Lu Mingfei returned to Aunt's home. The furnishings inside felt both unfamiliar and familiar.
The living room was much larger than before. The sofa had been replaced with genuine leather ones, a massive LCD screen was embedded in the TV wall, and an expensive-looking tea set sat on the coffee table.
Uncle in this timeline seemed to have been more successful—a capable businessman—so Aunt's family was better off as well. Even that cross-stitch painting in the hallway, which Lu Mingfei had always thought was hideously ugly, had been taken down and replaced with an oil painting whose name he did not know. Its colors were somber, but it had a certain taste.
Lu Mingze's bedroom door was open. He could not help peeking inside.
The little fatty's room had gained quite a few stylish decorations. An electronic keyboard leaned against the wall, and the bookshelf held hardbound editions of classic literary works instead of the old comic books and game guides. Above the bed hung a finely framed piece of calligraphy that read, "Heaven rewards diligence." Lu Mingfei recognized the basketball shoes on the shoe rack: limited-edition Air Jordan sneakers. Lu Mingze had only been able to wear high-quality knockoffs before, afraid people would notice whenever he went out in them.
The house was empty. No one was home.
Uncle and Aunt's family were all ordinary people. They had not been drawn into this city projection that accepted only Hybrids.
They were probably still living normal lives in the world on the other side. Aunt was losing money at the mahjong table, Uncle was dressed head to toe in designer brands as he went out to socialize, and Lu Mingze was sitting before his computer waiting for Scar of the Sunset to come online—he did not know whether this timeline's