A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital
ARC 4
Word count: 21k
☆ 61 George, you’ll soon regret this!
Translator: InkyDragon (https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon)
Yu Xiao imagined George strutting around the ward, radiating smugness and self-assurance.
She knew he was untouchable now; her old trick of invoking the ex-Dean’s name to scare him off was useless. She had noticed his cheerful demeanour when she spoke to him over the phone.
Zhou Xiao Zhen, however, was oblivious to the power shift. She couldn’t fathom why Smiley’s expression had suddenly soured.
“Smiley,” she ventured, “What’s wrong with you?”
Zhao Lan had a hunch, “Does it have anything to do with that hospital inspection?”
Yu Xiao set down her phone, her face grave. A wave of panic washed over her, unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn’t let this happen. She had to find a way out.
She turned to Zhao Lan and asked, “Misty, how do places like hospitals or big companies usually prepare for inspections from the higher-ups?”
“I know this,” Zhou Xiao Zhen piped up, raising her hand, “They clean up!”
Zhao Lan nodded and said, “Precious is right.”
“… ” Yu Xiao’s emotions were a tangled mess, “And what would you do if you were in charge, but most of your subordinates loathe you?”
Zhao Lan could sense the implication behind Yu Xiao’s question. Yeah, Smiley was a nightmare to deal with. Apart from the new guy, Tie Niu, everyone at St. Elizabeth’s had suffered under Smiley’s tyranny.
She pondered seriously and said, “Usually, you try to silence them.”
Yu Xiao had thought of that, but silencing the nurses was easy; silencing George, not so much. She faltered, “What if there is someone whose mouth you can’t silence?”
“Let’s nab him in the act!” Zhao Lan cried out. “Take him down with us.”
Yu Xiao voiced a worry, “But what if we don’t have any solid proof?”
“Then we’ll make some,” Zhao Lan said without a second thought.
Yu Xiao became more confused, “But what if the inspection team is really sharp and can expose all kinds of wrongdoings and fake cases?”
This question hit a nerve with Zhao Lan. She rubbed her fuzzy head in dismay. “Wouldn’t we be screwed if we can’t produce ambiguous evidence then?”
“Yeah,” Zhou Xiao Zhen joined in, “Can’t we pull off something like those ‘flawless crimes’ they show in movies and TV shows?”
At that moment, Yu Xiao felt a jolt in her mind. An idea flashed before her.
“Smiley, did you think of something?”
“Hehe,” Yu Xiao sneered coldly, “George, oh George, I wanted to coexist peacefully with you. But since you’re playing dirty, don’t expect me to play nice.”
Yu Xiao jumped off the bed, announcing, “Precious, whip up some extra dishes this morning. I need to be well-fed and ready for the fight!”
“Roger that!” Zhou Xiao Zhen clenched her fist excitedly. “I’ll go get some food!”
While Zhou Xiao Zhen dashed out to get food, Yu Xiao went to freshen up.
During the meal, Zhao Lan asked with a touch of worry, “Smiley, do you have a plan?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a plan,” Yu Xiao answered confidently.
“And how foolproof is this plan? Won’t it leave any clues?”
“I dunno, but I can’t see any other bloody option right now,” Yu Xiao muttered, banging the table. “Bloody inspection team’s fault!”
Zhou Xiao Zhen swiftly grabbed the table, steadying the dishes before they could spill or shatter. “Smiley, is there anything we can do?”
Yu Xiao desperately wanted some help, but both Misty and Precious couldn’t get into St. Elizabeth’s. So, she had to go solo.
“Don’t fret,” Yu Xiao faked a smile. “Who am I? I’m the certified badass of the hospital. This won’t be hard for me.”
After the meal, Yu Xiao got ready, putting on a white coat and packing a wig, Daoist talismans, and other gadgets. Before leaving, she said to Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen, “If everything goes smoothly, I’ll be back before dinner…”
She had more to say, but she cut herself off. Can’t jinx it at a critical moment like this.
“I’m off!”
**
She had made a trip to Saint Elizabeth yesterday, and today Yu Xiao came back to the hospital. She wasted no time in heading for her office. On her way, she swung by the nurses’ station and commanded one of them to fetch Tie Niu to her office.
Tie Niu was nothing like George, who always dawdled. As soon as he heard that the Dean wanted to see him, he hurried.
A skeleton in a white coat walked into the Dean’s office and saw Yu Xiao behind the desk, her face carved with worry.
“Respected Dean, sir,” Tie Niu saluted her with a bow. “You summoned me?”
“Yes,” Yu Xiao said, her hand supporting her forehead. “Tie Niu, please, take a seat.”
“In your presence, I don’t deserve to sit,” Tie Niu said, moving a few steps closer but maintaining a respectful gap from the desk. “Standing is fine for me.”
“Ah,” Yu Xiao sighed again.
This time, Tie Niu couldn’t help but ask, “Why is the esteemed Dean so distressed?”
“Have you heard about the impending inspection activity in the hospital?” Yu Xiao asked.
“I have,” Tie Niu said. “It’s supposed to be these days. Are you anxious about that?”
“Yes,” Yu Xiao raised her head, showing an expression of suffering hardship that the people wouldn’t comprehend. “You’re new, there are some things you don’t know. When I first became the Dean, I used some rather harsh methods, and apart from you, the staff in this hospital resent me. They’ll likely use this inspection activity to get back at me. I fear I won’t stay as the Dean for long.”
The two black holes in Tie Niu’s skull emitted a faint blue flame. “Don’t worry, Dean. I won’t allow them to harm you while I’m here.”
“Well, actually, I’m not the type who enjoys violence. My life motto is to treat others well. I regret using any forcefulness in the past. I truly don’t want to do anything that would upset everyone again. Besides, you may be able to win over the nurses, but you can’t change George’s mind.”
Yu Xiao turned her head, revealing a sorrowful profile. “Tie Niu, just go. I only wanted to see you one more time. After all, we won’t have many opportunities to meet again. Don’t do anything for me, as long as you’re okay, I’ll be at ease.”
The flames in Tie Niu’s eye sockets burned brighter, but he also understood that what Yu Xiao said was true. No matter what, he couldn’t sway George.
“You should go, concentrate on your work.” Yu Xiao smoothed her expression and said softly, “By the way, fetch George for me. I need to talk to him.”
Tie Niu returned to the top floor and stood outside George’s office door.
The blue flames flickered in his eyes as he raised his hand to knock.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The knocking was a little too forceful, almost breaking the door down.
George inside the office squinted his eyes. Tie Niu was an NPC, naturally feeling intimidated by the attending doctor. Since Tie Niu arrived at the hospital, they had never met in person. What gave him the courage to come and pound on the door?
Without a sound, the door swung open, revealing George at his desk, his piercing eyes fixed on Tie Niu.
A shiver ran down Tie Niu’s spine as he met the frosty stare, but he quickly composed himself and announced, “The dean has summoned you!”
George arched an eyebrow. Tie Niu spun around and stomped away, hissing under his breath, “Despicable wretch!”
“…”
George was speechless. How dare an NPC insult the attending doctor?
He felt a surge of frustration and resentment. These days were getting more and more intolerable.
Tie Niu stormed towards the operating room, his eyes blazing with fury. As he crossed the nurses’ station, he came to an abrupt halt.
The nurses looked at him with confusion and curiosity.
He leaned over the counter, his palms slamming down, and glared at the nurses with a sinister blue flame in his eyes. His voice was low and raspy, as if it came from the depths of the underworld, “If you ever badmouth the dean, you’ll regret it.”
The nurses were stunned into silence.
George found himself standing outside the dean’s office once more, feeling baffled. He seemed to end up at this foreboding door quite often lately.
With a polite knock, he nudged the door open, finding it slightly ajar. He stepped inside, his eyes gleaming with delight at the sight of Lord Dean’s hard and cold face.
“Ah, George, you’ve arrived,” Yu Xiao said, her fingers interlocked on the desk. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
George had no respect for Yu Xiao, but he saw no reason to disobey her simple request. He gracefully slid into a chair and crossed his legs casually.
“What can I do for you?”
Yu Xiao studied him silently for a moment, then rose from her seat and walked towards him, placing one hand on the back of his chair.
“I can’t stop thinking about what you said earlier,” she said, her other hand landing on his shoulder. “You may not know me very well, but I’m the kind of person who fears death more than anything. If someone dares to threaten me, I won’t hesitate to drag them down to hell with me, even if it means my own doom.”
George blinked, his smile widening. “Madam Dean, you’ve repeated that sentiment to me more than once, but it doesn’t change my stance. Of course, I’m also afraid of hell, but the condition is…”
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “You need to have the power to pull someone down there.”
“Hmph,” Yu Xiao chuckled, lifting her hand to pinch his chin gently.
George felt a surge of discomfort at her touch, but he savoured the sight of her fear-crazed expression. Gu Shu and Lolita were too hasty; revenge required patience.
“Do you know? You’ll soon regret your words,” Yu Xiao said, releasing George and nodding towards the desk where a document lay, “Have a look at that.”
George was curious, wondering what trick Yu Xiao had left.
He got up and walked over, picking up the document and opening it, only to see two words – “Total idiot.”
“…”
Click.
The sound of the door closing.
George turned around, the office door was locked, and Yu Xiao was nowhere to be seen inside the office. His face hardened, a sense of dread creeping into his mind.
The door to the Dean’s office was locked closed unless the Dean permitted, preventing entry from both sides.
Yu Xiao stood by the door, a faint smirk curling her lips. She took out a wig, fitting it snugly over her head. Her eyes shut, she summoned the image of another person, morphing her features into George’s likeness.
She sauntered over to the mirror, inspecting her reflection.
A white coat draped over her lithe and graceful male frame, her hair tamed into a tidy style. Her deep eyes twinkled with misDirector behind a pair of golden-rimmed glasses, resting on her straight nose. Her pale lips curled slightly, as if mocking someone.
She spun around and marched towards the top floor of Saint Elizabeth.
She climbed the stairs, with each step bringing her closer to her goal. She arrived at the nurse’s station, causing the nurse on duty to gasp in surprise.
“Follow me to my office,” Yu Xiao tossed a casual command over her shoulder as she headed towards George’s office.
She sank into a chair, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
A hesitant knock came from the door.
“Enter.”
The door creaked open, revealing the nurse standing with her head bowed in fear.
“Please, take a seat,” Yu Xiao offered.
The nurse hesitated to sit, keeping her head down, wondering what the attending doctor wanted from her.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
The nurse shook her head vigorously.
Yu Xiao lowered her gaze slightly, her voice becoming cold and stern. “The hospital inspection is imminent. I’ve risked my life to assist Dean Yu in maintaining her position, and I won’t allow anyone who has ill will towards her get away with it.”
☆ 62 News about the First Hospital
The nurse sucked in a breath, even though she had no need for air, bloody hell, Dr. George had just confessed!!
They had always harboured suspicions that Dr. George and the new honcho were having an affair, after witnessing their scandalous encounters and hearing the boss’s suggestive remarks. But Dr. George had always played it cool, acting as if he loathed the boss and everything they had witnessed was a simple misunderstanding.
But he had just admitted it!!!
He admitted he had risked his life for the Dean!!!
Bloody hell… how on earth had she managed to ship the attending doctor and the patient, and it turned out to be true, bloody hell…
Yu Xiao finished her speech and glared at the nurse, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes yes yes!” The nurse bobbed her head so fast it seemed like it would fall off.
“Good, now sod off.” Yu Xiao reclined in her chair, her arms folded across her chest, “And bring me the next nurse.”
The nurse hesitated for a moment, “Who?”
“Whoever you fancy,” Yu Xiao said.
The nurse scampered off eagerly, back to the nurses’ station. The other nurses swarmed around her, dying to know why Dr. George had called her.
But she just stood there like a bloody statue, her eyes, once dull and lifeless, now burning with intense emotion. The other nurses were pulling their hair out, loathing her for being as expressive as a bloody log.
“Hey,” the nurse gestured to another nurse, “Dr. George wants to see you.”
The nurse gestured at: “???”
Yu Xiao waited for a moment and picked another nurse.
She continued her charade, convincing everyone at St. Elizabeth’s that George was madly in love with her.
She kept this up until the afternoon, and by then, the whole hospital was buzzing with rumours about the Dean and the attending doctor.
Yu Xiao felt pleased with her work and made her way back to the office, her body exhausted.
As soon as the door opened, George looked up.
He couldn’t believe his eyes…
Because he was staring at himself!
Yu Xiao shut the door, wearing George’s signature smirk as she gazed at him. “Good afternoon, George.”
George was speechless. Yu Xiao walked past him slowly, then turned around to face him.
They were identical in every way, from their clothes to their hair. If not for their different expressions, they could have been twins.
Yu Xiao spread her arms slightly and twirled around. “How do I look?”
George clenched his teeth and asked, “What have you done?”
“Guess,” Yu Xiao lifted an eyebrow, “Let your imagination run wild.”
A soft laugh escaped her lips as she eased into the dean’s chair, making herself comfortable. She tilted her head and smiled wickedly, “You once doubted my ability to drag you to the depths of hell. Do you still harbour such foolish thoughts?”
George: “…”
Yu Xiao: “Come on, take another guess. How do you suppose my staff views you now?”
George: “…”
Yu Xiao felt a surge of delight at George’s pained silence. That’s what you get for mocking and defying me. You think I can’t make your life a living nightmare? Watch me do it right here and now!
