Chapter 172: King Meets King, Eun-jung Meets Eun-jung
Standing at the doorway of room 701, Ham Eun-jung looked at Lin Xiuyuan in front of her, somewhat at a loss, and asked in confusion, “Xiuyuan, aren’t we going to have a late-night snack? Why are we going home?”
After speaking, she turned back to look at the door over there; last time, she had come out from inside and met Lin Xiuyuan.
“This is taking you to have a late-night snack, I’m not joking.”
Lin Xiuyuan said as he skillfully entered the password.
With a click, the door opened.
This was Ham Eun-jung’s first time seeing the inside of this apartment. Although she found it a bit strange, she ultimately followed Lin Xiuyuan’s steps into the room.
At the entrance was a row of women’s high heels. The shoe rack held delicate aroma diffusers and dried flowers, and a few pieces of clothing were casually draped over the back of the sofa, indicating they were women’s belongings at a glance.
This scene made her involuntarily swallow, and she looked at the back of the boy in front of her with a shocked gaze.
He had a girlfriend?
And they were living together?
But Ham Eun-jung didn’t ask, just silently kept these things in her heart, then asked softly, “Do I need to change my shoes?”
“No need, let’s go.”
Lin Xiuyuan, who looked back at Ham Eun-jung, shook his head, then quickly walked to the nearby Time-Space Door and opened it.
There were no preludes, no build-ups.
“Go, go, go, let’s go, Eun-jung, let’s go have a late-night snack.”
Upon receiving the reply that she didn’t need to change her shoes, Ham Eun-jung’s eyes swept across the newly renovated apartment, then she looked at the room door, flush with the main door, that Lin Xiuyuan had opened, feeling somewhat speechless and amused.
“Are you kidding me? You opened a storage room for me to eat a late-night snack in?”
Ham Eun-jung knew this because the last time she visited the apartment next door, she was in the storage room packing things for Jeon Boram.
“Let’s just come and see first. I’ve renovated it, this is no longer a storage room,” Lin Xiuyuan replied with a smile.
“The walls are so thin, can you really create a palace out of this?”
Facing Lin Xiuyuan’s statement, although her tone was teasing, Ham Eun-jung still walked over and peeked behind the door.
Then she was stunned. The entire person froze in place, staring blankly at the scene before her.
Instead of a narrow storage room, it was a spacious living room with a ceiling several meters high.
The marble floor shone with a gentle luster, and the ceiling was adorned with artfully arranged lighting fixtures. The neat and orderly layout resembled that of a mansion.
After freezing for a few seconds, Ham Eun-jung was about to turn back and ask Lin Xiuyuan something.
However, Lin Xiuyuan smiled first, gently placed a hand on her back, and then pushed her forward without hesitation, “This is the super gift package you won. You can’t say I cheated later.”
Pushed into the room, Ham Eun-jung stumbled, fully stepping into the space that seemed like an illusion. The door behind her closed automatically with a “bang,” as if severing all connection between her and her own worldview.
“What is this place? Xiuyuan?”
Ham Eun-jung, after stepping inside, asked softly while looking around, her voice filled with unconcealed shock, “Are you playing some kind of escape room game? Or are you… one of those super rich second-generation heirs who rents a rundown apartment to pretend to be poor?”
“You’re silly. Look outside, this is the first floor.”
Lin Xiuyuan walked to the sofa in the living room with a smile, glanced at his phone screen, and continued to laugh, “Eun-jung, your reaction speed is even worse than Ji-yeon’s. At least Ji-yeon noticed it was the first floor as soon as she came in, not the seventh floor.”
As soon as he said this, Ham Eun-jung quickly turned her head, her gaze passing through the floor-to-ceiling window to look at the yard outside.
A neatly trimmed courtyard quietly stretched out, bathed in moonlight.
Then Ham Eun-jung frowned, staring at Lin Xiuyuan, “So Xiuyuan, where exactly is this?”
As she asked this question, several possibilities flashed through her mind: magic, ghosts, displaced space.
“Oh, right, I forgot to mention.” Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, “This is… the year 2025.”
