Chapter 109: Dimension 16

Chapter 109: Dimension 16

The waning light of dusk cast a thin red glow over everything.

On the bustling street, the two people walking side by side stopped in unison after the person beside him spoke.

After his companion's words faded, Yu Bai blinked in surprise, wanting to say something but the words dissipated in his throat, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

It took him a moment to realize that Xie Wufang was genuinely unwilling to answer this question.

In Yu Bai's memory, this seemed to be the first time the other party had refused him like this.

Not that they didn't know, but rather, they didn't want to say.

...It was a little unusual.

However, even when refusing, Xie Wufang had an honesty that was different from ordinary people.

As strangers hurried past, bumping into Yu Bai's shoulder, he snapped back to reality and quickly resumed walking, responding, "Alright, then I won't ask."

His tone was relatively normal, tinged with slight surprise and embarrassment, his pale eyes gazing ahead at the road.

The golden-brown hue of the sunlight coated his fair profile, leaving a trace of astonishment on his face.

He said casually, "It's about ten minutes from here to the breakfast shop. I'll let Uncle Li know; he should have already set off."

But the person beside him asked, "Would you be upset?"

Two distinct voices overlapped once again.

Yu Bai instinctively turned his gaze, meeting the shimmering waters of a lake.

Xie Wufang was looking at him, their gray-blue irises hazy in the intense sunlight.

Yu Bai was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head quickly. "No, I'm just a bit surprised."

He certainly wouldn't get angry over such a trivial matter.

It was just surprise.

...Perhaps, there was also a subtle, indescribable feeling.

At this moment, Xie Wufang's polite refusal did not suddenly make Yu Bai feel a sense of distance.

Instead, he felt that something that had always stood between them briefly vanished.

Yu Bai was trying to clarify and describe this subtle sensation.

It was as if...the thick dimensional barrier between humans and deities had been broken?

The One who had always been straightforward and transparent now had something they didn't want to answer.

Just like any ordinary human being.

...Why did he suddenly find himself looking forward to the reappearance of animation mode?

Distracted by myriad thoughts, Yu Bai added, "I would also have things I don't want to answer. It's normal, nothing to be angry about. I might even deliberately change the subject instead of directly refusing like you do."

At this point, he lowered his voice so as not to be heard by passersby around them.

"Having secrets makes one more human," he said, his eyes curving slightly, his tone light. "Everyone has secrets."

He thought that Xie Wufang should indeed have their own secrets.

And he would respect his friend's secrets.

The sunlight on the street was bright, and the words drifted away with the wind as the two figures gradually disappeared into the surging crowd.

Beside them, a towering office building reached up to the clouds. On the eighteenth floor, in front of a glass window, the woman staring down at the street scene below flashed a smile across her face.

Reflected in the glass, behind her was a tall, slender agent.

"He agreed to shoot Old Zheng's commercial?!"

Yu Siming was stunned, muttering, "I remember they hadn't found a suitable candidate and had decided to use CGI, right?"

"Now they have a suitable person," Jiang Peihong said calmly. "The effect of a real person will definitely be more stunning than animation."

"That's true, that's true," Yu Siming was immersed in immense delight, marveling. "If you hadn't mentioned it now, I wouldn't have remembered this. Did you talk to Old Zheng beforehand? He must be ecstatic."

"In all seriousness, I thought it would take a long time to make progress with him. I really didn't expect that you'd finish negotiating while you were out taking a call!"

While deeply impressed, Yu Siming couldn't help but be overwhelmed with curiosity. "By the way, Sister Hong, how did you convince him?"

Jiang Peihong's phone in her palm buzzed with a brief message notification. She glanced at it and instantly curled her lips upward. "There was no convincing, we made a deal."

Little Ming froze. "Huh?"

"You don't need to worry about the specifics. Later, when the time is set, I'll notify you together," the woman said decisively. "But there's one thing I need to tell you: he has absolutely no interest in the entertainment industry. This agreement to shoot the commercial can only be considered an accident. If you really want to sign him afterward, it will still be up to you."

"Sure, sure, that's definitely the case," Yu Siming was full of fighting spirit. "Willingness to try is the best start. This time, I'm confident!"

Jiang Peihong smiled but didn't say anything else, reaching out to pick up her bag and preparing to leave. "Alright, I'll contact you later."

Seeing this, Yu Siming hurriedly said, "Don't go yet! It's this time of day, why don't I treat you to dinner!"

Hearing this, she was unsurprised, her words laced with teasing. "Another thank you?"

"Yes! You helped me so much today, I don't even know how to thank you—"

"Not eating? No time."

"…" Yu Siming sighed, "Don't go, I owe you so many meals already. It's always troubling you, and I feel bad about it. Speaking of which, didn't you say you had nothing planned for the afternoon?"

As he rambled on, Jiang Peihong had already put on her sunglasses and turned away without looking back.

"Keep owing me then, I'm leaving."

Watching the retreating figure about to leave the office, an inexplicable sense of loss lingered in his heart. Yu Siming hesitated for a moment before suddenly calling out to her, "Sis Hong, wait!"

The woman paused in her steps and turned around, "What is it?"

"I just remembered something," he said seriously, "You asked me about their relationship before, and I said they were friends, but you didn't quite believe me. I just asked, and indeed, they're more than just friends."

Jiang Peihong raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Yu Siming, like presenting a treasure, deliberately drew out his tone, "—They're actually neighbors!"

"And not just any neighbors, they became friends from being neighbors. Isn't that rare!"

"…"

She gave him the courtesy of a laugh, "Yeah, very rare."

