Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 267 Jung Soo-jung begins to experience life and death (10,000 words, please subscribe and vote)

As the door to the second bedroom clicked shut, cutting off outside noise, the room immediately became so quiet that only the rapid breathing of Jessica Jung and the other two could be heard.

The air seemed to be sucked out instantly, making one's chest feel suffocated.

Krystal Jung was half-pushed and half-pulled to sit on the edge of the bed, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst her eardrums.

At this moment, she was staring wide-eyed, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Jessica Jung and Sulli, her face full of defensiveness and confusion, like a small animal cornered and ready to explode at any moment.

"Soojung, calm down first." Jessica Jung leaned down, placed her hand on Soojung's shoulder, and gently pressed it down. Her voice was much softer than usual, as if she was afraid of scaring her. "Stop for a moment and listen to me. We didn't lie to you, and we didn't mean to brush you off."

Shirley leaned down beside her, her voice reassuring, "Yes, the one you saw in the bedroom just now... it was real."

At this point, she paused to compose herself, as if she was still processing what had just happened. "The reason is simple: oppa has a time portal that allows people to travel between 2013 and 2025."

"Time...gate?" Krystal Jung repeated it subconsciously, her eyes clearly wavering, her throat feeling dry.

“Yes.” Jessica Jung nodded, her gaze firm. “You kept asking us what kind of bar members we were. They were just people who knew this secret, members.”

Normally, Krystal Jung would definitely roll her eyes, thinking that the two of them were joking, as if they were playing a prank on some hidden camera variety show.

But just now, she clearly saw Jessica tied up on the bed.

That Jessica was more mature and slightly thinner than the Jessica Jung in front of her.

At first, she didn't notice these details because she was nervous and concerned.

But as Jessica Jung appeared, her thoughts gradually calmed down, and she realized that the figure's eyes, temperament, and even the weariness in her brows were quite different from Jessica Jung's.

"When...did you find out?"

Thinking of this, Krystal Jung suddenly looked up, her eyes fixed on the two of them, as if trying to find a flaw in their expressions.

After a moment of silence, Jessica Jung spoke first, "I knew it from the very beginning."

Her voice was as soft as a sigh, as if she had been carrying a secret for a long time, and was only now releasing a little weight.

Sulli shrugged and added, "I only found out later, a little later than Unnie and Jiyeon."

Jung Soo-jung's defenses seemed to crumble little by little. Her previously tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but new questions surged up even faster.

"But even if there really is a time portal, why would Lin Xiuyuan kidnap Jessica from the future? Why? And why was he so rough and violent? Is it because there's something wrong with them in the future?"

As she said this, her voice unconsciously rose, carrying a hint of urgency.

Jessica Jung and Sulli exchanged a glance, their eyes conveying a tacit understanding, but neither of them answered immediately.

In the end, Jessica Jung simply reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, her tone calming down, "You can ask Jessica about this yourself later... Krystal, who is your future self, because she personally devised this plan."

"Yeah, oppa wasn't willing to do it at first, but I don't know what happened, he suddenly did it, and I was startled," Sulli added.

"Me in the future?" Krystal Jung was stunned, her eyes flickered, and then she immediately looked up at Sulli. "Right, so Snowball, you...you've seen your future self too?"

Upon hearing this, Jessica Jung visibly paused and reflexively tightened her grip on Krystal Jung's hand, as if afraid that Krystal might hear some bad news.

Shirley smiled, a smile that was both relaxed and relieved. "Yes, I saw him."

Who says a tombstone isn't a reflection of oneself?

"What...what's your future like?" A hint of nervousness and anticipation appeared in Krystal Jung's eyes, and her heart beat faster involuntarily.

It's as if they want to know something about their future from it.

however……

"Don't be nervous." Shirley's tone suddenly became more relaxed, as if she had become indifferent to herself. "2025... without me."

Krystal Jung froze, as if her entire body had been paused, staring blankly at her, "W-what do you mean?"

Shirley's gaze suddenly calmed, as if she were looking at her future self, but her tone was unusually calm, "Because I committed suicide a few years from now."

The room fell silent again, with only the clock on the table ticking slowly, each tick seeming to strike Jung Soo-jung's heart.

"What did you say?!"

Krystal Jung's pupils contracted sharply, as if someone had doused her with a bucket of ice water. Her voice was softer and slower than usual, with obvious hesitation and questioning, as if she needed to confirm each word several times before uttering it.

