"Ancient General on Campus "

Section 5 Finding the Cause

Lin Ping, managing to control his emotions, gently comforted his wife in a low voice:

“Xiulan, don’t worry. Dr. Qin will definitely find a way to help us.

Besides… besides, maybe Xiaofei’s condition is still in the early stage, right, Dr. Qin?”

Dr. Qin was silent for a moment.

“What Mr. Lin said is correct. You don’t need to worry too much. However, this kind of mental disorder isn’t something that can be fixed with surgery or medication. What we can do is prescribe some sedatives and brain-nourishing medicines. But you must pay close attention to him regularly and notice if anything seems off in his daily behavior.”

Finally stopping her crying, He Xiulan slowly raised her head.

“No… Xiaofei always comes home in high spirits. There’s never been anything unusual.”

After thinking for a moment, Dr. Qin slowly said:

“Right now, he appears to be in a state of autism — he’s fantasizing that he’s living in ancient times, like the Song Dynasty, mentioning people such as Qin Hui, Yue Fei, and having slept for eight hundred years… This is most likely a product of his subconscious imagination. It’s a fairly typical form of escape psychology.”

“Then what should we do?”

He Xiulan asked anxiously.

“You need to find the root cause,” Dr. Qin said slowly.

“In other words, find out why he wants to escape. Is it because of academic pressure, or emotional setbacks in his relationships?”

Although Dr. Qin was not a psychiatrist, he had a general understanding of the psychological pressures modern students faced. Compared to his own generation, today’s students had far more material comforts but were also much more fragile. They couldn’t handle setbacks well. A tiny failure — failing to find a job after a few days or being rejected a couple of times — could make them feel as if the sky had collapsed, turning from “I can do anything” to “I’m worthless.”

Lin Ping looked at his wife with a blank expression. He was a quiet, reticent man who rarely communicated deeply with his son. If Xiaofei had any troubles, it was usually his mother who noticed.

But He Xiulan also shook her head.

“Xiaofei is grown up now. He doesn’t tell me much anymore. However…” She thought for a moment. “I saw his second-year transcript. It’s not outstanding, but he didn’t fail any courses either. And he’s not yet in his third year. Our family isn’t wealthy, but we’re not struggling. I don’t think he should be under much employment pressure yet.”

Nurse Xiao, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked:

“Then… could it be** (setbacks) in his romantic life?”

The image of Lin Yifei’s sharp yet desolate and confused gaze, along with his captivating tone, suddenly flashed through her mind. Nurse Xiao’s face flushed slightly. Although Lin Yifei’s head had been wrapped like a gourd when she first saw him and she hadn’t seen his face clearly, the photo in his medical file (brought later by his mother) wasn’t bad-looking at all.

Of course, when he was admitted, he looked like a gourd — only his Zhejiang Qing University student ID was visible. Fortunately, though his phone was smashed badly, the data inside was intact. Nurse Xiao had called through the contacts one by one until she reached his parents.

Among the contacts were names like “Da Niu” and “A Shui” (likely classmates), and one called “Xue Jun.” She tried calling them. Da Niu and A Shui picked up immediately and panicked when they heard about the car accident. But Xue Jun’s phone went unanswered, and no callback ever came.

Could it really be, as Dr. Qin suggested, a relationship issue — a conflict between them?

Judging from the photo, Lin Yifei was reasonably good-looking — just a bit delicate, lacking a strong masculine aura. Yet in person… he was completely different from the photo. That melancholic look in his eyes, that magnetic voice, and his 182 cm height… how could someone like that possibly have trouble pursuing someone?

He Xiulan thought for a moment.

“He does seem to have a friend… but I don’t like her. That girl named Xue Jun or something. I’ve only met her twice. Originally, his father and I wanted him to apply to a school in Beijing, but because of this girl who didn’t want to go far, he insisted on applying to Zhejiang Qing University here in the city — a fairly well-known national university. So he came here, and it’s already been two years. But I never really paid attention to what exactly was going on between them. Could it really be because of that Xue Jun?”

“Actually, this shows that you parents haven’t been paying enough attention,” Dr. Qin said, his tone carrying a slight reproach. But seeing their expressions, he softened and didn’t continue scolding.

“Finding the cause in this area is actually quite simple — just ask his classmates, or go directly to their academic advisor.”

