As soon as December arrived, the temperature in Lava Valley dropped to extremely low levels, and snow soon began to fall. Overnight, the entire base was covered in a layer of white, and children were having a snowball fight in the square, bringing some vitality to the oppressive base life.
Lu Xinghe walked in the snow, his clothes covered with a layer of snow and his eyelashes glistening with water droplets. After entering the military building, he saw that there was someone in Shen Ni's office, so he stood in the corner of the corridor and looked at the snow outside.
Inevitably, his eyes fell on the Department of Genetics building again.
He hadn't been back to the lab since leaving three days ago, and he didn't know what he was thinking. He could have refused the experiment if he didn't want to, but he couldn't bring himself to speak when he saw Dai Wanglin.
Footsteps approached him; several security officers were smoking and discussing matters related to the laboratory.
"Meng Ting, what did Minister Dai want to talk to you about today?" someone asked.
"What else could it be? It's just about breeding," a young voice replied.
"Wasn't the breeding task assigned to Lu Xinghe? Did they capture another new mutant?"
"No, it's still Subject Seventeen. I heard Lu Xinghe hasn't been there for three days. I guess he's going to refuse the order, which is why Minister Dai came to me."
“Lu Xinghe is naturally unwilling to do those things. He usually acts aloof and has a powerful father. How can we compare?”
"Don't be so downcast. I saw the test subject when I went to my post the day before yesterday. It was so white and soft. Just looking at it made me feel like my bones were going to crumble. It was just like a human."
"If that's the case, then I can accept it." Meng Ting seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Lu Xinghe listened quietly to their conversation. In just three days, Dai Wanglin was already working on a new candidate. He wondered why he was in such a hurry.
"Do you have a photo of that test subject? I'd like to see it first," Meng Ting asked.
"Photography isn't allowed in the lab, but I promise..." The security officer suddenly stopped speaking because they saw Lu Xinghe walk out from around the corner.
A wave of embarrassment washed over everyone. Lu Xinghe's gaze unconsciously fell on Meng Ting, a very young boy, about eighteen or nineteen years old, with good looks and height. Dai Wanglin was indeed good at picking people.
"Instructor Lu." Meng Ting gave a military salute, his face slightly flushed. He was a trainee under Lu Xinghe, but now he might be assigned to mate with one of Lu Xinghe's former mates. He felt sorry for his instructor.
Lu Xinghe ignored him, simply nodded, and walked through the crowd.
Meng Ting breathed a sigh of relief only after Lu Xinghe had gone quite a distance. He felt it was better to refuse Dai Wanglin first, because Instructor Lu's eyes just now looked like he wanted to devour someone.
When Lu Xinghe entered Shen Ni's office, he saw Dai Wanglin there and assumed he was there to complain again. However, Dai Wanglin just smiled at him and left.
"What is he here for?" Lu Xinghe asked.
Shen Ni replied, "You asked me for people, didn't you refuse to do that experiment? Although Meng Ting's genetic match with the experimental subject is only 82%, the people in the lab said there is still a chance of successful breeding, and he is younger, so perhaps the quality is better."
Lu Xinghe sneered. How good could an eighteen-year-old brat be?
Shen Ni seemed oblivious to his displeasure: "It's good to change people. It frees up your time. The survey team recently discovered a mine with some of the things we need. You will lead the security work for this operation and depart in three days on a transport plane."
"I'll think about it." Lu Xinghe didn't agree immediately.
Shen Ni was somewhat surprised, because this was the first time Lu Xinghe had not shown enthusiasm for missions outside the base.
"Okay, let me know in advance when you've made up your mind." Shen Ni agreed.
After leaving the military headquarters, Lu Xinghe went to the Red Gate. The black, rock-like building lurked in the night like a beast, with a red door like its gaping maw. This was the Shura field in the base, and the final destination of everyone who walked out of here was death—dying for protecting humanity.
