Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 206 Glute Bridge and Push-up Exercises (Please Subscribe and Vote)

2025 years.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting a soft white light on the sky, carrying the languid atmosphere unique to early summer, and even the air was filled with a drowsy and pleasant feeling.

After lunch and finishing what I needed to do...

Lin Xiuyuan also changed into some casual clothes and invited the construction team leader who had helped him renovate the tavern to the villa.

After exchanging a few pleasantries in the living room, he led the other person directly to the rooftop of the villa.

Pushing open the rooftop door, which had long been deserted, a gust of wind carrying a bit of dust rushed towards me.

The pool lay there quietly, its empty bottom covered with fallen leaves, dust, and the remains of a few plastic bags that had flown in at some unknown time, giving it a somewhat "rebooted ruins" feel.

The pool is quite large, over ten meters long and five meters wide, with a shallow area on the side, complete with a slide and several rattan chairs that smell of sunshine.

At first glance, it looks like a small rooftop amusement park.

The team leader narrowed his eyes, scrutinized him several times, then turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan, his tone quite wistful.

"Mr. Lin, a swimming pool like this on the rooftop... the cost must be quite high, right?"

The construction team that Lin Xiuyuan hired here is from China, so they don't adhere to the formalities and customs of the peninsula; they speak quite directly, pausing between sentences.

"I don't know, but it doesn't cost me any money anyway, and I'm fine as long as I have a place to stay."

When asked, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, half with emotion and half with helplessness, "But it's because I haven't used it for a while, so it's been lying idle until recently when the weather got a bit hot, and that's when I thought of tinkering with it again."

"Understood, Mr. Lin."

After hearing this, the manager immediately imagined Lin Xiuyuan as a rich second-generation young master, and that the villa was simply a gift from his family.

The other party probably didn't care about money at all.

Thinking of this, the supervisor looked around and walked toward the filtration system on the side.

He lifted the water pump cover, squatted down skillfully to inspect it, and made notes while talking.

"The system is well maintained; the circulation, water pressure, and disinfection functions are all still working. The main thing is to thoroughly clean the pool and replace the diatomaceous earth in the filter tank. After cleaning it, adding water, and disinfecting it, it can basically be used again."

"Can you arrange for someone to come tomorrow to clean it?" Lin Xiuyuan asked casually.

"Yes, I'll arrange it for you right away." The supervisor stood up and nodded. "It should take about two or three hours to get it done. After refilling with water and disinfecting it, it will be ready to use tonight."

"Okay, see you tomorrow then."

Lin Xiuyuan didn't waste any time and quickly finalized a time with the manager.

He then personally escorted the person downstairs until he heard a car starting outside, at which point he gently closed the door, turned around, and went back inside.

The master bedroom on the third floor was quiet, with only the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows slanting in, like a soft veil quietly spread across the floor.

Lin Xiuyuan slowly walked into the master bedroom, stepping on the floor. The first thing that caught his eye was a familiar little wildcat.

To be precise, Krystal was curled up on the big bed, the blankets loosely covering her, her little head resting on the pillow.

She looked just like a cat basking in the sun, sleeping peacefully with a satisfied smile on her lips.

Krystal felt exceptionally light and relaxed all day.

Perhaps it was because she truly felt at ease, or perhaps it was because after lunch, after playing a game with Lin Xiuyuan that made her feel sensual, she had finally let down her guard and relaxed completely.

Lin Xiuyuan didn't make a sound, and even his footsteps were extremely light.

When he walked over, he simply squatted down quietly, gently pulled up the slightly crooked blankets to cover Krystal, and then smoothed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

Krystal, who was fast asleep, suddenly hummed softly in her sleep. As if sensing a familiar presence, she subconsciously snuggled closer to Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan smiled, reached out and pinched her cheek, then leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

The next second, as if sensing something, Krystal's eyelashes trembled and she opened her eyes.

She stared at Lin Xiuyuan for a few seconds, her eyes still a little hazy, but the corners of her mouth slowly curved up. "You're back?"

"Yes, the pool arrangements are all set. It should be cleaned by tomorrow," Lin Xiuyuan said in a low voice.

Krystal nodded, but suddenly reached out and pulled him onto the bed.

