Sending a Dream Part 1

"How did I remember the answer then..." Kong Xuan was still lingering, inching forward hesitantly, reluctant to leave.

Tan Xiao raised his hand to hold Kong Xuan's chin, "Then hurry up and do your homework."

Kong Xuan hummed softly and buried his head back into his homework.

Tan Xiao half-sat on the bed. He usually wouldn't play with his phone an hour before sleep, but his phone kept vibrating. When he checked, it was the joint management group from the 404 office, and Fang Zhu was going crazy in there.

Fang Zhu: 【@everyone stop chanting! Stop meditating! My great-grandma has appeared!!】

Fang Zhu: 【@everyone please, come to my aid QAQ】

Fang Zhu: 【[crying][crying][going mad]】

Fang Zhu was tagging everyone frantically, then Mu Fei kicked him out...

Followed by a series of confused emojis: confused.jpg

Curious, Tan Xiao poked Mu Fei: 【Sister Mu, did Fang Zhu find his great-grandma's ashes? Weren't they taken?】

Mu Fei: 【Yes, he just had a dream and suddenly said he dreamt of his great-grandma, so he wants to go to the place in his dream and catch someone, making everyone mobilize in the middle of the night.】

Tan Xiao: 【Oh... dreaming, is that reliable?】

Mu Fei: 【Of course it is. In the metaphysical worldview, dreams aren't made in vain. But he's just too noisy, kept crying.】

Tan Xiao: 【...】

Indeed, even if a dream provided a clue, tasks still need to be organized. Fang Zhu was probably too excited after his dream.

【So what did he dream of?】 Tan Xiao asked.

【It was a specific scene, we told him to draw it and then we'll identify it.】 Mu Fei replied.

Fang Zhu's great-grandma is a clam dragon, an outstanding member of their species. There had been no news before, but now there's a trace, maybe it's a flaw exposed by the sniper under the tight chase from the 404 office.

But this had little to do with Tan Xiao, no one would expect a high school senior to take time to investigate a case.

【No worries, you go ahead with your work. Sorry to bother you.】 Mu Fei consoled, 【I'll submit the extra credit application as soon as the case is closed.】

Tan Xiao: 【Okay, thanks, Sister Mu.】

Tan Xiao put down his phone, lost in thought.

Kong Xuan asked him, "What are you thinking about?"

Kong Xuan had also seen Fang Zhu's outburst and thought Tan Xiao was still pondering the case.

"Oh..." Tan Xiao said slowly, "I was thinking, can you send dreams?"

Mu Fei was right, in the metaphysical worldview, dreams aren't made in vain. Immortals, gods, ghosts, and spirits all seem to have the ability to send dreams, whether it's a nightmare or a pleasant dream, predicting fortune or disaster or delivering messages from relatives, they can appear in people's dreams and make things happen.

Tan Xiao had seen many instances, around Qingming or Ghost Festival, or just on ordinary days, people claiming they dreamt their relatives were not doing well in the afterlife, hence needing to perform rituals or burn paper money. He used to think it was just a case of 'what you think about in the day, you dream about at night.'

"I can, I guess," Kong Xuan hesitated, "never used it."

He didn't have anyone he needed to send dreams to, unlike those who had been in their positions for years and occasionally needed to use dreams to achieve their goals, Kong Xuan had no such need.

"Then send me a dream, I'm curious about what it feels like," Tan Xiao lay down with interest, "How about you try... us..."

Kong Xuan's eyes flickered, "What?"

Tan Xiao closed his eyes, "Us practicing entering the college entrance exam hall in the dream, to see if we get nervous."

Kong Xuan: "..."

......

Thus, the night seemed particularly long.

When Tan Xiao woke up, he felt a vague sense of fatigue. Lying in bed for half a minute, he remembered why.

Oh, last night he had Kong Xuan send him a dream. Now he finally understood why Fang Zhu was so excited because some dreams, right after you have them, really blur the lines between fantasy and reality, feeling like they actually happened.

However, it's clear that dreaming also takes a toll on one's mental energy. For doctors, excessive dreaming and insomnia both require treatment. It seems that although this method of practice is good, it shouldn't be tried too often.

And upon recalling... last night, Tan Xiao indeed dreamt that he entered the college entrance exam hall and even answered questions amid a very real countdown. But...

"Why was I wearing a shaman's robe in the exam hall? And holding a brush?" Tan Xiao wondered aloud. He didn't feel anything odd while dreaming, but upon waking, he realized how strange this world seemed.

It was Kong Xuan's first time fabricating a dream. He wasn't a professional dream god, and much of it was a manifestation of his subconscious. He stammered, "I don't know."

