CH 32.2

“I wasn’t expecting you’d let him go.” Lin Yi sits on the sofa, slightly restlessly——He’s far too close for comfort to Jiang Yiyi, making him feel insecure.

Even though distance isn’t much of a hindrance against Jiang Yiyi, but at least, for the potential vict——Kuhum, for Lin Yi, there is a difference; one between no sense of security, and a minute sense of such.

“I offered him two choices.” Jiang Yiyi is reading a book once again while sunk into the sofa. The scene can be described as serene under the warm lighting.

Perhaps this is the only location worthy of such description on the tense and loaded fourth floor.

Lin Yi stops looking to start fishing for information, “what choice?”

“To stay, or go back.”

“I don’t think I’m surprised he chose to go back, but I suppose he had a condition?” Lin Yi is surprised, actually, that Jian Si would think he is capable of completing a condition for Jiang Yiyi——A confidence beyond even himself.

Jiang Yiyi stops, and asks, “you are curious?”

If he does not want to wake up to a different world, he ought to be highly curious about anything Jiang Yiyi does.

Lin Yi smiles and answers, “Jian Si could have been from Nianluo.”

“I suspect he may be here for the file.”

Jiang Yiyi recalls his scant memories of that game, and denies his guess, “he is not.”

Lin Yi is stupefied for a few moments while leaning forward with his body instinctively, which he realises is closing their distance, and he immediately leans back to the sofa; when he finally speaks up, none of the signs of his shifting remain.

“When he said he knew you from before your arrest and sentence, I actually thought he was kidding…” Says Lin Yi, “didn’t know it was real.”

“We met by chance, and didn’t know each other.” Jiang Yiyi can see Lin Yi’s shifting emotions——He may have closed the Emotions Chart, but that does not mean it is doing its job——Expectations, Excitement, and Curiosity.

“That is quite the find.” Lin Yi says openly, “we thought Doctor’s file was entirely fabricated.”

“So it’s me you’re more interested in.”

Jiang Yiyi concludes nonchalantly, then adds, “the condition for letting him go back, is for him to return to me, through his own ability.”

Lin Yi takes a moment to process the jarring change of topic, and quickly notes the implication, “then isn’t it the same as letting him be?” He immediately corrects himself, “no, but, return where he came, in order to come back in front of you? That’s…”

How should he put it? Illogical? Or probably just weird.

Given Jian Si is trying to be as far away from Jiang Yiyi as possible, wouldn’t he just run away? Instead, he is going to toughen up to return to him?

The actions and motives do not add up, causing Lin Yi to be doubtful. He questions why Jian Si made the choice, and why Jiang Yiyi offered the choice.

“It might be terrifying for him to stay next to the Doctor, but he has decided to leave… only to return right to you?” Lin Yi organises his thoughts, then asks.

“What is the meaning behind this choice?”

“You should know the answer.” Jiang Yiyi claps the book shut, then look at Lin Yi, “tell me.”

Lin Yi pauses for the matter-of-factly tone, and decides to comply——Most often, Lin Yi is used to being the inquisitive one, as a force of habit. That does not always mean he does not know the answer to his question.

“The difference to these two choices, would be the phrase, ‘on his own ability’?” Lin Yi answers as he analyses, “although both means he will be by Doctor’s side in the end, but a useless burden and usable person will be treated accordingly.”

“I do not think it is a good idea to be useless while by the Doctor’s side.” Lin Yi then finally concludes after stopping here, “which means, the only meaning to this choice is…”

Jiang Yiyi cannot help but question, again, what these people are actually thinking about all day. The analyses are vaguely rational, so how do they end up with a completely wrong answer?

While Jiang Yiyi narrows his eyes slightly, the usual, unchanging poker face helps him conceal his true thoughts——Although Lin Yi is prone to misinterpreting them in another strange direction even if they were revealed.

Jiang ‘Normal Person’ Yiyi ponders the issue of Lin Yi’s mental health, concluding——He is sick in the head.

“Have you seen a doctor?”

The drastic change of topic once again staggers Lin Yi.

He carefully deliberates then answers, “yes, actually. I just went and saw one not too long ago.”

Jiang Yiyi is curious, but does not ask him the silly question of how he managed to do that while remaining by his side almost every hour of every day, but asks the important question directly, “and what did they say?”

Lin Yi swallows. When Jiang Yiyi asked that question, he can notice Lin Yi’s posture changing subtly from relaxation to vigilance. He did not need the Chart to sense what he is feeling right now——Wariness, Defiance, Withdrawal, Anger.

Jiang Yiyi raises a brow, “not good news, I take it?”

“Actually, quite the opposite.” Lin Yi glances at Lunatic, who is sitting by Jiang Yiyi’s feet. He is silent, with eyes fixed on Jiang Yiyi, being invisible as always.

“I am healthy.”

“You do know that your body language is screaming ‘I’m really wary right now,’ right?” Jiang Yiyi reminds him, “you do not look remotely like someone who received good news.”

Lin Yi does not reply.

The expert that was sent specifically told him, and he still remembers it as if it were just yesterday, “the evaluations and tests can only allow me to conclude that, outside of signs of anxiety, your mental state is as normal as can be.”

“That, itself, is the issue.” The expert was baffled, eyeing him suspiciously, “I also had your previous evaluation results at hand. You were far more unstable, and was close to reaching clinical mental instability. That is also what you might reasonably be projected to suffer from right now.”

“And yet, according to this report…” the expert said, waving it, “you are no more stressed than an average person.”

“What does this mean?” He asked.

“Either you had specialist treatment for these several years, with an excellent psychologist having helped you move off your condition.” The expert looked at the report in his hand once more, “or… all our evaluations and tests were wrong.”