Chapter 195: Jung Soo Yeon: “you’ve Become So Ugly.”
“Huh…”
Hearing a soft exclamation from beside him, Lin Xiuyuan instinctively turned his head to look, only to see Jung Soo Yeon also gazing along his line of sight toward the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor.
As expected, she had probably also seen that woman sitting by the window, eating things.
That face… looked just like her own reflection in the mirror, but it wasn’t her.
Separated by a layer of glass, one downstairs, one on the second floor.
The two “Jung Soo Yeons” from different timelines finally faced each other in reality in some wondrous way.
Before Lin Xiuyuan could speak, Jung Soo Yeon spoke first, her tone complex. “What a surprise. I didn’t expect to run into her here.”
She stared at that face behind the window, her expression under the mask inscrutable.
Surprise, emotion, and a trace of indescribable heaviness.
The other was wearing a beige skirt suit, looking at the two of them with a somewhat odd expression, her hair tied up gleaming coldly in the sunlight, almost indistinguishable from her own reflection in the mirror.
But compared to herself, that person seemed to have an extra air of refinement, maturity, and serenity, like an edge honed by years in rough seas.
More mature, restrained, even somewhat unfamiliar.
This was Jung Soo Yeon’s true first impression upon directly facing Jessica like this.
Seeing Jung Soo Yeon lost in thought for too long, Lin Xiuyuan said softly, “Let’s go. Not good to meet.”
“Ji-yeon is waving at you. Not going to respond?”
At this moment, another laugh came from Jung Soo Yeon under the mask, gesturing for Lin Xiuyuan to look upstairs.
As she expected, Lin Xiuyuan looked up at the second floor and waved to the Big Dragon Cub, Lee Ji-eun, and Sunny who were leaning out.
Then he quickly shook his head at them, pointed to Jung Soo Yeon beside him, and immediately made a “leaving” gesture.
Upstairs.
Seeing this, the Big Dragon Cub pursed her lips. “Looks like he’s really busy right now.”
“Who’s that with Xiuyuan? Her figure… is decent, but she looks so young.” At this time, Lee Ji-eun muttered curiously.
The “not bad” from her mouth wasn’t derogatory, just an objective comparison.
After all, she had extremely high standards for figures.
“A bit familiar.”
“Kinda looks familiar.”
As Lee Ji-eun asked, Jessica and Sunny said it simultaneously.
But because Jung Soo Yeon was wearing a mask, though the two felt she looked very familiar, they couldn’t pinpoint why, creating a strange sense of dissonance that left them quite frustrated.
The Big Dragon Cub raised an eyebrow, smiling as she stood up. “Actually, I feel a bit familiar too. I’ll go down and check.”
“Hey, Ji-yeon, wait for me.”
“How come you’re all going down? Then I’ll go too.”
In the blink of an eye, realizing only Jessica was left sitting, she turned to glance at Lin Xiuyuan downstairs again before standing up and heading down.
Thus, in an instant, Lin Xiuyuan, who had wanted to retreat, was quickly blocked downstairs by the Big Dragon Cub.
The Big Dragon Cub approaching Lin Xiuyuan first greeted him, “Hey, Xiuyuan, is this what you meant by having something to do?”
Then she looked to Jung Soo Yeon beside him. “Hello.”
Jung Soo Yeon didn’t speak, merely nodding slightly in response.
She knew very well that any word or tone from her now could trigger uncontrollable consequences.
Soon after, Lee Ji-eun and Sunny came down too, all casting appraising gazes at this mysterious “girl.”
The closer they got to the masked girl, the stronger Sunny’s sense of familiarity became, as if it were a very close friend.
But looking at that taut skin and figure, none of the familiar friends around her seemed this young.
Seeing Jung Soo Yeon not speaking, the Big Dragon Cub said nothing more; her gaze was fixed only on Lin Xiuyuan anyway. “Xiuyuan, you still haven’t answered me.”
Seeing no way out, Lin Xiuyuan replied, “Small tavern member. I’m just accompanying her on some errands. Why are you all coming down one by one? Go back up and eat.”
Small tavern member!!!
