Chapter 218: Jessica

The next morning, the sunlight in Georgia spilled in through the thin gauze curtains, and the pale golden light and shadow spread across the wooden floor of the hotel room, gentle and quiet.

Lin Xiuyuan only returned to the hotel after handling Kim Taeyeon's affairs last night.

At that time, Krystal and Sulli were watching the stars by the balcony, so he joined the two in their idle chat, and the three talked until the early hours.

It wasn't until the night was deep and the dew was heavy that Lin Xiuyuan sent Sulli back to her room and then fell into a deep sleep.

Therefore, the first one to wake up this morning was Jessica next door.

So she broke the tranquility of the adjacent room with a sudden phone call, dragging Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal, who were still fast asleep, out of their dreams.

After getting up, Krystal opened the curtains for the first time, and the appearance of the whole city just waking up came into view.

In the distance were mountain shadows wrapped in morning mist, and nearby were brick-red roofs and scattered stone roads; the air even carried a kind of tranquility nourished by wine.

Lin Xiuyuan was blinded by the sunlight, reflexively turned over, and continued to stay in bed.

Krystal looked at him, smiled helplessly, and pounced on him, whispering coquettishly, "Get up, Xiuyuan~ we still have an itinerary to go out and play today."

After saying that, she also mischievously left a few light kiss marks on his neck, and only then did she get up and enter the bathroom with satisfaction.

After a while, Krystal, who had finished washing up, changed into the outfit she brought back from the villa last night.

Then she walked out of the bathroom, looked at Lin Xiuyuan, who was still lying on the bed scrolling through his phone, and said loudly, "I'm going to find Jessica, Xiuyuan~"

"I know, I'm getting up now."

Lin Xiuyuan, who answered lazily, only finally sat up from the bed after hearing the sound of the door closing, and walked slowly into the bathroom.

After he finished washing up and got dressed, he walked out of the room and reached out to knock on the door next door.

Before long, the door opened, and Krystal and Jessica appeared in his eyes one after the other.

And Lin Xiuyuan's gaze first focused on Krystal, who was wearing a dark blue baseball cap; under the brim, a few strands of chestnut-brown long hair hung down naturally, casual but not messy.

She was wearing a black slim-fit short-sleeved shirt, paired with a light brown Polo Ralph Lauren linen shirt, the cuffs rolled up casually, revealing the curves of her wrists.

On the lower body was high-waisted washed jeans, paired with a woven belt and retro metal buckle, and the waistline and figure were set off to be exceptionally capable and stylish.

Krystal leaned lightly against the door like this, tilted her head at Lin Xiuyuan, the corners of her lips hanging with a refreshing smile after washing up, "I thought you were going to stay in bed for a while longer; I was thinking of going over to call you."

"Not at all, let's go, let's go eat first, I'm a bit hungry."

Lin Xiuyuan replied casually, his gaze sweeping toward Jessica standing behind her.

Compared to Krystal's casualness, Jessica behind her appeared more lazy and exquisite.

A beige loose knit sweater hung naturally on her shoulders, slightly revealing her collarbone, paired with a light gray high-waisted A-line skirt.

The hem of the skirt fell just right at the middle of her thighs, and her long legs, illuminated by the morning light, were as delicate and moving as porcelain.

This outfit was very consistent with the temperament of her age, intellectual yet carrying a bit of girlishness.

However, it didn't let Lin Xiuyuan's gaze stay on her for too long, but instead asked, "Not afraid of the cold?"

Jessica, who was originally quite cheerful because of the journey, rolled her eyes as soon as these few words drifted out, and turned to look at Krystal.

"Ya, Zheng Xiujing, can you educate him? How can someone be so straight-man? Even if you don't praise him twice, can't you just shut your mouth?"

Krystal pursed her lips and smiled, then stepped forward to take Lin Xiuyuan's arm. "Haha, let's go, Xiuyuan~ Jessica spent a long time picking out clothes inside, only to be killed in a second by your comment."

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, looking innocent, "I'm just stating facts."

Although it was summer here, because of the rainy season recently, the wind blowing in the morning was still quite cool.

And Jessica didn't pay attention to them anymore, flicked her long hair, stepped on those white and tender long legs, and walked directly toward the restaurant, with an aura of "too lazy to bother with you."

The hotel restaurant was located on the side of the terrace, and a whole row of floor-to-ceiling windows introduced the morning light into the room; outside the window was the street of Tbilisi slowly waking up, scattered red-roofed houses and old town areas built along the mountain.

