If fate allows, we may yet meet again in dreams.

At first, Si Jiu thought she must be dreaming.

She stared at the familiar man before her, even with his eyes closed still radiating a fierce, restless air, and found it strangely unreal.

"Qi Yan," she called softly.

Why would she dream of him?

In the dream, Qi Yan was leaning back on the sofa with his eyes shut. His hair was a little longer than the last time she had seen him, and a bit disheveled. His lips were dry, his face flushed, and the dark circles under his eyes were severe. One glance was enough to tell he was the sort of person who had not had enough sleep.

"Why do you still look so pitiful even in my dream?" Si Jiu murmured, lifting a hand to poke at his forehead.

The man with his eyes closed had his eyelids flicker a few times, then suddenly opened them.

"...Huanhuan?" His voice was hoarse, thick with disbelief.

Si Jiu's finger was still hovering before his forehead when she was caught in the act. She coughed awkwardly, then remembered she was dreaming and instantly relaxed again.

Qi Yan abruptly sat up and wrapped his arms tightly around Si Jiu's waist. "Huanhuan. Xie Huan."

He called the name over and over, as if he wanted to grind it to pieces between his teeth and swallow it down, just to keep something from slipping away.

Truthfully, it sounded heartbreakingly bitter.

But Si Jiu's emotions did not surge so violently.

She had separated her feelings. Those memories were still there, but as though hidden behind a curtain, carefully tucked away in the deepest corner of her mind.

Yet the sensations in the dream were far too real. She could clearly feel the force of Qi Yan's embrace, the strain in the muscles of his arms, the uncontrollable tremor in his body, and his burning heat.

"After all this time, I finally dreamed of you. Xie Huan, did you miss me so much that you came back to see me?"

Qi Yan lifted his head, his gaze tracing Si Jiu's face again and again before darting anxiously to her neck.

There was no blood spraying there, no torn flesh. Nor were there the stitched marks left behind after the undertaker had sewn her shut.

Qi Yan's eyes turned red. He smiled in relief, and the smile looked almost like a sob.

Si Jiu sighed and reached out to touch his forehead. "You have a fev..."

A crisp chime rang out.

"The cheat delivery interruption has been successfully reconnected. Today's intermittent physical-contact task progress: 13."

Si Jiu was a little dazed.

The system's voice arrived at just the right moment: "Host, headquarters has sent back a reply. There was an error in your task settlement in the X463 plane, but because the settlement cannot be changed, this method is being used to make up the remaining amount."

"This method?"

The system said, "To put it simply, you can think of it as entering Qi Yan's dream."

Si Jiu could barely be bothered to complain.

"Fine. I did feel sorry for Qi Yan at the time, so this is pretty good too."

The system, surprised that its host was being so agreeable, was a little doubtful.

"Qi Yan, you have a fever. Do you have any fever medicine at home?"

Qi Yan shook his head. "Since it's a dream, I don't need medicine. Huanhuan, are you not doing well?"

Si Jiu blinked. "Why would you ask that?"

Qi Yan might truly have been burned stupid by the fever, or maybe because he thought it was a dream and his thoughts were especially chaotic. He did not explain his sudden question. Instead, he said, "This dream feels so real. Huanhuan, I don't want to wake up."

Si Jiu touched his cheek, then his neck, and in one smooth motion finished today's task quota before saying, "Dreams always wake up."

Qi Yan's brows snapped together, and he glared at Si Jiu with a somewhat fierce expression. "Why do you always have to go against me? Why are you always trying to anger me?"

"How am I doing that?" Si Jiu protested, wronged.

"How are you not? I told you to stay close to me, and you had to go chase that suspicious person! Do you know how scared I was when I went looking for you?

"I told you to leave first, and you insisted on saving that murderer.

"Shorty, just how capable do you think you are?

"So what if you're strong? Does that make you something special?"

Si Jiu: Shorty? Heh...

The more he spoke, the angrier he seemed to get. "If you're so impressive, then at least don't get hurt! At least don't make me worry about you! You go around showing off for no reason and fretting for no reason.

"You treat some suspicious staff member better than you treat yourself."

His voice suddenly dropped, carrying an indescribable sadness. "Can't you be a little better to me too? Can't you... care about me a little more?"

By the end, his voice had turned hoarse with tears.

Si Jiu's mind practically exploded, and desire had already clouded her reason.

"Be good, and I'll dote on you right now!"

What a wicked, shameless thing to say, hee hee!!!

The system: I suspect my host is getting suggestive, but I have no proof.