055. Longing, Wholesale

After finishing up, Jing Qingxin and Gao Shen each went to wash up. Nights in the countryside were always so peaceful, with hardly any entertainment to speak of. The only pleasure, perhaps, was the symphony of the fields at night, where as soon as dusk fell, the air would be filled with the croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects, as if nature itself were playing a lullaby for this tranquil night.

Carrying a basin of water for her feet, Jing Qingxin intended to sit on a stool in the main room to soak them. After wandering about all morning and walking such a long way, her feet, so accustomed to traveling everywhere by car, were still not used to it—an ailment of the lazy, she thought to herself.

Clatter.

The basin slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor as water splashed everywhere.

Hearing the commotion, Gao Shen immediately hurried out from the inner room. In just a few strides, his face darkened. The moment he saw what she was doing, he understood at once—she was about to leave again.

Jing Qingxin pressed her hands to her temples, her head growing increasingly heavy and the pain sharper than before, almost unbearable. Her delicate face betrayed a hint of suffering.

Gao Shen stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her and guiding her to sit on the edge of her bed. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Are you about to go back?"

Her head felt so heavy that she didn’t notice the look on his face. Enduring her discomfort, she gave him careful instructions: “Yes, I think so. The peach blossom cakes are already divided up—have Brother Dahu deliver them tomorrow. Remember to tell him the cakes won’t last more than a week, or they’ll go bad. Also, don’t forget to take the pills I gave you on time, and...”

“Is there any way you could stay?” Gao Shen sat by her, half-embracing her, his voice low and uncertain.

Surprised, Jing Qingxin looked up at him, startled by the question, but her headache only worsened.

Gao Shen’s arms tightened around her, a strange sense of panic welling up inside him. He realized he was afraid—afraid of losing her. Suddenly, his arms were empty.

It was a long time before Gao Shen lowered his arms from their midair embrace and sighed softly. He was starting to hate these partings. Just moments ago, they’d been packing cakes together, and in the blink of an eye, he was left alone in the empty room once more.

He reached out to touch the floral-patterned bedding, as if it still held a trace of her scent. Right now, he didn’t want to do anything else. He lay quietly on the bed, breathing in the faint fragrance, wishing for sweet dreams...

The moment Jing Qingxin opened her eyes, she knew she was back—in her own era, surrounded by the full trappings of postmodern life.

All her previous discomfort and dizziness had vanished. The room was shrouded in darkness, and the night outside was deep.

She understood immediately: it must still be the middle of the night. Rolling over, she lay on her side, her mind drifting back to Gao Shen’s words and expression as they parted.

What did he mean? Did he want her to stay? Why would he say that?

Suddenly, the image of their embrace flashed through her mind. She pressed a hand to her heart, which was now beating wildly. This feeling was strange and stirring, both unique and novel—something she had never experienced before.

With these thoughts, her curiosity grew, and Jing Qingxin slowly drifted into sleep.

Two people, separated by time and space, yet longing for each other all the same.

“Morning, Mom, Dad!” Jing Qingxin descended the stairs with a cheerful greeting for her parents in the living room.

Her mother exclaimed in surprise, “Yuanyuan, when did you get home?”

Jing Qingxin sat down by the sofa, smiling. “In the middle of the night. Since you were both asleep, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“So where did you run off to yesterday? You could’ve at least told us. If I hadn’t seen your note, I would’ve been worried sick.” Though her mother had always given her children plenty of space, she couldn’t help but worry when it came to their safety.

“It was a last-minute decision, so I left before dawn while you were still resting.” Jing Qingxin snuggled up to her mother, playing the obedient daughter.

Now that things had come to this, she wasn’t sure how to explain the strange events that had happened to her. One thing she knew for certain: she liked being with Gao Shen. Especially after hearing his stories, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity, picturing him alone in that simple house.

She wasn’t sure if telling her parents would make them try to stop her from going back. Her thoughts spun in circles, but she comforted herself: one step at a time.

After breakfast with her parents, and seeing her father off to work with her mother, Jing Qingxin returned to her room, took out her phone, and tried calling her brother.

“We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later…”

She tried three times, but always received the same automated message. Was her brother off in some remote corner of the rainforest? He’d been gone for days without so much as a call, and she was waiting for his reply.

Maybe she was just being paranoid, but it seemed every time she traveled back, her head felt heavier and the pain grew more intense. This unexplained anxiety unsettled her.

But now, unable to reach her brother, she had no choice but to wait patiently and hope nothing else would happen with the jade pendant.

Jing Qingxin quickly changed into outdoor clothes, slung a small bag over her shoulder, and after telling her mother, headed out.

She made her way to the wholesale food market. She’d originally planned to buy a single hundred-pound sack of rice, but after wandering around, she changed her mind.

After all, she had her special storage space—why not stock up on more food and supplies? Then, no matter what happened, at least Gao Shen wouldn’t have to worry about food. That decade-long literary campaign still had four years left, and until it ended, much of the country’s industry would remain stagnant.

With this in mind, Jing Qingxin bought a hundred sacks of rice, fifty of white flour, twenty of millet, and fifty each of various grains. Next, she added all the kitchen staples and condiments she could think of, and then picked up a variety of snacks.

Of course, she was careful to choose items with less conspicuous packaging, to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Outside the market, she rented a small truck, loaded up all her purchases, and gave the driver an address, arranging for a delivery at three in the afternoon.

The address she gave belonged to a property registered under her mother’s name—a slightly out-of-the-way three-story building, the ground floor of which was currently vacant. Having helped her mother manage the property recently, she knew the place well. This made things much simpler; otherwise, she’d have had a hard time explaining such a large amount of food.

——Extra Note——

Today is May 20th, a day to confess one’s feelings!

Thank you to every dear reader following this story—I love each and every one of you. Heart to heart!

520, kisses!

This novel is exclusively serialized on Xiaoxiang Academy. Please do not repost!