Chapter 67

Nineteen years ago, in September.

Only eleven-year-old Bai Luorui wore a white little dress, leaning on the windowsill, looking out from the nursing home window. From her perspective, she could see a small patch of green on the grass.

The elderly had their dinner early, and now, nearing dusk with the evening glow painting the sky, they had all finished eating. In twos and threes, they walked from the outdoor canteen to their sleeping quarters.

Most of the elderly were hard of hearing, their voices loud, creating a noisy atmosphere in the yard. Bai Luorui sat in front of a soundproof glass window. Through the window, she could still hear intermittent voices.

The view outside the window was dull and uninteresting, but Bai Luorui focused on it, remaining very quiet and still.

Grandpa went to the canteen to return the meal trays. He would take the opportunity to catch his breath, chat with other elderly people, stay for a while, and then come back. Grandma had already laid down early in bed, had a simple wash, and didn’t need Bai Luorui to take care of her. In their daily routine, this time was Bai Luorui’s alone.

Grandpa always remarked that their family was fortunate. When Grandpa and Grandma moved into the nursing home, there happened to be two vacant beds. So, Grandpa and Grandma shared a room. Later, when Bai Luorui’s parents divorced, she also moved in and slept in the same bed with Grandma at night.

It seemed that Bai Luorui had heard her mother mention before that Grandma had a severe illness, perhaps lung cancer or something similar. She lay at home waiting to die, and the same would happen in the hospital. It was better to come to the nursing home to wait for death. Here, there were more elderly people to bask in the sun, chat, and maybe Grandma’s health could improve a bit.

Grandpa always insisted on taking care of Grandma himself and didn’t let people transfer Grandma to the critical care building.

However, Grandma’s health did not visibly improve; instead, it deteriorated day by day. Sometimes, she would develop a fever at night, sticking close to Bai Luorui’s body, covered in sticky sweat. It was so uncomfortable that she would moan. Sometimes, it disturbed others, and a doctor would come to give her an injection. But Bai Luorui knew those medications couldn’t save her; at most, they could only delay her suffering for a little longer.

Now, Bai Luorui could hear Grandma’s breathing. Grandma should be trying to fall asleep; her breath sounded like a heavy wheeze, pulling in and out like a bellows. The air in the room became stale, carrying a strange smell— the scent of illness and aging. Fortunately, Bai Luorui had long grown accustomed to all of this.

Why do people grow old? And why do they die?

Bai Luorui pondered this question, deeply lost in thought.

A clear whistle echoed at the door, the secret signal between Wei Hong and her. Bai Luorui’s eyes shifted, withdrawing her gaze. Although it was nearing dusk outside the window, the room was dimly lit. They hadn’t turned on the lights, and the curtains were drawn to block out all sunlight. Unfortunately, Grandma didn’t like sunlight, so the curtains were kept closed year-round. Only a small portion near the window allowed some light to filter through.

Bai Luorui adapted to the dimness in the room and walked out. She heard Grandma’s coughing behind her; she had apparently been awake all this time: “Don’t associate with that Wei boy. Learn from that kid who often comes here; even here, he doesn’t forget to study every day.”

In this courtyard, Wei Hong was a restless little guy, with poor grades, skipping classes, while the other kid who frequently visited was an outlier. Bai Luorui didn’t know whose child he was; she only knew that he occasionally appeared in the nursing home.

In recent months, he had been seen every month, looking fair and handsome, a clean-cut young boy. Moreover, he was polite, considered a good child by all the elderly. Bai Luorui liked him; he had a pleasant fragrance different from the smell of these elderly people. She had asked him, and he said his last name was Gu, and he was called Gu Zhibai.

Bai Luorui walked forward, pretending not to have heard the words behind her. She carefully locked the door.

At the end of the corridor, under the stairs, Wei Hong and Du Ruoxin had been waiting for a while. These two companions, one twelve years old and the other only nine, Wei Hong still held a frog he had caught today. Due to running around in the yard all year, he was tanned and had a pair of eyes that gleamed white. When they saw her approaching, Wei Hong stood up and threw the frog on the ground, looking up to Bai Luorui: “Have you really decided? Are you going to find Doctor Xia?”

Bai Luorui nodded. This was the time they had agreed upon after dinner today.

