Duanmu Minghai's Story Collection: Memories

I walked quickly through the Champs Elysées, Christmas carols floating in the air like a rolling dark cloud. People come and go, and every face has a smile. I could clearly see that their smiles were like balloons, constantly inflating and inflating. Panic suddenly entered my pupils, I took off my feet and ran away from the crowd. But how to escape? The Christmas carols above my head spread a drizzle, filled my eye sockets, swam from the collar to my back, flowed all over my body, and finally penetrated into my skin, flesh, and internal organs, making my lips tremble with the coldness. As I ran, I looked back, only to see thousands of people opening their mouths and laughing. Suddenly, the laughter set off a tsunami that could sweep across the entire city of Paris! I ran as fast as I could, pushing through the round bellies, and my head banged against people's laps. In the turbulent crowd, I kept walking on the waves and escaped as quickly as possible. However, I still couldn't escape. The countless mouths, big and small, shouted in unison: "Merry Christmas!!!" Finally, I was completely submerged by the tsunami and slowly sank into the dark seabed. And when the last inch of light disappeared, I closed my eyes and heard the gypsy song I had been looking for for a long time. Surrounded by singing, the surroundings are deep. In the deepest void of the world, I suddenly found an old wooden door. Pushing open the wooden door, she was leaning on the counter. She slowly turned her head and cast her soft eyes on me. She whispered, "Welcome home." I said: "Long time no see."