Chapter 99: “happy Birthday”
“So, Older Sister, you’ve joined the cult too.”
“Mhm, I’ve joined.”
A few minutes later, Sulli placed the cake on the bar counter.
Soon, Lin Dajun pulled her close, her small hands gripping hers tightly, and began recounting how Lin Xiuyuan had ‘tricked’ her into coming tonight.
However, her gaze remained fixed on Sulli with gentle fondness, as if looking through her to see stories from the past.
Having seen this look countless times from Krystal, Sulli was now somewhat desensitized. She could understand the feelings of her older sisters and close friends, which was simply that they missed her dearly.
So, she didn’t struggle, letting Lin Dajun hold her hand, and playfully quipped, “Then Older Sister, you have to pay membership fees.”
“Membership fees?”
Hearing this term again, Lin Dajun couldn’t help but look at Lin Xiuyuan, “Xiuyuan, how much are these membership fees?”
“How much?”
Thinking of the big deer who had wanted to ‘draw a line’ with him at the restaurant yesterday, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, “No rush, you stay for a while, and we’ll see later.”
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaolu, sitting opposite, had been staring at Sulli, seemingly unable to recover from the news that ‘this little cutie would commit suicide in 2019.’ She couldn’t understand it.
Only when she heard about ‘paying membership fees’ did she glance at Lin Dajun opposite her, then turned to Jung Soo Yeon, “I’ll pay. Anyway, I’m here. Older Sister, how much did you all pay?”
“Us?”
Jung Soo Yeon, who was making drinks for herself and Sulli at the bar counter, tutted upon hearing this. “Didn’t you say earlier that I was tricked? Then that was my membership fee, remember?”
Lin Xiaolu had a flash of inspiration and quickly recalled the situation in Tokyo. She responded, “Ah, the eighty million one?”
“It’s this tavern,” Lin Xiuyuan quickly explained.
Opposite them, Lin Dajun cleverly guessed something. “So that tavern over there was Soo Jung’s membership fee.”
“Bingo, correct, but no prize.”
Lin Xiuyuan didn’t deny it; they would know eventually anyway.
Having received her answer, Lin Dajun scanned everyone in the room and, considering the ‘membership system’ setting, her previous confusion suddenly cleared up.
“No wonder two days ago when I was eating with Goo Ri Older Sister, you said even if you didn’t make money, the tavern wouldn’t go out of business. So that’s how it is. We definitely wouldn’t let this tavern go bankrupt.”
Then she looked at Sulli beside her, “Then Snowball, how much is your membership fee?”
“I plan to buy the unit next to Oppa’s apartment, the kind that’s in Oppa’s name, and then expand the rooms in that apartment.”
After hearing Sulli’s words, Lin Dajun’s eyes lit up, “Then I can also…”
However, just as she was about to be generous, Lin Xiaolu interrupted her, “Do you have money here? What can you do? You can only talk about it.”
This extreme, sharp-tongued retort made Sulli burst into laughter. Lin Xiuyuan and Jung Soo Yeon couldn’t help but join in the laughter.
“Wow, amazing, hey… you…”
Lin Xiaolu’s statement was entirely accurate, but it delivered a devastating blow to Lin Dajun, even more unbearable than the previous ‘airport’ remark.
“I’m just stating the facts, right, Older Sister.”
This made Lin Xiaolu feel comfortable, showing her most joyful smile since entering the tavern tonight.
Facing Lin Xiaolu’s question, Jung Soo Yeon didn’t dare to respond. After all, in a sense, both were her ‘good younger sisters.’
Not wanting to show favoritism to either, she quickly looked at Lin Xiuyuan to change the subject.
“This membership fee is actually just Lin Xiuyuan joking. You don’t need to worry too much about it. It’s optional, and happiness is what’s most important. This tavern was opened, in fact, just to give everyone a place to relax and gather.”
“Mhm, this was indeed the original intention for opening this tavern. As a meeting point, to give Soo Yeon and Krystal a place to rest when they came to visit.”
Facing Jung Soo Yeon’s guidance, Lin Xiuyuan picked up the conversation and chuckled, “So you don’t need to dwell too much on the membership fee. When I run out of money, I’ll naturally ask you for it.”
The first half of this statement was quite touching. Lin Dajun and Lin Xiaolu were both deeply moved, never expecting such a place to be created specifically for everyone.
But Lin Xiuyuan’s tone shifted, and the last sentence lightened the mood again, making them both chuckle and laugh out loud after a couple of soft snorts.
Sulli was also greatly amused, laughing heartily.
Only Jung Soo Yeon looked at Lin Xiuyuan with a complex gaze.
Glancing at the wine glass in her hand, she really wanted to smash it over his head.
This person is truly beyond saving.
The topic had been discussed enough.
Seeing the atmosphere was just right, Lin Xiuyuan continued to suggest, “Why don’t you play a game? There’s still some time before midnight, no need to rush.”
Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu looked at the two cakes on the bar counter, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes. “I really didn’t expect Lin Xiuyuan, you actually remembered my birthday.”
In response, Lin Xiuyuan said, “It suddenly came to mind. I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence, on this particular day, bringing you two together.”
“And the timing is just perfect,”
Lin Dajun nodded in agreement. “If it were tomorrow night, I definitely couldn’t make it. I have a live broadcast to do, and I’ve already made plans with Older Sister and the others.”
