Chapter 35 035 Opening Your Heart
Meng Qinghe was admiringly playing with her new weapon.
Chi Yingdong sat upright at the table, flipping through the documents page by page, his expression focused and solemn.
The rustling sound of pages turning was particularly clear in the quiet room.
Data shows that the base has been attacked by mutated animals thirteen times in the past month, roughly once every two days.
Furthermore, the attacks mostly occurred during the day, precisely when the people at the base were most relaxed and resting.
The situation is indeed as Chen Junyun described.
The types of animals that appear each time are different, and some are even natural enemies.
Furthermore, even when they appear together as natural enemies, they completely ignore each other.
As if they had reached some kind of terrifying tacit agreement, they directed all their attacks at the base.
Chi Yingdong's eyes were deep in color.
Even if a mutated animal undergoes mutation, it still retains its animal instincts at its core, a phenomenon that defies common sense.
Chi Yingdong continued flipping through the pages, where the later pages contained clear photos of the mutated animals.
The creature in the picture is several times larger than before the apocalypse, and looks ferocious and terrifying.
But what's even more striking is that all the mutated animals involved in the ambush shared a common characteristic.
Their eyes all have an abnormal scarlet red color, giving people an eerie feeling just by looking at the photos.
Take the queen ant, whom she is familiar with, for example.
The other ant was also a mutated animal, but neither the queen ant nor its soldier ants had ever exhibited such characteristics.
These mutated animals definitely have a problem.
Chi Yingdong ran her fingers along the corner of the page, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath her eyes, obscuring the expression in them.
She originally thought this mission would focus on investigation, which would be a good opportunity for Meng Qinghe to practice.
But it seems that the situation is much more dangerous than expected.
"Qingqing, come and look at this."
Her voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable gravity.
Upon hearing this, Meng Qinghe immediately put down the dagger in her hand and quickly walked to Chi Yingdong's side. "What's wrong?"
"Look at these pictures."
Meng Qinghe looked at the spot Chi Yingdong was pointing to, and when her gaze fell on the photos, her brows furrowed involuntarily.
"These mutated animals look rather strange."
She muttered to herself as she rubbed the goosebumps that had risen on her arms.
"Look at this."
Chi Yingdong's fingertip lightly taps the image.
She pointed out a bamboo viper and an eagle in the picture.
Chi Yingdong's voice remained calm, but with a hint of contemplation, "These two species are natural enemies, but the eagle clearly saw the snake, yet it still chose to attack the base."
Meng Qinghe's gaze gradually became focused.
She suddenly remembered Chen Junyun's speculation that "someone is behind this."
But is that really the case?
Images of the researchers on the plane and the queen ant in the laboratory flashed through my mind.
Aren't they the queen ants discovered in the laboratory?
Perhaps the base harbors a mutated animal, similar to an ant queen, used by humans as a research subject; or perhaps the base contains something that attracts mutated animals.
Meng Qinghe had many ideas, and she told Chi Yingdong about them.
Chi Yingdong was stunned for a moment.
She then realized that she had been limited in her thinking by Chen Junyun's preconceived notions.
"you're right."
Chi Yingdong nodded slightly, her fingertips tracing the scarlet eyes of the mutated animal in the picture.
Upon receiving affirmation, Meng Qinghe's eyes lit up, and he became even bolder.
She tilted her head, and suddenly a bolder guess popped into her head: "Do you think... it might be related to the cracks in the world?"
After saying that, Meng Qing and herself were both stunned.
She seems to be becoming more and more willing to express her thoughts.
For the first twenty-odd years of her life, she was like a transparent person, wanting to change but lacking a good opportunity.
After transmigrating into the body of a kitten, Chi Yingdong's favoritism gave her a great sense of security, making her more willing to express her thoughts.
How could she possibly not have any other thoughts about someone like Chi Yingdong?
It's only natural that I like Chi Yingdong; it's destiny, a match made in heaven!
Chi Yingdong: "What are you thinking about?"
"ah?"
Meng Qinghe looked at Chi Yingdong blankly.
Chi Yingdong tapped the table lightly, "Why don't you respond when I talk to you?"
Her voice carried a hint of languor, without any sense of blame, as if she were discussing the weather today.
However, Meng Qinghe still subconsciously tensed up.
But soon, she noticed that the corners of Chi Yingdong's mouth were slightly upturned, and his eyes still held a doting affection for her.
This discovery sent a warm feeling through Meng Qinghe's chest.
She relaxed, and even boldly tugged at Chi Yingdong's sleeve, pouting and acting coquettishly, "I'm sorry, I was daydreaming! What did you say earlier?"
Chi Yingdong lowered his eyes.
After the kitten transformed back into human form, there seemed to be an invisible membrane separating them.
She could no longer hold the kitten in her arms and stroke its back as freely as she used to.
Meng Qinghe was no longer the little cat who needed her anytime, anywhere; there was more politeness between them, and less intimacy.
Thinking of how the kitten used to need her help even to wash its face, Chi Yingdong couldn't help but smile.
Chi Yingdong was very satisfied with Meng Qinghe's current appearance, as if she had returned to the time when she was still a kitten.
She felt needed and relied upon again.
"You can't even focus when I'm talking to you?"
Chi Yingdong said jokingly, his voice tinged with teasing, but his eyes softened unconsciously.
Just as Meng Qinghe was about to make a few excuses for himself, Chi Yingdong stood up and stretched.
