Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 95: I Need You to Save my Distant Dreams (4)

Dragon Raja 4

“You need to learn to take care of yourself. You can’t always rely on others—who knows, one day you might not have anyone to help you,” Nono said, adjusting his tie like it was a casual remark.

Lu Mingfei felt a subtle stir in his heart, sensing that this was more of a farewell reminder. He realized that Nono, his temporary ally borrowed from the Gattuso family, would have to return eventually.

It was like when Gongsun Zan lent Zhao Yun to Liu Bei. The two became close, but when the time came, Zhao Yun had to leave despite their deep bond.

Nono hung an access badge around Lu Mingfei’s neck. “In the end, everyone’s on their own.”

Lu Mingfei easily found the small villa where Su Xiaoyan was staying. The villa wasn’t large, about a hundred square meters, with a small yard of only twenty or thirty square meters, filled with plants.

He walked through the yard and entered the room. The room was quiet, filled with the scent of lavender essential oil. The window was open to the garden, and the sound of rain drumming against the windowsill filled the air. The interior was more exquisite than a hotel room, and only the IV hook on the wall indicated that it was indeed a hospital room.

Lu Mingfei walked softly to the bed and studied the aging goddess. Despite her age, Su Xiaoyan still had a certain charm and youthful spirit. She lay under a thin blanket, her figure well-maintained, but her sleeping posture was sprawled out, and her bed was filled with all sorts of stuffed animals. There weren’t any alcohol bottles in sight, but he could smell the faint scent of alcohol, suggesting she had secretly had a drink before bed.

Lu Mingfei sat down on the chair by the bed, feeling a strange mix of calm and unease. He had found the one person in the world who should remember Chu Zihang, but if even Su Xiaoyan didn’t remember him, where else could he look for Chu Zihang?

The rain was loud, almost hypnotic, and sleepiness suddenly overwhelmed him. Lu Mingfei felt like he was sitting alone in the world, like a statue being washed clean by the rain.

Su Xiaoyan opened her almond-shaped eyes, surprised to see the unfamiliar security guard sitting beside her bed. There were often patrols at night, but rarely did they enter patients’ rooms, especially for someone like her—a middle-aged woman who still radiated charm. She should have screamed for help, shouted “thief!” or “molester!” But instead, she curiously watched Lu Mingfei in silence, reaching for a small flask by her pillow and taking a sip, like a cat who had found something interesting.

“Oh my gosh, Auntie!” Lu Mingfei woke up from his light nap, startled. He quickly greeted her.

“I haven’t seen you before. Are you new here?” Su Xiaoyan’s voice was crisp and youthful. “You look like a college student.”

“They were short on staff tonight, so they asked me to fill in. I… I came to check for any safety hazards,” Lu Mingfei stammered.

“I’m doing fine!” Su Xiaoyan glanced at the flask by her pillow and sheepishly tucked it into the bedside drawer. “Don’t tell the doctor I’ve been sneaking drinks.”

“I won’t, don’t worry,” Lu Mingfei nodded earnestly.

“I saw you sitting there looking lost in thought. Got something on your mind? You can talk to me about it,” Su Xiaoyan said, handing him an apple.

Despite all the years that had passed, she was still as gentle as ever. She didn’t feel like an aunt; she felt more like an older sister.

Lu Mingfei held the apple, staring into her bright, shining eyes. “I have a friend who’s gone missing.”

“How did they go missing? Have you reported it to the police? You should report it quickly; there are a lot of bad people out there these days. Maybe they were dragged into some pyramid scheme?” Su Xiaoyan asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve been looking everywhere for him. Auntie, do you have any kids?”

“Not yet,” Su Xiaoyan sighed. “If I’d had kids earlier, they’d probably be your age by now.”

“Then… can I tell you my friend’s story?” Lu Mingfei asked cautiously.

“Of course, go ahead!” Su Xiaoyan pulled a pillow into her arms, seeming genuinely eager to listen to this late-night tale from a stranger.

Lu Mingfei began to tell the story. He said his friend was a very cool guy, the best student in their class and the most popular. The girls all liked him, but he was introverted. His reserved nature came from his family—his mother was beautiful, but his father was unreliable. His mom couldn’t take it anymore, so she remarried, bringing him along. From that day on, he rarely smiled, always feeling like he was an outsider. As he grew up, he became stronger and more solitary, a tough kid who kept to himself.

