Daydreaming about Me

Chapter 95 End of Main Story

Shen Juan winning the gold medal was both expected and unexpected. Nobody thought he could fill the four-year gap in just five months.

But he did give it his all, juggling both academics and training. Even Gu Xia noticed and asked Lin Yujing, “Has your scholar lost weight recently?”

Although the University World Championships didn’t have a high profile, many coaches and teams still paid attention, with only two sports weeklies accompanying the delegation.

A fresh face with outstanding looks and solid skills like Shen Juan was perfect for generating buzz and attracting a wave of fangirls. After the competition, a sports magazine reporter pulled him aside for an interview.

Shen Juan had already done a brief interview, but this one was more like a column feature, with an informal, slightly entertaining tone. The young female reporter seemed just over twenty, probably a recent college graduate, and was a bit nervous when asking questions.

Shen Juan, sitting in the lounge chair with a casual and carefree posture, even tried to reassure her with good humor, saying, “It’s alright. Ask whatever you like, relax. Do you want some water or a break?”

He was very considerate.

The young reporter took a deep breath to calm down and started asking some routine questions, which Shen Juan answered in just a few words, seemingly quite satisfied with his own responses.

For example:

Reporter: “Who has been your greatest motivation and support during training?”

Shen Juan calmly replied, “My girlfriend.”

Reporter: “Who would you like to thank the most right now?”

Shen Juan said flatly, “My girlfriend.”

The reporter: “…”

Deciding to abandon all “who” questions, the reporter quickly scanned her list and skipped a few before finding one.

Reporter (brightly): “Your performance was impressive this time. Will you be aiming to participate in the World Championships in September?”

Shen Juan glanced at her, as if fully aware of what she was thinking, and smirked, “Not sure, I’ll have to ask my girlfriend.”

“…”

Could you possibly not mention your girlfriend in every answer?

The reporter gave up and continued numbly, “You once gave up shooting when you made it to the provincial team, not training for four years. What made you come back to the arena? After all, four years is almost a lifetime for an athlete.”

She thought Shen Juan would say, “My girlfriend,” in the next second.

But he didn’t. Instead, he leaned back slightly, raised his eyes, and seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking seriously and slowly, “My junior advised me to come back, saying that if it were me, even with the years of absence, I could still compete for a medal.”

He chuckled, “At the time, I found that remark somewhat irritating, so I decided to correct him.”

“As long as I’m here, the gold medal is mine.”

Rong Huai had asked him, “You never went back up, didn’t you regret it?”

Shen Juan had said at the time, “There’s nothing to regret.”

But that was a lie.

How could he not regret it?

Who hasn’t dreamed of being young, ambitious, and galloping freely? He was once wildly talented, pulled from the highest point down into the abyss, shackled, and his brilliance thoroughly buried.

How could he be content?

He had even resented Luo Qinghe. Shen Juan believed he had never backed down from anything; no matter what came his way, he had always been invincible. But when it came to Luo Qinghe, his courage and perseverance were entirely pieced back together by Lin Yujing, piece by piece.

Lin Yujing had said she should have been braver then, but Shen Juan thought he was far less brave than her.

At the end of the interview, the reporter playfully stirred things up, “You’ve been constantly mentioning your girlfriend. It’s obvious your relationship is great. Is she the love of your life, excluding family, of course?” She joked, “Out of everyone and everything, including shooting and Marilyn Monroe.”

Shen Juan lowered his head and gave a faint smile.

It was different from any smile he had shown throughout the interview. His lips curled up slowly and naturally, his eyes warm and affectionate. In that moment, the unruly lion became a gentle beast.

“No,” Shen Juan said softly, smiling. “She is my whole world.”

Later, the column’s content and video were released, and the not-so-popular sports magazine saw its sales double that month. Fangirls changed their social media bios to “She is my whole world,” quoting Shen Juan, and even play-acted with Gu Xia daily.

The fangirl gazed lovingly up at Gu Xia, “Babe, do you love me more than shooting? Am I your greatest love?”

Gu Xia, with nothing better to do, played along, “No, you are my whole world.”

“…”

Lin Yujing went from being embarrassed to amused, to eventually becoming expressionless, casually tossing a snack from the table at them. “Can you two take a break?”

