Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 224 Jessica and Krystal's 'affair' (Please subscribe and vote)

The flight from Almaty to Tbilisi landed smoothly a little after 8 p.m. the following day.

The cabin lights were soft, and the quiet yet exotic city outside the window slowly unfolded as we landed, like a serene oil painting.

After disembarking and clearing customs, Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal successfully retrieved their luggage.

Lin Xiuyuan, dragging his suitcase ahead, opened a map on his phone to check the hotel route while wondering if he should just rent a car directly from the airport to avoid the hassle of taking a taxi.

At the same time, he didn't forget to talk about the situation with Krystal, but he didn't notice Krystal's smiling little expression at all.

Just as he was about to walk toward the car rental counter, Krystal gently grabbed his wrist. "No need to rent a car, let's go, let's just go out."

Lin Xiuyuan was taken aback, then thought of the hotel, "Huh? You booked a shuttle bus?"

However, Krystal remained silent, only smiling even more sweetly.

Like a child who had planned everything in advance, she pulled him along, leading him briskly through the airport terminal and straight to the exit.

As I stepped out of the airport, a gentle night breeze wafted by, carrying the mixed scents of grass, wine, and the unfamiliar city.

The night in Tbilisi is gentle and tranquil, with distant lights twinkling like stars.

And not far away, next to a dark SUV, a figure was already standing there quietly.

She wore a white turtleneck sweater with a gray shawl over it, and her black trousers were neat and tidy. Her long hair was slightly curled and naturally draped over her shoulders. She looked both casual and dignified.

The overhead lights shone down, outlining her silhouette in a way that felt strangely familiar.

He leaned against the car door, arms crossed, calmly watching the two people walking towards him.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan stopped and stood a few steps away from her. His gaze lingered on her for two seconds before he spoke, "Jessica?"

Then he turned to look at Krystal, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Continuing forward, Lin Xiuyuan, surprised to see the other person here, asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't ask me, I didn't know you were coming either." Jessica's tone was calm, but she couldn't hide the meaningful smile in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Krystal had already let go of Lin Xiuyuan's arm, and walked over with a smile to open the back door of the car. "Hehe~ Xiuyuan, I'll leave the luggage to you."

At the same time, Jessica handed the car keys to Lin Xiuyuan, her tone calm but with a hint of teasing, "You drive. I've already made reservations at the restaurant and set up the navigation. Just follow the directions."

Lin Xiuyuan took the keys and watched as the two sisters, one sitting in the back and the other calmly leaning against the window, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"You guys are working together so well, did you plan this all along to mess with me?"

"Oh, not at all," Krystal said with a smile, leaning out of the back seat. "It's just that Jessica has been working too hard lately, so I dragged her out to relax."

What could Lin Xiuyuan say in response? He couldn't very well turn around and board the plane on the spot.

So, after shaking his head with a smile, he put his luggage in the trunk and got into the driver's seat to get busy.

There wasn't much conversation inside the car, only the beeping of the navigation system and the gentle breeze outside the city night.

The three of them tacitly agreed on their positions, as if in the silence they had reached a new balance without anyone knowing.

Under the cover of night, the SUV slowly drove out of the airport and headed towards the city.

The destination is a well-regarded local restaurant, known for its creative cuisine that blends Georgian tradition with French flair.

The restaurant is located in a century-old stone house in the old town, hidden deep in a narrow alleyway entwined with grapevines.

A night breeze blew by, and dim oil lamps were lit on the outdoor seating area. The wine in the glasses swayed slightly, and the warm aroma of charcoal-grilled meat and herbs filled the air.

After the three of them sat down, the waiter served appetizers: traditional Georgian Khachapuri cheese bread and skewers of lamb with flavored yogurt dipping sauce.

"Is there a plan for what comes next?" Lin Xiuyuan asked, taking a sip of water and looking at the two sisters across from him with some curiosity.

Jessica across from me clearly looked tired from her journey, with slight dark circles under her eyes.

Krystal, on the other hand, was radiant and had a rosy complexion, her face clearly showing that she was still full of fun.

So when she heard Lin Xiuyuan's question, Krystal tore open a hot cheese bread and started talking about the upcoming schedule.

"As for the arrangements? We'll probably stay here for about four days. I plan to go to the Kazbek Mountains tomorrow and also schedule a time at the vineyard the day after tomorrow. We can take it easy for the last two days and decide based on the weather."

After all, July is the rainy season, so Krystal didn't dare to be too certain.

