Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 195 Jessica Jung: "You've become so ugly." (Please subscribe and vote!)

"what……"

Hearing a soft gasp from beside him, Lin Xiuyuan subconsciously turned his head to look, only to see Zheng Xiuyan also looking towards the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, following his gaze.

If nothing unexpected happens, you should have seen the woman sitting by the window, eating something.

That face... looked exactly like her reflection in the mirror, yet it wasn't her.

They were separated by a pane of glass; one was downstairs, and the other was on the second floor.

Two "Jessica Jungs" from different timelines finally meet in reality in some strange way.

Before Lin Xiuyuan could speak, Zheng Xiuyan spoke first, her tone complicated, "It's really unexpected, I didn't expect to run into her here."

She stared at the face behind the window, the expression beneath the mask unreadable.

Surprise, emotion, and a touch of inexplicable heaviness.

The other person was wearing a beige suit and looked at the two of them with a strange expression. Her hair, tied up, shone with a cool hue in the sunlight, making her almost indistinguishable from her reflection in the mirror.

But compared to myself, that person seemed to possess a refined, mature, and calm aura, like a sharp edge honed through years of trials and tribulations.

They've become more mature, more reserved, and even somewhat unfamiliar.

This was Jessica Jung's first impression of Jessica after their first direct encounter.

Seeing that Jessica Jung had been in a daze for a long time, Lin Xiuyuan said in a low voice, "Let's go, it's not good to meet."

"Ji-yeon is waving at you, aren't you going to respond?"

At this moment, Jessica Jung, who was hiding behind the mask, laughed again, gesturing for Lin Xiuyuan to look up at the second floor.

As she expected, Lin Xiuyuan looked up at the second floor and waved to Da Longzai, Li Juli, and Sunny, who were leaning out.

Then he quickly shook his head at them, pointed to Jessica Jung next to him, and then made a gesture that said "I'm leaving".

upstairs.

Seeing this, Da Longzai pouted, "Looks like he's very busy right now."

"Who's that next to Xiu Yuan? Her figure... is alright, but she looks so young." At this moment, Li Juli also muttered with some curiosity.

The phrase "not bad" that came from her mouth wasn't meant as a derogatory term; it was simply an objective comparison.

After all, she has extremely high standards for her figure.

"It looks somewhat familiar."

"It looks familiar."

As soon as Lee Qri asked the question, Jessica and Sunny said it in unison.

However, because Jessica Jung was wearing a mask, although the two looked familiar, they couldn't quite put their finger on why, creating a strange sense of incongruity that left them both quite frustrated.

The little dragon raised an eyebrow, smiled, and stood up, saying, "Actually, I also feel it looks a bit familiar. I'll go down and take a look."

"Hey, Jiyeon, wait for me."

"Why did you all go down? I'll go too."

In the blink of an eye, Jessica realized that she was the only one left sitting down. She turned her head and glanced at Lin Xiuyuan downstairs again before getting up and going down as well.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xiuyuan, who had originally wanted to retreat, was quickly stopped downstairs by the big dragon cub.

The little dragon cub that came to Lin Xiuyuan's side greeted him first, then said, "Hi, Xiuyuan, is this what you meant by 'something's up'?"

She then looked at Jessica Jung next to her and said, "Hello."

Jessica Jung did not speak, but simply nodded slightly in response.

She knew very well that any word she uttered or any tone she used at that moment could lead to uncontrollable consequences.

Then Lee Juri and Sunny came down as well, both casting curious glances at the mysterious "girl".

The closer Sunny got to the masked girl, the stronger the sense of familiarity in her eyes became, as if she were a very familiar friend.

But looking at her firm skin and figure, none of my familiar friends seem to be this young.

Seeing that Jessica Jung didn't speak, Da Longzai didn't say anything either. Anyway, her gaze was only fixed on Lin Xiuyuan. "Xiuyuan, you still haven't answered me."

Seeing that there was no other way, Lin Xiuyuan could only reply, "I'm here with a member of the tavern, I'm here to take care of some business. What are you all doing down here? Go upstairs and have some food."

Bar members!!!
Da Longzai and Lee Qri, who hadn't paid much attention before, looked at Jessica Jung with noticeably more seriousness after hearing the words "small bar member".

