Star Eyes Beyond the Shores of Time - Chapter 4 

Qi Yuwei’s eyes lit up as she snatched the phone and cursed furiously,
“You heartless thief! I curse you to live unloved for the rest of your miserable life! May you die alone—what the hell is this trickery? Scaring me half to death like some sick joke…”

Tong Youxun, unwilling to give up, turned to Old Man Niu for help.
“I don’t know how to use this surveillance thing. Could you help me check where that thief put my stuff?”

“What did he steal from you?” the old man asked leisurely.

Tong Youxun unzipped her bag, checked carefully, and found everything still there—money, belongings, all intact. She replied seriously,
“My medicine.”

“Go buy it at a pharmacy. In this big wide world, what medicine can’t be found? If you can’t find it, that means you won’t find it. Judging from your shabby clothes—looking like some bumpkin who doesn’t know how to dress—your medicine probably isn’t worth much anyway. My eyesight isn’t great, so don’t rush me. You’d be faster walking out the gate, turn left, then right, and in about two hundred meters there’s a big drugstore…”

Old Man Niu rambled on endlessly.

Tong Youxun listened earnestly, like a model student, and nodded at every word.
“Elder Xing said that medicine is one of a kind. Are you sure they’ll have it?”

Qi Yuwei smacked her on the back of the head, laughing.
“You little oddball! You actually have the patience to listen to this old man ramble? If you don’t interrupt him, he’ll go on for an hour straight!”

Tong Youxun blinked, puzzled.
Wasn’t she supposed to respect her elders? On Xingying Island, she used to listen to Elder Xing’s long lectures without ever interrupting him. She even remembered everything he said.

She had always faced life with warmth and sincerity, believing that listening to her elders would save her from suffering later. After all, they’d lived longer, walked farther, and surely had wisdom worth learning.

“I think Uncle Niu makes a lot of sense,” Tong Youxun said brightly. “I like listening to him.”

Qi Yuwei sighed, two black lines forming on her forehead.
“I’m leaving. I’ve got a man to chase.”

She turned to go, then paused at the door and added dramatically,
“Oh, and remember—if you run into a man who’s tall, broad-shouldered, ridiculously handsome, the kind that makes the gods jealous—don’t even think about liking him! Just help me confess to him three times. If you so much as dare to covet him, you’re dead. Got it?”

Tong Youxun nodded solemnly—she never deceived the old or the young.

“Where are you from, girl?” Old Man Niu asked again, now even chattier.

Suddenly, Tong Youxun remembered Elder Xing’s warning:
When you go out into the world, don’t be too pure, too earnest, or too innocent. Especially as a girl—be cautious about what you reveal.

So she said lightly, “I’m from a remote village. Not worth mentioning—you wouldn’t know it. I came here to find family.”

“Looking for relatives, huh? I’ve got connections. Got money? Got clues?”

“Before I find them, I need to find a job—and a place to stay.” Her eyes wandered around the guardroom, where dozens of keys hung behind the door. “Do you rent out rooms here?”

“Ha! Lucky you—one just opened up this morning. Three-month minimum lease!”

“How much?”

“Forty-five hundred. Deposit up front. Not a penny less.”

“I… I…” She faltered, “I don’t have enough…”

“Tsk, don’t be ungrateful,” he huffed. “You know who used to live here? Or who your neighbor would be?”

“Who?” She asked politely, though it didn’t really matter to her.

“The last tenant was Gu Xihen—the famous lawyer! When he first moved here ten years ago, he was broke and hopeless, but after living in my Xiangyang Apartments, he turned his life around! And right next door to him—guess who lives there? Qi Yuwei’s crush! Don’t spread that around, I’ve got a big mouth. Those two have lived here for ten years—talk about loyalty!”

Tong Youxun found herself more interested in Qi Yuwei’s crush than in the lawyer.

“She says he’s super handsome. Have you seen him?”

“I’ve seen him, but can’t really make out his face. Feels like he’s got some kind of… barrier around him. Always comes back late at night, hardly stays long. When you’re my age and half asleep, a bamboo shoot looks like a snake.”

He really can talk forever, Tong Youxun thought helplessly.

“I’m starving. What time is it?” she interrupted gently.

“So are you renting or not?” he grumbled.

“Yes, but I’ll need to find work first. I don’t have enough money yet.”

“Ah, so my place isn’t good enough for you, huh? Maybe it’s not fancy, and sure, people call it the slums of our seaside town—but it’s right by the ocean! Great feng shui! You’re lucky I’m even considering letting you stay!”

He suddenly grew stubborn, dragging her toward the door.

“Wait—can I just pay one month in advance?” she pleaded pitifully.

“That’ll do. Pay up, and let’s sign.”

After the paperwork was done, Old Man Niu barked,
“Fifth floor, second door from the right—room 520. Don’t dawdle.”

He shoved her out the door, muttering,
“Nosy little thing. Talking so much hurts the head.”

Tong Youxun finally understood Qi Yuwei’s complaints. She sighed, rubbing her temples.
Are people in this world all so… peculiar?

Raised on ideals of honesty and kindness, she’d always thought being a good person was enough. Apparently not.

She brushed her short hair behind her ear and began to climb the stairs.

