She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Side Story III — IF Line: Journey into Dreams

Chapter Summary: Ordinary World · Ordinary Lovers

“The script seems pretty good, then?”

When Lu Shuyu returned to the bedroom after her shower, the person nestled in the beanbag chair was still in the same posture, absorbed in reading the script.

Hearing her voice, Xia Leshuang looked up. She first stretched out her hand to grab Shuyu’s; once she had a firm grip, she leaned her cheek in, sniffing and nuzzling against her. This sequence of moves happened every single day since they got together. Lu Shuyu was well-accustomed to it, her index finger naturally scratching that soft, pleasant cheek.

“More than good; it’s excellent,” Xia Leshuang replied to the earlier question. “It’s the most interesting script I’ve read in years.”

Hearing this, Lu Shuyu became interested too. “What’s it about?”

Xia Leshuang shifted over to make space, pulling her down to lie beside her. “The female lead, who possesses psychic powers, accidentally wanders into the junction between the human world and the underworld. She meets the second female lead—who has a heart of stone—and a group of underworld civil servants. Together, they catch evil spirits and protect the human world.”

Lu Shuyu took the character biographies. As she read, she found herself getting sucked in. She nestled into Xia Leshuang’s embrace, and together, under the bright floor lamp, they read the script.

The world-building of the script was indeed fascinating, and the characterizations of the core four protagonists and the underworld officials were vivid. By the time they reached the revelation of the final boss’s hidden identity, both of them felt a sense of helplessness and sadness.

Perhaps because the sense of regret was so strong, after Lu Shuyu fell asleep, she actually dreamed of this script’s world.

…

She stared at the transparent glass in front of her. Outside the glass was an indoor space where the lighting reflected off white ceramic tiles, making it incredibly bright. Every instrument, prop, and even the walls were meticulously labeled with the logo: “Terror Escape Room.”

The Terror Escape Room was the setting from the script—a large, national chain of horror-themed escape rooms that served as the junction between the human city and the underworld.

“Good grief…” she murmured. “Where has my dream taken me…?”

“Shuyu?”

The voice that suddenly rang out beside her was extremely familiar. Lu Shuyu froze. She wanted to turn her head, only to realize her body couldn’t move. She suppressed the confusion and horror in her heart and spoke: “Leshuang?”

The person beside her caught their breath, then whispered back: “Yeah, it’s me.”

Xia Leshuang’s voice was very low, clearly entering a state of high alert due to the eerie situation. This dream felt unnaturally real. Lu Shuyu’s scalp tingled. “Can you move?”

“No,” Leshuang replied quickly. She had obviously already tried.

As the two sat in silence, calculating the possibilities, they simultaneously heard another voice from behind them.

“Um…” It was a female voice, sounding soft and weak. “Is that… Teacher Xia Leshuang,” the voice hesitated, carrying a hint of strange, suppressed excitement, “and PD Lu Shuyu?”

Lu Shuyu, unable to see what was behind her, was even more confused. What was this? A dream-world team-building exercise? And the voice… it sounded familiar.

Xia Leshuang noticed it too and reacted faster: “Huo Song?”

Yes, Lu Shuyu realized. It was Huo Song. She was the winner of the Best Screenplay award in the second season of Producer Dream Factory, and the creator of this script.

Huo Song replied hurriedly, “It’s me, it’s me, it’s me!”

“How are you,” Lu Shuyu asked, puzzled, “not panicking at all?” In fact, she sounded almost excited.

Huo Song let out an “Ah,” sounding a bit flustered. Remembering that the three of them were back-to-back and couldn’t move or see each other, she began to explain. It turned out Huo Song had arrived much earlier than they had. Or rather, she had discovered this place earlier.

“What do you mean?” Lu Shuyu felt dazed. “This world… actually exists?”

Huo Song hummed. “After the variety show ended last year, I suddenly started having strange dreams.” The dreams weren’t coherent, but as a screenwriter, integrating fragmented information into a continuous story was a basic skill. “I finished the script last month, and for the first time, it felt like a dream-travel. I ended up here.”

Lu Shuyu did the math. From that point to today, when Xia Leshuang read the script, it had been about half a month.

“So, you enter every night after falling asleep and wake up in your own home?” Xia Leshuang summarized the key point.

