat box, her fingertips flying across the screen.
Peach: 【 Oppa is out, hahaha, I think he’s quite flustered right now, Ji-yeon showed up directly. 】
Within seconds of sending the message, another reply came back.
Krystal: 【 What’s he flustered about? Because you’re not home? That shouldn’t be a big deal, Ji-yeon should be meeting him at the tavern, not bringing her back to the villa. 】
Sulli couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile, her gaze cunning, and she immediately replied with a few lines.
Peach: 【 Can’t say for sure, if someone comes over in the early morning for a meeting, it’s not for doing *those* kinds of things, I absolutely don’t believe it. 】
Krystal: 【 ??? 】
Peach: 【 Hehe~ 】
After sending this message, Sulli suddenly felt a stir in her heart. She tiptoed to a window in the room.
The curtains here had always been deliberately drawn shut, but this time, she carefully pulled them open by a very narrow slit, held her breath, and peeked outside.
Her gaze immediately went towards the alley entrance.
The darkness was obscured by the tree canopy, making most of it unclear, but she could still vaguely make out some movement.
However, it was completely silent; not to mention Lin Xiuyuan and Big Dragon Cub, not even a passerby could be seen.
“So fast…”
Sulli mumbled softly, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
After speaking, she turned around, preparing to get back into bed.
But at that very moment, her peripheral vision casually swept over, and she happened to glimpse the direction of the villa entrance.
Her body instantly froze, and her half-turned posture stopped abruptly.
The next second, Sulli’s eyes widened, she held her breath, and looked down intently.
Without almost any hesitation, she yanked the curtains shut, pounced onto the bed like a startled little rabbit, and frantically grabbed her phone to start typing furiously.
Peach: 【 Help! Help! Soo Jung ah~ Ji-yeon doesn’t seem to have gone to the tavern with Oppa. They’re both standing at the villa entrance. Is something going to happen? 】
Krystal: 【 Ah, what is Xiuyuan doing? 】
Peach: 【 I don’t know. They seem to be chatting. Did I get exposed? 】
Krystal: 【 Should I call and ask? 】
Sulli stared at this message, puffed out her cheeks, her eyes flickering. After a few seconds of thought, she quickly typed again.
Peach: 【 Forget it, let’s see what Oppa thinks. I’m fine, it’s mainly about you, Soo Jung. 】
Krystal: 【 Me? What could happen to me? 】
Peach: 【 If Ji-yeon joins the cult, then you won’t be the only one hogging Oppa anymore. 】
Krystal: 【 ??? 】
Just as they exchanged a few more messages, the sound of the villa’s main door creaking open suddenly reached her, startling Sulli. Her heart tightened, and as a reflex, she rushed back to the window.
She trembled as she lightly parted the gap with her fingers and peeked down.
Lin Xiuyuan had indeed brought Ji-yeon into the villa.
Sulli, holding her breath, her heart pounding, quickly pulled herself back, crawled back onto the bed, and her fingers rapidly tapped on the screen.
Peach: 【 Ooh, my guess was right. Oppa brought Ji-yeon in. Soo Jung, I’m not chatting anymore. I guess I should go have a good chat with Ji-yeon. I might scare her quite a bit. 】
On the other side of the ocean, Krystal, who was currently sitting by a sunlit street in Los Angeles, stared at the screen, stunned for two seconds.
The next second, her eyes widened abruptly, she bit her lower lip, her brow furrowed, and she even couldn’t help but bare her teeth.
Why did it feel like every time she was working elsewhere, Big Dragon Cub was stirring up trouble at home?
…
And over at the villa.
After putting down her phone, Sulli looked down at her loungewear, silently contemplating the scene that would unfold.
She knew very well that the Ji-yeon of 2013 was terrified of ghosts to her core, so much so that she could barely stand at the slightest hint of one.
So, the Ji-yeon of 2025 probably hadn’t overcome this “innate” fear.
After all, some traumas couldn’t be desensitized, especially those linked to “death.”
As expected, when Sulli heard Lin Xiuyuan call from downstairs into the living room, “Sulli ah~ Your friend is here.”
