CH 1.1

Misfortune is Always Around the Corner (Part 1)

It’s been more than a month since that major car accident, which had resulted in 2 deaths and one injury. However, the online community was still talking about the event. This was because the car accident involved the second-line artist Tian Jingzhi. There were over hundreds of thousands of posts and re-posts wishing for her well-being. All of the news reported on her daily status. Fruit baskets and flowers filled the VIP corridors of the St Maria Hospital. 

Because the intersection had just been built, security cameras had yet to be installed, so no one was sure how the accident had happened. Judging from the pictures that netizens had uploaded online, from the flipped truck caught on fire, a driver and an escort that had burned to death, and Tian Jingzhi's second-hand car, crushed into a pile of scrap iron, it was a miracle that she had escaped death.

The resulting report from the police attributed to the fatigue of the truck driver. And it was solely his fault. 

"Head nurse, I don't think I can be discharged. I have chronic stomach problems, cervical pain, lumbar disc herniation, and varicose veins..."

The head nurse smiled as she put down a stack of papers. “This is the result of your full body examination. You are healthy, so healthy that many would be jealous of you. Even your bones, they seem to be glistening. ”

“How could you slander me like that?! I'm a very hard working female artist! I must be sick! If I’m not sick, then that’s a problem! The grandpa in my hometown clinic had told me that losing weight would make my stomach as small as a gum ball! And a diet lacking in fat will make one’s skin become dry and wrinkly, like a week-old unsold cabbage!” Tian Jingzhi glanced at the papers which had shown she was completely healthy and anxiously added, "How about this? Perform lasik eye surgery on me, I have 500 degrees plus astigmatism!"

“Miss Tian,” The head nurse gently interrupted her, “You tested your vision last week, you have 20/20 vision. Please do not cause us unreasonable troubles.”

Tian Jingzhi was furious, "Quack doctors! I want to complain to your ophthalmology department. I went blind in middle school reading cartoons under the covers with a flashlight! How could someone with great eyesight be hit by a car?!"

"...Please go through the discharge procedures on Wednesday morning."

“I don’t want to be discharged! Never! I’m sick! I’m definitely sick!”

The daily tug-of-war with nurses was also a physical task so Tian Jingzhi went to bed early after nightfall.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

All of a sudden, sounds of heartbeats were heard. The sound was close but also seemed far away. 

Tian Jingzhi opened her eyes in a daze, subconsciously looking for the source of the sound. She was still half asleep when she saw a weak light shine on a tall man standing in front of her bed, silent like a ghost. This completely sobered her up and Tian Jingzhi screamed loudly in fright.

The lights outside were on, the nurse on duty and the head nurse ran in in a panic. One of the windows was open, the wind was a bit strong at night, and the curtains kept fluttering.

“Miss Tian! Miss Tian! Calm down, did you have a bad dream?”

“Someone! There was a man in front of me!” Tian Jingzhi held her blanket as she pointed at a spot by her bed, “He was standing right here! I saw it with my own eyes!”

In order to prevent any fans or reporters from sneaking in, the nurse station paid great attention to the entry and exit of any personnel. It took less than a minute from Tian Jingzhi screamed to when they ran in.

The nurse on duty checked all of the hiding areas in and near the room, but discovered nothing out of the ordinary. 

It seemed that this was Miss Tian’s new trick. The head nurse squinted her eyes as she showed her signature, warm, and gentle smile, “Miss Tian…”

Before she could even continue, Tian Jingzhi interrupted her with a ‘shhh’ sound, “Can you hear it? It’s a loud thumping sound… badump…badump…”

Seeing her eyes dart from left to right, as if trying hard to find her enemy, the nurse on duty could not help but smile. But when she noticed the stare from the head nurse, she faked a cough, composing herself. 

“......You guys can’t hear it?”

They can't hear such a loud heartbeat? Tian Jingzhi felt this situation was a little bit hard to believe.

The head nurse gently nodded her head, “I can hear it, Miss Tian, it’s part of your imagination. Please go through the discharge procedures on Wednesday, good night”

Tian Jingzhi was taken aback, and hurriedly explained, "Hey, do you think I'm playing a prank? I’ve been wrong!! My elementary school ideological and moral class was in the top three of my whole grade!"

But the head nurse didn't believe her at all, she just smiled and didn't forget to turn off the light for her before going out.

How could this happen? Why can’t they hear the sounds of the heartbeats? Tian Jingzhi was no longer in a mood to sleep. She simply sat up on her bed and stared at the moon outside her window. 

……. Was it really just my imagination?