Chapter 253: Jessica

"Not enough, give me another reason to make me willing."

Jessica's tone was unhurried, yet carried a force of approach, like a lone lamp lit in the middle of the night, shining straight toward Krystal's heart.

And facing this direct question from Jessica, Krystal took a breath, her chest rising and falling slightly, her eyes fixed on the other party, and she spoke slowly.

"There's no other reason, that's all there is. If you must have another one... I don't want to watch you get dragged down any further. Or rather, if you are really willing to be dragged by someone, then having someone else do the dragging is not necessarily a bad thing."

Jessica raised her eyes slightly, her gaze landing on her sister's fair and bright face.

That face was full and healthy, and between her brows was a youthful certainty and composure, forming a strong contrast with her own haggard appearance at this moment.

At that moment, countless complex emotions surged in the bottom of her heart, like an unrevealed undercurrent, even mixed with a trace of indescribable wavering.

But she didn't say it out loud in the end, just lowered her head, staring at her current trapped situation, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Then does that mean if I don't agree, you guys will keep me tied up until I nod?"

"As far as it looks now, yes." Krystal's gaze did not dodge, her voice very calm.

For this, Jessica's brows were tightly furrowed, her struggle written all over her face, and then she stared at Krystal and continued to pursue the question. "Since you've come over, does it mean things over at the 25-year side have already ended? You guys... really messed up my career?"

"No." On this point, Krystal answered the other party very honestly.

She and Lin Xiuyuan and the others all felt there was no need to stimulate Jessica on this; after all, a past self, plus two younger sisters, all understood very well that this person had a character that ate soft but not hard.

At the same time, Krystal also told the other party the time. "But if you don't agree, Jessica, you'll probably have to stay here for another week."

That time, accurate to the point of being almost cold, made Jessica's heart shake, and a certain fragment from before flashed through her mind instantly.

The next second, she raised her brows fiercely, anger flashing in the bottom of her eyes, and she gritted her teeth and growled low, "Ya, it's Lin Xiuyuan again. When that guy was chatting with me before, he was scamming me for time, right?"

Krystal just nodded gently. "That's right."

Then she lowered her voice, persuading with a bit of patience and certainty. "So, unnie, consider it again. Accepting this situation is actually not bad."

Jessica raised her eyes fiercely, glared at her a few times, and asked coldly in return, "Are you asking me to accept a man suddenly lying beside me? Or are you asking me to conceive a child for him?"

The air sank for a few seconds.

To this, Krystal's tone was even more certain, shrugging her shoulders as she said, "Jessica, weren't you quite interested in Xiuyuan before? That dinner, you should have been a bit moved, otherwise there wouldn't have been subsequent actions."

Jessica, hearing this, was stunned for a moment, a trace of wavering flashing in her eyes, and the stiff lines on her face finally loosened a bit.

Then she said in a low voice, "Don't scam me. Yes, I was indeed a bit moved at that time."

But just as she said this, she raised her eyes and met Krystal's gaze, her look still cold, but hiding a trace of undisguisable exhaustion. "But that was time-sensitive. After that time passed, it... had no feeling."

The room suddenly quieted down. The two's gazes drew an invisible tension in the air.

A moment later, Krystal blinked, changed her way of speaking, and continued to try to persuade Jessica. "Actually, it's not that you must lie on the bed, or get pregnant, we just need to ensure you won't leak secrets. There has to be a hook to keep you hanging."

Jessica, hearing this, furrowed her brows again.

"Then why me?" Her voice carried a trace of cold curiosity. "What about the others? YoonA, Taeyeon, Jiyeon... why don't they need to be like this?"

However, as soon as the words fell, she herself was stunned.

Because the answer came almost head-on.

She suddenly realized that everyone else seemed to have ties in the past.

Even the most elusive Lin YoonA had an obsession with popularity and the acting path, not to mention the life-and-death partings others had experienced, or the struggle against illness.

Only she had no "future she wanted" or "past she wanted to save."

Thinking of this, Jessica's chest felt slightly stuffy, and her breathing became heavier.

She remembered Lin Xiuyuan had asked her over and over again: Do you regret it?

At that time, she had actually thought about it, but just didn't take it to heart, so she just treated it as a thorny joke and gave her answer.

