Yan Feng couldn't remember how he left the bar.

Probably Ye Sheng helped him call a taxi. By the time he got out, reeking of alcohol, he was already at the entrance of his apartment complex.

This was Yan Feng's first time drinking, and he had a bit too much. He felt his stomach churning, his head spinning, and he had to support himself against the wall as he slowly moved forward.

Luckily, he still had some awareness left, not drunk to the point of unconsciousness.

His first experience with alcohol wasn't bad. Although his body felt uncomfortable, his mind was indeed much more relaxed.

Relying on muscle memory, he took the elevator upstairs and stood in front of his apartment door. Yan Feng fumbled in his pocket for the keys, struggled with the lock for a while, and finally managed to open the door. As he entered, he locked eyes with a surprised person on the sofa.

In the next second, the man stood frozen, his pupils contracted, staring intently at the other person, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he shook his head vigorously, as if trying to confirm whether this was an unrealistic dream.

Bai Xi, who had died last year, was now standing alive in front of him!

The same casual hairstyle, the same blue and white long dress, her features as delicate as a painting, her figure graceful, even the dimples on her cheeks were exactly the same.

It's her... it can't be wrong... it must be her! That face, etched into his bones, he could never mistake it!

Is this a dream? When did...

He drank... so is he dreaming of her again?

Memories and reality overlapped, so vividly. He suddenly felt grateful for this dream, at least he could see the woman he had missed for so long once more.

"Sis... I miss you so much... really, really... miss you..."

Yan Feng smiled, tears streaming from his eyes, tracing two winding lines down his face. He took a step forward, stumbling into her embrace.

It was warm, soft, and something he hadn't felt in a long time.

The pain of growing up, the long-lasting yearning, under the influence of alcohol, the emotions that had been building up burst forth. Yan Feng could no longer control himself, like a lost child, burying his head in the woman's arms, crying out loud.

He didn't even notice the unusual stiffness of the other person's body.

"Sis... I really miss you..."

"Do you know? Over the years, I've had so many dreams... all about you... but where did you go?"

"Why didn't you contact me... why didn't you even send a message... did you not want me anymore? Did you not want Little Feng anymore?"

"I'm really so tired now... there's endless work every day... but whenever I have free time, I think of you again... I can only work overtime day and night... Sis... I really miss you..."

"Sis... Sis..."

The crying gradually subsided, the outpouring ended. Although the scent on the other person felt somewhat unfamiliar, it was just a dream, and he dared not ask for more.

A gentle stroke came from above his head, like a mother comforting her wronged child. Though the touch was a bit unfamiliar, it was enough to make the man feel an unprecedented comfort.

In a daze, it felt like going back to many years ago, when Bai Xi was just like that, patting his head when he came home crying with injuries, then gently blowing on his wounds.

Cool and soothing, the pain would disappear without a trace after a while.

Except... maybe because it was a dream, the breath on his face this time was hot, short and heavy, as if someone was suppressing something, hesitating about something.

But at this moment, Yan Feng had already lost consciousness, falling into a deep sleep with the beautiful dream.

Time rewinds, a few hours earlier.

Chen Xi watched the man leave, and with the sound of the door closing, she looked around, suddenly feeling it was excessively quiet, her heart empty, like something was missing.

But the opportunity was rare, and she planned to sneak into Yan Feng's room to investigate more about his preferences. If she could find something special, she could handle things better and be more effective.

But she was destined to be disappointed.

Yan Feng's room was minimalist, with just a bed, a desk, a computer, and a wardrobe, nothing else.

So Chen Xi first focused on the most suspicious item, the computer.

She turned it on, and a password box popped up on the desktop. After thinking for a moment, she frowned slightly, sighed, and reluctantly entered Bai Xi's birthday.

Sure enough, everything went smoothly, or rather, too smoothly.

Yan Feng's computer was basically like it had just come out of the factory, not even the wallpaper had been changed. It seemed the only thing that proved it had been used was a folder named "Work" placed to the side.

Curiosity drove her to click on it, but inside were countless printed documents, each with names and dates, all the same.

Holding onto a last hope, the young girl checked the computer's storage... sure enough, except for the basic part of the C drive, the other drives hadn't been touched...

But she didn't get discouraged, instead turning her attention to the wardrobe beside her.

Opening it, she was once again disappointed.

There were only a few clothes inside, which only indicated that the owner didn't like dressing up, and she couldn't find any information.

Where else could it be?

The young girl thought, looking at the last piece of furniture—the bed.

Just thinking about the lingering scent of the man on it made her face flush, but she couldn't resist the urge inside, and carefully lay down.

The bed wasn't soft, but it smelled nice, a familiar scent. She couldn't help but bury her head in it, taking a few more sniffs, like a little cat sneaking a taste.

Wait... the bed?

Chen Xi blinked, suddenly thinking of a place she had overlooked, then quickly got up, knelt on the floor, and used her phone's flashlight to look under the bed.

Sure enough, there was a cardboard box placed deep under the bed, containing something that would be hard to notice if not looked at carefully.

Chen Xi exerted some effort to pull it out, dusted it off, and then opened it...

Unexpectedly, inside there seemed to be only an old-fashioned set of clothes, with a slight smell of mothballs.

She took it out to examine it, and it seemed to be a blue and white long dress. The young girl held it against herself, and except for one part being slightly larger, it fit quite well.

Could it be... her mother's clothes?

Chen Xi thought, looking back into the box, her eyes suddenly lighting up.

Beneath the dress lay an old, yellowed photograph, the background an unknown park scene, with a young woman who bore an eighty percent resemblance to herself, leaning against a railing and smiling at the camera, wearing...

That very same blue and white long dress.