Starting with dissecting ghost stories

Do you stay in your room at night to do homework or read?

So, is it because she barely passed every subject because she was self-taught?

"What would happen if you didn't wake up?" Shen Yuan asked, her lips feeling a little dry.

"I...I don't know," Wu Xiaoting shook her head, her eyes flickering. After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke, "I actually tried, and I didn't wake up for almost a month."

"A month?" Shen Yuan was shocked. "Your aunt didn't take you to the hospital? Even in this state, she still refuses to change your room?"

"No..." Wu Xiaoting's expression, which was originally somewhat nervous, was now filled with fear.

"My mom said I didn't sleep that long at all. I was very obedient during that time, getting up on time for class every day and doing my homework quietly when I got home... But I have absolutely no memory of that period. I... I don't know..."

Wu Xiaoting didn't seem to know how to explain this either; even she herself became somewhat insecure as she spoke.

Is it really just a mental health issue?

"My mom took me to get medicine, including sleeping pills, but every time I took those pills, I stayed in my dreams for longer... So I would secretly throw the pills away... But when my mom found out, she would force me to take them again."

"She cried once after seeing me wrap the medicine in a piece of paper and throw it away. I... It was the first time I'd ever seen my mother cry, and I didn't know what to do."

As Wu Xiaoting spoke, her eyes reddened.

Wu Xiaoting's words sent a chill down Shen Yuan's spine, giving her goosebumps. Those around her didn't believe Wu Xiaoting's "dream," assuming she suffered from some kind of mental illness.

Once Wu Xiaoting takes the medication and falls into a more complex "dream within a dream," the real Wu Xiaoting will start acting on her own... as if her body is being controlled by something, and she has no memory of this period of time.

The most terrifying thing is that, in the eyes of doctors and family members, Wu Xiaoting seemed to become more "stable" and "well-behaved" every time she took psychiatric medication.

Adults would never understand this situation... Even the aunt might think that she was doing it for Wu Xiaoting's own good.

The aunt loves her daughter. After discovering that Wu Xiaoting had lost her medicine, she even felt desperate and broke down. But she will never understand how much her love would drive Wu Xiaoting to.

The sight of her mother breaking down in front of her... Shen Yuan couldn't quite imagine it. If such a scene were to occur, the pain she would feel would far exceed that of her mother.

Although Wu Xiaoting can vaguely understand some information about the past or future through her dreams, the side effects she suffers are obviously more terrifying than these "superpowers".

If I had this kind of dream... would my family understand?

Shen Yuan's mind flashed with her parents' faces, but finally settled on Shen Xing.

That's it, we're doomed.

Even if I fall into a deep sleep forever, my blockhead brother probably won't find out, and might even wonder why his little sister has been so well-behaved lately. But... he'll find out eventually, right?

According to Wu Xiaoting, she herself may have previously entered a state of "forced happiness," and her brother realized this, using their parents' situation to awaken her...

Compared to my "well-behaved" appearance, my brother is more used to me as I am normally... right?

Shen Yuan's thoughts drifted off into the distance, and she didn't come to her senses until the book slipped from her hand and hit her leg.

"Have you tried changing the layout of the room? For feng shui or something?" Shen Yuan asked Wu Xiaoting.

She didn't understand feng shui; she was just thinking that changing things might make things better.

"no."

"For example, how about moving all your things out of the room? Or sleeping in another empty room?"

"No moon... Whenever I fall asleep at home, I have those kinds of dreams."

Wu Xiaoting seemed to be trapped in a dead end; unless she ran away from home, there was no way she could escape this place.

She didn't even have a single friend she could trust and stay at their house.

"Wait a moment."

Shen Yuan took a deep breath; she seemed to want to do something for Wu Xiaoting...

This wasn't because she had a good relationship with Wu Xiaoting, but because Wu Xiaoting had told her all this... Now that she knew and had accepted this trust, she couldn't just sit idly by.

She took out her phone and sent a text message to her brother.

[Brother, can I let Wu Xiaoting stay at our house for a while?]

It's currently... My brother doesn't have the habit of taking a nap. He should be out eating with someone right now, and he can see the messages.

Soon, a text message came back.

【who?】

Shen Yuan typed with difficulty on her phone, and after a long while, she finally replied.

The daughter of the woman who runs the music store can't sleep well at home.

The text message was sent and my brother replied almost instantly.

【Can't】

Why?!

Shen Yuan started typing rapidly on her phone, her fingers moving quickly, but she was actually mostly retracting typos. Before she finished typing, her brother sent her another text message.

[It's okay in a couple of days]

what?

Shen Yuan was stunned for a moment, and after a while, she deleted the long message she had edited on her phone and replied with a "Okay" and a pig nose emoji.

Why isn't it working these past two days?

What Shen Yuan didn't know was that Shen Xing simply didn't want to see a chaotic battle of strange creatures in his home; there were already enough weird things in the house.

"Why don't you come stay at my place in a couple of days?" Shen Yuan asked Wu Xiaoting. "My brother agreed."

"Huh?" Wu Xiaoting was a little confused. She seemed completely surprised that Shen Yuan not only believed her but was even helping her find a place to stay. "But... what about Mom?"

"I'll talk to your aunt for you," Shen Yuan said with a look of complete trust. "I'll just say we're very close and you can stay for a few days. She'll definitely agree."

At this moment, Wu Xiaoting felt somewhat uneasy.

For the first time, she felt understood and trusted... and for a moment she even forgot how to express her gratitude. But then, Shen Yuan glanced at the numbers displayed on her phone.

"Ah! We're going to be late!" Shen Yuan suddenly stood up and grabbed Wu Xiaoting, running outside. The two hurriedly changed their shoes and rushed downstairs.

Even though Shen Yuan spent a lot of money to take a taxi, they were still late. Shen Yuan claimed to be sick and was allowed into the classroom by the teacher, but Wu Xiaoting, who had a long criminal record, was punished by being made to stand in the corridor.

Meanwhile, Shen Xing had already driven his strange collection to the wasteland on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, Wen Yan had already arrived at Anning Street and visited several households.

"Which household wasn't affected? Wang Xinran is a frequent customer of that store, right?" Wen Yan asked the Ninth Squad member standing next to him, pointing to the audio-visual store in front of him.

The member looked at the list in his hand and answered:

"Yes, among the people who had close contact with Wang Xinran, only that one family seemed to be in a normal emotional state... However, according to the investigation, her daughter has a mental illness, which may be one of the reasons."

"Okay, I'll go talk to them. Please wait at the door for a moment, thank you."

Wen Yan politely thanked the young member, then walked across the street, lifted the curtain of the music store, and went inside. There was a faint smell of chili peppers in the store.

Welcome!

The proprietress stood up, looked at Wen Yan standing at the door, and asked with a smile:

"Rent a CD? Or buy a record?"