Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Good People, Bad Elevator

The ceiling, the pillows, the curtains, the nursing bed, she pulled at the threads, the electrode patch buckled on her forehead, the lines on the glass, a dark figure vaguely leaning against the outside, but not clearly visible, she lifted the quilt and climbed up.

The woman in the room hunched over and looked around in confusion. The patrolman saw her and signaled to his companions. One of them left, and soon the doctor came in.

She was wearing a protective mask, which she took off after entering the door. An ID card with the White Tower logo was hung on her chest, and a ballpoint pen was hung in her shirt pocket.

She didn't have a needle in her hand. When she saw the doctor come in, Xu Shanshan retracted her legs, which had been stretched out, into the quilt again, not knowing how she got there.

Doctor: "How do you feel now?"

"It's okay." The needle in my wrist was a little loose, piercing the flesh. It felt like a foreign body, but I was still a little afraid. I pointed at it and said, "Can I take it out?"

"No rush," the doctor then asked her some questions and asked her to answer truthfully. Soon after, a nurse came and removed the instruments from her body.

"What happened to me?" She jumped out of bed. Apart from being a little hungry, she didn't feel anything special. She felt lazy and wanted to take a few steps.

"This morning, your family found you in a coma and unable to wake up, so they sent you here for treatment," the woman opposite patted her face, her face rosy and her eyes bright. She bent down to take two glasses of water and drank them, looking in good spirits.

"Oh, what about the others?"

There was no answer to this question. Seeing that she was fine, the doctor told her to observe her for a while and do a checkup later. If there was nothing wrong, she could be discharged and go home.

After the doctor left and the nurse left with the cart, she and another patrolman were the only ones left in the room. She spread her palms and raised them, "Hello?"

Facing her gaze, the patrolman avoided her gaze and wanted to respond, but his throat was suddenly blocked by something, "Cough, cough." Seeing that the other party was coughing and couldn't stop, with his fist clenched at his mouth, she stood up and took a glass of water and handed it to him with both hands.

"Thanks."

"It's okay, drink slowly."

He only swallowed a mouthful, his lips crystal clear, his face serious, holding the water glass in his hand, his eyes unconsciously glanced over, then back, "He's been called in for a talk."

Xu Shanshan couldn't believe it, her eyes widened, "Really?"

The other party looked over, responded slowly, and nodded. Afraid that she would worry, he added: "He will definitely get a fair result."

The more she talked, the scarier it became. She nodded in agreement, "Of course, I believe you." Looking at the white helmets on their heads, she guessed their identities. It seemed like a serious accusation, and she felt that the commander would be court-martialed.

It shouldn't have anything to do with her; she's just a nobody. Could he have done something bad and been discovered? She felt her speculation was too far-fetched, but she couldn't help but think further: maybe he was a spy sent by the enemy?

An image flashed through her mind: the officer standing in the dock, right hand raised, confessing, "I am guilty." Her hair stood on end. She had only slept a few extra hours, and yet she looked so different. "Can I go for a walk? I'm a little tired."

"Yes, but please let us protect you."

Xu Shanshan nodded. She knew that protection meant following closely. She pushed open the glass door and saw two "white hats" standing outside, smiling and greeting the two of them. They were trained to have tense expressions and tried to respond in a friendly manner, but their smiles were stiff.

She lowered her head, looked at the ground, walked to the ward door without looking around, and held the door handle. The sound of the door lock startled the person guarding outside the door. The light came in and she walked out.

Manuel was sitting on a chair, his fingers crossed, holding a lunch box in his arms. He looked up hesitantly when he heard the sound. He thought it was another medical staff member, but when he looked up and saw clearly, he suddenly stood up and came to greet them.

Ares and his spirit form were both leaning against the wall, both sound asleep, with dark circles under their eyes. It looked like he had stayed up late the previous night, with stubble on his chin, and he hadn't shaved today, which was unlike him.

Seeing someone she knew made her feel so safe. She walked over, nervously grasping his arm, her face dented, and leaned closer, whispering, "Hello."

Seeing her nervousness, Manuel blinked slowly, his Adam's apple rolling, and let her lead him to the middle of the chair. He sat on the left, separating her from the patrol, his sideways position blocking their view. Hiding in his arms, she felt a moment of peace. She wanted to move forward, but frowned and pulled back.

Seeing her wipe her nose imperceptibly, glance around, and then retract her head, Manuel suddenly realized the smell on him. "Sorry, do you want me to sit further away?"

"No." Fearing he might run away too, she nervously grabbed his wrist. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. Seeing the other team members standing there like goalkeepers, watching them, she lowered her voice and asked, "What happened?"

