Chapter 181: See You On the Outside~ |
Word count: 5,3k!!!!
The hospital storeroom was a graveyard of forgotten items, none more so than the bulky boxes stacked in the farthest corner, covered in a thick layer of dust that not even the laziest ghost bothered to disturb. Ancient and assembled haphazardly, they stood in stark contrast to the immaculate containers holding functional cards near the front.
Yu Xiao cautiously opened the largest box. She was met with stacks of yellow talisman papers, their red cinnabar ink practically pulsating against the aged paper. Unable to resist, she reached out and let her fingers glide across their surface.
“Hiss…”
The talisman she’d touched dissolved into dust, a soft sigh rippling through the air. Lightness flooded her, warmth tingling on her skin. Even her temperature seemed to rise.
The Old Lord’s Talisman, it seemed, was the real deal.
With these, not only would patients stand a fighting chance of leaving, but she’d actually survive this place. Keep the yin energy at bay and avoid becoming one of them.
To Live.
“No need to ask further,” Yu Xiao said, her face expressionless, though the Nightmare could sense her lighter mood.
“I already know. Don’t worry about the talismans,” she continued, all business. “Priority one: find a new security chief. If you can’t find a ghost, reach out to the news department. Place a recruitment ad, conduct interviews, do everything necessary.”
The Nightmare nodded, about to fade away when she called out, “Hold on.”
He turned back.
“Place a news announcement for me as well,” she said.
**
Points secured, Yu Qing Lang still refused to be discharged.
“I need to know what Yu Xiao’s up to,” she declared to Wang Dong Dong over the phone. “Otherwise, I’m not leaving this place!”
Wang Dong Dong echoed her frustration. “But she won’t answer her phone! What are we supposed to do?”
“The Sixth Hospital,” Yu Qing Lang stated. “I’ll find her there.”
“The delivery route again?” Wang Dong Dong’s voice was laced with apprehension.
“Do you have a better idea?”
He didn’t. With a resigned sigh, he muttered, “Fine, I’m in.”
Being shipped around in a cardboard box was not enjoyable for anyone, but Yu Qing Lang was incredibly determined. Seeing Yu Xiao was the only way she would find peace in this life or the next.
In the darkness, she was bumped around, indicating that the delivery person was clearly energetic. Finally, the box thumped onto the ground, with another box landing next to her. Wang Dong Dong. Now, they simply had to wait.
Time crawled by. Sleep beckoned, but no one came.
“Why haven’t they taken us in yet?” Wang Dong Dong’s muffled voice drifted from the next box.
“How should I know?” Yu Qing Lang snapped, dragging herself back from the brink of slumber.
“I just heard the food cart,” he said, fear seeping into his voice. “She’s not coming. What do we do?”
Yu Qing Lang considered their options. “We open the boxes.”
“Is that wise?” Panic laced Wang Dong Dong’s voice. “We’re outside the ward! It’s dangerous! And there’s only two of us this time!”
He was right. Dying now, after all their hard work, would be a slap in the face.
“Let’s wait a little longer,” Yu Qing Lang said, hoping she wasn’t fooling herself. Maybe Yu Xiao was simply occupied with some miscellaneous hospital assignment.
So they waited, two cardboard anomalies outside an empty ward, drawing curious stares from passing ghosts who couldn’t fathom the logic of delivering anything to a vacant room.
**
With the last of the yin energy purged, Yu Xiao picked up an Old Lord’s Talisman, her gaze tracing the intricate patterns on its surface. A predecessor’s creation. If only he’d have left a more noticeable hint before leaving.
An idea ignited. She would learn to draw them herself. The store might be overflowing, but the hospital was overflowing with even more people. Once word got out, those talismans wouldn’t last five minutes.
And she was the only one who could replenish them.
Yu Xiao was deep in talisman research when her phone buzzed. It was the food delivery ghost from the hospital, oblivious to her recent promotion.
“I’m so sorry,” the ghost wailed, voice trembling like a tuning fork. “I failed the task! They pushed the notes back and threatened me! Said they’d come out and hit me if I disturbed them again!”
Yu Xiao had almost forgotten about that. If not for this call, the whole thing might have slipped her mind entirely.
“Consider it done,” she assured the ghost. The original plan was to find a way to neutralise the yin energy. Problem solved, ghost no longer required.
