Chapter 193: Jung Soo Yeon: “i’m Going To Break Into The Domestic Entertainment Industry”
“Eh, how is it this one.”
“Who is it, that newly popular idol who was just exchanging glances with you.”
Lee Ji-eun next to him heard Lin Xiuyuan muttering and immediately leaned over. While taking off her sunglasses, she also glanced at his phone screen.
As a senior, although she had been hiding in Lin Xiuyuan’s arms the whole time, the corner of her eye still caught some eye contact and small gestures between Lin Xiuyuan and Yoo Jimin, seeing it all clearly.
If someone said the two didn’t know each other, Lee Ji-eun wouldn’t believe it 100%.
“What are you thinking about? It’s Sunny.” Lin Xiuyuan smiled, then answered, “Hello, Teacher Sunny, why did you suddenly call me? It’s quite rare.”
Sunny’s voice carried unconcealed enthusiasm, “Xiuyuan, where are you now?”
On the other end of the phone, Sunny’s background noise was a bit noisy, but it gave Lin Xiuyuan a sense of familiarity. He replied, “I’m at the airport. You’re not at the airport too, are you? The background noise sounds so familiar.”
“Oh my, really?” The next second, Sunny’s surprised voice rang out, her tone rising several notches, “I just landed too, really at Incheon. Why are you at the airport too?”
“I just got off the plane.”
As soon as Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone, “Haha, me too. Perfect timing then, Xiuyuan. How are you planning to get back to Seoul?”
Lin Xiuyuan chuckled lightly, understanding her hint, “Got it. No one came to pick you up, right?”
He looked up at the vehicles not far away and said, “I’ll send you my location. Come over to the parking lot. You can find it yourself later when we head back, right?”
“Sure, hahaha.”
Just like that, after Lin Xiuyuan hung up the phone, Jessica up front asked first, “Sunny’s coming? Why would she call you to pick her up?”
Her tone clearly carried a bit of small curiosity.
Lin Xiuyuan shrugged and teased casually, “Yeah, why would she look for me instead of you? Really can’t figure it out.”
Then he put down his phone, glanced at Jessica, shrugged with a smile, picked up his suitcase, and amid the Big Dragon Cub’s uncontrollable laughter, went to her side and called out, “Stop laughing. Hurry and open the trunk for me to put the luggage.”
Jessica, who had been retorted against, gritted her teeth and glared at the guy ignoring her. Just as she was about to get angry, her gaze landed on Lee Ji-eun, who had completely taken off her hat and sunglasses, and her anger instantly dissipated.
That face really gave her too big a visual impact, and not just once, but the kind where every glance shocked her for a while.
After that, the few of them stood in front of the car, waiting together for Sunny’s arrival.
Then the Big Dragon Cub started the conversation first, casting a curious gaze at Lee Ji-eun and Lin Xiuyuan, smiling as she asked, “Xiuyuan, how was your Maldives trip this time? I noticed you two played pretty wildly, right?”
Lin Xiuyuan chuckled lightly, full of the relaxed feeling after a vacation, “No point asking. If you want to go, just come along next time.”
“If it weren’t for work, I would’ve gone with you this time. Too bad.” The Big Dragon Cub pursed her lips, then continued, “Next time there’s time, I really have to go play. It feels like the island you went to this time was more fun than the ones we went to ourselves.”
“And more expensive too, right? Isn’t it, Ji-eun?” Lin Xiuyuan turned to look at Lee Ji-eun.
After all, almost all the expenses for this trip were covered by her. Although he hadn’t asked the exact amount, from the experience, it was definitely not cheap.
Lee Ji-eun smiled very calmly, “Not expensive at all. I think it was worth it.”
Her words made the Big Dragon Cub laugh directly.
Far more than worth it, she basically made a fortune, older sister~
While they were chatting animatedly, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly heard a series of footsteps “pat pat pat” on the ground.
He turned his head and saw Sunny pushing a suitcase walking toward them.
Her appearance instantly attracted the attention of the few people around him.
When Sunny got closer, the scene of those people standing in front of the car surprised her a bit.
So she paused slightly, her gaze first landing on Lee Ji-eun standing next to Lin Xiuyuan, then glancing at the Big Dragon Cub and Jessica.
These figures stunned Sunny for a few seconds, a surprised expression appearing on her face, followed by a gentle smile as she walked forward.
“Wow, you’re all here. What a surprise.”
After coming over, Sunny couldn’t help laughing and greeting everyone, her eyes still carrying surprise but quickly returning to her usual lively and enthusiastic self, “Xiuyuan, why didn’t you tell me everyone was here? I thought it was just you.”
