Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Everyone saw his mouth open and close, groaning, “It hurts…”

Only Xie Yinxue believed that Liu Buhua would cheer up soon.

Indeed, after Liu Buhua fully transformed into a "flower", he felt no more pain, and he ceased his humming. Supporting himself to stand up from the table and turning around, he saw everyone's eyes wide open, looking at him as if they'd seen a ghost. He couldn't help but ask, “What's with me? Why are you all staring?”

Lü Shuo swallowed hard, his voice trembling, “Don’t you feel something off about yourself?”

“It seems my perspective has changed.” After some contemplation, Liu Buhua twisted his right eyeball to look at his left one, remarking, “I can see my other eye.”

To prevent Liu Buhua from making a spectacle of himself in front of others, Xie Yinxue summarized, “You've turned into a flower.”

“What?!”

Shocked, Liu Buhua exclaimed with glee, “Is there a mirror? Let me see —”

The black-eyed "Doctor 歩" seemingly amused by Liu Buhua's antics, reached into his desk drawer and tossed him a small round mirror.

Once Liu Buhua got the mirror, he couldn't put it down, continuously admiring his new visage, “Wow~”

Xie Yinxue: “...”

Had he known this would be the outcome of this realm, he would have invited Zhu Yikun. At this rate, Liu Buhua's condition was unlikely to improve.

“Where's the nurse?” Bu Jiuzhao beckoned to a participant from the nurse's side, “Take him away.”

The transformation had taken a toll on Liu Buhua's energy, and he indeed suffered greatly. Mu Yujī, having encountered Liu Buhua in the previous realm, stepped forward to assist him to sit next to Xie Yinxue.

Lü Shuo, who was initially sitting beside Liu Buhua, glanced at the close-up view of the blood vessels and brain petals, quickly touching his own head to ensure it was still securely on his neck. Then he cautiously asked, “Did it hurt?”

“At first, it was painful, but all that pain…”

Liu Buhua declared resolutely: “Worth it!”

Xie Yinxue: “...”

It's hopeless now.

The other participants were unaware that Liu Buhua’s “Peony Delusion Disorder” existed before entering the Eternal Life Lock, and despite seeking treatment for several years, it hadn't been cured. They presumed that Liu Buhua, having lost his sanity, was the first unfortunate one destined to perish in this realm.

With that thought, they dared not seek medical help from Bu Jiuzhao anymore — was this vertically-pupiled man a doctor or a butcher?

Thus, when the black-eyed Doctor 歩 declared, "Next," Hu Li hastily seated himself before him.

The black-eyed Doctor 歩 was succinct, inquiring professionally, “Have you felt unwell anywhere recently?”

"I..."

Huli sat down with a sense of relief, but when it was time to speak, he hesitated.

With the example of Liubuhua as a precedent, who would dare to rashly describe their symptoms?

Unfortunately, Doctor Heidongbu had little patience. Just as he seemed about to speak again, Huli quickly mentioned a common ailment, "Recently, I've been experiencing nasal congestion and a runny nose."

Dr. Heidongbu looked on with dark, deep-set eyes and said coldly, "This is a psychiatric hospital, not internal medicine."

Does that mean the symptoms they provide must relate to mental illness?

But Huli is a sane person. He truly doesn't know which mental illness would be safer to mention, not wanting to end up like Liubuhua.

"I feel that I, I..."

Huli stammered and hesitated for quite some time, growing frustrated and scratching his head, yet he couldn't articulate his feelings.

Dr. Heidongbu's patience had worn thin. Without waiting for Huli to speak further, he began jotting notes on the patient's medical record, commenting as he wrote, "You stutter, you're overly cautious, and you constantly scratch. You must feel like there are bugs crawling all over you, itching. I'd say you suffer from delusional parasitosis, and it seems quite severe."

"No! I don't! I don't have that condition!"

Huli quickly denied, but it was already too late.

After Dr. Heidongbu finished noting the diagnosis, Huli's skin began to bulge with countless elongated lumps, resembling maggots squirming underneath. It was a sight that sent shivers down one's spine, making one's hair stand on end.

"Aaahhhhh!"

Huli screamed in horror, pressing down on the bulges, feeling even more distinctly the shape of the maggots and their wriggling movements. He couldn't revert his altered body to its original state.

Dr. Heidongbu gestured dismissively, "Take him away. Next."

The girls were quite frightened of worms and were reluctant to approach Huli. They feared his skin might suddenly burst, releasing large maggots onto them. Zheng Shu had to lead him back to his seat.

Lü Shuo looked at Huli's dreadful condition, rubbing his arms vigorously and exclaiming, "This feels even more terrifying than turning into a flower."

Xiao Siyu said, "Then think of a safer ailment quickly."

"I've got it." Chen Yun stood up and walked over to Dr. Bujuzhao, sitting down and succinctly stating, "I have pica. I especially like to eat scorpions."

Liubuhua gave her a thumbs up, approvingly commenting, "That's a good one, no worse than mine!"

Xie Yinxue also considered Chen Yun intelligent — in the graduation simulation, there was a phase where students had to consume the five poisons raw. Chen Yun was the first to dare to eat a live scorpion. Now, claiming she has a pica craving for scorpions, even if the simulation were to produce scorpions for her to eat, she'd manage just fine.

However, this time around, after Bujuzhao recorded her symptoms, Chen Yun sat in her chair for a while, but her body didn't undergo any bizarre transformations like Liubuhua or Huli.

She turned to Lü Shuo and Xiao Siyu for confirmation: "Did I undergo any changes?"

Xiao Siyu and Lü Shuo both shook their heads: "No changes."

