Chapter 172

Standing at the entrance of Room 701, Ham Eunjung looked at Lin Xiuyuan in front of her, feeling somewhat at a loss, and asked in confusion, "Xiuyuan, aren't we going out for a late-night snack? Why are we coming home?"

After saying this, she turned her head back to glance at that door; it was from inside there that she had bumped into Lin Xiuyuan last time.

"This is exactly where I'm taking you for a late-night snack; I'm not joking."

Lin Xiuyuan said this while skillfully entering the password.

With a click, the door opened in response.

This was Ham Eunjung's first time seeing the inside of this apartment; although she felt it was a bit strange, she ultimately followed in Lin Xiuyuan's footsteps and stepped into the room.

In the entryway was a row of women's high heels, the shoe rack was adorned with exquisite aromatherapy and dried flowers, and a few pieces of clothing were casually draped over the back of the sofa; one could tell at a glance that these were women's items.

This scene made her swallow involuntarily, and she looked at the back of the boy in front of her with shock in her eyes.

He has a girlfriend?

And they are even living together?

But Ham Eunjung didn't ask it out loud; she just silently noted these things in her heart and then asked softly, "Do I need to change my shoes?"

"No need, let's go."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had turned his head to look at Ham Eunjung, shook his head, then quickly walked to the Time Gate not far away and opened it.

There was no prelude, and there was no foreshadowing.

"Go, go, go, let's go, Eunjung, let's go get a late-night snack."

Upon receiving the reply that she didn't need to change her shoes, Ham Eunjung's eyes scanned the newly renovated apartment, and then she glanced at the door Lin Xiuyuan had opened that was flush with the main door, feeling somewhat speechless and amused.

"Are you kidding me? You're opening a storage room for me to go in and have a late-night snack?"

The reason Ham Eunjung knew this was because when she came to the apartment next door last time, she was the one tidying up things for Quan Baolan in the storage room.

"Come over and take a look first; I've renovated this place, this is not a storage room." Lin Xiuyuan responded with a smile.

"The walls are so thin, can you really conjure up a palace?"

Facing Lin Xiuyuan's claim, although her tone carried teasing, Ham Eunjung still walked over and poked her head behind the door.

Then she was stunned, standing frozen on the spot, staring blankly at the scene before her.

What was before her was not a narrow storage room, but a spacious living room with a ceiling several meters high.

The marble floor glowed with a warm luster, lighting fixtures were scattered artfully from the ceiling, and the neat and orderly layout resembled some kind of luxury mansion.

Ham Eunjung, who had been frozen for a few seconds, was just about to turn back and ask Lin Xiuyuan something.

But Lin Xiuyuan laughed first, gently supporting her back with his palm, and then pushed her without hesitation, "This is the super gift package you won yourself; you can't say I'm being a rascal later."

Ham Eunjung, who was pushed into the room, stumbled a step and stepped completely into this space that felt like an illusion; the door behind her closed automatically with a "pop," as if it had severed all connection between her and her worldview.

"What is this place? Xiuyuan."

Ham Eunjung, who had stepped through the door, looked around while asking in a low voice, her tone unable to hide her shock, "Are you playing some kind of escape room game? Or are you... that kind of super rich second generation who usually rents a crappy apartment to pretend to be poor?"

"Are you stupid? Look outside, this is the first floor."

Lin Xiuyuan walked to the sofa in the living room with a smile, picked up his phone to check the screen, and continued to smile, "Eunjung, your reaction speed is even worse than Zhiyan's; at least when Zhiyan came over, she realized this was the first floor, not the seventh floor."

Once these words were out, Ham Eunjung quickly turned her head, her gaze looking through the floor-to-ceiling window at the courtyard outside.

She saw a neatly trimmed courtyard quietly spread out, with moonlight spilling over it.

Then Ham Eunjung frowned tightly and stared at Lin Xiuyuan, "So Xiuyuan, where exactly is this?"

When asking this question, several options popped into her mind: magic, ghosts, displaced space.

