Late at night.
In the bedroom, moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, casting a line of light on the floor, the only source of light in the room. The pale, grayish moonlight reflected faintly on the window, where tiny insect shadows crawled.
Woosh~
A vehicle from the neighborhood passed by with a soft engine hum, its headlights casting a fan-shaped glow on the ceiling through the curtain gap, gradually dimming as it moved away.
Click.
An old cassette tape was inserted into the machine, followed by the sound of the cover closing.
Li Chengyi frowned as he plugged in his earphones and adjusted the volume. A faint melody began to flow from the earphones, gently drifting into his ears.
The music had no lyrics—just pure classical sounds of the guzheng and pipa. The rhythm was soothing and clear. The sounds of the two instruments were like two delicate, sharp threads—sometimes intertwining, sometimes distinct.
It felt as though an ancient story was being told, or like two pale fingers constantly intertwining.
Li Chengyi lay sideways on the pillow, staring at the dark curtains, motionless, listening to the song in his earphones. The cold pillow gradually warmed from his face, releasing a faint scent of laundry detergent.
He kept his eyes open, as if lost in thought, or perhaps reflecting on something.
He clearly remembered that twenty minutes ago, he had been halfway up a mountain, but twenty minutes later, he had discovered a beautiful patch of flowers. Then, his head spun... and everything changed. He had inexplicably switched bodies and found himself in this room. He had also become much younger.
After ten minutes of shock, doubt, and disbelief, he began to accept the reality. At this point, a large amount of information and memories quickly merged with his own—memories of another Li Chengyi, who had lived over twenty years in this world.
The information wasn't complete; much of it was blurry. But it was enough to give him a preliminary understanding of his situation.
"Tomorrow, an important friend is coming to visit. You and Li Chengyi should go out and find something to do, come back after 5 PM," a young woman's deep voice faintly sounded from outside the bedroom.
Li Chengyi's thoughts broke off as he automatically recalled the name—Li Chengjiu.
She was his older sister, likely talking to their parents.
"Okay, don't worry. It won't affect your plans," his mother, Feng Yurong, replied cautiously.
His father was silent, only breathing a little heavier. This was a silent agreement.
"Jiu, about... your brother's job, it still hasn't been settled. What do you think?" his mother cautiously brought up another matter.
"What's the rush? I'm still figuring things out. We'll talk about it later. Just don't cause me trouble," Li Chengjiu replied impatiently.
"Don't worry, it definitely won't," Feng Yurong responded gently.
"Sleep well. Remember, after midnight, don't come back early. If you see me leaving with a pale-skinned girl, just pretend you don't know me, okay?" Li Chengjiu continued.
"Don't worry, we'll stay far away. We won't disturb you," her mother replied, her voice trailing off.
"By the way," Li Chengjiu paused, "I need to pay 190,000 for the course fees this month. Can you give it to me tomorrow?"
"190,000... Didn't we just pay a large sum?" Feng Yurong asked, a bit distressed. The money was tight for her and her husband due to frequent expenses.
"That's for materials and training fees!" Li Chengjiu snapped. "You still have your pension, right? Just take it out and pay for it. You can make it up later."
"This..." Feng Yurong hesitated. "Alright, I'll make sure to pay."
She didn't mention that she and her husband had already withdrawn the pension to give to Li Chengjiu.
The factory wasn't doing well recently, and their salaries had been reduced several times. Money was really tight.
Li Chengjiu grunted, pushed his chair back, stood up, and left to wash up.
His parents, Feng Yurong and Li Zhao, stayed in the living room, speaking softly.
"I'm short on pension money. Can you take out some medical funds to make up for it? Our daughter's future is important," Feng Yurong whispered.
"Xiaoyi's job also needs connections and money. What about medical bills? Isn't your back pain getting worse? You still need medicine every day," Li Zhao replied gruffly.
"We'll save more soon, don't worry. My back doesn't hurt much now. It's fine." Feng Yurong urged softly, "Alright, alright, our daughter's future is more important. Don't drag her down at a crucial moment."
"Got it, got it," Li Zhao replied impatiently, sighing long and deeply, as though feeling helpless and distressed.
Li Chengyi lay on the bed, eyes open, letting out a soft sigh.
Suddenly, a scene flashed in his mind—seeing his father, Li Zhao, on the balcony, quietly borrowing money from relatives.
Although he was still unfamiliar with his surroundings, the familiar familial love he felt here, similar to that of his previous parents, eased his inner instability slightly.
Despite the different body, different world, the love parents gave to their children seemed the same.
Gradually, the noises outside quieted. Li Chengjiu closed the door to sleep, and his parents also went to bed after washing up.
Outside, everything became silent, leaving only the pure music in his earphones, playing on a loop.
The music repeated again and again, slowly becoming quieter and weaker in his ears.
