Chapter 157

Chapter 157

"Such a marvelous sketch," Bu Jiu Zhao praised insincerely in a cold tone, "We should frame it and hang it later."

The doctor with dark eyes nodded in agreement, "I think that's feasible."

"Thank you." Xie Yinxue was used to Bu Jiuzhao's pettiness. He gave him a brief smile, then turned his attention to Bi Yuchen on his right.

Xie Yinxue felt that Bi Yuchen was just as sharp-witted as him.

Indeed, upon meeting Xie's gaze, Bi Yuchen smiled slightly, whispering, "I too saw Aunt Mary last night. She even placed you on the bed."

"Have all of you seen Aunt Mary? How come I missed her?" Lv Shuo raised his hand and spoke, "I was startled to wake up last night in the public restroom. It was so terrifying that I immediately took the medicine the nurse gave me. Next thing I knew, it was morning. I don’t even know how I got back to my ward."

Lv Shuo was worried that if he took his medication late, he might end up seeking a "midnight snack" in the public restroom.

"It must have been Aunt Mary who brought you back," Xiang Fei informed him. "Last night, after Chen Yun took her medication, she fell asleep instantly. I wanted to assist her, fearing she might fall. But Aunt Mary was quicker, and she whisked Chen Yun away."

"Really?" Lv Shuo asked Song Qingyun, having received the sleeping pills from her and consuming them in her presence.

Song Qingyun replied, "Yes, she carried you back."

Seizing the moment, Xie Yinxue turned to look at the group comprising Chen Yun, Lv Shuo, and others, following Xiang Fei and Song Qingyun’s dialogue.

Lv Shuo, realizing Xie Yinxue's gaze, felt slightly embarrassed and avoided direct eye contact, scratching his head in an uneasy manner.

Chen Yun and Xie Yinxue had spent time together not only in the Gluttonous Banquet instance but also in the Eternal Abyss Academy instance. Xie Yinxue even helped her evade the search of "students" in that scenario, ensuring her safety till the end. Even though Xie Yinxue had been distant in this current instance, Chen Yun understood that there must be a reason for his behavior.

So, what was Xie Yinxue trying to convey to her now?

Chen Yun pondered deeply, analyzing the conversation they just had—all about Aunt Mary and how she brought them back to their rooms after they fell asleep. Wait, she might have figured it out.

Bi Yuchen mentioned that Aunt Mary "placed" Xie Yinxue onto the bed;

Xiang Fei noted she was "embraced" and taken away by Aunt Mary;

Yet, Song Qingyun said that Lv Shuo was "hoisted" by Aunt Mary.

"Placed," "embraced," and "hoisted" are three distinctly different actions, each conveying a different sentiment. Especially "embraced," which carries an undertone of tenderness. If Aunt Mary could effortlessly place an adult man like Xie Yinxue on a bed, then why would she "embrace" a lighter woman like her?

Arguing that Aunt Mary had a softer spot for females was nonsense. She'd only favor participants with a nurse's role. The only explanation for the "affectionate" treatment towards her, a detested "patient," was that the Aunt Mary who brought her back to the ward wasn't the real Aunt Mary!

Truly, this was a clue that could entirely overturn their understanding of the situation.

Keep in mind that Auntie Mary is considered a guiding NPC. Participants inherently trust that she cannot lie. Who would ever suspect her identity?

Chen Yun momentarily suppressed her astonishment, showing no emotion on her face. She took up her pen to draw, advising Lv Shuo and Xiao Siyu, “Draw, don’t write. Illustrate the person you saw last night, but avoid anything related to the illusion.”

“I understand,” Xiao Siyu said, his gaze landing on Hu Li, who was still backed against the wall. “There seems to be an issue with the written words.”

Dr. Heidong Bu had them recount the illusions they witnessed last night. The "Hospital Patient Guidelines" also required them to adhere to the doctor's advice for treatment. But considering the disturbing sentences Hu Li wrote, how could he have done so if he was in control?

