Dragon Raja 2; Chapter 66: Dandelion (13)

Dragon Raja 2

“Terrible!” She was still conscious.

After the mission in the Three Gorges, she often had dreams. The doctor said it was a minor aftereffect of prolonged oxygen deprivation underwater and would gradually heal. But Nono didn’t like this “minor” aftereffect at all, because it was always the same dream.

In the dream, there was a nearly black blue color. Light filtered down from above the water, and the ripples cast their shadows on her face. She floated amidst the endless waves, unable to even hear her own heartbeat. There seemed to be figures moving above the water; she wanted to rise up to them, but she had no strength—not even to move a finger. Those figures seemed to be looking down at her, their faces filled with grief. She felt like she was lying in a coffin, saying goodbye to her loved ones through the glass.

What a nightmare, how she hated it! Time did not flow in the dream—it was cold. She wanted to curl up in fear, but couldn’t. It was so quiet; she wanted to speak, but couldn’t make a sound. The despair was overwhelming—so this was what death was like.

Every time she woke from the dream, she was icy cold. She didn’t remember what had happened underwater in the Three Gorges, but she knew the dream was about death.

The moment she choked on water, she saw that dark blue once again. She was floating in the endless water, unable to move. Damn lack of oxygen had dragged her into that dream!

She felt like she was dying…

Suddenly, everything was torn apart! Water, light, that almost black blue—everything was ripped open by sharp claws, like the sky splitting apart. A huge face appeared in the rift, its eyes blazing like golden suns, bright as daylight. It was a twisted, grotesque… child’s face…

“Don’t die!” he roared.

“Ric… ardo.” Nono called out the name.

More water poured into her throat. She kicked a few times, finally stabilizing herself in the hot spring, gasping, her eyes filled with intense fear.

“Oh, sorry, sorry!” Susie hurried over to help her.

Susie hadn’t expected the girl, who was normally so good in water, to stumble in this small hot spring. Nono had clearly swallowed quite a bit of water—not just when she fell in, but also while struggling and shouting. Susie hadn’t heard what she said, but from above the water, she could see the deep fear on her face. Since they’d met, Susie had never seen the red-haired witch lose her composure like that.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Nono waved it off. She turned her head, forcing a smile at Susie. “I’m a bit dizzy. I’ll go sit in the sauna.”

Susie watched as her friend, in her white swimsuit, disappeared into the darkness, feeling as if Nono had suddenly become a different person.

Inside the sauna, Nono was alone. She poured a ladle of cool water onto the red-hot stones, filling the room with thick steam that blurred her vision.

The phone screen was the only thing visible in the haze, displaying a draft multimedia message. She had been hesitating whether to send it or not, but every time she decided to cancel, she felt a twinge of reluctance. And so, the edited MMS remained in her drafts, its fate depending on her mood.

The MMS was actually a song, “Happy Birthday to you, Li, Li Ricardo, Happy Birthday to you, Li, Li Ricardo…”

On the way to the Hailuogou resort, she’d suddenly thought of the tune and recorded it for fun, intending to send it to Lu Mingfei on his birthday. She imagined how he would foolishly grin if he received it.

But… did it seem a bit ambiguous…? She rarely hesitated about anything—she usually did whatever came to her mind. And was there really any need to hesitate? It was impossible for her to like Lu Mingfei—at most, she just felt a bit sorry for him. When they first met, he was a true loser. The feeling of him alone, panting in the corner, seemed familiar. She’d already been quite good to Lu Mingfei. With a pretty senior like her looking after him, life at the college would be a little easier. She hated seeing others helpless. As for Lu Mingfei liking her, it would eventually pass, wouldn’t it? Juniors were supposed to learn from seniors how girls thought and use that knowledge to charm their juniors, right?

Just like those uncles who admired her in kindergarten belonged to their wives, juniors belonged to their junior girls.

Tonight, she should have been happily bouncing around, drinking with Susie until they were both drunk. After all, she had received her first-ever marriage proposal… But why did that childish face suddenly appear? She had never seen him look so anxious, enraged, and ferocious—that expression didn’t suit him. Suddenly, all her joy was diluted, and she felt so very tired.

She sat silently in the steam. It was Lu Mingfei’s birthday today, and in thirty minutes, the day would end.

Lu Mingfei pulled out his phone and checked the time—11:30 p.m. Heavy rain lashed against the airplane window, and the city lights were sparse and distant.

Chu Zihang handed Lu Mingfei a small package. “This flight crosses the Arctic Circle—ten hours, sleep through it, and we’ll be in Chicago.” He then swiftly put in earplugs, put on a sleep mask, an air pillow, and a blanket, and fell asleep.

Lu Mingfei opened the package to find identical equipment. Chu Zihang had clearly planned to use the ten hours on the plane for rest. The guy’s life was as precise as a machine.

“United Airlines flight UA836 to Chicago is now preparing for takeoff. Please switch off all mobile communication devices.” The sweet female voice echoed throughout the cabin.

No new messages had arrived. Lu Mingfei pressed the power button until the screen went completely black. At that moment, he wondered what she might be doing. But it was better not to think about things he didn’t know—maybe she was fishing on the sunny Red Sea, while he was thinking of her on a dark, rainy night. It made him seem small, shrouded in a gloomy cloud of misery, didn’t it? He put in the earplugs, put on the sleep mask, and darkness filled his vision. The roaring engine noise was muffled, leaving him only with the vibrations and acceleration from his seat. The Boeing 747 sliced through the rain, veering into the sky, skimming over the sleeping city.

“Goodnight,” Lu Mingfei whispered, unsure to whom he was speaking.

Series Navigation

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