Forbidden Land – CH 047

In the afternoon, he drove to the Yuquan campus, and they hiked up Laohe Mountain from there for half an hour to reach Beigao Peak.

This afternoon had perfect weather for hiking and other outdoor recreational activities. The sky was mostly cloudy but not overcast; the sunlight filtered weakly through the clouds. It was neither too hot nor too cold, and the air was pleasantly cool—perfect for a spring outing.

Beigao Peak was unusually crowded today, with everyone happily enjoying the spring scenery.

Zhang Chao was in much better spirits that afternoon, especially outdoors, bathed in the comfortable sunshine, which lifted his spirits considerably.

The two chatted idly, and Zhang Chao brought up Bai Qiu’s matter from the previous day: “Chen Rong, there’s something that I find strange.”

Chen Rong asked, “What is it? You seem so serious.”

Zhang Chao said, “Bai Qiu, she isn’t crazy.”

“Ah?” Chen Rong seemed quite surprised. “How did you know?”

Zhang Chao said, “Bai Qiu told me yesterday that she actually knew about her illness a long time ago and even told me that her illness wouldn’t get better. I found that strange; if a mentally ill person knows they have a mental illness, it’s a sign that they are getting better.”

Chen Rong thought for a moment and said, “Did she say anything else to you?”

Zhang Chao said, “She warned me not to go to the School of Medicine at night. I asked her why, and she said there was a woman who sang opera there. I couldn’t help but ask her if she had seen the woman who sang opera, and she didn’t say anything, just tacitly agreed. It seems I didn’t mishear; there really is a woman who sings opera there. Thinking about this makes me a little worried. Do you think this woman who sings opera is a person or a ghost?”

Chen Rong chuckled, “Ghosts singing? That only happens on TV. You never see that in real life.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Then do you think Bai Qiu is deliberately faking her madness?”

Chen Rong pondered, “She said she always knew she was sick?”

Zhang Chao replied, “Yes.”

Chen Rong said, “Perhaps this is what the normal personality is saying after she has multiple personality disorder. When she’s in other personality states, she’s unaware of all this.”

Zhang Chao thought about it, and what Chen Rong said seemed to make some sense. Multiple personality disorder was simply the same body exhibiting several different personalities. In a normal state, a person with multiple personality disorder appeared no different from a normal person. Only when they had an episode, exhibiting completely different characteristics, could it be seen.

He wondered if Bai Qiu knew she was sick when she had an episode.

Zhang Chao thought for a moment, then sighed heavily and said, “Chen Rong, Bai Qiu suddenly said she wanted to break up with me yesterday.”

A puzzled look flashed across Chen Rong’s face. “Break up with you? Why?”

Zhang Chao said, “She said her illness is incurable, so she wants to break up with me. I’ve thought about it, but I really can’t understand it.”

Chen Rong asked, “Did you agree?”

Zhang Chao replied, “Of course, I didn’t agree. We’ve been together for almost three years; how can we just break up like that!”

A hint of disappointment flashed across Chen Rong’s face, but she quickly regained her composure. “Did Bai Qiu say anything else?”

Zhang Chao hesitated for a moment, then said, “She…she asked me to come find you.”

A blush crept onto Chen Rong’s face, and she smiled awkwardly. “Why…why would you want to come find me?”

Zhang Chao was naturally embarrassed and stammered, “She…she said you’re more suitable for me.” After saying that, he was worried that Chen Rong would misunderstand and think that he liked her, so he borrowed Bai Qiu’s words. No one would really ask a mental patient, “Did you say that I’m more suitable for Zhang Chao?”

He hurriedly explained, “This…this was Bai Qiu’s statement; please don’t misunderstand.”

Chen Rong smiled and said, “Why did Bai Qiu say that?”

Zhang Chao said, “I don’t know either; I can’t figure it out no matter how hard I try. By the way, something strange happened yesterday. Last night when I saw Bai Qiu, I saw her wearing that red down jacket, and I saw her go back to the girls’ dormitory. When I got back to my dorm, I found Bai Qiu’s red down jacket there! Isn’t that strange?”

Chen Rong asked suspiciously, “Really? Didn’t you think about who left it there and why?”

Zhang Chao said, “Of course, I thought about it, but I can’t figure it out. Before, they left the wind chime and a plush toy I gave Bai Qiu, and yesterday they left the red down jacket. I was worried something had happened to Bai Qiu, so Lin Yi’ang contacted some girls to check on her in her dorm. The girls said Bai Qiu was fine in her dorm.”

Chen Rong frowned and said, “That does seem really strange. Think about it, what are some possible reasons why someone would do this?”

Zhang Chao said, “Before, when they knocked on my window in the middle of the night or put a coffin there, I thought they were just trying to scare me. Later, I bought a security camera, and the people knocking on the window seemed to have a premonition; they cleverly stopped coming. Now, three times in a row, they’ve put Bai Qiu’s things there, and Bai Qiu is perfectly fine again. I really can’t figure out what that bastard is up to.”

Chen Rong said, “Think again. Are there any other possible reasons?”

Zhang Chao looked at Chen Rong strangely: “Do you know something?”

Chen Rong smiled: “What could I know? What I know is what you told me. I just think things are quite strange; it doesn’t seem like someone is deliberately trying to harm you.”

Zhang Chao sighed. When would these things ever end?

The two strolled along and arrived at the fortune-telling place below the Beigao Peak’s God of Wealth Temple.

Chen Rong asked, “Should we go get our fortune told?”

Zhang Chao shook his head. “Let’s forget it. Fortune-telling is all a scam. If it were really that accurate, fortune tellers would just tell their own fortunes, helping people avoid bad luck and seek good fortune. Why would they need to make money from fortune-telling?”

Chen Rong smiled. “It’s up to you. Anyway, I’ve heard people say that fortune teller is quite accurate, and after what he said last time, I feel like he might have some skill.”

Zhang Chao laughed. “Since you believe it, let’s go take a look. If they charge money, then forget it.”

The two walked to the fortune teller’s shop. Looking inside from the outside, they saw that the fortune teller was playing Dou Dizhu ^{(a Chinese card game)} online again.

Zhang Chao whispered, “Let’s forget it. What fortune teller spends all day online?”

Chen Rong said, “Since we’re already here, let’s go in and have him check your complexion. If he wants money, we won’t do the reading.”

Zhang Chao nodded, and the two went inside. Chen Rong said, “Master, could you check his complexion?”

The fortune teller, facing the computer, said, “I don’t do readings this afternoon. If you want to, tomorrow morning is fine.” He turned to look at them, but his gaze suddenly lingered on Zhang Chao’s face.