Hypnos and Figs

Lin Jia Ji did sign up for Fei Ran’s modelling class, but she didn’t tell Figs about it.

She knew that this was slightly rude, but if she had signed up through Figs, she would inevitably reveal her real name that she would use for the class. In addition, since it’s an online class, students may be required to speak through their microphones.

She has concealed her online persona for so many years that she felt as though she had a commitment to continue doing so, as though she was a feral beast who instinctively knew to cover up their traces in the wilderness. She wanted to protect both her personas.

The online class ended up squeezing out the last drop of whatever free time Lin Jia Ji had left, so she had to cut back on her usual posting schedule and focus on dealing with the 3D modelling software. 

Fortunately for her, having played around with Gundams for so many years, her understanding of three-dimensional space is somewhat ahead of her classmates, which meant that she was able to catch on very quickly. 

On this day, a self-made floating cannon appeared for the first time in Hypnos’ picture. With the addition of colouring and lighting, the seemingly simple parts added a sense of unearthly solemnness which evoked an image of an intergalactic battlefield to anyone who saw it.

Hypnos’ fans couldn’t be more overjoyed. There were some who remembered the punk who had previously looked down on her, and they immediately tagged the punk to show himself in the comments.  

“@Watching the Night Investigator Come on, aren’t you the aLL-KnOwING kInG? Take a look at the GK you boasted about.”

​​The ‘all-knowing king’ really appeared in the comments.

“I see, what about it? I haven’t been online for a few days, and you just made this? Well, I’ll graciously tag a few great gods for you to learn from, no need to thank me.” 

He then tagged an additional four users. 

Three of the tagged users ignored him, and the remaining one, who had followed Lin Jia Ji’s account, replied to him. 

“who you?”

​​Lin Jia Ji suddenly realized that there was a missing person in the comments, so she scrolled through it and sure enough, her roommate was missing.

After the all-knowing king’s childish fit online, Yu Sheng had went online and quietly deleted his comments. 

Lin Jia Ji didn’t know what her roommate was feeling.

Even her Weibo was left un-updated for several days.

Lin Jia Ji was slightly curious and wanted to know how she could have endured such a boyfriend, so she dug out Yu Sheng’s WeChat which she had archived, and looked at her homepage. 

It turns out that she had posted a status last night. 

“How should I continue?”

Yu Sheng was vague, and Lin Jia Ji had an inkling that her boyfriend was probably blocked from seeing this status. Two days later, in the middle of the night, she posted a photo of their dorms in college along with the caption, “I miss everyone so much”.

Yu Sheng may have really fallen into despair. When Lin Jia Ji saw it, only one roommate had liked it, and it was unsure if the others had seen it or was simply too busy to do so.

Happy memories of them in university flash across Lin Jia Ji’s mind and her heart couldn’t bear to ignore her. She finally overcame her laziness and sent her a message. 

“Are you free? Do you want to come out for a meal?”

They agreed to meet up to drink. 

Lin Jia Ji had an impression of Yu Sheng’s chubby and round face. After so many years, though unsure whether it was because of weight loss, collagen loss or plastic surgery, but she had lost whatever fat there was in her cheeks. She looked slim, but tired.

Lin Jia Ji did not expect her roommate to end up in such a state. She suddenly felt the power of time, and felt a little glum. 

But as soon as Yu Sheng sat down across her, she said, “You haven’t changed at all.”

“Really?” Lin Jia Ji was doubtful.

“You must be doing well.” Yu Sheng said, with hints of envy and self-pity in her tone.

Sure enough, after three rounds of drinking, Yu Sheng opened up and talked about her boyfriend, who she was on the verge of breaking up with. She didn’t mention the strife on the Internet – the problems in their daily life were too much to count – from his ‘better than everyone mentality and therefore ‘know-it-all’ behaviour, right down to even her outfits.

Lin Jia Ji’s frown deepened.  “Then why did you even agree to go out with him?”

“I don’t know, maybe because he’s handsome.”

Lin Jia Ji was dumbfounded.

“Are you still in secondary school?”

“I’m complaining now because I’m starting to find grass greener on the other side. But nobody in this world can have everything they want, everyone has only one good trait; the rich have no class, and those with class don’t look good. Since I can only have one trait, I choose looks then. I’ll just close an eye to the other shortcomings.”

Lin Jia Ji: “…If you’re happy, that’s fine.”

Yu Sheng didn’t say a word, and sighed again.

Lin Jia Ji thought about her words for a long time, and asked, “Do you really have to have a boyfriend?”

