Chapter 1449: Artificial Core of Existence (17)
Earlier...
Turbocharged questioning seemed to be more effective than gentle reassurance.
In the midst of the intense mental torment, Claire suddenly had a goal. Though she was still dazed, she actually stopped retching.
Breathing heavily, she lowered her eyes and wiped her mouth, not daring to glance at that "wall" again.
At the same time, her thoughts raced, instinctively using the question to distract herself.
"I didn't think about it that way before, but now that I look back, there was one time when Mr. Rick really did act a little strangely."
As she focused on the memory, Claire's expression shifted. It seemed she had genuinely recalled something.
"What do you mean?"
Given how effective the question had been, Fu Qian offered a flawless prompt, from his tone to his expression.
"Mr. Rick was still working at the hospital then. At a gathering, we got to talking about some unusual illnesses. After sharing a few strange cases, he made a very particular comment."
As Claire spoke, he could almost feel the chill of horror creeping through her.
"He said that things that seemed hideous were actually flowers blooming in the flesh, beautiful in a way ordinary people couldn't understand..."
"That does sound like a rather novel perspective."
Fu Qian nodded at just the right moment, diligently playing along.
"But none of you found it all that strange at the time, did you?"
Claire had needed his prompting to remember this, which meant that although the conversation had been bizarre, it hadn't struck her as incomprehensible.
"That's right. Everyone was surprised, but soon someone guessed it was because of his profession—that he saw things differently. He didn't deny it, and even continued sharing—"
Claire's expression grew distant.
"He said that, to him, those things