Relief practically radiated through the phone. “Can I go to St. Elizabeth’s then?”
“Reconstruction’s not finished yet,” Yu Xiao replied.
“Then where’s that Tie Niu you mentioned?” the ghost pressed.
Yu Xiao paused, remembering her promise. A smile played on her lips. Honestly, a little intrigue might liven up this whole Director gig.
“Tell you what,” she said. “You’re officially Tie Niu’s assistant. Go on over to St. Elizabeth’s, give him a hand with the renovations.”
The ghost hung up, practically buzzing with excitement. Setting the phone down, Yu Xiao sighed. How dull.
The Nightmare returned from the news department, his ferry ride punctuated by the river’s mournful cries. Fortunately, lacking a pulse had its perks. As the boat pulled up to the bank, he spotted a large black dog sprawled by the water’s edge.
Goldie. His punishment was to plant lotus roots in a ditch filled with, well, not water exactly, but the distilled resentment of the dearly departed. Not exactly fertile ground.
Naturally, he’d refused to submerge himself fully, choosing instead to lie half-soaked on the bank, tears streaming from all three of his heads.
A pair of polished shoes came to a stop before him. Goldie strained his right head up to see the Nightmare, looking dapper as ever in a double-breasted black suit.
“Stop crying,” the Nightmare commanded.
Goldie, never one for pleasantries, bristled. “I’ll cry if I want to! What’s it to you?”
“I’m concerned your incessant sobbing might disturb the Director,” the Nightmare replied. “She wouldn’t be pleased.”
Silence. Goldie cowered, raising a paw to cover his mouths. Unfortunately, with only two paws and three mouths, one always remained uncovered.
“It’s just planting lotus roots,” the Nightmare said, watching him. “Why the waterworks?”
Goldie fixed him with a three-eyed glare, two heads still sobbing while the middle one grumbled, “Who’s crying about that? I keep thinking about the old Director, that’s all. Can’t help but shed a tear when I remember him.”
The Nightmare remained silent.
“One day, you’ll feel the same!” Goldie continued.
The Nightmare’s eyes narrowed. “Impossible. She said she’d be the last Director.”
“Hmph!” Goldie wiped his eyes with his paw. “When I first met him, he was different. Used to laugh a lot. Then he became Director…no more laughter. Claimed he’d be the last one too, but…woowoo…”
Goldie’s wails escalated, echoing across the riverbank. “Just tending my lotus roots,” he sobbed, directing his lament at the Nightmare. “Once your precious Director is discharged, you might not even have those to look after…”
The words echoed in the Nightmare’s mind as he returned to the Director’s quarters. He pushed open the study door to find Yu Xiao hunched over her talisman studies. He watched her for a moment. Gone was the frequent smiles he’d grown accustomed to.
“Why not come in?” she said, not looking up.
He crossed the room soundlessly, stopping beside her. His gaze, unwavering, settled on her.
She seemed strangely unconcerned. If he wanted to stare, he could stare. She continued her work, on the verge of putting pen to paper when she finally met his gaze. “What?”
“Will you leave?” he asked.
“Where to?”
“Leave the hospital.”
The words sparked a flicker of annoyance. She returned to her work. “No. I’m the Director now. I’m here to stay.”
“Really?” Goldie’s words wormed their way back into his thoughts. “What if one day you want to leave? What happens to me then? Stuck planting lotus roots for the next Director, just like Goldie.”
Yu Xiao finally set aside her work, fixing him with a raised eyebrow. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
He couldn’t help it. It wasn’t the lotus roots themselves, but the image of himself by that riverbank, weeping for her like a heartbroken mutt.
“Don’t let it keep you up at night,” she said, amused by his dramatics. “If I ever do leave, it won’t be for a long, long time.”
She went back to her talismans, leaving the Nightmare to stew in a mixture of relief and unease.
Her first attempt at the Old Lord’s Talisman was a failure. She crumpled the paper, tossing it to the floor. The Nightmare picked it up silently.
“Would you like some tea?” he offered.
“If you’ve got time to kill, feel free to entertain yourself,” she said, not sparing him a glance.
“Don’t you need me anymore?” he blurted, a pang of something unfamiliar twisting in his chest.
She paused.
“A milk tea then,” she amended.
His spirits soared. “Right away!” He hurried off to prepare it.
