Director Wang was utterly baffled. "What?

A hallucination?" he asked in confusion, glancing at Chang Yuncheng as well. Were the young couple still bickering?

Chang Yuncheng was at a loss for words, finding it both frustrating and funny; this woman’s mind was clearly not right, what was she thinking now! He strode over, grabbed Qi Yue’s wrist, and turned to leave.

As the two disappeared in a flash, a woman’s shriek echoed from outside. Director Wang felt no concern; instead, he shook his head slowly.

"These young people..." he murmured with a knowing smile that seemed to have seen through the world, lifting his large teacup and slurping down a big mouthful. "Hey, hey, who—who are you?

What kind of person are you? Are you a person or a ghost?" Having been dragged a few steps, Qi Yue finally sobered up and screamed.

The sound drew the attention of everyone nearby. Qi Yue quickly quieted down, looking around at the expressions of those watching her.

"They... they can all see you?" she whispered, her voice trembling, as she looked at the man still gripping her wrist, "Then, you are a real person..." Chang Yuncheng shook her arm off roughly.

"Why is your brain still so bizarre, you wretched woman! Am I real or not?" he snapped impatiently, "Hurry up and go, the food will get cold!" Qi Yue was pulled along forward.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." She called out, grabbing the man’s arm, "You, you, who exactly are you?" Chang Yuncheng turned his head to look at her with a hint of annoyance. "Who do you think I am?

Qi Yueliang, stop playing dumb. Don't you know who I am?" he said.

Qi Yue stared at him. "I, I know, I've been too tired lately, and sometimes my vision acts up..." she stammered, reaching out to wave her hand in front of her eyes.

First, her hand trembled, and then her jaw started to shake, "Sir, I... I don't know what's going on, but, but, I suppose I shouldn't have misunderstood..." Tears began to well up again as she spoke.

Chang Yuncheng looked at her. "Don't cause a scene here, let's talk inside." He said, pulling her with a large stride towards the back, casually flicking his wrist, sending the lunchbox accurately into the roadside trash can.

Qi Yue sat down on the ** bed, still trembling uncontrollably, watching the man pace back and forth in the small room, rummaging through things. "How come there isn't even any hot water?" he grumbled, yanking cabinets and drawers open and shut with clattering sounds.

"How have you been living?" He continued his stream of complaints. "...And the water cups?" "Definitely not here either..." Qi Yue watched him, biting her lower lip.

"You, you, you found out from where?" she suddenly asked. Chang Yuncheng, who was turning on the faucet, looked back at her.

"Your father." he replied. "You're lying." Qi Yue retorted.

Chang Yuncheng regarded her. The terror on the woman’s face faded, replaced by guarded vigilance.

He turned off the faucet and walked over. "My father doesn't know anything about my affairs at all." Qi Yue stated, looking at him, "Did Dr.

Li Xiaoli tell you? Did she find out when she hypnotized me?" Chang Yuncheng hooked a stool with his foot and sat opposite her.

"Look at this face of mine." He pointed to himself, then looked at Qi Yue, noting the woman before him... "And then look at your ghastly appearance..." Qi Yue instinctively reached up to touch her own face, then quickly pulled her hair forward, showing a hint of panic.

In this state, she probably did look like a ghost... "Even looking like this, I still recognize you." Chang Yuncheng continued, taking her hand and pulling it closer, looking into his eyes, "Why is it that you don't recognize me?

You woman, you are truly incorrigible!" Qi Yue looked at him, studying him piece by piece. "This is impossible..." she whispered, shaking her head, her nose stinging, "I know, in psychiatry, when hallucinations and delusions are severe..." "How is it impossible?

If you can come to my place, why can't I come to yours?" Chang Yuncheng argued, shaking her hand slightly to bring the woman back from the edge of hysteria, "Hey, before I came, they were worried about how much trouble I’d run into. Turns out, you are the most troublesome part." Qi Yue looked at him.

"But then again," Chang Yuncheng smiled again, pursing his lips in a particularly provoking manner, "You woman are trouble everywhere you go." Qi Yue looked at him, then abruptly stood up. They were sitting very close, and Chang Yuncheng still held her hand.

When she sprang up so suddenly, she nearly tumbled into his embrace. "You, why are you dressed like this?" she blurted out.

Chang Yuncheng looked up at her. "Nonsense, if I don't look like this, should I revert to my original appearance?

And get myself locked up as a lunatic?" he countered, "Abnormality attracts suspicion; I’m not an idiot." Qi Yue reached up and touched her head self-consciously. "Then whatever," she muttered, "Wear whatever you want." "What?" Chang Yuncheng asked, not quite catching that, reaching out to loop his arms around her waist as he did so.

"Let's go eat, let's go eat." Qi Yue said, pulling his hand away. Without waiting for Chang Yuncheng to respond, she hurried toward the exit, practically sprinting into the deepening night with a sudden urgency.

"Hey, what's the rush?" Chang Yuncheng chuckled, "Now you're hungry after all that rambling earlier..." "Hurry up, let's eat, and then we’ll go drinking and strolling..." Qi Yue urged without looking back, tightly clutching his hand as they ran forward. Hurry, the night is short....

Dreams are also very short.... The chirping of birds sounded near her ears.

Qi Yue, who had been dozing, flipped over on the pillow, frowning before even fully waking. Why am I so tired...

She reached out with her eyes closed to rub her lower back. It felt like she’d been beaten up...

Sore and weak all over... Is sleeping a dream exhausting now too?

She slowly opened her eyes. A sliver of morning light filtered through the curtain.

This is... the dormitory of the township clinic...

Last night, she returned? Qi Yue couldn't help but press her hand to her head.

