Chapter 251: Just live your lives well

Krystal, who walked into the living room, paused slightly.

Her gaze fell first on the other end of the sofa, on herself from 2013.

Those clear eyes now looked a bit cramped, as if she didn't quite know where to put her hands, yet she sat straight, like a well-behaved student called on by a teacher.

Her figure was slightly heavier due to the filming of the TV series, the lines of her shoulders and collarbones carrying a few more soft curves. When the light fell, even her side face looked rounded, revealing a childish cuteness.

This familiar feeling made Krystal stare at her for two seconds, her chest feeling as if it had been touched lightly by something, suddenly finding it a bit funny.

She seemed to be like this a few months ago.

However, her expression management was very much in place, not letting the other party notice, just the corners of her lips curving lightly, but soon pursing back, as if quietly putting away that bit of emotion.

Leaving only a faint expression that no one could see the smile she had in her heart.

But soon Krystal withdrew her gaze and pulled her attention back to the business at hand.

Walking over, she bent down and picked up the phone Zheng Xiuyan had just placed on the coffee table, her movements crisp, as if she had rehearsed it once long ago.

"Unnie~"

After looking up again, Krystal's expression had returned to calm, and her tone was very steady.

"After you make the call later, just tell them that I haven't been in a good mood lately and want you to accompany me for a few days to relax. When this excuse is thrown out, I will follow up and say a few words in the background, and the situation will basically be stabilized. Anyway, there was a similar situation before, they won't ask much."

She said these words slowly and methodically, without any emotional fluctuations, as if stating a solution that had already been verified.

Every word fell very accurately, making people feel at ease invisibly.

Zheng Xiuyan thought about the answer and nodded. "Sure, this reason is easy to use and quite natural."

Lin YoonA on the side also couldn't help but clap her hands, her expression very approving. "I support this too. Sisters can say anything to each other, and outsiders can understand it too. This excuse is indeed seamless."

The big dragon cub and Park Jiyeon also nodded.

And so, the statement that had been discussed for nearly an hour and never decided was completely finalized in just a few minutes after Krystal arrived.

And the entire living room followed with a sense of lightness as if a burden had been lifted, and even the atmosphere was much more relaxed than just now.

The discussion topic in the room quickly turned from "how to say it" to "what to do after saying it." Who makes the call first, when to hang up, what to do if the other party asks about work arrangements...

Every possible detail was dismantled one by one by Krystal in an organized way, as if combing through a tangled mess, her methods crisp and decisive.

And Zheng Xiujing, who had been sitting quietly at the other end of the sofa, never made a sound.

She just watched Krystal quietly, watching her future self.

Watching her calm expression when pushing the door open, watching her calm tone when speaking, and the temperament in her brows that was more firm and more certain than her own.

Her gaze started with curiosity, then turned into a search, and then slowly sank, as if tracing exactly what kind of person her future self would become.

She almost wanted to piece together what kind of person she would become from every subtle movement and every trace of expression of Krystal.

Was she stronger?

Or was she lonelier?

Although she didn't make a sound, the focus and deep thought in her eyes already explained everything.

Many doubts and curiosities surged in her heart, like tides, one after another hitting her reason.

She really wanted to open her mouth and ask clearly immediately, but she still suppressed the impulse.

Because Zheng Xiujing knew very well that now was not the time; no matter how anxious, she had to wait until that call was finished.

Only after everyone was done with their hands could she have the chance to truly sit down face-to-face and have a good chat.

Soon, Zheng Xiuyan and Krystal cooperated to make the call.

Because they had rehearsed several times in advance, the whole process was orderly, almost picking out no flaws.

When the manager on the other end of the phone heard Zheng Xiuyan's calm statement, she was silent for a few seconds, clearly a bit headache-prone, but the perfect reason plus the fact that the time could indeed be coordinated made her finally agree.

It was just that the truly troublesome part fell on her.

She had to adjust the schedule immediately and communicate with the organizer to ensure the time didn't go wrong.

