Late Night Bookstore - Chapter 23

“You are… asking for death.”

A black gleam appeared deep in Zhou Ze’s eyes. At this moment, he was enraged.

Yes, he had taken over someone else’s body.

But so what?

I will continue to live in your body. Can you stop me?

Your retaliation, is it just to provoke me into forcing myself on your wife? Is that the best you can do?

Zhou Ze opened his right hand. Black nails slowly grew, and wisps of black mist swirled around them.

Many times, the solution to a problem depends on the position you take, your perspective.

From Zhou Ze’s perspective, there was no way to distinguish between right and wrong. He needed to survive, and as long as all his actions were based on this premise, they were correct. Otherwise, everything would lose its meaning.

If it has lost its meaning, is there still a need for the distinction between right and wrong?

“No matter where you hide, I will find you, even if… you are hiding inside this body!”

Zhou Ze’s face started to contort. His nails dug into his chest.

“Hiss…!”

Intense pain surged through him, causing uncontrollable spasms. Zhou Ze trembled violently and collapsed to the ground.

He opened his mouth, looking somewhat confused.

Not here, it simply wasn’t here!

Why?

He had just taken the risk of nearly shredding his own soul to verify that this body contained only his soul—Zhou Ze’s. Xu Le did not exist!

Zhou Ze struggled to his feet, staring at the shattered mirror. His reflection remained unchanged, and after a long time, the person in the mirror still showed no sign of any transformation.

Xu Le had long since ceased to exist, so, was everything he had done to Dr. Lin driven by his own nature?

No, impossible, it can’t be!

It can’t be like this.

For the first time, Zhou Ze felt that the person in the mirror was unfamiliar. It wasn’t because he had changed his body or his appearance, but because his heart, his soul, seemed fundamentally different from his original self.

Which is the real self—body or soul?

Throughout history, many great poets and thinkers, both ancient and modern, have offered a similar answer: the body changes, decays, but the soul can live forever.

It can be noble, remembered, and shine brightly in the annals of history.

Zhou Ze also believed that he was still Zhou Ze, still himself. It was just his body that had changed. But he continued to believe that he was Zhou Ze.

At this moment, he began to fear, because since Xu Le’s soul had long disappeared, that meant the one who had changed… was himself?

……………

“You go rest, dear.”

“Mhm, I’ll take our daughter to sleep. You finish up quickly and rest too.”

“Okay, I’ll rest once I finish revising this treatment plan.”

Wang Ke twisted his neck slightly and yawned. He was indeed tired, but he had to finish his work. At just over thirty, he already had many gray hairs.

Men at this age were in a tough spot. It was too early to retire if they didn’t push themselves, but if they did, their bodies were already beginning to decline.

“Ding ding ding… Ding ding ding…”

Wang Ke frowned slightly. A visitor at this late hour?

He walked to the entrance, glanced at the man in a black coat standing outside on the video screen, and asked, “Excuse me, who are you?”

“I’m here for Wang Ke, recommended by a friend.”

“Sorry, if it’s work-related, please make an appointment with my assistant. I usually…”

“Zhou Ze sent me,” the man outside said.

Hearing this name, Wang Ke paused, then opened the door.

The visitor looked quite young, probably around twenty-five.

“Come in.” Wang Ke gestured for him to enter, personally made tea, and placed it on the coffee table.

Zhou Ze sat on the sofa, observing his old friend.

He hasn’t changed. He’s still working hard in his profession. As children who grew up together in the orphanage, they had always been close. In the eyes of the old director, the two of them were considered the most successful among the recent batch of children to leave the orphanage.

Zhou Ze had become a deputy director at a young age, and Wang Ke had opened his own psychology clinic, not in some small cramped place, but in the prestigious South Street, right in the heart of Tongcheng.

Even this villa was something an ordinary person couldn’t afford.

“You know Zhou Ze?” Wang Ke asked first.

“Yes, he died six months ago.” Zhou Ze replied, then picked up his teacup and took a sip. He still preferred Maojian tea. His taste hasn’t changed.

“What brings you here?”

“I need treatment.”

“Treatment?” Wang Ke coughed, “You can make an appointment.”

