A Break From Reality

Prelude

RUMBLE!

Xiao Ruiyi blearily opened his eyes. Everything around him was blurry as he squinted. He sat there motionlessly, waiting for his vision to become clearer, and the sound of the rain outside pounding against the window was the only thing he could hear. 

He looked towards his only window. This window was not large and could even be considered smaller than most, but he was grateful for it, especially on a night like this, as it was not broken. The same could not be said for a lot of the other windows in this apartment complex.

He was unable to hold back a yawn.

What time was it?

He reached out towards the small table next to the bed, where his phone lay. This phone could be considered the most expensive thing that he owned, and his lifeline. Thus, he was always careful with it, unable to bear using even the tiniest bit more strength, afraid of pressing too hard on it, and treating it as if it was the world's most coveted treasure. 

However, in reality, it was an old, second-hand flip phone that was no longer in production. It was worn out and difficult to charge to full battery, which was a world apart from the smartphones that all the young people had, but this was what he had saved up a lot of money to buy. 

Besides, he didn't need any fancy phone that cost an arm and a leg. All he needed his phone to do was call and receive calls. He just needed to be able to communicate with his mother and his boss. That's it.

Xiao Ruiyi looked at the small screen on his phone, 2:43 AM. That meant that he had only slept for about three hours. He wanted to quickly go back to sleep as he had to wake up early tomorrow, but the thunder and lightning outside had other plans for him. Giving a helpless sigh, he decided to go over his schedule for tomorrow, no, today. 

He got up from his bed and slipped his feet into his slippers. Leaving the warm confines of his quilt, he couldn't help but shiver. It was a little chilly and it didn't help that his pajamas were too short for his long limbs. There was nothing he could do as he slipped back into his bed. He couldn't risk getting sick as going to see a doctor and taking medicine cost him both time and money, both of which were luxuries he couldn't afford. He laid back down, pulled his quilt up to his chin, and stared at the ceiling.

Later today, he had to get up early to go to the street market to get some fresh vegetables. There was almost nothing in the refrigerator, save for a few eggs and a tomato. This was the only place he could go to buy food, as it was cheap, but on the other hand, the vegetables sold out fast because of the inexpensive prices, so it was impossible for him to sleep in. After buying food, he would go home to make himself breakfast and then prepare his lunch that he would pack up to eat later. 

After eating, he had to go to the local hospital to pay for his mother's monthly medical bills. He had to do that before going upstairs to visit his mother, or else he would be in too much of a rush when he left. After taking a look at his mother and reassuring her that money was not a problem and that he was eating well, he would have to get on the bus that will take him to the nearest city, which was City S. This bus ride would take around an hour, but there was no helping it as his job was in the city. He would eat his lunch during the second half of the journey so that he would have enough energy for work. He worked at a hotel as a dishwasher and his shift started just before the lunch rush, so he would not be able to eat then even if he wanted to as it would be too busy. His shift was eight hours, but he would always stay later as those who stayed late to clean up the kitchen would get a small bonus and he could not pass that up. 

Luckily, he was always able to finish before the last bus left. This was how he had lived for years, up early every morning and staying up late every night. He rarely deviated from this, not even when the sun was shining the brightest or when the rain was falling the hardest. It was hard to believe that he was only eighteen years old this year.

Xiao Ruiyi yawned once again. He could barely keep his heavy eyelids open, so he did not fight against them and just closed them. He gave a soft and comfortable hum. The sound of the heavy rain gradually faded, becoming softer and softer, and his breathing was soon even.

Will the rain still fall when it was time for me to get up?

This was Xiao Ruiyi's last thought before falling into a deep slumber.