A Break From Reality

Chapter 2

Xiao Ruiyi didn't know how he got home.

He unconsciously understood that he had arrived at his old and worn-out apartment complex earlier than usual as he could still hear the sound of people talking behind the door when he passed by. Stood there in from of his door, staring at it in a daze. He didn't know how long he had stood there and had only come back to his senses when a strong gust of wind blew, making the leaves on the trees rustle.

Even though he had come back earlier, it was still chilly at night and Xiao Ruiyi didn't want to catch a cold, so he quickly reached into his backpack in search of his keys. His hand fumbled around inside, trying to locate them. It felt like it took him a long time to get them, though it had probably been a minute at most. He slid the key into the keyhole and turned it.

Click

That sound meant that Xiao Ruiyi had now gained entry to his home. He quickly walked in and closed the door, locking it in one smooth motion. He looked around the dark room and suddenly felt a sense of emptiness. Xiao Ruiyi sighed. There was nothing he could do about it. He had to get over it.

Xiao Ruiyi took his shoes off and changed into his slippers. He headed towards the dining table and put his things onto the table, sitting down on the chair. He finally allowed himself to think about what had happened. Xiao Ruiyi just didn't understand why Zhou Weizi and Xu Jian would do something like that to him. He had never done anything to either of them and had always minded his own business. So why?! A flash of hatred flashed past Xiao Ruiyi's eyes as his nails cut into the palms of his tightly-clenched hands.

As Xiao Ruiyi was wallowing in his negative emotions, his stomach suddenly growled, making a sound loud enough to cut through his messy thoughts. He suddenly realized that he had yet to have dinner. He always had dinner at the hotel, which was one of the employee benefits, but no one was insensitive enough to start eating when the incident was unfolding.

Xiao Ruiyi unclenched his hands and now there were four additional pink moon-shaped marks on his palms. He rubbed his stomach slowly, trying to ease the hunger, but he only made it growl in protest once again, notifying him that he needed to put food into his body to make it silent. He had no choice but to get up and go to the kitchen.

Xiao Ruiyi headed towards the refrigerator, wanting to see if there was something that he could make quickly so that he could finish his food as soon as possible and then head to bed. He had gone to buy food this morning, but today had taken a toll on him, so his brain was a bit muddled at the moment and he wasn't too sure what he had bought.

Opening the refrigerator door, he saw a few varieties of vegetables and fruits. There were some leafy greens, tomatoes, a large cabbage, as well as some fruits that were usually eaten as desserts. Though everything was in different shapes and sizes, they all had one thing in common: they were extremely fresh. The bright colors that shone under the light and that refreshing smell that aroused people's appetites made it easy to tell that the fruits and vegetables at the supermarket could not compare to these.

Xiao Ruiyi decided to make noodles as that was quick and easy. Wanting to use up the tomato that was left over from the previous week, he took out an egg as well so that he could make tomato and egg noodles. It would be much tastier if he added garlic or green onions, but right now, the only thing on his mind was to quickly eat and then get some rest.

Xiao Ruiyi started cutting up the tomato. As he sliced into it, the juices from the fruit spilled out and the sweet smell filled the room. His stomach sounded again, telling him to hurry up and he picked up the speed. He cut it up into larger pieces and then threw the succulent tomato chunks as well as its juices into his pan to cook. As the red tomatoes cooked, the juices continued to ooze out. He added a little more water so that there would be some soup for his noodles. As the tomatoes simmered in the liquid, Xiao Ruiyi took out some dry noodles and boiled them in a separate pot.

Even though most people his age were obsessed with instant noodles, Xiao Ruiyi knew that they were not good for his health, and as such, he would rather spend a little bit more time cooking the dry noodles than buy the instant kind because he didn't want to eat anything that was considered bad for his body. He couldn't afford to have two sick people in the family and he still needed to make money for his mother. So no matter how much time it took or how much more money it cost, he would rather spend a little extra to avoid future troubles.

Soon, the noodles were ready, so he added simple seasonings to his simmering tomato soup. Salt, pepper, and some soy sauce flowed into the liquid and quickly dissolved. He quickly cracked in his egg, whisking it to get ribbons of egg floating around in a mix of red, white, and yellow. Seeing as the tomato and egg soup had finished cooking, Xiao Ruiyi grabbed the bowl with the noodles in it and poured the fragrant soup over it.

Xiao Ruiyi's stomach was making its presence known once again, so he quickly brought the bowl and a pair of chopsticks to the table. The smell of this bowl of noodles was seducing him. The sweet and sour smell of the tomatoes was the only thing that was occupying his mind right now. He immediately picked up his chopsticks and dug into the noodles. He fished out the snow white noodles that had bits of egg interspersed in the strands and a piece of tomato. He stuffed his chopsticks full of food into his mouth and as soon as the noodles came into contact with his tongue, he jerked his chopsticks away and the noodles fell back into the bowl, a bit of the soup splashing onto the table.

Too hot!!

He was so focused on eating that he had forgotten that the soup had just been poured out and was still extremely hot. His tongue was faintly burning, but that sensation was something that should go away in a while. So to avoid injuring himself again, Xiao Ruiyi had to wait a while for the food to cool down. This in itself was agonizing for him as he could only look and not eat. So, he decided to take his bag that was on the table to put it in his room to tidy up and then come back because he could not continue looking at the bowl as the smell of the food was constantly inviting him to take a bite.

Xiao Ruiyi picked up his bag and brought it with him to his room, hanging it on a hook that was next to his small closet. He took out his pajamas and put them in the bathroom so that he would be able to change into them when he showered later. After doing so, he went back out and sat back down, hoping that it had been enough time and that he could now eat his dinner. He carefully picked up the noodles with his chopsticks, blew on them a little, and sent them into his mouth. The sweet and tangy taste of the tomatoes burst in his mouth and the noodles were soft and bouncy. This mouthful led to another and then another until even the soup had all been poured into his stomach.

He was finally satiated and was leaning into his chair. His tongue still had a little tingly sensation, but now, it was almost negligible. He rested in his chair for a while and then got up to clean the bowl and the cooking utensils. After wiping everything clean, he entered the bathroom to continue to clean himself. After a comfortable and hot shower, he came back out in his pajamas and made his way into his bed.

He sat there in a daze, looking at his phone. He thought about what had happened and he still couldn't understand why something like that had happened to him, but there was no use in brooding over it as he knew that he could no longer work at that hotel. He realized that even if he was found to be innocent and was allowed to stay, with people like Zhou Weizi and Xu Jian there, something like this would have happened again sooner or later, so it would be better to leave now before things got worse. Xiao Ruiyi understood this fact, but he did not forgive those people. If he ever got the chance, he would get his revenge. As a bit of heaviness dissipated from his heart, the weariness of his body and the ups and downs of today's events made Xiao Ruiyi fall into a deep sleep.