Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 48 Jessica Jung's First Meeting with Krystal (Please read on!)

In the small bar late at night, the light was dim and gentle.

The lighting inside wasn't bright; only a few warm yellow pendant lights above the bar cast an amber glow onto the wooden tabletop and sofa, resembling a nostalgic scene from an old movie.

A lamp in the corner cast a soft glow, illuminating half an old photograph and a vintage gramophone. The music was gentle jazz, quiet and soothing, like a night breeze drifting through the air, carrying a sense of languid comfort and undisturbed tranquility.

On the sofa, Krystal glanced over and laughed, "That gramophone, I remember it was in the villa, wasn't it? You moved it here?"

"It's a waste to leave it there, so we might as well bring it over and do it here."

After hearing Lin Xiuyuan's answer, Krystal nodded slightly, but then asked another question, "When my tavern opens, are you planning to make it the same as this one?"

"Yes, that's convenient. The blueprints and decorations are the same, only the soft furnishings and accessories will be slightly different."

At this point, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly remembered something, looked up at her, and said, "Oh right, we're out of gramophones. Why don't you get me another one? The sound quality of this old-fashioned instrument is perfect for a pub."

Krystal, who had just taken a sip of her cocktail, rolled her eyes and said, "Then why don't you put this one over there and let your unnie find you another one over here?"

I don't know if it was a coincidence or what, but it just happened like that.

Just as Krystal mentioned her older sister, the electronic door lock beeped a few times, drawing their attention to the sound simultaneously.

With a soft click, the tavern door was slowly pushed open.

The night breeze blew into the room, causing the hanging bell behind the door to ring softly.

Outside the door, Jessica Jung, looking travel-worn, stepped in. A few strands of hair on her forehead were ruffled by the wind, and her face showed a hint of weariness and stubbornness in the night.

As soon as she entered the room, her gaze fell directly on the two people on the sofa.

The sight of that familiar woman made her pause noticeably, and she stopped slightly in her tracks.

On the sofa, Krystal suddenly sat up straight, her pupils trembling slightly. For a moment, she forgot what to say and could only stare fixedly at Jessica Jung at the door.

Only Lin Xiuyuan remained calm. He glanced at his two sisters, turned around and walked to the bar, silently preparing a drink for Zheng Xiuyan.

At this moment, the shop door slowly closed, shutting out the wind. The air was so quiet that even the "clink" of ice cubes falling into the glass could be clearly heard.

Jessica Jung stood there, staring at the figure on the sofa for a long time without saying a word.

That familiar face and features, a face she could draw even with her eyes closed, now seemed so unfamiliar it was almost unreal.

They're both her younger sister, both Krystal, yet they don't look like the girl she saw just two days ago.

Her features remained delicate and aloof, but her eyes held a maturity and composure never before seen, like an adult who had experienced too much and learned to hide their sharpness.

That look in her eyes sent a sudden jolt through Jessica Jung's heart.

The throbbing in my chest felt like it had been suddenly hit by something, abruptly losing its rhythm.

Taking a deep breath, she forcefully suppressed all her emotions and said with a smile, "Oh, it's quite lively here."

Her tone was deliberately relaxed, and a smile, as she always did, played on her lips. "Lin Xiuyuan, when did you call Xiujing over here without telling me?"

Krystal, sitting on the sofa, had an expression strikingly similar to Jessica Jung's just now.

And after hearing the other party's seemingly casual words, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, but her eyes couldn't leave that familiar figure and that familiar smile that she hadn't seen for a long time.

"Onie~"

She called out softly, her voice carrying the weight of twelve years in between, landing gently on the ground.

All the playful banter and provocation from the phone call vanished the moment he saw Jessica Jung standing in front of him.

Hearing her shout, Jessica Jung slowly took a few steps closer, the light casting a long shadow on the ground.

"What, you don't recognize me now that you've grown up?" Jessica Jung tried to lighten her tone, but her voice was still a little hoarse.

Krystal shook her head, her lips moved slightly, and she forced a smile. "Sit down first, unnie, let me catch my breath. I didn't expect to see someone so young like you so suddenly. We just had dinner together yesterday."

However, after saying this, Krystal glanced at Jessica Jung several times before finally gently taking her arm.

The gesture made Jessica Jung freeze, but she quickly raised her hand and hugged her back, as if she were holding onto something long-lost and important. "How come you've lost so much weight? Don't you eat?"

The soft, murmuring words sounded like a complaint, or perhaps like coaxing one's own child.

Lin Xiuyuan didn't say anything. After placing a glass of ice water in front of Zheng Xiuyan, he quietly returned to the bar, giving them space for this rare reunion.

The pub was unusually quiet for a moment, with only the soft strains of jazz music and the feeling of a long-awaited reunion.

After the two embraced for a moment, Jessica patted Krystal's back gently, "Alright, that's enough with the sentimentality, it's not like we're never going to see each other again."

Krystal chuckled softly, her voice slightly nasal, "Unnie, your mouth is as sharp as ever. Unlike in the future, you don't talk to me like that anymore."

"why."

"You said I've grown up and can have heart-to-heart talks now."

There was nothing wrong with what she said, but it made Jessica purse her lips a few times. "How could I have become such a jerk? No matter how much you grow up, Krystal, you'll always be my little sister."

"Actually, it's pretty good. We can't stay young forever."

"Oh, so you're talking back now."

Jessica Jung pretended to be angry after Krystal refuted her, but the next second she reached out and pressed her down on the sofa, then turned her head to look at her face carefully.

"He is indeed looking more and more like an adult."

Jessica Jung spoke very softly, like a thief who was terrified of disturbing time, "You were playing around with me yesterday, and you were still rolling your eyes at me like crazy, trying to hit me."

Hearing this, Krystal's thoughts drifted back to the past, and she tilted her head to look at Jessica Jung, "Unnie, it's because you're too annoying these days, meddling in everything."

She paused after saying that, and then lowered her voice, "But later I realized that you protected me very well. Luckily you kept me in check, otherwise I don't know what would have happened if you had left me alone."

Jessica Jung paused slightly, turned to look at the glass of iced water that Lin Xiuyuan had brought her on the table, picked it up and took a small sip.

Then she chuckled lightly, "You've really grown up, otherwise why would you say something like that?"

Krystal leaned back on the sofa, her eyes fixed on her, and asked hesitantly, "Unnie, how have you been lately?"

"You know I'm at my best right now. And things will only get better, so don't worry."

Hearing this, Krystal glanced at Lin Xiuyuan at the bar and chuckled, "That's true. With Jessica there to warn you, you'll definitely have a good time here, unnie."

Jessica Jung was taken aback, not expecting her to bring up another "self".

So he looked at Krystal and asked, "Krystal, what brings you here this time?"

"I'm feeling a bit down, come over for a drink," Krystal replied honestly.

Then Jessica Jung looked at Lin Xiuyuan, who quickly shrugged and said, "It has nothing to do with me. I've been here for the past two days."

As he spoke, he remembered something and called out to Krystal.

"By the way, Krystal, Shirley was sitting in the seat you're sitting in this afternoon."

As soon as she finished speaking, Krystal froze instantly.

　Brothers, family, godfathers, today's reading is very important, as it affects the new book ranking on the homepage. I hope everyone can help by finishing the book, casting your votes if you have them, and recommending it to your friends if you don't, to help push the new book's ranking higher and increase its exposure.
　　

(End of this chapter)