Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 276 "Unnie~ Time to take your medicine!!!" (10,000 words, please subscribe and vote)

Seoul in 2025.

The golf course was shrouded in a thin layer of mist in the early morning.

The lawn glowed with a soft green in the morning light, as if every blade of grass was still covered with dewdrops.

The air was fresh and cool, the distant hills were faintly visible, and a few birds occasionally skimmed across the lake, gently flapping their wings and splashing up tiny ripples.

Lee Juri, who hasn't exercised in a long time, specially changed into a clean and neat white sleeveless sports top today, paired with a light blue pleated skirt.

Her long, slender legs were particularly striking in the morning light, and she wore a pair of limited-edition golf shoes.

The morning sunlight gently fell on her face, making her skin smooth and firm, and highlighting her radiant appearance. She didn't look like she was already over thirty years old.

However, a lingering worry always lingered between her brows and eyes, like a faint shadow.

The large dragon cub standing next to her looked very energetic.

The red sports polo shirt accentuated her healthy complexion, and her eyes shone with youthful vigor. Her confidence, as if she could raise her cue and strike the ball at any moment, made her stand out on the green field.

In contrast, Park Hyomin, who was walking behind the two, looked much more haggard.

She was wearing a black tracksuit, her waistline was still slender, and she maintained a very good figure.

Even with light makeup on, she couldn't hide the weariness from lack of sleep, and a hint of fatigue flashed in her eyes from time to time.

As a newlywed, her complexion and mental state at this moment actually seemed somewhat contrary to the word "happiness".

While Park Hyomin was getting ready to grab her golf club, Lee Qri seized the opportunity, grabbed Da Longzai's arm, and asked, "Jiyeon, do you know what Xiuyuan has been up to lately? He doesn't answer my calls, but he texted me saying he's been busy and won't be free for another couple of days."

The dragon cub was clearly taken aback when the question was asked.

For a moment, his expression became unnatural, as if someone had touched a sensitive spot.

As a "member," she naturally knew Lin Xiuyuan's current situation best, and as a witness present at the scene, she understood the entanglement between Lin Xiuyuan and Jessica better than anyone else.

But she couldn't say a single word of these things.

So she could only give an awkward smile, her eyes slightly darting away, and shake her head. "Ah, unnie, I'm not really sure either. I've been quite busy with rehearsals lately, so I haven't been able to talk to Xiuyuan much."

Just then, Park Hyomin strolled back slowly, casually twirling her golf club in her hand, her eyes scanning back and forth between the two of them, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, Jiyeon, unnie, aren't your relationships with Lin Xiuyuan getting more and more ambiguous?"

Her tone carried a hint of deliberate teasing, but her eyes were sharp, as if she were probing something. She curled her lips slightly and said, "I used to think that you guys were just looking for something new, like raising a puppy. It's temporary, at most a one-night stand, or it'll end after a few times."

She gave a soft hum, her expression somewhat strange, seemingly carrying a hint of barely concealed frustration and dissatisfaction. "But now, it seems like you're all planning to hold onto him tightly, even... going further down that path. Tell me, are you serious?"

After he finished speaking, the stadium fell silent for a few seconds.

Lee Juri and Da Longzai exchanged a glance, but neither responded immediately.

Lee Juri smiled knowingly and replied casually, "Hyomin, you're married now, so don't ask about these things. It's pointless. The more you know, the more frustrated you'll become. Go play some ball."

"Tsk~"

Unexpectedly, Park Hyomin rolled her eyes, turned her face away angrily, and snorted a few times, venting all her frustration on the golf club in her hand.

Then he walked straight to the side, swung his club hard, and the white golf ball cut through the air and landed heavily on the grass in the distance.

The atmosphere calmed down slightly. But Li Juli did not let the big dragon off the hook.

As Park Hyomin left and her figure gradually blended into the court, Lee Qri's gaze returned to Da Longzai, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry. Suddenly, she lowered her voice and asked, "Jiyeon, have you already entered Xiuyuan's inner circle?"

