Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Male God
Watching her funds dwindle bit by bit, she organized and filled her storage space.
One compartment was for rice and flour; sheād loaded hundreds of thousands of pounds, yet it still wasnāt full.
And that wasnāt even mentioning all the other miscellaneous items. Fortunately, she had good control over the space. As long as she willed it, an item would appear on the empty floor of the main hall, making retrieval convenient.
Unsure of what the future held, she ordered takeout nonstop every day.
Through her experiments over the past several days, sheād learned that while the space could store objects, it couldnāt hold any living animals.
As for other people, Jin Qianqian had no intention of taking the risk to even try.
By the time she had gradually stored all these items in her space, her visa for going abroad had been approved.
After paying respects to her late great-aunt, she quickly found a local real estate agent and sold the property within days.
With the money in hand, the most important remaining items were weapons. But these werenāt things an ordinary person like her could access. Her only option was to contact an old classmate abroad. With his help, she managed to get a few handguns and some assorted ammunition from a fellow countryman in the Beautiful Country.
To convince her classmate, she had to act mysterious and be deliberately vague, misleading him just enough to secure his help.
A trip abroad was a rare opportunity, and she couldnāt let it go to waste. The money sheād just received was barely in her hands before she spent it on another huge batch of supplies to fill her space.
Jin Qianqian used the last of her money to buy a plane ticket, then dragged her suitcase onto the aircraft.
She sat in her seat and closed her eyes to rest, but her heart was pounding. āIf things stay this peaceful, Iāll probably have to sell my last house when I get back. Iāll need to get the supermarket running first, then I can build up my inventory slowly.ā
Her consciousness sank into her storage space. Looking at the jam-packed shelves and all the supplies piled in the rooms and living area, Jin Qianqian felt an overwhelming sense of security.
"Excuse me, my seat is on the inside." A gentle voice broke Jin Qianqianās reverie.
He was tall and lean, with a handsome, gentle face, and carried himself with a steady, aristocratic air. His long bangs fell over his eyes, which were deep-set beneath thick eyebrows. He had a high-bridged nose and a distinctly masculine aura.
Jin Qianqian froze, then scrambled to her feet. "Senior Gu?"
"Well, well, you do remember me. I thought after graduation, youād forgotten all about us, except for that tomboy Li Tianāai." Ancient Wen Heng lightly flicked her forehead, a look of mock distress on his face.
Jin Qianqianās right hand, hanging at her side, clenched into a fist. She pursed her lips. "Thatās not true. Itās just... everyone got so busy after graduation, we lost touch a bit. Are you heading back, Senior Gu?"
Ancient Wen Heng was about to reply, but the people behind him were growing impatient. He gestured for Jin Qianqian to move to the seat on the inside.
Since it was just the two of them in the row, switching seats wasnāt an issue.
In a fluster, Jin Qianqian grabbed her purse and phone and shuffled past him. Once they were both settled, she snuck a cautious glance at Ancient Wen Heng.
āTo her, Senior Gu was a love she could only harbor in the deepest, most hidden corner of her heart. The gap between them was simply too vast; she never dared to have any other fantasies.ā
"Youāve always been such a homebody. What made you decide to go abroad this time?" Ancient Wen Heng asked nonchalantly.
Jin Qianqianās heart pounded as she answered. This senior wasnāt as easy to fool as her other classmate. She briefly explained that she had received an inheritance from her great-aunt and had come over to handle the estate, taking the opportunity to do some sightseeing.
"Is that right? You just did a little sightseeing?"
"I also met up with Li Huanping and bought a few small things."
"And where are these āthingsā?" Ancient Wen Heng suddenly leaned close to her ear, whispering the question.
"Donāt tell me you checked them in your luggage. You know they wouldnāt pass inspection."
Jin Qianqianās face went white. āIāve been careless.ā
By the time she snapped out of her daze, the plane was already in mid-air.
She hadnāt even realized her seatbelt had been fastened for her.
She turned her head stiffly to look at Ancient Wen Heng. "Can I just say I forgot to check them as luggage?"
Ancient Wen Heng rolled his eyes at her. "Timid as you are, you still manage to get into trouble. Just calm down. Since I know about it, Iāll take care of the loose ends for you.
I wonāt ask where you put them or who you gave them to. Just donāt let this happen again."
Jin Qianqian frantically shook her head. āI was just careless this time. Back home, I knew to create a diversion, but I canāt believe I slipped up here.ā
"Are you sure itās okay? Will it affect you at all?" Jin Qianqian asked timidly. āIf I accidentally drag Senior Gu into this, Iāll owe him a huge favor.ā
Ancient Wen Heng handed her a warm cup of coffee. "I might not be very capable myself, but my family has some resources. This matter ends here. Donāt bring it up again."
Jin Qianqianās face was filled with guilt. "Iām so sorry to trouble you again, Senior Gu. It seems like Iām always causing problems for you."
"Silly girl. So you do feel guilty. In that case, you should be nicer to your senior and keep in touch more often."
Jin Qianqian was about to reply when the plane suddenly lurched violently, sloshing the coffee from her cup all over both of them.
Before she could even apologize, the scent of gardenias washed over her as she was pulled into a protective embrace.
"Senior Gu..."
"Itās okay. Donāt be afraid. Iām here."
Jin Qianqian felt herself being shaken violently, and her hands gripped the sides of Ancient Wen Hengās clothes. "Whatās going on?"
"I think our luckās run out. This might be the end for us," Ancient Wen Heng said with a bitter smile.
Jin Qianqian mustered her courage and wrapped her arms around him. āIāll allow myself to be this selfish, just this once.ā
ļ¼
The blazing sun beat down relentlessly, scorching the earth. Dry, cracked land stretched to the horizon.
On both sides of the main road, people lay sprawled and motionless. It was a startling sight at first glance.
Jin Qianqian felt a profound weakness throughout her body. Her mouth was dry and aching, full of grit. She forced her eyes open with all her might, only to see a stretch of parched, cracked earth.
āTo fall from that high up and still be alive... I remember at the last moment, I tried to pull Senior Gu into my storage space, but it wouldnāt open. The space that had always been so easy to access was suddenly sealed off.ā
āIt seems even fate wants me dead.ā That had been her last thought before she blacked out.
āWait, what about Senior Gu? If Iām alive, does that mean he is, too?ā
She turned her head with great difficulty. She felt utterly drained of strength; even lifting a hand was an immense effort.
But all she could see was dry grass and people scattered here and there on the ground.
āDid all these people survive a plane crash, too?ā she wondered. āBut to fall from that altitude and still be in one piece... itās completely impossible.ā
āBut whatās with their clothes? Theyāre all so drab and gray. Couldnāt there be any other colors? Did we land in a mud pit or something?ā