“George,” Yu Xiao said, sounding almost sincere, “can’t we just get along? Why do you insist on being my enemy? I think I’ve been more than generous to you.”
George couldn’t stand her smug face and her endless chatter. He wished he had never taken the job as the attending doctor at St. Elizabeth’s. He wished he had never crossed paths with this woman, this monster, who had trapped him in this hellhole.
“I can see the regret in your eyes,” Yu Xiao said, savouring his misery, “I’ll give you one final opportunity to redeem yourself.”
George tried to speak, but no words came out.
Yu Xiao put a finger to her lips, “Shh, don’t be hasty.”
She faded from the office, leaving behind a faint echo of her voice. “I’ll give you some time to ponder your fate,” she said.
George stared at the spot where Yu Xiao had vanished, his face a mask of calm, but his lips a thin line of anger. He, George, the respected doctor of St. Elizabeth’s, was actually a prisoner?
**
Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan sat across from each other in the ward of the Sixth Hospital, surrounded by a feast of mouthwatering dishes, but neither of them had picked up their chopsticks.
“Ugh,” Zhou Xiao Zhen groaned, “I hope Smiley is okay. She didn’t go and pick a fight with George, did she?”
“Relax,” Zhao Lan said, “Smiley knows better than to act rashly.”
She tried to sound calm, but inside she was a bundle of nerves. George was the attending doctor, a cold and ruthless man who had no compassion or empathy. He had the power to harm Smiley, and he was only held back by the hospital rules. Unless Smiley provoked him first, then he would have no qualms about hurting her.
Smiley was brave, but she was no match for George. He had even killed the former hospital Dean, who was bound to his domain.
Where was Smiley now? Was she in trouble? Had she come back yet? Had George devoured her?
Zhao Lan was lost in her worries when she saw a figure in a white coat appear in her room.
“Ahhh!!!!”
Zhou Xiao Zhen shrieked, “George is here in our ward!!!!”
Zhao Lan jumped up, shielding Zhou Xiao Zhen, “George, what do you want? Where’s Smiley? Did you… did you eat her?”
“Misty, Precious,” George begged, “Calm down, how could the attending doctor possibly show up in Ward 6?”
“…Smiley?” Zhao Lan gasped.
“It’s me.” Yu Xiao uncovered her true face, tossing aside her wig. “I forgot to change back when I came back.”
“Smiley!” Zhou Xiao Zhen flung herself at Yu Xiao, hugging her neck, legs in the air, crying. “Waaah~… Smiley, I was so scared for you, waaah~…”
“Don’t worry, I’m back.” Yu Xiao smiled, staggering a bit under Zhou Xiao Zhen’s weight, before she scanned the table full of food, licking her lips. “Perfect timing, I’m starving. Were you guys waiting for me to eat?”
Zhao Lan handed her chopsticks, asking, “How did it go? Why did you turn into George?”
Yu Xiao grabbed a chicken wing for herself, biting off the crunchy skin. “It’s a long story.” She said, chewing. “I didn’t have a good plan at first, but Precious gave me an idea of how to pull off the perfect crime. And the perfect crime, of course, is making someone else do it…Mnjum!”
She quickly summarised her actions at Saint Elizabeth’s, then added, “I can’t log into the instances during this time, so I locked George in the office. To maintain the deception, I have to stay at Saint Elizabeth’s impersonating George until the inspection team shows up.”
“Wow.” Zhou Xiao Zhen was impressed. “Smiley, your moves are truly… epic.”
Zhao Lan was also shocked by Yu Xiao’s actions, unable to find words to express her feelings upon hearing about this incredible plan.
“Smiley, you… George…” Zhao Lan sighed softly. “Anyway, I hope you can get through this safely.”
“Hopefully,” Yu Xiao said, giving it her best shot. She had already locked up the attending doctor, what else could she do?
She had spent days on end, running the damn instances until her fingers were numb and her eyes were sore. Getting a break from that madness was a relief, but also a drain.
She nabbed a quick bite, then headed for the shower, ready to hit the sack.
Zhou Xiao Zhen, on the other hand, was giddy with anticipation. She had witnessed Yu Xiao’s brilliant move, and it had filled her with awe. She wanted to scream it to the world, to brag about how amazing her partner Yu was.
But she had to hold her tongue, not until they got out of the Sixth Hospital. Zhou Xiao Zhen felt like she was going to explode, especially when some jerk started trolling her on the forum. She didn’t back down, though. She rolled up her sleeves, clenched her fists, and engaged in a fierce debate.
Yu Xiao had intended to draw some more talismans that night. After her shower, she thought she would check the forum for a while before calling it a night. But as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out cold.
Her sleep was far from restful, though. It was a whirlwind of nightmares.
One moment, she was running from Cthulhu, the next, she was hiding in every corner. All the doctors she had fooled were haunting her in her dreams, swearing to take revenge on her. Then she morphed into a Trojan horse, and had to endure a thousand stabs in ass to become human again…
“Ding dong~!”
Yu Xiao snapped open her eyes. She had slept for hours, but she felt anything but refreshed.
Zhou Xiao Zhen was awake too, stretching in bed and rubbing her eyes. “Good morning~”
Yu Xiao let out a half-hearted chuckle, curling up on her side in bed. The position was cozy, but she felt a twinge of pain in her back, probably from sleeping wrong last night.
Zhao Lan chuckled too, “I can’t remember the last time I slept in. If it wasn’t for the morning news, I would stay in bed all day.”
“Time to start this wonderful day. Here’s the hospital’s morning news~.”
“The hospital inspection event will start tomorrow. All hospitals are expected to be ready…”
“Yesterday, a large number of patients acted inappropriately, bothering medical staff during treatment, creating a serious problem. Our hospital’s management asks everyone to control themselves and act like civilised patients…”
Yu Xiao: “…”
She had spent the whole day at St. Elizabeth’s yesterday, and she had almost forgotten about anyone trying to impersonate her.. It seemed they had failed…
“In a few days Lolita’s Amusement Park after renovation will open its gates again, inviting the curious and the thrill-seeking to explore its wonders…”
“Recently, an attending doctor has demanded the right to choose their own patients. This request has been denied by the hospital administration. As doctors, we should heal without bias; every patient in the eyes of a doctor is the same…”
“Yesterday, a patient nicknamed ‘Lord Fortunewood’ (沙福林大人) from First Hospital snapped and turned violent during treatment, badly hurting the attending doctor. The case has now been transferred to the hospital’s medical dispute office. Once more, we plead with everyone to stop attacking medical staff for no reason…”
“Wow!” Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “To thrash the attending doctor like that, that’s freaking awesome!”
Zhao Lan shook her head, her voice tinged with disbelief. “I’ve never heard anything about First Hospital before. It seems like a low-key place, but the patients there are something else. Who knows how long they’ve been locked up there. To have the guts and the strength to take down the attending doctor, that’s…”
Zhao Lan trailed off, her mind buzzing with ideas, while Yu Xiao remembered what Luo Jin had said about the patients at that hospital.
That hospital, hmm, it must be a hell of a place. Qiao Qiao from St. Elizabeth’s had said she had been there for forty years already. So, what about that hospital? Had it been around for that long too?
☆ 63 All those years I worked at St Elizabeth’s
The hospital concealed secrets within its walls, secrets that Yu Xiao had barely scratched the surface of.
As she lay in bed, she mapped out her day in her mind: first, she would sketch some talismans with pen and paper, then she would disguise herself as George and slip into Saint Elizabeth’s.
Drawing the symbols was no easy task; it required precision and concentration. Despite her increased spiritual luck, she failed the first three attempts. However, on the fourth try, something clicked, and she felt a surge of power. With a smile, she continued to create one talisman after another.
For now, Yu Xiao had no intention of selling these symbols at the talisman shop. She wanted to test them out herself, in case she encountered any danger. If they proved effective, she would think about selling them at the shop.
Zhou Xiao Zhen was sitting next to her, lending a hand by grinding cinnabar with alcohol.
As Yu Xiao set down her pen, Zhou Xiao Zhen reached for one of the papers and inquired, “What does this thing do?”
Yu Xiao shrugged. She didn’t really know. She only knew that they were supposed to protect the wearer from harm, in some mysterious way. She gave two symbols to Zhou Xiao Zhen. “Keep one for yourself, and give one to Misty. They might save your lives someday.”
“Okay.” Zhou Xiao Zhen accepted the symbols, wondering how to wear them. Could they work through clothes?
Yu Xiao craned her neck, checking the time. It was getting late. She cleaned up and said, “I have to go to Saint Elizabeth’s now. I don’t know when I’ll be back, so don’t worry about waiting for dinner with me.”
With a warning in her voice, Zhao Lan said, “Alright, take care of everything.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen watched Yu Xiao’s frantic movements with sympathy. “Poor Smiley,” she remarked, “it’s all that George’s fault. He’s the worst of all the attending doctors!”
Zhao Lan bit her tongue to stop herself from saying what she really thought. George was also the most unfortunate one, in her opinion, but would Smiley have any compassion for him?
**
In the hospital corridor, five men in faded gowns looked around with curiosity and apprehension. One of them spotted a portrait on the wall, partially hidden by a curtain. A line of text at the bottom caught his eye—St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital.
He gasped. “Ah!”
The others flinched at his sudden outburst. A man from his ward asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Look,” he said, pointing at the line of text.
His friend followed his gaze and his eyes widened too. “It’s this instance!” he exclaimed.
“What instance?” The other three, who came from different hospitals, asked in confusion.
“Don’t you know?” The first man said, “We’re from the Fourth Hospital, and this instance is famous on our forum.”
“Really?” The others said eagerly. “Are there any guides?”
“There are guides, but they’re not for the faint-hearted… Anyway, we know all the steps involved in this instance.” The second man said, his voice tinged with excitement and fear. “The attending doctor for this instance is named George, and he’s a real nightmare. He’ll take us for a diagnostic test soon, where we have to explain why we’re here. Don’t make up any random reasons, this is a horror hospital. The only right answer is how we died. We have to invent a way we kicked the bucket…”
“Shh.” A voice from nearby silenced him. “Someone’s coming.”
The sound of leather shoes clacking on the floor announced the arrival of a handsome man in a white coat and gold-rimmed glasses. He strode towards the five newcomers with a smile that lacked any warmth.
“Welcome to St. Elizabeth,” he said, “I’m your attending physician, George.”
The three from the Fifth Ward recognised him instantly and exchanged nervous glances.
George gestured for them to follow him. “Come with me, I’ll take you for your medical tests.”
The five obeyed him silently and entered a hall. There were thirteen chairs arranged in a circle, with eight patients already sitting on them.
The two from the Fourth Ward scanned the room and spotted a young girl among the seated patients. She had to be Qiao Qiao, the fixed NPC they had read about on the forum. Why else would she always be here?
“Please, take a seat,” George said politely. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have five new members joining us today. Let’s give them a warm welcome.”
No one moved or spoke, and George didn’t seem to mind. “Today’s tests are about to start. You have all been undergoing treatment for some time, and to evaluate the progress you have made, I have selected a trustworthy testing method for you. The outcome of this test will decide your future treatment options and bed assignments, so please pay attention.”
He looked around the circle, his eyes lingering on the faces of the newcomers. The two from the Fourth Ward felt his stare and hoped he wouldn’t choose them. They were glad they had read the walkthrough, otherwise they would have no idea how they had met their end.
Yu Xiao felt a surge of amusement at the sight of the patients’ nervous faces. She chided herself for her unprofessional thoughts, “Yu Xiao, oh Yu Xiao, how can you be so cruel? Aren’t you just as bad as George?”
She quickly composed herself and said, “Today’s test is about explaining why you’re here. Let’s begin with Qiao Qiao. Qiao Qiao, you go first.”
Qiao Qiao, whose favourite pastime was watching newcomers expose themselves, was caught off guard by the sudden attention. She felt question marks popping up in her head.
The five patients looked at each other in confusion.
Especially the two from the fourth ward, who exchanged wary glances.
“Why is this different from what the post said?”
“I have no idea.”
The diagnosis proceeded without any problems, and soon George left, leaving behind five baffled patients. The three from the fifth ward asked, “Why didn’t it go as he said?”
“Maybe because… there’s a new boss in the hospital?” the two speculated, “The head of Saint Elizabeth is Sister Dragon, right? Did she change the rules?”
“Who’s Sister Dragon?” The patients from the fifth ward were more perplexed than ever. “The head of this hospital has the surname Dragon and the first name Sister?”
“What?” A person from the fourth ward said, “Don’t you know Dragon’s Descendant? The one who’s always in the news.”
“Of course, I know her. She’s the Dean?” The fifth ward patients were stunned. “How did a patient become the Dean of a hospital?”
The Dragon’s Descendant, they called her. But the patients of the Fourth Hospital harboured doubts about whether Yu Xiao really was the director. Even if she had once wielded that authority, surely the hospital would have stripped her of it by now?
“Dunno,” a voice from the Fourth Hospital shrugged. “Why don’t we find out when the time comes?”
**
Meanwhile, Yu Xiao had retreated to her own office, savouring a banana as she observed George.
A night of imprisonment had done nothing to soften George; on the contrary, he was more furious than ever. He fixed Yu Xiao with a murderous stare, and if his eyes had the power to kill, Yu Xiao would have perished in a most creative manner.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Yu Xiao chided. “Try to see things from my perspective, I’m just trying to protect myself.”
George’s glare did not waver.
Yu Xiao went on, “The whole hospital heard your confession. You admitted to killing the former Dean with me. How do you plan to clear your name?”