Sulli immediately couldn’t help but smile and push the door open. She quickly walked to the railing on the second floor, leaned over, and looked down.
The next instant, she saw Big Dragon Cub on the sofa and heard the sudden scream that erupted from her.
“Ah… a ghost…”
Downstairs, in the living room.
Big Dragon Cub, who had been able to maintain a calm sitting posture, suddenly had her pupils dilate. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant, as if all her blood had been drained.
Her throat tightened, her voice tore through the air sharply, echoing in the spacious villa and striking the night sky.
Because, in front of her eyes, she saw a figure so familiar, it couldn’t be more familiar.
It was Sulli.
But the other person had clearly… passed away.
Yet, she was now standing clearly on the second floor, her silhouette illuminated by the light, looking incredibly real.
It wasn’t a photo, and it didn’t seem like a hallucination, but a solid presence right before her eyes.
“This is impossible…”
Big Dragon Cub’s body recoiled violently, slamming into the back of the sofa.
Her fingertips dug fiercely into her palms, almost breaking the skin. Her heart pounded erratically, as if it would tear through her chest.
Her reason wavered in the face of her fear, and her entire world seemed to be collapsing before her eyes.
She stared intently at Sulli on the second floor, her breathing becoming rapid and ragged. The next second, her gaze suddenly shifted to Lin Xiuyuan.
At that moment, countless fragments flashed through her mind:
—— That bottle of “Rejuvenation Fluid,” which restored the youthful appearance of several people she knew.
—— This villa, located in the heart of Gangnam, had a mysterious origin.
—— Lin Xiuyuan’s frequent disappearances and his unavailability.
—— The “Secret Tavern,” where everyone who entered kept its interior completely confidential.
Piecing together these scattered details, a chilling thought began to emerge in her mind.
If Sulli’s return meant that death was not the end…
Then what about Lin Xiuyuan?
The person she knew, was he truly human, or some kind of ghost hidden among humans?
With the recent surge in ghost and underworld TV series, Big Dragon Cub’s little mind immediately jumped to this absurd yet seemingly logical conclusion.
“No wonder…”
Big Dragon Cub’s voice trembled uncontrollably, her breathing rapid, her tone filled with terror, even with a broken panic, “No wonder your physique is so exaggerated. It turns out, Xiuyuan you… you’re not an ordinary person at all.”
Her mind roared, her worldview completely shattered.
Fear, shock, suspicion, and an instinctive tremor mixed together, making even her fingers shake.
Everything before her had completely overturned her original cognition of the real world.
However, upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan looked utterly speechless, a mix of laughter and tears. He raised his hand, rubbed his temples, and cast a helpless glance at Sulli who was coming downstairs.
“What ghost are you talking about, Sulli? Do you know what she means by these words?”
Sulli let out a soft chuckle, covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes curving into crescent moons, “Hahaha, she must think of you as a ghost from a TV series, or maybe the Black and White Impermanence. Indeed, if it were me, I would think the same.”
As she spoke, she walked lightly down the stairs, her hem swaying slightly, her steps unhurried, with a hint of playfulness.
She slowly approached the sofa, tilted her head, and gazed at Big Dragon Cub before her, comparing her to Park Ji-yeon who had left just a short while ago.
Then, she turned back to Lin Xiuyuan, a smile gracing her lips, “Oppa, it’s good now. Ji-yeon waited for so long for this opportunity, and now she’s finally got it.”
“I really can’t be bothered to explain anymore.”
Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, a hint of helplessness in his tone, “Given the situation, even if I explained it clearly to her, it would only create a rift. Rather than that, it’s better to just pull her in.”
Sulli nodded gently, a meaningful curve on her lips, “Yes, that’s true.”
On the sofa, Big Dragon Cub sat rigidly, as if frozen.
She stared blankly at the two of them talking back and forth, feeling as if she had been isolated from their conversation, her mind a buzzing void.
It wasn’t until Sulli walked up to the sofa and leaned down slightly, her eyes falling upon Big Dragon Cub with a hint of teasing and tenderness, that Big Dragon Cub’s nerves suddenly re-activated as if struck by electricity.