These words were like a heavy hammer blow to the heart, making the little dragon's heart tremble. His expression changed involuntarily, and he could hardly hide the panic in his eyes.

So that moment of panic was enough for Lee Juri to come to her answer.

The doubts in her heart were completely ignited, so she deliberately hummed a few times, mimicking the joking tone Park Hyomin had just used, but she couldn't hide the annoyance and frustration in her eyes.

"I knew it! Just as I guessed. Your situation is exactly the same as Eun-jung's back then, it's infuriating! No, how did you end up in his circle? Was it because you slept together? I slept with him too, why is that not allowed?"

Her voice carried a mix of genuine and feigned anger, yet also a hint of reproach.

The last syllable of his sentence was slightly drawn out, making it unclear whether it was out of spite, a desire for confirmation, or a hint of sarcasm.

"Ah, unnie, can you stop being so funny? It has nothing to do with this." Daeyong was clearly surprised by Lee Juri's sudden outburst, so he quickly reached out to soothe her, softening his tone as if afraid she might misunderstand, "Really, don't overthink it..."

Then I tried hard to think of a way to explain this problem...

Suddenly, a cell phone inside the electric scooter started ringing urgently.

The sudden sound broke the tension in the air, causing both of them to instinctively turn their heads to look.

The little dragon, recognizing his own ringtone, walked over, glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

It wasn't Sweet Eun-jung, but her assistant.

"Hello?" she answered the phone.

His tone, which had been relatively calm, suddenly turned somber after a few seconds.

The message from the other end of the phone made her expression change drastically.

Her breathing was heavy with barely suppressed emotion; her fingers gripping the phone tightened slightly, and her voice trembled, "What? When did this happen?"

Even after hanging up the phone, Da Longzai's face was still filled with worry.

Then she quickly turned to look at the two unnies over there, "Unnie~ Eunjung unnie's old injury has relapsed, her ligaments have torn again, and she has been rushed to the hospital."

Upon hearing this news, the three of them lost all interest in playing ball.

So he quickly packed up his golf clubs, not even bothering to change his clothes, and hurriedly drove straight to the hospital.

The three of them quickly arrived at the hospital and saw the figure lying on the hospital bed.

The hospital ward was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant, and the air was heavy with a depressing chill.

Sweet Eun-jung leaned against the hospital bed, her face pale and her lips light-colored.

Her neatly trimmed short hair was now slightly disheveled, and the hospital gown she wore looked particularly thin. One hand was receiving an IV drip, while the other held a mobile phone.

Even so, she still managed to force a smile at the people who came in.

"What happened, Eun-jung? How did you tear your ligaments again?"

Li Juli felt a pang of anxiety and quickly walked to the bedside, her eyes slightly red.

Then she reached out and tightly grasped Tian Enjing's small hand, which was icy cold because of the low temperature of the hospital room's air conditioning, her tone filled with reproach and heartache, "Why couldn't you be more careful? Didn't this injury heal a long time ago?"

"It's nothing serious, don't make a fuss."

Sweet Eun-jung tried to appear relaxed, and even pointed to her assistant's name, "Eun-seo, didn't I tell you not to tell the unnies? But you still couldn't keep it a secret."

The assistant who was called out looked innocent, shrank her neck, and muttered softly, "Unnie, I... I can't hide it for long even if I don't say it."

At this moment, Da Longzai sighed softly beside her, his expression full of heartache, "Unnie, you've been rehearsing too hard lately, right? Plus, the filming schedule is non-stop, your body can't take it anymore, that's why you're like this, right?"

Having become somewhat knowledgeable about medicine through her long illness, she seemed to have guessed the general situation.

"Yes, that's right, Jiyeon unnie, that's what the doctor said too."

The assistant quickly added, seemingly trying to relieve Eun-jung's stress.

But Eun-jung remained silent, her gaze wandering, seemingly unconcerned about this pain.

Upon learning of this issue, Park Hyomin, though weary, sighed with concern, "Hey~ Eunjung, you're not still worried about the performance, are you? Thinking about work at a time like this, are you trying to drive us crazy? We can just postpone it."