“Who are you looking for?”

Nurse Xiao suddenly spoke up.

The three of them turned toward the door and saw two young men peeking in cautiously.

He Xiulan’s face lit up with surprise.

“Da Niu! A Shui! I was just thinking about finding Xiaofei’s classmates — I didn’t expect you to come here!”

She glanced at her husband.

“Did you notify them?”

Lin Ping shook his head. (In his mind: How could I have the presence of mind for that? And what good would notifying them have done earlier?)

The two boys at the door also looked pleasantly surprised. They quickly walked in, greeted He Xiulan with “Auntie” and Lin Ping with “Uncle.”

The one on the left was not tall but extremely sturdy — at first glance he looked almost square. You could imagine how strong he was. Stubble on his chin, freshly shaved but still bluish, big eyes, big face, always wearing a big smile — yet somehow he gave off the vibe of a rough, street-smart guy.

“Auntie He, it wasn’t Uncle Lin who told us. It was a nurse at the hospital.” He glanced at Nurse Xiao, saw her nod slightly, and said, “It was you, right?”

Nurse Xiao nodded.

“You’re the ‘Da Niu’ from Lin Yifei’s phone contacts?”

“Of course it’s me — Big Bull!”

He grinned. “Miss Nurse, what’s your surname?”

This nurse looked better and better the more he looked at her. From now on, if he caught a cold or something, forget the school clinic — coming here would be much better.

Big Bull…?

Nurse Xiao’s expression became a little strange. If not for being in front of family members, she might have laughed out loud. Were there really parents who named their son something like that?

“My surname is Xiao. Just call me Nurse Xiao.”

The corners of her mouth still betrayed a smile.

Seeing her expression, Da Niu became a bit embarrassed.

“Nurse Xiao, don’t misunderstand — it’s the character for ‘fighting’ (*), not cow dung (**).”

Every time he introduced himself, he had to explain this. He secretly resented his father for giving him such a terrible name. Still, since he and Lin Yifei were best friends, he was genuinely concerned about his condition.

“Auntie He, how’s Yifei doing? I rushed over as soon as I got the call, but I was delayed by something. I asked A Shui — he got the call too — so we came together.”

He glanced at He Xiulan’s face and sensed something was wrong.

“How exactly is Yifei?”

The one on the right was about the same height as Da Niu but much thinner — almost scrawny. He had a bit of a sneaky, weaselly look. Seeing Auntie He remain silent, he also grew anxious.

“Auntie He, why were you looking for us?”

He Xiulan glanced at Dr. Qin, then introduced them:

“This is Da Niu, and that’s Shui Zhongyu. Both are students at Zhejiang Qing University. Although they’re not in the same department as Xiaofei, they live in the same dorm building and get along very well with him. When they have time, they often come over to our house.”

Seeing Dr. Qin nod slightly with an encouraging look in his eyes, she finally turned to Da Niu and A Shui.

“Are you good friends of Xiaofei’s?”

Da Niu thumped his chest loudly and sneaked a quick glance at the pretty nurse.

“Of course! If there’s anything we can do to help, just say the word. If it’s within our power, no problem at all. Even if it’s not, we’ll find another way.”

“How is Yifei doing right now?”

Shui Zhongyu added.

“He’s woken up… but he hit his head badly,”

He Xiulan said, her voice choking slightly.

Da Niu hadn’t fully processed it yet, but A Shui’s expression changed instantly.

“Then… what about now?”

His mind worked faster than Da Niu’s, so he immediately realized that brain injury was no small matter.

“Now…” He Xiulan hesitated. “It seems like he doesn’t recognize anyone. All he talks about is Yue Fei, Qin Hui, Jin Wuzhu…”

(She didn’t mention Jin Wuzhu’s son, but she had read The Complete Story of Yue Fei and knew there was such a figure in the Jin kingdom, so she just threw the name out casually.)

Da Niu and A Shui looked at each other in disbelief.

“No way… could it be that damn game that messed him up?”

Dr. Qin’s expression changed.

“What game?”

“That Sword Fate game — an online game,” A Shui said with a shrug. “It’s the most popular one this year. It’s about the conflicts between the Song and Jin dynasties. Da Niu and I don’t really play it.”

“Does Xiaofei play it a lot?”

