"...Yingying, mom just wants to take you to chat with an auntie, sheās very nice, mom took leave today just for this, you..."
"What auntie! Is it another psychiatrist youāve found! Iām telling you, thereās nothing wrong with my mental health, Iām perfectly fine! Stop finding doctors for me all the time!"
What?
Xu Xinās brow furrowed sharply.
Psychiatrist?
Whatās happening with Yingying?
Psychiatry?
"...This time itās not a psychiatrist, just a psychological ther... um, counselor, just taking you to chat, come on out, I guarantee weāll be back before noon, okay?"
"No! You go to work! Donāt neglect your own patients to bother me, someone whoās not sick!"
Xu Xinās mother is a doctor herself, but sheās an internist, so if Yingying really has some mental illness, mother truly couldnāt see it.
Of course, reaching out through connections should still be no problem.
"I took leave today, donāt need to go to work." Xu Xinās mother said persuasively, "Yingying, just listen this once, come with mom, your condition is really getting worse!"
"No! Iām not sick! You all are! You all have forgotten my brother!" Xu Yingās voice heightened another notch, almost tearing up in the end.
Wha...t?
Xu Xinās eyes slowly widened.
...Forgotten? Forgotten what?
"Xu Ying! Iāll say it again, you donāt have any brother! Youāre an only child!" Motherās voice also raised a few more levels, finally annoyed by Xu Yingās stubborn attitude and what she just said, "Iāve only given birth to you, where did you get a brother! Who among the people around you remembers any brother! Youāre now not even going to school because of your imaginary brother! You have to go see a doctor today with me!"
Motherās words were a harsh blow to Xu Xin.
Directly made him feel a bit dizzy.
...What does it mean...?
His mouth slightly opened.
A possibility emerged in his mind.
A possibility he had heard before.
"I knew it was a doctor! Iām not going!!! Youāve taken me to many, many times! Those doctors all say I have no mental problems, and I truly donāt! Iām perfectly fine!"
"You...!" Xu Xinās mother was too angry to speak.
At this moment, a sound of door opening came from upstairs, then an elderly couple walked down, arriving at the door.
Xu Xin instinctively gave way to them, then realized he couldnāt contact them.
The old man in the couple knocked on the door and said: "Donāt be anxious, yelling is useless..."
At this point, the door was opened, and in view was Xu Xinās motherās face, even though she was past fifty, looking still young due to good care, only now with a worried look and slightly red eyes.
Seeing this face, Xu Xinās eyes instantly reddened.
"Sorry for troubling you." Mother apologized to the two old people at the door.
"Oh no, weāre not bothered." The old man waved his hand, "You canāt treat the child like this, mental illness canāt be forced, otherwise the child might go to extremes, youād regret it deeply!"
"Right," the old lady beside also urged, "That child also came asking us about her ābrotherā, though I donāt know what the situation with ābrotherā is, I see sheās doing well, no need to be so urgent."
"How can I not be urgent..." Xu Xinās mother couldnāt hold back tears, "Iāve tried all methods, but she just... These are clearly symptoms of schizophrenia... But Iāve taken her to so many psychiatrists, yet all say thereās no problem..."
"As long as it doesnāt affect life, itās fine." The old man advised.
"How can it not affect life, sheās now not even attending school, solely focused on proving that non-existing ābrotherā, when weāre not home, we donāt know what sheās doing, how can I feel at ease... She was such a cheerful kid before, now..."
Xu Xin generally understands the situation now.
He wants to tell his mother heās right here, but his words canāt reach his motherās ears.
He thought of what Lou FeiāEr said to him when she first entered Red Mist, and suddenly felt a chill.
"I feel, what I see is an illusion, but it doesnāt seem like an illusion."
"This illusion is so real..."
"Everything at home, my parents..."
"In that illusory home, it seems... I never existed..."
"Anything related to me in memories, in this illusion, none of it exists!"
"In that home, all traces of me disappeared, my room, the scars I carved into the table with a knife, and..."
Damn...!
What Lou FeiāEr saw was real!
Now, heās seeing that illusion too!
Moreover, itās more real than what Lou FeiāEr saw!
On this side, itās not an illusion at all, but the real world!
His existence has been erased?
However, it seems... His younger sister, Xu Ying, still remembers him?
Would she maybe...
At this moment, the door inside was suddenly pushed open, Xu Yingās hair was disheveled, her pretty face covered, eyes also red, shouting at the people at the door: "I donāt have schizophrenia! You all donāt believe me! Brother absolutely..."
Her words suddenly stopped.
Then, her eyes slowly widened, using her hand to tremble and point at the door.
"...Uh..."
Her mouth opened and closed, unable to speak.
"Yingying! Whatās wrong?!" Mother immediately rushed into the room, grabbed her hand, embraced her, with a face of panic, "Whatās happened? Why suddenly..."
Xu Ying then locked eyes with Xu Xin, her wide almond eyes shaking furiously.
Her lips slightly trembling, spoke out two words.
"...Bro...ther...?"