Chapter 8: The Price of Silence and the Shadow of Guilt

From the moment Lin Qing first saw Li Mei, he knew this woman was evil.

As mentioned before, white skulls represented evil potential, while black skulls signified crimes already committed.

The skull above Li Mei’s head had changed color, directly proving she was now a criminal.

Although murder wasn’t the sole act that could blacken a skull, any criminal behavior fueled by malicious intent would transform a white skull into a black one.

However…

Lin Qing had witnessed it with his own eyes: Li Mei was committing murder.

The elderly patient in the same ward had fallen into a deep slumber, a state orchestrated by this very woman.

As she stood by the elderly man’s bedside, speaking words of concern, the black skull above her head was grinning widely, its dark, hollow eye sockets glowing red.

Li Mei’s emotions fluctuated wildly, reflected in the skulls’ mocking and scornful expressions.

The red glow emanating from the skulls’ eye sockets further confirmed her abnormal emotional state.

This woman was not to be trifled with.

Moreover, mere premeditated murder shouldn’t have been enough to blacken three skulls.

Yet, all three skulls above Li Mei’s head had already turned black.

Due to the limitations of potential, even if Li Mei were to kill many more people, only these three skulls would ever be blackened.

From this, Lin Qing deduced that her murderous acts had been ongoing for a considerable period.

To commit murder so discreetly within a hospital, without anyone knowing, indicated Li Mei operated with a meticulous method, never easily exposing her wicked deeds.

Call the police?

Having only regained his freedom after a decade, and then only by escaping through his own efforts, Lin Qing had lost all faith in others. In critical moments, he knew he could only rely on himself.

Lin Qing had endured a long and futile wait. Even though he knew it wasn’t the police’s fault, he sometimes couldn’t help but wonder.

‘If they had found him sooner, would everything have turned out differently?’

‘His mother wouldn’t have died from a sudden heart attack, and his life wouldn’t have stagnated into this desolate pool it was now.’

Lin Qing knew this was misplaced anger, yet he couldn’t suppress it. Reporting the crime would inevitably reveal his identity, and reporters would swarm. At this crucial juncture, as he yearned to rejoin normal society, Lin Qing had no desire to expose himself again.

The best course of action now was to remain silent, just as he had always done.

It was precisely because of this that, knowing everything, Lin Qing found the atmosphere in the ward incredibly oppressive.

It felt as though he had become an accomplice to the murderer, wantonly killing alongside her within the hospital.

This was his conscience, heavy with guilt.

Lost in these thoughts, Lin Qing merely nodded at Li Mei, offered no words, and slowly turned to depart.

His aloof and indifferent demeanor effectively deterred any further questions.

Li Mei, standing behind him, merely glanced his way before her gaze drifted elsewhere, showing no significant suspicion or concern.

This confirmed to Lin Qing that his gamble had paid off.

Li Mei wasn’t killing randomly; her victims likely possessed certain characteristics.

However, as Lin Qing was new to the hospital, he remained unaware of Li Mei’s motives for murder. Thus, he had no choice but to maintain his silence, lest he become her next target.

He couldn’t stand out; he had to remain silent, overlooked by everyone.

“This must be the new patient, right? You spoke to him, but he didn’t say a word back!”

“He’s a shy child, perhaps he’s not used to the hospital yet!”

As Lin Qing walked away, he heard Li Mei’s soft-spoken words to other nurses drifting from behind him. Were it not for his unique ability, he would never have believed such a person could be a murderer.

Alas, one could know a person’s face but not their heart; paint their skin and bones, but never their true essence.

Unwilling to return to that oppressive ward too soon, Lin Qing found a random chair and sat down. He mused that since he was now fine, perhaps he should complete the discharge procedures and go home.

He had originally checked into the hospital to avoid Su Yao, but with her having already tracked him down, Lin Qing’s initial purpose had utterly crumbled.

There was no longer any need to insist on staying in the hospital.

Especially after discovering a murderer within its walls, the hospital had become even more perilous.

However, having been hospitalized for less than a day, discharging now would mean no reimbursement for his expenses.

It would be another significant outlay.

He had no money.

Therefore, no matter how dangerous it became, he had to remain in the hospital.

Cruel reality was never a fairytale; the one thing that could truly destroy everything was money!

Lin Qing sat on the chair, gazing up at the stream of people passing by in the distance, and immediately let out a sigh.

‘If only he had vast sums of money, how wonderful that would be!’

‘Then he wouldn’t be forced to stay near a murderer simply because he couldn’t afford the fees.’

‘Nor would he have to attend the same school as Su Yao.’

‘Living in constant fear, which had ultimately landed him in the hospital.’

Recalling Su Yao, Lin Qing reached into the pocket of his hospital gown and pulled out a slip of paper. He lowered his gaze to the numbers written on it, convinced he would never voluntarily dial Su Yao’s phone number.

‘He would have no further contact with such a terrifying woman.’

Without hesitation, he tore the slip of paper into pieces and tossed them into a nearby trash can. Lin Qing then estimated the time, knowing it was almost time to return to that ward permeated with the stench of death.

He couldn’t just keep wandering outside; there were staff members who regularly checked on patients and made records.

If a patient was repeatedly absent from their ward, it would be reported to the hospital, and then matters would become even more troublesome.

The minimum stay for reimbursement was three days.

He simply had to endure this period.

“Oh, where did you sneak off to, young man? Were you scared? Don’t worry, a strong, healthy young fellow like you won’t encounter anything like that right now.”

When Lin Qing finally returned to the ward, a beaming Wu Gang immediately started chattering upon seeing him, assuming the young man had been frightened by the emergency treatment given to the elderly patient by the window.

Upon hearing Wu Gang’s words, Lin Qing instinctively looked towards the window, only to find the area completely empty. There was no one on the bed.

A cold dread seized Lin Qing’s heart, and his left hand trembled subtly. He knew his indifference had led to the old man’s death.

Guilt surged over him like a tide, suffocating him.

Even if he were to experience it again, he would still prioritize his own safety, yet the guilt would remain unchanged.

It felt like an invisible judgment, condemning him for the crime of passive observation.

“Oh, that old man isn’t dead yet! His son just rushed back from abroad – a super-rich elite lawyer. He said this hospital wasn’t up to par, so he took him to a better one.”

Noticing Lin Qing’s troubled expression, Wu Gang quickly realized the young man had jumped to conclusions and hastened to explain.

It was a good thing.

If the old man had stayed here, he would likely have died anyway. At another hospital, he might still have a fighting chance.

‘What if he was saved?’

Upon suddenly hearing that the patient wasn’t dead, Lin Qing’s expression froze. The crushing guilt that had weighed him down instantly dissipated, allowing him to breathe freely once more.

‘So he hadn’t died after all.’

Just as Lin Qing finally exhaled in relief, a female voice suddenly echoed from the ward entrance. Then, a smiling, unfamiliar woman quickly strode inside.

“Darling, I’m here~”