The next morning arrived, the remnants of a sleepless night clinging to Yu Xiao. The Old Lord’s Talisman was proving to be a stubborn beast. Wrong strokes, failed attempts, frustration mounting with every passing hour.
Then, at eight o’clock sharp, the musical chime echoed, signalling the start of a new day.
A booming male voice filled the air. “I still wish to live another five hundred years…”
Her hand jerked, the final stroke going awry. She slammed her fist on the table in frustration, only to realise…it had worked.
Her first Old Lord’s Talisman. A success.
She stood, lifting the talisman high, watching it gleam in the lamplight. It had actually worked.
**
The music swelled, a wave of majestic sound crashing over every corner of the hospital. Patients exchanged uneasy glances, and a hush fell over the wards.
As the final notes faded, the forums erupted.
【What in the afterlife was that?】
【Can someone tell me what I just heard?】
【A song, genius.】
【No, seriously, what song? Is ‘Für Elise’ not good enough anymore?】
【Maybe the new director changed it.】
【What kind of taste does this director have?】
【I kinda liked it…】
**
In Fourth Hospital, Luo Jin and Lu Xu listened with blank expressions.
“I don’t like this,” Lu Xu finally said.
“What?”
Lu Xu fixed him with a pointed look. “Remember Yu Xiao’s ringtone?”
Luo Jin went silent. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen had been discharged. Yu Xiao’s phone was ghosting everyone, and now the hospital’s morning music was her old ringtone…
“Let’s start a beautiful day from now on~ Next up, morning news.”
“Good news, everyone! Huge discounts at the hospital store! Everything you need and more. Permanent props – twenty points! Super function cards – ten points! Premium talismans – only three points each! Three points, you can’t go wrong! Three points, you won’t be disappointed! Also featuring the new Old Lord’s Talisman, guaranteed to banish yin energy! Don’t miss out!”
“Did you hear that?” Luo Jin said, his eyes widening. “What talisman?”
Lu Xu swallowed hard. “Old Lord’s Talisman, I think. They said it…dispels yin energy.”
“Dispels yin energy?”
Lu Xu nodded, his face pale. “I didn’t mishear it.”
Luo Jin forgot all about the news, his mind laser-focused on one thing. He was on the store page before the announcer could finish, frantically searching for the Old Lord’s Talisman.
Meanwhile, the broadcast continued.
“In other news, the position of Hospital Security Director is currently vacant. We are now recruiting! Gender and age are no barrier. Salary and experience will be discussed during the interview. Interested candidates, please register by phone and proceed to the director’s office for an interview with secretary Nightmare…”
It seemed that the hospital staff were in for an interesting day.
**
Yu Xiao, meanwhile, was glued to the forums. The public’s reaction to the Old Lord’s Talisman was her main concern.
As it turned out, there wasn’t much reaction at all. Most patients didn’t know what yin energy was, let alone its implications. The importance of the Old Lord’s Talisman was utterly lost on them. The forums were eerily quiet, except for a single thread in the Fourth Hospital forum tentatively discussing the matter.
«What was that talisman they were on about in the news?»
【Dispels yin energy, apparently. Anyone tried it?】
【Old Lord’s Talisman. Saw it in the online store. What even is yin energy? Is it better than that Thunderstriking one?】
【Never seen the hospital do this before. Any talisman experts in the house? Spill the tea.】
【I can draw some talismans, but never seen this Old Lord’s one. No clue what it does.】
【Anyone? Bueller?】
【No idea what it’s for. Total waste of points, if you ask me.】
【Someone tell us what this thing does!】
【…】
The Sixth Hospital forum was a different beast entirely. Patients from both the Sixth and the Second Hospital congregated there, making for a livelier, and slightly more unhinged, discussion board.
«Holy moly, guys, the Old Lord’s Talisman!»
【Did you hear the news? Dispels yin energy! I thought they were just messing with us, saying there was a solution, but it’s real!】
【I know, right! Already bought five!】
【Can’t believe the answer’s been in the store this whole time. Just found out today.】
【Got a few myself…feeling kinda sad now. If only I knew sooner, my brother might still be here.】
【You mean Ah Fei? He’s gone?】
【Yeah, passed away a few days ago…】
【Hold on, why’s everyone buying this Old Lord’s thing? What’s it even do?】
【Ignore them. They’re always talking nonsense on the forum.】
**
Outside Room 4 of the Sixth Hospital, two large boxes sat abandoned.
