Someone Else

Despite Lingyun's repetitive helpless cries, Lingbing remained unresponsive. The shattered glass mirrored the tottered fragments of his composure.

"Ge ge! Please wake up, please."

Yang Lingyun tried to move, jolting his body but to no avail. The sickening scent of burning rubber and gasoline wafted through the night as smoke billowed from the mangled wreckage, surrounding the area in an acrid haze.

"No, elder brother you cannot die."

In the nightmare, time felt really slow and messed up. Yang Lingyun was stuck in a scary loop, replaying the horrifying sequence of events over and over again, each iteration more torturous than the last. The weight of remorse bore down upon his conscience, leaving deep scars within his soul.

"Help, somebody, please!" He cried desperately for help, but his plea got drowned in the chaos and noise.

A sudden blinding light burst forth from the darkness, momentarily obscuring his vision. His panic subsided as he realised the light belonged to an ambulance, the sirens echoing through the country side road. Some rescuers had arrived the nick of time and dragged Lingyun and Lingbing outside.

Boom!

Then, an ear-ringing explosion was heard. The chauffeur couldn't be saved as the car had already burst into flames.

As the nightmarish vision began to fade, the man woke up, sweaty and struggling to breathe. His heart was beating fast, and he still felt the the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to his psyche, leaving him shaken and disoriented. It took a while for him to get back to reality, to figure out what was real and what was just part of the dream.

Though the nightmare had passed, its effect stayed, making his thoughts gloomy. Remembering the car crash nightmare was like a haunting reminder. This memory made him vulnerable and weak.

The scariest part of this dream was that he could feel the really bad pain in his body getting squished and his skin burning each time. The accident happened when he was five, and his older brother was eight. He kept having this dream that reminded him of what happened, and many nights he couldn't sleep because of it.

"Young master! Are you alright? Is it another nightmare?" Gu sheng who had heard his painful screams entered the bedroom without knocking.

Yang Lingyun rubbed his throbbing temple, sitting calmly on the bed. "Bring me my vinyl record player and those old vinyl disc."

Gu Sheng nodded and went to carry out the order he was given.

Someone planned the car accident on purpose, likely by someone who wanted to see Yang family's downfall, specifically to eliminate the two Yang brothers. Both of them had made it out alive but Yang Lingbing was crippled. He had lost mobility in his leg. 

Even though he survived, he didn't live for a long time because his heart was seriously damaged. He died a few years later because his heart muscles failed. After Lingbing died, Lingyun became the only person to inherit the Yang family business.

As requested, Gu Sheng brought the record player, put the young master's favourite vinyl record on it, and started it up. "Here, young master."

"Did you find any lead to the accident that happened sixteen years ago?" Lingyun questioned as he slowly laid his head back on the pillow.

"No, sir." Gu Sheng knew what was troubling his young master. He had difficulty sleeping every night and suffered from severe insomnia. Sleeping medications did not work for him. He was usually surrounded by so many enemies that it was hard to pinpoint who planned the car wreck.

So many years had passed by still there was no clue.

"Listen to Miss Xia sing the melody of love sorrow, it will help you fall asleep. Xia Mengrui is truly a talented singer."

"En, you can go back." Lingyun closed his eyes and listened to the lyrics beautifully adapted to the melody of 'Liebesleid'. The soulful voice of the young girl drifted to his ears.

In the shadows of my heart, love's sorrow plays its part,

A melody of longing that haunts my every day,

Memories of your touch, now faded and gone,

Liebesleid, oh Liebesleid, where did our love stray?

Yang Lingyun missed his brother dearly. Yang Lingbing had died painfully. His brother, who used to be lively and was important to him, sadly couldn't survive the damage to his heart.

Liebesleid, Liebesleid, echoes of a love denied,

Tears fall like rain, on this broken refrain,

In the depths of my soul, your absence

I can't hide,Liebesleid, oh Liebesleid, love's bitter pain.

As the needle moved along the vinyl record, the boy remembered the times they spent together. Yang Lingyun's heart was heavy with grief, as he listened to the vinyl record, the crackling notes mingling with his sorrow.

Each note a tender sigh, as the strings gently weep,

Aching for the warmth of your embrace,

I yearn, Oh, how I long to turn back time and make it right,

Liebesleid, oh Liebesleid, will my heart ever learn?

The sad music helped him express his feelings—his hurt and longing. With his eyes shut, he remembered a face, a beautiful young girl who wasn't Xia Mengrui but someone different.

The girl was incredibly beautiful, with skin as pale and radiant as moonlight. Every time he saw her, it was like entering into a realm of enchantment, where ordinary things became extraordinary.

Xia Lihua.

While the record spun, Yang Lingyun felt comfort in the music.

Whenever he listened to the songs on his old record player, he remembered a little girl who was two years younger than him.

Time seemed to slow down and the girl's delicate features, illuminated by a subtle glow, became more prominent. Her eyes, deep and mysterious were like the endless night sky.

In his vision, it shouldn't be Xia Lihua. She wasn't the one who was playing the violin. Xia Mengrui stated it herself that she had given him the vinyls back in Junior High.