Chapter 191 – Extra 4
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After ascending to the throne, as Yuan Li achieved his ultimate goal, the system prepared to reward him for becoming the emperor.
This reward was set for five years. Five years later, one late night, while Yuan Li was sleeping in a daze, he heard the voice of the system.
【Emperor Development System activated.】
【Congratulations, Host has ascended to the throne as the Emperor. Reward is now being released.】
【Reward: One month of modern travel (can bring one person).】
Yuan Li was still half-asleep, not fully conscious. He subconsciously murmured the name “Chu Hechao” and continued to sleep.
But little did he know that the next day when he woke up, as he stepped out of the palace gate, everything was turned upside down.
In the blink of an eye, the scene before his eyes changed drastically. The dark sky of early morning suddenly turned bright. Yuan Li stood in the crowd, looking around in confusion.
The people around him were dressed in shorts and short sleeves, with many students in school uniforms carrying backpacks, as well as fashionable white-collar elites. Looking around, there were tall buildings lined up one after another, and the roads were bustling with traffic.
The crowd’s eyes all gathered on Yuan Li, and compared to them, Yuan Li, dressed in imperial attire, stood out prominently. In no time, he was surrounded by the crowd.
Passersby were excited and thrilled, taking out their phones to take pictures of him: “Hey, can I take a picture with you, young man?”
“Handsome guy, are you cosplaying? Which character are you portraying? The emperor, is it? You have such a great aura.”
“This outfit is so exquisite, how much did it cost, handsome guy? Can I take a full-body photo of you as a reference?”
“Hey, young man, can I add you on WeChat~”
Yuan Li looked at all of this, everything familiar yet strange, and his mind briefly went blank. He didn’t answer any of these people and took a few steps forward.
Even the vendors selling cotton candy and grilled skewers on the roadside were looking at him with curiosity. Shared bicycles were neatly arranged, and the shop signs on the roadside read “Beef Noodles,” “Delicious Ready-to-Eat Shop,” “24h Convenience Store”…
Yuan Li took a step, and the people surrounding him quickly followed suit. No matter where he walked, people would curiously come over to join the crowd taking pictures.
Yuan Li stopped in his tracks, his eyes slightly moist, his emotions surging.
Modern time.
He had returned.
Finally, he had returned.
But now was not the time to overthink; Yuan Li recalled what the system had said to him earlier and speculated that Chu Hechao must have come to the modern times with him. Unlike him, Chu Hechao was a genuine ancient person, and Yuan Li had to find him as soon as possible!
“System?” Yuan Li called out in his mind, “Did Chu Hechao also come back with me? Where is he?!”
He asked several times, but the system remained silent, as if it had disappeared. Yuan Li became more anxious, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He kept looking around, hoping to catch sight of Chu Hechao.
“Hey, handsome guy, is that outfit you’re wearing from the Great Wen era? It doesn’t look cheap. I estimate it must cost at least tens of thousands.”
“Hey, young man, are you lost?”
Finally, Yuan Li snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the person who spoke.
It was a cute-looking girl, and when she saw Yuan Li looking at her, her face instantly turned red. Excitedly, she said, “Hey, young man, where do you want to go? I’m familiar with this place, I can definitely help you find your way!”
Yuan Li asked, “Excuse me, where is this place?”
The girl, still swooning over Yuan Li’s gentle and melodious voice, said enthusiastically, “This is Longhu Square. Where do you want to go, young man?”
Yuan Li shook his head and asked urgently, “Have you seen another person dressed in ancient clothing like me?”
The passersby shook their heads, “Handsome guy, we only saw you!”
Yuan Li furrowed his brows, filled with worry.
The girl asked with enthusiasm, “Are you looking for someone, young man? Do you have his phone number? You can call him to ask.”
Yuan Li forced a smile and shook his head again, “Neither of us brought our phones.”
“Oh, I see…” The girl pondered for a moment and said, “Then let me take you to the central fountain. If someone gets lost around here, they usually gather at the central fountain. If your friend can’t find you, as long as he asks a local for help, he will probably be directed to the central fountain.”
Yuan Li’s eyes lit up instantly, nodding repeatedly, “Thank you, please take me there.”
The girl fanned her face with her hand, giggling, “No problem, handsome guy, you even speak in an ancient style. Come on, follow me, everyone, make way!”
As they walked, the number of people following them and taking pictures reduced. It was now the time when people were heading to work or school, and both the office workers and students quickly dispersed. Even though some people turned back to look at Yuan Li, they simply passed by without approaching him.