“Did you hear that?” a muffled voice whispered from inside one.
“Yeah,” came the reply. “Old Lord’s Talisman. Dispels yin energy.”
A beat of silence.
“This has Yu Xiao written all over it,” Yu Qing Lang said finally. “She’s been obsessed with getting rid of yin energy.”
“Think she found a way?” Wang Dong Dong asked.
“I’m coming out,” Yu Qing Lang declared suddenly.
“Wait—”
—Rip! Cardboard tore.
Wang Dong Dong, with a sigh, ripped open his own box and crawled out. Yu Qing Lang had already kicked hers aside, standing at the entrance to Room 404.
“Empty,” she announced. “There’s no one here.”
Wang Dong Dong frowned. “Even if she finished the instance, shouldn’t she be back by now?”
“Finished the instance?” Yu Qing Lang scoffed. “She had more than enough points, even gave us two hundred! Why would she need to finish anything?”
“Then where…” A chilling thought struck him. “Is she…?”
Yu Qing Lang stared at him, then rolled her eyes. “If she was dead, her phone would be off, not just unanswered.”
Wang Dong Dong was thoroughly confused now. “Then where did she go?”
“Nightmare will know,” Yu Qing Lang declared, eyes narrowed.
Nightmare was up to his eyeballs in resumes. The vacant Head of Security position had sent shockwaves through the hospital’s ghostly grapevine.
After all, what was the best job in a hospital for the restless dead? Director, obviously. But that was a long shot, shrouded in mystery. Most ghosts didn’t even know the rules of succession. So what was the next best thing?
Head of Security. Authority over safety and order, answerable to practically no one. Beneath one ghost, above thousands. And now the position was open to the entire hospital? Mayhem ensued. The hospital’s instances went into overdrive.
Even Gu Shu and Lolita were caught up in the frenzy.
“She drove Goldie out,” Lolita said, pushing her cart with unusual vigour.
“Course she did, petty thing,” Gu Shu replied, dragging a parcel behind him. “Goldie probably mouthed off at some point.”
“I want to be Head of Security,” Lolita declared.
Gu Shu, too tired to argue with that level of delusion, simply sighed.
Nightmare had set up the interview station by the stinky ditch, as per Yu Xiao’s instructions. She wanted Goldie to see the queue of hopefuls vying for his old job.
He sat behind the table, looking dapper in a double-breasted suit, his hair slicked back to give him an air of authority. The line of applicants seemed to stretch into eternity.
“Resume?” he asked the creature before him.
It was a massive tentacle monster, one of its appendages proffering a crumpled piece of paper.
Nightmare took it, scanning the contents. “Name: God of Gu Family Village?”
“Moo!” the creature replied.
“Resides in Gu Family Village. No prior work experience…” Nightmare looked up. “You’re not suitable for this position. Next.”
The tentacle monster deflated, tentacles curling in on themselves as it let out a mournful, “Moo!”
“Moo yourself out of here!” a voice snapped from behind it. “Some of us have actual qualifications!”
As the dejected creature oozed away, Gluttony stepped forward, resume clutched in his hand. He did a double take. “You’re the secretary?”
Nightmare stared at him, expressionless.
“Wait, is *She* the Director now?”
“Yes, *her*,” Nightmare said, tossing the offending resume at Gluttony’s feet. “The Director says she dislikes you. You’re out.”
Gluttony blinked, even more deflated than the tentacle monster. He slunk away.
“Next!” Nightmare barked, waving a dismissive hand.
“Qualifications insufficient.”
“Qualifications insufficient.”
“Qualifications insufficient…”
Finally, a resume worthy of a second glance. “Former Chairman of the Ghost Group…ah, it’s you.”
He studied the handsome, middle-aged ghost before him. “And why do you want to be Head of Security?”
“My previous position was, shall we say, acquired through less than legitimate means,” the chairman explained. “I find myself at a loose end, and this seemed…promising.”
Nightmare, familiar with the feeling, kept the resume. “We’ll be in touch.”
The chairman, the first applicant to have his resume retained, left with a spring in his step. Maybe his luck was changing.
“Next!”
This time, it was an old…acquaintance.
