Meng Lan woke up, making everything feel even more complete. However, having been stabbed twice and choked unconscious by Yao Qingyan, she didn't have much energy even after regaining consciousness. Guan Xia ran to the hospital for several consecutive days before Meng Lan finally managed to recount the nightmare she had been having for days in fits and starts.
Meng Lan's throat had improved somewhat but was still a bit hoarse. Supported by Guan Xia and Pang Le, she sat up against the headboard and spoke slowly, "In that dream... we didn't become friends. I didn't even have time to get to know you properly before you were adopted."
Guan Xia listened intently in silence. Pang Le, feeling somewhat puzzled, asked, "Isn't it normal for a child in an orphanage to be adopted? How could that be a nightmare?"
Meng Lan instinctively shook her head, but the movement tugged at her wound, making her gasp in pain. She then whispered, "In my dream, that Guan Xia's personality was completely different. She was adorable, exceptionally lively and cheerful, very likable. She was adopted by a middle-aged couple when she was four. But in the real world, because Guan Xia's temperament was too steady, she came across as somewhat dull. Although the orphanage staff highly recommended her for being well-behaved, she was never chosen, always overshadowed by other more lively and outgoing children."
Meng Lan narrated calmly, and Guan Xia didn't feel much about it, as those events were long past. But Pang Le felt a pang of heartache upon hearing it and instinctively patted Guan Xia's hand before pressing on, "And then?"
Meng Lan said, "Then, in the dream, because I lacked Guan Xia's positive influence, I became even more hysterical and stubborn in my desire to find my biological family. Influenced by other children, I always felt the world was unfair. So, after I found my family, my relationship with my sister was terrible. I both envied and resented her, while also being consumed by a twisted, humble obsession over whether my biological parents loved me or not."
Meng Lan paused here. Guan Xia and Pang Le could guess what was coming next and remained silent without speaking.
After a few seconds of quiet, Meng Lan continued, "In the dream, I once again became a pawn used and then discarded by my parents. In despair, I wanted to commit suicide. Similarly, I encountered Wang Huiqin, but unlike in the real world, I opened the website written on that slip of paper."
Hearing the last sentence, Guan Xia realized something and instinctively sat up straight, looking intently at Meng Lan.
Pang Le also immediately became serious, but the hand that had been gently patting Guan Xia's in comfort remained in place.
Under Guan Xia and Pang Le's rapt attention, Meng Lan said, "In the dream, the website led to a forum. The personal backend also had a function to privately message the administrator. I saw a vast number of posts there, all sorts of complaints or denunciations about unfair incidents. The forum didn't show the exact number of registered users, but judging just from the volume of posts and replies, there should have been quite a few people; it was very active. There was also a special featured section in the forum. In the dream, I clicked on it. Every post decrying some injustice would be bumped up after a period of time. The person bumping it was the original poster, joyfully sharing a follow-up about how that unfair situation had been changed."
Meng Lan's expression turned somewhat fearful as she swallowed hard and continued, "After seeing those posts in the dream, I was very excited. I tried sending a private message to the administrator through the backend, detailing what had happened to me. And then... my biological parents died. My brother died. My sister died. I inherited the entire Chang Family fortune. In the dream, I was overjoyed. But my happiness didn't last long before I received an order, commanding me to go kill someone at a little past two in the morning one night. In the dream, I didn't dare. I cowardly hid in a house under my sister's name. But within two days, someone came for me one night and killed the 'me' in the dream."
Meng Lan looked at Guan Xia somewhat blankly as she reached this point. "After the 'me' in the dream died, the scene suddenly shifted, returning to childhood. This time, I retained my original memories. I compared the differences between the nightmare and the real world and found that Guan Xia was missing. So, realizing the dream was heading towards repeating that previous nightmare, I desperately searched for Guan Xia. But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find her. Later, I even tried not seeking my family anymore, staying away from that household. But it was as if I was being pushed by an unseen force; I returned to that family, was sold off again, and once more encountered Wang Huiqin. I didn't want to take that slip of paper and even tried throwing it away. But the 'me' in the dream seemed to be controlled, ultimately walking the same path to the previous ending. This time, after the 'me' in the dream was killed, I suddenly woke up and saw Guan Xia standing by my hospital bed. You have no idea how relieved I was at that moment, how grateful that Guan Xia was here."
Pang Le listened, somewhat astonished, but clearly didn't take it entirely seriously. She just engaged in a rather earnest discussion with Meng Lan about it.
Guan Xia, however, thought of something and asked her system in her mind: Was this nightmare of Meng Lan's the original plotline belonging to her?
The system interface quickly appeared, displaying two words: Yes, it was.
Guan Xia speculated internally. Perhaps because Meng Lan was near death and at a crucial juncture where her original fate had been altered, she dreamed of the original plot while unconscious. Although somewhat unexpected, upon careful thought, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps with the nightmare as a contrast, Meng Lan would cherish her current peaceful and beautiful life even more.
Guan Xia spent some time comforting Meng Lan. After watching her finish her IV drip and fall back asleep, she finally got up to bid farewell to Chang Jing. Then, she and Pang Le left the hospital together.
While waiting for the elevator, Guan Xia suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Pang Le. "Speaking of which, I forgot to ask you. Weren't you adamant back in Linchang City about training hard for a while to avoid your skills declining and your mother dragging you back? How did you suddenly become so familiar with Lu Tingfeng lately?"
