Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 55

The face that was always blurry in the dream was like a piece of glass splitting into four, revealing the forgotten truth before Ling Xi’s eyes, and then quickly piecing itself back together into the image of Lin Fangwan.

Familiar yet cruel scenes connected to form five whole years of missing memory—

The pot of daisies that were about to wither before blooming in the severe cold of winter, the iced tea on the rooftop still giving off a cold mist, the tranquility of the Cincinnia National Library, the endless mountain path beneath Mont Blanc, two smiles forever fixed in black and white, and the entire bottle of sleeping pills swallowed in a desperate rush.

Heart-wrenching scenes flooded Ling Xi’s brain frantically.

Accompanying the painful memories were the terrifying 24 times of near-fatal electroshock therapy, which attempted to curb the swarm of invading memories, causing Ling Xi to wail and roll on the ground, clutching her head in chaos.

I shouldn’t have remembered. I shouldn’t have. Why can’t I forget completely? Forgetting would mean eternal happiness!

Suddenly opening her eyes, Ling Xi’s eyes were bloodshot, and faint traces of tears remained at the corners.

Trying to maintain a steady rhythm, Ling Xi attempted to calm her excessively rapid heart rate.

At this moment, she was suffering from a sting in every nerve.

Even though the glare of the fluorescent light was extremely harsh, she stared at it unblinkingly, like a walking corpse, silent.

Happiness was ultimately drowned in the explosion of memory.

Qiao Bo’er’s attitude was strong last night; she insisted on staying in the hospital room to care for her. When she heard Ling Xi’s rapid breathing, she instinctively reached out to soothe Ling Xi’s forehead: “Do you want some water?”

At this moment, Qiao Bo’er poured out unprecedented tenderness. Apart from the worried fatigue on her face, no other emotion was visible.

It turned out that Ling Xi, who was trapped in her dream, was not the only one who had a difficult night; this deeply emotional woman was suffering too.

Ling Xi’s mouth was slightly open and she was speechless, offering no response.

Qiao Bo’er couldn’t help but lean down and tightly hug her, the sobbing coming abruptly.

Ling Xi remained unmoved, not because of the coldness caused by the conversation at the studio, but because the current her was fundamentally a stranger.

Ling Xi instinctively moved away from Qiao Bo’er’s tenderness, using her arm to prop herself up and slowly sit up: “I’m fine.”

Unable to detect Ling Xi’s emotions, Qiao Bo’er’s heart felt inexplicably panicked. She asked cautiously: “Are you angry with me?”

Ling Xi’s gaze was troubled, her mind temporarily crowded with past memories.

She had no time to attend to what was happening now, merely waving her hand wearily: “Because of Boss Xiang’s matter? It’s not enough to make me angry.”

In just one answer and one look, Qiao Bo’er’s heartache was completely overturned by Ling Xi. Her eyes were wide, and she couldn’t squeeze out a word for a long time; the person in front of her was utterly unfamiliar.

Ling Xi turned sideways, intending to pick up the water cup on the bedside table. Qiao Bo’er quickly reached out to help retrieve it but was stopped by Ling Xi: “No need, I’ll do it myself.”

“Ling Xi, what is wrong with you?”

“I’m fine.”

Receiving the cold response, Qiao Bo’er was at a loss.

This rejection was unlike the previous ones that allowed for any possibility of reconciliation; it was more like a barrier pulling them apart.

“Ling Xi…”

A worried soft call from the person who suddenly appeared at the doorway drew the attention of the two people by the bed.

Ling Xi stared at the arrival, her throat slightly hoarse, her already dry throat tightening even more, feeling like something was stuck there.

Qiao Bo’er’s expression went from initial bewilderment to astonishment, and then gradually grew into an undeniable fear within the astonishment.

The inevitable has arrived, sudden and unpredictable.

Lin Fangwan held a bunch of dewy lilies in her arms.

Compared to many years ago, her appearance had not changed much, but her formerly loosely draped long hair was now neatly tied back, making her look more dignified and composed.

“Is it convenient for me to come in?”

Lin Fangwan asked cautiously. Perhaps influenced by the change in her marriage, her smile lacked the purity of the past, containing more inscrutable depth.

The person who appeared in the dream suddenly walked into reality. After a moment of absent-mindedness, Ling Xi looked particularly flustered. She unnaturally tidied her messy hair, yet also seemed afraid that Lin Fangwan would disappear before her eyes, then she confirmed with a nod: “Of course, please come in.”

Lin Fangwan walked toward the bed with a faint smile, naturally placing the lilies in the vase. When her eyes met Qiao Bo’er’s, the smile she offered looked gentle in Ling Xi’s eyes, but Qiao Bo’er perceived a hint of provocation.

“I just arrived in Xuancheng yesterday. I rushed to find the studio address overnight, and today I heard you were in the hospital the moment I got there. I was so scared that I hurried over to see you. It’s good that you’re okay,” Lin Fangwan briefly explained the reason for her visit.

When you love someone, your eyes can’t lie; Lin Fangwan was indeed worried about Ling Xi.

Listening to the lukewarm conversation between the two, Qiao Bo’er’s face darkened. She sat directly in the accompanying chair, quietly scrutinizing the rival in love before her.

After many years, Ling Xi, with her memory recovered, carried a calm and indifferent mood. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, just making polite small talk: “It’s not convenient to welcome you today, but I’ll treat you to a meal in a couple of days.”

