Chapter 16 Days

The days passed, neither hurried nor slow, for three more days.

During these three days, Xu Qinglang was busy looking for a new shop. This long-abandoned commercial center had already seen two deaths. Setting up shop here again would be nothing short of asking for trouble. He had asked Zhou Ze for his opinion on whether he would be willing to move with him; he could help Zhou Ze find a new storefront as well. Zhou Ze's response was noncommittal.

On the one hand, Zhou Ze didn't place much importance on the liveliness of the area around the bookstore, but on the other hand, without Xu Qinglang's concocted juices, eating would become a problem again.

Another thing happened during these three days: the police found suicide notes in both Mr. Chen's and Miss Liu's homes, as well as their wedding photos.

However, the wedding photos were in black and white, and the content of the suicide notes was even more incomprehensible to ordinary people.

They had agreed to commit suicide together in a terrifying way, ending their lives. In their suicide notes, they apologized to the other members of the Horror Story Lovers Association for the trouble and investigation they caused, and stated that this was the real horror story.

They had met because of their love for "horror," so naturally, they had to prove their love in the most "terrifying" way possible.

This news also spread online, causing a public outcry and reigniting discussions. Many influential bloggers once again wielded their whips, criticizing horror and suspense films and novels, saying, "Look, this is what misleads people; these things should be banned."

But in reality, it was ancient love stories like Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai that should be banned, because these stories glorified the theme of suicide, leading to countless imitations in later generations.

The woman named Tang Shi had been staying on the second floor. After her injuries were taken care of, she waited for three days. Zhou Ze finally came to her and told her that he had done what he promised, and now it was her turn to fulfill her conditions.

"Those two people, they really committed suicide, right?"

Tang Shi was still lying there, wrapped in bandages, looking like a female mummy. There was really no way to be concerned about aesthetics; her original injuries were just too severe and too numerous.

"Yes," Zhou Ze nodded.

"I sensed it when they were playing the Ouija board game," Tang Shi's eyes looked at Zhou Ze. "At the time, I thought it was very interesting. They wanted to see a ghost, but they didn't realize that the owner of the bookstore they were in was a ghost, and a ghost messenger at that.

"In fact, on the first night, when that woman was preparing to jump off the building, I manipulated the white dress on my body to try to stop her, but her mind was made up, and I was very weak, so I couldn't stop her. She still jumped."

Zhou Ze didn't speak.

"Ignorant men and women always think that death is a very beautiful thing, but I guess they are now regretting their actions in hell. Hell is a very terrifying place, enough to make most suicide victims regret their own stupidity."

Saying that,

Tang Shi paused, and then continued, "You are much luckier than us; you haven't experienced the true terror of hell."

"Let's get down to business," Zhou Ze reminded her.

"Your heart, right?" Tang Shi asked.

"Otherwise?"

"Do you feel like your heart is gone?"

Zhou Ze nodded.

"But it can't be gone. There are many incredible things in this world, but generally speaking, there is still a line balancing things.

"For example, my injuries, you can also see that those messengers who ran out of the underworld, they left things like black feathers, mercury water, and paper talismans on my body. Their image is very mysterious and high-end in the eyes of ordinary people;

"But in reality, it's like even a goddess has to use the toilet. Putting aside the mysterious veil of them being able to enter and exit hell, they are actually very ordinary.

"Even, they are far from having the mountain-moving and sea-filling abilities of those characters described in so-called superhero movies or cultivation novels.

"Of course, I'm not confirming that no one has this ability, but I'm sure that the existence with this ability can't leave hell."

"So, what exactly are you trying to say?" Zhou Ze asked.

"About the matter of you losing your heart, you told me that you shouldn't be able to eat, right? Like us, I've seen you eating with extremely sour and sweet drinks to barely swallow it down these past few days."

Zhou Ze nodded.

"But you said that when you ate your own heart, you didn't feel the slightest discomfort, and even felt that it was a little delicious."

"You mean, what I ate wasn't actually my heart?

