Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 232 "I am the leader of Girls' Generation." (10,000 words, please subscribe and vote)

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A dozen minutes earlier, in the master bedroom of Kim Tae-yeon's apartment 25 years ago, a quiet silence filled the air.

Kim Tae-yeon looked at Kim Yu-yeon as she entered, her eyes gentle yet tinged with hesitation, and gently beckoned to her, "Come here."

There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, "Actually, I was a little hesitant about whether to let you see these things, but I thought maybe it would be good to take a look, just as an extra layer of insurance for your father over there, to make a more lasting impression on you."

Although Jin Ruanruan didn't quite understand, after learning that it was about her father, she immediately connected it to the news she had heard earlier.

The originally light steps became a little heavier.

Then he slowly walked to Kim Tae-yeon's side, looking at her squatting figure on the ground, and the dark wooden box in front of her seemed particularly calm.

Kim Tae-yeon gently opened the wooden box, inside which lay a stack of yellowed photos and several sheets of paper.

Her fingers gently glided over one of the photographs, her fingertips touching the soft paper. A subtle, indescribable emotion flickered in her eyes—perhaps tenderness, or perhaps an indelible pain.

“These are… what my father wrote to me in his final days, and these photos were taken by my father and mother around that time.”

Kim Tae-yeon's words were soft yet tinged with sadness, her voice seemingly echoing those painful and unbearable memories.

In that instant, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. Jin Ruanruan stood silently to the side, her heartbeat quickening involuntarily, as if something heavy was pressing on her chest.

At the same time, her gaze unconsciously swept over the photos that recorded her father's life: he was a kind and amiable old man. Although he had aged a lot compared to her father 13 years ago, there was a familiar tenderness in his eyes that seemed to transcend time and gently touch Jin Ruanruan.

This allowed her to feel the other person's silent presence and unspoken tenderness, even just through the photos.

At this moment, Kim Tae-yeon slowly picked up another photo and handed it to Kim Yu-yuen, who was standing next to her.

The photo is a picture of her and her father when she was a child. Sunlight shines through the leaves onto them. Her father looks at her tenderly, and her smile is pure and bright. The background is the courtyard she has recalled countless times, the place where she spent the most carefree time.

Kim Yeon-yeon also has this photo, which is hidden in her home in Jeonju.

However, the next second, Kim Tae-yeon handed Kim Yu-yuen another photo.

This time, the photos no longer exude warmth; instead, they suddenly create a cold atmosphere.

In that photo, their father is lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by his mother, brother, and sister.

Except her.

And this is the most painful part.

If the scene before was a warm summer day, then this moment was a frigid snow-capped mountain, instantly making Jin Ruanruan, who caught the photo, freeze in place.

Next, Kim Tae-yeon brought out even more items.

The original manuscript of the tombstone inscription, the notes of the funeral proceedings, the records of the guests who came and went...

Every page records that lost time, and every word carries unspeakable pain.

Those silent memories, as if gently turned by Kim Tae-yeon's soft fingers, carried Kim Tae-yeon's sadness and unresolved emotions into her heart.

Finally, Kim Tae-yeon produced the message her father had written to her before he passed away.

She carefully unfolded the paper, her eyes gentle, as if she were reading the words of her closest loved one.

There were no lengthy pronouncements or deliberate sentimentality in the writing, only the same gentleness and care as always.

It was a sentence: "My daughter, remember to eat on time and take care of yourself."

Simple words, ordinary yet filled with deep love.

But after reading just this simple sentence, Jin Ruanruan's legs went weak involuntarily, as if all her strength had been drained away.

Like Kim Tae-yeon, she sat on the ground.

The paper in her hand felt almost indescribably heavy, her vision gradually blurred, and her fingers gripped the paper tightly, as if she could no longer read on.

Although she had never seen her father in this past life, the note filled with tenderness and warmth, and the simple yet profound care, had already made her heart sink.

The sadness and indescribable sense of loss in her heart, like a surging tide, gradually engulfed her thoughts.

Having never experienced the pain of losing a loved one, she felt as if she could empathize with them at that moment.

Beside her, Kim Tae-yeon watched Kim Ruan-ruan's reaction with gentle yet firm eyes, fully understanding the other's feelings at that moment.

After a moment, she spoke softly, her voice calm yet full of meaning, "Taeyeon, you may feel sad seeing all this now. But I hope you can understand one thing: work is important, but the only thing that can truly support you is your family."

