Back in the cabin, Luo Ning stayed in the room watching over the unconscious An Xiaoruo. Although the viral infection in An Xiaoruo's body had been suppressed, she did not wake up for some reason.
Lu Xinghe and his team were outside repairing the radio in preparation for contacting the base. No one spoke; it was completely silent.
"Song Pei, why don't you go out and help? Wen Xi and I will take care of things here," Luo Ning said to Song Pei, who had been staying by the bedside.
Song Pei slowly stood up and looked at her: "Xiao Ruo... why did she call you that?"
Luo Ning replied, "I can't tell you about this now, but I will explain it to your superiors, and you can ask them then."
When she decided to return to the base, all decisions had to be made with caution, especially since this matter involved Lu Xinghe, so she remained silent for the time being.
Song Pei did not press further, opened the door, and walked out.
After the door closed, Luo Ning used a towel to wipe the blood off An Xiaoruo's body, but because the five finger marks from the male mutant were too deep, blood still seeped out even after bandaging to stop the bleeding.
Looking at An Xiaoruo's pale, bloodless face, Luo Ning couldn't help but shed tears again.
"Luo Ning, don't be sad. Xiao Ru will definitely get better," Wen Xi said comfortingly.
Luo Ning nodded, then looked at Wen Xi: "Let me see your wound."
"I'm fine now, my wound is healing very quickly." Wen Xi said, shaking her arm. Although it still hurt a little, she could bear it.
After confirming that she was alright, Luo Ning said guiltily, "I'm sorry. I promised to protect you, but in the end I still dragged you into this."
Wen Xi immediately shook her head: "Don't overthink it. I said it myself. I also like Xiao Ru very much. Don't blame yourself."
Luo Ning looked at Wen Xi gratefully. This soft-spoken and seemingly delicate woman always provided her with the greatest help in crucial moments.
But this time she couldn't drag Wenxi down with her again; she knew she was afraid of everything at the base.
“I’ll go back with them once they make contact with the base. I know you don’t like the base. If you want to leave, I’ll hold Du Lu back. You’re heading south…”
“No, I won’t leave you.” Wen Xi interrupted her, her tone firm: “I’ve said it before, I’ll be wherever you are. I’ve long considered you my closest person.”
“But once we get back, they’ll definitely continue to study you,” Luo Ning said worriedly.
Wen Xi smiled gently: "Even if I don't go back, I can't survive in this outside world. It's a world where the strong prey on the weak, and I'm the weakest one."
After saying that, she placed her hand on her lower abdomen: "And this child might really be able to change the world."
Luo Ning covered it with her hand. She still couldn't sense any signs of life, but she was willing to believe that it was a beautiful existence: "Okay, let's go back together."
Five hours later, the radio was finally fixed, and Lu Xinghe called Luo Ning out alone.
The wind rustled the leaves, and sunlight filtered through them, casting dappled shadows on his face. Her face was reflected in his eyes.
“I haven’t contacted the base yet, so you still have a chance to back out,” he said seriously.
He had countless reasons to keep her here, but he also knew what going back would mean for her.
Luo Ning shook her head without hesitation: "I don't regret it, go ahead and contact them."
Lu Xinghe looked at her. She was very determined. Two months ago, she escaped from that cage at all costs. Now, she was willing to go back for a human. She was a different species, but she was more like a human than a human.
“Okay, you can make your requests to the base. Remember, you are not test subjects, but here to help humanity,” he said to her.
Luo Ning was taken aback. Although she had originally planned to negotiate with the base in the same way, she was still surprised that he took the initiative to teach her to do it this way.
He had already repaid her kindness, and his duties did not require him to do so, but he still thought of her.
"Thank you." She smiled gently at him.
Lu Xinghe turned around and prepared to leave to make preparations.
As she watched his tall, straight back, her heart stirred, and she subconsciously called out to him, "Lu Xinghe."
"What's wrong?" He turned around and looked at her calmly.
"N-nothing...you go ahead and do your work." She swallowed the words that almost came out; now was not the time.
She wanted to say that if the lab restarted the breeding program for her and him, she would no longer hide.
Wenxi's health is weak and unstable, so she can't place all her hopes on Wenxi. She also doesn't want to be someone who only takes from her friends; protecting someone also requires sacrifice.
Lu Xinghe noticed a faint blush on her face, perhaps from the warm spring sunshine.
The radio station quickly made contact with the base, which was shocked to learn that they were still alive. The group that returned described being surrounded by hundreds or thousands of aliens, and with a lack of ammunition, no one thought they could have survived.
Lu Xinghe explained An Xiaoruo and Wen Xi's situation in detail, and there was a moment of silence on the other end of the radio station, clearly shocked by the two pieces of news.
Soon, the voice of the highest leader came through: "Protect the experimental subjects at all costs. The plane will arrive as soon as possible to take you home."