Guan Xia looked at Pang Le with suspicion. Pang Le threw an arm around Guan Xia's shoulder and chuckled. "Don't you think Lu Tingfeng with his long hair has a certain melancholic, aesthetic appeal? I wanted to refuse him too, but looking into those moist, expectant eyes of his, I just couldn't bring myself to say no."
Pang Le even let out an exaggerated sigh. "Beauty is truly a trap. Don't worry, it's mainly because I haven't collected this type before, so there's a bit of novelty. In a few days, once Lu Tingfeng cuts his hair, my interest will wane. I'll definitely train hard then, absolutely not letting my mom drag me back."
Guan Xia had long known it was her old habit acting up and wasn't surprised at all. Remembering the destined connection between the two in the original plot, she hesitated for a few seconds before tentatively saying, "I was just asking casually, no other meaning, and certainly not opposing. I'm just curious. Lu Tingfeng has always had that face. Before, you didn't seem to have much feeling for him. How come this time you..."
Pang Le once again spoke with heartfelt anguish, "It really is true that beauty can lead one astray. I never expected that with just slightly longer hair and being a bit thinner than before, he would look so much more beautiful than he used to. Honestly, I can't figure it out. My brain tells me it's the same person, but my eyes insist, no, he is more beautiful than before. What can I do?"
Guan Xia listened, both amused and exasperated. She had been slightly worried before, wondering if she had inadvertently broken up the destined couple from the original storyline. But now it seemed she had overthought it. Guan Xia believed that without her doing anything, this pair might quietly get together at some point.
After asking a couple of questions, Guan Xia lost interest. Coincidentally, the elevator arrived, so she stepped in and pressed the button for the first floor.
Perhaps Pang Le was once again reminiscing about Lu Tingfeng's beauty, as she wore a mysterious smile and remained silent. However, once the two got into the car, Pang Le suddenly sprang back to life. Starting the car, she asked Guan Xia curiously, "Haven't you always been uninterested in matters of the heart? How come you're so perceptive this time? Could it be that you..."
Before Pang Le could finish, Guan Xia skillfully shot her a look of disdain. Pang Le immediately backed down, but only stayed quiet for a few minutes. After driving out of the hospital parking lot, she couldn't help but continue, "Never mind about me, let's talk about you. Now that the case is solved, you're quite wealthy, and you've bought a new apartment outright. With those savings and your current reputation, even if you didn't want to paint and just lazed around for the rest of your life, you could completely take it easy. People say that once material needs are satisfied, one starts to explore spiritual needs. Seeing me all sweet and lovey-dovey with someone every day, don't you have any thoughts of your own? In the past, it was understandable—you were busy making money, and there weren't any outstanding men around you. But now you have Xu Nian. I don't believe you haven't noticed; he treats you quite specially. You..."
Pang Le spoke very earnestly, but Guan Xia remained unmoved, even retorting with an air of nonchalance, "One of the three great misconceptions in life: 'He likes me.'"
Pang Le was instantly left speechless. She wanted to argue back, but seeing Guan Xia's calm expression, she thought for a moment and changed her approach. "Well, what if he really does like you? What if he actually confesses to you? What would you do?"
Guan Xia instinctively wanted to say it was impossible, but before she could speak, Pang Le cut her off. "I'm saying 'what if,' 'suppose.' Just try to imagine it. It's not illegal. Anyway, I'm telling you, don't you dare brush me off. I'm genuinely curious."
Guan Xia didn't want to analyze something that hadn't happened and might never happen. She looked at Pang Le somewhat helplessly. "Why are you always trying to play matchmaker for me? I'm perfectly fine living on my own."
Pang Le said, "I know that. I've always believed that romance is just a spice of life. But I think enjoying life is about experiencing things you've never felt before. Like me, I never thought about investigating cases before, but the moment you mentioned it, I really wanted to try. Life is about being brave enough to try new things. Who knows what we might gain from it? Take this time, for example. We not only made many new friends but also uncovered a threat lurking near you ahead of time. Wouldn't you say that's a huge gain?"
Although Guan Xia was tired of hearing Pang Le's old arguments, she had to admit that the last few points were valid and nodded subconsciously.
Pang Le immediately seemed encouraged and pressed on, "So, don't be too absolute when it comes to certain things. Like with Xu Nian, how do you know for sure that I'm wrong?"
Guan Xia, never as eloquent as Pang Le, was once again left at a loss for words. However, being a pragmatic person who rarely dwelled on things that hadn't happened, she thought for a moment and still shook her head. "Let's talk about it if it really happens. For now, I'm thoroughly enjoying my life of having both money and free time. Maybe someday when I'm bored, I'll seriously consider your suggestion."
Although Guan Xia's words were dismissive, Pang Le listened happily. "That's more like it. In this life, we should enjoy things we haven't experienced before. But let me clarify, I'm not trying to force you. I'm not using the 'it's for your own good' excuse either. I genuinely feel that you've worked too hard for too long, and you deserve to reward yourself properly."
Pang Le spoke with great sincerity, and Guan Xia felt she had to respond. So she made vague sounds of agreement, but in her heart, she thought Pang Le must have really misread the situation. At the very least, she herself couldn't see the slightest hint of interest from Xu Nian towards her.
Although she lacked personal experience, she had watched countless TV dramas and read numerous novels. In them, whether it was the male lead or a supporting male character, once they developed feelings, which one didn't frequently blush in front of their crush or couldn't help but try their best to impress them? But what about Xu Nian? Blushing? Not once. Trying hard to impress? It didn't seem so either. Though it was true that he treated her with great respect.
After analyzing it back and forth, Guan Xia ultimately concluded that Xu Nian only felt ordinary friendship for her, the kind between a man and a woman.
