Chen Degao and his wife exchanged glances. Knowing he couldn’t keep it a secret, he spoke.
“Yes, Captain Kong told us about your hallucinations at the hospital.”
“No, those weren’t hallucinations. They were real.” Chen Xuanqiu quickly explained.
“Why are you so certain?” Chen Degao countered, questioning his ‘son’.
“Because… because my mind was very clear at the time. It’s impossible for me to have had hallucinations.” Chen Xuanqiu stammered her explanation.
“So what do you think it was? A ghost?” Chen Degao’s expression turned serious.
“Yes, it must have been a ghost!” Chen Xuanqiu nodded frantically.
“Darling, it wasn’t a ghost. Captain Kong told us he already invited a Taoist priest to check, and there was nothing in that ward.” Melissa, standing nearby, sighed helplessly. She then reached out sympathetically, intending to pat her ‘son’s’ back.
Fearing her chest binder would be discovered, Chen Xuanqiu subtly dodged the touch.
Melissa withdrew her stiff right hand, a hint of disappointment appearing on her pale face.
‘How am I supposed to explain it to them? Am I supposed to say that the female ghost was burned to death by a flame within my own body?’ Chen Xuanqiu’s mind began to strategize.
‘If I dared to say that, I’d probably be sent straight to the hospital without even needing an examination.’
Chen Xuanqiu hesitated, still not daring to speak.
Feeling uncomfortable that her family hadn’t informed her earlier, Chen Xuanqiu finally spoke after a long silence. “Then you think I have a mental problem, and that’s why you brought me to see a psychiatrist, right?”
“No, no, darling, don’t misunderstand. We were just worried about you, so we brought you for a quick check-up.” Melissa explained excitedly, her amber eyes looking at her husband for help.
“That’s right. We never suspected you had mental issues. We brought you to see Dr. Zhou precisely to confirm this. The case hasn’t been solved yet, and you wouldn’t want those police officers to treat you as mentally ill, would you?” Chen Degao tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible, feeling he had truly owed his son too much in the past and wanted to make up for it.
“Xiao Qiu, didn’t you hear Dr. Zhou? Normal people can also experience hallucinations under certain circumstances. You were injured then, so it might have been due to physical discomfort. It shouldn’t happen again.” Chen Xuanzhu, for once, also offered comfort.
Chen Xuanqiu felt her family was treating her like a sick person, and she was truly helpless. ‘Fine, check away. I’m not mentally ill anyway, as long as it’s not a full body examination.’
So Chen Xuanqiu followed her family to pay the fees and then underwent a brain CT scan.
After receiving the results, the family rushed back to the psychiatric department to find Dr. Zhou.
Dr. Zhou carefully reviewed the report, knowing that as a doctor, he had a responsibility to his patient.
While Chen Xuanqiu wasn’t anxious, she noticed her mother beside her pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, her high heels clicking. Her other two family members, though outwardly calm, were unconsciously craning their necks in anticipation.
Chen Xuanqiu’s lingering resentment vanished. She mused, ‘I’ve already committed a great sin by occupying someone else’s body. What right do I have now to demand perfection from their family?’
“Brother Chen, his brain shows no issues whatsoever.” Dr. Zhou finally spoke after a long pause.
Hearing this, Chen Xuanqiu noticed that the tightly furrowed brows of all three family members relaxed.
“Dr. Zhou, does this mean ‘he’ has no problems at all?” Melissa asked excitedly.
“Sister-in-law, I’ve already explained. This only indicates that his hallucinations weren’t caused by a brain lesion. As for any mental health issues, it’s too soon to draw conclusions.” Dr. Zhou patiently reiterated.
Hearing this, Chen Xuanqiu’s three family members frowned again.
“Don’t worry too much. At least this rules out one possibility, doesn’t it?” Dr. Zhou quickly reassured them.
“Brother Zhou, what should we do next?” Chen Degao promptly pressed.
“How about this: I’ll prescribe ‘him’ some calming medication. Remember to take it when you go home. If the hallucinations don’t occur again, then it’s likely the first scenario. If they do, remember to come see me immediately.” Dr. Zhou pondered for a moment before instructing.
The family of four carefully remembered the doctor’s advice and left the central hospital after getting the prescription filled.
‘I’m not mentally ill, why am I taking medicine?’ In the car, Chen Xuanqiu looked at the medicine bag in her hand, feeling both amused and frustrated. She wondered if it would be best to find a quiet opportunity to dispose of it.
“Qiu, do you remember what Dr. Zhou said? You must take your medicine on time when we get back.” Melissa seemed to have a telepathic sense, turning around to sternly remind her.
“I’ll reiterate, I’m not mentally ill, and I don’t need to take medicine.” Chen Xuanqiu tried to explain.
“Dr. Zhou said there are no side effects to this medicine. Just think of it as a sleep aid.” Chen Degao advised from the side.
Chen Xuanqiu had no choice but to accept.
Back home, Chen Xuanqiu took the medicine once under the strict supervision of her family, feeling both absurd and a strange warmth in her heart.
****
As noon approached, a pair of elderly people with white hair entered the villa. The man was tall with dignified features, and the woman was well-preserved and radiant.
“Grandpa, Grandma, you’re here!” Chen Xuanzhu immediately shed her usual aloofness, skipping over like a little sprite.
Chen Xuanqiu had never expected this side of her ‘cheap’ younger sister, staring in stunned surprise.
“Yes, we’ve come to see you two little rascals.”
