novel
| Ch.02 → |
Guess what! It's my birthday! Here is chapter 1 to grab your attention for now, I will be taking a short break to tl some other stuff so daily updates will not start yet, also these chapters are hellishly LONG
-Helli
The sky was cloudless and washed over in a clear blue. After a roasting of an afternoon, the gray concrete floors were exuding a suffocating heat.
At the door of Haiyun's First People's Hospital were several reporters, loitering there since early in the morning.
A look past her patience appeared in Yu Xiao's eyes as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was originally supposed to attend the conference for the release of a new film starring a cast of big celebrities along with her master, and she had been waiting in excitement for many days. She even put on some make up earlier that morning...... And now the results of it was that she had to stand here under the scorching sun.
The third-rate celebrity Gu Yan who had been involved with a string of scandals and had also fallen carelessly into the water recently, was going to be discharged today. The news station was short-handed so for now, her master had sent her over here. He even told her that this was a chance for her to practice her skills independently.
Who asked her to be the newbie in the company? She was given no choice at all.
Yu Xiao looked at the reporters all around her and they were all looking very impatient as well.
Who would actually be willing to interview such a scandal-ridden third-rate star? If it was a big name in the circle, then fine, aren't these reporters just like a pack of dogs running over from the whiff of a fishy smell? The only one they could blame was Gu Yan for being so unfamous and unpopular, perhaps even these reporters wouldn't be here if such a big thing hadn't happened.
But this was, after all, Yu Xiao's first independent interview. She pursed her dry lips and stared at the hospital door, she definitely could not fail!
The noon sun really was packing quite the heat. Yu Xiao squinted and suddenly saw a slender man coming outside.
The man was dressed in a simple white shirt with his sleeves casually rolled up, his long legs were wrapped in a pair of light blue jeans, every move he made was quite the pretty sight. His short black hair flowed softly down to cover his forehead, and though he was wearing a pair of sunglasses, his appearance was enough for someone to daydream about just by the sight of his straight nose and beautifully curved lips.
She never expected that her luck would allow her to see such a handsome man! Yu Xiao's spirit was invigorated.
The handsome man came closer and closer, and very soon he walked past her. Yu Xiao's eyes couldn't help but trail towards the figure of that man. But it was strange, why was there constantly a mysterious and familiar feeling lingering inside of her......
Seeing that the man was just about to get on his ride and leave, the door in Yu Xiao's mind had slammed open abruptly, and she shouted:"It's him!"
The other reporters looked at Yu Xiao but all they saw was the vexed look on her face, then at once she chased the man, pressing down the car door, stopping the man on his tracks. She stared right at the man, "You, are you Gu Yan?"
Gu Yan! The ears of all the reporters perked up, and all their eyes were on the man, and a look of disbelief washed over all their faces!
They had so many people watching at the door, but they actually let him walk off openly just like that!
In the snap of a finger, the man was surrounded by all the reporters.
Yu Xiao looked nervously at the man in front of her, he did not seem to match Gu Yan's image so she wasn't able to recognize him in the beginning. Although she had just shouted out his name, she felt a little uncertain now.
She had never paid attention to Gu Yan in the past, so her understanding of him was limited to only——Hearing about his name in passing.
But for the sake of the perfect completion of her task, Yu Xiao had done a considerable amount of homework, and searched up many news articles and photos of Gu Yan. But in all of those photos, Gu Yan had dyed hair, stud earrings, eyeliner, and even painted nails, he was all dolled up just like a sissy. Although he was still handsome...... The feeling he gave off was different to what he had now.
The man in front of her was clean, neat, and handsome, his bearing was both composed and imposing.
Other than his facial contours, there were practically no similarities with Gu Yan's style of dress and temperament from what she knew of him.
If you had to describe it, the difference would be like comparing a gigolo with an overbearing president......
You have to do your best! Even if you got it wrong, the most you would have to do is apologize! Yu Xiao raised her microphone towards him, then she spoke with a tense voice:"Hello, are you Gu Yan? I have a few questions I'd like to ask."
