112 - Dungeon Growth Log

There was the sound of water droplets hitting the ground. Very soft. Yet very loud. It was akin to long, long ago, when after the rain ceased and sunlight returned, she would sit alone under the eaves, quietly listening to the residual raindrops falling from the eaves. The wind chime would ring, someone would laugh, but only under her eaves, the sound of water dripping, drop by drop, resembling someone crying. Luxurious clothing, elegant posture, her lofty mother gently caressing her cheek. "Just by opening your eyes, the class distinctions are determined..." Those beautiful lips softly uttered three words. "Little wretch." It seemed as though it had started to rain again. Despite it having just cleared up. Her mother's figure blurred. She couldn't even clearly remember her face. Because it was really so far away in time. As she raised her eyes, the sky that had just shown a rainbow turned gloomy again. The eaves that had been dripping now started pouring like a waterfall. Though the wind was so cold and fierce, even the sound of the wind chime seemed distant until it became inaudible. For a very long time. A long period of cold. The water droplets from the eaves resumed their dripping. Gradually, the darkness consumed everything, the cold receded, replaced by a familiar yet somewhat foreign warmth. She leaned against someone's back; it was very warm. “…Brother Ze.” The sound of water droplets, one after another. Somewhat cold, yet seeming to carry a bit of warmth. The person beneath her paused slightly, said nothing, silently carrying her forward. The journey was bumpy, but the youth walked steadily. Just like long, long ago. He could carry her a great distance to find a cure for her. The same slender shoulders, yet so warm, so comforting. "Shh…don’t speak," Chu Yi murmured, "Let me…dream a little longer." Whom it was no longer mattered. Even if it was merely a dream, she wished this dream could last longer, much longer. As though she didn't notice how the person beneath her stiffened momentarily. "Where… are we?" Effecting an orderly pace, Chu Yi softly questioned. It felt like many years ago. For a fleeting moment, Xia Ge was caught in a daze by the nostalgic scene. Without Ye Ze, the child of destiny, by her side, the medicinal effect of Tianmu Root could not be sustained. Calculating the time, Chu Yi's vision should be fading again. So, she bought a voice-changing potion from the store. She thought Chu Yi was awake yet somehow not. Life is but a fleeting dream, a half-slumber and half-awakening. The pain lies in her arduous plotting; upon reflection, it’s truly tiresome. Heart-wrenching. Chu Yi's voice was faint and hazy. —Let me dream a little longer. The path is so arduous, the lost road unyielding. If she could, then…let this child have a lovely dream. After all, this was Xia Ge’s debt to her. Xia Ge remained silent for a while, softly soothing her. Her transformed voice was somewhat hoarse. Yet gentle. “We’re on a journey.” Warm tears gently slid down, soaking Xia Ge’s already slightly damp clothing. The tears, making the cold fabric feel rather scorching. This was a beautiful dream within the White Dream Cavern. Why is there any need to cry? Chu Yi’s voice was choked with sobs, yet she clutched her shoulder and asked, word by word, “...What road is that?” Xia Ge replied softly, “The road of life.” After a pause, she smiled gently, “Just kidding.” Time seemed to reverse, and it was like that night, when a sky full of stars covered everything. Blindfolded, the little girl was carried by the youth, traveling a great distance under the stars. The little girl woke up, somewhat bewildered. “Where… are we?” “We’re on a journey.” “…What road?” “The road of life.” The youth was serious for a moment, then laughed, “Haha, just kidding. Sleep a bit more, I’ll get there soon.” The sound of water dripping in the stone cave continued. Although the tears soaked her clothes, Chu Yi’s heart was exceptionally calm. Like an insatiable black hole. The calm that made one suffocate. The person on her back had quieted down, but the warm tears still felt somewhat burning. Suddenly, Xia Ge felt a bit sad. Those confused times of endless wandering. That child had endured them with her. After a long while, when Xia Ge thought she had fallen asleep again, Chu Yi’s voice came back. Like a murmur of sleep-talking, “Brother, will you still look for that person?” Xia Ge replied softly, “No, not anymore.” Chu Yi seemed to chuckle, but the cave was too dark, and Xia Ge couldn’t see her. She only heard her low voice. “Then, will you leave me again?” Was this a dream? A beautiful dream for one person. Xia Ge remained silent for a long time. Perhaps she could be a bit more irresponsible, tell a white lie, and complete this person's beautiful dream. After all, this is the White Dream Cavern. Anything could be an illusion, anything could be a delusion. But try as she might, she couldn’t utter the words. Even if it’s considered as a dream. Unimportant lies, when told, remain unimportant. After all, some matters are truly insignificant. Like the sun in the sky being green; a lie of indifference since everyone knows what color the sun is and would just laugh it off. But sometimes, certain matters are different. They’re not lies. They are promises. They’re not something that vanish upon being spoken. Like her promise to Bean to live well. So, she’s here now. Some words, when spoken, are believed by someone. Even in a dream. If believed. One will still be hurt upon waking. No answer came for a long time. “...So hard.” Chu Yi slowly tightened her grip around the person’s neck, resting her head on her left shoulder, with rolling tears spilling out. The once proud girl at this moment turned into a crying child, choked up, whispering, “Brother, it’s hard.” “So very hard... really, extremely hard.” Walking alone on a path, really is unbearably hard. The girl was crying heartbrokenly. Xia Ge felt equally sad hearing it. Walking alone on a path is indeed very hard, but she couldn’t accompany her