Chapter 2: Li Huowang

"Phew, finally back," Li Huowang exclaimed into the microphone beside his bed, letting out a sigh of relief.

A moment later, his attending physician entered the ward with a nurse, carrying a white tablet.

"Li, how are you feeling? Were there any new developments in this hallucination?" the doctor asked kindly, sitting on a stool.

"It was the same environment, and I was doing the same things. However, this time, Master Laizitou brutally killed someone right in front of me and then refined her into an elixir," Li Huowang recounted in detail everything he had witnessed in the hallucination.

"Mhm, mhm," the attending physician murmured, nodding and swiftly typing notes on his tablet.

After a moment of thought, Li Huowang asked hesitantly, "Doctor, what do these varying hallucinations signify? What do they mean for my mind and psychological state?"

"No, don't focus on that," the doctor said, shaking his head. "You should be more concerned with the length of each hallucination and your mental stability. Since they are hallucinations, you must remember that they are all illusions. You've already overcome your hallucinatory perception disorder, so it's crucial not to relapse. Simply follow the logic of the hallucination whenever you experience one, and cooperate with our hospital's treatment. You'll recover very quickly."

Hearing this, Li Huowang's heart immediately clenched. His discharge hinged on this, and he knew he couldn't afford any carelessness.

The doctor then didn't forget to offer words of encouragement to his patient. "You're actually doing quite well now. When you first arrived, you couldn't even distinguish between reality and fantasy. Things will continue to improve; keep up the good work."

As they spoke, light footsteps echoed from the ward entrance. Both looked up simultaneously, seeing a girl in a high-necked black sweater peeking cautiously into the room. The girl appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, the beautiful age of budding youth. Her skin was as fair as jade, and her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. She was as lovely as a blossoming flower.

Observing the two young people's hesitant expressions, the attending physician chuckled knowingly. He gently pushed his glasses up his nose and turned to walk towards the door. "I have other matters to attend to; you two carry on. Oh, Li, remember to take your medicine on time later."

The moment the doctor left, the girl stepped inside. They exchanged smiles, and a sweet warmth instantly spread through Li Huowang's chest, quickly pushing all concerns about his illness from his mind.

"Stop smiling; it looks terrible on you," the mischievous girl said, pulling a canvas satchel from behind her back. "Look what I brought you: review homework personally assigned by the teachers!"

Li Huowang's face immediately fell. "Nana, we've known each other since childhood. Is this how you get back at me?"

Yang Na, the girl, turned to close the door, then pulled out a small handheld game console, shaking it triumphantly. "And this! Hee hee, be good and call me 'sis,' and it's yours."

"Sis! You're my real sister!" Li Huowang exclaimed, eagerly lunging forward to snatch the game console from her hand. Being cooped up in a psychiatric hospital every day was incredibly boring; he felt like he was going mad even without the illness.

"Don't play too much, and remember your homework," Yang Na instructed, sitting sideways on the edge of the bed as Li Huowang powered on the device.

"Mhm, mhm, mhm," Li Huowang replied, his attention entirely absorbed by the handheld screen.

Her slender, pale fingers affectionately tugged at his blue and white hospital gown. "Hey, don't forget your promise to me."

Li Huowang paused his game, looked up at her, his face suddenly serious. "Yes, we promised to take the entrance exam for the same university."

Yang Na shyly lowered her head, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Mhm, get well. I'll wait for you..."

Li Huowang suddenly reached out, pulling her into his embrace. A blush spread across Yang Na's face, but she didn't struggle, merely closing her eyes and quietly muttering, "Big pervert." They didn't do anything more; the two, deeply in love, were simply happy just holding each other.

After a tender moment, Yang Na had to leave. As she was in the critical final year of high school, managing even half a day for him was precious. Though each visit was brief, for Li Huowang, it was a beacon of hope in his trying times.

