Yu Xiao was thrown by the sudden shift in her tone. “Um…” she said, scratching her eyebrow. “I haven’t sorted everything out yet.”


    “Sorted what?” Yu Qing Lang’s voice crackled through the phone, impatient.


    “Got to bribe the courier,” Yu Xiao explained. “Wouldn’t want you all stuffed in a box with no warning, would we?”


    “Who’s ‘you all’?” She latched onto the word. “Who else is there?”


    “Well, there’s ‘Flying to Someone Else’s Bed’,” she said, deliberately vague about the number of people this might involve. More was always better, in her opinion. “And Brother Dong, and a few others. The more the merrier, I reckon.”


    A beat of silence, then a heavy sigh. “Don’t worry about it.”


    “Huh?” Yu Xiao frowned. “Don’t worry about what?”


    “Any of it,” came the reply. “I’ll handle the calling around. You just wait in the ward for your delivery.”


    “Hold on!” That tone… she was up to something. “Don’t go doing anything rash, alright? Be careful! I haven’t even spoken to the courier yet.”


    “What’s your star sign?”


    The question came out of nowhere, leaving Yu Xiao baffled. Where had that come from?


    “You’re a Gemini, aren’t you?” Yu Qing Lang didn’t wait for an answer. “Always got to be chatting away.”


    Yu Xiao bit back a retort, the dial tone buzzing in her ear. She stood there, phone in hand, lost in thought.


    Zhao Lan, who’d been watching her, finally spoke. “Everything alright? Aren’t you going to continue making calls?”


    “Me? Talk too much?” Yu Xiao pulled a face. “Surely not?”


    Zhao Lan hesitated, whilst Zhou Xiao Zhen just blinked. “Not really,” she said finally.


    “See.” It wasn’t her, then. Yu Qing Lang probably just had a problem with Geminis. “She said not to worry, she’d sort it all out.”


    “Your senior seems very keen,” Zhao Lan remarked. “When are they due to arrive? What do we need to do?”


    What could they do in a hospital room? “I guess we can fold the blankets?”


    As the three of them tidied up, a niggling feeling tugged at Yu Xiao’s brain. Like she’d forgotten something…


    Less than two hours later, a knock came at the door.


    “Delivery!” chirped a voice from the other side.


    Yu Xiao exchanged an excited look with the others and hurried to the door.


    “Could you open the door a bit wider?” the courier asked. “It’s a big one.”


    Yu Xiao stepped back, allowing a box almost half her height to be manoeuvred through. Eagerly, she dragged it further into the room. Then another, identical box appeared. And another…


    By the time the courier left, the tiny room was crammed with five large boxes, leaving barely any floor space. The three friends stared at the delivery. Then, Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan started clapping.


    “Welcome, welcome!” they chorused.


    Yu Xiao ripped open the nearest box. Inside, crouched a stranger with a vaguely familiar face. She offered him a shaky grin. “Heh, welcome.”


    The second box revealed a much more recognisable figure. Wang Dong Dong gave her a small nod.


    “Welcome,” Yu Xiao said, feeling a bit overwhelmed.


    The third box disgorged a face full of whiskers. “Well, hello there, kiddos!” boomed Flying to Someone Else’s Bed, raising a hand in greeting.


    “Good to see you too,” she managed, as Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen threw themselves into polite greetings.


    “Why haven’t I been unpacked yet?!” An aggrieved voice emanated from the last remaining box. “I was the first one in!”


    The five seniors extricated themselves. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen rushed forward, smiles plastered on their faces. “Hello…”


    “Well, hello there, kiddos!” Flying to Someone Else’s Bed repeated, puffing out his chest.


    Zhao Lan suppressed a twitch. When was the last time anyone had called her ‘kiddo’?


    “This is Flying to Someone Else’s Bed,” Yu Xiao said. “You can call him Bed Bro.”


    “Bed Bro!” Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen chorused dutifully.


    Yu Xiao moved on. “And this is the lovely Yu Qing Lang. Sister Qing Lang, to you.”


    More dutiful greetings followed. Then she gestured to the next person in line. “And this is…”


    A pale hand landed on her shoulder. “Which one’s your bed?” Yu Qing Lang’s voice was laced with boredom.


    “That one…” Yu Xiao pointed to the furthest bed.


    Without another word, Yu Qing Lang marched over and flopped onto it, arms and legs sprawled in a starfish shape. She slapped the mattress twice. “Didn’t you say you can stop me from dreaming? Get on with it, then.”