The Big Dragon Cub and Lee Ji-eun, who hadn’t paid much attention before, now looked at Jung Soo Yeon with noticeably more seriousness upon hearing “small tavern member.”
This was their first time seeing a member besides Kim Tae Yeon and Im Yoon Ah, so they naturally paid close attention.
And at that moment, Jessica finally walked over to the group.
Jung Soo Yeon looked at Jessica up close, her gaze shifting slightly.
She finally saw that face so familiar it couldn’t be more so, but compared to herself, the other’s had fine lines, slightly drooping eye corners, dimmer eyes with added fatigue and murkiness.
Jessica was also startled by the masked girl up close.
That sense of familiarity suddenly became overwhelmingly strong, like looking in a mirror, but not reflecting her current self—rather, a younger, sharper “her.”
This eerie déjà vu sent a chill through Jessica’s heart, making her involuntarily step back half a pace.
An indescribable sense of dissonance, as if seeing a ghost emerging from a rift in time.
Seeing ghosts??
Lin Xiuyuan noticed odd gazes starting to come from around them and sensed trouble, immediately whispering, “Alright, you all hurry back to eat. Too many people. We’ll contact later.”
The others noticed the situation too, so they didn’t press, nodding and heading back.
Only Jessica remained standing, her gaze locked on the masked figure unsettling her, suddenly speaking up. “Lin Xiuyuan, who is she? Why not introduce us?”
“None of your business.”
After retorting, Lin Xiuyuan directly tugged Jung Soo Yeon’s arm, signaling they could leave.
Jung Soo Yeon didn’t move right away, instead turning back for a deep look at Jessica, her gaze profoundly complex.
Moments later, she softly uttered, “You’ve become so ugly.”
Jessica froze.
Not because of the remark’s offensiveness, but because the voice was too familiar.
That tone, that voice line, even the pause and ending inflection, all just like… herself.
Like a soul fragment long sealed in memory depths, awakened by a sudden impact.
She stood dazed, momentarily forgetting anger or retort, her mind filled with roaring questions:
“Who is she?”
By the time Jessica snapped back, that figure had already followed Lin Xiuyuan’s steps, vanishing around the street corner with the sunlight.
At this point, already on the next street over, Lin Xiuyuan grinned widely, his expression relaxed like he’d just won a game.
“Nice one, Soo Jung. That jab of yours hit her right in the heart. Looks like Little Ji-yeon’s words have become our church’s scripture. How come you’re all acting just like her?”
“She really has become uglier. Seeing her, I’m starting to get anxious about my own future.” Jung Soo Yeon walked beside Lin Xiuyuan, her tone somewhat low.
But after saying that, she suddenly thought of something. “By the way, why did you talk to her like that? Your relationship is that bad? I thought Soo Jung had smoothed things over for you.”
Facing Jung Soo Yeon’s curious question, Lin Xiuyuan explained, “Krystal had that idea and dragged us to a meal. But I’m just too lazy to deal with Jessica—that woman with bubbles in her head, full of trouble. Better to keep my distance.”
After Lin Xiuyuan finished, Jung Soo Yeon nodded first, then let out a self-mocking chuckle. “Though I know you’re not talking about me, just thinking it’s my future self from future time-space makes me feel powerless to argue.”
Lin Xiuyuan smacked his lips, glancing at her. “Don’t take it personally, okay? I’m not cursing you.”
Then he pointed ahead. “Come on, there’s a ‘Kaifeng Cuisine’ right up front. Let’s go sit for a bit.”
“Kaifeng Cuisine?” Jung Soo Yeon was stunned.
“KFC.” He turned back with a smile.
Minutes later, Jung Soo Yeon sat in the corner.
Watching Lin Xiuyuan return with a tray, setting down fried chicken and fries, plus two beverages.
Then he gently removed the lower half of the mask, lifting the thin piece covering nose and mouth, revealing her fair chin and pale pink lips.
Next, she picked up a fry and bit into it, expression natural.
Watching this, Lin Xiuyuan couldn’t help laughing. “As expected, the batch of masks Lin Xiaolu picked in Tokyo is pretty good. At least you can open the mouth part to eat without taking it off completely.”
“Yeah, pretty convenient.” Jung Soo Yeon chewed, tone relaxed. “Just gets stuffy after wearing it too long.”
