Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 72: The Requisitioned Bride (8)

Dragon Raja 4

Morpheus gave Anderson a choice: take a blue pill and continue living in the Matrix, oblivious to the truth, or take a red pill and break free from the invisible walls of code to confront reality. Naturally, the protagonist chose the red pill, setting him on an epic journey to become the savior who would defeat the Matrix system enslaving humanity.

“What if Anderson had been scared and chosen the blue pill? How would the story have unfolded?” Lu Mingfei asked, his eyes locked on Nono’s. “He would have returned to the Matrix and continued living, thinking Morpheus and Trinity were just two delusional lunatics. He wouldn’t know how much they sacrificed to find him. Later, Agent Smith captures Morpheus and Trinity, but because Anderson chose the blue pill, he wouldn’t become the savior, wouldn’t rescue them. And when he heard they had died, he would just feel a little regret. But if Anderson had seen the movie, knew how much Morpheus believed in him, and how much Trinity loved him, wouldn’t he have swallowed the red pill even if it was poison?”

Lu Mingfei’s expression was desolate. “I’m terrified I’ve become the Anderson who took the blue pill. I’m afraid my friends will die, and I won’t even feel sad.”

Nono was silent for a long time. “Was this Chu Zihang guy really good to you? Or is it that you want to be a savior?”

Lu Mingfei nodded, then shook his head. “Me, a savior? You know what kind of person I am, Senior Sister. But my senior was really good to me… Do you know, Senior Sister? Having a mental illness is terrifying. It makes you feel like you can’t trust anything in the world, that everyone is lying to you. The Student Union’s treasurer, Isabel, she’s a beautiful and capable Spanish girl. I used to follow all her advice. But after this happened, I suddenly found her ugly. I couldn’t believe a word she said.” He bent over, holding his head in his hands. “I know that if I go through with the brainwashing and erase my senior from my memory, everything will be fine. I’ll go back to normal. Isabel will be beautiful again, and the world will be good again. But what if my senior really exists? What if he’s somewhere, forgotten by everyone, waiting for someone to save him? What if he’s crying out, ‘Help me! I’m Chu Zihang!’ But everyone says, ‘Who are you? Who is Chu Zihang?’ That’s why I can’t forget him. If even I forget him, no one will ever be able to answer him.”

His voice was soft, without any fluctuations, but it carried a deep sadness. Listening to him, Nono felt the wine in her mouth turn bitter.

After a long pause, Nono asked, “So, do I look uglier to you?”

Lu Mingfei looked up, confused. “No.”

“Isabel doesn’t remember Chu Zihang, and I don’t remember Chu Zihang. So why has Isabel turned ugly to you, but I haven’t?”

Lu Mingfei blinked, thinking to himself, Does she even need to ask that question? We both know the answer, but I can’t just say it out loud!

“Because for you, the world is divided into two: Isabel isn’t part of the world you want to believe in, but Chu Zihang and I are part of the world where you trust unconditionally,” Nono said.

Lu Mingfei was momentarily stunned, then nodded. “You’re right, Senior Sister.”

It turned out that what Nono was talking about wasn’t emotions but trust. He trusted Nono and Chu Zihang, but he didn’t trust Isabel as much.

So, what was the difference between Nono and Isabel? Both were beautiful girls, both excellent hybrids. In terms of looks, Isabel might even have the slight edge… But Nono was the first girl he met when he entered this world. She was the one who reached out to him and told him that life had other possibilities. It was like entering a new game, and the first person you meet is a girl riding a red horse who says, “Follow me, let’s explore this new world together.” She healed his insecurities and confusion at the time without asking for anything in return. How could he not trust her?

“There’s always a key for every lock. If you find the right key, you can unlock anything,” Nono added. “If you’re willing to open up, I might be able to help.”

“Are you willing to help me, Senior Sister?” Lu Mingfei asked, his face lighting up.

“Don’t get too excited. I’m not making any promises, just giving it a try,” Nono sighed. “And stop grinning like an idiot—you’re the Student Union president, remember? Maintain some dignity.”

Back in the day, she had proudly promised to protect this guy. But times had changed—her former underling was now a big shot, and a bigger umbrella was needed to shield him. Empty boasting wouldn’t do the job anymore.

Nono lit an alcohol lamp and sprinkled a bit of benzoin powder into the flame. This resin, native to ancient Parthia and Kucha in Central Asia, was said in Chinese medicine to open up spiritual awareness. European mediums were fascinated by its scent, believing it could help their spirits cross into other worlds. Nono didn’t believe in the mediums’ theories, but benzoin did help her focus.

