Wen Xi held onto Wen Rong tightly, preventing her from harming Luo Ning. She lacked both Wen Rong's strength and Luo Ning's speed; all she could do was hold Wen Rong back to give Luo Ning a chance to recover.
Wen Rong landed several heavy punches on Wen Xi's face. She felt her strength waning, but she didn't know why. Her intuition told her to get rid of Wen Xi as soon as possible.
However, Wen Xi still did not give in. Luo Ning, having recovered from the dizziness of the impact, recklessly stabbed Wen Rong in the head with an iron spike.
Wen Rong tried to block with her wings, but Luo Ning, seeing that she couldn't get through, gave up stabbing. Instead, she grabbed the base of one of Wen Rong's wings with both hands and tore it open. The pain made Wen Rong give up attacking and the two of them rolled to the side, their wings drooping and not immediately recovering.
Luo Ning was stunned for a moment. She knew that Wen Rong had a very strong self-healing ability, but now Wen Rong's wings were still bleeding. However, she didn't have time to think. Leaving this place was the most important thing right now.
So she carried the unconscious Wenxi on her back and ran forward as fast as she could, hoping the downpour would dilute their scent and take them as far away from Wenrong as possible, otherwise it would be terrible once Wenrong recovered.
After the lightning flashed and then disappeared, she and Wenxi had vanished.
Wen Rong scrambled to her feet, looking disheveled. The man, holding an umbrella, walked up to her and looked down at her.
"Dad, it hurts so much," Wen Rong said, crying.
The man reached out and touched the tears on Wen Rong's face, then looked at her slowly healing wound. He frowned. Did Luo Ning have some kind of drug that prevented his most carefully crafted work from healing properly?
"Besides pain, do you feel anything else?" the man asked.
Wen Rong originally wanted to say that her strength was also disappearing for a moment, but she was afraid that if she said it, the man would be angry and think she was useless, so she shook her head: "No, it just hurts."
The man patted her head and said comfortingly, "It won't hurt in a little while. Let's go home and rest."
Now that his work is damaged, and Luo Ning is so fast, he definitely can't catch up. He can only look for it again later.
Luo Ning carried Wen Xi on her back and ran south in the rain. Wen Xi woke up during a jolt and said weakly, "Put me down, I can walk by myself."
"It's okay, I can carry her." Luo Ning didn't put Wen Xi down. Wen Xi wasn't fast, and putting her down would affect the overall speed, so it was better for her to carry her.
An hour later, she finally ran out of energy and went into a random room to rest. Wen Xi was still wearing her favorite blue dress and hadn't had time to change. Luo Ning was wearing clothes, but she had forgotten to bring her two books.
Wen Xi opened her mouth and spat out a few teeth that Wen Rong had broken. Luo Ning looked at her with heartache: "You should have let go when she hit you. A wise man doesn't fight when he's at a disadvantage, you know?"
"It's nothing." Wen Xi smiled sheepishly. "I'm not fast, and I'm not strong. The only thing that's useful is my teeth. I wonder if I was born in the Year of the Dog in my past life."
Luo Ning was amused by her, so she picked up her teeth, went outside, and threw them forcefully over the eaves.
Wenxi asked, puzzled, "What are you doing?"
Luo Ning replied, "In my hometown, there's a custom that if you throw a lost tooth over the roof ridge, it will grow back quickly."
"Thank you, Luo Ning. If it weren't for you, I would have been killed by my sister today. But I'm also sorry. If I had listened to your advice and been more careful, none of this would have happened," Wen Xi said guiltily.
Luo Ning comforted her, saying, "Don't think too much about it. They came for us anyway, and we might run into them again later, so we need to be careful along the way."
"Okay, I'll be careful." Wen Xi said and sat down to the side. Her lower abdomen was still a little sore, which made her uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Luo Ning also noticed her unusual behavior.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little hungry." Wen Xi didn't tell the truth.
Luo Ning glanced at the still-pouring rain and said, "Let's find something to eat once the rain stops."
"Okay," Wen Xi replied, then leaned against the wall to rest.
