章 116: Chapter 116: I Have a Bad Feeling About This
The closed room was the safest place. No one to disturb them, no one to accidentally glance through the window, witness the scene within, and end up traumatized in a hospital bed.
Only Liu Ying suffered.
Thanks to Old Zhang's "Half-Step Universe Circulation Technique," he had fainted peacefully.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang, after a brief discussion, decided to undress him, carry him to the bathroom for a wash, and let him stay the night. They wanted to make sure he was clean and fresh, without a trace of any…smell.
The two exchanged a look.
They undressed Liu Ying on the soft bed and then carried him to the bathroom.
The shower sprayed steaming hot water.
Everything proceeded smoothly and naturally.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang were undeniably dedicated to their friends, providing personal service that few could boast of receiving.
The night was quiet.
Except for the mating calls of insects, heralding another restless night.
However…
The special department's dormitory had excellent soundproofing. Even the constant honking of cars outside couldn't penetrate the walls.
Liu Ying slept beside Old Zhang, who clutched the edge of the blanket, content. The night's acupuncture treatment had gone relatively smoothly. Although Liu Ying had fainted, Lin Fan had earnestly assured him that it was a normal reaction, nothing to worry about.
Suddenly, a phone rang.
It was Liu Ying's girlfriend.
Lin Fan answered.
[Girlfriend: When are you coming back? It's late! I've been waiting so impatiently. I've prepared so many toys!]
[Lin Fan: He's very tired and has fallen asleep. Don't worry, we've already bathed him. He's sleeping next to Old Zhang now. We'll tell him when he wakes up.]
In an apartment in Yanhai City, Liu Ying's girlfriend held her phone, gazing at the toys scattered on the bed with a knowing smile. The clock on the wall showed it was past eleven. If he didn't come back soon, she was going to be angry.
But as she listened to the man's voice on the phone, her smile slowly froze. A man answering the phone was normal, as long as it wasn't a woman.
However, several key phrases from the conversation caught her attention.
Tired!
Bathed?
Sleeping next to?
A fan of BL fiction, she instantly conjured up a vivid image. That scene…
Beep…beep…
The call disconnected.
She redialed, only to hear, "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please…"
"Liu Ying! Ahhh!"
Her phone slipped from her hand onto the bed. She clutched her hair, screaming in a frenzy.
It was an outburst of pure, uncontrolled rage.
Back in the special department dormitory:
"Dead battery?"
Lin Fan scratched his head. His phone had suddenly gone black. He pressed a few buttons, but it remained unresponsive. He placed it on the nightstand, pulled up the covers, switched off the light, and drifted off to sleep.
He was completely unaware of the devastating consequences of his words.
A couple, once united in body and soul, now teetered unknowingly on the brink of disaster.
Perhaps this was the chain reaction triggered by a few careless words.
March 20th.
An ordinary day.
A playful ray of sunlight slipped through the window and into the room.
Liu Ying's eyelashes fluttered. He was on the verge of waking. His eyelids twitched, his vision blurry, then gradually clearing. The ceiling came into focus, unfamiliar, definitely not the ceiling of his love nest.
He turned his head and saw a face, and involuntarily shuddered in fright.
"You're awake?" Old Zhang asked, squinting and smiling.
Liu Ying calmed his racing heart. "Master, what happened to me?"
Old Zhang replied, "You fell asleep after your treatment last night."
Liu Ying struggled to recall last night's events. Honestly, he couldn't remember what had happened. Then, he noticed something odd about the way his skin felt against the blanket. He lifted the covers and saw he was stark naked. What the hell? Where were his clothes?
"Here are your clothes," Lin Fan said, handing them over.
The clothes were neatly folded, a habit they had developed at the Qingshan Mental Hospital, always keeping things tidy to avoid chaos.
Liu Ying looked at Lin Fan and Old Zhang, momentarily forgetting about his hair. He hurriedly dressed.
Truth be told, their smiles seemed a bit… unsettling. He only felt safe once he was fully clothed.
Standing there, he touched his head. "Master, my head still feels bald. Nothing seems to have changed. Did something go wrong?"
Lin Fan and Old Zhang exchanged a glance.
"Sit down first," Lin Fan said, "Let's take a look."
Liu Ying sat, clearly disappointed. He had been so hopeful last night, but now, upon waking, he felt no different.