Her brows were furrowed tightly, and her eyes were filled with incomprehensible confusion, as if she was trying to piece together the "future" that Shirley had described, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a reason that she could accept.

"Why……"

Jung Soo-jung murmured softly, her voice almost swallowed by the silence of the room, then suddenly rose in voice as if she had regained her strength, "This can't be! Why would someone commit suicide? What would be the reason?"

The question, asked subconsciously, was urgent, but not hysterical.

Rather, it's a strong sense of bewilderment and curiosity unique to young people, a desire to know the answer and find the reason immediately.

Krystal Jung, who is not even twenty years old, has not yet truly experienced any separation or death. In her worldview, death is still very distant and unfamiliar.

Not to mention deliberately ending one's life.

How could someone commit suicide?

What is the reason?

why? ? ?
These questions surged like waves, causing her fingers to involuntarily clench the bedsheets.

But Shirley didn't explain further. She just looked at her quietly, pursed her lips, and finally spoke in a softer tone.

"That's all in the future. It hasn't happened yet, and there's no chance for it to happen. I'm fine now, aren't I? Thanks to oppa's premonition, I definitely won't do that again."

Shirley said those words very softly.

It was as if they were deliberately trying to steer the atmosphere in a more relaxed direction, preventing the topic from sinking any further.

Krystal stared at her for a few seconds, but ultimately didn't press the matter further.

She simply kept this matter to herself, knowing that she would figure it out sooner or later.

Because if what these two people say is true, then I will definitely have a chance to go to the world of 2025.

Even if they don't tell you, you can find the answer yourself, or you can ask your future self directly.

After a moment of silence, Krystal suddenly remembered something, looked up at Sulli, and asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice, "By the way, so who was the person who gave me the lesson before? Snowball, didn't you say it was someone from the members?"

Shirley smiled, as if she had expected her to ask this question. "That's you in the future."

She spoke casually, even with a hint of sarcasm.

Jessica Jung nodded in agreement, her tone calm but with a hint of a smile, "Yes, Yoona is being taught by her future self. You two are now a perfect pair, truly like sisters."

"..."

Krystal Jung paused, a strange emotion flashing in her eyes, as if she were imagining what her "future self" would be like.

Sulli quickly added with a smile, telling Jung Soo-jung everything about her recent experience of "copying scripts," as well as how Lin Xiaolu snatched the role and how Park Ji-yeon completely changed the course of their lives.

Krystal Jung frowned as she listened, her fingers unconsciously clenching. Finally, she took a deep breath, as if trying to temporarily suppress the jumbled information.

Let's not talk about this for now.

Then she looked up, her tone carrying a forced calm, "Let's go check on the neighbors first. Kidnapping is honestly quite scary."

Jessica Jung and Sulli exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's thoughts, and nodded in tacit agreement.

"Okay, let's go."

Shirley responded softly, pushed open the door, and the three of them walked out one after the other.

And that's how the scene from before came about.

But when Shirley saw Jessica's condition on the bed, her already tense heart trembled slightly.

Without saying a word, he quietly reached out and tugged at Jung Soo-jung, who was clearly quite angry with Lin Xiu-yuan.

Krystal turned around in confusion and met Sulli's gaze.

The latter gestured outside with a very slight blink and a subtle chin movement.

Following Sulli's gesture, Krystal looked at Jessica on the bed.

His disheveled hair and near-collapse expression made her heart clench.

Not being stupid, she sensibly tossed her long hair, turned around, and followed Sherry out of the room, her movements swift and decisive.

The door closed behind him, leaving only Lin Xiuyuan, Zheng Xiuyan, and Jessica on the bed in the bedroom.

Noticing this, Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and then looked at Zheng Xiuyan, asking, "What do you think? You'll have to come with me to the villa later to handle some loose ends. Leaving this here shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Someone needs to keep watch over it."

Since entering the room, Jessica Jung's eyes had barely left Jessica. After hearing Lin Xiuyuan's words, she gave her own opinion: "Have someone keep an eye on her, so that nothing unexpected happens. You can't imagine if someone who can do such a stupid thing still has a normal mind."

Upon hearing Jessica Jung's merciless assessment, Jessica on the bed widened her eyes in surprise.

