A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital

ARC 1

Originally published: 2022

Translation started: 2024, january

FULL NOVEL: 181 Chapters + 11 extra Chapters (Completed)

Novel tags:

Light Horror; Silly Comedy; Action; Infinite Flow; Easygoing;

FMC; Strong Woman; Girl Friendship; Teamwork;

No Romance (But there is CP Couple Pairing that activates in the last few chapters of the novel, but there’s too little call it romance)

Daredevil; Calm Protagonist; Flirty Protagonist;

Investigation meets Cheeky Cheats; Power Progression; Corruption;

Ghosts; Monsters; Gore; Magical Items;

Scenario like Pocket Worlds; Secrets; 】

Yu Xiao, a terminal stage cancer patient with an incurable condition, had reached a point where she had accepted her fate. Living each day with indifference, she had already made peace with the idea of departing from this world.

One day, her phone automatically downloaded an app called 'Four Hospital Patients' Discussion Forum'.

"Fourth Hospital? Isn't that the local psychiatric hospital?"

Curious, she tapped into the app. The top post read: 【Guide for the Morgue】

Yu Xiao:???

Second post: 【Cataloguing the Ghosts I've Encountered Over the Years】

Yu Xiao: No wonder it's a forum from a psychiatric hospital.

【Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Sealing Master!】 This one seems quite intriguing!

————

That night, terror descended, and the hospital was engulfed in a crimson hue. Unnameable horrors lurked outside the wards, murmuring by the rooms, "Let's see who's been naughty now?"

————

During rounds that night, the inspection ghost lifted Yu Xiao's blanket and stumbled upon the talismans by her pillow. The ghost was amazed to find high-level symbols.

The inspection ghost cried, "Why would advanced seals appear at a beginner's level?!"

Word count: 20k

☆ 1 Local Hospital 4 is a Mental Hospital

In room 1304 on the 13th floor of the oncology department at People's Hospital, Yu Xiao (余笑: "surplus of laughter" or "extraordinary happiness") entered, carrying two cardboard boxes. Despite the daylight outside, the room remained dim due to the drawn curtains.

The doctors and nurses had recommended that the three patients in room 1304 expose themselves to sunlight, but they stubbornly refused to open the curtains. Eventually, the medical staff ceased trying, as nobody wanted to argue with individuals battling cancer.

Zhao Lan (赵岚: "established in the clouds" or "making a foothold in the mist"), lay in bed, receiving chemotherapy. She appeared pale and despondent, her young age of 28 making the diagnosis of cancer all the more devastating. Although the doctors didn't explicitly mention it, everyone knew her chances of recovery were slim.

When Yu Xiao entered the room, Zhou Xiao Zhen (周小珍: "precious little circumference" or "valuable perimeter of youth") sat cross-legged on her bed and eagerly exclaimed, "Smiley (Xiao Xiao: Little Smile), you're back! Did you buy anything good?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen, who was only 18 years old and slightly overweight, had smooth, delicate skin as white as a steamed bun. Having shaved her head for chemotherapy, her round head resembled a soft-boiled egg. Among the three, her illness was the mildest, and the doctors had given her a favourable prognosis, which helped her maintain a cheerful and talkative nature. She loved chatting with Yu Xiao, and their conversations could last for hours.

"Um," Yu Xiao weakly responded, placing two delivery boxes on the desk next to the hospital bed.

At the young age of twenty, Yu Xiao was the only patient in the ward who still had a full head of hair and could move around without assistance. However, this wasn't because her condition was less severe, but quite the opposite. Her illness was so serious that surgery was not an option, and she was limited to conservative treatment with chemotherapy.

Fortunately, she had only undergone one round of chemotherapy so far, and her hair loss wasn't too severe, allowing her the energy to go for a walk.

Yu Xiao took a pair of scissors from the cabinet and carefully unpacked the delivery boxes. Inside, she found a thick stack of yellow paper, two brushes, a large box of vermilion powder, and a rectangular inkstone.

Zhou Xiao Zhen watched her with curiosity. "Smiley, what are these for? What do you use them for?"

After finishing organising the materials, Yu Xiao began cutting the yellow paper with the scissors. She calmly replied, "To draw talismans."

Zhou Xiao Zhen looked puzzled. "Oh?"

Yu Xiao continued cutting the paper into standard-sized rectangles before grabbing the vermilion ink and inkstone and heading to the bathroom.

When she looked in the mirror, she saw a pale and gaunt face. Her eyes were large and round, while her mouth and nose were small and delicate, giving her a youthful appearance. That's why Zhou Xiao Zhen, who was two years younger, always called her Smiley.

A month ago, Yu Xiao had been diagnosed with malignant brain cancer. Unfortunately, surgery was not an option because of the tumour's location, so the doctors recommended conservative treatment and observation in the hospital.

During this month, her family had rarely visited her. Her parents divorced when she was in junior high and started new families with their new partners. As a child of a broken home, she had been living at school since junior high. It was only a month ago, when she was diagnosed with cancer, that her parents reunited.

They cried in front of her once, brought her food a few times, and then gradually found excuses to stop visiting. Nevertheless, Yu Xiao was content with the situation. Even though her parents didn't show up, they were still generous in paying for her treatment and even hired a caregiver.

After rinsing the ink stone, she dissolved the cinnabar powder in alcohol.

Her new passion for talismanic drawings was ignited three days ago when the nurse finished her routine checkup. As usual, Yu Xiao hid her phone under the pillow. The doctor enforced strict curfew regulations, and any indication of phone usage after hours would result in reproachful admonishments from the nurse. To avoid scolding, Yu Xiao pretended to be asleep during every inspection.

When she retrieved her phone, she realised that an unfamiliar application was downloading. Had she accidentally clicked on an advertisement? But before she could stop the download, the name of the app caught her attention - the Fourth Hospital Patient Forum. She hesitated. Was it really necessary to have a forum specifically for patients?

She patiently waited for the download to complete and eventually opened the app. The forum interface, decorated with a pink colour scheme, resembled other internet forums. The first thread she saw was an official announcement.

Yu Xiao continued scrolling through the forum, her curiosity piqued by the cryptic thread titles.

【Guide for the Morgue】

Confused, she clicked on the post and read a first-person account of someone's encounter with ghosts in a morgue and how they managed to escape.

It was a ghost story!

Already having trouble sleeping, Yu Xiao became even more awake. She scrolled further and found more posts related to ghosts, including one that listed various types of ghosts, their names, abilities, and even illustrations.

This wasn't a patient forum; it was a forum for ghost stories!

Suddenly, she remembered the name "Fourth Hospital" and realised it was a psychiatric hospital in her area.

Everything made sense now. This forum was for psychiatric patients to share their ghost stories.

Intrigued, she continued reading. The patients' ghost stories were not typical spooky tales but were logically consistent, well-structured, and even had cliffhangers that kept readers engaged.

Yu Xiao was impressed with the quality of the storytelling and read through several more posts.

"Surely everyone in the mental hospital is talented!" thought Yu Xiao as she scrolled through the online forum. The responses were varied and perplexing.

【Thank you for sharing, may you have peace for the rest of your life, OP!】 wrote one user.

【How many health points did you gain from this level, OP?】 questioned another.

【Wuwuwu... If only I had seen OP's post earlier, then there wouldn't be only me left alive in the ward.】

Yu Xiao couldn't understand the meaning of these replies. She wondered if it was her inability to keep up with the thoughts of mentally ill people.

But then she stumbled upon a post that promised to teach readers how to become a master of talismans.

Excitedly, she clicked on it, only to realise the discussion was about a game. The original poster recommended making talismans using cinnabar and yellow paper instead of buying them from the mall. By making them yourself, you can have as many talismans as you want, which can significantly increase your survival rate in the game.

【OP is really talking nonsense. Can everyone learn to draw talismans?】 asked one user.

【I want to know what OP's success rate is,】 commented another.

【Where's the savings? Yellow paper and cinnabar are also expensive, you know?】

【Don't listen to them, OP. I want to learn!】 declared yet another.

【...】

Below was a picture of a yellow paper with red lines, a complex pattern of red lines covering the entire long sheet, making it look quite mysterious to Yu Xiao.

【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman 运雷打祟符 (a talisman for warding off evil spirits and summoning thunder) 】

The explanation for drawing the talisman followed, providing details on where to start and end each stroke and what to pay attention to during the process. The instructions were very thorough.

Lastly, the poster claimed that the success rate of drawing this talisman was only 20%, which surprised Yu Xiao as the author seemed to consider it relatively high.

Yu Xiao, an art student, found the patterns and lines of the talisman quite aesthetically pleasing, regardless of their authenticity.

As she continued scrolling down the forum post, she became increasingly interested in the various strange symbols and talismans. Since she had nothing else to do while in the hospital, she searched for yellow paper and cinnabar on a popular shopping website. She found a whole set of relatively inexpensive tools for drawing talismans and ordered them. Three days later, the package arrived.

Following the author's instructions to dissolve the cinnabar with alcohol, Yu Xiao brought the materials back to her hospital ward and neatly set up everything on her bedside table. She then sat on her bed and stared into space.

Curiously, Zhou Xiao Zhen picked up one of the yellow papers that had been cut and asked, "Are you really going to draw talismans? Like the ones in those 'Liaozhai Zhiyi' stories, to stick on ghosts?"

(TN: "Liaozhai Zhiyi" is a famous collection of supernatural stories written by Pu Songling in the Qing Dynasty. In the book, there are many stories about ghosts and spirits, and some involve the use of talismans or magical spells to control or communicate with them.)

"Yes," Yu Xiao replied seriously, teasingly adding, "Did you know that there is a ghost in our ward? I noticed her the moment I moved in. She is a female ghost who wanders around our beds every night. In order to prevent her from harming all of you, I must reveal my identity."

Zhou Xiao Zhen stared at Yu Xiao in bewilderment and asked, "What identity?"

With her hands pressed together, Yu Xiao said, "Amitabha Buddha, I am Yu Xiao, the 250th generation descendant of Dragon and Tiger Mountain."

"..."

Zhou Xiao Zhen was taken aback by her words. "Really?" she exclaimed.

"Pfft!" Zhao Lan, who had been quietly receiving her intravenous drip, chuckled weakly and tenderly. "Precious (Xiao Zhen), can't you see that Smiley is joking?"

"Haha, I knew it all along," Zhou Xiao Zhen's face turned red as she tried to save face. "I was just teasing her because she always looks so bored."

Zhao Lan turned toward Yu Xiao and asked, "Smiley, I remember you were a fine arts student. Why did you suddenly start drawing charms?"

"Just looking for something to do when I'm bored," Yu Xiao dipped her pen into cinnabar ink and sat up straight. "Don't disturb me, I'm going to draw a charm."

The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Charm was the only one she could remember how to draw because all the other talismans were too complicated for her to remember. Following the instructions from the post on the forum, she tried to clear her mind and focused on the charm. Her mind was now as still as a calm lake.

Next, she needed to pay homage to the gods, so she searched for an image of a god on her phone and worshipped it by bowing three times to the phone.

"It's done, it's done," Zhou Xiao Zhen muttered, watching Yu Xiao at work. "The doctor said that the tumour in her brain might affect her thinking, and now it looks like her mind has been affected."

Zhao Lan sighed, "Poor Smiley."

Yu Xiao opened her eyes, holding her pen in her right hand and lightly brushing red lines on the yellow paper.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The quiet room was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Yu Xiao was wholly focused on her task and wasn't disturbed. Zhou Xiao Zhen wondered who could be so polite as to knock when entering a multi-person ward and said, "Come in!"

However, there was no sound outside, nor did anyone push open the door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The knocking resumed, and Zhou Xiao Zhen impatiently said, "The door isn't locked, come in!"

"Hee hee hee..."

☆ 2 The game is on

"Who knocks on the door and laughs outside instead of coming in like an idiot?" Zhao Lan, who was still receiving an IV drip and unable to move, was irritated by the knocking and laughter outside. "Precious, could you please go and see what's happening?"

(The phrase "敲门不进" ("When opportunity knocks, but one doesn't take it" or “Knocking on the door but not coming in) is a common idiom in Chinese, meaning “someone missing an opportunity or failing to take advantage of a chance presented to them” or “someone who teases or provokes without actually following through”.)

Annoyed, Zhou Xiao Zhen got out of bed without bothering to put on her hat, revealing her shiny bald head, and walked towards the door. Just as she was about to open it, she heard a strange sound outside, as if someone was scratching the door with their fingernails.

Zhou Xiao Zhen's hand froze on the doorknob. Something was not right. Could there be crazy people in the hospital? This was the tumour surgery department, not a psychiatric ward. The hospital staff wouldn't play such pranks.

The scratching sound continued, and Zhou Xiao Zhen instinctively lowered her head, only to see a black piece of paper being pushed through the gap in the door. It appeared to be some kind of leaflet.

Someone was distributing leaflets in the hospital?

Yu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the talisman she had just drawn. The person who taught her how to draw the talisman in the forum had said that a successful talisman would emit a faint glow on the paper when finished. She examined the paper closely, but there was nothing there. It was probably a lie.