Lying in the hospital bed, Tian Enjing pursed her lips, her eyes flickering slightly. "The main thing is that this stage is too important. Everyone has been waiting for so long, and I don't want to affect the group's performance because of me..."

Before Eunjung could even speak, Lee Qri, sitting beside the hospital bed, immediately interrupted her, her tone firm, "Stop talking nonsense, Eunjung. No matter how important the stage is, it can't compare to you. Besides, the group belongs to everyone, it's not something you can carry alone. We can just go on stage."

The air in the ward seemed to freeze for a moment.

Just then, the little dragon suddenly fell silent, and at the same time, a rather strange and outrageous thought flashed through his mind.

A few seconds later, she suddenly moved closer to Tian Enjing, lowered her head mysteriously, and whispered something in her ear.

In that instant, Sweet Eun-jung's eyes widened suddenly, and her breath caught in her throat.

Then she turned to look at the little dragon, her face filled with shock and disbelief, and asked in a low voice, "Ji-yeon... are you serious? That thing... does it really work?"

Da Longzai raised an eyebrow, a hint of slyness in his eyes, and pouted, "Let's give it a try. I'm not 100% sure, but how will we know if we don't try? What if, right, unnie? Don't you want to be on stage too?"

At this moment, the little dragon cub was like a demon from hell, whispering and tempting the patient in front of him.

Sweet Eun-jung stared at her blankly, feeling both surprised and unable to suppress an indescribable flutter in her heart.

As the whispered words were spoken, the air in the ward seemed to ripple, the previously oppressive atmosphere was gradually stirred, as if some unspeakable secret was quietly surging within.

Only Park Hyo-min and Lee Qri exchanged a glance, both seeing the frustration in each other's eyes.

I've been "isolated" again.

Compared to Park Hyo-min's habits, Lee Qri was even more frantic.

They've already taken everything from me, and now they want to isolate me?

……

……

Inside the apartment not long ago, in 2013.

The morning air still carried a trace of the ambiguous atmosphere from last night.

After Lin Xiuyuan and Jessica got up, the atmosphere remained subtle, as if a faint, ethereal scent lingered in the air.

As usual, the two of them would consciously stagger their washing and grooming times, maintaining a sense of distance.

But today, Lin Xiuyuan seemed too lazy to follow the usual routine. He pushed open the bathroom door, almost brushed past Jessica from behind, and walked in without hesitation.

"Crash..."

The powerful sound of rushing water suddenly rang out, instantly spreading throughout the quiet space.

Jessica, who was brushing her teeth in front of the mirror, almost swallowed toothpaste foam because her little hand trembled.

She then abruptly raised her head, her ear tips turning bright red, her entire face as red as a scalded shrimp, reflecting in the mirror with obvious embarrassment.

"Hey, you jerk! I'm washing up. Can't you wait a minute? There's a restroom outside too."

She cursed fiercely, but her tone trembled slightly, and even her anger was tinged with a sweet and coquettish tone, without a trace of real seriousness.

But Lin Xiuyuan, who was being scolded, remained calm and composed, and after taking care of his physical needs, he walked straight to her side.

Before she could react, he suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and waist from behind, then rinsed his hands under the tap, letting the water droplets splash onto her snow-white nightgown.

This sudden turn of events froze Jessica for a moment. Just as she was about to shake him off, she saw him lower his head and gently wipe his wet hands on her nightgown with a smile.

The gesture was excessively ambiguous, as if it were somewhat intentional.

He didn't say a word, but his eyes clearly said: You're really useful.

This action made Jessica so angry that she stomped her foot on the ground, her pink cheeks burning even hotter, and she kept cursing angrily.

"Hey Lin Xiuyuan! You pervert, you bastard!"

But when she looked up, that bastard was already walking out of the room, humming a little tune, looking completely at ease, leaving her alone to face her extremely embarrassed and angry face in the mirror.

When Jessica finished washing up and came out, she was acting out of character today.

She usually just throws on a jacket to cover her pajamas, but this time she came out wearing that slightly sensual thin nightgown. The soft fabric swayed with her steps, making her figure even more alluring.

