Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 92 The Female Lead's 'Crying Scene' Assessment and 'Imaginary' Theater (5K views, please subscribe and vote)

Looking at the squad leader in front of him, Lin Xiuyuan had to admit that plastic surgery has really ruined a lot of idols.

She already had pretty good features, but due to company requirements, she had to undergo some "minor adjustments".

The result was that the minor adjustments didn't make those idols stand out; instead, they led them down the path of no return, resulting in full-face plastic surgery.

Worse still, this change can be addictive, essentially no different from electronic opium.

However, even with some discrepancies, this person's looks are still on point, and they are still capable of fighting and holding their own.

She just lacked the natural baby fat she had in 2013, as well as the charm and approachability she possessed back then.

But apart from that, her fair and rosy skin is her most lethal feature.

Just as Lin Xiuyuan was thinking about these things, Lin Yoona had finished chatting with Kim Tae-yeon and turned to introduce him, "Unnie, let me introduce you. This is Lin Xiuyuan, a bar owner."

Kim Tae-yeon's gaze naturally fell on the boy.

At first glance, what she noticed was his youth. He was just over twenty, even carrying a touch of naivety, as if he exuded the freshness of early summer—clean and vibrant.

Looking closer, he exudes a strong sense of youthfulness.

In the sunlight, he wore a simple sports shirt and sneakers, with fair skin, clear features, and a faint smile on his lips.

What truly startled Kim Tae-yeon was his eyes.

Those weren't the common round almond-shaped eyes or single eyelids of boys, but rather the extremely rare phoenix eyes found on the peninsula—a term she learned online.

With slightly upturned eyes and thick eyelashes, he exudes a natural air of heroism and sharpness.

Yet, its youthful energy prevents it from appearing sharp; instead, it exudes a sense of restraint and purity.

good, very good, excellent.

The good first impression prompted Kim Tae-yeon to extend her hand to Lin Xiu-yuan, saying, "Hello, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Lin."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had been watching her, nodded slightly, shook her hand briefly, and then released her, saying in a clear voice, "Hello, Captain Kim Tae-yeon."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear, like the first glass of lemon sparkling water on a summer morning.

The title that touched her heart the most gave Kim Tae-yeon a refreshing and comfortable feeling, and then she looked at Im Yoon-ah and smiled.

"Captain, huh? Haha, I like that title. Yoona, did you hear that? I'm still the captain of Girls' Generation."

Behind her, Lim Yoona smiled slightly and said, "Yes, unnie, I'm also Girls' Generation's Lim Yoona."

When Kim Tae-yeon turned back and looked at Lin Xiu-yuan again, the goodwill in her eyes was obvious.

Although I'm not quite "captured by a cute puppy," I have to admit that the guy in front of me has a clean and comfortable vibe, and he's also quite unique.

After a brief introduction, the group found seats and sat down.

However, with Kim Tae-yeon joining them, Lin Xiuyuan very 'consciously' gave up his spot and picked up a cue to practice on the side.

The two people plus myself can serve as a spice.

But with three people in a group, one more person would be a bit of a nuisance, and he understood that.

After he left, the three beauties unconsciously started talking about him, which was brought up by Kim Tae-yeon.

"Yoona, where did you meet this young man? He's really young."

Because this age is very appropriate; any younger and you'd be a teenager.

At that age, Kim Tae-yeon and the others were basically children, and they wouldn't have any interest in chatting.

In response to Kim Tae-yeon's curiosity, Lim Yoon-a looked at Lee Qri beside her and said, "I met her later than Qri unnie, but if I had to say how we met, it was through Soo-jung's introduction."

"Xiujing?"

Kim Tae-yeon's eyes softened slightly as she realized she hadn't heard that name in a long time.

Unlike Yoona, as a singer, she rarely has the opportunity to be at the same event as Krystal, who is an actress.

So compared to Yoona and Krystal, who still have some chance to meet, Taeyeon has almost none. Naturally, she hasn't heard of Taeyeon in a long time, let alone met her.

"Yes, Xiu Yuan opened a small bar, it's members-only. The drinks he mixes are quite unique, and you also get a private space where no one will bother you. You can go and sit there when you have time, but you have to get his permission first, otherwise you won't even be able to get in the door."

Upon hearing Yoona's statement, Kim Tae-yeon's first reaction was, "Can't I just use facial recognition to get in?"

Upon hearing this, Lee Qri immediately looked at Lim Yoona, who laughed loudly, "Hahaha, unnie, I thought so too at first, but they don't recognize faces, they let you use iris and fingerprints."

