Ning Xin looked at the buildings and carefully recalled; she remembered this was the other side of the city, more than an hour’s drive from her residence.
This city had convenient transportation, with taxis, buses, and even ride-hailing services like Didi readily available.
Just ahead, not far away, there was a row of shared electric cars.
But the problem was, she had no money and no phone.
Walking back on foot would probably take the whole day.
After thinking for a moment, she grabbed Nie Ran’s hand.
“Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll know soon enough. Remember, you must listen to me and not act on your own.”
The stern expression on her face made Nie Ran very nervous, and he followed her cautiously.
Both of them were wearing faded patient gowns, looking eerie, which attracted the attention of passers-by who deliberately kept their distance.
Ning Xin paid no attention to this, walking briskly towards their destination.
After about fifteen minutes, the subway station appeared before them.
They went inside, but since they didn’t have tickets, they were stopped by the turnstile.
She stopped, looking around, patiently waiting for a while. When nobody was paying attention, she whispered:
“Jump!”
With a single push, she effortlessly leaped over the low gate.
Nie Ran was stunned, even though he had no idea what they were doing. Seeing everyone else queueing up to swipe their cards one by one, her method was obviously different.
Ning Xin stood on the other side of the gate, urging impatiently.
“Fool, what are you staring at? Jump quickly!”
He hesitated but eventually jumped over. Thanks to his long legs, it wasn’t much effort to land on the ground.
Behind them came a sharp shout.
“Hey! What are you two doing?”
“Run! Don’t look back!”
Ning Xin pulled the bewildered Nie Ran and dashed away, taking the elevator downstairs, shaking off the security guard, and panting as they stopped on the platform.
On both sides of the platform hung signs:
Line 1: XXXX → XXXX
Line 2: XXXX → XXXX
There were many people on the platform, and Nie Ran couldn’t help but hide behind Ning Xin.
Ning Xin caught her breath and wanted to explain to him for a moment. But as she looked up, she saw the security guard menacingly chasing after them, making her heart skip a beat.
But luck was on their side; the line they needed to take had just arrived at the station.
The two of them blended into the crowd and entered the subway.
She found her seat with ease and let out a sigh of relief.
As the subway started moving, Nie Ran felt the inertia and let out a low cry.
People nearby looked over, and Ning Xin quickly hugged him, smiling, and waited until they all looked away before whispering to him:
“Don’t be afraid, we’re on the train.”
“The train?”
Nie Ran looked at the dark windows, “Where are the wheels?”
“It doesn’t use wheels, it uses tracks.”
“What are tracks?”
Ning Xin hadn’t finished high school, so she couldn’t explain in detail. She decided to give up.
“If you’re interested, I’ll buy you a book to study later. For now, just keep quiet and wait until we reach our stop.”
He nodded, trying to sit properly.
The person next to them stood up, and a chubby person squeezed over, almost knocking Nie Ran over.
Seeing his awkwardness, Ning Xin simply wrapped her slender arm around his waist and let him lean on her shoulder.
The subway moved on, with its slight sway lulling Nie Ran into drowsiness. Coupled with the presence of people nearby, he felt at ease and soon fell asleep.
As the station approached, Ning Xin gently tapped his face.
“Wake up, wake up.”
He opened his sleepy eyes, a suspicious trace of drool at the corner of his mouth.
“…Quickly wipe it off, we’re getting off.”
“Oh.”
Nie Ran seemed like a child going out for the first time, obediently following behind her.
At the exit, the two of them once again jumped over the turnstile, successfully escaping.
The subway station was busier than the previous one they entered, with pedestrians and vehicles filling the streets, along with numerous shops and displays overwhelming Nie Ran.
Ning Xin pointed to a closed door ahead.
“You see, that’s mine.”
The pink facade matched the pink sign, and in the window stood several almost half-naked mannequins, exuding a strong feminine vibe.
Nie Ran blushed at the sight and quickly looked away.
