If the World Had No Daylight - Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered whether, the instant you fall asleep, you have already left Earth?

The morning brought yet another rainy day.

The digital alarm clock beeped for twenty-nine seconds before the sleeping woman finally opened her eyes.

Reaching out from beneath the covers to turn off the alarm, Bai Tian lay in bed with her eyes open, staring at the bright yellow chandelier hanging from the ceiling, unable for a moment to tell where she was.

Of course, she recognized this as her home, her bedroom, and the ceiling she saw every morning when she woke up.

She was simply still immersed in the dream she had just been having, confusing it with reality.

She felt around beneath her pillow for her phone, and its cool, smooth surface inexplicably made Bai Tian breathe a sigh of relief.

She pressed the unlock button and checked the date and time displayed on the screen. Then she sat up, grabbed her pajamas from the chair beside the bed and put them on before slowly turning over and getting out of bed.

The pain from the ligament she had pulled near the top of her thigh a few days earlier still followed her like a shadow, making her walk in an indescribably awkward manner.

“Nothing’s going right.” Bai Tian muttered as she entered the bathroom and picked up her toothbrush and toothpaste.

The taste of mint filled her mouth. She narrowed her eyes, somewhat enjoying the cool, refreshing sensation on her taste buds.

As Bai Tian brushed her teeth, she casually turned off airplane mode on her phone. Several voice messages instantly popped up.

She frowned and opened the messages. Sure enough, there were yet another several voice recordings, each a full minute long.

Bai Tian spat out the foam, finished washing up, and wiped her face. Only then did she pick up her phone and tap the speech-to-text option.

A few minutes later, Bai Tian called the director of student affairs.

“Hello? Director Li, this is Bai Tian. Here’s the thing: I saw the message from this morning about going to S City to grade exam papers. I actually submitted a leave request the day before yesterday because I need to travel out of town. Do you think perhaps…”

The person on the other end interrupted her. With one hand resting on the doorknob, Bai Tian patiently listened as the other person talked endlessly.

“Yes, yes, I understand, but…” She was interrupted again.

Bai Tian drew a deep breath and gripped the doorknob tightly.

The other person was probably still on the road. The noisy sound of traffic drowned out their voice, forcing her to listen carefully so she would not miss anything.

Ten minutes later, Bai Tian ended the call and ran her fingers through her hair in irritation.

“Nothing’s going right,” she muttered again. Then she let out a long sigh, opened the refrigerator, and began making breakfast.

She simply fried an egg, heated half a glass of milk, then dug a triangular rice ball that was close to expiring out of the refrigerator and put it in the microwave. Carrying the plate and glass into the living room, Bai Tian sat down at the small square table and turned on the television to watch the news.

The financial news had already ended, so she casually changed the channel. When she heard the microwave beep, she hurried over and took out the rice ball.

The aroma of tuna immediately filled her nose. Bai Tian carefully peeled away the wrapper as she slowly walked back to the living room.

“…The controversial film Songstress was recently reported to have been pulled from its scheduled release. The film’s director, He Xuan, confirmed the news in a Weibo post at four o’clock this morning. He also announced that he would indefinitely terminate all collaboration with the film’s lead actress. Industry insiders are widely speculating that the film’s withdrawal is connected to the actress…”

Bai Tian punctured the fried egg and watched the golden, half-cooked yolk ooze out. Suddenly, she lost her appetite.

The television was only a machine. It would not change of its own accord in response to someone else’s emotions, so the voice from the television continued.

“…After conducting interviews with multiple sources, our reporter finally managed to contact a member of the film crew. The crew member revealed that the actress was dissatisfied with the plot and had a body double complete sixty percent of the filming. She also failed to report to work twice without explanation, bringing production to a standstill and causing severe losses. Another source contacted our reporter and claimed to have personally witnessed the actress arguing with a newcomer backstage before physically assaulting her…”

Bai Tian snatched up the remote control and turned off the television.

The fried egg had already gone cold. She stuffed it into her mouth in a few bites, mechanically chewed and swallowed it, then picked up the milk and drank it all in one go. She stood, gathered the dishes, and carried them into the kitchen.

With water running from the faucet, Bai Tian scrubbed the plate for quite some time before realizing that she had forgotten to add dish soap. She pressed the pump on the white bottle beside her, but nothing came out no matter how many times she tried. She picked it up and shook it, only to find it completely empty. Yet she continued shaking the bottle expressionlessly, each motion harder than the last. Finally, she simply tore off the cap and managed to pour out a small amount of dish soap clinging to the bottom.

After silently washing the dishes, drying them, and returning them to the cupboard, Bai Tian shook the water from her hands, took a step back, and leaned against the kitchen counter.

The phone in her pajama pocket vibrated, but she remained where she was as though she had not heard it.

A minute later, the phone began vibrating again. This time, it was an incoming call.

Bai Tian pressed her cold hands against her face to clear her head, then took out her phone and answered.

“A-Yuan, have you left already?” Her tone sounded perfectly relaxed.

The other person did not notice anything unusual and replied in the same bright, hearty voice, “Do you want me to pick you up?”

Bai Tian raised her head and rubbed the space between her brows before answering apologetically, “Sorry, I received a last-minute notice this morning. I’ve been assigned to go to S City to grade exam papers, and I’ll be leaving this afternoon. Even though I already requested leave, the director said they’re short-staffed this time and there’s really no other choice…”

The person on the other end paused, then comforted her instead. “It’s all right. There’ll be plenty of other chances. I can just change my flight. Don’t be upset, okay? It’s no big deal.”

