Chapter 410: 434 The Double-K Talk

Inside the guest bedroom.

Zheng Xiujing, who had entered first, stood in the center of the room with her back to The Gate, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive posture, her shoulders slightly tensed.

The main light in the room was off; she had just turned on a floor lamp on the nightstand, casting a dim, yellowish light that threw faint shadows against the wall.

A moment later, the half-closed door was pushed open again, and Krystal walked in with a smile, closing the door behind her.

She then leaned against the door panel, looking at the back that looked exactly like her own, her tone relaxed, even carrying a hint of a smile, "Well, what do you want with me?"

Hearing the voice, Zheng Xiujing turned around and stared at the other.

Two faces that were almost identical; one carried complex emotions—embarrassment, annoyance, and a hint of indescribable grievance.

The other carried a playful smile, her eyes filled with understanding as she looked forward, along with a touch of tenderness.

"You..." Zheng Xiujing, being stared at, just opened her mouth when she realized she didn't know how to ask, or rather, the words swallowed back down as they reached her lips.

Unlike her, Krystal immediately raised an eyebrow, even aggressively taking two steps forward, pressing in, "What about me?"

"The way you were just now..."

Zheng Xiujing, having lost the upper hand to the other, had her pupils tremble slightly, then she struggled to keep her feet planted in place and began to organize her words, "It's a bit much for you to come out dressed like that."

"What's 'too much'? Is it because you were seen through, or what? Or does it make you feel ashamed?"

Krystal, who had already reached in front of Zheng Xiujing, simply tilted her head to look at her, the distance very close—close enough for Zheng Xiujing to see the curve of her eyelashes.

Staring at this face that was exactly the same as her own, Zheng Xiujing did not answer, but instead quietly swallowed.

Yet even this small movement could not hide from Krystal's eyes, and the corners of her mouth began to rise, "Then I find it very strange. Why do you feel ashamed? This is my attire; it has nothing to do with you. Or do you think I shouldn't be like this in front of Lin Xiuyuan, and it makes you project yourself into it?"

"Projecting yourself being held in Lin Xiuyuan's arms, projecting yourself being pressed under Lin Xiuyuan—that wouldn't be good, would it?"

When Krystal spoke that last sentence, her entire smile was one that could not be concealed.

And Zheng Xiujing, standing in front of her and listening to these words, did not reply, but her expression said it all.

Especially as her eyes dodged inexplicably, and the roots of her ears quietly began to heat up.

It made Krystal laugh, her smile carrying a touch of reflection and a bit of the clarity of someone who had been through it all, "Zheng Xiujing, you wouldn't be jealous, would you? Wanting to replace me?"

"I am not!!"

If Zheng Xiujing had only been a bit muddled by the previous words, then this last sentence was met with her immediate denial, her voice even rising by half a tone.

Yet this denial was not a denial in the true sense; it was more like anger and embarrassment after having her thoughts seen through.

"Then why did you call me in here?"

Krystal took another step closer, staring into her eyes, "Otherwise, why would you feel uncomfortable watching me and Lin Xiuyuan being intimate? It's only because you projected yourself into it; you feel that the person in that scene should be you, not me."

Zheng Xiujing, having her secret heart exposed, saw her face, which had only been hot before, turn red all at once, spreading from her earlobes to her cheeks, but in reality, she was still being stubborn.

"I didn't, don't talk nonsense. I just can't stand you using my face to be so intimate and clingy with another man."

Facing this explanation from Zheng Xiujing, Krystal smiled and did not continue the topic.

Instead, she turned and walked to the window, casting her gaze toward the scenery outside the courtyard.

At this moment, several ground lights were lit in the Villa's courtyard, the small patch of flowers and grass illuminated to a faint glow, and with the wisps of mist sprayed by the humidifier, the entire atmosphere was fully realized.

Watching the mist, Krystal's tone suddenly became soft, as if recalling something.

"You know, when I first met Lin Xiuyuan, I was actually very awkward. That guy came to scam me and Jessica with an IOU; it cracked me up. Fortunately, I was bored from filming at that time, so I wanted to find someone to play with, but I didn't expect to pick up such a big gift package."

"Thinking about it now, I wonder if this damn heaven felt it had been too unkind to me in the past few years, so it sent Lin Xiuyuan to my side."