And now, she finally understood the true weight of that question.

Krystal looked at Jessica, who was still indifferent and completely unmoved, and felt a wave of powerlessness in her heart.

So she bit her lower lip, lowered her voice even more, and said even more cautiously, "Jessica, actually, it doesn't matter even if you ignore Lin Xiuyuan. But can you, for the sake of me, Sulli, and Taeyeon unnie and the others, slightly wrong yourself?"

As soon as these words fell, Jessica was stunned first, then rolled her eyes unceremoniously, carrying obvious ridicule. "Yo, Zheng Xiujing, have you started learning moral kidnapping?"

The smile on her face was coldly thin, and her tone was full of provocation and teasing. "Did you forget what Lin Xiuyuan once said to me? He said as long as a person has no morals, then morals can't kidnap me."

Speaking of this, she paused specifically, the corners of her lips hooking into a thorny smile.

"You should go ask him about this sentence. I treat it as a treasure now."

Krystal stood frozen on the spot, almost choked to death by this sentence.

Her heart was even more stifled, and she really wanted to go back immediately, press Lin Xiuyuan on the sofa, and give him a fierce "duck sit."

What kind of nonsense is he talking about?

Now it's fine, she herself is being roasted on the fire, it's so troublesome.

But just as Krystal was speechless, Jessica on the bed was not entirely indifferent.

For example, when she saw Sulli again, that pair of eyes clearly flashed with overly eager light, and her voice couldn't help but tremble a bit.

Although the emotional fluctuation was quickly suppressed, it was not non-existent.

She even thought uncontrollably at that moment: Since I am like this when seeing Sulli, then Kim Taeyeon... what kind of mood are they in when they see that person?

But in the end, Jessica was an adult.

She just took a deep breath, suppressed those sudden fluctuations, and was calm to the point of being cruel.

Then she said a sentence that was almost a verdict lightly. "Zheng Xiujing, I will not live my life for others."

Then she raised her eyes to stare at Krystal, her voice steady, yet carrying unquestionable firmness, saying word by word. "If my character were really like that, I wouldn't have withdrawn from the group in the first place."

There was no guilt in her words, nor regret, more of a clear recognition of her own choices.

She knew very well the essence in her bones, and also admitted her own nature: selfish.

She could make concessions for her family, even step back a long way.

But other than that, she would not easily sacrifice herself for anyone.

"Don't think of me as too noble, Zheng Xiujing."

She shook her head gently, her tone carrying a bit of frankness. "Everyone is actually selfish. It's just that your selfishness happens to be able to get a coordination, a profit point, on Lin Xiuyuan's side. And me, you haven't found it yet. If you can give me a suitable reason, I will throw myself into his arms right now, without a hint of hesitation."

Krystal, hearing these straightforward words, felt her heart sink.

Behind these words hid a key reality: Jessica's isolation and danger could not be resolved by simple emotions.

She was too independent, too defensive, and too easily used.

And precisely because of this, everyone was especially worried about her.

It was also the reason why Lin Xiuyuan didn't involve her in the first place.

And even though she wanted to very much, in the end, she could only come up with such a near-demonic plan to push Jessica into this quagmire.

No way.

Who told Jessica to be trapped too deeply in the previous quagmire, with no way to retreat.

After she finished those thorny words, she raised her brows slightly again and added a sentence. "But you're right, with your existence, it's impossible for me to report anything. So let me go, I guarantee I absolutely won't disturb you guys, just pretend I never came today, how about that?"

Krystal, hearing this, felt her expression tighten, her voice deepening. "Jessica, do you think everyone will believe this? This isn't just a matter of a few words, it's the lives of a large group of people."

Jessica snorted coldly and turned her face away. "I might report others, but I can't report my own sister."

"Stop talking, it's impossible, think about it carefully again, I'm going out first."

Krystal, sighing deeply, helplessly raised her hand to support her forehead, preparing to turn and leave the bedroom.

But just as she was preparing to leave, a shout suddenly came from behind.

"Ya, Zheng Xiujing, don't go!" Jessica, in a hurry, raised her voice fiercely. "I want to go to the bathroom."