“I will be staying in Xuancheng for a long time this trip. There’s plenty of time for catching up, no need to rush.”

“Let’s exchange contact information,” as she spoke, Ling Xi deliberately glanced at the dark-faced Qiao Bo’er.

Restrained by Qiao Bo’er’s presence, Lin Fangwan couldn’t be overly intimate. She handed over her business card, secretly rubbing Ling Xi’s palm, and her tone remained gentle: “This is my business card. I won’t bother you today, get some rest.”

“Mmm…”

Lin Fangwan didn’t linger, like the blank space in a painting, laying the groundwork for a possible continuation of their relationship in the future.

Ling Xi quietly stared at the business card, lost in thought, almost forgetting the difficult person still in the room.

Qiao Bo’er pursed her lips. As a cautious person, Lin Fangwan’s appearance at this crucial moment couldn’t be a coincidence. She pretended to play with her phone casually, knowing she had another person to investigate.

“General Manager Qiao is busy with work. Wasting your time on me makes me feel burdened,” Ling Xi’s polite tone was annoying, with an implied meaning that sounded like an attempt to drive her away.

Qiao Bo’er couldn’t tolerate it any longer. She gripped her phone tightly. Facing love with an inherently narrow heart, she couldn’t endure this charade from Lin Fangwan. Now, Ling Xi’s attitude only added fuel to the fire, and she finally erupted.

“Do you have to talk to me like this?”

“Did I say something wrong?” Ling Xi didn’t understand why Qiao Bo’er was throwing a tantrum. Hadn’t her attitude always been like this?

No, something feels wrong.

Ling Xi got out of bed, put on her slippers, and prepared to wash up briefly and leave the hospital.

Qiao Bo’er stood up and grabbed her arm, refusing to let go: “Are you uncomfortable? Does your head hurt a lot?”

In the very moment of asking, Qiao Bo’er suddenly realized something. Her lips trembled slightly, and she asked a disbelieving follow-up question: “You knew who the person who just came was? Didn’t you say you didn’t remember anything?!”

With the fragmented memory restored, Ling Xi transformed overnight back into the excellent person Su Yunjin spoke of. She was no longer noisy and was unusually serious.

Disliking intimate physical contact without reason, Ling Xi slightly frowned and forcefully pulled Qiao Bo’er’s hand away, coldly yet politely saying: “General Manager Qiao, this looks very undignified.”

Ling Xi walked straight into the restroom, leaving Qiao Bo’er standing frozen in place alone.

This time, Qiao Bo’er was helpless. A terrible sense of crisis struck her. She was afraid of losing Ling Xi, afraid that her efforts all this while had been for someone else’s benefit.

She rushed into the restroom.

Before Ling Xi could react, Qiao Bo’er tightly wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, just like the hug on Binjiang Road last night, afraid that her beloved balloon would fly away.

Ling Xi no longer had the energy to struggle and chose to ignore it, tearing open the disposable toothbrush packaging in her hand.

Qiao Bo’er buried her head in Ling Xi’s neck, sounding like she was asking herself and also questioning Ling Xi: “It shouldn’t be like this. It shouldn’t…”

“General Manager Qiao, we can discuss the office location and we can talk about the classes. As for a relationship, I am very sorry, I don’t like you. I gave you the answer to this question at the very beginning. There’s no need to stubbornly cling to it; let’s give each other some dignity.”

“I don’t blame you, because you are sick. I will stay with you and help you get well.” In love, Qiao Bo’er desperately tried to salvage her dignity, showing vulnerability.

Ling Xi reluctantly put down the toothbrush, turned around to look at the distraught Qiao Bo’er, but the words that came out were a sharp blade, carving a wound that would be difficult to heal in Qiao Bo’er’s heart: “I’m sorry, the person I want to face has returned.”

Qiao Bo’er stepped back in shock. For a moment, her eyes and nose burned with a soreness that left her speechless.

She shook her head, unwilling to accept this truth, but the light reflected in Ling Xi’s eyes did not belong to her. Why did that unintentional gentle smile carry a devastating lethality? Why?

Qiao Bo’er sniffled, giving herself the last bit of so-called dignity. She rushed out of the door, finally disappearing from Ling Xi’s sight.

Ling Xi’s lingering smile vanished completely. She brushed her teeth expressionlessly, repeatedly questioning herself deep down—She is so good, why did I hurt her?

Looking at her pale face in the mirror, Ling Xi unconfidently lowered her gaze slightly. Waves of emotion surged, and as she blinked, large tears couldn’t stop falling.

I am the bad one. How can I deserve her? Don’t provoke her, don’t provoke her again…

Ji Nancen leaned against the car door, sipping her milk tea. She looked up and surveyed the office building where Xiao Yunxi’s studio was located, as well as the surrounding environment.

Buildings in the cultural and creative district are generally not tall, only about five stories when counted. These places have few people during the day, let alone at night.

According to Qu Ye’s prior explanation, the partner checked the main gate before leaving, suggesting that the possibility of a natural fire was very slim.

Ji Nancen rested her chin on her hand, pondering for a moment. Given that the matter involves Qiao Bo’er, the direction of things will only get more complicated.

Pulling out the document bag tucked under her arm, which contained the information of everyone in the studio, Ji Nancen sat in the car, took a sip of milk tea, and the soft pearls made her eyes smile: “The first sip has pearls. Good luck is on my side…”

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