“You… what are you? A ghost? Or something else?”
Stuttering, Big Dragon Cub’s voice still carried a tremor of fear.
As soon as she finished speaking, she anxiously turned her head, staring intently at Lin Xiuyuan, her eyes filled with raw fear and pleading, “Xiuyuan, tell me, Sulli isn’t… isn’t she already dead? Then what is it you’re making me see?”
Sulli simply blinked, her smile undiminished. The next second, she actually sat down next to Big Dragon Cub.
The playfulness in her smile was exactly the same as Big Dragon Cub remembered.
Then, she tilted her head slightly, her lips curved playfully, and said leisurely, “Ji-yeon, don’t scare yourself. Why don’t you reach out and touch me to see if I’m human?”
Upon hearing this, Big Dragon Cub was struck as if by lightning. Her pupils widened, and her entire body trembled violently, shrinking further to the other end of the sofa.
Covering her eyes with her hands, she cried out in a sharp, panicked voice, “No! I don’t dare to look! You ghosts can all shapeshift, I don’t want to see that terrifying appearance!”
Her reaction made the atmosphere and the scene incredibly awkward.
Lin Xiuyuan froze for two seconds, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Shaking his head, he walked forward, “Oh dear, Ji-yeon, your reaction isn’t like your usual fearless self. Since you don’t believe us, then you should confirm it yourself.”
Before his words fell, he directly grabbed Big Dragon Cub’s wrist and, without further ado, pressed it against Sulli’s chest.
“Feel carefully. There’s a heartbeat, there’s body temperature. If she were a ghost, then who in this world could be considered human?”
Sulli’s cheeks instantly flushed red. She glared at Lin Xiuyuan, a mixture of reproach and shyness in her gaze, “Oppa, can’t you be a little more serious?”
As for Big Dragon Cub, whose hand was forcibly placed on Sulli’s chest by Lin Xiuyuan, her entire body became as stiff as stone.
If the initial reaction was one of instinctive resistance and fear.
Then, as her fingertips touched the real warmth and strong heartbeat, her breathing suddenly hitched, and the fear in her eyes gradually transformed into an indescribable shock.
This was not a hallucination.
Not a photo.
Nor a ghost.
Big Dragon Cub slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting Sulli’s.
Those eyes were still clear, carrying a familiar playfulness and tenderness, exactly as she remembered.
“It really is you…” Big Dragon Cub’s lips trembled, her voice barely audible.
But soon, she abruptly turned her head to stare at Lin Xiuyuan, her voice filled with panic and suspicion, “But, you already… No, Xiuyuan, did you find someone who had plastic surgery to look like Sulli?”
Compared to being immortal or a ghost, even after feeling a heartbeat and body temperature, Big Dragon Cub still couldn’t believe the existence of the person before her.
This explanation, though far-fetched, at least allowed her to grasp a semblance of “realistic logic.”
But her question also made Sulli laugh upon hearing it. She then gently took Big Dragon Cub’s hand and even pressed her palm more firmly.
She then took the other hand and placed it on her own face, her voice gentle, with a hint of teasing.
“With such a real heartbeat, how could a ghost have such warm body temperature? As for plastic surgery, older sister, feel it yourself. If you shave bones, fill, or have surgery, there should be some traces, right? Do I have any here?”
Led by Sulli to confirm, Big Dragon Cub finally reached out her hand, with trembling hesitation, and cautiously felt Sulli’s body.
After a long while, she swallowed hard, her eyes quickly welling up with tears.
Then, she slowly withdrew her hand, curled up in the corner of the sofa, her voice choked with sobs, “This is too impossible, Sulli. If you’re not a ghost, then how did you appear here… Why you specifically… I clearly attended your funeral, how could this be?”
Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan sighed and finally put away his usual playful and flippant demeanor.
Sitting down next to Big Dragon Cub, just as Sulli had done, his voice softened as he began to speak slowly, “Ji-yeon, listen to me. I didn’t lie to you, nor did I hire an actor to scare you. Sulli here is not a ghost, nor is it a hallucination. She’s just from 2013.”
