I'm Not A Drama God

Chapter 4: They exist · "Achoo!!" · Chen Ling sneezed violently into the biting wind. · Having been a northerner in his past life, even Chen Ling found this weather hard to handle. It was cold and damp; despite the bright sun hanging overhead, there wasn't a hint of warmth to be felt. · "Make way, make way!" · A lazy voice drifted from ahead. Snapping out of his thoughts, Chen Ling instinctively pressed himself against the side of the road. · At the end of the street, a tricycle was slowly approaching. One youth pedaled while another sat on a chair in the back, flanked by two large buckets of salt. · The boy in the back used a scoop to dish out salt, scattering it across the frosted road. As the grains fell, the ice on the ground gradually began to melt. · "Yo, Chen Ling?" The one scattering salt raised an eyebrow when he spotted Chen Ling standing by the roadside. · "Didn't expect to see the big scholar here. Weren't you off to take the Law Enforcer Examination? Did you get cut?" · Seeing that face, a memory surged into Chen Ling's mind. · His name was Zhao Yi. They had grown up on the same street, but Zhao Yi was born with a jealous streak. Back in high school, Chen Ling’s grades were excellent, and Zhao Yi’s mother constantly used Chen Ling as a benchmark to belittle her son. Consequently, Zhao Yi couldn't stand the sight of him. · "I passed the Written Examination. Still have the Martial Examination to go," Chen Ling replied casually, still standing by the curb. · "Heh, well, I wish you great luck on the exams then!" · As he spoke, Zhao Yi scooped up a massive heap of salt and swung it hard toward the side of the road, intentionally catching Chen Ling in the spray. · Flying salt grains peppered Chen Ling’s hair and cotton robe. He hadn't expected Zhao Yi to pull a stunt like that. He quickly brushed the salt off with his hands and turned to glare at Zhao Yi. · By then, Zhao Yi was already wobbling away on the tricycle. He propped one foot up on a salt bucket and stuck his tongue out, making a face at Chen Ling. · As a twenty-eight-year-old adult who had already been battered by the realities of society, Chen Ling felt a flicker of anger at such a petty prank, but also found it somewhat ridiculous... · However, Chen Ling had no intention of chasing the boy down for a beating. He simply made a mental note of the incident; he had more important things to attend to right now. · Just as Chen Ling prepared to continue on his way, his gaze caught the ground at his feet, and he froze. · The frost touched by the salt was melting, leaving a faint white residue on the ground. In that fleeting moment, Chen Ling saw a line of text weave itself into existence— · 【Audience Expectation Value: 27%】 · Before Chen Ling could react, the salt dissolved completely. The scene just now felt like a flash of a hallucination. · Chen Ling rubbed his eyes hard and muttered to himself, "No way..." · A sense of urgency rose within him again. Chen Ling quickened his pace, heading straight for the clinic. · A few minutes later, Chen Ling pushed open the clinic doors. · Calling it a clinic was generous; it was actually just a residential house on Frost Street. Two stories high, square and drab gray, it immediately reminded Chen Ling of the houses in his rural hometown. · Yet, a crude building like this was considered quite decent on Frost Street. At least it had two floors and could block the wind. · "Oh, it's you." Behind a wooden desk, a man in a lab coat turned slightly. "Here for more medicine for your brother? Didn't he transfer to the hospital in District Two?" · "It's not for A-Yan this time. It's for me." · Chen Ling’s brother had been hospitalized here before, so he was quite familiar with Doctor Lin. He walked to the desk and sat down, his expression tense. · "Oh? Something bothering you?" · "My... my head feels off." · "Is it a physical headache, or...?" · "Lately, I seem to be having hallucinations." · "Psychiatric?" Doctor Lin raised an eyebrow and carefully pushed up his black-rimmed glasses. "That's my specialty... Tell me about your symptoms." · "I had a dream last night. I dreamed I was standing on a stage, and there were many audience members below... I couldn't see their faces, but they didn't seem human. I was running desperately on the stage, but I could never find the exit..." · "Dream interpretation isn't within my scope of practice." · "I know." Chen Ling took a deep breath. "But after I woke up, I kept feeling... like they were still watching me." · Hearing this, Doctor Lin finally looked interested. "You imagine you're being watched?" · "It doesn't feel like an imagination... It's like they're inside my head, sitting in the audience, observing my every move. And I'm like an opera performer forced to act, just a tool to entertain them." · "You're saying your life is the stage, and you're the sole protagonist?" · "That's the gist of it... but it's not as positive as you make it sound." · "And the audience? Do they do anything besides watch you?" · Chen Ling fell silent for a moment. "I don't know if it's my imagination... but they seem to be able to affect things around me." · "Affect reality? That sounds a bit supernatural." As Doctor Lin spoke, he picked up his tea mug and took a sip. Just as he was about to say something, his face suddenly changed! · Pfft!! · Doctor Lin sprayed out a mouthful of crimson blood, splattering the floor. · "Doctor Lin??" Chen Ling jumped in shock. "Are you sick?" · "...No." Doctor Lin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth—it wasn't his. He frowned in thought for a moment, his gaze landing on the tea mug at the corner of the desk... · At some point, the mug had become filled with thick, viscous blood. · Doctor Lin’s expression turned grim. He remembered clearly that he had brewed a bag of Pu-erh tea in there just a minute ago. · During that time, only he and Chen Ling were in the clinic. Chen Ling had been under his watch the entire time; it was impossible for him to swap the tea, and he had no motive to do so. That full mug of blood had appeared out of nowhere, like a bizarre conjuring trick... · Chen Ling also seemed to realize something, his face growing even paler. · "Just like I said," he spoke hoarsely. · "They... they might actually exist." · Doctor Lin stared at the cup of blood for a long time before slowly looking up at him. · "How long has this been happening?" · "One day." Chen Ling paused. "Since I regained clear consciousness, it's only been one day." · "And before you were conscious? What were you doing?" · "I..." · In Chen Ling’s mind, a vision of himself stumbling through the torrential rain last night suddenly surfaced. "I don't know. I can't remember." · "So, you aren't certain if these symptoms started last night, and you have no memories prior to that?" · "...Correct." · "Have you ever been possessed by a Calamity?" Doctor Lin pushed his glasses up. · "Or let me put it another way. Last night... did you encounter a Gray Realm Convergence?" · [END]