“Don’t go near him!”

    With a cry of warning, Zhang Kui lunged forward, clutching a talisman in his fist. He tackled Qiao Ya to the ground, pinning him with his weight. His other hand slammed the talisman onto Qiao Ya’s forehead, hoping to see sparks of thunder.

    But nothing happened. The talisman was useless, and Qiao Ya kept thrashing under him.

    “Damn it!” Zhang Kui cursed, tossing the talisman aside. He gripped Qiao Ya’s arms with both hands, trying to restrain him. He looked over his shoulder at Yu Xiao and said: “This thing doesn’t work on him!”

    Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan hurried to his side, while the others watched with shock and confusion. Why did Zhang Kui attack Qiao Ya? Wasn’t he a generous and kind person? Did he hate Qiao Ya so much that he wanted to hurt him?

    Or was there something else going on?

    Yu Xiao crouched down and examined Qiao Ya’s face. He was covered in dirt and sweat, and his eyes were wild and bloodshot. He twisted and turned on the ground, as if he was in pain or rage.

    “He might not be a ghost.” Yu Xiao said softly, feeling a strange intuition.

    A ghost who disguised as a human would try to blend in and avoid suspicion. Qiao Ya had done the opposite in the past two days. He had been rude, gloomy, and provocative.

    “But he’s the only one who lives on the left side.” Zhang Kui argued, still holding Qiao Ya down. “The night before last, I heard it. Last night, you heard it. The ghost always came from the left side.”

    That was the part that puzzled Yu Xiao. She didn’t think Qiao Ya looked like a ghost, but the evidence seemed to point to him.

    “What if we do this.” Yu Xiao proposed: “Let’s tie him up, and today we’ll follow our plan to find that bastard. Tonight, we’ll have someone watch him. If nothing happens tonight, then he’s the ghost.”

    “Wait, what?” Jiang Wu interjected, baffled by the conversation. “You think Qiao Ya is a ghost?”

    “Yes.” Zhang Kui nodded and said: “Did I tell you yesterday that I heard footsteps outside in the middle of the night?”

    “You did.” Jiang Wu said: “You also said you went out to check, but you found nothing. Then you bumped into Yu Xiao.”

    “Right, and last night Yu Xiao heard footsteps too…” Zhang Kui explained their reasoning, and the others nodded slowly, as if they understood.

    They all nodded in agreement, whether out of fear, suspicion, or annoyed for Qiao Ya. It seemed like the most plausible explanation.

    Qiao Ya, pinned to the ground by Zhang Kui, let out a maniacal laugh. “You’re all going to die… you’re all going to die…”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen felt a twinge of pity in her chest. “Even if he’s not a ghost, he’s crazy.” She said, “Let’s tie him up and leave him alone.”

    The others scattered to find a rope, while Yu Xiao stayed behind, deep in thought. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

    Zhao Lan leaned close to Zhou Xiao Zhen and whispered: “What’s the matter? Do you feel sorry for him?”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen shook her head, but her voice was uncertain. “No, not really. I just think he might not be the ghost. I… I was thinking about us. If something happened to you, I would probably lose it too.”

    Zhao Lan didn’t say anything. She rested her head on Precious shoulder and looked away.

    They managed to tie up Qiao Ya, who was still laughing and struggling. Then they decided who would watch over him. They chose Jiang Wu, who had been at the third hospital for a long time. He had a lot of experience and a handful of talismans. He could handle Qiao Ya.

    The rest of them continued their search. Their target for today was the scumbag who had broken the pretty nurse’s heart.

    Yu Xiao and her two friends went to the sixth floor of the hospital, where there were three male doctors. They started with the first one.

    “I don’t think it’s him.” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, shaking her head. “He’s too old. How could a young nurse fall for him?”

    “That’s not always the case.” Zhao Lan argued. “Maybe the nurse liked older men. Maybe she wanted his money.”