The words "go home" moved the security officers who had survived countless near-death experiences. Luo Ning also envied those words, but she knew that the antagonism and hatred between the alien species and humans would not disappear because of the child in Wen Xi's womb, so she had to fight for her rights.
“Sir, I am Luo Ning, the seventeenth test subject. Before we come to the base and cooperate with the experiment, I would like to obtain a few promises from you.” She said neither humbly nor arrogantly.
There was a moment of silence, followed by a hushed discussion. There was static on the radio, so Luo Ning couldn't hear what they were saying.
After a while, the top leader's voice came: "What are your conditions?"
Luo Ning replied, "I have three conditions: First, our personal freedom cannot be restricted; we need the same respect as humans. Second, we must have the right to know about the experimental process. Third, if the experiment achieves the expected results, the lives of myself and Subject Eleven must be protected immediately."
"Regarding the first point, how can you guarantee that you won't feed the humans at the base?" the best leader asked.
Luo Ning smiled and said, "Sir, the fact that your security officers are still alive is the strongest guarantee."
After a moment of silence, the other end replied, "Okay, I can agree to your terms."
“We are afraid we cannot accept verbal promises; we hope you can make a written commitment,” Luo Ning continued.
"Okay," the other party agreed.
Although Luo Ning was not completely at ease, the fact that the other party could make such a promise meant that she and Wen Xi were safe for the time being, and she did not have any more bargaining chips at the moment.
The base is already arranging for a plane to arrive within 24 hours at the latest.
When the radio was turned off, everyone fell silent. This day might become the most important day in human history, a day that would determine whether humanity would thrive or perish.
Nobody knows the answer.
A rumbling stomach broke the heavy atmosphere.
"I'll go cook," Meng Ting said, standing up.
"Let's go help." The other boys also volunteered to help.
Luo Ning, Lu Xinghe, and Song Pei went to An Xiaoruo's room to take care of her. Wen Xi also went to check on her for a while before returning to her room alone.
She sat on the bed, hugging her knees. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid to go back to the base; besides the people and the cold machinery, there were also some memories she didn't want to recall.
Footsteps sounded at the door, and Du Lu pushed the door open and came in. Although she knew it was him, she still couldn't help but tremble.
Between her and him, there was an alien and a security officer, a prisoner and a warden, flattery and pleasure, desire and punishment, and also, the parents of a child.
Moreover, this relationship will continue indefinitely, with no end in sight.
Du Lu locked the door from the inside, then walked step by step to her. His uniform was stained with blood, and his wounds were still oozing blood, which trickled around the tip of her nose, slowly licking her tongue, her throat, her stomach...
"You knew about the child all along, didn't you?" Du Lu asked coldly. He knew she was lying to him and hiding it from him. If it weren't for her trying to save An Xiaoruo, he might never have known in his life.
He was not only inferior to Zhuang Yu, but also inferior to Luo Ning, and even inferior to An Xiaoruo, who had no relation to her at all.
"I...I don't know," she replied softly.
Du Lu sneered, "Don't know? I think you not only know, but you also want me to kill this child with my own hands."
He recalled that when she pressed her lower abdomen yesterday, he thought she was teasing him and trying to feel his presence. Now it seemed that she knew his violent state might harm the baby.
Not only did she know, but she also deliberately catered to him, allowing him to run rampant. Although she eventually begged for mercy, she still harbored those thoughts.
Wen Xi was too scared to look at him, and she nervously twisted her fingers: "I...I didn't."
“Little liar.” Du Lu reached out and pinched her chin, lifting it up and forcing her to look at him. “Do you even know that you can’t lie at all?”
She couldn't lie, yet she still managed to fool him time and time again.
“I…” She didn’t know how to answer, and could only awkwardly explain, “The baby is stable, it won’t… won’t miscarry because of you.”
Du Lu was even angrier when he heard her use the word "miscarriage." She knew everything, yet she spoke the coldest words in the most innocent tone.
He leaned down and pressed against her: "So you mean you went along with me like that yesterday just because you liked it?"
Wen Xi nodded gently. She didn't dare to tell the truth, didn't dare to tell him that it was because of him that she was struggling and conflicted about this child.
Given her current importance to the base, she could easily have kept this man away, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
She was afraid of him, yet driven by her physical instincts, she wanted to be close to him, to have his blood, his body…
Du Lu looked into her misty eyes, with tiny tears glistening in the clear blue, and asked ambiguously, "So, do you want to like it now?"
"You...you're injured," Wen Xi replied softly, behaving very obediently.
She was like a delicate rose, imbued with desire, waiting to be plucked. She dared not speak openly to him as she had to Zhuang Yu, and could only wait cautiously, waiting for him to understand her words.