"No, I wasn't eating anything substantial at all."

Zhou Ze quickly understood and continued:

"Eating, the dining table, the knives and forks, they are all fake, all illusions."

Tang Shi nodded slightly. She seemed a little tired, but still spoke:

"Even the most mysterious and terrifying existence doesn't have the ability to make withered bones grow flesh, let alone turn decay into magic and dig out a heart from a body while maintaining its vitality and the same activity as before.

"So, you should be hypnotized, a very advanced hypnosis, a hypnosis that you can't escape from yourself."

"Hypnosis?"

"Yes, hypnosis. The eating environment, the other party's every word, every action, are all giving you psychological cues. Otherwise, why didn't he just pick up some firewood by the roadside and have a barbecue with you?"

Zhou Ze nodded. In fact, Tang Shi's words coincided with his own previous guesses in many places.

For example, every time he made a choice that violated his current interests, his chest would always hurt, but as long as he endured it for a while, he could still continue with the original choice.

Because he subconsciously believed that he no longer had a conscience, he would always remind himself after doing anything that started from the point of "conscience":

Oh, I shouldn't do this, and then it would hurt.

It's like a person who has experienced hardships in childhood and left psychological trauma, and then seeing similar things or scenes will still cause physical and mental discomfort.

"Then I'll go see a psychologist?"

"I know a very powerful psychologist; he can help you solve the problem," Tang Shi said.

"That one?" Zhou Ze naturally thought of who it was.

"As long as he can come back alive, he can solve your problem."

"Who knows where he's run off to now?"

"He didn't run away," Tang Shi corrected. "He went to find them."

The topic came to an end here. When Zhou Ze was about to go downstairs, Tang Shi said again:

"Can you call up that female zombie?"

"What for?"

"Let her sleep with me."

"I'll go ask her if she agrees."

Going downstairs, Bai Yingying was sitting behind the counter playing a mobile game. Zhou Ze ignored her and didn't ask Bai Yingying for her opinion on behalf of the woman upstairs. He walked directly out of the store and hailed a taxi.

Psychologist, he really knew an excellent one.

Last time, Wang Ke had said to him that he wouldn't look for Zhou Ze again in the future, but if Zhou Ze needed anything, he could look for him.

He really hit the nail on the head.

It was already eleven in the morning when he took a taxi to the entrance of Wang Ke's villa. Zhou Ze rang the doorbell.

The door was opened, and Wang Ke, wearing pajamas, appeared at the door. Seeing that it was Zhou Ze, he was stunned for a moment, then motioned for Zhou Ze to come in.

The house was filled with the aroma of meat; there must be meat stewing in the kitchen.

"Have some with me?" Wang Ke suggested. "I just bought some big bones; they've been stewing for a long time. I remember when we were in the orphanage, it wasn't easy to have a meat meal."

Zhou Ze shook his head. "I don't have much of an appetite."

"It's okay, then have some soup. By the way, you're looking for me, is there something you need?"

"I was hypnotized, and the person who hypnotized me told me that I don't have a conscience anymore. Now, I want to get my conscience back," Zhou Ze said straightforwardly.

Wang Ke frowned, a little uneasy and disturbed, and said:

"Last time I tried, I couldn't hypnotize you. You said that you can't fall asleep normally, so the most direct and effective method, I can't use on you. I can only take a roundabout way to see if it can have any effect."

"Let's try it."

The two came to Wang Ke's study.

Wang Ke changed into a formal suit and sat down behind his desk, then handed Zhou Ze a pocket watch.

"You use this to shake in front of me to try to hypnotize me. At that time, the two of us can achieve a kind of reverse psychological connection."

Zhou Ze didn't hesitate and directly started shaking the pocket watch in front of Wang Ke.

Wang Ke watched very carefully, and as he watched, he closed his eyes.

At the same time, Zhou Ze also felt a little tired, as if Wang Ke's "sleep" at this time had more or less affected him.

"Are you asleep?" Zhou Ze asked.

Wang Ke didn't answer.

