Life Plan

Chapter 33, The Placebo Effect

Liu Chichi knew that raising a living being required affection.

The clivia in front of her is growing very well, and Jiang Xiaonv has a special affection for it.

Liu Chichi thought she would pay attention to the only blooming flower in the mess, just like she did, but she only glanced at it and then turned around and walked into the mess.

The smell of blood was faint, but the eerie dark red color was even more stimulating to the eyes, and Jiang Xiaonv did not stop for a moment.

She walked to the dark depths of the room, pulled out two red plastic balls from the cabinet, shook them open, put the garbage and leftovers into one of the bags, tied it up, and placed it by the door.

Then, carrying a basin from the iron stand, he filled it with water, soaked a dusty towel in it, and began wiping the table, bit by bit.

Liu Chichi's words, "Do you need help?" were abruptly cut off before she could speak, the dark bloodstains still making her shudder.

The dim, old light bulb came on, and Jiang Xiaonv was washing and scrubbing inside. She threaded the bed sheet through the gaps in the stone railing of the balcony, twisted it into a rope shape, wrung it until not a drop of water could drip out, tossed it up to hang it on a wire, and vigorously shook it with both hands to smooth out the wrinkles. Half of the bed sheet was dark brown, from bloodstains that couldn't be washed off.

Every now and then, Jiang Xiaonv had to stop and rest, opening her mouth to take deep breaths. The spring cleaning was a meticulous and lengthy task, which was too much of a burden on her body.

Jiang Xiaonv carefully cleaned all the gaps in the windowsill. She was as calm as if the bloodstains did not come from a person, but from a chicken that was about to be served on the table.

Liu Chichi wasn't a police officer, and she even had a very absurd thought: Jiang Xiaonv's calm handling of the scene didn't seem like it was her first time committing murder.

Yan Shaohai said that Jiang Xiaonv may face charges of "attempted murder" or "intentional injury," and the litigation process is lengthy, with the victim remaining in a coma throughout.

only……

Liu Chichi gripped the resealable bag tightly. Jiang Xiaonv's follow-up visits had yielded poor results; the medication had little effect on her, and her complexion was turning increasingly sallow. But her will to live was incredibly strong. Liu Chichi had seen too many people live solely on their spirit; once that spirit was broken, the illness would flare up like a flood, quickly overwhelming them.

Jiang Xiaonv couldn't understand the test results, and she couldn't bring herself to ask. No one else offered to help either. Liu Chichi placed the resealable bag on the metal shelf, speaking slowly, "These are the new diary card and medication, the same as before. Message me or Attorney Yan if you need anything."

Jiang Xiaonv extended her thumb and pressed it twice like a lighter. When Liu Chichi first saw this, she thought it was a compliment, but later she learned that it was a sign for "thank you."

When Liu Chichi came downstairs, she saw Shen Shuyi standing in the courtyard on the first floor. Shen Shuyi had her head up and her gaze followed the half-red bed sheet.

The direct streetlights made her tear troughs appear even deeper, and her lower eyelids, like crescent moons, were framed by bluish-gray circles. Her forehead and hairline blended seamlessly, reflecting a smooth halo of light, like she was wearing a helmet. That fierce yet weathered look was even more pronounced, making her look like a soldier who had just finished a battle.

Liu Chichi suddenly realized that Shen Shuyi was different—she looked preoccupied, her eyes seemed to be covered by a layer of mist, and even the direct light could not penetrate them.

That gaze drifted to Liu Chichi. Shen Shuyi blinked as if snapping out of her daze, raised her hand to adjust her trench coat, and said in a low and quick voice, "Let's go."

The streetlights receded in front of her, and the bare branches of the trees on both sides of the street stood out starkly. Liu Chichi gripped the seatbelt and mentally rehearsed several times before casually asking, "Have you been busy lately?"

"Um."

Liu hesitated for a moment. The usual greeting for this kind of thing was—"Have you been busy lately?" "Not bad."

She was prepared to ask, "You don't look like you've had a good rest," after the other person said "I'm okay." Shen Shuyi's honesty left everyone speechless.

Fortunately, Shen Shuyi offered a way out: "How have you been lately?"

"fine."

