1.
Wen Xingze realized that he was in a dream.
This was a grotesque dream, and everything in reality was presented to him in a weird and dramatic way—this was a nightmare, and Wen Xingze quickly realized it.
In the past 20 years of his life, nightmares are often a frequent visitor at night. Wen Xingze's luck is always bad, and it is difficult to experience any good things even in dreams.
Although the parents didn't mention it, Wen Xingze could guess that the "Zai Zai Cultivation Plan" must have krypton gold props like "Dream Card" and "Sleep Quality Improvement Card".
Wen Xingze hadn't had a nightmare for nearly a year.
In this long-lost nightmare, Wen Xingze saw the doomsday, saw landslides and ground cracks, and saw the whole world engulfed by a raging sea of flames. In the dream, Wen Xingze turned into a weak and incompetent child. He hugged his guardian angel doll and huddled tightly in the corner.
The flame became more and more intense, and soon spread to his side, and the suddenly rising flame was like a poisonous snake spitting out a letter, scalding his fingertips. At this time, the giant dragon doll in Wen Xingze's arms jumped towards the flames angrily, trying to protect Wen Xingze, as if he was going to fight bravely with the flames, but was engulfed in an instant, followed by blood dolls, elf dolls...
… do not go.
Wen Xingze wanted to speak, but his throat seemed to be blocked by a ball of wet cloth, which made him unable to breathe or speak, and there was something heavy on his chest.
His eye sockets were sore and painful, and his heart seemed to be torn and crushed, but he couldn't shed a single tear.
The fight of the dolls was just a mantis' arms, and soon the flames burned again, and they were about to engulf Wen Xingze. But at this moment, another person stood in front of him.
It was an abandoned bionic man, with crackling sparks from the broken parts and cables at the bend of the arm.
The bionic man clumsily hugged Wen Xingze, and it was Chi Yan's intermittent voice that spoke in Wen Xingze's ear:
"... there is no way, all... is going to disappear... only you alone... flower..."
"Ozawa... I can't bear it."
"I can not let it go."
What are you reluctant to bear
Before Wen Xingze had time to ask this question, the bionic man scattered into a pile of gravel in front of him. At the same time, there was a beep sound like an alarm in his ear:
"drop-"
"Drip, drop—"
"Drip, drip..."
The alarm clock ringing like a death call coincided with the alarm sound in the dream.
On the bed, Wen Xingze frowned tightly, reached out and groped in the bedside table for a long time before finally turning off the alarm clock. Then he buried his head in the pillow, covered his ears with the pillow, and shrunk into an ostrich.
Soon, Wen Xingze gave up his plan to stay in bed.
It rained heavily last night, no one watered the daisy on the window sill, and there was only one flower bud huddled in the corner with its head drooping and dejected.
The electronic calendar on the desk shows the time, July 29, 8:00a.m.
Wen Xingze sat on the bed for a while to wake up, his hair was all over his head and his eyes were blank. Half a minute later, he pulled on his slippers to wash up.
His face was reflected in the mirror. Wen Xingze yawned, and saw himself in the mirror looking listless, not like he had just woken up, but rather like he had just returned from a disaster.
"Why is there an alarm clock this morning?" Wen Xingze was also convinced, he was not woken up by the alarm clock once in the whole month, every time it was the bird... By the way, the silver bird didn't come today.
Wen Xingze glanced out the window to make sure he didn't come.
Maybe it gave up and wouldn't bother him again in the future, Wen Xingze thought very optimistically. The bad mood of being visited by the nightmare finally dissipated a little.
That was a horrible nightmare.
In the dream... what? What happened in the nightmare? Wen Xingze soon discovered that he only remembered being hot and sad at that time.
Dreams are like this, a castle in the air built with a pile of sand, swallowed by the dark blue and cold ocean after the tide rises, and nothing remains.
The phone rang, Wen Xingze answered it, it was Jiang Ye.
Every main creator of "Dust Planet" called Wen Xingze last night, and Jiang Ye probably guessed this, so he didn't bother him last night, but just called this morning.
"I really have you. I guessed that "Dust Planet" would be nominated? There are many nominations, but I really didn't expect..." The joy and congratulations in Jiang Ye's tone cannot be doubted. She is really happy—is this? This would be replaced by anyone else who was Wen Xingze's manager. At this time, he would probably be so happy that he doesn't know what year it is.