In the living room, Lin Xiuyuan was drinking water with his head tilted back.

Jessica, who had come out, glanced at it twice, then walked straight over, snatched the cup, and gulped down a few mouthfuls without any hesitation, casually wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

The movement was so natural, as if it were something he had always been used to, yet it carried a hint of ambiguity.

"What are you having for breakfast today?" She looked up at him, her tone casual, yet with a hint of probing.

Lin Xiuyuan wasn't angry that she took his cup. Instead, he looked at the refrigerator, shrugged, and asked, "How about some toast?"

Jessica, who was indifferent to these breakfasts just a few days ago, frowned in disgust this time, "Toast again? Can't you change it up a bit?"

Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but chuckle at this answer, too lazy to refute it. He simply pushed open the refrigerator door, shrugged, and said, "That's all there is in the fridge. How about... tuna and kimchi fried rice?"

The words had barely left his lips when he finished speaking, his voice still carrying a mischievous smirk.

Jessica, caught off guard by the joke, immediately realized what was going on and angrily punched his shoulder several times, saying coquettishly, "Hey, are you kidding me?!"

He cursed fiercely, but his punches were as light as a kitten's tickle.

Then he started whining and complaining that he didn't want to eat the toast.

If it were a few days ago, Lin Xiuyuan would definitely have ignored her.

But last night's absurd "spring dream" made him feel inexplicably comfortable, so when he looked at the female protagonist Jessica in front of him, he found her coquettishness particularly pleasing to the eye.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Why don't we go eat there? They have a lot of takeout options and a wider variety of choices."

Upon hearing this, Jessica's eyes immediately turned strange, and a smirk appeared on her lips. "Really? All I have to do is sleep with you and it'll be over? You'll just let me go? If you knew it was this easy, you should have said so earlier..."

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, her heart burning as if on fire.

The words "I already" almost slipped out, but her pride made her swallow them back.

Lin Xiuyuan stared at her with interest, raised an eyebrow, and smiled mischievously, "Why didn't you do this sooner?"

Jessica, her cheeks burning from being teased, gave him a charmingly glare, her eyes filled with a hint of pouty coquettishness.

Then, feigning composure, she gave a "humph," attempting to mask her inner turmoil with indifference, and added a sarcastic remark, "I should have let that dog bite me sooner; what a waste of time."

The tone seemed to be a complaint, but it was soft and coquettish, as if even scolding someone had a hint of flirting.

After a brief bickering, Lin Xiuyuan stopped teasing her and, true to his word, took Jessica back to the villa in 2025.

This marks Jessica's return to her own time and space, following her careless remarks a few days ago.

In a sense, it was a premature end to the "imprisonment play" game called "training the eagle." There was an indescribable sense of relief and emotional fluctuation in my heart, but on the surface, I pretended to be nonchalant.

After the two sat down on the sofa, they ordered some breakfast items that each group liked.

Before the food delivery arrived, they each took out their phones and started scrolling. The living room instantly quieted down, with only the occasional tapping of screens.

About half an hour later, breakfast was finally delivered.

After tearing open the packaging, Jessica took a few bites of the fried dough sticks and steamed buns, frantically replying to messages while chewing.

Because the company team has been unable to contact her for the past few days, and although there aren't many problems there, they are quite complicated, and now almost all of them are piling up on her shoulders.

This forced her to type rapidly on the screen, her expression filled with frantic activity.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan said with concern, "Have breakfast first before you get busy."

However, Jessica looked up in annoyance and kicked him with her long, straight, fair leg.

The movement seemed forceful, but it actually carried a hint of deliberate complaining. He snorted and grumbled, "It's all your fault. I told you before, I just came to make a phone call, just a phone call. It shouldn't be so troublesome for me now."

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and didn't dodge or evade, letting her vent her anger. On the contrary, she felt even more cheerful because of her kick, and deliberately emphasized her words in response.

"That won't do. If I call you, how could I possibly have had a wet dream last night?"

"Get lost," Jessica retorted with a laugh.

The two bickered while looking down at their phones.

