附近人100块钱上门

“Having fun, little girl?” Liu Feng asked, smiling.

Yan Qiao Qiao seemed to be locked in a struggle. Her eyes remained fixed, her focus entirely on catching those invisible time-space particles.

Liu Feng kept the refrigerator door open and glanced up at Lin Xian. “By the way, I haven’t asked yet. Who is this little girl, and where did she come from?”

Lin Xian replied, “She’s Yan Qiao Qiao, a relative of my former boss, Zhao Ying Jun.”

“You haven’t met Zhao Ying Jun yet, but when you do, you’ll be surprised at how much Qiao Qiao and Ying Jun look alike. They could be real sisters,” Lin Xian added with a small smile.

He couldn’t help but think about how interesting these encounters across time and space could be.

For example, Yellow Finch had known Gao Yang for a long time. She remembered their first meeting vividly, how Gao Yang looked like he was on the brink of a breakdown.

That’s why, back at the Satellite Launch Center, when she heard Lin Xian mention Gao Yang’s name, she had that complicated yet knowing smile. It all formed a kind of closed loop.

Even though time and space had shifted, Yellow Finch’s first meeting with Gao Yang might not have been quite as chaotic as it was last night. But given Gao Yang’s character, it was likely just as funny.

Looking over at Liu Feng, Lin Xian noticed something. Yellow Finch clearly knew about his connection to Liu Feng and never hid any information from him. This was intriguing.

Lin Xian began to wonder when Liu Feng and Zhao Ying Jun might meet for the first time and what kind of story might unfold.

Up until now, Lin Xian felt familiar with Zhao Ying Jun, but it wasn’t the real 2024 version of her. Instead, it was a familiarity built through Yellow Finch and the Zhao Ying Jun in the third dream, who had waited 600 years.

But things were different now.

He had met Zhao Ying Jun’s parents and even shared a meal with them. Now, he was helping her take care of a kid and a dog. These were new connections that hadn’t existed before.

From Zhao Ying Jun’s perspective, it was the same. They had only been colleagues before—seemingly close but always separated by a barrier that neither could cross.

She had never met any of Lin Xian’s friends and knew nothing about his life outside of work.

But now, things were changing.

She had met Gao Yang, and maybe soon, she would meet Liu Feng, Lin Xian’s trusted advisor.

And then?

Would she get to know him better?

Understand his secrets, his goals, his struggles, and the dangers he faced?

Lin Xian wasn’t sure.

He was still worried. What if Zhao Ying Jun’s fate turned out to be as heartbreaking as Yellow Finch’s?

He was doing everything he could, pushing to join the Genius Club, just to change people’s destinies and rewrite a history filled with failure.

But if his presence only added another failure to the endless loop, what would be the point?

He had these concerns not just for Zhao Ying Jun. He hadn’t told his secrets to Liu Feng, Gao Yang, or Chu An Qing either, even though they were completely trustworthy.

But someday, he’d have to come clean, right?

After he joined the Genius Club and gained the power to match their enemies!

“Zhao Ying Jun, huh,” Liu Feng muttered.

He set down the small fridge, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote some names on the blackboard behind him: Yan Qiao Qiao, Chu An Qing, Su Su, Yellow Finch.

He lined up their ages carefully and shook his head, saying, “But… there’s no place for Zhao Ying Jun in this arithmetic sequence!”

Lin Xian sighed, exasperated. “Enough with that arithmetic joke already! It’s complete, over—no new members will join.”

“But my life and battles are far from over. I’ll meet more friends, more allies, and even more enemies. There will be both men and women,” he continued. “I can’t let my life be controlled by some arithmetic sequence joke forever. Wipe the board. Let’s get serious.”

After giving Liu Feng the instructions, Lin Xian watched Yan Qiao Qiao continue her futile attempts to grab the time-space particles. He went over and ruffled her hair. “Give up, Qiao Qiao. You can’t catch them. They don’t have a physical form.”

Yan Qiao Qiao straightened up and stepped back, nodding. She had to accept the truth.

This was something Lin Xian and Liu Feng had confirmed many times: normal humans trying to touch time-space particles, whether they had energy or not, wouldn’t get any results—good or bad. Nothing would happen.

