Night.
Cheng Jun lay in bed, lost in thought.
Her usual favorite games held no appeal, and she had no desire to stay up late binge-watching dramas.
After a day of adjustment, she felt much better.
Given the major upheaval she had experienced, there was no way she could bring herself to go to work.
As she pondered her situation, she began to form some conjectures.
When she woke up in the morning, she had checked the date. She had spent a full year in that world, yet in reality, only one night had passed.
This realization had left her stunned for a moment as she got dressed. Her familiar home now felt strangely alien.
The stable and tranquil environment that she had once known felt like a distant memory.
"The ancients spoke of a dream of yellow millet. So, was this a journey through time, or just a dream?"
She muttered to herself inwardly.
The abilities of the Nuclei Master were gone, but she felt no regret.
Without the suppression of the bacterial solution, many of her normal human emotions had returned. The constant sense of oppression that had tormented her before was now gone, and it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted.
"It wasn't a dream. There's no way a dream could be that real."
Cheng Jun dismissed the idea. She leaned more towards the belief that her 'soul' had traveled through time.
The several sketches she had drawn that afternoon were the best evidence. Every detail was meticulously captured, something that mere imagination couldn't achieve.
"If it wasn't a dream, then was Shen Yi real? Does he have memories of this too?"
Cheng Jun closed her eyes, and Shen Yi's voice, smile, and appearance instantly came to mind. That face was etched into her memory, impossible to forget.
She was extremely intelligent and quickly realized that this was unusual.
Every detail of her time with Shen Yi was crystal clear in her mind. He had once said something that now seemed prophetic:
"Maybe this is just a dream?"
"Nightmares always come to an end. Maybe one day, you'll wake up and be back home."
"Family, friends, warmth, peace—everything will be as it was."
Was this a prophecy? Or just a comforting word?
If time travel was an extremely rare event, then what could be more special than meeting a 'fellow traveler'?
"There must be a special reason. Maybe finding him will give me the answers."
"With his name and appearance, no matter what secrets he holds, he can't escape."
With a smirk, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The next morning, Cheng Jun went to work as usual.
Before leaving, she folded the portrait she had drawn the previous day and slipped it into her bag.
The administrative department was on the 17th floor. As soon as she entered the company, everyone greeted her with smiles and friendly chatter.
It was as if she wasn't just a small supervisor but the department manager.
Despite her impressive resume and the initial secrecy about her transfer, gossip in the company had spread like wildfire.
The fact that she was the daughter of the big boss was no secret.
Her colleagues weren't necessarily trying to flatter her, but it was a natural survival tactic in the workplace.
After all, being on good terms with her didn't guarantee benefits, but it certainly didn't hurt.
Over time, Cheng Jun had grown accustomed to it.
As she walked into her office and sat down, her assistant, Little Xiao, knocked and entered.
He asked about the schedule for yesterday's activities.
Cheng Jun was momentarily confused, unsure what activities he was referring to.
When she opened the calendar, fragmented memories slowly resurfaced.
After all, for her assistant, only one night had passed, while for her, it had been a year.
She quickly briefed Little Xiao and sent him on his way.
With some effort, she managed to get through her work, then set out with the folded sketch in hand.
She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 23rd floor.
In the company, she rarely sought out Cheng's Father on her own, usually waiting for him to call her.
But today, she had something to ask of him, so she made an exception.
As the elevator doors opened, the secretary greeted her, naturally recognizing her.
Seeing the secretary's gesture, Cheng Jun understood.
"Is there a guest inside?"
"Yes."
"How long has he been here?"
"Just arrived about ten minutes ago."
"Who is it? A client or a friend?"
The secretary provided the name.
"Who? Nanzhi?"
Cheng Jun's eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled.
"It's okay, I know this guest."
The secretary, not daring to stop her, let her pass.
"Knock knock knock..."
Cheng Jun knocked on the door and pushed it open.
As she entered, her eyes lit up. Sure enough, she saw Fu Nanzhi sitting on the sofa.
"Nanzhi! What brings you here? It's me, Zhuqun."
She knew her cousin had a condition, so she introduced herself first to be polite.
Zhuqun was her nickname, used only by family members.
Fu Nanzhi had just picked up the documents to leave when someone suddenly entered. At first, she didn't recognize the person, but when she heard the familiar voice, she smiled.
"Zhuqun, you're here."
"You've changed so much since coming back from studying abroad. I almost didn't recognize you. You look so beautiful."
Cheng Jun smiled and sat down next to Fu Nanzhi, taking her hand affectionately.
"I think you've changed more, Nanzhi. I rarely see you wearing makeup."
Only then did she turn to greet Cheng Tianwei.
"Dad."
"Mm."
Cheng Tianwei suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and responded.
He knew his daughter well. Fu Nanzhi's comment about her change might have been a compliment, but to Cheng Tianwei, Cheng Jun's transformation was truly remarkable.
In the past, Cheng Jun's personality had been described as cunning, or more bluntly, sly.
She was smart but often used her intelligence in the wrong ways. She was also good at charming people, making it hard for anyone to scold or punish her.
Cheng Tianwei had always been troubled by this.
But today, Cheng Jun exuded a sense of calm and composure. It was a change in her demeanor, hard to describe but clearly noticeable.
It was as if she had matured and settled over the years.
If it weren't for the fact that he had raised her for over two decades, he might have thought someone had replaced her.
As the two women chatted happily, Cheng Jun held Fu Nanzhi's hand tightly, smiling.
"Nanzhi, don't leave. Let's have lunch together during the break."
"Stay at my place tonight. We haven't seen each other in years. Let's catch up properly."
In the past, Fu Nanzhi might have felt reluctant, but after undergoing social training with Shen Yi in her previous life, she had adapted well.
Moreover, Cheng Jun was her only childhood friend, and she genuinely wanted to spend more time with her.
She was anxious about Shen Yi's situation, but she knew this wasn't something that could be rushed.
With the clues she had, she felt more at ease.
"Alright."
Seeing that Fu Nanzhi didn't object, Cheng Jun was delighted. She smiled and said,
"Wait a moment. I need to talk to my dad about something, then we'll go."
She stood up and sat next to Cheng Tianwei, gently nudging his elbow with both hands.
"Dad, I need a favor."
"Hmph, I knew you were up to something. What is it? I can't promise I can help."
Cheng Tianwei huffed, picking up his teacup and adopting a formal tone, though inwardly, he felt a sense of relief. The familiar dynamic was back.
He knew that if she was lowering her posture, it meant she was up to something tricky. Having been through this before, he was already on guard.
Cheng Jun chuckled.
"It's a small matter. Could you ask Uncle Zhang to help me find someone? His name is Shen Yi."
As she spoke, she took out the folded sketch from her pocket and handed it over.
"Here, this is what he looks like."
At this, Cheng Tianwei spat out his tea in surprise, coughing uncontrollably.
Wiping the tea from his mouth, he asked in shock,
"Who did you say?"