"I always thought Xi would be the last among us to get into a relationship, given how she usually keeps people at arm's length."
"Who would have thought that not only is she the first among us to get a partner, but she might also be the first to get married."
Shen Hanyue sighed, "Comparing ourselves to others can be so frustrating. When will I ever find someone?"
"If you paid a little less attention to food, you'd probably have a boyfriend by now," Feng Qingyi remarked.
Qu Jingqiu chuckled, "Qingyi's not wrong. After all, Hanyue, you have quite a few boys around you, but you're only interested in sharing food with them."
"... Stop teasing me," Shen Hanyue pouted.
...
At the border.
Qin Yuchuan and his generals were analyzing the recent battle situations, but everyone found these circumstances strange.
The southern frontier was a harsh environment, and the soldiers who grew up there were strong, robust, and skilled in warfare.
But in recent days, for some unknown reason, they had been scattering like headless flies. Before Qin Yuchuan's army could even implement their plans, the enemy forces were already in disarray.
After discussion, everyone suspected this might be a ploy by the enemy.
"General, I believe we should send a team of scouts to investigate the situation," one officer suggested.
"I second that. The enemy is cunning; perhaps they're trying to make us lower our guard so they can strike when we're vulnerable," another added.
"..."
Na Muqi, who hadn't been particularly noticeable among the officers, stood up after hearing the debate.
"I think you're all overthinking this. I believe the enemy isn't acting deliberately."
"In recent days, the enemy has been retreating and suffering heavy losses. We should take this opportunity to attack quickly."
A bearded general also stood up, "I disagree. We've also suffered heavy losses in the recent battles. We should be cautious now and avoid taking risks."
"I agree with General Li. The situation is currently in our favor, but we should proceed cautiously."
The tent suddenly became lively with debate.
The aggressive faction led by Na Muqi and the cautious faction led by General Li each held their ground, refusing to yield.
After listening to both sides argue for half an hour, Qin Yuchuan finally spoke up to give his opinion.
"I believe these recent battles were not commanded by the same person as before. Therefore, we need to send scouts to investigate the enemy's situation before deciding whether to attack or defend our current position."
Both sides agreed with Qin Yuchuan's suggestion.
After further discussion, everyone retired from the tent.
Qin Yuchuan inquired, "Na Muqi, is there any news from Nanwu?"
"There's been no message from Nanwu. It seems Murong Yan hasn't returned to the southern frontier," Na Muqi replied.
Qin Yuchuan pondered for a moment, "Keep watching. She'll have to return eventually. She's pregnant now, so perhaps she's looking for a place to give birth."
"Go instruct the Flying Cloud Cavalry to investigate behind enemy lines. There are some things we need to confirm."
Na Muqi acknowledged, "I'll see to it right away, General. By the way, the Princess's birthday is in a few days. You should write a letter to send back to Shengjing, so she won't worry."
"Mm."
"General, if you don't mind me saying, since you're writing to the Princess anyway, you might as well take the opportunity to write to Miss Mu as well. It would put her mind at ease too."
Qin Yuchuan nodded, "Mm, you may go now."
...
With just a few days left until Xuanyuan Xi's birthday, Feng Qingyi had done some research online and prepared some gifts with a high margin for error.
These gifts weren't particularly expensive, but they would be considered novel for people of that era.
After preparing these gifts, Feng Qingyi suddenly heard her phone chime.
She took out her phone and noticed a new app had appeared on her home screen.
It was an app she had never seen before. When she opened it, a line of instructions appeared.
At the top, the app's name was clearly written: Space-Time Transfer Array.
Feng Qingyi found this strange. According to Qin Yuchuan, he had spent 20,000 points to buy the Space-Time Transfer Array.
How did this app suddenly appear here? She hadn't spent any points. Could this thing be shared?
Just as Feng Qingyi was about to ask Qin Yuchuan, a message from him came through.
[Yuchuan: Qingqing, are you there?]
[Qingyi: What's up?]
[Yuchuan: I upgraded the Space-Time Transfer Array today.]
[Qingyi: Upgraded? Are there any new features?]
[Yuchuan: I can come see you anytime now.]
[Qingyi: Anytime? You mean there's no cooldown period, and you can come whenever you want?]
[Yuchuan: Yes, but there's one limitation. The maximum stay is twelve hours.]
[Qingyi: That means you can stay for a whole day. That's fantastic!]
[Qingyi: Just now, a Space-Time Transfer Array app appeared on my phone, with features similar to what you described.]
[Yuchuan: It just appeared?]
[Qingyi: Yes, just now. I was wondering if perhaps our items can be shared.]
[Yuchuan: I just spent all my points to upgrade the Space-Time Transfer Array. Maybe you're right.]
[Qingyi: That's amazing! Does this mean I can freely visit Shengjing now?]
[Yuchuan: Although Shengjing is the capital of Tianqi, it's not without dangers. It's not as safe as your world. Even if you want to go, you should let me know first.]
[Qingyi: I'll just come back if I encounter any danger, don't worry! Besides, I have classes most days, so I'll only have the chance to visit during my free time.]
Qin Yuchuan suddenly thought of the people he had left in Shengjing. It seemed necessary to send them a message to ensure they would protect her.
[Yuchuan: Alright, just remember to inform me when you go.]
[Qingyi: Okay, I understand.]
[Qingyi: I heard you say the Space-Time Transfer Array has three levels. It's only at level two now, and the permissions are already quite extensive. I wonder what level three would be like.]
[Qingyi: How many more points do you need to upgrade to level three?]
Qin Yuchuan looked at the zero in his point balance with some resignation.
Upgrading to level three required 50,000 points, and he was currently penniless.
[Yuchuan: Upgrading to level three requires 50,000 points. My current balance is zero.]
[Qingyi: ... I guess that might take several years then!]
[Yuchuan: What we have now is already very good. There's no rush.]
[Qingyi: That's true.]
Twelve hours is twenty-four hours, a day and a night. This was already a long time compared to before.
Moreover, now there was no cooldown period, so when the time was up, they could immediately go again.
Except for the process being a bit troublesome, there wasn't much impact.
When it was time for Xuanyuan Xi's birthday, she would go over. By then, her house should be clean and ready. She was looking forward to it.