There was a way, actually. George could phone the medical dispute office when Yu Xiao was out of sight and beg them to rescue him from her clutches. But then, he would expose his shameful predicament to the hospital’s ghosts. He, a doctor, held captive by a patient. He, a ghost, needing the dispute office’s assistance.
He would be the butt of every joke, the first ghost doctor in history to be held hostage.
No, he would never let that happen!
“George, you have a frightening look in your eyes,” Yu Xiao said, tossing the banana peel aside. “Are you scheming something?”
“I’ll make you pay, but not right now,” George rose to his feet.”Release me, and I’ll help you deal with the inspection team.”
“Brilliant! You’ve finally seen the reason!” Yu Xiao cried, clapping him on the back. “Allow me to show you out.”
Only God knew how much George was restraining himself. His loathing for Yu Xiao had reached a critical point, enough to trigger a qualitative change. He was no longer satisfied with just killing her; he was resolved to make her endure unspeakable agony before she died.
Yu Xiao opened the door and bid farewell to George.
George was about to walk away when he suddenly spun around and pressed his lips to Yu Xiao’s ear. “You know what? It’s not just me who wants you dead. The vengeance against you has already started.”
With that, he turned and left. Despite his animosity for Yu Xiao, he didn’t want her to die at the hands of another, so he felt compelled to warn her. Besides, he was in such a miserable situation himself that he hoped someone else would suffer more.
Yu Xiao watched George leave. Vengeance against her had already started?
She hadn’t crossed many people so far, just those three attending doctors. Could it be Gu Shu? Gu Shu had fled the Gu family village; was this part of his revenge scheme?
Meanwhile, five people concealed in a hospital room were spying through the door gap, witnessing the scene.
They had just seen the door of the Dean’s office swing open, and George emerged with another man. They couldn’t catch what they were saying, but it seemed like they were hesitant to part. The attending doctor George had already left when he suddenly whirled back and neared the man’s face.
Due to the angle, they couldn’t make out the details clearly. The scene looked like they were either murmuring something tenderly or exchanging a kiss.
But there was no one around, so why would they need to murmur like that?
Did George really kiss that man?
Wow, their ghostly love life is quite exciting~
Too bad they didn’t see what the man looked like. Coming out of the Dean’s office, could he be the Dean himself?
The pair from the Fourth Hospital felt a pang of disappointment; their Dragon Sister had indeed been ousted from the director’s seat.
The office door slammed shut. Those from the Fifth Hospital commented, “The director is a chap, not some dragon’s descendant.”
“Think about it, mate. How could a human be appointed director of a hospital? What’s our next move?”
Someone from the Fourth Hospital pulled out a card from their bag. “This is a prop card I bought from the mall. It’ll give me a pair of roller skates. Later on, we’ll…”
After devising a plan, the five of them reached the door of the director’s office with anticipation and knocked.
But they waited and waited, yet the door didn’t budge. Instead, they saw a piece of paper being slid through the gap.
“Pick it up and have a look.”
The five heads crowded together to read the content on the paper. It was a multiple-choice question.
【 Life is precious. To save your own precious lives, what are you willing to sacrifice?
A. Eat a kilo of iron bull dung.
B. Have a night of debauchery with George.
C. Let Qi Qi pick your body part for her to munch on.
D. Spend points. 】
The five of them were flabbergasted. What in the world was going on?
“Why is it not like what the guide said?”
“Could it be because they have a new Dean?” they conjectured. “Different Dean, different rules, right?”
“So, what are you all choosing?”
“Well… I’m going for D!”
“Then D it is for me too…”
**
Despite staying up all night, Yu Xia felt quite pleased, because she scored a lot of loot.
☆ 64 May I inquire if there’s anything unsatisfactory during your hospitalisation, Miss?
With a grin that stretched from ear to ear, Yu Xiao returned to the ward. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen lay in their beds, their chests rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Yu Xiao suppressed a giggle. Everyone’s asleep, so no one to share her joy with for now ~Hehehe~!
Quietly, she walked into the bathroom, holding her clothes. Looking at herself in the mirror, a surge of satisfaction washed over her. Even more beautiful than before!
Turning on the shower, she allowed the warm water to wash over her, softly humming a tune. She longed to sing out loud, but didn’t want to disturb anyone. Lathering herself with fragrant soap and shampoo, she made sure she smelled fresh and pleasant. She dried herself with a fluffy towel and put on her clothes, feeling ready for anything.
She stepped out of the bathroom, just as she heard a scratching sound at the door.
It was the ghost, still roaming the corridors, still not giving up on its quest. Yu Xiao felt a pang of sympathy for the poor creature, and whispered through the door, “Stop scratching. When the inspection is over, I’ll get Saint Elizabeth to expand.”
The scratching ceased immediately, followed by a soft rustling sound, and then something slid under the door.
Yu Xiao bent down and picked it up. It was a card.
She flipped it over and read the words on the card – “One-time Charm Card.”
Well, would you look at that?
Yu Xiao felt a warm glow in her chest, as if she had been rewarded for her kindness. Being helpful was the right thing to do!
“Thank you,” Yu Xiao said sincerely. “Go back and wait for news. It shouldn’t take long.”
The sound outside faded away, and Yu Xiao lay on her bed, holding the card in her hand. She wondered what it could do. This kind of card must be like asking for a pair of roller skates – both were disposable tools. Though the effect of the card only lasted for a while, it could have unexpected effects at critical moments.
Yu Xiao was grinning from ear to ear. Today was a glorious day, wasn’t it?
“Smiley… Smiley?”
Yu Xiao cracked her eyes open, finding Zhou Xiao Zhen’s pale and round face inches from her own. “Come on, get up. It’s inspection day today. Misty said we should be up bright and early.”
“Mmm…” Yu Xiao agreed vaguely. She had slept poorly last night; she had stayed out too late and tossed and turned in bed.
She rose and joined the others by the window, where they had arranged some chairs and a kettle of tea. They waited for the curtains to part.
Yu Xiao looked around the gloomy hospital room and felt a pang of curiosity. “What do you think we’d see if we opened the curtains before eight?”
“The mountains at night,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said.
She realised her two sisters had gone quiet. Puzzled, she asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
“Well…” Zhao Lan said, “Precious has a point.”
“But we all know the view outside is fake. I mean, no bird flies the same way every day, right? So I have a hunch the night scene might be different from the day one,” Yu Xiao wondered.
“Smiley has a point,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, itching to pull the curtains. “Should we have a look?”
“Maybe not,” Zhao Lan said nervously, “What if there’s something out there we don’t want to see?”
“No way.” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “The hospital rules don’t say anything about not opening the curtains before eight.”
“Exactly,” Yu Xiao rose and strode to the window, saying, “I doubt we’re the only ones intrigued by what’s outside.”
As she spoke, she seized the curtain with one hand and said, “You lot, cower in the corner.”
“Cower for what?” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “Let’s do it together.”
With that, she pulled the curtain with force, and it flew open. Yu Xiao was awed by Zhou Xiao Zhen’s courage and thought, ‘Truly, Precious is the boldest among us three.’
“There’s nothing out there,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said baffled.
Yu Xiao swiftly looked out, only to see a thick, impenetrable darkness outside the window, a darkness that not even light could pierce.
‘Is that it?’ Yu Xiao felt somewhat let down, thinking, ‘Is this all?’
“Look, what’s that?” Zhao Lan pointed above the window.
Yu Xiao looked up and saw a sticky, blood-like liquid dripping down from the top of the window. It trickled down slowly, splitting into three streams all the way to the bottom.
Yu Xiao scowled, about to close the curtain. Suddenly, something fell from above, making a “thud” as it landed on the outside window sill, even bouncing a bit.
Zhou Xiao Zhen recoiled in horror, taking two steps backward.
It was then that they beheld the horror—a black, spherical object that spun in the air. As it rotated to face them, they recognised it for what it was: the severed head of a woman, oozing blood from every orifice.
Her eyes, wide and bloody, fixed them with a malevolent stare, and her crimson lips parted.
“— One.”
“— Two.”
“— Three.”
“— Hehehe… don’t forget, yeah?” The head cackled shrilly and vanished.
Simultaneously, the 8 a.m. alarm sounded on cue.
“Ding dong!”
A gentle melody accompanied the soft light that pierced the dark window. When the light dimmed, the tranquil vista of nature revealed itself—majestic mountains, rippling streams, birdsong, and floral scents.
Zhao Lan stirred, “Did she just count us?”
“Seems so,” Yu Xiao agreed.
“What did she mean by don’t forget?” Zhou Xiao Zhen wondered. “Is she planning to return for us?”
Yu Xiao scowled, grabbing talismans and affixing two letters on the window: an S and a B.
(“S” (pronounced “sī”) stands for “sèn” (傻) which means “silly” or “stupid.”
“B” (pronounced “bì”) stands for “bī” (逼) which is a vulgar slang term often used to insult or denote contempt, roughly equivalent to “fk” or “fker” in English slang.)
“That should keep her out,” Yu Xiao declared.
“Hmm,” Zhou Xiao Zhen dismissed it, and went on, “The inspection work begins today. I’m curious about what kind of inspection it will be.”
“Luo Jin said it wouldn’t bother the regular patients much,” Zhao Lan remarked. “The main focus is on Saint Elizabeth’s. Speaking of which, Smiley, have you sorted out everything at Saint Elizabeth’s?”
“Done and dusted, George is too,” Yu Xiao said, taking a sip of her tea. “But he let slip that someone has a grudge against me. I haven’t the foggiest who, but I suspect it’s Gu Shu. He’s the only one I’ve really rubbed the wrong way… and the only one who’s gone AWOL.”
“Gu Shu’s a right plonker,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, shaking her head. “Can’t we all just bury the hatchet? Hasn’t he realised our Smiley has upgraded? Smiley can even lock up the attending doctors now, what can he do to frighten us?”
“Don’t be complacent about Gu Shu,” Zhao Lan warned her sisters. “He’s still the attending doctor. If he shows up with a plan, we’re in trouble.”
“I get it,” Yu Xiao said, nodding. “I’m not taking him lightly.”
“And now, let the splendid day begin~ Let’s tune in to the hospital’s morning news…”
“Today, the hospital inspection officially gets underway. The Director of Health Bureau, along with other leaders, paid a visit to the Sixth Hospital to scrutinise its operations, escorted by the hospital director…”
“Bloody hell!” Zhou Xiao Zhen cried. “Why’s the Sixth Hospital the first on their inspection agenda?”
The news bulletin droned on.
“The director and his companions reached the Sixth Hospital’s inpatient department and scrutinised its infrastructure. The director stressed that the Sixth Hospital was a new establishment, and the hospital president and medical staff ought to learn humbly and manage it effectively…”
“The hospital president and his crew then moved on to the Sixth Hospital’s cafeteria, inspecting its hygiene standards. The director pointed out that the cafeteria was a vital part of the hospital, and cafeteria staff should endure hardship and fatigue…”
“Next, the director and his group ascended to the second floor of the inpatient department to check the occupancy of the wards. He observed that the occupancy rate of the Sixth Hospital’s wards was still low, which was the fault of the hospital president. He resolved on the spot that communication with patients about their impressions of staying at the hospital should occur…”
Zhao Lan knitted her brows. “Do they have to chat with patients too?”
“We’re lucky we’re on a high floor,” Zhou Xiao Zhen commented. “They likely won’t trouble us for that.”
“Relax,” Yu Xiao soothed. “Our luck isn’t that rotten. I’ve used several luck cards; bad things steer clear of me.”
“Right you are!” Zhou Xiao Zhen agreed. “Smiley’s got it!”
“After a short deliberation, the Director opted to converse with the patient who topped the leaderboard of the sixth hospital…”
Yu Xiao: “…”
Zhou Xiao Zhen: “Eek!”
Zhao Lan: “Crikey…”
“Knock knock knock!”
A knock sounded from outside the door.
“The Director and his followers have reached the ward of the patient known as ‘Deaf Descendant’, who is the leader of the leaderboard, and they are requesting the patient to communicate.”
“Hello.” A very standard Mandarin voice came from outside the door, “Is this the ward of Deaf Heir? I am the director of the Health Bureau and I would like to have a word with you. Could you step out for a bit?”
Yu Xiao felt her scalp prickle.
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were petrified.
Yu Xiao’s rational mind urged her not to botch this up, but her body wouldn’t comply; she couldn’t even get up.
“Hello? Could you step out for a bit?”
“I…” Yu Xiao nibbled her lip, “Er, I’m not very… available right now. Can’t we talk things over without opening the door?”
There was a pause outside, then the director said, “Of course, may I inquire if there’s anything unsatisfactory during your hospitalisation, Miss?”
“Unsatisfactory…” Yu Xiao said, “Lots of places feelin’ off.”
The Director: “Such as?”
She decided to start with the obvious. “Like… being confined to the ward all day, unable to move around, feels pretty miserable,” Yu Xiao said, warming up, “And also, the courier service from the Sixth Hospital is abysmal. Always shouting, even snarling at me. I’m a bloody brain cancer patient, for heaven’s sake, fragile as hell mentally. Every time I have to deal with the courier, it just feels wrong.”
“Alright, anything else?”
“Oh, there’s more, but it’s all stuff from the treatment instances, not sure if I should blab?” Yu Xiao asked.
“Go on, say it.”
