Chapter Ten Friends

  Ge Yu Feng quietly treated her wound and stewed a pot of chicken soup for her. When she woke up, she still looked weak, so he helped her sit up and scooped a spoonful of steaming hot chicken soup. Because it was too hot, Ge Yu Feng blew on it gently until the temperature was just right before feeding it to Qi Xue. Qi Xue didn't pretend to be shy and drank it obediently with her eyes half-closed. The chicken soup was very warm and comforting, although people who were sick shouldn't drink something so greasy. But this chicken soup wasn't greasy at all, instead emitting a unique aroma of chicken soup. After finishing the bowl, Qi Xue watched as Ge Yu Feng got up to leave. She pursed her lips, looking at the bandaged wound on her right wrist, and leaned against the cold wall with her eyes closed, feeling extremely tired.

  Ge Yu Feng brought in another full bowl of chicken soup, saw her exhausted look, sat down beside her and continued to feed her. Qi Xue drank a few mouthfuls, the spoon was again extended to her lips, Qi Xue gently shook her head, she was drinking with the awareness that she was about to burst. If she drank any more, she would throw up. Ge Yu Feng saw that she didn't want to drink anymore and didn't say anything, he just got up to leave. Qi Xue looked at his broad back, a bit dazed, opened her lips and softly asked: "What are you angry about?"

  His voice was a little hoarse. Although he didn't show his emotions on his face, she knew he was angry, and it was due to his dissatisfaction with her. She understood that it was because she got hurt, or because she didn't fight back herself, but why did he have to be angry?

  Ge Yu Feng stopped his footsteps, hearing a weak yet clear voice, "I don't want to get entangled with anyone, Ge Yu Feng, you have no reason and no need to help me."

  Ge Yufeng spun around with a "whoosh", his eyes blazing with uncontainable anger. Yes, he was furious - furious that she hadn't told him! Why did she have to face danger alone? Why did she act as if it was nothing when she got hurt?! Why couldn't he trust himself just a little bit?! There was no reason, no need for it. Ah, yes, he was a cop, and she was a suspect under close surveillance, but every time he saw her bearing the burden alone, fighting alone, knowing she was an aloof and heartless woman... yet he couldn't bring himself to let go of her, just like parents can't abandon their own child.

  To him, Qī Xuě was like a homeless little lamb, very lost and helpless. If he didn't keep an eye on her, she would get hurt immediately. Yet, she was also like a young wolf cub, with the unyielding and stubborn nature of a wolf. She would face enemies head-on, guarding her loved ones with her life, even if it meant getting herself injured repeatedly. He wanted to stop her but was frozen by her strong and determined gaze. He didn't understand what his feelings for her were, but he didn't want to be just a bystander.

  "Because you are my suspect! And I'm the only one who can catch you!"

  Looking at his resolute expression, listening to his overbearing words, her mind went blank with a "boom", her usually calm heart started racing like crazy, as if a giant hammer had struck it. But she knew that anyone who stayed by her side would never have a good ending, so she didn't dare to hope for friendship, nor did she want to. As Qi Xue, she always maintained a cold and detached demeanor, a shadow that couldn't appear openly in front of humans. Mu Shu Zhen was Qi Xue, but Qi Xue wasn't Mu Shu Zhen.

  Snow fell, covering half of her face with scattered hair. She felt a stinging sensation in her eyes and heat around her eye sockets, as if she was about to cry. That day was like a nightmare that wrapped itself around her, the thorns on the rattan stick pierced through her skin and into her heart, making her suffer both physically and mentally. Even people who tried to save her would get hurt by the thorns, leaving them with scars.

  That year, when she was five years old, her parents sent her back to her hometown to live with her brother and grandmother. Every day was very boring, and she had no friends, so she often went for walks in the woods. One time, she walked too far and got lost in the forest. After crossing that piece of woodland, she saw an orphanage. From then on, she would often run there to play and made a few friends who would be her lifelong regrets.

  One day, a group of men in black suddenly appeared and wanted to take me away. They kicked and shouted loudly, but my weak and small body had no strength to resist those men. I saw that man kick a child violently, the child rolled far away, curled up on the ground in pain. She was very angry, but could do nothing, only struggling in his hands, shouting at the other children to run quickly. Fortunately, another woman in black stopped the man from killing them and took all the children away. At first, she was relieved, but unexpectedly, what awaited them was an endless nightmare.

  The girl was taken to a white laboratory, where she was given anesthesia and became immobile. Soon, several people dressed in white coats, resembling doctors, approached her, removed her clothes, and injected something into her body with a syringe. It hurt terribly, and they did it multiple times, yet the pain persisted. Despite being anesthetized, every nerve in her body felt like it was being pulled out, and her brain was acutely aware of the agony. The pain was excruciating, making her want to scream, but no matter how hard she tried, no sound came out. Tears streamed down the girl's face like water.