Even with her mouth gagged, you could still see the anger and grievance in her eyes. Her previously somewhat bewildered expression had now completely transformed into naked protest and fury.

She struggled to free her wrist, letting out a muffled "woo..." and stared intently at Jessica Jung, as if accusing her: How could you say that to me?

Lin Xiuyuan, watching her reaction, raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then let Zhenli stay home and keep her company from now on. Anyway, Zheng Xiujing knows the situation, so she shouldn't need to keep her company anymore."

His voice was calm and unhurried, as if he were announcing a simple arrangement, completely unaffected by the emotional fluctuations of the person in bed.

Jessica nodded, gave Jessica on the bed a deep look, then turned to Lin Xiuyuan and said, "Let's go, let's go clean up this idiot's mess and get her out of the industry."

When she said this, her tone was so calm it was almost cold, as if this was just a step that had been decided long ago.

"Woooo..."

But Jessica's pupils suddenly contracted, as if struck by those words. She shook her head violently, trying to say something, but could only let out muffled, rapid sobs.

Then she twisted her body desperately, her wrists turning red from the ropes as she struggled, and her ankles kicking hard against the sheets, as if trying to express her unwillingness with her whole body.

Her eyes were filled with panic and rejection. Tears that had already dried began to trickle down her cheeks and onto the pillow, leaving tiny watermarks.

That emotion was no longer just fear, but utter panic and resentment, as if saying: No, I don't want to, I won't back down!

How could her career, her stage, the name and glory she earned through more than a decade of hard work be taken away like this?

If that's the case, it would probably be more suffocating for Jessica than death.

She might as well be dead.

The air pressure in the room seemed to drop several degrees in that instant.

……

The atmosphere in the living room outside the door was noticeably more relaxed.

In contrast to the oppressive and heavy atmosphere in the bedroom, the lighting here is soft, and the sunlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is refracted into dappled light and shadow by the shade of the trees and the glass, quietly falling on the wooden floor.

Sulli and Krystal sat side by side on the sofa, the tense atmosphere from earlier still lingering in the air.

At first, neither of them spoke, and the tense atmosphere from before still lingered in the air.

Krystal Jung sat there with her hands hanging down, as if trying to sort out the information churning in her mind.

But not long after, she couldn't help but turn her head and stare at Shirley, her voice low, "Snowball, how many people... know about this?"

Shirley blinked, as if to confirm what she was asking, "What is it?"

"A time portal."

Krystal Jung's eyes still held lingering complex emotions, and her tone carried a hint of urgency.

Shirley couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden question, her eyes curving into crescents. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then, like a primary school student taking attendance, she stretched out her fingers and counted them one by one.

"Hmm... Let me think... Jessica unnie, Yoona unnie, Taeyeon unnie, Eunjung unnie, and now, I'll add you to the list."

"that's it?"

After hearing this, Krystal raised her eyebrows slightly, seemingly surprised that the list was so short. Then she nodded gently, her expression serious, "That's not a lot."

"This is just from 13. There are still some from 25, but they're about the same quality over there."

Krystal pursed her lips, as if she were suppressing the matter in her heart, or as if she was slowly chewing on it.

After a moment of silence, she couldn't resist her curiosity and turned to ask, "Did anything particularly significant happen to us in the future? Something really important?"

As she said this, she glanced subconsciously in the direction of the bedroom, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

Shirley smiled first, a hint of teasing in her eyes, "For example, what if I died?"

"Oh dear, I'm serious, Snowball."

Krystal immediately wrinkled her nose, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance and urgency; she genuinely wanted to know the answer.

At the same time, I really can't understand why she committed suicide.

Shirley's smile faded, and she pursed her lips, seemingly pondering for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "Yes, for example, our group disbanded in two years."

This statement is like someone throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, creating enormous ripples and waves.

It instantly turned Jung Soo-jung's heart upside down.

"W-what?"

She froze completely, her eyes widening instantly, her body involuntarily leaning forward, her voice trembling with urgency, "Disband? Really?!"

His tone was filled with obvious disbelief, as if he was afraid of mishearing, or as if he was trying to find a trace of "joking" on Shirley's face.

Seeing her reaction, Shirley simply nodded slightly, her expression so serious that there was almost no room for joking, "Really."

"Why?"

Krystal Jung subconsciously pressed for an explanation, her brows furrowed, as if she absolutely needed a reason.