“Where’s my ‘grandson’? Didn’t you say he was found?”
The two elders set down bags of local specialties they had been carrying.
Chen Xuanqiu knew these were her ‘cheap’ grandparents. She awkwardly stood up from the sofa and called out, “Grandpa! Grandma!”
“Oh, bless my soul, my grandson truly is back! This is wonderful!”
“Come, come, let Grandma have a look.”
The two elders rushed forward, as if seeing a loudspeaker in the plaza.
Chen Xuanqiu felt small and helpless. She wanted to run, but it didn’t feel appropriate.
As the two elders approached, about to reach out, Chen Xuanqiu was forced to dodge. “My hand still hurts a little,” she quickly explained.
“Oh! My grandson has suffered.” The ‘cheap’ grandma sighed.
“It’s all your father’s fault for being so useless, relying on his children for company matters. I’m ashamed for him.” The ‘cheap’ grandpa scolded him, lamenting his lack of ambition.
“Ah, yes, yes, yes! I’m useless, I’ve brought shame upon you.” Chen Degao and his wife emerged from the nearby kitchen.
“Good that you know. If anything like this happens again, I’ll take my grandchildren to live in the countryside.” Grandpa Chen threatened.
“Alright, alright! I understand.” Chen Degao dared not talk back at all.
Melissa stifled a laugh, pretending to be an outsider as she poured water for her in-laws.
After scolding their son, the two elders then surrounded Chen Xuanqiu, showering her with concern.
Chen Xuanqiu was extremely nervous, fearing exposure, and wished she could flee immediately.
“Mom and Dad, I’ll remind you again: at home, we lost Xiao Qiu, but if there are outsiders present, we lost Xiao Zhu. You must remember this clearly.” Chen Degao reminded them, still a little worried.
“We know, we know. How many times have you said it? Do you really think we have Alzheimer’s?” Grandpa Chen replied impatiently.
“My poor grandson, he did good deeds but can’t even get credit for them.” Grandma Chen looked at Chen Xuanqiu with pity once more.
Chen Xuanqiu was flustered by the praise. Compared to occupying someone else’s body, the small things she had done were utterly insignificant.
****
As time passed, more people arrived at the Chen residence. They had come after seeing the news, each carrying bags of comfort gifts.
Chen Xuanqiu feared crowds the most, but fortunately, these people didn’t know the truth, so they focused their attention on her ‘cheap’ younger sister.
Chen Xuanzhu smiled politely, but felt uncomfortable inside. She felt as though she had stolen her brother’s achievements.
Soon after, several prominent figures arrived: the Fu family of three.
The Fu family had always considered Chen Xuanzhu their future daughter-in-law. Now that their ‘daughter-in-law’ was found, they naturally came to visit.
The Chen Degao family had been uneasy about the contract issue, but since they needed something from the Fu family, they could only greet them with smiles.
CEO Fu, understanding his own impropriety, immediately promised to renew the contract for two more years.
Fu Yao naively believed this would satisfy the Chen family, so he shamelessly continued to pester Chen Xuanzhu.
Chen Xuanzhu harbored resentment, but she understood she was the hope of her family, so she behaved quite appropriately.
Chen Xuanqiu knew she needed to speak and do less now, but because of her sister, people kept asking her for contact information. It was then she realized the common messaging app in this country was called “Wangxin”.
Chen Xuanqiu didn’t even have an account, but she didn’t want to be seen as an anomaly. So, she pretended to take out her phone, noted down their numbers, and planned to register an account later when she had time and add them back.
Late into the night, the Chen family finally saw off all their guests.
Chen Xuanqiu returned to her bedroom early to practice her makeup skills, as she was truly afraid of saying too much and revealing herself.
A knock sounded shortly after. Chen Xuanqiu opened the door to find her parents and sister.
The three carried bags of gifts into the room. Chen Degao said, “Xiao Qiu, these are the things they gave today.”
“Aren’t you keeping any for yourselves?” Chen Xuanqiu couldn’t help but ask.
“These were originally yours. I don’t care for them.” Chen Xuanzhu flipped her long hair and turned to leave.
****
CEO Hai, full name Haiford, was the boss of a private enterprise in Dengtai City. He was the one who paid the “Fragrance Thief” organization to kidnap Chen Xuanqiu.
A few days ago, Haiford went out for social engagements, drinking until midnight before calling a designated driver to take him home.
Haiford fell into a deep sleep after getting into the car, but when he woke up, he found himself no longer inside the vehicle.
At this moment, Haiford felt as if he was tied to a pillar. His eyes were taped shut, making it impossible to open them and, naturally, impossible to see his surroundings clearly.
“What’s going on? Is anyone there?” Haiford cried out in a panic. As soon as his voice fell, the sound of a door opening echoed.
“Finally awake?” A middle-aged man’s voice came.
“Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? If you know what’s good for you, release me quickly! Don’t you know who I, Haiford, am? Do you want to die?” Haiford threatened, his voice betraying his inner fear, but he received no reply.
Swish!
“Ah!” Haiford screamed. He felt as if his leg had been cut by a sharp object. Warm blood flowed down his skin, bringing an unbearable tingling sensation.
“Now, I ask, and you answer. Say one more unnecessary word, and you’ll lose a piece of flesh. Understand?” The man’s calm voice sounded again.
“Understood! Understood!” Haiford said, his voice tearful.
“That laboratory in the abandoned factory in Dengtai City’s West District – you opened it, didn’t you?” The man asked the first question.