Chapter 11: New Home

“There’s only one bedroom downstairs. The captain and the other one thought I was too noisy, so they dumped it on me,” Xie Pingzhi said with a sigh as she led Ye Jingqiu up to the second floor. “This world really doesn’t give talkative people a break.”

Ye Jingqiu thought back to those years in self-study class, when she’d gotten so bored she’d started doodling on scraps of paper, only for Teacher Xiao Xu to shoot her a warning look to focus. She nodded deeply in agreement.

The place they were in was a standalone little building, number 209. The exterior was plain and minimalist, but inside it was a different story—fully equipped with every functional necessity. You could even tell a lot about the personalities of the people living there from the decor.

The massive gaming posters and extreme sports photos plastered on the walls were clearly Xie Pingzhi’s doing. The mountain of stuffed bears piled up next to the sofa probably belonged to the other teammate. But after circling the room, Ye Jingqiu couldn’t spot anything that screamed “captain.”

The south-facing balcony did have a bunch of flowers and plants in full bloom. Ye Jingqiu was still wondering if they were the captain’s when Xie Pingzhi lazily informed her that those pots were all fake.

Tch, the captain really was a robot with no preferences!

Ye Jingqiu slowly made her way up the glass staircase, her curiosity about the new place making her glance around everywhere, her attention scattered.

Then her forehead bumped into something soft and small.

It didn’t hurt her, and the thing itself was light. She reached up with her right hand and saw it was a zongzi pendant hanging from the top of the staircase.

It had been the Dragon Boat Festival just half a month ago, but Ye Jingqiu had figured her teammates were the type who jetted around the world nonstop, too busy for holidays. She never imagined they’d actually celebrate.

Oh, wait—no, now it was that they could celebrate.

Ye Jingqiu straightened the pendant, a secret spark of anticipation and joy bubbling up in her heart. Compared to her own lonely, unpopular little apartment, this place felt way more like the “home” she’d always imagined.

“But who’s the other teammate?” Ye Jingqiu asked.

“Zhou Xianhui. You can just call her Zhouzhou,” Xie Pingzhi replied offhandedly. “She’s off helping the Dao Talisman Department onboard some newbies. Things are a bit tricky over there, so she probably won’t make it back in time.”

Ye Jingqiu waved her hands hurriedly. “Even if she could, there’s really no need. Work comes first—being busy is good, being busy is good!”

“She’ll think it’s necessary, so you can check Aether later for the info. Zhouzhou probably recorded a nice long welcome video for you.” Xie Pingzhi winked at her, then pushed open a bedroom door. “Anyway, enough about that. This is your room. The captain and I aren’t really up on what you young people like, so we just followed some online guides and threw something simple together.” She leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, eyebrow raised confidently. “But I think you’ll like it.”

Ye Jingqiu peeked inside. The room was done up in a clean, minimalist sky-blue theme—exactly her style.

Except…

Ye Jingqiu pointed furiously at the thick stack of Five Years Gaokao Three Years Simulation books on the desk. “Is this part of the welcome gift too?”

Xie Pingzhi grinned. “Aether specially got those for you! Aim to finish them over summer break, okay, Xiao Qiu?”

Aether popped out of the wrist ring at the sound of its name. The room flickered, and a holographic golden-gradient kitten rolled over, speaking in an innocent tone. “Logical analysis indicates this is the item Xiao Qiu needs most right now.”

Ye Jingqiu kept a straight face. “But Xiao Qiu dislikes it the most.”

Aether blinked, scratching at the floor with its paws. “Why? Because you can’t finish it? Or because you can’t do it?”

Ye Jingqiu: …

This cat was so infuriating!!!

Ye Jingqiu itched with frustration. Xie Pingzhi lounged in the doorway, watching the human-cat exchange with amusement. But right then, the Will Ring on her wrist buzzed a few times.

She glanced down, and her expression shifted. She instantly switched from laid-back mode to full-on work seriousness.

Ye Jingqiu’s heart sank. No way! Was her revolutionary comrade about to leave her as the lone kid at home?