“I can’t not have a boyfriend.” Yu Sheng’s face was flushed. “When you’re alone, after waking in the middle of the night and getting water for yourself, you see nothing but your cat snoring away in the dark, do you how this feels?”

Lin Jia Ji didn’t know. She didn’t have cats at home, just three walls of models, robots and figurines.

Yu Sheng: “Even now, when I’m with him, it’s happier than being alone. Do you know what loneliness is? Humans have always been gregarious animals and we rely on staying in groups to survive. Being alone will awaken those ancient DNA our ancestors have made use of to find a new group.”

​​Lin Jia Ji fell into a moment of silence and couldn’t help but reflect in her heart.

Was she born without such DNA? Was she ill?

She was originally here to help her roommate cheer up, but they have already finished cups and cups of alcohol without realising. Yu Sheng was already drunk; she was lying motionlessly on the bar table. Lin Jia Ji called her name several times, but to no avail. When she turned her head to get a look of her surroundings, she realized that she was becoming dizzy.

She supported her head and thought for a while. 

Taking out her phone, she searched for a person to help carry Yu Sheng, but she couldn’t think of who was suitable for such labour. As she was evaluating the safety of finding a replacement-driver, a message flashed on her screen. 

“Supper?”

Sender: Fei Ge.

Lin Jia Ji stared at the name that hasn’t shown up for more than half a month. Using the courage she had gained from alcohol, she replied, “My friend and I are drunk, can you come pick me up?”

​​Fei Ge didn’t ask any further questions. 

“Send me your location, I’ll be there soon.”

Fei Ge came quickly. He was still wearing a suit, seemingly having come after working overtime. He looked out of place when talking towards them.

He looked at Yu Sheng, who was lying on her back, and then stared at Lin Jia Ji for a few seconds, his eyes evaluating how much consciousness she had left.

Lin Jia Ji held up her head and smiled. 

“I’m fine, but my head is a little dizzy. Can you take her out with me?”

Fei Ge nodded, but instead of helping Yu Sheng, he squatted down with his back to them.

“I’ll carry her, it’s faster.”

​​After a while, Fei ge started the car. “Where do I take her to?”

Yu Sheng was asleep in the car’s back seat.

Lin Jia Ji, who was sitting in the car’s passenger seat, was worried. 

“I don’t know where she lives, and I can’t unlock her phone, I can only send her to my house.”

Just then, Yu Sheng’s phone vibrated. The display caller on the screen showed a male name.

Lin Jia Ji was overjoyed, picked it up quickly and put the call on speaker. 

“Hi, I’m Yu Sheng’s friend.”

A young male voice sounded. “Where’s Yu Sheng?”

Lin Jia Ji guessed that this voice belonged to the nasty boyfriend. She couldn’t help herself frowning, but her voice remained amiable. 

“She’s drunk. We’re taking her home. Do you know her address? Can you send it over?”

The other party: “We? Where did Yu Sheng drink without telling me? Who are you?”

Lin Jia Ji: “… I’m her friend from university.”

What was with his attitude? Was he interrogating prisoners? Fei Ge also heard the replies and said briefly, “Ask him to send the address over.”

The other party immediately raised his voice. “A guy is there as well? Tell me clearly which bar she’s at, which bar?”

​​This time, Fei Ge frowned.

Lin Jia Ji took a deep breath, motioned for Fei Ge to not to speak, then moved her finger to the hang up button, and suddenly : “Oh, her phone is about to run out of battery, forget it, I’ll take her back for a night. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely…”

She hung up.

Then, she immediately switched the phone off. 

Fei Ge gave her a brief glance and smiled. “Why did you hang up?”

“I don’t feel safe giving Yu Sheng to him. This person’s crazy, and he attacked me onli…” 

Lin Jia Ji suddenly realised that her tongue had almost slipped. Alcohol wasn’t helping either, it slowed her down and she spent a long time thinking about what to say next but ended up realising that keeping her mouth shut would be the best course of action to take.

Fortunately, Fei Ge didn’t think much about it. 

“You misunderstood, I meant to ask, why didn’t say something?”

Lin Jia Ji was quiet for a while, as if she was analysing her subconscious mind.

 “Yu Sheng herself hasn’t made the decision by herself, so I can’t do anything now.” She was no longer a hot-headed youth; acts that are thankless is simply something she will not do.

While Fei Ge was driving, Lin Jia Ji briefly talked about Yu Sheng’s situation since there was no other topics, and concluded with a long sigh. “I really don’t understand why people insist on having relationships.”

She only realised that it was out of place to say this after uttering loud. At least, this was something she shouldn’t have said it to a prospective partner.

Unexpectedly, Fei Ge agreed, “I don’t understand too.”

