The silver tabby cat rubbed its head against Shen Jingqi's calf, the feathery brush of its fur against his ankle sending a shiver up his spine.
"This time it's real."
He murmured to himself, his nails digging into his palm. Pain surged clearly along his nerves.
Lin Xiaocan twirled spaghetti with her fork, tomato sauce sliding down the edge of the porcelain plate. "Brother Jing, you don't look well."
Shen Jingqi picked up the noodles and put them in his mouth. The fragrance of wheat spread over his tongue, the fruity aroma of olive oil entwined with crushed basil, the warm, steamy flavor dispersing the effects of the illusion.
"Meow." The silver tabby cat padded silently around Shen Jingqi's feet, continuously rubbing against his leg with its soft body.
Shen Jingqi looked down, his gaze shifting from the chopsticks in his hand to the little cat with its shimmering silver fur. He gently stroked the cat's back, and the cat squinted its eyes in comfort, purring contentedly.
"Am I becoming delusional?" Shen Jingqi pondered.
He glanced around, noticing everything was just as before. He was sitting at the dining table, Lin Xiaocan opposite him. Lin Xiaocan was concentrated on eating her spaghetti, her long eyelashes occasionally fluttering.
"Brother Jing, why aren't you eating?" Lin Xiaocan asked with concern when she looked up and saw Shen Jingqi staring blankly, holding his chopsticks.
Shen Jingqi came to his senses, slowly raised his chopsticks, picked up a portion of spaghetti, and put it in his mouth. The sauce was rich, with a hint of sweet and sour tomato flavor, but his taste buds seemed to have lost their sense, unable to discern any taste.
"I'm thinking about something," Shen Jingqi replied vaguely.
Lin Xiaocan nodded, not pressing further. Ever since the psychological consultation with Cong Nanxue this morning, he had been deep in thought.
Shen Jingqi wondered what exactly he had experienced at the hospital yesterday afternoon.
At 5 p.m. yesterday afternoon, Shen Jingqi was waiting in the hospital room for Nurse Qin Si to change his dressing. Qin Si was a young and pretty nurse, always with a gentle smile. However, yesterday, when Qin Si entered the room, Shen Jingqi keenly noticed there was something unusual about her eyes.
"Mr. Shen, it's time for your dressing change," Qin Si said, approaching Shen Jingqi's bed and skillfully unwrapping the bandages on his wound.
Lying on the hospital bed, Shen Jingqi's gaze was fixed intently on Qin Si's every move. Suddenly, he noticed that during the dressing change, Qin Si seemed to have an extra syringe in her hand. Shen Jingqi was startled and wanted to ask, but it was too late. Qin Si quickly injected the liquid from the syringe into his body.
Shen Jingqi felt a chill flow through his blood, followed by darkness as he lost consciousness.
When he awoke again, he found himself at home. Lin Xiaocan told him that Qin Si had called to inform her to pick Shen Jingqi up from the hospital. Shen Jingqi was filled with doubts; he was convinced Qin Si had done something to him, but he didn't know what the liquid was or what the consequences would be.
Later, Shen Jingqi found himself transformed into a cat, scurrying around the room, even attempting to jump out the window. Fortunately, Lin Xiaocan discovered this in time and brought him back.
Now, looking at Lin Xiaocan across the dining table, Shen Jingqi felt an inexplicable annoyance welling up. He put down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked to the window, gazing at the night view outside.
"Brother Jing, what's wrong?" Lin Xiaocan asked worriedly when she saw Shen Jingqi suddenly stand up.
"Nothing, I'm going out for a walk," Shen Jingqi said as he put on his coat and walked out the door.
The morning streets were quiet, with only the occasional sound of car horns. Shen Jingqi wandered aimlessly, the image of Qin Si injecting the liquid replaying in his mind. He felt as if he were caught in a giant whirlpool, unable to escape.
Suddenly, a stray cat darted out from the roadside bushes, startling Shen Jingqi. He looked down at the cat and found it was identical to his silver tabby at home.
"Meow." The cat meowed at Shen Jingqi and then ran off.
Shen Jingqi stood there, feeling a surge of intense unease. He felt as if he were entangled by some mysterious force, unable to break free.
Just then, he heard hurried footsteps. He turned around to see Lin Xiaocan running towards him anxiously. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
"Brother Jing, you're finally back! I was so worried!" Lin Xiaocan said as she reached Shen Jingqi and hugged him tightly.
Feeling Lin Xiaocan's warmth and breath, Shen Jingqi's heart calmed down a little. He knew he couldn't go on ; he had to find a solution.
"Xiaocan, I think there's something wrong with what Qin Si injected into me," Shen Jingqi said softly.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaocan's expression changed: "What did you say? Who is Qin Si? Injected you with something? Why would she do that?"
Shen Jingqi shook his head: "I don't know. But I'm certain she did something to me. Ever since 5 p.m. yesterday, I've been having delusions."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaocan fell into deep thought. After a moment, she looked up at Shen Jingqi: "We need to go find her and ask her clearly."
Shen Jingqi sat at the table, his fingers lightly tapping on the surface.
His thoughts were like untamed wild horses, galloping freely through his mind.
Qin Si, this name, like a boulder weighing on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Who exactly is Qin Si?" Shen Jingqi murmured to himself, his voice deep and strong as if trying to etch this name into his heart. His fingers unconsciously swiped on his phone.
Upon clicking open WeChat, he was confronted with the chat records of the Sensory Paradise test team group.
Shen Jingqi's eyes swiftly scanned the chat logs until a familiar name suddenly caught his eye—Qin Si. His heart jolted. Qin Si was a colleague in the test team!
Shen Jingqi felt a wave of dizziness; he couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed his temples hard, trying to clear his thoughts. However, when he looked at the screen again, the name was still glaringly present, as if mocking him.
Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, striving to calm down. He began to meticulously recall every interaction and conversation with Qin Si. He found that Qin Si always appeared so natural and composed in the hospital, as if she were truly just an ordinary nurse.
"Could it be that I've been deluding myself all along? Have I been creating illusions for myself?" Shen Jingqi felt a strong surge of self-doubt. It seemed as though his world had been turned upside down, everything becoming so strange and uncontrollable.
Now, because of her illusion, Li Baiyu had developed a sub-personality due to Cong Nanxue's appearance, adding to the already chaotic situation.
And Shen Jingqi himself was also trapped in delusion.
It's really too chaotic!