That would mean just her and the captain tonight!

Sure enough, Xie Pingzhi looked at her apologetically. “Sorry, Xiao Qiu. I might have to skip your welcome dinner tonight. Duty calls—I need to head to the base exit in Beijing right now.”

“How could you bear to leave me all alone?” Ye Jingqiu sighed, then rallied her spirits. “Well, I wish you smooth sailing, a safe trip, and a quick round trip!”

Xie Pingzhi chuckled twice and headed downstairs. “If the base exit weren’t under repair, I could’ve stuck around for dinner with you.”

Ye Jingqiu followed her out, puzzled. “Isn’t the base exit in Shanghai?”

“Shanghai’s just one of the channels,” Xie Pingzhi explained. “The base has a longer history than we thought, so the entrances and exits are scattered all over the world.”

“Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Niigata in Japan, Lake Michigan in the US, Cairo in Egypt, and the North Pole… I think that’s the seven.”

Ye Jingqiu whistled. “Sounds like it saves a fortune on flights!”

“Yeah, but the base blew up four hundred years ago, and those entrances took a hit too. Beijing’s teleportation gate still isn’t fixed, so no savings on the flight to the capital.” Xie Pingzhi grabbed a backpack from her room.

“F-Four hundred years ago?”

“Yep, precisely 1626. That was during Emperor Ming Xizong’s reign. Ever hear of the Tianqi Great Explosion? Truth is, it was the aftermath of the Beijing Channel blowing up.”

Ye Jingqiu was speechless for a moment. She straightened Xie Pingzhi’s backpack strap and sighed. “Okay, now I feel like I’m listening to some street stall pulp fiction.”

Xie Pingzhi burst out laughing. She ruffled Ye Jingqiu’s hair, about to say goodbye, when she paused at the door at the last second, as if remembering something.

“Wait, I’m still a bit worried.”

She turned back, lowering her voice with a conspiratorial air.

“I’m guessing you’ll be alone with the captain for at least a week. Don’t let her cool exterior fool you…”

Ye Jingqiu slumped. “She’s actually super icy on the inside too?”

“That’s not necessary!” Xie Pingzhi patted her shoulder reassuringly. “The Captain has always believed in simplicity and efficiency. She hates it when people beat around the bush with her. When I first got here, she gave me the cold shoulder for nearly a month. Once you get to know her, her tolerance might go up a bit, but these next few days…”

Xie Pingzhi gave her a meaningful look.

Ye · Chatterbox Extraordinaire · Master Bullshitter · Jingqiu: “……OK.”

She made a throat-slitting gesture, swearing a vicious oath. “I guarantee I won’t utter a single word of nonsense!”

“Good. I hope to find Classmate Xiao Qiu safe and sound when I get back.”

Xie Pingzhi looked pleased.

Then her gaze suddenly flicked to the left, as if by accident. “By the way, you seem really scared of the Captain?”

“Scared doesn’t even cover it,” Ye Jingqiu said with a heavy sigh. She clearly had plenty to say on the matter. “It’s full-on dread. Isn’t the Captain just an emotionless robot? The pressure she puts out when she talks is exactly like my homeroom teacher.”

“Your homeroom teacher?”

“Yeah, so sometimes I seriously think the Captain’s forty-five. I figure only the years could turn someone young into this!” Ye Jingqiu said, her voice heavy with worldly weariness. “But how old is the Captain, really?”

Xie Pingzhi smiled kindly. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Ye Jingqiu waved it off. “Hey, the Captain isn’t back yet!”

Xie Pingzhi kept smiling. Silence fell around them, and the atmosphere turned weird in an instant.

Wait!

That tone and gesture from Xie…

Classmate Xiao Qiu’s breath caught. She stiffly turned her head—and there stood Shi · The One Just Called Forty-Five · Zui, her expression calm, her eyes still deep and inscrutable. No telling how long she’d been listening.

Ye Jingqiu: ……

Thanks, Xie. I really, really thank you.