Chapter 241: 【crane And Clam Fight, Fisherman Benefits】
It was past four in the early morning.
Lin Xiuyuan drove Krystal back to the villa.
The car was unusually quiet during the drive.
Krystal, in the front passenger seat, barely spoke, only occasionally glancing at her phone screen, her expression very calm, revealing no hint of emotion.
On the contrary, Lin Xiuyuan, yawning as he drove, felt constantly uneasy.
The lingering sensation on his neck was unexpected; he had showered already.
The only explanation was that Big Dragon Cub had left a mark on him.
Thinking of this, a chill ran down his spine.
What was worse, the cold aura from the front passenger seat continued to spread, making Lin Xiuyuan’s back go cold until the car slowly drove into the villa’s garage.
More than ten minutes later.
In the master bedroom on the third floor of the villa, the lighting was quiet and warm.
The room, circulated by the five-constant air system, had long since dispersed any special odors. The bedding was also neatly arranged, making everything seem normal.
Krystal, who walked in from the stairs, had a composed expression. But as she stepped into the bedroom, she paused briefly as she passed by the walk-in closet.
Her gaze slowly fell to a corner.
It was a pair of high heels, easily missed if not for a close look. The heels were exquisitely slender, and a woman’s unique perfume still lingered on the shoe.
She stared at the shoes, her gaze gradually turning cold.
The next second, as she turned, she suddenly lunged forward, pinning Lin Xiuyuan against the door.
“What the fck, what are you doing?”
Lin Xiuyuan exclaimed, his drowsiness instantly vanishing, and his mind becoming completely alert.
Up close, he could see a sense of oppression in Krystal’s clear, cold eyes.
Then she reached out a fingertip and gently pressed it against his chest. The cold seeped through the thin fabric, making him stiffen.
“What are you doing, say something, Soo Jung~”
Lin Xiuyuan froze in place, his back against the cold wall, his throat bobbing with difficulty.
The address ‘Soo Jung’ made Krystal regain a sliver of rationality. She curled her lips and huffed, “What am I saying? Shouldn’t you be the one talking, Xiuyuan? Why did you suddenly think of sending Ji-yeon to the 2013 side as well? Weren’t you worried they would flip the table before?”
Lin Xiuyuan blinked and, bracing himself, replied, “I was worried at first; she wasn’t in a good mental state back then… but she seems better recently. And I thought since she was already at our doorstep, we might as well take her out to see the world.”
See the world…
This phrase caused the anger in Krystal’s eyes to soften slightly, and her previously tense expression seemed to deflate.
But soon, she raised her eyes again, her expression sharp and cold, locking onto his gaze firmly once more.
Lin Xiuyuan instinctively wanted to speak, but was rendered speechless by the complex emotion in her eyes.
“Soo Jung, I…”
Before he could finish, Krystal suddenly raised her hand and forcefully pushed him away.
“Go over there.”
Her voice was chillingly devoid of warmth.
A few seconds later, Lin Xiuyuan was pushed onto a sofa in the corner, his posture somewhat disheveled.
He instinctively looked up, only to see Krystal slowly turning around. He recognized that gaze; he had seen it countless times before. It was the prelude to her preparing to unleash her ‘juice-squeezing’ move.
“No, the bed…”
Lin Xiuyuan subconsciously cried out, wanting to say something.
But Krystal simply smiled faintly, her voice indifferent and sharp, “The bed is dirty. We’ll change it tomorrow. You’ll stay here tonight.”
“Ah…”
Lin Xiuyuan was stunned into silence.
After one night.
That night, Krystal slept soundly in the first half, and Big Dragon Cub rested in the latter half.
Only Lin Xiuyuan, with dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot eyes, had stayed up all night.
Young people are indeed young people; so full of energy.
…
…
The next day, at noon.
In Seoul in 2013, the sunlight was perfect.
In a small tavern that hadn’t been lively for a long time, the wooden door was pushed open, and a faint wind chime sounded.
Park Ji-yeon walked in with a small bag, a hint of anticipation in her eyes. But when her gaze swept across the bar counter, she paused.
Standing at the bar counter was not Sulli, whom she had expected, but Jung Soo Yeon, who was facing a laptop and intently studying bartending from a video.
“Huh? Why is it you, Older Sister? Where’s Jinjin?” Park Ji-yeon asked, somewhat surprised.
Ham Eun-jung, who followed her in, patted her shoulder and said helplessly, “Sulli said in the group chat that she sent Soo Jung back to the company first, and then she would come over.”
“Oh, oh, right. I completely forgot.” Park Ji-yeon stuck out her tongue and mumbled as she walked further in.
Then she looked around curiously and asked, “Older Sister, are Yoona Older Sister and Taeyeon Older Sister unavailable today?”
