They had grown up together, and Chen Ge's parents had treated Luo Ruoyu like their own daughter. The love this nonexistent family member received was no less than what Chen Ge himself got.
Normally, Luo Ruoyu hid inside a cloth doll that Chen Ge had made as a child. Later, at the Eastern Suburb Reservoir, she had shielded Chen Ge from a fatal crisis, which left her severely injured. If she ever left New Century Paradise, she would lose all of her abilities.
Chen Ge hadn't expected to encounter Luo Ruoyu inside Yu Jian's door world, and certainly not in this form.
"Dinner's ready."
The man poured the pig trotters into two bowls and stir-fried a few more dishes. When they first started eating, the atmosphere was somewhat stiff, but at some point everything gradually became warm and comfortable.
Both Chen Ge and the man wore smiles on their faces. Perhaps this was what family felt like.
"Chen Ge, why did you come home so late today? Was it because your exam scores were too bad and you didn't dare come back?" The man hadn't eaten much of the pig trotters and kept picking at the vegetables. He looked far older than his actual age.
"No." Chen Ge didn't know how to explain. The closer someone was to you, the harder it was to find the words. He didn't want his father to think of him as some kind of freak — maintaining this false warmth wasn't the worst thing in the world.
He stretched a bit and glanced toward the inner room, dodging the man's question. Instead, he casually asked, "Where's Mom? Why haven't I seen her?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Chen Ge regretted them. He saw the light drain from his father's eyes in an instant, as though the man had lost all his brightness.
"Is it because you miss her that you didn't want to come home?" The man had clearly misunderstood Chen Ge's intent. "I miss her too, but the dead cannot come back to life."
He didn't continue the topic. In a few quick bites, he finished what remained of his meal, then turned and walked into the kitchen.
Sitting in the living room, Chen Ge compared his current situation to Yu Jian's past: "A single-parent family. The most important person besides his parents was a teacher. These are all things from Yu Jian's life. Now I'm certain — he fused my memories into his own experiences and made me relive his past."
"What's his goal in doing this? Does he want me to understand him? Or does he want to drive me mad, turn me into someone like him?"
"Yu Jian's world behind the door is too peaceful, too normal. Everything beautiful from his memories appears right beside him. If one day all of it were torn away and destroyed, I'd probably feel the same agony and despair."
While Chen Ge was lost in thought, someone suddenly grabbed his hand. Luo Ruoyu was lying on the dining table with her big eyes wide open, some soup stains marring her clothes.
"Get up, quick."
"I... miss Mommy too, but I... I won't run around. I'll wait for her here."
"Mm. We'll wait for her right here." Chen Ge hugged Luo Ruoyu's head. This home was so warm and tender — it was a memory he had treasured deep in his heart.
After finishing dinner and tidying up the table, Chen Ge picked up his backpack and returned to his room.
He lay on the bed, gazing at the night sky outside the window. Even at night, the sky seemed perpetually overcast, without a single star or trace of moonlight. All the light came from the lamplight of memory.
"I have a feeling something bad is going to happen." Chen Ge was drowsy, but he wasn't bold enough to actually fall asleep behind the door.
Once he confirmed there was no sound from outside the room, Chen Ge scribbled a note, grabbed his backpack, and crept silently to the front door.
"I can't waste all my time here. Yu Jian must be hiding somewhere in this small town. He might be watching me from the shadows."