She rubbed her tired eyes. Due to the tumour, she had developed intermittent hearing loss. The doctor had warned her that if she didn't receive effective treatment, the tumour could eventually affect her optic nerve.

Lately, her eyes had been easily fatigued. She wondered if it was due to the tumour.

Stretching lazily, she noticed Zhou Xiao Zhen standing at the door with her back turned to them.

"Precious," Yu Xiao asked, "what are you doing over there?"

Zhao Lan, who was lying down, said, "Someone knocked on the door and laughed outside just now. Precious went to see."

"Look, ladies," Zhou Xiao Zhen turned around and held up the black paper in her hand. "The person we just saw seemed to be handing out flyers."

"Really?" Yu Xiao had never heard of anyone distributing flyers in a hospital ward before, so she asked, "What kind of flyers?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen flipped over the flyer and said, "Let me see... Congratulations on being selected, and welcome to the Hospital Survival Game."

Upon reading that, she couldn't help but exclaim, "What the heck is this?"

Zhao Lan coughed and asked, "Is it some kind of coupon?"

"Doesn't look like it... let me keep reading." Zhou Xiao Zhen continued, "Your ward has been chosen by the Sixth Hospital. Please follow the hospital regulations and cooperate actively with the treatment. Please handle doctor-patient relationships properly..."

"Is there more?" Yu Xiao asked.

"There's one more sentence," Zhou Xiao Zhen said, "Wishing all patients a speedy recovery and early discharge, yo~"

Yu Xiao burst into laughter immediately. "Why are you trying to be cute?" she asked.

"I'm not trying to be cute," Zhou Xiao Zhen said as she handed Yu Xiao the flyer. "It's written like this."

Yu Xiao took the flyer and noticed that the last word in the last line was indeed "yo," with a wavy line following it.

"Is this a flyer from the hospital?" Zhao Lan asked from her bed. "Isn't this the People's Hospital? Why is it changed to the Sixth Hospital?"

As Yu Xiao looked at the black and white flyer, she felt that something was off.

"Welcome to the Hospital Survival Game..."

The Hospital Survival Game sounded like an advertisement for some sort of haunted house. For some reason, she thought of the Fourth Hospital's patient forum, but this one was for the Sixth Hospital.

"I don't know," Zhou Xiao Zhen said. "I'll go to the nurse's station and ask."

As Yu Xiao pondered the potential connection between the Sixth Hospital and the forum, a sudden scream made her jump. She looked up to see Zhou Xiao Zhen standing at the door of the ward, the darkness outside enveloping her as she let out a piercing shriek.

Zhao Lan, struggling to sit up, asked, "What's happening?"

Shaking all over, Zhou Xiao Zhen pointed outside and stammered, "What... what's going on?"

Yu Xiao got off her bed and walked slowly towards the door, mindful of the doctor's advice not to engage in any strenuous activity. Even walking needed to be done slowly.

When she reached the door, she finally understood why Zhou Xiao Zhen had screamed. The hallway outside the ward, usually lit up 24/7, was now pitch black - not the kind of darkness that comes with night, but a thick, inky blackness that seemed to be hiding something ominous.

Despite not being able to see anything, they had a feeling that something terrible was lurking out there, just waiting to pounce on them.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Xiao said seriously, "Has the tumour finally started affecting my optic nerve?"

"No... no, look!" Zhou Xiao Zhen pulled at Yu Xiao's sleeve, still shaking, and pointed downwards.

Yu Xiao followed her gaze and saw that the ground outside the door was also shrouded in darkness. But there was a red blotch spreading towards them from a place they couldn't see, like a pool of flowing blood.

The two of them stared intently at the growing blotch of red while Zhao Lan, on the bed, grew increasingly agitated. "What are you seeing? Why is it so dark outside? Has the light gone out?"

Just then, a pale, swollen hand with black nail polish appeared at the door. Zhou Xiao Zhen let out another terrified scream, "Ahh!"

With a swing of her hand, Yu Xiao slammed the door shut with a loud "bang."

Little did she know that a hand obstructed the door, preventing it from closing properly and causing it to bounce back, widening the opening even more.

Zhou Xiao Zhen screamed once again, "Ah!!!"

Yu Xiao closed the door once more, forcefully slamming it shut. Four pallid fingers were caught in the door, writhing and twisting, while the black nails scratched against the wood, emitting a grating noise.

"What the blazes is this thing?" Zhou Xiao Zhen panicked and started jumping up and down. "It's coming in!"

"Thud!"

"Thud thud..."

Something outside was pounding relentlessly on the door, causing Yu Xiao's entire body to press against it and bounce up and down from the impact.

"Quick, lock the door!" urged Zhou Xiao Zhen. "Lock the door now!"

Yu Xiao's face turned crimson as she replied, "Those fingers are trapped, I can't close it!"

At this point, Zhou Xiao Zhen was too frightened to care. She lifted her foot and kicked the four fingers, delivering eight consecutive blows. However, as a cancer patient, she was too feeble to continue. Gasping for breath, she leaned against the door and said, "It's no use... this thing is too stubborn. Even if I twist the fingers into knots, it won't give up."

Yu Xiao lowered her head and observed the four fingers, now dirty and twisted into a strange shape, trembling.

"Whimper~..."

A strange noise came from outside the door. Yu Xiao pressed her ear against the door and listened. It sounded like a woman's shrill scream. Despite the pain, Yu Xiao refused to let go. She gritted her teeth and said, "I'll hold it back. There's a knife in the bedside drawer. Go get it and cut off the fingers."

"Ah?" Zhou Xiao Zhen looked at her in shock, thinking to herself, 'I didn't expect this. My soft-spoken and gentle sister is actually tough.'

She gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go get it."

As soon as she finished speaking, the hand stuck in the door suddenly pulled back, causing the door to slam shut with a loud "bang."

Yu Xiao quickly locked the door.

By now, Yu Xiao's back was drenched in cold sweat.

"What's happening?" Zhao Lan trembled as she got out of bed. She couldn't walk far because she still had an IV in her arm. "What are you talking about? Whose fingers do you want to cut off?"

Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen stood side by side at the door, frozen as if being punished. After a moment, Yu Xiao asked, "I'm not sure if my tumour has affected my optic nerve, but I just saw a hand stuck in the door. Did you see it too?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen vigorously nodded, "Of course I saw it!"

"Oh," Yu Xiao suddenly chuckled, "then it must be my tumour affecting my thinking. I must be going crazy, hehehe..."

"You need to snap out of it!" Zhou Xiao Zhen grabbed Yu Xiao's shoulder and shook her vigorously. "You're not crazy, and you're not hallucinating. There really is a ghost hand!"

"What? What ghost hand?" Zhao Lan was completely bewildered.

"It's haunted, Misty!" Zhou Xiao Zhen dragged Yu Xiao away from the door. "There's a ghost outside! What do we do? Will the ghost come in..."

Zhao Lan was completely at a loss. "Don't get so excited. What did you two really see? Oh my, Smiley, you tell me. Is there really a ghost outside?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the ceiling lamp flickered, plunging the entire ward into darkness.

"Aaaaahhhhh~!"

A deafening scream reverberated in Yu Xiao's ears, causing her head to buzz and almost rendering her deaf. Suddenly, a pair of icy hands climbed up her neck, and she felt someone clinging onto her body.

Initially, Yu Xiao thought it was Zhou Xiao Zhen, who was scared and had thrown herself onto her. She reached out and embraced the person, using her other hand to grip the edge of the bed to prevent herself from falling.

"Precious, don't be afraid," Yu Xiao tried to keep her voice steady. "Don't hold onto me too tightly, or I might lose my balance."

But just as she finished speaking, she heard Zhou Xiao Zhen's trembling voice from behind her: "I... I'm not hugging you."

Yu Xiao immediately stiffened. If Zhou Xiao Zhen was behind her, then who was hanging onto her?

"Ten."

"Nine."

A woman's voice whispered slowly into her ear.

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Wu wu wu~..." Zhou Xiao Zhen cried out in fear. "Who's counting down?"

"Five."

"..."

"Two."

"One."

"Hehe...let's begin."

With a sharp electric sound, the lamp flickered before illuminating the room.

Yu Xiao instinctively closed her eyes, feeling something brush past her. Finally, a sense of relief washed over her. Reluctantly adjusting to the sudden brightness, she saw Zhao Lan squatting by the bed, while Zhou Xiao Zhen lay curled up under the quilt.

It wasn't Zhou Xiao Zhen who had been clinging onto her just now.

"What was that voice just now?" Zhao Lan stood up, leaning on the bed. "What's happening?"

Yu Xiao paused, then turned around and picked up the black flyer that Zhou Xiao Zhen had dropped on the ground. Everything suddenly made sense.

The Fourth Hospital patient communication forum wasn't for mental patients; they had unintentionally stumbled upon a cruel and mysterious game.

☆ 3 Would you like some braised human ribs?

With a wry smile, Yu Xiao raised her head and offered, "I have both good news and bad news for you. Which one would you like to hear first?"

Without hesitation, Zhou Xiao Zhen firmly replied, "Let's hear the bad news first!"

Curious, Zhao Lan couldn't help but ask, "May I ask why?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen wrapped her blanket around herself and explained, "I like to eat sweet candy after taking bitter medicine."

"..." Yu Xiao's mouth twitched. She hesitated before revealing, "The bad news is that there are actually ghosts outside."

Before Zhao Lan could express her shock, Zhou Xiao Zhen burst into tears. Tears and snot ran down her face as she cried, "I knew our condition couldn't be cured. Now the ghosts have come to take us away. Whimper..."

Her weeping made the other two feel uneasy and unsure of how to comfort her. Zhao Lan tried to console her, "Smiley, what's the good news?"

Holding a pamphlet, Yu Xiao gazed at them and said, "The good news is that I know why there are ghosts."

Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were left stunned. After a moment, Zhou Xiao Zhen, with red eyes, asked, "Is it because of the King of Hell?"

Yu Xiao shook her head and replied, "No, it's not." She was about to explain what she knew when she noticed Zhao Lan's face light up with anticipation.

Zhao Lan looked at her and asked, "Are you really the 250th generation disciple of Maoshan (a Taoist school in China)?"

"....No," Yu Xiao was completely speechless. She reached for her phone on the nearby table and continued, "This all started three days ago when I couldn't sleep and was playing with my phone. Suddenly, my phone automatically downloaded a forum..."

She accessed the forum for patients at Fourth Hospital to exchange ideas and shared everything she knew with them. She concluded, "At first, I thought it was a forum for patients with mental illnesses, but it seems that's not the case. They must be like us, suddenly thrown into Fourth Hospital and dealing with ghosts every day."

The three individuals in the ward were young and had diverse interests in novels, animations, and films, making them open-minded about various topics. They quickly acknowledged this fact, and then Zhao Lan raised a concern, "However, this is the Fourth Hospital forum, and we are in the Sixth Hospital."

Zhou Xiao Zhen replied, "What's so strange about that? The Fourth and Fifth Hospitals must have been full, so it's our turn in the Sixth Hospital."

This reasoning seemed convincing, prompting Zhao Lan to ask, "Does that mean there are forums for the First, Second, and Third Hospitals as well?"

"It's highly likely," Yu Xiao smiled as she scrolled through the forum. There were numerous posts, and the post about drawing talismans was a popular topic consistently at the top.

She tried to create a thread and ask about the situation, but couldn't post because the forum indicated that she wasn't logged in. So, she attempted to register, but the system informed her that she couldn't register because she wasn't in the service area.

The three of them looked at her phones in astonishment. Zhao Lan, who was socially experienced, suggested, "Maybe we can't register because we're from Sixth Hospital?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen added, "That means there's probably a forum for patients at Sixth Hospital."

"Uh-huh," Yu Xiao nodded and asked, "Has anyone received any notifications on their phone?"

None of their phones showed any activity.

Yu Xiao thought it was unfair for Fourth Hospital to have a forum while Sixth Hospital had none. It was clearly discriminatory.

While contemplating, Zhou Xiao Zhen suddenly pointed to a black flyer in the corner and said, "Hey, look over there. There's a QR code."

Yu Xiao leaned in closer and, to her surprise, she discovered a small QR code. She scanned it with her phone and sarcastically commented, "It's as if they were afraid we would notice it."

A message popped up that said, 【Do you want to download the forum for the Sixth Hospital patients' exchange? Y/N】

Just as they suspected!

The three of them proceeded to download the forum. To their surprise, the Sixth Hospital forum was quite empty, with only one post from an administrator outlining the forum rules.

Zhao Lan concluded, "This means the Sixth Hospital must have recently opened. We're among the first patients here."

"Oh-ho-ho~..." Zhou Xiao Zhen chuckled, "I suddenly feel a little proud."

"...," Yu Xiao stared at her, at a loss for words. She had reached the final step of the registration process, which required her to choose a nickname.