"Last night the whole country... no, the whole world was discussing you."
Discuss this young, but late blooming Chinese actor.
Maybe it was because he was already happy last night, Wen Xingze was listening to Jiang Ye's words absent-mindedly at this moment, feeling less excited. He walked out of the room while listening, and habitually said in the direction of the kitchen: "Mr. Chi, my fried eggs don't need to be overcooked today..."
The kitchen was very quiet, deserted without a trace of smoke.
Chi Yan didn't get up
No, last night Wen Xingze remembered being hugged and fell asleep, but when he woke up, he was alone. In other words, Chi Yan didn't come back? Wen Xingze shook his head, thinking it was a bit weird, but Chi Yan often encountered various emergencies, so Wen Xingze didn't think much about it.
Today is Thursday, Sauron was supposed to come. Wen Xingze turned on the TV and tuned to the morning news, and suddenly found that there was no one on the sofa.
Sauron did not come either.
Wen Xingze stopped.
After thinking about it, he went to the door to get the newspaper and put it in front of the microwave. But the microwave oven seemed to be dead, the newspaper was not flipped by the wind, and the microwave oven did not make the clumsy, clumsy mechanical sound like before.
Wen Xingze stood in the center of the living room. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was a city scattered like a forest of steel bars. The sky was gray and it seemed that a rainstorm was brewing.
The butler also asked for leave, and the entire duplex was eerily empty and silent.
Kind of weird.
"..."
"You are coming to the company today," Jiang Ye's voice on the phone brought Wen Xingze's consciousness back to reality, Jiang Ye said, "The award ceremony is next month, and next month will not answer the announcement. Take a break, but necessary interviews will still be available."
Wen Xingze's acceptance of the award is not his business alone. It is no exaggeration to say that the whole country is paying attention to his every move.
Wen Xingze: "...um..."
No one made breakfast, so Wen Xingze had no choice but to go to the refrigerator to get the eggs himself. He hadn't cooked for a long time, and oil almost splashed his face when he fried the eggs.
Not only did Sauron not come, but the robot parent also didn't read the newspaper through the microwave oven. Is there something busy there? Or is there something about me that made them unhappy
Wen Xingze felt a sense of unreasonable and absurd strange premonition in his heart.
There was an interview with the official media today, but Wen Xingze was distracted all day, maybe because he found that he was not in the right state, the reporter kindly asked some simple questions and let him go off work.
"Are you okay, have a cold?" Jiang Ye seldom saw Wen Xingze look so sleepy, and he couldn't get used to it, "Go back and lie down, and ask your teacher Chi to make some soup for you. "
Wen Xingze wanted to say something, but he didn't say it in the end. After a while, he said, "Yes."
Jiang Ye hesitated to speak, and waved him back.
Sitting in the empty home again, after Wen Xingze lay on the sofa for a long time, he opened WeChat. Usually this time is extremely lively, full of giant dragons asking about their care, and the group of dragon parents, but this time it was silent. silent.
Wen Xingze tried to send out a WeChat message: [What happened today, I can't get in touch with you, I'm very worried...] Then he added an emoji.
No reply.
Wen Xingze dialed the WeChat number directly: "Aster... please, answer the phone."
There was a long beep of a 'beep'.
The anticipation in Wen Xingze's heart gradually cooled, and finally the call interface was cut off, and a line of small gray words "The voice call has ended" appeared in the chat box.
This is absolutely not normal!
Wen Xingze stood up immediately. Even if the parents were angry with him for something, it was impossible for them to treat him completely coldly like this.
It's almost as if... because of something, the connection between that universe and this universe was completely cut off.
Suddenly remembered something. He became short of breath, unlocked the screen, and said to the phone very fast: "Hey, Siri."
The phone screen lights up, and Siri's voice says, "I'm here. Can I help you?"
"I need a wishing spirit," Wen Xingze said, "Can you wake him up?"
The design concept of the Wishing Fairy is to satisfy all of Wen Xingze's wishes, even if all the parents are busy, the Wishing Fairy can answer him! Taking a step back and saying that the worst has happened, maybe the technological level of the dwarves can cross this gap
Wen Xingze rekindled his anticipation.
Siri does not speak, and the circle behind it is turning and turning, indicating that it is loading.
Wen Xingze held his breath and waited... Three seconds later, Siri answered him: "Sorry, I didn't understand your question, try asking this:..."