"Oh right, I forgot to say." Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, "This is—the year 2025."

But with Lin Xiuyuan's words, the options Ham Eunjung had thought of completely collapsed; her eyes widened suddenly, her lips trembled slightly, but she couldn't say a word.

"I remember you told me last time, right? You felt I was weird? Guessing if I was an alien, or had some secret?"

Lin Xiuyuan said as he came to Ham Eunjung's side, smiling, "Actually, I can't be considered an alien, but indeed, there is something special about me; for example... I can take people through time and space to the future."

Hearing these words made Ham Eunjung's scalp tingle, and her reason frantically resisted this absurd setting.

Then she forced herself to stay calm, preferring to believe this was some kind of magic.

Suddenly, Ham Eunjung thought of a key question; it was a familiar figure, "Wait a minute, Xiuyuan, so Zhiyan also knows about this?"

"Mm." Lin Xiuyuan nodded.

Now Ham Eunjung was completely frozen, standing on the spot as if her soul had been drained; everything before her was so real that it was impossible to deny, yet it was so contrary to common sense that it was bewildering.

"The year 2025, so that's why Zhiyan dared to invest like she was crazy??"

As if to confirm, Ham Eunjung repeated this year to herself.

Her voice was faint, murmuring about some situations around her, but she still felt as if she were soaked in ice water, cold and numb.

Then she raised her head and looked out the window again.

That courtyard, which did not belong to the floor where Room 701 was located, still existed quietly; the grass was trimmed meticulously, and even the moon in the sky seemed brighter than the arrangement in her memory.

No, the moon? It's cloudy in Seoul tonight, there is no moon.

So is it really a different time and space?

"I still don't quite believe it, Xiuyuan..." After a long silence, Ham Eunjung spoke again, her voice carrying a tremor that she couldn't suppress, "This isn't realistic."

This kind of thing that completely tore apart her worldview and overturned her understanding of the past twenty-plus years was simply too shocking for Ham Eunjung.

Her brain hadn't had time to process this absurd reality, but her body had reacted a step ahead.

Almost subconsciously, she turned and rushed toward that door, eagerly pulling it open, wanting to return to the familiar Apartment 701, to that world which, although ordinary, was at least reasonable.

But the moment the door opened, what greeted her was just an ordinary storage room.

There was no familiar living room, no way back, and even the passage to return had disappeared.

Just as she was stunned on the spot, at a loss for what to do, Lin Xiuyuan walked over, gently closed the door, and then opened it again.

The scene before her changed instantly.

A moment ago it was a storage room, but now it was the original appearance of the complete Room 701.

"If you think I'm lying to you," Lin Xiuyuan's voice came from behind, his tone relaxed, "then how do you plan to explain this scene? Displaced space? Magic? Or sleepwalking?"

Ham Eunjung was frozen on the spot, eyes wide as she looked at the drastic change inside and outside the door; her brain seemed to have crashed instantly, all thinking was cut off, and even the most basic logic was temporarily suspended.

After a long time, her voice was finally squeezed out of her throat, "So what did you mean when you said earlier to let me thank Ham Eunjung?"

Lin Xiuyuan revealed a meaningful smile, "This is very simple; I made a bet with her, she won, and I gave her a big gift."

Then Ham Eunjung slowly raised her hand and pointed at herself, "So I became that big gift package?"

"Mm." Lin Xiuyuan blinked, his tone light, "Let's go, let's go get a late-night snack."

"Are we going out to eat?"

"Of course." Lin Xiuyuan nodded again, turned and walked out the door, while also turning his head to gesture at her with his chin, "Let's go to the bistro over here, don't worry, I won't sell you."

Ham Eunjung was still standing on the spot, stunned for several seconds before she reacted, as if her soul was a beat behind, and she hesitantly followed step by step.

Until she stepped out of the doorway, her mind was still in a mess.

The night was deep, the city was asleep, and the wind on the early summer night carried a hint of coolness.

