By the time Li Qiwei reached Cambridgeshire, it was around seven in the evening.
Following the route he remembered, he headed for the house he rented beside Cambridge University.
At the venue earlier, someone had mentioned having a manservant and a maid, and Li Qiwei had been taken aback.
In this era, anyone who could cross the ocean with servants to wait on them had to be either rich or powerful. It seemed the original owner's family was no ordinary one.
He remembered those two clearly.
The man was named Li San, a hereditary servant of the Li Family, and a skilled fighter who was responsible for Li Qiwei's personal safety.
Li San was three or four years older than Li Qiwei. They had grown up playing together and were very close.
So Li Qiwei had never treated him like a servant, but called him Third Brother instead.
The woman was named Hong'er. She was a maid in the Li Family, only seventeen years old, and had also been sent to take care of his daily needs.
Fortunately, these two were there to look after him. Otherwise, after crossing into this world, Li Qiwei might not even have managed the most basic necessities of life.
And this was 1900, after all. There was no food delivery or washing machine like in later generations.
If he had to live all by himself, his life would be an absolute mess.
After walking for several dozen minutes, Li Qiwei finally arrived home.
The house he rented was a secluded little compound, with peaceful surroundings.
Before he even entered, a strapping man about six feet tall came jogging over, his face brimming with joy.
"Young master, you're finally back! I was worried sick."
Looking at Li San, Li Qiwei smiled and spoke in the way he remembered the original owner speaking:
"Third Brother, what's there to worry about? This place is much safer than back home."
Li San said, "I still can't help worrying. You went to London alone, young master. It's a long journey, and you don't know anyone there."
Li Qiwei smiled without replying and led him into his bedroom.
"Where's Hong'er?"
"Don't ask. That girl's gone off to run wild again. Ever since she came to England, she's been a different person."
"Let her run wild now and then. She's just a young girl. I'd hate for her to bottle everything up and make herself sick."
"Ah, young master, you're just too good to her. You've let that girl's heart run wild."
Li Qiwei took off his suit and tie clip, changed into a short-sleeved shirt, and said with a smile:
"The three of us are in a foreign land now. What's the point of talking about master and servant? We need to stick together, or the foreigners will walk all over us."
While they were chatting, Hong'er came back in high spirits. The moment she saw Li Qiwei, she hurriedly exclaimed:
"Oh, young master, you're back!"
The pretty young woman before him wore a typically British dress, set off by the features of an East Asian woman.
The combination had a charm all its own, and was a pleasure to behold.
But Li San wasn't one to appreciate it. He immediately barked at Hong'er, "You little rascal, where have you been running off to this time?"
Hong'er shot Li San a look and ignored him, turning instead to Li Qiwei with a bright smile:
"Young master, you must be tired. I'll fetch some water and wash your feet." With that, she ran out.
Li Qiwei turned to Li San as well. "Third Brother, you should go rest too."
"All right, young master." Li San then left the room.
Before long, Hong'er came in carrying a basin of water.
She slowly crouched down, rolled up Li Qiwei's trouser legs, and began washing his feet with care.
Watching the scene, Li Qiwei couldn't help thinking, Damn this feudal society. It's both hateful and hard to resist!
Then he stopped paying attention and quietly considered what to do next.
The first thing was to graduate smoothly. There was nothing to worry about there; he could manage that with ease.
The second thing was his wager with Lord Kelvin. He would have to think carefully about that.
He had made the decision in a burst of anger, unable to bear being mocked. But as long as it brought him fame, it would be a good thing for him.
After all, as a Huaxia man in this era, establishing a presence in the field of physics would be harder than climbing to heaven.
As for the third thing, he wanted science to take root and flourish across the land of Huaxia as soon as possible.
That, however, would be extremely difficult. It would take a great deal of money and connections.
For now, he could only take things one step at a time.
After washing his feet, Hong'er heard Li Qiwei sigh and asked cautiously:
"Young master, what's wrong? Did something happen today?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking aloud. Hong'er, you should go to bed too." As he spoke, Li Qiwei prepared to get into bed.
He had been through a lot on the very day he crossed into this world, and he was feeling tired.
Unexpectedly, his words left Hong'er confused.
"Young master, aren't you going to sleep with me tonight?" Her voice was tinged with hurt.
"What?" Li Qiwei suddenly froze. What was going on?
He searched through the original owner's memories and understood. This was all the fault of relying on past experience!
As a maid, Hong'er was responsible not only for taking care of Li Qiwei's daily needs, but also for warming his bed and sleeping with him—in other words, she was his bedchamber maid.
The original owner had long since grown used to it, but Li Qiwei was a modern man, and for a moment he didn't know how to handle the situation.
But then he thought that if he sent Hong'er away right now and made her sleep alone, the young girl might get the wrong idea.
Forget it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It's not as if Li Qiwei is lusting after her.
So he smiled and said, "Oh, I'm so tired I forgot. All right, let's go to sleep."
Hong'er brightened at once. She went out to empty the footbath and wash up, then returned to the room.
She helped Li Qiwei out of his clothes, and their bodies brushed against each other inadvertently.
Li Qiwei wasn't exactly inexperienced, but this was the first time a young woman had ever looked after him like this.
For a moment, his heart began to itch.
Then Hong'er started taking off her own clothes.
Li Qiwei was stunned. He hadn't expected the girl, who looked only about five foot five, to be so well-endowed.
Her skin was smooth and rosy all over. Though she was a maid, she had been better cared for than the daughters of ordinary families.
And after spending three years in England, her personality had grown more open. She was nothing like the stiff, stereotypical maid from feudal society.
Once the lights were out and they were lying in bed, Hong'er curled up against Li Qiwei's chest like an octopus and quietly fell asleep.
It left him squirming with desire, a blaze of lust roaring up inside him!
It was as if a world war were raging in his mind.
The original owner was a blockhead. He had shared a bed with Hong'er for three years but had never thought of her that way, and Hong'er didn't know any better either.
But Li Qiwei was a highly educated man, at least. He had to maintain some standards.
He should wait until the girl was of age before doing anything. Yes, that was the decision.
So, to keep himself calm, Li Qiwei silently worked through the Mass-Energy Equation in his mind.
He didn't know how long it took before he finally drifted off to sleep.
The night passed peacefully.
Early the next morning, when Li Qiwei got up, Hong'er had already prepared breakfast and brought him water to wash his face.
"Young master, you're awake!"
"Mm," Li Qiwei mumbled in reply.
He had spent the whole night wrestling with himself, and as a result, he hadn't slept well.
Putting all the random thoughts in his head aside, Li Qiwei washed up, ate breakfast, and headed for Cambridge University.
The place he rented was only a thirty-minute walk from the university.
In a relaxed mood, Li Qiwei strolled along.
At that world-famous institution of learning, he was about to begin an unstoppable academic career!
This is my first book. Dear readers, please add it to your favorites, leave a review, and show your support. Thank you~
Before you continue