The parking lot was poorly lit, and the car was dim, but Xing Zheng's entire demeanor was vastly different from his usual self. Feng Feng quickly noticed something was wrong. Upon closer inspection, she saw a handprint on his face, and his usually arrogant eyes were bloodshot, as if they might bleed. His forehead and chin bore dried bloodstains.
Xing Zheng looked like a severely injured wild beast, but Feng Feng couldn't understand why he was hurt, especially on a night that should have been his moment of glory. Given his status, everyone should have been fawning over him. How could someone have gotten into a fight with him? And judging by the severity, it looked like a fight to the death.
"Go to the hospital and lend a hand." After Feng Feng got into the car, Shen Su didn't offer any explanation. Although Feng Feng was curious, she knew the situation and didn't ask further.
Shen Su took Xing Zheng to the affiliated Third Hospital of Nanjiang University. This was not the closest hospital to the banquet venue, and the affiliated Third Hospital of Nanjiang University was renowned for its psychiatry department, being a leading mental hospital in the country.
Feng Feng saw the hospital's sign and then looked at Xing Zheng in the back seat through the rearview mirror, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Shen Su and Gu Song helped Xing Zheng out of the car. Feng Feng pressed the elevator button for them; it was the ninth floor.
There was a floor guide in the elevator. As Feng Feng pressed the button, she saw that the ninth floor was the psychiatric rehabilitation clinic. She instinctively glanced at Xing Zheng again. The elevator was brighter than the car, but she still saw no light in Xing Zheng's eyes. Feng Feng had already formed a guess, and seeing the clinic information solidified her judgment.
Upon reaching the ninth floor, Shen Su and Gu Song directly led Xing Zheng to the specialist consultation room. Feng Feng followed them in. The doctor inside had apparently been notified and had already arranged for a nurse to treat Xing Zheng's wounds. After examination, Xing Zheng's wounds were not deep, but he still needed a tetanus shot.
The doctor wrote out a prescription, and Feng Feng went downstairs to pay. After she left, the doctor asked Shen Su and Gu Song, "What triggered his episode today?"
Shen Su replied, "The specific trigger is still unclear, but it's definitely related to what happened back then."
Gu Song added, "He hasn't been like this for a year or two. If it's really bad, you should call your teacher back."
Xing Zheng's attending physician in China, Zhou Yue, was a disciple of his doctor in the United States. After learning of Xing Zheng's return to China, the doctor introduced Zhou Yue to him. Zhou Yue was also well aware of Xing Zheng's past medical history and experiences.
During his most severe episodes, Xing Zheng had a history of self-harm. Unlike other patients, he didn't self-harm to die; he would deliberately avoid any potentially fatal areas, consciously experiencing the pain. This situation was more difficult to handle than patients with suicidal ideation.
Gu Song and Shen Su were both aware of these details, which was why Gu Song was so anxious to have Zhou Yue's mentor brought back.
Zhou Yue didn't say much. He looked at Xing Zheng, whose wounds were being treated by a nurse. The nurse was rinsing his wounds with a highly irritating solution. Even the most resilient person would find it unbearable, but Xing Zheng remained expressionless, like someone who had lost the sensation of pain.
Zhou Yue frowned and adjusted his glasses. Xing Zheng's current condition was indeed not optimistic. He told Shen Su, "Find out what happened tonight as soon as possible."
Shen Su nodded. Just as he was about to call Jiang Chu Bi, Jiang Chu Bi's call came in. However, it was inconvenient to take the call in front of Xing Zheng.
Shen Su stepped out of the room. "Chu Bi, what exactly happened tonight?"
Jiang Chu Bi recounted all the events of the day to Shen Su, including her visit to Shuang Mu that afternoon and her encounter with Lin Mei. Xing Zheng's obsession with Lin Mei was no secret among their group.
"I didn't expect my casual words would provoke him. He got physical with me then, but he managed to control himself later, and I watched him take his medication," Jiang Chu Bi said. "Later, at the banquet, he was still not quite right. He wanted to go to the terrace to quiet his mind, so I accompanied him. We happened to run into Aunt Xie there... Oh, right!"
Jiang Chu Bi remembered Xie Qin Jia's phone call to Lin Mei and asked Shen Su, "Aunt Xie knows Lin Mei. Did you know that?"
Shen Su was stunned. "How does she know Lin Mei?"
Feng Feng, having retrieved the tetanus shot from the pharmacy downstairs, arrived at the door of the room just as Shen Su uttered this sentence. Feng Feng had no interest in eavesdropping on others' private matters, but since Lin Mei was involved in Shen Su's words, she stopped and listened intently.
"I'm not sure either. It sounds like they've known each other for a while. Aunt Xie even said she wanted to introduce someone to Lin Mei, and then she said Lin Mei and Ah Yan ge were a good match."
Jiang Chu Bi repeated Xie Qin Jia's words to Shen Su verbatim. As Shen Su listened, he clenched his phone, having already guessed why Xing Zheng had resorted to self-harm.
"Later, Ah Zheng went to talk to Aunt Xie, and you know her attitude all these years. Without a word, she attacked him. Ah Zheng could have dodged, but he didn't..." Jiang Chu Bi continued to tell Shen Su what happened next.
Shen Su listened with a heavy heart. "Okay, I understand."
Jiang Chu Bi asked, "Are you at the hospital? How is he?"
Shen Su replied, "He's getting his wounds bandaged. I'll go talk to the doctor about what just happened. His current state is not good. Remember to keep this quiet; no one can know about his condition."
After finishing his call with Jiang Chu Bi, Shen Su turned around and saw Feng Feng. Feng Feng was quite forthright. She told Shen Su, "Don't worry, I didn't hear any secrets."
Shen Su didn't question Feng Feng. He took her hand and led her into the room.
After receiving the tetanus shot, Xing Zheng was helped into a wheelchair and brought before Zhou Yue. Zhou Yue was about to conduct his consultation, and unrelated personnel were required to leave. Feng Feng, along with Shen Su and Gu Song, walked out.
Outside, Shen Su said to Feng Feng, "Thank you for tonight."
Feng Feng shook her head. "It was just a small favor."
Shen Su glanced at his watch and said to Feng Feng, "It's getting late. You should take a taxi home."
Feng Feng agreed. After bidding farewell to Shen Su, she left. As Feng Feng exited the elevator, she typed Zhou Yue's name into her phone's search engine, and a page with Zhou Yue's relevant information quickly appeared.
【Zhou Yue, expert in the psychiatric outpatient department at the affiliated hospital of Nanjiang University, specializing in the treatment of PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, etc.】
Feng Feng looked at Zhou Yue's profile and then thought about Xing Zheng's state that night. She was almost certain that he had a mental health condition, and it had likely been many years.
If Xing Zheng were merely Shen Su's friend, Feng Feng wouldn't be so curious about his condition. However, given Lin Mei's complicated relationship with Xing Zheng, she couldn't afford to be indifferent. Xing Zheng appeared so normal in his daily life, and it was likely that Lin Mei was unaware of his issues. If he were to have an episode and harm Lin Mei...
After much thought, Feng Feng decided to send Lin Mei a WeChat message to remind her to be more cautious.
【When you interact with Xing Zheng privately, has he ever exhibited any unusual behavior?】