Uneasy daily life

Mai Sakurajima said regretfully, "It's a pity, you'll probably forget about this meeting once you leave here."

“Because it’s a dream,” the young man replied. “A dream is just a dream; it can’t come true.”

"What if it comes true?"

"I hope you never need to wake up."

Mai Sakurajima narrowed her eyes: "It's said that you are the past life of the person I like."

The young man thought for a moment and then asked, "What does it feel like to be liked by someone?"

"I don't know, maybe it's happiness."

Mai Sakurajima gently shook her head and said softly, "The road ahead is still long. Don't rush. Take your time. Even when you see the finish line, there's no need to sprint."

The young man looked at her and simply nodded.

……

"Mr. Bai, is this your life from your previous life, or something you've embellished and altered?"

Mai Sakurajima walked over slowly, arms crossed, and asked in a low voice, "The passion for pursuing dreams was worn down by failure, the pressure from parents and the outside world affected the balance in my heart, and a loved one happened to pass away during this period... Mr. Shiro, you seem to be a real hater of mine, don't you? Are you planning to write a story of 'what if Mai Sakurajima...'?"

It gives me the feeling that if I hadn't overcome that hurdle on my path to my dreams, I would have ended up like this, drifting along with the tide.

"Don't rush." ​​Bai Ying immediately reached out, signaling the other to stop their approaching steps, and said seriously, "According to my memory, I later saw through the true meaning of life, picked up my dreams again, and successfully surpassed my past successes, continuing my pursuit until the end of my life!"

Mai Sakurajima stopped in her tracks, slightly surprised: "Is this a dream? Or has the past really been changed?"

“Of course it’s a dream,” the white figure exclaimed, gesturing wildly. “But you have to believe! Believe in the power of love and bonds, and as long as you believe, you can create miracles across time and space!”

"Really? That's amazing."

Mai Sakurajima smiled perfunctorily, her eyes curving slightly, a hint of teasing in her smile: "Good girl, you did a good job."

Bai Ying's expression changed instantly, replaced by a silly grin: "Okay, Mom..."

"shut up!"

Sakurajima Mai's eyes twitched. Her initial tendency to believe suddenly turned into a 50/50 split of doubt—how could I have fallen for this outrageous guy?

Although he's a good actor, might write scripts (there's some overlap in their professions), and his personality... well, let's just say sunny and cheerful...

Sakurajima Mai thought about it again and again and still felt it was outrageous, but one thing was certain: "You brought me in here just to see your embarrassing moments from your past life and how you wallowed in self-pity?"

"Ah! It hurts so much! My mother doesn't understand me! My dreams are being worn down by the sands of time! I'm tired, fed up, exhausted! How can I escape this damn popularity? Why do the cameras always seem to be eyeing my eyebrows? Let me escape everyone's gaze, find a moment where I can be alone..."

The white figure began to chant with intonation and rhythm.

"Shut up!"

After nearly crushing Bai Ying's right foot in a battle that seemed to reduce the distance between them, Mai Sakurajima regained her composure and watched as Xiao Yun woke up from his dream and got into the car returning to the city.

The car drove along an exceptionally smooth road, heading into the distance.

[Dreams are never beautiful; they are the pain of exhausting time only to fail, the confusion of success being a thing of the past, the obstacles that prevent one from taking a step forward, the endless depression caused by failure... But without them, the road ahead is nothing but endless, repetitive striving.]

Chapter 110 The End of Life

People will not experience pain and sorrow if they have no dreams.

Life, in essence, is a journey towards the end.

The passing of my grandparents marked the end of my life.

The destination that everyone must reach.

Xiao Yun didn't know what thoughts they had when they passed away, but in his field of vision, they were always doing all sorts of work and always busy with different things.

The two elderly people left behind many things: farming hoes, an old house, crops growing in the fields, bees and pigs they raised...

Animals, plants, gentle breezes, and the bright moon—all are ultimately converted into a single number, inherited by the father.

Is a person's life just this number?

Xiao Yun observed in silence, indifferent to who he talked to, and lived an ordinary, repetitive life.

Going to work, getting off work, eating, sleeping, occasionally playing games to relax, observing everyone I see...

Sometimes there are conflicts and arguments with family members. For example, her mother wants her to take out a loan and try to borrow some money from relatives and friends to buy a house in the city. Xiao Yun immediately rejected this idea and silently watched her mother's nonsensical reasons. The matter was then dropped.

