Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 330 "Dedication" by Hara and "Water Torture" by Hyomin (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

Just a short while later, after Lin Xiuyuan and Quan Baolan had finished their battle of wits across their phone screens, a little while had passed.

The group of girls who had gone to buy swimsuits together earlier then pushed open the wooden gate to the courtyard and filed in, laughing and joking.

Upon entering, Ham Eun-jung's gaze quickly swept across the courtyard, and she immediately spotted the figure leisurely soaking in the volcanic rock pool.

With a smile, he raised his voice and asked, "Is it comfortable, Xiuyuan?"

"Good..."

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan was almost floating on the water, with only his head and arms draped over the edge of the pool showing. He responded with a lazy, drawn-out sound, which sounded incredibly pleasant.

Then, Sulli came over carrying a small bag and placed it on the dry wooden floor. "Oppa, I bought you a pair of pants. Change into them after you take a shower."

"Okay, thank you, my dear Zhenli."

As he said this, Lin Xiuyuan kept his eyes closed and nodded.

After that, the girls lined up in an orderly fashion, preparing to shower first and then change into their swimsuits to enjoy the hot spring.

Park Jiyeon was the first to enter, while the others left their shopping bags at the entrance of the washroom and then walked into the courtyard, standing under the wooden eaves to carefully admire the scenery.

Shirley reached out to test the temperature of the hot spring water and let out a soft gasp of surprise.

Park Hyo-min and Ham Eun-jung leaned against the railing, gazing at the waterfall and maple forest shrouded in the rain outside the window, and uttered a few heartfelt sighs.

At the same time, he didn't forget to take out his phone and take a few selfies.

Goo Hara, however, did not join them. Instead, she quietly went around to the back of the pool where Lin Xiuyuan was and squatted down.

His gaze, filled with curiosity and admiration, fell on the outline of Lin Xiuyuan's body underwater.

Although the hot spring water wasn't very clear, the smooth and powerful muscle lines were still faintly visible.

"Xiuyuan," she said softly, with a hint of amusement, "I didn't expect you to be in such great shape. How do you usually exercise?"

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan had his arms resting on the rocky slab by the pool, with part of his upper body above the water, and he was resting with his eyes closed.

Hearing Goo Hara's voice so close, he opened his eyes and turned to look at her, then casually replied, "If I said I didn't specifically work out, Hara, would you believe me?"

"I believe you." Goo Hara replied almost without hesitation, her tone cheerful and earnest. "I'll believe whatever you say now."

This answer, which was clearly biased and blindly trusting, finally drew the unbearable criticism from Park Hyomin, who had been silently observing and whose mind was already filled with all sorts of questions and situations that had happened before.

"Hey, Hara, Lin Xiuyuan, you two have gone too far." Park Hyomin, who had just put down her phone, had an expression of "can't stand it anymore." "If you're going to be in a relationship, just be open about it. There's no need to show off your love like this in front of us single people, playing coy."

As soon as she finished speaking, Goo Hara looked up with a very genuine and slightly confused expression on her face, "Huh? Unnie, who's in a relationship?"

“You two,” Park Hyomin pointed at Lin Xiuyuan soaking in the pool, then at Goo Hara squatting by the pool, “If you weren’t dating, would you be so generous as to give him a house worth millions of dollars? If you weren’t dating, would he be so entitled to live off her?”

She spoke the last three words with particular difficulty.

Upon hearing her answer, Goo Hara, Sulli, and Ham Eunjung immediately exchanged glances, and all of them couldn't help but smile.

Then Goo Hara looked at Park Hyomin and replied in a very serious tone, "Unnie, you really shouldn't talk nonsense. Soo Won and I are really not dating, how could that be?"

"what???"

Park Hyomin was even more stunned, her brain completely shut down. "Not dating?? Then Xiuyuan just said he was a kept man, isn't that just a joke between lovers? And you gave me a house before, if we weren't dating to the point of discussing marriage, who would do something like that?"

