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Chapter 72 - Chapter 8: Unable to Wake Up 7

Fang Yuan didn't move.

She didn't dare move. For some reason, a cold sweat broke out all over her. She clutched her notebook tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on the door.

She faintly heard a cat meow.

Oddly enough, after the meow, the sound of the key turning suddenly stopped.

The key was pulled out of the keyhole, and the footsteps began again, still faint, fading away.

After the sound had died down for a long time, Fang Yuan let out a long sigh, cold sweat dripping down her forehead.

Who was this person? Why did he come here? And why did he leave so suddenly?

A series of questions weighed on Fang Yuan's mind, and she regretted that she should have chased after him.

Fang Yuan hid Xiao Jing's notebook and slowly walked out of Xiao Jing's room. She gently opened the door and peeked outside. The library was empty. The "Suspended" notice was already up. The administrator had long since gone home.

Could that person just now be the administrator on duty? Fang Yuan hoped it was him, otherwise, she didn't know how to explain what had just happened.

Fang Yuan almost fled from the library.

She didn't know that, in the shadows behind her, a pair of blue eyes stared at her eerily.

The medical school cafeteria had long since closed. Fang Yuan bought a pack of instant noodles at the small shop downstairs and returned to girls' dormitory 441. Xu Zhaodi was still sleeping soundly, and it was unclear how long she wanted to sleep. Su Ya hadn't returned yet. She hadn't seen her all day, and it was unknown where she had gone. Her stomach was growling with hunger, but Fang Yuan didn't care and boiled some water to make some instant noodles.

At ten o'clock, the lights-out whistle sounded, and the lights in the medical school went out one by one. Su Ya finally returned to her dormitory leisurely. She was surprised that she was still wandering around alone at this time, like a lonely ghost.

Before falling asleep, Su Ya glanced at Xu Zhaodi, who was covered in the quilt. A subtle sneer flashed in her eyes. Fang Yuan guessed that she found Xu Zhaodi's sleeping posture unsightly. Fang Yuan observed that Su Ya was somewhat of a germaphobe. She used to be the most frequent showerer in the dorm. Furthermore, no matter how late she returned, she would carefully wash her face and feet before going to bed. Her bed was forbidden to be touched by other girls in the dorm. It wasn't just her bed; she hated touching anything that belonged to her, as if the slightest touch would contaminate it.

She naturally had no idea Xu Zhaodi was in a bad mood. Fortunately, she didn't make any other moves, and the dorm remained relatively peaceful that night. Fang Yuan slept soundly until dawn.

After dawn, when Fang Yuan finished washing and was about to go out for breakfast, Xu Zhaodi hadn't yet emerged from her bed. Concerned, Fang Yuan gently lifted the quilt from Xu Zhaodi's head to check.

Xu Zhaodi was sound asleep, breathing softly through her nostrils, the air condensing into a white mist.

Fang Yuan felt Xu Zhaodi's forehead and found she didn't have a fever. Reassured, she tucked her in and left with peace of mind.

During class, Fang Yuan felt uneasy, a constant feeling that something terrible was happening, but she couldn't figure out what. She felt like she was dancing on the edge of a knife, ready to be shattered beyond repair. Furthermore, Xu Zhaodi hadn't appeared the entire morning.

Could something have happened to Xu Zhaodi?

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became, and she had no time to concentrate on class.

As soon as class was over, Fang Yuan rushed back to girls' dormitory 441. She opened the door and saw Xu Zhaodi still asleep!

Why was she still sleeping?

She had slept for over ten hours since yesterday afternoon, and she hadn't eaten a single grain of rice during that time, which was somewhat unusual.

"Xu Zhaodi, wake up!" Fang Yuan called softly.

Xu Zhaodi's breathing remained even.

"Get up, Xu Zhaodi!" Fang Yuan raised her voice.

Xu Zhaodi was still completely unaware.

"Wake up, Xu Zhaodi!" Fang Yuan, anxious, leaned into her ear and shouted, shaking her body.

Xu Zhaodi hadn't woken up yet!

Fang Yuan was stunned. Such a loud noise should have woken Xu Zhaodi, no matter how soundly she slept, but she was still asleep!

What was going on?

Fang Yuan didn't hesitate and immediately called the school infirmary.

The medical staff arrived quickly, but like Fang Yuan, they couldn't wake Xu Zhaodi no matter what they did.

