Chapter 201: Jessica And Lin Xiuyuan In The Apartment
After Lin Xiuyuan learned about the events that had just happened in that short period in 2013, his gaze toward Kim Tae Yeon and Jung Soo Yeon became a bit strange again.
No, it should be that the two of them looked at him with strange gazes.
That subtle change made him feel a trace of unease.
So until Sweet Eun-jung and Sulli finished preparing tonight’s dinner, Lin Xiuyuan’s butt hadn’t touched the sofa.
Either standing by the window admiring the vibrant flowers and plants in the yard, or turning to the living room to fiddle with some electrical appliances, or going out to buy some beverages and juice.
This series of reactions made Im Yoon Ah watch and laugh outright, and also made Kim Tae Yeon and Jung Soo Yeon roll their eyes speechlessly.
But what exactly the two of them were thinking in their hearts was known only to themselves.
Because after learning about Lin Xiuyuan’s situation from Sweet Eun-jung and Im Yoon Ah, the two never mentioned topics related to this again, and even casual mentions of Lin Xiuyuan would shift to other matters shortly after.
Around 8 p.m., dinner was finally ready, and everyone’s attention shifted from those little episodes to the dining table, making the atmosphere immediately relaxed and warm.
“Oni~ Time to eat.”
“Don’t look at your phone anymore, Oni, you can come over and sit down.”
“Taeyeon Oni~”
“Oppa, oppa, time to eat!”
The people called over sat down around the dining table one after another.
Looking at the table full of dishes that were appealing in color, aroma, and taste, Kim Tae Yeon, who usually ate takeout, couldn’t help but be a bit surprised. “Wow, Eun-jung, Sulli, you guys are too amazing.”
Even Jung Soo Yeon couldn’t help but look at Sweet Eun-jung and Sulli. “OMG, your skills are too strong. At this level, opening a restaurant would make a fortune.”
Hearing the praise in their ears, Sweet Eun-jung and Sulli smiled at each other.
At this time, Lin Xiuyuan, who had been called earlier, came out from the small room next to them, holding a bottle of wine and looking at everyone. “Want some?”
“If we drink, how will we get back later?” Kim Tae Yeon teased.
As soon as Kim Tae Yeon finished speaking, Im Yoon Ah laughed. “I can stay here.”
Then Sweet Eun-jung said, “I can have Ji-yeon come pick me up, or I can take a cab back myself.”
And as the two finished speaking, Sulli’s gaze glanced amusingly at Im Yoon Ah, without exposing her own Oni.
But… Jung Soo Yeon spoke up. “Eun-jung, you and Yoona haven’t let Xiuyuan locate your apartments? Just drink. If we really get drunk later, we can have Xiuyuan directly open the location of your apartments and send you back.”
Hearing Jung Soo Yeon’s response, Sweet Eun-jung and Kim Tae Yeon, who still didn’t know the time-space door had been upgraded, looked at her puzzled, then turned to Lin Xiuyuan, wanting to hear what was going on.
Later, upon learning that Lin Xiuyuan could now open the time-space door to anywhere he had been, just like an any door, the shock on their faces was no less than when they first learned about the time-space door.
They were stunned in their seats, their gazes dazed, as if they hadn’t expected this cheat to evolve further.
Only Im Yoon Ah, who knew the situation first, acted very calm, even feeling a bit annoyed by this function now, otherwise she could have stayed over tonight.
After learning this information, Kim Tae Yeon no longer resisted drinking, staring at the full glass of wine with a gleam of excitement in her eyes.
It had been a while since she last had a dinner party at home with friends, eating and drinking.
So this meal was eaten particularly cheerfully, with everyone’s teasing and laughter filling the entire restaurant, and the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant.
And as a few sips of alcoholic beverages went down their throats, the dining table soon split into two topic groups.
On one side, Jung Soo Yeon, Im Yoon Ah, and Sweet Eun-jung sat together, chatting about entering the domestic entertainment industry.
Sweet Eun-jung, eating a dish with chopsticks, smiled. “Sulli, actually the idea Xiuyuan mentioned earlier is pretty good. Going with traffic to accumulate a wave of fans—this approach fits future trends well.”
