Qingshan Mental Hospital

Neurology Department

A 180 cm tall, 200-pound man was continuously stuffing snacks into his mouth.

While eating, he calmly recounted the experiences from his dreams.

"Dr. Zhang, do you believe in parallel worlds?"

"In my dreams, there is someone who looks just like me and is also named Li Xuan. He lives on a planet called Water Blue Star!"

"Two months ago, in the year 2056 of Water Blue Star, something happened that caused the temperature to drop drastically. In just one day, snow covered the entire city!"

"No one expected that this was the arrival of an apocalyptic disaster!"

"Overnight, the entire planet seemed to fall into an Ice Age!"

"The temperature plummeted to minus 70 degrees Celsius!"

"The terrifying cold wave froze countless people into ice sculptures!"

"In my dream, I was a fat guy who liked to stockpile food at home. Because of this, I survived a whole month of the Ice Age and even lost 30 pounds!"

"Finally, the cold wave ended, and just when I was ecstatic, an even worse disaster struck!"

"Meteor showers fell from the sky, and the high temperatures turned the entire city into a burning inferno. I saw the woman I secretly admired for years burned to death before my eyes!"

"For the next month, I experienced earthquakes, tsunamis, acid rain, typhoons, volcanic eruptions... everything!"

"The whole world collapsed. No water, no electricity, food spoiled, and the water was polluted..."

"For two whole months, I don't even know how I survived. I ate roots, tree bark, rats, cockroaches..."

"Those disgusting things made me gag!"

"Turns out, a person can really live without any dignity. The once beautiful class monitor, who used to look down on me, actually offered herself just to get a moldy piece of bread..."

"Just last night, I dreamed of a zombie outbreak. The dead, infected by some unknown virus, turned into zombies!"

"I hid in a dark basement, enduring hunger and loneliness like never before!"

"I don't know if there are any other survivors in the city!"

"Now, the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that when I fall asleep, I can indulge myself in eating as much as I want, enjoying all the food in the dream!"

"Just like now!"

Li Xuan stuffed a piece of chips into his mouth and savored the taste.

Dr. Zhang listened patiently to Li Xuan's narrative.

"So, you're saying that in your dreams you often suffer from hunger, which causes you to overeat when you wake up?"

"I heard that in the past two months, you've gained 60 pounds?"

"This is a photo of you from two months ago. You looked pretty handsome, but now... you've turned into this!"

Dr. Zhang compared Li Xuan's two-month-old photo with his current appearance.

It's hard to deny that, two months ago, Li Xuan's looks could rival those of top celebrity stars.

But now, he was fat like a pig, his appearance ruined, and his mental state deteriorating.

He seemed unable to distinguish whether he was dreaming or living in reality.

"This situation is a bit complicated!"

Dr. Zhang quickly jotted down a diagnosis on the report: "Schizophrenia, severe delusional disorder."

"Dr. Zhang, it seems like you don't believe what I'm saying!"

"The reason I suspect that when I sleep, I travel to a parallel world is because every dream I've had over the past two months has been continuous!"

"Each time, it's the same apocalypse, the same environment. I can even clearly remember the relationships of the people in that world!"

"If it was really just a dream, the world in my dreams should be chaotic and inconsistent. It wouldn't be so clear in my memory, and certainly wouldn't be the same dream for two whole months!"

"This is completely unscientific!"

Li Xuan made this assertion firmly.

Dr. Zhang adjusted his glasses.

"Li Xuan, your condition is a bit complicated. To be honest, I recommend that you be hospitalized for observation."

"I'm not sick!"

"Of course, every mental patient thinks they aren't sick."

"You might have overactive imagination or maybe you've been reading too many web novels. It's normal to dream about things you think about during the day!"

"How about this? I'll prescribe you some medication to help ease your mental state. As for your overeating problem, you'll need to control it yourself."

"Okay, thank you, Dr. Zhang!"

"Next!"

Li Xuan took the diagnosis and walked out of the department.

His girlfriend, Feng Zixuan, was waiting for him outside.

Normally, Li Xuan would never go to a mental hospital for treatment, but he couldn't resist Feng Zixuan's threats.