"So under these circumstances, if it were you, in order to hold onto this man, what would you do, Zheng Xiujing?"

After hearing her words, Zheng Xiujing went silent for a moment, though her expression loosened slightly.

Inside, she began to imagine and ponder this hypothesis: if she were to project herself into Krystal's experiences over these years, and then suddenly encounter such a magical man like Lin Xiuyuan.

What would she do...

Just then, a voice sounded again, "Actually, you don't need to be in a hurry to accept anything."

Krystal turned back to look at her, her gaze very sincere, "Sometimes, if there are things you feel you can't accept, then just let them take their natural course. But if you feel uncomfortable because you see me and Lin Xiuyuan like this, it means you have already started to care in your heart."

"However, I personally don't think caring is a bad thing; at least it shows you are truly thinking seriously about this person and this matter."

Zheng Xiujing opened her mouth, wanting to say something to refute, but found there seemed to be nothing she could say back to the other.

So she lowered her head to look at the floor, not knowing what she was thinking.

After a long while, she weakly added, "So this is why you've been frantically provoking me to my face, Krystal."

"No, you knew clearly that seeing such a scene, I would definitely project myself into it, yet you were still outputting frantically."

"You are blatantly digging a pit for me."

"So you did it on purpose."

The further she went, the stronger Zheng Xiujing's tone became; that originally weak voice slowly grew louder, and in the end, she was even able to look directly at Krystal, glaring back with some indignation.

Krystal, who also hadn't anticipated this, was left stunned for a moment when the situation was pointed out.

Then she let out a laugh, "Wow, Zheng Xiujing, when did your brain start turning so fast? That shouldn't be; normally, after I finished saying that, you should have gone back and suffered from insomnia for half a month."

Then he let out a laugh, "Wow, Zheng Xiujing, when did your brain start turning so fast? That shouldn't be right; normally, after I finished saying that, you should have gone back to suffer from insomnia for half a month."

Initially thinking the other was truly trying to comfort her, she hadn't expected to be played for a fool; the more Zheng Xiujing thought about it, the angrier she became, so she gave another fierce glare.

Then she said in a low voice, "I don't care what you think, but you cannot be like that in front of me again; I don't want to be ruined by your PUA. As for what kind of development I might have with that guy in the future, I need to consider it myself, but if you do this again next time, I promise I will never see that guy again. You, at thirty-something, should understand my personality better than I do."

Krystal, having been threatened, stepped back slightly, looking at this stubborn version of herself; the memories in her mind suddenly flashed back to that autumn ten years ago.

Once upon a time, she was also this self-willed and stubborn, listening to no one, taking no one seriously.

But after that autumn passed, she never again acted strongly on certain important matters.

Because of her stubborn temper at the time, she directly missed the chance to extend a helping hand to Xueli, and also lost the time to see the other for the last time.

However, Krystal knew these thoughts couldn't be explained to Zheng Xiujing; the other was just like she had been then, unable to listen.

But the intake of pheromones and the experience of having lived through it personally were two completely different things.

However, the intake of pheromones and the experience of going through it personally are two completely different things.

As the saying goes, it is useless for people to teach people; only experience can teach, making one understand at a glance and learn at once.

So Krystal, having thought so much, stepped forward again to stand before Zheng Xiujing, and under the other's gaze, reached out to gently pat her shoulder.

Just as Zheng Xiujing thought this person would be intimidated by her, the next second she heard the other smile slightly, "Since you say so, that is truly great. Having one less person competing with me for Xiuyuan, I couldn't be happier. You have no idea how important this face of mine is in Xiuyuan's heart."

"Alright, enough said. Handle the rest as you see fit. I won't trick you, but don't you go ordering me around either; let's each live our own lives. Go on out, Xueqiu and the others are still waiting."

Having said that, Krystal was the first to pull open the door and walk out, leaving behind a room filled with dim, yellow light.

Zheng Xiujing was left standing in place, stunned for a moment, then took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and followed her out.

In the Living Room, the three people in the sofa area all breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Krystal come out.

Sulli even nudged Goo Hara beside her with her elbow, "Unnie, look, I told you nothing would happen. If it was this fast, they definitely didn't fight."