Lin Jia Ji was stunned for a while: “You think about this too?”

“I think in this current day and age, it’s impossible for people to not have mulled over this question some point in their life.”

Fei Ge didn’t think there was anything wrong with this topic at all. “Life is difficult, but for a relationship, I’ll still have to introduce a new unknown, then spend time, money, energy, feelings to cultivate It, which may or may not even come into fruition.”

“There is also a possibility of encountering weirdos.” Lin Jia Ji added, and to which, Fei Ge agreed. “It’s also possible to encounter a weirdo.” 

He then paused, suddenly reflecting on whether he had the right to call others weirdos.

Lin Jia Ji: “It’s like buying a lottery ticket. Even if you meet the right person, it still disrupts your original life and you end up accommodating your lifestyle for them, and you may not even be happier…”

It’s time to shut up, she told herself rationally. Despite so, she heard her drunken voice mumbling off. 

“Yu Sheng just said that everyone has their weaknesses, and I have yet to find mine. I think of myself as a zero, if they can’t help increase my points, then they’re only subtracting my points.”

A zero. Fei Ge’s mouth suddenly twitched.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Jia Ji felt the last sentence was weird, but pretended not to notice.

“Hmm? Nothing.” Fei Ge held onto the steering wheel and stared straight ahead.

​​Fei Ge carried Yu Sheng to Lin Jia Ji’s door.

Lin Jia Ji unlocked the door with her fingerprint lock and had no choice but to invite Fei Ge in. “Thanks for your help, you can just put her on the sofa.”

She switched on the lights in the living room and went into her bedroom to find blankets.

Fei Ge transferred Yu Sheng onto the sofa, straightened his back and looked around. Spacious, warm, clean with minimal furniture; there was nothing striking about her home at first glance. It was just another apartment. Next to her bedroom however, was another room with the door shut. Fei Ge suddenly remembered his study, which was permanently locked but he shook off this thought. It was probably just a storage room. Lin Jia Ji brought a quilt for Yu Sheng, and wanted to pour a glass of water for Fei Ge, but when she stood up, her head ran dizzy and she fell back on the sofa, which almost crushed Yu Sheng’s legs.

Seeing this, Fei Ge held her down. “You should rest. Is there anything in the fridge? I’ll go make some hangover soup.”

​​Even though Fei Ge had never experience something this, having lived for so many years, he knew what to do. After searching in the fridge, he found some tomatoes, eggs, and mushrooms. Sitting on the edge of the sofa and underneath the drowsy lights, Lin Jia Ji could hear the sounds of someone beating eggs in the kitchen, suddenly, Yu Sheng’s words flashed in her head.

“When you’re alone, after waking in the middle of the night and getting water for yourself, you see nothing but your cat snoring away in the dark, do you how this feels?”

She then heard the click of the gas stove, and the whirring of the exhaust fan. After a while, the warm aroma of soup wafted out. She conducted an analysis in her head shamefully. Yu Sheng said that people can only have one good trait, but with Fei Ge, she can already see multiple good traits.

A relationship doesn’t seem… impossible.

​​After a while, Fei Ge served a bowl on the coffee table in front of Lin Jia Ji. “It’s still hot, so let it cool for a while.”

“Okay.” Lin Jia Ji looked at him. Fei Ge stood quietly for a while, and then shifted his attention away. “I’ll go first?”

“Okay.” Lin Jia Ji got up, “I’ll send you.”

“It’s okay.” But Lin Jia Ji had already followed him out.

Fei Ge turned to look at her in the corridor. Under the dim lights, her face seemed especially blurry. “Go back and rest well.”

Lin Jia Ji didn’t respond nor return, choosing instead to step out of the apartment, into the corridor, and with her palms, she closed the door behind her. Fei Ge sensed the change in atmosphere and froze. Leaning against her door, Lin Jia Ji looked up at him, half sober and half tipsy, and thought something to herself. 

Since she was going to give it a try…

She reached out and grabbed Fei Ge’s collar.

Her movements weren’t violent by any means, but unexpectedly, Fei Ge fell slightly toward her. As a result, his glasses slid down his nose’s bridge, and his eyes went out of focus, revealing a pair of stupefied eyes behind the lenses. Lin Jia Ji chuckled softly and raised her hands to straighten his glasses for him. She then took advantage of the situation and cupped his cheek as her hands glided down his face. 

The lamps in the corridor hummed softly as barks from a dog sounded faintly behind the neighbours’ doors. The air felt slightly warmer around the two as Fei Ge rested his hands on Lin Jia Ji’s waist.

His palms felt like they were burning, but perhaps it was because her skin felt especially cooling to the touch.