    Yu Xiao hesitated. They’d barely had time to say hello, let alone discuss the finer point. But arguing with her was never a good idea. She turned, seeking help from Flying to Someone Else’s Bed.


    “Whoa there, Bed Bro,” Yu Xiao laughed as he started unpacking boxes with gusto. “No need to rush, I’ll sort it all out later.”


    The boxes were flattened and spread out on the floor. Bed Bro lay down on his with a contented sigh. “Not like your sister,” he said, glancing at Yu Qing Lang. “We’re not fussy, the floor’s fine for us. So, how are you planning to stop us from dreaming again?”


    “Shouldn’t we… talk about all that first?”


    “The ghost only comes at night, right?” He said it like it was obvious. “Come on, I haven’t slept properly in a month.”


    Yu Xiao hesitated, looking towards the Nightmare lurking in the corner. It met her gaze and offered a tiny nod.


    “Hey, cool kitty!” Bed Bro chuckled. “They even let you keep pets in the wards here, you really know how to live.”


    “Just go to sleep!” Yu Xiao’s tone was strained. “It only works when you’re asleep.”


    It was clear none of them had slept properly in days, maybe weeks. Wang Dong Dong was snoring before she even finished her sentence.


    The Nightmare padded over, circling the group one by one. Finally, it hopped onto the table and looked at Yu Xiao expectantly.


    “Is there a problem?” she asked, her stomach twisting with apprehension.


    The Nightmare nodded. Panic welled up inside her. “What’s wrong? Can’t you alter their dreams?”


    “No.” It pointed a very serious paw at Yu Qing Lang, who was snoring softly. “Where are we sleeping tonight?”


    Yu Xiao stared at it, speechless.


    “I can share with Precious!” Zhao Lan piped up.


    The Nightmare twitched its ears. Zhou Xiao Zhen jumped in. “Why not me? Me and Smiley can squeeze up!”


    Zhao Lan shot Zhou Xiao Zhen a meaningful look. “What now?”


    “What else can we do?” Zhou Xiao Zhen shrugged. “Wait for the dream team to wake up.”


    And what a sleep it was. It wasn’t until six in the evening that hunger pangs finally began to stir them.


    “Should we wake them up for dinner?” Zhao Lan ventured.


    “They’re not big eaters,” Yu Xiao said doubtfully. Then she slapped her forehead with a groan. “Bollocks! I forgot!”


    Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen exchanged nervous glances. “Forgot what?”


    “Wang Meng!!”


    “Crap!” Zhou Xiao Zhen smacked her own forehead. “Me too! I was supposed to unlock their door. They haven’t eaten all day, have they?”


    Over in Wang Meng’s ward, three girls lay sprawled on their beds, weak with hunger. They had faced life-threatening situations during instances and had yet to obtain a single stamina card so their bodies were still just as weak when they came to the hospital. After a day without food, simply walking was becoming a challenge.


    “Where are they?” The girl on the furthest bed spoke in a faint voice.


    “Do you think they forgot about us?” said the girl in the middle.


    “No, they wouldn’t,” Wang Meng said, her faith in Yu Xiao unwavering. “Something must have come up.”


    “I’m starving…”


    The ward echoed with the rumble of empty stomachs.


    When Yu Xiao and her friends finally emerged from the mirror in the bathroom, this was the scene that greeted them. Three girls, sprawled on beds, eyes wide and unblinking, faces pale and still. Like something out of a horror movie.


    “I’m so sorry!” Zhou Xiao Zhen rushed forward, her voice choked with guilt. “Are you alright?”


    Wang Meng turned her head slowly, a tear rolling down her cheek. “You… you’re here…”


    The six of them tucked into their dinner. After two bowls of rice, Wang Meng had finally recovered enough to speak.


    She set down her chopsticks, picked up her soup bowl, and drained half of it in one long gulp. “What if it comes back tonight?” she asked, anxiety creeping back into her voice.


    “Don’t worry,” Yu Xiao, who’d finished eating and was staring into space with her arms crossed, said confidently. “We have a plan.”


    “You do?” Wang Meng and her friends leaned forward eagerly. “What is it?”


    Yu Xiao smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. “That’s classified.” Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “We’ll stay here until lights out,” Zhao Lan added. “If the ghost doesn’t show up, or if it appears on another floor, then you’re in the clear.”


    And so they settled down to wait, the six of them crammed into the small hospital ward.


    When the lights finally flickered off, plunging the room into darkness, Wang Meng and her friends instinctively reached for each other’s hands.


