campus.
It was an unfamiliar place for Gu Yanyan, but she liked it very much.
I love the tall trees, the lush green lawns, the neat high-rise buildings, and the antique-style pavilions here.
The wisteria blossoms blooming on the pavilion are exactly the kind of flowers she loves.
Zhang Yang brought Gu Yanyan to school, and before she started school, she gave Gu Yanyan a few months of intensive tutoring on modern society.
Gu Yanyan has now basically mastered the basic use of mobile phones and computers, the use of some household appliances, and supermarket shopping payment methods.
The past few months have been very busy and chaotic for both of them. Looking back, they realized that integrating into modern society is not an easy thing.
Fortunately, Gu Yanyan's valuable experience from traveling around Dajing beforehand helped her.
As if she understood that these things were the foundation of her livelihood, she learned them very quickly and mastered them in no time.
So much so that later on, in her spare time, she and Zhang Yang could sit in front of the computer and play games together for a while.
When Gu Yanyan left home, she had feelings for the animals, just like a newly hatched chick that sees its first animal as its mother.
Gu Yanyan was somewhat disappointed that Professor Zhang did not return until she left home. Zhang Yang explained that Professor Zhang had gone to another archaeological excavation site.
Gu Yanyan has always been wary of archaeology, feeling that digging up other people's graves is an immoral thing.
However, since Professor Zhang was the one who did this, she couldn't say anything.
Zhang Yang settled Gu Yanyan into her dormitory and then went to the supermarket with her to buy toiletries.
After showing Gu Yanyan around the campus, it was almost time to leave, and a sense of parting filled the two of them.
Gu Yanyan felt a desolate emptiness in her heart. Leaving Zhang Yang, she felt the world was unfamiliar, just as she had felt when she left the girl.
When they reached the school gate, Zhang Yang stopped, put his hand on her shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Don't mention the past to anyone. The old Gu Yanyan is over. The current Gu Yanyan is a twenty-year-old girl."
Gu Yanyan's eyes suddenly stung, and a strange sadness welled up in her chest. She nodded, wiped her eyes, and said, "Don't worry, I know. I will take good care of myself."
Gu Yanyan understood in her heart that the reason she was able to travel the world peacefully in the past was because the young lady had sent people to protect her, both openly and secretly.
Things are different now. This is a completely unfamiliar world to her, and there will never be someone like that girl to protect her again.
From now on, she will need to grow up entirely on her own. Zhang Yang is a very important person in her life; she has taught her a lot.
Gu Yanyan was very grateful to her.
Zhang Yang reached out and touched Gu Yanyan's head. She really wanted to kiss Guo Yuanyuan on the forehead, but she restrained herself in the end.
"I'm leaving. Call me if you need anything. My phone number is on your phone."
Zhang Yang hardened his heart and turned to leave. Gu Yanyan was an independent person, and he couldn't protect her under his wing forever.
This is modern society. Only by truly venturing out into the world can Gu Yanyan understand what she really wants.
She could keep Gu Yanyan locked up at home, and she believed that Gu Yanyan might even like that kind of life. However, as an independent person, she really hoped that Gu Yanyan could improve her personality, meet more people, and then talk about love.
Gu Yanyan watched her leave, her heart aching.
When the girl resolutely lay down in the coffin, her heart ached, but at that time she was an insignificant person and no one cared about her feelings.
Moreover, she was burdened with the girl's dying wish to deliver the treasure map to Emperor Jing, so she could not immediately die with the girl.
But she eventually went to her coffin. Now she's going to school, and a brand new future awaits her.
...
Three years.
For Gu Yanyan, it was neither a long nor a short time; her thousand-year slumber was but a fleeting moment.
However, for Zhang Yang, these three years were a time of transformation for Gu Yanyan. Every time she came to see Jia Yuanyuan, she would find that she had changed a lot. In terms of temperament, she had become more confident and her abilities had been greatly improved.
Every piece of clothing she wore was designed by herself, featuring traditional Chinese elements, earning her the title of "Ancient Costume Goddess" at school.
