My mother’s words sent a chill down my spine. What did she mean, he was right beside me?
I quickly looked around, but there was nothing next to me.
“Mom…” My voice trembled. “Don’t scare me… Why can’t I see him?”
Seeing how frightened I was, my mother let out a heavy sigh. “Jing Yao,” she said, “even if you can’t see him, you must still uphold the virtues of a wife, understand?”
The phrase “uphold the virtues of a wife” grated on my ears and made me uncomfortable, but I agreed with my mother anyway.
Deep down, I wasn’t entirely convinced about the Chongxi ritual, but to avoid worrying my mother, I didn’t bring it up again.
As I entered university and received more education, I grew increasingly dismissive of Chongxi. I even began to suspect that my mother had made it all up to prevent me from dating too early.
What happened with that boy in my first year of high school might have just been a coincidence. I later heard that he had woken up, but with some lingering aftereffects.
The university campus was filled with vibrant young men and women, and couples were everywhere.
Whenever my roommates talked about their boyfriends and their relationships, it was hard not to feel a twinge of envy.
At that age, when feelings first begin to stir, what young woman doesn’t dream of romance?
After watching countless TV dramas and reading novels, I longed even more for a passionate, whirlwind romance.
The opportunity soon arrived.
One weekend, I was lying in my dorm room playing on my phone when my best friend, Su Weiwei, returned from outside and whispered mysteriously, “Jing Yao, there’s a class gathering tonight. Want to go? There’s a super handsome guy.”
I immediately sat up in bed, my eyes lighting up. “A handsome guy? Who?”
Su Weiwei gave me a knowing smile. “You’ll find out when you get there. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Seeing my hesitation, Su Weiwei slung an arm over my shoulder. “Come on, you’re already a sophomore. It’s not too early to make friends or date now. Besides, it’s just a gathering—it’s not like you have to find a boyfriend right away.”
Encouraged by Su Weiwei, I finally decided to join her for the gathering with the handsome guy.
It was still afternoon, and since the gathering was in the evening, I thought I could catch up on some sleep.
After letting Su Weiwei know, I lay down, closed my eyes, and folded my hands over my stomach.
Peaceful and serene.
Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I felt the Longxing Yupai I always wore grow slightly warm.
My mind grew hazy, as if I were dreaming yet still somewhat conscious.
Half-opening my eyes, I vaguely saw a man in red sitting by my bed. I couldn’t make out his face, but I could feel his gaze fixed on me.
His eyes were icy, and under his stare, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cellar, my entire body stiffening.
I tried to sit up, but it felt as if a thousand-pound stone were pressing down on me, leaving me unable to move even an inch. All I could do was watch helplessly as the man in red sat by my bed, looking down at me from above.
Who was he? How did he get into the girls’ dormitory?
I tried to call for help, but all that came out were incoherent sounds—I couldn’t form a single complete sentence.
Suddenly, a sharp, heart-wrenching pain shot through my arm, jolting me awake.
I bolted upright in bed and looked toward the side of the bed. There, I found only Su Weiwei, her face filled with terror. The man in red was nowhere to be seen.
"You hit me?" I rubbed my slightly reddened arm, looking at Su Weiwei with a resentful gaze.
Su Weiwei immediately said, "Xue Jingyao, were you having sleep paralysis? I was reading just now when I saw you with your eyes closed, mumbling incoherently. I thought you were having a nightmare and tried to wake you up."
"But no matter how much I called you, you wouldn't wake up. I had no choice but to pinch you a couple of times. You won't blame me, will you?"
I really have to thank you for that!
"By the way, what did you dream about?" Su Weiwei asked me curiously.
My eyes instinctively drifted to where the man in red had been sitting earlier. The sensation had felt so real, especially his gaze, which made me feel completely out of control.
I replied, "I dreamed there was a man sitting by my bed."
Upon hearing this, Su Weiwei immediately laughed. She raised her hand in a delicate gesture and poked my forehead, saying, "That's probably because you think about it during the day and dream about it at night. I think you've been too repressed by the ideas your mom drilled into you since childhood. Now's the time to break through that psychological barrier. Hurry up and get ready—tonight, you're going to stun everyone."
Su Weiwei had already dragged me out of bed, and the dream about the man in red was pushed to the back of my mind. It was just a strange dream, after all.
Su Weiwei and I were very close, so close that we could share everything. She even offered me her newly bought red dress.
The red dress paired beautifully with my long, slightly curled black hair. Combined with Su Weiwei's makeup skills, I was even amazed by my own reflection.
Our dorm had pooled money to buy a full-length mirror. I stood in front of it, admiring myself happily. Whether it was my imagination or not, I seemed to see a flash of red in the mirror, and at that moment, the Yupai felt slightly warm.
"Jingyao, take off that Yupai. It doesn't match your outfit at all. Wearing such a large piece of jade at your age looks so old-fashioned."
As she spoke, Su Weiwei took it off for me. Before I could even protest, she had already replaced it with a pearl necklace.
Then she tucked my Yupai under my pillow and pulled me toward the door.
"Let's go. We agreed to meet at the restaurant at seven," Su Weiwei urged.
I had no choice but to give up on wearing the Yupai again. Surely it wouldn't matter if I didn't wear it for just one night, right?
I was taking a chance.
For some reason, though, I felt a chill spreading from the hand Su Weiwei was holding, and a cold sensation shot up from my feet to my spine, making me break out in goosebumps all over.
It was my first time attending such a gathering, and I felt a bit reserved. Watching the other men and women chatting confidently, I couldn't help but feel envious.
Among them, I noticed a senior. He was slender, wearing a white shirt, looking clean and gentle. The confidence in his speech drew everyone's attention, including mine.
He was exactly the kind of perfect senior I had imagined while reading novels.
Su Weiwei told me that this senior's name was Song Lin, a prominent figure at the school, with countless girls pursuing him.
She nudged me with a wink. "I think this senior might be a little interested in you. His gaze keeps drifting toward you, intentionally or not. Do you want to give it a try?"
Ah, this… My mom's psychological conditioning runs too deep. Can I really try?
My mind recalled my mother's frequent words to me: he is right by your side, aware of your every move.
"Hah…"
Suddenly, a low, cold laugh came from behind me.