Ham Eunjung and Lin Xiuyuan walked one after the other in that dim alley, their footsteps clearly audible in the quiet night, as if walking between the cracks of two worlds.

After a long silence, Ham Eunjung finally spoke, her voice very low, "Has Zhiyan been here many times? Does she know a lot about our future?"

"Not many times, occasionally, not that many."

Lin Xiuyuan walked very slowly, as if deliberately waiting for her, "But she does know a lot of information, so you and Xiaomin don't have to worry about me scamming her."

"That was just worry." Speaking of this, Ham Eunjung paused in her tone, but still asked uneasily, "So is this really the year 2025?"

Lin Xiuyuan smiled without answering, just raised his hand and pointed ahead, "We're here."

Ham Eunjung followed his gaze and saw that on the familiar solid wood sign ahead, it was still those words 【Jieyou-Dukang】.

"So in both time and space, you copied a tavern out like this?" Ham Eunjung asked tentatively.

Lin Xiuyuan didn't respond, just gently pushed open the door and said, "Welcome, Eunjung."

Then a crisp bell rang, bringing with it a scent of grass and wine that surged in with the night wind.

Ham Eunjung, who was following behind, stepped into the door, her gaze slowly sweeping across the interior.

The dark brown bar counter, warm lighting, wooden wine cabinet, the audio equipment placed in the corner, and the vintage vinyl player... all of this was the same as the tavern style over in 2013.

But just as Ham Eunjung was still immersed in emotion, suddenly, her gaze stopped abruptly in the depths of the bar counter.

At that moment, she seemed to see a "herself" sitting on a high stool, head down, scrolling through her phone.

And that side profile was almost exactly the same as her own.

At the same time, that "Ham Eunjung" sitting at the bar counter seemed to notice the movement, slowly raised her head, and her gaze met hers at the door.

At that instant, the air seemed to freeze.

The gazes of the two Ham Eunjungs met in the air, their pupils trembling slightly, their breathing stopped.

One second, two seconds, a roar exploded in their minds.

Neither of them took the first step, they could only stand there blankly, as if seeing another incredible self in a mirror.

Not long ago, in the evening, the sunlight was slanting, and the sea breeze gently brushed every inch of air at the campsite, adding a lazy comfort to the summer dusk.

As the fishing competition officially kicked off, Lin Xiuyuan, Li Juli, and Little Dragon Cub sat around the shore, enthusiastically diving into the "competition."

Of course, while they called it a serious competition, in reality, it was just the three of them not stopping their chatter, accompanied by playful nonsense.

The first one to have movement was Little Dragon Cub.

Her fishing rod started trembling frequently, and she was so excited she almost jumped off her chair, even her words floating into the sky with joy, "Xiuyuan, Unnie, look, look, I've got a bite, I'm going to catch a fish."

But the result was that the bait was eaten clean, yet not a single fish was on the hook.

"Ah, ah, ah! Why didn't it hook again."

Little Dragon Cub shouted while leaning her whole body toward Lin Xiuyuan, as if wanting to shift the responsibility for the failure to him, or as if acting spoiled toward Lin Xiuyuan, "Xiuyuan, help me look, is there something wrong with the hook?"

Lin Xiuyuan, while supporting her to prevent her from sliding off the chair, was between laughter and tears, "You shouted like that before pulling the rod, and you pulled it so slowly, the fish must have run away."

"It's not that I'm slow, it's that they are cunning!"

Little Dragon Cub was articulate, but her expression was like a child who had lost candy, full of grievance.

But what was even funnier next was Lin Xiuyuan.

He, who had just been acting like a "fishing veteran," had two obvious bites, and his rod-pulling action was so fast it almost kicked up water splashes.

But the result was still an empty hook shaking, appearing particularly embarrassed.

"Wow, this is too good at stealing food..."

The embarrassed Lin Xiuyuan sighed in a low voice, not forgetting to wipe his hands with a wet tissue, "Have these fish become spirits today?"

"Xiuyuan, your technique isn't up to par either."