Four hours later, he came out of the door, followed by dozens of young students who were lying on the ground complaining of their pain from the training. Among them were Meng Ting and Song Pei.
"Settling a personal score while on official business," Meng Ting said breathlessly.
Song Pei was somewhat confused: "Who's settling a personal score in public office?"
"Instructor Lu is taking revenge for a woman." Meng Ting was also becoming more and more curious about what the experimental subject looked like, that it could make Instructor Lu, who usually seemed to care about nothing, take revenge like this.
The snow was falling heavily, and the lights reflected off the snow; it was already late at night.
Lu Xinghe looked up quietly in the direction of the laboratory. He didn't want to nurture the embryo with that experimental subject in the cold laboratory, but he also didn't want other men to touch her. Involuntarily, he walked towards the laboratory.
laboratory.
Luo Ning saw that the researchers outside had all gone to bed to rest, and only two safety officers were left to watch over her. It seemed that they trusted the four robotic arms very much. However, they forgot that the robotic arms were also controlled by a computer. She had been observing the researchers' operation for the past few days and finally found the button to turn on the robotic arms.
While the safety officer was distracted, she held the stone between her fingers and flicked it at the button. The mechanical arm loosened slightly upon impact, but the designers had clearly considered this possibility, as the arm did not immediately move away even when it loosened.
However, this was enough for her. Qi Xiaowei had only fed her half-full meals these past few days, which made her lose a lot of weight. So the small gap in the mechanical arm was enough for her to take her hands and feet out.
The alarm went off as soon as she was freed from the mechanical arm's restraints, alerting the laboratory staff. But it was too late; without the restraints, Luo Ning was an overwhelming force to them.
The two security officers were also very agile, but Luo Ning easily knocked them to the ground. This was all thanks to her past experience as Lu Xinghe's sparring partner, so she was familiar with the security officers' routines.
She burst out of the door and ran towards the end of the corridor with the speed of a shooting star. When she reached the window, she opened the glass and was greeted by a gust of biting cold wind and a flurry of snowflakes.
Without hesitation, she jumped out of the window. Although it was the seventh floor, she was flexible and agile, and she jumped down one window after another, reaching the ground in less than three seconds.
But as she jumped, she saw An Xiaoruo's figure in the window of the building across the street. Although they hadn't seen each other for five years, she recognized the girl as the little girl she had raised for five years.
But she couldn't acknowledge her now; she had to escape first. So she mustered her strength and ran swiftly towards the woods.
As Lu Xinghe was walking in front of the laboratory building, he suddenly saw a white figure lightly falling. He recognized it as the experimental subject. The experimental subject moved very fast and disappeared into the snowy night in an instant. Without hesitation, he chased after it.
The escape of a mutant from the laboratory is a very serious incident. In addition to half of the security officers being dispatched to pursue him, the military also got involved. Several military helicopters searched from the air, and more than a dozen military dogs joined the carpet search.
Luo Ning, dressed in light clothing, walked forward in the darkness. Not far away, there was a helicopter with searchlights and the constant barking of dogs. No wonder none of the alien species that broke in in the novel could survive. It would be really difficult to escape in such a situation.
She pressed herself against the wall and slowly adjusted her breathing. In the darkness, she saw a bridge not far away, and perhaps she could hide under the bridge for a while.
When Lu Xinghe chased the test subject to the vicinity of the river, he did not see any test subjects. There was only a stone bridge lying quietly across the dry riverbed. Under the bridge were weeds and rocks, which was undoubtedly the best temporary hiding place.
He walked toward the stone bridge and, in the dim light of the snow, saw a slender, thin figure crouching behind a stone. Her body was trembling slightly, whether from the cold or fear, he couldn't tell.
The helicopter flew over, and the barking of dogs grew closer. Luo Ning nervously hid behind a rock. She heard footsteps nearby, but it seemed like there was only one person.