Hearing this, Krystal immediately raised her brows and asked back with a smile that wasn't a smile. "How about you agree first?"

There was somewhat of an idea of taking advantage of the situation.

"Get lost, I want to go to the bathroom!" Jessica was unceremonious.

"Oh, then I'll call Xiuyuan over to help you." Krystal pretended to be nonchalant.

"If you dare call him, I'll bite my tongue and kill myself! I'm telling you, I'll go myself." Jessica's eyes were sharp, her words emphasized extra heavily.

Krystal, however, was unmoved and shook her head lightly. "But I don't dare to untie you."

Jessica gritted her teeth. "You're all here, where can I escape to? I'm just a weak woman."

"Then I'll still go find Xiuyuan." Krystal's tone was light, as if deliberately angering her.

"Ya, Zheng Xiujing!" Jessica almost laughed in anger.

Just when the JK sisters were making a scene in the bedroom.

In the small hall outside the bedroom, the atmosphere was also not relaxed.

The light in the small hall was soft, a few unfinished drinks were placed on the bar, and the warm light halos cast by a few small pendant lamps reflected on everyone's faces, the air carrying a faint wine fragrance and a bit of oppressive contemplative atmosphere.

Lin YoonA held a glass in her hand, took a light sip of wine, her brows tightly furrowed, and muttered in a low voice.

"If you ask me, persuading unnie like this simply won't work. I've known her for so many years, I know very well how stubborn unnie's character is, it's not inferior to anyone. If you really want her to admit defeat, either let her suffer alone slowly and wait for her to figure it out herself, or you must give a good enough reason."

Speaking of this, her eyes turned slightly toward Jessica, asking with a bit of probing meaning: "Unnie, have you thought about this aspect, what method can be used to persuade your future self?"

Jessica rubbed the wall of the wine glass lightly with her fingertips, but her eyes had no focus.

And after being silent for a while, she finally spoke slowly. "Thought about it... actually thought about it many times. But... as myself, I simply can't think of a reason that can convince my future self."

After finishing, she paused again, the corners of her lips pulling out a self-deprecating smile. "The past self can still rely on future information to move, to kidnap. But the future self, what can she be persuaded by?"

Jessica's voice was light and carried powerlessness.

Because she really couldn't think of it.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have let Lin Xiuyuan ask Jessica if she regretted it before.

If the answer there was regret, then perhaps there could be a glimmer of turning point.

But it just so happened that the other party's stubbornness made even Jessica herself feel unbearable.

As soon as the words fell, the surroundings fell into a short silence.

Only the crisp sound of ice cubes hitting the cup wall in the bar could be heard, as if sighing for everyone.

Just at this time, Zheng Xiujing finally couldn't help it, pursed her lips, stared straight at the few people, and spoke to break the silence. "Then what exactly is Krystal thinking? Sulli, didn't you say she has her own way?"

As soon as this was said, the atmosphere suddenly froze.

The few people who knew the truth looked at each other, their eyes flickering, as if no one wanted to speak first.

That plan was too crazy, too hard to speak of.

Once it was really spoken, it was feared that Zheng Xiujing would explode immediately, and even the air would be ignited.

Precisely because of this, whether it was Jessica or Sulli before, they only secretly pushed the topic back, letting her ask Krystal.

At this moment, seeing no one respond to her questioning, Zheng Xiujing's brows furrowed even tighter, her lips pursed slightly straight, and obvious impatience appeared on her face.

So she exhaled a stuffy breath, sighed heavily, and looked away, clearly provoked by this deliberate concealment to the point of anger.

She remembered asking Krystal over at the villa before, but the other party just looked at her with some amusement and said a sentence "You'd better not know," her tone revealing a certain certainty.

And indicated that after she knew the truth, she would inevitably feel guilty.

This answer made Zheng Xiujing feel both anxious and annoyed in her heart.

"Forget it..." she muttered stuffily.

Sulli had been watching her, and seeing her appearance at this moment, finally couldn't help it.

She leaned slightly to the side and approached Zheng Xiujing's side, sticking to her ear and speaking in a low voice.

That voice was pressed extremely low, almost drowned out by the wine fragrance and breathing sound in the small hall.

