Chapter 4: Being Able To Communicate Is The Best
Translator: 9inetales
Sponsor(s): n/a
Jiang He leaned her still soaked body against the door. Her left hand held her sword while her right hand rested on the door handle. Although she looked as if she was about to leave, she stood watching Xu Qing silently.
She was not stupid, only confused.
She couldn’t confirm whether Xu Qing’s words were true or deceitful, but her judgment deduced that he wasn’t a malicious person. In the first place, he only wanted to offer her an umbrella after all.
“Why help me?” She asked a second time.
Xu Qing scratched his head.
This woman is really too vigilant…
“To be honest, this whole situation is a bit novel— it’s kind of amazing. I-I mean...I know how stressful it is for you and all but…” Xu Qing tried his best to explain, “You should understand, right? Look at it like this. If I went to your time period and met you...wouldn’t it be amazing to meet a man from a thousand years in the future?”
“As strange as you are, you’d be killed.”
“...”
“...”
Silence mixed with a tinge of embarrassment pervaded the air.
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“These times are different. Here, you can’t just kill people. Everyone is peaceful.” Xu Qing felt a tingle in his scalp and once again wondered if he should really keep her.
Keep or not to keep? Although it’s dangerous, this is a living ancient person! It would be such a shame.
The silence continued for a while.
“I don’t know how and why you came here. If you can find the reason, you may be able to return. But before that, you have to learn to live in this world. Casually hurting people is a big no-no.”
Xu Qing then turned to look at his ruined TV on the wall and added, “You can’t just destroy things either.”
After a brief pause, he bloomed a sincere smile, “If you can accept these simple rules, I’m willing to help you. Alternatively, you can leave, but remember not to hurt people outside. Authorities are everywhere and they’re extremely powerful.”
Night fell but the rain was still persistent. It pattered against the window, painting occasional rills on its surface.
Jiang He stared up at the light bulb on the roof while pursing her lips.
She didn’t know anything about this place and even her clothes were different from everyone else’s. On her own, she might not even be able to leave the city. If she really left, she had no idea where to go.
Gu Gu~
Her stomach also objected to leaving.
Xu Qing smirked inwardly, turning to retrieve his phone from the sofa, “If you agree, put your sword away and I’ll help you order a meal so that someone can bring it over.”
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“I have to remind you that I’m taking a huge risk by keeping you with me. Not only do I have to prevent your identity from being leaked, but I also have to worry about my neck in case some misunderstandings form between us. Do you understand?”
Jiang He thought for a moment before nodding slowly. Though a little hesitant, she eventually threw her sword to the side.
Clang~
The sound reverberated through the room.
Xu Qing nodded with a pleased expression and asked, “What do you usually eat? You may not be used to what we eat here so I’ll see if I can find anything similar to the food you eat.”
"Hubing[1]."
“...”
He thought for a while but soon sighed and shook his head, “Forget it. I’ll get you some warm porridge and steamed buns since you must’ve been cold because of the rain. Take a bath first and you can eat when you’re done. As for your wet clothes...I’ll take care of that later.”
Jiang He raised her brow suspiciously, “Where is the bath?”
“Here.”
Xu Qing wasn’t perplexed by her skepticism. He led her to the bathroom and flicked on the light switch.
“There are many magical things in this world so don’t make a fuss. You always feel as if someone is ought to harm you. Remember that I won’t hurt you so keep calm and look at this.”
He turned the shower handle, causing water to sputter from the showerhead. Jiang He was startled and a little fascinated while watching him operate.
“The left part is for hot water and the right is for cold; pull this to stop the water. Come here and try it,” Xu Qing briefly tutored.
Fortunately, though she was unfamiliar with it, she wasn’t dumb and learned the mechanics quickly. Only a simple demonstration was enough for her to operate it on her own.
