An Unexpected Encounter in the Hospital

People coming and going in the hospital didn’t notice my unusual behavior, and they seemed unable to see the system window before me.

“Sister, are you okay?”

The little boy, who had been playing in the corridor, noticed my fluctuating expressions—one moment laughing, the next crying. He approached me, asking with genuine concern.

I managed to force a smile. “I’m fine, little one. Where are your parents? You shouldn’t wander off alone.”

“My grandma is over there.”

Following the little boy’s finger, I saw a kind-faced elderly woman waving at me from a chair across the way.

“My dear, you look quite distressed. Is everything alright?”

“Thank you, Grandma. I’m fine.”

Their kindness made me feel less isolated, less alone.

Indeed, true warmth existed even in this world.

A wave of warmth coursed through me, restoring strength to my stiff, previously curled limbs. I carefully rose to my feet, then crouched down to meet the boy’s gaze.

“You truly are a good boy. Thank you for your concern.”

“I’m a six-stripe student!”

The boy’s innocent smile brightened my mood considerably.

Right, Ling Chen was still in the lobby; I needed to find him.

After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic little boy and the kind grandmother, I returned to the hospital lobby, anxiously glancing left and right.

Oh no, why were there so many more people? I’d carelessly forgotten where he was sitting.

My heart pounded with anxiety. Truly, I was always such a scatterbrained idiot. Would I really lose my own brother this time?

But the crowd was immense, forcing me to swallow my pride and ask a passerby.

My voice trembled with my fear of speaking to strangers. “Excuse me, have you seen a very cute boy around here? He’s wearing a middle school uniform from Second High, probably around thirteen or fourteen.”

The man in a suit, likely an office worker, pushed up his glasses and pointed to a distant cluster of people. “Is that boy your brother?”

My pupils constricted as I clearly saw the golden-haired boy at the center of the crowd.

Ling Chen?

Why were so many people surrounding him? What had happened?

A surge of panic rose within me. After thanking the passerby, I hurried over.

“Ling Chen, are you okay?”

“Ah, my sister is here!”

I squeezed through the crowd. Ling Chen, who had a troubled expression, visibly brightened upon seeing me and quickly waved.

I quickly checked him for injuries, but he seemed perfectly fine. What on earth had happened?

“You’re his sister?”

I turned around. From within the crowd, a girl slightly taller than my current height (165cm) pointed an accusing finger. “How could you be so careless with your brother?”

“Excuse me, what’s wrong?” I asked, genuinely bewildered.

“Look at this! Leaving such a cute brother sitting alone—aren’t you afraid he’ll get into trouble?”

“Ling Chen is very well-behaved. He shouldn’t get into any danger.”

The girl was fashionably dressed, with earrings, a hat, and trendy clothes I didn’t recognize. She was likely a university student.

Listening to my words, she mused, “Ling Chen, huh… Anyway, it’s not about whether he’s well-behaved. I’ve been observing him. Do you know how attractive boys like him are? How could you bear to just leave him aside? If I hadn’t stepped in to chase away that perverted uncle, your brother might have been taken away by him!”

Huh?

A perverted uncle?

Though I remembered the cross-dressing uncle, you shouldn’t call him a pervert! As someone who inexplicably became a woman, I felt quite sympathetic towards that uncle. Besides, I think you’re far more dangerous than he is!

I quickly shielded Ling Chen. It was then that Ling Chen spoke up. “This big sister, that uncle was a good person. I just wanted to say a few words to him; there was no danger.”

“Then why didn’t you answer when I asked you earlier? I was afraid you were a kidnapped child, so I even called the police.”

Called the police?

Why would she do that! Ever since I learned that ‘doing yellow’ was illegal, I’d been treading on thin ice, afraid to act recklessly outside. But what if the righteous police comrades arrested me? And I had a record from when Uncle Police caught me surfing the internet as a minor. What if a few more black marks appeared on my file? Wouldn’t I be ruined later? You pedophile, I can’t stand you!

Ling Chen’s large eyes fluttered as he earnestly said, “Thank you for your kindness, Big Sister, but were you perhaps secretly taking pictures of me just now? I was afraid you were a bad person, so I didn’t dare to answer.”

The eyes of the other onlookers sharpened. Faced with their wary gazes, the university student’s expression turned flustered.

“N-no, I wasn’t secretly taking pictures. No, I was framing a shot, yes, framing a shot. Big Sister, I was doing homework assigned by my professor! I wasn’t taking pictures because you’re cute, believe me!”

Hey! At least wipe your drool first! You look like a perverted pedophile, alright?

People unconsciously distanced themselves from the university student.

“Who called the police?”

When the police arrived, everyone, including Ling Chen and me, pointed in unison at the university student.

“It was her!”

She looked on the verge of tears. “Officer, please let me explain first.”

****

“Remember, secretly taking photos without permission is illegal.”

“I’m sorry.”

The police officer watched the university student, making her delete the photos of Ling Chen from her phone. Her almost tearful expression was truly heartbreaking to witness.

But she was secretly photographing my brother, so she didn’t deserve my sympathy!

After confirming that the university student had thoroughly deleted the illicit photos, the officer turned to me. “Little sister, you also need to be careful. Leaving a brother who doesn’t have a phone and can’t be contacted in a public place is a bit irresponsible. You must properly fulfill your role as an older sister.”

I lowered my head, nervously intertwining my fingers. “I’m sorry.”

The officer smiled. “Pay more attention next time. Look how well-behaved your brother is; don’t betray his trust in you.”

I looked back at Ling Chen, who was grinning foolishly at me, and nodded earnestly. “Yes, I will.”

After verifying our identities and understanding it was a misunderstanding, the police officers gave us some stern advice before leaving.

Now, I was certain. Ling Chen and I were officially registered as siblings, even the police records matched. Alas, this world was too insane. Who else could I trust?

What else could be tampered with?

I fell into a historical nihilist contemplation. If God and other supernatural beings had always permeated history, how much truth had we truly seen? Was our history truly created by us?

Had any information been altered?

This habit of overthinking was an old affliction of mine. Ever since I witnessed a UFO firsthand as a child, I had become a conspiracy theorist.

For instance, I remembered the lyrics of ‘Love My China’ as “Fifty-six ethnic groups, fifty-six flowers,” yet everywhere else, the lyrics were “Fifty-six constellations, fifty-six flowers.” I suspected a shift in the world line, or perhaps the ‘1999 Chronicles’ that seniors often boasted about might actually exist.

In the eyes of others, I was a weirdo. They always mocked me for living in fantasies, for liking sensational jokes. But the existence of supernatural beings like God proved that my suspicions held a certain possibility in this magical world.

“Sister,” Ling Chen tugged gently at the hem of my hoodie, speaking softly. “Human history is created by humans, and it is real and trustworthy. Sister, you don’t need to doubt it. As for why, you will understand once you begin your work as an Apostle.”

Ling Chen’s words halted my runaway thoughts, leaving me with a cold sweat of lingering fear. Thinking about such things had nearly depleted my sanity.

It was enough to simply revere these supernatural existences; delving too deeply would only lead to obsession. Wasn’t there a saying?

When man thinks, God laughs.

Really, why was I dwelling on this? I hadn’t even sorted out my own affairs, so why concern myself with the world? In any case, it was truly wonderful to have a brother who understood me.