Li Meirong's dreams were a hazy mix of her previous life and her current plights.
Back in her other world, she had no choice but to learn how to take care of herself from a young age. Her parents worked abroad and could barely spare any time for her. It was a lonely life but Li Meirong had adjusted and learned how to live somewhat independently
In her dream, she was back in her small and cozy apartment. Li Meirong was in the middle of eating a honey glazed, lightly fried salmon fish fillet while sitting on the comfortable sofa in front of the television. The dish was one of the meals she used to be addicted to. One of her Siamese cats named Liuli curled up comfortably upon her lap. His feline eyes shimmered and he meowed in demand.
Somehow, she understood what he wanted. It was something along the lines of, 'Comfortable. Pet me. Feed me...'
Li Meirong cut a slice of her fish and let Liuli nibble on the leftovers, contentedly.
The dream shifted, as dreams often do. She now stood at the entrance of the very same train station where she had lost her life. The scene was very much the same as it had been. Her head hung low. It was nighttime and raining, pedestrians rushed back and forth. The street lights flickered dimly. It was freezing cold but she didn't care, she was far too miserable to mind her soaked clothes and dishevelled state. It was not long after she finished talking to her Ex-boyfriend on the phone following an awful day at work. Her Ex-boyfriend had told her to take back the items she'd forgotten at his place.
Before she hung up on him, he didn't fail to mention that the reason he found another girl was because he "felt that she didn't really care about him".
When she found out he was cheating, she didn't even get mad. Instead, she simply asked him why he couldn't be a man about it and at least break up with her before hooking up with another woman.
Li Meirong's response to his phone call at that time was, "You are the one who cheated. You are the one who broke this relationship, and now I have to listen to you complain?"
She slammed her finger on the end call button.
In the dream, the painful moment and all of the emotions welling up within her were all the more intense.
This was her third breakup, and at that point, she honestly didn't want anything more to do with men.
If you're not striving to please them, then you're not attentive enough. If you're too independent and don't need their help, then they don't feel manly enough. But on the other hand, if you're too dependent, they feel used.
Li Meirong clutched her cell phone tight in her fist, her knuckles turning white. She'd been called an ice queen before. It wasn't that she had no feelings, she was just better at controlling her emotions. Honestly, she did harbour feelings for her ex. It hurt to see him cheating on her but what good would it do to cry about it?
The vision in her dream shifted yet again.
She was underneath Zhou Shang. The man who bought her first night in the whorehouse. His pants fell down to his ankles while he removed his undergarments.
Li Meirong squeezed her eyes shut in horror.
That splash of warm blood drenched her face.
The dream sequence changed and it was as though Zhou Shang was never even there. All she saw were a pair of gleaming molten eyes gazing down at her.
The heat within the man's eyes comforted her. She felt safe now. Treasured.
The stunning man with silver hair and mesmerizing eyes hugged her to his chest. She sniffed the air and found herself intoxicated by his scent. A cool, fresh smell emitted from him, contrasting his warmth. It reminded her of freshly brewed tea, the likes of peppermint and lemon verbena.
Li Meirong reminded herself of her cat Liuli, who laid so contentedly on her lap. This time, she laid on someone else's lap, feeling happy and satisfied in his arms.
The comforting dream soon took a turn for the worse, however.
Suddenly, she was engulfed in raging flames. The small room she was in burnt to a crisp, the wooden walls quickly consumed by the fire.
Frightened, Li Meirong looked up at the silver haired man smiling down at her. He brought a slender finger to her lips, hushing her.
His gentle soothing gaze swiftly transformed into a fierce glare as he raised his left arm skyward. His fingernails grew into fierce claws and a pair of long furry animal ears emerged from the top of his head, eight furry tails swaying behind him.
The man conjured fire straight out of his palm! Flames formed out of thin air and he launched a series of fireballs across the room.
The brothel went up in flames. The sounds of anguished cries and the scent of charred flesh filled the air.
The dream shifted again, Li Meirong was back in the tropical jungle in front of Chou, the spirit plant she had recently encountered. He was the size of a tree, jumping up and down in an apparent frenzy.
Chou's heavy impacts with the ground caused the rainforest floor to shake and crack.
He cried out in a childlike manner 'Feed me! Feed me!'
Li Meirong held on to a nearby tree for dear life as the ground shook beneath her feet. She felt a strong grip around her waist and spun around in fright.
The Jiangshi Master was in front of her now. He was the demonic cultivator who wanted to drain her dry of blood.
His body was half melting. The chalk coloured skin on his face oozed downwards, revealing parts of his skull. His eyes were hollow sockets and his hair waved around him with an invisible wind, flailing like a cluster of serpents.
He held her tight and whispered "It's because of you… you did this to me." The Jiangshi Master's rotting mouth kept opening and closing long after he finished speaking.
"Get away! Get away!" Li Meirong screamed so loud her voice grew hoarse.
The Jiangshi Master wouldn't let go, he kept calling her "Li Meirong. Li Meirong..."
At once, his voice altered from a vicious murmur to a clear and familiar tone. Li Meirong snapped out of her nightmare.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"Li Meirong. Li Meirong..." That clear and familiar voice kept calling her name.
The first person she saw was Mo Cheng. His handsome features were a ray of light in the darkness to her.
Glancing around, she noticed herself lying on a wooden mattress in what appeared to be a bright and ancient looking pavilion. The sight which greeted her was a beautiful one.
Fresh air, clean bedding, a strong smell of soothing herbs. Through the pillars in the open room, Li Meirong saw a pond with large Koi fish swimming about. There were a few lotus flowers floating on the water's surface and a little wooden bridge crossing over it.
She reached her palm to Mo Cheng's face and stroked his cheek hesitantly.
"Mo… Cheng? Is it really you?" Li Meirong's voice cracked as she attempted to speak.
Mo Cheng's worry filled eyes inspected her all over. He was bent over her as she laid on the mattress and brought up his own hand to cover hers on his cheek.
His bronze skin and neat appearance was a complete contrast to Li Meirong's deathly pale, unkempt features.
"Yes, it's me! Mo Jing and Shu Qianqian went back to look for you at the river-bank, and sure enough, you were there, knocked out cold. They said you saved their lives and disappeared..." He paused a moment. His deep eyes glistening as he stared at her. The look he gave her made her feel awkward. It was too intimate.
"They couldn't wake you up no matter how hard they tried. When the Senior Disciples came to collect you on the third day, I went along with them. After seeing your state, I brought you to Healer's Peak in the Forgotten Waters sect. You did it Li Meirong. You passed!"