Tan Xiao glanced at him and suddenly laughed, "Really don't know?"

"...I remember now," Kong Xuan said loudly, "because I like seeing you in a shaman's robe, it should be red and black."

Tan Xiao originally intended to tease the little bird, but Kong Xuan's straightforward confession made him blush instead, leaving him speechless for a moment. He finally got up, "Alright, no wonder when we left the exam hall, you wanted to announce our relationship to the whole school and kissed me several times."

Talking about this made Kong Xuan even more shameless, "I've finished my exams, why can't I say it? Dream kisses don't count!"

If he could, he would have announced it to the entire three realms.

"..." Tan Xiao didn't dare to think about it in detail, went downstairs to wash up, and saw Tan Chunying also getting ready to leave for work. Her job sometimes made her very busy and sometimes very free.

Rushing out, she noticed Tan Xiao's expression and exclaimed, "Didn't sleep well?"

"Just a bit, had a lot of dreams." Tan Xiao rubbed his face.

"I'm off to record a show, make yourself some herbal decoction to drink." Shamans and doctors were not entirely separate professions, and Tan Chunying knew a few remedies. She hesitated before continuing, "You... young people!" She hurried off with her bag.

Tan Xiao was puzzled by her ambiguous words.

Kong Xuan was also confused, "What did she mean?"

"...Ah." Tan Xiao finally understood, covering his head in exasperation, "What the heck."

Kong Xuan was even more puzzled, "What what?"

"Nothing, you don't need to know." Tan Xiao's face heated up, he pushed Kong Xuan, "Let's go to school!"

......

"The Nuo dance has encapsulated the cultural essence of our country for thousands of years, witnessing the development of ancient dance. The performance of our dance drama 'Chu Nuo' at the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala represents a unique cultural feature of Nanchu, showcasing the struggle of the Nanchu people against nature. From the primitive Nuo dance, we see the spirit of our nation..."

Tan Chunying spoke eloquently in front of two cameras.

One camera belonged to the documentary "The Great Shaman," while the other was from the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala program team, filming a teaser to be aired during the gala.

As the Nanchu region was a sub-venue for the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, they had to showcase the most distinctive local programs. It was said that a specially large, high-tech stage had been set up at the foot of Qiyun Ridge, where the Chu shaman and Qiyun Ridge dances would be the two major highlights representing Nanchu.

This was also thanks to the progress made in spreading Chu shaman culture over the past year, allowing more young people to learn about Nuo culture, which in turn made the authorities pay more attention to its promotion.

Next to Tan Chunying was the head of the Nanchu Song and Dance Troupe, with whom she has collaborated many times. The entire dance drama is quite lengthy, and this time they will perform selected excerpts.

"How is this different from previous Nuo dance programs?" the program director asked, guiding the conversation.

"In the past, we also adapted some Nuo dances, such as successfully promoting the 'Snake Dance' on the streets, allowing Nanchu citizens to dance along. We also staged a children's dance called 'Feather Child' with a Nuo mask theme, which even won awards. This dance drama connects many characteristic Chu shaman dances and presents them as a whole through several chapters..."

The director was particularly satisfied with Tan Chunying's performance.

As the first person to lead the shamans from being Chu shaman representatives to cultural tourism representatives, she has achievements, experience, and can express herself well. The filming was quickly completed.

For the documentary filming crew on the other side, this was also part of their silent observation: one of the survival directions of Chu shamans in the new era.

After the preview filming crew left, the dance troupe performers quietly shared the latest gossip with Tan Chunying: "It seems that Jiuyi Mountain is cooperating with the provincial TV station to broadcast a few programs."

"Haha, that's not bad either." Tan Chunying naturally understood what the other party meant - several places were vying to host the sub-venue of this gala, including the Jiuyi Mountain Scenic Area.

They were quite confident over there, but unfortunately, they didn't win over Nanchu in the end. However, they settled for second best and made the provincial TV station quite lively. Coincidentally, the birthday of Emperor Shun was also around the corner, so they took the opportunity to arrange the grand ceremony of worshipping Shun as well.

Tan Chunying still had a good impression when mentioning Jiuyi Mountain, "In the past, when I was looking for opportunities everywhere and cooperating with travel agencies and such, their performers were doing better at that time, so I went there to learn from them."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, their scenic area management is also good..."

The two chatted for a few more moments. After Tan Chunying saw the dance troupe performers off, the documentary filming crew still lingered like ghosts, filming Tan Chunying's daily life as she tidied up the props she had just used for the demonstration.

Among them was a bow.