Bai Tian forced a smile, her voice filled with guilt. “Please apologize to your family for me. I feel terrible for canceling the first time I’m supposed to meet them.”

“It’s fine, really. My mom has been busy learning to dance these past couple of days, and she’ll be joining a senior citizens’ tour group to Thailand in a few days. She has plenty of ways to enjoy herself. Since you can’t come, she can just have fun for a few extra days.”

Listening to his steady voice, Bai Tian felt some of her irritation fade away.

She nodded and walked back to her room while listening to him, preparing to start packing.

“Oh, right. You’re going to S City?” the person on the other end suddenly asked.

“Yes. Why?”

Ye Li laughed. With one hand on the steering wheel, he first turned up the volume on his Bluetooth earpiece, then tapped the phone mounted on the holder and glanced at it. “What a coincidence. My sister said she’s spending the next few days in S City, taking a vacation.”

Bai Tian froze for a moment, then asked in confusion, “You have a sister? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention her.”

Ye Li was also taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he laughed. “I think I forgot to tell you.”

“She’s not actually my biological sister. She’s my stepfather’s daughter.” Ye Li held the steering wheel with both hands and watched the road ahead as he slowly continued, “After my stepfather died a few years ago, she rarely came home. We don’t normally keep in touch much, either, and she’s always busy with work, so we see each other even less often.”

Bai Tian looked at the suitcase she had already packed the night before. She simply brushed the dust from her pajama pants, then sat down on the bed and listened attentively.

“It’s rare for me to hear from her, but this time, she told me she was on vacation and resting in S City. I originally wanted to ask her to come home so the two of you could meet.”

“It sounds as though the two of you are fairly close.” Bai Tian could not help remarking as she listened.

Ye Li was an open and straightforward person. After spending so much time with him, Bai Tian could easily discern certain things from his tone.

However, the person on the other end said, “Actually, we used to have a terrible relationship. But that’s all in the past. All I know now is that she’s my sister and, other than my mom, the only family I have left in this world.”

His tone was unusually serious. Bai Tian felt that many stories lay hidden within those words, but they concerned things she knew nothing about and had no right to pry into. She sat on the bed and swung her legs as she asked, “So, are you going to S City too?”

“As expected of you—you can always guess what I’m thinking. There’s a saying that arriving at the right time is better than arriving early. I’ll let her know, and we can meet in S City this time. We’ll find another time to visit my mom. That should take some of the pressure off you too.”

Bai Tian had no objection. She also felt that meeting his “sister” would be far less stressful than meeting his “mother.”

“Then change the flight. We’ll go to S City.”

And with that, the matter was settled.

S City was a wonderful place—a great metropolis countless young people dreamed of living in.

But as far as Bai Tian was concerned, if she had any choice, she intended never to set foot in that city again for the rest of her life.

Unfortunately, eight or nine times out of ten, life did not go as one wished.

When Bai Tian boarded the flight to S City with a group of colleagues, she never imagined what this sudden return to an old place would bring to the life she had finally managed to set back on course.

She simply sat in her seat, thinking that nothing was going right. Then, once again, she adjusted her state of mind to accommodate her own compromise. Calmly gazing at the thick layers of clouds outside the airplane window, she waited to arrive at her destination.

The colleagues beside her were laughing and chatting about something amusing, but Bai Tian’s mind had wandered, and she did not hear them clearly.

Her thoughts leaped rapidly from one thing to another. After several turns, they finally settled on the meeting that would take place soon.

What kind of person would Ye Li’s sister be? Bai Tian could not help wondering.

Since they were not related by blood, they probably did not resemble each other. Resting her head on one hand, Bai Tian suddenly began to feel uneasy.

Was she easy to get along with? Would she dislike the gift Bai Tian had bought? Or would she dislike Bai Tian herself? If something that awful really happened, what would be the best way to handle it?

As Bai Tian continued thinking, she unexpectedly began to feel drowsy. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep in her seat.

“There is a sunflower in beautiful bloom. It sways gently in the breeze, and it makes me think of you.”

The young woman standing in the pool had her back to the light and turned her head slightly. She seemed to smile, but with the light behind her, Bai Tian could not see clearly.

“But I quickly realized that my thinking of you had nothing to do with the sunflower.”

The clear blue water rippled outward in layers as the young woman slowly walked through the pool. Every ripple was accompanied by the splash of water, echoing through the empty world.

“It was because I had become addicted to you.”

The young woman stopped within arm’s reach, bent down, and scooped up a handful of water, pouring it beneath the halo refracted by the sunlight. Water streamed through her slender fingers. Amid the indistinct shimmer, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Bai Tian.

“Bai Tian.”

“Bai Tian, wake up.”

Bai Tian opened her eyes. Her gaze slowly came back into focus, and she remained dazed for a few more seconds before fully waking. She nodded, gathered her personal belongings, and sat upright.

A sweet announcement sounded through the cabin. All around her, people began gathering their belongings in groups of twos and threes. Those who had been sleeping also woke, breathing sighs of relief at reaching their destination, some excited and others delighted.

Amid the noisy voices, Bai Tian remained silent and conspicuously out of place.

“I’m back,” she said soundlessly, lowering her eyes to conceal her emotions.

The place where my sweetest dreams and worst nightmares began.

Author’s Note: The author’s writing is rather immature, and the earlier parts aren’t very well written, but it improves a little later on. I hope new readers will bear with me, ouo