Ruan Qing still wanted to elicit more shock from Nian Qi, but Nian Qi stepped forward, turned on the faucet, watched the water flow out, then pressed it to turn it off. Smiling, he said, “I’ve got it. It’s truly convenient.”
Ruan Qing fell silent for a moment, then said unwillingly, “I’ve noticed you adapt incredibly fast. Aren’t you surprised by all these things—cars, electric lights, tap water?”
“Naturally, I am surprised. But there’s no need to remain surprised forever; one must get used to things eventually.” Nian Qi raised an eyebrow. “Besides, these things are all crafted by artisans, aren’t they? It’s just that after a thousand years, the craftsmanship has reached a level I could never have imagined.”
“But ultimately, these things are made for people to use—vehicles to carry people and goods, lights for illumination, water for washing and drinking. The craftsmanship may have undergone tremendous changes, but their purposes have never changed. As long as I know what they are for and how to use them, that’s enough.”
These words left Ruan Qing, a modern person, with no way to refute him.
Finally, she said, “Just.”
Nian Qi: “?”
Don't say 'biàn', say 'jiù'.” Ruan Qing said seriously. The character 'biàn' is too formal now; in everyday speech, we all say 'jiù'.’ You have many speech habits that need to be changed.”
Nian Qi readily agreed: “Alright.”
“Also, tap water can’t be drunk directly. If you absolutely must drink it, you have to boil it first. But generally, that’s not necessary.” Ruan Qing seized the opportunity to teach Nian Qi the ins and outs of modern life. “If you want to drink water, drink from the water dispenser—that’s drinking water. Tap water is fine for washing hands, face, or clothes, and for flushing the toilet, but don’t drink it.”
Ruan Qing also taught him how to use the toilet and shower, and pointed out the toilet paper, explaining its purpose.
Nian Qi pinched the toilet paper with his fingers and asked, “Do all the people living in this building use this?”
Ruan Qing said, “Everyone uses it, I suppose. There’s nothing else to use besides this. But some people use higher-quality paper, while others use lower-quality paper—the price difference is just a tiny bit.”
Nian Qi asked, “And tap water…”
“In cities, it’s all tap water. Like in the residential complex I live in, the shower water is hot water available 24 hours a day. You don’t have to boil it yourself; you can shower anytime.” Ruan Qing said. “But some rural areas don’t have tap water; they use groundwater. However, there are Press Water Wells, which are very convenient and almost as good as tap water. Anyway, it’s definitely much better than using wooden buckets to draw well water or river water in your time.”
Nian Qi sighed, “The lives of common people have become this good?”
From a distance, this building looked as tall as if it were holding up the sky, with countless windows—probably over a hundred households. He originally thought it would be remarkable if all the hundred or so households in one building, or people with similar wealth living in similar buildings, could use this water, this paper, and these toilets. But according to Ruan Qing, it seemed all the common people in the world were the same now. Unbelievable.
“What about in your time? Did you have paper?” Ruan Qing asked curiously.
The era Nian Qi came from roughly corresponded to the Song Dynasty in this timeline. The Song Dynasty was supposed to be quite prosperous, but she didn’t know what things were like in Nian Qi’s place.
“Common people used toilet sticks,” Nian Qi said. “High officials and nobles used cotton paper. Many scholars criticized it as too extravagant.”
Ah, so that was the early stage of toilet paper development. Understood.
After showing Nian Qi how to use all the bathroom fixtures, Ruan Qing retrieved a new toothbrush from the cabinet. "This is…"
"Tooth wood?" Nian Qi said. "This hasn't changed much. Just more refined. What material is this?"
Right, during the Song Dynasty, tooth wood, tooth powder, and dental cleaning agents were already quite advanced, it seemed.
"It's called a toothbrush now. The material is plastic. Plastic is everywhere these days." Ruan Qing casually pointed out some plastic items in the bathroom—the cup, trash can, and so on—then handed him toothpaste. "Toothpaste, for brushing your teeth. Just squeeze out a small amount."
She also gave him a new towel and said, "Since you're injured, don't take a shower. Just wash your face and hands for now."
Nian Qi replied, "I'll wipe myself down."
He was covered in sweat and blood, and if he didn't clean up, he'd surely soil the bedding later.
Ruan Qing handed him all the toiletries and left the bathroom.
Taking advantage of this time, she quickly tidied up the house. It had never been this messy before, and of all days, Nian Qi had to see it like this. It was truly frustrating.
First, she gathered her ex-boyfriend's clothes and took them back to the room. The bedsheets and pillowcases that had been used by that disgusting person were all stripped off and tossed on the floor.
Returning to the living room, she unfolded the sofa into a bed. Once she laid out the sheets and placed a pillow, it would be ready for sleeping.
Nian Qi seemed about the same height as her ex-boyfriend, so Ruan Qing hurried back to the room and rummaged through the wardrobe for a set of her ex's loungewear. She came out and pushed open the bathroom door. "You can wear this for now…"
Nian Qi suddenly turned his head, and Ruan Qing's words cut off abruptly.
The man had removed his shirt and was wearing only black pants. He stood slightly turned, his bare torso wrapped in white bandages, with two spots stained with blood.
A traditional cloth belt cinched his lean waist. His broad shoulders, arms, and back—every muscle was taut and powerful.
What kind of half-naked, battle-damaged look was this!
If this were posted on a short video platform, people would be calling him "hubby"!
This was exactly the type Ruan Qing scrolled through the most!
But this wasn't some fitness influencer. This was a genuine ancient person.
Ruan Qing coughed. "Wear this set for now. It's loungewear—comfortable to wear at home, and you can even sleep in it."
Nian Qi responded, "Thank you."
He was trying to wipe his back with his hand behind him.
