Why are you kissing me again......" Lu Mingze in the mirror blushed, and asked while covering his face.

Xing Ye smiled gently and said, “Next time, I’ll ask for your consent.”

Standing aside, Cao Qie was filled with a sense of romantic envy, suddenly feeling that love seemed quite beautiful. Guan Ling, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. His traditional views had never considered such things, and there was nothing for him to do but be in a daze.

Cao Qie said, “Ten hours. My skill has ten hours remaining. If you don’t come back within ten hours, we’ll use extreme measures to leave.”

“Alright, thank you,” Xing Ye replied.

He nodded to the two of them, then walked up to Xing Shuo’s door and pushed it open.

Unlike the “empty door” that the mirror had seen players get sucked into, this one was not dark but filled with light.

Xing Ye exchanged a glance with the mirror. Lu Mingze whispered, “After you come out, I’ll settle the score with you.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure to settle it properly,” Xing Ye said with a faint smile.

He stepped into the door with the mirror, and as he was enveloped by the light, the door closed automatically once his figure completely disappeared.

Guan Ling sighed softly, “The boss is really brave. I probably would never have such courage in my life. This is the difference between people.”

Cao Qie, however, said, “We should sit back-to-back on the stairs and be on guard against any unexpected incidents.”

“Alright, I can’t match your level of initiative. I should be older than you, but you have this aura of an elder sister, making me call you ‘sister’ without thinking,” Guan Ling said as he followed Cao Qie’s instructions, and the two sat back-to-back.

Cao Qie spoke in a tone only she could hear, “I also can’t match your acting skills and your ability to adapt like a spring or a weather vane.”

*

“Dage, dage.” (NT: older brother)

Xing Ye was awakened by a call. He opened his eyes to find a white blur before him, with his fourteen-year-old brother looking at him with a tilted head, asking in his teenage voice, “Dage, why are you sleeping here?”

Xing Ye blinked and then realized that the white blur was his brother’s desk lamp. He had fallen asleep on his brother’s desk.

He moved his numb arm and saw a piece of paper on the desk with a QR code drawn on it.

“What is this?” Xing Ye lifted the QR code and asked.

“Isn’t this something you drew during your club activity?” his brother answered. “It was said to be for practicing shorthand. You can just glance at it and draw it, but it takes me a while to trace it.”

“I drew this?” Xing Ye tilted his head, trying to recall why he had drawn this.

He felt as if he hadn’t seen his brother in a long time and gazed greedily at his younger sibling’s face. At this moment, Xing Shuo said, “Dage, if you’re not leaving, could you help me with this problem?”

Xing Ye took a look at it and frowned slightly. “High school politics question? Aren’t you only in the first year? And isn’t political science not tested in science college entrance exams?”

“I want to study liberal arts,” his brother replied. “Just getting a head start.”

“Why choose liberal arts? I remember your science grades were better,” Xing Ye said with a frown. He vaguely remembered that when he was young, his brother had said he wanted to be like him and become a science champion in the college entrance examination.

"Because studying science will never let me surpass you, and I don’t want to overshadow you. What if my college entrance exam results break your record?" Xing Shuo's eyes were shining brightly. "So I want to study liberal arts. It would be even better if both of us are top students in our respective fields."

"If you want to surpass me, you need to work harder," Xing Ye said, tapping Xing Shuo on the head. He picked up the QR code and said, "It's fine to get a head start, but make sure your foundation is solid and don't try to rush things. I won't disturb your studies; I have another task for the study group to handle."

"By the way, Dage, today I found someone at our school who is extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely good-looking," Xing Shuo said, using "extremely" four times to emphasize the person's attractiveness.

Xing Ye smiled and said, "How good-looking can a high school student be?"

"I took a picture of him," Xing Shuo said, handing Xing Ye a black-and-white phone. "It wasn’t a sneak shot. I asked him if I could take a picture, and he said it was fine."

Xing Ye took the phone and was instantly captivated by the person in the photo. Although he was just a high school student, he was so strikingly good-looking that it made Xing Ye’s heart race uncontrollably.

Dage, dage?" The younger brother waved his hand in front of Xing Ye's eyes. "You’ve been looking for half an hour. My phone is going to run out of battery."

There was nothing for Xing Ye to hide from his brother. He said directly, "What’s his name? I’m completely infatuated with him!"

"What?!" Xing Shuo was shocked. "His name is Lu Mingze. Dage, he’s a boy."

"So what?" Nineteen-year-old Xing Ye raised an eyebrow. "Love has no boundaries."