When speaking to the key point, Sulli even deliberately slowed down her speaking speed, as if afraid that any sentence spoken too quickly would make Zheng Xiujing unable to bear it all at once.

However...

Even if it was just hearing the beginning, Zheng Xiujing froze as if she had been acupunctured, her shoulders tensed tightly.

By the time Sulli finally finished telling the "first stage" plan, she stood frozen on the spot for a long while, before suddenly widening her eyes, breathing rapidly, and even carrying a trace of trembling in her words. "What is this, is she crazy? Is she crazy!"

Her reaction was too intense, causing the few people around to subconsciously look at her.

But soon everyone withdrew their gazes and turned back to the discussion at hand.

Compared to Zheng Xiujing's fear and anger, their expressions appeared too calm, as if this "crazy plan" was just another feasible option in their eyes.

It was mainly because Krystal herself was a "hostage" in this game.

With everyone's understanding of Jessica, everyone knew very well that she would never really let Krystal fall into danger.

So even if they couldn't persuade Jessica, it was just that the "hook" to catch the other party wasn't stable enough, and it wouldn't evolve into an unmanageable situation.

On the contrary, Krystal's plan...

Everyone knew in their hearts that once it was really implemented, it was uncertain whether it would directly snap that "fishing line," and at that time, either it would succeed, or even if they wanted to pull it back, they couldn't, it was too extreme.

Just at this time, light footsteps suddenly came from the corridor.

Krystal's figure appeared in everyone's sight.

She poked out half her body and waved at Lin Xiuyuan, her expression as natural as if nothing had happened. "Xiuyuan, come over for a second."

As the words fell, everyone's gaze was immediately attracted to her, falling on her in unison.

Jessica couldn't help but speak, her brows carrying a bit of suspicion. "What's wrong, what are you doing?"

Krystal turned her head, smiled at them, her tone very relaxed. "Nothing, just asking Xiuyuan for a small favor, you don't need to worry."

After saying that, she didn't give everyone a chance to pursue the question, and directly took Lin Xiuyuan away, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Leaving the people in the small hall looking at each other, their curiosity hanging in mid-air, itching, but unfortunately no one dared to chase after them.

The air in the bedroom was clearly more stuffy than outside.

The air in the bedroom was stuffier than outside, the floor-to-ceiling window was slightly covered, and the night color leaked in through the thin gauze, wrapping the room in a layer of hazy gray-blue.

Jessica on the bed was bound neatly by rope knots, her hands fixed behind her, her body slightly leaning against the head of the bed.

The mask that originally covered the lower half of her face had been removed, but the cold and suppressed look at the corners of her eyes was still as sharp as a blade.

After Krystal brought Lin Xiuyuan in, she first exchanged a look with him, then turned to look at Jessica on the bed and said softly, "Xiuyuan, can you untie her? In this house, she can't run."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at Jessica and found her cheeks were flushed, her breathing a bit rapid.

Thinking of Sulli mentioning she had fed her water, his heart moved, the corners of his mouth hooked, and he smiled happily. "Ah, I get it, is it urgent to pee?"

As soon as these words came out, Jessica's cheeks became even redder, her whole face burning as if roasted by fire, her eyes instantly piercing him like knives, wishing she could nail him to the wall.

Krystal, on the other hand, "pfft" stifled a laugh, raised her hand to pat Lin Xiuyuan on the shoulder lightly, pretending to blame him. "You, why are you being so straightforward."

A subtle awkwardness and tension immediately filled the room.

And Jessica gritted her teeth, her gaze cold and sharp, as if tightening the last bit of dignity.

However, Lin Xiuyuan didn't move to untie the rope, but instead turned his head to look at Krystal, changing the subject. "Xiujing, don't you still have that plan? Why, not planning to implement it now? I still want to try if I can get pregnant."

"What?" Those three words rushed out from Jessica's lips like an explosion, her pupils dilated suddenly, and she was shocked into a freeze.

Infertility?!

This thought exploded in her mind suddenly.

Krystal also saw the reaction of that figure on the bed, and seeing this, she hurriedly explained.

"Jessica, don't think too much, maybe it's because of the Time Gate. After Xiuyuan came over with a special constitution, it caused the activity of the sperm to fail with high probability, so it became like this. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, instead, it saved us a lot of buying umbrellas, saving money and worry."