Chen Yun returned to her seat, placing a hand over her heart and laughing, "Guess I'm quite lucky then."

"No changes is a good sign," Lü Shuo said with concern, "But would you really dare to eat a scorpion?"

Chen Yun remained unperturbed, "Because you and Xiao Siyu were showering and we weren't in the same simulation that time, I already did. Honestly, it tasted quite good."

Lü Shuo: "Well, that's alright then..."

Su Xunlan, seated directly behind Chen Yun, looked up upon hearing this and mused, "It seems our body's transformations depend on the illness we describe."

Bian Yuchen nodded, "That seems likely."

The two of them speculated and summarized but didn't seem keen on going up for their turn, perhaps wanting to observe a bit more.

Chen Yun's words inspired Lü Shuo somewhat. So, when he went for his diagnosis, he told Dr. Heidongbu, "I also have pica, I like..."

Dr. Heidongbu interrupted him, "Your condition isn't the same as hers."

"Ah? It can't be the same?" Lü Shuo was taken aback, "Then, can I have binge-eating disorder?"

Though both pica and binge-eating disorder are mental disorders related to "eating," they differ significantly. Dr. Heidongbu didn't comment further this time, diligently recording the patient's symptoms in the medical file.

And then...

Lü Shuo became obese.

He was twice his original size, walking was a chore, and he was panting every three steps.

"Oh my..." Lü Shuo was on the brink of tears, "How did this happen?"

"Overeating leads to weight gain; it makes sense," Xiao Siyu and Chen Yun could barely contain their laughter. They tried to console him, "Cheer up, you'll only be this size for seven days, then you'll return to normal."

Lü Shuo sighed deeply, "Ah, what can I do but accept my fate?"

The one who came to help Lü Shuo back to his seat was Lang Qi. Unable to move him alone, Lang Qi called over his girlfriend, Xie Qingmei, for assistance. Together, with concerted effort, they managed to return Lü Shuo to his place.

Su Xunlan gracefully rose from her seat, taking delicate, elegant steps towards the doctor's desk. As she moved, the tassels of the hairpin adorning her bun shimmered, casting a radiant golden glow in the air.

Few could resist being drawn to such brilliance.

Especially Bu Jiuzhao.

Although their office had windows, the illumination both inside and out was dim, resembling a watercolor painting awash in shadows — bleak and desolate. Xie Yinxue knew Bu Jiuzhao loathed this ambiance, preferring bright, warm settings.

So, when there was light, he'd instinctively gaze at it, momentarily lost in wonder.

Capturing the uniqueness of his gaze compared to others, Su Xunlan chose to sit at his desk, saying, "Doctor Bu, I have anorexia. I don't really like eating."

Her voice drew Bu Jiuzhao's attention back.

He lowered his eyes, silently recording her symptoms.

Anorexia is the opposite of binge-eating disorder. So, moments later, Su Xunlan became skin and bones, almost indistinguishable from a skeleton. Her once voluptuous beauty vanished. Yet, compared to life itself, such changes seemed minor.

By now, everyone understood that it didn't really matter which doctor they chose. The key was the specific ailment described.

Among the remaining participants, Shisan claimed he had autism, being solitary and avoiding conversations; Bian Yuchen said he was a germophobe, loving cleanliness. After recording their symptoms, their bodies underwent no changes. Xiao Siyu claimed to have phantom limb syndrome, imagining he had an extra organ. Lü Shuo exclaimed in amazement upon hearing this, and while others were taken aback, they treated it as if there was no change to his body since they couldn't visually confirm his claim.

Lastly, only Xie Yinxue remained to be diagnosed.

He initially intended to see Bu Jiuzhao.

However, Dr. Heidongbu called out his name first: "Xie Yinxue, come here. Let me diagnose you."

Bu Jiuzhao quickly cast a glance at the dark-eyed man.

The dark-eyed man met Bu Jiuzhao's gaze head-on, lips curling up coldly, "Oh? Were you eager to diagnose him?"

Bu Jiuzhao's hand, resting on his knee, clenched and then relaxed. After a moment of silence, he responded impassively, "Go ahead."

The dark-eyed man snorted softly, turning to Xie Yinxue, "Your skin is pale, devoid of color, and your body is cold. You always feel as though you're already dead, and what's moving now is merely a wandering spirit. You have cadaveric illusion syndrome."

From the moment he diagnosed Huli without waiting for him to speak, Xie Yinxue realized: This man held greater authority in determining a patient's condition than Bu Jiuzhao.

Had Bu Jiuzhao possessed such authority, he wouldn't have let Liubuhua utter such nonsense, causing her own head to be sliced open and transformed into a peony bloom.

Thus, Xie Yin Xue didn't bother with a fruitless rebuttal, merely replying, "Alright."

The moment his words fell, Xie Yin Xue vomited blood, which also contained what seemed to be bits of internal organs. His face turned as pale as paper, revealing a hint of the gloom characteristic of the deceased.

Bu Jiu Zhao watched him, a frown creasing his brow, yet he was unable to leave his seat.

Faced with such a scene, the man with the dark pupils didn't smile. Instead, he looked somewhat taken aback, questioning, "Why is your health so poor?"

Wiping away the blood at the corner of his lips, Xie Yin Xue's voice was barely audible, "It's not great."

The man with the dark pupils then suggested, "I'll have Mary bring you a wheelchair. Without it, your movement might be too constrained."

Author's note:

Liu Bu Hua (holding a small mirror): This new skin looks really good. Let me take another look.

Xie Lao: Look less, or you'll become foolish.