Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 201 Jessica and Lin Xiuyuan in the Apartment (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
After Lin Xiuyuan learned about what had happened during that short period of time in 2013, his gaze towards Kim Tae-yeon and Jessica Jung became somewhat strange.

No, it should be that the way those two were looking at him started to look strange.

That subtle change made him feel uneasy.

So until Tian Enjing and Shirley finished preparing dinner for the evening, Lin Xiuyuan didn't even sit on the sofa.

They might stand by the window admiring the vibrant flowers and plants in the yard, or go to the living room to tinker with some electrical appliances, or go out to buy some drinks and juice.

This series of reactions made Im Yoona laugh out loud, while Kim Tae-yeon and Jessica Jung rolled their eyes in exasperation.

Only the two of them know what they are really thinking.

After learning about Lin Xiuyuan's situation from Sweet Eunjung and Im Yoona, the two never talked about it again. Even when they inadvertently mentioned Lin Xiuyuan, they would quickly move on to other things.

Around 8 p.m., dinner was finally ready, and everyone's attention shifted from the little incidents to the dining table, instantly creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere.

"Unnie~ Time to eat."

"Stop looking at your phone, unnie, you can come and sit down now."

"Taeyeon unnie~"

"Oppa, oppa, let's eat!"

The people who were called over took their seats around the dining table one after another.

Looking at the table laden with a variety of delicious-looking dishes, Kim Tae-yeon, who usually only eats takeout, couldn't help but be a little surprised. "Daebak, Eunjung, Sulli, you guys are amazing!"

Even Jessica Jung couldn't help but look at Eunjung and Sulli, "OMG, your skills are amazing! With this level of skill, you could open a restaurant and make a fortune!"

Hearing the praise around them, Sweet Eun-jung and Sulli smiled at each other.

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan, who had been called earlier, also came out of the small house next door, holding a bottle of wine in his hand and looking at everyone, "Want some?"

"You've been drinking, how are you going to get home later?" Kim Tae-yeon joked.

As soon as Kim Tae-yeon finished speaking, Im Yoon-a smiled and said, "I can stay here."

Then Eunjung said, "I can have Jiyeon come pick me up, or I can take a taxi back myself."

After the two finished speaking, Sulli glanced at Yoona with amusement, but did not expose her as an unnie.

But... Jessica Jung spoke up, "Eunjung, didn't you and Yoona ask Xiuyuan to locate your apartment? Just drink, and if you get really drunk, you can just have Xiuyuan open the location of your apartment and take you there."

Hearing Jessica Jung's answer, Eunjung and Taeyeon, who were unaware that the time portal had been upgraded, looked at Jessica Jung with some confusion, and then looked at Lin Xiuyuan, wanting to hear what was going on.

Later, when they learned that Lin Xiuyuan could open time portals to all the places he had been, just like opening anytime portals, the shock on their faces was no less than when they first learned about time portals.

He froze in his seat, his eyes glazed over, seemingly never expecting that this cheat could evolve further.

Only Yoona, who was the first to know the situation, remained very calm. She even felt that the feature was a bit of a hindrance, otherwise she could have stayed overnight.

After learning this information, Kim Tae-yeon no longer resisted drinking. Staring at the full glass of wine, a hint of excitement shone in her eyes.

It seems like it's been a while since she last had a meal and drinks with her friends at home.

The meal was a great pleasure, with everyone's banter and laughter filling the restaurant, creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

As a few sips of wine went down their throats, the conversation at the table quickly shifted to two different topics.

On one side, Jessica Jung, Yoona, and Eunhyuk were sitting together, chatting about entering the Chinese entertainment industry.

Sweet Eun-jung, who was eating with her chopsticks, smiled and said, "Soo-yeon, actually, the idea that Xiu-yuan mentioned earlier is quite good. Accumulating a wave of fans by leveraging traffic is a good idea that is suitable for future trends."

In response to this answer, Jessica Jung picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and looked thoughtful. "I just want to hurry up. After all, as you know, time waits for no one."

Her voice carried a hint of anxiety, yet remained resolute.

Yoona blinked, frowned, and asked, "Unnie, do you mean you want to create some more unique content? Like, what kind of content?"

