A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital

Chapter 68: Dump that Trash and go Catch Gu Shu’s Heart!

As soon as Yu Xiao’s voice rang out, the sinister presence that had been hovering around her came to a halt, then swiftly coalesced in front of her, taking on the shape of a woman who looked exactly like Yu Xiao.

Every detail was replicated with eerie precision: the same clothes, the same hairstyle, the same expression, and the same movements. The only difference was in the eyes, which were devoid of any spark or emotion, unlike Yu Xiao’s.

With a curious gaze, Yu Xiao studied the ghostly apparition in front of her, continuing to sing, “Pluck the stars to give to you…”

The female spectre echoed her, singing, “Snatch the moon to give to you…”

The upbeat rhythm of “Little Apple” filled the entire morgue, creating a stark contrast with the gloomy atmosphere. For Yu Xiao, this was a fascinating experiment, so she sang with gusto, hoping to get the ghost right on the first try.

She repeated “Little Apple” twice in this manner. As she sang, she had a vague sense that she might have messed up some of the lyrics, but she shrugged it off, thinking that ghosts wouldn’t know any better.

…Or would they?

After the second round, the ghost showed no signs of change, while Yu Xiao’s voice was getting hoarse. She realised this wasn’t working; the ghost clearly didn’t appreciate this song. She pondered for a moment and decided it must be the song selection. “Little Apple” was too cheerful, while this ghost seemed to have suffered some heartbreak, so she might respond better to something more sombre.

Yu Xiao

The female ghost shook her head rapidly.

“No, he doesn’t. Gu Shu is probably better than him,” Yu Xiao said, baffled. “You’re wasting your time on this worthless scumbag. You might as well fancy Gu Shu outside.”

The female ghost wavered.

She knew Yu Xiao had a point, but Gu Shu outside was no ordinary ghost. He was a top-notch attending doctor! How could she, a lowly ghost, dare to dream of such a lofty goal?

Yu Xiao, catching her thoughts again, exclaimed, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

The female ghost stared at her in shock, her mouth hanging open.

“Why do you think he’s so special? Haven’t you heard the gossip?” Yu Xiao went on, “The whole hospital is talking about how he’s obsessed with a married woman. He’s just like you; a lovesick fool.”

The female ghost felt a pang in her chest, as if an arrow had pierced her heart.

“Listen to me, I’m telling you for your own good: dump that trash and stop throwing away your life,” Yu Xiao said, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Then go after your second chance at love (第二春: second spring) with confidence.”

At that moment, the female ghost saw the light. She looked at Yu Xiao, who seemed to have a halo around her head, leading her astray soul to the right path.

Yu Xiao cut off the chatter with a wave of her hand. “Enough. Hand over the clue.”

The female ghost’s fingers, tipped with long and jagged nails, searched her own body until they found a blue bow tie. She offered it to Yu Xiao, who snatched it and made to leave. But she felt a tug on her clothes, and spun around to see the ghost holding on to her with a desperate look, her head bowed.

Yu Xiao frowned. “What now?”

The ghost said nothing, but plucked a strand of hair from her scalp and extended it to Yu Xiao.

“Is this for me?” Yu Xiao took the hair, wrinkling her nose. “Gross. How long has it been since you washed this? And what am I supposed to do with it?”

The ghost gave a faint sigh and pointed to Yu Xiao’s pocket.

Yu Xiao shrugged and stuffed the hair inside. “Fine, I’ll keep it. But don’t you dare try anything funny, or you’ll face the wrath of the five thunders.”

With that, she shoved the door of the morgue open, making a loud clang that startled the people outside.

She stepped out, looking as immaculate as ever, her hair in place and her clothes spotless. It was as if she had just gone in for a quick nap, not a confrontation with a ghost.

Dr Gu Shu watched her with a calm expression. He was not like Lolita, who had no brains to speak of. He knew Yu Xiao well enough to know that the ghost posed no threat to her.

“Smiley!” Zhou Xiao Zhen squealed and ran towards her, clutching her hand.

The others followed suit, crowding around her. “How did it go?”

“What happened there?”

“Did you find the clue?”

“I found the clue.” Yu Xiao lifted her hand, displaying the blue bow tie. “This is it. I got it. You can all relax now.”

The crowd let out a collective breath as they watched Yu Xiao twirl the bow tie in her hand and slip it into her pocket. She headed straight for Gu Shu, who regarded her with a steady gaze. She reached out a hand towards him.

What was she doing? Zhang Kui and the others wondered as they saw Yu Xiao’s gesture, seemingly inviting him to take her hand. Was she still teasing Gu Shu?

The news had spread like wildfire that the doctor who had attended the Gu Family Village case had fallen for the top-ranked patient of the Sixth Hospital, the Dragon’s Descendant. Many had tried to copy their style and charm. Was Yu Xiao one of them? Was she trying to make Gu Shu fall for her too?

“Give me my phone back.” Yu Xiao’s voice was raspy and annoyed. “You know it’s illegal to take a patient’s belongings without cause, right? Do you want to face the medical dispute office?”

The crowd felt a pang of guilt. They had been so wrong about her intentions.

Dr Gu Shu handed her the phone with an icy expression. He spoke in a formal tone. “It’s late. The patients need to rest. We have arranged rooms for the eight of you. Please go and sleep.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the crowd stunned. Eight? Weren’t they nine?