Ning Xin sighed as she looked at the tightly closed door.
Her dream, her career.
When she made her decision, it all came to an end.
“Let’s go, let’s go home first. We’ll come back here tomorrow.”
She had spare keys and money at home, as well as her retired old phone, which would come in handy now.
After another twenty minutes of walking, the two arrived at a residential area, weaving through left and right until they reached the door of her rented house.
She didn’t have keys on her, but she wasn’t worried.
Someone had broken into her house and stolen from her last year, so she had the locks changed to fingerprint locks afterward.
Successfully opening the door, Ning Xin walked in expectantly, and then… found nowhere to step.
The floor was covered in goods, the table was covered in goods.
She was used to it, so she picked up a few packages and threw them onto the sofa, making a small space for him.
“You stand here and don’t move, I’ll go in and get something.”
“Okay.”
Nie Ran obediently replied and indeed stood in place without moving.
Feeling relieved, Ning Xin entered the bedroom to search for what she needed.
What were all these goods?
Were they what her store sold?
Nie Ran curiously picked up a package, containing two thick pads that were round-ish, along with several strange straps.
He looked at it for a while but couldn’t figure it out. Seeing Ning Xin come out, he shook it and asked:
“Big sister, what is this?”
“That’s seamless underwear.”
“Underwear?”
“No steel rings, no traces, skin-friendly fabric, wearing it feels like wearing nothing at all. It sells very well.”
Nie Ran was still confused, not sure where this thing could be worn.
Ning Xin chuckled and said:
“Don’t be silly, let’s go, we’re going to the hospital.”
With the bank card in hand and some cash, they had enough to take him to the best hospital in the city.
Thinking back to how she used to tough it out when she got a cold or fever to save money, now she was spending money for him without hesitation.
Well, he would have to make it up to her in the future.
As they reached the door, she was about to open it but stopped, remembering something.
“No, we should change clothes first.”
Running around the streets in patient gowns might attract some attention at most.
But appearing in a psychiatric hospital, they might be mistaken for patients and caught.
However, she had been single for twenty-three years, and all she wore and sold were women’s clothes. It was no problem for her to change, but where could she find clothes for him?
She went back to the bedroom and rummaged through the wardrobe, finally emerging with a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.
These were ones she had grabbed during a discount promotion at the supermarket before, but the fabric turned out to be poor quality. After wearing them a few times, they stretched out after washing, and eventually, they were deemed too ugly even for pyjamas and were relegated to the bottom of the pile.
“Try these on.”
Nie Ran immediately started to take off his clothes.
She scolded him, “Who told you to change here? Go to the bathroom.”
The bathroom…
He looked around blankly, and Ning Xin impatiently pushed him towards a door, ordering him not to come out until he was dressed.
Inside the door, there were rustling sounds, along with Nie Ran’s complaints.
“Sister, it’s a bit tight.”
“Tight is good, it makes you look slimmer.”
He opened the door and walked out. Ning Xin glanced at him and almost burst out laughing.
The shirt was too short and too tight, exposing his shoulders and a small section of his abs, with the contours of his chest clearly visible.
The pants were originally full-length, but they dragged on the ground when she wore them. However, on him, they turned into capris, barely covering his knees.
Nie Ran had never worn clothes like this before and felt very uncomfortable, pulling here and adjusting there.
“Can I change back?”
“No, no, this is fine.”
Although he looked like a big fool, a fool was always better than a madman.
Ning Xin also changed her clothes. Considering they didn’t have much time to stay here, she deliberately put on a skirt she usually couldn’t bear to wear, along with a pair of high heels.
She combed her hair neatly, applied light makeup, and walked out with a small handbag. Wherever she went, Nie Ran’s gaze followed.
“What are you looking at?”
Her cheeks flushed.
Nie Ran didn’t mind at all and answered truthfully:
“Big sister, you look really beautiful.”