Since this was the first time they had met members other than Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah, they naturally paid extra attention.

Just then, Jessica finally walked up to the group.

Jessica Jung looked at Jessica up close, her eyes flickering slightly.

She finally saw her own face, a face she knew all too well. But compared to her own, the other person's face had fine lines, drooping eyes, and less light, replaced by weariness and turbidity.

Jessica was also startled by the masked girl up close.

That sense of familiarity suddenly became incredibly strong, like looking in a mirror, but not seeing my current self, but rather a younger, sharper "her".

This eerie sense of déjà vu sent a chill down Jessica's spine, and she involuntarily took a half-step back.

An indescribable sense of unease, as if a ghost were emerging from a crack in time.

Is this some kind of ghost?

Lin Xiuyuan noticed that people around him were starting to cast strange glances at him. Sensing that something was wrong, he immediately whispered, "Alright, you guys should go back and eat. There are too many people. We'll contact you later."

The group noticed the situation and stopped pressing the matter, nodding as they went back.

Jessica remained standing, her gaze fixed on the masked figure that made her uneasy. Suddenly, she spoke up, "Lin Xiuyuan, who is this? Why don't you introduce him?"

"none of your business."

After Lin Xiuyuan retorted, he pulled on Zheng Xiuyan's arm, signaling her that she could leave.

Jessica Jung did not move immediately, but turned back and looked at Jessica deeply, her eyes filled with complex and inexplicable emotions.

A moment later, she whispered, "You've become so ugly."

Jessica was stunned.

It wasn't the offensiveness of the statement itself, but rather the fact that she was so familiar with the voice.

The tone, the voice, even the breath and the final sound at the end, were just like... her own.

Like a fragment of a soul buried deep in memory, awakened by a sudden impact.

She stood there, stunned, momentarily forgetting her anger and rebuttal, her mind filled only with a cacophony of questions:

"who is she?"

Just as Jessica came to her senses, that figure had already followed Lin Xiuyuan's footsteps and disappeared around the street corner in the sunlight.

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan, who had already walked to the next street, grinned and laughed, looking as relaxed as if he had just won a game.

"Wow, Xiuyan, your comment just now hit her nail on the head. It seems that Jiyeon's words have become the bible of our church. How come you all sound just like her?"

“She’s really gotten uglier. Looking at her, I’m starting to feel anxious about my future.” Jessica Jung walked beside Lin Xiuyuan, her voice somewhat low.

However, after saying that, she suddenly remembered something, "By the way, why did you talk to her like that? Your relationship is not good. I thought Soojung had helped you two make peace."

When asked about his thoughts by Jessica Jung, Lin Xiuyuan said, "Krystal did have that idea and even had a meal with me. But I just couldn't be bothered with Jessica. That woman with a brain full of trouble is best kept at a distance."

After Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, Zheng Xiuyan nodded first, and then let out a self-deprecating laugh, "Although I know very well that you are not talking about me, the thought of myself in the future makes me feel powerless to refute it."

Lin Xiuyuan clicked his tongue, turned to look at her, and said, "Don't take it personally, okay? I didn't insult you."

He then pointed ahead and said, "Let's go, there's a KFC up ahead, let's go in and sit for a while."

"Kaifeng cuisine?" Jessica Jung was taken aback.

"KFC." He turned around and smiled.

A few minutes later, Jessica Jung sat in the corner.

Watching Lin Xiuyuan return with a tray, he put down fried chicken, fries, and two drinks.

Then, gently remove the lower half of the mask, revealing a thin piece covering the nose and mouth, exposing a fair chin and pale pink lips.

He then picked up a French fry and took a bite, looking completely at ease.

Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but chuckle as he watched this scene. "Sure enough, the masks Lin Xiaolu chose in Tokyo were pretty good. At least each one can open its mouth to eat without having to take it off directly."

"Yeah, it's really convenient." Jessica Jung chewed, her tone relaxed. "It's just that it gets stuffy after wearing it for a long time."

"Let's go after we finish eating, we've pretty much seen enough."

Lin Xiuyuan spoke casually, but he was actually worried that if they went any further, they would enter a densely populated commercial area. Although Zheng Xiuyan's attire was discreet, it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't be targeted.

