She had all the owners prepare everything and put it in her trunk. Once it was full, she drove around the block, put the snacks in the car into the space warehouse, and came back to continue loading.
After several trips, she finally got all the snacks into the space. And Yuan Tao was exhausted.
Only then did she stop buying and drive home contentedly.
By the time she got home, it was already eight in the evening. As soon as Yuan Tao entered the house, she saw shopping bags of all sizes piled all over the living room. Zhou Yunxi must have had someone bring them in.
Without a word, she waved her hand and put them all into the space.
It was also because only Yuan Tao and Zhou Yunxi lived in the villa, and the household staff didn’t live there, that she dared to use the space so freely.
After collecting everything, Yuan Tao turned around and saw Zhou Yunxi standing behind her. She jumped in fright and grumbled inwardly. Does this man walk without making any sound?
She was just about to ask Zhou Yunxi about the supplies when she heard Xiao Jiu calling her from the space, its voice urgent. Yuan Tao was afraid something had happened to the space. She didn’t bother asking, hastily greeted him, and ran upstairs.
Zhou Yunxi had no choice but to swallow the words he had been about to say, watching Yuan Tao’s retreating figure with a slight daze.
Forget it. I’ll tell her tomorrow.
Yuan Tao hurried back to her bedroom, closed the door, and entered the space.
Inside the space, Xiao Jiu, seeing Yuan Tao come in, pulled her to the withered large peach tree in the courtyard. Pointing at the well, where the water level was still slowly rising, it said, “Taozi, look! Water suddenly appeared in this well!”
Yuan Tao frowned at the water in the well. At a glance, this water was clearly not simple. The well water was crystal clear, giving off a faint glow, with mist curling upward, carrying a refreshing, delicate fragrance.
Just smelling that delicate fragrance, Yuan Tao felt her whole body become unobstructed, and the exhaustion from running around all day slowly dissipated.
Could this be the legendary spirit spring? But why has it suddenly appeared?
Yuan Tao remembered very clearly that when she had toured the space last night, this well had been dry. At the time, she had even lamented why there was no spirit spring, which was standard for spaces. She hadn’t expected it to suddenly appear today.
“Xiao Jiu, do you know when this water appeared?”
“Xiao Jiu doesn’t know either. I had just finished planting for Taozi and came back when I smelled a fragrant scent here. Only when I came over did I see water in the well. Taozi, I’m sorry. Something new suddenly appeared in the space and I didn’t notice it right away.” After saying this, Xiao Jiu lowered its head in shame, like a little cat that had done something wrong, waiting for its master’s punishment.
Yuan Tao soothingly stroked Xiao Jiu’s soft fur, her voice gentle. “You’ve already been great, Xiao Jiu. You notified me the moment you saw it, didn’t you? Besides, this might be a good thing.”
Xiao Jiu looked at Yuan Tao in confusion.
Yuan Tao didn’t explain. She used her mind to bring over a cup and scooped a cup of water from the well.
Yuan Tao stared at the water in the cup for a long time, then closed her eyes and drank it without hesitation.
The moment she drank it, the imagined pain of marrow-cleansing from novels didn’t appear. Yuan Tao only felt all her meridians relax, exhaustion completely gone, every pore in her body crying out in comfort.
Yuan Tao couldn’t hide the delight in her eyes. This water really was spirit spring water. Though it didn’t have the legendary heaven-defying effects of marrow-cleansing and bringing the dead back to life, it could still relieve fatigue and beautify the skin.
Yuan Tao decided she could drink more spirit spring water in the future. After all, which girl didn’t love beauty?
As for its origin and why it had suddenly appeared, Yuan Tao had no clue. But she wasn’t one to agonize over things. If she couldn’t figure it out, so be it. There would be a day when she learned the truth.
Yuan Tao happily hugged Xiao Jiu and kissed it, excitedly sharing the effects of the spirit spring water. If Xiao Jiu didn’t need to eat, she would have wanted Xiao Jiu to drink some too.
Xiao Jiu was happy too, its little tail wagging cheerfully.
Taozi hadn’t blamed it. As expected, Taozi and it were the very best!
After cuddling the cat, Yuan Tao went to look at the crops and vegetables Xiao Jiu had planted. Several hundred mu of land had been neatly planned by Xiao Jiu, all planted with the seeds she had bought today. Rice, wheat, and other grains made up the largest proportion, and various vegetables had also been planted in small plots.
Looking at such a large expanse of black soil, Yuan Tao was grateful she had Xiao Jiu, this capable assistant. Otherwise, on her own, she probably couldn’t have planted even a single mu.
After looking at the planting area, Yuan Tao played with Xiao Jiu for a while before leaving the space to wash up and sleep.
At this moment, Yuan Tao still didn’t know she would face brutal training tomorrow. She slept soundly.
Downstairs, the light in Zhou Yunxi’s study stayed on all night.
The next morning, Yuan Tao was woken by a knock on the door.
She struggled to sit up from under the covers, her eyelids so heavy she couldn’t lift them, her head like it was stuffed with paste. The knocking continued, unhurried, but with a persistence that wouldn’t give up until it got what it wanted.
“Coming…” she answered vaguely, her voice thick with sleep.
She didn’t get up immediately, instead collapsing back onto the bed in a daze. Zhou Yunxi listened carefully for a while, and when he heard no more movement, had no choice but to speak. “Yuan Tao, get up. The teacher arrived at six.”
Teacher? What teacher?
Yuan Tao jolted and got out of bed. The coldness rising from the floor made her a bit more alert.
She opened the door and asked in confusion, her voice soft and sticky with lingering sleep. “Yunxi-ge, what teacher? Didn’t you request leave for me?”
Zhou Yunxi looked at the girl before him, clearly just woken up, her hair still sticking up messily. The sharpness deep in his eyes quietly melted. He was silent for two seconds before speaking. “I’ve hired a teacher to teach you combat skills. Before the apocalypse arrives, you’ll get up at six every day to train. You have fifteen minutes to wash up.”
Yuan Tao let out a wail and turned back to her room unwillingly to change clothes. Though reluctant, she didn’t not want to train. In the apocalypse, strength was supreme.
Only by becoming strong herself would she not be at others’ mercy.
Yuan Tao knew very well that Zhou Yunxi couldn’t protect her forever. Besides, she was no longer the original Yuan Tao. If…
Fifteen minutes later, Yuan Tao stood neatly dressed before a tall woman with sharp, cold eyes. Looking at the woman’s severe aura, Yuan Tao knew she was probably a veteran.
After introducing themselves to each other, Yuan Tao learned her name was Yao Na. After being discharged, she worked in security at a security company, and that company was invested in by Zhou Yunxi.
Zhou Yunxi had also once been a soldier, but had later been discharged due to injury. After discharge, he and his comrades invested in and opened that security company.
Yao Na nodded at Zhou Yunxi, then took Yuan Tao to the gym and began testing her physical fitness, then tailored a training plan for her.
After an hour of physical training and two hours of combat practice, Yuan Tao was already panting for breath, lying on the gym floor without any desire to move, sweat soaking through her clothes.
Yao Na finished relaxing Yuan Tao’s muscles and went out. Yuan Tao rested for a while and, feeling a bit of strength return, used her mind to take out a cup of spirit spring water from the space and drank it. The fatigue in her body slowly faded.
Feeling her body filled with strength again, Yuan Tao sighed in amazement. This spirit spring water had come at just the right time!