"I said, get some rest, we'll leave tomorrow night."
Seeing that Chi Yingdong was about to leave, Meng Qinghe, not knowing where the courage came from, suddenly reached out and grabbed Chi Yingdong's hand, "Wait."
"What's wrong?"
Chi Yingdong yawned slightly, and his eyes immediately became misty.
In this state, she displayed a rare docility.
Meng Qinghe's heart skipped a beat. She had never seen Chi Yingdong like this before, as if he had let down all his defenses and was incredibly soft.
Meng Qinghe bit her lower lip.
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't know how to say them.
She regretted it.
Why did you act impulsively?
Meng Qinghe tried to organize his thoughts several times, but when the words came out, they came out differently.
"Nothing, I just suddenly had a craving for spicy crayfish. I wonder if the mutated crayfish are as big as the little green crayfish."
Seeing her slightly flickering eyes and her frustrated biting of her lower lip, Chi Yingdong immediately understood that what she originally wanted to say was not about crayfish.
But she didn't expose him, and instead went along with Meng Qinghe's words, saying, "I have crayfish in my space, do you want to eat some now?"
Meng Qinghe didn't actually want to eat crayfish.
This was just an excuse she made up.
"Tomorrow, I should go to sleep."
Meng Qinghe pretended to be sleepy, rubbed his tired eyes, and felt annoyed at his own cowardice.
Chi Yingdong suddenly said, "You were cutest when you were a kitten."
These words were like a bucket of water, suddenly poured into Meng Qinghe's heart.
She looked up abruptly, her pupils trembling slightly, her heart feeling as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
What does that mean?
Does he not like her as she is now?
Her mood plummeted instantly.
The girl was not yet good at controlling her emotions; her happiness and unhappiness were clearly written on her face.
Meng Qinghe glared angrily at Chi Yingdong, her eyes slightly red, as if tears were about to fall from her eyes at any moment.
"If you don't like me as I am now, why do you still tell me to take responsibility?"
Meng Qinghe felt extremely wronged.
I think Chi Yingdong is a terrible woman!
Chi Yingdong was taken aback, clearly not expecting Meng Qinghe to suddenly bring up the matter of "taking responsibility".
She said seriously, "I never said I don't like you as you are now."
"Hmph!" Meng Qinghe snorted coldly, turned her face away, leaving Chi Yingdong with only a sullen profile.
In an instant, Chi Yingdong seemed to see a cat with its fur standing on end.
Chi Yingdong suddenly chuckled softly.
"Do you remember? That time I opened a can of lamb for you?"
Her voice was soft, yet it drew Meng Qinghe into her memories.
Meng Qinghe certainly remembered!
She disliked the smell of mutton even before she transformed into a cat, but after becoming a cat, her taste buds still resisted that smell.
"Back then, when you smelled the canned lamb, you kept meowing and resisted it. Later, I put all the flavors in front of you and let you choose, and you told me what you liked in your own way."
Meng Qinghe didn't quite understand why Chi Yingdong suddenly said these things.
She's making it so obvious, can't you see it?
She's unhappy!
Why are we still reminiscing about the past?
She looked at Chi Yingdong with displeasure, her eyes questioning why he was saying all this.
Chi Yingdong was helpless.
To be frank, Meng Qinghe is shy.
The meaning was veiled, and she couldn't understand it.
It really is a kitten.
"What I mean is, you can express anything you want to me."
Chi Yingdong finally spoke frankly.
Meng Qinghe was stunned, then asked softly, "Do you prefer me when I was a kitten, or me now?"
Chi Yingdong sighed.
Does this mean you understood, but only half of it?
“Aren’t both of you the same person?” Chi Yingdong ruffled Meng Qinghe’s hair. “It’s just that when you were a kitten, your emotions were more outward and you were bolder.”
Many images flashed through Chi Yingdong's mind.
A kitten was hiding on the curtains, wanting to see her worried expression.
A kitten accompanied her on a shopping trip, sitting listlessly in the back seat.
A kitten wanted to eat instant noodles, but got frustrated and angry when it couldn't get them.
There are far too many.
Although Meng Qinghe was in the form of a cat at that time, their interactions were genuine.
They used to be very close, and compared to now, Chi Yingdong also feels a sense of loss.
They are all lonely people. Even if they seem indifferent to everything on the surface, they yearn for someone to be close to them and want to be needed.
Chi Yingdong hugged Meng Qinghe, their heads touching. "You can trust me a little more. You don't need to be so careful when you talk to me."
These words stirred up a storm in Meng Qinghe's heart, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.
Her nose tingled, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.
Meng Qinghe cautiously inquired, "Don't you find me annoying? Don't you think I'm a burden?"
Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible, as if she were afraid to hear the answer.
The sounds of my parents arguing during their divorce seem to echo in my ears again.
"I don't want the children. Divorce is fine, but you can take the children with you."
"I told you to abort it back then, but you insisted on giving birth. Now you want to push the child onto me?"
"You think I wanted to have children?..."
Even after many years.
Whenever she recalls this scene, those sharp words still feel like daggers piercing Meng Qinghe's heart.
She buried her face in Chi Yingdong's neck, tears silently streaming down her face.
Chi Yingdong tightened his arms around Meng Qinghe, his voice firm: "Of course not! After all, there's no such thing as a beautiful burden in the world!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com