Chapter 565: Meeting Up (6)

Wusu's method of hypnosis was simply human.

At first, Luo Qi only noticed his elegant movements becoming increasingly relaxed, and several different scents drifted over from somewhere unknown. It started with the smell of grass, then creamy vanilla, citrus, and finally lemongrass. He slowly decided that he liked the scent of lemongrass best, and the surrounding scents ceased to change from that point on.

He took a deep breath of the lemongrass fragrance and let himself sink into the seat. They had already passed two hub stations and were now driving onto a road between crimson mountains. He watched the wilderness flashing past outside the car window; the road was brand new, yet no villages could be seen. Humans had already extended roads toward an unknown world.

"Do you like the mountains?" Wusu asked him.

"No," Luo Qi said, casting a weary glance at the surrounding mountains. "I like the sea. It's too red and dry here, like being on Mars."

"Then, the sea," Wusu repeated in a soft voice, pulling back his attention. "What color is the sea?"

"Emerald green, just like a pot of mung bean soup." Luo Qi closed his eyes.

"Are there seagulls?" Wusu asked.

"Didn't notice," Luo Qi said uncooperatively.

"Are there coconuts on the coconut trees?" Wusu asked, changing the way he phrased the question.

"Yes," Luo Qi licked his dry lips.

"The sunlight is lovely today, and the seawater is emerald green. The sunlight falls onto the transparent water, and you can see all the way to the fine sand on the seabed. The sand touches the soles of your feet softly, and the seawater is very warm, the same temperature as your body." Wusu continued slowly. Luo Qi did not know when it started, but his thoughts had slowed down.

He could see the emerald green seawater, and there was a tree in bloom by the shore. He had a lounge chair covered with a soft bath towel, and the transparent sunlight was warming his feet. He wanted to take a nap now, and when he woke up, he would drink a glass of mango juice.

He fell into a deep sleep, and his dream gradually dispersed. For a moment, he fell into a dreamless comfort, but before long, he woke up shallowly again. He thought he was still a boy, a small boy sitting on a high wall, foolishly watching the blue-purple sky at the horizon. He should go home to eat, but he didn't want to go back. His Mama might be feeling unwell again today, and if he went home, he would only be able to walk on tiptoe. His dad had to work overtime again today, and there would be no one to talk to him at home. He always wanted to take care of his Mama, so he could show off that he was useful too, but his Mama would tell him that all she needed was sleep and to tell him to be more sensible—and being sensible meant being a bit quieter.

Then he might as well not go home; that way, the house would be the quietest.

He bent over, resting his elbows on his legs with his chin propped on his hands, curling his whole body up like a little monkey. He wanted someone to play with him. But Mage children were not easy to find, and his home was currently located too remotely, even more isolated than the average reclusive Mage. He couldn't participate in the general social activities held by the school. He knew why: because the school had given up on him, believing he would eventually go to a human school. He himself wasn't popular with the others either, because he was well-versed in human encyclopedias. The last time he said that humans and Mages were both evolved from monkeys, the class monitor threw a tantrum and burned his books.

They were all illiterate and not as cute as human children. It was just a pity that human children were watched strictly by their parents; they were either in tutoring classes or at school, and even playing had to be done under parental supervision in some physical fitness class. He had a few little friends, but the chances of meeting were rarer than the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Humans loved their children too much; every child was a precious treasure they couldn't bear to let go of.

He had also dabbled in human extracurricular classes, going to a taekwondo class. He had asked his Mama to sign him up for it; his parents would always satisfy these requests of his. But he didn't control his strength well, and on the first day of class, he kicked a child in the nose, causing it to bleed. The child's parents rushed over like lunatics, and if the human teacher hadn't blocked them, he would have been beaten by the adults. It really wasn't his fault; he didn't know at the time that there was such a huge difference in physical ability between Mage humans and ordinary humans. Perhaps his parents had told him, but he hadn't understood it personally.

Luo Qi pondered for a while why he was sitting on the wall in a daze, and after a moment, he remembered it was probably because he had been riding on the wall the whole time. He understood the Magic World and he understood the human world, but neither world had ever truly opened its arms to him; he didn't belong anywhere. His name should be Luo Qi Delongdong Qiang.

