Chapter 81: The Road of Two Exiles (23)

After Shi Xianyu returned, she asked Lu Li about it. Lu Li couldn't recall the exact characters, but she was certain the pronunciation was "Yu Jing."

Now that she had a name, everything became much easier.

Ye Liuyun helped her post a missing person notice, searching the entire network for anyone named Yu Jing.

The progress far exceeded Shi Xianyu's expectations; if it weren't for Lin Yuan and Ye Liuyun, she would probably still be at a complete loss on her own.

She was especially grateful to Lin Yuan.

Because they had agreed to go buy gold together the next day, she had deliberately cooked two full bags of dumplings and prepared a whole pot of chilled mung bean soup, carrying them over to find Lin Yuan with great excitement.

Building Three. The team captain was standing at the dormitory entrance, mocking Lin Yuan with a cold sneer.

"If you don't go on missions, you won't have any points. Without points, you'll go hungry. I'm warning you, don't be ungrateful. I'm giving you a way out, so take it. Don't try to act cool in front of me! I'm the captain here, understand?"

Lin Yuan's expression remained impassive.

The bald man was furious. "Boss! He doesn't respect you at all!"

The captain snorted. "Newcomers these days just lack discipline! Let him go hungry for a few days..."

Shi Xianyu came running over, carrying her lunchbox and kettle, her face beaming with a bright smile. "Lin Yuan! Look what I brought you—something delicious!"

"............"

"............"

Shi Xianyu slowed her steps when she saw the two unfamiliar men at the door. "And you are...?"

"Strangers," Lin Yuan replied as he pulled her into the room without hesitation, closing the door behind them.

As usual, he shut the door, closed the windows, drew the curtains, and with a click, turned on the ceiling light.

Shi Xianyu was already used to his cool habits. She busied herself opening the lunchbox, setting out layer after layer on the table, even preparing pickles and aromatic vinegar for Lin Yuan. Her voice brimmed with anticipation: "Once you finish eating, let's head to the market together. Sister Ye helped me borrow a tricycle, so we can ride there."

Lin Yuan: "............"

With even a tricycle prepared, it seemed the gold she intended to buy was far more than just one or two pieces.

Lin Yuan sat down in silence and began to eat.

Shi Xianyu pulled up a chair to sit beside him, resting her cheeks in her hands, her eyes curved into crescents with delight.

She couldn’t help it; just thinking about heaps of shiny, glittering gold filled her with joy and a sense of intoxication.

And now that the missing person notice had been issued, it felt like everything was going her way these past few days!

Perhaps because she was sitting so close, Lin Yuan found himself a bit distracted; his pace eating dumplings involuntarily slowed, and his manners became a bit more refined.

As he ate, he asked unhurriedly, "How long do you think it will take to get news about the missing person notice?"

"Sister Ye said if we’re lucky, there might be news on the same day it’s posted. If not, it could take about a week," Shi Xianyu replied. "After all, not every resident in the Oasis can access the internet. Distributing flyers takes time, so it's normal for there to be a delay."

"Will they distribute flyers in other oases as well?" Lin Yuan asked.

She nodded. "Only a few nearby oases get the flyers. I don't think Lu Li's mother would have gone far from here."

Saying this, she started to mutter with some confusion, "Chen Hao said he sent Yu Jing to Longyan Oasis three years ago. In all that time, didn’t Yu Jing ever try to return and find Lu Li? When she left Qinghe Oasis, why didn’t she take Lu Li with her? The more I think about it, the stranger it seems..."

Lin Yuan pondered for a moment before replying coolly, "Once we find her, we'll know the truth."

"Mm, you're right." Shi Xianyu nodded, deciding to stop worrying. All she wanted right now was to hurry and buy some gold—gold!

Despite the desert’s apparent barrenness, its mineral resources were abundant. Yet, compared to gold and silver, arable soil and clean water were far more precious.

Within the Oasis, water was divided into several grades of quality:

Grade A water was the finest, reserved exclusively for the Oasis leaders and the mothers and children in the park.

Grade B was somewhat less but still drinkable, provided to officials serving the Oasis—matrons, doctors, warriors, and other personnel.

Grade C was the most common among the general public. Slightly yellowed, it had to be boiled and sterilized before it could be safely consumed.

Grade D was simply filtered wastewater—muddy brown, neither clean nor sanitary. It was distributed to the poor as relief to barely sustain life.

When preparing to go to the market, as soon as Shi Xianyu brought out the water, Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

This was the highest quality water.

She loaded a large barrel of it onto the tricycle, then added two empty cardboard boxes. Just imagining them filled with gold made her heart brim with joy.

Without a word, Lin Yuan walked over, unscrewed the cap of the water barrel, bent down, grabbed a handful of sand, and poured it into the barrel.

Shi Xianyu: "???"

Lin Yuan screwed the cap back on, lifted the barrel, and gave it a shake. The water, once clear and pure, instantly turned thick with swirling sand.

He set the barrel back in place and said calmly, "It's safer this way."

Shi Xianyu was dazed for a moment before she realized his intention. She smiled at him, "Thank you."

As an outsider, suddenly taking out so much high-grade water would definitely draw too much attention.

After a moment's thought, Shi Xianyu grabbed a few more handfuls of sand and smeared them on the outside of the barrel as well, her lips curling up. "If anyone asks, I'll just say I found this barrel in Qinghe Oasis, heh..."

Watching her look so pleased with herself, Lin Yuan found her adorable, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Once they finished loading everything, Lin Yuan got on the tricycle, Shi Xianyu sat in the back, and together they happily set off for the market.

Neither of them noticed the young man standing across the road from the community gate, holding a bouquet of flowers, standing dazed at the curb.

With water so scarce, flowers had become a luxury. Now, under the sun, they drooped a little, echoing He Su’s mood.

He watched Shi Xianyu leave, sighed softly, and walked away, heartbroken.

...

The more time she spent with Lin Yuan, the more familiar and close he felt. Though he was taciturn, aloof, and rarely smiled, Shi Xianyu found herself more and more accustomed to seeking him out.

Every evening, they would go to the market together, wandering among the stalls, buying gold. Later, when she learned that he couldn't eat at the canteen because he didn’t go on missions and had no points, Shi Xianyu generously invited him to dine with her at the camper.

She found it remarkable—how could there be someone so much like Lin Yuan from another world? His gait, the tone of his voice, even the subtle changes in his expressions, were almost identical.

She couldn't help but wonder if there really could be such a thing as reincarnation between worlds.

Of course, there was another reason she visited Lin Yuan every day—she didn’t know many people in the Oasis. Ye Liuyun and the others were busy with heavy training assignments, and lately had gone out on missions again, not returning for at least two or three days. Alone in the camper, with burly men frequently passing by outside, she felt... well, a little uneasy.

Having someone by her side always made her feel safer.