He was emotionally distant but always took care of others. Every night, he warmed up milk for his mother. After his biological father died in a car accident, he became even more withdrawn, constantly pushing himself because he felt he was the only one his family could rely on.

As he spoke, Lu Mingfei watched Su Xiaoyan’s expression carefully, trying not to reveal too much, like the fact that his friend’s father had been a driver. He hoped Su Xiaoyan would suddenly have a spark of recognition, as if a candle had been lit in her mind, illuminating forgotten memories.

But when the story ended, Su Xiaoyan just sighed softly. “Your friend sounds so pitiful, but he’s such a good kid. I wonder if my future child will be that good.”

Lu Mingfei was silent for a long moment. “Auntie, you really don’t have any children?”

Su Xiaoyan blushed and smiled happily. “Not yet, but soon! I’m here at the hospital to take care of my pregnancy.”

Her youthful expression looked natural and beautiful on her middle-aged face.

Lu Mingfei was stunned. Su Xiaoyan wasn’t here because she was sick—she was here because she was having a baby.

“My husband and I have been married for many years without children, and it’s been kind of lonely. Lately, we thought maybe we should have one, and not long after, I got pregnant,” Su Xiaoyan explained.

Lu Mingfei sat quietly for a moment before standing up and bowing slightly. “I won’t disturb your rest any longer, Auntie. I’ll come see you again when I have time.”

“Make sure you report your friend missing at the police station! Tell him to stop running around and come home,” Su Xiaoyan reminded him as he reached the door.

“Auntie, did you drink your milk tonight?” Lu Mingfei asked, turning back.

“I did,” Su Xiaoyan nodded. “The nurse warmed it up for me.”

“Good,” Lu Mingfei said, then stepped out into the drizzle.

At the hospital entrance, Nono was sitting on the steps, leaning on an umbrella. She was sipping on a can of cola and chewing on a beef stick while rain dripped off the edge of the umbrella.

Without looking at him, Nono said, “I bought something from the vending machine for energy. With this weather, the grilled flatbread stalls probably aren’t open.”

Lu Mingfei sat down next to her, took a beef stick, and stared at the rain falling beyond the umbrella. “My friend’s mom…”

“Think of something else,” Nono interrupted. “Judging by the look on your face, I get it.”

“Have you ever heard the saying that a fish’s memory only lasts seven seconds?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“I’ve heard it, but I’m pretty sure that’s a myth. Besides, not all fish are the same. Why?”

“If a fish’s memory really did last only seven seconds, then its life would only last seven seconds too. Every seven seconds, it’s reborn, and the fish it used to be dies.”

“Why so philosophical all of a sudden? Stop reading too much existential philosophy. The last S-Rank who did that shot himself in the head.”

Lu Mingfei rubbed his nose. “The day my friend disappeared, I started wondering if I even know who I am. Now that I’m back home, I’m even less sure. Maybe I’m remembering things wrong. Maybe I’m not who I think I am. My brain’s a mess. Maybe the person named Lu Mingfei is already gone.“​

“Even if all of this is just a dream to you, isn’t it a good one? Who wouldn’t want to stay in such a dream a little longer?”

“But what if this dream never ends? Are we just like brains in a vat?”

Nono looked at him, puzzled. “You just went to see a patient, why are you getting all emotional on the way out?”

“My friend’s mother said she never had a child, but now she’s pregnant and is soon going to have a baby.”

“Why are you upset that she’s having a kid? Even if you were friends with her son, this isn’t something for you to worry about.”

“She said she’s felt lonely all these years because she didn’t have a child, but now she’s going to have one, and she won’t be lonely anymore. There will be someone to replace him! This world doesn’t need someone like Chu Zihang. Even without him, there’ll still be someone to heat up milk for Su Xiaoyan!” Lu Mingfei whispered, and suddenly, tears streamed down his face.

He knew it was embarrassing, but he couldn’t help it. Even though it had nothing to do with him, it felt like a knife had been thrust into his chest, hurting so much that he wanted to cry.

He buried his head in his arms, not exactly sobbing, but feeling like he was about to collapse from exhaustion. He had joked and laughed along the way, with Nono and Finger keeping him company, but the psychological pressure had quietly built up. The world around him suddenly felt uncertain, as if everything might be an illusion, and even he might not be real. He had held it together in front of psychological expert Toyama, but now, in front of two women, his defenses had finally crumbled. It was humiliating, like the Student Union President couldn’t handle being around women without falling apart.

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