☆ Cat in the Box
After the delivery girl left, Yu Xiao’s worry grew deeper. “Saint Elizabeth’s is currently being renovated, which means even the dean’s office is not exempt from the overhaul, and our unwelcome guest is still hiding inside.”
“What do we do then?” Zhou Xiao Zhen bit her lip. “What if they find out that you’ve been sheltering it? What will happen to you?”
Yu Xiao felt a chill skitter down her spine at the mere thought.
Zhao Lan’s voice broke through the tension. “We need to move it, and quickly.”
“But where to?”
Zhao Lan paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before asking, “Since you became the dean, you have access to the instance, right? And now you are responsible for the Ghosts Group in the previous instance. Can you access that one too?”
Yu Xiao hesitated. “I don’t know, but even if I can get in, what if the boss comes after me?”
That was a genuine concern, and Zhao Lan didn’t have an immediate answer. Then Zhou Xiao Zhen spoke up, “Why don’t we hide it in our ward for now?”
Yu Xiao’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“I am,” She looked confused. “Why shouldn’t we hide it here?”
Yu Xiao was torn. “It’s not human.”
“That’s exactly why we can hide it,” Zhou Xiao Zhen argued. “If it were human, I would have reservations. But it’s not, so what’s the fuss? Unless it gives you the heebie-jeebies?”
Zhao Lan, always cautious, added her thoughts. “But is it truly safe?”
“I believe so,” Yu Xiao said after a moment of contemplation. “Pretty sure it won’t bite.”
“But…” Zhao Lan still looked worried. “Even so, it’s in the form of a man, and our ward is all women. It could be…awkward, right?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen bit her lip, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Yu Xiao, always practical, chimed in with a plan. “I’ll talk to him and see if he has any tricks up his sleeve. If the worst comes to worst, we’ll hide him in a cabinet and lock it with Misty’s key. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a plan!”
“Yeah, I’m on board.”
“Great, off to St. Elizabeth’s I go,” Yu Xiao declared, shrugging on a white coat.
Zhou Xiao Zhen, thoughtfully, suggested, “Need a box for the trip?”
Yu Xiao dismissed the concern with a flick of her wrist. “Nah, St. Elizabeth’s is practically a cardboard jungle.”
After Yu Xiao had disappeared from sight, Zhao Lan turned to Zhou Xiao Zhen, her gaze filled with curiosity. “Why the sudden enthusiasm about Nightmare?”
A sheepish grin spread across Zhou Xiao Zhen’s face, her cheeks lightly blushing. “Well, let’s just say Nightmare is a good-looking monster guy.”
“…”
“And hey,” she added, her grin widening. “He can turn into a cat! When was the last time you got to pet a fluffy pet?”
“…”
**
Yu Xiao’s arrival at St. Elizabeth’s was met with a gasp. The sky, a brooding canvas of clouds, hung heavy above her. It was a sight she had never seen in this place, and under different circumstances, she might have stopped to admire it.
But the scene before her was one of devastation. Walls crumbled, mere remnants of what they used to be. It was as if the echoes of a great battle still reverberated in the air.
Despite preparing herself for the worst, the reality of the destruction tugged at Yu Xiao’s heart. She placed a hand over her chest, as if trying to hold herself together.
“The respected Dean,” a voice rang out, deep and resonant, as if the very air had a secret to share. Emerging from the wreckage, a skeleton wearing a once-white coat that had seen better days shuffled forward.
With a gesture reminiscent of better times, he adjusted the torn fabric and offered a bow so profound that it was a wonder his skull remained atop his spine. “In your absence, I failed in my duty to protect the hospital. For this negligence, I apologise, Your Excellency the Dean.”
Yu Xiao weakly raised her hand and said, “Don’t beat yourself up. The fact you’re still standing is miracle enough for me.”
Upon hearing this, Tie Niu was deeply moved and exclaimed angrily, “It’s all because of George. He secretly invited other attending doctors to the hospital for a feast during working hours, and he even forced me to cook for them. That’s what led to the destruction of the hospital. He’s not fit to be the chief attending doctor of St. Elizabeth!”
