Chapter 2 Li Huowang

"Phew, finally back." Li Huowang let out a sigh of relief as he called out to the microphone by the bed.

Soon after, his attending physician, holding a white tablet followed by a nurse, walked in through the door of the ward.

"Li, how do you feel? Has there been any new change in your hallucinations this time?" the physician asked kindly, sitting on a stool.

"It's the same environment where I do the same things. Only this time, in front of me, Master Lai with the scabby head cruelly killed a person and made elixirs out of her." Li Huowang described in detail everything he had seen in the hallucinations.

"Hmm-hmm." The attending physician nodded and tapped quickly on the tablet to record the information.

After some thought, Li Huowang asked hesitatingly, "Doctor, what do these different hallucinations mean? What do they imply about my inner self and psyche?"

"No, you shouldn't worry about those things. You should focus more on the duration of each hallucination and on maintaining your mental stability," the doctor shook his head, disagreeing with Li Huowang's statement.

"Since it's a hallucination, you must remember it's all false. You've already overcome Huan Jue Perception Disorder, so don't fall back into it."

"All you need to do is act according to the logic of that place whenever you fall into a hallucination, coupled with the treatment here, and you will soon be cured."

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang's heart tightened immediately; it was crucial for his quick discharge, and he couldn't afford to be careless.

The physician then didn't forget to encourage his patient.

"Actually, you're doing much better now. When you first arrived, you couldn't even distinguish reality from fantasy. Things will get better, just keep it up, and stay strong."

While the two were speaking, light footsteps were heard at the door of the ward.

Both turned their heads at the sound, only to see a young girl in a high-necked black sweater, sneaking peeks inside.

She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, at the most beautiful burgeoning age.

With skin as fair as jade and raven hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, she was as beautiful as a budding blossom.

Seeing the young men hesitate to speak, the attending physician chuckled knowingly. He pushed his glasses up on his nose with his finger and turned to walk toward the door.

"I've got other things to take care of, you guys are busy. Oh, and Li, remember to take your medicine on time later."

No sooner had the doctor left than the girl walked in; they exchanged smiles, and Li Huowang's heart instantly felt sweet, his worries about his disease quickly pushed to the back of his mind.

"Stop laughing, it's so ugly when you do. Look what I've brought you. Homework assigned by the teachers themselves!" the girl with a mischievous expression pulled a canvas bag from behind.

At these words, Li Huowang's face immediately fell, "Nana, after all we've been through since childhood, is this how you get back at me?"

The girl, named Yang Na, closed the door behind her, then took out a compact handheld game console and flaunted it with pride. "I've got this too~ Hehe, be a good boy, call me 'sister,' and I'll give it to you."

"Sister! You're my dear sister," Li Huowang exclaimed, rushing to snatch the game console from her hands.

It was too boring being cooped up in a psychiatric hospital all day; he felt like he was going to go mad with boredom.

"Don't play too much, remember to do your homework," Yang Na said as she sat on the bed, advising Li Huowang, who was already turning on the console.

"Mhm, mhm, mhm," Li Huowang responded, his attention fixed on the handheld's screen.

Pale, slender fingers tugged at his blue and white hospital clothes, pulling at them affectionately, "Hey, don't forget what you've promised me."

Li Huowang stopped for a moment and looked up at her, his face turning very serious. "Yeah, we've agreed to take the college entrance exam and go to the same university together."

Yang Na bashfully lowered her head at his gaze, her voice turning as fine as a mosquito's, "Mhm, get well soon, I'll be waiting for you…"

Suddenly, Li Huowang reached out, pulling her into his arms.

Yang Na, with cheeks flushed, did not struggle, but simply closed her eyes and whispering softly called him a big pervert.

The two of them didn't do much; just holding each other in their arms, they felt incredibly happy.

After a while of tender closeness, Yang Na had to leave, as she was in her critical senior year of high school and managing to spare half a day was quite precious.

Although every visit was brief, for Li Huowang, it was a glimmer of hope in his trying days.

"I'll walk you to the hospital gate," said Li Huowang, dressed in his striped blue and white hospital clothes as he threw back the covers and slipped on the hospital's white slippers.

