After the little paper doll chased Zhong Mu around the clinic two or three times, Zhong Mu stopped and offered to take on tasks such as cooking and cleaning the clinic, at which point the little paper doll stopped.
Normally, these tasks are done by the little paper figures, but with Zhong Mu speaking up, it became much easier for them; all they had to do was brew the medicine.
"Hmm... I'll think about it. If the food you make isn't good and the doctor doesn't like it, I still won't tell you." After seriously considering it, the little paper doll reluctantly agreed, looking quite troubled.
"Don't worry, I've got it covered!" Zhong Mu nodded confidently, and the little paper figure then pretended to agree.
Zuo Meng, who was watching the show from the sidelines, clearly saw that after Zhong Mu turned around, the little paper doll was so excited that it danced around and jumped back and forth on its two short legs. It was obvious that it was very happy that someone had done these things for it, but it had to pretend because of its position as a doctor.
These two clearly got what they wanted.
Zuo Meng turned to look out the window, somewhat worried, "It's evening, is the doctor alright? Could it mutate or something? I'm a little worried."
"It's okay." Zhong Mu casually picked up the large ladle. "It's not midnight yet, let's eat first."
He went off to cook for the doctor with great focus, leaving Zuo Meng alone pacing back and forth in worry.
He was unfamiliar with this instance and wasn't as adept as the others. Indeed, the rules of the village did mention nighttime, specifically after midnight. According to Zhong Mu, the anomalies in the clinic would also unfold after midnight.
Does this entire instance become terrifying after midnight?
Zuo Meng cautiously looked at the rules. After being left to his own devices by the big shots who came in, he had to think independently.
Not only did the rules mention ignoring outside noises, but Zhong Mu also mentioned it to him once. It seems that the scariest part of this instance is actually at night. The eerie atmosphere during the day, the inexplicable weddings, and the patients are probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Zuo Meng had already conjured up a particularly terrifying image in her mind, but when she turned her head and saw Zhong Mu concentrating on starting a fire and cooking, she immediately lost the tension of the dungeon.
He pursed his lips and walked over, peeking into the corridor and whispering to Zhong Mu, "Aren't you afraid of ghosts?"
"Although that doctor doesn't look scary at all, he's still a weirdo no matter what. There are so many weirdos in the game, and not many of them are good. Sometimes they can be really scary. You can't get close to them, right?"
"Huh?" Zhong Mu, who was focused on cooking for the doctor, turned around in confusion. "Sorry, I was thinking about what the doctor would like to eat and didn't notice what you said. Can you say it again?"
"…It's nothing." Zuo Meng took two steps to the side speechlessly. This kid was so engrossed in that strange doctor that he wouldn't listen to anything she said. It seemed she would have to rely on herself tonight!
While cooking, Zuo Meng continued to wander around the clinic, but apart from the clinic being full of patients and the inaccessible second-floor entrance, she didn't find anything else.
During this period, Zhong Mu actually cooked three dishes and a soup for the doctor.
Monsters don't actually need to eat human food. The food in this clinic is for the players who enter. There isn't much food, but Zhong Mu has transformed it into delicious and visually appealing dishes.
Once the food was cooked, it was immediately sent to the doctor so that a monster who didn't need to eat could taste it first, while Zuo Meng, whose stomach was growling with hunger, had to wait by holding an empty bowl.
He stared at Zhong Mu's busy back with exasperation, thinking that when he saw Boss Ye later, he would definitely mention it to him: if the town's promising young man continued like this, he would go astray and turn into a monster!
After dinner, the little paper doll quickly reconciled with Zhong Mu because the doctor really liked Zhong Mu's cooking and praised Zhong Mu's skills with a smile.
During the meal, the two kept exchanging glances. While chatting, Zhong Mu repeatedly served food to the doctor, and Zuo Meng, sitting beside him, was getting tired of watching and began to regret not going with Boss Ye; attending a banquet would have been quite nice...
After clearing away the dishes, it was late at night, and the whole village fell silent, as if everything from the daytime had vanished, even the continuous sound of the suona horn that had been playing all day had disappeared.
"The clinic will be closing soon, please be careful at night," the little paper figure said casually as it passed Zuo Meng's door.
Zuo Meng remained silent, closed and locked the door, then turned to close the window. She huddled under the covers, too afraid to utter a sound. After taking a deep breath, she prayed that tonight would be a peaceful night.
Time ticked by inside the clinic, and Zuo Meng grew increasingly sleepy, feeling drowsy. It seemed that if she closed her eyes, the night would pass in utter silence, without incident.
Just as his eyelids were about to droop, a familiar sound suddenly rang out beside his ear, piercing the silence of the village night.
Zuo Meng suddenly opened her eyes and stared intently at the ceiling.
In the middle of the night... the sound of suona horns... could be heard coming from the village?
Wasn't it already stopped?
There's no suona playing at burials, and nobody buries anyone in the middle of the night. As for weddings... they just got married during the day, so it's unlikely that someone would be getting married in the middle of the night.
He sat up with a start, his drowsiness completely dispelled by the fright. The sound of suona horns outside the window continued incessantly, and unlike the sound that came from a fixed location during the day, the sound of suona horns at night seemed to be moving.
Zuo Meng pricked up her ears and carefully listened to the sounds outside the window. As she listened, she noticed something unusual.
He slowly turned his head, shifting his gaze from the window to the doorway.
It seems... that something closer has been drowned out by the cacophony of musical instruments.
Zuo Meng stared at the darkness at the doorway and swallowed hard. Although she was told not to open the door or pay attention to the noise outside, it shouldn't be a problem to listen to what was making the noise and find out what was going on.
He tiptoed out of bed, pressed himself against the door, and held his breath, trying to discern the sounds coming from the hallway outside.
The sound of light, slow footsteps was numerous and varied, likely from many people, including the sound of heavy objects being dragged across the floor.
Secondly, there's the sound of a cat meowing, which sounds deep and threatening, sending chills down your spine.
Finally, there was... Zhong Mu's voice.
"Doctor, do you need my help? I can handle it faster."
"Meow--!"
"The doctor is so fierce at night, but she's still so cute. Let me help you."
The cat's meows became shrill and piercing, sounding anything but cute; in fact, quite terrifying.
Zuo Meng listened intently to the sounds of cats dragging and crawling on the ground, constantly moving closer, but Zhong Mu ignored them, instead engaging in a lively conversation with the cats' meows.
"Is the doctor trying to protect me? Doctors are so kind."
"It's okay, I can protect myself, the doctor doesn't need to worry."
"If the doctor needs my help cleaning them up, I will! As for the severed limbs... I'll just have to bear with it!"
Listening to Zhong Mu's silly, self-absorbed laughter, Zuo Meng broke out in a cold sweat.
He told him not to go out at night, but he went out to meet the doctor himself and strolled openly in the corridor.
Are people on vacation really this unrestrained and disregard the rules?