Chapter 5

Rooftop.

When Jessica heard the first sentence Lin Xiuyuan said, she, who was leaning on the railing, instantly straightened her back, her eyes wide, clearly in disbelief.

The next two sentences were still normal; a fashion brand was what she had been thinking about, and being a singer was also an inseparable part of her.

However, as the following sentences unfolded, the plot reversed once again.

This time, Jessica finally couldn't hold it in anymore and exclaimed, "Impossible, I'm not that stupid to be cheated out of so much money. And there's no way Xiujing would become what you said because of my affairs. You're lying to me."

Putting down the phone, Lin Xiuyuan turned around, leaned against the railing, and smiled, "Indeed, the final result of things is influenced by many factors. But the source that the entire internet finds indisputable is indeed the matter of your withdrawal from the group."

Jessica frowned, staring tightly at Lin Xiuyuan, while he shrugged his shoulders easily.

After a while, Jessica reached out, "Give it to me, I'll look at it myself."

"You're dreaming. I've already given you the information, so how could I hold anything over you then?"

Lin Xiuyuan shook his head directly and turned off the phone screen.

Although he didn't have a plan, it didn't mean he didn't have a brain.

Hearing this answer, Jessica felt her emotions gradually become agitated by the content of the previous news; she bit her lower lip, her gaze sweeping over the night view beneath her feet, "Even if you don't give it to me now, that won't stop me from finding a place to check. Unless you tie me up, unless you want to do that."

"No, I won't do anything like kidnapping. It's just that before we reach an agreement, if you dare to step out of this villa, I'll return to the past and work hard for a few years, and won't come back here again."

Saying these words that made Jessica's whole body chill, Lin Xiuyuan still looked completely indifferent, "By then, whether you get dissected or the old space-time gets into a mess, it will have nothing to do with me. Anyway, relying on this information, I can slowly live a good life in the old space-time."

"Then why did you call me over here?"

Jessica, who had been fished again and again by the person in front of her, finally couldn't take it anymore. Her mentality was clearly collapsing, and she let out a low roar, expressing her anger and confusion, "And I came into the room with you, the surveillance saw everything. You can't get away with it."

"Without evidence, who is going to judge me?"

I don't know why, but when saying this, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly felt a chill surge from his spine to the back of his head.

His pores opened instantly, and a sense of comfort he had experienced for the first time in his life, and which was hard to describe, enveloped his whole body.

"You..."

Jessica, who wanted to say something more, originally wanted to continue to refute, but suddenly ran out of words.

Fortunately, Lin Xiuyuan, who had lived on red land since he was a child, didn't have any criminal factors, just a bit of rebellion in his personality.

So, seeing Jessica scared, he immediately smiled, "Don't be so nervous. I just said, I want cooperation for mutual benefit, not to be some kind of criminal."

At the same time, Jessica also remembered the words Lin Xiuyuan had said before, so she hurriedly spoke, "How to cooperate? Can I buy information with money? Any amount is fine, you name a number, as long as I can afford it."

"Money, I definitely want it, but cooperating with you isn't just for money; there's another condition."

"What condition?"

Jessica blurted it out, afraid that Lin Xiuyuan would go back on his word.

Looking at Jessica right now, Lin Xiuyuan remembered an idea that had suddenly popped into his head in the afternoon, but he didn't tell her directly; instead, he introduced the differences between these two space-times to her again.

"Do you know, Jessica, actually, aside from the differences I told you about earlier, everything else in these two space-times is basically the same, whether it's people, companies, or the global situation."

"So my problem in the past is the first pot of gold; after that, I can completely rely on future information to roll the snowball."

"But the problem here is every single cent, because the money you give can only be used in the old space-time, and I don't even have a job here. So the problem arises, what about life here?"

Jessica, holding the empty can, felt for the first time that there wasn't enough wine to drink, but she still listened seriously to Lin Xiuyuan's words.

After he finished speaking, she frowned and made a suggestion, "Didn't you say before that the gold exchange rates of the two space-times are different? You can completely buy and sell more, and become rich all at once. I can give you money."

"Suddenly coming up with a large private gold trade, Jessica, it seems you really want to send me to the police station or a research institute."

Jessica was silent, and after a moment, continued, "Then do it little by little."

"No, same as above, the internet big data ten years later is more developed than you can imagine."

"This won't work, that won't work, then what should we do? I don't know anything about this place, I really can't think of any method."

After her suggestions were rejected several times, Jessica, while complaining, also revealed her own little thoughts.

If she wanted to help and cooperate for mutual benefit, she had to let herself know more about the future space-time.

At this time, Lin Xiuyuan finally told her his other idea, "Actually, it's not that there's no way, it's just that I need you to help me, otherwise I wouldn't have come to you."

"How do you want me to help you?" Jessica said.

"Very simple, I want you to help me capture the future you."

"Ah?"

……

……

Spring, 2025.

The streets of Seoul were filled with a faint floral fragrance, and the air still carried a hint of chill.

And on a warm afternoon, the spring light was just right.

In a corner of the street, inside a low-key and elegant cafe, young people wearing light jackets sat leisurely in the sun, enjoying the mellow aroma of coffee.

However, soon, this cafe welcomed a long-lost highlight.

Former Girls' Generation member Jessica took her sister Krystal, gently pushed open the cafe door, and stepped into this quiet space.

Their appearance didn't cause much commotion, but naturally attracted quite a few gazes.

Jessica wore a simple white shirt and high-waisted jeans, elegant yet casual, like a bright spot in the spring breeze.

Krystal wore a gentle pink jacket, her temperament quiet, and the sisters seemed to be the most beautiful scenery in this city.

Once they sat down, Krystal took the lead in looking at her own sister and smiled, "Unnie, why are you in such a good mood today, asking me out for afternoon tea? It's been a while since we've seen each other, right?"

"I do have something to ask of you."

Compared to Krystal's natural spontaneity, Jessica, sitting opposite her, seemed a bit absent-minded. After ordering two cups of coffee, she picked up her phone, unlocked it, opened a text message, and pushed it in front of the other party.

"Xiujing, help me look, when did I ever write this IOU?"

Signed, read with peace of mind.

(End of chapter)