"What's your name?"

"Wang Ke."

A very novel feeling. Zhou Ze didn't have much experience in this area, but at this time, it didn't seem like any experience was needed.

"You..."

Suddenly, Zhou Ze felt a blur in his vision. Dimly, he seemed to hear a man asking him:

"Do you think you need to have a conscience?"

Zhou Ze was a little dazed, but still said, "Doing good deeds may not be rewarded."

"So, deep down in your heart, you are actually very repulsed by your previous consistent behavior," the man's voice came again.

Next was a long conversation. Zhou Ze himself was a little confused, as if the conversation and questions and answers had nothing to do with him.

In front of him was a pot, simmering soup with big bones, the aroma was strong.

"Clang!"

The pocket watch fell from Zhou Ze's hand to the ground.

Zhou Ze slowly opened his eyes.

Wang Ke, behind the desk, also opened his eyes, his eyes bloodshot, looking very tired.

"Did it work?" Zhou Ze asked.

Wang Ke nodded, then shook his head, and said apologetically:

"Your problem is a bit complicated. In fact, the one who is really struggling with whether to have a conscience is still yourself. It may be that some recent events have loosened your original beliefs, and then with external forces pushing it, a knot has formed in your heart."

Hearing this, Zhou Ze nodded, thoughtful.

"By the way, did you ask me any questions?" Wang Ke suddenly asked.

This kind of hypnosis was mutual. In fact, Wang Ke was performing a superficial hypnosis on Zhou Ze, while Wang Ke had completely bared his heart to Zhou Ze.

"I didn't ask, because I only saw a pot of meat soup. Are you very hungry?"

"Yes, I'm hungry," Wang Ke nodded.

Immediately, Wang Ke pulled Zhou Ze to the kitchen and opened the pressure cooker, which was stewing pork ribs.

"Come, let's eat a little together, just to reminisce about childhood."

Zhou Ze suddenly felt a little unreal.

A wealthy psychology expert joyfully stewing a pot of pork ribs in his own home, this scene always felt a bit off.

Even, Zhou Ze felt a slight nausea and revulsion in his chest.

"I don't want to eat."

Zhou Ze subconsciously took a few steps back, retreating from the kitchen.

Wang Ke was single-mindedly preparing the dipping sauce, saying, "Have a little with your brother."

"You eat it yourself," Zhou Ze still refused, his eyes occasionally scanning the pressure cooker and the ribs constantly tumbling in the pot.

"Don't be polite, this is meat that I carefully selected, the taste must be very good," Wang Ke continued to invite.

"Where's your wife?" Zhou Ze asked.

Wang Ke's hand holding the dish suddenly trembled, his expression a little unnatural,

But he still said, "She went to get her hair done."

"Oh," Zhou Ze said noncommittally.

Then, Zhou Ze looked at the pressure cooker again.

The nausea and revulsion in his chest seemed to be intensifying.

"Husband, you're boiling meat soup again?" At this time, a woman's voice came from the entrance.

Zhou Ze turned his head, saw her, and suddenly felt a big weight lift from his heart.

I'm overthinking things.

"Yeah, this is just my hobby," Wang Ke said with a smile.

The woman walked to Zhou Ze's side and said helplessly, "It's incredible, right? The hobby of a psychology master is to find free time to boil a pot of meat soup for himself, even if he can't eat it at all, he still enjoys this sense of satisfaction."

"It's okay," Zhou Ze pursed his lips. "The conditions weren't good when I was a child, so I'm fulfilling my dream now."

"Come, have a bowl."

Wang Ke ladled out a bowl of soup, sprinkled it with minced garlic and scallions, dripped two drops of sesame oil, and added some white pepper.

Zhou Ze picked up the soup, hesitating whether to force himself to drink some,

But suddenly noticed that,

The woman standing next to him,

She was walking on tiptoes,

One step, two steps, three steps,

She walked to the pressure cooker, helping Wang Ke ladle soup, while exhorting:

"Eat more, don't waste it."