Entering the Dream Again

Lu Yan originally just wanted to close his eyes and rest, but as their skin pressed closely together, he gradually became sleepy.

Accompanied by the sound of waves, Lu Yan's consciousness gradually blurred, and he fell into a half-dreaming, half-awake state.

Lu Yan found himself in a peculiar perspective, like an imperceptible ghost, having fallen into the depths of Aemeath's memories.

The scene before my eyes began to change like a revolving lantern.

He saw Rinascita right after the Aleph-1 crisis was over.

He saw Aemeath standing on the rooftop, her expression serious, talking to the Rover.

I will find your Lu Yan... no matter where you are.

Lu Yan only heard her vow.

He noticed something odd about the Deep Space Union's logo, but before he could examine it closely, the screen switched.

A light drizzle was falling from the sky. In the distance stood a majestic mountain.

Aemeath, holding a pink oil-paper umbrella, walked alone through the bustling streets.

The people around them, dressed in Huanglong attire, were busy making a living, and they laughed as the Lament crisis was resolved.

But there was nothing in the eyes of the Aemeath.

She trekked through the mountains and rivers of Huanglong, searching for the legends of immortals and seeking clues that might lead to Lu Yan, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance.

Time may have left moss on the stone slabs, but it could not leave any mark on Aemeath's face.

She just kept walking, kept getting disappointed, and then forced a glimmer of hope in her despair.

The scene shifts again.

The Somnoire, in those bizarre and fantastical dreams.

Somnoire tried to keep her with the most beautiful illusions, trying to weave her a beautiful dream that Lu Yan was always by her side.

With Aemeath personally shattered Lu Yan's illusion.

"It's fake! It's all fake! That's not him. My A-Yan won't just exist in my dreams."

"How dare you! How are you worthy to become him!"

Her resolute figure appeared so frail, yet so indestructible.

Then Rinascita.

Lu Yan saw Aemeath sitting on the church at the top of the Rinascita, watching lovers embracing and kissing in gondolas on the canal below.

A grand carnival is being held in Rinascita, with dazzling fireworks filling the sky.

The fireworks illuminated Aemeath's golden eyes, but there was no light within them, only unfathomable darkness.

She hugged her arms tightly, and amidst the deafening cheers, she felt like an abandoned child, alone against the chill of loneliness.

"A-Yan ~~ I miss you so much..." Lu Yan heard her sob almost breaking down.

Memories continue to flow relentlessly.

She had been to the towering steel forests of the New Federation, and also traversed every desolate corner of the Solaris land.

Aemeath walks through Solaris with an unwavering belief. Loneliness, transmitted through Frequency, transforms into an invisible hand that mercilessly grips Lu Yan's heart!

"Ugh!" Lu Yan opened his eyes in fright, panting heavily.

The excruciating pain in his chest felt so real, as if his heart had been pierced, and the pain was so intense that his stomach was about to cramp.

The room was quiet, with the air conditioner humming softly. The bright afternoon sunlight was blocked by the curtains, leaving only a thin golden line quietly falling on the tatami mats.

Lu Yan looked down and saw that Aemeath was still fast asleep.

Her arms were still wrapped around his waist, her chubby legs pressed against him, her cheeks flushed a healthy red from the warmth of the room, and a serene smile lingered on her lips.

But as Lu Yan looked at that bright and beautiful face so close to his, his mind was filled with the image of that lonely, tearful figure in his dream, standing under the fireworks of the Rinascita.

A surge of intense, bittersweet emotions instantly overwhelmed Lu Yan's heart.

His eyes turned red, and warm tears welled up uncontrollably in his eyes.

"What a... idiot."

Lu Yan's voice was terribly hoarse, revealing deep heartache and self-blame.

He reached out with trembling hands and gently stroked Aemeath's soft, long pink hair, his fingertips tracing her fair cheek as if handling a fragile treasure.

"You've traveled all over the world looking for me..."

Lu Yan's hoarse voice echoed softly in the quiet room.

Aemeath stirred in his arms, seemingly startled by the trembling breaths beside his ear.

Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times like startled butterflies, and then she slowly opened her eyes, which were usually bright and sparkling.

Her mind was still a blur; she simply instinctively snuggled closer to that familiar, warm embrace.

Immediately afterwards, a drop of liquid landed precisely on her delicate cheek with a "plop".

"Hmm... A-Yan?" Aemeath had just woken up, was still a little groggy, her voice tinged with a lazy nasal tone.

