Side Story: The Perfect World Line (Second Update)

Lu Yaqing knocked on the bedroom door, but there was no response after a long time.

She was a little surprised. Lu Chenyang never slept in, so what was wrong with him today?

"Mom's coming in, huh?" Lu Yaqing said as she pushed open the door. The scene that greeted her made her pause for a moment.

She was jokingly called a model of integrity by her neighbors, a natural-born policeman. The girl, with her legs wrapped around a blanket and a pillow in her arms, was fast asleep, chuckling to herself. Her drool was practically dripping from her mouth.

Lu Yaqing's vision went black and black again, but she couldn't help but laugh out loud. She stepped forward and touched her son's bright red ears, deliberately raising her voice: "Big dummy~ Get up!"

"Ah!" Startled by Lu Yaqing's shout, Lu Chenyang jumped out of bed and instinctively assumed a fighting stance.

After a while, Lu Chenyang, who had recovered his senses, sighed deeply and helplessly rubbed the messy hair on his head. "Mom, you don't have to be so stimulating when you wake me up."

"When did you learn to stay in bed so late?" You know, her eldest son gets up at six o'clock every morning to exercise, and he's more diligent than the little dog that the security guard in the downstairs room keeps.

"Having a sweet dream?" Lu Yaqing asked mysteriously, leaning closer with a gossipy look. "Which pretty girl did you dream about?"

"No, don't make wild guesses." Lu Chenyang nimbly got out of bed, put on his clothes, and headed out.

Lu Yaqing followed behind without giving up, determined to dig out gossip about her son. "Oh dear, did you dream about some handsome boy? Mom isn't some old-fashioned, boys are fine too, but he has to be handsome, at least as good as Xingxing."

"Okay, Mom." Lu Chenyang turned around helplessly to look at his gossipy mother, feeling more heartache than helplessness.

He did indeed have a dream, a dream that was both joyful and sorrowful.

In my dream, Lu Yaqing died, Chen Wanxing died, my grandfather died, and my grandmother was seriously ill.

But he could clearly tell that the dream was just a dream, and that what he was experiencing now was the real reality.

His family members are all alive.

He experienced emotional fluctuations because of his dream, but he wasn't sad; compared to the dream, he was incredibly happy.

After dealing with his mother, Lu Chenyang quickly washed up and changed his clothes. Once he put on his neat police academy uniform, his aura instantly rose to two meters and eighty centimeters.

"Mom, I'm leaving."

Lu Yaqing: "Hey, didn't we have no classes today? Why are you wearing a police uniform?"

As Lu Chenyang changed his shoes, he replied, "Brother Wanxing is on vacation today and said he'd take me to do some public service anti-fraud campaigns."

I jogged all the way to the entrance of the residential area, where Chen Wanxing's car was already waiting.

"Brother Wanxing." Lu Chenyang got into the passenger seat and casually picked up the steamed buns that Chen Wanxing had bought and started eating.

"Did you oversleep?" Chen Wanxing put a straw in the hot soy milk in her hand and handed it to her younger brother who was eating a steamed bun next to her, and then rubbed his head.

Lu Chenyang swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth, took a deep sip of hot soy milk, turned his head and stared at Chen Wanxing seriously, and inexplicably asked, "Brother, do you believe in reincarnation?"

After thinking for a moment, Lu Chenyang added, "Or a parallel world."

The light ahead was red, so Chen Wanxing stopped the car inside the zebra crossing and looked with interest at her younger brother, whose IQ seemed to have inexplicably dropped today. "Do you remember why I brought you out today?"

“I remember,” Lu Chenyang said. “It was for anti-fraud propaganda.”

Chen Wanxing raised an eyebrow and hummed in agreement. No explanation was given; everything was understood without words.

Lu Chenyang: "..." My brother is disliking me.

The two chatted idly about the anti-fraud awareness event that would be held at the comic convention later. Before arriving at the venue, a scene suddenly flashed through Lu Chenyang's mind.