Listening to Kim Tae-yeon's words, Kim Ruanruan looked down at the photos and text, and a feeling she couldn't quite describe welled up inside her.

In the years since she left home and started working at the company, she never imagined that she would feel the power of family so deeply.

Although she had never met her father here, these photos and words acted as an invisible bridge, closely connecting her with the memories of her deceased father.

That ordinary yet profound love seemed to transcend time and space in an instant, deeply touching her heart.

After a while, Kim Yuen-yuen looked up at Kim Tae-yeon with a firm gaze and said, "I know."

Then he said in a low voice, "I will never forget what you said and what I saw."

Kim Tae-yeon nodded and smiled slightly.

Then, he quietly watched Jin Ruanruan continue to look through those things, and saw his past self in her.

Driven by naivety and impulsiveness, they neglected too many important things around them.

Thinking of this, Kim Tae-yeon sighed softly, closed her eyes, and seemed to return to a time she could never go back to.

When she opened her eyes again, the heaviness in her heart felt somewhat lighter.

She knew very well that her father had passed away.

But at least for now, she can stand here and pass on some of her life wisdom to her younger self in another time and space, which can also help Jin Ruanruan avoid some detours in the future.

For the father on the other side, this might also be a good thing.

Then, Kim Tae-yeon slowly got up, walked to the bedside, and took out the birthday gift she had carefully chosen for her young father 13 years ago.

As she handed the watch box to Jin Ruanruan, she said in a low and gentle voice, "Actually, this meeting between the two of us was arranged by me through Xiuyuan, because I wanted to give my father a gift."

Kim Yuen-yuen slowly extended her hands and accepted the watch box handed to her by Kim Tae-yeon.

When my fingertips touched the cool outer shell, they trembled slightly involuntarily, as if it were not an ordinary gift, but a heartfelt sentiment.

Then he lowered his head, opened the box, and looked at the exquisite watch inside. The beautiful case shimmered with a cool light under the soft lamp.

When her gaze fell on the watch face, the pattern that matched her father's zodiac animal caught her eye, and her heart tightened suddenly.

It was a familiar yet strange stinging sensation, the bitterness of "wanting to care for one's parents but finding them gone" slowly spreading in her chest. This feeling did not come from herself, but was clearly conveyed from the eyes of Kim Tae-yeon across from her.

Kim Tae-yeon stood opposite her, unsure how Kim Yu-yeon would feel about her gift.

But for her, it carried indescribable emotions.

It's like a bridge, trying to build a subtle connection between the father in the past and the future self.

It is a thin thread caught between loss and compensation, fragile yet precious.

After a moment of silence, Kim Taeyeon's voice rang out softly, as if afraid of shattering the tranquility of the moment, "Do you know, Taeyeon?"

She lowered her eyes slightly, her tone low and filled with emotion, "When I was choosing this gift, I kept asking myself how to express my feelings for my father. Later I realized that family affection is not just about material things or words, but more about companionship and understanding, so I chose this watch."

On the surface, these words were said to Kim Yeon-yeon, but Kim Tae-yeon knew very well that they were also meant for her.

Hearing the voice, Kim Yuen-yeon gripped the watch box tightly, as if she could feel Kim Tae-yeon's deep sense of powerlessness through the watch.

And just as she was feeling a deep sense of empathy for her future self, filled with confusion and sorrow.

Just as this emotion was about to overwhelm her, Kim Tae-yeon stepped forward and gently held her shoulder.

In that instant, the warm force seemed to pull Kim Ruanruan out of the whirlpool of thoughts, while Kim Tae-yeon smiled, her eyes filled with tenderness and comfort.

"Alright, you've seen the evidence. So, do you no longer feel that Xiu Yuan and I lied to you?"

Jin Ruanruan blinked, let out a long sigh, and looked relaxed. "I already believed it when Xiuyuan led me through several rooms."

"Right? The impact of that spatial imagery, doesn't it make your head spin?"

Kim Tae-yeon quickly composed herself, smiled slightly, and tried to ease the atmosphere.

After seeing Jin Ruanruan nod, he continued, "By the way, let's take this time to talk about the name. I don't want to end up arguing with Yoona like that."

Thinking of the scene where Lin Xiuyuan mentioned 'Lin Yoona's nickname', Jin Ruanruan smiled and looked at her future self next to her.

