Chapter 9

Ruan Qing still hoped to see Nian Qi show more shock, but he took a step forward, turned the faucet on and off, and smiled, “Got it. It’s really convenient.”

Ruan Qing was silent for a moment before reluctantly saying, “I’ve noticed you adapt really quickly. Aren’t you surprised by all these things—the car, electric lights, and running water?”

“Of course, I’m surprised. But there’s no need to stay surprised forever. One must adapt eventually,” Nian Qi raised an eyebrow and continued, “Besides, aren’t these things all crafted by skilled artisans? It’s just that after a thousand years, their craftsmanship has reached a level I couldn’t have imagined.”

“But in the end, these things were all made for people to use—cars to transport people and goods, lights for illumination, and water for washing and drinking. The techniques may have evolved significantly, but their purposes have never changed. As long as I understand what they’re for and how to use them, that’s enough for me.”

Ruan Qing, a modern person, couldn’t argue with that logic. All she could manage was, “Just…”

Nian Qi: “?”

“Don’t use ‘bian‘, use ‘jiu‘ instead” Ruan Qing said seriously. “‘bian‘ sounds too formal now. In everyday speech, we say ‘jiu.’ You’ll have to change many of your speaking habits.” (bian and jiu here both translated as ‘just’)

Nian Qi readily accepted, “Alright.”

“And running water shouldn’t be drunk directly. If you must drink it, you need to boil it first, but that’s rare nowadays.” Ruan Qing took the opportunity to teach him more about modern life. “If you want to drink water, use the water from the dispenser—that’s drinking water. Running water is fine for washing hands, faces, clothes, and flushing the toilet, but don’t drink it.”

She also showed him how to use the toilet and the shower, pointing out toilet paper and explaining its purpose.

Nian Qi pinched a bit of toilet paper between his fingers and asked, “Does everyone in this building use this?”

“Everyone uses it, I think,” Ruan Qing replied. “There’s nothing else to use. Some people use higher-quality paper, others use lower-quality, but the price difference is minimal.”

“And the running water too…?”

“Yes, the entire city uses running water. In this neighborhood, we have 24-hour hot water, so we can shower anytime without heating it ourselves,” Ruan Qing explained. “Some rural areas don’t have running water yet, but they use underground water. They even have hand-pump wells, which are very convenient—almost the same as running water. It’s certainly better than fetching water from a well or river like in your time.”

Nian Qi sighed, “The lives of common people have improved so much?”

He looked up at the building, towering like it touched the sky, with countless windows—probably over a hundred households. He had originally thought that if a hundred households in one building all had access to this water, this paper, and these toilets, that alone would be remarkable. But according to Ruan Qing, it seemed the entire population had the same conveniences. It was unbelievable.

“What about in your time? Did you have paper?” Ruan Qing asked curiously. The era from which Nian Qi came should roughly correspond to the Song Dynasty here, which was already quite prosperous. She wondered what his situation had been like.

“Ordinary people used toilet sticks,” Nian Qi replied. “The wealthy and officials used soft paper. Many scholars criticized it as being too extravagant.”

Oh, so that was the early stage of toilet paper development. Interesting.

Having taught him how to use the bathroom, Ruan Qing pulled out a new toothbrush from the cabinet. “This is…”

“A tooth stick?” Nian Qi asked. “This hasn’t changed much. It’s more refined, though. What is it made of?”

Oh, right, in the Song Dynasty, tooth sticks, tooth powder, and toothpaste were already quite developed.

“It’s called a toothbrush now. The material is plastic, and plastic is everywhere nowadays.” Ruan Qing pointed to various plastic items in the bathroom—like the cup and trash can. She also handed him toothpaste. “This is toothpaste, for brushing your teeth. Just squeeze out a small amount.”

She also handed him a new towel. “You’re injured, so don’t take a full shower. Just wash your face and hands for now.”

But Nian Qi insisted, “I’ll wipe myself down.”

He was covered in sweat and blood, and if he didn’t clean himself properly, he’d dirty the bedding later. Ruan Qing handed him the toiletries and left the bathroom to tidy up the house. It had never been so messy, and she was annoyed that Nian Qi had seen it like this.

She quickly gathered her ex-boyfriend’s clothes and took them back to her room, tossing the used bedsheets and pillowcases aside. Returning to the living room, she unfolded the sofa into a bed, put on fresh sheets, and set up a pillow—it was ready for him to sleep.

Nian Qi’s height seemed about the same as her ex-boyfriend’s, so she went back to her room, grabbed a set of his old loungewear, and knocked on the bathroom door. “You can wear this—”

Before she could finish, Nian Qi suddenly turned around, and Ruan Qing’s words froze in her throat. The man had taken off his shirt, wearing only black pants, his body half-turned. His bare torso was wrapped in white bandages, with two spots still oozing blood. His traditional cloth belt cinched tightly around his strong waist, broad shoulders, arms, and back—all his muscles were firm and powerful.

It was the perfect “battle-scarred” look! If this was on a short video platform, people would be calling him “husband!” He was exactly the type Ruan Qing often scrolled through. But this wasn’t some influencer showing off his physique—this was a real, ancient man.

Ruan Qing cleared her throat, “Wear this. It’s loungewear—comfortable clothes for wearing at home. You can also sleep in it.”

“Thank you,” Nian Qi replied. He was trying to wipe his back.

“I’ll help you.” Ruan Qing put the clothes down and stepped forward to take the towel from him. “You’re bleeding again—don’t move.”

