Chapter 46#
Filming Completed, Final Farewells#
The minimum time estimated for the CI Project was two years, with no upper limit for the maximum time.
Dr. Zhang adjusted his glasses and asked, “Two days?”
He thought he had misheard.
Perhaps Mo Xuzhi had said two days.
Mo Xuzhi shook his head: “It’s two years.”
“I’m afraid not,” Dr. Zhang said. “I have to be responsible for every patient. Your current situation isn’t suitable for taking so much medication.”
He then smiled: “If you get better one day, wouldn’t buying so much medicine be a waste?”
Mo Xuzhi had roughly anticipated such a result and wasn’t surprised by Dr. Zhang’s refusal.
By then, he would have to find the doctor provided by the central authorities.
If possible, he didn’t really want them to know about this matter.
“How about this, I’ll first prescribe you two cycles’ worth. When you finish them, come find me, and we’ll do another examination.”
Dr. Zhang tore off a piece of paper, writing as he spoke, “Two cycles’ worth of Paroxetine… let’s exchange some information. My girlfriend and I are planning to get engaged; what about you? How have you been lately? Do you still feel like the world is illusory?”
Mo Xuzhi looked at his hand wrapped in gauze.
Except for being in the laboratory, he rarely had a fresh feeling of himself existing in a real world.
Compared to various praises or insults, physical pain could better give him a temporary sense of reality.
So he didn’t care about the insults on the internet and didn’t mind what others thought of him. Whether it was a misunderstanding or something else, as long as he felt it was unimportant or meaningless, he wouldn’t spare it a second glance.
During the previous time the glass shattered, a flying glass fragment happened to fall under his hand.
That moment of the glass embedding into his skin felt very real; he realized that this place was not a dream, nor an illusory scene he had imagined.
But it was only for that instant.
“Looking at your expression, there should have been some change.” Dr. Zhang smiled and handed the paper to Mo Xuzhi, saying, “Congratulations, you are slowly developing in a good direction. I’ve written the medicine on it; just go to the pharmacy to collect it.”
He probably said this to every patient.
Mo Xuzhi smiled and took the paper.
Two cycles would do; he’d think of other ways later.
One day’s leave wasn’t over yet, and Mo Xuzhi returned to the amusement park.
He wasn’t too late when he returned, just in time for the others drawing lots for the [Temporary Couples] on the final day.
The program crew even gave it a poetic name, calling it “Limited Heartbeat.” The other guests were beyond complaining.
It was still the old rule: drawing the same number meant being in the same group.
The result of the draw was without suspense.
Mo Xuzhi didn’t even open the slip of paper, half-lying on the sofa, looking at Du Minsheng.
Du Minsheng didn’t hide anything, directly spreading the paper slip open for him to see clearly.
The others also opened theirs one after another, the results having no novelty at all—exactly the same as the previous groups.
Shen Le held his own slip, turning his head to ask: “Brother Yun, what’s yours? Is there still a chance for us to be in a group and play together again?”
Luo Wenyun shook his sleeve, expressionless, and took out the paper slip held in his palm.
Unsurprisingly, he was in a group with Shen Le.
Du Minsheng glanced at Mo Xuzhi, then lowered his head, his sharp features showing a bit of helplessness and tension.
He was in a group with Mo Xuzhi.
Although it was just a program game, uncontrollably, his heart rate gradually increased until it reached an irrepressible level.
Mo Xuzhi noticed his gaze and also saw his slightly reddened ear tips.
Silent for a moment, Mo Xuzhi reached out and wiped his face.
After tonight’s filming task ended, Mo Xuzhi let Du Minsheng enter his room.
Someone saw it and wanted to gossip for a while, but after a few minutes, he came out again.
The next day was the final day of program filming.
The sun was very brilliant today, and all facilities in the amusement park were open. Although there were few people, there was still a joyful atmosphere.
Mo Xuzhi found Luo Wenyun at the first opportunity.
His physical and mental condition were very poor today, and he was often in a daze, but judging from the others’ reactions, he seemed to have performed well.
That was enough.
After the program aired, everything could end.
There was a group dinner after the first season finished filming, which all the program crew staff and guests attended. Mo Xuzhi declined it and left alone after the crew announced the completion of filming.
Perhaps seeing his firm attitude or for some other reason, the crew didn’t over-persuade him to stay.
The warm yellow sun tinged most of the sky, and even the nearby dark clouds were stained with a bit of light.
Mo Xuzhi stood in front of the car and turned back, saying to Du Minsheng: “We’ll keep in touch through WeChat later.”
Du Minsheng nodded.
He turned his head again, looked at Luo Wenyun, and smiled:
“Goodbye.”
Unlike before, he smiled very easily this time. Although his entire person still showed an irrepressible fatigue, his posture was very relaxed.
He had his back to the light, and the cool night breeze blew his unchanging white shirt, causing it to flutter forward continuously.
It was like a crossover between vigorous youth and decaying old age; he exuded an eerie yet harmonious feeling that was unfathomable and inscrutable.
It was as if he and they were from two different worlds.
Luo Wenyun watched the silhouette of the car merge into the rolling traffic and then disappear from sight.
