Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 226 Jessica: "Which of us is from the past?" (Please subscribe and vote)

The next morning, Georgian sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, casting a soft, golden glow across the wooden floors of the hotel room, creating a gentle and tranquil atmosphere.

After taking care of things with Kim Tae-yeon last night, Lin Xiuyuan returned to the hotel.

Krystal and Shirley were stargazing on the balcony when he joined their conversation, and the three of them talked until dawn.

It wasn't until late at night and the dew was heavy that Lin Xiuyuan took Shirley back to her room before falling into a deep sleep.

Therefore, the first person to wake up this morning was Jessica from next door.

So a sudden phone call broke the tranquility of the next room, pulling Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal, who were still fast asleep, out of their dreams.

The first thing Krystal did after getting up was to draw back the curtains, and the sight of the city just waking up came into view.

In the distance, the mountain silhouettes are shrouded in morning mist; nearby, there are brick-red rooftops and staggered stone paths; even the air carries a tranquility nurtured by wine.

Lin Xiuyuan was blinded by the direct sunlight and reflexively turned over to continue lying in bed.

Krystal turned to look at him, smiled helplessly, and pounced on him, softly coaxing, "Get up, Xiuyuan~ We still have plans to go out and have fun today."

After saying that, she playfully left a few light kiss marks on his neck before getting up and going into the bathroom, satisfied.

After a while, Krystal, having finished washing up, changed into the outfit she had brought back from the villa the night before.

Then, stepping out of the bathroom, she looked at Lin Xiuyuan, who was still lying in bed scrolling through his phone, and called out, "I'm going to find Jessica, Xiuyuan~"

"Okay, I'll get up now."

Lin Xiuyuan gave a lazy reply, and only after hearing the door close did he reluctantly sit up from the bed and slowly walk into the bathroom.

After he finished washing up, got dressed, and walked out of his room, he reached out and knocked on the door next door.

A moment later, the door opened, and Krystal and Jessica appeared one after the other in his view.

Lin Xiuyuan's gaze immediately focused on Krystal, who was wearing a dark blue baseball cap. A few strands of chestnut brown hair fell naturally under the brim, casual yet not messy.

She wore a black fitted short-sleeved shirt, layered with a light brown Polo Ralph Lauren linen shirt, the cuffs casually rolled up to reveal the curve of her wrists.

The lower body is paired with high-waisted washed denim jeans, with a woven belt and retro metal buckle, which makes the waistline and figure look particularly neat and stylish.

Krystal leaned gently against the door, tilted her head at Lin Xiuyuan, and smiled refreshingly after washing up. "I thought you were going to stay in bed a little longer, and I was thinking of going to come and wake you up."

"No way, let's go get something to eat first, I'm a little hungry."

Lin Xiuyuan replied casually, his gaze sweeping over Jessica standing behind her.

Compared to Krystal's carefree and casual demeanor, Jessica behind her appears more languid and sophisticated.

A loose-fitting off-white knit sweater draped naturally over her shoulders, slightly revealing her collarbone, paired with a light gray high-waisted A-line skirt.

The skirt fell perfectly to mid-thigh, and her slender legs, illuminated by the morning light, looked as delicate and beautiful as porcelain.

This outfit perfectly suits her age, exuding both sophistication and a touch of girlish charm.

However, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze didn't linger on her for long. Instead, he asked, "Aren't you cold?"

Jessica, who was initially in a good mood because of the trip, rolled her eyes and turned to look at Krystal as these words floated into her ears.

"Hey, Krystal Jung, can't you teach him a lesson? How can someone be so clueless? If you're not going to compliment him, can't you just shut up?"

Krystal smiled and then took Lin Xiuyuan's arm. "Haha, let's go, Xiuyuan~ Jessica spent a long time choosing clothes inside, but you beat her to it with just one sentence."

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, looking completely innocent. "I'm just stating the facts."

Although it's summer here, the morning breeze is still a bit cool because of the recent rainy season.

Jessica ignored them, tossed her long hair, and strode towards the restaurant with her long, fair legs, exuding an aura of "I can't be bothered with you."

The hotel's restaurant is located on one side of the terrace, with a row of floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the morning light into the room. Outside the windows are the slowly awakening streets of Tbilisi, with their staggered red-roofed houses and the old town built on the hillside.

The self-service counter was filled with freshly baked Georgian cheese tarts, yogurt, honey, dried fruit, hot black coffee, and various local jams.

