Dream

Chapter 63 Dream

Chiba Yumeyu had a very long dream.

In her dream, she was still a little girl, about five or six years old, wearing a faded floral dress, sitting on a small stool in front of her house waiting for her father to come home.

Evenings in the parrot area are always hazy, but it's different in my dreams.

In her dream, the sky was pink, and the clouds were as soft as cotton candy. The crooked tree at the alley entrance was covered in blossoms, and petals drifted down, landing on her hair.

"Little fish!"

Suddenly, the father's voice came from the alley entrance.

She looked up and saw her father pushing a dilapidated bicycle towards her. A plastic bag hung from the handlebars, and the apples inside were bright red, glistening in the setting sun.

"dad--"

She jumped up, ran over, and hugged her father's leg tightly.

Her father bent down and picked her up, letting her sit on the front bar of his bicycle. His stubble tickled her face, and she giggled.

"Let's go home and have dinner."

My younger brother was also in the back seat.

Hayato Chiba was still a little boy then, with two little pigtails, holding up his little windmill and calling out to her, "Sister! Sister!"

The windmill whirred and whirred.

The mother stood at the door, wearing her floral apron, smiling and waving at them.

"You're back? Dinner's ready—"

'

The scenes in my dream flashed by frame by frame.

The family sat around the old wooden table. The dishes were simple: a plate of stir-fried vegetables and a bowl of egg drop soup, but they were steaming hot.

The father cut the red apple into three pieces, giving her the largest piece.

"Eat more small fish, it'll help you grow."

The younger brother handed over his petal: "Sister, here you go."

Chiba Yumeyu was clearly a little embarrassed. "This isn't very nice of you. If you eat it all, what will you guys eat?"

The mother laughed beside her, "Our little fish will go to university and do great things in the future, so of course she needs to eat more."

The sky outside the window is pink.

The wind is warm.

Everyone is here.

Chiba Yumeyu opened her eyes.

What came into view was the familiar ceiling, the familiar fluorescent light, the familiar worn-out desk, and the only birthday gift she received on her birthday.

She blinked and stared blankly for several seconds.

This looks familiar... Is this... my own rented apartment?

She sat up abruptly, looked down at her body, and saw that she had changed her clothes; she was wearing the faded pajamas. The wound on her wrist had been carefully bandaged, with a clean gauze wrapped around it.

It was pitch black outside the window; it was nighttime.

How did she get back?

I clearly remember—I remember being in the Ash Gang's lab, I remember the needle piercing my vein, I remember that cold liquid—

and then?

Then she remembered nothing.

咕—

Her stomach growled loudly, startling even herself.

So hungry.

I was so hungry it felt like I hadn't eaten for three days.

Just then, a fragrant aroma wafted over.

The aroma of the food.

The steaming hot food, with its aroma of meat and vegetables, made her stomach start to rumble restlessly.

Chiba Yumeyu followed the scent and looked over.

Then, she froze.

Bai Yuze, wearing an apron that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, walked out of the tiny kitchen carrying a plate of food.

The apron was clearly too small, tied crookedly, and had a few oil stains on it, making it look somewhat comical.

Chiba Yumeyu's gaze shifted downwards, and she saw that on the dilapidated little table, there were already two bowls of rice and two pairs of chopsticks.

She slowly raised her head again and looked at Bai Yuze for a long time.

Finally, an absurd thought popped into her head: dreaming.

I must be dreaming.

Such a thing only happens in dreams: the boss, wearing an apron, cooking in her shabby rented room, making so many dishes, serving her rice, and waiting for her to eat.

Chiba Yume threw off the covers, ran barefoot over, and hugged him without saying a word.

Bai Yuzhe was startled when he was hugged, and he didn't know where to put his hands.

Chiba Yume buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled, "It's so nice to dream about the boss cooking for me."

After she finished speaking, she froze, because of the sensation—

That's so true.

The body temperature is warm, the heartbeat can be felt, and the arms wrapped around the waist are strong.

It wasn't the soft, yielding feeling of a dream, but a real, warm embrace.

Slowly, her face began to burn.

But she didn't let go.

I dare not relax.

I'm afraid that if I let my guard down, this beautiful dream will shatter.

I'm afraid to open my eyes and find myself still in that cold laboratory. I'm afraid the needle is still in my vein, I'm afraid my life is truly over.

She held him like that, without moving.