After considering ideas for a nickname, Yu Xiao thought for a moment before entering the name 【Warrior of Light】. However, the system quickly responded with the message:

【Sorry, the nickname you entered already exists.】

Determined to find a unique name, Yu Xiao tried two more names, 【Pretty Soldier】 and 【Sixth Hospital Director】, only to receive the same response from the system.

Becoming increasingly frustrated with the uncooperative system, Yu Xiao decided to try entering a random name. To her surprise, they received a congratulatory message that said:

【Congratulations, user 'Deaf Descendant'! (聋的传人) You have successfully registered.】

(TN: a play on words, as the phrase for "deaf" and "dragon" sound similar in Chinese)

Feeling disheartened by her own experience, Yu Xiao turned to the others and asked how they were doing.

Zhou Xiao Zhen responded with a serious expression, "Not yet. It keeps telling me that the nickname I entered already exists."

Zhao Lan chimed in, "I haven't either. Since the Sixth Hospital recently opened, it's improbable to have such a large number of registered users. It appears that all the hospitals share a common set of nicknames, and we can only choose from the remaining ones from the first five hospitals."

After some time, the trio finally managed to register. Zhou Xiao Zhen's nickname became 【Braised Egg Girl 438】(卤蛋少女438), and Zhao Lan's was 【Nickname Hassle】(昵称好难).

(“卤蛋" literally means "braised egg" and is a slang term for someone who is a bit of a goofball)

When they saw each other's nicknames, they both felt relieved to realise that they were not the only ones with bad nicknames.

"I'll make a post asking about the situation," Zhao Lan said, starting to create a new post. And then...

"I found a problem," Yu Xiao announced to the other two, who were busy scouring the forums with their heads together.

Without looking up, they asked, "What problem?"

"Isn't this game supposed to be about surviving in a hospital?" Yu Xiao questioned.

"Of course," Zhou Xiao Zhen confirmed, "It's clearly advertised as a hospital survival game."

"In that case," Yu Xiao stated, "what is the most important factor for survival?"

"Staying alive," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied matter-of-factly. "You have to evade the ghosts and stay alive."

"No, that's essentially an escape game," Yu Xiao said, holding a cup in one hand. "But isn't staying alive the most crucial element of survival? And when it comes to staying alive, isn't eating the most important thing?"

Zhao Lan, who had been browsing the forum, was jolted by her words and looked up. "You're right. What about our dinner?"

Typically, family members could bring or buy food, caregivers could arrange it, or hospital canteen staff could sell food from carts. However, their current situation presented a problem: family members and caregivers were not allowed to enter. As for buying food from the canteen...

"Will there still be people selling food?" Zhou Xiao Zhen asked anxiously. "There are ghosts outside."

As soon as she spoke, a familiar sound echoed from outside - the sound of a cart wheel rolling down the hallway. The three companions exchanged glances, and Zhao Lan's face turned pale as she suggested, "Why don't we skip dinner tonight? Missing one meal won't harm us."

As the weakest among them, if Zhao Lan could afford to skip a meal, then her companions could too. They weren't sure if the person pushing the cart outside was a human or a ghost, so it was best not to take any risks.

However, Yu Xiao raised a concern, holding a flyer in her hand. "According to this flyer, we are required to follow hospital regulations and cooperate with treatment. Wouldn't not eating be considered a violation of the rules?"

Zhao Lan responded calmly, "At the very least, it wouldn't be cooperating with treatment."

Zhou Xiao Zhen then got out of bed, opened her cabinet, and pulled out a bulging pink backpack. With a mysterious look on her face, she placed it on the bed, unzipped it, and proudly announced, "I have food."

Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan leaned in to get a closer look. They saw several bags of chips, spicy sticks, and carbonated drinks.

"..."

As Yu Xiao saw the colourful array of junk food, her appetite suddenly woke up. She reached for a bag of spicy sticks, causing Zhao Lan to look at her with a hint of concern. "What if eating junk food is seen as not actively cooperating with the treatment?" she asked.

"..."

Yu Xiao paused, thinking about the possible consequences. "What do you suggest then?" she reluctantly responded, putting the spicy sticks back down. "Should we go and buy some food? But what if the person pushing the cart is a ghost?"

"I've already considered that," reassured Zhao Lan. "Based on the information I read on the Fourth Hospital forum, they've been surviving in the game for a while. Even with a large stockpile, they would have depleted their supplies by now, so they must have a fixed source for replenishing their stocks."

The three of them turned towards the door. If there was a fixed source of food in the hospital, it was likely to be the food cart from the cafeteria.

Yu Xiao approached the door, pressing her ear against it to listen for any sounds outside. Meanwhile, Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen leaned in to listen as well.

For a brief moment, the sound of the cart could be heard from outside, until it abruptly ceased. The three individuals exchanged perplexed looks when, out of nowhere, a voice spoke as if the speaker was standing right by the door.

"Would you like some braised human ribs?"

☆ 4 All the patients are brave

"..."

The hospital room was enveloped in an eerie silence, and Zhou Xiao Zhen couldn't hold back her tears as she covered her mouth.

"Why are you crying?" scolded Yu Xiao, before turning towards the door and saying, "Thank you, but no thank you."

There was a moment of silence outside, followed by a voice that said, "Are you sure? I have a variety of delectable dishes here: braised liar's tongue, boneless children's feet, cold mixed shredded widow..."

With each dish mentioned, the faces of the three individuals in the hospital room turned pale, and Zhao Lan couldn't bear it any longer as she exclaimed, "No, no, please leave immediately!"

"What a pity, so much mouthwatering food," the voice outside lamented while loudly salivating, "Hehe~ The only ones not eating here is the food."

"..."

The sound of a cart being pushed outside resumed, causing Yu Xiao and the other two to exchange glances.

Zhou Xiao Zhen, who was timid, observed the serious expressions on her two fellow hospital sisters' faces and cautiously inquired, "What did those words mean?"

Yu Xiao turned her gaze towards Zhou Xiao Zhen and gently reached out to touch her head, which was full with prickly little hairs. Affectionately, she remarked, "You're still in high school, aren't you? Your reading comprehension needs improvement."

Zhou Xiao Zhen pouted and felt the urge to cry again, but Zhao Lan intervened by pushing away Yu Xiao's hand and admonishing, "What are you doing? Don't tease Precious."

'Zhao Lan is always the best!' Zhou Xiao Zhen gazed at Zhao Lan in awe as she gently explained, "It means that those who do not eat will be eaten by ghosts."

"..."

"Waaah~..."

"Shh." Yu Xiao pressed a finger against her lips, signalling for both of them to stay silent. "Here they come again."

The sound of the cart being pushed outside grew louder and louder. Zhou Xiao Zhen's face was soaked with tears as she glanced at Zhao Lan.

Zhao Lan suddenly felt a sense of responsibility as the eldest sister. She reached out and comforted the younger girl, saying, "Don't be afraid. At least now we know how to differentiate between a person and a ghost outside."

After speaking, she leaned against the door, straining to listen to the sounds outside.

The noise of the cart quickly faded away, and a rather pleasant male voice spoke softly, "Would you like to buy some food?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen's face brightened. "The voice sounds so nice. It must be a human, right?"

Zhao Lan motioned for her to be quiet, then inquired of the person at the door, "What dishes do you have?"

The voice responded, "We have steamed eggs, shredded potatoes, braised chicken, stir-fried cabbage, and egg drop soup with seaweed..."

"All of these dishes are for humans!" Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed excitedly. "We should definitely order something!"

Zhao Lan furrowed her eyebrows briefly, but then relaxed. There was nothing suspicious about the delivery person this time.

"Alright," the person outside responded. "What dishes would you like?"

"I'm actually quite hungry. I think I'll order the braised chicken," Zhou Xiao Zhen suggested, seeking their opinions. "I'm craving some meat."

Zhao Lan leaned against the door, a smile appearing on her pale face. "I don't have much of an appetite, so I'll just have the steamed eggs. Smiley, what would you like to eat?"

Yu Xiao coughed softly, feeling exhausted and lacking appetite. She simply wanted something to go with rice. She inquired, "What flavour is the shredded potato?"

There was a brief silence outside, before a voice replied, "It's salty."

Although Yu Xiao initially wanted to order spicy and sour shredded potato, she also enjoyed the regular version. Hence, she decided, "In that case, I'll have an order of shredded potato."

The three of them placed their orders, and the sound of food being packed into containers could be heard from outside. Shortly after, a gentle knock on the door followed. "Alright, open the door to receive your food."

Zhao Lan took a step back, and Zhou Xiao Zhen unlocked the door. Just as she was about to open it, there was a click. Yu Xiao grabbed Zhou Xiao Zhen's hand and locked the door with her other hand..

Zhou Xiao Zhen: "?"

Yu Xiao asked from outside, "Are you Lil' Chen (陈: "to lay out" or "to display"), right? Usually, you and your mother deliver the food together. Why are you alone today?"

"My mother is sick," the same low but pleasant voice said. "So I came by myself."

After a moment of silence, Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, "Is the tanned Uncle who sells food every day called Lil' Chen?"

Yu Xiao appeared frightened and responded, "I don't know."

"Oh dear, we've been discovered!" The voice from outside suddenly grew louder. "Open the door!"

The door was forcefully struck, producing a jarring noise.

"Ah!!" Zhou Xiao Zhen trembled, and Yu Xiao promptly rescued the door.

"I nearly let him in just now. I almost killed you all..." Zhou Xiao Zhen's complexion turned pale.

Bang! The door continued to be pounded.

Just when Yu Xiao was feeling lost, Zhou Xiao Zhen suddenly stood up straight and slapped the door with her palm, creating a loud bang.

With shocked expressions, Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan watched as she yelled, "Why are you making noise? You dead thing! If you dare to hit the door again, I'll fight you! I haven't taken a shit in five days, you dare to mess with me, I'll make you eat a shit biscuit... "

Ever since entering this dreadful game, Zhou Xiao Zhen had been living in constant fear. Now, she let out a stream of insults, finally finding some relief. After finishing her outburst, she listened for any sounds outside and realised it had gone quiet. Whatever had been hitting the door seemed to have vanished.

"Phew, finally gone," Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed in relief as she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She then turned to see Zhao Lan and Yu Xiao, but noticed their peculiar expressions. "Misty, I... huh? Why are you both giving me that look?"

"..."

Zhao Lan remained silent, leaving Zhou Xiao Zhen puzzled.

"Very good," Yu Xiao praised, giving Zhou Xiao Zhen a pat on the shoulder. "Keep up this momentum."

Blushing, Zhou Xiao Zhen shyly admitted, "Actually, I'm not usually like this."

"We know," Zhao Lan smiled at her and then pressed her ear against the door. She turned to Yu Xiao and said, "It was really dangerous just now. Thankfully, you were alert. What should we do now? Even ghosts can pretend to be regular food delivery guys."

"I'm considering," Yu Xiao furrowed her brow.

Her biggest concern at the moment was the difficulty of distinguishing between the real food delivery guys and the imposters. She was also worried about how frequently the food deliveries would occur. If they missed the genuine delivery person, they would go hungry. Based on their speculation, if the patients didn't eat, they would become food for the ghosts.

There was no time for deep contemplation, as the sound of a cart could be heard outside.

"Do you want to buy food?"

Yu Xiao decided to alter her strategy and responded, "Yes, we would like to buy some food, but we are unsure of the best options here. By the way, what is your favourite dish? Could you recommend something to us?"

"Ah..." it seemed as though the person outside was thinking or reminiscing. "Without a doubt, it would be the barbecue cheater's heart."

Yu Xiao shut her eyes and replied with a cold tone, "Move along, next one!"

...

"Wanna buy food?"

"Buy."

Yu Xiao asked, "Recommend me your favourite dish."

"Sour and spicy fish."

Hmm? The three of them exchanged glances, puzzled. Zhou Xiao Zhen whispered, "Could this person be the real delivery guy?"

"Perhaps," Zhao Lan said. "Let's give it another try."

Zhou Xiao Zhen cleared her throat and said, "Are you Lil' Chen? You used to come with your mom to deliver food, but today you're alone?"

The person outside seemed to be in a bad mood. "I'm not named Chen. My mom passed away years ago. I've been delivering food by myself for many years!"

The three of them were delighted to hear this response. Zhao Lan asked, "So, what dishes do you have?"

"I have radish soup, shredded potatoes, steamed eggs, and celery and pork stir-fry..."

"The dishes appear to be normal," Zhao Lan carefully considered and found no issues. "I do recall that the delivery uncle who comes every day has a bad temper."

"Are you sure?" Zhou Xiao Zhen placed her hand on the doorknob. "Alright, let's place the order then."

At this point, they didn't really care about what to eat. They were not picky anymore.

Just as they were about to order, Yu Xiao suddenly remarked, "The cafeteria food tastes really good. By the way, what other ingredients do they use besides salt, soy sauce, human brains, and MSG?"

"Huh?" The person outside seemed incredibly perplexed. "Just adding human brains is enough to make it delicious. Do I need to add anything else?"

"..."

Zhou Xiao Zhen, feeling exhausted, suggested, "Should we just have potato chips for dinner tonight?"