Although she still had many questions she wanted to ask, it wouldn't be good to keep Lin Xiuyuan hanging, so she nodded and gave her opinion, "You've used the name Kim Tae-yeon longer than I have, so you can continue using it when you're chatting with everyone. It's not like I can't use it anymore."

"What you said...sounds reasonable, but why can't it make me happy?"

Kim Tae-yeon frowned slightly, her mind focused solely on the phrase "long time." She was filled with frustration and suddenly understood Ji-yeon's comment about "old woman" and Yoona's argument.

Jin Ruanruan looked at her expression and couldn't help but smile gently. "No, I was giving advice very seriously."

"And what about you?" Kim Tae-yeon asked.

"When chatting with everyone, I'll just use my real name again: Jin Ruanruan, Tai Xiaoruan."

So after carefully putting those precious items back into the box and putting away the watch, the two of them walked out of the master bedroom together and happened to run into Lin Xiuyuan and his companion who had gone to pick up Lin Yoona from her place.

……

……

It's still Kim Tae-yeon's apartment, still that familiar living room.

The afternoon sun bathed the room, falling on the sofa, coffee table, and green plants in the corner, bringing a lazy warmth.

Lin Yoona leaned close to Lin Xiuyuan, her arm casually resting on the back of the sofa. Her eyes held a hint of nostalgia and teasing as she looked at Jin Ruanruan opposite her, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Unnie, it's been so long since I've seen you so youthful."

Before Kim Yuen-yuen could even respond, Kim Tae-yeon on the other side immediately turned her head sharply, her eyes narrowed, her tone carrying a hint of half-serious dissatisfaction.

"Hey, Yoona, what do you mean by that? Are you saying I'm old?"

However, Yoona had no intention of giving her a way out. Instead, her eyes lit up as if she had seized an opportunity, and she made it clear directly.

"Looking at our faces, Taeyeon unnie, just accept it. When I met Lin Xiaolu, I also accepted my fate."

When the topic turned to "appearance," Jin Ruanruan couldn't help but look at Lin Yoona in front of her, then gently shook her head and answered sincerely, "No, Yoona, you seem to be even more beautiful now than you were in 13. Your temperament, skin, and blood circulation are all much better than in 13."

She wasn't just being polite when she said that.

In 2013, Lin Xiaolu was working non-stop, and her physical and mental condition was not good.

Although youth is her greatest asset, which can be used to cover up some of her fatigue, her dark circles are still obvious, and occasionally a few unruly pimples will pop up.

Compared to Yoona now, who has taken serum, has radiant skin, and exudes a healthy glow, the difference is obvious.

Upon hearing this praise, Yoona's eyes immediately curved into crescents, like a kitten being stroked. She pounced on Kim Yuen-yeon, wrapped her arms around her, and spoke in a light and cheerful tone.

"Haha, unnie, I love you so much, you're so sweet!"

Kim Tae-yeon couldn't help but roll her eyes, her expression full of "speechless," but her gaze naturally drifted to Lin Xiu-yuan, who was playing on his phone with his head down.

As someone in the know, she naturally understood the real reason behind it.

Unfortunately, recently, whether it's because Lin Xiuyuan has become more restrained or because Krystal and Lin Yoona are too vigilant, she hasn't been able to get a single chance.

In addition, she had been focusing most of her attention on her father's birthday in 13, so when faced with the teasing from the second youngest member, she could only sigh inwardly and maintain the "I'll put up with it" expression on her face.

After a moment, Lin Yoona reluctantly let go of Jin Ruanruan and sat back down next to Lin Xiuyuan. She gently patted his leg and suggested in a coquettish tone.

"Xiuyuan~ Open the door, take Unnie and the others to my apartment. It's the first time Ruanruan Unnie has come here, so I'll show off my cooking skills and make her a nice dinner. After dinner, you can take her back."

"What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Kim Tae-yeon and Kim Ruan-ruan and asked for their opinions.

The former has no cooking skills, and the latter only knows how to eat instant noodles, so naturally they have no complaints at all.

Jin Ruanruan, in particular, was shocked by what Lin Yoona had just said. "Yoona, you can actually cook?"

"Hehe, I'm a great cook, unnie~"

“Yoona has been idle these past few years and has learned a lot of skills; cooking is just one part of her expertise,” Kim Tae-yeon explained from the side.