In his dream, he remembered a man bringing a homemade gun into the event. Although he subdued the man, it caused quite a commotion.

So when he arrived at the scene, he half-coaxed and half-tricked Chen Wanxing, who had a formal police officer status, to find the person in charge of security for the event, and to increase the intensity of security checks and eliminate potential risks.

Actually, Lu Chenyang had another ulterior motive.

He always felt that the dream was both real and unreal, like another world where his first half of life overlapped so much, yet the trajectories of his life were so different.

Today's comic convention happens to be the first and only point of overlap between the dream and reality timelines. He wants to verify it.

If, if there really are terrorists with guns, does that mean... his dreams weren't all fabrications of his brain?

He was eager to know this because... because there was another very, very important person in his dream.

At first, he didn't pay much attention when he woke up from the dream, after all, he was a staunch materialist and a future people's policeman.

But on his way here, in just twenty-five minutes, he saw that person's advertisements on the big screens in the street, on the billboards by the roadside, and even on the mineral water bottle he had just drunk from.

The beautiful Yu Sheng from my dream.

Yu Sheng who would grab his neck and forcefully kiss him, Yu Sheng who shamelessly insisted on moving into his house, Yu Sheng who cried in his arms when she was sick, Yu Sheng whose hair turned white overnight because of him, and Yu Sheng who he vowed to protect for the rest of his life...

In the dream, that person was his.

Before he could snap out of his dream, Chen Wanxing yelled, "Stop him! Black clothes, baseball cap, denim crossbody bag—he's suspected of carrying dangerous incendiary devices!"

"Damn!" It's true!

Without thinking, Lu Chenyang jumped up from the spot, braced himself with one hand on the railing, leaped off the stands, landed, rolled, got up, and chased after the enemy.

Within seconds, the suspect was handcuffed behind his back and placed on the ground by Lu Chenyang.

"Danger cleared."

Lu Chenyang paused for a moment when he said those words. He had said the same thing in his dream.

It was because of this sentence that Yu Sheng in the dream chose him.

After handing the person over to Chen Wanxing, Lu Chenyang disregarded the public service announcement and turned to run out of the building.

"Hey, Yangyang," Chen Wanxing called out to him.

"Brother, I have to go now."

He ignored Chen Wanxing's calls from behind and ran wildly into the street to hail a taxi.

"Hey young man, where are you going?" the driver asked.

Yeah, where are we going?

Where should Yu Sheng be?

According to the timeline in the dream, Yu Sheng should be receiving treatment at Bai Hua's CIA at this time. However, the difference between dreams and reality is too great. Yu Sheng may have been as fortunate as him, avoiding all the tragedies of the first half of his life.

The taxi was still parked in front of the mall where the comic convention was being held, and Lu Chenyang was sweating profusely with anxiety.

He turned his head sharply and saw Yu Sheng's advertisement playing on a large screen in the mall.

Yes, Yu Sheng is a big star now. Check her Weibo!

[Casting has officially begun for director Wu Luoyu's debut film "Whale Fall," with three-time Best Actor winner Yu Sheng suspected of being the pre-selected male lead.]

[Yu Sheng responds to today's casting call with the co-director...]

The rest are leaked photos from fans and some videos taken by paparazzi.

Amidst the chaotic screams and praises, and the barrage of haters, Lu Chenyang finally discovered some useful information.

He breathed a sigh of relief; the reconnaissance course had finally come in handy.

Soon, the taxi stopped in front of a hotel that was both luxurious and had a natural, rustic style.

"Hello, sir... Officer, welcome to the Shuno Hotel." The doorman politely opened the door for Lu Chenyang.

Where is Yu Sheng?

The closer he got, the more confused Lu Chenyang became, and the more he wanted to see that person.

It felt like someone had installed an accelerator in his chest; his heart was pounding incessantly. He had to tighten his throat to prevent this overly excited organ from leaping out of his mouth.