Du Ruoxin held Bai Luorui’s hand and remembered the previous plan. She became a bit hesitant: “I’m afraid. Maybe we shouldn’t go…”

“You already promised me. Is it now that you want to back out?” Bai Luorui’s voice still carried the childish innocence, but her words sounded like those of a little adult, and her expression was full of disdain. She feared attracting adults’ attention, so she lowered her voice in Du Ruoxin’s ear: “You’re always like this; your parents left you here because of it, you scaredy-cat!”

This sentence seemed to have a sting, scratching Du Ruoxin, and after hearing Bai Luorui’s words, she lowered her head feeling a bit upset.

“Whether to go or not is up to you.” Bai Luorui took a few steps forward, turning back to the two small companions behind her, “If you’re afraid, you can still go back now.”

“I’ll follow you no matter what,” Wei Hong said and walked alongside her. His bright eyes stood out in the dim corridor. His academic performance was poor, and initially, the other kids in this yard isolated him, refusing to play with him.

It wasn’t until Bai Luorui came that Wei Hong had a friend. She would suddenly take his hand; the girl’s hand was fair and delicate, and she would carefully help him wipe away the wounds left from fights.

To Wei Hong, regardless of right or wrong, he blindly followed Bai Luorui. In his eyes, that little girl was like a princess, and since she was a princess, there should be a knight protecting her.

Du Ruoxin hummed softly and followed along. Among the children in the nursing home, she was the youngest and timid, but she had always been Bai Luorui’s shadow. She didn’t want to let it go like this, abandoned by her best friend. Moreover, she felt Bai Luorui was right; her parents must have disliked her timidity to leave her here. If she could do something extraordinary, maybe they would take notice of her.

The three walked all the way to the building where the doctors and caregivers resided. As usual, they knocked on the door of Xia Weizhi’s room. Tonight, Dr. Xia happened to be resting, and they were all very familiar with this room, which was only a dozen square meters.

Xia Weizhi had just taken off the white coat she wore all day and changed into her casual clothes. She looked graceful and gentle. Smiling, she got up to pour them water: “Why did you all come together today? Are you here to ask about homework?”

The children here all knew that Dr. Xia always liked children. Kids frequently came over to play, and she had long been used to it. There were candies on the table for the children, and she would patiently help them with their homework.

“Dr. Xia, I want to ask you for a favor.” Bai Luorui’s voice was clear and serious, as if she had made some significant decision. Wei Hong and Du Ruoxin stood silently on the side, not daring to make a sound.

Xia Weizhi turned around, looking at this child. She recognized her; this child’s last name was Bai, unusually mature for her age. She was also very beautiful, and even in this gloomy nursing home, she received a lot of special treatment.

Xia Weizhi asked Bai Luorui, “What do you want me to do?”

Bai Luorui’s face showed an unusual calmness for her age. She spoke each word seriously, “I want you to help me kill my grandmother.”

Xia Weizhi was stunned for a moment, only then confirming she hadn’t misheard. The child of just a few years old had a serious and determined expression. She didn’t seem to think that what she said was shocking, but the two companions by her side, the boy remained silent, and the other girl clearly felt a bit uneasy. Sensing her emotional change, Bai Luorui grabbed her hand.

Perhaps the children had planned this for a long time.

Xia Weizhi looked at her, her gaze gradually changing. Her expression shifted from initially soft to somewhat indifferent. “Why make such a request?”

Bai Luorui tightened her fists, her palms sweaty. “It’s my grandmother’s wish. She has told me more than once that she really wants to die; she can’t go on living. I hope you can help me fulfill her wish. I have only one request – to make her death as painless as possible.”

Her grandmother had trapped herself, and in turn, she had trapped Bai Luorui. Since her grandmother fell ill, Bai Luorui hadn’t slept through a single night. She went to school during the day, and after school, she helped her grandfather take care of the patient. Her critically ill grandmother was sensitive and irritable. A slight displeasure could lead to a furious outburst. Sometimes, she would cry hysterically. She pulled all the curtains, refusing to talk to anyone. She said her life shouldn’t be like this. She said she had lived enough. She said she wanted to die, not just once.

“Do you think killing her is good for her?” Xia Weizhi held a disposable paper cup in her hands, originally intended for these children. However, now she didn’t hand it to them and took a sip herself.

Even though she committed murder, Xia Weizhi was fully aware of what she was doing. However, these children, just in their early teens, were completely oblivious to the significance of their words.

Despite sometimes loathing herself, Xia Weizhi still retained a hint of humanity. She refused, shaking her head. “I am the physician here, someone who heals. I cannot agree to your request, and I don’t understand why you would make such a demand.”

