The hypnotist sat under a dim lamp, his hands clasped under his chin, staring at the young man lying opposite him with a serious expression. Deep hypnosis was an extremely dangerous method of treatment for any patient, as one slip could lead to irreparable harm or sequelae.
But Fangaruo was very insistent, having repeatedly stated that he would take full responsibility for the consequences, and had signed a disclaimer. Thus, the hypnotist reluctantly agreed. He had never encountered a patient with such a severe condition before. According to the young man, even he wasn't sure how many alter egos were hidden in his frail body—thirty, forty, or even more.
Normally, the power of the host personality is often the most powerful, but consuming so many alter egos overnight was no simple task. Apart from hypnosis, guidance, and awakening, the hypnotist couldn't do much to help the patient, and everything had to rely on the patient himself.
After patiently waiting for more than two hours, the hypnotist realized that the patient's face had remained tranquil the whole time, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As he should have realized, with the young man's character and methods being so ruthless, those alter egos likely stood no chance against him.
The hypnotist adopted a more relaxed sitting posture, then took out his notebook to record everything that had happened that day. Just as he began to write, the young man lying on the couch began to struggle violently, as if bound by invisible ropes, and could only twitch within a limited range. His previously calm face was now completely contorted, showing a demonic and terrifying appearance, then transitioning to deep fear and panic.
The hypnotist was taken aback, and immediately went over to calm and guide the young man to wake up. However, the pre-arranged suggestions had no effect, as the young man remained deeply asleep, straining heavily but unable to escape. From his twisted features and broken moans, the hypnotist could guess the horrors he was experiencing in his dreams. Only extreme fear and despair could make this usually arrogant young man show such a desperate appearance.
The hypnotist repeatedly attempted to wake him up, but to no avail. When the young man suddenly raised his neck, arching his back and letting out a sharp roar, the hypnotist thought he was going to die. However, the next moment, he suddenly fell back onto the couch, once again falling into a serene sleep, as if the previous struggles, convulsions, and roars had never occurred.
The hypnotist stared at the young man, his nerves on edge, ensuring that he was still breathing and hadn't died in his dream, then removed his glasses and wiped away the sweat, taking a long deep breath.
"Oh! When did you wake up?" The hypnotist was about to place his glasses back on his nose when he suddenly locked eyes with a pair of pure black, emotionless eyes, and couldn't help but startle.
"Just now." The young man glanced at the hypnotist, then licked his lips that had turned blood-red at some point, and said with a satisfied and lazy voice, "I want to sleep a little longer, you can go now. I will have my assistant transfer the consultation fee to you."
The hypnotist keenly perceived the change in the young man. His pupils were too pure and deep, differing greatly from Fangaruo's amber eyes. Moreover, the young man's tone had changed, like distilled spring water—crisp and melodious, causing the eardrums to tremble involuntarily.
As he spoke, the young man closed his eyes and fell back to sleep, looking more serene than ever. However, the hypnotist stared at his handsome face, his mind completely in disarray. He was certain that the person in front of him was no longer the same as the hypnotized Fangaruo. His tone was too peaceful, and the emotions in his eyes were too gentle. Even the lines of his face had softened because of this tranquility, presenting a more beautiful visage. He was completely different, as if he had become a different person!
In other words, Fangaruo had failed, some alter ego had taken over his body! The hypnotist quickly realized this, but dared not say or do anything. The host personality was Fangaruo, and the alter ego was also Fangaruo. It seemed that the outcome of their internal struggle had nothing to do with others. It was only their internal conflict.
Thinking this, the hypnotist took a deep breath, then swiftly left the apartment building. Although the person who awoke seemed more gentle than the original Fangaruo, for some reason, when he locked eyes with him, a chill ran down his spine.
---
As a changed Fangaruo, he had slept for three days straight. During these three days, his life and career suffered unprecedented heavy blows. In order to get close to the man he admired, he entered the entertainment company run by that man and became a trainee, then used his family background to snatch opportunities and resources from others, becoming a member of a newly debuted boy group. He didn't hesitate to use any means to grab attention and heat, thereby offending many people shortly after his debut.
