Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 241 [When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits] (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

It's around four in the morning.

Lin Xiuyuan drove Krystal back to the villa.

The carriage was unusually quiet throughout the journey.

Krystal, in the passenger seat, barely spoke, only occasionally glancing down at her phone screen, her expression completely calm and revealing no emotion.

On the contrary, Lin Xiuyuan drove while yawning, but his heart was filled with unease.

The lingering scent on his neck was still there, something he hadn't expected, since he had clearly taken a shower.

The only explanation is that the big dragon cub bit him and left a mark.

Thinking about this, a chill ran down his spine.

To make matters worse, the icy aura emanating from the passenger seat continued to spread, making Lin Xiuyuan's back feel cold, until the car slowly drove into the villa's garage.

Ten minutes later.

In the master bedroom on the third floor of the villa, the lighting was quiet and gentle.

After the room was circulated by the five constant air systems, those special smells had long been dissipated, and the bed was made neatly, and everything seemed normal.

Krystal, who had been walking down the stairs, appeared quite calm at first, but her steps faltered slightly as she passed the walk-in closet on her way into the bedroom.

His gaze slowly fell on the corner.

They were a pair of stiletto heels, almost invisible unless you looked closely. The heels were delicate and slender, and the uppers still carried the lingering scent of a woman's unique fragrance.

She stared at the shoes, her gaze gradually turning cold.

The next second, as he turned around, he suddenly lunged forward and pinned Lin Xiuyuan against the door.

"Holy crap, what are you doing?"

Lin Xiuyuan exclaimed in surprise, his drowsiness instantly jolted away, and he felt refreshed.

He could see the oppressive aura emanating from Krystal's cool eyes, even though they were so close together.

Then she gently pressed her fingertips against his chest, the coldness seeping through the thin fabric, making him stiffen.

"What's up? Say a few words, Krystal~"

Lin Xiuyuan stood frozen in place, his back pressed against the cold wall, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

The name 'Soojung' brought Krystal back to her senses slightly. She curled her lip and snorted, "What did I say? Shouldn't it be Xiuyuan who's saying it? Why did you suddenly think of sending Jiyeon over there in 13? Weren't you worried that she would overturn the table?"

Lin Xiuyuan blinked and forced a smile as he replied, "I was indeed worried at first, as her mental state wasn't very good at the time... but she seems to be doing better recently. And since we're stuck at her doorstep anyway, I figured I might as well take her out to see the world."

See the world...

This word softened the anger in Krystal's eyes, and her tense expression seemed to deflate.

But soon, she raised her eyes again, her expression cold and stern, and locked her gaze on him once more.

Lin Xiuyuan instinctively wanted to speak, but the complex emotions in her eyes rendered him speechless.

"Soojung, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Krystal suddenly raised her hand and pushed him away forcefully.

"go there."

The voice was cold and devoid of warmth.

A few seconds later, Lin Xiuyuan was pushed down onto the sofa in the corner, looking rather disheveled.

He subconsciously looked up, only to see Krystal slowly turn around. He was very familiar with that look in her eyes; he had seen it countless times before. It was the premise that she was about to unleash her ultimate juicing move.

"No, the bed..."

So Lin Xiuyuan subconsciously called out, wanting to say something.

Krystal simply smiled slightly, her voice indifferent yet sharp, "The bed is dirty, we'll change it tomorrow. You can stay here tonight."

"what……"

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned and completely speechless.

After a night.

That night, Krystal slept soundly for the first half of the night, while the dragon cub took over for the second half.

Lin Xiuyuan, however, with dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot eyes, stayed up all night.

Young people are young people, full of energy!

……

……

The next day, noon.

The sun was shining brightly in Seoul in 2013.

In that little tavern that hadn't been lively for a long time, the wooden door was pushed open, and the soft sound of wind chimes rang out.

Park Jiyeon walked in carrying a small bag, her eyes filled with anticipation, but she paused for a moment when her gaze swept over the bar.

The person in front of the bar wasn't Sulli, whom she had imagined, but Jessica Jung, who was intently learning bartending by watching videos on her laptop.

"Huh~ It's you, unnie. Where's Jinri?" Park Jiyeon asked, somewhat surprised.

Ham Eun-jung, who followed her in, patted her shoulder and said helplessly, "Sulli said in the group chat that she would send Soo-jung back to the company first, and then come over."

"Oh, right, I forgot." Park Jiyeon stuck out her tongue and muttered as she walked inside.

Then, looking around curiously, she asked, "Unnie, are Yoona unnie and Taeyeon unnie not free today?"

