Chapter 68: Xiujing-ah, how have you been lately?

The morning sky in Seoul always comes very slowly, especially on cloudy and rainy days, appearing even gloomier.

The lights on the ceiling hadn't been turned off yet. Krystal got up very early today, or rather, she hadn't slept normally since last night, only slowly dozing off until the early hours of the morning.

But she soon struggled awake from a dreamless sleep, sitting blankly on the head of the bed holding her forehead, her eyes unable to focus on any specific point.

At this moment, her heart was beating very fast, not from nervousness, nor from fear, but from some indescribable excitement.

Because today, she would see that girl again who was always lively and bright in her memory, but ultimately slept in the cemetery.

Thinking of this, Krystal's fingers gripped the bed sheet with slight force. In fact, ever since she learned about the space-time of 2013 from Lin Xiuyuan, she had been preparing for this meeting.

She had practiced her expressions many times: how to calmly face the past, how to stand in front of Sulli, how to restrain the sobbing that was about to burst out.

But even so, she was still very clear and understood that no matter how many times she rehearsed.

When she truly met those familiar eyes, everything would collapse.

She was certain, and sure.

Thinking of this, Krystal got up and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains.

Under the gray sky outside the window was a rain curtain that hadn't stopped since the early hours, falling faster and faster, like a huge, invisible net, firmly shrouding the entire city.

"Is this weather a coincidence?"

In her soft tone, there was a faint sadness.

Washing up, changing clothes, every movement appeared exceptionally restrained.

Today, Krystal didn't choose colors that were too bright, but put on a dark gray trench coat, simple yet clean.

She pulled out a black umbrella from the depths of the closet, an item left over from their group days many years ago, which Krystal had kept until now, and today it could be put to use again.

After gently stroking the umbrella for a second, Krystal immediately put it into her bag, took her car keys, and hurried out the door.

Not long after, the car started, drove out of the apartment's underground parking lot, and rushed into this city submerged in rain.

There was no radio along the way, nor was there any music.

While driving, Krystal flashed back to the bits and pieces of her time with Sulli in her mind.

The way they would giggle on the floor of the practice room, drenched in sweat from rehearsing; the funny experience of Sulli ordering food in broken English while filming abroad; and the last time they met, when Sulli said with a smile, "I'm fine."

And then, there was really no more news.

"This time, you will definitely be fine, Sulli."

Krystal, murmuring in a low voice, gripped the steering wheel tightly until her knuckles turned white.

In the blink of an eye, the car arrived at the cemetery, and Lin Xiuyuan and the others hadn't arrived yet.

So Krystal didn't get out of the car immediately, but leaned her forehead against the steering wheel, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

After a long while, having adjusted her emotions, she finally opened the umbrella and got out of the car, walking into that familiar yet heavy land.

The cemetery was dead silent, with only the dense sound of rain, as if it were beating down from the firmament, knocking into every inch of soil, every gap in memory.

Soon she found that tombstone, and then stood still not far away.

The stone tablet, washed bright by the rain, was like a cold mirror, reflecting all the suppressed and surging emotions she felt at this moment.

Krystal didn't approach, but just stood quietly in the rain curtain, the hand holding the umbrella handle trembling slightly.

Time passed slowly, until she saw that familiar car stop slowly.

Lin Xiuyuan got out of the car, followed by a figure that was long-lost, even in her memory, coming into view.

The moment she saw Sulli in the rain from afar, Krystal didn't approach immediately, but just silently watched everything happen.

She saw Sulli standing in the rain, slowly taking off the blindfold, squatting in front of the tombstone, like a stranger who had just arrived, stepping into this world for the first time.

And she never made a sound, just stood quietly behind the others, joining this strange "funeral."

Until the moment her gaze met Sulli's, the whole world seemed to go quiet.

All the rehearsals and psychological construction she had done before turned to ashes at this moment.

Finally, it all converged into one sentence: "Long time no see, Sulli."

The rain was heavy, and the voice was very small, but Sulli heard it.

So she smiled brightly at the maknae in front of her, who seemed to have experienced a lot and matured a lot.

"Xiujing-ah, how have you been lately?"

……

……

Today's rain lasted a long time and was very urgent. Even when Lin Xiuyuan and the others' car drove back to Seoul, the rain still hadn't stopped.

The group, soaked through, even had their coats covered in water droplets. As soon as they entered the door, there was a sense of weightlessness, as if falling from a dream into reality.