Luo Ning also recalled the details from before. After Wen Rong's wings were torn off, she ran away. Logically speaking, a strong person like Wen Rong would not run away cowardly even if she was injured, especially since her intelligence seemed like that of a child. She seemed to be afraid of something, but there was only herself and Wen Xi at the scene. Wen Xi was unconscious, and she almost couldn't beat her. She clearly had the advantage, so why was she afraid?
And that man, he must be the one who created Wen Rong, which is why Wen Rong calls him Dad. Who exactly is he?
She tried to recall the plot of the novel, but too much time had passed, and apart from some points that had interested her back then, she was still very vague about the rest of the plot.
As dawn broke, the rain gradually stopped. Luo Ning caught a few mutants, and she and Wen Xi ate two of them. Then she tied strips of cloth stained with her and Wen Xi's blood to the other mutants and released them to confuse Wen Rong's pursuit.
The two continued south, traveling day and night without daring to stop. A month later, they finally arrived at a relatively warm place. Although it was not the true south that Lu Xinghe had mentioned, Luo Ning knew that they were getting close.
"Luo Ning, should we stop and rest for a while? I can't walk anymore," Wen Xi said, panting.
Luo Ning looked around and, seeing no danger, said, "Okay, there are houses over there, let's go."
Wen Xi nodded. After entering the house, she sat down and rubbed her lower back. Luo Ning smiled and said, "You've hurt your back. Do you want me to massage it for you?"
"No," Wen Xi denied. "Don't make fun of me. You know I'm weak, and my body can't compare to yours."
Luo Ning continued to massage her, saying, "Don't underestimate yourself. You have your strengths too. For example, my perception is far inferior to yours; I'm like a little radar."
Wen Xi laughed and dodged, "Really, I don't need to, I'm ticklish."
"Okay, then you get some rest, I'll go find something to eat." Luo Ning didn't insist and went out to find something to eat.
After she left, Wenxi's smile gradually disappeared. She slowly placed her hand on her lower abdomen. Although she couldn't feel anything inside her, she had been feeling tired for the past few days, similar to her physical condition after her last pregnancy.
But last time she could sense the presence of life, but now she can't feel anything. Is she just overthinking it?
The people in the lab said that it is impossible for two different species to have children, but it is possible with humans, provided that their genes are highly compatible. That's why she was able to conceive Zhuang Yu's child.
Although she had never tested Du Lu, she didn't think her genes were a good match for his. Her only concern was that during the days she seduced him, he had been intimate with her many times, more often than she had with Zhuang Yu, and he was more passionate and forceful than Zhuang Yu.
"No, it can't be such a coincidence," she whispered to herself, trying to reassure herself.
When Luo Ning returned, she saw that Wen Xi had already fallen asleep. She could tell that Wen Xi had been getting tired easily lately, and her previous worries resurfaced.
"Wenxi, get up and eat something." She gently shook Wenxi's body.
Wen Xi opened her eyes groggily: "I'm not hungry, you eat first, I want to sleep for a while."
Are you feeling unwell?
"No, I'm just a little tired from walking too much these past few days. I'll be fine after a nap," Wen Xi said, then closed her eyes again.
Luo Ning had no choice but to eat on her own. She didn't have the advanced equipment to know if Wen Xi was pregnant, but Wen Xi's current state worried her. She remembered seeing in the file that Wen Xi had experienced hair loss during her last pregnancy, which might be a clue.
She first pulled her own hair forcefully, but no hair fell out. Then she tiptoed to Wenxi's side and gently combed through her soft hair with her fingers. When her hand completely left Wenxi's long hair, there was a stray hair on her finger.
She stared at the hair for a long time, then tugged at it a few more times, but still couldn't pull out a single strand. Her heart started racing, and her body trembled slightly.
Different species don't lose their hair; only humans do.
She sat in the chair, lost in thought, thinking about the plan in the laboratory and the records she had seen. Could it be that a child born from a human and a mutant could really turn the mutant back into a human? Did she really have a chance to become human again?
