Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 324 Six times a week~ (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Faced with Jeon Boram's sudden and aggressive question, Lin Xiuyuan instinctively covered the phone screen that had just lit up.

A playful expression then appeared on his face. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Jeon Boram's doll-like face, which was filled with seriousness and curiosity.

Then, a roguish and probing smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and he dropped a bombshell.

"Why do you think there can only be one Baolan?" Lin Xiuyuan deliberately dragged out his words, his eyes flashing with an unfathomable light. "Can't it be both of them together? I'm so close to Zhiyan, and my relationship with Eunjung isn't much worse, right? What do you think? Hmm?"

really.

As Lin Xiuyuan uttered these earth-shattering words, Quan Baolan, who was standing to the side, was so shocked that her head buzzed as if fireworks were exploding inside her.

She sat bolt upright, her hand holding the teacup frozen in mid-air, her round eyes widening in disbelief and information overload.

His mouth opened unconsciously, as if he wanted to immediately refute or say something.

But his throat seemed blocked, and he could only utter a few meaningless monosyllables, "You...this...I..."

It wasn't until she caught a hint of mischievous amusement in Lin Xiuyuan's eyes that she snapped back to reality and realized that he was probably teasing her on purpose, using this absurd excuse to avoid her direct question.

As this thought crossed her mind, Jeon Boram's heartbeat, which had been hanging in mid-air and almost stopped, slowly calmed down.

But my cheeks started to burn uncontrollably.

Then, she pursed her lips with a hint of annoyance, her tone carrying a touch of shyness after being teased, "Xiuyuan-xi, it's okay if you don't want to answer. If this question offended you, I can apologize."

However, Lin Xiuyuan seemed determined to carry this game of offense and defense through to the end, so he toned down his joking expression and emphasized in a half-serious, half-joking tone.

"Baolan, my answer is serious too."

However, Quan Baolan, who had already convinced herself that Lin Xiuyuan was just trying to avoid a direct answer and was using exaggerated statements to evade her question, no longer trusted him.

She pursed her lips, looked away somewhat defiantly, and refused to meet his gaze.

Instead, she looked at the chefs working across from the bar and the sizzling food on the hot plate, abruptly changing the subject.

"Xiuyuan, look, their chicken and scallion skewers use thigh meat and Kyoto scallions, and the cooking time is exceptionally well controlled..."

She started trying to talk to Lin Xiuyuan about yakitori and teppanyaki dishes, as if the previous back-and-forth conversation had never happened.

Seeing that Jeon Boram had backed down and changed the subject, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled silently, finding her ostrich-like reaction extremely amusing.

But he clearly wasn't going to let the topic go, or rather, he had his own ulterior motives, so he took the initiative to continue the suspense caused by the information he received before going to sleep.

So much so that the next moment, his body tilted slightly towards Jeon Boram, closing the distance between the two.

He addressed her in an exceptionally formal, even somewhat persuasive, tone, "Baolan-xi~ How about this, we exchange answers?"

The sudden use of honorifics, and the unusual seriousness in his tone, made Jeon Boram instinctively sense a dangerous signal.

It should be noted that since the two met, Lin Xiuyuan has hardly ever used honorifics with her.

This made Jeon Boram turn to look at him warily, and asked with some uncertainty, "Xiuyuan-xi, your tone is making me a little scared. What do you want to exchange?"

"Of course, it's about exchanging secrets."

Lin Xiuyuan laughed heartily, then stretched out his index finger and drew several lines back and forth in the air between the two of them.

"For example, you can tell me if you really don't have a boyfriend, and then I'll answer you whether I have the kind of relationship with Jiyeon and Eunjung that you're curious about. How about that? Is that fair?"

Faced with Lin Xiuyuan's offer of an equivalent exchange, Quan Baolan agreed almost instantly.

Because she really wasn't lying, and she truly didn't have a boyfriend, this secret was no burden for her.

The relationship between Lin Xiuyuan, Park Jiyeon, and Ham Eunjung was something she was more interested in knowing.

Jeon Boram is not usually a gossipy woman, but these days Park Hyomin has complained to her, Lee Qri, and Park Soyeon more than once in the dorm.

They said that Park Jiyeon and Ham Eunjung were isolating her in Seoul, and that they went to hang out with a boy without including her, which made Jeon Boram and the others both amused and exasperated.

So when Jeon Boram nodded readily, Lin Xiuyuan immediately revealed a triumphant smile.

She gracefully gestured, "OK~ Come on, ladies first."