Xu Zhaodi had fallen into a deep sleep and was unconscious!

She was taken to the hospital affiliated with the medical school. After a thorough examination, the doctors came back with shocking news—Xu Zhaodi had become a vegetative state!

Fang Yuan couldn't believe it!

How could someone, perfectly healthy, become vegetative?

They tried everything, including shouting, acupuncture, and electric shocks, but she wouldn't wake up.

The doctor told Fang Yuan that Xu Zhaodi's brain now only retained the functions of her lower central nervous system, limited to breathing, digestion, and excretion. She couldn't even perform the most basic movements of eating. Her higher central nervous system was completely paralyzed and in a state of stagnation. Unless someone could awaken her higher central nervous system, she would remain in this half-dead state.

"How could she have become like this?" Fang Yuan's heart broke. Xu Zhaodi was her last friend at the medical school.

"Generally speaking, a vegetative state is caused by brain injury, or by drowning, stroke, asphyxia, or other conditions that result in cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, leading to neurological decline. We've examined her, and she hasn't suffered any trauma to the brain, nor has she drowned or had a stroke. Neurological decline is even less likely. The only possibility is brain hypoxia from asphyxia."

Fang Yuan thought of Xu Zhaodi sleeping. "Doctor, she's been covering her head with the blanket since returning to her dorm. Could that be the cause?"

"Maybe!" the doctor said vaguely.

But how could that be possible? Simply sleeping with your head covered could cause brain asphyxiation and result in a vegetative state? Fang Yuan remembered that as a child, she often covered her head to sleep, and nothing happened.

"Doctor, are you really saying this is possible?" Fang Yuan asked earnestly. "She's my good friend, and she has no relatives here. Like me, she came from the countryside to study at the medical school, with the dream of becoming a doctor of exceptional skill and high moral character. And now she's become like this! Doctor, please, tell me the truth."

The doctor glanced around, making sure no one was nearby. Then he sighed and said, "Actually, I'm also surprised and perplexed. This is the strangest case of vegetative state I've ever encountered. Even in sleep, the person is still conscious. She covered her head and slept soundly, but if she felt difficulty breathing, she would wake up naturally. This is the first time I've encountered someone who suddenly became vegetative without any external trauma or accident."

"So, doctor, you can't be sure why Xu Zhaodi became vegetative."

The doctor, a little embarrassed, pushed his glasses up, and said, "Don't worry. I'll consult with domestic experts on this subject to see if there's any precedent. There's always a way to diagnose it."

Even so, his tone made it clear he wasn't sure. It seemed this intractable case had stumped him, too.

Fang Yuan knew no further questioning would reveal the answer, so she left the affiliated hospital feeling depressed. Autumn had deepened, and the grove at the medical school had lost all its leaves, leaving it bare, like a collection of wind-dried old men, their branches gnarled and mottled. The dead leaves rustled beneath her feet, and the air was filled with a faint scent of decay.

Fang Yuan wandered aimlessly through the grove. Tired of walking, she simply sat down on the ground, staring blankly at Girls' Dormitory 441. The soil in the grove had a fishy smell, mingled with the carcasses of decaying insects. Occasionally, an autumn breeze blew, sweeping up the fallen leaves from the ground. The fallen leaves drifted through the air, like a dancer performing their final dance.

At that moment, Fang Yuan wished she were an idiot. At least, an idiot's world was simple, happy, and easily satisfied. The creatures of the grove—the trees, flowers, insects, and birds—were far less intelligent than humans, yet they were always happy and perceiving the world to their heart's content.

And why, as the most intelligent creatures, were humans less happy than them?

Suddenly, Fang Yuan didn't want to think about anything. It was already midday, and the sun was still blazing. Fang Yuan reached out to touch the pale golden sunlight. It danced between her fingers, but it lacked its usual warmth and even carried a hint of chill.

It was so cold! The occasional passing autumn breeze startled all the trees in the grove.

Just then, a figure in white casual pants approached Fang Yuan and stopped. Fang Yuan lazily raised her head and saw Su Ya.

Su Ya was holding some incense, candles, and paper money. Her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.

Why was she crying?

Su Ya hadn't shed a single tear over the deaths of Qin Yanping and Tao Bing'er, so why was she sobbing?

What Su Ya said next shocked her even more: "Fang Yuan, can you go somewhere with me?"

Su Ya, always cold and arrogant, actually asked Fang Yuan to accompany her? Where was she going?

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