"I know, stop talking." Goo Hara was amused to the point of laughing.

At this moment, Krystal also walked back to Lin Xiuyuan's side with a smile, sat down, leaned back into his arms, picked up the Milk Tea she had been drinking halfway, and continued to drink.

Lin Xiuyuan also gently smoothed out a few stray hairs on her forehead, "You didn't argue, did you?"

"What is there to argue about? I coaxed her; she's just a little brat." Krystal, snuggled in Lin Xiuyuan's arms, smiled very happily, then held the Milk Tea in her hand to Lin Xiuyuan's mouth and fed him a sip.

This scene was just seen by Zheng Xiujing as she walked out, but this time she didn't say anything, just silently walked back to her seat and also picked up her Milk Tea to take a sip.

It was just that her gaze dared not drift over there again; she only stared at the fruit on the coffee table, yet that strange feeling in her heart simply would not dissipate.

She could feel Krystal's gaze occasionally landing on her, and she could also feel the concerned look cast by Lin Xiuyuan.

Outside the window, the night was thick, and the Living Room was warm with light.

After this little interlude, the few of them continued to chat, and even Zheng Xiujing started scrolling through videos, occasionally saying a word or two to Sulli and Goo Hara.

Although she still ignored the two people over there who were provoking her, the atmosphere slowly returned to being relaxed.

……

When the time quickly reached late night, the hands on the wall clock had already pointed past midnight, and the night outside the window had become too thick to melt away.

The few people chatting had finished their Milk Tea and moved on to drinks; they had also finished the fruit and turned to some snacks.

At the same time, the topics had shifted from their initial recent updates to all sorts of random things.

But since everyone had work to do the next day, under Lin Xiuyuan's clapping, everyone ended tonight's little gathering with lingering interest, preparing to get up and return to the 2013 side.

Lin Xiuyuan, who stood up from the sofa, stretched his slightly stiff shoulders and was just about to walk toward the Time Gate.

As a result, just after taking one step, he felt his arm being linked.

Looking down, it was none other than Krystal.

Tilting her head, her gaze drifted past Lin Xiuyuan toward Zheng Xiujing, and then the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, carrying a smile with an ambiguous meaning.

After retracting her gaze, she linked the man's arm tighter again, "Xiuyuan, I'll go over with you guys too."

Lin Xiuyuan was a bit surprised, "Ah? It's fine, I can just come back in a bit."

Worried that Krystal still had work tomorrow, Lin Xiuyuan preferred to let himself accommodate her; anyway, he was idle and could rest on either side, so there was no need for her to follow along and go through the trouble.

But this answer made a flash of unclear light pass through Zheng Xiujing's eyes.

At the same time, Krystal was a bit insistent, leaning her whole body against him, "No, actually I haven't rested over there in a long time either. I want to have a good rest tonight; over there I can

sleep more comfortably, without phones bothering me."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her like this, so he didn't say anything more and let her link his arm as they walked together toward the Time Gate.

When he pushed open The Gate and saw the outline of the Living Room on the other side, he turned his body to look at Goo Hara and lifted his chin, "Hela, you go back first."

Goo Hara nodded, walked to the doorway, and subconsciously glanced behind the door.

She was, of course, familiar with the scene of her own home inside, but every time she saw this way of the Anywhere Door opening, she would still be surprised.

This side of the door was the Villa of 2025, while the other side of the door was the Living Room of her own Apartment in 2013; the sense of shock that two completely different times and spaces were connected just like that, separated by only a wall, was truly too exaggerated.

So she couldn't help but exclaim again, "Xiuyuan, this ability of yours is really too exaggerated."

However, as soon as the words fell, Krystal added lightly from the side, "Exactly, exactly, it's just perfect for having an affair."

As soon as these words came out, Goo Hara froze, looking at Krystal in astonishment.

Even Zheng Xiujing, who had been standing quietly in the back, raised her eyes, her gaze landing on Krystal, the speechlessness and sarcasm in her eyes almost impossible to suppress.

Only Sulli, who had long been accustomed to the 25-year-old Krystal's flighty personality, stood to the side, looking at the situation with a quiet smile, her eyes full of amusement.

And Lin Xiuyuan, as the protagonist, was both angry and amused after hearing this.

