Chapter 16 Sleepwalking

"Ding ling ling--"

The third alarm at twelve thirty rang, and Zhou Yexin barely woke up from her dream. She yawned and struggled to turn off the piercing ringtone that had been vibrating under her pillow for several rounds.

Sunlight streamed in from the window; it was already noon.

What the hell?

She had actually slept for twelve hours straight... and still felt tired all over.

Zhou Yexin tried hard to perk up, quickly washed up, and set off, arriving at Mian Yu Zhe close to two o'clock... As she climbed the stairs, she faintly sensed something was wrong. It seemed unusually lively upstairs today.

"Doctor Gu, thank you... thank you..."

A middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes, looking grateful, vigorously shook Gu Shen's hand. "You're really incredible... I haven't closed my eyes for days... I've transferred a thank you fee of ten thousand yuan. It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."

Besides this gentleman, there were several... customers... in the cubicles on the second floor.

Three or four were lying face down, completely motionless, and one or two were sleeping in a boisterous manner, snoring loudly enough to sound like thunder.

Zhou Yexin looked utterly astonished, even wondering if she had come to the wrong place.

What was going on?

"Excuse me, excuse me."

A voice urged from behind. A well-dressed lady carrying a bag and hiking up her skirt hurried up the narrow stairs to the second floor in high heels, her face breaking into a smile the moment she saw Gu Shen.

She took out a red scroll from her bag... and unfurled it with a flourish.

"Doctor Gu, this is the silk banner I ordered last night... it just arrived today." Jiang Wan smiled, "What do you think? Do you think it'll look good hanging here?"

Zhou Yexin was dumbfounded.

After everyone had dispersed, Gu Shen pulled Sister Xin aside to a relatively quiet place to be alone, and he explained succinctly.

"After you left last night, the clinic had some guests... and then several more came this morning... I didn't expect you to oversleep today, so I went ahead and attended to them... that's pretty much it..."

After listening, Zhou Yexin remained in a daze for a full minute.

It took her a long time to digest what Gu Shen had said... then she looked at him with a complicated expression.

"You're saying that suddenly, several insomnia patients came..." Sister Xin said strangely, "They haven't rested for days... but you cured them all... do you know hypnotism?"

"Um... I guess you could say I do..."

Gu Shen murmured to himself, "It's just that my hypnotism isn't quite the same as the psychological hypnotism you understand."

"In any case... the matter has been resolved."

He didn't tell Sister Xin about the mass insomnia.

Gu Shen didn't know... that in Zhou Yexin's eyes, he was already a monster-level rookie.

Zhou Yexin couldn't help but rub her forehead, muttering to herself.

Was this really just an intern?

If he opened a psychological clinic next door, wouldn't he be trying to steal their business?

After just one night, people were already sending silk banners.

"Good... very good..."

Zhou Yexin smiled, "I guess I've found a treasure."

Although her mood was a bit complicated, she was generally quite gratified.

She went to the main hall, looked at the silk banner, proofread it, straightened its position, and clicked her tongue. "Doctor Gu, miraculous healer. The slogan on this banner is concise, but upon closer inspection, it seems to have a profound meaning..."

Only then did Gu Shen notice the slogan on the silk banner that Jiang Wan had sent.

He paused, his expression turning strange.

He had helped Jiang Wan retrieve her lost dream... if that was considered a miraculous healing...

"Huh."

Gu Shen suddenly frowned. He stared at Sister Xin's back, his eyes gradually becoming serious.

His mental power had just shown signs of trembling.

Sister Xin was showing the exact same supernatural aura as those insomnia patients...

"Sister," Gu Shen asked, "Did you go back with Qu Shui last night?"

"Yes..." Zhou Yexin paused, and said, "She lives near Litchi Bay, so I gave her a ride."

"On the way, did you encounter any strange people?" Gu Shen gestured, "All in black, wearing a hat, tall, thin, and hunched over."

"Hiss..." Zhou Yexin rubbed her brow, and said with a wry smile, "Now that you mention it, it seems like I did encounter someone like that, it feels vaguely familiar, but there are so many people in Dadao, there should be quite a few people dressed like that. I didn't sleep well last night, I don't know if my memory is accurate."

Hearing this answer.

Gu Shen already had a rough guess in his mind.

Last night, Sister Xin didn't have insomnia, she just didn't sleep well... it was probably the result of the pocket watch on her person resisting the Su Mu stone carving.

But after all, she was just an ordinary person. After encountering the sealed item, she had already been branded.

"What are you asking this for?" Zhou Yexin turned to look at Gu Shen, complaining softly, "Being asked like that makes me feel a bit scared..."

The moment she turned her head.

She saw a wisp of burning shadow appear between Gu Shen's brows.

"This is..."

Zhou Yexin's eyes were a little dazed. The pocket watch ticked once, and the daze in her eyes was about to dissipate.

Having treated several insomnia patients in a row, Gu Shen felt resistance during the hypnosis phase for the first time... Sister Xin's mental strength was obviously stronger than theirs, and coupled with this sealed item, it seemed to be protecting her.

"Rest assured and enter the dream. I am not a bad person."

Gu Shen spoke softly, this time his voice containing his mental power, with hypnotic effects.

This sentence was more like saying it to the pocket watch than to Sister Xin.

Tick.

The pocket watch stopped resisting.

Zhou Yexin slowly closed her eyes, and with Gu Shen's support, sat down in a chair and fell into a deep sleep.

Uprooting nightmares, clearing imprints.

And incidentally absorbing... a wisp of supernatural source matter from the sealed item.

Gu Shen had already become very skilled at this series of operations. After absorbing several wisps of supernatural source matter separated from the Su Mu stone carving, Gu Shen felt that his Burning Fire power had increased by nearly one-tenth in total.

Although it was only as thin as a strand of hair, it was still a gratifying improvement.

Sister Xin should sleep for a while longer.

After finishing all this, Gu Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to rest... there was a knock on the door.

"Another sleepless patient has come calling..."

Gu Shen opened the door, but was stunned.

A weak little girl, pitiful and pale, with dark circles around her eyes.

"Qu Shui?"

He didn't expect Qu Shui to return so quickly.

"Doctor Gu... I... I've come for another treatment..."

Qu Shui's voice was tearful, "The situation didn't improve after the last treatment... I couldn't sleep all night last night... can you help me take a look?"

Gu Shen stared at the girl. After looking for three to five seconds, he sighed, "Come in."

The girl was like a small animal afraid of being abandoned. Hearing Gu Shen's words, she felt as if she had received an amnesty and cautiously slipped in.

Just as Gu Shen was about to close the door.

A slender, powerful hand suddenly reached out from the crack in the door, grabbing the gap.

A hoarse voice came.

"Can you help me... take a look too?"

Qu Shui hid behind Gu Shen, cautiously pinching the corner of Gu Shen's clothes, looking at the door, her little face suddenly turning pale.

Without knowing when, a thin, hunched man was standing outside the door.

He was dressed in black, with the brim of his hat pulled low, making it impossible to see any of his face.

But his voice was as dry as white silk, squeezed out from his chest little by little.

"I also... can't sleep..."