The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 62: Liu Qingying

“Ah!”

Gao Yang jerked up to a sitting position on his bed, instinctively reaching toward his chest. It was intact, and his heart was still beating.

It was all a dream.

But...it felt all too real! Gao Yang had never had a dream with such details and such realistic pain. And it was his worst nightmare.

He found his body covered in cold sweat, drenching the tank top he was wearing. After calming himself down, he made to get off his bed when he felt a sudden chill.

He caught a figure at the corner of his eye. There was someone else in the room!

Silver moonlight streamed through the gauze curtains at a 45-degree angle, illuminating a corner of the room like a spotlight highlighting an actor on stage.

And there sat a woman.

She was dressed in well-fitted qipao, her silver hair glowing like white snow under moonlight. She sat on the chair with a natural gracefulness and sensuality—it was the swivel chair Gao Yang usually sat on when he played games, but the gas spring was no longer airtight, and the height of the seat couldn’t be adjusted. It thus sank a little too low for comfort.

With her voluptuous figure and the way she crossed her long, jade-like legs, she seemed at odds with the broken chair, yet it only served to make her even more enthralling.

“Restaurant owner?” Gao Yang recognized the uninvited visitor immediately.

“The name’s Liu Qingying.” The awakener smiled. “Don’t be a stranger. You can call me Sister Liu.”

“Sister Liu, what’s...going on?” Gao Yang put on a calm expression, while his hands were tense and ready to activate Fire any time.

“Relax. I meant you no harm.”

Gao Yang was silent.

“All that was merely a dream.” Liu Qingying’s voice was leisurely and gentle, free of the sharpness and coyness of a stereotypical seductress.

“And this,” Liu Qingying’s eyes flickered, “This is also a dream.”

Gao Yang suppressed a gasp. He didn’t expect that to be a dream within a dream, and both felt so very real.

Liu Qingying gazed at him with spellbinding upcurved eyes. “I can move the conversation elsewhere, but I thought you’d be more at ease in a familiar environment.”

“It’s fine.” Gao Yang didn’t immediately ask what Liu Qingying wanted. That would make it seem like he lacked composure. Thus he brought up something else. “This is another Talent of yours?”

“Talent: Sweet Dream, serial number 50, Psyche-type.” Liu Qingying admitted it easily. “Of course, it only works when the target is asleep.”

As he thought. Liu Qingying was more than what met the eyes!

Gao Yang said with careful choice of words, “How...did you activate the Talent? How did you enter my dream, I mean.”

“That’s rude of you.” Liu Qingying gave him a mischievous smile. “You shouldn’t just ask for my secret like that.”

“You’re right.” Gao Yang turned away so that his thinking wouldn’t be compromised. It seemed that Liu Qingying’s could still use Seduction even in a dream.

“But I did visit without notice to ask something of you. To show you my goodwill, I can tell you the truth.” Liu Qingying’s eyes were all smiles. “Why don’t you make a guess first?”

Gao Yang thought back to their brief interaction. Eye contact? No...that would make the Talent too powerful, and its serial number wouldn’t be 50.

He came to a conclusion quickly. “Plum drinks?”

“Smart boy. I’ve chosen the right one.” Liu Qingying nodded appreciatively. “I need a medium to connect to a target’s dream.”

“So...you drugged me?”

“Oh my, let’s not make it sound so sinister.” Liu Qingying blinked, gliding a long forefinger from the chin to the lips before lifting it. “I simply did this and put my finger in the drink, doing a little twirl. This method is a little less effective, however, and it’ll last for at most 24 hours. That means I must visit you tonight. If I’d added my blood, the connection would last for more than a week.”

That was a genuine offer of goodwill. At least Liu Qingying was willing to reveal substantial information to him.

After a moment of hesitation, Gao Yang asked, “Did you...create the dream within the dream?”

“No, that’s a side effect of being subject to Sweet Dream for the first time. The next time—if there is a next time, that is—you won’t get another nightmare.”

Liu Qingying’s lips parted slightly, a strange desire flashing through their eyes. “I have to say, your dream is truly a delicacy.”

Gao Yang was offended, but he didn’t voice it.

“Please don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not mocking you.” Liu Qingying tilted their head, lips still curved in a smile. “Dreams are fake, yet they are an extension of the mind, a mix of one’s imagination, calculation, speculation based on factors like the dreamer’s memories, common sense, knowledge, emotions, and soul.”

“Although dreams are often random and absurd, there is a logic to it. In some sense, dreams can reveal the truth or serve as a warning. They can even be premonitions that will one day become reality.”

Gao Yang’s heart sank.

Liu Qingying continued, “See, the Talent list is on your desk, and it’s possible that your sister may barge into your room to seek you out. Although you’ve locked the door and could hide the list before letting her in, what if you forget about it? Your dream can become reality, and it’s more likely for your sister to be a monster...”

“Stop,” Gao Yang said with furrowed brows.

Liu Qingying gave him an approving look. “Through one’s dream, I can tell if they’re a boring thickhead who warrants none of my attention, or someone whose IQ and EQ are both high with a rich range of emotions. It’s because of your rich emotions, great deductive skill, active imagination, and consistent logic that your nightmare is one of my top three.”

Liu Qingying’s eyes glossed over while savoring their memories of his dream. “Pride monsters... Heh, I’ve never encountered one before. Perhaps they are exactly as you dreamed them to be. I even observed complex emotions in the monster and a certain logic to its behavior. It’s true that awakeners don’t know a lot about monsters even though we live among them. Most awakeners aren’t willing to learn about them to start with. They know nothing but violence, the most boring dreamers of all. You, however, are different. You came up with so many possibilities in your dream. That’s impressive.”

“Thanks.”

Gao Yang didn’t mean it. He simply didn’t know what to say.

“You’re welcome.” Liu Qingying leaned forward and rested their hands on their knees, fingers interlocked. “We’ve gone off topic long enough. Let’s get to business. After all, I can’t predict when you’ll wake up.”

“Go on.” Gao Yang focused his mind and body, making sure he could respond properly should the negotiation turn out for the worst.

“I’m here to make friends with you.”