A week later, Shen Juan returned from Toronto. That night, Lin Zhi came to see Lin Yujing.

Shen Juan’s flight landed at nine in the evening, and Lin Yujing had planned to pick him up. She checked the time and figured she could still make it.

Lin Zhi had chosen the meeting place: a newly opened private vegetarian restaurant, small with only six tables, featuring a tranquil and Zen-like ambiance.

Their last meeting had ended in a fallout, yet Lin Zhi remained composed, starting the conversation with her usual three opening lines, as if nothing had happened.

Compared to her, Lin Yujing was still too inexperienced. She felt uneasy all over, not knowing if it was because Lin Zhi’s years in business had ingrained this habit in her, but the way she pretended there were no issues unless spoken out loud made Lin Yujing extremely uncomfortable. The moment she broke the silence, Lin Zhi seized control, setting the rhythm of the conversation.

Shen Juan’s flight was at nine, and Lin Yujing needed to leave an hour earlier for the airport. She didn’t want to waste time and calmly finished a piece of vegetarian chicken, then set her chopsticks down and looked up. “I know Shen Juan offended you during the New Year. Are you here to hold him accountable or to remind me again that no one will love me? Either way, don’t hold back. Speak your mind.”

Lin Zhi glanced at her and set down her chopsticks, picking up a napkin. “I didn’t come to hold anyone accountable. He apologized to me, and I don’t have the time to hold grudges against children.”

Shen Juan had never mentioned this to her, but Lin Yujing quickly caught on and let out a brief smile. “Yes, you’re always busy.”

Lin Zhi propped her head on one hand, gently rubbing her temple. “I contacted a friend before the New Year. I was planning to send you to study abroad in the United States.”

Lin Yujing took two seconds to process this, almost jumping up. “What does that mean?”

“It means I was going to force you to go abroad, and I had already arranged a school for you,” Lin Zhi said.

Lin Yujing felt her fingers stiffen, her fingertips cold, but her mind was exceptionally calm, her thoughts surprisingly clear.

“I suggest you don’t waste your effort,” Lin Yujing replied evenly, meeting her gaze. “Do you think I’d leave so easily like I did in high school? Even if you sent me to the ends of the earth, I would still come back.”

“That’s why,” Lin Zhi said, “I’ve given up. I won’t interfere anymore.”

Lin Yujing froze.

“You’re eighteen now, no longer a child. When I was your age, I was already helping your grandfather manage the company,” Lin Zhi said with a light tone. “You’re stubborn and have your own ideas and persistence. I can’t convince you. I’m already exhausted from fighting with others at work every day, and I don’t have the energy or need to keep fighting with you. It doesn’t benefit anyone to keep this up. After all, you’re still a Lin, my daughter.”

Lin Yujing hadn’t expected this. She had come with full battle readiness, even rehearsing what she would say in her mind.

“So, you’re not against it anymore?”

“Yes,” Lin Zhi continued, “But I still don’t think men are reliable, and feelings will inevitably change. There’s no such thing as a lifelong guarantee on love.”

“I don’t agree, but I won’t intervene. Time and reality will show you that I’m right.”

Lin Yujing understood.

There was nothing that could change Lin Zhi’s mind.

Her pride wouldn’t allow her to back down, nor would she ever admit she was wrong, even if deep down she thought otherwise.

Lin Yujing didn’t care about this anymore. Whatever.

As she said, time and reality would prove everything.

This dinner went smoother than Lin Yujing had anticipated. Before they left, Lin Zhi silently watched her stand up and, for a moment, didn’t move. She let out a sigh, her voice tired and somewhat lost. “Whether you believe it or not, Xiao Yu, when I took you back from your father, I wanted to do right by you. I’ve tried my best to do what I thought was good for you. I don’t know why things have turned out this way.”

Lin Yujing paused.

Her fingers tightened around the coat button as she turned to face her. “I believe you wanted the best for me, but Mom, some things can’t be made up for. Once time is gone, it can never be regained.”

“When I was two, I wanted cotton

candy, to go to an amusement park, to have my parents look at me, to have my mother spare even ten minutes to stay with me, tell me a bedtime story, and tuck me in.”