At this moment, Sweet Eun-jung smiled again, as if she had just remembered something, and continued.

"Oh, if it's what you're talking about, Yoona, then I know a bit about it. It's basically cross-industry collaborations, like pairing celebrities with shopping malls, artists, or brands, or launching big-budget productions at cultural festivals to attract attention."

As she spoke, she thought about some things from back then. "Of course, the most important thing is to see which brands are willing to join hands. I remember when we were working at Huaxia, we often had similar events, and they all attracted a lot of passersby."

"Isn't this just like a brand pop-up store these days?" Yoona muttered.

"Pretty much, but back then, this method was quite effective." Tian Enjing nodded, feeling a little nostalgic for those days.

Jessica Jung listened to the two of them talking back and forth, trying her best to remember their advice and study it later.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiuyuan, Sulli, and Kim Tae-yeon were discussing how to choose the script for Sulli's next drama series.

Should you choose a script with excellent reviews, or a work with explosive potential?

Or should we take the low-cost, high-output route?
Lin Xiuyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Personally, I think we shouldn't go too far beyond the style of 13. Anyway, there are plenty of scripts for 25 years. Shirley, you should try to be as steady as possible on this path, taking it one step at a time."

Kim Tae-yeon nodded in agreement, "Xiu Yuan is right. If the screenwriter is too talented, I'm afraid you'll be ostracized by some senior colleagues. It's better to take it slow and be more cautious."

Then, she paused for a moment and continued, "If I had to choose, I think I could pick a retro-style youth drama. Back in 13, this kind of script should have had a lot of potential and a good market."

Lin Xiuyuan, on the other hand, had a different view: "There was too much retro style back then, and I felt that we should do something different. For example, like us, we set it up as a parallel world to show two completely different lives, instead of following the old path."

As soon as Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, Lin Yoona on the other side laughed, "Xiuyuan, you're talking about Han Hyojoo's webtoon adaptation, 'W - Two Worlds,' right? It's pretty good. If Sulli writes the script, she just needs to get the copyright. If she's worried about standing out too much, she can just say it's because the webtoon was a success."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Lin Xiuyuan found it somewhat amusing to hear Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah's answers. "It can't be that bad, can it? They're screenwriters now, how could they be bullied in the workplace just for writing their own scripts?"

“Xiuyuan, you don’t understand our rules here. Even though the screenwriter is the most powerful, for some young screenwriters, many scripts are stolen.” Lin Yoona explained softly.

Shirley nodded, as if she had heard something about it, and said softly, "Being a genius is fine, but being too talented can easily lead to being suppressed and stifled."

At this point, Kim Tae-yeon also joined the conversation.

"Or Shirley could try scripts with an artsy, youthful vibe. Those kinds of scripts always give actors room to perform, and if the character is attractive enough, the response will be greater. Classic youth dramas always have the most potential, especially those that can show stories that intertwine friendship, growth, and love."

After thinking for a while, Lin Xiuyuan nodded, "Yes, the market for youth dramas is huge, especially if it's set on a school campus and has a touch of mystery, the audience will really like it."

The next second, Sweet Eun-jung smiled and said a script title, "How about we try 'School 2015'?"

Shirley pouted thoughtfully, "I think what's popular now are campus romance dramas, with a touch of freshness and romance, plus some emotional scenes. Like 'Our Times,' simple yet touching." Hearing this, a glint of inspiration suddenly flashed in Lin Xiuyuan's eyes, "Then how about... just write a movie script?"

Yoona's eyes lit up. "I think it's a good idea. The movie script can bypass the TV station and avoid some of the petty interference."

Once the topic was raised, the group began a lively discussion, with laughter rising and falling, making the atmosphere even more relaxed and enjoyable.

Every now and then, the crisp sound of glasses clinking echoed in the air, adding more joy to the dinner.

……

……

at the same time.

In that dimly lit apartment, Jessica sat alone on the sofa, with a pizza she had just picked up on the coffee table in front of her.

There was no one around, only silence and the occasional sound of a television.

She kept glancing down at her phone, but there were no new messages, so her eyes began to look a little lost.