“This is for washing your hair. Press it and liquid will come out. After rubbing, there’ll be bubbles. All you have to do is rinse it out. Then this is used to wash the body. Just scrub yourself with it and…”
Xu Qing taught the girl all she needed to know about the bathroom. It might be important to add that when he explained the uses of the toilet, she consciously distanced herself from it.
After collapsing onto the sofa, he scratched his head. The lights were on but he heard no movements from the bathroom. After thinking for a while, he went to the bedroom and took some clothing from his closet, hugging them into his chest.
When he returned to the bathroom, Jiang He was still standing there with her clothes still on. A trace of alertness was present in her eyes when she saw him.
“I don’t have any women’s clothing in the house, so you’ll have to use some of mine. I’ll buy two for you tomorrow.”
Xu Qing felt a little bad in his heart. He was negligent and forgot that she wouldn’t lock the door.
Putting the clothes aside, he held the doorknob and said, “Come here. I’ll teach you how to lock the door.”
Fortunately, Jiang He hadn’t started stripping or his blood would’ve dyed the floor.
After showing her how to lock the door, he retired from the bathroom in relief and sat quietly on the sofa. He soon heard the sound of gushing water.
Did I really pick up an ancient person— a female hero?!
Am I dreaming?
Xu Qing pinched his thigh and shook his head vigorously.
Curiously, he went over to the sword that was left on the ground and carefully picked it up. Slowly, he pulled it out.
Shing~
The sword reflected a cold gleam. However, it wasn’t spotless. There were smudges of dark brown dirt on its surface that gave off a metallic smell.
It’s the real deal.
Is there a chance for the old man to appraise if this thing can be considered an antique?
…
When Jiang He came out, Xu Qing was writing something while leaning on the table in front of the sofa. She looked over. Her sword was still in the same spot but the TV was removed from the wall. The diamond-shaped dart was removed from the screen and placed at the corner of the table.
“What are you writing?”
“Oh?”
Xu Qing looked behind him. Jiang He was now wearing the loose shirt and jeans he gave her and water was still dripping from a few strands of her hair.
“Well, I’m sorting the problems that need to be solved at present,” He shook the paper in his hand, “Are you literate?”
Jiang He took a look at the paper’s contents, “It’s a bit strange. The characters are hard to recognize.”
“I see. Wait until I finish writing the summary and I’ll tell you.”
“This dress is so weird.” She tugged the shirt collar awkwardly.
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“It looks pretty on you. Ehem, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s customary for us to praise people if they’re good-looking. Normally, you won’t be treated as a pervert or anything for saying that.”
“It would be best not to say anything frivolous.”
“Ah, alright.”
Xu Qing respected her ideals and chose to be careful from now on.
“I have some spare slippers over there; you can wear them. Throw away those straw sandals and I’ll buy you a new pair tomorrow.”
Jiang He glanced in the direction he was pointing. She went over, kicked off her straw sandals, and slipped into the new slippers. She examined and wiggled her toes at the comfortable feeling.
Tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tu~
The door rang. Before Xu Qing could react, she was already approaching the door.
“Don’t worry about the food delivery.” Xu Qing tried his best to comfort her. The girl’s vigilant and cautious nature reminded him of his previously homeless, stray cat.
After receiving the food items, he organized them on the table one by one before calling Jiang He over.
“Come eat.”
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Congee[2], steamed buns, and a small plate of pickles.
Taking a position near the table, Jiang He didn’t move her chopsticks immediately. She was silent for a while before saying, “I remember something the Second Master often said.”
“What?” Xu Qing was curious.
“There is no free lunch in this world[3].”
“...but I want to believe that you’re a kind person.”
“Of course,” Xu Qing smiled, “I’m also happy that you haven’t pulled your sword on me again.”
“What would happen if I pull it out?”
“I’m not sure. Either way, it’s good that we’re communicating more. As long as there’s basic communication, anything is possible.”
A wild cat that would bite its benefactor deserves to be a stray.
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