Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

Her face turned pale instantly, and her lips began to tremble. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and let out a suppressed cough.

"Ms. Li?" Lu Changsheng stood up. "Are you alright?"

Li Mei waved her hand, trying to speak, but then burst into another violent cough. This time, dark red blood seeped from between her fingers.

"I...I'm fine..." she said with difficulty, but before she could finish speaking, she suddenly leaned forward.

Lu Changsheng caught her in time. Li Mei collapsed into his arms, her eyes closed, her face ashen white, and blood oozing from the corner of her mouth.

"Li Mei!" Lu Changsheng shouted, "Someone! Call an ambulance!"

The crowd in the hall fell silent for a moment, everyone turning to look at them. But what sent chills down Lu Changsheng's spine was that not a single person showed any sign of panic.

They remained calm.

A middle-aged man walked over and asked calmly, "What happened to her?"

"She's vomiting blood and unconscious!" Lu Changsheng exclaimed urgently. "Call an ambulance immediately!"

The man nodded, took out his phone, and dialed: "Hello, funeral home, hall number one. Someone has suddenly fallen ill. Please send an ambulance."

His voice was as calm as if he were ordering takeout.

Holding the unconscious Li Mei, Lu Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine.

This is not a normal human reaction.

How could someone be so calm when their loved one suddenly vomits blood and falls into a coma?

Unless... they had anticipated this would happen.

Unless... in this city, "sudden onset of illness" is perfectly normal.

The ambulance arrived ten minutes later. The paramedics carried in a stretcher, their movements professional and swift. They put an oxygen mask on Li Mei, checked her vital signs, and then lifted her onto the stretcher.

Throughout the process, people in the hall silently stepped forward to help, and some inquired about the situation with concern, but no one showed any sign of panic.

Lu Changsheng followed the medical staff out of the funeral home and watched the ambulance speed away.

His gaze was downcast, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

After standing there for a while, he decisively hailed a taxi.

"Go to the city library."

The library is a modern, gray-white building, quiet and solemn.

"The historical documents area is on the fourth floor," a staff member pointed out.

The fourth floor was almost deserted, with towering bookshelves arranged in a maze, and the air filled with the smell of old paper and dust. Lu Changsheng followed the index to the "Local Chronicles - Jinghu City" category and began to browse through the books one by one.

"A Century of History of Jinghu City", "A Chronicle of the Development of Jinghu Sanatorium", "A Collection of Memorial Essays for Dr. Chen Jingming"... Most of these are official records praising the city, in which the name "Chen Jingming" has been mentioned countless times.

Lu Changsheng searched through the historical documents section of the library for nearly two hours until he found a book titled "The Evolution of Jinghu City".

Lu Changsheng turned to the first page, where a hand-drawn map came into view.

The map title is: "Phase I Planning Map of Jinghu Quarantine and Sanatorium Area - 2948"

The city of Mirror Lake on the map wasn't what it is now—there were no wide streets, no modern buildings, just a walled area divided into several blocks, marked as follows:

The map depicts an area nestled against the mountains and beside a lake, completely enclosed by a thick wall. The area within the wall is divided into several sections, each clearly marked:

Area A: Severe Mood Disorder Asylum

Area B: Treatment Area for Individuals with Moderate Emotional Instability

Zone C: Living area for medical staff and their families

Area D: Laboratories and Research Facilities (Confidential Area)

Area E: Emotional Stabilization Training Center

Outside the wall, along the edge of the map, there is a line of small print:

This area is a national-level isolation and treatment zone for emotional disorders; entry and exit are prohibited without permission.

Was Kiang Wu City originally a national sanatorium? Or was it related to mood disorders?

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and turned to the next page.

2949: Plan for the expansion of the sanatorium.

The map area is now larger, with the walls nearly doubling in size. New additions include:

Area F: Center for Psychological Suggestion

Area G: Laboratory for Research on Suppressed Emotions

Zone H: Drug Research and Manufacturing Center

The note at the edge of the catalog reads:

[With the surge in patient numbers, traditional psychotherapy could no longer meet the demand, and it was discovered that mood disorders have a genetic predisposition. Dr. Chen Jingming proposed "Emotional Suppression Therapy," and nursing homes began teaching patients to suppress negative emotions in order to alleviate mood disorders.]

The next page is for 2955:

A preliminary plan for the transformation of the sanatorium area into a city.

On the map, the walls were marked as being gradually demolished, and the internal areas were being reorganized into residential, commercial, medical, and administrative zones. However, Lu Changsheng noticed that the original D and G zones were retained, only renamed "Jinghu City Psychological Counseling Center" and "Inpatient Department," respectively.

The note reads:

[Twenty years of practice have proven that long-term suppression of negative emotions is an effective way to control patients' emotions. Recovered individuals have regained their ability to reintegrate into society and are highly efficient at work, with each person fulfilling their responsibilities. It is recommended that the convalescent area be gradually transformed into an open-style emotional health demonstration city, allowing recovered individuals to rebuild their lives in a controlled environment.]

Next page, 2963: Master plan of Jinghu City.

The walls have completely disappeared, replaced by well-planned streets, residential areas, schools, and parks.

The note reads:

If everyone learns to suppress and ignore their negative emotions, the world will be filled with more smiles.

Lu Changsheng quickly flipped through the pages of the book. Each map recorded how this "sanatorium" expanded and transformed step by step, eventually becoming the Jinghu City we know today.

But in the gaps between all the official descriptions, he found clues in some annotations:

Next to a planning map from 2958, a note reads:

[A new batch of doctors has completed their training. As long as they take their medication on time, they can perfectly avoid managing their emotions. They are truly the most perfect psychologists in the world. Praise to Dr. Chen Jingming.]

Next to the map and planning map from 2966, a note reads:

Dr. Chen Jingming says that we have all completely removed negative emotions from our bodies, allowing us to be happy and feel joy every day. Our children can also receive a corresponding emotion-removing vaccine at birth, ensuring they are free from distress from the moment they are born!

Dr. Chen Jingming is so great that he ensures our citizens will never be troubled by negative emotions. From now on, the dictionary of Jinghu City will no longer contain the words "internal conflict," "fear," "pain," or "sadness"! Even if we occasionally encounter these emotions, we can simply ignore them and continue to live happily!

Lu Changsheng closed the picture book, a chill running down his spine.

They are not citizens.

They are patients.

This city is not a city.

It is a continuously operating sanatorium of unprecedented scale.

Lu Changsheng recalled the nurse who stood in front of him without fear, the calm faces at Aunt Chen's funeral, and the scene where no one panicked when Li Mei vomited blood.

In this "city", "emotions" are a disease.

"Seeing the entity of negative emotions," or "it," is a medical condition.

The "negative emotional entity" is visible to everyone, but everyone ignores it.

So this is what silent therapy is.