Lin Xiuyuan nodded and was about to speak when Jessica, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

“Perfect timing. I’ve already booked a guesthouse in the Kazbek Mountains. We can soak in the hot springs tonight. Soojung, didn’t you say you wanted to photograph the starry sky? There’s less light pollution there, and if the sky is clear enough, we should be able to capture the Milky Way. We’ll rest in the city tonight and head over there tomorrow.”

"Yay~ It was definitely the right decision to invite Jessica over. I haven't booked a hotel yet, hahaha."

Krystal, who has never had any plans, spoke with complete nonchalance.

This prompted Lin Xiuyuan to ask her, "So you haven't booked your plane ticket to London yet, right?"

"No, don't worry, Xiuyuan~ there will be no shortage of plane tickets here."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded, then put down his knife and fork and looked at Jessica, "But you just performed in China not long ago, how can you suddenly come to Georgia? Will you be able to manage your work?"

"Leave me alone."

Jessica regretted her arrogant statement a second later.

She clearly realized that her words were a bit too harsh, but her eyes flashed and she stubbornly refused to take them back.

Sure enough, Lin Xiuyuan across from him raised the corner of his mouth and his gaze fell meaningfully on Krystal.

Krystal, with a cheese bread between her lips, licked her fingers, sighed, and looked up at him with moist eyes.

Upon seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan smiled, and the slight unease he had felt dissipated.

Since even Krystal has "stepped in," let's make a note of this and deal with it later.

The atmosphere relaxed, and the three continued eating dinner.

While eating, Krystal suddenly remembered something, stopped chatting with Jessica, turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan, and said, "By the way, Xiuyuan, after we get to London, you'll have to temporarily resume my 'assistant' role."

"Huh?" Lin Xiuyuan asked, puzzled.

"Just like when we first met, except this time I don't need you to bring me food. Instead, I need you to stay by my side and help me with some things, like shooting some vlog footage."

Krystal wrinkled her nose as she said this, her voice sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Do you think I came here to relax and have fun? Actually, the company originally arranged for the whole team to come along, but I refused and chose to travel alone. Even so, I still have to deliver on my vlog, otherwise my manager will definitely scold me when I get back."

"Oh, sure, is it a phone photo or something?" Lin Xiuyuan asked, understanding the situation.

"Anything is fine. If all else fails, we can buy an action camera."

"We'll see when the time comes. Just so you know, I won't be on camera."

"Don't worry, the company doesn't want your screen time either." Krystal grinned, her dimples appearing and disappearing.

Jessica's gaze softened unconsciously as she watched the two bickering back and forth.

The night outside the window was deep and dark, the candlelight flickered, and the dining table seemed to be isolated from the world, with only this sense of peace immersed in the gentleness of the night.

After dinner, the night grew even darker.

The three walked out of the stone restaurant. The streetlights were sparse, and the stone pavement gleamed faintly in the night.

The air was slightly cool, and the tranquility carried a sense of peace unique to the ancient city.

Since Jessica had already booked a highly-rated boutique hotel in the city, Lin Xiuyuan simply followed the navigation and drove there. The hotel was not far from the restaurant, and soon the three of them dragged their luggage into the lobby.

As soon as they arrived at the lobby reception, the staff greeted them in slightly accented English. Jessica quickly gave them her reservation information and confirmed the number of rooms.

"The three rooms are all adjacent deluxe king rooms."

As soon as he finished speaking, the front desk staff began processing the check-in procedures.

However, before the registration was even completed, Krystal, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up, "Hmm, let's cancel one of them. We don't need three."

Upon hearing this, Jessica raised an eyebrow, keenly sensing something was amiss. Her tone carried the wariness typical of an older sister, "Krystal, you're not planning to share a room with me again, are you? Last time you almost kicked me off the bed, and you were sleeping like a log."

"No~" Krystal shook her head innocently, her smile as sweet as honey.

The next second, she grabbed Lin Xiuyuan's arm and leaned against him playfully, "I want to live with Xiuyuan~"

"..."

This sudden display of affection caught Jessica completely off guard, leaving her feeling utterly humiliated.

So her expression froze instantly, her fatigue vanished with a radiant glow, and she almost choked on her breath, "Oh, Krystal Jung..."

"What's wrong? It's not like we've never lived together before. Don't make such a fuss, unnie." Krystal turned to Lin Xiuyuan with a grin. "Don't you think so?"

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, neither responding directly nor breaking free, but simply said in a low voice, "I'll do as you say."

Jessica was speechless for a moment as she looked at the two of them.

A few seconds later, she let out a long sigh, as if she had given in or resigned herself to her fate, and waved to the receptionist, "Check out of the room."

