Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 120 The Artistic Girl with a Hangover - Ham Eun-jung (Please subscribe and vote)
Apartment door.

As the sudden electric shock came, Ham Eun-jung subconsciously let go of her hand, while Lin Xiuyuan quickly took the bag from her hand.

Then he coughed lightly to cover up the strange feeling he had just experienced, "It's just static electricity. The weather has been quite dry lately."

Ham Eun-jung gave a soft "hmm" but didn't say anything more. She just lowered her head slightly, but was secretly observing him out of the corner of her eye.

The clenched fingertips seemed to still retain that touch, like some lingering warmth that hadn't dissipated, slowly wandering across the skin.

There was a brief silence in the air.

Lin Xiuyuan seemed to sense the subtle tension in the silence, so he took the initiative to speak, "Why did you come alone? Why didn't you have Zhiyan with you?"

Ham Eun-jung was taken aback by what he said, and looked up, her gaze lingering slightly on his face.

Seeing that he had brought up his own little dragon cub, she asked curiously, "Boss Lin, how did you and Zhiyan meet? This is the first time I've seen Zhiyan so close to a boy."

A little surprised by her question, Lin Xiuyuan blinked and smirked, "How did we meet? Weren't you there too?"

Then, Ham Eun-jung's voice rose a few decibels, "That's why it's so unbelievable. You've only met each other once or twice more than me, how come you're so familiar with each other?"

"We met many more times after that, and after drinking and chatting together a lot, we got to know each other a bit better."

"Just drinking and chatting?" Ham Eun-jung asked calmly, her eyes clear yet searching.

Lin Xiuyuan felt a little uneasy under her gaze, so he turned his head to avoid her stare and smiled evasively, "What else could we be doing? You don't think there's something going on between us, do you? You're really overthinking it."

"Really? That makes sense. There's also Jessica and Yoona. Your network of relationships is even more unimaginable."

After giving a soft reply, Ham Eun-jung's tone was unreadable, but her eyes seemed to have secretly memorized what she said.

Lin Xiuyuan, carrying the bag, walked to the elevator again and pressed the down button.

As the elevator dinged, Lin Xiuyuan stepped inside first. After pressing the button for the first floor, he turned back to look at Xian Enjing, who had followed him. "Enjing, do you have work tomorrow too?"

"No, take a day off."

Ham Eun-jung entered the elevator and stood beside him.

This time her voice was gentle, not as sharp as before, "It's a good time to take care of these miscellaneous tasks."

"That……"

As the elevator descended, Lin Xiuyuan seemed to suddenly remember something and turned to look at her. "Why don't you leave right away when we get down? My bar is just ahead. Want to sit down for a bit? I'll pour you a special cocktail."

Ham Eun-jung slightly opened her eyes, somewhat surprised that Lin Xiuyuan would invite her like this, "Drinking so late?"

"What, afraid I'll force you to drink?" Lin Xiuyuan deliberately revealed a wicked smile.

Ham Eun-jung, who hadn't expected him to say that, chuckled and looked at him with her eyes crinkling. "It's not that bad. I'm just curious what we can talk about."

Lin Xiuyuan paused, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and said in a half-teasing tone, "Let's talk about how you get completely drunk."

These words caused Ham Eun-jung to look slightly shocked; she hadn't expected that this boy would still remember their conversation from back then.

So she didn't reply, but just tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a half-smile, her eyes reflecting a glimmer of light from the elevator's LED screen, which became a silent response in the night.

The elevator doors slowly opened, and the two stepped out side by side, a subtle sense of ambiguity quietly spreading through the quiet night corridor.

"Walk?"

Ham Eun-jung nodded gently, without refusing.

The two walked one after the other, heading towards the small bar next to the residential area.

Just as they passed the parking space, Ham Eun-jung suddenly asked, "Did you just go out to take Soo-yeon home?"

Lin Xiuyuan was taken aback. "How did you know?"

"I've been here a few times, and I recognized Xiuyan's license plate. I just saw it downstairs and thought you were at the bar."

As she spoke, she expertly took out her keys and unlocked the car. "Let's put the things in the car first, so we don't have to carry them around later."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded, put the bag away, and the two quickly arrived at the entrance of the tavern.

