After the Most Hated Persona Faked Their Death, the Ex-Husband Lost His Mind - Chapter 27

Dr. Deng was over fifty years old with shoulder-length hair and usually wore a pair of rimless glasses. Contrary to her sharp and capable appearance, she had a gentle personality and a soft voice; speaking with her felt like a breath of fresh air.

Having practiced medicine for decades, Dr. Deng was one of the most authoritative psychological experts in S City. She had seen countless patients, yet she recently encountered one who proved to be quite difficult. It was not that the boy was severely ill; as psychologists, they did not fear severity. Rather, they feared a lack of trust. After spending so many days together, the boy named Li Zhi was still unwilling to say a single word to her.

Actually, this was not a major issue, as Dr. Deng had plenty of patience. However, one thing frustrated her; while the boy did not trust her, he got along quite well with her intern nephew, who usually acted in a carefree manner. Although they did not exchange many words, Li Zhi’s guard was noticeably lower around him.

The younger Dr. Deng was in his early twenties and had recently graduated from university. He worked at the hospital alongside his aunt. Tall, handsome, and witty, he was very popular among the girls at the workplace. Deng Zhuoyuan’s easy days came to an end when his aunt assigned him a very important patient.

The patient was a high school student in his late teens. When Deng Zhuoyuan first saw Li Zhi, only one thought crossed his mind: “Damn, someone can actually look like this.”

Before Deng Zhuoyuan officially took over Li Zhi’s case, they had only met a few times and barely spoke. Their interactions were mostly limited to empty small talk like, “Good morning, Student Li, have you been taking your medicine lately?” or “Good evening, Student Li, have you eaten?”

So, when his aunt told him, “This patient trusts you more; go talk to him first,” Deng Zhuoyuan’s inner state could not be expressed in words. Only a confused expression could accurately summarize his feelings. However, a superior’s request must be followed. Despite his confusion, Deng Zhuoyuan had to brace himself. He took a deep breath, held a breakfast tray in one hand, and pushed open the ward door with the other.

“Good morning, Student Li, it is time to get up.”

To his surprise, Li Zhi, who usually woke up very late, was up early today. He was kneeling on the window seat, having opened a small gap in the curtains. The morning sunlight streamed through the crack and shone on his thighs, making them look dazzlingly pale.

Deng Zhuoyuan cleared his throat. “Ahem, Student Li, you woke up early today. It is time for breakfast.”

He placed the tray on the side table and lifted the cover. Deng Zhuoyuan made an exaggerated sniffing motion. “Mm, today’s snack is fresh char siu bao. It smells delicious. Do you want to try some?”

Li Zhi ignored him, his vacant gaze fixed on a distant corner. Deng Zhuoyuan stopped his movements awkwardly. After a few minutes, Li Zhi jumped down from the window seat, his legs bare. He stepped barefoot onto the plush carpet and sat at the dining table. He poked the char siu bao with the tip of a chopstick, causing the dark, sweet sauce to ooze out and leave a mark on the white bone china plate like a trail of sweet blood.

Li Zhi did not eat it. Instead, he used a spoon to scoop some porridge from the side. He ate very slowly and in small bites. Deng Zhuoyuan watched him eat quietly. When he saw that Li Zhi had finished more than half the bowl without showing signs of nausea, Deng Zhuoyuan gave a sincere smile. “That is great, Student Li. Your appetite has improved lately.”

Before he could finish, Li Zhi’s expression suddenly changed. He covered his mouth and ran to the bathroom. The door slammed shut, and all Deng Zhuoyuan could hear from outside were sounds of dry heaving followed by the flush of the toilet. A moment later, the door opened again. Li Zhi walked out, his face covered in water. Deng Zhuoyuan stepped forward and handed him some tissues. “Are you alright?”

Li Zhi shook his head and whispered a thank you before taking the tissues. Deng Zhuoyuan’s gaze naturally fell on the boy’s arms. Less than a month ago, they were covered in scars, but now those marks were gradually fading thanks to laser scar removal surgery. Deng Zhuoyuan helped Li Zhi sit on the sofa by the bed while he pulled up a chair to sit opposite him. He leaned forward slightly. “Do you want to eat anything else?”

Li Zhi shook his head.

“You woke up very early today. Did you just wake up early, or did you not sleep well last night?”

Li Zhi looked at him, yet it seemed he was looking through him. His eyes were gray and dull. He said nothing. Deng Zhuoyuan continued talking to himself. “The weather is nice today. Do you want to go down for a walk? Getting some sun helps with your mood.”

“Dr. Deng,” Li Zhi finally spoke. It was the first thing he had said all day. “What is the date today?”

In this facility, patients had to hand over their mobile phones and were only allowed to have them back for two hours each day. Other than that, Li Zhi passed the time by reading or watching television. Of course, the hospital had other entertainment facilities, but Li Zhi had no interest in them.

“Ah, oh.” Deng Zhuoyuan pulled his phone from his pocket and told Li Zhi the date. He keenly sensed something. “Why? Student Li, is today a special day?”

“I had a dream.” Li Zhi did not answer the current question but addressed the previous one instead.

“Was it a good dream or a nightmare? If you are willing, you can tell me about it.”

Deng Zhuoyuan waited quietly. Minutes passed while Li Zhi sat with his lips pursed. Just as Deng Zhuoyuan thought Li Zhi would not speak again, the boy said, “I do not know. I do not know if it was good or bad.”

