Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

Lin Yanzhou leaned back on the sofa, watching her busy figure in the kitchen. The stinging pain between his brows subsided temporarily, as if even the mineral crystals were willing to give him a few minutes of peace.

Twenty minutes later, a steaming bowl of egg noodles was served. Lin Xiaoya sat opposite him, watching him eat without touching her own chopsticks. She simply rested her chin on her hand and quietly watched him.

"Are you worried about something?" she suddenly asked.

Lin Yanzhou paused for a moment: "No."

"You eat noodles faster than usual whenever you're busy," she said. "That bowl of noodles you just ate took less than four minutes from when it was served to now."

Lin Yanzhou glanced down at the almost empty noodle soup in his bowl and smiled, "With your observation skills, it's a pity you're not a detective."

"I'm a doctor," she said. "Observation is a fundamental skill."

She got up and took away his empty bowl. As she rinsed it at the sink, without turning her head, she said, "Whatever you're doing, remember you promised me three months."

"Remember."

"Also—if you have a headache, don't tough it out. Once you get there, find a hospital to get it checked out, and contact me immediately. I'm a top expert in neurology back home; I wouldn't have come back if it weren't for you."

"I know."

Lin Yanzhou stood behind her, watching her wash the dishes, and suddenly wanted to say something, but in the end he only said, "Then I'm leaving."

Lin Xiaoya turned off the tap, turned around, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked closer to him. She didn't hug him, but simply reached out and straightened the collar of his coat, then looked up at him: "If that little thing in your head makes you uncomfortable again, don't hide it."

To be honest.

"You're lying," she said, her tone not harsh but certain. "You're used to lying. But with me around, you won't be able to hide it anymore."

Lin Yanzhou looked at her without refuting her.

As he changed his shoes, Lin Xiaoya stood in the doorway, watching his back as he bent over to tie his shoelaces, and suddenly whispered, "You called out 'Xiaozhou' in your sleep last night."

Lin Yanzhou paused for a moment, his half-tied shoelaces hanging in mid-air.

"I didn't catch the tone of your voice," she said, "but the name coming from your mouth was just—just nice."

He straightened up, glanced at her, and nodded.

As he left, he paused at the doorway and glanced back at the closed door at the end of the corridor. Lin Xiaozhou was still asleep; it was dark through the crack in the door.

"If she wakes up and asks about you," Lin Xiaoya stood behind him, "what should I say?"

Lin Yanzhou thought for a moment and said, "Just say that the uncle who sent the astronaut off is away on a business trip and will be back in a few days."

Lin Xiaoya nodded.

As the elevator doors closed, he saw her standing in the doorway, the morning light streaming in from behind her. She was still wearing that light gray nightgown, and the platinum ring on her ring finger refracted a tiny point of light in the sunlight.

Then the door closed.

After leaving the residential compound, Lin Yanzhou went back to his old house first. He stood in the living room for a moment, then began to organize his list—he had to buy all the supplies today and return to Xuanshuo before tonight.

My phone has the shopping list I made last night, divided into three categories:

I. Tools and Materials: Power bank, three high-carbon steel files (for fine polishing), one vernier caliper, one electronic thermometer, one set of magnifying glasses, ten spare lighters, two high-powered flashlights, a portable lamp, and one solar charging panel.

II. Replenishment of Medical Supplies: In addition to the antibiotics and iodine already prepared, we will add two rolls of absorbable surgical sutures, one hemostat, five large boxes of medical alcohol wipes, fifty pairs of disposable sterile gloves, painkillers, and three bottles of hemostatic powder. These items are life-saving commodities in Xuanshuo.

III. Books and Drawings: An additional copy of "Illustrated Guide to Small-Scale Water Conservancy Projects", a copy of "Rapid Diagnosis Manual for Animal Diseases", and a set of photocopies of "Basic Mechanics and Simple Machinery".

He glanced around and highlighted the heaviest items—tools and books piled on the table, medicines tucked into a compartment in his suitcase. All of it fit perfectly into a medium-sized hiking backpack. He wondered if the system's "one item per trip" rule was flexible in terms of size. God help him; that system was humane, but it had a terrible temper.

He checked his phone one last time—it was fully charged, and he had a power bank. These were the most important things he had on this trip.

Before leaving the house, that stinging pain between my eyebrows returned.

This time it was more frequent than in the morning, and the intervals were shorter, like an invisible thread tightening. He stood for a while, leaning against the door frame, waiting for the pain to subside, then picked up his backpack and locked the door.

The shopping trip took up the entire morning. He visited tool shops, pharmacies, bookstores, and outdoor equipment stores, covering most of the city. At noon, he casually ate a bowl of wontons at a roadside stall. When he paid, his brow twitched again, and the spoon in the bowl clattered against the rim.

He put down the spoon, closed his eyes, and waited for the sharp pain to pass.

I got back around 2 p.m.

He spread everything out in the old house's living room, counting, sorting, and packing each item. His backpack was stuffed full. He zipped it up, placed it at the foot of the bed, then sat on the edge of the bed and let out a long sigh.

He touched his brow. Everything on the surface of his skin was normal, but deep beneath it, something was pulsating at an extremely slow pace, much slower than a heartbeat, heavy and long, like the rotation of a distant planet.

He took out his phone and sent Lin Xiaoya a message: "Off I'm leaving. I'll be back in three or four days. The signal there is bad, so you might not be able to receive calls. I'll try to send a message when I get there."

She replied quickly: Be careful. Send your location when you arrive; if there's no signal, that's fine, but send it if there is.

Lin Yanzhou looked at the words "Send when you have a signal" and thought that when he got to Xuan Shuo, his phone wouldn't even be able to find a base station, let alone locate him. But he didn't say anything, and just replied with one word: Okay.

Then he thought for a moment and added: That ring looks very nice on.

This time she didn't reply immediately. About half a minute later, she sent a short message: I'll listen to you say it again when you get back.

Lin Yanzhou looked at the words, a slight smile curving his lips. He then put his phone into a compartment of his backpack, along with three power banks.

He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and silently recited in his mind: System, I want to go back to Xuan Shuo.

The stinging pain between my eyebrows became clear and stable in an instant, no longer coming in waves, but a continuous pulling force—as if someone far away was holding an invisible thread and gently tugging at it.

The resonance of the mineral crystals spread from his brow, flowing along his nerve pathways to his limbs and bones, and a familiar feeling of weightlessness surged in from all directions.

Before his consciousness completely faded, his last thought was:

What time is it in Xuan Shuo now? Oh, no, what hour is it now? Will I be at the Imperial Preceptor's residence or on the street?