Chapter 203: Dream Comes True
Chapter 203: Dream Comes True
The sunlight was infinitely beautiful, the scenery incredibly fine. Inside Mountain Peak Village’s Ancestral Hall, the Mural had mysteriously vanished. The Altar before the Ancestral Hall doors was also gone. In their place stood a stone Statue, over ten feet tall, weathered by years of wind and rain, its surface already beginning to show signs of erosion.
According to the tour guide Guo Xiaohong’s introduction yesterday, this stone Statue was named the ‘Mountaintop Demon’. As for why it was called that, or what stories or legends lay behind it, even guide Guo Xiaohong didn’t know.
Lü Yang discovered that in the research materials Lin Yin carried, all previous records mentioning the Mural and the Altar had completely disappeared, as if those two things had never existed. However, there were many, many photos and drawings of the ‘Mountaintop Demon’ Statue…
Lü Yang stood before the Statue, silently gazing at its heavily weathered and worn head. The expression, the features… they faintly resembled something of Gong Jian.
Gong Xue walked over too. She had approached because she found it odd that Lin Yin kept staring at this Statue. But when she looked closely at the sculpture, confusion flickered in her eyes…
Why… did it look so familiar? And even a little… comforting?
A large raindrop fell from nowhere, landing near the Mountaintop Demon Statue’s eye before slowly trailing down its cheek… making it look like the Statue was crying.
The sky blazed with a fierce sun, no clouds for miles in any direction.
So, Lü Yang knew it wasn’t a raindrop…
About Mountain Peak Village, Lü Yang had too many questions. But these doubts, just like his questions about the Mysterious Domain, were impossible to investigate.
The only thing he felt sure of now was this: once upon a time, there was a boy, full of love like him, who gave his own life so the girl he cherished could live.
And that girl? She would never know about it. She might not even know he existed at all.
Was everything he did… worth it?
Lü Yang didn’t know.
What he did know was this: perhaps someday, it would become his own Destiny too.
Lü Yang placed a bundle of mountain wildflowers he’d picked at the feet of the Mountaintop Demon Statue. Then, he lit a bundle of incense sticks bought from the scenic area that morning and placed them in front of the figure…
“Yinyin, what are you praying for?” Yi Ya walked over, watching Yinyin burn the incense with reverence.
“Love,” Lü Yang replied, meeting Yi Ya’s gaze, his eyes empty and vast.
Just as Yi Ya was about to say something more, her mobile phone rang. The caller display showed ‘Lü Yang’. A familiar song drifted from the phone – obviously Yi Ya’s pre-set ringback tone…
I used up my whole life, fed you my devotion
Too many worldly troubles needing to be forgot
Drifting on this sea of pain, your face from days long gone
Look back to find I’ve stepped beyond red dust, thousands of miles…
…
“I’ve got signal!”
“Me too!”
“Haha, great, I can get online again…”
“…”
Lin Yin’s phone still had no signal. Yi Ya’s signal meant the mobile phone base station was fixed. Who fixed it? When? Or maybe it was never actually struck by lightning? Perhaps it just mysteriously broke down? Lü Yang wasn’t really sure.
Yi Ya answered the phone. After saying “Hello?” a couple of times, she very naturally handed the phone to Yinyin, as if she knew the call was meant for her!
“Hello? L… Lin Yin?”
A voice both familiar and strange came from the phone, sounding incredibly weird.
Lü Yang knew. That was his own voice.
Hearing yourself speak, versus hearing a recording of your own voice, felt very different.
“Y-yeah…”
“Is Yi Ya with you?”
“She is.” Lü Yang glanced at Yi Ya beside him.
Yi Ya seemed to catch on. She gave Yinyin a sly grin before turning and running far away.
“Find some way to get rid of her…”
“She left.”
“Okay. Now I can ask you: what—in—the—world—is—going—on?!” Lin Yin sounded furious, of course, in Lü Yang’s voice.
“It’s way too complicated to explain right now. I couldn’t even make it clear over the phone. But don’t worry, I found a way to fix it. When I get back, I know I can fix this… this mistake.”
“You found it? You’re sure you can solve it?”
“Yes. It’s a curse. I’ve found a Curse Removal Card and the method to break it. Once we meet back, it’ll definitely work. Trust me!”
“Okay then.” Lin Yin’s tone instantly calmed down, like her earlier anger was faked. She didn’t seem all that eager to fix this situation.
Lü Yang found it strange. Something this bizarre had happened, but Lin Yin wasn’t deeply digging into the cause. Just hearing it could be fixed seemed enough for her.
