C17 Something Unusual Happened

That evening, Ye Lang took advantage of a moment when his parents went to get food and quietly slipped into the ICU. He discreetly tucked a talisman into his sister's hospital gown pocket before sneaking back out.

The night passed peacefully.

The next day, when the doctor came to check on her, Ye Tingting's condition had improved significantly. After discussing with Ye's parents, the doctor decided to move her to a regular room.

Ye's mother sat by Tingting's bedside, tucking the blanket around her. The past month had been exhausting, leaving her looking noticeably thinner and more worn out.

Tingting had woken up by then and was trying to sit up. "Mom, why am I in the hospital?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the strong smell of disinfectant in the room.

Seeing her daughter calm for the first time in days, Ye's mother rubbed her tired, tear-reddened eyes and said, "Tingting, did something happen at school recently? You've been acting like a different person. Do you know how scared we were when we found you yesterday, lying in a pool of blood?"

Tingting leaned back against the bed, her face pale and confused. "Mom, what are you talking about? I was home studying yesterday."

Ye Lang stood beside his sister, listening to her words. He reached out and held her arm, frowning slightly as he asked, "Sis, do you really not remember anything?"

"What do you mean, remember what?" Ye Tingting replied, her gaze falling on Ye Lang's face. Noticing the bruise, she gently touched it and asked softly, "Little Lang, what happened to your face? Who hit you?"

Ye Lang bit his lip, not daring to meet Ye Tingting's eyes. He wondered if her memory loss was somehow related to the talisman.

After taking her medication, Ye Tingting quickly fell asleep again. Ye Lang glanced at her peaceful face, then tugged on his mother's sleeve. "Mom, I need to talk to you," he said, gesturing for her to step outside so they wouldn't disturb Ye Tingting's rest.

"Little Lang, what do you want to tell me?" his mother asked, following him out with a puzzled expression.

"Mom, don't you think Sis has been acting really strange lately? I don't think that's really her. So, I went to see a fortune teller under the South Bridge and got a talisman to put in her pocket. And today, she seemed to get better. I know you might not believe it, but the fortune teller said Sis has a tendency to hurt cats. Remember the British Shorthair she had? It disappeared suddenly, and soon after, Sis started acting like this. Mom, I suspect..."

"It's the 21st century now, where science reigns supreme. You're so young, and instead of learning something useful, you're dabbling in superstitions?" Ye's mother, a researcher, was vehemently opposed to anything resembling fortune-telling. She grabbed Ye Lang by the ear and scolded him.

"Mom, I'm not lying to you, this isn't superstition!" Ye Lang protested, frustrated that his mother didn't understand.

"How much did you spend?" Ye's mother asked sternly, her face serious.

Feeling a chill run down his spine, Ye Lang hesitantly held up one finger.

"A hundred bucks?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, a million."

"You spendthrift!" she exclaimed, raising her hand.

Sensing trouble, Ye Lang bolted for the door. "Mom, don't hit me, I did it for my sister's sake!"

"I don't buy your nonsense!"