The fluorescent light in Su Yiren's ward buzzed faintly above her head, flickering in and out like it, too, wasn't sure it wanted to stay. The room was too quiet, the kind of silence that made her heart beat louder, sharper, more nervous with every second. She sat on the edge of the bed, legs drawn up and arms wrapped around herself, as though she could protect herself from something unseen but very near.
She hadn't slept since the last visitors came.
Xiao Lin. Han Su.
Their questions hadn't sounded like questions at all. They'd sounded like statements cloaked in politeness—polished, calm, and exact. The worst kind.
She could still hear Xiao Lin's voice, low and smooth: "Truth has a way of showing up even if you hide it for years, Miss Su. I hope you're ready for that."
And Han Su, with his usual flippant edge: "You can't lie forever. Especially not when ghosts start knocking."
They knew something.
They knew enough to come to her.
That was enough to terrify her.
A knock sounded on the door—three short raps. Not loud, but deliberate.
Su Yiren stiffened.
Her hands trembled as they gripped the blanket around her legs. The knock repeated, this time slower, and then the door handle turned without waiting for permission.
The moment he stepped in, her heart dropped.
*Bai Heng.*
Tall, composed, wearing a dark grey coat that blended into the shadows. His expression was unreadable, but his presence felt suffocating.
She froze. "B-Bai Heng…"
His name left her lips like a curse and a prayer all at once.
He didn't respond immediately. Just stepped into the room, shut the door behind him with a soft, firm *click*, and looked around slowly, like he was absorbing the space.
Then his eyes found hers.
"You look pale, Miss Su," he said, voice calm but deadly. "Long nights?"
Su Yiren swallowed hard. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She nodded instead—pathetically.
Bai Heng's lips curved into something that almost looked like a smile but carried no warmth.
"I heard you had visitors," he said, taking slow steps toward her. "Two, wasn't it? A woman and a man?"
"No one came," she lied too fast. "I didn't speak to anyone."
He tilted his head. "That so?"
"Yes," she said, a bit louder, her hands shaking now. "No one came. I've been resting."
"You must be exhausted then," Bai Heng replied, stopping just beside her bed. His presence loomed even in stillness. "But see, the strange thing is—those two people who 'didn't' come, left behind quite a ripple. Their names are Xiao Lin and Han Su. You know them, don't you?"
She tried to keep her face blank. Failed.
He leaned in just slightly, not enough to touch her, but enough that the air between them thickened.
"You see, Yiren," he murmured, "you've been quiet for five years. Silent, loyal, unseen. I respect that. But if you're going to start talking now, you should know what you're risking."
"I didn't say anything," she said quickly, words tumbling. "I didn't even tell them what happened that day. I told them I was alone—"
"But you weren't," he said sharply, voice like a blade.
Her heart pounded in her ears.
Bai Heng straightened and looked around again, as if making a judgment call. Then his gaze returned to her with a colder edge.
"I came to remind you of something," he said softly, too softly. "The truth doesn't save everyone. Sometimes, it buries them."
He turned to leave
But before reaching the door, he paused again. "If someone asks again, you were alone. If someone pushes, you say nothing. And if you forget all that... you'll remember what it means to fall."
He opened the door.
"Sleep well, Miss Su."
The door closed behind him with a finality that sent a chill down her spine.
Su Yiren sat frozen, blanket clutched to her chest, a sheen of sweat on her forehead despite the cold.
She hadn't just seen a ghost.
She'd seen the devil who never left.
And this time… she didn't know if she could keep the truth buried much longer.