Lin Xiuyuan occasionally glanced up at the opposite side, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Her fingers slid across the screen naturally, occasionally replying to a few words in the chat box. The name on the other side of the chat box was also very eye-catching: Liu Zhimin.

It's that name that's been all over the news lately.

Luckily, Jessica didn't notice, otherwise she probably would have kicked Lin Xiuyuan a couple more times to vent her anger.

After breakfast, the two remained snuggled on the sofa. One was frowning, intently processing work messages; the other leaned against the other, leisurely chatting with someone on the other end of the phone.

Time slipped by unnoticed amidst these subtle contrasts.

Lin Xiuyuan's phone suddenly vibrated and the screen lit up. He glanced at it and saw that the caller ID read: Da Long Zai.

"Hey, Zhiyan, what's wrong?" Lin Xiuyuan answered the phone.

Then Da Longzai's voice came from the other end of the phone, "Xiuyuan, Enjing's old injury has flared up again, and she's in the hospital. Do you want to come and see her?"

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, and his heart sank.

What kind of injury is serious enough to require hospitalization? That's a serious matter.

Subconsciously, he looked up at Jessica across from him.

Although she was busy with her head down, she heard a few words on the phone. Her expression paused slightly, and after pursing her lips, she nodded gently, gesturing for him to go.

Although Lin Xiuyuan didn't understand the specifics, since Dalongzai had spoken up and was a "member," he didn't hesitate and quickly nodded, "Okay, I'll be right there. Send me your location."

After hanging up the phone, he looked up and briefly told Jessica about the situation.

Jessica simply smiled, her eyes sparkling, pointed to herself, and teased softly, "So I'm free then?"

Lin Xiuyuan paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on her face for a few seconds before he finally nodded slowly, "Yes, you're free."

Jessica curled her lips into a smile, her eyes flashed, and she kicked him.

The pressure was neither too light nor too heavy, as if giving him an explanation, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to scare you. You go check the situation first. I'll stay here and finish up the pile of work, and..."

She raised her chin and said softly, "My clothes are still in the apartment. I can't leave in this nightgown, can I? I'll wait for you."

Lin Xiuyuan stared at her for a few seconds, a smile in his eyes, but said nothing more.

Just before leaving, he thoughtfully gave a few instructions about the key points of the villa, then grabbed his car keys and quickly went out the door.

Soon, Lin Xiuyuan arrived at the door of the hospital's VIP single ward.

As I pushed open the door, the overwhelming smell of disinfectant mixed with a faint medicinal fragrance made my heart skip a beat.

The first thing that catches the eye is Sweet Eun-jung, wearing protective gear, in her hospital bed.

She leaned slightly forward as she sat on the hospital bed, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, one hand gently resting on her thigh.

His eyes held an unconcealable weariness, as if even his breathing was somewhat restrained.

On the stool next to him, the little dragon was sitting beside him.

When she looked up and saw Lin Xiuyuan, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes. She immediately stood up and said in a relaxed voice, "Xiuyuan~ you're here."

"Hmm." Lin Xiuyuan nodded, a look of confusion on his brow. "What's going on?"

Da Longzai scratched the end of his hair and answered for Tian Enjing, "Unnie has been practicing for too long lately, rehearsing too hard, and with other work on top of that, she aggravated her old injury."

At this moment, Tian Enjing slowly raised her head. Although her face was pale and her lips were bloodless, she still managed a polite smile as she looked at Lin Xiuyuan. "It's nothing serious. Don't worry, it's just that my body couldn't take it anymore."

After listening, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.

Such perseverance in practicing so hard is something not everyone possesses.

So he nodded, walked to the bedside, and asked a few more questions with concern, "What did the doctor say? How long will I need to rest? Will there be any long-term health problems?"

Sweet Eun-jung replied softly, "It's not a big problem, but we can't let our guard down. We need to take it easy and can't keep pushing ourselves, so I went to the hospital."

As she spoke, her eyes dimmed for a moment, as if she were silently worried about her own health.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan frowned slightly, then turned to look at the little dragon and spoke solemnly.