“Yes!” Huo Song replied. Because she could return to her own world normally, she wasn’t too worried about this dream world. Instead, because she “spawned” in different places every time, she treated this journey as a great opportunity for material collection.

Lu Shuyu didn’t know what to say. Xia Leshuang spoke for her: “You really have a big heart.”

If this was a real parallel world, then the supernatural horrors mentioned in the script would be real. If they encountered danger in the dream, would it still be “just a dream”? Moreover, now both of them had been pulled in after reading the script…

Huo Song belatedly felt some fear. She started wondering how many people had read the script by now. “No way everyone is being pulled in…” she muttered.

Lu Shuyu thought for a moment and comforted her: “At least we haven’t heard of anyone getting into trouble lately. There’s still time to find a way out.”

According to Huo Song, every time they traveled here in their sleep, the location was random and they were immobilized. If she hadn’t heard Lu and Xia’s voices today, she wouldn’t have dared to speak.

Lu Shuyu looked around as best as she could. “Don’t be afraid. We are currently in the Terror Escape Room.”

According to Huo Song’s script, the underworld officials were entirely in the “good” camp. Since the escape room was created by the underworld as a passage to the human world, it should be safe. Maybe they would find a way back soon.

Suddenly, the overhead lights flickered. A strange sound came from above—like something cracking slightly. Simultaneously, the computer screen on a nearby desk flashed with eerie, garbled code. Lu Shuyu sucked in a breath. She squinted at the screen and vaguely saw the words “Fire God.”

“Fire God…” she murmured. It sounded familiar.

“This looks like a laboratory,” Xia Leshuang said from her side. “It should be an escape room scene.”

Reminded by the two, Huo Song remembered. This was a plot fragment she had dreamed of before writing the script. “I know! This is the ‘Fire God’ room where the Saintess and the Divine Stone first met.”

“If I remember correctly,” Lu Shuyu mused, “the Fire God rooms are all laboratory-themed…”

“There’s glass in front of us,” Xia Leshuang guessed. “Are we in the glass cage meant to imprison the ‘Fire God’?”

Huo Song added, “If that’s the case, this is the final plot point of the escape room.”

The three of them turned their gazes to the doors in their field of vision. Three doors—one must be the exit. Huo Song sighed: “But we can’t move. Even if there’s an exit, it’s useless.”

If they could move and find the exit, they could look for the Underworld Gods. The Underworld Gods were primordial deities who could sense the rules of the world; they would surely know why they were here and how to send them back.

“Not necessarily,” Xia Leshuang said suddenly.

Lu Shuyu explained, “The lights are on. That noise earlier means the escape room is currently ‘active.’ Maybe we’ll see an NPC soon. If so, we can get out.”

Huo Song finally caught onto their wavelength. Just as she was about to praise their “twin-soul” connection, she was startled into a scream by a sudden movement.

The lights flickered, the room plunging into light and dark. Each time it lit up, the bright red color in front of them became thicker and more piercing.

Drip. A blood-red liquid on the glass began to spread to the floor, creating the sound of droplets hitting the ground. Huo Song held her breath.

“Don’t be afraid.” “Don’t be afraid.”

Lu Shuyu and Xia Leshuang spoke almost in unison. The terrifying atmosphere dissipated slightly at their calm voices. Huo Song’s heart warmed. As expected of the Sunstone CP! Even though it was poorly timed, she was still “shipping” them!

Lu Shuyu chuckled. It was a pity she couldn’t hold Xia Leshuang’s hand because she couldn’t move, but hearing that synchronized comfort gave her plenty of courage.

Click.

“Lin Shu?” A crisp female voice came from outside.

“Lord Yun Jiu,” another colder, harder female voice responded.

“During the test, we found that the blood plasma in the glass cage was leaking. I’m here to check.” At this, the first voice laughed softly, sounding tender. “It gave Qianqian quite a scare; she went to find the cleaning lady.”

Hearing this, “Yun Jiu” let out a sound of confusion. Because she had read the script, Lu Shuyu could sense the innocence and bluntness in that crisp voice. “Qianqian is already a ghost, why is she still afraid?”

With these few sentences, the tension in the room eased significantly. Yun Jiu, Lin Shu, and Fang Qianqian were important supporting characters in the script. The “real” people seemed to match their script counterparts.

