Xiao Cheng felt a moment of dizziness.
She saw flesh and blood peel off the arm of the man in bed number 3, and his entire chest cavity was turned inside out, revealing his bright red internal organs.
However, when she focused her attention, everything returned to normal in the blink of an eye. The patient in bed number 3 asked blankly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"...No." Xiao Cheng tried to remain calm. "I wanted to ask, how did you sleep last night?"
The expression on the person in bed number 3 became conflicted. They shrugged and used body language to express their confusion.
"It's nothing, just take it as a joke." Xiao Cheng smiled slightly and turned to walk into the ward.
Next door, in bed number 4, she stared intently at the countdown, took a few deep breaths, and mentally prepared herself. Then, with five seconds left, she left the ward precisely on time.
The countdown on the wall reached zero, and the ward door slammed shut automatically, cutting off all sound.
Xiao Cheng sat on the hospital bed, quietly looking down the corridor.
Bed number 4 stood there, looking around warily. After confirming that there was no danger, it tentatively took a step forward.
Nothing happened.
Before she could even catch her breath, the black mist quickly spread throughout the corridor, completely obscuring her vision.
From the depths of darkness, a white-gloved hand reached out, shrouded in mist, and seemingly casually pushed against her.
With a muffled thud, the woman in bed number 4 was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the glass wall. She collapsed to the floor, curled up, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The gardener gracefully withdrew his hand and stepped out of the black mist: "The treatment has only just begun. Are you sure you want to see me this way? I hate disobedient people. If you can't give me a reasonable explanation today..."
He walked slowly to bed number 4, bent down slightly, and the black beads embedded in his face emitted a deep, eerie light. Black mist drifted slowly behind him, like a menacing shadow.
It wasn't until now that the woman in bed number 4 realized that what she saw wasn't black mist at all, but countless tiny black beetles, no bigger than sesame seeds. The beetles were getting closer and closer, and she could already see their fine, pointed teeth.
"The truth! I want to tell you the truth!" Bed number 4 shouted desperately.
"Is that so?" The gardener paused slightly as he bent down, and the black beetle stopped in its tracks. He gave a knowing smile. "Then tell me, what truth have you discovered?"
Xiao Cheng stayed in the ward. She couldn't hear what the patient in bed number 4 was saying, but the gardener suddenly burst into loud laughter, which pierced through the glass wall and sounded extremely jarring and eerie in the quiet ward.
As the black fog completely dissipated, he gentlemanly helped bed number 4 up and even personally opened the ward door for her, watching her walk in.
“An interesting guess, but unfortunately, it’s not the truth I’m looking for.” His voice echoed in every ward. “Before the treatment ends, I hope someone can give me the real answer. Otherwise…”
He didn't finish his sentence, but instead let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.
His body gradually became transparent, and then burst open like a colorful bubble.
At the same time, a line of bloody words slowly appeared on the glass wall.
"Rule Four: Please strictly abide by the rules."
The patient in bed number 4 was seriously injured. At first, he was coughing up blood, and later he vomited large amounts of blood clots, which should indicate internal organ damage.
Xiao Cheng watched helplessly as her face grew paler and paler until she finally collapsed to the ground and fainted. It wasn't until dinnertime, when a falling fruit hit her on the head, that the woman in bed number 4 woke up.
At least they're still alive.
Xiao Cheng listlessly munched on the fruit in her hand, her mind a jumbled mess.
As night fell, she lay in bed, watching the sky gradually darken.
The vines above have grown much longer, almost reaching the roof of bed number 3. The dense leaves form a natural curtain, swaying gently.
Xiao Cheng stared at the leaves, getting sleepier and sleepier. Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavy and she fell into a deep sleep.
In her hazy state, she had a rather heartwarming dream: a long-haired little black dog rushed over and nuzzled her neck enthusiastically.
The long, soft fur brushed against her neck, carrying a refreshing coolness and a slight tingling sensation.
"Don't move, it itches." Xiao Cheng groggily scratched at his hands, getting them all sticky and gooey.
Her remaining rationality alerted her to something was wrong, and her heart began to race instantly. She abruptly opened her eyes, sat up, and grabbed something beside her.
In the darkness, Su Xin was held by one hand and made to lean against the headboard, blinking her eyes innocently.
Xiao Cheng: "..."
She breathed a slight sigh of relief, then looked at Su Xin's big, blinking eyes and felt like she was about to laugh in exasperation: "What are you doing? In the middle of the night." She smoothed her messy hair back. "How did you get here?"
"Shh—" Su Xin put a finger to her lips and said mysteriously, "It's become glassy."
Xiao Cheng was stunned and turned to look at the glass wall. She saw that a large hole had been opened in the middle of the wall between her and Su Xin's ward, and molten glass was dripping down, making the wall look mottled.
"That's strange, it seems like only this glass wall is the problem." She turned and looked around. "Did something happen to your room?"
"No." Su Xin shook her head, then suddenly grabbed Xiao Cheng's hand and leaned closer to her ear, "But I have another secret to tell you."
Warm, moist breath brushed against Xiao Cheng's neck, making her lean back uncomfortably. She turned to face her and asked, "What?"
"I've become glassy," Su Xin sighed sadly. "I've become glassy too."
As soon as she finished speaking, her hands suddenly became exceptionally soft, like wax softening when heated, eventually melting into two puddles of viscous liquid that dripped onto Xiao Cheng's wrists.
"?!"
Xiao Cheng instinctively moved a considerable distance away, vigorously shaking her hands to wash off the liquid that had gotten on them.
Su Xin looked somewhat sad. Soon, a large amount of sticky fluid secreted from her scalp, and then strands of hair fell down, revealing her loose scalp with its many folds.
In the end, it was the face and body that melted.
Xiao Cheng watched helplessly as she melted into a lump of pinkish-red mud, slumped limply and wet beside the bed. Her facial features were right on top of the mud, and she even had a playful smile on her face.
"Xiao Cheng, it's too hot, I'm melting." The thing made Su Xin's voice. It seemed completely unaware of its current situation and was still struggling to climb onto the bed by clinging to the sheets.
Xiao Cheng stared blankly for a long time, then pinched her thigh hard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
