Chapter 213: You Think You’re Dreaming
Xuan Xia evened out her breathing, then gave a simple introduction: “This is Chang Xi.”
That’s it?
Zhou Shiqing thought he could get some other information.
Mainly, Chang Xi’s attire was really too strange, like a hanfu enthusiast.
Or perhaps, just an ancient person…
But there were already too many strange things, so one more wasn’t much.
Before Zhou Shiqing could think much more, Xuan Xia turned and asked him: “Did you see anyone else? Also, why were you running just now? Was someone chasing you?”
Zhou Shiqing’s thoughts were pulled back to what he had seen earlier, and his expression involuntarily darkened.
Zhou Shiqing had too many doubts, like where this place was, how he had appeared here, whether this was the dreamscape of his dream…
But what he cared about most right now was: “Why are you here?”
“To find you, of course.” The one who answered was Chang Xi.
Zhou Shiqing first glanced at her, then looked toward Xuan Xia.
Xuan Xia also glanced at Chang Xi, but it was with disdain for her talking too much.
“Why I’m here isn’t important. You’d better tell me first what you were running from just now.” Xuan Xia probed: “Was there something in the direction you came running from?”
As Xuan Xia asked, she observed Zhou Shiqing’s expression. After confirming he wouldn’t answer her, Xuan Xia said nothing more and directly turned back along the path they had come.
Zhou Shiqing was startled: “Where are you going?”
He had just reached out to grab Xuan Xia’s wrist when Chang Xi suddenly blocked in front of him, staring at him intently with both eyes.
Her eyes seemed to silently warn: don’t touch her.
Zhou Shiqing frowned and glared back at Chang Xi irritably.
After glaring at each other for a few seconds, Zhou Shiqing suddenly grew impatient and tsked, muttering to himself: “What kind of messed-up dream is this! Even in a dream, there’s an oblivious third wheel.”
Chang Xi: “…”
Who are you calling a third wheel?
“You think you’re dreaming?” Chang Xi’s tone rose slightly, her ending note carrying a mischievous lilt.
But before Chang Xi could do anything, she was pushed aside by Xuan Xia, who had turned back.
Xuan Xia stood in front of Zhou Shiqing and asked the same question as Chang Xi: “You think you’re dreaming?”
Zhou Shiqing: “…”
But unlike Chang Xi, Xuan Xia smiled much more reassuringly: “Very good, just keep thinking that way for sure. You are dreaming.”
“…” Listen to this, does that even make sense?
Xuan Xia didn’t care whether it made sense or not; her goal was clear—she absolutely had to go in the direction Zhou Shiqing had come from to see what was there.
What if it was exactly the “key” to leaving this illusionary scenery.
So she said again: “Alright, since it’s a dream, what do you have to be afraid of? Look at you, such a big man—be brave, okay? Come on, let’s go back and take a look.”
Zhou Shiqing was speechless, but after she said that, he actually started to doubt whether he was dreaming.
But if it wasn’t a dream, then what could it be?
From the moment he inexplicably found himself here, the setting sun on the horizon had remained fixed at that angle, and after so long, it hadn’t moved even a little.
And this empty white seaside small town—he was certain he had never been here before.
Of course, there was also Xuan Xia, who had suddenly appeared.
But to dream of her in a dream—Zhou Shiqing’s emotions were complicated.
Since he was dreaming of her anyway, why couldn’t he have a better dream?
…
But because of Xuan Xia’s words, Zhou Shiqing could only follow her steps and return to the beach.
Walking the path again, Xuan Xia didn’t forget to look around on all sides along the way.
First, to confirm if this was really an empty city, and second, to search for the whereabouts of the other staff members.
But she had wandered around the city for two laps and still hadn’t seen a single staff member.
Soon they returned to the beach, where the view was open and it was easier to spot people, but unfortunately, there was still no one else besides Zhou Shiqing.
Xuan Xia could only temporarily put the staff out of her mind and first go see what had caused Zhou Shiqing to run for his life.
She was entirely focused on leaving as soon as possible, so her steps were not slow.
“Are we almost there?”
Following the direction Zhou Shiqing had come from, the end was a stretch of rocks.
The rocks, eroded by seawater for years, were full of holes—some tall like small hills, completely blocking the view behind; others low, buried under the beach, with only pitted heads protruding.
Xuan Xia had just asked Zhou Shiqing if they were almost there when she heard a faint song carried over by the sea breeze.
The tune of the song was strange, and as for the lyrics, she couldn’t understand a single word.
To avoid it being an illusion or other reasons, Xuan Xia immediately asked the two beside her: “Did you hear the singing?”
Before Zhou Shiqing could speak, Chang Xi spoke first: “I heard it. It’s coming from behind there.”
She pointed to the back of the rocks.
At this point, Zhou Shiqing also spoke, but he seemed in a bad mood: “Isn’t it a dream? How can we still hear this singing?”
Xuan Xia and Chang Xi both looked at him; Zhou Shiqing’s irritation was visibly growing.
He seemed to have already accepted that this was the setting of his dream.
But precisely because he accepted it, like everyone else, he tried to control the dream, wanting to skip over the things he didn’t want to see in the dream.
It was just a pity—it didn’t go as he wished.
After glancing at him, Xuan Xia withdrew her gaze and quickened her steps again.
It was just one turn away—they were about to go around the obstructing rocks, and that faint strange tune had already become very clear.
Xuan Xia confirmed again that the lyrics were indeed words she didn’t understand, not a single syllable comprehensible.
Incomprehensible lyrics paired with the strange tune—Xuan Xia’s first thought was, could this be some ancient sacrificial chant.
No helping it; trapped in illusionary scenery, her thinking could only go in that direction.
Then, as she clung to the rocks and cautiously peered inside, Xuan Xia quickly confirmed her guess.
But she still didn’t quite understand how this scene could make Zhou Shiqing sprint away like he was fleeing for his life.
Behind the obstructing rocks was a very large clearing.
This clearing was enclosed by rocks, forming a shallow cave.
And in the cave, a bonfire was now lit, with a group of men and women in varied costumes gathered around it—men dancing, women kneeling in worship.
Those incomprehensible chants came from the mouths of several old women.
The old women stood in a row at the deepest part of the cave, their faces painted with white patterns, all their gazes fixed on the bonfire.
As if something was about to emerge from the bonfire.
But what exactly would emerge? Xuan Xia couldn’t imagine.
Behind her, Zhou Shiqing saw her peering for a long time without pulling back, and not looking scared at all, so he couldn’t help but peer over as well.
Could it really be that he had controlled the dream’s direction, and that scary thing no longer existed?
But just as he thought that, a shrill hissing screech suddenly burst out.
This sound was very much like the monster sound effects on TV, but at the same time far sharper than those effects.
At that moment, three snake heads suddenly rose up in the originally shallow cave.
