1 Adapting

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Note:
In case you didn't know, this is a sequel of a story with the same name. I suggest you read that first. Thanks!

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The night fell, but the bustling city showed no signs of peace. In an apartment in the city center, the curtains were already drawn. The ceiling light in the room had also been turned off, with only the bedside lamp casting a dim, ambiguous glow.

The bed was in complete disarray, and the air was thick with the remnants of passion. The two women's bodies were entwined, the one underneath tilting her head back, revealing a delicate face that seemed almost unreal.

"You're very excited today," said the woman on top of the beautiful woman.

The woman's already flushed face grew even redder. Her slender fingers gripped the woman's shoulders tightly, but she swallowed the moan lingering at the edge of her lips.

Afterward, the two of them went to the bathroom to take a shower together. Standing in front of the sink, the woman picked up a hairdryer and began to dry the long hair that cascaded down the other woman's back. 

"It feels just as good as it did in ancient times." The woman's hand passed through the other's hair, the silky texture like satin, just as it was back then. 

Both of them had traveled from ancient times. The difference was that Yang Qiong had originally traveled from the modern era to the past, while Shen Qiuhua had been the emperor's favored consort. Was the time travel destiny's arrangement or heaven's mercy? The two of them no longer cared to ponder it. For them, being together was enough.

Shen Qiuhua, coming from ancient times, was unfamiliar with everything in the modern world. Fortunately, Yang Qiong was there to help her adjust. The first issue they faced was Shen Qiuhua's identity. Yang Qiong thought she'd have to take in someone without legal status, but to her surprise, just as she had replaced a palace maid named Qing Ye when she traveled to the past, Shen Qiuhua also had an established identity in the modern world—with the same name, Shen Qiuhua, who lived in a small county.

Shen Qiuhua is 23 years old and has recently graduated from a regular university. She had been assigned to work at a local elementary school, but since it was still summer break, she hadn't yet reported to work. 

Yang Qiong, 29, a former special forces soldier who had retired and now worked as a personal bodyguard of a boss from a private company. However, she quit her job the day after she returned. The boss offered a pay raise and promised weekends off, but ultimately couldn't persuade her to stay.

"Why did you quit?" Shen Qiuhua, still adjusting to modern life, occasionally used ancient expressions. 

"Being a bodyguard doesn't leave much room for myself. I was alone before, so it didn't matter... but now, I have you." Yang Qiong's answer was simple. Now, Shen Qiuhua was the most important person in her life. Freed from the constraints of her previous identity, how could she bear to be separated from Shen Qiuhua?

Shen Qiuhua asked no further questions. Though she had traveled across a thousand years, her wisdom remained intact. She was still the same consort who had deftly navigated the treacherous intrigues of the imperial harem.

After their bath, the two of them returned to bed, where Shen Qiuhua fell asleep resting on Yang Qiong's arm. That night, she slept soundly. In the first few days, she had dreamed of people and events from the time she was in the ancient era. But now, she thought of them less and less. Shen Qiuhua, ever rational, knew she needed a fresh start and how to adjust her mindset.

The next morning, sunlight was already streaming through the windows when she woke up. 

Shen Qiuhua got out of bed, her silk nightgown outlining her perfect figure. The strap slipped off her shoulder, revealing a large expanse of bare skin. At first, she had refused to wear such thin clothing, but after seeing so many women with bare arms and legs on the streets, she realized it was the norm in this world. Yang Qiong had never forced her to wear anything, but wearing long sleeves and pants in the middle of summer had attracted too much attention. After some time, she grew used to it. At least in the privacy of their home, she didn't mind it as much anymore.

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