Luo Ning decided to inject the inhibitor because this might be her only chance to become human again in her future life.
The cool medicine was injected into her snow-white neck, and Luo Ning gradually felt her strength disappearing, and the once noisy world became quiet.
Lu Xinghe pulled out the syringe and pressed a cotton swab against the injection site, but blood was still oozing out, and she had lost her ability to heal.
An Xiaoru handed the spoon to Luo Ning, who carefully scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it in her mouth. The rich and fragrant broth slid into her stomach, and she felt no discomfort or vomiting, only warmth and comfort.
She stared wide-eyed at An Xiaoruo and then at Lu Xinghe, like a child tasting delicious food for the first time, filled with surprise.
"Sister, hurry up and eat, I'll keep an eye on the time for you." An Xiaoruo was also somewhat moved.
"Don't eat too much, or you'll feel unwell after the medicine wears off," Lu Xinghe cautioned.
Luo Ning nodded, then took a bite of meat. The meat was stewed until very tender, and every bite was satisfying. She also ate some vegetables, and her mouth was filled with the taste of nature.
An Xiaoru poured a little wine, which was rice wine, sweet and not burning the throat, but Luo Ning only drank half a cup and didn't drink any more, afraid that drinking too much would cause trouble.
Finally, she ate a small piece of cake, milk and strawberry flavored, with a light cheese aroma, soft, sweet and delicious.
However, she didn't eat it all; instead, she shared it with An Xiaoruo and Lu Xinghe, knowing that this meal was a luxury for them as well.
Under the warm candlelight, the three ate quietly. Lu Xinghe looked at everything in front of him, and a similar scene appeared in his mind: in the dim basement, he and An Xiaoruo were eating at the table, while Luo Ning was resting her chin on her hand and watching expectantly.
He pushed the cake back in front of Luo Ning, who looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"I don't like sweets," he said casually.
Seeing this, An Xiaoruo deliberately said, "Uncle, you're being unfair. If you don't like it, you can give it to me. Why do you only give it to my sister?"
Lu Xinghe coughed lightly: "You're even bothered by this? I'll give it all to you from now on."
Luo Ning couldn't help but laugh as she watched the two bickering, as if she had returned to the days when the three of them were together.
After eating for only five minutes, Lu Xinghe suddenly looked towards the door with a wary expression. Without any hesitation, he pulled Luo Ning up and pointed to the food on the table to An Xiaoruo.
An Xiaoruo immediately realized what was happening and quickly gathered up Luo Ning's bowl and chopsticks, hiding them inside her clothes.
Luo Ning understood that someone had come, but the house was only so big, so even if a bowl could be hidden, where could a person hide?
Lu Xinghe opened the cabinet door and pulled her inside. Luo Ning thought it wouldn't work; hiding in the cabinet would make her easily discovered. However, Lu Xinghe pressed a button inside the cabinet, revealing a small space behind it. After pushing Luo Ning inside, Lu Xinghe intended to leave, but it was too late; the people outside had already kicked the door open.
"What are you doing? This is a special area. Who let you in?" An Xiaoruo asked angrily.
The leading officer produced a written order: "We are here on orders from higher command to conduct a search. Please cooperate."
Lu Xinghe's eyes narrowed; it turned out that people from the upper echelons had come to search.
"Alright, go ahead and search. But I'd like to remind you not to damage anything here. My great-uncle isn't a patient man," An Xiaoruo said calmly, bringing up Lu Xinghe's general father.
“We are just following orders.” After saying that, the officer began to search the room, but the room, which was only a dozen square meters, was completely open, and it was easy to see whether anyone was hiding there.
Finally, the bed was lifted and the cabinet door was opened. Luo Ning listened nervously to the noise outside, her heart pounding in her throat. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, and all she could hear was Lu Xinghe's breathing.
"Why is there a spoon on the ground?" the officer asked, picking up the spoon.
An Xiaoru was startled; the spoon had fallen out. She calmly replied, "One is for soup, one is for cake, and the other is for Major Lu. He had to leave."
