Chapter 5

November 28, 2025 | Author: Song Buliuchun Zhang Luo went to the bathroom. Even though heading to the restroom was just an excuse to escape the uncomfortable situation out there, once you actually walk inside, a "might as well" mindset takes over. If you don't end up going, it feels like a wasted trip. And usually, right at that moment, you realize your bladder isn't going to let it be a wasted trip anyway. "..." Done relieving himself, Zhang Luo went to wash his hands, shivering slightly as ice-cold water shot out of the tap. He froze for a second. Why is it so cold? It was the dead of summer right now; it was already a blessing if tap water didn't feel lukewarm. Then it clicked: to save on utility bills, Jiang Xiaoyu's family restaurant used well water for their tap system back then— The well had been dug decades ago and was still in use. This was a detail he had forgotten for eight hundred years. If memory were a house, this fact was tucked away in some dusty, forgotten corner. This dream— Wait, a dream? After that sudden chill, why didn't he feel even the slightest bit close to waking up? Zhang Luo stared in confusion at the water-spotted mirror. The face in the reflection was him from fifteen years ago. Truth be told, he was actually pretty handsome. Uh, wait, that wasn't the point— This was supposed to be a dream, right? But he had truly never experienced a dream this hyper-realistic before. When people dream, they can usually realize mid-dream that they are dreaming. Right now, he felt completely certain he was inside a dream. It was just that the details were absurdly vivid. Every single detail was there. He even had that mysterious red mark on his neck that he never figured out how he got. If it weren't completely impossible, he would almost suspect he had been reborn. But why was it impossible? Was it just because, deep down, he didn't believe something like that could actually happen? "Reborn?" Liang Fengying looked at Zhang Luo with an expression that screamed what kind of nonsense is this kid pulling now? "Do you have a fever?" "No, Mom, do you believe rebirth exists in this world?" At that moment, Zhang Luo's body trembled slightly from sheer internal excitement. "How about you smack me? Let me see if it hurts." Liang Fengying still looked at him with pure disdain. "Did I knock a fuse loose when I hit your head earlier?" "..." Zhang Luo's eyes snapped wide open. Right! Ever since he came back to this summer, Liang Fengying had already beaten him twice. Every single hit had landed solid and firm, making him grimace in pain! It actually... hurt? Zhang Luo abruptly stood up, his eyes wide. People at the neighboring tables turned to look at him in confusion, unsure why he was making such a scene out of nowhere. Liang Fengying looked up at him. "What are you standing up for all of a sudden? Sit down." Zhang Luo's cheeks went numb from overwhelming excitement. He raised a hand, stared at his slightly trembling palm, and took a deep breath. "Mom, I want to try something." Liang Fengying eyed him with complete suspicion. "What are you trying to do?" Zhang Luo: "I had a dream where I mastered the Iron Palm technique. I feel like I really learned it, so I want to test it out—" Liang Fengying: "What kind of fit are you throwing? If you want to lose your mind, do it at home—" Zhang Luo couldn't wait another second. Raising his hand, he brought his open palm slamming straight down onto the dining table. BAM! "AAAGH—" "AAAGH—" Zhang Luo and his mom let out loud screams at the exact same time. The entire restaurant turned to stare. Liang Fengying looked at Zhang Luo in absolute horror. Zhang Luo clutched his hand, inhaling frantically, his face turning bright red as he tried to suppress the overwhelming pain. And yet, he was laughing. He was laughing with intense, uncontrollable excitement. As he laughed, his eyes flushed red, and glistening tears began to spill over. Liang Fengying was utterly dumbfounded. Panic-stricken, she grabbed the hand Zhang Luo had used to hit the table and inspected it closely. "Are you trying to kill yourself?! What kind of insanity is this?! Let me see! Open your hand and let me look!" Zhang Luo opened his palm. "Mom." He looked down at Liang Fengying. Liang Fengying stamped her foot in anger, glaring up at him with a mix of furious panic and heartbreak. "It's fine," Zhang Luo said. "Doesn't even hurt that much." Liang Fengying blew her top: "If I ever catch you reading those stupid wuxia novels again, see if I don't skin you alive!" Clearly, Liang Fengying had blamed his sudden outburst on martial arts novels. Zhang Luo couldn't process her lecture right now. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around Liang Fengying. "Mom." Liang Fengying froze. The people around them froze too. Not a single bystander understood what was going on. Not far away, Jiang Xiaoyu was also looking at Zhang Luo with a face full of confusion. Zhang Luo had zero recollection of how he finished that meal. Once he realized this wasn't a dream, his whole mind floated off into a fog. He felt lightheaded, weightless, grounded neither in his mind nor his feet. He kept feeling like this was fake, that it was impossible. Even though he had already proven to himself in his own way that it had to be real. A massive surge of joy, surreal and dreamlike. Could life really start over again? By the time Zhang Luo snapped back to reality, he was already back home with his mom. Liang Fengying insisted on using a thermometer to take his temperature. With no other choice, Zhang Luo sat obediently under his mom's watchful, hawkish gaze, tucking the thermometer under his armpit. Right then, his dad came home. A key inserted into the lock—click. "I'm back! Had a massive harvest today!" His dad's voice sounded cheerful and full of life. With that single voice, Zhang Luo snapped right out of his floating state, landing firmly back in reality. "Dad?!" Zhang Luo stood up in excitement. Liang Fengying immediately raised a hand and gestured firmly downward. "You sit your butt right down and don't move!" Liang Fengying's voice was bossy and completely non-negotiable. Out of pure muscle memory, Zhang Luo sat right back down. And yet— When Zhang Luo was twenty-four, his dad had passed away from stomach cancer. Ever since then, he had never seen his father again. No, that wasn't accurate. He couldn't put it that way. Countless times, his dad had visited him in his dreams. Watching that familiar figure walk through the door with a bright, joyful smile on his face, tears burst from Zhang Luo's eyes. "Dad!" Zhang Zhiluo stopped dead in his tracks. "Son—" Zhang Zhiluo was completely bewildered. Looking at a tearful, emotional Zhang Luo, he instinctively turned to his wife, Liang Fengying. Liang Fengying rolled her eyes. "All you care about all day long is catching those stupid fish! Your son's brain has completely gone out of order, do you know that?" Zhang Zhiluo let out a couple of awkward chuckles and quickly set down the things in his hands. "Oh my, what on earth happened? Son, did you go and upset your mom again?" He walked over and patted the back of Zhang Luo's head gently. "You're a grown boy—why go around making your mom mad? Hurry up and apologize to her!" Zhang Luo threw his arms around his father in a tight hug. "What in the—" Zhang Zhiluo was startled. Indeed, how could a fifteen-year-old Zhang Luo hug his parents so easily? This wasn't something a fifteen-year-old would ever do. The very next second, Zhang Luo's face twisted in horror. He let go of Zhang Zhiluo instantly and let out a violent dry heave. "Gag—"