This was a girl with waist-length hair, her lips red and teeth white, her eyes sparkling like stars—exquisitely beautiful. She too wore a patient gown, and in the dim lighting, her slender, fragile figure seemed as delicate as if a single thread silently winding around her neck could sever her head from her body.
She didn’t seem to grasp the situation, oblivious to the bloody scene devoured by darkness at the other end of the corridor. Instead, she stared blankly at the man collapsed on the floor like a fool, not even sensing the danger to flee.
Though Duan Shou knew this girl didn’t look like she’d be of any help, he was a drowning man desperate enough to clutch at even a straw.
He reached out a hand. "Save me!"
Xia Miao waved her hand and called out, "Nurse! Someone here needs help!"
Duan Shou’s face stiffened, nearly spitting blood in frustration.
Two nurses approached, their smiles serene. "Providing aid to those in need is our duty."
Duan Shou slumped onto the floor, trembling, too terrified to even lift his head.
"Patient 09, why are you out so late?"
"At this hour, you should be resting."
Listening to the nurses’ eerily synchronized questioning, Duan Shou felt a chill crawl down his spine. This girl labeled as Patient 09 was surely about to meet the same fate as that burly man. Once she died, he’d be next!
Xia Miao, ever the honest one, answered truthfully, "I can’t sleep without a boyfriend."
The nurses exchanged glances, taken aback that among the "patients" in this hospital, someone wasn’t fretting over their life in such dire circumstances but was instead preoccupied with finding a man to date.
Did she think she’d die without a relationship?
Xia Miao glanced at the man on the floor. "He’s shaking—must be seriously ill. Aren’t you going to help him?"
Thanks to her enthusiastic reminder, both nurses turned their attention to the trembling man.
He absolutely did not need this kind of help!
Duan Shou’s body went rigid as he cursed Xia Miao a thousand times in his heart.
One nurse crouched down, offering him a gentle smile. "Patient 08, are you a psychiatric case?"
Cold sweat beaded on Duan Shou’s forehead. Summoning the acting skills of a lifetime, he let his eyes glaze over, mouth hanging open as drool dribbled out, babbling incoherently.
Xia Miao blinked in surprise. "He’s an idiot!"
Duan Shou screamed internally: You’re the idiot! Your whole family’s idiots!
Perhaps impressed by his performance, the nurses’ smiles grew warmer. Then, in unison, they turned to Xia Miao and repeated, "Patient 09, are you a psychiatric case?"
Xia Miao frowned, her aristocratic temper flaring. "Do I look abnormal to you?"
The nurses exchanged another glance. "Ah, she’s not a psychiatric patient."
The words seemed to trigger something. The air thickened with danger, the temperature plummeting until it was physically uncomfortable.
Duan Shou covered his eyes, terrified of witnessing Xia Miao’s head separate from her body at such close range.
"Ah! Someone’s there!"
Xia Miao suddenly pointed into the darkness ahead. A pair of red eyes, as if instinctively retreating into the absolute blackness, flickered briefly before vanishing.
Her heart raced even faster!
Her unreliable system had vanished too early, leaving her to rely solely on her own wit to find the target of her mission. This world was full of people, but few could make her heart skip a beat like this.
Right now, her frantically pounding heart was the best clue.
Unwilling to miss the opportunity, Xia Miao dashed toward where the red eyes had been, unwittingly tangling herself in countless threads that wrapped messily around her.
With a recklessness indistinguishable from suicide, she charged headlong into the damp, frigid darkness.
Her poor vision made everything blurry in the dim light, but a flash of red fabric stood out vividly. She reached out and seized it tightly. "Got you!"
With a forceful yank, a tall figure stumbled forward, landing right in front of her.
For a moment, Xia Miao froze.
The young man’s snow-white hair was braided into a long plait that reached his ankles. His skin was just as pale, contrasting sharply with his crimson eyes, which mirrored the ruby studs dangling from his ears.
A red-and-black Tang suit accentuated his tall, lean frame, especially the belt adorned with black tassels that emphasized his slender waist.
Barefoot, he stood with a childlike playfulness.
Perhaps socially anxious, he shrank against the wall, delicate hands—tipped with red nails—covering most of his face. Only those gem-like eyes flickered with curiosity as they studied her.
Like a startled animal, yet unable to suppress his fascination—whether assessing or calculating something.
His fangs slowly peeked out.
Xia Miao bit her lip, resisting the urge to grin. Lifting her chin defiantly, she muttered, "You’re... not bad-looking, I guess."
The boy blinked slowly, his gaze settling on her face.
Under his intense scrutiny, Xia Miao’s cheeks warmed. "Hey, answer me—when you saw me, did your heart race too? Did you feel... excited? Like a starving wolf spotting meat, or a desperate rabbit seeing fresh grass?"
His eyes darted side to side before he nodded.
Xia Miao fought back a smile, feigning aloofness. "I felt the same way."
He wants to devour me too!
Threads surged through the air, weaving into a dense net that swiftly closed in around the girl.
Xia Miao crossed her arms, her patient gown doing little to diminish her haughty aura. She lifted her chin imperiously. "Since we’ve fallen in love at first sight, I’ll wait for you to pursue me properly!"
The encroaching danger froze mid-air. The boy lowered his hands, staring at her in bewilderment.
Only then did Xia Miao notice his tiny fangs peeking out—adorable, really.
Not wanting to seem too eager, she schooled her expression into icy indifference. "I’m Xia Miao, in Room 09. It’s late—I’m going back to sleep. Come court me tomorrow!"
Having declared this unilaterally, she turned on her heel and strode off.
The two nurses watched her leave in stunned silence.
Duan Shou, still prone on the floor, could only marvel inwardly.
Confessing to a monster—so this is how you fake insanity!
Patient 09’s acting was so convincing, even he almost believed she was a lunatic!
