Chapter 277: How did you know I gave Xiuyuan a ring?

After Zheng Xiujing hung up the phone, Zheng Xiuyan stared at the cup of instant noodles in front of her, which still had a small half-bowl of broth left. She had originally wanted to drink a few more sips, but the information conveyed in that call left her heart feeling stifled, and her appetite was completely gone.

Fortunately, at least the noodles were already finished.

Sitting on the carpet with her back against the sofa, she remained dazed for quite a while.

At this moment, the living room was lit by only a single warm yellow floor lamp, casting faint shadows across her slightly cold profile.

After a long while, Zheng Xiuyan reached out to grab her phone and subconsciously opened Lin Xiuyuan's Kakao account. Her fingertip hovered over the input box for a moment, but she suddenly remembered that the phone this account was logged into was a Huaxia number.

It was also kept public so that when he wasn't in the 2013 timeline, he wouldn't miss important messages, and so that Xueli, who lived with him, could see other information on this account and occasionally report back to his family.

Thinking of this, Zheng Xiuyan frowned slightly, exited the chat interface, and scrolled through the screen, quickly finding another contact account.

That was one of Lin Xiuyuan's secondary accounts, a local Seoul number that Zheng Xiuyan had specifically set up for him back then; it was considered the original "secret channel" between the two of them.

Most importantly, Xueli wouldn't check the phone for this secondary account.

Although this account had initially belonged solely to the two of them, somehow Lin Yun'er and Park Jiyeon found out about it later, and so, gradually, the existence of this secondary account was no longer a secret within their core inner circle.

Whenever anyone had a secret they wanted to chat with Lin Xiuyuan about, they would basically send it to this account.

But as of now, it seemed only Zheng Xiujing, who had only recently learned the situation, was still being kept in the dark.

After opening the chat window for the secondary account, Zheng Xiuyan used her slender fingers to quickly type a line of text on the screen. However, the moment she was about to press the send button, she hesitated, her thumb hovering in mid-air.

Her gaze rested quietly on the account's profile picture.

It was a photo she had taken of Lin Xiuyuan; in the photo, he was sitting behind the bar of the bistro.

His elbows were propped on the counter, his chin resting in his palm, his expression carrying a hint of laziness and nonchalance, yet it was exceptionally clear.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Xiuyan, looking at this photo, deleted the emotional text she had just typed and re-entered it.

She replaced it with a concise yet unquestionable few words: 【Call me when you get back】

Click, send.

After doing all this, Zheng Xiuyan tossed the phone aside casually, leaned back, and rested the back of her head on the soft sofa cushion, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The words Zheng Xiujing had just said echoed uncontrollably in her mind.

About Lin Yun'er, about Xian Enjing, about her own sister, and about Jessica...

She then pursed her beautifully lined lips, a trace of frustration appearing in her eyes, but deeper within, there was a stubbornness that refused to easily admit defeat.

Because what she wanted was never that simple, even though Zheng Xiuyan knew better than anyone that wanting Lin Xiuyuan to revolve solely around her was almost impossible.

Unless...

Unless she had been able to stop him in time when Lin Xiuyuan was joking about that so-called "Church" and started establishing those "Church Rules," limiting his world to only her, Krystal, and a very small number of other people.

In that case, perhaps she still had some chance of monopolizing him.

But at the time, what status, what confidence, and what courage did she have to make such demands of Lin Xiuyuan?

Therefore, looking at the current situation where "heroes rise together," if Zheng Xiuyan dared to reveal even a hint of wanting to claim Lin Xiuyuan for herself, she reckoned she wouldn't even need Lin Yun'er to make a move; that little dragon cub Park Jiyeon would definitely be the first to jump out and "fight to the death" with her.

Hmm!? Fighting to the death might be an exaggeration.

But a PK match or several, or perhaps even a PK the moment they met, might not be difficult at all.

Thinking of these tangled and messy relationships, Zheng Xiuyan rubbed her temples, feeling a massive headache.

She then stood up, tidied up the empty noodle cup, threw it into the trash can, and decided not to think about it anymore, choosing to go back to the bedroom to sleep first.

Over the past few days, dealing with the company and the preliminary contacts with CJ had consumed a great deal of her mental energy. The moment she returned to the apartment, the exhaustion had already surged like a tide, and now it was about to drown her.

However, just as she had laid down and was preparing to turn off the lights to sleep, the phone on the bedside table rang again.

Thinking it was Zheng Xiujing returning to provoke her, Zheng Xiuyan picked up the phone with some impatience.

But when her gaze touched the name flashing on the screen, before the curve of her lips could be deliberately suppressed, the spark that instantly lit up deep in her eyes had already most truthfully betrayed the joy in her heart.