But as Lin Xiuyuan spoke these words, the possibilities Ham Eun-jung had considered completely collapsed. Her eyes widened, her lips trembled slightly, but she couldn’t say a word.
“I remember you telling me last time that you thought I was strange? You guessed if I was an alien, or if I had some secret?”
Lin Xiuyuan said as he walked to Ham Eun-jung’s side, smiling, “I’m not exactly an alien, but it’s true, there are some special things about me, for example… I can take people through time and space to the future.”
These words made Ham Eun-jung’s scalp tingle, and her reason desperately resisted this absurd premise.
Then she forced herself to calm down, preferring to believe it was some kind of magic trick.
Suddenly, Ham Eun-jung thought of a crucial question, a familiar figure, “Wait a minute, Xiuyuan, so Ji-yeon knows about this too?”
“Mhm,” Lin Xiuyuan nodded.
This time, Ham Eun-jung completely froze. Like a soul being drained, she stood rooted to the spot. Everything before her was so real that it was undeniable, yet so contrary to reason that it left her bewildered.
“The year 2025, is that why Ji-yeon dared to invest so crazily??”
As if confirming, Ham Eun-jung repeated the year to herself as if talking to herself.
Her voice was weak, and she mumbled about some circumstances around her, but her whole body felt numb with cold, as if immersed in ice water.
Then she looked up, her gaze once again directed outside the window.
The courtyard, which did not belong to the floor where room 701 was located, still existed quietly, the grass meticulously trimmed, and even the moon in the sky seemed brighter than she remembered.
No, the moon? It was cloudy in Seoul tonight, there was no moon.
So is this really another time-space?
“I still don’t quite believe it, Xiuyuan…” After a long silence, Ham Eun-jung spoke again, her voice carrying a hint of uncontrollable tremor, “This isn’t realistic.”
This kind of event that completely shattered her worldview and overturned her cognition of the past twenty-plus years was simply too shocking for Ham Eun-jung.
Her brain hadn’t had time to process this absurd reality before her body reacted.
Almost instinctively, she turned and rushed towards the door, eagerly pulling it open, wanting to return to the familiar apartment 701, to the world that was ordinary but at least made sense.
But the moment the door opened, she was met with a completely ordinary storage room.
There was no familiar living room, no retreat, not even the passage back had disappeared.
Just as she stood there, stunned and at a loss, Lin Xiuyuan walked over, gently closed the door, and then opened it again.
The scene before her instantly changed.
It had been a storage room a moment ago, but now it was the complete original appearance of room 701.
“If you think I’m lying,” Lin Xiuyuan’s voice came from behind her, his tone relaxed, “then how do you plan to explain this scene? Displaced space? Magic? Or sleepwalking?”
Ham Eun-jung froze in place, her eyes wide as she looked at the dramatic changes inside and outside the door. Her mind seemed to have crashed instantly, all thought cut off, and even basic logic temporarily ceased to function.
After a long while, her voice finally managed to squeeze out from her throat with difficulty, “So what did you mean when you said earlier that I should thank Ham Eun-jung?”
Lin Xiuyuan gave a meaningful smile, “That’s very simple. I made a bet with her, she won, and I gave her a big gift.”
Then Ham Eun-jung slowly raised her hand and pointed at herself, “So I became that gift package?”
“Mhm,” Lin Xiuyuan blinked, his tone light, “Let’s go, let’s go have a late-night snack.”
“Are we going out to eat?”
“Of course,” Lin Xiuyuan nodded again, turned and walked towards the door, looking back and nodding at her, “To the small tavern over here. Don’t worry, I won’t sell you.”
Ham Eun-jung was still standing there, stunned for a few seconds before reacting, as if her soul was a beat behind. She hesitantly followed him step by step.
Until she stepped out of the doorway, her mind was still in a complete mess.
The night was deep, the city slept, and the early summer night breeze carried a hint of coolness.
Ham Eun-jung and Lin Xiuyuan walked one after another down the dim alley, their footsteps clearly audible in the quiet night, as if walking between two worlds.
