Chapter 8

Tang Ning opened his eyes, and before him was still that gray, hazy world. He let out a desperate roar, got up, and ran forward frantically.

He was certain that he had really slept, and for quite some time, as his body had recovered some strength. Yet, he was still in this world.

Don't stay here; he didn't want to stay here.

He ran forward, kept running, until he collapsed from exhaustion once again.

Tears welled up in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks and onto the ground. He had to accept this reality: this was not a dream; he truly existed in this place.

He lay there for a long time, then got up and dragged his weary body forward. This place must have an end; if he kept moving forward, he would eventually leave it, he thought.

He walked for a very long time, until his legs trembled and he could no longer support himself. He stopped, panting heavily, and after a while, continued walking.

Walking and resting, he didn't know how long it had been, when suddenly, he felt a dizzying sensation, as if the world was spinning. It seemed to last only a moment, yet it felt like an eternity. He opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Liu Ruhan's flawless face. They were hugging each other, their faces touching, and they were covered by a red quilt.

Tang Ning looked around, feeling the warmth of his body and the soft, smooth sensation on his face, which was the real touch of Liu Ruhan's skin.

He's back; he's really back.

Tang Ning touched his left cheek, which was smooth as jade, with no trace of redness or swelling. He was so excited that he almost shouted.

He tightly embraced Liu Ruhan's soft body, gently rubbing his face against hers.

Liu Ruhan was woken by his movements, and she opened her eyes groggily, looking at him.

"It's fine, go back to sleep!" Tang Ning whispered. It was still early, and the sky had not yet turned light.

Liu Ruhan slightly turned her head, kissed his cheek, and then closed her eyes.

Tang Ning looked at the ceiling, wide awake and afraid to sleep, fearing that he would fall back into that terrifying place.

He looked around, at the ground, the windows, and the person in his arms, and suddenly realized how beautiful the world he lived in was.

Before, his mind was always focused on revenge, but now he understood that there was something more important than revenge: the person in his arms, Liu Ruhan.

He could put revenge aside, but she must never leave him.

In that place, when he confirmed it was not a dream, the first thing he thought of was not the failure to seek revenge, but her.

He worried that she would be bullied in the future, that she would be scared when she woke up and found him gone, and that she would be sad and upset if she couldn't find him.

Tang Ning tightly held her in his arms and gently kissed her moist lips.

He was finally back, but what was that dream? Tang Ning was unsure if it was really a dream. If it was, it was too real.

It felt like a personal experience, and he remembered every moment clearly. If not for the lack of redness and swelling on his face, he would have suspected that he had really been to that place.

Moreover, he had stayed there for a very long time. What was going on? Was it really just a dream? Tang Ning was puzzled and could only console himself that it was a strange dream.

The darkness slowly dissipated, and the sky turned light.

Tang Ning gently patted Liu Ruhan's shoulder: "Ruhuan, I need to get up."

Liu Ruhan opened her eyes, got out of bed, and prepared his washing items, then went to fetch water for him.

"Ruhuan, I can do it myself, you should go back to sleep!" Tang Ning said.

Liu Ruhan ignored him, fetched the water, and Tang Ning washed up and left.

Liu Ruhan watched him leave, and only after his figure disappeared did she lock the door and climb back into bed.

Tang Ning arrived at the foot of the mountain, where no one else was yet. It was about half an hour before the gathering time. He had come early to warm up and exercise before others arrived.

He had no choice; his foundation was weak, and he couldn't compare to those who had practiced martial arts since childhood. He had also arrived two months late, and if he didn't work hard, he would never catch up to them.

At the foot of the mountain, he kicked two hundred high kicks and threw two hundred punches, then started jogging up the mountain.

After jogging for a while, he couldn't continue and walked quickly. He calculated the time and decided to go down the mountain when he thought it was about right, reserving fifteen minutes for rest.

When he returned to the foot of the mountain, most people had already arrived. They looked at him in surprise as he came down the mountain, drenched in sweat.

Tang Ning joined the line, panting heavily. Gu Chengqian walked over: "Where have you been? I called out to you this morning, but no one answered."

"I came very early," Tang Ning replied.

"Why did you come so early? By the way, what were you doing just now? Why are you all sweaty?"

"My foundation is weaker than yours, and I arrived late, so I thought I should work harder. I came early to practice punches and run up the mountain."

"Oh, I see!" Gu Chengqian nodded.

As they were talking, Xi Ti arrived and gave the order to start running up the mountain.

Everyone ran up the mountain, and Tang Ning ran too, but he soon couldn't keep up, and the distance between him and the others grew larger and larger until he could no longer see them.

When he couldn't run anymore, he stopped and walked slowly, then continued running when he had recovered some strength. Just like the previous day, when he came down the mountain, the others were already doing their second task.

Xi Ti was still waiting for him, gave him two steamed buns, and after a fifteen-minute rest, the second task began.

He still hadn't finished by the time the lunch break arrived. After eating, he returned to his room and slept with Liu Ruhan.

In the afternoon, he continued to complete the unfinished tasks. Overall, he made some progress compared to the previous day, and by the end of the day, he had completed his high kick task.