“No one gave me that. No one noticed me.”

Lin Yujing’s shoulders slumped slightly as she met Lin Zhi’s eyes with quiet calm. “Now that I’m almost twenty, do you think I still want those things?”

Shen Juan’s flight was delayed.

Lin Yujing waited at the airport until she grew weary, ordered a latte from Starbucks, had three refills, and made a few trips to the restroom. In the end, the barista’s meaningful look practically said, “Are you that broke?”

Shen Juan hadn’t come out yet.

Lin Yujing felt too awkward to keep sitting and leaned against a pillar to wait.

It was nearly midnight when Shen Juan finally emerged with his group, their luggage in tow.

The team was conspicuous in their national team uniforms. As soon as they walked out, Lin Yujing spotted Shen Juan.

He was at the back, talking to a girl. Whatever the girl said made Shen Juan smile faintly.

Their matching uniforms now looked suspiciously like couple outfits.

Hmm?

Hmm??

Lin Yujing straightened up but didn’t immediately walk over. She watched as he exited and raised his head, scanning the surroundings.

Standing right across from the exit, Shen Juan spotted her instantly, his footsteps pausing.

The girl beside him also stopped and said something.

Lin Yujing narrowed her eyes, her expression dangerously calm.

Seeing her expression clearly, Shen Juan suddenly smiled.

The girl was puzzled and followed his gaze to see Lin Yujing standing there.

Lin Yujing didn’t move. She leaned back against the pillar, showing no emotion. After spending so much time with Shen Juan, she had mastered his stance perfectly, slightly raising her chin with a languid indifference.

Like a proud queen, her face practically screamed, “I won’t come to greet you; you better come over yourself.”

Shen Juan was in a good mood as he grinned and went over to inform the coach, “Coach Han, I’ll skip the dinner. I’m leaving now.”

Shen Juan was the team’s main player, the one in the center, so of course, Coach Han refused to let him leave. Shen Juan simply smiled, raising his chin slightly. “My girlfriend has been waiting impatiently. I need to go appease her.”

Coach Han was stunned, unable to reconcile the usually arrogant Shen Juan, who always seemed to think everyone was beneath him, with this version who said, “I need to go appease her.”

But after this competition, especially the interview, everyone knew that the usually untouchable “demon king” was actually just a hopeless romantic for his girlfriend, and they were all curious about this legendary girl who could tame him.

Coach Han looked over and saw Lin Yujing standing in the distance.

There wasn’t much else to say; obviously, the girlfriend was more important than a meal with the team, so he quickly let him go.

Dragging his suitcase, Shen Juan ignored the chatter from the people behind him and strode over, stopping in front of Lin Yujing.

He set his luggage aside and pulled her into his arms, pressing her head into his chest.

One of the female team members nearby let out a loud “Whoa!” and excitedly slapped Senior Sister Zhu’s thigh. “What’s going on? The demon king acts completely different when he’s in love!”

As she slapped, she kept her eyes glued to the couple. Lin Yujing didn’t even hug him back, pulling away from his embrace with the same indifferent expression, saying something to him.

Shen Juan raised his hand to ruffle her hair.

She coolly swatted his hand away and turned to walk out.

Shen Juan sighed in slight resignation and quickly followed her with his suitcase.

Another female team member clicked her tongue twice, “Is that really Shen Juan? It’s like he’s a different person.”

“A different person?” Senior Sister Zhu said knowingly, “In front of his girlfriend, Shen Juan doesn’t even have a personality.”

“…”

Rong Huai sighed, shaking his head. “I hope I won’t end up like my senior when I find a girlfriend.”

The “personality-less” Shen Juan was now in the car with his girlfriend. After loading the luggage, he climbed into the driver’s seat. As soon as Lin Yujing got into the passenger seat, she hadn’t even fastened her seatbelt before she was roughly pulled over, her head pressed against him as he kissed her.

Lin Yujing didn’t even have time to close her eyes as she saw his eyelashes lower. His kisses were fierce and overwhelming, making her tongue feel numb.

She made a muffled sound and leaned back slightly.

Shen Juan held her waist and pushed her back, not letting her move. His hand ran down her spine, tracing her waist as he lifted her shirt.