Ham Eunjung laughed softly at this time; although her words were slightly critical, her tone was gentle, as if she were just teasing.

However, her fishing rod had been quiet from beginning to end, not moving at all.

"Eunjung, you're the same."

"I'm fishing with a Buddhist mindset." After saying this, she leaned on the small chair, squinting her eyes to blow in the wind, "If the fish is destined, it will come to find me."

"Forget it." Li Juli exposed the three of them from behind, "Is this your Buddhist mindset? You just can't catch anything either, the three of you are all half-buckets of water."

The few of them chatted about many things while teasing each other and fishing.

From the recent gossip in the circle, "who and who were photographed dating in Gangnam," "who is suspected of going abroad to have a child," the few of them said one sentence after another, laughing until they were bent over while fishing.

Soon the topic shifted to the music festival last time.

"Xiuyuan, you don't know how many times those tattoo stickers you gave Zhiyan made her hit the news this time; many media outlets said she had fallen."

While speaking, Li Juli smiled and pointed at Little Dragon Cub, "I watched the live stream replay later, the barrage was all about your tattoos, Zhiyan; there were so many, it was screen-filling. There were also some saying your state was very good, having a kind of rejuvenation to the situation of a few years ago."

"Really?" Little Dragon Cub laughed, "That shows the gift Xiuyuan gave was good, and the state is indeed very good."

"You are good, Juli is the one stealing the spotlight."

As the two finished speaking, Ham Eunjung on the side also laughed, "Zhiyan, did you forget she walked to the wrong stage exit, and was making scissors signs at the fans while walking, almost falling."

"Shut up!"

Li Juli's face flushed red instantly, and she raised her mineral water bottle to hit someone, causing the few of them to burst into laughter again.

Just when the laughter was lively, suddenly...

"Eh! It moved!" Ham Eunjung said subconsciously.

Everyone stopped their actions subconsciously, their gazes falling uniformly on her fishing rod.

She saw that fishing rod, which had been as quiet as a wooden carving, trembling slightly at this moment, bending into a beautiful arc.

"Quick, quick, quick! Pull!" Lin Xiuyuan reminded immediately.

Ham Eunjung's expression tightened, she stood up and grabbed the fishing rod firmly, and after testing the force slightly, she felt a strong tug on the other end.

She subconsciously gritted her teeth, steadily stabilized her pace, and slowly led it toward the shore while reeling in the line.

Water splashes rose on the surface, and before long, a fish much larger than a palm broke through the water, flapping, and was firmly hooked on the hook.

"Ah, ah, ah! She really caught it!"

Little Dragon Cub screamed excitedly.

"She actually really caught it!"

Li Juli also stood up, her face full of disbelief.

Ham Eunjung held the fish in her hand, her expression full of shock and satisfaction, and only after a moment did she raise a smile that lacked the arrogance of a winner, "It seems that the destined fish will really come to find me."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at the fish still jumping on the fishing rod in her hand, then looked at her face that couldn't hide its smile, and couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Fine, I keep my word, I'll give you a big gift later, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"We'll talk about the gift later, Xiuyuan, help me unhook the fish first, I don't dare touch it."

Ham Eunjung raised her eyes to look at him, her smile unable to be hidden.

A few minutes later, Lin Xiuyuan squatted beside her, looking at the fish still flapping in the bucket, and asked casually, "So Eunjung, are you planning to take it back to raise, or take it home to slaughter and eat?"

"Neither."

Ham Eunjung shook her head with a smile, taking photos while patting the fish, "I'll release it after I finish taking photos, but let's say it first, I've released it, you can't go back on your word and say you won't give the gift."

"How could I, I keep my word."

Lin Xiuyuan said while patting his pant legs, stood up and gave her a thumbs up, "Let's do it tonight, I'll fulfill it for you tonight."

The competition also naturally ended at this moment.

But the few of them didn't disperse because of this; instead, they sat around the beach more relaxed, continuing to chat intermittently, and even started exchanging the photos they had taken.