An impatient voice from outside interrupted, "Are you buying or not?"

"Get lost!!"

Yu Xiao, physically and emotionally drained, leaned against the door, her ears ringing. She weakly admitted, "I can't handle this anymore. It feels like my intermittent hearing loss is flaring up again."

"Oh no! What should we do?" Zhou Xiao Zhen looked at her with concern.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine after getting some sleep."

"No, that's not the issue," Zhou Xiao Zhen said, almost in tears. "If you can't hear, how will we be able to tell if it's a person or a ghost outside? We're stupid. Without you, what can we do?"

Veins throbbed on Zhao Lan's forehead as she held back her emotions for a moment. Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, she placed her palm on Zhou Xiao Zhen's head and gently stroked it. "Your little head is so beautiful and you speak so well."

"What?" Yu Xiao looked at the two of them in confusion, unable to hear their conversation. "What are you talking about?"

"It's over! She can't hear us," Zhou Xiao Zhen suddenly felt hopeless about life. Then, she turned to Zhao Lan and said with determination, "Misty, if the ghost comes in, let me be the first to die. As a ghost, I will protect all of you."

Faced with this serious request, Zhao Lan didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, the sound of a cart outside the door saved her.

Yu Xiao regretted accepting the nickname 'Deaf Descendant'. She didn't expect that she really wouldn't be able to hear at this critical moment. The two in front of her were moving their mouths, but her world remained silent.

"Do you want to buy some food?" a seemingly ordinary male voice asked.

Zhou Xiao Zhen looked at Yu Xiao seeking reassurance before responding, "The food in the cafeteria is really good. By the way, besides salt, soy sauce, MSG, and human brains, what other seasonings does your cafeteria use?"

There was silence outside the door.

Zhao Lan let out a sigh of relief, thinking it was just another ghost.

However, the person outside the door grew angry. "Are you nuts? Who eats human brains? I don't have time to waste with you..."

With that, the sound of the cart slowly faded away from their ward.

Zhao Lan's mind exploded. She impulsively slapped the door and yelled, "Wait! We were just joking. Please come back! If you don't, we'll starve!"

Yu Xiao, standing beside them, grew concerned. She observed the sudden outburst from both of them, banging on the door and shouting at something outside. She recalled Zhou Xiao Zhen's earlier display of shooting outside and felt reassured. Despite their lack of survival skills in their ward, their mouth’s offensive power was formidable.

As they continued to curse vehemently at the door, it looked like they were determined to forcefully open the door and confront the person on the other side.

☆ 5 The ghost comes in during ward rounds

After a brief moment, Zhou Xiao Zhen tapped her phone and handed it to Yu Xiao. The note displayed on the screen said, "Smiley, we've decided to open the door."

Yu Xiao glanced at them, and they returned her gaze. Their worried expressions and tight lips revealed their anxiety. Yu Xiao's smile remained unwavering and determined. "Go ahead, I trust you."

Zhou Xiao Zhen's eyes welled up with tears as she thanked Yu Xiao profusely. "I'm grateful to have met you and become friends. Even if opening the door leads to our deaths, I would accept it. I have no regrets if I can face death with you."

With these words, she placed her hand and took a deep breath. As she turned it to open, she stole a last deep look at her two cherished friends.

...Zhao Lan who stood behind the bed, wearing a slightly awkward expression. And then she glanced at Yu Xiao, who stood farther away next to the bathroom, clutching the talisman paper she had drawn, her eyes closed as she whispered incantations.

"Why are you standing so far away?!" Zhou Xiao Zhen felt betrayed.

Zhao Lan forced a laugh, saying, "It's crowded when there are too many people."

"No!" Zhou Xiao Zhen's emotions dampened, and she grabbed Zhao Lan's hand. "Come over here and open the door with us, and Smiley, come over here too."

"Smiley can't hear..." Zhao Lan said.

"I'll go get her," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied.

The three young women squeezed behind the door, and Yu Xiao looked troubled.

Despite being diagnosed with a terminal illness, she hadn't reached the stage of accepting her fate. She could only pray that her ancestors would protect her and that the person outside was a genuine delivery person. However, she soon realised that if her ancestors truly had the power to intervene, she wouldn't have developed a terminal illness at such a young age. Her distressed expression deepened.

Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan opened the door together. The wooden door, with its natural colour, creaked open slightly. The thick, fog-like darkness tried to rush in, but it seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier.

Although Yu Xiao couldn't hear anything, she could feel the coldness and malevolence.

The three of them stared at the crack, their nerves on edge, forgetting to even breathe.

Suddenly, the door shook slightly, as if someone outside was touching it. Zhou Xiao Zhen's body went limp and she leaned against Zhao Lan, who was weak and unable to support her weight. Zhao Lan then leaned on Yu Xiao. Despite struggling, Yu Xiao clenched her teeth and silently braced herself against the wall.

Under the gaze of the six pairs of eyes, a white object approached the crack in the door. The object was so white that most of it was hidden in the darkness, making it impossible to discern its specific shape through the crack. Then, the object got stuck, as the crack was too narrow.

As the three of them contemplated whether to lock the door again, a pale, emaciated hand resembling that of a corpse suddenly thrust itself into the crack.

"Ah!" Zhou Xiao Zhen let out a brief and urgent scream, raising her leg to kick the hand. Just at that crucial moment, a calm voice from outside the door interrupted, "Don't move. I'm here to deliver food."

Zhou Xiao Zhen's leg remained suspended in the air. The hand swiftly widened the crack and inserted a bulging white plastic bag. The shape of the bag indicated that it contained multiple boxes, and a faint aroma of food wafted out.

Overwhelmed with joy, Zhou Xiao Zhen burst into tears. "It's really food!"

Zhao Lan, consumed by excitement, tightly grasped Zhou Xiao Zhen's hand. "We did it!"

Though Yu Xiao couldn't hear, she could sense their elation. She patted the arms of the two women and pointed at the crack. "The hand is still there."

Their happiness quickly disappeared when they noticed that the hand of the dead body was still in the room, protruding through the crack with its palm facing upwards.

"We have received the food," Zhao Lan said cautiously. "You can go now."

There was silence on the other side of the door, and Zhou Xiao Zhen raised her leg once more. Yu Xiao turned around and got ready to fetch a knife from the drawer.

Just as the tension in the room became unbearable, an impatient voice came from outside, "What about the money? You haven't paid yet!"

"......"

The room fell silent once again.

Zhao Lan hesitated before speaking up, "We don't have any cash. Can we use Alipay?"

In the darkness, the corpse's hand retreated for a moment and then emerged again, this time holding a QR code.

When Yu Xiao returned with the knife, she found Zhao Lan squatting on the floor, scanning the code with her phone.

After paying the bill, Zhou Xiao Zhen quickly locked the door as soon as the corpse's hand disappeared. Both she and Zhao Lan let out a sigh of relief. But as they turned around, they were startled to see Yu Xiao standing behind them, gripping a fruit knife that was no bigger than half her thumb.

"What are you doing with that?" Zhao Lan asked, surprised.

"She can't hear you," Zhou Xiao Zhen typed on her phone to communicate.

With no danger present, Yu Xiao smiled and explained, "I was worried there might be danger, so I grabbed a knife."

Seeing the small knife in Yu Xiao's hand, Zhou Xiao Zhen was shocked. It was too small to even cut an apple, let alone a ghost's finger. She asked incredulously, "Is this the knife you asked me to use to cut off the ghost's finger?!"

Despite the twists and turns, the food was not an issue and in fact, it was quite delicious. The three of them often had no appetite due to illness, but today they surprisingly had good appetites, mainly because of the great energy exerted.

After finishing her meal, Yu Xiao felt drowsy and lay on the bed. She held the talisman she had drawn earlier in the day. The contents of the forum for the Fourth Hospital's patients were genuine, so the seal script in the post must also be real. However, her own talisman had turned out to be a failure.

It was not surprising that she hadn't succeeded, considering that even the person who posted the tutorial had a success rate of only one in five.

Feeling extremely sleepy, Yu Xiao placed the talisman paper under her pillow and closed her eyes. She quickly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan were tidying up after the meal. Suddenly, Zhao Lan noticed a heart-shaped sticker on one of the takeout boxes. They hadn't paid much attention to it initially, as many takeout bags often had similar stickers with messages like "please give us a good rating."

But just now, Zhao Lan suddenly had a thought, "Do the delivery men from the Sixth Hospital also need good ratings?" So she examined the sticker more closely and immediately called Zhou Xiao Zhen over, saying, "Precious, come and look at this."

"Hey, what's up?" Zhou Xiao Zhen crawled off the bed and took the heart-shaped sticker from Zhao Lan's hand. After reading its message, "Remember to rest on time~ Meow~", she remarked, with a disgusted expression, "Eww, this guy is so gross."

"..."

"Is this really the main point?" Zhao Lan was on the verge of collapsing. "Why would a food vendor, who doesn't even know how to behave like a normal person, attach something like this to our food container? Could it be a kind of warning?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen realised, "You're right, what is he trying to remind us of?"

"Remember to get enough rest..." Zhao Lan pondered for a moment and suggested, "Every night, a nurse comes to check on us after we're admitted to the hospital. What if we are not asleep when she comes to inspect our ward? What would happen?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen's body hair stood on end. "Misty, stop talking! Smiley, say something. What should we do?"

As she turned around, she noticed that Yu Xiao's bed, the farthest one, remained completely still and silent. If one listened closely, the only sound audible was her calm and steady breathing .

"..."

"No wonder she's called Smiley," Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed in awe. "Her mental resilience is truly impressive, as tough as a cow that fell from the sky and still remains badass."

"It's great that she's like this," Zhao Lan said seriously. "We should strive to be like her and aim to sleep until dawn."

Although easier said than done.

At half-past eight, the lights in the ward suddenly went out, accompanied by a gentle tune.

A thin and sharp female voice, as if choked by someone, said, "Oh, the lights are out~ You better be a good girl and go to bed, or else you'll be eaten~ Hehehehehe..."

“……”

As Zhou Xiao Zhen lay in bed, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. It seemed that there were no young people who could fall asleep before 8 p.m. However, when she heard the deep and steady breathing coming from the bed next to hers, she couldn't help but feel envious, even to the point of tears.

Human nature often works in mysterious ways. The more we desperately cling to something, the more elusive it becomes. This was precisely the situation for both Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen. They had been lying in bed with their eyes closed for what felt like an eternity, but sleep continued to elude them, leaving them wide awake and growing increasingly restless.

Zhao Lan had never despised herself as much as she did in that moment. She longed to knock herself out and find some reprieve from her sleeplessness.

Time passed as the hospital room remained engulfed in complete darkness. Visions of the day replayed in their minds: the darkness lurking beyond the door, the sight of blood flowing in the dimness, and the eerie hands that emerged along with the blood.

Initially, they had attempted to fall asleep by counting sheep, but their thoughts had gradually shifted to listing vegetables, and eventually, unconsciously, to imagining unsettling dishes such as braised cheater tongue, boneless children's feet, and cold shredded widows.

They now whimpered and trembled in fear, finding it even more difficult to find sleep.

"Misty..." Zhou Xiao Zhen whispered softly from the bed beside her.

Zhao Lan shifted her weight, then responded in a quiet voice, "Yes?"

"I can't sleep."

"...Me neither."

"Is it true that someone will come to check on us?" Zhou Xiao Zhen fretted, her anxiety causing breast hyperplasia. "I'm so scared."

Zhao Lan was about to say something when footsteps echoed in the hallway. The two immediately fell silent, as still as corpses.

When a person loses their sight, their other senses become heightened. In that moment, they could distinctly hear the sound of the door opening and closing, as well as the rustling of clothes.

Zhao Lan, lying in bed, made a deliberate attempt to hypnotise herself. 'You are already asleep. You are already asleep. You are dreaming now...'

Suddenly, she sensed an eerie and chilling presence drawing near from her left side. Goosebumps raced across her arm under the covers, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

In that moment, a flood of terrifying scenes from various horror movies she had watched in the past flooded her mind.

"Whoo..."

A cold wind blew on Zhao Lan's neck, sending shivers down her spine and causing goosebumps to appear all over her body. She tightly closed her eyes, remaining completely still.

"Naughty~" whispered a mischievous voice.

Zhao Lan felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. It had sensed her! It had realised that she wasn't asleep!

Fear briefly consumed her, but she soon realised the issue. If it was certain that she was still awake, why hadn't it eaten her yet?

Zhao Lan remained motionless, ignoring whatever the thing beside her bed was saying. She was resolute in her decision to pretend to be a dead pig until the very end.

However, her determination faltered in the next moment as a pair of icy hands forcefully pressed down on her and started rolling her like a rolling pin.

Zhao Lan: "~!!!"

Could it actually do that?!

She was being tossed and turned on the bed, but she was determined not to open her eyes. 'I won't open them, even if it means death!'

In the adjacent bed, Zhou Xiao Zhen heard the disturbance and became terrified. Suddenly, Yu Xiao, who was lying in the furthest bed, flipped over and scratched her neck, murmuring to herself.

