to dream

Ning'an felt as if she were drowning in a void, with fragments of the past coalescing into bright spots around her in her hazy consciousness.

She heard a voice she had never heard before, emanating from somewhere unknown, yet it carried a strangely familiar feeling, leading her uncontrolled consciousness to pursue it.

Scenes flashed before her in fragmented pieces, without giving her any time to remember. Suddenly, a burst of bright light shook her, and she raised her hand to shield herself from the glare.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself on a dilapidated, muddy street, in the damp and cold rainy season, yet the rain left no trace on her, as if she were a nonexistent soul.

"Ah Xuan."

Ning'an was suddenly startled. She looked towards the source of the voice and saw a stunning woman, seemingly untouched by the passage of time, exuding a refined elegance that seemed to have accumulated over the years. She stood by an old mailbox, calling out to Ning'an with a red umbrella in hand.

Ah Xuan...

Suddenly, something seemed to come towards her, and her body responded, moving in the direction of the voice. She felt her body being penetrated by a ripple of sensation, only realizing what was happening after a while.

A frail and lonely little girl ran towards the woman, standing before her covered in mud and rainwater.

"Ah Xuan, why are you in such a state?" The woman briefly glanced at her with her eyes, devoid of any emotion, as if she were looking at a pet that had misbehaved and gotten wet while playing outside.

Ning'an looked at the girl's back with surprise, sensing something strange.

The determined little girl tightly pursed her lips, her childish voice diluted by the sound of rain, leaving only a trace of resentment in the air.

"They scolded me, threw mud at me, called me a monster." Ning'an walked up, looking at the eerie scene of the mother and daughter in the rain, or should she say mother and son...

Though the boy was thin and frail, his features gave her a sense of intense familiarity, especially his pitch-black eyes.

Is this Ah Xuan from childhood? Why is he wearing girl's clothes? Is that why he was bullied?

Ning'an's thoughts were still in turmoil when the woman took Ah Xuan's hand and walked away. "Ah Xuan, you're not a monster. Don't listen to those people. You can endure, you can restrain yourself. When you have absolute authority, you'll find that they will only fear you."

Such words clearly exceeded the boy's cognitive range. He looked at the woman with bewilderment.

As Ning'an watched the figures fade into the distance in the rain, a feeling of restlessness and curiosity surged within her, urging her to catch up. But she found herself unable to move another step.

The surroundings began to blur past like a fast-moving slideshow.

In an instant, Ah Xuan and the woman disappeared, leaving her alone, unable to move.

A sense of powerlessness arose from the depths of her heart, giving her a courage and strength as if to break free from a cage.

Resisting that power, suddenly a flash of white light filled her vision, and suddenly there was silence between heaven and earth.

...

Opening her eyes again, she saw the white ceiling.

Was it a dream?

Ning'an blinked in confusion, pressing her throbbing temples with her hand, memories flooding back in an instant.

She seemed to have drunk a lot of alcohol, and then...

The faint scent of mint seemed to linger around her, as if Ah Xuan had taken her away.

She jumped out of bed barefoot, rushed into the bathroom, and looked at the disheveled woman in the mirror, feeling a sense of deja vu with some past moment of herself.

Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water on her face, trying to clear her mind of the chaotic thoughts.

Was it all just a dream?

Was the woman in the dream Ah Xuan's mother?

Why did she say those things to Ah Xuan...

Although it was a dream, she could feel that the woman didn't treat Ah Xuan like an ordinary mother would treat her child. Seeing her child covered in injuries without comforting him, and not even holding the umbrella over his head.

After Ah Xuan returned home, she had never seen his mother, and his father never mentioned her. She knew nothing about how he had been living all these years.

Could that woman be Ah Xuan's breakthrough...

"Sister, you're awake."

Ning'an didn't turn around, but the familiar scent was already close by.

"Auntie Sun brewed some hangover tea for you. It'll make you feel better after drinking it."

The man's hoarse voice brushed past her ear, through her tousled hair, sending an invisible electric current tingling through Ning'an's body.

The man's oppressive figure made her uncomfortable, and she moved away, looking at the steaming tea on the table.

She opened her mouth, but the alcohol had numbed her vocal cords, making her voice less clear than usual.

"Thank you. Did I... do anything strange last night?" Ah Xuan followed behind her.

At his words, Ning'an glanced at him with curiosity, with a hint of teasing in her eyes.

"What do you mean? Actually, not much, just clung to me tightly and wouldn't let go, even asking to kiss and hug me. Is that considered strange?"

Ning'an's face gradually paled with each word, her expression one of astonishment and embarrassment.

The boy casually said, "None of that happened." He picked up the tea and blew on it gently.

"Sister, drink up. It's better to drink it while it's hot."

Ning'an sprayed the tea in her mouth that hadn't yet been swallowed, her face showing disbelief. She knew her drunken behavior, but it couldn't have been so reckless...

"You're talking nonsense! How could I possibly kiss you."

Ning'an retorted firmly, now forgetting her status and cursing.

"I may be reckless when I'm drunk, but I wouldn't do anything to you, my brother!" she thought to herself.

She wanted to say more, emphasizing the word "brother".

Ah Xuan narrowed his eyes dangerously, looking somewhat displeased at the woman's forced composure.

Taking a step closer, his voice became slightly husky with desire.

"Is that so? Do you want me to remind you?" 

With that, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, ignoring her struggles, locking her hands firmly, and pressing his lips onto Ning'an's, devouring and grinding them.

As Ning'an's eyes widened in shock, he whispered between breaths, "Do you remember now, sister?"

The scorching breath sprayed around them, and the temperature around them inadvertently rose. Ning'an realized that she was being forcibly kissed by this person.

A feeling of shame and guilt spread through her limbs and bones, making her unable to accept this mistake again.

This thought made her struggle violently, using all her strength to resist the person in front of her, fiercely biting down on Ah Xuan's tongue, the taste of blood spreading, and Ah Xuan grunted in pain.

Ning'an finally got a chance and pushed him away fiercely.

With a loud slap, Ning'an's trembling hand clenched into a fist.

The handsome face in front of her slowly revealed a distinct palm print and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, leaving Ning'an speechless.

After a while, he chuckled somewhat self-deprecatingly. "It seems my sister is more obedient when she's drunk, doesn't resist, doesn't bite, just lets me have my way."

Ningxi's expression turned ugly, as if remembering something unpleasant.

"Ningyu, forget about last night, and just now. I can pretend that nothing happened. You're my brother, and I hope you remember that, and don't do anything irreparable."