"Ah!!!"
Accompanied by a piercing scream, Fu Qingdai abruptly sat upright on her bed.
Cold sweat drenched her thin, translucent white nightgown.
Once again, she was jolted awake from her nightmare.
She panted lightly, her terrified eyes shimmering with tears.
Endless rain, starvation, madness, cannibalism... the entire world had transformed into a living hell.
This nightmare had repeated relentlessly for nearly half a month, each time unbearably vivid — a mountain of corpses and seas of blood unfolding before her eyes.
Even the stench was indistinguishable from reality.
If it were merely a simple dream, it would be bearable.
Fu Qingdai's breath began to tremble as fear contorted her face; she pulled back the curtains.
Outside, dawn had broken faintly, revealing the clouds.
They rolled like ocean waves, layered and orderly, rhythmically cascading.
Had it been daytime, such a magnificent spectacle of clouds would surely draw countless cameras.
Yet in this moment, Fu Qingdai was utterly frozen.
The tears she had been holding back spilled freely down her cheeks.
The scene in her dream mirrored reality perfectly — from peaceful everyday life gradually descending into apocalyptic chaos.
From the third dream onward, she sensed something was amiss.
The celestial phenomena in reality often aligned precisely with those in her dreams.
This time was no exception, and these clouds were markedly distinct, unmistakably recognizable.
Her slender shoulders shook; gripping the curtain with her right hand, now ghostly pale, she sobbed softly.
According to her previous dream records... the dreadful day was fast approaching.
She had told others, even her parents, but no one believed her.
She was but a student; she had done all she could. What else was there to do... what could she possibly do?
At that moment, the door opened.
Zhang Wan entered and sat beside the bed, her face etched with helplessness as she watched Fu Qingdai's quiet sobbing.
Fu Qingdai turned her head and flung herself into Zhang Wan's arms, her cries involuntarily growing louder.
Zhang Wan sighed, "Another nightmare?"
"Mom! It's real, I swear it's true! The world's about to end! The clouds today are exactly the same as in my dream... everything matches." Fu Qingdai raised her tearful eyes. "Mom, just believe me once. We must prepare in advance... or else, let's move, somewhere deserted."
Zhang Wan sighed helplessly, "Qingdai... it's just stress from studying. I've already talked to the doctor. The exams are just a month away. Stop thinking about these crazy things and focus on your studies — concentration will ease the pressure."
"Do extra homework at school today, go to bed an hour earlier, and after a few days you'll be fine."
"Mom!!!" Fu Qingdai was on the verge of breaking down; the tears she had barely restrained now flowed uncontrollably again. "Can you please just listen to me!!"
"All right, all right, go ahead." Zhang Wan sighed, then added, "After you finish, eat quickly and get to school early."
Enduring the discomfort, Fu Qingdai began to recount her nightmare.
Zhang Wan shook her head repeatedly.
Seeing her mother's distracted expression, Fu Qingdai snapped, "Mom, are you even listening?"
"I am, aren't these just the same things you've said before?" Zhang Wan replied dismissively.
"No!" Fu Qingdai's gaze suddenly sharpened. "I haven't finished. This time it's different... I saw a man, and I heard a voice say to me..."
"What?" Zhang Wan's eyes suddenly grew sharp, like a detective uncovering a clue.
Seeing her mother's serious reaction and earnest attention, Fu Qingdai's heart brightened.
Just as she prepared to continue, Zhang Wan sternly interjected, "Qingdai, you're not dating anyone, are you? Now is definitely not the time! Early romances won't do you any good!"
"Mom!!!" Fu Qingdai completely broke down. "Do you believe me or not?"
"I believe, I believe... now get up and eat."
Zhang Wan lost all patience, rose, and prepared to leave the room.
Fu Qingdai reached out and grasped her mother's arm, pleading, "Mom... can you give me some money?"
"Don't I usually give you some?"
"I want a bit more. I haven't been eating well at school these days, and I want to buy some exercise books."
"All right, how much?"
"... five hundred."
Five hundred... Zhang Wan's heart tightened.
This must mean trouble at school — just asking for five hundred at once, does she even have a way to spend it all?
"No! At most fifty. Hurry and get ready for school."
With that, Zhang Wan left the room briskly, leaving Fu Qingdai alone with her silent sorrow.
Wiping her tears, a bitter ache filled her heart.
Without a voice, without trust in this family!
If only she were older, perhaps earning money would help convince them.
After lingering in sorrow, she sat at her desk and bent over her writing.
Outside, news and loud voices drifted in.
"Old Fu, don't you care about your daughter? All you do is sit and watch TV! Call Teacher Li and ask if Qingdai is seeing someone!"
"Ah... I know, I'll call later."
"Later, later, you just keep putting it off! You never do anything, don't help around the house — why did I marry such a useless man!"
...
Inside the classroom, morning study had begun.
Fu Qingdai was distracted, putting away her bag.
Her mind replayed the scenes from her nightmare incessantly.
The classroom buzzed noisily.
Her deskmate asked, "Qingdai... another nightmare?"
"Mm..." Fu Qingdai hesitated and nodded, then turned solemnly, "Xiao Ning, I'm telling you the truth — the world's about to end... if it rains, don't touch the water. The rain is dangerous. We must prepare food in advance and seal all the doors and windows..."
Xiao Ning gave an odd nod and turned back, sighing quietly.
Completely insane!
Once or twice, she thought Qingdai was joking, but this had gone on too long; even her mental state was clearly deteriorating.
Her mother had already contacted her to keep an eye on Qingdai. Judging by now, the condition seemed worsening.
Shaking her head, Xiao Ning took out a BL novel and resumed studying.
The student in front glanced back, swept his desk, and murmured, "Hey, why are you still reading that? Qingdai's gone mad with novels; aren't you worried? Take it easy — school's cracking down these days."
Xiao Ning shot a glance, replying softly, "It's BL. Going mad means looking for men. Take your books back!"
"Ah, lend it to me when you're done."
...
By noon, countless students flooded the cafeteria.
Fu Qingdai mingled among them, scanning the crowd.
Finally, she spotted someone, quickened her pace, and grabbed the corner of his shirt.
Gao Peng turned around, startled, and found Fu Qingdai standing shyly behind him.
Seeing her delicate, lovely face, he suddenly felt nervous.
Fu Qingdai was renowned as the school beauty... who exactly gave her that title was unknown, but everyone accepted it.
Many boys had tried to approach her — all to no avail.
Although her recent mental instability had lessened her allure, quite a few boys still secretly inquired about her.
He himself usually dared not speak to her; why was the school beauty coming to him?
Feeling awkward, Gao Peng stammered, "Uh, what is it?"
Fu Qingdai pursed her rosy lips, stared at her toes, and shyly said, "Gao Peng... can you lend me some money? I promise to pay you back next month!"
"Well... how much do you need? I only have a hundred at most." Gao Peng replied, curiosity stirring.
He wasn't rich, but since the school beauty asked, refusing would be embarrassing!
Hearing his agreement, Fu Qingdai looked up and smiled brightly.
Gao Peng's heart raced wildly!
Borrowing money? That's good! She smiled at me and grabbed my shirt — maybe she likes me?
Borrowing and repaying means two contacts, right?
"All right, I'll borrow a hundred."
...
Not far away, a pair of small eyes watched Fu Qingdai intently, phone in hand.
"Aunt Zhang, Qingdai's talking with a boy in our class... no, he's just some uncool guy, definitely not a boyfriend. But her illness is really getting worse — you should take her to see someone soon."