Her embroidery skills became increasingly exquisite. She not only mastered the embroidery techniques of her own era, but also learned various embroidery techniques from later periods, showing a trend of integrating several embroidery styles.
Now she is also making a name for herself in various fashion design competitions. The current Gu Yanyan is completely different from the Gu Yanyan of three years ago.
The two sat in a small restaurant outside the school and ordered a pot of fish. Gu Yanyan had gotten used to eating spicy food. She used to not like it, but when everyone was eating it at a classmate reunion, she tried it and found it quite delicious. From then on, she became a spicy food lover.
Looking at the handsome and upright Zhang Yang, Gu Yanyan said, "I want to take a graduation trip. After that, I'll probably have to look for a job. I've already found one. A clothing company's design department saw my work and wants to sign me, but I haven't decided yet."
"What company?"
"Pauline!"
Gu Yanyan spoke casually and arrogantly, glancing at her with eyes full of praise. Baolai is an internationally renowned clothing company, and the fact that they chose Gu Yanyan shows that they really have good taste.
Time has made Gu Yanyan more mature, but her face still retains an ancient charm that is hard to erase. Her temperament, which has been intoxicating for thousands of years, is not so easily corrupted by modern society. This makes Gu Yanyan very attractive.
Where are you planning to go for your graduation trip?
Gu Yanyan put down her chopsticks and thought for a moment: "I want to spend two months traveling to all the major cities."
Zhang Yang looked at her seriously and pointed out her idea without hesitation. "Who are you going to find?"
Gu Yanyan's expression turned solemn, and for a moment she didn't know how to explain it to Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang seemed to have no need for her explanation and said to himself, "You want to go find Empress Zhenrui?"
"How do you know?" Gu Yanyan was a little unsure of herself. To others, her idea would probably seem like crazy, but she just wanted to do it.
Zhang Yang picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, chewing it patiently.
She didn't look at Gu Yanyan, her eyes lowered, and she said softly, "You previously asked me about the places where Empress Zhenrui once stayed, and you also asked me what some ancient place names are called in modern times. Combining these things, it's not hard to guess who you're planning to find?"
Gu Yuanyuan rubbed her hands together. She always felt uneasy in front of Zhang Yang, and she didn't want to lie to him. Zhang Yang was like a brother and a father to her. She could never lie to him.
"The Queen once complained to me that there were no movies to watch, the food was bad, and every day was very boring."
Zhang Yang suddenly raised his head, looking at Gu Yanyan in disbelief. "Did the Empress really say that?"
“I am quite certain that I was the Empress’s personal maid. She was very kind to me and never hesitated to speak frankly to me. In particular, there was a period when we ate, slept, and traveled in the same room. I remember clearly what the Empress said.”
Zhang Yang stared intently at Gu Yanyan, never expecting to receive such explosive news so easily.
Historically, people have speculated that either Empress Zhenrui or Emperor Wuzong must have been a time traveler. Unexpectedly, this speculation has been confirmed in Guyuan. She leaned back in her chair, touching her forehead, digesting the news.
Gu Yanyan glanced at her and, of course, understood what Zhang Yang was thinking. Having lived in modern society for so long, she already knew how earth-shattering these major discoveries were for history majors.
The more she understands, the more she knows how to express herself. Professor Zhang didn't treat her like a guinea pig in an experiment, asking her all sorts of questions. What kind of magnanimity and breadth of mind does that show?
She thought for a moment, then quietly added, "The Empress seems to have a precognitive ability and is very afraid that I will die. One Mid-Autumn Festival, she confined me to the house and wouldn't let me go anywhere, fearing that something might happen to me. As a result, I still smashed my head in the room. The girl stuffed some 'medicine' into my head, and I have never aged since."
Zhang Yang's brows furrowed even deeper. She thought she had figured it out: Empress Zhenrui had traveled back in time. But what about that "medicine"? Of course, she was certain that there was no such thing as an elixir of immortality in modern society. Could it be that Empress Zhenrui traveled back from a future even further than modern society?
An even more important question is: Why did Empress Zhenrui value Gu Yanyan so much?