This explanation made Lin Xiuyuan find it a bit funny, and also made Jessica roll her eyes.

And Lin Xiuyuan, after listening to Krystal's words, then let his gaze fall on Jessica, thoughtful. "I'm serious, Xiujing, since it's rare to have an experimental subject, really not try it?"

"Ya, Lin Xiuyuan, are you crazy!" Jessica couldn't help but curse, her chest rising and falling sharply because of anger.

But Lin Xiuyuan was unusually calm, his tone calm to the point of being almost cold. "Look, don't look, Jessica. I warned you, told you not to come in. It was you who insisted on breaking in, wanting to check what, see what. Look, now it's fine, who can you blame for falling into this state? Is it your own problem?"

These words were like a torch igniting shame and annoyance together, making Jessica's face swell even more, so she simply turned her head away, unwilling to look directly at this bastard.

But Lin Xiuyuan was still full of interest, starting to talk about those "experiments" and "plans" in his mind.

Clear logic, serious, directly making Krystal beside him dumbfounded; she didn't expect Lin Xiuyuan to think so much and so meticulously.

And Jessica was even worse.

She was already stifled and uncomfortable, and at this moment, she was stimulated by these words to the point that her blood was surging, her breathing was rapid, her legs couldn't help but rub against the sheets, gritting her teeth, cold sweat oozing from her forehead.

"I want to go to the bathroom!" Her voice carried a tremor, glaring fiercely at Lin Xiuyuan. "If you drag it out any longer, if you really make me unable to get off the stage, Lin Xiuyuan, I will never forgive you in this life, and then I will definitely expose you guys!"

Lin Xiuyuan raised his brows, smiling indifferently. "Then die together with Krystal."

"This stinky girl..." Jessica roared in anger. "She doesn't even treat me as an older sister anymore, why should I care about her!"

"Then you die together too." Lin Xiuyuan spread his hands, shrugged, his posture extremely frivolous.

The tension in the air was almost about to explode, Jessica's chest rose and fell violently, compared to the shame of wetting the bed, she would rather fight for her life.

"Die together then die together!"

She gritted her teeth, staring dead at Lin Xiuyuan.

Krystal couldn't watch anymore, raised her foot to kick Lin Xiuyuan's calf, humming. "Stop messing around."

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan didn't delay anymore, walked to the bedside, and leaned over.

The action of untying the rope was deliberately slowed by a few seconds, and when his fingers rubbed over Jessica's wrist, her body clearly shook, and her eyes almost spat fire.

The two were so close they could hear each other's breathing, Jessica's cheeks were fiery red, and her whole person was stiff to the extreme.

Finally, the rope loosened, Jessica broke free fiercely, almost stumbling as she rushed into the bathroom, the sound of the door closing heavily.

The bedroom was suddenly left with only Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal, the two looked at each other, the air quieted for a beat.

Pfft~

Krystal couldn't help but laugh out loud, raised her hand to push Lin Xiuyuan lightly. "If you have the ability, don't just talk, why didn't you just do her directly before, then there wouldn't be anything for me now."

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, his expression nonchalant, the corners of his mouth carrying a faint smile. "I wanted to, but who knew you and Zhenli were both there? If no one was watching, I might have really done it."

The two's voices were not lowered at all, clearly passing through that thin bathroom glass door and into the inside.

Jessica sat on the toilet, her fingers gripping her thighs tightly, her whole person trembling slightly.

She herself couldn't tell if it was from anger or from being stifled.

Her whole face was burning as if it were about to smoke, shame, frustration, and anger stirred into a ball, almost about to explode in her chest.

She knew they were doing it on purpose.

She gritted her teeth, as if a roar was about to explode in her chest.

She would never forget this situation in her life.

When there was a chance, she would definitely let those two guys know well what it meant to be wrong.

After a while, Jessica walked out of the bathroom slowly, standing at the door, her gaze locking onto the two in the bedroom like a nail.

And after Lin Xiuyuan untied Jessica, he didn't have the thought of tying her back up again.