Lin Xiuyuan casually picked up a few items, including the traditional Georgian Khachapuri, which is a bread roll with an egg and cheese sandwich in the middle.

Krystal was carrying a plate of fruit salad, while Jessica had piled up a bowl of yogurt almost to overflowing.

Then, as Krystal cut bread while taking a few pictures of Jessica eating, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but ask, "Krystal, are you planning to post this on Instagram later?"

"Take the picture first, and then post it when you leave. If you post it now, I feel like it will get blocked."

"I still feel it. We were blocked before, and we were so scared that we almost called security."

Jessica chuckled and teased a couple of times, and then they chatted happily about the topic.

Although Krystal's popularity has dropped significantly compared to when she was in the group, she has also filtered out casual fans, leaving only loyal fans.

From their conversation, we learned that Krystal once took a photo and posted it on a whim while traveling, and within minutes, fans blocked her at the door.

Although she didn't do anything special, just came over for a happy photo, it scared Krystal so much that she dared not do it again.

Lin Xiuyuan sat to the side, drinking coffee and watching the two interact silently, a rare look of ease appearing in his eyes.

Just then, Krystal, who was poking at the fruit pieces in her bowl with her fork, suddenly blurted out, "Xiuyuan~ were you talking in your sleep last night?"

"Me?" Lin Xiuyuan looked up at her. "I don't think so. I don't talk in my sleep."

As he answered the questions, he also searched his memory for any recollection of himself.

Jessica sat quietly watching, sipping her yogurt, as if observing a play.

But the next second, she was inexplicably pulled into the fray, simply because Krystal's tone changed and she said casually, "Not yet. Last night you kept calling out 'Sooyeon Sooyeon,' I would have thought you and Jessica were very close."

???

Lin Xiuyuan put down his knife and fork, tilted his head to look at the astonished face beside him, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Are you crazy? I definitely didn't say anything like that. Even in a dream, I wouldn't dream about her."

Across from her, Jessica, who had been somewhat taken aback, immediately darkened her expression upon hearing this explanation.

"Hey, try saying that again."

She stared at him, her tone seemingly joking, yet subtly tinged with anger.

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged. "It wasn't me who said that."

"I'm just stating the facts."

Krystal retorted without hesitation, but the smile on her lips carried a deeper meaning.

And so, the three of them chatted and laughed as they finished their breakfast. After breakfast, they set off to begin their day's journey.

First, head to the old town, wander through the alleyways covered in vines, and admire the ancient brick buildings and colorful window frames.

Then, in a small bookstore covered in vines, Jessica found an old French poetry collection somewhere and bought it on the spot as if she had discovered a treasure.

Immediately, a voice came from behind, "Can you even understand it?"

When she turned around and saw that the person speaking was Lin Xiuyuan, she immediately tilted her head and looked at him quietly without saying a word.

The silence that followed made Lin Xiuyuan increasingly uneasy, and he could only turn and leave, leaving Jessica standing there chuckling softly, her smile unable to be hidden as it spread from the corners of her eyes.

They then climbed to a high observation deck, from where they could overlook the entire outline of Tbilisi's old town.

Standing by the stone wall, Krystal adjusted her sunglasses and looked at the winding Kula River at the foot of the mountain. She casually asked Lin Xiuyuan, "Xiuyuan, do you think it would be too cliché to propose in a place like this?"

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her. "What do you think?"

"It would be a bit cliché if it were someone else, but if it were you, Xiuyuan, proposing to me, then it would be different."

Krystal kept her eyes on Lin Xiuyuan the whole time she was saying this.

The smile that appeared on his lips was also very bright. It seemed like a joke, but it also carried a hint of seriousness, leaving Lin Xiuyuan at a loss for words for a moment.

Fortunately, Jessica came to his rescue at that moment, reaching out to push Krystal away, saying, "Let's go, what are you daydreaming about standing here for?"

“Ah, Jessica, how is this a daydream?”

Krystal, who had been pushed, snorted in annoyance, but she still took Lin Xiuyuan's arm and led him to follow Jessica's steps.

Tbilisi's old town always has a leisurely pace, making you lose track of time as you stroll along.

The three of them walked slowly along the cobblestone path, the air filled with the scents of spices, earth, and sunshine.

Jessica walked in front, stopping every now and then to look at a delicate wood carving or antique ornament, while Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal followed behind.

