Chapter 15

1

In the morning, a ringing sound resounded.

"Mmm... I don't remember setting an alarm clock." I opened my eyes wide and looked at the large clock embedded in the ceiling. Half-past eight? I don't have class today, who could be up this early!

I searched around in bed, realizing the sound wasn't from an alarm clock, but from my phone?

"Zi... Sirou?" Three words appeared on my phone.

"Hello? The flight is at four in the afternoon, it's still early."

"Shut up, we agreed to answer the call within three seconds!"

"It's three seconds then, I woke up and calculated the three seconds to answer the call." If I admitted it now, I would definitely be unlucky, I firmly believed.

"Do you know that it's been thirty-four seconds and eight since the phone rang?"

"You're still timing it? Don't be so boring. Why did you call so early?" I sat at the edge of the bed and saw the neatly arranged clothes in front of the bed. They should have been prepared by my mother. Ever since I started coming back to the Duke's Mansion for no reason, there would always be a few sets of clothes placed on the bedside table when I woke up. Later, I found out that it wasn't the butler or the maids who prepared them, but my mother.

"Come downstairs, to the hall."

"You're downstairs?" I pulled back the curtains. My room was at the back of the garden, while the hall was right in front of the garden. I could barely see it through this window.

"Of course, now hurry up and come downstairs. There's a lot to do."

After hanging up the phone, I wondered what Zi Sirou wanted to drag me into. I came back to the Duke's Mansion quite late last night, couldn't I just get a good night's sleep?

2

"Young master!" I entered the hall and saw a row of maids standing there, with the glasses-wearing maid Lan leading the group.

"It's you guys again? Did my mother tell you to stand here?"

"Yes!" Maid Lan closed her eyes and answered me, deliberately avoiding looking at me.

"Then you can continue standing."

In the center of the hall stood Zi Sirou, looking very busy.

"I..."

"Go quickly, stop dawdling."

Before I could even greet her, Zi Sirou took me away.

"Hey, Fengyu, did you see? You probably won't make the gossip magazine cover this time!"

In the corner of the hall, Father was hugging Mother, they looked like a father and daughter.

"Who says I won't? Next time, the headline will be 'Young Master Qin Turns Around and Holds Hands with His Official Fiancée'. I've fallen for that headline before!"

"When did that happen? I don't remember."

"Before I met you."

"..."

3

After Zi Sirou took me away, we went shopping all day. Buying skincare products like sunscreens, moisturizers, deep treatments, there were so many bottles and jars. Then we bought clothes for warmth and cold-proofing, because she said the temperature difference in the desert was huge.

"Are you able to carry all these things after buying so much?"

"Well, my father gave me this. One of his friends is a Space Magic practitioner. This pendant has a three-square space inside. It must be expensive to buy one." Zi Sirou pointed to the pendant on her neck, a blue diamond-shaped pendant.

"If you want something like this, you should have come to me. I can make one with a thirty-square space for you. Besides, even if you put things inside, it's not that convenient. No matter how big the space is, the things are still in this world, and the weight is still there, albeit slightly reduced. If you don't mind having a heavy necklace around your neck, then go ahead and wear it."

"Is that so?" Zi Sirou took off the pendant and looked at it, saying, "It's good that it's only three square, not many things."

"Suit yourself."

If she liked wearing it, then let her. After all, girls love beauty. Following Zi Sirou's train of thought, if I kept asking, she might end up stuffing the pendant into my neck.

"What are you looking at? Come in."

"I think I've been to this shop before."

"Hey, is this a lingerie store?"

Zi Sirou stands in front of a lingerie store.

"I remember it clearly because it's a lingerie store."

"Who did you come with?"

"I... I was just passing by, didn't go in."

"Then why did you say you've been here?"

"Um, I was chased by a dog here last time, so I remember coming here. I don't know if that dog is still here. Let's go somewhere else."

I am ready to take Zi Sirou away. I don't want to go in.

"You're silly. This is a commercial street. Where would there be dogs? Go in!"

"Is it necessary for you to buy this?"

"So you want me not to wear this?"

"Can't I just wear your old ones?"

"I'm going to the desert, I've always wanted to go. Is it wrong to wear some new clothes to welcome it?"

"No, I was wrong!"

Zi Sirou takes me into the store. Why do I feel like I've been here before? Because Hanya brought me here last time, maybe this store is closer to the school, so all the girls love to come here. But the neighborhood is a civilian area, and the prices of the popular brands here are not high. It's strange that someone like Zi Sirou would come here.

"Sis, I'm here for some shopping!"

As soon as Zi Sirou entered, she greeted the female staff at the counter.

"Sis?" I followed her gaze and I was really shocked. I said, "Zi Li, aren't you a librarian? Why are you working as a salesperson?"

