Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 168 "Xiu Yuan, how about... I repay you with my body?" (Please subscribe and vote for monthly tickets)

Back in the 2013 apartment, Lin Xiuyuan, who had just finished showering, put on a simple set of pajamas and sat down next to Shirley on the sofa.

When Sulli saw him come out, she went over to him and asked, "Oppa, are you really going to take Taeyeon unnie to see...her dad?"

"Otherwise, when I went to her house today, I saw a photo of her and her dad, the frame was polished to a shine. Sigh, since I'm already here, I might as well go and see her, so she won't worry about it every day. Just like Krystal used to be, thinking about her day and night."

At this point, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Shirley and smiled, "Actually, the first night I returned here, I asked Krystal if she wanted to see you. She was nervous and flustered, and then avoided it for more than half a month."

As Shirley listened to these past events she was unaware of, she couldn't help but lower her head and sigh.

Then, recalling her first meeting with Krystal at the funeral, she slowly said, "Yes, when I first met Soojung, I could feel her guilt. It took many times for her to gradually let go of it."

“The one inside is the same, right?” Lin Xiuyuan replied softly. “After all, death is never a trivial matter.”

Shirley pursed her lips, unsure how to respond. She didn't really know what her future self would think, nor could she find anyone to ask.

After all, by 2025, those who knew the answer will no longer be around.

After a brief silence, Lin Xiuyuan looked at her again and asked, "Will you be okay sleeping by yourself later?"

"Oppa~ I'm not a child anymore, don't worry."

Shirley smiled and replied, but her tone held a hint of worry, "Be careful driving all night. Even though you haven't been drinking, don't drive while you're tired. Everyone's waiting for you."

She paused for a moment, then added, "If it really doesn't work, I'll just rest a few more times. Anyway, I won't be able to see them at night; I'll have to wait until the glasses shop opens during the day."

"Yes, I know." Lin Xiuyuan nodded gently.
Just as the two were chatting, Kim Tae-yeon, who had hurriedly finished showering, came out of the room wearing Sulli's clothes.

It was a light gray sweatshirt. The loose cut fit perfectly on Sulli, who is 170cm tall, but on Kim Tae-yeon, who is 158cm tall, it looked oversized.

The cuffs covered the palms, and the hem hung loosely down to the thighs, creating a "no pants" visual effect with a slight sway.

The dark shorts hidden under her clothes were barely visible, and her slightly wavy hair, which was naturally loose after her shower, made her look both lazy and unexpectedly sexy.

However, Kim Tae-yeon clearly had no time to care about any of that at the moment. Her gaze was fixed on Lin Xiu-yuan, her eyes filled with barely concealed excitement and trepidation.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan stopped arguing and stood up, saying, "Let's go."

Then he turned to Shirley and said, "Shirley, you should get some rest too. Remember to lock the doors and windows."

"Huh? Oppa, aren't you going to change your clothes?" Sulli asked in surprise.

Kim Tae-yeon quickly added, "I'm not in a hurry, Xiu-yuan, why don't you go change your clothes first?"

"There's nothing much to change into; pajamas are more comfortable for driving."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had already walked over and picked up the car keys, waved to Kim Tae-yeon, who instinctively stepped forward.

Then, with Lin Xiuyuan's help, he put on a mask and a baseball cap, and pushed up a pair of wide-rimmed glasses to cover his face, making full preparations to keep a low profile.

After making all the preparations, Lin Xiuyuan emphasized again, "Let me make it clear beforehand, no one is allowed to get off the bus."

"Yes." Kim Tae-yeon nodded emphatically, her eyes resolute.

After saying goodbye to Shirley, the two walked into the elevator side by side and went downstairs.

Downstairs at the apartment building, the night air was cool but not cold, and the streetlights cast a soft glow, casting silhouettes of two people walking side by side.

Lin Xiuyuan, who had brought Kim Tae-yeon to the side of the Land Rover, opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in first, while he went around to the driver's seat and sat down.

"This car is new."

As Kim Tae-yeon fastened her seatbelt after getting into the car, she spoke, her fingers gently stroking the leather seat.

"Hmm." Lin Xiuyuan said softly as he started the car, "Krystal had Jessica Jung steal her New Year's money from when she was a child and gave it to me."

These words startled Kim Tae-yeon for a moment, then she chuckled, "What? I remember what you're talking about. Krystal even came to our practice room to complain about it back then."

"I can only say that I've been thinking about it for a long time."

As he spoke, Lin Xiuyuan drove the car out of the yard, slowly onto the familiar street, and headed south.

The city lights gradually faded from view in the rearview mirror, and silence descended all around.

Kim Tae-yeon sat in the passenger seat, her hands tucked into her sweatshirt sleeves, watching the lights flashing past the car window, her emotions churning.

She didn't speak, and neither did Lin Xiuyuan, who was driving. The only sounds in the car were the softly sung English song playing on the music player and the steady rumble of the engine.

