Transforme-toi en cygne et vole vers toi

Chapitre 15

"Tao Hua!" Mu Xiang said angrily, "How could you treat your own father like this? Do you know that you've never known how to cherish anything? I've always lived with a deep sense of inferiority because I'm a child without parental love!"

Perhaps it was Mu Xiang's words that had an effect, for Tao Hua finally left the computer. But she seemed very angry, unable to contain her emotions, saying, "But I can't give him what he wants! How can you expect me to be best friends with that ugly woman? Her mother first destroyed my family, and then used her to drive my mother to her death! Perhaps no one can understand my mother's pain when she saw my father and another woman have a child, and that child would rightfully stay in the house. So it was that ugly woman's arrival that drove my mother to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills!"

These words rendered the three of them powerless to dissuade her. Tao Hua's anger was justified; what in the world could be more painful than losing one's mother? Zhuo Jiasi no longer had the courage to persuade her, so she said softly, "Tao Hua, you've already lost your mother, and we understand your pain. But we don't want you to lose your father too."

Tao Hua's shoulders trembled slightly. She turned her back to the computer and said in a low voice, "I'll try to see him when I have time. But I will absolutely not agree to him wanting me to be some kind of damn sister with that ugly girl!"

Mu Xiang seemed unwilling to say anything more, but Zhuo Jiasi gave her a disapproving look, and the three of them dropped the subject. Zuo Feifei looked lost and weary, saying, "Dormitory 514 really seems to be cursed. So many things have happened, and we're all constantly losing..."

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly remembered Zuo Feifei's distress. She was already devastated by Lu Shiliu's death, but now she was being troubled by so many other things. Perhaps she was the one who would suffer the most. Thinking of this, she went over to comfort Zuo Feifei, saying, "Feifei, you've been through so much for days. Go wash up and get some sleep."

Zuo Feifei didn't say anything more, and carried the basin into the bathroom. The four of them fell silent, and as the fragrance of flowers drifted by, they drifted off to sleep.

It wasn't until midnight that Zhuo Jiasi finally opened her eyes. The sound of marbles bouncing on the ceiling started again, and she knew Wu Qiuyang had appeared. So she quietly got out of bed, and just as she was about to open the dormitory door, she felt her arm being tightly pulled. Turning around, she saw it was Mu Xiang. The two smiled knowingly; they both knew, without prior arrangement, that they both wanted to go find Wu Qiuyang.

Wu Qiuyang was indeed on the rooftop again, still wearing that long white dress she never wore during the day, the hem trailing from the railing all the way to the rooftop entrance, resembling a mermaid's tail. She was playing with colorful marbles while softly singing a song. Her voice was very soft, yet so beautiful that it made one feel as if they had entered a dreamlike, ethereal world.

Zhuo Jiasi picked up a marble from the ground and slowly approached her, asking, "Wu Qiuyang, do you like playing marbles?"

Wu Qiuyang's temper seemed to have improved somewhat; she even smiled slightly and sighed, saying, "It's not that I like it, it's just a habit. When I was little, my family was very poor, and my mother didn't have money to buy me toys, so she always bought me the cheapest marbles to play with. I once swore that I would never play marbles again after I grew up, but now I find that I've fallen in love with this game."

"But you've terrified us!" Mu Xiangyi said, moving closer. "Every night, we get so anxious about this sound that we get up and search everywhere for its source."

"Once you get used to it, you won't run around anymore." Wu Qiuyang smiled dreamily, leaning half her body over the railing, smiling into the wind. "Actually, if a person has no distracting thoughts in their mind, how can they be disturbed by anything from the outside world?"

The dangerous pose lasted for half a minute in mid-air. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang both held their breath, fearing Wu Qiuyang would fall. But after a while, she quietly pulled herself back down, bent down to pick up the marbles on the ground, and said, "You should go back to the dormitory. The wind will be very cold tonight, it'll hurt."

Seeing that Wu Qiuyang was about to disappear, Zhuo Jiasi found another topic to stall for time: "Qiuyang, do you know? If it weren't for that scar on your face, you would be very beautiful."

Wu Qiuyang paused for a moment, then lifted the hem of her white skirt, turned around, and smiled, saying, "Really? But I've never regretted it. This scar is a testament to my only warmth."

Section 90: Chapter Ten Zuo Feifei's Diary (2)

As if guided by some unseen force, Wu Qiuyang was unwilling to confide in anyone about the origin of her scars. Zhuo Jiasi didn't bring it up again, and went straight to the point: "Qiuyang, your father is sick. If possible, I hope you can visit him in the hospital."