Her voice was soft and light, with a tone of dependence that made her heart tremble and her breathing stagnate. Although she didn't understand the significance of her actions, the three patrol officers would definitely be able to hear the conversation between the two, but they also unconsciously imitated her, lowering their voices and pinching their throats to say:

"You've been sleeping for a long time. No matter how much I shout, it's useless. Shan Hao has sent you to the hospital."

The other person's eyes scanned her face, as if checking every inch of skin to see if there was anything abnormal. She licked her lips, leaned over, and put her face close to the injured side. Manuel subconsciously shrank back, and seeing her stunned, he was surprised by her resistance, and then forced himself to stop.

Afraid that he would misunderstand, she whispered, "I want to ask you something," then she slowly leaned her face over to his ear, her mouth close to his earlobe, making only some airflow sounds. She looked at the three people warily, looked straight into their eyes, then retracted her gaze and pretended not to see anything.

"What about him? Did something happen to him?"

The hot breath filled his cochlea. The delicate white face and his scar were only one centimeter apart. The gray cloth blocked the two warm skins, preventing heat exchange. They were so close that his breathing became disordered and he felt confused. He subconsciously put his hands around her waist, worried that she would fall.

Heat surged through his body, memories flooded his mind, his eyes were gradually filled with desire, and he gradually felt it difficult to control himself, until the other party pushed his shoulder again, "Manuel?", his response was too slow, the other party raised his upper body and distanced himself, he took a few deep breaths to calm his physiological reaction.

"He's taking a statement at the patrol station. The cause of your coma is unknown, and they need to understand the relevant situation and eliminate any potential risks. He's fine and will be back soon."

Reassured, she nodded. It was really because of her. She had underestimated how much the White Tower valued guides. Hearing he was fine, she calmed down and leaned back in her chair, looking at the houseplates.

Suddenly, a hand was raised towards her. She focused her eyes, passed by her ear, and reached behind her. She turned her head and found that the other party was holding Ares' head.

It turned out that this guy was not sleeping well and was about to stick to her. The mist was flowing slowly towards her shoulder. Manuel did not allow him to do this to the patient.

"Let's switch places."

In fact, she thought it was nothing and let him lean back, but she still followed the advice and stood up, and the two exchanged seats. This time, without him holding it down, Ares' head tilted to the other side again, which was really a bit funny.

This incident broke the dull atmosphere. She turned her head and looked down at his laptop. "What time is it now?"

Manuel: "Four fifty-eight in the afternoon."

"I slept for a long time."

This accident interrupted her plans. She had been planning to spend the weekend reading. She clasped her hands in her lap and looked at Manuel, then back at the ground. He couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything you want to say?"

Her clear eyes blinked, beads of tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, and her lips were dry and pale. Manuel felt very distressed and did not notice that his own condition was no better.

She looked up and said, "I'm a little hungry."

He laughed, as if suddenly realizing something. He was so concerned that he hadn't even thought of this. Seeing the other person reaching for the lunch box in his arms, he shook his head and said, "It's cold. I'll go get something hot."

"What do you want to eat?"

Several names of dishes popped up in her mind, but the nurse suddenly called her and told her that she could go for the check-up. Standing at the door, she turned around and said, "Xiaolongbao!" and added, "Don't buy too much." She had a dinner party in the evening.

Enter the examination room, lie on the instrument, and close your eyes.

After everything was over, she needed time to wait for the results. Passing the ward door and leaning against the door frame, she suddenly remembered something. She turned around and looked back, and saw the three "bodyguards" following closely behind her.

Because she stopped, the first person behind her stopped first, and it was a chain reaction. The second person saw it and stood up straight, just like dominoes, one by one standing up straight, a bit like a human machine. I couldn't help laughing twice.

"Have you eaten yet?"

The three of them were silent, and finally the leading sentry nodded and replied, "I have eaten."

"Okay," she forced a smile, after all, it was to protect her, "thank you for your hard work." Then she walked out of the ward and ran into Ares head-on. He was blocking the door. She came up to her and gave her a big hug. She threw herself into his arms, her hands grabbing the fabric of her back, and she didn't let go for a long time.

The ball of fog on his shoulder also came over, making a hoarse sound, looking pitiful and in need of comfort.

She patted her shoulder blade, her voice muffled by the thick muscles, signaling him to let her go.

The patrolmen watched the two people hugging each other tightly at the door. The man's eyes were red, his head lowered, tears welling up, and his hands tightly hugged the other person. When his name was called, he raised his head, his pupils bulged, his vision focused, revealing his lower three whites, and he looked at the three people without any concern for being seen as vulnerable.

He squatted down, looking up at her, lowered his arm, and finally held her hand. "You're okay, that's great."