It wasn't until they were almost out of the city that Kim Tae-yeon whispered, "Soo-won, I'm a little scared."

Lin Xiuyuan gripped the steering wheel and glanced at her sideways. "This isn't fear, it's caring."

Kim Tae-yeon didn't respond. She simply leaned back in her seat and buried her face in her wide collar, as if she were hiding herself in someone else's clothes.

She suddenly realized.

Those memories that we can't let go of, can't talk about, and that cling to us tightly are probably like this dark road we're on right now.

No one knows if the finish line will hurt, but we still have to bravely walk it.

And at this moment, she was sitting in such a car, driven by a boy whose mysterious nature was inexplicable, heading towards a place she had never dared to face.

Heading towards the gentlest, yet heaviest, part of her life.

After an unknown amount of time, a voice rang out, interrupting Kim Tae-yeon's thoughts, "Why don't you put down the chair and take a nap? I'll call you when we get there."

"No need, it's only three hours, I can handle it."

The distance from Seoul to the center of Jeonju is about 232 kilometers, which takes about 3 hours under normal driving conditions. This is a standard time that Kim Tae-yeon has known for many years of driving experience, so she is very familiar with it.

Moreover, the destination of this journey is the man who once gave her life depth and meaning.

How could she possibly fall asleep?

But as soon as Lin Xiuyuan uttered those words, she obediently closed her eyes.

"Are you planning to rest up and take a good look at the other person, or will you force yourself to look at them quickly, even though your eyes are sore, due to other factors?"

Lin Xiuyuan's soft reply, devoid of any extraneous tone, seemed to reveal the inner turmoil within Kim Tae-yeon.

The conversation ended there, and another quiet journey began.

The night outside the car window was still dark, and the whole city seemed to be immersed in a quiet dream.

The car drove steadily on the highway, passing by streetlights, the light and shadows seeming to flow backwards, each one a step backward.

But when Kim Tae-yeon closed her eyes, she was not met with peace, but rather a flood of images rushed into her mind.

It's a picture of her sitting on her father's single sofa.

It was her father who held the kimchi pot and scolded her, saying, "No matter how busy you are with work, you can't skip meals."

That morning, as her father wrung out a towel to dry her hair, he sighed softly, "You've grown up..."

My eyes are still burning.

But Kim Tae-yeon didn't cry. She just silently adjusted her breathing, as if forcing herself to block the memories from the outlet of tears back into her heart.

After a moment of silence, Kim Tae-yeon opened her eyes.

Moonlight streamed through the passenger window, falling on her eyelashes as if they were still wet from the rain.

"Xiuyuan." Suddenly, Kim Tae-yeon spoke softly.

"Ok?"

How can I thank you?

Lin Xiuyuan paused slightly on the steering wheel, but his tone remained calm. "No need to thank me, you're welcome."

"No, I'm serious."

Kim Tae-yeon tilted her head to look at him, her eyes showing neither a joke nor pain, but an unusual quietness. "Actually, you didn't need to bring me here at all. You could have continued to pretend you didn't know anything, and then..." Faced with this answer, Lin Xiuyuan was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking.

"When I went to your apartment this afternoon, I saw the photo frame on your counter."

Kim Tae-yeon paused, then lowered her head. "I know, it was that photo frame that made you feel sorry for me?"

“If that’s what you’re saying, then you’re not wrong.” Lin Xiuyuan gave a soft “hmm”. “Because Sherry and Krystal are the same way.”

At this point, he suddenly remembered something and smiled casually, "And do you still remember the rules for my little bar's members?"

"probably."

Kim Tae-yeon also curled the corners of her mouth, "What do you mean by rich, beautiful, and the kind of young rich woman who wants to keep making a fuss about life? You made it sound pretty mysterious back then, and I was curious about what kind of person you were. Looking back now, weren't you just fooling us?"

However, Lin Xiuyuan explained as soon as Kim Tae-yeon finished speaking.

"Actually, it's not exactly a scam. The full version of that rule should be: 'Down on her luck but still rich, beautiful and sexy, and the kind of rich woman who has regrets but doesn't change her mind and is willing to keep making life interesting.'"

After he finished speaking, he chuckled softly, "Of course, to put it bluntly, the premise is that I have to be willing."

Kim Tae-yeon fell silent after hearing these words.

After a moment, she repeated in a low voice, "Regret without changing your mind is a bit difficult; many people give up on themselves. In comparison, it might be easier to make you happy."

"Maybe."

The carriage fell silent again, with only the faint sound of tires rolling over the ground, like a whisper or a heartbeat.

Kim Tae-yeon leaned against the passenger seat and suddenly smiled softly.

Then he slowly closed his eyes and murmured, "It sounds really idealistic, Xiuyuan."

This time, she truly closed her eyes peacefully.

No flashbacks, no tears.