They had both handled this energy-depleted time-space particle countless times, and even Elon Musk had stirred it with his hand when it still had some energy. Everyone remained unharmed. So, they let Yan Qiao Qiao treat it like a toy.

“Alright, Qiao Qiao, go play with VV over there for a while. Liu Feng and I need to talk,” Lin Xian said.

Yan Qiao Qiao pointed her finger at Liu Feng in front of the blackboard. “Brother Liu Feng.”

She remembered his name, then obediently picked up VV, the Pomeranian dog, and went to the open space in the back of the lab.

“This little girl is quite well-behaved,” Liu Feng said approvingly. “She’ll definitely grow up to be a beauty. Look at her height. If she looks like Zhao Ying Jun, then Zhao Ying Jun must be beautiful too.”

“Come over here, Lin Xian. I want to share my theory,” Liu Feng said.

He led Lin Xian to a table full of data charts and diagrams. Pointing to the complex data and waveforms, he explained, “Even though you don’t understand these graphs, I can tell you for sure that once the time-space particle loses its activity, it won’t ever get it back.”

“Like the particle we captured or the one Elon Musk gave us—their activity is gone for good. They won’t move randomly or break the laws of physics anymore,” he continued. “But the energy inside them is different! Do you know how I found this out? The particle you took and the one Elon Musk gave you—they both seem depleted, but there’s a significant difference in how much energy they’ve lost!”

“It’s like batteries. Two AA batteries might both seem dead and unusable, but do they have the exact same amount of residual energy left?”

“Of course not! Whether a battery is completely drained depends on its use. If a battery is used up in a child’s remote control car, it might still have a lot of power left. Not enough to power the toy, but if you put it in a remote control for an air conditioner, it could last for a long time.”

“So what does this mean? It means—”

“The energy mechanism of time-space particles is similar to that of batteries. Since most batteries can be recharged and reused, maybe time-space particles can be recharged too! There must be a way to fill an energy-depleted time-space particle again and make it usable!”

Lin Xian listened carefully to Liu Feng’s theory and nodded. The principle wasn’t clear, but the conclusion was convincing.

“I get it,” Lin Xian said, “but this is still an untested theory. You’ve noticed the energy-storing properties, but you don’t know how to restore that energy.”

“Do you have any ideas? If we could recharge a quantum-entangled time-space particle and pair it with the time machine, it would be a game-changer for time travel,” he continued. “Traveling back in time with an entangled particle means we could ensure we return to the present and avoid getting lost in the past. It would be a completely safe time journey.”

Liu Feng nodded thoughtfully. “You mentioned setting up a new lab and bringing in more trustworthy people. I think these plans can progress together.”

“As for recharging the time-space particle, I don’t have a clear direction yet, but I have a gut feeling it might have something to do with space-time curvature, world line changes, or even the Universal Constant,” he said. “But without enough data or patterns, we can’t explore these ideas further. We might have to wait for the next reading change on the space-time clock to continue our research.”

They both looked at the lab’s center table, where a plain white time-space clock stood. The reading still displayed 0.0000042, meaning they were still on this world line without any shifts or jumps.

Lin Xian was holding a trump card that could cause significant world line changes, but it wasn’t time to play it yet.

“Alright,” Lin Xian said, no longer pressing Liu Feng for progress. He knew there was no point in rushing. “We’ll wait for the next reading change on the clock. We’ll have a big harvest then, including the information needed for the space-time coordinates.”

“Today, I came to see you mainly for two things,” Lin Xian continued. First, he talked about the progress of setting up the new lab. While they hadn’t solved the issue of finding trustworthy personnel, they decided to prioritize the location and equipment since that would take time.

“The observatory issue—Guizhou Sky Eye can’t be leased long-term. If we want to continuously monitor near-Earth space for time-space particles, we need our own observatory and radio telescope,” he explained.

Fortunately, Liu Feng had made significant progress in his research. Even a micro-detector could monitor space-time particles within 2,000 kilometers. Now, Liu Feng only needed a small observatory and radio telescope to cover the space within Jupiter’s orbit. If a particle flew in, it would trigger an immediate alert.

This would be enough for now.

“So, from today on, we’ll prepare both the time machine and the observation and capture of the next time-space particle,” Lin Xian said.

“Then there’s the second thing.” Lin Xian rubbed his nose. “Aren’t you always boasting about being an expert on relationships? I wanted to ask you—what does a woman in love look like?”