Wu Qiuyang didn't answer, lifting her long white dress and disappearing into the night. Her slender figure exuded an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Zhuo Jiasi suddenly began to doubt their suspicions. Was Wu Qiuyang truly harboring a heart full of revenge, carrying out a silent retribution against them?

61

Zuo Feifei seemed to be trapped in a recurring nightmare, constantly calling out Lu Shiliu's name.

In these repeated murmurs, Zhuo Jiasi also lost the will to sleep, thinking of Li Sixia who was about to leave. That sunny and handsome face, which had been in full bloom from the beginning, was now about to wither like a flower that had abruptly departed. She suddenly felt a sense of loss and sadness, and large tears finally flooded the quiet midnight.

In such a state of sleep, Zuo Feifei naturally couldn't get up to go to class. Zhuo Jiasi stroked her face, still feeling the tear stains, and said gently, "Feifei, you should rest well. Don't go to class yet; I'll ask for leave for you later."

Zuo Feifei hesitated for a moment, then quietly closed her eyes. Two streams of tears fell hastily again, blooming into two glistening flowers on the pillow. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang had just finished packing their things and were about to leave the dormitory for class when they heard Tao Hua's long-awaited words: "Could you...accompany me to the hospital to visit him?"

Zhuo Jiasi was taken aback, not expecting Tao Hua, who had been so resolute, to change her mind overnight. Fortunately, Mu Xiang reacted quickly and said, "Of course that's great! How about this, let's go visit Uncle together after class. Let's meet at the dormitory entrance!"

So the three of them went to their respective classrooms. It seemed like it had been many days since they had sat so quietly in a classroom. Zhuo Jiasi felt a long-lost sense of peace and tranquility, and she truly hoped that this kind of life could continue indefinitely, and that nothing sad would ever happen again. The American teacher on the podium was very handsome, and his beautiful smile was often captivating. Zhuo Jiasi suddenly fell in love with these moments.

But some things still had to be faced. Zhuo Jiasi arrived at the dormitory entrance as promised, where Mu Xiang and Tao Hua were already waiting. Just as the three were about to leave, Aunt Luo called out to Zhuo Jiasi, ran over, and shoved a box into her hand, saying anxiously, "Jiasi, this is something Li Sixia asked me to give you. He said he'll be taking a plane to America at three o'clock this afternoon."

Zhuo Jiasi felt a dull ache in her chest, but she still tried to hide her sadness with her expression, smiling as she said, "Really? Then, wish him a safe journey." Then, pretending not to care, she opened the box. Inside was a newly completed painting, some areas still wet with paint. Under a clear sky, endless sunflowers bloomed, sunlight dancing quietly on the golden petals, all warmth contained within the colors.

Tao Hua seemed somewhat moved and tentatively asked, "Jia Si, do you want to go to the airport to see Li Sixia off? No matter what unpleasant things happened, they were friends after all. Who knows how long it will be before we see each other again after this separation?"

Zhuo Jiasi shook her head and said calmly, "I'm not going. Every ending has a reason. There's no possibility between him and me anymore. Let's go visit Uncle instead."

On the surface, Tao Hua always seems carefree and unconcerned, like a spoiled princess who never cares about others. But when Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang see her casually mentioning her father's favorite foods in the supermarket, they realize that Tao Hua's love for him is hidden deep within, something she simply doesn't readily express. Tao Hua even becomes a little embarrassed, scratching her head and saying, "Because my mother left when I was in high school, I've lived with my father for a long time, so I know his preferences very well."

Section 91: Chapter Ten Zuo Feifei's Diary (3)

Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang didn't say anything more, and they both smiled knowingly. After shopping, the three of them went to the hospital together. Zhuo Jiasi gently pushed open the door and found that Wu Qiuyang had also come! She was sitting in front of Tao's father's hospital bed, feeding him food bite by bite, her face full of peace.

Tao Hua appeared exceptionally angry, her previous gentle demeanor vanishing as she said in a sharp voice, "Oh dear, it seems we've come all this way for nothing. They all have their precious daughters to serve them; we outsiders should just leave!"

"Tao Hua..." Tao's father's voice was weak, but he still pleaded, "How can you be an outsider? Don't go, please stay with your father!"