Then, led by Lin Xiuyuan, the group opened the door again, passed through the 13-year transit station, and arrived at Lin Yoona's apartment.

During this time, Jin Ruanruan glanced at the messages on her phone and breathed a sigh of relief when she found that no one had contacted her urgently.

After all, she was really busy in 2013.

Upon arriving at Yoona's apartment, Kim Tae-yeon noticed the situation and asked, "Have you been very busy lately?"

"Do you remember that tour in Taipei? The world tour was quite busy, mainly because everyone was doing too many separate activities, so it was hard to find an opportunity to rehearse together."

Jin Ruanruan nodded gently, her tone thoughtful, "And during rehearsals, everyone wasn't as serious as before, always chatting and laughing. I know everyone is tired, so I didn't say much, but I was still quite anxious."

"Speaking of which, Ruan Ruan, there are some issues I might need to discuss with you now."

Hearing this, Yoona paused slightly, but did not turn around. Instead, she smiled and said, "Alright, unnie, you can go and rest over there. Xiuyuan, you go too. I'll call you over after I've finished making dinner."

"Don't you need any help?" Lin Xiuyuan asked. It was impossible to rely on Kim Tae-yeon and the other two, but he could still help.

"Okay, then Xiuyuan, can you help me out?"

Noticing Lin Xiuyuan's wink, Lin Yoona laughed and then took his hand.

In the following time, Kim Tae-yeon and Kim Yeon-yeon were talking in the living room.

However, most of the time Kim Yuen-yeon was listening while Kim Tae-yeon was talking. And the former's expression gradually became serious, solemn, and silent.

Inside the kitchen, Lin Xiuyuan, who occasionally peeked out, went back in and said to Lin Yoona with a smile, "They're probably talking about some issues within your team."

Lim Yoona stopped eating the green peppers and answered softly, "Yeah, that's possible. The group did have a lot of problems later on, and you didn't really get involved back then."

She sliced ​​green peppers along the blade, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "But it wasn't really Unnie's fault. It's just that we're all grown up now. She probably worried that if she lectured too much, everyone would get annoyed, so I personally thought it was better not to say anything back then."

"And now?"

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Lin Yoona, who was wearing an apron. Her face and her signature bun hairstyle gave him a sense of disorientation, as if he were in 2013.

That's a youthful charm that Yoona still retains compared to others; I don't know how she managed to preserve it.

When asked the question, Lim Yoona stopped wielding the cleaver, slowly raised her head, and turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan, who had asked the question. "If it were me now, I would think that unnie should have spoken up back then. If you speak out, there might be a chance to resolve the issue; if you don't speak out, there will never be a chance to resolve it."

Lin Xiuyuan frowned slightly, "But what if saying it makes everyone disgusted?"

In response to Lin Xiuyuan's answer, Lin Yoona chuckled, her tone both teasing and confident, "It's as if Taeyeon unnie and I were never isolated back then. Xiuyuan~ we were the most popular people."

As dusk approached, the sun had not yet completely set, but Yoona's dining table was already neatly set, and the aroma of food wafted slowly from the kitchen.

Since Jin Ruanruan had rehearsals to do that evening, the group of them, quite unusually, enjoyed dinner while it was still daylight.

Looking at the dishes on the table, Jin Ruanruan was truly shocked.

"what is this?"

"Boiled beef in chili oil is delicious."

"This stir-fried pork with chili peppers is also very fragrant."

"How about this, stuffed tofu? It's a new dish I recently learned. Unnie, why don't you give it a try?"

As Yoona introduced each dish, Kim Ruanruan looked at her with increasing admiration, "Yoona, have you evolved from a little boy into a married woman in the past ten years? With such culinary skills, what man could resist?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yoona chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling into a smile, and her hand gesture, tinged with a hint of pride and playfulness, pointed at Lin Xiuyuan.

"Look, unnie, the guy across from you doesn't seem to like me. I've already told him I'm going to get a marriage certificate with him, but he's just giving me the runaround."

Lin Yoona's response to Jin Ruanruan's praise changed the expressions of everyone at the table.

Lin Xiuyuan gave a wry smile and glanced at her, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and headache. He then raised his hand as if to make a fist and said with a smile, "Stop messing around, stop."

