CHAPTER 2: DREAMSCAPE

Dragging her suitcase, Ruan Zhizhi trailed at the back of the crowd, lost in her thoughts.

Suddenly, the weight in her hand disappeared.

Startled, she looked up — only to see Chen Jiayan confidently wheeling her suitcase away.

Up close, his handsome face was magnified, his smile blinding.

“This suitcase is way too heavy for a girl like you to carry. Don’t be polite — give me a chance to show off my gentlemanly charm.”

He was grinning like a rascal, his tone carrying a hint of playful whining.
In that instant, she was yanked straight back to that summer seven years ago — the first time she met Li Sichen.

Seven years ago, as a brand-new freshman arriving on campus, she had gotten hopelessly lost in the vast grounds of a foreign university.

Back then, Li Sichen had appeared out of nowhere, just like this, taking her suitcase without asking:

“Hey, you’re a freshman too, right? Me too. But I came a few days early, so I already know my way around.
How about it? Want me to take you to the girls’ dorm so you can register?”

Maybe it was the way the sunlight had fallen that afternoon.
Maybe it was his perfect timing.
Maybe it was the curve of his smile.

All she knew was — in that single glance, her heart had fallen into chaos.
From then on, she was trapped — rising and sinking, day after day, night after night.

Thinking about it now, it was almost laughable.
He had been the one to approach her first, yet in the end…
she was the one who couldn’t let go.

Maybe the memory was too vivid, because before she realized it, Ruan Zhizhi had let Chen Jiayan wheel her suitcase away without protest.

When she came back to her senses, she bit her lip in mild frustration and jogged to catch up.

From checking in her luggage, to getting boarding passes, clearing security, and arriving at the gate — everything went smoothly.

Chen Jiayan stuck by her side, chattering nonstop.
His topics ranged from when he started kindergarten to how much more “open” college life was nowadays.
He was practically unstoppable.

Ruan Zhizhi found it a little dull, but her upbringing compelled her to remain polite.
She nodded along and responded here and there, pretending to be attentive.

Meanwhile, Shi Yan stood silently a few steps away the entire time, distant and detached, as though none of this had anything to do with him.

Even in the bustling airport, packed with thousands of travelers, he was impossible to miss.

Not because of anything obvious.
But because his presence was simply too unique.

His features were exquisitely carved, perfect like a priceless work of art displayed behind glass — untouchable, not for sale.

Yet his gaze was dark and cold, steeped in danger — so chilling that no one dared to look too long.
It felt like you stared into those eyes for more than a moment…
you’d be swallowed whole by an endless abyss.

This was a man without a soft heart or gentle soul.
Only a pair of terrifyingly beautiful eyes.

….

By the time they finally met up with the local guide in Kunming and boarded the bus to the hotel, Ruan Zhizhi was so tired her eyelids kept drooping.

The atmosphere on the tour bus was lively.
The local guide — a sharp, witty man in his early thirties — was talking animatedly about Yunnan’s customs and culture, making a few of the younger girls burst into laughter.

Ruan Zhizhi yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
Through her half-lidded gaze, she saw Shi Yan sitting diagonally across from her, casually playing with a blue lighter in his hand. His pitch-black eyes reflected the dim night lights — bright one moment, shadowed the next — unreadable.

Ruan Zhizhi stared at his fingers for a while, and couldn’t help but wonder if this man was a heavy smoker.

….

When they finally arrived at the designated hotel, she didn’t know whether to call herself lucky or not — one of the travelers hadn’t shown up, so Ruan Zhizhi got an entire double room to herself.

She opened the door, dragged herself into the room, and used the last of her strength to take a hot shower.
Even drying her hair was half-hearted — she only gave it a quick blast with the dryer before collapsing onto the bed.

The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep instantly.

….

That night, Ruan Zhizhi had an incredibly vivid dream.

In the dream, she was swallowed by endless darkness, so thick she couldn’t even see her fingers.
All around her was chaos — panicked shouts, cries for help — the air was heavy with tension and suffocating fear.
Her palms were ice cold, but she was clutching tightly onto the hand of a man beside her.
She kept forcing herself to speak calmly, saying something she couldn’t quite recall.

But the man next to her… was completely silent.
From beginning to end, he didn’t say a single word.

….

The next morning, when Ruan Zhizhi woke up, the pale dawn light had just begun to spill across the sky.
She sat up, blinking, but most of the details of the dream had already slipped away like water through her fingers.

Standing on tiptoe in the bathroom, she brushed her teeth in front of the mirror, absentminded and dazed.
Then, out of nowhere, she remembered —

Back in her sophomore year, there was a circuit failure in the school’s chemistry lab.
Because of a careless teaching assistant, the doors had been accidentally locked, and dozens of students conducting a dangerous experiment had been trapped inside for three whole hours.

That was the first time Ruan Zhizhi had ever felt death breathing down her neck.

The atmosphere in last night’s dream was eerily similar to that day:
The pitch-black darkness.
The terrified screams of students from different countries.
The panic pounding in her chest.

But why… why would she suddenly dream of that incident now?
It didn’t make any sense.

She sighed softly, squeezing a small dab of foundation into her palm.
Carefully, she patted it beneath her eyes, concealing the faint shadows of exhaustion, and pushed the strange dream to the back of her mind.

Yunnan’s weather was damp and unpredictable, with constant drizzle and large temperature differences between morning and night.
After washing up, Ruan Zhizhi pulled out the thickest black down jacket from her suitcase, bundled herself up with a hat and scarf, and finally stepped out of the room, satisfied.

