Natasha’s emotions refused to settle. Every time she closed her eyes, fragments of her time with Yuri would surface — bittersweet and unbearable.

Later, after taking medication, she gradually calmed down.

After coaxing Natasha to sleep, Ada stayed behind to watch over her while Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the villa to pack their belongings and moved directly into a hotel near the hospital.

The hotel’s daily point cost was steep — far less economical than staying in the villa the team had purchased — but the villa was no longer safe for them. Even if the person behind everything refrained from striking again, there was no guarantee that opportunists wouldn’t take advantage of the situation.

Early the next morning, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei went to the hospital to relieve Ada.

Someone always needed to be at the hospital. Though puppet nurses were there to provide care, having teammates by her side would at least give Natasha some measure of emotional comfort.

When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei arrived, Natasha was already awake, staring blankly at the ceiling with hollow eyes. She showed no reaction to the sound of their footsteps.

Ada was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, resting. When he sensed the movement, he immediately opened them.

“We brought breakfast — want some?” Bai Youwei set sandwiches and coffee on the table and looked at him. “Or would you rather head back to the hotel and get some sleep first?”

“No need.” Ada stretched his arms, stood up, and walked over, casually grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite. He noticed a steaming bowl of rice porridge beside it and understood at once — that was for Natasha.

He just didn’t know whether she could bring herself to eat.

Since yesterday, her mood had stayed in a deep slump. She had barely taken a few sips of water.

At this point, the only one who might be able to say a few words to her was Ada, who had been with the team the longest.

He carried the porridge to the bedside and asked in as gentle a tone as he could manage: “Do you want some porridge? I can ask the nurse to come in and help you?”

Natasha lay on the bed without a word.

Shen Mo spoke quietly: “Whatever you’re thinking, whatever plans you might have — the first step, before anything else, is to take care of your body.”

Natasha’s eyelashes trembled faintly. Her eyes reddened again, but in the end, no tears came — perhaps she had none left to cry.

“Let the nurse in,” she said, her voice hoarse.

Bai Youwei pressed the call button and summoned the nurse.

The puppet nurse entered the ward with a gentle smile, checked Natasha’s temperature, blood pressure, and other readings, then adjusted the hospital bed and poured the porridge into a clean container fitted with a straw so Natasha could drink without effort. Every detail of her care was thorough and attentive.

Natasha asked the nurse: “When can I be discharged?”

The nurse smiled and replied: “Please don’t rush. According to the doctor’s instructions, it will be at least one month before you can leave. After that, you can return home to recuperate.”

Natasha grew anxious and asked again: “And how long will it take to fully recover? When will I be able to enter the instances again?”

The nurse maintained her programmed warmth: “To enter the instances, all of your body’s functions need to return to their previous state. Since everyone’s constitution is different, it will take approximately two to three months.”

“Three months?!” Natasha was stunned. The effort of speaking too forcefully pulled at her wounds, and the pain made her squeeze her eyes shut, biting down to endure it.

“A hundred days for bones and tendons to heal — that’s perfectly normal,” Bai Youwei said calmly. “There’s no need to rush. With the three of us, we should be able to handle the remaining instances.”

“That’s right,” Ada agreed. “As long as we pass them, that’s all that matters. If we’re not chasing a high score, three people is enough.”

Natasha said nothing, silently hating herself for being useless.

Then the call bell beside the bed chimed —

“Ward 316 has a visitor named Jason Reina. Does the patient consent to the meeting?”

Jason Reina…

After they had all but named him as the culprit, he had come without any attempt at concealment.

—