My Space Connects to the Apocalyptic World

Listening to his grandfather chattering on excitedly, Xiahou Yu smiled from behind him. "Grandpa, let’s go inside first."

When Chi Wan glanced over, Xiahou Yu said with a helpless sigh, "On the way here, he kept insisting he had to see the Ghost Orchid seedling immediately, but now that we’ve arrived, he’s suddenly in no rush."

Mr. Xu Sr. shot his grandson a glare. "When I need you to talk, you’re silent. Now you won’t shut up."

When he turned to Chi Wan, his expression softened into a benevolent smile. "Well then, Wanwan, shall we go see the Ghost Orchid seedling?"

Xiahou Yu was already used to Mr. Xu Sr.’s quick-change act. He followed them into the courtyard, and only then did Chi Wan notice he was holding a rather large box. It was square with an openwork pattern, looking like some sort of mechanical device. The thin, metallic material gave it a very futuristic feel.

"This is?"

Seeing Chi Wan’s curious gaze, Xiahou Yu placed the box on the stone table in the courtyard. "Grandpa said you helped him cultivate the Ghost Orchid, but he didn’t know how to thank you, so he asked me for ideas. As it happens, my company just developed a new product—a mechanical puppy. I thought you might like it."

Mr. Xu Sr. chuckled. "Wanwan, you’re at Huazhong University, right? It’s not too far, but for a young woman living so far out, it’d be terribly inconvenient to carry your luggage plus a box this size... Ah Yu doesn’t have anything important tomorrow, Wanwan. Just have him drive you to the university. That way, you can bring more of your things, too."

Before Chi Wan could refuse, Xiahou Yu accepted on her behalf. "Please, consider it a token of gratitude for fulfilling my grandfather’s wish. It also gives me a chance to express my thanks."

Since someone was so eager to be her driver, and they had put it so sincerely, Chi Wan decided to graciously accept their kind offer.

’Still, I’ve heard Xiahou Yu’s company focuses on AI,’ she mused. ’I wonder if this mechanical dog he’s giving me will come with any surprises.’

The three of them entered the greenhouse together.

Mr. Xu Sr., who had been chuckling moments before, suddenly fell silent upon seeing the fragile seedling in the incubator.

The Ghost Orchid has no leaves. Before it blooms, there are only grayish-green roots, which lay quietly in the grooves of the bark that served as its host.

Mr. Xu Sr. studied the seedling in silence for a long time before finally speaking in a soft voice. "Wanwan, thank you. I truly mean it. To be able to watch a Ghost Orchid seedling grow and bloom with my own eyes... I’ll have no more regrets in this life."

Chi Wan could sense the excitement hidden beneath Mr. Xu Sr.’s calm facade. She looked at the seedling and said with mock seriousness, "Grandpa Xu, what kind of talk is that? You’re still in your prime! What if one day you cultivate another rare species? Then you can show Grandpa Zhou who the real orchid master is." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The touch of melancholy in Mr. Xu Sr.’s mood was instantly dispelled by Chi Wan’s words. He chuckled and gestured toward her. "You little rascal... You’re right. If even a Ghost Orchid can be cultivated, then who knows what else is possible, right?

"No, wait. I need to contact that fellow again. He really is an honest man. Ah Yu, tell your grandmother to allocate some more funds for me."

Chi Wan was a bit curious. ’Considering Xiahou Yu’s wealth, why does Mr. Xu Sr. seem so... strapped for cash?’

As if sensing her confusion, Xiahou Yu chuckled. "My grandfather used to buy too many weird and bizarre things, so my grandmother revoked his spending privileges. And our family business was passed down from my mother’s side. Back in the day, my father said the surname Xu didn’t sound as nice as Xiahou, so he decided I should just take my mother’s surname."

With that explanation, Chi Wan instantly understood.

Seeing that Mr. Xu Sr. didn’t seem to mind, she smiled. "For a rare surname to be passed down like this, it’s a form of preserving heritage, in a way."

Mr. Xu Sr. huffed. "See? I told her my money wasn’t wasted this time, but Ah Yu’s grandmother just refused to believe it."

Seeing Mr. Xu Sr.’s disgruntled expression, Chi Wan and Xiahou Yu exchanged an amused glance. "Once you take the Ghost Orchid back," Chi Wan said, "Grandma will naturally give you the funding."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Xu Sr. seemed to have an idea. He pulled out his phone and had Xiahou Yu make sure the flash was off before he carefully snapped a few photos. "Wanwan is right! My request for funding this time is completely legitimate!"

Chi Wan stifled a laugh. Once Mr. Xu Sr. finished taking his photos, she began preparing the Ghost Orchid for transport.

Because the Ghost Orchid is very particular about its growing environment, Chi Wan—despite having Li Xingye’s help—had prepared a special terrarium for it. She had Mr. Xu Sr. take the entire terrarium, plant and all, and also sent him the video log she had recorded of its sprouting process.

Xiahou Yu had been brought along to do the heavy lifting. He carefully took the terrarium, placed it in the car, and then confirmed the departure time and destination with Chi Wan for the next day.

As they were leaving the courtyard, Xiahou Yu asked casually, "Wanwan, are you planning to live off-campus for the entire semester?"

’It’s just that the address she gave me for her apartment complex is very familiar,’ he thought. ’If I remember correctly, that land belongs to Zhou Huai’an.’

’It was easy to connect the dots. Knowing Zhou Huai’an, and with the complex being so close to Huazhong University, he would definitely have set aside an apartment for Zhou Huaijin while he was a student there.’

’So, could the apartment Chi Wan is living in be the one that used to belong to Zhou Huaijin?’

Chi Wan was unaware of these intricate connections. Since there was nothing to hide, she answered directly, "Yes. I want to grow flowers, and it’s not very convenient in the dorms, so I rented an apartment."

Xiahou Yu nodded. "Aren’t you scared living by yourself? In that case, though, An An will definitely be useful."

"An An?" It clicked for Chi Wan. "Is that the mechanical puppy you were talking about?"

Xiahou Yu smiled. "When we get to your place tomorrow, I’ll assemble it for you."

Hearing him say that, Chi Wan couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.

After seeing the grandfather and grandson off, Chi Wan started to wonder. ’Since Xiahou Yu’s family runs a tech company, could they perhaps be of help to Li Xingye and the others?’

Before she could dwell on the thought, Li Xingye’s plaintive voice suddenly sounded in her mind. "Wanwan, what’s this about a mechanical puppy? If you like puppies, Sister Duan can make one for you too..."

Chi Wan really wanted to laugh.

Every time Xiahou Yu came up, Li Xingye had this completely dismissive attitude. She was certain she wasn’t imagining it.

She recalled their last conversation about Xiahou Yu, which had been interrupted by the police visit, and an idea began to form.

For the moment, she ignored Li Xingye’s whining, closed the courtyard gate, and carried the heavy box into her room.

In reality, Li Xingye hadn’t heard their full conversation. He had only caught the part where Xiahou Yu asked Chi Wan if she was scared to live alone.

When he saw Chi Wan not only ignore him but also pick up the box, alarm bells started ringing in his mind.

Just as he was about to say something else, he saw Chi Wan put down the box and instantly enter the space, landing squarely in front of his expressionless face.

But the way Chi Wan was looking at Li Xingye, it was as if she had discovered a huge secret.

She leaned in closer, narrowing her eyes. "Brother Xingye, how come I get the feeling... you’ve picked up some bad habits?"