"I'll walk you to the gate," Li Huowang said, throwing off his covers and putting on his white hospital slippers while wearing his blue and white striped patient gown. As he walked toward the door with Yang Na, he suddenly felt a peculiar sense of unease. He was startled to see the mortar he used for pounding medicine in his hallucinations sitting on the bedside table. Li Huowang's body immediately trembled, causing him to recoil two steps. But when he focused his gaze again, the mortar had transformed into his lunchbox.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Yang Na asked, a trace of concern appearing on her face at his sudden reaction.

Noticing the worry on her face, Li Huowang quickly adopted a playful grin. "Haha, did I scare you?"

Yang Na frowned in exasperation, puffing out her cheeks, and playfully pinched the soft skin at his waist. "How old are you? Still acting like a child and doing such silly things?"

"Don't be angry, I just wanted to make you laugh," Li Huowang said, reaching for her hand, but she pulled away. After a few attempts, however, their hands finally clasped together.

Other patients sunbathing in the courtyard watched the scene, peaceful smiles spreading across their faces, marveling at such pure and innocent love.

Though they walked slowly, their time together eventually ended. Yang Na stood at the hospital's main gate, looking at Li Huowang with reluctance. "I'll come see you again next week. Make sure you take good care of yourself in here."

"Maybe you shouldn't come next week. I know you're under a lot of study pressure. You only get half a day off each week, and you'd be wasting it on me."

Yang Na lifted her shapely leg and gently stepped on Li Huowang's hospital slipper, her delicate eyebrows knitting together slightly. "Underachiever," she teased, "don't project your own struggles onto others. My ranking has never dropped out of the top three; what study pressure could there be?"

"Ah!" Li Huowang clutched his heart, feigning a look of intense pain. "That stings, sis."

Yang Na giggled at his antics, lightly punched his arm, then turned and ran like a fawn towards the bus stop across from the hospital gate. He watched until the bus carrying his girlfriend completely disappeared from view, and the smile on Li Huowang's face gradually faded. Recalling what he had just seen, he walked worriedly toward the doctor's office.

An hour later, Li Huowang lay in bed, tossing and turning, fretfully contemplating his future with Yang Na. On the nearby table sat the new medication the doctor had prescribed for his latest symptoms. The image of the mortar from earlier and Yang Na's smile kept alternating in his mind.

"What if my condition worsens and I can't be discharged before the college entrance exam? Then I won't be able to attend the same university as Yang Na." Although confined there, Li Huowang was well aware of the gossip outside; in the eyes of his neighbors, he was nothing short of a lunatic. Yet, despite him being regarded as a lunatic, Yang Na, his childhood friend, had confessed her feelings the day before his admission, her deep affection for him evident without words. She was a good girl, and as a man, he didn't want to let her down.

"This doesn't make sense. I've been following the doctor's instructions perfectly these past days. How could my condition be worsening? Am I going to be transferred again? This would be the third hospital."

"Doctor Li should be reliable; he's the best doctor Dad found."

The more he thought about these troubling matters, the more agitated he became. Finally, he abruptly sat up, pulled out Yang Na's books and practice papers, and began to study. He hoped to use these complex and difficult subjects to dispel the persistent worries in his mind.

Li Huowang continued with his homework, and before he knew it, it was late into the night. Just as he finished an English test paper, he stretched vigorously, then rubbed his throbbing temples.

"Ha~ What time is it? It must be very late, right?" Li Huowang muttered, putting on his slippers, intending to use the restroom before returning to bed. As he yawned and shuffled towards the door, his right hand, which had been idly scratching his chest, suddenly froze. Li Huowang felt something peculiar on his chest.

Li Huowang pulled open his collar to reveal a limp, dark brown substance stuck to his chest. The oddly familiar color caused a thought to flash through his mind. Li Huowang lightly dabbed it with his finger and put it in his mouth. The faint sweetness amidst the bitterness made his pupils contract slightly. This was the candy given to him by the deceased, simple-minded senior sister from his hallucination! Something from his hallucination had actually manifested in reality!