Chapter 161 - 129: Like a Dream, Like a Fantasy
Finally, he resigned himself to it and closed his eyes.
The moment he closed his eyes,
Chen Hao quickly ran over and turned off the main lights in the hall.
The whole restaurant went dark in an instant.
Then,
a door opened right behind Jiang He.
At the same time, the music stopped.
The air fell silent in that moment.
Jiang He heard... the soft patter of approaching footsteps.
And with it came a singing voice as lovely as a babbling brook.
♫ "Happy birthday to you..."
♫ "Happy birthday to you..."
The moment Jiang He heard that voice,
his mind went completely blank.
’Is that... Shen Yu’s voice?’
The girl’s voice was ethereal and pure.
There was no musical accompaniment.
She was simply singing a cappella.
The footsteps drew closer to him, one step at a time.
In that instant, Jiang He’s mind was already a blank slate.
He didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he squeezed them shut even tighter.
Because reason told him that Teacher Shen was in the Capital City right now.
A physical distance of two thousand kilometers wasn’t so easily crossed.
It was far more likely that he was hallucinating again than Teacher Shen showing up for a surprise visit.
In his past life, during those countless late nights when he’d worked until his eyes were bloodshot and he was utterly exhausted,
in those moments when he was completely overwhelmed by despair and loneliness, he had hallucinated more than once.
He would always hear Shen Yu’s voice. He’d hear her calling him "Dr. Jiang" by his ear, hear her singing, hear her laughing.
But every single time, the moment he opened his eyes, there was nothing.
Only a cold, sterile operating room or an empty room.
Jiang He took a deep breath, raised his hands, and vigorously rubbed his cheeks.
He told himself, ’This is a hallucination.’
’It’s because I haven’t heard from her all day. I just miss her too much.’
’I can’t open my eyes.’
’Because if I open my eyes, this voice will disappear.’
He sat there like a rigid statue, resisting the urge to touch the fragile bubble.
"Happy birthday to you..."
The voice drew nearer.
"Happy birthday, Dr. Jiang."
The singing stopped. The girl’s voice, now right beside him, was practically in his ear.
Jiang He’s breath caught in his throat.
He caught a faint, sweet scent.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, he whipped his head around and opened his eyes.
At a single glance, Jiang He froze completely.
The sight that greeted him was breathtakingly beautiful.
She was wearing an off-the-shoulder blouse and a long, fringed skirt, her long, smooth hair draped over her shoulders.
She wore carefully chosen tassel earrings and a beautiful little necklace to match.
She was holding a small, exquisite Black Forest cake in her hands. The first thing he noticed was the ring on her finger, and only then did he see the lit candles on the cake.
The candlelight reflected on her face, making her eyes sparkle as if they held twinkling stars.
And it wasn’t just her.
A path made of warm, star-shaped fairy lights extended from the small, open door.
A few light-blue balloons floated in the air.
On a wall that had been bare just moments ago, a "Happy Birthday" sign in letter lights was now hanging.
A few of the restaurant staff, who had been hiding somewhere before, were now standing in a corner, filming them with a DV camcorder.
In the instant he turned, it all flooded into Jiang He’s vision like a tidal wave.
Jiang He just sat there on his chair, stunned and motionless.
His brain had completely short-circuited.
A moment ago, he’d been disappointed about not getting a QQ message, complaining about his roommates wasting money, and getting ready to go back to do his research.
Now,
the person who had been on his mind all day was standing right here, holding a cake against a glowing backdrop, smiling at him.
"Happy birthday, Dr. Jiang."
Seeing Jiang He’s stunned expression, Shen Yu’s smile deepened. She offered the cake forward a little and repeated herself.
Jiang He still didn’t move.
He glanced at the cake, then back at Shen Yu.
Suddenly, he realized something.
’My condition must be getting worse.’
The next second,
Jiang He looked at Chen Hao with a grave expression and said in a heavy tone, "I’m done for."
Chen Hao: "???"
The fond, knowing grin on his face froze. He asked blankly, "Huh? What do you mean, done for?"
"I think there’s really something wrong with my mental state now." Jiang He sighed, stood up from his chair, and rubbed his face with both hands. "You guys aren’t going to believe this, but I’m actually seeing Teacher Shen. And there are decorations... and someone is even filming it."
"..."
Chen Hao was dumbfounded.
Wang Bo and Li Zijian were dumbfounded.
Shen Yu, still holding the cake, was also dumbfounded, her mouth hanging slightly open, her face a mask of confusion.
The four of them said in unison, "Huh?"
Jiang He ignored his roommates’ reaction and turned back to face Shen Yu.
Looking at her face, so vibrant in the candlelight, Jiang He’s expression slowly softened, taking on a hint of vulnerability that even he didn’t notice.
"I guess I really do miss you too much, huh?" Jiang He murmured softly.
With that, he slowly reached out his hand.
In his subconscious, all of this felt too beautiful to be real.
He believed that as soon as he touched her, this phantasm would dissolve into countless specks of light and drift away, just like it had on all those nights in his past life.
His hand stopped just beside Shen Yu’s cheek.
Then, he gently pinched it.
It felt... soft and springy.
’Huh? My hand didn’t pass through?’
Jiang He frowned, squeezed a little harder, and kneaded her cheek, carefully taking in the sensation.
...It was warm, delicate, and soft.
’Hmm? This isn’t right...’
Shen Yu’s cheek was slightly squished from the pinch. She stared blankly at Jiang He and let out a small, nasal hum. "Mmm?"
Jiang He’s pupils contracted slightly.
His mind was still reeling. Looking at the person in front of him, he finally started to process what was happening and said:
"Wait a second."
"...You mean... you’re not a hallucination?"