When her body felt as if it were floating one moment and landing the next, Wen Xiaoyue realized she had returned to that lucid dream. She was no stranger to lucid dreaming, but these two recent occurrences felt exceptionally lifelike. She could not wake up easily; it was as if they were realities happening in a parallel world.
In her current dream, she had returned to the music classroom. In the vast space, there were only two people, and she could almost hear their breathing. She sat in the center of the first row wearing a formal suit, looking very much like a judge presiding over a trial.
On the stage, You Xinghai was not wearing her school uniform. Instead, she wore a long black dress with a hem that resembled butterfly wings. It fluttered with her movements as if she were ready to leave the flowers behind and fly to an unreachable shore. She sat tall on the piano bench, carefully observing the keys with a focused expression and an indifferent gaze. She did not look like her usual foolish self. Instead, she looked like a true high born lady.
Wen Xiaoyue noticed that You Xinghai’s usual high ponytail had been let down. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, and a few strands draped over her shoulders, adding a touch of beautiful chaos to the exquisite scene.
Suddenly, the stage lights converged in the center. You Xinghai’s exposed skin seemed to be lined with gold. Her ivory arms moved gracefully, and her distinct fingertips teased the keys. The music began as a light and cheerful tune, like an innocent girl twirling in a meadow with sunlight falling on her bright dress. Then, the tempo quickened. The once blue sky was covered by dark clouds, and the girl fled the fields. The animals on the ground sensed the unrest and stamped their hooves anxiously. At the climax of the music, heavy rain poured down, lightning split trees, and thunder destroyed love. Floods wiped out villages, and refugees fled in groups as the tragic night echoed with lamentations.
Wen Xiaoyue watched the person on stage without blinking. That cold, detached deity finally seemed to shed a single crocodile tear as the melody shifted from sorrow to calm. People returned from all over to rebuild their homes and help one another. The dark clouds were finally pierced, and sunlight returned to the world, bringing a bittersweet conclusion to the thrilling story.
When the song ended, You Xinghai seemed to snap out of it, and a few ripples appeared in her watery eyes. The sudden sound of applause caught the performer’s attention. You Xinghai turned her head and met Wen Xiaoyue’s eyes. Time seemed to stand still. You Xinghai looked Wen Xiaoyue up and down, noting her formal attire and elegant aura. She curled her lips and reached out her hand.
“I wonder if I might have the honor of playing a duet with you, Miss?”
Wen Xiaoyue was stunned for a moment before showing a proud smile. “My skills are very good. I wonder if you can keep up?”
You Xinghai raised her chin, her eyes shining like diamonds. “Then I shall have to see for myself.”
In the dream, Wen Xiaoyue stood before the piano with just a thought, her back straight like a little peacock. Once she was on stage, her formal suit transformed into a long white dress with a ribbon tied at the neck. The area from her collarbone to her shoulders was covered in translucent silk, while the rest was made of magnificent pearl colored fabric adorned with sparkling gems. The dress was cut at the knees, and the hem resembled a mermaid’s tail with layers of white gauze sewn at the bottom. She looked as if she were a mermaid princess who had just swallowed a witch’s potion to turn her tail into legs and had come to the castle despite the pain.
You Xinghai stared at her without blinking and only recovered after the other girl sat down. It took her a half second to turn her head away. She thought to herself that the girl was truly a mermaid princess. Wen Xiaoyue did not notice anything strange. She smiled and asked, “Do you want to start first?”
You Xinghai placed her hands on the keys. At such a close distance, the other girl’s breathing seemed to intertwine with her own. She could even feel a faint breath that tickled her heart like a feather. You Xinghai did not turn her head; she only dared to catch glimpses of that blinding light out of the corner of her eye. She asked, “What, are you afraid?”
Wen Xiaoyue replied, “Heh, I would be afraid?”
Wen Xiaoyue’s emotions were easily stirred, and she began to play immediately. You Xinghai lowered her eyelids and glanced at their arms, which were nearly touching. Her heart felt as if it were being suspended like a trapeze artist. This was very strange. She pressed the keys in a daze, and her consciousness was not as clear as it had been during her solo. She felt as if she were in a half awake state. At first, the music was not in harmony. They had to adapt to each other’s rhythm bit by bit, like two different hearts cautiously drawing closer.
As the melody became synchronized, their drifting thoughts finally returned to the right track. They found their mutual understanding and enjoyed the moment with all their hearts. Neither of them noticed that the empty music classroom was gradually dissolving into nothingness. The dark world gained color because of the music. Stars gathered from all directions, and spirits held hands, dancing around them and scattering a dreamlike glow. Playful fairies used colorful ink to paint shawls for them. One was a deep blue night sky painted with stars, and the other was a vast white cloud filled with flowers. The shawls drifted freely with the melody, sometimes snapping like flags and sometimes trembling like paper.
