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墨書 Inktalez
The last time Ye Chenfeng visited the Four Hospitals, it was during the day, and he had taken a taxi straight to the entrance. The receptionist was a cold, unapproachable person who left him with a bad impression. This time, he arrived at the Four Hospitals at night, accompanied by Qin Keqing and Chen Peiling.
Thinking of Chen Peiling, Ye Chenfeng suddenly felt her absence.
The willow trees swayed in the wind, exuding an eerie atmosphere. Qin Keqing didn’t need to slow down; Ye Chenfeng had already caught up with her, and they walked side by side, which was better than feeling the cold wind alone while daydreaming.
Ye Chenfeng wanted to tell Qin Keqing that there was another beauty who had come along.
The beauty wasn’t human; she was an exquisite ghost.
Before he could speak, both of them noticed a girl standing quietly under the drooping willow branches illuminated by the streetlight ahead. She had a delicate oval face, her lips curled into a subtle smile that revealed two small dimples. Her expression was slightly shy, and she was strikingly beautiful, tall and dressed in a long emerald green dress.
Qin Keqing's eyes sparkled with excitement as she whispered, “Wow, what a stunning beauty!”
Ye Chenfeng smiled silently, fully aware that it was impossible for a beauty to appear on this path at this hour, yet he chose not to reveal the truth.
Fearing that Ye Chenfeng would get to her first, Qin Keqing hurriedly approached the beauty and said, “Hi, how are you?”
The beauty smiled apologetically and replied, “Hello.”
Qin Keqing’s surprised expression showed as she asked, “What are you doing out here all alone at this late hour?”
The beauty answered, “Waiting for someone.”
“Waiting for me,” Ye Chenfeng interjected as he pushed past Qin Keqing to stand in front of the beauty. She kept winking at him subtly, but he pretended not to notice and said, “Did something get in your eye?”
Qin Keqing, pushed aside by Ye Chenfeng, was furious. She grabbed Ye Chenfeng again and said, "What do you care about her eyes? Step aside, I want to protect her."
Ye Chenfeng pretended to be humble and covered his mouth, saying, "Sure, you two chat."
In an instant, Ye Chenfeng felt like an unnecessary presence.
The two of them began whispering sweet nothings to each other, clearly smitten and reciprocating feelings.
Qin Keqing was delighted that her trip to the Four Hospitals was not in vain; she had unexpectedly encountered a stunning beauty here.
Ye Chenfeng sneered inwardly, thinking he would soon find out how many eyes the King of Horses had.
The three continued toward the Four Hospitals, chatting and laughing.
At the end of the road stood a white building nestled among vast greenery. Surrounded by lush trees and bamboo, flowers and plants basked in the light, while the dark corners seemed unfathomable.
From their perspective, a solitary lamp flickered as the wind rustled the ground, rolling fallen leaves around.
Qin Keqing shivered slightly and pulled her neck in. She turned to the beauty beside her and asked, "Are you cold?" Then, with a generous gesture, she took off her jacket and draped it over the beauty's shoulders.
The beauty accepted it without hesitation, looking quite happy and enjoying the moment as she leaned her head against Qin Keqing's shoulder.
Ye Chenfeng walked ahead. He remembered that there was a dog at the Mental Hospital—apparently a fierce German Shepherd.
Zhou Zhisheng mentioned that during the day, the German Shepherd was locked in a cage, and at night, it was tied up at the entrance to prevent thieves from sneaking into the mental hospital to steal things.
Patients who could be treated at the Mental Hospital usually came from well-off families. Those who were not so fortunate were often rejected by society and abandoned by their relatives, wandering outside for years until they either died on the streets or were buried in ditches.
There were a few who managed to survive or found themselves in trouble but encountered kind-hearted individuals willing to donate for their treatment, though they represented only a small fraction of the population.