She could handle it if it was just one person, but that would undoubtedly expose her to the helicopter's search range. Just when it seemed she was about to be trapped, she suddenly heard a familiar voice: "I've already searched this area and found no test subjects. You guys go check over there."
"Yes, Major." The search team left with the dog, and the helicopter flew over the bridge to continue the search.
Lu Xinghe turned and walked down the bridge, but the woman was no longer there; she had seized the opportunity to escape.
He stood with his head tilted back in the wind and snow, the cold wind cutting his face like a knife. How ridiculous! He had just let a mutant go. As a security officer protecting humanity, he had actually done something so incomprehensible.
But if asked why, he himself didn't know. He just didn't want her to die like that, as if he had been destined for this fate long ago.
"What's wrong with me?" he asked himself in confusion, but only the cold wind answered him.
Luo Ning knew that Lu Xinghe had helped her. If he were still the same person he used to be, she would have stayed to see him. But after he kissed her like that last time, she was too afraid to see him and could only flee in a hurry.
However, she also knew that she had only temporarily escaped capture. According to the novel's description of the base, it was surrounded by lava fields and bottomless canyons, and was the last refuge left by God for mankind. It was difficult for alien species outside to enter, and even more difficult for alien species inside to leave. Therefore, if she wanted to leave, she would still need to find someone to help her.
After much deliberation, she decided to go back to find An Xiaoruo. An Xiaoruo had cleverly given her the stone, so she must be willing to help her. Moreover, with so many security officers and military personnel coming to find her, headquarters must be less vigilant.
After formulating her plan, she returned the way she came. Just as she had expected, almost all the lights in the rooms of the building where An Xiaoruo had appeared were off. The ancients were right; the most dangerous place is the safest place. Relying on her memory, she located the window where An Xiaoruo had appeared and then nimbly climbed up.
The window wasn't closed properly, as if An Xiaoruo had forgotten to lock it when she left in a hurry. She gently pushed open the window and jumped in, then carefully locked the window and drew the curtains.
Because the lights couldn't be turned on, the room was completely dark, but there was a faint woody scent in the air, a very comforting smell.
Once her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw a single bed and a set of table and chairs in the room, along with a wooden wardrobe. The room was simple, clean, and completely unobstructed. So, she immediately noticed An Xiaoruo's photo on the table. She was wearing a pretty dress and standing with several young men and women, smiling brightly.
Her memory was correct; in the novel, the military's dormitories were located behind the Department of Genetics building, where most of the security officers lived to facilitate the protection of personnel in the surrounding buildings.
She picked up the photo frame and gently stroked An Xiaoruo's face in the picture. The little girl had indeed grown up. She used to always leave her things lying around, but now she could tidy them up so neatly and cleanly.
The intense running had left her incredibly thirsty, but there was only one water glass on the table. She thought it was An Xiaoruo's glass, and it shouldn't be a problem to share it; they had gotten through tough times together before.
She took a big gulp of water from the tap, and her breathing gradually calmed down. She squatted down against the wall in the bathroom, hiding in the darkness and waiting for An Xiaoruo to come back.
About an hour later, footsteps finally came from the stairwell. The sound was somewhat heavy, not like a girl's footsteps, but more like an adult man's.
Perhaps it's someone from another room, she thought.
But the sound of leather rubbing stopped at the door of the dormitory, followed by the sound of the door lock being opened, and a tall, slender figure appeared in the doorway.
It wasn't An Xiaoruo, it was a man. But why would An Xiaoruo's photo be in this man's room?
Luo Ning couldn't see the man's face from inside. She covered her mouth and nose tightly with her hands, afraid of being discovered by the man, but even if she was discovered, she wouldn't surrender.
But the man didn't seem to notice him. He entered the room without turning on the light, closed the door and locked it from the inside, then took off his coat and casually hung it on a hanger before falling silent.
The room fell silent. Luo Ning cautiously looked outside, but strangely, she couldn't see the man. Just as she was wondering, a gun was pressed against her temple.
