What is the meaning of life

What is the meaning of life, anyway?

Fang Qi was lying on the windowsill, propping his chin on one hand, staring gloomily at the flickering neon lights outside.

The city's nightscape was as bustling as ever.

Lights were scattered here and there in the windows of the building across the way.

On the distant elevated highway, streams of cars stretched into ribbons of light.

Occasionally, snatches of laughter drifted up from passersby on the street below...

Only to be swept away quickly by the night wind.

Yeah...

Her and him.

Him and Liguang.

Him and his silver-haired, heterochromatic older girl...

They had actually... done it!

Fang Qi slowly raised one hand...

And covered his face!

"Ah...!"

A half-muffled groan escaped through the gaps between his fingers.

...This wasn't a dream.

It wasn't like that eighty-two-year dream, blurry and distant.

...This was real.

Her warmth, her breath, her...

"Master."

Fang Qi jolted, nearly toppling off the windowsill!

He turned his head stiffly.

The silver-haired girl was now kneeling by the bed.

She had already dressed again.

Well, "dressed" in a loose sort of way.

A light pink short nightgown hung loosely over her body.

The neckline was open just a little lower than usual.

Below her collarbone, a faint red mark was barely visible.

On top of her head, that little strand of silver hair had popped up again, perky as ever.

When she saw him looking, Liguang avoided his gaze, a shy, satisfied smile curling at the corners of her lips.

"Master, Liguang has already changed the bedsheets."

Fang Qi blinked.

The scene in the room came into sharper focus again.

...The bedsheets had been changed.

But the bright red bedding was still there.

The "double happiness" character was still on the window.

The whole room was still dressed up like a bridal chamber!

Looking at the silver-haired girl smiling shyly before him, Fang Qi opened his mouth...

But for a moment, he couldn't find the words to say.

His mind was just so, so messy!

Liguang.

Li.

Xiaoguang.

Xiaoguang, with her black hair and black eyes, biting her pen at the seat by the library window, blushing when his hand accidentally brushed hers...

On their wedding night, she had turned into his silver-haired, heterochromatic older girl.

And then...

Her arms around his neck.

The tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

Her trembling voice in his ear, calling him both "Aqi" and "Master" at the same time.

The two names blurred together, and he couldn't tell which was Xiaoguang and which was Liguang.

Oh, no.

They were both his Crazy Girl!

He stared at the blushing silver-haired girl before him...

...So cute.

So tempting.

So...

He felt like he was about to...!

...No!

No, no, no!

He couldn't be wast—indulge—too—much!

He had to take care of his health!

He coughed hard several times, forcibly suppressing the rising flames of desire!

Then, putting on a serious face, he spoke with righteous firmness:

"Liguang."

The silver-haired girl blinked and replied obediently, "Mm?"

"I..."

He took a deep breath, then...

Fixed his gaze!

"...I still want it!!!"

And he pounced on her!

Who cared about holding back?

They were newlyweds! It was legal, it was proper!

He couldn't stand it!

How could he possibly hold back?

"Eek—!"

The silver-haired girl was caught in his arms, her silver hair spilling across the bright red bedding again.

"Master, Liguang just finished tidying up...!"

Her protest was soft and feeble, but the corners of her lips were lifting.

Her phoenix eyes curved into crescent moons, and her hands pushed lightly against his chest a few times...

Then wrapped around his neck.

"...Master is so annoying."

He couldn't hold back!

Fang Qi grabbed the freshly changed bright red bedding!

...

...

What is the meaning of life, anyway?

Fang Qi lay on the soft bed, pillowing his head on his arm, staring gloomily at the ceiling.

He felt like he had completely transcended.

Empty of all desires.

Free from all worldly concerns.

No wants, no needs.

His soul had been drained away, leaving only an empty shell, sprawled out on this big red wedding bed.

It was so sinful.

So decadent.

So...

Amazing.

Fang Qi slowly let out a breath.

Something in his arms was moving.

It was a tightly wrapped bundle of blankets.

A cocoon-like roll, rolled up like a little bun, with just a few silver strands of hair peeking out.

This bundle was now wiggling slightly, right against his chest.

Wiggle. Pause. Wiggle. Pause again.

...So cute.

Feeling a little lazy, Fang Qi raised his hand and gently patted the blanket bundle.

"Xiaoguang... Liguang."

The wiggling stopped for a moment.

"We..."

He opened his mouth...

"Are we still in 'today'?"

He asked a question that had suddenly crossed his mind.

...His brain really wasn't working all that well right now.

There was a silence from under the covers, followed by a muffled "Mm."

"Yes, Master."

"Still 'today.'"

She pulled the blanket down just a little, revealing a pair of sparkling heterochromatic eyes and half of her bright red face!

Then she quickly pulled the blanket back up!

And curled up even tighter!

...So cute.

Fang Qi turned his head and glanced at the clock on the wall.

Eleven o'clock at night.

Still on...

Day nine?

Outside, the night had grown deep.

The neon lights were still flashing.

The furry shackle around his ankle was gone now, but the sensation still lingered faintly.

He didn't know when Liguang had taken it off.

...Sigh.

He felt even more wistful.

As desire faded, the memories of those ten years came flooding back.

And this time...

Fang Qi took a deep breath, exhaling shakily.

...It was different.

Completely different from the eighty-two-year illusion!

In that eighty-two-year dream...

After he woke up, the memories and images in his mind began to fade.

They grew distant.

Like a dream of Nanke.

The kind you're supposed to forget when you wake up.

He could only remember the general outline, but couldn't grasp the details.

But these ten years were different.