The buffet table was filled with freshly baked Georgian cheese bread, yogurt, honey, dried fruits, as well as hot black coffee and various local jams.

Lin Xiuyuan picked up a few items at random, as well as traditional Georgian Khachapuri, which was the kind of bread cake with eggs and cheese in the middle.

Krystal carried a plate of fruit salad, and Jessica almost piled the yogurt bowl until it was about to overflow.

Then Lin Xiuyuan watched Krystal cutting bread while couldn't help but ask, "Krystal, are you planning to post on INS later?"

"Shoot first, post when we leave. If I post now, I feel like we'll be blocked."

"Still feel like? Didn't we get blocked before? Scared us so much we almost called security."

Jessica teased a few words from the side, and then chatted happily about this topic.

In fact, don't look at Krystal's popularity having dropped a lot compared to when she was in the group, but it also filtered out passerby fans, and what remained were all loyal fans.

From the conversation between these two, he learned that once when they went out to travel, Krystal posted as she shot, and as a result, she was blocked at the door by fans in just a few minutes.

Although they didn't do anything, just came over to take photos happily, it scared Krystal so much she didn't dare to do that again.

Lin Xiuyuan sat on the side, drinking coffee while silently watching the interaction between the two, a few moments of relaxation rarely appearing in his eyes.

Just at this time, Krystal, who was poking fruit grains in the bowl with a fork, suddenly said something without a beginning or end, "Xiuyuan~ did you talk in your sleep last night?"

"Me?" Lin Xiuyuan raised his eyes to look at her, "Shouldn't have, I don't have the habit of talking in my sleep."

Answering the question, he was also searching for his own situation in his mind; he really had no impression.

Jessica, drinking yogurt on the side, watched the play quietly like watching a show.

But the next second, she was inexplicably pulled into the battle, just because Krystal's tone changed, saying vaguely, "Not yet, you kept shouting 'Xiuyan Xiuyan' in your mouth last night; I don't know if I thought you were so intimate with Jessica."

???

Lin Xiuyuan put down his knife and fork, tilted his head to look at the surprised face beside him, his tone carrying helplessness, "Are you crazy? I definitely didn't say such things. Even if I dreamed, it's impossible to dream of her."

Opposite, Jessica, who was originally somewhat stunned, had her face sink after hearing this explanation.

"Ya, try saying that again."

She stared at him, her tone like a joke, but hidden with a bit of fire.

Lin Xiuyuan spread his hands, "It wasn't me who said it."

"I'm just stating facts."

Krystal also retorted unceremoniously, but that smile on the corner of her mouth carried a hint of meaningfulness.

Just like this, the three of you said one word and I said one word, noisily finishing breakfast.

After breakfast, the three set off and began today's itinerary.

First, go to the old town, pass through those small alleys covered with vines, and appreciate the ancient brick and stone buildings and colorful window frames.

Then in a small bookstore covered with vines, Jessica found an old French poetry collection from somewhere and bought it on the spot like discovering a treasure.

As a result, a sentence immediately came from behind, "Can you understand it?"

Looking back and seeing that the person speaking was Lin Xiuyuan, she immediately tilted her head and looked at him, watching quietly without speaking.

A few seconds of silence made Lin Xiuyuan feel increasingly uneasy, and in the end, he could only turn and leave, leaving Jessica behind to chuckle softly, her smile rippling from the corners of her eyes, unable to be contained.

Then they climbed to a high observation deck, from where they could overlook the silhouette of the entire Tbilisi old town.

Krystal, standing by the stone wall, supported her sunglasses, looked at the winding Kura River at the foot of the mountain, and asked Lin Xiuyuan casually, "Xiuyuan~ you say for this kind of place, if you propose, will it be too vulgar?"

Lin Xiuyuan scanned her, "What do you think?"

"If it were someone else, it would be a bit vulgar, but if it were you proposing to me, Xiuyuan, it would be different."

When Krystal said this, her eyes were always looking at Lin Xiuyuan.

The smile on the corners of her mouth was also very bright, seemingly a joke, but carrying a bit of seriousness, making Lin Xiuyuan not know how to answer for a while.

Fortunately, Jessica helped him at this time, reaching out and pushing Krystal, "Let's go, what are you doing standing here daydreaming."

"Ah, Jessica, how is this daydreaming."

Krystal, having been pushed, hummed in a somewhat depressed manner, but she still took Lin Xiuyuan's arm and led him to follow Jessica's pace ahead.

Tbilisi's old town always had a slow rhythm, making people forget the time as they walked.

