Translator: CinderTL
Fatty Huai Yi and Jiang Cheng were in cahoots, so he naturally didn't object to Jiang Cheng's actions. Even Wang Qi didn't say anything, simply joining the group as they walked.
However, night fell earlier and earlier each day. No one could be certain whether they'd step out of the School Doctor's Office only to find it already dark.
This posed a certain risk.
After all, who could say what might suddenly appear in the twilight of Jiangtan University? Those teachers and students who vanished almost instantly might suddenly reappear...
...in a different form, of course.
"Mr. Jiang," Shen Mengyun said, a little embarrassed, "you don't need to hold me. I... I'm fine. I can walk on my own."
Fatty, trailing behind, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Women are truly creatures of double standards, he thought. They say no when they mean yes, but I haven't seen Shen Mengyun push the doctor away.
It's all just talk. Her body's cooperating perfectly. She's practically glued to him.
Huai Yi's thoughts were a bit more complex and profound. He genuinely admired Jiang Cheng. No wonder they call him Third Brother Crimson, he thought. He's ridiculously strong.
Not only can he out-act the ghosts in the instance, but he can also flirt with the female characters to extract information.
The most ruthless part was that he even managed to win over teammates whose true nature—human or Ghost—was still unknown.
It seemed that if time had allowed, he might have even triggered some hidden plotlines.
Arriving at the School Doctor's Office, Jiang Cheng peered through the small window in the door and saw only the Senior Sister inside. She appeared to be preparing to leave for the day.
"Senior Sister," Jiang Cheng knocked, his voice pleasant.
Hearing his voice, the Senior Sister turned sharply. But when she saw it was Jiang Cheng, her entire demeanor seemed to brighten. "Junior Brother, what brings you here?"
"A friend of mine was injured," Jiang Cheng explained, releasing his grip on Shen Mengyun's arm beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings.
After examining Shen Mengyun's ankle, the Senior Sister frowned and said with a slightly reproachful tone, "How did this happen? And why didn't you come yesterday when you twisted it? Why wait until today?"
"Yesterday... I didn't think it was this serious," Shen Mengyun mumbled in explanation.
"But all the doctors are gone now, and the pharmacy is closed," the Senior Sister said kindly, treating Shen Mengyun like a younger sister.
Jiang Cheng interjected, "Senior Sister, do you have any pain relief patches?"
Senior Sister looked at him and nodded. "Yes, I do. But her sprain is more severe than I thought. Pain relief patches aren't ideal for her current condition. They're too slow to take effect. They might be barely sufficient for short-term pain relief, but as for anything else..."
"Let's make do with this for now. I'll bring her back to see you tomorrow morning, Senior Sister," Jiang Cheng said quickly, his mind racing with worry that it would get dark outside at any moment.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Cheng regretted them. He saw a flicker of disappointment in Senior Sister's eyes, and the light in her gaze dimmed.
I'll bring her back...
The phrase sounded suspiciously like something a boyfriend would say.
What's more, Shen Mengyun was acting the part perfectly, sitting obediently and following Jiang Cheng's every instruction, as docile and compliant as could be.
As a result of this slip-up, Jiang Cheng's standing in Senior Sister's eyes plummeted. He went from being a promising young heir to a prestigious medical family, brimming with self-confidence, to a complete scumbag—a man who already had a girlfriend but was still flirting with other girls.
In the end, because of his actions, Senior Sister only gave Shen Mengyun two pain relief patches.
The box originally contained five patches, but Senior Sister opened it and only gave Shen Mengyun two.
The reason given was that she didn't have the authority to distribute such important supplies and needed to call her teacher for approval. However, it was too late, and the teacher was likely already asleep, so she decided to postpone it.
As she left, she pointedly advised Shen Mengyun to be discerning when choosing a boyfriend. Some men were masters of disguise, appearing decent on the outside but harboring deeply corrupt hearts within.
Shen Mengyun didn't seem to understand, or perhaps she was pretending not to. Regardless, she didn't argue with anything the Senior Sister said.
Back in the dorm, the group decided to stay together. All five of them gathered in Jiang Cheng's room.
The original eight-member team had dwindled to just five.
In Shen Mengyun's and Wang Qi's dorms, they were the sole survivors.
Calling everyone together wasn't just out of concern for their safety; it was also a matter of self-preservation.
After all, the Heart-Corroding Demon had already impersonated Shen Mengyun once.
Jiang Cheng worried that after a brief rest, when they met again, one of them—Wang Qi or Shen Mengyun—might have been replaced by the demon.
The most crucial factor was the Heart-Corroding Demon's exceptional acting skills. If it successfully infiltrated their group, Jiang Cheng wasn't confident he could expose it.
It was late. With only two beds available, everyone had to squeeze together to rest.
For some reason, Wang Qi seemed to have taken a liking to Fatty and naturally sat down on his bed.
Fatty stared at him, momentarily suspecting Wang Qi might have ulterior motives. He dared not fall into a deep sleep, just lay on the bed with the drawstring of his pants tied extra tight.
Jiang Cheng's side was far more harmonious. Shen Mengyun sat in a chair while Jiang Cheng first helped her remove her shoes, then peeled off a cooling pain relief patch and applied it to her swollen ankle.
"How does it feel?" Jiang Cheng asked, looking up.
"Much better," Shen Mengyun whispered, quickly adding, "Thank you, Mr. Jiang. It's all my fault for delaying everyone."
Jiang Cheng helped her put her shoes back on. "Don't say that. At the library, we were all in danger, and it was thanks to you that many of us survived."
"Remember not to rub it. Just leave it as it is. When you exert yourself, try to avoid putting weight on that leg," Jiang Cheng said, standing up and pointing at her ankle.
Time passed quickly. Before they knew it, it was past 11 p.m.
The group gathered together and slowly left the dormitory as usual.
However, something unexpected happened this time.
Because the lights on the first floor of the dormitory were out and it was inconvenient to use flashlights, they could only walk toward the gate using the faint light available.
As they passed Shen Mengyun's dormitory, she suddenly stopped, her face instantly turning tense.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Cheng leaned over and asked softly.
"When I left this morning, the door was closed. I specifically closed it and locked it. When I came back this afternoon, I checked again, and it was still the same."
But now, Shen Mengyun's dormitory door was ajar, and the lock was missing. Through the peephole, the interior was pitch black.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and touched Jiang Cheng's arm.
It was Wang Qi.
His expression was strange. Jiang Cheng followed his gaze and looked down, noticing something slightly reflective on the ground in front of the dormitory door.
(End of the Chapter)
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