“Beep… Beep… Beep…”

    They deserved each other, the two-faced bastards. They were birds of a feather, and damn if they weren’t two peas in a pod!

    With a flick of her thumb, she hung up the phone, and dragged Lu Xun’s number straight into the blacklist. She felt a surge of anger, mixed with disappointment and hurt. She tossed the phone aside, and buried her face in the pillow, trying to block out the world.

    Zhao Lan watched her from across the room, feeling helpless and sympathetic. She wondered what she would do if she were in Yu Xiao’s shoes. She shuddered at the thought. She hoped she would never have to find out.

    She decided to change the subject, hoping to lighten the mood. “Let’s get some food,” she suggested, putting on a cheerful smile. “I’m starving.”

    She knew food wouldn’t solve anything, but it was better than nothing. Maybe a bite to eat would lift Yu Xiao’s spirits, or at least distract her from her troubles. Besides, Zhao Lan was genuinely hungry.

    Normally, it was Zhou Xiao Zhen’s job to handle food orders in the ward. She was the one who always complained about being bored and needing something to pass the time. But today, she was clearly not in the mood for it.

    She sat in her chair, slightly hunched over, her eyes glued to her phone, thumbs leaving trails as they tapped away on the screen.

    So, Zhao Lan headed to the door herself, turning back to ask her two dear ward mates, “What are you guys craving?”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen remained engrossed in her phone, oblivious to the question. Yu Xiao continued to pound the bed, venting her frustration…. Neither of them answered.

    **

    The breakfast that morning left much to be desired, with the only hint of meat being a few steamed dumplings in a bamboo basket.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen nibbled at one listlessly, wishing for something more satisfying. “Misty, why no spring rolls?”

    Zhao Lan took a leisurely sip of her rice porridge, enjoying the warm and soothing liquid while being unfazed by her friend’s complaint.. “I asked what you all wanted to eat. Since you didn’t say anything, I just went with my own preferences.”

    Yu Xiao felt oddly full after only half a bowl of porridge. But she had to admit, the simple meal had lifted her spirits somewhat. After all, there was no point in dwelling on the past, when the future was full of possibilities.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen, feeling a bit defeated, lowered her head, but soon found a new source of excitement in her phone. She exclaimed gleefully, “The forum is quite interesting. They all call me a master and want me to teach them tricks. Hah, learning from a master isn’t that easy, you know? I told them to save up points and then buy Talismans from our Talisman shop.”

    “I saw a spike in orders today,” Yu Xiao remarked, popping a pea into her mouth. “I guess I’ll have to draw more Talismans later. Maybe I’ll try some new ones this time.”

    She could currently draw two types of Talismans: 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】 for attack and 【Healing Crisis Talisman】 for healing. She had thought that having both would cover most situations, but after the harrowing experience of swapping bodies with a Merry-go-Round ghost in the amusement park, she realised she needed more options.

    She scrolled through the forum posts until she found what she was looking for: 【Guardian Talisman (护身命符)】.

    This Talisman was not meant to be used actively, but rather to act as a last resort. It could protect a person from fatal injuries at crucial moments. It could come in handy for situations like being snatched by ghosts or having your soul ripped out of your body.

    The only problem was that it was rather tricky to draw, with complex and creepy lines that made Yu Xiao shiver. She studied it carefully, trying to memorise the pattern. She was about to pick up her pen, when the phone rang again.

    It was a bloody odd thing, really. Back in the real world, her phone had hardly ever rung. But here, in this limbo of a hospital, it seemed like everyone wanted a piece of her.

    She glanced at the caller ID and saw the familiar name of Dr George.

    “Hello, hello. What a pleasant surprise. You must be missing me terribly, calling me again so soon~.”

    George didn’t rise to her teasing. He got straight to the point, as usual. “It’s time to fulfil your duties as the Dean.”

    Yu Xiao blinked. Oh, she had almost forgotten that she was the Dean.

    She hung up the phone and got out of bed. She slipped into her white coat, the only thing that distinguished her from the other patients.