Lin Yujing shuddered, pushing him away. “Are you starved or something?”

He glanced down at her chest, and with his hand’s movement, she went limp, her voice becoming soft and cat-like as she leaned into him.

He curled his lips and kissed her ear, whispering, “Does that feel good?”

“…”

Lin Yujing’s ears instantly turned red. “Shen Juan, shut up. Just shut up.”

Shen Juan chuckled, lowered the seat, and pulled her onto his lap. Lin Yujing anxiously tried to climb back to her seat, glaring at him in the darkness, “Hey, can you be serious for once? Enough is enough. What do you want?”

“Something not serious,” Shen Juan patted his thigh, coaxing her, “Come on, be good. I’ll make you feel good.”

“…”

Lin Yujing was speechless. Would it kill you to wait until we get home?

…

That night, Shen Juan finally coaxed her into revealing what had happened in the past few days.

At first, Lin Yujing didn’t want to talk, enduring his teasing for two hours before giving in. She tearfully confessed everything she saw at the studio.

After listening, Shen Juan remained silent, only lowering his head to bite and kiss her neck.

When it was over, he held her, and Lin Yujing tilted her head slightly, “Juan, let me ask you something.”

“Mm?” His voice was lazy and hoarse, carrying a nasal tone.

“You went to Huaicheng so many times. Did you ever see me?”

Shen Juan’s tone was flat, “No.”

“Then why did you keep going?” Lin Yujing asked.

Shen Juan reached out, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers. After a long pause, he finally said, “I don’t know. I just wanted to see.”

To see the sky you looked up at, to tread on the ground you walked on.

To hear the ringing of the bell from behind a wall, to listen to the noise and laughter on the playground until it quieted down.

Every time I went and stayed for a while, I felt grounded for a while, and then I could continue doing what I needed to do.

Shen Juan said, “At that time, I had nothing left. All I had was you.”

Lin Yujing’s nose tingled.

She raised her head, cupping his face, “You still have family. I’m the one who had nothing left.”

She thought of Lin Zhi’s words earlier that day, recalling the fatigue and confusion in her voice and gaze. With reddened eyes, she slowly repeated, “Shen Juan, I had nothing left. All I have is you.”

Shen Juan took her hand and kissed her hair. “If you have me, then you have everything.”

In mid-April, Shen Juan’s grandmother celebrated a big birthday and personally sent Lin Yujing a QQ message.

The elderly lady typed a bunch of random characters, then seemingly gave up and sent a long voice message, insisting that Lin Yujing must attend, no excuses.

She even added, “Shen Juan doesn’t have to come; one of you is enough.”

Then she sent a cute bear sticker, which was surprisingly adorable.

Lin Yujing had always wondered why Shen Juan’s grandmother, who was so trendy, had such a personality for a grandson. His older brother, Shen Lan, was completely different in temperament, until she met Shen Juan’s grandfather.

The old man was spirited and full of life, said to idolize Zhang Daqian, and even sported a small beard. It was actually just a tuft, but Shen Juan’s grandmother had tied it up with a little red rubber band adorned with pink flowers.

His entire aura was cold and severe, but the trendy styling of his beard left Lin Yujing completely stunned.

Before leaving that evening, Shen Yujing was called upstairs by Grandpa Shen. He led her down the hall to the study, took a painting from the shelf, and insisted on giving it to her.

Before handing it over, he emphasized multiple times, “Do you know Fu Baoshi?”

Lin Yujing nodded.

The old man cracked his first smile of the evening, gesturing toward the scroll. “It’s authentic, the real deal. Not like the fake ones.”

“…”

Lin Yujing had a feeling the old man was subtly implying that Shen Juan had previously bought a fake one for eight figures.

She quickly nodded, playing along. “Don’t worry, I’ll hang it by Shen Juan’s bed and make him appreciate it for twenty minutes every day, with an 800-word review every week.”

The old man seemed pleasantly surprised, raising his hand. “That’s a good idea.”

On the way home, Lin Yujing told Shen Juan about this

incident, laughing so hard she leaned against the car window.

Shen Juan glanced at her and snorted, reaching over to pinch her cheek. “Silly girl.”

Lin Yujing kept laughing until her face and eyes turned sore.