Zi Li, dressed in a black striped uniform, looked professional.

"I am part-time. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the library, and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays here."

"You're a part-timer, but yesterday you were so serious about saying that this is your job."

"Hey, whether it's part-time or full-time, I do my best when I work, especially for those of us with the last name Zi. We can't make any mistakes in anything we do!"

Ha ha, that's what she said, but yesterday I heard in the college department that she can be quite rough in her work.

Before I could reply, she started making mistakes and was called aside by the store manager to be scolded. She stood there with her head down, looking disheartened.

"Working outside is different from being a teacher in the college. She has to face some hardships," I secretly chuckled, looking at her pitiful figure. But who asked her to make mistakes?

"My sister is very diligent. Apart from attending classes in college, she also works part-time. Uncle Emperor doesn't withhold her allowance, but she just likes to work. She used to like volunteering, but it was too rough, so she didn't continue."

While Zi Sirou picked out underwear, she kept talking.

"Why not do something... more important, like planning some big projects, imperial and public ones?"

"Haha, those things, how could Uncle trust my sister with them? Compared to Li Liu, she's too impulsive."

"I think so too. She actually poked the bookshelf with a broom. I thought it was necessary, but who knew she could do without it?"

"Have you borrowed books from the library? She was so funny. Actually, the broom is not necessary. She needs to use the wristband she wears to control the system."

"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?" While we were chatting, another salesperson went up to attend to us. It seems that Zi Li won't be back for a while.

"Sir, have you been here before?" The salesperson suddenly asked.

"Me? No way."

The salesperson smiled and said, "I didn't remember wrong. The people who have been here are all female customers. The accompanying male customers don't have silver hair."

"Who did he come with last time?" Zi Sirou asked the waiter. The waiter glanced at her, having seen many female customers every day, she really didn't remember, but she was certain that it wasn't the same girl last time. The hair color was obviously different.

"Hey, no one. I just passed by last time and got chased by a dog."

"Nonsense, you getting chased by a dog? You not chasing a dog is already impressive! Tell me, who did he come with last time?"

"Um, a girl with dark hair."

"Okay, Hanya!" Zi Sirou threw down her underwear and scared away the waiter in a very angry manner.

"Alright, you buy it then. Since it's not the first time you're here, I'll pay." I draped my arm over her shoulder, watching her liking the thing in her hand so much. If she wants to buy it, she can. Why do girls like to be picky?

"From now on, don't talk to me until we get on the plane," Zi Sirou pushed my hand away and said.

4

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, we were at the Imperial Airport waiting like ordinary passengers, but Zi Sirou still hadn't spoken.

Today's plane was a regular civilian aircraft, not a chartered flight, so there were no rooms, no bars, and definitely no bartender.

"The plane is here, why aren't you talking?"

Zi Sirou turned away and ignored me.

"What's up with you two? Are you quarreling?" Guffy wore cool clothes and a pair of big sunglasses, looking exactly like a fashion model. Was it a present from the campus activity as well?

"Principal?" Zi Sirou was surprised to see Guffy sitting next to me.

I pointed calmly at Guffy. "Tour guide."

"You could just hire a local tour guide. Why..."

"Miss, we're going to do bad things. If you hire a local one, you would be looking for death." Guffy continued my sentence.

"Really, don't scare me, but I dare to go. In any case, the principal can really be a tour guide."

"When I entered the pyramid, Zi classmate, you hadn't been born yet."

"Neither have I," I said.

Zi Sirou was unhappy, like a deflated balloon.

"I... I thought it was just the two of us!"

"When you entered the pyramid, it was just the two of you. I won't go down," I said.

"Why? I wanted you to guide us."

"I won't go in anymore, and if the structure inside really changes, it would be useless for me to go in. Be careful on your own."

"Even the principal doesn't want to go in. Is it really dangerous?"

I deliberately scared her. "Yeah, many people have died. It's very dangerous. It's not too late for you to not go now."

"Go away, I don't want to talk to you."

"I told you, I'm not responsible for your safety, huh!"

Guffy tapped my forehead.

"You're a man."

"I can take care of myself, you don't need to worry."

I glanced at the time and asked Guffy why she arrived so late. Who knew she said that she had to check-in some things, and these things were very necessary, and also quite large, but she refused to say what they were and would only reveal it after we arrived.

Soon, we boarded the plane and set off for Emo and Nia. Sitting in the crowded cabin, I really wanted to arrive quickly, arrive at the pyramid that changed Ma Ruotian, reveal why he had so many secrets, and also possibly unveil my own mystery. Most importantly, I wanted to find a way to bring Elena back, if not, it would be even more troublesome.