The patients were curious about the new "doctor." They had no idea what background this Doctor Bai had, but since he stood alongside those terrifying nurses, he must be someone equally frightening!
Among everyone, Duan Shou was the only one frozen stiff. Even though he hadn’t clearly seen who Xia Miao had pounced on that night, the snow-white hair was unforgettable, and those red eyes—like pools of fresh blood—were enough to trigger his nightmares.
That was the monster!
Duan Shou desperately shuffled backward, hiding behind the crowd, doing everything he could to avoid drawing the creature’s attention.
A nurse asked, "Doctor Bai, which patient would you like to treat today?"
Everyone tensed, holding their breath, avoiding Doctor Bai’s gaze.
Then Doctor Bai raised his hand and pointed toward the crowd.
When Duan Shou realized the finger was aimed in his direction, he nearly choked on his own breath.
But the person beside him suddenly jumped up in excitement.
"Me! It’s me!"
Duan Shou turned his head and saw Patient 09—that lunatic girl—thrilled beyond belief. His mind flooded with confusion.
And so, under the bewildered stares of everyone, Xia Miao eagerly followed Doctor Bai to his office for "treatment."
The nurse announced, "Alright, everyone is free to go about their activities now."
Patient 05 still found Xia Miao’s unpredictability unsettling. She wanted to rally others to investigate Xia Miao later, but when she glanced around, those who usually stuck close to her had subtly distanced themselves.
Patient 05 bit her lip, her expression darkening.
She had survived this dangerous world by wearing a deceptive mask, and most people were foolish enough to believe her harmless facade. But Xia Miao’s arrival had made her act less effective!
Once the door to the doctor’s office closed, the dim light from the unopened curtains cast a shadowy atmosphere.
This questionable "treatment" environment clearly suggested something else was about to happen.
Xia Miao sat primly in the chair, cleared her throat, and put on an act. "Doctor Bai, how do you plan to treat me?"
"Wait a moment."
With that, Bai Chi crouched behind the desk and began rummaging through drawers.
He seemed busy. Xia Miao waited, minute after minute, until her patience wore thin. She stood up and peered over the desk, spotting a pile of oddities on the floor—dried pinecones, wild red goji berries, wilted honeysuckle… and various desiccated insects.
There he was, crouched amidst the clutter, head bowed, hands still digging through the drawers.
Xia Miao: "…What are you doing?"
Bai Chi didn’t look up. "Just wait a little longer."
Several minutes later, when the pile on the floor had grown taller, the young man finally retrieved what he’d been searching for.
He sprang up excitedly and presented it to her, his ruby-like eyes gleaming.
"Look, a pretty stone!"
Bai Chi placed the stone in her palm. Xia Miao examined it closely and recognized it as a piece of amber.
Trapped within the translucent resin was a leaf with serrated edges—not particularly beautiful, but rare nonetheless.
Xia Miao glanced at the pile on the floor. "Where did you get all this stuff?"
Bai Chi replied, "I picked them up."
"Why collect so many things?"
"When I’m bored, I go to the mountains to play. If I see something pretty, I bring it back." His eyes curved with innocence. "This stone is the prettiest!"
Truthfully, he didn’t even know what the stone was called. He just thought it was the most beautiful among his treasures and wanted to give it to Xia Miao.
Xia Miao almost felt like he was an elementary school kid. No—even a child hiking wouldn’t have his level of enthusiasm for picking up every little thing on the ground.
When Bai Chi didn’t see the ecstatic reaction he’d hoped for, the joy in his eyes dimmed, replaced by unease. "You… don’t like it?"
Xia Miao took a deep breath, then flashed an exaggerated smile, cradling the amber in her hands. "Oh my god, this is such a beautiful stone! I absolutely love it! I’m so happy to receive this gift!"
Her blatantly insincere performance instantly reignited the light in Bai Chi’s eyes, as if spring had returned to the world. Even his pale face seemed to glow with vitality.
Quietly, his hand reached for hers again. He lowered his head, gently tracing the soft flesh of her palm with his fingertips, letting out a soft, delighted giggle.
Xia Miao pocketed the amber, deciding she’d take good care of it from now on.
After a while, when the boy still hadn’t let go of her hand, she tried to pull away—but his grip tightened, that familiar tug-of-war sensation returning.
Giving up, she blinked and said, "Aren’t you a doctor? Didn’t you say you’d treat me? When does the treatment start?"
Bai Chi lifted his gaze, looking slightly dazed.
All he’d wanted was to be alone with her, to give her a pretty gift, to see her happy so he could hold her hand longer. The idea of "treatment" hadn’t even crossed his mind.
Xia Miao feigned anger. "Did you call me here just to waste my time?"
"No!" He shook his head, flustered. "I wanted to see you. To play with you."
To Bai Chi, Xia Miao was different. She smiled at him, talked with him, said he was handsome and likable. Not only that, her hands were soft, her skin warm—soothing to touch.
He didn’t know how to describe this feeling, or even what to call it.
"I just want to be with you."
The unexpected sincerity and bluntness left Xia Miao defenseless.
Her face grew warm, especially the hand he held. Though his skin was cool, hers burned, the heat spreading through her body until her heart pounded wildly.
Bai Chi, too, seemed inexplicably embarrassed. He lowered his head slightly, eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. "You… don’t want to stay with me?"
Fireworks exploded in Xia Miao’s mind, incinerating her rationality. A powerful sensation overwhelmed her—
She was hooked.
"I think… we can take the next step now."
