Chapter 66: Today, Will I Still Wake Up?

At 6:00 AM, the morning fog by the West Lake had not yet completely dispersed, carrying a refreshing chill.

Song Jiaru got up, bathed in cold running water, and then changed into that battle outfit she had treasured for ten years—a simple white hoodie and slim-fit blue jeans.

That was the style "Big Brother" appreciated the most in her memory, and also the most familiar coordinate of her youth.

Putting on a mask and a hat, tightly wrapping her world-shocking beauty together with the surging emotions in her heart at this moment, she walked out of the Qiushui Manor where she was staying alone.

Citizens on their morning runs brushed past her, their footsteps rhythmic.

In a trance, she seemed to be pulled back again to those years when she was forced to run in the morning by Big Brother, his lazy yet unquestionable commands seemingly ringing in her ears again.

"Back then I felt it was torture, only now do I understand... that was a guarded beauty I can never go back to."

This place was only one kilometer away from the agreed-upon Yue Fei's Tomb, yet she walked as if she had trekked through her entire youth.

Sweat silently soaked the hair at her temples, her heart beating wildly in her chest, every beat tugging at the nerves of her whole body.

Every step stepped on the edge between the blade of hope and the abyss of fear—she longed for him to be at the destination, yet feared there would be no one there, feared that this ten-year-long wait and faith was ultimately just a gorgeous bubble woven by her own wishful thinking, breaking at the slightest touch.

The outline of Yue Fei's Tomb was already looming in the morning fog.

Not far away, the smoke and fire of a breakfast stall curled upward.

The aroma of soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks mixed with the morning moisture, forming the most ordinary yet warmest picture of the human world.

And exactly at the instant she stopped her footsteps, her line of sight blankly sweeping over this worldly scene—

It abruptly froze!

Behind the curling steam stood a young man.

He was wearing an Aether casual outfit that looked exceptionally flashy in the chilly morning. His posture was tall and straight, his temperament outstanding, completely incompatible with the surrounding marketplace atmosphere, yet strangely blending into this picture scroll.

This face... the outline of these brows and eyes...

Song Jiaru's heartbeat missed a beat, and immediately after beat wildly as if it wanted to rush out of her throat!

Is this Big Brother?

Or is it that "King of Gigolos" who she had a chance encounter with at the club last night and was privately teased about by Chang Yuan, who was ultimately taken away by Song Jinxuan, Xu Yunzhou?

Or is it that teenager who fell wretchedly in front of her with red ear roots on the playground of Binzhou No. 5 Middle School over a decade ago?

A fear of being more timid the closer one gets to home surged up. Almost dragging her weak legs, she approached shakily.

Using all her strength, she finally squeezed out a call carrying an alluring crying tone from her throat:

"Big Brother, is it you?"

Hearing the sound, the young man turned his head; it was exactly Xu Yunzhou.

Facing her, he revealed a smile that was incomparably familiar, carrying a bit of lazy hooliganism, which made the tears she had accumulated for years almost instantly burst the banks.

Then, he waved his hand extremely naturally, his tone so relaxed as if they really just made an appointment for morning tea:

"Jiaru, you're here? Sit here, the position is more hidden, saves us from being photographed by tourists."

His tone seemed relaxed, but heaven knows under his calm exterior, the marmot in his heart was already screaming like landslides and tsunamis:

It's the real Song Jiaru! The living, breathing Song Jiaru!

That Song Jiaru who, under my "personal training," metamorphosed step by step from a socially anxious little white rabbit to the Queen of the music scene!

She really came!

Just because of those few words of mine before the game ended in the early hours of the morning, she really appeared at this breakfast stall in the early morning ten years later!

As expected, everything that happened in that game, that day and night of companionship and guidance, was all true and not false!

Song Jiaru was even more as if struck by lightning, her whole person freezing in place.

This voice... this casual tone... and, not only did he know she would come, he even called out her name in one breath with such certainty!

She clearly disguised herself so well that even the closest assistant beside her couldn't recognize her!