"Then you should rest for a while too," she muttered, snuggling into his arms. "Who doesn't hug someone after it's over? Xiuyuan, you need to be more sensible."

"Are you asking me to lie down and keep you company? Or do it again? You're being a bit greedy," Lin Xiuyuan chuckled.

“How is this greed?” Krystal raised her head, looking completely self-righteous. “I didn’t even mention that you went on a trip with someone else for so many days.”

After saying that, she snuggled up to Lin Xiuyuan like a soft marshmallow, pressing her whole body into his arms. "And... I can only sleep soundly and peacefully when you're by my side."

"So, according to you, you'll need to get more sleep from now on," Lin Xiuyuan replied with a gentle smile.

"Sleeping more is impossible, doing it more often is the right thing to do."

Krystal looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint, yet so earnest it was captivating. "By the way, I'm really looking forward to seeing what activities you're planning after the pool is finished. Just playing around on your own, or..."

She paused, her eyes suddenly becoming meaningful. "A swimsuit party?"

Lin Xiuyuan paused for a moment under her gaze, then chuckled, "Your tone sounds like you're implying something."

Krystal hummed softly.

The memory of the party that last time Da Long Zai had his birthday is still fresh in Krystal's mind.

Because after that incident, most of the guys in front of her were snatched away, which still makes Krystal a little uncomfortable.

As a result, Lin Xiuyuan blurted out, "Ah, besides Zhiyan and the others, what swimsuit parties are there to see?"

Krystal's eyes narrowed at these words, and she immediately sat up straighter. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing else, I was just joking." Lin Xiuyuan, realizing he had misspoke, suddenly laughed a little guiltily.

"hehe."

Krystal, with a cold smile, stared at him as she slowly approached. "Xiuyuan, do you know? Often, the jokes people make are their most sincere thoughts. You weren't like that just now, were you?"

"Of course not," Lin Xiuyuan denied with a straight face.

“I won’t listen, I’ll just pretend you are.” Krystal said, then suddenly pulled him down onto the bed. “Let’s do it again.”

"Again?" Lin Xiuyuan said, both helpless and amused.

"Of course I'll come."

Krystal leaned close to his ear, her voice low and sweet, "Didn't you say... I need to sleep more from now on? How can I sleep without you by my side?"

……

Meanwhile, at Jessica's apartment...

Having just finished a meeting with business partners, she returned home in high heels. The moment she took off her shoes, she felt as if she had been liberated.

Then he casually tossed the expensive bag onto the entryway table, walked into the living room, plopped down on the soft beige sofa, and let out a long sigh.

Originally, she had planned to go to the tennis court with "Big Dragon Baby" this afternoon to play a few rounds of tennis, but since Lee Juri had returned, the group of friends decided to go golfing together instead.

So, he also politely asked Jessica if she wanted to join in the fun.

Jessica immediately lost interest upon hearing the lineup. It was a reunion of the other group; what was she, an outsider, doing barging in? Giving them something to talk about? Or was she just playing the role of a social backdrop?
So she politely and elegantly declined, then hung up the phone with a smile, and then ended up lounging on the sofa, idly scrolling through her phone.

After sitting on the sofa for a while, she suddenly thought of Krystal, who had finished her work that morning.

He immediately opened the call log, found the number he knew all too well, and dialed it.

You should invite her out for a meal, and it would be best if she could bring her "personal assistant" along.

beep...beep...beep...

The phone rang for a long time, so long that Jessica thought Krystal wouldn't answer it, before finally getting through at the last minute.

"Hey Jessica, what's up...?"

Upon hearing the voice, Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly, then asked casually, "Want to have dinner together tonight? Didn't you want to eat that spaghetti last time? Let's go and have some together."

"tonight?"

After uttering those words, Krystal immediately replied on the other end of the phone, "I can't tonight, I already have plans."

Although it was during exercise, she still remembered that Lin Xiuyuan had told her at noon that Shirley had booked a big dinner for her that night, so Krystal naturally wouldn't break her promise.

After all, she doesn't intend to repeat the mistakes she made in previous years.

Now, she cherishes this long-lost little snowball, holding it in her hands as if afraid it will melt.

