Chapter 107 The Lingering Ghost "What happened to your injury?"...
"Together?"
It seems that Xin Sang had never thought about this question before Liang Jun brought it up.
Her eyes visibly lit up, her surprise no less than when the points were tallied.
Liang Xun nodded firmly, but her words left the other party with more room for choice.
"Of course, if you have teammates who are still in other instances and it's inconvenient for them to join us, that's fine too..."
"I'm fine!"
Xin Sang raised his right hand above his head, "I've been here for far too long, and I haven't been able to contact my former teammates for a long time..."
Her eyes sparkled, as if she were imagining the team life they would lead together in the future. "I'm so happy to be with you all!"
They exchanged a smile, then turned their gazes to Ge Lin.
Ge Lin habitually scratched his blue hair, then gave a shy smile, "I...I can do it too, as long as you don't mind..."
"How could I possibly dislike you!"
Gu Keke quickly interrupted him, afraid that Ge Lin would start to feel sorry for himself again, "You are the youngest among us, and the most capable. You are a rare and good teammate and partner. Why should we look down on you!"
As soon as Gu Keke finished speaking, even Qi Zhixia, who had no expression, nodded in agreement.
"Don't underestimate yourself. Although your wheelchair-pushing skills aren't as good as Director Wang's, they're still pretty good." Qi Zhixia said calmly, "Even though I never want to sit in a wheelchair again."
Overjoyed at receiving unanimous approval, Ge Lin's originally shy smile widened considerably, and she even managed to squeeze out a big, shiny snot bubble while laughing.
The elevator car was immediately filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.
A barrage of disapproving comments followed, until Ge Lin's face turned as red as Xin Sang's hair, at which point everyone temporarily let him off the hook.
Liang Xuan, still wearing a cheerful smile, turned to meet Jiang Zhiling's gaze.
"What about you? Do you want to come with us?"
"I……"
Unlike the other two, Jiang Zhiling hesitated, clearly undecided, or perhaps having some other lingering thoughts.
Seeing this, the others' jokes stopped abruptly. Ge Lin and Luo Chuange both curiously craned their necks, seemingly wanting to know about Jiang Zhiling's situation, but before they could gain anything, Gu Keke slapped them back.
"Shh! Don't stare at her!" Gu Keke whispered, turning her gaze away from Jiang Zhiling.
Except for Leung Yau.
She shrank to the side, trying to make the space between them as small as possible.
Less space means more security.
"Are you hesitant because you still have some concerns?"
Liang Jun's voice was soft and gentle, like a kind and understanding senior student on campus, "It's not a good idea to keep it all inside, why not tell us?"
Looking into Liang Jun's watery eyes, Jiang Zhiling found it difficult to say no.
She lowered her head. "I...I might need to consider my sister's attitude..."
"Your sister?" Liang Jun was taken aback. "Jiang Chunhua?"
"right……"
Jiang Zhiling took a deep breath in the shadows. When she looked up again, a thin layer of pink had appeared around her eyes. "My sister and I have depended on each other since I was little. She didn't abandon me even in the most difficult times, so I have to follow her advice now. I can't leave her alone in this rule-based world."
Liang Jun felt very uncomfortable after hearing this.
Her hands involuntarily crossed and clenched, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "Okay, if your sister agrees, you can come and find us directly."
However, Liang Xun did not know the exact address of Wangjiang People's Hospital, since she was not a local.
She straightened up slightly and looked at Qi Zhixia on the innermost side. Before she could speak, the other person had already understood Liang Xuan's meaning.
Qi Zhixia repeated the hospital address several times, and after confirming that all three of them had memorized it, she nodded and asked, "Where are you? Is it far from Wangjiang?"
After the group exchanged login addresses, they realized that Jiang Zhiling, Xin Sang, and Ge Lin were all in different cities.
Xin Sang and Jiang Zhiling are relatively close to each other, as their cities are adjacent and not too far from Wangjiang City.