A moment later, Jessica, who was eating a slice of pizza, switched the variety show on the TV to a music show.

Then she curled up on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, the pizza slice in her hand feeling unusually heavy under the force of her fingertips.

His gaze unconsciously fell on the dancing girls on the screen as he slowly ate.

The dim light from the ceiling illuminated her lonely figure, but also stretched the shadows longer.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window in the corner, night had already fallen, and the sky above the apartment was swallowed by darkness, with only the faint glow of the neon lights at the foot of the building adding a touch of life.

The curtains were not fully drawn, and the limited indoor lighting made everything seem somber and oppressive in the cramped space.

The light reflected from the television screen occasionally brushed across Jessica's face, casting a lonely glow before quickly disappearing, plunging her face back into endless shadow.

"Why does this taste so awful now?"

After taking two bites of the pizza, Jessica frowned and tossed it back into the box.

Then she whispered to herself, her voice so low it barely echoed, as if she herself hadn't heard it.

Another stage has ended. Looking at the girls taking their bows, Jessica suddenly thought of the past, of Kim Tae-yeon whom she had just met today, and of Lin Xiu-yuan who had been perfunctory with her.

Then he suddenly muttered to himself, "What are they doing?"

I picked up my phone and glanced at my reflection on the lock screen. It was a picture of myself when I was young, vibrant and beautiful, with a radiant smile.

This is the person I was once, full of endless possibilities.

After a while, Jessica put down her phone again, looked down at the pizza in the box, and took another bite.

Each bite carried a hint of coldness, like the chilly winter air seeping into her heart, solidifying warmth and hope.

The surrounding walls were silent, as if every inch of space was filled with an atmosphere of loneliness.

At the same time, Jessica also realized that her future life would probably never change.

There was no light as expected, no boisterous conversation, and no enthusiastic interaction; only this silent interplay of light and shadow remained.

She knew all too well that this silence and desolation had become a constant companion, seeping into her every night and becoming a part of her life.

Because almost every night for her, she repeats this cycle over and over again in such silence.

Jessica won't let anyone know about these things, not even Kwon Ning-il or Krystal.

This is her world, which she bears alone, lonely and silent.

After simply filling her stomach with a bite of pizza, she fell into a long period of blank staring.

She sat quietly on the sofa, watching the TV programs change, but none of them seemed to capture her attention.

Suddenly, she realized that it was getting late, so she got up and went into the bathroom to take a shower and rest.

As if life wasn't bad enough for Jessica, it broke her water heater, leaving her without hot water to take a shower.

Left with no other option, Jessica found a set of pajamas, left the apartment, and went downstairs to Krystal's home.

Normally, if Krystal is home, she would definitely call first before going over, because who knows if she might run into something she shouldn't see, right?

But she had already called Krystal twice today and knew very well that Krystal was at work, so there was definitely no one in the apartment.

So he went straight downstairs, walked to the apartment door, did a simple fingerprint unlock, opened the door and went inside.

However, just as Jessica walked into the living room of the apartment and turned on all the lights,

But the next second, her gaze involuntarily fell on the master bedroom, because a light was also on in the crack below the door.

This sudden turn of events made Jessica's heart sink, her whole body tremble, and she instinctively wanted to turn around and run away.

They were terrified of encountering thieves or robbers, fearing that something they didn't want to face, or a tragedy, would occur.

But she was a little slow to react. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, the door to the master bedroom was pushed open and a figure walked out.

Just as Jessica was about to resign herself to her fate, that familiar figure made her eyes widen.

"Lin Xiuyuan?"

“Jessica?”

(P.S.: Please read the author's words.)
　I can't hold on any longer. I'll just write one chapter tonight. I was completely exhausted last night, writing until four or five in the morning. I'll see if I can finish writing for the godfathers tomorrow. If not, I'll just consider it a day off.

　　Oh, and there's another question I'd like to discuss with everyone.

　　I wonder if everyone still likes the monthly pass bonus chapters? If so, I'll see if I should write another one.

　　Or, if you'd like to see any kind of side stories, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll try to fill in the gaps in the story.

　　Thank you all for your support! And please, please vote with your monthly tickets and subscribe!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)