"Who are you with? Oh, Krystal, why are you always busy whenever I ask you out? Why are you so hard to get a hold of these days?"

Jessica asked again, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Actually, she already had an answer in her heart when she asked that question; she just wanted to hear from Krystal whether her guess was correct.

Sure enough, after Jessica finished speaking, Krystal on the other end of the phone went silent for about half a minute.

Then, taking a deep breath, he answered her question, "Jessica, what you want to ask is about Xiu Yuan, right? Hahaha, then I can only tell you that you guessed right, it is indeed him."

When Krystal speaks, her voice is deep and resonant.

Jessica responded with a curt "Oh," and then remained silent for a moment.

Krystal also sensed the slightly awkward atmosphere. "Jessica? Why aren't you saying anything?"

“It’s nothing,” Jessica said casually. “You… keep exercising.”

After saying that, without giving the other party time to react, he hung up the phone decisively.

"beep……"

The moment the call ended, Jessica remained seated on the sofa, her phone still on the coffee table, leaning back against the sofa.

Her gaze was slightly unfocused as she stared at the sky outside the window, remaining silent.

The sky was a clear blue, and the sunlight poured down, so bright it was almost white.

A large amount of light and shadow was cast in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, falling obliquely on her delicate features, making her gaze seem somewhat unfocused.

At this moment, Jessica still had Krystal's words echoing in her mind: "...You know..."

And there was that faint sound, and... the other person's slightly coquettish nasal tone.

"..."

She then slowly raised one hand to rub her temples, then lowered her hand again and leaned back against the sofa, as if she didn't want to move at all.

After a long while, she uttered a sentence in a low voice, as if talking to herself.

"Krystal, you're really letting yourself go more and more these days."

Then, Lin Xiuyuan's image came to mind, along with last night's dinner and the message Krystal had sent her not long ago. She lowered her eyes and sighed with a headache.

She now has this unsettling feeling that she doesn't know how to face him.

Wimbledon?

Do you really want to go?
……

At the same time, in Lim Yoon-a's apartment.

Today, a pair of uninvited guests also came to her home.

One is Tae Xiaoruan, the leader of Girls' Generation, and the other is Sunny, the third member of Girls' Generation. They are truly the president of the company.

"Unnie, it's been quite a few years since you last visited my place, what's going on today?"

Smiling, Lim Yoona offered the two a glass of water and sat down on the sofa next to them, looking at the two people opposite her with some curiosity.

Kim Tae-yeon took the water glass and smiled as she said, "Don't ask me, I'm just a small byproduct that came with Sun-kyu."

Then Yoona looked at Sunny and asked, "Sunny unnie?"

Sunny coughed lightly and said with a smile, "It was Lee Soo-man who asked me to come and try to recruit you, to see if there's any chance."

"what?"

Im Yoona was shocked and didn't react for a moment. "Unnie, are you serious? Don't joke around, I'm starting to panic."

"If you don't believe me, just ask Taeyeon." Sunny shrugged, her tone quite relaxed.

Yoona turned her gaze to Taeyeon, who shrugged and nodded with a smile, "That's what she just told me too. It's probably a mission. Just take it with a grain of salt. If nothing unexpected happens, Sunkyu will probably visit everyone this time."

Sunny nodded and smiled, "That's about right. It's just a formality. We'll mostly be talking to some experienced mentors behind the scenes. The new company really needs these experienced junior staff."

"The new group's variety shows have all come out, right? It seems that Lee Soo-man is really driven."

After hearing the answer, Lim Yoona laughed and didn't take what she had just said seriously, changing the subject to another topic.

The three exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

After all, Yoona and Taeyeon, who have already been able to get a small amount of red wine from SM Entertainment, really don't need to go to other places.

In other industries, being 30+ might still be considered the beginning, but for celebrities, actors, and idols, it's basically a mature stage where they can semi-retire.

When Yoona brought up the topic, Sunny chimed in, "Speaking of this, seeing those young girls rise to prominence little by little really evokes a mix of emotions. It always reminds me of our own debut days."

Then the three of them sat on the sofa and began to reminisce about the past.

It has to be said that as people get older, no matter how glorious their past was, they will always start talking about the past; it seems to be a rule.