Deng Zhuoyuan’s heart leaped. He felt he had finally pried open a corner of this teenager’s tightly sealed heart. He pressed on. “What kind of dream was it?”

“It was not a dream,” Li Zhi said. “It was real. I dreamed of what happened on this day last year.”

Deng Zhuoyuan wondered if he should continue asking; Li Zhi might not tell him. Sure enough, Li Zhi fell silent after that. He simply stared at Deng Zhuoyuan, his vacant eyes slowly focusing until a faint light appeared in them. Miraculously, color returned to his cheeks and his lips turned red. “You look like…”

Deng Zhuoyuan touched his own face. “Like what?”

“You look like…” His gaze toward Deng Zhuoyuan was timid and soft, making Deng Zhuoyuan turn away uncomfortably. As he touched his face, Li Zhi’s voice grew fainter. Deng Zhuoyuan could only catch a muffled word that sounded like “Brother.” Other than that, he could hear nothing.

“Student Li, what did you say?”

The different voice pulled Li Zhi back to reality. The flush on his face faded visibly, and he sat there dazed.

“I think it is time for my medicine,” Li Zhi said after a long pause.

Deng Zhuoyuan sighed. He knew Li Zhi was effectively dismissing him. His purpose for the visit was to supervise Li Zhi taking his medicine; once that was done, it was time for him to leave. Deng Zhuoyuan poured several different pills into Li Zhi’s palm. With lowered eyelids, Li Zhi tilted his head back and swallowed them all. Deng Zhuoyuan checked under his tongue to ensure no pills were hidden before leaving the ward.

He still had not discovered anything or figured out what Li Zhi’s true heart-knot was. However, Deng Zhuoyuan was not discouraged. Li Zhi had said a lot today, more than the last few days combined. But that person, Deng Zhuoyuan felt curious. Who did Li Zhi think he looked like? And what was that person’s relationship with Li Zhi? For now, Deng Zhuoyuan could not understand any of it.

Li Zhi stayed in the hospital for a long time. He took his medicine every day, and the doctors visited daily. However, since he had been off his medication for so long, the new treatment would not take effect quickly. Trust with Deng Zhuoyuan could not be built easily either.

For a long period, he still could not eat. He experienced auditory hallucinations and mysterious pains throughout his body. During the worst episode, he lost control. Waking up in the middle of the night, Li Zhi could no longer stand being there. After sitting in a daze for a while, he scrambled out of bed.

In the dampness of late autumn, he did not even put on a jacket or turn on the light. He ran toward the door using only the moonlight filtering through the gap in the curtains. Li Zhi grabbed the door handle, pulling and pushing it roughly. But no matter how hard he tried or how many times he kicked the door in frustration, the iron door remained motionless. Li Zhi felt as if a stone were pressing on his chest. He could not breathe; he felt he was suffocating. He knelt on the floor and pounded the door with all his might.

Even when his palms turned red and numb, he refused to stop. Such a loud commotion naturally drew the attention of the duty nurse. The nurse used a key to unlock the door. The moment it opened, Li Zhi pushed him aside and charged out with all his strength.

The person on duty was a male nurse. Normally, a person with Li Zhi’s slender frame could not push him over. However, the force of Li Zhi’s shove was so immense that the male nurse stumbled, nearly letting him escape. The nurse intercepted Li Zhi, pinning his hands behind his back. The nurse shouted to his colleagues, “Patient A012 is having an episode! Get the sedative!”

Li Zhi was no longer fully conscious. Even with his arms restrained, he would not stop. He struggled like a madman, twisting his body and screaming. His legs thrashed wildly like a beached fish. “Ah! Ah!”

“Let me go! Let me go! Ah!”

Li Zhi seemed tireless in his frenzy. Two other duty nurses arrived. The male nurse pinned Li Zhi to the floor while a female nurse aimed a needle at the side of Li Zhi’s neck to administer the sedative. Li Zhi stared in terror at the silver needle. His thin body exploded with staggering strength. He broke free from the male nurse’s grip and scrambled under the bed. Someone grabbed his ankle, and Li Zhi began screaming again. “Ah! Ah!”

“Do not touch me! Do not touch me! Do not do this to me!” Tears streamed down Li Zhi’s face as his breathing became ragged. He seemed to smell the stench of garbage and hear malicious jeers. The insults were like the gaping maws of monsters. “No, no.”

He heard the sound of the bed being moved. Li Zhi’s hands clawed at the cold floor, but the bed was eventually shifted away. Exposed to the nurses’ gaze, he could only watch as the needle drew closer. Li Zhi’s body felt frozen. Long ago, he had fallen to the ground like this, unable to move, like a lamb with a broken leg. Li Zhi closed his eyes in despair, waiting for the blade of fate to fall.

But it did not.

Instead of a sharp needle, he felt a pair of warm hands. The person supporting him seemed to be saying something while patting Li Zhi’s back rhythmically. This action struck Li Zhi’s heart like a bolt of lightning. He opened his eyes again, his throat dry.

“Do not be afraid, do not be afraid,” the person before him said, continuing to pat his back. “Do not cry anymore.”

But Li Zhi’s tears fell even faster. He clutched the person’s sleeve with utter longing. “Brother Mingzhang.”

“Why did you ignore me? Why did you only come to see me now? I missed you so much.”

“Brother Mingzhang.”