Chapter 3
What does it feel like to be sent flying by a car?
On this point, Jian Xin found it hard to describe to anyone, and equally hard to recall the exact sensation of that night.
The alcohol had largely numbed her senses; she barely felt any pain before slipping into unconsciousness.
When she realized her consciousness was gradually returning, yet she couldn’t open her eyes, she couldn’t help but ponder a very serious question.
—Am I still alive?
Getting into a car accident while walking on the road at three in the morning—was it a nightmare brought on by her drunkenness, or did it really happen?
Jian Xin felt dizzy, her head throbbing as if it were filled with lead.
The air was hot and stuffy, and she thought she heard someone talking nearby.
The voice was faint, the tone urgent, seemingly tinged with tears, but she couldn’t make out a single word.
Later, that voice gradually faded, and her surroundings began to cool down rapidly.
It wasn’t cold enough to be uncomfortable; it just suddenly wasn’t so hot anymore. It was a temperature perfect for sleeping.
The sound in her ears changed to a sporadic, crackling noise.
Accompanied by a light, slow piano melody, it was very hypnotic.
Her eyes still wouldn’t open, but drowsiness took over first. All her thoughts drifted, fragmented and difficult to piece together.
Perhaps I’m just too tired, she thought.
The car accident and all that, it’s just a hallucination from exhaustion.
Well, so be it. I’ll just sleep. When I wake up, it’ll be another weekend of overtime.
But even though she had let herself go, something kept nudging her in her half-awake state.
It was soft and warm, not particularly strong, but it kept wriggling, determined to push her elsewhere.
Jian Xin’s temper flared up!
It was one thing to be pushed around at work on a daily basis, but how could she not even get a moment’s peace while sleeping!
Without a shred of hesitation, without a second thought, almost purely on instinct—Jian Xin didn’t even open her eyes. She raised her hand and slapped the thing that was pushing her!
The next second, she jolted awake, snapping out of her hazy dream.
I think I just slapped something beside me, but why did that slap feel so strange?
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you hit someone, you feel the force too.
It probably wasn’t a hallucination. The moment the slap landed, the surface area of the impact felt… well, it seemed… it appeared… it was probably… exceptionally large!
Besides, she lived alone. How could there possibly be someone else next to her!
Oh my god! I’ve seen a ghost!!!
After a brief moment of terror, Jian Xin suppressed her panic and forced her eyes open.
Her vision was a bit blurry. A bright white light illuminated the side profile of a person working at a computer. The person was wearing a white nightdress and had very long hair.
As the piano music and the sound of typing grew clearer, Jian Xin’s vision slowly sharpened.
She saw a completely unfamiliar study. All the furniture looked tall and large, giving her a very strange feeling.
—And I seem to be sleeping on the floor?
Beneath her was a soft cushion, and beside her was a fluffy, yellow-and-white, pointy-eared, very, very large… Co-Corgi?
At this very moment, it was lying on its side next to her, all four paws stretched forward, clearly encroaching on her “living space.”
Its pointy ears twitched slightly, its hazy, sleepy eyes shimmering with drowsy tears and a hint of confusion.
Holy crap, a dog!
A dog that’s bigger than me!!
I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die!!
I’ve been terrified of dogs my whole life!!!
Although the large dog before her was lying perfectly still and peacefully, Jian Xin was still scared out of her wits. She trembled and curled backward, letting out a shriek high-pitched enough to shatter the world.
But before her brain could even process what was happening, a loud, almost piercing “QUACK” instantly stunned her into silence.
What’s going on…
Jian Xin stared blankly at the enormous Corgi in front of her. They locked eyes, at a standstill for who knows how long.
The Corgi was extremely tired and closed its eyes again.
This dog, it seemed, wasn’t very dangerous.
Jian Xin stared at the sleeping Corgi, trying to regulate her breathing and heartbeat.
Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. House pets usually don’t bite people for no reason…
She repeated this to herself over and over in her mind, and her breathing finally eased a little.
But even so, she was still too scared to move.
In a daze, she unconsciously murmured, “Am I dreaming?”
At the same time, the sound of “quack quack” echoed in her ears once again.
