The sweet and sour pork was, as always, delectable. Valentina savored each bite, appreciating the familiar comfort of the dish. But the attention, the stares, the palpable tension in the cafeteria – it was all a bit much. The thrill of the spectacle had faded, replaced by a quiet longing for solitude.
She finished her meal quickly and efficiently, wiping her mouth with a napkin and offering a polite smile to the bewildered cafeteria staff. Then, without another word, she turned and walked back towards her hospital room, leaving a trail of stunned silence in her wake.
The doors slid shut behind her with a soft whoosh, sealing her back into the sterile confines of her room. The sudden quiet was almost jarring after the cacophony of emotions she'd just experienced in the cafeteria.
Valentina slumped back against the pillows, letting out a long sigh.
The day had stretched into an almost dreamlike state, a long, uninterrupted slumber that left Valentina feeling strangely refreshed, yet also slightly disoriented. She awoke to the muted sounds of the hospital – the beeping of machines, the hushed conversations of nurses, the distant murmur of voices.
She stretched languidly, her limbs feeling stiff from prolonged inactivity. Then, drawn by an inexplicable impulse, she pushed herself out of bed and wandered out of her room.
Her eyes immediately landed on a scene unfolding down the hallway. An elderly man, frail and hunched over in his bed, was stubbornly refusing to take his medication. Two nurses and his personal doctor hovered anxiously around him, attempting to coax him into swallowing the pills.
Valentina poked her head out of her room, observing the situation with a detached curiosity.
Inner voice: Ah, this old man…mmm, I see he has pain in his chest and hates bitterness. Best way to handle him is give him luxurious soup and smash the medicine in it.
The nurses and the personal doctor of the old man looked up, startled by the sudden appearance of a 17yearold girl who sweetly smiled at them. The old man also looked up, his gaze drawn to Valentina's face. He found her exceptionally beautiful, her crimson eyes radiating a gentle warmth. At that moment, a whimsical thought sparked in his mind – this woman would be his future granddaughterinlaw.
"Sorry saw screaming," Valentina said softly, her voice laced with an apologetic sweetness that seemed entirely out of place given the tense atmosphere.
Valentina's smile widened just a fraction, a subtle expression that hinted at a deeper understanding of the situation. She nodded her head in what appeared to be agreement with the nurses and doctor, then shook her head gently as if dismissing a minor inconvenience. The whole interaction was brief and seemingly innocuous, yet it left the medical staff feeling strangely unsettled.
Inner voice:
Inner voice: Ah, this poor old man! He will be attacked tonight…oh no, assassin tonight! Way I am far too young to die! I must go and buy some Buddhist bracelets! Yes, yes, I must do that now!
Valentina's gaze lingered on the old man for a moment longer, a flicker of concern momentarily clouding her crimson eyes. Then, with surprising urgency, she turned and rushed off down the hallway, her footsteps echoing against the polished floor.
The hospital room was bathed in the eerie glow of the moonlight filtering through the window. Valentina, restless and uneasy, hadn't been able to shake off the premonition of danger that had plagued her earlier. She'd spent the evening fidgeting, muttering monk prayers under her breath, and obsessively browsing online shops for Buddhist bracelets. Now, she felt compelled to check on the old man.
She quietly slipped out of her room and made her way down the hallway, her senses heightened, alert for any sign of trouble. As she neared Old Man Ku's room, she heard a muffled scuffle and a sinister silence that sent a chill down her spine.
Bursting into the room, Valentina saw a terrifying scene unfolding. A masked assassin was poised to plunge a dagger into Old Man Ku's chest.
Without a moment's hesitation, Valentina surged forward. Her movements were surprisingly swift and fluid, defying her seemingly delicate frame. She grabbed the assassin's wrist with a strength that belied her age, halting the fatal blow just inches from Old Man Ku's heart. With a sharp twist and a grunt of effort, she threw the assassin against the wall, sending him sprawling in a heap.
Her crimson eyes, previously warm and gentle, now turned glacial, radiating an icy coldness that seemed to freeze the very air around her. The other two bodyguards, hulking figures trained in formidable martial arts, were about to step forward to intervene but Old Man Ku raised a hand, silencing them. A strange fascination flickered in his ancient eyes as he watched this young girl unfold before him. He wanted to see what she was truly capable of.
The assassin, recovering from the impact, lunged forward, his dagger flashing in the dim light. Valentina dodged the attack with an almost supernatural grace, her movements blurring as she anticipated his every move. But instead of engaging in a prolonged fight, she vanished. One moment she was there, the next, she was gone.
Then, with startling suddenness, Valentina reappeared behind the assassin. Before he could react, she delivered a series of precise strikes to his nerve clusters – a technique honed through countless lifetimes of experience. The assassin crumpled to the floor, paralyzed and unable to move. It wasn't a fatal blow, but it rendered him completely helpless.
After she was finished, Valentina turned back to face Old Man Ku and his bodyguards, her expression returning to its usual calm demeanor. She casually glanced at her nails as if assessing the state of her manicure.
"Ah, host host!" Maw Maw chirped excitedly, its tiny voice echoing in Valentina's mind.
"Maw Maw, not now," Valentina mumbled, already feeling exhaustion creeping in. She turned and walked back into her room, dismissing the situation with a wave of her hand. She flopped down onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillows and quickly drifting off to sleep.
In the other room, Old Man Ku's expression had hardened into a mask of cold calculation. The playful amusement that had briefly flickered in his eyes was gone, replaced by a steely resolve.
"From now on, that girl will be my future granddaughterinlaw," he declared, his voice low and resonant.
"Humph, my wife will also be pleased with this girl. Go…it seems I have her to protect me."