Setting down the water cup, Xia Weizhi continued, “Leave. After you step out of this door, don’t utter such nonsense to anyone.”

Bai Luorui seemed to have anticipated the rejection. She lifted her head, staring directly at Xia Weizhi with an intense gaze. “We know your secret. If you don’t agree, I’ll tell the police what you did in the intensive care unit.”

Xia Weizhi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So, what did I do in the intensive care unit?”

“You killed someone there,” Bai Luorui said in a low voice. “We saw you hammering a nail into an elderly person’s head and injecting something into them.”

The room fell silent.

Du Ruoxin felt goosebumps on her arms. She looked at Bai Luorui with a mixture of fear and regret for revealing the past to them.

Once, during a game of hide and seek, Du Ruoxin hid behind a curtain in the intensive care unit. Perhaps due to her small stature, Xia Weizhi didn’t notice her presence. She heard footsteps in the room and saw Xia Weizhi approaching the bedside. After torturing the elderly person, she injected something into the paralyzed old man. Weak and helpless, he could only emit feeble sounds, enduring such cruel torture.

Later, Xia Weizhi recorded all of this in her notebook.

Terrified, Du Ruoxin shared this incident with her two best friends, hoping they would go together to inform the adults. However, Bai Luorui advised her not to make a fuss about it.

From that day on, they began to monitor Dr. Xia’s movements. Every time Xia Weizhi went to the intensive care unit alone, an elderly person would pass away, bearing new scars on their body. They were certain – Xia Weizhi was doing something secretive here.

She was killing people!

She was experimenting on how to kill!

Back then, the gaze of Dr. Xia was just like it is now, chilling and almost unrecognizable to those familiar with her.

Xia Weizhi, with interest, looked down at Bai Luorui. “Do you know what you’re saying? Aren’t you afraid I’ll silence you by killing you?”

Bai Luorui replied, “If it were just me, maybe. But now we are three. If you kill me, they will immediately run out and call for help. Even if you kill all of us later, it will definitely arouse suspicion. You won’t do that.”

Deaths of elderly residents in the nursing home were considered normal. However, the simultaneous deaths of three children would surely attract attention. Xia Weizhi couldn’t eliminate all of them at once. As long as someone survived, they could spread her secret.

Xia Weizhi chuckled, “So, this is the reason you brought your little friends here?” Then she looked at the three children in front of her. Her tone softened, as if the matters discussed earlier were just jokes. “I haven’t done anything. If you want to say something, go ahead. Those old folks died of natural causes. Let’s see if the police believe your words or mine. It’s better for you to go back now; otherwise, I might complain to your parents.”

Du Ruoxin tugged at Wei Hong, preparing to get up, but Bai Luorui remained still. “Dr. Xia… then I’ll tell the elderly residents about this, let them all know that you are planning to kill them. When the time comes, someone will investigate.”

She stared directly into Xia Weizhi’s eyes. “Even if they can’t find evidence for a while, they will be cautious and wary of you. You won’t be able to kill people here anymore.”

She was right. Once personal interests were implicated, especially regarding one’s life, people would pay more attention. The police might not believe the children, but they would believe the elderly residents. Even if it were just rumors, it could be a deadly weapon. Besides, Xia Weizhi might have left traces somewhere.

Bai Luorui stared at Xia Weizhi intently. She didn’t like her; she found her cruel and pathological, but she needed this teacher. She had to get what she needed to do what she wanted.

Xia Weizhi lowered her head to look at Bai Luorui again. In this child’s eyes, she saw something different, a feeling as if a predatory beast had encountered a kindred spirit. She hesitated, “If I do it, what do I get in return?”

Bai Luorui knew her opportunity had come. She had to convince Xia Weizhi now. She blinked, her face bearing a child’s innocence but with an unusually serious expression. “I can help you with tasks, even say we can help you. We are kids, not so noticeable. We can help you keep watch, assist you with many things that you can’t do alone.”

Xia Weizhi looked at them, seemingly contemplating whether to agree. “But how can I trust that you will keep the secret?”

Bai Luorui’s voice was clear. “We have known about what you’ve been doing, but we haven’t told the adults. That’s our choice. Now that we’ve involved ourselves, we are accomplices. If we expose you, we will also face consequences.”

“What about you two?” Xia Weizhi asked again.

“I’m following her.” The boy quickly declared, his tone carrying a hint of pride, as if he was about to do something thrilling and courageous. “Isn’t it just dead people? I’ve been living in this nursing home with my grandpa. I saw dead people when I was five. Some old folks are just waste of resources.”

