While the two were still talking, footsteps sounded outside.

Zhu Shu stood. “That’s probably Shen Mo coming back. I’ll get the door.”

The door opened. Shen Mo stood outside — he had tracked down several doctors through Chu Huaijin: neurology, orthopedics, surgery, internal medicine, and more, all here to examine Bai Youwei.

It seemed like a great deal of fuss. But given that both Yan Qingwen and Fu Miaoxue had indicated they might surrender, Bai Youwei was now headquarters’ only king with any prospect of advancing to the final battle — it was only natural that she receive this level of attention.

The doctors who filed in all wore grave expressions. Zhu Shu didn’t want to linger, so she said her goodbyes to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and headed back.

Bai Youwei hadn’t expected Shen Mo to bring so many people. She blinked in surprise and said: “There’s no need for all this… my legs are already fine.”

Shen Mo asked: “Can you walk?”

“Yes…” Bai Youwei got off the bed and took a few slow steps. “I don’t know why there was no feeling earlier, but it’s back to normal now.”

The doctors looked at one another.

“A sudden loss of sensation could indicate acute osteomyelitis — further tests would be needed.”

“It might also be a nerve issue — peripheral nerve compression causing temporary paralysis.”

“Was there any intense physical activity before the loss of sensation? It could be thoracic disc hyperplasia causing partial or complete loss of sensation in the lower body.”

Bai Youwei had initially assumed it was only a psychological block. Now, hearing them lay out all these possibilities, she couldn’t help feeling alarmed.

She had always been precious about her legs — how could she handle this?

“Please don’t frighten me,” Bai Youwei said, eyes wide.

The lead doctor gave an apologetic smile. “Right now these are only possibilities. In principle, Miss Bai’s legs should be fine — people who leave the maze tend to have a comprehensive physical index far exceeding the average person, and given how many mazes Miss Bai has cleared, her body should be self-immune to most ordinary ailments. Even so, to be safe, I’d recommend a full examination.”

Bai Youwei nodded immediately. “An examination — let’s go do it right now.”

She rose to leave, but after standing, paused and sat back down at the edge of the bed, her expression shifting through various clouds of worry.

Shen Mo asked: “What’s wrong?”

Bai Youwei looked up at him, eyes pitifully soft. “I’d rather take the wheelchair…”

Shen Mo crouched down and cupped both hands around her knees. “Still no feeling?”

“No, it’s not that…” She pouted. “What if I’m walking along and it goes numb again? What if I fall and hurt my leg? What if I slip?”

Shen Mo had felt deeply sorry for her — but hearing this, he also felt helplessly amused, the corner of his mouth curling. “Alright then — we’ll take the wheelchair.”

He brought the wheelchair over, lifted Bai Youwei into it, and headed off with the doctors for the examination.

Bai Youwei cooperated fully throughout, going through every test available.

Some results couldn’t come back immediately. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo waited together, her heart buzzing and restless like a hive of bees — impossible to quiet.

While they were there, they ran into Yu Chaohui.

Yu Chaohui had been recuperating in the medical ward and was nearly ready to be discharged, coming in for his final check. He picked up his test results, saw Bai Youwei and Shen Mo also waiting for results, and came over to say hello — the same as always, stiff and by-the-book, cool and detached.

“Were you injured in the maze?” His gaze passed between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, uncertain which of them had been hurt. “Is it serious?”

Shen Mo glanced at Bai Youwei, then replied without going into detail: “The doctors say it’s not a big issue. But to be safe, we’re doing a full examination — better to rule out any hidden problems.”

Yu Chaohui gathered from that it was Bai Youwei who had been injured.

“There are still a little over two weeks before the next battle. Try to rest as much as possible. The risk from mazes is too great — this one run should be more than enough.” He said.

Bai Youwei was a little surprised and raised an eyebrow.

How rare — she had actually detected, somewhere in those words, just a trace of… concern.

—