They bent down, carefully examining his bald head.
"Aha!" Lin Fan exclaimed. "It's growing!"
"Where?" Liu Ying excitedly touched his head, still smooth, not a prickle to be felt.
Old Zhang rubbed his eyes, as if to say, I don't see anything.
"Don't move!" Lin Fan commanded, startling both Old Zhang and Liu Ying into stillness.
He pinched a single, solitary black hair on Liu Ying's head between his fingers, then gently tugged. Ping! He successfully plucked the only hair.
"Look, a little finger-length black hair!"
"Old Zhang, you did it! He really grew a hair!"
Lin Fan clapped Old Zhang on the shoulder. "I knew you could do it!"
Old Zhang's face flushed red with excitement. He had thought he would fail, but he had actually succeeded! Tears welled up in his eyes. He was overjoyed.
"Is that my hair?"
Liu Ying stared at the single black hair. Although tiny, it filled him with immense hope. It had actually grown! The master truly had a way, a true expert. He hadn't lied. His faith had been rewarded.
I'm going to be a handsome young man with thick, luscious hair!
But…
"Master, why only one?"
He voiced his doubts.
He had hoped for a full head of hair, not just one lonely strand.
Old Zhang, still basking in the glow of his success, was in no mood to answer Liu Ying's question, lost in his own world.
Lin Fan explained, "This is a great start. From nothing to something, that's a huge leap forward. I believe things will only get better from here."
It sounded reasonable.
Liu Ying couldn't find any fault in the logic.
"So, should I come every night?"
"Yes, you can."
"Will that be too much trouble for you?"
"Not at all."
Lin Fan, as always, responded softly and with a smile.
"Master, Lin Fan, then I won't bother you any longer."
Liu Ying bid farewell, carefully clutching the single hair, a symbol of hope, proof that he could grow hair again. It needed to be treasured.
If I show this hair to my girlfriend, she'll be so happy, right?
"Would you like some eggs before you go?" Lin Fan asked.
Even though the hen could only lay two eggs, they still had to be polite.
"Thank you, but no," Liu Ying declined.
He was too eager to share the good news.
The door closed.
Lin Fan looked at the hen. The evil rooster, already awake, didn't dare to make a sound or move, its gaze meeting the foolish human's. It obediently clucked a few times, and two eggs plopped onto the ground.
Thud! Thud!
The evil rooster shifted its feathery behind and waddled away, quiet and compliant, as if to say, See? I'm a good boy. Two eggs, just as you wanted.
"Good boy," Lin Fan praised, stroking the hen's head.
The evil rooster felt a flicker of pride, but it didn't forget its mission. I'm an inside agent. I haven't been subdued by these foolish humans. My experience of enduring humiliation will become an unforgettable chapter in my legendary life.
…
Back at the apartment:
Liu Ying unlocked the door. As soon as it opened, a dark object hurtled towards him. He realized it was a cactus.
"You dare come back?! Get out!"
He was stunned.
"Honey, who made you angry?"
"You…you filthy man! Don't touch me! Stay away from me! Just thinking about that image makes me sick!"
…
No one could understand the depths of Liu Ying's despair. He was confused, bewildered, utterly dumbfounded.
The commotion was loud.
Downstairs, it sounded like the building was about to collapse. After a long while, it gradually subsided.
The downstairs neighbor, an elderly man, lay in his rocking chair, fanning himself. He muttered to himself,
"Such energetic youngsters. Just like I was in my youth. Ah, what a pity. I didn't know moderation in my younger days, and now in my old age…"
He glanced at his flat-fronted trousers.
The old man shed a tear of regret.
Hard work eventually bears bitter fruit.
That evening:
Liu Ying arrived as agreed, chuckling at the memory of the day's events.
He had talked and talked with his girlfriend, but she wouldn't listen, just kept venting her anger, refusing to give him a chance to explain. In the end, there was no other way…
They had to have a vigorous battle to drain her energy. Exhausted, she lay in his arms, tracing circles on his chest, finally allowing him to explain.
He stood at the door and knocked softly.
The door opened, and once again, it was like entering paradise. He was even more excited than yesterday, just as Lin Fan had said. Growing one hair was a good start.
He seemed to have forgotten that he was, in fact, already balding…
But these details weren't important.