The moment she opened her door, she bumped into Shi Yan and Chen Jiayan, who were staying in the room next to hers.

“Morning, Zhizhi! Sleep well last night?”
Chen Jiayan greeted her cheerfully, his smile bright and energetic even this early in the morning.

“Yesterday was exhausting. I fell asleep the moment I hit the bed,” Ruan Zhizhi replied as she walked beside him, making casual small talk.

Out of the corner of her eye, she unintentionally noticed Shi Yan —
He was also wearing a black down jacket today, though his was a shorter style.
Clean, neat, simple.

As usual, he stayed silent, walking quietly alongside them.
But with his naturally exquisite features, it was impossible to ignore his presence.

Ruan Zhizhi sighed inwardly.
People like him… were the hardest to deal with.

Everything hidden.
Nothing revealed.
A locked door no one could open.

….

On the tour bus heading toward the Stone Forest, the local guide — surnamed Zhao — began carefully explaining their five-day itinerary.

“Today we’ll visit the Stone Forest Scenic Area in Kunming,” he said.
“Tonight, we’ll travel overnight to Lijiang, where we’ll stay for two days. After that, we’ll head to Shangri-La.”

Ruan Zhizhi was quite satisfied with the plan.
After all, for most young people traveling to Yunnan, Lijiang Old Town was the ultimate destination.

The so-called City of Fated Encounters.

“The stone forest rises several dozen ren high,” the guide recited, quoting from an ancient text through the microphone.
“To enter it, one must climb — the strange rocks stand like countless galloping horses and towering peaks.
It’s said that in the depths of winter, one might glimpse two plums blooming bright red upon a stone. But when approached, they vanish.
That place is called Plum Blossom Ravine, now part of the Stone Forest Scenic Area — also known as the ‘Greater and Lesser Stone Forest.’
This is one of the earliest records describing the Stone Forest.”

His voice was crisp and clear over the speakers.
Ruan Zhizhi sat quietly in her seat, listening, occasionally turning to admire the scenery passing by outside the window.
For the first time in a long while, she thought — maybe spontaneous trips like this weren’t such a bad idea after all.

Yeah… maybe she should just stop caring about Gu Nian for now.

The Stone Forest Scenic Area was, quite literally, a “forest” made of stone.
The air was fresh, the scenery stunning, and peculiar rock formations rose one after another, magnificent and varied in shape.

Ruan Zhizhi trailed behind the group, snapping a few photos here and there.
When they reached the famous Ashima Rock, the guide turned to the crowd, megaphone in hand, and began telling the tragic love story of Ashima and Ahei.

Ruan Zhizhi listened intently, her phone in hand, capturing a few pictures as keepsakes.

Not far behind her, the three younger girls from the group huddled together, whispering excitedly:

“I asked my dad last night — he said Shi Yan’s the psychology department’s star professor at their university. He’s only 26 this year and has already won countless awards. Total genius.”

“My aunt told me he studied abroad, too.”

“For real? First time I’ve ever seen a guy with both looks and brains.”

“Wonder if he has a girlfriend…”

“Probably not. My dad’s been his colleague for three years and says he’s never once seen him with any woman.”

“Don’t tell me… he’s gay? Or maybe… some, uh, physical issues?”

“Pfft— hahahaha! What’s wrong with you? Stop overthinking!”

The girls burst into giggles, their voices carrying through the crisp mountain air.

Ruan Zhizhi tried not to eavesdrop, but their conversation was loud enough that pretending not to hear was impossible.

Her gaze drifted ahead, locking onto Shi Yan effortlessly.
One hand in his pocket, his black eyes lifted slightly as he looked toward the towering Ashima Rock in the distance.

He stood among the crowd, yet somehow… he didn’t belong to it at all.
That subtle sense of distance made him seem untouchable, like someone walking in a world entirely his own.

A man like him… single?

Ruan Zhizhi frowned slightly.
It felt almost absurd.
But aside from what the girls said just now, she honestly couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Because Ruan Zhizhi’s tour group was a little special, they had more freedom than usual.
By lunchtime, everyone unanimously decided to settle their own meals — clearly, they’d all had enough of the “tour group set menu” torture.

Ruan Zhizhi stood in place for a long time, unable to decide what to eat.
Just then, Chen Jiayan, who was standing nearby, casually hooked her arm and said he’d treat her today.

She followed him to a bustling seafood restaurant nearby, but the moment Ruan Zhizhi saw the signboard hanging above, her heart instantly sank into despair.

Unfortunately… she was allergic to seafood.

Beside her, Chen Jiayan looked rather smug, enthusiastically recommending it to her:
“This seafood place was specially recommended by a friend who traveled to Yunnan before.
It’s an old, well-known place, the seafood is super fresh and authentic, and you actually have to reserve a spot ahead of time to get a seat.”

Unable to reject his good intentions, Ruan Zhizhi thought she could just order something non-seafood later. It shouldn’t be a big deal.
So she obediently followed him upstairs, stepping onto the creaking wooden stairs of the restaurant.

The private room was on the second floor.
When she walked in, she realized that besides Shi Yan, the three other girls from their tour group were also seated there.

Shi Yan sat there nonchalantly fiddling with a blue lighter.
When he noticed her walk in, he only lifted his gaze slightly, his expression calm and unreadable.