Chapter 155

Chapter 155

Muyu Ji quickly thought and asked the doctor, "Doctor, do you know the side effects of the sleeping pills?"

If it weren't for the "Patient Hospital Rules" mentioning some side effects from the sleeping pills, causing patients to hesitate even if they found the medicine, why would they play hide and seek every night?

Assuming they could also sleep using the medication, they had to understand its side effects.

"Side effects, you ask—" The doctor with dark eyes teasingly dragged out his words, then continued, "Haven’t some patients already taken it? Why not ask them directly?"

"Please explain it to us," Chen Yun requested, furrowing his brows. "We can’t perceive what the side effects are."

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Today's treatment will be led by me and Doctor Bu," the doctor with dark eyes stood up, handing out today’s treatment plan while heading out, "I have to clock out soon, no time to explain further."

As he moved, Bu Jiuzhao quickly followed, and the participants hurriedly got to their feet to catch up.

On the way, Lang Qi read out the treatment plan, "… Engaging in the arts is a remedy for the soul. Hence, on day three, please head to the patient recreation area to relax."

"I get it, it's about keeping a diary," Zheng Shu whispered to Muyu Ji, nudging her with his elbow, "They're probably supposed to write diaries."

As Muyu Ji opened her mouth to reply, the person in front of her suddenly stopped. Due to their proximity, she couldn’t halt in time and bumped into them, her intended words replaced by a soft gasp.

Lin Yue, who also bumped into someone, asked, "Why did you all suddenly stop?"

To be precise, everyone except Hu Li and Xie Yin Xue halted at the same moment. Xie Yin Xue didn't stop because he was in a wheelchair, being kindly pushed by Hu Li.

Liu Bu Hua, seeing that Hu Li had no intention of stopping, reached out to stop him, saying, "Don't push any further."

Hu Li, puzzled, asked, "What's wrong?"

Liu Bu Hua retorted, "Don't you see?"

Hu Li strained his neck to look forward, only to see the retreating figures of two doctors in white coats. Realizing others wouldn't react this way just because of that, he quickly understood, "Besides those two doctors, did you see something else?"

Lu Shuo took a deep breath, "I think I know the side effect of the sleeping pill." He turned to exchange glances with his friends Chen Yun and Xiao Si Yu. Recognizing the same emotion in their eyes, he continued gravely, "It causes us to hallucinate even during the day. It also tells me what hit your head at the nurse's desk."

That last sentence was addressed to Hu Li by Lu Shuo.

Hu Li's expression changed instantly, "Stop. Don't say anymore. I don't want to know."

Xiang Fei, who suffered greatly the night before, said with relief, "Thank goodness we can't see it."

Daytime hallucinations differ from those at night. At night, each patient participant sees hallucinations related to their own condition. Only after talking with their roommates do they see another type of "illusion."

Ironically, during the day, these different apparitions appear simultaneously, making the hospital corridor, which was once only theirs, now bustling with "activity."

"But are they really hallucinations?" Chen Yun pondered for a moment and pointed to a creature with an insect's body and human head resting on Hu Li's neck, "If so, how could it hit Hu Li's nape?"

Especially when Hu Li can't even see it.

Liu Bu Hua offered a suggestion, "Try touching it to find out."

Su Xun Lan scoffed, casting a mocking glance at Liu Bu Hua, "Well, why don't you try?"

To everyone's surprise, Liu Bu Hua actually did.

He walked straight to the window. To the eyes of everyone who took the sleeping pills the night before, there stood another "patient" who looked like Liu Bu Hua, but with his head blooming like a flower and wearing a bloodstained patient gown. From a distance, it was hard to differentiate between them since neither had a face.

However, as they stood closer, the others were shocked to find out that the odd doctor's assessment of Liu Bu Hua's condition was actually accurate — Liu Bu Hua's "brain flower" looked much fresher.

The eyeballs at the center of his bloom had few red veins, and the membranes on his brain petals seemed moist and full. He walked upright, taking confident strides.

The other "flower," on the other hand, had dried and wrinkled brain petals. Its central eyeball was nearly overtaken by aggressive red veins, and its body, which supported the massive "petal," looked frail as if all the flesh had been consumed by the "flower" on its head. This "flower" was twice as large as Liu Bu Hua's.

Liǔ Bùhuā, who couldn't grow such a large "brain flower" himself, looked at it with envy. He reached out to pat the other's shoulder, saying, "Brother, I've been wanting to ask since I saw you last night. Your flower is so big, you must have fertilized it, right? Where did you get the fertilizer? Can you share?"

Everyone: "..."