"..."

Zhou Xiao Zhen's mind went blank when she heard Yu Xiao sleep-talking. Of all times, she chose to sleep-talk now!

As the room fell silent, the hands that had been shaking Zhao Lan earlier suddenly stopped. In the next moment, the sound of footsteps could be heard, breaking the silence as they approached the bed in the innermost part of the room.

☆ 6 Fearless Smiley

The pitch-black night, with zero visibility, was the perfect time for sleep. Yu Xiao was soundly asleep while Zhao Lan lay motionless, too scared to move, straining to hear any sounds coming from the nearby bed.

Footsteps stopped next to Yu Xiao's bed, causing the pillow to sink. If the lights were on, Zhou Xiao Zhen would have been able to see the twisted and swollen hand resting on the bed.

However, it was dark, so they lay still, silently beseeching their deities and ancestors for protection. They fervently hoped that Yu Xiao would continue to sleep and that no harm would befall them.

"~Let me see who's been naughty again..."

A harsh and unpleasant voice filled the quiet ward, ringing in Yu Xiao's ear. Even the lightest sleeper would have been startled awake by such a voice.

...However, only Yu Xiao's two roommates were aware that she was completely deaf at the moment, despite her average sleeping habits.

"~Patients who deceive nurses shall be devoured... hehehehe..."

Ten minutes slipped by, and the ward reverted to its former state of eerie stillness. Standing by the bedside, Shadow's silhouette seemed hesitant. In all her years of experience, she had never encountered a patient who slumbered so deeply.

But that didn't matter; she had other methods. The deformed and swollen hand reached out, slowly approaching the slender neck of the figure lying on the bed.

Yu Xiao began to sense a creeping unease in her slumber, as though a frigid breath lingered upon her neck. She instinctively pulled her neck in, gripping her blanket with an iron grip as she twisted onto her side. As she raised her head from the pillow, a peculiar disquiet settled upon her. Hastily, she reached for the pillow and adjusted her position, eventually succumbing to a profound slumber.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a small yellow piece of paper slipped out from beneath her pillow.

"~Ah... truly mischievous..."

The gnarled fingers inched closer, sending waves of despair coursing through Zhao Lan. What if Yu Xiao woke up and saw this horror? How could the three of them, already so gravely ill, possibly stand a chance against a vengeful ghost?

In a chilling moment, a black fingernail lightly grazed the yellowed paper, creating an eerie, almost imperceptible sound.

"?"

Like an activated talisman, the intricate cinnabar lines drawn on it burst into brilliant light, akin to flowing magma.

【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】!!!

Taoist talismans were many and profound, offering numerous practical uses. This particular talisman, as its name suggests, was specifically created to ward off malevolent spirits using celestial thunder.

"Boom~!!!"

A dazzling lightning bolt exploded in the ward, casting a blinding light that turned the night into day. In its glow, Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan's pale and terror-stricken faces were revealed.

The deafening thunder reverberated through the room, its echoes lingering long after the lightning had dissipated.

Amidst the tumultuous noise, a chilling and unmistakable wail of ghostly anguish reached their ears.

Yu Xiao woke up feeling content, without any dreams or needing to get up in the middle of the night. She had slept soundly until dawn, when the light above flickered on and gradually brought her out of her peaceful slumber.

Lying in bed, Yu Xiao gazed at the ceiling lamp for a moment, feeling a bit dazed and unsure of what was going on. The events of the previous day seemed distant, like a faded memory. She let out a lazy yawn and prepared herself to greet her fellow patients.

When she turned her head, she was taken aback by what she saw. Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan were sitting together, their hands wrapped around their legs and their chins resting on their knees. They looked tired, with fatigue evident on their faces and dark circles under their eyes. They stared at her with vacant expressions, as if lost in their own thoughts.

"What's wrong? Why are you staring at me?" Yu Xiao asked, her confusion evident.

As she turned her head again, she noticed spots of red blood on the blanket she had used to cover herself. Looking closer, she saw three large characters written in what appeared to be blood, spelling out the words: "I hate you!"

Feeling both confused and angry, Yu Xiao threw off the blanket in frustration. "What is going on? I have always been kind to both of you. Why do you hate me?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen spoke up, her voice filled with emotion. "Smiley, can you hear us now?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

"Of course I can!" Yu Xiao replied, hands on her hips. "I told you my ears would be fine after a good night's sleep. Did you do something wrong while I couldn't hear?"

The two stared at her, their eyes filled with a mixture of emotions.

"Smiley," Zhao Lan said, her heart torn between love and hate. "Do you not remember what happened last night?"

Yu Xiao furrowed her brow, lost in thought. After a moment of reflection, she realised that something had indeed happened, but she couldn't recall what it was.

"That's not important," Zhou Xiao Zhen interrupted, getting up from the bed and walking towards Yu Xiao with a serious expression. "As your disciple, I promise to serve you and carry on your legacy!"

(The phrase "衣钵传承" (yi bo chuan cheng) means "to pass on the mantle", referring to passing on one's knowledge or skills to someone else.

Yu Xiao recoiled in disbelief, her eyes widening. "What are you doing? It's too early for this!" she exclaimed, watching Zhou Xiao Zhen kneel down and take her hand. "You're being absurd!"

Zhao Lan looked at her friend with a combination of worry and disapproval. "Zhou Xiao Zhen, this is not how a lady should behave."

Zhou Xiao Zhen straightened up and cast her eyes downward.

Feeling ashamed of her lack of decorum, Zhou Xiao Zhen quickly composed herself. "You're correct, Misty. I need to improve my manners and conduct myself with more refinement."

Content with the younger girl's reply, Zhao Lan placed her arm around Yu Xiao's shoulder. "Smiley, what is your opinion of me? Do you consider me to be deserving of being your disciple?"

“……”

Yu Xiao took quite some time to fully comprehend the events of the previous night. As she listened intently, her mouth hung open in shock. She checked under her pillow, but found no sign of the talisman paper she had placed there; only a small pile of ashes remained.

"Good gracious!" Yu Xiao exclaimed, clutching her chest. "Am I really that incredible?"

To her surprise, her first attempt at drawing a talisman had actually worked!

"Last night's scene was truly..." Zhou Xiao Zhen, who had missed several classes due to illness, struggled to find the right words. "It was as extraordinary as a calf soaring through the skies on a plane!"

Zhao Lan's expression was difficult to interpret. She gently pushed Zhou Xiao Zhen, who was clinging to Yu Xiao, to the side and spoke solemnly. "Smiley, thank you. If it weren't for you, we might have died last night."

It was indeed true. If they had fallen asleep, they would have become prey. However, as per the female ghost's duty, vigorously shaking individuals who couldn't be awakened, unless one was in a coma, they would wake up even if they had slept deeply.

"This is not normal," stated Yu Xiao. "If all patients were examined in this way, none of them would survive."

"Yeah," replied Zhao Lan, still visibly shaken. "If it weren't for your talisman..."

"I cannot accept this," declared Yu Xiao, clenching her fists.

Zhou Xiao Zhen was momentarily startled, then exclaimed in immense frustration, "Ah, what else can we do? They're ghosts. How can we fight back?"

"Why not?" sneered Yu Xiao, wearing a smirk on her face, as she retrieved her talisman-drawing equipment from the drawer. As she began to draw, she asked, "Does anyone have tape? Double-sided tape would work best."

Zhao Lan's eyes lit up with excitement as she quickly remembered something. "I have it!"

With a lingering sense of animosity, Yu Xiao hurriedly drew several talismans. Zhao Lan provided the double-sided tape, and the three gathered around the door, trying to decide on the best spot to attach the talismans... to ward off the ghosts.

They initially planned to attach the paper to the door handle outside, but they were hesitant to open the door and extend their hand out. Eventually, they decided to slip it into the gap in the door. However, they worried that it was too obvious and the ghosts might not touch it.

Yu Xiao anxiously glanced at the clock and urged, "Let's hurry. The hospital news will be released at 8 o'clock in the morning. We can't afford to miss it."

"What news?" Zhao Lan asked curiously.

"Is there still news from the hospital?" Zhou Xiao Zhen added.

Yu Xiao opened the forum for the Fourth Hospital and found the post.

【Compendium of the Experts I Encountered at the Hospital Morning News.】

"Grass, what's going on here?" Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, her brows furrowing in surprise as she scrolled through her phone. "I see experts from the Fourth Hospital, as well as the Second and Fifth Hospitals in the Third Hospital... But why is there no one from the Sixth Hospital?" she wondered aloud, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"It's likely that the Sixth Hospital is a recent addition..."

"~Ding Dong~!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a melodious chime that resonated from the ward.

A soft, soothing melody filled the air as the curtains gracefully unveiled the outside world. Yu Xiao could not resist the temptation and disregarded her doctor's advice to avoid vigorous exercise. She dashed to the window with the speed and agility of a sprinter.

The view outside was truly breathtaking, with a vast sea of lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and elegant fish gracefully swimming in a pristine pond. In the distance, majestic mountains stood tall, creating an awe-inspiring panorama.

What an exquisite scene of pristine mountains, babbling water, chirping birds, and fragrant flowers!

"Who wants to see these eerie mountains and flowers? Wasn't our hospital in the middle of the city?" Zhou Xiao Zhen's eyes filled with tears as she grappled to understand their unfamiliar surroundings.

Zhao Lan felt a sense of foreboding, but what she saw shocked her. "Don't lose hope. Even if the view remains the same, we can't just jump out of the window. Remember, we're on the thirteenth floor."

The sweet melody was abruptly replaced by a young lady's voice delivering the hospital's morning news. "A new day begins now! Bringing you the latest updates from the hospital~," she cheerfully announced.

"Yesterday, a patient known as 'Brother Legend' in Ward 15 of the Third Hospital inexplicably assaulted medical staff. The incident is now under investigation by the hospital's medical dispute office."

"...The Fourth Hospital's points ranking has been updated, and 'Zhuge Liang Burning the Pan Silk Road' has taken first place. Congratulations to him on this achievement."

"...Yesterday at four o'clock in the afternoon, the Sixth Hospital had officially opened. Thanks to the hard work of our medical staff and the cooperation of our patients, a total of ninety-seven patients have received successful treatment. We would like to congratulate all of them. Currently, the Sixth Hospital has available beds and is prepared to admit patients in need of pain relief."

"Grass!" Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed. "Does death also count as a form of pain relief?"

Yu Xiao's mouth twitched. "I suppose it does."

"... Thanks to the tireless efforts of our medical staff and patients, the Sixth Hospital is now running smoothly and efficiently. The hospital's points ranking system is now in effect, and the patient known as the 'Deaf Descendant' is currently in the lead. Let's congratulate her."

"Fantastic! That's my sister!" Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, patting Yu Xiao's back excitedly. "You're the first!"

"...The patient who displayed exemplary behaviour yesterday has been honoured with the prestigious title of 'The Grudge of the Pretty Nurse.' Congratulations to her once again."

——— Translator's Notes ———

"师父" (Shi Fu) means "master", and refers to the person who teaches or mentors someone in a particular skill or discipline.

The phrase "衣钵传承" (yi bo chuan cheng) means "to pass on the mantle", referring to passing on one's knowledge or skills to someone else.

哥只是个传说 (Gē zhǐ shì gè chuánshuō) means "Brother Legend"

诸葛亮火烧盘丝洞 (Zhūgě Liàng huǒshāo Pánsīdòng) means "Zhuge Liang Burning the Pan Silk Road". This name is a reference to the historical figure Zhuge Liang, who was a famous strategist and military leader in ancient China. The use of "burning the Pan Silk Road" refers to an event in which Zhuge Liang supposedly set fire to a section of the Pan Silk Road to prevent an enemy army from advancing.

☆ 7 Open the door for delivery

“Ah this ......” Yu Xiao's face twisted in confusion as she glanced at her phone screen. “What is this?” she asked, utterly bewildered.

Zhao Lan, glued to her phone, replied, “The forum has already updated the points ranking. I’ve received a few text messages about it. You ought to look at it.”

Yu Xiao navigated to the Sixth Hospital forumand discovered that someone had indeed posted the points ranking. Her username, 'Deaf Descendant,' occupied the top position. The player in second place went by the name of "Give me your heart," while the rest had nicknames that were completely unfamiliar to her. It wasn't until the ninth spot that she came across Zhou Xiao Zhen's nickname, 'Braised Egg Girl 438.'

"I made it onto the list! I did it!" exclaimed Zhou Xiao Zhen, her excitement almost causing her to jump with joy. "Wait a minute... Why isn't Misty included? Her score should have been higher than mine."

After carefully reviewing the points ranking, Yu Xiao began to analyse the text messages she had received.