When the rhythm reached its peak, countless creatures arrived. Bubbles landed on You Xinghai’s head, a squirrel jumped onto Wen Xiaoyue’s shoulder, and rabbits and squirrels pulled out instruments from nowhere to sway with the melody.
Happy times are always short lived. The music gradually grew lower, and the echoes resonated in the depths of the universe. You Xinghai’s eyelashes fluttered as she suddenly looked up. The boundless starry sky was rotating in reverse. She suddenly realized what a beautiful dream this was. She had once fantasized about such a scene while lying in a hospital bed, listening to the ticking of machines and staring at the empty ceiling. Now, had it finally come true? She turned her head slightly to look at Wen Xiaoyue’s focused profile. Something seemed to bloom quietly in her heart.
Wen Xiaoyue walked through the ocean without a destination. Far away on the horizon, a figure suddenly appeared and waved to her from a distance. She did not have many friends or family who could not live without her, so who would be waiting for her so persistently in the distance? Although her logic told her otherwise, her surging emotions made her instinctively run toward that person. Each step splashed water into the air like a dolphin leaping from the sea. She jumped higher and higher until she finally leaped into the air.
Wen Xiaoyue snapped her eyes open. Before her consciousness fully returned, she saw the usual ceiling, the bed curtains, and the medical equipment standing by the bed. She was silent for a while before finally remembering that she was in the infirmary. She had been set up, caught a cold, and lost consciousness. Her fragmented memories told her that You Xinghai and Fu Dongxue had brought her to the infirmary.
Wen Xiaoyue pulled the cooling patch off her forehead. Her cheeks, which had been burning not long ago, had cooled down significantly. She was about to get up when she realized a corner of the quilt felt heavy. She looked toward that corner and saw You Xinghai’s head with her eyes closed and a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth.
Wen Xiaoyue decided not to hold it against the girl since she had helped and stayed by her side. She pulled back her feet and tried to sit up without disturbing You Xinghai. Her dizzy brain felt much better, as if sleeping and dreaming had cured all her ailments. Wen Xiaoyue shook her head slightly and looked at the sleeping You Xinghai with a look of helplessness. Although she did not know why she kept dreaming about this person, it was not so bad in a sense. At least she was only dreaming about playing the piano and not anything strange.
She quietly got out of bed without waking You Xinghai and found a stall to change her clothes. Her school uniform had been dried, though she did not know who had done it. She wondered when she had ever been so pathetic that she could not even control what was happening in the outside world. The feeling of being unable to grasp the whole situation caused a bit of displeasure to appear between her brows.
Wen Xiaoyue finished changing her clothes and glanced at the sleeping You Xinghai. She thought to herself that the girl was truly lighthearted to be able to sleep like that. However, since You Xinghai had saved her, she would surely reward her as she had promised, but not right now. Wen Xiaoyue gave a cold snort, and a thick gloom appeared in her dark eyes. She decided those who dared to set her up must pay the price.
Wen Xiaoyue left quietly without waking You Xinghai. She assumed the girl would wake up on her own soon and did not intend to remind her. However, this person who had always lacked a sense of security clearly underestimated the sleeping ability of someone who felt completely secure.
When night fell and the doctor was preparing to lock the door, she suddenly heard a sound inside the room. The doctor was startled and grabbed a protection stick from the drawer. She pointed it inside and shouted, “Who is it? Come out! If you do not speak, I will use this on you!”
As soon as she spoke, the wailing of a pitiful student came from the room. “I am innocent! I am not a thief! I just woke up!”
Wen Xiaoyue returned home with a heavy heart. The Wen family estate was a top tier property even in the wealthy district. The series of luxury villas, large gardens, and extravagant lawns boasted of their immense wealth to anyone who visited.
As soon as she entered the main building, her mother’s cold voice came from inside. “Why are you back so late?”
Wen Xiaoyue replied calmly without any emotional fluctuation, “Class ended a bit late and it delayed me.”
“Everyone is waiting for you. Take your seat immediately.”
Her eldest sister said with a smile, “I am afraid our little sister was having too much fun at school and forgot about our weekly family gathering.”
Wen Xiaoyue did not say a word. She simply signaled for a servant to take her bag to her room and walked into the dining room at a steady pace. Her family sat at the magnificent Western style long table. Her mother, the serious head of the family, sat at the head of the table. Another gentle mother served her on the right, while her two older sisters sat on the left.
She quietly sat in the last position on the left. Under the servant’s care, she washed her hands and wiped her utensils before looking up to meet everyone’s gaze without any emotion.
In this play, she was responsible for playing the role of the most disciplined and obedient eldest miss who always considered the family’s interests. She must never interfere with the roles of others.