“2013?” Big Dragon Cub looked up abruptly, her eyes staring blankly at him.
Lin Xiuyuan nodded and continued, “I have a Time-Space Door that allows me to travel between 2013 and 2025. She, from ’13, didn’t die, so naturally, she’s alive.”
Big Dragon Cub’s mind buzzed, as if a powerful bomb had been dropped.
She opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Seeing her complex expression, Sulli couldn’t help but reach out and gently wipe away the tears from her eyes, whether they were from fear or joy, and smiled, “Does it feel like a sci-fi drama? Honestly, I couldn’t believe it myself when I first found out, but since I can sit here with you, older sister, it means this isn’t a dream.”
Inside the villa’s living room, the air was filled with a strange silence.
Big Dragon Cub’s heartbeat was still chaotic, but she was slowly struggling out of the vortex of fear.
Her gaze fixed on Sulli, then on Lin Xiuyuan. Her voice trembled noticeably, “So Xiuyuan, you’re not a ghost, you just mastered the secret of time?”
Lin Xiuyuan couldn’t help but chuckle, “Mm, you can think of me like Gong Yoo, someone who can freely open a door to 2013. But I really didn’t expect, Ji-yeon, that you would think of the ghost identity. It’s hilarious. If that’s the case, then you and a ghost…”
“Stop, just stop.”
Although she had been scared quite badly just now, as Lin Xiuyuan started his usual banter again, Big Dragon Cub finally came to her senses and quickly reached out to stop him from continuing his joke.
The Big Dragon Cub who stopped Lin Xiuyuan kept her eyes on Sulli.
But this time, her gaze no longer held fear and doubt, but a mixture of joy, surprise, and an inexpressible emotion.
The person before her was not a ghost.
But a living, breathing person. Although from 2013, she was still a living, breathing person.
After staring at Sulli blankly for a long time, until the fear in her heart was finally completely dispelled by the real warmth and heartbeat.
Her chest felt like it was hit by something, and the tears could no longer be held back. She suddenly lunged forward, tightly hugging Sulli.
There were no extra words.
Only the grip of her hands, and her trembling shoulders, compressed all the longing and past regrets into this embrace.
Sulli was stunned for a moment, then smiled and gently patted her back.
“Don’t cry, aren’t I okay? Older sister, did you cry like this at my funeral too?”
Her tone was gentle, with a hint of teasing, but it made Big Dragon Cub’s excitement surge even more.
According to Lin Xiuyuan’s explanation just now, the Sulli before her was still stuck in 2013.
That is, at the stage where her smile was brightest, and she hadn’t yet been overshadowed by tragedy.
This was something Big Dragon Cub had always longed for but thought was out of reach, and now it had happened very realistically.
Thinking this, she took a deep breath. The tears at the corners of her eyes had not yet dried, but she finally let go of the embrace.
But even so, she still tightly held Sulli’s hand, as if if she let go, she would lose her again.
Sulli noticed her dependence, and simply smiled gently.
She had long been accustomed to everyone from 2025 showing the same attachment and shock upon seeing her.
However, in the next moment, Big Dragon Cub seemed to suddenly remember something, and turned her head sharply, her gaze locking onto Lin Xiuyuan.
“Wait a moment.”
Her tone still carried a hint of tears, but her eyes were full of inquiry and wariness, “So… Xiuyuan, are you from 2025 or 2013?”
Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, not avoiding the question, “From 2013.”
Then Big Dragon Cub’s expression changed abruptly, from shock to disbelief, and then to something… ridiculously complex.
She stared intently at Lin Xiuyuan, her voice carrying a bizarre question, “Then… you saying you were my fan was a lie, wasn’t it?”
Lin Xiuyuan was taken aback, then couldn’t help but show a helpless expression.
He scratched the back of his neck, his tone helpless yet open, “Well, back then I was just playing around with Park Ji-yeon from 2013… I just said it on a whim. I really didn’t expect you to take it seriously. Soo Jung was even surprised.”
Faced with this explanation, Big Dragon Cub’s eyes narrowed slightly, her emotions wavering between anger and amusement, making Lin Xiuyuan a bit uneasy.
