Chapter 23

Ruan Ning covered her mouth. A white avatar suddenly appeared at the top of her chat window, and the system displayed: "The other party has added you as a friend."

Bai Xingmiao had added her as a friend.

She'd heard that only two or three people in the entire group had managed to add Bai Xingmiao. A current seemed to shoot down Ruan Ning's spine, and the screen in her palm felt like it was heating up. "The other party has added you as a friend" gleamed like a sparkling effect; every character seemed to glow in her eyes.

Ruan Ning trembled as she frantically flipped through her sticker collection, looking for something suitable to send while the iron was hot.

No matter which one she chose, she wasn't satisfied. This sticker wasn't cute enough; that one was a bit outdated. Just as she was agonizing over which to send as the opening line of their conversation, Bai Xingmiao sent a message first.

[Do you believe the world we exist in is real?]

Ruan Ning's finger froze over the screen, and her lips pressed into a flat line.

She had pondered this question countless times while lying in a hospital bed during her first year of high school, when she was depressed. Back then, she lay awake all night, often unable to tell whether she was awake or dreaming.

The doctor had advised her to learn to let go of herself. Part of her pain came from replaying memories over and over in her mind; if she stopped recalling them, she could step out of the suffering. If she kept thinking, the shadows of that first year turned into a real whip and shackles, flogging her body and soul wherever she went.

Ruan Ning deleted the sticker she had chosen and typed out a serious paragraph.

"I once read about an ancient philosopher making this hypothesis: imagine a group of primitive people sitting in a cave with their backs to a fire, able to see only the wall in front of them, never turning around. Suppose the fire casts shadows of wild cattle, rabbits, and other people onto the wall. Since they've never left the cave or seen the outside world, those shadows become the only real things in their perception. So could the world we think is real be nothing but illusory shadows?"

That long message was neither the polite small talk of a first encounter, nor was it something easy to grasp—abstract, nihilistic, and baffling. After sending it, Ruan Ning waited nervously for a reply, but she didn't regret it.

She didn't know why, but she felt that Bai Xingmiao was like a silent, knowing mirror. In front of him, all pretense would be futile, so Ruan Ning decided to show her true self. Ever since her illness, she'd had strange thoughts popping into her head. She didn't dare tell anyone, not even her parents, but when she was alone, they would surface of their own accord, questioning her heart.

Ruan Ning also wanted a wise person to give her answers, and Bai Xingmiao fit that standard perfectly.

Still, she didn't expect the lofty Bai Xingmiao to pay attention to her ramblings. Her purpose was simply to hint to him that she was being honest with him, holding nothing back.

The white avatar was silent for a moment, then unexpectedly replied with a paragraph of similar length.

"Human perception of the world essentially stems from the body's senses. Everything people see is just light reflecting off objects, entering the eyes, and being converted into electrical signals processed by the brain."

"But since each person processes information differently, what one sees as red might be green to someone else. It's all just the brain's 'illusion.'"

A light suddenly flashed in Ruan Ning's eyes. She enlarged the screen and read it over and over.

Bai Xingmiao had neither mocked her nor ignored her; instead, he genuinely engaged with her question. Ruan Ning felt the delight of finding a kindred spirit, and her body trembled slightly.

"So, do you think our world is real?" she immediately followed up.

The white avatar went silent again.

"If the world is real, I wish it were false."

Ruan Ning didn't quite understand what he meant, but at this moment her mind was already consumed by the excitement of finding a kindred spirit. Though there were still a few days until the appointed date with Jiang Yihao, she couldn't wait to meet this unknown soulmate face to face.

Ruan Ning counted down the days, and finally the weekend arrived. She got up early and busied herself getting dressed up. Qiu Yan was delighted that her daughter had finally come around, helped her straighten her clothes, and happily saw her off. "Have fun, don't rush back. If you need, just have your dad pick you up."

Ruan Ning blushed and waved for her mother to go back inside. "Mom, don't say such things. I'm just having a meal with a classmate."

"Remember to eat a little less, keep your image," Qiu Yan said with a smile, waving goodbye to her daughter.

Around noon, Ruan Ning's car slowly pulled into the Talun Sky Tower.

The bustling streets and the wealthy people dressed in designer clothes stunned Ruan Ning; her palms began to sweat slightly.

The very air here reeked of money.

Though she'd gotten in without any trouble, constant details reminded her that she was an outsider.

Jiang Yihao's servants were one such detail.

The moment her car stopped, the servant waiting at the front door recognized her at a glance, courteously opened the door, took her gift, and told her the young master was upstairs preparing and asked her to be understanding.

The entire process was polite and restrained, maintaining the servant's proper invisibility, which greatly reduced Ruan Ning's first-meeting pressure.

Ruan Ning got out of the car in a daze. Her feet sank into the red carpet at the main entrance—soft, thick, like stepping on clouds. So even living on the same planet, the rich and the poor perceived gravity differently.

Ruan Ning followed the servant, afraid to look around. Upon entering, she passed through a massive water curtain several dozen meters high before reaching the resplendent entrance hall.