Liu Feng chuckled with satisfaction, like a proud father. “Finally, Lin Xian, you’ve come to your senses! I’ve been waiting for this question for so long! Are you finally going to start dating?”

“No, no,” Lin Xian quickly waved his hands. “I’m way too busy for romance right now. But I have a situation where I need a woman with no dating experience to perfectly act like she’s in love. She has to be convincing enough to fool others.”

“Got it? The key is acting! You must have a lot of experience, right? Even though you’ve only had one relationship, it was deep and memorable. You and Qi Qi started dating in college, so it must’ve been sweet and passionate.”

Liu Feng nodded. “Absolutely.” He adjusted his glasses, his eyes filled with nostalgia. “Don’t worry. I’m very familiar with matters of the heart, and I remember the wonderful times with Qi Qi like it was yesterday. Playing the role of a woman in love? Piece of cake!”

“Come here. I’ll show you step-by-step,” Liu Feng motioned for Lin Xian to come closer, like he was about to give him a hands-on lesson.

“No, no, it’s not me acting. What’s the point of showing me?” Lin Xian waved his hands. “Just tell me how to make it look more convincing.”

But Liu Feng insisted, “No way! If you want it to look real, facial expressions and eye contact are more important than actions or dialogue.”

“Why do fake couples get exposed so easily? You think it’s about the intimate gestures or what they call each other? No… it’s the expressions and eye contact that give them away! Genuine love is all in the eyes—filled with deep affection.”

“If you can’t portray that feeling, no matter how close you hold each other, it won’t work. Come on, let me show you!”

Lin Xian sighed and stepped forward.

Liu Feng mimicked Qi Qi’s look—a sincere smile with deep, affectionate eyes—and then… gently took Lin Xian’s hand.

Lin Xian couldn’t help but shiver; goosebumps rose all over his skin. Liu Feng’s performance was so convincing that he could win an Oscar!

“Lin Xian, look into my eyes,” Liu Feng said softly, his eyes sparkling like autumn water, filled with endless years of emotion.

“Hold my waist.”

“Huh?” Lin Xian was startled. “Do we have to go this deep?”

“Do it now,” Liu Feng urged. “True couples are like this. It all comes naturally, from within, with emotions starting in the heart, showing in the eyes, and falling into place at the waist.”

Alright then. Since he was already on this “crazy boat,” he might as well go all in.

Lin Xian decided to go along with Liu Feng and held his waist.

If only CC had one-tenth of Liu Feng’s acting skills, she could definitely pull off that couple scenario without a hitch.

Because Liu Feng’s eyes were just too real! If he wasn’t a guy, Lin Xian might’ve thought he’d fallen in love with him!

Suddenly, they felt a strange gaze on them. Both turned to look toward the other side of the lab.

There, Yan Qiao Qiao was holding VV in her arms.

The girl and the dog stared, wide-eyed, at the two men standing close together.

“What are you guys playing?” Yan Qiao Qiao asked curiously.

“We’re simulating dating,” Liu Feng explained with a laugh.

“Oh.” Yan Qiao Qiao nodded and stored this not-so-child-friendly keyword in her memory.

Honestly, Lin Xian felt that Liu Feng’s understanding of love and romance was more suitable for guiding CC than anyone else. Old man Wei Sheng Jin’s advice was too outdated, and Zhu Zi’s model, based on his strong-willed wife, was overly domineering. But Liu Feng’s “Qi Qi template” seemed perfect.

Because Qi Qi herself was well-educated, gentle, and calm, but not lacking in liveliness, strong yet unafraid of solitude.

That’s what a young girl should be like.

Her attitude towards love, with those deep, affectionate looks in her eyes during a relationship, seemed more suitable for CC to emulate.

“Alright, I’ll give your theory a chance,” Lin Xian said, carefully noting Liu Feng’s hands-on demonstration. He planned to share it with CC in the dream world and try again to pass the “Queen’s Town” challenge!

But now, it was time to leave Donghai University.

After all, he had promised Zhao Ying Jun he would take good care of the kid, and he couldn’t let Yan Qiao Qiao spend all day in a dim lab watching two men’s awkward performance.

…

Leaving the Rhine Lab, Lin Xian went downstairs and got into an Alphard business car, heading to the busiest mall in Donghai City.