    Yu Xiao, meanwhile, pulled out her phone and opened the Sixth Hospital forum. She hit refresh again and again, her eyes scanning the screen. Ten minutes passed, the silence in the corridor outside broken only by the occasional cough or murmur. Then, a new post popped up.


    【It’s here! The countdown’s outside my room! Help! Someone help me, my number is…】


    Yu Xiao’s fingers flew across the keypad. A moment later, a panicked voice answered. “Hello?”


    “It’s Deaf Descendant,” she said calmly. “What ward are you in? How many of you are there?”


    **


    If it hadn’t been for the overly enthusiastic news report in the morning, Yu Qing Lang and the others could have slept well past eight. As it was, the five of them stirred reluctantly, blinking against the morning light.


    Yu Xiao and Nightmare were already having breakfast. Yu Qing Lang just groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Flying to Someone Else’s Bed sat up, one leg bent, and stared blankly into space. Then he turned his gaze on the others.


    “Morning,” Yu Xiao chirped, holding up a bowl of porridge. “Want some breakfast?”


    Without a word, Bed Bro got up and disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later, whiskers damp, and fixed the three still-slumped figures on the floor with a critical eye. “Sun’s up, lads. Time to rise and shine.”


    Groaning theatrically, Wang Dong Dong and the others dragged themselves upright. To everyone’s surprise, the three burly men promptly burst into tears and staggered towards the bathroom.


    As the others watched, open-mouthed, Bed Bro delicately picked up a steamed bun. “Sorry about that,” he said with a chuckle. “Been a while since we had a decent night’s sleep.”


    “Don’t worry about it,” Yu Xiao said, waving her hand dismissively. “Come and eat.”


    He sat down and took a bite of the bun. He didn’t seem particularly hungry, and despite the delicious aroma, he ate without any real enthusiasm.


    “It’s good, though, isn’t it?” He sighed contentedly. “Days like this… maybe life isn’t so bad after all.” He took a sip of water and looked at Yu Xiao. “So, how did you manage to change our dreams?”


    She ignored the question. “What did you dream about?” she asked instead. “Was it a good one?”


    He leaned back, resting his chin on one hand. “If being chased by a chainsaw-wielding maniac counts as a good dream, then yeah, it was fantastic.”


    Yu Xiao shot the Nightmare with a wary look.


    Nightmare turned around and swished his tail.


    “It was great,” Bed Bro continued blithely. “Haven’t slept so soundly in ages.”


    Yu Xiao didn’t know what to say to that.


    “So, what happened last night?” he pressed. “Why didn’t you wake us?”


    “The Countdown Ghost moved on,” she explained. “Even if we’d gone chasing after it, we might not have caught it. We’ll head out early tonight instead.”


    He nodded, about to get up and stretch by the window, when Zhou Xiao Zhen, who’d clearly been holding this in for some time, blurted out, “Why do you have such a big beard?”


    Bed Bro leaned back, hands behind his head. “Bit hard to shave in a place like this, isn’t it?”


    She frowned. “But the others all managed it.”


    “They’re vain, that’s their problem.”


    Wang Dong Dong emerged from the bathroom, rolling his eyes. “Says the scruffiest one here.”


    Bed Bro sighed dramatically. “Like it matters how we look in this place.”


    Wang Dong Dong just sighed.


    “What was that about?” Zhao Lan asked him.


    “He’s got a fiancee,” Yu Qing Lang announced, suddenly sitting up in bed. “Oi, Old Wang, do you even remember what she looks like?”


    He shot her a long-suffering look. “Of course I do.”


    “Impressive.” Yu Qing Lang threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. “I can’t even remember if my boyfriend was tall or short.”


    “There’s a photo of her in my ward,” Wang Dong Dong said. “I look at it every day.”


    “Breakfast is ready, sleepyhead,” Yu Xiao called to Yu Qing Lang. “Come and eat.”


    She sauntered over, hands on her hips. “Alright, spill the beans. How did you do it? How did you make me dream like that?” She stretched languidly. “Honestly, I haven’t slept that well in years.”


    Yu Xiao smiled, debating whether to reveal the Nightmare’s involvement. “It’s a secret,” she finally said. “My own little magic trick.”


    “Hmph.” She didn’t press the issue. “Fine, keep your secrets. Tell you what, I’m staying put. This ward is as good as any. What do you reckon?”


    Yu Xiao frowned. “But there aren’t enough beds.”


    “So get more. Stack ’em up, bunkbed style.”


    “Now there’s an idea!” Bed Bro grinned. “I call the top bunk.”


    Yu Xiao sighed. “Maybe we should focus on tonight’s game plan first?”