Chapter 380: Wang Sunxu’s Three Dreams

On June 29th, Tao Yueyue was staying over at a classmate’s house, giving Chen Shi the perfect opportunity to get cozy with Lin Dongxue as soon as they entered the apartment.

As they kissed passionately on the sofa, Chen Shi suddenly noticed a pair of pink women’s panties on the cushion. Silently cursing, he quickly balled them up and stuffed them into his pocket.

When he looked up, he saw KK standing behind the curtains with a creepy grin, waving at him. Glancing towards the bedroom, he spotted another set of eyes peeking out from the partially open door.

Chen Shi was furious and wanted to kill someone. He quickly scooped Lin Dongxue up and said, “How about taking a shower first?”

“Since when do you care so much about cleanliness?” Lin Dongxue asked, blushing.

“It’s not that. I forgot to buy some essentials. I’ll run out quickly and grab dinner too. What do you want to eat?”

“Pizza sounds good!”

“Come on, you can aim higher. I’ll get you some grilled fish with lychee. Just relax and play with your phone after your shower. There’s fruit and drinks in the fridge.”

Lin Dongxue hugged him and said, “Come back soon.”

Once Lin Dongxue was in the bathroom, Chen Shi immediately dragged KK and Sun Zhen out. Pulling out the incriminating panties, he whispered angrily, “Are there more of these?”

“Just that one,” KK said, laughing.

Chen Shi shoved the two miscreants out the door and scolded, “Are you trying to get me killed? Who let you in?”

“Don’t be mad. We’re conducting a study on your emergency responses. I’d say you handled it pretty well, right, Xiao Chong?” KK chuckled.

Chen Shi was so angry he wanted a cigarette.

Sun Zhen said, “Did you forget about tonight’s team-building activity? We decided to hang out at your place.”

Chen Shi felt like he was losing his mind. “I said it’s at the end of the month, June 30th. Are you both stupid?”

“My idea of the end of the month is today,” Sun Zhen insisted.

“Come on, Gu Da Jie is already here. She says she has an important discovery,” KK added.

Chen Shi sighed, pulled out his phone, and ordered takeout, specifying delivery in an hour. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

KK smirked. “Or we could wait here for five minutes. Can you last that long?”

“Want to die!?” Chen Shi barked.

Seeing Chen Shi was truly angry, KK finally toned it down.

The three headed to Chen Shi’s temporary apartment, where Gu You was reading a file and sipping coffee. KK shouted, “Gu Da Jie, hurry up! Chen Ge needs to get back to his wife!”

Gu You smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were busy today.”

“Could you respect other people’s privacy?” Chen Shi asked. “By the way, how did you get past my alarm?”

Sun Zhen said, “Part of the study. I overrode the alarm. Don’t worry, it’s back to normal now.”

Chen Shi thought, in a way, he should thank them. If they could break in, so could Zhou Xiao. He needed to upgrade his home security. But he wasn’t about to thank these two pranksters.

Gu You handed him a document. “Let’s keep it brief. Remember Wang Sunxu?”

“Yeah, Zhou Xiao’s crazy fan. What’s this, a dialogue novel?” Chen Shi noticed the document was filled with dialogues marked M and Z.

“It’s a psychological evaluation record. A college friend of mine is a counselor in the prison. He says Wang Sunxu has strong self-preservation instincts, violent tendencies, and obsessive thoughts. Apparently, he attacked several cellmates, even stabbing one’s eye with a sharpened toothbrush.”

KK remarked, “A death row inmate with nothing to lose.”

“Have you ever been in prison?” Sun Zhen asked.

KK grinned. “Of course not. I’m a perfect little thief. Never been caught… mostly because I work alone.”

“Enough!” Chen Shi snapped.

Gu You continued, “Wang Sunxu wouldn’t talk about his childhood but shared three dreams with his psychologist. I think Wang Sunxu met Zhou Xiao at some point. Understanding these dreams might reveal Zhou Xiao’s true identity.”

“Cool!” KK clapped. “Like that show ‘Detective Freud.’”

“Let me read it first,” Chen Shi said, diving into the document.

Wang Sunxu’s First Dream:

“I dreamt I was walking in a dark world. As I walked, I saw a pebble on the ground and kicked it. The pebble turned into a little person, with their head sticking out, crying. Annoyed, I kicked their heads off, laughing. Then a furry monster, like a werewolf with blood on its mouth and claws, chased me. Terrified, I ran.

“As I ran, more little people sprouted from the ground like bamboo shoots. I had a sudden urge to eat their heads. Each head I ate made me grow, turning me into a werewolf. I thought I could fight the werewolf, but it slashed my belly open, and the little heads I ate spilled out, singing. Then I woke up…”

Psychologist’s Note: The patient still suffers from severe bedwetting. Dreams involving blood or water trigger this response.

Wang Sunxu’s Second Dream:

“I dreamt I was walking in a desert, extremely thirsty. Suddenly, a tropical rainforest appeared ahead. Monkeys chattered and ate big, juicy fruits, taunting me. My throat was parched, and I couldn’t reach the fruit, so I threw stones at them.

“Eventually, I came to a grand, moss-covered church in the rainforest. Exhausted, I wanted to sleep inside. I saw an image of the Virgin Mary in a red dress. Kneeling to pray, the image burst into flames, spreading fire everywhere, even on me. Screaming, I ran out. The fire chased me, burning the monkeys in the trees. The fire grew until it consumed me, then I woke up…”

Psychologist’s Note: The patient’s childhood involved Catholic influences from his parents.

PS: The patient also bedwets when dreaming of fire.

Wang Sunxu’s Third Dream:

“I dreamt I was in a forest. I walked and found a cave. Inside, I saw a man tied up. He pleaded for help, but I ignored him. I looked around and found a sword. I picked it up and cut the man’s head off. Suddenly, the cave filled with water, and I swam to the surface, gasping for air. I woke up soaked in sweat…”

Psychologist’s Note: The patient displays severe violent tendencies and may use dreams to cope with repressed memories.

Chen Shi finished reading and pondered. “Wang Sunxu’s dreams are filled with violence and transformation. They could be the key to understanding his connection with Zhou Xiao.”

KK, clapping, said, “Detective Freud at your service! Now let’s crack this nut.”

Chen Shi’s phone buzzed with a reminder about the pizza delivery. He sighed. “Let’s get moving. We’ll delve deeper into these dreams after dinner.”