    Zhao Lan looked up and smirked. “Off to St. Elizabeth’s again, Smiley?”

    “Yep. Gotta work.”

    “Oh.” Zhao Lan nodded, her eyes returning to her phone. But then, something clicked in her mind. She looked up again and asked, “Hey Smiley, do you lot at the hospital get paid or what?”

    Yu Xiao was momentarily stumped. She didn’t know how to answer that question. The hospital staff weren’t exactly human, were they? They were ghosts, trapped in this limbo between life and death. Do ghosts even get paid? But if ghosts didn’t get paid, why were ghosts like Tie Niu so keen on job hopping?

    “Wait till I go ask George at Elizabeth’s,” Yu Xiao said, buttoning up her coat. She shut her eyes and muttered a fervent prayer, “Let me return to Elizabeth, let me return to Elizabeth…” Sёar?h the N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    **

    The corridor stretched before her, empty and eerily quiet. The sun had sunk low, painting the floor with dark shapes.

    Yu Xiao hated to admit it, but she felt a strange comfort in this place. She shook her head, chastising herself for such foolishness. She sighed, knowing this was no way to live, or she would become a ghost herself.

    **

    In the ward, a group of patients huddled together, their faces pale and haunted. They had survived horrors that no one should ever see.

    The attending doctor, George, was a cunning bastard, every word a snare. He had broken two of them on his first day, and they had barely escaped his clutches. And the skeleton doctor in the operating room was a nightmare come to life. They were lucky to be alive, but they still had one more obstacle to overcome: the Dean’s office.

    “We should be able to get out of Saint Elizabeth’s tonight,” the most seasoned of them said. “The only thing we don’t know is what the Dean will do to us.”

    Another chimed in, “It’s weird. Why does the name Saint Elizabeth sound so familiar?”

    “It’s because Saint Elizabeth Hospital exists in the real world,” the youngest one explained. “Perhaps you’ve heard of it somewhere, and that’s why it sounds familiar.”

    “Is that so?”

    “The instance has a limit to its difficulty, and we’ve faced so many perils already. The final level can’t be that dreadful, can it?”

    They were conversing when they heard footsteps in the corridor outside the ward.

    The sound moved at a leisurely pace, passing by their room.

    They shared a look, both recalling a fearsome figure.

    On the day they first arrived at Saint Elizabeth’s, they had glimpsed a woman with long hair and a white coat strolling down the corridor like that. The nurses cowered in her wake, too afraid to look up.

    “Do you think that woman was the Dean?”

    “I have no idea. The portrait on the first floor was covered up. You all saw the warning next to it. Anyone who sees the portrait will die.”

    “Ugh, this instance is just too scary…”

    **

    With a triumphant smile, Yu Xiao reached the Dean’s office and tapped a message to George on her phone.

    【Come to my office~】

    George had been expecting her arrival, and he was prepared for it. The new Dean might be a thorn in his side, but she was only human after all. She wouldn’t last long as the Dean of Saint Elizabeth.

    “Knock, knock, knock.”

    “Come in~” Yu Xiao sang out, her eyes sparkling as she watched the door.

    George entered the room, his expression neutral and his posture stiff. “What do you want from me?”

    “Can’t I invite you over for a friendly chat?” Yu Xiao asked, feigning innocence. She scanned him from head to toe, admiring his sharp features and elegant suit. “You know, you’ve become quite a handsome devil. Or is it just my imagination?”

    “I appreciate your flattery, but I don’t think appearance matters much,” George said, his voice flat and uninterested.

    “Don’t be silly, appearance is everything. If you were a hideous beast, I would have never shown you any mercy back then,” Yu Xiao declared, her tone serious.

    George was at a loss for words, wondering how she could twist the truth so easily. He thought of the torment he had endured under her, and how he still couldn’t break free from her clutches.

    “Don’t look so doubtful,” Yu Xiao went on, “You must have heard of Dr. Gu Shu from Gu Family Village, right?”

