Click Please login to purchase points
Chapter Eighty-One: What a Small World
Under the setting sun, two overlapping shadows were stretched unusually long. After Suya slightly lowered her head, the heights of the two, which were already identical, perfectly matched.
After exchanging those initial words, Sumu quietly completed the remaining distance in silence and tranquility, which in the dream world felt like a fleeting moment.
At this moment, Sumu’s heart was in turmoil; she couldn’t think of anything. After pushing open the door and carelessly kicking off her sneakers, she walked toward the bedroom in her socks. By the time Suya rushed in after changing her shoes, all she heard was a loud bang.
The wooden door of Sumu’s bedroom slammed shut, and the sound of it being locked from the inside immediately came through, leaving Suya’s heart feeling suddenly cold.
Her fingers were about to touch the door panel, but they halted for an instant before contact, afraid to intrude further into Sumu’s little world, fearing more rejection.
On the other side of the door, Sumu leaned against it, staring blankly at the mottled ceiling.
She waited until the footsteps outside gradually faded away before sliding down the door weakly until she was sitting on the floor, her eyes failing to regain their luster.
“Irina, are dreams always this absurd?”
“…… Yes.”
Sumu simply wanted to light up the remaining memory points, not intending to fall deeper into the quagmire of the past. The moment she saw Suya, the intense sense of disharmony nearly brought her to a state of awakening.
This meant that she had almost been startled awake by Suya, which was even more thrilling than dreaming of a ghostly night raid.
“She can’t be some sort of monster that secretly slipped into my dream, taking on this form just to confuse me, right? Otherwise, how could she become so… strange?”
Sumu had intended to describe it as bizarre, but the words couldn’t escape her throat.
Perhaps she was also reluctant to further injure Suya, hoping that such a dream was indeed reality.
The more she understood her own thoughts, the clearer she became about the vast difference between reality and dreams.
So vast that merely recalling Suya felt absurd.
“If you’re tired, maybe you should take a break. Let’s stop here for today; you’re not going to get up for the 8 AM class tomorrow, even if you don’t take a leave of absence.”
Yes, I’m so tired, my head is so dizzy.
Let’s… stop here for today.
————————————
“Clang clang clang clang! Wooden Mouse, did you see the photos I sent you? I’ve already tidied up your room for you, even the bedding was paid for by me; you just need to move in with your bag. How about it, does it tempt you?”
Sumu looked suspiciously at the mattress that clearly showed signs of use.
“Are you sure you paid for it and didn’t dig it out of some clothing donation box?”
“Hey, don’t think so badly of me. I’m 100% certain; my mom bought it for me on my tenth birthday.”
Ye Wanjing crossed her arms, looking quite confident, leaving Sumu speechless.
But whenever she heard the word “my mom,” she couldn’t help but fall into a daze.
“Fine, I reluctantly agree, but I have my own stuff for the bed. Take your old antiques back, and help me set up the new ones.”
Sumu said absently, while sending the rental agreement to her dad.
Upon seeing the “ok” gesture from the other side, Sumu carelessly put away her phone.
After hearing Sumu’s words, Ye Wanjing’s eyes lit up, excitedly placing her hands on her hips. But noticing Sumu’s dazed expression, she became faintly worried.
“What’s wrong? Is the rent too much? If it really doesn’t work, I can pay half.”
“Really?”
Seeing Sumu suddenly come to her senses, Ye Wanjing wished she could take back the words she had just said.
My damn softness!
“We agreed that I would help you tidy up the bed. I only said that because you looked so uncomfortable…”
Sumu smiled faintly, no longer teasing Ye Wanjing.
“Just joking. But since we’ve already agreed, you must fulfill your obligation properly; at least don’t let the house turn into a garbage dump!”
“I can’t stand that kind of thing myself!”
Realizing she had been pranked, Ye Wanjing puffed up her cheeks and tugged at Sumu’s hair, making Sumu wince in pain. The two girls quickly became a tangled mess in the sofa area, long red and pink hair intertwined like a gigantic, multicolored yarn ball.
Tang Nai quietly retracted her head from the staircase and walked back to the balcony step by step.
Youth is wonderful; recovery is so quick.
Thinking back to Sumu’s sweaty appearance last night, Tang Nai took a gentle sip of milk tea.
Today, she wanted something sweet.
She was so busy helping her wipe off that she didn’t have time to take a picture, but it probably wouldn’t have looked good anyway.
Speaking of which, Xiao Mo has already taken care of things on their end, but why do I still have this ominous feeling?