"Hello."

She answered the phone, keeping her voice as calm as possible, even carrying a hint of the laziness of someone just about to fall asleep.

Immediately after, Lin Xiuyuan's familiar voice came from the other end, "What's wrong? I just got back and saw your message."

Zheng Xiuyan didn't answer his question directly, but instead took the initiative to ask, and extended an invitation, "Nothing, just wanted to chat with you for a bit. It's hard to talk over the phone, why don't you come over here? There's no one home right now."

Lin Xiuyuan on the other end seemed to pause, and at the same time, a very faint, light laugh belonging to another woman could be heard in the background.

Inside the bistro apartment, the young man holding the phone looked back, meeting Jessica's playful gaze exactly.

Then, she smiled slightly at him, shrugged nonchalantly, and used her mouth to gesture for him to decide for himself.

At the same time, Zheng Xiuyan also keenly captured the brief silence on the other end, as well as that almost imperceptible strange sound.

Perhaps even she didn't realize that in that instant, she rolled her eyes slightly at the air, accompanied by a mixture of annoyance and an "as expected" emotion sweeping through her heart.

She then spoke again, her tone showing no ripples, yet carrying a strange sense of generosity, "Heh, that stupid woman is by your side too, right? Fine, then bring her along with you."

Everyone knows the sound quality of an Apple phone, so Jessica heard that "stupid woman" very clearly; her brows immediately furrowed, and a burst of anger surged up.

If it weren't for knowing that the secret had to be strictly guarded, she would have really wanted to grab the phone immediately and have a good "debate" with Zheng Xiuyan about who was actually stupider.

Lin Xiuyuan, caught in the middle, clearly felt the silent sparks on both sides.

He rubbed his nose, feeling somewhat helpless, but still agreed, "Alright then, I'll come over now. Do you want to eat anything? I bought some late-night snacks on my way back, like skewers and such."

Hearing the word "skewers," Zheng Xiuyan immediately judged that those two must have gone out to eat and drink that evening.

Then, thinking of herself having to face a cup of instant noodles all alone...

The next second, she smiled, and the thought of just wanting Lin Xiuyuan to come over for a while to chat instantly turned into a determination not to let that woman enjoy the spoils alone.

She replied in an unusually gentle, even slightly sweet tone, "I do~ I'm starving, bring everything you bought over."

Although she had already eaten her fill, in order not to give Jessica a chance to enjoy late-night snacks and deepen her relationship with Lin Xiuyuan, Zheng Xiuyan didn't mind eating a little more.

It's just dieting, she was willing.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Xiuyuan didn't delay, turning around and taking Jessica with him as they skillfully traversed several portals connecting different space-times.

When he pushed open that familiar door again, he was already in the living room of Zheng Xiuyan's 2013 Seoul apartment, carrying the late-night barbecue snacks that emitted an enticing aroma brought back from the streets of Shanghai, along with a few cans of iced drinks.

At the same time, in those few short minutes, Zheng Xiuyan in the apartment bedroom had also completed a quick image change.

She quickly took off the conservative long-sleeved pajamas she was wearing, dug out a silk black camisole with thin straps from the closet, and paired it with tight-fitting loungewear shorts on the bottom.

Originally, she had wanted to change into a more impactful sexy nightgown, but the thought circled in her mind, and she ultimately abandoned this slightly deliberate choice.

Instead, she changed into this outfit that could more naturally showcase her youthful vitality and good figure.

The silk camisole softly clung to the exquisite curves of her upper body, revealing a large expanse of fair, smooth skin and delicate collarbones.

The tight shorts outlined the straight and slender lines of her legs, and under the living room lights, that fair, tender skin seemed to glow softly.

However, when she finished all this and adjusted her expression to walk out of the bedroom, she saw that familiar and glaring figure beside Lin Xiuyuan at a glance.

And upon seeing the other person's state, Zheng Xiuyan felt as if her back molars were about to be crushed by her own bite.

Although she had guessed it roughly, seeing the other person's appearance with her own eyes still left her feeling stifled.

An indescribable sourness and anger surged into her heart, but at the same time, a subconscious sense of relief also emerged.

Good thing I didn't change into that nightgown.

Otherwise, compared to the radiant Jessica in front of her, whose skin condition and body curves were in such a plump and full state.

Even if she had worn the sexy nightgown, given the current hardware comparison, it seemed she wouldn't have gained much advantage.

Thinking of this, Zheng Xiuyan's gaze, as if carrying tangible resentment, shot straight at Lin Xiuyuan standing in the middle.