"Yeah, let's go for a walk after we eat and then go back."

After strolling around and seeing quite a few things, Jessica Jung wanted to continue shopping, but she knew safety was the priority, and she could do it another time. So, the two chatted while eating.

After a while, Lin Xiuyuan finished eating the fried and grilled chicken wings, stood up, and said, "I'm going to wash my hands."

Jessica Jung watched him walk away. Just then, the phone on the opposite corner of the table suddenly rang several times.

She looked up and saw that Lin Xiuyuan's phone had vibrated with a series of messages.

This situation startled Jessica Jung for a moment. Then she gently picked up the tissue that had been used to wipe her mouth and covered most of Lin Xiuyuan's phone on the table, leaving only a small corner exposed.

She didn't look at the pop-up message; she still had that much sense of propriety.

Then he picked up the snow-topped black tea from the table again, took a sip, and sat quietly waiting for Lin Xiuyuan to return.

Not long after, Lin Xiuyuan returned, wiping his hands and yawning as he muttered, "Sigh, I always have to wash my hands after eating food that I use my hands. I'm too lazy to wash them, but it's still uncomfortable."

"Your phone rang a few times just now, I covered it for you," Jessica Jung casually reminded him after he returned, her eyes calm.

Lin Xiuyuan said "Oh", picked up his phone casually, and said, "It's probably Da Longzai and the others. They're probably still talking about what happened downstairs."

Before he could finish speaking, the moment he unlocked the interface, he saw the sender's name.

Not the ones I just mentioned, but the one I met at Incheon Airport this morning—Yoo Ji-min.

Moreover, he posted several messages, clearly expressing doubt or even a sense of inquiry.

Lin Xiuyuan blinked, then gently raised his phone to his mouth and chuckled softly, "Hiss, it's not one of the people I guessed."

"Not them?" Jessica Jung blinked, somewhat surprised. "Then who is it?"

"Liu Zhimin," Lin Xiuyuan said casually as he opened the message, "SM Entertainment's current leading girl group—the captain."

As he said this, he opened the message that Liu Zhimin had sent him.

The very first sentence carried a hint of boundless grievance.

Liu Zhimin: [So, Xiu Yuanxi, you're flirting with me day and night, and you also have another girl accompanying you on a trip, is that right?]

Liu Zhimin: [Xiuyuan, so your trip to the Maldives this time was just for a romantic getaway?]

Liu Zhimin: [Xiuyuan, when are we free to meet up? It's been so long!]

Looking at these text messages, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and touched his nose.

Although the two only met twice, they both felt quite good about each other. Since they were both busy, their relationship remained in an ambiguous online state.

However, conversations between men and women gradually degenerate into a pattern of "mutual teasing + hormone release".

As they flirted, they regressed to some of the instincts of ape-man times.

Lin Xiuyuan and Liu Zhimin were no exception.

So after a whole month of flirting, when Liu Zhimin ran into Lin Xiuyuan again at the airport and saw him with a beautiful girl by his side, she was genuinely a little angry.

So much so that on the way back to the company from the airport, she barely spoke, only making a token appearance at the company before quickly leaving.

Back in her dorm, her first thought was to delete the man's contact information completely, so she wouldn't have to see him or be bothered by him.

But when she opened her chat history with Lin Xiuyuan and scrolled to the photo of his abs and V-line that he had sent not long ago, her finger unconsciously continued to slide up and looked again at the "promotional pictures and texts" that the two had been exchanging during this period.

As he watched, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up in a smile.

After reading it, the annoyance in my heart dissipated a lot, which led to the above text message with a hint of grievance.

On the contrary, when Lin Xiuyuan saw these messages, he had a slight smile on his lips and did not intend to reply immediately.

I just casually closed my phone, planning to talk about it later.

Flirting and teasing with Liu Zhimin occasionally is just a daily spice in life.

To be honest, Lin Xiuyuan didn't plan to invest too much effort in her.

After all, this one is even more troublesome than Jessica, with a whole host of taboos and burdens in the entertainment industry.

But if he really had the chance, he certainly wouldn't waste the "food".

Across from her, Jessica Jung listened to Lin Xiuyuan's explanation, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Wow, you're really doing better here than we are back home. You've even gotten to know a popular girl group like Liu Zhimin. No wonder you're so happy here."