Without Sū Xún Lán's encouragement, he would've asked sooner, wouldn't he?

The patient with the "brain flower" opened his cracked lips, his voice hoarse and intermittent, "Cor... pses... incineration room..."

"Ah, so you use corpses as fertilizer. What a classic method! No wonder your petals are so beautiful, just like the dreamy flower I've always imagined," Liǔ Bùhuā said, hearing the answer he wanted. He failed to pat the patient's shoulder as the latter dodged. "You're so cute! May I touch your 'brain flower'?"

The "brain flower" of the patient seemed aged, perhaps he had been in Qīngshān Mental Hospital for a long time. This was the first time someone was so eager to touch it. After a brief pause, he responded, "Get lost!"

But Liǔ Bùhuā persisted, moving closer with three fingers of his left hand crossed as if making a vow, while his right hand aimed at the other's eyeball, "Just a quick touch."

The patient's eyes widened in fear and he took off running.

Reactively, Liǔ Bùhuā gave chase, shouting, "Hey, don't run!"

Unfortunately, after a few steps without catching up, Liǔ Bùhuā looked around, considering settling for a patient with a smaller "brain flower" to touch.

Sensing his intent, the wandering patients in the corridor dispersed quickly. Even those without "brain flowers" fled, as if fearing Liǔ Bùhuā would catch them and ask, "Why don't you have a 'brain flower'? They're so lovely! Let me help you grow one."

Watching this scene, Xiè Yìnxuě felt deeply troubled and said expressionlessly, "Don't try, their behavior matches the 'illusions' we encountered last night. At first, they can be seen and heard. It's only in the next phase that they can be touched."

Having heard Xiè Yìnxuě's words, Liǔ Bùhuā temporarily gave up his intention to touch the "brain flowers" during daylight. He yelled at the fleeing patient, "We'll touch tonight then, it's a date!"

“……”

Xiè Yìnxuě remained silent, recalling which city hospitals had reputable psychiatric departments. Maybe they should go out of the province. However, the short walk from the doctors' office to the patients' recreational area wasn't enough for him to contemplate this complex issue, and they soon arrived at their treatment location.

"Take a seat wherever," said the doctor named Hēi Dòng Bù, his hands behind his back. Pointing with his chin to the table covered with paper and pens, he added, "You can write or draw. But do it sincerely. These will be displayed. There are other patients' works on the shelves. Feel free to appreciate them."

This was slightly different from what Zhèng Shū had initially guessed. He had thought Doctor Hēi Dòng Bù would have them write diaries. He raised his hand and asked, "Can we read the other patients' works on the shelves?"

"Of course, but the prerequisite is—" Doctor Hēi Dòng Bù raised an eyebrow, "that you can understand them."

In reality, some mental patients perceive the world differently from normal people. Therefore, their writings and drawings can be hard for others to comprehend. This replica must have adhered to this concept, making Zhèng Shū realize why they couldn't understand the diary entries last night.

To validate his hypothesis, Zhèng Shū approached Xiè Yìnxuě, who was writing, and asked, "Xiè Yìnxuě, what are you writing?"

Xie Yinxue replied, "A recipe."

"Is it in Chinese?"

"Yes."

Zheng Shu believed Xie Yinxue had no reason to deceive him. After all, they had to collaborate later to get the medicine. In a way, they were on the same side. Thus, if Xie Yinxue said he was writing a recipe, it must be true. Yet, the Chinese characters written by Xie Yinxue appeared as incomprehensible symbols to him.

"I can't understand it," Zheng Shu admitted discreetly amidst the gathered crowd. Not wanting to reveal the oddity of the diary Xie Yinxue had given him the previous night, he hinted again, "I can't make out any of it."

"You can't read Chinese?"

Hu Li, the present-day epitome of filial piety, leaned in after overhearing their conversation. A glance at Xie Yinxue's paper revealed nineteen bold characters.

The text was concise and simple, without any rare characters. Yet, they indeed were beyond Hu Li's comprehension—

[Ingredients for Human Head Rice: A grain of rice, or a human head.]

Hu Li commented, "Alright, I'm also a bit lost."

He then turned his attention to the work of Liu Buhua.

Liu Buhua wasn't writing; he was drawing.

"Is that a peony you've drawn?" Hu Li exclaimed in awe. "Damn, that's incredible!"

All of Liu Buhua's prior actions had been erratic, leading Hu Li to assume he had genuinely lost his mind. However, now, with just an ordinary black pencil, Liu Buhua had crafted a lifelike, exceptionally beautiful peony in mere minutes.

Liu Buhua responded proudly, "After all, it's my self-portrait."

Hu Li was taken aback, "What?"