It looked like she’d been having fun in his body these past few days.
Had she been masturbating daily? Enjoying it too much to want to come back?
Lü Yang was clearly projecting his own tendencies onto her.
“Did you get all my texts?” Lü Yang asked Lin Yin.
“Yeah. Did you really need to give me your bank card numbers and passwords?”
“I was afraid you’d panic, run out of money, and starve to death in the rented room.”
“Am I really that dumb?” Lin Yin sounded slightly offended.
Lü Yang clearly sensed a change in Lin Yin’s personality from her tone. Maybe it was because his body was significantly stronger – the way she spoke felt different than before.
A different body breeds a different personality. Scientific studies actually confirmed this.
“Just joking. Oh, your dad called earlier. Nothing important, I hope? I asked, but he said no.”
“Probably not… He calls me a few times a month.”
“Alright then. This research trip still has a few days. But don’t worry, I’ll talk to people as little as possible. Avoid interaction. I’ll return you everything safely.” Lü Yang apologized sincerely. This curse was an utter disaster falling upon Lin Yin. And he felt he bore all the responsibility.
“I didn’t damage your body either…” Lin Yin replied somewhat nervously. She truly hadn’t damaged Lü Yang’s body. She’d just… helped him pick up a rather troublesome girl.
“Do whatever, however you want. Just don’t starve the thing. Its appetite is big.” Compared to himself, Lü Yang trusted Lin Yin much more. He worried she might starve ‘him’, but honestly, he wasn’t too concerned about much else. Given Lin Yin’s personality, he doubted she could do anything terrible.
“Haha… You said it! ‘Whatever, however I want’, right? Don’t you dare take that back!” Hearing Lü Yang say that, a huge weight seemed to lift off Lin Yin’s mind.
“Take back what? All responsibility for this is mine. I sincerely apologize.” Lü Yang offered his apology once more.
“Enough, enough. It’s happened. Forget the apologies. Just give me a proper explanation when you get back.”
“I will… Hey, answer me something. Do you know someone called Gong Jian?”
“Yeah? He’s a classmate. Director Gong’s younger brother. Why?” Lin Yin sounded bewildered.
Lü Yang’s heart sank… How could this be? Weren’t Lin Yin’s related memories erased?
“Hey! Did he propose to you?! Don’t you dare say yes! If you agree on my behalf I’ll freaking kill you!” Lin Yin yelled into the phone urgently, suddenly worried.
“No way! I swear I won’t make any decisions for you. Relax.” Lü Yang reassured her, though his mind was already spinning into chaos.
“I can’t talk now! Busy! Oh yeah, don’t call again before bedtime! Remember that!” Lin Yin hurriedly hung up before he could respond.
“Hey!”
Lü Yang had so much more to tell her – Sister Mei’s lawsuit, Zhang Min’s harassment…
What was Lin Yin busy with? Why forbid him from calling in the daytime?
Lin Yin had hung up in panic and forbade contact because a knock sounded at the door of the rented room.
It was Liu Hui’s knock. If Liu Hui saw a ‘woman’ call ‘Lü Yang’, Lin Yin would have a headache explaining lies. Better to avoid the headache – hence the frantic instruction before hanging up.
Hearing the knocks, Lin Yin put down the phone and happily ran to the door. Opening it wide, she spread her arms and warmly embraced the girl entering.
Lin Yin genuinely wasn’t in a hurry to swap bodies back. These past days with Liu Hui had shown her luxuries she’d never imagined, experiences she couldn’t even dream of. For an ordinary girl like her, it was a life fantasized about but rarely lived.
Exactly this feeling made Lin Yin realize her ‘feelings’ for Liu Hui grew deeper daily. What kind of feelings were they? Even she wasn’t sure.
Anyway, these days, her dreams were filled with endless extravagance, the happiness of a dream coming true. And Liu Hui brought her all of this. She needed to keep Liu Hui at her side.
What happened afterward? Lin Yin didn’t dare think. Didn’t want to. Knowing it could vanish any moment made her treasure each second of this happiness with Liu Hui all the more.
“Today, can we go see a sick friend in the hospital?” Liu Hui suggested.
“Sure! Go wherever you say.”
“Because it’s visiting a patient… so… we should buy things first, then head over…”
“Whatever you decide.”
“Also… I bought some gifts for you… You’re not mad, right?”
“Why would I be mad you bought gifts for me? I’m thrilled!”
“Hehe… So… should I tell them to bring them up?”
“Send it on up.”