Jung Soo Yeon closed her laptop and looked up with a smile, “Yes, they both have schedules.”
“Then what about you, Older Sister?” Park Ji-yeon asked.
“My schedule is in the evening, so I have time to come by during the day.” Jung Soo Yeon said calmly, elegantly pushing her hair back. “What would you like to drink?”
Her arrangement for tonight was to attend a radio show hosted by another group with Sunny, followed by two short interviews, and a cameo in a short segment at a comedy theater, so she had ample time.
“Just get us something random. We can’t drink much anyway, and we have to go back to the company to study this afternoon,” Ham Eun-jung said as she sat down at the bar counter.
“Study? Study what? Is it dancing?” Jung Soo Yeon asked with interest.
“Chinese.”
Park Ji-yeon also plopped down in front of the bar counter, resting her chin in her hands, her expression one of utter despair. “Ah, Older Sister, Chinese is so hard to learn, it’s so convoluted.”
Jung Soo Yeon couldn’t help but laugh. She poured a glass of juice and pushed it toward Ham Eun-jung, shrugging. “I can’t help you much with that either, because I’m learning it myself.”
In fact, she herself was struggling immensely with Chinese.
Just the night before last, she had specifically asked Lin Yoona for learning methods, only to receive an answer that made her roll her eyes on the spot.
—”Older Sister, if you communicate and speak with people who know Chinese frequently, you’ll learn Chinese very quickly.”
Faced with this answer, Jung Soo Yeon was truly speechless.
Didn’t she already know that? But now, the only people around her who spoke Chinese were just a few.
Either they weren’t proficient, or they weren’t present.
On the other hand, Sulli chatted with Victoria in Chinese every day. Although her Chinese was rudimentary, her progress was much faster than others.
After the three of them sat and chatted for a while, they began to discuss the main topic of their gathering today.
That was regarding the Spicy Hot Pot endorsement and Jung Soo Yeon’s designs for clothing.
The atmosphere in the tavern was quiet. Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the glass, falling on the wooden texture of the bar counter, exuding a cozy warmth.
Park Ji-yeon, sipping her juice, spoke first, bringing up the business at hand. “Older Sister, I’ve already submitted the proposal for that Spicy Hot Pot project to the agency, and they said we can proceed with the normal contract process, with the price determined by market value.”
Jung Soo Yeon paused, tilted her head, and stared at her with a half-smile. “Ji-yeon, the way you’re speaking now, you really have the air of a business queen.”
After saying this, a hint of worry flashed across her brows. “But will this affect the costs and revenue?”
“What impact would it have? It’s always the customer who pays. According to oppa, this project was basically a game of hot potato at the start, seeing who was the most greedy.”
Park Ji-yeon pouted, reaching out to poke at the ice cubes in her juice glass. “Anyway, the money that needs to be invested will be invested. While you all make money, we can leverage Girls’ Generation’s fame and the brand to boost each other, which will definitely generate buzz and be a win-win.”
“Ji-yeon is absolutely right,” Ham Eun-jung nodded. “Endorsements like these are quite suitable for Yoona and Taeyeon. And the three of you are popular members of Girls’ Generation. Once the scope is widened, it won’t just be fans; even the general public and the brand will likely gain some attention.”
After listening to their analysis, Jung Soo Yeon naturally had no objections.
In fact, she had no right to object to decisions at this level.
After all, this was a negotiation between companies. As long as SM Entertainment agreed, they, as artists, had very little say.
The reason Park Ji-yeon discussed this with Jung Soo Yeon was actually the result of their private discussions. T-ara’s reputation in Korea wasn’t the best, but Girls’ Generation’s national popularity was another matter entirely.
Their cooperation could create a “negative times negative equals positive” effect. As long as they could successfully open a branch in Seoul, it would be a great promotion and endorsement for the brand, making future expansion and attracting investment more convincing.
At that time, the China market would be primarily handled by T-ara, and the Korean market by Girls’ Generation.
If they wanted to expand into the Japanese market, it would depend on whether Sulli could successfully bring Goo Hara into their camp and how long it would take her to win her over.
Then, by leveraging KARA’s immense popularity in Japan, they could naturally conquer another territory.
In this way, the three major core markets in Asia could be secured, inevitably pushing the momentum of the entire Spicy Hot Pot brand to its peak.
Although it sounded idealistic, and this so-called brand seemed like a castle in the air, very unstable.
However, for Park Ji-yeon and Lin Xiuyuan’s investment company, it would be enough to make a hefty profit after one round of operations and then withdraw.
As the words fell, the three of them smiled with unspoken understanding.
Immediately, it was Jung Soo Yeon’s turn to present her “results.”
She took out several pieces of clothing from her bag and carefully laid them on the table.
These were design samples she had extended from the styles chosen by Ham Eun-jung and Park Ji-yeon in 2025.
