My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 11: No Future

Jiang He was pretty obedient outside, and she managed to avoid the surveillance cameras.

"This is called a traffic light. When the red light is on, it means you can't go. When the green light is on, you can cross."

Xu Qing gestured to the traffic light above and continued explaining, "This is also part of the laws. If you don't follow it, not only is it dangerous with all these cars, but you'll also be breaking the law. Make sure to remember this well."

The two of them, one tall and one short, stood at the crosswalk, looking up at the red light countdown with solemn expressions.

They looked a bit silly.

For Xu Qing, who was used to staying at home watching movies, both introducing a person from ancient times to modern concepts and going shopping with a girl were pretty interesting. Walking Jiang He along the street, his initial tension had gradually faded.@@novelbin@@

Jiang He followed quietly beside him, silently observing this modern world. Everything on the street seemed new to her—the streetlights, greenery, shops along the road, and even the honking cars would make her look over.

"Do you like any of these?"

He picked up a fluffy headband with ears, thinking of putting it on Jiang He for fun. After reconsidering, he decided against it and simply raised his hand to gesture.

Just by looks alone, as long as she didn’t speak or make any distinct gestures, she already looked like a modern person—no need for extra decorations.

Jiang He remained silent, casting a glance at the headband in his hand, then shifting her gaze to the other items on display, studying each one.

After a moment, Xu Qing picked out a blue hair tie with two delicate little butterflies. Seeing that Jiang He was simply looking without making any move, he asked the stall owner for the price, scanned the payment, and handed the hair tie to Jiang He.

"Here, this one’s good for tying your hair."

Jiang He took it, looked it over for a couple of seconds, and then tried stretching it to figure out its use, before tying up her hair with it.

With her hair tied up, she looked a bit less gentle but more poised. Xu Qing glanced at her for an extra moment before turning to continue walking with her.

As night gradually fell, the streets became busier, and Xu Qing spoke less. They turned into a small diner and sat in a corner. Xu Qing called over the owner and ordered two plates of stir-fried pancakes, along with a dish of smashed cucumbers.

Jiang City's stir-fried pancakes were quite a specialty. The pancakes were cut into thin strips and stir-fried with bean sprouts—it could also be cooked with green beans or cabbage, but the bean sprouts gave the best texture, full of fragrance and flavor.

This type of small diner not only had authentic flavors but also large portions. Xu Qing had been eating here since high school and still occasionally came even after graduating from college.

"This is a place for eating. The meal at noon was also bought here, and yesterday’s delivery came from here too. The delivery person bought it here, brought it to my place, and I paid him."

With the noisy chatter in the restaurant, Xu Qing muttered to Jiang He in a low voice from their corner.

Their table was by the window, and Jiang He, gazing out at the colorful street lights, remained silent with a complex expression.

The passersby, flashing neon lights, and steady flow of cars—all of it was so foreign.

She didn’t belong here.

Noticing Jiang He’s low spirits, Xu Qing gradually lowered his voice, eventually stopping altogether and leaning back in his chair to look at the lady knight sitting across the table.

If she couldn’t go back, alone in this world, without even an identity...

That would mean no job, no income, no permanent residence, no ability to travel, and not even the possibility of marriage. She would be left to wander in some small corner or work in a hidden factory—living out the rest of her days with no future.

Unless she revealed her identity and submitted herself to being controlled. But Xu Qing didn’t think Jiang He would willingly be anyone's guinea pig. If given a choice, she’d probably rather hide in a forest than be controlled by others.

When the owner brought over their stir-fried pancakes, Jiang He finally looked away from the window, and Xu Qing also shifted his gaze. He took two sets of disposable chopsticks from the container, handing one pair to Jiang He.

"Let’s eat."

“Mm.”

Jiang He responded for the first time since they’d gone out, lowering her head to eat.

Seeing that she seemed comfortable with the food, Xu Qing relaxed. After taking a few bites, he got up, gesturing to Jiang He to let her know, and then went to the fridge to get a bottle of mineral water and a beer.

Back at the table, he pushed the water toward Jiang He and used his chopsticks to pop open the beer bottle, drinking a few sips straight from it.

Leaving this lady knight here, things were going to be a lot more complicated than he had thought...

One step at a time.

Lost in thought, Xu Qing didn’t even add garlic to his dish. Eating a few bites, he washed them down with some beer. By the time Jiang He put her chopsticks down, his plate was also empty. He took his last sip of beer, let out a satisfied burp, and got up to pay.

The two of them left the diner as the city lights shone brightly, and the night had just begun. Neon lights flashed alternately, the streets were packed, and the lively sounds of people and honking cars merged into a vibrant scene.

Xu Qing looked up at the night sky, let out a long breath, and smiled at Jiang He, who was obediently following by his side.

"Let’s go home."

…

They walked in silence. By the time they reached home, it was 7:30, just as the evening news was ending. Xu Qing didn’t pay it much attention, locking the door before glancing at Jiang He, who had sat down on the couch, seemingly lost in thought.

"So, do you believe it now?"

Jiang He moved her head slightly in response, lifting her gaze to meet his. After a moment of silence, she pulled out one of her iron darts and rubbed her fingers along the scratches on it.

"Well, it’s not all bad. Look around—everyone is living in peace, enjoying life. There’s stir-fried pancakes, cola, beer, computers. No need to worry about getting randomly attacked... though maybe still a little."

Xu Qing tried to comfort her, but he rambled, unsure of what he was saying. After a pause, he walked over and sat down beside her on the couch.

"Honestly, if we could sort out the identity issue, you’d be able to enjoy a lot of things you couldn’t before. Even if you used that strength of yours just to haul bricks, you could live a comfortable life. That’s actually a good thing."

Life is short; having to sleep with one eye open is exhausting.

This prosperous world was worlds apart from ancient times.

“I want to go home.”

Jiang He gripped her iron dart tightly, feeling the slight pain as the point pressed into her palm.

Xu Qing sighed, "But you can’t go back."

Jiang He fell silent.

The room was quiet except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. Occasionally, the sound of cars from outside and a cough from a neighbor upstairs could be heard faintly.

After a long while, Jiang He’s shoulders slumped. She tossed her dart onto the table and asked softly, "How do we fix my identity?"

“I’m not an official, so I don’t fully understand it, but we’ll figure something out. First, you’ll need to blend in without raising suspicion.” Xu Qing looked at her and reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, young hero.”

Jiang He clasped her hands in gratitude. After a pause, she added, “But if it’s too much trouble…”

“It’s necessary. Identity is important.”

Xu Qing felt a surge of pride at her calling him “young hero” and looked around the table before leaning over toward the trash bin. "Where’s that paper I sorted out yesterday?"

Jiang He blinked, “You crumpled it up and threw it away.”

“I know, it should be in here somewhere.” Xu Qing poked around the trash bin with his hand.