After hanging up the phone, Si Si glanced at the time displayed on her phone. Three fifty five o’clock. She was about to go to the supermarket to buy food when the invisible suction force reappeared, ruthlessly pulling her out of the space.
She materialized in Qi Mohan’s room again—right where she’d vanished.
When Si Si disappeared, Qi Mohan panicked anew. He wasn’t sure if she’d vanish briefly and return as before, but one thing was certain: if she reappeared, it would be in the same spot. Suppressing his loneliness, he fixed his gaze on the empty space, determined to be the first to see her return.
His patience was rewarded. Si Si miraculously reappeared before him.
Seeing Qi Mohan’s tense stare, Si Si felt a pang of guilt. He’d asked her to warn him before leaving, yet she’d vanished without warning.
“I’m sorry, Qi Mohan. I didn’t mean to disappear. It must’ve happened because I mentioned going to the mall or supermarket,” she explained earnestly.
“It’s fine, as long as you don’t disappear forever.” His earlier desolation was eclipsed by relief. Then, realization struck: “Both times you vanished, it was around the same duration—two quarters of an hour.”
Si Si understood ancient timekeeping. “Two quarters” meant half an hour in modern terms.
The reminder sparked clarity. Her first trip to the mall had felt like half an hour, though she hadn’t checked the time. The second time, she’d noted the clock before and after calling Tang Xu—exactly thirty minutes apart.
“So I can only stay in the mall for half an hour at a time”, she mused. “Or maybe once per day?” Her first visit was yesterday; this was a new day. But confirmation would require testing tomorrow.
She shared her theory with Qi Mohan, who found it bizarre yet irrefutable. For now, they could only wait.
Just as Qi Mohan opened his mouth to speak, their stomachs growled in unison. They exchanged embarrassed glances.
Si Si had intended to grab food before being yanked back. Concentrating, she summoned instant noodles and ham from the supermarket.
“You’ve never seen these before,” she said, noting his curiosity. “Instant noodles. Just add hot water, and they’re ready to eat.”
Qi Mohan’s hunger sharpened at the sight. To mask his eagerness, he stood abruptly. “I’ll have someone boil water.”
His limp was unmistakable.
“What happened to your foot?” Si Si asked.
“A minor injury. Nothing serious.”
The word injured jogged her memory. Half-conscious earlier, she’d overheard Imperial Concubine Yun ask about Qi Mohan’s foot. He’d replied, ‘Bitten by a water beast’. She’d dismissed it as a dream, but now— .
He must’ve been hurt saving me.
Whatever a “water beast” was, it lived in water. Qi Mohan had jumped in to rescue her, giving it a chance to attack.
As Si Si pieced this together, Qi Mohan opened the door.
“Fetch boiling water,” he ordered. A eunuch scurried off.
Nanny Zhao, lingering nearby, assumed the young master was finally spending the night with a woman. Eager to assist, she approached, beaming.
“My lord, shall I help the young lady bathe?”
Qi Mohan missed the implication. “No need. Rest early.”
As his childhood wet nurse, Nanny Zhao held a unique place—less a servant, more a doting elder. Her concern often overrode formality, and though she respected him, her tone sometimes bordered on maternal indulgence.
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