180: Chapter 180 still feels like a dream to me!

"I'm much better, thank you for your concern, President." Krystal sat next to Sulli, directly facing Song Tianhao.

She gently placed the item in her hand—a folded, slightly wrinkled Polaroid photo—on the edge of the table, then unconsciously rubbed the corner of the photo with her fingers.

Sulli's gaze couldn't help but fall on the photo. Was it taken on the street during the day? She didn't seem to see Krystal take it.

"Krystal, what do you want to eat? President says the escargot and beef bourguignon here are good, but since your stomach just recovered, maybe something lighter? Hmm... mushroom soup? Or the grilled cod?" Sulli leaned closer to Krystal, asking with concern, trying to break the subtle silence.

Krystal lifted her eyes, looked at Sulli, then at Song Tianhao opposite her, and finally let her gaze fall on the menu. "Anything is fine, Unnie and President can decide." Her tone remained flat, with no discernible emotion.

Song Tianhao didn't ask further, directly telling the waiter a few dishes, including the mushroom soup and a light grilled cod that Sulli had mentioned, and ordered a bottle of sparkling water. The ordering process was crisp and efficient, completely controlling the rhythm.

After the order was placed and the waiter left, the table fell into a brief silence. Only the rustling of the evening breeze through the greenery and the faint sound of piano music from nearby could be heard.

Sulli felt the silence was a bit uncomfortable. She picked up the water glass in front of her, took a sip, then put it down, folded her hands on her lap, cleared her throat, and decided to take the initiative to start a conversation.

"Um... Krystal, did you rest well at the hotel this afternoon? Is your stomach still hurting?" She looked at Krystal, trying to make her tone light and natural.

"Hmm, I took a nap, it's much better." Krystal nodded, her gaze falling on the napkin in front of her, her fingers still rubbing the Polaroid.

"That's good, you scared me, seeing your complexion so bad during the day."

Sulli patted her chest, Acting relieved, then as if suddenly remembering something, her eyes lit up, her body leaned forward slightly, her tone filled with irrepressible excitement and a desire to share, "Oh right, right, Krystal, let me tell you, when I went to that designer's studio with President this afternoon, it was absolutely magical!"

She began to vividly describe the afternoon's experience, from the inconspicuous deep blue wooden door to the cluttered yet artistic space inside, to the white-haired Ms. Durand with eyes as sharp as an eagle, and that sudden, silent test.

"She made me tell the story of that old dress using only my eyes and movements!" Sulli's voice rose involuntarily at the crucial point, her hands gesturing along, her face flushed with a faint red glow from excitement, "I was really scared silly at the time, thinking how could that be possible!

But President told me to look into her eyes and translated for me..."

She subconsciously looked at Song Tianhao, her eyes filled with gratitude and reliance, "President said she was testing me in her own way. So I thought, might as well try, the worst that could happen is getting kicked out..."

She described in detail how she closed her eyes, how she summoned her emotions, how she walked up to the dress, how she "caressed" it with her gaze, how she went from curiosity and appreciation to feeling oppression and sadness, and finally settling into peace and relief.

"I didn't say a word, I just looked at it, felt it, and then expressed what I felt."

Sulli's eyes shone under the warm yellow lights—the glow that comes only when sharing joy and achievement, "And guess what? That Ms. Durand, she actually smiled! Even though it was very, very faint, she really smiled! She even said my 'eyes can talk' and gave me this!"

She took the deep blue velvet pouch from her handbag like she was presenting a treasure, opened it carefully, and took out a corner of the antique fabric, which was intertwined with dark green and deep blue, to show Krystal.

"Look, isn't it beautiful? This was woven by a seamstress in the early 20th century; it's said she only made clothes for herself her whole life. Ms. Durand said this was to commemorate the story I told with my eyes."

Sulli's narration was vivid and full of emotion; she was completely immersed in the excitement and sense of achievement of that encounter in the afternoon, temporarily forgetting the subtle, almost imperceptible atmosphere at the dinner table.

Her speech was fast, her gestures rich, her eyes bright, and she radiated a moving brilliance of being recognized and enlightened.

Krystal listened quietly, her gaze shifting from Sulli's excited face to the ancient fabric in her hand that shimmered with a faint luster under the light, and then slowly moved to Song Tianhao's face, who was sitting opposite, leaning back in his chair in a relaxed posture, listening quietly to Sulli's account.

