By noon, Ning Wei did not make things difficult for Mu Qing.
She ate all her lunch, not spitting a single bite out.
Thus, less than five minutes after finishing, her head felt particularly heavy, and she soon fell asleep in bed.
The head nurse began her rounds again, pausing for a long time outside Ning Wei's room.
She looked at Ning Wei with eyes like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
However, it wasn't long before the head nurse felt she was being watched.
But she was the only one on this corridor. That piercing gaze, from above, fixed on her, sending shivers down her spine and causing her to break out in a cold sweat.
Yet, she couldn't find the source of the gaze. Her thoughts became chaotic, and she recalled certain images, her face contorted in panic, and she quickly left.
After she was gone, Li Ye slowly raised his head, letting the sunlight fall on his face.
A most peculiar expression appeared on his delicate features, like a demon from hell.
Even after leaving the fifth floor, the head nurse’s cold sweat did not stop, and her breathing became rapid.
She hurried downstairs, running directly into Mu Qing.
Mu Qing had just returned from lunch to switch shifts and almost collided with the head nurse.
"Head Nurse, are you alright?" Mu Qing, seeing her pale face, quickly supported her.
The head nurse shook her head. "Take me back to the dormitory. I'm taking a half-day off this afternoon."
Mu Qing nodded and helped her back to her dormitory.
Before leaving, the head nurse still warned her, "Don't forget to add the medicine to the meal. Ning Wei is a key observation subject now. Don't let your guard down!"
"I understand, Head Nurse. You can rest assured."
Mu Qing gently closed the door and, while climbing the stairs, recalled the head nurse's earlier words.
Wasn't Ning Wei about to leave the hospital? Why was she considered a key observation subject?
Coupled with previous occurrences, Mu Qing faintly sensed that something was amiss.
Lunch had passed. Mu Qing went to Ning Wei's door to observe.
Ning Wei had already fallen asleep after her meal. However, she hadn't eaten much this time, and since she had vomited it all out, the drug's effects weren't as strong.
Even though Li Ye had said he would help her, Ning Wei was cautious and didn't trust anyone one hundred percent.
After several meals with added medication, Ning Wei had a rough idea of the drug's side effects.
Initially, it was drowsiness, followed by confusion, memory loss, and difficulty controlling her body upon waking.
Once she grasped these details, she could fake them even without the medicine.
It was just a hardship for her stomach, having to eat it only to vomit it out.
Even if she couldn't sleep, Ning Wei forced herself to lie in bed for the entire afternoon.
After waking, she still had to feign foolishness and confusion. Mu Qing's eyes were constantly peeking in through the peephole.
Only after Ning Wei's movements gradually returned to normal did Mu Qing open the door and enter.
"Ning Wei, are you feeling unwell anywhere?" she asked in a low voice.
Ning Wei slowly turned her head to look at her, her movements as slow as a sloth's.
"I feel drowsy. Nurse Mu Qing, are you sure I'm getting better? Why do I feel worse?"
"Where do you feel unwell?" Mu Qing pressed eagerly.
Ning Wei didn't answer immediately. She appeared to ponder for a long time, then pointed to her head. "I feel something is wrong here. My vision is also blurry. Why don't you give me some medicine, or have the doctor examine me? Is there something growing in my head?"
Hearing Ning Wei's reply, Mu Qing's expression turned grim.
She consoled Ning Wei for a moment and then returned to the nurses' station.
The nurses usually rested here when they had nothing else to do. The older ones grouped together, the younger ones together, and then there were exceptions like Mu Qing, the new nurse.
Mu Qing had gotten the job through connections, but she hadn't received much preferential treatment.
These nurses rarely spoke to her, but they didn't bully her either.
Working at this hospital was actually quite easy; she only needed to be responsible for her patients' three meals a day.
The work was light, yet the salary was not low, which was also an attractive point for Mu Qing.
Soon it was time to serve dinner. Everyone else was busy with their own tasks and paid little attention to Mu Qing's actions.
Mu Qing looked at the handful of pills in her hand and finally made up her mind.
She took out two pills and put them in her pocket, adding the rest to Ning Wei's dinner.
The pills for Ning Wei were packaged in small bags, ordinary white pills with no markings, so she couldn't tell what they were.
But a thought suddenly struck Mu Qing: this was against regulations.
She had worked at the hospital for a year. Although not in the psychiatry department, other departments wouldn't operate like this either.
Ning Wei had never done anything out of line, yet the medicine she was given had suddenly become special, and after taking it, she clearly became dazed.
Working here meant two days off a month, and tomorrow was her day off.
So, secretly hiding two pills was for the purpose of taking them outside to have them examined.
She hoped she was overthinking things.
When she brought the meal to Ning Wei, Ning Wei was sitting on the bed, lost in thought. Mu Qing cautiously checked her pupils, which seemed somewhat vacant, unlike the liveliness of the past few days.
The first time Mu Qing touched Ning Wei, she placed her hand on Ning Wei's head. "You sleep so much every day. Is it very uncomfortable?"
Ning Wei shook her head gently.
Ning Wei was only two or three years younger than Mu Qing. To her, it felt like taking care of a pretty younger sister.
However, the food she delivered daily was unknowingly draining the spirit and vitality from this little sister. Mu Qing felt a great deal of guilt.
Even though the medicine hadn't been sent for testing yet, a seed of doubt, once planted, would slowly take root and sprout.
Ning Wei slowly got up to eat. Mu Qing didn't leave immediately but sat by the bed and said, "I'm going on leave. I won't be here tomorrow or the day after. The head nurse will be responsible for your daily care. You must be good and obedient, understand?"
Ning Wei put down her spoon, her eyes filled with reluctance. "When will you be back? Will you come back?"
Mu Qing nodded with great determination. "I'll be back in a couple of days."
In Ning Wei's eyes, Mu Qing saw endless attachment.
"Sister Mu Qing, I will miss you." Seeing Mu Qing leave, Ning Wei couldn't help but act out a scene for herself.
Mu Qing's actions just now, and the way she looked at her, were just like the senior disciples in the Taoist temple. It seemed this little nurse truly regarded her as a younger sister.
She just didn't know if this friendship could become a key to help them escape this broken place.
Seeing Ning Wei like this, Mu Qing's heart softened. She placed a hand in her pocket, touching the two pills, and her gaze became even more resolute.