Chapter Nine

Jiang Xiaoyuan turned around and saw that it was the person who claimed to be a fellow townsman, Qilian. She hurriedly said: "No, no need, I..."

The person was connected to countless wires, with half of their skin peeled away, revealing large areas of circuitry and mechanical components beneath the skin. Half of their facial skin was also removed, exposing the dark eye sockets and the sensors that were visibly pulsating within the 'muscles' of their face.

Before Jiang Xiaoyuan could think it through, Zhang Tian took the initiative to run over and said to the person at the payment counter: "Uncle, I’m sorry, we didn’t bring enough money today, we are short by fifty. Could you please give us a discount and make an exception?"

This uncle, with a face full of dust and a slight limp in one leg, seemed to constantly display the words "I have no money" for all to see. After arriving, he comforted Zhang Tian and expressed his gratitude to Jiang Xiaoyuan, his words overflowing with thanks, yet he did not mention anything about repaying the money.

Jiang Xiaoyuan felt as if a block of ice had fallen on her chest, and her back was already soaked with cold sweat

This person's image seems to be proclaiming to the outside world, "I am not a good person"

Jiang Xiaoyuan intends to regard this experience as a period of survival in harsh outdoor conditions

Her pupils constricted sharply, and she bit down hard on her own hand to prevent herself from making any noise

The newcomer did not notice Jiang Xiaoyuan, who was bandaged with white cloth, and spoke with a fierce tone: "Next time, if I encounter that group again..."

From a distance, Jiang Xiaoyuan caught a whiff of a scent that belonged to a rogue, and the gratitude she had just felt vanished without a trace

But what should we do

If it's just a few dozen yuan, there's no need to write an IOU. Qilian saw her fumbling as she pulled up her contacts and then recited her own number. "Um, my surname is not 'Qi', it's 'Qi' as in 'Qilian Mountain'.

Mingguang leaned close to the assistant's ear and said slowly and deliberately, "That woman's temporal and spatial coordinate point must be mine"

In a moment of daze, it seemed as though she had returned to the lighthouse at the intersection of time and space, and before her, besides the darkness, there appeared to be a layer of mist, with everything she saw and heard separated from her by some barrier.

After resolving the issue, she felt as if she was beginning to float, as if life had lost its weight

However, at the last moment, she finally managed to hold back her impulsiveness and restrained her tendency to be overly generous.

Jiang Xiaoyuan kept fifty yuan for herself, taking out all the rest, yet it was still not enough. Fortunately, Zhang Tian had some pocket money on her, and the two of them searched their pockets thoroughly. In the end, all they found was pocket money, and when they counted it, it was just right—exactly fifty yuan short.

Uh... Qilian blinked and said, "There is no need to be so polite, just call me elder brother."

In a moment of impulse, Jiang Xiaoyuan was about to take out her last stash of private money. Just then, a long hand reached over, pinching a fifty between its fingers. He gently tapped Jiang Xiaoyuan's shoulder with his wrist and said, "Hey, let me cover this for you first."

As he spoke these words, he slightly lifted his eyelids and glanced at the burly man, who immediately froze, as if a switch had been pressed on him. He promptly closed his mouth, feigning a silly demeanor, and forced a smile at her, nodding his head.

Through the remaining half of his face, Jiang Xiaoyuan barely recognized him as the assistant from the lighthouse

"There are still forty-eight days," Jiang Xiaoyuan thought with sorrow, "Where will I live? How will I get through this?"

Jiang Xiaoyuan turned around and was genuinely startled to see a man of medium build and considerable strength standing behind her. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and his head was wrapped in a bandage. Only one of his fierce eyes was visible, and there was a scar on his forehead

The light and airy Jiang Xiaoyuan was overwhelmed by the exaggerated odors in the fast food restaurant, feeling as if she could swallow an entire elephant. In the past, she would rather starve than take a single bite of such junk food, yet at this moment, she was so tempted that tears could not help but flow!

