Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 75 The Dust of the World
That summer when I was eighteen was like a palette that God had spilled, so dazzling it was almost unreal.

In the KTV room, amidst the noisy chatter and old love songs, a tender first kiss was deeply imprinted on Bai Yu's soul, becoming a pact for his complete reconciliation with the world.

He no longer seemed to be a solitary observer detached from the world, but rather willingly bound all his joys and sorrows to this world, this world full of warmth and real human warmth.

Unsurprisingly, Bai Yu, as the top scorer in the province, was admitted to the nation's most prestigious university. Lin Wan, with her outstanding grades, was also admitted to a teachers' college next door. The two universities were separated by only a wall, as if fate had meticulously arranged a continuation for this perfect couple.

University life is much freer and more colorful than the monotonous high school life.

Bai Yu's brain, now brimming with knowledge, could finally roam freely in the vast ocean of knowledge, as boundless as the universe. He chose theoretical physics, a major that seemed incredibly dry and profound to most people, and then plunged headlong into the ultimate mysteries of spacetime, dimensions, and the origin of the universe.

He was no longer that withdrawn boy; he gradually accepted everything and possessed everything.

Under Lin Wan's warm and sunny influence, he began to try things he had never experienced before.

Bai Yu would accompany her to the school's drama club. Although he would always be just a "passerby" silently handing over props backstage, he would feel an unprecedented sense of satisfaction when he saw the girl shining on stage.

He would accompany her to volunteer at the stray animal rescue center near the school, clumsily cleaning the wounds of the injured cats and dogs.

The hustle and bustle, brimming with life, gradually replaced the past, becoming a comforting background noise.

Their love, amidst this ordinary yet warm daily life, grew ever more luxuriant and resilient, like a carefully nurtured vine.

They would stroll hand in hand along the tree-lined paths of the school like any ordinary couple, snuggle together while reading in the library, go to see the latest movie on a weekend afternoon, argue endlessly about the ending, and then happily end the argument with a dinner, reluctantly saying goodbye to each other.

Bai Yu's rational way of thinking and Lin Wan's emotional and artistic sensibilities are like two completely different pieces of a puzzle, yet they fit together perfectly in a wonderful way. He would use the wave-particle duality of quantum mechanics to explain to her the Buddhist philosophical concept of "one flower, one world; one leaf, one Bodhi." She, in turn, would use poems full of romanticism to infuse his cold formulas and data with a humanistic warmth.

They were each other's teachers and students. They were each other's lovers and soulmates.

Four years passed in a flash.

On graduation day, after the solemn graduation ceremony, Bai Yu declined offers from numerous top research institutions both domestically and internationally. While everyone assumed he would pursue further studies and become the next titan of physics, he made a decision that shocked everyone—he chose to stay in the city and become a librarian at an ordinary municipal library.

This decision caused a huge uproar at the time. His advisor felt sorry for him, and his classmates were puzzled. Only he himself, his parents, and Lin Wan knew why he did it.

He is tired.

It wasn't physical exhaustion, but spiritual exhaustion. His exceptionally powerful mind allowed him to glimpse the underlying logic of the world's operation earlier than anyone else, and also made him feel more profoundly the emptiness and loneliness inherent in "existence" itself. He no longer wanted to pursue ultimate answers about the universe; he only wanted to cherish the small warmth around him and live a peaceful and ordinary life.

Lin Wan also gave up the opportunity to be recommended for postgraduate studies. She passed the teacher qualification exam and became a Chinese language teacher at a primary school near Bai Yu's parents' home.

In the autumn of their twenty-fourth year, on a sunny afternoon, Bai Yu knelt on one knee on the hill behind their school, where they had watched countless sunsets together, and handed a ring that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight to the girl who had long become a part of his life.

There were no flowery words, nor romantic vows.

He simply gazed at her quietly with his eyes, as deep as the stars and the sea, and then said softly in a calm yet powerful voice, "Lin Wan, marry me."

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes instantly. She didn't say anything, just nodded vigorously, and then extended her left hand.

Their wedding was simple yet warm. There was no extravagant display, and they didn't invite too many people. Only their closest family and friends attended.

The wedding officiant was Bai Yu's father. He was as excited as a child at his son's wedding, his hand holding the microphone trembling slightly, and he choked up several times, unable to speak.

The piano accompanist at the wedding was Bai Yu's mother. She played a piece she had arranged herself, "Moonlight Sonata," for the newlyweds. The music was no longer the tranquility and sorrow of before, but filled with joy, blessings, and hope.

Looking at his wife, dressed in a pure white wedding gown and as beautiful as an angel, and at his parents below the stage, whose eyes were already brimming with tears, Bai Yu felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment in his heart, which was filled with happiness.

He thought that if life was a dream, he would rather never wake up.

……

Married life is as bland as a cup of lukewarm water, but the sweetness that seeps into your bones can only be felt by those who are experiencing it.

They bought a small but sunny three-bedroom apartment in a quiet neighborhood not far from both sets of parents' homes.

Every morning, Bai Yu would wake up before Lin Wan. He would prepare a simple breakfast for her: a glass of warm milk and two slices of perfectly toasted bread. Then, he would leave a gentle kiss on her forehead before riding his slightly worn bicycle to the quiet library for work.

