Alice in Dreamland (梦境中的爱丽丝)

What. The. Fuck! (Part 1)

When he awoke, the nauseating smell that he was practically drowning in had ceased. His head no longer pounded, and he felt light. His once sore limbs held no trace of stiffness.

However, his face was alarmingly itchy.

Xiao Ming absentmindedly reached for the place that itched and was met with hair.

Hair?

Hair!

His hair was never this long, not even when he hadn't cut it for years, and he subsequently solicited shoulder-length hair.

He fervently racked his hands through his hair to find a supple bun.

Just how long had he been sleeping?!

Xiao Ming had never felt such a disarray of emotions; his once calm heartbeat had picked up, only worsening his stress.

A breeze brushed past Xiao Ming, and at that moment, he realized his legs no longer felt bare. His eyes ventured downwards and didn't see the red shirt and gray shorts he had been wearing mere minutes ago. Xiao Ming's eyes bulged and scanned the cave—in fact, he couldn't find them anywhere. Instead, he found himself clothed in an intricate golden inner robe, a white outer robe with elaborate patterns, flowing white pants, a thick gold belt-like cloth, and pointy upturned white boots. He all but screamed!

What magical sorcery was at play?

Xiao Ming began to think that he should've read more magic books when he was younger, though he wasn't sure if it would help in a situation like this.

In his desperation, he, unsurprisingly, worked himself up into a state of agitation.

If this truly was a dream, he reasoned, it would be best not to waste time and work to find a way out, right? So that's what he set his heart to do.

Xiao Ming stood up. The cave's interior was no different from what it was before he'd passed out; he walked towards the radiant light that was gracefully pouring in. It took no less than a few minutes before he reached the entrance—this was already a good sign compared to his previous attempts to leave the cave before he'd passed out.

That previous sense of joy and accomplishment completely diminished upon encountering an entirely different view.

Xiao Ming couldn't contain his frustration and muttered a string of profane curses under his breath. In sheer disbelief, he grabbed at the back of his neck, pinching it as hard as he could, as if expecting this to be some bizarre dream, but the tree bore no fruits, and he was still facing a forest, not a whimsical meadow.

Xiao Ming groaned; a throbbing sensation spread from where he had pinched himself, but what was he expecting? He reaped what he had sown and had to tough it out. Xiao Ming turned around and saw that the cave entrance was carved from a small mountainside. This all was truly bizarre!

The youth contemplated going back in to see if it would transport him to his own world, so he hastily entered again.

He had walked about ten sorrowful minutes, each step weighed down by the uncertainty of his predicament. There was not even a hint of the saccharine scent. Instead, it was replaced by the intense smell of dirt and must. Even so, he clung to a thread of hope that he would be transported back to where he was. It was to no avail, though, and if the world was truly pitted against him, he had reached the end of the cave. He let out another sigh, simultaneously wiping the nonexistent sweat from his smooth forehead. Xiao Ming turned around and let the light lead him back to the entrance.

Maybe this time he would get transported back, he thought, utterly desperate. It couldn't be helped. Any eighteen-year-old would shudder at the idea of being transported to an unfamiliar place, most likely full of danger!