Races: Online

When you get hit point-black in the back of your head, it was hard to tell that it happened in the first place—everything started becoming black and you just kind of lost consciousness. 

He found himself blinking once, feeling a little tired and then nearly found himself toppling over to the cement. Things didn't happen in slow-motion in real life, but in his vision, the boxes of mooncakes were in the air.

Han Jing caught himself from falling by virtue of his reflexes catching him even when his own mind slipped. He immediately whirled to give the ghost a piece of his mind—but didn't see anyone on the street. Did that Megui run away doing that? 

It was so uncool.

"Of course, I shouldn't trust people I meet. Typical ghost behavior, duh." 

"Meow."

Han Jing quickly looked down to see a black cat with green eyes—and the sight of this feline creature made him roll his eyes. Adorable and quite purry, it was the kind of cat who you didn't think was bad luck.

Contrary, it seemed special when you met one and now Han Jing knew why.

He bit back a snicker and glanced down at it with an imperious look. "Oh, you think you can fool me now with that kind of disguise? I know your tricks… did you really have to hit me so my vision unfocuses back to regular human one?"

This was supposed to be one of those moments where the cat would look up in shock, wink at him intelligently or start talking back to Han Jing.

However it didn't happen to his expectations.

The cat didn't pay him any attention and simply started prowling out of the street and slinkling into one of the nearby bushes. Han Jing watched it leave and only shook his head.

"Of course you'd try to make me look like a fool in the street, mumbling to myself. I get that—very funny."

Now that bit was over and the cat didn't seem like it was going to return at all for anything… there was no more escaping it.

"I mean I returned here to see them, I can't chicken out now."

Han Jing took one last breath and then returned to the apartment. "Home sweet home." The man looked around for a bit to see the lobby area decorated to fit the festival and he raised his brows.

Madam Dongxia seemed willing to allow more people to come over and celebrate the festival. While the older lady was stingy when it came to repairing stuff in the apartment due to complaining about lack of funds, somehow she was able to cough up cash for decoration.

Han Jing walked through the corridors and made his way up the stairs. Every now and then, he'd see a door open with lights and people talking animatedly with each other.

"Han Jing! There you are, you want to join us?"

"Oh, neighbor. Would you like some drinks?"

"Ah, thank you. I'm alright. Please enjoy the night!" Han Jing bowed slightly at the elders and waved at those around his age—young men and women who also seemed to be working in the city.

There was even one door open around the first floor of the apartment with just one woman drinking all by herself.

He didn't know who this woman was—except she was someone who seemed pretty put together when he did see her on rare occasions that he got out. If his sources of gossip that came from his mother's friend were right… This was the woman who was working at a really good company.

Even Madam Dongxia was bragging about her.

During this festival? She left her door open for everyone to see her room. The woman was holding up a bottle of cassie wine and greeted him, red-faced and completely drunk over that kind of alcohol?

It was a reunion wine, but she seemed to be alone.

Not that she looked upset or anything… she was actually loud and having the time of her life. "Hey you—yes, you! Let's drink!" She raised the bottle at him encouragingly. 

"Haha… I'm good." 

He looked around to see if there was anybody else with her, maybe someone in the bathroom, but he did his fellow apartment neighbor a favor by closing the door for her. It wasn't a good idea to be alone, drunk and have everyone welcome to join in—festival or not.

Han Jing felt like he should have done something more, but he didn't exactly think it was his part to interrupt the person. If anything, it might cause the festive atmosphere to get muddy if he tried to stop them from drinking.

This was none of his business.

A couple more invitations came his way for him to join random families or group of friends to eat or drink together.

Even though most of the neighbors weren't exactly the friendliest during non-holidays, it stunned him a little that they were willing to invite someone who they merely knew by face.

It was one of those strange times when people who you normally didn't interact with greeted you like they were your closest friends and families. Each door he seemed to pass through was filled with noises of several people inside of the room.

Han Jing smiled a little to himself, this was helping him work up the courage and energy to actually meet up with his family.

He was rich now—or at least loaded enough to not worry for a year.

Surely that was something to be proud of, right?

Even if he was worried that the money wouldn't last beyond what he had now and by the end of twelve months… he'd be back to the penniless Han Jing that he was, he needed to look up a little.

Have faith and a little more positivity.

Wasn't that what he was supposed to do? Han Jing took a deep breath and stopped outside of his family's door. Compared to the rest of the doors that seemed to fill and echo with the voices of friends or family members all huddled together… his place seemed to be quiet.

He knocked on the door.

"Hello? I'm home."

There was no response. Han Jing quickly fixed his grip on the boxes of the mooncakes and fished out his key to the house… and opened up to an empty house. His parents and even sister weren't home.

"Where are these people?" Han Jing asked himself aloud and placed the boxes on the table.

Everything was clean and arranged properly. There was even a small harvest rite in one of the corners of the room. A small food offering of apples, pears and other fruits placed on top of one of their dressers to respect their ancestors… but all three of them were gone? 

What did his mother say about them wishing that he was with them?

He sighed and looked around the empty room. Han Jing didn't even bother opening the lights because of his Night Vision, instead simply taking in the quietness of this place. "They probably just left to go outside and I didn't tell them that I was going back… to surprise them."

It wasn't something that he should get upset over.

Han Jing pulled out his phone to send them a text—but then returned it to his pocket.

"Let them hang out together without me, I don't think I'd enjoy being there anyway. Who goes out during a festival? Every place is cramped if they're trying to eat out without any reservations." he grumbled underneath his breath but eventually just left the house.

Right before doing that—he grabbed one of the boxes and just started eating mooncakes. The tasty and flaky crust of the pastry was sweet in his mouth and he looked out at the city's skies. 

He could hear the crackle of fireworks, but his vision was blocked mostly by tall buildings and apartments. 

"I might as well get a little exercise," Han Jing said and started his way up to the rooftop of the apartment. Maybe he should go and welcome himself in the other gatherings present tonight or even actually just drink with the woman earlier—she seemed to be having a blast drinking all by herself.

But the thought evaporated when he reached the fourth floor.

"Mother said something about inviting her for dinner…" Han Jing said to himself. But eventually just shook his head—he didn't want to be that guy that showed up randomly at a girl's doorsteps and asked her out… to dinner or anything.

Han Jing quickly walked past the fourth floor and then finally reached the rooftop. Memories of both the Demon Lord and Wood Elf here were a little silly… or terrifying if one needed to see it more realistically, but he was just looking for a place to see the fireworks.

There was not a single piece of laundry on the clothesline and it was completely free from anything else—except for her.

Han Jing blinked once, but quickly recognized that it was Chan Lee. Compared to him with a box of mooncake in one of his arms, she had a picnic blanket on the rooftop and she was eating all by herself.

He quietly spun away to make a hasty retreat back down the stairwell—

"Han Jing?" she called out to him. 

He was caught right in the act.

Chan Lee squinted slightly, but then asked. "Is that you, Han Jing?"

"Oh hey—nice night time picnic. Watching the fireworks?" Han Jing replied with a wave.

"Yeah, I thought it would be kind of fun doing it here," Chan Lee said. "It's kind of chilly and cool, way better than getting holed up in my room. Um, I don't have any wine with me… but do you want peaches or pomelo juice? You're up here to watch the fireworks, right?"

"Yeah. I'd trade some juice for mooncakes." He showed off the half-empty box.

"I've had too many of those—but sure."