“It’s urgent.” Zhou Ze looked directly into Wang Ke’s eyes. “Very urgent.”

Wang Ke was silent, then smiled, nodding as he stood up. “Come with me to the study.”

Although the visit was abrupt, and the request seemed strange, since the man claimed to be a friend of Zhou Ze, Wang Ke had no reason or way to refuse.

Zhou Ze sat quietly in the study for a while. Wang Ke entered, now wearing a white coat, signaling his seriousness.

“Tell me about your situation,” Wang Ke said, twirling a dark gold pen in his hand. Under the light of the study, it was quite eye-catching.

Zhou Ze slowly shook his head. “Don’t try to hypnotize me, not even light hypnosis.”

Wang Ke nodded and put down the pen.

“I think I have… dissociative identity disorder.” Zhou Ze carefully chose his words.

“Be more specific,” Wang Ke asked.

“I feel like there’s another personality in my body. At certain moments, that personality influences my actions, and I can clearly sense that the things I do are not what I would normally do.

I’ve always been… a very disciplined person.”

“Symptoms of dissociative identity disorder?” Wang Ke narrowed his eyes. “How long has this been happening?”

“Recently.”

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Draw a picture of your second personality on this paper. Even if you’ve never seen his real face, just use your intuition.”

Wang Ke handed Zhou Ze a blank sheet of paper and a pen.

“My second personality?” Zhou Ze asked.

“Yes,” Wang Ke nodded.

“But… strictly speaking, I am the second personality.” Zhou Ze pointed to himself. “The one causing trouble should be the original personality of this body.”

Wang Ke’s gaze sharpened, and he began to reassess Zhou Ze.

“You’re saying that your current state is the second personality?”

“According to your theory, yes,” Zhou Ze replied.

The original owner of this body was Xu Le, while Zhou Ze was the outsider. So, Zhou Ze was the second personality.

“You’ve already killed him?” Wang Ke asked with interest, a trace of excitement in his tone.

“In a way, yes. And I’m certain he’s gone,” Zhou Ze answered.

“That could be considered murder,” Wang Ke remarked. “Although the law can’t define or judge what you did, I still have to sit here and condemn you for it.”

“After the condemnation?”

“You’ve come to me for a way to completely rid yourself of the influence of the first personality?”

“Yes.”

Wang Ke started twirling the pen again, not to hypnotize, but as a gesture of thought.

“I’m not sure if I should help you because from my perspective, you’ve killed a person who originally existed. If I help you, it’s as if I’m helping you cover up a crime. I’d become an accomplice.”

“Help me,” Zhou Ze said.

“I need to think about it,” Wang Ke mused.

“No need to think it over, help me.” Zhou Ze urged, and then added, “Brother Erdan.”

As soon as the words “Brother Erdan” were spoken, Wang Ke’s expression changed abruptly. He was a bit surprised and said, “Zhou Ze told you even that?”

Zhou Ze nodded.

Wang Ke looked up, conflicted, but eventually gritted his teeth and started writing a prescription:

“I’ll prescribe you some medication. These are only supplementary, to help stabilize your emotions and assist with your sleep.”

“No need for that,” Zhou Ze said.

“The most important step is that you need to change your environment.” Ignoring Zhou Ze’s earlier words, Wang Ke continued writing the prescription and said, “You need to cut yourself off from the social relationships of your first personality and reconstruct a social network of your own.”

“Many people believe that thoughts reside solely in the soul. Whether or not souls or ghosts truly exist remains unknown. But this belief is inaccurate. Actually, our bodies, muscles, eyes, and various other organs can store parts of a person’s ‘soul.’ This ‘soul’ differs from the broad concept of the soul.”

“It refers to something like the ‘muscle memory’ created through repeated training by athletes, or ‘psychological suggestions.’ You could think of it as a kind of inertia.”

“You are the second personality, and you killed the first personality. But this body has been operating under the control of the first personality for far too long. It has its own inertia and memory. Sometimes, when you suddenly make a bizarre decision that shocks and puzzles you, giving you the illusion that the first personality is still interfering, it’s because of this.”

“First, sever all of your current social relationships and build a life that is truly your own. Let this body start adapting to you, and cancel out its previous inertia. The problem will then be solved.”

