Chapter 153: Three Stones Art Museum
He quickly arrived at an exhibition room and stood at the door. He first saw a girl in a short-sleeved dress, or at least what looked like a girl judging from the long black hair cascading down her back. Guan Lei could not discern much else since she faced away from him.
The skinny girl suddenly turned around. Guan Lei tried to see her face, but a strange, hazy fog occluded her features.
Several indistinct blurs raced around the girl, trapped in a loop. Guan Lei felt his concentration snap as the girl’s shrill voice cut through the intervening space, the distance separating him from the exhibition hall. "Go! Run!" She shouted, her words overcome with terror.
Guan Lei did not have any time to act. An explosion rocked the building, causing his ears to ring. A wave of fire washed over him, a hellish deluge that shook him to the core. The pain was all he felt as he shot up, his eyes flaring open.
"Ah!"
Xue Li heard Guan Lei’s scream and rushed into the room with Guan Yan.
"Young Master, are you alright?" In an instant, Xue Li was by Guan Lei’s side, worry warring with logic, seeking the middle ground best for him and not finding purchase.
Guan Lei’s chest rose and fell into staccato-like gasps. The scene replayed itself repeatedly, refusing to surrender him from its grasp. Xue Li grabbed a handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat on Guan Lei’s forehead.
"Zheng Huai, how dare you begin without my permission!" Guan Lei hissed, his senses rapidly returning.
Zheng Huai feigned his guilt. "It was an emergency. I was so worried for your health that I began treating your insomnia before you gave me the green light. My apologies. I hope you understand where I’m coming from."
Seeing Guan Lei’s fierce expression, Zheng Huai knew he had made a mistake. With an air of patience, he said, "Don’t worry, Young Master Guan. The instrument I used helped you fall into a dream state sooner than usual; it was not dangerous. Moreover, I managed to gain some very valuable data."