【Congratulations on having an extraordinary night at the hospital. You have successfully become a level one member of the Sixth Hospital patient forum.】

【To acknowledge your accomplishment of making it through the night, we will award you a base score of three points. Additionally, thanks to your exceptional performance, you will earn an additional three points.】

【Congratulations on obtaining the prestigious title of "The Grudge of the Pretty Nurse" and receiving four points. With this, your total score now stands at ten points.】

【Congratulations on securing the top position on the points ranking. As a reward, you will receive two functional cards. Please claim them on the forum.】

【Lastly, we are pleased to announce that the countdown feature has been unlocked, allowing you to use your points to buy time at the mall.】

Yu Xiao felt an itch on her wrist, prompting her to roll up her sleeve. As she did so, a crimson display came into view on her skin, counting down the time left: "30 days, 08:34:06." The ongoing countdown filled her with unease.

"This is the amount of time we have left," Zhao Lan said, her complexion turning ashen. "When the countdown reaches zero, our lives will come to an end."

Yu Xiao glanced at Zhao Lan's wrist, which displayed only 21 days remaining, even shorter than her own.

"It's not a problem," reassured Yu Xiao, gently squeezing her friend's hand. "We have points that we can use to buy extra time."

"What are these special cards?" Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, her eyes fixed on her phone. "Do you have any? I have one."

Opening the forum, she found two cards in her collection. The designs on the cards matched Zhou Xiao Zhen's, only her friend's had the words "Prop Card, Would You Like to Use?" written on a deep purple background.

"I have two cards," Yu Xiao stated, showing Zhao Lan the message she had received about the cards. "I'm not sure what they're for," she added. "One says 'Physical Fitness Card, Would You Like to Use?,' while the other says 'Luck Card, Would You Like to Use?'."

Zhao Lan thought for a moment before suggesting, "Why don't we try it out to see what it does?"

"Right, Misty," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied confidently, selecting "yes" to confirm the use of the tool.

A card appeared on the screen, flipping over and reducing to four options.

【Select your preferred tool from the following options: A. toothpick. B. Enema. C. Mahjong. D. hair removal cream.】

“...”

After a brief pause, a sense of confusion filled the air.

Zhou Xiao Zhen muttered in disbelief, "What kind of tool is this? Do they actually believe I cannot have a bowel movement without an enema? My digestive system is perfectly healthy; I have regular and normal bowel movements."

Yu Xiao tried to offer some comfort, saying, "There are other options available, such as a toothpick."

Zhou Xiao Zhen countered, "My teeth are in excellent condition."

Zhao Lan then suggested, "Hair removal cream..."

"Misty," Zhou Xiao Zhen stared at her blankly, "do you really think we need even less hair on our bodies?"

Recalling Zhou Xiao Zhen's shiny bald head and her own similar appearance beneath the hat, Zhao Lan struggled to find the right words to say.

"Mahjong is our only choice," Zhou Xiao Zhen consoled herself, "at least it's a hobby that can enrich our lives."

Yu Xiaoan hesitated, "But we're short one player."

“...”

Zhou Xiao Zhen had already clicked on the mahjong set. Suddenly, fireworks exploded on the screen, creating a dazzling and magnificent display.

【Congratulations, you have obtained a permanent item: a mahjong set!】

【Instructions: When the number of patients and medical personnel reaches four or more, the owner of the item can initiate a mahjong game by force. During the game, all participants are immune to any harm. At the end of each round, the winner has the authority to punish any participant as they see fit.】

“...”

“Good Lord!”

Yu Xiaoan and Zhao Lan gazed at each other, “Good Lord!”

“Good Lord!” Zhou Xiao Zhen's face turned red. "I believe I've stumbled upon an extraordinary tool!"

"Absolutely!" Zhao Lan was also thrilled. However, as the oldest sister in the ward, she had to help her fellow patients maintain a calm demeanour. "But don't become too dependent on the tool. Losing has consequences, after all."

"Did you know, Misty?" Zhou Xiao Zhen grabbed a brush from Yu Xiaoan's table and put the pen end in her mouth, exuding an air of sophistication and experience. "In our village, they call me 'Mahjong Dad.'"

"You are a mahjong tyrant? Mahjong King?" Yu Xiao asked.

"No, no, no~" Zhou Xiao Zhen proudly smiled. "My father makes mahjong tiles!"

“...”

“Now you’ve gained some insight into my unparalleled gambling prowess, haven’t you?” Zhou Xiao Zhen boasted with a smug expression.

"..."

Zhao Lian took a deep breath and turned to Yu Xiao. "Let's see what your function cards do, Smiley."

"Sure," Yu Xiao replied. She revealed two cards she had obtained: a luck card and a physical fitness card.

Considering that Zhou Xiao Zhen's props card rewarded her with a prop when used, Yu Xiao speculated that her two cards might enhance luck and physical fitness.

After a moment of consideration, Yu Xiao opened the luck card.

【Congratulations! Your luck has increased by 30, achieving the coveted state of happiness to the soul.】

Luck was exactly what Yu Xiao needed. With fortune favouring her, she could enhance the likelihood of successfully drawing symbols. The fortuitous arrival of the luck card couldn't have been more timely, and Yu Xiao couldn't help but radiate with happiness.

Just as she was about to access her other card, she paused. Upon witnessing Zhao Lian's genuinely delighted expression, Yu Xiao instead navigated to the trading interface.

"Misty," Yu Xiao announced, "I've listed the physical fitness card for sale in the store."

Zhao Lian was caught off guard. Yu Xiao was giving up her physical fitness card, and Zhao Lian wasn't naive; she knew exactly what that meant.

"Misty!" Zhou Xiao Zhen urgently tapped her on the back. "Don't just stand there. If you take too long, someone else will grab it, and then we would have wasted the card for nothing."

Zhao Lian snapped out of her daze and quickly accessed the store. A card with a starry pattern was calmly displayed on the homepage, listed at 0 points.

After confirming her purchase, Zhao Lian stared at the function card that now belonged on her personal page and couldn't help but shed tears. Despite her eloquence, she was the shyest and struggled to express herself. She had endured so much, but managed to hold back her tears and hoarsely thanked Yu Xiao. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me!" Yu Xiao grinned broadly. "We're in the same ward and part of the same team. Only by strengthening everyone's abilities can we make steady progress."

"Misty, don't just cry," Zhou Xiao Zhen urged. "Flip the card quickly."

"Very well," Zhao Lian nodded solemnly, and unexpectedly pulled Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen into a tight embrace. "Thank you...truly, thank you. Not just for the function cards, but for everything since I've been in the hospital. If it weren't for you two by my side, I might have given up a long time ago… sniff, you guys are truly remarkable."

Zhou Xiao Zhen also began to weep, saying, "Misty, I... I was diagnosed with cancer at such a young age and it really hurts. But I cannot show it in front of my parents. I am afraid it would sadden them. There are some things I can only share with you two..."

Yu Xiao wasn't typically one to give in to sentimentality. The last time tears had welled up in her eyes was when her grandmother had passed away. But now, these two people had managed to evoke strong emotions in her, causing her nose to tingle.

"Alright, enough tears," Yu Xiao consoled them, lightly patting their shoulders. "It's time to flip the card. I heard the sound of a cart outside, so once we unveil the card, we can sit down and enjoy our meal."

【Would you like to use the fitness card?】 Zhao Lan opened it.

【Your fitness has increased by 30.】

After a brief silence, Zhou Xiao Zhen inquired, "Is that it? Are there no achievements or anything of the sort?"

After contemplating for a moment, Yu Xiao concluded, "Maybe Misty's initial fitness level was so low that even with the 30-point increase, there was no significant improvement past human’s natural."

Zhao Lan appeared torn and helpless.

Yu Xiao inquired, "Do you feel any different?"

Zhao Lan paused for a moment, deep in thought, before making her way to her bed. She squatted down and firmly grasped the edge of the bed with both hands. With a gentle exertion of force, she effortlessly raised the bed a few inches off the ground.

"Wow, that's impressive!" Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, her voice tinged with envy. "With such strength, Misty could easily capture the attention of all the unmarried men in our village."

Zhao Lan's expression darkened at the flattery, and a sudden recollection crossed her mind. "By the way, where is your mahjong set, Precious?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen was taken aback. "Oh, right! My mahjong set! My incredibly cool mahjong set!"

Just as the three were lost in thought, they heard a knock on the door behind them.

"Thud thud thud."

Wary of who might be on the other side, the three turned around. Could it be the food seller again?

"Open up! Delivery!"

The three were taken aback. Could they receive deliveries here?

Zhao Lan looked at the other two. "Who among you ordered a delivery?"

Yu Xiao furrowed her brow. "I... ordered quite a few things."

"I did too," Zhou Xiao Zhen added.

Although receiving a delivery was a pleasant surprise, no one dared to open the door. Who knew what they would find if they did?

The delivery man's impatience grew. "Do you want the delivery or not? I'll leave if you don't!"

Zhao Lan inquired, "Whose delivery is it?"

"Is 'Braised Egg Girl 438' living here? It's a delivery for a mahjong game. I'll leave if not!"

Zhou Xiao Zhen's body quivered with excitement as she dashed over like a tiger. "It's here, it's here. I'm Braised Egg Girl 438..."

ARC1 ☆St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital

(圣伊丽莎白精神病院)

☆ 8 Dr. George, the attending physician

As Zhou Xiao Zhen hurried towards the door, Zhao Lan's question interrupted her, "Wait a minute! Should we be opening the door so hastily? What if something bad happens?"

Zhao Lan's concern wasn't unfounded. After all, they had encountered fake/ghost food delivery men before, and it had left a deep impression on them. Zhou Xiao Zhen halted her steps, recognizing the validity of Zhao Lan's worry.

Just as they both hesitated, Yu Xiao intervened, "Go ahead and open the door."

Zhou Xiao Zhen was startled, saying, "Huh?"

"Trust me," Yu Xiao insisted, even though she was about to offer an explanation.

"Click."

Without any more delay, the door swung open, revealing a skeletal hand holding a package. "Sign here," the delivery man gruffly demanded.

Zhou Xiao Zhen obediently complied, eagerly accepting her anticipated mahjong set, exclaiming, "Hahaha, my secret weapon has arrived!"

As Zhou Xiao Zhen excitedly unpacked her new set, Yu Xiao looked at her with a mixture of emotions, "Are you certain you should have opened the door?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen didn't grasp Yu Xiao's hesitation, "Why not? You said it was fine."

Yu Xiao sighed, "You place too much trust in me, my dear. You didn't even take my reasoning into account."

Seeing the complicated expression on Yu Xiao's face, Zhou Xiao Zhen inquired, "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing," Yu Xiao shook her head and changed the subject, "Shall we have breakfast now?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen agreed, "I'm famished." She asked, "Are we going to use the same method as yesterday to verify the delivery man?"

Yu Xiao smiled, "No need for that today. It won't be as complicated."

The trolley screeched loudly as it made its way down the aisle. The delivery man, salivating at the thought of another delicious meal, had been left unsatisfied by the previous patient who had only filled him seventy percent.

The tantalising aroma of fresh meat filled his nostrils as he approached a nearby ward. Trying to sound casual, he asked, "Hello, would you like some food?"

"Hello, could I have some rice?" came a young woman's voice from within the ward.

The delivery man couldn't help but indulge in thoughts of savouring the succulent meat of a young individual, and the prospect of an entire ward only fueled his excitement further. "May I ask what rice dish you would like?" he inquired.

"It matters not what dish you bring," the young woman replied. "However, we do have a mahjong set, and we are lacking one player. Would you be interested in joining us?"

"..."

The sound of the cart resumed down the aisle. The offer to play mahjong irritated the delivery man and he quickly refused.

Fortune appeared to favour them as the next person they encountered was the actual delivery man.

As the three of them sat down to have breakfast, Zhao Lan inquired, "Precious, how much time do you have left?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen responded, "I only have three months left."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lan was overcome with a profound sense of sadness as she reflected on her prognosis of a mere twenty-one days. "I looked at the mall yesterday," she began, her voice tinged with melancholy. "I noticed that with just one point, one can buy ten days of time. Unfortunately, I only have three points, so even if I use all of them to purchase time, I will only have one more month to live."

Yu Xiao pondered for a moment before offering, "I have ten points. I can share five of them with you."

Zhao Lan shook her head, declining the generous offer. "Absolutely not. You have just as little time left as I do, and ten points are not worth risking your own life. You still need to undergo treatment in order to have a chance at survival."

Every treatment awarded points, but according to Yu Xiao's research on the Four Hospitals forum, those treatments were dangerous, and only a handful of patients managed to survive. Sometimes, even surviving a single treatment seemed like a miracle. However, without treatment, they would be left to witness the passage of time until their demise.

"Are you certain, Misty?" Yu Xiao inquired, her face reflecting her worry.

Zhao Lan remained resolute, saying, "Without a doubt."

"Very well," Yu Xiao consented, "I will accompany you."

Zhou Xiao Zhen, with rice grains still clinging to her mouth, chimed in, "Then count me in as well. It's like a cliché from a horror movie - if people get separated, something bad will happen. Plus, it would be so lonely for me if you all go for treatment and leave me behind."

Zhou Xiao Zhen continued, as if fearing their rejection, "And I require four people to play mahjong. Without all of you here, I'll have no one to intimidate the delivery guy with a game of mahjong, and I'll end up starving."

