Perhaps the rain had fallen enough over the past few days, so these days were sunny. Even on cloudy days, the sun would occasionally peek out from the clouds to breathe.

But this morning, Autumn Ease woke up drowsy. He could barely distinguish reality from dreams. He’d had that dream again. This time, it wasn’t the long lifetime-spanning dream—just a small fragment of that story.

It was back in university. He’d finally realized the girl he’d always loved was actually another version of himself. Yet he still embraced her without hesitation. Love knew no bounds of gender or age, nor whether the one you loved was yourself. Theoretically, loving yourself was still love.

In the dream, Autumn Ease was happy. But then something strange happened. The story began looping endlessly on that same day, over and over. At first, he forgot everything after each loop. Gradually, he started retaining memories from the last cycle. It felt like being trapped in a strange net, impossible to escape.

That dream had no clear end. When Autumn Ease truly woke, he still felt deeply immersed. Fortunately, this room differed from the dream’s. After careful observation, he sighed in relief. The dream had left him drenched in sweat, more exhausted than a whole night of exercise.

His phone showed several missed calls. It was already nine o’clock.

"Crap! I promised Feng Yulan I’d drive his electric scooter today…!" Autumn Ease jumped out of bed and called back. "Hey, Xiao Lan?"

"You sound so cheesy," came Feng Yulan’s exasperated voice. "Why call so late?"

"Ahem, sorry—just woke up. Where are you going? Where’s the scooter?" Autumn Ease asked hurriedly.

"At my sister’s place. I’ll send the location. It’s in Yuhang; take the subway—it’s faster."

"Got it. Destination?"

"I checked Baidu. Riding takes about forty minutes."

"Alright, where exactly?" Autumn Ease mumbled, brushing his teeth.

"The construction site. I contacted Jin Jiahui."

"Huh? Seriously? Is he still doing manual labor?"

"Yeah. Just hurry over. Hanging up."

"Okay."

Jin Jiahui… working on a construction site. Autumn Ease found it unbelievable. Or perhaps last night’s dream had overwritten reality—his memory of Jin Jiahui clashed with the truth. This guy should’ve been a college student, from a wealthy martial arts family. After a moment, Autumn Ease recalled the real memories. Staring too long at a character makes it unrecognizable. The longer he thought of Jin Jiahui, the more the name slipped away—as if an unseen hand was erasing his mind.

He splashed water on his face—considering it washed—and rushed out. The subway wasn’t bumpy like a bus, with no traffic lights or jams. Yet the ride felt endless, nearly from one terminal to another. Standing in the packed crowd gave him a headache. Reaching the exit, he burst out like a freed sardine, gulping fresh air.

"Phew… next is the location. Walking takes ten more minutes… whatever, let’s go." To save money, he walked. Even with buses available, every penny counted—he was usually stingy, occasionally overly generous. His frugality just paid for those rare splurges. Luckily, he never borrowed money; otherwise, debt would’ve buried him.

"Sixth floor, 601…" Climbing the stairs after Feng Yulan’s address, he felt like a food delivery rider running far… for no reward. Well, helping a classmate shouldn’t expect benefits. They hadn’t met in years. Besides, Feng Yulan had grown so pretty—even running errands for a girl was acceptable. Autumn Ease wondered if he had backup-boyfriend potential.

"Knock knock knock! Xiao Lan, open up!"

"Coming!" A muffled voice answered, followed by hurried footsteps.

Feng Yulan opened the door, fully dressed—likely waiting awhile. Though in men’s clothes, he radiated a cross-dressing vibe.

"Huh? Your scooter-driving friend?" A lazy voice came from behind him. A woman with dark golden wavy hair leaned against the doorway.

"Ah, yes—my friend."

"Oh~ Hmm… he looks dull, but with grooming, he’d pass."

"And you are…?" Autumn Ease asked awkwardly. Why did this feel like meeting a girlfriend’s parents?

"Sis—stop messing around! Autumn Ease, this is my older sister."

"Oh, no wonder you look alike." Autumn Ease nodded, unsure how to address her. "Feng Yulan’s sister, hello."

"Hello~ Protect Xiao Lan out there~ Have fun; I’m entrusting him to you." She smiled, teasing thick in her tone.

"Sis—!" Feng Yulan rolled his eyes dramatically. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Though habitual, it seemed coquettish—trying to hide only made it obvious. He was oddly cute…

Autumn Ease shook his head. Silly netizens and too many cross-dressing stories must’ve warped his thoughts.

"So, shall we go?" he asked.

"Yeah. Scooter key—let’s go!" Feng Yulan slipped on shoes by the door, patting Autumn Ease’s shoulder with eager energy.

"OK, go. But Jin Jiahui’s probably still working?"

"No worries—he took the day off. Just find him at the site."

"Why not meet in the city?" Autumn Ease checked another location Feng Yulan sent. "Must we trek to the suburbs?"

"His job’s tiring. Rare day off—he won’t travel far. Relax, I checked: there’s a KFC there. We’ll sit there."

"KFC…" Autumn Ease grumbled. "Why not McDonald’s?"

"What’s the difference?"

"McDonald’s tastes better."

"Really? So picky—even dirt poor." Feng Yulan teased.

"Damn, then support me."

"I’m jobless too."

"Forget it. That class reunion—going?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, pretend to be my girlfriend. Save me from laughs."

"Go die!" Feng Yulan punched his head hard.

It felt like flirting with a girlfriend.

"Alright, no jokes. Get on—let’s go! Handle navigation!"

"Got it—"

Feng Yulan’s sister’s scooter was pink, feminine, and floral-patterned. Small and cramped for two, Feng Yulan pressed tightly against Autumn Ease’s back. But the sensation was flat and hard. Autumn Ease felt disappointed. Boys were boys—too flat-chested…

After testing the scooter, Autumn Ease twisted the throttle full. Small but fast, it sped down a remote, empty highway.

"What do you need Jin Jiahui for?" he shouted.

"Huh? Can’t hear—" Feng Yulan yelled back. Wind whipped his short hair wildly, nearly covering his eyes. Pity it wasn’t long. Autumn Ease shook off the thought. He couldn’t keep this up—he might turn gay. It wasn’t attraction; Feng Yulan just looked too much like a woman.

"I said," Autumn Ease slowed to cut wind noise, "why find Jin Jiahui?"

"Oh… I want to know if he has the same dream memories."

"So what? What are you proving?"

"It sounds sci-fi, but if he does… it might mean that dream was once real. For some reason, it shifted from reality into a dream."

"Huh? Why think that?"

"Haven’t you heard ‘dreams come true’? Reverse it—it’s possible!"

"But proving it—what then?" Autumn Ease’s curiosity paled next to Feng Yulan’s. "It’s a dream now. Unless some lab has magic tech, it won’t revert."

"No need to revert. Proof is enough."

"Hey—hiding something?" Autumn Ease turned his head and shouted.

"Don’t ask! I’ll never tell!" Feng Yulan pushed his head forward. "Drive properly—look ahead!"

"Yes, yes…"