She paused, smiling at Lin Xiuyuan. “But you specifically chose the 29th, and I happen to be free tonight. If this was truly spontaneous, then I can only say it’s a miraculous coincidence.”
Facing Lin Dajun’s words, Lin Xiuyuan spread his hands. “This really wasn’t intentional. Didn’t you see I wanted you to go home earlier?”
“Indeed, it seems I made the right choice.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Dajun recalled the scene from earlier where Lin Xiuyuan’s attitude had changed.
She then glanced at the people around her and couldn’t help but feel fortunate that she had followed him with that umbrella earlier.
At this moment, Lin Xiaolu asked curiously, “Live broadcast?”
Looking at the face that was the same as hers but filled with novelty and confusion, Lin Dajun smiled lightly.
“In the next few years, the world will develop too quickly, and even work models will change a lot. So I can’t explain it clearly in a short time. Why don’t you go over to Xiuyuan’s place tomorrow and see for yourself?”
“Mhm, seeing is believing, better than hearing.”
Jung Soo Yeon and Sulli both strongly agreed with this point.
So Lin Xiaolu stopped pressing, merely suppressing her curiosity.
However, sometimes, a sharp tongue is an instinctive trait, something she couldn’t control.
For example, now, after nodding, Lin Xiaolu unconsciously blurted out, “But will I still be celebrating my birthday with fans in over a decade? I feel like I’ll be in a terrible mood, celebrating that I’m getting older again as I watch.”
“Hey, Im Yoon Ah~”
This time, Lin Dajun couldn’t help it and, for the first time in her life, shouted her own name in anger.
After saying this, Lin Xiaolu realized she had misspoke.
She quickly hid behind Lin Xiuyuan, her small hands gripping his clothes. “Sorry, I spoke too quickly, I spoke too quickly.”
Sulli, on the other side, smiled and pulled Lin Dajun’s arm, comforting her. “Older Sister, don’t be angry. You look really beautiful now. Your features are more defined, and your skin is even whiter than before, right?”
Fortunately, Lin Dajun only had a moment of anger and deflated after shouting.
Then she looked at Lin Xiaolu, who was peeking out from behind Lin Xiuyuan, “You wait for me. I’ll teach you then. If you can’t finish your homework, I’ll really spank you.”
“Then I don’t want you to teach me anymore.”
Hearing the other party directly mention ‘spanking’ her, Lin Xiaolu was not having it.
“Then don’t you want the drama ‘The Heirs’ anymore? Do you know? That drama set a record of nearly 30% viewership at the time, and the two main actors won multiple awards at the SBS Acting Awards. Not to mention their popularity, they were a huge hit.”
This statement indeed hit Lin Xiaolu’s weak spot. But as she looked up at Lin Xiuyuan’s back, the corner of her mouth curved, and she regained her composure.
“It’s okay. Lin Xiuyuan said that you’re not that amazing, and your acting skills are just average. In terms of ‘crying scenes,’ I might even surpass you. At worst, I’ll go and teach myself.”
As this statement was made, Lin Xiuyuan, who was in front of her, couldn’t sit still and abruptly turned around, “No, Yoon… Hey, Lin Xiaolu, when did I ever say such a thing?”
“Yesterday,” Lin Xiaolu answered righteously.
“I…”
“Xiuyuan, is that how you see me?” Lin Dajun said with a fake smile, each word chilling Lin Xiuyuan to the bone.
One second Lin Xiuyuan was “watching the show,” and the next he felt a chill surge from his feet to the top of his head.
His mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible explanation.
You stubborn mouth, explain quickly.
Fortunately, at this moment, Jung Soo Yeon, who had had her fill of watching the drama, stepped in to rescue him. “Okay, okay, stop fooling around. Can’t you two just get along peacefully? You’re both Im Yoon Ah.”
Unexpectedly, Sulli, standing nearby, gave her a meaningful glance. She couldn’t help but recall the scene earlier when Soo Yeon Older Sister had been furiously scolding Jessica on the computer.
So, she silently thought to herself: Older Sister, you don’t seem to have much room to talk, do you?
Fortunately, after this small interlude, everyone, at Sulli’s ‘suggestion,’ started playing Flying Chess.
Excluding Lin Xiuyuan, there were exactly four people. They played and chatted.
With Lin Dajun present, there were many more topics to discuss, so even though they talked late into the night, there was still much left unsaid.
As the time approached early morning, Lin Xiuyuan walked to the bar counter, unpacked the cake, and lit the candles.
Although there were no more surprises hidden in the cake this time, the previous surprises had already been more than enough.
So, amidst everyone’s repeated singing of ‘Happy Birthday to You,’ Lin Dajun and Lin Xiaolu welcomed an extremely special birthday in their lives in this small tavern.
One was the 35-year-old Im Yoon Ah, mature yet gentle, calm yet approachable.
The other was the 23-year-old Im Yoon Ah, pure yet lively, exquisite yet understated.
The two stood side-by-side before the candles, clasped their hands to make a wish amidst everyone’s singing, then leaned forward slightly and gently blew out their respective candles.
Finally, they straightened up, looked at themselves opposite, smiled slightly, and bid farewell to their past/future selves.
“Happy birthday.”
…
…
2025.
Inside the villa.
A seductive figure in an A-line skirt and black silk stockings stood under the light, her gaze clear and icy.
“Lin Xiuyuan, you better not come back.”
Seeking monthly tickets, godfathers, monthly tickets!!
There’s another chapter later, so please, monthly tickets!!!!