"..."

Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan were both convinced.

"Alright," Yu Xiao said. "Let's register for the next session. I'll have time to draw more talismans."

Throughout the afternoon, Yu Xiao diligently crafted charms while Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen gathered around and used Yu Xiao's phone to browse the Four Hospitals forum.

The experience posts written by veteran users of the Four Hospitals proved to be extremely valuable, as they provided detailed accounts of treatments they had personally undergone, as well as the attending doctors who acted as guiding NPCs. Each account stated that the attending doctors couldn't actively harm the patients, but they couldn't provide any significant assistance either.

Some healing instances were reusable, which made it possible to access one of the instances mentioned in the posts. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen enthusiastically dedicated themselves to memorising all the information on the instances they came across, eager to prepare for the session.

After dinner, the trio anxiously gathered, with the option to join tomorrow's session shining on the profile page of the forum.

The three clasped hands, and Zhao Lan declared, "Together!"

The trio tapped the confirmation button simultaneously.

A small skeleton appeared on the screen, joyfully revealing its teeth and blowing a kiss. 【Thank you for your positive cooperation, chirp~.】

After completing the registration, the three let out a sigh of relief. Yu Xiao grinned and said, "Let's get a good night's sleep and prepare for tomorrow. I read on the Four Hospitals forum that the healing instances can be quite dangerous, so we need to stay alert."

"Mmm!" The three of them climbed into their beds.

Suddenly, Zhao Lan slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no!"

Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen turned to look at her, asking, "What's the matter?"

"We still have a few charms left! How can we possibly sleep peacefully without placing them around the room?" Zhao Lan exclaimed, quickly putting on her shoes and retrieving double-sided tape from the drawer.

Yu Xiao exclaimed, "I forgot too!" She swiftly rose from bed.

They assembled near the door.

Zhao Lan stated with confidence, "I have already determined the perfect spot for the charm."

"Where?"

"On the floor," Zhao Lan answered, indicating the ground by the door. "If the ghosts intend to enter and harm us, they will have to cross it."

Zhou Xiao Zhen appeared perplexed. "But don't ghosts float?"

"..."

The group lapsed into a momentary silence before Zhou Xiao Zhen broke the silence once more. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Well ..." Yu Xiao chuckled. "While it is true that ghosts typically float, the fact that we heard the footsteps of the inspecting ghost last night implies that some ghosts do walk."

Zhou Xiao Zhen nodded, comprehending. "I see now!"

Thanks to the talismans on the door and floor, the trio slept peacefully that night. Yu Xiao even had a delightful dream, although she couldn't quite recall the specifics upon awakening. However, she did notice a wet spot on her pillow where she had drooled in her sleep.

The next day, Zhao Lan's alarm clock blared a cheerful and festive tune, announcing that it was time to wake up.

"Good luck ~ that good luck ~ good luck ......"

"Good morning, comrades," she greeted her sleepy friends as she switched off the alarm. "It's seven-thirty, time to start the day."

Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen groggily got out of bed. They headed to the bathroom to freshen up their pale, lifeless faces. When they emerged, they found Zhao Lan wearing her sportswear and deep in thought, squatting by the door.

Inquisitive Zhou Xiao Zhen probed, "Misty, what's on your mind?"

"I'm inspecting the talisman we hung up last night," Zhao Lan replied, visibly frightened. "It was gone this morning, and I suspect a ghost paid us a visit."

Zhou Xiao Zhen countered, "Despite the explosion, it is surprising that the ghost still had the audacity to come back."

But Yu Xiao had a different perspective, "Who said there was only one ghost during the night shift?"

Zhao Lan then revealed that she had thoroughly searched the Four Hospitals forum and stumbled upon a post that provided instructions on reporting any medical staff who had mistreated patients. Moreover, she had come across a doctor-patient dispute office within this very hospital, similar to those found in other hospitals.

Yu Xiao was taken aback and exclaimed, "Doesn't that creepy nurse who checked us count as an offender?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen hesitated for a moment and replied, "But that ghost has already been struck by lightning twice. Should we still proceed with filing a report?"

…

"Dingdong~"

At eight o'clock sharp, the curtains of the ward gracefully parted, unveiling the breathtaking vista of the majestic mountains and the melodious chirping of the birds outside. Accompanied by the dulcet tones of a soothing melody, a soothing female voice resonated, proclaiming, "It is a splendid day, and our dedicated medical staff eagerly anticipates the arrival of our esteemed patients."

However, in an abrupt turn of events, Yu Xiao's sight suddenly plunged into darkness, only to regain clarity and reveal her presence in an unfamiliar corridor.

This hallway bore no resemblance to the familiar corridors of People's Hospital. It was adorned with aged, yellowed walls and dim lighting, which made the paintings on the walls almost indistinguishable.

Despite the hazy details, Yu Xiao managed to catch a glimpse of a painting portraying a building bearing the inscription "St. Elizabeth's Psychiatric Hospital."

Yu Xiao turned her head to find Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan standing beside her, equally puzzled.

"Good afternoon," a voice unfamiliar to them interrupted their bewilderment.

Beside them, Yu Xiao noticed a man who appeared to be a doctor. He was in his thirties, with a slim and straight posture, wearing a clean white coat and neatly combed hair. His deep eyes, fixed on the trio, had a light smile. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his high nose. His lips, neither thick nor thin, had a faint, pale hue.

"Good afternoon, ladies." His captivating voice, deep and gentle, added to his charm. "I am your attending physician. You may call me Dr. George."

Turning around, he led them towards the right. "The treatment for this afternoon is about to begin. Follow my lead and make sure you don't fall behind."

The three women exchanged glances and silently followed him.

George guided them through a series of turns until they reached what seemed to be a teahouse. It was a spacious place with no tables. In the centre, a circle of about a dozen chairs had already been occupied by several people, leaving only three seats available.

(The Old Teahouse in Pengzhen Town, Chengdu)

☆ 9 Let Ms. Deaf Heir be the first to speak

It was evident that the three empty chairs were intended for Yu Xiao and her companions. George led them over and whispered, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have three new members today. Let's give them a warm welcome."

However, there was no response to his words. Yu Xiao counted silently and realised that there were a total of thirteen chairs, with ten already occupied by individuals of various ages and genders. They all had a pale complexion and a vacant expression on their faces. They remained motionless, as if unable to hear George's words.

George paid no mind to their indifference and warmly invited Yu Xiao and her companions to take a seat. "Please, have a seat. These chairs have been arranged specifically for you."

Once they were seated, George stepped aside and smiled at the thirteen people.

"The test for today is about to begin," George's voice was leisurely. "Each one of you here has undergone treatment for some time. In order to assess the effectiveness of the treatment, I have chosen a reliable testing method. The results of this test will impact your future treatment plan and bed allocation, so it is essential that everyone takes it seriously."

After he finished speaking, the patients who had previously worn vacant expressions suddenly displayed fear in their eyes.

George gracefully moved around the patients and stopped behind Yu Xiao. He rested his hands on the back of her chair and said, "Today's test revolves around sharing the reasons why you came here. Who would like to begin? Why don't we start with our new friend, Lady Deaf Descendant?"

Although George's tone was gentle, Yu Xiao sensed a hint of malice in his words. She instinctively knew that there was a trap present and she must not fall into it.

"Dr. George," Yu Xiao lowered her head and spoke softly, "the reason why I came here is very complicated and cannot be explained in just a few sentences. Let others speak first, I need to sort out my thoughts."

George's smile widened and he was about to speak when Yu Xiao suddenly raised her head and pointed to a thin man with small eyes across from them. "I believe this uncle (叔叔, shūshu) has something to share. Why don't we begin with him?"

'I don't look old and I'm only thirty-one years old. How can you refer to me as 'uncle'?' The thin man hesitated momentarily and then responded, "Well, let's begin with me then."

Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen, let out a collective sigh of relief. After Yu Xiao's earlier refusal, they were concerned that George would ask them to speak first. They didn't know how to decline without using the same excuse as Yu Xiao.

"My name is Zhang Tao (张涛), and I am thirty-one years old," emphasised Zhang Tao, the thin man. He glanced at Yu Xiao and continued, "I work for the government, and my relatives and friends all admire my youth and potential.

(张涛: “To open up a big wave” or “to fill a blank paper with a big wave ”)

"— Last year, I got married. My wife is a beautiful woman, and her family is affluent. Her father is a prominent local businessman. We were very happy after our marriage. My wife often slept in the guest room to avoid disturbing my sleep. Soon after, she became pregnant, and I was overjoyed." Zhang Tao glanced at Yu Xiao again and added, "At a young age, I have achieved success in my career, have a blissful family life, and I am going to be a father."

Yu Xiao was perplexed by the man's constant gaze. Why was he staring at her?

"I never expected my son to be born after only seven months," Zhang Tao suddenly became animated. He sat on a chair and lowered his head, gripping the few hairs on his head tightly. "The doctor claimed it was a full-term delivery, but how could that be possible? We had been married for only seven months..."

Yu Xiao leaned back slightly. So, he couldn't handle the pressures of fatherhood and ended up at St. Elizabeth's?

"This child is not mine at all, and it tortures me. I confronted her, but she insisted that the child was conceived before she met me. She sees it as a representation of her past and not a betrayal towards me." Zhang Tao suddenly looked up.

Just as Yu Xiao thought he was about to explode, he unexpectedly said, "She may have a point. If I truly love her, I shouldn't be bothered by her past. She has suffered greatly, and it is my duty to take good care of her."

Yu Xiao: "..."

'What kind of bizarre logic is this?' exclaimed Yu Xiao inside, feeling utterly bewildered. As she pondered over this, she couldn't help but be amazed by the man's incredible resilience. If he could endure such a traumatic experience, then why was he admitted to a mental hospital?

Suddenly, Zhang Tao stood up and shouted, his voice hoarse, "But a week later, I left work early and found her lying in my bed with another man. When I tried to separate them, she hit me and cursed at me like a dog! I won't forgive her so easily. I will go find my father-in-law. He will support me...

— Hahaha... As expected, my father-in-law came to my side. He promised to reprimand that woman and even gave me his luxury car to drive back home."

Everyone watched him in silence, wondering what would unfold next.

"And then, on the way home, the brakes failed, and I was involved in a car accident," Zhang Tao resumed his seat, his expression once again becoming blank. "That's how I ended up here."

Yu Xiao was puzzled, 'What do you mean? He just walked in here like that? Wasn't he comforted by his father-in-law? Didn't he break down after the car accident? Could it be that he sustained brain damage, which is why he's here?'

"He's done speaking now. It's my turn," responded a middle-aged woman sitting across from Zhang Tao.

Yu Xiao glanced over and saw an overweight and weary-looking woman. She had layers of fat on her body, and her skin appeared yellow and rough. Her hair was hastily tied up, looking messy and unkempt. Her features were almost indistinguishable, except for her fairly nice eyes. If she weren't so overweight, her eyes could have been considered large, but unfortunately, they appeared dull and lifeless.

"My name is Liu Cui (刘翠), and I'm forty-five years old," announced Liu Cui, not understanding why she needed to disclose her age. However, since the person before her had mentioned it, she decided to follow suit. "I'm a housewife. My husband works in a factory, and my son is a... guard at a casino."

(刘翠: “(classical) a type of battle-axe bluish-green” or “To kill green jade”)

Liu Cui reached out to tidy the dishevelled hair on her forehead, her eyes darting slightly as she surveyed the group of people. Then, she continued, "Don't judge me based on my current appearance. When I was young, I was considered one of the most beautiful women in the factory, and those smelly men were always chasing after me. Later, I got married. My husband repaired bicycles and was a skilled craftsman. Despite being short and unattractive, my mother told me that it didn't matter as long as he could provide for me and treat me well. Besides, she said that ugly men were more trustworthy and less likely to cheat.

— At the beginning, things were going well after we got married. I became pregnant quickly and gained quite a bit of weight. He assured me that it was fine and that he enjoyed hugging a soft and round wife," Liu Cui's dull eyes sparked with a glimmer of hope. "Nine months later, I gave birth to a large, chubby boy. However, he was born with health issues, so I had to stay at home to care for him and couldn't go back to work at the factory. Eventually, my friends stopped hanging out with me. When the factory shut down, they all found new jobs or started their own businesses, but I couldn't join them because my son had just started primary school..."

There was no need to explain what happened next. Such tragedies were sadly commonplace.

As expected, Liu Cui burst into tears, streams of salty droplets carving deep grooves in her weathered skin.

"But that jerk... he's seeing someone else. Who does he think he is? He's so ugly and doesn't even have much money. Why does he get to find another woman? And she's not even half as beautiful as I was in my prime! We had a fight, and he even hit me," Liu Cui admitted, her eyes brimming with bitterness.

"He didn't hesitate to strike me where it hurts. He had the audacity to tell me to look in the mirror and say I looked like a pig." The resentment in her voice was palpable. "This wretched state I find myself in is all because of him. I had numerous suitors vying for my affections in the past, but I chose him because he was a diamond in the rough. Little did I know that his true colours would eventually surface. Thankfully, my precious son remains by my side. As long as he stands with me, I can endure anything. I devote all my energy to him, hoping that one day he'll be successful enough to buy a big house in a big city and take care of me in my old age.