Tao Hua snorted, casually tossed aside what she was holding, and said angrily, "If you want me to stay and take care of you, you'll have to get rid of this ugly hag! Her face is disgusting!"

Mr. Tao was so angry he almost stood up, shouting at the top of his lungs, "If it weren't for saving you, would she be in this state? Back then, when she found out you were her sister and wanted to leave, you were the one who ran into the alley to find her. You ran into some thugs, and have you forgotten who saved you? That knife wound left an indelible mark on her face, but in that dangerous situation, all she thought about was getting you, who had fainted, to the hospital!"

So that's how Wu Qiuyang got her scars. Tao Hua stood frozen at the hospital room door, leaning weakly against it, finally remembering the attack she suffered in elementary school. Those thugs were idle middle school students who, not content with stealing all their money, wanted to bully them. Wu Qiuyang had always stood in front of them. She watched in horror as the knife was about to be swung, screaming and fainting. But she never imagined that Wu Qiuyang would take a knife for her, and that she would mistake Wu Qiuyang's inexplicable departure for a betrayal of friendship.

But Tao Hua still couldn't face reality, struggling and shouting, "No, no! She's known me all along, and she wants revenge for her mother! And... and Xiao Chuhan, they've known each other all along, so now they want to kill me too. Jia Si and Mu Xiang, they can both testify!"

Wu Qiuyang maintained her composure and said disdainfully, "Yes, you actually figured it out. When I learned your identity, I truly regretted being your friend for three years. That's why I chose to leave. But unfortunately, fate brought us together again, and you didn't even recognize me. And I've discovered a shocking secret—it seems you were the ones who killed Xiao Chuhan. I solemnly tell you, she was my very, very best friend, so I will make you pay a heavy price for this!"

Those harsh words sent a chill down the spines of all three. Tao Hua, terrified, retreated outside the ward. Wu Qiuyang smiled dazedly and left the ward without looking back. That cold, indifferent figure instilled in all three an unprecedented sense of fear.

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Mr. Tao, unaware of what had happened, refused to eat and kept questioning the three of them. Tao Hua, growing impatient, slammed her bowl down and yelled, "What is it?! What is it! Your daughter is going to kill us! From now on, let her serve you properly!"

Mr. Tao was so shocked he couldn't speak, and it seemed to trigger another surge of anger in his heart; he clutched his chest and struggled on the hospital bed. The three men panicked and rushed to call the doctor, who finally calmed Mr. Tao down after a long while. The doctor said angrily, "What are you all doing? The patient is already like this, and you still keep making him angry. If this continues, his life will be in danger at any moment!"

Seeing Tao's father sleeping soundly, Tao Hua couldn't bear it and left the ward. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang followed, the three of them huddled together anxiously. Wu Qiuyang's words didn't sound like a joke; could it really be that she was the one who did everything before? In the silence, Mu Xiang suddenly shouted, "Oh no! We'd better hurry back to the dormitory! Feifei is still alone in the dormitory; something might happen to her!"

Section 92: Chapter Ten Zuo Feifei's Diary (4)

The three of them only then remembered Zuo Feifei and rushed back to their dormitory in a panic. It was just before afternoon classes started, and the corridor on the fifth floor was eerily quiet. Standing at the door of dormitory 514, they were suddenly struck by those three numbers, feeling a sharp pain in their chests, fearing that if they opened the door, they would see a horrific scene.

Tao Hua was the bravest; she opened the dormitory door with her eyes closed. But Zuo Feifei wasn't inside. She could only hear the sound of running water from the bathroom, and a lot of water was seeping out from under the door. Tao Hua called out tremblingly, "Feifei..." but there was no answer. Instead, the sound of the water running became even more intense.

Tao Hua watched Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang with trepidation, then closed her eyes again and opened the bathroom door. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang screamed in unison; tragedy had struck. Zuo Feifei lay in the center of the bathroom, eyes wide open, white foam oozing from her mouth, water streaming down her body from the showerhead. She had stopped breathing, her expression twisted in an unnatural way, like someone drowning. They both simultaneously recalled Xiao Chuhan's death, and Zuo Feifei's expression was exactly the same!

It took the three of them quite a while to recover from their fear. Zhuo Jiasi frantically took out her phone and called the police. The police arrived at the scene quickly. They stood helplessly at the dormitory door, feeling the cold chill in the corridor.

Police investigation determined that Zuo Feifei died from an overdose of sleeping pills, and they also found many items related to Xiao Chuhan in her drawer. Tao Hua stared blankly at the familiar objects, staggered to a seat in the aisle, and mumbled, "How is this possible? These things... how could they be here with Feifei?"

