Qin Nan lay bewildered on the back of a beast. Its pure white fur was very soft. Qin Nan sat up and looked at the scene rushing past. The woman had already been left far behind.
He turned around and looked at the beast head in front of him with its back to him. Its furry ears made him want to touch them, and he could vaguely see a horn on its forehead.
Before long, Bai Hao led the group to a wasteland on the outskirts of the city, where a pavilion stood out abruptly.
Bai Hao put down Zhou Miao and the other two, then transformed into human form to catch Qin Nan and gently put her down.
Zhou Miao was shocked but remained relatively calm, while Lü Zeqi was so excited that he couldn't speak. This was simply a spectacle!
Before Qin Nan could think any further, she felt the ground beneath her feet shake, and then the town area in the distance collapsed instantly. Bai Hao pulled Qin Nan into the pavilion, and Lü Zeqi quickly pulled Zhou Miao into the pavilion as well.
Bai Hao stood by the pavilion, took out a lighter from his waist bag, and lit the dry grass outside the pavilion. The fire gradually spread out, and the fire was red. The burned areas were colored, and the original wasteland began to turn green. A water mirror slowly emerged in the middle of the pavilion.
Bai Hao: "Get out."
Lu Zeqi glanced at Qin Nan, who hadn't moved, then pulled Zhou Miao, who was holding Zhou Xuan, through the water mirror. They came out to Zhou Miao's room.
Qin Nan looked at Bai Hao, not in a hurry to leave. Although she was afraid, she couldn't abandon Bai Hao.
Bai Hao turned around and saw Qin Nan. He was slightly taken aback, then smiled, his eyes holding an unreadable meaning. He then got up, took Qin Nan's hand, and led her through the water mirror to leave.
As soon as the two left, the water mirror in the pavilion slowly disappeared, the pavilion collapsed with a crash, everything in the dream was colored, and then the whole world shattered and disappeared, leaving only a vast white void.
Bai Hao and Qin Nan had just come out when Zhou Miao was rummaging around the room, while Lü Zeqi, looking puzzled, closed the door to block out the sunlight.
Bai Hao released Qin Nan, took out some incense from his pouch, lit it with a lighter, and the wisps of smoke filled the room. A child's phantom appeared beside the bed, looking very unreal.
Zhou Xuan was already somewhat conscious, looking at Zhou Miao with guilt and sadness. It was his mother who had made a mistake, and had almost caused Zhou Miao's mother's death.
The first time he felt Zhou Miao being pulled into a dream, he wanted to get him out, but he wasn't strong enough, so he could only try to prevent Zhou Miao from encountering his mother. But later he couldn't bear it anymore, so Zhou Miao felt pain.
Zhou Xuan was filled with despair as Zhou Miao entered the dream, and could only do his best to help her.
Zhou Miao looked at Zhou Xuan for a long time, "That has nothing to do with you, it's not your fault."
Zhou Xuan lowered his head, and Bai Hao gently patted Zhou Xuan's head before looking at Zhou Miao, "If he still had the chance to be your younger brother, would you accept it?"
Zhou Miao looked at Bai Hao, "What do you mean?"
Bai Hao smiled, placed the incense stick in his hand on the table, then took out a talisman, folded it into a triangle, and had Zhou Xuan hold it in his mouth. Zhou Xuan looked at the talisman, then turned to look at Zhou Miao, seemingly seeking his opinion.
Zhou Miao paused for a moment, then said, "Listen to him."
Zhou Xuan smiled gently, his eyes seemingly shining, then took the talisman and put it in his mouth. His body then turned into white light and disappeared.
Bai Hao extinguished the incense stick, put it away, and then opened the door. A breeze blew in, making the room feel fresh. The birdcage on the floor had long since turned into a pile of ashes.
Lu Zeqi drew back the curtains and opened the window. The dream was so suffocating that he felt almost depressed.