"I don't know."

Shirley sighed, her voice tinged with helplessness. "At first, I thought it was because of me... but after hearing Krystal's explanation, I can only say that my problem only accounts for a small part. It's more about the company's internal decision-making issues. These things are really hard to explain."

This answer left Krystal speechless for a moment, and she remained silent for a long time before finally managing to process it all.

After a long while, she changed the subject, trying to calm her inner turmoil, "What about Lin Xiuyuan? Is he from 2013 or 2025?"

Shirley couldn't help but laugh at her serious expression, and poked the back of her hand. "Of course it's from 2013. Otherwise, why do you think he would be here with us?"

"Oh……"

Krystal Jung responded softly and nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression on her face. However, her gaze kept drifting towards the bedroom, as if she wanted to see the person inside through the closed door.

Seeing that she still had endless questions, Shirley simply leaned back on the sofa, relaxed, tilted her head and leaned closer to her, lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Soojung, do you want me to tell you something even more exciting?"

"There's more?!" Krystal's eyes widened again, and she sat up straight, clearly intrigued.

Sulli raised an eyebrow, her lips curving slightly upward, deliberately keeping her in suspense before finally leaning close to her ear and whispering, "In that future timeline, Soo-yeon unnie... will be leaving the group next year."

"what?!"

Krystal nearly jumped off the sofa, her face filled with shock. "Leave the group? How could she leave the group!"

It's worth noting that any two members of Girls' Generation right now could easily outshine one member from many other groups, let alone a core member like Jessica Jung.

For Krystal Jung, such a top-tier group has a bright future, and leaving the group is simply impossible.

In Krystal Jung's opinion, leaving the group is probably not a path she, as an unnie, would choose.

Seeing her reaction, Shirley paused for a moment, her expression showing some struggle, and glanced towards the bedroom, as if wondering whether to speak.

In the end, she gave a simple answer: "I don't know. You'll have to ask Jessica inside for the specific reason. We don't know the specifics, but everyone thinks Jessica is a bit love-struck."

"Who's love-struck?!"

Krystal's eyes widened, as if struck by a fatal blow. "Unnie?!" She exclaimed after Sulli nodded.

She deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping heavily against the sofa back, tilting her head back to take a deep breath, and covering her eyes with her hands, as if trying to block out all the jumbled questions in her mind.

Shirley couldn't help but chuckle at her appearance, a faint smile curving her lips. She picked up a water glass from the coffee table and handed it to her, her tone softening, "Get used to it slowly. Today is just the beginning, although your beginning has been a bit explosive."

"That's really outrageous." Krystal Jung took the water glass, paused for a moment, and then slowly took a sip, as if letting the cool liquid soothe the dryness in her throat and head.

After putting down the cup, she let out a long breath, and her expression regained some composure.

Shirley smiled again, without mentioning her own situation at all.

After all, when you open your eyes, all you see are tombstones; who could be as explosive as her?

Just as Krystal Jung and Sulli were about to say something more, the bedroom door was suddenly opened.

Lin Xiuyuan and Zheng Xiuyan walked out one after the other, their breaths still carrying the tense atmosphere from inside the room.

After coming out, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze immediately fell on Shirley, and he said, "I've explained the situation to her, but Zhenli, you need to stay here and watch over Jessica to prevent her from making any trouble. I need to take Xiuyan over there in 25 years to clean up her mess."

Upon hearing this, Sulli immediately sat up straight, as if she had been awakened, and nodded decisively, "No problem, oppa."

Then he raised his hand to Jung Soo-jung beside him and added with a smile, "Actually, I had talked to Soo-jung about this before. When I mentioned it, she told me to be mentally prepared. I just didn't expect this day to come so suddenly."

"what?!"

These words completely stunned Krystal Jung, making her flinch as if she'd been pricked by a needle.

Her eyes widened, her face a picture of utter innocence, as if saying "???" and "This has nothing to do with me." Her voice caught in her throat, and it took her a while to finally squeeze out a few words: "Mental preparation? What kind of mental preparation is this?!"

She clearly knew absolutely nothing about it, so how did it become something she had prepared in advance?
For a moment, Krystal Jung was caught off guard, but then she suddenly thought of her future self.

So he immediately clenched his fingers, and couldn't help but complain to himself: What did I go through in the future? Why does my whole person seem to have changed?
After all, she would never do something so crazy now.