"So... did you call me here because you need my help with something?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the ward paused slightly.

Sweet Eun-jung and Dae-ryong were both stunned, looking at him at the same time with a hint of surprise in their eyes, as if they hadn't expected him to be able to see through it so quickly.

Their reactions made Lin Xiuyuan laugh, and he naturally gave his guess, "It's mainly because Zhiyan called me specifically, so I don't think it was just to visit me in the hospital, right? There must be something else you want to talk about."

Having been exposed, the little dragon boy stopped hiding his intentions and stepped forward with a glint in his eyes.

Then she tugged at his sleeve, half-pushed Lin Xiuyuan to the window, lowered her voice and whispered her thoughts in his ear with an earnest and unquestionable tone.

Lin Xiuyuan was leaning against the window, casually gazing at the greenery and cars outside.

But as she listened, her expression gradually tightened, her brows furrowing more and more, until finally she couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Holy crap, this can't be right, Jiyeon. Are you sure you're not mistaken? I'm not some kind of magic pill, how could this be?"

Sweet Eun-jung, who was lying in the hospital bed, blushed involuntarily when she saw the two of them acting mysteriously and then heard Lin Xiuyuan's exclamation.

The slight embarrassment in her heart made her not dare to linger her gaze, and she even secretly regretted why she had agreed to such a ridiculous idea from the big dragon cub.

But the little dragon looked serious, even a bit anxious, and lowered his voice even further, "Try it first, Xiu Yuan. I personally think that in your case, it's even more effective than a magic pill."

"You're crazy! How could this be?"

Lin Xiuyuan was both amused and exasperated. Before he could refuse, she half-pushed and half-pulled him toward the restroom.

"Ji-yeon..."

Sweet Eun-jung quickly called out, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, her face flushing even more, "Don't be in such a hurry, in a moment..."

The little dragon turned around, smiling playfully yet with a touch of domineering, "Unnie, this one's mine now, you can have yours later, I'm eager to have it too!"

Sweet Eun-jung was speechless, and could only sigh softly.

The atmosphere in the ward suddenly became ambiguous and tense, as if the air itself had become scalding hot.

However, just a short while after the toilet door closed, the ward door was suddenly pushed open from the outside with a "click".

Sweet Eun-jung, who was leaning against the headboard in a daze, felt her heart skip a beat the moment she heard the noise. She froze, not even knowing where to put her hands.

She could only subconsciously pull the corner of the blanket tighter, wrapping herself up more tightly, as if that could hide her panic.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw that the people who came were Park Hyomin and Lee Qri, but her chest was still heaving.

"Why are you back again?" Her voice was tinged with nervousness, but she forced a smile.

Park Hyomin held up the fruit basket and bouquet of flowers she was carrying, her eyes filled with warm concern. "I bought some things while I was out. Otherwise, it would be so boring for you to be alone in the hospital. Eating more fruit can also help you get some vitamins."

Sweet Eun-jung paused for a moment, then gently shook her head, her tone soft but with a hint of reluctance, "I'm only staying for one day, and I can be discharged and recuperate tomorrow. Buying all this is such a waste..."

Before she could finish speaking, Park Hyomin placed the fruit basket steadily on the bedside table, completely ignoring her refusal.

Her expression was gentle yet firm, as if this sentiment was more important than anything else.

Lee Juri's eyes flickered, and she glanced around the ward, her brows furrowing slightly. "Where's Jiyeon? When we went out just now, she said she wanted to spend more time with you. Why is she nowhere to be seen now?"

Sweet Eun-jung's heart tightened, her eyes flickered slightly, and she hurriedly explained, "She...she just went to get me some water."

Park Hyomin glanced suspiciously at the sink. "Wait a minute, isn't there water right here? Why do we need to run out to get it?"

Seeing this, Tian Enjing subconsciously bit her lip, and quickly added, "It's different... it's a powder prescribed by the doctor, the kind that needs to be mixed with glucose."

Upon hearing this, Park Hyomin exclaimed "Oh," seemingly realizing something, and Lee Qri nodded as well, not asking any further questions for the time being.