He Xiulan couldn’t help asking. Online games were harmful — not just for teenagers who couldn’t control themselves, but even college students. She really couldn’t understand what was so great about staring at a computer screen all day.

“He didn’t used to play much. The game only became popular recently,”

A Shui hurriedly explained. (He didn’t want Yifei to wake up later and be mad that he snitched.) “But lately his mood hasn’t been good, so he started playing day and night. Da Niu and I tried to* him, but he wouldn’t listen. We thought it would pass after a while… we never expected something like this to happen.”

He suddenly realized — maybe Yifei was so immersed in the game that he was walking around absent-mindedly and got hit by a car?

“Why was his mood bad?”

Dr. Qin suddenly asked.

“Yes, you two are always with him — you must know,” Auntie He said anxiously. At this point, she no longer cared whose fault the accident was. All that mattered was getting her son back to normal.

A Shui hesitated and glanced at Da Niu.

“Da Niu, you tell them.”

“Fine, I’ll say it. What’s the big deal?” Da Niu shrugged carelessly. “One sentence: it’s because of a person. And I’m not afraid even if Yifei wakes up and blames me — I’ve advised him many times. That person is no good, but he just wouldn’t listen.”

He suddenly noticed Nurse Xiao looking at him and frowning slightly, so he quickly added:

“Nurse Xiao, I’m not talking about you! Of course there are good ones. If Yifei were pursuing you, I’d raise both hands in approval!”

Nurse Xiao’s face flushed red, but she could only smile and say:

“You’re all heaven’s favored children. How could a little nurse like me be worthy?”

“Worthy! Absolutely worthy!”

Da Niu said repeatedly — unclear whether he meant worthy of Lin Yifei or of himself.

Auntie He frowned but had to ask:

“The person Xiaofei likes… is it that Xue Jun?”

“Exactly — that Feng Xuejun,”

Da Niu said loudly. “I’ve disliked her since high school.”

“You mean she dislikes you, right?”

Shui Zhongyu interjected sarcastically from the side.

“Pfft! I’d rather be single forever than go for someone like her. Nurse Xiao, don’t you agree?”

He grinned cheekily at Nurse Xiao and patted his chest.

Nurse Xiao simply asked:

“And then what happened?”

Da Niu, having received a cold response, continued:

“Later we applied to Zhejiang Qing University. Yifei insisted on coming here too. Since he’s my iron brother, of course I applied here as well. A Shui came from another province on pure merit. Yifei got in partly because of local quota advantages — extra points on the college entrance exam. Otherwise it would’ve been close. I was even closer, but I have… advantages.”

Seeing him rambling endlessly, Auntie He grew impatient.

“Fine, so you got special admission — everyone knows you’re built like an ox and strong as hell. Just get to the point about Xiaofei.”

Realizing Auntie He was anxious, Da Niu snapped back to reality, blushed, and thought to himself: I got carried away showing off in front of a pretty girl and forgot the main issue.

He stopped digressing.

“After starting university, Yifei kept chasing Feng Xuejun relentlessly. Actually, Feng Xuejun is… average-looking. Compared to…”

He was about to use Nurse Xiao as a comparison, but seeing her expression darken, he quickly changed course.

“I don’t know what Yifei saw in her. Maybe he was just out of his mind.”

He glanced at Auntie He’s stern face and realized he’d said the wrong thing again — talking about being “out of his mind” when Yifei had literally injured his brain. He hurriedly slapped himself lightly on the mouth.

“I just have no filter. Auntie He, please don’t take offense.”

Auntie He’s expression softened a little. She shook her head.

“I just hope Xiaofei can wake up soon. Did that Xue Jun reject him?”

“No,” Da Niu said angrily. “I may not be smart, but even I could see she was just playing with him. She’s very calculating. In first year, nobody paid attention to her. Yifei is 182 cm, good-looking, the white horse prince of the journalism department — not exactly Pan An, but close to Song Yu. Not like me — big and rough-looking…”

He was about to start bragging again when A Shui cut him off.

“With your looks, sending autumn waves? Go eat some grass instead.”

A Shui jabbed him again. “Get to the point. Why bring up all this irrelevant stuff?”

Da Niu gave an awkward laugh.

“That’s just how I am — always going off on tangents. A Shui, you make it sound easy. Why don’t you be the one to speak up then?”