The lights were turned on at that moment, and she finally saw the man's appearance clearly. He was cold and handsome; it was Lu Xinghe.
Lu Xinghe was also stunned. He knew there was someone in the room the moment he opened the door, but he never expected it to be the experimental subject who had clearly escaped.
The two looked at each other, though they were so close that they could hear each other's breath, yet it felt as if they were separated by thousands of miles, meeting but not fully understanding each other.
Luo Ning hesitated, wanting to say something to him but not knowing what to say, especially since she couldn't make a sound at all.
Lu Xinghe didn't understand why she wouldn't appear in his room. Was she plotting something?
Just then, more footsteps came, and they quickly reached the door.
"Lu Xinghe, why are you back so soon? Open the door!" He Cheng's loud voice rang out.
Luo Ning was a little flustered. Lu Xinghe glanced at her and made a shushing gesture, signaling her not to make a sound.
"They're here," he replied to He Cheng, then pulled Luo Ning to the wardrobe and shoved her inside.
After the door opened, He Cheng limped in: "What are you doing? It took you so long to open the door."
Lu Xinghe stood in front of the cabinet door, pretending to take off his clothes: "Change your clothes. What happened to your leg?"
He Cheng grimaced and said, "I slipped and fell on the slippery road. I think I twisted my ankle. Can you take a look?"
“Go to the medical department, I’m not a doctor.” Lu Xinghe took off his shirt and hung it on the cabinet door, which had blinds. He was worried that He Cheng would see the experimental subjects inside the cabinet.
Although he vowed to return to his original self on the way back, he couldn't help but hide her away the moment he saw her, not wanting her to be seen by anyone.
Luo Ning saw his bare upper body through the blinds. His muscles were sharply defined, and there were clear blue veins on his arms, which stretched from the back of his hands to his shoulders and neck. Every inch of his body was strong and resilient.
"After the experimental subject escaped, the medical department was so surrounded that not even a mosquito could fly in, let alone me. Please take a look at me." He Cheng gasped, clearly indicating that he had indeed twisted his ankle.
Lu Xinghe walked over and made a few simple movements, and He Cheng immediately felt much better in his foot. He laughed and said, "This is something you really know how to do."
"Now that you're all better, go back to your room. I'm going to sleep," Lu Xinghe said, dismissing him.
He Cheng was stunned for a moment: "You can still sleep after a mutant escaped, and that mutant was assigned to you by the Genetics Department, right?"
"Just do your own thing. It's Xue Mu's turn to be on duty today," Lu Xinghe replied. Actually, he also wanted to know how she escaped from the laboratory.
“That’s true, we each have our own duties. But it’s strange, I heard that the female mutant didn’t kill anyone. She jumped out of the window and ran away. Other mutants would definitely eat two of them. Could it be that mutants are starting to change their nature now?” He Cheng wanted to say a few more words to Lu Xinghe, but Lu Xinghe pushed him out directly.
He Cheng was used to Lu Xinghe's behavior, so he had no suspicion that there was a woman hidden in the closet in his room.
Lu Xinghe locked the door from the inside, then opened the cabinet door. The woman inside looked at him with clear, bright eyes, her chest rising and falling slightly, clearly indicating that she had also been nervous.
"Why did you come back?" Lu Xinghe picked up the cup on the table and drank the water in it in one gulp. He was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.
Luo Ning watched him drink water and initially thought the cup belonged to An Xiaoruo, but it turned out to be his. However, she had just been drinking water from the same cup.
Her ears burned, she pointed to her throat and shook her head, indicating that she could not speak.
Lu Xinghe guessed that she had been given a blocking drug, so he took out paper and pen for her: "You should be able to write, right?"
Luo Ning could tell that he didn't remember her at all; there was no emotion in his eyes for her. To him, she was a complete stranger.