"What do you mean? Should I answer first?" Jeon Boram was taken aback.

She had always found social interaction a bit difficult, but for some reason, the naturalness, humor, and strange friendliness of the boy in front of her effectively eased her social anxiety.

Even when faced with this slightly challenging game, she didn't feel too uncomfortable or resistant.

On the contrary, I found it quite interesting.

Upon seeing Lin Xiuyuan nod affirmatively, Jeon Boram immediately answered clearly and quickly, as if she had just finished answering a question, "I don't have a boyfriend, really, I haven't been in a relationship for a long time."

After saying that, she immediately looked at Lin Xiuyuan with expectant eyes and urged, "Now it's your turn."

Unfortunately, Lin Xiuyuan deliberately played dumb, shaking his head with an insincere expression. "Ah, Baolan, it's too easy for you to just say it. Empty words are meaningless; you need at least some proof, right? Or at least some corroborating evidence."

Jeon Boram was stunned, not expecting this to happen, and asked innocently, "How can I prove it? I really didn't do it. Do you expect me to swear an oath to the thundering sky?"

But it was precisely this slightly aggrieved question that led her right into the verbal trap that Lin Xiuyuan had already set.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xiuyuan's voice, tinged with amusement and a certain understanding, followed closely behind.

Like a devil's whisper, it struck her sore spot precisely: "For example, those two little boxes of trinkets from this afternoon."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

This caused Jeon Boram's face to turn completely red, all the way down to her ears, and even her neck was tinged with a thin layer of pink.

The embarrassed and annoyed legal loli turned around and glared at the guy next to her who was laughing happily with a look that was a mixture of anger and disbelief.

She had just thought the other person was quite interesting to chat with and seemed like a nice person.

I never expected to be waiting for me here.

This pit is both deep and well hidden.

Lin Xiuyuan then made a "bear shrug" gesture, his face full of innocent expression, and emphasized helplessly, "It's mainly because words are not enough, Baolan-xi, you have to understand me."

At this moment, Jeon Boram is genuinely considering giving up on this "loss-making" game.

But when she thought of the carrot that Lin Xiuyuan was dangling in front of her: the truth about Park Jiyeon and Ham Eunjung.

Then I thought of Park Hyo-min's accusations.

Finally, I realized that I had already talked to him so much, and even gone through that awkward topic of "I'll use it myself," so wouldn't giving up now be a waste of all my efforts?

Although the sunk costs are not huge, the potential returns are too tempting.

So after a few seconds of hesitation, even though she was filled with shame, Jeon Boram bit her lower lip and made a decision.

In a barely audible voice, with her head bowed, she replied, "Then what kind of evidence do you want..."

In fact, it was remarkable that Lin Xiuyuan and Quan Baolan could talk about such in-depth and even private topics so freely at this moment.

Besides the trap he meticulously set, the most important reason for their friendship was the revolutionary bond they had built in the game world over the past few months.

Although we didn't talk much about personal matters back then, our daily online interactions—teaming up to play games, joking around, and sharing funny stories—had already made our tone and habits incredibly familiar and natural. It was precisely because of these established habits that our relationship progressed so quickly and our conversations became so intimate when we met in person.

That's why Jeon Boram agreed to have dinner with Lim Soo-won.

Besides wanting to dispel that "unnecessary" misunderstanding.

Subconsciously, she had already included Lin Xiuyuan in that circle of trustworthy people, in the category of friends with whom she had a good relationship.

Otherwise, he would be a complete stranger, a member or friend I've only met a few times.

Given Jeon Boram's personality, how could she so easily agree to a dinner invitation alone?

The premise for being willing to come out is that one has subconsciously accepted the relationship.

This is similar to Liu Zhimin from 25 years ago; feelings developed through online chatting are still feelings.

Otherwise, where would all these online romances come from?

When Jeon Boram asked him a question, Lin Xiuyuan realized that the other party had already stepped into the deepest part of the trap, so he decided to quit while he was ahead.

He laughed and said, "You know me, I'm really not someone who deliberately picks fights, so just one small link in the chain of evidence is enough."

"What chain of evidence?"

When was the last time we restocked?

Now that things had come to this, Jeon Boram was so embarrassed that she wanted to bury her face in the miso soup in front of her, but in order to eat better "food", she still endured it and took a deep breath.

In a fit of despair, he quickly uttered two words: "Last week."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan's eyes widened instantly.

His eyes were filled with genuine surprise.

His mind raced with calculations.

It's only a little past the middle of the month, but it's already the weekend.