The villa had sufficient heating and the floor was warm. Fearing that the alternation of cold and heat would cause a cold, Lin Xiuyuan shouted to the few graceful figures behind him as soon as he entered the door, "There are two rooms on the first floor and three rooms on the second floor. Each room has a bathroom. You guys hurry up and take a hot shower; don't catch a cold."

"What about clothes?"

Krystal, who had been holding Sulli's hand since the cemetery and was unwilling to let go, asked.

Without needing Lin Xiuyuan to answer, Zheng Xiuyan spoke up, "When I came to stay before, I bought a few sets over. They haven't been worn. You guys find the bathroom first, and I'll bring them over to you in a while."

Soon, the group finished their hot showers, changed into clean clothes, and gathered back in the living room.

At this time, soft cushions had already been laid out on the living room carpet, forming a circle facing the sofa, with hot tea and simple snacks in the center.

This was prepared by Lin Xiuyuan, who had finished his shower early.

It was just that after everyone sat down one after another, no one spoke first, and an unusual silence permeated the air.

"Still nothing to say?"

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan looked at Krystal and Sulli.

These two had also been quietly silent on the way back from the cemetery, and he hadn't expected them to still be like this now.

Zheng Xiuyan and Park Jiyeon beside them weren't that they had nothing to say, but it wasn't easy to disturb the two over there. Only Lin Xiuyuan dared to speak.

Hearing this, Krystal finally made a move. She handed a cup of hot tea to Sulli. "Drink some hot tea first, don't catch a cold. You still have to prepare for your comeback; it will be very hard."

Sulli, holding the teacup, looked at her, her eyes somewhat dazed.

Krystal continued, "Actually, I never thought about meeting you, Sulli, in this way."

"Then what way is it?" Sulli asked back.

However, this counter-question also hit Krystal's heart.

She gave a bitter smile. "I don't know, because I never made up my mind, so even though I went over many times, I still didn't dare to find you."

Didn't dare.

These two words made everyone present feel a bit of a tremor, let alone the protagonist, Sulli.

Although she didn't understand the whole situation, Krystal's reaction had already revealed too much that was unusual.

But there was one point Sulli firmly believed. "Although I don't know what's going on, it definitely has nothing to do with you, Xiujing. You being like this now is mostly a burden you added to yourself. I didn't expect your personality to not have changed a bit after so many years."

Looking at Krystal in front of her, Sulli thought of the stubborn group maknae of 2013, who, in order to present the best stage effect to the fans, forced herself to her physical limit.

Fainting from hunger due to dieting, fainting from high fever during performances, dehydration from rehearsals and performances, etc., were all common occurrences.

As Sulli said these words, even Krystal, who was already 30+, lowered her head.

This sweet taste of being scolded was something she hadn't felt for many years.

Just then, another hand came over and hugged her. "Sigh, Sulli is right, Xiujing, you are just too strong-willed. This has been the case since you were little. Although you look much better on the surface now, deep down you are still that same person."

Turning her head to look at Zheng Xiuyan who was speaking, Krystal bit her lip without refuting.

Sulli on the other side took a sip of hot tea, as if she had finally begun to accept the reality of all this.

Accepting that she had died in 2025, and that she, at this moment, had come here from 2013 to attend her own "funeral" with her own eyes.

Thinking of this, her gaze suddenly turned to Lin Xiuyuan. "By the way, oppa, you just promised me you'd tell me my cause of death."

And then she discovered that after she said this, everyone around her looked at her, each person's eyes hiding complex emotions.

Facing everyone's gaze, Sulli subconsciously guessed, "What's wrong? Did I die miserably? No body left?"

"……"

Lin Xiuyuan gave a bitter smile. "Is that how you curse yourself?"

"Otherwise, it's hard for me to imagine that I would die in the future."

After all, she was still alive, so Sulli's emotions had gradually returned to normal, and her tone was much more relaxed.

Now Lin Xiuyuan had something to say. He beckoned to Sulli, letting her lean over and sit for a while.

Sulli did as told.

Then, shoulder to shoulder with her, he pointed to Zheng Xiuyan opposite. "Come, let me test you. In your view, what will this person's future development be like?"

Zheng Xiuyan, upon hearing this, gave him a speechless eye-roll, but didn't stop him.

"Xiuyan Unnie?"