The police didn't leave the dormitory until after 9 PM. The gossip about dormitory 514 intensified; people were afraid to even approach it. The three of them sat dejectedly in the dormitory, feeling a lurking power of fear surrounding them. Tao Hua suddenly stood up, clutching her head and shouting, "We have to get out of here! We can't stay in dormitory 514! It's a cursed dormitory!"

Even the boldest of them all, Tao Hua, hesitated in fear. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang naturally followed suit, considering whether they should really leave the dormitory. Tao Hua began frantically packing her things, but found a thick diary in the wardrobe. It was Zuo Feifei's handwriting—could it be her diary?

The three of them exchanged glances before boldly flipping through the diary. It was a very old diary, filled with fragmented entries from middle school to university, recording many trivial matters. It was clear that Zuo Feifei had once deeply hated Xiao Chuhan, even filling one page with her name followed by a large "death." Later, with the occurrence of many strange events, Zuo Feifei spent almost all of her university years in fear. It turned out that those things about Xiao Chuhan weren't collected by her at all; rather, whenever a strange event happened, she would receive something related to Xiao Chuhan in her dormitory. Finally, with Lu Shiliu's death, she could no longer control her inner fear and chose the most drastic way to escape.

"Xiao Chuhan is back!" Tao Hua threw down her diary and shouted, "It must be her coming back for revenge. We can't hide anymore, we can't hide anymore!"

It seemed that Tao Hua had completely lost her mind, but Zhuo Jiasi still refused to believe in the existence of ghosts and monsters, so she grabbed Tao Hua's shoulders hard and said, "Tao Hua, don't talk nonsense! It's just Wu Qiuyang causing trouble. We shouldn't fall into her trap, otherwise her evil plan will definitely succeed!" At this moment, she would rather blame the strange Wu Qiuyang than admit that Xiao Chuhan, who had already died, was the murderer.

Section 93: Chapter Ten Zuo Feifei's Diary (5)

However, Tao Hua's emotions remained unstable, so Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang had no choice but to follow her wishes and leave dormitory 514 to sleep at her house. The dormitory was already locked, and it took the three of them a while to wake Aunt Luo, who looked completely bewildered: "Where are you all going so late?"

Zhuo Jiasi didn't want to reveal the real reason, so she lied and said, "Tao Hua suddenly wanted to visit her father in the hospital, so we wanted to go with her."

That's how Aunt Luo opened the door for them.

Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang helped the delirious Tao Hua back home. They saw a faint green light in Wu Qiuyang's room and heard what sounded like a cat meowing. The two shivered and, without washing up, squeezed onto Tao Hua's bed.

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In the dead of night, Zhuo Jiasi saw Tao Hua waking up groggily. She sat by the windowsill, puffing on her cigarette, tears streaming down her face, the cigarette butt dripping into her mouth, her eyes filled with sorrow. Zhuo Jiasi was about to get up to comfort her, but Tao Hua sighed, put on her coat, and left the bedroom. The sound of water being poured and soft footsteps came from the living room; all the sounds seemed exceptionally clear in the darkness.

After waiting for a long time, Tao Hua still hadn't returned to the bedroom. Zhuo Jiasi finally couldn't resist getting out of bed and running out of the bedroom to look for Tao Hua. But she wasn't in the living room; the boiled water on the coffee table was still steaming, blurring the family photo facing them.

Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but look at Wu Qiuyang's face; her eerie expression glowed green in the darkness, and the scar seemed capable of slashing a similar wound into one's heart. Just as she was about to succumb to that gaze, a sharp meow interrupted her thoughts, as if a cat's shadow had darted into the bathroom. She slumped onto the sofa in fear, but remained filled with curiosity, wanting to find out what had happened.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom; the colorful beaded curtain concealed the bathtub at its far end, its beads rustling softly in the breeze. Zhuo Jiasi knocked on the door and asked softly, "Tao Hua, is that you in there?"

The sound of rushing water continued, followed by a pitiful meow. Zhuo Jiasi could no longer resist her urges and pushed open the door, rushing inside. She saw a black cat floating in the bathtub, surrounded by white tiles covered in large red characters spelling "Xiao Chuhan." The overwhelming red color and the cat's meow, mixed with the sound of the running water, terrified Zhuo Jiasi, and she hurriedly ran out of the bathroom.

