"Mom?"
Bai Tingzhi gave the folded umbrella a few shakes, and the falling raindrops seemed to bloom like flowers in the light.
"Want to go see a movie?"
"Where's Dad?"
"Your dad's already at the theater. I just came back after some shopping to see if you were here."
Pretending to think it over, Bai Tingzhi hung the umbrella on the rack by the door.
"I'll pass today. I want to clean up a bit."
"Alright, then. You should get to bed early, too. Dad and I might be back late."
"Got it!"
The car window slid up, and in the rain-drenched night, the sound of the engine was startlingly clear before it faded back into the darkness.
Bai Tingzhi went upstairs to turn on the water heater, then returned to his room to lay out the clothes he'd wear later. He flopped onto the bed, exhausted. On his phone, the icon for the "Christmas Hat" platform lit up.
He lay there in a daze for a while before finally opening the app.
"Log in?"
After a moment's thought, Bai Tingzhi typed a few words on the screen: "Tomorrow night."
Ding!
"Okay," the other person replied instantly. Then, their game status changed from "Online" to "Hunting."
His arm drooped, covering his eyes. A wave of weariness washed over him, and he felt he could fall asleep at any moment. But the thought that he hadn't showered yet jolted him awake. If he slept in his own bed without washing, it would start to stink soon.
Bai Tingzhi steeled himself and made a decision.
Tomorrow, I'll settle that matter for good!
Half an hour later, he walked into the bathroom with newfound resolve.
After he slid the transparent door shut, the small space filled with hot steam, and the warm water relaxed his entire body.
"Hah—"
Too hot. A little cooler...
"Hiss!"
Now it's too cold!
Bai Tingzhi fiddled with the handle for more than five minutes, always just a hair's breadth away from the perfect water temperature.
Finally, he got it right. He let out a breath and began to enjoy the pleasant warmth. The water streamed over his long hair, down his cheeks, across his neck, collarbone, and navel, clinging to every inch of his flawless white skin.
Bai Tingzhi hummed happily, washing his body carefully with body wash and shampoo.
...Wait.
Something feels wrong.
In the steam-filled haze, he reached down, but there was... no sensation. It was as if he were touching a foreign object.
No feeling?
How is that possible? It was fine during the day, but now there's no feeling...
...No feeling at all. [1]
Bai Tingzhi's breath caught in his throat. A moment later, he was gasping for air. The thick water vapor made it impossible to focus, leaving him feeling weak and breathless.
After hastily finishing up, Bai Tingzhi stood in his room and looked down. At the object that seemed to have shrunk, his mind reeled, and he felt more and more like he was trapped in a chaotic, hazy dream.
Get to bed early. Just get some rest.
Bai Tingzhi quickly snuggled into his warm little bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the morning light was crisp and clean after the rain.
Bai Tingzhi got up, got dressed, and called Lin Yunian. Unfortunately, Lin Yunian had already left for his competition, so he had to set out alone.
The roads were mostly dry, and her sneakers made a clear, sharp sound on the cement pavement.
Go straight, and then over there...
Following the directions from memory, Bai Tingzhi navigated through the unfamiliar paths. Even though he had walked this way once before, it had been dark and she hadn't seen clearly, so he couldn't remember the specific route.
The general direction should be right, though.
"This can't be wrong..."
Bai Tingzhi looked around at the surrounding buildings in confusion. The old-fashioned apartment blocks stood six or seven stories high. But in his memory, the area with the grocery store was a patch of woodland within the city. How could there be buildings like this?
he hadn't seen this style of architecture on his way here last time. Not to mention, what he was looking at now were abandoned houses that looked like they hadn't been maintained in decades.
A creepy feeling spread through him, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Bai Tingzhi moved forward, his steps stiff and deliberate.
I forgot to check the almanac before I left this morning!
But after calming down, he reminded himself this wasn't the set of a ghost movie. He raised his head, and the dazzling sunlight hit him.
"How could there be a ghost in broad daylight..."
"Hello!"
A sudden greeting made Bai Tingzhi jump so hard his soul nearly left his body.
A girl in a black and white maid outfit was standing by the side of the road, waving at him.
"Would you like to come into the store to pick out some clothes you like?"
The girl was very enthusiastic, with a friendly, smiling face that quickly soothed Bai Tingzhi's inner hesitation.
But as his eyes fell on the shop window, his heart gave a jump.
Behind the plate-glass window, a pink and white wedding dress looked exquisite, even on the mannequin. Peeking inside, he could see all sorts of clothing: maid outfits, gothic lolita dresses... and in the corner, even some things that were not suitable for children!
"A women's clothing store..."
And not a very proper one, at that!
"If you see anything you need, you can come inside and choose carefully!"
"Uh, no, no thanks!" Bai Tingzhi waved his hands quickly, refusing awkwardly. It seemed he had been mistaken for a girl again.
"Well, feel free to stop by anytime." The girl smiled and replied, clutching a small notebook in her hands.
It took her a long walk to get away from that part of the city and back to a familiar street.
After wandering for a while longer, he finally saw the pine and bamboo forest that had seemed so menacing at dusk. It wasn't even noon yet, so it shouldn't be as scary now.
But looking at the dense, dark bamboo forest whistling in the wind, he suddenly felt a renewed urge to shrink back.
I should have called someone to come with me.
No matter how much he hesitated, it was just a waste of time. Steeling his heart, Bai Tingzhi stepped forward. He walked for what felt like an eternity, but the familiar house never appeared.
The long bamboo path seemed to have no end, no lights, and no people. It was as if all traces of that day had been washed away by the heavy rain, leaving nothing behind.
Bai Tingzhi walked to the spot where the grocery store had stood. There were only jagged rocks. The image of the building that was once there was already blurring in his mind.
He looked at the phone in his hand, wanting to call someone, but ultimately put it down.
The bamboo leaves rustled, the sound echoing in the empty space.
When he finally walked out of the forest path, he was back in the bustling town. The sense of reality from the steel jungle hit him, and Bai Tingzhi, who had felt close to suffocating, gasped for breath.
She leaned against a short ginkgo tree, bending over to catch his breath, his sweaty hair sticking to his forehead. Scattered spots of light danced in the wind, and a warm mountain breeze blew past.
He walked into a nearby convenience store to buy a bandage. He didn't know when it had happened, but several deep scratches had appeared between his fingers. The blood oozed out slowly, a fascinating sight. He had probably been scratched by bamboo leaves without realizing it, having been in too much of a hurry to notice.
He had been more panicked than he'd realized when he ran out of that forest.
The creak of the store's door was followed by light footsteps. A beautiful silhouette fell over him, its shadow covering his own just as he was about to stand up.
TL Notes:
[1] He didn't lose his little brother this time. It's still there but he can't feel anything from it anymore and it feels like a foreign object to him now.