Chu Yin slowly opened his eyes in a daze.
The room was dim, and the cold air reminded him of the air conditioning.
He skillfully reached over to the side, ready to pull out his phone to check the time, but what landed in his palm was a soft, tender face.
โBrother, what are you doingโฆ donโt pinch meโฆโ the girl murmured discontentedly, her voice muffled and still half-asleep.
This reminded Chu Yin that his younger sister Yan Lingqi had come over to play and had taken over the spot where he normally placed his phone.
For a moment, Chu Yin had no idea where he had put his phone.
Even when he searched his mind, the first image that appeared was Lady Chunhanโs snowy, fragrant body, and his own intimate, boundary-crossing closeness with herโฆ
As for where the phone was, he simply couldnโt recall.
โWhat time is it now?โ
Chu Yin mentally cast a divination, eager to test if this ability still worked.
Please donโt let the dream end and the ability be taken awayโthat would really be embarrassing.
ใMao Hour, Second Quarter. Tomorrow will usher in the Bailu Solar Term. You have a fever; be cautious with your divinations to reduce energy consumption. The phone is under the pillow.ใ
After Chu Yin had pondered various fortune-telling and divination methods, even the ใGreat Liurenใ seemed to have evolved.
Normally, ใGreat Liurenใ would only answer exactly what was asked, but now it could warn him if his condition wasnโt right.
Chu Yin suspected that if his mental stamina held out, using ใGreat Liurenใ as a companion for chatting might be quite feasible!
โMao Hour, second quarter, thatโs 5:30, right?โ
Chu Yin reached out and indeed found the pillow under the phoneโฆ no, he had it backwards.
The phone was dead. The downside of going to bed earlyโhe forgot to play with his phone and, along with it, forgot to charge it.
He pulled his arm out from his sisterโs embrace and got up to drink water in the living room, his head dizzy and steps unsteady, his forehead burning hot.
But he hadnโt reached the point of delirium yet. Standing by the window, drinking water, he zoned out, slowly digesting the lingering emotions from the dream.
The aftereffects were still somewhat strongโฆ
โSo thatโs what the full Baotang Marriage Dream looks like. When I intruded into that dream before, I probably got โstuckโ at the Baotang ceremony?โ
The worst-case scenario was that Zhang Wei would lead her troops in a counterattack, publicly exposing the brideโs true identity, shattering Lady Chunhanโs dignity. Then the Celestial Star Lord would reveal his true intentions, unleash a massacre to wipe out the opposition, and swallow Luoshui City in a bloodbath.
โI really want to know what happens after the Stone Inscription Mystery is solved, and what my masterโs wife will do nextโฆโ
โMaybe Iโm overthinking it. Iโm just the dreamer; once I wake up, the dream should have no continuation.โ
A cold breeze blew by, dragging Chu Yinโs headache back to his feverish reality.
This strange fever was probably the aftermath of divine punishment.
But at this level, it was actually quite mild.
There was one thing Chu Yin worried about mostโ
โAunt Wen probably doesnโt remember the dream, right? She mostly doesnโt. The last time I video-chatted with her, it was clear she only retained a faint impression.โ
If Aunt Wen really remembered, that would be troublesome. Chu Yin wouldnโt even know how to face her; he might really get kicked out of the house.
Chu Yin stopped overthinking and dragged his increasingly heavy body back under the covers.
The dizziness quickly drowned his consciousness, and thankfully, he didnโt fall into another dream.
After an unknown amount of time, the girl beside him woke up, apparently disturbed by a phone call.
The chill from the air conditioning set to 18 degrees, combined with her brotherโs hot body, instinctively made the girl snuggle closer, hugging Chu Yin before answering the disturbing call.
โMomโฆ why are you calling so early?โ she murmured plaintively.
On the other end, a beautiful womanโs voice was anxious, repeatedly asking:
โIs your brother in the room? Hurry and get him to answer Momโs call!โ
It was only six in the morningโfar too early for Yan Lingqiโs usual waking time, and her mind was still fuzzy.
She first reached out to the left side, the spot where Chu Yin usually slept, but found nothing.
Then she called out, โBrother, did you go wash up?โ
There was no response.
The girl hugged Chu Yin for warmth, her consciousness about to slip back to sleep, only instinctively replying, โBrotherโs gone. He probably went outโฆ He didnโt tell me where.โ
Her words made Wen Chunhan anxious; she panicked and said:
โYour brother was fine. How could he just disappear? Lingqi, youโre not joking, are you?!โ
At this point, Yan Lingqiโs willpower had been defeated by sleepiness, and she fell asleep again.
On the other end, the beautiful woman heard her daughterโs steady breathing and knew she had fallen asleep. But the girl had definitely called out loudly for Chu Yin, who hadnโt responded, proving he wasnโt in the room.
A strong feeling of unease gripped Wen Chunhanโs heart. She sent a text to her Assistant, saying she wouldnโt go to the Laboratory today, then quickly got dressed and drove dozens of kilometers to where Chu Yin was currently staying.
Wen Chunhan had previously asked Chu Yin for an electronic door card to reach him in emergencies.
Now it was coming in handy. Yan Lingqi was probably too groggy to open the door if she tried to wake him.
Upon arrival, Wen Chunhan fumbled with the card and rushed to the bedroom.
She found her daughter curled up in Chu Yinโs arms, sleeping soundly.
Wen Chunhan was furious but also inexplicably relieved.
Waking up this morning, a vague feeling drove her to check on Chu Yin. Hearing Yan Lingqi say โBrotherโs goneโ had pushed her anxiety nearly to the point of panic, as if the sky was falling.
โLingqi, whereโs your brother?โ the beautiful woman gently pinched the girlโs soft cheek and asked again.
Yan Lingqi didnโt open her eyes, one hand still wrapped around her brotherโs neck, the other searching beside her but finding no one. She groggily replied:
โBrother hasnโt come back yetโฆ Mom, why did you come over?โ
Wen Chunhan saw the girlโs actions and almost laughed with anger. She sighed helplessly.
She had stormed into the room, her high heels clacking loudly enough to have woken Chu Yin. Why was there still no reaction?
Touching his forehead, Wen Chunhan finally understood the situation and quickly turned off the air conditioning.
โHeโs running a high fever; no wonder Lingqi called for him for so long without a peep.โ
Chu Yin finally sensed the activity around him, mainly disturbed by his sisterโs stifling warmth and sweat.
He opened his eyes to see Wen Chunhanโs composed, beautiful face. His vision was a bit blurred, overlapping with the elder lady from his dream.
โMasterโฆ Aunt Wen is the best in the world~ Why did you come all the way here? I was planning to take Lingqi home today.โ
Wen Chunhan had no way to handle this pair of siblings. One was hugging the brother, saying she couldnโt find him; the other had a persistent high fever and was already being a smart aleck upon waking.
The beautiful woman gently pushed her daughter aside, then hugged Chu Yin tightly, an inexplicable wave of sadness and nostalgia swelling in her heart.
This feeling was hard to explain.
โYou havenโt come home all summer. Aunt Wen missed you. Get up, Aunt Wen will take you to the hospital. Your fever is way too high!โ