“So, when I was getting treated in Gu Village before, the attending doctor there seemed to have some odd notions about me. Sigh, maybe I’m just paranoid. But the villagers all sensed that something was off, ah… never mind, ignore what I said,” Yu Xiao’s tone brightened, “Overall, I’ve been feeling pretty chipper during my time at the Sixth Hospital, thanks to the leaders, thanks to the medical staff for giving me a chance at life, I sincerely thank everyone…”
“Alright, thank you for your useful feedback,” the Director said, “We won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
After that, the noise outside faded away, and Yu Xiao let out a huge sigh of relief. Zhou Xiao Zhen gave her a thumbs up.
The news bulletin resumed.
“After successfully and efficiently communicating with the ‘Deaf Descendant’ patient, the Director felt rather heavy-hearted. A hospital was a place to treat and save lives, yet such malignant incidents like rude courier attitudes and the attending doctor developing taboo feelings towards patients… unbelievable…”
Yu Xiao: “…”
“Blimey,” Zhou Xiao Zhen was shocked, “The Director didn’t even look into it?”
“…After conducting inquiries and interviews, with testimonies from villagers in Gu Village. Dr. Gu, the attending doctor, during the treatment period, despite the patient being a ‘Deaf Descendant’ already married, attempted to force a relationship with said patient. Considering it’s their first offence and no severe consequences resulted, the leadership decided to penalise them with a three-year salary cut…”
☆ 65 Gossip Hub
Yu Xiao swore loudly, her fist throbbing with pain from clenching it too hard. She had intended to use this chance to ruin Gu Shu once and for all, to make sure he would never cross her again. But fate had other plans. A fine? That was all? How would that deter him from seeking revenge?
The hospital’s speakers blared the morning news, reaching every corner and crevice. George, hiding in his office like a vengeful spectre, caught the broadcast. A wicked smile twisted his lips. He might have been unlucky, but at least he had salvaged his reputation. Gu Shu, on the other hand, had become the hospital’s biggest joke.
Lolita Amusement Park had undergone a makeover, but Lolita herself was not amused. She heard the news and stared in disbelief. Then she stamped her foot in rage. “Traitor! Another Traitor!”
The rest of the staff at St. Elizabeth Hospital were also stunned by the news. What was it about the Dean that made everyone lose their minds? Dr. George had sacrificed everything for her, and other doctors had committed crimes for her unrequited love.
Good heavens…
Hold on! The Dean was married? To whom? This was not a simple love triangle, but a complex love quadrangle?
“I really wanted to live another five hundred years~…”
Her phone rang, and Yu Xiao picked it up, hearing the caller’s voice, as giddy as a failing student who had scraped a pass. “Bloody hell! You’re a legend, aren’t you? You’ve got some nerve, don’t you? Aren’t you scared of the truth coming out? Aren’t you scared of Gu Shu getting back at you?”
It was a simple calculation in Yu Xiao Xin’s mind: Gu Shu was a threat, and threats needed to be eliminated before they could strike back. Unfortunately, her plan had not gone as smoothly as she had hoped, and now she had to deal with the consequences. The truth? What truth? She had merely hinted that Gu Shu might harbour some ulterior motives towards her, and that she might be paranoid about it. The Chief was the one who had jumped to conclusions and ordered an investigation. That was none of her concern.
“Ha,” Yu Xiao sneered, “Did you only realise today what a badass I am? I thought you were well aware.”
“Guess what? You’re trending again!” Lu Xun shouted, “It’s a pity you can’t access our forum from Fourth Hospital, otherwise you would see how much of a stir you’ve caused there. You have more fans in Four Hospitals than Old Luo now. Hey… why did Old Luo grab my phone?”
“Yu Xiao,” Luo Jin’s calm voice came through, “I heard a rumour that Saint Elizabeth’s has a new dean. Did you manage to resign?”
“?” New dean? Yu Xiao was puzzled, but she didn’t let it show. She changed the subject, “By the way, didn’t you say the inspection was starting from First Hospital? Why did it switch to Sixth Hospital this time?”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then Luo Jin said, “How should I know?”
Yu Xiao: “…”
“Lu Xun wants to talk to you,” Luo Jin said, passing the phone back to Lu Xun.
He asked, “Do you want me to read out the posts from Four Hospitals forum for you?”
Yu Xiao: “…”
“No need!” I can look it up myself!
After hanging up, Yu Xiao opened the Four Hospitals forum. It was indeed lively, with the first post about her.
【How charismatic is Sister Dragon!】
She clicked on it, and saw the OP gushing about her in an enthusiastic manner.
The chat messages flooded in.
【I’m speechless, I’ve never admired anyone so much in my life. Dragon Sis’s skills in the previous instance were phenomenal, not to mention all the amazing titles she has. That alone was enough to win my respect. But now, she’s not only a powerhouse, she’s also a charmer, she’s got the attending doctor under her spell.
Bloody hell, I’m dying to see how gorgeous Dragon Sis really is! Please, I’m a simple chap, I just adore beautiful and powerful people!】
【Me too!】
【Didn’t the OP who met Dragon Sis before share their experience? The one from the Lolita Theme Park?】
【I’m the OP from the Lolita Theme Park. Dragon Sis is indeed a stunner, but… maybe it’s her inner beauty that’s more mesmerising. I’ve never been to that instance in Gu Village, but I guess the attending doctor there, Gu, must have noticed Dragon Sis’s allure and fallen for her.】
【So even attending doctors can have normal emotions like us? Can’t control their feelings and all that…】
【Ahhh!!! Stop it! I’m a fan of this kind of domineering boss and his cute little missus!】
【Are you mad? How did Dragon Sis become a cute little missus?】
【Domineering Doctor: Falling for the big shot from the enemy faction.】
【Wah wah wah… to be honest, the male attending doctors are all quite handsome, if it wasn’t for the fear of death, I’d…】
【Snap out of it, mate! Think about the Mortuary King!】
【The King’s a different case!】
【The King’s been fired already!】
Yu Xiao scrolled through the thread, suddenly wondering: I wonder if the attending doctor can see the forums of the other six hospitals. If he can, Old Gu must be livid right now, right?】
‘Amitabha Buddha, I don’t mean to ruin your rep; just want to mess you up good.’
She scrolled down, seeing the people below questioning the validity of this news.
【This can’t be real, right? How can a top doc fall in love? And with a human of all things.】
【Are you doubting the credibility of the morning news upstairs?】
【It’s true! Docs have their private lives too!! Just came out of St. Lizzy’s, new top doc’s a young bloke, hooked up with George. Saw them both leaving the office, George even kissed the dean’s cheek!!】
【Bloody hell, am I dreaming? This is not the Fourth Hospital forum, it’s gossip hub?】
【Dean is not our Queen Dragon anymore?】
【Tut tut tut… Docs not only romancing in secret, now even their orientations all mixed up, tut tut tut…】
【Ahhh!!! Scored big! Haven’t shipped a couple since I arrived in Four Hospital!!!】
【Wondering about that village head, who the hell is he, stealing women from the attending doctor and winning?】
【Even got married to Zhuge and ‘Whispering Monk’
.】
【Top two hospitals becoming sisterly…】
【Jealous, I want to marry Dragon, heard Zhuge’s a looker too…】
【Something’s wrong upstairs.】
Yu Xiao watched the thread spin out of control, and dared not read any further. She put her phone down, only to see Zhao Lan with a smug grin, holding her phone. “Tut tut tut, Smiley, you know what? The Sixth Hospital forum’s all about you now, most people guessing you’re some kind of unparalleled beauty, and then there’s some…”
Yu Xiao: “Anything else?”
“They’re also speculating that you used your beauty to charm the attending doctor and breeze through the instance,” Zhao Lan said. “They’re keen now, wanting to try their luck at seducing the attending doctor in the next instance.”
“…”
No wonder they were rookies from the Sixth Hospital; people from the Fourth Hospital would never imagine such absurd scenarios. Rookies had their advantages, like having a lot of gaps in their knowledge, and the less they knew, the more adventurous they became.
“I tried to warn them,” Zhou Xiao Zhen sighed helplessly, “but they said I was questioning their looks.”
“They just need a good thrashing,” Zhao Lan commented. “In time, they’ll wise up.”
“Hey, Smiley,” Zhao Lan said, “When the leaders from the Health Commission come to inspect, the Dean always goes with them. What will you do then?”
“I’ve got it sorted. I’ll have George go with them, and I’ll take some time off.”
“You’re taking time off?” Zhao Lan was surprised by this choice. “Sick leave?”
“Personal leave,” Yu Xiao said. “I plan to enter the next instance during the inspection of St. Elizabeth’s. That way, taking time off will seem reasonable. Even if the leaders are unhappy, at worst, they’ll just sack me from my post.”
“What a shame,” Zhou Xiao Zhen felt more sorry than Yu Xiao, “After finally becoming the Dean, you’re just going to be fired like that?”
“Though losing a source of points… my life still matters,” Yu Xiao remembered the oppressive atmosphere outside the door when the directors came to inspect. She felt the cold aura, unable to even stand up. She didn’t dare to face those ghostly beings.
**
For two more days, the ward was their prison, while the Health Commission completed their inspections of the six hospitals and moved on to the branch hospital. That evening, Yu Xiao and her friends submitted their application for the treatment.
“Please, please, please let it be an open-type instance this time,” Zhou Xiao Zhen pleaded, wringing her hands. “I’m going mad in this ward. I need some fresh air, some space, some fun. Gu’s Village, an amusement park, anything but this…”
Zhao Lan shared her sentiment. She had been confined to the ward ever since her admission, but at least she had the option of wandering downstairs when she felt like it. These last few days, however, they had been trapped in this cramped room, barely able to move. It was suffocating.
“We should get some sleep tonight,” Yu Xiao suggested. “We can’t afford to be careless. I won’t let a repeat of the merry-go-round incident happen again.”
“Don’t worry,” Zhou Xiao Zhen assured her, pulling back the blanket. “I’ll be right by your side, no matter what!”
The night flew by, and Yu Xiao slept soundly, only to be awakened by Zhao Lan’s alarm the next morning.
They ate a quick breakfast and gathered their essentials, then headed to the hospital by eight o’clock.
ARC4 ☆Guide for the Morgue
Darkness enveloped her, and Yu Xiao lost consciousness.
When she came to, she sensed something was wrong. She was lying down.
She flung off the cover and sat up, gasping at the sight before her. She was in a small, enclosed room, surrounded by beds draped in white sheets, with human-shaped lumps underneath. She was in the morgue!
Yu Xiao jumped off the bed, a thrill running through her. She recognized this scene; she had seen it several times before, because it was the first post she had encountered on the Fourth Hospital forum after installing it.
【Guide for the Morgue】
She could hardly contain her excitement. She had actually landed in an instance that she had read about in the guide.
She had to get out of here, and fast. The guidebook was clear on this point: as soon as you wake up, you must flee, for there is a ghost here. It begins its slaughter five minutes after you awaken, claiming one life every two minutes.
Yu Xiao shouted at the top of her lungs, “Wake up!!!”
“Ah—!”
“Ah~…”
A chorus of panicked voices echoed, accompanied by the sound of sheets moving. People with dazed expressions threw off the white sheets and sat up. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were among them.
“Where are we?” the bewildered crowd asked, “Are these… corpses? Where’s the doctor?”
“This is the mortuary. A ghost will show up in a few minutes,” Yu Xiao said, urging everyone to get up. “We have to get out of here quickly.”
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen had read the guidebook too and knew what was going on. They scrambled out of bed.
“Come on, let’s go!”
The others didn’t know what was happening, but they didn’t want to stay behind. They got out of bed and ran to the door, pulling at it. “It won’t open!”
The door wouldn’t open, of course, because there were two conditions for opening it: either all the living people in the mortuary had died, or someone outside was alerted to come and open it.
☆ 66 Smiley: Ah! I’m deaf ……
“Stand aside!” a burly man among them shouted. “I’ve improved my strength. I’ll smash the door open!”
The rest of the group regarded him with a mixture of awe and relief, and swiftly cleared a path. The man took a few paces back, then hurled himself at the door with all his might.
Bang!!
The impact reverberated through the room, making Yu Xiao’s teeth ache. She shared a look with Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen, and saw the same expression of weary resignation.
Silently, they drifted towards the workstation by the morgue wall, and began to rummage through the drawers.
The door refused to budge, despite several tries. The burly man said, “I can’t do this by myself. We need everyone!”
As they joined him at the door, they saw Yu Xiao and her friends digging through the drawers. “What are you doing?!” the man yelled. “Come here and help!”
Yu Xiao kept looking, casually answering, “We’re too feeble to be of any use.”
The others faltered at this, feeling a surge of anger. They thought, ‘You’re the ones who wanted to get out of here, and now you’re slacking off.’ They would have given these three a piece of their mind, if not for the pressing situation. But they had to admit, these three girls looked delicate and useless.
The burly man snorted and said, “Fine. Let’s try again!”
Yu Xiao and her friends weren’t shirking their duty; the guidebook said that there was a problem with the door in this dungeon. They had to call the repairman, and his business card was supposed to be in one of these drawers.
She kept her mouth shut, for fear of having to explain herself. That would only waste precious time. So, the three of them resolved to sort it out on their own.
At last, Precious exclaimed, “I’ve got it!”
Yu Xiao leaned in eagerly and saw a crinkled business card with the name “Master Liu” on it, followed by “Professional Locksmith,” and a series of numbers.
“Ring this number,” Yu Xiao instructed.