Song Tianhao's expression was very plain, without any special praise or smile, only occasionally nodding imperceptibly when Sulli looked over, or adding a short phrase when she couldn't clearly describe a detail.

But his gaze fell on Sulli most of the time; that focused, listening posture was in itself a silent recognition and encouragement.

Krystal's fingers, which were rubbing the edge of the photo, tightened imperceptibly. She lowered her eyelashes, masking the complex emotions that flashed through her eyes.

"So, it was really super magical!" Sulli finally finished, let out a long breath, picked up her glass and took a big gulp, then looked at Krystal expectantly, "Isn't it unbelievable? I still feel like it's a dream!"

Krystal lifted her eyes, looked at Sulli, and forced a faint curve at the corner of her mouth.

"Hmm, very impressive, Unnie." Her voice remained very light, with no discernible emotion, and after a pause, she added, "It seems you and President experienced many meaningful things this afternoon."

The tone of this sentence was flat, but Sulli inexplicably felt there was some other meaning hidden inside. The smile on her face stiffened slightly; she looked at Krystal, then subconsciously looked at Song Tianhao.

Song Tianhao seemed not to hear anything unusual, just replied faintly: "She seized the opportunity herself."

At this moment, the waiter began to serve the appetizers. The exquisite plating temporarily broke the somewhat stagnant atmosphere. Sulli quickly picked up her knife and fork, trying to use food to change the subject, and began introducing the taste of the dish.

Krystal also quietly began to eat the mushroom soup in front of her, drinking it in small sips, and didn't speak again.

Dinner proceeded in a somewhat strange atmosphere. Sulli tried hard to find topics, talking about the weather in Paris, tomorrow's itinerary, and work arrangements after returning home. Song Tianhao responded occasionally, concise and to the point.

Krystal remained silent most of the time, just quietly eating the food in front of her, only answering with a word or two when Sulli asked her directly.

Her appetite didn't seem as good as she claimed; she had only eaten half of the food on her plate before putting down her knife and fork. Her gaze drifted more often outside the glass railing to the deepening blue sky, and beneath it, the silent and clear outline of the Iron Tower.

Time passed quietly amidst the somewhat dull sound of cutlery clashing and Sulli's slightly thin words.

When the clock pointed to eight o'clock in the evening.

Without warning, the silent Iron Tower in the distance suddenly lit up with brilliant golden lights from bottom to top!

Countless lights turned on simultaneously, outlining the steel frame of the Iron Tower with extreme clarity, like a burning, huge golden torch, instantly tearing through the deep blue night sky of Paris, becoming the most dazzling and unignorable focus of this romantic capital.

The radiance reflected in the shimmering waves of the Seine River and also into every pair of eyes in the restaurant looking up.

"Wow!" Sulli couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, forgetting the awkwardness just now, completely attracted by the scene in front of her.

She put down her knife and fork, leaned forward slightly, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and watched the gorgeous gold without blinking, her face showing a pure, amazed smile stunned by the beauty. "So beautiful... it really lit up!"

Krystal, sitting opposite her, also slowly turned her head to look at the light. Her profile, illuminated by the golden glow of the Iron Tower, appeared almost transparently pale, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes.

Her eyes were very quiet, just watching, watching that magnificence, watching that unreachable glory. Her fingers unconsciously touched the folded Polaroid on the edge of the table again, her fingertips gently brushing across the rough edge of the photo paper.

Song Tianhao also followed their gaze to glance at the brilliant Iron Tower, then withdrew his gaze, letting it fall on the two girls across the table. Sulli was full of excitement, her eyes shining like stars; Krystal was quiet to the point of alienation, out of place with the lively light.

He picked up his napkin, wiped the corner of his mouth lightly, and put it down. This action broke the brief silence caused by the beautiful scenery.

"This trip to Paris," Song Tianhao spoke, his voice steady, sounding exceptionally clear on the terrace shrouded in golden light, "is ending tomorrow. What are your thoughts?"

His gaze swept over both their faces, as if making a simple summary of the trip, or perhaps asking about something deeper.

Sulli, almost without thinking, immediately turned her face, her eyes still shining with excitement, and blurted out: "I learned how to communicate without speaking!"