So Lin Xiuyuan quickly added, his tone becoming a bit more serious, “Apart from that incident, I’ve never lied to you. Everything after that… every word, is true.”
Sulli watched the exchange between the two, and couldn’t help but purse her lips and chuckle, as if watching a small lovers’ quarrel.
But Big Dragon Cub’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She wasn’t willing to be led along so blindly; she wanted an answer.
“From 2013…?”
She muttered the year, and another possibility suddenly flashed through her mind.
Her heart suddenly tightened.
Her voice suddenly rose, with an unbelievable tremor, “So, over there, in that time-space, all of us are together, on the normal timeline?”
Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, then nodded gently.
“Mm.”
This simple sound struck Big Dragon Cub’s heart like a thunderclap.
She froze completely, her eyes momentarily unfocused, unable to speak for a long time.
2013.
That worst point in memory.
But even so, aside from career struggles, everyone was still together, and there were days filled with laughter.
No tragedy, no life and death, no loss.
Big Dragon Cub’s breathing quickened, and the light surging in her eyes was even more intense than when she had first seen Sulli.
Excitement, anticipation, and longing almost drowned her.
She bit her lip tightly, trying to suppress the trembling in her voice, her mind racing at its limit.
All clues and thoughts intertwined, converged, and finally led to one clue.
An answer that gradually emerged in Big Dragon Cub’s heart.
“Xiuyuan, you just said you were worried about how I would react if I knew the truth. So what exactly were you worried about?”
She murmured to herself, sorting through her thoughts, her gaze fixed on him, “Let me think… Soo Jung is Sulli, Eun-jung older sister is her mother, Taeyeon older sister is her father. You were worried that I, with no attachments, would blow this whole thing open? But if that were the case… then what about Yoona older sister?”
“…”
Lin Xiuyuan was speechless for a moment.
He couldn’t exactly say that Im Yoon Ah was the exception.
However, he was also very surprised. Big Dragon Cub, who was usually carefree and didn’t think much, had incredibly clear logic at this moment, as if a flash of inspiration had struck her.
After finishing her statement, Big Dragon Cub took a deep breath and looked directly at Lin Xiuyuan, not yet revealing the rest of what was on her mind.
She simply looked at Lin Xiuyuan and asked a crucial question, “Xiuyuan, if there really is that Time-Space Door, and Sulli can come here… can I go there too?”
“Let’s go, there’s nothing stopping us.”
Lin Xiuyuan smiled casually, stood up, walked to the phone rack in front, and patted the stacked phones on it, “You think these are for phone scams? They’re actually used by people from 2013 coming here.”
Hearing this, Big Dragon Cub instinctively tightened her grip on Sulli’s hand, a slight smile appearing on her lips, but she didn’t say anything.
It wasn’t until Lin Xiuyuan pushed open the room door that she saw a softly lit apartment behind it.
Then she watched Lin Xiuyuan walk in, and led by Sulli, she also stepped inside.
Finally, with a “click” as the door closed, Big Dragon Cub had truly stepped into 2013.
And the moment she crossed the threshold, her heart sank.
The air she breathed seemed to have changed its taste, carrying a hint of long-lost youthful scent, different from the world she had become accustomed to in 2025.
Whether it was an illusion or a psychological reaction.
And even though this was just a room on the other side, just a softly lit apartment, she could feel the flow of time here being rewound.
Big Dragon Cub stood still for a long time, the warmth of Sulli’s hand still lingering on her fingertips.
Only when her breathing gradually steadied did she softly ask, her voice as light as if she were afraid of disturbing someone, “Just like this, simply open the door and come back to the past?”
“Mm, why would I lie to you?”
Hearing Big Dragon Cub’s words, Lin Xiuyuan led her to the window and gestured for her to look outside.
Outside the window, at a height of seven stories, the night was dark, and the wind howled.
Utterly different from the bright moonlight in 2025.
“Is it going to rain?”
Lin Xiuyuan muttered somewhat strangely, glancing at the situation outside the window.
