On the day the excavator arrived to demolish the entire building, the children all ran back from the hotel and crowded around the gate to watch, letting out bursts of exclamation from time to time.
Ye Muqing stood behind the children as well, watching the three-story building that held her memories with Tao Qian and the others being completely demolished. She still couldn’t help feeling a little emotional.
For several days in a row, Ye Muqing had been running back and forth between the Orphanage and home. If the system hadn’t taken the initiative to appear, she would already have forgotten all about the holographic technology and the mission—sent straight to Java.
The feasibility test at the research institute had succeeded.
Ye Muqing’s eyes lit up at once. “That fast?”
It had actually been completed three days sooner than the system had estimated.
The system was somewhat puzzled as well. It had clearly made its calculations based on the overall conditions of the humans on Ancient Earth at present, so how had there been such a large discrepancy?
Ye Muqing laced her hands behind her head and said smugly, “Obviously, you underestimated us.”
The system did not argue with her. It merely continued silently optimizing itself.
Now that the feasibility test for the holographic technology had succeeded, she needed to make some progress on acquiring the AI-brain technology as well.
Ye Muqing handed the matters at the Orphanage over to Tao Qian and went to the agricultural market in Ningjiang City.
The system had recorded the types of vegetables she had submitted previously, so she didn’t need to worry about buying duplicates.
The agricultural market did indeed have a more complete selection of vegetables than the supermarket. After picking and choosing, Ye Muqing actually managed to gather the remaining twenty-three varieties.
Inside the interstellar laboratory.
Having gained experience from the previous time, the Federation’s higher-ups had upgraded the receiving device. Its size had gone directly from the original small box to the current “large bathtub.”
As an alarm sounded, another batch of vegetables from Ancient Earth appeared out of thin air.
Those who hadn’t managed to return in time the previous time stared wide-eyed at the sight. They instinctively reached out to touch the vegetables, afraid that they were an illusion.
Their colleagues beside them were much calmer—though, of course, they would have been even calmer if one of them hadn’t tried to secretly hide a leaf.
The white-glove-wearing man at the head of the group raised a hand to push up his vintage gold-rimmed glasses. In a solemn voice, he said to the old professor beside him, “I now wholeheartedly agree with your words. The exchange system truly is humanity’s greatest invention since the beginning of the New Stellar Era.”
The old professor stood with his hands behind his back and looked at the vegetables before slowly saying, “That has always been my firm belief.”
Earth.
When the system asked Ye Muqing whether she wanted to send the AI-brain technology to the selected target, she thought for a long time before finally choosing no.
It wasn’t time yet.
The AI brain was far more important than holography. She had to inform the people above her first before she could hand it over with peace of mind.
“Wait a little longer.”
Ye Muqing believed that day should not be far off.
During the second week after reconstruction of the Orphanage began, Tao Qian had to leave Ningjiang City ahead of schedule because of work. Ye Muqing saw her off at the airport.
“Take good care of yourself. If anyone bullies you again, make sure you curse them right back.”
Ye Muqing smiled and agreed.
Tao Qian hugged Ye Muqing tightly, quite unwilling to part. She knew that once she left this time, they would not see each other again for several years.
Ye Muqing gently patted her back without saying anything.
After seeing Tao Qian off, Ye Muqing wrapped her scarf more tightly around herself and went home alone.
The quiet house held only the regular sound of the pendulum, which was enough to make anyone drowsy.
When the system’s voice suddenly rang out, the half-asleep Ye Muqing was given quite a fright.
【A new exchange request has been received. Please check it promptly, Host.】
Ye Muqing couldn’t help rubbing her eyes. A reminder like this from the system meant that the exchange request had come from ancient times.
At that thought, her drowsiness vanished instantly.
The greatest advantage of exchanging with people from ancient times was that everything she obtained was a genuine antique.
Ye Muqing looked toward the semitransparent screen. This time, she read through the mission details carefully from beginning to end, making sure she hadn’t missed anything.
After finishing, Ye Muqing immediately changed her clothes, grabbed her phone, and went out.
The request had come from a human who was on the verge of freezing to death. Naturally, what the other party needed was clothing that could keep them warm.
Ye Muqing bought several thick cotton quilts from the neighborhood supermarket. If time had allowed, she probably would have gone to the shopping center to buy a few down jackets as well.
Watching the heavy quilts disappear in a flash of blue light, Ye Muqing couldn’t help letting out a faint sigh of relief.
Hopefully, it would still be in time.
What appeared in place of the cotton quilts was an unremarkable-looking… bowl?
Ye Muqing held it in her hands and examined it carefully. She asked for forgiveness—she not only knew nothing about calligraphy and painting, she also knew nothing about antiques.
But that wasn’t a problem. She might not understand it, but didn’t she still have Yu Songjin?
They had already reached a friendly cooperation before. Besides, they were friends now, so handing it over to him would be perfectly safe.
Ye Muqing first sent Yu Songjin a message. Only after confirming that he was at the shop did she take the item and leave.
After the heavy snowfall, Antique Street had taken on an even more distinctive atmosphere. However, the flagstone road was also more liable to make people slip.
Before Ye Muqing could react, she had already landed hard on her butt, letting out a yelp of pain.
Yu Songjin pushed open the door and came out. When he saw the tears at the corners of her eyes, he suppressed his laughter and hurried over to pull her up.
But because he wasn’t paying attention, he fell beside her as well.
Ye Muqing was still grimacing as she rubbed her buttocks and lower back. Seeing Yu Songjin suddenly appear in front of her, she was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Yu Songjin sucked in a breath of cold air. Hearing her laughter, he was helplessly exasperated. “Go ahead, laugh. Who do you think I did this for?”
The two “physically broken but mentally indomitable” people eventually supported each other into the antique shop.
Yu Songjin deliberately brought Ye Muqing an extra cushion and poured her a cup of hot tea. “I hope what you brought is something good. Otherwise, our fall just now will have been for nothing.”
“Whether it’s something good or not is for you to determine.”
Fortunately, Ye Muqing had been afraid of falling when she left home, so she had carried a crossbody bag and placed the item in front of her.
When Yu Songjin saw Ye Muqing pull a black plastic bag out of the purse, he was speechless.
Could she not be quite so casual?
Yu Songjin put on a pair of gloves and carefully opened the black plastic bag.
The instant the object inside was revealed, cold sweat broke out on Yu Songjin’s forehead.
“You brought it here like this?”
Ye Muqing tilted her head. “How else was I supposed to bring it?”
“Wait here.”
Yu Songjin stood up and hurried into the back room. After a while, he returned carrying a great many things.
Chin in hand, Ye Muqing watched him cautiously handle the bowl that, in her opinion, was extremely unfriendly to anyone with trypophobia.
During the process, Yu Songjin even took photographs and sent them to someone, though she had no idea who. Watching him made Ye Muqing start yawning.
Unable to hold back, she called out to Yu Songjin, “What exactly is this?”
Yu Songjin looked up at her, his expression extraordinarily solemn.
“If I haven’t made a mistake in my appraisal, it should be—”