Chapter 6: The Hospital Corridor

After finishing his conversation in the hospital room, Lu Chen, seated in his wheelchair like an emperor, exited the room flanked by the nurse and Xia Shi, commanding the corridor.

It was a workday, and while the hospital corridors were not overly crowded, a few children were running about, their laughter echoing through the halls.

The nurse, carrying a travel bag, led the way, while Xia Shi cautiously pushed Lu Chen’s wheelchair, following closely behind. Lu Chen sat upright, stealing glances at the girl’s reactions.

Her expression was serious, her straight nose glistening with sweat, and her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheelchair handles, tense as if navigating a tropical rainforest. Whenever a child, innocent and joyful, passed by, she would step back alertly, clutching the handles tighter, causing Lu Chen to chuckle softly.

As they turned a corner, the girl noticed Lu Chen’s gaze.

Following his line of sight, she looked back but saw nothing unusual. She stopped the wheelchair and turned to face him, concern etched on her face.

“Is something wrong? Did you forget something in the room?”

Caught in the act, Lu Chen averted his eyes, slightly embarrassed.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Then why were you looking this way?”

Mid-sentence, Xia Shi seemed to realize where Lu Chen’s gaze had landed, and a blush spread across her face.

She unconsciously tightened her grip, inadvertently twisting the handles. Lu Chen was startled and quickly faced forward, pretending nothing had happened.

But as soon as he turned away, he heard Xia Shi muttering softly behind him.

“…Looking back too much isn’t good for your neck. Wait a moment.”

Xia Shi parked the wheelchair and hurried to the nurse, exchanging a few words before returning to Lu Chen. This time, the nurse was pushing the wheelchair, while Xia Shi carefully carried the travel bag, walking on Lu Chen’s left side.

She leaned in slightly, whispering to Lu Chen,

“This way, you’ll have a better view, right?”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that.”

Though she said it wasn’t necessary, Xia Shi’s beautiful eyebrows lifted slightly, and a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth.

…I must be incredibly lucky.

Lu Chen gazed at the girl’s smile, genuinely marveling.

****

The three of them walked through the corridor, down the stairs, and out of the hospital. The weather was clear, and it was peak commute time, so the hospital entrance was bustling with cars and people.

Xia Shi’s pre-arranged taxi was waiting by the curb, having been there for some time.

The nurse pushed the wheelchair to the back door of the car and stopped. He took the travel bag from Xia Shi and said,

“I’ll put the luggage in the trunk. Please help Mr. Lu into the car.”

“Understood. Yes!”

After responding with two words that clearly repeated the same meaning, the girl took Lu Chen’s hand and opened the car door.

She took a deep breath, her cheeks flushing, and extended her pale, healthy arms toward Lu Chen.

“Please.”

Lu Chen almost reflexively responded, “Then I won’t be shy,” but managed to hold back at the last moment. Being publicly princess-carried by a girl was a bit too much.

“Thank you. But my left leg is just a bit unsteady, so I can’t put much force into it. My right leg is fine, so I should be able to get in on my own.

I’ll ask for your help if I need it.”

“I see… Okay.”

The girl lowered her arms, stepping aside, her voice sounding slightly disappointed.

Lu Chen gripped the car frame’s handle, struggling to stand from the wheelchair, and hopped into the back seat with a one-legged hop.

However, his injured leg remained stiff and unmoving outside the car, unable to shift.

If someone without medical knowledge were to handle this, they might struggle for a while before finally managing to get in, sweating profusely. But Lu Chen had learned some first aid techniques over the past year and knew how to deal with this situation.

He turned his body to face forward and hugged his thighs. Just as he was about to exert force, his attention was drawn to Xia Shi.

To avoid disturbing Lu Chen, the girl had stepped back a few paces and was standing on the curb, watching him intently, her long fingers fidgeting nervously.

Lu Chen suddenly remembered the night before New Year’s Eve of last year, when he first met her.