Then Sulli, who had gone to get Big Dragon Cub some water, also walked over. She handed the ice water in her hand to Big Dragon Cub and then nodded, answering Lin Xiuyuan’s curiosity, “Mm, it seems a typhoon is just skirting past from the outer sea.”
“No wonder.”
Listening to Lin Xiuyuan and Sulli’s explanation, Big Dragon Cub gazed at the scene before her, so different from the villa, and after a long silence, slowly lowered her head.
In that moment, she seemed to have finally found an outlet to confide in.
Her voice was soft, but carried an undeniable suppression, “Let’s continue our conversation. Xiuyuan, you don’t need to worry about me reporting you.”
Then she lowered her eyes, her fingers rubbing in her palm, as if trying to crush the emotions in her heart, “Actually, I also have a regret. Although there hasn’t been any parting in life and death in my family, our lives haven’t been good.”
Taking a deep breath, Big Dragon Cub poured out all the unspoken thoughts from her heart.
“Oppa donated seventy percent of his liver to save Dad. After that, his body could no longer be overworked. He couldn’t carry anything heavy and had to be careful even with small tasks; his body would get tired easily, and his diet was heavily restricted. And Dad’s health has been declining day by day since that serious illness. Although he managed to hold on all these years… the sequelae left a lot.”
Her throat tightened as she said this, and she had to take another deep breath to suppress the bitterness welling up in her eyes.
“If I could solve all of this from the source… if I could help Dad recover his health, and if Oppa didn’t have to be so restricted like this… that would be… truly wonderful for me.”
These few sentences seemed to rip open a wound buried deep in her heart for many years.
Her voice was not loud, but it trembled slightly, with a stubborn restraint.
After a moment of silence, Big Dragon Cub suddenly curved her lips. Although she was smiling, it looked incredibly bitter. “And my marriage, you all know how it ended, everyone knows. But actually, I didn’t really want to get married. I just wanted Dad to see me get married happily while he was still alive, to put his mind at ease.”
However, after finishing this, her eyes dimmed, and her voice dropped to a whisper, as if talking to herself.
“But I didn’t expect that in the end… I still messed it up.”
Big Dragon Cub spoke all the preceding words in a very calm tone, without crying or trembling.
But it was precisely because of this calmness that the story became even more heavy.
It was as if the emotions that had been suppressed for too long had dried up all tears, leaving only a quiet self-reconciliation.
Lin Xiuyuan and Sulli exchanged glances, seeing the same emotion in each other’s eyes.
The previous events aside, they only learned about the marriage situation later that night during the late-night snack, from Ham Eun-jung.
A moment after Big Dragon Cub finished speaking, Lin Xiuyuan looked up at her, suddenly smiled gently, his tone calm but assured, “If that’s the problem, then Ji-yeon, you don’t need to worry.”
Big Dragon Cub was stunned for a moment, turning her head to look at him, her eyes filled with cautious anticipation.
“Because Ji-yeon here has already handled this situation.”
Lin Xiuyuan paused and patiently explained, “Your father’s condition was discovered not long ago, and he has already entered the treatment phase. The doctor said the initial symptoms are not serious, it’s just a minor illness, and it can be treated. It won’t develop into the worst-case scenario.”
Big Dragon Cub’s breathing suddenly quickened, her chest heaving violently, as if she had finally broken through the surface from deep water, greedily taking her first breath.
Lin Xiuyuan’s words echoed in her ears, not fading away.
【The condition has been discovered and is undergoing treatment… it’s just a minor illness… it won’t develop into the worst… 】
She stood there in a daze, her fingertips unconsciously tightening.
She was long past the age of crying at the slightest disturbance, but at this moment, the bitterness suppressed in her heart suddenly broke through her defenses.
Her eyes reddened, her nose tip felt a sting, and she bit her lip tightly, trying to suppress the trembling, but a smile involuntarily emerged.
“Really? Xiuyuan, you’re not lying to me, are you?”
Lin Xiuyuan simply nodded quietly.
Seeing this, Big Dragon Cub’s chest suddenly relaxed, and tears almost sprang to her eyes.
But she still stubbornly raised the back of her hand and wiped her eyes haphazardly.
