Free Web NovelOn the rooftop of the hospital building.
The golden sunlight of dawn spilled down, but when it was still two or three meters from the rooftop, it seemed to be blocked by something, and the light dimmed.
“Creak—!” The door to the rooftop was pushed open by someone, letting out a soft sound.
The cool morning breeze poured into the stairwell. Jiang Li tidied the silver strands of hair blown awry at her temples, leaned on her cane, and limped towards the center of the rooftop.
In the center of the rooftop, the corner of a yellowed playing card was embedded in the concrete ground, imprinted with an exquisite Ace of Spades pattern, with a faint metallic sheen flowing over it.
“Whoosh—!”
Jiang Li bent down and pulled the card out of the crack in the ground. Immediately afterward, the dim light on the entire rooftop brightened, as if the curtains in a dark room had suddenly been opened.
Her slender fingers held the card, caressing it. Jiang Li frowned and pondered for a moment, then bent down again and reinserted the card into the ground.
...
When Jiang Li returned to the ward, Lu Yibei had changed into a hospital gown and was half-reclining on the bed, eating breakfast on a small table set up over the bed. He was devouring his food like a starving ghost, stuffing an entire fried dough stick into his mouth in a few seconds.
“Mmm...” Seeing Jiang Li push the door open, Lu Yibei swallowed the still-chewing fried dough stick, then took a sip of plain porridge to help it down, before patting his chest and sitting upright.
“Are you very hungry?” Jiang Li tilted her head slightly, asking with a cold expression.
“Of course! Phew—!” Finally swallowing the fried dough stick that had been stuck in his throat, Lu Yibei let out a long sigh with a blank expression. “Yesterday, the doctor said I almost injured an organ in my digestive system, though it was just my appendix. But to be safe, I shouldn’t eat anything for now, so I was hungry for a whole day.”
“Hmm.” Jiang Li responded, walking forward. Without any warning from Lu Yibei, she began to untie the laces of his upper garment.
To facilitate examination at any time, the hospital gown’s ties were easily undone. By the time Lu Yibei reacted, his bandage-wrapped abdomen was fully exposed to Jiang Li’s view.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing? I don’t recall there being any related clauses in the contract I signed, do I?” Lu Yibei immediately covered his chest and shrank back.
“Isn’t it an unwritten rule in every industry to satisfy a leader’s special requests?” Jiang Li raised her chin at Lu Yibei, saying earnestly, and then leaned closer.
Lu Yibei was slightly stunned. “...”
The sunlight outside the window fell on Jiang Li’s fair face. At such close proximity, even the tiny fine hairs on her face were clearly visible, making Lu Yibei want to praise her: Leader, you’re so beautiful!
But if he actually said it, he’d probably be killed on the spot, right?
Just as he was momentarily distracted, Jiang Li’s fingertips had already silently pressed onto the wound on his abdomen.
No spiritual energy fluctuations remaining? Night erosion level is also normal.
It seems I was overthinking.
Thinking this, Jiang Li took two steps back, straightened herself again, and said coldly, “Your wound seems to be bleeding a bit. Do you need me to call a doctor to take a look?”
Lu Yibei suddenly snapped back to attention, shaking his head. “No, no! A real man doesn’t cry when his head is cut off. What’s a little blood? Even if I had three cuts and six holes, I wouldn’t make a sound.”
“Oh? You weren’t saying that yesterday when I found you at the resort hotel.” Jiang Li said faintly, “Like, ‘Ah! Save me, I’m dying! Someone come! My intestines are coming out!’ something like that.”
“Uh...”
Listening to Jiang Li’s vivid imitation, Lu Yibei was momentarily speechless.
Pure nonsense! How could a dignified, iron-blooded man like me be that style?
Just as Lu Yibei was complaining inwardly, Jiang Li suddenly blurted out, “Last night, Hua Yu Sunshine Resort Hotel was destroyed.”
Upon hearing this, as if he had been caught doing something bad, Lu Yibei’s heart pounded, and he nearly showed a panicked expression. Fortunately, he had a poker face.
“Is that so? How could that be? What happened?”
Jiang Li watched Lu Yibei for a few seconds, detecting no abnormality on his face, and continued, “It’s likely that Mr. Rabbit’s ritual succeeded, causing a large fire. The entire resort hotel and the surrounding forest were reduced to ruins.”
“Damn it!”
Lu Yibei suddenly cursed viciously, and Jiang Li couldn’t help but be startled.
“That Mr. Rabbit, isn’t he too despicable?! Killing people everywhere is bad enough, but burning down the mountain?!” Lu Yibei looked at Jiang Li, his gaze burning, “Every forest is a precious treasure of humanity, Leader! Promise me, you must bring him to justice, okay?!”
“...” Jiang Li watched Lu Yibei for a few seconds, rubbing her temples, and said, “You don’t need to worry about that. Just ensure your own safety.”
Pausing, Jiang Li seemed to recall something and took off the Mourning Owl badge from her chest, handing it to Lu Yibei. “This is for you.”