However, Du Lu let go of her hand and left, his eyes filled with emotions she couldn't understand.
Twelve hours later, the plane landed at the airport with a huge roar, where Luo Ning and Lu Xinghe were already waiting.
After the cabin door opened, hundreds of fully armed security officers and soldiers stood inside the cabin, a dark mass of people.
When Dai Wanglin came out of the cabin and saw Luo Ning and Lu Xinghe standing together, he smiled meaningfully. His suspicions were indeed correct; Luo Ning was indeed the caretaker of Lu Xinghe and An Xiaoruo.
Is their meeting this time a coincidence or premeditated?
"I am Dai Wanglin, the head of the Gene Department. I have been ordered to come and pick you up. Thank you for your willingness to return to the base to assist our experiments," he said with a smile to Luo Ning and Wen Xi.
Luo Ning looked at the large number of people and weapons behind him and said, "Minister Dai, aren't you making a big fuss by bringing so many people?"
Dai Wanglin smiled and said, "Miss Luo, you're too kind. We're just trying to escort you back safely. Major Lu, please take Miss Luo and Miss Wen upstairs."
Lu Xinghe looked at his comrades in the cabin. There was no murderous intent in their eyes, only curiosity and surprise, but one should always be wary of others.
"Stay with me, and don't stray too far," he told Luo Ning.
Luo Ning nodded, took Wen Xi's hand, and followed closely behind him, with Du Lu walking behind the two of them.
Once inside the cabin, Luo Ning discovered that there were actually two temporary rooms prepared for her and Wen Xi, furnished with soft blankets and pillows.
This time, it's finally not a cage.
"Put Xiaoruo on the bed," she said to Song Pei.
An Xiaoruo is still unconscious. The bleeding has stopped, but her body has a high fever. This is a normal infection reaction after an injury. She is still in human form.
Medical staff immediately examined An Xiaoruo and administered medication to stabilize her condition.
Dai Wanglin put on gloves and pried open An Xiaoruo's eyes. There was a faint blue under the light brown, and he was surprised by this coexisting relationship.
The plane quickly took off and soared into the sky towards the base. No one knew what tomorrow would bring; everything was left to fate.
As the first rays of sunlight rose in the morning, the plane arrived over the base.
Luo Ning stood by the porthole, looking down at the world below. The lava was still churning, and the water in the abyss was still rushing. Everything seemed unchanged.
Only those pink flowering trees bloomed in every corner of the base.
She last came during a snowstorm and left amidst bloodshed, completely unaware that such gentle scenery existed in this cold world.
“That’s a magnolia. When I left, there weren’t any buds yet, but it’s already in full bloom in just a few days,” Lu Xinghe said, standing beside her.
“It’s Magnolia.” Luo Ning was somewhat surprised.
"Hmm, what's wrong?" Lu Xinghe asked.
Luo Ning looked at him and whispered, "Have you forgotten? In the yard of the house we used to live in, there was a very, very big magnolia tree. It would bloom with pink flowers every spring, and the fragrance was especially sweet."
Lu Xinghe was stunned. How could he forget that pink flowering tree and her, which had appeared in his dreams countless times?
“I remember,” he replied with a light cough.
Looking at the sea of red flowers, Luo Ning said, "There are so many memories under that tree. After you left, the volcano erupted and the tree was gone. I wandered outside for a long time and never saw a tree like that again. I never expected there to be so many here."
It turned out that the magnolia was right beside her, but because it was winter, all the leaves had fallen, leaving the tree bare and not as big as the one before, which was why she hadn't recognized it.
Looking at her delighted expression, Lu Xinghe asked, "Then... do you like those memories?"
Luo Ning nodded: "Of course I like it."
As the two were talking, An Xiaoruo woke up in the room. Luo Ning immediately ran over and found that An Xiaoruo had indeed woken up and her fever had subsided, but her face was still pale.
"Xiao Ruo, are you feeling any better?" she asked anxiously.
An Xiaoruo looked at her weakly and smiled softly.
That's wonderful, her mother is still alive and still as beautiful as ever.
“Mom, I’m fine now,” she replied, but felt that calling her “Mom” was no longer appropriate, because Luo Ning was too young and looked only three or four years older than her.
"That's good. We'll be at the base soon, and you'll get better soon." Luo Ning's eyes welled up with tears again; she simply couldn't bear to see An Xiaoruo suffer.
"The base?" An Xiaoruo then realized she was on an airplane. She struggled to push Luo Ning, "Mom, go quickly, don't come back, they will hurt you."
Luo Ning hugged her: "Don't be afraid. I asked to come back on my own initiative. Sister Wenxi is here too. We have received a promise from the base that they will not hurt us."
"Really?" An Xiaoruo looked at Lu Xinghe.
Lu Xinghe affectionately patted her head: "Yes, I'm here, nothing will happen."
