Chapter 393
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 393: A Glimpse of Heaven
"Hey, wake up!"
Applause startled Bai Wei.
He abruptly opened his eyes, and in front of him stood an incredibly handsome man, whose appearance even surpassed two divine beings from the Ming Country.
He was stunned for a moment, then clenched his fist tightly.
"You… "Bai Wei could never forget that face. It was this person who dragged him into a cycle of a hundred reincarnations.
"Hey, don’t hit my face! I look so good, can you bear to hit me?"
"Yes, I can bear it! Very, very bear it!"
"But please don’t hit! All of my friends are in this shop. If you hit, they won’t turn a blind eye."
"No, we didn’t see anything." The café owner supported his chin and said, "I turned off the video recording."
"Hmph!"
Bai Wei held back the urge to punish the person with an iron fist, released his grip, and let the handsome man sit back down.
The other person adjusted his collar and smiled, "Don’t be nervous. It was just a little experiment. When you were walking, it seemed like a long time, but actually, it was just a short while. From the time you sat down until now, it hasn’t even been five minutes."
The handsome man, who claimed to be a god, glanced at his watch, "I should be leaving soon. I’m sorry for using you for the experiment. You can go back now."
Bai Wei stared at the handsome man, looking strange, "Go back? Now?"
"Otherwise, do you still want to live here? Don’t think too much, go back, it’s all just a dream." The handsome man smiled and said, "I invite you to have a cup of coffee and help me with a little experiment, it makes sense."
Bai Wei remained silent, he lowered his head and looked at the coffee in his hand. He picked it up, still warm, but instead of drinking it, he walked out of the coffee shop under the gaze of the handsome man and the shop owner.
"Hoo…" Bai Wei let out a sigh of relief as he walked on the street. He felt a sense of unreality.
He tried to shake his sleeves, but no Crouching Tiger Sword fell out. Then he looked at the rearview mirror of a parked car on the roadside, which reflected an ordinary and handsome face without a golden glow in the eyes.
All of this felt like a long illusion. Bai Wei walked back to the doorstep of his home, which was a small house with a hanging basket on the wall. His mother liked to play with plants and flowers, even the location was exactly the same. The sound of a hula hoop came from inside the house. She said she wanted to exercise her waist, so she bought a hula hoop to play with.
He pushed open the door and the first thing he saw on the table was a meal. His father was coming downstairs, holding a cup. When he saw Bai Wei, he smiled. His father was a teacher, who used to be a bit hot-tempered when he was young, but years of teaching career had made him patient and steady.
"What happened?" His father seemed to sense that something was bothering him.
"…Nothing." Bai Wei shook his head. "Maybe I encountered some unexplained things."
"Let’s eat first, then you can tell me later."
"Okay."
The father and son were talking when they approached the table. The woman dropped her hula hoop and shouted, "Go wash your hands first!"
The two men squeezed next to the sink and started scrubbing their hands.
This is how the everyday life of a family of three is, ordinary and plain.
Bai Wei finished his meal and thought the taste was still the same, a nostalgic taste.
In the hundred moments of daydreaming, the short teenage years are just the beginning but hold an unshakable importance in life.
Bai Wei missed this relaxing feeling too much. When he returned home, everything outside was forgotten and the clouds cleared.
He ate until he was full, laid back in the chair, stretched lazily, and listened to his parents chatting about everyday things, while massaging his stomach to aid digestion.
"It’s about time you find a girlfriend… When are you going to bring a daughter-in-law for me to meet?"
When Bai Wei heard his mother say these words, his expression paused for a moment. In the past, he would have left feeling dejected, but now that thought was gone.
He nodded and said, "I will find it."
Both father and mother looked at him with eyes that seemed to see a demon, as if they were trying to make sure they hadn’t mistaken their son.
Bai Wei didn’t give them a chance to nag, he went upstairs, back to his room, turned on the computer, opened the chat tool, and busied himself with watching anime, movies, TV shows, and online videos. He was happily occupied.
When it was time for dinner, they had their usual meal and then went out for a walk with his dad.
Halfway through the walk, his father was called to play cards by someone and left his son, who was still feeling lonely, behind.