He then reached out to wrap his arm around Krystal's waist, pulled her toward him, and gave her waist a light pinch with his palm, "Stop talking nonsense, when did I ever?"

"Ah!!!"

Krystal let out a shriek, her whole body collapsing into his arms, dodging and laughing, "I wasn't talking about you, I was just referring to this ability, what are you afraid of? Ah~ you stinky man, stop pinching, I'm ticklish!"

As she spoke, she twisted back and forth in his arms, laughing uncontrollably.

The cold and glamorous look from just a moment ago had vanished without a trace, leaving only a lively figure moving about there.

Goo Hara watched this scene and finally recovered from the impact of that previous sentence, but just as she was about to step over the threshold to return to the Apartment, a thought suddenly popped into her head.

So she stopped, turned her head to look at the group, and asked a very interesting question.

"You guys say, with such an Anywhere Door, if everyone could go to any place in the world, where would you want to go?"

This question came suddenly, but it was indeed very interesting, so the few of them were stunned for a moment and then began to think seriously.

Sulli tilted her head and thought for a moment, then spoke first with a tone of longing, "If it were me, I think I would want to go to a vast grassland to watch the stars."

She then gestured with her hands, "Just that kind of endless grassland, no light pollution at night, the whole sky full of stars, the Milky Way clearly visible. Lying on the grass, blowing in the wind, watching the stars, that feeling must be especially good."

Goo Hara nodded and then turned her gaze to Zheng Xiujing.

Facing this gaze, Zheng Xiujing had one hand in her jacket pocket and the other hanging at her side, answering with a calm expression.

"I think I would want to go to some small island to play."

"Just that kind of island with no people, but good scenery, with beaches and the sea, no tourists, and no one who would recognize me."

As she spoke, a hint of longing appeared in Zheng Xiujing's tone; clearly, this thought had existed in her heart for a long time, "Then I could play freely, do whatever I want, no need to wear hats or masks, and no need to hide."

Finally, everyone's gaze turned toward Krystal.

At this moment, Krystal was still leaning in Lin Xiuyuan's arms, one hand resting on his chest, the other hanging loosely.

Upon sensing everyone's gaze, she did not answer immediately, but instead raised her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, and then she spoke softly.

It was as if she were asking a question, yet also as if she were making a statement.

"Then where is Xiuyuan?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Living Room fell instantly silent.

It was as if the sound of breathing had stalled for a few seconds.

During this time, the smile on Xueli's little face, who had been smiling the whole time, froze for a moment, and her eyes became complex.

The questioner, Goo Hara, looked at Krystal in silence, unable to imagine how the other party would answer this way.

Standing at the very back, Zheng Xiujing's gaze moved back and forth between Krystal and Lin Xiuyuan, her eyes narrowing slightly with a certain sense of being moved.

Even Lin Xiuyuan himself was stunned for a moment, looking down at the person in his arms.

Krystal also quietly looked back at him, a faint smile on the corners of her lips.

This smile was not teasing, nor was it a joke, but rather a very earnest one, coming from the bottom of her heart.

Her eyes were clear, as if she were asking a very simple question, only the importance of this question to her was self-evident.

The silence lasted for a few seconds.

The night outside the window remained heavy, and the warm light in the Villa shone quietly upon the few of them.

The second hand of the wall clock moved tick by tick, emitting a faint "click" sound.

A moment later, Goo Hara sighed softly, shook her head, and said with a tone of emotion, "Fine, Krystal, you win."

Then she turned, stepped through the Time Gate, and returned to her own Apartment.

Next was Zheng Xiujing, and then Xueli.

Krystal, who had originally intended to go to the Apartment to rest, was forcibly held down by Lin Xiuyuan and made to stay on the Villa side with him.

After Xueli, the last person, disappeared into the year '25, The Gate closed gently, isolating the two worlds.

In the Villa Living Room,

In the blink of an eye, only Lin Xiuyuan and Krystal remained.

"Why didn't you go over?"

"I want to fuck you here."

Having said that, with a cry of surprise, Krystal was lifted up into Lin Xiuyuan's arms, and he turned to walk upstairs.

In the warm light of the Living Room, the sound of their footsteps gradually faded, finally disappearing at the end of the stairs.

Afterward, it was the two of them's private space.