He chose to believe in the master.
The treatment began.
The familiar Half-Step Universe Circulation Technique.
The familiar thirteen needles.
Tedious and uneventful.
He slumped forward, but there was no thud. Lin Fan, anticipating this, caught him and guided him to the bed. He undressed him and carried him to the bathroom.
History repeated itself with astonishing accuracy.
Like yesterday reborn.
March 21st.
The weather outside was beautiful, another perfect day.
Liu Ying woke up calmly, though occasionally puzzled. Why am I sleeping here? He felt confused, unable to recall yesterday's events. Everything was hazy.
"Aha! It's growing! Old Zhang, you did it again! I told you you'd succeed! I always believed in your acupuncture skills." Lin Fan peered closely, spotting a single, soft black hair lying flat against Liu Ying's scalp.
Old Zhang beamed, his smile radiant.
He loved being praised, especially by Lin Fan. It was his greatest joy.
He was utterly lost in his happiness.
"Where? Where?" Liu Ying asked excitedly.
He truly saw hope.
"Here." Lin Fan pinched the hair between his fingers and plucked it out, presenting it to Liu Ying. "Look, a shiny black hair. You're really growing hair! Although it's only one, it's a good start."
Liu Ying stared at the hair, his face breaking into a wide smile. He was truly happy.
But…gradually…
His smile faded, his brow furrowing. He felt like something wasn't quite right.
Yesterday, one hair appeared.
He was thrilled.
Then it was plucked.
Today, another hair appeared, and it was plucked again.
He certainly wanted to know where the hair was growing, but he didn't want to see it plucked out.
If this continued, he could be poked and prodded forever, and his head might still be bare.
"What's wrong?" Lin Fan asked.
Liu Ying forced a smile. "Nothing."
He pocketed the hair. From tomorrow onwards, he decided, he would try his best to keep the hair.
Lin Fan smiled at Liu Ying.
Helping others was always a joyful act.
When the other person couldn't find the hair, he helped them by plucking it out and presenting it to them. What a fine quality, worthy of emulation by all.
"Lin Fan, Master, I'll be going now. I'll come back tonight. Thank you again for all the trouble."
Liu Ying said.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang exchanged a look and said in unison, "No trouble at all. We love helping people."
Honestly, Liu Ying felt they were different from normal people.
For example, their way of thinking, speaking, and their tone were all a bit strange.
Immediately, he chastised himself. They're so kind to me, helping me so much. How can I think that way? I'm wrong, I'm wrong.
Outside, in a corner:
One-Eyed Man watched Liu Ying's retreating figure, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Yesterday, he stayed the night.
Today, he's staying again.
There was a lot to unpack here.
Could they have some…unusual preferences?
He didn't really believe that. Liu Ying had a girlfriend, and the two mental patients had no such history. Or perhaps it was a spontaneous, two-birds-one-stone situation…
No!
One-Eyed Man dismissed the unrealistic thought.
He had business with them.
He couldn't let the other members know about the mental patients.
As their leader, bringing back two mental patients wouldn't raise any official complaints, but there would definitely be whispers behind his back.
They would probably form little cliques, murmuring:
"I can't believe our boss knows mental patients."
"Maybe he has some experience in that area."
"Creepy boss."
That was bound to happen.
One-Eyed Man knocked on the door.
Inside:
Lin Fan and Old Zhang were eating boiled eggs. Hearing the knock, Lin Fan opened the door and, seeing One-Eyed Man, offered him the half-eaten egg.
"Have some."
He really wanted to eat a whole egg.
But One-Eyed Man was considered a friend, and good things should be shared.
"Thank you, but no. I've already eaten," One-Eyed Man declined.
Every time he saw them, One-Eyed Man's leg throbbed faintly.
Psychological trauma?
He'd have to consult a therapist sometime.
One-Eyed Man said, "Finish eating and tidy up. I'm taking you somewhere."
"Oh!"
"Oh!"
Lin Fan swallowed the half-eaten egg in one gulp.
Old Zhang, imitating Lin Fan, choked on his egg, wheezing.
"Eat slowly," Lin Fan said, patting Old Zhang's back and rubbing his chest until he recovered. Then, he scolded, "Don't do that again."
"Understood."
The evil rooster avoided eye contact with One-Eyed Man.
That man was terrifying.
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