Looking at Lin Xiuyuan pointing at Zheng Xiuyan, Sulli hesitated for a while before saying, "Right now, Unnie and the others have just become the top girl group on the Peninsula. Although it's impossible to always stand at the peak, will she become a solo singer ten years later, and then start her own fashion brand?"

This answer wasn't baseless; many friends knew that Zheng Xiuyan liked fashion design, and Sulli was just making a bold guess based on her impression.

And Lin Xiuyuan, after listening, didn't immediately give an evaluation, but moved his finger to Park Jiyeon. "Then guess Jiyeon again."

Now Sulli muttered, "Jiyeon is a bit hard to guess."

"Why?" Park Jiyeon herself asked curiously.

"Because your group's current state is quite awkward, and I'm not sure if the future is good or bad."

Sulli frowned, but still gave a guess. "If I have to say, I think there will be a chance for a comeback, but after being together for a while, you will still disband, and finally everyone will do individual activities."

Lin Xiuyuan listened with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and suddenly changed direction. "Then who do you think will get married first among the people here?"

"Get married?"

Upon hearing this, Sulli's first reaction was naturally to look at the oldest one among them... Zheng Xiuyan.

And Zheng Xiuyan's face turned black. She picked up a throw pillow and threw it at Lin Xiuyuan. "Hey, can you ask questions properly? What are you talking nonsense about?"

Lin Xiuyuan laughed and dodged one, but couldn't dodge the one Park Jiyeon threw.

"Ah, oppa~ I'm not married! That old woman has a screw loose; this matter has nothing to do with me." Park Jiyeon protested with a serious face.

Sulli, however, looked like she had heard some earth-shattering gossip, her eyes wide, looking like "Did I miss something?"

But Lin Xiuyuan hadn't finished his "Q&A game." He finally pointed to Krystal. "Sulli, guess what kind of life this person is living now."

As soon as this question was asked, the atmosphere in the living room quieted down a bit.

Sulli didn't answer immediately like before, but frowned and slowly raised her eyes to look at Krystal.

"Xiujing-ah..."

Sulli's voice lowered a bit, as if she were talking to herself. "I think our group should be the kind that disbands, and then Xiujing walks the actor route, shining brightly on that path. After all, she has always done very well."

Lin Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked somewhat unexpectedly, "Strange, why would you guess disbandment? Aren't you guys very popular right now?"

Sulli, being asked, was silent for a moment, then, thinking of the things she had experienced today, and this parallel space-time of 2025, let out a stuffy breath.

"Because if history hasn't changed, based on my current mindset, I already have the thought of leaving the group."

When she said this, she kept watching Krystal's reaction. Seeing that there wasn't much surprise on her face, but rather as if she had known it for a long time.

Seeing this situation, Sulli felt a sense of loss and relief in her heart. "It seems I guessed right."

Krystal didn't answer, but thinking of something, she clenched her fists.

Lin Xiuyuan, seeing that everyone's emotions were starting to become heavy, stopped "riddling" and stood up, patting his knees. "Whether you guessed right or not, go see for yourself and you'll know. Let's go, I'll take you to check online."

Sulli stood up immediately upon hearing this, her expression both expectant and nervous.

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, then turned to look at the three people beside him. "Are you guys going together?"

"Not going, you guys go." Zheng Xiuyan shook her head.

"Oppa, I'll go with you." Park Jiyeon stood up.

Krystal, who remained, said, "You can check on your phone too."

"The computer is more convenient."

Lin Xiuyuan, having thrown out this sentence, turned and took Sulli and Park Jiyeon upstairs, heading straight for the computer room.

In the living room, only Zheng Xiuyan and Krystal remained sitting on the sofa.

Zheng Xiuyan spoke first. "How is it? How are you feeling?"

Krystal smiled slightly, but her tone was unspeakably heavy. "Much better, but also more worried."

"Worried about what?"

Zheng Xiuyan, not understanding Krystal's statement, was somewhat puzzled.

"Worried that I still won't be able to protect her this time. If Sulli repeats the same mistakes, I don't think I'll ever be able to get over it in this life."

Krystal, answering softly, even had a few traces of a smile in her tone.

It was just that what she said was so heavy.

And Zheng Xiuyan, after listening, was silent for a long time and didn't say anything else, just let out a deep sigh.

She knew very well that such pressure couldn't be smoothed over by a sentence or two of her "comfort."

After all, having been given a chance to start over, if you still couldn't grasp it, then the regret added to the previous time wouldn't be as simple as 1+1=2.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 69 =====