Seeing Lin Lan with food smeared around his mouth, Xiao Shengjing handed him a tissue. “Eating too much fried chicken isn’t good for you.”
Lin Lan raised his hand to stop him. “I know, I know. Captain, don’t say anything. I know you have cleanliness issues and can’t eat this. Just watch me eat, and please don’t enlighten me with any weird knowledge.”
Xiao Shengjing didn’t intend to enlighten him; he just wanted to hand him a tissue. Since it didn’t happen, he awkwardly held the tissue in his hand.
Midway through his meal, Lin Lan was spotted by Lu Shi and Feifei, who happened to pass by. They caught Lin Lan secretly enjoying delicious food and, like robbers, barged in to snatch everything.
To save the last chicken leg, Lin Lan and Lu Shi engaged in a fierce struggle, eventually deciding to tear it in half.
Xiao Shengjing, who was watching, couldn’t help but smile. He used to think fried chicken was a nutritionally deficient food, but now, seeing Lin Lan playing around, he suddenly felt that fried chicken wasn’t entirely without merit.
After a satisfying meal, they went back to training, and after training, everyone returned to their respective rooms.
As Lin Lan was about to go back to his room, he was stopped by Xiao Shengjing, who handed him a mosquito repellent. “It’s getting hot, and there are a lot of mosquitoes. Take this.”
Accepting it, Lin Lan suddenly felt that the captain was indeed much more thoughtful than the Silly Dog. “Thanks, Captain.”
“And also,” Xiao Shengjing hesitated to look at him, “remember to lock the door.”
Lin Lan chuckled, “Got it, got it.”
He returned to his room and locked the door. Whether it was due to daytime thoughts or nighttime dreams, he dreamt that someone was knocking on his door, knocking continuously until he woke up.
Startled from his sleep, Lin Lan found someone indeed knocking on his door.
He got up, opened it, and saw Xiao Shengjing standing at the doorway, who immediately gave him a big hug upon entering.
“Why are you here?” Lin Lan closed the door and looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Did you fall down the stairs again?”
“No,” Xiao Shengjing sat on his bed, his gaze lingering on Lin Lan with affection and attachment. He held Lin Lan’s hand, saying, “The day I went back, I felt like I had a dream, unreal. Later, I tried various methods to see you again, but it didn’t work every time. It was only recently that I found a way…”
“What way?” Lin Lan pulled his hand away. “Speak properly, don’t be handsy.”
“Alright, let me first tell you what I found out.”
“Parallel worlds do exist, and there are related papers. Each world is maintained by specific magnetic fields, ensuring that everyone remains in their own world without interference.”
“But human consciousness belongs to some force. As long as the consciousness is strong enough, it can alter the magnetic field of the original world, causing people from two worlds to intersect. The reason you traveled to this world is because the consciousness of Lin Lan in this world influenced the magnetic field. Although he died, his consciousness did not disappear. You can only truly return to the original world by fulfilling his wishes and making his consciousness disappear.”
Xiao Shengjing was worried that he didn’t understand, so he gave him an example, “In the original world, you were always in a coma. As long as you fall into a deep sleep here, you should wake up there. But why haven’t you woken up in three months? Because the consciousness of Lin Lan in this world has trapped you. He left you in this world, so you can’t go back.”
“And I’m different from you. My consciousness is not enough to reverse the magnetic field. I can only come here briefly to see you, but I can’t stay here forever.”
Lin Lan understood, “Are you saying I’m trapped here?”
“Yes, you are trapped by the owner of this body. Some experts say that human consciousness does not disappear after death; it transforms into a certain form of energy and continues to exist. The Lin Lan in this world was forced to death, and his resentment is deep. Unless you resolve his resentment, even if you die, you won’t be able to go back.”
Lin Lan didn’t expect things to be so complicated. He had looked into parallel worlds when he arrived in this world, but since this world was four years behind in time, the concept of parallel spacetime was not clear to him, so he didn’t have the detailed information that Xiao Shengjing had found.
“If that’s the case, then I must investigate the cause of his death.”
Xiao Shengjing also felt a shiver down his spine, “Yes, you are right. Fortunately, you didn’t listen to me that day; otherwise, you really wouldn’t be able to go back.”
Lin Lan furrowed his brows, unable to comprehend some aspects, “If the two worlds have always been parallel, why are the two versions of me so different? And you and the Xiao Shengjing of this world are also very different. Where did the divergence begin?”
“What’s different between me and him?”
Lin Lan couldn’t quite pinpoint it. Suddenly, he thought of something, “Did you ever save someone at Shengyuan High School before?”
Xiao Shengjing shook his head, “I focused on studying; I rarely got involved in other matters.”
“Then, do you know Xie Zilu?”
“I know him.”
“What do you think of him?”
“I don’t have much interaction with him, so I’m not very clear. I just know that his family background is pretty good.”
Lin Lan bit his lip, becoming even more perplexed. Why would the Xiao Shengjing of this world save “Lin Lan”?
“I have another question to ask you. When Brother Mu was forming the team, did he invite you, and why did you refuse him?”
Xiao Shengjing struggled to recall; that should have been when he just started his career, “I visited his team. It was dilapidated, and the teammates were subpar, so I didn’t stay. I heard that their team didn’t even participate in the city tournament and disbanded in less than half a year.”
The original world’s Xiao Shengjing had never experienced hardships, embodying typical capitalist thinking. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that he would refuse.
However, Lin Lan couldn’t understand why the Xiao Shengjing of this world loved supporting the weak so much. Whether it was “Lin Lan” or DT, Xiao Shengjing always played the role of a savior.
