Shi Tiexin abruptly stopped and whirled around, only then realizing that he was standing in a very retro little alley.
On one side of the alley was a small flower shop. Several young women were happily getting off work. When they looked up and saw a tall, handsome, imposing man standing at the shop entrance, they could not help sneaking a few extra glances at him before running off in giggles.
The last one left behind, Big Sister, still wore the manager's uniform. In the golden afterglow of the setting sun, she tidied up the flowerpots, humming a song, clear-eyed and cheerful.
Shi Tiexin could not stop himself from blurting out, "Sister Mengmeng!"
"Hmm?" Sister Mengmeng raised her head and looked at Shi Tiexin. A tiny question mark seemed to pop up over her head. "Have we met?"
Seeing the confusion in Sister Mengmeng's eyes, Shi Tiexin choked up.
He pressed his lips together, and in the end, it turned into a bitter smile. "Looks like you don't remember me anymore."
Back then, she had been a coach who devoted herself heart and soul to nurturing her students, devising strategies for the grand competitions. All that hot blood, all that striving, all that bond of shared courage and loyalty—Gao Chongxiao and the others had forgotten it all. Sister Mengmeng had forgotten it too. Only he remembered things that should have existed, yet no longer did.
To them, what was real?
To the world, which one was the illusion?
Seeing Sister Mengmeng made Shi Tiexin's sense of disorientation and unreality even stronger. It was as though he had fallen into a nightmare, unable to find a foothold in reality.
He turned, ready to leave. He did not want to disturb Sister Mengmeng's peaceful life any longer.
But a familiar voice rang