Mo Xuzhi returned to Jingda. He returned to his dormitory to take a shower, then changed into clean clothes and went to the Academy of Sciences.
Everything was as it had been.
He took two pills, then put the medication into his pocket and placed it in a locker, locking it.
Wang Zhifeng was also in the office.
Mo Xuzhi put on his white coat as he walked and knocked on Wang Zhifeng’s desk.
Wang Zhifeng looked up, his gaze carrying the usual indifference and calmness of work.
Mo Xuzhi smiled at him.
“Long time no see, I’ve finished work.”
“Haven’t seen you for ten days,” Wang Zhifeng’s brow relaxed, and he also smiled. “Congratulations on finishing work.”
“Welcome back.”
When Mo Xuzhi left last time, he said he wouldn’t leave again after returning this time.
No more unstable factors; he truly belonged to the Academy of Sciences now.
Mo Xuzhi asked: “Is the work finished?”
Wang Zhifeng organized the materials on his desk. “Finished.”
He had been calculating and knew Mo Xuzhi would return today. He had finished processing everything this morning and had been doing some optional summary work from noon until now.
“Good then.”
Mo Xuzhi smiled, then looked around and saw the others still doing their respective tasks, looking incredibly serious, so he said, “To the lounge, I have something to show you.”
He looked to be in a very good mood.
Wang Zhifeng stood up and followed him to the lounge.
Just as they entered the lounge, a pink unidentified object pounced toward him.
Wang Zhifeng didn’t dodge, just stood there letting Mo Xuzhi act recklessly.
Mo Xuzhi hadn’t expected him not to resist at all. After accurately and ruthlessly putting the pink Patrick Star sleep mask on the other’s head, he couldn’t pull back his momentum in time and followed along, pressing against him.
Wang Zhifeng reflexively circled the other’s waist, took a step back, and his back hit the wall.
Due to Mo Xuzhi’s masterpiece, his eyes were covered by something, and he couldn’t see the current situation, but he could feel the person in his arms reaching out, presumably rubbing his own head.
Mo Xuzhi must have bumped into his shoulder just now.
His voice held a faint smile: “Hurt yourself, didn’t you? Will you do this again next time?”
Mo Xuzhi rubbed his head as he stood up, incidentally pulling the sleep mask up from Wang Zhifeng’s head as well.
His eyes regained light. As soon as Wang Zhifeng opened his eyes, he saw Mo Xuzhi with drooping brows, his hair rubbed into a mess.
He asked in a low voice: “Where did you bump?”
Mo Xuzhi pulled his hair aside for Wang Zhifeng to see, then quickly rubbed his hair again and said, “Here. It doesn’t hurt much.”
“Take it down and look; I specifically hand-picked it for you.”
Wang Zhifeng then took the unidentified object from his head.
Lying in his palm was a pink unidentified object.
He flipped it over; a pink Patrick Star was smiling directly at him.
He raised an eyebrow: “What is this?”
“A sleep mask, for use in the office… what are you looking at?”
Mo Xuzhi stopped halfway through his sentence. Wang Zhifeng followed his gaze and saw a crowd of people with faces full of gossip piled up at the entrance of the lounge.
They were a bit guilty: “Just… just looking around casually.”
Mo Xuzhi squinted and smiled: “Quite casual indeed.”
Wang Zhifeng stood aside without speaking, silently helping him smooth his hair, at least making him look somewhat like a dignified team leader.
With a head of messy hair, no matter what he said, it would seem different.
“No, well… that, the school anniversary. Right, the school anniversary. The school hopes the Academy of Sciences can also put on a performance. Last year it was Group Two, and this year it’s our Group One’s turn. We wanted to discuss it with you, Team Leader.”
“What’s there to discuss?” Mo Xuzhi raised an eyebrow. “Anyone with an interest can give it a try.”
“The point is, no one has that kind of interest.” The others tried their best to persuade him: “Team Leader, give it a try!”
Mo Xuzhi shook his head: “I’m accompanying a friend; I’ve already promised.”
He turned his head again and asked: “Want to try? I’ll definitely clap for you then.”
Wang Zhifeng didn’t speak; the others stopped him first.
They still remembered his legendary deeds.
It wasn’t that Wang Zhifeng hadn’t been before, but back then he was representing the Physics Department.
When he went on stage, the students below instantly boiled over upon seeing his face, and then he explained the current state of development and feasible future of contemporary physics to the students.
Later, whenever someone asked about that school anniversary, students would stare with a pair of dead fish eyes, “Oh, that physics lecture.”
Simply terrifying.
“Then there’s no other way. We’ll figure it out ourselves,” the others prepared to slip away, saying, “We won’t disturb you then.”
At the end, they gave Wang Zhifeng a wink, saying: “Keep it up, Professor Wang.”
They went out, incidentally closing the door thoughtfully.
Mo Xuzhi propped up his cheek and asked with some curiosity: “What exactly did you do? They’re so afraid of you going up?”
“Just went up and spoke for a bit… what’s going on?”
Seeing Wang Zhifeng’s previously relaxed features instantly turn wrong, Mo Xuzhi followed his gaze.
And then he saw the gauze on his own hand.
Careless.