Flashback

Mu Qingyan didn't expect to meet Vasile Guan here.

It was he who also came to the rescue in time in Halden not long ago. Comparing the two, one can't help but sigh at the impermanence of life.

No matter how unpredictable the world is, Mu Qingyan has experienced too much. She adjusted her state almost instantly and turned to go upstairs while Yan Chi was stopped.

The elevator door slowly closed behind her, and just when she thought she finally had some free time to relax, the short and fat little robot in the corner that provided floor control and announcement services to guests suddenly stretched out its short legs and forcibly opened the door.

“Ding Dong——”

Mu Qingyan straightened her hair to cover the blood on her left shoulder, then nodded in thanks as if she had just remembered.

"I'm so sorry, thank you for helping me out."

The reality is that she and Dr. Guan are completely unfamiliar with each other, so she really doesn't understand why he suddenly caught up with her.

Also, the reason why that person was staring at her inquiringly without saying a word.

"This gentleman..."

"Oh, Entschuldigung (German: Excuse me)..." Vasile Guan seemed to have just come to her senses. "I mean, you're welcome, beautiful lady. No one would remain indifferent in that situation... Your friend was quite rude."

Mu Qingyan forced a smile and didn't want to continue answering.

"But it's already so late, why haven't you rested yet? If there's anything, I might be able to help."

"No…"

Below the towering building was the bustling night scene of the port area, all of which now fell into Mu Qingyan's murky eyes.

Fortunately, the elevator was fast enough, so Dr. Guan didn't have the chance to stay for too long.

She had only met the doctor twice, and they had not met in their current appearance. She did not think that the other party would recognize her directly under such circumstances.

——However, if I were to be recognized...

Mu Qingyan secretly clenched his hands behind his back, knowing that it was time to make a plan for this assumption.

…

When I returned to the room, Chu Xin was there too, leaning on the sofa in the outer room reading a book. I don't know how long I had been waiting.

In this era, paper books haven't been seen for a long time, so it's a bit novel for a while.

"Why don't you go in and get some sleep? What's the rush?"

"No... Mr. Tanaka said you went to look for Yin and came back alone, so I was a little worried..."

Shen Chuxuan stood up and stretched his stiff neck. His eyes fell on the person in front of him and he quickly noticed that she was different from the state she was in before leaving.

"Qingyan, what's wrong with your shoulder? What happened?"

Faced with such a worried look, Mu Qingyan couldn't hide it any longer, so she sat down obediently and took off her clothes.

The ointment that Kins asked her to bring before leaving came in handy. Seeing Chu Xin carefully applying the ointment to her wound so close to her, Mu Qingyan was moved and couldn't help feeling happy, but at the same time, she also felt doubly guilty and apologetic.

From Chu Xin's perspective, it seemed more reasonable to stay away from her and hate her. After all, she had made up excuses to deceive her before, and only told the truth when she had no choice.

In the future, I'm afraid I'll have to use her to deal with her adoptive father.

Mu Qingyan is at the top level in her research field, and she can learn most of the other knowledge even if she just takes a quick look. However, she can't figure out how the Bedford brothers, who regard life as worthless and a tool, can raise a daughter as sensible and kind-hearted as Chu Xin.

She still remembered how Chu Xin almost collapsed after hearing her past story and seeing the horrific body that was used as a bomb in the laboratory.

It was obvious that she was taking advantage of Chu Xin's kindness to force him, but the other party not only didn't care, but also seemed to have a strong desire to atone for her.

Just like now, whether it is waiting for her to come back or applying medicine personally, it can be completely delegated to others. Not to mention the Shen family members who accompanied Chu Xin on this trip, there are quite a few robots that can provide services in this high-end hotel alone.

Mu Qingyan's lips moved slightly, but she still didn't say anything.

She knew in her heart that she could never repay what she owed Chu Xin.

"Qingyan? Qingyan? What's wrong? Does it hurt? I'll be gentler..."

"Won't…"

"Really? What about here? Does it still hurt now?"

Mu Qingyan came to her senses and saw that Chu Xin's fingers had slid onto the extremely strangely shaped scar on her left rib.

When I touched it with my fingertips, I felt a slight itch.

"This injury seems to have been there for a long time, before..."

In fact, Mu Qingyan himself couldn’t quite remember the origin of this scar. It seemed to be a number?

She had experienced all the pain of having electrodes inserted into her brain in that laboratory, so this minor injury didn't cause any ripples.

Noticing Chu Yan's increasingly uneasy expression, she couldn't bear it any longer. She took the hands holding the cotton wool and pressed them against her shoulders again.

"Don't let your imagination run wild. Just keep pushing. I'm fine!"

Shen Chuxuan paused, then smiled helplessly:

"You... why are you just like Ayin when he was little? He never said a word when he was hurt or sick. When he was a teenager, he insisted on joining an entertainment company as a trainee, and ended up getting into a fight with some boys on his first day. If I hadn't gone to pick him up, he would have kept it a secret from me. When I applied medicine at night, he sat there and almost broke his teeth, but he didn't cry out in pain..."

"Is that so..."

Mu Qingyan listened with great interest, and from Chu Xin's story, he roughly pieced together a picture of Xiao Yin after he turned 13.

It was a look she had never seen before.

Compared to other creatures, humans are more likely to maintain a single stereotype.

In her memory, the child has always been a little crybaby. If he hit his teeth while eating candy, he would cry with tears and snot all over his face, and he would have to rub in her arms and be comforted for a long time.

Later, when she picked him up again from that pit, he seemed to be the same noisy little boy, so she naturally assumed that he had not changed. She even couldn't help but feel fortunate that Xiao Yin could still remain the same after such a long time. It was really the best thing.

But she had no idea what the child had experienced and what he had endured in the place where she could not see.

"Boom—"

It was almost dawn, and a faint light of the sky appeared outside the silk curtains, but it was washed away by the sudden heavy rain.

Her brain, which had not rested for a long time, became dizzy again. In front of her eyes, she seemed to see the scene that made her feel so painful nine years ago.

At the same time and in such heavy rain, Xiao Yin just went to buy some freshly baked butter bread across the street, but in the blink of an eye, he was abducted by men in black clothes who got out of several cars nearby.

The teacher reacted quickly, covering her mouth almost the second before she was about to rush over and dragging her into the dirty trash can, only then did she manage to avoid it.

So her last memory was that she watched through the rain curtain that little figure crying and struggling in fear, and then being stuffed into the car and left behind for a long time.

…dizziness…heart…seems to be aching…

"Qingyan! Qingyan! Calm down... What's wrong with you... God, I shouldn't have told you this! Qingyan... Please... Don't be like this..."

She heard Chu Xin calling her, obviously very anxious.

But all her strength was gone, and she had no way to comfort the other person.

She lost consciousness and fell off the sofa, kneeling on the ground, holding her heart.

Fortunately, this time, what surrounded her was no longer the cold rain, but Chu Yan's soft embrace, and the warm tears falling on her cheeks.