“I and you come from the same world, Miss.”
Sheng Yueqi supported his chin with one hand and looked at her with a smile, “It’s just that I came here nineteen years ago, and the society you are living in now is different by many years.”
So when he finally returned there as he wished, he found himself out of touch with the times.
Many familiar faces had already left the place they once knew, and that place, too, was no longer the same as he remembered.
So everything he had worked so hard for over the years became dull and tasteless.
He no longer had the same fervor for returning to the present.
And these gold flakes, at most, helped him satisfy occasional cravings for things that Great Zhou didn’t have, or to play online games in an internet cafe, basically just enriching his dull life a bit.
“But you look so young…”
Xie Tao looked him up and down again, and he still looked like a teenager.
Sheng Yueqi smiled at her words, “This body is indeed young, but my soul is old.”
With that, he looked at Wei Yun again, his eyes a bit more serious, “I am a traveler through time and space, whether it’s through my body or soul, I already belong to this timeline to a certain extent, so I can stay here all along. But Miss, on the other hand, cannot. She is not a time traveler, and relying on gold flakes is not a long-term solution.”
“The woman before explained to me that different timelines have different magnetic fields. Those who carry the magnetic field of a different world cannot enter another timeline. However, substances like gold flakes, similar to copper pendants, can temporarily conceal the magnetic field on Miss, but it only lasts for a little over three hours. Travelers, whether through body or soul, have arrived in a different world through certain opportunities, and those opportunities have helped them integrate into the magnetic field of the different world, thus washing away the magnetic field of their original timeline.”
“So you mean, I have a magnetic field on me,”
Xie Tao pointed to herself, and when she saw Sheng Yueqi nodding, she continued, “But my magnetic field can’t blend with this world? So that’s why I can’t stay here for too long?”
“That’s the gist of it,” Sheng Yueqi said.
Wei Yun, holding chopsticks in hand, lowered his gaze, pondering something. After a while, he said, “How much gold flakes do you have left?”
Sheng Yueqi felt his scalp tightened when he heard him say this.
He hurriedly said, “Sir, this thing is extremely precious. No matter how much money you use to exchange it, it’s not acceptable. I am grateful for your kindness, so I’m willing to give you one bag. As for the remaining bag, I want to keep it for my own use.”
In modern society nowadays, what Sheng Yueqi is most attached to is nothing but games.
The Great Zhou Dynasty may have its merits, but it still can’t compare to the modern society of the electronic technology era.
“One bag is enough, thank you.”
Wei Yun raised his eyes and looked at Sheng Yueqi.
Wei Yun was not someone who easily said “thank you,” so when Sheng Yueqi suddenly heard him say this, he was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, “There’s no need for thanks, Sir.”
No one understood better than Sheng Yueqi how tough Wei Yun was.
Even back then, when he fought him with all his might, he never succeeded in breaking this man’s backbone even half an inch.
Wei Yun was ruthless.
He was someone who could almost abandon himself. If he died, he died; if he lived, he would climb to the highest place in the world by stepping on corpses.
Sheng Yueqi always knew Wei Yun’s intentions.
So even though this girl was sitting here so real, he still felt that the heartless man he had thought of years ago, how could he suddenly be touched by the warmth of the world?
The eyes of this girl raised in the peaceful modern society were too clear. How could she know how much darkness and intrigue filled the world before her?
And whether Wei Yun was sincere to her, Sheng Yueqi dared not to be sure.
He suddenly realized that he seemed to have never really seen through Wei Yun.
Until the meal was over, Sheng Yueqi was still sitting on the side, drinking from the small flask he carried with him, only watching them eat.
Xie Tao halfway wanted to pass a chicken wing to Sheng Yueqi, but because there were no chopsticks, Sheng Yueqi still held back and refused.
But what Sheng Yueqi didn’t expect was that when he returned to his room and waited for a long time, no one came to bring him food.
With no other choice, he had to go to the kitchen himself.
Wei Bo happened to be bringing people to clean up the dishes and utensils over there and walked to the kitchen. When he saw Sheng Yueqi in the kitchen, he exclaimed, “Master Sheng, what brings you here?”
“Wei Bo, I’m hungry…” Sheng Yueqi sighed.
Wei Bo made a strange sound, as if surprised, “Didn’t Master Sheng just have dinner with the master?”
There wasn’t much left in the dishes and plates he brought back.
Wei Bo knew that Master Wei Yun never indulged in food, never ate much during meals. Today, after dinner, the kitchen made several more dishes, but there weren’t many leftovers in the plates and dishes brought back. Logically, Master Sheng should have eaten a lot.
How could he be hungry again now?
Sheng Yueqi had a moment of not knowing how to explain.
After a while, he managed to say, “I… have a big appetite.”
Wei Bo suddenly realized, then quickly said, “That’s my oversight. I didn’t know Master Sheng had such a good appetite. Please forgive me. I’ll have the kitchen prepare another dinner for you, uh no, a supper, and I’ll bring it to you later!”
