My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 145: Jiang He, the spectator

Xu Qing wandered idly along the riverside, passing by the vending machine Jiang He had slapped earlier. After hesitating for a moment, he decided against buying cola. The traumatic memory of the machine jamming and delivering three bottles of water at once had left a lasting impression.

The river surged in waves, one after another pushing forward. The rear waves overcame the front, only to become the front waves themselves. Standing on the riverbank and gazing at the distant scenery, Xu Qing felt a sense of tranquility and openness.

“Why didn’t you bring a fishing rod?” Jiang He, clearly interested in fishing, asked curiously.

“I didn’t plan to come here when I left. I just ended up here while walking,” Xu Qing explained, picking up a stone from the ground. He hurled it with great force, watching as it skipped and danced across the water before finally sinking. Satisfied, he clapped his hands and turned back. “My strength’s really improved.”

Jiang He, having firsthand experience of his strength, raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Has it?”

“You didn’t notice?” Xu Qing looked puzzled.

“No, I didn’t,” Jiang He shook her head. Then, her eyes lit up with excitement. “How about we spar here? Let’s use the techniques I taught you.”

“...Are you trying to kill me?”

If this were a video game, Jiang He would be a max-level boss while Xu Qing was a level 1 adventurer. Even with his diligent efforts bringing him up to level 5, the gap was still immense. For Jiang He, beating him still wouldn’t require a second move. With her attack power in the thousands, it didn’t matter whether Xu Qing had 100 or 200 HP—it was all the same.

Jiang He looked disappointed at his refusal. She hadn’t sparred with anyone in a long time, and it felt as though her body was rusting, like an old plow creaking with disuse. “I’ll hold back.”

“Unless you tie up your hands and feet, I might just barely agree.”

“How would that even be a spar?” Jiang He glared at him, incredulous. “Tying up my hands and feet would make me a sitting duck.”

Oh, wait. She got it—this guy wanted an excuse to hold her.

“You have inner energy. You might just unleash it and send me flying,” Xu Qing proposed, half-jokingly.

“Fine, I won’t move. Let’s see what you’ve got.” Jiang He crossed her arms and waited.

“Uh?”

Xu Qing froze. Could she really send him flying with inner energy?

The two exchanged a glance as if they were on completely different wavelengths. Nervously, Xu Qing edged away from the riverbank to avoid falling in. He couldn’t swim, after all.

“Alright, but remember—don’t go all out!” If witnessing the mystical power of inner energy meant getting blasted away, it’d still be worth it. Xu Qing took a couple of steps back, experimentally swinging his arms and pondering how to strike.

A punch? A palm strike?

Hurting her wasn’t an option—martial arts emphasized peace and restraint.

Jiang He stood there with an air of composed elegance, the river breeze teasing the edges of her clothes and loose strands of her hair. She looked every bit the part of a martial arts master, which only made Xu Qing more cautious.

“Why are you still hesitating?” Jiang He grew impatient. “Are you coming or not?”

“Don’t rush me; I’m analyzing your weaknesses!” Xu Qing replied gravely, balancing on one leg while mimicking the stance she had taught him. After some thought, he hesitantly thrust a palm toward her chest.

Thud!

“Cough, cough! You cheated!” Xu Qing staggered backward, clutching his chest.

“What? I did not cheat!” Jiang He retorted indignantly. She had intended to sidestep his attack with her agility, but seeing his less-than-honest hand placement, she instinctively headbutted him.

And so she did.

“I didn’t move my hands or feet. You lost.”

“Yeah, I lost…” Rubbing his chest, Xu Qing reluctantly clasped his hands together in mock salute. “Lady Jiang, your martial arts are unparalleled. I am in awe.”

“Glad you understand.”

“I just wanted to see if you had inner energy, but...this doesn’t seem right. How about you don’t use your hands, feet, or head, and we spar again?”

Jiang He gritted her teeth and glared at him. “Not happening!”

This guy would stop at nothing just to get a feel. And out here, of all places...

She glanced down at her chest, her face flushing. The thinner layers of clothing compared to winter made certain things more prominent, explaining why Xu Qing couldn’t seem to stop staring. Absolutely unacceptable!

“Good thing it was me. If it were Second Boss, she’d have skinned you alive,” Jiang He muttered angrily.

Xu Qing froze. “Uh, dare I ask, how old is the Second Boss?”

“What are you thinking?!” Jiang He snapped.

“Nothing! You’re the one who brought her up,” Xu Qing said, trying to deflect. “Let’s keep walking. We can come back another day to fish.” He reached out to pinch her cheek, deflating her puffed-up expression.

She was becoming more and more like a modern person. Even her anger had taken on an endearing quality. Gone was the cold, silent gaze she had once wielded.

“You could try skipping stones too. It’s fun.”

“I don’t find it fun,” Jiang He said flatly. But despite her words, she bent down to pick up a stone. Imitating Xu Qing, she threw it forcefully, watching as it skimmed the water and sent up a trail of splashes before sinking.

“Fun, right?”

“No, not at all.”

Stubborn as always.

“Your hands are dirty; let me clean them for you.”

Xu Qing couldn’t tell if it was the budding romance between them, the environment, or both, but Jiang He had undeniably loosened up. Compared to the hyper-vigilant state she had been in months ago, this was a significant improvement, helping her blend into society.

As they strolled along the riverbank, they spotted a group of people gathered ahead. Jiang He squinted. “That chubby guy is there too.”

“He’s not chubby; he’s just built,” Xu Qing corrected her. “You can see that far? What are they doing?”

“Talking, I think.”

Though Jiang He’s vision was sharp, she wasn’t an eagle. From this distance, she could only make out their movements, not what they were doing.

“Want to check it out? Who knows—they might be fishing out a floating corpse,” Xu Qing teased.

“Should we go over?” Jiang He asked back.

“Remember, police are protectors, not enemies. You need to change that mindset. We’re just curious bystanders. That... uh, Haozi already gave up investigating you when I brought you home for New Year.”

Xu Qing guided her closer, reassuring her as they walked. “There’s no need to be nervous. You haven’t done anything illegal; we’re just concerned citizens.”

“What if they check me?”

“Highly unlikely. They’re working on something, not patrolling. Besides, being undocumented isn’t a big deal. I only exaggerated before because I was worried you’d overreact and cause a scene.”

Xu Qing was determined to help Jiang He shed her fear of the police. Living like a mouse in the shadows wasn’t a healthy way to live. Even if she were questioned, she could confidently declare, “I’ve been wandering with no ID!” After all, she hadn’t committed any crimes.

“I already know that. It’s just...just…” Jiang He faltered, giving up on explaining.

The idea of being discovered still made her uneasy, even though she had done her homework on the consequences. Her instinct was simply to avoid the police when possible. But Xu Qing was right—getting closer wouldn’t hurt. She would eventually need their help to establish an identity here.

As they approached, they saw no cordon marking the area. Xu Qing’s theory about a floating corpse proved false. Instead, Qin Hao was jotting something in a small notebook while sternly lecturing a drenched man holding a fishing rod. Judging by the wet clothes, he had likely fallen into the river while fishing and climbed out.

Xu Qing quickly pieced it together and walked over with Jiang He, adopting the perfect demeanor of curious bystanders.

If only it were winter—hands tucked into his sleeves would’ve made the scene even more amusing.

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