Chapter 140 The Asylum 10: The End
You don't know what happened after that.
All you know is that when you open your eyes, that vague discomfort of "this isn't right, that isn't right" that has been present since the first day you came here "with consciousness," those indescribable fragments that surface in your mind when you wake up in the middle of the night, all... have disappeared.
You are awake.
You are complete.
At that moment, you feel an unprecedented peace and balance, as if your soul has truly settled down.
You are well aware of these things.
You excitedly take the girl's hand, wanting to tell her it should have worked, but...
The girl who was just holding your hand has lost the look on her face that seemed to be looking at the most precious treasure of her life; all that's left is a blank, dazed expression where even her features are blurred.
You insist on checking it yourself, but all you see is an empty skull.
You lower your head to her forehead, close your eyes, and silently say goodbye.
"Thank you, thank you for your companionship and help all this time. I will continue to move forward."
Her black hair had completely disappeared.
But you have a long way to go, and you will not give up any hope.
You stand up gently, only to hear a rhythmic clapping sound behind you.
Clap, clap, clap—it sounded like the sparse, perfunctory applause in the auditorium, or perhaps a sarcastic remark on the end of your sentimental farewell.
You turn your head.
She's here.
Dean.
She wore a sharp white suit that exuded authority, and a smile played on her lips as if she had already anticipated everything.
“What a wonderful show.” She walked over slowly, her gaze sweeping between you and the empty shell of a girl. “You actually found yourself again—in a way that I never expected.”
You didn't speak, you just looked at her. At that moment, you had no extra emotions to give to this person.
“I must admit, you are the most creative patient I have ever seen.” She smiled again and extended her hand to you. “Now that you are ‘cured,’ I have no reason to keep holding you back.”
“Let’s go, we’ll get you a mental health assessment form. That way your testimony will be credible, and Fopoll won’t make things difficult for you anymore.”
She invites you to her office—not the doctor's office, but the dean's office.
This is the first time you've walked this road during the day.
You and the dean walked through many patients' rooms.
“These people,” she said casually, “have it much easier than you. Just change their minds, give them a few injections, and they’re as obedient as sheep.”
You sneered: "So you like to erase your 'self,' right?"
She glanced back at you: "On the contrary, I have respect for every 'complete self'."
She pushed open the door to the dean's office.
Upon entering this room, the first thing you see is the only clock still ticking in this asylum.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Every sound it makes is like a reminder that you are really getting closer to the finish line.
"Sit down." She gestured for you to sit opposite her, her tone languid, and took out two documents: a discharge certificate and a diagnosis of mental sanity. "Sign them, and we'll go back to our seats."
You signed it quickly, afraid she might change her mind.
But you weren't in a hurry to leave. You silently counted the ticking of the clock, your mind replaying something you did in the early hours of the morning before waiting for the tall, slender woman:
You find Xiao Ai, this dishonest, unkind girl who brought this upon herself. After confirming that she is also an "outsider," you tell her that you will try your best to find a way to leave. If possible, you are willing to help them, but you will not be responsible for them.
Then, as you entered the dean's office, you crumpled up a wad of tissues you used to wipe your sweat and stuffed them into the crevice of the heavy door.
The door, therefore, cannot be completely closed.
The dean, absorbed in his own world and smugly pleased with himself, was completely unaware of your little actions.
Will she come? You lower your eyelashes.
Everyone says that as a Ruko, you have to be careful of other Rukos, but having received countless acts of help from others, you can't just ignore them when you're sure you're safe.
Especially Xiaoyu...you always feel like you've seen her face before.
You want to figure these things out.
—Click!
A violent banging sound suddenly rang out from outside the door, followed by the loud thud of the door being kicked open.
The director, who was just comfortably "sharing" his methods for managing the mental hospital, suddenly looked up at the sound of your voice and roared, "Who dares to trespass—"
Bang!
It's Xiao Ai!
Her face was pale, but her eyes were intense. One of her hands was still tightly holding Xiaoyu's hand.
She completely ignored the dean's shock and anger and rushed in.
"I don't care what your intentions are!" Xiao Ai shouted, "Of course I want it too!"
A complex emotion flashed in your eyes, but in the end, it was just a smile: "You're welcome. Understand the person you're dealing with."
"What do you think two people can do?" The director gritted his teeth and stood up, his anger surging. "I am the ruler of this asylum—"
You walked up to her and grabbed her wrist.
She was astonished to find—and you were a little dazed too—that she couldn't break free at all.
Xiao Ai also rushed forward and together with you, pinned the dean to the ground.
The dean struggled and cursed, but ultimately no "incident" occurred.
You finally understand the real reason why she never leaves the office except when she's playing a doctor.
She's not a god, nor is she a "boss" in a typical scenario; after all, she's just an ordinary person.
Having shed her leadership aura in this mental hospital, she is now old and doesn't even need Xiao Ai; you, young and strong, alone can subdue her.
