She's Crazy, I Love Her - Chapter 23

Accident.

No two words in the world could convey such utter helplessness.

A fire sparked by an electrical fault, a runaway heavy truck bearing down on her, a landslide on the mountain road, even a billboard shaken loose by a gas explosion blocks away—any of these could render all her efforts and struggles utterly futile.

Qi You had long since exhausted her primal, cornered-animal fight, yet moments of absurdity still struck her, making her doubt if any of this was real.

Chi Yue was fake, death was fake, the electronic voice in her head was fake.

She was merely dreaming, her physical body still lying on a hospital bed in a mental institution, sedated and drifting into slumber.

“What… what did you just say?”

A puzzled voice sounded in her ear.

She heard it, but she couldn’t grasp the words.

Chi Yue leaned closer, asking with cautious concern, “What’s wrong?”

Her dark, clear eyes gazed at Qi You, brimming with innocent, rippling spring water.

Qi You reached out with her cigarette-holding hand to touch Chi Yue’s eyelashes. The brush-like texture tickled her fingertip.

If…

If I were to gouge out those beautiful eyes with my fingers…

Bl00d would bloom across her porcelain face, blossoming into a grotesque yet alluring flower.

Chi Yue flinched slightly away from the approaching cigarette.

Qi You withdrew her hand.

When Qi You brought the cigarette to her lips again, she crushed the menthol capsule in the filter. She took a deep drag, the icy mint flavor mingling with the nicotine as it surged into her nasal passages and down into her lungs.

She exhaled softly, gray-white smoke billowing from her mouth and nostrils.

Her taut nerves were barely contained.

Qi You pressed the cigarette against the railing, the glowing ember slowly extinguished under the pressure, turning to black ash that drifted down in a soft rustle.

Then, her gaze settled calmly on Chi Yue. “Aren’t you sleeping?”

“I—” Chi Yue’s animal-like intuition made her flinch slightly. She stammered, “I’m going back to sleep now.”

But she added, “What about you? Aren’t you sleeping?”

Qi You tilted her head. “Sleeping.”

With that, she reached for Chi Yue’s hand.

When Chi Yue’s hand wasn’t tensed, it was soft, warm, and remarkably comfortable to hold.

Chi Yue froze for a moment at the gesture, but said nothing, obediently following Qi You inside.

Qi You didn’t release her hand. She led Chi Yue to the trash can to dispose of the cigarette butt, then continued walking toward the exit.

Confused, Chi Yue tugged slightly. “Aren’t we going to sleep? Where are we going?”

“The bed’s dirty,” Qi You replied. “We’ll sleep in the other room.”

Chi Yue opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She had only stained a small spot on the duvet near the foot of the bed—it wouldn’t affect their sleep.

The two women crossed the small living room to the other bedroom.

Chi Yue had never been in this bedroom before. Like the rest of the villa, it was spacious and decorated in a muted palette of deep grays, exuding a sense of understated elegance, stability, and even a hint of austerity.

The bedding was a deep navy blue, so dark it almost appeared black.

A mirror stood at the foot of the bed.

The next afternoon, Qi You noticed Chi Yue was feverish. Her temperature had risen above 38 degrees Celsius.

Qi You shook Chi Yue awake.

Still groggy, Chi Yue tried to burrow deeper under the covers at the sight of her. Qi You had to tug her out with some effort.

“You have a fever,” Qi You said. “Does anything hurt?”

Chi Yue blinked for a moment, then mumbled, “My waist, legs, back, head, neck…”

“Anything else?” Qi You pressed.

Chi Yue pressed her lips together, tears welling in her eyes.

Qi You gently stroked her cheek. “I mean internal injuries, like a ruptured ovarian cyst or gastroenteritis.”

Chi Yue thought for a moment. “No,” she said.

“Alright,” Qi You said. “Then you can take some fever reducers first.”

Chi Yue remained silent.

When Qi You returned with the medication, Chi Yue’s face was flushed crimson, her lips dry and peeling.

Qi You poured hot water and brought it to the bedside.

Chi Yue ignored her, now more awake than when she’d first woken up. Her hair lay disheveled across her shoulders, and she didn’t bother to adjust the thin straps of her nightgown, which had slipped down to her elbows. She sat up in bed, glaring fiercely at Qi You.

Perhaps due to the fever, her pitch-black eyes shone with an unnatural brightness. As she stared, large tears began to fall silently, one after another.

“Take your medicine,” Qi You said.

Chi Yue’s tears only intensified.

Qi You wiped away her tears and repeated, “Take your medicine first.”

Chi Yue pursed her lips.

Qi You handed her the capsules and held a glass of water to her lips. “It’s not too hot, just lukewarm.”

Chi Yue swallowed the pills and drank from the glass, her hand resting against Qi You’s. Qi You’s index finger still bore a faint, reddish tooth mark, clearly visible against the smooth, translucent bone beneath.

A memory flashed through Chi Yue’s mind: the force with which that finger had pressed against the back of her tongue—

She pushed the glass away, mumbling, “I’m done.”

Qi You took the glass back, but then gently pinched Chi Yue’s cheek with her other hand. “Open your mouth.”

She made Chi Yue stick out her tongue and checked beneath it to confirm she had swallowed the pills before releasing her.

“Get some sleep after taking the medicine,” Qi You said. “You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

“But I don’t want to stay here anymore. I’m sick,” Chi Yue said, seizing the opportunity to grab Qi You’s hand. “Can we go home?”

“You still have a fever,” Qi You replied. “Let’s wait until it breaks.”

“I want to go home now.” Chi Yue gripped her hand tightly, her dark lashes clumped together with tears. “Qi You, you can’t do this to me,” she protested.

She had called Qi You’s name like this last night too, her voice rising and falling in a mix of pleasure and pain. Now that she had started, she seemed to have lost all restraint.

Qi You leaned down, meeting her gaze directly.

Chi Yue’s body was burning hot, even her eyes seemed feverish, like glowing embers radiating heat.

Chi Yue glared at her, her expression a mix of resentment, anger, and vulnerability.

Yet she remained strikingly beautiful, her beauty thin and fragile, as if she had exhausted it.

This was how she truly shone: thoroughly ravaged, marked with bruises, slightly haggard, yet overflowing with spring-like sensuality.

Qi You gently touched the natural curve of Chi Yue’s eyes and said, “Don’t throw a tantrum.”

“I’m not throwing a tantrum.”

Qi You merely hummed in response, smoothing the strands of hair that had stuck to Chi Yue’s face and neck from sweat.

Chi Yue pursed her lips slightly, then suddenly asked in a small voice, “Qi You, were you happy yesterday?”

Qi You paused briefly, glancing at Chi Yue.

Chi Yue released her grip.

Chi Yue retreated under the covers, unwilling to look at her anymore. Yet her body was covered in Qi You’s fingerprints, and every breath carried Qi You’s scent.

The tears she had barely managed to suppress earlier now welled up in her eyes again.

It’s because I’m sick that I’m crying, she thought. It’s because I’m sick that I feel so ashamed and miserable.

The medication’s effects proved stronger than her emotions, gradually capturing her consciousness.

Chi Yue’s sleep was restless, her brow furrowed as if the mirror would reappear the moment she closed her eyes, reflecting her lying supine in perfect detail.

Her neck was restrained, her head hanging over the edge of the bed, the ends of her hair swaying on the carpet.

In the mirror, she saw a stranger: wanton, impassioned, soft-voiced, uttering seductive words—

That’s not me, she thought. That’s another Chi Yue, one completely controlled by Qi You.