My heart sank, and I didn't have time to grab her. My conditioned reflex made me dodge my head, and all I heard was a loud "clang". I lifted my head to see an iron hammer smashing into the wall beside me.

  Long time no see!

  I turned around in the next instant and pounced on his waist. He had already taken off his fisherman's hat, revealing his true face, which looked icy and ferocious in the dimly lit basement. He was held by me and crashed into the wall, unable to move for a moment, but the iron hammer in his hand came crashing towards me again. I had no choice but to let go of him and dodge to one side to avoid it.

  We started fighting each other.

  Although he had a weapon in his hand, it also made him less agile. There were several times when the iron hammer barely brushed against my head as it fell. And although he didn't gain an advantage for the time being, a smile slowly spread across his face, a very sinister and evil smile. My heart skipped a beat.

  Finally, I seized the opportunity and punched him in the left chest. He was in pain, his face turned ugly, and the iron hammer slipped out of his hand instantly. But he wasn't a simple corner either, kicking me in the abdomen with one foot, I almost fell to the ground, half unable to get up for a while.

  But I was ultimately faster, before he could bend down to pick up the iron hammer, I quickly straightened up and launched a vicious sneak attack on his head from behind. He was hit so hard that he stumbled around dizzily for a moment. A surge of ferocity rose in my heart as I grabbed him again and slammed him into the wall twice, until he went limp. Panting heavily, I pinned him against the wall like a policeman, shouting: "You beast, you're going straight to jail!"

  But he didn't panic at all, with blood all over his head and face, he actually lowered his head and chuckled.

  I was taken aback and suddenly felt something was off.

  But it's too late now.

  The sound of footsteps and the rustling of clothes approached simultaneously, and a deliberately hoarse voice behind me said: "Wu Yu, it's time for us to send you to hell."

  It's him, the second person. He finally showed up.

  Something crashed heavily against the back of my head, I saw Chen Xingjian turn around, revealing a gloomy smile. Then the back of my head was smashed again, everything went black in front of me, and I lost consciousness.

  ——

  It's been a long time since I had that painful and repetitive dream.

  This time, the dream seemed to sink even deeper. Row after row of houses collapsed in front of me; I searched for her figure again and again in the ruins; opened the refrigerator in that hotel room not far from home again and again, saw a bucket full of blood and flesh, Wu Miao's slender fingers floating...

  Sometimes there was fire, sometimes there was ice and snow, my body was tormented somewhere, and my mind was in chaos. I also saw the past and future again, those fragmented pieces. I saw myself kneeling down alone under Mount Meri Snow, saw Detective Ding squatting at the back door of the police station smoking, wiping away what seemed to be non-existent tears; saw Tan Jiao walking into the auto repair shop, that beautiful face tearing my heart apart.

  We were sitting in a small shop, and I told her, "Don't fall into my trap." But in an instant, she lowered her head, smiled at me, and in those eyes, there was the only sun that belonged to me, the starlight I yearned for. She said, "You must be with me."

  The boat is spinning, the lake is sinking. The spider crawls by, a flock of birds flies overhead, someone is sneering in the darkness, and finally there is a shrill, ear-piercing cry that shatters my eardrums.

  "Ah Yu!"

  I suddenly opened my eyes, only to feel that my head was as heavy as a thousand catties, filled with all the sweet and painful things. I saw clearly where I was.

  Where is this?

  It looks like a dimly lit basement, gray and unclear, with dust flying around. Above my head, there is a half-window with anti-theft iron bars, and very bright sunlight shines in from there.