When Wen Xi woke up, he saw that Luo Ning had built a blazing fire on the ground, making the room warm and cozy. Night had fallen, and Luo Ning was sitting by the fire, hugging her knees and burying her face in them, as if she were asleep.
She was also hungry and wanted to get something to eat, but as soon as she made a move, Luo Ning heard the noise and looked up.
"I think I slept too long. Let me eat something first, and then we'll continue on our way," Wen Xi said apologetically.
Luo Ning smiled and said, "It's okay, you eat first, we're not in a hurry."
Wenxi also sat down by the fire and began to eat.
Looking at her delicate and gentle face, Luo Ning thought for a moment and then said, "How about we stop heading south? I think this place is quite nice. Why don't we stay here for now? What do you think?"
Wen Xi paused for a moment: "But didn't you say it would be safer in the south?"
Luo Ning replied, "We're almost in the south now, and we're quite far from the base, so we should be fine. I'm just really tired lately and want to stop and rest for a while."
She doesn't know how to tell Wenxi that she might be pregnant, but continuing this long journey would definitely be bad for Wenxi's health, because she is very likely already undergoing the transformation into a human body.
“Alright, then we’ll stay here for a while and see how things go.” Wen Xi agreed and continued eating.
Luo Ning thought for a while and walked to the place where Wen Xi had just slept, pretending to tidy up. Then she quietly placed the hair she had been holding in her hand in a conspicuous place. She knew that Wen Xi would definitely see the hair in a while, and then she would see how she would react, whether she would tell her or keep it a secret.
If she brings it up herself, then Wenxi must completely trust her, since their current identities are very likely those of you and the alien, and Wenxi might panic.
If it's a secret, it means Wen Xi doesn't want her to know, so she won't bring it up and will just observe from the shadows.
Moreover, she remembered that when Wenxi was in the alien prison, she told her personally that she had killed the child with her own hands and the reason was unknown.
After finishing her meal, Wen Xi went back to her resting place to continue sleeping. Sure enough, she saw the hair. Luo Ning's heart jumped, and then she saw Wen Xi quietly cover the hair up.
She chose to keep it a secret.
Luo Ning said nothing and pretended not to see anything as she added firewood to the fire.
The two settled down in a wide river valley. The environment was nice and there was plenty of food. As the weather gradually warmed up, the leaves sprouted green buds, and the grass was covered with beautiful wildflowers, making it a paradise on earth.
Luo Ning started cleaning and reinforcing the dilapidated house, and Wen Xi helped her along the way. They chatted and laughed as usual, as if nothing was wrong.
After their efforts, the dilapidated wooden house was transformed. They found some usable furniture and clothes from a nearby abandoned town and decorated the house. They also picked fresh flowers and put them in vases. A comfortable home was completed.
After doing all this, the two sat in front of the cabin watching the sunset. It was as if all the warmth had settled at this moment. Everything in the world was changing, but this sun remained the same.
"It would be perfect if we had a cup of hot milk tea," Luo Ning sighed. They had been away from the base for two months.
Wen Xi paused for a moment: "We can't drink milk tea, we're not human anymore."
"I know," Luo Ning replied, then looked at Wen Xi's still flat stomach and asked, "Have you ever thought about turning back into a human?"
Wen Xi nodded: "Yes."
"when?"
"When I first regained consciousness, and later... later when I was with Zhuang Yu, I also thought about it."
"And now?"
"Now..." Wen Xi asked, somewhat bewildered, "I don't know. What about you? Do you want to become human?"
Luo Ning smiled and said, "I'm the same as you. I don't know either, and even if I wanted to, there's nothing I could do. The experiment in the base's laboratory has never been successful, has it?"
Wen Xi moved her lips, but hesitated to speak.
That night, the two returned to their respective rooms. Luo Ning lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. A gene that could potentially turn a mutant back into a human was in the next room. She didn't know what to do, nor did she know what Wen Xi would do.
After much thought, she decided to talk to Wen Xi tomorrow; dragging things out like this wasn't a solution.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard a roaring sound. She immediately sat up in bed and listened carefully. It sounded like an airplane and it was coming in this direction. But didn't Lu Xinghe say that the base wouldn't go to the south?