"Hmm~ This one is amazing."

Kim Tae-yeon raised her 'non-existent' eyebrows and tilted her head slightly.

His gaze passed over Yoona's shoulder and landed on Lin Xiuyuan, who was preparing to swing his club not far away.

As I watched the boy standing in front of the ball, the sunlight slanted down, and as he looked down at the ball, the wisps of hair on his forehead swayed slightly in the wind, and the contours of his face were clearly outlined by the light and shadow.

The next second, he exhaled lightly and raised his hand to swing the club.

"Boom--!"

A crisp sound rang out as the club made clean, precise contact with the ball, sending it flying in a beautiful arc.

Kim Tae-yeon narrowed her eyes, watching the ball land, then slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

He really is a cute young man; seeing him made her feel younger.

So after Lin Xiuyuan swung a few more times, Kim Tae-yeon got the hang of it and eagerly said, "Since we're here, Yoona, why don't you teach me how to play?"

"Ah, unnie, I was also taught by Qri unnie, why don't you let her teach you?"

She herself hadn't even mastered the craft yet, so how could Lim Yoona teach others? She quickly waved her hand to shift the blame and pushed Lee Qri out of the way.

After thanking her softly, Kim Tae-yeon began her rare first experience with golf, led by Lee Qri.

Seeing that Kim Tae-yeon had started playing, Im Yoon-a also became interested. So she went to Lin Xiu-yuan's side, watched him swing a couple of times, and then asked, "Xiu-yuan, you got the hang of it so quickly, do you have any tips?"

When faced with Yoona's question, Lin Xiuyuan's answer only drove her more crazy: "I don't understand. I think as long as you have good eyesight and a steady hand, that's enough. As for the rest, like waist and strength coordination, you'll figure it out after a few swings."

Yoona chuckled, "What if neither of these works?"

"Then we can only make up for our shortcomings with hard work," Lin Xiuyuan said with a smile.

"What you just said makes me want to punch someone."

……

……

However, what Lin Dajun and Lin Xiuyuan in 2025 didn't know was that in that parallel universe of 2013, the young Lin Xiaolu was indeed making up for her lack of talent through hard work.

Last night, she kept thinking about the details of the emotional changes mentioned in the video, and she didn't get a good night's rest.

After parting ways with Lin Xiuyuan today, she returned alone to the master bedroom of the apartment and, facing the camera on the dressing table, tried again and again to grasp the rhythm of her crying scene.

Even while eating, she was busy, chewing her food while her mind was filled with the flow of emotions and the details of her eyes.

Until a phone call came in; it was her agent.

"Hey, oppa~"

"Yoona, where are you?" The voice on the other end sounded urgent.

Yoona replied, "It's in my own apartment."

"Okay, hurry up and change your clothes and come downstairs. I'll come pick you up now."

Yoona was a little confused, not quite understanding her manager's anxiety. "Where are we going, oppa?"

She thought it was just another last-minute arrangement, nothing more than filling in for someone or giving some junior executives in the company a free ride to squeeze money out of them.

Unexpectedly, the other end of the line delivered a pleasant surprise: "Agent Choi told me that screenwriter Kim Eun-sook is free this afternoon and has already arranged a time for you. We can go directly to meet her and discuss the script and the character."

Upon hearing this, Lim Yoona suddenly stood up from her seat, "Really? Oppa, you're not lying to me."

"Why would I lie to you? Hurry up and change your clothes and come downstairs. I'll drive over right now."

After saying that, the manager seemed a little excited and added, "Yoona, I heard the script is set in a preppy style, so try to dress as youthfully as possible."

"Got it, Oppa."

After hanging up the phone, she returned to her room, glanced at the wardrobe, and muttered, "A preppy style...something youthful..."

Ultimately, she chose a white shirt with light blue plaid, paired with a high-waisted denim A-line mini skirt that reached just to her knees, and finished the look with white canvas shoes.

Finally, she wore a beige knitted cardigan over it, creating a simple and refreshing overall style that also exuded the vivacity of a female college student—perfect.

Less than twenty minutes later, Lim Yoona came downstairs and got into her manager's car, which sped off to a low-key yet impressive office building in Cheongdam-dong.

After the car came to a stop, the agent turned and glanced at her: "Ready?"

Yoona smiled slightly at him and said, "Don't worry, oppa, I will succeed."

Upstairs, in an elegantly furnished reception room filled with the aroma of tea.