The plane landed quickly at the airport, where several medical vehicles were already waiting on the tarmac. As soon as they got off the plane, the three of them were taken away by the medical vehicles to undergo a detailed physical examination. Lu Xinghe and Du Lu also went with them.
Looking closely at the pink magnolias outside the car window, Luo Ning couldn't help but place her hand on the window. Wen Xi looked at her gently, as if she could already smell the fragrance of the flowers.
"Do not receive any injections during the examination," Lu Xinghe reminded them, though he didn't know why he was giving this advice.
Du Lu nodded: "Don't eat anything indiscriminately either."
"Mmm," both Luo Ning and Wen Xi responded.
Forty minutes later, the medical vehicle stopped at the genetics department. After reinforcement and repair, the temporary command center has now become the new command center.
Looking at everything familiar before her, Luo Ning felt a pang of melancholy. She had thought she would never return, but unexpectedly, she had come back here in just over two months.
The examination began quickly, with blood and bone marrow extractions, and whole-body monitoring by machines; everything proceeded smoothly.
Luo Ning and Wen Xi were both very vigilant. Fortunately, no one injected them with any strange drugs or made them eat anything.
After the check-up, they were taken to a two-story villa with modern decor, plenty of sunshine and fresh air. From the second-floor platform, they could see the Grand Canyon in the distance and a gray suspension bridge spanning the canyon.
Because the base is small and densely populated, the living conditions are very crowded. Luo Ning did not expect that there would be villas in such a crowded place, and there was also a tall magnolia tree in the yard.
The flowers on the trees were in full bloom, and the air was filled with a sweet fragrance. She walked over, stood on tiptoe, closed her eyes, and gently inhaled the fragrance of the flowers. At that moment, she truly felt the arrival of spring.
"This is such a nice place to live! Who used to live here?" Luo Ning asked curiously.
“A PhD from the Gene Department left the base years ago and hasn’t returned. His fate is unknown, so the house has been empty here,” Lu Xinghe replied, then directed people to move some household items in.
Luo Ning felt that the doctor must be very outstanding, which was why he was assigned such a good house, and the base had been waiting for him to return.
Only Luo Ning and Wen Xi live in this two-story villa. An Xiaoruo is staying in the hospital due to her injuries. The people taking care of and guarding them live outside the villa. Cameras are installed in the common areas of the villa, while the bedrooms and bathrooms are kept relatively private.
Although someone follows you whenever you go out, it's a qualitative leap compared to being trapped in the lab by a robotic arm before.
“Miss Luo, Miss Wen, you should have seen our sincerity, right?” Dai Wanglin said to the two of them.
Wen Xi didn't dare to speak, but Luo Ning nodded: "I felt it."
Dai Wanglin smiled and said, "The results of all the tests will be available in two hours. I also hope that you will do your best to assist our work in the future."
Luo Ning replied, "Of course."
After Dai Wanglin leaves, Lu Xinghe and Du Lu will also have to leave, and they will have to undergo various checks and inquiries.
After everyone left, Luo Ning and Wen Xi sat together on the steps, and neither of them spoke for a long time.
"Life is truly like a dream," Luo Ning sighed in conclusion.
Two hours later, everyone saw the test results, and Wenxi was indeed pregnant. Judging from the timeline, she conceived the day before she escaped the base.
Wen Xi recalled that night. She was very hungry and tried her best to please Du Lu for a little blood. Finally, when she was exhausted, he seemed to give her some warm blood, but he said it was animal blood.
Although she still knew the outcome, her hands still trembled slightly when she saw the written words.
As for the embryo's genes, just as Lu Xinghe deduced, they are not currently strong, and their suppression of the virus is only temporary, but the specific duration still needs further research.
In other words, the inhibitory effect of Wen Xi's blood in An Xiaoruo's body will soon become ineffective, and it will need to be replenished again.
Luo Ning looked at Wen Xi. If An Xiaoruo was to survive, Wen Xi would have to continuously supply her with blood. Wen Xi was pregnant again, which would definitely be a huge burden on her body.
She held the report in her hand, her eyes slowly lowered, and then returned to her room to dial Lu Xinghe's communicator.
"Luo Ning, what's wrong?" Lu Xinghe's voice came quickly from the communicator.
Luo Ning was silent for a moment: "Do you have time tonight?"
Lu Xinghe glanced at the task list: "I have time after eight o'clock."
"Could you come over here? I... I have something I'd like to discuss with you." After she finished speaking, she felt her heart pounding.
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as possible." Lu Xinghe agreed, and he reached out and picked a magnolia flower, which he smelled. It was very sweet.
After turning off the communicator, she pulled the blanket over her face, trying to stop herself from thinking about it, but she couldn't help but think about it.
Perhaps this is fate.
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