“Master, this is terrible! The Prime Minister’s estate has been robbed!” The kitchen manager, an elderly woman, ran toward the Prime Minister’s courtyard in a panic, shouting at the top of her lungs.
The Prime Minister barked back in annoyance, “Why all this shouting? ‘Robbed’? Who would have the audacity to steal from the Prime Minister’s residence?”
The manager looked ready to burst into tears. Having worked at the estate for nearly thirty years, she had never witnessed such a thing. “Master, since the young miss is to be married tomorrow, I thought to stock up on ingredients. But when I opened the storehouse, it was empty! There’s nothing left!”
“What? Empty? Absolutely nothing?” The Prime Minister didn’t wait; he stormed toward the gates.
Before he even reached the courtyard entrance, he ran into Lady Chen and several concubines. They swarmed him instantly.
“Master, my private storehouse has been looted!”
One by one, managers from various departments arrived to report that their respective areas had been picked clean. At that moment, the Prime Minister felt as though the heavens were collapsing. “Who is the scoundrel responsible for this? To dare steal from me!”
The scoundrel in question was currently lounging leisurely in a carriage, munching on a pingpo fruit from her space while browsing through her Gourmet Guide.
“I never imagined fish could be prepared in so many ways,” Qiao Zilin mused. “Sweet and sour, steamed, boiled, spicy, braised, pan-fried… I can’t even count them all. I definitely have to try these soon.”
“What is my wife planning to try?”
Long Zhenting was sharing the carriage with her, though he was outside driving while she lay comfortably inside.
“Fish,” Qiao Zilin answered without thinking. “Husband, do you like fish? Once we get home, let’s catch one and see if the Boiled Fish in the book is really as delicious as it claims.”
Long Zhenting smiled. “With my wife’s skills, anything you make will be delicious.” He still couldn’t fathom how a high-born lady like her possessed such culinary mastery. Was she truly as neglected at home as the rumors suggested? He remembered her as a lively, adorable girl when they were children visiting his maternal grandfather’s house, but he hadn’t expected her to grow up into someone so capable.
“Husband, how much longer until we reach Ping’an Town in Lingnan? This carriage is rattling me until my whole body aches.”
Hearing her crisp voice from inside, Long Zhenting felt a pang of sympathy. “Lin’er, if we travel without stopping, we should reach Peach Blossom Village in about ten days.”
Qiao Zilin felt the soul leave her body. Ten days? This is going to be the death of me. “Husband, what if we ride horses at full speed? How long then?”
“At full speed, only six days. But I’m worried you won’t be able to handle the strain. Let’s rest for a bit and take it slow.”
“Long pain is worse than short pain,” she declared, shifting herself to sit on the footboard beside him. “Let’s switch to horses. We shouldn’t waste time on the road.”
Yielding to her wish, Long Zhenting called for a break to recharge. They sat together eating steamed buns paired with Qiao Zilin’s homemade chili sauce—a simple meal that tasted remarkably gourmet in the open air.
Fifteen minutes later, they set off again. Qiao Zilin initially thought sitting behind Long Zhenting would be better, but the friction was worse there. In the end, she settled back into his lap. As the horse galloped, their bodies pressed together, and her senses were filled with his masculine scent. She felt like she was seeking her own suffering.
What can I even do in this position? she wondered. Then she remembered Xiao Bai’s words. It had said that once the space consumed gold, she could enter and exit at will. She pulled the rabbit out of her pack. “Xiao Bai, how do I upgrade the space?”
Xiao Bai perked up its ears. “Master, the space has already successfully auto-upgraded. If you want to enter or exit, just think of the command in your mind.”
“Is it that simple?” Qiao Zilin asked suspiciously. “Can anyone else get in?”
Xiao Bai rolled its eyes. “Master, for now, only the two of us can enter. It’s a restricted zone for everyone else.”
Reassured, Qiao Zilin decided to test it using her consciousness. She didn’t want to physically vanish and give Long Zhenting a heart attack. When her mind entered the space, she was stunned.
It was her small farm! Though the buildings had changed slightly, it was definitely her place. The items she had tossed in earlier were piled in the courtyard.
“Xiao Bai, why is everything in the yard and not in the house?”
The rabbit hopped around happily. “Master, just use your intent. Send the food to the first-floor storehouse and the treasures to the second floor. It’s as easy as thinking about it.”
Qiao Zilin focused on the ingredients and thought, Store these on the first floor. Instantly, they vanished. She checked the storehouse and found all the meat neatly organized inside a large freezer. Next, she moved the gold and silver to the second floor.
With the chores done, she wandered through her farm. It was a relief to see that the place she had built with her own blood and sweat had followed her to this world. After exploring for about half an hour, she felt a wave of exhaustion. She quickly withdrew her consciousness, but the mental drain was so great that she fell into a deep, heavy sleep.
Feeling her body go limp, Long Zhenting quickly reached out to steady her, holding her close as they continued their journey.
…
When Qiao Zilin finally opened her eyes, she was lying in a bed. She looked around the unfamiliar room—judging by the decor, it was an inn. Had they reached Ping’an Town?
Qing Mei heard the movement and rushed in. “Miss! You’re awake! You’ve been asleep for two whole days. You scared the Young Master half to death!”
“Two days?” Qiao Zilin sniffed her clothes. She smelled of sweat and needed a bath immediately. “Qing Mei, get me some hot water.”
Fifteen minutes later, after a refreshing soak, she felt human again. Just as she finished dressing, Long Zhenting walked in. He rushed to her side. “Lin’er, you’re finally awake! Your sudden deep sleep terrified me.”
Deep sleep… She realized that her first time entering the space must have been too long, causing a mental overload. She made a mental note to be more careful next time.