Watching her funds dwindle bit by bit, she organized and filled her storage space.
One compartment was for rice and flour; she'd loaded hundreds of thousands of pounds, yet it still wasn't full.
And that wasn't even mentioning all the other miscellaneous items. Fortunately, she had good control over the space. As long as she willed it, an item would appear on the empty floor of the main hall, making retrieval convenient.
Unsure of what the future held, she ordered takeout nonstop every day.
Through her experiments over the past several days, she'd learned that while the space could store objects, it couldn't hold any living animals.
As for other people, Jin Qianqian had no intention of taking the risk to even try.
By the time she had gradually stored all these items in her space, her visa for going abroad had been approved.
After paying respects to her late great-aunt, she quickly found a local real estate agent and sold the property within days.
With the money in hand, the most important remaining items were weapons. But these weren't things an ordinary person like her could access. Her only option was to contact an old classmate abroad. With his help, she managed to get a few handguns and some assorted ammunition from a fellow countryman in the Beautiful Country.
To convince her classmate, she had to act mysterious and be deliberately vague, misleading him just enough to secure his help.
A trip abroad was a rare opportunity, and she couldn't let it go to waste. The money she'd just received was barely in her hands before she spent it on another huge batch of supplies to fill her space.
Jin Qianqian used the last of her money to buy a plane ticket, then dragged her suitcase onto the aircraft.
She sat in her seat and closed her eyes to rest, but her heart was pounding. 'If things stay this peaceful, I'll probably have to sell my last house when I get back. I'll need to get the supermarket running first, then I can build up my inventory slowly.'
Her consciousness sank into her storage space. Looking at the jam-packed shelves and all the supplies piled in the rooms and living area, Jin Qianqian felt an overwhelming sense of security.
"Excuse me, my seat is on the inside." A gentle voice broke Jin Qianqian's reverie.
He was tall and lean, with a handsome, gentle face, and carried himself with a steady, aristocratic air. His long bangs fell over his eyes, which were deep-set beneath thick eyebrows. He had a high-bridged nose and a distinctly masculine aura.
Jin Qianqian froze, then scrambled to her feet. "Senior Gu?"
"Well, well, you do remember me. I thought after graduation, you'd forgotten all about us, except for that tomboy Li Tian'ai." Ancient Wen Heng lightly flicked her forehead, a look of mock distress on his face.
Jin Qianqian's right hand, hanging at her side, clenched into a fist. She pursed her lips. "That's not true. It's just... everyone got so busy after graduation, we lost touch a bit. Are you heading back, Senior Gu?"
Ancient Wen Heng was about to reply, but the people behind him were growing impatient. He gestured for Jin Qianqian to move to the seat on the inside.
Since it was just the two of them in the row, switching seats wasn't an issue.
In a fluster, Jin Qianqian grabbed her purse and phone and shuffled past him. Once they were both settled, she snuck a cautious glance at Ancient Wen Heng.
'To her, Senior Gu was a love she could only harbor in the deepest, most hidden corner of her heart. The gap between them was simply too vast; she never dared to have any other fantasies.'
"You've always been such a homebody. What made you decide to go abroad this time?" Ancient Wen Heng asked nonchalantly.
Jin Qianqian's heart pounded as she answered. This senior wasn't as easy to fool as her other classmate. She briefly explained that she had received an inheritance from her great-aunt and had come over to handle the estate, taking the opportunity to do some sightseeing.
"Is that right? You just did a little sightseeing?"
"I also met up with Li Huanping and bought a few small things."
"And where are these 'things'?" Ancient Wen Heng suddenly leaned close to her ear, whispering the question.
"Don't tell me you checked them in your luggage. You know they wouldn't pass inspection."
Jin Qianqian's face went white. 'I've been careless.'
By the time she snapped out of her daze, the plane was already in mid-air.
She hadn't even realized her seatbelt had been fastened for her.
She turned her head stiffly to look at Ancient Wen Heng. "Can I just say I forgot to check them as luggage?"
Ancient Wen Heng rolled his eyes at her. "Timid as you are, you still manage to get into trouble. Just calm down. Since I know about it, I'll take care of the loose ends for you.
I won't ask where you put them or who you gave them to. Just don't let this happen again."
Jin Qianqian frantically shook her head. 'I was just careless this time. Back home, I knew to create a diversion, but I can't believe I slipped up here.'
"Are you sure it's okay? Will it affect you at all?" Jin Qianqian asked timidly. 'If I accidentally drag Senior Gu into this, I'll owe him a huge favor.'
Ancient Wen Heng handed her a warm cup of coffee. "I might not be very capable myself, but my family has some resources. This matter ends here. Don't bring it up again."
Jin Qianqian's face was filled with guilt. "I'm so sorry to trouble you again, Senior Gu. It seems like I'm always causing problems for you."
"Silly girl. So you do feel guilty. In that case, you should be nicer to your senior and keep in touch more often."
Jin Qianqian was about to reply when the plane suddenly lurched violently, sloshing the coffee from her cup all over both of them.
Before she could even apologize, the scent of gardenias washed over her as she was pulled into a protective embrace.
"Senior Gu..."
"It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Jin Qianqian felt herself being shaken violently, and her hands gripped the sides of Ancient Wen Heng's clothes. "What's going on?"
"I think our luck's run out. This might be the end for us," Ancient Wen Heng said with a bitter smile.
Jin Qianqian mustered her courage and wrapped her arms around him. 'I'll allow myself to be this selfish, just this once.'
＆
The blazing sun beat down relentlessly, scorching the earth. Dry, cracked land stretched to the horizon.
On both sides of the main road, people lay sprawled and motionless. It was a startling sight at first glance.
Jin Qianqian felt a profound weakness throughout her body. Her mouth was dry and aching, full of grit. She forced her eyes open with all her might, only to see a stretch of parched, cracked earth.
'To fall from that high up and still be alive... I remember at the last moment, I tried to pull Senior Gu into my storage space, but it wouldn't open. The space that had always been so easy to access was suddenly sealed off.'
'It seems even fate wants me dead.' That had been her last thought before she blacked out.
'Wait, what about Senior Gu? If I'm alive, does that mean he is, too?'
She turned her head with great difficulty. She felt utterly drained of strength; even lifting a hand was an immense effort.
But all she could see was dry grass and people scattered here and there on the ground.
'Did all these people survive a plane crash, too?' she wondered. 'But to fall from that altitude and still be in one piece... it's completely impossible.'
'But what's with their clothes? They're all so drab and gray. Couldn't there be any other colors? Did we land in a mud pit or something?'