In the pitch-black night, there was not a single ray of light. Yet the air was not stifling, carrying the warm, humid sensation characteristic of early summer. Wang Yong sat cross-legged by the open window, facing the dark sky, silently meditating. His breathing was steady. With his eyes closed, his mind was as calm as a deep, serene lake. Inhale… Exhale...
He felt something. In an instant, a deep, majestic blue light seemed to pass through the depths of his heart. He sensed a buzzing vibration in his inner world, like quietly observing a distant supernova explosion from afar.
He knelt on the ground, gazing toward the world he longed for every day.
That moment quickly passed. His heart returned to its peaceful state, but it was now filled with infinite regret. He had known of that world's existence, but it lasted only for a fleeting moment before it disappeared.
As he silently sighed, a tiny, pure starlight drifted from the distant world of his heart and landed upon his own world. It felt as if a snowflake from that distant world had gently fallen into Wang Yong's soul.
A soft, clear light filled his heart, as though he had connected with something—or perhaps connected with nothing at all.
In this interplay of light and shadow, he sank into a deep sleep, as if he had touched an ancient dream.
Outside, the night rain fell quietly, as if guarding the tranquil night.
The Next Day
Wang Yong opened his eyes and climbed out of bed. "There's class today," he thought to himself. Wang Yong was a third-year student at XX University, living alone off-campus.
It seemed that he had been meditating yesterday and had fallen asleep in a rather twisted position, yet his body felt no soreness. Instead, he was filled with a refreshing sense of comfort, as though his body had become more agile.
"What happened last night?" Wang Yong muttered to himself. His face suddenly grew serious. Yes, it seemed he had touched the world he had always imagined. Just a moment, then a flash of clear light.
"Was it a dream?" Wang Yong felt a bit puzzled, staring ahead, tapping on his bedside table, feeling the texture of the wood—there was no doubt it was real, this was the real world. For a moment, the boundary between reality and fantasy seemed to blur.
"Ha..." A light, unmistakable sigh echoed in his mind.
A strange expression crossed Wang Yong's face. He quietly asked, "Who are you?" Glancing out at the lush camphor trees outside his window, he wondered, "Did I just have a mental breakdown?"
But deep within his mind, a clear, bell-like voice rang out, "I'm the starlight that drifted to you yesterday."
While brushing his teeth and washing his face, Wang Yong conversed with her, feeling an inner joy and peace.
"What's your name? So you came from the Taiyi World?"
"Yes. I don't have a name. You can give me one."
Wang Yong nodded. "Alright, then I'll call you Xiao Yi."
The Taiyi World had been a world Wang Yong had felt connected to since he was very young. It was just a fleeting moment, yet it stayed with him for more than a decade, like meeting an alien as a child—something you never forget.
For the following years, Wang Yong became a mysticism enthusiast, always thinking about that world. After over ten years, he finally connected with it again in some dimension. It was, in a way, a stroke of luck.
As Wang Yong headed out, he continued his conversation with Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi didn't know where she came from. She was a kind of spirit that could devour magical abilities, drawing power from them and replenishing her host.
More importantly...
"Time-Space Gate!" Wang Yong exclaimed.
"Yes," Xiao Yi replied. "You've probably guessed this before. Many of humanity's fictional works, some are purely imagined, but others were written under the influence of certain worlds. Even certain things, like the creation of words, were inspired by other worlds. My special ability is to take you through these different worlds."
Wang Yong nodded and asked, "Are the worlds you mentioned part of our observable universe?"
"Some are, some aren't. A world can transcend light speed and dimensions in certain ways, allowing people from all realms to access it."
Wang Yong nodded, a smile appearing on his face.
In this world, if there were no special developments, he would continue to live a normal life, until the day he died. But with Xiao Yi, he now had a sliver of something different.
Suddenly, Wang Yong thought of something amusing: Is there anything in our world that has been felt by people from other worlds?
Xiao Yi pondered for a moment before saying, "Your world's World War II is very famous. In the Taiyi World, there's an ancient book called The Mechanical Duel, similar to how your world has The Lord of the Rings. It's about your World War II."
Wang Yong laughed. He hadn't realized the fame of World War II in their world.
"When can we go on our first journey through time?"
"Anytime."
Wang Yong thought for a moment and decided it was best to go back and prepare.
In class, Wang Yong greeted a few friends and sat at the back, distractedly listening to the lecture while chatting with Xiao Yi.
Wang Yong was very curious about many things related to Xiao Yi. Not to mention, just having such a cute, crisp voice echoing in his heart was a pleasant feeling.
After class, Wang Yong hurriedly returned to his place.
"Xiao Yi, is there anything I need to prepare?"
"No, you can just come over directly."
"This will be my first time traveling. Let me help you prepare. After all, crossing different worlds involves many considerations."
"Thanks, can you tell me more about the world I'll be traveling to?"
"Hmm..." Xiao Yi hesitated. "It's a magical world. You might be familiar with it. Let me think... Ah! It's Harry Potter."
Wang Yong laughed. "Xiao Yi, I'm not boasting. If I'm going to another world, I might need to prepare, but going to the Harry Potter world? I can go anytime. I know those seven books by heart."
Men are like that—when meeting a beautiful woman, they unknowingly boast. Even though he didn't know what Xiao Yi looked like or if she was even human, just her beautiful voice was enough for Wang Yong to feel confident.
"Really? Heh heh."
As Wang Yong opened the door, he suddenly felt a moment of disorientation.
In the blink of an eye, Wang Yong vanished.
The scene changed in an instant, and time and space distorted.
Wang Yong couldn't help but smile, "Xiao Yi, you've really played a big joke on me."