Chapter 258 Epilogue - New World Arc (55)

The drizzle fell gently—

Yu Qingzhou was lost in memories of the past and did not notice when the boy beside her had moved closer again.

After changing positions, Li Nian's cheek no longer rubbed against Yu Qingzhou's shoulder, but slid down to his waist.

Even through a layer of clothing, you can feel the coolness of the other person's skin.

At the same time, warm breaths were interspersed throughout.

With the rhythm of the boy's breathing, two completely opposite sensations alternated back and forth.

I can't quite put my finger on how uncomfortable it was, but it felt rather strange.

In particular, if the position were even slightly off, the heat would directly hit the most ticklish spot on the lower back...

Yu Qingzhou wanted to use the same trick again, relying on her own strength to distance herself from the other party.

As soon as I moved, I realized that after the previous round of shifting, I was almost sleeping on the edge of the bed.

The good news is that Yu Qingzhou didn't fall directly to the ground because of the wall.

The bad news is that, because of the same wall, Yu Qingzhou can no longer move an inch.

The boy, following closely behind the heat source, continued his approaching motion due to inertia...

Almost instantly, he was stuck in the narrow space between the bed and the wall, completely sealed and unable to move.

Then, as if sensing that the moving heat source in front of him would no longer escape, the sleeping boy murmured incoherently with his eyes closed, and rubbed his head forward contentedly.

The cool tip of her nose was pressing against the itchy spot on Yu Qingzhou's waist.

Yu Qingzhou froze instantly.

A slight tingling sensation also ran through my scalp, like an itch in my waist, faint yet more unbearable than any real pain.

He took a deep breath to keep from screaming.

"...Li Nian."

"Li Nian, wake up."

Yu Qingzhou called out the boy's name, trying to wake him from his dream.

But all he received in response was a steady stream of breathing.

Li Nian seemed to be sleeping soundly...

So, did you dream about something happy?

Yu Qingzhou turned her body to examine the sleeping face of the boy in the darkness. She couldn't see it very clearly, but she could vaguely make out the curve of the corner of his mouth, which looked like a smile.

A moment later, Yu Qingzhou reached out and touched the boy's arm that was exposed under the blanket.

A distinct coolness immediately followed the touch of my palm.

It's so cold.

It's clear that Yu Qingzhou already has a low body temperature.

This young man was even colder than him.

Even in this respect, he bears a striking resemblance to a certain half-demon boy whom Yu Qingzhou knew well…

"Li Nian Ni—"

"Mother..."

A slightly muffled murmur stopped Yu Qingzhou from saying what she was about to say.

This also stopped what he was doing.

"Mother..."

The boy murmured in his sleep again, while simultaneously moving his head closer to the inside of the bed where Yu Qingzhou was.

This time, Yu Qingzhou did not immediately dodge.

Seemingly because he did not feel the previous estrangement and resistance, the boy in his sleep smiled, like a contented child, and even his indistinct murmurs were filled with joy.

turn out to be--

Did you dream of your mother?

Yu Qingzhou gazed at Li Nian quietly for a while, a sense of indescribable melancholy welling up in her heart.

After a brief pause, he finally reached out and pulled the blanket covering the other person up a little.

So be it.

He sighed inwardly.

Thinking that the boy's current predicament was related to her own, with her biological father indifferent and her only remaining mother no longer alive...

In such a situation, being able to meet one's deceased loved ones for a brief moment in a dream is surely a comforting thing.

Even Yu Qingzhou herself was the same.

If it were truly possible to remain immersed in dreams of the past and never wake up, I would probably wish I never had to...

Of course, if Yu Qingzhou knew the boy better at this moment, he would know that Li Nian rarely smiled when thinking of his birth mother... at least never a genuine smile like this.

Another point is that Li Nian is actually a very light sleeper.

It's hard for me to fall asleep. Even if I do fall asleep, I'll wake up immediately at the slightest sound, let alone when I have to be pushed and called like I just did.

Therefore, without a doubt, Li Nian was pretending to be asleep.

However, Yu Qingzhou was completely unaware of this.

Because he had no idea that one day in the future, the fully grown young man would suddenly tear off that pitiful mask in front of him.

When that time comes, if she has the opportunity to look back and examine this memory, Yu Qingzhou may make new discoveries...

Unfortunately, that's a matter for the future, and has nothing to do with Yu Qingzhou at this moment.

He was completely kept in the dark.

Therefore, I can fall back into a long-lost sweet dream, lulled by the sound of the night rain and the even breathing of the young man beside me.

(Why……)

As the background noise gradually subsided, someone asked softly.

(Why……)

(How could you so easily abandon me, abandon everyone, and leave all alone without any burden?)