She snorted, not intending to take it seriously, but suddenly thought of someone and asked, as if by instinct:
“Between me and your mother, who’s prettier?”
“This… ” Nie Ran looked uncomfortable.
She hummed, “Forget it, I knew you were just a big liar. Let’s go.”
Nie Ran felt embarrassed by her words and followed her out.
Big cities were convenient. They hailed a taxi on the way, and half an hour later, they arrived at one of the top-ranked psychiatric hospitals in the country.
They queued, registered, and waited.
Ning Xin used her ID card and bank card for registration. Since she was already declared dead due to a car accident in this world, she was worried her documents might be frozen. However, it seemed that the government hadn’t cancelled them yet, and the process went smoothly.
A few young nurses nearby were pointing and giggling at Nie Ran, chatting happily about something.
The white walls, the attire of the medical staff, the unfamiliar architecture—everything made Nie Ran feel alienated and scared. He practically stuck to Ning Xin’s side.
She buried herself in reading a guidebook, remembering something important. She advised him, “When the doctor asks you something later, don’t answer immediately. Follow my eye movements.”
As she finished speaking, their number was called over the intercom.
Guided by Ning Xin, Nie Ran entered an office.
They had a specialist appointment, and the appearance of the doctor matched the expensive registration fee—clearly an experienced professional in the field.
Ning Xin politely greeted the specialist and then pushed Nie Ran forward.
“This is my brother. He’s been a bit abnormal since he was a child, but he never had the opportunity or the money to seek treatment back in our hometown. Could you please take a look?”
The specialist asked some questions, and Nie Ran didn’t say a word throughout the process, with Ning Xin answering on his behalf.
Of course, the real situation couldn’t be revealed—it would be too shocking.
So, they fabricated a simplified version of his life story.
He was neglected by his father from a young age, sent away for adoption at the age of six, endured abuse, and finally returned home but had a strained relationship with his brother. Moreover, due to a mistake, he accidentally caused his brother’s death, leading to frequent emotional outbursts and the emergence of another personality.
The specialist handed him a few forms to fill out.
After nearly an hour of this process, the specialist came to a conclusion.
“Your brother does indeed suffer from severe Dissociative Identity Disorder and Schizophrenia. These mental illnesses are difficult to cure and can only be controlled. To manage them effectively, three approaches are necessary.
Firstly, family cooperation is essential to create a supportive living environment away from stressors.
Secondly, consistent medication is crucial to regulate his mental state.
And thirdly, hypnotherapy can be used as an adjunct to analyse the underlying causes.”
“Hypnotherapy?”
Ning Xin hastily interjected, “Um… it might not be convenient. Can we skip that?”
“Why?” The specialist inquired.
A hypnotherapy session would likely expose the carefully constructed narrative of his life.
She awkwardly smiled, “He needs to return to our hometown soon, so it’s not convenient.”
“I see…” The specialist moved the mouse, “Then let’s start with a course of medication for now.”
“Could you prescribe a few more courses?” Ning Xin noticed the displeased expression on the specialist’s face and explained, “After all, our hometown is too far and remote. If anything happens and he can’t come back for a follow-up on time, at least he’ll have medication to take.”
“Medication isn’t something to be taken lightly. Psychiatric medications have significant side effects, so it’s best to use them judiciously based on the severity of the condition. If the condition worsens, it’s best to bring him in for observation as soon as possible.”
“Of course, if there’s a chance, we’ll definitely do that.”
With the prescription in hand, the two went downstairs to queue for payment and collect the medication. They returned to listen to the specialist explain the frequency of each medication and their contraindications. By the time they left the hospital, it was already afternoon.
Outside, under the bright sun, Ning Xin looked at the lively cityscape, feeling a weight lifted off her chest.
“Now there’s hope for your illness. Come, let me take you to eat something delicious,” she said.
However, Nie Ran remained standing in place, looking deeply troubled.
Perplexed, she asked, and he sadly inquired, “Sister, if I get better, will I disappear?”
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