As they were chatting, Sunny went to the restroom. Kim Tae-yeon immediately moved closer to Im Yoona, staring intently at her, and said, "Yoona, what you're doing is wrong?"

"What should I do? Should I politely decline Soon-kyu unnie's offer? What's wrong with that?" Im Yoona was confused.

"That's not what I meant."

Kim Tae-yeon rolled her eyes at her, pointed at Im Yoon-a's face, and said in a reproachful tone, "I mean this... you were secretly eating alone, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Im Yoona was clearly taken aback by Kim Tae-yeon's tangent. After a moment of surprise, she chuckled and said, "No, unnie, if I told you about this, would you believe me if it weren't for that door?"

"..."

Kim Tae-yeon fell silent, speechless for a moment.

And it is indeed true; who could believe it without experiencing it firsthand?

Such a fantastical sci-fi movie plot is simply impossible to imagine.

But she still muttered resentfully, "Then you should have told me when I found out about that door."

"Of course not! If we don't keep such good stuff hidden, what if it gets snatched up?"

With a serious expression, Lim Yoona continued, "According to scientific evidence, men's milk production often decreases irreversibly. With more people involved, it's hard for me to get any. If it were you, unnie, you would definitely hide Xiuyuan away too, right?"

Kim Tae-yeon pursed her lips and didn't reply.

She did more than just hide; last night, after returning to her apartment, she even had a dream.

In her dream, she locked Lin Xiuyuan in a basement, fed him regularly every day, juiced him, and even put anti-theft tags on him.

Just as her mind was racing, Sunny came out of the bathroom and, seeing the two of them so close together, asked with a hint of suspicion, "What are you two whispering about?"

"No, we're just thinking about what to eat tonight."

Upon hearing the voice, Yoona instantly regained her composure, her smile gentle and harmless. "Unnie, do you have any restaurant recommendations?"

"Dinner? I don't have any particular ideas." Sunny thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up slightly. "How about... barbecue? It's been a long time since we got together for a meal."

After saying that, she added, seemingly casually, "Perhaps we could also call Xiuyuan along?"

"I agree." Kim Tae-yeon immediately nodded, a strange expectation flashing in her eyes.

Only Lin Yoona pursed her lips and spoke demurely, "I think Xiu Yuan is probably busy, so let's not bother him."

Kim Tae-yeon raised an eyebrow. "What's he busy with?"

"I'll call him and ask."

Before Kim Tae-yeon could even speak again, Sunny beside her had already swiftly pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "You don't need to come. I'll ask him. He might be free right now."

"Hey, don't..."

Just as Yoona was about to stop him, she found that Sunny had already pressed the dial button very quickly.

beep...beep...

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Hey?"

Lin Xiuyuan's voice came through, sounding somewhat rough and deep, with a muffled quality like someone swimming underwater.

Before Sunny could speak, she was startled by the slightly unusual voice. "Xiuyuan, why are you breathing so fast? Are you... running?"

"Ah, no... I'm... doing some training..." Lin Xiuyuan's voice was broken, with slight gasps in his voice and muffled sounds of water in the background.

Kim Tae-yeon was taken aback, and her eyebrows shot up quickly.

Sunny subconsciously put her phone into speakerphone mode.

"Huh? Training? You're at the gym? Want to go out for barbecue tonight?"

"...No, it's...upstairs, on the roof..."

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled awkwardly, his voice still unsteady as he answered irrelevantly, "Yeah... I'm doing push-ups... I'm sweating a lot, I need to put a towel down..."

As she spoke, she seemed to choke on something and coughed twice, "Ahem... Well, it's not convenient for me to go out right now. I have plans with other people tonight. I'm really sorry, but I'll treat you guys next time."

Lim Yoona slowly covered her face, shook her head and chuckled softly, "I told you he was busy."

"Yes, it is."

After Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, he didn't give them time to react and said in abruptly, "I'm hanging up now."

"Sigh..." Kim Tae-yeon was about to ask a few more questions when the phone was abruptly hung up with a "beep".

A silence fell over the room.

The three of them looked at each other.

Sunny, still holding her phone, leaned back on the sofa, her brows furrowed deeply. "He said...do push-ups? And then sweat dripping onto the floor?...Is he...is he serious?"

