Shen Jingyao entered the restroom, walking into a stall and closing the door behind her.
Her heart raced with nervous anticipation as she silently thought: Shopping Mall.
Sure enough, the next moment, she found herself inside the mall once again.
Gazing at the familiar surroundings, an overwhelming joy surged within her.
This shopping mall had six floors in total, containing entertainment zones, cosmetics, food courts, clothing stores, jewelry and gold shops, along with a supermarket and warehouses.
She mentally summoned chocolate.
Instantly, chocolate from the supermarket on the basement level appeared in her hand—apparently, this was the compensation mentioned by that voice earlier.
Her entire shopping mall had come with her, and she could retrieve anything from it through mere thought.
Stepping out of the mall, she wanted to see what lay beyond.
Exiting through the main doors, she discovered she had entered an elevator that felt strikingly familiar.
Wait—wasn’t this the large flat A Yan had bought?
Back when he asked her about her preferences for their future marital home—whether she preferred a villa or a large flat—she had replied that a villa felt too intimidating for just two people, and that she favored large flats.
So, A Yan purchased a newly developed large flat spanning over two hundred square meters.
After the renovation was complete, he brought her here once—she recalled it was on the sixth floor.
Testing the elevator buttons for other floors proved futile; only the sixth-floor button responded.
Arriving on the sixth floor, she opened the door and entered the unit.
Flipping the light switch in the entryway, electricity flowed. In the kitchen, turning the faucet released running water.
Entering the bedroom, she found everything preserved exactly as during her initial visit.
After the renovation, A Yan had furnished the entire space—furniture, appliances, daily necessities, and clothing—all meticulously arranged.
On the dressing table sat a photograph of her and A Yan.
Shen Jingyao picked up the photo, sat on the bed, and gently traced A Yan’s face in the image, her eyes brimming with tears.
It seemed heaven never seals all exits—they would have another chance to meet.
Now she fully understood the implication: she was meant to go to the countryside, and A Yan would be there.
This apartment and the supermarket were compensations for both of them.
With these resources, she and A Yan could live comfortably even in the impoverished, resource-scarce countryside.
Placing the photo back on the table, Shen Jingyao felt the heavy burden in her heart finally lift completely.
Exiting the Space, she returned to the restroom and stepped out into the corridor.
Only now did she have the presence of mind to observe her surroundings—a monotonous gray palette devoid of modern vibrancy.
No skyscrapers stood in sight, only low-rise bungalows and occasional gray buildings.
Slogans plastered everywhere embodied the distinctive character of this era.
Recalling the names of important leaders from this period, Shen Jingyao noted they differed from those in her memory.
This must be a parallel universe, though its historical trajectory mirrored the era she had experienced.
Mother Shen, returning to the third floor, spotted Shen Jingyao standing in the corridor gazing outside.
“Yaoyao, why are you out here? It’s windy today—be careful not to relapse with fever,” Mother Shen frowned, her expression disapproving.
The memory of her daughter’s high fever that morning still haunted her.
With her inner turmoil resolved, Shen Jingyao felt noticeably lighter and offered her mother a warm, affectionate smile.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Mom. Let’s go inside.”
“Good, good.” Mother Shen was delighted to see her daughter smiling, a sign she was truly recovering.
Back in the room, Shen Jingyao sat on the bed. “Mom, I’m almost completely better. Let’s go home soon.”
“No, you had such a high fever this morning. Even though it’s gone now, we must wait until tomorrow at least before going home.”
Mother Shen was quite firm when it came to her daughter’s health.
But Shen Jingyao knew how to handle her. She tugged at Mother Shen’s sleeve and pleaded, “Mom, I’m really fine. You can have the doctor check me again. Besides, the hospital smells awful.”
She even waved a hand in front of her nose—not wrong, as the hospital odor was indeed unpleasant.
Mother Shen couldn’t resist her daughter’s coquetry and hesitated slightly.
Seeing her waver, Shen Jingyao pressed her advantage. “Mom, let’s just go home. Feel my forehead—it’s not hot at all. Don’t I look much more energetic now?”
Mother Shen placed a hand on her daughter’s forehead and confirmed it wasn’t feverish.
Looking at her cheeks, she noticed they were rosier than when she’d first woken up.
“Alright, I’ll call the doctor. If she says you can go home, we’ll leave.”
“Don’t wander off. I’ll find the doctor now.”
Shen Jingyao sat obediently on the bed and nodded. “Okay, I won’t move.”
Soon, Mother Shen returned with the same doctor from that morning.
The doctor observed Shen Jingyao’s complexion and felt her head. “Still dizzy?”
“Not at all.” Shen Jingyao shook her head.
The doctor then used a stethoscope to listen to her chest—her heartbeat was regular, unlike the erratic rhythm from earlier.
“Seems fine. You can go home. Just rest well these next couple of days.” The doctor put away her stethoscope.
Hearing she could leave, Shen Jingyao immediately cheered, “Thank you, Auntie!”
The doctor smiled. “No need.”
“I’ll be going now.”
“Alright, thank you for your trouble.”
Once the doctor left the room, Shen Jingyao grabbed Mother Shen’s hand. “Mom, did you hear? The doctor said I can go home.”
Mother Shen gently tapped her forehead and sighed, “I heard.”
“Then I’ll change quickly so we can hurry back.” Shen Jingyao drew the curtain around the bed and changed out of her hospital gown.
Watching this, Mother Shen shook her head slightly—still such a child.
But then she remembered that matter, and her expression grew serious.
She hoped Guorong would bring good news when he returned tonight.
When Shen Jingyao opened the curtain, her face was bright with happiness again.
Shen Jingyao noticed everything, guessing her mother was worried about whether she’d have to go to the countryside.
She decided to announce her decision tonight when her father, brother, and sister-in-law returned.
After changing, Shen Jingyao and Mother Shen left the hospital and headed straight home.
Walking along the street, Shen Jingyao immersed herself in the surroundings, truly feeling she had traveled back to the 1970s—not some movie set.
Her mindset was calm now. Here, she had a family who cherished her, and soon she’d have her A Yan.
That was enough.
The hospital was close to the Steel Factory’s Family Compound, just a ten-minute walk.
Standing at the entrance, Shen Jingyao looked up at the residential building, familiar memories flooding her mind.
From her first cry at birth, to her babbling first words, to the graceful young woman she had become, this Family Compound held all the traces of the original owner’s growth.
Now, it was also the place where she had grown up from childhood. How wondrous fate could be.
Mother Shen, walking ahead, noticed she had stopped in her tracks. “Yao Yao, what are you looking at? Come home quickly, don’t stand outside in the wind.”
Shen Jingyao’s lips curved into a smile. “Coming.”