The next day, Huang Banxian opened the door only to find the entire surface smeared with black bloodstains; the talisman was nowhere to be seen.

Before the story was even finished, I cut off Wenshu, stopping her from continuing. The reason was that none of her tales related to the serious matter currently at hand. However, the preceding stories had given me a great deal of insight. For the moment, if I were to believe what Li Xiaoshu B—the one who came with my elder sister—said, then the Li Xiaoshu I first met (whom I’ll now call Li Xiaoshu A) was his twin brother who had died prematurely, and the blood flowing from his foot was black. If, as the story suggested, Li Xiaoshu A was like that woman—a restless spirit! And it was highly likely he sustained his vitality by absorbing the vital essence of living people! This would explain that day’s events; I was probably lured to the villa as a sacrifice. The problem was, this was all conjecture, entirely unsupported, and could not be trusted. More importantly, I absolutely could not let this speculation lead me to lower my guard and trust Li Xiaoshu B’s words. Regardless, my older sister was in his hands; based solely on the hostage situation, he and I were definitively enemies.

Wenshu was deeply displeased that I interrupted her narrative and insisted I continue listening. I secretly found a wad of cotton and stuffed it into my ears, but she noticed immediately. She snatched up a book and lunged at me, smashing it down. I dodged aside, and she missed, crashing onto the **. I seized the opportunity to fall on top of her, covering her completely. Having secured the high ground, I immediately went into action, desperately tickling her underarms with my hands. No matter how much she laughed or struggled, I refused to let go. In a short while, both of us were exhausted from the tussle.

It was at that precise moment that Wang Jue pushed the door open. Hospital rooms, by regulation, were not allowed to be locked. Seeing the scene, he instantly lowered his head, turned, and quietly closed the door behind him. Both Wenshu and I were **. Her hair had been completely scattered over me during our roughhousing. Pressed beneath me, with her hair thus disheveled, neither of us needed to offer any explanation!

After Wang Jue left, Wenshu scrambled up, her cheeks flushed, reaching out to smooth her tangled hair and adjust her clothes, taking the opportunity to neatly stack the scattered magazines onto the bedside table. Then, she left without a word, her head bowed low. I was left equally red-faced by the sudden interruption, unsure of what to say. I merely watched her silently as she completed these tasks, and then silently watched her depart.

Not long after Wenshu left, Wang Jue returned. I assumed he had stepped out momentarily to give us time to clean up the "battlefield." As a man, I wasn't particularly bothered by being seen in such a state. But what about Wenshu? What would he think of Wenshu?

Wang Jue glanced at my treatment record, then asked if I had any fever, any chest tightness, or general discomfort. I answered everything truthfully. Seeing that nothing seemed amiss, he prepared to leave.

Just as he reached the door, he noticed the neat stack of magazines placed precisely on the bedside table. He casually picked one up, flipped through a couple of pages, and then stared intently at me.

His gaze sent a cold sweat down my spine. I couldn't fathom what had happened.

"Have you read these ghost stories?"

"Yes, why?" I looked at him, completely bewildered.

"Arrange for a comprehensive check immediately. Change your clothes and come to my office." With that, he gathered the stack of magazines and hurried out of the ward.

I followed the instructions, heading to the nurses' station to collect a clean set of patient scrubs from Wenshu. She blushed, pretending to be busy with various tasks, pointedly ignoring me.

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