Xu Qing was a person who was very organized in his actions.
Once he had made a choice between what can and can't be done, he wouldn't dwell on it and naturally moved on to the next step.
By the time Jiang He had finished her plain congee and side dishes, it was nearly eight o'clock in the evening.
Xu Qing's pen stopped moving at the same time; he helped tidy up the table, putting away the food containers and packing bags to the side, and picked up the Iron Dart, weighing it in his hand.
"Now, you are 1,200 years into the future, whether you can accept it or not, the conversation we are about to have is based on this premise. Do you understand?"
As the saying goes, 'take a person's gift, and you're soft to their persuasion; eat their food, and you owe them your compliance.' Jiang He touched her stomach, and though she still harbored doubts about Xu Qing's words, she didn't say much. She suppressed the thoughts in her heart and nodded, ready to listen to him.
Xu Qing saw her attitude and didn't take it to heart. He played with the Iron Dart in his hand and then said thoughtfully, "Firstly, you are absolutely safe here, at least in this room. Even if you were to chop me with a sword, as long as my body doesn't start to smell and you don't starve to death hiding here, you could stay for about a week—roughly seven days—without anything happening."
He looked at Jiang He, saw that she had no reaction, just quietly listening, and continued speaking, "So you don't need to keep thinking about your sword or anything like that... You don't recognize anything here, like that." Xu Qing tapped the broken TV with the dart, "It's just a tool that makes sounds, for... well... it's harmless, something for entertainment. There are many things like this, such as this one."
He pulled out his phone, opened the music player and randomly played a song. A melodious tune came from the speaker, Jiang He's arm twitched slightly, and she stared at the phone, silent.
"I'm telling you this to convey that you are absolutely safe here. Any strange actions or things I do that you don't understand are normal... Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to do anything to you, I'm just saying—"
Xu Qing pointed again to the TV on the table, turned off the phone music, leaned back on the sofa and let out a long breath, looked at Jiang He and asked, "Do you understand?"
He wanted to get the necessary precautions out of the way. He didn't want any more misunderstandings due to Jiang He's lack of understanding of the modern world, as it touched upon his own safety.
Jiang He was silent for a moment, then nodded under his gaze.
"Next, there's the outside world. This is a bit more complicated. It's a peaceful world we live in; everyone is content and safe. Outside is also very safe — for me, that is. For you, however, danger lurks everywhere."
"Why?"
"Because you appeared out of nowhere and might even hurt others."
Xu Qing explained slowly while pondering his words, "It's like... the imperial palace? If you wander around there with a knife, you would definitely be pursued – that's roughly the idea. Your foreign origin is very obvious."
He stood up from the sofa, went to the bedroom to fetch his wallet, and from it he took out an ID card and placed it in front of the curious Jiang He.
"This is an identification card; everyone here has one, and it comes with a number assigned at birth. If someone commits a crime or does something bad, a warrant can be issued using this. Hence, there are many government officers on the streets who perform random checks to see if there are any criminals on the run."
"A person without this, if caught in a search, would be unable to bluff their way out and would be taken for further investigation. At that point, everything about you would be exposed, and then... I don't know what will happen, but it likely won't be good.
Moreover, the laws here are strict, and the government officers are formidable. If you injure someone, you will definitely be discovered and end up in jail. Resisting arrest means certain death—walking around with a weapon like you're doing could get you in trouble with the law, and if you're noticed, it's over."
Identity was the most significant issue. Xu Qing, holding the summary of these matters, explained to Jiang He what she needed to be aware of and what she absolutely must not do.
The most crucial thing for an ancient person who appeared out of thin air like her was to hide well, and then solve other issues slowly — if she were to draw attention and expose her identity, it would definitely cause a sensation around the world.
A living ancient hero.
Jiang He did understand quickly, nodding as she replied, "I see, you mean I am a... a refugee."
"Er... you could say that, but the consequences of being this kind of refugee are very severe." Xu Qing frowned as he thought it over. It would be difficult to explain things like slice studies, so after pondering for a moment, he exemplified, "To be precise, it's akin to an uncontracted slave... As soon as you're caught, the consequences are dire."
Seeing Jiang He's complexion change, he added, "It's just an example, similar in the severity of the consequences."
The sound of rain outside was subsiding, and it was just past eight in the evening. The occasional sound of chairs being moved could be heard from upstairs, and the distant sound of car horns echoed from the streets.
After a moment of silence, Xu Qing stood up from the couch and walked to the window. Looking out, the streetlamps were somewhat dim, and farther away, the hotel signs sparkled with neon lights, yellow and red, dazzlingly bright.
Living on the first floor, he could only see the close surroundings. Out of sight was a world of red lights and green wine. As a modern man, he didn't know how he would survive without an identity card, let alone a girl who was completely at a loss.
Once out the door, it was almost certainly a death sentence—if she were caught and taken for research, it might be no different from death itself.
"After all that, it boils down to one thing."
Xu Qing turned around, looking at Jiang He sitting there, and pursed his lips, "In this world, your situation is very dangerous."
"Meeting someone from over twelve hundred years ago, I am very happy, and it is also... quite an amazing feeling. That's why I am willing to help you. I'll do whatever I can to assist you in getting accustomed to this world, to hide yourself, and gradually blend in."
"...How can I trust you?" Jiang He lowered her head; she didn't have the strong adaptive capability of Xu Qing and still couldn't believe that she had arrived... a thousand years later?
But the clothes on her body, the slippers under her feet, the lights above her head, the miraculous bathroom, and the incredibly tall buildings one after another, as well as those strange iron shells moving outside...
Everything within her sight was something she had never seen before, unheard of.
Loneliness and fear clutched at her like two large hands, tightly constricting her; all she wanted now was to go home.
With her own sword, to end this bizarre dream.
"If you don't trust me, we can part ways here and now." Xu Qing walked back from the window, placed the Iron Dart on the table, and slid it forward, saying, "Helping you is not an easy task. With the current situation... you could cause an internet sensation just by leaping over roofs and vaulting walls. It's impossible to hide, so you must cooperate. If you don't trust me, there's nothing I can do to help you."
Jiang He looked at Xu Qing, remaining silent for a long while, as if assessing the truth and falsehood in his words.
"A chance encounter..."
"When you understand this world, you'll get it." Xu Qing said offhandedly.
In such a miraculous event, out of a hundred people, who knows if more than ten would turn her over to the state.
And on the other hand, if he managed to build a good relationship, perhaps he could learn a set of Nine Heavens Ten Earths Supreme-I-Am-The-Only-One Swordplay from her?
"So... what should I do?"
"This... uh..."
Xu Qing was at a loss, scratching his head as he said, "The most important thing right now is to conceal your identity. We'll figure out the rest as we go along."