“Xia, open the door.”

Yu Nian’an said.

Hearing those faint knocking sounds, Qi Xia only felt all his hair standing on end, his heart about to leap out of his throat.

He had no idea what was waiting for him behind the door.

“Xia, open the door.”

Yu Nian’an said again.

“No… impossible…”

*Dong dong dong.*

The knocking continued behind Qi Xia. He felt himself surrounded by unknown fear.

Before him was Yu Nian’an with no facial features. Behind him was the continuous knocking.

*Dong dong dong.*

“Xia, open the door.”

Qi Xia tried hard to calm himself, then asked, “First tell me, who’s outside the door…?”

After hearing this, the faceless Yu Nian’an’s flat face wriggled.

Although she had no features, Qi Xia felt that she was smiling.

“Xia, it’s me outside the door,” Yu Nian’an said as she spread her arms wide, making a hugging gesture. “Open the door and let me see you.”

“It’s you outside the door…” Qi Xia felt like his entire being was about to collapse again. “If it’s you outside the door, then what are you?”

“I am me,” Yu Nian’an said. “It’s also me outside the door. Let us reunite together. Let me walk into your heart.”

*Dong dong dong.*

“You bunch of lunatics…” Qi Xia gritted his teeth with effort. “Because you know this is my only weakness… that’s why you keep playing Yu Nian’an to fool me…”

“How could I be your weakness?” The Yu Nian’an before him approached Qi Xia step by step. “And no one is playing me. I am me. If you don’t open the door, I can open the door myself. Xia, it’s okay, don’t be afraid.”

“What exactly do you people want?!”

Qi Xia felt that the thoughts he had just recovered were starting to become chaotic again. This space seemed very strange—it would block his thinking.

“What do I want?” Yu Nian’an’s face wriggled again, as if her smile had become even more sinister than before. “Xia, I don’t want anything. I want you to be happy and joyful.”

“Stop playing with me…” Qi Xia’s entire body began to tremble. “You say you want me to be ‘happy and joyful,’ but every time I see you, I break down… What is your ultimate goal? Is it purely just to torment me?”

*Dong dong dong.*

“Xia, open the door and let him tell you,” Yu Nian’an smiled. “Don’t you want to find the real me?”

“The real you…?” Qi Xia was startled.

“Yes, open the door and find the real me.”

Qi Xia slowly turned around, staring at that old wooden door, his pupils constantly flickering.

*Dong dong dong.*

The person kept knocking on the door. He was very patient.

“Open it,” Yu Nian’an said. “Welcome our guest.”

“Our… guest?” Qi Xia furrowed his brow slightly. “I don’t have any friends… How could I have a guest?”

“But he’s come,” Yu Nian’an’s voice gradually became distorted. “He’s seen you. He’s come to find you.”

Qi Xia’s hand slowly rose and placed itself on the door handle.

He felt that he didn’t have any other choice.

Home wasn’t home, people weren’t people. If he wanted to figure all this out, he could only open this door.

What exactly had happened?

He gently turned the handle and pulled the door open. The first thing that met his eyes was endless darkness, followed by a figure.

This figure wore an old robe with long hair down to the waist, a red cinnabar mark on the forehead—but was clearly a man.

Like Yu Nian’an behind him, he too had no facial features.

“It’s been a while, Aries.”

His voice was half male, half female, as if two people were speaking simultaneously.

The pitch-black space around them continuously rotated like vortexes.

“You…” Qi Xia felt his head splitting with pain. Some memories wanted to be awakened, but were firmly locked away by something invisible.

“No rush, we have plenty of time,” the person said. “Won’t you invite me in? We can have a good chat.”

Qi Xia looked at the boundless darkness outside the door and fell into thought. Where exactly was out there?

“It took quite some effort to open this door in your heart,” the person took a step forward.

“The door in my heart?”

“I found you, Aries.”

The person’s face wriggled, and suddenly a violent wind blew up all around, completely blowing the door open. Qi Xia was blown backward repeatedly, and the person stepped through the door in one stride.

An abnormally intense smell of rot immediately spread throughout the entire room. When Qi Xia came to his senses and looked around, before him were two people with completely no facial features.

An indescribable eeriness emanated from them.

“Why lock your state of mind so tightly?”

A sentence rang out between the two. Since neither had a mouth, Qi Xia couldn’t even tell who was speaking.

“This room is already so dilapidated, yet what are you still holding onto? Didn’t you already open the door once before?”

“I…”

“Why don’t you dare lie down and let yourself relax? What are you afraid of? Have a comfortable sleep, have a beautiful dream—how nice would that be?”

They asked again.

“I can’t relax… I can’t sleep…”

“But you’re too tired. It’s time to rest. What should you do now? Do you still have anyone by your side who will wake you?”

“You…” Qi Xia seemed to remember something. “Heavenly-Dragon…?”

“This humble one is without talent.” Heavenly-Dragon shook his head. “I am indeed the master of ‘Taoyuan.'”

“You entered my dream…?”

“How could that be?”

The person walked lightly to sit beside the single-person dining table. He waved his hand, and the single-person dining table suddenly transformed into an Eight Immortals table, with chairs arranged one by one.

When Qi Xia looked carefully again, the earlier Yu Nian’an had already disappeared without a trace.

“It’s extremely difficult just to want to chat with you.” Heavenly-Dragon smiled, then reached out to touch his own face. “What do I look like in your dream?”

“You’re an extremely ugly monster…” Qi Xia said.

“Is that so?” Heavenly-Dragon responded softly. “I thought I would have a ferocious face.”

“Heavenly-Dragon, are you afraid?”

“I’m afraid?”

“Why did you come into my dream?” Qi Xia asked again. “Could it be that what I’m doing now is making you panic?”

“Ha, hahaha.” Heavenly-Dragon’s face continuously wriggled, but Qi Xia couldn’t see any expression from him. “How interesting, Aries. You say I’m afraid? You, as someone who hasn’t lain down to sleep for seven consecutive years, are actually saying I’m afraid?”

“Then why not face me in an upright confrontation?” Qi Xia asked. “What are you doing coming into my dream?”

“Relax, Aries.” Heavenly-Dragon lowered his head slightly. “Why be on guard against me?”

After speaking, he beckoned to Qi Xia. “Every nerve in your body is tense. Relax yourself. Come sit down.”

“Just say what you have to say directly.” Qi Xia said. “I can’t possibly let down my guard against you.”

“No rush.” Heavenly-Dragon’s face wriggled again. “I told you, we have plenty of time. Aries, I’ve already entered your dream. Without anyone to wake you, you can’t get out anymore.”