I Am Your Natural Enemy

Even the Ghost neighbors behind her were very nice. Those strangely-shaped Ghosts, who spoke in a somewhat disjointed manner, would even invite her to eat white-cut chicken and were willing to treat her to chicken legs.

She knew that those Ghosts, once they couldn’t get their hands on white-cut chicken, would come out to cause trouble. Their willingness to share their beloved white-cut chicken legs with her meant something.

She listened to the Steward’s arrangements, attending school with a settled heart, not crying or making a fuss, nor asking too many questions, just to put everyone at ease.

But now, seeing Wen Yan safe and sound, standing at the door welcoming everyone, she could no longer hold back. She buried her face in Wen Yan’s chest, fighting back tears, but they kept streaming out.

Wen Yan reached out his hand and ruffled the little girl’s hair.

”It’s no big deal, just a small issue. Go wash your face, and get ready for dinner.”

”Big Brother Su, am I useless? I can’t help you with anything.”

”The way you can help me lies ahead. Just focus on your studies. Knowledge is the most important thing. The strongest person I’ve ever seen couldn’t even withstand the power of technology. Someday, I’ll be relying on you.”

The little girl smiled through her tears. Somewhat embarrassed, she dashed into her room to change clothes and wash her face.

A moment later, the table was set with a cassette cooker in the center. Little Fire Seed was tossed into the middle of the stove. Once lit, it roared with flames, allowing Little Fire Seed to ’eat’ as well.

Wen Yan first went down to the basement to offer incense and set out offerings for the four down there.

Then, as usual, they started the meal: the Little Zombie nibbled on a ripe tomato infused with Yang Energy, Sparrow Cat ate noodles, Little Fire Seed consumed fire, the Steward ate incense, and Wen Yan and Chen Qimo ate rice.

It was a noisy and lively dinner.

She had wanted to ask if the neighbors had returned. As it turned out, Gauss was out for another banquet, Pei Tugou’s family hadn’t come back yet, and their silly son was nowhere to be found. Not having seen him for a while, she rather missed him.

The meal Sparrow Cat treated everyone to was eaten cleanly, and the offerings brought up after the meal were all consumed as well. After dinner, the Steward came to tidy up the bowls and chopsticks.

Sparrow Cat, with a full belly, sprawled on the sofa like it was about to burst but still cocked its head, stretching its neck to look at the smartphone in Little Zombie’s hands.

Chen Qimo went back to her room to review her lessons and do homework, while the Steward, silent as ever, meticulously took care of everything around the house.

And Wen Yan, back in his own room, lay in bed, wanting to play on his phone for a bit longer, but before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.

Unnoticed by anyone, Little Fire Seed wormed his way next to Wen Yan’s neck, grabbing onto Wen Yan’s hair with his little hand, and fell asleep as well.

Since Wen Yan’s return, Little Fire Seed had grown even fonder of him. Wen Yan’s scent made him feel exceptionally comfortable. Just being near Wen Yan allowed him to control his flames so they wouldn’t ignite anything else. This sense of security made Little Fire Seed particularly fond of him.

In fact, not just Little Fire Seed, but everyone at home felt especially at ease when Wen Yan was around.

Even Sparrow Cat would comfortably eat an extra small bowl of noodles, without worrying about overeating and not being able to fly when necessary.

As night fell, the house gradually quieted down. Even the Steward retired to his room for a break. The intermittent chirping of insects and occasional noises from outside didn’t wake anyone inside.

Wen Yan slept soundly. It had been a long time, and only when he returned home could he sleep so deeply.

In the haze, his consciousness drifted, arriving at a place shrouded in misty smoke.

He groggily opened his eyes. Coming down from upstairs, the room seemed ablaze, filled with smoke and fire.

The room was empty. When he reached the first floor, he saw a thin old lady dressed in a big flowered jacket, sitting on a chair in the courtyard.

Wen Yan asked drowsily, ”Huh, Grandma, when did you get here?”

Grandma laughed kindly and cheerfully asked, ”Are you really still at home?”

That single question, like a bolt of lightning, exploded in Wen Yan’s heart. His pupils dilated and contracted, and he suddenly became fully alert.

He looked around; nothing had changed, except the air was a bit foggy with the scent of incense.

Moonlight poured from the sky. On the small paths inside the residential area, the path lights gave off a soft glow.

”Stop looking. This is your home. Other than the scent of incense, there is no difference from what you know. It’s normal that you can’t tell.”

”Grandma, do you need something from me? Xiao Mo is doing well. Her homeroom teacher even praised her. I just want to get some good sleep...”

Wen Yan sounded half amused, half exasperated – he really just wanted to enjoy a good rest.

”Hey, you’re the one who was so eager to find me, right? Here I am, ready to teach you dream tossing.”

”Ah...” Wen Yan perked up instantly.

Sleep? What sleep! I hate sleeping the most!

”Grandma, please tell me, I’m all ears.”

”Isn’t this already a lesson for you?

”Do you think entering someone else’s dream is easy?

”First, you must ensure you will never get lost. If you do, it would be very hard to bring you back.

”The first step is to discern whether you’re in reality or in a dream.

”Especially when dealing with familiar things, it’s easy to overlook.

”The more familiar the environment, the more so this holds true.

”Thus, don’t casually enter dreams of people you know well.

”The more familiar the setting, the more vigilant you should be, recognizing yourself and the environment.”

Grandma extended a hand and lightly swept it in front of her. Everything in sight rippled like reflections in water, becoming hazy after a moment of disturbance.

When the ripples faded, they were sitting back at the entrance of their familiar self-built house, on the familiar concrete bollards. Grandma sat on one of them, beaming at Wen Yan.

”If you were in this environment, you’d snap to your senses right away. Remember well, the first step is especially important—know who you are and where you are.”

”Grandma, I have a question. I have no soul. Can I still learn this?” Wen Yan had always worried about this issue.

”Do you dream?”

Wen Yan looked around, feeling like he might have misunderstood something about dream tossing.