But the Fang family was wealthy and influential, and had deep ties with the Zhao Group, which controlled the entertainment company. Working together, they helped Fangaruo deal with a heap of troubles, while paving the way for him and helping him climb to the top, causing the group named "STARS" to quickly gain immense popularity.
Privately, countless people gnashed their teeth at the mention of "Fangaruo," but no one dared to openly offend the main character.
However, things were different now. Shortly after the death of the Fang family's matriarch, Fang Luoshan, the master of the family, couldn't wait to announce to the media that Fangaruo wasn't his biological son, but an unrelated adoptee. Now that the young man was an adult, it was only natural for him to leave the family and live independently.
This statement translated to one thing—everything Fangaruo did from that point forward was unrelated to the Fang family. They would no longer help him clean up his messes, nor provide him with resources.
Upon this news, deep-dive exposés on Fangaruo flooded newspapers and the internet. He was seen berating staff, being taken to the police station for reckless driving, dancing wildly under psychedelic lights with a bewildered expression, boldly confessing his feelings to Zhao Wenyuan, CEO of Star Entertainment, then twisting his face in a horrifying manner after being rejected, being restrained by medical personnel while screaming, which would transition to a bewildered expression in the next second, asking those around him where he was with confusion...
Such videos were continuously uploaded online, serving as ammunition to destroy the reputation and popularity Fangaruo had worked so hard to build.
"Best to let go of Fangaruo, he's a scumbag," became a politically correct slogan, found in every corner of social media. The number of internet users turning against him was unimaginable. It was no exaggeration to say that the entertainment industry no longer had a place for Fangaruo.
---
Three days later, the sleeping youth finally opened his jet-black eyes and sat up slowly. Brushing the strands of hair falling over his forehead behind his ear, he revealed a handsome face. However, at this very moment, this face was undergoing a slow transformation; the sharp lines were softening gradually, the heavy animosity was dissipating, and his originally fair complexion now appeared translucent, while his pale pink lips were as vibrant as blood.
This minute change, almost imperceptible to others, added a touch of strangeness to the young man. He walked calmly to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and drank it without a word. He then naturally picked up his phone to check the messages he had received over the past few days, all actions performed just as Fangaruo would have.
The constant notification tones made the empty room noisy, and various private messages mixed with curses and insults vented towards the young man. He quickly became aware of the predicament he was in, yet the faint smile at the corner of his mouth did not diminish, nor did he rush out to seek help. Instead, he patiently went through the news on his phone, understood the current situation, then set the phone down and walked into the bathroom, undressed, and stood under the cold shower without using any bathing products.
He didn't apply any shower products, just tilted his head back, closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. As the water deluged his frail body, it seemed to trigger something, causing a dark glow to emanate from his pale skin. This glow gradually converged, forming tiny Sanskrit characters, which coalesced into patterns such as lotus flowers, ovals, concentric circles, densely covering his pale skin from his cheeks to his neck, from his shoulder blades to his back, from his buttocks to his calves, leaving almost no space untouched.
Opening his eyes, the youth absentmindedly touched these Sanskrit patterns, then turned off the tap, dried himself, and returned to the living room.
His phone continued to ring incessantly on the dining table, automatically disconnecting due to no response, only to start ringing again after a while, with a relentless determination.
The young man was wearing a bath towel around his waist as he walked casually, then lazily answered the phone with a "Hello" after picking it up.
The person on the other end, hearing his unfazed voice, exploded with anger, furiously scolding and threatening him, saying, "Fanjialuo, you have 20 minutes to get to the company, or I will make sure you have nowhere to turn over!"
"Wait and see," Fanjialuo lightly chuckled and hung up the phone.
Nowhere to turn over? This sentence seemed to run through his short yet long life, and he had never feared it.