Upon hearing this, Goo Hara looked down at Lin Xiuyuan in the pool.

The latter then raised an eyebrow at her with amusement, his eyes full of mischief.

Having realized that Lin Xiuyuan was deliberately teasing Park Hyomin, Goo Hara was also aroused and decided to add fuel to the fire of this unnie's already chaotic worldview.

Then he looked at Park Hyomin again, put on a slightly shy and helpless expression, and began to distort the facts in a sincere tone.

"Sigh~ Unnie, you don't know, things are actually more complicated and exaggerated than you think."

After a moment of silence, Goo Hara gritted her teeth and said as if she had made up her mind, "Actually, if you have to understand it this way, the reality is that I'm pursuing Soo Won. Not only me, but also Jinri and Jiyeon are the same, it's just that Soo Won hasn't made a choice among us yet."

After saying this, she added with a hint of melancholy, "And it seems that Xiuyuan is with Yoona unnie. Sigh, another day of envying Yoona unnie. Why can't it be me?"

"94! 94!"

Shirley, her best friend, immediately understood and nodded vigorously, perfectly playing the role of the pitiful younger sister who was also a suitor.

His facial expressions were spot-on, and his acting was natural.

Full marks, it must be full marks.

"ha???????????????????"

Only Park Hyo-min stood there, her mouth agape in an "O" shape.

At that moment, I felt as if my entire worldview had been struck by lightning, and then thrown into a washing machine and spun around at high speed eight hundred times! Eight hundred times!!!

Just as Park Hyo-min's brain CPU was about to overload and explode again.

Park Jiyeon, wrapped in a towel after showering, walked out with flushed cheeks and called out, still damp from the shower, "I'm done showering! Unnie, who wants to shower first?"

At that moment, Ham Eun-jung gently nudged the still somewhat dazed Park Hyo-min and said softly, "Hyo-min, go take a shower first. Don't overthink it. They're just joking with you."

Park Hyomin, who had just been pushed, was still a little dazed, but her body had already subconsciously followed the instruction and walked over to bend down and pick up her newly bought swimsuit.

But before entering the washroom, I couldn't help but turn back again.

With an extremely complex gaze, filled with disbelief and inquiry, he looked deeply at Lin Xiuyuan in the pool.

Once her figure had completely disappeared behind the door, the bathroom door was gently closed. Lin Xiuyuan then looked helplessly at Goo Hara and chuckled twice, "You've really dug a hole for me, Hara. If Yoona knew, she'd be furious with me."

"Hehe, just kidding, it's just that unnie is so funny. And I wasn't wrong, you and Yoona unnie..."

Goo Hara smiled, and squatted down again after just standing up.

She stretched out her slender fingers and gently touched Lin Xiuyuan's exposed back and shoulders through the warm air. "Xiuyuan, you seem to be enjoying the bath so much. How about I rub your back for you later? Consider it an apology."

"Don't make trouble."

Sensing that Goo Hara's words and actions seemed to contain a bolder and more intimate tone than usual, Lin Xiuyuan immediately scooped up some hot spring water with his right hand and gently flicked it towards Goo Hara, interrupting her dangerous suggestion.

"Take a nice bath later and relax. Don't keep thinking about so many things."

Then, his tone became unusually serious and admonishing, "Hora, I told you those things to help you, not for any personal gain, do you understand?"

Ham Eun-jung, who had been watching everything unfold, turned her gaze toward Sulli.

Thinking of how Shirley and Lin Xiuyuan had lived together for so long yet always maintained a certain clear boundary, she couldn't help but smile knowingly and with a touch of emotion.

At this moment, Sulli walked over and gently pulled up Goo Hara, who was still squatting by the pool.

In the past two days, she had vaguely sensed Goo Hara's almost desperate desire to do something for Lin Xiuyuan, or even to offer something in return.

However, she did not try to dissuade or point it out.

Besides knowing that her words might not be of much use, she respected Goo Hara's choice.