Then she let out a low laugh, her voice nasal, but with a relieved lightness, “I knew it, I actually guessed a little.”
Big Dragon Cub looked up at Xiuyuan, her eyes shimmering with moisture, “From the moment you mentioned the 2013 version of me, I had a feeling. That’s why I held back from crying earlier… otherwise, I really wouldn’t have been able to control myself.”
“But I didn’t expect to hold back in the end.”
As she said the last sentence, Big Dragon Cub’s smile carried a hint of bitterness, but it was as if a burden of many years had been lifted, light and relaxed.
Sulli looked at her quietly, a tender feeling rising in her heart. She didn’t interrupt, but reached out and gently patted her hand.
The room fell silent.
Only the whistling wind outside made the night seem colder, but also thus, extraordinarily real.
Big Dragon Cub gazed out the window at the tree branches violently swaying, tossed by the wind.
After a long while, as if mustering up her courage, she softly asked, “Xiuyuan, then for the me here, the me from 2013, and everyone else, have there been any changes?”
Her voice was very light, carrying a cautious probe.
Lin Xiuyuan was taken aback, and before he could speak, Sulli next to him laughed and couldn’t help but interject, “There have been a lot of changes.”
She blinked, her tone light, as if trying to soothe Big Dragon Cub’s unease with this cheerful tone.
“For example, Soo Yeon older sister has started procuring from 2025 and is pursuing her design dream. However, she wasn’t deceived by that Kwon Young Il, and now she’s buried in blueprints and fabrics every day. Coupled with Girls’ Generation’s group schedule, she’s as busy as a spinning top.
Big Dragon Cub listened blankly, a warmth gradually rising in her heart.
“What about Yoona older sister,” Sulli continued, a slight smile on her lips, “she’s landed the lead role in 《The Heirs》, and her popularity is skyrocketing.”
Her tone was lively, as if vividly depicting a series of vivid scenes.
“As for me…”
Sulli blinked, a sly smile on her lips, “Older sister, I’m writing scripts. I’m copying future film and television works from 2025 and have embarked on the path of a screenwriter. Although it’s still the beginning, I live a very fulfilling life every day.”
Her voice carried a hint of pride and a touch of shyness, but the small sense of self-satisfaction couldn’t be hidden.
Big Dragon Cub’s breathing hitched slightly, and a light began to emerge in her eyes.
“And you, older sister.”
Sulli deliberately paused, her smile widening, her gaze gentle and bright.
“The you here has already transformed into a female CEO, and opened an investment company with Oppa. You started your entrepreneurship with a spicy hot pot proposal and T-ara’s endorsement popularity. And recently, your group has also broken into the China market. In Oppa’s words, you’re preparing to give the domestic entertainment industry a little surprise.”
After saying this, Sulli pursed her lips and smiled at Big Dragon Cub, her eyes full of joy.
“So, you asked about the changes in everyone in 2013? The answer is, everyone has become stronger and more brilliant.”
After hearing these words, Big Dragon Cub stood there in a daze, as if gently struck, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
The emotions surging in her heart were more complex than when she had just learned her father was okay.
Excitement, shock, disbelief, and even a hint of inferiority.
She suddenly felt like laughing, but her eyes felt extremely sore.
It turned out that the version of herself in 2013 was already on a completely different path than she had initially imagined.
And that path, instead of destruction and divorce, had bloomed the most brilliant flowers.
“So, I can be so different.”
She murmured, her voice as light as a feather, but trembling.
After speaking, Big Dragon Cub’s gaze turned to Lin Xiuyuan beside her.
She knew that all these changes originated from this young man.
And in the next second, he smiled and gave her an interesting suggestion, “Ji-yeon, how about I take you to scare yourself now?”
“Ah, now?” Big Dragon Cub was a little surprised, and also a little timid and nervous, “Forget it, it’s too late. The current me should be at the dormitory.”
“Not really, we just finished a dinner party, and she went back to her apartment to rest.”
Saying this, Lin Xiuyuan’s smile towards Big Dragon Cub became even brighter, “But it’s good you’re not going. Little Ji-yeon has been practicing Taekwondo recently, and I’m a bit worried she’ll want to have an offline PK with you the moment she sees you.”