Looking at the boy who opened the door, Ham Eun-jung asked curiously from behind him, "Boss Lin, why did you think of asking me to have a drink?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Lin Xiuyuan smiled and turned around, pushing the door open as it beeped, and casually turned on the lights and some equipment next to the bar.

Ham Eun-jung, who followed her in, laughed and said, "That reason is a bit far-fetched."

These words made Lin Xiuyuan, who had already walked to the bar, turn around and look at her. "What if I said I had no reason, and just suddenly wanted a drink, so I invited you?"

As it turned out, Ham Eun-jung seemed to be waiting for a similar answer. Upon hearing it, her smile became even brighter, and she even laughed out loud, "Hahaha, Mr. Lin, wouldn't your reason count as lust at first sight?"

Intrigued?

Ham Eun-jung's response made Lin Xiuyuan look at her seriously.

She was dressed very simply today: a pure white fitted T-shirt paired with high-waisted dark blue jeans, the cuffs of which were casually rolled up twice to reveal a section of her slender calves, and she wore a pair of canvas shoes.

There was no excessive embellishment or deliberate dressing up.

Her hair was casually tied in a ponytail, and her earlobes were clean and unadorned. She looked like a female college student who could easily grace the cover of a lifestyle magazine with a casual snapshot.

But ironically, this casual attire perfectly accentuated her figure.

The slender and toned waistline, combined with the fitted T-shirt, immediately accentuates the figure's exquisite curves.

The slight curve of her chest was clearly visible, yet it did not appear abrupt at all; instead, it resembled a natural allure with tension.

Especially those high-waisted jeans, which perfectly showcased her already excellent waist-to-hip ratio, making her look round, firm, and with clear curves. Compared to the one in 2025, she seemed to be even more eye-catching.

Lin Xiuyuan, who originally intended to make a small joke before going back, couldn't escape the teasing about "lust at first sight" after taking a couple of glances.

Finally, he coughed lightly, turned around and started working on the bar counter. "If that's what you're saying, then I can't exactly answer no, can I? Otherwise, I'd seem too tactless."

"That's not the answer I wanted to hear."

Ham Eun sat down on the bar stool in front of the bar and said softly, "I thought you must have some real skills to make Jiyeon so happy."

And the answer above is the real reason why Ham Eun-jung agreed to keep the appointment so late.

She genuinely wanted to find out why this boy had made Xiao Zhiyan rush over like she was losing her mind. What was it about him?

Is it that he knows how to sweet-talk women, or what?

So when Ham Eun-jung sat down on the bar stool and voiced her idea, Lin Xiu-yuan, who was standing inside, paused in his bartending, looked up, and smiled at her.

"Then I can only use one sentence to describe it."

"What are you saying?" Ham Eun-jung rested her hands on the bar counter, propped her chin up slightly, and looked at him.

"The flowers are in full bloom, and if I don't appreciate them, I'll seem like I'm not romantic enough."

Ham Eun-jung was stunned after hearing this, a look of absentmindedness flashing across her eyes.

It was a light touch, yet it carried a certain penetrating romance, like a classic line taken from an old book of poems or a black and white movie, which struck her instantly.

So she gently lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips tracing the surface of the solid wood bar, her expression no longer sharp as before, but rather more gentle and calm.

In fact, even though she is always charming on stage, dancing the most passionate dances and singing the most alluring songs.

But deep down, she has always been that artistic girl who can be alone and loves to experience the world through her pen and eyes.

She likes to curl up on the sofa alone and read Haruki Murakami, and she also likes to take some paint and paint a bunch of lilies under the light and shadow on a sunny afternoon.

In this kind of life, even if she doesn't speak for several days, she can still live comfortably and peacefully.

Behind the bar, Lin Xiuyuan continued mixing drinks, the sound of glass clashing against metal bringing her back from her thoughts.

She looked up at the boy in front of her, whose movements were quite practiced.

With delicate features and almond-shaped eyes that still held a youthful air, he possessed an indescribable artistic temperament under the dim light.

So she spoke softly, her tone gentler than before, "That sentence of yours would actually fit quite well into the novel I've been reading lately."