A few hours of confrontation were enough for Jessica to understand the general idea in her heart, although she was still tough on the mouth, at least she wouldn't go screaming and making a scene again.

The rest was nothing more than keeping a close eye on her not to leave this apartment.

So Lin Xiuyuan, seeing Jessica come out, also reached out to signal outside the door. "Let's go, let's go out."

"Don't need to tie me up anymore?"

"If you like it like this, I don't mind doing it again."

Jessica furrowed her brows, the fire in her heart not yet extinguished, but she still followed him out of the bedroom.

In the small hall, everyone was chatting in low voices, and suddenly seeing Lin Xiuyuan bring Jessica out, they were all stunned.

Park Jiyeon was the first to stand up, her eyes wide round, her voice raised by half a degree. "Ah? Oppa, you succeeded?!"

The others also stood up one after another, as if seeing some turning point in an instant.

But Lin Xiuyuan just curled his lips and spoke first. "Didn't get it done, just a bit quieter. So you guys keep an eye on her, don't let her run."

Jessica, hearing this, glared at him coldly, the anger in the bottom of her eyes almost burning out.

But soon, her gaze shifted to the opposite side, looking at her past self.

Zheng Xiujing.

The two's gazes met in the air, like looking in a mirror, yet completely different.

One was the future carrying sharpness and wind and frost, the other was the youth not yet bent by time, and the two who met were stunned for a moment at this time.

Zheng Xiujing's heart felt a strange sway, like seeing some answer she was desperately trying to escape; while Jessica pursed her lips slightly, a trace of panic she didn't want to admit deep in her eyes.

Lin Xiuyuan ignored this silent meeting and clapped his hands to interrupt the atmosphere. "It's getting late, let's eat, but is it ordering or cooking ourselves?"

"I can cook." Sulli was the first to raise her hand.

But Zheng Xiujing, after listening, immediately suggested. "Ah, Xueqiu, let's order takeout, we still have to go to the set for filming later, did you forget, if we keep messing around, there won't be enough time."

"Me too, I have rehearsal at night." Park Jiyeon echoed.

A few people exchanged glances, and finally decided unanimously: takeout.

It was just that the takeout system in 2013 was far from that convenient, so Lin Xiuyuan could only return to the 25-year-old villa, order food directly there, and then go over to pick it up himself, so it would be much faster in terms of time.

During the time Lin Xiuyuan left, the remaining people naturally cast their gazes toward Jessica.

"Unnie~" Lin Xiaolu spoke cautiously, her voice carrying a bit of probing.

"What, can't recognize me?" Jessica raised her brows, a trace of amusement in her eyes.

"No, just didn't expect to really see you in this situation, actually I have a lot to talk to you about." Lin Xiaolu shook her head gently, her tone carrying cautious expectation.

"Yeah, we didn't expect you to suddenly appear here."

Kim Taeyeon also smiled, trying to make the atmosphere softer, her tone relaxed as if trying to smooth out the tension in the air.

Jessica looked around, silently engraving everyone's faces into her heart, and after nodding slightly, opened her mouth. "Lin Xiuyuan, that guy, really did a lot of good things."

"Being able to meet oppa is indeed very good for us." Park Jiyeon said seriously, her eyes carrying sincere gratitude.

At this time, everyone didn't try to persuade Jessica of anything, but talked lightly about the benefits of being a "member," as if sharing casually.

Jessica listened from the side, her expression calm for a moment, and finally spoke. "Don't worry, I won't report anything, you don't need to worry. I'm just very shocked that such a thing exists, and also that I'm angry to death at that Lin Xiuyuan, for the things he did to me."

As she said this, she snorted coldly, her peripheral vision sweeping toward Krystal, just wanting to glare at her, but she coincidentally met Zheng Xiujing's face.

Both were stunned.

Jessica was startled suddenly, subconsciously shouting, "And you, Zheng Xiujing..."

Zheng Xiujing, who was named, was so scared that her hands waved wildly, hurriedly explaining. "Ah, unnie, it's not me, I'm Zheng Xiujing, you're talking about Krystal, right."

This scene made Krystal and Lin Xiaolu beside her bend over laughing, patting the sofa and laughing.

"Hahahaha!"

"My god, this expression is so similar!"