Wen Xingze: "..."
Wen Xingze threw himself on the sofa, buried his head in the pillow and did not speak.
From nine o'clock last night to now... It has been almost twenty to four hours. Wen Xingze has never been unable to contact the parents of Muse Empire for such a long time.
What's more, Teacher Chi couldn't get through the phone either.
Wen Xingze felt more and more uneasy. Because soon he discovered that the mustard space could not be opened.
There are oceans and snow-capped mountains in his mustard space, where he and his parents can meet. In the past, he often opened the mustard space whenever he wanted, but now he can't open it no matter what.
It's as if... never existed.
The same situation also happened to the globe and pocket watch given to him by the robot's parents: the globe became an ordinary globe, and no matter how messy the pocket watch was, he couldn't go to the past or the future.
Everything fails.
Just like in the Cinderella story, after zero o'clock, the magic disappears, and the pumpkin carriage turns back into an ugly big pumpkin.
"Is this some kind of prank?" Wen Xingze murmured.
The Internet is full of various discussions, praises, praises and a little sour jealous speculation about him, but Wen Xingze can't pay attention to look at them.
It was gradually getting dark, and Wen Xingze didn't turn on the light, the uneasiness in his heart reached its peak.
No, definitely? Is there any way.
Wen Xingze remembered the ominous nightmare last night. He suddenly felt that the air was a little thin.
It seemed that there was an invisible and transparent wall blocking him, and he couldn't even stretch out his hand.
Suddenly, a light flashed in Wen Xingze's mind.
"... the housekeeper of the blood clan!" Wen Xingze jumped up from the sofa and made a call, "Hello? Hello, I'm Wen Xingze..."
The patriarch of the blood clan gave him an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and that island is still managed by a steward of the blood clan, so he must know something.
As soon as the call was made, it was connected quickly.
"Mr. Wen, hello."
Wen Xingze: "Hello! I want to ask about Lilith and the others. I can't get in touch with them..."
The other side of the phone politely did not interrupt, but quietly listened to all the words.
After Wen Xingze finished speaking, just as he was about to ignite a glimmer of hope, he heard the confused but polite voice of the butler over there: "Sorry, Mr. Wen, I don't know what you are talking about. This island is indeed under your name Yes, but I don't know the giver, and I haven't seen you and what you said... er, Prince Lilith, Prince Sauron... "
Wen Xingze only realized at this time that the voice on the phone was very strange, and it was not the same bloodline butler as before.
Wen Xingze didn't even know what mood he was in to hang up the phone.
After that, he made countless calls throughout the night, asking people at the Manli Hotel, asking the staff of the "Fantasy Cruise" program team, and if he didn't have a phone number, he even wanted to call Xu Baijing... But the answer he got was no With one exception, all are blank.
The traces of the parents of the Muse Empire's existence in this world seemed to be wiped away by an invisible big hand.
But they did exist.
Wen Xingze clenched his pocket watch tightly. In the living room there was still a small pot of tomatoes and the raspberry wine sent by the orc's parents yesterday. Wen Xingze could confirm this.
At this time, the night was already deep, and the boundless and silent night closed heavily towards Wen Xingze, trying to crush him.
Wen Xingze curled up on the sofa, after trying all the ways he could think of, there was only one way left, if this didn't work... then he really didn't know what to do.
Wen Xingze was seldom afraid of anything, but at this moment he felt a deep and heavy fear.
The hour hand on the wall moved toward twelve o'clock.
Wen Xingze took a deep breath, and finally decided to reach out to grab the last straw. He clicked on the app "Desolation: Awakening of the King" on his phone that he hadn't logged in for a long time.
As soon as he logged in, he was prompted to update again, and Wen Xingze immediately agreed. In just a few seconds after the update package was downloaded, he was actually covered in cold sweat, and his heart rate was completely out of order.
Finally the update package download is complete... The game is loading... Loading is complete!
Wen Xingze immediately clicked in.
Without entering the game interface, the entire screen is black, and a message pops up after a while:
[Dear Zai Zai, hello!]
[Because the normal ending of the linkage game "Zai Zai Cultivation Plan" has been achieved, as a game reward, the filters of the eight major races have been activated, the acting skill tree has been upgraded to the full level, and the filters, skills and assets under your name can still be used normally .]