Her father would also bring up the topic of marriage, and Xiao Yun would always reject it outright, then remain silent, letting her father give irrelevant reasons.

Clearly, her parents had no idea what she was thinking, but Xiao Yun gradually began to understand what they were thinking.

My mother wants a stable and harmonious home. How can a home be stable and harmonious, bringing a sense of security? Having a house—even if that house requires decades of mortgage payments, incurs favors from relatives and friends, and will become old and worn in less than twenty years—it seems that having such a thing can give her peace of mind.

The father subconsciously believed that marriage was his own business. While his past infidelity was indeed his mistake, it was someone else's mistake to bring it up. Therefore, as a father, he felt he should interfere in his son's future marriage and life because not getting married was something he shouldn't do.

Both important matters were delayed because of Xiao Yun's veto.

His mother would no longer nag him incessantly, trying to persuade him with a mix of gentleness and firmness, and his father would no longer fly into a rage at being disobedient, resorting to physical persuasion by slapping him across the face; at most, he would simply show that he was very angry.

Is it because of respect and tolerance?

If respect stems from one's ability to earn money for the family, and tolerance arises from parents' inability and weariness to control them, then such respect and tolerance seem rather ridiculous.

Just like how I'm too lazy to argue with my parents about certain topics all the time, not because of love, but simply because I'm tired of it.

Sometimes, Xiao Yun feels a disconnect between himself and his body.

I watch myself go to work, come home, eat, sleep, and play games, like a string of automatically running code. Occasionally, some bugs will appear, but after some repairs, it can continue to run.

I think about all sorts of random things, pondering why, the logic behind my parents' behavior, the logic behind other people's behavior, the meaning of life, and other such questions that flash through my mind from time to time.

……

Yukino watched quietly, bored, squatting down with her hand supporting her chin, as if watching a boring play.

Bai Ying also looked on with a bored expression, squatting down next to the other person, but instead of looking at the previous life, she was looking at Yukino Yukinoshita.

Neither of them spoke. Previously, in 'Xiao Yun's World,' Yukinoshita Haruno had occasionally commented, such as, "Why haven't you exploded yet? Raise Frostmourne to your parents! Great achievements are not bound by the number of households, and those with great ambitions are not bound by the weight of kinship! Express your love to your rebellious father! Can someone like you be my boyfriend? So lame!"

As Xiao Yun left school and transitioned from youth to middle age, Yukino Yukinoshita gradually became less talkative.

While as an observer one certainly possesses the ability to hear the protagonist's inner thoughts, in terms of behavior...

She squinted and watched quietly. Whether she believed the person in front of her was her boyfriend or not... she could believe it or not. She believed it just now, but not now. She might believe it now, but not later. Believe it or not, guess whether I believe it or not. In short, she believed it.

……

Sometimes the solution is to procrastinate. Procrastination can make a problem disappear, or it can make it become a bigger problem.

The passing of my grandparents brought about many changes, such as creating an unspeakable sense of urgency and anxiety for the living, which they then passed on to others.

The mother brought up the old issue again, expressing her longing for a stable home and for her son to have one as well. She firmly believed that such a win-win situation would be good for everyone, so her attitude would not change.

The father also became increasingly concerned about the marriage of the next generation. The passing of his grandparents and the growth of his son made him feel increasingly powerless, and he hoped even more that his son could take on the responsibility of carrying on the family line and find someone to start a family with.

Both of them had a set of reasons they'd heard since childhood. The mother believed it was something everyone else did, so her son couldn't possibly have a problem doing it. The father believed his family was more successful than most, so he couldn't be a "loser" without a house or a wife.

Xiao Yun had no interest in arguing. This mindset was similar to why he smoked—smoking wasn't necessarily harmful; it could refresh him and keep him working hard for life, and his efforts would bring him more rewards than the money spent on cigarettes.

People don't live for the sake of reason; they just label life with reason.

"Okay, I still have some money left. I'll make time to go on blind dates when I have some free time."

Xiao Yun casually ended the long argument. Since there was nothing else to do, he might as well just go along with it.

Buying a house with a loan is very simple; all you need is to be young, educated, and physically fit.

Blind dates and marriage are also very simple: you meet a stranger with marriage in mind, and you just need to see if you like each other.

"Were you also forced into this blind date by your family?"

"Same."

"Sigh, I really don't understand what they're thinking..."

"Maybe."

"I'm so tired of hearing things like 'girls must get married'."

"almost."

"...According to the family's requirements, we should stay for at least two hours. Let's cooperate with each other."