The atmosphere was suddenly diluted by laughter, and even the others who were originally tense couldn't help but laugh.

Jessica's complexion turned blue and red, and finally could only glare fiercely at Krystal, counting all the anger on this sister, but soon followed and laughed out loud.

Afterward, she looked at Zheng Xiujing, her tone carrying a bit of teasing. "But you are exactly the same as her at the beginning of this year, chubby, quite cute."

Zheng Xiujing, who found herself being said so by Jessica, didn't have time to blush, and her gaze fell on Krystal beside her. "So that crystal ball state that Lin Xiuyuan guy mentioned before, was talking about you."

"???" Krystal.

Everyone was another burst of uproarious laughter.

Not long after, Lin Xiuyuan returned with takeout. The fragrant food was soon placed on the coffee table, and everyone sat around the sofa, chatting while dividing the food.

That scene was a bit strange—the past and the future intertwined together, like a family dinner spanning time and space.

Although Jessica didn't say much, she still picked up some dishes and ate silently.

Occasionally hearing a few familiar laughs, her eyes would also move lightly, but soon returned to indifference.

After the meal, everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks one after another, stretched, and it was about time.

"I have to go, the set is waiting." Zheng Xiujing carried her bag and stood up hurriedly.

"I should go practice dancing too." Park Jiyeon followed. Dalongzai also nodded. "I have to go back to rehearse, the concert performance still needs to practice positioning."

"I have activities tomorrow." Lin YoonA also stood up, tidied her clothes and hair, and revealed a slightly hurried smile.

Lin Xiaolu and Kim Taeyeon looked at each other and also stood up one after another, indicating they were going back to the dormitory.

The atmosphere was much more relaxed, everyone carrying their own tasks and thoughts, slowly preparing to leave.

Seeing this situation, Lin Xiuyuan also stood up and clapped his hands. "Let's go, I'll send you back."

Hearing this, Kim Taeyeon shook her head and said, "I drove here, I'll go back with YoonA, you send the others."

And so, Jessica, who learned that Lin Xiuyuan intended to use the Time Gate to send people, also stood up, her voice carrying a bit of curiosity and imperceptible probing. "I want to see the situation, no problem, right."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled lightly and nodded in response. "Watch, what problem could there be."

Afterward, he first sent Lin Xiaolu, Kim Taeyeon, Zheng Xiujing, and Sulli out of the apartment, then brought Dalongzai, Lin YoonA, as well as Jessica, Zheng Xiujing, and Krystal and others to that old brass Time Gate.

As Lin Xiuyuan held the door lock and turned it gently, the door slowly opened, and the scene before her eyes instantly made Jessica, who was standing behind him, have her pupils shrink suddenly.

Although she had heard Lin Xiuyuan and the others explain the magic of this Time Gate before, when she saw the scene before her eyes with her own eyes, she still couldn't suppress the shock in her heart.

Her worldview seemed to collapse in an instant, and the surprise surging in her mind made her breathing slightly rapid.

And when Lin Xiuyuan used the Time Gate to send Lin YoonA and Dalongzai back to their respective apartments, he also brought them to the villa, and then sent Park Jiyeon back to her bedroom through here.

Only then did he bring Jessica, Zheng Xiujing, and Krystal back to his apartment.

The moment the door closed, Lin Xiuyuan walked straight to the sofa and sat down, picking up the remote control to find a program, seemingly casual, yet appearing exceptionally calm.

It was just that in front of the bedroom door over there, Jessica was still standing there staring dead at that bedroom door, somewhat unbelievably reaching out to open it, looking at the utility room inside and unable to calm her emotions for a long time.

"Is it that everyone has to try opening this door the first time?"

She muttered to herself, her voice carrying a bit of disbelief.

"That is indeed the case, I was the same at the beginning." Krystal smiled and nodded.

On the contrary, Zheng Xiujing was a bit different. "I don't seem to have, right, Xiuyuan~"

On the sofa, Lin Xiuyuan, who was asked, found this scene a bit funny. "You watched it too, just that it was over at the villa. Everyone is like this, can't there be a second action."

Zheng Xiujing turned back to roll her eyes at him, her tone carrying helplessness. "Nonsense, who wouldn't be shocked by this."

