Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Cheng ordered five dishes for Zhao Ru: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and one soup dish. Each dish was thoughtfully packed into two separate containers.
The remaining food was packed by the restaurant and could be taken home for dinner.
"I feel really bad for taking your lunch," Jiang Cheng said with a smile as they sat down. "But I just couldn't resist trying the meal you made yourself."
Hearing this, Zhao Ru's face turned even redder. She tugged at the hem of her white nurse uniform, lowered her head, and whispered, "I'm not good at cooking."
"Nonsense," Jiang Cheng blinked and said earnestly, "I think it's delicious. If possible, I'd like to eat it again tomorrow."
Jiang Cheng was carefully controlling the pace. For someone who frequented nightlife venues, everything he did came naturally, without any trace of acting. He was simply being himself.
After just a short period of interaction, the relationship between the two had grown much closer.
During their casual conversation, Jiang Cheng also subtly probed for information about the hospital. Unfortunately, Zhao Ru had just arrived and wasn't aware of many things.
But she promised to keep an eye out for Jiang Cheng.
"If I had to say something strange..." Zhao Ru hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Actually, I've encountered something too."
But it seemed she wasn't entirely sure.
Jiang Cheng pretended to be curious and urged her to share.
Zhao Ru said that when she first arrived at the hospital, Director Qi had assigned her to administer injections to a patient in Room 906. The first few times, Director Qi had accompanied her.
While she was giving the injection, Director Qi would stand by and watch.
At this point, Zhao Ru's expression changed slightly, as if there was something she couldn't quite figure out, and there was a hint of concern in her emotions.
But the next second, a hand rested on the back of hers. The hand was large and warm. Zhao Ru looked up and met Jiang Cheng's shimmering eyes.
Zhao Ru's concerns instantly vanished.
She told Jiang Cheng that when Director Qi accompanied her during the injections, she had an indescribable strange feeling. It seemed like Director Qi's attention wasn't on her at all.
To be more precise, while she was administering the injection, Director Qi wasn't concerned about her technique but instead kept staring at the patient's face.
"It felt like..." Zhao Ru frowned, "like he was observing, observing the patient's reaction."
"But how could the patient have any reaction?" Zhao Ru said, "She's already gone mad, completely lost her mind. She doesn't respond to any external stimuli."
"After about a week, Director Qi finally let me go alone."
Zhao Ru stopped here, her expression somewhat conflicted.
Jiang Cheng naturally took her water cup and handed it to her.
Zhao Ru took it and sipped a few small mouthfuls of water.
It was clear she wasn't thirsty but was just trying to calm her emotions.
Jiang Cheng didn't rush her, maintaining a calm demeanor, though inside he was as anxious as a cat on hot bricks.
After pursing her lips, Zhao Ru finally spoke again, "After that, I followed Director Qi's instructions and went to administer the injection every day."
"But..." Zhao Ru's tone shifted, and her gaze at Jiang Cheng was different from before, as if this memory was difficult for her, "One day, after I picked up the medicine and was on my way to administer the injection, at the corner between the 8th and 9th floors, I slipped and lost my footing."
"The medicine bottle shattered."
Zhao Ru's expression was deeply conflicted, and her voice was hushed as she spoke, "I didn't dare tell Director Qi. I'm here as an intern, and I've only been here for less than two weeks. I'm worried... I'm worried..."
Seeing Zhou Ru's nervousness, Jiang Cheng gently stroked the back of her hand, comforting her, "I understand. You didn't want this to happen, right?"
It seemed that after the medicine was broken that day, Zhou Ru had not informed Director Qi.
"What happened next?" Jiang Cheng asked softly.
Hearing this, Zhou Ru took a deep breath, "Then it was the next day. I went to get the medicine as usual and then went to give an injection to the patient in room 906."
"It was raining outside that day," Zhou Ru recalled, "A heavy rain that didn't stop all night. The sky outside was overcast."
"If you didn't turn on the lights inside the room, it was basically no different from night."
At this point, Zhou Ru instinctively glanced out the window.
It seemed that day was much like today's weather, with dark clouds outside threatening to crush the sky.
"I went to room 906, and everything inside was the same as before. The patient was lying on the bed, flat on her back, her eyes open, staring straight at the ceiling."
"I was used to her being like this. From the first day I saw her, she was like this," Zhou Ru said.
"The weather was bad that day, and my mood wasn't great either. Finally, when the IV drip was finished, I went to remove the needle. But just as I pulled out the needle, there was a loud clap of thunder outside, which startled me."
"Then, the lights in the room flickered a few times and went out."
"The room became very dark."
"Because I was holding the needle in my hand at the time, my first reaction was to quickly put it away so as not to accidentally prick the patient."
"But just as I reached out to feel for the medical tray, I... I touched a hand!" At this point, Zhao Ru's breathing suddenly became rapid.
She looked at Jiang Cheng, her eyes filled with terror, "But I clearly remember that was where the tray was, and... and the patient's hand... the patient's hand was still in my grasp!"
Putting himself in her shoes, Jiang Cheng also thought it was quite terrifying, but he still tried to comfort her calmly, "Could it be that you were just too nervous?"
"People tend to imagine things in the dark," Jiang Cheng said with a smile, his voice very calm.
"No!" Zhao Ru immediately said, "I'm sure I touched a hand, and..." As if recalling the scene, her body began to tremble, "That hand was extremely cold, as if it had been frozen in ice."
"What happened next?"
Hearing Jiang Cheng speak, Zhao Ru immediately looked at him, her gaze different from before, "Another lightning strike came," Zhao Ru's voice trembled, "In that brief moment of light, I saw... I saw that woman looking at me!"
"Her eyes moved, her pupils turned in my direction!"
"Who was looking at you?" Jiang Cheng pressed, "The woman on the bed?"
"Yes," Zhao Ru said excitedly, "She... she even spoke to me!"
"She said..." Zhao Ru instinctively gripped Jiang Cheng's hand tightly, her eyes fixed on his face, "She said it's back!"
A moment later, a flash of lightning streaked across the window.
Followed by a clap of thunder.
Outside, the rain poured down heavily.
Zhao Ru seemed utterly terrified, her body trembling uncontrollably. Jiang Cheng kept comforting her, even letting her lean against him.
After a while, Zhao Ru's emotions finally stabilized. Then, as if realizing that her earlier actions with Jiang Cheng had been too intimate, she shifted back slightly.
One more update today, making it four updates in total.
(End of the Chapter)
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