"Why is he here? Because of the realization that I was the one looking at him just now? Or is it a deeper reason?"
It had to be said that this surprise of opening the door really startled Lin Xianfu for a moment, and his pupils subconsciously contracted. But soon, he calmed down and pretended to be unconcerned as he lowered his head and said, "Please make way."
This was a clinic at the end of the corridor aisle, with waiting chairs on both sides, and Zhou Ruoxu stood on that side of the door, right in the middle of the aisle, blocking Lin Xianfu's path.
"Oh, sorry." Zhou Ruoxu's kind face hung out a smile full of apologies, "I'm looking for the professor inside for something, I didn't mean to block your way."
Coming closer, the smell Lin Xianfu smelled became even stronger, he felt like he was about to vomit, all supported by a tenacious will to keep his face taut to avoid being seen as a problem.
"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry, go ahead." Lin Xianfu spoke in a low voice, crossing over to his side to leave.
Zhou Ruoxu, who had made way, was about to push open the door to the clinic, but as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned back to call out to Lin Xianfu and said, "I heard a little bit of your conversation inside the doorway just now, so I'm really sorry for offending your privacy. However, what I am more concerned about is that you feel that your body is still in discomfort, right? "
Without waiting for the other party to respond, he used his free other hand to pull out a card from his pocket, handing it to Lin Xianfu's hand and saying, "If you need anything, you can contact me. I'll do my best to solve the problem for you."
The content of that card was read out by Lin Xianfu in a whisper, "XXX Southern Hospital, Deputy Director of the Anal and Intestinal Department, Zhou Ruoxu. The phone number is 18..."
"Uh, ahem, Dr. Zhou. I don't think the problem can be solved by the anal intestinal department."
Lin Xianfu's expression was about to become taut.
"No, no, no."
Zhou Ruoxu's reaction to this seemed to have been skillful for a long time, as he quickly turned the card over and pointed to the content on it, "Look at this side only."
"Expert in solving difficult human problems, Zhou Ruoxu?"
Reading the contents of the paper card, Lin Xianfu mistakenly looked up and locked eyes with Zhou Ruoxu.
"Please allow me to praise myself like this."
Zhou Ruoxu smiled confidently, "Although my regular position is the Deputy Director of the Department of Anus and Intestines, when it comes to the human body, there is no one who knows more than me."
"I see, I understand." Lin Xianfu made a gesture of carefully putting away the paper card, and looked at Zhou Ruoxu with a hint of excitement in his expression, "I'll think about it, thank you, Dr. Zhou!"
--If it wasn't for the stench on your body, I might have really believed it. An expert in solving difficult human problems? How does it look suspicious? Lin Xianfu, who was touched, said in his heart.
Zhou Ruoxu could not discover Lin Xianfu's thoughts behind his back. Hearing him say so, he was greatly relieved, smiled and quickly said, "No need to be polite, do my best to save all the patients, has always been my medical creed. If you are in discomfort, just feel free to come to me, just call the number above directly."
"Well then, let's set another appointment for another day. It's time to work now."
The two were very polite, using honorifics for each other and waving goodbye.
The card, then, was casually torn in half and thrown into the trash after Lin Xianfu took a big step out of the hospital door.
"Think of it how suspicious it is, and never look for him until it's absolutely necessary." At the very beginning, this was what Lin Xianfu was planning.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hospital.
Zhou Ruoxu, who came out of the clinic, was repeatedly chewing on Lin Xianfu's report that he had just "accidentally" seen in his mind.
"The state of the body organs is close to perfect, and the blood is healthy with no harmful cells. ...." Zhou Ruoxu pushed the rimless glasses on the bridge of his nose, but it was still not enough, so he had to lower his head, trying his best to hide the green light radiating from his eyes behind the flat glasses, to prevent being detected as abnormal.
"Lin Xianfu .... I'll look forward to our next meeting."
Just in case this patient casually threw away the paper card and refused to come to the clinic, Zhou Ruoxu skillfully recited in his mind the cell phone number that he had also "inadvertently" written down just now. .... If he refuses to come, then I will take the initiative to make an appointment with him! Never let this kind of prey escape from the hands! I will never let this kind of prey escape from my hands!
--
The next morning, Lin Xianfu went to work as usual.
Although the matter of carrying the current state to go to work is ridiculous to say, but there is no way, the laborer is like this.
If you don't go, there is no income.
To go to work and disguise as a "human being" like before, the first thing to do is to endure that lime-like smell and eat cooked food, while not being detected by others, which is really very difficult. But Lin Xianfu had no choice but to try to adapt.
The hunger that filled his body, after these hours of observation, Lin Xianfu carefully pondered and realized that it was more of a torture, it would stimulate his own desire, forcing him to "eat" to satisfy his desire.
--But if you don't fulfill this desire and pour cold water over your body from time to time, it doesn't really affect anything, leaving aside the spiritual level.
Well, at first, Lin Xianfu really thought so.
After returning from the hospital yesterday, Lin Xianfu had tried everything he could think of, but he still couldn't resolve the abnormality in his body. It was beyond his ability. And since it couldn't be solved, then he would have to get used to it. As of now, Lin Xianfu felt that the road to suppressing his beastly nature was quite smooth.
Until, that is, the accident happened, pulling him completely back to reality from his naive fantasies. It was a small pet surgery that happened on a Friday.