Lin Xiuyuan later took out his camera and took many beautiful photos for the three of them.

He was very focused and serious when taking them, directing everything from the angle and light to the background, letting the few of them cooperate by making various poses.

Ham Eunjung looked at his focused and professional appearance and suddenly laughed with some regret, "If I had known you were taking photos so seriously, you should have taken a photo of the moment I pulled the fish just now."

"That's already missed, how about you pretend to pull another one, and I'll take a supplementary one."

"That would be meaningless." Little Dragon Cub interjected.

Ham Eunjung turned her head, the corners of her mouth hooking into a playful smile, "But I think it's interesting, Zhiyan."

"Ah~ Unnie!!!"

Little Dragon Cub bristled and pounced over to grab her, but was dodged by Ham Eunjung with a laugh.

The dusk completely sank into the night, the sea breeze blew, and the laughter of the few of them echoed on the beach for a long time.

And as the night deepened, the sea breeze gradually became cooler.

So the few of them packed up their fishing gear and beverage bottles, deciding to change to another place to continue tonight's joy.

Go to a restaurant and have a big meal.

The dinner atmosphere continued the previous joy, especially Little Dragon Cub, who ordered two seafood pots in one breath, and said articulately, "I want to take revenge on that fish that escaped! Let its family reunite!"

Until the meal was almost finished, Li Juli suddenly suggested, "How about going to the bistro at night? Continue to have a few drinks."

"Is that okay, Xiuyuan?"

Little Dragon Cub also raised her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan sitting beside her, her tone carrying a little expectation, "It doesn't matter if the air dissipates, at worst we'll just leave the door open. It's rare that Eunjung Unnie caught a fish today, we have to celebrate, right?"

"Didn't I lose?" Lin Xiuyuan shook his head with a smile, "So I have to prepare that 'big gift' for Eunjung tonight, let's make an appointment for tomorrow."

These words made the few of them slightly stunned.

The first to react was still Little Dragon Cub, who asked with a look of surprise, "Huh? No way, Xiuyuan, are you for real? Really giving a big gift package?"

"Of course, it was agreed to give a big gift package, how could I go back on it."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded while reaching out to quietly pinch the small hand Little Dragon Cub was placing on his leg.

Wanting her not to be jealous, he almost pinched to the root.

Ham Eunjung smiled lightly at this time, her tone half-true and half-false, "So can I start looking forward to it now?"

"Of course."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded, his eyes carrying a mysterious light, "And... if you have time, Eunjung, you can also go take a look with me now."

"Ah?" Ham Eunjung was stunned.

"Let's go, let's go together." Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, his tone calm but serious.

Looking at Lin Xiuyuan's expression, Little Dragon Cub and Li Juli looked at each other and didn't ask much.

Although the two were also curious about what the so-called "big gift" was, since Lin Xiuyuan didn't ask them to accompany him, they knew to watch from the sidelines for now.

Just like that, after finishing dinner, Ham Eunjung turned and got into Lin Xiuyuan's car, driving toward the bistro.

The bistro in the night, the lighting was warm and soft, and the air was filled with a faint scent of fragrance.

The wind chime at the door swayed gently in the sea breeze, ringing, as if predicting some kind of impending change.

Ham Eunjung, after walking into the tavern, subconsciously looked around, then walked straight to the bar counter and sat down on a high stool.

"Xiuyuan, what kind of gift is it that you have to hide from Zhiyan and the Unnies to give to me?"

She sat down while teasing with a smile, "You wouldn't be... having any special thoughts about me, would you?"

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, "It's not special thoughts, but a secret... a secret that can't be easily told to others."

"Then you're willing to tell me?"

Ham Eunjung raised her eyebrows, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"You won the competition, this is the big gift package for the champion."

"I thought it was..."

Ham Eunjung, who thought of something, looked at Lin Xiuyuan with an amused expression.

Although she didn't quite believe it, if she could experience it, it wouldn't hurt.

