Chapter 7: Dream
A Nightmarish Vision
Ai Xinglan opened her eyes, scanning her surroundings.
Everywhere she looked, shattered buildings burned with flames.
Upon closer inspection, she realized this place resembled a school.
“What… is this place? The school? What happened?!”
“Ai Xinglan, don’t just stand there! That damn witch is up ahead! The principal can only hold her off for so long—if we don’t run, we’re all dead!”
A frantic boy, dressed like a student, shouted at her with a frown as he ran past.
“Huh?”
“Damn it, I’m not waiting for you! If you die by that witch’s hands, it’s your own bad luck!”
With that, the boy fled without looking back.
“But… wasn’t I just at home?”
Ai Xinglan was utterly confused, a deep sense of unease gripping her.
Instead of following the boy, she moved in the opposite direction, driven by an inexplicable urge to confront the so-called witch.
The further she went, the worse the scene became—corpses and severed limbs littered the ground, all scorched by pure white flames.
The Witch’s Wrath
“You… damn monster.”
A man, crackling with lightning, gripped his sword tightly and thrust it toward a white-haired girl.
But no matter how hard he tried, the blade couldn’t reach her.
The moment it neared, white flames ignited at the tip, rendering his efforts futile.
The flames spread like a relentless plague, creeping from the sword to engulf the man’s body, consuming even the lightning.
Yet he refused to give up, frantically stabbing at the girl.
“Let’s go to hell together!”
Seeing he couldn’t get close, the man pulled a pill from his pocket and swallowed it.
Massive surges of lightning erupted from him, illuminating the entire street.
He infused the blade with thunder and swung with all his might.
Boom!
The strike shattered the sword into pieces, and the surrounding ruins crumbled under the lightning’s force.
The street was leveled—except for the girl, enveloped in white flames.
As the flames parted like blooming petals, the girl stood unscathed, her white dress pristine, her expression unchanged.
“How… is this possible?”
The man, unable to accept his desperate attack’s failure, collapsed to his knees in despair.
He stopped resisting, letting the white flames consume him.
Confronting the White-Haired Girl
Ai Xinglan walked through the devastation, passing familiar places now in ruins.
Students and teachers she’d known lay dead, their bodies burned.
Suppressing her fear, she pressed forward until she saw the first living person.
A beautiful girl in a white dress stood there, her white hair flowing in the wind.
If not for the countless burned corpses around her, the scene would’ve been serene.
“Who are you… why are you doing this?”
Ai Xinglan forced down her fear and sorrow, questioning the white-haired girl.
As if hearing her voice, the girl froze, halting her advance.
She slowly raised her head, offering Ai Xinglan a gentle smile.
But her silver eyes brimmed with tears, and her smile carried an air of endless despair.
“Ai… you too…”
The girl’s body was gradually consumed by white flames.
Her lips moved, speaking words drowned out by the crackling fire.
As the flames fully engulfed her, Ai Xinglan finally recognized the face—one that felt hauntingly familiar.
Awakening from the Nightmare
“Cough… cough!”
Ai Xinglan jolted awake, sweat beading on her face, gasping and coughing.
“Xiao Ai, Xiao Ai? What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”
She turned to see a concerned face that slowly merged with the white-haired girl from her dream.
“Are you okay? Want some water?”
Ai Xinglan took deep breaths, calming her tangled emotions.
After confirming it was just a dream, she responded to Yu Li.
“I’m… fine, don’t worry.”
She tried to stand but realized something was off.
The soft, cool surface beneath her wasn’t a pillow—it was Yu Li’s bare thighs.
“Ugh!”
Ai Xinglan shot up, stepping back and staring at Yu Li’s calm expression.
Her mind was flooded with the sensation of the girl’s thighs, leaving her at a loss for words.
“What’s wrong, Xiao Ai? Was… the pillow not comfy enough?” Yu Li asked with a teasing smile.
To Ai Xinglan, that smile was dripping with mischief, as if asking for her review of her thighs.
Used to Yu Li’s relentless teasing, Ai Xinglan knew better than to play along.
“Ahem, how… did I fall asleep?” she asked, awkwardly changing the subject.
“Uh… because of a comfy pillow?”
After a brief silence, Yu Li’s answer looped right back.
Uncovering the Trick
Perhaps because sleep had refreshed her, Ai Xinglan noticed Yu Li’s brief hesitation—unlike her usual confidence, she seemed guilty.
Scanning the room, Ai Xinglan spotted something odd.
