Chapter 15: The Nightmare’s Shadow and the News

Hao Yang lay in the hospital bed, a persistent feeling of unease clinging to her in the room. This ward had three beds in total, and the space was quite large. However, the other two beds were unoccupied, their pristine white sheets neatly folded with pillows resting upon them.

Yet, as soon as the lights were out, the environment transformed into something profoundly eerie. Hao Yang had read many horror novels in the past, and hospitals were invariably a staple setting for such tales.

The more Hao Yang thought, the more panicked she became. She decisively averted her gaze to the window, striving to prevent her mind from wandering into unsettling thoughts.

Outside the window, snow continued to fall ceaselessly. However, Hao Yang no longer found herself sinking into a melancholic ‘NetEase Cloud’ mood. Her earlier interaction with the nurse had significantly brightened her spirits.

Instead of pondering philosophical questions, she simply found herself appreciating the beauty of the snowy landscape.

While snow undeniably carried a connotation of life’s demise, its aesthetic appeal was undeniable. As Hao Yang admired the scenery, she mused, ‘Why did the nurse say such childish things? It made me feel like an actual child.’

‘Never mind,’ she thought. ‘Only the nurse knows about our conversation. As long as no one else does, it’s fine.’ Hao Yang pushed her shy embarrassment to the back of her mind, simply enjoying the snow. As time slipped away, her eyelids slowly drifted shut.

Hao Yang had once again succumbed to the embrace of sleep.

****

“Son, time to eat! Stop sleeping in.” A voice, profoundly familiar, drifted to her ears.

Hao Yang slowly climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she slipped on her slippers. Once her feet were shod, she groggily followed her usual morning routine, shuffling towards the dining table.

Her mother had already prepared a fragrant spread of dishes, the rice perfectly portioned from the rice cooker, waiting for her to eat.

Hao Yang casually picked up a slice of meat, eating it with her rice. As moments passed, the haze in her vision began to clear. She glanced casually to either side of the table, only to find her parents staring at her with intensely strange expressions.

“Who are you? Why are you wearing my son’s clothes?” Her father spoke, his question direct and sharp.

“Where did you come from? Where is my son?!” Her father suddenly roared, startling Hao Yang.

“I… I am your s—” Before she could finish her sentence, Hao Yang noticed something was wrong with her voice. She immediately raised her small hand; it was entirely that of a child.

The water in the cup before her reflected Hao Yang’s current appearance: a remarkably cute little loli.

“What have you done to my son?!”

“Give me back my son!”

Hao Yang’s eyes snapped open. She glanced towards the window; dawn had already broken. It had all been a nightmare.

She touched her head, the vividness of the dream making her pause, needing a moment to collect herself.

Then, her small nose caught a delightful aroma. Hao Yang turned her head to see the nurse tidying up something nearby. The enticing scent emanated from the steamed buns and porridge placed on the cabinet.

“Xiaoxiao, you’re awake! Come, Big Sister will feed you some porridge.” The nurse said, seeing Hao Yang had roused.

Before Hao Yang could utter a word, the nurse scooped a spoonful of porridge, gently blew on it to cool it, and then brought it towards Hao Yang’s mouth.

“Open wide, here comes the little flying stick!”

Upon hearing this, Hao Yang opened her mouth. A warm spoonful of porridge was fed to her, swallowed, and instantly brought a comforting warmth to her stomach.

After being coaxed into eating several more mouthfuls, the nurse then picked up a steamed bun from the side.

“Oh, and there are steamed buns too! Here, have a bun.” The nurse said, holding up a bun wrapped in a plastic bag.

Hao Yang took the bun, pulled one out of the plastic bag, and took a bite. As she chewed, she couldn’t help but lower her head slightly.

“Come on, Xiaoxiao, Big Sister will feed you some porridge.” The nurse said, scooping another spoonful of porridge and bringing it to Hao Yang’s lips.

“Big Sister, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, ask away! Big Sister will tell you everything she knows.”

“Big Sister, why are you so good to me?” Hao Yang couldn’t help but voice the biggest question in her heart. The nurse’s excessive care had sparked this deep doubt within her.

The nurse paused, surprised that Hao Yang would ask such a thing. She then replied, “Because you are my patient. It is my duty to care for patients.” The nurse delivered a standard, professional answer.

“Oh… so that’s it.” Hao Yang’s previously somewhat excited mood instantly deflated upon hearing this response.

“Stop talking now; Big Sister will feed you.”

“No need, I’m not a child. I can eat by myself.”

“But aren’t you a child?”

Hao Yang was momentarily speechless. She was indeed a child at the moment, a fact she couldn’t possibly refute.

“Alright, alright, I won’t feed you then. Just be careful not to burn yourself.”

“Got it.” Hao Yang took the porridge, then carefully ate it spoonful by spoonful. The porridge was indeed quite hot, and a bowl of such warm porridge would be incredibly comforting in winter.

The nurse, meanwhile, switched on the television mounted on the wall and tuned it to a news channel.

Hao Yang ate her meal, her gaze also drawn to the news report.

“Good morning, dear viewers. As the saying goes, ‘There are a thousand roads, but safety comes first. Reckless driving leads to tears for loved ones.’ Recently, numerous traffic accidents have occurred across the country, particularly a tragic one in Shu Province. An overloaded truck, coupled with driver fatigue, lost control, causing its cargo to spill and directly crush a small car beside it.”

“The family of three inside the car had no survivors.”

Hao Yang watched the news, her eyelids twitching involuntarily. She had a persistent feeling that this news was somehow profoundly important to her. She wanted to examine the accompanying image of the accident scene more closely, but the news segment switched very quickly, moving on to international affairs before Hao Yang could even get a clear look.