158, Transcending Time and Space

After a dizzying spell, Jing Qingxin and Gao Shen found themselves standing in a beautifully decorated, light European-style room. Hand in hand, they had traversed time and space, traveling from the bridal chamber in Dajing Village in 1974 to the Jing family villa in City C in the year 2030.

Jing Qingxin was the first to regain her bearings. She opened her eyes, felt an immediate sense of relief at the sight of the familiar room, and turned to look at Gao Shen beside her. With a soft laugh, she said, "Mr. Gao, welcome to 2030!"

Hearing her voice, Gao Shen slowly opened his eyes, his mind still struggling to catch up. Was this what time travel felt like?

Gao Shen remembered that when they first joined hands, a strange sensation had surged through him, followed by a flash of golden light. He had instinctively closed his eyes, relying only on the hand gripped in Qingxin’s to sense her presence. Immediately, he felt a "whooshing" sound of air rushing past; the speed was immense, and he experienced a sensation of weightlessness, as if falling from a great height.

He had not expected the transit through the space-time tunnel to be so rapid—it had felt like less than a minute before he felt the surrounding air currents stabilize, right up until he heard Qingxin’s voice.

Gao Shen looked at Jing Qingxin, confirming she was safe and sound. The anxiety he had felt during the transit began to subside. He had been genuinely terrified that something might go wrong, potentially harming her.

Seeing the smile on her face, Gao Shen finally had the composure to look around at his current environment. It was a room with a distinctly Western decor, the entire arrangement imbued with a feminine touch.

Was this... Qingxin’s room?

"Ashen, this is my room!" Jing Qingxin said with a smile, introducing it.

Gao Shen nodded to show he understood and began to look around carefully. The room was huge—the combined size of his inner chamber and main hall back home—and it contained many things he did not quite understand.

Gao Shen narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought.

"Let’s head downstairs! My father should be at work by now, but I’m not sure if my mother is home," Jing Qingxin said, her tone light and cheerful.

She checked her watch, which showed it was ten minutes past ten in the morning. She took Gao Shen’s hand, opened the door, and led him downstairs.

When they reached the living room on the first floor, there was no one in sight. The entire villa was quiet; it seemed no one was home.

Jing Qingxin invited Gao Shen to sit on the sofa while she sat on a smaller armchair nearby to call her parents on the house phone.

Gao Shen sat on the sofa with a straight posture, his hands resting naturally on his legs. The softness beneath him felt foreign to someone accustomed to hard wooden chairs. He shifted a few times, surprised to find that the sofa had a springy quality; it was significantly more comfortable than any recliner he had ever seen.

As he listened to Qingxin talk to her parents, Gao Shen took the opportunity to observe the layout and furnishings of the living room. His first impression was simply that his wife’s home was truly massive. It looked like a palace; even without seeing the exterior, the interior radiated luxury and elegance.

Suddenly, Gao Shen’s gaze fell upon a wooden shelving unit. On its various square tiers sat many photographs, all encased in glass and wooden frames. Among them, one was the largest and most prominent: a family portrait featuring seven people.

Three of the men in the photo were dressed in formal military uniforms. While their temperaments differed, each possessed a sharp, disciplined aura. The photo itself looked warm and harmonious.

Gao Shen couldn't help but stand up and walk over to the shelf, studying the face of each person in the photo. He knew these were the family members Qingxin loved most.

In the center sat an elderly person with white hair, appearing to be in their eighties or nineties. Despite their advanced age and wrinkled face, their eyes still held the steely resolve of a soldier.

Gao Shen leaned in closer to take a better look. When he noticed the rank on the elder’s uniform, his eyes widened: it was a General!

On either side of the elder sat a middle-aged man and woman, presumably a couple. The man was wearing a uniform bearing the rank of Lieutenant General. Behind the bench where the three sat stood a young couple in their thirties; the young man was also in uniform, and his rank was nothing to scoff at—he was a Major General!

What a formidable and outstanding family, Gao Shen marveled to himself.

Compared to the three officers in the photo, Gao Shen suddenly felt that he was quite insignificant, like a mere foot soldier in their presence.

No! When he returned, he would have to intensify his training, strive for excellence, and take on more missions to earn merit. He had to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the three men in this photo; only then could he make Qingxin proud of him.

"That was the family portrait taken when I was eleven!"

Hearing her voice, Gao Shen turned and said, "Finished with your call?"

"Yes, Mom and Dad will be back soon. My brother won't be able to make it back until tonight," Jing Qingxin replied.

She had called her parents and her brother, and all three had been equally excited and relieved to hear her voice. Because of the nature of time travel, they had been unable to reach her and had been understandably worried about her safety. Her parents had insisted that she stay put while they made their way home immediately.