There is only one knot in my heart that is gradually loosening.

She leaned back in her chair, relaxing, as if she had finally found a chance to let herself go, outside of time.

As the night passed, dawn arrived.

Soon the car exited the highway and slowly drove into the old town of Jeonju along the streets that Kim Tae-yeon was familiar with but Lin Xiu-yuan was unfamiliar with.

This neighborhood lacks the bustling neon lights and all-night nightlife of Seoul; instead, it features only solitary streetlights that cast long, slanted shadows on the ground.

The leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and dappled sunlight floated on the street, like fragments of memories, silently falling into people's hearts.

The car quickly turned into a small alley and stopped at a spot that was neither too close nor too far.

Lin Xiuyuan turned off the car lights and turned to look at Kim Tae-yeon in the passenger seat. "We're here."

Kim Tae-yeon, who had already woken up, remained motionless for a long time.

She sat there, gazing at the familiar old place in front of her with a complicated expression, as if she could see right through the years when she dared not approach it.

Even though in the world of 2025, she had only recently returned to Seoul from Jeonju.

But right now, in Jeonju... her father is still alive.

The next second, her fingertips clenched her sleeve, suppressing the soreness welling up in her eyes.

"It's 4:30 in the morning. Do you remember when your dad got up to go out and open the shop?" Lin Xiuyuan asked.

Kim Tae-yeon nodded, but her eyes were already slightly red. "I remember, he always went out to buy groceries at 7 o'clock, then chatted with the neighbors for a while, then took the groceries home, and then went out to open the glasses shop."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded and stretched. "Then let's wait for him here. Do you want to take a nap? There are still more than two hours left."

"Can't sleep."

Kim Tae-yeon bit her lower lip tightly, desperately trying to force herself to calm down.

"If only I could have come back sooner back then."

Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible, but Lin Xiuyuan heard it.

However, he didn't reply. He simply lowered the car window a little to let the night breeze in, carrying the scent of earthen walls and green grass, and also bringing back the summer afternoon deep in Kim Tae-yeon's memory, that world she could never return to.

At this moment, Kim Tae-yeon's emotions had reached a breaking point.

Then she suddenly turned her head, her eyes seeming to break free from long-term contemplation and repression, and stared fixedly at Lin Xiuyuan.

The next second, she raised her chin, revealing her slender and long neck, with a hint of stubbornness and a touch of self-mockery in her resolute expression, "Xiuyuan, how about... I repay you with my body?"

Kim Tae-yeon's voice wasn't loud, and her tone even had a slightly frivolous and joking quality, but her reddened eyes betrayed her.

“You brought me here, but I can’t do anything… Consider this a reward.”

She continued, a faint hint of expectation and longing playing at the corners of her lips, "Then let me in, even just for a glance, just to hug... my dad, I'd..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Xiuyuan reached out and gently pushed her head back, pressing her back into the passenger seat like he was coaxing a fussy child.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Lin Xiuyuan's voice contained no blame, but rather a resolute determination.

"Here, there's also Kim Tae-yeon from 2013. Her life and her father are still going on. Your momentary impulse might be a disaster for someone else."

Finally, looking at Kim Tae-yeon's fragile yet forcedly resilient face, she added softly, "What you want, I'll help you later... If there really is a way, I will definitely help you. But right now, it's really impossible."

That phrase, "It really won't work," was like the last string, completely shattering the dam that Kim Tae-yeon had been desperately trying to hold up inside her.

She lowered her head, her hair falling loosely on either side of her cheeks, concealing the tears that were about to fall.

Then, the emotions that had been suppressed all night finally erupted.

"Waaaaah..."

Kim Tae-yeon's shoulders began to tremble slightly, like a leaf falling in the wind, growing more and more violent until she finally threw herself into Lin Xiu-yuan's arms, clutching his clothes and bursting into tears.

That wasn't quiet sobbing, but a hysterical outburst as if the whole world had been lost.

It was like a soul that had been trapped between dreams and reality for too long finally finding an outlet in the person in front of it, pouring out all its regret, self-blame, heartbreak, and longing without reservation.

"I really miss him... I really miss him..."

"I didn't even have time to say a word... I was too busy that day, I didn't even make a phone call..."

Kim Tae-yeon, trembling with sobs, clutched Lin Xiu-yuan's clothes tightly with both hands, as if afraid he would suddenly leave, or as if grasping at a last straw.

Lin Xiuyuan said nothing, but simply hugged her, letting her tears soak his chest, letting her cry out this heavy emotion little by little.

He knew she needed this unreserved release.

The wind was still blowing outside the window, and the sky was beginning to lighten with a faint pale white.

The night was about to end, but Kim Tae-yeon's tears seemed to have just begun.

After enduring the pain all night, she finally cried.

Finally, she dared to cry completely, recklessly, and without any defenses in front of Lin Xiuyuan.

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(End of this chapter)