"Let me help you." Ruan Qing set the clothes aside and stepped forward to take the towel from his hand. "You're bleeding again. Don't move."
With his injuries, twisting to wipe his back had reopened the wounds and caused bleeding. It was indeed inconvenient. Nian Qi didn't refuse and handed the damp towel to Ruan Qing.
Standing behind him, Ruan Qing carefully avoided the wounds as she wiped the blood and sweat from his back.
"Didn't the doctor ask how you got these injuries?" she asked.
"I've lost my memory, haven't I?" Nian Qi replied with a smile.
"Oh, right." Ruan Qing muttered, "You're quick on your feet."
"Opening my eyes felt like entering a different world—everything strange, everything unfamiliar." Nian Qi glanced sideways at the mirror, watching Ruan Qing clean his back, and said softly, "How could I not be alert?"
Ruan Qing looked up at him.
The man's profile was sharp and masculine.
Ruan Qing liked this type of handsome, spirited man. The young "wolf pup" she kept was also this type. But the pup was still young, silly and naive, often exuding a somewhat juvenile energy.
He was far inferior to the man before her now.
Ruan Qing lowered her eyes. "Do you have no family left at all?"
"No," said Nian Qi. "I'm an orphan, and I haven't married yet."
"Fiancée? Lover? Partner? A close female friend?" Ruan Qing asked.
"No," Nian Qi replied. "They were all just fleeting encounters, nothing lasting."
Ruan Qing: "Huh."
Alright, he's a seasoned man.
After wiping his back, Ruan Qing tossed him the towel: "Do the front yourself. Throw the dirty clothes in the laundry basket—yes, that plastic mesh basket."
"Oh, and this door can be locked. I forgot to mention that earlier." When Ruan Qing had lived with her ex-boyfriend, it was just the two of them, so there was no need to lock the bathroom door. She had momentarily forgotten.
After teaching Nian Qi how to lock and unlock the door, Ruan Qing left.
She returned to her room, changed into loungewear, and sat on the made-up sofa bed, waiting for Nian Qi to come out.
After a while, Nian Qi called from the bathroom: "Miss Ruan?"
Ruan Qing hurried to the bathroom door: "What's wrong?"
Nian Qi asked: "Is this clothing supposed to be like this?"
Ruan Qing immediately understood and chuckled: "Yes, that's exactly how it is—short sleeves and shorts. Didn't you see anyone dressed like that in the hospital?"
There was no more sound from the bathroom, but the door opened.
His legs are so long.
And straight… nice!
The fabric of the loungewear was incredibly soft, clinging to his body and clearly outlining the shape of his chest and arm muscles.
In short, nice!
Nian Qi felt a bit uncomfortable.
The fabric of this loungewear was too scant, even less than undergarments.
He had once infiltrated the Baiyi region, going shirtless with a small vest, exposing his chest and waist, and hadn't felt uncomfortable then. But that was a disguise for convenience during a mission. Now, he was alone in this small room with a woman…
"Feeling embarrassed?" Ruan Qing asked.
"A little. But the fabric is truly comfortable." Nian Qi tugged at the soft, form-fitting T-shirt. "Do people nowadays all dress like this? Like foreigners."
"Sir, times have changed," Ruan Qing said with a hint of mockery. "It's been a thousand years. The world has warmed up, and summer temperatures are much higher than in your time. The clothes from your era wouldn't survive summer now—people would die of heatstroke."
"Everyone dresses like this now. Exposing legs and arms is normal. Girls even show more skin. I'll take you out on the street later, and you'll see for yourself."
Nian Qi looked puzzled.
Ruan Qing: "…What's wrong?"
Nian Qi asked: "We're not related, so why call me 'sir'?"
Ruan Qing was taken aback, then suddenly remembered: in Nian Qi's time, equivalent to the Song Dynasty, "sir" meant "father."
Damn! She knew this, but she was used to TV dramas where officials were called "sir."
Ruan Qing rubbed her temple and brushed it off: "Language has evolved; the meaning of words has changed."
Nian Qi could only say: "Oh, I see."
Ruan Qing pointed to the sofa bed: "You sleep here for now. Make do with it, and I'll figure out what to do in a couple of days."
Just moments ago, it was seating; now it was bedding. Nian Qi found it amusing—there were many new and interesting things a thousand years later.
He said: "I apologize for the intrusion."
Ruan Qing: "Ancient phrasing."
Nian Qi retorted: "Then what should I say?"
Ruan Qing replied: "In this situation, you can just say 'thank you' or 'sorry for the trouble.'"
Nian Qi learned.
Ruan Qing told Nian Qi to sleep first: "I'm turning off the lights now."
The living room lights were turned off, but Ruan Qing did not return to her room—earlier, Nian Qi had been occupying the bathroom, so she hadn’t yet washed up. She headed to the bathroom.
In the darkened living room, Nian Qi could hear the sounds from the bathroom. This wasn’t because the bathroom door had poor soundproofing, but because Nian Qi’s hearing was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The sound of water was quite loud—she wasn’t just washing her face and brushing her teeth; she had also taken a shower.
Ruan Qing had indeed taken a quick shower. When she came out, she vaguely saw that Nian Qi had already lain down.
She asked, “Is it okay? Is the bed too hard?”
From the darkness came Nian Qi’s voice: “Very soft.”
“Good. Let’s sleep for now,” Ruan Qing said. “We can talk about anything else tomorrow. Don’t overthink it.”
In the darkness, Nian Qi’s voice sounded again: “…Okay.”
Ruan Qing passed through and returned to her room. The light briefly illuminated half the living room before disappearing as the door closed.
The living room returned to darkness, and Nian Qi heard the sound of the door locking.
In the air, the path she had walked left behind a lingering fragrance.
Nian Qi didn’t know it was the scent of shower gel—he only thought it smelled very nice.