"Oh, I see." After saying that, the officer took out his communicator and dialed Lu Xinghe's number.
Lu Xinghe had already turned off his communicator, so the officer couldn't get through. But his soldier's intuition told him that someone else was still there: "Turn on the infrared camera."
Luo Ning subconsciously tightened her grip on Lu Xinghe's hand. The infrared imager was based on the body's temperature to create an image; once it was turned on, she and Lu Xinghe would be completely exposed.
Lu Xinghe's heartbeat remained calm. He squeezed her hand back, indicating that she didn't need to be nervous.
After the infrared camera was used, there was no one else in the room. The officer reported to his superiors and finally withdrew. However, Lu Xinghe did not leave immediately, and An Xiaoruo was still sitting in the room eating, as if she were really the only one there.
Luo Ning knew this was to prevent those people from suddenly returning. Although Lu Xinghe and An Xiaoruo hadn't communicated at all, they had already developed a good understanding.
"Can we go out now?" Luo Ning asked vaguely.
"Wait a little longer," Lu Xinghe replied.
A moment later, those people really did come back. An Xiaoru looked at them impatiently: "Are you ever going to stop?"
Seeing that only An Xiaoruo had finally left, Lu Xinghe went to open the door, but it seemed to be stuck and he couldn't open it no matter what he did.
"I haven't used this place in over a decade, the door's stuck." Lu Xinghe said, then turned the communicator back on to check what was causing the door to be locked.
Luo Ning then saw the place clearly. It was a very small box. After she and Lu Xinghe stood inside, there was not much space left. The box was covered with black paint and some spots, as if something had gushed up from it.
"Where is this place?" She touched the spots with her hands and found that she could scrape them off with her fingernails.
Lu Xinghe was silent for a moment: "Prison cell."
Luo Ning was somewhat surprised. Wasn't this Lu Xinghe's mother's residence? How could there be a prison cell here? Who had been imprisoned here before?
"Keep the light on for me." Lu Xinghe handed the communicator to Luo Ning. Luo Ning took the communicator and moved closer to him. The box was cramped, and Luo Ning had just drunk some rice wine, so she felt hot and even a little dizzy.
Lu Xinghe tried a few more times but still couldn't open the door from the inside. Seeing that they still hadn't come out, An Xiaoruo came over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It might be locked by the magnetic clasp. Go home and get the demagnetizing gun now, but be careful not to get caught," Lu Xinghe said.
"Okay, I'll go right now." An Xiaoruo closed the door and left.
Fifteen minutes have passed, and Luo Ning has fifteen minutes left.
The air wasn't circulating well, and she fanned herself with her hand because of the heat. Lu Xinghe also took off his coat, and as a result, Luo Ning smelled the scent that made her heart race again. She turned her head to try to avoid it, but there was no way to avoid it in such a small space.
Lu Xinghe looked at the spots on the box wall and suddenly said, "My mother was once locked up here for a year."
Luo Ning was stunned and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Lu Xinghe continued, "She was infected and became a mutant. My father hid her here, but in the end, he killed her with his own hands."
Luo Ning understood that this was a story of love that was hard to let go of. Although everyone knew that aliens deserved to die and everyone wanted to get rid of them, when their own relatives and loved ones were aliens, no one could bring themselves to do it. This was the contradictory and painful side of human nature.
Memories are painful, especially in the place where his mother was once imprisoned. Lu Xinghe silently closed his eyes, not wanting Luo Ning to see his emotions.
Even though Luo Ning couldn't see, she could sense it, and she held his hand to comfort him.
Lu Xinghe opened his eyes. She was too close to him, and her fragrance enveloped him. He didn't want to do anything to frighten her, so he stood up again and fiddled with the magnetic clasp. But he accidentally cut his finger, and blood immediately seeped out.
Luo Ning immediately pressed her hand against his wound. Although he had been injected with inhibitors, she was still sensitive to blood.