The formalities were completed quickly, and the three of them took their room keys and went upstairs in the elevator. The atmosphere seemed much quieter afterward.

The elevator stopped at the top floor with a "ding," and the three rooms were located at the end of the same corridor.

However, just as Krystal was happily about to swipe her card to take Lin Xiuyuan into the room, Jessica grabbed her arm.

"Wait a minute."

Then, with a cold face, he dragged her directly into his room, and the door clicked shut.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan just smiled and opened the door and went inside.

The room is decorated in a European retro style, with warm yellow light shining on the wooden furniture, creating a tranquil and cozy atmosphere.

After putting his luggage away, he immediately took out his anti-spy camera device and carefully scanned the corner of the room.

After confirming that there were no abnormalities, I turned on my laptop and ran a network detection program that I had paid someone to design to check for any suspicious signal sources in the vicinity.

Ultimately, everything was safe.

Lin Xiuyuan then closed his laptop with satisfaction, let out a long breath, and lay down on the bed to completely relax.

Meanwhile, in Jessica's room.

Krystal, who had been pulled in by Jessica, hadn't even gotten her footing when she was blocked in front of her.

With her brows furrowed and her tone clearly tinged with worry and a hint of anger, she said, "Are you crazy? Soojung, you're not a teenage girl anymore. How can you do something so inappropriate? You're a public figure. If you get photographed like this, there will definitely be problems."

Krystal, however, remained completely unfazed. She sat down on the sofa, clutching a cushion, and said lightly, "What's there to avoid? Who took pictures of us?"

“It’s not about whether you’ve been photographed or not, it’s about you being more self-aware!” Jessica glared at her, her expression serious. “In our line of work, whether anyone is watching or not, we can’t leave any evidence against us.”

This time, Krystal looked up seriously, her eyes unusually calm. "Jessica, of course you should avoid people you don't like, but with people you like... you just want to get closer. Do you think I'm like you?"

Jessica was taken aback. Her tense expression wavered slightly for a moment, and a complex emotion appeared in her eyes.

Then, looking at his younger sister, who was younger than him but also bolder and more fearless, he suddenly fell silent.

“You…” “I know what you’re worried about, but I’ll handle it myself.”

Krystal said softly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, "Besides, I never said I wanted to date him. Younger men are pleasing to the eye. And I haven't interfered with your boyfriend, so don't worry about me."

Jessica took a deep breath, but ultimately said nothing more, only waving her hand, "Fine, I won't say anything more, you figure it out yourself."

"Got it~" Krystal stood up, tiptoed and hugged Jessica, "I'm going to find Xiuyuan now."

As she reached the door, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and smiled softly as if she had remembered something.

"By the way, unnie, I only kick and move around when I sleep with you. When I sleep with Xiuyuan, I just snuggle into his arms, it's so warm and comfortable."

"Go away~"

Jessica, unable to contain herself any longer, let out a roar.

Krystal giggled, slipped out of the room like a smug little fox, and then knocked on the door next door.

Two seconds later, Lin Xiuyuan opened the door, glanced at her, and then looked at the room behind her. "What did you say that made her react so strongly?"

"She told me to be mindful of my appearance."

After speaking with a smile, Krystal pushed Lin Xiuyuan into the room the next second, kicked the door shut with her toe, pressed herself against him, and kissed him passionately with a smile.

Lin Xiuyuan was not to be outdone, and the two went back and forth, lingering for a while before finally separating.

Then, looking at Krystal across from him, he smiled somewhat helplessly, "Is this what you mean by paying attention to one's image?"

"I didn't agree."

Krystal gave a smug snort, her gaze sweeping across the room before landing on the laptop and testing device on the coffee table. "So, is there a camera?"

"No, I'm waiting for you to come. Should we go back now or not?"

"You really want to sleep back at the villa tonight?"

"It's definitely more comfortable to sleep in the villa. Anyway, it's the same time and space. We can just come over after we wake up. If it's late, Jessica will call. It's not like we can't get through, right?"

As Krystal listened to Lin Xiuyuan's explanation, she nodded slightly, but something still felt off.

After a moment, she realized what was going on and said, "Wait a minute, Xiuyuan~ We're here on vacation, so staying here is what makes it feel like a vacation. Going back to wash up and grab some things is fine, but staying in a villa would ruin that sense of anticipation and uncertainty that comes with a vacation."

Hearing Krystal's reply, Lin Xiuyuan smiled and said, "Alright, I'll do as you say. I'm very receptive to advice."