Ge Lin's login point was the furthest from the other two. Although it was in the same province as Yimu City, where Liang Jun lived, one was in the far west and the other in the far east, a difference of tens of thousands of miles.
Xin Sang neatly gathered her long, frizzy hair back together. "Baby, you all stay in the hospital and don't move. I'll drive to find you."
She then looked at Jiang Zhiling beside her, whose eyes were darting away, and said, "I happen to be going that way, so I can pick you up later, baby."
Jiang Zhiling wanted to emphasize her sister again, but the words stuck in her throat for some reason.
“Okay… thank you, Sister Xin…” she said hesitantly.
Xin Sang turned to look at Ge Lin sitting opposite her, "What are you going to do, kid? I can't drive you around anymore."
Ge Lin waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry, I'm a master at riding motorcycles!"
"motorcycle?"
Liang Xun's lips twitched uncontrollably. "That's several hundred kilometers. Don't you want to consider changing your route?"
But as soon as she said it, Liang Jun regretted it.
In a rules-based world where public infrastructure is almost completely paralyzed, the airplanes, high-speed trains, and even buses that we used to use no longer exist. If we want to move our base over long distances, we can only rely on our own capabilities.
What else can Ge Lin do besides riding a motorcycle?
Surely we can't expect him to...
"I have a driver's license! I can drive!"
Under Liang Xun's shocked gaze, Ge Lin seemed to wake from a dream and tapped his head, "I had completely forgotten about that!"
Now, not only her, but also Luo Chuange and Lao Ren opposite her had a hint of worry on their brows.
"Do you really know how to drive...?"
"Yes, yes, yes! I graduated from a legitimate driving school!"
Ge Lin patted his chest confidently, his voice like a drumbeat, "Although I haven't driven a car since I got my license, I can easily find a car and leisurely drive to find you in this situation."
Liang Jun hesitated for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out four words.
"be safe."
While the discussion was going on, the elevator car successfully reached the ground.
The overhead support arm made a final, sharp crack, and the third gondola swayed a few times before coming to a steady stop in the center of the Ferris wheel, awaiting the departure of its passengers.
Although the system did not give a clear notification this time, everyone knew that they had to exit the instance within five minutes of the elevator stopping.
Xin Sang and Liang Jun, who were sitting on the outside, declined each other's offer, but in the end, Xin Sang successfully gave up her seat to Liang Jun on the grounds that she "wanted to accompany Jiang Zhiling on the dungeon run".
Liang Jun dug her hands into the grooves of the sliding door, and with just a little force, the two glass doors were smoothly pulled open without any resistance.
The previously tightly fitted rubber sealing strip was rendered useless, and with a crisp "pop," it was separated from the middle.
The night wind blowing from the mountaintop felt chilly, and Liang Jun involuntarily shrank her neck.
The guardrails not far away are still intact, reflecting the glow of the Ferris wheel; looking further afield, illuminated by the mountaintop lights, one can still vaguely make out the path they came up the mountain from—
All of this will vanish the moment Liang Jun steps out of the sedan chair.
She braced her hands on the rubber strip of the sliding door and glanced back at the nervous and expectant crowd.
"Then I'll be going now."
After exchanging glances with her teammates, Liang Jun took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the ground with her shoes, which had a hole in them.
It was as if a giant straw had bitten her lungs.
The moment she came into contact with the outside world, Liang Jun felt as if she had been drawn into a vacuum. It was as if countless tentacles reached out from the ground, tightly gripping her legs and pulling her straight into the ground.
Unlike the previous scene filled with white light, Liang Xuan was now completely shrouded in darkness.
She felt as if she had been sucked into the depths of a sewer, twisting and struggling, crashing and thrashing about, sliding down an unseen slide to her destination.
When her feet landed back on solid ground, Liang Jun's first feeling was not comfort and relief, but a sudden wave of weakness washing over her.
Her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the PVC floor, enveloped in the strong smell of disinfectant.
