After Bathing

Plugged in, the phone powered back on.

By the time Xu Feng saw Jiang Yun’s avatar again, it had turned grey, showing a status of Offline—Please leave a message.

However, Xu Feng waited for several hours, but Jiang Yun never showed up at the door.

Did he come? Is he actually coming? Schrödinger’s visit.

Whatever Jiang Yun was up to, if he really intended to find her, he probably should have arrived ages ago.

17:45

Tonight’s dinner was a single blood pack.

Ever since Xu Feng turned into a vampire, the brief act of eating had suddenly become a solemn, ritualistic affair. The glow of the setting sun spilled across her face, but it didn’t bring the burning sensation described in movies; instead, it felt like a cozy, pleasant warmth.

The fact that she wasn’t afraid of sunlight was still quite baffling. What was causing this? Or was it that this wasn’t “real” light?

Xu Feng sat in her chair and ceremoniously picked up the blood pack. Pinching the two corners, her lips lightly gripped the straw. With a slight pull, the blood flowed smoothly down her throat. As the intoxicating nectar entered her system, that surge of power surfaced once more.

The pack went flat in no time.

Xu Feng didn’t plan on taking a post-meal stroll; she went straight to the shower.

Shedding her daytime clothes and sorting them into two separate basins, Xu Feng entered the bathroom and slid the opaque glass door shut.

Sizzle—

The stream of perfectly tempered water glided over her fair skin, her silver hair hanging down amidst the spray and the lamplight.

For some reason, Xu Feng’s head always seemed to find the perfect angle, letting the water start from her neck and spread to every corner of her body. Nothing felt particularly sensitive, except she consciously avoided touching those two budding, pinkish-white “flowers.”

When she stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom, Xu Feng had wrapped herself in a bath towel. It wouldn’t have been long enough before, but now she could practically wear it as a dress.

She reached out and wiped the mist from the mirror, revealing a girl’s beaming face and damp silver tresses.

“Hehe~ I’m so pretty.” Xu Feng, gripped by a sudden bout of vanity from who-knows-where, proudly placed her hands on her hips.

A few seconds later, her brain finally caught up.

What’s the point of being pretty?! The priority is getting my original body back! Snap out of it! Xu Feng!

Xu Feng scrambled to get the hairdryer. Though she wanted to dry it quickly, she ended up pitying her hair, drying it bit by bit over the course of ten minutes.

Turning on the desk lamp, Xu Feng dressed in an oversized T-shirt and a pair of grey men’s trousers. She crouched in her chair, hugging her knees as she scrolled through the information on the Bureau-issued phone.

She had already saved Uncle Shui’s number on her own phone.

There was only one file in the folder titled Dreamscape Guide, but clicking it revealed many sub-pages. Xu Feng immediately picked one that caught her eye.

Phenomenon Analysis: [Involuntary Dream-Entry]

The boundary between reality and illusion becomes blurred; objects of the real world are drawn toward the dream world.

Specific Cases:

June 9, 2030: A massive number of disappearances occurred in the Taiyan National District, far exceeding any previous cases. This sparked speculation; some claimed the disappearances were highly likely related to a meteorite that crashed off the west coast of Taiyan on April 9 of the same year. Subsequent information was classified.

July 23, 2031: At Airport No. 34, Sihuai Avenue, Shanming City, Taiyan District, a strange crystal appeared in the waiting lounge. According to surveillance, a traveler in red touched it. Within two seconds, the crystal emitted an intense flash, causing the disappearance of 548 sleeping passengers and crew members. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

……

June 16, 2035: Huacheng Avenue, Lingyao City, Taiyan District. A resident called the police late at night reporting a bizarre fog that had taken away their sleeping son. Upon investigation, another individual living alone was also found missing. Fortunately, the mission was a success, and all missing persons were recovered.

Xu Feng finished reading the tens of thousands of words in the report.

The original purpose of the [Dream-Guard Bureau] was to find those lost in the “Dream” world and to bring an end to the grief of those left behind.

Xu Feng propped up her chin. The latest incident was the very one she had experienced. The memories gradually became clearer—the tactical team that night, the terrifying monsters, and everything else.

“Uncle Shui and the others… they’re truly great people,” Xu Feng muttered unconsciously.

Thud, thud! Thud, thud!

The front door was pounded heavily, making Xu Feng jump out of her chair in a fright.

Who is it?! Interrupting my train of thought!

Xu Feng crossly put on her clothes, tightening her trousers before grabbing a small chair to stand on. She peered through the peephole.

Black hair, white T-shirt, sneakers, and shorts—a familiar-looking teenager!

It was Jiang Yun! He really came!

“Xu Feng! You brat, open the door! I know you’re home! You’re just being a shut-in, aren’t you?” Jiang Yun’s loud voice was noisy enough to trigger the voice-activated lights in the entire building. Luckily, it wasn’t so late that everyone was asleep.

Phew! Think of an identity excuse before opening the door!

Xu Feng took several deep breaths, straightening out the possible dialogue in her head before turning the handle.

Click.

Jiang Yun saw the door push outward.

“Finally opened up! How are you… eh?” Jiang Yun froze. The door was wide open, but the person standing there wasn’t Xu Feng at all. It was a cute little girl with flowing silver hair, looking like a little princess from the moon—though the men’s clothing was a bit of a point-deduction.

“Can I help you?” Xu Feng asked, pretending not to know him.

“Uh, um… do you know Xu Feng?” Jiang Yun’s voice dropped significantly. He was probably worried his loud shouting from before had left a bad impression on the girl.

So you can stop shouting? I didn’t know you had it in you, Jiang Yun.

Xu Feng thought to herself, but maintained a calm expression.

“You mean big brother? He went out.”

“Big brother?” Jiang Yun scratched the back of his head. He had seen Xu Feng’s actual younger sister, but the hair color and build didn’t match at all!

“Yeah, Xu Feng is my cousin,” Xu Feng continued to bluff with a straight face.

“Ohhh! I see! Is he feeling alright, then?”

“Yes, he’s doing very well.”

“That’s a relief. I won’t bother you then. Oh right, give these to him, and you can have some too.” Jiang Yun pulled a bag of fruit from behind him and handed it to the girl.

“Okay. I’ll thank him for you,” Xu Feng nodded and gave a small smile.

“Great, great. I’m off.” Jiang Yun turned around, but as he headed down the stairs, he kept looking back every three steps, as if trying to memorize the girl’s face.

Thud.

Xu Feng closed the door and put the fruit in the fridge.

Buzz! Buzz!

Her phone vibrated incessantly. Xu Feng turned it on, and a string of messages refreshed on the screen.

Jiang Yun: You little brat, Xu Feng! Since when did you have a beautiful cousin living with you! Something’s fishy!

Jiang Yun: Hiding a beauty in your golden house, eh? You’re actually doing it! Just don’t do anything that’ll get you “sentenced” in the middle of the night!

Jiang Yun: Anyway! You owe me for the emotional trauma! I was shouting so loud, I don’t know if I scared her! Come play games with me! Get your ass back online! Urgent urgent urgent urgent!

Jiang Yun, you really are single-minded when it comes to gaming, aren’t you?

Xu Feng shook her head helplessly.