Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 132 Yoona's Mischievous Smile (Seeking Monthly Tickets and Subscriptions)
Inside a small bar in 2013.

After several Cantonese songs finished playing, Kim Tae-yeon, with Lin Xiu-yuan's tacit approval, switched to an 1980s Japanese vinyl record by Tatsuro Yamashita. The melody was light and the rhythm was soothing, making the whole space seem lazy and comfortable.

Having finished everything, Kim Tae-yeon smiled and sat back down, handing the empty glass to the other person, "Mr. Lin, another one."

"Isn't that a bit too much to drink?"

Lin Xiuyuan smiled as he took the cup, but his hands didn't stop moving.

Kim Tae-yeon wrinkled her nose and casually retorted, "It's not like Jessica is drinking, it's okay, right?"

As she spoke, she glanced again at the wall covered with record covers, "But you don't have many records here, and many classics are missing, which is a real shame."

"This place hasn't been open for long, so I just picked up those records from a few random shops. I'll go back and find some more interesting ones when I have time."

Lin Xiuyuan responded with a smile while mixing the drinks, then pushed the finished drink over, "Of course, if you come across any good or classic drinks, bring some back for me too, just remember to have Xiuyan pay the bill."

Jessica Jung, who was sipping her drink, was suddenly stunned and was about to retort.

But after seeing Lin Xiuyuan's smile, she snorted coldly, "Are you talking to Taeyeon? You're asking me to buy you the DVDs, aren't you?"

"If that's how you see it, then that's really great. We won't have to bother Taeyeon at all."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled openly.

Kim Tae-yeon, who was standing nearby, burst into laughter.

After a few drinks and a few records, it quietly slipped away to 10 p.m.

It was late at night. After having a few cocktails, Jessica tapped on the bar counter, drawing the attention of the two increasingly excited people. "Alright, let's stop here for tonight. It's getting late, Taeyeon."

"Oh, what time is it?"

Kim Tae-yeon, who was having a pleasant chat with Lin Xiu-yuan, was somewhat surprised and even a little reluctant to go back, wanting to talk all night long.

This guy is totally her type. Whenever she's talking about something, he can always quickly find the line of thought she's coming up with and then come to a sharp conclusion.

Kim Tae-yeon used to scoff at the idea of ​​having a soulmate.

It wasn't until she met Lin Xiuyuan today that she realized there really are people like that.

"It's past 10 p.m., time to go home. I have a photoshoot for a magazine tomorrow, so I have to get up early."

Although Jessica Jung had drunk a few drinks, she was still conscious, though her eyelids were a little heavy.

Upon hearing the reply, Kim Tae-yeon knew the importance of the matter, so she nodded slightly and looked at Lin Xiuyuan, "Then Xiuyuan, let's talk again next time. Come on, let's exchange contact information."

This is the first time in all these years that she has taken the initiative to add a man's contact information.

Jessica Jung raised an eyebrow and remained silent until they finished exchanging contact information. Then she glared at Lin Xiuyuan and said, "Is that enough? Let's go."

As he stood up, he couldn't resist teasing Kim Tae-yeon, "Tae-yeon, to be honest, you should consider my previous offer. It's normal for the leader to discipline the members, and then you can become a member and come here to play as you please."

Kim Tae-yeon simply smiled, this time without saying anything. After waving goodbye to Lin Xiu-yuan, she turned around and left the bar with Jessica Jung.

Lin Xiuyuan escorted them to the community parking lot, and only returned to the bar after watching the car drive away. He tidied up a bit and then went back to his apartment.

Then I went to the villa in 2025, replied to a few messages from Da Longzai and Krystal, and very unusually returned to the apartment in 2013, where I slept for one night.

The reason is simple: Park Jiyeon and Sulli contacted him in the group chat, saying they had something to talk about the next day and asked him to come over early.

So he simply gave up the trouble and stayed overnight nearby.

Anyway, this apartment has everything you need, it's just that I rarely use it.

The next morning around ten o'clock, Lin Xiuyuan was woken up by a phone call.

"Hello~"

Half-asleep, I picked up my phone and answered. A surprised voice came from the other end, "Daebak, oppa, you didn't go to rest last night... you didn't go to rest last night?"

