Chapter 4: A Strange Feeling Creeps In…
Mǐ Qiū shook her head. She would sit this one out.
She had to continue her research on hypnotism and figure out how to further refine her techniques.
Although she had succeeded this time, her skill level wasn’t particularly stable yet. Each Sentinel would require multiple soothing sessions, but they couldn’t be too frequent.
The other three had all changed into wetsuits. Truthfully, Mǐ Qiū knew how to swim.
But she was limited to pools or shallow areas. The moment she entered deep water, she was useless, let alone able to dive. Large ocean waves made her feel dizzy, so she decided it was best to stay obediently in her room.
On the StarNet, she searched for information related to hypnosis.
To her surprise, one post mentioned her by name, and a whole discussion thread had been built up below it.
“Even though she’s an F-class Guide, I have to admit, Mǐ Qiū’s hypnotism is quite famous.”
“What’s the use of that hypnosis stuff, anyway? Could it possibly be better than a Guide’s spiritual soothing?”
“I think hypnotism is just a trick to hook up with men. It’s a scam. Anyone who believes it is a fool!”
“The feeling from hypnosis is mechanical, and there’s no real, visceral pleasure. It’s absolutely terrible!”
“Have you actually experienced it?”
“Of course. For a while, I was in even more pain. Although I was never treated by that Guide named Mǐ Qiū, I know some inside details of the industry. Most hypnotists are just half-assed quacks, and I doubt that Mǐ Qiū is any exception!”
The netizens on the StarNet remained skeptical about a Guide’s ability to perform hypnosis, and the various opinions were locked in a heated debate.
Mǐ Qiū paid little attention to the outside world’s comments about her. Her main concern was whether her practical application could truly and gradually purify the minds of these highly dangerous Sentinels.
Upon finding the false information about herself, Mǐ Qiū chose to ignore it. It was best to just be herself. She locked the screen.
Mǐ Qiū continued to jot down some thoughts on hypnosis in her notes, such as how to guide the Sentinel at the beginning and how to be more natural during the soothing process.
The sleepiness she felt earlier was now gone.
Mǐ Qiū wondered if she should go take a look at the Green Beach waters.
She arrived at Green Beach and took a walk along the shore. There was no one around; they must have already dived into the sea. She didn’t have a wetsuit and had no intention of going into the water, so she changed into a modest swimsuit that covered her entire body.
In the shallows, she could still feel the pleasant sensation of the waves lapping against her body. The sun was perfect at that moment, and sunbathing would have made her even more content.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but Mǐ Qiū groggily and comfortably drifted off to sleep…
When she woke up and opened her eyes again, she found herself surprisingly far from the shore. The sun was setting, casting a shimmering red glow across the surface of the sea.
The temperature in the water dropped suddenly, sending shivers through Mǐ Qiū’s entire body. Napping had really been a mistake. Without realizing it, the waves had pushed her out into the deep sea—
If she had known this would happen, she would have never, ever gone swimming here. Mǐ Qiū was in a complete panic, with no idea what to do. She thrashed her arms and legs, but then her leg suddenly cramped up!
It was probably because of her frantic splashing. Now she couldn’t even swim back if she wanted to. Who… who could save her?
Mǐ Qiū began to scream for help, but the sound of the waves was too loud, preventing her voice from truly carrying.
Gradually, Mǐ Qiū felt her strength failing. Her lower limbs began to feel slightly swollen. Her head, which had been bobbing above the surface, finally slipped under…
It felt like a century had passed.
Mǐ Qiū felt a warmth on her lips. Someone was breathing air into her mouth!
The sensation grew stronger. It wasn’t a dream; it was real!
The person giving her artificial respiration was Shěn Qīnghuái. Seeing that she was awake, his face, which had been close to hers, finally pulled back. But the distance between them was still minuscule. She once again saw that glint of gold flicker in the depths of his eyes. The gaze of a handsome man like this was always so full of affection that it could easily lead to misunderstandings.
Mǐ Qiū had swallowed water and coughed several times before the tightness in her chest finally eased.
Shěn Qīnghuái was in a wetsuit, the tight-fitting material outlining the contours of his muscles.
He swept her up into his arms. The next second, Mǐ Qiū felt her body become suspended in the air, and she instinctively searched for something to hold onto. A temporary handhold would be good. Subconsciously, Mǐ Qiū wrapped her arms around his neck. That was much better.
Shěn Qīnghuái was already walking onto the shore. Mǐ Qiū felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at her from behind him. She peeked discreetly and happened to meet his gaze.
She must have been exhausted from just regaining her strength to have imagined that Zhù Shāngchén was looking at her…
Being held by Shěn Qīnghuái like this, her whole body felt strangely stiff.
“Don’t force it. Your legs are weak. Relax.”
The moment he lifted her, he noted how light she was, like holding a heavy coat, requiring no effort at all.
Although the cramp in her left leg was gone, both her legs were still powerless. He was right, which was why he didn’t put her down.