“Then let’s leave after eating. We’ve shopped enough anyway.”
Lin Xiuyuan said it casually, but really he was worried about entering a crowded commercial area further on—her outfit was concealing, but no guarantee against being noticed.
“Yeah, walk a bit after eating and head back.”
After a stroll outside, though Jung Soo Yeon, having seen plenty of things, wanted to keep going, she knew safety came first—there’d be next time.
And so, the two chatted while eating things.
After a while, Lin Xiuyuan finished the fried wings and grilled wings, standing up. “I’m going to wash my hands.”
Jung Soo Yeon watched him walk away. Then, the phone diagonally across the table suddenly went “ding ding ding” several times.
She looked up—it was Lin Xiuyuan’s mobile phone vibrating with a string of messages.
This made Jung Soo Yeon pause, then she gently took the tissue she’d wiped her mouth with and covered most of Lin Xiuyuan’s phone on the table, leaving just a bit of the edge showing.
She didn’t look at the popped-up message contents—she had that much sense.
Then she picked up the iced black tea by the table, took a sip, and sat quietly waiting for Lin Xiuyuan to return.
Not long after, Lin Xiuyuan came back wiping his hands, yawning and muttering, “Sigh, always have to wash hands after eating these finger foods. Too lazy to wash, but uncomfortable if I don’t.”
“Your phone rang a few times just now. I covered it for you.” Seeing him back, Jung Soo Yeon casually reminded him, her gaze calm.
Lin Xiuyuan went “oh,” picked up the phone casually, saying, “Probably the Big Dragon Cub and them. Still talking about what happened downstairs earlier, I bet.”
Before he finished, the moment he unlocked the screen, he saw the sender.
Not the ones he’d just mentioned, but Yoo Jimin, whom he’d met at Incheon Airport that morning.
And she’d sent several messages, clearly laced with doubt, even some pressing emotion.
Blinking, Lin Xiuyuan lifted the phone lightly to his mouth and chuckled lowly. “Tsk, not the ones I guessed.”
“Not them?” Jung Soo Yeon blinked, a bit surprised. “Then who?”
“Yoo Jimin.” Lin Xiuyuan tapped open the messages casually. “SM Entertainment’s current flagship girl group—captain.”
As he said this, he opened the messages from Yoo Jimin.
The first one carried boundless grievance.
Yoo Jimin: 【So Xiuyuan-ssi, you’re flirting with me day and night here, but over there you have a girl accompanying you out?】
Yoo Jimin: 【So Xiuyuan-ssi, your Maldives trip this time was for romance with her?】
Yoo Jimin: 【So Xiuyuan-ssi, when do we have time to meet? It’s been a while, right?】
Reading these, Lin Xiuyuan amusingly touched his nose.
Though they’d only met twice, both sides felt pretty good, and with their busy schedules, the relationship stayed in an ambiguous online state.
But between man and woman, chats gradually turned into a mode of “mutual teasing + hormone release.”
Teasing led to regressions to primal instincts from ape-man days.
Lin Xiuyuan and Yoo Jimin were no exception.
So after a whole month of “flirting,” when Yoo Jimin saw Lin Xiuyuan at the airport again with a graceful girl on his arm, she was genuinely a bit pissed.
To the point that afterward, from the airport back to the company, she barely spoke, just making a token appearance before leaving quickly.
Back at the dormitory, she first thought to delete this man’s contact entirely—out of sight, out of mind.
But opening the chat with Lin Xiuyuan and scrolling to that recent abs and mermaid line photo he’d sent, her finger unconsciously slid up, rereading their recent back-and-forth “promo pics and texts.”
As she read, her mouth corners unwittingly curved up.
After finishing, the annoyance in her heart dissipated a lot, leading to those slightly aggrieved questioning texts above.
Instead, seeing these, Lin Xiuyuan smirked lightly, with no intention of replying right away.
He just casually covered the phone, planning to respond later.
Flirting occasionally with Yoo Jimin was just a daily life spice.
If serious, Lin Xiuyuan had no plans to invest too much effort in her.
After all, she was even more troublesome than Jessica, loaded with entertainment industry landmines and baggage.