  Those people in white coats looked at her with icy gazes, without sympathy, without pity, and even without a hint of emotion. The girl couldn't hold on, her consciousness gradually sinking into darkness, and before she fainted, she vaguely heard their conversation: "Hmm, her ability is not bad, it's just that her physique is a bit poor. We've injected MTX into her, and we can further conduct PC experiments."

  "What about the other kids?"

  "They are far inferior to this girl, if they were to forcefully inject VT, I'm afraid..."

  It was a woman's voice, the girl was shocked in her heart, this is treating us as experimental products! Why did they catch her? I miss my dad and mom so much. She fainted, not knowing how long it took, until she woke up with no one around, moved her fingers, and could move! The girl tried to prop herself up, but suddenly felt severe pain all over her body and fell back down again. Her delicate white skin was covered in dense needle holes. The girl told herself in her heart, "Jiuxi, Jiuxia, they were caught because of me, I must go find them!"

  She put on the clothes that were covering her body, and there was a determined look on her small face. In fact, she was very scared in her heart, what would happen in this strange place, and how long it had been since Dad and Mom knew she was lost again, whether they were worried about her, and whether she could escape herself. Would she be locked up here forever?

  The girl walked down the corridor, her bare feet treading on the cold floor. All the walls and floors were white, like a maze. There was no door visible on the white wall, perhaps even the doors were white, but there were no handles, and she couldn't tell them apart. After turning many corners, her head spinning, she finally heard a voice. The girl stuck close to the wall, moving slowly and quietly forward, her small body crouching in the corner of the wall, peeking out to see an open door ahead. Two people in white clothes were talking at the entrance, "That child won't be able to withstand it, probably won't live long."

  The girl listened with wide eyes, what were they talking about? What couldn't be endured? Her body tensed up, unable to hold back the chill that surged in her heart.

  "It won't live long anyway, just throw it away and get rid of it cleanly, not the first time either." The man's ruthless voice reached her ears, his words like extremely cold and hard ice picks.

  "But those are innocent children." The woman's heart was still soft.

  "Hmph, we are for the progress of humanity, to uncover all possibilities! To sacrifice for experimentation, for the advancement of human science is their glory!"

  Later, a girl pointed out a child, and as she looked at the pale face being dragged away by two people like trash, time seemed to stand still, the air solidified, and the world became an icy vortex. She bit her lip tightly to prevent herself from making a sound, her fingers gripping the wall to stop herself from rushing out. Her small, weak body trembled violently as she understood what hatred was.

  Her eyes turned crimson with resentment, her gaze fixed on them, listening to every word they spoke. She would remember these people!

  The man in white clothes sensed something and walked in a direction, but there was nothing. The man muttered in confusion, "Was it an illusion?"

  The girl ran wildly, with a raging fire of anger and hatred burning inside her. She wanted to kill them! No! Even killing all of them at once couldn't quench the hatred in her heart. Every time she thought about the child who had lost its life because of being thrown away by them, she felt like killing!

  The laboratory door opened, and the girl was still unconscious. They lifted her clothes and continued to experiment on her body. Due to excessive injection, the girl's body became red and swollen, but there was no sign of sympathy in their eyes.

  Every day, the girl's body gradually changed due to side effects. Previously, she spent more time unconscious than awake, but now she wouldn't easily pass out again. Her resistance had increased significantly, and her senses were much sharper. She could hear footsteps coming from very far away.

  Sometimes they put themselves in a dark place, and she can see everything clearly in the darkness. In that small black room, there are many terrifying insects and snakes, but fortunately, they are all locked in glass boxes. However, she knows that when her so-called abilities burst out or are about to burst out, those centipedes and snakes will be released. But it doesn't matter, even if they feel sorry for her, they won't let her off. It's better this way; if they really show sympathy, it would only make her feel disgusted!

  She didn't cry or make a fuss, she just lay quietly on the cold operating table waiting for the daily experiment. She didn't know the exact time, but when her body had become much stronger, roughly calculated, it should be within 24 hours that they would give her an injection of medicine. She knew she was still too weak and small, she wanted to get stronger!

  So she cooperated with their work, but on this day, at the same time, no one came. The girl's ears moved cutely, and she didn't hear any sound. Although she felt strange, she didn't go out. She didn't want to make people here wary of her, who knows if they were secretly monitoring her, that would only strengthen their surveillance on her. She had to maintain the identity of a puppet.