“You didn’t ask.” Lin Xiuyuan raised the corner of his mouth at her with a smile.
Hearing Lin Xiuyuan’s response, Sunny’s gaze turned to Lee Ji-eun and the Big Dragon Cub. These two seemed even more radiant than in her memory.
As if they had shed the accumulated fatigue, radiating brand new vitality.
“Mm…”
Because of this, Sunny couldn’t help sighing in surprise, her eyes full of astonishment and joy, “Older sister, you and Ji-yeon… have we really not seen each other for so long? You’ve changed so much.”
Lee Ji-eun and the Big Dragon Cub exchanged smiles and quickly responded modestly.
“Not at all, still the same as always.”
“Yeah, it’s because you haven’t seen us for so long that you have an illusion.”
The three of them naturally started chatting warmly, recalling shared memories while quickly closing the distance between them. The atmosphere unconsciously became familiar and relaxed.
Jessica standing to the side seemed a bit detached. Her gaze fell on Lin Xiuyuan, carrying some indescribable meaning. After a while, she withdrew her gaze and started catching up with Sunny.
“Alright, stop standing around chatting foolishly.”
Lin Xiuyuan smiled and interrupted everyone’s greetings, taking Sunny’s suitcase with one hand, “Hurry and load the luggage into the car. Let’s head out early and not block the airport.”
Everyone finally came to their senses and got into the car one after another.
After everyone was in the car, Lin Xiuyuan sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. The car gradually left the airport, got on the highway, and headed toward Seoul.
Laughter occasionally came from the car, topics ranging from recent situations to past collaborations and old embarrassing stories, with almost no awkward silences.
Only Lin Xiuyuan kept staring ahead intently, hands steadily gripping the steering wheel, occasionally glancing at the familiar faces in the back seat through the rearview mirror, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, but not joining their lively conversation.
At this moment, Sunny suddenly turned to Lin Xiuyuan and asked with some curiosity, “By the way, Xiuyuan, is your small tavern decorated yet? I’ve never been able to go take a good look.”
Hearing her question, Lin Xiuyuan kept his gaze on the road and replied briefly, “It’s done. Wait until you’re done with work, then make an appointment with me.”
Sunny nodded, then asked again, “So Soo Jung, why did you come over today too?”
Jessica smiled faintly and answered, “Nothing special. Today I happened to schedule to play tennis with Ji-yeon. After hearing she was coming to pick someone up, I just came along.”
“I see.” Sunny nodded, her tone light and cheerful.
But in her heart, she didn’t believe a single punctuation mark. There must be something going on, so her gaze scanned back and forth among the few people.
At the same time, she thought to herself: Seoul is still the best. Seoul has flower fields, and even more melon fields.
The car continued driving while maintaining the relaxed conversation, with no pressure or restraint in the atmosphere.
Lin Xiuyuan remained the one who spoke the least, but his occasional interjections always hit the rhythm perfectly.
About an hour later, the car entered the Seoul city center. High-rises gradually increased outside the car window, and the crowds became denser.
At this time, the Big Dragon Cub leaned forward from the back seat, looking at Lin Xiuyuan driving and suggesting, “Xiuyuan, let’s have lunch together. Perfect timing with everyone here.”
“Afraid not this time. I have something to handle, need to go take care of it. Next time?”
Glancing at the Big Dragon Cub next to him, Lin Xiuyuan smiled apologetically.
“Sigh, you’re so busy.”
The Big Dragon Cub teased with a smile but didn’t press further, “Then next time.”
Lin Xiuyuan nodded lightly, then after dropping the few off at Jessica’s parking spot, drove the Big Dragon Cub’s car toward his own villa.
Back at the villa, Lin Xiuyuan first went to the master bedroom and took a refreshing hot shower.
Then he changed into a clean shirt and long pants, deftly selected a wristwatch from the wardrobe and put it on, then went downstairs to the living room.
Finally, he looked down at the time on his wristwatch and went straight to that familiar time-space door in the corner of the living room.
He stood there silently for a few seconds, then reached out and gripped the door handle.
His fingers tightened slightly, and with a gentle push, the door slowly opened.
……
……
2013, a quiet apartment in Seoul.
Noonday sunlight poured in through the gaps in the curtains, casting soft light and shadows on the wooden floor.
The air still lingered with the scent of fragrance, faint, sweet but not cloying.
The bedroom door suddenly clicked open.
Jung Soo Yeon rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out, wearing that soft pink cotton pajamas, loose and lazy, with scalloped edges on the cuffs.