The three walked slowly along the small road paved with bluestone, the air mixed with the smell of spices, soil, and sunlight.

Jessica walked in the front, stopping from time to time for some exquisite wood carving or antique ornament, while Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal followed one after the other.

"Xiuyuan~ you say she walks and stops like this, is she planning to buy the whole street?" Krystal whispered, still biting the Georgian walnut candy she just bought.

Lin Xiuyuan looked at the buildings on both sides and replied casually: "Aren't you the same? That wool scarf just now, you wouldn't leave even after calling you for a long time."

Krystal said as a matter of course, "That's because it really looked good at first."

"Then why didn't you buy it."

"I didn't like it later."

This answer was very typical Krystal, which also made Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Just like this, they walked all the way to the vicinity of the ancient castle at the end of the old town, and the three stood in a small square to rest for a while. At this time, Lin Xiuyuan looked at his watch and reminded softly.

"It's almost time to go back to the hotel, we still have to rush to Kazbegi Mountain today."

Jessica nodded, and Krystal suddenly raised her hand to indicate, "Wait for me, I'm going to the restroom."

As soon as the words fell, she ran quickly toward the shopping mall not far away, leaving only Lin Xiuyuan and Jessica standing in the shade of a tree on the side.

One was dazed, and the other was taking photos of the surrounding scenery at will.

Just at this time, the sky suddenly changed.

Clearly, the sun was shining brightly a second ago, but as a result, a thick rain cloud drifted from somewhere, and it was only a few seconds, and bean-sized raindrops smashed down.

"Damn, hide from the rain, still shooting."

Lin Xiuyuan shouted when he saw this, pulled Jessica, and ran toward the nearest eaves.

The two just hid in, and this rain fell even harder, forming a curtain of rain in just a few seconds, the sound of hitting the stone road was dense, and the street just ten meters away became a bit blurred, and the whole old town seemed to be covered in a quiet dream.

Jessica leaned against the eaves pillar, using her hand to brush away the mist of rain clinging to her cheek, and looked at Lin Xiuyuan with some curiosity. "I've never encountered this situation when traveling with Xiujing."

"What do you mean? You blame me?" Lin Xiuyuan retorted with a smile, "If I could really affect the weather, then my ability wouldn't be just this little bit."

If one could gather great power in oneself, who would still play with the Time Gate, wouldn't it be fragrant to summon celestial phenomenon weapons directly?

The two who retorted each other fell silent again.

After a while, Jessica seemed to want to break this slightly awkward atmosphere and suddenly opened her mouth, "Do you have a feeling that the current situation is a bit like that movie of Jay Chou."

"Mm?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who recalled the situation, grinned, but still turned his head to look at Jessica, asking with a bit of a joke, "So you think between the two of us, who is the person from the past?"

Jessica answered without hesitation, "Anyway, it's not me."

"Then according to your meaning, it's me." Lin Xiuyuan finished saying lightly, and also leaned against the pillar.

Jessica turned her head to look at him, looking at that young and clean face, and the hair that was wet by the rain but still casual and natural, her gaze paused for a moment, then withdrew lightly, her lips pursed.

A trace of rare emotion flashed through her heart, not knowing whether it was envy or jealousy.

"If I have to choose one, it must be you," she said lightly, "You are so young, could it be me."

Raindrops slid along the eaves, smashed on the stone road, and splashed circles of small water ripples.

The two stood side by side, their shoulders occasionally rubbing against each other, but neither moved.

The air was a bit cool, but the atmosphere was somehow subtly ambiguous.

Perhaps it was because she discovered that what she just said was a bit wrong, so Jessica opened her mouth again, "By the way, you should know that what Krystal said just now was actually just a joke."

"What words?" Lin Xiuyuan pretended not to understand.

"Don't play stupid, I don't intend to repeat it. How you play is your business, but things like marriage cannot be casual."

Lin Xiuyuan finally turned his head to look at her, his eyes frank, but also carrying a bit of amusement, "If you didn't say these words, then I might not feel you are old, but now that you say this, I feel you are wordy, Jessica."

As soon as this remark came out, the air seemed to freeze for a moment, and Jessica didn't answer, just turned her gaze back to the front.

Looking at the rain curtain in front, she was silent for a second before responding lightly, "Understood."

After saying this, she turned sideways out of the eaves, reached out and felt it in the rain, "The rain seems to be stopping, let's go, go pick up Krystal."

Lin Xiuyuan said "Mm" and followed.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 219 =====