“Lin Lan, what are you thinking?” After speaking, Xiao Shengjing grabbed Lin Lan’s hand and looked at him with nostalgic eyes. “You’ve suffered here, don’t worry. I will thoroughly research parallel worlds there. You’ll definitely come back. You must come back…”
As he stood up, intending to hug Lin Lan, he suddenly felt dizzy, and his vision went dark before collapsing straight to the ground.
Lin Lan was pushed back two steps and bumped into the wardrobe. “Oh my, why did he collapse after only half an hour?”
He forcefully pushed Xiao Shengjing onto the bed, and at the moment of collapsing, the unconscious person slowly opened his eyes. He saw himself being pushed away by Lin Lan and then falling into a soft bed. The glaring light circulated above, and suddenly, everything in front of him became a vast expanse of white. Even Lin Lan’s face became somewhat unclear.
“Hey, Captain, you’re sleepwalking again.”
“I’m sleepwalking again?”
“Yes, hurry back; I need to sleep.”
Xiao Shengjing finally saw Lin Lan’s face clearly. There was a very small mole on his profile, which looked particularly enticing under the light.
This is… his room?
Xiao Shengjing suddenly became alert. His head hurt more than the last time, making him stagger.
Lin Lan was startled, thinking if there would be any aftereffects. He quickly helped him sit down. “Captain, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Xiao Shengjing shook his head, then struggled to stand up again. “Sorry, I sleepwalked again.”
“No, it’s okay, sit down.” Lin Lan urged him to sit, poured a glass of water for him, and crouched in front of him. “Captain, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Should we go to the hospital?”
The genuine concern in his eyes made Xiao Shengjing a bit uneasy. He glanced at the door and then at Lin Lan. “Did you open the door for me again?”
“Yeah, Captain is not a bad person. If you want to come in, just come in.”
Even though he had lost his memory and forgotten about his feelings for him, why was Lin Lan still caring for him like this? Xiao Shengjing looked at the water in the cup, feeling that his heart was slowly melting.
“Captain? I think your complexion doesn’t look right. Should we go to the hospital?” Lin Lan was about to get up to fetch clothes but was stopped by Xiao Shengjing. “No need. If I feel unwell, I’ll go to the hospital myself. You rest well; tomorrow, Jiang Jin is coming, and you guys still have training.”
“Captain, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” After finishing the water in his hand, Xiao Shengjing left.
Lin Lan was still quite worried. If something happened to the Captain because of him and the Silly Dog, it would be too unfair to him.
The next day, Xiao Shengjing went to the hospital early in the morning.
He sought help from the psychiatric department, sitting across from the doctor in a spacious room, feeling a bit uneasy.
“Xiao Shengjing, right? I’m Dr. Wu Ming. You can call me Dr. Wu. Relax, we’re just going to chat like friends about what’s been happening to you,” the doctor said.
“I…” Xiao Shengjing slowly began to speak. Talking about certain things seemed easier when facing a stranger. “I have feelings for someone, and recently, I’ve been sleepwalking at midnight. Somehow, I end up in his room. I have no idea what happened during these episodes. Dr. Wu… do I have some strange illness?”
Dr. Wu, wearing a mask, took notes of his symptoms. “How many times has this happened?”
“Twice, but there’s only a week between them. Will it become more frequent in the future?”
“It’s hard to say. Have you experienced sleepwalking before?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been living alone for the past few years.”
“Have you been under significant stress recently?”
“The team does bring some pressure, but it’s been a constant factor. The symptoms occurred when I realized I had feelings for him, Dr. Wu. I’m not sure if there’s a connection between the two. I just want to know if this condition could harm anyone. What should I do to prevent such incidents from happening again?”
Dr. Wu diligently wrote, “At the moment, it’s hard to say. Before these symptoms occurred, did you experience any specific events?”
Xiao Shengjing shook his head, “No, I went to sleep as usual. But during those two times, I had some strange dreams.”
“What kind of dreams? Be more specific.”
“I dreamt that the person I like was lying in a hospital bed, unable to wake up. I sat by his bedside, and it felt extremely hopeless and despairing.”
“Are these dreams about the same person? Has he recently suffered any harm?”
“Yes, he has. He was recently targeted by someone who had bullied him before.”
“Alright, I have a bit of a direction now. Mr. Xiao, please cooperate with us for some tests and examinations. Please wait for a moment.”
Wu Ming got up and left, leaving Xiao Shengjing alone in the room surrounded by white walls.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Xiao Shengjing decided to get some fresh air. Underneath his medical records, he noticed another file with a familiar name: Lin Lan.
Curious, he picked up the file and read the diagnosis: Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Author’s Note:
This story has a detailed outline, and all the mysteries will be revealed as the plot unfolds. If there are any unanswered questions, don’t worry—I’ve laid some foreshadowing, and everything will be explained later.
I’ve been working hard to write more, trying to advance the plot. The absence of matches is due to the ongoing transfer period and off-season. During this time, I’ll focus on developing the plot and relationships. Matches will resume soon at a daily pace.
Regarding the question about the roles, the dynamic between the characters, especially the relationship between the main characters, is indicated in the synopsis. The reason why Lin Lan and Silly Dog aren’t together has a backstory. If they haven’t gotten together, it’s because certain events led Lin Lan to believe that their values didn’t align. So, even if he promised to help Silly Dog return to his original world, it wasn’t to be with him. Please don’t feel disappointed or upset; emotional and moral ties can be as deadly as each other.
Lastly, mwah! Enjoy reading the story, and I hope it brings you joy. If you’re not happy, it makes me feel uneasy.
Translator’s corner:
Ah! I feel sorry for Silly Dog. I hope he’ll find his own happiness in the future…