Kim Tae-yeon opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything. Her expression was so complicated that it seemed she was trying to suppress her imagination.

On the contrary, Yoona smiled lightly, as if she had won the battle, and picked up a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth, her tone relaxed.

"See? I told you Xiu Yuan was busy, but you insisted on calling."

She smiled at the two of them, as if commenting on two disobedient children, and continued, "Trust me earlier next time, unnie."

"..."

Sunny rolled her eyes and leaned back on the sofa in frustration. "Damn it, I'm even having this idea of ​​what that guy is doing all over my head right now."

"How do I feel..."

Kim Tae-yeon suddenly blurted out, "He's not training, he's being trained."

In response, Lim Yoona quickly stopped her, saying, "Unnie, don't talk nonsense. Making statements without evidence is spreading rumors. You are framing the victim."

As soon as they finished speaking, the three of them looked at each other and smiled in unison.

Meanwhile, in a villa in Gangnam District.

A boy, covered in sweat and having just paused his core training, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, wiping the water droplets from his shoulders while gazing at the white clouds in the sky, slightly lost in thought.

"Thank goodness... they almost figured it out..."

The next second, laughter rang out.

"Don't deceive yourself, Xiu Yuan~"

……

……

Time passed by unnoticed, and evening arrived.

The glow of the sunset streamed in through the villa's large floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire room in a warm, golden light.

After finishing their workout, Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal took a nice hot shower at the villa before returning to their apartment in 2013.

As soon as the door opened, a faint aroma of scallions and ginger wafted out, warm and comforting.

Shirley was wearing an apron in the kitchen, skillfully stirring the vegetables in the pan. When she heard the door open, she immediately poked her head out of the kitchen and rushed out to greet the two with a big smile.

"Oh, you're back!"

Shirley walked out of the kitchen, wiping the water off her hands, and hurried to the living room with the same joy as if she were welcoming a family member back from a business trip.

Then, looking at Krystal's rosy cheeks, he smiled slightly and immediately teased, "Krystal, did you have so much fun today?"

Krystal chuckled softly, tossing her hair. "I'm so happy! Thank you, Sherry~"

"Since you've had such a good time, it's time to pay off your debts."

Shirley smiled and grabbed her hand, half-pushing and half-dragging her towards the kitchen. "Come quickly and help me taste this soup. I think it's not quite right. You can decide on the saltiness."

After changing into her slippers, Krystal didn't say much. She rolled up her sleeves and went inside, helping to wash the vegetables while laughing, "What would you have done if I hadn't come so early?"

"By my standards, I don't care whether you like it or not."

Laughter from the two filled the kitchen, along with the sounds of spatulas hitting the sides of the pot and the gentle murmur of running water, creating a melody that was both ordinary and heartwarming.

While the two were busy, Lin Xiuyuan comfortably nestled on the living room sofa, with a delicate fruit platter on the coffee table in front of him.

Chilled watermelon, peeled grapes, sliced ​​apples, and a few pieces of fresh orange.

Then, while watching variety shows on TV, I held my phone in one hand, ate fruit, and chatted casually with Park Jiyeon, Jessica Jung, and the others in a group chat.

Park Jiyeon: [Oppa, can you fly to Tokyo?]

Lin Xiuyuan: [Sure, let's go get a presidential suite first, then we can just ask for the truth.]

Park Jiyeon: [It's not safe, forget it.]

Park Jiyeon: [Oppa, look at these photos of houses, which one do you like?]

Jessica Jung: [Buying another house? Jiyeon, there's no need to rush.]

Ham Eun-jung: [I'll buy it; it's for church fees.]

Jessica Jung: [Hey, Lin Xiuyuan, come over to my place tonight, I need to talk to you.]

Lin Xiuyuan: [Do you want to come over for dinner? Shirley's almost done.]

Jessica Jung: [I'm working, you jerk~]

Looking at the information on the screen, Lin Xiuyuan typed with a smile while looking down and forking a piece of orange into his mouth.

The moment it entered my mouth, I couldn't help but exclaim softly, "Wow, it's so sweet!"