When they parked in the underground parking lot, Yan Qiao Qiao tried to open the door.

Once!

No luck.

She tried again, harder this time!

Still, the door wouldn’t open.

She turned to Lin Xian. “The door won’t open.”

Lin Xian chuckled. “It’s an electric door. You can’t force it open with your hands. Just press this button.”

…

VV, the Pomeranian, clearly wasn’t used to going out much. Soon, the dog was panting and had to lie in Lin Xian’s arms for a ride, its short legs refusing to move.

Lin Xian took Yan Qiao Qiao to many places, even to see a famous animated movie that was re-released for the Golden Week—Howl’s Moving Castle.

Yan Qiao Qiao watched attentively, getting lost in the vibrant yet gentle hand-drawn style of Miyazaki, experiencing a magical foreign land.

Lin Xian had seen this movie as a child but had forgotten most of it. Reflecting on it, he realized it had been a long time since he had watched a movie this leisurely.

Although the girl next to him, Yan Qiao Qiao, wasn’t someone he was very familiar with, Lin Xian oddly felt a sense of warmth and comfort.

It felt good.

It felt relaxing.

After the movie, they stumbled upon the classic money-draining attraction in every big mall—the arcade. Some places even called it “XX Anime City” for some reason.

But the machines were always the same: claw machines, basketball hoops, racing games, whack-a-mole, and coin pushers.

In short, all money traps.

Yet, Yan Qiao Qiao precisely pointed her finger at the flashy, noisy arcade ahead. “I want to play the claw machine.”

“Sure, let’s go,” Lin Xian replied with a smile.

All day, Lin Xian hadn’t refused her anything. Whatever she wanted to do, he did with her. He didn’t feel tired or annoyed at all.

VV, on the other hand, was already worn out, clearly displaying, “I want to go home,” “I want to sleep,” and “I can’t walk anymore” on its face.

So, Lin Xian bought a large tote bag from JuMei YouPin and placed VV inside it. “VV, just rest here. Sleep if you want. This is your… ‘VV’s Moving Castle.\'”

“Pfft—”

For the first time ever, Yan Qiao Qiao actually laughed!

It was like a pear blossom blooming, stunning the whole spring.

So Qiao Qiao can laugh… This was the first time Lin Xian had seen this quiet girl smile.

It looked like she had a lot of fun today.

Girls who smile are always cuter.

The more Lin Xian looked at her, the more he found her adorable. He picked up “VV’s Moving Castle,” took Yan Qiao Qiao’s hand, and led her into the arcade. “Come on, your brother will win you a prize.”

While he knew most of the machines were rigged to make money, VV had taught him some very useful tips when helping Chu An Qing grab a doll earlier. Now it was time to put those skills to good use.

One, two, three…

Though not perfect every time, he managed to grab a few prizes after several tries. He could be considered a pro.

When Yan Qiao Qiao entered the arcade, her hands were empty.

But when she left, her arms were full of various stuffed toys.

Lin Xian suggested putting some of them in VV’s Moving Castle since they couldn’t carry them all, but Yan Qiao Qiao shook her head. She clearly preferred the satisfaction of holding her prizes in her arms.

Ah.

Women, no matter their age, are all quite similar at heart.

After a busy day of fun, Yan Qiao Qiao fell asleep immediately after washing up.

VV slept like the dead, refusing to wake up.

Lin Xian checked the dog’s heartbeat and pulse—thankfully, still alive. He refilled its water and food dishes, placing them near its bed, then prepared to leave the guest room.

Looking at Yan Qiao Qiao and VV, both asleep, he felt something he had never experienced before…

A sense of warmth he could only describe as “family.”

If he ever got married and had kids, it would probably look just as happy and fulfilling as this.

Many men endure countless hardships and unfairness outside but still smile through it all.

Perhaps what sustains them is a scene like the one Lin Xian had before him.

The warmth and happiness of a family is the ultimate goal for a man to strive for, and his bottom line for survival.

“Good night, Qiao Qiao,” Lin Xian whispered, then glanced at the unconscious Pomeranian. “Good night, VV.”

But this time, the sleeping pair, human and dog, did not reply.