After wiping away his blood with her sleeve, she habitually blew on his wound. When she looked up at Lu Xinghe, she found that he was also staring at her intently. She panicked for a moment and wanted to avoid his gaze, but for some reason, she felt as if she had lost all her strength.
The light was dim, and something silent collided in the cramped space.
Lu Xinghe looked at her; she was as warm as a flame, making people in the cold night want to get closer.
He couldn't help but use his other hand to hold the back of her head, then lowered his head and kissed her lips, not out of lust, but simply because of his heart.
Luo Ning's heart skipped a beat, or even stopped beating. She felt his warm lips. He was like a butterfly alighting on a flower. She flinched, startling the butterfly, which then drew even more flowers away.
She remained motionless, but her legs felt weak, so she couldn't help but support him. Lu Xinghe moved away slightly and said apologetically, "I'm sorry."
Luo Ning remained silent. Lu Xinghe thought she was angry and was about to say something when she suddenly stood on tiptoe, grabbed his shoulder, and kissed him, silently yet passionately.
She wasn't unaware; in fact, she felt it intensely. Something inside her made her uncontrollably want to get closer.
Perhaps it was just lust acting up again, she thought.
But it didn't seem to be entirely true, and she dared not think about that answer.
Her initiative gradually spurred Lu Xinghe to reciprocate; no one would refuse a flame in the cold night. He picked her up and pressed her against the side of the box. She could feel the terrifying changes in his body, and even more terrifying was the anticipation she felt; a longing welled up within her.
Breaths mingled in the dim space, and figures overlapped on the walls of the box. Lu Xinghe supported her with one hand while using the other to unbutton her clothes. Luo Ning hugged his shoulders and felt the strength surging beneath his muscles.
Just then, his communicator beeped; it was the alarm he had set for the inhibitor's duration.
In an instant, both of them came to their senses. Luo Ning was still clinging to Lu Xinghe's shoulder. Things could continue as long as she didn't bite him, he wouldn't be infected. The virus was cruel and strange. It could turn people into monsters, but it wouldn't affect the union between humans and other species. It even retained the ability to reproduce. Perhaps its original purpose was to allow people in love to have a child, so it also retained this unique mercy.
She took the initiative to kiss him, but he turned his head away and put her down.
He's regained his senses. She's leaving the day after tomorrow, and this abnormal relationship should end.
Luo Ning felt a little embarrassed. She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and straightened her clothes and hair that he had messed up.
Was she just imagining things? But it was clearly him who took the initiative. She tried to pry open the door, somewhat annoyed, but the box was designed to imprison alien species, and she couldn't open it.
The two quieted down, and after a while, footsteps sounded outside. An Xiaoruo had returned. She opened the door with a magnetic gun and saw the two of them walking out without saying a word. She thought that she had made them angry by being busy.
“I… ran as fast as I could,” she explained, panting.
Luo Ning looked at An Xiaoruo's face covered in sweat and took a towel to wipe it away for her. An Xiaoruo noticed that her lips were a little swollen and asked in confusion, "You didn't eat any spicy food today, sister, how did you get spicier?"
"Oh, it's just too hot inside," Luo Ning said, offering a flimsy excuse.
"Why are there red marks on your neck? Are there mosquitoes in them?" An Xiaoruo noticed the marks again.
"Hmm." Luo Ning subconsciously tugged at her collar.
"Strange, why are there mosquitoes in winter?" An Xiaoru muttered.
Lu Xinghe pulled her away: "Let's go back. If we stay any longer, people will become suspicious."
An Xiaoruo had no choice but to leave. Luo Ning watched their departing figures and sighed softly. That night, she didn't sleep in bed but instead huddled in the closet thinking about what had just happened. However, the more she thought about it, the more confused she became, and she finally fell asleep just before dawn.
When she woke up, it was night again. Another day had passed. Neither Lu Xinghe nor An Xiaoruo had come. Tomorrow was the New Year, a day for humanity to celebrate another year of perseverance, and also the time for her to leave.
This time she didn't sleep anymore, and stayed awake, waiting for the time to come.
January 1st, 6 PM.
