005. Traversing Once Again

The night was tranquil, the moonlight bright and clear, casting a cold, silvery glow across the sky. After her nightly routine, Jing Qingxin leaned against her bed, her head slightly bowed, absently toying with the ancient ink-black jade pendant at her neck. Her expression was thoughtful, grumbling inwardly: After she fell asleep tonight, would she be able to return to that place from last night? Would she see that man again?

Clearly, pondering further would yield no answers. Jing Qingxin couldn’t help but chuckle softly, then switched off her bedside lamp, burrowed under the quilt, and turned on her side to sleep.

Soon, the entire room fell into utter silence, as if even the air had stilled. Suddenly, a streak of golden light flashed swiftly above the center of the bed and vanished without a trace, leaving the room peaceful as before.

A sudden sensation of weightlessness seized her. Jing Qingxin’s eyes snapped open, her clear gaze darting with delight—had she traveled through time and space again?

The scene before her was the same as last night: the humble, timeworn mud-brick house. Outside the window, the sky had grown faintly bright; it must be early morning.

She glanced aside. On the simple wooden bed still lay a man, his sleep restless. Last time, she hadn’t had the chance to study him closely—she’d only guessed he was tormented by illness, but the specifics eluded her.

Jing Qingxin puzzled inwardly: Why had the ancient ink jade brought her to this place? And both times she had crossed time and space, she’d ended up in the same room, beside the same man. Was there some connection?

She moved lightly to the bedside, quietly gazing at the unfamiliar man whose face bore signs of illness. Yet she had to admit, even in his wan state, his striking features couldn’t be concealed. In her era—a time of advanced technology—machines had replaced much of daily life. Men’s skin had grown paler and more refined, and they’d begun to care about their appearance, with slender, elegant frames. As the times changed, so too did the standards of beauty.

But this man before her had healthy, wheat-hued skin, pronounced sword-shaped brows, a high nose bridge, and full lips—a strong, well-defined face, nothing like the delicate oval faces fashionable in her world. To her, though, these features brimmed with masculine vigor. Even with his cheeks sunken by illness, his handsomeness was undiminished.

As Jing Qingxin studied him with interest, their eyes suddenly met. Startled, she took two steps back. She realized—the man could see her. She’d gleaned as much from his gaze the last time.

The man slowly sat up, half-leaning against the headboard, his expression stern, eyes fixed on her. A flicker of something unreadable flashed in his deep gaze as he asked in a low voice, “Who are you?”

Jing Qingxin was momentarily dumbfounded, pondering how to answer. Should she tell him she had come from another time?

“Are you human? Or a ghost? How did you appear here?” the man demanded sharply.

“What? A ghost? Do I look like a ghost to you?” Jing Qingxin cried in astonishment, frustrated as she tried to formulate a response he might understand. Who would mistake someone as attractive as her for a ghost?

The man, hearing her clear, sweet voice, quelled his alarm and asked solemnly, “Then who are you? And why are you so strange?”

“Strange? In what way?” she retorted, pouting. Under his appraising, bewildered gaze, she instinctively looked herself over. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“You’re clearly not from around here, yet you speak our language. Who exactly are you, and where did you come from?” The man eyed her peculiar attire with confusion. He had never seen a woman dressed like this—bare arms, exposed calves, unusual clothes, fair skin, curly hair—and she had appeared in his room out of nowhere. Anyone would be suspicious.

Jing Qingxin noted the awkwardness in his gaze, as if he were looking at some bizarre creature. She said firmly, “Don’t worry, I’m really and truly human. Here, see for yourself.”

She reached out and touched the man’s arm, which lay atop the quilt. The warmth of her hand sent a jolt through him, and he immediately pulled away, frowning. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I just wanted you to feel that I’m warm—I’m human!” Jing Qingxin raised her voice.

“Then why are you in my room?” he pressed.

She spread her hands helplessly. “I have no idea!”

“You’d best answer honestly. There are people in the next room—if I call out, they’ll come right in.” His tone was stern. The current situation was tense—perhaps she was an enemy spy, though he himself had been relieved of all duties and was half-crippled, hardly worth targeting.

“All I can tell you is, first, I’m human, and I mean you no harm. Second, I truly don’t know how I ended up here.” Jing Qingxin held up her fingers in earnest.

“Then who are you? Why are you so odd? You couldn’t have entered my room without making a sound!” With his years of training, any noise would have woken him. He never slept too deeply—unless the intruder’s skills were supernatural, which was unlikely; this wasn’t some martial arts fantasy.

A barrage of questions left Jing Qingxin’s head spinning. She sat down at the edge of the bed to collect herself. To her surprise, the man shifted quickly away from her, as if contact was dangerous.

“What are you doing? I’m not going to eat you! Is this really necessary?” Jing Qingxin grumbled. Did she look like some sort of monster?

“A man and a woman alone together must observe proper boundaries,” he said quietly.

What? Jing Qingxin was taken aback. Had she done anything improper? Besides, wasn’t it usually the woman who said this in TV dramas? She was baffled, but chose to ignore it, not wanting to overthink.

“Can you answer me now?” the man pressed her.

Jing Qingxin sat up straight and asked, “Can you tell me first—where is this place?”

“Dajing Village, An Town.”

“Uh, I mean, what era is this?” Jing Qingxin asked again, a bit embarrassed.

“The era?” The man looked at her in puzzlement—did she mean the year? Was that really necessary to ask?

“Yes, exactly! What year is it? And where does this village lie in our country?” Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.