Huan Rusha poured Shen Juan a cup of flower tea.
It was made from dried jasmine, chrysanthemum, and osmanthus, packed into a tea sachet. The taste was crisp and sweet as it entered the mouth.
“This water seems unusual, doesn’t it?” Shen Juan asked.
Huan Rusha smiled at him, “Your senses are quite sharp. This is dew water. I’ve collected several jars of it. It’s best used for brewing tea.”
Shen Juan nodded.
Being here with Huan Rusha, he felt as if he had stepped away from the noisy bustle of city life and returned to a quiet countryside retreat. His body and mind both relaxed.
However, it was getting late. It was time to part.
Huan Rusha looked at Shen Juan with reluctance, knowing he was about to leave.
“I…”
“You…”
They both spoke at the same time, then looked at each other and smiled.
Shen Juan said casually, “It’s getting late. I should go. I’ll come see you again in a few days.”
“When will you come again? Will it be a long time?” Huan Rusha asked eagerly. As soon as the words left her mouth, her face flushed red. She realized how anxious she sounded.
She pressed her lips together, lowering her head shyly, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.
“If you’re busy, just do your work. I’ll be here waiting for you anyway.”
Seeing her like this, Shen Juan felt as if he were watching a newly married wife reluctantly sending her husband off on a business trip… unwilling to part, yet having no choice.
“Three days later, in the afternoon, I’ll come see you again.”
Hearing his definite answer, a bright smile blossomed on Huan Rusha’s face.
She nodded, “Alright, I’ll wait for you. If I’m not here when you come, I’ll probably be out gathering herbs. You can release it, and it will naturally go call me back.”
She pointed to the snow-white parrot.
During this time, it had been her only companion in this remote, uninhabited forest.
“Alright. Next time I come, I’ll bring you some things.”
Shen Juan glanced at his phone and noticed that although the place was remote and elevated, there was still a signal.
Huan Rusha’s lifestyle felt peaceful, almost like that of an ancient person. However, if she were to go down the mountain and enter modern city life, it would be difficult for her to adapt. Shen Juan decided to help her gradually understand the modern world in advance.
“Shen Juan, wait.”
Huan Rusha called out to him and then turned to enter another room.
She opened the box. Inside lay a crystal-clear jade pendant.
She placed the box, along with the pendant, into Shen Juan’s hands.
“This is the most valuable thing I own. I’m giving it to you as a token of love. Shen Juan, don’t forget me. You must come back to find me, alright?”
Huan Rusha looked at him with hopeful eyes.
In such a vast city filled with countless people, if Shen Juan left and never returned, she would never be able to find him again.
It would be easy for him to find her, but for her to find him would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.
She was used to loneliness… but she could not bear the loneliness that came after experiencing warmth between two people.
Shen Juan accepted the jade pendant and the wooden box. He hadn’t brought anything with him today and had nothing else to give her.
He pulled Huan Rusha into his arms, lowered his head, and pressed a kiss onto her lips. Then, with shameless seriousness, he said, “I don’t have anything else to give you right now. Let this kiss be my promise. I’ll definitely come see you in three days.”
A single kiss, paired with a few sweet words, was enough to completely captivate this pure-hearted girl.
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him, her vision blurred. She nodded gently, “I’ll wait for you to come back.”
…
By the time Shen Juan returned home, it was a little past 5:00 in the afternoon.
As soon as he entered, Jiang Ziying had already placed a pair of slippers by his feet.
“Brother Shen, I’m about to start cooking dinner. Is there anything you’d like to eat? I can make it for you.”
Jiang Ziying looked at him with a bright smile, her attitude sincere.
She had listened to him and changed into something more comfortable today.
A white T-shirt paired with light-colored denim shorts revealed her fair, slender legs. On her feet were pink slippers with rabbit ears. Her hair was tied up high, giving her a youthful, energetic appearance.
Seeing Shen Juan looking at her with a smile, Jiang Ziying glanced down at her outfit.
She stuck out her small pink tongue shyly, “Brother Shen, is this okay? Is it too casual? I can change back into my work outfit if you prefer.”
Shen Juan waved his hands quickly, “No, no. I told you already, at home you can wear whatever makes you comfortable. No need to feel restrained.”
Jiang Ziying crouched down to help him change his shoes.
“No need, Jiang Ziying. I can do it myself,” Shen Juan said, feeling embarrassed to have such a beautiful and obedient girl serving him.
“It’s alright, Brother Shen. This is part of my duties. There’s no need to be polite. You go rest first, I’ll cook. Tonight I’ll make braised prawns, stir-fried loofah with eggs, and pork rib corn soup. Is that okay?”
Shen Juan nodded, “That’s perfect. I’m not picky. I’ll go rest in my room for a bit.”
“Alright, Brother Shen. I’ll come call you when dinner is ready.”
It was clear she was the type suited for managing a household. No matter what dish she prepared, her movements were skillful, efficient, and meticulous.
Shen Juan took a hot shower and changed into clean sleepwear.
He opened the system inventory and saw the spatial ring.
It looked like an ancient jade thumb ring, glowing with a golden light inside the inventory.
He checked its description.
[Spatial Ring: Upon activation, it binds permanently to the user. The Spirit of Space can be upgraded. The higher the level, the stronger the spatial abilities. Refer to the internal space for detailed information.]
Below it was an option asking whether to activate.
Shen Juan didn’t hesitate and chose to activate it.
The progress bar filled rapidly. When it reached 100%, he felt a brief moment of dizziness. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in another space.
This must be the dimension inside the ring.
It was different from what he had imagined. He had thought it would be a void, with only a small visible and tangible patch of land under his feet, gradually expanding as he leveled up.
But in reality, it looked like a beautiful small garden.
Shen Juan noticed that beyond a certain range, everything turned gray. He walked over and touched it. It felt as though an invisible barrier blocked him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t step into the gray area.
The colorful space around him was the area he could move freely in.
There were several plots of land, a small spring, and a storage room.
The land could be used to grow herbs. Irrigating with the spring water could increase yield. Shen Juan examined it and found that the Level 1 Spirit Spring already had the effects of beautifying the skin and strengthening the body.
The storage room was extremely practical. It could preserve items indefinitely.
This meant that once herbs matured in the space, they could either be stored directly or refined into pills and then preserved.
Shen Juan took out the two Star Spirit Grass plants and planted them in the soil. Then he guided the spirit spring water to irrigate them.
Above the land, a display appeared, indicating that the plants would mature and be ready for seed harvesting in two hours.
Here, Shen Juan once again experienced the joy of farming games… except this time, he was inside it himself, cultivating valuable items he could actually use.
The currently unlocked space was limited. After planning to return in two hours to harvest the seeds, Shen Juan exited the space.
The ring had already appeared on his finger. With a thought, it emitted a golden glow and gradually seeped into his finger, merging with his body, completing the binding.
Now, the spatial ring had become intangible. Shen Juan no longer had to worry about losing it.
“Brother Shen, dinner is ready. Come out and eat.”