“Fan Xing,” Nightmare said, taking in the ghost’s dishevelled appearance. “What brings you here?”
The ghost shuffled his feet. It was the doctor whose instance Nightmare had once been assigned to.
“Nightmare! Fancy seeing you here! Who knew you’d land such a cushy gig after…” he trailed off, looking embarrassed.
“Answer the question,” Nightmare said, tapping a finger on the table.
“Is it not obvious?” the doctor wailed. “My instance been useless since you left! I’m practically out of a job…”
A flicker of guilt, and Nightmare relented. “Fine. Resume. We’ll be in touch.”
The doctor, wiping away a non-existent tear, practically skipped away.
Nightmare’s patience was wearing thin. Countless ghosts, and none quite right. Meanwhile, further down the line, a certain green-eyed entity was starting to regret his own jealousy.
Ever since Yu Xiao’s ascension to minor deity status back in the poison-tainted town, the townsfolk barely paid him any mind. He’d tried everything to regain their reverence, but to no avail. So when he heard about the Head of Security position, he’d thought, why not? He hadn’t expected to be facing Nightmare himself.
Jealousy was old, one of the first born from the echoes of human emotion. He wasn’t confined to the town; he often ventured out, slipping into the crevices of human hearts. He knew many of the hospital’s secrets, including its changing leadership.
A flicker of suspicion, then despair. If his hunch about the new Director was right, this whole Head of Security thing was a fool’s errand.
He turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” Deceit asked, materialising behind him.
Jealousy, resplendent in his red robes, sighed dramatically. “I know who the new Director is. She won’t let me be the head of security.”
“Oh?” Deceit’s interest was piqued. “Do tell.”
Jealousy rolled his eyes. “And why would I do that?”
“Let’s just say I’m open to a spot of…collaboration,” Deceit offered. “You can proselytize in my instance.”
Jealousy turned to face him. He’d known Deceit for ages, but this was the first time he’d actually seen him. He shook his head. “Nice try. You’re Deceit. You’re all about the deception.”
Deceit, a handsome young man with a perpetual smile and eyes that could shame a saint, shook his head. “Just because I’m prone to a little fibbing doesn’t mean I’m incapable of honesty. I want this job, Jealousy. I need your help. No need to deceive you.”
His sincerity was almost tangible. Jealousy, desperate for followers, wavered. He had a point.
“Alright,” he conceded. “But if you’re playing me, there will be consequences.”
Deceit’s smile widened, just a fraction. He’d already won. Once he was Head of Security, his current instance would be out of his control. The offer of proselytizing there? Null and void. And Jealousy’s retaliation? Please. He’d be Head of Security. Who would he fear?
What a fool.
Nightmare was sifting through the mountain of resumes when one landed squarely in front of him.
He looked up, straight into the earnest eyes of a smiling young man.
“Good day, Nightmare,” the young man said politely. “Deceit’s the name.”
“Deceit.” He glanced at the resume. “Extensive work experience, impressive skillset. I’ve heard things about you, though. Something about…deceiving people?”
“It’s a gift, really,” the young man said, that disarming smile never wavering. “Can’t fight nature.”
“In that case, I don’t think this position is for you.”
“Whether I’m suitable is hardly up to you, is it?” Deceit’s smile widened. “As long as the Director think so, that’s all that matters.”
Nightmare was about to point out the flaw in his logic – namely, that he, in fact, had the say in this – when the young man leaned in.
“I know how to get the Director out of the hospital,” he murmured.
Nightmare froze.
**
In the Director’s study, Yu Xiao was on a roll. Her first successful talisman had been a turning point. Now, her creations worked four out of five times.
The study door creaked open, and a fragrant cloud of milk tea heralded Nightmare’s arrival.
“A delivery person from the Sixth Hospital just contacted me,” he said softly, placing the tea on the table. “Two people have broken in.”
Yu Xiao looked up sharply. “Who?”
“Yu Qing Lang and Wang Dong Dong,” he murmured. “They want to see you. I doubt they’ll leave without a word.”
Yu Xiao’s brow furrowed. She felt a familiar tug at her heart, a sensation she’d been actively avoiding.
“Do you want to see them?” he asked.
She fell silent. Becoming Director had meant distancing herself from her old life, her old friends.