Her mind felt utterly muddled. The dream from yesterday was so strange that her memories were somewhat jumbled.

She had dreamt of that man again yesterday, but the amusing part this time was that in the dream, she had actually made him look like a modern man. They went out to eat, ordered drinks, and after drinking, they went shopping, walking hand-in-hand, chatting and laughing along the streets.

Just like before, she was doing the things in the dream she had always wanted to do but never truly enjoyed—happy moments spent together. Of course, there were also the intimate acts done with the one she loved...

A moment of intense pleasure. Qi Yue closed her eyes briefly, a tear slipping down, then opened them again, reaching out to pull the blanket down.

The blanket slipped away, exposing her smooth upper body. Where was her nightgown...

Qi Yue finally noticed she was completely bare, and then her gaze fell upon the marks on her skin... The traces left after consummation...

She yanked the blanket up over herself violently. Heavens, had she gone beyond just having intense dreams?

Had she actually done... that to herself?

The door was pushed open at that moment. Qi Yue cried out in fright.

"Awake?" Chang Yuncheng asked, closing the door behind him with his free hand. Qi Yue stared at him dumbfounded.

This man had short hair, looked energetic, and was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, his sleeves rolled up to reveal strong, firm wrists. He held a steaming bowl in his hand.

He walked toward the bed step by step. "The canteen made porridge, get up and eat." he said, placing the bowl on the bedside table.

Seeing the woman still staring blankly at him, he couldn't help but frown, "Qi Yueliang, don't tell me you're starting up again?" Qi Yue looked at him listlessly. "Why didn't you just dissipate like a bubble?" she murmured, reaching out a hand, "Like before..." Perhaps this was just another dream she wouldn't wake from....

But a dream was a dream; she had to wake up. She wasn't living just for herself; she couldn't let those who loved her bear more pain.

She withdrew her hand and slammed it hard against the nearby wall. Pain was the strongest proof of living existence.

Only pain proved one was alive. Chang Yuncheng reached out to stop her, settling onto the ** as he did.

"Qi Yueliang, this is real." he said, then stood up and swiftly drew back the curtains. Bright morning light flooded in, illuminating the room splendidly.

Qi Yue automatically raised a hand to shield her eyes. Chang Yuncheng then opened the window wide.

"Hey, Old Man Zhang!" he called down towards the ground floor, "Call me when the buns are steamed!" "Alright, Little Comrade Chang, I’ve already cut the pickles too." A loud voice responded. That was the voice of Old Man Zhang, who looked after the gate and acted as the cook.

The window being open let in the mountain breeze. Birdsong, crisp air, enthusiastic sunlight, the talking downstairs, the occasional sputtering tractor passing by on the street, the cry of someone’s child.

Qi Yue suddenly threw off the covers and lunged toward Chang Yuncheng by the window. The naked, fair-skinned woman embraced him, startling Chang Yuncheng.

He quickly pulled the curtains shut again. "What are you doing!

What kind of state are you in!" he exclaimed. Qi Yue was already sobbing in his arms.

"This is impossible, impossible." she repeated constantly. Chang Yuncheng picked her up and tossed her back onto the ** before wrapping her in the blanket again, then smiled and reached out to wipe her tears.

"What do you mean impossible?" he asked, looking at her tear-streaked, cat-like face, his rough palm slowly stroking her cheek, "Didn't you also say it was impossible to abandon me? Yet you did, didn't you?

You showed up, and then just left. What did you take us for?" Qi Yue wriggled out of the blanket, grabbing his neck.

"What about them? Are they all right?" she cried.

"How could they be all right?" Chang Yuncheng shook his head. Qi Yue wept even harder.

"But, everyone will be fine. They originally asked me to bring you things, but I don't know what happened; I didn't bring anything over." Chang Yuncheng explained.

"This really isn't a dream?" Qi Yue asked, touching his face, "You won't suddenly vanish? You won't disappear while I'm holding you?" "You wretched woman, are you ever going to stop!" Chang Yuncheng shouted with a frown, "What are you thinking?

Is your brain still foggy?" "You don't know this feeling!" Qi Yue shouted back. Chang Yuncheng looked at her.

"I know." he said. Qi Yue paused, looking at him.

"I know, back then, I felt like this every single day." Chang Yuncheng looked back at her and smiled faintly, "Being with you at night, and then by morning, you were gone. While we were talking, while you were smiling at me, while you were in my arms—any time—pop..." He snapped his fingers, mimicking the sound of a bubble bursting.

"Gone." he finished. Qi Yue looked at him, reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her face close, tears flowing down Chang Yuncheng’s face and neck.

"Then, it won't happen again in the future," she whispered. Chang Yuncheng gripped her waist, kissed her cheek, and hummed in affirmation.

Because of the force of his grip, Qi Yue let out a small moan. "My waist..." she said, "It feels like it’s going to snap..." Chang Yuncheng chuckled.

"That's not my fault; you asked me to squeeze you," he leaned in close and laughed softly. A ripple of warmth spread as his breath brushed her ear.

"Everything from last night, was it real?" Qi Yue tilted her head to ask him. Chang Yuncheng smiled faintly.

"I forgot." he replied, "Yes, is it real or fake?" Qi Yue stared at him, stunned. "Then, let's try it one more time, and we’ll know if it's real or fake?" Chang Yuncheng said, flashing a grin with his white teeth, then covered Qi Yue's lips with his own, flipping over and pressing the woman beneath him.

The mountain wind swept through the open window, rustling the curtains, offering a glimpse into the room’s intoxicating beauty. Sorry for the delay, the time dedicated to updates keeps shifting.

I'll try to adjust soon, but, hehe, it’s almost over anyway. Thank you all.

RS