The living room remained quiet, and the sounds from the bathroom continued unabated. Zhuo Jiasi ran to the bedroom to look for Muxiang, but strangely, the bedroom was empty! Trembling, she retreated from the bedroom, but inadvertently caught a glimpse of a faint green light emanating from the crack in Wu Qiuyang's door. Could Tao Hua and Muxiang be inside? She hesitated in the living room, the sounds from the bathroom still pounding in her heart.

Finally, Zhuo Jiasi mustered her courage and walked towards Wu Qiuyang's bedroom, but before she could even push the door open, it opened a tiny crack. She took a deep breath, and suddenly the door seemed like a gaping maw, as if it might swallow her whole. She had no choice but to close her eyes and walk in.

The green light in the bedroom was gone, leaving it pitch black. Zhuo Jiasi asked if anyone was home while searching for the light switch on the wall. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her neck, and heavy breathing made her ears ache. She vaguely heard three words repeated over and over: "Xiao Chuhan, Xiao Chuhan, Xiao Chuhan..."

Zhuo Jiasi was speechless. Fear gripped her, and her hands frantically searched the wall until she finally found a light switch. A blinding white light flooded the bedroom, revealing Tao Hua choking her. The floor was covered in photos of Xiao Chuhan! Clearly terrified by the sudden light, she immediately cowered under the desk, trembling and hugging her knees. Staring at the scattered photos, she repeatedly cried out, "Xiao Chuhan, don't come any closer. Don't come any closer! I didn't kill you, I didn't…!"

Section 94: Chapter Ten Zuo Feifei's Diary (6)

"It's me, it's me!" Zhuo Jiasi walked over, pulled Tao Hua out, and hugged her tightly, saying, "Tao Hua, don't be afraid. Xiao Chuhan is dead. She can't come back, she can't..."

But Tao Hua seemed to resist immensely; she pushed Zhuo Jiasi away and retreated under the desk. Helpless, Zhuo Jiasi went to open the door, intending to find Mu Xiang for help. But for some reason, the door wouldn't open. No matter how much she called, she couldn't hear Mu Xiang's voice. Since Wu Qiuyang's room and Tao Hua's room had connected windows, she had to stand on the windowsill and look into Tao Hua's room. She saw Mu Xiang lying motionless on the bed, perhaps fast asleep. The seventh floor was too dizzying, and she didn't dare climb out the window, so she returned to Wu Qiuyang's bedroom.

Tao Hua tormented herself almost all night, sometimes stomping on Xiao Chuhan's photos, sometimes tearing them apart with her hands, and even crying over the damaged photos, repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, Xiao Chuhan. I didn't mean to, please let me go! Please, please let me go, okay?"

Zhuo Jiasi also didn't sleep a wink all night, fearing that Tao Hua might do something drastic. It wasn't until the first rays of sunlight streamed in at dawn that she heard Mu Xiang calling out, "Tao Hua, Jiasi, where are you both?"

Overjoyed as if a deity had descended from heaven, Zhuo Jiasi pounded on the door and cried, "Muxiang, I'm here. In Wu Qiuyang's room, please come and save us!" But strangely, the door opened automatically. She gently turned it and saw Muxiang crying with tears streaming down her face.

Muxiang immediately hugged her, crying, "Where have you all been? I've been looking for you ever since I woke up, but you're nowhere to be found. I was so scared!"

"I've been here the whole time," Zhuo Jiasi said, patting her back. "Yesterday, for some reason, the door was locked. No matter how much I called you, you wouldn't wake up and open the door for us..."

Before she could finish speaking, Mu Xiang said anxiously, "Where's Tao Hua? Where did Tao Hua go? I had a dream that she was kidnapped by Xiao Chuhan..."

Zhuo Jiasi quickly comforted her, saying, "It's alright, she's here." Tao Hua was still emotional, holding Xiao Chuhan's photo and muttering incoherently under the desk. But a bad premonition suddenly welled up in her chest. Zhuo Jiasi suddenly remembered Tao's father, grabbed Mu Xiang's hand, and said, "Oh no. Uncle is still alone in the hospital. Do you think he might be in danger...?"

Before Mu Xiang could react, Tao Hua became alert. She hurriedly jumped out of the desk, threw away all the photos, and shouted, "Dad, Dad! I need to go to the hospital! I need to go to the hospital..." Then she ran out of the house. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang naturally didn't dare to slack off and followed her to the hospital.

