Seeing Qin Yanping's unusual expression, Fang Yuan knew she'd guessed right. This was her first time experiencing sleepwalking, and she wasn't sure how to handle it.
The simplest solution, of course, was to wake up the other girls in the dorm, tell them that Qin Yanping had nearly strangled herself while sleepwalking, and then report it to the school.
However, doing so would be too cruel to Qin Yanping. Who would dare to live with her? Who would want to be her friend?
Qin Yanping was already a pampered only child, with no family around. Without friends, how could she continue to survive at Nanjiang Medical College?
Another option was to keep the incident under wraps, pretending it had never happened. But if Qin Yanping sleepwalked again, and became violent while doing so, harming the other girls, who would bear the consequences?
For a moment, Fang Yuan was torn.
Qin Yanping seemed to guess Fang Yuan's thoughts and pleaded with her, "Fang Yuan, please don't tell anyone about my sleepwalking, okay?"
Fang Yuan sighed. "Do you know what you did while sleepwalking?"
"What did I do?" Qin Yanping said innocently. "I really don't know what I did while sleepwalking."
Qin Yanping noticed Fang Yuan's grim expression and her constant rubbing of her neck. As if realizing something, she whispered, "Did I do something terrible while sleepwalking?"
Fang Yuan nodded and stared at Qin Yanping silently for several seconds before answering, "You almost strangled me!"
"What!" Qin Yanping said in disbelief. "Fang Yuan, you said I almost strangled you?"
"Yes," Fang Yuan said slowly this time, her words clear. "You almost strangled me while sleepwalking. I still have the marks of your nails on my neck."
Qin Yanping's eyes blinked as she looked at Fang Yuan suspiciously, seemingly in disbelief. But Fang Yuan's expression was so serious, not a joking gesture at all. Fang Yuan wasn't Tao Bing'er; she wasn't one for jokes, coming across as calm and elegant.
Qin Yanping had no choice but to believe it.
She felt a little aggrieved, "I don't know how this happened. Actually, the last time I sleepwalked was many years ago..."
Qin Yanping wanted to continue, but Su Ya, who slept on the upper bunk, seemed to have been woken by their conversation and said coldly, "Can't you guys even let me sleep? You're grumbling incessantly in the middle of the night!"
After being interrupted by Su Ya, Qin Yanping couldn't continue. She didn't want Su Ya to know about this.
Fang Yuan naturally didn't want to ask any more questions. "Well, let's talk tomorrow if you have anything to say. It's too late now, let's go to bed."
The two of them, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, went to bed.
Qin Yanping tossed and turned in bed for a while, then fell silent, presumably asleep.
Fang Yuan closed her eyes and leaned sideways, seemingly drifting off into a dream. In reality, her mind was tense, and she wasn't asleep at all.
She was afraid that if she fell asleep, Qin Yanping would sleepwalk again and hurt the other girls.
Fang Yuan's heart raced, and she drifted off into a daze until dawn.
After dawn, she relaxed a little, sleepiness set in, and she quickly fell asleep.
Fang Yuan was sound asleep when Tao Bing'er shook her awake.
Fang Yuan was a little annoyed, "Don't wake me!"
She turned over, wanting to go back to sleep.
Tao Bing'er showed no sign of stopping, and pulled her out of the warm bed. "Fang, lazybones! Are you still sleeping? Look at the time!"
Fang Yuan rubbed her eyes. The sunlight outside the window shone brightly, blinding her.
"Ah, so late?" Fang Yuan glanced at the alarm clock, startled.
"We've already had breakfast. Are you going to class this morning?"
"Yes, why not?" Fang Yuan said, frantically getting dressed and getting out of bed.
"Hurry up!" Tao Bing'er giggled. "I didn't expect you to be the sleepiest person in the dorm. I always thought it was Qin Yanping!"
Tao Bing'er's mention of Qin Yanping stirred Fang Yuan's heart. "Where's Qin Yanping? Where is she?"
"She just got up. She's probably still in the bathroom washing up."
As she spoke, Qin Yanping walked in in slippers. Her movements were shaky, and her face was still a little pale.