    A flicker of curiosity crossed George’s face as he recalled the latest rumours swirling around.

    “He may have a pretty face, but his personality is a complete disaster, not my type at all,” Yu Xiao declared, her voice dripping with scorn. She had been rejected by Dr. Gu Shu more than once, and she nursed a grudge against him ever since. “He quit his job after he met me, you know.”

    That made sense. George had no idea what horrors Dr. Gu Shu had endured, but he could guess they were far from enjoyable. He let out a small sigh of relief, feeling slightly better.

    He could endure anything, as long as someone else was suffering more than him.

    “By the way,” Yu Xiao suddenly remembered the main reason for her visit, “now that I’m the big boss of St. Elizabeth’s, what’s the deal with the salary?”

    George felt a twitch in his eye, “All the patients in the hospital are your buffet, help yourself.”

    “What?!” Yu Xiao gasped, “What good are they to me? I don’t eat humans!”

    George answered coolly, “That’s how it works here, you see. You’re the first human to work in this hospital.”

    “I’m being ripped off…” Yu Xiao muttered, her face crumpling in frustration.

    A surge of satisfaction filled George as he saw Yu Xiao’s pained expression. He had waited for this moment for so long, and he rewarded himself with a dazzling false smile. “By the way, have you been keeping up with the news?”

    Yu Xiao raised her head from the table, where she had buried it in frustration. “Huh?”

    “You should pay more attention to the news. There’s something big brewing in the hospital. Something very big.” George said, leaning forward slightly before straightening up and walking out of the office.

    Something big? What did he mean by that? Was it something that affected the whole hospital?

    It couldn’t be just about St. Elizabeth’s, if George had bothered to mention it. The whole hospital… Did that include all the other hospitals as well?

    The night descended, and St. Elizabeth’s was shrouded in silence, as if the hospital itself had fallen asleep.

    But not for long. Soon, the patients began to run. Several of them, who had been languishing in the ward for ages, sneaked out and joined the stampede.

    Yu Xiao heard the thundering noise outside the office, and felt a twisted sense of amusement. She used to be one of them, scrambling to get into the Dean’s office. Now she was the one sitting in the Dean’s office, plotting how to make their lives harder.

    **

    At last, the running stopped, and four patients gathered outside the office door. They were jittery and impatient.

    “Enough!” one of them shouted, waving his hand. “We’re breaking in, no matter what.”

    Knock, knock, knock…

    They rapped on the door of the Dean’s office, hoping for an answer.

    **

    Yu Xiao spun in her chair, a wicked smile on her lips. “Let me think of some mischief to make for you lot.”

    **

    The office door remained silent, and the four figures outside felt their nerves fray, waiting for a reply. It seemed like forever, and they were about to knock again, when a piece of paper slid out from under the door.

    The foursome looked at each other, unsure what to do. The bravest among them reached for the note.

    On it was a puzzling message:

    【You’re the best of pals, brothers in arms. What are you ready to give up to save each other’s lives?

    A: Become your brother’s bride.

    B: Become your brother’s groom.

    C: Have a foursome with your brothers.

    D: Sacrifice points.】

    “…”

    The night was still at Saint Elizabeth’s, broken only by their stunned silence.

    The words on the paper made the four people feel like their minds had gone blank. They raised their heads and looked at each other, then thought of the ABC options, and unwanted images flashed in their heads…

    Ugh…

    They felt a wave of confusion wash over them. What sort of twisted options were these? How could they choose?

    “Do we really have to pick one?”

    They flushed, their eyes darting away from each other.

    “I guess so, this must be the final test.”

    “Then I choose D!”

    “Me too, D!”

    “Same here…”

    Just then, another piece of paper slid out from under the door. They grabbed it and saw another set of options.

    【So, how many points are you ready to give up for it?

    A: 1 point. B: 2 points. C: 3 points. D: 4 points.】

    Points were valuable, and they hated to part with them. But would refusing to sacrifice mean failing? If they had to choose one, which one would it be?