Withered Wood Post Office (18)

After leaving Winston's Grocery Store, Bai Ci strolled around the commercial street for a bit, buying a few decorative trinkets before heading back.

Once back at No. 7 Red Brick Street, in a space where no one else would notice, Bai Ci opened her Rain's Message panel.

She usually opened it once every night before going to sleep to check on Hugo's status, but the heavy information she had heard from Evan made her unable to wait until nightfall to check.

She hadn't opened it immediately back then out of caution toward Evan's detective instincts; it was incredibly difficult to hide one's eyes when reading certain kinds of information.

On the panel, Hugo's status column still read "No signs of plague infection," which slightly eased Bai Ci's hanging heart.

But this relief only lasted for a few seconds. In the blink of an eye, the words on the panel refreshed.

【Rain's Message NPC: Hugo Durom\nAppearance: Brown hair, freckles, grayish-blue eyes\nIdentity: Mail carrier at Aether Town's Withered Wood Post Office\nRelationship with Player: Family betrothed. Intended to reject the engagement due to his family's decline, but the arrangement was forced through by both sets of parents. Currently living with Lora Chaos to cultivate feelings.\nSkill Level: Stamina 7, Mind 8, Agility 9 (Mail Carrier class bonus), No special skills\nLife Status: Infected with plague, high fever, fatigue, in a coma】

There was no transition, no warning signs of mild discomfort. It was as if a switch had been flipped on his status.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

Even if the plague infection was rapid, there should have been a process. It was impossible to go from contacting the virus to exhibiting severe symptoms this quickly.

This did not align with the typical progression of an illness growing gradually worse; it felt more like the result of some external trigger.

Bai Ci had no time to overthink. She hurriedly ran toward the post office.

The "in a coma" status was the most alarming. She had to find Hugo, confirm his condition first, and then figure out what exactly had happened to him.

It was currently morning. According to their usual routine, the post office should have been busy by now. There would normally be people sending or receiving letters in the lobby, and the mail carriers would be organizing mail.

Yet when Bai Ci reached the square and saw the brick post office, she found its doors half-closed. Mrs. Ella was standing by the wall near the entrance, holding something and pasting it up.

Her movements were somewhat sluggish, as if she lacked any energy. Her face was full of distress, and she didn't even notice Bai Ci walking up to her side.

Bai Ci quickened her pace. Only when she drew close did she see that Mrs. Ella was putting up a recruitment notice for mail carriers. It read: "Urgent: Seeking three mail carriers. Excellent benefits. Requirements: Healthy, hardworking." The post office seal was stamped at the bottom, and the ink was still slightly damp, clearly having just been written.

Three? Who else had met with an accident besides Hugo?

Combining this with the status on her Rain's Message panel, Bai Ci couldn't help but let her mind race with possibilities.

“Mrs. Ella,” Bai Ci called out, interrupting Mrs. Ella, who was staring blankly at the recruitment notice.

Mrs. Ella had been entirely focused on pasting the notice. Hearing the voice, she whipped her head around. Seeing it was Bai Ci, she patted her chest and said with lingering fear, “Miss Lora? What brings you here? You gave me quite a scare.”

There was obvious surprise in Mrs. Ella's tone, along with a trace of subtle panic. Her eyes darted around, avoiding direct contact with Bai Ci's gaze.

Reading her expression, Bai Ci intentionally put on a worried and uneasy look, her tone laced with panic. Having watched so many TV dramas, she knew exactly how to play this part.

“I don't know what's wrong, but when I was at home just now, my heart suddenly started racing. I keep feeling like something bad has happened, and I can't put my mind at ease. I wanted to come to the post office to check on Hugo. Is he alright?”

Hearing Hugo's name, Mrs. Ella's expression grew even more complex. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed the words back down. Ultimately, she just let out a heavy sigh.

She looked left and right before raising a finger to point in the direction of the hospital. Then, she quickly waved her hand, her eyes filled with silent pleading, gesturing for Bai Ci not to ask any more questions.

Bai Ci understood instantly. Something had happened to Hugo, and it had happened at the post office. Mrs. Ella couldn't speak of it openly, likely because Postmaster Byrne had ordered her to keep quiet.

She gave Mrs. Ella a slight nod, hurriedly said, “Thank you,” and turned to run in the direction of the hospital.

Standing where she was, Mrs. Ella watched Bai Ci's retreating figure, then looked back at the recruitment notice on the wall. She sighed deeply, her eyes filled with pity, but she ultimately said nothing more.

To protect this hard-won, stable job, she couldn't say a thing.

Bai Ci wasn't foolish enough to run the entire way. She hired a carriage to take her to the hospital.

The driver was a timid man. Once they neared the hospital, he refused to go any further, terrified of catching some disease. Bai Ci had no choice but to get off and run the remaining distance.

Aether Town's hospital wasn't very large—a four-story brick building. Quite a few people were gathered around the entrance, mostly family members visiting patients. Their faces were etched with anxiety and worry, and suppressed coughing and crying could occasionally be heard from inside.

Bai Ci squeezed through the crowd and stepped into the hospital lobby. The lobby was filled with a strong smell of disinfectant, pungent enough to make one frown. Nurses hurried back and forth along the corridors, exhaustion written on every face.

As Bai Ci walked into the lobby, her gaze swept across the room and caught sight of Lin Wan and Chen Mo in a corner.

The two were standing there, speaking in low voices. Both looked displeased, especially Chen Mo.

Chen Mo had his hands shoved in his pockets, his face incredibly sour, as if someone had thoroughly enraged him. Yet, he couldn't vent this anger and had to bottle it up, leaving him seething inside.

Bai Ci quickened her steps, rapidly adjusting her emotions to display a touch of urgency. She asked directly, “Miss Lin Wan, Mr. Chen Mo, what are you doing here? Have you seen Hugo? Is he here?”

Hearing her voice, Lin Wan and Chen Mo turned around at the same time. Seeing it was Bai Ci, a hint of surprise registered on their faces.

Lin Wan was the first to step forward, gently patting Bai Ci's shoulder. “Miss Lora, don't worry. We also just arrived not long ago. Mr. Hugo is... he's in a ward. We only just got here ourselves.”

“A ward?” Bai Ci's voice trembled slightly, as if she couldn't bear to face this harsh reality. “Has he caught the disease? Is it serious? Please take me to see him, I beg you.”

“Come with us. He's in the innermost ward on the third floor.” Lin Wan supported Bai Ci by the arm, comforting her, “Miss Lora, don't worry too much. Mr. Hugo is currently stable. He just has a high fever. We've already asked the nurses, and his life isn't in immediate danger for now.”

Walking up to a ward on the third floor, Chen Mo stopped and pointed at the door.

“It's right here. We've already seen him. He's not in a very good state of mind, so you should go in and comfort him.” Lin Wan spoke on Chen Mo's behalf, adding reassuringly, “We'll wait for you out here, Miss Lora. If you need any help, just call us anytime.”