The renowned screenwriter Kim Eun-sook was sitting at a low coffee table, dressed in plain clothes, with a thick script in front of her.

Her gaze beneath the glasses was calm, her expression carrying her usual efficiency and composure.

"Manager, Yoona is here," the assistant announced quietly.

"Let her in."

Kim Eun-sook looked up, her voice gentle.

Soon, Yoona followed her manager into the reception room and gave a slight bow to the senior artist.

The moment she stepped into the room, Kim Eun-sook's gaze lingered on her for a moment.

Her outfit was clearly carefully chosen, both appropriate and stylish. With her fresh face and upright posture, she certainly has the looks to be on camera as the visual center of a girl group, and she also exudes youthful energy.

However, she values ​​acting skills more than looks.

Besides, if we have to choose between looks and acting skills, Bae Suzy, the "nation's first love" who became an overnight sensation last year, seems to have more charm than the one in front of us.

This meeting was merely to fulfill a favor to the other company.

Thinking of this, Kim Eun-sook's interest faded slightly, and she turned to her manager, "Hello, could I have a chat with Yoona-ssi alone for a while?"

"of course."

The manager nodded in greeting, secretly giving Yoona a "good luck" look before leaving the meeting room.

After the door closed, Kim Eun-sook pointed to the sofa opposite her and said, "Sit down."

"Hello, Kim Eun-sook sunbaenim."

Lim Yoona sat down, her tone carrying a hint of nervous respect.

Kim Eun-sook didn't exchange many pleasantries. She opened the script in front of her and got straight to the point, "To be honest, I already have someone in mind for the female lead of this drama, but your company strongly recommends you, so I'm willing to give you a chance."

Yoona nodded, suppressing her nervousness, and didn't interrupt.

“I’ve seen some of your dramas, Yoona-ssi, you are indeed versatile. But as it stands, you’re not quite suitable for this drama of mine.”

At this point, Kim Eun-sook flipped through a few pages of the script, her brows furrowing slightly in a troubled manner.

"But since you're here, I can't let you leave empty-handed. Let's not waste each other's time, let's act out a scene. The female lead in my drama has a lot of crying scenes, so just give me a crying scene."

Crying scenes!!!

The question startled Lin Yoona, and she suddenly thought of Lin Xiuyuan and the video tutorial from yesterday.

Then, quickly composed herself and looked at Kim Eun-sook, asking, "Senior Kim Eun-sook, is there a specific scene?"

“No need, just play what you’re most familiar with.” Kim Eun-sook’s tone was flat, clearly not holding high expectations.

Yoona took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and adjusted her breathing and state of mind.

But the more stressed a person is, the more chaotic their thoughts become.

The more nervous she became, the louder the noise in her mind became. She tried to force herself into the zone, but found herself stiff, with a vacant look in her eyes, and her whole being like a taut bow, making her appear increasingly unnatural.

Kim Eun-sook, watching from the opposite side, sighed silently.

Just as she was about to call a halt, Lin Yoona also sensed something was wrong, and suddenly a conversation she had with Lin Xiuyuan the previous morning flashed through her mind.

……

"Lin Xiuyuan, what do you think is the most important thing in a crying scene?"

"you ask me?"

"Just chatting."

"If I had to say, I don't think the amount of tears is the key. What truly moves people is the restraint in the three seconds before the tears come out, the moment when you try so hard not to cry but still break down..."

"That makes a lot of sense, but how do you capture that emotion?"

"Yoona, how about I tell you about a hypothetical scenario?"

"what?"

"If one day, Jessica Jung leaves Girls' Generation, and Girls' Generation disbands, leaving only the eight of you, and then you perform 'Into the New World' at the Tokyo Dome, which you've always dreamed of, how would you feel?"

Think about it, try to think about it.

If that's not enough, I have many more tragic stories to tell you.

……

That assumption struck her deepest, most tender spot unexpectedly.

The thought of these words made Yoona quietly close her eyes before Kim Eun-sook could speak, and she stopped forcing herself to cry.

She began to regulate her breathing and switch her emotions.

Three seconds later, Lim Yoona opened her eyes again.

She didn't start performing immediately, nor did she burst into tears. Instead, she slowly lowered her head, as if she had just received devastating news.

Sitting on the sofa, she leaned forward slightly, clasped her hands together above her knees, and tightened her knuckles.

Kim Eun-sook, who had thought there was no hope, suddenly began to observe Im Yoon-ah's changing expressions with great interest, as if she had discovered some unexpected joy.

