Chapter 37: What Is Huang Yali’s Goal?

After returning to her room, Nan Qiao locked the door behind her and slipped into her space.

She lay on the large bed in her space’s bedroom, hugging her iPad and binge-watching dramas. But the pink, love-filled shows only made her more irritable the more she watched.

With a scowl, she tossed the iPad aside and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Knock knock knock.

The sound from the back window of the bedroom echoed even into her space.

Nan Qiao quickly exited the space and was momentarily stunned to see a figure standing stubbornly outside in the moonlight.

She didn’t know how long she stared before finally sighing and opening the window, seeing that the person hadn’t left.

The moment the window opened, Sheng Yanchuan, who had all but given up hope, brightened and looked at her with eager eyes.

“Qiao Qiao.”

“Mm.” Nan Qiao made a sound of acknowledgment, lowered her head, and stood there silently.

“Are you angry?” Sheng Yanchuan asked cautiously.

“No.”

“Then… this doesn’t look like you’re not angry.”

Seeing his careful expression, Nan Qiao’s heart softened a bit. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me something like this directly.”

“I thought if you knew, you’d be upset.”

“And you think hiding it from me would make me happy instead?”

“I understand that everyone has their own secrets, and your affairs are your own. I’m not asking to know everything in your life. But things that affect our relationship—I think we should be honest about those and face them together. Hiding it because you think I’ll be upset, or you think I can’t handle it, and saying you’re doing it for me—that’s not a real reason. Today I heard it from Taohua. What if one day I heard it from the villagers instead—what do you expect me to feel then?”

“…Okay. I promise. I’ll tell you everything from now on. No more hiding. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”

Nan Qiao nodded slightly. Now that everything was said, her heart felt a bit lighter.

“So… you’re not angry anymore, right?” Sheng Yanchuan looked at her hopefully, relieved to see her expression soften.

“No,” Nan Qiao shook her head.

“Then… can I get a hug?” Sheng Yanchuan opened his arms wide like a kid asking for candy.

Seeing him like this, Nan Qiao stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his chest.

Honestly, today’s incident wasn’t a big deal. What really triggered her was the flood of unresolved memories from the past.

She didn’t like secrets—not even well-meaning ones. Her aunt, fearing young Nan Qiao couldn’t handle the truth, had hidden her parents’ death from her. If Nan Qiao hadn’t seen the news, she might’ve missed the funeral altogether. That wound had stayed buried in her heart for years.

As those old memories surfaced, Nan Qiao trembled slightly in his arms.

“There, there… it’s okay. You’re not mad anymore. I won’t let this happen again,” Sheng Yanchuan said gently, patting her back, trying his best to comfort her.

After a while, Nan Qiao came back to herself under his soothing touch. Looking up at the boy in front of her, she spoke softly with a hint of lingering affection.

“I’m fine now. Go home and get some rest.”

She gave his back a gentle pat.

“Really okay?” Sheng Yanchuan released her and carefully studied her expression.

“Really.” Nan Qiao nodded obediently.

“Alright then. I’ll go now. Rest early. Tomorrow during work, sneak off a bit—I’ll help you out.”

“It’s fine. I can manage.” With that, she gently nudged him to go home.

Sheng Yanchuan reluctantly closed her window before finally heading back.

As soon as he stepped into his own room, he was startled by the shadowy figure inside. He quickly turned on the light—and only then did he see who it was.

“Mom! What are you doing? Sitting here in the dark this late at night? You scared me!” he complained.

“You do realize how late it is, right? Where have you been?” Aunt Xiumei stood up and gave him a light slap on the shoulder, clearly anxious.

“Where else could I be?” Sheng Yanchuan replied vaguely as he started washing up.

“You little rascal, do I have to spell it out for you?” Aunt Xiumei grumbled, unhappy with his dodging.

“That Nan girl isn’t angry, is she? I told your father he was being foolish—just because some city girl shows up at the door, he thinks we need to be all polite and accommodating? Didn’t even bother to look at what kind of person she is! Acting all high and mighty the moment she stepped in. She was already rejected once, yet still came back! And once inside, she just nitpicked everything. If she looks down on you that much, why bother showing up to stir trouble?”

“Your dad’s no better. He knows damn well that girl’s not interested but still tries to force the match—just ‘cause she’s from the city. Wants to pair her with you, but mark my words, that girl’s nothing but trouble. If you marry her, there’s no end to the drama.”