…

The next morning, Zhao Ying Jun returned early to pick up Yan Qiao Qiao and VV. “Thanks for all your hard work, Lin Xian. You’re a guy, so I’m sure you’ve never taken care of a kid or a dog before. I was worried you’d be exhausted, so I rushed back right after the memorial. Were you worn out these past two days?”

“Not at all,” Lin Xian replied, waving his hand. “I actually had a great time. Qiao Qiao and VV are both really adorable.”

He crouched down to pat the top of Qiao Qiao’s ponytail. She was getting smarter and learning fast. Although she was still behind most fourteen-year-olds, Lin Xian felt she was almost normal now. It seemed her mental deficiency wasn’t as serious as they had thought, and he was glad for that.

“Goodbye, Qiao Qiao. Whenever you want to hang out, just come find me.”

Yan Qiao Qiao, holding onto her pile of plush toys, nodded.

“Wow, you managed to win so many dolls,” Zhao Ying Jun laughed and asked Yan Qiao Qiao, “Isn’t Lin Xian great?”

“He’s great,” Yan Qiao Qiao replied sincerely.

“Do you like Lin Xian?”

“Yes,” she said straightforwardly.

“Then next time, we’ll invite him out for fun together, okay?”

“Okay,” Yan Qiao Qiao nodded, eyes full of hope as she looked at Lin Xian.

“We’ll be going now, Lin Xian.” Zhao Ying Jun waved goodbye with a smile. “Let’s plan to go out with Qiao Qiao next time.”

“No problem.” Lin Xian waved back. “See you next time.”

…

Now “single” and “free” again, Lin Xian could finally return to the dream world and continue making progress.

It was just before noon.

Lin Xian had a quick bite, then lay down on his bed and drifted into sleep.

…

…

…

“Did you learn it?” Lin Xian asked as he demonstrated Liu Feng’s “Qi Qi Template” to CC.

CC seemed troubled. This type of emotional eye contact was too hard to mimic. She then suggested, “What if we tried a different approach? Instead of walking through those lovebird-filled alleys, what if we climbed over the old town’s rooftops?”

“No good. It’s only a temporary fix,” Lin Xian explained. “Even if we get through the dating hotspots, we still have to cover at least two kilometers of the main road to reach the Queen’s Castle. There are people everywhere, plus patrolling soldiers and mounted cavalry with guns.”

“Even though my Martian-tech pistol has better accuracy, firepower, and range than their muskets, it’s small and only holds seven rounds. Besides, the only time it might be useful is during the actual abduction. With a town full of muskets, a single gun won’t help us. You can’t fight dozens of muskets with one pistol.”

“So the best, and really the only, way is to act convincingly like a couple in love. That way, we can stroll down the street without anyone suspecting us. Because at night in Queen’s Town, couples are everywhere. If we act well enough to blend in, no one will notice us.”

“Alright,” CC agreed to the plan. “I’ll try to perform better and act more like this Qi Qi girl…”

…

Bang!

The same script played out.

Even though CC tried her best to play the role of Qi Qi—the kind, gentle, girl-next-door type—her act was still exposed by Queen’s Town’s “Romance Patrol.”

“They’re not a real couple! It’s all an act!”

After that, the alarms blared, horses galloped from all directions, and the cold barrels of muskets pressed against their foreheads. One gunshot sent Lin Xian back to reality.

“Ugh, I give up,” Lin Xian muttered, sitting up in bed. This level was just too hard.

Fighting was impossible.

Firepower couldn’t match the cavalry with muskets.

Acting—CC couldn’t play any type of girl convincingly.

What now?

And to make it worse, in this romantic city of Queen’s Town, everyone was a “love inspector,” with keen eyes that could tell real love from fake at a glance! There was no fooling them!

“Forget it,” Lin Xian decided to abandon the plan. “Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll tell everyone to consider Plan B instead.”

The next day, at noon, Lin Xian took another long 12-hour nap.

…

…

…

“So, CC, as I said, we need to go with Plan B. Everyone thought the ‘pretend to be a couple’ plan would be easy, but it’s clearly not,” Lin Xian explained.

They were in Big Cat Face’s room in Big Cat’s Village. Lin Xian had called CC over to discuss what happened in the previous dream loops. “I had to tell you all this upfront. Otherwise, no one would believe how hard it really is. The truth is, we can’t pull off pretending to be a couple.”