The other reporters had also aimed their cameras, mics, and recorders at the man. Though similar to Yu Xiao, they all weren't very sure as well, but what if it really was him? Just look at his height, and that chin, didn't he actually look quite like him? For a moment the flash from the cameras were blinding.
Sharp questions were being shoved out one after another.
"There were news that you did not fall into the water due to an accident, but rather to commit suicide, can you please confirm whether this is true or false?"
"Were you really the man with the prostitute from the leaked nightclub video?"
"How would you explain the incident where you were acting cocky and verbally abused your assistant?"
"Reportedly, not only is your personal life a mess, you even have long-term addictions to recreational drug use. As a young idol, are you ashamed of your behaviour?"
"Did you commit suicide because you felt unable to face the public, and couldn't stand the pressure anymore?"
"How do you explain these incidents?"
"......"
It was noisy all around but the man just stood there quietly. From the beginning, there had never been a single change on his expression.
'The intensity of the lights were extraordinary, ' thought Yu Xiao. She stared at the man without blinking, and she watched as he slowly took off his sunglasses, and suddenly her heart rate sped up, she could finally see what he looked like!
The man had fair and slender fingers with clearly defined joints. The scene where he took his sunglasses down was just like it happened in slow motion.
Yu Xiao stood right in front of him just a short distance away, and she had a clear view of his deep dark irises, they were as clear and dazzling as the most beautiful gem, and it also felt like a black hole that could devour all the light. They really pulled people in, unable to pull themselves from its hypnosis.
What a beautiful pair of eyes! This was her first reaction.
He was actually a big hottie! This was her second reaction.
And it really, actually was Gu Yan! This was her third reaction.
I guessed right! Yu Xiao's eyes were filled with excitement.
Her former perfunctory and disinterest had now become expectations, who would ever have guessed that Gu Yan would have such a big transformation? Instinctively, she felt that this had been a fruitful trip! The question that had been bubbling inside of her was just about to be asked.
But before she even had the time to open her mouth, the scenery in front of her eyes changed. Instantaneously, the pale blue skies had turned into a sea of blood!
She was no longer standing under the clear skies at the hospital's entrance, and except for the man's endless black eyes, all she could see were an endless ocean of blood. Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood everywhere! There was only blood! In an instant, she stood in a dark world built only by blood...... Yu Xiao's face turned white, and she fell on her backside down onto the ground! Her whole body started to tremble involuntarily and her teeth chattered.
At the very moment Yu Xiao fell to the floor, the man opened the car door and entered, leaving behind only dust.
This had all happened in the blink of an eye, and before the reporters could return to their senses, all they heard was the car driving off with a roar, and then they saw the car disappearing into the traffic. It was too late even if they wanted to have a last look of his car, they all beat their breasts and stamped their feet.
They lowered their heads to look at Yu Xiao. If not for this young lady dropping the ball at that moment, how could Gu Yan have run off? They were all in a fit of rage.
But what was wrong with that young lady? Did she have an illness that was acting up? Seeing her pale and unfocused eyes, they couldn't even mutter their words of blame anymore.
Seeing that they were standing right outside a hospital, someone quickly came to send Yu Xiao to the hospital.
Yu Xiao laid on the bed with her eyes closed. For a long time, she did not dare open her eyes, lest the sight of that nightmarish hellscape would appear again as soon as she opened her eyes.
After a long time, she finally opened her eyes slowly under much coaxing and persuasion from the medical staff.
Her hands were clutched tightly to the edge of the bed, and her eyes were opened only into slits.
There was no blood...... Yun Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. She turned her head carefully to look outside the window, the sky was still blue and as clear as jade, and the flowers were blooming and fragrant. This is the human world......
As expected, that was just her nightmare.
........................
The modern silver sedan drove into a beautiful and quiet high-end neighbourhood, and the car stopped in the underground car park.
The young man at the driver's seat got off with haste. His appearance was ordinary and inconspicuous, but he was very easy on the eyes. He had a clean and simple crew cut, and was dressed proper in professional attire. He was Gu Yan's personal assistant.
