Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
When Qiluo Ling woke up, it was already three days later.
When she first groggily opened her eyes, she found a forced respirator in her mouth, her left hand in a cast, and her right hand connected to an IV drip.
Her mind was in a haze, and amidst the confusion, she particularly wanted to know the time. She didn't know why, but because of the respirator in her mouth, she couldn't speak and could only make muffled sounds while gently shaking her IV hand.
The person next to her finally understood that she was asking for the time. Someone hurriedly told her it was 7 PM. After Qiluo Ling learned the time, she seemed particularly relieved and fell asleep again.
When she woke up for the second time, she felt the bright white light outside was especially intense, yet everything around her was silent.
This time Qiluo Ling was fully awake, but she hesitated for a moment when she opened her eyes. The dreamlike memories lingered, and she feared that upon opening her eyes, she would find herself still trapped in that strange alternate space.
However, just seconds after waking up, her bodily sensations returned. She felt a strong pain from her body, a sensation that made her both uncomfortable and delighted. It seemed that she had completely left that space and returned to the real world.
As she happily opened her eyes, she realized there was no longer a respirator in her mouth.
The walls were white, the sheets were white, and there was a pungent smell of disinfectant in the air.
Seeing all this familiar scenery brought her peace of mind; she confirmed that she had come back to life.
At the other end of the bed, Gu Tianye sat on a stool with his upper body resting on the foot of the bed, sound asleep. Sunlight poured down from the high window in the room like pure white milk, serene and tranquil.
Qiluo Ling did not wake him; she simply watched everything quietly and appreciated the beauty of this moment.
At that moment, a nurse walked in. She smiled at Qiluo Ling without saying a word.
The nurse initially did not notice that Qiluo Ling had woken up until she took her temperature and was startled. She quickly called to wake Gu Tianye.
Seeing that she was awake, Gu Tianye hurriedly approached her with excitement and said, "Thank God, you finally woke up. I was so worried."
Looking at his disheveled appearance made Qiluo Ling's heart ache; his pale face showed exhaustion, his bloodshot eyes were weary, and there were sparse stubble on his chin.
"I'm glad to be back in this world too." As soon as she spoke, she was startled by her own hoarse voice.
“Ling'er, you are truly fortunate. After such a dangerous illness, you managed to come back from the brink of death. People often say that those who survive great calamities will have good fortune afterward. Don't rush to speak; just take a good rest first,” Gu Tianye said softly while holding her hand.
After the excitement faded, she felt weak, like a pile of mush. This feeling of weakness, however, gave rise to an inexplicable sense of relaxation, as if she were lying in a pile of cotton—soft and comfortable.
She lay there for a long time when suddenly a melody that sounded like celestial music invaded her mind. She had never heard such a beautiful piece before; it played on repeat in her head, lingering for a long time.
“When I was unconscious, I saw some strange scenes and heard some odd sounds,” she suddenly said to Gu Tianye beside her.
He paused for a moment and then smiled, saying, “You don’t need to be nervous; it’s normal to experience such hallucinations.”
“Why is it normal? At that time, I felt as if my soul had left my body and was wandering freely,” Qi Luoling said in confusion.
“You're overthinking it. All those hallucinations were just side effects from the general anesthesia you received.”
“What? Those vivid and strange scenes and sounds were just side effects of the medication?” She seemed skeptical.
“Yes, during your surgery, you were intravenously administered a general anesthetic called ketamine hydrochloride.”
“What??”
“Ketamine hydrochloride is a general anesthetic used clinically as a surgical anesthetic or induction agent. Its effect on the central nervous system manifests by blocking pain impulses from being transmitted to the thalamus and neocortex while simultaneously stimulating the brainstem's limbic system. This state allows for consciousness to remain awake while temporarily eliminating pain sensation, essentially separating consciousness from sensation. The mental characteristics that arise after using this drug include mild sedation, amnesia, significant analgesia, and the ability to enter dreams and experience hallucinations. Due to its potential for psychological dependence, it is often abused and is also known as ***.”
“So according to you, all those vivid hallucinations were just that? I don’t feel that way,” she replied, somewhat doubtful of his words.
“Where is the notion of the soul leaving the body? Consciousness and the body exist together; without the physical body, consciousness cannot exist either. This is what materialism teaches us. Don’t think too much about it; just rest well,” Gu Tianye said gently as he tucked her blanket in and looked at her tenderly.
She obediently closed her eyes and remained silent.
At that moment, she wondered if she was indeed being a bit neurotic and if she needed psychological counseling.
“By the way, Ling'er, do you remember the car that hit you? Especially any impression of the driver?” Gu Tianye asked tentatively.
He did not use the word "murderer" because he did not want her to know that the car accident was actually a murder. Her current physical and mental state could not handle such a shock, so some things were better left for later.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and froze for a moment.
She had not noticed the driver who had hit her. Just as she turned her head, that car had already crashed into her, leaving her no time to observe the driver's appearance.
In contrast, Qiluo Ling recalled the man who had been stalking her. Just before she lost consciousness after the accident, she had seen the man's face clearly.
To be precise, judging by his appearance, he was not of Asian descent. He had dark brown hair, sunken eyes, brown eyes, fair skin, and a narrow, high nose with a sharp curve at the tip—a typical hooked nose.
Just before she fainted, he had been shouting a name at her with great intensity. The name sounded strange, almost foreign, and phonetically similar to "Yuliel."
Who exactly was he? Why had he been stalking her for so many years?
Gu Tianye noticed her dazed expression and was about to ask her what was wrong. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his phone screen lit up with a message notification.
He quickly unlocked his phone and saw that it was a message from Nie Xiaoyu: "Let go of her hand, don't forget what you promised me."
He turned to look outside the hospital room's mirrored window and saw a shadow quickly flash by. He was certain that Nie Xiaoyu had just been lurking at the door.
"Ling'er, I'm going out to get you some breakfast. If you need anything, just call me. Don't worry; Mom and Dad will be here soon." Taking advantage of her moment of distraction, he quickly walked out of the hospital room.
Comment 0 Comment Count