In those beautiful eyes, complex emotions were surging.

The gloom of being "betrayed," the grievances that were hard to resolve, and a touch of petulant anger saying "you owe me an explanation"—at this moment, all of it transformed into a silent signal, precisely aimed at the culprit before her eyes.

So when Lin Xiuyuan received that gaze comparable to an X-ray, even though he had been mentally prepared, he couldn't help but feel his scalp go numb.

He could only bite the bullet, pull out a smile that was as natural as possible, and lift the bag in his hand, trying to divert attention, "Xiuyan~ you're still not asleep this late? Come over and eat something, it's still hot. Try it and see how the authentic barbecue from our side tastes?"

Jessica, standing to the side, also smiled at this time, casting her gaze toward this younger version of herself who was clearly hostile.

And when her line of sight swept over Zheng Xiuyan's deliberately changed camisole and shorts, the corners of her mouth immediately hooked into a knowing and slightly teasing arc.

Heh, little woman, still want to play this game with me?

As the same "self," as the self who had walked from 2013 to 2025, Jessica knew all too well the meaning behind Zheng Xiuyan's little thoughts and little actions at this moment.

This feeling of seeing through everything made her feel an inexplicable sense of superiority and amusement.

Just like the Zheng Xiuyan of the past looking at those members in 2013.

Especially when she recalled the time she was "imprisoned" by Lin Xiuyuan, and Zheng Xiuyan had stood by the bed with that look of scrutiny and... hmm, an indescribable gaze.

Jessica felt it was time to slightly "repay" the other person; that would be fair, right?

So, taking advantage of Lin Xiuyuan sitting over at the coffee table and lowering his head to arrange the late-night snacks, in a corner where he didn't notice, she tilted her head slightly toward Zheng Xiuyan, delivering a clear, unmistakable, and provocative look.

And after that provocative look, Jessica felt it still wasn't enough.

So she raised her right hand, extended her slender, long index finger, and very slowly and elegantly slid the tip along her own smooth, full, and beautifully lined jawline.

If Zheng Xiuyan wasn't stupid, she should be able to tell what this meant.

After all, her current state of rejuvenation was visible to anyone who wasn't blind.

!!!

Sure enough, when Zheng Xiuyan clearly received this provocation, she instantly clenched the fists hanging at her sides, biting her lower lip so hard that her lips turned somewhat white.

Ahhh!!!

It infuriated her!!!

At this moment, Zheng Xiuyan suddenly understood deeply why Park Jiyeon and the Little Dragon Cub had engaged in a full-blown brawl without a word the first time they officially met.

Being angry at oneself is the person who understands the most.

That feeling was simply like digging a hole in her heart; it was both stifling and painful.

On the other side, when Lin Xiuyuan had deftly arranged the skewers and drinks on the coffee table.

He turned his head and found that the two "Xiuyans" were still standing where they were, their eyes clashing in the air with crackling intensity, not moving an inch.

Seeing this situation, Lin Xiuyuan swallowed hard, and cautiously probed, "Xiuyan? Come over and eat something."

Hearing his voice, Zheng Xiuyan finally took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging waves in her heart, turned her head, and gave Lin Xiuyuan a look that tried its best to maintain calmness.

Then she nodded slightly and walked toward the sofa.

Jessica, on the other hand, didn't need Lin Xiuyuan's invitation at all; as if she had returned to her own home, she naturally, and even with a hint of joy, greeted Lin Xiuyuan, asking in a sweet voice, "Xiuyuan~ I want to eat that skewer of grilled chicken wings you just ordered, and that portion of rice cakes~"

Zheng Xiuyan, who had just walked to the side of the sofa and was about to sit down, stopped abruptly, turned her head, and shot a cold gaze like a scalpel at Jessica.

Jessica, however, seemed completely unaware, still smiling at her.

And even, took the initiative to attack!

As if she had suddenly remembered something extremely interesting, she said to Zheng Xiuyan in an "innocent" tone, "Ah, what did you say? Oh, how did you know I gave Xiuyuan a ring as a gift?"

"A gift?? A ring???"

As soon as these words were out, Lin Xiuyuan, who was bending over to pick up the chicken wings, froze instantly, his heart skipped a beat, and he closed his eyes in despair.

It's! Over!

And Zheng Xiuyan, standing by the sofa, was as if struck by a thunderbolt; she whipped her head back, her gaze nailed firmly onto Lin Xiuyuan.

Her eyes stared fixedly at a certain accessory on that guy's finger reflecting the light, her pupils shaking violently, filled with disbelief and an impending storm.

The air in the living room solidified completely in this instant, dropping to freezing point.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 278 =====