Xu Ming opened the door for Gu Yan and looked at the calm expression of the man before him. Even though several days had passed, he still couldn't get used to it.
It seems that excessive stimuli really will change a person, such a frivolous guy was actually able to become calm and reserved...... But he still didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing. Xu Ming paused for a moment but he quickly caught up with him. He hurried in front of Gu Yan and called for the elevator, riding up to the 18th floor.
Haiyun City was a land of gold, those who were able to afford a well-decorated house in such a high-class neighbourhood were considered the successful ones.
But though Gu Yan could stay here, the place was not bought with his own money but rather it was given to him by the company.
This was a large house that was nearly two hundred square metres in size. It contained a foyer at its entrance and within it a spacious living room, a dining room, a kitchen, and a toilet on the first floor. The second floor consists of a bedroom and a study. They were furnished in a minimalist style with a cool black and white tone, but the details appeared very exquisite.
If one were to put the tasks of his personal assistant plainly, he was the equivalent of a nanny plus driver. Xu Ming had been by Gu Yan's side for several months, and it took a lot of effort for him to finally get used to this guy who was incompetent, only knew how to eat and drink, and had a gambling problem, and after he finally adapted to waiting on him, Gu Yan ended up with a drastic change. Then he had to get used to it again from the start, and thinking to this point, he couldn't help but sigh.
Recalling Gu Yan's recent scandals and his rocky future, Xu Ming felt that he would never get that breath of relief back ever again.
He took out a pair of grey and white plaid slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them by Gu Yan's feet, "You should take a rest, I'll prepare a meal for you."
Gu Yan nodded faintly and made his way to the living room.
Just as he was about to enter the kitchen, Xu Ming suddenly thought of something and came out, carefully speaking to Gu Yan:"This is the remote control for the TV, this is the switch, and you can switch the channel with these two buttons. On this side is the water dispenser, red stands for hot water...... Oh, and the latest magazines and newspapers are placed over there, you can take a look at them if you ever get bored."
There was a reason for Xu Ming's careful explanations.
They say that Gu Yan had injured his head when he fell into the water, and though they managed to save him, he showed a high degree of unfamiliarity to the world. This was not due to amnesia, there were no issues with his memory and he could just about remember the people around him, he was just a beat slower when it came to speaking and doing things, especially towards modern machinery and devices, his reaction to them were just like those of an unfamiliar beginner seeing these for the first time.
Even the doctors were helpless, but unfortunately it was not a big problem. Perhaps he will be fine after a while, and so they allowed him to be discharged from the hospital.
When Xu Ming came to pick up Gu Yan today, he had also felt worried sick that perhaps something wrong may happen on the way back. And as a result, wish and you shall receive, Gu Yan had been blocked by a group of reporters as soon as he reached the entrance. Recalling the temper of that man, he was afraid that there would be a new scandal rising up of his insulting and hitting of the reporters. But never did he expect that life had given him a way out, the female reporter who had blocked his way suddenly fell ill, and Gu Yan was able to slip away.
As he walked into the kitchen, Xu Ming thought to himself that this really was a great blessing!
........................
Gu Yan came to the floor-to-ceiling window, and through the glass he looked out into the world.
Right in front of the neighbourhood was a large urban garden. Its unobstructed beauty was presented to him under the boundless blue skies, the lush greenery of the ground was filled with vitality and the dense crowd of people were moving like ants through this beautiful city...... He pressed the palm of his hand on the glass, and it felt as if he could hold this sight in the palm of his hands.
Compared to the monotonous colours, the cold darkness, and the gruesomeness that congested the demon world, this place really was......
Both beautiful and alluring.
He took a deep breath, even the air exuded an unprecedented fragrance, this world was quiet and peaceful...... The ubiquitous and delicious meal was right at his fingertips.
Gu Yan raised the corners of his lips, and revealed a smile.
The human world...... I have returned.
| Ch. 02 → |