The only power she possessed was the door to the dean's office and the endless filing cabinets behind her.
Xiao Ai rummaged through the cabinet and finally found a row of transparent containers in a small compartment labeled "Dangerous Drugs," each containing grayish-white brain tissue.
"Found it." She turned to look at you.
You nodded: "Take your share."
She quickly found the two copies marked "Ai" and "Yu" and held them in her hands.
"And what about yours?" Xiao Ai asked hesitantly.
You shook your head.
You no longer care about this brain here, which may or may not have been tampered with.
Within your head, there is already a complete core—"you" that you yourself have pieced together, written, and infused with your own essence.
Moreover, you won't let anyone touch your head, nor will you allow any system to manipulate your thoughts.
"You..." Xiao Ai pursed her lips, thought it over and over again, looked at the two containers in her hand marked with their names, and finally mustered up the courage to speak, "You've already helped us this far, could you... help us put them back?"
You look at them.
Xiaoyu leaned quietly on Xiao Ai's shoulder without saying a word, her eyes unfocused, still looking completely lost.
You didn't speak, you just nodded, removed the two brain tissues, and carefully put them back according to the markings.
This process was a bit... hard to describe, but in short, it was a nightmarish experience in terms of touch and sight.
Because you also need to compare Xiao Ai's skull to find the half that belongs to Xiao Yu.
Finally, everything was in place.
Needless to say, Xiao Ai was in a daze for a while and dared not look at you and Xiao Yu anymore.
Xiaoyu closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, as if she had just taken a nap.
She looked at you, and her lips moved slightly.
"Thank you." Her voice sounded a little tired, but she quickly came to terms with what had happened.
You wanted to say "You're welcome," but the words stuck in your throat—you stared at her blankly.
how so…
You know this person.
You know her.
At that moment, you suddenly realized why Xiaoyu always seemed "strangely familiar".
Just like you said, an "empty mind" can change a person's appearance, and at this moment, Xiaoyu's eyebrows and eyes have become noticeably sharper, and her expression has gained a composure that comes from having experienced life and death, and that look in her eyes...
You blinked involuntarily, and a memory flashed into your mind like a thunderbolt.
—On a double-decker red bus in London, in the Ying Kingdom.
That night, a series of bizarre encounters came crashing down on you. You managed to escape unscathed, while one of your two best friends, who were with you, was on her phone the entire time.
The phone shows a girl's face, a face far more realistic than any 3D model—no, it's actually someone else—pleading earnestly with you:
"Remember my face, okay? You must remember me."
You took a step back, staring intently at Xiaoyu in front of you: "What are you doing here? Who are you?"
Xiaoyu's eyes widened, completely bewildered by what you were saying.
"I... I'm Xiaoyu?" Your question was so direct that she could only ask back with some uncertainty.
"Then, don't you recognize me?" You almost began to doubt your own memory.
Could it be that there's something wrong with the memories you wrote down yourself? That's causing your current thinking problems?
“I…I know you…” Xiaoyu said hesitantly.
Just as your eyes lit up, you heard her say, "I saw everything you did through Xiao Ai's eyes. Although this memory is very blurry in my mind now, I do remember you."
You don't know what to say.
You feel a little dizzy again.
You met someone before who told you to remember their face, but when you met them again later, they didn't recognize you at all.
What kind of situation is this?
Could such a thing really happen?
"You bunch of trash! Madmen!"
Behind the scenes, the dean, bound like a dumpling, was completely unaware of the undercurrents unfolding on your side; he was only shouting and trying to break free.
"No matter what's wrong with you two, let's leave here first," Xiao Ai, who had been silent, couldn't help but interject.
You and Xiaoyu both looked at her, but she guiltily avoided Xiaoyu's gaze and only looked at you.
But what she said made sense; whatever you want to say, leave first and then talk.
But should we just leave like this?
After thinking it over, you decided to trust your own judgment rather than ask the dean.
So he stepped forward and smashed the glass.
This time, finally, finally, there was warm sunshine, a gentle breeze, and chirping birds.
“Let’s leave through the main gate downstairs. We can leave here properly and respectably,” you suggested. And they naturally had no objections.
The three of you were like friends who had reconciled after making up, and even held hands and pushed open the door of the mental hospital together, fearing that something might go wrong when you left.
The ground beneath my feet is solid, and the air outside smells sweet.
You have finally regained your freedom.
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Author's Note: Of course, in the end, Tiger still selfishly gave it a relatively happy ending, after all, it's "you, the protagonist," so good luck should accompany "you" [+1][+1][+1]. By the way, does anyone understand the references Tiger uses in some strange places, like the plot holes planted in the Yingguo (China) arc being filled in the US? Who understands this feeling?! (Okay, I know explaining the references is really bad and completely ruins the plot, but I can't help telling everyone that this was intentionally arranged [Please][Please][Please])
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