Patient 05 was a girl with shoulder-length hair who seemed decisive and straightforward. She cautiously glanced at the nurses patrolling nearby and whispered, "Are you all just going to sit around and wait, instead of looking for a way out?"
Hearing this, the other girls felt a flicker of hope.
Patient 03 spoke up, "Of course we want to. But everyone who acted recklessly has disappeared—they must have met a bad end. Without absolute certainty, taking action now would be suicide."
The bravest among them had already perished. Those still alive were mostly cautious, terrified of making a single mistake that could cost them their lives.
Patient 05 pressed, "So we just do nothing and stay trapped in this hellhole forever?"
The others exchanged uneasy glances. After a long silence, Patient 03 asked, "Do you have a plan?"
Patient 05 nodded. "I’ve been observing for days. During the day, they guard the main exit tightly—there’s always someone watching. But at night, no one’s stationed there. If we want to escape, nighttime is our only chance."
Patient 06 interjected, "Even so, what can we do? Others have tried getting close to the gate before, but it’s always locked. It’s pointless—and they ended up dead for nothing."
Patient 05 countered, "True, the locked gate makes everything futile. But we can find a way to get the key."
Patient 03’s eyes lit up. "How?"
"I’ve done some digging. The general office has all the keys," Patient 05 said, lowering her voice. "If someone can sneak in and steal the key, we can leave at night."
As soon as she finished speaking, the group instinctively turned their gazes toward another girl nearby.
Xia Miao tossed a rag into her bucket with visible disdain. She was a young lady who’d never lifted a finger for menial labor, and this kind of work was beneath her.
As she picked up the bucket to move on, several girls approached her.
"Patient 09, you’ve been assigned to clean the general office, right?"
Xia Miao glanced at them. "Yeah, what about it?"
Patient 05 said, "While you’re in there, steal the key to the main gate for us."
Patient 03, unable to contain her excitement, added, "If you get that key, we’ll finally have a chance to escape."
They expected Xia Miao to jump at the opportunity, but her reaction was indifferent. She scanned each of them before replying,
"If you want the key so badly, why don’t we switch? You can clean the office, and I’ll stay here."
The others stiffened, their expressions turning awkward. Not one of them volunteered.
After a long pause, Patient 05 took charge again. "You must be new here, so you don’t know the rules. We can’t just swap assignments. If I could, I’d take your place in a heartbeat—but I don’t have the authority."
Patient 03 chimed in, "Patient 09, we’re all girls here. In a place like this, we should help each other. We’ve been stuck in this hospital for so long—you have no idea how unbearable it is. Right now, you’re our only hope."
"Please, help us."
"You’d be helping yourself too."
"Patient 09, we’re begging you."
They clung to Xia Miao like she was their lifeline, their pleading eyes fixed on her as if she were some kind of savior.
Their words and gazes pinned her to an impossible pedestal, their desperate pleas designed to guilt-trip anyone with even a shred of conscience.
A nurse approached. "What are you all doing huddled together instead of working?"
The "patients" reluctantly scattered—but their eyes never left Xia Miao.
Xia Miao gave a vague response. "I’ll see what I can do."
She picked up her bucket and walked away.
The remaining girls slowly regrouped.
"I remember the last person who tried stealing something got eaten by a monster."
"Will something happen to Patient 09 if she takes the key?"
One of them, troubled by guilt, voiced the concern.
Patient 05 said flatly, "If you’re feeling guilty, go call her back and take her place in the office."
No one spoke after that.
When it came down to sacrificing someone for the greater good, none of them wanted to be that someone.
Xia Miao arrived at the general office and knocked. There was no answer. The door, slightly ajar, creaked open to reveal an empty room.
She stepped inside with her cleaning supplies and immediately spotted a large wooden cabinet against the wall. It was covered in keys of all sizes—so many that it seemed every door in the hospital must have its key here.
The one labeled "Hospital Main Gate" hung right at eye level, as if waiting to be taken.
Xia Miao moved closer to the cabinet—when suddenly, a gust of wind rushed in. With a loud bang, the door slammed shut behind her.
She spun around—only to be met with an overwhelming sight.
A mountain of crimson flowers, piled high like a blazing fire, flooded her vision. The massive blooms swayed, then cascaded toward her. In the blink of an eye, she was buried beneath petals and leaves.
Struggling through the suffocating floral sea, she finally managed to push herself halfway free, gasping in the thick, cloying fragrance.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with a pale-skinned boy.
He leaned over the flower pile, half-propped on his elbows, his ruby-like eyes glinting as they studied her. It was hard to tell whether the flowers or his gaze burned brighter.
Perhaps her flailing amused him—his lips curled into a grin, and he let out a soft, eerie giggle.
Still half-buried in flowers (whose jagged, tooth-like centers gave her the unsettling impression they might bite), Xia Miao stared at him in disbelief.
"...What are you doing?"
"Bringing you flowers." He tilted his head slightly, his long white braid swaying. The ends nearly brushed the floor but were caught by the blossoms beneath. "You taught me—this is how you court a girl."
So that was why he’d scrambled away so frantically earlier—he’d been gathering flowers.
At this rate, he must’ve stripped an entire hillside bare.
Suppressing her exasperation, Xia Miao asked dryly, "Have you ever given flowers to a girl like this before?"
He shook his head.
She pressed, "And do you plan on tackling other girls in the future?"
Another shake.
While picking the flowers, he lost several fingers. Though they grew back later, the pain lingered.
So this was what it meant to tackle a girl—what a hassle. He decided then and there that he’d never try it again.
Xia Miao struggled to free her hand from the pile of blossoms, reaching out toward him.
He hesitated, unmoving.
Lifting her chin, she masked her embarrassment with haughtiness. "Hurry up. You gave me flowers, so now I’m letting you hold my hand."
The boy blinked his crimson eyes, studying her hand for a long moment before slowly raising his own. His fingertips barely brushed against hers, as if testing the touch of something entirely unfamiliar.
Xia Miao huffed and grabbed his large hand outright. "Quit dawdling! What kind of guy acts so shy?"
His skin was cool, while hers burned warm—the contrast sparked something strange, a chemical reaction that set off a chain of responses.
The boy’s ears flushed red. His glistening ruby eyes darted between their clasped hands and her face before he finally ducked his head.
His fluffy white hair, tousled like an alarmed cat’s, stuck up in all directions. A single stubborn strand stood straight, swaying in the breeze like a tender little sprout.