Thinking of this, Krystal Jung took a deep breath, looked up at Lin Xiuyuan, and said with a hint of stubbornness in her eyes, "Well, I want to go and see too."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable determination.

Although she generally believed in the existence of a timeline, she still felt uneasy until she saw it for herself.

"Go ahead, just don't wander off, I won't stop you."

Now that he knew the situation, Lin Xiuyuan naturally wouldn't object anymore and nodded in agreement.

Then he walked towards the portal, opened it, and went in first.

Jessica Jung, who had been silent, seemed to be thinking about her own things. She took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and stepped into the door.

The sight stunned Krystal Jung. Before she could think any further, she followed Lin Xiuyuan and Jessica Jung inside.

The room fell silent, leaving Shirley alone in the apartment.

She looked at the empty living room, her eyes flickering slightly, as if she had thought of something.

The next second, she slowly stood up, walked to the bedroom door, placed her fingers on the door frame, hesitated for several seconds before cautiously peeking inside.

Jessica was still tied up on the bed and was still struggling.

Then, what suddenly popped into Shirley's mind was the second part of the plan that Krystal had once mentioned to her.

This second part was something Lin Xiuyuan didn't know, but it treated Jessica somewhat like she wasn't human, so Shirley was hesitating whether to make a move.

Once you've taken the plunge, there's no turning back.

Moreover, she could imagine that if things really came to that, Jessica would most likely go completely insane, and might even do something as extreme as murder...

Thinking of this, Shirley's fingers tightened slightly, and she froze at the doorway, unable to step inside for a long time.

……

……

the other side.

On the other hand, it wasn't until the moment Krystal's foot touched the floor that she truly realized what was happening.

There was no aperture, no special effects, and no cinematic build-up.

She simply stepped out of an apartment, and the next second, the space before her was completely different.

A cool breeze swept over me, carrying the scent of fresh grass and a light fragrance, instantly refreshing me.

Before me was a spacious and bright living room, with tall floor-to-ceiling windows that let the sunlight stream in like liquid, making the entire space several times larger than the small apartment I had just been in.

The sight froze her completely; she stopped at the doorway, her pupils dilating slightly.

Krystal Jung froze at the doorway, her pupils dilated slightly, and she stopped walking.

She instinctively turned around, and the door behind her was still standing quietly, leading to the apartment she had just stayed in.

For some unknown reason, she flicked her hand and gently closed the door.

Then the door frame stood there quietly, as if nothing had happened.

When they opened the door again with immense shock, they found not an apartment, but a storage room.

"This...this is it?"

The sound after the experiment was so faint it was almost blown away by the wind. Krystal Jung couldn't believe her eyes or the reality before her. "So this is the timeline of 2025?"

She reached out and touched the doorknob, then turned back to look at the unfamiliar yet exquisite villa, her mind blank.

Just a moment ago I was in my small apartment in Seoul, and the next second I simply walked through a door, and suddenly I was transported to another world.

All logic, common sense, and sense of time were shattered in an instant.

Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, Krystal Jung's chest heaved rapidly, and she almost forgot to breathe, finally managing to take a deep breath after a long while.

Just then, Krystal Jung heard a voice from above, with a relaxed yet familiar teasing tone, "Oh~ Xiuyuan, you're back."

"Yeah, come over and handle the situation. You guys have fun, take this with you."

Upon hearing Lin Xiuyuan mention his Jung Soo-jung, his gaze quickly swept upwards, or rather, to the third floor of the villa.

With just one glance, she froze completely.

Because standing by the railing on the third floor were two figures she knew all too well…

Park Ji-yeon.

To be precise, there are two Park Jiyeons.

From a distance, the almost identical faces turned to look at her, revealing the same expression.

In that instant, Krystal Jung's heart suddenly raced, her eyes widened, and she felt a sense of disorientation, as if she were in a dream or had suddenly stumbled into the set of a science fiction movie.

After a while, two figures wrapped in bathrobes slowly walked down the stairs. The air in the living room still had a faint smell of chlorine from the swimming pool, with a slightly damp and cool feel.

Jessica Jung immediately noticed the faint outline of bra straps visible under the bathrobes of the girls, which clearly indicated they were wearing swimsuits.

