Chapter 32

Cai Yan was not the kind of woman who would stun at first sight. Her appearance was dignified and beautiful, exuding an extraordinary elegance that made people feel incredibly comfortable. Even in simple clothing, she had a unique charm. Perhaps due to her unhappy marriage, a faint sorrow lingered in her eyes, making her particularly pitiable.

When Cai Yong and Cai Yan met, and he learned of his daughter's situation, he was overwhelmed with tears and guilt. Wei Zhongdao, whom he had personally chosen as Cai Yan's husband, was indeed of outstanding character and appearance, but his frail health had led to his untimely death.

Seeing the father and daughter reunite, Zhang Hao did not want to intrude too much. However, such a renowned beauty, especially one who evoked such sympathy, made Zhang Hao feel it was his duty to give Cai Yan a better future.

Alright, it was Zhang Hao who had fallen in love and come to the Three Kingdoms world. Besides collecting famous generals, collecting historical beauties was also a must for a穿越者 (time traveler).

No matter what, Zhang Hao believed that compared to Cai Yan's original fate, he could offer her more happiness and stability. Historically, Cai Yan was directly captured by the Xiongnu. Given their barbaric nature, the situation for a talented woman like Cai Yan would undoubtedly have been very tragic.

Zhang Hao could at least ensure she had a better life than in history. He even felt a sense of doing a good deed, driven by the admiration and pity of many modern admirers.

Soon, the entire Linshui County, especially the people in Zhang Hao's estate, knew of his interest in Miss Cai. He frequently sent small gifts and invitations, making his intentions clear.

Cai Yong was very satisfied with Zhang Hao. He was talented, wealthy, and did not disdain Cai Yan's status as a widow, so he provided Zhang Hao with many conveniences.

Cai Yan, however, might still be recovering from her recent marriage. She responded to Zhang Hao somewhat coldly, but he did not take it to heart. He often showcased his presence in front of Cai Yan, such as sending her music scores and inviting her to outings.

Gradually, Cai Yan and Zhang Hao became more familiar. At least Zhang Hao finally had the chance to listen to her play the qin.

By the side of Taihu Lake, the water rippled, and the sky was filled with the glow of the evening. Zhang Hao and Cai Yan walked along the lake, chatting casually. Watching Cai Yan smile in the sunset, Zhang Hao's eyes were full of admiration as he recited, "From afar, she shines like the sun rising in the morning mist; up close, she glows like a lotus emerging from the green waves."

Cai Yan was taken aback. The smile on her fair face faded, and a faint blush appeared. She raised her arm to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "Thank you, sir, for your praise."

She looked at Zhang Hao, her eyes like the lake's surface, rippling gently. She smiled mysteriously, "This isn't your original work, is it?"

"Cough, cough." Zhang Hao was a bit embarrassed but nodded, "No, it's not mine. It's from a great poet's fu. I just thought of those lines when I saw you. I'm ashamed to say I have no talent in this area."

Zhang Hao was being honest. He hadn't intended to plagiarize. Not that he hadn't considered it; after all, using poetry to attract women was a common trope. He had naturally thought about using these 'talents' to boost his reputation.

However, he had to consider the possibility of entering other worlds. If someone discovered the 'original' in another world, it would be embarrassing. So, he abandoned the idea of plagiarizing poetry to increase his charm.

He also felt that without the talent, plagiarizing would be too easy to expose.

"Poetry and fu are minor arts. Your talents and abilities in other areas are the true ways to govern and improve people's lives."

Cai Yan spoke earnestly, and upon noticing Zhang Hao's intense gaze, she blushed and lowered her head.

Being praised and valued by such a beauty, Zhang Hao felt very pleased. Especially when he confirmed that Cai Yan was not indifferent to him, it made him even happier.

Following Cai Yan's inquiry, Zhang Hao recited the "Ode to the Luo River Goddess" from memory. He deliberately blurred the background of the ode. At this time, Cao Zhi might not even be born, and Zhang Hao also had his own designs on the Luo River Goddess, so he couldn't explain it clearly.

As they chatted, the atmosphere between them became increasingly harmonious...

Zhang Hao hummed a tune as he walked out of the time portal, a light smile on his face.

He had been very happy recently. In the Three Kingdoms world, with everything on track, he had fewer things to worry about. Frequently dating Cai Yan made him feel like he was reliving his past romantic experiences.

