Chapter 38: An Ordinary Day
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Before You Read: This chapter has received many negative reviews, and several readers found it unpleasant. You may wish to skip it, but I still hope you'll at least read this note at the end! In the outline, I wanted to convey that the protagonist's consciousness experienced a slight shock, mingling memories from past and present lives. The vastness of consciousness also symbolizes that nothing is ever truly forgotten, especially the precious memories of a previous life.
Just as everyone has unforgettable memories that are sometimes triggered by familiar objects or events, making them as vivid as ever, so too does the protagonist. This was intended as a chapter of growth for the protagonist. The Earth where he once lived has vanished; even if it's the same universe, the current era on Earth is far removed from his own time. Thus, there is a profound sense of alienation between the protagonist and the current civilization of Earth—utter unfamiliarity.
The previous two chapters were meant to express the protagonist’s bonds with the people of the Celestial Star, which is why, after this dream, Shen Xing regards the Celestial Star as his home. The protagonist is eager to let go of the past, and I, as the author, am also eager to convey this.
Perhaps my writing is not strong enough to perfectly portray the intended effect, or perhaps most readers simply don't care for this kind of plot.
I'm sorry that a chapter of lower quality has left you dissatisfied. Because revising the entire chapter would cause a sense of disjointedness, I kindly ask that if you don't enjoy it, please just skip this chapter.
...
“Shen Xing, time to get up! Breakfast is ready. I made braised pork ribs today.”
Shen Xing squinted his tired eyes, rolled over in bed, and stretched his numb arm.
He didn’t reply to his mother. Instead, he picked up his phone and checked the time.
11:37.
“I can sleep a bit longer,” he thought, closing his eyes once more.
He was awakened again by the sound of his phone ringing. Annoyed, he picked it up and looked at the caller ID.
Shen Ling.
“Hello?”
“Hey! Bro! Jian Guo won’t eat his cat food anymore, what should I do? Is he sick? Should I take him to the vet?”
“You keep giving him all sorts of random things to eat. No wonder he won’t eat cat food—even if you stuff it in his mouth.”
Shen Xing responded irritably. The clear, girlish voice on the other end paused for a moment, then continued:
“Alright then. Grandma asked you to come home for dinner tonight. She’s making dumplings.”
“What kind?”
“Chive and cabbage.”
“I’ll see. If I have work tonight, I might not be able to come.”
He hung up quickly after finishing, then lay back down, completing his daily mobile game tasks, reading some novels, and watching short videos.
He stretched, preparing to get up.
Shen Xing ruffled his messy hair and walked into the kitchen. On the table, besides a bowl of rice sealed with plastic wrap, there was only a solitary plate of braised pork ribs.
He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and ate the rice with the ribs, scrolling through his phone for a movie to watch while eating.
The meal was finished, but he still hadn’t found a movie.
He left the dishes on the table. His mother was a very tidy person, so the house was always spotless, and everything would be back in its place whenever he returned.
After a quick wash, Shen Xing grabbed his keys, locked the door, and placed the keys under the doormat.
His father always came home late, yawning and covered in dirt. This way, even if no one was home, they wouldn’t be locked out.
...
Shen Xing rode his electric scooter to his grandmother’s house, where Shen Ling and Shen Hao were playing in the yard.
When Shen Xing arrived, Shen Ling hurried to greet him, while Shen Hao immediately put on a sulky face.
“Sis is playing with big brother again and not with me! I’m telling Grandma!”
Shen Hao stormed back into the house. Shen Ling paid him no mind and anxiously said to Shen Xing, “Bro, you haven’t been here in ages. Come check if Jian Guo’s lost his appetite.”
Shen Xing glanced up at the second floor, where Jian Guo, the kitten, stayed. He could hear meowing from inside.
Jian Guo was a lively tabby who always meowed loudly at the sound of Shen Xing’s voice.
Whenever Shen Xing visited, he brought cat treats or canned food. Maybe Jian Guo thought he was finally back from a long hunt.
Shen Xing parked his scooter and followed Shen Ling inside.
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His grandmother’s house was a small two-story building assigned by the village, with a little courtyard outside. As they entered, the chirping of her newly hatched chicks filled the air.
The moment they opened the door, his grandmother’s voice called from the kitchen:
“Xingxing, you’re here? Sit down, lunch will be ready soon.”
Shen Xing went to the kitchen first and saw his petite grandmother bustling around, cooking rice and stir-frying vegetables, occasionally peeling a few cloves of garlic, and now and then massaging her leg.
“I’ll be leaving soon, Grandma. Just wanted to check on the kitten.”
“How’s your slipped disc these past few days? Is your leg still numb? Didn’t I tell you not to do so much work?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll be fine after lying down a bit when lunch is done.”
“Go check on the kitten upstairs, then. If you want, let him out to play—but close the kitchen door.”
After his grandmother finished speaking, Shen Xing opened his mouth and, without thinking, blurted out, “I’ve missed you. It’s been so long.”
He didn’t know why he said it. As he spoke, his nose stung a little, and he felt odd.
“Oh, what’s there to miss? Just come by when you’re free. Eat dinner with us tonight—we’re making dumplings, your favorite, and those chicken wings you wanted last time.”
“Your dad, your mom, and your uncle are all coming tonight.”