“…” Yu Xiao blinked, taken aback. “But… Wasn’t it said that the hospital was destroyed because of Gluttony? What does having a meal with the attending doctors have to do with it?”
Tie Niu was indignant. “If they hadn’t gathered for the meal, Gluttony would have killed George quickly, and our beloved St. Elizabeth might still be standing.”
At that moment, Yu Xiao inwardly sighed for George, feeling sorry for him. Being a ghost that others curse for not dying quickly enough was indeed a kind of failure.
“Hehe, don’t worry too much, St. Elizabeth will be rebuilt.” Yu Xiao reassured Tie Niu with a pat on the back. “Oh, and my office… how’s it holding up?”
“Your office is still intact,” Tie Niu replied respectfully, “just buried under a mountain of debris.”
A frown tugged at Yu Xiao’s lips— How was she supposed to open the door?
“Are you looking for something in your office?”
“Yep,” Yu Xiao confirmed, “but considering the current situation…”
“Fear not,” Tie Niu declared, puffing out his chest, “I’ll clear a path for you.”
Tie Niu’s dedication touched Yu Xiao. If there was ever a chance for him to move up the ranks in the ghostly world, she would be his number one supporter.
As if by magic, a teacup materialised out of nowhere. Tie Niu brewed a steaming cup of tea for Yu Xiao to sip on while she waited for her passage to be revealed.
Sitting on a pile of rubble, Yu Xiao gazed at the cloudy sky and savoured the tea from a delicate porcelain cup.
Holding a cup of fragrant tea, she surveyed the horizon from her elevated position. Beyond the ruins of St. Elizabeth’s, a panorama of buildings stretched out—a silent cityscape she had never seen before. Compelled, she stood up, drawn toward the urban mirage.
But just as she took a few steps forward, Tie Niu’s head popped out of the rubble. “Madam Director, you can’t go any further.”
“Why not?”
“That’s not the right way for us to go,” Tie Niu gestured for her to return. “It’s off-limits.”
Yu Xiao furrowed her brow. “Why can’t we go there?”
“Once you go, you can’t come back…” a ghostly blue flame flickered in Tie Niu’s empty eye holes, a hint of fear lurking within. “It’s our forbidden zone.”
A chill settled in Yu Xiao’s heart. “Does this also apply to the attending doctor?”
“Yes,” Tie Niu grunted, determinedly plunging back into the earth, shaping it with purposeful hands.
Yu Xiao’s gaze drifted towards the distant hum of the city. The bustling urban atmosphere was a stark contrast to their desolate surroundings. Her mind wandered to the world beyond the Lolita amusement park instance. Had Lolita gone outside?
Once you go, you can’t come back…
Curiosity tugged at Yu Xiao, but she wasn’t willing to risk life and limb to satisfy it. Instead, she focused on the ruins, with the sky above painted in shades of grey and the rhythmic scrape of Tie Niu’s shovel by her side.
She stooped down, her fingers dancing through the soil until they found a medical box. Emptying its contents, she prepared to conceal Nightmare within.
Hours passed as Tie Niu toiled, his head eventually emerging from the earth covered in dirt. “It’s done.”
Approaching him, Yu Xiao asked, “What about the patients and our colleagues?”
“George was apprehended,” Tie Niu replied as he led the way forward at a leisurely pace, “The patients have been relocated elsewhere, and our colleagues are on leave.”
On leave? Yu Xiao’s lips twitched. “And what about you?”
“I believe the Dean will return to the hospital,” Tie Niu explained earnestly, “I’ll be here to brief her and serve when she seeks.”
Impressed, Yu Xiao commended, “Well done, Tie Niu. If the opportunity arises, I’ll push for your promotion to attending doctor.”
Tie Niu hesitated briefly. “I can’t become an attending doctor yet.”
A whisper of intrigue brushed against Yu Xiao. “What do you need to do to become an attending doctor then?”
Tie Niu raised his head slightly, the flicker of determination reflecting in his eyes against the cave walls. “I need to establish my domain.”
“When are you going to get your own domain?” Yu Xiao’s innocent question seemed to hit Tie Niu like a sharp arrow, leaving him speechless and his mood as dark as a moonless night.