Ye Chenfeng still remembered the patient who insisted he wasn't insane. He wondered how that person was doing now. He also recalled Ding Li being possessed by Chen Peiling, leading others to mistakenly believe he was suffering from depression and almost getting sent to Four Hospitals.
At present, the entire Mental Hospital felt eerily silent.
There wasn't a single sound, nor was there the powerful barking of the German Shepherd.
The hospital's main gate was made of iron, topped with sharp spikes that made it impossible to climb over; one could easily get hurt if they weren't careful.
It wasn't possible to enter openly either; knocking on the door would disturb all the patients and staff inside the Mental Hospital.
The beautiful woman seemed to have a plan; she pointed towards the dense trees beside the Mental Hospital.
The streetlights provided limited illumination, leaving many areas shrouded in darkness, which sparked endless imagination.
Various thoughts crossed one's mind. The most likely ones were terrifying and stimulating; in such a place, it was impossible to think of anything good.
What could be lurking in those woods?
Qin Keqing couldn't understand why the beautiful woman was pointing towards the forest, nor did she know her background. Even a handsome man like Ye Chenfeng had his flaws. Especially someone like Qin Keqing, a self-assured rich second-generation heir, whose intelligence seemed to drop when faced with beauty. He didn't pay much attention to her origins.
Ye Chenfeng was different; he was Ye Daozhang, undeniably clever. Without needing to ask or sniff around, he knew that the beauty was not human.
But who was this non-human beauty?
She was merely a disguise borrowed from Chen Peiling.
Since she was a facade borrowed from Chen Peiling, she naturally knew many things that ordinary people did not. Her uncle had once been the director of the Four Hospitals, the same position Zhou Zhisheng held before the old director passed away many years ago.
Qin Keqing didn't believe there was anything in the dense forest.
Ye Chenfeng did. He quickly went to look and search, finally discovering a perfectly square stone slab not far from the trees.
He walked over and tapped on the slab; it echoed hollowly beneath his hand, and he felt a surge of excitement—there was something here.
The light was too dim and gloomy to see the cracks in the stone slab clearly.
Ye Chenfeng pulled out a lighter and asked Qin Keqing to strike it.
Click, click—the lighter sounded ancient and decrepit. "What a piece of junk," Qin Keqing cursed. Just then, with a sudden flick, the blue flame sprang to life, illuminating the small space around them.
The light fell on the beauty's face, revealing a ghastly pallor.
Qin Keqing was busy examining the stone slab, not paying attention to the beauty's face. To him, it seemed like an ordinary stone slab, typically used to cover sewage pipes.
However, Ye Chenfeng had a different opinion; he was trying to lift the slab.
The slab wasn't very secure, and with a little effort, he managed to pry it open. Beneath the slab lay a chain, not a sewage pipe.
The beauty smiled silently.
Qin Keqing was astonished as he watched Ye Chenfeng grasp the chain and pull hard. With a loud clatter, a hole appeared beneath the slab, just large enough for a person to enter.
"Are we really going in through here?"
Ye Chenfeng nodded and said, "If you're scared, you can wait here for me." As he spoke, he bent down and crawled into the hole.
The beauty followed suit.
Qin Keqing grew anxious and grabbed her arm. Her skin felt icy to his touch, and he was taken aback. "Are you cold?" he whispered, quickly retracting his hand.
The beauty shook her head in silence, determined to go in.
Once inside the hole, Ye Chenfeng discovered that it was actually a secret passage.
The passage had a floor and walls made of stone, but being in this dark space felt damp and uncomfortable. The walls were covered in spider webs, and occasionally there was a torch stuck at an angle.
The beautiful woman was well-acquainted with everything here. She took down a torch and lit it, instantly illuminating the cave as bright as day.
Ye Chenfeng knew that Qin Keqing would not stay behind, so he did not turn around to ask, "Chen Peiling, has he arrived?"
"He has," Chen Peiling replied, then added, "Your friend isn't much better; he's someone who relies on his lower half to get things done."
