At the cafe, Qing Zhi's eyes were glued to her reading material, a smile dancing in her eyes with a spark of delight. She was smiling with excitement and joy. As she read, someone tapped her arm. She quickly hid the novel "SUMMER NIGHTS" she was reading.
"Ma," she said softly with a mixture of smile and fear on her face.
"Are you done with your homework? Or are you just reading novel here?" her mom asked, forcing a smile.
Qing Zhi's face twisted in fear as she shook her head. "Give me that novel!" her mom said, trying to snatch it.
Qing Zhi clutched the novel tightly. "Ma, please don't! You've already taken the others, can't you just leave this one alone?" she pleaded.
Her mom's hand closed in on the novel. "I'll take it, or I'll get angry because of you," she said, her fingers brushing against Qing Zhi's.
"Ma!" she cried out, her voice rising in protest as her mom pried the novel from her grasp.
As her mom's footsteps receded, Qing Zhi's gaze dropped, her face etched with disappointment. Her mind lingered on the story, and she whispered the name of her favorite character: "Chen He Yi."
----
As Qing Zhi walked to school, her gaze drifted to the ground, her thoughts consumed by the novel her mom had taken away.
In their classroom, Qing Zhi stared blankly out the window, her mind a jumble of worries. "What now?" and "It was so expensive," she thought, her heart aching.
Just then, a figure stood up in front of her. "Qing Zhi, what's wrong with you? You look troubled today," the figure said, concern etched on her face.
Qing Zhi's eyes welled up with tears as she struggled to hold them back. "My dear Qin Qin, my mom took away my favorite novel," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She clung tightly to her friend.
Qin Qin wrapped her arms around her, concern etched on her face. "Don't cry, don't cry, everything will be fine."
[The bell rang]
Qin Qin sank into her seat, her eyes downcast. Mr. Han's voice echoed through the classroom, "Good morning, class. Let's start the discussion now, turn your textbook to page 24." Qing Zhi stared blankly at the textbook, her pencil hovering over the page.
The bell rang, dismissing the class. Qin Qin stood up, concern still etched on her face. "Qing Zhi, snap out of it," she said, her voice gentle but insistent. "Let's just buy a new one, okay?"
Qing Zhi's face transformed, determination flashing in her eyes. "You're right, I'll just buy another one. This time, I'll master the concealing skill." Qin Qin nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Let's go home."
They burst out of the classroom, laughing and chasing each other. "Wait up, Qing Zhi!" Qin Qin called out.
----
Qing Zhi lay on her bed, surrounded by posters of Chen He Yi, her fingers tracing the pages of "SUMMER NIGHTS". Her face softened, a dreamy expression washing over her. As she read, her eyelids drooped, and she drifted off to sleep.
----
The night was quiet, the wind slipping through the window, rustling the pages of her book. Qin Qin's face relaxed, a soft smile still on her lips as she slept.
Who would have thought she'd step into a world of fiction? Life was full of surprises, after all.
----
Qing Zhi's eyes fluttered open, but the morning smile on her face faltered as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. A wave of disorientation washed over her, and she sat up with a start. "What...where am I?" she stammered, her voice shaking slightly.
As she pushed open the door to the kitchen, the scent of sizzling vegetables and savory spices enveloped her, but it wasn't the comforting aroma she was used to. Her mom stood at the stove, stirring something in a wok, but Qing Zhi's gaze was drawn to the stranger sitting in the living room. "Ma, where are we? This isn't home," Qing Zhi said, her brow furrowed in concern. Her mom's expression softened, but Qing Zhi's unease only grew. "Ma, who's that?" Qing Zhi asked, nodding towards the stranger.
The man's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, and Qing Zhi's confusion deepened.
"Xi Yi, this is your father," her mom said gently, as if she'd said it a thousand times before. Qing Zhi's eyes widened in shock.
"What?! You mean to tell me that's my father? And why did you call me Xi Yi? My name is Qing Zhi!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in incredulity. Her mom and the stranger exchanged a surprised glance. "Xi Yi, sweetie, what's wrong?" her mom asked, concern etched on her face. "You're...you're not joking, right? My name is Qing Zhi, not Xi Yi. And I don't know that man," Qing Zhi said, her voice shaking with confusion and frustration. The stranger's smile faltered, and he took a step forward. "Xi Yi, honey, I...I think there's been some misunderstanding. You're Xi Yi, and I'm your father. We've been apart for a while, but I'm back now." Qing Zhi's eyes darted between her mom and the stranger, her mind reeling with questions and doubts. What was going on? Why were they calling her Xi Yi? And who was this man claiming to be her father?
When her mom handed her a bowl of steaming noodles, Qing Zhi took a bite, the flavors exploding on her tongue. But her mind was elsewhere, stuck on the strange events unfolding around her.
As she headed out to school, the morning's events still swirled in her head. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide with surprise. "Xi Yi? Like Xi Yi from Summer Nights?" she whispered to herself, her mind racing with memories of the novel.
A gentle touch on her head broke her reverie. A boy on a bike smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Their gazes met, and Xi Yi's face reflected shock and wonder. "Hey Xi Yi, what's wrong?" the boy asked, his voice gentle.