As they made their way through the winding underground tunnel, Tie Niu’s creation loomed before them, a narrow passage that forced him to hunch while Yu Xiao could walk comfortably.
Upon reaching the director’s office, a door marked by the chaos of the day stood before them. Yu Xiao’s eyes softened. “Tie Niu, take a rest now. You deserve some time off.”
With a respectful bow, Tie Niu stepped back, leaving Yu Xiao to face the door alone.
The office embraced her with shadows. Instinctively, her gaze dropped, searching for the familiar terror that used to cling to her leg.
“Hello? Nightmare?” Her voice echoed, unanswered, as she cautiously moved forward, cursing herself for not using her phone sooner.
As her fingers brushed against the device, a sudden chill ran up her spine as a cold hand closed around her wrist, filling her with fear. “Nightmare?” she whispered, her voice filled with uncertainty.
No response came, leaving Yu Xiao to grapple with the realisation that the hand holding hers might not belong to the nightmare after all. Panic surged as she considered the consequences of mistakenly calling out the fugitive’s name.
Her heart pounded in her chest, the weight of the unknown pressing down on her. With a shaky breath, she tried to break free from the iron grip, only to find it unyielding. Fumbling in the darkness, her hand brushed against a solid chest, feeling the outline of buttons beneath her touch.
“Nightmare?” A memory resurfaced—he had been wearing a shirt with buttons.
Yu Xiao’s grip on the metal box slipped, causing it to clatter to the ground as she fumbled for her phone. The screen illuminated, casting an eerie glow on Nightmare’s white shirt as he stood before her, his face partially obscured by dark bangs.
Anxiety twisted in her gut. “You scared me! Why the sudden silence?”
Nightmare remained silent, turning away to disappear into the shadows of the room.
Worry etched on her face, Yu Xiao approached him, gently rubbing her wrist where his grip had been tight. “What’s going on with you? Why are you so quiet? Are you hungry, maybe?”
His silence lingered between them, widening into a chasm with each passing second. She pressed on, “Listen, St. Elizabeth’s is in ruins. They’ll start rebuilding soon, and this office… it won’t be your hideaway anymore. Do you have any other places in mind? If not—”
But her words were cut short as Nightmare spun around, his glare searing. Yu Xiao had always seen him as fragile, a kitten in need of protection, but now she was reminded of his strength, the same force that had once subdued George. The air grew heavy with his ire.
“You were scheming to ditch me, weren’t you?” Nightmare’s voice was icy, his hurt palpable. “All this time, you kept me here, just biding your time to get rid of me, didn’t you?”
Yu Xiao was caught off guard. “No, that’s not true…”
“Yes, it is.” Nightmare turned away, his back facing her. “You hate me, you can’t stand to see me, you’ve been plotting to get rid of me…”
Yu Xiao’s head spun. Good grief, she was just a university student, yet here she was, being accused of playing mind games.
Yu Xiao shot Nightmare a look of disbelief. “Seriously, can you give it a rest? I’m not giving you the cold shoulder—I’ve got stuff to do, you know?”
Nightmare’s response caught Yu Xiao off guard. “You… you can report me.”
Yu Xiao blinked, taken aback. “Come again?”
“If you report me, I’ll leave you alone.”
Yu Xiao raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t intended to start a confrontation. “Fine, then. I’ll report you. I was only trying to help, maybe bring you back to my place. But if that’s what you want, consider yourself reported. It saves me the trouble.”
She started scrolling through her contacts, but Nightmare suddenly jerked, grabbing her hand holding the phone and shaking his head vigorously.
“Let go.”
Nightmare stubbornly shook his head. Yu Xiao pointed a finger at him. “I said, let go. Got it?”
Something wet splashed onto Yu Xiao’s hand. Initially confused, she soon realised Nightmare was crying.
Crying again!
“You can take out George, but you’re a sobbing mess?” Yu Xiao was speechless.
Nightmare mumbled softly, “I messed up.”
“Finally admitting it,” Yu Xiao commented, bending down to pick up a box from the floor. But before she could, Nightmare beat her to it, dusting it off and whispering, “Take me away.”
Yu Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Oh, now you want my help?”
“I trust you,” Nightmare hesitated. “I just miss you. You haven’t been around.”