Jessica closed her laptop, looked up and smiled, "Yes, they all have schedules."

"And what about you, unnie?" Park Jiyeon asked.

“My schedule is in the evening, so I have time to come over and sit for a while during the day,” Jessica Jung said calmly, gracefully tossing her hair back. “Would you like something to drink?”

Her schedule for tonight is to attend a radio program hosted by another group with Sunny, followed by two short interviews and a short guest appearance at the Comedy Theatre, so she has plenty of time.

"Just grab something, I can't drink anyway, I have to go back to the company for training this afternoon," Ham Eun-jung said as she walked to the bar and sat down.

"Study? What do you mean by studying? Is it dance?" Jessica Jung asked with interest.

"Chinese."

Park Jiyeon then plopped down at the bar, resting her chin on her hand with a look of utter despair. "Ah, unnie, Chinese is so hard to learn, it's so tongue-twisting."

Jessica Jung couldn't help but laugh out loud. She poured a glass of juice and pushed it in front of Ham Eun-jung, shrugging, "I can't really help you with this either, because I'm learning too."

In fact, she herself was also quite exhausted by the Chinese language.

The night before last, I specifically asked Lim Yoona about her study methods, and the answer I received made me roll my eyes on the spot.

—【Unnie, talk to people who speak Chinese more often, and you'll learn Chinese very quickly.】

Jessica Jung was speechless at this answer.

Doesn't she know this problem? But right now, she only has a few people around her who can speak Chinese.

They're either not familiar with me, or they're not here.

On the contrary, Shirley chatted with Victoria in Chinese every day, and although she was clumsy, her progress was much faster than others.

After the three of them sat down and chatted for a while, they began their formal discussion about the reason for their gathering.

That's about the Mala Tang endorsement and Jessica Jung's clothing designs.

The pub had a quiet atmosphere. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating the wooden texture of the bar counter and creating a cozy warmth. Park Jiyeon sipped her juice and got straight to the point, "Unnie, I've submitted the endorsement for that mala tang project to the agency for discussion. They said they can go through the normal contract process directly, and the price will be set at market rate."

Jessica Jung paused for a moment, tilted her head to stare at her, and said with a half-smile, "Jiyeon, the way you're talking now, you're starting to sound like a business queen."

After she finished speaking, a hint of worry flashed across her brows. "But wouldn't this affect costs and revenue?"

"What impact does it have? Anyway, it's always the sheep who pays for it. According to Oppa, this project was basically a game of musical chairs from the beginning, where we see who is the greediest."

Park Jiyeon pouted and reached out to poke the ice cubes on her juice glass. "Anyway, we'll definitely invest the money we need to. While you unnies are making money, we can use Girls' Generation's fame and the brand to help each other out. It'll definitely generate buzz and be a win-win situation."

“Jiyeon is right.” Ham Eunjung nodded. “Yoona and Taeyeon are also quite suitable for endorsements. Moreover, the three of you are popular members of Girls’ Generation. If we broaden the scope, it won’t just be fans. I estimate that the general public and the brand will also get some attention.”

After listening to their analysis, Jessica Jung naturally had no objections.

In fact, she has no right to oppose decisions at this level.

After all, this is a negotiation between companies. As long as SM Entertainment agrees, these artists have almost no say.

The fact that Park Jiyeon and Jessica Jung chatted like this was actually the result of their private discussion. After all, T-ara's reputation on the Korean Peninsula isn't very good, while Girls' Generation's popularity is a different story.

The collaboration between the two can actually create a synergistic effect. Successfully opening a branch in Seoul would be a huge boost to the brand's publicity and endorsement, making it more convincing for future expansion and attracting investment.

At that time, T-ara will dominate the Chinese market, while Girls' Generation will dominate the Korean market.

If they want to expand into the Japanese market, it depends on whether Sulli can successfully bring Goo Hara into her camp and when she will win her over.

When the time comes, leveraging KARA's immense popularity in Japan, they will naturally be able to win another victory.

In this way, the three core markets in Asia can be basically captured, and the reputation of the entire Malatang brand will inevitably be pushed to a peak.

Although it sounds idealistic, this so-called brand is like a castle in the air, very unstable.

But for Park Ji-yeon and Lin Xiuyuan's investment company, it was enough to make a hefty profit after one round of operations, and then withdraw from the market.

After saying that, the three of them smiled knowingly.

Then it was Jessica Jung's turn to present her "results".

She took a few pieces of clothing out of her bag and carefully spread them out on the table.

That was a design sample she derived from the styles chosen by Ham Eun-jung and Park Ji-yeon 25 years ago.