Jiang Xiaoyuan stared blankly at the message that had been automatically returned to the inbox, despairingly pressing the "remote control" against her chest

Jiang Xiaoyuan felt somewhat puzzled, holding her breath and stealthily approaching the source of the sound

Jiang Xiaoyuan let out a dry laugh, her adrenaline was about to reach its peak

Thank you, uncle

Jiang Xiaoyuan felt a sudden jolt in her heart, and she could hardly find the words to express herself

Qilian: "Oh, I just feel that there aren't many young people using such old-fashioned phones anymore"

The two exchanged phone numbers, and Qilian said gently: "I work at the newspaper. Many of our fellow townspeople come here, and I have contact with most of them. When we are away from home, it is only right to help each other. If you encounter any difficulties, just give me a call, no need to be polite."

Qilian glanced at her and suddenly asked, "Is this phone yours?"

Qilian interrupted him, pointing at Jiang Xiaoyuan and said: "A younger sister from my hometown, just happened to run into her, let's chat a bit more."

And when she thought about her lack of a place to stay, with only fifty yuan left to her name, Jiang Xiaoyuan hesitated repeatedly, ultimately unable to part with this precious money to exchange it for a pile of food she was unwilling to compromise on.

Jiang Xiaoyuan frowned; she too had her own selfish motives. Even if it was for relief, she could not leave with nothing at all

The kind of light from the lighthouse, which seemed capable of sweeping away everything, sliced through the air and was about to fall upon her head

The more she thought of her, the more absurd it seemed. Thus, Jiang Xiaoyuan decisively took out her phone, found the earliest message Mingguang had sent her, and without hesitation replied: "I want to go back right now"

She rolled her eyes anxiously and thought: "Is the 'newspaper office' really a place that publishes newspapers, or is it an abbreviation for 'revenge on society'? I... I just borrowed fifty yuan from the underworld?"

That is truly two hundred and fifty

Before her refusal could even leave her lips, Zhang Tian had already swiftly taken the money away

After waiting for a long time, Mingguang still did not respond, and it seemed that it was truly just a wrong number she dialed. Jiang Xiaoyuan stood up wearily, intending to go wherever fate would take her; if all else failed, she would just sleep on the street.

Jiang Xiaoyuan felt a bit awkward as she fumbled for her remote control phone and clumsily opened the contacts: "Please leave a number, and I will return the money to you later... By the way, do you want me to write an IOU?"

Jiang Xiaoyuan's heart raced wildly—so it turned out that the series of sensational warnings had been issued by the lighthouse assistant. But how was he discovered

It has always been others who sought her assistance, and this is the first time Jiang Xiaoyuan has received a favor. Although it is only fifty yuan, she momentarily does not know what to say.

This message indicates that the result is `` not successfully sent '' ーー which is quite normal, as the number provided by the other party is essentially a non-existent number

Zhang Tian: "But ... ..."

At that moment, Jiang Xiaoyuan suddenly recalled that the first warning message had the words "Do not reply" in front of it. That's right! ... At that time, she was so flustered that she couldn't help but reply with "Who are you?" Could it be because of this...

She found a long bench by the roadside, teetering on the edge of collapse. Without caring about its cleanliness, she sat down heavily and, in a daze, recalled the events of the past 24 hours.

Accidentally overhearing others plotting to harm oneself, and being discovered during the eavesdropping process, this novel experience is unique in Jiang Xiaoyuan's short life of just over twenty years, leaving her momentarily stunned

The staff member at the payment office is actually only around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, but for some reason, he appears somewhat prematurely aged. He already feels that he looks old, and now he is directly addressed as "uncle" by such a young lady, which makes him involuntarily touch his barren area, feeling quite frustrated. Upon hearing her request, he is even more amused: "This is the first time I've heard of someone bargaining in a hospital; do you think this is a vegetable market?"

Jiang Xiaoyuan : `` ... ... ''

The sound of footsteps approached from a distance, and Jiang Xiaoyuan quickly curled herself into a ball. It was only after the footsteps stopped that she cautiously peeked out, her heart racing with fear.

Then she suddenly felt darkness before her eyes and finally fainted from hunger.