Kim Tae-yeon was slightly shocked, and a moment of doubt flashed through her mind. Her first reaction was: Well, you, Lim Dae-jun, are actually willing to go to such lengths to grab food?

The only one who didn't react was Jin Ruanruan.

Her eyes widened, her face filled with surprise, and she silently uttered "ah" a few times with her mouth agape before finally asking incredulously.

"No way, really? Xiuyuan, you rejected Yoona?"

"Just eat your food. Didn't you realize Yoona was joking?"

Lin Xiuyuan sighed helplessly, picked up a piece of beef and put it into Jin Ruanruan's bowl, seemingly trying to shut her up.

However, the next second, he was glared at by Jin Ruanruan. "Hmph, speaking of joking, I just heard quite a bit from Taeyeon. The 'chemistry' you were trying to fool me about back in 13 was just copied from someone else. No wonder we were so in sync."

"Eat, eat."

Upon seeing his embarrassing past being brought up, Lin Xiuyuan quickly ended the conversation.

His embarrassment drew laughter from the dinner table, instantly lightening the atmosphere.

During the meal, everyone chatted and laughed, and the topic shifted from things happening around them to some news from the outside world.

Jin Ruanruan asked questions frequently, and everyone answered her in a very cooperative manner.

When some sensational news occasionally broke, Jin Ruanruan's curiosity was gradually piqued, and she lost her appetite, constantly asking the others questions.
Especially after hearing about Kim Soo-hyun's scumbag situation, she immediately turned her gaze to Lin Xiuyuan across from her, somewhat incredulously, "So it was Xiuyuan who brought him down?"

“It wasn’t me; it was the victims in his hands who pushed him into it. I just released this evidence that had been hidden for over a decade ahead of time.”

After Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, Lin Yoona asked curiously from the side, "So, how far have things progressed now?"

“Dispatch has released solid evidence; the other side has no chance of turning the tables,” Jin Ruanruan replied.

This news caused a huge stir in the industry, and everyone was paying attention to the case. Girls' Generation was no exception, and during their daily rehearsals, gossip always revolved around this topic.

The group discussed the topic for a while, and eventually, without realizing it, they started talking about Kim Sae-ron.

However, she is still young and an artist in the film industry, so everyone has limited opportunities to interact with her. Therefore, everyone can only silently wish her a better future career.

As the conversation unfolded, time quietly slipped away, the setting sun gradually disappeared on the horizon, night fell silently, and the city lights began to twinkle.

The dinner was drawing to a close.

"Alright, stop chatting, Jin Ruanruan, it's really time to go. We still have to drive back later."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had already put down his chopsticks, looked at Jin Ruanruan, who was still chatting happily across from him, and reminded her, "Didn't you say you had a rehearsal tonight?"

Jin Ruanruan looked at Kim Tae-yeon and Lim Yoon-ah with some reluctance, then looked up and asked, "Xiuyuan, can't you go directly to Seoul? That way you won't have to waste time driving back."

"You have to put on an act, right? The car's already at the beach, and you're going to teleport back, huh?" Lin Xiuyuan's words carried a hint of teasing, but his eyes held a faint smile.

Jin Ruanruan had nothing to say, and could only nod in the end, say goodbye to Kim Tae-yeon and Lim Yoon-ah, and then return to Kim Tae-yeon's apartment to pick up the watch.

Only then did he leave with Lin Xiuyuan and return to the villa located by the sea.

It was already night, so it was pitch black as soon as you entered the villa.

Startled, Jin Ruanruan immediately grabbed Lin Xiuyuan's arm, "Wow, turn on the light, Xiuyuan~"

"I don't even have a villa with a gate, why would I turn on the lights?"

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and shook his head, then took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and illuminated the surroundings.

But the howling sea breeze and the sound of the waves outside made the darkness seem even more oppressive, and the atmosphere of the entire villa even more gloomy.

Therefore, Jin Ruanruan clung even tighter to Lin Xiuyuan, not wanting to be separated from him for even a moment.

Jin Ruanruan only breathed a sigh of relief after Lin Xiuyuan closed the back door of the villa, checked the condition of the other doors, and took her away from the villa and back to the car.

Next door, Lin Xiuyuan, who was fastening his seatbelt, looked at her and laughed, "Are you that scared? There are still some lights around, and there are even streetlights."

"I'm scared, I'm most afraid of those things." Jin Ruanruan nodded, her expression showing genuine fear.