That night, the city center was ablaze with welcoming fireworks, and most people were at home watching the New Year’s gala. Lu Chen, however, was alone in an abandoned building on the outskirts, gathering material for his magazine column.

Xia Shi was also standing alone on the windowsill of the building. She gazed at the city lights with the same expression she wore now.

Lu Chen released his hold on his legs and slowly placed them inside the car, speaking to the girl.

“I’m sorry, it’s a bit tricky. Could you help me roll up my pants?”

“Of course, no problem.”

Xia Shi’s face lit up, and she rushed to Lu Chen’s side, a warm, faint scent wafting in the air.

She examined Lu Chen’s legs and arms carefully before gently lifting his lower leg.

Lu Chen watched her serious profile and smiled knowingly—then immediately grimaced in pain.

Xia Shi had accidentally grabbed a wound that hadn’t yet healed and hadn’t controlled her strength.

The girl immediately noticed her mistake.

“I-I’m sorry!”

After apologizing, she frantically let go of Lu Chen’s leg, but he wasn’t prepared. His already struggling left leg crashed into the hard car frame.

“I-I-I’m so sorry! I’ll just dismantle this inconvenient car frame…!”

The girl’s apologies became more urgent, and she began to fidget with the hairpin in her hair, her eyes flashing with intense light, startling Lu Chen so much that he momentarily forgot the pain.

“It’s okay, calm down! Take it slow!”

****

After a few minutes of struggle, the nurse threw the luggage bag into the trunk, and Xia Shi finally managed to get Lu Chen into the back seat, sitting beside him.

The taxi drove smoothly along the road, passing through patches of sunlight and shade, and the girl’s expression mirrored the changing light, looking a bit gloomy.

The car soon arrived at Lu Chen’s apartment building. Lu Chen got out and, with the nurse’s help and Xia Shi’s support, climbed the stairs to his door.

The nurse completed his task, took his payment, and left. However, Xia Shi was still lost in her guilt, her eyes dimmed.

She stood at the door, bowing slightly to Lu Chen.

“Then, I’ll take my leave. I’m truly sorry about today.”

Lu Chen chuckled.

He wasn’t the least bit bothered by her minor slip, and in fact, he was quite happy to have had such an intimate morning with her. But even if he expressed his true feelings, he knew the girl would continue to blame herself.

To cheer her up, he needed to distract her.

He thought for a moment, pointing to the door.

“It’s no problem. Would you like to come in for a bit?”

A fleeting gleam of satisfaction crossed the girl’s eyes, followed by surprise.

“Really? Can I?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t you be able to?”

“Well… I mean, you haven’t had time to clean your room these past few days, right? Is there anything you wouldn’t want me to see?”

Not if it’s not in paper form.

Lu Chen silently replied in his mind, then smiled at the girl.

“No, it’s just a bit messy. As long as you don’t mind that, it’s fine.”

“T-then I’ll impose on you!”

The girl’s eyes brightened, and she eagerly looked toward the rug.

Lu Chen was surprised. He had indeed hidden a spare key under the rug, but he didn’t remember telling the girl about it.

…Maybe he had mentioned it casually at some point. It’s not important.

His doubts vanished quickly. Lu Chen retrieved the key, using his cane to approach the door, and inserted the key into the lock, turning the handle.

As the door opened a crack, black feathers rushed out, swirling in the draft, floating aimlessly in the hallway.

Lu Chen was startled and waved the feathers away, peering into the dimly lit room.

A girl stood by the wide-open window, her bare white feet surrounded by trash and crawling cockroaches. Her platinum hair glistened in the sunlight.

She gripped a completely black crow in her left hand. The crow flapped its wings desperately, like a fish out of water, but couldn’t escape the girl’s seemingly fragile grasp, its feathers falling in a flurry.

Lu Chen had never seen this girl in person, but he had seen her countless times on television.

She was the strongest magical girl in history, “Morning Star.”

Morning Star turned to face Lu Chen and Xia Shi, smiling.

“Welcome back, Mr. Lu. It’s been a while, Original Sin Incarnate.”

****