Because she understands that Goo Hara is not herself, and that the two of them have their own independent personalities and ways of doing things, she cannot impose her own thoughts and choices on the other person.

The ultimate fate of this relationship should be decided by Lin Xiuyuan and Goo Hara themselves.

After being helped up by Sulli, Goo Hara nodded slightly, seemingly having taken Lin Xiuyuan's words to heart. But then she regained her liveliness and teased him with a hint of sarcasm, "Yeah, I could tell yesterday that Xiuyuan, you really have too many choices."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had just been serious for a moment, was immediately broken by this precise remark, and wailed in a drawn-out voice, "Hara..."

Goo Hara couldn't help but chuckle at his exaggeratedly depressed expression.

With her eyes crinkling into crescents, the subtle tension from before dissipated.

Just then, Park Jiyeon, who had already arrived at the poolside, casually unwrapped the towel she was wearing.

It revealed her youthful, energetic, and healthy figure with smooth skin.

Then he stepped directly into the hot spring, splashing water everywhere.

While adjusting to the water temperature, he didn't forget to join the ranks of those condemning someone, humming as he spoke.

"Hmph~ Hara unnie, you're absolutely right. Oppa likes older women, he likes mature and sophisticated women, he likes women who are charming and have a bit of a wifely vibe. Right, oppa? You think that's what makes them interesting, don't deny it."

"Oh?? There's such a story??"

Having only recently joined the cult, Goo Hara's understanding of Lin Xiuyuan's "history" and "preferences" was not yet deep enough.

So upon hearing Park Jiyeon's words, her curiosity and gossip, which had just subsided, immediately reignited, and her face lit up with an expression of extreme excitement and a strong thirst for knowledge.

Lin Xiuyuan's expression froze for a moment. Faced with several pairs of eyes that were both teasing and inquisitive, he simply grabbed a dry towel from the side and covered his face with it.

Never mind, silence is golden.

It seems we won't be able to soak in this hot spring in peace and quiet.

Amidst the cheerful chatter of Park Jiyeon, Goo Hara, and Sulli, the bathroom door was opened again shortly afterward.

Park Hyomin, who went in first, also finished washing up and came out.

However, unlike Park Jiyeon who was still wrapped in a bath towel, she directly took the bath towel in her hand.

Her shapely body, honed by years of dance training, was left exposed to the warm, humid air, dressed only in her newly bought swimsuit.

Park Hyo-min just chose a black one-piece swimsuit. The halter design cleverly accentuated her impressive bust, while the scar in the middle of her slender collarbone, which was squeezed together, carried a hint of unintentional allure.

Looking down, even though it's a one-piece swimsuit, her firm and flat abs are still captivating.

And those straight, long, and fair legs that seemed to glow.

The water droplets on her body seemed not to have been completely dried, and were slowly sliding down her smooth skin, shimmering faintly in the dim light of the courtyard.

A beautiful woman is walking towards the hot spring pool step by step on the cool and smooth rock slabs, each step exuding a natural confidence and sexiness.

However, because Lin Xiuyuan was pretending to be dead with a towel covering his face, he was unable to witness this vivid and sensual scene immediately.

But Goo Hara and Sulli on the shore could see it clearly, so they both exclaimed in surprise almost simultaneously.

"Wow, Hyomin unnie! Your figure is absolutely amazing!" Goo Hara exclaimed sincerely, her eyes filled with obvious envy.

"Yeah, yeah, so sexy, so fair-skinned!" Sulli leaned closer, her gaze lingering on Park Hyomin before settling on a particular area. With a hint of curiosity, she whispered, "Unnie, how do you maintain that? Do you have any secrets? Teach us!"

With Shirley's unabashed questions and gestures, Lin Xiuyuan, who had just covered himself with a towel seeking peace and quiet, seemed to have been put on radar.

She abruptly ripped the towel off her face, her eyes instantly and precisely fixed on the direction Park Hyomin was coming from.

His clear gesture immediately made Park Jiyeon and Ham Eunjung, who were standing next to him, burst into laughter.