“Old Man Wei Sheng Jin taught you to act shy; Zhu Zi taught you to act tough; my friend Liu Feng guided you to act like the girl next door. But none of these fool the love inspectors in Queen’s Town. They can easily see that we’re acting.”

“If we’ve tried so many styles and none work, it means this tactic might just be impossible. Let’s agree on something else,” he continued.

CC thought for a while, then spoke up. “But you mentioned the rest of Queen’s Town is brightly lit, with lots of patrolling soldiers. Are there really other routes we could use?”

Lin Xian shook his head. “I can’t think of any right now. But since the ‘pretend to be a couple’ plan isn’t working, we have to come up with something else—unless we just give up on the safe in the Queen’s Town.”

“That’s definitely not an option,” CC said firmly, shaking her head.

Then… She bit her lip, deep in thought, before speaking softly, “Lin Xian, I have a thought about this pretend-to-be-couples plan.”

CC looked up, meeting Lin Xian’s gaze. “Do you know why our fake couple act works on Zhu Zi and Big Cat Face?”

“Because they’re dumb?” Lin Xian replied.

CC shook her head. “I see it differently. I think it’s because… even though most of our act is fake, there’s still something real in it.”

Her tone was sincere and serious. “For example, I said I trust you and that I’d stay by your side even if it meant dying together in Queen’s Town… those words were real. They’re my true thoughts.”

The light from two oil lamps on the table danced in CC’s eyes. “I believe that kind of honesty and truthfulness is what convinced Big Cat Face and the others that we were a couple…”

“We didn’t have any intimate gestures or actions. But true is always true, and fake is always fake.”

“So, I think the ‘pretend-to-be-couples’ plan was doomed from the start because of the way it was taught,” she explained.

Lin Xian looked at her. “Why do you say that?”

“Because…” CC looked back at him. “You said they taught me to act shy, strong-willed, or like the girl next door. But, Lin Xian, that’s not me.”

“I’m not shy. I’m not a strong-willed wife. I’m not the girl next door. So, naturally, I can’t play those roles well. I can’t turn something fake into something real.”

“I’m just me. I’m CC. If there’s anything real in me that could be useful in this mission, it’s my real trust in you, my genuine liking for you, my willingness to live or die with you.”

Lin Xian listened to CC and understood what she meant. “You’re saying… don’t pretend—just make it real?”

CC nodded.

Lin Xian chuckled. “But if there’s no actual romantic feeling, how do we make it real?”

“Do you like me?” he asked.

CC shook her head without hesitation. “I don’t have that kind of romantic feeling for you. After all, today is just our first meeting, and our previous memories are just two fragmented ones. For me, the total time we’ve known each other is less than 12 hours.”

“But I can say for sure, Lin Xian, that I don’t dislike you. I admit you have a certain charm sometimes, and I do have some level of affection for you,” she said.

“So…”

“I want to try. I won’t pretend to be any other woman. I’ll just be myself. I’ll show you my simplest, purest, most genuine affection… Maybe that’s the real deal, and since it’s genuine, it won’t be exposed,” she concluded.

Lin Xian straightened in his chair, looking at the determined CC. “Are you sure you can do it?”

“It’s not that I doubt your determination; I’m willing to try with you again.”

“But I’m curious… without any experience in love or seeing any romantic scenes, can you really pull off that feeling of romance?”

CC lowered her head and chuckled. “Who’s born knowing how to date? Does love not exist in primitive times without movies, pictures, or even stories?”

…

Two hours later.

Queen’s Town, southwest corner.

Lin Xian and CC successfully climbed over the wall.

“Over to you,” Lin Xian said.

CC nodded, extending her right hand under the moonlight. “Give me your hand, Lin Xian. Let’s walk together.”

Big hand holding a small hand.

This moment felt like that time, over a month ago, when he jumped from a plane at 20,000 meters and chased through the swirling clouds. At less than 2,000 meters from the ground, Lin Xian caught Chu An Qing’s hand.

The two walked hand in hand.

Under the bright moon, they took step after step forward.

No words.

No extra gestures.

Just holding hands, naturally and calmly, boldly and proudly moving forward.

They passed one alley after another.

They walked by one couple after another.

No one paid them much attention.

Because…

At that moment, the atmosphere around them wasn’t quite love but certainly genuine affection.