At this point, let’s just have some tea.
————————————
This morning, Luo Jialan took her transfer exam, and this was her current mental state.
“Jialan-chan, you need to take good care of the guests… Why did you poke the ice cream cone into her nose? Hurry up and help her wipe it off. Sorry, guest; she’s new and is a bit out of sorts.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. We’re actually familiar with each other; just messing around.”
Upon hearing this, the store manager sighed in relief and quietly instructed a few things before turning back to the kitchen. Sumu then began to stretch her tongue, trying to lick the ice cream off her nose, looking quite amusing.
But Luo Jialan still wore a lifeless expression, which made Sumu think of Suya.
Something’s a bit off these days; why do I keep thinking of her when I see anyone?
“Sumu, will there be transfer exams next year?”
“Don’t be so down; what if everyone does poorly?”
Luo Jialan pouted, took a deep breath, and slowly voiced her worries.
“It seems like the answer sheet was vertical, but I marked it horizontally.”
“……”
Now Sumu was at a loss for how to comfort her, even though she knew of a shortcut that could help Luo Jialan forget her worries quickly.
But that was an unhealthy behavior that could lead to dependency, and it was best avoided no matter what.
“It’s okay; the Philosophy Department is quite good, at least it can increase your wisdom.”
“Is it?”
Luo Jialan looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, her pale purple eyes faintly reflecting the image of two bearded great philosophers standing together.
Unfortunately, that was just the cover of a philosophy textbook, and all Luo Jialan remembered was the cover.
“Speaking of which, when do you plan to lift the shackles?”
Sumu didn’t really want to return to her dream, otherwise, she would be troubled again.
That Suya, who appeared from nowhere, seemed to have settled in the layer-two dream home.
Although Suya wouldn’t appear in everyday life and rarely disturbed her sleep, whenever Sumu saw her, she would feel uncomfortable all over.
It was quite similar to the feeling that my mom seems a bit different lately; after all, according to Irina, she could very well be a faux person.
But Sumu really didn’t want to believe that a faux person could be so gentle, clumsily like herself.
The two sat together, only able to awkwardly look at each other, not knowing how to start a conversation, resembling the social anxiety of meeting awkwardly.
Silence among acquaintances is even more deadly.
Helpless, she could only consider switching her mood in Luo Jialan’s world; now, just thinking of Luo Linglan’s cold face oddly felt a little comforting.
“I can do it anytime, as long as you’re ready; what’s meant to happen will always come.”
Luo Jialan was already determined, unwavering.
“Can’t escape it?”
Sumu murmured to herself, and in the next moment, the ice cream poked at her nose again, this time due to her own distraction.
“Ah——”
“Jialan-chan…”
“This time it wasn’t me, manager!”
Walking around the campus, Sumu’s breath became a lot smoother.
The university campus was so much more beautiful than the dream world, with the very air filled with the scent of freedom.
Electives are often skipped, compulsory classes are also skipped; teachers and students respect each other, neither wishing to meet again next year, making them one of the most tacit partnerships in the world.
When the teacher knocked on the blackboard and began to outline the exam scope, the students would raise their heads in unison, listening attentively.
However, Sumu didn’t exist under the pressure of failing grades; after all, she was somewhat capable in exams.
During that time in middle school, aside from going online, all she could do was study.
Like Mi Xian, Sumu had a remarkably good memory; most of what she saw left an impression.
But after she started staying up late to play games, that ability began to decline gradually, especially evident after she became a laid-back university student.
However, now Sumu had become a magical girl, her magic index gradually helping her regain such abilities, even becoming sharper than before.
After the last deep dive into her dreams, Sumu had also done a period of training at the martial arts hall, and her magic index finally reached the upper limit of an ordinary person at 10%, no longer the weak female demon who could be easily knocked down.
However, further improvements would become increasingly difficult, but Sumu wasn’t worried about that now.
She was only concerned about her physical test results from back then.
“You’re Sumu, right? I never noticed you before; I didn’t expect you to perform so well last time. I heard those guys mention you finished the 1000 meters in 3:05, which is quite an impressive score for a girl. Have you considered track and field?”
“It was just luck, just luck; I can’t do that kind of thing, hahaha…”
Sumu forced a smile, looking at the sporty girl before her, who somewhat resembled Gu Xiaobei.
“It’s okay; if you’re interested, we always welcome you. I’m Gu Xiaonan, the ‘nan’ in ‘south.’ You can come find me at the track and field department.”
What a small world.
