My Space Connects to the Apocalyptic World

For some reason, that realization, combined with the sound of Li Xingye’s voice, gave Chi Wan a distinct impression of... seduction.

’I must be going crazy!’

’How could Li Xingye possibly... be seducing me?!’

But the scene before her was steeped in an unmistakably intimate atmosphere. Even Chi Wan, who usually enjoyed "teasing" Li Xingye, found it a bit much to handle.

For the first time, Chi Wan was the one to look away before Li Xingye did.

She tossed out an excuse, "I just remembered I still have to pack, so I’m heading out," and fled in a flash.

Li Xingye straightened up, watching Chi Wan’s retreating back as she fled in disarray. He was tempted to remind her, "Wanwan, all you need is a single thought to leave the space."

Why did she have to duck under his arm in such a blind panic?

But seeing Chi Wan like this, Li Xingye couldn’t suppress the smile forming on his lips.

He finally understood the fun Chi Wan had when she treated him this way.

*

It was only after she had run some distance that Chi Wan realized she could have just left the space directly.

She could just imagine the infuriating smile that must be on Li Xingye’s face behind her!

Chi Wan couldn’t accept it. The guy who used to be so innocent he’d blush at the slightest bit of teasing had somehow figured out how to flirt back on his own.

’It must be a coincidence. It’s not my fault his voice and looks are exactly my type—that’s just unfair. I was just caught off guard, that’s all!’

Despite her rationalizations, her face still flushed against her will when she recalled the faint scent of cedar that had tickled her nose.

In frustration, she buried her face in her pillow, trying to cool down.

Just then, her phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.

Chi Wan rolled over and answered with a listless, "Hello?"

A vaguely familiar voice came from the other end of the line. "Miss Chi, my apologies for the disturbance. This is Xiahou Yu."

’Xiahou Yu? What could he want with me?’

Chi Wan sat up and asked, puzzled, "Hello. Is there something I can help you with?"

Through the phone, Xiahou Yu’s voice didn’t sound as serious as it had when they met. There even seemed to be a hint of a smile in it. "Grandpa asked me to call and see if there was any progress with the Ghost Orchid. Not to rush you, of course."

"He just mentioned that your school semester is about to start, and if there’s no progress, you shouldn’t worry about it or let it interfere with your own affairs. He’s completely come to terms with it these past few days."

Chi Wan blinked. ’Mr. Xu Sr. has my WeChat,’ she thought. ’Why would he have Xiahou Yu call to ask me?’

But she had been planning to contact Mr. Xu Sr. today anyway, so telling Xiahou Yu was just as good.

"I was actually planning to contact Mr. Xu Sr. this afternoon... That piece of wood from before—it really did have Ghost Orchid seeds!" When it came to the Ghost Orchid, Chi Wan couldn’t hide the joy in her voice. "Mr. Xu Sr.’s moment of compassion back then has allowed him to achieve his ultimate dream of artificially cultivating the Ghost Orchid!"

Xiahou Yu had just been looking for an excuse to contact Chi Wan, so he was caught off guard by the genuinely good news. It took him a moment to react. "...That’s fantastic! Grandpa will be thrilled to hear it. Thank you, Miss Chi!"

He had indeed crammed a lot of orchid knowledge recently, so he knew that there had been no breakthroughs in the artificial cultivation of the Ghost Orchid to date.

He truly hadn’t expected there to be actual Ghost Orchid seeds on that piece of wood, much less that Chi Wan could actually get them to sprout.

Hearing Xiahou Yu’s solemn thanks, Chi Wan smiled. "If it weren’t for Grandpa Xu’s kind heart, this opportunity wouldn’t have existed. Perhaps it was all fated~"

Chi Wan’s words made Xiahou Yu fall silent for a moment before he said softly, "Yes, it was all fated..."

"I’ll tell Grandpa the good news. But knowing his personality, he probably won’t be able to sit still... Or rather, are you free this afternoon? I’m worried he might come over and bother you directly."

Chi Wan didn’t mind. After all, she was home alone and had already finished packing—since she wasn’t living in the dorms this semester, she had only symbolically packed some clothes in her suitcase. Everything else was tossed into her space.

"What a coincidence~ I was just about to ask if you two could come over this afternoon. I’m heading to school tomorrow, and it’s not convenient to take the Ghost Orchid with me, but if I leave it in the greenhouse, there’s no one to look after it. It would be perfect if Grandpa Xu could take it and care for it."

Xiahou Yu seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "In that case, Grandpa and I will come over around 3 p.m. By the way, about that gift box you sent me before—the oranges were very sweet. Thank you."

’It was just a fruit basket. Is it really worth a special mention and thanks from someone as loaded as Xiahou Yu?’

Still, Chi Wan had always felt that Xiahou Yu wasn’t like a typical "Overbearing President"—arrogant and disdainful of everyone. On the contrary, he was always gentle and polite, and her impression of him had always been quite good.

"You’re welcome. If anyone should be thanking anyone, it’s me thanking you for your earlier gift. You have good taste~"

Hearing Chi Wan’s praise, Xiahou Yu chuckled softly. "I’m just glad you like it. I don’t have much experience picking out gifts for girls your age, so I was worried I’d choose something unsuitable."

Chi Wan was a little surprised that Xiahou Yu had chosen the gift himself, but when she heard his laugh, her mind suddenly began to wander.

’Actually, Xiahou Yu’s voice is quite nice, too. But his laugh doesn’t give me that feeling of being struck to the core...’

The two chatted casually for a few more moments. Seemingly sensing that Chi Wan’s mind was elsewhere, Xiahou Yu found an excuse to end the call after reconfirming their afternoon appointment.

A glance at the time showed it was almost 12 o’clock. Chi Wan got up to make herself something to eat.

When she came out of the kitchen with a bowl in hand, she saw a friend request on her phone.

She assumed it was from Xiahou Yu and casually opened it.

But it was from someone named "H." The profile picture was three garish red claw marks on a black background, looking a bit cringey, like something a middle schooler would pick.

But the note attached to the request read: "Your family’s bankrupt, yet you still managed to hook up with the Zhou family. I guess I underestimated your seduction skills."

Chi Wan frowned, guessing almost instantly who it was.

He Lingfeng.

’Did their family’s mess get resolved that quickly...? And when he says ’hook up with the Zhou family,’ is he talking about Zhou Huai’an?’

’In that case, He Lingfeng probably already knows that I’m aware of his shady dealings, which is why he’s brazenly popping up now.’

With a tap of her finger, Chi Wan accepted his friend request.

He Lingfeng probably didn’t expect Chi Wan to accept after a message like that, so he didn’t send anything right away.

Chi Wan, on the other hand, accepted and immediately started typing. Her fingers flew as she quickly sent a string of words: "My seduction skills are debatable, but my dog-training skills are top-notch. For example, some stupid dogs just have to bark twice—WOOF WOOF—to get a big red exclamation mark from their owner."

The instant the message sent, Chi Wan tapped his profile picture and blocked him in one smooth motion.

By the time He Lingfeng finally finished typing "Chi Wan, you think the Zhou family can really protect you?" and hit send, all he saw was a giant red exclamation mark.