Shen Juan made a point to bring her to his family gatherings. Whenever she came, his grandmother would hold her hand and chat with her. When Shen Lan returned from abroad with a bunch of gifts, their cousin eyed a bag, asking if she could have it, but Shen Lan just chuckled and said, “No can do, it’s for my sister-in-law. You’ll have to fight Ah Juan for it.”

They treated her well, as if she were already part of the family, her brother and grandmother.

She understood what he meant.

“If you have me, then you have everything.”

The spring of that year was long, with summer arriving late. Lin Yujing kept pondering what design to get for her tattoo but couldn’t make up her mind.

She even posted on social media for suggestions. Lin Yujing hadn’t checked her timeline for a while, and when she did, she was surprised to find it filled with He Songnan’s posts—

He Songnan: [My girlfriend is so cute]

He Songnan: [Buying clothes for my girlfriend means shopping in the kids’ section]

He Songnan: [Caught this for my Little Ruyi today]

He Songnan: [Wishing you all the best.]

The last post included a picture of a little girl holding a box of takoyaki, her cheeks puffed out with a piece in her mouth, staring blankly at the camera.

The girl still seemed just as small as in high school, her face chubby, though she had gotten fairer and prettier.

The comments were buzzing.

Jiang Han: [Seriously, you and Shen Juan need to chill. If you’re dating, could you at least not flood social media?]

Li Lin replied to Jiang Han: [Brother Nan has been chasing her for three thousand years. Cut him some slack; his excitement needs an outlet.]

Song Zhiming: [Brother Nan literally just got together with her two minutes ago and already posted 800 times, trying to make it seem like they’ve been together for two centuries.]

Lin Yujing fumed, holding her phone up to Shen Juan. “When did this guy trick my Little Ruyi?”

Shen Juan glanced at the screen nonchalantly. “Song Zhiming already said, two minutes ago.”

“…”

Choosing a tattoo design kept getting interrupted, and eventually, Lin Yujing gave up, never satisfied with any option. She decided to get the same design as Shen Juan’s, but with his name added below it.

“It’s a couples’ tattoo!” Lin Yujing said excitedly. “I want it big, just like yours, for style.”

The scar on her leg was near the inner thigh, close to the upper leg. She hadn’t thought much of it at first, just wanting to cover the scar.

That was, until the moment arrived.

Until Shen Juan approached with the equipment and tattoo machine, and patted her behind. “Take off your pants.”

Lin Yujing: “…”

Taking them off for that sort of thing was one thing, but standing there in the studio was another matter entirely.

Lin Yujing couldn’t bring herself to do it. She closed her eyes, and Shen Juan, understanding her well, bent down and slowly unbuttoned her pants, sliding them down. Her fair, long legs were exposed to the air.

Shen Juan held her as she sat down, spreading her legs apart, his gloved hand resting on her inner thigh.

“…”

Lin Yujing shivered, “Shen Juan…”

“What’s wrong?” Shen Juan responded softly.

Lin Yujing said nothing.

With no response from her for a while, Shen Juan reached out and lightly scratched the scar on her leg with his fingertip, asking again, “Hmm?”

His voice was clearly holding back laughter.

Lin Yujing cleared her throat, struggling to resist the urge to push his head away, and nervously squirmed. “This position… doesn’t seem very graceful.”

Shen Juan didn’t lift his head, “What’s not graceful about it?”

Lin Yujing opened her mouth but blushed.

Shen Juan chuckled, sighing, “Just teasing you.”

He went to the living room and grabbed a gray blanket, covering her lower abdomen, and started the machine.

Lin Yujing reached out to grab his arm, trembling slightly with nerves.

Shen Juan kissed her fingers, “Scared?”

“A little, scared it’ll hurt.” Lin Yujing’s voice was tense.

Shen Juan looked up, his dark eyes meeting hers, his voice deep and gentle, “Then let’s not do it.”

Lin Yujing licked her lips, her answer unchanged, “No, I want to hurt for you.”

Shen Juan’s gaze darkened as he pulled down his mask, set aside the tattoo machine, and leaned in to kiss her.

They shared a gentle, lingering kiss, their foreheads pressed together. Shen Juan’s voice was soft as he said, “Then hurt for me one last time.”

