The Second Elder had told her before that many scriptures and incantations of the Bai family had been lost over the generations, and Bai Xianxian had lamented over this for a long time.
Now, however, the Patriarch himself had appeared in her dreams to transmit Daoist arts to her. Not to mention the lost incantations, this was equivalent to a true immortal personally imparting wisdom and resolving her doubts—her understanding and comprehension had been elevated several levels beyond others!
In the past, Bai Xianxian would forget her dreams as soon as she woke up, but this time she remembered the content of the Patriarch's Dream Transmission very clearly. She was so excited that she didn't sleep for the rest of the night, pondering and studying it the whole time.
It wasn't until the alarm clock rang on time that Bai Xianxian yawned, got up to wash up, and prepared for work.
Today was officially her first day working at the hospital. Although this "job" was a bit different from others, it was still her first job, so Bai Xianxian took it very seriously.
After washing up, she grabbed her bag and headed out.
The morning city had already awakened, beginning a new day for the working class. Bai Xianxian remembered that the supermarket where she'd bought daily necessities last night had a pretty complete selection, so she went there to buy breakfast.
Xie Yi had told her before that when she first started work, she should buy some snacks to keep on her—chocolate, candy, cookies, anything like that. When she met colleagues, she could share some. Though small, it wouldn't come across as overly eager, and it would help build goodwill.
Now Bai Xianxian knew that her only colleague was a gloomy-looking guy, so chocolate and such weren't quite appropriate. After thinking it over, she went to the shelves and picked out some gum.
The supermarket wasn't very crowded in the morning.
The checkout counter was right in front of the shelves, with a few people queuing to pay. While picking out her items, Bai Xianxian noticed several girls nearby looking ahead excitedly. After whispering among themselves, one girl was pushed forward shyly.
Bai Xianxian sneakily poked out her gossip-loving head and saw the girl standing in front of a tall, thin guy, asking in a sweet voice, "Hey, handsome, can I add you on WeChat?"
Bai Xianxian gnawed on the corn cob in her hand, thinking that there was a reason she was still single.
The girl looked pretty cute, and Bai Xianxian thought getting the WeChat would be a done deal.
But the guy being asked seemed shy and took two steps back. Bai Xianxian could only see his thin back with slightly protruding shoulder blades as he said in a very low voice, "I don't have WeChat."
Even Bai Xianxian couldn't stand to hear such an excuse.
In this day and age, was there still a young person without WeChat?
The girl naturally thought the same and muttered quietly, "If you don't want to give it, just say so. What a lame excuse."
The guy still kept his head low, black hair brushing against his ears. He asked the cashier for a mask, paid in cash, put on the mask, and hurriedly left.
The girl returned to her friends, face flushed red, and complained, "He's probably socially anxious or something."
Bai Xianxian picked out her gum, paid, and walked toward the bus stop while gnawing on her corn.
The No. 58 bus stop at the bottom of the dormitory building went straight to the hospital—only three stops away. Convenient, fast, and cheap—perfect for a broke fresh graduate like her.
Unexpectedly, she ran into the guy who'd been asked for his WeChat at the bus stop again.
Several people were surrounding him. An old lady was shouting, "I had my wallet when I paid for breakfast just now! How could it disappear in just a few steps? You say you didn't steal it, then let me search you!"
There weren't many people on this bus route—besides the old lady, there were two high school students with backpacks and two well-dressed office workers. Among them, the guy with both a mask and a hat looked especially suspicious. He also kept his head down, as if trying not to draw attention.
The old lady was convinced he'd stolen her wallet and insisted on searching him.
Bai Xianxian stepped closer while holding her corn cob and heard him rebut in a low voice, "It wasn't me. I didn't steal anything."
He sounded honest and simple.
Earlier she'd only seen his back, but now that she was closer, she could see his masked front.
The hood of his black hoodie was pulled over his head, pressing his bangs down even lower, hiding even his eyes.
An image of someone carrying a corpse suddenly flashed in Bai Xianxian's mind.
Damn!
Wasn't this her gloomy colleague!
The old lady was still clinging on and refusing to let go. Bai Xianxian quickly squeezed in: "Wait, wait—do you have proof he stole your wallet? How can you search him without evidence?"
The old lady shot her a sharp glare. "There are only this many people here. If it's not him, then who?!"
Bai Xianxian shielded her silent, head-lowered colleague behind her and said righteously, "In broad daylight, even if he did steal your wallet, would he be stupid enough to stand here and not leave? If you're really sure it's him, then call the police. Why are you groping him like that?!"
The old lady was furious. "You nasty girl, what nonsense are you talking? Where did I grope him? I'm in my seventies—do I have no shame?"
Just as she finished speaking, a shopkeeper wearing an apron ran over from not far away, holding a cloth wallet and shouting, "Ma'am, you left your wallet at our stall!"
The old lady's face turned from pale to red in an instant.
She was about to sheepishly go get her wallet when Bai Xianxian called out, "Grandma, you wronged someone. Shouldn't you at least apologize?"