An Xiaoruo arrived at this moment. She looked at Luo Ning, who was already dressed, and instructed her: "Sister, Uncle asked me to confirm with you again. After you get to the bridge, just follow behind him. Don't talk or look around. Just walk normally. There is a final test at seven o'clock tonight. The gate will open then. Take advantage of the alien species coming in and get out quickly."
Luo Ning nodded and asked, "Then what about him? The alien species will hurt him."
“You don’t need to worry about that. There are safety devices at the bridgehead. He will protect himself,” An Xiaoruo replied.
Luo Ning followed An Xiaoruo out. As she left, she took one last look at the place where she had lived. Although she was reluctant to leave, she still had to move forward. Even if she was alone for the rest of her life, she had to live well.
At 6:45, it was completely dark. Lu Xinghe was already standing at the bridgehead. An Xiaoruo went over to him first and deliberately talked to him. Then she pulled him into the room next door alone, so that everyone around would think that he and An Xiaoruo were together.
Luo Ning quietly climbed in through the window at the back of the house. Lu Xinghe glanced at her. Although they hadn't seen each other for the past two days, he could see through the surveillance that she had been sleeping in the closet. After waking up, she would sit at the table writing and drawing, without contacting him. Everything that happened in the prison box seemed to have no effect on her.
That's good, so no one will feel burdened.
“Let’s go,” he said to her.
"Okay," Luo Ning replied, her voice clear and melodious, leaving a lingering impression.
She pulled up her collar to cover her face and followed Lu Xinghe out, while An Xiaoruo quietly hid in the room.
Brilliant fireworks began to bloom in the sky above the base, and the humans in the base cheered and celebrated. Everyone's attention was drawn to the fireworks, and even the soldiers who were carefully guarding the bridge couldn't help but take a look at them at this moment.
Amidst the dazzling yet fleeting fireworks, Lu Xinghe and Luo Ning walked across the bridge, hurrying towards the other side. Some people spotted them, but assumed it was just him and An Xiaoruo, since they had been patrolling the bridgehead frequently lately, and thought it was just another routine check.
Ten minutes later, the two arrived at the bridgehead. Lu Xinghe stopped in his tracks. Before him stood a towering steel wall. In five minutes, the wall would be opened, and hundreds or thousands of alien creatures would pour in.
"After we leave this time, we must not get caught again," Lu Xinghe said in a low voice.
“Mm,” Luo Ning replied.
“Go south, that’s too far from the base, the base usually doesn’t go there,” he added.
"Okay, take care of yourself too," she whispered.
The air fell silent; the countdown had one minute left.
"And don't keep any more humans as pets." After saying that, Lu Xinghe turned and walked into the sanctuary, no longer looking at her.
Luo Ning sighed. He still thought it was a relationship of raising and feeding. She felt it was necessary to clarify: "Lu Xinghe, I never saved you with the intention of raising and feeding you."
But those words were drowned out by the bursts of fireworks. In the flickering light, Lu Xinghe saw her mouth opening and closing, angrily saying something to him.
With ten seconds left in the countdown, the green light at the gate is flashing, indicating that the gate will open soon. This test will be conducted with all weapons.
Luo Ning looked at the green light and felt something was wrong. She sensed a powerful alien species approaching from the other side of the gate. Lu Xinghe also intuitively felt this. Although he didn't have Luo Ning's perception ability, the security officer's intuition about alien species should not be underestimated.
"Stop opening the gate," he shouted into the communicator.
However, the gate had already opened a crack, and Luo Ning could see a huge multi-legged arthropod in the distance through the crack. Its body was covered with densely packed humanoid and animal mutants, and a male humanoid mutant was sitting on the top of the multi-legged arthropod's head.
Luo Ning recognized him at a glance. Three years ago, she and Wen Xi were hunted down because they refused to join his camp. She never expected that he would come to the human base three years later.
Moreover, he cleverly used the cover of night and other alien species to avoid being detected by the cameras, instead letting the ordinary alien species go first. If Lu Xinghe hadn't come here today to see her off, he wouldn't have noticed his presence at all. If the floodgates had been opened and he had barged in, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The male mutant also saw Luo Ning and was somewhat surprised to see her with the human security officer.
