Chapter 33: Revisiting 'Nightmare' (Part Seven)

"Do I look like I've got something on my mind?" Ji Anning pouted, rolled her eyes at Yang Danning, then turned around to stretch her hand out of the car, welcoming the wind with her eyes contentedly half-closed. "Miss Yang, drive a bit faster, take me for a spin in the wind."

Yang Danning did as she wished, speeding up the car.

The eyes Ji Anning was squinting closed under the bright moonlight, and her delicate little face seemed to be shrouded in gloom.

Yang Danning couldn't tell what she was thinking and probed, "Anning, have you been troubled by something lately?"

"No," Ji Anning shook her head in denial, without opening her eyes.

Bathed in the warm wind, she kept urging Yang Danning to go faster.

The stronger the wind, the more she wished it could blow away all her worries and erase the nightmare from that night, so she could remain whole.

The Ji Anning worthy of Ji Jingfeng.

Hai City is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and Yang Danning drove to the seaside, parking under the bridge pylon not far from the Ji family's home, just six or seven stops away.

Ji Anning rested her hands on the seaside railing, gazing at the undulating sea, her mind drifting away.

"Here," Yang Danning returned with two cups of milk tea in her hand, handing one to Ji Anning and sipping from her own.

They often came here; it was the only milk tea shop around, and they were regular customers amidst the occasional visitors.

Ji Anning took the milk tea, her favorite red bean glutinous rice flavor, turned around to lean on the railing, and then began to sip through the straw.

Both of them remained silent for a while, then Yang Danning said, looking at Ji Anning, "Let me take you home."

Ji Anning gently shook her head, "No need to take me. I'll go home by myself in a bit."

Yang Danning frowned, "How are you going to get back?"

"I want to walk alone for a while," said Ji Anning, curving her lips into a smile, then turning back to gaze at the majestic sea.

Yang Danning looked at her, sensing she was troubled, but since she wouldn't talk about it, Yang didn't want to press her.

"Sigh," she exhaled helplessly and said, "Then I'll head back first. Be careful on your own."

"Mm," Ji Anning nodded softly, also advising, "Drive slowly on the way back."

"I know, I know," Yang Danning pouted.

And turned to leave.

Ji Anning was left alone, her eyes downcast and void of focus as she stared at the milk tea cup in her hand.

Time ticked by second by second, and she kept yawning.

So sleepy!

Feeling like she couldn't hold on any longer, she drank the last sip of her milk tea, looked at the trash bin two meters away, aimed, and threw the cup into the bin with a perfect shooting motion.

"Woah, a three-pointer."

Ji Anning touched the corners of her mouth with satisfaction, hands in the pockets of her denim jeans, and began to meander towards the bus stop sign.

…

In her sleep, Ji Anning felt it was very hard to breathe as if something was pressing down on her, and her mouth seemed to be sealed.

'Mmm'

She frowned, shaking her head half-asleep, struggling desperately.

She wasn't sure if it was her struggling that worked, but the sensation of her mouth being blocked vanished, and she began to breathe deeply.

Suddenly, she thought of something, realized something, and awoke abruptly, her eyes opening to pitch darkness.

Her eyes were covered again!

She could clearly feel that something was covering her eyes, blotting out the light, leaving her with a distressing darkness.

Just like that night, exactly the same.

A stifling breath lingered by her ear, light and ambiguously entwining, sending a shiver through her.