"What were your thoughts when you met Taeyeon before?" Lin Xiuyuan asked jokingly.

"What the hell?" Jin Ruanruan chuckled, a hint of humor flashing in her eyes.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, started the car, and drove back towards Seoul with Jin Ruanruan in tow.

The scenery outside the window gradually became familiar, and as the wheels rolled, the direction of Seoul drew closer and closer.

Night was gradually falling, and the neon lights on both sides of the street lit up one by one. The scene outside the car window was like a moving painting.

Jin Ruanruan leaned back in her seat, her hands gripping the handrails tightly. Her gaze was fixed on the distance through the window, her eyes revealing a thoughtful and complex emotion.

"Xiuyuan, thank you," she suddenly said softly.

Her voice sounded a little tired, but it was filled with sincere gratitude. "I am really grateful to you for letting me see those things in the future. Although I can't change everything over there, at least you gave me the time and opportunity to prevent those tragedies from happening again."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled lightly, but his eyes showed little emotion. He smiled slightly and answered calmly.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just a gatekeeper, my role is to bring you to these things. As for what to do and what to change, that's ultimately up to your own choices and efforts. If you want to get what you want, you have to put in the effort."

Jin Ruanruan nodded, knowing that Lin Xiuyuan's words made sense, and that she would ultimately have to walk her own path in the future.

However, she also understood very well that without Lin Xiuyuan, many things would still have ended in tragedy, and nothing would have changed.

"But... without you, none of this would have happened."

Thinking of this, Jin Ruanruan turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan, her eyes filled with complex emotions that were hard to describe. "So you yourself are the most important link in this process. No matter what you say, you are changing our destiny."

Lin Xiuyuan didn't say anything more, only slightly curled the corners of his mouth, a faint smile in his eyes, as if sensing the change in Jin Ruanruan's emotions, yet he remained silent.

Suddenly, Jin Ruanruan chuckled softly, seemingly recalling the awkward scene in Quanzhou. "By the way, Xiuyuan, do you remember what happened in Quanzhou? I thought the 'person' on your leg was Xiuyan, but I never imagined it was me from the future..."

As she spoke, a hint of shyness flashed in her eyes, a smile tinged with embarrassment, as if recalling the awkwardness of that time, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Thinking back to that posture and that action, although it wasn't the real me, the future me will still be a part of myself.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan's expression changed slightly, and the corners of his mouth suddenly curved up, as if he couldn't help but reveal a barely perceptible smile. "So, when you called someone a pervert back then, did you feel a boomerang flying back at you now? After all, you've cursed your future self."

Jin Ruanruan blushed slightly, lowered her head, and unconsciously began to fidget with the hem of her clothes, looking a little flustered. "Ah, I... I didn't know at the time."

Lin Xiuyuan's eyes flickered slightly, and the smile on his lips had not completely disappeared, but he did not delve into the topic further. He simply said softly, "To be honest, that scene was indeed a bit... awkward, but it was also an emergency evasion."

He paused, then changed the subject, "But no matter what, it was quite interesting to see your future self and your present self compared back then."

Then Jin Ruanruan also talked about her feelings about this journey to the future, from the initial shock and disbelief to gradually accepting it and becoming more and more fascinated by the information about the future.

She paused for a moment, her smile tinged with emotion, "It felt like being pulled by an invisible force, as if fate had begun to influence me without my knowledge. It was very strange."

"I guess it's just a reaction from the brain," Lin Xiuyuan said with a smile.

As the street scenes outside the car window rushed past, the two continued their conversation, their tone relaxed and intimate.

Although the previous 'tacit understanding' of cheating is gone, the bond is now even stronger.

The main reason was that they had more common topics of conversation, so their relationship didn't experience any major rifts; on the contrary, they became even closer.

Just then, the car entered downtown Seoul, the traffic gradually increased, and the scenery in front of us became familiar.

Soon, the car passed the license plate verification and entered SM Entertainment's internal parking lot.

Before getting out of the car, Jin Ruanruan suddenly turned around and looked at Lin Xiuyuan with a slight smile on her lips, "By the way, Xiuyuan~ come to my house sometime when you're free."

Knowing what Jin Ruanruan wanted to say, Lin Xiuyuan nodded, "Let's talk about it when you have time. Aren't you always living in the dormitory?"

