The message on his phone was simple, just a few lines.
Mom: When are you coming back to visit?
Mom: Mom misses you.
It was for these two lines that Bai Luan embarked on his journey home.
His hometown was far from the city that held his career and his solitude.
So far that he needed to transfer between subway, high-speed train, and bus, and then walk a stretch on dusty country roads before he could see the silhouette of the old house.
This round trip would take almost a full day.
On the way, he thought of many things, his heart filled mostly with a heavy, anxious feeling, a kind of trepidation before returning home.
In his true memory, his parents' figures had long been blurred by the cruel car accident years ago, even the contours of their faces faded, leaving only a warm but unreachable halo.
When he saw her, what should he say first?
Would it seem unfamiliar and unnatural?
If Mom was still here in this dream, then... what about Grandpa and Grandma?
Were they also... With such a tangled mind, the old house gradually became clear in his vision.
But it wasn't like the decaying loneliness it carried each time he returned in his memories.
There were no cobwebs on the eaves, no damp musty smell, and warm light shone from the windows... Someone was home.
Someone was home.
It was no longer his house,
But his home.
Bai Luan walked step by step towards his home, then knocked on his own door.
"Who is it?"
The voice from inside the door was both familiar and strange, like a soft needle, gently pricking his heart, stirring a slight tremor.
"It's me."
He replied, only realizing the subtle, uncontrollable tremor in his voice after he spoke.
"You're back? Why didn't you say something beforehand!"
The voice inside the door instantly filled with surprise, followed by a series of hurried, approaching footsteps.
The door opened.
The moment he saw his mother, all the blurry contours in his memory suddenly became incredibly clear, perfectly aligning with the face before him, marked by time but radiating a warm smile.
So, this is what Mom looked like when she got old.
Hot tears welled in his eyes, but Bai Luan smiled and squinted, hiding his sorrow within his smile without a trace.
"Hey, Mom, I'm back."
"Come in first, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Mom will make you something to eat first."
"Mm."
Bai Luan walked into his own house.
Apparently, his dream self didn't have cancer, so his savings weren't used for medical treatment, but rather spent on more meaningful things.
Although it was in the countryside, the old house was beautifully renovated and had internet access.
After entering the house, his mother went into the kitchen and started to get busy.
In the living room, his father was watching TV. Hearing the sound, he turned around and, seeing Bai Luan, said with a smile:
"You're back?"
Bai Luan stared at his father for a moment, then nodded with a smile and replied:
"Yes, I'm back."
"I caught a really big fish today. Just wait, your mom's fish soup will definitely be delicious."
Bai Luan smiled and nodded, then asked with a hint of nervousness:
"Grandpa and Grandma... where are they?"
"Oh, they left early this morning to sell the vegetables they grew. They don't make much money, and they won't listen when we tell them to do less work, so we just let them be."
Hearing that his grandparents were also still alive in the dream, Bai Luan breathed a sigh of relief.
At least they were well in the dream.
He sat on the sofa, the clatter of his mother busy in the kitchen, and his father's murmurs from watching TV beside him.
A long-lost, indescribable sense of relaxation and tranquility enveloped him.
This was the purest, most complete relaxation, a sense of belonging that only "parents both present, and lights warmly lit" could bring.
How happy this is.
He thought silently, and at this moment, truly recognized the value of this game.
To be able to savor this feeling again was a huge surprise.
Suddenly, a little girl, five or six years old and as delicate as a jade carving, ran out of the house.
Seeing Bai Luan sitting on the sofa, her eyes lit up, and she ran straight towards Bai Luan.
"Brother! Hug!"
Bai Luan was stunned, and subconsciously opened his arms to embrace the little girl who ran towards him.
"Brother, you're back?"
In his previous life, he had no memory of this little girl, but looking at her shining eyes and the undisguised affection in them,
Bai Luan immediately realized.
She is my sister.
How happy this is... Bai Luan smiled at her.
"Yes, Brother is back."
"Xiao Luan'er, your brother just got back, let him rest properly."
"I'll just sit next to Brother, I won't bother him."
His sister didn't listen to her father and sat next to Bai Luan, turning her gaze to the television.
Bai Luan also turned his gaze to the television, his phone cast aside.
What was there to look at on his phone at a time like this?
At this moment, even if the TV was showing commercials, he could still watch them.
Then his mother brought out a small bowl of fish soup, making a small meal just for him first, to warm his stomach.
After learning that Bai Luan hadn't eaten, his sister jumped off the sofa and scurried to her room. When she returned, she brought snacks to share with Bai Luan.
Time passed quietly, and that small bowl of fish soup was finished.
Not long after, his grandparents also returned.
His grandmother, upon seeing him return, was first happy, then looked him up and down, frowning and insisting he had gotten thinner.
Then she went into the kitchen and started bustling with his mother, intending to make a big meal.
His grandfather didn't say much, just called Bai Luan over and handed him some money.
Bai Luan held the A few dozen dollars in his hand, feeling much happier than on payday, even though his salary was over two hundred times that amount.
The whole family gathered around a table and had a meal.
Bai Luan, accustomed to eating food from strange creatures, still found this dinner quite delicious.
It was exactly as he remembered.
Which dishes would be saltier, which would be blander, all perfectly matched his few memories.
I think... love is the best seasoning, just a little bit is enough to make it delicious.
After dinner, his father and grandfather chatted animatedly, his mother and grandmother were washing dishes, and he wanted to help but was shooed out.
His sister ran over with her homework book, tugged at his sleeve, and asked him to teach her how to do her homework.
These kinds of questions, of course, were easy for him.
Bai Luan taught his sister to finish her homework.
After everything was done, Bai Luan sat on the sofa for a while longer, then stood up.
It was time to leave.
It was just a beautiful dream, a taste was enough; staying longer... would only increase the pain.
Bai Luan took one last look at his home.
"Mom!"
"Yes! What is it?"
"I'm going for a walk to digest."
"Okay, come back early, there are a lot of mosquitoes outside."
"Okay."
He walked to the door, his hand gripping the cold metal doorknob.
Behind him was everything he had sought and never found in his past and present lives.
A strong hesitation, like a vine, wrapped around his heart, almost pulling him back.
But in the end, he gently twisted the handle and opened the door that symbolized separation and awakening.
Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, Little Sister.
Goodbye.
The wooden door closed behind him, letting out a barely audible sigh.
He walked aimlessly, and unknowingly, he found himself in front of a familiar wasteland.
He remembered this place.
They were buried here.
If all of this were real, how wonderful that would be.
If he weren't so clearly aware that this was just a dream, how wonderful that would be.
He had thought that after experiencing so many things, what he wanted would have changed.
It turned out that what he wanted most was still these things.
A trace of melancholy flashed across Bai Luan's face.
"I knew you had something on your mind."
His mother's voice came from beside him.
"Mom, why are you here?"
"My child is unhappy, I always need to know why, right?"
His mother smiled and walked over.
"Tell me, why are you unhappy? Were you bullied outside? Or are you feeling unwell?
Although your job pays well, it's too tiring, too much pressure. If it's really too much, just come back and rest for a while. Your dad and I are still here at home..."
"Mom..."
Bai Luan looked at his mother, trying hard to curve his lips into a reassuring smile, but in the end, it only formed a sad outline.
He said softly, like a sigh and a farewell:
"Neither you, nor I... can go back..."