Xing Shuo’s expression turned serious as he gazed at Xing Ye. "Dage, seeing his face, doesn’t it remind you of something?"

He kept waving the black-and-white phone in front of Xing Ye.

Xing Ye said, "I feel like I’ve known him for thousands of years."

Xing Shuo forced a smile, seeing that his brother was quickly trying to get Lu Mingze’s contact information, planning to confess to him at the school gate the next day and buy flowers, etc. He handed Xing Ye a makeup mirror from the desk. "Dage, here’s your mirror."

"I..." Xing Ye was about to say why he, as a grown man, needed a makeup mirror, but when he saw the mirror, he was momentarily stunned and, almost by instinct, took it.

His younger brother smiled and softly said, "Dage, go find Lu Mingze and stay with him. Don’t look back."

Xing Ye turned to his brother, unsure of why he was saying this.

His brother continued, "Hold his hand and keep walking toward this university. Don’t ask or say anything, just see and listen."

He pointed to the admission brochure on his desk, which highlighted a top liberal arts university with a long history—probably his target school.

"Good university," Xing Ye nodded slightly, though he felt a bit puzzled.

As he left his brother’s study and noticed the room was a bit dark, Xing Ye said, "Why are the curtains drawn in the middle of the day? Wait, it’s daytime, and Xing Shuo still needs to use the lamp?"

At this moment, his mother walked over, smiling gently at Xing Ye. "Xiao Ye, the curtains were washed but not dried, so they’re hung up to air out."

No wonder it felt so cold and gloomy.

Seeing his mother’s face, Xing Ye felt tears well up for some unknown reason. He felt a bit rude and quickly wiped his tears. Holding the phone, he asked his mother, "Mom, I like this person and want to pursue him. Is that okay?"

He thought his mother would disapprove, but she gently said, "You have the right to like anyone you want. Your father and I will only wish you the best."

As she spoke, she looked back to see his father standing silently at the bedroom door.

Xing Ye felt a bit strange.

"Go pursue him now; time is pressing!" His father’s stern voice echoed in his ears.

Why is time pressing?

Confused, Xing Ye was physically pushed out the door by his parents, still holding the black-and-white phone that belonged to his brother.

In a daze, he found himself in front of his brother’s high school, and saw Lu Mingze coming out, looking particularly charming. Following his brother's advice, Xing Ye immediately grabbed Lu Mingze’s hand and said, "Don’t speak, come with me."

“Hey, you?” Lu Mingze was inexplicably pulled away by Xing Ye and didn’t resist at all, just following along as they ran.

As they continued, Lu Mingze started to get tired. Xing Ye, who was in excellent physical condition from regular exercise, carried him on his back.

"Where are you taking me?" Lu Mingze asked, surprisingly calm about being carried off by a stranger. He leaned comfortably against Xing Ye’s shoulder.

"My younger brother told me to go to a university, and we’re not allowed to look back along the way," Xing Ye replied.

"Then I won’t look back either," Lu Mingze said, resting against Xing Ye.

He soon fell asleep on Xing Ye’s back. The strange feeling inside Xing Ye grew stronger. He remembered he had a mirror his brother had given him. Taking it out, he used it to check his back and saw Lu Mingze sleeping like a little angel. Meanwhile, the world behind them was gradually turning into a black mist that seemed to be swallowing everything.

Xing Ye dared not look back and quickened his pace, feeling as though if they were consumed by the black mist, they might never return.

The city was vast, and the university was far away. It took Xing Ye three hours to get there, but he didn’t break a sweat. Moreover, upon arriving at the university, he found that he had grown taller, and Lu Mingze had aged to appear around twenty-four or twenty-five.

They entered the library and saw Xing Shuo, looking like he was in his twenties, daydreaming at a table.

Xing Ye sat Lu Mingze down opposite his younger brother and didn’t ask any questions.

Xing Shuo smiled at them. "You’ve arrived."

"Are you Xing Shuo?" Lu Mingze asked. "You look a lot like Xing Ye, but with glasses and a more refined appearance."

Xing Shuo replied, "Nice to meet you. I admire that you’ve managed to make it this far. I hope you can stay with my brother."

"I will," Lu Mingze said solemnly.

"How do you..." Xing Ye felt as if these two knew each other and were speaking in a language only they understood.

Xing Shuo said, "Dage, don’t ask anything. Just watch, listen, and remember what I say."

Trusting his brother, Xing Ye remained silent.