[From 21:00 P.M. China time on July 28, 2021 in the earth calendar, the function [Reverse cub raising] is officially offline indefinitely. Thank you for your hard work and dedication during this time, we will see you again!]
"..."
Slap.
The last straw was broken.
After reading those three lines repeatedly, Wen Xingze's brain was left blank.
2.
A month later, Los Angeles.
In early September, a rare torrential rain swept across the city in California, and all flights were grounded urgently. Extreme hurricane showers even caused brief power outages. Something related to tomorrow night's Oscars ceremony is being played on the TV: At Los Angeles International Airport, there is a sea of people behind, and countless enthusiastic fans are holding up light signs to pick up the leading actor of "Dust Planet".
"Planet of Dust", which was officially released worldwide last month, was nominated for 12 Oscars, but no one expected that its box office results would be so good. After all, many good movies will fall into the embarrassing dilemma of being high and low.
As a matter of fact, the box office of "Dust Planet" is not only good, but also a hit. Not to mention breaking several records, it has attracted a large number of fanatical fans for the lead actor who was unknown last year, just in time for this month's Oscars. Awards... It's no exaggeration to say that eight out of ten of the news related to the entertainment industry this month are related to "Dust Planet" or Wen Xingze.
"Ah! Look here and here, Azer, we love you!!!" "God, he's looking at me!!"
"Congratulations on winning—"
The arrivals of international flights were blocked, and the screams of fans seemed to blow the ceiling of the terminal building down.
"Today's weather is so bad, it still can't dampen the enthusiasm of the fans," the reporter wearing a yellow raincoat joked with a microphone in the storm outside the airport. I can’t attend for some reason, my God, otherwise the number of people here will double... Oh, he’s approaching! Mr. Wen! Please look here!!”
What's amazing is that among so many cameras with smirking faces, the person in the camera actually raised his eyes slightly and glanced this way.
Wen Xingze was wearing a raincoat, and he was tall. He also pulled up his hat and put on a mask. He was firmly protected by bodyguards and assistants and walked out from the dedicated passage.
His eyelashes are very slender and beautiful, his pupils are clear amber, and the ocher tear mole at the end of his eyes, which has been touted by many magazines, just casts a little tired light.
Look listless.
But it's still surprisingly good-looking.
The reporters and countless viewers in front of the TV were suddenly violently attacked, and the surrounding noises became louder and louder! Until that figure completely disappeared in the dedicated channel? At the end, this kind of fanatical welcome never stopped...
inside the car.
Jiang Ye turned off the news interface and sighed.
"A yellow warning has been issued for the heavy rain in Los Angeles, and all flights are grounded. Tomorrow's award ceremony will be postponed depending on the situation." Jiang Ye paused, and said, "Don't worry about what you have and what you don't have, and stay at ease. Accept the award here, do you want me to make an appointment with a psychiatrist for you?"
"Look at you now, your long-standing goal has been achieved. With so many fans, you still have money. What are you not satisfied with?"
Jiang Ye couldn't figure it out.
Wen Xingze looked out the car window, pursed his lips, and said nothing. The expression on his side face looked calm, yet with some resistance and alienation.
There seems to be a not-so-far distance between him and the world, and no one can cross it.
The windows were blurred by rain.
"..." Jiang Ye sighed deeply, "Forget it, I will meet with the crew of "Dust Planet" later, and let Director Li persuade you."
She didn't know what happened a month ago, but from that day on, Wen Xingze's whole person was different from before.
For the entire month, Jiang Ye didn't know what he was doing. He often had to go somewhere suddenly and urgently, and more often than not, he locked himself at home for a whole day, staying up all night. Moreover, even though he was nominated for an Oscar, Wen Xingze seldom smiled, nor did he look happy, which was completely different from before.
Jiang Ye was really worried about him.
Jiang Ye also tried to ask him, but he simply said, 'I'm worried because I can't contact my family' and evaded it perfunctorily. Jiang Ye thought that things must not be so simple... She was worried that Wen Xingze was suffering from depression. Didn't it mean that geniuses like them are prone to psychological problems
And being nominated for an Oscar at such a young age, it's normal to feel pressured.
Because other than that, there is no other reason to explain Wen Xingze's abnormality. From Jiang Ye's point of view, Wen Xingze's life has not changed at all—although he said he couldn't contact his family, Wen Xingze seems to be a single-parent family, and It was only right that he severed ties with his mother very early on.