Jian Xin: “…?”
She widened her eyes and looked around.
This is bad. There’s only a dog here, no duck!
Although it seems impossible, that quacking sound could only have come from me…
“Was that me?”
Jian Xin tried to speak again, and sure enough, the quacking sound returned.
The Corgi beside her, as if annoyed by the noise, grunted and kicked her with its short little leg.
The kick sent a shiver through her entire body. Instantly terrified, she shot up straight on her round little body and instinctively flapped her wings.
Wait a minute, flapping… wi-wings?
A million question marks suddenly flashed through Jian Xin’s mind.
After a brief moment of confusion, she turned her head and looked at her own snow-white feathers.
So, I really am a duck right now?
Upon this realization, the little duck’s head tilted to the left, and its system completely crashed—only its round little body continued to tremble uncontrollably.
Perhaps the commotion had startled the person sitting at the computer.
Jian Xin saw her stand up from the computer chair, slip on a pair of white slippers, and walk over to her. Like a giant, she blocked out all the light, casting a shadow over everything.
She crouched down, her long hair sweeping the floor, and reached out to rub the little duck’s round head.
She asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
That voice was both strange and familiar, like a distant memory on the verge of being sealed away, suddenly awakening in the depths of her heart.
Jian Xin froze for a moment, then quickly tilted her head up high. Through the hand that was gently stroking her head, she saw the person’s face clearly.
“Quack?!”
Isn’t this Yan Lu?
What is she doing here?!
No, no, the question now should be—why am I here!!!
Where is this place? Is this a dream?
Jian Xin had to admit that even after seven years, she did occasionally dream of Yan Lu. But whether they were getting along peacefully or arguing incessantly in her dreams, all she could ever conjure were chaotic fragments of memories, where both of them had youthful faces.
But at this moment, the Yan Lu before her was a far cry from the one in her memory.
Not only did she look much more mature, but even her demeanor was completely different from the girl who used to always keep her head down, cautious and timid in every way.
She had never dreamed of a Yan Lu like this, and there was no reason she suddenly would.
Even if, even if I did dream of her, I shouldn’t be a pet duck, right?
And even if I were a pet duck…
Th-th-th-there’s no way I’d happen to be raised by my ex, right?
Jian Xin’s mind was still in a fog when a sudden feeling of weightlessness hit her.
When she came to her senses, the entire duck was being lifted from the ground by Yan Lu, who held her by the belly and began to gently stroke her in her arms.
“Why are you suddenly trembling so much?” Yan Lu looked at the shivering duck in her arms, her tone worried. “You’re not sick, are you?”
Jian Xin let out a dazed “quack.”
That tone, so gentle and soft, so light and delicate. I’ve never heard her speak like that before.
“You don’t look sick,” Yan Lu muttered to herself, then glanced at the Corgi by her feet. “Did Xin Xin bully you again?”
Huh? Who?!
Jian Xin looked at the Corgi lying on the floor, her beady little eyes widening to their absolute limit.
—It’s Xin Xin? Then who am I?!
Yan Lu: “Cauliflower is unhappy because Xin Xin came to steal our Cauliflower’s nest again, right?”
Huh? Cauliflower?!
Is Cauliflower my… no, this duck’s name?
My name was given to a dog by my ex-girlfriend, and I’m only worthy of being a cauliflower?!
Jian Xin’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. Letting her emotions take over, she yelled at the woman in front of her in utter dissatisfaction!
“Yan Lu, are you calling me a dog in a roundabout way, you motherducker?!!”
Although this dissatisfaction was conveyed through a series of “quack quack quacks,” the language barrier between human and duck was, alas, insurmountable. To a human ear, it naturally sounded as if the duck in her arms was agreeing with her earlier guess.
“It’s all Xin Xin’s fault, right? Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, it’s all Xin Xin’s fault!” Seeing the duck in her arms quacking nonstop, as if it had suffered some great injustice, Yan Lu continued to stroke it gently, her voice becoming even softer. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll have a word with it for you!”
These words, spoken as if coaxing a child, left Jian Xin utterly stunned.