Across from her, Yoona's throat trembled slightly as she struggled to keep quiet, her breathing becoming somewhat erratic.

……

With the statement, "The most touching crying scenes are not about 'crying well,' but about 'crying genuinely,'" she began to construct that hypothetical scene.

The stage lights were dim, and a crackling sound came from the opening sound system.

She stood on the stage in a row with Taeyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, and others.

However, this time, Jessica Jung was the only one missing from this usually perfectly organized group.

Perhaps, I will never be here again.

Then, the melody of "Into the New World" slowly began to play.

The familiar intro was like a time machine, pulling her back to that heart-fluttering summer of 2007 when she had just debuted.

Back then, they wore matching white dresses and smiled without a trace of impurity, like a girl's paradise that would never end.

But now?
The camera zooms in, and the people on the stage are standing in a row, but there is an extra gap, which looks particularly abrupt.

She looked down at the sea of ​​fluorescent lights below the stage. Some people were still holding up the poster of the nine people, but the colors had become slightly faded, and the years had left their mark.

Then it felt as if a huge emptiness had suddenly ripped a piece out of my heart.

She tried to sing the first line of lyrics with a smile, but her vocal cords trembled, and the familiar melody cut into her heart like razor blades.

She saw Taeyeon's eyes redden, Sunny's throat choked with emotion, and even Yuri, who was usually the strongest, turned her head away and tried her best to maintain a smile.

……

In this imagined emotional state, in reality, a nerve in Lim Yoon-a's body was suddenly snapped.

Sitting in front of Kim Eun-sook, she stared blankly into the void, her lips twitching slightly.

Before the tears fell, the intense emotions she was suppressing were already almost overflowing. In a barely audible voice, she trembled and murmured, "I really thought we could go on like this forever."

Finally, at this moment when her emotions had been building up to a fever pitch, a light appeared in the corner of her eye.

Immediately afterwards, tears silently slid down the corners of her eyes.

Not just a single tear, but a continuous stream of tears, silently streaming down her cheeks.

Across from her, Kim Eun-sook's eyes behind her glasses gradually narrowed, and her expression shifted from calm observation to focused observation.

Lim Yoona, sitting on the sofa, did not wipe away the tears on her cheeks, nor did she show any struggle of "I want to cry".

But the emotions that had been building up for so long finally burst forth like a dam breaking.

She remained seated, leaning forward, but her shoulders trembled slightly from sobbing.

That heartbreaking moment seemed to be replaying in her mind over and over again.

Finally, she spoke softly, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

"Can I stay here?"

At this moment, she was no longer Lim Yoon-a.

Instead, it was the girl who sang with a smile on stage, but silently shed tears under the spotlight.

Across from her, Kim Eun-sook remained silent, her expression complex.

At that moment, she realized she had misjudged the girl.

It's not that the other person can't act, but that no one has ever taught her how to "act for real".

Completely immersed in her emotions, Lim Yoona slowly raised her head after more than ten seconds, looked at Kim Eun-sook with a slightly dazed expression, and asked softly, "Is it okay, sunbaenim?"

The air was quiet for several seconds.

Kim Eun-sook slowly closed the script, tapped the cover with her knuckles, took a deep breath, and then spoke a sentence.

"I'll give you two months to improve your acting skills. I'll review your performance again after two months. If you can still perform like you did today, the role is yours."

Lim Yoona froze, looking at the other person in disbelief, her eyes still wet with tears, but filled with shock.

"By the way," Kim Eun-sook said casually, "if you can, please correct your leg posture."

Actually, if the female lead of this drama were this girl, then the combination of her looks with the male lead would be an unexpected bonus.

A beautiful and charming female lead paired with a tall and handsome male lead. Who wouldn't be captivated by such a combination?
It was rare to encounter such a thing before, but now I've unexpectedly come across a pleasant surprise.

Moreover, if we can really train Yoona to succeed, it would be an excellent promotional effect for her and for the drama.

It's worth noting that Kim Eun-sook also greatly admires the story of the discerning eye and the talented horse.

　This is a super long chapter with over 5 words! The plot is coherent and there are no separate chapters. I hope everyone will support it and vote for it.

　　I know what you want to see: vote, godfathers, just vote and you'll get it.

　　(P.S.: I have a small request. I wonder if any of my benefactors could donate a few cents or a dollar to help increase the number of followers on this book. This would greatly benefit the exposure from the AI's recommendation system. Thank you all so much! I'm off to write some more.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)