Lying on the hospital bed, Xia Tian felt as if he were dreaming—a beautiful dream. A nurse stood before him, and through her white coat he could faintly see a light blue short-sleeved shirt and long white socks underneath.
For a boy like Xia Tian, this was undoubtedly a dream worth savoring.
"Oh? You're awake." The nurse, after checking the readings on the monitor, turned and met Xia Tian's gaze. For a moment, she felt as though his eyes could see straight through her.
Xia Tian hadn't yet recovered from the lingering daze of his dream. Instead of replying, he simply continued to admire the sight before him.
Feeling uneasy under his stare, the nurse quickly turned and hurried out of the ward, calling, "Dr. Li! Dr. Li! The patient in the intensive care unit is awake!"
"Why did she leave? Don't go…" Xia Tian tried to sit up.
A sharp pain shot through his body.
What happened? He looked down to find himself wrapped in bandages, several wounds stitched closed. His body ached all over, and an IV needle was inserted into his arm.
"It hurts… so I'm not dreaming after all. But what happened just now? How could I see what that nurse was wearing under her clothes?" As he tried to make sense of it, a man and a woman entered the ward. To his surprise, both appeared to be wearing only short-sleeved shirts—no white coats. Xia Tian blinked hard, and the next moment, both were again dressed properly in clean white coats.
"Was that an illusion?" Xia Tian wondered. To test it, he focused again—and the white coats vanished once more.
"This is real." His heart pounded with both shock and excitement. Suddenly, dizziness washed over him, and he nearly collapsed.
He could see through people's clothes.
"Who told you to sit up? Your stitches haven't been removed yet. Don't move around." Dr. Li frowned at him. He was an experienced physician, and this particular patient was special—the hospital administration had given strict orders to ensure he received the best care.
At that moment, Xia Tian finally remembered why he was here. He had been preparing for his college entrance examination when his girlfriend broke up with him. Distraught, he went out to clear his head. On the street, he saw a little girl run into the road just as a van was approaching. In the critical moment, Xia Tian had pushed her out of harm's way but was struck himself, his body thrown into a guardrail. His injuries came from that impact.
But why had he suddenly gained this strange ability? He was certain he hadn't imagined it. At his age, filled with youthful energy, he could hardly forget what he'd seen. It was as if he possessed clairvoyance—the power to see through clothing. However, the dizziness suggested there was a limit to how long he could use it.
"Student?"
Dr. Li called several times, but Xia Tian didn't respond, his expression blank. Dr. Li's brows furrowed. The boy's injuries had been severe—if not for sheer luck that none had struck a vital point, he would have died. Now, though the wounds were healing, the patient seemed dull and unfocused. That would be difficult to explain, especially since the hospital's leadership had instructed them to ensure his full recovery.
"Still can't reach his family?" Dr. Li asked. Though the bills were already paid, he wanted to consult his relatives in case the boy had a prior medical condition.
"His phone was destroyed, and even the SIM card's missing. We asked around nearby, but no one recognizes him," the nurse replied.
"You tend to his wounds. I'll call Director Zeng." Dr. Li stepped out to report the situation. After all, the girl Xia Tian had saved was not an ordinary child—she was the daughter of Zeng Rou, the most influential businesswoman in Jianghai City.
The nurse gently lowered Xia Tian back onto the bed and carefully re-tied the loosened bandages. His stitches were fresh—he shouldn't be moving at all.
Xia Tian lay still, silent, his gaze fixed on her.
Once again, his vision shifted. With a thought, he could see through the nurse's white coat, the image flashing vividly before his eyes.
After finishing the dressing, the nurse left quickly, feeling uneasy under his stare. Xia Tian remained dazed for a long time before finally returning to his senses.
He was now certain of it—he possessed a superpower: clairvoyance.
"No, the college entrance exam is coming soon. I can't stay here too long," Xia Tian muttered. If he missed it, he'd have to wait another year.
"I don't even know how long I've been here. My cousin must be worried sick." He had never known his mother, and his father had died when he was fourteen. Since then, he'd lived with his aunt. When his cousin (whom he called Biao Jie) entered university, she bought a house near campus, and his aunt had asked Xia Tian to live with her for safety. Though he rarely returned home, he would visit a few times each month.
He looked up at the calendar on the wall—less than half a month remained until the exam.
"No, I must leave soon, or I'll miss it. Father always wanted me to get into university. I can't let him down." Xia Tian began moving slowly, carefully testing his strength to avoid reopening his wounds.
"What are you doing? Lie down!" The nurse, watching through the ward monitor, rushed in to stop him.
She was strikingly beautiful, even without makeup—prettier than many celebrities. As soon as Xia Tian saw her, he couldn't help staring.
"I want to be discharged. I don't have money for the hospital fees." Though his aunt was well-off, he never asked her for help. His tuition had been paid from what his father left behind, and his daily expenses came from part-time jobs.
"Someone has already covered your medical bills," the nurse said. "Please lie back down. Your injuries will take months to heal properly." Though she disliked his gaze, she remained professional—he was her patient, and she had to care for him.
"Months?" Xia Tian frowned. "I can't wait that long. My college entrance exam is in two weeks."
"College entrance exam?" The nurse hesitated. She had heard about him—Xia Tian, the young man who had saved the daughter of Zeng Rou, Jianghai City's most powerful woman. A true hero. Surely, she thought, Zeng Rou would reward him handsomely. With that kind of money, he could attend any university he wanted.
"Where are my clothes? I want to be discharged," Xia Tian insisted. He couldn't afford to lose his chance. He had promised his father he would enter university on his own merit. Even though unemployment among graduates was high, his father had always believed education mattered.
From childhood, his father had been strict. Xia Tian wasn't a master of the qin, calligraphy, painting, or chess, but he had learned each to some extent. He had even studied the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, and the I Ching.
"Your clothes were discarded long ago. You cannot leave now," the nurse said firmly, standing her ground.
"Uh!" Xia Tian blurted out suddenly, "Black lace trim."
The nurse froze, confused at first. Then realization dawned—he had just described the exact color and pattern of her underwear.
Startled, she quickly checked her clothing but found nothing out of place.
"Ah!" She gasped, covering her uniform tightly.
"What's going on?" Dr. Li entered, having heard her cry. He immediately noticed Xia Tian standing by the bed. "Who told you to get up? You need to rest!"
"Doctor, I want to be discharged," Xia Tian said firmly.
"No, you can't leave. Your injuries haven't healed," Dr. Li replied. Director Zeng had personally instructed them to ensure Xia Tian's recovery—he couldn't let him leave in this condition.
"I must be discharged. Are you planning to keep me prisoner?" Xia Tian said, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the door, careful not to strain his body.
"That's not what I meant," Dr. Li said quickly. "If you move around too much, your wounds could worsen and cause lasting damage."
"I know my body. I'll be fine after a few days of rest," Xia Tian said. He still needed time to prepare for the exam—and to figure out his new ability.
His resolve was clear, and Dr. Li was at a loss. The hospital couldn't legally detain him.
"Alright then, wait a moment. I'll call Director Zeng," Dr. Li sighed, taking out his phone.
Just then, the ward door opened again. A woman with an exquisitely graceful figure stepped inside.
Clairvoyance—activated.