She immediately got out of bed and went outside, only to find that Wenxi had also gotten up. The two looked at each other, walked outside, and looked up to see a transport plane emitting smoke flying low overhead and about to land in front of them.
Wenxi nervously grabbed her arm: "Have we been discovered?"
Luo Ning wasn't sure either: "It shouldn't be. If they really came to arrest us, they wouldn't be so blatant. They'd alert them. It's more likely that there's a mine or something here. Let's go back and rest first, and we'll go check it out tomorrow."
Wen Xi said, "Why don't we go now while it's dark? If they're really here for the mine, that's fine. But if they're here to capture us, we should leave quickly."
Luo Ning thought for a moment and said, "Alright, then you wait here for me, I'll go take a look."
For some reason, Wenxi felt a little scared: "I'll go with you."
Although Luo Ning was worried about Wen Xi's health, she thought that being together would be good for their safety, so they walked together toward the place where the plane had landed.
They moved silently through the darkness, and after crossing a low hill, a small airport appeared before them, where the transport plane they had seen earlier was parked. Judging from the age of the airport, everything here was newly built.
"Do you see those pits over there? They're probably here to look for minerals. Don't worry," Luo Ning said, pointing to several large pits on the ground.
Wenxi looked at the plane: "These long-distance operations are always accompanied by security officers. Let's go."
“But you don’t seem to be feeling very well, and they’re here to transport ore and won’t leave their posts. They won’t be able to find us since we live on the other side of the river,” Luo Ning said reassuringly. Transport missions are not hunting missions. To ensure the safety of the mining personnel, the safety officers usually stay close by and won’t wander around. Moreover, they will leave immediately after loading is completed and won’t cause any trouble.
"Won't we be discovered?" Wenxi was still uneasy.
"They are human, not some other species, so they wouldn't know we exist."
"Okay, let's go back first." Wen Xi also felt that the security officers wouldn't cause any trouble.
They quietly returned, but stopped halfway there. They saw winged aliens circling above their house, and figures moving around the house.
“They’re the same mutants we encountered three years ago.” Wen Xi’s perception was as sharp as ever: “What do we do now?”
Luo Ning knew how terrifying those people were. She had offended them at the base last time and knew they would not let it go. She thought she and Wen Xi had escaped far enough, but they still found them.
"Run!" She grabbed Wenxi's hand and ran in the opposite direction. The other side had more people and the best option was to run.
Mining site.
Lu Xinghe silently stepped out of the cabin. He looked up at the night sky, where the stars were shining brightly. The base had now been unsealed, and he and more than twenty security officers escorted the survey team to the mine. However, he did not expect that the mine would be located in the south.
He remembered telling Luo Ning to head south, but he didn't know where she was now.
"Major Lu, the drones are ready. Shall we begin the patrol now?" a voice came through the communicator.
“Begin,” he replied.
More than a dozen drones flew out of the cabin and dispersed around the mine. Wherever they went, they used the drones to patrol the surrounding area to check for the presence of alien species. The drones were equipped with infrared capabilities, so they could be detected no matter where the alien species were hiding.
Lu Xinghe looked at the screen on the communicator. The drone's footage was being transmitted back in real time. This time, he was obviously lucky, as there weren't many alien species gathered around.
Du Lu also came out of the cabin at this time. He looked up at the starry sky without saying a word.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Lu Xinghe asked.
"What did you say?" Du Lu opened his eyes, and stars fell into them.
"My thoughts on leaving the base for the first time in three years," Lu Xinghe replied.
Du Lu smiled slightly: "Not bad, it feels like being released from prison."
"Stop looking at the sky and look at the communicator. Once we confirm the location and number of the aliens, we'll take action. The machinery will start operating first thing tomorrow morning." Lu Xinghe said as he moved the camera around to observe carefully.
"Understood." Although Du Lu hadn't done any missions outside the base for three years, he picked it up very quickly.