    “I doubt it…” Yu Xiao said, unconvinced. “The guide said that the nurse ghost loved the doctor. Why don’t we ask around?”

    They entered the resident doctor’s office, where they found a doctor in his sixties, with bags under his eyes so big that looked like they could hold water.

    The old ghost doctor felt his spine chill under the intense stares of the six eyes. “What do you want from me? Is there a problem?”

    “We need to ask you something personal.” Yu Xiao said, her voice calm and cold. “Would you mind answering us?”

    “Uh, no, of course not.” The old doctor glanced nervously at Yu Xiao, who already had a reputation for being ruthless and violent. He didn’t dare to say no to her.

    “Good.” Yu Xiao continued. “Do you have a relationship with one of the nurses?”

    (女朋友: is a term for a female romantic partner. It can also imply a sexual relationship.)

    The old doctor choked on his own breath.

    “How dare you?!” he sputtered, his face turning red with anger. “That’s slander! You can’t accuse me of such things!”

    Zhao Lan smirked and leaned in closer to him, her eyes sharp and cunning. “Why are you so defensive? Do you think we’re here for fun? We have evidence, you know. Why else would we single you out?”

    The old doctor fell silent, his mouth twitching.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen rolled her eyes. She thought this was a waste of time. She didn’t buy that the nurse ghost had a crush on this old geezer.

    “Please, please, don’t tell anyone!” The old doctor suddenly dropped to his knees, his hands clasped together. “If my wife finds out, she’ll kill me!”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen: “…”

    “We’ll keep your secret.” Yu Xiao said, her gaze piercing through the old doctor’s soul. “But you have to tell us the truth. How many girlfriends do you have? Who are they?”

    “Only Xiao Fang (小芳)!” The old doctor blurted out, his face showing a mix of guilt and affection. “It was a mistake at first, but then we fell in love with each other’s souls…”

    Yu Xiao narrowed her eyes. “Did Xiao Fang come to work today?”

    “Yes, she did.” The old doctor smiled sheepishly. “She told me this morning that she wanted to have lunch with me.”

    **

    Zhou Xiao Zhen doubted her life and sighed. “You have a point, Misty. Some people do have a preference for older ones.” She glanced at the wrinkled man with a sour expression. “But that ancient relic is surely not the one we’re looking for.”

    Yu Xiao gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t lose hope. We still have male doctor number two to check out.”

    Male doctor number two was supposedly a man in his late thirties. In theory, forty was not old, and with proper care, he could even pass for handsome. But this number two, judging by the photo, had no trace of allure left, only repulsion.

    He must have tipped the scales at 400 kg, and suffered from a severe case of baldness.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen cringed and rubbed her chin. “He… he can’t be the one either.” She shuddered at the thought. “I would never accept him.”

    Misty, who had seen more of the world, chided her. “Don’t be so harsh, some people like plump ones.”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen remained unconvinced. “Even if some people like plump ones, I doubt anyone likes bald ones.”

    Yu Xiao shrugged and suggested. “Why don’t we just find him and ask him, then? It shouldn’t take long.”

    Once more, they found themselves in the resident doctor’s office, sitting across from doctor number two.

    Doctor number two wiped his sweat, and in the process, dislodged the hair that covered the centre of his scalp, exposing a large oily bald spot. He gasped and trembled, and hastily gathered his hair back with both hands. The result was disastrous, the dandruff flew like snowflakes in the northern wind…

    Yu Xiao swiftly scooted her stool back a notch. “Calm down, we just have a question for you.”

    The doctor forced a laugh. “Ah… ask away, ask away.”

    Yu Xiao: “Do you have a girlfriend?”

    “…”

    She couldn’t fathom what was wrong with that question, but the doctor’s face darkened in an instant. In a matter of seconds, his eyes brimmed with tears.

    “Is this some kind of cruel joke?”