Nightmare watched her, a pang of sympathy echoing through him. He could feel her unhappiness.
“There’s something you should know,” he began, hesitantly. “I know how to get you discharged.”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“I can get you discharged,” he repeated.
She stared at him, speechless. Finally, her hands balled into fists beneath the table. “Say that again.”
“I can get you discharged.”
“How?” Her voice was barely a whisper, as if afraid to break the spell.
“That heart of yours,” he said, tapping a finger to her chest. “It’s the obsession of the deceased. And I am Nightmare of the deceased. I can put it to sleep. Free you from its hold. Then you can leave.”
Disbelief warred with hope. Could it really be that simple? The obsession that had trapped the previous Director for eighty-three years, undone just like that?
“Really?” she breathed. “It’s that easy?”
“Not easy,” he said, his gaze turning serious. “There’s a price.”
“What price?”
“Me.” His eyes locked onto hers. “The obsession’s heart is powerful. If I put it to sleep… I’ll cease to exist.”
Silence descended.
So, even as Director, she could escape. But at the cost of Nightmare.
“You…”
The Nightmare chuckled, a melancholic sound. “I’m willing to do it. I know you’re unhappy here. You want to leave. Let me help you.”
“But you…”
“It’s alright,” he said, cutting her off. “If you go, I don’t want to exist without you. Better to disappear than end up like Goldie, sobbing by the riverbank for all eternity.”
He looked so forlorn that she couldn’t speak.
Memories flickered through her mind. Their first meeting in his dream realm, trapped in a deadly dance with the Reapers. His attempt to trap her here, forcing her to stay. His escape, wounded and weak, finding her at St. Elizabeth’s.
The lonely hours in that dark office, becoming a cat, living in a box just to be near her. Deliberately ingratiating himself with her friends…
And now, he was willing to sacrifice himself to set her free.
Tears pricked at her eyes. “Back in the dream realm…you saw my fears in that warehouse. Why did you spare me?”
He blinked. “Because you were hurting. I couldn’t bear to see you suffer.”
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, her voice was resolute. “I disagree.”
His head tilted, a flicker of something like starlight in his eyes. “Huh?”
“I disagree with this whole plan,” she said firmly. “I want to leave, yes. But not like this.”
He couldn’t contain his grin. He bounced on his heels, reaching for her, only to be thwarted by the desk.
She had to laugh. “How did the interviews go? Find any promising candidates?”
“I did, actually.” His gaze was intent, unwavering. “And I lied just now.”
She raised an eyebrow. “?”
“My ability…” he began, then sighed. “It can’t permanently disable the Heart of Obsession.”
Her face fell. “You were playing me?”
“Not really.” A mischievous glint returned to his eyes. “It can suppress it, though. For a few days. Enough time for you to leave. But it’ll wake up eventually. Pull you back.”
She frowned. “Is that all?”
“And…” he mumbled, looking down. “I won’t disappear. I’ll just…need some time to recover. Then I can put it back to sleep.”
“What else?” Her tone was sharp.
“And…I might have exaggerated things a tad to see if you cared, even a little.” His voice was barely audible. “That’s it. Really. Nothing else.”
Yu Xiao stood abruptly, grabbing the chair behind her.
“You jerk!”
**
Yu Qing Lang and Wang Dong Dong’s covert operation was uncovered. The Head of Security might have been temporarily indisposed, but the rest of the team was more than capable of handling two rogue patients.
They found themselves dumped unceremoniously in a small, dark room, with their phones confiscated.
“We should have left when we had the chance,” Wang Dong Dong lamented. “Now Yu Xiao’s vanished, and we’re stuck here.”
“I don’t care!” Yu Qing Lang crossed her arms defiantly. “I’m not leaving until I see her! This is her fault! If she had answered her bloody phone, none of this would have happened!”
Their bickering was cut short by a voice from beyond the door.
“I heard that.”
Yu Qing Lang froze. “?”
The door creaked open, and a sliver of light revealed Nightmare.
Yu Qing Lang’s bravado evaporated. “Where’s Yu Xiao? What’s going on?”
He said nothing, stepping aside to reveal the object of their search.
“Yu Xiao!” Wang Dong Dong rushed forward, relief flooding his features. “Where have you been? Ignoring calls, disappearing from your room…”
“Oh,” Yu Xiao said, crossing her arms with an air of smug superiority. “I’m the Director now.”
