I sat by the study door with my ear pressed against it, listening intently to everything happening outside. My heart was pounding, and I was constantly worried that Bai Cheng would hurt my grandfather and mother. I put my phone on silent and stared intently at the screen.
A moment later, I heard the sound of a wheelchair rolling and several different footsteps. I pricked up my ears to listen, and the old man said, "Bai Cheng, your sister is back now, but her emotions have been unstable. When your mother went up to see her just now, she said that your sister kept saying some incoherent things. When asked to explain what she meant, she couldn't explain it clearly. She only said that some images would vaguely appear in her mind. Ask Li Bo to see if there are any side effects for people who come out of the illusion."
After a moment of silence, Bai Cheng said, "None of our company's current users have noticed this phenomenon. Could it be related to my sister's illness...?"
Bai Cheng hesitated, then the old man said, "Don't you have records of what happened after your sister entered the illusion? I want to see what your sister has gone through all these years."
Bai Cheng suddenly fell silent. The old man tapped his cane lightly on the ground twice: "Bai Cheng?"
Bai Cheng quickly realized what was happening and said, "If Father wants to see it, I can take you to see it. However, my sister's sudden awakening might be due to some problems with the system. I wonder if it will affect the preservation of the images."
The old man said in a deep voice, "It's because your sister suddenly woke up that there's a problem. I need to find out what the problem is. Only if your sister really has a relapse can I feel at ease sending her back in."
Bai Cheng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his tone tinged with excitement: "If Father wants to see me, I'll have someone arrange it immediately. Is this afternoon alright?"
The old man said, "Okay, as soon as possible."
Bai Cheng went outside his father's bedroom, made a few phone calls, and then went back inside: "Father, everything is arranged. You can come anytime. I'll arrange a car to take you and Mother there."
The old man said, "No need, you come with me. Your sister just got back, so let your mother stay and keep her company."
Bai Cheng didn't say anything, but after he softly agreed, the old man said again, "Let Xiao K leave the Bai family first. Your mother doesn't like her, so don't leave her alone at home and make your mother angry."
I didn't hear Bai Cheng's reply, but a moment later I heard the old man and Bai Cheng leave. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed my straight back.
Suddenly I heard the elevator doors open, and footsteps slowly approached the bedroom. After entering the room, I heard something colliding with the table. I became alert and listened carefully. After putting the thing down, I listened to the footsteps as they left. It didn't sound like my mother's footsteps. She should still be in my room pretending to be me.
I opened my phone and sent a message to my mother: Mom, are you okay?
A few seconds later, her mother replied: Everything is fine. Aunt Wu just brought the Laba porridge you wanted to eat. I asked her to send a bowl to our room as well. If you are hungry, just quietly go to the bedside and take it to the study to eat.
The footsteps I just heard were Wu Ma's. I was indeed a little hungry, but I didn't dare to eat anything Wu Ma made. At this critical moment, I didn't dare to eat anything, for fear that I would wake up in another place.
A moment later, my mother sent me a message: Su Su, your father has arranged where you are going. Go to the Ji family's house for a few days. Go to the dressing room now. There is my hat and sun protection mask in the leftmost cabinet. Put them on. Follow your father's instructions and go directly to the garage through the secret passage.
I replied with a "good" and quietly went to the dressing room to find my mother's hat. I chose one with a large brim, put on a sun protection mask, and looked at myself in the mirror. I inherited my mother's figure. Apart from being slightly taller than her, when I wear her clothes and hat, you really can't tell that I'm not my mother unless you look closely. Just to be safe, I also put on a pair of sunglasses.
A little while later, her father sent a message: "Susu, go to the garage through the secret passage right now. Old Xu is waiting for you in the car, the black Bentley. Be careful and don't greet anyone you meet on the way. After you get out of the secret passage, there is a switch on the right side of the wall. Make sure to close the secret passage door properly."
After replying to my father, I immediately went to his wardrobe, groped around and found the switch for the secret passage. After going down into the passage, I closed the door as my father had instructed. I walked down the stairs, which were very narrow and steep. I was almost afraid to let go of the wall. When I reached the bottom of the passage, I saw a switch on the right side of the door. After pressing it, I heard a sound of the lock opening. I gently pushed the door open, revealing a crack. After confirming that no one was outside, I carefully jumped to the ground.
There were quite a few cars in the garage, nearly ten at a glance, and two parking spaces were empty, probably because my father had just driven them away. I bent down to avoid the other side of the garage entrance and quickly found the black Bentley that my father had mentioned. A middle-aged man was already sitting in the car. I tried to open the door but couldn't. I gently knocked on the window, and Old Xu turned his head to look at me before unlocking it. After I got in, Old Liu immediately started the car and drove me out of the underground garage.
When we got to the door, the security guard carefully looked into the car. I kept my head down and didn't dare to look at him. When he didn't open the door for a while, I looked up at him, and he immediately opened the door with a smile.
The car sped off, and I looked at Lao Liu's back. For some reason, it seemed familiar, but I didn't remember recognizing a middle-aged man like Lao Xu.
After a forty-minute drive, we arrived at the Ji family's residence. Few people bear the surname Ji, so hearing it stirred a strange feeling within me. I wondered if the Ji family was related to Ji Lin'an. Upon entering the garage, a young man led me inside, while Old Xu drove away.
The Ji family's house was also a large villa, but it seemed rather deserted compared to ours. We didn't see a single person along the way. The man led me to the living room on the first floor: "Miss Su, please rest for a while. Mr. Ji will be back later. Mr. Bai said you haven't eaten anything yet. I'll tell the kitchen what you'd like to eat first."
I then realized that I was starving, but had no appetite at all. I laughed and said, "Just make something simple."
The man nodded respectfully and disappeared from my sight. I sent messages to my father and mother to tell them that I had arrived at the Ji family home. My father did not reply, and my mother told me to stay at the Ji family home without worry.
The aromatherapy from the Ji family smelled wonderful, with a faint scent of gardenias, but not overpowering. There was also a subtle hint of rain-soaked branches. I felt completely relaxed. A short while later, the man brought a tray to the dining area behind me and placed the food on the table: "Miss Su, you may now begin your meal."
I got up and sat down at the table. There was a bowl of borscht, a few slices of bread, and a creamy mushroom pasta dish with some black truffle slices on top. The man stood next to me and said, "Miss Su, you can have some soup to whet your appetite before eating. After you finish your meal, you can ring the bell on the table and I will come and take you to your room to rest."
After I smiled and nodded at the man, he disappeared from my sight again.
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