Lv Shuo wore a troubled expression, grumbling, “But I'm terrible at drawing…”

Chen Yun firmly responded, “Sketch it for the doctor first. If it’s really unacceptable, then write.”

As advised, Lv Shuo and Xiao Siyu began drawing the nurse they remembered from the previous night. Their drawings, however, were hilariously unrecognizable; at most, the hair looked somewhat accurate. Given their lack of artistic training, producing artwork akin to Xie Yin Xue's or Liu Bu Hua's seemed an impossible task. All three, Chen Yun, Lv Shuo, and Xiao Siyu, believed that Dr. Heidong Bu would certainly ask them to redo the sketches.

To their surprise, before the doctor could review their work, a man with vertical pale-blue pupils commented, “This is acceptable. Abstract art; its ugliness has an artistic touch. We might even frame it later.”

Xiao Siyu: “?”

Lv Shuo, completely baffled, murmured, “This is... acceptable?”

The man with vertical pupils glanced at the youth in the wheelchair and said, “Take a hint.”

It seemed as though it didn’t matter how Auntie Mary was portrayed; the more unflattering, the better.

Xie Yin Xue, with downcast eyes and a gentle tone, said, “Alright, I’ll draw you like this next time.”

Bu Jiu Zhao: “...”

On the other hand, Su Xun Lan, who was equally inept at drawing, wasn’t as fortunate. Her sketch was deemed too hideous by the man, and similarly by Dr. Heidong Bu, prompting her to resort to a written account, much like Hu Li's.

Expectedly, her writing exuded a haunting vibe. While she didn't scream like Hu Li after writing, her face turned an unnerving shade of pale.

As for Shi San and Bian Yu Chen, both displayed surprisingly good drawing skills. Of the nine patient participants, seven were able to complete today's "therapy" session through their sketches, subsequently receiving permission to retrieve their belongings.

After the therapy session, participants had a brief period of free time. However, neither the nurses nor patients seemed keen on dispersing or heading to the head nurse's counter to retrieve their belongings from Auntie Mary. They chose to stay, intrigued by the “artworks” left by previous patients on the bookshelves.

Xiao Siyu randomly picked up a thin booklet, quickly leafing through it. “Some from the past also chose to draw instead of writing. This one I have is filled with portraits of Auntie Mary.”

Holding a different booklet, Chen Yun added, “Mine is all written words, like diary entries detailing the illusions they saw each night.”

Lu Shuo waved the booklet in his hand, "This one too."

Unable to distinguish the patients herself, Song Qingyun hastily asked, "What does it say?"

That's the same question Zheng Shu wanted to ask Xie Yin Xue.

"It says... we'll all die," Chen Yun's expression grew more solemn as he looked at the booklet, "Even if we find the Ferryman NPC."

Su Xunlan, who always depended on trading with the Ferryman NPC to pass, instinctively retorted, "Impossible."

Chen Yun passed the booklet to her, "It says so right here, look."

[I will die... I will die... Tonight, I will surely die! No one can pass this instance! Even finding the Ferryman NPC is useless... useless... Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!]

The page Chen Yun turned to had just that line written on it. The word "Die" was printed in a notably large font, taking up more than half of the page, and the handwriting was wild and distorted, sending a chill down one's spine.

Bian Yuchen was also fervently browsing through other books on the shelf, "Many participants in these volumes say the same."

If not, it's just descriptions of terrifying illusions similar to what Su Xunlan and Hu Li wrote. There's nothing else.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shu neither agreed nor disagreed, "Finding the Ferryman NPC might be futile, perhaps we found the wrong one, or we didn't meet the Ferryman NPC's conditions. Such words might distract us, don't overthink it, especially since..."

He paused slightly, and Cui Rujie continued, "We are nurses, and you are patients. It seems your condition for passing is to complete treatment and obtain a medical certificate from the doctor."

