Actually, the girl didn’t understand it herself. She gave everything she was and she didn’t know how to pull back. But… she didn’t want to be like that. She eventually became the version of herself that she hated the most. She became a drunkard, like her father.
After high school, she got into an okay university. Before she got the chance to get to know her university mates, she started to disappear from classes. Even her roommates spread rumours about her since she often stayed out late at night. She didn’t get angry when she heard the rumours. She merely ‘accidentally’ showed off her expensive luxury items like cosmetics and jewellery, earning everyone’s hatred. She did it because she liked it, not because she hated them.
She thought she would live meaninglessly and die meaninglessly. Until… she met that man. He was her senior who was one year older than her. He was a student counsellor assigned by the university for the new students. He was assigned to her hostel room.
It was a cloudy day. The weather forecast said that it would rain, but it never did. The rolling clouds flew low in the sky like they would drop heavy rain on the earth at any moment. She was outside of university at an internet cafe. Her typing sound echoed in the empty cafe. She was called back by the university counsellor. It was a woman several years older than her. Her words were often harsh, but she was not a bad person. The counsellor would scold and warn her every time she did something bad. Coincidentally, these were the two things she couldn’t care less about.
When she reached her bedroom door, she heard her loudest roommate listing out her sins. They even said that she might be crazy and aggressive. She paused outside the door and didn’t head in.
The girl who shared the top bunk with her spoke up. She sounded like she was defending the girl, but she was hinting heavily that the girl was a prostitute because…
“Have you seen that in person?” The senior’s voice was clean, unlike her roommates. Her roommates were silenced.
“I… I heard it from others, but it has to be true.” The girl countered. Her voice was melodious and gentle, as if she was trying to seduce the senior, “Senior, you can ask the other students from our course.”
“If her roommates don’t know the truth, why would I ask the others?” The senior’s tone was firm and confident. “I’ll just spread more rumours.
Everyone had a sacred idol in her heart. Yu Man thought she would not, but once she opened the bedroom door, her mind changed.
“Is it Xia Wanan?” The senior wore a pair of spectacles. He was clean, gentlemanly, and kind. He held a file and studied it seriously. Then, he smiled, “Hello. My name is Han Jingnian.” Their relationship became just like that.
After Yu Man, or Xia Wanan, met Han Jingnian, she felt like her world changed. She got to know some new friends and felt life again. However, a real nightmare came to destroy everything.
During their graduation trip, she, Han Jingnian and their closest friends were sucked into the nightmare realm. They came to an unfamiliar world. However, after they explored the world further, Xia Wanan’s pupils trembled violently. She… had returned to her childhood city. It was as if someone had rewound time. Everything was as she remembered.
Then, their experience was similar to most travellers. They were targeted by an extremely scary ghost. Their friends were killed off one after another. She was so scared that she gave up. Thankfully, Han Jingnian was always there to shield her.
Han Jingnian was extremely clever. With just a few clues, he found the exit that was inside an underground bar. However, when they reached the exit, the ghost caught up to them. The ghost blocked them from reaching the iron door. Their hope was vanquished.
Screams exploded in the dark. Another friend was killed. The fog around the black door thinned. A voice in her heart told her that it was the sign of the door disappearing. Once the door disappeared, they would be trapped in that world forever. Then, they would witness a fate worse than death.
The helplessness that she experienced when she watched her father beat her mother with his belt gripped her heart. She thought she had escaped from this nightmarish city, but the nightmare realm sent her back.
Despair undulated. She could sense the malice radiating from the ghost that crawled on the ground.
At a critical moment, there was a flash. Han Jingnian, who was beside her, lit up his coat and tossed it out. The alcohol around them caught the flames instantly. The fire also held the ghost back temporarily.
The door was right before them. Even though their surviving friends were slightly far away, they had enough time to run over.
However, what happened next overturned Xia Wanan’s understanding of Han Jingnian. He grabbed the bottle from the bar and smashed it against the ground. Instantly, a line of fire spread and cut off their friends’ path to the exit.
Their friends were soon engulfed by the flames.
“Listen to me.” Han Jingnian grabbed her by her shoulders and said with serious eyes. “This nightmare will always continue. Since you’re here, you’ll never leave. The only thing you can do is to survive.”
Their friends cursed them as the fire consumed them. However, these didn’t affect Han Jingnian.
“Remember. Do not trust anyone in the nightmare realm.” He took in a deep breath. His voice changed. “And… if possible, try to make yourself the only survivor.”
He spoke quickly. “After you leave, you’ll find something extra on you. No matter what it is, take good care of it. It’ll help you survive in your next nightmare.”