Even blinking is difficult.
It seemed as if all the meridians in her body had been severed, and Liang Jun's hands and feet suddenly became weak and powerless. She couldn't even do a simple action like "supporting herself on the ground with both hands".
Her body couldn't even sense the existence of her eyelids. Under her conscious control, Liang Xun tried to blink, only then realizing that she wasn't completely blind, but that the room was simply pitch black.
She had originally intended to conserve her remaining strength so that her teammates would return and immediately notice her unusual condition. However, as time passed, not only did no sound come from the door of room 602, but Liang Jun's body, pressed tightly against the ground, also began to stiffen.
If this continues, she will be dragged to her death.
Still unaware of all this, she could only save herself.
Liang Jun struggled to prop herself up and move toward the location of the hospital bed she remembered.
Her bones were also weak and limp, and her arms could not be fully straightened, otherwise they would suddenly bend at the elbows. Liang Jun had no choice but to crawl forward like in a plank position, raising her legs slightly to minimize friction with the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, Liang Jun finally touched the cold iron bar of the hospital bed.
At this point, she was completely exhausted.
It was obviously impossible for her to roll onto the bed, but with the help of the bed board, she was at least able to use her strength.
In the last few seconds before losing consciousness, Liang Jun reached out and groped around on the bed, and surprisingly, she actually touched something.
The phone, which someone had tucked under the pillow, still felt faintly warm on its bare metal exterior.
Without thinking twice, Liang Jun dragged the phone in front of her and barely tapped the screen with her thumb. The sudden light became the only source of light in the ward.
01:07.
It's already 1 a.m.
Before the phone screen even went dark, Liang Jun's world was plunged into darkness once again—
Damp.
dark.
cramped.
The water felt like a raging storm, but the sticky, viscous texture told me that it wasn't water.
Countless slaps, transformed into the wind, came crashing down.
The endless stream of foul language turned into sharp swords, piercing straight to the heart.
Falling.
I felt like I was falling.
The feeling of weightlessness is terrifying.
Am I going to die?
The suffocating fantasy almost took over her entire brain. Liang Xun suddenly opened her eyes, like a drowning victim being rescued, desperately scrambling for oxygen.
White ceiling, white walls, white sunlight—
This is no longer that haunting, deserted corner.
"You're awake... Oh dear, why are you sweating so much again..."
Liang Xun stared blankly toward the source of the sound and saw that familiar figure.
Gu Keke sat on the edge of the bed, bustling back and forth. She seemed extremely excited to see that she had woken up, and was so flustered that she didn't know what to do.
"Programmer! Get me a towel! I want to wipe my sister's sweat!"
Gu Keke stretched her neck and shouted loudly towards the bathroom.
Soon, Luo Chuange's voice came from inside, "Understood—"
Perhaps she hadn't yet adjusted to the brightness before her, Liang Jun's every movement seemed extremely sluggish, like an old robot that had been shut down for a long time and was now restarting.
She practiced blinking at Gu Keke, her lips twitching as if she wanted to speak, but Gu Keke caught her just in time.
"What's wrong, Sister Jun?"
Gu Keke quickly put down everything she was holding and gently brought her ear close to Liang Xun's mouth, "What do you want to say?"
All the words she wanted to say were swallowed back by a burning, stinging sensation in her throat just as they were about to leave her vocal cords.
Liang Xun's brows furrowed in pain, and she could only stammer out a single word, "Water..."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Gu Keke quickly picked up the warm water she had prepared earlier and, with Lao Ren's help, helped Liang Xuan get out of bed.
"Be careful, it's hot." She watched Liang Jun pick up the cup cautiously.
The moment the warm water entered her throat, Liang Jun felt her voice come back to life.
The cutting sensation gradually subsided as the water flow increased. She cleared her throat; her voice was still slightly hoarse, but at least she could produce complete syllables.
She turned to the side and put the empty water glass back on the bedside table.
"How many days have I been asleep?"