Aunt Xiumei rattled on and on.

Sheng Yanchuan didn’t respond. He just finished washing up and finally said, “Alright, Mom. Nan Qiao’s fine. And as for that girl—we rejected her clearly today. Don’t let her into our house again. If people in the village start spreading rumors, I’m afraid my future wife really will run away…”

“Honestly, what’s up with that girl? Didn’t you see her on a blind date in town the last time? Did that fall through too?”

“Probably. The guy we saw her with last time knew Nan Qiao. And this time when we went to town, she seemed to be trailing another girl,” Sheng Yanchuan thought aloud.

As for what Huang Yali was really after, he wasn’t sure. He figured it was time to ask Dongzi to look into it—better than letting her come back and stir up trouble again.

“No wonder. Her backup plan didn’t work out, so now she’s trying to crawl back,” Aunt Xiumei clicked her tongue knowingly.

“But really, Nan Qiao has friends here?” she asked, surprised.

“Yeah. Her dad’s friend’s nephew.”

“I see… didn’t expect she’d know people even out here.” Aunt Xiumei was surprised again, but then remembered it was through Nan Qiao’s father’s connections and started to worry.

Would the two families grow close? Would Nan Qiao end up with that boy? She wanted to ask her son what he thought—but seeing him in a good mood, she decided not to ruin it.

“Alright, go sleep. As long as you two aren’t fighting, that’s what matters. I’ll go have a word with your father.”

Sheng Yanchuan nodded. As Aunt Xiumei was leaving, he added, “Don’t tell Dad about me and Nan Qiao. He’s too old-fashioned—I don’t want him overthinking it.”

“I know, I won’t tell him.” Aunt Xiumei agreed. She knew her husband well—an old-school, rigid man. He was polite to the young educated folks in the village, sure, but if it came to marrying one into the family, he’d definitely disapprove.

It all came down to this: he believed city girls would never truly accept country folk. He feared that if they got a chance to return to the city, they’d abandon their husbands and children.

“Well, get some rest,” Aunt Xiumei said as she left the room. As for the rest—she’d deal with it when the time came.

Once she was gone, Sheng Yanchuan lay down to rest.

That night, he dreamed sweetly…

After Sheng Yanchuan left, Nan Qiao lay in bed, her mind full of memories from the past. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

With a sigh, she got out of bed and peeked into Shen Nian’s room. The lights were off—she must already be asleep.

So, Nan Qiao quietly tiptoed to the kitchen.

She packed the food she had prepared that afternoon—canning what needed to be canned, bagging what needed to be bagged—then stored everything into her space’s preservation storage before returning to her room.

After all that, she finally felt a bit tired. Once she lay back down, sleepiness overcame her, and she soon drifted off peacefully…

---

The next morning, as usual, she got up early for work.

When she arrived at the work site, Nan Qiao saw Ling Zhuoran and handed him a package. “Here’s your thank-you gift—some spicy, some not. I brought a mix, you can check it at home.”

“Thank you, Comrade Nan, for your life-saving generosity! I’ve been eating such bland food lately—I was dreaming of your cooking all night!” Ling Zhuoran grinned playfully as he accepted the package.

“Alright, alright, put it away. Time to work.”

That morning, Nan Qiao had already given Shen Nian her share. As for Sheng Yanchuan, she handed his portion to Aunt Xiumei while passing by the Sheng house earlier.

Still, she didn’t give too much to any household—just enough for a taste.

The bulk, she had to save for her big brother…

She didn’t know when he would come. At first, the thought of his visit had made her nervous and uneasy, but now, it was mostly longing.

As more time passed since she arrived here, the original host’s memories had completely merged with hers, as if she’d always lived this life.

So, she missed that older brother of hers—a bit cold on the outside but endlessly attentive in his care.

Now that she thought about it, it had already been over a year since she last saw him. She didn’t even know how he was doing, whether he’d gotten hurt on a mission…

“Qiao Qiao, what are you thinking about?” Shen Nian waved her hand in front of Nan Qiao’s face, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Oh, nothing. I just suddenly thought about my big brother. I wonder when he’ll come.” Nan Qiao said softly, with a bit of yearning in her voice.

“Should be soon, right? Your brother dotes on you so much—maybe he’ll show up in a few days. Don’t worry.” Shen Nian comforted her.