Xi Yi's eyes widened as she stared at the boy. "You...you're Chen He Yi," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Chen He Yi chuckled, his dimples deepening. "The one and only. What's gotten into you, Xi Yi?"
Xi Yi's eyes grew even wider as she took in Chen He Yi's smile, his eyes, his entire demeanor. It was all so...familiar. Memories flooded her mind - the novel "Summer Nights," the characters, the plot twists. And then she remembered the scene where Xi Yi, the protagonist, met Chen He Yi for the first time. It was almost identical to this moment.
In the novel, Xi Yi had been spacing out, lost in thought, and Chen He Yi had touched her head to break her reverie. She had been so caught up in the moment, feeling a spark of electricity as their eyes met. And now, here she was, living that exact moment.
Xi Yi's mind reeled as she processed this revelation. She was a character in a novel, and Chen He Yi was the charming and handsome male lead. She felt like she was trapped in a dream, a dream that was rapidly becoming her new reality.
"Wait...this is real?" Xi Yi asked, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm really...inside the novel?"
Chen He Yi's expression softened, and he leaned in closer. "Xi Yi, what's going on? You're starting to scare me."
Xi Yi's eyes locked onto Chen He Yi's, and she felt a flutter in her chest. She was living the story, and Chen He Yi was right in front of her. "Nothing," she said finally, trying to compose herself. "Just...just a little surprised."
Chen He Yi smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Come on, we're going to be late. Hop on!"
As Xi Yi grasped his backpack and they rode past trees and parks, the wind whipping through her hair, she felt like she was living in a dream. A dream that was rapidly becoming her new reality.
----
As they walked into school, students rushed past them, chatting and laughing. Outside the gates, a small store sold snacks and supplies to hungry students. The trees danced in the breeze, their leaves whispering secrets. Golden sunlight spilled down, illuminating every detail.
The classroom buzzed with life. Students hunched over notebooks, pencils moving fast. Nearby, a group of friends whispered and burst out laughing. On the other side, sneakers squeaked as students chased each other around, while one student practiced shooting hoops into a makeshift ring on the wall..
Qing Zhi's smile blossomed as she watched them, her eyes shining with warmth. Chen He Yi's gaze drifted to her, a subtle spark in her eyes.
A girl stood beside Qing Zhi, and when she turned, her face lit up with surprise and a tinge of sadness. "Qin Qin..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Is that you?"
The girl's eyes widened in shock. "What's wrong? We just started school, and yet...my name....."
Qing Zhi's emotions shifted, and memories flooded back into the comic book- Chen He Yi, Xi Yi, Li Na. Her eyes locked onto the girl's face. "Li Na, it's you my favorite character!" Qing Zhi flung her arms around Li Na, holding her tight like a long-lost friend. "Xi Yi, I really missed you," she whispered, her voice muffled against Xi Yi's shoulder.
Just then, a figure strolled up, spinning a basketball on his fingers. "You two are ridiculous," he said with a grin. Li Na's face reddened, and she snapped.
Li Na's eyes rolled dramatically as she muttered, "Shut up, Ke Lin, you don't know anything!" The classroom erupted into chaos for a moment, until a student shouted, "Mr. Wang is here!" The room fell silent as students scrambled to their seats, the scraping of chairs and rustling of papers the only sounds.
Mr. Wang's warm smile spread across his face. "Hello, students! It's been a long time! I hope you all had a wonderful break and are now ready to dive back into learning with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Welcome to the Second Semester of Academic Year 2024-2025! Let's work together to make this semester a successful and memorable one."
The students' applause filled the room, a cacophony of clapping and cheering. Chen He Yi's gaze drifted to Xi Yi, whose face lit up with a radiant smile. Xi Yi's eyes met Li Na's, and they exchanged a sparkling glance.
Mr. Wang's voice cut through the noise. "Let's get started. Turn your books to page 17." The sound of pages rustling and books thudding open followed.
[ "I've never expected to stumble upon this whimsical place. I thought I was imagining it, but it's real. And now, I'm reliving memories of us, Xi Yi and me, in this familiar yet unpredictable world." ]
----
Xi Yi lay on her bed, the silence enveloping her room like a shroud. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze, their soft rustle the only sound. She reached out and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. "When I wake up, everything will be back to normal, manifesting," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes.
----
At Chen He Yi's house, he sat at his desk, textbooks and notes scattered around him. A faint smile crept onto his face as his thoughts drifted to Xi Yi. He opened the bottom drawer of his desk, and a worn photograph peeked out. The photo showed him and Xi Yi as children, their faces scrunched up in laughter. Chen He Yi's fingers brushed against the edge of the photo, his smile growing softer.
----
Xi Yi slowly opened her eyes, and the morning sunlight streaming through the window highlighted her disappointed face. "What! I'm still here in this whimsical place," she muttered, her expression falling. "What should I do?"
Just then, a knock on her door broke the silence. "Xi Yi, come out and have breakfast," a voice called out. Xi Yi got out of bed, her movements sluggish, and her face still etched with sadness......