When Lin Xianfu skillfully used the veterinary scalpel to cut a bloody scar through the smooth flesh, and looked at the blood coming out of the shell, a sudden impulse surged through his mind, and layers of red ripples rose in his pupils, an impulse that was about to consume his sanity.
At the last moment he quickly closed his eyes. No longer looking at the blood. He just held the scalpel and froze in place.
Those around him looked at his state and tried to bring him back from his misplaced spirit with words. However, the glimpse of the party had caused the things that Lin Xianfu's eyes saw at this moment to be made up of countless shadows, anything that could not be characterized as an immaterial form, a subtle, bizarre state that was difficult to describe in words.
"Ah Fu!"
Steeply, a large hand suddenly reached over from the side and pinched Lin Xianfu's wrist.
Lin Xianfu, who was still in a bizarre state, subconsciously turned his wrist and broke free from that hand, while his shoulder slammed that way!
"Bang!"
"Ah!"
A miserable scream, accompanied by the exclamations of the bystanders, caused Lin Xianfu's consciousness to completely wake up, and opening his eyes, he saw Xu Youcai, who had fallen and sat on the sofa three meters away, rubbing his shoulder with his teeth bared.
Turning his head again, Lin Xianfu saw the fearful, mingled eyes of the people around him looking at him.
"Did you see that? He casually bumped and You Cai flew three meters away .... Is this something a person can do?"
All of their whispers were heard by Lin Xianfu. Knowing that it was not good, Lin Xianfu was unable to argue, he put down the scalpel and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, I was distracted just now... You, are you alright?"
Xu You Cai shook his head, seeing that the words of the people around him were a bit off, he hurriedly rounded up the scene, "I didn't see it, you're a kid with so much strength, a sudden sneak attack could send me flying three meters!"
He emphasized the words "sudden sneak attack", trying to downplay Lin Xianfu's weirdness.
"You guys go ahead and continue, I'll take him out to catch his breath, there are some things to talk about." Xu Youcai said as he pulled Lin Xianfu away.
On this Friday afternoon, the only unusual thing about this unusual but minor surgery was Lin Xianfu.
--
They exited the clinic and walked to the large tree at the entrance, stopping short when they couldn't hear the chattering words of the people in the clinic.
"Do you smoke?"
Xu Youcai fished out a pack of Double Happiness from his pocket and asked Lin Xianfu, who was sitting silently in a reclining chair under the tree.
"I don't smoke, thanks." Lin Xianfu politely replied back, and after a long moment of silence, he thanked again, "Thank you for rounding me up just now."
"You're welcome."
Xu Youcai lit one for himself, then grinned, "I stayed on the night shift with you and always left early, but didn't you never expose me? We take care of each other."
"Huh." Lin Xianfu laughed dryly, and didn't know what to say when he was frustrated.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward, and it was Xu Youcai who finally opened his mouth.
"Ah Fu, I've actually wanted to find a chance to talk to you for a long time. I don't know if you've noticed that you've been quite strange lately." Xu You Cai took a drag on his cigarette, weighing his phrases, "The most obvious thing is that the expression on his face when he eats, it's like he's eating shit."
".... It's actually not that exaggerated." Lin Xianfu couldn't open his mouth to explain the abnormality in his body, and casually said an excuse, "It's just that a cold made me lose my sense of taste, plus I have a bad appetite lately."
"Is that so?" Xu You Cai fell silent, guessing that he didn't want to explain, so he changed the topic, "And then there's the fact that just now, you took the knife and raised it to your chest, eyes closed and frowning, strangely frightening ...."
Originally so. Lin Xianfu thought, the original himself just now in the eyes of outsiders, is this performance?
If that was the only thing, he inexplicably felt relieved. This was simply far more ordinary than he had guessed.
Just now, when he saw the blood and his sanity was devoured, Lin Xianfu thought that he had become a monster, choosing to devour others.
In the face of Lin Xianfu's silence, Xu Youcai also did not know what to say, originally they were not very familiar with each other.
After quickly finishing the cigarette in his mouth, Xu You Cai patted Lin Xianfu's shoulder and comforted, "Alright, if you really feel unwell, go back and rest for a few days, I'll intercede with the boss."
"Okay, thank you." Lin Xianfu nodded his head.
After the conversation was over, Xu Youcai threw his cigarette into the trash can and waved his hand, "I'll go back then. If you're not feeling well right now, go straight home and I'll explain for you."
After saying that, he walked back to the clinic.
"Thank you, for telling me about the situation, it's equivalent to indirectly declaring that I'm not a 'monster'." Lin Xianfu looked at his back and sighed in his heart. --At the very least, not yet.
"Ding bell!"
Right at this moment, the ringtone of his cell phone rang in Lin Xianfu's pocket. He picked it up and glanced at it, recalling that it appeared to be the deputy director of the anal department... No, it should be called the "Human Difficulty Specialist" Dr. Zhou Ruoxu's phone.
Why is he calling? I didn't leave my phone number for him.
Without thinking deeply, Lin Xianfu answered the phone.
"Hello? Is this Mr. Lin Xianfu?"
Zhou Ruoxu's voice came from the other side of the phone, and after receiving a confirmed reply, he said, "It's been a week since we last met. How is it, are you still feeling unwell? How about we meet up?"
Thus, on the other side of the phone, Lin Xianfu fell into silence.