Chapter 631: Inside the Courtyard

Chapter 631: Within the Courtyard

In the pristine ward, Li Huowang raised a plastic cup filled with water before Wu Cheng and then held up the yellow-green pills in his other hand for display.

He swallowed each pill one by one, then lifted the cup to wash them down with water.

And this was not all. Li Huowang opened his mouth wide, moving his tongue up and down to show that he had not hidden any medicine.

Just as Wu Cheng finished his examination and prepared to leave, Li Huowang spoke, "Are these medicines expensive?"

"I can take more psychiatric drugs for your peace of mind, but that doesn't mean you can prescribe more costly ones just to make a profit off me like I'm some kind of sucker."

"Heh," Wu Cheng chuckled without reply.

"I'm not joking around. I know what I'm talking about. Private hospitals see this sort of thing all the time."

"Try not to be alone too much. Go out and walk around, get some sun, make new friends. That might help you get discharged faster."

Wu Cheng said this, then pulled a set of keys from the pocket of his white coat, bent down, and unlocked the shackles on his feet.

Feeling his legs regain freedom, Li Huowang's expression slightly brightened—a sign that his release was drawing closer.

After Wu Cheng left, Li Huowang also exited his ward.

Though he didn’t really want to listen to Wu Cheng’s advice, the single room at the psychiatric hospital contained nothing but a bed.

If he stayed here any longer, he would have no choice but to either stare blankly or sleep.

Stepping out into the corridor, it felt far livelier than inside the room. Although many patients still avoided him due to his "reputation," compared to before, things were much better now.

His fellow group members could now greet him naturally.

"Brother, heading to the main hall to watch TV? Titanic is on, they're about to show some nudity!" The young man with a buzz cut suffering from bipolar disorder shouted excitedly toward Li Huowang.

"No thanks, I'll go get some sun."

Li Huowang understood why people were so cheerful. His condition had stabilized recently, and discharge was imminent.

At the psychiatric hospital, only two things mattered most: family visits and discharge.

Li Huowang walked to the small garden behind the hospital, sat on the blue-tiled floor with eyes closed, quietly enjoying the warmth of sunlight falling upon him.

He silently savored this brief moment of tranquility. He didn’t wish to experience despair or madness; he wanted to enjoy life’s beauty.

But in the past, the world seemed to conspire against him, overwhelming him with endless misfortunes, leaving no escape. Fortunately, everything had finally passed.

As he relished this calm, a commotion broke out nearby. He opened his eyes and looked over to see several people in blue-and-white striped uniforms fighting over something.

Approaching, he saw a thin woman with a harsh face and a boy competing over an apple from a man who drooled with desperation.

"My! Mine!" The man struggled desperately. Li Huowang knew him—he was the so-called moderate idiot.

The boy suddenly exerted force, snatching the apple away, then excitedly took the thin woman into the building. But soon, he was blocked by Li Huowang.

"Give me the apple."

Seeing Li Huowang's hands cuffed with silver shackles, the boy trembled. He remembered this man—he had actually killed someone.

"Here... here... take it!" Trembling, the boy threw the apple into Li Huowang's arms and fled, abandoning his companion.

Li Huowang caught the apple steadily, glanced at its label, and learned the idiot’s name was Gao Jinyun.

He walked over to the idiot, who lay crying on the ground, wiping tears from his neck.

"Th... thank you, brother!"

Gao Jinyun was simple-minded. As soon as he got back the apple, he stopped crying and looked at Li Huowang with gratitude.

"The next time there's food, if you don’t want to be robbed, remember to smear saliva on it first. Got it?"

Seeing the boy nod repeatedly, Li Huowang stood up and walked toward the building, coincidentally meeting Zhao Ting, who suffered from depression, face to face. She seemed to have witnessed everything.

"Thanks for pitying him. Many people think he's stupid and bully him behind his back."

"I’m not pitying him. Someone who gets locked up in a private hospital for life must come from a wealthy family. I just couldn’t stand watching such treatment."

"This idiot’s family is rich? Then why haven’t they visited?" Zhao Ting quickened her pace to catch up with Li Huowang.

Although others feared him, after getting to know him, she found him surprisingly decent.

"Heh, what’s the difference between an idiot and a lunatic? Stupid people are divided into three classes just like us. Rich idiots live in private hospitals, poor ones in public ones. Those with no money or unwilling to spend will be chained by responsible staff, while irresponsible ones are left to scavenge garbage and fend for themselves."

Zhao Ting seemed to recall something from Li Huowang’s words, stopping mid-step, her expression filled with pain as she pondered.

Li Huowang didn’t notice and continued walking forward. He didn’t go to the lounge to watch TV; likely, the main hall was packed with people.

He wandered through the corridors floor by floor, carefully measuring every inch of the psychiatric hospital, observing this unfamiliar new environment.

There wasn’t much to explore in other wards or restrooms. Kitchens and doctors’ offices weren’t accessible, so Li Huowang ended up wandering into the intensive care unit.

The intensive care area wasn’t particularly large or small, yet the entire corridor was eerily quiet. Standing there, Li Huowang felt like he was inside a prison.

Approaching a thick door, he peered cautiously through the glass window with curiosity.

However, after looking around nervously, he awkwardly realized the room was empty.

He moved closer to the second intensive care room, but again, it was vacant.

"What’s going on? Could it be that Kangding only accepts mild or moderate cases? That would make the money easy to earn."

Just as Li Huowang turned to leave, a faint sound of knocking came from a distant ward.

"Hmm? Really someone there?" Surprised, Li Huowang looked over and slowed his steps toward the sound. As he approached, the knocking grew louder.

"Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!"

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Next chapter updates at 11:30 PM.

(End of Chapter)