Wang Jue's effeminate behavior wasn't new, but it had become far more pronounced lately. Sometimes, I truly wondered if the Wang Jue before me was the same Dr. Wang I had met at the asylum.

However, I hadn't spent that much time with him, so perhaps Wenshu was the one best qualified to speak on this matter. Thinking of Wenshu brought an involuntary warmth to my heart. Since being discharged from the hospital that day, I hadn't had a chance to see her again. Before heading to Wangcheng, I'd been too busy even to call her. Over ten days had slipped by, and I had no idea how she felt about me now. When I got back this time, I absolutely had to make time to visit her at the hospital and, while I was at it, ask about Wang Jue's past.

Just as I was pondering this, Guizhi came running over, tugging at my sleeve, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Uncle Ming, is it because my mom is crazy and my dad is dead that Uncle Wang thinks I'm naughty? He even gave me lollipops before."

Children are so perceptive; her question left me utterly speechless. I placed my hand on her head, stroking her smooth, soft hair, unsure how to comfort her.

Old He squatted down, taking her hand, and said, "Silly child, Uncle Wang just didn't sleep well last night, so he's tired and short-tempered. All the uncles and aunties like you. Tonight, we'll bring your father's and Uncle's bodies back, and once Uncle Wang has rested, he'll take care of your mother’s illness. He's a top authority in psychiatry, you know!"

Guizhi nodded, seemingly understanding a little, and ran over to Guifang, pulling on her clothes to sit beside her. A pitiful mother and daughter; it truly tugged at the heartstrings to see them.

I nudged Wang Jue with my chin, gesturing toward the pair, and sure enough, his eyes welled up with tears. Seizing the moment, I pressed on, "You're the leading doctor; please take a look at her. Without a mother to care for her, the child will suffer."

Wang Jue sighed, walked into the guest room where we had stayed that night, and retrieved a small medical kit from his backpack. Doctors always seem to carry their kits wherever they go. He took out a bottle of pills, dropped out two tablets, and handed them to Guizhi to give to her mother.

Guizhi was obedient. She took the medicine, fetched water from the kitchen, and slowly spoon-fed the pills into Guifang's mouth. After a short while, Guifang stopped trembling. Old He, having secured the old man's permission, carried Guifang to the bedroom. Guizhi took bedding from the cupboard and tucked her in properly. Guifang closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

It was nearly noon by the time the patient was settled. My older sister personally went to the kitchen, insisting on treating everyone who had saved her. Wang Jue followed happily, offering to help, and as they worked, he recounted the night's bizarre events—which zombie looked the best, whose walk was the most comical. He even commented that Li Xiaohao possessed more masculine charm than Li Xiaoshu. Listening nearby, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, genuinely suspecting Wang Jue might pursue gender reassignment surgery when he got back. Finally, he steered the conversation toward my sister and Old He, a topic I desperately wanted to know about but had never found an opportunity to ask.

My sister blushed and said that when she was afflicted by the (gu), she hadn't been aware of anything, effectively handing the leverage to Old He. Old He then had no choice but to recount, in meticulous detail, everything that had transpired after we left the hospital.

It turned out that on the night we left the hospital, both Li Xiaoshu and Li Xiaohao had shown up. The two brothers were immediately hostile upon meeting. Li Xiaohao threatened to burn the hospital down and take hostages, while Li Xiaoshu claimed he didn't have the stamp album with him, promising to hand it over two days later, after which they would all go their separate ways, interfering with each other no more. Li Xiaohao grudgingly agreed. As soon as he left, Li Xiaoshu took Old He and my sister and fled to Jingyin Mountain; Old He had forgotten his mobile phone at the hospital in his haste. The phone was likely picked up later by Li Xiaohao or Hou Dayong, who then impersonated Old He to answer the call I made during the traffic jam. Their goal was to attract my attention, so that once I learned of Old He and my sister's disappearance, I would focus my search on Old He. This would lead me to meet Hou Dayong at the Public Security Bureau and follow their prearranged plan: to go to the funeral parlor to confirm the bodies, and then proceed from there to the Sea of the Departed Souls, using the Blood Kin Compass to track the whereabouts of my sister, Old He, and Li Xiaoshu.

After tracing this entire sequence of events, I couldn't help but give Li Xiaoshu a thumbs-up. He had always been the model student, the top performer in school. This elder brother of his, the "Ming Brother," was quite like Zhuge Liang—adept at strategizing and maneuvering. It was just a pity that such a sharp mind was applied to crooked paths, causing no small amount of harm.