The old woman had no choice but to turn around and mumble an apology.
The bus arrived, and the onlookers who had gathered to watch the scene all boarded one after another. The No. 58 bus pulled up right behind it. Bai Xianxian quickly stuffed her half-eaten corn cob into a food bag and shoved it into her backpack. She turned to see her colleague still standing there with his head down, and waved at him. "Let's go!"
He finally looked up, revealing a pair of pitch-black eyes beneath his tousled hair.
The mask was pushed up by the bridge of his high nose, and Bai Xianxian heard him say, "Thanks."
Bai Xianxian waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, we're colleagues, right? Helping each other out is only natural."
He seemed to freeze for a moment.
Bai Xianxian felt a little embarrassed. "It's just… you're the one who carried me up when I fainted in the morgue last time, right? Your name's Chen Lin, isn't it?"
Only then did he seem to remember. He lowered his eyes again and said quietly, "Yes."
This colleague wasn't just silent and gloomy—he was also a man of few words.
Bai Xianxian got on the No. 58 bus. There were plenty of empty seats, so she sat in one near the exit and watched Chen Lin walk all the way to the last row, where he took a seat by the window.
Over the span of three stops, Bai Xianxian turned around out of curiosity at least ten times to look at him.
And he never once lifted his head.
She thought back to what the girl in the supermarket had said. Could her colleague really have social anxiety?
Three stops took less than ten minutes. Bai Xianxian had originally planned to wait for Chen Lin to get off and walk together, but she felt that might be too deliberate. Building good relationships with colleagues didn't have to happen all at once, so she went ahead to report to Yu Anding first.
Yu Anding was as warm as ever. All the paperwork had already been processed last time, so today marked her official start. Bai Xianxian received her uniform and was about to head to her "office."
Yu Anding called out to her. "Xianxian, did you have breakfast today?"
Bai Xianxian pulled the half-eaten corn cob out of her bag. "I did!"
Only then did Yu Anding look relieved. Before leaving, he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Xianxian, the hospital has taken in several late-stage cancer patients recently. The surgeries didn't go well, and they all passed away here. When you get a chance, take a look—see if there's anything heavy going on, alright?"
Bai Xianxian pretended to be calm and agreed readily.
On her way to the morgue, hugging the bag that held the Six-Spirit Sword and the evil-warding talisman, she was practically on the verge of a breakdown.
She was starting to regret this.
The morgue was hardly any better than a mass grave!
At least a mass grave only had burial mounds—the morgue had actual corpses! And after death, most souls lingered beside their own bodies, being newly deceased. If she opened her Heavenly Eye, wouldn't she be seeing fresh ghosts every single day?
Wah wah wah—men die for wealth, birds die for food. Bai Xianxian was ready to slam her head against the wall for the sake of social insurance and housing fund—
Though she dragged her feet every step of the way, she eventually made it to the morgue.
Bai Xianxian leaned against the wall, staring at the doorway where she'd fainted before, unwilling to take another step closer. The impact of a room full of corpses was just too much.
She closed her eyes and steeled herself for a moment, then mustered up the courage to call out in a hushed whisper, "Chen Lin? Chen Lin? Chen Lin—"
After a moment, a figure in a blue jumpsuit walked out silently.
Bai Xianxian used to think he was gloomy, but now she looked at him like he was a lifeline. "Chen Lin, are there… corpses in there?"
Without the cap on, his brow bone and eyes were fully visible—strikingly handsome in a rare way. But he always kept his eyelids lowered, which made the corners of his eyes seem slightly upturned, lending him an air of distant coldness.
Hearing her question, he said quietly, "Yes."
Bai Xianxian trembled. "How many?"
Chen Lin said, "Three."
Bai Xianxian asked again, "When were they brought in?"
Chen Lin: "Just now."
Bai Xianxian felt like she was suffocating.
But she couldn't exactly show her colleague how terrified she was. Clutching her backpack tightly, she said, "I'll… I'll go change into my uniform in the break room. You go ahead and keep busy—"
Chen Lin gave a slight nod and turned back inside.
Bai Xianxian covered the corner of her left eye with her hand. The moment he was gone, she sprinted past the morgue entrance like the wind.
She hadn't run that fast even during her college entrance exam physical fitness test.
As Yu Anding had said, the break room had great natural light. It held two desks, and against the wall there was a sofa.
Only the desk at the back had a computer, and the resting area had a water cup, a blanket, and other daily necessities. Bai Xianxian guessed that was Chen Lin's spot, so she took the seat by the window.
After drawing the curtains and changing her clothes, Bai Xianxian looked down at the blue jumpsuit she was wearing and thought it was actually pretty stylish.
Xie Yi, knowing it was her official first day, sent a message of concern: Didn't faint today, did you?
Bai Xianxian replied with a grimace: Almost.
Xie Yi laughed heartily: Throwing your life away for social insurance and housing fund, huh?
Bai Xianxian replied indignantly: Who says it's for social insurance and housing fund?! It's for family honor!