He grinned and laughed heartlessly, then suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. No, he was someone who was wanted. He turned his head abruptly and, sure enough, saw Du Zhengyi leaning lazily against the wall, smoking. His heart filled with joy, and he slid down the wall. His body seemed to suddenly grow up, and by the time he landed, he had long since left his childhood years behind.

"Brother," Luo Qi called out joyfully, "what are you doing?"

Du Zhengyi ignored him, turning a deaf ear to his nonsense. He didn't care; he could feel Du Zhengyi's response, the consistent, gentle aura of "I am here."

He remembered something else. "Brother, do you know Du Tingxiu? People from your Du Family should all be about the same, right?"

"Does being family mean you must be alike? Then why are you so much shorter than your dad?" Du Zhengyi said with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Damn it," Luo Qi muttered in his heart.

Du Zhengyi glanced at him and turned to walk away. He didn't know where Du Zhengyi was going, so he hurriedly followed. Du Zhengyi walked unhurriedly, and he followed for who knows how long, muddled and confused. The scenery around him changed rapidly; some absurd shapes flashed by, and occasionally there were some attractive lights and shadows. His curiosity was as strong as ever, but because Du Zhengyi didn't stop, he kept following without pausing.

Gradually, he encountered a small river lying before him. Luo Qi looked up and saw a stone arch bridge spanning the river. Behind the bridge were the white walls, black tiles, and weeping willows of the houses along the river. He remembered what place this was and couldn't help but shiver.

"Let's go, my home is here," Du Zhengyi said to him.

"Here..." Luo Qi remembered the night the Aliens ravaged the place in his memory, but Du Zhengyi crossed the small bridge with light steps and disappeared into a long, narrow alley in the blink of an eye.

"Hey—" Luo Qi called out, hurriedly crossing the small bridge as well, running straight into the alley where Du Zhengyi had disappeared.

The Sunlight in the alley was drawn out extremely long, like a very warm spring day. Luo Qi felt a thin layer of sweat break out on his forehead, and the warm spring air made his shoulders feel toasty. He was very happy in his heart, but then he suddenly thought that this dream was too detailed; it was no longer a dream.

Then whose memory was he standing in, and whose doorway was he at?

Luo Qi's heart tightened, and he rushed through the courtyard gate impatiently. The courtyard was quiet with no sign of anyone, and the door directly ahead was tightly shut, like a deep well of memory.

He could be certain that wells came in all sorts of forms.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, and he reached out a sweaty hand to push gently on the tall, narrow carved wooden door. The two central doors slid open silently, and the Sunlight fell inside. The dust that had been sealed in the room for ages danced and rose in this well of Sunlight. Luo Qi blinked, struggling to adapt to the dim light inside; he could no longer tell if this was a real memory or a virtualization of memory.

In fact, the room was not dim; it was just that walking in suddenly from under the sun made it hard to see for a moment. A figure walked over from the depths of the room. He squinted, and the person's shadow became clearer and clearer.

"Du Zhengyi?" he called out.

He still couldn't see the person's face clearly, but his intuition told him it was Du Zhengyi. Looking at him like this, it was clearly the same tall, slender build, and his movements naturally concealed a hint of toughness and capability. But no, every step he took forward revealed details Luo Qi was unfamiliar with. Until his honest, gentle gaze fell on Luo Qi's face, until Luo Qi clearly saw him smile in a way completely different from Du Zhengyi—more tender, more subtle, more stable... and vaguely, more powerful.

Luo Qi looked at him in surprise, suddenly understanding that this power came from his age. His hair was already a bit white; he had passed many years in peace, far, far more years than Du Zhengyi. He looked more composed and more satisfied. A bitter taste rose on the tip of Luo Qi's tongue. He suddenly smiled at Luo Qi, with slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. In a trance, it was as if Du Zhengyi, many years later, had seen an old friend. Luo Qi's spine felt like it had been pricked by a needle, and he almost jumped up like a cat with a sour face.

Just then, that person reached out a hand toward him, and his arm passed through his body.

Luo Qi turned around in astonishment and saw Shi Xiansheng and Pei Shu standing right behind him. This time he really jumped, and then he saw that person take Shi Xiansheng's hand and shake it—that was truly an old-fashioned way to greet someone. Then he stepped forward and hugged Pei Shu.

Hey, Luo Qi remembered; he had seen him once in his memory, it must be him. Luo Qi understood; this was the memory Shi Xiansheng had given him. He had found him; he had found Du Tingxiu.

(End of chapter)