“I’ll see. I might be busy this evening.”
“Alright, if you can’t make it, I’ll have your mom bring some home for you.”
Home?
Which home?
Celestial Star?
No, where is Celestial Star?
Shen Xing seemed lost for a moment but quickly recovered.
He figured he was just feeling under the weather, probably because he’d stayed out late with friends and hadn’t gotten enough sleep.
“Okay, I’ll go check on the kitten.”
Shen Xing left the kitchen and went upstairs to the kitten’s room.
Shen Ling was squatting next to Jian Guo, the tabby, looking worried, but Jian Guo was lying there with eyes half-closed, indifferent to her concern.
When Jian Guo saw Shen Xing, he meowed twice, leapt to Shen Xing’s side, rubbed against his leg, and looked up to meow again.
Shen Xing stroked the cat’s head, and Jian Guo nudged his hand contentedly.
“Has it been that long since I brought you treats?” Shen Xing murmured to himself, not knowing why.
“Yeah, you haven’t been here in ages. Last time, you asked Grandma to make you some beanbags, and she sewed a whole bag, but you never came to pick them up,” Shen Ling said, puffing her cheeks like an angry puffer fish.
Shen Xing remembered. The last time he’d visited was a month ago. He hadn’t wanted Grandma to feel lonely, so he lied that he needed beanbags for a work event and asked her to sew some.
But... he’d forgotten.
Grandma, though, had remembered.
Shen Ling finished speaking and puffed her cheeks again. Feeling a little embarrassed, Shen Xing quickly changed the subject.
“Did Shen Hao go to school these past two days?”
“He doesn’t want to go to kindergarten—he’s been playing at home for two days.”
“How did you do on your high school entrance exam?”
“I did great, of course!”
“You cheated, right?”
“Shut up!”
Shen Xing smiled at the exasperated Shen Ling, then petted Jian Guo and set him at the top of the stairs.
Seeing the chance to play, Jian Guo dashed downstairs, meowing as he went, but soon they heard Grandma’s slightly angry voice yelling,
“Stay out of the kitchen! Go! Go!”
It seemed Jian Guo had made a beeline for the kitchen as soon as he got downstairs—a true warrior among cats, never discouraged no matter how many times he was chased out.
“Next time, remember to close the kitchen door,” Shen Xing reminded himself.
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He had apparently forgotten to close the door when he went upstairs.
After going downstairs, he headed to the back room. The floor was scattered with dinosaur toys, and Shen Hao was knocking them over with ping pong balls.
“Meteor! Big meteor! Boom! Boom!”
Shen Xing was about to say something when he suddenly felt dizzy. Maybe it was just because he hadn’t slept enough.
He always thought Shen Hao was noisy, but in truth, he was much like his younger self.
As a child, Shen Xing had loved dinosaurs, often watching the dinosaur episodes of Blue Cat’s Naughty 3000 Questions on TV, then imitating dinosaurs and running all over the house, frequently asking his parents why there were no dinosaurs in the world.
“Shen Hao, did you miss me?”
“You always play with Sis, not me, so no, I didn’t.”
Shen Hao snorted. Because Shen Xing found him annoying, he often took Shen Ling out to play secretly, which made Shen Hao feel left out.
“How about I play dinosaurs with you?”
“Sure! You be the bad guy and use meteors to smash the dinosaurs!”
Shen Hao handed him a bucket of ping pong balls, instructing him to attack the dinosaur toys on the floor.
Reluctantly, Shen Xing obliged. Being an adult, he quickly knocked them all down, making Shen Hao shout with excitement.
“You did it! You killed all of them!”
For some reason, Shen Xing felt dizzy again, a little out of sorts. He blamed the noise and found an excuse to leave the room, heading to the living room.
Just as he entered, he saw his mother coming in, carrying two large bags of groceries. Spotting Shen Xing, she teased, “You’re finally up? Even though we live in the same house, I haven’t seen you in a week.”
“I’ve just been really busy lately, slept in a bit,” he replied casually, picking up his keys to leave. Hearing his mother’s voice, Grandma came out from the kitchen as well.
“Leaving already, Xingxing? Want me to pack some food for you to take to work?”
“No need, Grandma. I’ll just order takeout.”
“Don’t eat takeout so much. Eat at home when you can,” his mother admonished gently.
“Alright, alright. I know.”
Shen Xing took his keys and went outside to start his scooter.
The summer sun was harsh, and the humidity after a downpour made the air stifling and uncomfortable.
Before he could leave, Grandma came out to see him off.
“Be careful on the road!”
“Got it, Grandma. You’d better go back inside; it’s too stuffy out here.”
Hearing he was about to go, his mother hurried out as well, calling after him as she walked,
“Oh right, get two packs of cigarettes for your dad when you come back.”
“What kind does he want? Message me on WeChat, and I’ll see if I can get them.”
“Alright, alright, drive safe—don’t play on your phone while you’re riding.”
“Got it! Got it! Go back inside, both of you!”
With that, Shen Xing rode away from his grandmother’s house.
And then…
And then…
Shen Xing’s world spun violently out of control.
All he remembered was the glow of his phone screen, the screech of brakes, and the crash of metal.
In that instant, he felt an unprecedented terror and despair.
Then everything was engulfed by darkness.