“Then I advise you to stop going against Jessica, okay?” Krystal said with a smile, her eyes narrowed.

The next second, Lin Xiuyuan grabbed her wrist.

"Speaking of which, I was just about to retort, but you stopped me. So, as Jessica's younger sister, you'll have to bear the consequences of Jessica arguing back."

"What kind of punishment?" Krystal looked up at Lin Xiuyuan, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I wouldn't want a punishment that doesn't satisfy me."

One sentence immediately extinguished Lin Xiuyuan's anger: "You're cheating, aren't you? If you're so capable, why don't you just not use any techniques?"

“No way.” Krystal smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Don’t you think my hands are very soft? And didn’t you say my stockings were especially comfortable last night?”

Lin Xiuyuan fell silent again, then turned around and picked up his phone. "Let's go back to the villa to wash up."

Krystal smiled slightly, stopped teasing him, turned around and locked the door from the inside, then pulled over a stool to prop the door shut before returning with Lin Xiuyuan to the apartment they had lived in for 13 years, intending to go back to the villa they had lived in for 25 years.

But as soon as he returned to the apartment, he bumped into Shirley, who had just finished taking a shower.

Sulli, wearing a bathrobe and with her hair still dripping wet, was taken aback when she saw the two of them walk in. "Huh, Krystal, didn't you say you went to Eastern Europe? What are you doing back here?"

Krystal gestured towards Lin Xiuyuan with her lip, "This guy said he wanted to go back to the villa to rest, but I persuaded him to change his mind and go back to the hotel to sleep first."

"Okay, it's all my fault then."

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged helplessly, then turned to Shirley, "By the way, Zhenli, would you like to come with us over there later? Although it's inconvenient to go out, it's nice to stay in the room and enjoy the scenery outside."

"I'm a little moved."

Wearing loose pajamas, Shirley walked up to the two of them, glanced at the villa through the still-open portal, blinked slightly, and her expression clearly wavered.

Upon seeing Sulli, Krystal, who was smitten, immediately grabbed her arm and said, "Come on, let's go together after we've finished showering."

Then Lin Xiuyuan opened and closed the door again, leading the two of them through it, returning to the villa they had lived in for 25 years.

While the two were taking a shower after returning to Seoul from Georgia, Jessica was still sitting on the sofa in her guest room, staring blankly out the window.

Right now, what Krystal said keeps echoing in her mind:
Jessica, of course you should avoid people you don't like, but with people you like... you just want to get closer. Do you think I'm like you?

These words were like a blunt but undeniable needle, silently piercing a soft spot in her heart.

She used to enjoy getting close to people and showing off in front of the camera.

But after seeing reality clearly, not only did "getting close" become a burden, she also avoided attending public events together.

The reason the two appeared together at the last wedding was simply because the person was a mutual friend of many years, and there was no way to avoid it.

Just as her thoughts were drifting, a figure that she both hated and couldn't shake off suddenly appeared in her mind.

Jessica, her brows furrowed, suddenly felt a surge of emotion in her chest that wasn't quite "like."
It wasn't gentleness, nor sweetness, but a curiosity that wanted to get to the bottom of things, a desire to explore mixed with a slight sense of unwillingness. That guy had too many mysterious aspects.

Jessica certainly understands that a mature person like herself shouldn't let these emotions lead her astray, but she can't stop herself from getting carried away by her emotions.

So she could only bite her lip speechlessly and mutter under her breath, "Damn it."

The person she was cursing had just finished showering at his villa in Seoul and was drying his hair as he came out.

Inside the room, Krystal and Sherry were snuggled together on the sofa playing video games.

"it's your turn."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at Krystal, his tone gentle.

Hearing the voice, Krystal looked up at Lin Xiuyuan and nodded. "Okay, I'll go right now. Jessica just texted me asking if I wanted to go for a walk, but I said I'd wait until after I shower."

"Okay, go take a shower."

As Krystal left, Shirley stood up from the sofa, walked to Lin Xiuyuan's side, and said with a mysterious smile.

"Oppa, did you know that there's been a little friction among the Girls' Generation members these past few days?"

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her sideways, but didn't interrupt; he just listened quietly.

Sulli didn't hide anything, speaking as casually as if she were gossiping, "It was Jessica unnie, she spoke in a slightly sarcastic tone, and the atmosphere immediately became a little off."

Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh after hearing this, "At their current stage, there's nothing seriously wrong. At most, Xiuyan is just unhappy and looking for an opportunity to vent."

