Lu Xinghe pulled the blanket over her tail, then began to stitch her wound with needle and thread. Under the dim oil lamp, he did all this with a solemn expression, and finally bandaged the wound with a clean cloth.

Looking at her unconscious state, he looked down at the scar on his chest. Although more than two years had passed and the scar had become just a faint line, he thought that this was probably how she had saved him back then.

She tied his hands to prevent him from struggling while she was sewing. Because she didn't know how to sew, her stitches were crooked. She washed and washed the gauze repeatedly to make sure that he only used the cleanest gauze. She coaxed him to eat and patted her chest to assure him that she wouldn't harm him.

Everything from that year was still vivid in his mind, as if it had happened yesterday. He subconsciously reached out to touch her face, wanting to feel if she was still warm.

With a slap, his hand was hit; it was An Xiaoruo who hit him.

"Uncle, you can't touch Mom without gloves. Be careful not to get infected. Do you want Mom to wake up and see two more aliens next to her?" An Xiaoruo said seriously.

"Hmm." He awkwardly lowered his hand.

"Uncle, you go to sleep. I'll take care of Mom first. You can come and relieve me in four hours," An Xiaoruo arranged like a little adult.

She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to take good care of Luo Ning.

But An Xiaoruo pressed him down on the bed and covered him with a blanket: "I can't stay up all night, so I'll watch the first half of the night, and you can watch the second half, Uncle."

The little girl seemed to have grown up all of a sudden.

"Okay, then remember to wake me up when you're sleepy." Lu Xinghe agreed. People have to grow up, and growing up requires taking responsibility, which An Xiaoru is now taking on responsibilities proactively.

The two took turns looking after Luo Ning. Two days later, Luo Ning still hadn't woken up, but her complexion had improved a lot, and her face had regained some color.

Lu Xinghe gently wiped her face with a towel, his movements were very light so as not to hurt her. An Xiaoruo was asleep beside him; she had been exhausted these past two days.

Lu Xinghe stopped when he wiped Luo Ning's lips. Because they were so close, he could smell her faint fragrance with his breath, which made him unconsciously move closer to her.

He knew she was a poppy, someone he couldn't get close to, but he felt like a small boat lost at sea, completely unable to control its direction.

"Uncle, you can't get so close to Mom, you'll get infected!" An Xiaoru shouted and pushed Lu Xinghe away. Lu Xinghe's head hit the headboard with a loud thud.

The little girl didn't understand anything. When she saw her uncle's lips were about to touch her mother's lips, she was so anxious that she almost jumped up.

Lu Xinghe didn't know how she suddenly woke up. He took a deep breath and said, "There won't be any infection. Neither of us has any wounds."

After he finished explaining, he paused for a moment, because he realized that he had just wanted to kiss her.

"Oh, right." The little girl nodded. "Then why are you standing so close, Uncle? You wouldn't be...?"

The little girl had an "I understand" look on her face. Under An Xiaoruo's gaze, Lu Xinghe instantly sobered up. The aliens were the enemies of humanity and the murderers who killed his mother. He could choose not to kill Luo Ning and they could go their separate ways, but he could never fall in love.

"You want to smell if Mommy smells good, right? Mommy hasn't showered for a few days, but I think it's okay. Mommy always smells nice." The little girl said, gently touching Luo Ning's cheek, her eyes full of joy.

Lu Xinghe silently lowered his eyes and said, "Mm."

An Xiaoruo lowered her head and smelled Luo Ning: "It doesn't smell bad, but it still smells nice. Uncle, you go to sleep. I'll take care of her now."

Lu Xinghe lay back on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time. He had to return to the human world eventually, and he should forget everything here.

When Luo Ning woke up, it was three days later. She felt like she had a long dream, filled with thick fog and an inescapable cold. It took her a very long time to get out of the dream.

When she woke up, it was night. A warm oil lamp was flickering on the table. An Xiaoruo was sitting on the edge of the bed, propping her head up with her arm and dozing off. Lu Xinghe was lying on her right side, facing her with his brows furrowed and his long, thick eyelashes trembling as if he were having a nightmare.

"Lu Xinghe." She nudged him, trying to wake him from his nightmare.

But this time, he, who was usually so alert, did not wake up immediately. Instead, his eyelashes trembled more and more violently, as if the world in his dream was dangerous.

She nudged him again: "Lu Xinghe, wake up."

Lu Xinghe finally opened his eyes abruptly. He stared at her for a moment, unsure whether he was dreaming or in reality.

He had just dreamt of the beast tide again. She was pulling him along as they ran desperately, but in the end they were separated. She drifted away with those strange creatures, and no matter how much he called out to her, she couldn't hear him. In the end, he was left alone in the wilderness, feeling a desolate sense of timelessness.

"What nightmare did you have? You were so scared," Luo Ning asked softly, his forehead still covered in sweat.

Lu Xinghe finally returned to reality. He was delighted to see that she was awake, but he restrained his emotions and said calmly, "You're awake."

"Hmm, how long have I been asleep? Where is that mutant?" She looked around worriedly.

“You’ve been asleep for five days, and those two mutants are dead,” Lu Xinghe replied.

Luo Ning was somewhat surprised: "Dead? Did you kill him?"

Lu Xinghe nodded.

Luo Ning quietly looked at the boy in front of her. She still remembered how terrifying the male mutant's strength was; Lu Xinghe was actually able to kill him.

"You don't believe me?" Lu Xinghe asked, somewhat disappointed.

Luo Ning smiled and said, "Of course I believe him. If he hadn't died, we wouldn't be here here safely. I'm just feeling a bit sentimental."

"What are you feeling sentimental about?"

“You’ve grown up, and you’re far more capable than I thought. You’re already capable of standing on your own.”

There were glimmers of starlight in Lu Xinghe's eyes.

"By the way, what about the human? I remember that the mutants brought a human man with them," Luo Ning asked again.

“He’s dead too. I’ve already cremated him.” Lu Xinghe told her about the man’s death that day.

"He's a pitiful man too." Luo Ning sighed. She knew what that man had gone through: bloodletting, torture, being used as a plaything...

Seeing that she seemed to understand everything, Lu Xinghe asked, "You really never thought of eating me or...using me for any other purpose?"

Other uses? Luo Ning was stunned for a moment and immediately understood. So he had suspected that she would use him for pleasure. He really had grown up. She also had to pay attention to the difference between men and women and could no longer treat him like a younger brother.

"No, absolutely not. I swear if I ever have even the slightest improper thought about you, may I be struck by lightning." She raised her hand high and swore solemnly.

But Lu Xinghe didn't seem happy, and even seemed a little... Luo Ning couldn't quite put her finger on it. His eyes were misty, and they drooped listlessly, like a wronged puppy.

"There's no need to make such a solemn oath," Lu Xinghe said in a low voice.

"I was just afraid you wouldn't believe me. Anyway, I genuinely want to send you and Xiaoru back to the base. We'll set off after a few more days of rest." Luo Ning stretched her arms and legs, feeling quite well recovered.

"You really don't want anything in return?"

"If I had to give something in return, it would be if you and Xiaoruo became successful in the future, could you pretend you didn't see me when you met me? Or could you research a drug that could turn mutants back into humans, so I could be human again and eat and drink delicious food?" Luo Ning began to daydream.

Little did she know that her casual remark would lead this young man to use every means to harm her in the future.