The fabric was exquisite, the tailoring precise, eschewing common trends for a fresh and unique sense of fashion.
“This is for you.”
Pushing the clothes towards Park Ji-yeon and Eun-jung, Jung Soo Yeon said, “Actually, I didn’t plan to penetrate the external fan market this early, but since the company has drawn such clear boundaries, I’ll just go with the flow and wear the designer’s hat a little higher.”
“Older Sister, you’re so good at this.”
Park Ji-yeon found it amusing and reached out to trace the lines of the clothes. “But does this mean your identity as an official designer has been recognized by the company?”
“I suppose so.”
Jung Soo Yeon let out a soft hum, her expression calm, but the hint of pride in her eyes was impossible to hide.
“After Taeyeon’s meeting last time, things became very clear.
At first, it was just an internal squabble. Later, someone gossiped, and the company stepped in directly. After further discussion, they stipulated that the accounts must be made public and that profitability was not allowed.
This meant that certain people’s charitable endeavors couldn’t continue, but I was able to use this momentum to legitimately step into the spotlight.”
Ham Eun-jung propped her chin on her hand, her eyes curving into a smile. “This is what they call ‘when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits,’ isn’t it?”
“Something like that. I’d just say I was lucky,” Jung Soo Yeon smiled, pursing her lips.
Just as they were engrossed in conversation, the tavern door opened again.
Sulli walked in with her bag, her cheeks slightly flushed from the afternoon sun and warm breeze.
As soon as she entered, she was infected by the laughter from inside and joined in with a laugh, “Oh my, Older Sisters, you’re having such a lively chat.”
“Jinjin, you’re finally here,” Park Ji-yeon waved, pulling her to sit beside her.
Soon, the atmosphere of the four of them together became even more relaxed.
But when the conversation turned to Park Ji-yeon’s meeting with Big Dragon Cub, Jung Soo Yeon, upon hearing that they had fought, laughed until her stomach ached. Especially when she heard from Sulli that a video had been filmed, she immediately felt the impulse to go back to the apartment to watch it.
Ham Eun-jung also had the same thought.
In contrast, Park Ji-yeon looked utterly dejected, tightly grabbing Sulli’s arm, her face full of resentment. “Ah, Jinjin~ Why are you laughing at me too? You can’t do this.”
“I’m not, Ji-yeon,” Sulli said innocently, blinking her eyes. “I just… filmed a video.”
“That’s a video of my dark past. Can you delete it? I’ll cover the investment for your next drama. No, I’ll cover the investment for all your future scripts.”
As the prospects for the investment company grew better, Park Ji-yeon had a little more confidence to say such things.
However, Sulli simply tilted her head with a smile, her voice light and cheerful. “No, I can ask oppa for investment. He’s the chairman of the company.”
“Hahaha~”
Jung Soo Yeon and Ham Eun-jung beside them burst into laughter.
…
…
While they were laughing and chatting in the tavern.
Inside the villa in 2025, the bedroom on the third floor was quiet and dimly lit.
Afternoon sunlight slanted through the gaps in the curtains, falling onto the bedside, with a hint of heat.
Lin Xiuyuan slowly turned over, his eyelids feeling as heavy as if they were weighed down by thousands of pounds.
Last night had been a brutal battle.
First, there was Big Dragon Cub’s “black silk stockings punishment,” followed by Krystal’s cold and fierce attack.
Caught between them, he was so exhausted he had no strength left.
He wasn’t afraid of bloody combat, but he feared those small maneuvers specifically aimed at ‘milking,’ which were both loved and hated by men.
As he pushed himself up, the other side of the bed was already empty.
The pillows were neatly arranged, leaving only a faint, cool scent, as if it carried the lingering essence of last night.
Krystal had said before leaving that she had a meeting at the company today, so Lin Xiuyuan wasn’t surprised.
However, when he reached for his mobile phone on the bedside table, the screen lit up, revealing an unread message.
—”Let’s have dinner together tonight.”
Signed by Krystal, her words conveyed her characteristic coolness and certainty.
“Hoo…”
Lin Xiuyuan rubbed his temples and let out a low sigh, followed by a huge yawn. His eyes teared up; the sleepiness still weighed down his head.
The traces of last night had yet to be cleared, and the entire master bedroom was still shrouded in an ambiguous and messy atmosphere.
Thinking of the two of them toiling away in shifts in the middle of the night, his abdomen would even involuntarily tighten.
Afterward, Lin Xiuyuan dragged his heavy feet into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face to barely pull his senses back from drowsiness.
After washing up and changing into simple clothes, he went to the living room and quickly disappeared into the villa’s air.
He needed to lie low for a while.
Something came up back home these past few days, so I’ll be returning there to rest for a few days and won’t be doing ten thousand daily posts. I’ll resume them upon my return.
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