MASG chapter 133

 

Xia Yu was already in tears.

He was about to see that face clearly when, in his heart, he heard that person’s voice.

“I just feel that this place is too happy.”

The voice struck Xia Yu’s heart. Each impact made his hands and feet ice cold and his limbs tremble.

“Yes, this place really is very happy. Xiang Xing, are you happy here?”

Is this my own voice? Xia Yu was still holding the boy’s arm, yet he could not distinguish between the two voices.

But when the boy spoke again, Xia Yu could tell the difference. One was himself, and the other was Xiang Xing.

“Happy. I seem to have found the happiness of being a mushroom. I saw myself grow into a towering tree, releasing spores all over the world. But I also seem to have found the happiness of being a human, just like… like you, an ordinary person.”

“But, but— All of this is fake. If I had to choose between ‘going out’ and ‘staying,’ I would choose to return to the real world. I’m not the same as 107. 107 has no name but has a self. I have a name but no self. Only by going out can I find myself again.”

“Maybe one day—no, certainly one day—I will also have a face of my own. A face that… is completely imagined by me, that I like, and that belongs only to me. Do you understand me?”

Do you understand me? Do you understand me? Do you understand me?

The continuous questioning shook Xia Yu again and again. His hand was still holding the boy’s, but a strange sensation had already crept up his arm. This abnormal feeling was different from before. It did not cause any discomfort. In fact, when Xia Yu saw his arm covered with white lines, he was very calm.

What is this? Xia Yu slowly opened his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, the first person he saw was Xia Xiaoxiao. She was his younger biological sister, born of the same mother. They were the twins everyone talked about, who had grown up together since childhood. But now, when he looked at her again, he only felt unfamiliarity. He knew she was his sister, but he could not retrieve any information related to “sister” from his mind.

It was as if a piece of his mind had been dug out alive.

“Brother, what’s wrong with you?” Xia Xiaoxiao waved her hand in front of him. “It seemed like there was an earthquake just now. Did you feel it?”

“What? An earthquake?” Xia Yu knew nothing about it.

This was his hometown, where he grew up. Penghu City was spring-like all year round. Even in the fall and winter, it wasn’t cold. But at that moment, small white snowflakes were drifting down. The snowflakes landed on his and his sister’s heads, just like the snowfall he remembered. Transparent ice crystals fell on his sister’s eyelashes. She looked transparent and beautiful.

She seemed to be fading. Her wheat-colored skin was fading away. She was very pale.

Not far away, Mo An ran over in a hurry. By the time Xia Yu had fully awakened, the virtual world had already fallen into chaos.

Penghu City showed a sunset unlike any before. In the past, the clouds here were like cotton candy in the evening, either light pink or light purple. Today, however, they had all turned blood red. Ring-shaped clouds enveloped the entire island, looking even more terrifying than scenes from horror movies about the end of the world.

The slight earthquake that had just occurred also confirmed Mo An’s guess. The entire island was built upon Xia Yu’s chaotic foundation. He was the key here.

“Xia Yu! Xia Yu!” Mo An ran to Xia Yu, panting.

Xia Yu looked at him without saying a word.

“You…how are you?” Mo An pressed his shoulder.

“I…I think I saw someone who looked exactly like me.” Xia Yu shook his head. He looked at the blood-red, layered, ring-shaped clouds and finally turned his head one last time to look at his alma mater. “Let’s go. Let’s go home first.”

The three of them pushed their bicycles and walked back toward their “home.” Mo An’s hand gripped the handlebar tightly, and from time to time, he glanced at Xia Yu. Exactly the same person… wasn’t that Xiang Xing?

So Xiang Xing was Xia Yu’s anchor point!

He had been completely wrong before. He thought Xia Yu’s anchor point was love, but he never expected it to be friendship. But that was exactly Xia Yu. In his world, he wasn’t alone; he had friends from all walks of life. On Frozen Island, Xiang Xing disregarded the danger and accompanied Xia Yu into Jingwei’s virtual world. In that short time, he left Xia Yu with a boundary between reality and virtuality.

“This road is really beautiful,” Xia Yu said without realizing it.

“Yeah.” Xia Xiaoxiao sensed that something was off with her brother, but she couldn’t pinpoint what.

Mo An, however, could understand. Xia Yu was about to wake up. He was now at the threshold of “awakening.” He only needed to take one more step forward to remember everything. Xia Xiaoxiao had no anchor point in this world. If Xia Yu could not bring her to wake up together, then this world would be 100% real to her. She wasn’t data.

“I pass through here on my way to and from school every day, but I’ve never really taken a good look.” Xia Yu pointed ahead. “That’s where Mom taught us how to ride bikes, right?”

Mo An followed his gaze. Yes, that slope. It was not only the place where Xia Li taught them how to ride bikes, but also where Zhang Mingqiao taught Mo An to ride.

“And those little white, yellow, and red flowers…” Xia Yu looked at them again and again. “How come I never noticed before that they’re so pretty?”

Xia Xiaoxiao looked at him confused. “Brother, what are you talking about? If you like them, I can grow flowers in the yard. Are you feeling sad in advance because you’re about to leave for college? Haha, it’s fine. You can come home every week.”

“Yeah, I can still come home.” Xia Yu looked half-crying, half-smiling, and glanced at Mo An.