Gu Yanyan herself probably doesn't know the answer to this question.
"What other things did the Empress foresee?"
Gu Yanyan thought for a moment and shook her head. "You predicted quite a few things, but the one you predicted most was probably Emperor Jing's ascension to the throne."
"She actually said that?"
Gu Yanyan said firmly, "I did!"
Zhang Yang leaned back in her chair, digesting the news Gu Yanyan had shared. It was the most astonishing discovery she had made since she began studying history, but she had no way to verify it.
She quickly made up her mind. "Shall I go with you?"
"What?" Gu Yanyan was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.
"I'll go on your graduation trip with you, and I'll sponsor it. You'll need those places too; I know them much better than you do." Zhang Yang's voice was assertive and left no room for argument.
Gu Yanyan hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded in agreement. "Okay, my schedule is about a week from now. Can you arrange things on your end?"
“A week is enough. You decide on the departure date and the first place you want to go, and I will book the tickets.”
Zhang Yang was a woman of action and quickly finalized the plan. She originally wanted to decide the departure point herself, but after thinking about it, she felt that Gu Yanyan knew Empress Zhenrui better, so it would be better for her to make the decision. Moreover, she felt that Gu Yanyan was a magical being who could live for a thousand years, and her luck was undeniable, so it would be better for her to make the decision.
And so the matter was happily settled.
As they were about to part, Gu Yanyan suddenly asked, "You're not going to just hand over the place we found, are you?"
Zhang Yang: "..."
You can't be serious, right?
Gu Yanyan was a little nervous. She agreed to set off with Zhang Yang partly out of personal favor, but more importantly, she was short of money. With Zhang Yang, a well-funded gene bank, her journey would be much smoother, and she would no longer have to worry about money. However, if Zhang Yang were to dig up the place she had found, she would rather suffer a little and travel slowly on her own.
Zhang Yang was clearly angered by Gu Yanyan. Did she think archaeology was like digging up cabbages, something you could just do whenever you wanted? You need an application!
Despite her anger, she patiently explained to Gu Yanyan, who was looking at her with concern, "No, don't worry."
"Then I'm relieved."
Gu Yanyan breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled to herself after thinking for a moment. "I'm sorry, this matter is very important to me."
"I can see that, but is it worth it?" Zhang Yang still asked the question.
She had only ever met one real ancient person, Gu Yanyan, and she had experienced Gu Yanyan's rigidity and stubbornness many times.
Such sentiments were a sign of loyalty in ancient times, but they are rare nowadays, making them all the more precious.
If this were done in an industrial park in the past, she would have thought it was all justified. But the girl is now a thousand years in the future, and pursuing a vague and elusive truth would likely be a waste of her precious time.
Gu Yanyan smiled and shook her head. "I was given this life by chance, so what's the harm in using it? Using it to commemorate the Empress is the best thing to do. Besides, this is my unresolved issue, so there's no question of whether it's worth it or not. I just did what I thought of."
Zhang Yang didn't say anything, said goodbye to Gu Yanyan, and turned to leave.
Gu Yanyan watched her retreating figure, then suddenly remembered something and called out, "Wait a minute, I have something to give you."
What is it?
Zhang Yang turned around and looked at the serene and beautiful Gu Yanyan, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Gu Yanyan took a bag out of her backpack and handed it to Zhang Yang, saying, "These are clothes I designed for you myself. Try them on. There's another set inside for Professor Zhang. Could you take it back for her to try on?"
Zhang Yang reached out and took it. Through the bag, he could see that the clothes inside were made of silk, with exquisite and dazzling embroidery, clearly showing that a lot of thought had been put into them.
"This must have taken a lot of time to make! Thank you for your trouble."
Zhang Yang was very satisfied with the gift, and what pleased her most was that she had also given a gift to the old man.
Gu Yanyan is really thoughtful. How could one not be moved by a girl like her who you spend every day with? However, she also realized that Gu Yanyan's mind was entirely on Empress Zhenrui. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken history and fashion design courses and ended up in such a mess.
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