Bai Yuze was silent for a while before finally speaking, his voice a little softer than usual: "Xiaoyu, let's eat first. I have some test papers for you to do later."

"what?"

Chiba Yumeyu paused for a moment, then slowly released her grip.

"What exam paper?"

She lowered her head, walked back to the table and sat down, her ears turning bright red, not daring to look up at him.

"No rush, let's eat first."

Bai Yuzhe didn't say much, he just pushed the dishes in front of her, served her a bowl of rice, and then served himself a bowl.

The two ate in silence.

The sound of chopsticks touching the bowl was very soft, the sound of chewing was very soft, and the night outside the window was very quiet.

After finishing his meal, Bai Yuze cleared away the dishes and headed towards the kitchen.

Just as I reached the door, a warm body suddenly pressed against my back.

Chiba Yume hugged him from behind, burying her face in his back, her voice muffled and trembling slightly: "Boss, please don't go, okay?"

Bai Yuze, holding his bowl and chopsticks, sighed softly, "Xiaoyu, what's wrong?"

After hearing Bai Yuze's question, there was a few seconds of silence behind him.

Then the girl spoke slowly, her voice so soft it seemed to shatter: "From now on, in this world—there will only be one person left."

Bai Yuze tightened his grip on the bowl and chopsticks. When he entered the Ash Gang, he did see several thugs carrying two black plastic bags as they walked out.

He didn't pay much attention at the time; he just casually killed all those thugs and went into the building.

At this point, Chiba Yume's voice became even softer, with a hint of cautious pleading, "Boss, can you stay with me tonight? Just one night, please."

As soon as she finished speaking, her tears soaked through his clothes, warm and wet.

One drop, two drops, and more and more.

Bai Yuze stood there, silent for a long time.

Then he sighed softly, put down his chopsticks and bowl, took out his phone from his pocket, and sent a message.

"Okasan, we need to focus on the employees' mental and physical well-being tonight, so I might not be able to go back. However, I might need your help..."

'

The night is long.

Chiba Yumeyu curled up on the bed, leaning against Bai Yuze, and said a lot of things.

She talked about her childhood.

She said that before her father went to the construction site, although the family was poor, he would bring her a small cake every time he got paid.

She said her younger brother was very well-behaved when he was little, and he would follow her around, saying things like, "Sister, wait for me!" Then she would give her the New Year's money she had saved up to buy books.

Those years, though tough, were also warm.

Everything started to change after she began talking about how, after her mother died, her father went to work on the Ash Gang's construction site to earn more money. People started to become inhuman, and the family stopped being a home.

As she was talking, she suddenly burst into tears, something Bai Yuzhe had never seen her like before.

In his eyes, she was usually an introverted girl who was quiet, efficient, and never complained. But at this moment, she showed him a side of her he had never seen before.

"Sigh," Bai Yuze sighed softly, reaching out to gently pat her back.

One moment, one moment.

Like coaxing a child.

After a long while, Chiba Yumeyu finished crying, raised her head, and looked at him with red and swollen eyes.

Tears still clung to her face, her eyelashes were wet and clumped together, and the tip of her nose was red. She looked at Bai Yuze for a long time, and something in her eyes slowly became firm.

Then she suddenly hugged him, pressed him down on the bed, and lowered her head to kiss him.

It wasn't the kind of kiss that involves a light touch.

It was a real kiss.

The saltiness was tinged with tears, accompanied by trembling and a sense of recklessness.

"Boss, take me."

Bai Yuze was stunned. He hurriedly pressed down on her shoulder, but did not push her away, nor did he respond.

"no."

Chiba Yumeyu looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Why?

"While I am still clean, while I can still control myself, I want to give myself to you."

She looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"In the future—I don't know what I'll become. I don't want you to see me like that."

Bai Yuze raised his eyes and looked directly at the girl in front of him.

He saw something he didn't want to see in Chiba Yume's eyes.

Will to die.

That calm yet resolute look in his eyes.

He had no doubt that if he did something tonight, she would disappear from his world in some way when the sun rose tomorrow.

Disappearing cleanly and without causing him any trouble.

He was silent for a few seconds, then he reached out and gently pulled her into his arms.

"Little Fish, don't worry about what Ash gave you. Don't forget, I work in Professor Mu's lab. I have a ton of inhibitors for that stuff. I already gave you an injection, so you'll be fine."

Chiba Yumeyu paused for a moment, then looked up at him.

