Dreamlike, Is It Real

I'm back here again? Wasn't I supposed to be in the provincial capital? I clearly remember following that person named Xie Yi to the provincial capital, to the Second Provincial Hospital.

There I met Uncle Long and Xu Qiuyan. I was talking about the past with Xie Yi, how did I suddenly end up back here.

"Where's Xie Yi?" I asked.

Eccentric Song chuckled, "He left first. You fainted just now in the Green Garden Residential Area, and he was the one who brought you back. He said he had an urgent matter and had to leave, but he'll be back. He hopes you'll be awake when he returns."

I raised my hand and gently patted my head. My head hurt so much, as if I'd been hit hard by someone.

I said to Eccentric Song, "I want to see Duan Hongbin."

Eccentric Song rolled his eyes, "Why do you want to see that idiot?"

"I have some questions for him."

Eccentric Song said impatiently, "You're too heartless. It was always me who stayed by your side when you needed it the most."

I frowned, "Stop with the nonsense and find him for me, quickly."

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard Duan Hongbin's voice, "You're looking for me?"

He was standing right behind Eccentric Song. Eccentric Song turned his head to look at him but didn't say anything.

I looked at Duan Hongbin, "What is the 'Soul Guiding Incantation'?"

Duan Hongbin said indifferently, "It's something that can control a person's soul, and it's also the Jiangxi Lu Family's secret technique."

Soul Guiding Incantation, Jiangxi Lu Family. I heard these things when Duan Hongbin and Xie Yi were talking at the Second Provincial Hospital. So it seems I did experience that period at the Second Provincial Hospital. But why did that scoundrel Eccentric Song say I fainted in the Green Garden Residential Area and that Xie Yi and he brought me back?

I looked coldly at Eccentric Song, "Tell me, what exactly is going on?"

Eccentric Song gave an awkward smile and reached out to stroke his chin, as if grooming a beard, but he didn't have any. I often joked that it must be because his skin was too thick, so thick that even a beard wouldn't grow.

"Don't blame him. He's not lying. You did faint in the Green Garden Residential Area and were brought here. Everything you just experienced was just a dream. You know how real your dreams always are. Everything you experienced in your dream can be said to be true. Do you know? You scare me now. In your dreams, I can only do as you set. I'm curious how you control these dreams?"

I was stunned by Duan Hongbin's question.

So I hadn't really gone to the provincial capital, nor to any Second Provincial Hospital. All of this was my dream, yet it felt so real.

Why is this happening? At least before this, I was sure I had never had such a dream.

My phone rang.

My phone is very old, the kind with a keypad from a long time ago, not a smartphone. This phone was something my grandfather picked up as scrap. He tinkered with it until it worked and gave it to me.

And I don't seem to have much use for it. The only person who calls me is my grandfather.

Thinking of this, my heart skipped a beat. Why do I keep thinking of my grandfather? I've been living with my parents all these years, haven't I? We live in the Green Garden Residential Area!

"Alright, stop deceiving yourself," Eccentric Song said with a sigh.

Duan Hongbin also nodded, "Xiaobai, it's not that I want to lecture you, but people have to face reality. You've been deceiving yourself for ten years. Do you know how much you've hurt Grandpa's heart in these ten years? Even we can't stand it anymore."

Eccentric Song added, "Look around, in the past ten years, besides us, do you have even one friend? No. And us? As Xie Yi would say, we are just figments of your imagination. In fact, we never existed from the beginning."

Duan Hongbin smacked Eccentric Song on the head, "What nonsense are you spouting? You not existing is the real truth. Xiaobai, don't listen to this guy's babbling, he doesn't know anything! But speaking of which, this is an opportunity. Go with that guy surnamed Xie, find your parents, and I'll support you!"

"I support you too!"

"How could we miss out on something like this?" someone suddenly appeared, standing in front of me and smiling. It was Chu Ge.

I was deeply moved. Looking at them, I was almost speechless.

Chu Ge said, "Answer the phone first, it's probably Xie Yi calling."

It was an unfamiliar number. I answered, and it was indeed Xie Yi.