After opening his eyes and checking the caller ID, Lin Xiuyuan closed them again and said, "Well, didn't you say you were looking for me? I was too lazy to go back, so why did you have to come so early?"

"No, I'm going to pick up Jinri now. Oppa, what do you want for breakfast? I'll buy it for you after I pick her up."

"Soy milk and fried dough sticks, please." In response to Park Jiyeon's question, Lin Xiuyuan thought for a moment, "Also, don't go to the bar, just come up to my apartment, I'm too lazy to go downstairs."

"Okay, oppa, you can go to sleep now. We'll go in by ourselves when we get there."

"Ah."

After hanging up the phone, he turned over and went back to sleep.

About half an hour later, the apartment's keypad lock beeped, and two figures quietly pushed the door open and entered.

The two girls, wearing hats and masks, walked and took off their gear. Sulli laughed and whispered, "Oppa really isn't awake yet."

“It’s rare that oppa is staying here today.” Park Jiyeon also laughed. “We probably woke him up last night. Otherwise, given oppa’s sleep quality, he probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep until noon.”

Looking at the somewhat deserted apartment, Shirley suddenly squatted down and touched the entryway cabinet. "Ugh, it's so dirty."

"Could it be that you haven't hired a housekeeper for several days?" She turned to look at Park Jiyeon.

Park Jiyeon also checked the sofa, which was quite clean. "I guess the housekeeper was being lazy."

"Could you get some water and help me wipe it off?" Shirley suggested.

And so, with nothing else to do, the two girls started cleaning the room.

When Lin Xiuyuan was finally awakened by the clattering noises coming from the living room, he opened the door and saw broken glass and wooden frames on the floor, and two somewhat flustered girls standing to the side.

"You...what are you doing?"

He smiled wryly as he strode over and pulled them onto the sofa. "Alright, alright, don't move. Sit down and rest for a bit. I'll clean up."

"Oppa, we were just trying to help clean your apartment, but when we tried to take this picture frame off to wipe it, we lost our grip and it broke."

Sulli and Park Jiyeon exchanged a glance, their faces filled with embarrassment and worry.

Lin Xiuyuan simply smiled and asked, "You're alright, aren't you hurt?"

The two shook their heads. Luckily, they dodged quickly, otherwise they might have been scratched while wearing shorts.

Seeing that they were safe and sound, Lin Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly cleaned up the glass shards and wood chips.

Then he ran back to the villa in 2025, brought back a robot vacuum and mop, and put it directly into the apartment.

After dealing with all of this, he looked at the two people on the sofa and said, "Let's go talk over at the tavern. We'll leave this to the robot."

Upon hearing this, Shirley and Park Jiyeon got up and followed Lin Xiuyuan to the living room of the villa.

……

……

Inside the villa in 2025.

Not long after, Lin Xiuyuan returned after washing up. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the two girls huddled side by side on the sofa watching videos.

"Given your situation, I think you should buy a few more spare phones. Otherwise, if there are too many people, this one phone won't be enough to go around."

“That’s a good idea,” Park Jiyeon nodded in agreement.

Shirley placed breakfast on the coffee table for Lin Xiuyuan and invited him to come and eat.

After Lin Xiuyuan sat down, he ate a fried dough stick while looking at the two of them and asked, "You said last night that you had something to do today. What is it?"

Park Jiyeon looked at Sulli, "Sulli, why don't you go first?"

Shirley nodded and, without much hesitation, got straight to the point about why she wanted to see Lin Xiuyuan.

"Well, actually it's nothing major. I just wanted to tell you, oppa, that we're going to Tokyo in a week. Hara unnie will be pretty much done with work by then, so she'll have some time to show us around."

Lin Xiaolu also had some free time. After communicating with the company, they finally agreed to give her four or five days to relax and prepare for the role of the female lead.

But this is the last concession; once is acceptable, but a third time is not.

Lin Xiaolu understands this point. For the company to make money, their upcoming world tour is more important, so this trip to Tokyo is probably her last desperate attempt.

Listening to Shirley's arrangements, Lin Xiuyuan nodded while biting into a fried dough stick, and casually picked up his phone to check the date. "A week from now? Sure, I don't have any plans."