Shěn Qīnghuái could clearly feel her trembling. He carried her back to her room as quickly as possible and helped cover her with a blanket. Mǐ Qiū looked at him and silently pulled the blanket up higher.
She peeked at him with just her eyes showing and said, “Okay, I’m fine now.”
A moment later, Shěn Qīnghuái brought her a cup of hot water and reminded her to drink it.
“Thank you! I will.”
Only after he had completely left did she wrap her entire body in the blanket. After cocooning herself in one, two, three layers, her body temperature finally began to rise.
Next time, next time I really won’t dare to fall asleep again, sob sob sob sob~~
She would never do something so dangerous again.
This island was originally uninhabited. It had a supermarket, a bookstore, convenience stores, and so on, all of which were fully automated. You could select your items and check out on your own.
After dinner, Mǐ Qiū still felt like she hadn’t gotten enough calories, so she ran to the island’s convenience store to buy some snacks.
No more instant coffee, though. Thankfully, there had only been one packet left, and Officer Hè had drunk it. Mǐ Qiū had no idea why the original owner liked to drink bitter, black coffee. She had no intention of buying it again. She browsed casually through the convenience store and picked out some other snacks.
Crispy pea pod snacks and colorful “star candies.”
Mǐ Qiū checked the packaging; the shelf life was six months. The star candy was a type of sour gummy. Then Mǐ Qiū also bought “Insect Mother” dried mango and spicy strips.
Carrying a large bag of snacks, Mǐ Qiū left the convenience store and couldn’t resist opening a bag of the star candy right away.
At first, she didn’t have high hopes for it. She thought it probably wouldn’t be very good, but the first bite completely amazed her! They were sweet and sour, star-shaped, and puffy. When she held one in her mouth, she could taste a multitude of rich flavors.
She had only bought the “Insect Mother” dried mango out of curiosity. It tasted a bit like meat jerky. When she chewed it carefully, it was actually quite fragrant and didn’t taste like real dried mango. Mǐ Qiū was now very satisfied.
After eating and drinking her fill, another exceptionally happy day came to a swift end. She let out a small burp. Actually, passing the time here was quite wonderful!
Mǐ Qiū returned to the wooden cabin.
She offered to share the snacks she bought. “I bought some things at the convenience store. You can take whatever you want.”
Shěn Qīnghuái leaned down, bringing his gaze level with hers, and asked, “Are you feeling better already? And you’re already out and about.”
Mǐ Qiū replied, “I’m perfectly okay. In fact, I feel uncomfortable if I don’t get out and run around. After a little walk, I feel refreshed and invigorated now!”
“Next time you need to buy food, we can go together.”
Mǐ Qiū said, “Sure! The convenience store here has lots of tasty things! I’ve tried some of them, so my opinion is quite valuable for reference.”
Mǐ Qiū suggested they all try the star candy. After handing them out, Mǐ Qiū went back to her room.
Shěn Qīnghuái tossed the small packet of star candy to Zhù Shāngchén.
He uttered only three words: “I don’t eat it.”
The candy Zhù Shāngchén left on the sofa ended up in Shěn Qīnghuái’s hands, who then popped it into his mouth.
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!!
Mǐ Qiū knocked on a door. Hypnosis sessions needed to be scheduled in advance. The door opened, but the room inside was pitch black, a situation where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.
Why wasn’t Hè Chí there? There wasn’t even a shadow of a person in the room.
The next moment, a white, silk-textured glove covered her lips…
A strange sensation began to creep in.
“Shh! Don’t disturb my little guys…”
A moment later, he calmly sat back down at his desk and turned on the table lamp. Hè Chí couldn’t help but sigh, “They look so lovely under the light!”
What was he doing?
If she wasn’t mistaken, with those delicate legs with what looked like invisible wings, and that black body with glossy green compound eyes—what could it be but an insect!
“A Fire-Figured Beetle. A dead specimen is perfect for making a complete model. I’ve already cut off its little finger for other experimental purposes.”
Thankfully, the light was dim because she really didn’t want to see the entire body of that bug clearly!
“I need absolute silence when I’m experimenting. It helps me concentrate.”
Hè Chí seemed to have no time for her at the moment, completely engrossed in finishing his specimen.
“Can you wait a moment?”
Mǐ Qiū grunted in agreement.
The man’s ankles were very slender, especially within the confines of his suit trousers, which gave him the vibe of a sophisticated scoundrel. Coincidentally, when he was making his specimens, he would also wear a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
Mǐ Qiū had never quite understood why he always wore gloves, so she asked him, intentionally or not.
Hè Chí gave a faint smile. “There’s no special reason. It’s just a habit, so I’ve always worn them. Also, I’m a bit of a clean freak. The smell of disinfectant, you see, puts me at ease.”
“Can you turn on the main light?”
Hè Chí replied, “Usually, if the main light is on, I can’t relax. This level of light is just right for experimenting.”
She used the dim yellow light to look around. The entire room was predominantly white, with cold instruments arranged on the upper right corner of the desk.
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