She had a somewhat exaggerated bunny ear headband on her head, her long hair casually tied up, a strand of hair hanging by her ear, swaying slightly with her gentle steps.
Yawning widely while stretching lazily, she seemed to float out from a dream slowly, carrying an effortless sense of relaxation and beauty.
Sunlight slanted across her cheek, highlighting her fair and delicate skin.
Just as she was yawning and about to go to the counter on the side of the living room to pour a glass of water, a crisp “click” suddenly sounded in her ear.
She froze slightly, then turned her head, only to see the door to the second bedroom next to her being pushed open at that moment.
Lin Xiuyuan, who had just been in the 2025 villa, crossed the time-space threshold and walked in.
Looking up, he directly met Jung Soo Yeon, who was in pajamas with bunny ears and a dazed expression on her face.
Their gazes met, and the air seemed to freeze for a second.
“Ah, hey~ Lin Xiuyuan, why did you suddenly come in.”
Jung Soo Yeon instinctively jumped back a step, shrieking as if electrified, even her bunny ear headband shaking twice.
“What are you yelling about?”
Lin Xiuyuan closed the door, chuckled, and didn’t forget to complain, “Didn’t you message me yourself yesterday to ‘come over before noon’??”
“I… uh…” Jung Soo Yeon was speechless for a moment.
“And not only did you message, you also called Sulli to make sure she notified me.” Lin Xiuyuan said while switching hands to pocket them, his expression relaxed.
“…”
Jung Soo Yeon just opened her mouth to find a reason to retort, but realized everything he said was true, leaving her completely unable to counter.
It made her teeth itch with anger, but she couldn’t find a reasonable comeback, so she could only glare at him furiously.
But this glare made her realize that Lin Xiuyuan’s gaze hadn’t left her body since earlier.
To be precise, it was fixed on the set of… pink cotton, somewhat childish and cute pajamas she was wearing.
“Lin Xiuyuan, what exactly are you looking at?” Jung Soo Yeon frowned suspiciously.
Then she instinctively looked down, and her expression changed instantly, because she realized she wasn’t wearing underwear underneath. The neckline was loose, the pajamas clinging to her body, completely defenseless.
“Still looking?”
She hurriedly clutched her collar and turned back toward the bedroom.
At that moment, Lin Xiuyuan’s laughter came from behind, “Cotton bunny pajamas, tsk tsk, Krystal really wasn’t wrong.
His lazy voice continued, like commenting on a impromptu fashion show, “Don’t worry, Jung Soo Yeon. Compared to bunny pajamas, I still prefer lace, sheer, silk camisole pajamas. I can tell the difference.”
He paused, then added teasingly with a smile, “Don’t worry, my eyes aren’t blind.”
“If you say one more word, believe it or not, I’ll hit you with slippers later, Lin Xiuyuan!!!”
An angry voice came from the bedroom. Before the words finished, a bunny ear headpiece whooshed out, straight at Lin Xiuyuan’s forehead.
Lin Xiuyuan dodged nimbly with a sidestep, laughing even more brazenly, “Not bad, pretty accurate.”
In the bedroom, Jung Soo Yeon stood fuming in front of the wardrobe, the words “lace, sheer, camisole” echoing repeatedly in her mind.
Her gaze scanned the wardrobe, but she found she didn’t have any of those so-called “sexy little pajamas.”
All pure cotton, loose, warm, cute.
How come she had none of the best equipment to counter a pervert.
Finally, Jung Soo Yeon gritted her teeth, suddenly had an idea, pulled a black camisole from deep in the wardrobe, paired it with beige high-waisted denim shorts, and slipped on flip-flops.
Simple and direct, planning to give Lin Xiuyuan a visual impact.
A few minutes later, Jung Soo Yeon stood in front of the mirror, satisfied with the figure reflected.
The black camisole clung to her figure, the soft fabric hugging her skin, accentuating her slender swan neck and softly curved collarbone beautifully.
The two thin-as-hair straps on her chest rested perfectly on her shoulders, rising and falling slightly with her light breathing, alluring yet natural.
Following the hem was the denim shorts short enough to reach her thigh roots, with naturally curled frayed edges, perfectly outlining her slim waist and evenly straight legs.
Her skin glowed with a delicate sheen under the sunlight streaming through the window, clean like polished porcelain.
Simple flip-flops on her feet, with cool black nail polish on her toes, adding a sharp edge to this “casual sexy” outfit.
Then she casually tossed her soft long hair, letting the strands cascade like a waterfall to her shoulders, lightly covering her fragrant shoulders in a half-hidden way, perfectly measured.
