The sky remained unchanged, utterly still. Everything here seemed frozen in time. I lay on the ground, my body weak and powerless. My stomach twisted and cramped, completely empty.
"Remember this, brother. In the Forest of Desire, if you can't control your urges, you'll turn to stone, become water, or vanish into air—anything could happen to you."
I let out a sound of acknowledgment and looked at Old Ray. His mouth was slightly open, tongue hanging out. I couldn't help but wonder—there was nothing to eat here, so how did he survive?
After resting for a while, thirst crept in again. I stared at the flowing river and swallowed several times.
"Go ahead, just enough to moisten your throat. A small sip won't hurt you."
I first splashed some water on my cheeks. The coolness brought clarity, waking me up. Then I stuck out my tongue and licked the droplets that slid down my face. The sweetness filled my mouth. With trembling hands, I scooped up a small handful of water and stared at it, crystal clear, right before my eyes.
I stretched out my tongue, licking and swallowing, pursing my lips as I slowly sucked every drop of water from my hands.
After drinking, I examined my body, fear creeping in. Something felt deeply wrong.
"It's fine, brother. Haven't you heard? 'Feasts behind closed doors, bones frozen on the road.' Heh, you have to learn to control your desires. From the moment a person is born, desire follows them—there's no escaping it. That's why the Forest of Desire is so dangerous. Most who enter are human, after all."
Feeling a bit better, I sat up and asked:
"Old Ray, how did you get in here?"
"Huh? Me? Sigh, just bad luck. Even though I was reborn, my birth wasn't good. There were a bunch of us puppies, but our owner couldn't afford to keep us. No one wanted us, so we were just dumped. My siblings died from the cold just days after being abandoned. I barely managed to survive."
I made a noncommittal sound.
"You still haven't answered me. How did you get here, and where's the exit?"
Old Ray shook his head.
"There is no exit, brother. Those with especially strong desires get sent into the Forest of Desire. Look closely at your surroundings—don't let your eyes deceive you."
I let out a confused sound, looking around, but saw nothing unusual.
Old Ray shook his head again, turning away as if sighing.
"Come on, brother. I'll take you to get something to eat."
The moment I heard about food, strength surged through me. I was starving, barely able to walk, and to make matters worse, my right foot was still stone.
Old Ray carried me, jogging slowly. Soon, the scent of food drifted to my nose. Ahead was that gravel clearing, with the stone table still piled high with fragrant, steaming dishes.
I swallowed hard. The types and quantities of food kept increasing. Old Ray walked over, and suddenly I saw a small bowl appear at the edge of the stone table—a bowl of plain white rice. Without hesitation, Old Ray set his front paws on the edge, grabbed the bowl in his mouth, placed it on the ground, and ate slowly, savoring every bite.
I gulped, watching Old Ray. After he finished, he licked his nose, looking content. The aroma of food was overwhelming—I couldn't resist anymore and finally, step by step, walked over.
"Your desires are too strong, Qingyuan. You have to learn control. Look carefully—the food on that table is all conjured by your hunger. If you eat it, you'll turn to stone immediately. Damn, why won't you listen..."
As if possessed, I'd already picked up a chicken leg and brought it to my mouth, jaws wide open. Suddenly, Old Ray lunged, grabbing my hand with his mouth. The scrape of his fangs snapped me back to my senses, and I hurriedly tossed the chicken leg to the ground.
The aroma was overwhelming. I raised my hand to sniff it, then stuck out my tongue to lick the grease from my fingers.
"What's wrong with you, kid? Trying to get yourself killed? Look at yourself!"
After licking all five fingers, I realized my lower body was getting heavier. A quick glance showed the petrified area had spread. I couldn't help but curse out loud. Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind—better to die stuffed than starve as a hungry ghost.
Suddenly, Old Ray lunged at me, clamping his mouth around my neck and pinning me to the ground. I struggled.
"Let me go! I can't take it anymore. Better to die full than starve to death!"
At that moment, my desire erupted uncontrollably. Reason had completely collapsed—my mind was filled only with the image of food.
