With that in mind, Chen Youzai swam around near the shore for a bit. The temperature and depth seemed normal enough, so he began swimming toward the middle of the lake. Halfway there, he realized the person in the water was a middle-aged man. He would have to approach from behind; if the man panicked and started struggling, he might drag both of them under.
Once he had decided what to do, Chen Youzai swam over. As soon as he reached the man, he grabbed him by the hair and dragged him toward shore. The whole time, the man felt strangely light, almost weightless.
Only after they reached land did Chen Youzai realize how solidly built the man was. He gave an awkward laugh and asked, “Um… did you get stranded here too? I can’t find my way back either. If you really want to thank me, why don’t we head back together?”
As he spoke, Chen Youzai shamelessly looped an arm around the man’s, as though afraid he might escape. The man’s face remained completely expressionless. Perhaps it was because dusk was falling, but Chen Youzai thought the man looked unnaturally dark all over. He felt along the man’s arm and discovered there was no warmth in his body at all. Remembering how eerily light he had been in the water, Chen Youzai felt a chill race up his spine.
Could he be… could he be… dead? A vengeful ghost?
Chen Youzai screamed and shot into the woods like an arrow. Every time he remembered the man’s blank expression and that body that felt as light and dry as chaff, he ran faster, until he was tearing through the trees with no idea where he was going.
At last, Chen Youzai’s legs gave out and he collapsed. When he managed to lift his head, another pair of feet appeared in front of him. He jerked his gaze upward, saw the familiar face, scrambled back to his feet, and fled in the opposite direction.
Gasping so hard he felt as though his lungs might come out, Chen Youzai leaned against a tree and looked around. The man was nowhere in sight. He slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself staring straight into another pair of unfocused eyes.
Chen Youzai crumpled to the ground. At this point, he was certain he was dreaming. Whenever he dreamed, stomping hard on the ground usually jolted him awake. So, with the last of his strength, he stamped his feet several times. Sure enough, Chen Youzai promptly lost consciousness.
When Chen Youzai woke again, the first thing he saw was that same haunting face. He hurriedly shut his eyes. Looks like the dream is still going. Fine. I’ll just keep sleeping.
“I only wanted to repay you…”
Chen Youzai heard a deep voice. He cautiously opened one eye and discovered that the man finally had an expression on his face. He even seemed to be sighing.
Forget it. It’s only a dream. I can’t die here, so I might as well have some fun. With that thought, Chen Youzai sprang nimbly to his feet, only then realizing that the “bed” he had been lying on was actually a slab of stone.
“I should be able to fly, right?” Chen Youzai jumped with all his strength, only to land solidly on the ground. There was none of the weightless freedom he expected from a dream, and disappointment washed over him.
“I lay at the bottom of that lake for three years. You were the only person willing to save me, so I decided to repay you.”
Only then did Chen Youzai realize the man was actually speaking to him. He waved magnanimously. “No need to thank me. It was nothing.”