Lin Qing lay in his hospital bed, feeling perfectly calm. The stinging smell of disinfectant was everywhere, but he was still in a pretty good mood.

He’d been through an unpleasant experience once, but that didn’t mean Lin Qing was some kind of weirdo who enjoyed strange things.

It was just that, in the hospital, he didn’t have to see Su Yao from his class.

Which meant he wouldn’t see ten white skulls bobbing around in front of him, making all kinds of faces at him.

Besides seeing a white skull above everyone’s head, Lin Qing could also see the expressions on those skulls… even though, by all logic, skulls couldn’t make expressions.

But Lin Qing could see them all the same.

Happiness, joy, pain, sorrow, and so on…

The skulls’ expressions didn’t change at random. They only appeared when the person’s emotions were especially intense.

Still, most people’s skulls stayed expressionless. They didn’t make any other faces.

Su Yao was different, though. There was no way to compare her to an ordinary person.

Ten skulls, each with a different expression—that was already beyond anything Lin Qing could comprehend.

So he had to stay away from this dangerous woman.

He wasn’t some chivalrous hero, or a Buddha who cared about all living things. He was just an ordinary coward.

Like most people, when he sensed danger, he wanted to run. He didn’t want to get dragged into dangerous people or situations.

“Whoa, kid, you looked scary when they first brought you in! What happened to you? The doctor said something about… post-traumatic… something-or-other.”

Just as Lin Qing was happily enjoying some quiet and peaceful time by himself, the middle-aged man in the next bed, who’d been admitted with a broken shin, suddenly reached over and pulled open the curtain between them.

It looked like he was pretty bored without anyone there to keep him company.

Aside from Lin Qing and the middle-aged man, there was only one other person in the ordinary hospital room: an old man who was fast asleep.

And the room’s TV only had a few channels. The middle-aged man was tired of watching the same ones over and over, so he wanted someone to chat with.

Unfortunately, he’d picked Lin Qing.

Maybe once the old man woke up, he’d be willing to have a proper conversation with him. But Lin Qing just sat there in silence, not saying a word.

He wasn’t good at dealing with people.

“Aw, you young folks these days just can’t handle much stress. You’re nothing like people our age—we’ve been through thick and thin. Sure, I hurt my leg, but it’s a badge of honor! I saved a kid who was about to get hit by a car all by myself…”

But even though Lin Qing didn’t say a word, the middle-aged man didn’t stop talking.

He chatted away happily, completely unfazed.

In a way, that was pretty impressive.

Lin Qing didn’t find it annoying. He just listened quietly.

For a while, the middle-aged man’s nonstop chatter was the only sound in the room, breaking the silence of the ward.

“Patient Wu Gang in Bed Two, it’s time for your injection.”

After talking himself hoarse and embellishing his heroic deed with a few extra details, the middle-aged man was interrupted by a young nurse who suddenly walked into the room.

The small rectangular name tag pinned to her chest clearly read “Li Mei.”

After explaining why she was there, Li Mei took some medicine from the cart she’d wheeled in. She drew the clear liquid from a small vial into a syringe, ready to give him the injection.

Her hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a white nurse’s cap. Her eyes stayed focused as she worked.

“Nurse Li, you’re looking even prettier today! When you walked in just now, you were practically sparkling~”

The nurse was young, pretty, and easygoing, so Wu Gang grinned and complimented her a few times.

Li Mei didn’t get embarrassed. She accepted the compliment openly, then smiled and held up the syringe before quickly and firmly sticking it in and pulling it out.

Her movements were textbook-perfect. She must have practiced plenty in private.

“Oof. Nurse Li, you’ve been giving me shots for a whole week now. How come you never chat with me more?~”

“There are so many patients in this hospital that I can barely stop to catch my breath. The biggest help you can give me is to behave yourselves.”

Li Mei explained this in response to Wu Gang’s complaint, then turned her gaze to Lin Qing beside him.

Li Mei had already read up on the young patient in detail. She knew she shouldn’t do anything to upset him.

“Also, the patient next to you needs peace and quiet. It’s best not to make too much noise in the room.”

After giving that reminder, she saw Wu Gang avert his eyes and sighed helplessly. She knew she’d have to check in more often.

If this young patient got upset, he might start trembling uncontrollably again.

With symptoms like that, he should have been moved to a special-care ward. Unfortunately, because of his financial situation, he could only be placed in a regular ward for now…

“Aw, don’t worry, Nurse Li. I’ll keep an eye on the kid. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

Maybe Li Mei’s sigh had been too obvious. Wu Gang looked embarrassed, so he quickly thumped his chest and promised to look after the young man, insisting he wasn’t a bad guy.

His injured leg had almost healed. He’d probably be discharged in another two days, finally free from the hospital’s overwhelming smell of disinfectant.

He had to leave the nurse with a good last impression. He couldn’t let her get the wrong idea about him!

“I’ll leave him in your hands. Please keep an eye on him.”

Every word of Li Mei and Wu Gang’s conversation reached Lin Qing’s ears, but he didn’t react much.

He closed his eyes, which had been open until then, and didn’t even look at the nurse.

His uncooperative attitude made him seem just like a rebellious teenager. Wu Gang watched him and thought that if the kid weren’t lying in a hospital bed, he’d give him a proper talking-to.

Li Mei herself didn’t mind. She’d seen plenty of strange patients, and Lin Qing’s coldness was nothing unusual.

After making sure Wu Gang and Lin Qing were both doing all right, Li Mei walked over to the bed by the window. She checked on the old man, who was still asleep, and worry immediately showed in her eyes.

If he kept sleeping, that’d be bad!

“Hey, kid, don’t be so rude. Nurse Li’s a great person! Even if you don’t like talking, there’s no harm in smiling, right?”

While Li Mei checked on the old man, Wu Gang took the opportunity to speak quietly to Lin Qing, hoping he’d show a little more respect to the hospital’s angel in white.

But Lin Qing kept his eyes closed and ignored him.

Wu Gang was furious. If the kid had been his nephew, he’d have dragged him over and given him a good beating by now.

“All right, I’ll go check on the other rooms. If you need anything, press the call button.”

Li Mei didn’t stay in the room long. As she wheeled her cart out, she thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

Then she continued on to the next room. But after she’d gone only a dozen yards, someone suddenly bumped into her shoulder.

“Sorry.”

At the sound of a clear voice, Li Mei looked up at the girl who’d bumped into her. She wore a striking school uniform and was very beautiful.

Her dark eyes turned toward Li Mei, as if they could see right through everything.

“It’s fine.”

“Excuse me, do you know which room Lin Qing is in?”