"Hey, don't you want to make it out alive? Isn't there anyone you care about? Qingyuan, snap out of it, damn it!"
Memories flashed by like a lantern show—faces of friends, family, loved ones flickered through my mind. I let out a cry, shouting loudly.
After a while, Old Ray finally let go and got off me. I gasped for breath, exhausted. My mind raced—at this point, forget delicacies, just a bowl of plain rice would be enough to keep me alive.
"Not bad, you've learned to control your desires. Heh, Qingyuan, look."
I lifted my head, looking over. Sure enough, there was a bowl of white rice on the table. Gripping Old Ray's furry back, I struggled to my feet. The aroma of rice wafted over. Quietly, I picked up the bowl. All the delicacies had vanished—on the stone table, only a single bowl of plain rice remained.
I scooped up the rice with my hand, eating slowly, savoring each grain. It brought a deep sense of reassurance and hope. Though the taste was bland, my heart felt content.
All this made me think back to my childhood, begging for food in the city. Hunger was a daily struggle, but the joy of finally finding something to eat—I can still remember it vividly.
"Qingyuan, as long as you have food, you can survive." The words of Aunt Ghost echoed in my mind. Tears welled up, falling drop by drop.
Old Ray's laughter rang out from nearby.
"So, how was it? Tasty, right?"
I nodded, continuing to eat. It really was delicious.
After eating, I set down the bowl and leaned against a stone, quietly watching the sky. Sleepiness swept over me. Suddenly, Old Ray bit my thigh. I cried out in pain.
"What are you doing, Old Ray? That hurt!" I came to my senses, pulled up my pants, and saw a row of red bite marks.
"Sigh, kid, can you show some progress? I just warned you, and you've already forgotten?"
I made a sound, then muttered under my breath.
"Is sleep a desire too?" Old Ray nodded, looking at me with helpless eyes.
"Work at sunrise, rest at sunset. Look, it's still broad daylight—yet you want to sleep."
I made another sound and leaned against the tree trunk. Even after being bitten by Old Ray, I still wanted to sleep.
"Come on, let's go to the river and wash up."
Old Ray spoke, but I wasn't too keen. I still hadn't recovered my strength and planned to rest a bit longer. Old Ray seemed a bit impatient.
"Suit yourself. I'm heading over first."
I felt great now. Old Ray had already gone to the river alone, while I stayed quietly leaning against the stone. My body regained its energy. Staring at the blue sky, I couldn't help but feel the urge to sleep.
I longed to lie on a soft bed, pull up the covers, and sleep warmly. Suddenly, the dream I'd had earlier flashed in my mind, and my body grew restless again.
"Qingyuan, go ahead and sleep. I'll give you a massage."
I opened my eyes wide in surprise—somehow, I was lying on Rachel Lan's lap. She smiled, gently massaging my shoulders. I grew sleepier and sleepier.
"Damn it, kid, look at yourself. I told you not to let desire blind you!"
A faint voice came from nearby as my consciousness drifted toward sleep. I didn't want to pay attention.
"Qingyuan, does that feel good?"
Rachel Lan's soft voice reached my ears. I murmured a response and shifted position, lying on her lap. Her fragrance filled me with sleepiness.
The barking of dogs echoed over, irritating me. The sound grew louder and more agitated, making me increasingly restless.
"Damn it, can't a guy get some sleep?" I finally snapped, cursing out loud. But when I opened my eyes, I realized Old Ray was suddenly towering over me.
Then I cried out—why was I buried in dirt? My body had turned into a tree. Terror gripped me as I stared at my transformation.
"Well, Qingyuan, have you rested enough? Want to keep going?" Old Ray's voice was laced with reprimand. I hurriedly asked,
"What do I do? What should I do?"
"I warned you, Qingyuan. In the Forest of Desire, if you can't control your urges, you'll be in big trouble. I've seen plenty of people—on their very first day, they became part of the forest itself."
As Old Ray spoke, I suddenly screamed. Blinking, I looked around. Now I finally saw it—every tree around me was once a person. At the roots, beneath piles of leaves, I spotted them: faces, turned to wood, eyes closed, looking peaceful, as if asleep.