He wanted to see him.

He longed for it so much that he walked towards the elevator. It seemed that the closer he got to that person, the more real the images of that dream became in his mind.

Those previously blurry and unreal fragments now transformed into frames of a playback tape, looping in his head, with sounds piercing his nerves from all directions.

-- Officer Lu, I really need you.

--Officer Lu, darling~ Mwah~

Officer Lu, I miss you so much.

-- Officer Lu, sometimes, even knights need to be protected.

And the last sentence:

--Lu Chenyang, let's get married.

"Officer, please wait a moment. You can't go in here."

Lu Chenyang stopped in a daze and realized that he had reached the top floor.

Two men who looked like bodyguards stopped him in a relatively friendly manner.

Lu Chenyang took two deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, but the door to the room in front of him seemed to have a bewitching power, swirling in all his composure and self-control.

“…Me.” Lu Chenyang pinched the bridge of his nose twice before finally uttering a complete sentence, “I’m looking for Yu Sheng.”

Bodyguard: "Excuse me, do you have an appointment?"

reserve?

Yes, Yu Sheng is a big star. He's just a nineteen-year-old college student who hasn't graduated yet; it's not that easy for him to meet Yu Sheng.

What reason could he give? What excuse could he make? But he's not good at lying, and he doesn't know how to lie.

Lu Chenyang could only state the facts: "Please tell Mr. Yu that someone named Lu Chenyang is looking for him."

He wanted to take a gamble on whether Yu Sheng had the same dream.

The bodyguard was very understanding and approachable. He responded and prepared to go inside to report.

"Wait..." Lu Chenyang said urgently, but then felt a little sad and disappointed. "Please tell him that I have something very important to do. If he doesn't have time right now, I can wait, as long as it takes."

The bodyguard quickly came out from the closed door and told Lu Chenyang that Yu Sheng was willing to see him, but he would have to wait a while.

“Sure,” Lu Chenyang answered without hesitation.

Lu Chenyang was led to a lounge downstairs. While waiting, he began searching online for all information about Yu Sheng.

He believed, no, he prayed, that Yu Sheng could be like him, without having to experience those terrible childhood encounters in his dreams.

As messages flashed by, Lu Chenyang's tense nerves gradually relaxed.

Yu Sheng's father, Yu Zhengcheng, died in a car accident shortly after his birth. He was raised by his mother, Qi Hanxing, and has an older sister, Yu Huaihan. Years ago, Yu Huaihan successfully took over the position of chairman of Dongyao International Bank from her grandfather, while her mother, Qi Hanxing, retired to run a media company behind the scenes.

Yu Sheng officially entered the entertainment industry at the age of eighteen, signing with Xinghua Media Company founded by his mother. He won the title of the youngest Best Actor in his first film, and became a sensation from then on.

Everything seems different, yet everything seems to be developing along the right trajectory.

Yu Sheng deserves such a wonderful life.

Lu Chenyang smiled and said the exact same words as in his dream to the beautiful Yu Sheng on his phone screen, "Congratulations, your dream has come true."

After Lu Chenyang had read through Yu Sheng's Weibo posts more than seventy times and thoroughly analyzed all of her supertopics, the door to the lounge finally opened.

"Clatter".

The two bodyguards were the first to enter.

Then, a pair of leather shoes stepped on the ground, making a crisp clattering sound, and dark trousers encased long, straight legs.

He casually unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his beautiful collarbone and a glimpse of his chest. His long neck and the slight movement of his Adam's apple added a touch of languid sexiness.

His face slowly lifted, revealing a clear and handsome profile. His eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, carrying a hint of a smile that was not quite a smile. His long, slightly curled wolf-tail hair fell casually down, with a few strands brushing past his ears, making him both alluring and unapproachable.

Lu Chenyang stared blankly, it was the same as in his dream, yet different.

His hair was still a healthy black.

His eyes stung, and Lu Chenyang quickly lowered his head to calm his agitated emotions. He raised his hand and pressed it against his chest, trying to calm his restless heart.

