My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 81: I want to cheat you

Until the movie ended, Xu Qing didn’t get his wish.

His simple hope of playing with her hand a little in the dark theater had fallen flat.

As the audience left and the lights in the theater came back on, couples in the corner naturally held hands and walked out together.

“Let’s go.”

Xu Qing got up with his half-finished bottle of mineral water and half a bucket of popcorn. Eating it at home while idly snacking seemed better than in the theater.

But what on earth was Jiang He thinking?

Was the movie too intense for her?

It shouldn’t be… He had felt a lot the first time he saw it, but it was hard to imagine Jiang He would have the same reaction.

Jiang He, who had been silent, spoke softly once they were outside the theater.

“Huh?”

Xu Qing, who had been wondering what was on her mind, froze. “I guess… you could say that.”

It wasn’t like he had a thing for hands. He just wanted to hold her hand…

Anything more, and he might get punched.

“Then you can hold it.” Jiang He squeezed the little bear she was holding, then gathered the courage to stretch out her hand.

Xu Qing was still confused, but he didn’t hesitate. He tentatively took her hand.

What did this mean?

First, she let him hold her hand, then at the theater, she didn’t let him touch her. Now, she was offering her hand again…

What was going on?

Seeing Jiang He pursing her lips and turning her head, Xu Qing had a gut feeling that something was up. Maybe she’d just been through a complex mental struggle. ʀαŊꝋВĚŝ

Sometimes her thought process was too strange for him to figure out.

It was a deep winter afternoon. After the movie, the two of them strolled aimlessly down the street.

“Did you like the movie?” Xu Qing decided not to ask about her earlier dilemma — even if he did, he probably wouldn’t get an answer. Better to skip it. At least she hadn’t punched the bear in frustration.

“Huh?”

Jiang He, who had been quietly observing him, snapped out of her daze. After a pause, she said, “It was good.”

“What was it about?”

“Treating people’s illnesses… and then getting arrested.”

“…”

Well, technically not wrong.

Xu Qing organized his thoughts and explained, “It wasn’t about treating people and getting arrested. They were selling fake medicine that claimed to cure diseases, so they got arrested…”

“If it cures diseases, why is it fake medicine?”

“That’s complicated. Just know it was fake medicine. That’s not the point. The point is that there are over a billion people here now… Do you know how much a billion is? In the sixteenth year of Kaiyuan, there were only about forty or fifty million people. A billion is over thirty times that — that’s like thirty Tang Dynasties’ worth of people.”

Xu Qing gave her a straightforward explanation of the modern world. “That’s why you see so many people everywhere, and why the buildings are so tall — to save space. Anyway, the key point is, there are a lot of people.”

“It’s very prosperous.” Jiang He nodded.

“There’s a saying: ‘The world is vast and full of wonders.’ We only live in this tiny place, but there are countless things and people we’ve never seen or heard of. There are endless groups of people who are different from us, living in ways we might never know. That’s what makes life so diverse.”

He slowed his pace and looked at Jiang He. “Any thoughts?”

“…I don’t know how to say it.” Jiang He felt something stirring inside her, but she couldn’t grasp it clearly.

“The way you see the world shapes how you think. The more you experience, the more your thoughts will change. You might not learn something profound just from a movie, but that’s the idea. For now, this is the best way for you to grow.”

Xu Qing glanced up at the clear winter sky. “There’s a joke: A few farmers sat by the fields guessing how the Emperor lived. One said he ate white steamed buns every day and used a golden hoe to farm… That’s limited thinking. It’s called ‘seeing the sky from the bottom of a well.’ When you don’t understand something, your view is narrow, and you’re easily deceived.”

“I feel like you’re deceiving me,” Jiang He muttered.

What happened to being innocent? To having a clear conscience?

“Ahem… You’ll find out one day whether I’ve tricked you or not.” Xu Qing smiled at Jiang He’s lowered head, finding her inexplicably cute.

He lifted her hand, thinking of giving it a kiss, but halfway through, he reconsidered — she might flatten his head. So, he casually let go.

He really liked her.

“I’ve been trying to help you understand this world and build modern values — your worldview, your values, and your outlook on life.

“Your outlook on life is how you see the meaning and value of living — for you, that probably meant just having enough food and clothes.

“Your values are how you understand things, like not liking wastefulness. That’s a great value.

“A worldview is even more complex. I’ve been teaching you my worldview to give you a foundation. The old Kaiyuan-era mindset can be tossed out… It’s going smoothly so far. You’re learning and adapting well.”

He sighed. “But to complete it, it’ll take a long time. During that time, it’d be easy for me to deceive you.”

“Then… just deceive me,” Jiang He murmured.

So far, she hadn’t been hurt. In fact, she was living well. It was better than wandering the streets, hungry and cold, clutching a sword. She didn’t even know how to leave the city. That day, after riding for ages, they were still in Jiang City.

If things could stay this way…

She froze, shaking her head vigorously. How could she think like that?

If she noticed any sinister intent in Xu Qing, she had to leave immediately. Second Boss would understand.

Jiang He silently made up her mind as Xu Qing held her hand.

Her shaking head made Xu Qing laugh. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about how you’re deceiving me.” Jiang He paused. “I’m broke, and you won’t even take my bits of silver…”

Her eyes landed on her hand mid-sentence, and she turned her head to hide her expression.

This was just about experiencing life and keeping an eye on him for any ulterior motives. Second Boss would understand…

“Silver isn’t worth much. Bring me some gold, and I might take it.” Xu Qing joked. “Back to what I was saying… Oh right, I could easily deceive you, but there’s a twist.”

“What twist?”

“That I like you.” Xu Qing tightened his grip on her hand. “If I take advantage of your confusion and make you think you like me too, it wouldn’t be fair. But I can’t help wanting to be close to you, like holding your hand.”

He looked at her profile and slowly stopped walking. “That’s why I want you to understand this world quickly, mature, and be able to tell the difference between gratitude and real feelings. Then it won’t be a problem.”

“…”

Jiang He opened her mouth but didn’t know how to respond.

She was getting used to him talking about ‘liking’ her, but his sincere gaze still made her palms sweat.

“But… it’ll take so long. Waiting for you to reach that point is too slow.”

Xu Qing squeezed her hand gently. “I want to trick you sometimes, but… can you not hit me?”

“You… you…”

Jiang He struggled for words.

How was she supposed to respond to that?

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