Feng Shui Chapter 155: Big Brother, Who Are You?

If Chen Xiao were wearing any medical monitoring devices right now, they would be blaring nonstop with alarms. Even if he were just an ordinary sleeper, this scene, more terrifying than any nightmare, would have jolted him awake in an instant.

But the power of the Twin Bloom Red dreamlink wouldn’t let either of the two connected dreamers wake until its energy was completely exhausted. So when Xi Yunqing asked such a simple question, the entire surrounding scene suddenly shattered, and Chen Xiao vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Xi Yunqing was momentarily stunned. After a pause, he realized that his question had scared Brother Xiao so much that the dreamscape Chen Xiao had constructed collapsed instantly.

Xi Yunqing had once read the jade slips recording the legend of Twin Bloom Red. They said only a person with a lively, active mind could build a dreamscape. Someone in a coma or deep, locked-in meditation had a faint consciousness that required the newcomer’s patient search. The newcomer could then construct an environment familiar to the sleeper, coaxing them to enter it willingly.

Chen Xiao was neither comatose nor in a locked state. His mind was still active, and now that he was frightened, he would instinctively hide. Xi Yunqing could have built a familiar scene and people to lure him out, but he didn’t intend to. Instead, he wanted to explore the source of the mystery that had always surrounded Chen Xiao.

Normally, Xi Yunqing’s nature wouldn’t allow him to act so impulsive. But within this special dream, even he couldn’t help following his heart.

The Twin Bloom Red’s power, split between the two, could last five full days, Xi Yunqing had the patience. He dissolved into mist and quietly waited for Chen Xiao to reappear.

Time had no meaning in the dream. Xi Yunqing had no idea how long he waited before finally spotting Chen Xiao again. This time, to avoid startling him, he didn’t even reveal himself.

They arrived at a much simpler dwelling than before. The walls were blackened and mottled with mold stains from water seepage; plaster peeled off in flakes. Inside, the room was dark and damp, the furniture old and broken. A blurry man and woman were shouting loudly at a small child.

The man was burly and fierce-looking, the woman strong and harsh. Against their cruelty, the child seemed helpless and pitiful. The man gripped the boy’s slender arm tightly, his wrist bruised purple. The boy’s delicate, pale face was streaked with red eyes and bitten lips bleeding slightly. He fought not to cry in front of them.

For Chen Xiao, this was a nightmare he could never shake, the memory he desperately wanted to forget. Frightened, it had been dredged up from the depths of his mind. He couldn’t recall the exact faces of those who had kidnapped him, but childhood memories distorted by emotions painted an even more vivid, horrifying picture.

He wondered why he was treated so cruelly, perhaps he had been disobedient again, causing the “buyer” to reject him; or failed to meet the kidnappers’ expectations when forced to work. In the beginning, the kidnappers, though cruel, at least kept him clothed and fed to maintain “merchandise quality.” But as he grew, their abuse grew worse, beatings and verbal abuse became routine.

He had fought back, but to no avail. Instead, the man’s beatings grew more vicious, and the woman’s curses more venomous.

Each slap from the man’s palm hit with a dull, aching force that rattled his insides. Yet the woman’s cruel words wounded his spirit even more. He feared being sold to a beggar gang, his hands and feet broken, used only as a tool to beg.

Sorrow, despair, and pain engulfed him. Darkness closed in, like an abyss ready to swallow him whole. The sharp anguish made his tears fall uncontrollably, each shimmering drop felt like a branding iron searing Xi Yunqing’s heart, suffocating him with pain.

Anger and heartache overwhelmed him. His misty form solidified again, and vivid colors shattered the gloom. The monstrous man and woman dissolved as if burned away by fierce fire.

The tall, strong boy curled into a ball. Xi Yunqing gently stretched out his arms and cradled him. Though this was not the familiar image with delicate brows and phoenix eyes, he clearly recognized this as the young Brother Xiao. The boy’s tragic childhood stirred deep pity in him.

Warm palms lifted the small, fragile face; cool strands of hair brushed gently. Xi Yunqing couldn’t resist pressing soft kisses to soothe the boy’s pain and fear. The tender touch wiped away tears, clearing the gloom and warming the atmosphere. The boy’s body relaxed, settling into Xi Yunqing’s embrace, his hands resting lightly on his shoulder, and quietly asked, “Big Brother, who are you?”

Xi Yunqing’s voice was softer than ever before: “My name is Xi Yunqing.”

That name, like a key, awakened the boy’s fading consciousness. His eyes widened in surprise as the surrounding space dispersed and faded.

Though the boy’s image blurred and vanished, Xi Yunqing felt no regret. He couldn’t save Chen Xiao’s childhood, but even just comforting him in this nightmare felt worthwhile.

He returned to his misty form and patiently waited once more.