“But why is Lord Yun Jiu here?” The door pushed open, and Lin Shu’s voice rang clearly in the room.

“Lord Lu sensed some strange fluctuations here and asked me to check it out.” Lin Shu’s expression turned serious, and she closed the door with a quick reaction.

Lu Shuyu: …

The door that opened was directly in her line of sight, so she saw Yun Jiu and Lin Shu immediately. She had to admit, Huo Song was truly the best screenwriter; her descriptions were precise. These two were exactly as she had imagined them while reading.

“You don’t need to follow.” Yun Jiu told Lin Shu to stay at the door. She walked forward a few steps and approached the glass cage. She looked directly into Lu Shuyu’s eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Yun Jiu tilted her head in confusion. “Lin Shu, go call Lord Lu.”

Lin Shu left on her orders. Yun Jiu took half a step back, circled the glass cage once, and stopped in front of Lu Shuyu again. “You all,” she said with a crescent-moon smile, “don’t belong to this world.”

Just as the script described, even though Yun Jiu was a thousand years old, she still looked like a young girl. She had been born missing a part of her soul and was called a “silly girl” by her villagers. Lu Guichen had searched for her soul for a thousand years without success, but luckily, she was a genius at cultivation, so after a millennium, she looked no different from an ordinary person. Because of this, Yun Jiu was incapable of deceit or malice.

“Don’t be afraid,” Yun Jiu said seriously. “I know you have no ill intent. If you need help, you can tell me.”

Just as Lu Shuyu was thinking about how to respond, Huo Song took responsibility for creating this “passage.” “We indeed aren’t from this world. Could Lord Yun Jiu help us return to our original world?”

The title “Lord Yun Jiu” came so naturally to Huo Song that Yun Jiu tilted her head in a daze. “You… know me?”

The door opened again. Lin Shu and Lu Guichen had arrived.

“Is that the Judge, Lu Guichen?” Huo Song shouted.

“It seems you know quite a few people.” Lu Guichen walked over and stopped in front of the glass where Huo Song was facing.

“We can explain!” Huo Song’s voice sounded a bit cowardly. Lu Shuyu recalled the character of this Judge who shared her surname. Though he had a bohemian nature, he possessed an intimidating face that commanded respect without even trying.

“Fine, speak.” Lu Guichen walked over to stand by Yun Jiu, his gaze falling on Lu Shuyu.

While Shuyu was at a loss, Huo Song quickly and concisely explained the whole situation. After hearing the story, the three “ghosts” outside the glass fell silent.

“It seems,” Lu Guichen said, hands behind his back, his brow furrowing slightly, “something has escaped into your world.”

Before Lu Shuyu could understand, the red-robed Judge raised a hand. A writing brush—deep red and shimmering with gold—appeared in his hand.

“Wow…” she couldn’t help but gasp in wonder. Seeing the tropes and special effects of an urban fantasy drama come to life in front of her was quite shocking.

The corner of Lu Guichen’s mouth quirked up. He opened his hand, and three points of light from the brush tip fell into his palm. Suddenly, Lu Shuyu’s vision blurred, and the feeling of being paralyzed vanished instantly.

“Huh?” She heard Huo Song’s exclamation, and then she felt a soft, warm sensation wrap around her. It was the touch of a lover who had been lost and found again.

“Leshuang,” she clung to the other woman, responding softly, “I’m here.”

“Mm.” Xia Leshuang’s voice was right by her ear.

“Master, are they really lovers?” Yun Jiu looked at the two soft “wisps” of soul entangling each other, her eyes filled with pure curiosity.

“Children shouldn’t worry about these things.” Lu Guichen put away his Judge’s Brush and walked out, carrying the soul fragments.

“Master,” Yun Jiu followed closely, “I’m already a thousand years old.”

“Still a brat.” Lu Guichen raised an eyebrow, his smile dashing and a bit annoying.

Yun Jiu ignored him and turned to Lin Shu: “I’ll leave the glass room to you.” Lin Shu smiled. “Understood.”

“You are just a projection of consciousness,” Lu Guichen spoke, addressing Lu Shuyu and the others.

“Consciousness projection?” As a screenwriter, Huo Song’s mind worked the fastest. “Does that mean we don’t exist in this world, we’re just seeing it?”

Lu Guichen laughed and nodded. “Exactly. That’s what it means.”