Jung Soo Yeon smirked, her eyes gaining a mischievous glint, “Hmph, Lin Xiuyuan, just you wait.”
After one last check in the mirror, Jung Soo Yeon hooked the corner of her mouth in satisfaction, opened the door, strode out of the bedroom, thinking to herself: Time to let Lin Xiuyuan see what a real “visual impact” is.
Jung Soo Yeon thought Lin Xiuyuan was waiting eagerly for her, but as soon as she stepped out, she saw him sitting cross-legged on the living room sofa, remote in hand, engrossed in a variety show on TV, completely not noticing her arrival.
“You… you…” Jung Soo Yeon was about to laugh from anger.
Then she stormed furiously to stand right in front of him, striking a powerful pose, chest out and head high, waiting for that heated gaze of astonishment to sweep over her.
Result: five seconds passed, ten seconds passed, and Lin Xiuyuan didn’t even lift an eyelid.
Jung Soo Yeon’s chest heaved dramatically with her emotions, a fire surging up. She grabbed a pillow from the side of the sofa and threw it at him.
“Lin! Xiu! Yuan!!”
“Ow!” Lin Xiuyuan instinctively dodged to the side. The pillow grazed his shoulder and hit behind him, finally making him look up.
Camisole, hot pants, long legs… plus the freshly tousled long hair, she looked like she stepped out of a magazine photo shoot, sexy but not overdone, refined yet effortless.
Looking at Jung Soo Yeon in front of him, Lin Xiuyuan’s mind suddenly flashed to Jessica from 2025 whom he had just parted from.
That 25-year Jessica was clearly not as vibrant as this 13-year Jung Soo Yeon.
Her skin wasn’t this radiant, her expression carrying faint fatigue and weariness. Though her appearance was refined and proper, that “young girl” vibe had long faded, and her occasional dazed look revealed an irrepressible exhaustion.
But this Jung Soo Yeon was like freshly picked midsummer fruit, bright, bold, sweet with a touch of tartness.
Straps, collarbone, the subtle sheen peeking from the neckline—every detail exuded fatal allure.
This was the youth that Jessica couldn’t regain no matter how much she rolled on the floor.
“Wow, this outfit…” After looking her over, Lin Xiuyuan’s mouth curved up, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “Switching styles today? Soo Jung, spicy girl look.”
His tone was lazy, but his gaze clearly circled her several times, “Scoring it… hmm, 8.8.”
“Only 8.8?” Jung Soo Yeon put her hands on her hips, eyes widening in anger.
“You deducted 1.2 points from my TV time.” Lin Xiuyuan looked perfectly justified.
“…”
Jung Soo Yeon nearly threw something at him again.
Lin Xiuyuan leaned back into the sofa laughing lazily, “But seriously, you in this… definitely has way more impact than the bunny pajamas.”
“Hmph, don’t need your evaluation.” Jung Soo Yeon huffed lightly, turning to sit on the single sofa opposite, “And this is ‘summer refresh’ style, not the spicy girl style you said.”
“Fine fine, you’re right.” Lin Xiuyuan raised his hands in surrender, blinking, “So what exactly did you call me over from 2025 in the middle of the day for?”
Jung Soo Yeon rolled her eyes, drawling lazily, “To find you?”
She lifted her chin slightly, corner of her mouth quirking up, “Of course, something big.”
“What big thing?” Lin Xiuyuan looked at her warily.
Jung Soo Yeon didn’t speak immediately, lowering her head in silence for a few seconds as if seriously thinking, then slowly raised her eyes.
“I’ve been thinking, Ji-yeon and the others managed to succeed so well in domestic entertainment. If I went over to try too, could I make it?”
When she said this, her expression was much more serious, a hint of caution in her brows and eyes, “Look, in that 25-year time-space, the later me went too. Soo Jung said I made a lot of money afterward, which means it can work.”
“You?”
Lin Xiuyuan was a bit shocked by the answer, then continued, “Wait, aren’t you mistaken? Wouldn’t it be Girls’ Generation together?”
“No, just me.” Jung Soo Yeon shook her head, tone firm.
Lin Xiuyuan frowned, “But you haven’t gone solo, no solo album either. How would you develop there?”
“Through personal activities.” Jung Soo Yeon replied nonchalantly.
“Then the money you earn, wouldn’t you have to share it with the other members? In the end, no big need to push so hard, right?”
After Lin Xiuyuan finished, Jung Soo Yeon laughed, also finding it a bit strange, “Who told you about this share system?”
