Upon seeing those words, for some reason, a chill ran down my spine, causing me to shiver involuntarily.
I once saw this word in an extracurricular book.
Although I don't understand the specific meaning, I know that this is a devastating blow to a person's fate, spirit, and body.
I dared not read any further, so I gently closed the book and let out a long sigh.
Turning to look at Lingling beside him, he was still sitting there quietly.
He was fidgeting with his fingers, and I wondered what he was thinking.
Perhaps the contents of the book were too shocking, because when I faced Lingling again, I was no longer panicked as before.
I asked, "Ringling, this might be a bit rude of me to say it, but I'd like to know, are you human?"
When Lingling was surprised that I suddenly spoke to her, she was taken aback for a moment, and then she showed an innocent smile: "I am not human, I am a spirit, a higher existence."
I asked, full of confusion, "What is a spirit? Is it a ghost?"
Lingling wasn't angry when she heard what I said. She just waved her hand and said, "A spirit is not a ghost. Ghosts are evil creatures, but I have spiritual power."
"Spirit is probably the intelligence of a living being, a separate individual. Although it belongs to the soul, it also has a physical existence."
"Just like your friend said, I smell of grass, which is because I am the spirit of this ancient tree."
As he spoke, he pointed to the ancient tree next to the stone table.
I asked, my face full of shock, "You mean, you are this ancient tree?"
Lingling lowered her head and pondered my question: "You could say that my true form belongs here, which is why I can't leave this courtyard."
"My activity range cannot stray too far from my main body."
I looked at Lingling and tentatively asked, "Then, aren't you lonely?"
Lingling shook her head: "No, I don't have human emotions, so I don't have the feeling of loneliness."
"But it will definitely be boring."
“After all, I have lived here for hundreds of years.”
Listening to Lingling's words, I couldn't help but think of the rocking horse: "Then I understand why there's a rocking horse in this yard."
Lingling turned her head and looked at the lazy rocking horse: "Oh, you mean that one? That's not for me to play on, it's for my senior brother."
I couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Senior brother?"
Lingling nodded:
"When he's unhappy, he likes to sit there and space out."
"At that time, you may have the opportunity to meet him. He is a rather naive person, but also a very warm person."
"I heard he has a mission recently, and it seems to be quite troublesome."
As I listened to Lingling's description, I became a little curious about this so-called senior brother.
What kind of man would like this rocking horse?
Before we knew it, it was getting dark.
Lingling led me to the side hall where her master lived.
I went into a small room in the side hall. The room was simple, but it had all the necessities of life.
There were brand new bedding next to the bed, which looked like no one had ever used it.
I looked at this unfamiliar room, feeling somewhat lost and unsure of what to do.
I picked up my phone, glanced at it, and saw it was already past 7 p.m. I opened WeChat and saw a message from my roommate.
[Chen Xi, I heard you took a leave of absence from school? What happened? Are you coming back to live with us?]
Even some of my classmates, whom I get along with quite well, are asking about my situation.
And a message from my advisor: [Chen Xi, you have plans to take the postgraduate entrance exam. Taking a leave of absence now will disrupt your studies.]
[I advise you to think this over carefully and take responsibility for your future. Your teacher has high hopes for you.]
As I stared at each message, I fell into endless contemplation.
I don't know if what I did was right, but I couldn't just stand by and watch that happen.
If I did it but failed, I might blame myself for my incompetence.
But if I don't even do it, and the scene in my dream becomes reality, I will hate myself for the rest of my life!
I replied to everyone's messages one by one, and then collapsed onto the bed.
But in an unfamiliar environment, something always felt off.
It looks like another sleepless night is coming.
Around 2 a.m., I finally couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep.
[It's okay, don't be discouraged. Fighting is too painful, so let's just eat it all and say "I'm starting!" Let's become cute girls! Cute girls! Follow me and become even more outstanding!]
The alarm clock rang in my ears. I fumbled for my phone and turned it off.
Then, I sprang up like a zombie, sat blankly on the bed for a few seconds, rubbed my dry eyes, stretched, and prepared to get out of bed to wash up.
While brushing my teeth, I saw my haggard reflection in the mirror, touched the dark circles under my eyes, and sighed repeatedly.
Ever since that nightmare, I've hardly had a good night's sleep.
As I stepped out of the side hall, the sun had just risen, and I saw Uncle Ma holding a sword, practicing his kung fu in the area marked with a Tai Chi symbol.
The sword was wielded with such force in his hands that for a moment I felt as if I could hear the sword's cry.
When Uncle Ma saw me come out, he quickly changed his posture and executed a smooth, fluid sword-sheathing movement in one go.
I unconsciously clapped my hands and slowly walked to Uncle Ma's side: "Uncle Ma, do you practice your kung fu every morning?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