"Wow, your Chinese has improved! Your vocabulary has increased so much." Lin Xiuyuan exclaimed in surprise.

Jessica Jung rolled her eyes behind her mask, her tone tinged with pride, "Of course! Do you think I'm joking about entering the Chinese entertainment industry? I've been teaching myself Chinese all along, and I even bought a special course."

"Is this such a waste of money? Just invite me directly," Lin Xiuyuan said casually.

"Invite you?" Jessica Jung scoffed. "You're such a busy person, you hardly ever come to our side, and you expect me to invite you? Invite you my foot!"

Lin Xiuyuan, speechless after being told off by Jessica Jung, gave an awkward smile and then lowered his head to eat his fries.

After all, this wasn't the first time Lin Xiuyuan had been told this, but it's really no wonder he's been so considerate. His 25-year-old older sister is so sweet, she's practically clinging to him.

After a while, the two, having rested properly, got up and left the shop.

Afterwards, she strolled around the street again and picked out a few handicrafts to buy, intending to take them home as decorations.

Finally, the two hailed a taxi and returned to the villa.

Just as the two returned to the villa entrance, Lin Xiuyuan's phone rang again. He took it out and saw that this time it wasn't Liu Zhimin calling, but Jessica, the future version of the person next to him.

He glanced at it, then looked up and smiled at Jessica Jung, "It's Jessica's call."

"Why are you looking at me? Just answer it if you want." Jessica Jung didn't feel anything. For her first close encounter with Jessica, there were only two words on her mind right now—maintenance.

She needs to start taking care of her figure and skin now; she doesn't want to end up like Jessica, whom she just met, in ten years.

Lin Xiuyuan hung up the phone and prepared to open the door and go back to the villa, but Jessica was very persistent and called again.

Lin Xiuyuan hung up again, and then a third time.

Jessica Jung laughed and said, "Just answer it, otherwise there won't even be time to open the door."

Left with no other option, Lin Xiuyuan answered the phone, "Hello, what is it?"

Lin Xiuyuan asked directly, and Jessica replied just as politely, "Lin Xiuyuan, where are you? I need to talk to you."

"Just call me if you need anything, I'm busy."

"..."

Jessica, on the other end of the phone, tried to control her angry breathing.

Lin Xiuyuan remained unmoved. "Speak your mind, or I'm hanging up."

Hearing the heavier breathing on the other end of the phone, he knew the other person was angry, but... what did it have to do with him?

Ultimately, unable to let go of her pride, Jessica gritted her teeth and said, "You just wait."

Then he hung up the phone.

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, too lazy to pay attention, turned around, opened the door, and led Zheng Xiuyan into the villa.

……

……

at the same time.

Jessica, who had just finished lunch with Da Longzai and the others and said goodbye, was sitting alone in her car when she slammed her fist on the steering wheel in a fit of rage.

"Bastard, son of a bitch, son of a bitch, is it really necessary to be so petty?"

After unleashing a string of profanities, she glanced down at the call log that had just been hung up on, gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and dialed again, suppressing her anger.

There was no other way; Jessica really needed to find Lin Xiuyuan to get some answers.

Not long ago, she inadvertently noticed something that shocked her: a detail, a small gesture, a silhouette she could hardly believe.

She needs to meet the couple, or rather, the girl, again to confirm it in person.

However, this time, she didn't even have a chance to make the call.

The only sound was a cold, impersonal system notification: "The number you dialed does not exist. Please check and dial again."

Jessica was stunned for a moment, her pupils contracting slightly.

Is this... being blocked?
She stared blankly at the screen for a moment before realizing that this was the first time in her life that someone had blocked her number.

At that moment, Jessica felt as if she had been struck in the heart by a heavy hammer. Anger and grievances intertwined and mixed into a sense of humiliation she had never felt before, which quietly welled up in her heart.

　I'm working overtime today, so here's 5K to start. I'll try to finish the remaining chapter tonight, or maybe tomorrow morning.

　　I hope my godfathers can understand. I'm working a part-time job that pays 10,000 a day, and then having to work overtime. There's nothing I can do about it.
　　Finally, I'm begging for monthly votes, subscriptions, and everything else!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)