The first time Jiang Xingye saw Xu Qinghuan was a fleeting glance on the road.

At that moment, he thought he was living in a dream.

She was the person in his dream. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Luo Jinhao noticed his boss’s gaze following that woman, glanced at her, unfamiliar, puzzled, Jiang Xingye had already entered the extended Rolls Royce.

Perhaps there are people in this world who look alike.

That night, Jiang Xingye stood at the highest floor of the city, looking down, holding a glass of whiskey on the rocks, brewing sleepiness in his mind.

Ever since three days ago, after having that dream, he now goes to bed at the same time every day, even if he can’t sleep, he lies in bed thinking about the scenes in the dream.

Since starting that dream, he has never had insomnia again, never stayed up past midnight.

Jiang Xingye left the window, voice control closed the curtains, he went to the bathroom to rinse, looking at his reflection, no longer young, couldn’t help but wonder, when this dream ends, what will become of him?

In the dream, he lived each day vividly.

After falling asleep, he arrived at the low adobe house of the Shangjiang Team. He heard Xu Qinghuan talking to Qiao Zhiqing, saying he had reasons for killing someone.

Jiang Xingye was very puzzled, he didn’t even know her, why was she speaking up for him.

Just because she was pushed off the tractor and he stopped her?

Upon waking, Jiang Xingye rubbed his brow, his mind somewhat muddled.

That evening there was a social engagement, after dinner, leaving the hotel, it was already past nine. He drove back, seeing someone pacing on the roadside, ordered the driver to slow down, following behind slowly.

He saw that woman again.

Although the age difference was noticeable, Jiang Xingye could still see that she might be the middle-aged version of the dream’s Xu Qinghuan.

The car drove slowly, the headlights occasionally illuminated the woman, eventually sending her to the city council compound before the driver sped away.

Through the rearview mirror, Jiang Xingye saw the woman standing by the road, looking back this way.

Her gaze wasn’t as clear as the person in the dream.

Days later, Jiang Xingye dreamed of picking mushrooms, encountering Xu Qinghuan, terrified of snakes, she leapt onto him, clinging on.

The thrill of that moment startled Jiang Xingye awake, it was past three in the morning, and he couldn’t fall back asleep.

The next day at work, Luo Jinhao handed Jiang Xingye the recruitment list. Seeing Xu Qinghuan’s name, he ticked it and assigned her to the general office to handle miscellaneous tasks.

That night, he thought he wouldn’t dream again, but the dream persisted.

In the dream, his affection for that girl felt incredibly real, upon waking, leaning against the bed, lighting a cigarette, still relishing it.

He wanted to live in the dream.

After finishing a cigarette, he got up, went into the bathroom, for a long time, a muffled groan came from inside.

After training, Xu Qinghuan started her job, Jiang Xingye seized an opportunity, inviting her to his office. At just one look, he was undeniably certain she wasn’t the one from his dream.

They shared the same facial features, the same name, but by her eyes, he knew she wasn’t that person.

Xu Qinghuan sought his help, abruptly, yet Jiang Xingye still helped her, letting the company’s legal team aid her in her divorce case, helping her escape the Jiang Family, even if it meant provoking Jiang Chengxu, he did it without hesitation.

Because, coincidentally, during that time, he dreamed Jiang Chengxu also came to the Shangjiang Team as a young intellectual, learning of their past engagement, the heart-wrenching pain was too real.

Dream-Jiang Xingye still wavered between inferiority and desire, but he knew quite clearly, he’d fallen for the girl in the dream.

He also grew to love sleeping.

Falling asleep, he would dream, in the dream, Xu Qinghuan wanted to get engaged to him.

Dream-Jiang Xingye thought he was merely a toolman, yet he knew, Xu Qinghuan liked him too, especially his body.

The real Xu Qinghuan also encountered various issues, continuously finding reasons to seek him out.

The way she looked at Jiang Xingye became fervent.

But no matter what, Jiang Xingye knew, this wasn’t his Qinghuan, and he couldn’t accept it.

Later, Luo Jinhao stepped in, gave her compensation, encouraging her to resign from the company.

Xu Qinghuan couldn’t accept it, sought out Jiang Xingye.

Even knowing she wasn’t that person, Jiang Xingye didn’t dare refuse.

He didn’t understand the link between this Xu Qinghuan and the one in the dream, Zhuangzi’s dream of the butterfly, whether the butterfly was Zhuangzi, he didn’t want to lose that dream.

Upon meeting, Jiang Xingye said to her, "In your career, no matter what support you need, I’ll try my best. In this world, I will protect you under my wings, but beyond that, I can’t fulfill."

"Why?"

Jiang Xingye slowly leaned back, calmly looking at the woman before him. These years, Xu Qinghuan, because of her good life, looked much younger, yet those worldly, calculating eyes were so unlike the clear, bright eyes from his dream.

"Because the woman I like happens to have the same name, you’re merely basking in her light."

The reality of Xu Qinghuan couldn’t accept it, her face turned pale, ashen.

"Just... because of that?"

Still in disbelief.

Jiang Xingye lit a cigarette, squinting, inhaled, smoke shrouded his face, misty yet merciless, "Otherwise, what do you think? Do you really believe everything I did was out of affection for you?

I was merely thinking, in this world, I could do some good, accumulate merit, should she ever encounter trouble, a kind soul would lend her a hand, nothing more than that!"

The door shut with a vehement slam.

The office was now empty.

Jiang Xingye leaned back on the executive chair, closed his eyes, his mind echoing yesterday’s dream, the girl he loved bore him twins, the joy of new fatherhood had extended until now.

The fingers holding the cigarette trembled.

He couldn’t comprehend why he kept having this dream, but now, he was living off it.

Every day, he longed for nightfall.

Once dreaming, he’d be with his beloved in that world, once lonely himself, now he had children, a family of four so warm, how could he bear to part?

Luo Jinhao entered, informing him, this evening there was a transnational meeting, potentially lasting until early morning.

Jiang Xingye decisively refused, "I’ll only attend until eight, discuss important matters first, send me the meeting minutes by eight tomorrow morning."

Luo Jinhao found it humorous, "You’ve become more and more health-conscious, adamant against staying up?"

Jiang Xingye powered on the computer, "Cut the small talk, start the meeting, latest I sleep is ten."

Luo Jinhao thought this was a good change, yet the boss previously pulled all-nighters, later slept by midnight, now even earlier, often asleep by nine, now saying the latest was ten.

Luo Jinhao didn’t know, if it weren’t for not dreaming during naps, Jiang Xingye might never awaken from his slumber.

For a moment, Jiang Xingye didn’t know if the dream was the real world or if the current one was real.

He couldn’t distinguish, nor did he want to.

He’d dreamed a long, long dream, in it, he held the girl, saying, "Huanhuan, if this is a dream, I hope never to wake up."

He no longer had the courage to face a world alone.

Aye, having tasted loneliness in our respective lives, we cherish all the more the years spent together.

This life is so brief, I’m afraid there’s not enough time to love you sufficiently!

（✿✿ヽ(°▽°)ノ✿The End）

Welcome to follow the next installment: "Sixties in the Army, the Mad Beauty Leading the Nation’s Development through Science and Technology"