Chen Xiao’s fear had eased but unease lingered. This time, the figure that appeared was older, a ten-year-old boy sitting in an antique study. The broad redwood desk was piled high with thick books and scrolls. The boy sat in a slightly oversized chair, head bowed with worry as he studied.

After being taken in by his master Fang Gu, Chen Xiao began an intense, cram-style education. There was no leisure, no entertainment, his days were packed with one course after another. Fang Gu’s high expectations and strict discipline left no room for slacking; Chen Xiao felt like a tightly stretched string, pulled to his absolute limit.

He constantly worried that he wouldn’t meet Fang Gu’s standards, that he might disappoint him or be seen as unteachable. The Chen Xiao Xiao cherished the hard-earned stability he now had and didn’t want to be uprooted again. Despite the hardship, he gritted his teeth and pushed himself to get through it.

In dreams, even the slightest emotions could be magnified endlessly. The anxiety of being abandoned weighed on his heart like a mountain.

This time, Xi Yunqing didn’t appear rashly. Instead, he first sent a gentle warmth toward the Chen Xiao Xiao, then lightly tapped on the wooden bookshelf. The boy turned his head in response. The memory of being rescued by Xi Yunqing from a nightmare earlier sparked a surprised smile: “It’s you.”

Seeing this, Xi Yunqing approached and looked down at him. “What are you studying?”

Chen Xiao’s smile faded, replaced by a troubled expression. “I’m studying language. There are many unfamiliar characters.” He held up the book in his hands. Xi Yunqing glanced at it and, although it was just a few words, could clearly tell the script was completely foreign.

The distinct style of clothing and architecture, along with the unfamiliar writing system, confirmed what Xi Yunqing had long suspected, Brother Chen belonged to the Heavenly Realm world. Even though he had a feeling deep down, the reality still shook him deeply.

His form twisted and flickered, nearly breaking free from the dream Chen Xiao had constructed. But his strong willpower and inner strength held him steady.

Chen Xiao looked at him with confusion and concern. “Big brother, what’s wrong?”

That childish, still slightly soft voice softened Xi Yunqing’s heart. He bent slightly and raised his hand to gently stroke the boy’s soft, black hair. “It’s nothing.”

Reassured by the gentle touch and voice, Chen Xiao rested his head in Xi Yunqing’s palm and looked up. “Big brother, can you help me with the parts I don’t understand?”

No matter how knowledgeable Xi Yunqing was, he couldn’t instantly master a completely unfamiliar language. He skillfully dodged the issue and guided Chen Xiao instead. “If you don’t understand something, just put it aside for now. Why don’t we look at something else? Have you learned Feng Shui yet?”

Following Xi Yunqing’s lead, Chen Xiao’s thoughts shifted, and the heavy books beside him quietly transformed into an old, somewhat worn volume.

Xi Yunqing took the book and opened it, revealing a dense and unfamiliar script inside. Chen Xiao looked at the book in his hands and said, “My master said you have to learn to walk before you can run. I’m still at the basics and have only been memorizing some chants so far.”

Xi Yunqing nodded. “Your master is right.” After a moment, he asked, “Does your master treat you well?”

Chen Xiao nodded firmly. “Yes! If it weren’t for my master’s kindness in taking me in, I’d still be wandering and homeless. So I can’t let him down, I have to study hard.” He frowned with worry. “Lately, my master’s health hasn’t been good. I’m really worried about him...”

Xi Yunqing recalled the elderly man he had seen before, whose face glowed with a red light but had shown no sign of illness. The man had still been alive when Chen Xiao was in his twenties; what had happened since then was unknown.

Perhaps the weight of worry was too much, because Chen Xiao’s mood gradually darkened. In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted again, now an eighteen or nineteen-year-old Chen Xiao, nearly grown, wore a determined expression. He appeared to be locked in a fierce struggle against a beast-like, powerful divine entity. The battle was unpredictable, mysterious, and deadly. Xi Yunqing couldn’t intervene at all.

Though Chen Xiao ultimately succeeded in slaying the beast, he was left battered and bruised. Achieving his goal brought genuine joy, but the dream shattered once more.

What followed was a blur: a small cart pushing him into a room, people gathering around him. Chen Xiao drifted between sleep and wakefulness. The people around him came and went. Xi Yunqing didn’t know who they were but sensed they were trying to save Chen Xiao.

Coldness, silence, emptiness, Chen Xiao’s body became intangible, his consciousness thinning, slipping toward a sleep from which he might never awaken, thoughtless and dreamless.

Alarmed, Xi Yunqing felt the crushing weight of death wrap around him, freezing and imprisoning him, sinking him into an endless abyss. At the moment of his greatest anxiety, a faint sigh echoed from the boundless darkness: “Foolish child...”