Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s

"I hid it in a safe place." Charles chuckled. "Buddy, even if you spend your whole life looking for it, you might never find it."

"***!" The man in the trench coat unexpectedly kicked him hard, landing squarely on his injured abdomen.

"Agh!" A pained wail rang out as Charles’ face abruptly turned alternating shades of green and pale. His body writhed into a grotesque posture.

"Tell us something we don’t already know." The man in the trench coat pulled out a cigarette, lit it, but didn’t bother removing his foot.

Charles tilted his head back, sucking in cold air with difficulty. Gasping, he said, "I don’t know who he is. All I know is that every time we’ve met, it was at Yuanjiang Pier in East Sea. I’ve never seen his face clearly, but based on his accent, I know he’s from Beijing."

"How can you be sure it’s an authentic Beijing accent and not an altered one?"

"I can’t differentiate that finely; I just know it’s a Beijing accent."

"Go on."

"Five years ago, they switched to a younger contact. I’ve been dealing with him ever since. We hand over the goods to him, and he has ways to bypass customs. He seems to be the successor of the previous guy."

"So, where’s the stuff?"

Charles fell silent, closing his eyes. As a middleman, survival was impossible; either side would eventually kill him. He wouldn’t live through this, but neither would he make things easy for them—let them waste time searching.

"I told you, it’s in a safe place."

From his expression, it was clear he had given up on life completely. A man already greeting death could only be made to reveal the truth by death itself—and that, only posthumously.

"Shit!" the man in the trench coat swore, his eyes darkening ominously. He delivered another ruthless kick to Charles. Thick blood gushed from Charles’ body, the sharp metallic scent of blood filling the air, startlingly oppressive.

"Jiang." His companion grabbed his arm, concerned. "What’s going on with you today? You’re not acting like yourself."

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Today, he seemed unusually irritable, a stark departure from his usual calm and composed demeanor.

The man in the trench coat forced himself to calm down, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. "The stuff is tied to Mount Lu. It might still be hidden there, or he could’ve passed it off to another accomplice. When he was at Mount Lu, he met with someone."

"I was thinking the same," his companion said grimly. "But Mount Lu is so vast; searching for it will be a real hassle. Goddamned bastard!" As he spoke, he delivered his own resentful kick to Charles.

Charles let out two weak, pale chuckles. After his hollow laughter, his eyes suddenly widened as blood trickled from his mouth.

"Bit his tongue to kill himself." As though it had been anticipated, the companion crouched down to inspect the body.

"Saves us the trouble of doing it ourselves," the man in the trench coat remarked coldly, casting a detached glance at the corpse.

**

After filming for about ten days at Mount Lu, followed by extensive editing also conducted there, the crew boarded the train for their return trip.

The production team took many photos to commemorate the trip. Tian Sangsang even bought a Polaroid camera and snapped photos, later capturing them with her phone to upload onto her Weibo profile.

Truthfully, she didn’t fear anyone spotting something unusual. After all, she wasn’t someone who truly existed in the 21st century; no one could find her.

Over time, perhaps people might notice she didn’t belong to their timeline. Who knows, she might even become a viral "time-travel influencer."

Imagining herself one day being featured in "The World’s Unsolved Mysteries" felt oddly thrilling.

However, neither Zhao Chun nor Tian Sangsang mentioned Charles to anyone in the crew.

To them, Charles was merely a passerby. He had his own story, and they had their own lives.

The sheer volume of items was overwhelming. To lighten the load, Tian Sangsang secretly stashed some into her spatial pocket.

Things like facewash, cosmetics, and skincare products—anything that could fit into her space ended up there.

Whether heading out for an adventure or returning from one, people on the train always seemed particularly quiet, trapped in a semi-asleep, semi-awake state. Gazing hazily at the passing landscapes of their motherland, they were reminded how vast the world was, how wandering was only a temporary stop, and that every pause ultimately led to return.

If only there was some music to accompany the moment.

"Looking afar, where your direction points, crossing mountains, wandering free; afar where crystal-clear times linger, unforgettable to this day."

"Looking afar, in youthful foolishness, with dreams traversing the boundless; afar, seeking love’s paradise, I’ll soar with you."

Tian Sangsang instinctively rummaged through her backpack, searching for some snacks. She didn’t find any snacks but pulled out something cold and smooth instead.

She curiously took it out—a roll of leather parchment tied with a rubber band. Inside the roll, there seemed to be a sheet of paper.

What is this?

"Did any of you accidentally leave something in my backpack?"

Zhao Chun glanced over indifferently and was just about to shake his head. But when his gaze landed on the item in her hands, his refined face suddenly turned serious.

Chen Wan and Yao Yu, clueless about the situation, responded, "No, Sangsang."

Charles’ image flashed through Tian Sangsang’s mind. Slowly, she put the item back into her backpack. Forget it; she’d burn it when they got back.

But what could it be? Something important enough to attract an assassin?

If it were something truly significant, would burning it bury an important truth forever? But if she didn’t burn it, wouldn’t it bring danger upon her?

No, burning it would leave no evidence. Not burning it might open a path for negotiation.

Letting out a sigh, Tian Sangsang leaned closer to Zhao Chun. It looked like they were whispering, "Do you ever feel like you’re incredibly unlucky?"

"Yeah." Zhao Chun nodded. All he had wanted was to find an extra for a role. The whole ordeal with Charles had left them so scarred that they abandoned the idea of using any foreign extras. That’s why the scenes set in the United States still featured only the lead actress and her parents.

"I think I’m not just unlucky, but outright cursed," Tian Sangsang said. How had that item ended up in her backpack? She wanted to curse out loud.

Back in East Sea Province, everyone went their separate ways to their respective homes. The next day, Zhao Chun paid an "uninvited visit."

"Xiaoyan~"

"Oh, Chun Zisu, what do you want from me?" Meng Shuyan was toying with the Peach Wood Sword Guan Kunling had given him, not even sparing Zhao Chun a glance.

"Ah, Xiaoyan, you’ve broken Uncle’s heart." Zhao Chun approached him, spreading his hands. "Look at Uncle—does anything come to mind?"

Meng Shuyan narrowed his large eyes, quietly sizing him up. Something about Chun Zisu felt different today.

"Don’t recognize your Uncle?" Zhao Chun smirked and crouched down. "It’s me, Chun Zi."

Meng Shuyan pursed his lips hesitantly.

"You once told me a story," Zhao Chun said. "Yesterday, eight people played hide-and-seek. Within five minutes, I was found. Five minutes later, I found three others. The last four were also found five minutes after that. It was so quick—we need to play again next time."

"Chun Zisu!" Meng Shuyan tossed the sword aside and leapt into his arms, nestling into him and nuzzling his head against Zhao Chun’s chest. "It really is Chun Zisu!"

Then he tilted his head back and shouted upstairs, "Mom, Chun Zisu has finally come to visit us!"

Tian Sangsang came down the stairs cooperatively and exchanged a glance with Zhao Chun. "Yep, got it."

Zhao Chun smiled faintly.