“And that’s my fault?” Yu Xiao retorted.
Nightmare hung his head. “My bad.”
“Admitting mistakes, are we?” Yu Xiao opened the box. “Let’s get this straight. I’ll take you, but remember, my place isn’t just for me. To keep things smooth, you’ll have to be a cat and stay in this box. Deal?”
Nightmare nodded. “Deal.”
And with that, he was gone, replaced by a pale yellow kitten that landed softly on the table and hopped into the box. There, nestled inside, gazing up at Yu Xiao with intent eyes.
Yu Xiao lightly tapped his head and shot the little kitten a serious gaze. “Remember, no mischief, keep it classy, got it?”
The tiny feline bobbed his head in agreement.
With a satisfied grin, Yu Xiao closed the box and, in the blink of an eye, whisked it away to a new locale.
In the bustling ward of the Sixth Hospital, Yu Xiao reappeared mysteriously, holding onto a box.
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen’s attention snapped to the mysterious container. Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes shimmered with curiosity. “Is Nightmare in there?”
“Yep,” Yu Xiao confirmed, nonchalantly setting the box in a corner.
Zhou Xiao Zhen raised an eyebrow, feeling confused. Is that it?
“Seriously?” she gestured towards the box. “Aren’t we going to let him out to socialise?”
Yu Xiao raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Misty…?”
“Proper introductions are necessary. It’s only polite.”
A twitch of annoyance flickered at the edge of Yu Xiao’s eye. When did they become so obsessed with etiquette? But, everyone seemed to agree, so she gave in.
“Alright then, let’s do introductions,” Yu Xiao said, surrendering and opening the box. “Come out and say hi.”
As the lid lifted, a dainty yellow kitten peeked out, locking eyes with Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen with his wide, innocent eyes. “Hey there.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen’s breath hitched in delight.
Zhao Lan nodded politely. “Greetings, I’m Zhao Lan, a friend of Yu Xiao.”
“I’m Zhou Xiao Zhen!” Zhou Xiao Zhen chimed in, leaning against Zhao Lan.
“Okay, pleasantries exchanged,” Yu Xiao chimed in, ready to close the lid.
“Smiley!” protested Zhou Xiao Zhen, “What’s gotten into you? He’s just arrived and hasn’t even had a bite to eat, and you’re already planning to lock him up in this tiny, dark box.”
Yu Xiao raised an eyebrow in response. “Well, do you have a better idea then?”
“Let’s invite him for a meal.”
Yu Xiao shot her a sceptical look, while Nightmare glanced at Yu Xiao, masking his disappointment. He turned to Zhou Xiao Zhen and replied, “No need, I’m not hungry.”
He nestled into the box a picture of resignation, and murmured to Yu Xiao, “Close it.”
Just then, Zhao Lan chimed in, “Smiley, he’s only just arrived. Even if he’s not hungry, it’s common courtesy to share a meal. It would be rude otherwise.”
Yu Xiao muttered about the odd manners today and reluctantly told Nightmare in the box, “Did you catch that? Come on out.”
He perked up and gracefully leaped out.
Unable to contain her excitement, Zhou Xiao Zhen rushed over, crouched down, and reached out to touch Nightmare. However, he skillfully evaded her, taking small steps back towards Yu Xiao’s feet, clearly refusing her touch.
She sighed with regret and asked, “If you can transform into a cat, can you transform into anyone else as well?”
Nightmare nodded, replying, “I can embody anything from dreams.”
“In that case, can you turn into Leonardo?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
Nightmare tilted his head, unfamiliar with the name Leonardo.
Zhou Xiao Zhen scrolled through her phone with a mischievous glint in her eye, until she landed on a photo of a young Leonardo DiCaprio.
She offered it to Nightmare with a mischievous smile. “Can you pull off Leo’s look?”
Nightmare’s eyes flicked to the photo before he responded with a cryptic silence. He wasn’t particularly thrilled about transforming into a Hollywood heartthrob.
Unable to resist a bit of teasing, she added, “Smiley’s got a major crush on him, you know.”
Nightmare: “!”
Yu Xiao: “…”
Nightmare’s reaction was swift and unexpected.