The wooden steps creaked underfoot, echoing in the dim stairwell. On the second floor, she peeked down the corridor—doors lined up like train compartments, narrow and cramped.

So small, she thought, half in awe, half in pity. Twenty tiny rooms squeezed together, lives stacked like ants struggling to survive.

Each floor was the same. Only when she reached the fifth floor did her breath finally ease—the corridor stretched long, with a bright window at the end spilling daylight like a promise.

Her room, 520, was right beside it. She was about to unlock the door when noise erupted down the hall.

A crowd was forming—people shouting, laughing. It sounded like Qi Yuwei’s livestream slogan echoing up the stairwell.

Oh no, Tong Youxun thought, she really dragged this poor building onto social media, didn’t she?

The wooden floor trembled beneath the weight of so many feet. She pitied whoever lived in 505—the mysterious neighbor about to lose his peace.

Qi Yuwei pushed through the throng, selfie stick raised, surrounded by four punk-styled boys—tattoos, earrings, dyed hair, the works. They looked nearly identical, like four clones, each handing out candy to the crowd.

“Qi Yuwei loves you! She wants to marry you!” someone shouted in rehearsal.

Old Man Niu froze halfway up the stairs, horrified. Outnumbered, he could only watch as chaos took over his once-quiet building.

Qi Yuwei beamed. “Attack 505! Band—play!”

Instantly, the four boys whipped out guitars and started strumming ‘Today I’m Going to Marry You.’

Spotting Tong Youxun in the corner, Qi Yuwei waved.
“Hey, my band’s awesome, right? I’m the lead singer. They’re Ah-Ri, Ah-Yue, Ah-Xing, and Ah-Chen. Cool, huh?”

“F-four of them? Quadruplets?” Tong Youxun asked, dumbfounded.

Qi Yuwei quickly clamped a hand over the nearest boy’s mouth.
“Yep, quadruplets!” she lied cheerfully.

Then she turned back to the camera, starting her livestream with practiced energy.
“Hey, family! Long time no see! I’m Qi Yuwei, host of Feiyu Weiwei! Today, I’m introducing my quadruplet band. I’m the lead singer—yes, me! This sunny one is guitarist Ah-Ri. That moody guy is bassist Ah-Yue. The quiet cool one’s drummer Ah-Xing. And finally, our mysterious keyboardist Ah-Chen! Same mom, totally different vibes! Follow if you want to know how quadruplets communicate telepathically or if they share past-life memories—smash that like button!”

Tong Youxun watched, stunned.
So this is what being a livestreamer means—talking endlessly without breathing.
She couldn’t help comparing Qi Yuwei to Old Man Niu downstairs.

“Okay, next—today’s mission,” Qi Yuwei continued dramatically. “I swore that on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, if my crush doesn’t accept my proposal, I’ll… well, you know, family, can’t say it too bluntly or I’ll get banned. But I’ll prove that love rewards the brave!”

She swung the camera toward the crowd.
“Look, everyone’s here to witness it! Say hi to the fans!”

The onlookers waved and blew kisses, more for free snacks than out of support.

“Now look here—room 505. Behind this door lives the man I love! I’m so nervous I could faint! Ready? Three, two—”

As she hyped up her viewers, Tong Youxun quietly slipped into her room.

To her surprise, it was cozy—a small living room with a retro yellow window frame, a line of soft cushions along the sill, and a green pothos plant curling toward the light.

There was even a balcony, letting in the sea breeze. For such a cramped building, it felt almost luxurious.

Then she noticed the bed—huge, at least three meters wide. Silk sheets. Too fine for this place.

Maybe the last tenant was rich… or just really liked sleeping.

A faint, calming scent drifted through the air. On the coffee table sat bread and milk.

Her stomach growled.

“Probably leftovers from the last tenant,” she murmured. “Can’t let good food go to waste…”

She ate quickly, satisfied, then grew unbearably sleepy.

Just for a moment, she told herself. She’d rest before job-hunting.
But the moment she sat on the sofa, her eyes closed.

——

Light drifted away.

Tong Youxun found herself in a strange space without ground or sky. No sun, no moon, only endless heat and darkness.

Her skin burned. The air smelled of charred flesh.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

“Am I… burning alive?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Star-Eye? How can a star in the sky die?”

A gentle voice—a voice she somehow remembered—answered softly, wrapping around her like a balm.

Then came warmth. Strong arms caught her. Someone was holding her.

Someone came for me.

She was eight years old again—the night after her birthday. She’d gone to bed happy, only to wake in a nightmare of fire and screams.

She was so tired. She wanted to sleep.

“Mom… Xingzhou… where are you?” she cried weakly.

The arms tightened.
“Stay still,” the voice said firmly. “They’re safe.”

It was steady, powerful, the kind of voice that anchored the soul.

She tried to see his face—her savior—but everything blurred. Yet she was sure… he was beautiful.

Then—

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Three gunshots cracked the air.

The man holding her shuddered violently, knees hitting the ground.

Hot bl00d splashed across her face—thick, metallic, and strangely sweet. It filled her mouth, choking her breath.

She froze, eyes wide, her soul splitting apart as the world turned crimson.