With wounds on his back, it was difficult for him to wipe without aggravating them. Nian Qi didn’t resist and handed her the towel. Ruan Qing stood behind him, carefully avoiding the wounds as she wiped away the blood and sweat.

“Didn’t the doctor ask you how you got these injuries?” she asked.

“I claimed to have amnesia,” Nian Qi smiled.

“Oh, right,” Ruan Qing muttered. “You think fast.”

“Opening my eyes to a world that seems completely different—how could I not stay alert?” Nian Qi said softly, glancing at Ruan Qing through the mirror as she cleaned his back.

Ruan Qing looked up at him. His profile was strong and defined. She had always liked this kind of manly, heroic look. The younger guys she had dated were of the same type, but they were still immature, often acting silly and overly dramatic.

Far inferior to the man before her.

Ruan Qing lowered her gaze and asked, “Do you have no family left?”

“No,” Nian Qi replied. “I’m an orphan, and I’ve yet to marry.”

“No fiancée? Lover? Partner? A confidante, perhaps?” Ruan Qing pressed on.

“No,” said Nian Qi. “But those things are merely fleeting, nothing ever lasted.”

Ruan Qing snorted, “Oh, so you’re an experienced man.”

After finishing wiping his back, Ruan Qing tossed him the towel. “Take care of the front yourself. Throw your dirty clothes in the laundry basket—the one with the holes in it.”

“Oh, by the way, the door can be locked. I forgot to mention that earlier.”

She had forgotten to explain, having lived with her “little wolf pup” boyfriend before, where there had never been a need to lock the bathroom door since it was just the two of them.

After teaching Nian Qi how to lock and unlock the door, Ruan Qing left the bathroom. She returned to her room to change into loungewear and sat on the made-up sofa bed, waiting for him to come out.

A while later, Nian Qi called out from the bathroom, “Miss Ruan?”

Ruan Qing dashed to the door. “What’s wrong?”

“Is this really how the clothes are supposed to be?” Nian Qi asked.

Ruan Qing immediately understood and chuckled. “Yes, that’s how they’re supposed to be—short sleeves and shorts. Didn’t you see anyone dressed like that in the hospital?”

There was no reply, but the bathroom door opened. His legs were so long—and straight… Nice!

The loungewear fabric was incredibly soft, clinging to his body, highlighting the muscles in his chest and arms with perfect clarity. In short, he looked great!

Nian Qi seemed a little uncomfortable. The loungewear felt too skimpy, even less covering than his undergarments. He had once infiltrated a foreign land, wearing a sleeveless vest that left his chest and stomach bare, and hadn’t felt awkward at all. But now, alone in a small room with a woman, it was different…

“Feeling embarrassed?” Ruan Qing asked.

“A bit. But the material is really comfortable.” He tugged at the soft T-shirt clinging to him. “Do people dress like this now? Like foreigners?”

“Sir, the times have changed,” Ruan Qing teased. “It’s been a thousand years. The world has warmed up. Summers are much hotter now than in your time. Your era’s clothes wouldn’t survive today’s summer,you’d get heatstroke.”

“Nowadays, everyone dresses like this. Showing legs and arms is completely normal. Girls even show more. You’ll see when I take you out to the streets.”

Nian Qi’s expression turned strange.

Ruan Qing paused. “What’s wrong?”

“Why do you call me ‘sir’ when we’re not related?” he asked.

Ruan Qing froze for a moment before realizing. In Nian Qi’s time, which corresponded to the Song Dynasty, “sir” meant “father.” Damn! She knew this, but had gotten used to calling officials “sir” from watching TV shows.

She rubbed her forehead and tried to explain, “Language has evolved. The meaning is different now.”

Nian Qi could only reply with an “Oh. I see.”

Ruan Qing pointed to the sofa bed. “You can sleep here for now. It’s makeshift, but in a few days, I’ll figure something out.”

It had been a seat earlier, but now it had transformed into a bed. Nian Qi found it amusing. There were so many new and interesting things a thousand years later. “Sorry to trouble you,” he said.

“That’s an ancient phrase,” Ruan Qing noted.

“Then what should I say?” he asked.

“In this situation, you could just say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry for the trouble,'” Ruan Qing suggested.

Nian Qi quickly learned.

“You go ahead and sleep,” Ruan Qing said. “I’m turning off the lights.”

The living room light switched off, but Ruan Qing didn’t return to her room—she hadn’t freshened up yet since Nian Qi had occupied the bathroom. She went in to clean up.

Nian Qi, lying in the now-darkened living room, could hear the sounds from the bathroom. It wasn’t that the bathroom door lacked soundproofing—it was just that his hearing was far superior to that of an average person. The sound of running water was loud. She wasn’t just washing her face and brushing her teeth, she was taking a quick shower.

Ruan Qing did indeed take a quick shower. When she came out, she saw Nian Qi already lying down. She asked, “How is it? Is the bed too hard?”

In the dim light, Nian Qi’s voice answered, “It’s very soft.”

“Good. Get some sleep. Whatever needs discussing, we’ll talk about tomorrow. Don’t overthink,” Ruan Qing said.

In the darkness, Nian Qi responded, “…Alright.”

Ruan Qing walked past him, returning to her room. The brief moment of light from the hallway illuminated half the living room before disappearing when the door closed. The living room returned to darkness, and Nian Qi heard the soft click of her door locking. The air held the faint trace of her scent as she passed by.

Nian Qi didn’t know it was just the fragrance of her body wash—he only thought it smelled lovely.