Xing Shuo opened a book, which had a QR code tucked inside. He looked at the QR code and said, "Dage, you have a very strong heart and can withstand wind and rain. But I am not like that. I sometimes feel a sense of disillusionment with the world. I’ve been studying history and gradually find the world very dull, with humans moving back and forth like ants, and the malice has never disappeared over millennia."

Seeing the QR code, Lu Mingze nudged Xing Ye’s arm and whispered, "Where’s your mirror? Take it out quickly."

Xing Ye was puzzled about how Lu Mingze knew he had a mirror. After retrieving the makeup mirror from his pocket, Lu Mingze produced some pins from somewhere, opened the mirror, and pinned it to Xing Ye’s chest.

"Dage, is it wrong for people to want things to go smoothly and to be lucky?" Xing Shuo suddenly asked.

Xing Ye knew that since he was asked, he could answer. "It’s not wrong. Everyone seeks happiness."

"But some people start off at a disadvantage," Xing Shuo said, closing the book. "I thought it was a simple choice, but it turns out it has deeper meaning."

He smiled wryly. "I’m a very contradictory person. I don’t want you to get involved, hoping to win by my own efforts. But I’m sorry, I chose the wrong path and am destined not to succeed. Every time I failed an exam growing up, I would think, if only my brother were taking it, he would surely do well."

Xing Ye and Lu Mingze held hands and listened quietly as Xing Shuo spoke.

Lu Mingze seemed anxious and several times tried to ask something, but held back.

Noticing his urgency, Xing Shuo placed a finger on his lips, made a quiet "shh" sound, and continued, "Dage, a person can’t win alone. A stroke and a dot, it requires two to support."

(NT: Metaphorical reference to calligraphy. Just as some characters need both a stroke and a dot to be complete and meaningful, some things in life require the support or contribution of two or more elements to be effective or successful.)

He seemed to be hinting at something, but Xing Ye didn’t understand and could only patiently remember each of his brother’s words.

“I believe you, brother, are someone who abides by the law. I hope you can stick to your principles until the end and not cross boundaries like I did. Those who kill will always be killed.”

“There is no magic brush in the real world. Rooms, stairs, and houses won't jump out of pictures, but the world of imagination and consciousness is different. Don’t be timid.”

“Do you know the significance of ancient European attics? It’s written interestingly in this book.” After saying a bunch of cryptic things, Xing Shuo actually set aside the QR code and showed Xing Ye a book.

It read: Ancient European buildings were very different from Chinese pavilions in their spiritual outlook. The former were made of brick and stone, with only small windows, no corridors outside, and a strong emphasis on vertical, slender shapes, seemingly disdainful of the earth, revealing a separation between man and nature.

Seeing that Xing Ye had noted down the highlighted portion, his brother said with some reluctance, “Time is running out. You should go.”

Xing Ye looked at his brother and felt as if he hadn’t seen him in many years, wanting to take a few more glances.

He had a feeling that once he left, he might never see his brother again.

“This is not your world. Go quickly!” Xing Shuo’s voice suddenly grew serious. “Always move towards the sun, never look back. If you see a door, pull it open and rush out, then immediately close the door and lock everything behind it.”

Lu Mingze quickly got up and said solemnly, “Don’t worry, I won’t let him look back.”

With that, he jumped onto Xing Ye’s back and firmly held onto his neck.

“Oh, and take this drawing with you.” Xing Shuo pulled out a crayon drawing from somewhere and placed it into Xing Ye’s arms.

It was a crayon drawing from Xing Shuo’s childhood, titled “My Brother,” depicting a boy chasing the sun.

Xing Ye tucked the drawing away, nodded, and ran with Lu Mingze on his back. At this point, Lu Mingze noticed that Xing Shuo was looking at him with admiration and respect and said softly, “You’re really amazing, never crossing boundaries no matter the situation. Keep an eye on my Dage. Remember, don’t kill, don’t fail. Your enemies are not people.”

With that, his figure was swallowed by the black mist. Xing Ye and Lu Mingze ran with all their might.

Ahead was the dazzling sunlight, and behind was the ever-expanding black mist. The entire world was shrouded in darkness, except for the bright sun ahead.

Xing Ye ran and ran, finally, when he was exhausted and on the brink of dehydration, he saw a door ahead.

He rushed to open the door, but his body could no longer move. Half of his and Lu Mingze’s bodies were already engulfed by the black mist.

Hands reached out from the mist—those of Xing’s father and mother. They pushed the two of them out with all their strength and waved goodbye to Xing Ye from within the black mist.

As soon as Xing Ye stepped out, he felt a lightness on his back, and Lu Mingze was gone. He quickly shut the door behind him and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

 

Translator : DarNan