“In fact, your situation is not that serious right now. Your thought process is very clear. Overcoming it is merely a matter of time.” Wang Ke smiled.

At that moment, someone knocked on the study door.

“Honey, do we have a guest?”

“Yes, could you bring us two more cups of coffee?”

“Sure.”

Zhou Ze thought of Dr. Lin, his in-laws, and his sister-in-law.

Indeed, at first, he had rejected those relationships, even wanting to sever them.

But at some point, I don’t know when…

She just wouldn’t sleep with me.

It had become an obsession of mine instead?

“How long will it take to sever those ties?” Zhou Ze asked.

“It won’t take long,” Wang Ke shrugged, looking relaxed. “I’ve been observing you ever since you walked in. How should I put it… You’re a second personality, but you’re the most thorough case of a second personality eliminating the first that I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s like… like a resurrection story from ancient Zhiguai¹ novels. Clean, swift, even ‘perfect’ might be the right word.”

You can think of this as a mild side effect of taking medicine. With your natural resilience, you’ll overcome it in two or three months.

Afterward, you can reconnect with your old social circles without any issues.”

Zhou Ze nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Coffee’s here.”

The study door opened, and a woman brought in two cups of coffee, placing them on the desk.

Zhou Ze looked at the woman, and the woman looked back at him.

The next moment, Zhou Ze’s heart skipped a beat, and the woman’s face changed abruptly.

“What, do you two know each other?” Wang Ke asked.

“Yes, he’s Dr. Lin’s husband, Xu Le,” the woman answered.

“Huh?” Wang Ke stood up, startled, and shook hands with Zhou Ze to express his gratitude. What had begun as a patient introduced by an old friend had now become the savior of his daughter, drawing them closer.

Zhou Ze responded perfunctorily, though his mind was contemplating whether he should discreetly remind his old friend, who was so focused on his career, that his wife had recently become quite engrossed in an indescribable “hair styling” hobby.

After some thought, it seemed better to leave an anonymous reminder after he left. After both of them started working, they gradually stopped contacting each other, as they understood each other’s personalities well, focusing solely on their careers without interfering in one another’s lives.

Their bond and childhood memories remained unchanged, but they never had the habit of casually meeting for tea or conversation. In fact, if it weren’t for this particularly difficult issue, Zhou Ze would not have sought out Wang Ke for help.

He didn’t know Wang Ke was married, didn’t know he had kids, but he knew that if he needed help, using his own name would guarantee assistance.

Wang Ke and his wife escorted Zhou Ze out of the house. Zhou Ze declined Wang Ke’s offer to drive him home.

“Dear, what was he here for?”

“Medical consultation,” Wang Ke replied. “Did you say he runs a bookstore?”

“Yes, more like a tea party-style bookstore.”

“Alright, I’ll check it out sometime.”

……………

Just as Zhou Ze stepped out of the villa’s vicinity, he suddenly felt something and turned around, looking back at the villa.

On the balcony, a little girl stood.

She was holding her white bear plushie, wearing red pajamas, standing outside in the wind.

Her hair swayed, her dress fluttered, but she remained still, seemingly unaware of her surroundings. Yet those eyes were fixed on him.

At first, Zhou Ze’s expression was serious, his body tense, but gradually, the tension eased. The weight on his mind from Xu Le’s situation also lifted after the conversation, and Zhou Ze felt relaxed.

However, what troubled Zhou Ze now was, not only did he have to warn his old friend about his wife, it seemed like his daughter, also had a problem.

Silently, Zhou Ze felt a twinge of sympathy for his old friend.

What kind of karma did he have in his past life to deserve such a “blissful” family in this one?

With that thought, a bitter smile crept onto Zhou Ze’s lips.

The next moment, looking at the little girl on the distant balcony, Zhou Ze raised his hand and waved in her direction, saying:

“Hi.”

TL Notes:

1. Zhiguai Xiaoshuo refers to a genre of classical Chinese literature, known as “tales of the miraculous”, “tales of the strange”, or “records of anomalies.” These are stories that often deal with the supernatural, ghosts, spirits, and strange occurrences. It appeared in the Han dynasty and developed after the fall of the dynasty in 220 CE and in the Tang dynasty in 618 CE.