However, the two didn't leave. Instead, they pulled out chairs and sat down, as if they planned to wait for Jiyeon to return before leaving.

Seeing this, Sweet Eun-jung's heart skipped a beat, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Left with no other choice, she could only stammer out two excuses: one was that the fruit still needed to be washed, and the other was that the nurse needed to register it.

With her lips pressed tightly together, she worked for quite a while before finally persuading the two of them to leave.

Just as the two had left, the bathroom door clicked open.

The big dragon cub that had been hiding inside came out, its lips tightly pursed, as if it was trying its best to hold back something, and it also took an empty cup with it.

Her gaze lingered on Tian Enjing for a moment, carrying a meaningful look.

Two minutes later, Park Hyomin and Lee Qri pushed the door open again and noticed the subtle change in Sweet Eunjung-ri that had occurred earlier.

So the two of them turned their gazes to Tian Enjing on the bed at the same time, a hint of suspicion flashing in their eyes, just about to ask something.

Just then, Da Longzai pushed open the door and came in, holding a glass of milky white liquid. He walked towards the hospital bed with a smile and said, "Unnie, it's time to take your medicine."

Upon seeing this, Sweet Eun-jung's pupils contracted sharply, and her face instantly flushed red.

The main problem was the suspicious color of the water; she had a vague suspicion in her mind, so she froze.

"This...is this really medicine?" Her voice trembled slightly as she looked at the dragon cub with a complicated expression.

The little dragon blinked, his expression so natural as if everything was perfectly normal. "Of course, it was specifically instructed by the doctor, and it's already prepared."

Upon hearing this tone, Sweet Eun-jung bit her lip, her fingertips gripping the corner of the blanket tightly.

But she could feel Lee Qri and Park Hyomin's gazes on her, gazes that were both concerned and inquisitive.

Under those two gazes, she had almost no way out.

After a brief period of hesitation and struggle.

With nowhere to retreat, Sweet Eun-jung finally slowly reached out and took the glass of milky white liquid.

The moment her fingers touched the side of the cup, her whole body trembled slightly.

"I...really drank it?" she murmured, as if talking to herself, or perhaps asking herself.

Li Juli smiled and nodded, her tone gentle yet firm, "I feel at ease taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor."

At the same time, Park Hyomin urged, "Hurry up, don't delay."

Sweet Eun-jung's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode. Under the watchful eyes of the two men, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and drank the milky white liquid in one gulp.

The moment the glass was empty, her Adam's apple bobbed violently, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she was filled with shock and shyness, as if the whole world was trembling with her heartbeat.

Honestly, she didn't know what kind of effect this "medicine" would have, but it was really hard to swallow.

The moment the milky white liquid went down her throat, Sweet Eun-jung felt a "thump" in her heart, as if she had been struck by something heavy.

There was no unusual smell, but the more bland it was, the more her doubts grew.

In that instant, her breathing quickened, her hands gripped the corner of the blanket, and images she dared not think about flashed through her mind.

My heart pounded as if gripped by an invisible hand.

Sweet Eun-jung tried her best to maintain a calm expression, but Dae-ryong still noticed the unease and shyness that was showing in her eyes and the tips of her ears.

Da Longzai sat quietly on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, holding a phone in his hand, his eyes seemingly glancing at her.

Her eyes clearly said, "I know what you're thinking," as if she were watching a "psychological drama" that belonged only to her.

However, she pretended to be relaxed and even casually struck up a conversation with Lee Qri and Park Hyomin, chatting about trivial matters such as the weather outside and performance preparations.

His smile was natural, his voice was gentle, as if nothing had happened.

But whenever he caught a glimpse of Sweet Eun-jung's subtle expression out of the corner of his eye, a hint of teasing and cunning would flash across his eyes.

Not long after, her phone suddenly vibrated.

The little dragon glanced down, a slight smile playing on his lips, but then put the phone face down and ignored it.

Two seconds later, another notification sounded. Then came the third, the fourth…

It was almost continuous.

This piqued Li Juli's curiosity, and she glanced at her sideways, "Why aren't you checking your messages? Who is this person?"

