From the moment he first saw Li Mei, Lin Qing knew she was a bad woman.

As mentioned before, a white skull represents the potential for evil, while a black skull means the person has already committed a crime.

The skull above Li Mei's head had changed color, proving outright that she'd become a criminal!

But murder wasn't the only thing that could turn a skull black. Any criminal act driven by evil intent could change a white skull into a black one.

But...

Lin Qing had seen Li Mei committing murder with his own eyes.

The old man in their shared hospital room had fallen into a coma because of this woman.

When she stood by the old man's bed, she spoke words of concern, but the black skull above her head grinned with its mouth wide open. Red light glowed in its dark, empty eye sockets.

Li Mei's emotions were in turmoil, and the skulls wore mocking, scornful expressions.

The red light glowing in the skulls' eye sockets was further proof that her emotions were abnormal.

This woman was no good.

Besides, merely plotting a murder couldn't possibly turn three skulls black.

And yet all three skulls above Li Mei's head had already turned black.

Because of her potential limit, no matter how many people Li Mei killed, only three skulls could turn black.

From that, Lin Qing could infer that she'd been killing people for quite some time.

The fact that Li Mei could kill people in a hospital without anyone noticing showed that she had a method. She wouldn't easily let anyone discover the evil she'd done.

Call the police?

It had taken Lin Qing until ten years later to regain his freedom, and even then, he'd had to escape by his own strength... He no longer trusted anyone. When it mattered, he could only rely on himself.

Lin Qing had endured a long, fruitless wait. Even though he knew it hadn't been the police's fault, sometimes he still couldn't help imagining...

Would things have turned out differently if they'd found him sooner?

His mother might not have died of a sudden heart attack, and his life might not have become the stagnant pool it was now...

Lin Qing knew he was taking his anger out on them, but he couldn't help it... Reporting the crime would inevitably reveal the informant's identity, and reporters would come swarming. Now that he wanted to return to a normal life, Lin Qing didn't want to be exposed again.

The best thing to do now was stay silent, just as he'd always done.

That was why, despite knowing everything, Lin Qing felt so suffocated in the hospital room.

It was as if he'd become the killer's accomplice, joining her in killing people recklessly in the hospital.

His conscience was making him feel guilty.

With those thoughts on his mind, Lin Qing nodded to Li Mei without saying a word, then turned and slowly walked away.

He looked so withdrawn and cold that no one could bring themselves to ask him anything else.

Li Mei, still standing behind him, only glanced at him a few times before turning her attention elsewhere. She didn't seem particularly suspicious or concerned.

That told Lin Qing he'd made the right bet...

Li Mei wasn't killing at random. She had a specific type of target.

But since Lin Qing had only just arrived at the hospital, he didn't know what motivated Li Mei to kill. So he had no choice but to keep quiet and avoid becoming her target.

Don't stand out. Stay quiet, and let everyone overlook him...

“This is the new patient, right? You talk to him, and he doesn't even answer!”

“He's a shy kid. Maybe he just isn't used to being in the hospital!”

As Lin Qing walked away, he heard Li Mei speaking softly with another nurse behind him. If he didn't have his special ability, he would never have believed someone like her was a murderer.

Unfortunately, you can know someone's face but not their heart. You can paint the skin and bones, but not the soul.

Not wanting to return to that suffocating hospital room too soon, Lin Qing found a chair and sat down. Now that he was all right, should he arrange to be discharged and go home?

He'd checked into the hospital to avoid Su Yao, but now that she'd come looking for him herself, his original plan had fallen completely apart.

There was no point in insisting on staying in the hospital.

Especially now that he'd discovered a murderer. The hospital had become even more dangerous.

But he'd been admitted less than a day ago. If he checked out now, his expenses wouldn't be reimbursed.

That was another hefty expense.

He had no money.

So no matter how dangerous it was, he had to stay in the hospital.

Cruel reality was never a fairy tale. Money was what could truly destroy everything!

Sitting in his chair, Lin Qing looked at the people coming and going in the distance and couldn't help sighing.

If only he had lots and lots of money!

Then he wouldn't have to stay beside a murderer just because he couldn't afford his hospital bill.

He wouldn't have to attend the same school as Su Yao, either.

He wouldn't have to spend every day on edge, or end up in the hospital because of it.

Thinking of Su Yao, Lin Qing reached into the pocket of his hospital gown and pulled out the note. He glanced at the number written on it, thinking that there was no way he'd ever call Su Yao himself.

He wanted nothing more to do with a terrifying woman like her.

Without another thought, he tore up the note and tossed it into the nearby trash can. Then, figuring enough time had passed, Lin Qing knew it was time to return to that hospital room steeped in death.

He couldn't wander around outside forever. The staff responsible for checking on patients would make a record of it.

If they found the patient missing from his room several times, they'd have to report it to the hospital, and things would get even more troublesome.

The minimum stay required for reimbursement was three days.

He just had to stick it out until then.

“Hey, where'd you wander off to without saying a word? Were you scared? Don't worry. A strong, healthy young guy like you won't run into anything like that.”

When Lin Qing returned to the hospital room, Wu Gang, looking cheerful, immediately started chattering at him. He thought the kid had been frightened by the old man in the bed by the window needing emergency treatment.

Hearing Wu Gang's words, Lin Qing instinctively looked toward the bed by the window. It was empty. There wasn't anyone in it.

Lin Qing's heart lurched. His left hand trembled faintly, and he knew his indifference had caused the old man's death.

Guilt came crashing over him like a tide, squeezing the breath from his lungs.

Even if he had to live through it again, he would still put his own safety first. But that wouldn't make the guilt go away.

It was like an invisible trial, sentencing him for standing by and doing nothing.

“Oh, that old man isn't dead yet. His son just got back from overseas. He's a rich, hotshot lawyer, and he said this hospital wasn't any good, so they took his dad to a better one.”

Seeing that something seemed off with Lin Qing, Wu Gang figured out what the kid was thinking and quickly explained.

That was good news.

If the old man stayed here, he probably wouldn't make it. At another hospital, he might still have a chance.

Maybe they'd even save him!

When Lin Qing suddenly heard that the patient wasn't dead, his expression froze. The guilt weighing on him vanished, and he could breathe freely again.

So he was still alive.

“Honey, I'm here~”

Just as Lin Qing had begun to relax, a woman's voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. A strange woman, smiling, hurried into the room.