Mist

Chapter 54: Who Am I

When they parted, they didn’t expect that it in fact wasn’t the real end let alone that they would team up again so soon.
The five people from the seventh squad had gathered together. Only Duan Wen and Zhou Mingxuan were missing.

Duan Wen was one step ahead of them and had already reached the nursing home. Song Qinglan asked, “Where’s Old Zhou?”

The five hurried to the nursing home.
Whether it was six degrees of separation or interference as a result of their ‘observation’, as soon as they put on their artificial face, they seemed to have instantly disconnected from this worlds consciousness.
Everyone else on the street was rushing around so they didn’t attract anyone’s attention despite their hasty footsteps.

With Song Qinglan’s question, the other three fell silent.
Ji Yushi sensed that something didn’t seem right.

“What is it?” Song Qinglan’s tone turned a little more serious.
No one in the squad knew Zhou Mingxuan better than Song Qinglan. They had enlisted together, became special forces together and they also became Guardians together. Zhou Mingxuan usually just liked to play around but it could be said that besides Duan Wen, he was someone who could see the whole picture the best.

Striding down the steps, they passed by several phantoms of people.
The group went through a side street. Protesters continued to march onwards and there were police cars patrolling around. Screams could be heard in all directions.

Tang Qi said, “He may not go back.”

Song Qinglan’s footsteps stopped.
Unlike Ji Yushi, they were all ordinary people. Once they have two overlapping memories, it was easy to overlook one of them. Song Qinglan recalled his memory from the bubble world — Zhou Mingxuan’s life here had also changed a lot compared to his original reality and it was also an important change for him: In this world, Zhou Mingxuan’s only relative, his grandmother, was still alive.
Song Qinglan still remembered that in the original reality, due to a Guardian’s training schedule, Zhou Mingxuan would return home at irregular times. After a three-day long training session, he returned to find that his grandmother had already passed away. This was something that had weighed heavily on his mind all this time, but he had been reluctant to talk about it. This world however had given him a new possibility.

In the bubble world, it wasn’t the changes that were scary, and it wasn’t the fact that they had attained things that they originally didn’t have that was scary. For example, Li Chun and his girlfriend, Tang Qi and Tang Le and their younger sister, and Duan Wen with his wife and child.
What was really scary was when a person’s most precious thing was taken away by fate and the bubble world allowed you to experience the feeling of regaining something that had been lost.

The situation Zhou Mingxuan was facing now was like that of Ji Yushi’s.
Even the extraordinarily calm Ji Yushi who had been involved with countless Recorder missions found it difficult to resist the temptation. It would’ve been a very strong temptation for the hot blooded and impulsive Zhou Mingxuan.

“We went to Old Zhou’s place to get him.” Tang Le continued his brother’s words, “His grandmother’s legs aren’t well and needs someone to take care of her.”
“But it’s all fake!” Li Chun was anxious, “Why can’t Old Zhou understand?! Dammit!”

“It’s not that he doesn’t understand.” Song Qinglan suddenly spoke up, “It’s just too difficult to let go. He needs someone to give him a hand.”

Ji Yushi turned his head. He unconsciously clenched his hand.
Song Qinglan wasn’t looking at him but he could still feel the sensation of a strong and powerful hand holding his hand.
He had truly been ‘given a hand’.