Seeing her reaction, Lin Xiuyuan said surprised, “Isn’t it? I’ve seen lots of online claims like that, saying popular members in the group run themselves ragged making money, but the income gets split evenly per person, while others lie around enjoying it comfortably.”
“Nonsense.”
After retorting, Jung Soo Yeon paused her tone and continued, “Small companies might be like that, but S.M isn’t. Our company just takes a high cut, but personal activity income belongs to the individual and isn’t shared with members. So when Yoona made a lot of money in the early years, quite a few people were jealous.”
“For real?” Lin Xiuyuan’s eyes widened, “Then members with no personal activities wouldn’t feel resentful?”
“What resentment?” Jung Soo Yeon said very calmly, “Popular members also support the group, right? Team resources are still shared. As long as it’s not too obvious, no one has reason to complain; they’d even have to say thanks.”
“What about miss A’s situation then?”
Lin Xiuyuan mulled over her words, suddenly thought of something, and gave an example.
Jung Soo Yeon responded very bluntly, “I know what you mean—anti-explosion, right?”
Lin Xiuyuan nodded.
Seeing this, Jung Soo Yeon raised her index finger and shook it gently, “But first, Xiuyuan, you need to know one thing?”
“What?” Lin Xiuyuan asked curiously.
Immediately, Jung Soo Yeon raised her brow, grabbed a pillow to hug, and started explaining.
“That anti-explosion stuff usually only happens to idols where earning ability and popularity don’t match. Like if you have high popularity but low monetization ability, not matching the team’s speed and potential, the company will definitely anti-explode you to avoid dragging down the whole group.”
Lin Xiuyuan raised his brow, nodding lightly, “Sounds reasonable.”
At this point, Jung Soo Yeon paused, her tone sharpening as she continued.
“But if your earning ability matches your popularity and exceeds the group’s monetization, then no anti-explosion. The company will protect you well.
Like Yoona back then, like Hara in early Kara, like Victoria when fx debuted.
It’s all about interests first. If you can’t earn enough and mess up the popularity, that’s when the company holds you down.”
Finally, Jung Soo Yeon added, “And from what I know, JYP and YG groups don’t share personal income. I don’t know where you heard about sharing. But if it’s other small companies, I really don’t know.”
“Got it, so you want to go to China to start earning early?” Lin Xiuyuan nodded after hearing the explanation, then said.
“Can your brain work a bit?” Jung Soo Yeon rolled her eyes at him, “Do I lack money now? I lack popularity and influence. A market of over a billion people, even just a small share is enough to roll out my brand line.”
Saying this, she hooked her lip corner confidently, “Once my own brand officially launches with China’s base, that’s real smooth sailing.”
“So essentially paving the way, preparing for your design dream?” Lin Xiuyuan said speechlessly.
“Mm, these past few days I checked online comments and news, and only peninsula media is hot. Outside the peninsula, almost no overseas buzz.”
At this, Jung Soo Yeon narrowed her eyes slightly, “If I have to pick a popularity stronghold, I don’t want to stay in a gradually marginalizing market and give up the future world center.”
“Very insightful, and very ambitious.”
Lin Xiuyuan was impressed by her thinking, nodded, but asked curiously, “But why tell me this? Shouldn’t you discuss it with your company?”
Jung Soo Yeon quieted for a moment at the question, her voice lower, “Because I need you to give me some confidence.”
She looked at Lin Xiuyuan seriously, her tone rarely so frank, “I think this decision is right, but I’m still a bit uneasy deep down. You know, this affects my future path. One small mistake could derail everything… like Jessica in 2025.”
That version of herself who went astray was the deepest shadow in Jung Soo Yeon’s heart right now.
She knew, and clearly understood, that at this time she needed a supporter, and that person had to be Lin Xiuyuan.
Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan couldn’t help laughing, stood up and patted his knees, “Then let’s go. I’ll take you to 2025 for a tour. Some things, you won’t believe if I say them—you need to see for yourself.”
Jung Soo Yeon pursed her lips in a smile, nodded lightly, and stood up too.
She went back to the room, grabbed a light-colored straw hat to wear, then crossed the threshold, ready to step into that familiar yet strange 2025 again.
And Jung Soo Yeon had an illusion that as long as she stayed by that guy’s side, she seemed to have no confusion or hesitation.
What Lin Xiuyuan gave her besides support seemed to be a sense of backing.
A sense of security from having someone behind her.
As usual, another chapter later. Everyone can wait until tomorrow to read.
But still hope everyone votes, subscribes more, ten thousand daily still going.
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