He was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night and only closed his eyes at dawn. Soon after, he was woken up and said someone was looking for him. Then he heard the news and rushed to the hospital. He was very nervous all the way.

Looking through the window, I saw the person sleeping inside. The thought that she might have left made me so upset that I couldn't speak. I was filled with anger and felt annoyed by everything I heard.

Her so-called leader's questioning made him even more furious. Their superior-subordinate relationship should be abolished. How could a sentinel be allowed to lead a guide?

He must have done something to make her unstable, although there was not much of her scent on him, so it was impossible for anything to have happened between them.

He sat down and dozed off for a while until he learned that her condition was stable. The person he sensed in his dream must be her. When he woke up, Manuel was gone. He was guarding the door, but the soundproofing was so good that he didn't know what was happening inside.

When the door opened, he saw her for the first time and rushed over to her excitedly. She didn't refuse him, so he couldn't bear to let her go. At first, he was sincere, but later he just acted like a spoiled child.

They were just online friends, so it didn't seem like they were that close, right? She didn't know how to respond, so she could only awkwardly reassure him, "I'm fine, don't be like this, get up."

The ball of mist jumped onto her shoulder through the connected hands of the two and licked her cheek. Although it was not heavy, Ares still reached out and grabbed it back. The whole lion shrank back, but was still dragged back.

Seeing that the other party was still dawdling and refusing to let go, she became a little angry. Someone was watching, so she coldly scolded him, "Get up."

The man stood up subconsciously, as if he had noticed something interesting. She continued, "Let go."

The other person let go as if by reflex. Was it so effective? Like training a puppy, she even felt like teasing him.

There was a mysterious power that made her want him to keep crying for her, to shatter her beauty. Of course, this was also rehearsed.

She stretched out her hand, and he cooperated by bending his legs and lowering himself. She wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and pinched his cheeks, as the skin was very thin.

"Stop crying."

"Okay." Ares held her hand and placed it against his cheek.

The three people who watched the whole process were quietly enlightened. It turned out that this was how the sentries got along with each other.

The preliminary results came back, and she was free to leave. The three patrol officers also left, so they said goodbye and walked away.

Before leaving, he slipped her a card. She took it with suspicion, and the man explained, "The captain asked me to give it to you."

"Okay, goodbye, and have a safe trip." She waved and watched the three of them walk into the elevator.

They were the only two left in the hallway. They stretched, turning their heads and waists to relax. It was a slippery paper card, coated with a golden pattern. A twist of the wrist revealed a ginkgo leaf pattern.

Name, position, contact information, office address, it turned out to be a personal business card. Ares was so angry that everyone wanted to get close to her and asked, "Do you want to accept it?"

Leave it to him to deal with, and he will tear it into pieces and throw it in the trash can.

She was a little surprised. She had never seen this person before, so why was he handing her a business card?

"Who is Nancy?"

"The female captain of the patrol team." He deliberately emphasized gender. Although it was not that important, most patrol teams were heterosexual couples.

"Oh, cool!" She blinked, she must be a cool sister, after thinking about it, more connections, more paths, then put it in her pocket. This action made Ares even more angry and gritted his teeth. The black fog was furious. Why was he praising her?

The pressure on his body suddenly dropped, and she was a little confused as to why. She patted his arm. His body temperature was high, and his muscles were tight and elastic. They would dent and recover, and when they were tense, they were hard as a rock.

"Don't be angry," although she didn't understand what he meant, she gradually got used to his inexplicable little emotions and comforted him casually.

However, within one day, the image of this "cat-headed" netizen in her mind changed again and again. She no longer felt the fear of meeting him again. Instead, she tolerated many of his little tempers and felt that he was a straightforward person.

Manuel hasn't arrived yet, we have to wait for him.

Ares leaned against the wall, and the two of them talked a lot of intimate nonsense face to face until the elevator door opened. The man talked incessantly, telling about his experiences, "The vast prairie..." Footsteps sounded from behind her, and the smell of food wafted in. She thought it was Manuel who bought food.

"Manuel," she called out happily and turned around, only to find that the person walking in front was her commander, and her smile froze on her face.

Shan Hao: "I didn't disturb you, did I?"

The chief and Manuel were both holding lunch boxes in their hands. The chief had a serious expression on his face and glanced at the door. There were no patrol members inside, so it seemed they had already left. The bag string tightened around his fingertips, and his fingertips trembled.

…

This was a difficult question to answer, so she apologized instead: "Sir, I'm sorry for causing you to be investigated."

It turned out that she was worried about this, but he didn't care about it. The man took out the lunch box and handed it to her, "Fill your stomach."