Facing this response, Jung Soo Yeon took a sip from her wine glass, her gaze slightly thoughtful. “I just want it faster. After all, you know time waits for no one.”
Her voice carried a trace of anxiety, but remained firm.
Im Yoon Ah blinked and frowned. “Oni, do you mean doing some more unique content? Like what type of content?”
At this moment, Sweet Eun-jung thought of something and smiled again, adding.
“Oh, if it’s the kind Yoona mentioned, I know some. It’s roughly cross-industry cooperation, like mixes of celebrities with shopping malls, artists, brands, or launching big productions during cultural festivals to attract attention.”
As she spoke, she recalled some past events. “Of course, the most important is seeing which brands are willing to collaborate. I remember during our work in China, there were often similar activities, and they attracted quite a few passersby.”
“Isn’t that just the current brand pop-up?” Im Yoon Ah muttered.
“Pretty much, but back then, this method was quite effective.” Sweet Eun-jung nodded, feeling a bit nostalgic for those days.
Next to them, Jung Soo Yeon listened to the two going back and forth, trying hard to remember these suggestions to study them later.
On the other side, Lin Xiuyuan, Sulli, and Kim Tae Yeon were discussing how to choose the script for Sulli’s next TV series.
Choose a script with excellent reputation, or one with explosive potential?
Or go the low-cost, high-output route?
Lin Xiuyuan thought for a moment and said, “Personally, I think we shouldn’t go too far beyond the 2013 style. There are plenty of scripts in 2025 anyway. Sulli, for your path, aim for stability, taking it one step at a time.”
Kim Tae Yeon also nodded in agreement. “Xiuyuan is right. If the screenwriter is too genius, I’m afraid you’ll be squeezed out by some big seniors. Take it slow and steady.”
Then she paused and continued, “If it were me, I’d pick a retro-style youth drama. In 2013, that kind of script should still have potential and market appeal.”
On the contrary, Lin Xiuyuan had a different view. “There were too many retro styles back then. I think we should do something different. Like ours, set it as a parallel world contrast, showing two completely different lives, not walking the old path.”
As soon as Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking here, Im Yoon Ah across laughed. “Xiuyuan, you’re talking about Senior Han Hyo-joo’s comic adaptation 《W: Two Worlds》, right? It’s decent. If Sulli writes this script, she just needs to get that copyright. If it’s too standout later, she can say it’s a comic success.”
“Is it that exaggerated?” Lin Xiuyuan found it amusing hearing Kim Tae Yeon and Im Yoon Ah’s responses. “No way, she’s already a screenwriter. Writing her own script and getting bullied at work?”
“Xiuyuan, you don’t understand the rules here. Even screenwriters are the biggest, but for young ones, many scripts get stolen.” Im Yoon Ah explained softly.
Sulli nodded too, as if she had heard something. She said softly, “Genius is okay, but too genius and it’s easy to get suppressed or killed off.”
At this point, Kim Tae Yeon joined the topic.
“Or Sulli could try an artistic youth-style script. That kind always gives actors room to perform. If the role is attractive enough, the reaction will be big. Classic youth dramas always have the most potential, especially those weaving friendship, growth, and love.”
After thinking deeply for a while, Lin Xiuyuan nodded. “Yeah, the youth drama market is big, especially if set in school with some mystery, audiences would like it.”
The next second, Sweet Eun-jung smiled and named a script. “How about trying 《School 2015》?”
Sulli pondered with pursed lips. “I think campus pure love dramas are popular now, with a fresh feeling and some emotional plots. Like 《In Your Shining Youth》, simple but touching.”
Hearing this, a spark flashed in Lin Xiuyuan’s eyes. “How about… directly writing a movie script?”
Im Yoon Ah’s eyes lit up. “I think it’s good. A movie script can bypass the TV station and avoid some petty interferences.”
Once the topic was raised, everyone started discussing enthusiastically, with laughter rising and falling, and the atmosphere even more relaxed and pleasant.
From time to time, the crisp sound of glass cups clinking echoed in the air, adding more joy to the dinner.
……
……
Meanwhile.
In that dim apartment, Jessica sat alone on the sofa, with a just-picked-up takeout pizza on the coffee table in front of her.
No one around, only silence and the occasional TV sound.
