Ye Li paused at the sight of the candy.
She sat up, not taking it, and asked, “What do you want?”
This kid was shrewd; she usually treasured her two candies like gold, keeping them in her pocket and carrying them everywhere. For her to proactively offer one now, she definitely had an ulterior motive!
Duoduo didn't reply. She gently placed her teddy bear on Ye Li's bed, blinking her big, dark eyes, looking at Ye Li with anticipation.
Ye Li glanced at the bear on the bed and instantly understood, “You want to sleep with me?”
Duoduo quickly nodded vigorously, then offered the candy in her hand to Ye Li again, trying to curry favor.
Ye Li looked at the little tot in front of her, then at the candy in Duoduo’s hand, frowning, torn by internal struggle.
She wanted the candy.
But she didn't want to look after the kid!
After a long internal debate, Ye Li ultimately couldn't resist the temptation.
She had been confined in this dark, sunless underground for too long, surviving on thin gruel every day. She had been craving something sweet for ages!
“Fine, then,” Ye Li said with a stern face, swiftly taking the candy from Duoduo's hand. “Just to be clear, only for one night!”
Perhaps afraid she would change her mind, or that Duoduo would, Ye Li tore open the wrapper and popped the flat, round hard candy into her mouth.
A sweet taste immediately spread through her mouth, mingled with a faint lemon fragrance—sweet and sour, refreshing and pleasant.
Ye Li shuffled towards the edge of the bed, making space on the inside. “Come up.”
Her voice was a little muffled because of the candy in her mouth.
But Duoduo heard her clearly, quickly kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, and obediently lay on the inside, hugging her teddy bear.
Ye Li pulled the blanket over her, then lay down herself.
She generally disliked intimate contact with others, and even with a small child beside her, she still felt uneasy.
Ye Li could only cross her arms over her chest and fiddle with the candy in her mouth to distract herself.
But the child beside her didn't sense her repulsion. She suddenly turned over, reached out a small hand, and hugged Ye Li tightly, instinctively seeking a sense of security.
Ye Li immediately stiffened all over.
She instinctively raised her hand, wanting to push the child away.
But the next second, she felt the small body pressed against her trembling slightly, and soft sobs faintly rising.
So fragile and helpless, so utterly pitiable...
Ye Li faltered slightly.
A small, thin figure huddled alone in a dark corner, quietly sobbing, involuntarily surfaced in her mind...
Finally, with a sigh, her raised hand slowly descended onto the child, gently patting and comforting, her movements shifting from stiff at first to gradually gentle, naturally...
In the following days, only Ye Li and Duoduo were left to “depend on each other” in the cell.
Between meals and sleep, Ye Li still enjoyed teasing the little tot for fun.
When teased, Duoduo would also pout her little lips and ignore Ye Li, but she grew more and more dependent on her each day.
Security screenings for Mutants in the detention center became increasingly frequent, with blood drawn for testing every two days on average.
The adults were fine, but Duoduo, being a child, couldn't endure it. Her little face visibly withered, turning sallow and bruised day by day, growing thinner.
Ye Li saw it but was powerless to do anything.
Fortunately, Zhao Lei did as he said; whenever he had time, he would visit the cell and spend time with Duoduo.
He would occasionally sneak in some food for her, sometimes a boiled egg, sometimes a small bread roll.
Living conditions were harsh now, and food was scarce. These were things he had saved from his own daily rations.
Besides food, Zhao Lei also found several children's storybooks from who-knew-where, complete with Pinyin.
Although the books were worn and had missing pages, they became the best pastime for Ye Li and Duoduo.
Every night before lights-out, Ye Li would read a story to Duoduo, then teach her the characters from the story the next day.
Duoduo was very clever; she could recognize a new character after being taught twice.
Although she couldn't speak, when Ye Li asked, she could always point to the correct character.
Days passed one by one, and another week went by in a flash.
After lunch that day, Zhao Lei brought good news when he came to collect the bowls.
“I heard Qiao Bei's secondary mutation was successful. His ability doesn't seem to have changed much, just his healing power has strengthened. He should be back after a few more days of observation.”
Upon hearing that her big brother was coming back soon, Duoduo's face immediately lit up with joy, and she bounced and jumped on the bed, hugging her teddy bear.
Zhao Lei affectionately patted her little head, then looked at Ye Li, his expression turning somewhat solemn.
“Also, I inquired for you. Your next experimental surgery is coming up soon. I heard it won't be an amputation this time.”
“Not an amputation?”
Ye Li was stunned. In sequence, this experiment should have involved removing her left leg. If it wasn't an amputation, then...
She raised her hand, palm vertical, and gestured towards her abdomen, “Are they going to dissect me?”
Zhao Lei nodded reluctantly, “It seems they want to examine your internal organs, so the risk for this experiment is quite high!”
Ye Li laughed.
This wasn't just a matter of risk; she might actually die!
Who the hell could survive missing a heart or a lung?!
Ye Li's long brows furrowed.
It seemed this place was no longer safe to stay in.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at Zhao Lei and suddenly asked, “Tell me, do you think a Savior exists in this world?”
Zhao Lei was taken aback. “Why do you ask that?”
“Just curious!” Ye Li said lazily. “At this rate, everyone will mutate sooner or later, but the probability of turning into a monster is much higher. Monsters feed on humans. If no Savior emerges to change all of this, then in the end, won't everyone, everything, perish?”
Zhao Lei's eyes flickered.
He thought for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked, “Have you heard of a medical doctor named Cao Yiming?”
“No,” Ye Li shook her head. This person wasn't in the original host's memory.
“The vaccine that suppresses the emergence of evil thoughts was initially developed under his leadership. In the early days of the apocalypse, he was once hailed as a Savior by the world,” Zhao Lei said. “But later, due to an experimental accident at the base, Dr. Cao's whereabouts became unknown. Some say he's dead, others say he's still alive, hiding in the Exiled Lands.”
Rate on N.U.