Her eyes immediately sharpened, and she gave Lin Xiuyuan a cold glare, her tone laced with a hint of anger and teasing, "Oh, our young master Lin is having a great time, isn't he? A twins swimsuit party, huh?"

Lin Xiuyuan froze on the spot, his face twitching slightly. "Hey, hey, hey, don't wrong me! This really wasn't me. It was Zhiyan who insisted on playing in the water. It has nothing to do with me."

Before the words were even finished, Da Longzai had already nimbly walked downstairs, a smile playing on his lips, like a bright bomb dropping down, "Hmph, Xiuyuan~ how can you deny it like this? I did ask you which kind of bikini you liked, didn't I? Didn't you pick it out?"

Park Jiyeon, standing to the side, added insult to injury, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled mischievously, "Yeah, yeah, at first I was thinking, is it okay if I can't come? But oppa, you said you couldn't come, and now you're pretending to be innocent?"

The air instantly shifted from its previous heaviness and oppression to a lighthearted yet slightly provocative tension.

Lin Xiuyuan stared at the two instigators in front of him, his eyes wide as saucers, unsure whether to laugh or not. "Wow...you guys are going too far! When did I ever say anything like that?! Don't make false accusations!"

"Slanderous accusations?"

Da Longzai smiled, she really wanted to reply: There's no bloody mouth, but there is an acupoint.

But considering that everyone here, except for herself, was quite shy, she stopped having such an outrageous idea.

But he still laughed so hard he was doubled over, his shoulders shaking.

After all, both she and Park Jiyeon knew that Lin Xiuyuan was innocent, yet they insisted on exaggerating the truth.

The thrill of "only the rumor-mongers know how wronged the person involved is" was fully displayed in their eyes and brows.

Jessica Jung watched from the side, her originally cold expression almost impossible to suppress. Her eyes twitched, and she held back her laughter.

He secretly thought to himself: I really need to find this guy something to do. If he keeps playing like this every day, what if he breaks his body...?

The main problem is that she hasn't eaten yet.

Thinking of this, Jessica Jung stopped joking and said, "Give me the phone. Let me think about how to explain this to them. It's a bit troublesome. I don't even know who their team is, and Krystal isn't here."

"What do you need me to do?"

Da Long Zai looked at Jessica Jung curiously. After hearing the explanation, he stepped forward with a smile and a hint of enthusiasm in his voice, "Let me help you, unnie. I met a few people from that side when we were exercising together before. They should come in handy."

the other side.

At Lin Xiuyuan's prompting, Park Jiyeon came to Jung Soojung's side and gently took her hand. "What's wrong, Soojung? Does it feel like a dream?"

Krystal nodded, looked up at Park Jiyeon in front of her, then glanced at the little dragon, and asked in confusion, "Jiyeon, is that you in the future?"

"Yeah, an old woman." Park Jiyeon retorted without any politeness, her tone carrying her usual sharpness.

This sudden comment left Krystal Jung speechless, her lips pursed in shock.

Fortunately, the little dragon only glanced at them lightly, then nodded and smiled at her, without paying any attention. Jung Soo-jung breathed a sigh of relief.

Park Jiyeon, being very understanding, pulled Jung Soojung up the stairs, saying, "Let's go, let them handle things here, I'll take you upstairs to sit for a bit."

After watching the two figures disappear from sight, Jessica Jung looked up and asked, "Xiuyuan, are you alright?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who was on the phone, glanced back at the stairs and casually said, "Zhiyan can handle her. Even if she doesn't agree, she can definitely beat her into submission."

Upon hearing this, the little dragon burst into laughter, "Hahaha, Xiu Yuan, what you're saying is hilarious."

Jessica Jung rolled her eyes at him again, and even Yoona, who was on the other end of the phone with Lin Xiuyuan, felt much more at ease because of those words.

After receiving a call from Da Longzai informing her that Jessica had been kidnapped by Lin Xiuyuan, she rushed over from Jinpu in a panic.

However, due to some traffic congestion, we are still on the road.

After laughing, Yoona, who was holding the steering wheel, immediately changed her expression and said seriously, "Okay, Xiuyuan, tell unnie to wait for me. Call her when I get here. I'll play a supporting role so that her staff will be more convinced."

“Okay, how much longer do you need?” Lin Xiuyuan replied.

"2 kilometers, ten minutes." Lin Yoona glanced at the navigation.

