Chapter 31: “are You Sure This Is Really Our Future?”
Villa entrance.
A Mercedes-Benz GLS slowly pulled up, owner Lin Xiuyuan opened the car door and got out from the front passenger seat.
He then walked around to the front of the car and stood there, looking toward the driver’s seat at Krystal. “I said, if you’re in a hurry to get back to the company, just drive the car away. I can take a taxi back myself. Anyway, your car is with me, and having a means of transportation is enough.”
“Heh, and then you’ll get to know some Kim Ji-min or Kwon Ji-min, right.”
Hearing Krystal’s cold snort by his ear, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled lightly, not arguing with her or stimulating her further. “Alright, alright, you’re right. Do you want to switch cars back? Just drive it away. Didn’t you say there’s a meeting waiting for you this evening?”
“Switch back. Save it from being recorded again, so you won’t end up on the news every time you go out.”
Although Krystal kind of wanted to mark it like this, the thought of dragging Lin Xiuyuan into the spotlight made that little idea vanish into thin air.
A few minutes later, Lin Xiuyuan, who had watched Krystal drive his car away, returned to the villa.
He cut himself a plate of fruit in the kitchen, then went back to the esports room to continue his fierce attack on the game.
And every time he sat in this room, he felt extremely grateful that his “deceased” predecessor had set everything up so perfectly in 2025, saving him from starting from scratch.
Of course, he couldn’t help but feel a bit curious—how exactly did that guy suddenly “kick the bucket”?
This remained a mystery to this day, and he wondered if it would become an unsolved enigma.
Shaking off the thought, Lin Xiuyuan battled on until early morning.
Until midnight.
The set alarm rang, Lin Xiuyuan glanced at the time, stretched lazily, and got up to wash up.
About half an hour later, he sat back at the computer, browsed some videos for a bit, and when drowsiness finally hit, he went to the living room on the first floor and opened the time-space door to return to 2013.
Although he mainly lived in 2025 now, he had set a rule for himself early on.
That was to go back regularly every day to check in—he couldn’t just suddenly “disappear” from 2013.
This return timing was perfect.
Because no sooner had he stepped into the 2013 room than his mobile phone’s ringtone sounded inside.
Hearing the sound, Lin Xiuyuan hurried over, picked it up, saw the caller ID note, smirked, and answered, “Hello.”
A sharp complaint came from the other end. “Hey, you’ve really settled over there, haven’t you? I’ve called you several times.”
“Who would’ve thought you’d call so late at night? I checked this afternoon and there were no messages.”
Jung Soo Yeon had no mood to bicker with him and urged, “Come pick me up quick. My plane just landed. If you don’t answer, you’ll be in for it tomorrow.”
“Huh? Wasn’t it supposed to be tomorrow?” Lin Xiuyuan was slightly surprised.
“Isn’t it already tomorrow now?”
“…”
Just past 1 a.m.
Incheon Airport parking lot, Jung Soo Yeon wearing a hat, pushing her suitcase with one hand, found the rather secluded parked car according to the location sent via text.
She also spotted the guy zoning out in the driver’s seat.
Their eyes met, and Lin Xiuyuan immediately got out, took her luggage from her, and said, “So eager to head over?”
“Then don’t come stay over.” Jung Soo Yeon didn’t say much, just countered with a question.
“Alright, I’ll shut up. Get in the car, beautiful.”
Lin Xiuyuan smiled wryly, put the luggage in the trunk, sat back in the driver’s seat, and drove straight to the apartment with her.
On the road, Lin Xiuyuan kept glancing at her sideways, so frequently that it made Jung Soo Yeon laugh.
“Spit it out if you have something to say. Don’t hem and haw. Can’t you show some manliness, Lin Xiuyuan?”
“I’m just wondering what your reaction will be when you see that information later.” Lin Xiuyuan said curiously.
And that sentence made Jung Soo Yeon fall silent.
After a long pause, she asked, “So what reaction do you think I’ll have?”
“Can’t guess that. Even with mind-reading, I’d have to wait until that moment. But I think you’re already mentally prepared.”
Facing Lin Xiuyuan’s statement, Jung Soo Yeon didn’t deny it, nodding lightly. “Yeah, I hope half a month’s mental preparation keeps me from embarrassing myself in front of you. Will there be a lot of explosive information?”
The latter sentence made Lin Xiuyuan grin widely.
Finally, he sighed deeply. “Forget it, at this point, I’ll let you see for yourself later.”
“Mm, drive faster.”
Jung Soo Yeon glanced at him, nodded, and urged him on.
With her words, he floored the accelerator, speeding up a bit more toward the apartment.
Around 2 a.m., the car steadily parked in the previously rented parking space.
Lin Xiuyuan, taking down the luggage, looked at Jung Soo Yeon who was spacing out by the car door. “Let’s go.”
“Mm.”
Responding, Jung Soo Yeon followed behind Lin Xiuyuan into the apartment. Once in the elevator, she said, “Your reaction in the car actually made me hesitate a bit. Feels like there’ll be earth-shattering changes.”
“Not far off. We’re here.”
After exiting the elevator, Jung Soo Yeon followed Lin Xiuyuan back into the apartment and saw that magical time-space door again.
Lin Xiuyuan led her straight to the door without hesitation, gripped the old brass handle, and opened the room door.
Standing nearby, Jung Soo Yeon took a deep breath and stepped inside.
More than ten minutes later.
In the 2025 villa esports room.
Jung Soo Yeon, who had been calm just moments ago, now had a completely different expression.
One hand clenched into a fist, the other controlling the mouse, she stared at the densely packed news materials on the screen, her delicate brows furrowed and never relaxing.
She murmured intermittently:
“Jonghyun died, Sulli died too, Hara is gone.”
“Soo Jung’s friend is gone, the group is gone, the stage is gone, the first concert was the last one… Afterward, even work stopped… And I was like a fool orbiting one man.”
“After I left the group, everyone started romance, disbanded, the company really turned upside down—the founder Lee Soo-man even exited the company.”
“And the maknae, what kind of themes is she shooting? What’s up with Sunny’s face, and Taeyeon’s too.”
“Tiffany~ I even told her not to associate with those people over there.”
“Ah, what is this? No. Hey, Lin Xiuyuan, are you sure this is really our future?”
Finally, she couldn’t hold back, whipped her head around to glare at Lin Xiuyuan leaning by the door, and demanded loudly, “Is your computer connected to the internet? Is this real, or some trap you set for me over this half a month?”
She really didn’t want to believe that friends she had spent years with, sharing youth, had faced such massive changes in just a short decade in the future.
If it were just some hardships in life or work changes, she’d be prepared for that.
She had mentally prepared for that.
But what she found hardest to accept were those partings in life and death.
Monthly tickets, comments please, brothers—give the new book some data boost!