After a long silence, Ham Eun-jung finally spoke, her voice kept very low, “Has Ji-yeon been here many times? Knowing a lot about our future?”
“Not many times, just occasionally, not a lot.”
Lin Xiuyuan walked slowly, as if intentionally waiting for her, “But she does know a lot of information, so you and Hyo Min don’t need to worry about me setting her up anymore.”
“That was just a worry.” Ham Eun-jung paused, still uneasy, and asked, “So is this really the year 2025?”
Lin Xiuyuan smiled without answering, merely pointing ahead, “We’re here.”
Ham Eun-jung followed his gaze and saw the familiar solid wood signboard ahead, with the same words 【Solve Worries – Du Kang】.
“So, you replicated a tavern in both time-spaces?” Ham Eun-jung probed.
Lin Xiuyuan didn’t respond, but gently pushed the door open and said, “Welcome, Eun-jung.”
Then a crisp bell rang, and the night breeze brought in a scent of grass and wine.
Ham Eun-jung, following behind, stepped inside and slowly scanned the interior.
The dark brown bar counter, the warm lighting, the wooden wine cabinet, the audio equipment and vintage vinyl player in the corner… everything was like the style of the tavern in 2013.
But just as Ham Eun-jung was caught up in her thoughts, her gaze suddenly froze at the back of the bar counter.
At that moment, she seemed to see a “herself” sitting on a high stool, looking down at her phone.
And that profile was almost identical to hers.
At the same time, the “Ham Eun-jung” sitting at the bar counter also seemed to sense the movement and slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting hers at the door.
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze.
The eyes of the two Ham Eun-jungs met, their pupils trembling slightly, their breathing stopped.
One second, two seconds, a roar exploded in their minds.
Neither of them took the first step, only staring blankly at each other, as if they had seen another incredible self in a mirror.
…
…
Not long before, in the late afternoon, the sunlight slanted, and a gentle sea breeze softly swept through every inch of the campsite air, adding a lazy comfort to the summer twilight.
As the fishing match officially began, Lin Xiuyuan, Lee Ji-eun, and Big Dragon Cub sat around the shore, enthusiastically entering the “competition.”
Of course, calling it a serious competition was actually just the three of them chattering non-stop, engaging in banter with nonsense.
The first one to get a bite was Big Dragon Cub.
As soon as her fishing rod started vibrating frequently, she was so excited that she almost jumped out of her chair, her words floating to the sky with joy, “Xiuyuan, Older Sister, look, look, I got a bite, a fish is coming!”
The result was that the bait was completely eaten, but not a single hook was caught.
“Ahhhh! Why didn’t it hook again?”
Big Dragon Cub shouted as she leaned towards Lin Xiuyuan, as if trying to shift the blame for her failure to him, or perhaps acting cute towards him, “Xiuyuan, quickly help me see if the hook is broken?”
Lin Xiuyuan, while steadying her to prevent her from sliding off the chair, said with a wry smile, “After shouting like that and then reeling in so slowly, the fish must have gotten away.”
“It’s not me who’s slow, it’s them who are cunning!”
Big Dragon Cub argued convincingly, but her expression was like that of a child who had lost her candy, full of grievance.
But what was even funnier was Lin Xiuyuan next.
He, who had been acting like an “expert angler” just moments before, clearly had bites twice, and his reeling action almost splashed water.
Yet, he still ended up with an empty hook, looking particularly disheveled.
“Wow, they’re really good at stealing bait…”
The embarrassed Lin Xiuyuan muttered, not forgetting to wipe his hands with a wet tissue, “Are these fish all possessed today?”
“Eun-jung, your technique isn’t good enough either.”
Ham Eun-jung chuckled softly at this, her words slightly stinging but her tone gentle, as if teasing.
However, her fishing rod remained still and silent from beginning to end.
“Eun-jung, you too.”
“I’m practicing Zen fishing.” After saying that, she leaned back on her small chair, squinting her eyes and enjoying the breeze, “If the fish are destined, they will come to me.”