Based on the packaging I glimpsed that afternoon, one box contains three, so two boxes would contain six...

if it is like this……

Consumed within a week?

This uses frequency...

After she finished speaking, Jeon Boram could clearly feel the look of shock and complexity in Lin Xiuyuan's eyes, and she felt both ashamed and annoyed.

At first, she rolled her eyes at him in annoyance, but then her thirst for knowledge quickly overcame her shame, and she immediately turned the tables.

He leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice.

"Alright, now it's your turn. So, Xiuyuan, do you have that kind of relationship with Zhiyan and Eunjung? This is really the first time I've seen the two of them so close to a guy, to the point that they're even excluding Hyomin a bit. This is so abnormal."

Lin Xiuyuan, whose mind was still rapidly calculating the astonishing consumption of "six a week," was asked this question by Quan Baolan.

Without even thinking, he instinctively dodged the question and asked, "Baolan, you need to draw a clear line about this relationship before I can answer you. Otherwise, if it's just friends or acquaintances, then I definitely have no choice but to agree."

Upon hearing this, Jeon Boram immediately realized that the other party was playing word games.

He immediately and precisely added the definition, his tone resolute and unwavering: "Intimate relationship, the kind between a man and a woman."

"What kind of intimate relationship? Holding hands? Hugging? Or..." Lin Xiuyuan wanted to continue blurring the focus.

"You know what I mean! Don't ask! Just tell me!" Jeon Boram was getting impatient. She stopped him from going any further with her eyes, staring at him intently, as if to say, "If you dare to cheat, you're finished."

Just then, the chefs and waiters began serving the yakitori skewers and rice bowls they had ordered.

Sizzling chicken skewers, fragrant braised pork with scallions, and Lin Xiuyuan's generously portioned beef steak rice were placed on the bar counter.

But at this moment, Jeon Boram clearly had no intention of touching her chopsticks; all her attention was focused on the answer Lin Xiuyuan was about to give, her eyes burning with intensity.

Seeing that he had laid the groundwork enough, Lin Xiuyuan, who felt that dragging it out any longer would only make him seem guilty, stopped rambling.

He picked up a skewer of grilled chicken cartilage and said in a relaxed and confident tone.

"If we're talking about the kind of intimate relationship between a man and a woman that you just defined..." Lin Xiuyuan paused deliberately, then smiled and continued after seeing Jeon Boram holding her breath, "I really don't have any with Jiyeon or Eunjung."

After he finished speaking, he noticed that Jeon Boram immediately had a suspicious look on her face, as if she thought, "Are you kidding me?" She clearly didn't believe his answer at all.

Upon seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan immediately put down the skewers and very seriously raised his right hand to make a vow gesture.

Looking directly at Jeon Boram with an open and honest gaze, he said, word by word, "I can swear on this. I, Lin Xiuyuan, have no intimate relationship with Park Jiyeon and Ham Eunjung that goes beyond friendship."

He only slightly emphasized the words "in this world".

Unfortunately, Jeon Boram completely failed to grasp the hidden meaning behind it.

"Not even once?" Undeterred, Jeon Boram pinned her last hope on the possibility of a "419" relationship.

But she still saw Lin Xiuyuan firmly shake his head in denial.

Jeon Boram was completely stunned, her mind going through a brief period of confusion.

If it weren't for this most direct and intimate relationship between a man and a woman, would these three people really be so innocent?
Simple, pure friendship can be so good that Park Jiyeon and Ham Eunjung are almost inseparable from him, and even to the point that they can subtly isolate Park Hyomin.

What a deep and special friendship this must be!

Jeon Boram said she couldn't understand it at all.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiuyuan, who was sitting next to him, had already begun to focus on the beef steak rice.

I was very calm, and even felt a little like laughing.

Outside the window, the long-brewing downpour seemed to intensify. A blinding flash of lightning ripped through the night sky, followed by a muffled clap of thunder. A deafening roar shook the restaurant's glass windows, causing them to tremble slightly.

However, this sudden thunder had absolutely nothing to do with Lin Xiuyuan.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing to enjoy his food.

After all, the oath I made was absolutely true and I didn't lie, so there's nothing to be ashamed of.

In this world, he hasn't actually crossed that line with Park Jiyeon and Ham Eunjung.

As for the other spacetime that's connected...

That relationship is much more complex, profound, and intimate.

But that's a story from another world, and naturally it's not within the scope of his earlier vow.

This move perfectly demonstrates the art of leveraging information asymmetry and language.

(End of this chapter)