Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

"We meet again."

The man's voice was like a clear spring flowing in the mountains, carrying a comforting warmth.

Shen Mingchao stared blankly at the man on the deck, the sea breeze ruffling his dark hair, and memories resurfaced at that moment.

On the night she left Changbai Mountain, she had a dream on the way back. She dreamed of an unexpected person, and they even watched the sea together.

Unable to hear the other person's voice, the man used a twig to write his name on the sand—Zhang Haixia.

The initial surprise in his eyes gradually turned into delight, and Shen Mingchao almost blurted out, "I can hear your voice!"

etc--

She discovered another pleasant surprise.

The man was tall and imposing, standing there a full head taller than her. His shoulders were sharply defined, exuding the ruggedness unique to soldiers. The oppressive aura that belonged exclusively to the Zhang family clearly enveloped her.

"Wow! You can actually stand up?" Shen Mingchao's eyes widened, his tone full of amazement, and he couldn't help but think to himself: This dream is simply miraculous, doctor.

"It's been a long time since I've felt this way."

Zhang Haixia lowered her eyes, a trace of melancholy crossing her face.

Shen Mingchao guessed that this was probably a past he didn't want to touch, so she didn't continue to ask. She leaned on the railing of the ship and looked up into the distance.

A crimson sun leaped above the horizon, painting the clouds a tapestry of crimson and orange. The long, resonant sound of waves rose and fell beside her ears, and she couldn't help but mutter to herself: Why does this dream feel more and more like the otome games I've played?

Last time it was a sunset at the beach, this time it was a sunrise on a boat. The scene is different every time, which makes it quite romantic.

Facing the sea breeze, she turned her head and asked, "By the way, where is this ship headed?"

"Xiamen."

Zhang Haixia's voice softened, her eyes filled with reluctance and longing, "There are old friends there whom I didn't have time to say goodbye to."

Upon hearing the words "old friend," fragmented memories involuntarily flashed through Shen Mingchao's mind.

She didn't really know much about the Zhang family, probably because of the novel's plot. Shen Mingyue mostly described Wu Xie and the others' experiences to her, and only mentioned the Zhang family briefly.

To be precise, it was a rant after being stabbed in the middle of the night.

for example......

[Aaaaaah, how could Shrimp Boy be gone so young?! I'm going to send Uncle Three razor blades!!]

[Sigh, in the end, Haiyan went home alone.]

[It seems my brother-in-law is also ruthless; he sacrificed himself for the family.]

[A single arrow piercing the clouds summons a thousand armies; Chaochao, have you seen my arrow piercing the clouds?]

After so long, Shen Mingchao never expected that he would remember it so clearly. Even Shen Mingyue's angry yet heartbroken tone seemed to still echo in his ears.

As emotions surged, a gentle force quietly landed on the top of my head, neither too light nor too heavy, carrying a soothing meaning.

Like the wind that sweeps across the grass in spring.

"Look—"

Zhang Haixia pointed into the distance, her voice gentle.

Shen Mingchao's heart skipped a beat; she knew the other person was trying to distract her. She composed herself and looked in the direction of the fingertips.

On the distant horizon, the outlines of skyscrapers gradually emerge. The iconic twin towers pierce the clouds, appearing and disappearing in the morning light. Several seabirds spread their wings and swoop overhead, flying ahead of them towards the Garden on the Sea.

As the ship drew closer, the appearance of Xiamen became clearer. Shen Mingchao heard the person beside him murmur softly, with a hint of sigh in their voice: "This place has changed so much."

Zhang Haixia gazed at that familiar yet unfamiliar land, feeling momentarily dazed.

The Xiamen of his memory has long since solidified into a faded old photograph. And he is like a lost soul abandoned by the times, a relic of the old era.

There's nothing to be sad about. He looked at the thriving land, a smile of satisfaction slowly spreading across his eyes.

The boat rocked slightly, and it was about to reach the shore. Zhang Haixia suddenly turned around, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Ming Dynasty, go and take back what is rightfully yours."

The topic changed so quickly that Shen Mingchao was momentarily stunned.

The moment her gaze met Zhang Haixia's, she felt as if a bottomless black hole had opened up before her eyes.

Deep within that black hole, several familiar figures emerged. Even more strangely, each of them was surrounded by a layer of flowing light, and the depth of each light varied.

At the same time, golden galaxies surged forth, following invisible paths, and slowly converged upon her.

She couldn't quite describe what that feeling was like.

It felt as if I was soaking in a warm spring, with warmth slowly spreading from the inside out.

If I had to describe it, it would be a strange sense of comfort, as if I had been reborn.

Before Shen Mingchao could recover, Zhang Haixia, standing beside him, spoke in the gentlest of voices, uttering the most incomprehensible words.

The man raised his hand, took off his military cap, and bowed solemnly to her, giving a standard military salute.

"Ming Dynasty, thanks to you, I have seen my old friend again. He is well, my hometown remains the same, and I have no regrets."

"You have fulfilled your promise, and as agreed, from now on I shall worship you as my Lord."

With a loud "boom," it exploded like a thunderclap.

Wait! What's going on?!

She only said the dream was like an otome game, but she didn't let it actually unfold like an otome game!

At this point, even the slowest person would have realized what was happening. Shen Mingchao immediately grabbed Zhang Haixia's arm and asked incoherently:

"Do you know something?"

"What exactly is going on?"

At this moment, Shen Mingchao even wondered if Zhang Haixia was the key to their reunion.

She was extremely anxious and eager to find an answer.

But the next second, she watched helplessly as Zhang Haixia's figure gradually became transparent, turning into tiny specks of light.

"Hey! Zhang Haixia—"

Before the shouts had even faded, everything before their eyes shattered suddenly, vanishing without a trace like a bubble.

Shen Mingchao suddenly woke up from his dream, his forehead still covered with a thin layer of sweat.

Faced with the driver's concern, she reflexively shook her head, her voice still a little unsteady: "It's nothing, just a dream."

The car returned to the highway, and Shen Mingchao turned his head, gazing out the window with a distant look. The rapidly passing trees and buildings blurred their outlines, like fast-forwarded shots in a movie.

Her thoughts were still lingering in that bizarre dream, and she couldn't come back to her senses for a long time.

If you ask her what she thinks...

One word: Ridiculous.

That's utterly absurd.

She must have read too many romance novels with an all-male plot and female-dominated worlds, and it's ruined her brain!

That foreign persimmon really did her a disservice!

but....

That warm feeling still lingered; she clenched her fist, feeling a real sensation through her fingertips.

So, was this really just a dream?