Upon hearing this reply, Lin Xiuyuan complained, "The traffic is really bad. Drive carefully, see you later."

at the same time.

The wind on the rooftop was much cooler than in the living room. It blew gently, carrying a slightly salty smell, and stirred up tiny ripples on the surface of the pool.

Krystal Jung stood blankly by the pool. Sunlight danced on the water's surface, reflecting dappled light, but brought no warmth.

She subconsciously shrank her shoulders and clenched her fingers slightly, as if trying to grasp some sense of security through this action.

Seoul before her eyes felt both familiar and strange. Namsan Tower still stood quietly in the distance, but she had the illusion of being separated from reality by several layers of glass.

Her heartbeat became slightly erratic, and countless questions and anxieties flashed through her mind, like a thin fog shrouding her vision, making it difficult for her to see what was ahead.

"Come and sit down, don't just stand there."

Behind her, Park Jiyeon smiled, patted the recliner, and spoke in a soft, teasing voice, like a warm ray of light that pulled Jung Soo-jung back from her daze.

Krystal Jung slowly walked over and sat down, her palms slightly sweaty and her breathing a little rapid.

The next second, a phone was handed to her, its screen reflecting the sunlight slightly.

"Soojung, I won't explain further. As someone who's been through this, I know very well that any explanation would be futile."

Park Jiyeon spoke softly, her tone calm yet carrying a hint of meaning, "So if you want to know something, just search for it yourself. The news here can give you all the basic information you need. As for the rest... I'm afraid you'll have to ask yourself."

Krystal Jung paused for a moment, then reached out and took the phone. The screen showed the search engine homepage, with the cursor flashing as if urging her on.

But she couldn't type anything out for a moment; her mind was filled with countless fragments, chaotic and heavy.

Park Jiyeon, sitting next to her, didn't urge her on. She just sat quietly beside her, hugging her knees and looking up at the blue sky.

Sunlight fell on her eyelashes, casting a soft halo around them, gentle and serene.

After a long while, Krystal Jung seemed to have made up her mind and slowly typed four words into the search bar: Sulli is dead.

The moment she pressed Enter, her breath hitched.

The page redirected almost instantly, and news headlines flooded the screen...

[Another tragedy in Seoul's entertainment industry: Sulli passed away at home]

The successive deaths of Jonghyun, Sulli, and Goo Hara have shocked the public.

Fans mourn the passing of three celebrities and call for greater attention to mental health.

【…】

Those cold, hard headlines were like dull knives, cutting into Krystal Jung's heart again and again.

These words made Krystal Jung's finger hover over the screen, but her gaze gradually lost focus, and even her breathing became much shallower.

Seeing her reaction, Park Jiyeon pursed her lips even tighter, sighed softly, but said nothing. She simply reached out and brushed aside the wind-blown strands of her long hair.

The sunlight was still dazzling, and the pool water still shimmered, but Krystal felt as if the whole world had been muted, with only her heartbeat roaring in her ears.

……

……

At this moment, Krystal finally finished her work at the movie promotion event.

Her suit jacket clung slightly to her sweat-dampened back as she took a deep breath, as if finally releasing herself from the intense tension.

My eyes swept over the cameras, the media, and the staff. Seeing everyone packing up their equipment, I felt much more relaxed.

However, there was originally a dinner planned afterward for a discussion with the film's creative team, but all of that has been completely disrupted by Jessica's unexpected incident.

Krystal pursed her lips, tidied her hair and makeup, and tried to appear calm and composed.

Then he walked up to the director and several producers, bowed slightly, and explained his personal situation with politeness and apology, saying that he might have to leave early due to urgent matters.

The director nodded gently, a knowing smile on his lips. "No problem, Krystal. It's urgent, so go and handle it. Everyone understands."

The producer added, "Yes, it's just a get-together. It's not a big deal if you miss a meal."

Krystal smiled gratefully and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Then he turned around and told his assistant what was going on. After taking the car keys from the assistant, he quickly got into the car, stepped on the gas, and drove away, heading straight for the villa.

Outside the car window, the afternoon light gradually turned into the warm colors of evening, and the setting sun slanted across her profile, casting a faint golden halo.

Her gaze was fixed on what lay ahead, her thoughts churning.

The faint smile at the corner of her mouth seemed to indicate her excitement.

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(End of this chapter)