“Give me a break.” Lee Ji-eun exposed them from behind, “Is that Zen fishing? You just can’t catch anything. All three of you are amateurs.”
While bantering and fishing, they chatted about many things.
From the recent gossip in the entertainment circle, “who was photographed dating in Gangnam,” “who is rumored to have gone abroad to have a child,” they exchanged words, laughing heartily while fishing.
Soon, the conversation shifted to the music festival last time.
“Xiuyuan, you have no idea how many news articles Ji-yeon’s tattoo stickers you gave her got this time. Many media outlets said she had fallen.”
As she spoke, Lee Ji-eun pointed at Big Dragon Cub with a smile, “Later, when I rewatched the live broadcast, the bullet comments were all about Ji-yeon’s tattoos, so many, they flooded the screen. There were also comments that you were in great shape, like you had returned to your prime from a few years ago.”
“Really?” Big Dragon Cub laughed heartily, “Then it means the gift Xiuyuan gave was good, and my condition is indeed very good.”
“You’re doing well, it’s Ji-eun who’s stealing the spotlight.”
After the two of them finished speaking, Ham Eun-jung also chuckled, “Ji-yeon, you forgot she walked onto the wrong stage and waved to fans while walking, almost falling.”
“Shut up!”
Lee Ji-eun’s face suddenly flushed red, and she raised her mineral water bottle to hit someone, causing them all to burst into laughter again.
Just as the laughter was at its peak, suddenly…
“Hey! It moved!” Ham Eun-jung exclaimed subconsciously.
Everyone instinctively stopped their actions, their gazes fixed on her fishing rod.
The fishing rod, which had been as still as a wooden carving, was now trembling slightly, bending into a beautiful arc.
“Quick, quick! Reel it in!” Lin Xiuyuan immediately urged.
Ham Eun-jung’s expression sharpened, she stood up, firmly gripped the fishing rod, and with a slight pull, felt a strong tug from the other end.
She subconsciously clenched her teeth, steadily maintained her stance, reeled in the line, and slowly guided it towards the shore.
Water splashed on the surface, and before long, a fish much larger than a palm leaped out of the water, firmly hooked.
“Ahhh! She actually caught one!”
Big Dragon Cub screamed excitedly.
“She actually caught one!”
Lee Ji-eun also stood up, her face full of disbelief.
Ham Eun-jung held the fish, her expression filled with shock and satisfaction. After a moment, she offered a smile that lacked the arrogance of a winner, “It seems destined fish really do come to me.”
Lin Xiuyuan looked at the fish still struggling on the fishing rod in her hand, then at her face that couldn’t hide her smile, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“Alright, I’ll keep my word. I’ll give you a big gift later, one you’ll be satisfied with.”
“We can talk about the gift later. Xiuyuan, please help me unhook the fish first, I’m afraid to touch it.”
Ham Eun-jung looked up at him, her smile uncontrollable.
A few minutes later, Lin Xiuyuan squatted beside her, looking at the fish still wriggling in the bucket, and casually asked, “So Eun-jung, are you planning to keep it, or take it home to eat?”
“Neither.”
Ham Eun-jung smiled and shook her head, patting the fish while taking photos, “I’ll release it after taking pictures, but let me say this first, after I release it, you can’t go back on your word about the gift.”
“How could I? I always keep my word.”
Lin Xiuyuan said, patting his pants, and stood up, giving her a thumbs-up, “Tonight. I’ll fulfill it for you tonight.”
The competition also naturally ended at this moment.
However, the group did not disperse. Instead, they relaxed and sat around the beach, continuing to chat idly and even starting to exchange photos they had taken.
Later, Lin Xiuyuan took out his camera and took many beautiful photos of the three of them.
He was very focused and serious during the shoot, directing everything from angles and lighting to the background, making everyone cooperate by posing in various ways.
Looking at his focused and professional demeanor, Ham Eun-jung suddenly said with a regretful laugh, “If I had known you were shooting so seriously, you should have captured the moment I was pulling the fish just now.”
“That moment is gone. How about you pretend to pull another one, and I’ll take a supplementary photo.”
