John, in his middle age, sported a thick, little mustache.
On the second floor of the cabin, he picked up a yellow paper rabbit. "Sisi."
He called out and walked downstairs.
Mo Zhi immediately commanded Watts to follow.
Downstairs, Sisi was sitting on a chair, folding rabbits. Beside her lay the plush platypus toy, and a large pile of paper rabbits filled the room.
John asked, "Did you go out early this morning just to get a haircut?"
No response.
"What are you doing?"
Sisi replied, "Rabbits."
"Did you see the rabbit I left for you?"
"I saw it."
Sisi looked up, gazing deeply at him. "Tell me about it?"
John was confused.
"Describe that rabbit."
"Uh... it's yellow."
"Anything else?"
"A bit fat."
"Anything else?"
John was speechless. "..."
It was a familiar scene. Mo Zhi, watching from the sidelines, let out a sigh of relief. No wonder John had changed the subject back then; Sisi had asked the same thing much earlier.
What answer did she want from John?
"Alright, it's just a paper rabbit."
John stared at Sisi. "I don't know how to describe it. You're acting strange, Sisi. What's going on?"
Not getting the desired answer, Sisi lowered her head in disappointment and quietly folded another paper rabbit.
"Sisi...?"
No further response.
This scene didn't yield much useful information.
Mo Zhi wasted no more time and continued rummaging through memory fragments. Synthesizing the Five Dragon Pearls—
It was the same [Platypus Toy!?!]
For the eighth time—
Traveling further back, he arrived at a mountain from several years ago. A car was parked by the roadside at the foot of the mountain, with the platypus placed on the back seat.
There was no one in the car. Mo Zhi assumed they should be near the lighthouse.
He commanded Watts to follow Rosaline as they walked up the mountain path. At this time, their cabin had not yet been renovated, and the area was still desolate.
They reached the edge of the cliff.
Sisi and John were sitting on a bench beside the lighthouse. Flowers bloomed vibrantly around them, and the lighthouse had not yet been abandoned.
"Is this why you approached me before?" Sisi's tone seemed surprised.
"Yes."
After a moment of silence, Sisi stared into John's eyes. "The only reason?"
"Hmm..."
John nodded. "After all, I didn't know you back then."
"And now?"
Sisi asked expectantly, "Here, has that reason changed?"
"I think that was only a small part of the reason," John said. "Look, it was a long time ago. It's... irrelevant now, but Nicholas said I should tell you the truth."
He sounded a bit regretful. "I shouldn't have made our first date so terrible."
Sisi jumped off the bench and threw something onto the ground.
"What is that? A small sandbag?" John asked, confused.
Sisi looked hopefully at John. "Can you throw it over to Anya?"
"Not sure, I can try."
John tossed it casually, and the sandbag landed in the sea.
Sisi quickly chased after it, attempting to catch the sandbag.
"Sisi!!!" John yelled. "Are you crazy?! Stay away from there!"
Sisi gazed blankly at the sea. After a moment, she retreated and sat quietly on the bench, not saying a word.
She was very sad.
John didn't know why, and neither did the viewers.
Mo Zhi continued to collect memory fragments, captivated. He had to find out why!
The new memory fragment was a worn backpack. Once again, the scene shifted to a library.
The backpack was behind John. He sat at a table, facing Nicholas and Isabelle. Sisi was reading by the bookshelves next door.
"Everyone is very different."
Isabelle looked at John. "You can't judge our thoughts just because she and I have the same condition."
"But you can give me some advice."
John sounded troubled. "At first, everything was fine. But now she's become more reclusive than before."
"Even when we're in the same room, she's not truly... present. I'm a bit uneasy, and I don't know how to handle it."
Isabelle explained, "Let's put it this way, I can't speak for her. Most of us crave social interaction."
"Even so, how to clearly express what's on your mind is another matter."
She looked at Sisi with pity, sighing. "You can't assume she's isolated herself from external feelings just because she needs a long effort before expressing herself."
Though she couldn't fully empathize, as a fellow patient, she could better perceive Sisi's inner turmoil.
"She's always been by your side, hasn't she?"
Isabelle continued, "Sometimes, all that's needed is to believe, 'He cares about you.'"
"It's not easy to convince yourself to have faith day after day."
"I understand."
Nicholas looked at Isabelle, a bit surprised. "Why do you seem no different from ordinary people, Izzy?"
"I mean, aren't you both diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome?" (Asperger's is a type of autism spectrum disorder, also known as social disorder. Severe cases may be unable to express their thoughts or words.)
"First, I was diagnosed when I was very young," Isabelle explained. "And second, it's not impossible to perfectly mimic social rules if you put in the effort."
She glanced next door, a hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes. "While I pity Sisi, I also envy her."
"I am always an actress. I must play 'myself' my entire life, every minute, every second. This is my only choice. This is the only way I appear 'normal.'"
'How sad, hiding one's true self.'
'The author has a deep understanding of personality structures and can describe them linguistically. Their literary skill is profound!'
'I am a person with social disorder, not as severe as them, but her words perfectly express my inner pain. Thank you, designer, for your thoughtful observation and portrayal of patients like us.'
'Hugs to the commenter above (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ'
...
The audience chatted noisily, but Mo Zhi remained silent, quietly watching the unfolding story.
"But Sisi... she never does that."
Isabelle said sternly, "She's always been like someone ostracized and abandoned by society, refusing to learn to compromise, to accept her true self. I don't know if our differences stem from differences in ability or choice, or if they are true reflections of our courage or timidity."
Her tears began to fall. "Sometimes, I truly cannot bear this hypocritical version of myself."
"The Isabelle everyone knows is entirely a puppet. My true self has long been estranged from everyone."
Nicholas gently put his arm around her, comforting her. "I will always be with you. I love you no matter what."
John, not wanting to be a third wheel, got up to find Sisi.
"Anything new today?" John asked.
"No."
"What book are you reading?"
"'The Emperor's New Clothes.' I loved this story when I was a child."
"You still love it, right?"
Sisi turned her head and said firmly, "Of course... but for different reasons."
"When I was little, I loved the Power Rangers series the most."
"I know. Your mother picked out a set as your wedding gift."
John nodded. "Yes, a strange gift. I loved it when I was little."
Sisi asked, puzzled, "Then why don't you like it anymore? I saw that set of books in a dusty corner of the garage."
"Uh... I think..." John hesitated. "I just outgrew it."
Sisi was silent for a moment, then said, "I want to borrow that book."
With that, she walked towards the checkout counter.
Coincidentally,
The memory fragment this time was a book—[Power Rangers!]
Mo Zhi's eyes lit up.
For the ninth time—
...