The lively girl walked with a spring in her step, occasionally taking out her phone to share the news of encountering a handsome man in ancient costume with her best friends. She bombarded Yuan Li with many questions, “Young man, which emperor are you cosplaying as?”
Yuan Li seemed absent-minded, “I just like traditional clothing, and I’m not cosplaying any specific role.”
The little girl suddenly realized and said, “Big brother, my name is Du Xin. What’s your name?”
Yuan Li politely replied, “I’m called Yuan Li.”
Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Yuan Li?! Oh my gosh!” She stared at Yuan Li with shock, thoroughly scrutinizing him. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter, covering her mouth and saying, “Young man, you can deny it all you want, but you’re clearly cosplaying as Emperor Wen Taizu! Haha, I have to say, you really have the aura of an emperor, and your bearing is so dignified. You look more like Emperor Wen Taizu from the historical records than most of the celebrities I’ve seen. If I didn’t know time travel is impossible, I’d think you were a time traveler.”
She playfully asked, “Your Majesty, are you looking for Empress Chu Hechao?”
Yuan Li unconsciously replied, “Yes, him.”
Du Xin burst into laughter and excitedly jumped in place, “Young man, you guys are adorable! You look so good, and now I’m really looking forward to seeing what your friend looks like. When you find him, can I take a picture with both of you?”
Yuan Li smiled helplessly, “Sure.”
He had almost forgotten – this was the future, the world he had changed in history. Both he and Chu Hechao were historical figures now, as far as modern people were concerned.
They arrived at the central fountain smoothly, but unfortunately, they were early, and there was no one around the fountain.
Yuan Li lowered his gaze, disappointment and worry evident on his face.
He was handsome, and his appearance in the ancient costume was the best Du Xin had ever seen. Seeing him, she felt like she had encountered a charming historical figure or noble offspring coming to life, and his expression made her feel compassion for him. Du Xin couldn’t help but say, “Young man, don’t worry. Your friend will be fine; he might have just gotten lost.”
Yuan Li forced a smile, “Okay.”
How could he not worry?
Chu Hechao was a pure ancient person.
***
Chu Hechao’s body tensed, gripping the handle of the large knife at his waist, he looked alert and guarded at everything around him.
The crowd tightly surrounded him, constantly taking pictures of him with square-like objects. These people wore extremely strange clothes, revealing their thighs and arms. They were all excited and talking in a language completely unfamiliar to Chu Hechao.
“Hey handsome, can I have your contact information?”
“Hey young man, look here! Ah, ah, your expression really looks like an ancient person.”
The strange things they held emitted a dazzling white light, causing Chu Hechao’s jaw to tighten. Beads of sweat fell from his temples, and he had a fierce expression. No one dared to get close to him, but the onlookers also refused to leave.
Vehicles rushed by, occasionally making alarming noises. Chu Hechao’s body tensed again and again, his breathing became heavy and rapid, and the veins on his neck stood out.
Looking around, tall buildings blocked Chu Hechao’s line of sight, and compared to these towering structures, he seemed small and out of place.
On this clear morning, he and Yuan Li had just finished dressing up. Chu Hechao was about to put away his large knife when, in the blink of an eye, everything changed, and he suddenly found himself in a completely unfamiliar place.
The men around him all had short hair, and women had varying lengths of hair. The light emitted from their belongings caused Chu Hechao’s eyes to sting, but he dared not close his eyes, afraid that these people would take advantage of the opportunity to attack him.
Chu Hechao’s eyes scanned the crowd, and he tightened his grip on the knife handle. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he slowly stepped back.
But as he retreated, the people followed suit. When Chu Hechao stopped, they stopped as well. He furrowed his brow and warned, “Do not follow me. If any of you take one step closer, I won’t be polite.”
“Holy cow, he even talks in an ancient way, so immersive!”
“This expression is really a bit scary… Young man, are you really angry, or are you just acting? I dare not go forward anymore.”
“Definitely acting, this handsome young man has great acting skills, better than people on TV! I almost thought he was a real ancient person. Are you a model?”
TV?
Chu Hechao was taken aback; Yuan Li had mentioned this thing before.
Could this be Yuan Li’s hometown?
Chu Hechao looked around again, steel and concrete, unfamiliar faces, and objects—even the ubiquitous writings were all completely foreign to him.