Then I tried a few other fruits: chilled watermelon, crisp apples, and grapes. Each one was juicy and tasted excellent.

So she smiled and called out to the kitchen, "Zhenli, where did you buy this fruit? You picked a really good one!"

Sherry, who was busy cooking in the kitchen, couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, and responded cheerfully through the fumes.

"Haha, I didn't buy this. Soojung brought it over at noon. We didn't get to eat it, so we packed it up and brought it back. Oppa, if you like it, I'll ask her for the address later and buy more next time."

Lin Xiuyuan chewed on the fruit and mumbled a reply, "Sure, I'll ask."

After this little incident, time quietly slipped into seven o'clock in the evening.

The aroma in the kitchen grew stronger. When Krystal carried the last dish of garlic-flavored vegetables out of the kitchen, the wafting steam and the enticing garlic scent made everyone's mouths water.

Shirley, who followed her out, took off her apron, clapped her hands, and called out to Lin Xiuyuan in the living room with a bright smile, "Oppa, dinner's ready!"

"coming."

Lin Xiuyuan got up and walked to the dining table. His eyes lit up when he saw the plates of delicious-looking home-style stir-fries on the table. "Wow, this meal is really plentiful today."

"Of course."

Shirley slowly sat down beside him, smoothed her hair, and spoke in a gentle tone with a hint of pride.

“I’ve been researching how to balance the flavors of Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine lately, and I want to make some home-style dishes that aren’t too spicy or too oily. Today, since I’m making a nice meal for Soojung, I’m going to try out these dishes.”

Krystal coughed lightly and looked at Sherry with a smile. "What, Sherry? So, according to you, I've become a guinea pig?"

"No, this dinner tonight was made especially for you, Soojung," Sulli replied with a smile and her eyes narrowed, her tone earnest.

“But it was specially researched for Xiu Yuan.” Krystal raised an eyebrow and silently scooped a spoonful of soup into her bowl.

The two teased each other back and forth, and Lin Xiuyuan felt much more relaxed listening to their banter.

Then he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the curry potato stewed chicken. His eyes lit up as soon as he tasted it, and he immediately gave Shirley a thumbs up.

"Wow, Truth, your cooking skills have really improved a lot! How about I start a channel for you called Truth's Food Diary? After a few years, once you have a lot of followers, we can make enough money to cover all your earnings over the years and then you can retire."

"Never mind, oppa, this is just ordinary home-cooked food."

Sherry blushed slightly at the compliment, chuckled softly, and lowered her head to pick up some food.

Then Lin Xiuyuan said seriously, "Your so-called Chef Bai can use oyster sauce as a secret seasoning and can make celebrities cry with excitement when he stir-fries garlic vegetables. Judging from this, if Zhenli, your meal were shown on a TV show, you would probably become the new Chef God of the Peninsula."

Krystal knew who Lin Xiuyuan was talking about, so she immediately laughed, "Xiuyuan, don't make me laugh, or I'll spray you with vegetables."

"It's okay. I sprayed you in the face earlier, so it's no problem for you to spray me back now."

Lin Xiuyuan, being outspoken, blurted out those words without thinking, startling Krystal so much that she quickly looked at Shirley beside her.

Shirley kept her head down and ate quietly, as if she hadn't heard a thing.

Krystal then glared at the boy opposite her. She could show off this kind of thing in front of other people, but she was too embarrassed to do it in front of Shirley.

However, this little incident made the atmosphere at the dinner table a bit more relaxed and natural.

The three chatted while eating, talking about everything from their day's itinerary to their favorite variety shows, with bursts of laughter coming from time to time.

Occasionally, Shirley would tell Lin Xiuyuan about the progress of some work here, such as the preparation of the TV series and some promotional activities of the investment company.

Krystal then chatted with Sherry about some interesting things that happened 25 years ago, and then said that after Lin Xiuyuan's time portal evolved, the two of them would have the opportunity and time to travel abroad together.

Throughout the dinner, warm yellow lights illuminated the table, the lingering aroma of cooking wafted through the air, and laughter filled the air, creating a sense of returning to a long-lost feeling of normalcy.

Simple, everyday, yet precious.

Everyone ate the meal with great relish.

　Abridged version~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)