World of Dreams

A heavy rain in the middle of the night, accompanied by the howling wind, shattered the peaceful dreams in the room. Early the next morning, the rain stopped. The new greenery outside the window was as fresh as if dripping, and along with the morning sun, it indicated that today would be a fine day. Yan Xi stood on the terrace. The early spring wind still carried a piercing chill, yet she was wearing a thin patient gown, looking in a daze. The nurse who took care of her pushed the door open and saw this scene, immediately becoming a bit nervous. “Miss Yan, come back quickly. Don’t catch a cold.” After persuading Yan Xi back to the room, the nurse handed over the medicine on the tray. Yan Xi didn’t even look at it, just swallowed all of it directly, without furrowing her brows at all. The nurse looked at the red spots all over the girl’s face—these were the adverse reactions after using the new medicine. Not only did rashes appear, but there would also be severe joint pain. In fact, during these three years of Yan Xi being hospitalized due to illness, symptoms such as persistent fever, infections, vision loss, and severe headaches had appeared one after another. But the little girl stubbornly refused to utter a sound of pain, being so strong that it was heart - rending. The nurse was full of worry, “Mr. Xi said he would come to pick you home early this morning. You must take good care of yourself these days.” After being ill for these three years, all the data of Yan Xi’s physical conditions had improved, and finally she could be discharged from the hospital. Yan Xi politely thanked the nurse, but her expression was very calm and steady. She knew the nurse was happy for her, but was today really a day to celebrate? Yan Xi waited until the afternoon before receiving a notice from the nurse: her father, Xi Jinghang, had been in a traffic accident on the way and couldn't come. The nurse spoke with a hint of pity, thinking the girl must be disappointed, and even took the initiative to comfort her, saying Xi Jinghang would definitely come tomorrow. Yan Xi thought for a moment. "Can I be discharged alone? I'm an adult now." In fact, she would turn eighteen by the end of the day. The nurse was stunned. Even so, she didn't dare to agree immediately. "Let me ask the doctor first." Once the nurse left, Yan Xi dialed a number she hadn't called in ages. "Uncle, I want to go home. Can you arrange someone to pick me up?" There was a flurry of noise on the other end, followed by Yan Yunzhi's almost ecstatic voice. "Of course! Absolutely!" Even though Yan Yunzhi was abroad, half an hour later, a car sent by the Yan family pulled up downstairs. Sitting in the car, Yan Xi watched the street scenery receding, her expression dazed. In the three years since she was hospitalized, this was the first time she'd left the hospital and returned to this noisy, lively world. It felt as if every breath of air carried the scent of freedom. She couldn't help recalling the dream from last night, where the weightlessness of falling from a building still felt so real that she instinctively hugged her arms. ——No one could remain unaffected after dreaming of being framed and forced to jump to their death by their closest loved ones. For the past week, Yan Xi had had the same dream countless times, “jumping off buildings” over and over again. In those dreams, she found herself in the world of a stand - in (novel about an understudy's rise to glory). She was the sickly white moonlight—the villainess. The protagonist, Chen Xiangxiang, was a village girl from a poverty - stricken mountain area. Because her appearance resembled Yan Xi’s, she was adopted by Yan Xi’s father, Xi Jinghang, as a substitute. The (elite men) who had secretly loved Yan Xi, driven by unrequited love, used and tormented Chen Xiangxiang. Gradually, they were captivated by Chen Xiangxiang’s kindness, resilience, and self - improvement. Once they “saw the light,” they helped Chen Xiangxiang soar to stardom, making her a national sensation. In contrast, Yan Xi, once a brilliant socialite, became the negative example. Her true, ugly nature was exposed, and she plummeted from grace. In the end, she was disfigured by her former admirers and jumped off the 28th floor. ... The plot was absurd, and Yan Xi initially refused to believe it. But Xi Jinghang’s absence today felt like a slap across her face. She couldn’t passively wait for him to pick her up, just like in the dream, which was why she contacted Yan Yunzhi. She needed to go home and figure out exactly what was going on. —— Three hours later, the car pulled up to a villa compound. The yard of her family’s villa was decorated with lanterns and streamers, clearly prepared for a special occasion. Yan Xi was silent for a moment, then stepped forward to press her fingerprint on the gate’s password lock. However, the voice prompt indicated that the fingerprint wasn’t registered. She examined the lock—it was indeed the one she’d modified years ago, boasting top - notch performance that wouldn’t malfunction. She tried entering the password—and was told it was incorrect. Meanwhile, inside the three - story villa... Huo Ziang, holding a wine glass, leaned against the second - floor terrace and coldly eyed the furtive figure below. He beckoned a servant over. “Go send that woman away. Warn her this isn’t a place she’s welcome.” His stern expression even startled Fu Yuhuai, who whispered to the servant, “She’s probably some ill - mannered guest brought by someone. Just ask her to leave—no need to be too harsh on the girl.” Once the servant left, Fu Yuhuai turned to Huo Ziang with a smile. “Come on, Young Master Huo. Don’t be angry. I know you’re worried about Xiangxiang and don’t want riffraff crashing her birthday party...” Yan Xi lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly took out a specially made key from her small bag and forcefully unlocked the door. Fortunately, she had made an extra key back then and always carried it with her—otherwise, she might not have been able to enter today. When the servant rushed over, they saw Yan Xi walking straight toward the main door through the courtyard. The servant(sharply scolded), "Who are you? Who let you in? Get out now!" While quickly approaching Yan Xi, they whispered, "Miss, don’t you see what occasion it is today? Don’t make those young masters angry. Hurry and leave..." Yan Xi ignored them and instead looked at the flower wall in the yard, where "happy brithday" was written—obviously for a birthday celebration. At the center surrounded by flowers was a large character "Xiang" "Who is the banquet for today?" she asked the servant. The servant replied, "Who else but Miss Xiangxiang! Wait, why am I telling you this..." Yan Xi stared at the character "Xiang" for a moment, then turned and walked toward the main door. Just then, the door was**** (flung open), and a boy with a slicked - back hairstyle came out, frowning and complaining, "Why are we letting in all sorts of riffraff?" Yan Xi said flatly, "This is my home." She didn’t recognize this person at all—she should be the one asking why he was here. The guy with the slicked-back hair was about to retort, but his eyes suddenly fixed on Yan Xi's face. Though she wore a mask, her smooth forehead, willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and long raven-black eyelashes stood out—her eyes were as dark as ink, impossibly beautiful. He felt a strange sense of familiarity with those features, as if he’d seen them somewhere before. His gaze lingered on her face, and he grew curious about what the mask hid. Reaching out, he tried to pull off her mask: "It's rude to barge into someone's house wearing a mask..."