Where her coffee should’ve been, there was a stick of incense—one she recognized as a sleep-inducing kind she’d bought before.
“Hmph, what’s this?”
Ai Xinglan picked up the incense, her tone turning confident as she towered over a visibly flustered Yu Li. “Explain yourself, Yu—Li—”
“Uh… how would I know what’s in your study, Xiao Ai? Hehe~”
“Still playing dumb? No wonder Feng brought coffee without me asking—it was this incense, wasn’t it?”
Fully awake, Ai Xinglan caught the inconsistency. “You two were in on this together, weren’t you?”
Seeing her plan exposed, Yu Li sighed and came clean.
“Because… you looked so exhausted, Xiao Ai.”
“So you used this to make me sleep?” Ai Xinglan’s expression was helpless.
“I didn’t want you to burn out and die young… because… you’re all I have left.”
Yu Li’s serious tone caught Ai Xinglan off guard, leaving her momentarily stunned.
“Besides! You don’t need to worry about work either! Look!”
Yu Li’s voice brightened as she pointed to a stack of files.
“This… you did this?!”
Ai Xinglan flipped through the documents, stunned by their flawless completion—work she herself couldn’t have done better.
She blurted out in disbelief, “How did you…”
“What’s with that look? I, Yu Li, was a proper young lady before I became your freeloader, you know? Just like you!”
Seeing Ai Xinglan’s shock, Yu Li puffed out her chest proudly.
“So, Xiao Ai, you can rest today, right?”
“…Thank you.”
After a pause, Ai Xinglan sincerely thanked her.
“But, one thing at a time—I’m not forgiving you and Feng for tricking me.”
“Eh? What does Xiao Ai want to do then?”
With Yu Li looking puzzled, Ai Xinglan pulled her to the door.
“We’ll settle this score later. For now, I’ll let you off.”
A playful glint flashed in Ai Xinglan’s cherry-red eyes.
She suddenly patted Yu Li’s thigh. “The pillow’s no good—too skinny, kinda hard.”
With a bang, she shut the door, leaving Yu Li stunned outside.
“Hmph, that’s what you get for teasing me.”
Finally turning the tables on Yu Li, Ai Xinglan felt a surge of pride.
Truthfully, the girl’s thighs were soft and cool—perfect for summer. Maybe next time she’d try them bare.
“What am I even thinking?!”
Flushing at her own thoughts, Ai Xinglan sat on the sofa, forcing herself to recall the vivid nightmare to calm down.
“But… that was just a nightmare, right?”
The face in the dream, so similar to Yu Li’s, lingered in her mind.
Yu Li’s Surprise
Outside, Yu Li stood frozen, caught off guard.
She was always the one teasing Ai Xinglan, but this time, Ai Xinglan had dared to touch her.
“What… was that?”
A faint blush spread across Yu Li’s face as she touched her cheeks, feeling warmer than usual.
Was it… just the heat?
Lan Yi’s Late-Night Thoughts
After a busy day at school, Lan Yi was still working.
Besides handling chores for her aging parents, she tutored her younger brother for his upcoming exams.
Her phone buzzed constantly—likely her childhood friend next door venting about something.
She juggled tutoring and replying to messages, living this routine day after day without complaint.
When everyone else was asleep, Lan Yi finally had a moment to herself.
Lying in bed, though it was late, she wasn’t ready to sleep, cherishing this rare sliver of freedom.
She scrolled through her phone aimlessly, as she did every night when unsure what to do.
“Oh…”
Lan Yi noticed an account labeled “Little Sister” with a black fox avatar—Yu Li, the girl she’d met at noon.
Yu Li had saved her from Ye Sheng’s harassment, calling her “Senior” and acting like a playful younger sister.
Lan Yi had labeled her “Little Sister” because she loved the feeling of being called “Big Sis.”
No one would see her private nickname anyway, she thought.
Lost in thought, Lan Yi opened Yu Li’s chat, typed a message, then deleted it, repeating the process several times before setting her phone down.
“It’s so late… she’s probably asleep. Messaging someone I just met in the middle of the night… would that make me seem weird?”
Lan Yi sighed softly. “Time to sleep.”
Ding—
Her phone lit up with a new message.
[Little Sister: “Senior, Senior! I just realized I haven’t properly greeted you since adding you!”]
[“Looking forward to working with you!”]
[“Let’s keep up the act next time too! ”]
Lan Yi’s lips curved into a genuine smile.
“I’m looking forward to it, Junior Yu.”