Xu Caitong wiped away her tears, quickly dressed, and took down the hairpins, letting her hair fall loose. With a forced smile, she went downstairs. Many neighbors were there, including Mr. and Mrs. Liang and their son, whom she had met earlier on the road. Ya Ping’s family was in the jewelry wholesale business, and after the Cultural Revolution, their confiscated property was returned by the government. Ya Ping was their only child, and after marrying Xu Guang, he took over the family business, allowing her parents to live leisurely. Thus, their neighbors were all wealthy or influential.
“Caixuan, you’re back?”
“Caixuan is really back,” the neighbors said, crowding around her with questions.
A young man in his twenties, Binghui Liang, the son of Mr. Liang, sat on the sofa, giving her a shy smile.
“Caixuan, you’ve lost weight,” Mrs. Liang said, examining her.
“Caixuan, where have you been these past six months? Do you know how hard your parents looked for you?” another neighbor, Mrs. He, asked.
“Yes, Caixuan, Mr. Liang said you came back wearing ancient clothes. Were you filming?” Mrs. Liang inquired further.
“No,” Xu Caitong said, standing in the middle of the living room. She found the questions bothersome, but she knew she had to entertain her well-meaning visitors. “I doubt you’d believe me if I told you.”
“What happened, Caixuan?” Xu Guang asked, having not yet had the chance to ask his daughter where she had been for the past six months due to the influx of neighbors.
“Dad, I was lost in a time tunnel, in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period,” Caitong revealed, and everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Caixuan, are you mentally disturbed to say such things?” Mrs. He shook her head in reproach.
“Are you making up such a big lie because you didn’t want to come home?” Xu Caitong gave a cold laugh, ignoring her.
“No!” Binghui Liang stood up. “I’ve heard of time tunnels. Someone accidentally flew into one and came back two hours later than they should have.”
“Really?” Everyone was astounded and started asking Caitong about her adventures in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Caitong remained silent, ignoring their questions, her mind drifting back to the ancient man she left behind, her mind wandering.