Gu Keke then poured herself a cup of steaming hot water, unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle with one hand, and suppressed the scorching temperature.
"Two days, this is only the third day." She tucked the blanket around Liang Xun again. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
I didn't expect it to take so long.
Liang Xun unconsciously clenched her hands around the corner of the blanket. She shook her head, clearly anxious. "What's wrong with me? Are you all showing signs of unconsciousness too?"
"We only experienced varying degrees of weakness in our limbs, but we have all recovered quite well in the past few days."
Luo Chuange came out of the bathroom, wrung out a light pink towel, and handed it to Gu Keke. "Your condition is probably due to mental pollution you experienced in the dungeon, which is why you have such severe symptoms."
serious?
Before Liang Xuan could even process those words, a cool towel touched her forehead, making her shiver all over.
Gu Keke rolled the towel in her hand and meticulously wiped away the cold sweat one by one, as if she had done it many times before.
“We didn’t expect you to wake up so quickly,” she said, her warm breath brushing against Liang Jun’s ear. “Just last night, you were sleeping very restlessly, sweating profusely. The situation was not good, but no matter how we called you, you didn’t respond.”
Old Ren leaned against the window and casually picked up an apple.
"To be honest, it's nothing serious. You probably just had a nightmare." He pointed at Liang Xun with the hand holding the apple. "Last night you were talking in your sleep, saying things like 'Don't hit me, don't scold me'..."
The apple was juicy, and the splashed pale yellow juice trickled into Lao Ren's fingers, instantly turning them sticky.
Old Ren jokingly laughed, "Why would you worry about these things in your dreams? How could anyone possibly hit or scold you?"
He turned his back and threw the completely gnawed apple core into the trash can.
The apple core traced a perfect parabola in mid-air, but Lao Ren didn't notice Liang Jun's dull and lifeless eyes.
Do you need an explanation?
How do I explain this?
Liang Xun stared blankly into space, wrestling fiercely with herself in the moment when no one was watching.
She was terrified that someone would notice her unusual behavior, but fortunately, the pushed-open hospital room door successfully diverted all attention.
The crisp sound of high heels on the hospital's PVC floor seemed out of place.
The old PVC floorboards bulged out, making a series of noises like a blower, which hindered the visitors.
She wore a pair of ultra-fine gold-rimmed glasses, the thin lenses resting lightly on her slightly humped nose. Her striking almond-shaped eyes darted behind the lenses, sweeping indifferently over the bed next to Liang Jun's.
"Did you ring the bell?" The voice was as smooth as silk, and as rich as red wine.
Qi Zhixia, lying on the other hospital bed, nodded slightly. "I pressed it, but it has nothing to do with me."
She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded to the person opposite her, indicating, "Sister Jun is awake."
The doctor in the white coat then withdrew his gaze and turned his scrutinizing eyes back to Liang Yan, who was half-sitting and half-lying down.
Upon seeing the person who arrived, Liang Jun was slightly taken aback and somewhat surprised.
"Geng Qing?"
"Consciousness has recovered quite well—or rather, it has recovered remarkably well."
Geng Qing didn't have time for pleasantries. He walked directly to the bedside, squeezed past Gu Keke's guard, and took out a stethoscope from his white coat.
"We only met once at the consultation desk, yet you still remember my name—"
The initial examination revealed nothing serious. Geng Qing put away the stethoscope and put her hands in the pockets of her white coat. "Young lady, you have a good memory."
Liang Jun's gaze never left her breast pocket, where a royal blue fountain pen was tucked.
"Likewise."
She smiled politely, her eyebrows curving slightly. "There are so many patients coming and going in the hospital, yet you still remember the place where we met by chance—compared to you, I am truly humbled."
These words seemed to be exactly what Geng Qing wanted to hear.
She tilted her head slightly and chuckled softly, "How interesting..."
Ignoring the half-understanding looks from those around him, Geng Qing, as if by magic, pulled out a packet of medicine from the bedside table drawer.