“Yeah, I’ll wait for him. I’ll make sure to prepare some good food for him these next few days.” Nan Qiao perked up at the thought and went back to work with renewed energy.

---

In the blink of an eye, a week passed. It was once again the day for her secret transaction.

Early in the morning, Nan Qiao rode her bike to town, not joining Shen Nian or Sheng Yanchuan this time.

Perhaps Sheng Yanchuan had his own reasons—he didn’t suggest going together either.

Over time, Nan Qiao discovered that the more she used her space, the more functions she uncovered. This time, she was shocked to find she could actually move her space.

At first, the movement was slow, but with practice, although not as fast as a car, it was faster than a bike. She could even control the direction and speed freely. It was like gaining a new life-saving skill!

The only downside was that it consumed a massive amount of energy. Even with her body enhanced by the Clearwater, she could only move the space about 500 meters before being completely exhausted.

Still, even those 500 meters were enough to satisfy her.

---

That day, as usual, she entered her space mid-ride to change her outfit, then strolled into the small courtyard and placed the goods as ordered.

She sat in the yard, quietly waiting.

Before long, Dongzi arrived with a group.

Hearing movement at the gate, Nan Qiao looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t Master Qi come today?”

“Master Qi has other business to attend to. I’ll be handling today’s transaction with Comrade Bai,” Dongzi replied respectfully.

“Go ahead,” Nan Qiao gestured for Dongzi to go inside and check the goods. She remained seated in the courtyard.

“You know,” she said casually, “Master Qi looks younger than you, but you all seem to revere him.”

“Master Qi is worthy of our respect.” Dongzi’s voice came from inside the house. That one sentence was all he said—no matter what Nan Qiao asked after that, he remained silent.

After a while, Dongzi came back out and gave a nod toward a man standing at the gate.

The man nodded in return and set down a box.

“These antiques are enough to cover the cost of this batch. I didn’t bring much cash. You can choose how to settle.”

Nan Qiao stood up and opened the box. Inside were more jewels and jades than last time—and of much better quality. She even spotted a fairly large pink diamond. Though it was quite valuable, her preferences leaned more toward jade and the small gold bars hidden at the bottom…

“This box will do.” She picked it up and walked toward the gate.

Last time’s few thousand yuan were already more than enough for her. What use did she have for that much cash? These items were more to her taste.

Just as she was about to leave, a thought struck her. She stepped back and said, “Next week’s trade is postponed. I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll contact you once I’m free again.”

Without waiting for Dongzi’s reply, she left the courtyard.

Her big brother would be arriving soon, and she didn’t know how long he’d stay. There was no way she’d dare conduct shady deals right under his nose. All those years of missions had made him sharp and suspicious—that wasn’t something to mess with.

She wasn’t short on money anyway, so there was no need to get involved in any trouble right now.

---

After the transaction, Nan Qiao stored the items in her space, wiped off her disguise, and started biking around town aimlessly.

With food and clothes taken care of, she felt like she had money but nowhere to spend it.

It was a bit frustrating.

As she walked near the post and telecommunications office, she remembered the food she’d made over the past few days. Making sure no one was around, she ducked into her space.

She had finished making canned beef recently. She grabbed five cans of each kind, two large bags of jerky, and packed everything tightly with soft cloth scraps—well-cushioned and not suspicious-looking.

Then, she came out of her space and pushed her bike to the post office entrance.

She sent the big package of food to her parents.

Nan Qiao hadn’t written home since she arrived. She was used to modern life and instinctively thought of calling instead.

So, as usual, after mailing the parcel, she walked over to the phone booth and made a call.

“Hello? Mom, it’s Qiao Qiao.”

“Ay! My darling Qiao Qiao—how are you these days? Tired?”

“Not tired. The villagers are really nice, and I don’t have too much work.”

“That’s good. Don’t overwork yourself. If you run out of money, just tell me—we’re not relying on that little bit of labor pay anyway.”

“I know, Mom. Oh, right! I just sent some of my homemade food home. Store it in a cool place—you can eat it with noodles or rice.”

“You silly girl, you should’ve kept it for yourself. Why send it home? Your dad and I don’t lack food.”

“Aiya, Mom—it’s because I was worried you’d miss my cooking! And since Big Brother is coming here too, I thought I’d make a little extra to bring him some.”