Lin Xiuyuan, who was busy, raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You usually read novels?" Xian Enjing smiled slightly, lowered her head and suddenly leaned on the bar, whispering, "Novels, essays, art books, and I occasionally practice drawing. In the words of Jiyeon and the others, I am not really like the 'female idol' in the hearts of my fans."

She didn't explain further, but her eyes gradually became clearer.

It seems that from this moment on, her relationship with Lin Xiuyuan was no longer just that of "a friend of a friend".

“Enjing, Enjing, your name suits you perfectly.” Lin Xiuyuan laughed after hearing this.

"And what about you, Lin Xiuyuan? Does your name have any meaning?"

Upon hearing this question, Lin Xiuyuan paused slightly in his mixing motion, seemingly taken aback.

But she quickly regained her composure and replied with a smile, "My name comes from a line of poetry by an ancient person from our region."

"An ancient poem?" Ham Eun-jung became interested. "Which line?"

"The road is a long way to go, and I will go up and down to find out."

Lin Xiuyuan said this in Chinese.

So Ham Eun-jung didn't quite understand, so he translated it again and explained the meaning of the poem to her.

When Ham Eun-jung heard the phrase "persevere in your search for the ideal path in life," her already clear eyes seemed to brighten even more.

Then, straightening up, he looked at Lin Xiuyuan and sincerely praised, "Then Mr. Lin, your name is even better."

"Don't be so formal, just call me by my name or Xiuyuan, anyway you're older than me." Lin Xiuyuan, who had mixed the drinks, gently placed the glass in front of her.

"Is he calling you Xiuyuan? If Jiyeon hears this, will she want to come to the ring with me?" Ham Eun-jung said with a smile, taking a sip of her drink.

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and replied in the same tone, "So who will win?"

"I don't know. Jiyeon is really good at Taekwondo, but I'm not bad either. We'll find out if we compete."

Unexpectedly, Ham Eun-jung had this other side to her. Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but look at her a few more times, a smile on his lips. "Hearing you say that, I'm a little curious about what kind of novels you read. It's not the kind that involves fighting and killing, or blood and horror, is it?"

"Then you're really wrong."

Ham Eun-jung seemed to have her secret exposed, and a faint smugness appeared on her face. "I've been reading Kawabata Yasunari's 'Snow Country' recently, but it's not the first time I've read it. It's just that there are some passages that I feel I can read about in a different way every time."

“‘The long tunnel through the county border leads to the snow country,’ right?” Lin Xiuyuan’s lips curled up. “I remember that beginning.”

Across from her, Ham Eun-jung's eyes lit up. "You've seen it too?"

"A little bit."

It was indeed just a little bit, because he saw the explanation of this novel in a short video from the future, and then stopped and watched a few episodes casually.

Therefore, his understanding of "Snow Country" mostly came from the commentary, and as for the actual novel, he had only flipped through a few pages on the e-book and had not actually read it.

Perhaps because she hadn't met someone she could really connect with in a long time, Ham Eun-jung became more proactive than usual when she discovered that Lin Xiuyuan was surprisingly compatible with her in some ways.

"Actually, compared to 'Snow Country,' I prefer reading stories that are slow-paced and leave a lingering impression. Then, based on my mood while reading, I'll sketch a picture, though I might not be able to finish it; I'll just scrape it stroke by stroke."

"So painting isn't the main thing; you're just looking for something to confide in," Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, explaining to her.

"Yes!" Ham Eun-jung's eyes lit up, as if her thoughts had been hit. "That's exactly what I meant. You're so smart."

Looking at her gradually brightening expression, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled and teased, "You're even smarter. Painting has always been a private domain for geniuses."

Ham Eun-jung felt a little embarrassed by this. "No, I just drew it casually. It's not as amazing as you think."

"No professional training?"

"No, I just took a little elective course in college, and later I just bought some materials and painted randomly."

As she spoke, Ham Eun-jung gestured with her finger to form a frame, "And I mostly paint small-scale works, mostly landscapes, and some abstract ones, but I'm not too comfortable showing them to others."

"I'd really like to see what you draw."

Lin Xiuyuan's tone was sincere, not just polite: "Because hearing you say that, I feel that you are completely different from the Eun-jung I imagined."

