Translator: CinderTL
"Do you need something?" Little Nurse asked as she opened the door.
"Nothing, just taking a stroll," Jiang Cheng replied casually, stepping inside without hesitation and sitting down on a wooden chair. He gazed at Little Nurse with a flirtatious look, adding, "And I thought I'd drop by to see you."
"See me?" Little Nurse blinked uncomfortably, then lowered her voice to a whisper, "By the way, which doctor was it who came to give the injection earlier? Was it Director Qi? Did he think I was too slow? But I really was busy just now, I wasn't deliberately delaying."
"Lately, many colleagues have been taking leave, and I've been swamped here," the girl said, clearly still worried about Director Qi.
"It's fine," Jiang Cheng replied nonchalantly. "I'll explain it to Director Qi for you. We came too abruptly and didn't give you any notice to prepare."
Hearing Jiang Cheng's understanding tone, the girl's furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her impression of him improved significantly.
Earlier, she hadn't paid much attention, and her first impression of Jiang Cheng was still the image of him sneaking around in the hallway.
But now, with the two of them so close, she suddenly realized that the man in front of her was quite handsome—his gently curved brows, the slight upward tilt of his lips, and his smile gave off a warm, approachable vibe, like the boy next door.
It made her feel at ease.
"How's the patient doing?" the girl asked. "Is she any better?"
Jiang Cheng thought about Li Kaifeng's final appearance and, after a moment, nodded. "She's resting peacefully."
"That's good," the girl sighed in relief.
"Hmm?" Jiang Cheng suddenly seemed to notice something serious. He grabbed the girl's hand and asked in a slightly reproachful tone, "What happened here? How did you get so many cuts?"
The girl's hand had several small wounds, though most had already scabbed over.
Having her hand grabbed by a stranger, the girl instinctively tried to pull it back, but Jiang Cheng's grip was much stronger, leaving her no chance.
"Does it still hurt?" Jiang Cheng frowned as he examined her hand.
"N-no, it doesn't hurt."
"Just started your internship?" Seeing the girl's awkward demeanor, Jiang Cheng guessed she was new.
"Yes," the girl nodded, somewhat embarrassed, as she fished out a card-sized laminated paper from her pocket.
It had a small metal clip on the back, perfect for attaching to her uniform.
It was the ID badge for medical staff.
Jiang Cheng examined it closely. The girl's name was Zhao Ru, and her position was listed as an intern nurse.
"I just graduated two months ago, and this is my first job," the girl said softly. "Director Qi said if I perform well during the internship, I might have a chance to stay."
"So..." The girl looked up at Jiang Cheng, a hint of pleading in her eyes.
Jiang Cheng understood—she was worried he might say something negative about her to Director Qi.
"You're so talented; you'll definitely stay," Jiang Cheng encouraged her.
Then, Jiang Cheng took the initiative to read Zhao Ru's palm, discuss her zodiac sign, and even predict her recent fortune, saying she was destined to have a romantic encounter.
The two of them chatted more and more freely, and Zhao Ru gradually let go of her initial shyness, opening up more topics.
Jiang Cheng claimed that most men only have eight abdominal muscles, but he had managed to develop a ninth one beneath his eight-pack. Zhao Ru shook her head in disbelief, so Jiang Cheng grabbed her hand and said, "If you don't believe me, feel it for yourself."
While the two were pulling and tugging, Zhao Ru's gaze inadvertently glanced at the table, where a cartoon-style alarm clock was ticking away.
Immediately, Zhao Ru became flustered, "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" She quickly stood up.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Cheng looked like he still wanted more.
"I need to go to room 906 to give a patient an injection." Zhao Ru immediately turned and walked out, clearly already late.
"I'll go with you." Jiang Cheng didn't want to miss this opportunity to explore the hospital; he hadn't been above the 6th floor yet.
There were also some things he could ask her about.
It was clear that Zhao Ru hesitated for a moment, but after a few seconds, she nodded reluctantly, "Then don't make a fuss."
"Don't worry."
First, accompanying Zhao Ru to get the medicine, Jiang Cheng offered to carry the medical tray for her, but Zhao Ru said it wouldn't look good if others saw.
At first, Jiang Cheng was worried that Zhao Ru would want to take the elevator, but fortunately, she didn't, instead leading Jiang Cheng up the stairs.
"Why not take the elevator?" Jiang Cheng asked curiously.
Zhao Ru whispered, "There are only two elevators in the hospital, and one of them isn't very reliable. If there's an emergency, it wouldn't be good to delay others. This isn't an urgent matter for me."
"And," as if thinking of something, Zhao Ru's mouth, which had been open, slowly closed, and her expression changed.
"If it's not urgent, you shouldn't take the elevator either, especially at night." Zhao Ru turned her head and instructed Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng finally heard what he wanted to hear, so he pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Why?"
Zhao Ru hesitated for a moment, not answering the question directly, just telling Jiang Cheng to remember it well.
Soon, the two of them reached the 6th floor.
From here, they could see the corridor they had walked through before, with many of the rooms on both sides locked, looking exceptionally old.
"How strange." Jiang Cheng poked his head out to look down the corridor a few times, "This is a good location, why are all the rooms locked?"
"I don't know." Zhao Ru seemed to have had similar doubts, holding the tray, she stood at the corner of the corridor for a few extra seconds, then said, "I heard they haven't been used for a long time. The Head Nurse who trained me has been working here for almost 10 years, and it was like this when she arrived."
"10 years ago..."
"Yes." Zhao Ru turned around and urged, "Let's hurry up."
Arriving at the 9th floor, Zhao Ru went straight to room 906.
The door wasn't locked and opened with a gentle push.
It was clear that Zhao Ru hadn't initially planned to let Jiang Cheng come in, but Jiang Cheng acted naturally and obediently.
Zhao Ru looked around and, seeing no one else in the corridor, tacitly allowed it.
The first thing Zhao Ru did upon entering was turn on the light.
The layout of room 906 was completely different from the wards they were in.
There was only one bed.
No table, no wardrobe, and even the windows were half-covered with thick curtains. The room had almost no decorations.
The half-exposed windowsill was empty, with no plants or flowers.
Just being here for a short while already gave a sense of oppression.
One could imagine that even on a sunny day, this place would remain shrouded in an unyielding gloom without the lights turned on.
On the hospital bed lay a person.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a woman.
Her hair showed signs of graying, suggesting she was in her early fifties or perhaps older.
The woman's eyes were wide open, staring fixedly at the ceiling. If it weren't for the occasional blink, Jiang Cheng might have thought she was dead.
(End of the Chapter)
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