A moment later, the two noticed two humanoid mutants running rapidly toward them. Strangely, when they approached the airport, they didn't run toward the plane, but instead passed right next to the airport.
"Strange, can't they see us here?" Du Lu frowned. When humans are present, mutants usually instinctively pounce on them, but these two seem to have no interest in humans at all.
Lu Xinghe also found it strange and instructed his team members, "Raise the drone higher."
As the drone ascended, its field of vision expanded, and he quickly discovered that a group of aliens were following behind the two aliens, moving at a great speed.
"Is it a mutant species hunting down another mutant species?" Du Lu asked.
Lu Xinghe stared intently at the screen. Although it could display the number and shape of the aliens, it could not display their faces. However, judging from their movement patterns, it did seem as if the aliens were hunting each other.
To be precise, it was the mutants who were hunting down other mutants, and they had a deep-seated hatred for each other, which is why they ignored the humans.
"Prepare heavy firepower, everyone stay put and be on alert." After giving the order, Lu Xinghe and Du Lu entered the cabin, and the cabin door was immediately closed.
But looking at the two red humanoid images moving at the edge of the airport on the screen, he couldn't help but glance at them a few more times. Why did he feel so uneasy?
An Xiaoruo and Song Pei immediately went up to them as soon as they entered: "What's wrong?"
“The mutants are killing each other,” he replied, then strode over to the drone controller: “Catch up with those two mutants ahead.”
"Yes." The operator immediately remotely controlled the drone to chase after them, but the two mutants were very fast, and even at maximum speed, the drone could not keep up for a while.
Suddenly, one of the two mutants tripped and fell, and the other had to stop to help him up. The drone finally caught up and the two were shown on the screen.
This time everyone saw their faces. They were two extremely beautiful young women. The one who had fallen to the ground was clutching her stomach with a pained expression on her face, while the one who had helped her up had a worried look on her face. When she saw the drone approaching, she glanced at it subconsciously, but then immediately carried the fallen woman on her back and continued running forward quickly.
Everyone was stunned for a moment: "Why do they look so familiar to me?"
"It seems to be Subject 11 and Subject 17."
"No way, weren't they burned to death by white phosphorus bombs?"
"Look, those alien creatures are catching up quickly. They definitely can't escape."
Lu Xinghe's mind went blank for a moment after seeing Luo Ning, then he immediately picked up his gun and walked towards the hatch. The mine team leader grabbed him and said, "Major, don't be impulsive. They're not coming for us. Let's wait and see."
"You all stay here and don't move. Song Pei, you take over my position and take charge." Lu Xinghe opened the hatch and jumped down.
Two figures jumped down after him: Du Lu and An Xiaoruo. One had a cold look in his eyes, filled with hatred, while the other was full of worry and concern. The three of them quickly ran towards the edge of the airport.
Inside the cabin, the mine team leader looked at Song Pei nervously: "Captain Song, please come in quickly so we can close the cabin door."
Song Pei stood straight at the cabin door and ordered, "All security officers, prepare to provide remote support to Major Lu and his men."
"But..." the captain wanted to persuade him further.
Song Pei gave him a cold look: "Captain Liu, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. You should have your team members pick up their weapons and prepare themselves."
The edge of the airport.
Luo Ning was running forward with Wen Xi on her back. She knew that she was also being watched by humans. If it were her alone, she would be confident that she could escape, but now that she was carrying Wen Xi, she was not so sure.
"Luo Ning, you go by yourself, don't worry about me." Wen Xi knew that if she took him with her, Luo Ning wouldn't be able to escape.
"I won't leave you behind," Luo Ning said firmly. Just as she was about to run at full speed, she suddenly sensed a familiar presence rapidly approaching her from the direction the plane was parked.
Pale-faced Wen Xi turned around in disbelief, looking in that direction as a familiar yet oppressive aura rushed towards her.
"Are they here to kill us too?" she asked weakly.
Luo Ning saw the faces of Lu Xinghe, An Xiaoruo, and Du Lu, and her nose tingled with emotion: "They might... be here to help us."
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