“…”. It took a moment for the news to sink in, for the pieces to fall into place.
Yu Qing Lang narrowed her eyes. “You’re the Director?”
“Indeed.”
“You found the talisman to get rid of yin energy? The one they announced on the news?”
“That’s right.”
“And you couldn’t answer your bloody phone?” Yu Qing Lang exploded. “Do you know how worried we were?”
She lunged, only to be intercepted by Nightmare.
“Move.” She hissed.
He stepped aside, wisely choosing his battles.
Yu Qing Lang grabbed Yu Xiao’s collar, her grip surprisingly strong. Yu Xiao could have easily shaken her off, but she didn’t.
“Why?” Yu Qing Lang demanded, her voice dangerously low. “Tell me why you became the Director.”
Knowing she could leave now, Yu Xiao no longer felt the need to deflect. She recounted the events succinctly, then said, “You have enough points. Why are you still here?”
“Damn the Director!” Yu Qing Lang spat.
Wang Dong Dong, noticing Yu Xiao’s expression darken, jumped in. “She meant the old one! Not you!”
“What are you going to do?” Yu Qing Lang asked, her anger fading into concern. “Stay here forever? Be the ghost Director?”
“I can leave,” Yu Xiao said quietly. “In fact, if you two hadn’t shown up, I might have already.”
“What?” Yu Qing Lang was stunned. “How? How did you manage that?”
Yu Xiao raised an eyebrow. “As I said, I can leave now.”
“No, seriously, how?” Yu Qing Lang was genuinely curious now.
Yu Xiao pointed at the hand still gripping her collar. Yu Qing Lang laughed sheepishly, releasing her and slinging an arm around her shoulders instead. “Do tell.”
“After I leave,” Yu Xiao said, a sly smile playing on her lips.
Yu Qing Lang and Wang Dong Dong, blissfully unaware that leaving meant forgetting, didn’t understand the urgency.
“What’s the rush?” Wang Dong Dong said. “We can all meet up outside.”
“Yeah,” Yu Qing Lang agreed, fixing Yu Xiao with a suspicious stare. “You’re not messing with us, are you? You can actually leave?”
Yu Xiao raised her hand. “Pig’s honour.”
Yu Qing Lang finally relaxed. “Alright then,” she said. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll meet on the outside.”
“Meet on the outside!” Wang Dong Dong echoed.
Yu Xiao grinned, slinging an arm around each of them. “Meet on the outside!”
**
“Works like a charm.” Luo Jin grinned, examining the yellow powder in his palm. “Turns out these Taoist charms really do eliminate yin energy.”
“Thank goodness for that.” Lu Xu practically deflated with relief. Their biggest worry, resolved.
“It’s totally Yu Xiao’s style, don’t you think?” Luo Jin pondered. “This whole talisman thing.”
“Now that you mention it…” Lu Xu nodded slowly. “Should we try calling her again?”
As if on cue, his phone rang. He grabbed it, his eyes widening as he saw the caller ID. “Yu Xiao!”
“Answer it, man!” Luo Jin urged.
“Hello?” Lu Xu pressed the speaker button. “Yu Xiao! Where have you been? We’ve been calling you non-stop!”
“Busy with things,” she replied, her voice crackling through the speaker. “Listen, I’m calling to let you know…” she paused. “I’m getting discharged.”
Luo Jin leaned in closer. “What?”
“I’m leaving the hospital,” she repeated. “Let’s meet up outside, okay?”
“Really?” Lu Xu’s surprise turned into comprehension.
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen had already left. It was only a matter of time before Yu Xiao did too.
He felt a surge of genuine happiness for her. “That’s fantastic! We’ll definitely meet up once we’re out of here!”
“See you on the outside!” Luo Jin echoed.
**
“How will you do it?” Yu Xiao asked. “Put the obsession to rest, I mean.”
“I will go into your heart.” The Nightmare tapped a finger to her chest, right above her heart. “I’ll live inside your heart. It’ll make it easier to calm the obsession.”
She considered this. “So… does that mean you will be discharged too?”
He hesitated. “… I suppose so.”
A genuine laugh escaped her. “Guess that sign was wrong after all. Useless thing.” She shook her head, then smiled. “Alright then, see you on the outside.”