Bai Wei started walking alone along the riverside path. As he turned the corner, he bumped into a girl who was out for a night run. Their shoulders collided and her cap flew off. He instinctively caught it and noticed a small cut on her sleeve, making a notch in the cap.
The girl took the cap, said thanks with a blush, and turned back to continue her night run.
Bai Wei continued his walk and encountered several people along the way, some familiar and some strangers.
He felt like the world was still running as usual, without any changes despite him taking a nap.
The sleeves were still empty.
Bai Wei returned home and sat in front of the computer, lost in thought. Suddenly, he had the urge to write something. He opened a document and started typing on the keyboard.
Time silently passed by for three hours. This is not a story, but a record of the past.
He felt sleepy, so he took a nap. The next day, he woke up and opened the computer, but the document was nowhere to be found.
He didn’t really mind, he just sighed and then smiled nonchalantly.
One week later, in the morning, Bai Wei walked out of the house. His mother was watering the bonsai at the doorstep, and his father was about to leave for school.
"Where are you going?" his mother asked.
"Probably going to hang out with friends," his father replied with a smile. "Haven’t you been getting close to that girl recently?"
Bai Wei complained, "He only said a few words."
"Our son is shy, that’s good, just like me," said the mother. "Go ahead, will you come back for lunch?"
"Probably not," Bai Wei paused, then shook his head. "Go ahead and eat without me, you don’t have to wait."
"Okay," the mother and father stood together.
"I have to go now," Bai Wei said.
"Take your time and come back soon."
"I’m leaving," Bai Wei glanced at them, then turned away.
In the instant he turned away, his eyes gradually lost the ordinary qualities of being human, the inertia nurtured in a happy little family was peeled away like a cocoon. He was reclaiming the sharpness, calmness, indifference and pride of being a reincarnator.
His walking steps transformed from being careless to steady, and his slightly curved back became straight and upright.
The sunny and beautiful day continued, with a clear sky and no clouds as far as the eye could see. But now, the brightness had become like a pretend scene, just like the light from a bright lamp.
He once again walked up to the stopped car and looked at his reflection in the car window. His eyes shimmered with a brilliant golden color.
With a self-mocking smile, Bai Wei walked down the same street and circled back to where he started, pushing open the café’s door.
Inside the café, just like when he left, a handsome man sat there. Across from him, there stood an empty cup of steaming hot coffee.
"Why have you come back? Isn’t your home good enough?" asked the handsome man, seeming puzzled.
"It’s good, but it feels a little fake," said Bai Wei, picking up the coffee and taking a sip. "It really doesn’t have any taste…" He trailed off.
Lost in his thoughts, he continued, "I still remember the café’s signature drink, apple-flavored coffee. It had such a magical taste. Even in this illusion, could it not be replicated?"
The handsome man didn’t say anything. He seemed like a malfunctioning robotic doll, with all the color rapidly fading from his body.
The café owner said, "Isn’t life here beautiful enough? Are you willing to let go?"
"Can’t let go," Bai Wei sets down the cup. "But suddenly realized something…"
"What?"
"Turns out, what I worry about is not just my parents and our small home," Bai Wei says. "I’m so greedy. Just a lifetime of happiness may not be enough to keep me. At least another hundred lifetimes!"
"…In silence, the cafe owner stops speaking, and everything begins to inevitably decay and collapse.
"Alright, it’s time for me to go," Bai Wei drops the coffee cup and kicks the door.
The powerful force smashes the door and it feels like breaking a piece of glass, infinite light shines in from outside.
The cage is shattered, and his dream is shattered as well.
As he’s about to walk towards the door, he suddenly hears a distant call from behind.
"Son!"
That is the sound of parents.
Bai Wei turned around and saw the two of them supporting each other, standing there at a distance, seemingly saying words of not wanting to leave.
Bai Wei smiled without sadness and turned his head back, "It was you who said to bring a girlfriend back… A promise is a promise!"
The parents were stunned, and in the next moment, they smiled with understanding and relief, then shattered into countless pieces.
The young man took a step forward, stepping out of the collapsing dream, feeling the soft gravel under his feet.
He opened his eyes, and the scene in front of him was completely unfamiliar.
[Event triggered]
[You have entered Broken Paradise]