So, Lu Shuyu and Xia Leshuang were projected here because of the script. But what about Huo Song?

“You must have encountered a consciousness projected from this world, which is why you dreamed of this place.”

Huo Song froze. She remembered the day she had the first dream—she had gone to a concert with her best friend and held hands with the singer, Chu Jing. She was the only one who got to hold Chu Jing’s hand that day, and she was called “lucky” by her friend and the fans.

Chu Jing…

Lu Shuyu remembered. That singer had lost her voice several times and recovered, with her vocal tone changing each time. Consequently, her works from each stage became “final editions.” She was once hailed as the “Thorn Bird” of the singing world. Recently, Chu Jing had lost her voice completely and retired, and there had been no news of her since.

After hearing about Chu Jing, Lu Guichen’s eyes flashed with coldness. Yun Jiu was puzzled: “But currently, I don’t sense anything.”

She only finished half her sentence, which Lu Shuyu and the others didn’t understand. Lu Guichen replied: “Time is not parallel. Our future might be their past.”

Lu Shuyu was confused, but then she remembered that the script began with the two female leads meeting through the Fire God escape room. According to Lin Shu, the Fire God room was still in internal testing. So, right now, they were in a time before the script’s events.

While she was thinking, Lu Guichen led them through a third wall and into the darkness.

“What is that?” Xia Leshuang asked in a low voice.

They looked and saw a massive blue light-gate. No, more accurately, it was like a light-vortex, with blue light swirling around a central black hole. Lu Guichen stopped ten meters in front of it. “This is the Gate of Myriad Worlds.”

“There are ten thousand worlds in the universe, and every world has a passage for coming and going. This gate is the passage for our world.” She raised her hand and looked at the three of them gently. “After you return from here, your memory of what happened here will gradually fade. Do not try to recall it. Only by forgetting completely can you cut the connection entirely. Remember, names possess power. In your script, do not use our names again, or you will be pulled back in.”

At this, she looked at Huo Song. “It would be best if the story changes too. Thank you for your hard work, Screenwriter Huo.” Though her tone was sincere, Huo Song could hear the gravity and warning behind it. She nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

“As for Chu Jing,” Lu Guichen gave one last piece of advice before they left. “Remember to stay away from her. Do not have any contact. Perhaps one day in the future, I will go to the ‘past’ of your world.”

…

The moment they stepped through the gate, Lu Shuyu woke up. Immediately, she was met with Xia Leshuang’s tight embrace. She hugged her back. After a long time, both of them let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Were you scared?” Lu Shuyu patted the other woman’s back, noticing the pajamas under her hand were slightly damp with sweat.

“Yeah,” Xia Leshuang buried her face in Shuyu’s neck. “To be honest, it was terrifying.” They had seen plenty of time-travel or cross-world media, but experiencing it for real was a world-view-shattering event.

“Don’t be afraid,” Shuyu said. “I’m with you.”

Xia Leshuang pulled back to look into her eyes, smiling with relief and happiness. “Yeah. I’m just glad we were together.”

“Such a crybaby.” Lu Shuyu laughed brightly, gently wiping away the tears. “As long as we are together,” her eyes sparkled, “I’m not afraid of being anywhere. Horror, apocalypse, sci-fi—I’m not afraid of any of it!”

“Don’t say that, don’t say that!” Xia Leshuang leaned in and covered Shuyu’s lips with hers, then pulled away. “I won’t allow it!”

Lu Shuyu laughed until she couldn’t stop. She flipped over to pin Xia Leshuang down, looking at her from above. “How come I remember you being very calm and reliable in the dream?”

Xia Leshuang lifted her head to give her a kiss. “That was an instinctive reaction. I didn’t want you to be afraid.”

Lu Shuyu let out a long sigh. “You know, Yun—” She caught herself, remembering the warning. She changed her words: “Let me tell you a secret. When we were in that glass room, your consciousness was constantly trying to move toward mine.”

Even though it was just a projection of consciousness trapped in a solid prop, she had worked so hard that there were visible fluctuations that never stopped for a moment.

“She said you love me very much.” Lu Shuyu kissed Xia Leshuang with a smile. “I said, I know.”

I’m so glad we were born in an ordinary world. I’m so glad we can be an ordinary couple.

I hope for the rest of our lives, we can always be like this. Ordinary, and happy.