On the third day of the Lunar New Year, it started raining heavily outside, and it was even said to be sleet.
The two Meng brothers returned in the afternoon, bringing some local specialties and homemade dried meat. It looked like it was made with high-quality ingredients and tasted delicious on its own.
Peng Fei was the only one at home. He said the other three had gone out to buy things, and he stayed behind to open the door.
"I bet you just don't want to go out because it's cold," Meng Ziqiu guessed correctly.
"How could that be..." Peng Fei muttered to himself, but the guilty look on his face confirmed the other party's guess.
Meng Ziqiu didn't expose him further. Anyway, Peng Fei's fear of the cold wasn't a new thing, and the magical attacks from the south were still quite terrifying.
Meng Liangchen didn't participate in their conversation. Instead, he started packing his luggage. He quickly found the things his father had asked them to give to Brother Xu—no, to Mr. Xu.
It was something wrapped in a gray cloth, and it felt a bit hard. Although it didn't say that it couldn't be opened, Meng Liangchen still restrained his curiosity.
Meng Liangchen stood up, took the things, and pushed open Xu Qian's room. Just as he placed the gray cloth bundle on Xu Qian's table, his attention was quickly drawn to the flowers on the bay window, because... the flowers seemed to be about to bloom?
"Xiao Liang..."
"Huh?" Meng Liangchen responded, and just as he was about to step out, thunder rumbled outside. He then smelled a fragrance, and the next second, as if all his strength had been drained, he collapsed straight down with a 'thud'.
Hearing the noise in the living room, Meng Ziqiu walked towards the bedroom where the sound had come from. Before he even entered the room, he saw Meng Liangchen lying on the floor. He rushed over, but the moment he entered, he smelled the same fragrance and collapsed as well.
"Holy crap, what happened to you guys? Don't scare me—"
Peng Fei rushed over immediately, but he was no exception; he also collapsed at the doorway after smelling the aroma.
The fully blooming Dream Flower swayed in the breeze outside the window, its pale blue petals emitting a faint glow.
...
Meng Liangchen was almost woken up by the pain. His whole body felt like it had been crushed by something. Whenever he tried to move, the excruciating pain would surge like a tide.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a piercing wail came from afar, as if it would shatter his eardrums. Then, the ground trembled once, and then several more times. With each tremor, he trembled along with the ground, and the pain in his body intensified until he finally became numb from the extreme pain.
Soon, the commotion grew louder and louder, and it got closer and closer.
Next, Meng Liangchen saw a scene he could never have imagined—a monster whose upper body had lost half an arm, revealing rotting flesh and blood. Its face, so grotesque that it was almost unrecognizable, kept emitting mournful 'woo-woo' sounds. The sound was like crying but not quite crying; one could only judge its pain from the bursts of wailing.
At this moment, Meng Liangchen could no longer care about the pain; all he felt was boundless fear.
When it got really close, Meng Liangchen saw that there was a sword stuck in its chest—the sword light was sharp, the blade was like frost and snow, and the murderous aura was overwhelming.
He had seen that sword before; it belonged to... Brother Xu!
Brother Xu has come to his rescue!
Meng Liangchen suddenly felt a surge of longing. Only under such circumstances could his truest thoughts be amplified infinitely—he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die.
The monster drew closer, and Meng Liangchen was now extremely tense. But he knew that Brother Xu would save him, so he couldn't panic...
"Xiao Liang, Xiao Liang, wake up—"
Meng Liangchen suddenly opened his eyes. The pain from the depths of his soul was still vivid in his mind. He didn't even dare to move. He just lay there stiffly until he saw a ceiling. It was off-white. Perhaps it was originally white, but it had turned yellowish over time... Wait, the ceiling!
"Brother, what's wrong with Xiao Liang? Has he gone mad?"
“You’re the one who’s stupid…” Meng Liangchen retorted instinctively.
"Thank goodness, I'm not stupid!"
Xu Qian gently lifted the back of Meng Liangchen's head, placing his other hand on his chin. "Don't move yet. You just bumped your head. I've already put some medicine on it. Be careful not to rub it."
Meng Liangchen dared not move any further, and simply murmured an "uh-huh" in a daze.
"Okay, it's alright. You should rest for a bit. You should be fine by tomorrow."
"I'll go check on the porridge in the kitchen, it should be ready..." Meng Ziqiu hurriedly went out.
Soon, only Xu Qian and Meng Liangchen, who was lying down, remained in the bedroom.
Every time Meng Liangchen closed his eyes, he would recall the previous scenes, piece by piece, like fragments, especially that monstrous thing, its mournful cries, its shrill cries...
"What are you thinking about?" Xu Qian interrupted Meng Liangchen's thoughts.
Meng Liangchen glanced at him, and suddenly felt her throat go dry, making it difficult to even speak. "Brother Xu, I..."
"Take your time, it's alright." Xu Qian didn't rush him, and his calm demeanor gradually influenced Meng Liangchen.
"I think I just had a nightmare..." Meng Liangchen slowly recalled the scene from before, the monster, and the sword on the monster's chest.
Upon hearing the name Crimson Lotus again, Xu Qian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Although he told them it was just a dream, he knew perfectly well what the Dream Flower's effects were.
The monster, and his sword.
What does all of this mean...?
Author's Note: The next chapter is about leisure and variety shows.
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