The only thing that annoyed him was the occasional interruptions from Cai Yong and others. If not for Cai Yan's keen interest in Zhang Hao's 'talents,' he would have ignored them.

In the modern world, things were also going smoothly. Since the last dinner with Su Linlang and Shu Yun, they had been meeting up from time to time.

It was summer break, and Shu Yun had no plans to return home. Besides working part-time, Su Linlang often invited Zhang Hao out, and the three of them would go swimming at the beach or have picnics in the park, becoming increasingly close. This made Zhang Hao's life in the modern world less boring.

Additionally, with the Three Kingdoms world entering a stable phase, Zhang Hao pursued his plans in the modern world. He joined a shooting club to learn firearms, enrolled in a yacht driving class and a helicopter piloting class, and found a tutor to teach him English conversation.

Learning these skills was to prepare for future travels to other worlds, as not all worlds might be ancient or Eastern.

Speaking of which, Zhang Hao had a significant guess about the origin of the time portal.

This guess was inspired by Su Linlang. One day, while the three of them were out, Su Linlang's phone rang an alarm, and she hurriedly fiddled with it.

Shu Yun told Zhang Hao that Su Linlang was a big fan of a new game she had been obsessed with for the past few months.

After she finished, Su Linlang enthusiastically recommended the game to Zhang Hao.

The game Su Linlang played was a time-travel game. Players received a time portal upon entering the game, traveled to various worlds, completed tasks, and altered the plot to gain time energy.

This was almost identical to what Zhang Hao knew about his time portal. He asked her more about the game and then researched it online, confirming that his time portal was almost the same as the one in the game.

The biggest difference was that one was in a game, and the other was in reality. Additionally, the game had many players, while in reality, only Zhang Hao had the time portal.

When Zhang Hao was attacked by the thief who knocked him out with Su Linlang's phone, the phone, which contained the game, was damaged. Combined with other unknown factors, the time portal appeared within him.

This guess was quite far-fetched but seemed to be the most likely explanation.

This also explained why the Three Kingdoms world Zhang Hao visited felt strange. It wasn't the historical Three Kingdoms but a world based on the game "Dynasty Warriors." That's why there were abilities like qi.

Zhang Hao had researched the game and found that the Three Kingdoms world in the game had many variations, based on movies, TV shows, and various games, each different.

At first, Zhang Hao felt a bit awkward about this, but he soon stopped worrying about why the time portal appeared or why the worlds from games and movies could become real. Thinking about it wouldn't help, and he clearly wouldn't find an answer.

Existence is reasonable. Zhang Hao just needed to use and enjoy it.

Knowing he might travel to various movie and game worlds in the future, Zhang Hao learned various skills to prepare.

He also learned why Su Linlang had chased the thief. It wasn't for the reason he had suspected, but because her phone's contact list was not backed up, and a charm on her phone case was a cherished item.

Unfortunately, the amber charm was eventually damaged.

After changing his clothes, Zhang Hao checked his phone and saw several missed calls and messages from Su Linlang, asking where he was and why he wasn't answering.

Su Linlang seemed to be trying to set him up with Shu Yun. Usually, Shu Yun was too shy to invite Zhang Hao, so Su Linlang was more proactive. To outsiders, it might seem like Su Linlang was dating Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao didn't call Su Linlang back. He had returned to the modern world to fetch some things and would soon return to the Three Kingdoms world, so he didn't have time to go out with Su Linlang and Shu Yun. He would do it next time.

Now, Zhang Hao's focus was on the Three Kingdoms world, and he had somewhat neglected modern affairs.

After calling his parents and siblings, Zhang Hao drove to the warehouse of the craft factory. He collected specially ordered fireworks and various fresh fruits, which he stored in his storage space, and then returned home.

The New Year was approaching in the Three Kingdoms world, and these fireworks were for use there.

Modern fireworks would likely be considered a miracle in the Three Kingdoms world, and watching fireworks with a beautiful woman would be romantic.

For the New Year's Eve celebration, Zhang Hao invited Cai Yong, Gu Yong, Man Chong, and others. These talents needed to be cultivated, and although he hadn't revealed his deepest secrets, he occasionally showcased some wonders.

For example, in the Three Kingdoms, there were few fresh fruits in this season. The fresh vegetables in winter only appeared after Zhang Hao bought plastic from the modern world and built greenhouses.

These fruits, along with various modern trinkets, were gifts to win Cai Yan's favor.