“I’ll be going back often from now on,” Jin Ruanruan said softly, her tone filled with anticipation. “There’s been so much going on lately, I need some space of my own.”

Then the two waved goodbye, watching Jin Ruanruan's figure gradually disappear into the distance before Lin Xiuyuan slowly started the car and drove back to the apartment along the familiar route.

Under the cover of night, the streetlights cast flowing patterns of light on the car window, and a faint smile played on his face, as if he were still savoring the farewell scene.

However, he didn't notice at all that as Jin Ruanruan got out of the car and walked into the company, her expression gradually became serious and earnest, and her eyes revealed an undeniable determination.

As she was the last to enter the practice room, all the members of Girls' Generation were finally present.

Having already learned some details from Jessica Jung, Lin Xiaolu gave the squad leader a meaningful look, her expression both pleasant and with a hint of a smile.

However, since the environment wasn't quite right, neither of them went up to "recognize" Kim Tae-yeon, planning to have a proper chat later.

Rehearsals then began.

As dusk settles, the lights in the practice room illuminate the figures of everyone training diligently, from light dance steps to meticulous movement corrections, the rhythm of the music intertwining with their breaths.

Then, as time slowly passed, the rehearsal finally came to an end at 11 p.m.

After the dance teachers left one after another, Tiffany and Kim Hyoyeon hurriedly packed their clothes, their movements quick and revealing a hint of anxiety, as if they couldn't wait to leave early.

Just as they were about to leave, Jin Ruanruan spoke up.

She clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention to herself, then said in a gentle but authoritative voice, "Let's all go back to the dorms later and have a little meeting tonight to talk things over."

"Ah, Taeyeon, we made plans with our friends!" Tiffany groaned immediately upon hearing this, her tone tinged with complaint.

Kim Hyoyeon nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we arranged the meeting in advance."

Then Choi Sooyoung chimed in, "I also have to go home tonight, Taeyeon."

“Unnie, me too,” Seohyun added softly.

But even under these circumstances, Jin Ruanruan took a deep breath, and after lowering her head and then raising it again, her expression became serious and earnest.

“I know you are all very busy, and I know that you will all have your own individual activities in the future, and you will go your separate ways after the contract ends. But as the leader of Girls’ Generation, and you as members of Girls’ Generation, I hope that we can stand together and do our best in this last shift.”

She paused, her tone gentle yet authoritative, "No matter how high your future achievements may be, the Girls' Generation brand will still bring you many opportunities. So I hope that before you break through the benefits brought by the group, you can clearly recognize your current identity and responsibilities."

"Since I've mentioned that there will be a meeting tonight, I hope everyone can remember that I am the leader of Girls' Generation, and I'm not joking with you."

As Jin Ruanruan spoke, her tone was firm, and her gaze swept over each member one by one.

"Everyone can see how the atmosphere in the group has been lately, and as the leader, I can't just let it go on like this, so this meeting tonight is a must. If Tiffany and Hyoyeon think that your so-called date is more important than work, then the door is right there, I won't stop you."

She then added, "Sooyoung and Joohyun, you must have gone home to rest, right? What's wrong? Can't you rest in the dorm?"

As soon as Jin Ruanruan finished speaking, the entire practice room fell silent, and everyone's breathing became lighter, even though they had just finished a very intense training session.

Just as the silence deepened, a clear laugh broke the tense atmosphere, "Alright, everyone pack your things and go back to the dorm. What do you want for supper tonight, Sun-kyu?"

Sunny glanced at Jessica Jung, who was smiling broadly, and her eyes lit up. She quickly replied, "Fried chicken, I still prefer fried chicken. And some beer, please."

"Unnie, I want to eat stir-fried rice cakes." Lin Xiaolu followed closely behind, her tone slightly coquettish.

"I want to eat some fruit, let's go buy some and take it back to the dorm," Kwon Yuri said calmly and naturally as she picked up her coat.

With several people speaking up, the atmosphere in the practice room gradually eased.

Tiffany and Kim Hyoyeon didn't mention the drinking party again, and Choi Sooyoung and Seohyun stopped insisting on going home. Everyone tacitly began packing their things and preparing to return to their dorm.

However, everyone was on high alert for tonight's meeting.

After all, this was the first time in many years that Jin Ruanruan had convened a meeting as the team leader to fulfill her duties.

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