After she finished speaking, she nodded forcefully, as if to emphasize the importance of this gain, "Ms. Durand said that people whose eyes can talk are more precious than those whose tongues can talk. I feel like I've opened a new door!

When Acting, when shooting pictorials, or even just looking at others in daily life... it seems everything is different now!"

Her tone was jubilant, filled with the joy of discovering a new world, and her whole person radiated a glow from this realization.

Song Tianhao nodded slightly, noncommittal, and then his gaze turned to Krystal.

Krystal was still looking at the distant Iron Tower, silent. The evening breeze blew, rustling the hair by her cheek. After several seconds, just when Sulli thought she wouldn't answer or hadn't heard the question, she opened her mouth slowly and very lightly, her voice drifting as if it would dissipate in the wind at any moment.

"I learned..." She paused, withdrew her gaze from the Iron Tower, and let it fall on the glass of sparkling water in front of her that she had barely touched; tiny water droplets condensed on the transparent glass wall. "Some scenery is best just watched."

She paused again, her long eyelashes fluttered, she lifted her eyes, her gaze not looking at Song Tianhao, nor at Sulli, but toward a point in the void, her voice even lighter, yet carrying a clear, icy texture.

"Getting too close might make you lose your way."

The moment the words fell, the brilliant smile on Sulli's face seemed to be frozen, stiffening on her face.

She looked at Krystal, looked at her sister's pale profile, that expressionless, even somewhat indifferent look, and in that sentence, the clear, impossible-to-ignore, pointed coldness.

The air at the dining table seemed to solidify completely at this moment. Only the light of the Iron Tower in the distance remained brilliant, silently illuminating this space that had suddenly fallen into dead silence.

Sulli opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but felt her throat was blocked by something, unable to make a sound. She looked at Song Tianhao for help, her eyes full of confusion and panic.

Song Tianhao's face still had no waves, as if what Krystal just said was an ordinary remark about the weather. He picked up the water glass in front of him, shook it slightly, and the ice cubes inside collided, making a crisp sound.

Then, he raised his glass, his gaze sweeping calmly over the stiff Sulli, and looked at Krystal, who had her eyes lowered, his voice steady as usual, even carrying a hint of a smile that couldn't be discerned.

"Then," he said slowly, the glass wall refracting cold light under the lamp, "to the new things learned, and the scenery seen..."

His gaze lingered on Krystal's face for a moment.

"Cheers!"

After speaking, he tilted his head and drank the remaining water in his glass in one gulp.

Sulli looked at his calm profile, then at the silent Krystal beside her, her heart feeling like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, aching dully. She forced a smile that looked worse than crying, and also hurriedly picked up her glass, touched her lips to it, but couldn't drink a drop.

Krystal didn't move. She still kept her eyes lowered, looking at the glass of water in front of her, as if there was something in that glass that attracted all her attention.

After several seconds, she reached out very slowly, grasped the handle of the glass, and very lightly, very lightly, lifted the glass, brought it to her lips, and took a small sip. Then she put it down, making a "ding" sound.

This dinner ended hastily in a stifling, awkward atmosphere.

Song Tianhao called the waiter to pay the bill, Sulli lowered her head and fiddled with her napkin, while Krystal cast her gaze toward the window again, but this time, she wasn't looking at the Iron Tower, but at the brilliant and strange city lights beneath her feet.

After the waiter left with the bill and card, the three stood up and left the table.

On the way to the elevator, the three walked side by side in silence, the atmosphere so oppressive it made one breathless. Sulli wanted to say something to ease the tension several times, but seeing Krystal's expressionless profile, she swallowed the words back.

The elevator descended slowly from the top floor, and in the narrow space, there was only the slight hum of mechanical operation. Sulli stared at the changing floor numbers, feeling every second was incredibly long.

Finally, with a "ding," the elevator stopped at the floor where their room was.

The elevator door opened slowly.

Sulli subconsciously lifted her foot to walk out, but was gently pulled by her sleeve by Krystal.

She turned back in confusion.

Krystal stood in the elevator, not moving. Her gaze passed over Sulli and fell directly on Song Tianhao's face, her voice calm, yet carrying an unquestionable meaning.

"Unnie," she said to Sulli, but her eyes were looking at Song Tianhao, "You go back to the room first. I have something, I want to talk to President alone."