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Chapter 7: The Dream of the Red Chamber (Part Two)
Seeing my surprised expression, Qin Jian flashed a teasing smile and said, "Don't worry, it's not Han Lan, it's Rongrong."
"Jealous, jealous, haha!"
"With your kind of attitude, what could I possibly be jealous of?"
Qin Jian raised a valid point. Before I got to know him, Han Mi and Chi Xinrong would often flaunt themselves in front of me, yet I ultimately chose Mi. Compared to Chi Xinrong, who could ignite a fiery passion that would melt you away, my Mi was different—gentle and demure, with a strong maternal aura. Perhaps it was due to my lack of familial affection and absence of maternal love that made me particularly yearn for tenderness. I believed that everything concerning Qin Jian stemmed from human actions; every cause has its effect.
The Hair Washer looked down on Li Luwen through the door crack; she was the first target for revenge.
Ah! The only regret was that the Evil Sorcerer lurking in the shadows almost got caught but never revealed their true identity.
"What? The Hair Washer was also caused by Li Luwen?"
"What's wrong? Do you want to catch her?"
We hurried along, passing nurses, family members, and patients who didn’t recognize us. Soon we arrived at Li Luwen's hospital room. Upon seeing me, Chi Xinrong quickly stood up; there was someone beside her—Zhang Xian. The latter appeared uneasy, casting furtive glances at me.
"Ma Qi, you're okay! Oh, I was so scared; I thought something happened to you..."
"If I'm fine, are you particularly disappointed?" Zhang Xian nodded at me with both hands in his pockets, then pulled them out again—an obvious sign of guilt. People can see what others do; she knew very well what she had done. Perhaps now she felt particularly remorseful towards Li Luwen, putting on an innocent and compliant facade in front of her mother.
"Don't just stand there, sit down," Qin Jian said, his tone suggesting that there was something even more important than the incident with Li Luwen.
I took a seat, and Chi Xinrong sat next to Qin Jian. Zhang Xian, Li Luwen's mother, and I occupied another hospital bed.
Once they were seated, all eyes turned toward me.
Feeling uncomfortable under their gaze, I asked, "What's going on? Hurry up."
"Han Lan is going crazy," Qin Jian replied.
"What?" I couldn't believe it. Han Lan had many flaws, and while I hadn't seen her strengths, she had been used by others, leading to Mi's death. It was natural for her to feel guilty, but surely that wouldn't drive her to madness!
"She is going crazy," Chi Xinrong added, thinking I hadn't heard him clearly.
I understood perfectly well. It just seemed absurd; anyone could lose their mind. Han Lan was cunning and meticulous, always hiding her emotions. How could she possibly break down over something so trivial?
"Going crazy means she's not actually crazy! Come on, stop joking. How could she?"
"Should we go check on her?"
"Not yet. Let's handle Li Luwen's situation first." I glanced at Li Luwen's mother, who seemed pleased to hear that we would prioritize Li Luwen. She picked up one of the largest apples from the bedside table that Chi Xinrong and the others had brought and handed it to me.
I declined, saying, "I don't feel like eating right now." All along, I felt Zhang Xian staring at me in a rather inexplicable way—whether from the side or directly in front of me, occasionally glancing from behind as well. Refusing the fruit, I looked at Zhang Xian seriously and asked, "If you have any questions, just ask!"
Zhang Xian hesitated as she scanned everyone present, and finally voiced the question that had been troubling her: "The doctor in the emergency room couldn't save him, so how come you're fine?" Her question was quite peculiar, and I found myself at a loss for how to respond.
I didn't answer. Someone, unable to contain themselves, retorted, "Xian, what kind of question is that? Do you want him to be in trouble?"
"No, I was just wondering if this might have something to do with medicine—like a medical miracle."
"Don't say that. My waking up has nothing to do with your so-called medical miracle. Let's get back to business. What I want to know is where Li Luwen liked to go. Does anyone know?" My gaze fell on Li Luwen's mother.
After a moment, the elderly woman appeared to have lost weight; her complexion was pale and waxy, and her eyes seemed clouded. Under my watchful gaze, she thought seriously for a moment before shaking her head in confusion. There was a generational gap; she had given birth to her daughter, but her heart had long since grown distant from her daughter's preferences.
Qin Jian opened his mouth as if to bring up the book I had mentioned earlier, but I signaled him to stop.
Zhang Xian chimed in, "She always loves to read one particular book; I heard it's Dream of the Red Chamber."
"Yes, that's the one! Can you take us to Li Luwen's rental place?"
"I can."
Zhang Xian stood up and led the way out. Li Luwen's rental was not far from the hospital. After exiting through the back door of the hospital and walking down the alley toward the rental, I quietly asked Chi Xinrong, "Does she not have to work?"
Chi Xinrong replied, "With everything that's happened, the leadership decided to give her a break until you all sort things out."
"What you mean is that your leaders also feel something is off about this situation? Like it has something to do with metaphysics?" I replaced "ghosts and gods" with "metaphysics," as it sounded more subtle and less direct, avoiding any potential discomfort or rejection.
"Ha, you're just too arrogant and self-righteous. How would I know what the leader is thinking? Besides, in this day and age, we advocate for science; who would believe in ghosts and gods?" Rongrong's words were clear enough that only a fool wouldn't understand.
"Alright, let's keep it unspoken." Not wanting to remain too quiet, Qin Jian whispered with Chi Xinrong, while I felt like a third wheel with Zhang Xian. Conversation can alleviate mental pressure, and I decided to break the silence: "Doctor Zhang, you really didn't need to come all this way; you could have just sent someone else."
"Master Ma, please don't mock me; I know I was wrong..." Zhang Xian hurriedly glanced at Qin Jian and Chi Xinrong before whispering, "I had a really terrifying nightmare."
The term "nightmare" didn't faze me, but it struck a nerve with Qin Jian. Hearing the word, he quickly asked, "What kind of nightmare?"
Then Zhang Xian began to recount her nightmare.
Dream of the Red Chamber had influenced generations, and Zhang Xian was also a fan. However, her favorite character was completely opposite to Li Luwen; she adored Wang Xifeng from the novel. Every time she watched adaptations of Dream of the Red Chamber, she could immerse herself in it completely. She loved everything Wang Xifeng did, as if she were living that experience herself.
Due to the leader's holiday, Baymax stayed at the hospital with Chi Xinrong to watch over Li Luwen. When she returned home at night, thoughts of him kept her awake. She turned on the TV, but nothing else caught her interest; she could watch Dream of the Red Chamber endlessly without getting tired of it.
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