The fabrics are exquisite, the tailoring is refined, and it avoids the commonplace, instead exuding a refreshing and unique sense of fashion.

"This is for you."

Jessica Jung, who was pushing the clothes in front of Park Jiyeon and Eunjung, said, "Actually, I didn't plan to penetrate the fan market so early, but since the company has already drawn a clear line, I'll just go with the flow and wear the designer's hat a little higher."

"Unnie, you're so good at this."

Park Jiyeon found it amusing and gestured with her hand to show the lines of the clothes. "But in that case, wouldn't you be considered an officially recognized designer by the company?"

"That's it."

Jessica Jung gave a soft hum, her expression calm, but the smugness in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"After Taeyeon's last meeting, things became quite clear."

At first, it was just a minor argument within the team, but then someone with a big mouth went and tattled on it, and the company got involved. After some discussion, everyone laid out the requirements for transparent accounting and no profit.

This caused some people's charitable endeavors to come to an abrupt halt, while I was able to ride this wave and naturally step into the limelight.

Ham Eun-jung rested her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter, "This must be the legendary 'when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits' story."

"Pretty much, I guess I was just lucky." Jessica Jung smiled.

Just as the group was getting into a lively conversation, the tavern door was pushed open again.

Shirley walked in carrying a bag, her cheeks slightly flushed from the afternoon sun and warm breeze.

As soon as she entered, she was infected by the laughter coming from inside and laughed along, "Oh my, unnie, you guys are having such a lively chat."

“Jinri, you’ve finally come.” Park Jiyeon waved and pulled her to sit down next to her.

Soon, the atmosphere among the four of them became more relaxed than before.

But when the topic turned to Park Jiyeon and Daeyong's meeting, Jessica Jung laughed so hard her stomach almost cramped when she learned that the two of them started fighting. Especially when she heard Sulli say that she had filmed a video, she immediately had the urge to go back to her apartment to watch the video.

Even Ham Eun-jung had this idea.

On the contrary, Park Jiyeon herself looked completely devastated, clinging tightly to Sulli with a face full of resentment, "Ah, Jinri~ how come even you are making fun of me? You can't do this."

"I didn't, Jiyeon." Sulli blinked innocently. "I just... filmed a video."

"That's a video from my embarrassing past, please delete it. I'll cover the investment for your next drama, no, I'll cover the investment for all your future scripts."

With the investment company's prospects looking increasingly promising, Park Ji-yeon felt a little more confident in saying such a thing.

However, Shirley just smiled and tilted her head, her voice light and cheerful, "No, I can ask oppa for investment. He's the chairman of the company."

"Hahaha~"

Jessica Jung and Ham Eunjung, who were standing next to her, immediately burst into laughter.

……

……

Just as the group was laughing and chatting in the tavern.

Inside the 25-year-old villa, the bedroom on the third floor was quiet and dim.

The afternoon sun slanted down through the gaps in the curtains, casting its warm rays on the bedside.

Lin Xiuyuan slowly turned over, his eyelids feeling as heavy as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds.

Last night was a fierce battle.

First came the "black stockings punishment" from the dragon cub, followed by Krystal's cold and forceful attack.

Caught between two attacks, he was so exhausted that he had no strength left.

He wasn't afraid of any bloody battles or hand-to-hand combat, but he was afraid of those little actions that involved staring intently at the milk maker, something that men both loved and hated.

When I sat up, the other side of the bed was already empty.

The pillows were neatly arranged, leaving only a faint, cool fragrance, as if still carrying the lingering scent of last night.

Krystal had mentioned before leaving that she had to go back to the company for a meeting today, so Lin Xiuyuan wasn't surprised.

However, when he reached for his phone on the bedside table, the screen lit up, revealing an unread message lying there quietly.

—Let's have dinner together tonight.

The signature is Krystal, but her words reveal her unique indifference and composure.

"call……"

Lin Xiuyuan rubbed his temples, let out a soft breath, and then yawned widely. Tears welled in his eyes, and drowsiness still weighed heavily on his head.

The traces of last night hadn't been cleaned up yet, and the entire master bedroom was still shrouded in an ambiguous and messy atmosphere.

Just thinking about those two nights of relay-like torment makes his abdomen tighten reflexively.

Immediately, Lin Xiuyuan dragged his heavy steps into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face, which barely managed to pull him back from his daze.

After washing up and changing into simple clothes, she went to the living room and quickly disappeared into the air of the villa.

He needs to hide.

　I have to go back to my hometown for a few days, so I'll rest for a few days and stop writing articles. I'll resume writing articles when I get back.

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(End of this chapter)