Meng Qingluan heard the man's angry voice and realized that the distance between them was gradually decreasing.
The words he was about to say were swallowed back down by fear.
Before she could even grab Zhu Qing'an's hand, he beat her to it, getting up first to take her hand and continue running deeper into the area.
He dragged Meng Qingluan along as they ran wildly into the dense forest, reopening the scabbed wounds on her calves.
As she ran, Meng Qingluan suddenly felt that the scenery around her had become bizarre and surreal, changing irregularly.
Meng Qingluan's temples throbbed, and she began to have second thoughts. Her intuition told her that things were heading in the direction she feared.
She looked at the boy's back in front of her and couldn't help but ask.
"Where...where are we going?"
"I'll take you away."
Run away?
Meng Qingluan's head was spinning.
Zhu Qing'an wanted to take her away. Had he been here before?
Her steps became unsteady, and if Zhu Qing'an hadn't held her hand tightly, she would have fallen to the ground.
Zhu Qing'an was still running quickly. Meng Qingluan could hear his heavy and rapid breathing, and she could even see his shoulders trembling noticeably.
"Let's stop and rest!"
Meng Qingluan said firmly, indicating that she had decided to forcefully stop him.
"No! Sister, listen to me this time."
Zhu Qing'an disagreed.
This was the first time he had objected to Meng Qingluan's words, and he spoke without turning his head.
Looking at his thin yet broad back, Meng Qingluan felt a strange unease.
The scenery before her eyes began to change rapidly.
"Waaaaah—waaaaah—"
She heard the sound of a baby crying and turned her head to look.
The swaddled baby lay on an open ground, waving its arms and legs, its cries gradually fading away.
The baby's cries ceased, and her gaze shifted to a bedroom.
A three-year-old child sat in a thatched hut, looking around with innocent eyes.
A man, a woman, and a strangely dressed man were talking when all three of them turned their attention to the young child.
The man walked up to the little boy, muttering words she couldn't understand, then took out a talisman, lit it, and put the ashes into the water.
The woman coaxed the young child into drinking it.
All of this has changed once again.
She went to Zhu Qing'an's bedroom again.
This time, he was only five years old, still a little baby.
He was holding a porcelain bowl, frowning as he finished drinking all the medicine.
The maid supervised him as he finished drinking the medicine, then took the empty bowl and coldly turned to leave.
He obediently drank his medicine but didn't receive the praise and encouragement he expected, and dejectedly fiddled with his fingers.
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter flashed before her eyes, and she saw Zhu Qing'an's dull and numb life.
He started with medication, then increased it to a combination of medication and acupuncture.
The smile on his face gradually disappeared, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he began to dislike communicating with outsiders, spending his days holed up in his bedroom.
She saw herself appear, she stood beside him and talked, and a smile lit up his face.
She saw him sitting alone on the bed when she wasn't there, repeatedly flipping through the storybook he had written stroke by stroke.
He held the book, smiled, and then returned to his solitude.
This is true in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
He sat in the courtyard, quietly waiting for others to manipulate him.
She saw a decaying soul, yet waiting for the sunlight to fall upon it once more.
Tears welled up in Meng Qingluan's eyes, but due to her rapid running speed, they slid back into her hair.
The scenery stopped changing, and the surrounding landscape returned to the dense forest it had been before.
Zhu Qingan stopped running and let go of her hand.
Meng Qingluan looked at him with a puzzled expression.
He called out, "Sister."
Meng Qingluan had a bad feeling and responded softly.
"Yes, I'm here."
Zhu Qing'an took a small step back and said earnestly.
If I die, will you miss me?
Meng Qingluan's voice was trembling.
"Of course! I'll miss you. I wish you peace. Don't do anything foolish like trying to break the deadlock with your life!"
Seeing her excited expression, Zhu Qing'an simply smiled gently.
He remained silent, and a cliff suddenly appeared on the once flat and crack-free land.
The person fell almost instantly beneath his feet.
Meng Qingluan acted faster than she thought; she was already prepared and rushed forward to grab his wrist.
Even though Zhu Qing'an was light, he still weighed over 100 pounds, and Meng Qingluan was uncontrollably dragged by him closer to the edge of the cliff.
"Zhu Qing'an, you actually pulled this on me." Meng Qingluan gritted her teeth in anger. "Step on the cliff face in front of you, and I'll pull you up."
Zhu Qing'an ignored her and said indifferently.
"Sister, you'll die if you fall. Let go."
Meng Qingluan glared at him.
"You went through all that trouble to pull me into a dream, wanting me to feel sorry for you, and now you're trying to kill yourself?"
Zhu Qing'an was taken aback upon hearing this. Had she actually guessed it?
How do you know that it was me who went through so much trouble to bring you into this world?
Meng Qingluan was exhausted. "Is it that hard to guess? The way you look at me and your attitude towards me are different today."
“Sister is so clever,” Zhu Qing’an said with a hint of a smile in her eyes. “Sister, if I told you that I pulled you into the dream because I wanted you to die, would you believe me?”
I don't believe it.
Meng Qingluan's answer surprised him again; he hadn't expected her to be so confident.
"You're wrong. This time, I really want you dead. I miss you so much that I hate you. I hate you so much that I love you."
"Sister, I am willing to exchange my soul for this reunion, and my purpose is to make you die with me."
"I've already decided to let you go, so you should take advantage of my softened heart and let go quickly, then push me into hell yourself."
Meng Qingluan gritted her teeth and remained silent, without loosening her grip.
"I'll only count to 3. If you try to let go now, it'll be too late."
"..."
Are you gambling?
Zhu Qing'an's face turned cold, and she began the countdown.
"3——"
"2——"
"1——"
Meng Qingluan did not let go.
Zhu Qing'an's eyes burned with unwavering determination.
"You lost your bet."
"Sister, let's die together."
He relaxed all his strength, grabbed Meng Qingluan's other hand with his other hand, and pulled hard.
Meng Qingluan lost her balance and was pulled down by him.
Only one thought flashed through my mind: This kid is actually serious.
As they descended rapidly, Zhu Qing'an suddenly pulled her close and embraced her.
Do you hate me?
"I don't hate."
Meng Qingluan answered readily, feeling little fear, though she did feel a chill in the wind.
When actually facing death, I'm not so afraid.
She was a little worried: if she died, would she be able to return to the real world? And what about that idiot Chen Yan?
Zhu Qing'an chuckled softly, and he suddenly leaned close to her face.
"Sister, you didn't actually lose the bet, you won."
Meng Qingluan looked at him with suspicion.
He covered her eyes.
"You'll be fine, don't worry, it's just a dream."
"May you rest in peace..."
She couldn't help but call out his name.
"After I die, you can finally embark on your true journey home."
"Sister, I'm sorry."
"I love you, please remember me."
"..."
Meng Qingluan wanted to speak, but found that she could no longer utter a single word.
He moved to her lips, stopping abruptly when they were only a centimeter away, then moved away, his lips gently pressing against her hair.
He himself created the dream, and he himself will break it.
Thank you for being a ray of light that warmed his heart.
He just wanted to be warmed by her, he just wanted to be close to her, even if it was just watching from afar.
Don't forget him.
elder sister.
I love you.
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