Chapter 70: Discharge
Gu Zhi took off her thin hospital gown and changed into new clothes, a white, women’s tuxedo that accentuated her fair skin and neutralized the allure of her eyes, giving her a capable and neat temperament.
She was very familiar with this corridor. She had been here for a whole year and knew almost everything about it. The walls were covered with traces left by other patients—scratches, ball marks… even bloodstains, things the nurses hadn’t had time to clean up.
A mental hospital was not a carefree place, but a gathering place for pitiful people who had lost the restraint of reason. Most of the people who were sent in were flawed.
Gu Zhi glanced at the room doors one by one and finally stopped in front of one. The door was ajar, and she could hear voices from inside.
…
“Mrs. Gu, please rest assured. The certificate I’ve issued is absolutely fine.”
“Hah, I hope so. If something goes wrong with this, I think you know the consequences.”
“I understand, I understand.”
…
Gu Zhi peeked through the crack in the door and saw the gray-haired old director bowing to the middle-aged woman on the sofa, promising something, his face full of flattery.
Gu Zhi recognized the woman. Her surname was also Gu, and she was her aunt. When she was admitted to the hospital, her aunt had accompanied her, personally sending her niece to the mental hospital, and then never came back.
She knocked on the door, the crisp sound interrupting the conversation in the room. The old director opened the door and his expression changed. He was stunned to see Gu Zhi outside the door and looked back at the middle-aged woman on the sofa.
“Oh, Gu Zhi, you’re all ready? Why so fast?”
The middle-aged woman reacted and quickly stood up from the sofa, her obese body waddling over to Gu Zhi. Her face was full of concern, and her greasy hand touched Gu Zhi’s cheek.
“You’ve lost some weight. It must have been hard for you during this time. I’ve been too busy and couldn’t find the time to see you. I heard you were being discharged today, so I pushed everything aside and rushed over.”
“Is that so? Then thank you, auntie. I missed you too.”
Gu Zhi lowered her eyes, a bone-chilling cold spreading through her dark pupils. She didn’t like being touched by others… she never had.
“What are you talking about? Your parents were pitiful people, they both passed away early. You’re all alone. Who else would I dote on if not you?”
“Auntie, is my old room still there?”
“Yes, of course it’s still there for you.”
“Then let’s go back quickly. Sorry to trouble you, auntie.”
A glimmer of light appeared in her dark eyes, splashing into a wave of surprise, making Gu Zhi’s tone sound a little eager.
“Right away. I’ll go get the car now. You wait at the door.” The middle-aged woman’s face was full of triumphant pride. She clapped her hands and left, her obese body wiggling, looking comical.
Gu Zhi watched the woman leave, a gentle and harmless smile still on her face.
…
After the Gu family’s patriarch retired, he liked peace and quiet and bought a large piece of land in the outskirts of Qingchuan to build a house for his old age. But things didn’t go as planned. The house was always lively. The patriarch’s descendants would travel all the way from Qingchuan to the outskirts to live there, just to be seen by the patriarch.
Later, the patriarch, tired of the noise, drove out all the adult Gu family members, only allowing the young grandchildren to live in the house. So those people would send their children to the house as soon as they were born. After all… if the grandchildren were favored, wouldn’t it be the same as them being favored?
But the Gu family’s patriarch doted on his granddaughter Gu Zhi the most, who had lost her parents at an early age. Perhaps it was because Gu Zhi’s bloodline was the purest, or perhaps because he felt sorry for his granddaughter being all alone.
Gu Zhi walked into the house and found that it was very different from her memory. The patriarch was a nostalgic person, and the house was filled with old objects. The grandchildren would complain all day, saying there was nothing to do for entertainment, and that staying in the old house was worse than being in prison.
But the house now was dazzlingly luxurious, like a palace where noble royalty once lived.
Gu Zhi didn’t pay much attention to this. The layout of the house was roughly the same. She went up the stairs to the second floor, looking for her old room. When she reached the door with the word “Zhi” engraved on the plaque at the end of the long corridor, her anxious heart finally settled down.
Her long, white hand reached for the doorknob and gently turned it. With the sound of the lock turning, the door opened. She looked inside with bright eyes, but the dust that fell from the doorframe made her squint. She took a few steps back, her white clothes stained with dust.
Gu Zhi held her breath and entered the dark room, fumbling for the light switch on the wall. The room was instantly flooded with light, but the light in her eyes dimmed, returning to its usual gloomy state.
The room was empty, except for a few messy tables. Gu Zhi walked in silently on the intricately patterned carpet. The air was filled with the pungent smell of dust, and she could even faintly see cobwebs in the light. It was a stark contrast to the luxury outside.
Gu Zhi walked to the bookshelf and ran her hand along the shelf, her fingers covered in dust. But fortunately, the books on the shelf were untouched, quietly placed there. It was just that they hadn’t seen the sun for a long time, and the paper had turned yellow and brittle.
“Oh, why are you walking so fast? I can barely keep up.”
The fat woman followed her into the room, panting, and wiped the oily sweat from her face.
Gu Zhi flicked the dust from her fingertips and looked at the few thick iron chains lying in the corner. They hadn’t rusted at all after so long. She turned around and asked, “Where is Xiao Chan?”
“What Xiao Chan?” The woman frowned, the wrinkles on her forehead deepening, her forehead shining with oil. She seemed to suddenly remember something. “Oh… you mean those animals? We threw them out when we were renovating the room. If you still want to keep them, go buy some more. There are plenty in the pet market.”
“But didn’t you say… the room was still reserved for me?”
“Oh, look at my memory.”
The middle-aged woman slapped her hand and smacked her thick, bright red lips. “I’m doing this for your own good. Don’t come back to the family house anymore. The patriarch is not in good health and needs to rest. I’ve found another place for you.”
“Where?”
“Not in Qingchuan. I’ve found a place for you to live alone. After all, you’ve been in a mental hospital. If you go back like this, the family will gossip. I’m afraid you won’t be able to take it. Don’t worry, I’ll send you money every month. As much as you want.”
Gu Zhi didn’t say anything more. In her family’s eyes, she was just a submissive doll, to be manipulated… never to say no. No wonder… how could a doll speak?
“Then before I leave, can I go see Grandpa?”
“Of course, of course. You can go now. It’s been so long, your grandfather will be happy to see you.” The middle-aged woman smiled brightly, her blood-red mouth grinning widely, as if she were about to eat someone.
“After you see him, I’ll send you over in a few days and arrange a job for you. No one there will know you’ve had a mental illness. You should start living a good life. Your parents will be happy to see that from heaven. Actually, you can go to other places too. Just don’t stay in Qingchuan, to avoid being seen by the family and causing trouble.”
So that’s how it was. First, they branded her, then they sent her away, like a criminal branded on the face and exiled to the frontier in ancient times.
So everyone thought she, Gu Zhi, was a madwoman. But they weren’t wrong. She was indeed a madwoman, one who would bite anyone who came near her, swallowing them whole, flesh and all.
Gu Zhi licked her dry lips, the saliva moistening them a vibrant red. She smiled, not saying anything more.
