Chapter 106: Haven't Washed My Face Yet

In his dream, Lin Chuan and Wang Yue finally went on a date.

They sat together in a pitch-black, empty movie theater, each holding a bucket of popcorn, occupying the front row as they watched an animated film projected onto the large screen.

But the animation was peculiar—the protagonist was none other than Lin Yiyang, portrayed by a real actor.

“Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be an animated film? How come there’s a live person? And why is Yang Yang in it?” Yet, for Lin Chuan, these questions no longer mattered.

He was immersed in a tender moment. The woman beside him wasn’t exceptionally beautiful; sometimes her temper flared, and she often wore a stern expression.

Still, for reasons he couldn’t explain, he liked her deeply from the bottom of his heart.

Love was a strange, intangible thing—mysterious and elusive. No one could clearly define what liking someone truly was or explain its essence.

Typically, relationships progressed from acquaintance to understanding, then fondness, and finally love. Yet, exceptions existed, such as love at first sight, bypassing the usual steps and igniting immediate affection.

Of course, Lin Chuan and Wang Yue were not struck by love at first sight. At most, they had reached a level of mutual understanding, still far from genuine affection.

But after Lin Chuan left Beining and arrived in the unfamiliar metropolis of the capital, their bond suddenly leapt from mere understanding to fondness.

All this reasoning was irrelevant in the dream. Lin Chuan held the popcorn, while Wang Yue occasionally plucked kernels from the bucket, placing one in Lin Chuan’s mouth and then one in her own.

Eventually, Wang Yue rested her head gently on Lin Chuan’s shoulder.

Together, they watched the animation on the big screen. Lin Yiyang appeared as a brave little warrior, wielding a glowing sword, his expression resolute as he faced off against a massive, fearsome monster.

There was no fear in him, no thought of retreat—just a steadfast confrontation.

Yet, both Lin Chuan and Wang Yue instinctively believed that the little warrior would triumph over the beast, even if the monster was stronger. He could do it, because Lin Chuan’s blood ran through his veins.

The decisive battle was about to begin. Lin Yiyang raised his sword and shouted, leaping into the air to strike the monster fiercely.

The beast roared in fury, digging its four huge claws into the ground before lunging forward.

They met in a single clash, and when both landed, they stood still, locked in a tense standoff—a scene both cool and dramatic.

Lin Yiyang held his sword with one hand, head slightly bowed. The monster panted heavily, its fist-sized eyes filled with bloodthirsty savagery.

At this moment, Lin Chuan held his breath, eyes glued to the screen, anxiously awaiting what would happen next.

Wang Yue mirrored his tension, sitting upright, her hand paused mid-air with popcorn.

Suddenly, the monstrous beast howled toward the sky. Its enormous body split open down the middle, gushing blood that painted the sky and ground crimson.

Seeing this, Lin Chuan and Wang Yue finally relaxed, both giving a thumbs-up to the little warrior inside.

But the little hero slowly turned his head—not to look at the now-dead beast, but facing the screen with a cruel, cold smile curling his lips.

His once bright, watery eyes had turned a deep, bloody red—like a demon thirsting for slaughter and blood.

Suddenly, he began to transform. His body stretched taller, gradually becoming that of an adult.

At the same time, his features shifted—those innocent, adorable boyish looks blurred and faded. His short hair grew longer and longer.

He extended his hand, emitting a chilling laugh as he slowly advanced toward the screen’s edge.

Lin Chuan and Wang Yue both panicked, faces pale as they stared at the suddenly transformed little warrior. As he stepped out of the screen and approached them step by step, they tried to rise, to escape this terrifying theater.

But no matter how hard they tried, their bodies remained frozen, as if held by an invisible spell.

Soon, the distorted, monstrous warrior with a sinister grin reached in front of them. He glanced at Wang Yue first, then fixed his gaze on Lin Chuan.

His grotesquely veined hands slowly reached toward Lin Chuan’s neck...

A scream tore through the air.

Lin Chuan jolted upright on the sofa.

Looking around, he realized he was not in a cinema after all. He breathed a sigh of relief, though his heart still pounded wildly and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Thank goodness it was only a dream...” Lin Chuan wiped the sweat away, panting softly.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” a tender voice asked nearby.

Startled, Lin Chuan nearly jumped from the sofa. Turning around, he saw his son, Lin Yiyang.