Zhao Lan wasted no time in dialling the number. A man with a rough voice answered. “Liu here, the locksmith.”
“Hello, Master Liu? The door lock in the morgue is broken again. Come and open it, will you?” Zhao Lan glanced at the people hammering on the door, “My mates are getting rather cross.”
“The morgue… buggered again, right, I’ll be there in a jiffy,” Master Liu ended the call.
Zhao Lan put down her phone. “Master Liu said he’s on his way.”
“Excellent,” Yu Xiao nodded, then clambered onto the table and yelled, “Stop!”
But no one paid her any heed.
“Stop!”
“…”
“Stop, for pity’s sake, halt!!!”
At last, the mob about to batter the door came to a standstill. They crowded together, craning their necks, gawking at her.
Yu Xiao stood with her arms akimbo. “Stop banging the door, it won’t budge.”
The burly man opened his mouth to protest, “But…”
“I’ve already called the locksmith,” Yu Xiao cut him off before he could inquire, then went on, “I’ve read the strategy guide for this level; I know the way out.”
The mob first looked perplexed, then ecstatic, but soon there was a trace of indignation.
“Why didn’t you tell us if you’d read the guide?!”
“Yeah, instead, you let us bash the door like fools!”
“Forgive me, everyone.” Yu Xiao leaped off the table, grinning. “Time is of the essence, so I decided it was best to open the door first and then explain. It saves time.”
She pointed at the many freezers and beds in the morgue, “There are ghosts here. If we don’t get out within five minutes of waking up, they’ll start killing. So, I thought it was better to open the door first and explain later.”
Her logic was solid, and no one could dispute it. Plus, knowing she’d read the guide, they’d inevitably have to follow her in the level later, so it wasn’t smart to pick a fight with her.
With a hearty laugh, the burly man strode towards them and offered his hand. “Well met, Zhang from Third Hospital.”
Yu Xiao had never encountered a patient who were here longer than those from Forth Hospital. She grasped Zhang’s hand firmly and introduced herself. “Yu Xiao, Forth Hospital. I’ve brought these two along.”
“Zhao Lan.”
“Zhou Xiao Zhen, at your service!”
In addition to Zhang, Yu Xiao, and her pair of allies, there were five other people in the room. They formed a motley crew, representing patients from Hospitals Three, Four, Five, and Six. Two hailed from Third Hospital, two from Fifth Hospital, one from Forth Hospital, and the remaining three were from Yu Xiao’s group.
Zhang, who had the advantage of being from Third Hospital and possessing a formidable physique, naturally assumed the role of a leader. He addressed Yu Xiao. “You’ve had a look at the strategy guide, right? Can you give us a rundown of the situation?”
Yu Xiao nodded, checking the time. They had wasted four minutes already; the ghosts would soon begin their slaughter.
A surge of anxiety gripped her, but she was powerless to act. Only Mr. Liu could unlock the door.
She scanned the group and spoke. “This is the morgue scenario. As you all know, we have five minutes to get out of here after we wake up. Once we’re outside, we’ll meet the attending physician. The morgue used to be run by Dr. Wang, but he got fired for taking bribes. I have no idea who the new boss is or what they’ve changed. I’ll just give you a quick rundown of what the guide said…”
“…The attending physician will tell us how to escape. We’re supposed to pretend that we were falsely declared dead and sent to the morgue. To get out, we need a death certificate. But the certificate is in the possession of a nurse who disappeared in the morgue. We have to find that nurse…”
With a loud clatter, the door swung open, sending a jolt of fear through their spines. They whipped their heads around, expecting the worst, but only saw an old man fumbling with a bunch of keys.
“Oh, darn… This blasted door never works properly. Tut, tut, tut… Shame on you, you rusty piece of junk…” he muttered, shaking his head. Master Liu snapped at them, “What are you waiting for? Get out of here, now!”
They didn’t need to be told twice. They scrambled out of the morgue, gasping for air. They had been inside for five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Any longer and someone would have dropped dead.
The door slammed shut behind them, sealing the horrors within.
They found themselves in a dimly lit corridor, lined with peeling walls and cracked ceilings. The floor was stained with dark, irregular patches that looked suspiciously like dried blood.
The faint light cast eerie shadows over their faces, hiding their emotions.
Zhang Kui (张魁) turned to Yu Xiao and said, “Carry on.”
(张 (Zhāng) is a common surname that means “to spread” or “to open”. 魁 (Kuí) is a male given name that means “leader” or “chief”.张魁 could be interpreted as “a spreading leader” or “an open-minded chief”.)
“Right,” Yu Xiao nodded. “To find that nurse, we need to meet a condition tied to the hospital’s employment regulations, which is…”
“Tap.”
“Tap.”
Zhang Kui raised his hand, signalling for silence. “Listen, footsteps.”
Yu Xiao followed his gaze towards the end of the corridor, where a thin, elongated shadow was creeping closer.
The shadow loomed closer, following the sound of footsteps.
“Oi.” A gentle nudge on Yu Xiao’s shoulder made her flinch. “Did the guide say anything about ghosts roaming outside the mortuary?”
Yu Xiao shook her head, barely whispering, “No.”
Just then, the figure came into view, rounding the corner and stopping at the end of the corridor. He stared at them from afar, his eyes piercing the gloom.
Yu Xiao felt a surge of shock, recognising the person.
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped as well. They gaped at the figure for a second, then turned to Yu Xiao with incredulous looks.
Yu Xiao felt a lump in her throat, wondering, what the hell is this? If this was karma, it was hitting her too fast.
The person lingered for a moment, then started to walk towards them, closing the distance.
He wore a white coat, had a tall and erect posture, and sported a neat and handsome face. His hair was neither too long nor too short, framing his features perfectly. But his eyes were cold and hostile, ruining his otherwise refined appearance.
“Long time no see,” he greeted them with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Zhang Kui and the others were baffled. What did he mean, long time no see? Since when did doctors talk like that?
“I’m your attending physician,” he continued, pausing briefly before glancing down at Yu Xiao’s pained expression. “My name is Gu Shu.”
Bloody hell… Zhou Xiao Zhen exchanged a panicked look with Zhao Lan. What were they supposed to do now? Gu Shu was here for revenge on Smiley!
With a groan of despair, Zhao Lan squeezed her eyes shut. ‘How the hell do I know what to do?’
A silent agreement passed among the others. They thought, ‘This Yu Xiao’s was right, there was indeed a new attending doctor.’
“What a shame, you lot actually made it out,” Gu Shu drawled.
His words were like a slap in the face to Zhang Kui and the others. Shame? Did he just say shame? The way he said it, it sounded like he wished they had died in there. Was this how doctors behave nowadays, spewing their thoughts without any filter? How could he be so insensitive and cruel?
“Doctor Gu Shu,” Zhang Kui spoke up, trying to keep his voice calm. “Could you please tell us how to get out of here?”
Gu Shu finally tore his gaze away from Yu Xiao’s face, where it had been fixed with a strange intensity. He flashed a smile that was supposed to be charming, but only made him look more sinister. “Well, you see, because of a misdiagnosis, everyone believes you’re all dead, so they brought you to the morgue. To leave, you’ll need to destroy your death certificates. But alas, your death certificates were taken by a nurse who went missing yesterday.”
He said it all with such nonchalance, as if he was talking about the weather. The group didn’t react much. They had already heard this from Yu Xiao before.
“So how do we find that nurse then?” Zhang Kui pressed.
“Have you ever heard the legend about the morgue in hospitals?” Gu Shu looked at him, then glanced at Yu Xiao again, before saying with a smirk, “Madam,” he said, emphasising the word. “Have you heard of it?”
“Heh heh heh heh…” Yu Xiao chuckled nervously, avoiding his eyes. “How would I know?”
“Do you want to know?” Gu Shu pressed, leaning closer to her.
Yu Xiao’s expression turned rigid. She was in a dilemma. If she said she didn’t want to know, she would arouse suspicion. Everyone wanted to know, so why was she the odd one out? But if she said she did want to know, she would invite trouble, because the first person to show curiosity in the story would be haunted by the ghosts in the tale.
Damn Gu Shu! Yu Xiao cursed inwardly. Why wasn’t he eaten by the ancient temple monster back then? Such a useless creature, worshipped as a god by the village, and it couldn’t even devour one damn doctor!
“Heh heh heh…” She kept chuckling nervously, hoping to stall for time. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Ah! I can’t hear anything!”
“Eh?” Zhou Xiao Zhen looked alarmed. “Smiley, is your intermittent deafness acting up again?”
Zhang Kui and the others were also astonished. She had intermittent deafness?
Zhao Lan quickly grabbed Yu Xiao’s face, her eyes filled with worry. “Smiley, Smiley? What do we do? How can you go deaf at a time like this? Goodness, it’s so dangerous here. What are we going to do…”
☆ 67 Gu Shu is My Pet Peeve
Yu Xiao’s eyes widened in panic as she gazed at Zhao Lan. “What? Misty, what are you saying?” she cried. “I can’t hear a word, Misty. What should I do?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen dabbed at her dry eyes, feigning sorrow. “Poor Xiao, she’s really in a bad way,” she said. “Having a fit at such a crucial moment.”
Zhang Kui and the others felt a surge of worry. Yu Xiao had looked through the walkthrough. What if she had lost her hearing now? Had her two friends also gone through the walkthrough?
Gu Shu watched them silently for a while, then his expression softened, as if he felt sorry for them. “If you can’t hear, then forget it,” he said.
Yu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, but then Gu Shu said, “Do you… do you want to know this story?”
He gestured towards Zhou Xiao Zhen.
Zhou Xiao Zhen: “…”
She wanted to burst into tears. She knew doctors liked to mess with people, but she felt like she had been thrown under the bus this time. She couldn’t pretend to be deaf. So, she just froze in place.
Gu Shu asked again, “Do you want to know this story?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen shook her head frantically. “No, no, no, I don’t want to know!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw Gu Shu smirk, the smirk of someone who had got what he wanted. At the same time, Zhou Xiao Zhen felt a cold shiver, as if something had set its sights on her.
Oh no! Zhou Xiao Zhen thought, Gu Shu must have changed the rules! It didn’t matter if you said you wanted to know or not, the ghosts would still target you. The only way to avoid it was to not answer, like Smiley.
Zhou Xiao Zhen’s spirit deflated instantly, like a balloon pierced by a needle.
Gu Shu gave Yu Xiao a meaningful look, then said, “Even if you don’t want to hear, I still have to tell because the clue to the nurse’s whereabouts is hidden within the story.”
He casually strolled over to Yu Xiao, ending up behind her by chance. He lightly placed his right hand on her shoulder, his posture as if he were chatting with an old friend.
His hand was on Yu Xiao’s shoulder, but his eyes swept over everyone. “We have a tradition in our hospital,” he said. “Every new medical staff member has to undergo some training and exercises. They have to work night shifts and deal with corpses often, so they need courage. Our hospital has designed a special training for this, which involves locking the new medical staff in the morgue overnight.”
Everyone gasped inwardly, “Bloody hell,” as they realised this was the perfect setting for a ghost story. These hospital NPCs were insane, courting their own doom.
Gu Shu went on, “Last night, it was the nurse who keeps your death reports who had to spend the night in the morgue to toughen up. She went in and never came out.”
“But you haven’t told us the legend about the morgue yet,” Zhang Kui said. He had been in the hospital for a long time, and he knew it was safe to talk to the attending physician as long as he didn’t break any taboos.
“I was getting to that,” Gu Shu said. “The legend about the morgue has been around in the hospital for a long time. It’s said that there was once a nurse who stayed in the morgue alone to bolster her courage. She was terrified and couldn’t sleep. Then she came up with an idea, which was to sing in front of the mirror. She loved to sing and had dreams of becoming a singer. She sang passionately in front of the mirror all night.”
Everyone exchanged glances. Had that nurse died like that?
“The next morning when she came out, everyone asked her if she was scared, if she had seen anything frightening,” Gu Shu said, smirking at everyone. “She said she was a bit scared at first, but after singing in front of the mirror, she wasn’t scared anymore, and she didn’t see anything frightening. When everyone heard her say this, they all looked horrified because there was no mirror in the morgue.”
Yu Xiao let out a sigh of relief. This story matched what was in the guide.
Some patients might think, after hearing this legend, that singing lured ghosts, or that ghosts lived in mirrors. But that wasn’t the case. The ghost would emerge five minutes after someone entered and would kill. However, singing could hold the ghost back. Only when there was one living person left in the morgue, and that person was singing, would the ghost lose control and transform into the person’s likeness, copying how they sang.
So, one had to sing after going in!
“So,” Gu Shu asked everyone, “if you want to find that nurse, you have to enter the morgue. Are you going to look for her?”
Everyone thought, ‘Isn’t that obvious?’ If they didn’t find her, how would they leave?
They felt less nervous with Yu Xiao by their side. She had read the guide, so everything would go according to plan.
But just as they felt a bit more confident, a wave of fear swept over them like a dark shadow.
Gu Shu’s voice broke the silence, cold and sudden. “None of you are objecting, so it’s agreed, right? In that case, who’s going in first?”
Yu Xiao and the others stared in disbelief. What was Gu Shu up to? The guide clearly stated that after Dr. Lao Wang finished the story, he would leave, and the patients could decide whether and how to enter the morgue. So why was Gu Shu still here, watching them go in one by one?
With his eyes on them like a hawk, they couldn’t talk, trapped by the silent question in the air.
Zhang Kui and the others didn’t know what had changed, but they knew they couldn’t go in right now; they hadn’t even seen the guide yet.