Li Chengyi lay still, his mind muddled. Memories flooded his mind, one after another.
'He' had worked hard for twenty years, only to face unemployment after graduation.
The certificates he worked so hard to earn had become worthless in the face of the unemployment army.
In the six months since graduation, he sent out hundreds of resumes, but only received a few responses.
The ambition he had before graduation had now turned into confusion.
'He' didn't know what to do, what he could do, with no plan, no ideas, no expectations.
He just stayed home every day, living one day at a time.
And then there were the scenes of arguments with his sister, Li Chengjiu.
His sister had always seen the family as a burden.
Outside, she was outstanding, her future bright, ambitious, scornful of those who lacked talent.
His parents, just ordinary factory workers, and his mediocre brother were also objects of her impatience.
Li Chengyi had once argued with her, but it was futile. His parents were willing to give, and he could only stop them, to no avail.
He struggled to pass the college entrance exam, but only managed to get into an ordinary university. His sister, Li Chengjiu, was directly admitted to a top military school in her second year of high school.
Even though he had done well in his internships, the biggest problem was his naivety—he chose the wrong major.
What was plant care anyway? Although high-end plant care could have high salaries, it was too competitive...
For students from average schools, the only options were to work for forestry bureaus or urban greening companies.
A good month meant barely surviving with three thousand.
This era was full of automation, and many people couldn't even find jobs.
Li Chengyi turned over in bed, his mind still processing the memories of the previous owner. Despite the fuzziness due to forgetfulness, he could still extract useful information.
The night grew deeper.
A car passed by again outside, honking loudly, accompanied by a man's angry voice.
"Who the hell is parking in the wrong spot again!"
"Shut up, you bastards!"
The shouting grew quieter, and the noise returned to silence.
The guzheng and pipa music continued playing in his ears, repeating again and again.
The other sounds slowly faded, leaving only the pure music.
Crisp, cold, quiet.
Li Chengyi's consciousness kept organizing itself, watching like a movie. As his mental energy consumed itself, his body began to feel an unfamiliar fatigue.
The weariness grew heavier, and his consciousness began to blur, entering a near-sleep state.
This was how the previous owner fell asleep every night—long-term poor rest and frustration from job hunting made him silent and withdrawn.
Time passed slowly. Li Chengyi grew more and more tired, and his thoughts became chaotic.
He closed his eyes and adjusted his position, planning to rest for a moment.
Click.
Suddenly, a crisp sound snapped him out of his drowsiness.
His eyes slowly widened, and the sleepiness that had surged just moments ago began to dissipate.
What was that sound!?
He half-sat up and looked around, but saw nothing. Then, he noticed that there was no sound coming from the earphones.
Why is there no sound?
Li Chengyi picked up the cassette player, an old model he had gotten from a flea market. Looking through the plastic cover, he could see the cassette tape turning, but there was no sound in the earphones.
The music had stopped, and only faint static noise remained in his ears.
He frowned and shook the player, but the music still didn't return.
Li Chengyi removed the earphones and glanced around the room.
The streetlights outside had disappeared, and everything was pitch black.
The room was sparsely decorated with a white wall, giving it a cold, empty feel.
The wardrobe, desk, and a few scattered objects were all there was.
Something feels off...
Li Chengyi furrowed his brows, an eerie feeling rising in his heart.
This room had been familiar for many years, but now...
Could it be that in twenty years nothing happened, and the moment I arrived, something's wrong?
He looked around again, his gaze slowly stopping at the door.
The door... was slightly open!
His heart chilled.
It had been locked before he went to bed!
But now, the door was ajar.
In the darkness outside, he could vaguely see a shadow crouching by the door, peering inside.
What is that?
He felt a chill in his bones, his eyes glued to the door crack.
A black eye seemed to be staring at him through the gap, locked directly onto him.
Creek.
A cold wind blew through the gap in the door, and the door was pushed open a little further by the breeze.
Li Chengyi broke out in a cold sweat, his vision starting to blur.
He looked again, but now, there was nothing—just darkness.
It seemed like everything had been a hallucination.
He sat still for a moment, not speaking.
After several minutes, his body finally relaxed, and he took slow, steady breaths. He put on his slippers quietly and got out of bed.
He took a deep breath, steadying his emotions, and gently gripped a metal ball bat near the bed.
It was something the previous owner bought for self-defense.
The cold bat gave him some comfort, helping him calm down.
Silently lifting the bat, he moved carefully toward the door.
Standing behind it, he could see out the window, but his eyes widened in shock.
The window outside, once again, was just dark. Nothing was there.
Was it a hallucination? A dream?
His throat dried, and he swallowed. Gripping the bat, he slowly reached for the doorknob.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, he yanked the door open.
Facing the door, bat raised high, ready to strike.
What do you think happened here? Was it just a hallucination, or something more?Comment your theories below!
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