But in the end, Ham Eunjung didn't say her thoughts out loud, but smiled, "So according to your solemn situation, Xiuyuan, should I act a bit more nervous?"

"Having some psychological preparation is always good." Lin Xiuyuan smiled, his eyes looking at her with more seriousness.

The two chatted one sentence after another, the atmosphere unexpectedly quiet and comfortable.

Ham Eunjung was no longer restrained, gradually relaxing, and even ordered a drink during the process.

It was just that as they chatted, more than half an hour passed like this, and Ham Eunjung finally couldn't help it, asking with a tone of banter.

"Xiuyuan, the gift you mentioned wouldn't just be accompanying me for a drink and a chat, would it? If that's the case, your level is good enough to be a top host in Ginza."

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled, slowly sat up straighter, looked at her, and asked seriously, "Then let me ask you a question first, Eunjung."

"Mm."

"Do you think your own acceptance ability is strong or not?"

Ham Eunjung raised her eyebrows, "Why, are you afraid I'll be scared faint?"

"Seriously, there is that possibility." Lin Xiuyuan nodded lightly.

She rolled her eyes, then unceremoniously mocked herself, "Don't worry, I can kick five cows with one leg, I won't be scared easily."

Lin Xiuyuan heard these words, his eyes moved slightly, as if confirming something.

Finally, he stood up and said in a gentle tone, "Then wait for me a moment, I'll go invite her over."

"Can't you just show me directly?" Ham Eunjung was a bit suspicious.

"That thing... isn't very suitable to be taken out directly." Lin Xiuyuan shook his head with a smile, and then his tone suddenly became serious, "Eunjung, wait for me a moment?"

Ham Eunjung originally wanted to tease a few more times, but looking at Lin Xiuyuan's expression at this moment, she inexplicably didn't joke anymore, just nodded lightly.

"Fine, I'll wait for you."

Soon, Lin Xiuyuan brought up a gust of wind when he left, and the wind chime at the door rang accordingly, jingling.

And Ham Eunjung sat alone at the bar counter, shaking her wine glass, not paying much attention to the time.

But as she waited, she suddenly found that the time seemed a bit off.

Because Lin Xiuyuan had been gone for ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes...

After she had swiped through her phone several times, she realized that nearly an hour had passed quietly.

"What is this situation..."

This waiting time made Ham Eunjung couldn't help but roll her eyes, and she clicked open the chat group: 【Hey, Zhiyan, Unnie, did Xiuyuan trick me into coming here and then go home to sleep himself?】

Li Juli replied in seconds: 【Ah? Aren't you guys going to see the gift?】

Little Dragon Cub: 【Yeah, I thought you had already received it.】

Ham Eunjung: 【Received a ghost, he's nowhere to be seen, you guys dare to believe he's left me in the bistro for an hour.】

Little Dragon Cub: 【Ah ha ha ha ha, this doesn't sound like Xiuyuan, did something happen?】

Ham Eunjung: 【Don't talk nonsense... but it's really excessive for him to leave someone behind like this.】

Li Juli: 【Then why don't you send a message to ask, or make a call?】

Park Hyomin: 【What are you guys chatting about?】

Ham Eunjung wanted to reply a few more sentences, but suddenly heard a light sound from the door.

"Beep—click."

The bistro's electronic lock made a light sound, and the door was slowly pushed open from the outside. The wind chime swayed again, making a crisp sound.

Ham Eunjung, hearing the sound, smiled and replied in the group: 【No need, he's back, I have to scold him properly.】

After sending this message, she turned her head to look, preparing to complain to Lin Xiuyuan, "You finally decided to come back."

But the next second, she froze completely.

The wind from the door blew in, blowing a strand of the other person's slightly messy semi-long hair.

It was a girl wearing a light-colored hoodie and jeans, her temperament clean and neat, with a familiar yet strange expression hidden between her brows.

That face, Ham Eunjung couldn't be more familiar with it.

She stared blankly at the person at the door, the phone in her hand falling onto the bar counter at some point.

As if time had completely frozen at this moment.

(End of chapter)