"He's just like a child, insisting that adults do things regardless of their own needs."

The other person was a somewhat shy and introverted woman who tried her best to appear as outgoing and talkative as she imagined. After meeting at the restaurant, she tried to find topics to chat about. Xiao Yun simply echoed her words and, as usual, silently observed what kind of person she was.

Maybe it's not just my imagination, but it's surprisingly similar to myself.

Having experienced some of the outside world, my roots remain in the soil called family. I am not material that can grow into a towering tree; I am just an ordinary blade of grass in an ordinary world.

An extra element has been added to our daily routine: blind dating.

Xiao Yun gradually sensed that something was different. For example, his parents' moods were gradually improving, his girlfriend would occasionally prepare some surprises for him, and he would smile when he saw his girlfriend. He also had a house that temporarily belonged to him, his own home.

In the repetitive cycle of life, things gradually become different without us even realizing it.

Especially when getting married.

"Smile—sigh, tone down your smile a little."

"The couple looked at each other, gazing into each other's eyes."

"Groom, tone down your smile a little. It's not just a few pixels, it's a bigger smile. Think about something happy."

Click!

Xiao Yun looked at himself in the photo, slightly raised the corners of his mouth, and revealed a smile.

On their wedding day, many relatives and friends, both familiar and unfamiliar, came to the event. As the guests gathered together, the groom in a sharp suit and the bride in a white wedding dress stood hand in hand in the center of the stage. The skilled emcee created a lively atmosphere, recounting the love story between the bride and groom, and encouraging everyone to offer their heartfelt blessings.

Xiao Yun led his fiancée, smiling as they walked from table to table, chatting and greeting others with a constant smile.

His fiancée, dressed in her wedding gown, seemed inexplicably more beautiful and lovely. Although he also endured the awkwardness brought by the tedious ceremony and the blessings of others, he would occasionally cast a glance at her and stick out his tongue, as if to comfort her or to complain—just bear with it for a while, it will be fine in a little while.

Xiao Yun felt somewhat dazed, as if he, who had always felt like he was living on a deserted island, had suddenly met another person who was also living here.

He vaguely remembered liking a girl in high school... he should have liked her.

However, the joy that seemed to have washed over that figure gradually faded, burying it in the dust of time.

He has a wife.

He laughed.

……

"Hey, showing this kind of scene to your girlfriend, isn't it a little inappropriate?"

Yukino sat on the ground, shyly covering her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers at the two making love: "Ah, how wonderful. This withered, gray life has suddenly been stained with other colors by love. The days ahead are gradually filled with hope and motivation. Everything will be alright..."

Bai Ying didn't speak, but just watched quietly from the side.

boom!

Yukinoshita delivered an elbow strike, a sly smile on her face, her tone laced with danger: "So, it was you, you cunning and treacherous old man, who tricked Yukino-chan?"

The white figure gazed into the distance, as if receiving a signal, and after a long while replied in a broadcasting voice: "The hero is currently standing outside the door, with no intention of watching the erotic scene up close, and has commented that 'what an absurd and ridiculous wedding, it's like throwing two people onto a deserted island with nowhere to escape, and then defining their act of procreation as love, it's nauseating—if this is considered love, then humans are no different from monkeys.'"

Yukinoshita stroked her chin, patted Hakuei's shoulder, and asked in a friendly manner, "Brother Hakuei, what do you think of your wife from your past life?"

"They are all people whose lives are filled with joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness."

Bai Ying said with a sigh, "Do people really have something that belongs to them? You sometimes think that, right?"

Yukino's eyes twitched slightly. Suddenly, she had an urge to punch this guy twice. She turned her gaze to Xiao Yun after his marriage and said meaningfully, "Compared to your previous taciturn and rebellious phase, you seem much happier now."

Bai Ying slapped her thigh: "What a coincidence! You usually look especially happy!"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Hey! My sister risked her life to come and save you, you know. How can you point fingers at your savior like that?"

Bai Ying chuckled: "Should I express my heartfelt gratitude and affection to you?"

"Never mind, it sounds disgusting."

Yukino Shino shrugged, looked at the newlyweds who had already fallen asleep quietly, and shook her head, clicking her tongue: "So fast? Were you in poor health in your past life?"

“Indeed, it won’t work.” Bai Ying said calmly, “Xiao Yun in his first life was simply too weak.”

"Hmm~?"

Yukino Yukino let out a teasing nasal sound, then continued watching Xiao Yun's life, watching... the life she herself might have embarked on in the past.