She occasionally looked down at her mobile phone, but there was no new message activity, so her gaze began to show some confusion.
Moments later, Jessica, who reached for a slice of pizza to eat, switched the variety show on TV to a music show stage.
Then she curled up on the sofa, body slightly leaning forward, the pizza slice in her hand seeming unusually heavy under her fingertips.
Her gaze unconsciously fell on the dancing young girls on the screen, eating slowly while watching.
Dim yellow lighting spilled from the ceiling, illuminating her lonely figure, but also stretching the shadows longer.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window in the corner, nightfall had long descended, the sky above the apartment swallowed by darkness, with only the faint glow of neon lights below showing some life.
The curtains weren’t fully drawn, indoor light sources limited, the cramped space making everything subdued under this dim light.
Light from the TV screen occasionally swept across Jessica’s face, reflecting a trace of lonely sheen, only to vanish quickly, letting her face sink back into boundless shadows.
“Why does this taste so bad now?”
After two bites of pizza, Jessica frowned and threw it back into the box.
Then she said softly to herself, her voice so low it had almost no echo, as if even she hadn’t heard it.
Another stage ended. Looking at the few girls bowing offstage, Jessica suddenly thought of past days, of Kim Tae Yeon whom she had just seen today, of Lin Xiuyuan who had brushed her off.
Then she muttered to herself, “What are they doing?”
She picked up her mobile phone and looked at the lock screen—herself in her youthful appearance, vibrant and radiant with a brilliant smile.
This was the her full of infinite possibilities.
After a while, Jessica put down the phone again, looked down at the pizza in the box, and took another bite.
Every bite carried a bit of chill, like winter’s cold air seeping into her heart, freezing warmth and hope.
The surrounding walls were silently still, as if every inch of space was filled with an aura of loneliness.
At the same time, Jessica realized that her future life would probably never change again.
No anticipated glow, no lively chatter, no heated interactions, just this silent interplay of light and shadow.
She knew this silence and desolation had become inseparable, permeating every one of her nights, becoming part of her life.
Because every night of hers was basically repeating in this silence over and over.
But Jessica wouldn’t let anyone know about these situations, not even Kwon Young Il, not even Krystal.
This was her world, borne by her alone, lonely and silent.
After biting into the pizza and simply filling her stomach, she fell into a long daze again.
On the sofa, she sat quietly, the TV programs changing one after another, yet unable to capture her attention.
Until suddenly, she snapped awake, realizing it wasn’t early, so she got up planning to go to the bathroom for a shower and rest.
But life felt Jessica wasn’t miserable enough yet, and broke her water heater, leaving her without even shower water.
Helpless, Jessica later found a set of pajamas, left the apartment, and headed downstairs to Krystal’s home.
Normally, if Krystal was home, she would definitely call first—who knows if she’d bump into something she shouldn’t see, right?
But today she had called Krystal twice, knowing clearly the other was working, so the apartment was definitely empty.
So she went straight downstairs to the apartment entrance, simply verified the fingerprint to unlock, opened the door, and walked in.
However, as Jessica entered the living room of this apartment and turned on all the lights.
But in the next second, her gaze involuntarily stopped at the master bedroom, because light was also shining from the thin gap under the room door.
This sudden change made Jessica’s heart sink sharply, her body trembling, instinctively wanting to turn and flee.
Afraid of encountering a burglar or robber, leading to something she didn’t want to face, or a tragedy.
But her reaction was a bit slow. As she planned to turn and leave, the master bedroom door was pushed open, and a figure walked out.
Just as Jessica was preparing to accept her fate, that familiar figure made her widen her eyes.
“Lin Xiuyuan?”
“Jessica?”
（PS: Check the author’s note.）
Can’t stay up anymore, just one chapter tonight. Wrote until 4-5 a.m. last night and burned out. I’ll see if I can make it up to godfathers tomorrow; if not, consider it a day off.
By the way, a question for discussion with everyone.
Do you still like monthly ticket side stories? If yes, I’ll see about writing another chapter.
Or if you want to see certain side story plots, leave a message, and I’ll see about filling in the story completely.
That’s all, thanks for your support! By the way, some monthly tickets and subscriptions please!!