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But halfway there, Tao Hua stopped in her tracks. It was a call from the hospital. The doctor's news was like a thunderbolt: Tao's father had suddenly died of a heart attack in the early hours of the morning. She was almost in despair, feeling the world around her go dark, and she collapsed into Zhuo Jiasi's arms.

Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang hurriedly hailed a taxi and took turns carrying Tao Hua to the hospital. Tao's father had a furrowed brow, seemingly having endured a painful struggle before death; his lips were slightly parted, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. Tao Hua still hadn't woken up, so the two had no choice but to temporarily place her on a hospital bed and inquire about Tao's father's condition from the doctor.

The doctor seemed puzzled as well, saying inexplicably, "His condition isn't serious; with a little care, he would definitely recover. But I don't know what trauma he suffered in the early morning, and his heart couldn't handle the pressure, so he had a seizure."

Section 95: Chapter Ten Zuo Feifei's Diary (7)

Could yesterday's argument have left some unresolved issue in Mr. Tao's heart? But the doctor said it was a sudden heart attack; something must have happened in the early hours of the morning. Thinking this, Zhuo Jiasi asked, "Doctor, could you tell me if anyone visited this patient yesterday?"

"Yes," the doctor said truthfully. "After you left, the girl from before came back—the one with the scar on her face. She and the patient got along very well, and the patient even asked us to perform plastic surgery on her. But she only stayed until a little after 10 p.m., then left alone."

Tao's father fell ill around 3 a.m. By then, Wu Qiuyang had already gone home, but the possibility of her returning to the hospital couldn't be ruled out. Zhuo Jiasi's brows furrowed, too many questions swirling in her mind. What did Tao's father see before he died that made him so angry that he had a heart attack?

Mu Xiang's heart was heavy, her expression gloomy. She said anxiously, "Jia Si, I have a strange premonition. Every time I dream of Xiao Chu Han, something unfortunate happens. For example, when I dreamt that Fei Fei was killed by Xiao Chu Han, Lu Shiliu died, and then Fei Fei left too. Yesterday I dreamt that Tao Hua was killed by Xiao Chu Han, and then Uncle left. Do you think Tao Hua might…?"

"Muxiang!" Zhuo Jiasi interrupted her, saying sternly, "Things are already complicated enough, and you're adding to the chaos with such superstitious ideas!" But despite her words, she genuinely had such thoughts. Muxiang's dreams always seemed like omens, pointing to the death of the next person. Thinking of this, Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but worry about Tao Hua, quickly pulling Muxiang towards the ward.

As expected, Tao Hua had already woken up. Her mind seemed completely hazy; she was swaying unsteadily standing on the high windowsill. This was the tenth floor of the hospital; jumping would certainly be fatal. Zhuo Jia didn't dare think twice, pulling Tao Hua back to safety, and the two of them fell to the cold floor together. She breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, she and Mu Xiang had arrived in time. Mu Xiang hadn't even dared to breathe, which confirmed her dream.

Tao Hua tried to get up, pointing out the window and mumbling, "Xiao Chuhan, wait for me. I'm coming right away, don't go. Don't go, okay?" Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang looked out the window in the direction she was pointing, but all they saw were fluffy clouds; there was no Xiao Chuhan to be seen.

Left with no other option, the two women took Tao Hua to a doctor. After examination, it was discovered that Tao Hua had been suffering from long-term mental repression, leading to severe hallucinations. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang exchanged glances, feeling fear creeping closer. Finally, they had no choice but to follow the doctor's advice and leave Tao Hua in a mental health facility.

Even after the two men took Tao Hua to her private treatment room, she remained lost in her own hallucinations. One moment she was arrogantly standing with her hands on her hips, saying, "Xiao Chuhan, you ugly freak! You and Wu Qiuyang are both bastards!" The next moment, her face would turn to one of extreme fear: "Xiao Chuhan, I'm sorry, please don't come any closer, please don't come any closer, okay?"

The two shook their heads helplessly, instructed the doctor to take good care of Tao Hua, and then left with heavy hearts.

65

They were back in dormitory 514. It was nap time, and everything was quiet. Although Zhuo Jiasi was also scared, she comforted Mu Xiang, saying, "Let's take a nap first. We have to go to class later..."

But Mu Xiang hugged Zhuo Jiasi tightly, crying, "Jiasi, I don't want to sleep anymore. I'm afraid of dreaming about Xiao Chuhan, and I'm afraid of losing you too..."