Chapter 3 - Xiao Qiu Qiu
Shen Qiu turned his head to look at the photos in the black-and-white frames. As he gazed at the faces radiating bright smiles, his expression grew increasingly somber.
Of course, the people in these black-and-white frames were not Shen Qiu’s parents or relatives. He grew up in an orphanage and had no family.
The individuals in the frames were his brothers and sisters with whom he once participated in extreme sports.
However, this hobby is extremely dangerous, and along the way, most of his companions ended up hanging on the wall.
Shen Qiu looked at each face in the photos and couldn’t help but recall the reckless days spent with them.
He stood in place for a long time before finally letting out a deep sigh and walking toward the bedroom.
He then collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.
The next day.
Anlik Building · Private Psychological Therapy Room.
Shen Qiu was half-reclining on the treatment chair, wearing a special helmet.
The helmet continuously played special imagery, and Shen Qiu’s muscles were tense, his hands gripping the armrests of the treatment chair tightly, while the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up slightly.
A male doctor, dressed in a white coat and with a head full of white hair, was writing down the diagnosis results in a medical record notebook.
After about ten minutes, the helmet that Shen Qiu was wearing stopped working.
At this time, Shen Qiu slowly removed the helmet, gradually sat up, let out a long breath, and then raised his head to gaze at the doctor in front of him, speaking up.
“Dr. Tang Ke, how is my condition? Is it any better than last time?”
Dr. Tang paused, lifted his head, and looked at Shen Qiu seriously as he spoke.
“Mr. Shen, after conducting a series of tests and reviewing your brain scans, your condition is worse than last time.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qiu fell silent for a few seconds before saying,
“Can you be more specific?”
“You can take a look at the armrest on your right side,” Dr. Tang calmly said.
Shen Qiu turned his head to glance over and saw that the armrest on his right side showed signs of deformation.
“Did I do that?”
“Yes, when the virtual diagnostic equipment continuously plays intense stimulating images for you, your adrenaline keeps being secreted, your nerves become highly excited, and your mental state gradually begins to lose control. This loss of control might occur without you even realizing it. Furthermore, the worst part is that you are entering this state of loss of control faster than before, which means your condition has worsened. Mr. Shen, I hope you can answer me honestly: what exactly have you been doing in the past year?”
Dr. Tang looked at Shen Qiu, asking in a serious tone.
Shen Qiu could sense that Dr. Tang, his long-term attending physician, was somewhat displeased, so he answered truthfully.
“I participated in extreme jumping activities.”
“I advise you not to participate in these extreme sports anymore.”
“I don’t have any other hobbies; I only love extreme sports. Is there really no way to continue?”
“These activities continuously stimulate your mind, causing you to become extremely excited and fall into a state of loss of control, entering a second personality state. If this continues for a long time, your second personality will become increasingly prominent, and ultimately, it may dominate, leading to a complete mental split and resulting in severe mental illness.”
Dr. Tang warned Shen Qiu.
Shen Qiu fell silent again, and Dr. Tang did not rush him. After a few minutes, Shen Qiu calmly spoke up.
“I understand.”
“I hope you can keep this in mind. I will prescribe some supplementary treatment medications for you.”
Dr. Tang stood up and walked over to the nearby medicine cabinet.
“Dr. Tang, how long do I need to undergo treatment before I can receive a certificate of recovery?”
Shen Qiu asked calmly, watching Dr. Tang prepare the medication.
“That depends on how well you recover. There’s definitely no way to issue it in the short term. Although you haven’t harmed anyone, your mental state is very unstable, you cannot control yourself, and you even have tendencies toward self-harm. The situation is not very optimistic. By the way, why do you need this certificate?”
“To find a job.”
Shen Qiu did not hide this.
Dr. Tang paused for a moment, then continued preparing the medication.
Before long, he had finished and handed the medicine to Shen Qiu, saying, “There are two types of medication in here: a regular medication to be taken once a day, and another type is an emergency medication that contains calming components. Remember to take it when you feel you are about to lose control.”
“Okay, how much does it cost?”
Shen Qiu asked with a calm expression.
“It will all be included in the treatment fee; you don’t need to pay anything extra.”
Dr. Tang said calmly.
Shen Qiu glanced at Dr. Tang but didn’t say much more, simply replying, “Okay, I’m leaving.”
“Mm.”
Dr. Tang didn’t say anything else, just watched Shen Qiu’s departing figure and shook his head slightly.
Not long after, Shen Qiu walked out of the Anlik Building. He looked down at the medicine he was holding, feeling increasingly heavy-hearted.
He had originally held onto a glimmer of hope that his condition might improve, but the reality was even worse.
Taking a few deep breaths, Shen Qiu suppressed his restless feelings and checked his phone; it was already 11:20.
He then headed toward the nearest subway entrance. He needed to make it to Maple Leaf Restaurant for his appointment, and he didn’t have much time left. Fortunately, the restaurant was located on the 5th Ring Road, and he was currently on the 4th Ring, so the distance wasn’t too far.
Half an hour later, Shen Qiu arrived at the 5th Ring Road, Changqing Street. He quickly spotted Maple Leaf Restaurant.
The restaurant was a moderately sized casual dining spot, beautifully decorated with a charming and distinctive atmosphere, and the prices were reasonable, making it very popular among young people.
Shen Qiu approached the restaurant entrance, and the automatic door opened as he approached.
As he walked in, the wind chimes hanging above produced a crisp sound, and the waitstaff on either side greeted him politely.
“Welcome!”
Shen Qiu nodded slightly in response. He looked around and noticed that there was a window-side seat available, so he walked over to it.
After Shen Qiu sat down, a female waitress approached with a smile and asked, “Sir, would you like to order?”
“Waiting for someone; just bring me a cup of coffee for now,” Shen Qiu replied calmly.
“Okay, please hold on a moment,” the waitress said before stepping back.
A few minutes later, a steaming cup of coffee was placed in front of Shen Qiu.
He picked up the coffee and took a sip from time to time, quietly waiting.
After about ten minutes, a figure suddenly appeared behind Shen Qiu and reached out to pat his shoulder.
Shen Qiu turned his head to look, only to see that the hand that had patted his shoulder was now poking a finger directly at his cheek, followed by a voice that sent chills down his spine.
“Xiao Qiu Qiu~~”
Shen Qiu frowned and immediately reached out.
Smack!
He swatted the person’s hand away.
“Ouch, that hurts! Don’t be so rude!”
Upon closer inspection, the person speaking was a rather handsome man, dressed flamboyantly, with earrings dangling from his ears, and a somewhat effeminate voice.
“Zhao Wuchang, how many times have I told you not to gross me out? I don’t have that kind of preference,” Shen Qiu said bluntly.