Wang Shenglong's father quietly studied
But this time seemed to be different. Both Chen Ge and Dr. Gao were behaving completely normally.
"Exercise can effectively alleviate psychological disorders and relieve mental stress. You absolutely cannot keep locking him up at home." Dr. Gao took off his leather shoes and entered the bedroom. He sat down beside Wang Shenglong without a hint of disgust or aversion.
Seeing Dr. Gao come in, Wang Shenglong wasn't afraid either. He seemed to desperately want someone to walk into his life, and he wanted to make more friends.
Struggling to move his body, Wang Shenglong appeared to be doing his best to show his goodwill.
In the bedroom, Wang Shenglong and Dr. Gao were getting along harmoniously. But the moment Chen Ge prepared to enter the bedroom, everything changed.
He followed Dr. Gao's example, took off his shoes, and had just stepped into the bedroom when Wang Shenglong, who had been giggling foolishly, suddenly froze. He stared straight at Chen Ge, looking for all the world like a lion that had spotted a more ferocious beast invading its territory.
Dr. Gao, sitting right next to Wang Shenglong, felt it the most. He looked at Chen Ge with some confusion, unable to figure out the reason.
Chen Ge noticed it himself. Wang Shenglong's reaction struck him as abnormal.
"What did this guy sense on me? Is it the smell of stray cats still on me? Or did the monster inside him sense
Chen Ge stopped walking and sat down at a distance from Wang Shenglong.
"Maybe there are too many strangers and the child is a little nervous," Dr. Gao smoothed things over and started chatting with Wang Shenglong.
He was experienced and didn't ask anything related to psychological conditions. It felt like chatting with a friend, and Wang Shenglong gradually relaxed, effortfully lifting his drawing board to respond.
Chen Ge didn't say a single word the entire time. He was listening carefully.
Dr. Gao's conversational technique was masterful—seemingly random, but he had already drawn out many of Wang Shenglong's secrets without the boy even realizing. Including his deepest childhood trauma, some of his daily habits, and the painful experiences of his episodes.
The conversation lasted forty minutes, and the more they talked, the more Dr. Gao felt that the boy in front of him didn't seem like a mental patient at all. Wang Shenglong's thinking was lucid, he was very proactive in communicating with the outside world, and he showed a willingness to cooperate with treatment.
Hearing their conversation, Wang Shenglong's family was also relieved. They knew their own child best—although he looked somewhat strange, his heart was kind and bright.
After the conversation ended, Dr. Gao was the first to come out of the bedroom. He pulled Wang Shenglong's father aside: "This child's behavior is completely normal. He doesn't seem to be suffering from any psychological condition. Is he hiding something from me?"
Mental patients are no different from ordinary people most of the time. Only when they have an episode or are triggered do they behave in ways that others simply cannot understand.
"This child has never hurt anyone, and he's never done anything strange. Besides not talking and not liking to move, he's just like any normal person." Wang Shenglong's father hurriedly poured water for Dr. Gao and stayed by his side.
"A person who originally could speak, suddenly hasn't said a single word from one day to the next—could the story this child told me actually be true?" During his conversation with Wang Shenglong just now, the boy had told him about his childhood ordeal.
"We don't know whether it's true or not either. We've seen so many doctors, and none of them could give us any kind of answer." Wang Shenglong's father shook his head and sighed.
"Whether it's true or false doesn't actually matter. What matters is that after all these years, Wang Shenglong can still describe every single detail. That shows this matter is deeply imprinted in his mind. As long as we can help him resolve it, he should be able to speak again."
"But what if this thing is just something Shenglong made up? How are we supposed to help him resolve something that doesn't even exist?" Wang Hailong voiced his own doubts.
"Even if the event is fabricated, every character in it must hold some meaning for his existence—just like how some dreams reflect reality." Dr. Gao took out his phone and photographed all the drawings Wang Shenglong had made during their conversation. "We can't interpret it at face value. We need to break down every scene and analyze it separately. For now, I can't make you any promises—I can only do my best."
"Dr. Gao, as long as you can cure Shenglong..."
"I don't have a great deal of confidence either. After all, he hasn't spoken in so many years—his language function may have already deteriorated." Dr. Gao glanced toward the bedroom. "Besides, his most urgent issue right now isn't the psychological problem—it's the physical problem. His body weight has far exceeded safe levels. If this continues, it could even become life-threatening."
"We've talked to him about it too, but he doesn't like to move. He just stays in his bedroom all day—he won't even come out to the living room." Wang Shenglong's father was anxious but helpless.
"You need to communicate with him more. Tell him this isn't normal. First, his perception and mindset need to change—only then is there any possibility of changing his behavior."
While Dr. Gao discussed the case with Wang Shenglong's family outside, inside the bedroom Chen Ge sat across from Wang Shenglong. The foolish grin was long gone from Wang Shenglong's face. His small eyes, hidden beneath rolls of fat, had narrowed into thin slits as he studied Chen Ge intently.
"Wang Shenglong, I came here to help you. I hope you'll stop hiding things." Chen Ge kept his distance from Wang Shenglong. The boy was extremely wary of Chen Ge, and Chen Ge wasn't willing to get close because he simply couldn't stand the stench emanating from the other.
A stench that no one else seemed to be able to smell—only him.
Wang Shenglong took the drawing board and wrote: "I'm not hiding anything. I've told you everything."
"You know perfectly well whether you're hiding something or not." Chen Ge lowered his voice. "Their focus is all on why you can't speak. I'm different from them. What you're most unwilling to bring up should be an entirely different set of memories. Let me ask you—what happened the first time you were admitted to Ward Three?"
The mention of Ward Three made the fat on Wang Shenglong's face tremble. His chubby hands clenched into fists, and his body rocked irregularly.
"After you came out of Ward Three, you became afraid of doctors. What exactly happened to you in that hospital?" Chen Ge placed his hand over Wang Shenglong's fist. "You're a normal person. You were just hurt by certain things, which is why you've become like this. Tell me the truth—I can help you."
"Bang!"
Wang Shenglong didn't accept Chen Ge's goodwill. He suddenly flew into a rage and shoved Chen Ge away violently.
Panting heavily, Wang Shenglong stared at Chen Ge. After a long while, he wrote a single sentence on the drawing board: "We've all already become monsters. You'd better worry about yourself."