Yu Sheng sat opposite him, her legs crossed, revealing her fair ankles, which made Lu Chenyang squint again.

Before he could even think of an opening line, Yu Sheng on the other end spoke first, "Sir, no, officer, I heard you have something very important to discuss with me?"

Sir? Officer?

Lu Chenyang struggled to pull his gaze away from Yu Sheng's eyes, and lowered his head in disappointment.

Although he was mentally prepared, he was still inevitably disappointed when he realized that Yu Sheng did not have the same dream as him.

"Huh? Officer?" Yu Sheng spoke again, interrupting Lu Chenyang's panic.

"Oh," Lu Chenyang quickly replied.

He had just used "important matters" as an excuse to see Yu Sheng, originally intending to directly confess his dream to her.

But now that I've calmed down, if I were to actually recount that bizarre dream, I'm afraid I'd be mistaken for someone with a mental illness. The best outcome would be for the two bodyguards outside to throw me out like they would a stalker.

“It’s very important. I heard that the production team of ‘Whale Fall’ wants to hire Professor Lu Yaqing as the dance instructor.”

Lu Chenyang's mind raced, and in a short time he integrated and categorized all the information he had just gathered on Weibo, finally coming up with a way to smooth things over.

“Yes,” Yu Sheng replied with a smile, “but Teacher Lu declined. He said he’s preparing for an important musical and doesn’t have time to come to the production team to provide guidance. Do you have any way to help us get Teacher Lu here, officer?”

“Ah, hahaha,” Lu Chenyang laughed with a hint of bitterness, “Yes, Teacher Lu is my mother. If Mr. Yu needs it, I can tell Teacher Lu that you are my friend, and I’m sure my mother will give me that face.”

He had betrayed his beloved mother. Lu Chenyang apologized frantically in his heart.

There's nothing I can do, dear Mom. I'm sorry, but my marriage is more important.

Yu Sheng pursed her lips to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out, feigning flattery and excitedly said, "Really? Thank you so much, Officer Lu. You are truly our crew's savior."

The two chatted casually in the lounge for a while longer. Throughout, Lu Chenyang was the one trying to find topics to talk about, and Yu Sheng kept him company with a smile, making sure he didn't feel awkward.

It wasn't until the bodyguard knocked on the door and came in to ask if he was having dinner at the hotel that Lu Chenyang realized how late it was. He quickly got up to say goodbye.

Yu Sheng didn't stop him, politely escorted him to the hotel entrance, and even instructed the manager to call a car for Lu Chenyang.

Before leaving, Lu Chenyang put his hands in his pockets, his palms sweating as he held his phone.

Yu Sheng had just handed him her business card, but it was obvious that the information on such a big star's business card was directly linked to the agency, and was not a private number at all.

But he wanted Yu Sheng's private contact information.

“Mr. Yu,” Lu Chenyang said, taking out his phone. His voice was a little hoarse. “Since I invited my mother to the film crew to provide guidance under the guise of you being my friend, shouldn’t we exchange private contact information so that we can be considered friends?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Sheng raised one eye to scrutinize him closely.

That look sent a shiver down Lu Chenyang's spine, as if an electric current was coursing from the soles of his feet to the tips of his hair, leaving him feeling tingly and numb all over.

Just when Lu Chenyang thought his plan had failed, Yu Sheng took out her phone, opened the QR code, tilted her head and smiled at him, "Okay, I'd love to be friends with Officer Lu."

After seeing Lu Chenyang off, Yu Sheng stared at the departing car and finally couldn't recognize it, bursting into laughter with tears welling up in her eyes.

—'Now that we're WeChat friends, we're good friends!'

With such limited skills, you think you can hook me? You're just using the same old tricks he's used before.

After laughing enough, Yu Sheng raised her hand to brush her wind-blown hair back, murmuring, "A nineteen-year-old puppy, so cute."

(End of extra)