The fluffy cat shape vanished in an instant, replaced by a figure adorned with flowing golden hair and captivating blue eyes. Donned in a suit of armour complete with a silver mask, he resembled a character plucked directly from the pages of a mediaeval fairytale.
Yu Xiao: “…”
Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes widened in amazement. “Zhao Lan, did you see that?”
Zhao Lan, who was usually composed, couldn’t help but be impressed. “Absolutely.”
The photo Zhou Xiao Zhen showed Nightmare was a snapshot of Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal in ‘Romeo and Juliet’. In the picture, he was attending a masquerade ball dressed as a mediaeval knight.
Meanwhile, Nightmare shot Yu Xiao a meaningful look, almost challenging. It seemed like he was saying: Do you like me now?
Yu Xiao bit back a laugh. It was obvious that this was Precious’s dream man, not hers.
Putting aside their theatrics, she brought them back to reality with a question. “Shouldn’t we be eating? Are we here to feast or what?”
“Eat, eat, eat!” Zhou Xiao Zhen, always full of energy, jumped up. “Let’s eat! What’s on the menu today? How about some fish?”
And with that, she sprinted towards the door.
…
During the meal, Zhou Xiao Zhen couldn’t resist stealing glances at Nightmare, while Zhao Lan openly ogled him. Meanwhile, Yu Xiao remained focused on her food, trying to ignore the whole situation. Nightmare, busy munching on his fish, kept sneaking peeks at Yu Xiao, adding a touch of mystery to the awkward atmosphere.
In the midst of it all, Yu Xiao couldn’t help but regret her decision to take a week off. Scenes like this were not what she had in mind for her time off. “Sigh,” she muttered, unable to contain her frustration.
“Why the sigh?” Zhou Xiao Zhen inquired, oblivious to the tension.
Yu Xiao shot her a meaningful look, her thoughts screaming, ‘Isn’t it obvious?’ With a forced smile, she replied, “Oh, I was just considering calling Wide Sea and Sky to discuss selling the Team cards.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen, missing the point entirely, suggested, “Then call him after we’re done eating.”
Yu Xiao hesitated, her mind racing with doubts. “And I reported Gluttony last time. He shouldn’t know it was me, right?” she voiced her concern.
“He won’t,” Zhao Lan reassured her. “The Health Bureau director is a man of his word. He promised to keep it under wraps.”
Relieved, Yu Xiao nodded in agreement.
Lost in thought, Nightmare cast a glance her way. He wanted to say something but remembered her warning not to speak out of turn.
After the meal, Yu Xiao was ready to lock Nightmare away when Zhou Xiao Zhen intervened. “Let him stretch his legs after eating. It’s good for digestion,” she suggested, halting Yu Xiao’s plans.
Resigned, Yu Xiao watched as Nightmare paced around the room like a caged tiger, his restless energy palpable.
Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan were captivated by his every move, leaving Yu Xiao to lounge on the bed, contemplating her call to Wide Sea and Sky. This time, she opted to use her own phone to make the call, partly to ensure he saved her number.
Yu Xiao lazily tapped open the forum app on her phone, expecting the usual graveyard silence of the Sixth Hospital’s forum. To her surprise, the screen was buzzing with activity, threads popping up like mushrooms after rain.
【Where should I put my SIM card?】
She delved into the rabbit hole of comments, a mix of disbelief, sarcasm, and genuine curiosity dancing across the screen. The original poster was on the edge, defending their sanity against a tide of mockery.
【Not joking. Not playing tricks. Used to tuck my SIM card under my old phone’s battery. Got a new one, can’t find the darn slot. Help!】
【Did your old phone have a crank handle too?】
【Seriously, a dinosaur phone in the digital age?】
【Why pretend here? Go play Candy Crush or something.】
【Remember he said he’s ‘Wide Sea and Sky’? Bet he’s grounded from gaming for a month.】
【666.】
【…】
Yu Xiao: “!!!”
“This is ‘Wide Sea and Sky’?”
Dialling his number, she braced herself for the quirky whirlwind that was about to hit her phone.
─── ❖ ── ☆ ── ❖ ───
( )………( )
(๑✪ᆺ✪๑)
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