I dug a pit about half a person deep by Erhai Lake, then sat in it, with only the tip of my head sticking out.

I felt incredibly safe because this box-sized space, without looking far ahead or behind, felt like my final resting place... I'm not crazy, I just had a close encounter with my future self, who will be dying decades from now.

Humans, whether lowly or great, all return to the earth after death.

I lit a cigarette, leaned against the earthen embankment, watched the leaves fall, and listened to the sound of the Erhai Lake's tides. Gradually, I relaxed... I imagined this place wasn't desolate, but rather a vast expanse of extravagance and prosperity that the world yearned for... Not a single light here could be extinguished by the wind; behind every mesmerizing light, there was a power source controlling it... And the human heart? The human heart is like a moth, knowing these mesmerizing lights won't kill, it desperately throws itself into their embrace... Suddenly, the power is switched off, the world plunges into darkness, and countless people fall to their deaths, leaving only the ruthless and insidious...

I think this world might be a giant lie. We can see the light, but we don't know where it comes from... And when the light disappears, all the extravagance and prosperity will be gone, just like the place where I am sitting now... The light comes, and another group of people flock in. With a whoosh, the light disappears again. These people are not burned to death, but they are thrown to their deaths... And so it goes on and on!

As I pondered, I suddenly realized that everything was insignificant, because the pain had already made me see through everything…

But the next instant, a feeling of suffocation came over me. The pit I was in was not my final destination, but suddenly turned into a trap. I saw jagged blades, their sharp edges slashing towards me...

I threw away the cigarette and hurriedly jumped out of the pit.

...

I let out a heavy breath. The world outside the pit hadn't changed at all. Erhai Lake was still Erhai Lake, and the setting sun, as always, slid down behind Cangshan Mountain with a shy, half-hidden appearance... In its place, the moon hung over the eastern side of the lake. The moonlight was tender and blurry, yet it intertwined with the afterglow of the setting sun, indistinguishable from each other.

Another gust of wind blew across the sea, as if blowing away some of the obstacles in my heart, allowing me to see the strong will to survive deep within my soul!

I finally want to find a place where I can cook, stir-fry potatoes with the smoked meat Lao Mi sent me, steam sausages, and cook a pot of white rice porridge!

Yes, I must live, for my body, for my family, for love, and for this ever-changing world!

...

Just before I got on my motorcycle to leave, I received a WeChat message from Ye Zhi, as if I had escaped from a desperate situation: "I've finished taking care of things in Xishuangbanna and I'm planning to fly to Dali again. It's not just a stop along the way, it's a special trip!"