Lu Xinghe was shocked when he saw everything, but his duty and instinct as a security officer made him issue the order immediately: "Close the gate, level one danger alarm, full weapons combat preparation."
Another burst of fireworks rose into the sky, and cheers could be heard from afar. Amidst the cheers, a piercing alarm sounded, cutting through the joyful atmosphere like a sharp blade.
"Alien invasion! Residents, please return indoors immediately!" A mechanical female voice rang out in the base. The civilians, who had been celebrating just a moment ago, screamed and scattered.
The mutants in the mutant prison seemed to sense the arrival of a powerful figure, and they became restless. Wenxi, who was curled up on the bed, slowly opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the bridge.
Upon hearing the alarm, Du Lu ordered, "Immediately eliminate all the alien species in the prison."
Level 1 alert is the most serious level, so in case of any emergency, all alien species except for the most important experimental subjects in the base will be eliminated immediately.
"Yes, sir." The sergeant immediately prepared to do so.
"Wait, leave subject number eleven for now." In the end, he still couldn't bring himself to kill her.
On the bridge, the gates closed rapidly. Although many smaller animal-like aliens desperately tried to squeeze through the gaps, they were cut in two by the heavy gates. However, those aliens whose heads were not injured were still struggling desperately, and some even used their bodies to prevent the gates from closing.
"Come in quickly." Lu Xinghe pulled Luo Ning closer to the guardhouse. Immediately, countless bullets hit the spot where they had just been standing. The surviving aliens exploded amidst the dense bullets, and the gate closed smoothly.
Within the base, the interests of all humanity come first. Any life that threatens the overall situation will be eliminated, regardless of whether the person is a security officer who has made outstanding contributions to the base, or even a general or a high-ranking official.
This is an effective principle that has enabled humanity to survive to this day, and Lu Xinghe is well aware of this.
Luo Ning leaned against Lu Xinghe's chest, trembling with fear, but she quickly calmed down and took out the iron spikes hidden in her clothes. Given the situation today, a fierce battle between humans and aliens was inevitable. She couldn't protect all of humanity, but she had to protect Lu Xinghe at least. He was alone on this bridge for her sake, with the aliens possessing absolute power in front of him and merciless bullets behind him. She couldn't let him be left alone in such a desperate situation.
Lu Xinghe was stunned. Those giant multi-legged arthropods could have easily destroyed the gate, and she had a good chance to escape, but now she chose to stay.
"Don't worry, Wenxi and I have encountered that mutant before. He couldn't kill us then, and he won't succeed now either," she said calmly to Lu Xinghe.
Seeing that she knew the male mutant, Lu Xinghe asked, "Tell me as many details as possible."
Luo Ning recalled for a moment and immediately said, "He is a genetically modified human and black bear, with terrifying strength and explosive power. He has also subdued more than a dozen mutants, so there are definitely more than just him here today. However, he is impulsive and easily angered. When he is provoked, he loses his mind. Wen Xi and I used this to find his weakness and injured him to escape back then."
Lu Xinghe immediately used a communicator to tell the command center: "Increase the guards over Lingqiao. There is a high possibility that other mutants will break through from there. Fighter planes are preparing to bombard the multi-legged arthropods. The mutants are on those arthropods."
"Lu Xinghe?" Shen Ni was somewhat surprised to hear his voice. He should be at the party today, not on the bridge. "You...where are you?"
“I’m at the head of the Melting Bridge, and I’ve confirmed that there are a large number of arthropods and humanoid aliens outside,” Lu Xinghe replied.
"Go back immediately," Shen Ni urged.
Lu Xinghe heard a rustling sound outside, but it was too late to go back: "I have a protective pavilion here, so there won't be any problems for now. I will report the situation here to you as soon as possible."
Luo Ning also looked at the gate. The heavy iron gate had begun to shake, and she gripped the iron spikes in her hand tightly.
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