Towards evening, Yu Wanzhi, who had been wandering about the whole day, returned to the compound. No sooner had she stepped off the bus than a man seized her arm firmly.
“Where on earth have you been all day? Why didn’t you tell me before leaving? You had no money or food coupons on you—how were you supposed to get anything to eat?”
A rare look of anxiety clouded Xiao Yunting’s face, and his voice trembled with a barely perceptible quiver.
Yu Wanzhi lifted her eyes, a teasing glint dancing in them. “Why? Worried about me? Relax, I’m not about to starve. I went looking for a place to stay!”
She had thought long and hard all through the night, and finally made up her mind: she must leave the Xiao family home as soon as possible, and find a little place of her own.
Though she had never known a proper family growing up, pride ran deep in her bones. The orphanage matron had once told her: in life, you may be soft-tempered, but you must never lose your backbone; your tongue may be gentle, but your spirit must be unbreakable.
Old Master Xiao had never openly said she was unwelcome under his roof, yet his cold, distant glances had cut her to the quick. She would far rather live freely in a drafty, damp rented room than remain a dependent under the roof of this grand household, forever at the mercy of others’ moods and expectations.
That said, finding a place to rent in the capital was proving incredibly difficult. She had tramped through the hutongs nearly all day and found not a single vacant dwelling. With no other choice, she was returning to the Xiao residence for one last night, intending to speak plainly with Xiao Yunting. Come morning, she would move into her personal space dimension for the time being.
“Looking for a place to rent?” An inexplicable irritation flared in Xiao Yunting’s chest. “You have no household registration papers, no letter of introduction—why on earth would anyone rent to you?”
Yu Wanzhi walked on ahead, her voice soft yet steady. “Then I’ll just pay extra, won’t I. I thought about it last night, and Fu Zhoujing was right. We aren’t betrothed or even formally together—it really isn’t proper for me to keep living in your home. I need to plan for my own future too, you know.”
Xiao Yunting frowned, his restlessness evident. “And… what exactly do you plan to do?”
“Nothing definite yet. In my past life… I mean, before… I graduated high school and was with you. You put me through university, but before I could even start working, I was hit by a truck. So I’ve never actually held a job.”
“Besides, work is hard to come by in this era. I’ll take things slow for now—after all, I know how the world develops from here. Rest assured, I certainly won’t starve!”
Yu Wanzhi felt no real concern over making a living. She possessed a vast personal space dimension, and within it stood the largest shopping mall of 1990s Beijing, stocked with everything from clothing to food, household goods to luxuries. Even without income, starvation was simply impossible. Still, to avoid drawing unwanted attention, she knew she must keep up appearances. What exactly she ought to do remained undecided—but there was no hurry. After all, she had nothing but time.
Xiao Yunting hurried to catch up, his tone casual as though the question had slipped his mind. “What did you eat today? And where did you get the money or coupons?”
Seeing him so concerned for her filled Yu Wanzhi’s heart with quiet delight, and she smiled secretly to herself. “Just some snacks. An elderly woman gave them to me on the train from the Northeast—she thanked me for helping her carry water. And honestly, there’s nothing here I’m particularly fond of, so it’s just as well. Call it a diet!”
Xiao Yunting stole a sidelong glance at the petite figure beside him. He stood at a tall 187cm; the girl barely reached his shoulder, standing perhaps around 165cm. She still wore the pink floral dress from the day before, her thick, luxuriant hair tied loosely back in a low ponytail, revealing her delicate, oval face. Her limbs were fair and slender, appearing so fragile they might snap at a touch—so tiny, he realized with a sudden thought, that he could lift her clean off the ground with one arm.
“You? Plump? You’re little more than skin and bones! A stiff gust of wind would carry you away. From now on, you will eat properly. Do you hear me?” Even as he spoke, his gaze drifted instinctively downward, to the soft, full curves rising beneath the pale skin of her neck. His thoughts ran unbidden: …Though, some parts are still quite plump.
Back inside the Xiao family home, laughter and voices drifted out before they even crossed the threshold.
Xiao Yunting recognized the voices at once and turned to her. “Fu Zhoujing, Su Nian, and He Liangchen are here. You already know Zhoujing—do you remember the other two?”
Yu Wanzhi nodded. The four young men had grown up together in the military compound, all from distinguished families, bound by lifelong brotherhood. Fu Zhoujing she knew best: he and Xiao Yunting shared a bond forged in life-and-death. He Liangchen was a career soldier; by the time she had known him in her past life, he had already risen to Brigade Commander. He was perpetually busy, and she had met him scarcely four or five times. Su Nian she knew far less about—in the 1990s, he and Xiao Yunting had fallen out completely and ceased all contact. Whatever little she knew of him had come only from Fu Zhoujing’s accounts.
“Liangchen rarely has leave. It’s a rare chance to have them all together—let me properly introduce you.”
Yu Wanzhi reached out and caught his arm gently. “Please don’t tell them anything about my circumstances. Ask Fu Zhoujing too—let this remain just between the three of us.”
Xiao Yunting paused, then nodded slowly. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his dark eyes…
“I say, Lao Xiao! Where’ve you been gallivanting all afternoon? Liangchen only has a few days’ leave—we’ve been waiting here ages!” Su Nian’s voice rang out. He stepped forward, then caught sight of the girl standing behind Xiao Yunting and stopped short, his eyes widening in surprise. “Good heavens… and who is this?”
“This is a friend of mine, Yu Wanzhi,” Xiao Yunting said, his expression thoughtful. That she showed no wariness toward Fu Zhoujing suggested their friendship would remain as strong in this timeline as it had been before. But these other two…
Su Nian raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. “A friend? I’ve never heard you speak of a female friend before. Comrade Yu, you look unfamiliar—are you from the capital?”
Just then, Qin Mengshuang stepped out from the inner room, her walk swaying and graceful, her makeup and hair immaculately styled. On her arm hung another young woman, the two appearing close and companionable.
“Yunting, you’re back at last!” the young woman called out familiarly, looking straight at him with undisguised admiration, not so much as glancing at Yu Wanzhi. “We arrived at noon and haven’t seen hide nor hair of you all day. Your aunt said you’d been gone since morning—wherever have you been?”
This was Su Yue. She had heard all about the newcomer from Aunt Qin: some girl who had appeared out of nowhere, claimed alternately to be a distant relative of the Xiao family or a friend, who showed no respect and had a terrible temper.
Su Yue was still in high school. Her family and the Xiao family were old acquaintances; her grandfather had served directly under Old Master Xiao. She had known Xiao Yunting since childhood, and had loved him since she was old enough to know what love was. When she had first heard rumors of another woman in his home, she had been afraid—but after Aunt Qin’s account, she had felt certain the girl stood no chance.
Now, seeing her face to face, her heart sank. Her breath caught in her chest, and a sudden, sharp anxiety seized her. She had never seen anyone so breathtakingly beautiful.
Pale, flawless skin and dark, lustrous hair. Slender waist and soft, full curves. Wrists like polished ivory. Her complexion fair and luminous, as though lit from within. Her lips, unadorned by lipstick, were the soft pink of cherry blossoms, with a tiny, perfectly formed pearl at the center of her upper lip—tempting, sweet, and utterly irresistible.
She looked exactly like the finest porcelain doll one might find in the exclusive Friendship Store: exquisite, unforgettable, and impossible to look away from.