Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“No… don’t… be scared.” Xu Lan was aware that a violent surge was on the brink of making its assault. Even the void was starting to tremble.
He did not know where that force came from. In what seemed like the last glimmer of life’s light, he pulled Bai Wu into his arms.
“Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared. Papa’s here…” Midway through the sentence, Xu Lan fainted, but his arms hugged Bai Wu tightly till the very end.
Despite Bai Wu’s assistance, Xu Lan was still unable to withstand the pressure brought on by the void.
Then came a loud rumble, and the entirety of the void’s composite force collided together, creating a monstrous impact. Bai Wu opened his eyes, and apart from the darkly-scorched Xu Lan, everything around him was an endless brightness that extended seemingly everywhere.
“Papa!” Bai Wu let out a shout and subsequently fainted.
It was a place verdant and lush with trees as well as flowers. Lotuses adorned the like while pomegranate flowers graced its edges. Concealed in the trees were cicadas that sang tirelessly. Fishes vied greedily for the shade offered by mats of water plants. Downstairs, kids in twos and threes circled amongst themselves; they either played card games or rolled hoops. There were a few who buried their heads in books, studying their exercise books diligently like the good students that they were.
One of the boys had lost all his cards in a game. He climbed to the edge of the window and observed another child doing some homework inside.
“Hey, Bai Wu, aren’t you gonna come out and play?”
The child went over to the window while biting a pencil. With eyes that envied the other children, he replied, “Mama said it’s too hot out there. She won’t allow me to go out.”
“Pfft. Why are you so girly? Look at me, see how manly I am!” The boy rubbed his hand along his sleeve and revealed his suntanned biceps. “Come on, follow me! I’ll bring you to catch some loaches.”
His alluring bright smile led the boy to climb out of the window, but when they made a run for it, a married woman began scolding and chasing after him.
“Xu Er! Stand right where you are!”
“AH!” Xu Lan jumped right up and sat down. His body was wet all over as a result of cold sweat. A cramping, bone-piercing pain slowly came over him.
Xu Lan scanned his eyes across the room. It was his original rented room, and even the décor was left untouched. The clock on the wall stated that it was half-past two in the afternoon.
“Bai Wu?” He tried to call out to the boy but the cramped room remained a deathly silent.
He laid back down on the bed. The pain in his body was intense and very much real. Was he still alive? Did he return to the world where he came from?
He lifted his hand and gave himself a slap. F*ck! It was painful!
Tears started falling uncontrollably. He was no longer able to determine whether it was a dream or not. Adding to that was a feeling in his mind that signaled for him to be prepared himself, while his heart ached dully.
Was it a dream?
Xu Lan looked out the window and saw the vibrant green of tree leaves as well as the scorching-hot weather. Was it summer already? He sighed. Time passed by too rapidly.
For another half an hour, he continued lying down on the bed. Finally, he had to answer nature’s call, so he used the walls as support and slowly began heading toward the toilet.
“F*ck!”
“Papa, you’re awake!” Bai Wu’s eyes glimmered. He was just about to squat down, upon seeing Xu Lan, he pulled up his pants and came running over to hug the man.
Mm, the hug felt really meaningful!
Xu Lan cupped Bai Wu’s face and carefully scrutinized every detail: the fiery-red pupils, the crescent-like eyes, and the tear mole below the eye!
Slap! Five blood-red finger marks slowly began to surface from the boy’s tender pale face.
“Papa!”
“Is it painful?” Xu Lan’s eyes were opened as wide as a treasure hunter who was waiting for the doorway to a secret treasure to open.
“No! Hmph!” Bai Wu angrily turned his body and continued squatting down in the toilet.
Xu Lan could not believe his eyes; he slapped himself once more and bloody hell, it hurt even worse than before!
“I’m not dead? We managed to go through the crack?” In a high-pitched voice, Xu Lan asked suddenly. He did not seem to mind that Bai Wu was in the toilet.