That's right! It must be Big Brother!

This outfit on him... back then he uniquely loved this kind of style that was simple yet revealed nobility.

He could wear one virtual skin until the end of time, until she really couldn't stand looking at it anymore, acting coquettishly, acting cute, and even threatening to strike, only then was he willing to "change" into other skins, and always teased saying "the little housekeeper manages too broadly"...

Song Jiaru's heart pounded wildly, so violently it made her eardrums clamor.

She still couldn't quite believe it, terrified that this was just a dream too real that would shatter at a touch.

Like a bewitched little beast willingly walking into a hunter's trap, she walked stiffly to opposite him and sat down slowly.

Above the mask, those exquisitely beautiful eyes, carrying extreme shock, cautious probing, and unbelievable ecstasy, were nailed firmly onto him, as if he would disappear in the blink of an eye, unable to say a single word.

Xu Yunzhou, however, completely didn't care about her almost out-of-control silence. Smiling to himself, he raised his hand toward the busy boss:

"Boss, two bowls of tofu pudding, add extra osmanthus jam, make it sweet."

"Alrighty!"

Song Jiaru's heart, however, abruptly sank, as if instantly falling from the peak of a tide of passion into an ice cave.

Big Brother clearly knows! She is a Bashu person, used to eating spicy and fragrant food since childhood.

She has always respectfully declined sweet tofu pudding, feeling it was heresy! He even always laughed at her calling her "Little Chili Pepper" before, saying her taste buds were marinated in red oil!

Watching Xu Yunzhou skillfully mix the red and bright brown sugar syrup into that bowl of white and tender tofu pudding, she bit her lower lip forcefully, almost tasting blood.

As expected, am I still lying to myself? The person before my eyes isn't him at all?

Xu Yunzhou, however, seemed not to have noticed her anomaly. Pushing the mixed tofu pudding in front of her, his tone carried a trace of intimacy:

"Actually, I wanted to go find you a few hours ago. Qiushui Manor's Cambridge Romance, the place we agreed upon back then, I remember it all."

"But I was afraid of disturbing your rest too late, and also afraid your security there was too strict and would block me outside treating me as a fanatical fan. Anyway, I've waited for ten years, a few hours makes no difference, so I came here to wait for you."

Song Jiaru only felt her brain buzz with a "weng," instantly becoming a blank patch!

He knows it all!

Could it be... this living, breathing young man before my eyes, carrying a bit of cynicism, really is that "Big Brother" who played the role of a god, mentor, and... first love in her life?

Looking at her cute appearance of being completely dazed, the corners of Xu Yunzhou's mouth hooked into a wicked smile of a successful plan.

He pushed the mixed sweet tofu pudding further in front of her, his tone carrying unreasonableness:

"Hmph, I told you early on before, sweet tofu pudding is the right path of the human world, the truth of the universe! Quick, taste it for me! Refusal is not allowed!"

The last trace of doubt in Song Jiaru's heart was also completely shattered.

Her vision instantly blurred, tears bursting from her eyes. She looked at Xu Yunzhou tremblingly, her voice choking:

"Big Brother!"

She subconsciously wanted to stand up, wanting to touch this real dream.

"Don't move."

Xu Yunzhou softly shouted to stop her. Immediately after, he raised his slightly trembling hand, slowly and firmly approaching her masked face.

In countless dreams, he reached out wanting to take off that mask to see her face clearly, yet always woke up at the crucial moment, leaving a room full of disappointment.

Today, will I still wake up?

Watching his hand approach bit by bit, Song Jiaru felt the blood in her whole body boiling and burning.

She trembled violently uncontrollably. Her skin grew slightly hot due to extreme nervousness and expectation, her heartbeat so fast it was about to jump out of her throat!

But she didn't dodge.

Even... as if cast by an immobilization spell, she slightly raised that exquisite and flawless face, incomparably obediently, even carrying an almost sacrificial longing, waiting for that touch spanning across ten years of time.