The girl would often turn her head under the moonlight, smiling softly.

Her lively eyes curved into small crescent moons, with dimples faintly appearing at the corners of her mouth as she looked at the man beside her—someone she had met and parted with across several worlds.

Her gaze was filled with trust and a shared commitment to life and death.

Along the way, they reached the main road.

The two kept their peaceful silence, as if all the town’s lights, noise, and chaos had nothing to do with them.

The two-kilometer path from the old town to the Queen’s Castle…

They passed countless people.

They passed countless soldiers.

Everyone who saw them, or didn’t, gave them approving and reassuring smiles, their eyes full of hope for the younger generation and blessings for a bright future.

“Look, we made it!” CC said, finally letting go of Lin Xian’s hand when they reached the castle’s outer wall. “It was that easy!”

“Heh.” Lin Xian chuckled, with nothing left to say.

What more was there to say?

It could only be said that sincerity and honesty are the true keys.

Many seemingly simple problems become complicated only because we overthink them.

Love and romance…

Don’t need to be grand.

Don’t need to be sticky or over-the-top.

The answer is just that simple and pure.

“Look, Lin Xian, there’s a back door here,” CC said, leading Lin Xian to the back of the Queen’s Castle.

Though Lin Xian called it a castle, it was actually just a normal four- or five-story building. The first floor had a courtyard, but it wasn’t very big. They were now at a back door on the first floor.

Seeing the crudely designed lock, CC quickly pulled out a Martian-tech multifunctional army knife from her waist and cracked it in a few swift moves.

Sure enough, the skills of a password expert must have come from some memory fragment. She never forgot them, no matter the time or place.

Lin Xian held his gun.

He knew that in the world of hostage-taking, speed was everything. They had to control the hostage in the shortest time!

CC adjusted her army knife to a dagger and waited for Lin Xian’s signal.

“Three… two… one… Go!”

The two moved like unleashed leopards, swiftly sweeping through every room from bottom to top.

Finally!

On the third floor, they found a bedroom!

The bed covers were puffed up—someone was clearly sleeping inside!

Swoosh.

CC moved with agility, jumping onto the bed and yanking the covers down.

“Eek—” A young girl with a lovely face screamed, covering her face.

CC held her dagger to the girl’s neck. “Shut up. Don’t make a sound!”

Lin Xian stood nearby, holding his Martian-tech pistol, aimed at the panicked girl on the bed. “Are you the Queen of Queen’s Town?”

“Hehe…” Suddenly, a cold laugh came from behind them!

Click, click.

A cold pistol pressed against the back of Lin Xian’s head, while another one extended from the side, aiming at CC on the bed.

“She’s not the Queen…” From behind them, a slightly raspy but confident voice filled with contempt spoke, “I am.”

CC stood there, still holding the dagger to the girl’s neck, not moving.

Lin Xian didn’t turn around. Instead, he used his peripheral vision to glance at the gun pointing at CC.

It was exquisite.

Shiny.

Compact.

Intricate craftsmanship.

One look, and you’d know it couldn’t possibly be a product of the current Earth era!

This so-called Queen…

Must be from Mars!

“Put the gun down, and turn around, boy,” the Queen behind him chuckled calmly. “I’m quite curious—who gave you the courage to barge into Queen’s Town?”

Lin Xian didn’t move.

The barrel pressed harder against the back of his head. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t listen… then you’ll explode.”

Lin Xian was also curious to see who this Queen was.

Whatever. Dead or not, he’d just come back tomorrow.

After all, he now knew the Queen’s real location.

Lin Xian lowered his gun.

Slowly, he turned around.

The night breeze blew in, lifting the huge curtains by the window, letting the moonlight flood in.

The room brightened.

Lin Xian saw the Queen’s face.

She was an elderly woman, probably in her late seventies or eighties. Her frame was thin, but judging by her build and spirit, she was still healthy. At least, her arms didn’t tremble as she held the dual pistols.

At the same time, the old woman with gray hair and a wrinkled face also got a good look at Lin Xian.

She was stunned, unable to believe her eyes, and took a step back. “Lin Xian… Lin Xian?”

Her breathing quickened, and her pupils trembled. She couldn’t believe it. “You… Aren’t you supposed to be… dead?”