A loud cry cut through the tension, like a ray of light through dark clouds. Yu Xiao’s voice, full of drama, sounded.
“Oh! I can hear again!”
She looked overjoyed, like a deaf person who had miraculously recovered her hearing.
“I’ll go!” she said, her voice full of strength. “I’ll go first because I’m brave!”
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were genuinely shocked this time. Was Yu Xiao really ready to take this risk alone?
“Is that final?” Gu Shu asked.
“It’s final,” Yu Xiao said with a courageous expression. She turned to the others and said, “Don’t worry, if anything happens after I go in, I’ll let you know with my phone. You have to save me, okay?”
Everyone immediately got her message; with Gu Shu there, it was not easy to talk about the strategy in front of him. But once Yu Xiao went in, she could use her phone to tell them about the copy.
This girl is smart! Zhang Kui was impressed and said to Yu Xiao, “Don’t worry, we’ll watch our phones all the time!”
“Okay,” Yu Xiao said as she walked towards the morgue door.
But before she could reach it, a voice stopped her. “Wait.”
Puzzled, Yu Xiao turned, meeting Gu Shu’s eyes. He walked towards her, slowly and carefully, his hand reaching out like a question mark in the air.
Yu Xiao felt a surge of panic as she saw Gu Shu’s hand coming towards her. She thought furiously, ‘How dare you touch me in front of all these people? You’ll regret it if you do!’
But Gu Shu’s hand did not stop. It grabbed Yu Xiao’s hand, along with her phone… her phone…
The crowd gasped in shock, witnessing Yu Xiao’s phone being snatched away by Gu Shu’s hand. Yu Xiao sputtered, “What are you doing?”
Gu Shu answered calmly, “The morgue is a restricted area. Electronic devices are not allowed inside.”
Everyone was speechless.
“You’re outrageous!” Yu Xiao fumed. “You’re abusing your authority for personal gain and retaliation!”
Zhang Kui and the others were confused. What was that barrage of idioms just now? Retaliation? Who was Gu Shu retaliating against?
“If you have any doubts about my actions,” Gu Shu smiled slyly, “feel free to report me to the Medical Disputes Office.”
“Grass!” Yu Xiao cursed inwardly, “You’re ruthless.”
(“草” (cǎo), which literally means “grass” but is also a common slang term in Chinese used to express frustration or annoyance, akin to saying “damn” or “crap” in English.)
Gu Shu raised an eyebrow. Yu Xiao said quickly, “A type of plant.”
“It’s time for you to go in,” Gu Shu gestured with a hand, “there are no plants inside for you to study.”
“Heh, right,” Yu Xiao chuckled bitterly, “Plants are only outside, like… ancient trees.”
(t/n: The joke doesn’t translate into english for it is related to chinese language sounds, word meanings and so on and I couldn’t think of an alternative.)
Gu Shu raised an eyebrow again.
Yu Xiao turned away, walking towards the morgue. “I really love ancient trees. There used to be one not far from my husband’s family home. I visited that ancient tree every day, my favourite thing was trimming its branches. But then I had to leave, and I couldn’t forget about that ancient tree. I even got a neighbour with many hands to help me trim it.”
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped, barely keeping their faces straight.
Zhang Kui and the rest stared in confusion; Yu Xiao’s joke had a hidden meaning. It wasn’t just about her and an ancient tree, it was actually… a flirtatious remark to the attending doctor, Gu Shu?
They glanced back at Gu Shu, whose face had turned as black as coal. He gritted his teeth, as though a bitter memory had resurfaced.
At last, they came to their senses.
One of them couldn’t resist asking, “Yu Xiao, is she married?”
Zhang Kui added, “Does her neighbour have a lot of hands?”
“Uh…” Zhao Lan looked uncomfortable. “She… has a malignant brain tumour.”
Yu Xiao entered the morgue, the heavy door shutting behind her. With an inspiration card enhancing her senses, she could clearly feel the dense aura enveloping her. She shivered and rubbed her arms.
She was safe for the first five minutes in the morgue, but without her phone, she had no way of telling the time.
Luckily, she had done her homework and learned a lot of lifesaving tricks, so she didn’t panic.
This game level was quite difficult; for one thing, the ghosts’ killing patterns were hard to figure out. For another, one had to act alone to find clues, because the ghosts only gave clues when there was no one else alive around.
As she thought of this, Yu Xiao felt relieved. Since Gu Shu had taken away her phone, stopping her from sharing information about the level with others, she might as well complete it by herself, which solved the problem.
Reassured, she waited patiently. The ghost here was a heartbroken one, who loved to sing and had a preference for love songs. To make her give clues, one had to sing love songs, sing until she was touched, then she would soften and give the nurse’s clue.
Yu Xiao had no idea how much time had elapsed, but fortunately her intuition was strong; she could sense when the ghost was close.
A few moments ago, she felt a cold draft behind her and turned around to see someone rising from one of the many hospital beds.
The white sheet that covered the figure fell off, exposing a corpse with a ghastly complexion and livor mortis.
The next moment, the corpse disappeared into thin air.
Yu Xiao freaked out. She quickly started to sing.
To her horror, she realised she couldn’t remember any songs. She used to like listening to music, but she only knew a few songs by heart. Since she hated reading lyrics and couldn’t catch what the lyrics were, she usually just hummed along, unable to sing them out.
Feeling the aura closing in on her, Yu Xiao opened her mouth in the nick of time and sang, “I planted a seed, and it finally bore fruit, today is a great day~”
☆ 68 Dump that Trash and go Catch Gu Shu’s Heart!
As soon as Yu Xiao’s voice rang out, the sinister presence that had been hovering around her came to a halt, then swiftly coalesced in front of her, taking on the shape of a woman who looked exactly like Yu Xiao.
Every detail was replicated with eerie precision: the same clothes, the same hairstyle, the same expression, and the same movements. The only difference was in the eyes, which were devoid of any spark or emotion, unlike Yu Xiao’s.
With a curious gaze, Yu Xiao studied the ghostly apparition in front of her, continuing to sing, “Pluck the stars to give to you…”
The female spectre echoed her, singing, “Snatch the moon to give to you…”
The upbeat rhythm of “Little Apple” filled the entire morgue, creating a stark contrast with the gloomy atmosphere. For Yu Xiao, this was a fascinating experiment, so she sang with gusto, hoping to get the ghost right on the first try.
She repeated “Little Apple” twice in this manner. As she sang, she had a vague sense that she might have messed up some of the lyrics, but she shrugged it off, thinking that ghosts wouldn’t know any better.
…Or would they?
After the second round, the ghost showed no signs of change, while Yu Xiao’s voice was getting hoarse. She realised this wasn’t working; the ghost clearly didn’t appreciate this song. She pondered for a moment and decided it must be the song selection. “Little Apple” was too cheerful, while this ghost seemed to have suffered some heartbreak, so she might respond better to something more sombre.
Yu Xiao searched her memory for a suitable song and quickly found one, switching the melody without hesitation.
“Selling my love, forcing me to leave, finally knowing the truth, tears falling down~”
The ghost followed suit, singing about the cruel trade of love.
After two renditions of “Love’s Transaction”, the ghost still remained impassive. Yu Xiao felt a surge of frustration; her throat was parched, her mouth bitter, her breathing ragged, her chest tight, and her breath short…
(爱情买卖 (Àiqíng Mǎimài): Translates to “Love’s Transaction.”)
She couldn’t take it anymore, she had to switch the song!
But damn, her playlist was scraping the bottom of the barrel!
She couldn’t handle any of the mushy stuff, she could only manage to croak out the choruses, barely keeping up with the rhythm. Bloody hell! It was all that blasted Gu Shu’s fault, if he hadn’t nicked her phone, what would she be singing now?
Yu Xiao racked her brains for a solution and finally settled on a desperate strategy: she would only sing the high notes.
With her voice raspy, she belted out, “You smell of her perfume~ It’s a crime my nose commits~”
“…”
Outside the morgue, a crowd of people gathered, their eyes fixed on the entrance. Zhou Xiao Zhen squatted on the ground, her hands covering her face, a picture of misery.
Zhao Lan crouched beside her, leaning in close, whispering, “Don’t worry, Smiley’s tough, she’s even done her research, she’ll be fine.”
Hearing this, Zhou Xiao Zhen felt no relief. She sighed, “Of course, I know Smiley sis will be fine, I’m worried about myself.”
“Huh?”
“That damn Gu Shu changed the rules, even if you don’t answer, the ghosts will come after you.” Zhou Xiao Zhen sniffed, feeling sorry for herself. “I can feel it, I’m getting colder and colder. There must be a ghost nearby.”
“Oh, that…” Zhao Lan was clueless about this, so she could only suggest, “Don’t be scared, worst comes to worst, when the ghost shows up, you can ask it to play mahjong, plenty of people here.”
“Sigh, guess that’s the plan.” Zhou Xiao Zhen glanced at Gu Shu, who’d been holding the same posture, staring at the morgue’s door. Her voice, as fragile as a spider’s web, murmured, “Gu Shu seems wicked, seems like he’s got a grudge against Xiao, she’s all by herself in there with no phone, wondering if she can cope.”
“Can he not loathe Smiley?” Zhao Lan wondered, putting herself in Gu Shu’s shoes, she’d probably loathe Smiley too, “Hope she’s alright.”
**
With a raspy voice, Yu Xiao’s voice cracked on the final note, a harsh sound that scraped her throat raw. She slumped on the morgue bed where a corpse lay, clutching her chest with one hand and reaching out with the other. “Have you no heart, you monster? Have you no pity for the living? Do you want me to bleed from my throat for you?”
The ghost seemed indifferent to her suffering. As soon as her song ended, it shed its human guise and revealed its true horror. Its hair hung in filthy clumps, soaked with rot and maggots. Its eyes were empty holes that oozed blood. Its mouth was a slash of flesh that ran from ear to ear, filled with sharp teeth that dripped with saliva. It dove at Yu Xiao with a piercing scream.
Yu Xiao met its gaze with a steely one of her own. She pulled out a thick bundle of talismans from her pocket. “I tried to be nice, but you’ve gone too far.” She said, her voice icy and steady.
The ghost, in mid-air, spotted the talismans and panicked. It tried to stop its momentum, but it was too late. It skidded to a halt, barely avoiding the talismans by a hair’s breadth.
If ghosts could sweat, this one would named Niagara Falls.
Yu Xiao got up from the bed, her eyes locked on the ghost. The ghost felt a wave of dread and vanished, dissolving into a plume of black smoke.
Yu Xiao scoffed. “Coward. You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
“…”
But the ghost had no choice but to reappear, its face contorted in pain, its bloody tears streaming down.
“Didn’t you hear so many songs with no reaction?” Yu Xiao advanced towards it.
“Weren’t you supposed to attack me?” Yu Xiao closed the distance.
“Weren’t you supposed to smile like a lunatic?” Yu Xiao cornered it.
The ghost cowered before. Yu Xiao, who had no talisman in her hand, grabbed a handful of the ghost’s hair and jerked it back and forth. “You think you’re so tough, huh?”
The ghost’s hideous face twitched, then twisted into a smile more grotesque than a sob.
“Oh, now you smile? A second ago, you looked like a dead fish,” Yu Xiao said, her hands on her hips, her chin up, her attitude that of a morgue tyrant. “You were acting all hard with me when I smiled at you first. Now that I’m rough with you, you want to smile. What’s wrong with you? I can’t even find the words for you…”
The ghost wept, truly wept, a wretched weep. When that bastard had killed her, dumped her in the wild with no trace of who she was, she had never wept so bitterly.
Her piercing cries filled the morgue, heightening its creepy mood. If anyone were to stumble in at that time, they might be too terrified to even weep.
“Cut it out, stop weeping,” Yu Xiao said, snatching a random sheet from a nearby bed and awkwardly dabbing the ghost’s face with it. “What are you weeping for? Is it worth it to end up like this over a bastard? Stop weeping.”
The ghost whined, thinking to herself, ‘Am I weeping because of that bastard? I’m weeping because of the shame you’re making me feel.’
“When you were alive, your head was foggy. Now that you’re a ghost, can’t you see clearly?” Yu Xiao tapped her shoulder, speaking sincerely. “Whoever did this to you, go and pay them back. If you think killing them is too easy, make them suffer before you do. You’re already a ghost, what do you have to lose?”
The ghost, hearing this, didn’t want to weep anymore, but the habitual weeps continued. She wavered, still loving that man in spite of everything.
Yu Xiao could read her mind like an open book. She snapped, “What’s so great about that piece of trash (渣男)? What does he have that you like? He can’t compare to Gu Shu in looks or build. And in bed… by the way, does he even satisfy you there?”
The female ghost shook her head rapidly.
“No, he doesn’t. Gu Shu is probably better than him,” Yu Xiao said, baffled. “You’re wasting your time on this worthless scumbag. You might as well fancy Gu Shu outside.”
The female ghost wavered.
She knew Yu Xiao had a point, but Gu Shu outside was no ordinary ghost. He was a top-notch attending doctor! How could she, a lowly ghost, dare to dream of such a lofty goal?
Yu Xiao, catching her thoughts again, exclaimed, “Don’t be ridiculous!”
The female ghost stared at her in shock, her mouth hanging open.
“Why do you think he’s so special? Haven’t you heard the gossip?” Yu Xiao went on, “The whole hospital is talking about how he’s obsessed with a married woman. He’s just like you; a lovesick fool.”
