Chapter 304: Dreams and Reality
Why does she hate dealing with people like this? It’s just exhausting! Every little thing has to go through the mental gymnastics of figuring out what they’re plotting. Honestly, it’s way more fun to go against Bai Yu—no shenanigans, just pick a place and duke it out, life or d*ath style.
Dragon Lady couldn’t wrap her head around how any of this benefitted Nightmare. I mean, her identity wasn’t some disguise; it was the past life given by the sc*m Game! Normally, one would cherish that, right?
Could it be that this guy really didn’t notice their cover was blown?
“And there’s more!” Jiang Yutong leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. “My sister suddenly asked me about the doll model she bought, you know? But she clearly gave it away herself! She wouldn’t forget that so quickly!”
The more she talked, the more flustered Little Girl became, her expressions shifting like a sitcom character caught in a lie, especially her eyes.
“Teacher, you don’t think my sister really came back from the future, do you?”
They exchanged glances, and seeing Dragon Lady’s serious expression left Jiang Yutong wide-eyed. She was about to say something when suddenly Dragon Lady chuckled.
“What do you think, silly? I was just joking! Think about it—how could anyone actually come back from the future? If they could, they’d be buying lottery tickets or something!”
“True… But what if she just never paid attention to the lottery and doesn’t know about it?”
“It’s not about the lottery! I just used that as an example.” Dragon Lady grabbed a drink from the table, peering out the window at the street not far away.
“I feel like it’s not even important. Whether she came from the future or the past, as long as she’s still your sister, that’s all that matters.”
“Right! As long as she’s still my sister, that’s all good!” Jiang Yutong missed the nuance in Dragon Lady’s words and continued munching on her dessert.
They gossiped a bit longer to satisfy Little Girl’s curiosity before Dragon Lady drove her home.
After some thought, she decided not to reveal this info just yet. Instead, she’d send a message to Bai Yu to gauge her thoughts. For now, she’d play dumb and wait to see what Nightmare was really up to.
“小桐, you’re back! Teacher, come in for a bit! I made some snacks; it’s not too late to eat before going back.”
The one opening the door was Jiang Yutong’s sister, Jiang Qingzhou—also known as Nightmare, the infamous madman.
Dragon Lady looked at her in a dress with an apron, a gentle smile on her face, and for a moment she thought she had the wrong person. Was the Gatekeeper sending her false intel?
Is this really Nightmare?
Seriously, who would’ve guessed that the second-ranked badass could bake cookies?
Could even a madman, renowned for being a madman, really smile so sweetly?
She completely gave off that “cute neighbor” vibe.
But surprisingly, it wasn’t as shocking as she’d imagined. Bai Yu’s existence kind of set a precedent, making Nightmare feel less shocking in comparison.
Just because you can rule the kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t make cookies, right?
“Alright.” Dragon Lady stepped inside, changed her shoes, and faced Jiang Qingzhou, casually taking a seat in the living room.
She wasn’t scared of Nightmare; they’d fought before. In the sc*m Game, their powers weren’t that far apart, and in this world, it wouldn’t make that much difference either.
If Nightmare could handle her that easily, she wouldn’t resort to sneaky tactics against Bai Yu.
“Didn’t expect your sister could do this!” Sitting on the couch, Dragon Lady turned to Jiang Yutong.
“Besides her poor grades, she’s amazing at everything else! Even Dad says if she doesn’t get into a good college, she’ll still make her mark,” Jiang Yutong replied, casually tossing on the TV and taking off her cat-ear headband, tying her hair into a simple ponytail. She lounged on the couch, propping her feet in white lace-trimmed socks on the coffee table all carelessly.
What she didn’t notice was Jiang Qingzhou and Dragon Lady exchanging glances after she walked out, their unspoken communication saying everything.
“Jiang Yutong, if those feet get too lazy, we can chop them off and donate them!” Jiang Qingzhou’s dangerously sweet smile jolted Jiang Yutong upright.
“Eh, I was just relaxing after a long day, you know?”
“Don’t mind her, she’s spoiled at home and has no discipline whatsoever,” Jiang Qingzhou said, ignoring Little Girl and setting a platter of snacks on the table, smiling brightly.
“Every time I think about disciplining her, I see her adorable face and can’t bring myself to do it. Especially because she’s my only little sister. Otherwise, I would have spanked her long ago!”
“Teacher, if you have time, please educate her more! I’m done trying; she just won’t listen to me.”
Sitting diagonally across from Dragon Lady, Jiang Qingzhou clasped her fingers casually on the table, speaking at an unhurried pace.
Dragon Lady shrugged it off. “True, no one would want to hurt such a cute sister. And I honestly believe that violent education is usually the least effective. Besides, I’m just a tutor. I can teach from textbooks, but in other areas, I hope you can spend more time with her.”
“You’ll find that the chaos outside doesn’t matter much; taking the opportunity to spend more time with family is invaluable.”
Jiang Qingzhou didn’t respond immediately. She smiled, took a piece of dessert, and nibbled a bite before pausing for a few seconds.
“I honestly didn’t expect you to change so much, Dragon Lady.”
Dragon Lady frowned, glancing over at Little Girl, who was glued to the TV as if she and Nightmare didn’t exist. Realizing that she must have fallen into a dream, it all made sense why she felt something was off earlier.
It seemed she wasn’t in deep sleep, so waking her would be easy. All thanks to Burning Heart, giving her some resistance to “dreams.”
Dragon Lady didn’t rush into anything, saying, “My changes are pretty significant because I’ve figured some stuff out. I was thinking, maybe you could give it a shot too.”
“What a coincidence! I came looking for you today for that very reason,” Nightmare said, rising as their surroundings distorted and slowly melted into darkness.
“After coming to this world, I’ve understood some things better and gained clarity on others.”
“But before we dive into that, why not take a look inside yourself? Maybe what you think you know is just self-deception?”