“That wouldn’t be interesting,” the Big Dragon Cub interjected.
Ham Eun-jung turned her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips, “But I think it would be interesting, Ji-yeon.”
“Ah~ Unnie!!!”
The Big Dragon Cub bristled and pounced, trying to grab her, but Ham Eun-jung dodged with a laugh.
The twilight completely sank into the night, the sea breeze picked up, and their laughter echoed on the beach for a long time.
As the night deepened, the sea breeze gradually grew cooler.
So they packed up their fishing gear and drink bottles, deciding to move to another spot to continue the night’s fun.
Let’s go to a restaurant for a delicious meal.
The dinner atmosphere continued the previous joy, especially for the Big Dragon Cub, who ordered two seafood pots in one go, eloquently stating, “I want to get revenge on that fish that got away! Let its family be reunited!”
When the meal was almost finished, Lee Ji-eun suddenly suggested, “How about we go to a small tavern tonight? Have a few more drinks.”
“Is that okay, Xiuyuan?”
The Big Dragon Cub also looked up at Lin Xiuyuan, who was sitting beside her, her tone carrying a hint of anticipation, “It’s okay to vent, right? At worst, we can keep the door open. It’s rare for Eun-jung Unnie to catch a fish today, we should celebrate!”
“I lost the match, didn’t I?” Lin Xiuyuan smiled and shook his head. “So tonight I have to prepare that ‘big gift’ for Eun-jung. Let’s make it tomorrow.”
This statement made everyone pause slightly.
The Big Dragon Cub was the first to react, and asked with a look of disbelief, “Huh? No way, Xiuyuan, you’re serious? You’re really giving a big gift package?”
“Of course. We agreed to give a big gift package, how could I go back on my word?”
Lin Xiuyuan nodded, and subtly squeezed the Big Dragon Cub’s hand, which was resting on his lap.
He wanted to make her less jealous; he was squeezing her almost to the root.
Ham Eun-jung chuckled softly at this moment, her tone half-joking, half-serious, “So, can I start looking forward to it now?”
“Of course.”
Lin Xiuyuan nodded, his eyes holding a hint of mystery. “And… if you have time, Eun-jung, you can come with me to see it now.”
“Ah?” Ham Eun-jung froze.
“Let’s go, together,” Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, his tone calm yet serious.
Seeing Lin Xiuyuan’s expression, the Big Dragon Cub and Lee Ji-eun exchanged a glance and didn’t ask further.
Although both were curious about what the so-called “big gift” was, since Lin Xiuyuan hadn’t invited them along, they understood to wait and see.
And so, after finishing dinner, Ham Eun-jung got into Lin Xiuyuan’s car and headed towards the small tavern.
The small tavern at night had warm and soft lighting, and the air was filled with a faint, pleasant scent.
The wind chimes at the doorway swayed gently in the sea breeze, tinkling, as if foreshadowing some impending change.
Upon entering the tavern, Ham Eun-jung instinctively looked around, then walked straight to the bar counter and sat down on a high stool.
“Xiuyuan, what kind of gift do you have to hide from Ji-yeon and Unnie to give to me?”
As she sat down, she teased with a smile, “You don’t have any special feelings for me, do you?”
Lin Xiuyuan let out a light chuckle. “It’s not special feelings, but a secret… a secret that cannot be easily told to others.”
“And you’re willing to tell me?”
Ham Eun-jung raised an eyebrow, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
“You won the match, so this is a big gift package for the champion.”
“I thought it was…”
Thinking of something, Ham Eun-jung gave Lin Xiuyuan a look of amusement.
Although she didn’t quite believe it, if she could experience it, it wouldn’t hurt.
However, Ham Eun-jung ultimately kept her thoughts to herself and instead smiled, “So, given how serious you’re being, Xiuyuan, should I act a little nervous?”
“It’s always good to have some psychological preparation,” Lin Xiuyuan smiled, his gaze towards her now carrying more seriousness.
They chatted back and forth, the atmosphere surprisingly quiet and comfortable.
