It was just a thought, though; Qin Jiao wasn’t actually going to try it.

But as for the reason why the space had grown larger, Qin Jiao didn’t plan on telling Shen Yi.

Even so, Shen Yi was quite shocked. While Qin Jiao had been with her sister, he had taken a walk around the space. He was very well-behaved and didn’t touch anything, but he couldn’t help but stare at the lush green vegetables, the fat, lively fish jumping in the pond, and the plump, tender mushrooms in the small compartment to the side.

How could one describe this magical place? It looked a bit like a small apartment, but it actually contained a self-sufficient ecosystem.

There was no sun, but there was sunlight.

The air shouldn’t have been able to circulate, yet there was oxygen... ’I mean, how could there not be? Otherwise, the three of them would have already suffocated in here.’

This magical space seemed to possess an invisible ecosystem that sustained all life within its small world.

Shen Yi remembered that in his past life, he had loved reading novels, especially cultivation novels. This small space was very much like one of the "Lesser Thousand Worlds" often described in them.

Qin Jiao poured him a glass of water. It was mainly because he had been willing to let her and Xiao Shi escape during that critical moment. For that, Qin Jiao was willing to treat him a little better, even if he was the Shen Yi from her past life.

Qin Jiao said, "I know this is all pretty unbelievable. If word got out, I’d definitely be captured like some monster and experimented on. I’m only telling you this because I trust you, Shen Yi. Can you help me keep it a secret?"

Shen Yi nodded. "I can."

Qin Jiao nodded and said, "The vegetables grown in this garden taste much better than ordinary ones from outside. In fact, for over a year now, a lot of my family’s vegetables have come from this garden. The water comes from that well, too. My parents still don’t know about this. And, of course, some of the things you and Grandpa Du have eaten over the past year have also come from here."

Shen Yi felt his heart grow soft and warm, overjoyed to realize that Qin Jiao was starting to treat him as one of her own.

He said, "I see you’re growing mushrooms over there, too. This space is truly amazing."

"It is."

The two of them sat in silence for a while until Qin Jiao suddenly remembered the time. She said, "Even though we’re in the space, when we leave, we’ll still be in Lin Xiaohua’s house. We have to figure out a way to get out. And the college entrance exam is tomorrow! We can’t afford any delays. Also, I have to tell Mom and Dad that Xiao Shi is found, otherwise they’ll go crazy today. And! Lin Xiaohua and her husband are human traffickers. We can’t let them get away with it!"

Looking at the beautiful girl before him, with her righteous and indignant expression, Shen Yi suddenly realized they were essentially having a private meeting. His lips felt a little dry, and his tongue darted out to touch the base of his teeth.

’He suddenly remembered that, just before they entered the space, he had actually thought Jiao Jiao was going to kiss him.’

’In truth, the current Shen Yi desperately wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Of course, that was just a thought. He’d endured for so long; he certainly wasn’t going to lose his composure now and upset her.’

Shen Yi hid the fervent glint in his eyes and said, "Don’t rush. Let’s take it one step at a time."

Qin Jiao nodded. She said, "I’ll go out first to check on the situation. I can always come right back in. You and Xiao Shi wait here. Once I confirm they’re both asleep, we can leave."

"Be careful." Shen Yi wanted to go in her place, but he wasn’t the master of the space and couldn’t pop in and out at will.

Besides, if they both appeared at the same time, they’d be too big a target, and it would be easy for things to go wrong.

Qin Jiao wasn’t going out completely unprepared. She let her long hair down to hang loose. Then, she deliberately changed into a white, oversized linen top that would billow in the wind, and she even put on a white face mask.

If she appeared suddenly, at first glance, even if she ran into Lin Xiaohua and her husband, they would just assume they had seen a ghost popping out in the middle of the night!