And the moment she hung up the phone, Zheng Xiuyan also breathed a sigh of relief, her back leaning slightly against the sofa, letting out a long, stuffy breath. "Phew, finally got it done."

At the same time, she reached out to rub her forehead, revealing a smile that carried fatigue but relief.

"That's one week left then."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had been quiet and silent, finally spoke again, using that teasing tone. "One week in the dark room, enough for her to suffer."

Lin YoonA widened her eyes subconsciously, her fingers shaking in the air, both worried and somewhat helpless. "You're really going to keep Unnie locked up for a week, Xiuyuan~ I'm worried that the first thing she does when she comes out is to take a knife and chop you."

"Who knows, let's see the situation." Lin Xiuyuan shook his head, smiling very indifferently.

Just as a few people were chatting, a cell phone ringtone suddenly rang.

The crisp prompt tone sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet living room, and several people stopped subconsciously.

Lin Xiuyuan glanced down at the caller ID, his brows raised, seemingly a bit surprised, then pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Xiuyuan~"

As soon as Lin Xiuyuan answered the phone, Krystal's urgent but lowered voice came to his ear, carrying a hint of obvious restraint. "What's the situation now?"

That familiar and slightly anxious voice made Zheng Xiujing, who was sitting on the sofa, look up abruptly, staring at the phone in Lin Xiuyuan's hand.

Lin Xiuyuan didn't do much foreshadowing, nor did he sell it, stating the situation clearly and concisely, although he didn't name names, Krystal could understand the meaning.

So the other end of the phone was silent for a short while before Krystal spoke, her voice calmer than just now. "Got it, I'm on my way back now. Why don't you guys wait for me for a while, I'll be there soon."

"Sure, drive slowly, don't rush." Lin Xiuyuan responded.

Just as he was about to hang up, he suddenly looked at Zheng Xiujing sitting opposite him, the corners of his mouth curling into an intriguing arc, smiling and throwing out a sentence. "By the way, your student is here too, Xiujing, you have to be mentally prepared."

As soon as the words fell, the other end of the phone exploded, Krystal's voice an octave higher than just now.

"What?! Say that again? No, Xiuyuan, what the hell are you doing."

Lin Xiuyuan just smiled, too lazy to explain much. "We'll talk when you get back, hurry up."

The other end of the phone was silent for a long time, long enough for Zheng Xiujing to frown uneasily, and even thought Krystal was going to say something.

But the next second, the phone hung up silently in the silence.

Zheng Xiujing clenched her hands, her heart beating half a beat faster for no reason.

And with this phone call, the heated discussion in the room gradually stopped.

The big dragon cub stretched, got up to take a shower, and changed back into casual clothes.

Lin YoonA sat next to Zheng Xiuyan and Zheng Xiujing, chatting with them, and even deliberately turned on the TV, finding the original version of that TV series, letting Zheng Xiujing take a good look at the production of this version.

"This way, when you act in the future, you'll have a comparison reference." Lin YoonA's tone was very gentle, as if deliberately easing Zheng Xiujing's tension.

Zheng Xiujing on the sofa pursed her lips, watching while absent-minded, occasionally stealing glances at the living room entrance, as if waiting for someone to appear.

About twenty minutes later, a familiar engine sound came from outside the villa.

Soon the villa door was opened.

At the door, Krystal was still wearing the suit from the promotion event, the microphone wire at the collar already removed, her long hair loose, a bit messy from the wind.

It was just that her expression wasn't as panicked as imagined; on the contrary, she pursed her lips very calmly and stepped into the living room.

Everyone in the living room also looked at her subconsciously.

However, Krystal's gaze skipped over Lin YoonA, the big dragon cub, and the others, finally landing on Zheng Xiujing at the other end of the sofa.

Eye to eye.

At that moment, it was as if someone had stretched the air for an instant, all sounds were pressed on mute, leaving only the light of mutual observation in their eyes.

(End of chapter)

The messy hair and the near-collapse expression made her heart tighten.

Not being a fool, she sensibly shook her long hair, turned around, and followed Xueli out of the room, her movements crisp and decisive.