But if opportunity truly arose, he naturally wouldn’t waste “grain.”
Across from him, Jung Soo Yeon listened to Lin Xiuyuan’s explanation, her mouth corners lifting teasingly.
“Impressive. Seems like you’re really thriving over here more than on our side. Even got to know a hot girl group star like Yoo Jimin. No wonder you’re not missing home.”
“Yo, your Chinese has improved. Vocabulary’s grown a lot.” Lin Xiuyuan said, surprised.
Jung Soo Yeon rolled her eyes under the mask, tone proud. “Duh, you think I’m joking about entering domestic entertainment? I’ve been self-studying Chinese, even bought special courses.”
“That wasteful? Just hire me directly.” Lin Xiuyuan said offhand.
“Hire you?” Jung Soo Yeon scoffed. “You big shot who’s barely around our side—want me to hire you? Hire this.” She gestured dismissively.
Stumped by Jung Soo Yeon, Lin Xiuyuan grinned sheepishly, then lowered his head to eat fries.
After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d been called out, but it wasn’t his fault—the big sister from ’25 was too caring, right in his arms.
A bit later, the rested pair left the shop.
They casually strolled this street more, Jung Soo Yeon picking a few handicrafts to buy as decorations back home.
Finally, the two hailed a taxi and returned to the villa.
But upon reaching the villa entrance, Lin Xiuyuan’s phone rang again. Pulling it out, this time it wasn’t Yoo Jimin, but a call from Jessica—her future self, the one beside him.
He glanced, then looked up smiling at Jung Soo Yeon. “Jessica’s call.”
“Why look at me? Answer if you want.” Jung Soo Yeon felt nothing; from her first close encounter with Jessica, her mind held just two words—skincare.
She had to start maintaining her figure and skin now; she didn’t want to end up like the Jessica they’d just met in a dozen years.
Lin Xiuyuan lowered his head to hang up, preparing to enter the villa, but Jessica on the other end was persistent, calling again.
Lin Xiuyuan hung up again, then a third time.
Now Jung Soo Yeon laughed. “Just answer. Otherwise, no time to even open the gate.”
Helplessly, Lin Xiuyuan finally picked up. “Hello, what.”
Lin Xiuyuan was direct; Jessica on the other end replied very much like lecturing. “Where are you, Lin Xiuyuan? I need to find you for something.”
“Say it on the phone if it’s something. I’m busy.”
“…”
Jessica on the line struggled to steady her angry breathing.
Lin Xiuyuan remained unmoved. “Speak if you have something, or I’m hanging up.”
Hearing her breathing quicken, he knew she was angry, but… what did it have to do with him?
Ultimately, Jessica, unable to let go of face, gritted out, “You wait for me.”
Then hung up.
Lin Xiuyuan shrugged indifferently, turned to open the door, and brought Jung Soo Yeon into the villa.
……
……
Meanwhile.
Jessica, who had just finished lunch with the Big Dragon Cub and the others and parted ways, was now alone in her car, emotions nearly out of control as she slammed the steering wheel hard.
“Bastard, jerk, mongrel. So petty?”
After roaring this string of fluent curses, she glanced down at the just-hung-up call log, gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, held back her anger, and dialed again.
No choice—Jessica really needed to question Lin Xiuyuan clearly now.
Because just before, she’d inadvertently noticed something shocking: a detail, a small gesture, a contour she almost dared not believe.
That man and woman—or rather, that girl—she had to see again, confirm in person.
However, this time, she didn’t even get through.
The earpiece gave a cold system tone: “The number you dialed does not exist. Please check and redial.”
Jessica froze instantly, pupils contracting slightly.
This was… being blocked?
She stared blankly at the screen, only realizing moments later this was the first time in her life someone directly blocked her number.
In that moment, Jessica felt hammered in the chest—rage and grievance mixing into an unprecedented humiliation, quietly surging up.
Working overtime today, here’s 5K first. The rest of the chapter, I’ll try to finish tonight, or tomorrow morning.
That’s it, hope the godfathers forgive me. Part-time ten thousand daily plus overtime—I can’t help it~
Finally, monthly tickets, subscriptions, everything!!!
