Chapter 428: Chain

She looked around in panic.

The familiar room, the familiar bed, the familiar window letting in morning light… it was her own bedroom.

Just now… was it a dream?

That strange person in mourning clothes wearing a red mask… was it a nightmare?

She let out a huge sigh of relief, her whole body collapsing as if drained of strength, and she raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.

"You scared me to death… what a weird dream…" she muttered, still a little dazed.

The morning light seemed a bit brighter than before.

She steadied her breathing, preparing to get up again.

However, just as she subconsciously reached to lift the quilt, her hand brushed the bedding beside her—

The texture… was off.

Soft, warm, and… undulating.

Bai Hang's body froze instantly, a foreboding feeling even more ominous than the earlier nightmare surged in her mind.

She lowered her head inch by inch, looking at the nest beside her.

The quilt bulged into a distinct human shape.

She trembled, grabbed the corner of the quilt, then yanked it up sharply—

"!!!"

Bai Hang's pupils snapped shut to needle‑point size, her mind went blank!

Under the quilt she lifted, a woman with white hair, skin whiter than snow, a face of exquisite beauty, lay there with her eyes closed, peacefully asleep.

Most crucially—her upper body wore not a stitch; the graceful curves were fully exposed in the morning light, only the disheveled white hair partially covering her.

And from the quilt's outline, the lower half was probably also…

Bai Hang's gaze rigidly moved downward, looking at herself—she was not wearing the nightclothes she fell asleep in, but a nearly transparent gauze dress, effectively as if she were naked!

Looking at the floor again—there lay a mess of clothing, her everyday attire, an Eye Mask, and even…

Some more intimate, close‑fitting items.

The whole room was suffused with an after‑effects of ambiguous atmosphere.

Jing Liu??!

Why is Jing Liu sleeping naked on her bed?!

Why am I also like this?!

Those clothes on the floor… what on earth happened last night?!!

Bai Hang petrified completely, her thoughts halted entirely, leaving only boundless chaos.

At that moment, perhaps disturbed by her movement and gaze, the white‑haired beauty on the bed's long lashes twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes.

They were a pair of crimson eyes tinged like sunset clouds; usually cold and sharp, now veiled in a faint, newly‑awakened mist, less murderous, more unusually languid and… seductive?

Jing Liu woke up.

She first blinked, adjusting to the light, then her gaze naturally fell on the frozen‑staring Bai Hang beside her.

Their gazes met.

The air solidified for a few seconds.

Then, on the face of the Luofu Swordmaster, an extremely rare faint blush of shy red appeared.

She tilted her face slightly, burying half of it in the pillow, only a watery, shimmering crimson eye exposed, she glanced at Bai Hang, her voice a hoarse tone Bai Hang had never heard, with a hint of… reproach.

"Early morning… already so lively, Ah Hang~?"

The trailing tone rose slightly, carrying an indescribable intimacy and Suggestion.

"Boom—!!!"

Bai Hang felt a bolt of heavenly thunder strike the Heavenly Spirit Dome!

Her whole body tingled from the hair roots to the tips of her toes!

All her blood seemed to rush to her face, her ears buzzed, and darkness began to cloud her vision!

"I… you… this… isn't… ah—!!!"

She babbled incoherently, letting out a short, broken scream, and leapt up from the bed—no, from this terrifyingly extreme "reality"—and sat up abruptly!

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Bai Hang gasped heavily, her heart pounding as if it would burst out of her throat.

She looked around in panic—

Still her bedroom.

The morning light remained.

She wore a normal white silk nightgown.

The quilt was properly tucked.

She trembled, and again, extremely slowly and fearfully, lifted the quilt beside her.

Under the quilt… was a smooth sheet.

No one was there.

The floor… was spotless, with no discarded clothing.

In the air… only the cool morning breath and her own unsettled breathing.

Bai Hang remained frozen, still holding the motion of lifting the quilt, for over a dozen seconds.

Then, as if she had exhausted all her strength, she exhaled a breath of stale air.

Her whole body felt as if its bones were pulled out, collapsing softly back onto the pillow, she raised a hand heavily to press her forehead, and closed her eyes.

"Chain... dream..."

And it was so absurd, so terrifying, so… making one's face flush, ears burn, heart race abnormally—a chain of nightmares!

First, a bizarre funeral‑clad, red Masked monster lunged at me shouting a strange name; then came Jing Liu… Jing Liu…!!!

Bai Hang's cheeks suddenly burned, even the tips of her ears turned red.

She covered her head with the blanket and silently screamed in the darkness.

What on earth is this?!

Why would she have such a dream?!

Or is it in a serial drama style?!

Who is the red Masked monster?

And Jing Liu… how could she dream of being like that with Jing Liu…?!

"It must be because I've been too tired lately… too much pressure… yes, it has to be that…"

She muttered to herself under the blanket, self‑hypnotizing, refusing to admit that the dream might reflect some subconscious… dangerous tendency.

She fidgeted under the blanket for a while longer, then mustered the courage to peek out again.

She carefully lifted the blanket and stepped barefoot onto the floor.

The feel was cold and solid—it was real wooden flooring.

She walked to the window, inhaled deeply, and opened it, hoping the morning breeze would disperse the lingering haze of the nightmare.

But the scene outside made her eyes widen instantly, her azure pupils filled with bewilderment.

There was no Xianzhou Luofu, whose architecture blends classical eaves with flowing light patterns.

There was no Star Chariot silently soaring in the sky, nor the faintly visible Jade Realm Gate in the distance.

Outside the window was a street so quiet it felt excessive.

The road was narrow and paved with asphalt.

On either side stood simple detached houses, mostly two or three stories, their exteriors painted a milky white.

The low fence revealed a meticulously trimmed small courtyard, planted with some nameless flowers and grasses.

Further away, the outlines of a few slightly taller, square‑shaped apartment blocks could be faintly seen.

The sky was a hazy bright white, the cloud layer thick, and the sunlight weak.

This… what place is this?

Bai Hang sprang back a step, then quickly leaned toward the window, almost pressing her face to the glass, incredulously confirming again.

"No… no! Where is this?"

She gasped softly, her heart again beginning to race uncontrollably.

This isn't Luofu!

Absolutely not!

It doesn't even resemble the style of any Xianzhou she knows!

She panicked, turned, rushed toward the bedroom doorway, and flung the door open.

The hallway and staircase outside the door were somewhat similar to the little Xianzhou house she remembered living in, both with wooden stairs and floors.

But the details were entirely different—walls painted plain white with a few landscape prints; the stair rail was a simple metal tube.

"Miss Xi Tong? Miss Sai Fei Er?" Bai Hang called tentatively, her voice echoing through the empty house, receiving no response.

She hurried down the stairs, her heart sinking to the bottom of a valley.

In the first‑floor sitting room, the spot where Xi Tong's simple tea set should have been was now empty.

The kitchen held unfamiliar stoves and a refrigerator.

The whole house was eerily quiet; apart from her own breathing and heartbeat, no sound could be heard.

She sat back on the fabric sofa in the first‑floor living room, hugging her head with both hands, trying to sort her chaotic thoughts.

Crossed over?

Could it be because of that bizarre chain of dreams?

No, now isn't the time to tangle over reasons.

The key is, where is this? How to return? Where did Xi Tong and Sai Fei Er go? Does Heimu Lady know?

She tried various ways to summon the system, or to sense a link with Heimu Lady—no response.

The tiny device on her wrist, disguised as ordinary jewelry, now dimmed and lifeless, as if it truly had become a mere ornament.

An unprecedented sense of isolation and helplessness surged in her heart.