The female ghost felt a pang in her chest, as if an arrow had pierced her heart.
“Listen to me, I’m telling you for your own good: dump that trash and stop throwing away your life,” Yu Xiao said, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Then go after your second chance at love (第二春: second spring) with confidence.”
At that moment, the female ghost saw the light. She looked at Yu Xiao, who seemed to have a halo around her head, leading her astray soul to the right path.
Yu Xiao cut off the chatter with a wave of her hand. “Enough. Hand over the clue.”
The female ghost’s fingers, tipped with long and jagged nails, searched her own body until they found a blue bow tie. She offered it to Yu Xiao, who snatched it and made to leave. But she felt a tug on her clothes, and spun around to see the ghost holding on to her with a desperate look, her head bowed.
Yu Xiao frowned. “What now?”
The ghost said nothing, but plucked a strand of hair from her scalp and extended it to Yu Xiao.
“Is this for me?” Yu Xiao took the hair, wrinkling her nose. “Gross. How long has it been since you washed this? And what am I supposed to do with it?”
The ghost gave a faint sigh and pointed to Yu Xiao’s pocket.
Yu Xiao shrugged and stuffed the hair inside. “Fine, I’ll keep it. But don’t you dare try anything funny, or you’ll face the wrath of the five thunders.”
With that, she shoved the door of the morgue open, making a loud clang that startled the people outside.
She stepped out, looking as immaculate as ever, her hair in place and her clothes spotless. It was as if she had just gone in for a quick nap, not a confrontation with a ghost.
Dr Gu Shu watched her with a calm expression. He was not like Lolita, who had no brains to speak of. He knew Yu Xiao well enough to know that the ghost posed no threat to her.
“Smiley!” Zhou Xiao Zhen squealed and ran towards her, clutching her hand.
The others followed suit, crowding around her. “How did it go?”
“What happened there?”
“Did you find the clue?”
“I found the clue.” Yu Xiao lifted her hand, displaying the blue bow tie. “This is it. I got it. You can all relax now.”
The crowd let out a collective breath as they watched Yu Xiao twirl the bow tie in her hand and slip it into her pocket. She headed straight for Gu Shu, who regarded her with a steady gaze. She reached out a hand towards him.
What was she doing? Zhang Kui and the others wondered as they saw Yu Xiao’s gesture, seemingly inviting him to take her hand. Was she still teasing Gu Shu?
The news had spread like wildfire that the doctor who had attended the Gu Family Village case had fallen for the top-ranked patient of the Sixth Hospital, the Dragon’s Descendant. Many had tried to copy their style and charm. Was Yu Xiao one of them? Was she trying to make Gu Shu fall for her too?
“Give me my phone back.” Yu Xiao’s voice was raspy and annoyed. “You know it’s illegal to take a patient’s belongings without cause, right? Do you want to face the medical dispute office?”
The crowd felt a pang of guilt. They had been so wrong about her intentions.
Dr Gu Shu handed her the phone with an icy expression. He spoke in a formal tone. “It’s late. The patients need to rest. We have arranged rooms for the eight of you. Please go and sleep.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the crowd stunned. Eight? Weren’t they nine?
☆ 69 Gu Shu, these Roses Are For You
A strange silence fell over them, until Yu Xiao and Zhang Kui blurted out at the same time.
“He just called me inhuman!”
“One of us is not human!”
“…”
Another pause, as Yu Xiao and Zhang Kui exchanged a glance. Their words made sense on their own, but together they sounded like an insult, as if Zhang Kui was accusing someone.
“No.” Zhang Kui shook his head, baffled by Yu Xiao’s interpretation. “Why would Gu Shu curse you? He’s an attending doctor, he doesn’t swear. He was warning us, ‘There’s a non-human among us’.”
Yu Xiao and the others kept their thoughts to themselves, but they all thought the same thing: that’s because you don’t know him well enough.
Especially Yu Xiao, who was certain that Gu Shu was cursing her.
“That…” Zhao Lan cleared her throat and drew everyone’s attention. “We all know that the attending doctor never lies, but he likes to play tricks on people. What Gu Shu said might not be literal, and besides, most of us are familiar with each other, so I doubt that a ghost could slip in among the nine of us.”
Zhao Lan reasoned like this, but the real reason why she and the others didn’t believe that there was a ghost among them was, the guide didn’t say anything about it.
“You four from the Fourth Hospital are not rookies, why are you so naive when it comes to this?” Zhang Kui eyed someone and said: “Most of us do know each other, but there’s one person who doesn’t.”
He said that and everyone remembered, there were four of them from the Fourth Hospital. But Yu Xiao and the others shared a room, while the other patient was by himself, and no one knew anything about him.
“Jiang Hai (江海).” Zhang Kui fixed his gaze on the man who was quickly shunned by the others, his voice stern. “Can you prove your innocence?”
(江 (Jiāng) is a common surname that means “river”.
海 (Hǎi) is a unisex given name that means “sea” or “ocean”.
江海 could be interpreted as “a river sea” or “an oceanic river”.)
Jiang Hai was a man who faded into the background, with a mediocre height and face, and a quiet demeanour. Ever since they had woken up in the morgue, he had barely uttered a word, and if Zhang Kui hadn’t singled him out, Yu Xiao would have forgotten about him.
“I’m human.” Jiang Hai met Zhang Kui’s challenging question with a calm tone. “The burden of proof is on you, not me. You have no evidence to accuse me, so why should I show you anything? Is it just because I entered the instance alone that you suspect me?”
“It’s not only that.” Zhang Kui’s small eyes gleamed with certainty, as he gestured at Yu Xiao and the others. “The three of them are from the Fourth Hospital, just like you. How come they read the guide, but you didn’t?”
Jiang Hai opened his mouth to speak, but Zhang Kui cut him off. “Don’t even try to say that you heard them say it, so you didn’t bother. You know very well that at the start, only the three of them went to look for the business card, while you were with us, pounding on the door. You never read the guide at all.”
This analysis was logical and convincing, and not only the others, but even Yu Xiao and the others felt that Zhang Kui had a point, and started to doubt Jiang Hai.
“Hmph.” Jiang Hai’s face turned dark, and he clenched his teeth. “There are so many posts on the forum every day, do you expect me to read them all? Besides, I don’t care for the forum anyway, what’s wrong with skipping this guide?”
Zhang Kui scoffed. “Don’t you think your excuse is weak and unconvincing?”
Jiang Hai had nothing to say, while Zhang Kui and the others stared at him coldly, creating a tense standoff.
That’s when Yu Xiao spoke up. “Actually, it’s easy to tell who’s not human.”
She pulled out a Thunder talisman and said, “This is all we need. We just stick this on everyone, and the non-human will be exposed.”
That was a smart idea, and Zhang Kui felt a twinge of annoyance. Why hadn’t he thought of that? He had a talisman too.
“I’ll go first!” Jiang Hai yelled, and then marched up to Yu Xiao and grabbed the talisman from her.
Nothing happened. The talisman stayed in his hand, inert.
Zhang Kui gaped, his mind racing. Jiang Hai holding the talisman meant he was human, so did that mean his whole analysis was wrong?
“Did you see that?” Jiang Hai waved the talisman around, making sure everyone got a good look. “Do I look like a ghost to you?”
The others frowned, and one of them said, “Jiang Hai, we’re sorry for accusing you earlier, that was our mistake. But Brother Kui’s analysis was reasonable, you have to admit you were acting suspicious.”
Jiang Hai seethed, but he knew they had a point, and besides, he was outnumbered and outmatched. Arguing would only make things worse. So he tossed the talisman back to Yu Xiao with a glower, and retreated to a corner by himself, brooding.
“Alright.” Yu Xiao scanned the others. “Who’s next?”
“Me.” Zhang Kui stepped forward and took the talisman, but the talisman remained silent.
The others didn’t hesitate to do the same, eager to clear their names. They all came over and touched the talisman in Yu Xiao’s hand. Soon, nine people had handled the talisman, and the talisman had shown no sign of life.
“The result is clear.” Yu Xiao pocketed the talisman, smiling. “Gu Shu was messing with us, and you all fell for it.”
“True.” Zhao Lan agreed. “The guide we read never said anything about this.”
The group relaxed a bit, though they still had some nagging doubts, but they paled in comparison to the facts. Zhang Kui was a good natured soul, and he made the first move to walk over and offer his hand, saying, “I apologise, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge you.”
Jiang Hai eyed him for a moment, then took his hand and shook it. “You were looking out for everyone, caution is a virtue in this situation.”
With that, they made peace, and Yu Xiao was glad to see it. She enjoyed a good show, but she didn’t want the team to fall apart at this point.
She said, “Let’s go and see the rooms first, and then I’ll fill you in on the guide.”
The hospital had set up eight single rooms for them, which meant that one person would have to bunk with someone else. Seeing this, Yu Xiao was more convinced that Gu Shu was getting back at them, haha, he was petty enough to scheme over such small things, what a spiteful male ghost.
“Sister Smiley, let’s share a bed!” Zhou Xiao Zhen squealed and grabbed Yu Xiao’s hand.
Yu Xiao saw her face and recalled the scene before when she demanded that Yu Xiao turn into Leonardo to sleep with her, she couldn’t handle this kind of enthusiasm.
Zhao Lan also said, “You should stay with Precious.”
Yu Xiao was a bit surprised, Misty was a smart and level-headed person, she was dependable in everything. But she wasn’t the type who liked to boss people around, she usually kept her opinions to herself on this kind of thing, unless there was something fishy. (TN: Targeting Ghost)
Thinking of this, Yu Xiao nodded.
The nine people picked their rooms, and then they met in Zhang Kui’s room.
Yu Xiao didn’t beat around the bush, she took out the blue bow tie, and went straight to the point. “The guide says this, this nurse could have lived, but she had just broken up with her boyfriend that day, she was feeling down, and when she was in the morgue, she grabbed something from a drawer, which unleashed the ghost, and she was killed by the ghost.”
With a firm grip on the blue bow tie, Yu Xiao explained, “She didn’t rest in peace after her death. She had a score to settle with her ex-lover. She escaped from the morgue and took over a nurse’s body. And this bow tie, dropped in the cold chamber, was the only clue we had.”
She paused and added, “You might wonder why I had to enter the morgue, knowing the clue already. Well, it’s not that simple. According to the guide and the comments below it, the clue for this instance changes every time. It could be anything on the nurse’s body, not just the bow tie. So I had no choice but to go in and check.”
She looked at them and said, “So tomorrow, when the hospital resumes its operation, we’ll look for the nurse who’s missing a bow tie. That’s our target.”
She finished the guide, having done the most difficult part for them. They all felt a wave of relief wash over them.
“It’s getting late.” Zhao Lan said, “I should head back to my room and get some rest.”
They all left Zhang Kui’s room, except for Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen, who went to room number two. As soon as they entered, Zhou Xiao Zhen threw herself into Yu Xiao’s arms. “Sister Smiley, I’m terrified.”
“Of what?” Yu Xiao asked, gently peeling her off like a plaster.
“Sniff sniff… A ghost cursed me…” Zhou Xiao Zhen whimpered, recounting her encounter with Gu Shu.
Yu Xiao’s eyes flashed with anger when she heard it. “Gu Shu is such a jerk…”
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.” Yu Xiao reassured her, handing her some Life Protection Charms and Thunder Charms. “If the ghost tries anything, you’ll zap it with these.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen nodded gratefully. “Okay!”
**
In the dead of night, a shadow crept up to Gu Shu’s door, and left a bunch of red roses on the doorstep.
**
Yu Xiao was deep in a peaceful slumber, when a sudden pressure on her chest jolted her awake. She gasped for air, and saw Zhou Xiao Zhen sprawled over her, oblivious to her distress. She shoved her off without a word, and got up to use the bathroom. She had secured the doors and windows of the ward with talismans, so nothing could harm them.
When she exited the bathroom, and was about to crawl back into bed, she heard a faint noise in the corridor outside the ward, like someone had sneaked by.
She shrugged and turned to investigate. The corridor was dimly lit, and she saw no one.
Yu Xiao followed the corridor with confidence, not because she was foolish, but because she had dozens of talismans to ward off ghosts, and had used two physical cards to boost her strength to that of a bull, which allowed her to handle people. She couldn’t imagine anything that could pose a threat to her, so she walked towards the source of the noise.
Then she spotted a bunch of red roses on the floor in front of a door. She picked up the roses, and they were surprisingly fresh, with droplets of dew on them. She could tell they were freshly picked.
Who was so romantic to send flowers in the dead of night? This room was not one of the eight wards they lived in, so it must have been occupied by an NPC in this instance, right?
How sweet, Yu Xiao held the flowers and felt a pang of envy. She had lived for twenty years, and she was lonelier than a ghost.
Who lived in this room? It must be a gorgeous female NPC, right?
As she thought that, the door swung open, and Gu Shu stood at the doorway.
Yu Xiao was stunned, thinking how unlucky, this was his room!
The next second, she saw Gu Shu gaze blankly at the roses in her hand.
Yu Xiao hastily explained, “What are you staring at, these are for you.”
“…”
She should have kept quiet, but her explanation made it worse.
“Don’t get any ideas.” Yu Xiao was about to explain further, when she saw Gu Shu glare at her coldly, and then utter one word before slamming the door.
“Lame!”
Yu Xiao: “…”
Yu Xiao held the flowers in one hand, and rubbed her nose with the other, wondering what the hell was going on.