Ye Chenfeng fell silent, feeling dejected.
How could Qin Keqing be a hindrance? What he didn't understand was how the beautiful woman knew there was a secret passage here.
Seeing him follow her inside, Ye Chenfeng continued to walk behind the woman.
"Ye Chenfeng, tell me who she is?"
It seemed that Qin Keqing wasn't entirely someone who relied solely on her lower half. Ye Chenfeng laughed and said, "You might be shocked to hear this; she is Chen Peiling."
"How is that possible?"
Chen Peiling giggled for a moment and said, "I'm just borrowing this guise." Then she recalled something and said to Ye Chenfeng, "Strangely enough, when I found this body, it was still warm."
Warm? That meant it had just died—had she stumbled upon a bargain?
While speaking, Chen Peiling rummaged through her clothes and pulled out a note. She handed it to Ye Chenfeng and said, "Take a look."
Ye Chenfeng took the note, which contained a series of Arabic numbers.
"This is my phone number."
Qin Keqing and Chen Peiling were puzzled. How could Ye Chenfeng's phone number be found on the body of a deceased person?
"Take another look; maybe she has something on her that proves her identity."
Prompted by Ye Chenfeng, Chen Peiling continued searching. Sure enough, she found a plastic ID card with a name: Fourth Hospital Nurse; Zheng Hua.
Ye Chenfeng's body tensed at the sight. He recalled the unfamiliar number from last night. Could it have been Zheng Hua calling for help? To confirm whether it was indeed her, Chen Peiling continued to check if there was a phone or anything similar on her.
This time, no phone was found.
In the dark passage, there was almost no signal, and Ye Chenfeng couldn't even reach Zhou Zhisheng.
Qin Keqing, who loved reading detective novels, especially the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Collection, speculated that Zhou Zhisheng had given Zheng Hua his phone number in hopes that she would call for help. Unfortunately, it seemed that this did not catch Ye Chenfeng's attention, leading to Zheng Hua's tragic fate.
If that were the case, Ye Chenfeng would bear significant guilt.
The air in the passage was not good; there was a faint musty smell. Coupled with Zheng Hua's situation, everyone felt heavy-hearted and uneasy. Especially Ye Chenfeng, who felt a direct connection to Zheng Hua's plight.
"Stop overthinking it; let's hurry and check on Zhou Zhisheng," he urged.
Ye Chenfeng was worried about Zhou Zhisheng's situation. If he hadn't encountered any trouble, there was no way Zheng Hua would have contacted him. Moreover, just moments ago, he had looked up at the sky above the Four Hospitals; the oppressive aura and dark energy loomed heavily, with thick clouds gathering. The entire building exuded not vitality, but a chilling ghostly presence.
The night of the full moon was just two days away; he hoped Zhou Zhisheng was safe.
Following closely behind Chen Peiling, Ye Chenfeng navigated through one iron gate after another until they finally reached the exit.
Chen Peiling explained that exiting from here led to the passage of the Mental Hospital.
The passage contained small corridors leading to various areas, including patient rest zones, activity areas, isolation rooms, treatment rooms, offices, and conference rooms.
Moreover, at every junction leading to these areas, iron bars were installed to prevent patients from acting out during episodes.
"Shall we head to that place first?" Qin Keqing asked. After getting to know Chen Peiling, her respect for him made her keep a deliberate distance. Watching her actions made Ye Chenfeng want to laugh, but in such an environment, he couldn't muster a smile.
"I have a map," Chen Peiling said as she pulled out the structural diagram of the Four Hospitals and laid it on the ground.
At this point, Ye Chenfeng couldn't help but give a thumbs-up to Chen Peiling; any compliments about her being a remarkable woman felt cliché.
Qin Keqing nodded in approval, ready to follow Ye Chenfeng's lead.
Ye Chenfeng pointed at the office area on the map and indicated Zhou Zhisheng's office. "Step one: let's locate this point."
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