CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 223: TOO LATE, THAT WORKS TOO

This is a room with an overall white tone. On one side of the room, there is a row of copper-aluminum alloy radiators installed on the wall. On the other side, two beds are placed side by side, each with a nightstand next to it, and a sky-blue curtain divides the beds in the middle.

A whole row of sockets and emergency call buttons with different specifications are embedded on the wall at the head of the beds.

Wen Nan is so familiar with this room that even with his eyes closed, he can effortlessly recall every detail in every corner—

This is Room 404 of the Taoyuan Mental Hospital.

The place where he has stayed for many years.

The room is exceptionally quiet at this moment, with only faint breathing sounds coming from the other side of the curtain.

Wen Nan slowly walks forward, passes through the curtain, and sees the person lying on the hospital bed behind it—

It’s himself.

His face looks slightly haggard, with a pale complexion and dark circles under his eyes. His eyes are tightly closed, brows furrowed, dressed in a restraint jacket. Even though he’s in deep sleep, it’s clear it’s not a restful one.

Wen Nan walks step by step to the bedside, looking down at his own sleeping face from above.

The feeling is strange, as if his spirit has detached.

Is this a dream? A dream about himself, unfolding from a god-like perspective?

Wen Nan stares at his face for a while, then bends down, lifts his hand, and gently touches his own cheek.

The moment his fingertip touches the skin on the side of the face lying on the bed—

Suddenly, a violent tremor shakes his mind, as if it’s about to shake his brain out, splitting headache, the whole world spinning...

After the painful sensation passes, he finds himself having changed from a standing position to lying flat.

Eyelids feel as heavy as a thousand pounds, the eyeballs inside keep rolling left and right, yet it’s challenging to pry open those heavy eyelids.

Muscles in his arms tense, he uses his waist and abdomen to try to sit up, only to find his entire body bound tightly by some familiar material.

"Huh, huh, huh..."

A strange gasping sound comes from his throat as Wen Nan puts all his strength into trying to escape this "cage" he’s in.

A "click" sound signals the door opening.

Then comes the rapid sound of footsteps, a figure arrives at his bedside, raises a hand, and shakes his shoulder.

The moment Wen Nan is touched, it feels like an electric shock, his whole body trembles, and he wakes up.

Eyelids open, blurred vision gradually focuses.

This is the room "he" was lying in just now, on the same hospital bed.

It seems his spirit has returned to its place.

His gaze slowly moves from the somewhat glaring white light strip on the ceiling down to the face of the person standing by the bedside.

A young woman in a nurse’s uniform smiles at Wen Nan, saying, "You’re awake? This time, your episode lasted many days, scared the hell out of us."

Wen Nan stares at the young woman’s face without saying a word.

Seeing this, the nurse’s smile fades a little, and she performs a simple check of Wen Nan’s vital signs, then says, "You’re awake, aren’t you? Why not speak?"

Still receiving no response from Wen Nan, the nurse thinks for a moment and says, "I’ll call Doctor Zhang over, wait a moment, he’s on night duty today."

With that, she turns and leaves, returning after a while with a middle-aged man.

The man wears a white coat, with a square face and short hair that seems greasy, perhaps from being in the hospital too long without washing. Stubble is coming out on his chin as well.

Unlike the prim-and-proper, model doctors often seen on TV, this psychiatric chief doctor looks rather scruffy.

Doctor Zhang walks to Wen Nan’s bed, smiles at him, and greets him like an old friend: "Long time no see, Wen Nan."

Wen Nan glances at the nurse behind Doctor Zhang, then looks at him, "Can you help me release..."

As he begins to speak, he finds his voice extremely hoarse, coughs violently twice, and before he can speak again, Doctor Zhang beats him to it:

"Go ahead and release him."

The nurse hesitates slightly, but Doctor Zhang insists. She finally calls in an assistant to help remove Wen Nan’s restraint jacket, then leaves the ward as instructed by Doctor Zhang.

Now only Wen Nan and Doctor Zhang remain in the room. Wen Nan props himself up on his arms to sit up, and Doctor Zhang steps forward, lifting his hand to help him sit against the headboard.

Producing a bottle of water from somewhere, Doctor Zhang hands it to Wen Nan, "Thirsty? Want some water?"

Wen Nan looks at the IV needle in the back of his hand, raises his hand to take the bottle, places it on his lap, and doesn’t open it.

Doctor Zhang drags a stool over from beside him, sits by Wen Nan’s bed, and smiles at him, his smile as warm as a spring breeze, as always.

"This time, where have you been, staying away for so long?" Doctor Zhang asks softly.

Wen Nan replies succinctly, "Went to fall in love."

Doctor Zhang is momentarily stunned, then his smile deepens, "That impressive? Tell me about your new girlfriend."

Wen Nan shakes his head with a smile, "Not a girlfriend, but several girlfriends."

He deliberately emphasizes the word "several."

Doctor Zhang can’t hold back this time and bursts out laughing, "Wen Nan, you’re still so funny."

Wen Nan laughs along, his peripheral vision catching a fleeting black shadow outside the window.

His smile immediately fades, gaze falling on the direction of the window.

Following Wen Nan’s gaze, Doctor Zhang looks toward the window too, then his smile disappears, face turning cold, "Wen Nan, you wouldn’t be, in love with... them... are you?"

Wen Nan naturally knows who the "them" in Doctor Zhang’s words refers to.