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What Era-Chap18

Peng Xiangzhi could tell that Ji Mingcheng didn’t really want to agree to her cohabitation plan. Because when Ji Mingcheng was making the beds, she didn’t even look at her. When Ji Mingcheng brushed past her to go out of the bedroom door, she even gave her a look of annoyance, as if she, Peng Xiangzhi, was blocking her way. Ji Mingcheng was indeed a straight girl, she was so boring. Suspecting…

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What Era-Chap17

“Before we start talking, can I try to make one last excuse?” Peng Xiangzhi asked, sitting on the sofa in Ji Mingcheng’s home. She was a bit nervous. After all, she had never used such tactics to deceive someone before, so she wanted to struggle a little, at least to appease her conscience. “Go ahead,” Ji Mingcheng said, removing her glasses and carefully wiping them with a lens cloth from the…

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What Era-Chap16

“What do you mean?” Peng Xiangzhi asked, not understanding what Ji Mingcheng meant. Blushing and looking down at the trash can, Ji Mingcheng, with a voice as clear as Tian Shan’s snow[1], uttered the most indecent words she had ever spoken, “Did I… sleep with you?” Ji Mingcheng’s thin voice echoed faintly in the elevator hall. Peng Xiangzhi thought to herself, this must be a real…

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What Era-Chap15

A pleasant dream came as promised. Peng Xiangzhi dreamt of swimming, basking in the sea like a dried fossil, weathered by wind and rain for thousands of years. Her chapped skin was thrown into the deep waves, the water moisturizing and reviving her. When Peng Xiangzhi finally woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. She hadn’t drawn the curtains the day before, so the sun had made an…

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What Era-Chap14

Peng Xiangzhi was guilty of the vilest sins. As she brought Ji Mingcheng back home, this single thought echoed in her mind. The words Ji Mingcheng had said sounded strange no matter how she heard them, as if she were some heartless woman who had set a trap for Ji Mingcheng. But heaven knows, Peng Xiangzhi was straight. Her romantic history had never taken any bend. Even her relationships with…

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What Era-Chap13

Ji Mingcheng sat on the leather sofa, looking at Peng Xiangzhi with her head slightly bowed. Her eyes, unobscured by glasses, appeared as if they had been fished from deep waters—calm, clear, yet slightly glazed, a telltale hint of alcohol. “What did you say?” Peng Xiangzhi squinted, tilting her head slightly as she sought confirmation. “I said,” Ji Mingcheng, seemingly unaccustomed to…

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What Era-Chap12

Peng Xiangzhi slept so soundly that it was the chirping of birds that roused her from the warm quilt. She didn’t hear the buzzing of her phone or the sound of footsteps outside, nor the noises of someone playing with water by the river or someone tinkering with pots and pans preparing to close shop. She heard only the crisp bird calls, as though she were sleeping amidst the leaves. There was…

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What Era-Chap11

The island was naturally cold, and the tents, no matter how thick, couldn’t block the wildly howling wind. The fabric flapped loudly in the gusts, which twisted and turned through the air, making the night seem even more eerie. “I have nothing to do with Qian Zhi’nan,” Peng Xiangzhi said, shivering as she huddled near the electric heater. “Chengzi, you have to believe me.” “If you’re into…

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What-Era-Chap10

“Fart!” “Um, that’s pretty much what I meant.” Ji Mingcheng replied modestly. Peng Xiangzhi was momentarily speechless, “I meant that whoever says that is talking nonsense!” “How could they puff up, tell me, how could they puff up? Do you even have common sense? Aren’t you a PhD?” Peng Xiangzhi exclaimed in exasperation, almost looking like a patient on her way to the psychiatric ward next to…

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What Era-Chap9

“I never doubted your skills,” said Peng Xiangzhi Ji Mingcheng adjusted her neck on the pillow, turned onto her side, her phone right beside her face, and asked, “Really?” “You think my skills are okay?” Just as Peng Xiangzhi lifted her glass to drink, she choked on the water. She wanted to tell Ji Mingcheng that three in the morning wasn’t the time for such conversations; however, Ji…

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What Era-Chap8

Ji Mingcheng’s voice was soft, the kind she excelled at portraying in audio dramas—a tone that conveyed a fragile sense of being unloved. Her brows slightly furrowed, as if the issue had really been troubling her for quite some time. The part of Ji Mingcheng which was often described as ‘ethereal’ wasn’t her facial features or unique aura, but her skin—pale and delicate, like organic fruits and…

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What Era-Chap7

“Chao Xin, you’re a pig.” Peng Xiangzhi declared this over the phone. Xiang Wan wanted to speak; however, Peng Xiangzhi nonchalantly continued, “I know you’re anxious, but hold off on the worry for now.” “Senior Chao, you kept telling me, ‘Given my relationship with Ji Mingcheng, she’s not the type to read those web novels~’,” Peng Xiangzhi said mockingly. “Guess what? She’s a die-hard fan of…

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What Era-Chap6

Peng Xiangzhi decided to ask Ji Mingcheng out for a meal. Firstly, out of curiosity, and secondly, because Ji Mingcheng had added her as a priority patient and even waited an hour for her. So, once the nurse had left, Peng Xiangzhi slid off the dental chair and wandered over to where Ji Mingcheng stood by the cabinet. “Holy shit! What are you doing!” Peng Xiangzhi jumped in fright. On the…

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What Era-Chap5

The weather in Jiang City is always so pleasant. Unfortunately, Peng Xiangzhi only woke up in the afternoon. Being considerate, she thought that since it was an added appointment, it should naturally be the last one. It wasn’t possible to just cut in line, even though she had connections. Flaunting them would seem too arrogant. So, she timed her visit with Ji Mingcheng’s off-duty…

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What Era-Chap4

Peng Xiangzhi actually wanted to discuss something else with her, perhaps about ‘Fear You Lesbians,’; however, judging from Ji Mingcheng’s tone, it seemed like she didn’t care—or maybe she wasn’t even aware of it? Peng Xiangzhi decided to test the waters. “Do you go online often? Lao Ji[1].” The address was a bit affectionate, since Peng Xiangzhi felt a bit guilty about it, that was how it…

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What Era-Chap3

Ji Mingcheng experienced another collapse. Here’s what happened; after her shift that day, she changed out of her scrubs in the break room and took the staff elevator downstairs. Making her way to the non-motorized parking area next to the outpatient department, she mounted onto her white electric scooter, equipped with a windscreen, and rode through two traffic lights to reach home. Just like…

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What Era-Chap2

Peng Xiangzhi thought about it for a moment. Her sharp tongue might have indeed hurt Ji Mingcheng. For instance, when they first met, tracing back to the early 2010s—nearly a decade ago, yet still in tune with today’s aesthetics—Peng Xiangzhi couldn’t understand why Ji Mingcheng, in her early twenties, wore cotton socks with sandals in the scorching summer heat. At that time, Peng Xiangzhi was…