Anyway, he has enough time in the next few days to say hello to Krystal and the big dragon cub and report in advance.

Especially the little dragon cub, he was all lovey-dovey yesterday, and then he turned around and disappeared for more than a week. What's the difference between him and a scumbag?

But when Lin Xiuyuan thought of the dragon cub, his gaze involuntarily drifted to Park Jiyeon beside him. The same face, a similar figure—his budding desires suddenly rekindled. Startled, he quickly lowered his head and continued eating his breakfast, silently reciting the 'Golden Light Divine Mantra'.

Fortunately, Jiyeon wasn't a dragon cub and didn't have such sharp eyes. She didn't notice his strangeness at all and started talking about her own things.

“Oppa, I’m having a bit of a problem. I recently wanted to rent the T-ara brand name to open a store. At first, the company absolutely refused, but then they suddenly relented and told me to ask the unnies what they thought. If they agree, the company will let me go.”

"Tsk," Lin Xiuyuan laughed out loud after hearing this, "So that means they don't take your investment seriously."

"I feel so too."

Park Jiyeon pouted angrily, "Anyway, there's been no news about our subunit's comeback. Next, we'll go to Tokyo to prepare for the tour. I plan to talk to the unnies then. As long as they agree, the company will be all set."

"That sounds like good news." Lin Xiuyuan swallowed the last bite of the fried dough stick and nodded with a smile.

Unexpectedly, Park Jiyeon changed the subject, "But a problem has arisen, oppa."

"Hmm?" He looked up.

“In Seoul, our group’s fame simply can’t afford the risks of starting a business. I estimate that before the store even opens, it will be completely smeared.”

Park Jiyeon sighed, saying with a hint of helplessness.

Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we agree before that it would be placed overseas?"

"That's the problem," Park Jiyeon pouted, looking aggrieved. "If I open a store overseas, unless I completely retire from activities, someone will definitely need to manage it for me. But where am I supposed to get those connections, oppa~"

She gave a little pout, looking helpless and a bit pitiful, "Sooyeon unnie said she could keep an eye out for me, but I'm too embarrassed to keep bothering her. What should I do...?"

Although her words were full of concern, Park Jiyeon actually already had a plan in mind.

Her idea was to find a professional manager to handle everything, while she could be a hands-off boss, only occasionally making an appearance.

But that's precisely where the problem lies.

If she were to encounter someone who absconds with the money or falsifies accounts, she would be completely powerless to fight back.

With that in mind, she simply threw the question at Lin Xiuyuan.

Because in Park Jiyeon's opinion, it's always right to ask oppa if you need anything.

At this moment, Shirley, who was sitting to the side, was quietly watching videos and didn't interrupt.

After finishing his soy milk, Lin Xiuyuan handed her his unopened bottle of soda water, then continued watching her video and quietly listening to their conversation.

After listening to Zhiyan's account, Lin Xiuyuan remained silent for a while, his gaze falling on the empty cup on the table as he pondered earnestly.

Just as he looked up to speak, his phone rang.

Several people looked over at the same time.

When the words "Lim Yoon-a" appeared on the screen, Park Ji-yeon and Sulli both smiled in unison, but Lin Xiu-yuan's expression subtly became awkward.

However, she still answered the phone, "Hello, Yoona~"

A laughing voice came from the other end of the phone, "You little rascal, Xiu Yuan, you ignored me all day without answering your phone, huh?"

Upon hearing this, Sulli and Park Jiyeon immediately looked at Lin Xiuyuan, who quickly explained, "Hey, Yoona, I didn't stay at the villa last night because I had something to do, it wasn't because I didn't answer your calls."

"Hmm? Someone's around?" The change in tone immediately put Yoona on alert.

"Yeah, people from our hometown are here. Do you want to come over?"

Before the words were even finished, a voice on the other end of the phone interrupted, "Open the door for me, I'm at the door."

A few minutes later.

Upon entering the house, Lim Yoona happily hugged Sulli, then sat down between her and Park Jiyeon, saying, "What's wrong with you two today? Why did you all come together?"

Sulli laughed as she explained what happened last night and how she "made things worse" while cleaning this morning, which made Yoona laugh heartily.