Why is this happening? Why does An Xiaoruo still remember her while he has forgotten her?
She held the pen but didn't know what to write. She absolutely couldn't involve An Xiaoruo in the current situation, even though An Xiaoruo's photo was in Lu Xinghe's room, and even though their relationship should have always been good.
After hesitating for a moment, she wrote: "I knew you were the one who helped me when I was under the bridge. You are a good person. I had nowhere to go."
Lu Xinghe looked at the delicate handwriting on the paper: "Then how did you know this was my room?"
Luo Ning wrote again: "This place has your scent."
Lu Xinghe frowned. He knew that mutants had a good sense of smell, but was it good enough to know where he lived?
Upon seeing this, Luo Ning quickly wrote: "I won't stay for long, and I have never eaten or hurt anyone. Please help me leave here, and I promise I will never cause you any trouble again."
Lu Xinghe looked at what she wrote. This female mutant was good at both playing the victim and threatening people. The first two sentences told him that she was a good person, while the last sentence warned him that if he didn't help her, she would cause him trouble.
If she were caught, if she told the military that he had let her go once and hidden her in the closet once, he would probably be sent directly to a military court.
Fine, since she wants to leave instead of stay, then let her leave with him on a transport plane in three days, and that will be the end of the matter.
"Okay, I promise you." He agreed.
Seeing that he was still willing to help her even though he didn't remember her, Luo Ning smiled at him to express her gratitude.
But when she smiled, Lu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, beyond his control. He turned his head away and pretended not to see her.
The helicopters were still searching overhead, and the security officers hadn't returned. They certainly wouldn't give up easily without catching her, so the question was where to hide Luo Ning for the next three days.
After thinking it over, Lu Xinghe realized that his own room was the safest place. Given his position, no one except An Xiaoruo would dare to enter his room directly. Moreover, he could keep an eye on this mutant to prevent her from harming others.
He took a hemp rope and tried to bind her hands. Hemp rope was used to tie anchors and was difficult to break. The more she struggled, the tighter it became. He still had to be wary of living under the same roof as a different species.
Luo Ning looked at the rope in his hand and understood what he meant. She felt a pang of sadness and finally wrote on the paper, "Don't you really remember me?"
After she finished writing, she looked at him expectantly, but he replied, "Should I remember you?"
The light in Luo Ning's eyes gradually dimmed. She silently put the paper and pen back in their original place, and then stretched out her hands in front of him for him to tie.
Lu Xinghe saw that her hands and clothes were covered in mud, and that she was barefoot with delicate white feet, so he put down the rope and said, "Go and wash yourself clean first."
Luo Ning was taken aback. She didn't have any clean clothes, so Lu Xinghe tossed her a dress that he had prepared as a gift for An Xiaoruo.
"Thank you." Luo Ning said softly, then took the dress and went into the bathroom. After thinking for a moment, she locked the bathroom door from the inside. Although he seemed normal now, what if... what if he went crazy again like that day?
Lu Xinghe heard the lock click shut and snorted disdainfully. But when the sound of running water came from the bathroom, his throat tightened involuntarily. He sat down on the bed, but the soft sound of running water felt like ants crawling on his lower abdomen. He vaguely felt that letting her take a bath was not the right thing to do, and keeping her here was even more wrong.
For the first time in eight years since she transmigrated, Luo Ning stood under a modern shower. The hot water poured over her from head to toe, making her feel so comfortable that she almost cried. However, she also remembered that everything in the base was rationed, and both food and hot water were precious. So she quickly finished showering and put on the pink floral dress he had given her.
She opened the bathroom door and walked out. Her hair was still wet from the hot shower, and her face had a beautiful blush from the steam, especially her lips, which were as delicate as roses still covered in morning dew.
"I've finished washing, and there's still hot water left." She meant that she hadn't used it more than necessary.
Lu Xinghe looked at her in the pink dress, his eyes darkening slightly: "Hmm."
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