Tao Bing'er noticed this and asked, "Qin Yanping, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Qin Yanping forced a smile. "I think I didn't sleep well last night. I'm feeling a little dizzy. I won't go out this morning and rest in the dorm."
"Then you should get some rest. Take care of yourself. Your health is the foundation of the revolution," Tao Bing'er asked Fang Yuan. "Fang Yuan, you won't end up like her, will you?"
Fang Yuan glanced at Qin Yanping, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm fine. I'll be back soon. Wait for me, we'll go to class together."
It was daytime now, and Qin Yanping had only been sleepwalking. Fang Yuan thought she had plenty of time to consider how to handle this matter. No matter which method she used, there would be pros and cons. She had to weigh the pros and cons and choose one.
Qin Yanping suddenly said, "Fang Yuan, will you stay with me for a while?"
Fang Yuan was stunned. Qin Yanping wanted to keep her. Did she have something to say to her alone? Was she trying to beg him not to tell anyone about her sleepwalking, or was she hiding something else?
Tao Bing'er was growing impatient. She glanced at the alarm clock and grimaced. "Ah, I'm going to be late! I won't be with you two lazy bums anymore. I'm leaving now!"
Fang Yuan and Qin Yanping were the only two left in Dormitory 441.
Qin Yanping walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
She faced Fang Yuan, head bowed, and remained silent for a long time, seemingly hesitant.
Time slipped slowly, and after more than ten minutes, she finally spoke: "Fang Yuan, there's something I've kept secret for a long time, and I've never told anyone."
Qin Yanping's face was filled with pain, her nervous system under immense strain. Clearly, the matter she was harboring was so terrifying that even the thought of it brought her unbearable pain.
"Fang Yuan, promise me you won't tell anyone, okay?"
Fang Yuan couldn't bear it. "Then just stop talking and slowly forget about it, okay?"
"No!" Qin Yanping said firmly. "I'm going to tell you! I've kept this secret for eleven years. I've had enough of these eleven years!"
Qin Yanping didn't care whether Fang Yuan agreed or not and turned the conversation straight to the secret.
"Eleven years ago, I was only six years old and lived with my parents, grandparents, and parents. I was the only daughter in the family, so they naturally pampered me and obeyed my every whim. I remember how happy I was then. I had all the family's love in me. They rarely scolded me, let alone hit me. They bought me anything I wanted, and the house was filled with my toys and snacks. I was young and didn't understand anything. I would throw a tantrum at the slightest displeasure, crying and making a scene. In the end, they always gave in.
"That summer, my uncle and aunt brought Wanwan to visit me. Wanwan was a little boy, my uncle's only son, two years younger than me. He was only four at the time, but he was even more domineering than I was. As soon as he arrived, he tried to snatch my favorite toy. Of course, I refused, and he bit me. In a fit of rage, I hit him a few times, which caused him to burst into tears, attracting my parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. He told them I'd bullied and hit him. My grandparents sided with him, and even my parents wanted me to apologize. Of course, I wasn't convinced. He'd been the one to start the fight, so why were they demanding an apology? Furthermore, once he arrived, everyone in the family favored him and obeyed him in everything. I felt like an unwanted child. Instead of apologizing, I called him a liar and told him he'd die a miserable death. My father got angry and beat me severely. That was the first time I remember him hitting me.
"This incident ended with me crying my heart out. The next day, everyone else was out, leaving only Mom cooking in the kitchen. Wanwan and I were alone in the living room. I ignored him, but he came up to me with a lecherous look on his face, asking me to play. Of course, I refused, but he ended up snatching every toy I wanted. I couldn't stand this kind of humiliation. I endured it again and again, but finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. I suddenly rushed over and hit him. He was caught off guard and was thrown back, out the door, headfirst, and tumbling down the stairs."
At this point, Qin Yanping paused, folded her arms across her chest, and trembled slightly, as if the scene she was describing had just happened.
Fang Yuan asked, "How is Wanwan?"
"He—is—dead—" Qin Yanping uttered these words with difficulty, her teeth chattering. Tears welled up, and she sobbed uncontrollably.