"It's nothing, just a persistent suitor," Da Longzai joked with a smile.

But Sweet Eun-jung saw it all and felt a pang of unease, vaguely guessing what was going on.

So, to smooth things over, she said softly, "Ji-yeon, is something you're busy with? If you are, you can go ahead. It's nothing serious here, so don't worry about me."

The little dragon shook his head, his expression calm: "It's alright, no rush, sit for a while longer." He even smiled after saying that, as if everything was under control.

The atmosphere in the ward remained still for a few minutes.

Suddenly, another text message notification sounded, but this time it wasn't from Da Long Zai.

Lee Juri took her phone out of her bag, glanced at it, and the next second her expression changed visibly, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, Xiuyuan is looking for me, Jiyeon."

Sweet Eun-jung's heart skipped a beat, and she turned to look at Lee Juri, while the big dragon cub beside her just smiled lightly.

After saying that, Li Juli naturally replied to Lin Xiuyuan's message, and the two quickly started chatting. At the same time, the joy in their eyes was almost impossible to hide, attracting the attention of everyone in the ward.

Da Longzai and Tian Enjing exchanged a glance, and in that instant, they both saw a smile in each other's eyes.

A smile that only they themselves understood, a smile they knew all too well.

A few minutes later, Lee Juri looked up and asked Da Longzai, "Jiyeon, Xiuyuan said he's treating us to dinner, do you want to go?"

This time, Da Longzai didn't deliberately keep people in suspense. He smiled and replied cheerfully, "Sure, it's been a while since I've seen him."

Sweet Eun-jung nodded gently and said with a smile, "Please give my regards."

Park Hyomin, who had been quiet all along, spoke up at this moment, her tone half-serious and half-joking, "Can I come along too? I haven't decided on lunch yet."

After thinking for a moment, Li Juli readily agreed, "Then let's go together."

The three of them quickly packed up, said goodbye to Tian Enjing, and left the ward.

The ward fell silent again.

Not long after, the toilet door creaked open.

Lin Xiuyuan came out with a strange expression on his face that was hard to describe.

His gaze met that of Sweet Eun-jung, and both of them saw the awkwardness and silence in each other's eyes.

After a brief silence, they nodded almost simultaneously, a tacit greeting.

Lin Xiuyuan didn't say much and quickly walked out of the ward.

Only Tian Enjing remained, staring blankly at the empty water glass on the bedside table. She raised her hand to her forehead and groaned softly, "What am I doing...?"

Her heart felt like it was being churned a thousand times, her cheeks were still burning hot, and the only sound in the room seemed to be her own heartbeat.

the other side.

As Lin Xiuyuan strode out of the hospital, his breathing became somewhat rapid, and the scene in the ward was still replaying in his mind.

As he got into the car, the screen of his phone, which he had just placed next to him, suddenly lit up, and a message popped up.

After subconsciously looking down, I discovered that the sender was none other than Sweet Eun-jung.

Upon opening it, the content was extremely simple, consisting of only a few words.

This is a secret.

Lin Xiuyuan's lips curled slightly as he looked at the message, a playful smile in his eyes.

Then, leaning back in the car seat, several images flashed through my mind, and I felt unexpectedly much more relaxed.

A moment later, he quickly typed a reply, choosing an emoji that best expressed his feelings.

Humorous with a touch of banter.

It was a meme featuring a little figure that said, "I'll eat you for the rest of my life to reveal this secret," making an exaggerated biting motion.

(PS: Don't overthink it, Jiyeon was just teasing Eunjung. To avoid some overly sensitive people thinking the male lead is a pervert, I give up, I'm not going to leave any more foreshadowing, I'll just write it outright from now on.)
　The voting for the 10,000 votes has ended. Thank you to all the godfathers for your support and votes.

　　Monthly pass count surpassed 4, daily pass count increased by 4.

　　Daily progress bar: 102/124.

　　There's a double reward event for National Day, and I hope everyone will vote for me.

　　Please vote with monthly tickets!! Please subscribe!! Please donate!! Please do anything!!!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)