She raised her eyes awkwardly and looked at Manuel, causing him to look back and sizing him up. He was also holding food in his hands, exchanging glances right under his nose. In less than a day, she was already sharing a little secret with him. Shan Hao: "Don't you want to eat this?"

She shook her head, took it, and found a chair to sit down.

Manuel walked towards Ares, who took it without hesitation, picked up his chopsticks and started eating, "This is not the last time you were in the cafeteria..." In almost a minute, there were only two left. He glanced at Manuel, but the other's eyes were only on the two people on the seats.

As Ares spoke, the three of them looked at each other. She almost wanted to cover his mouth, this guy, but it was too late and they still heard it.

Shan Hao: "Do you like eating buns?"

She hesitantly agreed, "I like porridge, too." She scooped up the food with a spoon and put it into her mouth. The officer said, "I've made a note of that."

Don't remember this kind of thing. Ares finished eating quickly, and the three of them sat or stood, watching her eat. It was very oppressive, forcing her to move her hands much faster.

Shan Hao: "Don't be in a hurry, eat slowly, don't force yourself if you can't eat more."

She ate half of it, then shook her head, considering she had an appointment that evening. The officer took it and ate the rest. He tossed the lunch box into the trash can and stood up. "Wait a moment."

The officer walked into the doctor's office and asked about the situation again, and received a positive answer.

He walked out. Although he was still dressed meticulously, his expression was a little tired compared to usual. His shirt was a little messy, and it should have been ironed and fit him neatly. Seeing her looking at him, he took out his laptop from his pocket and handed it back to her. "I'll take you back to the White Tower."

He took it and turned on the screen out of habit. It was past five o'clock and he might not be able to make it back in time. He walked towards the elevator and quickly sent a message to Xie Yifei, saying that he would be late.

The four of them rode together back to the pure white building that towered into the sky.

They walked into the elevator of the White Tower and it went up. The officer lit up the floor where her dormitory was. Manuel pressed the button for the third floor below ground, while Ares stood at the door with his arms folded. The team's base was not far away, but he did not want to get off the elevator early, like the other two.

It was obvious that the three of them wanted to watch her return to the dormitory. What about the party?

Looking at the last message she received ten minutes ago, Captain Xie Yifei told her not to rush and to come later, as they still needed time to prepare. It was a comforting message; they had waited long enough, and she was late. "I'm sorry," she typed in the chat box, but didn't send it.

The officer looked over and saw her fiddling with the screen. He knew she enjoyed surfing the internet, but he didn't take it seriously. Tomorrow was Monday, her first day at work, and mental stress was exhausting. "Go back and get some rest. If you don't feel well, I'll ask for leave for you."

The elevator door opened, and his finger pressed the door-opening button until the woman disappeared into the room. Then he released his hand and pressed the button for another floor. Ares walked forward and prepared to press the button, but found that the other party had already pressed it for him.

He retreated back to where he was and said reluctantly, "Thanks."

The elevator goes up.

Hastily closing the curtains, turning on the lights, she rummaged through her wardrobe. She couldn't possibly wear a uniform, could she? She grabbed a dress, a gift from her superior, and threw it on, along with the matching accessories with a snake logo on them. She shoved her shoes on, opened the door, turned off the lights, and rushed out.

Hurry up, hurry up. Standing in the elevator lobby, she didn't expect that the guide elevator that no one usually uses was occupied. It was still on the first floor. She could only go back and wait for a descending elevator.

Finally, they arrived. The button light went out and the elevator door opened. She wanted to rush in anxiously, but when she looked up, she was dumbfounded. Why were there still these three people?

The desire to survive was mixed with the desire to die. She opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain, and waved her hands meaninglessly.

The three men's gazes were fixed on her, their expressions puzzled. Ares shrugged, but only Fog was delighted, wanting to jump on her in surprise. The officer frowned. The door was about to close, and he reached out to block the edge of the sliding door, afraid of pinching her.

Where is she going?

Even though she looked a little messy, you could still tell she was dressed up carefully, unlike usual. She even wore lipstick. She had just come out of the hospital and couldn't wait to meet someone. That mysterious netizen?

Xu Shanshan: "What a coincidence."

Shan Hao: "Are you going out at this time?"

He had hoped she would return to the dorm, but she walked in with her bag instead. There was a long silence. She pressed the button for the 27th floor, and four circles lit up on the panel.

The next stop was the chief's office. The elevator door opened and she made way for him. The man remained motionless until the sliding door closed.

"We had a dinner planned before."

The pale explanation lacked persuasiveness. When people are embarrassed, they will make a lot of small movements. She coughed twice, attracting the attention of the three people.

"I'm really fine."

They looked like they were determined to follow through to the end.

Since no one is wrong, she looked at the top of the elevator car and thought, the only one who is wrong is you - the elevator.