Chapter 3: Transmigrated as an "Exhibitionist" (1)

"So noisy!" This was the first thing Yuan Qian'er realized through her foggy consciousness. She wanted to roll over and keep sleeping, but suddenly, the face of Qingcheng flashed through her mind. Her eyelids, which had been on the verge of sticking shut, snapped open. It would have been better if she hadn't opened them, for what she saw gave her a fright: Where was she? Why was she sleeping in the middle of the street, and why did her whole body ache? Yuan Qian'er struggled to piece things together: she remembered being sucked into a mysterious black hole, then Qingcheng jumping in after her, then falling asleep... but where was Qingcheng?

Yuan Qian'er sprang to her feet and shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Qingcheng! Su Qingcheng, where are you? Qingcheng, can you hear me?"

No one answered her. Everyone was staring at her with strange looks. Yuan Qian'er noticed that everyone here was dressed in ancient costumes and looking at her as if she were a monster. She couldn't help but touch her face and check her clothes; they were a bit dirty, but not exactly tattered, and there was nothing on her face. Could it be that her beauty was so stunning that it had mesmerized everyone?

Yuan Qian'er immediately adopted a shy, maiden-like posture and fidgeted, saying, "Oh, I know I'm kind, cute, lively, and innocent, but you don't have to stare at me like that! You're making me blush, you silly people!"

"Pfft!" Inside a nearby teahouse, Mo Yiran, who had been stationed there all day on his master's orders, spat out his tea. For the first time, the usually cold and detached man lost his composure. *Cough, cough*—this woman's train of thought was lightning-fast! Interesting. It was worth waiting here all day. Mo Yiran thought to himself, continuing to observe Yuan Qian'er's every move.

As soon as she finished speaking, the onlookers covered their faces and shook their heads, embarrassed for her. Ignoring the crowd, Yuan Qian'er continued to survey the unfamiliar surroundings: the bustling street, the stalls scattered everywhere, and the restaurants and shops standing on both sides. As for the people, they had all gathered around because of her. Every step she took, they followed. At this point, Yuan Qian'er still hadn't realized she had traveled through time. She turned to a passerby and asked, "Excuse me, where is this? Is this Hengdian? Which film crew is shooting here? Can I make a cameo?"

The passerby scratched his head, completely bewildered. "Hengdian? What is a 'Hengdian' (horizontal shop)? All the shops here are vertical!"

Yuan Qian'er felt as if a thunderbolt had struck her, leaving her charred and crisp inside. The more she thought about it, the more wrong it felt. A sinking sensation settled in her heart as the answer finally dawned on her: She had traveled through time—physically? But what about Qingcheng? Where was Qingcheng? She had come with her! Where was she?

She turned to face the crowd and asked, "Have you seen a girl about my age, wearing a white tank-top set with her hair in a bun? Have you seen her?"

The onlookers didn't understand what she was saying; sensing she was looking for someone, they all shook their heads to indicate they had seen nothing.

Yuan Qian'er thought to herself, *I made it through just fine, so Qingcheng should be okay, right? Did she travel through time too? She must have.* Yuan Qian'er could only console herself with this thought. For now, she had to take care of herself first!

She snapped back to reality and heard the onlookers whispering about her:
"Look at this girl. She's so young, yet she talks nonsense. She's pretty enough, but what a pity she's a fool."
"Indeed. Look at how revealing her clothes are. She has no shred of a proper lady's decorum. She might even be a vixen spirit!"
"Now that you mention it, I remember. This girl fell from the sky. Maybe she offended someone and was dumped here."
"Exactly! Look at how little she's wearing, arms and legs all exposed. She's nothing but an exhibitionist!"