In front of Yu Xiao, there was only one patient remaining, and she had prepared herself by slipping her hand into her pocket.

    “Smiley, you…” Zhou Xiao Zhen shook off her shock, her eyes burning with intensity. Just as Yu Xiao expected an outburst, Zhou Xiao Zhen slyly raised her eyebrows and winked, “How’s Dr. George? Is he fierce in bed?”

    “…”

    A loud “smack!” echoed as the nurse clumsily knocked over the paper cup again.

    Finally, it was Yu Xiao’s turn. She politely smiled at the nurse, who hesitated for a moment, then nervously opened her blood-red lips, revealing uneven teeth. She managed to produce a simultaneously terrifying and comical smile.

    From her pocket, Yu Xiao took out a dirty ear and gestured towards the nurse and the two figures behind her.

    Understanding the unspoken message, the nurse widened her mouth even further, quickly grabbed the ear, and promptly moved away from the window after passing something to Yu Xiao from below.

    Curious about her unexpected gift, Yu Xiao opened her hand to find a dirty lollipop.

    Her emotions were momentarily tangled. Behind her, Zhao Lan exclaimed, “So, you collected those body parts last night… These are for dealing with medicine, huh.”

    “Smart move, Smiley, always planning ahead.” Zhou Xiao Zhen approached, reaching into her pocket, “Give me some too.”

    Yu Xiao swatted her hand away, turned, and fixed her gaze on Qiao Qiao standing in the corner.

    She chuckled, sauntered to the dining table, and settled into a chair, diving into the bread and fruit spread across it. It was a survival dance, like the advice from before – The only ones not eating here is the food.

    Noticing the mischievous grin on Yu Xiao’s face, Zhao Lan sensed trouble. Without hesitation, she pulled Zhou Xiao Zhen to join Yu Xiao, and the three of them silently indulged in their meal.

    With a banana hanging from her mouth, Yu Xiao playfully gestured, calling for Qiao Qiao. “Qiao Qiao, come here, sis has a treat for you.”

    In the corner, Qiao Qiao hesitated briefly but ultimately shuffled over, her already ghostly face growing even paler.

    “Amazing, Qiao,” Yu Xiao applauded with a thumbs up. “You’re incredible!”

    Sister Smile’s praise had an ulterior motive, and Zhou Xiao Zhen quickly chimed in, “Why are you praising her? What’s so special about her?”

    “Have you ever wondered about the patient who disappeared last night?” Yu Xiao peeled an orange, the skin curling in her hand as she spoke. “His skull was cracked open, and they scooped out his brain. Precious, do you understand the reason behind our bed arrangement?”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen thought for a moment, then realisation hit her. “It can’t be… the order to harvest brains?”

    “Bingo!” Yu Xiao grinned at Qiao Qiao. “In theory, in just thirteen days, every patient will have their brain scooped out. But look at Qiao Qiao here, forty years in, and her little head is still intact.”

    “Oh!” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes widened. “She’s not a patient!”

    Qiao Qiao shot her a fierce look, teeth bared. “I’m a patient, damn it!”

    “If you’re really a patient, how come your brain’s still intact?” Zhou Xiao Zhen seized Qiao Qiao, ready to examine her head. The contact felt disgustingly sticky, prompting an immediate recoil. “Ugh… wash your hair, it’s gross.”

    On the verge of tears, Qiao Qiao’s pouty mouth and darting eyes sought an escape route.

    “Let’s discuss it.” Yu Xiao leaned in, whispering, “Tell us how to keep our brains off the chopping block, and I’ll give you a hand. What do you say?”

    Qiao Qiao shot her a look that screamed, “Do I look stupid?” Without hesitation, she dismissed, “You’re a scammer.”

    “Cut the crap. I’m not a scammer; I’m a decent person.” Yu Xiao decided to try a gentler approach. “How about this? If you don’t spill on how to avoid brain butchering, I’ll had you over to George. What do you think?”

    “…” Qiao Qiao gaped, taken aback by the audacity before her.

    “You know how much George cares for me.” Yu Xiao lightly tapped Qiao Qiao’s forehead. “He’s pretty intense, and he has a thing for fresh brains. You, being so young, probably have a tender and tasty brain, right?”

    “Ugh…” Over forty years at St. Elizabeth’s, and yet lately, she’d shed quite a few tears. Despicable people! Bullying kids, that’s just too wicked!

    “Spill the beans, will you?!” Zhou Xiao Zhen menacingly shook the mahjong box. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll tie you up and hand you over to George. I’ll take his darn axe and cut not just your brain. We won’t waste your heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys either.”

    Qiao Qiao finally revealed her secret. St. Elizabeth Hospital, as it turned out, had more than one floor. When each floor reached maximum capacity, a new one seamlessly extended to accommodate the influx of patients. Access to each floor was a privilege granted only to the Dean and doctors, with one intriguing exception. To keep the brain-cut patients active, a nightly ritual unfolded. After lights out, they were guided through distinct passages on various floors.

    Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiao Zhen couldn’t hold back. “Why do they need to keep them active?”

    Qiao Qiao clearly didn’t expect this question. After a moment’s hesitation, she replied, “Maybe to maintain the strength of their muscles.”

    “…”

    Yu Xiao finally understood. The patients who had undergone brain surgery the previous night were simply out for some exercise. They made their way through a hidden passage to another floor, which explained their sudden disappearance.

    Qiao Qiao cried, tears streaming down like blood. “Every time it’s my turn, I skip the medication, then hide in the patient lineup at night and cross the passage between two floors.”

    Zhao Lan asked, “So by hiding between two floors, they can’t find you?”

    “I dunno,” Qiao Qiao fished out a hanky adorned with little chicks on it, using it to dab the blood off her face. “They never found me anyway.”

    Zhao Lan raised an eyebrow. “What about tomorrow? You’re not planning to play hide-and-seek every day, are you?”

    “The next day, they’ll just take someone else off the sickbed,” Qiao Qiao finished cleaning up. “I just have to wait for the next wave of patients to come in, then I can slip to the next ward.”

    She looked at Yu Xiao and the others, asking, “Did I clean up all the mess?”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen scrutinised her and commented, “There’s still blood on your eyeballs.”

    “Oh,” Qiao Qiao lowered her head and casually plucked out her eyeballs. Holding them in her hands, she delicately wiped them with the handkerchief.

    Seeing this strange act, Zhou Xiao Zhen furrowed her brow, and Yu Xiao thought she might not be able to handle such sights. Just as she was about to suggest that Qiao Qiao leave, Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, “Why do you stay here all the time? Isn’t it better to leave St. Elizabeth?”

    Qiao Qiao, in the middle of wiping her eyes, paused for a moment. She lifted her head, her two dark voids fixed on the trio, and asked in confusion, “Why leave? Why not stay?”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen hesitated, grappling with the idea. “Don’t you long for freedom?”

    Caught in a daze, Qiao Qiao struggled to fathom the elusive concept of “freedom.” A smirk played on her lips as she mused, “This place isn’t so bad. The food is decent, and there’s a bed to sleep on.”

    Silence hung in the air, leaving Zhou Xiao Zhen dumbfounded. Zhao Lan reached out to comfort her, saying, “Don’t think too deeply; we all have our own goals.”

    In a sudden realisation, Yu Xiao asked, “You’re always shuttling between floors with those brainless patients. Have you ever seen the Dean’s office?” S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Qiao Qiao nodded, casually putting her cleaned eyeballs back in. “First floor.”

    Their eyes met, excitement shining between them.

    “Thanks, Qiao Qiao.” Gratitude filled Yu Xiao’s voice as she retrieved a hand from her pocket. “Here, this one’s for you. Take your time with it.”

    Qiao Qiao’s eyes sparkled, a drop of drool escaping her lips. She awkwardly accepted the gift, licking on the thumb before breaking into a blissful grin.

    As Qiao Qiao happily skipped away, Zhao Lan commented, “If everything goes well, we can escape tonight. Smiley, you lucked out. You have no idea how hair-raising it was last night.”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen patted Yu Xiao’s shoulder, recalling, “That chubby ghost actually lifted me up, shook me, and threw me like a sack of potatoes. Smiley, why didn’t you tell us you were hiding with your supposed boyfriend? We were worried sick.”

    Speechless, Yu Xiao retorted, “George isn’t my boyfriend. I have standards, you know—handsome, witty, and a bank balance with at least eight figures.”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen initially remained hushed, then asked, “What’s going on with George? Is he some bloody beggar?”

    “Almost forgot to mention, I’ve set a new condition lately,” Yu Xiao chuckled. “The guy I date must be among the living.”

    “That’s quite a difficult requirement given the circumstances. Finding a living man here is like searching for a needle in a haystack,” Zhou Xiao Zhen advised sincerely. “Honestly, sometimes the gap between a dead man and a live one ain’t that wide. Maybe you should ease up on your criteria a tad?”

    Yu Xiao grinned, “Nope. Would you fancy a ghost as your boyfriend?”

    “If he’s good-looking, I might give it a thought,” Zhou Xiao Zhen blushed, flashing a smile. “Speaking of which, Misty, do you have any prerequisites for your future beau?”

    Caught off guard, Zhao Lan pondered briefly and replied solemnly, “Just, you know, alive, I suppose.”

    “Oh, speaking of strange preferences,” Qiao Qiao suddenly appeared from around the bend, gnawing on a severed hand. Grinning at Yu Xiao, she declared, “Give me another hand, and I’ll reveal a juicy secret.”

    Yu Xiao eyed her and pulled out an unidentified piece of flesh from her pocket. “Spill it.”

    Qiao Qiao’s eyes sparkled as she snatched the morsel from Yu Xiao’s hand. In a voice audible only to them, she revealed, “Someone stumbled upon the Dean earlier, but they all ended up as someone—or something’s—snack.”