This answer left Big Dragon Cub a bit bewildered, “Why? Did I provoke her?”
Sulli, however, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Seeing that Lin Xiuyuan couldn’t explain easily, she pulled Big Dragon Cub to a corner and whispered the reason in her ear.
When Big Dragon Cub heard the word “marriage,” her eyes instantly dimmed.
But immediately after learning that “the instigator was Lin Xiuyuan,” her emotions shifted instantly, and her smile shone like early summer sunlight.
Then she suddenly remembered the mocking “old woman” that had been written in the notebook, and her eyes narrowed slightly, a charming smile appearing, “Oh, so the me here is jealous that I can stick close to you, Xiuyuan, right, Xiuyuan~”
Lin Xiuyuan’s expression tightened, and he pretended not to hear, forcefully changing the subject, “Ah, I don’t understand, it’s raining.”
The rain of the early morning began to fall quietly.
The leaves outside the window were beaten by the rain, making a rustling sound. Occasionally, lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the faces of the few people inside.
Lin Xiuyuan’s casual remark, “It’s raining,” steered the conversation away.
But in the next second, Big Dragon Cub suddenly linked her arm through his.
The whole action was very natural, and her smile was very relaxed, “Xiuyuan, take me to see this version of Park Ji-yeon. I don’t dare to say anything else, but right now… I have such a good man, and my Taekwondo is not bad, I’ve been practicing it. Compared to a little kid running around with schedules every day, I can definitely beat her.”
Her eyes sparkled in the dim light, like a little fox trying to appear calm.
Sulli pursed her lips and smiled, not interrupting, but her eyes said it all. She was waiting to watch the show.
Lin Xiuyuan shook his head helplessly, but still took out his phone and made a call.
On the other end, Park Ji-yeon’s voice carried a hint of curiosity, “Hello, Oppa, what’s wrong? Didn’t you…”
“No, I suddenly thought of something to ask you. Ji-yeon, what are you doing? Is anyone in the apartment?”
“No one’s here. I just took a shower and was about to put on a face mask, planning to relax by watching something.”
After getting a definitive answer, Lin Xiuyuan looked at the two bright-eyed girls beside him, twitched his mouth, and sighed.
“Can’t we not go? I really regret bringing this up now.”
“Xiuyuan~”
“Oppa~”
Listening to the two acting cute from either side, Lin Xiuyuan was completely at a loss and could only sigh.
“Sigh~ Let’s go.”
The Time-Space Door was pushed open again, and the sound of rain was instantly blocked behind them.
The next moment, the sound of rain echoed again as they stepped out of time-space.
As the three stepped into Park Ji-yeon’s apartment, a faint fragrance filled the room.
The master bedroom door not far away suddenly opened, and a figure slowly walked out.
With her long, wet hair loose, wearing a white face mask, Park Ji-yeon, while wiping toner on her hands, walked out with her head down.
But the moment she looked up, she froze in place.
She saw Lin Xiuyuan, who had just been on the phone with her, now with someone’s arm linked through his.
And the person’s features were clearly identical to hers, perhaps even more beautiful.
The air instantly froze.
The two met each other’s gaze, the atmosphere indescribably subtle.
Park Ji-yeon was stunned. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak.
Big Dragon Cub spoke first, raising an eyebrow, her smile lazy and sly, “Yo, starting to use face masks at such a young age? What a pity, your vitality isn’t as good as mine.”
As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on the man beside her, her voice deliberately soft, “One might think who is the one… the unwanted, unloved old woman.”
As soon as the words fell, the air practically exploded.
Park Ji-yeon was stunned for half a second. The face mask was still on her face, but her gaze gradually sharpened.
Sulli on the side couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She covered her mouth and quickly shrank back, her eyes full of schadenfreude.
Lin Xiuyuan remained frozen in place, with only one thought in his mind.
It’s over, they’re going to fight.
Daily ten thousand word goal achieved. Thank you, godfathers, for your support and votes.
Monthly tickets surpassed 9K, daily ten thousand word goal +1.
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