The next second, Yan Lu started to scold the dog.
Though she called it scolding, her tone was as gentle as if she were reasoning with a small child, afraid of hurting the dog’s feelings.
Watching the Corgi being gently woken up by Yan Lu, squinting its sleepy eyes, letting out a huge yawn, and looking completely unfazed by the scolding, even rolling over to expose its belly—Jian Xin felt more and more that the details of this dream were a bit too real.
Not only that, but the varying pressure of Yan Lu’s every caress, the warmth of her palm, and even the slight pain from the Corgi’s kick—it all felt too real to be a dream.
Could a professional please tell me, can human dreams really be this lucid?
While Jian Xin was in a daze, Yan Lu had already finished scolding the little dog that was lazing around in the duck’s nest.
Seeing that it insisted on lying in the small duck nest, she simply stood up and carried Cauliflower to the dog bed at the other end.
“If Xin Xin wants to sleep in Cauliflower’s nest, then Cauliflower can sleep in Xin Xin’s nest.” Yan Lu gently coaxed the little duck in her arms, which seemed to be in a complete daze. “See? Xin Xin’s bed is so big, Cauliflower isn’t losing out, right?”
As she finished speaking, she gently placed the little duck into the dog bed.
Jian Xin: “…”
So the situation now is, the duck’s nest has been taken over by the dog?
It seems my status in this family as a duck isn’t very high…
As Jian Xin was thinking this, she suddenly realized a problem.
—Wait a minute! I’m not a duck!
It’s just a dream, there’s no need to get so into character so quickly!
The little duck stretched its short neck and looked around.
She found herself in a tent-shaped dog bed. It was green, had curtains, and was quite soft.
How magical. After experiencing the absurdities of “turning into a duck” and “a dog taking over the duck’s nest,” she, who always said her room was as messy as a dog’s kennel, was now finally sleeping in a real one.
This dream was just too ridiculous. How on earth could she wake up?
When I do wake up, will I be lying at home, or in a hospital?
If the me outside of this dream really did get into a car accident, could it be possible that I was actually killed by the car, and this current situation is my soul transmigrating after death?!
Jian Xin was startled by her own thought.
After a brief moment of fright, she told herself, No way, there’s no way.
Even if I really did get into a car accident, the worst-case scenario would be dying upon waking up. My consciousness would definitely be wiped clean!
Everything in this world has to be scientific. There can’t really be something as absurd as soul transmigration after death.
Even if there was, it wouldn’t happen to me.
And even if it did happen to me, a person’s soul couldn’t possibly transmigrate into a duck.
So, this is just a dream!
All I need to do now is wait to wake up!
With this thought, Jian Xin plopped down in the dog bed, her back to her ex-girlfriend behind her. She tilted her little head and began to empty her mind, waiting for the dream to end.
“You still seem unhappy?” Yan Lu crouched outside the dog bed, tilting her head to observe the little duck inside, poking its back with her finger. “Why won’t you pay attention to me anymore, little Cauliflower?”
Jian Xin buried her head in her chest, closed her eyes, and didn’t look back or make a sound.
What’s the point of talking to my ex in a dream? It’s completely meaningless.
Besides, even if I did say something, she wouldn’t understand.
“Are you hungry? You didn’t eat much this afternoon.”
Yan Lu muttered softly and stood up to leave the study.
Jian Xin’s eyes snapped open.
Now that Yan Lu mentioned it, she did feel a little bit hungry.
So, should I eat something?
Based on her past experiences of dreaming about food, she usually woke up before she could even take a bite of anything good.
Perhaps eating is the way to wake up!
With this in mind, Jian Xin stood up, puffed out her chest, turned around, and stuck her head out of the little green tent.
A short while later, Yan Lu returned with a small plate, crouched down, and placed it in front of her. She smiled and rubbed her head. “So impatient, huh? Your little head is already sticking out. Looks like our Cauliflower is really hungry!”
Hungry or not, I’ll eat first!
My ex’s hand patting my head is kind of getting in the way of my meal!
The little duck shook its head and waddled over to the plate, then looked down.
Jian Xin: “…”
It looked… quite rich.