There have been no new projects started recently, and Liu Chichi has taken over projects that are already in progress. These projects are progressing very smoothly, thanks to the document framework that Shen Shuyi has categorized and set up.

"Jiang Xiaonv, what are you going to do? I heard from the doctor that the treatment isn't very effective."

"The medication isn't very effective, but fortunately the side effects are minimal. Let's try taking it for a while longer."

"No side effects, so it's an ineffective drug?"

"Hmm." Liu Chichi nodded listlessly.

The liver is the main organ for drug metabolism. Even taking too much common cold medicine can cause liver damage, but Jiang Xiaonv's body had almost no reaction to this drug.

The "placebo effect" was proposed by Dr. Henry K. Beecher in 1955 and is one of the clinical significances of double-blind experiments.

Completely ineffective drugs are extremely rare in phase III clinical trials, and her data is of great significance to clinical trials.

According to the trial protocol, Dr. Li increased the dosage of the medication she was taking within the limits, which will make her a special case.

For Jiang Xiaonv herself, the progression of her condition has also become part of the drug evaluation process. Until the trial is fully completed for her, no one can deny the importance of continued treatment.

Like patients and their families who pray fervently in front of hospital walls, "subject expectations" may bring about medically irreversible miracles.

Silence filled the entire carriage. Liu Chichi felt a solid sense of loneliness descend upon Shen Shuyi, making her bun look precarious. If this were a movie, the next scene would show Shen Shuyi lighting a cigarette, her left hand resting on the car window, her right hand gripping the steering wheel, her brows furrowed, letting the cold wind carry away the smoke.

But that wasn't the case, so Liu Chichi could only continue to huddle like a quail in the carriage filled with the smell of cigarette smoke.

Just like their first meeting, Shen Shuyi parked the car at an intersection away from her house. Liu Chichi gripped the handlebars for a long time without moving. Shen Shuyi looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Did you leave something over there?"

"No." Liu Chichi finally asked directly, just as bluntly as Shen Shuyi had been when they first met, "Are you in trouble?"

Shen Shuyi was taken aback for a moment, then asked her inexplicably, "Where is Jiang Xiaonv's husband?"

"They went out to work."

Have you contacted them?

"Unable to contact."

"Oh." Shen Shuyi's questions started jumping around more and more, "Have you been busy lately?"

"not busy."

"Okay. You can get out of the car now; parking is restricted here."

"Okay, okay."

The SUV sped away, and the unblocked cold wind rushed into Liu Chichi's collar, jolting her awake. Shen Shuyi didn't seem to have answered her question.

Liu Chichi mentally rehearsed a few more questions, preparing to ask Shen Shuyi first thing tomorrow morning.

She was so focused on it that when she opened the door and subconsciously bent down to change her shoes, she realized that the shoe cabinet was at a different height.

The old shoe cabinet, which was older than her, disappeared.

When she was little, she had many pretty little shoes. Liu Chunhong happily taught her to put the shoes in the cabinet. The cabinet door handle was a huge plastic crystal, and her little shoes were placed on the second shelf.

Liu Chunhong said that the shoe cabinet was made by her husband before their marriage and was a gift to her.

Many old things in the house have been replaced with new ones, even the sofa has been changed from wooden to soft fabric, but this shoe cabinet has never been replaced. The door panel with plastic crystals gradually warped due to moisture, and finally two years ago it warped so badly that it could not be closed. Liu Chunhong removed the cabinet door and placed it in the gap on the side.

There was a brand new, light wood-colored shoe cabinet here. Liu Chunhong was coming out of the bathroom. Seeing her standing blankly in front of the shoe cabinet, she tucked her hair in and lowered her head, saying, "It's too old. It should have been replaced a long time ago."

Liu Chichi squatted down and moved the shoes to the second-to-last shelf, placing them with the toes touching the deepest part. The first shoe print was imprinted on the bright white shelf. She silently thought to herself: This is a new beginning.

Then Liu Chunhong spoke up: "If Xiao Li comes up and sits down, it will make us look too shabby."

Liu paused for a moment, the impulse that had just surged into her heart was extinguished like waves on the shore, leaving only a dull and smooth beach.