After laughing, Yoona didn't forget to give Park Jiyeon a belated birthday wish, "By the way, Jiyeon, it was your birthday the day before yesterday. I didn't have time to go. You're not angry with me, are you?"

"How could that be, unnie?" Park Jiyeon shook her head with a smile. "My little deer unnie is celebrating my birthday over there, so it doesn't really matter whether you're here or not."

After saying this, she looked at Yoona from 2025 for the first time and was both surprised and amazed.

Although her skin inevitably shows some signs of aging, her overall complexion, temperament, and radiance are still stunning.

"And unnie, you're in such great shape! Even back in 2013, you'd still be a top-tier center."

She's so much better than some "old woman" who was defeated by time so early on.

"Haha, I love hearing that." Lim Yoona laughed happily. "Jiyeon, next time you come, I'll give you a belated birthday present."

"Then I'll be waiting, thank you unnie~"

After chatting for a few minutes, Lin Yoona suddenly turned her gaze to Lin Xiuyuan and glanced at Park Jiyeon next to her with a mischievous smile.

Lin Xiuyuan tensed up instantly upon seeing this, swallowed a few times, and then quickly changed the subject, "Um... Yoona, why did you suddenly come today?"

"What else could it be? It's just that someone hasn't answered the phone all day," Yoona laughed again.

"Didn't I say something really happened?"

Lin Xiuyuan responded with a forced smile, but his eyes clearly pleaded with her not to say anything.

If Park Jiyeon really found out about her relationship with Da Long Zai, it would be a bit awkward.

Even though the initial "assist" came from Park Jiyeon, now that things have really progressed, he still doesn't want her to know for the time being.

after all……

When I travel to your future self and look back at your current, still clueless self, you are almost completely exposed, nearly naked, under that gaze.

Just like Krystal and Jung Soo-jung before, every time Jung Soo-jung came to the bar, Lin Xiuyuan would look at her and would always think of Krystal from time to time, thinking about her initiative and then looking at Jung Soo-jung's introverted nature.

Looking at Krystal Jung with her head slightly lowered and unwilling to communicate, I couldn't help but recall Krystal's boldness and passion that night.

That intense sense of separation... to be honest, it was quite stimulating.

Fortunately, Yoona just smiled and didn't expose his "little trick" on the spot.

"Actually, I also wanted to see Lin Xiaolu while I was here." She casually changed the subject. "I stayed up late these past two nights to organize some teaching methods and lesson plans for her, and I wanted her to take a look."

"Okay, I'll go call her later."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Park Jiyeon, however, did not forget her original question. She still stared at Lin Xiuyuan with her big, watery eyes, looking like she was waiting for oppa to provide a solution.

Having just listened to Sulli's explanation of the whole story, Lim Yoona had a general understanding of her problem, so she turned her attention to Lin Xiuyuan.

They were obviously curious to see what this little boy would do.

Lin Xiuyuan thought for a moment and then said decisively, "Two methods."

"First, work backward from the future. Find a reliable professional manager or company, hand over the project and funds to them to manage, and you can be a hands-off manager and just sit back and collect the money."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject, "But the problem is that nine out of ten pieces of information you can find online are fake. Even if you use future information to check back, it's the same; if the accuracy is inconsistent, the risk is still there."

Yoona was the most qualified to speak on this point, so she immediately nodded.

“Yes, Xiu Yuan is right. But it’s not entirely hopeless. If you’re willing to spend some money to trace the other party’s resume, background, and project records, you can actually find some real information, but it’s troublesome. And the most difficult thing is dealing with people’s hearts.”

After listening, Park Jiyeon also expressed her own thoughts: people's hearts always come first.

Then she looked up at Lin Xiuyuan and asked, "What's the second option, oppa?"

This time, Lin Xiuyuan's tone was noticeably more hesitant than before, and his expression was somewhat complicated.

But seeing Park Jiyeon's shining eyes, and recalling the incredibly delicious dish Da Longzai had prepared the night before last, she finally sighed.

"The second way is that I'll give you a call in a bit. Go back to 2013 and call that person to explain your situation."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "They should give you some terms or a contract. Whatever it says, just sign it; they won't treat you unfairly."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Park Jiyeon's face.

"Remember to say my name."

(End of this chapter)