Turning away, she silently sighed.

Sigh.

A blockhead.

In the high-rise office building, high heels elegantly tapped against the floor, the sound crisp.

On the sunlit sidewalk, old sneakers quickly pounded the ground, almost at a jog.

A little girl with a schoolbag on her back and long, thin braids hanging over her shoulders walked quietly on her way home from school.

It was rare for her to look forward to going home, her steps light and happy, revealing an eager anticipation.

Until she encountered two handsome young men on the bustling street near her neighborhood.

She noticed that the two unfamiliar young men were staring at her, seemingly slowing down their pace because of this.

She was a bit lost and a bit scared, her steps instantly becoming cautious as she timidly glanced at them from the corner of her eye.

One had brown hair, the other blue eyes, both as good-looking as TV stars, attracting frequent glances from passersby. They were people from a completely different world compared to her.

Why were they looking at her…?

At the moment they passed each other, she heard a clear voice with a smile above her head.

"Are you He Xi?"

He Xi was startled, looking up at him and asking in a small voice, "Do you know me?"

The young man with brown hair thought for a moment before saying, "I know your father, is he home?"

"He's not," He Xi shook her head, "…Are you looking for him?"

The young man didn't answer directly but asked instead, "Then where is he?"

"He's in the hospital."

"The hospital?"

Perhaps it was the warmth in those light brown eyes that made He Xi momentarily forget that he was a stranger she had never met before, answering him honestly, "He was beaten up and has to be hospitalized. Teacher Lin told me."

"Beaten up?" The young man seemed to ponder, "Was it because of emotional exposure? …He does deserve a beating sometimes."

The last sentence was said softly, but He Xi heard it.

She thought that he must really know her father.

Because she thought the same thing.

The young man asked again, "If he's in the hospital, what will you do?"

"Teacher Lin asked me to stay at her house for half a month," He Xi said, "So I'm going home now to pack my things…"

As she spoke, the young man with brown hair laughed, "No wonder you look so happy."

He Xi was a bit at a loss, "…Huh?"

Was her happiness that obvious?

However, she could tell that the young man in front of her was very happy.

His features relaxed, subconsciously raising his hand as if to habitually ruffle the child's head, but stopping in mid-air in time, finally turning into a simple yet gentle farewell.

"Hurry home, and be careful on the way." He waved at her with a smile, "Goodbye, He Xi."

The blue-eyed young man, who had been silent all along, also said, "Goodbye."

He Xi stared blankly at them as they left.

After a while, she whispered into the vast sea of people, "Goo… Goodbye."

Although the stranger's palm did not land on her head, she felt a warm heat brush over her, making her want to reveal a small smile for no reason.

It was the warmth carried by the lingering summer breeze.

Yu Bai said goodbye to the little girl he had met by chance and walked into the beautiful breakfast shop bathed in the sunset's rosy glow with a good mood.

Qiao Jinmei was sitting inside making a phone call. Hearing their voices, she turned around to look at them. "You're here? I'm on the phone with A Li. Wait a moment, it'll be done soon!"

"No rush, you finish your call first," Yu Bai said. "Uncle Li hasn't arrived yet anyway."

"Alright, then you two can sit wherever you like." Qiao Jinmei continued her phone conversation, turning her head back. "--Yes, those two handsome young men have come to the store. The old handsome man hasn't come yet. We did agree to have a meeting to exchange information."

Yu Bai only caught a snippet of the conversation before deciding to wait outside the store.

Fortunately, Uncle Li hadn't heard that.

Otherwise, he would have exploded again.

Standing at the breakfast shop's entrance, Yu Bai watched the increasingly crowded evening street, chatting casually with the person beside him.

"I was thinking about whether I should go find He Xi. Even if this isn't the real world, I didn't want her to get beaten up again." He said somewhat wistfully. "I didn't expect her father to be hospitalized. There are benefits to the animation mode after all."

It allows those who deserve a beating to fully display their deservingness, increasing the likelihood of receiving just punishment.

"If our previous speculation is correct, we will switch back to animation mode eventually, but we don't know when exactly."

Xie Wufang listened quietly as he spoke, occasionally responding, not saying much.

Yu Bai stole a glance at him from the corner of his eye, feeling that he seemed to have something on his mind.

Something about him seemed different after they left that office.

But remembering the other party's unhesitating refusal earlier, Yu Bai hesitated for a moment and didn't ask directly again.

Sigh.

Misses emotional effects.

...Of course, he didn't necessarily need to know the answer.

One must respect others' privacy.

He was just a bit curious.

A curiosity akin to wondering what they'd have for dinner tonight.

"Xiao Xie, what do you want to eat for dinner later? Still sweets?"

"It doesn't matter, anything is fine."

"Oh... Did Sister Hong tell you roughly when the shooting will start? Will it be these next few days?"

"She said the day after tomorrow might be the first audition."

"In that case, I'll go find Prince with Uncle Li and the others when the time comes. You can focus on your own matters."

Xie Wufang nodded slightly.

Yu Bai silently looked at him.

"How about fried chicken for dinner?"

"Okay."

"Do you understand what an audition means now?"

"Mm, learned many terms."

"So..." Yu Bai held back for a while, seemingly bringing it up casually, "Is shooting the commercial an exchange for Sister Hong giving you lessons afterward?"

"..."

Yu Bai turned away, calmly looking up at the sky.

It was Xie Wufang's turn to suddenly look at him.

A flash of unexpected surprise flickered through his gray-blue eyes.

Immediately after, the surprise melted away like ice and snow.

Low laughter rippled through the calm lake of his eyes.