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Chapter 596: Lanchi Will Always Be Gentle
Chapter 596: Lanchi Will Always Be Gentle
Outside the window, the trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the occasional birdsong could be heard. Sunlight filtered through the half-open white curtains, casting a warm glow on the tidy single bed. The air carried a faint hint of disinfectant, but it wasn't overpowering.
The room was modest in size, but simply and practically furnished. A serene landscape painting hung on the wall, and a small bedside table held a water cup, a stainless-steel insulated lunch box, and a basket of fruit—as if someone had hurriedly brought them and then rushed downstairs.
"Ah!"
On the white hospital bed, a young boy suddenly jolted awake, gasping for breath.
"Finally back…" he mumbled in a daze.
Soon, his attention wasn't on the sparse furniture in the hospital room. Instead, it was drawn to a concerned face on a chair nearby—a face with emerald green eyes that couldn't hide their worry.
"Duado, how are you feeling? What did you dream about this time?" The doctor, clad in a white coat, sat by his side and asked gently.
Noticing the boy's lack of response, the doctor added, "You need to wake up. Your health is in a precarious state. According to my diagnosis, the medication's effects have been waning lately."
"…."
The boy stared blankly at the black-haired, green-eyed doctor standing by his bedside.
He remembered his name was Duado. He was a second-year student at No. 71 Middle School and was currently on medical leave due to an illness.
As he woke up, countless distorted characters and bizarre knowledge flooded his mind, causing a searing pain in his brain, and he clutched his head in agony.
How do you calculate permutations and combinations? What was that about the law of momentum?
He felt as though he had learned these things, yet at the same time, he felt like he hadn't. But that was normal; learning was a complex process.
"Your parents have sold their house to pay for your treatment. Their retirement savings are almost depleted. If you continue to torment them like this, they may end up sleeping on the streets every night." The doctor glanced at the metal lunch box on the bedside table as he spoke.
"What… what are you saying? I'm the fourth progenitor of the Blood Clan. I… I'm Eduardo, I'm Duado?" The boy stiffly turned his head, staring at his reflection in the lunch box and clutching his cheeks.
He had just awakened from a dream, and the faint remnants of his memory made him feel that the dream had been incredibly real and cruel. For a moment, he couldn't distinguish between dream and reality.
But he didn't know why; he just wanted to fall back asleep and escape this confusing and anxiety-inducing reality.
"To be honest, your parents are struggling to cope. They just brought you lunch and then rushed downstairs to make another payment. You didn't see the embarrassed and helpless look on their faces." The black-haired, green-eyed doctor tapped his fingers on his tablet and continued, "I didn't want to tell you this, but I think you need to wake up."
The doctor's voice remained calm.
"No, I'm from the Blood Clan…" The boy's voice was filled with uncertainty as he spoke to himself, feeling a tightness in his chest and preferring to believe that the reality he was currently in was false and that the dream was real.
"Ado, I was worried when I saw you dreaming like that yesterday." The doctor finally put down his tablet, furrowed his brows, and gazed at him with concern.
"Ah! No!" The boy broke out in a cold sweat as he briefly recalled the terrifying fragments lingering in his dream, and he wanted to ask the doctor for a calming medication.
"It's okay now; don't think about it if it's painful." The black-haired, green-eyed doctor stood up and gently patted the boy's back, as if smoothing out his breath.
It wasn't until Duado's emotions slowly stabilized that the doctor finally sat back down in the chair and looked at him kindly.
"Stop obsessing over that dream and fantasy world, and your condition will improve immediately. It all depends on your state of mind." The doctor said.
"I understand… Doctor Lan." Like a wild horse that had been tamed, Duado lowered his head and responded hoarsely.
In the quiet hospital room, the occasional footsteps passing by outside the door made him feel safe. His attending physician, Professor Lan, was the city's expert in neurology and mental illness. His parents had sought help from many people before finally getting him admitted to the hospital and convincing Professor Lan to take on his case.
Indeed, Doctor Lan turned out to be a kind man, even helping his parents financially by reducing the treatment costs as much as possible.
In the hospital room, Duado found himself facing Dr. Lan once more.
"Ado," the doctor began in a peaceful and deep tone, his voice steady and unhurried. "Don't be afraid. Slowly recall your dream. Was it the same as before, or has the world-building become more elaborate?"
Dr. Lan's gaze seemed to pierce through the psychological defenses that most people couldn't touch, fixing on Duado as he asked his question.
"Ah?!" Duado exclaimed, suddenly filled with fear as he instinctively clenched his fists.
"It's okay, Ado. You're safe here in reality, and I'm by your side," Dr. Lan continued, his patient tone gently soothing the boy. "No matter what happens in your dreams, it won't spill over into reality. Even if you fall asleep again and have another nightmare, I'll wake you up immediately. How about we make a pinky promise?"
His voice was as gentle as a caring father's, and he extended his hand, causing Duado to widen his eyes, though he didn't dare to respond.
"...'' Duado remained silent, but gradually, he felt a subtle sense of reliance, as if he had found an anchor in a bay.
He reached out and touched Dr. Lan's warm hand. Indeed, the doctor wouldn't hurt him.
"In fact, your condition is not uncommon in the world, although it's rare in our country," Dr. Lan continued. "According to the data my mentor sent me, the recovery rate is quite high."
"Am I really close to getting better? Is it really worth struggling like this, or should I just let my parents be free of this burden?" Duado whispered, his jaw clenched.
"You should know that you've been fighting this illness until now, and those who can persist this far invariably recover... You're brave and resilient, and I'm sure your parents are proud of you," Dr. Lan replied slowly.
"...'' Duado lifted his head to look at the male doctor. The desperation in his eyes, hidden beneath his messy bangs, couldn't be concealed, like that of a wild beast with only a glimmer of light left in its eyes.
"This illness... when you reach the most painful moment in your hallucinations, it means that it's about to get better," Dr. Lan explained further, a hint of a smile in his eyes even as his expression remained calm. "As the saying goes, 'extremes meet.' When you start to detest the dream and reject it, it means that you have the hope of breaking free and returning to reality."
"...'' Duado stayed silent.
Dr. Lan waited quietly.
"Doctor, what should I do?" Duado finally asked.
"It's simple," the doctor replied. "The next time you dream, it may be your last. Just let go of everything with nonchalance, sever the illusion, and you'll be able to put an end to that dream for good."
"...'' Duado was at a loss for words, unable to respond to the black-haired, green-eyed doctor.
Just like how he dared not jump out of the window to test if he would die, he wondered if he could really be so decisive in his dreams and let go.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
However, he now longed to know that answer. He didn't want to be a pitiful patient who deceived himself anymore.
At that moment, sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to the cold headboard, he laid bare the scars in his heart.
"Listen to me, Ado, and relax even more than before," Dr. Lan said softly as Duado sank into thought.
"You are the bravest. Hold your head high and thank your parents. They are still waiting for you. Go home, back to a place filled with happiness."
"Doctor..." Duado took a deep breath, unsure why his eyes were moist and why a warm current was flowing through his heart. He only knew that he wanted to continue talking to this doctor, asking him to unravel his confusion and listen to his kind words, to be treated with such gentleness.
"Let go of every burden, one by one."
"What lies at the end of obsession?"
"Please, just let yourself go and forget everything first."
"The only thing you need to think about is what kind of life you want to live from now on."
Dr. Lan's voice was like a gentle stream, causing tears to stream down Duado's face.
...
Kaliyra watched as Lanchi successfully made Eduardo sink completely into this fictional world of gentle illusions, her eyelids twitching.
She now wondered if there was something wrong with Nameless Prince's brain!
(End of Chapter)
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