Not long after Boss Lin's group departed, Zhang Yuan and the others returned. Before leaving the market area, the team had lunch together.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Jiao Lizhi took out several boxes of self-heating meals from her space and shared them with everyone.
After eating, they took turns keeping watch while the rest napped. Sitting in the car, Jiao Lizhi leaned against the passenger seat with her eyes closed.
Her mind entered the space, and she began organizing the seeds. Besides grains, they had also found medicinal herbs seeds and even ginseng seedlings.
Since the farmland was designated to grow grains, she decided to plant the medicinal herbs and ginseng on the grassland near the husbandries. After pulling the weeds, she tilled the soil, watered it with the pond water, and scattered the seeds.
When she finished, she opened her eyes and saw her boyfriend staring at her intently. Startled by his sharp gaze, Jiao Lizhi asked, "Brother Yan, what's wrong?"
Jin Xuyan reached out and touched her cheek. After a moment, he asked,"Ah Zhi, are you hiding something from me?"
"Brother Yan, why do you suddenly ask that?"
He observed her for a while before saying, "If you don't want to tell me now, I will wait."
After he let out a long sigh, he opened the car door and stepped out.
Watching his retreating back, Jiao Lizhi covered her fast-beating heart and murmured, "Did he find out anything different about my space?"
While she was still confused, Jin Xuyan turned to look at her again. Whenever she slept, he would often observe her in silence.
Sometimes, her breathing was so shallow it seemed as if she was in a coma—like she could disappear at any moment. And yet, during those times, he always felt a strange connection between their minds.
Just now, while she was asleep, he saw a flash of grassland in his mind.
In the vast field, the mutated animals they had collected before were running freely. On the opposite side, there were heaps of supplies they collected. But what shocked him the most was seeing Jiao Lizhi planting ginseng seedlings they had just found.
After everything he had experienced, he no longer doubted the existence of supernatural things. The idea of a spiritual space didn't seem impossible for him.
He didn't know how he had been able to glimpse her space, but since she hadn't told him, he would wait until she was ready to open her heart completely.
The thought of her not trusting him completely made him feel like he was being pulled into an abyss. Helplessness, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty gnawed at him from the inside.
Just before he lost himself in his dark emotions, a pair of soft hands wrapped around his hand. Feeling the warmth seeping into his cold body, he snapped out of his trance.
Unaware of the turmoil in her boyfriend's heart, Jiao Lizhi took a deep breath and said, "Brother Yan, I want to show you something. Will you come with me?"
Jin Xuyan's heart pounded so fast he thought it might leap out of his chest when he heard her words. He looked at her and nodded.
Seeing this, Jiao Lizhi pulled him toward one of the nearby empty buildings. After entering, she closed the door and said, "Brother Yan, please don't be surprised by what you see later."
"Okay."
"I don't know if it will work, so… please don't be disappointed either if I can't show you anything," she added.
"Okay."
After a moment of hesitation, Jiao Lizhi finally took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Enter."
As soon as she spoke, the two of them disappeared from that place and reappeared inside the space.
When Jiao Lizhi opened her eyes, she saw her boyfriend standing in front of her, staring at the surroundings in shock.
She blinked in disbelief, realizing she had actually brought him into her space. Grinning widely, she said, "Brother Yan, we are inside my space!"
Jin Xuyan was stunned by what he saw. When he took a breath, the fresh air filled his lungs and warmed his entire body. It had been a long time since he had breathed such clean air—he felt refreshed and rejuvenated.
Turning around, he took in the vast expanse of grassland and rich black soil. The farmland was planted with rice, wheat, and potatoes. Near the edge of the fields, rows of fruit trees and strawberry bushes lined the grassland.
Jiao Lizhi, excited to finally have someone else inside her space, said, "Brother Yan, let me show you my house!"
Grabbing his hand, she pulled him toward a two-story house. The moment it came into view, Jin Xuyan's body stiffened. This house looked incredibly familiar.
As they stepped inside, memories from his past life surged back. This wasn't just a familiar house—this was the exact one he had bought before the apocalypse, the one he had prepared to be their wedding home.
Back then, he had planned everything before even finding her. But the apocalypse had arrived too soon, and the house was destroyed.
In this life, he hadn't bothered to buy it again, choosing instead to focus on other preparations. Yet here it was—standing perfectly before him in her space.
Unaware of the emotions brewing in her boyfriend's heart, Jiao Lizhi cheerfully led him to the second floor. Pointing at one of the rooms, she said, "Brother Yan, this is the junior master bedroom. You can stay here whenever you come to my space."
Jin Xuyan turned to her, his voice slightly hoarse as he asked, "Then where are you sleeping?"
"Of course, I will be in the master bedroom," she replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Jin Xuyan pulled her into his arms and said unhappily, "Ah Zhi, who am I to you?"
Caught off guard by the question, Jiao Lizhi blinked and replied, "You are my boyfriend."
"Since I'm your boyfriend, why would I stay in a separate room? Don't you want me to sleep with you in the same room? Hmm?" he asked again.