all the way. This child held a proper identity, a pampered young lady who could have a good life, return to the Chu family, indulged and cherished, living like the high and mighty sun. There might be loneliness. But it would be a splendid kind of loneliness. Yes, loneliness could be slightly hard. But, life’s path was long. After enduring the hardship, she would eventually find her piece of sweetness. As for her, a puppet master, such a path was inherently condemned by all, her own future uncertain, living in Dan Peak sounded nice, but she knew there was no guarantee she could really live peacefully there. A completely unnecessary entanglement. So, why suffer? The girl on her back was still crying. She intended to give someone a beautiful dream, yet ended up making the person cry until her eyes were swollen. Really a scoundrel, Summer Scoundrel. Xia Ge took a few steps, and finally couldn’t help but stop. She fumbled through her pockets, finding only two cherry blossom candies. For an instant, Xia Ge hesitated. The system sighed deeply, “You really are a scoundrel.” Xia Ge: “…” Xia Ge rummaged through her ring, despairingly finding only fasting pills and the two cherry blossom candies in her pocket. Nothing else remotely resembling candy. The girl on her back sobbed and sniffled. “Bitter…” Xia Ge remained silent for a bit, peeled a cherry blossom candy, and stuffed it into the girl’s mouth. For an instant, she didn’t want to think about those messy, complicated matters, about statuses. She only wanted. No more crying. No more feeling that life was bitter. It sounded heart-wrenching. After completing everything, Xia Ge readjusted the girl, who was slipping slightly, back onto her back. She continued walking forward, “No candied hawthorn this time, make do with candy, okay.” The taste of cherry blossom candy spread on her tongue. In an instant, it was as though she awoke from a long dream. Chu Yi stiffened slightly. “Though the road is bitter, have a candy. The road that has to be walked must still be walked,” Xia Ge muttered to herself, whether to herself or the person on her back, “...one day.” You will find your piece of sweetness. The taste of cherry blossom candy, sweet and lovely, like the blooming cherry blossoms in spring, vibrant yet with a hint of decay. Like that day in the library, bright sunlight filled with dust, and it seemed at that moment, with her charming allure, she saw the boy with the red hair ribbon staring at her with a pained and complicated gaze. And the falling candy. That cherry blossom-flavored candy. Despite Xia Ge's careful calculations and meticulous considerations, she never anticipated that the candy she left behind in the library would become her ultimate giveaway. Even less did she know that back then, Chu Yi had already seen her true form with her charming allure. —So that’s how it is. The girl on her back suddenly fell silent. Xia Ge didn’t find anything unusual, just assumed that the other had cried herself tired or had been coaxed by the candy, continuing her march forward. A butterfly silently flew out from the girl’s sleeve, landing on Chu Yi’s shoulder. “Brother.” The girl's voice was gentle, and her arms tightened slightly around Xia Ge's neck, "After so many years, Yi Yi really missed you." "…Did you occasionally think of me?" she asked. Xia Ge responded with a small "Hmm." Chu Yi chuckled softly. What a liar. It’s just… such a clever liar. Why wouldn’t she… even lie to her a bit in a dream? Xia Ge felt her clothes becoming wet again, hot, warm tears dripping one after another, and the girl murmured, "That’s really… great." "Brother is so great," Chu Yi whispered, "Certainly, there must be many, many people who like you.” Brother doesn’t want to stay with Yi Yi. So surely, she wants to be with someone else. Who could it be? Is it Ye Ze? Xia Ge paused, considering her awkward situation, then shook her head, "…No, I don’t think so." —No, there isn’t. But, Brother is a liar. She would never believe her again. "Yes, she is a liar." The sinister voice of the Fate Instrument echoed slowly in her ear, faintly with amusement. If the Charm Puppet could smile, its smile would be identical to that of the girl on Xia Ge’s back— Equally eerie. Chu Yi murmured, "If no one likes her, how can Brother be happy?" But, "Xia Wuyin" seemed so happy. She gently kissed Xia Ge’s long, black hair, "Brother must be in a lot of pain.” But that Brother surnamed Xia laughed every day. She left her, abandoned her, threw her to someone else. Her Brother, alone, could still… be very happy. Truly, heart-chilling. **Author's Note: Ah, an additional update, my head is getting bald. Tomorrow there will be an additional update because of a fish cannonball, probably, maybe, I guess. = = Achai gave up saving money and threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-11 23:38:47 こAsashiro Natsumoゞ threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-11 23:51:36 Gu Qingzhang threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 03:10:32 Seikiosokukukosike threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 07:58:48 Buyuki threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 08:11:29 Chongming threw 1 rocket at 2018-08-12 09:39:30 Haiyu Shindo threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 09:44:05 My Dream is Tall and Skinny! threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 13:42:23 Wangchuan Liuli Leng Moling threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 21:11:05 Xuexi threw 1 deep-water torpedo at 2018-08-12 21:36:40 Xuexi threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 21:40:53 Xuexi threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 21:41:03 Liu Liuliu threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 21:50:52 Soy Sauce Onlooker threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-12 22:53:05 Meow Meow Meow threw 1 hand grenade at 2018-08-12 23:30:58 Thank you little angels for the landmines, hand grenades, and especially Big Boss Xuexi’s deep-water torpedo!! My first torpedo, woo tat