As for Wen Xingze's claim that his family is in another universe... that's more like nonsense. Jiang Ye took it as a sequelae of his filming of "Dust Planet".
Jiang Ye had no choice but to hand over this hot potato to Li Mingzhou. Tonight is the long-lost gathering of the "Dust Planet" crew. In order to participate in the awards ceremony, the main creators basically came.
"Director Li, the thing is like this," Jiang Ye explained the situation to Li Mingzhou that night, "I just ask you to enlighten this kid."
Li Mingzhou was very confident, he patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me."
Holding a glass of champagne in his hand, Li Mingzhou walked towards Wen Xingze arrogantly, and started chatting with Wen Xingze.
In the first five minutes, Li Mingzhou tried to persuade Wen Xingze.
In the next five minutes, Li Mingzhou and Wen Xingze chatted happily.
Ten minutes later, I don't know what Wen Xingze said, Li Mingzhou fell silent, and then the conversation began to reverse...
Jiang Ye: "?"
Twenty? Do what you want."
Jiang Ye: "???"
Jiang Ye took out his mobile phone: "I should help him make an appointment with a psychiatrist."
"..." Li Mingzhou said, "Make an appointment for me too."
After dinner.
Wen Xingze said goodbye to the main creative members of "Dust Planet", and planned to leave here.
The corridors of the hotel are covered with thick dark red velvet carpets, and the crystal lights on the ceiling are shining brightly. The restaurant is very lively, but Wen Xingze needs a quiet environment. He doesn't live in a hotel, because the head of the mermaid family also bought real estate in Los Angeles.
- He needs a lot of alone time, which will make his thoughts clearer and it will be easier to recall more useful details.
However, what happened was that Jiang Ye forcibly stopped him when he was halfway there: "Xiaowen, let's meet this psychiatrist. She is well-known in the industry and has a very professional ethics... maybe she can give me a good job." You inspired."
Wen Xingze looked confused, and turned his head slightly to look at Jiang Ye: "But I am mentally healthy."
"You all..." have paranoia! I think about finding those fictional "empire" and "parents" every day, and I don't listen to any persuasion. Is this still called mental health? !
Jiang Ye really wanted to say this, but finally swallowed it down and said, "I beg you."
Jiang Ye is not only Wen Xingze's manager and benefactor, but also a well-known senior in this industry. She has said so much. Even if Wen Xingze really doesn't want to, she can't continue to refuse.
And Jiang Ye was doing it for his own good. Wen Xingze was very grateful for this.
Looking at Jiang Ye, Wen Xingze really had no choice but to say no, so he could only say: "...Okay, I'm free tonight."
Jiang Ye was relieved.
So on this stormy night, the car carrying Wen Xingze turned quietly and stopped in front of a psychological clinic.
The psychiatrist Janice is indeed a famous doctor, and she is also a visiting professor in the psychology department of a prestigious school. She is also very rigorous and tight-lipped. It is said that she used to be the private psychiatrist of a certain rich man on the Forbes list.
Xin Xin Clinic's decoration style is very warm, with green plants on the window sill, and a floral fabric sofa with dolls on the sofa. Unlike the wind and rain whistling outside the window, this clinic is like a peaceful place isolated from the world.
"Mr. Wen, hello, long-awaited," said Janice, who seemed to be over half a century old, and she was a kind white old lady. When she smiled, she felt very friendly, "Can you give my little nurse an autograph later? ?"
She received a call from Jiang Ye in advance. Because of Wen Xingze's special status, the entire clinic has been cleared in advance, leaving only herself and a small assistant nurse.
Wen Xingze nodded: "Of course."
The little nurse set out warm water for guests, blushed and closed the door and went out.
Janice took a sip from the water, crossed her fingers, and said, "Let's talk, then."
"Are you sure you want to listen?" Wen Xingze did not resist talking about these things with others, and, in this short month, he had talked about these things with many people, but no one believed them.
Janice looked gentle, and looked at him with the unique tolerance of an elder: "Of course, I am a qualified listener. They all say that, please speak."
Wen Xingze nodded.
There was heavy rain outside the window, lightning and thunder, and Janice lit a dim nightlight on the table.
Wen Xingze took a deep breath and said, "Three years ago, I downloaded a game called "Desolation: The Awakening of the King"..."
Wen Xingze's narrative angle is very objective, and his tone is calm, as if he is speaking from the perspective of a bystander.
