Chapter 12: A Choice, And Also Fate
【New timeline】
The next day early morning.
In the master bedroom bathroom of that villa in Gangnam District, Lin Xiuyuan was wearing a set of pajamas, brushing his teeth in front of the mirror.
His mouth was full of foam, his eyes still half-open, looking every bit like he had just woken up.
Ever since opening that door, Lin Xiuyuan basically returned to this side’s villa to rest every evening. He wasn’t stupid; why live in an empty luxury mansion only to go back to the 【old timeline】 side and squeeze onto that wooden board bed without a mattress.
As for that job, after he visited Jung Soo Yeon once, he simply quit.
There was no melodramatic plot; the boss didn’t make things difficult for him, didn’t withhold his salary, and the procedures went smoothly.
Just as he thought of this, the phone screen he was holding in the air scrolling Douyin rang once, receiving another text from Krystal in the film crew.
The content was the same as yesterday: a restaurant address, a list of takeout she wanted to eat, and a transfer window.
Lin Xiuyuan glanced at it, accepted the transfer, and casually replied: yes madam!
Before going downstairs to head out, he looked at the room door in the corner with the old brass lock hanging on it, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately turned and went to the garage.
——Since he had already decided, there was no need to waffle anymore.
In the blink of an eye, another hour or so passed. After picking up the takeout from Cheongdam-dong, Lin Xiuyuan quickly delivered it to the filming base on this side of Yeouido.
Because he had shown his face yesterday, the security didn’t stop him today, and he smoothly placed the takeout on the small table in front of Krystal’s actor chair even earlier than yesterday.
And the other party was still filming at the moment.
Gazing at Krystal surrounded by the shot, and another male lead he didn’t recognize, Lin Xiuyuan just swept a glance before lowering his head to scroll Douyin again.
Acting and such, how could it compare to videos.
Without stepping out, one could understand world affairs.
Back in 2013, this required checking news on websites here and gossip on forums there.
But in 2025, it was truly just one app to handle it all, which was quite shocking for the ‘novice’ Lin Xiuyuan.
He really hadn’t expected that in just these ten-odd years, the internet had developed to the point of feeling like a completely different world.
After a good while, Krystal over there finally finished the morning’s scenes and returned to her RV.
Then, looking at Lin Xiuyuan who was scrolling Douyin, she walked over with a smile, “You don’t seem like my employee at all, completely different from yesterday. What’s this, no more pretending, Mr. Lin.”
“There’s no pretending or not. No need to call me Mr. Lin so politely, just my name is fine. The previous rudeness was indeed because I had business with you all; no need for more words, I’ll take you to see something and you’ll understand.”
Lin Xiuyuan, putting down his mobile phone, looked at Krystal.
“In a bit?”
“Mm.”
Lin Xiuyuan nodded.
Krystal stared deeply into Lin Xiuyuan’s eyes, pondered for a moment, then shook her head, “No can do, I still have other scenes to shoot, probably not free until evening.”
“Then I’ll wait for you.”
“So urgent?”
Lin Xiuyuan’s reply made Krystal slightly furrow her brows as she began sizing him up.
Although this guy’s first impression on her was pretty good, women alone outside still needed to prioritize safety.
If it was within the film crew, Krystal had no issue at all; there were people nearby, and if anything happened, she could just shout.
But if as he said, she had to go out with him, then she needed to think it over.
Entertainment was entertainment, but safety first.
Lin Xiuyuan understood her concerns but couldn’t promise anything.
The thing he wanted to show her was destined not to let others follow.
To explain in terms of the novel’s plot: this was both a choice and a crossroads of fate.
If the connection was shallow, pass by; if deep, it opens.
Krystal looked down at the takeout on the table, then asked, “Where to?”
“Gangnam District.”
Having gotten the answer, Krystal pulled out her mobile phone, opened the map, and handed it to Lin Xiuyuan.
The latter took the phone and quickly found the location of that villa on it, displayed the panorama, then returned the phone to her.
Krystal glanced at the location on the screen, and the luxury villa inside it, her expression clearly stunned for a moment.
When she looked at Lin Xiuyuan again, her gaze had a bit more teasing, “Wait, Mr. Lin, this undercover visit of yours, is it to hit on me? Or older sister?”
“Ah?”
“But that doesn’t quite add up either. Look at you, just in your early twenties. I’m in my early thirties, older sister almost forty; your preferences are for older sister types?”
Lin Xiuyuan was at a loss for words for a moment.
Thinking of her quiet and aloof image in the coffee shop when they first met, compared to this sharp-tongued and lively demeanor now
Lin Xiuyuan finally understood that some people couldn’t be judged just by their on-camera or first impressions; needed more contact to really know.
Who could have thought that this beauty so cool on camera would be so lively in private.
At least the her in her twenties wasn’t like this; looks like these ten-odd years had an overly strong impact and growth on her, almost changing her personality.
So somewhat helplessly, he said, “The topic’s veered off a bit. Are you going or not, give me a straight answer.”
If not, he’d go back to the 【old timeline】 side and find the next “candidate.”
While scrolling videos just now, one video’s content had touched him a bit.
Krystal was still hesitating, “Can’t wait a bit? Wait for older sister together.”
“No waiting, this matter has nothing to do with her.”
Lin Xiuyuan’s answer made Krystal think askew, “So last time you went to older sister about the IOU was for me?”
“Really not, that time it was truly for money; running into you was pure coincidence.”
Hearing this straight-guy answer, Krystal was a bit speechless, “You really don’t know how to talk sometimes, Mr. Lin.”
“So…”
Thinking Krystal was about to refuse, Lin Xiuyuan didn’t expect her to change tack, “So I agree, but you have to wait for me to finish today’s scenes first, probably until evening like that, okay?”
And just like that, the two with the appointment sat down to eat together.
After the simple meal, Krystal got up to work again at the director’s call.
While Lin Xiuyuan continued from his watch history to find that video he hadn’t finished, runtime up to 120 minutes, more like a documentary movie.
The video’s description was also very simple.
Titled 《Those Years, Those Songs, Those Things（ Tara Edition）》
……
……
【Old timeline】
In the dim backstage, two figures were leaning on a tattered sofa.
Not far outside was wave after wave of increasingly heated clamor and insults, as if wanting to swallow the entire space.
“Older sister, do you think we still have a chance to make a comeback?”
“Don’t know, let’s get through the present first.”
“The shouting outside is so harsh. Why treat us like this? We’re victims too.”
“Keep your voice down, don’t say more; whatever we say now is wrong.”
This last sentence made the figure who spoke first clench her fist tightly.
Tightly, until her knuckles turned white.
Due to the reading duration mechanism issue, please take the trouble, when reading the book, to stay for ten or so seconds or spend some time posting a few comments, because that’s how chase read data counts, thank you thank you