...He remembered so much.

So much!

Xiaoguang's profile as she bit her pen.

The feeling of her hand brushing against his when she explained problems to him.

The kiss on the rooftop.

The way she looked when she fell asleep on that grassy hillside.

The sweet, shy smile on her face when he raised her hand and announced, "She's my girlfriend now."

Every detail felt real!

As if those ten years...

Had really been his life!

As if he was that high school boy secretly watching a girl from the neighboring class in the library!

The stupid boyfriend who studied like crazy to get into the top fifty!

And the girl in his arms...

Fang Qi looked down.

Liguang was still curled up under the covers, wrapped up like a white cocoon.

Only that little strand of hair peeked out from the edge of the blanket, gently swaying.

Liguang.

Xiaoguang.

Her, with her black hair and black eyes, had stayed with him for ten years.

...And then, on their wedding night, she turned back to silver hair.

Now...

Was she his wife?

...Were they married?

All around him was the bright red bedding.

The "double happiness" character on the window made him feel dazed again for a moment.

...Liguang had even set up the bridal chamber.

Didn't that mean they were married!

The boundary between this "game" and reality had become blurred!

This feeling was completely different from that eighty-two-year dream!

It was as if he had really lived another ten years!

Fang Qi's eyelids trembled slightly, and then...

He raised his hand and patted the blanket bundle that was still wiggling.

"Liguang."

The wiggling stopped.

"Xiaoguang."

A soft "Mm" came from under the covers.

...So cute.

So cute!

Fang Qi smiled!

He slapped the blanket again with force, a muffled "thud" echoing.

"From today on..."

He lowered his head slightly, leaning close to that unruly strand of hair, and whispered with a smile:

"Should I be calling you 'Wife' now?"

"We're married!"

The blanket bundle trembled violently!

Then it began to writhe crazily!

"Hehe..."

"Hehehe..."

"Wife..."

"Aqi... Master... Husband...?"

"Whoa...!!"

A muffled, sweet, trembling sound came from inside the blanket!

She squirmed so fiercely that the blanket twisted into all sorts of shapes!

...Was she really this adorable?

Fang Qi couldn't hold back his grin.

He was about to pat her again when the blanket lifted from one corner, and a small head poked out!

Most of her silver hair was still tangled in the blanket, leaving only her flushed, beautiful face visible.

Messy strands were caught between her neck and the blanket.

That little strand of hair on top of her head wobbled.

"Master..."

Her phoenix-like eyes stared straight at him.

"Did Liuguang leave a deep impression on you this time?"

The scarlet in her irises began to flicker again, casting the already red "bridal chamber" in an even deeper glow!

"Liuguang is now your Xiaoguang!"

"The Liuguang before she lost her memory never managed that!"

She looked up at him, her lips trembling, curling upward slightly!

Both her eyes were shining!

It was truly overwhelming!

Fang Qi immediately reached out and pinched her flushed cheeks.

Soft and warm, hotter than usual.

He tugged, pulling her face out of shape, her little mouth stretched upward.

But she kept smiling, still gazing at him with such happiness!

Her mismatched eyes were glistening.

Her warm breath blew against his wrist.

His hand lingered on her cheek.

Suddenly, he felt...

Yeah.

...I can't just pinch her cheeks.

Liguang sensed something, blinked, and then...

Her face flushed an even deeper shade of pink!

"...Master?"

"Liguang."

Fang Qi's expression turned serious.

"Master thinks leaving a deep impression is a very good thing, worthy of praise! So..."

He pulled her straight out from under the blanket!

"We should deepen the impression even more!"

"Hey, Master!"

"Wait, wait—!"

...

...

What is the meaning of life, anyway?

Fang Qi lay in bed, holding the warm, soft heater-like bundle in his arms...

His mind was completely foggy.

Oh.

So sleepy.

The meaning of life...

Should probably be sleep, right?

I want to sleep.

In his arms, that warm bundle was still trembling slightly.

So comfortable, so warm.

She let out another "hehe" from under the blanket.

His consciousness began to blur.

Tired.

Mm...

Time to sleep.

Everything else...

We'll deal with it tomorrow.

He tightened his embrace, burying his face in her silver hair, which carried a sweet strawberry scent.

My Crazy Girl, my Xiaoguang...

See you tomorrow.

He fell asleep.

It was the most comfortable sleep he had ever had in his life.

...

...

His eyelids felt so heavy...

Consciousness slowly returned.

Fang Qi raised his somewhat heavy hand and instinctively reached toward the edge of the bed.

Empty.

But still warm.

He slowly opened his eyes.

The bedroom ceiling.

Turning his head slightly...

The bedroom door was ajar.

And from outside came a familiar, cheerful humming sound.

Ah...

Fang Qi got out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and pushed open the bedroom door.

In the living room...

The silver-haired girl was kneeling across from the coffee table.

She wore the same light blue home dress.

This was her most common outfit—the one she always wore when they lived together during college.

But...

Fang Qi stared at her, eyes widening slightly, lost in thought.

Whoa...! That hairstyle...!

His Crazy Girl's shoulder-length silver hair had been tied up!

Behind her head, it was bundled into a loose bun!

A few loose strands fell by her ears, and her stunning face bore a hint of shyness!

Though she had a young girl's face, she somehow exuded a touch of mature charm!

...Holy moly.

Fang Qi's Adam's apple bobbed.

Liguang curled her lips at him, both hands picking up the white porcelain teacup.

"Master, your tea."

Her soft, sweet voice was laced with a laziness he had never heard before.

"The temperature has been adjusted to your preferred 52 degrees Celsius."