Park Jiyeon, in particular, laughed and deliberately scooped up some hot spring water and splashed it at Lin Xiuyuan, saying, "Hey, oppa, can you not get so excited? Mind your image."

Lin Xiuyuan, who was splashed with water, was not angry. Instead, he wiped his face with a straight face and continued to appreciate the beautiful scenery in front of him with a calm look in his eyes. He said with a straight face, "I can't help it. Appreciating beautiful women has always been one of the few noble hobbies in my life."

As he spoke, his gaze became even more focused on Park Hyo-min's sexy and hot figure, filled with undisguised admiration.

Park Hyo-min harbored a bit of revenge, wanting to use her most confident physique to teach this man who had repeatedly shocked and shattered her understanding a lesson.

So when he saw that he had indeed taken the bait, he couldn't help but feel a little smug.

She also displayed herself more confidently, walking with ease, even deliberately slowing her pace, making her graceful figure even more alluring in the misty steam.

After reaching the poolside, she didn't immediately go into the water. Instead, she turned slightly to the side and casually placed the towel she was holding on a dry spot.

This movement inadvertently stretches the body's lines, making the perfect waist-to-hip ratio even more prominent.

However, after carefully appreciating it for a few seconds, Lin Xiuyuan unconsciously began to make comparisons in his mind.

The comparison is naturally with Park Hyo-min, who, 25 years later, has matured with more experience and exudes a more charming and sophisticated aura, wearing a bolder swimsuit at her birthday party.

Well, think about it.

The one from 25 years ago had a more voluptuous and fuller figure, like a ripe peach, with a stronger visual impact and a languid yet fatal attraction.

The one in front of us, who is 13 years old, has the advantage of youthful invincibility, with skin so firm and fair that it looks like you could squeeze water out of it.

She exudes a youthful, vibrant sexiness, like a green apple glistening with dew in early summer.

They each have their own merits and are both rare beauties.

After quickly completing this academic comparison in his mind, Lin Xiuyuan withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, a faint smile appearing on his face, and then...

She pulled the towel up again and covered her face.

He collapsed back into the hot spring, continuing his interrupted moment of enjoyment.

This quick glance and immediate retreat, without any hesitation, drove Park Hyomin, who had just reached the edge of the pool and was preparing to gracefully enter the water, to the brink of madness.

No... what do you mean by that?!
Just one glance and that's it?
It's withered?

Is it because my figure isn't good enough?
Still, it doesn't meet your approval, sir?
You were just saying something nice, like "appreciating beautiful women is a noble hobby," so why don't you actually appreciate them?

How can you appreciate it so perfunctorily?

Immediately, a strange sense of frustration and competitiveness welled up in Park Hyo-min's heart.

If Ham Eun-jung, Goo Hara, and others hadn't been watching, she really wanted to jump into the hot spring, strangle Lin Xiuyuan, and make him give her a proper explanation.

Ham Eun-jung, who had been watching Park Hyo-min's dramatic shift in expression from confidence to sudden embarrassment, couldn't help but chuckle softly upon seeing this.

However, to hide her smile, she quickly turned to the side and said to defuse the slightly awkward situation, "Hora, Shirley, wait a little longer, I'll go take a shower first."

"Okay, unnie," Goo Hara replied obediently.

"Okay, Eunjung unnie, go ahead!" Sulli waved with a smile.

Before leaving, Ham Eun-jung took one last look at Lin Xiuyuan, who had his face covered with a towel and seemed to have "emptied his mind of worldly desires."

She glanced again at Park Hyomin, who was standing by the pool with a complicated and somewhat sulky expression, then turned and walked towards the washroom with a meaningful smile.

After Ham Eun-jung entered the bathroom, Park Hyo-min gritted her teeth and stepped into the hot spring, intensifying her actions...

I accidentally spilled some water on someone's towel.

Waterboarding~
I'll teach you to ignore me!!!
I'm letting you rest, I'm letting you cover your face, I'm going to suffocate you!!!

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(End of this chapter)