"But," Liu Cui hesitated, her voice quivering. "He, too, has become a reflection of his father—useless. He didn't perform well in school and has a penchant for playing around. He dropped out of high school. At such a young age, he's already involved with shady women, and he even got one of them pregnant. He brought her home and claimed they were getting married, but she demanded a dowry of 40,000 yuan, which would have crippled our family."

"— I refuse to give a single yuan to a woman who got pregnant before marriage. If my son is willing to marry her, that should be her fortune. However, she went ahead and had an abortion without telling my son. Now she won't even see him anymore. That woman has ruined my son. We argue constantly now."

Liu Cui's face crumbled as her tears flowed relentlessly. She covered her face, her sobs making her choke on her words and barely audible. "One day, I went into his room while he was playing games and told him to go to bed early because he lacked ambition. Suddenly, he yelled at me and even stabbed me with a fruit knife. I fell to the ground in pain, and he didn't even take me to the hospital. He continued stabbing me multiple times... After that, I ended up here."

"..." Yuan Xiao's eyes twitched as she finally understood the situation. She was relieved that she hadn't spoken up earlier, or else she would have faced a terrible fate. She had thought that this hospital, called Saint Elizabeth, was for mental patients. But now she realised that the only requirement to enter this hospital was death. Everyone present, except for the three of them, was dead.

The other patients, with their pale faces and lifeless expressions, seemed harmless at first glance. They spoke to one another, their conversations laced with an air of normalcy. But who could guarantee what they would do once they discovered there were living people nearby?

"I feel sorry about what happened to Mrs. Liu," George said, adjusting his glasses in a hypocritical manner. "So, who will be the next to speak?"

"I will," Yuan Xiao announced, raising her hand amid the surprised gazes of Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan. "Allow me to share with everyone the reason behind my arrival at this place."

☆ 10 Queen of Bullshiting

"Very well then, let's give some encouragement to 'Deaf Descendant'," George said, clapping his hands with a perfunctory smile. "Miss, it seems like you have a lot on your mind. Your experiences must have been quite complex?"

Yu Xiao's lashes trembled, and a fleeting sadness crossed her brows. "If I had the choice, I would have preferred to live an ordinary life." With a sigh, she lifted her gaze and began to speak. "I was born into a modest family in a small county town. My parents worked in a factory. Life was simple, yet happy."

Zhou Xiao Zhen marvelled at her ability to weave a story so effortlessly, an unexpected talent since she usually appeared introverted.

"When I was seven, we went shopping. I accidentally wandered off and was abducted by a human trafficker. They sold me to a mountain village to become a child bride."

Zhao Lan struggled to hold back a twitching smile.

"I was too young to bear children, so they forced me to work day and night. Even in the biting cold of winter, I had to break ice on the river to wash clothes." Yu Xiao extended her hands, her voice trembling with emotion. "My hands were raw and swollen, as if they had been soaked in brine for three days and nights."

The patients gazed at her delicate, fair hands, their mouths watering in unison at words 'in brine for three days and nights'.

"Eventually, I grew older," Yu Xiao said, retracting her hands. "When I was fourteen, they believed I was ready to marry their foolish son. But I refused to accept my fate and ran away. After enduring numerous hardships, I found my way back home. To my surprise, my parents had a new baby boy. It turned out that I was never kidnapped in the first place. They had deliberately sold me off to have a son."

The scene was heart-wrenching, and tears began to flow among the audience.

"They wanted to send me back to the mountains, but I refused and fled to the city to find work. I do not believe in surrendering to fate. I will rely on my own two hands to make a living and never bow down to this wretched destiny!" Yu Xiao declared, her fists clenched tightly and her face resolute.

"Exactly! That's the spirit!" The patients were deeply moved.

"I will not yield to fate!"

Yu Xiao sniffled before continuing, "While working, I made a good friend who introduced me to a high-paying job. I placed complete trust in her, but she deceived me into selling my kidney. I had one kidney removed and was left with neither money nor a place to go. I was on the brink of death when I was saved by a doctor named George."

"..."

"I'm sorry." Yu Xiao looked like a frightened bird, casting a timid glance at George. "I apologise, Dr. George. I wasn't referring to you. The doctor who saved me was also named George, with the surname Qiao and the given name Zhi." ("乔治" (qiáozhì) is the Chinese transliteration of the name George.)

"It's okay." George chuckled. "Having the same name is quite common."

"Yes, George is such a basic name, it's only natural for there to be others with the same one," Yu Xiao quickly changed the subject upon seeing George's darkening expression. "Dr. George took care of me and attended to my needs. He even helped me with adult diapers when I was unable to care for myself. I thought he was the most incredible person in the world, and I truly believed we had found true love. Little did I know he was a heartless monster, devoid of any hint of humanity. He saved me simply because my blood type matched that of his girlfriend, who suffered from a heart condition. He wanted my heart! Waaah..."

Yu Xiao covered her face and sobbed for a while, her muffled cries filling the room. Gradually, she lifted her head, her gaze meeting the complex expressions of those around her. "He had me imprisoned and subjected to unspeakable torture. I risked my life to escape by severing my own hand and leg. I collapsed on a filthy street, in the midst of a freezing night, and was rescued by a small-time gangster. He was the only person who showed me kindness in this heartless world. Later, I discovered that he was my elementary school classmate who had harboured a secret affection for me since we were little."

Zhao Lan found it hard to believe Yu Xiao's account. Her story seemed too fantastical for others to accept, but as she turned her head, she saw Zhou Xiao Zhen's tear-stained face and strained breathing.

Zhao Lan fell silent.

"We spent blissful days together," Yu Xiao continued. "He worked at the construction site during the day to provide for us, while I prepared meals and did the laundry. Sadly, my parents and step-parents came searching for me. I was terrified, but he promised to protect me and take me far away. Before we could get very far, that wretched George tracked us down."

At this point, George raised his eyebrows, annoyed. He was no stranger to being berated, but this time it grated on him more than usual.

Yet, nobody paid him any mind. The other patients were captivated by the tale, clamouring to know what came next. "And then what?" they chorused.

"Did you get caught?"

Yu Xiao's smile turned bitter and forlorn. "Yes, we were caught. The man I loved most was brutally killed by that despicable Dr. George, who had caused me such immense suffering. I despise him with every fibre of my being, that loathsome George. Why must I endure such agony when I have done nothing wrong?"

She clenched her left fist. "I yearn for vengeance."

Her right fist tightened. "I want those who wronged me to suffer the consequences."

With both hands clenched into fists, Yu Xiao declared, "Since heaven cannot deliver justice for me, I shall take it upon myself!"

"Absolutely!" exclaimed a young girl with twin braids, no older than ten, sitting to Yu Xiao's right. She bounced up and down, waving her hands. "Kill them! Kill them all!"

"I intentionally revealed my location to attract their attention," Yu Xiao disclosed, "and then I ignited a gas cylinder inside the house where my beloved and I had once experienced moments of happiness. The radiant, awe-inspiring flames consumed us... and that's how I ended up here."

After hearing the conclusion, a collective sigh of relief escaped from everyone's lips.

"Thank you all for enduring my rambling," Yu Xiao humbly and sincerely expressed, feeling a deep sense of gratitude.

The applause thundered through the room, and Zhou Xiao Zhen, while clapping, couldn't hold back her tears.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Lan leaned closer and whispered, "Why are you crying? Smiley was just making it up."

"I know," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied, her tears gushing uncontrollably. "But it still touched me deeply."

Zhao Lan was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions and struggled to find the right words.

"To tell you the truth, I had also come up with a few stories in my head," Zhou Xiao Zhen sobbed harder, "but I doubt I could ever surpass Smiley's storytelling prowess."

Zhao Lan: "..."

Growing increasingly irritated by the euphoric atmosphere, George stood up, his displeasure evident. "Alright, let's move on. Who's next to speak?"

"It's me!" Zhou Xiao Zhen eagerly raised her hand. "Me, me!"

George's eye twitched, but he tried to ignore it. The little girl, who had waved earlier, pointed at Zhou Xiao Zhen and said, "I'll let you go first this time. I'll wait until you're done!"

George remained silent.

Clearing her throat, Zhou Xiao Zhen said, "My name is 'Braised Egg Girl 438', and I'm eighteen years old. I've had a miserable life. When I was sixteen, my father's company went bankrupt, and he sold me to the president of the opposing company. On the night of our wedding, he tied me to a chair and made me watch him with another woman in our marriage bed, and..."

....

Zhao Lan's mouth hung agape.

As Zhou Xiao Zhen finished, the room erupted in applause.

George observed the spectacle with an air of indifference, concealing his true emotions behind a mask of composure.

"Next," George said to Zhao Lan, his eagerness to move on palpable. "Are you ready?"

Zhao Lan glanced at the little girl with twin ponytails and hesitated, "Can I have a little more time?"

"No," George said coldly. "I want you to go first."

Zhao Lan took a deep breath and confessed, "This morning, I ran a red light while rushing to work and got hit by a dump truck. And now, I find myself here."

...

After everyone had shared their stories, George regained his polite and courteous demeanour.

"The test is over," he announced, sweeping his gaze across the patients. "Based on your performance, I will assign each of you a bed. Please collect your dinner and medication from the nurse and get some rest. Good night, ladies and gentlemen."

——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) 】

TITLES

The Grudge of the Pretty Nurse

Zhao Lan (赵岚) — Misty

昵称好难 (nì chēng hǎo nán) Nickname Hassle

Zhou Xiao Zhen (周小珍) — Precious

卤蛋少女438 (lǔ dàn shào nǚ 438) Braised Egg Girl 438

ARC1

St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital

Dr. George

Zhang Tao 张涛

Liu Cui 刘翠

——— Trash notes ———

余笑 (Yú Xiào): 余 (Yú) = "surplus" or "extra," while 笑 (Xiào) = "laugh" or "smile." Together, the name 余笑 could be interpreted as "surplus of laughter" or "extraordinary happiness."

赵岚 (Zhào Lán): 赵 (Zhào) is a Chinese surname that ranks as the seventh most common in China. It means "to make a foothold" or "to establish." 岚 (Lán) means "mist" or "clouds." Together, the name could be interpreted as "established in the clouds" or "making a foothold in the mist."

周小珍 (Zhōu Xiǎo Zhēn): 周 (Zhōu)= "circumference" or "perimeter." 小 (Xiǎo) = "small" or "young," while 珍 (Zhēn) = "precious" or "valuable." Together, the name could be interpreted as "precious little circumference" or "valuable perimeter of youth."

The term "符纸" (talisman paper) refers to a piece of paper or parchment inscribed with mystical or magical symbols, typically used in Chinese Taoist and folk religion practices. The character "符" (fú) also has the connotation of meaning "good luck" or "auspiciousness" in Chinese culture.

光之战士 (guāng zhī zhàn shì): Warrior of Light

美少女战士 (měi shào nǚ zhàn shì): Pretty Soldier/Sailor (a reference to the popular anime/manga series Sailor Moon)

六院院长 (liù yuàn yuàn zhǎng): Sixth Hospital Director

聋的传人 (lóng de chuán rén): Deaf Descendant (a play on words, as the phrase for "deaf" and "dragon" sound similar in Chinese)

卤蛋少女438 (lǔ dàn shào nǚ 438): Braised Egg Girl 438 (a humorous nickname that doesn't have a direct translation, as "卤蛋" literally means "braised egg" and is a slang term for someone who is a bit of a goofball)

昵称好难 (nì chēng hǎo nán): Nickname Hassle

"乔治" (qiáozhì) is the Chinese transliteration of the name George.

陈小 (Chén Xiǎo): the name can be interpreted as "little Chen."

陈 (Chén) is a common Chinese surname. It is one of the most common surnames in China and means "to lay out" or "to display."

刘翠 (Liú Cuì) - a Chinese name, the name of the woman speaking in the passage.

彩礼 (cǎi lǐ) - a traditional custom in Chinese culture where the groom's family gives money or gifts to the bride's family during a wedding.

打胎 (dǎ tāi) - the act of having an abortion.

圣伊丽莎白 (shèng yī lì shā bǐ) - the Chinese name for Saint Elizabeth Hospital, the name of the hospital in the passage.

死亡 (sǐ wáng) - the Chinese word for "death".

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InkyDragon

AFPoFH ARC1 c1~10

☆ 1 Local Hospital 4 is a Mental Hospital

☆ 2 The game is on

☆ 3 Would you like some braised human ribs?

☆ 4 All the patients are brave

☆ 5 The ghost comes in during ward rounds

☆ 6 Fearless Smiley

☆ 7 Open the door for delivery

ARC1 ☆St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital

☆ 8 Dr. George, the attending physician

☆ 9 Let Ms. Deaf Heir be the first to speak

☆ 10 Queen of Bullshiting

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