The little boy, still sleepy-eyed, stood beside the sofa in an adorable mini pajamas set, rubbing his eyes as he looked at Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan smiled, lightly pinching his son’s cheek. “It’s nothing. Why are you up so early?”

Though he didn’t know the exact time, the sky outside was still dark—surely it was still very early.

Pouting, Lin Yiyang mumbled, “Dad, I wanted to pee and called you several times, but you didn’t get up...”

Hearing this, Lin Chuan laughed sheepishly. If not for that strange nightmare, he might have slept in much longer.

No one else knew, but Lin Chuan was deeply aware—in his dream, he was at the movie theater next door with someone, sharing popcorn and sweetly leaning against each other while watching an animated film starring Lin Yiyang.

After accompanying his son to the bathroom, Lin Chuan couldn’t fall back asleep. Checking his phone, he saw it was already 5:30 a.m. Not much longer before he’d have to get up to prepare breakfast for his son.

So, after coaxing Lin Yiyang back to sleep, Lin Chuan leaned against the headboard alone, staring into the darkness outside the window.

Truthfully, the earlier part of the nightmare had been quite beautiful... even now, recalling it, he couldn’t help but smile faintly.

But nightmares were just nightmares—such terrifying things couldn’t happen in reality. The thought of going to watch a movie with Wang Yue that evening stirred a small excitement within him.

And so, he sat there alone, the lights off, imagining what might happen during their movie night.

---

By just after seven in the morning, Lin Chuan was dressed and busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for his son.

A knock sounded at the door. Lin Chuan, puzzled, went to open it and found Wang Yue smiling brightly on the doorstep.

“Has Yiyang gotten up yet? I just finished making breakfast. Let’s eat together.”

“Uh... is that okay?” Lin Chuan chuckled nervously.

The moment he opened the door and saw Wang Yue, he immediately recalled sending her a text last night and the nightmare. A wave of embarrassment washed over him, and he avoided her gaze, glancing around elsewhere.

Yet, Wang Yue acted as if nothing had happened, completely natural, as if the text from last night was never sent.

Just as Lin Chuan spoke, he heard running footsteps inside. Lin Yiyang hurried from the bedroom to the door, saying, “Dad, let’s eat at Sister Yue’s place.”

That brat always showed up at the most critical moments—but this was just what Lin Chuan wanted.

He forced a laugh and ruffled his son’s hair.

Wang Yue crouched down, smiling, “Yiyang, you’d better wash your face and brush your teeth quickly, or Sister Yue might eat up all your share.”

“Okay, I’m going now.” Lin Yiyang nodded vigorously and dashed off toward the bathroom.

Seeing how prompt his son was, Lin Chuan was amazed.

Usually, the little guy was a difficult riser and hated washing his face or brushing his teeth, always wanting to stay in bed a little longer.

But today, he had completely changed. Hearing they’d eat at Wang Yue’s place, he gave up his lazy morning and eagerly went to wash up.

Lin Chuan felt utterly defeated for the first time.

“Why don’t you wash up too? I’m heading back now... Oh, I checked online. There’s an animated film screening at 7:30 tonight at the nearby Star Cinema. I already booked the tickets.” With that, Wang Yue turned and left.

Lin Chuan stood frozen until her figure disappeared from view before snapping back to reality.

Already booked? That was fast. And how did she know he hadn’t washed his face? Was it really that obvious?

Walking into the bathroom, he saw his son splashing water vigorously on his face.

“Slow down, you’re getting your clothes wet. Dad will help you wash...” Lin Chuan chuckled.

The little boy stopped, obediently standing still as his father’s large hands clumsily rubbed his face.

After washing, just as Lin Chuan reached for a towel to dry his son’s face, Lin Yiyang spoke.

“Dad, I’m grown up now. I can dry my own face. You should wash yours too,” the boy said matter-of-factly.

Lin Chuan was stunned. Even his son had noticed he hadn’t washed his face?

“How did you know I didn’t wash?” he asked.

“Because you have drool on the corner of your mouth,” Lin Yiyang giggled, pointing.

Lin Chuan instinctively touched his mouth—nothing, it felt dry. But since his son said so, maybe he was tricking him.

He stepped before the mirror and froze. His face had turned green with embarrassment—the drool had dried into a clear white streak hanging at the corner of his mouth.

What a humiliation.