As she said, Janice is a good listener and never raised a single question throughout the process.
"...I have completely lost contact with that universe, and until now, I am also looking for them." After Wen Xingze finished speaking, he fell silent.
Janice: "…"
The room was quiet, only the wind and rain were blowing outside the window, and the windows were rattling.
Parallel universes, light towers, bionics, dragons, bloods, mermaids...
Janice kept a polite smile, and tilted her head after a while: "It's very exciting, with ups and downs, novel or movie?"
She has also come into contact with this kind of patients in the past, and many geniuses from all walks of life will have some such plots, but Wen Xingze is the first to have such a rigorous logic, and the narration of fantasies can be accurate to the details and dates.
Wen Xingze was not surprised, he knew she wouldn't believe it: "No. It's all true."
He spent a lot of time this month, sorting out all the things that happened this year, not missing every detail.
Because... What if there are clues for him to find the parents again hidden in these details
"I see." Janice nodded, took a pen to write a few lines in the medical record, and then asked, "How long have you had this symptom—no, experience?"
Wen Xingze: "One year and fifteen days...another six hours and thirty? One minute." He glanced at the clock on the wall.
"OK."
Janice picked up the medical record again, and wrote two sentences on it.
"..." Wen Xingze wanted to leave.
Of course he has a way to prove to Janice that everything he said is true, because the filters and skill points left to him by "Zai Zai Development Plan" can still be used, but that is meaningless.
So what if Janice believed it? So what if the whole world believed it? Will his parents and his lover come back then
Just a waste of time.
"I'm not delusional," Wen Xingze said after drinking the water in his glass and signing his name on the napkin, "Sorry for interrupting tonight, if you don't mind, I'll get back—"
"Mr. Wen."
Janice stopped him from behind.
The rain outside the window was getting heavier, Janice smiled and said:
"Even if it's true, so what?"
Wen Xingze stopped in his tracks:
"… I do not understand what you mean."
"Even if what you said is true, the other universe you said really existed, they accompanied you to grow up, gave you your current abilities and wealth, and now they disappear," Janice put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, He said softly, "So what?"
"I don't understand the reason for your persistent pursuit of them."
"If I remember correctly, the other universe was just a 'game' to you at the beginning. And you may have invested three years and a lot of money in it... But so what? After all, it's just a game. only games."
Wen Xingze: "No—"
"Listen to me first, young man." Janice suddenly became very harsh, "I know you want to say that it is no longer a game for you, but an important part of your life. But is it true? You say they are your parents, but you are not related by blood, are you?"
Janice's face looked very calm in the light of that lamp.
"Take what happened in these four years as a game, and it is different from those who are addicted to the game and waste their lives-this game has given you the best gift, it? Discovered your talent, reversed the plight of your life, to get you to where you are now."
"You should be thankful and grateful to live in this world. Instead of messing up your head and blood for some irreparable things, and getting nothing in the end, right
"That's what smart people do.
"Son, I want you to be a smart person, and your parents must think so too."
Of course Wen Xingze can be a smart person.
What should a wise person do? After a short period of sadness, hold on to what you have and get back into real life and work.
Thanks to these four years of experience, he already has everything that many people can't imagine in this life. He can easily live a "successful" and "happy" life.
The 'smart man' Wen Xingze can walk down this path with gratitude and relief.
He will make many movies with good reputation at the box office, and one day in the future, he will meet someone who makes his heart beat in an elevator, fall in love, get married again, and raise a cat and two dogs after marriage. Having another family and loved ones…
As for the Muse Empire, it will appear in his autobiographical memoirs, becoming a fantasy of a genius in his later years, and it may also be passed down as a good story in later generations.
"..."
The bustling Los Angeles was embraced by torrential rain and wind.
Wen Xingze stared at the pot of green plants fluttering in the wind outside the window.
It's a pot of daisies.
"I'm not smart," Wen Xingze said, "nor do I intend to be a smart person."
Janice was silent for a long time, then sighed deeply.
"Children." Her tone was not mean or aggressive at all, she looked at Wen Xingze, "You want to find them, meet them again, spend the rest of your life together... spend the rest of your life together. Have you ever thought about how much this means to them? , is it really a good thing?"
Wen Xingze was startled.
boom-
There was a loud thunder outside the window, and the entire Los Angeles suddenly lost power, and the street lights went out continuously along the road.
