A Peony Pavilion Dream

What are you doing here?

The sharp, hoarse old man's voice echoed in Yu Xing's ears. Yu Xing blinked, preventing the atmosphere from turning silent, and smiled naturally, "I heard your voice, so I came out to see what was going on. I figured I'd come to the main hall anyway, so I might as well pay my respects to this Immortal Lord, since I'm new here."

These words came out so naturally that no one would have guessed they were words he had calmed down and prepared in a split second.

If it were any other village, wandering here at night would be hard to explain, but this village is already quite illogical. Yu Xing guessed that the villagers' thought process was probably based primarily on their worship of gods.

If someone like him, who was personally guided to stay by the Witch Doctor, had the idea of worshipping gods, Granny Li would certainly be happy to see it, even if he admitted that he came out with Granny Li.

If you can figure out what others are thinking and what they care about, you can usually be in a completely safe position in your interactions.

Sure enough, Granny Li smiled despite her wrinkled and disfigured face, saying repeatedly, "Worshipping the gods is good, but it's already so late, Mr. Shi Wei, you should rest first."

"Okay." Although being called Shi Wei made Yu Xing a little uncomfortable for some reason, he remained calm, said goodnight to Granny Li, and went back to his room at a leisurely pace.

"Phew..." After closing the door, Yu Xing touched her nose, got into bed, and went to sleep.

The evening's events ultimately failed to frighten him; he was just somewhat disappointed that there wasn't enough information about Granny Li's family.

He couldn't fall asleep at first, but after watching a ritual of offering flesh to the dead, he became sleepy. Lying in bed, he quickly felt his eyelids getting heavy and unknowingly fell into darkness.

It's still a dream.

After falling asleep, dreams came knocking, briefly pulling Yu Xing out of the reality she was in and into another strange and bizarre realm.

Yu Xing's consciousness floated and sank amidst a series of bizarre and fantastical scenes. Unlike last night, tonight's dream was no longer a series of fragmented, hard-to-remember, and hard-to-capture images, but rather a series of coherent scenes, like a play she was personally acting in. Although absurd, it seemed as if there was a hidden thread connecting real time.

"The vibrant purple and red blossoms, once so beautiful, are now reduced to ruins and broken walls..."

"Such a beautiful day, such a lovely scene, yet what a pity! Whose courtyard enjoys such delightful pleasures..."

"Flying at dawn and rolling at dusk, clouds and rosy hues adorn the pavilion, rain threads and wind fragments ripple, painted boats adorn the misty waves..."

"The people of Jinping take this precious time for granted..."

In a state between dreaming and waking, the melodious singing voice rang in her ears. Yu Xing knew very well that she was dreaming, just like many people are clearly aware of whether they are dreaming or not.

He looked up and saw a female lead with an excellent figure singing softly on the stage, her voice clear and beautiful.

Dressed in a red dress, with her hair styled in a high bun and long, flowing black braids on either side, and her eyebrows and eyes adorned with red makeup, this young actress's every step was perfectly executed, bringing the character to life with unparalleled realism.

The weather was gloomy, and it was hard to tell whether it was morning or afternoon. Yu Xing was wearing a Western-style suit that was becoming increasingly popular in wealthy households at the time, and he sat in a Western-style chair.

"The A Peony Pavilion Dream." He vaguely recalled this famous Kunqu Opera excerpt.

The person on stage is still singing--

"The azaleas bloom red across the green hills, the smoke-like blossoms of the roses are intoxicating, and though the peonies are beautiful, how can they claim the first spot when spring departs? Gazing idly, I hear the swallows' chirping, clear as if cut by scissors, and the warbling of the orioles, smooth and melodious..."

Yu Xing looked around. Beside him sat a person, face indistinct, voice unclear. After an unknown amount of time, the song ended, the female lead exited the stage, and the indistinct person said, "I've long heard of a new opera singer with exquisite skills arriving in the city. Now, hearing it with my own ears, I can confirm the rumors are true. It is truly an honor that you have been invited to celebrate my birthday."

The actress bowed, but spoke in a male voice instead of her usual tone, "It is an honor for Lingren to be valued by Master Yu and to be able to celebrate his birthday."

His eyes and brows exuded an undeniable gentleness, yet they were sharp and piercing. Although he played a female role on stage, he was very cheerful and outgoing offstage, and no one would ever mistake him for a woman.

In other words, "This man is too good-looking."

"Master Yu" seemed very happy, chuckled twice, and looked at Yu Xing: "The things with the charm of ancient China are indeed beautiful. This is my son, who just returned from abroad and insists on studying Western art. I'm really afraid that he'll get too arrogant after his trip and forget his roots. What do you think? You've always liked beautiful things since you were little. Isn't this 'A Peony Pavilion Dream' more beautiful than the oil painting and sculpture you've studied?"

The last sentence was addressed to Yu Xing. Although Yu Xing realized it was a dream, he couldn't control his body. He was like an observer, hearing himself happily say, "Hmm, beautiful."

Master Yu really liked this Lingren, and from then on, the Lingren stayed at his house and became a frequent guest.

Yu Xing often saw a handsome man in a long gown and mandarin jacket walking around his home.

The events in between were severed like a deep chasm. When he opened his eyes again, Yu Xing was standing on the cold ground, surrounded by broken glass and pale red liquid, his long hair covering his bare skin.

He's running.

A portal of light appeared before him, and a voice inside him told him that he could escape all of this once he stepped outside.

Many people chased after him, shouting, "Don't let him get out! He's our only successful experimental subject!"

"Bang!"

The gunshot rang out, Yu Xing a sharp pain in his leg. He vaguely felt that his body had never experienced such pain before. This was the first time, and he would never forget it.

He only staggered slightly, his running speed didn't decrease much, and the gunfire behind him gradually intensified, some bullets piercing him, some remaining in his body.

Blood seeped from the corner of Yu Xing's mouth, and her consciousness became increasingly clear.

"Don't let him get too badly injured, the Lingren will kill us!"

"What's there to be afraid of? He's not going to die!"

Upon hearing the name "Lingren," Yu Xing was suddenly overwhelmed with immense grief and hatred, like a raging storm.

He remembered. In the midst of a sea of fire, he stood there dumbfounded, and the voice he often heard at home spoke to him with a completely different, laughing tone than when it sang in operas, "Your home is gone, and you have nowhere to go. Come with me."

"Oh? Did I cause your family's ruin? Heh... Young Master Yu Xing, how come you only realized this now? You're so dim-witted; you'll suffer for it in the future."

"The reason for doing this... of course, it's because of you. Look, your face is the same type as mine. You'd be perfect to become the second Lingren... That's right, entering your house is certainly part of the plan."

At this moment, Yu Xing recalled all her memories before entering the small village.

He gave a cold laugh.

I never expected that after losing my memory, I would recall my past in my dreams, and the person who prompted me to remember was this Lingren.

He would one day learn his name— Yu Xing— from Lingren.