Over and over again.

A faint murmur could be heard in the darkness.

A childlike voice, filled with disappointment, brimming with grievance and reluctance, quietly echoed in my mind—

Whose voice evokes such nostalgia and sadness just by hearing it?

Could it be... that girl named Zhenzhu?

No.

No.

Because he knew that it should happen in a more distant... more distant place.

So it's in the [past]?

—Or perhaps, in some yet-to-be-revealed "future"?

strangeness……

Why did that word suddenly come to mind again?

The future... it should be completely impossible just from the literal meaning of the words...

after all--

"...It is 'not yet here'."

Someone answered first—it was the voice in my head.

With a slightly timid tone, her voice was more confident than expected.

And the content was exactly what Yu Qingzhou was thinking.

Indeed, that's what he thought too.

Only that which has not yet been revealed, has not yet arrived, and is still hidden behind layers of mist, seems to have substance, yet can never be truly touched...

Only then can it be called the "future".

"Huh, from this perspective, the so-called 'future' and 'nothingness' actually have many similarities."

The voice spoke again.

"So could it be... that the two are actually the same thing?"

No.

Yu Qingzhou thought to herself, "It should still be different."

Because the future will never truly arrive.

No matter how hard people try, all they can ultimately reach is the present.

It's as if the past has never left, because it never even arrived.

And the future will eventually become the past through the present.

Just as the past will eventually... yes, eventually become the future.

It only takes a turn of the body.

"So... why is it just a matter of turning around?"

The voice asked the question again.

Rather than raising questions, it's more like organizing thoughts along the way.

Because human eyes are directional, the side that the eyes are facing is called the "front".

In contrast, the concept of "after" came into being.

But humans are not trees, unlike trees which are rooted in the soil and cannot easily turn around... From this point of view, humans are indeed more like ants.

Therefore, with just a turn of the head, the front and back are switched.

"Time is the same."

The voice murmured thoughtfully, its tone subtly rising, as if it had found some kind of interest in the sound.

"The future and the past are, in the end, just a turn of the head. And nothingness..."

Hearing the other person suddenly pause, and hearing their hesitant tone, Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but wonder in her heart.

What's wrong with 【nothingness】 again?

"They are completely different things."

Whether it was Yu Qingzhou's imagination or not, she seemed to hear a slight sense of sadness in that voice.

—Completely different?

"Because it is everywhere. Endless... with no beginning and no end. Because there is no direction, no matter how many times you turn around, it is just nothingness."

...

Why aren't you speaking?

There were some uneasy sounds.

Yu Qingzhou was simply thinking about what she had just heard.

"So, that's pretty impressive, isn't it? That being called 'Nothingness'..."

The voice paused for a moment before continuing tentatively, "Well, is it okay to say it like that? Let's just say it like that for now, since we can't find any other words to use."

...

"Why are you silent again? Did I say something wrong?"

That's not true.

Yu Qingzhou answered in his heart.

Then I heard that voice ask, almost nervously, "Do you...like that thing called 'nothingness'?"

Hmm, this question sounds a bit strange at first glance.

Yu Qingzhou didn't know whether she liked it or not. Besides, how could a person decide whether they liked or disliked something they had never seen before?

So the answer is no.

He answered truthfully.

At the same time, I became interested in the other party's motivation for asking the question.

And you? You sound a little unhappy?

Yu Qingzhou guessed: So, you hate it, right?

"That's right."

A more resolute answer than expected.

--Why?

Yu Qingzhou became increasingly curious.

"Because I don't want you to be taken away..."

—Stolen?

"Because once that happens, we will never be able to..."

The voice choked up.

—No more?

"We'll never see each other again..."

The voice spoke with a wronged tone, and then it started crying again.

The sound of crying echoed in Yu Qingzhou's heart, as if it were tearing at his heart, making him feel extremely sad as well.

He wanted to find that voice, to tell the other person face to face not to be afraid.

I'm right here, there's nothing to be afraid of.

But he couldn't do it...

It's impossible...

Just as the other party had feared, he was surrounded by bottomless darkness, with no way to escape...

The crying gradually faded.

Hearing that she was about to disappear into the darkness, Yu Qingzhou felt a sudden tightness in her chest and woke up with a start.

He stood there stunned for a long time before he finally came to his senses.

Realizing that everything that had happened was just another nightmare...

But why is it "again"?

"What are you thinking about, my dear roommate?"

A familiar voice came from nearby. As soon as Yu Qingzhou turned her head, she was met with a smiling young face.

The moment I saw that smiling face, two titles simultaneously came to mind—

Yu Qingzhou suddenly paused, opened her mouth, and finally uttered a stunned "E027?"