Myth Beyond Heaven

With a sigh, Yun Lintian stretched his limbs, his joints popping softly, and reluctantly pushed himself off the comfortable sofa.

He ambled into the kitchen. The air was thick with the warm, delicious smells of a home-cooked meal. He saw his sister’s busy back as she expertly tended to a sizzling wok. A teasing smile touched his lips.

“Whoever marries our Yueyue in the future will be the luckiest person in the world,” he said, his voice full of brotherly pride and mischief. “Not only is she beautiful, but her cooking skills are also top-tier. She’s the complete package.”

Yun Ningyue shot him an annoyed glare over her shoulder, though a faint hint of a smile played at the corner of her mouth. “Stop your sweet talk and get to work! Take these plates out.”

Chuckling, Yun Lintian obediently picked up the stack of porcelain plates and carried them towards the dining hall. As he walked through the living room, his gaze fell upon a photo frame sitting on the television console.

It was a family portrait. In it, a man with a kind, steadfast face and a woman with a gentle, beautiful smile stood side by side.

The man was his father, Yun Wuhan. The woman was his mother, Yun Wushuang. In front of them, a younger Yun Lintian stood straight, while a little Yun Ningyue, all of five or six years old, grinned cheekily at the camera. It was a picture of complete happiness.

As he looked at his mother’s smiling face, another sharp, inexplicable pain pierced his heart. This one was stronger, accompanied by a fleeting image of those same eyes, but filled with immense sorrow and a love so deep it felt like an ocean. He blinked, and the photo was just a photo again.

What’s wrong with me today? he wondered, shaking his head to clear it. He placed the plates neatly on the wooden dining table.

Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the front door.

The door swung open slowly, and a middle-aged man in a neat but slightly tired-looking suit stepped inside. It was Yun Wuhan. He was a teacher at the local high school and had just gotten off work. The faint scent of chalk dust and the weary air of a long day clung to him. Newest update provided by novelꜰire.net

Yun Lintian walked over. “Dad, you’re back.” He naturally reached out and took his father’s worn leather briefcase. “Why are you so late today?”

Yun Wuhan bent down to change his shoes, letting out a soft sigh. “There was a meeting with the principal and the other teachers about the upcoming national examination.” He straightened up, rubbing the spot between his eyebrows where stress often gathered. “The pressure from above is immense. They want us to ensure the students achieve outstanding results. It’s exhausting.”

He took off his suit jacket, hung it neatly on the coat rack by the door, and then headed to the bathroom to wash his hands and face, washing away the grime and fatigue of the day.

Soon, the family of three gathered around the dining table. The table was laden with simple, homely dishes prepared by Yun Ningyue: a plate of glistening braised pork, a bowl of steaming egg and tomato soup, and a stir-fried green vegetable. The room was filled with the warm, comforting atmosphere of a family meal.

As they ate, Yun Wuhan looked across the table at his son.

“Lintian,” he began, his tone casual but carrying weight, “the national examination is just around the corner. Have you given more thought to what you want to study? Your mother… she always hoped you would become a doctor. It’s a stable and respected profession.”

Yun Lintian, who had been shoveling rice into his mouth, paused. He put down his chopsticks, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He took a deep breath.

“Dad,” he said, “what if… what if I said I don’t want to be a doctor anymore? I’ve been thinking… I want to study computer engineering.”

He braced himself for an argument, for a reminder of his mother’s wishes.

However, Yun Wuhan simply nodded thoughtfully. He took a sip of his soup before speaking. “Computer engineering… that’s a good choice. The world is changing. Artificial Intelligence is the trend now, the future. There are many opportunities in that field.” His voice was calm and supportive.

“What matters is that you have a goal and you work hard towards it. Your mother would only want you to be happy and successful, no matter the path.”

Yun Lintian felt a wave of relief wash over him. His father’s understanding was a greater support than he had anticipated.

But then, a voice piped up from the side.

“Dad, don’t believe him!” Yun Ningyue interjected, pointing her chopsticks at her brother accusingly. “He doesn’t really want to be a computer engineer! He just thinks it sounds easier than being a doctor! He just wants to be lazy and play with computers all day! All he does now is read novels. When has he ever studied programming?”

Yun Lintian’s face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation.

“You little…!”

Before she could continue her tirade, he swiftly picked up a large, succulent piece of braised pork from the plate and unceremoniously stuffed it into her open mouth.

“Eat your food in silence,” he said sternly, though his eyes twinkled with amusement. “This is a conversation between adults. Children shouldn’t interrupt.”

Yun Ningyue’s eyes widened, and she made a few muffled sounds of protest around the mouthful of pork before finally starting to chew, shooting daggers at her brother all the while.

Yun Wuhan watched the interaction between his two children, a warm, gentle smile finally breaking through his weary expression. The bickering, the teasing, the shared meal—this was the simple, precious happiness of family. The stress of his meeting seemed to melt away slightly in the face of it.

After dinner, Yun Lintian returned to the sofa, picking up his phone almost out of habit. He opened the reading app, and the title “Myth Beyond Heaven” once again filled the screen.

As his eyes scanned the familiar text, a strange feeling settled over him. The plot, the characters, the world… it all felt inexplicably familiar, like a long-forgotten dream. It resonated with something deep within him, a silent chord that vibrated in the hidden corners of his soul.

He didn’t understand why. It was just a web novel, after all. But as he started reading the next chapter, a sense of quiet destiny, faint and elusive, seemed to hang in the air around him, as tangible as the evening breeze drifting in through the window…