“Hold out your hand,” she said, hanging the bag of clear liquid on the IV stand beside the bed. “I’ll put a bag of saline solution in here.”
Liang Xun gave a soft "oh," and her outstretched right hand was grabbed by Geng Qing.
Geng Qing's warm palms faced his own.
Meanwhile, on the other side, cold liquid was flowing into her body through her veins.
Geng Qing simply moved the stool next to the bed and sat down on the spot.
She had a row of densely packed medical tapes on the edge of the bedside table. She was currently bending over, securing the syringe in Liang Jun's hand.
"So, how did you end up in the hospital room?"
Liang Xun stared at the gray needle on the back of her hand. "What I mean is, don't you need to do a medical consultation?"
Geng Qing's movements were swift yet gentle; in the blink of an eye, she had already positioned the IV tubing.
Amidst her busy schedule, she didn't forget to check the speed of the IV drip. "The consultation work is relatively simple and has been handed over to other doctors."
She bent down again, peeled off the last piece of medical tape from the bedside table, and stuck it near the gray needle.
"The hospital is short-staffed, so I have to take over from Director Wang and continue treating the remaining patients."
"oh……"
Liang Xun nodded blankly, her gaze aimlessly, but she unexpectedly caught sight of Geng Qing's slightly open collar.
She wore her white coat very neatly, but even so, the wide collar still flared out quite a bit.
Geng Qing was wearing a V-neck long-sleeved top underneath, and from Liang Jun's angle, one could just catch a glimpse of the sizable bloodstains above her chest.
There were three parallel wounds, with blood scabs covering the exposed areas; the injuries outside the collar were already horrifying enough.
It looks like it was left by a vicious dog attack.
"What happened to your injury?" Liang Jun moved her gaze upwards, aiming at Geng Qing's eyes behind his glasses.
Geng Qing's fingertips trembled slightly as he applied the tape, which affected the gray needle. Liang Jun even felt as if the thin wall of her vein was about to be pierced.
She gasped reflexively, and Geng Qing also regained his senses at that moment. He casually stuck on the tape, tightly covered his chest, and stood up.
"nothing."
She seemed to be deliberately hiding something. After speaking in a volume that could only be heard by the two of them, she quickly turned around and walked away coldly.
Qi Zhixia wanted Geng Qing to change her dressing, but Geng Qing declined temporarily, saying she had to make rounds in other wards.
Qi Zhixia stood there, stunned, wondering what was wrong with the other person.
The hurried sound of Geng Qing's high heels grew fainter and fainter, eventually disappearing at the end of the hospital corridor along with Liang Xun's curiosity about her.
The ward returned to normal, with the group chatting happily as usual.
Everyone chatted casually, one after another, as if they were there to comfort a friend in the hospital.
When the saline solution was halfway through, Gu Keke handed Liang Jun a clean nectarine.
The nectarines were bright red all over, small in size, and their rich peach aroma tempted Liang Yun's stomach.
She hadn't eaten for several days, and with such delicious food right in front of her, even a god couldn't resist.
Liang Jun took a bite, and the nectarine burst with juice, the sweet juice flowing all over her hands.
With an injection in her other hand, Liang Jun had no choice but to ask Gu Keke, who was having a pleasant conversation, for help.
"Coco, could you please give me a piece of paper?"
Gu Keke was engrossed in her conversation and didn't stop talking.
She turned around, randomly pulled two cards from the cardboard box on the bedside table, and placed them under Liang Jun's hand.
Peach juice dripped onto the tissue, turning into a sticky puddle.
For some reason, seeing this scene suddenly reminded Liang Jun of Xin Sang.
There are also Jiang Zhiling and Ge Lin.
The idea came suddenly, but the desire to know the result was urgent.
Taking advantage of a lull in everyone's conversation, Liang Jun seized the opportunity to ask, "By the way, do you guys have any news about those three people?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Bonus chapter for every 1,000 nutrient solutions!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