Zhou Miao felt a void in his body, and his mind became somewhat clear. It was as if something was missing from his body, and the tightness in his chest was gone. He had never imagined that he would meet Zhou Xuan in this way.
Zhou Miao: "Has that woman disappeared?"
Bai Hao: "Pretty much. He has become an evil spirit and is beyond saving. Zhou Xuan has a kind heart, which is why he has a glimmer of hope. Moreover, it was your choice that determined his future."
"Me?" Zhou Miao was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Bai Hao: "He gave you the power of his soul to resist the illusion. If you hadn't agreed just now, he wouldn't have been able to reincarnate and would have had to disappear. However, since you made your choice, you have to take responsibility for it to the end."
Zhou Miao: "Take responsibility? You mean, he'll become my younger brother?"
Bai Hao didn't answer, but Lü Zeqi was a little curious, "Miaomiao, I remember something happened in your family, it wasn't because of that woman, was it?"
Zhou Miao sighed, "Yes, I was twelve years old that year. My dad and that woman's affair broke down, and my mom and I found out that the woman had a son. But I hadn't seen her then; I was in school."
I only heard from the housekeeper that my dad was determined not to divorce my mom and begged her for forgiveness. Because my mom didn't divorce her, that woman hated my mom for it.
When I was fourteen, my mother fell from a high-rise building and remained unconscious for three months. My father found out that it was that woman who did it, and he had her tied up and sent to... that kind of place.
My dad took Zhou Xuan home because he was young. I wasn't home at the time. When I returned, I only saw that woman. She took Zhou Xuan away and then disappeared without a trace. Two years later, that woman and Zhou Xuan died in a fire.
Upon hearing this, Lü Zeqi scratched his head, "But I feel that my uncle and aunt have a good relationship, it doesn't seem like something like this has happened."
"My mom forgot all these things after she woke up. She said it was acute amnesia. My mom loves my dad very much, so we all kept it from her. Next time you come to my house, watch your mouth. If you dare to say anything out of line, don't blame me for breaking off our friendship!" Zhou Miao glared at Lü Zeqi, and only continued after seeing Lü Zeqi nod.
"My dad changed his personality after that incident. He spends his time with my mom when he's not working, going on trips, shopping, and so on. They're doing well together. And since they're both dead, I don't have much to say about it. Although my aunt still doesn't like my dad, my mom is doing very well now. I don't really like going home."
Looking at the dejected Zhou Miao, Qin Nan realized that Zhou Miao's fearlessness stemmed from the fact that no one was there to protect him, so he had to be brave on his own.
"Well, that's perfect, consider it a gift for you too." Bai Hao suddenly snapped his fingers, causing the three people in the room to pause in surprise. Bai Hao smiled, pulled Qin Nan away, and said, "Remember to pay the balance!"
After the two left, Zhou Miao and Lü Zeqi suddenly realized that Bai Hao and Qin Nan were no longer in the room.
They recalled the events vividly, but couldn't remember how they escaped the woman and left the dream, nor what the gift Bai Hao mentioned was.
Zhou Miao snapped out of her daze, looked at the ashes on the floor, and took out her phone to pay the remaining balance using the account she had used before.
Qin Nan and Bai Hao left and walked along the path in the residential area. Night fell and the streetlights were bright. Qin Nan didn't know why Bai Hao snapped his fingers. He originally thought it was a spell, but nothing happened.
Qin Nan: "Boss, shall we go home for dinner or find somewhere to eat?"
"Let's grab something to eat before heading back," Bai Hao said, glancing at the sky. "And maybe buy some food to take home with us."
Qin Nan thought of the Totoro at home and nodded, "Okay, sure."
The two left the residential area and stood at the entrance. Qin Nan took out the navigation to find nearby restaurants. Suddenly, someone approached from behind. Qin Nan turned around and saw an old man in front of him. Qin Nan stared at him in surprise, then took dozens of steps back with a pale face.
"Ugh—" Qin Nan ran to a nearby bush and squatted down to vomit, almost emptying her stomach acid.
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