This sense of unfamiliarity made his breathing difficult. Although Chu Hechao appeared calm on the surface, he felt lost inside.
Where was this place?
Where was Yuan Li?
Why were these people surrounding him, and what were the strange things they were holding?
Where should he go to find Yuan Li, and what should he do?
Lost.
Within this feeling of being lost, there was also a sense of panic. Had Yuan Li really come to this strange place with him? If not, how could Chu Hechao find a way back?
His mind was stretched to the limit, and Chu Hechao coldly questioned, “Where is this place?”
“This is the entrance of A University. Hey handsome, are you a student of A University? Which department are you from?”
A University? Chu Hechao frowned. He looked at the lane where strange things were moving quickly back and forth. Color and appearance were all different. From the depths of his memory, he recalled what Yuan Li had told him before. These were… cars?
Cars were originally this ugly and fast?
Chu Hechao didn’t know where to go; he could only stand stiffly in place, deadlocked with the onlookers surrounding him.
After a while, Chu Hechao heard the sound of his growling stomach. He was hungry.
Chu Hechao’s face remained expressionless.
At this moment, having an empty stomach was clearly a small matter. However, Chu Hechao had no intention of continuing this standoff with these people. He looked up at the sun and walked towards the east.
Some students who had no classes still persistently followed him. Suddenly, a bespectacled male student exclaimed, “Holy cow, look at the local trending topics! There’s another ancient-style handsome man at Longhu Plaza! Ah ah ah, he looks so handsome too. Is today the day of the ancient-style handsome men?”
The picture showed a man in imperial attire, gentle and noble. The ancient-style man they were currently following had a completely different rugged style, handsome and domineering, the type that seemed invincible.
As soon as the bespectacled student finished his remark, he saw Chu Hechao suddenly turn around and stare at him with bloodshot eyes, terrifying to the extreme. The student’s legs almost went weak, and he knelt down and cried.
Chu Hechao approached with big strides, and a storm surged in his heart. He repeatedly questioned, “Where is Longhu Plaza? Do you know what the person there looks like?”
The bespectacled student secretly let out a sigh of relief. “I-I know, bro, is that your friend?”
After saying that, the student showed the pictures they had taken to Chu Hechao.
Chu Hechao instinctively wanted to dodge, but he forced himself to stay in place and looked at the person in the picture. Suddenly, his eyes revealed extreme joy, but then he looked at the small square with extreme suspicion.
What kind of sorcery is this? How can there be a portrait of Yuan Li? It’s so lifelike, almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
The General’s heart felt sour, and he really wanted to snatch the thing away. He didn’t like others holding a portrait of his wife. He looked deeply at the bespectacled student and said, “Brother, could you please take me to Longhu Plaza to find him? If we find him, I will reward you generously.”
“Why do you have to speak so formally?” The bespectacled student complained for a moment but ultimately decided to help. He sighed and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll take you to Longhu Plaza. It’s about twenty minutes away from here. Let me call a taxi.”
***
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
As Du Xin was scrolling through her phone, she suddenly stopped and hesitated for a moment before handing her phone to Yuan Li. She said, “Is this the person you’re looking for? I just saw many people taking pictures of him on the local trending topics. They said they saw an ancient-style handsome man wearing large Wen Dynasty attire in front of A University’s entrance.”
Before she could finish her sentence, Yuan Li couldn’t wait any longer and looked at the pictures. At the sight of Chu Hechao, a bright smile of joy appeared on Yuan Li’s face, and he exclaimed, “It’s him! He’s the one I’m looking for!”
Seeing that he found his friend, Du Xin also cheered, “Then let’s hurry and find him. A University is not far from here. My best friend goes to A University, you know.”
Yuan Li was indeed thinking the same thing, but…
He pursed his lips, feeling a little embarrassed. His ears were slightly red. “Fellow student, I rushed out without bringing my wallet and phone. Could you… could you lend me some money for a taxi?”
In reality, he could find the way and walk there, but Yuan Li couldn’t wait any longer. From the picture he just saw, he could tell that Chu Hechao was in a bad state, clearly feeling extremely nervous and anxious. He was afraid that walking there might waste too much time.
Du Xin waved her hand generously and said, “No problem! I’ll pay for the taxi to take you there. It’s my honor to see two ancient-style handsome men in one day, especially when you’re dressed as the legendary Wen Tai Zu and Chu Empress. If you feel guilty, you and your friend can take more photos with me.”
Yuan Li breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Alright, thank you then.”
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