Chapter 31: Hospital

In the villa, Fu Ruxue savored a seafood feast prepared by the butler, legs crossed, casually scrolling her phone.

She opened the horror game app, checking her ranking.

A satisfied smile spread across her delicate face as she enjoyed a freshly peeled shrimp fed by the maid.

Not bad—climbed a few spots.

The only regret? Forgetting Xu Nian’s phone number.

No trace of Xu Nian on the leaderboard.

Where could she find her?

Did Xu Nian even make it back?

In a cramped 20-square-meter rental, cluttered with junk, a tiny black dot appeared mid-air, swelling into a vortex, threatening to swallow the space.

A burst of vibrant light exploded, and as the vortex widened, someone tumbled out.

Right onto the bed.

Xu Nian stared at the familiar ceiling, dazed. Her body felt like it was falling apart, mind still lingering in that other world.

The Young Lady’s final, forlorn gaze replayed in slow motion, inescapable.

Raising her hand, light filtered through her fingers, and she froze.

Her wrists were bare.

Confusion flickered in her dark eyes.

Weren’t there iron cuffs before?

Locked by the Young Lady herself.

Was it… a dream?

Panic rippled through her, throat dry, heart rejecting the thought.

Impossible.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling—ding—

The half-rung alarm cut off as her hand slapped it.

She’d forgotten.

Today was hospital day.

Struggling with her exhausted body, Xu Nian shuffled to the mirror. Her reflection showed a disheveled collar, hair stuck to her temples, thinner, utterly haggard.

For a moment, she thought she was still in the castle, mistaking her reflection for a ghost, nearly slapping the mirror.

Then she noticed, with her collar open, a faint red mark on her neck.

Her face flushed, ears red, as she fixed her clothes to hide it.

Well… not a dream, then.

Embarrassed, she covered her face, but her red ears betrayed her.

The Young Lady stared at the two cuffs on the ground, silently opening a box and placing them inside.

Inside, neatly folded, was the scented handkerchief Xu Nian lent the maid, alongside the brush, bell, and other trinkets.

Her lashes cast shadows, eyes tinged with regret.

Pity—she hadn’t used them all.

Next time.

The hospital reeked of disinfectant, an unpleasant sting.

A figure in a trench coat hurried through the crowd, heading down the corridor.

A passing nurse greeted, “You’re here?”

Xu Nian, holding a bouquet of dewy blue roses, nodded faintly. “Yeah.”

Calmly, she asked, “Still no signs of waking?”

“None.”

A soft sigh, barely audible.

The doctor said she’d likely never wake, but Xu Nian always asked.

She reached Room 309, pausing to peer inside.

The figure on the bed lay still, as always. From her angle, only a pale arm was visible.

A sour ache rose in her chest. She thought she’d stopped crying, but her eyes reddened.

Lingering at the door, gripping the handle, she steeled herself, took a deep breath, and pushed.

A light flashed, dizziness hitting.

The door’s soft glow flickered, and the person meant to enter vanished.

The bouquet fell, petals dancing in the air, stirred by passing staff, then settling.

No one noticed the fingers on the bed’s exposed arm twitch.

Back in the game.

Light flashed, blinding, then darkness.

Xu Nian opened her eyes to pitch black.

A cloth covered her eyes, blocking her surroundings, leaving her disoriented.

She tried moving, but her body was bound, immobile.

Standing, her back pressed against a long metal bar, hands and feet tied with rope to whatever was behind her.

A railing, she realized.

Suddenly, something warm enveloped her, wrapping her body. Her heart surged with alarm.

A human embrace.

Goosebumps rose. Blindfolded, she felt vulnerable, strange emotions swirling, her tense body softening.

“Who are you?”

No answer.

The warmth carried a faint, pleasant scent.