Shen Juan had a peculiar habit; he had to leave a mark on his possessions, like writing his name on every book he read.

What belonged to him, no one else could touch.

Lin Yujing was different. He couldn’t bear to touch her.

He didn’t want her to hurt, didn’t want to leave a mark on her. Whether she had one or not didn’t matter to him; he belonged to her, and that was enough.

Shen Juan had once dreamt.

He dreamt of himself in his second year of high school, drifting aimlessly through a year of suspension, letting himself sink to the bottom of the deepest darkness.

Then he met someone.

A girl with bright eyes and white teeth, long eyelashes fluttering, resting her chin on the edge of his desk, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

“Classmate Shen, I think desk mates should get along.”

The story began here.

His world was illuminated as a delicate hand pulled him, inch by inch, out of the cold, dark sea.

She didn’t belong to anyone; she was salvation.

But in that moment, a spark of possessiveness emerged in his heart. He wanted to leave something behind, etched into her very being.

The inner thigh was more painful compared to other areas. At first, the pain wasn’t too noticeable, like tiny ants biting. But as time went on, the pain slowly intensified.

Shen Juan worked quickly, not wanting to make it too big. He didn’t say a word throughout, his jawline tense until the last needle stroke. He set the tattoo machine down, gently wiped the area with a towel, and let out a long breath.

His gloved hands were drenched in sweat.

Lin Yujing sat up, her eyes red from the pain, her gaze moist as she looked down.

On her fair skin, he had tattooed six letters—Savior—in a beautiful handwritten script. The last stroke curved upward, unmistakably his handwriting.

A simple line sketched a small whale behind it, just big enough to cover her scar. The entire tattoo was much smaller than his.

Lin Yujing froze at the word for a few seconds, then looked up with a bright smile. “Shen Juan, from now on, I belong to you too.”

She paused and said softly, “Whether I live or die, I’ll always be yours.”

Shen Juan removed his gloves, walked over, and embraced her, burying his head in her neck.

“Okay.”

He heard his own hoarse voice say.

In the desolate daylight, I was trapped in a decaying black-and-white dream. Here, dark clouds covered the sky, not a blade of grass grew, and all was barren.

Until you passed through the wilderness.

Wherever you stepped, the world began to awaken. I saw wildflowers bloom along the way, snow slide off tree branches as plum blossoms burst into life, birds returning and cicadas chirping, the scorching sun blazing.

At the end of my daydream, I saw you.

And then the daylight burst forth.

You are all my desire and my fantasy.

-The End-

Author’s Note:

It’s done, daydreams represent desire and fantasy, which is also the book’s title. Savior means “rescuer.”

I’ve pretty much written everything I wanted, so this story is over. This couple is my favorite pair of characters I’ve written so far; I love my Jingmei and Juan so much.

Thank you all for accompanying me over the past three months!!! See you in the next book!!!!

As for why there’s no urban segment—

Friends!

Look at the synopsis!

Three clear words! Campus story!

You’re asking why a campus story doesn’t have an urban part when others do? Well, I just don’t have it!

Campus stories are campus stories! Writing urban would be false advertising!!!

Alright, now onto serious matters.

There will be a few extra chapters for a side couple. I haven’t decided whether it’ll be about Brother Fu or He Songnan because I like them both too much, so I’ll see how it goes. Tomorrow is a break day, and the day after, I’ll update the extras, just a few chapters.

And I’ll announce when the physical book is coming out on Weibo, @Xijianma. Those who haven’t followed me can follow.

Advertising time, my next book will be either “Rose Tart” or “You’re Quite Wild,” both sweet and hopefully funny. Please add it to your collection, my dear readers. Look at my pitiful number of pre-orders; how can you bear it?

Let me share the synopsis for “Rose Tart”:

On a rainy

day, Chen Wang received a sentimental and slightly sad text.

It was a simple, classic love line—

[If you’re well, it’s sunny.]

Chen Wang glanced at the sender’s name and then at the rain pouring outside.

Thirty seconds later, a second message arrived as expected—

[Judging by this weather, you’re probably dead.]

Chen Wang: “…”

Cool, aloof guy x sweet girl