"Since you put it that way," Hu Li, catching the hint in Cui Rujie's words, stared at her, "It seems your conditions for passing are different from ours."

They still don't know what's written in the "Staff Code of Conduct" for the nurses.

The discord between the nurse participants and patient participants surfaced again, making the atmosphere in the recreation room quite tense.

Hu Li remained silent for a while, then suddenly turned to face Xiang Fei, bowing deeply to her, "Xiang Fei, I sincerely apologize to you again. Last night, in my confusion and frustration, I wrongly took my anger out on you."

Xiang Fei felt that he had ulterior motives, like a weasel greeting a chicken. Cautiously, she asked, "What are you trying to say?"

"We can't keep fighting amongst ourselves. I want to live. You all heard the doctor. If I don't get some sleep, it will worsen. I must take medicine and sleep tonight." Hu Li pulled Su Xunlan into the conversation as a shield, "Didn't Su Xunlan say it yesterday? We can cooperate. At night, we'll get the medication from you, take it and sleep, while you nurses return to your dorms to rest. It's a win-win."

This time, none of the nurse participants objected like yesterday. The situation had changed. Yesterday, they had a choice, but today, Hu Li's words were both a proposal and a threat—his condition was deteriorating the fastest among all patient participants. If nothing changes, he might be the first to die. After lashing out at Xiang Fei the previous night, who's to say he won't drag others down with him in desperation?

Yu Fengzhu confirmed with the other patient participants, "Do all of you need medication too?"

Su Xunlan said, "I'll take it."

Thirteen's only statement upon entering the recreation room was, "Me too."

Bian Yuchen spoke in a calm and patient tone, "We didn't take it before because we didn't know about the side effects. Now that we do, we won't refuse."

Yu Fengzhu remarked, "Alright then."

Seeing that there were no objections from either side, Hu Li interjected, "Great, it seems we're all in agreement. Let's decide who will get the medication for whom tonight."

It was eventually unanimously agreed upon: Tonight, all patient participants will lie in their own beds, while the nurse participants will go to each patient's bedside, ensuring they take their medicine and fall asleep.

Honestly, after all these arrangements, everyone felt as though a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Zheng Shu, while stretching and flexing his joints, chatted with Mu Yujie, "Tonight, we'll have time to figure out why we can't sleep."

Indeed, tonight would be their only chance.

Because even if the patients took medication tonight, the side effects during the day would only involve being touched by wandering patients in the hospital. Everyone only knew the second stage of the "illusion", but as for what comes after the "touch" in the third stage... they'd have to wait and see.

The group began to head out of the recreation room, heading towards the nurse's station to find Aunt Mary.

Patient participants mainly came to collect their luggage, while nurse participants were trying to figure out when they could retrieve theirs.

"You won't face any danger tonight, why do you need your luggage?" Aunt Mary commented, lovingly patting the face of the one who asked, Lin Yue. "You must be tired from working so hard. Dinner is at six in the cafeteria. Make sure you eat well to restore your strength."

The patients who got their luggage brought some of their own snacks, not worrying too much about whether the cafeteria had food for them. Besides, even if the cafeteria did serve meals, they might not dare eat it—what if it's still "medicated food"? Hence, they chose to eat their own supplies.

However, as Lu Shuo was nibbling on his pre-prepared compressed biscuit, he glanced up to see Liu Buhua taking out a blue spray bottle from her suitcase and generously spraying it over her head. After which, she produced a small jar, scooped a bit of the white paste from inside, and evenly applied it to the back of each of her "petals."

Opposite Liu Buhua, Xie Yinxue, who was sipping her pearl milk tea, advised, "Don't just apply it on your face, make sure you get the back of your neck too. It's even darker than your face."

"Oh, okay then."

Obediently, Liu Buhua applied it twice to her neck.

Everyone else was left puzzled: "??"