The three of them walked slowly. This road seemed endless. No matter how far they walked, they could not reach the end. The sky above them became increasingly bizarre, changing from bright red to dark red. It was like blackened blood plasma, reminding Xia Yu of a ground covered in severed limbs and blood. The bloody smell seemed to reach the tip of his nose. He did not dare recall it carefully because he felt a voice telling him that if he tried harder to remember the boy named Xiang Xing, everything in front of him would disappear.

Including Mom and Dad, including the entire world.

When they reached the front of the house, Xia Yu looked toward the coastline. He continued to smile bitterly. Was this world not even planning to pretend anymore? The coastline had become perfectly straight. The seawater had retreated dozens of meters, exposing dark reefs. The shape of the reefs looked familiar, as if he had once walked along them with someone for many years.

“Brother, are you okay?” Xia Xiaoxiao asked cautiously. “It’s fine. Forgetting Mom’s birthday isn’t a big deal. You’ve never forgotten it before. Studying has just been too stressful lately. Mom will understand. We’ll celebrate it properly for her tomorrow.”

“Okay, tomorrow we’ll celebrate properly.” Xia Yu wiped his eyes, then turned to look at Mo An. “You go talk to Dad. Go find him and have a good talk.”

Mo An felt as if his internal organs were being cut by knives, each cut landing on the most fatal spot. He understood the tears Xia Yu did not hide and his bitter smile. Xia Yu wanted him to take this opportunity to say goodbye to this world and this home.

Mo An also could not help but wipe the tip of his nose. He began to understand Nuwa’s tactics.

This place was harder to leave than Huti City, Yukun City, or Frozen Island. Though it looked like birds were singing and flowers were blooming, in reality, danger lurked everywhere. Nuwa created a dream for them, letting them experience the “Blooming Plan” firsthand, and then forced them to choose between pain and weakness.

This was… truly the most dangerous place in the entire world. Mo An looked down at his holey clogs, then pressed the corners of his eyes again.

The house seemed unaffected, as quiet and harmonious as ever. The room was filled with the smell of baked bread. Xia Yu went to the kitchen to find Xia Li, and Mo An went upstairs to find Zhang Mingqiao. In the kitchen there was a busy figure, wearing an apron, hair tied up high. Just one glance made Xia Yu’s heart soften.

However, all the clocks in the kitchen had stopped.

“Xiao Yu?” Xia Li heard footsteps. “Are you hungry?”

Xia Yu stood weakly beside the dining table, pressing one hand hard against its corner. He didn’t know who it was, yet he could sense a real, surging love. The longing that had accumulated since childhood overwhelmed him, threatening to drown him. He didn’t have the strength to take a step forward.

But Xia Li walked toward him with determination, just as every mother does when walking toward a child who has not yet learned to walk.

“Have you been too tired lately?” Xia Li steadied him with one hand. “Why does your complexion look so bad?”

“I’m fine… I’m just a little tired.” Xia Yu reluctantly grabbed her hand. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

Xia Li froze for a moment.

“I forgot your birthday. I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry.” Tears rolled down Xia Yu’s face. In his memory, he seemed to recall such a person. He recalled her. When he was very young, she changed his clothes, told him stories, and helped him through difficult nights, spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Penghu City was fake, but those memories were real to him. When he had a fever, Xia Li held him tightly. She constantly touched his forehead, changed ice packs, and found doctors. She arranged everything for the two children. During the stampede at the swimming pool, she protected the children at her side.

Who could say she was fake? Who could say any of this was fake? The emotions were real!

“Oh, it’s just a birthday.” Xia Li let out a sigh of relief. “I thought it was something serious… birthdays come every year.”

“Happy birthday.” Xia Yu hurried to say. “Mom, happy birthday! I love you so much.”

Xia Li froze again, unable to comprehend the source of her child’s grief. However, mother and child were connected at heart, and her eyes could not help but turn red. “It’s just a forgotten birthday. It’s not that serious. You never forgot it in previous years. You even made lots of gifts with Xiaoxiao. I’ve kept them all.”

Xia Yu cried as he gasped for air. He knew that once he woke up, his mom would be gone. The data would be erased. He would never have a mom again.

“They’re all kept properly. Don’t cry anymore.” Xia Li pulled out a tissue and wiped his face.

On the top floor, Mo An did not dare take one more step.

Looking at the newly installed lights by Zhang Mingqiao, he felt a deep pain and understood the meaning of “Death Knight.” Death Knight was not Yukun City. It was here. Once he and Xia Yu left, his home, family, classmates, and teachers would all “die.”

The room was kept very clean. Every day, Zhang Mingqiao came to help him tidy it up. This place was different from the deep sea. There was abundant, warm sunlight every day. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the sea, and looking up, one could see birds. Now, outside the window, there was only a black-red patch. The seawater looked as if it were about to be drained dry, and the birds were nowhere to be seen.

He took the stairs up to the rooftop.

Zhang Mingqiao was busy on the rooftop. Seeing him come up, he smiled and tossed him a screwdriver. “Give Dad a hand. Let’s build a small pavilion. In the future, our whole family can watch the sea from here.”

Mo An gripped the screwdriver. Although he had never had a father, he now understood the bond between a father and son.

He understood it too late.