“Thank you.”
Finally having dinner, Sheng Yueqi relaxed, thanked Wei Bo, and as he turned to leave, he added, “Please also heat up another pot of wine for me.”
Can’t do without wine.
“Got it,” Wei Bo replied.
At that moment, the night fell, and Xie Tao and Wei Yun sat in the pavilion in the courtyard.
The moon, hidden behind thick clouds, gradually revealed its true face, sprinkling inch by inch of silver-white cold light, dappling between the branches and leaves, threading through every crevice, or falling into the pond covered with scattered stems.
Wei Yun saw Xie Tao’s slightly red nose and took off his black cloak, draping it over her.
With his faint fragrance and a hint of warmth, it fell on her body, and the slightly heavier fabric insulated her from the chilly wind of the night, warming her all over.
And he stood by her side, slightly bending down, tying the strap around her neckline.
At such a close distance, she could glimpse his eyes, tinged with the dim yellow light from the lampshade.
His face, seen from this angle, still carried the same stunning appearance.
Xie Tao blushed slightly, whispered a “thank you,” then looked at the dark blue brocade robe he was wearing and asked, “Aren’t you cold?”
As she spoke, she was about to take off her cloak, “Or should I drape it over you, actually, I…”
“Drape it.”
Wei Yun interrupted her, timely pressing her hand.
Their fingertips touched, the slightly cool temperature causing them both to stiffen for a moment.
Wei Yun released her hand and then sat down beside Xie Tao.
Xie Tao tightened her grip on the cloak, seeing him sitting next to her, she seemed to ponder for a moment, then moved towards him, folding half of the cloak over his body.
Now, the two of them were both wrapped in the same cloak.
Xie Tao’s actions were always unexpected, and this time, Wei Yun was also taken aback by her sudden movement, his ears turning red, he stood up abruptly.
“You… you’re a girl, you should be more reserved.”
He fell silent for a moment, trying to remind her.
“?”
Xie Tao looked at him, not understanding why he suddenly said such words.
“It’s cold outside, let’s go inside.”
Finally, Wei Yun cleared his throat and said.
“I’m not cold, just stay a little longer.” Xie Tao tugged at his sleeve.
Wei Yun couldn’t refuse, so he sat down.
There was still charcoal burning in the stove, and the teapot on top contained freshly brewed tea. It was about time, so Wei Yun poured a cup for Xie Tao and placed it in front of her.
Holding the teacup, Xie Tao looked at the stars twinkling on the eaves in the night sky. She suddenly said, “I finally see the stars here with my own eyes.”
She seemed to recall some late nights when she could only video call him.
At that time, she had thought about how nice it would be to come to his world and see it for herself.
And today, this seemingly distant wish had actually come true.
How incredible it was.
“The next time I come, can you take me out to play?” Xie Tao tilted her head, looking at him expectantly.
Under her gaze, Wei Yun’s expression softened a bit.
“After a while, I’ll take you out to see.”
Finally, he said so.
Because she always appeared here alone out of thin air, and his every move was being secretly observed, he couldn’t let her expose herself to everyone’s sight for now.
The struggles in the court have always been without gunpowder.
And some people’s methods are far more insidious than those on the battlefield.
Her appearance must have a reasonable identity.
And the clues must not be discovered by others.
Therefore, for the time being, he couldn’t fulfill her wish to go out and see the scenery outside the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion.
“Okay, you must remember.”
Xie Tao looked at him and admonished softly.
Wei Yun nodded, his mind stirred slightly. Suddenly, he reached out and gently stroked her hair.
At times like this, when he looked at her,
It seemed to be the most relaxed moment for him.
No need to be vigilant of so many people, no need to scrutinize so many things in front of him, just like this, quietly, accompanying her to watch the moon and the stars in the sky, is already a wonderful scene.
For a moment, Wei Yun actually felt nostalgic for everything at this moment, even for her by his side.
It seemed that he had never felt this way before.
The two sat in the pavilion for quite a while, talking about many things, but most of it was Xie Tao speaking, while Wei Yun just listened with lowered eyes, yet it was also a rare display of patience.
Until the sound of the rotating star disk sounded in his ear, Wei Yun raised his head, only to see that the girl in front of him seemed to be enveloped in a faint light.
Xie Tao also noticed her own change.
“Should I go back now?” She found that her body was emitting a faint light as if sprinkled with golden powder.
“You should go back and rest early.”
Wei Yun stood up and said to her.
Xie Tao also stood up with him, but she looked at his face for a moment, her eyes seeming to reveal a hint of reluctance. Suddenly, she reached out and hugged his waist.
At that moment, Wei Yun froze.
“Goodnight, Wei Yun.”
The girl’s soft voice sounded like the sweetness of a candy he once tasted, right by his ear.
And in that instant, her figure vanished and dispersed with a wisp of faint smoke, leaving no trace behind.
Wei Yun stood there for a long time, his gaze falling on the charcoal burning red in the stove, as if the sparks flying from it had seared into his heart.