"Your life is only a hundred years. For them with a long lifespan, is there a difference between a year and a hundred years? Aren't they all the same short?"
"Now that we have separated, why bother to find them back? Have you thought about it?"
Janice even looked at him with pity, but she unceremoniously opened up the nightmare deep in Wen Xingze's heart.
"Since the sword of Damocles will fall after all, the longer you spend with them, the more pain they will feel when you pass away in the future, won't they?" Janice said, "Long Pain is worse than short pain, stop."
The power outage continued, and the entire Los Angeles was plunged into a thick darkness that could not be dispersed.
Wen Xingze couldn't meet Janice's eyes, he looked at the pot of daisies outside the window, and reached out to pick up the water on the table.
silence.
After a brief roar of thunder, there was boundless silence.
"Mr. Wen..." Janice hesitated to speak.
Wen Xingze didn't realize it himself, the water glass he was holding spilled a lot, and even the back of his hand was burned.
In the dark room, Wen Xingze's eyes were red.
But he didn't cry. I haven't cried once in a month.
Because the people who would comfort him, feel sorry for him, and protect him regardless of conditions, are not in this world.
"... I'm selfish," Wen Xingze said as his chest heaved violently, "but I don't want... I don't want it to end like this."
"I don't want to choose the optimal solution."
"I don't want my story with them to stop here."
In those few seconds, Wen Xingze suddenly remembered what happened a long time ago.
Think of that incomparably small and barren planet in the universe.
I think of the robots clumsily covering him with blankets, I think of the aurora I saw when I fled home with the gnomes for the first time in a hurry, I think of the temperature of the mermaids hugging him carefully, I think of the dragon raising its wings to protect him in the ice and snow , the wine I drank with the parents of the blood clan orcs, and the songs sung by the elves...
And his blind officer.
He gave him the ring and waited many long decades afterwards. And they're not married yet.
Every minute and every second of the past is particularly magnificent, Wen Xingze is even reluctant to look at it, and just wants to cherish all the days. Wen Xingze no longer remembers what he was like before meeting them.
If Chi Yan said that his life began on December 24 of that year... then his life must have begun on that day four years ago, the day he first came to the barren planet.
The damp smell of the summer rainstorm penetrated into the nostrils, and Wen Xingze suddenly regained consciousness.
"..."
"Son, be good," Janice said sympathetically.
There was a clap of thunder in the sky, and Wen Xingze, although there were still many things he couldn't figure out, among the lightning and flint, he confirmed one thing.
boom.
Wen Xingze drank the water in the cup in one gulp, put the cup on the table, and he stood up suddenly.
"I hate endings," he said.
As long as there is still a chance, he doesn't want to just give up. Who can tell what will happen in the future? Who says he will definitely die
What a 'sad but nice' ending to him.
Janice: "...huh?"
"I hate how it ends, I don't want to just let it go, let it go, move on with gratitude, fuck it."
Janice: "??"
Wen Xingze actually swears.
Janice looked dazed all over.
"I don't want to meet new people someday, start a new family, I don't want to write the people I love just in memoirs, and I don't want to be a great genius in the world's population... I don't want to just let it go , Forget. Even if I look for them to find the old man, I can't find anything, so what?"
"My home is gone, why should I let it go?!
"You are not my parents, why should I be obedient?!"
After Wen Xingze finished these words in one go, he suddenly felt refreshed. The boulder that had been pressing on his heart for a month seemed to be shattered and annihilated in an instant.
What's even more amazing is that he seemed to have vaguely touched a thread... Wen Xingze stared at the potted green plant on the windowsill.
He must have forgotten something, there must be some details that he didn't recall.
But there is no specific outline yet, and he still needs a little time.
He kept basic courtesy, nodded to Janice, and hurried out the door.
bang. The door is closed.
"..."
indoor.
Janice sat on the sofa for a long time without turning on the light. She recalled the way Wen Xingze said those words just now - although childish, the angry look was very vivid.
This child has grown up.
she thinks.
Thunder rumbled outside the window, and the light of lightning suddenly flourished, illuminating the room: the woman sitting on the sofa had disappeared, replaced by a curled up, aged white cat.
The white cat has a pair of mandarin ducks with different pupils.
It licked its paw vigorously, then jumped onto the window sill, bit the daisy that was completely wilted by the wind and rain, and disappeared into the rain.