Lin Xiuyuan shrugged, then suddenly thought of something, turned his head to look at the dining table. "Terrible, those people ran away one by one after eating, and haven't cleaned up the dining table yet."

After saying that, he turned his head to look at Jessica again, his tone carrying a bit of probing. "That newcomer, shouldn't you do something the first time you come over."

Jessica, who had been staring at the utility room in a daze for a while, was finally pulled back to reality by Lin Xiuyuan's words.

She turned her head slowly, her gaze falling on him, pursing her lips slightly, a trace of provocation and amusement in the bottom of her eyes.

Then she reached out to point at herself, her voice cold yet carrying a bit of teasing. "Are you referring to me, who was brought over tied up, as the newcomer in your mouth, Lin Xiuyuan."

"Once you've entered the door, you are." Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her sideways and smiled.

Jessica curled her lips and hummed in a low voice. "Get lost."

However, she still walked over to help in the end.

After all, Krystal and Zheng Xiujing had already gone over, if she stood on the spot watching alone, or sat on the sofa accompanying Lin Xiuyuan, then it was better to go clean up the dining table.

In the process of cleaning up, Jessica suddenly raised her head, raised her brows slightly, and stared at Zheng Xiujing before her to ask. "When did you know about this situation?"

"Xiuyuan?" Zheng Xiujing answered lightly, her tone carrying a trace of calm smile.

Seeing Jessica nod, Zheng Xiujing didn't answer directly, but asked back. "Do you think I believe you wouldn't be able to guess?"

A trace of cunning flashed in her eyes.

Both were the same person, Zheng Xiujing didn't believe her IQ would be that idiotic.

Sure enough, when Zheng Xiujing finished this sentence, Jessica pursed her lips and complained speechlessly.

"Sure enough, I said this guy was mysterious, there must be a ghost. What ten-year-old IOU, and photos, how could I have no impression of such things, so it turns out you helped him."

Zheng Xiujing, while packing a bag of trash, answered unhurriedly. "First declaration, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't ignore him, your problem can't blame me."

Jessica couldn't help but laugh, letting out a soft scoff. "Using a script to try and trap me, and failing at that—are you sure this is my problem, and not just a lack of ability on your part?"

At this moment, Krystal, who was wiping the dining table, had already quietly packed the tablecloth, slipped back to Lin Xiuyuan's side, and sat on the sofa.

Sitting on the sofa with him, watching the scene of the two people in the restaurant.

Then they looked at each other and saw the excitement and the light of eating melons in each other's eyes.

And over at the dining table.

"So according to the situation, if it wasn't for your reason, we wouldn't be standing face-to-face now, right."

Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly, the corners of her mouth carrying a cold smile, her voice carrying probing, and also carrying a bit of provocation.

Her gaze swept lightly over Zheng Xiujing, as if capturing every subtle reaction of hers.

Hearing this, Zheng Xiujing raised her chin, a trace of calm counterattack flashing in the bottom of her eyes. "The order of your words is wrong, first it was you who had an accident over there, and then there was the problem of me going over to pit you. If you had no problems, why would I pit myself."

Her tone was light, yet carried a kind of unquestionable confidence, the corners of her mouth rising slightly.

However, Jessica, after listening, raised her brows and snorted coldly. "Where did I have a problem? Withdrawing from the group? Dating?"

"These are no problems, your problem is being too impatient, can't slow down at all." Zheng Xiujing, on the contrary, was not impatient, answering slowly.

But it was this sentence that made Jessica immediately put down the towel in her hand, her eyes staring at Zheng Xiujing.

"Don't say any cold words here, ask yourself, since last year, after the group got that result, are you floating, the kind of person who is held up by that popularity, that result, and can't close your mouth from smiling. In this situation, I don't believe you can treat everything rationally."

After finishing this sentence, Jessica suddenly looked at Lin Xiuyuan and sneered again. "Oh right, this space-time has Lin Xiuyuan taking you to see my trial-and-error path, so you should be calm, right."

Zheng Xiujing was stunned for a moment by these words, her gaze tightened slightly, and the movement in her hands also paused slightly.

At the same time, a trace of silence flashed in her eyes.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 254 =====