"Yeah, so even though Sooyeon unnie pointed her finger at him like that, there was no follow-up."

Shirley nodded silently, clearly agreeing. "I guess everyone understands one thing: they make tens of millions in revenue just by working together, so they're unlikely to overturn the table for the sake of saving face."

"So what did they do after that?" Lin Xiuyuan asked.

"Well, it just fizzled out. On the surface, everything seemed calm, but underneath, there was a cold war."

After Sulli repeated Jessica Jung's words verbatim, Lin Xiuyuan simply smiled and offered no comment.

After finishing her sentence, Shirley paused for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, her tone becoming softer, "But speaking of which, I'm more worried about Soojung lately."

"Xiujing?"

"The one from 13."

"What's wrong."

"Didn't I give her that lead role?"

Shirley softened her tone, her voice carrying the undisguised worry of an older sister for her younger sister, "Then I heard from V's mom that lately she's been either staring at the script or practicing her lines every night. I can even hear her reciting her lines while pacing on the balcony after she takes a shower..."

She paused, her gaze falling on Lin Xiuyuan's face, her tone tinged with helplessness and heartache, "I've talked to her these past few days. She said she's getting more and more anxious, and the more she rehearses, the more she feels something's not right, afraid of ruining my debut."

She paused for another second, as if organizing her thoughts, before tentatively asking, "Oppa, do you have any better ideas so that she can suddenly have an epiphany like Yoona unnie?"

Lin Xiuyuan didn't rush to answer, but smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Zhenli, are you trying to subtly suggest that I call Krystal over to give the other party some 'personal acting coaching' lessons?"

Shirley shook her head, her tone becoming somewhat subdued. "I'm just... a little worried."

She did consider it, but she knew that such thoughts shouldn't be mixed with emotions, as it could easily lead to trouble, so she only intended to mention it lightly.

Beside her, Lin Xiuyuan, who had already sat down on the sofa after Shirley got up, nodded after a few seconds of contemplation.

“Yoona previously compiled a set of performance notes, as well as her own system for practicing rhythm. I’ll go ask her for them. You can let Krystal take a look first. Take it slow and don’t put too much pressure on her.”

Hearing him say that, Shirley's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great!"

Then, the two talked a lot about Krystal Jung, from her obsession with the stage to her stubbornness in insisting on performing even when she was unwell so as not to disappoint her fans.

As Lin Xiuyuan listened, he couldn't help but smile. "She really is stubborn."

"So stubborn it's heartbreaking." Shirley nodded, her voice carrying a resonance that only they could understand.

As the two were talking, the bathroom door suddenly creaked open.

Krystal came out in clean loungewear, her hair still wet, shaking a towel as she looked at them with a smile on her lips.

"What are you guys talking about? Why do I feel like I'm faintly hearing my name coming from inside?"

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her and smiled faintly, "We were talking about your acting skills."

"Me?" Krystal raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, immediately realizing what was going on. "You're talking about Krystal, right? Not me, Sulli?"

Shirley smiled, her eyes narrowing, and nodded slightly.

Krystal immediately understood, and frowned. "To be honest, acting skills can't be learned quickly, unless you rely on... special methods."

After saying that, she immediately turned to Lin Xiuyuan and said, "Yoona unnie's methods, the side effects are already showing, aren't they, Xiuyuan?"

Lin Xiuyuan tossed the towel onto the sofa and shrugged, feigning ignorance, "How should I know?"

"I didn't blame you, why are you so afraid?"

Krystal rolled her eyes at him, then looked at Sulli, "I'll put together some information and send it to you later. It's the rhythm logic I figured out myself, and it should suit Krystal better than Yoona's. The rest is up to her, or maybe..."

She originally wanted to say, "We could consider trying special one-on-one tutoring," but when she thought of the strange phenomena of Lin Yoona and Lin Xiaolu, she swallowed her words and sighed softly.

In the end, he shut up and changed his words, saying, "Never mind, let's see how things go."

So, after washing up, the three of them reopened the time portal, passed through the apartment, and returned to their hotel room in Georgia.

The moment the three of them stepped onto the hotel room floor, Lin Xiuyuan's phone rang.

All three of them turned their attention to the caller ID, and upon seeing the familiar caller ID, they all smiled.

"Oh, it's unnie~"

"I guess they're looking for Xiu Yuan."

"Of course, it was my phone that was called."

　There will be another chapter later, please give me some monthly votes! My ranking has recently dropped out of the top 50. I won't talk about the bestseller status, but I'm still writing 10,000 chapters a day, so I hope you guys will support me!!!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)