Dried red, yellow, and green vegetables, dried shrimp, and… many long, fresh, still-moving mealworms.
The little duck, which had been eager to eat just a second ago, suddenly froze.
Yan Lu: “Why aren’t you eating?”
“Quack?!”
The little duck shrieked, ruffled its feathers, flapped its wings, and hopped back into the depths of the dog bed as if fleeing for its life.
This new body was very unfamiliar. Her left foot accidentally tripped over her right, and she fell with a plop onto the soft cushion below.
A trace of surprise flashed in Yan Lu’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?! Aaaah!!!
Is this food? You’re serving this to me?!
There are worms in it, worms!
Live, moving worms, aaaah!!!
She was a person, not a duck. How could she possibly eat live worms? Even if this was just a dream, she absolutely couldn’t bring herself to take a single bite!
“Quack! Aah, quack quack!”
Take it away, take it away, hurry up and take it away! I can’t eat this stuff!
The duck in the house seemed to have gone mad. It suddenly started squawking crazily at its food, flapping its wings and stomping its feet in place, seemingly very dissatisfied with its meal.
Yan Lu watched this scene, her expression growing more and more bewildered.
She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but suddenly the default ringtone of a phone sounded from behind her.
Yan Lu quickly got up to answer it.
Jian Xin stared intently at the worms in the plate outside. The entire… no, the entire duck cowered in the small dog bed, its tiny beady eyes filled with a profound sense of hopelessness.
Whether it was because Yan Lu’s phone wasn’t soundproof or because she had it on speaker, Jian Xin clearly heard a woman’s voice, tinged with tears and panic. “Cousin! I hit someone with my car!”
“What happened?”
“I hit someone on the road!”
“Don’t panic, tell me slowly. Where did you hit them? Are they badly injured?” Yan Lu’s tone suddenly became serious. “Have they been sent to the hospital?”
“I don’t know! It was near Anhe Road… She walked out, and hit me, oh no, I hit her!”
“It wasn’t even a crosswalk! She just suddenly appeared, I couldn’t brake in time, and she went flying, with a bang!”
“Then I went to check, got out of the car, ran over, she reeked of alcohol, and she was unconscious. She’s in the emergency room now…”
The voice on the other end of the line was trembling, the words jumbled, but still understandable.
By the end, she was crying. “Cousin, I’m scared…”
“Don’t be scared. Send me the hospital’s location. I’ll be right there.”
As Yan Lu spoke, she tilted her head to hold the phone between her shoulder and ear, turned around, and quickly walked out of the bedroom.
—Anhe Road, a car accident?
Is this still a dream?
Can a dream have such a logical and coincidental plot?
Jian Xin froze in the dog bed for a few seconds, then jumped up as if waking from a dream. She hastily hopped around the terrifying plate of food, controlling her very unfamiliar little body, and waddled after Yan Lu into the bedroom.
“Cauliflower, Mommy has an emergency and needs to go out. You and Xin Xin be good at home!” Yan Lu looked down at the little duck at her feet, which was trying its best to crane its neck up. “Even if you’re tired of the duck food, don’t go hungry. Eat a little bit. I’ll buy you new duck food tomorrow, okay?”
Hearing this, the duck became anxious and started flapping its wings, fluttering back and forth at Yan Lu’s feet.
“Quack?!”
Hey, hey, Yan Lu, don’t be in such a hurry to leave!
“Quack quack-ong! Quack aaah quack ahhh!!!”
Someone got into a car accident! Was it a man or a woman? Can’t you make that clear before you go!
“Quack ah oh oh quack?!”
It can’t be that the person who got hit was really me, right?
—Anxious, so anxious! It’s so frustrating not being able to speak human!!!
“Be good.”
Yan Lu sidestepped the duck at her feet, took a bra and a long dress from the wardrobe—and with both hands raised, she took off her nightgown.
Jian Xin: “…?!”
Oh my god, this is a wet dream.
The little duck stared blankly for two seconds, then quickly came to its senses, folded its wings, and silently turned its back.
—It’s been seven years since we broke up. I should probably look away for now…
