Chapter 23: Gold Grain

Chapter 23: Gold Grain

Chen Shouyi wiped the spit from his face, feeling for a moment like an irredeemable villain.

But he had no intention of letting her go.

He’d caught her fair and square—why should he release her?

He set the Shell Woman down on the ground, tying the other end of the hemp rope to a blade of grass.

Then, he picked up the wooden stick and began practicing his swordsmanship.

Immediately, he noticed the difference from training on Earth.

Under this world’s gravity, every movement felt sluggish and heavy. His muscles strained like rusted machinery, making each motion laborious. It was as if he had returned to his earliest days of learning swordsmanship, far from the fluid mastery he’d achieved on Earth.

Within minutes, his muscles began cramping, forcing him to take breaks.

Yet, the harsher the conditions, the more pronounced the training effects.

He sensed that if he could achieve the same ease and precision here in the Otherworld, his swordsmanship would reach new heights.

---

Meanwhile, while Chen Shouyi wasn’t paying attention, the Shell Woman kept trying to escape.

First, she frantically struggled with the knot around her ankle, but it was tied too tightly, and her frail strength made it impossible to undo.

Next, she turned her efforts to the blade of grass.

To Chen Shouyi, it was just a small plant, but to her, it was thicker than her thigh.

She pulled desperately, even resorting to biting it, but after exhausting all her strength, the grass remained unbroken.

Defeated, she slumped to the ground, her fine hair fluttering in the breeze. Her face was a mask of despair and numbness, tears silently rolling down her cheeks as she contemplated her bleak future.

Eventually, hunger gnawed at her. She fluttered to a nearby flower patch, drank her fill of nectar, then returned resignedly to her spot.

---

Time passed slowly as the sun dipped westward. Chen Shouyi’s stomach growled, reminding him of his oversight—he should have brought food.

When he turned, he noticed the Shell Woman tossing a tiny pebble up and down, amusing herself.

At first, he paid no mind—until a glint of gold flashed in the sunlight.

Alarmed, he approached, startling her into dropping the pebble and scrambling back.

But his target wasn’t her—it was what she’d discarded.

He picked it up carefully. The grain was barely larger than a sesame seed, yet it gleamed with a golden luster.

The mesmerizing hue made his heart race.

"Gold!" Chen Shouyi nearly gasped.

There was gold on this island!

He scoured the ground but found nothing.

"Where did you get this?"

"@#%&!" The Shell Woman shook her head frantically, tears streaming as she babbled in her strange, whispery tongue.

Her expression made it clear she hadn’t understood.

Patiently, Chen Shouyi pointed to the gold grain, then to himself, miming possession.

He repeated the gestures, but she only stared back in confusion.

Chen Shouyi pondered for a moment, deciding he needed to devise an action that was both universally understandable and practical across both worlds. After some careful deliberation, a sudden idea struck him.

The next moment, he opened his mouth and pretended to place the gold grain in his hand inside, chewing a few times before swallowing—though in reality, he had hidden it between his fingers. Then he turned to the Shell Woman, baring his teeth in a menacing grin.

To her, his gaping mouth was no different from a monstrous maw. She was utterly terrified, scrambling backward with a face as pale as paper. Soon, however, she seemed to grasp something. She glanced around frantically before suddenly taking flight.

After flying a few meters, she landed and, without any apparent effort, quickly plucked a golden speck from the ground. She hurried back and placed it obsequiously into Chen Shouyi’s palm.

His heart leaped with joy—there were indeed plenty here. But he kept his expression neutral, continuing the charade by pretending to eat it again while glaring at the Shell Woman.

The poor Shell Woman, barely given a moment to catch her breath, immediately fluttered about in panic, searching desperately.

As Chen Shouyi observed, he grew increasingly surprised. He noticed that she seemed to possess an uncanny intuition, able to pinpoint gold grains even when they were buried beneath layers of sand. More than once, he watched her dig through the surface to retrieve them.

Before long, the number of gold grains in his hand had grown from two to eighteen—some as tiny as pinheads, others as large as mung beans.