"Let me see!"

Feng Zixuan snatched the diagnosis from him.

"Schizophrenia, severe delusional disorder?"

"You really have a mental illness!"

"Li Xuan, let's break up!"

Feng Zixuan said coldly.

"Zixuan, you..."

"There's nothing more to say. Let's part ways amicably!"

"I never minded you being a poor loser, because at least you were good-looking, and I didn't feel embarrassed bringing you out!"

"But now look at you, you've become a pig. You have neither money nor looks—what am I supposed to get out of this? Should I just be with someone who's mentally ill?"

Feng Zixuan mocked him without mercy.

Although her words were harsh and realistic, Li Xuan knew his problems were serious.

"Zixuan, give me one more chance. I'll start losing weight from now on. Give me a few months, and I'll definitely slim down!"

"We've been together for three years. You should know how I've treated you during this time!"

Three Years Ago

Li Xuan and Feng Zixuan were both freshmen at Jiang University.

That year, Li Xuan was eighteen years old. On the very first day of university, he was approached by six senior girls asking for his contact information.

At the freshman welcome party, Li Xuan sang a cover of "Actor," using his talent to captivate the entire audience and gain priority in choosing a partner for the next four years.

He was immediately crowned the "Most Handsome Freshman" at Jiang University.

He was good-looking, could play basketball, and could sing.

It was on that night, after the welcome party, that he met Feng Zixuan.

Under Feng Zixuan's intense pursuit, Li Xuan quickly fell for her.

First of all, Feng Zixuan was indeed very beautiful—slim, pure, sweet, with an elegant figure that made her irresistible.

Secondly, she had a way with men.

At first, Li Xuan was moved by Feng Zixuan's gentle and understanding nature, which made him fall deeply in love.

But after a few months together, Feng Zixuan began using deep psychological manipulation on him.

She would belittle his talents, attack his shortcomings, constantly say that he had no money, while simultaneously claiming that she would never look down on him because of his poor family background.

"Other boyfriends buy their girlfriends Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel bags on holidays, but I'm the only one willing to suffer with you. Even if you only buy me a 1,000 yuan bag, I'll be happy."

"Even without those luxury bags, I still love you."

Her envious eyes made Li Xuan feel guilty deep inside.

Over the three years, Li Xuan cut off all social ties with female classmates.

On WeChat, there were no female friends except for Feng Zixuan.

He deleted contacts with high school friends.

He deleted contacts with middle school friends.

He even deleted his cousin.

He was afraid that Feng Zixuan would get angry.

Feng Zixuan had an extremely strong possessiveness. She didn't allow Li Xuan to have any contact with other women, even if it was just talking to a classmate. If he did, she would be angry for an entire day.

She would constantly check Li Xuan's phone, but she would never let Li Xuan check hers.

She didn't allow him to add female classmates on WeChat, but she would freely add senior male students.

Even with such double standards, she always had an excuse to justify her actions.

Three years had passed, and the once "Most Handsome Freshman" had been completely tamed by Feng Zixuan.

He was almost completely obedient, turned into a "puppy" who would do anything for her.

But the more he gave in, the less satisfied Feng Zixuan became.

The more dissatisfied she was, the more Li Xuan would try to please her, forming a vicious cycle where he kept losing himself.

And today, Feng Zixuan coldly brought up breaking up.

Had three years of their relationship really meant nothing?

"Li Xuan, when are you going to grow up?"

"It's been three years. We're no longer those freshmen who just entered university. We're almost graduating!"

"Have you thought about your career plan? Graduate school? The civil service exam? Or getting a job?"

"Do you know how difficult it is to find a job now? How serious the competition is?"

"I used to not care about economic conditions and was willing to be with you without hesitation, because we were young. But now we're about to enter society. Do you know how many years you'll need to work before you can afford a house?"

"You have no connections, both of your parents are gone, and now you've even developed a delusional disorder. I see no hope in you!"

"Let's break up."

"You've already wasted three years of my youth. Do you know how precious a girl's youth is?"

"You're too selfish!"

"Am I… selfish?"

Li Xuan mumbled to himself.