The sun rose, marking the arrival of a new day, and the hospital gradually buzzed with activity.
Patients in the wards were reminded by the nurses to go out for a walk and bask in the sunlight. No one dared to disobey—after all, those who were stubborn had mostly met their end earlier.
Bound by the rules, everyone had to pretend to be mentally ill. If the medical staff noticed anything amiss, it would cost them their lives.
But for a normal person to act like a lunatic was, admittedly, no easy task.
Someone hugged a tree trunk, calling it "Mom."
Another clung to a trash can, shouting "Wife!"
Duan Shou could only stick to his act, lying on the ground drooling and babbling, "Aba aba."
He felt utterly embarrassed, regretting not having chosen a better method to feign madness the night before. Now, every time he saw a nurse or doctor, he had to roll around on the floor.
At times like this, he couldn’t help but envy Patient No. 09.
Xia Miao sat cross-legged on the grass, hands resting on her knees, eyes closed, her expression serene as she bathed in the warm sunlight—like a transcendent sage absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.
Amid the chaotic antics of the "mentally ill patients," she alone remained composed, exuding an otherworldly, almost mystical aura.
Duan Shou hadn’t initially believed that a petite girl like Xia Miao could survive in such a dangerous environment. But after last night’s spectacle, he realized her courage was no less than any man’s.
Her wild, almost divine acting skills suggested she might be a genius disguised as a fool!
If he were to find a partner to cooperate with, Xia Miao might be the best choice—after all, she was the only one he knew so far.
After careful consideration, Duan Shou decided to make his move. Crawling forward on all fours, he put on a laborious and ridiculous performance, perfectly embodying the image of a lunatic.
Slowly, he drew closer to Xia Miao.
He reached out a hand.
Just then, Xia Miao opened her eyes.
In a flash, she lunged toward the corner of the wall. "Got you!"
Leaves swirled and scattered in the air before settling back down.
A red-robed, white-haired boy was pinned to the grass, his hands covering his face as if startled—or perhaps bashful. His crimson eyes shimmered with flecks of light, like dazzling gemstones, radiant and captivating.
He had been crouching in the shadows, watching Xia Miao for a long time, like a lurking insect, his gaze sticky and damp, utterly out of place in the blazing sunlight.
Xia Miao tilted her head curiously. "Why didn’t you come out to see me?"
His eyes darted around, and his bare legs beneath the robe curled inward. After a long pause, his voice came out as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
"I was supposed to appear when humans let their guard down."
Only then would the screams of terror ring out even louder.
Xia Miao’s eyes lit up. "You wanted to wait until I wasn’t paying attention to pounce on me?"
He nodded, the ruby stud in his ear catching the sunlight, sparkling as brightly as his eyes—vibrant and beautiful.
Xia Miao’s cheeks warmed. "Have you never chased a girl before?"
He thought for a moment. "I have."
Those women had run desperately ahead of him, shrieking and wailing in terror—nothing like Xia Miao, who had flipped the script and tackled him instead.
Xia Miao pursed her lips, displeased. "So you’ve chased other girls before? Did any of them like you?"
He blinked slowly.
When he caught up to those women, they either screamed "Monster!" or fell to their knees, begging for mercy. But no matter how they reacted, their fear and disgust were unmistakable. By no stretch of the imagination could that be called "liking" him.
So he whispered, "None of them liked me."
Xia Miao was baffled. "Why? You’re so good-looking. How could they not like you?"
Good-looking.
The boy’s fingers parted slightly, revealing a glimpse of his crimson lips curling into a wide grin, his little fangs peeking through once more.
"I… am good-looking?"
Xia Miao nodded firmly. "Very."
His eyes shimmered, his pale skin flushing a healthy pink. His toes curled beneath his robe, digging into the grass like a bashful, lovestruck maiden.
"You… are also good-looking."
Xia Miao was delighted but held back her smile, schooling her expression into sternness. "Listen, when you chase a girl, you can’t just jump straight to pouncing. That’s moving too fast. You have to take it step by step."
"Step by step?"
"Exactly." Xia Miao sat atop him, crossing her arms with an air of self-importance. "First, you give her flowers or some other gift to make her like you. Then, you confess your feelings. Only after she agrees to be with you can you hold hands, hug, kiss—and then comes the pouncing! That’s the very last step!"
His eyes glazed over in confusion. No one had ever taught him this. It was the first time he’d heard such a theory—who knew chasing a girl involved so many steps?
Meeting his innocent, bewildered gaze, Xia Miao cleared her throat. "So now you understand, right? If you want to pounce on me, you have to follow the rules. Otherwise, I won’t let you!"
He stared at her blankly.
Xia Miao added, "I’m not that kind of easy girl, got it?"
Startled by her tone, he trembled slightly and murmured, "Got it."
"Come find me when you’re ready, then."
Xia Miao climbed off him, and the boy sat up, finally free, his bright eyes fixed on her.
Then, he hunched over, turned, and scurried away on all fours along the wall, vanishing from sight at an astonishing speed.
Xia Miao gasped in admiration. "Wow, his stamina is incredible."
Meanwhile, Duan Shou, who had been watching from the sidelines, hesitated before silently retracting his hand and crawling back to his original spot.
Thinking Xia Miao was a wise fool had to be the biggest misconception of his life.
She was completely insane!
She must have lost her mind the moment she arrived in this hellhole!
What normal person would dare pounce on a monster like that?!
Once the sunbathing break ended, it was time for labor. According to the nurses, physical activity was a crucial part of the treatment process, and each patient was assigned a different task.
Duan Shou and a few others were sent to clean the toilets. His expression soured, but at least he had company—maybe he could gather some intel.
Xia Miao, meanwhile, was assigned to window-cleaning duty with the other female patients.
Patient No. 03 grumbled, "Why do I have to do such dirty, exhausting work?"
She wasn’t the only one who wanted to complain—just the only one bold enough to say it out loud.