Shui Zhongyu couldn’t take it anymore.

“Fine, fine — I’ll say it. If you keep going, we’ll be here until dark. Auntie He, here’s the situation: Feng Xuejun and Yifei have been involved for over a year. At first it was okay, but Feng Xuejun is the type who ‘rides a donkey while looking for a horse’ — always keeping her options open.”

“Wait — what does ‘riding a donkey while looking for a horse’ mean?”

This time it was Auntie He who interrupted.

“It means always looking for something better — never satisfied with what you have. Senior students often say it when they’re job-hunting. It just slipped out,” A Shui said, scratching his head. “Da Niu is right. Feng Xuejun was waiting for a better opportunity while not wanting to be alone. So she kept Yifei at arm’s length. Then a few months ago, this rich kid Wang Zihao — probably blind as a bat — saw her as… well, Diaochan (a famous beauty).”

(He almost said “saw a sow as Diaochan,” but decided that joke was fine among friends — not appropriate in front of a doctor and an auntie. He cleared his throat.)

“Anyway, this Wang Zihao started pursuing her aggressively. Wang Zihao is… how should I put it… the kind of rich spoiled brat who’s poor in everything except money. His father, Wang Renyuan, is one of the richest people in Jiangyuan City. Even though he’s basically trash, there are plenty of girls even more materialistic than him. Feng Xuejun was over the moon. In less than two days, she’d already switched allegiances and climbed onto a taller branch. That’s when Yifei became depressed. He tried talking to her several times with no result. That’s when he got addicted to the online game.”

“So that’s what happened.”

Auntie He felt both angry at her son’s weakness and furious at Feng Xuejun (silently cursing her and all her distant relatives).

“Dr. Qin, what should we do?”

Dr. Qin had listened patiently to the two young men’s rambling story. He thought for a moment.

“The cause seems clear now — it’s mainly emotional. But right now the priority is still his physical recovery.”

“So what exactly should we do?”

He Xiulan asked anxiously.

“First, he’s seriously injured and his mind is likely very agitated. You need to spend more time with him and keep him company.”

“No problem, Auntie He! A Shui and I are free right now — school hasn’t started yet. We have plenty of time to stay with him. Even after school starts, you know me — I don’t do much besides training. I can come whenever. You and Uncle Lin have to work. Just leave Yifei to me from now on.”

Da Niu patted his chest reassuringly.

Auntie He gave him a grateful look and asked, “And second?”

“Second — don’t let him feel like you’re trying to comfort or persuade him out of it,” Dr. Qin said with a wry smile. “If he’s truly escaped into this delusion, too much ‘comfort’ will only make him sink deeper and cause him more pain. The only thing you can do is act as if you know nothing about it. Time can dilute many things. After a while, he might gradually improve.”

Da Niu muttered to himself: This Dr. Qin looks so polished and refined — does he get heartbroken a lot too? How else would he understand this so well?

“And third?”

He Xiulan asked.

Dr. Qin paused, slightly surprised.

“There is no third. Right now, although he shows signs of psychological withdrawal, the first priority is healing his physical injuries. He’s hurt badly. I estimate he’ll need at least three months of quiet recovery before he can walk for ten or twenty minutes a day. It may take half a year before he can walk normally. And because his spleen was damaged, he’ll probably have reduced strength in the future.”

“Three months?”

Da Niu blurted out. “School starts in a few weeks. What do we do?”

Dr. Qin glanced at him calmly.

“Studies are important, but if his mind collapses, no amount of knowledge will be useful. I’m not deeply specialized in psychology, but I can introduce you to a friend. If Lin Yifei’s psychological condition proves very stubborn, you can go see him.”

He tore off a piece of paper, wrote down contact information, and handed it to Lin Ping. Lin Ping took it absentmindedly — right now, the most important thing was getting his son healthy again. He simply put it in his pocket.

“Is Yifei awake yet, Auntie?”

Da Niu asked with concern. “Should we go see him? Maybe talk to him often from now on?”

“He just took medicine and got an injection. He probably won’t wake up so soon. I suggest you come back tomorrow,” Dr. Qin said. “He’s still very weak these next couple of days — mainly on glucose with vitamins. Once he can take some liquid food, Nurse Xiao will notify you.”