The lighthouse assistant moved slightly, coldly gazing at him

Jiang Xiaoyuan used all her willpower to swallow the saliva completely and then left

Fifty yuan is barely enough for her to have a meal that does not seek quality, but only aims to fill her stomach, and with the cost of one meal, there is nothing left; should she then rely on the wind from the northwest to survive

One can certainly be destitute, but how can one be so shamelessly destitute!

After turning several corners, Jiang Xiaoyuan concealed herself in the darkness, cautiously releasing her gaze. She saw a large pillar that resembled a medieval stake, with a person bound to it.

In the final chapter, feeling a bit guilty, she secretly pulled Jiang Xiaoyuan aside and said: "Sister, when my mother wakes up and gets the money, I will return it to you once I manage to get by, okay?"

She saw that the person approaching was Mingguang, who walked over calmly with a transparent screen suspended in front of him, displaying it for the barely conscious lighthouse assistant to see

The hospital restroom was unbearably filthy, just as intolerable as the one at Zhang Tian's home. Jiang Xiaoyuan sprinted without touching the ground and finally found a McDonald's, bursting in like a fledgling bird returning to the forest, heading straight for the restroom

Jiang Xiaoyuan almost habitually blurted out: "Not a few pieces, it's not needed."

From a distance, faint sounds emanated from the lighthouse, seemingly filled with great anguish, occasionally interspersed with one or two cries of despair, piercing the ears like a rasp against bone

Jiang Xiaoyuan's footsteps involuntarily moved forward half a step, and at that moment, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed from the lighthouse: "Temporal disturbance, warning, temporal disturbance---"

Although the arrival of her uncle did not bring about any improvement, having a man around made it completely inconvenient for Jiang Xiaoyuan to stay at Zhang Tian's home. She stayed at the hospital with Zhang Tian until the doctor announced that the patient was out of danger, and then she left alone—not out of a desire to do good without seeking recognition, but because she was eager to address some pressing issues related to national and public welfare.

Insufficient funds to go home and retrieve more money, next one

Before she could think of the right words, someone suddenly called out behind her in a rough voice, "Brother Qi"

Jiang Xiaoyuan stood by, dumbfounded. She had never haggled with anyone in her life and could hardly imagine how this mischievous child managed to utter the words "reduce by fifty." After a long while, she finally came to her senses, feeling as if her face had been thrown into the Arctic Ocean

Uncertain of what he had done, the lighthouse assistant suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream, as if he were being burned, and his entire body began to boil.

The money borrowed is not some high-interest loan where one borrows fifty and repays two hundred and fifty, is it

Behind this name, there seems to be a figure of a burly man, which does not quite match the person in front of me

Mingguang: "It is useless for you to secretly warn Dingzi behind my back. Look, she still replied to me; no one will believe you at all. Just think about it, she fell from the high clouds down to the ground, and you ran to tell her not to bother, that she could never go back. How do you think she would feel? If it were you, would you be willing to believe it?"

Jiang Xiaoyuan and the others were in a state of chaos at the hospital for an entire day. It was not until the evening that a middle-aged man hurriedly arrived, claiming to be Zhang Tian's uncle

This space-time seems to know that she regards herself as an outsider, treating her with a certain distance. In the moment she collapsed, Jiang Xiaoyuan once again experienced the illusion of being pushed out of this space-time.

Zhang Tian did not respond; she had rushed back to the payment counter as if her eyebrows were on fire

Zhang Tian quickly explained: "All the money in my family is kept by my mother, I do not know her passbook password, uncle please..."

She has no intention of seeking a job to make a living; firstly, she does not plan to stay here for long, and secondly, she does not possess any skills.

Jiang Xiaoyuan's entire body stiffened

Fortunately, the Qilian did not reveal any ferocious appearance, bidding her farewell in a cultured manner, while leading back the obviously dangerous large injured animal.

At this point, she no longer considers the authenticity of the subsequent series of warning messages. If she were to live her entire life in this unfortunate time and space, it would be better for her to die and be done with it.

She is so accustomed to using her smartphone that whenever it does not respond to her commands, her fingers instinctively swipe across the screen a few times

Jiang Xiaoyuan stiffly smiled at Zhang Tian, abandoning her usual principles of conduct in order to retain ownership of all her possessions