His job was leisurely and comfortable. He would organize the bookshelves, register readers who came to borrow books, or simply find a quiet spot by the window to read all day. He enjoyed the feeling of being enveloped by knowledge and tranquility.

In the evening, he would go to the nearby farmers' market with Lin Wan to buy groceries. He loved watching her argue with the vendors over a few cents until her face turned red; that vibrant, everyday life made him feel incredibly at ease.

Back home, Lin Wan would be busy in the kitchen, the clatter of pots and pans mingling with the roar of the range hood, creating a symphony of family life. Bai Yu, on the other hand, would sit on the living room sofa, watching a boring soap opera on TV, or simply listening quietly to the sounds coming from the kitchen, a satisfied smile unconsciously playing on her lips.

After dinner, they would snuggle together on the sofa and watch an old art film, or simply chat about trivial things about school or the library.

On weekends, they would bring gifts they had prepared and go back to their parents' house for a sumptuous dinner. Seeing how happy the four elderly people were because of their visit, Bai Yu felt an indescribable warmth in her heart.

Two years later, this happy little family welcomed a new member.

Lin Wan gave birth to a lovely daughter for him.

When Bai Yu first received the crumpled baby from the nurse's hands, his heart was struck by an unprecedented and unfamiliar emotion.

That is "responsibility".

Looking at the little life in his arms, connected to him by blood, he truly felt for the first time his "roots" in this world.

He was no longer just a son and a husband; he was also a father. He had a treasure he needed to protect with his entire life.

The arrival of their daughter made their already warm and loving family even more complete and lively.

Bai Yu's life was thus completely filled with all sorts of sweet and troublesome trivial matters.

He learned how to skillfully prepare formula for his daughter while yawning late at night.

He learned how to distinguish the different meanings behind his daughter's different cries.

He learned how to explain those complex physical principles to his daughter, who was full of curiosity about the world, using the simplest fairy tales.

His brain, which he once used to contemplate the origins of the universe, is now occupied by all sorts of "profound" questions about "which formula is better" and "which complementary food is more nutritious."

The hands that he once used to peruse ancient books are now adept at assembling a brand-new Barbie doll castle in the shortest possible time.

His life was completely drawn into this mundane world filled with the daily grind of life.

His former pride and talent, his unique loneliness, have all been smoothed out by the mundane routines of daily life, turning into gentle tenderness.

Occasionally, when he looks at his sleeping wife and daughter in the quiet of the night, he feels a sense of disorientation.

He would recall that long, long ago, he seemed to have had a completely different life. A life filled with battles, dangers, and protection.

But that memory has long since become like an old photograph soaked in water, blurred to the point that only a faint outline remains.

Whenever he tries to recall, his daughter's sleep-talking, full of dependence, or his wife's unconscious turning over, completely interrupts all his thoughts and pulls him back to this warm and real "now."

He would chuckle self-deprecatingly, then reach out to tuck the blankets around them.

Yes, perhaps it really was just a dream that was too long and too real.

Or perhaps, all of this is the gentlest compensation fate has given him after that nightmare filled with pain and struggle.

In any case, he no longer wanted to pursue the matter.

He just wanted to hold on tightly to the happiness that was within his grasp.

……

When my daughter was five years old, she was diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

This news shattered the peace of this happy little family like a bolt from the blue.

Lin Wan completely broke down the moment she received the diagnosis. She held her daughter and cried her heart out.

After experiencing initial shock and pain, Bai Yu displayed extraordinary composure.

When faced with a massive crisis that could destroy a family, his heart, which had long been accustomed to comfort, seemed to be instantly reawakened by the resilience and rationality that had been dormant deep within his soul.

He did not cry, nor did he complain about the injustice of fate.

He simply held his wife, who was already sobbing uncontrollably, and said in her ear again and again in an incredibly steady yet powerful voice, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. Everything will be alright."

He quit his leisurely job at the library and, with his ever-sharp mind, taught himself all the knowledge of finance and investment in just six months. Then he plunged headlong into the capital market, which is full of risks and opportunities.

He was like a top-notch hunter, using his almost superhuman analytical abilities and logical judgment to carry out precise and calm "hunts" time and time again on that battlefield without gunpowder.

He earned the astronomical sum for his daughter's surgery in the shortest amount of time.

On the day of the surgery, when the red light in the operating room, which indicated "in progress," came on, Lin Wan and both sets of parents were already nearly exhausted from excessive tension and worry.

Only Bai Yu stood motionless at the door of the operating room, like a statue.

His back was ramrod straight, and his deep eyes were fixed on the tightly closed door, his gaze showing no panic, only a steadfast determination like a rock.

At that moment, he seemed to transform back into the ace investigator who had built the last line of defense for all his comrades in countless desperate situations.

He channeled all his will into an invisible barrier, attempting to use this method to fight against the terrifying being called "Death" behind that door.

After an unknown amount of time, the red light finally went out with a "snap".

The surgeon came out, took off his mask, and had a tired but joyful smile on his face.

"The operation was successful."

Upon hearing those four words, Bai Yu's tense body swayed violently, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

His heart, which had been forcibly suppressed, was finally overwhelmed by a belated surge of ecstasy and lingering fear.

He leaned against the wall and slowly squatted down, burying his face deeply between his arms.

This man, who had always been as strong as steel, finally let out a long-suppressed, silent sob, like a child.

(End of this chapter)