Jane called out to Bianca for a long time, but got no response.
Just when Jane thought Bianca wasn't going to answer, his voice, thick with the grumpiness of just waking up, echoed in her mind.
"What's with all the noise?! I told you, I'm sleeping! Don't bother me unless it's important! Watch it, or I'll dock your pay!"
Hearing Bianca's explosive tone, Jane tried to placate him.
"There, there, don't be mad. After I help Grandpa Thorne, I'll treat you to the best human food there is—BBQ."
At that, Bianca practically shot up inside her mind.
"BBQ? What's that?"
Jane's lips curled into a smirk. 'It seems it's not just humans,' she thought. 'Even non-humans can't escape the allure of BBQ.'
"You'll find out. I promise you won't be disappointed."
Bianca stroked his chin and eyed Jane. Seeing no reason for her to lie, he straightened his sleep-tousled hair and spoke with a haughty air.
"Jasper Thorne's condition is simple. It's soul loss caused by extreme fright. Doesn't your Yin Yang Deliveryman app sell all sorts of talismans? There's one called a Soul Revival Talisman. Just slap it on his body, and his soul will automatically return. Then he'll wake up."
'Really? It's that simple?'
Jane found it hard to believe. She quickly opened her phone.
She found the app and, sure enough, saw the Soul Revival Talisman in the shop.
"It's really here! Thanks, Bianca!"
Hearing her happy thanks, Bianca just snorted.
"Just remember to treat me to that BBQ."
"I will, I will! Don't you worry!"
But when Jane saw the price of the Soul Revival Talisman, she froze as if struck by lightning.
Th-th-th-this...
It's way too expensive!
A Soul Revival Talisman costs 300,000 Money!
That's half of her points gone in one go!
'Oh, god. Money is so hard to come by.'
'The Money hasn't even had time to warm my palm, and I have to spend it already?'
Jane turned to look at Jasper Thorne beside her.
"Child, you're a good kid. You should go. The hospital isn't safe at night. You don't want to get tangled up with those little ghosts."
With that, Jasper Thorne shakily got to his feet and started toward the nearby stairwell.
"Grandpa Thorne, where are you going?"
Jasper Thorne didn't look back.
"I'm going back to the 34th floor. I want to see my body a few last times."
The sight of his lonely figure made Jane's heart ache.
Perhaps because she had recently undergone a major upheaval in her own life, Jane was once again moved by the pure, familial love Jasper Thorne had for his grandson.
'Since I can't have that kind of love for myself, helping someone else preserve theirs is a good deed in its own right.'
She clenched her fists, then quickly tapped her phone screen a few times.
DING—
[Congratulations on your successful purchase of the Soul Revival Talisman.]
[The Soul Revival Talisman has been placed in your pocket. To use, apply the talisman to the soul's back.]
Jane quietly read the instructions, committing them to memory.
She stood up and felt her pocket.
Sure enough, she pulled a square, yellow talisman from her pocket.
'Perfect!'
She quickly called out to Jasper Thorne.
"Grandpa Thorne, wait!"
Hearing her voice, Jasper Thorne looked back at her, confused.
"I have a way."
Jane accompanied Jasper Thorne on the elevator up to the 34th floor.
It was during the ride that she learned ghosts couldn't take elevators on their own. They needed a living person to act as a vessel.
He could only get into an elevator by following someone else inside.
Besides, there were very few patients on the 34th floor of the hospital.
As it stood, Jasper Thorne was the only patient on the entire 34th floor.
So after the elevator reached its highest floor, Jasper Thorne had to walk the rest of the way up himself.
DING—
[34th Floor.]
After stepping out of the elevator, Jane tightened her grip on the talisman.
Jasper Thorne looked at her, his expression hesitant.
"Child, are you sure you can help me? If it's too much trouble..."
"It's no trouble, really. This is actually quite simple. Please, trust me, Grandpa Thorne."
With that, Jane walked straight up to the bodyguards.
The two bodyguards recognized Jane from before and seemed pleasantly surprised to see her.
"Miss, what brings you here today?"
Jane's gaze was determined. "I need to see Drew Thorne."
When the door to the hospital room opened, Jane was a little surprised to see Drew Thorne, the man from yesterday.
Drew Thorne had dark circles under his eyes today, and his hair was a mess. He looked as if he hadn't slept all night, and he seemed to be in bad shape.
She glanced past Drew Thorne's shoulder at Jasper Thorne, who was still lying motionless in the hospital bed.
Jane closed the door and met Drew Thorne's somewhat startled gaze.
Drew Thorne was agitated. "You... You're the person from yesterday, aren't you?"
Jane had run off so quickly yesterday that by the time Drew Thorne tried to chase her, she had already left the hospital. He'd had no choice but to return to the room, his mind filled with questions.
He never expected Jane to show up at his door again today.
Jane was just about to say that she had a way to save Jasper Thorne when Drew lunged forward, grabbing her tightly by the shoulders.
"Who the hell are you? Why do you have a key to my house? And you said my grandfather asked you to give me that thing, but he's lying right there in that bed! How could he have asked you to do anything?!"
Startled by his sudden movement, Jane stumbled back a few steps.
But his grip on her shoulders remained firm.
"Let go of me!"
The spectral Jasper Thorne beside them was also startled by his grandson's behavior. He moved forward to stop Drew, only for his hands to pass right through him.
"You brat! So rude to a young lady! No wonder you've been single all these years!"
Seeing tears of pain well up in the corners of Jane's eyes, Drew realized how rude he was being and quickly released her shoulders.
The hopeful look in his eyes, however, remained fixed on her.
Jane quickly rubbed her shoulders. His grip had been so strong it felt like he could have broken a bone.
But when she met Drew's bloodshot gaze, Jane decided she didn't have time to argue with him.
She held up the talisman in her hand.
"Your grandfather is suffering from soul loss, caused by extreme fright combined with the physical impact. He'll wake up soon."
As she spoke, Jane moved to slap the talisman onto the spectral form of Jasper Thorne.
But before she could, Drew's hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
Drew's eyes were dark as he deftly plucked the square talisman from Jane's hand with two fingers and examined it in his palm.
Jane hadn't expected him to be so fast. For a moment, she was flustered.
She took a few steps forward, trying to snatch the talisman back.
'Are you kidding me? That thing is worth 300,000 Money!'
'With all the points I have, I can only afford two of those!'
'I had no intention of blowing all my Money on this guy!'
"What are you doing? Give that back to me! It's really expensive!"