“Uh...” Lu Yibei took the badge. His fingertips felt the cold metallic touch, and faintly, he seemed to sense something flowing beneath the metal surface, as if it were alive, giving him a very reassuring and approachable feeling.
But...
“What is this thing?”
“A special badge made by the Night Watch, it can warn of spiritual energy fluctuations and transmit messages,” Jiang Li explained.
“Keep it on you. If there’s another situation like Zhu Linglong’s, I’ll know immediately. That way, as long as you don’t run around, your safety will be guaranteed.”
Lu Yibei, “...” If that’s the case...
I wonder if this thing can detect it if I turn back into how I was last night.
If it can! Then it’s not a safety guarantee at all! It’s completely a portable surveillance and tracking device!
Seeing Lu Yibei holding the badge, lost in thought for a long time, Jiang Li tilted her head and said indifferently, “What? Do you have any other questions?”
“No, I’m just too touched! You actually gave me something so valuable, I don’t know how to repay you. I can only forever uphold the will of the Night Watch! I’ll work like an ox or a horse, following your lead, to express my respect!”
Fake! I’ve become this half-human, half-ghost thing, of course I should minimize contact with Jiang Li! Lu Yibei thought.
“This thing, every official member of the Night Watch has one.” Jiang Li’s gaze was slightly disdainful, and she said coldly, “I don’t need you to work like an ox or a horse. You... just be a good person.” frёeωebɳovel.com
He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but Lu Yibei felt that when she spoke, she deliberately emphasized the word “person.”
“Alright, you rest well and recover. I’m leaving.” With that, Jiang Li leaned on her cane and limped out of the ward.
Lu Yibei watched Jiang Li leave. The moment the ward door closed, his stomach suddenly rumbled. He sighed and grabbed a fried dough stick from the small table, stuffing it into his mouth.
He was truly hungry, never having been this hungry before, as if he could never be full.
After seven or eight fried dough sticks and three to five bowls of plain porridge, the hunger in his belly lessened a bit. Immediately afterward, an itch came from the wound on his abdomen. It was the itch of a healing wound, but much more intense.
The wound was healing, and very quickly!
Like an illusion, Lu Yibei could even hear the rustling sound of new flesh growing.
He surprisingly pulled open a small gap in the bandage around his waist, and then saw a scar that had already completely scabbed over.
“Hiss—!” He took a deep breath, feeling a lingering fear.
The wound he had inflicted on himself with so much effort and pain had healed to this extent in just over an hour?
If, when Jiang Li touched my wound just now, it had already recovered to this extent, would she have noticed anything?
As he pondered, Lu Yibei felt...
Hungry again.
...
A day passed calmly. As dusk gradually fell, Lu Yibei stood by the window, watching the fiery red sunset slowly sink below the horizon, his emotions gradually becoming anxious.
The mysterious girl in the illusion said that bathing in sunlight could temporarily restore him to his original form, but he didn’t know how long “temporarily” meant.
If it only lasted for one day, and he reverted to his true form at night, wouldn’t that be the end?
I need to think of a solution! Lu Yibei thought.
The Little Maid sat on the ward’s sofa, looking at his expressionless face, which maintained almost its only expression—a tight frown. She couldn’t help but feel curious.
“Hey! You! Is your wound uncomfortable?”
“No, it’s not!”
“Then why are you always frowning? Like you’ve been constipated for a long time.”
Upon hearing the Little Maid say this, Lu Yibei suddenly remembered that his face still had eyebrows that could move freely. He then raised and lowered his eyebrows twice, subtly relaxing them.
“Is it really appropriate for a young girl like you to have words about feces and urine on your lips?”
The Little Maid glared at Lu Yibei, puffed up with anger. “None of your business.” frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Lu Yibei shrugged. “By the way, if I were to go out for just a little while tonight, would you...?”
“Of course not! What do you want to do?” The Little Maid’s eyes instantly became vigilant. She scrutinized Lu Yibei from head to toe, saying, “I warn you, don’t try any tricks. Be careful, or I’ll report you to Miss.”
“Uh... I was just asking casually. Actually, I have a habit of eating late-night snacks, really.” Lu Yibei said with a blank expression and sincere tone, “There’s a saying, ‘Three meals a day are just for life, but afternoon tea and late-night snacks are for enjoyment!’ I haven’t even asked for afternoon tea, can’t I even have a late-night snack? Isn’t this a bit...”
“Stop!” The Little Maid anticipated that Lu Yibei was about to start rambling again and quickly interrupted, “No late-night snacks. Do you want to eat peaches?”
“Stay put and don’t even think about going anywhere!”
Lu Yibei, “...”
Damn it! It seems trying to leave the ward at night through normal means won’t work!
Should I sneak out? If I get caught, I’ll ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ definitely be suspected, right?
As he pondered, he caught a glimpse of the window out of the corner of his eye. The night fell like a purple veil, slowly creeping in from afar. Before long, the light in the ward dimmed.
It was about to get dark.
The next moment, Lu Yibei felt as if his heart had been sharply stabbed by something. Immediately afterward, it began to beat violently, at a frequency far exceeding normal.
