The Spacious Corridor
The corridor was packed, the result of the frantic crowd of monsters vying to be next. Unbeknownst to Yi Bai, who was still unconscious, a long line of eager figures had already formed outside his consultation room. Fortunately, his attentive assistant, Lina, was there to keep order.
Elsewhere, in the consultation room where the dozen or so monster doctors gathered, the director's expression flickered between dark and light, his eyes veiling a murderous intent that few could detect. His plans were crucial and could not tolerate any disruption. But, damn it! That damned human kid had caught the attention of the Rose Countess!
A fearsome being on the level of a Blood-clad Specter, even he, the director of the Third Hospital, was seen as nothing more than an insect in her eyes.
"Damned human! Why can't you just die quietly?" The director raged inwardly, his exterior calm and composed.
"Director, what should we do now?" The doctor with the bird-like mask asked, his mind working quickly. "That human kid seems to have earned the favor of the Rose Countess. Should we show some goodwill and give her face?"
Despite their envy, resentment, and jealousy towards Yi Bai, what else could they do? It was better to be practical and find a way to subtly please the Rose Countess, the Blood-clad Specter herself. Anything thrown their way would be worth far more than their worth in red robes.
"Show goodwill?" The director's eyes darkened behind his glasses, his voice carrying an eerie undertone. "Yes, indeed. It's the Rose Countess. Of course, it's worth showing goodwill."
"Then, Director, what's the next step?" The group of monster doctors, unaware of the director's true intentions, eagerly awaited instructions on how to win favor with the Countess.
"Patience," the director replied with a twisted smile. "Even if we have to offer that human some benefits, it must be within the rules of the game, don't you think?"
Yi Bai's Awakening
"Ugh..." Yi Bai groaned, having been unconscious for nearly half an hour. It felt as if he had just woken from a strange, surreal dream. When he tried to recall the details, his mind drew a blank.
"Wait… I feel like..." Yi Bai clenched his fist, a peculiar sensation running through him—like he could easily punch through a cow. The odd feeling left him both confused and intrigued. "Could it be that I'm still just hallucinating because of weakness?"
He attempted to rise. Crack, crack! His joints popped loudly as he stood, his body feeling unreasonably good, as if he had been completely restored. Even the lingering ailments from his long hours of working overtime seemed to vanish.
"Lina?" He called out, sensing something odd. There was no response at first, but when he called again, the door to the consultation room swung open.
"You're awake!" Lina's pale face lit up with a smile as she entered, her eyes quickly scanning him to make sure he was okay. After ensuring he was fine, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Uh..." Yi Bai felt that Lina's gaze was slightly off, and hastily asked, "What about the Rose Countess? Did she leave?"
"She's gone," Lina replied, her smile fading as the excitement in her voice disappeared.
Yi Bai silently cursed himself. How stupid of me! The first thing I do upon waking up is call out for Lina and ask about the Rose Countess? Isn't that just classic 'heartless bastard' behavior?
His mind raced as he desperately searched for a way to smooth things over.
Before he knew it, Yi Bai managed to force a relieved look onto his face. "Well, I'm glad she's gone. I thought... I thought..."
His unfinished sentence, of course, sparked Lina's curiosity. "What did you think?"
Without missing a beat, Yi Bai stepped closer, gently taking Lina's icy hand and squeezing it.
"I thought I was going to lose the only, most important friend I have in this world... Lina!" He looked into her eyes with sincerity, his voice laced with emotion.
Lina froze. She had never been on the receiving end of such a confession. Her pale face flushed crimson, and she quickly averted her gaze, avoiding Yi Bai's gaze, now too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
"W-What are you saying?" she stammered, her voice laced with confusion but tinged with something else—something that went beyond mere hesitation.
Yi Bai felt his pulse quicken as his words struck home. He knew exactly what was going on in her heart, and his grin widened just a little.
"You know," Yi Bai continued with a touch of playfulness, "while I was unconscious, I had this terrible nightmare."
"A nightmare?" Lina's curiosity deepened, her attention fully captured. She didn't even notice that her hand was still being held tightly by Yi Bai.
"Yeah," Yi Bai's tone shifted, taking on a hint of dread. "I dreamed that the Rose Countess rejected my proposal and still insisted on taking me back to her castle, to be kept as a living blood bank!"
"You know how hopeless I felt in that moment?" He trembled slightly, his voice filled with a mix of fear and disbelief. His grip on Lina's hand tightened, as if he feared losing her.
Lina, with a heart that had long stopped beating, felt a sudden thudding in her chest, a rush of warmth flooding her cold veins as she looked at Yi Bai. The way he spoke, the genuine emotion in his eyes—it melted her, bit by bit.
"In that nightmare, I thought I was a goner. But you, Lina... You were the one who fought with everything to save me. You..." Yi Bai didn't finish his sentence. He paused, his eyes growing heavy with a fleeting sadness.
Lina was completely swept up by the emotional weight of his words, her heart gripped with something she couldn't quite place. She refused to let go of his hand, her fingers trembling slightly.
"I thought I was going to lose you, Lina," Yi Bai whispered, his voice soft, yet filled with undeniable sincerity. "I'm just so lucky it was only a nightmare. If one of us had to die, I would rather it be me."
For a long moment, silence hung between them. Yi Bai slowly lifted Lina's chin, gently guiding her to meet his gaze.
In the near silence, his gaze softened further, and Lina's resolve crumbled. She wanted to speak, to tell him that she would do anything, even die for him. But before she could...
Knock knock knock!
The door suddenly slammed open, breaking the tension. Lina sprang back, her face turning an even deeper shade of red as she avoided looking at Yi Bai, a flurry of emotions crossing her face.
Yi Bai let out a silent sigh, the moment slipping away in an instant. His thoughts, once focused on his pursuit of Lina's heart, had quickly changed course. The opportunity had been so close—yet it was cruelly interrupted.
The situation was now complicated. He had wanted to become her Knight in shining armor, but maybe... maybe the journey wasn't over yet.
The director's plans might have failed, but Yi Bai's heart had taken an irreversible turn.