Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 55 The Line of Text on the Back of the Certificate
Bar counter.

Park Jiyeon stared at the last marriage certificate, her brows furrowed, her mind racing as she tried to recall exactly when she had signed this "brainless contract."

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any memory of the boy in front of her.

However, she was relieved about one thing: this thing was obviously just a joke.

The "contract" printed on an A4 sheet of paper is neither the official marriage certificate of China nor the one on the peninsula.

What's truly surprising is that the paper does indeed bear her signature and fingerprints.

Thinking of this, Park Jiyeon looked at Ham Eunjung next to her with a bit of a laugh, "Unnie, do you remember this thing I signed?"

"No, it should have been signed sometime before or after we went there for development."

When asked, Ham Eun-jung leaned over and glanced at the object a few times before shaking her head as well.

She didn't remember either, but based on the images in the previous photos, she roughly guessed a time period.

"I don't remember either. It was more than ten years ago. All I can recall now is that I was constantly traveling back and forth in China during that time. It was either fan meetings or parties, or commercial performances. I was never stopping all day long."

Recalling her life back then, Park Jiyeon couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. Then, as if remembering something, she quickly looked at Lin Xiuyuan, who had taken out the notebook.

The latter smiled, flipped back to the previous few pages, and pointed to the time marker in the lower right corner, "The time is here."

Bae Suzy and Ham Eunjung also curiously came over.

Sure enough, some photos were labeled with dates ranging from 2013 to 2016, but the rest were blank.

Looking at those yellowed yet clear photos, Park Jiyeon raised her slender fingers and gently stroked the young version of herself in the photos.

"It's been over ten years, and it seems I've really forgotten quite a lot. But your notebook is in such good condition, it looks like it was just printed."

Krystal, who had been silent the whole time, wanted to roll her eyes at Lin Xiuyuan after hearing this and tell Park Jiyeon: How could it not be fresh? This whole book and the photos inside will definitely be out of print in no more than a week.

However, a sensible woman won't expose a man's lies. She'll discuss things behind closed doors, and still give him face in public.

Lin Xiuyuan explained, "Well, I laminated it as soon as I got it, and then recently when I was renovating the bar, I found this notebook again at home, so I laminated it again."

Finally, he added softly, "People and things you like are always worth preserving."

Krystal silently rolled her eyes again.

But those words made Park Jiyeon lower her head and chuckle softly, her eyes turning gently to the boy behind the bar.

Thinking about how old the other person was more than ten years ago, and how an innocent junior high school student was infatuated with her, the smile and friendliness between her brows grew stronger. She smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you for liking me back then. If it weren't for your support, we wouldn't know what to do, right, unnie?"

Park Jiyeon asked the last question while looking at Ham Eunjung.

"Yes, even today, our fans in China are still supporting us, so... thank you for your support."

Hearing Ham Eun-jung's sincere and heartfelt reply, the 'liar' Lin Xiuyuan was still too young and thick-skinned, and actually felt a little guilty.

So he glanced at Krystal, who was standing to the side, intending to ask her to save him.

Krystal turned around, looked at Jessica on the sofa behind her, and walked over. "Unnie, how was it? The drink was pretty good, wasn't it?"

Watching that departing figure, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled. As he looked away, he met the smiling gazes of Park Jiyeon and the others.

He quickly bent down, reached out and picked up the prepared cocktail, pushing it in front of Park Jiyeon. "Um, you can try my cooking and give me your feedback. See if it's suitable for opening a bar."

Although Park Jiyeon had no recollection of having any interaction with this young boy back then, the contents of this notebook were undeniably real.

The words are hers, and the photo is also hers.

So subconsciously, she had already begun to have some goodwill towards him. "Don't worry, as my fan, even if you make it taste bad, I will still say it tastes good even if I don't mean it."

"It's not good to make progress like this. It would be troublesome if we lost money," Lin Xiuyuan said with a smile.

Park Jiyeon continued with a smile, "Then I'll come and support you more often in the future, and bring a few friends along. That should make sure you don't lose money." At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan paused slightly and looked at Krystal on the sofa again.

She didn't mention the membership system?
However, having experienced the embarrassment of 2013, Lin Xiuyuan was not so rash this time.

Seeing that the others were clearly unaware of the situation, he didn't rush to explain, intending to wait until everyone had left before explaining.

After this little incident, his relationship with the girls was somewhat closer.

Although we can't be considered close friends, we can at least naturally join the conversation, instead of just passively responding, and the responses we receive are no longer just polite formalities.

Even if we can't delve into personal matters, we can at least have a brief chat about recent events and news.

Soon, the small tavern was divided into two small groups.

At the bar, Lin Xiuyuan was surrounded by Park Jiyeon, Ham Eunjung, and Bae Suzy, chatting and laughing.

On the other side was a sofa, where Krystal was keeping Jessica and Jennie company.

The two small groups refrained from interfering with each other, quietly enjoying their wine and fruit, savoring a rare moment of relaxation.

It wasn't until Jennie was about to leave and casually mentioned that she would come back to sit next time she had time that Krystal brought up the bar's membership system.

As a result, Lin Xiuyuan, the boss, once again became the center of attention.

"Members-only?" Bae Suzy's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed excitedly, "A private bar! That's great, I love it!"

She has always preferred a quiet private space, and a membership system would prevent outsiders from disturbing her, which suits her perfectly.

But Krystal chimed in, "Don't get too excited yet, Lin Xiuyuan has to give his approval first. He told me that to join, you have to meet certain conditions: down on your luck but still rich, beautiful and sexy, and the kind of rich woman who wants to keep making a fuss about life."

After saying that, she looked at Suzy meaningfully and said, "To put it simply, Suzy, you're completely out of the running because you've never been down on your luck."

Bae Suzy, who seems to be living a life story worthy of a leading lady, has never experienced a moment of hardship from birth to her debut and into the present.

At the same time, Lin Xiuyuan's eyes widened when he heard her words.

He remembered only saying that to Jessica Jung, so why is it coming out of Krystal's mouth now?

Wow, that big-mouthed monster...

After listening to Krystal's words, the others all looked at Lin Xiuyuan, waiting for his explanation.

Lin Xiuyuan simply pointed to the signboard that had already been hung above the door, “'The Trouble-Relieving Tavern'. The reason we opened this shop was to give people who have troubles and worries in their lives a rare private space. As for people who have a happy life, they may not need this place.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes flickered, each conveying a different emotion, but no one said anything more.

After Jennie and Jessica left, a while later, as evening approached, everyone prepared to say goodbye.

Before leaving, Park Jiyeon hesitated for a moment, then asked Lin Xiuyuan about the marriage certificate, wanting to take it back.

After all, it's too sensitive, and Ham Eun-jung and Bae Suzy both felt that this was the right thing to do.

Lin Xiuyuan gave her a strange look, but without refusing, he took out the notebook again, pulled out the last laminated certificate, and handed it to Park Jiyeon.

A few seconds later, a loud laugh came from Ham Eun-jung's mouth.

"Daebak, hahaha, that does sound like something Jiyeon would say before."

Bae Suzy and Krystal, who were standing next to her, were also smiling, though not as exaggeratedly.

When Park Jiyeon received the certificate, she noticed words on the back and instinctively turned it over, only to find a line of text.

[This old woman from who-knows-when, don't snatch a child's gift! It won't affect you at all, what are you afraid of? You coward.]

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(End of this chapter)