As he spoke, he thought of something and looked around. "Or you could see if you could send me a few paintings so I can decorate the walls around the tavern. That way I won't have to go out and spend money to buy paintings. It'll kill two birds with one stone."

"So what did you think I was like before?" Ham Eun-jung turned her head to look at him, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

At this moment, she had completely lost the vigilance she had shown at the apartment entrance.

When she was with this boy she could talk to, it was as if she had finally found a way to be understood. Many of the emotions and preferences buried deep in her heart poured out to him involuntarily.

"I thought you were the type who shines brightly on stage but becomes aloof and silent offstage."

Lin Xiuyuan laughed and said, "That's because it was like this when the tavern opened. Back then, the way you stared at me made me afraid you'd come over and yell at me. But now I realize it's actually quite warm and has a lot to do with life."

Ham Eun-jung didn't say anything upon hearing this, but simply picked up her glass, gently touched it to his, and took a sip. Her tone was unhurried, "Then you'd better cherish this 'temperature-limited edition' today, or it'll be gone."

"Okay, then I'll have to drink a lot tonight." Lin Xiuyuan nodded, amused by her words.

The two talked and drank, occasionally exchanging books they had read and favorite painters, from Monet's color palette to Murakami's loneliness, and from Eileen Chang's tone to Kawabata's use of blank space.

However, they didn't talk much about it, because they were both only half-baked.

Ham Eun-jung was too busy with work to read it carefully, and Lin Xiuyuan's introduction was mainly from a short video platform in 2025, with a few paragraphs here and there, and a jumble of information.

So they all only have a superficial understanding.

But this alone was enough to give Ham Eun-jung a long-lost sense of resonance. Over the years, no one had ever been able to talk to her about so many random things.

Even the members don't talk about this much; they just talk about it in depth.

The night was quiet, and the tavern lights gently enveloped them. The distance between them quietly shortened with each glass of sake and each word they exchanged.

The next day.

in the dormitory.

The morning light shone through the gap in the curtains and fell on Ham Eun-jung's eyes. She frowned, but when she turned over, she felt as if all her strength had been drained away.

My head felt slightly swollen, and my mouth was dry.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, she realized a few seconds later that she was in her own room, but she couldn't remember how she got there.

My head was still throbbing, and the haze from last night's alcohol hadn't completely dissipated. I was still wearing yesterday's clothes, but my shoes had long been taken off and neatly placed by the bed.

But soon, as her mind cleared, fragments of memories drifted into Ham Eun-jung's mind.

The music from the bar, the smell of cocktails, and the laughter of two people chatting happily.

"I don't remember being drunk at the time."

Ham Eun-jung, who sat up while holding her forehead, slowly regained clarity of memory.

She remembers that she didn't drink too much after that, but she got so engrossed in the conversation that it got late before she knew it.

Then Lin Xiuyuan said, "Let me take you back," and then it was as if she was blown away by an evening breeze to this point; after that, she had no memory of anything.

After sitting there for a while, and as her head felt a little better, Ham Eun-jung got up and went out of the room, only to bump into two acquaintances as soon as she stepped out.

"Oh, you're awake, our Eun-jung."

Park Hyomin leaned against the living room door frame, holding a cup of hot coffee in her hand, and looked at her with half-closed eyes.

Standing next to her was Park Jiyeon, who looked resentful and pouted.

"Unnie, why didn't you call us when you were drinking with oppa last night? You said you'd never been drunk before, but you blacked out the first time you drank alone with a guy. Luckily, it was oppa you ran into, or the consequences would have been unimaginable."

“Who said I blacked out…” Ham Eun-jung rolled her eyes and stubbornly replied, “I’m just a little dizzy.”

Drunk people are as stubborn as titanium alloy, refusing to admit they are drunk, and Ham Eun-jung is no exception.

While Ham Eun-jung was dealing with Park Ji-yeon and Park Hyo-min in 2013, Lin Xiu-yuan in 2025 unexpectedly received a phone call from Kim Tae-yeon.

"Hey, Xiuyuan, come out for dinner."

"Ok?"

　Please vote for me! There will be another chapter later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)