"Xiuyuan~ do you think she's planning to buy up the whole block by walking and stopping like this?" Krystal teased in a low voice, while still chewing on the Georgian walnut candy she had just bought.

Lin Xiuyuan looked at the buildings on both sides and replied casually, "Aren't you the same? That wool scarf just now kept calling you and you wouldn't leave."

Krystal said matter-of-factly, "That's because it looked really good at first."

"Then why don't you buy it?"

"I didn't like it anymore later."

This answer was very typical of Krystal, which made Lin Xiuyuan chuckle.

They strolled along until they reached the old town near the castle. The three of them stopped in a small square to rest for a while. At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan glanced at his watch and gently reminded him.

"It's about time to go back to the hotel, we still need to get to the Kazbek Mountains today."

Jessica nodded, while Krystal suddenly raised her hand and said, "Wait a minute, I'm going to the restroom."

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly ran towards the shopping mall not far away, leaving Lin Xiuyuan and Jessica standing under the shade of a tree.

One was lost in thought, while the other casually snapped a few photos of the surrounding scenery.

Just then, the sky suddenly changed.

Just a moment ago the sun was shining brightly, but then a thick rain cloud drifted in from nowhere, and within seconds, large raindrops began to fall.

"Holy crap, they're taking shelter from the rain, and they're still filming."

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan shouted and pulled Jessica to run under the nearest eaves.

As soon as the two took shelter inside, the rain intensified, forming a curtain of rain in just a few seconds. The sound of rain hitting the stone pavement was dense and incessant, and the street just ten meters away became somewhat blurred. The entire old town seemed to be shrouded in a tranquil dream.

Jessica leaned against a pillar under the eaves, brushing the raindrops from her cheeks with her hand, and looked at Lin Xiuyuan with some curiosity, "I've never encountered anything like this when I travel with Xiujing."

"What do you mean? You're blaming me?" Lin Xiuyuan retorted with a smile. "If I could really influence the weather, I wouldn't be at this level of ability now."

If one could possess all power, who would bother with time portals? Wouldn't it be better to just summon celestial weapons directly?

After exchanging a few words, the two fell silent again.

After a while, Jessica seemed to want to break the slightly awkward atmosphere and suddenly said, "Don't you feel that the current situation is a bit like that Jay Chou movie?"

"Ok?"

Lin Xiuyuan grinned slightly after recalling the situation, but still turned to Jessica and asked jokingly, "So, which of us do you think is from the past?"

Jessica answered without hesitation, "It's definitely not me."

"So, according to you, it's me then," Lin Xiuyuan said casually, then leaned against the pillar.

Jessica turned her head and glanced at him, looking at his youthful and clean face, and his hair that was wet with rain but still casual and natural. Her gaze paused for a moment, then gently withdrew, and she pursed her lips.

A rare emotion flickered through my mind, I couldn't tell if it was envy or jealousy.

"If I had to choose one, it would definitely be you," she said calmly. "You're so young, how could it be me?"

Raindrops slid down the eaves and hit the stone pavement, splashing up tiny ripples.

The two stood side by side, their shoulders occasionally brushing against each other, but neither moved.

The air was a bit chilly, but the atmosphere was somehow subtly ambiguous.

Perhaps realizing that her words were a bit inappropriate, Jessica spoke up again, "By the way, you should know that what Krystal just said was actually just a joke, right?"

"What did you say?" Lin Xiuyuan pretended not to understand.

"Don't play dumb. I'm not going to repeat myself. How you guys play is your business, but marriage is something you can't just do casually."

Lin Xiuyuan finally turned around and looked at her, his eyes frank but also a little amused. "If you hadn't said these words, I might not have thought you were old, but now that you've said them, I think you're being long-winded, Jessica."

Upon hearing this, the air seemed to freeze for a moment, but Jessica didn't respond, instead turning her gaze back to the front.

Gazing at the rain curtain ahead, he paused for a second before replying softly, "I understand."

After saying that, she stepped out from under the eaves and reached out to feel the rain. "The rain seems to be stopping soon. Let's go pick up Krystal."

Lin Xiuyuan grunted in agreement and followed.

　I was a bit tired from staying up late last night, and my tenosynovitis is hurting again, so I won't stay up late tonight. I'll finish the rest of the chapter tomorrow. Goodnight everyone.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)