☆70 First Kill
She lingered in front of Gu Shu’s door, torn between leaving and keeping the flowers in her hand. If she left them, it would seem like she was really chasing after Gu Shu. If she didn’t, they weren’t hers to begin with.
She was still undecided, when she heard footsteps from the side. Yu Xiao turned her head and saw Zhang Kui approaching her.
Zhang Kui caught sight of Yu Xiao, and he was surprised. “What are you doing here?”
Yu Xiao was at a loss for words, when Zhang Kui noticed the bunch of fiery red roses in her hand. His expression shifted, but he hid it well. He just glanced curiously at the door. “Who lives in here?”
“Uh? No one.” Yu Xiao faked a laugh. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a stroll. By the way, what about you?”
“Ah, I heard some footsteps outside, so I came to investigate.” Zhang Kui had thought that the footsteps he heard were Yu Xiao’s, but he changed his mind when he walked this way. Yu Xiao had no reason to pass by his room, so he asked, “Did you see who it was?”
Yu Xiao didn’t see, but she had a hunch it was the ghost from the morgue. Because she had urged the female ghost to boldly pursue a second chance at love, she had come to deliver Gu Shu flowers in the dead of night, but sadly, she was misinterpreted by Gu Shu.
“I didn’t see.”
“Hmm.” Zhang Kui nodded, and then looked at the flowers again. “What are these for?”
“Um…” Yu Xiao was extremely mortified. “I picked these up, I swear. I don’t really like fresh flowers.”
“Huh.” For some reason, Zhang Kui also felt awkward, so he smiled and said, “I quite like fresh flowers…”
“Then you can have them.” Yu Xiao offered him the flowers. “I just picked them up anyway.”
Zhang Kui was about to accept them, when the door opened, and Gu Shu appeared at the doorway.
Zhang Kui was speechless. “Gu Shu?”
Gu Shu took in the scene before him with a bored glance, his eyes moving between Yu Xiao and Zhang Kui, and finally settling on the roses that they both held.
He snapped at Yu Xiao, “Why are you still here?”
Yu Xiao: “I’m going.”
Gu Shu: “And don’t bother me with this lame crap ever again.”
Yu Xiao: “…”
Zhang Kui: “!!!”
“Slam!”
The door shut in their faces, and Yu Xiao and Zhang Kui froze in place. The hallway was silent, so silent that their hearts thudded in their ears.
“Gulp.” Zhang Kui’s throat moved, and he jerked his hand away from the flowers, as if they had zapped him. He stared at Yu Xiao with a complex look, a mix of shock, comprehension, admiration, and bewilderment.
“You…”
“Don’t even think about it!” Yu Xiao’s face twisted in anger. “I already told you I found these on the ground!”
“…” Zhang Kui rubbed his nose, thinking: Who said you picked them yourself?
“Come on, let’s go back, sleep.” Yu Xiao snatched the flowers and headed back. “We can get out of here tomorrow when we locate the nurse.”
“Sure.” Zhang Kui nodded, and followed her.
“Hold on.” Yu Xiao abruptly halted him.
Zhang Kui turned to her in astonishment, but met Yu Xiao’s eyes blazing with fervour, as if they could ignite the frost and snow. Zhang Kui gulped again, and cautiously stepped back. What was she up to? She had just attempted to give him the roses, did she…
“Want to buy a talisman?” Yu Xiao’s eyes glittered as she gazed at Zhang Kui. “They’re a steal, only three points each.”
Zhang Kui: “…What?”
**
Zhang Kui ended up with twenty talismans in his room, not because he was rich in points, but because he felt it was a waste not to buy such bargain talismans. He bought twenty by mistake. He lay on the hospital bed, and arranged the talismans one by one on the sheet, thinking that this girl named Yu Xiao was really… he had no words for her.
She was young, yet already wed. She was already wed, yet still dared to knock on the attending doctor’s door with roses at midnight. She could also craft talismans, and had a stash of them. What challenge could she not overcome? Why did she bother with the attending doctor at midnight? The attending doctor clearly had no interest in her.
**
Yu Xiao slipped back into her room, where Zhou Xiao Zhen was snoring softly. She crawled onto the bed quietly, and lay there pondering the sixty points she had earned. She was so pleased that she couldn’t stop grinning.
With such a cheerful mood, she slept well until the sun came up. When she woke up, she was alone in the bed.
Zhou Xiao Zhen walked out from the bathroom, and said, “You’re up. Misty wants us to join them for breakfast.”
They were the last ones to get ready. As they stepped out of the room, they saw the others waiting in the hallway. Yu Xiao stretched and yawned, and scanned the crowd. She thought that she had to seize the opportunity to peddle her talismans to them. She loved such crowded instances, hehehe… profit-making instances.
“Where are we having breakfast?” Yu Xiao asked.
“The hospital cafeteria,” Zhao Lan answered. “The nurse told me it’s on the first floor.”
“Let’s go then.” Yu Xiao said and was about to take off.
“Hold on.” Zhang Kui called out. “We’re missing someone.”
“Huh?” Yu Xiao scanned the area, and noticed that there was indeed one person absent. There were only eight people here.
“Where’s Xiao Jun (肖军)?” A man said. “I’ll fetch him.”
(肖 (Xiào) surname means “imitate” or “resemble”. 军 (Jūn) is a male given name that means “army” or “military”. 肖军 surname + name could be interpreted as “a military imitator” or “a resembling army”.)
He went to bang on the door of the person named Xiao Jun, but there was no answer. He turned the knob, and found it unlocked.
The door opened, and a strong smell of blood hit him.
His face went pale, and he ran in.
“Xiao Jun!!”
There was no heartbeat under Xiao Jun’s skin, only a gaping wound where his heart should have been. He stared at the ceiling with glassy eyes, as if he had seen something terrible in his last moments.
Eight people stood around the bed. A boy, Qiao Ya (乔亚), clung to Xiao Jun’s hand, sobbing uncontrollably. They were from the same ward.
(乔 (Qiáo) surname means “tall” or “lofty”. 亚 (Yà) is a unisex given name that means “second” or “inferior”. 乔亚 surname + name could be interpreted as “a tall second” or “a lofty inferior”.)
“I heard footsteps outside last night.” Zhang Kui looked at Yu Xiao, who had seen the guide. “I went to check, but there was nothing. Did the guide warn you about this?”
She shook her head. “The guide said to avoid the morgue, that’s all. It never mentioned any ghost that could rip out your heart while you slept.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen felt a cold sweat on her forehead. She had been the ghost’s target before, but she had warded her room with talismans. Had the ghost given up on her and chosen Xiao Jun instead?
“It’s one of us!” Qiao Ya shouted, his voice hoarse from crying. “Gu Shu said so, there’s a traitor among us!”
Yu Xiao frowned.
“But we tested everyone with talismans yesterday.” Zhao Lan reminded him.
“Those tests are useless!” Qiao Ya spat. “How else do you explain Xiao Jun’s death? There’s a ghost hiding among us, and it killed him!”
He pointed an accusing finger at Yu Xiao. “Is it you? You’re the only one who knows the guide. How come you can’t explain this?”
She felt a surge of anger and frustration. She scratched her eyebrow, a nervous habit. She gave him a sarcastic smile. “If I was a ghost, don’t you think I would have killed you all in the morgue?”
He opened his mouth to retort, but Zhang Kui cut him off.
“Enough, enough!” He raised his voice. “Yu Xiao is not a ghost. I can prove it.”
He pulled out a handful of talismans from his pocket. They were all drawn by Yu Xiao, and sold to him for a fair price. “Look at these. Do you think a ghost would have so many talismans on them?”
The others gasped, and stared at Yu Xiao with awe and disbelief. “You can draw talismans?”
Yu Xiao cleared her throat, feeling awkward. “Well, since you asked…” She glanced at the others in the ward, who were looking at her expectantly. “I have some talismans here, for sale. Only three points each. They’re very useful, trust me. Anyone interested?”
“Three points?” The word echoed in the room, followed by a surge of excitement. Talismans were usually expensive. These ones were a bargain. “What kind of talismans are they?”
“Me! Me! I want to buy some!”
“How many do you have left?”
“Enough!” Qiao Ya snapped, cutting through the noise. He glared at them with contempt, then stormed out of the ward, slamming the door behind him.
They exchanged guilty looks, then turned to Zhang Kui, who shrugged. “Don’t mind him. He just lost his friend. He’s grieving.”
Yu Xiao felt sorry for Qiao Ya, but she didn’t let it show. If Zhang Kui hadn’t reminded her, she wouldn’t have brought up the talismans at all. She knew it was insensitive, but she needed the points. The others seemed to understand, too. They quickly resumed their bargaining, eager to get their hands on the talismans.
Death was common here, after all. They had to do whatever it took to survive.
The cafeteria on the first floor of the hospital was deserted, except for the seven of them. They sat at a long table, eating their bland food in silence.
Yu Xiao slurped her vegetarian noodles, avoiding the meat dishes. She had a rule: never eat meat in the instance. You never knew what it was made of. She always opted for vegetarian food, whenever possible.
Zhang Kui broke the silence, looking around. “This hospital is not that big, you know. We could split up and search. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a nurse.”
No one objected. They just nodded, finished their food, and left.
Yu Xiao teamed up with her roommates. They walked along the corridor on the fifth floor, scanning every nurse that passed by. They were looking for one without a bow tie. That was the clue.
Zhao Lan sighed, watching the busy hospital staff. “I have a bad feeling about this. Things are getting worse and worse.”
Yu Xiao shared her sentiment. This instance was different from the one in the guide. She had a suspicion why. Gu Shu. He had followed her here, for revenge. He wouldn’t let her go easily.
“Be careful.” She warned her companions. “This instance is not going to be a walk in the park.”
They nodded, and continued their search. Their eyes hurt from staring, but they didn’t blink. They couldn’t afford to miss a single nurse.
But none of them matched the clue. They all wore bow ties.
Damn Gu Shu!
Yu Xiao rubbed her eyes. “This is a bust. I’ve seen every nurse here more times than I can count. She’s not on this floor.”
Zhao Lan tried to sound hopeful. “Maybe we should check another floor. She might have moved around.”
“Argh!” Zhou Xiao Zhen wailed in misery. “My eyes are killing me. I think I just saw SpongeBob over there…”
Yu Xiao gave up on her eyes and rubbed her ears instead. “This is hopeless. If I strain my eyes any more, I’ll lose my hearing again.”
She marched towards the nurse station, where a ghostly nurse with lifeless eyes was talking on the phone.
Yu Xiao leaned over and whispered, “I noticed a bow tie lying in the corridor, just like the one you’re wearing.” She pointed at the nurse’s neck, where a bow tie hung loosely. “Did someone lose their bow tie?”
The nurse raised her head and gawked at Yu Xiao. She looked at Yu Xiao’s fair delicious looking finger pointing at her neck and gulped. “I don’t know. You can give me the bow tie and I’ll deal with it.”
“That’s alright.” Yu Xiao said. “I’m staying in room four on the second floor. If the owner of the bow tie comes looking for it, tell her to find me in my room.”
“Ooh.” The nurse drooled over Yu Xiao. “Are you inviting her to your room?”
“Yes.”
The nurse wiped her mouth. “Alright, I’ll pass the message. By the way, is she welcome to visit you anytime?”
“Anytime.” Yu Xiao smiled warmly.
(╬ಠ益ಠ) Like and comment or I’ll flip you like a table (ಠ益ಠ╬)
me -> (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ <-you
——TN
Yu Xiao (余笑) — Smiley
聋的传人 (lóng de chuán rén) Deaf Descendant
- TALISMAN
- 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】 运雷打祟符 (a talisman for warding off evil spirits and summoning thunder)
- 【Healing Crisis Talisman】 (疗危患符)
- 【Guardian Talisman】护身命符
- TOOLS
- Sunglasses
- permanent Wig
- Coin of Great Observation
- TITLES
- The Grudge of the Pretty Nurse
- ‘Saint Elizabeth, Dean Yu.’
- ‘Chainsaw Maniac’
- ‘Jackpot of good luck’
- ‘Shit-Hole Destroyer’
- ‘Ghostly Soul Destroyer’
- ‘Village Director’s Wife’
- ‘Strong as a Bull’
- ‘Demolition Crew Leader’
- ‘Amusement Park Bully’
- ‘Deadly Arse Assassin’
Zhao Lan (赵岚) — Misty
昵称好难 (nì chēng hǎo nán) Nickname Hassle
- TOOLS
- TITLES
- ‘Tyrant’s Willing Accomplice in Cruelty’
- ‘Strong as a bull’
- ‘Nine Cows and Two Tigers’
- ‘Village Director’s Concubine’
- ‘Demolition Crew Member’
- ‘Bully’s Accomplice’
Zhou Xiao Zhen (周小珍) — Precious
卤蛋少女438 (lǔ dàn shào nǚ 438) Braised Egg Girl 438
- TOOLS
- Mahjong
- TITLES
- ‘Tiger’s Devotee’
- ‘Village Chief’s Concubine’
- ‘Demolition Crew Member’
Luo Jin ‘Zhuge Liang burning the Spider Web Cave’
Lu Xun ‘Whispering Monk’
Tie Niu Iron Bull
‘Lord Fortunewood’ (沙福林大人)
ARC4
Zhang Kui (张魁)
Jiang Hai (江海)
Xiao Jun (肖军)
Qiao Ya (乔亚)
Novels | Inky Dragon Translations 
Leave a comment