The bedroom door closed behind them, leaving only Lin Xiuyuan, Zheng Xiuyan, and Jessica on the bed in the room.

Noticing this, Lin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Zheng Xiuyan. "What do you think? You still have to go to the villa with me to handle the loose ends. If we just leave her here like this, shouldn't there be any problems?"

"Someone needs to guard her."

Ever since entering the room, Zheng Xiuyan's gaze had barely left Jessica. Hearing Lin Xiuyuan's words, she gave her own opinion. "Have someone guard her to prevent any accidents. You can't imagine what kind of irrational thoughts someone capable of doing such a stupid thing might have."

Hearing Zheng Xiuyan's merciless evaluation, Jessica on the bed widened her eyes.

Even with her mouth gagged, one could see the anger and grievance in her eyes; the previously dazed expression had now completely turned into naked protest and fury.

She struggled hard with her wrists, making a muffled "Ugh..." sound, her eyes fixed on Zheng Xiuyan, as if accusing her: How could you say that about me?

Lin Xiuyuan watched her reaction and raised an eyebrow. "Fine, then let Zhenli stay at home to keep her company from now on. Since Zheng Xiujing knows the situation, she shouldn't need to accompany her anymore."

His voice was steady, as if announcing a simple arrangement, completely unaffected by the emotional fluctuations of the person on the bed.

Zheng Xiuyan nodded, took a deep look at Jessica on the bed, then turned to Lin Xiuyuan. "Let's go. Help this idiot clean up the loose ends and get her to retire from the industry."

When she said this, her tone was as flat as cold, as if it were just a step decided long ago.

"Ugh...!"

But Jessica's pupils contracted sharply, her whole body reacting as if struck by the words, shaking her head violently, wanting to say something, but only able to emit muffled, rapid whimpers.

She twisted her body desperately, her wrists turning red from the friction against the ropes, her ankles kicking hard against the sheets, as if trying to express her unwillingness with her whole body.

Her eyes were filled with panic and refusal, the tears that had already dried flowing again, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the pillow, leaving small water stains.

The emotion was no longer just fear, but complete panic and unwillingness, as if saying: No, I don't want to, I won't retire!

Her career, her stage, the name and glory she had exchanged for over a decade of hard work—how could they be stripped away just like that?

If that were the case, for Jessica, it would probably be more suffocating than death.

She might as well be dead.

The air pressure in the room seemed to drop a few degrees in that instant.

Outside the door, in the living room, the atmosphere was clearly much more relaxed.

Compared to the oppressive and heavy air in the bedroom, the lighting here was soft, and the sunlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was refracted by the tree shade and glass into fragmented light and shadows, falling quietly on the wooden floor.

Initially, neither of them spoke, the air still lingering with the tense atmosphere from just a moment ago.

Zheng Xiujing sat there with her hands hanging down, as if trying to sort through the information churning in her brain.

But not long after, she couldn't help but turn her head, staring at Xueli, her voice low. "Xueli, how many people... know about this?"

Xueli blinked, as if confirming what she was asking. "What matter?"

"The Time Gate."

Zheng Xiujing's eyes still carried complex emotions, her tone tinged with urgency.

Xueli was amused by her sudden question, her eyes curving into crescent moons. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, counting on her fingers like a primary school student taking roll call.

"Hmm... let me think. Zheng Xiuyan Unnie, YoonA Unnie, Taeyeon Unnie, Enjing Unnie, and now, plus you."

"Just these?"

Zheng Xiujing raised an eyebrow slightly after listening, seemingly not expecting the list to be so short, then nodded gently, her expression serious. "That's not many."

"These are just the ones in 2013. There are more on the 2025 side, but that's about it."

Zheng Xiujing pursed her lips, as if pressing the matter into her heart, or perhaps slowly chewing on it.

After a moment of silence, she couldn't help her curiosity and turned to ask, "Then did anything particularly big happen to us in the future? Something really major."

As she said this, she glanced at the bedroom direction, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.