By the time they reached the hospital, Lin Wanyi was still shouting:
"Wang Hao, Wang Hao!"
The doctor gave her a sedative injection.
After a series of examinations, the doctor told Lin Jiajun:
"Your guess was right. It's hallucinations caused by fear.
"Who is this person named Wang Hao?"
Lin Jiajun clenched his fists tightly: "He's her ex-husband."
The doctor didn't ask further, just said:
"Don't give her medication for now. Observe her for a while. As long as she doesn't come into contact with her ex-husband, she'll likely recover."
Chen Hui looked at Lin Wanyi with sympathy. She asked Lin Jiajun:
"What exactly did that Wang Hao do to make Big Sister so terrified?"
Lin Jiajun opened his mouth to speak, but then saw the address and message Liu Renzhi had sent him:
[Jiajun, come to this place. Let's talk.]
Lin Jiajun first took Lin Wanyi home before going to meet Liu Renzhi.
He apologized: "Sorry, Brother Liu. I'm late."
Liu Renzhi handed him a cigarette:
"Jiajun, have you noticed something off about Wanyi?"
Lin Jiajun's eyes nearly reddened. He fought to control himself before saying:
"Wang Hao, that bastard used to bully my sister so badly. Now her heart is full of fear of him.
"She constantly feels like someone is watching her. She mistakes everyone for Wang Hao.
"Brother Liu, the doctor said she's hallucinating."
"You've already taken her to a doctor?"
Liu Renzhi hadn't expected him to be so quick.
Lin Jiajun nodded: "Yeah, that's why I'm late. I took her to see a doctor earlier.
"Just now, at the furniture store, she thought everyone was Wang Hao. She said there were thousands of Wang Haos surrounding her."
Liu Renzhi's expression turned grim: "I thought as much. Jiajun, take her to see this doctor.
"This is the best psychiatrist I could find. Also..."
He took another long drag of his cigarette:
"Also, have Wanyi bring Siyue along."
"Siyue?"
Lin Jiajun looked at Liu Renzhi:
"Is she having hallucinations too?"
"Not exactly," said Liu Renzhi, pinching the cigarette between his fingers.
"It's probably more than just hallucinations. I see her room light on every night.
"I've also seen sleeping pills and melatonin in her room.
"She needs to see a doctor too.
"But she won't tell me or Mom and Dad. She's probably afraid of worrying us.
"Jiajun, tell Wanyi to take her along. With Wanyi there, she'll agree to go."
Lin Jiajun agreed. He pocketed the business card and headed home.
He felt so stupid. Liu Renzhi had noticed something was wrong with Liu Siyue, but he himself had failed to see Lin Wanyi's problem earlier.
When Lin Wanyi woke up, Li Suhua was beside her.
She suddenly remembered: "Mom, isn't it time to pick up Keke?
"Did I miss the time?"
Li Suhua pointed toward the yard:
"I picked her up earlier. Huizi is playing with her now.
"Wanyi, you need to relax.
"Those days are over. They'll never torment you again. Don't keep scaring yourself."
Lin Wanyi was filled with guilt:
"Mom, I don't want to be like this. I really don't.
"I don't know why, but suddenly I think of Wang Hao. I always feel like he's watching me, all the time.
"But he's clearly not here, right? Yet I can see him, hear him talking."
Lin Jiajun overheard her as he came in. He handed the business card to Lin Wanyi:
"Sis, this is from Brother Liu. It's for the best psychiatrist.
"Let's go see him. This is purely a psychological issue caused by Wang Hao's abuse."
Lin Wanyi didn't refuse. She knew she couldn't go on like this.
She had a child. She had to live a normal life. She had to save herself.
Otherwise, she would drag down her daughter and the whole family.
Holding the card, she and Lin Jiajun said at the same time:
"Siyue!"
They exchanged a glance. Lin Jiajun spoke first:
"Brother Liu said Siyue's been acting off too, but she won't talk about it, and he doesn't feel right asking.
"He's afraid asking will make her feel worse. He wants you to take Siyue along when you go.
"Sis, bring her."
Lin Wanyi nodded. She had been thinking the same thing.
She knew Liu Siyue's heart was suffering a thousand times more than her own. She knew the burden Siyue carried was far heavier.
They both needed to save themselves.
Back in her room, she called Liu Siyue:
"Siyue, come with me to see a psychiatrist tomorrow. I've been having hallucinations every day. I keep seeing Wang Hao.
"Come with me, okay?"
After hanging up, Liu Siyue stared at the photo of her boyfriend Qin Chao's abs he'd just sent her. She sank into deep thought.
Ever since the new semester started, Qin Chao had been hinting—directly and indirectly—that he wanted to move in together.
But she was afraid.
She didn't dare.
She knew she was no longer pure, and Qin Chao knew nothing about it.
She didn't know how to tell him. She didn't know if he could accept her.
She didn't know anything.
Closing her eyes, she saw four hands reaching out again—the hands of Chen Guanshan and his son.
She gasped, opening her eyes immediately. Then she gulped down an entire glass of red wine.
No medicine worked. Only alcohol.
Drown your sorrows, as they say.
Wang Hao was drinking too.
Just peanuts and cheap liquor.
As he drank, he bitterly accused his mother, Liu Chunlan:
"Mom, you've really let me down. Who's been taking care of you all these years? Me.
"It was me and Lin Wanyi who gave you money and effort. And now you want to give Wang Kai fifty thousand just because he carries the family name.
"Don't you think that's too much? Don't you think that's unfair to me?
"You go to Wang Kai's place and they make you sleep on the couch. You come to my house, and I give you a whole room.
"Mom, it's pointless. Being your son is pointless. You didn't help at all when I got married. You didn't pay a cent for my home. You've never given me anything all these years.
"Other parents help out. If you'd just watched the kids for a bit, Wanyi could have worked. Our lives wouldn't have ended up like this.
"From now on, don't come to me for anything. I'm not your son anymore. Go find Wang Kai. Go find your precious grandson."
Liu Chunlan still had some fondness for this son—the only one who'd ever been decent to her.
She had Wang Meijuan cook a few dishes for him. After she left, Liu Chunlan lowered her voice:
"Son, let me tell you the truth. I was just lying to them.
"I'm not giving them a cent. How could I?
"Mom only cares about you."
But Wang Hao could no longer listen. Drunk and muddled, he grabbed his phone and tried to call Lin Wanyi.
She had blocked him long ago. His calls never went through.
Finally, in a daze, he dialed Wang Keke's number.
The call connected automatically. Hearing his daughter's laughter, he immediately shouted:
"Lin Wanyi, baby, wife, I miss you. When are you coming back?
"Wife!"
Lin Jiajun heard it. He fumbled to hang up and drew a sharp breath.
Thank goodness Lin Wanyi hadn't heard that—or she would have been upset again.
He picked up Wang Keke's phone, blocked Wang Hao's number, and muttered into the dead line:
"Get lost, Wang Hao. Never bother my sister again.
"You monster!"
Wang Hao, clutching his already disconnected phone, kept murmuring to himself:
"Honey, honey, when are you coming home?
Honey, honey!"
Liu Chunlan was already regretting it.
Seeing Wang Hao in such pain only made her regret it even more.
She picked up her phone and sent a message to Lin Wanyi:
【Lin Wanyi, I'll give you a chance, I'll give you an olive branch. If you come back within three days, I'll let you stay as my daughter-in-law!】