She instinctively wanted to snuggle deeper into Lu Yan's arms, but found that the arms holding her were very tense and trembling slightly.

"A-Yan... what's wrong?" Aemeath looked up sleepily, her vision still a little blurry.

She reached out her slender, soft hand to touch Lu Yan's face, but unexpectedly felt something wet on it.

A-Yan is crying!

This discovery instantly brought Aemeath to her senses, and upon seeing Lu Yan's current appearance, her eyes were filled with panic:

"Did you have another dream? Why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lu Yan didn't answer her, but stared at her intently with his bloodshot eyes, his emotions so heavy and oppressive that it was almost suffocating.

He tightened his arms, holding her tightly in his embrace.

"A-Yan ~" Aemeath was a little dazed by his hug. Although she didn't understand what was happening, she could only reach out and gently pat Lu Yan's broad back to try to soothe him.

It wasn't until quite a while later that Lu Yan's heavy breathing gradually subsided in her ears.

Lu Yan frantically tried to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, but the more he suppressed them, the more intense the feeling of oppression in his chest became.

He stopped hiding and pulled her tightly into his arms, his chin resting firmly on the top of her head, his voice choked with emotion.

"I saw it..."

Lu Yan buried his face in her pink hair, his voice muffled and trembling, filled with self-reproach:

"I saw you at the carnival in Rinascita. The fireworks there were so beautiful, the sky was filled with light, and everyone was laughing and cheering."

"And you sat alone in the church, burying your head in your knees and crying, calling my name... saying, 'I miss you so much.'"

Upon hearing this, Aemeath's previously somewhat confused eyes widened completely, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

The fireworks Rinascita and the weeping from the church rooftop...

This is a past that has never been mentioned to A-Yan.

That was the tip of the iceberg she was least willing to show him during her long search for him, for fear that it would put pressure on him.

I thought that since A-Yan stopped appearing, he wouldn't dream about my past anymore, but I didn't expect him to still dream about me.

"A-Yan, you..." Aemeath opened her mouth, a dense, aching pain rising in her chest.

Lu Yan gently released her and cupped her small face, which was filled with shock and helplessness, in his hands.

His eyes were red-rimmed, and tears silently streamed down his jawline. His voice was filled with deep guilt.

"So what if I... saved you in Jian Lake? Was it worth it?"

"For such a trivial act of redemption, you wandered alone in this vast world for countless years, suffering so much. Was it really worth it? You're such a fool..."

When Aemeath looked at him, who was usually so composed, now crying like a child because he felt sorry for her past, the panic in her heart instantly vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of emotion.

That idiot actually thought those two rescues were trivial matters.

"Then you're a super big idiot too!" Aemeath sniffed, interrupting his self-reproach with a touch of coquettishness.

She cupped Lu Yan's face tightly in her hands, forcing his golden eyes to look at her.

"What do you mean by 'saving me'? Do you know what a sudden ray of light means to someone who is about to die?"

Aemeath tilted her head slightly, pressing her forehead against his, her eyes filled with a fervent and domineering possessiveness, and said, word by word:

You are my white moonlight! You don't know what white moonlight means, do you?

"As long as you exist somewhere, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, I must find you. Because without you, I'm no different from being dead!"

After Aemeath finished speaking, she seemed to feel that this was not enough to dispel Lu Yan's guilt. She then pounced into his arms like a little pink cat that lacked security but was eager to comfort its owner.

"Sticky, don't cry~" She copied the method Lu Yan had used to tease her before, trying to make him laugh.

Aemeath pressed her small face against Lu Yan's neck, rubbing her soft, delicate cheek against him, and making soft, melodious murmurs like a cat's affection:

"And besides, A-Yan, do you really think I'm at a disadvantage?"

Aemeath calculated, "You see, although I was searching for you during those years, I was also walking the path of salvation. It's just that every day I longed for the scene of reuniting with you."

"And now, not only have I finally found you, but you've also become my boyfriend, doing all sorts of things with me."

Aemeath spoke, a tempting blush rose on her face, and her starry eyes were filled with pride:

"Compared to those pointless searches, what I have now is the person who loves me most, the lover who listens to everything I say."

"I clearly made a killing on this deal!" Aemeath said with a bright smile.

As Lu Yan watched her trying to soothe him with her quirky and mischievous antics, the emotion that had been driving him almost mad finally began to dissipate.

"Silly girl... you're such a silly girl."