"real?"

"real."

Bai Yuze looked at her with a calm gaze, a calmness that was reassuring.

"You're not clear-headed right now. You've just been through so much, and your emotions haven't calmed down yet. Any decision you make at this time will be impulsive."

Chiba Yume stared at him.

She did not speak.

But she kissed him again, harder, more determined, and more unreasonable than before.

She gripped his collar tightly, as if afraid he would run away.

Bai Yuzhe could feel her trembling, could feel her tears flowing again, and could feel her heart pounding so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

He knew what she was thinking.

She knew this was her only chance to muster the courage.

After tonight, she will never be able to do it again.

Bai Yuze closed his eyes.

He is not a saint.

He is a man too, with emotions and desires, and normal reactions.

But he knew one thing even more clearly: he was a monster.

He didn't know what impact having a relationship with her would have on her.

Could there be any residual abyssal energy?

Will it hurt her? Will it turn her into something she shouldn't become?

he does not know.

Therefore, he cannot; this is not the time for the small head to control the big head.

He may not be human, but he cannot be an animal.

Silently, an extremely thin tentacle emerged from his fingertip, circled around to the back of her neck, and gently pierced her skin.

Chiba Yumeyu paused in her movements.

"Boss—?"

Her voice began to become muffled, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

"Go to sleep."

Bai Yuze said softly, "I'll be fine once I wake up."

Chiba Yume looked at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something. But her eyes were already closed, her body went limp, and she collapsed into his arms.

His breathing gradually became steady.

Fell asleep.

Bai Yuzhe held her, looked at her face still streaked with tears, and sighed softly.

He reached out and pulled the blanket up to cover himself.

Then he just sat there, letting her lean against him, without moving.

The night outside the window was very dark.

The room was very quiet.

Only the breathing of two people, soft and rhythmic, overlapping each other.

the next morning.

When Chiba Yumeyu woke up, sunlight was streaming in through the gap in the curtains, casting a thin golden line on the edge of the bed.

She blinked, somewhat dazed; usually, she would have been awake long ago by this time.

No alarm clock is needed; my body will automatically wake me up at that time, 5:40, without fail.

Wash up, review, go out, and walk to the coffee shop in half an hour. You can even memorize a few questions on the way.

But now she glanced at the phone on the bedside table.

7:20.

She paused, unable to recall why she had overslept.

Then she smelled the fragrance.

It was steaming hot, with the aroma of scallions wafting from the kitchen.

She sat up and looked in the direction of the fragrance.

In the kitchen, Bai Yuze was kneading noodles, the rising steam blurring his profile.

He stirred the soup with his chopsticks, tasted it, and felt that the flavor was just right, so he began to ladle it out.

Chiba Yumeyu looked at it for a few seconds, then lifted the blanket and went over.

"woke up?"

Bai Yuzhe glanced back at her, his tone and expression as usual, "Go sit down, it'll be ready soon."

Chiba Yumeyu didn't say anything, but walked to the table and sat down.

Two pairs of chopsticks were already set on the table, along with a small dish of pickles she couldn't name.

Bai Yuze brought out two bowls of noodles and placed them on the table.

"Eat."

He paused, then turned around and took out a stack of A4 papers from his bag, placing them beside her.

"A practice test. We should have some time after we finish eating, so we can do one and get a feel for it."

Chiba Yumeyu glanced down and nodded.

It was as if she had returned to her former quiet, girlish self, but her gaze would occasionally drift toward him, carrying a hint of melancholy that was hard to describe, yet not entirely melancholy.

I felt a little wronged and a little embarrassed.

She knew better than anyone whether she had lost her virginity.

Nothing happened last night.

After finishing breakfast, Bai Yuze stood up to clear the dishes. Qianye Mengyu also stood up and silently followed behind him.

He was washing the dishes, and she was standing right next to him.

He wiped his hands, and she handed him a towel.

He walked out, and she followed him out.

Bai Yuzhe turned to look at her.

She kept her head down and didn't speak, but followed closely.

same as before.

Be a little follower, don't ask anything, don't say anything, just do whatever she needs to do.

Bai Yuzhe looked at her for a few seconds, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't.

Chiba Yume followed behind, from the rented house to the bus stop, from the bus stop to Hongqiao, and from Hongqiao to Dongqing University.

Sunlight fell on the two people, casting their shadows together.

She followed him, as if nothing had happened, yet as if everything had changed.