“Profiling is the opposite of hypnosis. Hypnosis involves you entering your subconscious, while profiling is me entering your memories,” Nono explained. “When I’m in the profiling state, I imagine myself as the person who was present at the time. It’s like that person’s spirit descends upon me. In some secret sects, this is called visualization. Depending on the intensity, sometimes I stay conscious, but sometimes I get completely immersed and trapped in the dream. If that happens, you’ll need to wake me up quickly.”

Lu Mingfei sat up straight, nodding vigorously.

“For profiling, we need something called a ‘catalyst.’ It could be a place the person lived in or something they used. Tonight, you’ll be the catalyst. I need you to tell me in detail the memory you have of Chu Zihang that’s the most vivid. Describe every detail, including the sounds and smells at the time. The more details, the better. I’ll use this information to reverse-engineer the truth. During the profiling, I’ll be very vulnerable, so you must protect me.”

Lu Mingfei rolled up his sleeve, showing Nono the Tiger Fang knife tucked under it.

Nono reached out her hand to shake his. “Now, relax. Try to imagine time flowing backward and walk into your own memory.”

Lu Mingfei took a sip of wine and exhaled slowly. “I first met him on a rainy day…”

Nono closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift with the scent of benzoin and Lu Mingfei’s story. Soon, the sound of light rain filled her ears.

That rain from Lu Mingfei’s memory came closer and closer, enveloping her.

Suddenly, the music began: “The Ninth Set of Radio Calisthenics, starting now. March in place… Go!”

Nono slowly opened her eyes and looked around at this new world.

The sky was overcast, and a light rain was falling. Red-brick buildings surrounded a sports field, where thousands of boys and girls stretched their arms and kicked their legs. The school uniforms bore the emblem of “Shilan Middle School.”

She had entered Lu Mingfei’s memory, stepping into a clear dream that she had simulated for herself. It felt vivid and intriguing.

She glanced down, and the puddle reflected Lu Mingfei’s face. The story he was recounting took place during his second year of middle school, and Nono had recreated it. She now imagined herself as Lu Mingfei, observing through his eyes and searching for Chu Zihang hidden in the depths of his memory.

The faces of the boys and girls around her were blurred because Lu Mingfei hadn’t mentioned them in his story, so Nono couldn’t visualize them.

“Doing exercises in the rain—what kind of teacher is this?” Nono muttered, imitating Lu Mingfei’s tone from his middle school days.

She roughly understood the story now. One rainy day in his second year, Lu Mingfei was relieved that they wouldn’t have to do exercises, but the principal suddenly announced over the loudspeaker: “Students! A little wind and rain are nothing to fear! If we can cross great rivers, we can certainly do exercises in the rain! Let’s train for the rise of the Chinese nation and to work healthily for fifty years!”

And so, on that rainy morning, he saw from a distance the legend of Shilan Middle School—the boy who supposedly never had to do morning exercises. He merely walked through the school building, overlooking the field, and scored each class’s performance. That boy’s name was Chu Zihang. He was so excellent and disciplined that the teachers felt making him do exercises would be a waste of his time.

Lu Mingfei had been envious, jealous, and resentful of the treatment Chu Zihang received for a long time, feeling as if there was a vast difference between them, like heaven and earth.

While Nono stretched her arms and legs along with everyone else, her eyes were fixed on the upper floors of the school building. According to Lu Mingfei’s description, when the boy in white passed by, it was like a cloud drifting across the sky.

During the stretching exercise, she accidentally touched the hand of a girl next to her, and for a moment, she felt a little excited. Then she realized it wasn’t her own emotion but rather the feelings of the teenage Lu Mingfei. He had honestly recounted every detail of that day to her, but seriously, couldn’t he be a little more composed? Getting excited over a simple touch during exercises? But upon closer inspection—oh, it was Chen Wenwen! Fine, fine, you’re forgiven for getting excited.

“Lu Mingfei, focus on your exercises!” the P.E. teacher’s reprimand came from behind.

Nono was about to turn around and flip him the finger when suddenly the cloud drifted by. She couldn’t make out his face through the rain, but his posture was upright and straight.

He paused briefly above each class, making a few notes in his book. No wonder Lu Mingfei remembered this so clearly—after all, they were all schoolmates, but Chu Zihang was the judge, while everyone else was being judged.

Could this Chu Zihang person really exist? Leaving aside the matter of him being the head of the Lionheart Society, even if he were just a high school classmate, Lu Mingfei should have mentioned him before. Yet Nono had no recollection of him at all.

It seemed like this dream had gone far enough. Nono shoved the chubby kid in front of her aside and, ignoring everyone else, dashed across the field toward the school building. She needed to see what the boy in white looked like. His image must be stored somewhere in Lu Mingfei’s memory.

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