My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 25: This girl is so pretty

Two days later, Xu Qing had the window repaired by someone and added a security grille as well.

“This phone is for you. Call me if you need anything.”

Xu Qing had gotten a secondary SIM card, and along with a promotion, he received a budget Android phone worth over a thousand yuan, which he handed over to Jiang He.

“Isn’t this phone valuable?” Jiang He instinctively felt this wasn’t a simple item.

“It’s not. It’s a freebie.”

“Oh, thank you, young hero.”

“No need to be so polite. Try it out first—learn how to give me a call.”

After teaching Jiang He how to make a call, Xu Qing let her tinker with her new toy. For some reason, he felt like Jiang He was playing a game, and he was just an NPC responsible for guiding new players…

“I’m stepping out for a bit. Eat dinner on your own.”

“Alright.”

Jiang He didn’t ask further. Having things to do was normal; staying home all day wasn’t human-like behavior.

“I might be back late. If you don’t feel like playing games, you can watch videos, play Fight the Landlord, or just explore the phone. It’s after work hours now.” Xu Qing reminded her. At first, he was worried Jiang He wouldn’t be interested in games. But ever since she heard they could earn money, she transformed into a gaming enthusiast, and now he was worried she’d get too addicted.

The more intensely you play, the easier it is to suddenly lose interest.

“Is playing games really considered work?” The more Jiang He played, the more confused she became. She couldn’t understand what was fun about controlling oddly-dressed little characters running around on a computer.

Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of players?

“Of course. If you play after work hours, that’s overtime. And during the probation period, there’s no overtime pay.”

Xu Qing spoke with a seriousness that made it seem real—and it worked. At least now Jiang He approached it with the enthusiasm of doing a job.

“Call me if anything comes up. Now go eat.”

After giving her instructions, Xu Qing turned and left the house. While it was still light out, he planned to grab a taxi to his parents’ house for dinner.

The house where his parents lived.

He typically went back once or twice a month, but last month, because of finding Jiang He, he hadn’t visited. Only Xu Wenbin had come by once to collect the rent and check if he was still alive in the apartment.

Lately, Xu Qing’s mom had been urging him to come back. He didn’t need to guess to know it was because his dad had likely embellished Jiang He’s story.

“Mom, I’m home.”

Xu Qing went upstairs, opened the door, and called out, but there was no response. He looked around and found only Xu Wenbin in the study poring over documents.

“Dad, where’s Mom?”

“She hasn’t come back from playing mahjong.”

“It’s already this late… Aren’t you hungry?” Xu Qing checked his watch—it was almost six in the evening. Not only was there no dinner, but no one was even home.

“Now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry. Call her to come back.”

“…Alright.”

Xu Wenbin put down his work, glanced toward the door, and asked, “Just you? Where’s your girlfriend?”

“What girlfriend? I already told you, she’s just a friend staying over temporarily.”

“Tch, you think I don’t understand you young folks? If it were a guy, would you let him stay?”

“Didn’t Qin Hao stay before?”

“He doesn’t count. If that kid were a girl, she’d have been your girlfriend by now.”

“…Whatever.”

Feeling exasperated, Xu Qing left the study and returned to the living room, pulling out his phone to call his mom. When she played mahjong, everything else faded into the background. Xu Qing couldn’t fathom how his dad had endured this for so many years with a cheerful attitude.

“Oh, by the way, I came to tell you something.” After hanging up, Xu Qing returned to the study, taking out a receipt. “Someone broke into my place recently, so I had the window repaired and added a security grille. Can you reimburse me for the cost?”

There were two reasons for this visit: showing his face and getting his dad to cover the expense.

With family, financial matters were best kept transparent.

“Broke in? What’s there to steal at your place?”

“Isn’t my computer worth money?”

“But don’t you sleep hugging your computer? Who could possibly steal it?” Xu Wenbin mocked while taking the receipt. After a moment, he looked up at Xu Qing, realizing, “Wait, you’re alright, right?”

“I beat up the thief and scared them off.”

“I was asking about you, not the thief.”

“If I beat the thief, how could I have been hurt?”

The two of them seemed incapable of staying on the same wavelength, and it was exhausting to talk. Sometimes, Xu Qing even doubted whether he’d been adopted. Harmonious scenes like Qin Hao’s family seemed like a fantasy he’d never witness in this lifetime.

Outside, the sound of keys jingling came from the door, followed by Zhou Suzhi entering with grocery bags.

“Qingzi, you’re back? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I mentioned it in the family group chat this afternoon. You even replied.”

“Did I? Must’ve been too busy and forgot. I’ll start cooking now. Watch TV or something while you wait.”

Zhou Suzhi looked like she’d had a good day at mahjong, humming a tune as she bustled into the kitchen. Xu Qing knew his mom too well—her mood depended entirely on her mahjong results. If she lost, she’d sulk and nag Xu Wenbin. If she won, she’d be all smiles, even for a single yuan. And the more she won, the happier she’d be. Judging by her tune, she must have won at least ten yuan.

“By the way, where’s your girlfriend?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend. Don’t listen to Dad’s nonsense,” Xu Qing called out from the living room.

“Why is it nonsense?” Xu Wenbin objected. “Her clothes are hanging at your place. You eat and live together, even do laundry together. How can you say she’s just a friend?”

“What? You’re living and eating together?” Zhou Suzhi exclaimed. Xu Wenbin had left out those details, only mentioning that a girl had moved in, possibly as Xu Qing’s girlfriend.

“Not at all! You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”

From the kitchen, the living room, and the study, the three of them carried on a scattered conversation.

By the time dinner was ready, it was nearly 8 PM. While other families were out for walks or watching TV together, the Xu household was just sitting down to eat.

Three dishes and a soup—not luxurious, but sufficient for three people.

“Do you have a photo? Let me see.” Zhou Suzhi was still curious about the girl staying at Xu Qing’s place.

Xu Qing, realizing they wouldn’t drop the topic, begrudgingly pulled out his phone, found a picture, and handed it over. “Here, just a friend, not a girlfriend.”

“Oh, she’s so pretty. Let me take a good look.” Zhou Suzhi put down her chopsticks and swiped through the photos. The next one was also Jiang He. And the one after that, still her.

“You’ve taken so many pictures of her? This one’s on the Lanjiang Bridge, isn’t it? It’s beautiful!”

“Stop swiping! Just give me back my phone.”@@novelbin@@

Xu Qing’s head throbbed. She was from over a millennium ago—a relic of history, not someone to be mistaken for a daughter-in-law.