Ham Eun-jung no longer felt reserved and gradually relaxed, ordering a drink at one point.
As they chatted, more than half an hour passed, and Ham Eun-jung finally couldn’t help but ask with a hint of playfulness in her tone.
“Xiuyuan, the gift you mentioned is just accompanying me for a drink and a chat? If that’s the case, at your level, you could be a top host in Ginza.”
Lin Xiuyuan let out a soft laugh, slowly sat up straighter, and looked at her earnestly, “Then let me ask you a question first, Eun-jung.”
“Mm.”
“Do you think your capacity for acceptance is strong?”
Ham Eun-jung raised an eyebrow. “What, are you afraid I’ll faint from shock?”
“Honestly, that’s a possibility,” Lin Xiuyuan nodded lightly.
She rolled her eyes and then unceremoniously mocked herself, “Don’t worry, I can take on five cows with one leg; I won’t be scared off that easily.”
Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan’s eyes flickered slightly, as if confirming something.
Finally, he stood up and said gently, “Then please wait for me for a moment. I’ll go and invite her over.”
“Why don’t you just show it to me directly?” Ham Eun-jung asked, a bit suspiciously.
“That… thing isn’t very suitable to be brought out directly,” Lin Xiuyuan smiled and shook his head, then his tone suddenly became serious. “Eun-jung, wait for me a moment?”
Ham Eun-jung originally wanted to tease him a few more times, but seeing Lin Xiuyuan’s current expression, she inexplicably stopped joking and simply nodded gently.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
Soon, Lin Xiuyuan left, creating a gust of wind that caused the wind chimes at the door to ring.
Ham Eun-jung sat alone at the bar counter, swirling her wine glass, not paying too much attention to the time.
But as she waited, she suddenly realized that something was amiss with the time.
Because Lin Xiuyuan had been gone for ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes…
After scrolling through her phone several times, she realized that nearly an hour had quietly passed.
“What is this situation…”
This waiting time made Ham Eun-jung roll her eyes, and she opened the group chat: “Hey, Ji-yeon, Unnie, did Xiuyuan trick me into coming here and then go home to sleep? “
Lee Ji-eun replied instantly: “Ah? Weren’t you guys going to see the gift?”
Big Dragon Cub: “Yeah, I thought you had already received it.”
Ham Eun-jung: “Received what ghost? He’s nowhere to be seen, and he left me at the small tavern for an hour. Can you believe it?”
Big Dragon Cub: “Hahaha, this doesn’t sound like Xiuyuan. Did something happen?”
Ham Eun-jung: “Don’t talk nonsense… but it’s really excessive for him to abandon someone like this.”
Lee Ji-eun: “Then why don’t you send him a message to ask, or give him a call?”
Park Hyomin: “What are you guys talking about?”
Ham Eun-jung was about to reply a few more sentences when she suddenly heard a light sound from the doorway.
“Beep—click.”
The electronic lock of the small tavern clicked softly, and the door was slowly pushed open from the outside. The wind chimes jingled again with a clear sound.
Hearing the sound, Ham Eun-jung smiled and replied in the group chat: “No need, he’s back. I’m going to scold him properly.”
After sending this message, she turned her head, ready to complain to Lin Xiuyuan, “You finally decided to come back.”
But the next second, she froze completely.
The wind from the doorway blew in, ruffling a strand of the other person’s slightly messy, shoulder-length hair.
It was a girl wearing a light-colored hoodie and jeans, with a clean and sharp aura, and a familiar yet strange expression hidden in her eyes.
That face, Ham Eun-jung knew all too well.
She stared blankly at the person at the doorway, her phone falling onto the bar counter at some point.
It was as if time had completely frozen at this moment.
Just like last night, here are 7K first, the rest will be updated later. I’ve been too busy with work these past few days, working overtime until night every day.
If you can’t wait for the early morning update, please rest first. You can also read it tomorrow morning.
I wonder if the godfathers can give some monthly tickets for this chapter?
Requesting monthly tickets, requesting monthly tickets, requesting monthly tickets, requesting subscriptions, requesting rewards, requesting everything!!!!
