There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long while. I listened closely and finally heard a faint sound.
It was crying.
It sounded like Song Xian.
I wasn't sure.
After waiting a little longer, I heard Wu Ling's voice.
"Song Xian must have realized her parents are gone," Wu Ling said.
The crying came and went, faint and distant. I could hear other voices, too.
My chest felt heavy.
For Song Xian, seeing her parents, who had passed away long ago, and fulfilling their wish must have been her greatest hope. But now, everything was gone. Her parents were gone, and so was that hope.
Song Xian wasn't young anymore.
When she was little, she'd followed an uncle, carrying her parents' bodies and ashes as they traveled from place to place, struggling to survive and get by.
What about Song Xian now?
At her age, she probably couldn't take a blow like this.
Wu Ling didn't speak again.
I didn't hang up either.
At last, the distant crying faded away.
"They've gone back," Wu Ling said.
She sounded completely unmoved. After that, she returned to the point at hand. "If someone or something from the future is connected to us now, things become much more complicated. We'll need to look into the specifics. I'll spread the word among our circle. If you enter the dream again, remember to pay attention to the date and location."
I gave a subdued reply.
The call ended.
I didn't hurry to leave the office. I slumped down and leaned back on the sofa.
The battered sofa creaked and rocked a few times, as if it were about to fall apart.
I steadied myself.
The sofa groaned.
That irritating sound was the only thing in the office.
Ye Qing never