In the evening, after eating, he returned to his room and lay on the bed. Liu Ruhan gently massaged his back.

After a while, Gu Chengqian came, and Tang Ning immediately pulled him over to teach him the Gu family boxing.

The three of them went to the foot of the mountain, and Liu Ruhan followed. Tang Ning didn't want her to come, as it was quite cold, but she insisted.

"Stand like this, keep your arms straight, and your legs should not be like that. The back leg should be slightly bent, and when you exert force, use your whole body. Raise your hands a bit higher."

Tang Ning learned with a serious expression, and Gu Chengqian corrected him step by step. Liu Ruhan sat nearby, watching them.

At night, after extinguishing the candle and locking the door, Liu Ruhan snuggled into Tang Ning's arms, pressing her face against his.

Tang Ning held her and gently kissed her lips.

Liu Ruhan looked up at him with her big, watery eyes, and Tang Ning kissed her again.

Liu Ruhan smiled, filled with joy, and tightly hugged him.

"My father used to say that you are our family's daughter-in-law. In the future, when others ask who you are, I won't say you're my sister; I'll say you're my fiancée. Is that okay?" Tang Ning said.

Liu Ruhan nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.

"Ruhuan, let's make it official. No changing your mind. When we grow up, we'll get married."

"After we get married, I'll save money to buy a big courtyard, and all the money will be managed by you."

"If we have money, we can open a tavern. I'll be the owner, and you'll be the owner's wife, but you won't work. It's not good for you to be seen by others too much. We'll hire a few workers, and you can stay at home with me."

The moon hung high in the sky, and crows flew among the branches.

After a tiring day, Tang Ning fell asleep, dreaming of the future.

Liu Ruhan rubbed her face against his, her eyes fixed on the ground, lost in thought, but her face occasionally broke into a smile.

After a while, she looked up at Tang Ning, leaned down, and kissed the corner of his mouth. A moment later, she kissed him again, her eyes filled with joy.

As if he were a precious treasure, Liu Ruhan tightly held him, rubbing her face against his, and occasionally leaning over to kiss his cheek.

Again, that feeling came, the world spinning, and his body sinking.

Tang Ning opened his eyes to the same gray, hazy world. He was no longer afraid or panicked, though he didn't know where he was. He knew he would eventually return, and that was enough.

He couldn't tell where he was; everything around him was gray and indistinguishable.

If he was at the same place he left last time, he would continue walking and eventually find the end.

But if he appeared at the same place as yesterday, it meant he would always appear there, and walking forward would be meaningless.

Regardless, he decided to walk forward and see what happened.

One thing he was sure of was that this was not a simple dream.

He walked forward, kept walking, for a very long time, until his legs and feet were numb. After resting for a while, he continued walking.

As he walked, the world spun, and he opened his eyes to look out the window. The sky was still dark.

Liu Ruhan was sleeping in his arms, and he held her tighter.

Outside, the clear chirping of birds could be heard. He didn't know the exact time, but it felt similar to when he woke up the previous day. He wondered if he would wake up at the same time every day.

He clearly remembered that he had rested three times in that place, each time until his legs and feet were numb.

After a while, the sky turned light, and Tang Ning woke Liu Ruhan.

Liu Ruhan got out of bed, fetched water, and prepared his washing items. She watched him leave and then closed the door, lying back in bed.

Tang Ning came to the foot of the mountain, practiced high kicks, threw punches, and ran up the mountain.

When he returned to the foot of the mountain, he left fifteen minutes for rest, and Xi Ti arrived, starting the day's tasks.

In the evening, after eating, he practiced the Gu family boxing with Gu Chengqian and then slept with Liu Ruhan.

The dream came as expected, and he found himself in that place again.

Just like the previous two days, he walked until the dream ended, and he wanted to know what was at the end of that place.

This went on for seven days. He walked for seven days in that dream, but found nothing. He had tried to mark his path, but it didn't work.

Whether he marked the place where he first appeared or where he left, everything was gone by the next day.

On the eighth day, he no longer insisted and stayed in one place until the dream ended.

On the ninth day, he decided to use this place to do something useful for himself, and he started practicing the Gu family boxing.

In the following days, he did his daily tasks during the day and practiced boxing in that place at night.

After thirty to forty days, he could keep up with most people's speed and complete his daily tasks on time.

He had become very proficient in the Gu family boxing, using it with fluidity, which surprised Gu Chengqian.

During this time, he met Qin Luo once.

It was in the morning when he got up early to run up the mountain. Qin Luo remembered him and encouraged him a few times.

Qin Luo casually asked about Liu Ruhan, and Tang Ning answered accordingly.

"Take good care of your sister. She's quite attached to you. The last time I suggested she live in a separate room, she refused and almost cried," Qin Luo said with a smile.

"She's not my sister; she's my fiancée," Tang Ning replied.

"Ah?" Qin Luo's eyes widened, and he laughed and left.

Days passed, and four months went by. One day, Tang Ning and the others gathered at the foot of the mountain as usual.