Du Ruoxin rolled her eyes, glanced at her two companions, twisted her body, and her competitive spirit made her unwilling to fall behind. “I… I can help you keep watch. That’s what I’m best at. I’m good at hide-and-seek; they can’t find me.”

Xia Weizhi stared at the three children in front of her. Their words were unfiltered; it seemed they didn’t know that they were volunteering, becoming accomplices, becoming executioners. They still didn’t know what kind of life they would face in the future.

After a few seconds of silence, Xia Weizhi nodded and looked at Bai Luorui. “Alright, I can help you.”

That day, their lives changed forever.

Since then, Bai Luorui had witnessed many deaths. Sometimes, a person’s death was a long and tortuous process, taking months or even years. Time was like a cruel knife, slicing flesh and blood from a person’s body, as long as there was breath, a beating heart, and brainwaves that weren’t flatlined, life could persist.

Sometimes, killing a person was an extremely simple process, requiring only a syringe, a rope, a knife; a few minutes later, the soul would leak out like liquid from a container, and life would come to an end, separated by the boundary of life and death.

She stayed by Xia Weizhi’s side for a whole year. Like the best student, she not only learned all of Xia Weizhi’s methods but also surpassed her.

However, she still had one thing to do…

In August of that year, twelve-year-old Bai Luorui made an anonymous phone call.

Demons should go to hell. She was convinced that what she did left no traces. She was confident that even if Xia Weizhi was caught, she wouldn’t expose them, implicate them. That woman was like a madwoman, and the crazy things they participated in, the things they did, no one would believe even if spoken.

From then on, the secrets of Wushan Nursing Home were finally uncovered.

Even the feared inquiries Bai Luorui expected never came. Xia Weizhi disappeared, and she didn’t know where she fled. No one knew that they had participated in those things; they were safe…

Nineteen years later.

Sitting in the car, Bai Luorui looked out like she did when she was a child.

The car stopped at a red light, and Bai Luorui, who had broken free from her memories, looked up. Longyue Elderly City was about to arrive. From this angle, it really resembled Wushan Nursing Home a lot.

The reflection of the bustling city appeared on the car window. In the flow of traffic, the honking of cars was a bit harsh. Bai Luorui stared at the building, lost in thought. She remembered when she helped Xia Weizhi hold her grandmother’s hand. At that time, her grandmother’s gaze met hers. Clearly, it was the fastest-acting potion, yet her neck veins were exposed, her eyeballs bulged, and it took several seconds of hesitation before she died. In the end, she called out to her, “Luorui!”

That was her grandmother’s last words.

Afterward, she went to the bathroom, repeatedly washed her hands, washing them until they were bright red.

At this moment, Bai Luorui looked down at her hands. She unconsciously rotated the bracelet on her wrist. It was the relic her grandmother left her, worn since she was ten. With the passage of time, the bracelet had become small, but she couldn’t bear to take it off.

Her grandmother must have been pleasantly surprised back then.

Grandma just didn’t have time. If she had explained everything to her, Grandma would surely have smiled, hugged her, and said, “My dear Luorui did so well.”

She wouldn’t blame her. Grandma clearly lived in so much pain, so much discomfort. Every time she talked about being close to death, about wanting to die, she was expressing her suffering.

What she did was simply fulfilling her grandmother’s wishes to end that suffering.

Raised by her grandmother since childhood, Bai Luorui loved her dearly. She loved her more than anyone else because only she understood her pain, and only she could help her escape that torment!

As she grew older, Bai Luorui discovered that in this world, there were millions of families, and many people had to endure such pain.

Life could be measured by a formula: when pain exceeded joy, when helpless on the brink of a terminal illness, when you had aged to the point of burdening everyone…

Humans, when it’s time to die, should go and die.

But some people who wanted to die lacked the courage, didn’t know how, had no one to help them. Those struggling elderly, those families sinking into mire, how helpless and pitiful they were. So, she stepped in to help them. This was what she was doing now, a great deed and something she had to do.

She was entirely different from Xia Weizhi. Her compassionate heart helped those people escape their suffering.

Bai Luorui sighed, looking out of the car window. The car was about to stop, and she was about to reach her destination.

Sitting up straight, looking ahead, Bai Luorui’s mind was still pondering that question: Why do people age? And why do they die? Up to this day, she hadn’t found an answer.

TN

Maybe all the schemes of the devil were nothing compared to what man could think up.