But the Shell Woman could fly no more. She collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat. Seeing her utterly exhausted, Chen Shouyi finally felt a twinge of guilt and decided to stop pressuring her.

His stomach growled with hunger, so he resolved to head out for a meal. Glancing at the Shell Woman, he hesitated but ultimately chose to leave her behind. He placed her original shell beside her, confident that its protection would keep her safe—at least from insects, which she could easily evade by retreating inside.

...

Soon, he strode out of the unfinished building, feigning nonchalance.

He pulled out his phone and turned it on. A flood of messages instantly appeared—all from Zhang Xiaoyue.

"So bored!"

"What are you doing?"

...

"Dad cooked today—it was awful!"

A faint smile tugged at Chen Shouyi’s lips as he quickly replied, "Sorry, I was practicing Martial Arts and just saw these. What are you up to?"

A response came swiftly.

"You woke me up from my nap! How dare you!" Zhang Xiaoyue lay sprawled on her bed, clutching her phone, cheeks slightly puffed as she typed rapidly.

Truth be told, she had only truly gotten to know Chen Shouyi this past month, after they entered their final year of high school. Before that, he had barely registered in her mind—an easily overlooked boy with little presence in class.

That changed one day during Martial Arts class when he stunned everyone with a dazzling sword thrust. From then on, she found herself paying more attention to him.

And later, when they encountered the barbarian in the bookstore, the way he had gripped her wrist and shielded her with calm determination as they pushed through the crowd—it was then she felt an inexplicable pull toward him, as if he were a magnet.

...

"That’s definitely because you slept in the wrong position!" Chen Shouyi replied with amusement.

"Then tell me, what kind of posture is needed for sleeping?"

Chen Shouyi couldn't help but recall a risqué joke he'd seen online and quickly typed it out. But immediately sensing it was inappropriate, he swiftly deleted it. Just as he did, a reply came through.

"You're so dirty! I never thought you’d be so naughty."

Chen Shouyi was stunned and hurriedly sent a sweating emoji in response.

He found a spicy hot pot restaurant, ordered his meal, and continued texting: "What are you talking about? I don’t understand at all!"

As he ate, he smiled while exchanging messages, sending dozens of texts over the course of the meal. It felt like they had endless things to say to each other.

Finally, with great effort, he ended the conversation: "I need to go practice my swordsmanship now. Let’s talk later!"

"Mm, do your best!"

After reading her reply, Chen Shouyi turned off his phone, feeling instantly invigorated.

……

The Shell Woman sat atop her shell, swinging her feet leisurely, but when she saw the terrifying giant return, she quickly retreated inside.

Chen Shouyi glanced over and noticed seven or eight more gold grains by the shell, gleaming brightly—clearly collected while he was away.

Who knew the Shell Woman could be so diligent?

Chen Shouyi decided he ought to treat her better from now on. After all, she was like a goose that laid golden eggs!

In high spirits, he took a stroll around the small island to aid digestion before resuming his swordsmanship practice.

Time passed swiftly, and soon, nightfall descended upon the Otherworld.

There was no moon, not even starlight.

To this day, Earth still couldn’t determine what kind of world the Otherworld truly was. It seemed entirely unlike the normal universe.

Apart from the "sun," which appeared relatively ordinary, no other celestial bodies were visible.

Yet it wasn’t completely devoid of light.

Chen Shouyi watched as countless glowing ribbons of fluorescence gathered and dispersed over the ocean, resembling shimmering silk or auroras—both eerie and magnificent, awe-inspiring yet mysterious.

Even on the island, tiny specks of light rose amidst wispy tendrils of mist, casting an otherworldly glow.

Then, faintly, he heard singing—a sorrowful, ethereal voice drifting from far across the sea, compelling him to stop and listen.

But instead of fascination, Chen Shouyi felt a chill run down his spine. The night in the Otherworld was terrifying, a realm entirely ruled by ghosts and spirits. Countless records about this world had repeatedly warned of this.

He glanced back at the Shell Woman, only to find she had already hidden inside her shell.