Circle of Inevitability

Lumian stepped back two paces and sat down on the waiting bench outside the classroom across the hall.

His fingers moved deftly as he accessed Anderson Hood's Moments feed.

"Yesterday: Other people's failures are my successes.

"August 14: Everyone has different talents. Some have a talent for language, some for art, some for being ordinary.

"August 13: My roommate really died. He got Game Over in this game called life.

"August 12: Love is also a kind of war. Hunters can also cull. To Da Nizi.

"August 11: As long as you don't get angry, others will get angry.

…

"August 2: Friend, you really scrolled down this far? Respect my privacy a bit!"

Lumian continued scrolling down expressionlessly, with no further content afterwards. Then, he saw a familiar yet slightly different prompt:

"—Only 30 days of Moments are visible—"

Lumian chuckled, brought the phone close to his mouth, and sent Anderson a voice message, briefly introducing himself to see if Anderson would respond and whether his reply might have a hidden meaning.

After sitting for another two minutes, he saw someone approaching from the direction of the reception desk.

The person was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and light-colored sneakers. His short black hair was neatly combed, and he had deep brown eyes behind a pair of half-rimmed, light gold glasses. His facial features were gentle, with a hint of handsomeness. He was carrying a black shoulder bag and was the main target of Lumian and his team's journey into the dream—Zhou Mingrui, the dream manifestation of Mr. Fool.

Lumian looked up as if he had just noticed the footsteps, directing his gaze towards Zhou Mingrui.

He realized that the current Zhou Mingrui was more distinct from Gehrman Sparrow: both had originally come from the same Zhou Mingrui, but their paths had diverged significantly—one leaning towards a gentle and handsome style, the other emphasizing sharpness and coldness.

Zhou Mingrui noticed Lumian's gaze and looked in his direction.

Lumian smiled and nodded slightly.

Zhou Mingrui paused, unsure why this stranger was greeting him, but he politely nodded back.

Lumian withdrew his gaze and refocused his attention on the still-dark phone screen.

He noticed that while his reflection could still be considered handsome, it no longer had the kind of allure that would attract a celebrity scout's attention.

He had adjusted his appearance with Lie, toning down his looks to blend in more naturally.

Zhou Mingrui gave him a puzzled glance before turning and entering the Business English class.

After a few more minutes, Ai Nana, the principal of Dream Tutoring Classes, entered the Business English classroom with her lesson plan, while a man wearing a floral bow tie went to the Beginner English class to assist Anderson Hood.

Lumian glanced at the camera on the ceiling, then, like most of the parents waiting in different areas of the hallway, he spent time on his phone.

A few of the parents who knew each other chatted.

"My Zihan can have conversations in English now."

"Really? Ours started Beginner classes too late; still working hard on it."

"Look at that kid; he hasn't stopped talking."

"Probably his first day of class. It happens. My Zihan was a bit unsettled at first too. This is when parents need to step in more."

"…"

Lumian paid no attention to these conversations, focusing intently on the photos he had taken of the frost-covered blackboard, once again immersing himself in the conspiratorial world of analyzing details.

Occasionally, he also checked local news and trending videos to stay updated on major changes in the dream city.

The Beginner English class took two breaks, during which Ludwig took the opportunity to come over and replenish his food supplies, soothing his wounded spirit.

The Business English class only took one break, but Lumian didn't approach Zhou Mingrui, merely watching him from the corner of his eye as he briefly went to the restroom and returned.

The Business English class ended ten minutes earlier than the Beginner class, and Lumian quickly stood up, blocking Zhou Mingrui's path.

With a smile, he said, "Hello, how do you find the Business English class? I'm curious."

Seeing the confusion on Zhou Mingrui's face, Lumian explained further, "I'm here for my kid's Beginner English class, but after listening in on your Business English class from outside, I thought it was pretty good. I'm considering joining too, so I won't waste time waiting."

"Here with your kid?" Zhou Mingrui instinctively questioned.

No matter how he looked, this man appeared much younger than him, like a college student.

And he already has a kid?

"Yes, my son," Lumian replied with a smile.

Son… a son old enough for a Beginner English class… Zhou Mingrui resisted the urge to twitch the corner of his mouth.

He had been out of college and in the workforce for two or three years now, and he didn't even have a girlfriend yet. Meanwhile, this guy who looked like a college student already had a four or five-year-old son!

Did he have a high school romance that led to a child?

Indeed, good-looking people have all the luck…

Zhou Mingrui sincerely replied, "Principal Ai is highly skilled, but the Business English class itself requires a certain foundation."

He suspected that this young man across from him might have dropped out of high school to get married and never attended college, so he kindly reminded him that the Business English class required some background knowledge.

"I see…" Lumian nodded thoughtfully, then sincerely said, "Thank you."

He took a step back and didn't ask Zhou Mingrui anything else.

