The Better the Thing, the Worse It Is
Ye Chun had a nightmare.
It was like, on a pitch-black night, a dog had chased wildly after her, foaming at the mouth and lolling its tongue. Somewhere along the way, she seemed to have run into Aunt, but before she could cry, "Aunt, save me," she heard Aunt say something to the dog. Then... that damned thing's eyes turned red, and it charged after her like its life depended on it, shouting something about "I want to eat hot dogs" as it caught up...
No matter how she wept, screamed, and begged for mercy.
It was fucking terrifying, okay?!
Ye Chun abruptly opened her eyes, gasping hard.
Only after waking from the nightmare did she realize she was drenched in sweat. Rain pattered endlessly outside the window.
She crawled out of bed, took her cup to the kitchen, and chugged several glasses of cold water before finally coming somewhat to her senses. Then she could no longer resist gritting her teeth and stomping her foot.
That Ji guy, just you wait! I've been feeding you too well!
Don't even think about getting a seat at the table tomorrow!
But when she turned around to go back to sleep, she saw light spilling through the crack in the door. The living room light was still on, and voices seemed to be drifting over.
They were nearing the end.
"Very well. Since Grandmaster Ye has been so forthright, the association will not be stingy with its reward. Of course, I know you do not care about such trifles, but it is still a token of our sincerity. Please do not refuse."
The late-night visitor politely said goodbye, rose to take his leave, and departed without looking at the half-closed door.
The footsteps faded