    Yu Xiao and her two friends were stunned. “We didn’t mean that…”

    “If I had a girlfriend, do you think I would spend every day in this hospital? Wuu wuu wuu wuu~, you are meanies~…”

    **

    Zhao Lan surveyed the last candidate on the list with a cool eye. “He’s the final one,” she announced. “And he seems to have it all: youth, charm, and success. Just what we need for our project!”

    The third doctor barely looked a day over thirty. He stood tall and lean, his fair skin contrasting with his dark hair and eyes. His features were sharp and striking, and his smile was dazzling enough to rival the sun. A far cry from those dreary fellows like Gu Shu!

    “Hello,” Yu Xiao greeted him, her voice sweetening at the sight of such a handsome man. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

    The third doctor flashed his pearly whites, “Not at all, go ahead.”

    “Do you have a girlfriend?”

    He shook his head, his gaze dropping shyly. “No, I don’t. I’m too busy with my work right now.”

    “I see,” Yu Xiao nodded. “And what are you looking for in your future girlfriend?”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen raised an eyebrow.

    He rubbed his neck, his cheeks turning pink. “Well, I don’t really have any specific criteria,” he admitted. “As long as she’s beautiful and kind, then I…”

    “Is that so?” Yu Xiao smiled, leaning closer. “How fortunate, because I happen to meet those standards…”

    “Ahem!” Zhao Lan cleared her throat. “Don’t forget the crucial question.”

    Yu Xiao straightened up, “Oh, right. I also have some expectations for my future boyfriend. He can’t have more than three ex-girlfriends!”

    His eyes widened, his excitement palpable. “I pass! I’ve never even had a girlfriend before!”

    **

    They trudged to the cafeteria in a sombre procession, their faces etched with defeat. Another day wasted in this hellish place.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen pushed the radish around her plate, barely tasting it. “It has to be Gu Shu, the bastard. He’s playing us for fools.”

    Yu Xiao shook her head. “We can’t prove anything. And we have time on our side. This instance doesn’t have a deadline. We can stay here as long as we need to.”

    Zhao Lan nodded. “That’s true. We just have to keep our cool and not panic.”

    They were soon joined by the others, who had equally dismal news. No one had made any breakthroughs.

    With heavy hearts, they returned to their wards and settled in for the night. They will regroup and rethink their plan tomorrow.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen snored loudly, having twisted herself into an awkward position. Yu Xiao lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop thinking about the footsteps she had heard for the last two nights.

    A sudden realisation hit her. The footsteps always went from left to right, but why did they go right? Qiao Ya was in the eighth ward, the farthest to the left. If he was the ghost, why would he kill the people in the seventh and sixth wards and then walk to the right? Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Qiao Ya was not the ghost!

    Yu Xiao felt a chill run down her spine. The ghost was not on the left. It was on the right. That’s why it passed by her ward every night. Because it was going back to its own room on the right after murdering someone.

    She bolted out of bed and slipped out of the room, leaving Zhou Xiao Zhen to her snores.

    She crept to the right, scanning the wards on that side. The fourth ward was hers, the third ward was Misty’s. The first ward belonged to Jiang Hai (江海) from the Fourth Hospital, the second ward to Jiang Wu (蒋武) from the Third Hospital. If there was a ghost among them, it had to be one of them.

    (tn: They don’t have the same surname, it’s just written the same in English. :P)

    She reached the door of the first ward. She recalled that when Gu Shu first claimed that one of them was not human, everyone pointed fingers at Jiang Hai, because he was the only loner here.

    She was about to peek inside, when she noticed a box of tea leaves on the floor in front of Gu Shu’s door. How nice, the morgue ghost had switched to black tea today.

    She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she bumped into the wall behind her. “Ow…”

    There was a sound from Gu Shu’s room. Yu Xiao remembered what happened last time. She didn’t hesitate. She ran for her life.

    Gu Shu opened the door and looked around. He spotted a familiar silhouette darting away in a panic. He glanced down. There was a box of pricey black tea at his doorstep.