For a first encounter, moderation was key!

Then, he would observe any subsequent developments.

Zhou Mingrui was curious but wasn't one to pry into others' private lives. He stood at the doors of different classrooms, observing.

After a while, the Beginner English class ended, and Lumian quickly handed Ludwig a lollipop, taking his hand and leading him out of Dream Tutoring Classes.

Ludwig looked to be around seven or eight years old. If Zhou Mingrui saw him, he would definitely be left with a deep impression—an eight-year-old son with a father who seemed to be in his early twenties. Someone in this family must have broken the law!

Leaving a deep impression on Mr. Fool's dream manifestation wasn't part of Lumian's plan today; it wouldn't help in ruling out options.

After buying a bunch of steamed buns and pickled vegetables to fill Ludwig's stomach, Lumian had a proper dinner with the boy and then checked into a cheap hotel.

He turned on the TV for Ludwig, randomly picked a cartoon, and scrolled his phone, his thumb hovering over Anderson Hood's WeChat avatar.

Ultimately, he didn't send another message to this "foreign teacher" who seemed to perceive the true nature of the dream, opting to see if Anderson would take the initiative to contact him and provide any clues.

…

In the rental apartment.

Franca was leaning against the bed, scrolling through her phone, but her thoughts weren't entirely focused on it. She was worried about how things were going on Lumian's end.

Formally engaging Zhou Mingrui could bring about unwanted changes!

Jenna felt the same, pacing back and forth in the room from time to time.

Suddenly, Franca sat up straight, frowning.

"I keep feeling like I've forgotten something…

"Is this my spiritual intuition reminding me?"

The next second, without needing divination, she quickly remembered what she had forgotten.

"Right! Today's the day for the Double Color Ball lottery draw!

"I completely forgot!"

She hurriedly checked the results, her mouth slowly opening in disbelief.

"We won?" Jenna asked, both curious and excited.

"We won… we won!" Franca was first dazed, then overjoyed. "We won the second prize which had twenty bets, with a total prize of more than 150,000 yuan."

She then rubbed her face.

"Do I really have this kind of luck?

"No, could Lumian's ability to influence fate still have this effect?"

"Over 150,000?" Jenna was stunned.

These past few days of living frugally had made her quite content with even a few thousand yuan, and now, all of a sudden, it was in the tens of thousands, with two digits in front of those zeros!

Franca got off the bed and started pacing.

"If we save a bit more, we could rent some of those intriguing items from Star Dream Provisions Store."

"Shouldn't we first think about paying off the micro-loans?" Jenna reminded Franca.

"We haven't reached the due date yet." Franca's excitement was tinged with worry. "Winning such a large sum at once, won't it attract the lottery department's attention? Or even the Celestial Worthy's gaze…"

Before Jenna could respond, Franca continued speaking to herself.

"It's only a little over 100,000. What is that? The person who won the first prize had made more than thirty bets, each worth 5 million! We're just nibbling on the crumbs that slipped through someone else's fingers…"

…

In Binzhi Hotel.

After supper, Ludwig had fallen asleep on the other bed, while Lumian lay awake, leaning against the pillow, silently watching the dark screen and the room faintly illuminated by moonlight.

So far, Anderson hadn't sent him any messages, and directly interacting with Zhou Mingrui hadn't led to any noticeable abnormalities—his actions were unrestricted, and he hadn't been ejected from the dream.

As time ticked by, Lumian suddenly heard a booming thunderclap and saw the night sky outside the curtains briefly illuminated by a flash of silver lightning.

The thunder rumbled continuously, and rain poured down all night, only easing at dawn.

Lumian stayed awake the whole night, greeting the daylight with a clear mind.

He checked his phone and saw numerous reports of flooding and waterlogged areas, with some subway lines suspended for the day.

Is this symbolic? And if so, what does it symbolize? After stuffing Ludwig with a bunch of steamed buns, Lumian took him out for noodles nearby.

He ordered pea paste noodles for himself and tomato and egg noodles for Ludwig.

The peas were stewed until soft and tender, absorbing the sauce, making the noodles fragrant and flavorful. Lumian ordered two small bowls, ate one and a half, and left the remaining half for Ludwig.

After breakfast, he leisurely took public transportation back to the rental apartment with Ludwig.

Seeing that Lumian and Ludwig were fine, Franca, Jenna, and Anthony sighed in relief.

Lumian smiled and said, "The preliminary result of the experiment is that simple daytime contact with Mr. Fool's dream manifestation, Zhou Mingrui, without leaving a strong impression, doesn't attract the Celestial Worthy's attention, result in being ejected from the dream, or impose restrictions.

"Of course, maybe I've been deceived, and the Celestial Worthy is deliberately not targeting me, waiting for me to regroup with you before kicking us all out of the dream."

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