As he was about to follow Yang Na to the exit, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss, when suddenly, he realized that the Medicine Mortar he used for alchemy was sitting right on the bedside table next to him.

Li Huowang's body jerked back two steps all at once, but when he took another careful look, he saw that the Medicine Mortar had turned into the lunchbox he used for meals.

"What's wrong, you okay?" Seeing his reflexive action, Yang Na's face showed a hint of worry.

Seeing the concern on her face, Li Huowang immediately feigned a cheeky grin. "Haha, got scared by me, didn't you?"

Yang Na frowned and puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, reaching out to pinch the soft flesh of his waist. "How old are you, still acting like a child? Doing such childish things."

"Don't be mad, I just wanted to cheer you up," Li Huowang said, reaching out to hold her hand, but she shook it off adamantly.

However, after several attempts to shake him off, their hands eventually intertwined.

The other patients sunbathing in the yard witnessed this scene and smiles of tranquility appeared on their faces; such tender and pure love was truly beautiful.

Although they walked slowly, they eventually reached the end of the pathway. Yang Na stood at the hospital entrance, reluctant to leave Li Huowang. "I'll come to see you again next week. You better take good care of yourself in there, okay?"

"How about you don't come next week? I know you're under a lot of academic pressure right now, with only half a day of rest each week, and you're wasting it on me."

Yang Na lifted her smooth leg and gently stepped on Li Huowang's hospital slippers, her delicate eyebrows coming together lightly.

"You slacker, don't just assume everyone is like you, okay? My rank has never dropped below the top three, I don't have any academic pressure."

"Ah~" Li Huowang clutched at his heart, feigning a pained expression. "That hurts, girl."

Yang Na was amused by his antics and giggled; she playfully punched him lightly before turning around and running off toward the bus stop across from the hospital like a little deer.

Only when the bus his little girlfriend was on had completely vanished did the smile on Li Huowang's face gradually fade away.

Thinking back to what he had seen earlier, he walked towards the doctor's office with a heavy heart.

An hour later, as Li Huowang lay awake in bed tossing and turning, vexed by the thoughts of his and Yang Na's future, the new medication prescribed by the doctor for his new symptoms was on the table beside him.

The image of the Medicine Mortar and Yang Na's smile kept alternating in his mind throughout the day.

"What if my condition worsens and I can't get out of the hospital before the college entrance exam? Then I won't be able to go to the same university as Yang Na."

Even though he was confined here, Li Huowang was well aware of the gossip outside; in the eyes of the neighbors, he was completely deranged.

Yet faced with such a madman, Yang Na, his childhood sweetheart, had confessed her feelings to him the day before he was admitted. Her emotions were evident without her saying a word.

She was a good girl, and as a man, he did not want to let her down.

"This shouldn't be happening. I've been following the doctor's orders to the letter these days, so why is my condition getting worse? Do I need to be transferred to another hospital again? This is already the third one."

"Doctor Li should be fine, right? He's the best doctor my dad could find," he pondered.

The more he thought about these worries, the more irritated he became, and eventually, he simply sat up abruptly, dumped out Yang Na's books and papers, and started studying.

He wanted to use the complexity of these dense subjects to dilute his lingering concerns.

Li Huowang continued working on his assignments, and before he knew it, it was deep into the night.

Having just finished an English test paper, he stretched languidly and rubbed his throbbing temples with his fingers.

"Hah~ What time is it? It must be late, right?" Li Huowang slipped on his shoes, ready to use the restroom before heading to bed.

Just as he yawned his way toward the door, the scratching hand on his chest suddenly stopped; something felt odd on his chest.

Li Huowang opened his shirt and saw a clump of dark brown stuff mushed against his chest.

The oddly familiar color sparked a thought in his mind.

Li Huowang touched it with his finger and tasted a bit. The bitter-sweet flavor caused his pupils to constrict slightly.

This was the sugar cube given to him by that foolish sister from the Illusion Realm who had passed away! Items from the Illusion Realm had actually appeared in reality!