"Jiang Xiaobai, are you awake?" Xie Yi's tone was a little strange.

I told him I was awake. He said, "Can you come to the provincial capital immediately? Xu Qiuyan wants to see you. She said you promised her you'd be back soon. I don't know why she's saying that, but she's very unstable. You should come quickly!"

I immediately remembered. In the dream, before Xie Yi and I went to talk privately, I had indeed told Xu Qiuyan that I would be back soon. But that was just a dream. Xie Yi didn't seem to be affected by my dream. How could she know about my dream?

I couldn't help but think of her saying she had met Xie Yi and me, but only in dreams. And weren't her dreams also very real?

I got out of bed, "I need to go back to the provincial capital."

I was already attending university in the provincial capital, so saying I was going back wasn't wrong.

At this moment, Eccentric Song and the others had all disappeared.

I walked out of the room and saw my grandfather busy tidying up. His back was hunched as he cleaned. My nose stung, and I softly called out, "Grandpa!"

I saw his body tremble, then he slowly stood up and turned to look at me.

There were tears in his eyes. I couldn't remember the last time I called him that, because in the world I had constructed for myself, he didn't exist. I had completely forgotten him.

"You're awake? Hungry? Grandpa will get you something to eat."

I shook my head, "No need. Xie Yi asked me to go to the provincial capital right away. Grandpa, I should go back to school too."

He nodded upon hearing this, then fumbled in his pocket for a long time before pulling out a red plastic bag. He took out a few large red bills from it, "Take this money with you. Buy whatever you want to eat."

He stuffed the money into my hand. I wanted to say it wasn't necessary, I have a scholarship, but the words caught in my throat, and I swallowed them. I couldn't hurt him anymore. I put the money away and said, "Grandpa, take good care of yourself."

Then I left. I didn't look back, I couldn't bear to. I owe him too much.

It was already past six in the evening when I arrived in the provincial capital. Xie Yi was waiting to pick me up at the bus station.

"You'd better be mentally prepared when you see her later," Xie Yi warned me.

"There's something wrong with her mind. She has almost no memory of the past ten years. She's always spacing out and sometimes talks nonsense. I find it strange too, why she'd suddenly ask to see you. I've never seen her so lucid before."

I glanced at Xie Yi. "I've never been so lucid before either."

Xie Yi chuckled. "So, shouldn't you thank me properly?"

I sighed. "I've seen her. She's become beautiful."

Xie Yi's eyes widened. He thought I was confused again.

"Don't look at me like that. Not long ago, I saw her in a dream. I dreamt you took me to the Provincial Second Hospital, and on the thirteenth floor, I saw her and Uncle Long. Only the three of them lived on that entire floor, guarded by your people. Uncle Long was just like before, almost unchanged. I didn't go to see Aunt Qin, thinking she probably hadn't changed much either, so I went to see her instead. She recognized me immediately. Even though we hadn't seen each other for a full ten years, she recognized me at a glance. Oh, right, when I arrived, she was singing and dancing."

As I said this, I softly hummed the familiar tune, "Little Bugs Fly."

I heard Xie Yi take a sharp breath. "What else did you dream about?"

I thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Long and Aunt Qin have lost their souls. To get their souls back, we need to obtain the 'Soul Guiding Incantation' from the Jiangxi Lu Family. In the dream, you said you had been to the Lu Family before, and the Lu Family's 'Soul Guiding Incantation' happened to be missing. Lu Laoda was almost beaten to death by his own grandfather because of it."

"Jiang Xiaobai, do you know what kind of feeling you're giving me right now?" Xie Yi asked.

I shook my head. He continued, "Terrifying!"

I said, "There's something even more terrifying, but it wasn't me who said it, it was Xu Qiuyan. In the dream, you asked her if she recognized you. She said she didn't know you, but she had seen you. On Qixia Mountain in Jinling, you looked much younger than you do now, wearing a Taoist robe and telling fortunes for pilgrims. The you in the dream was also startled. You said that you did indeed do such a thing twenty years ago, and it was on Qixia Mountain."

Then, I heard the screech of brakes. It seemed my words had truly terrified Xie Yi.