A row of tall, beautiful women in uniform stood at the front desk, their makeup elaborate and grand—at first glance, they looked like movie stars. When they saw Ruan Ning approaching from afar, they all displayed elegant, standardized smiles, like a hundred flowers blooming at once, so beautiful it made Ruan Ning's heart quiver.

Her mind in a blur, Ruan Ning followed the servant into the elevator. When she saw the dense array of floor buttons, her pupils trembled—this building had 130 floors.

Generally, the higher the floor, the more expensive the residence. Ruan Ning muttered to herself, wondering how rich one had to be to live on the 130th floor.

When the servant calmly pressed the 130th floor, Ruan Ning blinked. Now she knew.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened.

"Miss Ruan, please," the servant said politely.

Ruan Ning suddenly snapped back to attention, only to find Jiang Yihao leaning against the entryway with his arms crossed, smirking. The elevator opened directly into his home. He wore a light gray casual shirt today, slouching against the luxurious entryway, his tall, lean figure carrying an extra hint of relaxed, homely charm.

He had been smiling as he waited for the elevator, but his gaze suddenly froze when he saw her.

Ruan Ning quickly asked, "What's wrong? Does this outfit not suit me?"

"No, no—it's fine, looks great," Jiang Yihao said, a hint of awkwardness flickering in his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck, then flashed a mischievous smile. "Welcome, Miss Zihan, to my humble abode."

Ruan Ning's cheeks flushed. She knew he was teasing her, so she pursed her lips and stayed silent.

Today she wore a beige trench coat with knee-high boots. The coat was something Qiu Yan had bought at a fashion week at a hefty price and had never dared to wear. She had accompanied her daughter through countless outfit changes before settling on the coat. Ruan Ning had hesitated, wondering if it was too formal, but Qiu Yan had decided, "This one is the best. Nothing else compares."

But judging by the look in Jiang Yihao's eyes now, maybe she shouldn't have listened to her mother.

Embarrassed, Ruan Ning took the gift from the servant and handed it to Jiang Yihao, blushing. "This is for you. They're sugar-free, low-carb cookies. Thanks for having me."

People in Country A loved desserts, and it was customary to bring a small treat when visiting someone's home. Considering Jiang Yihao's diet plan, Ruan Ning had specially made a healthy, sugar-free batch.

Jiang Yihao said thanks, hooking the delicate gift box with his middle finger, brushing against the girl's slightly curved nude-pink fingertip on the box. His eyelid gave a subtle twitch.

"What would you like to drink? Juice, sparkling water, coffee, tea, or whiskey?" Jiang Yihao asked casually, turning to walk toward the living room and leading the way for the nervous guest behind him, his mind replaying the moment the elevator doors had opened.

A girl in a trench coat and boots had suddenly appeared, and he'd been startled. He'd had to look twice before recognizing it was Ruan Ning.

She wore a demure trench coat today, showing off her slender, well-proportioned legs. Her hair was slightly curled and tied up, her skin fair and faintly pink. Her dark, lacquer-like eyes glanced around, like a bright maple leaf slowly drifting down and landing on the lake of his heart.

He didn't want to seem too surprised, so he followed Bu Chen's advice and greeted her simply. But his heart seemed to be stuck to his back, beating entirely for the person behind him.

Ruan Ning felt Jiang Yihao was acting a bit strange today, but she couldn't quite say what had changed. Anxiously, she said, "Plain water is fine."

"Just water? How about trying my autumn special?" Jiang Yihao tilted his head slightly, still feigning nonchalance.

This special drink was something he'd learned from Bu Chen as well. According to Bu Chen, every girl who drank it fell in love with it, so he should serve it right away; it would surely impress Ruan Ning and lift her spirits.

"Uh, okay."

Ruan Ning didn't insist, following her host's suggestion.

As she stepped into the living room, Ruan Ning bit her lip hard to keep from gasping.

The towering skyscrapers and the Woyi River spread out before her like a backdrop. Such a vast, magnificent high-rise cityscape—she had only ever seen it in video games.

The house was huge and empty. She could even hear the echo of her own footsteps.

The interior design was trendy; the center of the living room wasn't a traditional crystal chandelier, but a flock of origami-style white doves, quite artistic. It was clearly a mansion crafted by a top designer at great expense.

Ruan Ning tried to shrink her steps, afraid of touching something she couldn't afford to replace.

She looked left and right but didn't see any sign of Bai Xingmiao, so she quietly asked, "Um, is it just the two of us?"

Something flashed through Jiang Yihao's mind. He looked at Ruan Ning's sincere eyes, and his thoughts drifted.

Actually, when he heard that Ruan Ning wanted to come over, he was extremely happy inside. As long as she was willing to come, he would agree to any condition. But after learning she wanted to bring Bai Xingmiao along, Jiang Yihao gradually felt a sourness in his heart. It wasn't that he was jealous of Bai Xingmiao—he knew Miao too well; no girl would ever fall for him.

It was just that he wanted to have a nice meal with Ruan Ning, just the two of them, enjoying only their time together.

Jiang Yihao smiled slightly. "Miao's busy today. I invited another friend instead."

Ruan Ning was puzzled. Just then, the door lock clicked. Jiang Yihao lifted his chin slightly and said with a grin, "He's here."